Chapter 36 part 1
Liu Xichao was the one who asked the question, but he was also the first one who couldn’t handle the answer.
He stood up, muttering, “It’s suddenly gotten chilly. I’m going to grab a jacket and get ready to do the dishes.”
Yao Lixin whisked the child away, tossing out a “Gotta put the kid to bed” before making his escape.
Tang Mian, still wearing his headphones, was the type to get so lost in a ghost story he’d forget his own name, so he didn’t spare Tang Yue a single glance.
That left Tang Yue and Jiang Shulu alone at the wooden table, Tang Yue propping his face up with his hands.
Jiang Shulu asked, “Is there anyone as good as me?”
Taken out of context, a line like that would sound incredibly narcissistic.
But in the hazy lamplight, with the sound of birds rustling their wings in the woods beside the small house in the fishing village, and the chirping of crickets in the courtyard below, the world seemed to fall silent.
It only made Jiang Shulu’s eyes, crinkling with a smile on camera, seem all the more affectionate, and the look on Tang Yue’s face, as he held it in his hands, all the more sincere.
None of it could be faked.
It was so real it made the viewers’ hearts tremble, wishing the two would just be a little more honest with each other, like a pair of seventeen or eighteen-year-old boys, and passionately confess their love for once.
Kiss! Kiss! I’m begging you!!
Same-sex marriage is legal now, what are you two holding back for! It’s not like Tang Yue is married anymore!
Is it just me, or if Tang Yue has a secret crush on Jiang Shulu, could the child be Jiang Shulu’s?
My roommate is already looking up international news about male pregnancies to convince herself our ship is real.
Remember the last male celebrity caught up in a pregnancy scandal? It was Sheng Cangyun. Too bad he retired.
This show is pure torture!! So this is what it feels like to ship something so hard it hurts, ugh.
“There is,” Tang Yue said.
He glanced at the closed bedroom door, from which he could hear Yao Lixin on the phone, loudly complaining to his wife about being given the cold shoulder by his teammates.
Downstairs, Liu Xichao was chatting with the old woman, not forgetting to snatch the director’s schedule, from which the distinct words “sunrise” could be heard.
But Tang Yue couldn’t be bothered with any of that.
The moment his eyes met Jiang Shulu’s, his limbs would go weak, as if a single look could send him dreaming back to the past.
Tang Yue had to look away. He picked up the earring and asked Jiang Shulu, “Can you try it on?”
“Is that a request or a demand?” Jiang Shulu asked.
Even while participating in a slow-life variety show like this, Jiang Shulu still gave off the impression of being incredibly busy.
If this were a pre-recorded show, the audience would never see these moments.
But that’s the nature of a live variety show. No one thought being the heir to a family of this caliber was easy.
Even on the show, Jiang Shulu lived up to his name, exuding a high degree of self-discipline.
He never slept in, always going for a run in the morning, or at least a walk.
The audience could even guess the nature of his occasionally muted phone calls from the subtle shifts in his expression.
Even if the man’s emotions rarely fluctuated.
But the Jiang Shulu who was with Tang Yue was different.
Just like now. His eyes were teasing, and the hint of indulgence in them was enough to drown a person, making them fall helplessly into his trap.
And yet, the person in question was completely oblivious, his smile pure.
“Then how else should I ask?” Tang Yue said.
He suddenly leaned in closer, his nose almost touching Jiang Shulu’s.
“Like this?”
It was too close.
Their breaths mingled on each other’s faces. In the switching camera shots, it gave the audience the distinct illusion of watching a short drama.
Two stunning faces that would outshine any of the countless sweet same-sex romance dramas that had emerged since legalization.
So close that Jiang Shulu instinctively closed his eyes.
Tang Yue let out a soft “hmph.” “So lame, Captain.”
The microphone seemed to pick up even their breathing—Jiang Shulu’s was rushed, Tang Yue’s was calm.
The pretty maknae’s hum was incredibly pleasant, tinged with a faint, smug satisfaction. His age seemed to roll back, as if he were twenty, or even eighteen, again.
This is killing me.
Jiang Shulu: This is killing me.
I’m already dead.
Tang Yue is… so pouty and cute. That word is so cringey, but it’s the only one that comes to mind.
Just go act in a sweet romance drama together. It doesn’t even matter if you two can’t act, I could stare at your faces for eighty episodes.
Think bigger. Isn’t this a real-life, unedited sweet romance documentary?
Am I the only one who wants to just push their heads together? They’re so close! What’s wrong with a little kiss?
Suddenly remembered the cut on Jiang Shulu’s lip from the last stop. It looks like it’s healed now. It could only have been from Tang Yue bumping into him, so it’s fine if it happens again.
Breaking news: Tang Yue says Jiang Shulu can’t get it up.
Before Jiang Shulu could say anything, Tang Yue pulled back.
He picked up the earring and leaned in again, wanting to put it on for Jiang Shulu.
Anyone who’s been in this industry has ear piercings; just one is considered a small number.
Compared to Liu Xichao and Yao Lixin, who were still active, Tang Yue’s and Jiang Shulu’s piercings had almost closed up.
As his earlobe was unexpectedly pinched, Jiang Shulu trembled. He reached out and steadied Tang Yue’s waist as he leaned in.
Tang Yue had the slightest build of the four of them, as if a strong autumn wind could blow him away.
At this moment, on the second-floor balcony of the house in the seaside fishing village, the two figures in the long shot looked as if they were leaning in for a kiss.
In the close-up, Tang Yue’s expression was serious, as if he were undertaking a task of great importance.
One moment he pulled away, the next he was suddenly close again. Their breaths intertwined, and the atmosphere grew ambiguous.
Even though they had slept in the same space for days, had hugged, had been carried on each other’s backs, and had three years together before all this.
At this moment, Jiang Shulu felt as if they were strangers.
Tang Yue had a side no one knew.
Hidden beneath his timidity was a sly, undeniable charm.
I can’t take it anymore!
Production team, you might as well add some background music. I’m too embarrassed to play these breathing sounds out loud.
I’d be okay with you two going for a swim in the ocean…
They’re not in the ocean, but they’re at the seaside (I’m being serious).
The long earring from Liu Xichao made a crisp sound as it dangled, but Tang Yue couldn’t seem to get it through the hole. He leaned in a little closer.
Jiang Shulu had no choice but to keep his hand on his waist.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Captain, have you not worn earrings these past few years?” Tang Yue asked.
Jiang Shulu hummed in agreement.
“I’m so useless, I can’t get it in.”
His voice was laced with obvious frustration. The earring wouldn’t go in, and that old habit of his—pinching people’s earlobes when he was sleepy—was starting to creep up on him.
Recommended Reads
![Accidentally Turned a Tragic Romance Plotline into a Sweet and Pampering One [Transmigration]](https://beereads.space/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/ACCIDENTALLY.png)
![[ABO] After Accidental Marking, I Became Everyone’s Darling](https://beereads.space/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/ABO-225x300.jpeg)
