Chapter 87: “I Beg You.”
Early the next morning, the other guests also learned about what had happened. They rushed to the medical room to check on Lu Ciheng’s condition.
The recording for Lu Ciheng and Xie Shibai was temporarily suspended. After all, it was a gunshot wound, and he needed time to recover. However, the production team didn’t close the livestream. Instead, they let the puppy, Tudou, carry a portable camera to broadcast in their place.
When netizens clicked in, all they saw was a pair of furry paws running. Thinking it was a gag, they enjoyed watching it.
[You’re speeding, Lu Biao!]
[I never thought I’d one day become a dog.]
[I’m willing to be Xie-laoshi’s dog!]
[Can Lu-gou fans get out? Is it your turn to be Xie-ge’s dog?]
[Fans follow their idol. If my idol can do it, why can’t I! Sister-in-law, open the door!]
[I still like the rebellious attitude of Lu-gou fans.]
[LMAO, hahahaha.]
Although ‘Lu Biao’ was subbing, it was still strange for the netizens not to see the main pair in the morning. Meanwhile, news of the gunshot injury on the cruise ship hit the trending searches. Bored netizens clicked in and sensed something was wrong. Combining it with the livestream, they began to speculate.
[A shooting on a cruise ship in America… I hope it’s not this show.]
[Surely not. The cruise ship chosen by the show must be very strictly vetted. How could something like that happen?]
[My two biases didn’t show up in the livestream this morning; it’s Lu Biao subbing…]
[…???]
[What’s the situation?]
[No, don’t spread rumors. Are you a hater for trying to claim such a thing?]
[OMG, OMG! The production team just posted an announcement!]
The production team’s official account clearly explained what had happened the previous night. At the same time, they admitted their negligence which led to the threat to the guests’ safety. They also announced the suspension of Xie Shibai and Lu Ciheng’s livestream, which would be covered by Lu Biao until they recovered enough to resume.
Netizens found key information in the announcement: cruise ship, stowaway, gun. They began to discuss it fervently.
[The tickets for the Solon are not cheap at all. Even an economy tour is more luxury than a normal ship. A ship like this has very strict security. After all, it’s said that a certain royal family goes on it several times a year. If someone can stow away with a gun, I’ll eat my keyboard if there aren’t internal issues!]
[I found a report from an American journalist mentioning problems with the stern surveillance. It’s always the same story—surveillance breaks whenever something happens. Heh.]
[Is Xie-ge okay? Ahhh, and how bad is Lu-gou’s injury! Production team, say something!]
[This is an inside job, right? On such a strict ship, they didn’t find a stowaway. Someone must have been covering for him.]
[Was it a deliberate attack on the CP?]
[It’s more than just a deliberate attack… it’s clearly an attempt at a life. Thankfully the police arrived in time, otherwise, it would have been a huge problem. A cruise ship is far from everything; once shot, if the facilities on board are insufficient, it can turn into a major issue, even fatal.]
[You can’t even blame the production team this time. They chose the safest ship already. You can’t account for premeditated revenge.]
The discussion wasn’t just limited to the domestic internet; even overseas, people were talking about it. The Solon was famous, and the fact that royal families used it made the attention skyrocket. The higher the heat, the deeper the journalists dug. Everyone wanted this high-profile story. They even managed to get information on the gunman and reported it widely.
The information from the news was quickly brought back to the domestic internet. Chinese netizens began to look at the name and details with confusion.
[Isn’t Ye Yingpu that professor who committed academic fraud and illegal human experiments?]
[Damn, that scum!]
[Why did he sneak onto the ship with a gun to take revenge on XSB and LCH?]
[The American report says this scum felt it was Xie-laoshi’s fault that he was being cursed by the entire internet and forced to flee the country.]
[WTF?]
[What does that have to do with our Xie-laoshi!]
[He committed fraud and illegal experiments himself, but he blames others?]
[OMG, I found out that during his early experiments, someone died. But he paid some money afterward and that was that. He didn’t take any responsibility.]
[This man is pure evil. The previous revelations about him suppressing students and illegal human testing were just the tip of the iceberg.]
After finding out the information on the gunman, netizens who sensed something was wrong began to dig into Ye Yingpu’s past. The more they dug, the more shocked they were. However, they still couldn’t find the reason why Ye Yingpu would target Xie Shibai and Lu Ciheng for revenge.
Meanwhile, compared to the highly-discussed hot searches, the livestream was as popular as ever, just with a dog’s perspective.
Tudou’s activity range was huge. With the camera on, netizens realized what a ‘social butterfly’ dog looked like. From guests and staff to the ship’s crew and tourists, it could play with everyone. With boundless energy and furry short legs, it did a lap and then ran toward the medical room.
Seeing the medical room, the netizens in the livestream got excited. Although Xie Shibai and Lu Ciheng had sent messages through the production team, all the marketing blog posts were still terrifying. Without seeing them on livestream, people were still uneasy, not knowing how badly they were hurt.
The puppy scratched at the door with its head. The livestream caught the sound of Xie Shibai’s voice, sounding slightly angry.
“Lu Ciheng, are you a dog?!”
The netizens were confused for a few seconds before becoming excited. The chat moved at lightning speed.
[What, what!]
[So Lu-gou and Xie-laoshi are actually fine, right? Thank god, wuwu.]
[It doesn’t sound like it’s very serious. Lu-gou can still get scolded.]
[Bobby, go in quickly!]
[Right, right! Quickly! Just one look is enough!]
[What are they doing! What are they doing! Lu Biao, go in and look!]
