“Heh, so you’re just like them, another little thug?”

Back then, I answered like this:

“Me? I’m your savior!”

Yeah, pretty childish.

---

4

The live broadcast continued, and as the 500 yuan transaction hit Xie Xu’s phone, the internet exploded:

[What did I just witness? I knew these two were the real deal!]

[Xiao Huai is clearly marking his territory.]

[New personality unlocked: scheming bottom Xiao Huai!]

[I’ll pitch in 500 yuan too, can I join this CP?]

With popularity comes scrutiny. Soon enough, someone dug up an old interview of mine and posted it in the comments section.

In the video, the host asked me, “What’s your favorite sport?”

After a moment of thought, I answered, “Fencing.”

Not long after, a new trend skyrocketed:

#XiaoHuaiLovesFencing beat out both #XieXuXiaoHuaiWho’sTopWho’sBottom and #XieXu51Night to take the number one trending spot.

---

5

The live broadcast ended soon after, with Xie Xu securing victory in the prank challenge, his expression dark as ever.

Just then, my phone lit up with a call from “Xie Crybaby.”

I answered, “Hey, big movie star, what’s up?”

From the other side came Xie Xu’s low voice: “Xiao Huai, I was just on a live stream.”

Normally, he calls me “bro,” but when he uses my full name, it’s a sign he’s not happy.

I could picture his flawless face clouded with frustration.

But Xie Xu always keeps his temper in check, bottling up his emotions, and certainly wouldn’t curse at me now.

Feigning shock, I teased, “Oh? So our conversation was heard by everyone in the studio?”

“I didn’t even realize you were live. I thought you really needed that 500 yuan.”

“Oh no, how could I tarnish the great movie star’s reputation?”

“Should I release a statement clarifying our relationship?”

My relentless stream of sarcasm left Xie Xu defeated.

After a few seconds, his tone softened. “It’s fine. Let’s just listen to what PR says.”

I immediately agreed, “Of course! I’ll follow along!”

Xie Xu sighed lightly before hanging up.

As soon as the call ended, I quickly called my agent, Jia-ge: “If Xie Xu’s team goes into PR mode, absolutely do not cooperate!”

“In fact, go against whatever they suggest!”

Jia-ge chuckled. “Got it. You think I’d ruin your fun?”

---

6

As expected, Jia-ge came through.

Over the next few days, every time Xie Xu’s team released evidence trying to prove that we were just buddies joking around, another new clip surfaced showing us in perfect sync.

On set, while Xie Xu filmed his romantic scenes, I was in the background grinning like an idiot; at press conferences, I handed him the mic while he spoke; behind the scenes, he napped, and I gazed at him with intensity.

Wherever Xie Xu was, I was never far behind.

The “XiHuan” (XieHuai) CP fans came back with a vengeance, flooding the internet with photoshopped images of us together, and writing passionate fanfiction about our dramatic love-hate relationship.

Amid all the chaos, Xie Xu messaged me:

[Xiao Huai, I didn’t expect this situation to get so out of hand. Sorry if it’s affecting you.]

[This one’s a bit tricky; it might take some time to deal with.]

My heart melted. Even in this mess, he was thinking about me.

I understood. The opposing force was too strong.

So, with tears in my eyes, I sent him a “No problem” meme and went back to reading fanfiction about us, liking every chapter as I went.

---

7

Just after I finished liking another fanfic, my phone started buzzing non-stop.

I checked the notifications: 99+ messages, all mentioning me.

[Is this real?]

[OMG, did the actual person just like this?!]

[I’m seriously convinced Xiao Huai is behind all these leaks.]

[Xie Xu must be like, “I thought we were bros, but you’re just after my body.”]

[Say it with me: official announcement! Official announcement!]

Oops. Forgot to switch to my side account.

Sure enough, Xie Xu immediately sent me a screenshot: [?]

After racking my brain for a reply, I settled on: [If I say this time it wasn’t on purpose, would you believe me?]

Xie Crybaby: [This time?]

I responded: [Yeah, only this time. But if you choose to take it that way, I can’t help it.]

Xie Crybaby called.

After a moment’s hesitation, I steeled myself and answered.

The moment the phone touched my ear, Xie Xu began his calm, but stern lecture:

“Xiao Huai, the entertainment industry is different. You need to tone it down a bit.”

“I know, I know, both my ears are hearing you loud and clear.”

When I first entered the entertainment industry, Xie Xu used to lecture me like this all the time.

Without warning, he’d call and give me long-winded advice.

Since I joined the industry later than him, but got lucky with a breakout hit, Xie Xu has been there every step of the way. Whether it was training, attending events, or filming, he’d always call to remind me about something.

As I looked at the trending topics, I blurted out without thinking: “Did you ever wonder if I actually like you?”

Xie Xu calmly replied, “No.”

Well, that was kind of disappointing.

Just as we were talking, a new trending topic popped up:

#XieXu’sTeamClarifiesFriendshipWithXiaoHuai

I clicked on it. Sure enough, it was a public statement from Xie Xu’s studio, clarifying that we were just regular friends within the industry.

At the same time, Jia-ge messaged me:

[Xiao Huai, Xie Xu’s team is determined to distance themselves from us.]

[It’s probably because they’re pushing his CP with that top actress.]

He even included a screenshot of his chat with Xie Xu’s agent, Chen Zai.

I was still on the phone with Xie Xu and feeling a bit down. “Does this mean I won’t be seeing you for a while?”

“…Hmm?”

There was a brief silence on the other end before Xie Xu softly said, “Sorry.”

Looks like he had just seen the trending topics too.

This guy, always taking the blame on himself.

“Why are you apologizing? None of this was your fault.”

It was all part of my plan, anyway.

---

8

The public opinion quickly shifted.

My “XiHuan” CP with Xie Xu came under attack by his hardcore fans.

Scrolling through my feed, I saw countless comments from fans of Xie Xu:

[Don’t drag our idol into this!]

[This is disgusting! Trying to ride his fame for attention. You’re not even top-tier, you’re low-tier!]