Font Size:
The news of Chi Yizhen coming out of the Spring Tide Hotel a few days ago had spread like wildfire. Almost everyone who watched this variety show knew about it. After all, the same day “My Days in the Apartment Building ” announced its third pair of guests, some people thought it was just a publicity stunt by Xianggua Entertainment.
There was also a group of people who believed that this style of publicity was inconsistent Xianggua Entertainment’s usual approach. They couldn’t fathom why they would first criticize and then promote someone.
Thanks to this hot topic, the gossip mill in the entertainment industry was once again churning out half-truths and half-lies. Many people dug into Chi Yizhen’s somewhat tragic backstory, and it was hard not to feel sympathy.
After all, in today’s entertainment industry, there were very few who came from financially struggling backgrounds. The days of actors working part-time jobs to pay off debts were almost non-existent.
Usually, they came from well-off families who could afford to send them into the industry. In the case of Chi Yizhen’s original identity as Chi Yizhen, he could be considered an actor from a wealthy family.
However, things had changed.
If the former Chi Yizhen was the star on the red carpet, the Chi Yizhen who had been sought after by Sheng Xin but couldn’t be obtained had become a prisoner.
The four words “家破人亡” could be written in less than a minute, but for Chi Yizhen, who suddenly found himself transported into this book, the real experience of “家破人亡” felt like an earthquake.
It shattered all the happiness of the original character, and to Chi Yizhen, who had lived a carefree life in the first half, the second half was undoubtedly filled with unbearable pain.
Suicide was not an option, especially when there was a hospital bill waiting for him with tubes still attached, and it was the only living relative left in the world.
Onlookers who stumbled upon this page in the PDF document would be rendered speechless. Even though offering comfort was insincere, it was reasonable to conclude that this was a case of bankruptcy. People had heard stories of others facing tragedies like jumping off buildings due to family troubles or encountering fatal accidents when they stepped out of their homes. But this concentration of misfortune was too much.
Chi Yizhen was still relatively young, yet he had borne so much pain and hardship.
How could anyone make fun of this situation?
Even the scattered fans who were drawn in by Chi Yizhen’s idol dramas back in the day couldn’t argue against the undeniable truth. Their attempts at defense were feeble, and they were quickly silenced by the arrival of You Yuxing’s fans, who were eager to stir up trouble.
“Why were you photographed entering and leaving a hotel with a man, looking disoriented?” It was a question that everyone was curious about, but no one expected Chi Yizhen to answer so smoothly. He didn’t smile, and his voice choked up a bit, but in the end, he glanced at He Tiao.
【I got a little startled when I saw his eyes turn red… It feels like we’re bullying him…】
【Is it what I’m thinking? He said he went to retrieve something from his big brother, and someone called him there, right? 】
【Chi Yizhen’s big brother was a well-known senior at my university, he even came back to give lectures in the early years, and he was such a gentle person… How could this happen…】
【The two of them were really close brothers. Whenever Chi Yizhen participated in a show, no matter how late it was, he would personally pick him up and take him home.】
【I can’t bear to think about it. What does it mean to meet a good person? Was something supposed to happen originally? So, were the paparazzi coincidentally blocking him? 】
This variety show was already highly anticipated, and even though the official announcement had directed viewers to start watching the live broadcast around noon when the actual roles would begin, some people had been waiting in the live chat room early to watch the previous plot summary.
They didn’t expect to be hit so hard by Chi Yizhen’s revelation.
In the video, the young man’s eyes were red, and he felt embarrassed. He asked, “Can I have a bottle of water?”
Someone off-screen handed him one, but Chi Yizhen opened it too forcefully, and water splashed out, soaking his hoodie.
He Tian was originally about to hand a tissue to Chi Yizhen, but since Chi Yizhen had just taken a sip of water, he didn’t need to wipe his hands. However, Chi Yizhen’s asymmetric hoodie drawstring bothered him so much that he decided to lend him a hand in wiping off the water and adjusted the hoodie’s hood in the process.
The specialized reception car was not as cramped as Chen Linan’s beat-up pickup truck, but when two large men sat side by side, it still felt quite crowded.
This time, it was Chi Yizhen’s turn to be taken aback.
The way in which He Tiao completed the task of wiping off the water and adjusting the drawstring was smooth and practiced. However, they ended up sitting a bit too close, and Chi Yizhen could even hear the sound of him swallowing the bottled water.
No one knew that at that moment, He Tiao’s heartbeat synchronized with the sound of the water bottle being gulped down.
Just like the tremor of morning bells and evening drums, which could startle birds into flight in the mountains and forests, it could also make him dizzy and breathless in this moment. When he finally pulled back, he let out a sigh of relief.
Chi Yizhen said, “Thank you, darling.”
The director struggled not to burst into laughter; it was almost too much to handle.
They had never seen such cooperative guests before. Moreover, they called each other so naturally, as if they were a real couple.
He Tiao said, “Could you…”
He furrowed his brow, and even when his naturally handsome features scrunched up, there was a natural air of aristocracy about him. If they were in a real car, without cameras, without lights, Chi Yizhen naturally wouldn’t have seen his reddened ears.
But unfortunately, everything was ready for the show, except the guests weren’t prepared. They couldn’t coordinate because they weren’t like the second pair of guests, who were so familiar with each other that they had been married for seven years and were on the verge of divorce. He and He Tiao were at most strangers who had briefly become acquainted with each other’s bodies.
This stranger, even when he was being stern, didn’t seem intimidating to Chi Yizhen at all. In fact, he raised an eyebrow and asked, “Hmm?”
He Tiao’s gaze fell on his neatly arranged drawstring strap, and, satisfied, he said sternly, “Can you please not call me ‘husband’?”
Chi Yizhen asked, “Why?”
He Tiao didn’t know how to respond.
The more he remained silent, the more Chi Yizhen boldly scrutinized him. That morning had been too rushed, and he regretted not being able to take a longer look.
A man who seemed like a living paper doll, handsome in every aspect. Now he realized that the temperament was also similar to the one he had spent so much on.
Except their statuses didn’t match.
A true paper doll was just an ordinary office worker, working nine to five, needing his host to feed him.
This Mr. He had a high status, was successful, and wasn’t short on money. He was completely out of reach for the current Chi Yizhen, who was buried in debt.
Chi Yizhen thought to himself, “Paper doll premium membership lasts thirty days, and skin products cost up to six-ninety-nine. Isn’t one night with Mr. He priceless?”
He Tiao still felt like he had won in his thoughts.
Chi Yizhen was completely unaware of how blatantly he was looking at him, and it gave He Tiao the creeps.
To the viewers in the live chat, it felt like a love-at-first-sight moment:
“I must be going crazy. I actually feel like Chi Yizhen really likes He Tiao?”
【”E-Shen!! My husband!! You wouldn’t let us call you in the game and your livestream. Now, even when you’re on a variety show, you won’t let us call you?” 】
【”I really want to transmigrate into Chi Yizhen and call He Tiao ‘husband.'”】
【”If you want He Tiao, I’m the only one who thinks Chi Yizhen is the real husband. His demeanor is so heart-melting. It’s so pitiful, like an existence that was broken and then pieced back together.” 】
【”Thanks to the high-definition camera from the production team, I got to see this star who’s blushing red to the roots of his ears, despite being a social recluse. I’m fifty years old, and I still love watching pure love like this. How should I adjust myself?” 】