Chapter 26: Being Busy Doesn’t Conflict with Loving Someone
Mu Zhenzhen asked curiously, “So Teacher Xie and Teacher Lu are childhood sweethearts?”
Xie Shibai denied it: “No.”
The air was quiet for a few seconds.
Lu Ciheng explained, “We never met again after we were seven. It’s normal for Honey not to remember.”
Xie Shibai’s brow pressed down slightly. His gaze fell on Lu Ciheng, feeling as if he really had forgotten something.
But his memories at age seven were chaotic. Afterward, he had been in the Hongshan Sanatorium, making it difficult to recall the situation at that time. Moreover, in his cognition, it didn’t seem like he would have had a childhood playmate.
The situation in the Xie family at that time was too special. Ming Yu insisted on divorce, but she was tied too deeply to the Xie family. Public perception and public opinion… Old Master Xie cared about the Xie family’s external image, and Xie Huacheng was unwilling to give up the power he had finally regained. The entire Xie family was like a cage, oppressive and suffocating.
No matter how blue the sky outside was or how bright the sunlight was, it couldn’t penetrate the window. The oppressive despair was like a tomb; an airtight cage trapped the bird yearning for freedom.
Everyone avoided that place like the plague; no one would even stand by the cage to glance at the bird whose wings were about to be broken.
Ming Yu was the bird controlled by Xie Huacheng, and Xie Shibai was the bonsai carefully selected and pruned by Old Master Xie.
The magnificent mansion was filled with the words “man-eating.” How could anyone allow their child to be a playmate for a bonsai?
[Wait a minute! Doesn’t that mean LCH met XSB when he was little, remembered him until he grew up, and then married him?]
[Holy crap, premeditated for a long time?]
[No, Cool Guy, were you a love-brain since you were little?]
[Now solo fans have nothing to say. These two are truly awesome!]
[But you can’t deny Lu Ciheng is the only one hot for him (one-sided affection). XSB clearly doesn’t remember him. Doesn’t that confirm he’s a simp with stone-cold evidence!]
[Does he need stone-cold evidence to be a simp? Hasn’t the livestream from yesterday to now been very clear?]
[No, don’t you feel it’s very angsty? LCH is the only one eager, while XSB feels like he has no expression.]
[Ahhh Brother, wake up! XSB isn’t worth it!]
[Fed up. How is Brother Xie not worth it? Your bias loves him to death and you’re still talking tough here.]
[Didn’t feel it before, but seeing this, I feel XSB really doesn’t love him much. Anyone else hearing their partner has liked them since childhood would be moved to death.]
[Feeling a bit of pity now.]
Staff: “Question two is a Q&A. What does the other party love to eat and drink the most, and what can they not eat?”
[This question requires carefulness. Unless you pay close attention, it’s easy to get what they love to eat wrong.]
[Yeah, what if they like to eat a lot of things?]
[Laughing to death, it would be funny if there was a greedy eater.]
[Xie Shibai definitely can’t answer this question. He doesn’t love him that much and invests very little in the relationship.]
Lu Ciheng announced his answer first. It clearly recorded what Xie Shibai liked to eat, including his love for coffee, but noted that due to health reasons, the quantity of coffee had to be controlled, and that he wasn’t suited for foods that irritated the stomach.
[How come I’m not surprised at all?]
[So detailed. Feels like something LCH would do.]
[Why are the solo fans silent now?]
[Brother, you are confused!]
[He really loves him so much!]
[Sigh, already guessed XSB can’t write anything. Only those who love deeply can do this, right?]
Under the expectant gazes of everyone, Xie Shibai turned his whiteboard around. The clear and detailed answer stunned the bullet comments for a few seconds.
Besides Lu Ciheng’s tastes, the whiteboard also precisely recorded how many cups of coffee he had withheld from Xie Shibai.
Lu Ciheng looked at the whiteboard where Xie Shibai had accurately recorded everything. A flash of surprise passed through his eyes. In the next second, a smile rose on his face. He shifted his single sofa to the side until it was almost parallel with Xie Shibai’s sofa, his tone filled with pleasant surprise: “I didn’t expect Honey to remember so clearly.”
