Can You Believe It? I Ran into My Ex on a Dating Variety Show - Chapter 22

“Hahahahahaha!”

When Yan Jin emerged, the first person to let out a deafening explosion of laughter was Su Jingxi. He clutched his stomach, laughing so hard that tears started to stream down his face. It was not that Yan Jin’s makeup was wrong or that his clothes were not beautiful; rather, he was simply too burly. Seeing him in women’s clothing created a sheer sense of absurdity.

After Su Jingxi started, the others could not help but chuckle. Xie Yuanzhou’s laughter was even more exaggerated than Su Jingxi’s. “Hahaha, so ugly! It is so ugly that I am going to have nightmares tonight. Yan Jin, hurry up and change back. I do not want to see you in a dress ever again as long as I live.”

Yan Jin responded by giving him the middle finger. These two eventually chose steamed rice rolls and crystal buns, respectively.

Zhang Bin stood up and gallantly extended his hand to invite Liu Xiuxiu. Liu Xiuxiu blushed slightly and slowly placed his hand in Zhang Bin’s. Zhang Bin looked at him and said, “Little one, you are very light. Do not worry about crushing me. Just sit directly on my back.”

Liu Xiuxiu lowered his head and gave a small nod. The live comments went wild.

• • “This pair feels so good to ship!”

• • “Xiuxiu and Zhang Bin are actually a great match. Shy, soft sub versus strong athlete alpha. It is so perfect for a spicy novel.”

• • “I have a few spicy novels I want to lend them for reference.”

• • “Let me see them first! I want them!”

• • “In a spicy novel, Xiuxiu would definitely be a ‘double star’ character, haha.”

• • “Stop right there! Share your good stuff with me.”

Zhang Bin performed a few simple stretches and then dropped down to assume a push-up position. Because of his shyness and concern that his weight would strain Zhang Bin’s back, Liu Xiuxiu hesitated. Several times, he was about to climb on but timidly backed away.

“Brother Zhang, will I hurt your waist?”

“No, feel free to come up,” Zhang Bin said, looking at him with encouraging eyes.

Liu Xiuxiu finally summoned the courage to climb on and sit down. He kept his eyes closed the entire time, so nervous that even his eyebrows were trembling.

• • “Mmhmm, Xiuxiu is so cute.”

• • “I want to give Xiuxiu a kiss.”

• • “I am officially shipping these two. Where are my fanfic writers? Serve the feast now!”

• • “With this size difference, how could you not ship them?”

Fearing that Liu Xiuxiu might lose his balance, Zhang Bin performed the twenty push-ups slowly, taking several minutes to finish. When Liu Xiuxiu got off his back, he quickly reached out to support him. “I am sorry. I might be too heavy,” he said nervously.

• • “Ahhh, my Xiuxiu! Are you an angel? You are not heavy at all; you are so light.”

• • “Sob, Xiuxiu, do not blame yourself. And do not worry about dieting anymore. You are too thin right now; it is okay to eat more.”

Zhang Bin laughed and patted Liu Xiuxiu on the shoulder. “Not at all. You are too light. You should eat more.” Their interaction drew a large wave of “shipping experts” over to enjoy the meal.

• • “Finally, it is time for He Xingzhi and Shi Yu’s short play. I have been looking forward to this since the groups were assigned.”

• • “Plus one! I am also looking forward to this ultimate visual duo.”

• • “Hahahaha, I cannot imagine what these two will act like.”

• • “Were they not supposed to be rivals who do not get along? Are they going to act out a reunion? I will have to see their actor’s conviction then.”

• • “Shi Yu’s acting goes without saying, but He Xingzhi’s acting is also very good. He has not been debuted long, but he won the Best Newcomer award in his first year.”

• • “They are indeed good. I am really looking forward to this.”

Shi Yu and He Xingzhi’s play was only three minutes long. They were to improvise based on the theme provided by the production crew. They could either perform on the spot or discuss how to act beforehand. However, from the moment they received the topic, they had not exchanged a single word. They truly looked as if their relationship was not good.

The livestream feed switched, and the camera zoomed in to capture only Shi Yu and He Xingzhi. At some point, He Xingzhi had grabbed a dozen cans of beer and placed them on the table. He skillfully popped a tab, tilted his head back, and swallowed as his Adam’s apple bobbed. He finished a whole can in one go. After downing several cans in a row, he did not say a word.

Shi Yu did not ask He Xingzhi how he wanted to play it. He could probably guess how He Xingzhi would answer.

How should we act later? Heh, does this even need acting?

It was fine even without prior discussion. He could cooperate.

In an instant, He Xingzhi’s expression shifted. He became deep and reserved. He walked toward the table in the living room and sat on it. Cans of drinks provided by the sponsors sat on the table. He Xingzhi picked one up, pulled the tab, and drank it all. He was acting as if he were drinking alcohol, and even though it was just a regular drink, his performance made everyone watching the livestream feel that he was drinking.

While he drank, He Xingzhi kept looking toward where Shi Yu was standing. Shi Yu stood not far away in the living room. At first, his gaze was elsewhere, but he turned around after noticing He Xingzhi’s persistent stare. Their eyes met from a distance. That single look was enough to break one’s heart.

• • “Oh my god, that look really feels like it lasts for ten thousand years.”

• • “I see reluctance and nostalgia. Is this the acting skill of a movie star?”

• • “With just that one look, I can see the theme: a reunion after a long separation. The sense of story is so strong.”

• • “Sob, I am already crying. Help, this feels so real.”

• • “I would believe it if you said this was real. Just from this glance, I feel like these two were once together and shared an unforgettable love.”

Shi Yu walked toward He Xingzhi. As He Xingzhi popped another tab, Shi Yu reached out and pressed down on the hand holding the bottle. “The other classmates have all gone home,” Shi Yu said in a low voice. “Are you still not leaving?”

With one sentence, the scene was established. In an improvisational performance with no background or prologue, the actor must let the audience know what is happening, where it is happening, and what the story background is as quickly as possible. Shi Yu’s words told the audience that they were having a reunion at a class party. Their classmates had already left. These two, who had not been able to speak properly earlier, were left behind—one drinking gloomily and the other having returned after walking out the door.

He Xingzhi gave a self-mocking laugh. “Do you still care about me?”

Shi Yu did not speak, but pain rolled in the depths of his eyes. He Xingzhi’s eyes were also red. He pushed Shi Yu’s hand away, downed another can, and smiled bitterly. “Three years ago, I hoped so much that you would look back, hug me, and say that everything that just happened was just an April Fool’s joke.”

The agony on He Xingzhi’s face was vivid. Even his gaze was so painful that one dared not look for more than a couple of seconds, for fear of being dragged into a bottomless dark whirlpool of misery. A single tear slid down He Xingzhi’s face. He looked deeply at Shi Yu and spoke hoarsely.

“Shi Yu, did you ever love me?”

Shi Yu’s heart wrenched with pain. He knew that He Xingzhi was not acting.

But he had to keep playing the part.

“I am sorry.” Shi Yu’s throat tightened. He reached out, took the drink from He Xingzhi’s hand, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one go.