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Chapter 36: The Double-Chen CP
Ji Chenxuan stared blankly at him, his mind a complete blank, his heart seemingly stopped.
Xie Ting, on the other hand, couldn’t bring himself to smile, his mind filled with nothing but, “Holy sh*t.”
Liu Bing in the audience was even more stunned, his wide eyes almost popping out of their sockets as he swallowed hard. He had thought Xiao Chi was all delicate with his slender arms and legs, but this contrast was just too shocking.
Time seemed to freeze at this moment. Whether in the studio or in the live stream, everything fell eerily silent in an instant.
This unbelievable, jaw-dropping scene was like a thunderclap, leaving the audience with their mouths wide open, struggling to find their chins.
“What just happened? Am I seeing things? Did these two just phase through the wall?”
“Someone pinch me! Am I dreaming? Which superhero did I just fall for?”
“Tell me, how much do I need to top up to get that kind of cheat code? I’d be willing to spend anything!”
“Ughhhh, Chenchen is so handsome, I can’t breathe!”
“Everyone wants a cheat code, but am I the only one addicted to the Double-Chen CP?”
On the right side of the live stream screen, the gift bar skyrocketed, the number of gifts increasing at an insane speed, almost rivaling the speed of the bullet comments!
Diamonds, villas, sports cars… the high-end gifts, usually seen only on rare occasions, flew by like a stream of water, not even causing a splash, only to be quickly swallowed up in the gift wave.
As a newcomer who had just debuted, Xiao Chi’s popularity was originally at the bottom among the guests, but in just one day, his popularity shot up like a rocket, jumping to third place, only behind the top celebrity flower and Xie Ting.
Meanwhile, Wen Anran, who had already lost Ji Chenxuan’s favor and was no longer liked by Xie Ting, had become increasingly irrelevant, with his popularity continuously plummeting, his performance a tragic sight.
When Xiao Chi put Ji Chenxuan down, Ji Chenxuan was still dazed, his legs feeling as if they were stepping on clouds, uneven and unstable.
Xiao Chi held his arm, his head leaning in. “Are you okay?”
Ji Chenxuan took a deep breath, stared at him, and ground his teeth, speaking slowly, “I’m absolutely fine.”
Xiao Chi blinked, looking at him expectantly. “Was it fun? Want to do it again?”
“…Again?” Ji Chenxuan’s eyelids twitched in an unnatural way. “Please spare me!”
Xiao Chi let out a disappointed “Oh” and lowered his gaze. “Isn’t ‘hugging and lifting up’ out of fashion now? I thought a lot of people liked it?”
Ji Chenxuan weakly pressed his forehead. “You’re too hardcore…”
Before Xiao Chi could ask what that meant, the other guests quickly gathered around, all staring at the glowing, bizarre creature that was Ji Chenxuan.
Host Tian Tian, struggling to close his jaw which was almost dislocated in surprise, faced the camera with an indescribable expression.
“Thank you to all the guests and viewers for your support, especially Xiao Chen, who really opened our eyes. Today’s episode will conclude for now, but tomorrow, the artist group and the CEO group will switch roles. More exciting moments ahead, so don’t miss it!”
The ending music echoed through the stage, and the live stream viewers from the other three groups gradually left. However, in Xiao Chi and Ji Chenxuan’s live stream, not only did the number of viewers not decrease, but it actually grew more and more.
“Tour group to the Weibo fan club! Looks like Superman’s here!”
“Wait, what? I just got here and it’s already over! I want to see Chenchen!”
“Ugh, I haven’t had enough yet! What time does it start tomorrow? CEO version of Chenchen—just thinking about it gets me so excited!”
“I’m going to buy a house in Chenchen’s live stream! I’ll set up a cot! I’m not leaving!”
The first one to react was Liu Bing. Such a rare opportunity for quality exposure—how could he not go all out and hype it up? Otherwise, how could he live up to his name?
The exciting scene at the end of the show was captured by Liu Bing from the most flattering angle. He stayed up late to have it retouched, contacting WeChat public accounts, influencers, major marketing accounts, and various other exposure channels. Riding on the coattails of Star CEO, he used Ji Chenxuan’s popularity to spark a massive wave of attention.
