Poor Relationship - Chapter 8

This time, in his dazed state, he saw the outline of a man. He wanted to push away that heavy figure, but his hand was enveloped by a warm, strong grasp. The man lowered his head, gently kissing his trembling fingertips, leaving a damp trace behind. That sense of danger made him want to flee, yet his body remained utterly immobile. Burning fingertips slid past his waist, moving straight downward. The familiar, overwhelming sensation washed over him once more as the man leaned in to kiss his lips.

“Zhouzhou, it’s your turn to help me now.”

Xu Yizhou heard the man’s hoarse voice, pressed close to his lips, speaking with a slight pant.

“Xu Yizhou”

He heard someone calling his name over and over, a voice that felt familiar yet he couldn’t recall where he’d heard it before. Again and again, fervent and intense, the heat spreading from his palms to his entire body.

Xu Yizhou felt like something might be wrong with him. Having a wet dream was one thing, but dreaming about a man…? Too shameful. He blamed this phenomenon on the script he had recorded the night before. It must have been from reading too much of it that he ended up dreaming about such things. Feeling somewhat irritated, he ran his fingers through his hair and went to take another shower. When he returned and opened his phone, there were notifications from various apps, and the group chat was buzzing nonstop.

[Sophie: OMG, it’s blowing up! ]

[Yu Xin: I told you these two have chemistry, but you didn’t believe me.]

[Little N: Please mention my name!]

[Xiao Lu: Teacher Xu is amazing!]

…

Xu Yizhou only glanced at the chat history with a puzzled expression when he saw his own name mentioned. The story began with a video posted by the studio on a certain platform.

It was a behind-the-scenes clip of a voice recording session, specifically the one he had done with Wen Shi.

“Help, why is this so addictive!”

The video opened with that line, startling him. In the clip, he and Wen Shi were sitting in the recording booth—he was focused on recording, while Wen Shi was intently watching him.

The camera even zoomed in on Wen Shi’s expression. A comment floated across the top of the screen:

“Help, Xiao Shi’s affectionate gaze is killing me!”

In the close-up shot, Wen Shi’s eyes were fixed solely on him, and the distance between them was unusually close. He remembered deliberately keeping some distance at the time, but he wasn’t sure if it was intentionally edited or just a filming issue. The video was posted yesterday, and today its views had already surpassed a million.

“What is all this?”

Confused, Xu Yizhou clicked to check the comments section.

[Pingchuan’s Dog: If no one objects, I’m going to start spreading rumors!]

[Pine Moon, Cool Night: Who said there are no handsome guys in the voice acting circle? Step forward!]

[. replied to Pingchuan’s Dog: Spread the word—my Shi-Zhou ship is real!]

[Shi-Zhou YYDS: Look at my username. I’m ready to show up in tonight’s livestream with this name.]

[Zhou for Shi: Haha, are voice actors now using real names online?]

The more Xu Yizhou read, the more absurd it seemed. He couldn’t understand why these girls were shipping him with Wen Shi. He just didn’t get it. The group chat was already frantically tagging him.

[Yu Xin: Teacher Xu, please check your accounts on [Platform A] and [Platform B]~]

[Little N: Teacher Xu, considering how many recordings I’ve done for you, please take me along when you make it big!]

Xu Yizhou opened a certain audio platform and a certain streaming app to check—wow, his follower count had surged by tens of thousands overnight. All those red notifications were private messages and new follows. His first thought was: He’d gone viral!

But why did it have to be in this way?

It only dawned on him later—if that was the case, then the person he was supposed to collaborate with for tonight’s livestream would be Wen Shi? A sudden ringtone pulled Xu Yizhou back to reality. Glancing at the number, he found it vaguely familiar.

“Hello, Teacher Xu, are you free today?”

Wen Shi’s clear voice came through the phone, and Xu Yizhou instinctively frowned.

Speak of the devil.

“The club president said we should prepare for tonight’s livestream together. Did Producer Su mention it to you?”

“She did.”

Xu Yizhou couldn’t help but raise a hand to his forehead, replying helplessly. Who knew how exasperated he felt.

“Then, should we discuss tonight’s collaboration segment together?”

Wen Shi’s tone was tentative, as if afraid Xu Yizhou might hang up on him. It almost felt like he was bullying a junior.

Seemed like he had no choice but to go out today, whether he wanted to or not.

“Alright, send me the address. I’ll be there soon.”

Xu Yizhou rubbed his temples.

“Great! But, Teacher Xu… I don’t have your WeChat”

No choice—Xu Yizhou had to add him on WeChat. After all, if things went this way, his collaboration with Wen Shi would likely last much longer.

He knew the voice-acting industry all too well. It wasn’t just about performing your roles well; you also had to cater to the fans, since they were the foundation of everything. Although he found Wen Shi a bit odd, considering it might have been the agency’s idea, he couldn’t help but feel a little sympathetic.

Being forced into things you didn’t like right after entering the industry—Wen Shi’s attitude was actually pretty good. After changing his clothes, Xu Yizhou put on a baseball cap and headed out. In the dimly lit stairwell, Wen Jiang stood leaning against the carved railing, fingers interlaced, his eyes narrowing slightly behind gold-rimmed glasses. His gaze followed Xu Yizhou’s figure until it disappeared from sight.

Wen Shi had chosen a small restaurant in Star Dome Plaza. Though small, the restaurant had many private rooms, each decorated differently. Paired with the lighting, it created a quiet, comfortable dining atmosphere. Xu Yizhou found the room number Wen Shi had sent him and knocked on the door.

The door opened quickly, and Wen Shi greeted him with a smile. The room was bright and airy, with a large blue-and-white porcelain vase filled with flowers placed in a corner not far away. Bamboo leaves coiled around the pillars, giving off an elegant, classical vibe.

Wen Shi wore a black jacket, but what stood out most were the silver earring beneath his dark hair and the little fang-like tooth that showed whenever he smiled. Pulling out a chair, Wen Shi gestured politely.

“Teacher Xu is such a busy person. It’s rare to get you out for a meal, so today’s on me.”

Once Xu Yizhou sat down, Wen Shi took a seat beside him.

A waiter brought in the menu, and Wen Shi handed it to Xu Yizhou.

“Order whatever you like, Teacher Xu.”

Xu Yizhou was never one to stand on ceremony. Since Wen Shi was offering, he wouldn’t hold back. After ordering quite a few dishes, he looked up to find Wen Shi watching him intently—with the same gaze he’d seen in that video.

“Ahem, Teacher Wen, I’d like to hear your thoughts on this livestream.”

Clearing his throat, Xu Yizhou adjusted his attitude, adopting the demeanor of a senior in the voice acting industry toward a junior.

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