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The way Chi Yizhen called “honey” was even more straightforward than the previous “husband.” This startled He Tiao so much that he hastily fastened his seatbelt again.
Chi Yizhen had originally intended to get off the car and almost got thrown back inside.
However, the instigator didn’t wait for his consent. He just walked forward without looking back, and you could still hear the shouts of the director.
“Mr. He, take it easy, your husband hasn’t arrived yet.”
The audience in the livestream was dumbfounded.
They watched as Chi Yizhen teased someone and even smiled before slowly getting off the car. Every movement was smooth and graceful, and he even had the time to apologize to the camera with a shy look.
“He’s a bit shy, really.”
[“e-God, our fate-like e-god!! Why is he acting so innocent!” ]
[“I didn’t expect the mysterious face of the legendary gaming pro to turn out like this… I mean no offense, but he looks like he’s running away (lights a cigarette).”]
[“Was Chi Yizhen into this kind of game before? Just changing his name can make him a ‘Fishing’ genre player? Damn, I’m totally enchanted!”]
[“A gaming pro who calls his husband ‘honey’? That’s something!”]
[“Thank you, I’m already looking forward to this, whether it’s acting or not, I’m already smiling like an idiot!”]
[“Isn’t e-god the CEO of Star Tracks? So he’s not going to work for half a month?”]
[“He’s so mysterious, all we know is that he graduated from a university in City B, came from a humble background, and we haven’t dug up anything else… I want to know more!”]
[“Have you ever seen a CEO clock in for work like this?”]
[“I’ve never seen such a pure-hearted, socially awkward, and nerdy CEO before!”]
These were some of the comments flooding the livestream chat as Chi Yizhen and He Tiao continued their playful interactions, much to the surprise and delight of their audience.
The car stopped at the outskirts of the High-rise Building, where filming for the next half month would take place. This area belonged to the outer ring of the city, not quite urban but not exactly a village either. Many of its residents were elderly people, and some parts of it were still waiting for redevelopment.
Due to its remote location, transportation was not very convenient. The entire High-rise Building was not fully occupied, with only about half of the units being inhabited, mainly by the elderly. The rest of the units were either vacant or used as temporary homes for children left behind by their parents who worked elsewhere.
This reality show had been in preparation for a long time, and the location had been meticulously arranged. At least, when the production team entered the area, there weren’t many onlookers. There might be a few curious kids peeking from behind railings.
The voice of the production team for Chi Yizhen’s group could be heard in the livestream chat:
“Next, the guests will receive keys to their rooms and will decorate their love nests together with their partners.”
“The room interiors are designed with a basic setup; guests will have to fill in the rest themselves.”
After all, this show only provided character profiles, and the scriptwriters designed the scenarios based on the guests’ characters. Chi Yizhen asked, “What about the key to the love nest?”
He had been sleeping the entire way, and the audience had been watching him all along, sadly realizing that there was nothing to criticize about his appearance, whether it was a close-up or a distant shot. At most, he was dressed a bit modestly. Now, with slightly messy hair, it didn’t diminish the warmth of his smile.
The director replied, “It’s with Mr. He.”
Chi Yizhen lifted his gaze, and He Tiao, perhaps reminded by a staff member, was standing obediently at the bottom of the building, waiting for him.
This five-story High-rise building looked rundown from the outside.
There were staircases on both sides, and in front, there was a large open space, with some people even planting vegetables inside.
On the other side, there were old and worn-out exercise equipment. It was early autumn, and the leaves hadn’t completely fallen yet; they would just flutter down when the wind blew.
They rustled and rustled, rolling over to He Tiao’s side.
From a distance, He Tiao appeared tall and imposing, but it was clear to the naked eye that he wasn’t very cooperative. He kept his head down, seemingly reluctant to show his face.
[“Damn, I thought this was a movie scene.”]
[“Even this big shot’s reluctance is becoming a reality! Hahaha, I love watching rich people suffer!”]
[“Is this really a reality romance show? I feel like it’s no different from the previous pig-raising program.”]
Chi Yizhen sighed as he walked over, saying, “How can he set up a barbecue stall like this? What will happen if we can’t complete the mission?”
The director replied, “There will be a dual punishment.”
Chi Yizhen blinked, “What?”
The director responded, “I can’t reveal it at the moment.”
Chi Yizhen thought for a moment, “It’s not a fine, is it?”
Perhaps that sounded a bit too excruciating, and Chi Yizhen’s visible agony made her exclaim, “Isn’t that a bit too much?”
[“Help, why is Chi Yizhen so hilarious? I really can’t tell if he’s joking or being serious.”]
