Chapter 36: Completely Xie Shibai’s Dog…
[It must be Dog Lu coming back!]
[Why does Brother Xieās tone feel so fierce?]
[Isn’t being fierce normal? It gives off the vibe of a wife questioning her husband why he hasn’t come home yet, hehe.]
[What husband not coming home?! In that case, I’m going over there!]
[Person in front, tone it down, Brother Xie is the husband!]
[Arenāt you a solo stan upstairs? Why are you fighting over top and bottom positions now?]
[His solo fans are just like that.]
[Dog Lu is so lucky, I want to be scolded by Teacher Xie too, boohoo.]
Lu Ciheng hadn’t expected to see Xie Shibai either. His dark eyes filled with pleasant surprise, and the smile on his face was brilliant. “Teacher Xie, were you waiting for me?”
Xie Shibaiās gaze landed on Lu Cihengās slightly damp shoulders, then noticed his hair was also wet. The rain outside the window was gradually turning into a storm, the pattering sound accompanied by rumbles of thunder and flashes of lightning.
In this remote area, the streetlights didn’t stay on all night; they extinguished at ten o’clock. The small path visible outside the window was pitch black. Although the cabin wasn’t located very high up, the road in between wasn’t accessible by car, requiring one to get off at the drop-off point and hike up.
Even in normal weather, the production team didn’t recommend traveling at night without streetlights.
And now, it was a stormy night in the early morning hours.
Xie Shibaiās expression darkened slightly. His cold, aloof face was illuminated by the occasional flash of lightning, making him look icy. “You’re overthinking it.”
[Somethingās wrong, somethingās wrong, why does it feel like theyāre about to quarrel?]
[Brother Lu just came back and XSB is acting like this? Itās too much to say that to someone who just came back from working hard.]
[Iām done. If you two canāt keep acting, then just stop.]
[Itās obvious now. Either they aren’t a couple, or they broke up long ago.]
The netizens in the livestream room, who had been lurking for a long time and didn’t believe the two were together, saw hope. They were certain the two were fighting and the act was about to fall apart.
“Who would wait for someone like you who doesn’t even care about their own life?”
[????]
[Whatās going on? Why canāt I understand anymore? Weren’t they about to fight?]
[Local here! Itās pouring rain right now, and the cabin is on the mountain. The mountain road is dangerous enough, and with the storm, even locals dare not walk it. The power supply is unstable, so the streetlights on the mountain get cut off at night. Itās basically full of danger debuffs. It was really too dangerous for LCH to return to the cabin in these conditions.]
[So XSB is actually worried about LCH!]
[It is known that itās long past XSBās bedtime. Heās not sleeping at this hour, and the first thing he does upon seeing LCH is mock his time management. They might have agreed to return by nine, but LCH was late, and XSB waited until the early morning.]
[Oh my god, they are just too shippable, ahhh!]
[Sharp words on the surface but honest body language. Tsundere paired with a loyal dog, Iām healed!]
[Iām feasting, feasting, feasting! What kind of peerless gourmet meal is this!]
Lu Ciheng understood. The corners of his lips hooked up, his eyes full of laughter. He felt that today was a happiness worthy of being recorded in history, and he couldn’t help but lean in to press, “Is Teacher Xie worried about me?”
Xie Shibai kept a cold face as he filled a glass of water. “Are you still sleepwalking?”
After getting the water, he didn’t even glance at Lu Ciheng, turning to go upstairs.
Lu Ciheng let out a low laugh, hurriedly chasing after Xie Shibaiās footsteps. His deep voice, laced with a smile, persisted, “Then why hasn’t Teacher Xie slept this late? If you weren’t waiting for me, could it be insomnia?”
Xie Shibai only felt his ears were buzzing with annoyance, filled entirely with Lu Cihengās voice. “Waiting to collect my dead husband’s body.”
Lu Cihengās footsteps paused. His heart beat rapidly, and his eyes beneath the damp black hair lit up instantly. Two words circulated in his brain.
Dead husband (Wang Fu) = Husband (Fu) = Hubby (Lao Gong).
Rounding up, Xie Shibai called him hubby!
[Whatās happening? Why does it feel sweet even when he says ‘dead husband’?]
[Who gets it? The flavor is right! As expected, Teacher Xie being so quiet during the day was just wrong. The moment Dog Lu came back, his sense of vitality instantly became stronger.]
[They really are such a good match! To the extent that even outsiders want to take a bite.]
[Upstairs, you didn’t switch accounts again…]
[? Holy crap, fast hands, delete it!]
