Chapter 33

Huo Xingming shouting so loudly outside was basically disturbing the peace! Fortunately, there weren’t any neighbors nearby, or he might’ve gotten a bucket of bathwater thrown at him!

Under the gazes of the three female contestants, Bai Siyi felt like he was sitting on pins and needles.

Seriously, this was peak secondhand embarrassment!

Xi Mo let out a mocking chuckle and said, “Your online boyfriend seems pretty persistent.”

Bai Siyi: “…”

His ears turned bright red with embarrassment. Standing up, he apologized, “Uh… I’ll go talk to him real quick.”

Blushing furiously, he slipped on his slippers, ready to go out. Fortunately, Qiu Bo had sharp eyes and grabbed him just in time. “Xiao Bai, you’re going out like this?”

She gave him a once-over, the hint in her gaze crystal clear.

Bai Siyi looked down at his chest—oh, right. He wasn’t in disguise anymore.

But honestly? He figured even if he went out like this, as long as he kept using his cute, loli-like voice, that idiot Huo Xingming probably wouldn’t notice a thing.

Even so, Bai Siyi grabbed a hat, threw on a jacket, and zipped it up all the way to hide his flat chest and Adam’s apple.

And with that, he stepped out of the Pink House—half-heartedly disguised but still somewhat presentable.

The weather wasn’t too cold. Bai Siyi wore a jacket on top, but below, he was still in shorts and slippers, and—oddly enough—a hat in the middle of the night.

Huo Xingming didn’t think anything of it.

He hadn’t even bothered to check Bai Siyi’s chest or throat.

But then again, which normal person would stare at a girl’s chest and Adam’s apple on purpose? That’d be creepy!

Just seeing Bai Siyi was enough to make Huo Xingming excited!

With a serious face, he huffed angrily, “Bai Siyi, I thought you weren’t coming out.”

Bai Siyi stood about ten meters away from the Pink House, looking at him helplessly. “It’s the middle of the night. What are you even doing here?”

The live stream camera captured them from a distance. The audience could see them talking face to face—Huo Xingming looking quite emotional—but they couldn’t hear a single word.

Live Stream Comments:

【AAAAAHHH, production team, do you even have a conscience?! Zoom in already! Can you? No? Let me do it then!】

【Huo Xingming looks super worked up! I bet Xiao Bai’s rejection drove him crazy! Ughhhh, I need to know what he’s saying!】

【This is intense! They’re standing so close… Is Piupiustar gonna suddenly kiss Xiao Bai?! Stunned Doge face.jpg】

—

Huo Xingming walked up to Bai Siyi, looking aggrieved as he stared at him. “How long have you been avoiding me? Why do you think I came here?”

Bai Siyi guiltily looked at the ground. “It’s just a reality show. The live stream ends tomorrow. What, did you actually take it seriously?”

Then, he looked up at Huo Xingming. “What? Don’t tell me you’re trying to force me to write you a love letter?”

Huo Xingming: “…”

That single word—“force”—instantly shut him up.

Huo Xingming had grown up in a well-off family, excelling in both academics and looks. To be honest, all these years, it had always been others secretly crushing on him, chasing after him, and putting him on a pedestal.

The reason he had remained single? Partly because he was too obsessed with anime and extreme sports, but also because he had never met someone who truly moved his heart.

Now that he had found Bai Siyi, he really wanted to fight for it. But since Bai Siyi had put it that way… he still had his pride.

A real man never simps!

Huo Xingming stared at Bai Siyi with a sharp, almost vicious gaze—so intense that Bai Siyi was worried he might actually pounce on him and take a bite.

After a long silence, Huo Xingming took a deep breath and nodded. “Alright. I get it.”

Even though he was angry, upset, and deeply hurt, he refused to show weakness—like a duck that had been air-dried on a tree for ten years. Yet, when he spoke, he never once looked Bai Siyi in the eye.

“I was too impulsive these past few days. I misunderstood your intentions and caused you trouble. I’m really sorry.”

Huo Xingming clenched his teeth. “I know I overstepped. Don’t worry, I won’t bother you again. Once the live stream ends, we’ll block each other and pretend we never met.”

Hearing this, Bai Siyi suddenly felt a sharp pang of discomfort in his heart. If it weren’t for the production crew standing nearby, the cameras pointed at him, and that damn contract, he really didn’t want to keep lying to Huo Xingming.

Huo Xingming was pure-hearted, passionate, and sincere. He wasn’t fake or pretentious—he wore his emotions openly. Sure, he could be a little naggy, but even when he nagged, it was… kinda cute.

Bai Siyi’s eyes turned slightly red as he looked at Huo Xingming with a complicated expression.

Huo Xingming’s own eyes were also red. He still refused to look at Bai Siyi, telling himself that if he glanced at him one more time—if his heart wavered one more time—then he was a dog!

Bai Siyi didn’t try to stop him, didn’t say a single word to comfort him. That made Huo Xingming even more furious!

