After Getting Involved In A Love Triangle With My Mortal Enemy From A Past Life, All I Want To Do Is Lie Down And Relax - Chapter 23

Sang Luo froze. That smile was exactly like that of his youngest imperial brother, the only person in the palace who had ever shown him genuine kindness. Tragically, fate is fickle, and that child had only lived to the age of nine.

A strange emotion welled up in Sang Luo’s numb heart, and his icy resolve flickered. He had always known that the deaths of the weak are remembered by no one. That child had merely been a sacrificial lamb in the struggles of the inner palace. And he, once, had been the same.

“Do you like it?”

Hearing someone ask him, Sang Luo looked up to see An Yushu’s smiling face, lightly beaded with sweat.

“Thank you. I like it very much.”

The harsh words Sang Luo had prepared died in his throat. He had intended to tell An Yushu clearly not to like him. He curled his lips into a self-mocking smile. When had he become this weak? Was that heart of his not already scarred beyond recognition? Yet here it was, shamelessly beating, even though it was hollow and ravaged.

Sang Luo thought that perhaps he had been lonely for too long. In his previous life, there had been no one to even speak to. In that vast palace, he could not even hear the sound of his own breathing. He had often felt as though he were already dead. Whether there was a storm, a cold wind, the cicadas of summer, or scorching heat outside his window, he was always alone.

He thought he would let himself be reckless just this once. With that in mind, Sang Luo placed his hand on An Yushu’s head. His voice was like a ray of sunlight piercing through a bitter wind.

“Do not like me anymore.”

The two dates ended in failure. Anyone with eyes could see that Huo Xun and Sang Luo felt nothing for their respective partners. Although this outcome was expected, the production team was helpless; they could force the guests to date, but they could not force them to fall in love.

From an emotional standpoint, this season of the variety show could be considered a failure. However, the viewers in the livestream were watching with great interest, simply because the casting was perfect. The team was incredibly lucky; Huo Xun’s personal traffic alone was substantial.

The dating show 9403 had aired several seasons and remained popular. In the first season, almost everyone found true love. Of course, no one knew if it was scripted, but the sweet romantic atmosphere was very attractive. What set 9403 apart was its openness to civilians. If you were selected, you could meet your idol or even date them. This was a dream come true for many.

However, the director behind the scenes was fretting. It was already the second week, and there was not a single couple. The host beside him tried to comfort him. “This season is still good, do not worry.”

The director sighed. “Sang Luo is not suited for this show.”

“Why do you say that?” the host asked, puzzled. “Many people like him.”

“That is exactly why he is not suited.” The director thought of his conversation with Huo Xun. “Sang Luo is being restricted by this show.”

The host looked up in surprise; she had not expected the director to think that way. “Sang Luo became famous because of our show. How is he restricted? Once he is a star, this will be a valuable connection for him.”

“Movie King Huo does not allow Sang Luo to develop romantic relationships with others.” This was what worried the director. Yesterday, Huo Xun had approached him, requesting that the show not market Sang Luo’s relationship with anyone else, citing his rising career.

The director had a keen eye and understood the logic, but he feared the exposure of the relationship between Sang Luo and Huo Xun even more. It would directly implicate the show. Ultimately, the director was a selfish man. Even if the two went public later, if someone dug up that they were married before joining the dating show, the consequences would be unpredictable.

By marketing Sang Luo with others, like Bai Chen, the show was essentially signaling that they were unaware of Huo Xun and Sang Luo’s private ties. It was a form of self-preservation, even if it meant Sang Luo was associated with other names. By the end of the night, the director decided to let nature take its course. If something happened, the show would just have to handle it.

The next day brought the familiar random grouping. By a strange coincidence, Sang Luo was paired with An Yushu, and their task happened to be selling ice cream. Huo Xun found himself, quite unluckily in his eyes, paired with Bai Chen. Had he not known the director would not interfere, he would have suspected a fix. Regardless, once groups were assigned, they could not be changed. Their task was selling accessories.

They arrived at the small street in the city center early, around nine o’clock. There were not many people yet, but the street was not empty. However, Huo Xun and Bai Chen’s stall was ignored. They were selling common items like keychains, bracelets, and necklaces at reasonable prices, yet no one stopped to ask. An hour later, they had only sold a few items.

Bai Chen looked around and said mockingly, “Movie King Huo should stop looking so cold. You are scaring the customers away.”

Huo Xun lazily lifted his eyelids. “Then you should stop smiling like a villain. People might think you are up to no good.”

Bai Chen adjusted his collar slowly, showing no anger. “It is called service with a smile. Do you not understand? It seems CEO Huo is quite detached from the common world.”

Huo Xun gave Bai Chen a meaningful look. “Service with a smile? You look like a fox spirit.”

Bai Chen returned the smile. “Better than being stone-faced.”

Anyone could hear the sharp friction in their words. The fans in the livestream were openly shipping them.

[This is actually a great pairing. Call me a Shipper Scientist.] [A white-bellied fox versus a black-bellied wolf. Yes, very ship-worthy.] [I hereby declare my commitment to this Animal CP.] [This is way better than that Sang Luo. These two match in every way.] [Uh, we ship them, but we know it is not real. Do not take it so seriously.] [Do not mention my Luoluo. Taking him away.]

The person who disliked Sang Luo was quite stubborn and snapped back.

[I just cannot stand him. Got a problem? Keep it to yourself.]

This comment seemed to open the floodgates. More and more negative comments about Sang Luo appeared. A moment later, a post titled “Sang Luo the Ungrateful: Get Out of Entertainment” hit the trending topics.

Sang Luo, the person at the center of it all, was unaware. Wearing an apron, his hand was steady as he held a cone, dispensing ice cream. Noticing An Yushu’s gaze, he turned slightly, his eyes shimmering in the sunlight. His voice was as pleasant as cool water.

“What is it?”

Caught staring, An Yushu’s face turned bright red. “No, nothing. Is it time to go back? It is noon.”

Sang Luo checked the time, then untied his apron with his slender fingers. “Let us go.”

[THE END]