TSBDRA 27: Is He Faking It

Thanks to Bai Keke’s passionate guidance, within just half an hour, Xu Xishuang had learned a shocking number of “little tricks” he had never even heard of before.

He couldn’t help but marvel inwardly. It turns out, when people fall in love, they can grow a hundred and eight new brains just to win the one they like.

His cousin had warned him countless times that he was too slow when it came to subtle feelings, and one day he would suffer for it emotionally. Xu Xishuang had never cared. He had never liked anyone before, never needed to win anyone over, so he had never studied any of these little moves. As for people who liked him…

Before transmigrating into the book, Xu Xishuang had plenty of admirers growing up thanks to his background and his looks. He considered himself pretty good at reading people’s feelings. As long as they weren’t too subtle, he could usually tell when someone liked him and then he would reject them swiftly and cleanly, leaving no room for false hope.

When it came to his feelings, Xu Xishuang thought he was a very straightforward person. He accepted his desires openly. If one day he really liked someone, he would probably just confess outright, play it straight, and win them over directly. There’s no need for all those twists and turns.

Bai Keke was still going on passionately, and Xu Xishuang watched her in awe, his eyes filled with admiration.

Under that kind of gaze, Bai Keke felt it was impossible to stay calm. As expected, she got a little carried away and doubled down on her teaching.

Even Yan Yao, who’d been doing her best to stay invisible, couldn’t help chiming in, offering up a few common tactics herself. On the other side, Yan Yushan grew increasingly silent.

Of course, Yan Yushan knew that there were gay men who could still act like total straight bros but Xu Xishuang didn’t seem like that type at all. He had never made his orientation public, never had any rumors, and he clearly had zero relationship experience.

Recording this show was starting to feel like torture for Yan Yushan. He wanted it to be over quickly so he could talk to Xu Xishuang in private and find out what his actual orientation was. At the same time, he didn’t want it to end, because he didn’t want to hear an answer that would crush him.

With the conversation drifting more and more into a one-on-one between Bai Keke and Xu Xishuang, Tang Min finally couldn’t take it anymore.

He seized a gap in the conversation and said to Xu Xishuang, “But Senior Xu, don’t you think girls with a bit of romantic cunning are even cuter? I mean, when men are chasing after someone they like, it’s only natural to exaggerate themselves a little, right? No need to be so harsh about it.”

Tang Min forced down the jealousy in his eyes. He couldn’t understand why Xu Xishuang, of all people, got Yan Yushan’s special attention. Back when they were in the boy group together, Tang Min had interacted with Yan Yushan so many times, and Yan Yushan had always acted like a strict mentor. He even drove off the best-looking trainee with harsh criticism so what made Xu Xishuang so special?

His face?

Tang Min thought his words were airtight. No matter your gender, it was all about fairness. If Xu Xishuang dared to challenge what he’d said, once the episode aired, Weibo would be full of people dragging him—for disrespecting women, for not siding with men, for playing both sides and pleasing no one.

He’d already planned what the trending hate posts would look like. He had even thought about hiring bots to stir up more drama but then he heard Xu Xishuang say, “Exaggerating things is just human nature?”

Xu Xishuang blinked. “So when you slept with an underage fan, exaggerated having ‘emotional detachment disorder,’ said sex would cure you, drugged her, and promised to make the relationship public later… that was just human nature too?”

Silence crashed over the studio like a wave.

Everyone: !!!

Yan Yao clapped her hands over her mouth in shock. Bai Keke’s eyes went wide—her entire face spelled out: Wait, you can say that out loud?! 

The director clutched what little hair he had left, while the staff all wore the same stunned expression, like they’d just been handed the juiciest gossip of the year. Even Yan Yushan froze, though he quickly regained his composure.

When Xu Xishuang said “slept with a fan,” Tang Min’s face drained of color and he nearly jumped off the couch. He barely managed to stay seated. Gritting his teeth, he said to Xu Xishuang, “I call you ‘senior’ because you debuted before me. That doesn’t give you the right to slander me.”

“Oh, really.” Xu Xishuang’s tone was mild. “Was it slander?”

Tang Min stiffened, forcing himself to meet Xu Xishuang’s calm gaze. He couldn’t show any weakness and couldn’t show he was rattled. In a firm voice, he said, “Yes. It’s slander!”

His nails were already digging deep into his palms. He was now frantically going over all the fans he had slept with, trying to figure out which one had betrayed him, how they were connected to Xu Xishuang, and how the hell Xu Xishuang even knew. What gave him the guts to say it on air?! Was he not afraid?!