Tudou pushed the door with its head, but it didn’t open. For a puppy’s world, there was no such thing as difficult tasks; it simply gave up. It didn’t even try a second time, wagging its tail and trotting off to continue its walk.
The netizens watched the camera turn away.
[…Who called him Lu Biao?]
[Kick them out! Our Bobby doesn’t like that name. Now he’s not going in and we can’t see anything.]
[Bobby, turn back! Let us see, ahhh!]
[Actually, just hearing the voice is very reassuring.]
[True, it sounds like everything is okay.]
Inside the room.
Xie Shibai was sitting on the vanity in the medical room, his legs parted. Because of the posture, his knees wanted to press close to Lu Ciheng’s waist, but mindful of the wound, he forced himself to avoid the movement. His legs were trembling slightly. A sturdy arm was wrapped around his waist, pulling it tight. His jaw was held by a large, veiny hand, which forced a wet, sticky kiss upon him.
He was being licked and bitten.
Xie Shibai’s cold face was stained with a faint flush, his long eyelashes wet. There was a faint bite mark on his lips, and their color was a deep, moist red. It looked as if he had been treated roughly, but in reality, there was only a faint itch. He reached out to push Lu Ciheng’s face away, but mindful of the other’s injury, his movements and strength were very light—so much so that his pale, slender hand was caught and restrained as soon as it touched the other.
Burning breath fanned across his face.
Xie Shibai panted, his slightly wet eyes staring suspiciously at Lu Ciheng. “Weren’t you saying your wound hurts?”
Lu Ciheng’s lingering movements paused. His Adam’s apple rolled; he had almost forgotten to keep up the act. He let out a light cough and said pitifully, “It hurts. It hurts so much.”
Xie Shibai stared at Lu Ciheng for a few seconds before looking away and enduring it.
What terrible acting.
Xie Shibai braced against Lu Ciheng’s shoulder. “If it keeps hurting, it must be infected. I’ll go find the doctor.”
Lu Ciheng immediately rested his head against Xie Shibai’s neck, drawling, “Finding the doctor is too much trouble. Xie-laoshi, maybe if you kiss me again, it won’t hurt.”
Xie Shibai remained silent for a few seconds. This was already the third or fourth time today. He reached out and tugged at Lu Ciheng’s hair, pulling him back. The flush on his face hadn’t faded, and his cold, wet eyes looked up. His lips were red and his tone unhurried as he asked, “It hurts that much?”
Lu Ciheng’s eyes were fixed on Xie Shibai’s lips. He nodded.
The corners of Xie Shibai’s mouth curled into a light smile. “Come closer.”
Lu Ciheng’s eyes went wide. He held his breath, his heart delighted as he leaned in.
‘Slap—’
With a cold face, Xie Shibai slapped Lu Ciheng’s cheek. “While I still have patience, get lost.”
Lu Ciheng’s dark eyes stared intently. His cheek didn’t really hurt; it only felt good. He used his tongue to poke his cheek from the inside before leaning in again, nuzzling Xie Shibai’s face like a dog. “Xie-laoshi, my wound still hurts, and you’re still hitting my face.”
Xie Shibai pushed his face away with force, trying to get off the vanity. “Has your acting ability been eaten by a dog? With this acting, how did you ever become a Film Emperor? Don’t come near me. Get lost.”
During the struggle, Lu Ciheng suddenly clutched his abdomen and let out a muffled groan.
Xie Shibai’s hand paused. He looked at Lu Ciheng. “Did I hit the wound?”
Lu Ciheng didn’t speak.
Xie Shibai’s heart tightened. Looking at Lu Ciheng’s expression, it didn’t seem like he was faking. “Did the wound open? I’ll go find the doctor.”
The supposedly suffering Lu Ciheng suddenly let out a muffled chuckle, his dark eyes under his messy hair shining with a delighted smile.
Xie Shibai froze for a few seconds. His hands felt an itch to hit something. With a cold face, he began to walk out of the washroom.
Realizing he had teased him too much, Lu Ciheng quickly grabbed Xie Shibai’s hand. “Xie-laoshi, don’t go. I wasn’t faking; you really did hit something just now.”
Xie Shibai didn’t look back. The next second, a forceful tug on his arm pulled him back. A sturdy arm wrapped around his waist from behind, while the other hand braced against the wall, creating a tight space that trapped Xie Shibai between the wall and his chest.
Burning breath swept across the pale neck. A low, husky voice whispered in his ear. “You hit somewhere else.”
Lu Ciheng’s gaze was dark. He pressed against Xie Shibai, his breath scalding as he said softly and pitifully, “Xie-laoshi, help me.”
Xie Shibai shifted slightly and felt the heat of the contact. It was getting hotter, its presence so strong it was impossible to ignore. “You can still do this while injured?”
Lu Ciheng’s dark eyes looked as if he were being a rogue. “That’s why I need Xie-laoshi to help me.”
If he hadn’t established the ‘serious injury’ persona, Lu Ciheng would have helped himself. He tightened his grip, suddenly finding the ‘serious injury’ persona a bit annoying.
Xie Shibai looked away and didn’t say anything.
Lu Ciheng nuzzled Xie Shibai’s cheek, dropping lingering, clingy kisses from behind. Each peck was followed by a low, pitiful plea. “Xie-laoshi, I beg you.”
Translator’s Note:
- Bobby: Another nickname for the dog, Tudou.
- Film Emperor (影帝): Again, a nod to Lu Ciheng’s top-tier status in the industry, which Xie Shibai uses to mock his “fake” pain.
- Punishment vs. Reward: Lu Ciheng is turning the “punishment” into a request for a “reward” through his shamelessness.
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