Part 2
[I’d rather believe that everyone’s eyes collectively malfunctioned than believe this is true.]
[Are you kidding, Lu Ciheng’s romantic partner is Xie Shibai??????]
[Don’t believe they could be dating, it’s fake.]
[The funniest thing is, there was a trending search a while ago saying they were the top two ‘Kings of Solitude’ in domestic entertainment.]
[Now the two Kings of Solitude are internally consuming each other, are you satisfied?]
[So it’s Lu Ciheng simping for Xie Shibai…?]
[? Upstairs must be crazy. How is that possible? How could my brother simp for XSB?]
[Correct, absolutely impossible. How could the video angle be so perfect? Some people really have bad intentions.]
[But in the video, he really is impatient.]
[There must be a reason, my brother can’t be a licking dog.]
Xie Shibai’s fans, who were eating the melon, suddenly looked back and realized they were eating a melon from their own house. After watching the video repeatedly, their mentality changed from watching the fun with a smile at the beginning to shock.
[Ah?]
[Brother Xie, real or fake?! Ahhhhh]
[Wasn’t I just eating a melon? How did I end up eating it on my own head?]
Although shocked, some fans were still well-trained in controlling the narrative.
[Your Lu isn’t even worthy of throwing himself at my brother.]
[Truly bad luck, isn’t the video obvious? It’s your Lu who is rushing up to him.]
[Who are you saying has bad intentions? No wonder he always leeched off my brother’s heat before.]
[Laughing to death, does my brother, a Best Actor, need to leech off your family’s heat?]
[Xie fans must be dreaming like crazy, have no clue about your own family’s status.]
[Your brother is a simp.]
[Holy crap, your brother has no career ambition!]
[Your brother gets despised even when he simps.]
[Your brother returned with a one-year gap period. For heat, he really will do anything!]
[Clown!]
[Scheming!]
Fans on both sides went down to tear each other’s hair out, fighting inextricably. Netizens looked at the string of trending searches with a kind of dreamlike confusion.
[Aren’t they rivals?]
[Yeah, didn’t they even fight at Movie Night? How are they dating?]
[Um, is it just me who thinks they are kind of shippable…]
[Cult fans get lost!]
[Just you think so.]
When the heat exploded most violently, Xie Shibai and Lu Ciheng had just returned home.
Xie Shibai saw the messages Assistant Lin sent frantically. As he scrolled down, his expression darkened slightly.
[Assistant Lin: Brother look at the trending search!]
[Assistant Lin: Seems they didn’t guess it was you, only Lu Dog was exposed. Fortunately, fortunately.]
[Assistant Lin: Holy crap! Someone restored the video.]
[Assistant Lin: It’s bad, Brother. Everyone knows now ahhhhh.]
No need to look at the trending search; just from the messages sent by Assistant Lin, one could see the mental journey of netizens regarding this matter.
The matter of his marriage to Lu Ciheng was exposed.
Although Xie Shibai had expected this day when they agreed to the contract marriage, he didn’t expect it to be this soon.
Moreover, the agreement with Lu Ciheng was made thinking that no one would believe it if they were photographed. Furthermore, when agreeing to the marriage, he hadn’t thought of asking Lu Ciheng to help with desensitization therapy. With the contact disorder as a premise, he wasn’t worried at all.
But now, they happened to be photographed during the desensitization therapy. Even if they clarified that they had no relationship, the state in the video would make it hard for netizens to believe. There was no reasonable excuse to explain the hugging.
Xie Shibai’s acceptance of the trending search was quite good. He weighed the pros and cons immediately. When Cheng Zhe contacted him, he simply told Cheng Zhe not to intervene yet; he needed to consider it seriously.
Lu Ciheng also saw the trending search. With the corners of his lips hooked up, interest soaring, he watched the restored video repeatedly. Just as he was about to save it, Zhou Yang called.
Zhou Yang shouted, “You two were photographed!”
Lu Ciheng frowned and held the phone away. Wait until the voice on the other side calmed down, he said, “En, I saw it. It was shot quite well.”
Zhou Yang: “…”
“Now is not the time to discuss how well it was shot. How do you plan to handle it?”
Lu Ciheng leaned against the railing of the terrace, the breeze blowing his hair, his tone unhurried. “The video is so clear. Even if we clarify, no fans will believe it.”
Zhou Yang on the other end of the phone said, “Of course. Everyone isn’t stupid. Even if fans are tolerant and doting, netizens won’t believe it. They will hold onto this matter relentlessly, and it will definitely affect your popularity with the general public.”