[“These speculations are so heart-wrenching. It’s quite clear that he’s genuinely poor…”]
[“Those photos of him working part-time before didn’t look fake at all. Damn, just the thought that he might be doing male escort work to earn money for his mother’s medical bills makes it hard to breathe!”]
The director chimed in, saying, “It’s definitely not that.”
Chi Yizhen sighed in relief and, with a bit of distance still between them and He Tiao, he called out and jogged over.
Xianggua Entertainment used a variety of techniques even in their live broadcasts, with multiple camera angles that provided the audience with cinematic camera work. What made it even more entertaining was the cute post-production effects.
In the frame, the slender and fair-skinned male celebrity dashed forward, creating a gust of wind that ruffled Chi Yizhen’s baseball jacket, making the hat of his hoodie bounce.
In post-production, they added several dynamic overlays of him running.
Chi Yizhen rushed towards He Tiao in a posture that suggested a hug, much to He Tiao’s surprised expression.
[“My goodness, I feel like E-god, this ultimate straight guy, definitely won’t catch him…”]
[“Even that ‘safety first’ moment just now had me almost bursting into laughter. Please, is it turning into a comedy show again?”]
No one expected He Tiao to actually extend a hand to stop Chi Yizhen in front of him, probably to prevent him from falling. However, Chi Yizhen moved in closer, making it look like he was hugging He Tiao around the waist with just one hand.
The next moment, Chi Yizhen looked up at He Tiao and smiled, “You’re a great wife.”
He Tiao: “…”
“Don’t call me your wife.”
Chi Yizhen pursed his lips, “Why not?”
“Husband won’t work, wife won’t work either; we’re going to be together for half a month. It can’t just be a fling, can it?”
He spoke so frankly that it was as if he had forgotten they were on a television show.
Even the post-production team couldn’t keep up with muting that.
[“Can he say that?”]
[“This is truly an Xianggua Entertainment production; not suitable for elementary students but just right for college students.”]
[“I suddenly understand Chi Yizhen a bit more; E-god really seems like he’s flirting… I’m dying of laughter.”]
[“You all are shocked, but I’m still savoring that waist-holding moment just now… Chi Yizhen, you really have some guts!”]
[“E-god!! My E-god!! Is it love just like that? Weren’t you saying you didn’t like physical contact in the livestream earlier?! You still haven’t let go!”]
[“I hope He Tiao’s fans speak up more, let’s see if this show can do a complete 180…”]
[“How do you explain this love at first sight… *sob* *sob*”]
The nearby crew members hinted for the two of them to go to their room.
He Tiao handed the key to Chi Yizhen and said as they walked up the stairs, “Too intimate.”
The staircase was narrow, making it a bit challenging for two men to walk side by side, so Chi Yizhen, holding the key, took the lead.
Chi Yizhen stood in the stairwell and looked at He Tiao, smiling, “It makes me look so casual.”
He Tiao shook his head, then gazed deeply at Chi Yizhen before shifting his gaze to the rusty handrail.
“This requires a wedding for it to be that serious.”
[“Damn! The sound quality is great! Even though he spoke softly, I heard it.”]
[“No way, no way! How can there be a show where they’re already planning a proposal before it even officially begins?!”]
[“I’m going to explode *sob* *sob* my E-god! He actually likes this straightforward approach?”]
[“But wasn’t He Tiao the straightforward one? Chi Yizhen is just indiscriminate… How come I never realized he’s actually the sweet and romantic type… My impression of him used to be so faint, I couldn’t remember it at all.”]
This side was all one-bedroom apartments, and the sign on the key read 1409.
Although the staircase was narrow, the steps themselves were higher than usual. Chi Yizhen, panting slightly, said, “But when we’re here, isn’t our relationship already one where we can get married?”
He stood at the door, already there, and looked at He Tiao as he caught his breath.
When those eyes, with their uplifted corners, looked at people, they seemed to bring their own spring breeze, reminding He Tiao of willow trees in the spring.
But they could also be like alluring willow catkins, and that night, Chi Yizhen had been just like that.
He Tiao had never been fond of intimate relationships.
Even though his foster mother had cared for him deeply and had been wholeheartedly good to him when they didn’t know they weren’t blood-related, He Tiao still didn’t feel comfortable with closeness.
Otherwise, He Tiao might have stayed in that small village, rooted himself with the family of his previous foster father, and become the only heir to the rural estate.
But Zhang Cuijia had insisted on taking this son away.
Actually, there were other men with better conditions than his current foster father who had liked her.
But Zhang Cuijia had been determined to take him away.
Zhang Cuijia, He Tiao’s foster mother, had sent him to the county town to attend school. Whatever other children had, He Tiao had as well.