Gritting his teeth, he suddenly turned around and walked off. “I’m leaving. Good night. See you tomorrow.”

After a few steps, Bai Siyi suddenly called out, “Huo Xingming!”

Huo Xingming paused mid-step. His lips twitched slightly, almost curling into a smile, but then he quickly put on a cold front. “Don’t tell me you’re trying to win me back. It won’t work.”

Now he wants to win me back? Where was this energy earlier?!

But… if Bai Siyi would just say something soft to him… maybe…

Bai Siyi took off his jacket and held it out. “It’s chilly at night. Here, borrow this.”

Huo Xingming: “…”

He was going to explode. He swore he would never look at Bai Siyi again!

“No matter how cold the wind is… it’s not as cold as my heart.”

Huo Xingming shouted at the top of his lungs, “I don’t want your jacket! I’ll only ever wear my wife’s jacket in this lifetime!”

After saying that, he strode off, leaving Bai Siyi standing there, frozen in place, still holding out the jacket.

Watching Huo Xingming’s retreating figure, Bai Siyi thought, You thick-headed, brainless, muscle-brained straight guy—do you even fit into your wife’s jacket?!

Then, Bai Siyi looked at his own jacket, lowered his gaze to his chest, and immediately fumed. Glaring at Huo Xingming’s back, he yelled, “Huo Xingming! You idiot! Moron! You big, stupid fool!”

Huo Xingming was even angrier now. He turned to the nearby staff and complained, “Is Bai Siyi being too much?! I was so polite when I said goodbye, and he still had to insult me.”

And he yelled it so loudly, as if afraid the live stream audience wouldn’t hear.

The staff: “…”

This pair was seriously childish. The staff members didn’t even dare to laugh, let alone respond. They couldn’t agree with Huo Xingming and insult Bai Siyi, or they’d risk angering Huo Xingming even more.

Meanwhile, the live stream audience, having both seen and heard the whole thing, didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

【Help, what kind of ultimate dumbass is Piupiustar?! If you had just turned around and looked at Xiao Bai, you wouldn’t have stormed off crying!】

【Xiao Bai had already softened up—he even took off his jacket! And this Piupiustar… no, what the hell is he even thinking?!】

【Guys, I’m just saying, every single lifelong bachelor emperor has his reasons! Case in point: Piupiustar!】

【Damn it, I really thought Huo Xingming would finally realize that Xiao Bai is a guy and we’d get some drama… but this? This is it?!】

—

Bai Siyi was fuming. Just what kind of world-class idiot is this Huo Xingming?!

He was absolutely livid.

Carrying his jacket, he stomped back into the Pink House, where the three female guests had been watching the whole scene from the window.

Qiu Bo commented, “This guy… why is he such a fool?”

Xi Mo shook her head. “Truly, fools have their own brand of luck.”

Saying that, she gave Bai Siyi a meaningful glance.

Bai Siyi’s face was stiff, his eyes still slightly red—it was obvious to anyone with eyes that he had already fallen.

Someone like Bai Siyi should’ve been difficult to chase.

Yet Huo Xingming had somehow done it effortlessly.

Xi Mo thought, Either Bai Siyi is just a hopeless romantic who falls for looks, or Huo Xingming is so pure and straightforward—so clueless in romance—that he managed to move Bai Siyi’s heart simply by being himself.

Based on his behavior just now, Xi Mo added, “I never expected this brick-mover to be such a hopeless romantic.”

Shouting outside the Pink House like that… if he were just a few years older, he wouldn’t have done something so childish.

Bai Siyi’s smile looked even worse than crying. “Sorry, I’m heading back to my room to rest. You guys keep chatting.”

After saying that, his eyes still red, he returned to his room.

Once inside, he hung up his jacket, grabbed his phone, and furiously tapped on the screen, sending Huo Xingming three consecutive messages:

Most Loves Macho Men: 【Huo Xingming, you’re a big idiot!】

Most Loves Macho Men: 【Huo Xingming, you’re a big idiot!】

Most Loves Macho Men: 【Huo Xingming, you’re a big idiot!】

After sending them, Bai Siyi turned off his phone and flopped onto the bed.

Even after venting, he still felt an empty void in his chest. Thinking about how distant Huo Xingming had looked when he left, it was clear he had made up his mind to draw a line between them.

He had no idea how awkward their meeting would be tomorrow.

Bai Siyi was mentally cursing Huo Xingming’s stupidity, yet at the same time, he was strangely relieved by it.

When he took off his jacket earlier, it had been an impulsive move. The moment he did it, he regretted it.

Right now, he was stuck in a mess of emotions—desperately wanting Huo Xingming to know the truth, but at the same time terrified that once he did, Huo Xingming would hate him.

As Bai Siyi was lost in his chaotic thoughts, his phone suddenly started dinging:

Piupiustar: 【Bounce back.】

Piupiustar: 【Bounce back.】

Piupiustar: 【Bounce back.】

Bai Siyi: “……”

He stared at their chat history, eyebrows furrowing.