“And now fans have already decided you guys are dating.” Zhou Yang paused for a few seconds. “You don’t mean to…?”
Lu Ciheng zoomed in on the video and couldn’t help asking, “Did they not see the ring?”
Zhou Yang: “?”
Lu Ciheng whispered with regret, “It’s clearly so distinct. Why would they think I’m dating Teacher Xie?”
Zhou Yang’s head instantly popped a vein. “Is this the time to focus on that! You brat, be serious!”
Lu Ciheng moved the phone away and said slowly, “Got it.”
Zhou Yang: “Discuss this matter properly. What exactly are you thinking?”
Lu Ciheng stared at the leaves on the terrace. He heard footsteps coming from behind him. Turning his head, he found Xie Shibai standing there.
Xie Shibai seemed to have just finished a shower. His black hair was smooth, the tips slightly damp. He had changed from formal wear into loungewear. The breeze blew his hair, and his whole temperament appeared exceptionally gentle.
Lu Ciheng casually said to Zhou Yang on the other end, “Leave it for now. I’ll contact you in a while.”
After speaking, he hung up the phone, smiling brightly. “Teacher Xie, can’t sleep?”
Xie Shibai spoke directly, “I heard your call with your manager. regarding tonight’s matter, what do you think?”
Lu Ciheng leaned back against the railing. “I looked at the netizens’ comments. In this situation, clarifying is useless.”
Xie Shibai’s brow pressed down. He still remembered what Lu Ciheng said when signing the contract. The intention was that no one would believe it even if they were photographed. The only variable was the desensitization therapy. Lu Ciheng had also shown before that he cared a lot about his acting career.
Compared to Xie Shibai, Lu Ciheng had just won Best Actor and was at the peak of his popularity. The impact of exposing a romantic relationship would be much greater for him than for the former.
Lu Ciheng’s eyes curved, his black eyes gazing at Xie Shibai, his tone relaxed. “Since fans won’t believe a clarification, let’s just admit it.”
Xie Shibai was stunned for a few seconds, then asked, “Aren’t you very concerned about your acting career? In the current environment, it might affect your career.” Especially given their relationship; fans on both sides were definitely incompatible like water and fire.
Lu Ciheng brushed a leaf off his arm with his finger, as if he didn’t care at all whether his acting career would be affected, and smiled. “It doesn’t matter.”
Xie Shibai looked confused. “Then what you said when signing the contract…?”
Lu Ciheng coughed lightly and found an excuse. “I’ll have to transition sooner or later. The persona the company gave me is a bit too suffocating. This exposure today just happened to be timely. I can use this opportunity to transition.”
Xie Shibai thought of the persona Lu Ciheng’s company arranged for him and was silent for a few seconds.
True. With that mouth, the silent cool guy persona is easy to collapse with him.
Lu Ciheng asked, “What about you, Teacher Xie? Do you want to go public or not respond?”
Xie Shibai lowered his eyelashes. When the agreement ended, the public relationship between the two might become a new burden. Not going public would instead play into the Xie family’s hands. Moreover, Lu Ciheng also had the idea of using this to transition.
The desensitization therapy was effective very quickly, and this was largely thanks to Lu Ciheng.
The cooperation with Lu Ciheng, the marriage news that the Xie family had been suppressing, and the public exposure on the internet—the three were indispensable and closely linked, becoming the arrow pointing to the choice.
“Then let’s go public.”
“Ding-ling—”
Tan Rongxuan woke up from his sleep with a start. The next second, he heard bang bang sounds of pounding on the door. The phone by the bed vibrated incessantly, frantically as if it were the end of the world.
“Director Tan, wake up! Big event!”
Tan Rongxuan was half-awake and still a bit confused. After hearing the familiar voice, he confirmed the identity of the person through the peephole, then opened the door. “Little Xu? What are you doing not sleeping in the middle of the night?”
Xu Zhengyu calmed his breathing. “Director Tan, why didn’t you answer the phone!”
Tan Rongxuan looked at Xu Zhengyu strangely and poured him a glass of water. “How can I answer the phone while sleeping? What is it? Why the rush? Isn’t it the same to say it tomorrow?”
“No, you must see this.” Xu Zhengyu drank a mouthful of water and handed the tablet to Tan Rongxuan. “Our variety show might be saved.”
Tan Rongxuan took the tablet, not understanding what matter had to be said at night and made so mysterious.
On the tablet was the latest trending search. At first glance:
#LuCihengXieShibaiRomanceExposed!#
#LuCihengSuspectedSimping#
#PopularMaleActorCan’tEscapeFateOfBeingALickingDog?#
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