Drink This Bowl Of Dog Blood! [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 17

“The latest update is finally here! The Yi Xing Yi Yi ship is so sweet in this new episode!”

“I am obsessed! Even though they were both invited out by Joker cards, they could not hide the way they looked at each other!”

“Is no one curious about the second half of the conversation between Song and Ye on the terrace? I am dying to know! Song, the way you took off your mic was cool, but what did you actually say?”

“Based on Ye’s expression, it was probably a rejection. Even though those two went on a date and the Song-Tan ship hit a snag, the way Song rushed to the hospital in the early morning was so touching. Even though the cameras were pushed back, they captured a blurry shot of the two leaning against each other.”

“This is so sweet! Are they already dating? The next episode covers Song’s scandal, so I hope we still get some sweet moments.”

Netizens were buzzing, and hashtags related to the two constantly topped the trending searches. The production team capitalized on the heat by releasing a preview for the next episode on Weibo.

“Song Yanxing, get back to the house quickly! Someone is trying to steal your man!”

“I love the drama!”

“My rich CEO and cold pianist can finally have a proper chat! Although their last date ended early due to work, I believe in you, President Zuo! Go for it!”

“The others are great to watch too. Cool guy Zhou and the process-driven Cheng Siyou feel like bickering rivals, constantly competing in secret.”

The comment section was lively, though some rumors of varying authenticity appeared.

“My family is considered mid-tier in City A, and we recently had some business dealings with the Tan family. To the Song-Tan fans: Tan will soon leave the show for health reasons. As for the real reason, those who know, know.”

“Wait, is that true? Is my ship going to sink? I can already imagine the drama where the Tan family offers Song money to leave their son!”

“I do not believe it. Last time, an insider claimed Song and Tan were only faking it for the cameras while hating each other in private. Anyone can see they genuinely like each other.”

“Exactly. The people involved have not said anything, so let us not be led by rumors.”

Morning

Unaware of the storm online, the two headed out after a leisurely breakfast. Since they were visiting places associated with each other’s X, each pair had two locations to visit.

Song Yanxing buckled his seatbelt and turned to Tan Qiuyi. “Should we go to my place first? It is a middle school nearby.”

“That works,” Tan Qiuyi replied. After buckling up, he gathered his shoulder-length hair. He went to grab a hair tie from his right wrist but realized it was empty. He blinked, remembering he had taken it off and left it on the kitchen counter while washing dishes to keep it dry.

Song Yanxing noticed the hesitation. He pulled the car over to a safe stopping area on the right side of the road, turned around, and grabbed a bag from the back seat.

“Here. There are hair ties inside. My grandmother thought they looked cute and bought them, telling me to bring them back for my friends,” Song Yanxing said, handing over several ties with different patterns.

Hearing the man’s magnetic voice, Tan Qiuyi turned slightly and picked a black strawberry tie from the assortment in Song’s large hand.

“Thank you,” Tan Qiuyi said as he tied a low ponytail. Watching Song put the remaining ties back, he focused on the key detail. “You went back to see Grandma Song?”

After handing the heavy bag to Tan, Song started the car. “Yes. She accidentally fell and suffered a fracture.” Knowing Tan would worry, he added, “She is doing fine now. She actually hurried me to come back here.”

Tan Qiuyi felt relieved. Since they could not act like they knew each other before the show, he simply said, “That is good.”

Opening the bag, Tan Qiuyi found more than just hair ties. There were knitted gloves and a scarf, all handmade by Grandma Song. He touched the soft fabric of the scarf and smiled. “Thank you.”

Song Yanxing smiled back. “You are welcome.”

After a thirty-minute drive, they arrived at the school: City A International Foreign Language School No. 1.

Tan Qiuyi stepped out of the car and paused when he saw the name on the gate. It was his own high school alma mater. A coincidence? He had felt a sense of familiarity when he heard a school was nearby, and now he was sure. He buried his chin in his scarf, feeling confused.

“Let’s go,” Song Yanxing said, putting on a mask and walking over to him.

The production team had already coordinated with the school, so they entered without issue. Since it was just before the Spring Festival break, students were in their classrooms preparing for finals, leaving the campus paths quiet. They walked toward the playground, leaving a trail of footprints in the snow.

Tan Qiuyi could not help but ask, “Did you go to school here?”

“No,” Song Yanxing replied quietly. The person who had attended this school was Ye Hui.

Tan Qiuyi felt a strange sense of unease. “Oh,” he muttered before being honest. “I spent my senior year here before going abroad to study.”