Wait a second—why were they both so childish?

It had to be because he had spent too much time around this idiot. His own IQ was definitely dropping!

He genuinely felt like he had gotten dumber over the past few days!

Shutting off his phone, Bai Siyi got out of bed, sat down at his desk, and started writing a thank-you letter for tomorrow.

It wasn’t difficult to write since he had a lot he wanted to say to Huo Xingming—like how his crossdressing for the show wasn’t something he had intentionally hidden for so long.

And he wanted to thank Huo Xingming for the gift, even though those three knives were completely useless to him.

He also wanted to thank him for taking him to the amusement park. That day had been truly fun, and he was really grateful.

Lastly, he hoped Huo Xingming could forgive him for keeping the truth from him.

And after the show ended—if Huo Xingming was still working at the factory—he would find time to visit and help him out.

He wished for Huo Xingming to find the girl he loved soon and finally escape single life.

After finishing the long thank-you letter, Bai Siyi felt incredibly down.

Huo Xingming liked him, and he also had feelings for Huo Xingming. But the problem was—Huo Xingming liked girls. Every time he thought about this, his heart ached.

He had a feeling that from now on, it would be a long time before he met another man like Huo Xingming.

Forget it, no point thinking about it.

Bai Siyi sighed, carefully placing the fully written pink letter into an envelope and writing Huo Xingming’s name on it.

Then, he wiped his eyes with his sleeve and burrowed under the covers to sleep.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Huo Xingming was also furiously writing.

He had just finished showering, his damp hair dripping slightly. His tall figure hunched over his desk, glancing at his phone every two seconds.

An hour had passed.

Bai Siyi still hadn’t replied to his messages.

Huo Xingming couldn’t help but wonder—was his “Bounce back” response too cold and heartless? Did it make Bai Siyi upset?

Or maybe his messages were just too short and dry, giving Bai Siyi no room to continue the conversation, leaving him speechless?

Huo Xingming thought about it for a long time, frowning, until he suddenly slammed the desk. “Damn it! If I look at my phone one more time, I’m a dog!”

Realizing he was waiting for Bai Siyi’s reply again, overthinking every little detail, he wanted to slap himself.

What did Bai Siyi say when they parted tonight?

Huo Xingming, oh Huo Xingming, do you have no self-respect?

Do you have no shame?!

Huo Xingming turned off his phone and threw it straight into his drawer.

It’s just a thank-you letter, right?

Fine! He’d write it!

But every single word felt forced. He didn’t want to write this kind of letter at all. With every sentence, he felt an unbearable itch, scratching his head in frustration. Eventually, when he couldn’t take it anymore, he simply blamed it on his poor Chinese skills—wouldn’t it be faster to just copy something from Baidu?

He quickly searched for a thank-you letter template, and the first sentence read:

“Thank you for taking such meticulous care of me all these years…”

Huo Xingming: “……”

If he copied that, Bai Siyi would probably flip out on him on the spot.

After agonizing over it for half the night, Huo Xingming finally gave up and, in utter desperation, decided to write his thank-you letter in French.

Since his family had three different nationalities, he spoke four languages. He didn’t write in English because he was afraid Bai Siyi would understand it—he would feel embarrassed.

French should be hard to recognize. Bai Siyi probably wouldn’t be able to read it right away.

By the time he finished writing the thank-you letter, the sky was already starting to brighten. This was the first heartbreak of Huo Xingming’s life, and he was in a terrible mood, completely unable to sleep.

After washing up, he changed into a full set of branded clothes. It wasn’t about showing off expensive outfits—he had previously bought two cheap sets of clothes, but they were too flimsy. After just a few days of hard labor at the factory, they had either faded or torn. He didn’t even need to pretend—if he stood in the factory wearing those, he’d look even more miserable than the assembly line workers.

Today was an extremely important day for him.

Even if he and Bai Siyi were “breaking up,” he had to keep his dignity!

He wanted Bai Siyi to always remember him as Huo Xingming, the dashing heartthrob, not Huo Xingming, the broke construction worker who couldn’t afford a meal.

Since he wasn’t going anywhere fancy, he chose casual trousers and a button-down shirt, then styled his hair. Just changing his clothes instantly elevated his entire look and aura.

He checked himself in the mirror from different angles and thought, If Bai Siyi still doesn’t change his mind after this, then I really have no solution left.

The confession segment was scheduled for 2 o’clock—it was the highlight of the show. By then, the live stream would have a massive audience, and the hype would be at its peak.

Especially for Bai Siyi and Huo Xingming—this pair had sky-high anticipation. The audience had been waiting impatiently for this moment. The confession hadn’t even started yet, but hundreds of thousands of viewers were already gathered in Bai Siyi’s dedicated live stream room, eagerly waiting for their first “Truth Revelation Session.”