He’s got backing too! Did Xu Xishuang really think he wouldn’t dare make a move against him? If something really happened to Xu Xishuang, would Yan Yushan actually step in to help him?

The shoot couldn’t go on. Luckily, they’d already filmed enough for the episode. With some ads slapped in, they’d have enough for a full video. The director and staff didn’t dare stick around to hear more. Sure, reality shows needed some drama, but not this kind of drama. Who had the guts to touch this story? Who could even air it?

To avoid getting dragged into it, the director quickly called cut, stood up in a rush, and told the stars that recording was done—they could all head out.

He prayed silently that they’d all leave fast, before someone dropped another bomb or started fighting on set. That would be a nightmare to deal with.

At the director’s words, Bai Keke and Yan Yao reluctantly stood up, sneaking glances at Xu Xishuang, hoping he would say a few more words.

Actually, Xu Xishuang hadn’t originally planned to expose Tang Min on camera. He was going to wait until the shoot ended, pull Tang Min aside, warn him to stop, and then hand over all the evidence to the police. He’s just doing a little good deed, really.

Tang Min had come for him first, dug a trap and dared him to fall in. So, well, Xu Xishuang had no choice but to return the favor with a great big juicy bombshell.

Xu Xishuang had never been the passive type. Once he decided on something, he would see it through.

Thankfully, he had an excellent memory. Before joining this show, he had already tracked down the victim mentioned in the novel, reached out, and patiently convinced her to gather evidence. Their preparation work was nearly done, and she’d be filing a police report before the day was over.

Besides, considering the book’s setup, Xu Xishuang figured. It’s either he dies anyway, or if he survives, he’ll give birth in six months, quit the entertainment industry, and live freely. He wasn’t afraid of Tang Min stealing his roles or trying to smear him—he didn’t care. He came on this show specifically to stir things up. Specifically to drag Tang Min straight into a jail cell.

Tang Min’s face turned pale, then flushed red, then back again. No one could tell if it was from rage or fear.

After roasting him, Xu Xishuang felt amazing—his blood was pumping, his chest was warm, his head a little dizzy.

He didn’t think much of it. He waved to Xiao Wang, signaling that it was time to leave. Just as he took a step forward with a smile, he suddenly felt a warm surge rise up his throat.

That familiar feeling froze his smile instantly. His lips parted uncontrollably, and he bent over the coffee table vomiting a mouthful of blood.

Everyone: !!!

Xu Xishuang: …

This wasn’t like how they do it in TV dramas—real blood was way more shocking than any prop pack. The director and staff were totally stunned. Bai Keke and Yan Yao stared in shock, pupils shaking.

After vomiting, Xu Xishuang’s complexion paled even more. His already snow-white skin turned ghostly, and there was a streak of red staining his off-white sweatshirt. He looked like he might collapse at any second, like he’d melt away into snow.

Tang Min was terrified. His hands began to tremble. He had heard Xu Xishuang had poor health, but he didn’t think it was this bad. They had only exchanged a couple sentences, and Xu Xishuang actually coughed up blood?! What kind of glass constitution was this? Was this… was this some kind of insurance scam?!

Xu Xishuang wasn’t going to die here, was he? Would that make him an actual killer?!

He opened his mouth to say something but someone screamed first, snapping the others out of their stupor. Everyone rushed over to check on Xu Xishuang.

By the couch, Xu Xishuang took a tissue from Yan Yushan, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, but flinched at the loud scream, his hand trembling slightly. He looked up and said to Yan Yushan, “Than—”

He didn’t finish the word because the moment he looked at Yan Yushan, he saw his face was incredibly grim.

Xu Xishuang had never seen Yan Yushan look like that. He froze, instinctively curling his fingers, about to explain that he hadn’t acted on impulse—that this had all been carefully planned, and aside from the blood, everything was under control.

Before he could say a word, Yan Yushan’s long arm had already wrapped around his shoulders, pulling him half into his embrace. With Xu Xishuang half-shielded in his arms, Yan Yushan quickly led him out of the room, avoiding the crowd.

With his cheek pressed against Yan Yushan’s chest, Xu Xishuang could hear his strong, rapid heartbeat. He felt like his own heartbeat was starting to speed up a little, too.

Behind them, Xiao Wang trailed along, carrying a suitcase in one hand and Yan Yushan’s studded jacket in the other, huffing and puffing as he hurried after them down the long hallway.

In the studio, Tang Min stood frozen, thinking back on the look Yan Yushan gave him before leaving—it felt like he had been marked by a hungry wolf, and was about to be ripped to pieces. His whole body went cold.