Chapter 74
Chapter 74
Fu Zhi / Ning Mingyue: …
[Ning Xi, you have the courage to say it, but I don’t have the courage to listen.]
[Are you playing the ‘cringe’ game with me?]
[Everyone should play Truth or Dare like this from now on.]
[“Green is a disguise, white is nothingness, yellow is a warning, pink is hypocrisy, purple is mystery, orange is anger, black is the final destination. I never expect anyone to understand the sadness behind my words.” Charge, Ning Army!]
[………… Everyone has gone insane.]
Just as the atmosphere fell into a dead silence, Ning Xi slapped Fu Zhi on the head again.
“Protecting my bestie! One call of ‘bestie,’ besties for life! To touch her is to touch me; to touch me is to die! If you don’t like it, suck it up!”
As she spoke, Ning Xi raised her hand once more.
“Enough! Stop talking that nonsense. You just want an excuse to hit me!”
Fu Zhi finally snapped out of it, grabbing Ning Xi’s wrist and shouting in anger.
Ning Xi’s face broke into a smile-one that said she’d been caught but felt absolutely no guilt.
“So you figured it out. What of it?”
Hit me back if you’ve got the guts, teehee.
Fu Zhi: …
Beside them, Ning Mingyue’s gaze flickered uncomfortably as it landed on Ning Xi and the camera behind her.
The netizens also belatedly realized that Ning Mingyue had been chatting with Fu Zhi in private-and that she had been crying.
[Do Fu Zhi and Ning Mingyue have some kind of private contact?]
[Did they intentionally avoid the cameras? I was wondering why no one was in their livestreams just now. I’m curious what they needed to talk about that required avoiding the broadcast.]
[Why was Ning Mingyue crying in front of Fu Zhi? Doesn’t she like Shen Yibai?]
The netizens found it strange.
“Xiao Xi, why did you come out?”
Ning Mingyue spoke up first before Ning Xi could say anything.
Ning Xi held up the KFC bag in her hand. With a flick of her wrist, the bag traced a perfect parabola and landed right in the trash can.
“Taking out the trash.”
Fu Zhi’s eyes were sharp. “That much? Did you eat all of that by yourself?”
Ning Xi blinked, too lazy to answer.
However, Fu Zhi was like a dog catching a scent, analyzing keenly: “There’s no way you finished that alone. Besides, every time you buy food, you get the exact right amount; you never have leftovers. So, you probably didn’t buy this…”
“Don’t even mention it. Today was six egg tarts for twenty yuan. I originally wanted to treat you, but I forgot about the promotion at the time,” Ning Xi said, waving her hand dismissively.
Fu Zhi’s attention was instantly diverted by her words. “…You actually wanted to treat me to egg tarts?”
Why did he find that so hard to believe?
“Of course!” Ning Xi said with a look of regret. “But I just happened to forget to buy them! I feel like I’ve lost twenty yuan!”
Seeing Ning Xi sighing and groaning, the corners of Fu Zhi’s mouth curled up. “It’s fine. You can just treat me next time…”
“But I still think it’s a pity. I have this inexplicable feeling that I’ve lost twenty yuan.”
“You didn’t even spend any money, so what did you lose?” Fu Zhi asked, puzzled.
“How about you transfer twenty yuan to me? That way, I won’t feel like I’ve lost anything.”
“…”
Ning Xi watched Fu Zhi’s retreating, angry back and shrugged.
As expected, changing the subject with Fu Zhi was just that simple.
About a dozen seconds later, Fu Zhi’s heart-wrenching roar echoed from the courtyard:
“Ning Xi! Was this red light your doing?!!!”
“Hahaha, look at him getting all worked up again,”
Ning Xi said callously to Ning Mingyue.
Ning Mingyue squeezed out a forced smile. “Then I’ll head back first. You two get some rest.”
Ning Xi nodded. “Sure. From now on, you walk your single-plank bridge, and I’ll be underneath holding it up. Be careful when you cross, my precious.”
Ning Mingyue stumbled mid-step.
Ning Xi’s eyes widened. “Oh my, oh my…”
“It’s fine! It’s fine! It’s! Fine!” Seeing Ning Xi looking like she was about to come over and help her, Ning Mingyue waved her hands frantically in refusal.
Then, she fled the scene as if escaping a plague.
“Good grief, she runs fast…”
It was the first time Ning Xi had seen Ning Mingyue move so quickly.
On the other side.
Ning Mingyue’s face darkened as she received a message from her manager.
