Just as Lin Can thought, Qi Yuan looked at him like he was a little trinket in the palm of his hand.

When he learned that Lin Can agreed to accompany him to participate in the variety show, the slight curve of his lips, which was neither a smile nor a frown, directly confirmed this point.

“You’re not trying to stall for time, are you?” he asked bluntly, leaving no room for pleasantries.

Lin Can was taken aback, using all his skills to barely maintain his calm facade.

“Didn’t you say that whether I want to or not, I have to participate?”

Qi Yuan seemed to finally remember this, letting out a short “Ah,” as if it had just dawned on him. “I did say that.”

He never paid much attention to what he said; after all, the people listening to him wouldn’t dare miss a single word.

Lin Can didn’t have the courage to play dumb; he could only stand by the dining table, silently waiting for his next words.

Qi Yuan glanced at the table, which was filled with a hearty breakfast that suited his taste, and decided to reluctantly forgive Lin Can for this little trick.

“Fine, if you’re going to participate, then participate. I’ll let Gong Yusheng know.”

“Gong Yusheng?”

Lin Can didn’t meet Gong Yusheng often. Except for the first time, he could feel Gong Yusheng’s attitude towards him wasn’t very good during their subsequent meetings.

Besides looking down on him, there was more disdain and wariness.

But thinking about it, it was normal; if a scumbag suddenly appeared next to his good friend, he would also feel like he was facing a formidable enemy.

Qi Yuan didn’t notice the change in Lin Can’s emotions and simply explained, “Gong Yusheng invested in that variety show. I’ll tell him to make arrangements.”

Lin Can responded with an “Oh” and asked, “What kind of variety show is it?”

“A dating variety show.”

Lin Can’s expression froze for a moment. “A dating variety show?”

He and Qi Yuan, on a dating variety show?

“Of course it’s a dating variety show,” Qi Yuan said, his tone rising a few notches, clearly in a better mood. “If it were another kind of variety show, do you think I would need to bring you along?”

Lin Can resigned himself to it; a dating variety show it was. After all, they could date and break up, get married and divorce. If the sky fell, Qi Yuan would be there to hold it up. He just needed to take care of his own reputation.

“You don’t mind being on a dating variety show?”

Seeing him nod in agreement without even struggling, Qi Yuan couldn’t help but be curious. “What if your ex-husband finds out? How will you explain it?”

Lin Can didn’t understand why he kept bringing up Ran Yang, but he still answered honestly, “I don’t need to explain anything to him. We’re already divorced; he’s just like a stranger to me.”

“Stranger.” Qi Yuan chuckled softly, clearly not believing him.

Lin Can was puzzled.

“Go ahead and call him a stranger,” Qi Yuan said, looking very magnanimous. “For the next six months, just be strangers.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Can’s phone rang again.

He opened it to see that the caller was, unsurprisingly, Ran Yang.

Lin Can awkwardly glanced at Qi Yuan.

Qi Yuan raised an eyebrow at the right moment. “Stranger? This stranger sure calls you a lot, huh?”

Is it once a day now?

Lin Can didn’t know how to explain, so he could only honestly confess, “He’s upset about my situation, and I’m helping him.”

“I understand,” Qi Yuan nodded repeatedly, even putting on a look of being touched. “He doesn’t want you to suffer, and you don’t want him to suffer either.”

Lin Can couldn’t help but frown. What was this guy talking about?

Why did he sound so strange?

“Just answer the phone,” Qi Yuan said, leaning back against the chair, clearly wanting to listen to the whole conversation.

The other side clearly wasn’t going to let it go, and even after their conversation ended, they still hadn’t hung up.

Lin Can looked at the vibrating phone in his hand, then at Qi Yuan, who was casually monitoring him, and felt a bit guilty about taking a call from his ex in front of his current partner.

What was going on?

Lin Can tried to suppress the unusual feelings rising in his heart.