Liu Bing even secretly found a few “physics experts” to debunk the scientifically inaccurate parts of the video, using the controversy to keep the heat alive.
Thanks to Liu Bing’s skilled operations, Xiao Chi gained a little fame outside the circle, no longer just someone who only existed during the Star Show events.
Ji Residence.
The crystal curtain lights in the living room shone softly as Xiao Chi lay sprawled on the sectional sofa, video chatting with Liu Bing.
“…Your schedule’s pretty packed these days. I’ve arranged two announcements for you, both good ones. I’ve pushed away the small stuff, and you need to memorize the interview script…”
Liu Bing’s voice went on, with a long pause in between. Xiao Chi lazily responded with distracted “Mm-hm” and “Ah-hah” replies. Liu Bing tapped the tablet’s screen sharply: “Hey, kid, are you even listening to me?”
“Huh? Yeah, I’m listening,” Xiao Chi slowly moved his gaze away from the screen, where Liu Bing’s amber eyes were now dark and penetrating.
“What are you looking at? Your face looks like you’re up to no good.”
“Uh… Just reading some comments and messages online.” Xiao Chi stammered, his eyes shifting to the lower left corner, avoiding eye contact.
Liu Bing curled his lips into a cold smirk: “Your face tells me you’re looking at some inappropriate stuff.”
“No!” Xiao Chi immediately denied it. “Just some little fan articles.”
“Oh? You mean those [1]“Rainbow praise” (彩虹屁) is a Chinese internet slang term that refers to overly exaggerated, flattering praise or compliments, often to an absurd degree. It’s used to describe the … Continue readingrainbow praise ones? Let me see them.” Liu Bing gestured toward his screen.
Xiao Chi obediently showed the content on the screen—the homepage displayed a huge “Le Fu” logo with the title “Double-Chen · The World’s Love · ABO,” topping the trending list.
Xiao Chi and Ji Chenxuan’s names were prominently featured in the article, with tags reading: Contract Marriage, Deep Love, and the Spoiled Wife Running Away with a Baby.
Liu Bing’s face turned black: “Where did you see this stuff? Kids shouldn’t be looking at this!”
“Actually, I think some of it is pretty interesting, although it’s all a bit exaggerated. Some of it’s kind of weird.” Xiao Chi sat up cross-legged, his finger scrolling through the pages on the screen, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. “By the way, what does [2]“ABO” typically refers to a subgenre of fanfiction, often found in fandoms where characters are re-imagined with traits from the “Alpha/Beta/Omega” hierarchy. ABO mean?”
Liu Bing: “……”
Under Xiao Chi’s pure and innocent gaze, Ji Chenxuan felt his scalp nearly explode. Little did he know, the other person’s curiosity only grew stronger: “And what does [3]“taking the ball and running” generally refers to someone starting something and then leaving abruptly or taking advantage of the situation for their benefit, often without regard for … Continue reading‘taking the ball and running’ mean? Does it refer to playing soccer?”
Liu Bing slapped half of his face with his hand, murmuring to himself: “Spare me, if this goes on, I’ll be bald by middle age…”
Xiao Chi raised his head from the screen, carefully inspecting Liu Bing’s scalp: “No, there are only two white hairs at most. Just pluck them out.”
Liu Bing took a deep breath: “…Anyway, stop reading this kind of stuff. Remember to memorize the interview script, prepare well for tomorrow’s show, and if there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up.”
Liu Bing quickly ran off, and the video call screen went black, leaving only the busy signal.
Xiao Chi was confused: “Why the big reaction?”
He lowered his head to find his bookmark and continued reading the fanfiction he had started earlier about Double-Chen—
“The performance ended, and Xiao Chen stumbled off the stage, exhausted. He collapsed on the bed, no longer able to suppress the spread of his pheromones. In just a moment, the sweet scent filled the entire narrow space.
Xiao Chen curled up in pain, his skin burning with heat. He buried his face in the pillow, making intermittent murmurs and moans.
‘Is it a cream flavor? It’s so sweet.’