[Mingyue, what’s going on with you and Ning Xi? Do you know that some of the more sensitive netizens have already noticed that your relationship with her is just average?]
Her manager sent over a few screenshots of the Danmaku.
[I feel like Ning Xi is always the one sticking to Ning Mingyue, but Ning Mingyue seems to be just faking it.]
[Even Jiang Sheshe, who was so clingy to Ning Mingyue at the start, barely talks to her now.]
[It feels like Ning Mingyue really does prefer interacting with the male guests…]
Her manager followed up with another message: “I don’t care who you like or dislike. In the eyes of the netizens, you must be friendly to everyone-especially Ning Xi. She’s still the most popular guest on ‘You Are My Blessing.’ Stick close to her and play up the friendship; it’ll help your popularity.”
“You used to be able to do this. Why can’t you do it now?”
Ning Mingyue took a deep breath. “Because the old Ning Xi was normal!”
She wasn’t bizarre like she was now!
The manager replied: “Whether she’s normal or not is her business, but it’s a fact that she’s treating you well in front of the netizens. If you don’t want to leave a bad impression, be nicer to her on the surface. Stop looking like you’re constantly trying to avoid her!”
Ning Mingyue gripped her phone tightly.
She had clearly joined this variety show to leech off Ning Xi’s popularity and gain fans. Instead, she hadn’t gained many followers, and now she had to suck up to Ning Xi just to maintain her image…
It was enough to drive her insane with frustration!
Because of Fu Zhi’s chaotic room assignments, the netizens were curious to see what kind of chemistry would brew between the guests tonight.
However, the results left them speechless.
Jiang Sheshe and Shen Yibai barely spoke to each other.
They went straight back to their respective rooms. One started working on documents, while the other had somehow acquired nail polish and a UV lamp, and was busy teaching herself how to do manicures by following a video.
[Okay, fine. One of you is an ‘aesthetic’ study vlogger, and the other is a manicure vlogger.]
[Confirmed: Room 2 has a strong academic atmosphere. Moving to Room 3 now to watch Xiao Xie take a shower!]
[Hehehe, I want to see too! I already screenshotted the photos of Xiao Xie coming out of the bath last night to use as my wallpaper.]
However, the netizens’ expectations were thwarted.
After Xie Lanchen finished his shower, he didn’t just wrap himself up tightly; he even dried his hair before showing his face.
His expression was cold and indifferent, without a trace of a smile. He looked like an unattainable deity who had “no worldly desires.”
It was a complete 180 from the previous night.
[?]
[Give me back my sweet Xiao Xie!]
[Where is the trust between people? Why can’t we even get a glimpse tonight? (collapses) (goes feral) (cries out loud)]
[I’m angry, I’m really angry! I’m reporting this to the authorities!]
At that moment, Ning Mingyue was enjoying the cool air in the courtyard while watching a highly-rated classic movie.
Despite the simple conditions, she had set up a makeshift outdoor cinema using a projector.
Scented candles burned on the table next to a glass of red wine, creating a perfect atmosphere.
With such a scene and such a beauty present, any normal person would have stopped to exchange a few pleasantries.
Yet, Xie Lanchen walked straight past without even a glance, returning to his room.
He acted as if they were total strangers who had nothing to do with each other.
Ning Mingyue’s smile froze. She hadn’t expected Xie Lanchen to be so dismissive.
She muttered to herself to save face, “Is Feynman in a bad mood tonight? He looks a bit cold, completely different from usual.”
Whenever she had seen Xie Lanchen before, he had always seemed gentle, polite, and excessively good-tempered.
A person like that should have been the easiest to approach…
Ning Mingyue hesitated for a few seconds, deciding to take the initiative and ask Xie Lanchen if he wanted to watch the movie with her.
However, in the next second, the light in Xie Lanchen’s room turned off.
There wasn’t another sound.
[…He’s sleeping already?]
[Alright, Room 3 is a bust. Looks like there’s no fanservice tonight. Let’s go to Room 1 and watch Ning Xi and Fu Zhi perform a comedy skit.]
[Ning Xi and Fu Zhi: We didn’t provoke anyone.]
[Who’s looking down on our ‘Fu-Ruo-Ning-Zhi’ ship?? Their chemistry is just subtle!!! Don’t you dare call them a joke!]
[We only said it was a comedy skit, but the shippers immediately defined it as a joke. It seems even the people shipping Ning Xi and Fu Zhi know exactly what kind of pair they’re stanning, hahaha!]
The netizens headed to Room 1 with the mindset of watching a spectacle, but they never expected the situation to be even more explosive than they had imagined.