I Didn’t Want to Fall, but My Arch-Nemesis Is Just Too Handsome - Chapter 13

Jiang Xu’s mind was a blank slate; he had no idea what he had just said. He was currently drowning in the man’s gentle, sexy voice, unable to pull himself away.

It was only when Director Zhao’s voice chimed in, “Can you take off the mask?” that Jiang Xu snapped back to reality, as if stung by something.

“No!”

He let out a sharp cry and reached out to cover the man’s mask, but he was a step too late. The man’s long, slender fingers lifted a corner of the mask, revealing a jawline with smooth, clean lines. The cameraman knew exactly how to capture the moment, slowly panning up from the bottom. First, the exquisite chin appeared on the screen, followed by sexy, thin lips, and a high, straight bridge of the nose.

The viewers in the livestream held their breath, waiting for that familiar face to appear on camera. But just a split second before the man’s eyes were revealed, a tall figure lunged forward, blocking the lens.

What was going on?

A collective groan echoed before the screens, and the chat moved even faster and more frantically, scolding this uninvited guest. Jiang Xu blocked the camera and whispered, “What did you promise me last night?”

“I kept the agreement from last night.”

“You are on a show now; that counts for nothing as a promise. You jerk, my mouth is still hurting.”

“Ahem!”

A heavy cough interrupted Jiang Xu’s furious outburst. He looked back and saw Director Zhao pointing awkwardly at his collar. “Your microphone is still on.”

！！！！

Jiang Xu’s eyes widened, and he shot glares at Director Zhao that could have riddled him with holes. Could you have told me sooner? Director Zhao looked innocent. How was he to know that Jiang Xu would start with such explosive revelations?

The chat had already blown up.

【The amount of information in Jiang Xu’s words is too much! Can you elaborate on what happened last night?】 【He said his mouth is still hurting. Is that because they kissed until it hurt?】 【I am leaning towards the idea that he yelled until it hurt.】 【Is the person above a devil? Such a good atmosphere, do not force me to block your mouth.】 【What agreement was reached last night? Tell us! I want to hear.】

While the viewers were busy typing, Jiang Xu was busy wrestling over the mask on set.

“I told you to keep the mask on! You are not allowed to show your face.”

Jiang Xu lacked the height advantage. To keep the mask pressed down, he had to stand on his tiptoes and lunge at Xu Zhiyan. As he strained to reach out, he lost his balance and fell straight into Xu Zhiyan’s arms. The man’s strong hands held his waist. Jiang Xu’s fingers had brushed against the mask, but instead of putting it back on, he accidentally knocked it off.

Thump!

The mask hit the floor.

The man’s perfect face was finally exposed to the lens. The entire set fell silent. Speculation and seeing the truth were two different things. When that familiar, stunningly handsome face appeared on screen, the viewers in the chat were stunned for a long time. It was not until someone shouted “Film Emperor Xu!” in the chat that the spell was broken. Everyone realized at the same time: the NPC Jiang Xu had chosen was truly Xu Zhiyan.

Could there be anything more thrilling than two arch-rivals forming a romantic couple?

【Film Emperor Xu! It is really him!】 【I knew that if I waited here, I would be able to see Xu Zhiyan.】 【Brother, you are crazy! How can you form a CP with your arch-rival?】 【Boycott Jiang Xu! Get Jiang Xu out of the entertainment industry!】 【Hilarious! Xu Zhiyan is the one rushing to pair up with our Xuxu. Are the ‘Yan’ fans collectively blind?】 【I do not know who was just acting pitiful and begging Xuxu to take him in earlier. Our Xuxu is the god of kindness, giving someone face. His fans should not be ungrateful.】

The comments section started bickering again. On set, Jiang Xu was still held in Xu Zhiyan’s arms, his nose filled with the scent of brandy pheromones. It was mellow and intoxicating, so potent that Jiang Xu felt his eyes grow hazy.

Xu Zhiyan looked down at him, his gaze as bright and clear as the moon. Jiang Xu tilted his chin slightly, meeting his eyes. Ambiguity spread through the air; even through the screen, an inexplicable sweetness was transmitted. The CP fans were intoxicated by the sugar, busy taking screenshots, recording videos, and forwarding clips, darting between the livestream and Weibo.

Before long, the fans of both sides stopped arguing and started scavenging for sugar to ship the couple.

【Why is this a little sweet?】 【My brother’s eyes look so affectionate even when looking at a dog. Does it even matter who the object is?】 【So sweet! I want to ship this CP.】 【I am just arriving. Are the couple hugging now officially matched?】

Clearly, in Director Zhao’s eyes, it was a success.

“Jiang Xu and Xu Zhiyan have successfully paired up, but please, guests, introduce yourselves.”

Director Zhao’s voice brought Jiang Xu back to his senses. Feeling the arm wrapped around his waist, he quickly broke free from Xu Zhiyan’s embrace. Before stepping away, he glared at the man.

You jerk, that is one for the ledger. You dared to lie to me; I will settle the score with you when we get home tonight!

Xu Zhiyan understood the meaning in Jiang Xu’s eyes. He curled his lips into a smile and waved to the camera, “Hello, everyone! I am Xu Zhiyan.”

Director Zhao was so happy he could burst, watching the soaring ratings. It just so happened that he had received a text from the originally scheduled male guest, saying there was a scheduling conflict. The company had decided to have Xu Zhiyan fill in at the last minute. How perfect! Director Zhao was so excited he almost applauded. What kind of luck was this, having an A-list Film Emperor like Xu Zhiyan come as a guest? He did not even need to think; he knew the show was going to be a massive hit.

A super massive hit!

Director Zhao cleared his throat and said, “Film Emperor Xu is a specially invited NPC. Since the original male guest could not make it, we decided at the last minute to have Film Emperor Xu record this episode on his behalf.”

Xu Zhiyan looked sideways at Jiang Xu and lowered his voice, “See? I did not lie to you. This was decided at the last minute.”

Jiang Xu huffed, “You think I will believe that?”

“Then let me be honest. I came specifically for you.”

Xu Zhiyan’s eyes curved, his long, narrow pupils shimmering like stars.

【He admitted it! This man admitted it.】 【Xu Zhiyan smiles, fans go wild.】 【His smile makes me want to get pregnant!】 【Is Jiang Xu heartless? Yanyan said that, why does he have no reaction?】 【Our Xuxu said he would not look twice at any man over twenty-five.】

Jiang Xu indeed refused to look at Xu Zhiyan. He kept his head turned, his facial expression appearing rigid. Xu Zhiyan, standing beside him, could clearly see the shifts in his emotions, especially the tips of Jiang Xu’s ears, which were stained with a cherry blossom pink.

It seemed his little treasure was shy.

With the atmosphere sufficiently prepared, Director Zhao spoke into his megaphone: “We originally had four pairs of guests, and we are missing one. They have arrived!”

As Director Zhao’s voice trailed off, the camera zoomed in on the hotel entrance for a close-up. Two men walked over side by side, wearing the program’s designated clothing, though there was a height difference. There was a clear distinction between the Omega and the Alpha; at a glance, you could tell the slender one was the Omega, while the tall and upright one was the Alpha.

As the camera zoomed in, their faces were fully exposed on screen. Those who recognized them began discussing in the chat. As they walked closer, when their faces became clear, Jiang Xu’s eyes sank, and his expression turned quite ugly.