A shadow suddenly loomed over him from above. Xiao Chen barely managed to open his eyes, only to widen them in shock: ‘Ji Chenxuan! How did you get here!’
Ji Chenxuan revealed a pair of handcuffs, locking him tightly to the headboard. He gave a charming smile: ‘Baby, I’ve finally caught you.’
Xiao-Chen closed his eyes in despair, letting the tears flow…”
Although many of the terms were hard to understand, Xiao Chi was still thoroughly engrossed in the story, reading straight to the end: “Huh? Why did it end here?”
The comment section below the main text had over a thousand comments, continuously refreshing.
The top comment read: “Mind-blowing! The ultimate OOC! My poor dog’s eyes have been blinded!”
“Protest! Xiao Chen is clearly a powerful, caring boyfriend! Negative review!”
“Don’t listen to them, wife. This story is amazing, written so well it’s almost like it really happened!”
Xiao Chi continued scrolling down and discovered the reason for the story stopping was due to too many negative comments. The author had argued with the readers, neither side willing to back down, and the arguments escalated.
He found it quite amusing. The more comments he read, the more restless he became. Finally, he quickly created a small account on Le Fu: “Happy Carrot.”
Then he went back to the comments section and posted his first ever message: “They’re not like this usually.”
The author replied quickly: “You’re not them, how do you know how they usually get along? I write how I want, if you can do better, then go ahead! Here’s a pen for you, show me what you’ve got!”
Xiao Chi thought for a moment and seriously replied: “Fine, since you’re sincerely asking, I’ll write a segment.”
The author: “……Heh.”
—
Second-floor study.
Ji Chenxuan was handling work that had piled up due to his participation in the variety show.
After stacking the signed documents aside, Ji Chenxuan opened the projection screen and, as usual, logged into his social media account. He quietly stalked the media and netizens’ opinions on Xiao Chi, just like he always did.
Whenever he came across any sarcastic, mindless hate comments, he would immediately switch to his secondary account, rush to retaliate with a series of scathing replies, and then quickly block or limit the account in one go.
Once done, he would casually switch back to his main account, post an industry-related news article, and carry on as if nothing had happened.
When he switched to the “Double-Chen CP” super-topic to look for new fan material, a striking tweet appeared at the top of the homepage:
“I won’t let my homepage go without seeing this Double-Chen daily! So, so sweet! Carrot-wifey writes like a goddess! If it’s not good, I’ll livestream eating a hamster!”
Could it be some over-the-top drama again? No originality, and he’s already sick of it.
Even though he was complaining, Ji Chenxuan still found himself clicking the link involuntarily after having gone through the popular posts more than once.
The article wasn’t long—less than a thousand words. He skimmed through it and halfway through, his eyes suddenly brightened— the characters were vivid, and it seemed to have some charm!
He read the short fanfiction three times, and when he reached the end, he saw the writer’s ID: “Happy Carrot.”
Without hesitation, Ji Chenxuan followed the account and, with a sweep of his hand, sent a hundred diamonds as a reward, making sure his username appeared at the top of the reader list. Only then did he feel satisfied.
Downstairs in the living room.
Xiao Chi, who had just created his own fanfiction on the spot, was still buzzing with excitement. Suddenly, he received a brief system notification: “Little cutie’s husband has rewarded you with a hundred diamonds.”
Xiao Chi: “???”
References
↑1 | “Rainbow praise” (彩虹屁) is a Chinese internet slang term that refers to overly exaggerated, flattering praise or compliments, often to an absurd degree. It’s used to describe the kind of praise that seems excessively positive, as though it’s being delivered just to please or to fawn over someone. The term comes from the idea of a “rainbow,” suggesting that the compliments are colorful and bright, but ultimately superficial or insincere. |
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↑2 | “ABO” typically refers to a subgenre of fanfiction, often found in fandoms where characters are re-imagined with traits from the “Alpha/Beta/Omega” hierarchy. |
↑3 | “taking the ball and running” generally refers to someone starting something and then leaving abruptly or taking advantage of the situation for their benefit, often without regard for others. |
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