[I thought Teacher Xie had a bit of a tsundere vibe before, didn’t expect it to be this fragrant!]
[LCH is so lucky, Iām dying of envy.]
[Went back to the room? Ahhh, can the program team go tear that cloth off the camera lens overnight!]
[What are they doing next? Why can’t we watch!]
[What else can adults do? Of course, itās dry wood and raging fire, hating each other intensely!]
[My tolerance is high, show me something yellow (explicit)!]
Xie Shibai had just pushed open the bedroom door when a scorching body carrying a scent of humidity suddenly pressed against his back. His steps faltered, and just as the water in his cup was about to spill, a large hand reaching from behind grasped it and took it away. With a clack, the sound of the glass cup touching the wooden cabinet bottom made his heart skip a beat for no reason.
It was as if the hidden restlessness from morning till night was dispelled the moment their bodies touched.
Strong arms encircled his slender, resilient waist. The broad fingers pressed against him, filled with an ambiguous desire for control. With one hand propped against the wall, trapping him in the narrow space, Lu Ciheng seemingly gave him two choices, but his hidden possessiveness only allowed Xie Shibai to lean against him.
Lu Cihengās chin rested in the crook of Xie Shibaiās neck, the tip of his nose pressing against the slender side of his neck. Only at this moment was the separation anxiety that had made him anxious all day alleviated. His deep tone was somewhat persistent: “Teacher Xie, say it again.”
Scorching breath swept across the side of Xie Shibaiās neck, leaving heat and a dense, fine itch. His breath trembled, and he turned his head uncomfortably, instinctively wanting to dodge, only to find it futile.
Xie Shibai frowned. “Let go.”
Lu Ciheng didn’t let go; instead, his arms tightened even more, his tone leisurely. “Say it again and I’ll let go.”
Xie Shibai couldn’t help but say, “Are you sick? You like hearing people call you a dead husband?”
Lu Ciheng honestly let Xie Shibai pull his hair. “I like it. I like whatever Teacher Xie calls me. If you don’t want to say ‘dead husband,’ I have no objection to you directly calling me ‘husband.'”
Xie Shibai: …
Pervert.
“Let go,” Xie Shibai said coldly. “You’re covered in rain. Hurry up and get lost in the shower.”
Lu Ciheng suddenly let go, looking nervously at Xie Shibai as he checked him up and down. “Did I get water on you?”
Xie Shibai was stunned for a few seconds, seemingly surprised that Lu Ciheng let go so quickly this time. After all, before this, he would always cling for a long time, as if he had a high demand for physical contact, dragging it out before letting go.
Perhaps because the release was too sudden, Xie Shibai was still a bit dazed when Lu Ciheng turned him around. He paused for a few seconds before dodging Lu Cihengās hand, intuitively realizing his current state was very strange.
After confirming he hadn’t gotten water on Xie Shibai, Lu Ciheng breathed a sigh of relief and switched to a relaxed attitude. “Teacher Xie, we haven’t seen each other all day. A day apart feels like three autumns. I missed you all day. I have separation anxiety; what to do? I won’t be able to leave Teacher Xieās side in the future.”
His frankness was like saying he was completely Xie Shibaiās dog now.
A puppy cannot leave its master.
Xie Shibai: “…”
Recalling the “mutual non-disturbance” clause mentioned when signing the contract, Xie Shibai felt a sense of trance. Maybe the problem started from the moment he asked Lu Ciheng to help with the treatment.
“If you’re sick, go see a doctor,” Xie Shibai replied subconsciously, picking up his water cup and walking around Lu Ciheng to rest on the bed.
Lu Ciheng didn’t delay too long. He took a quick shower and changed out of his damp clothes, the arc of his lips never faltering.
Only one lamp was on in the bedroom. The sound of rain outside the window mixed with the noise from the bathroom. Xie Shibai looked out the window; the restlessness he had felt all along seemed to calm down for a moment.
Early the next morning, Su Xingran, who received the wake-up task, rubbed his hands together, heading straight for Xie Shibai and Lu Cihengās room with a clear goal.
Because the room cameras were often covered and forgotten, the program team simply added a task: draw lots for a group to execute the task daily, reminding everyone to remove the items blocking the cameras. Moreover, the netizens in the livestream room loved watching this segment. If they couldn’t see the room camera, seeing it from the perspective of the guest executing the task was not bad either.
Li You stood beside him, lacking interest. He assumed Lu Ciheng hadn’t returned, so he said, “You go by yourself. Let’s split up to call people. I’ll go call Sister Zhenzhen and Senior Qiao. That way it’s faster. Besides, Senior Xie probably doesn’t want to see me either.”