When the call connected, Ran Yang, as expected, insisted on meeting.

Lin Can refused as usual.

Ran Yang thought he had a good temper, but after being rejected repeatedly, especially by Lin Can, he couldn’t help but get angry.

“Lin Can, I don’t care who you’re with now, but don’t get too cocky! As long as you don’t marry him, you’ll never be on the same level! I want to meet you to settle our grievances! After that, whether you live or die is none of my business! You can embarrass yourself all the way to the Pacific Ocean; it has nothing to do with me, Ran Yang!”

Lin Can really wanted to say that they had no relationship left, so why bother with such a boring assumption? But before he could speak, he heard Qi Yuan suddenly interject.

“Want to meet? Sure, I’ll arrange for you two to meet in a while.”

Lin Can abruptly looked up at Qi Yuan, his eyes filled with unexpected surprise and panic.

Ran Yang on the other end instantly became alert. “Are you Lin Can’s current sugar daddy?”

Qi Yuan snorted.

Ran Yang thought that voice sounded somewhat familiar and was about to ask a few more questions to verify when Lin Can hurriedly said, “Alright, alright, let’s talk later.”

“No…”

The call ended, and Lin Can found himself facing Qi Yuan’s accusatory expression.

“What’s wrong? Don’t you want me to chat with your ex-husband?” Qi Yuan questioned.

Lin Can felt both helpless and innocent. “Aren’t you the one who dislikes him?”

“So you hung up so quickly?” Qi Yuan leaned his arms on the solid stone dining table, his well-defined fingers rhythmically tapping on the surface, his gaze towards Lin Can filled with curiosity. “Should I thank you for considering me?”

Lin Can didn’t say anything and turned to silently clean up the dishes on the table.

Qi Yuan didn’t press further, watching Lin Can’s busy figure in a daze.

He wasn’t in a hurry for an answer; after all, when the show started, this pair of star-crossed lovers would eventually meet.

*

Knowing that Qi Yuan and Lin Can agreed to participate in the dating variety show, Gong Yusheng arrived at Yu Jing Garden in less than half an hour.

Lin Can opened the door for him, only to be met with his complicated expression.

“Qi Yuan is so efficient?” Gong Yusheng said vaguely.

Lin Can was confused and could only look at Qi Yuan for an explanation.

Qi Yuan smiled, a hint of pride in his expression.

Gong Yusheng shook his head vigorously. “Forget it, I’m not interested in your business. Let’s talk about the important stuff.”

He placed two documents he had tucked under his arm on the coffee table in front of Qi Yuan. “This is the contract. I specifically bypassed the production team to give you a separate offer for the pay, ensuring it’s sincere.”

Lin Can picked up one of the documents and looked through it, finding that the contract was indeed as Gong Yusheng had said, quite generous. Not only was the pay considerable, but the endorsement benefits were also quite reasonable.

“Can you understand it?” Seeing him flipping through the pages seriously, occasionally stopping to read carefully, Gong Yusheng couldn’t help but be curious. “Do you want me to introduce you to a lawyer?”

Lin Can was taken aback, then honestly placed the document back down. “No need, it’s just a bonus from Qi Yuan.”

Gong Yusheng was about to explain that wasn’t what he meant when he was met with a cold glare from Qi Yuan.

“Don’t worry,” Qi Yuan said to Lin Can, his tone surprisingly soothing. “He doesn’t have the guts to pull any tricks on my contract.”

Lin Can nodded lightly. “Okay, you guys take your time. I’m going back to my room.”

As he returned to his room and closed the door, Gong Yusheng clearly felt the temperature in the living room drop several degrees.

“What does that mean?” Qi Yuan’s lazy voice carried a hint of warning. “You look down on me?”

Gong Yusheng quickly shook his head. “No, no, I was just curious. Didn’t they say he’s a good-for-nothing?”

Qi Yuan snorted but didn’t press the issue further. “Have the other guest activities been confirmed?”