Xie Shibai leaned against the back of the sofa, his tone indifferent, but if one listened carefully, one could find a hint of competitiveness. “Who are you looking down on?”
He wasn’t the type of person who wouldn’t verify details even in a contract marriage. Although Lu Ciheng talked a lot, Xie Shibai had still observed attentively the things that needed to be remembered to avoid a situation where their answers didn’t match when outsiders asked.
[Ahhhh CP fans celebrating New Year!]
[Who can be as awesome as the CP I ship!]
[Who on earth said it was one-sided? They are running towards each other! Anti-fans, speak up!]
[Maybe it’s the ‘Birth of an Actor’. Don’t forget they are both actors; maybe they are tricking everyone.]
[Stop lying to yourself up there. Is admitting they are real so hard? Two rivals acting deeply in love for a variety show? Won’t it be awkward when the contract ends?]
[Originally thought it would be fake if they didn’t answer correctly, but now it’s unexpectedly easy to ship!]
[The key is that both people remembered the other’s preferences!]
[The mood of the other two couples obviously went down. I saw Qiao Jiayi’s face turn black. If they weren’t recording a show, they would definitely fight on the spot.]
[Director Tan really knows how to play. At first, I thought the questions were simple; turns out I underestimated him.]
Some fans discovered the last line of words on Xie Shibai’s answer.
[Likes drinking coffee, and drank my coffee without permission. Owes: 10 cups of coffee.]
[Laughing to death. What is this vengeful note?]
[No, LCH, how can you withhold your wife’s coffee?!]
[This note is a bit cute! Feel like their mode of getting along off-show should be quite interesting, not the generalized view on the internet.]
Lu Ciheng also discovered this note and hooked Xie Shibai’s hand. “Honey, why hold a grudge even for this?”
Xie Shibai withdrew his hand, his eyes calm. “Don’t try to get close regarding the coffee matter. Not a single cup less.”
[! Is XSB actually a coffee brain?]
[Suddenly realized they are really a bit easy to ship!]
[Rivals for years, lovers in a day, childhood playmates. Jumping into the pit (fandom) is not a loss!]
When it was the turn for the other groups, the fans in the livestream room fell silent one after another.
Yu Rui’s whiteboard said she loved eating green vegetables, without specifying the cuisine. Conversely, Wu Ke’s whiteboard clearly recorded what Yu Rui loved to eat, and it basically matched what the studio had announced.
The staff asked, “Did the other party answer correctly?”
Wu Ke was silent for a while before saying, “I don’t love eating green vegetables.”
Yu Rui’s smile froze. He stared at Wu Ke. “Don’t you like eating them?”
Wu Ke tightened her grip on the whiteboard in her hand.
[Yu Rui actually doesn’t know what the amateur sister-in-law likes to eat at all, right? Just forcing a persona on himself.]
[They really have big problems. Yu Rui doesn’t know what his own wife likes to eat at all. Even like this, there are fans forcing praise about his gentleness.]
[Exactly. His fans are unbelievable too, saying the amateur sister-in-law is timid. The key is your bias doesn’t give the amateur sister-in-law a chance to speak at all.]
[Who actually believes his previous affectionate persona?]
[Only their young fans believe it.]
[What’s wrong with Wu Ke’s hand?]
[Can’t move luggage, the sister-in-law wanted to be on the show, remembered the proposal date wrong and he accused the sister-in-law of remembering wrong. Now he simply doesn’t even know what the person eats. This is called affectionate?]
[Order a song: ‘What Kind of Man’.]
The atmosphere in the living room fell into a strange silence.
Xie Shibai glanced at Wu Ke’s hand gripping the whiteboard and paused for a few seconds.
Lu Ciheng’s lips pressed down, and he couldn’t help saying, “Teacher Yu, you can’t even remember what your own wife likes to eat?”
Yu Rui was a bit embarrassed and tried to diffuse the situation. “She used to love eating them. Maybe she got tired of them recently. I’m busy filming and can’t pay attention to such small matters.”
Lu Ciheng said, “Being busy doesn’t conflict with loving someone.”
[Holy crap, holy crap!]
[Right! LCH is in the crew all year round, doesn’t he also clearly remember what XSB loves to eat?]