Even though life had been tough at times, He Tiao had managed to get through these many years. He was genuinely thankful to his foster parents but found it difficult to face their pressure to get married.
He was getting older, had good prospects, and was handsome to boot. They would ask, “Why haven’t you dated anyone during your college years? You’ve been working for so long, do you have someone you like?”
“You like being alone, and there’s no one here to introduce to you. At the very least, you should have a type you like, right?”
He Tiao didn’t even know himself.
Occasionally, he felt as if he were born to be alone, waiting for something.
During his student years, he didn’t envy couples, and when his subordinates talked about their love lives at work, he didn’t have much to say.
As long as he had work, life was complete for him. Emotions could be expressed through games.
Why did there need to be a real, tangible kind of liking?
And yet, precisely because he had never tasted it, never experienced it, he was now being swept up in this unfamiliar sense of intimacy.
Right from the start, there were such stimulating, lingering, and passionate hugs and kisses, with words of love interspersed between their lips and tongues.
The other person seemed to want to praise He Tiao to the heavens, but then would also complain that He Tiao wasn’t proactive enough, leaning in to affectionately ask, “Can you touch me?”
Was this mixture of pain and pleasure due to genuine affection, or was it just a matter of bodily instinct?
For the first time, He Tiao was so perplexed, and Chi Yizhen’s face had been etched in his heart since that day.
Along with the life experiences described in the dossier, which seemed like something out of a screenwriter’s revenge plot.
Was he always like this?
Speaking to me so calmly and warmly, or was he still the same as in the documents, gazing at his big brother with longing?
Downstairs was the production team of the show, with three pairs of guests and, consequently, three production crews.
The couple in their seventh year of marriage had started a fierce argument as soon as they moved in. The old, run-down high-rise building had poor sound insulation, and these two simply didn’t consider the presence of others.
It seemed that the rumors of their impending divorce were becoming a certainty.
Chi Yizhen stood by He Tiao’s side, and He Tiao took a while to unlock the door. Chi Yizhen didn’t rush him; instead, he listened to the commotion downstairs.
He even asked the director, “In their situation, coming on a show like this, and not being able to sleep in separate beds, won’t they really end up fighting?”
The director smirked, unsure of how to respond.
Thinking to themselves: He really knows how to ask.
[“I’m dying of laughter, Chi Yizhen is the epitome of mischief, hahaha.”]
[“I was going to say, ‘Doesn’t Teacher Chi have anyone he cares about in the entertainment industry?’ But *sob* *sob*, it seems like he really has nothing.”]
[“My E-god! How could you not answer your wife’s question? You’re here to film a show, a real man shouldn’t be timid!!”]
[“It seems like there are more fans of He Tiao in our live chat, but why are there still fans mentioning braised lamb tails?!!”]
[“Did Chi Yizhen have any fans before this? It’s really pitiful.”]
“Do we automatically become a married couple once we enter this room?” He Tian Asked
He Tiao’s key went into the lock. The old wooden door had been scratched off many times, much like He Tiao’s currently chaotic state of mind.
Chi Yizhen couldn’t help but make a sound, reluctantly shifting his attention to He Tiao.
He Tiao held the door handle with one hand and the key with the other, asking the question again.
Everyone knew that this pair was replacing You Yuxing and Sheng Xin.
You Yuxing had a face that had undergone cosmetic surgery, but it still looked relatively natural. Unfortunately, with Chi Yizhen in the picture, the comparison only made it clear that the imitation was indeed an imitation.
As for He Tiao, if he hadn’t shown his face, people would have felt that there was no comparison to be made with Sheng Xin.
After all, Sheng Xin was the heir to the Shengshi Group, and while he might not be a breathtakingly handsome man, he at least had a family background that could create an aura.
He Tiao had built his success from scratch, without any help from his parents, yet he still achieved remarkable results.
In terms of looks, he completely outshone Sheng Xin.
At this moment, He Tiao lowered his gaze to look at Chi Yizhen, and even his questioning tone carried a subtle tenderness. If Chi Yizhen nodded, he would devour him as if he were a delicacy.
[“I’m going crazy! Isn’t this a proposal???”]
[“What have I done to deserve experiencing such an overly saccharine industrial-grade sweetener on a variety show!!”]
[“Isn’t this a romance between a new capital magnate and a washed-up literature major with moonlight in his eyes???”]
[“Chi Yizhen! Marry him, please say yes!!”]
[“At this moment, I really want to kowtow to Manager Zhang. Isn’t this a thousand times better than You Yuxing and Sheng Xin, that overly dramatic couple???”]