Remembering his role to provide dramatic tension, Song Yanxing forced himself to say, “Yes. Ye Hui went to high school here as well.”

Tan Qiuyi’s pace faltered. He looked toward the teaching building and then back at Song. “How did you two meet then?” he asked casually, though he accidentally tripped over a stone hidden in the snow.

Song Yanxing immediately steadied him. “Did you twist anything?”

Even knowing this was a place significant to Song and Ye, Tan Qiuyi could not remain entirely indifferent. The thought of Song having memories with someone else here stung. However, seeing Song’s panicked concern made his irritation vanish. “I am fine.”

Seeing that Tan was smiling, Song Yanxing leaned down and lightly tapped Tan’s forehead with his finger. “Be careful next time, okay?”

If there were memories of someone else here, why couldn’t he create even better ones with him?

“Okay,” Tan Qiuyi said, his eyes sparkling as he looked up. He reached out his right hand. “Can we hold hands?”

Song Yanxing looked at the slender hand held out to him, which was already turning red from the cold wind. He sighed and laughed softly. “Yes, we can.” He took Tan Qiuyi’s cold hand and tucked it into his own coat pocket.

Feeling the warmth of the man’s large hand, Tan Qiuyi’s cool face flushed a pale pink. He tightened his grip on Song’s hand. Noticing the gesture, Song Yanxing smiled and slowed his pace to walk in sync with him around the playground.

They did not let go until they reached the car. Only then did Tan Qiuyi realize how bold he had been, and his ears began to burn.

“Where to next?” Song Yanxing asked, amused by how Tan was retreating back into his shell.

Without looking at him, Tan Qiuyi named a location. Two hours later, they arrived at a private restaurant near the intersection of the first and second ring roads.

When the car door opened, a drowsy Tan Qiuyi woke up. After unbuckling his seatbelt, he saw Song’s hand extended toward him and took it naturally. Under the envious gaze of the server, they walked hand in hand to a private room in the back courtyard.

“Please wait a moment,” the server said after taking their order, quietly closing the door as they left.

Song Yanxing took off his mask. He did not have to worry about being recognized here, as this private restaurant was known for its excellent discretion.

With the lingering warmth of their joined hands, Tan Qiuyi was now fully awake. “Should we look outside? There are many rare plants in the courtyard?” he suggested, feeling a bit self-conscious.

Song Yanxing agreed, and they walked out together. Seeing the variety of plants, Song Yanxing laughed to himself. He realized that the reason Tan Qiuyi found this place memorable likely had everything to do with these plants.

Sure enough, Tan Qiuyi told him, “The food here is good, but these flowers and plants are what really make people want to stay.” He sounded almost proud.

Song Yanxing felt a bit silly for his brief moment of jealousy. At 4:00 PM, after finishing their meal, they returned to the house. Song Yanxing went to his room to handle some business, and the mechanical voice sounded again.

[Ding. Values have changed. Current task completion: 85%]

System: [Did the host lay the groundwork before the dramatic reveal to avoid hurting the target character?]

Song Yanxing, who was replying to a message from Jiang Wei, paused. “Yes,” he replied curtly.

As a high-intelligence AI, the system did not understand romance, so it asked simply: [Does the host like the target character?]

Song Yanxing put down his phone and looked at the white snow on the branches outside the window. He remembered something and smiled. “Yes, perhaps.”

The system saw the indulgent smile on the man’s face, and its logic jumped elsewhere. [Our big boss is also a] It glitched for a second, its code blank, unable to finish the thought. It settled on: [As long as the task is completed, we will not interfere with the host’s emotions. We wish the host success.]

Song Yanxing’s eyes darkened slightly at the mention of the boss, but he remained calm. “Thank you.”

On the other side, Tan Qiuyi held his ringing phone, hesitating to answer. He waited until the screen went dark and lit up again before picking up. “Mother.”

Even though the call was not answered immediately, the voice on the other end remained unnervingly calm. “Qiuyi, you have overstepped.”

Tan Qiuyi’s grip on the phone tightened. His eyelashes trembled. Before he could speak, the woman’s voice came through again, soft yet sharp. “Come home. I will have someone handle things with the variety show.”

Tan Qiuyi’s heart sank. “But”

“Qiuyi, the Zuo family already has concerns. You do not want to make things difficult for your father, do you?” His mother’s voice was flat, merely stating a fact.

“I understand, Mother,” Tan Qiuyi said, lowering his gaze.