Can You Believe It? I Ran into My Ex on a Dating Variety Show - Chapter 21

Zhao Yiliang asked, “Whose idea does Best Actor Yan agree with more?”

Yan Jin glanced at Su Jingxi, but Su Jingxi deliberately avoided his gaze and leaned closer to Shi Yu to whisper.

Yan Jin withdrew his gaze, his expression as composed as ever. He said, “Since this is a bonus livestream segment, let us choose the one with the greatest contrast.”

The livestream comments erupted. One user wondered if Best Actor Yan was really making such a large sacrifice. Another joked that the greatest contrast would be cross-dressing, noting that while Yan Jin had played many roles, he had never appeared in drag. Someone else remarked that the “Male Artist Cross-dressing Squad” had just gained a new member. One fan commented that Yan Jin had beautiful features and would likely look stunning in women’s clothing.

Others were curious about the short play Shi Yu and He Xingzhi would perform. Based on their earlier conversation, fans expected a romance and hoped the production team would push the boundaries. Some fans felt that since they were both actors, a kiss should not be a big deal. Debate also broke out over shipping preferences, with some pairing Su Jingxi and Shi Yu as a “Little Sunshine” type versus a “Cenobite Beauty,” while others preferred He Xingzhi and Shi Yu as a “Bad-tempered Devoted Guy” versus a “Cold Beauty.” One viewer asked how anyone could tell He Xingzhi was devoted, to which another replied that his terrible attitude toward pursuers suggested he would never cheat or fall in love easily, but once he did, it would be for life.

The production team announced the theme for Shi Yu and He Xingzhi’s short play: “Lovers Reunited After a Long Separation.” The play was to last three minutes with only that single sentence as a prompt, leaving the rest to the actors’ improvisation. Meanwhile, Zhao Yiliang and Yan Jin left the living room to change into their costumes.

Xie Yuanzhou invited Su Jingxi to play a mobile game together. To make it easier, they played the mobile version. Xie Yuanzhou logged into his main account and started a livestream. As soon as the stream went live, hundreds of thousands of fans flooded in. Su Jingxi had never seen such a massive audience and was startled. He asked, “Brother Xie, if I play poorly later, will your fans scold me?”

The comments flew by. One fan laughed and said they would not scold him because they could not scold as well as Xie Yuanzhou could. Another called Su Jingxi a good kid who had never seen Xie Yuanzhou’s temper. Someone else remarked that the poor boy did not realize he had boarded a “pirate ship,” as Xie Yuanzhou was known as a master of verbal abuse when gaming.

Su Jingxi pointed at the comments and asked what a “master of verbal abuse” meant. Xie Yuanzhou smiled slightly and told him not to worry about it. Su Jingxi obediently replied, “Oh.”

Xie Yuanzhou added him as a friend and pulled him into a team. As soon as the team was formed, Xie Yuanzhou’s regular teammates popped up requesting to join, but he rejected them all. His support player, Xiao Pang, sent a private message begging to be carried because his rank had dropped. A moment later, another message arrived, joking that he definitely was not trying to be a third wheel while the boss was carrying a “cub.” Xie Yuanzhou succinctly told him to get lost and started the game.

Su Jingxi usually enjoyed playing this game, but he belonged to the category of people who were very bad at it despite being addicted. He asked, “Brother Xie, do you scold people when you play games?”

“I do not scold people,” Xie Yuanzhou replied.

The comments immediately mocked this. One person laughed, saying that he does not scold people; he scolds dogs and “noobs,” also known as vegetable dogs. Another fan found Su Jingxi surprisingly pure and cute. One viewer noted that Shi Yu’s attitude toward him proved Su Jingxi was a good kid, even if he seemed a bit like a “silly rich boy.” Another person agreed, suggesting that while it was not obvious, those familiar with Shi Yu could tell he was somewhat indulgent toward Su Jingxi. Someone else countered that it was not indulgence, but rather a special kind of pity and care one shows to a fool. They laughed, noting that the rich second-generation heir was indeed dim-witted at times and had a high level of “insensitivity,” which was likely the only reason he could get close to Shi Yu.

Three minutes into the game, Su Jingxi had died for the third time. He tilted his head and asked Xie Yuanzhou, “Brother Xie, you are not angry, right?”

Four minutes in, after five deaths, he asked again, “Brother Xie, are you angry?”

Five minutes in, after seven deaths, Su Jingxi said, “Brother Xie, I am glad you are not angry.”

Ten minutes later, Xie Yuanzhou finished the match. The comments were hysterical, noting that Xie Yuanzhou had played incredibly fast and with heavy killing intent. One fan joked that if he did not finish quickly, he would not be able to hold back his temper anymore. They teased Su Jingxi for being so bad at the game despite his handsome appearance, with one viewer claiming the gameplay was so frustrating they felt killing intent through the screen.

Su Jingxi put down his phone, looking as though he wanted more. He looked at Xie Yuanzhou with bright eyes and asked, “Brother Xie, will you take me with you next time? You are so good at this. Just now, if you had not rushed over to save me several times, I would have died in vain.”

The comments exploded again. One person laughed at how the remark sounded like “yin-yang” sarcasm. Another argued that while it sounded sarcastic, Su Jingxi was likely being sincere because he was too simple-minded to be passive-aggressive.

One confused viewer asked what the sentence meant and why everyone was laughing. Another explained that if a master of sarcasm said it, it would imply Xie Yuanzhou was too slow and a poor champion for letting the player die before arriving to take the kills. They laughed, concluding that it was not that Xie Yuanzhou was slow, but that the boy died too quickly.

Su Jingxi caught a comment calling him a “noobs” and immediately began to protest. “What is wrong with this person? How can they say I am bad? I am clearly very good! This is a high-end match!”

Xie Yuanzhou said nothing and quickly turned off the livestream. Su Jingxi still wanted to read the comments, but the screen went black.

Their game had lasted ten minutes. Just then, Zhao Yiliang and Yan Jin finished their transformations. The production team invited Xie Yuanzhou and Su Jingxi to collect their prizes. Xie Yuanzhou took a fried dough stick, and Su Jingxi chose soy milk.

“Is it time for Big Brother Zhao Yiliang and Brother Yan Jin to appear?” Liu Xiuxiu asked.

Soon, the atmospheric lights in the living room were turned on. The livestream audience was full of anticipation. Zhao Yiliang was known for his fashion sense, and fans wondered how he would style the look. Since Yan Jin was very masculine, they expected his female persona to be a handsome one.

The viewership easily surpassed one hundred million as more people flocked to the stream. The gimmick of the Best Actor in drag attracted a massive wave of traffic. The production team was thrilled, and the promotion department immediately worked to push the show’s popularity to a new height.

Su Jingxi took his breakfast and returned to his seat. He could not help but chat with Shi Yu. “Brother Shi, those people were so mean. While we were playing, the comments kept calling me a noob. That was a high-end match; those people clearly do not understand the game.”

Shi Yu played games too, but he never turned on his microphone or scolded anyone. His fans jokingly called him the “Most Silent King.” Shi Yu had been sitting next to Su Jingxi and had nearly stepped in several times to help him control his character’s positioning.

However, Shi Yu simply handed the pillow he had been holding to Su Jingxi and comforted him. “Do not worry about what others say. You are very good.”

Su Jingxi’s eyes lit up, and he virtually wagged his tail. “Right? I told you I am not a noob.”

Shi Yu added, “You still have a lot of room for improvement.”

Su Jingxi stammered, “Yes, yes, yes… wait, what?”