Gong Yusheng shook his head. “Some have been confirmed. Why? Do you have someone in mind to bring in?”

“Add Lin Can’s ex-husband.”

Gong Yusheng was about to take a sip of the tea Lin Can had brought earlier when he almost spat it out upon hearing this.

“Huh?”

“Didn’t you tell me to assert my dominance?” Qi Yuan retorted.

Gong Yusheng felt a complex mix of emotions, even the water in his mouth tasted oddly different, with hints of sourness, bitterness, spiciness, and saltiness.

Although he had been the one pushing for it, Qi Yuan was really cooperating, and he felt a sense of things spiraling out of control.

Qi Yuan kept saying it wasn’t worth it, but his actions showed he cared about Lin Can a lot!

And there were those hickeys on Lin Can’s neck…

Thinking about the scene he saw when he entered, Gong Yusheng couldn’t help but feel anxious.

“Are you too concerned about Lin Can?” he intentionally reminded. “It’s only the second day, and you’ve already slept with him?”

He had always been as pure as a monk, so why was he so impatient when it came to Lin Can?

Qi Yuan was too lazy to listen to his nagging and didn’t want to explain his private matters with Lin Can. “Why are you talking so much nonsense? In any case, I’m participating in your variety show, so just hide away and enjoy it.”

Gong Yusheng sighed dramatically. “Is this even the same thing?”

“If it’s not the same, then what?” Qi Yuan remained proud, his exquisite features carrying an innate arrogance. “It’s just Lin Can; can he really turn the world upside down?”

Gong Yusheng was too tired to say more. “Do as you wish. I’ll leave the contract here; just sign it and have someone bring it back to me.”

Qi Yuan waved his hand, not even moving his body. Just as Gong Yusheng was about to close the door, he heard him say again,

“Remember to call that ex-husband.”

Gong Yusheng was initially speechless, but after getting into the car, he suddenly felt optimistic.

An ex-husband and a current partner? That sounded so dramatic and exciting!

If they could bring in the ex-husband’s new partner, the show would definitely attract a wave of attention just from the drama!

Would he still worry about his investment not paying off?

Gong Yusheng took out his phone and instructed his secretary to carry out Qi Shao’s orders.

*

Once Gong Yusheng left, Qi Yuan got up and entered Lin Can’s room.

Lin Can was reading a book, and when he heard the noise and turned around, his handsome face was pale with a hint of pink, looking quite charming.

Qi Yuan approached him, and even his tone unconsciously softened.

“What kind of indecent book are you reading to be blushing like that?”

Lin Can hurriedly flipped the book over. Qi Yuan glanced at the cover and found it was somewhat related to Chinese language and literature.

“I’m not reading anything indecent,” Lin Can said.

Qi Yuan chuckled lightly. “Then why are you blushing?”

Lin Can lowered his gaze, his long, thick eyelashes casting a fan-shaped shadow. From Qi Yuan’s angle, he could see a hint of innocence and quietness.

“You still say that,” after a brief moment of shyness, he slightly raised his chin, indicating for him to look at his neck. “Why didn’t you remind me?”

He had wondered why Gong Yusheng looked at him so strangely, and only when he went back to wash his face did he discover the ambiguous mark there.

“I thought you liked to show off,” Qi Yuan said nonchalantly.

Lin Can’s face turned even redder. “I don’t have that kind of preference.”

“Is that so? I didn’t know,” Qi Yuan said, his gaze wandering around Lin Can’s neck. When he saw that mark, his mood inexplicably improved.

Perhaps sensing the tension in the atmosphere, Lin Can lowered his head, no longer making eye contact with Qi Yuan.

Qi Yuan slightly raised his hand, his gaze landing on Lin Can’s reddened earlobes, and he couldn’t help but smirk.

For him, Qi Yuan, the things he valued were always just a matter of whether they arrived early or late.

That so-called ex-husband? Did he really think he could compete with him?