[True love definitely remembers clearly. It’s all excuses. Setting up an affectionate persona like this, who gave him the confidence?]
Some netizens couldn’t stand it anymore and ran to Weibo (Big Eye) to briefly dig into Yu Rui. The result was finding more dirt the deeper they dug.
Mi Qiran also didn’t remember his lover’s preferences. Looking at Qiao Jiayi’s whiteboard, he was awkward, causing the livestream fans to sigh.
[Looking at it this way, Qiao Jiayi is also quite miserable.]
[Yeah, can’t remember the proposal date, can’t remember preferences, and was scolded by fans for a long time for being unfaithful to the relationship.]
[Where are the fans? Why aren’t they talking at a time like this?]
[Brother Qiran is just not attentive, right?]
[Right, right, right. Everyone else can remember, only your brother isn’t attentive.]
Mu Zhenzhen and Xu Xiangming’s group performed as usual, looking like a young couple passionately in love who remembered each other’s preferences clearly.
The next few questions were all related to their marital relationships.
Mu Zhenzhen and Xu Xiangming answered one more correctly, seemingly becoming the model couple of the program, and won the final reward.
After the Tacit Understanding Test was completed, nearing noon, the four groups began walking towards the market provided by the program team. Each group was assigned vegetables they needed to buy. If not for the morning’s tacit understanding survey, the atmosphere among the people under the camera wouldn’t be this silent.
Mu Zhenzhen and Xu Xiangming, who took first place, had been harmonious the whole time, getting along well as they discussed how to buy groceries.
The other two groups were exceptionally silent under the camera. Everyone held their handwritten shopping lists and ignored each other.
[So quiet.]
[Why do I feel like they’ll divorce before the show ends?]
[In comparison, XSB and LCH actually have a very good relationship.]
The market was crowded. Groups of four began to purchase the upcoming vegetables according to their handwritten lists.
Lu Ciheng naturally held Xie Shibai’s hand. Meeting the other’s gaze, his tone was calm. “So many people. I feel like I might accidentally get lost.”
Xie Shibai: “…”
Lu Ciheng continued unhurriedly, “Honey, you have to watch me closely.”
Xie Shibai was used to Lu Ciheng’s brain circuits, but the netizens in the livestream room watched in amazement.
[Already gradually forgetting what Lu Ciheng looks like as a cool guy.]
[Laughing to death. 1.9 meters tall and can get lost? Only XSB spoils you, right?]
[Maybe it’s because of the contrast, but now I feel they are quite easy to ship. Although I’m a solo fan.]
[Me too… didn’t dare to speak just now.]
[? Two traitors!]
Lu Ciheng consciously guided Xie Shibai away from contact with the dense crowd.
But because there were so many people, the photographer didn’t keep up with them for a moment.
The market also had small seafood shops. Just as the two finished buying and were preparing to pay, they met Wu Ke, who had been separated from Yu Rui.
Seeing Xie Shibai and Lu Ciheng, Wu Ke breathed a sigh of relief. “Can I go back with you guys? I got separated from Yu Rui just now and haven’t been able to find him.”
Xie Shibai nodded.
Wu Ke hurriedly asked, “Need help carrying anything?”
Xie Shibai: “No need, just follow us closely.”
Wu Ke nodded. She tugged at her sleeve. She originally wanted to offer help spontaneously, but thinking of something, she put her sleeve back down and lowered her head to help choose seafood.
Xie Shibai observed the surroundings, then turned to Wu Ke and said, “Aren’t you planning to divorce him?”
Wu Ke’s body paused for a few seconds, her expression slightly frightened. She hadn’t expected Xie Shibai to say it directly and hurriedly looked around for cameras.
Xie Shibai said, “The camera didn’t follow us.”
Wu Ke breathed a sigh of relief, losing the restraint she had in front of the camera. “Why do you think I want to divorce Yu Rui?”
Xie Shibai’s gaze landed on Wu Ke’s arm. “The answer should be obvious.”
Wu Ke subconsciously covered her arm, then realized her action was superfluous. “I’ve already filed for divorce. Later, I thought about it for a long time… just divorcing would be letting him off too easy.”
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