Su Xingran glanced at him.
He used to be a “green tea” too; he understood everything.
“How could that be?” Su Xingran said. “Brother Xie has a very good temper. He always targets the matter, not the person. Otherwise, you should reflect on yourself.”
Li You said, “Really? Didn’t feel it. Maybe he just dislikes me because I’m too close to Brother Lu.”
Su Xingran feigned surprise. “You haven’t even spoken to Senior Lu, have you?”
Li You: “…”
So damn angry.
[Dying of laughter, hahahahahaha.]
[I seem to understand why Director Tan put them in a team.]
[If I hadn’t heard what he said that day myself, this kind of person really makes it easy to give others eye drops (sow discord).]
[Yeah, being a green tea in front of the camera and then getting edited by someone with malicious intent would be disastrous. SXR looks pleasing to the eye for a moment.]
[Although SXR is also… trying to be the third party is a big no-no!]
Li You couldn’t be bothered to talk to him. He felt that Su Xingran’s taste couldn’t be much better since he liked Xie Shibai. “I’m leaving. Go call them yourself.”
Su Xingran smiled. “Okay then.”
You must have two holes in your head to like Lu Ciheng.
He paused for a second, reacted, and chanted in his heart: Brother Xie is different, he must have been deceived.
Besides, maybe the two really were in a broken-up state as the internet said.
[Tsk tsk tsk, some people are going to regret until their intestines turn green.]
[Is no one going to control this Little Third Brother? Stay away from my CP!]
[Sister upstairs, don’t fear. Dog Lu treats him as a love rival.]
[Su Xingran is so emotionally stable. He doesn’t get angry at such a teammate?]
[He’s probably eager to see Brother Xie himself. Truly an age that can’t hide things; has some schemes but not many.]
Su Xingran stood in front of Xie Shibaiās door and took a deep breath, somewhat nervous. After all, it was his first time seeing Xie Shibai who hadn’t gotten up yet.
Although it was very wicked, it was great that Lu Ciheng wasn’t there!
He could apply to eat breakfast with Xie Shibai, and even be filmed sitting together by the camera. Being filmed in the same frame was important, and sitting together to eat was equally important.
It would be even better if Lu Ciheng didn’t come back today either. Maybe he could ask Xie Shibai for advice on acting.
Knock knockā The sound of knocking rang out.
“Brother Xie, it’s Xingran. Are you up?” Su Xingran asked.
It was quiet inside the door for a while. Listening carefully, one could hear faint movements, followed by soft footsteps, as if someone was walking over to open the door.
Su Xingran straightened his clothes, a smile practiced to perfection during his green tea days rising on his face.
The sound of the door handle being pressed down clicked softly. The door opened a crack, and an impatient tsk sounded by his ear.
Su Xingran was a little puzzled but maintained his smile. “Teacher Xie, mornā”
Lu Ciheng opened the door, looking at Su Xingran expressionlessly. “Something?”
[Woohoo!]
[This plot is so funny, hahahaha.]
[SXR’s face collapsed instantly, hahahaha.]
[Does it have to be this funny? One black face, one collapsed face.]
Su Xingran’s smile collapsed immediately. Both knew the situation well, so he didn’t bother pretending anymore, turning gloomy. “Why are you back?”
Lu Ciheng was already annoyed at being disturbed early in the morning. Heaven knows how precious the time he could sleep holding Xie Shibai in his arms was. Hugging him at any other time would make the cat bare its claws. And to make matters worse, the intruder was Su Xingran, who wanted to be a Cao Cao (wife stealer).
He couldn’t be bothered to talk to his love rival. “If it’s nothing, I’m closing the door.”
No matter how depressed Su Xingran was, he still conveyed the director’s words. “Director Tan said to remove the cloth from the camera. The livestream is waiting anxiously.”
Lu Ciheng gave an “Oh,” and just as he was about to close the door, he heard a puzzled voice from behind.
“Lu Ciheng?”
Lu Cihengās heart skipped a beat. He turned his head to look at Xie Shibai, who had just woken up, sitting on the bed and looking at him with a bewildered expression.
Su Xingran craned his neck trying to see, but in the next second, the food-guarding Lu Ciheng slammed the door shut with a bang.
After closing the door, Lu Ciheng leaned in like a large dog. If he had a tail, it would be wagging like a small electric fan by now.
“I’m here. What’s wrong?”
Xie Shibai sobered up quickly. He pushed Lu Cihengās approaching face away with a slap and said casually, “Checking if you’re dead.”
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