Can You Believe It? I Ran into My Ex on a Dating Variety Show - Chapter 6

It took Shi Yu over a minute to reach the entrance. It was not that he walked slowly, but rather that the villa was simply too massive. The front doors stood wide open at the top of a short flight of steps. Since the staff were not supposed to appear on camera, the guests had to carry their own luggage up the stairs.

Shi Yu’s luggage was simple, consisting of just one ordinary suitcase. He was not even wearing any accessories. As the livestream camera focused on him, the chat began to buzz with activity.

“I just realized, did he only bring one suitcase? Su Jingxi, the son of that real estate tycoon, just hauled in seven or eight. I thought he was moving his entire house!”
“Shi Yu probably has the least amount of luggage so far, right? Even the Movie Star, Yan Jin, brought two large suitcases.”
“Aside from the luggage, Shi Yu is the most plainly dressed. Even the non-celebrity guests are wearing Patek Philippe watches worth millions.”
“Wait, did you miss the ‘Evil Eye’ necklace around his neck? It is not a mainstream brand, but the price is several times higher than those watches.”
“The Movie Star is also wearing a Patek Philippe. It is even more expensive than the rich kid’s watch, about thirty million, I think.”
“The financial mogul’s watch is even scarier. There are only three in the world, and it is currently valued at over a hundred million.”
“Hahaha, I am literally laughing at how poor I am!”
“I am ready to fight all you rich people!”
“What brand is Shi Yu wearing? He looks so good.”
“With a face and body like that, standing over 180 centimeters tall, he could make a burlap sack look like high fashion.”
“I checked. His clothes and shoes are just random finds online. Not a single piece costs more than a thousand. His pants are 299 from Uniqlo, and his shoes were the most expensive part at around eight or nine hundred.”
“Damn. Even though that price is not low for a poor person like me, how is it so grounded for a celebrity?”
“His suitcase is actually quite nice. I could not tell what brand it was, so I took a screenshot to identify it on a shopping app. I found it! Guess how much?”
“I guess three hundred.”
“I guess two hundred.”
“I guess five hundred.”
“Maybe over a thousand?”
“All wrong! It is only 198!”
“Holy crap! The quality looks great and I love the style. I am ordering it now.”
“I was fast; I already bought one.”
“Look at the monthly sales! It is only the first of the month, and in just a few minutes, you guys pushed the sales of that suitcase to over 1,000?”
“It is over 5,000 now.”
“No! I went too late; it is already out of stock.”
“Better than me. They do not offer free shipping to my area. It was in stock, but the shipping was expensive. I hesitated for a second, and when I refreshed, it was gone.”
“I asked the seller. They had no idea this model would go viral. They are contacting the factory now to restock or open pre-orders.”
“Shi Yu’s influence is insane. Does he have any endorsements?”
“As a fan of five years, let me tell you: none. Not a single one.”

Shi Yu’s fans arrived late to the stream. Fans of other stars had been camping in the chat for ages. His own fans, however, did not believe he was actually on the show until he appeared on camera. They thought the announcements were scams or fan-made edits because they had been disappointed too many times over the years.

In his five-year career, he only had two works, one television drama and one movie, plus some miscellaneous promotional materials. There were actually more fan-art illustrations of him than there were real photos. When someone first posted in Shi Yu’s fan forum claiming he was on “100 Days of Love Contract,” the post was immediately deleted and the user was reported and blocked by the moderators.

It took a few minutes for more similar posts to appear before the moderators realized something was wrong. After verifying the news, they rushed to release an official announcement. Major fan accounts reposted it, and within minutes, Shi Yu’s fans flooded the livestream.

“Ah! It is a living Brother Shi!”
“Sobbing! It has been three years, and I finally see a fresh, breathing Brother Shi again.”
“Brother Shi, I love you!”
“I am crying so hard. It is a moving, fresh Brother Shi.”
“He is finally working! Today is a day of national celebration.”
“What kind of variety show is this? Why is he on a variety show?”
“I heard a rumor that he was planning to terminate his contract with his agency. I was so worried he was going to retire from the industry.”
“What? Retire? I would die.”
“Since he is on a variety show now, he probably will not retire, right?”
“I do not even care how much he works anymore; I just do not want him to leave.”
“Wait a minute, is this a dual male lead dating show? Is Brother Shi gay?”
“What?!”
“The person who is shocked must be a new fan. Brother Shi had a boyfriend before, though they broke up before it was made public.”
“How do you guys know he has an ex?”

Shi Yu easily picked up his suitcase and walked into the hall. The first-floor lobby was spacious, with a massive sofa in the center where three people were currently sitting. Two were on the long sofa, one was in an armchair, and another person was bent over, examining a strange ornament near the TV cabinet.

That person had striking, “granny grey” dyed hair, a sparkling diamond stud in his ear, and a tattoo on the back of his neck that extended down beneath his clothes. The visible part of the tattoo depicted a vine of thorns with a vibrant blooming rose and a tiny flower bud slightly further up. Because the man’s skin was exceptionally pale, the red of the tattoo stood out vividly, making the thorns look lifelike.

The sound of Shi Yu’s suitcase wheels caught their attention. The group turned as one to look at him. Shi Yu nodded calmly and said, “Hello, my name is Shi Yu.”

“My name is Su Jingxi!” The boy with the grey hair turned around and lunged toward Shi Yu, giving him an enthusiastic hug. “It is great to meet you! Can I call you Shi Yu-Ge?”

Shi Yu did not enjoy physical contact, and his face clouded over as the boy pounced. However, because the boy moved too fast and the suitcase was blocking his path, he could not dodge in time and was pulled into the warm embrace. The body heat of a stranger made Shi Yu feel uncomfortable, but because the cameras were rolling, he remained restrained.

“Nice to meet you,” Shi Yu said with a faint smile, finally pushing Su Jingxi away.

The others introduced themselves one by one. The last person to introduce himself was Zhao Yiliang, the boy sitting alone in the armchair. He was quite handsome, and his fashion was meticulous, down to the color-coordinated cufflinks. He was a designer in the fashion industry.

Judging by his attire, Shi Yu guessed he was a high-profile figure in that world. This variety show seemed quite impressive so far. It was truly a gathering of giants.