The Prime Minister Becomes a Global Sensation After Transmigrating into a Pariah - Chapter 15

Qiao Yuxi wore a ferocious grin that made one recall his past role as a serial killer, a gentlemanly madness that sent chills down the spine. He gestured with his hand near Lou Yishu’s cheek as if choosing the perfect angle for a strike.

Slap~

A gentle “pocket-sized” slap landed on Lou Yishu’s face. Lou Yishu cooperatively let out an “Ah!” and fell backward with a laugh.

“I concede to you.”

The expression on Qiao Yuxi’s face instantly shifted from a psychopathic killer to an awkward, flustered adolescent boy. His movements became hurried rubbing his hair one moment and tugging at his collar the next. He tried to feign composure and spoke in a voice he thought was steady, but it carried a fine tremor. “Again. I have the feel for it now; I won’t lose to you.”

The comments were already sensing that something was “off”:

• “Lou Yishu was taking it easy on him, right? He definitely let him win! [Shrug]”
• “What does it matter? As long as Qiao Yuxi can’t tell. [Hehehe]”
• “Qiao Yuxi’s smile was so intense just now, totally ‘Top’ energy. Who would have thought they were just playing a game?”
• “Does no one truly think Lou Yishu is gentle? I don’t care anymore! Lou Yishu is charming me to death! I want to date him; the ‘experience’ would be a 10/10.”
• “It’s hilarious watching Lou Yishu flirt without realizing it, leaving Qiao Yuxi in a state of chaos.”

However, a massive wave of “passersby” suddenly flooded the stream:

• “You truly have no lower limit. Did your mother not teach you to think before you speak? Oh wait, you probably don’t have a mother. [Smirk]”
• “Thanks to the internet’s lip-reading masters. I knew Qi Luo’s expression was weird during the intro. My intuition is never wrong.”
• “Can the haters stop? You’re just giving him ‘infamous’ fame.”
• “Qiao Yuxi’s fans must have ‘I-just-ate-crap’ faces right now, hahahaha.”
• “Wait, what happened? What leak?”
• “Trending #9. Just finished the gossip. Let’s just say Lou Yishu picked the wrong person to lie about clinging to Teacher Lin Chunyan’s name.”

In the comments, haters and Qiao Yuxi’s fans began an all-out war. Lou Yishu’s actual fans newly minted and few in number didn’t dare speak. Most of those who liked him for his face were wavering; one more strong wind and their support would snap.

The “shippers” were even quieter. In a romance show, having the CP fans afraid to even come to the table was a rare sight indeed.

Yuan Lulu watched the chaos on screen and then looked at the two peaceful leads. The director had said another round would cost another use of the game card, so they’d stopped playing. She didn’t know what had come over her; despite Lou Yishu’s reputation, seeing his radiant smile made her heart feel warm. Gathering her courage, she posted:

• “Maybe there is a misunderstanding. Let’s wait for everything to be clear before judging.”

Her inbox was immediately flooded with vitriol. Having never “fanned” a star before, she was terrified by the speed and malice of the insults. She hastily closed her DMs and forced herself to focus on the screen.

“Go by yourself then!” Qiao Yuxi said petulantly.

Anyone with eyes could see Su Er was interested in him a “cheap” interest, in Qiao’s opinion yet Lou Yishu was still asking if he wanted to go pick fruit with them.

“What is the matter now?” Lou Yishu asked, his tone full of patient tolerance.

“Aren’t you two closed? He keeps calling you ‘Brother Yishu’ this and ‘Brother Yishu’ that.” Qiao Yuxi mimicked Su Er in a high-pitched, mocking tone, his un-surgeried face twisting into a comical grimace.

“Why is your face turning red?” Lou Yishu asked. He noticed a suspicious flush creep onto Qiao Yuxi’s face.

Qiao Yuxi instantly stopped worrying about Su Er. He stood up, practically frantic. “Why is your face red?! Do you like that type? Does one ‘Brother’ from him make you like him? Lou Yishu, speak! Hey, speak to me!”

Lou Yishu felt a wave of panic for the first time, unsure how to answer the barrage of questions. He managed one word: “No.”

“No what?” Qiao Yuxi pressed.

“I am not blushing!”

“Then you just like Su Er!” Qiao Yuxi was about to explode.

“I do not! I have no such thoughts.” Lou Yishu viewed Su Er as a younger brother; how could he have such intentions after knowing him for half a day?

Qiao Yuxi leaned in close to Lou Yishu’s face. Seeing his honest expression, he finally relaxed. But then he felt he was meddling too much, who Lou Yishu liked wasn’t his business, especially since he didn’t like the man anymore. But we’re still ‘together’ for the show. I can’t be a cuckold before we break up. Yes, that’s it. Being cheated on is embarrassing.

“Fine, go yourself then! I’m going to catch shrimp.” Qiao Yuxi sat back on his stone, waving Lou Yishu away.

“Very well.”

Thus, Lou Yishu took a fresh fish to trade for fruit at Su Er’s camp, leaving Qiao Yuxi by the river.

Lou Yishu hummed the song Qiao Yuxi had sung as he walked. Ten minutes later, he heard a call. He looked up to see Su Er running toward him like a happy bird, though the youth’s eyes weren’t actually on Lou Yishu. As Su Er got closer, his pace slowed.

“Where is Teacher Qiao?” Su Er asked, forcing a small smile.

“He is guarding the fire at our camp,” Lou Yishu replied. There was no fire at the camp, but since Qiao Yuxi was having a tantrum, Lou Yishu fabricated a reasonable excuse for him.

Su Er didn’t seem to buy it. He smiled at Lou Yishu, but in his head, he was cursing him.

“This fish is for you,” Lou Yishu said, handing the skewered fish to Su Er.

“No” Su Er looked at the dead fish with visible disgust. “Brother Yishu, you hold it for now.”

Seeing that Su Er was afraid of the fish, Lou Yishu carried it the rest of the way. They reached a clearing with a large stump in the middle that served as a table, surrounded by fruit-laden trees.

“Do you need help?” Yu Yuan, the 1.9-meter-tall youth, asked. Even through his tactical gear, the shape of his muscles was visible.

Yu Yuan’s goal had always been clear: someone petite and cute like Su Er. However, he had no intention of being a “simp.” Seeing Su Er’s blatant pursuit of Qiao Yuxi, Yu Yuan was already scouting for his next interest.

Lou Yishu was beautiful, but his physique was hard to judge. Yu Yuan didn’t care about Su Er’s muscle mass because as long as Su Er wasn’t skin and bones, he was pretty. But Lou Yishu was tall about 1.83 meters. If he was “all bones” under those clothes, that would be a turn-off. Yu Yuan wanted to hoist Lou Yishu up to gauge his weight and muscle tone. He stared at Lou Yishu’s body with a heavy gaze.

“There is no need.”

To Yu Yuan’s surprise, Lou Yishu refused before the man could even roll up his sleeves. How does he plan to pick them then? By jumping?

The comments were already sneering:

• “I don’t know what he’s pretending for. Senseless.”
• “Su Er, stay away from him. He’s bad luck.”

Before they could finish typing, Lou Yishu set the fish down, took a short running start, and stepped against the tree trunk. Using the momentum, he grabbed a branch, used his arm strength to pull himself up, and vaulted onto a thick bough with feline grace.

The comments fell into a deathly silence. Then, a massive wave of question marks filled the screen:

• “?”
• “???”
• “Did Lou Yishu just fly?”
• “????!”
• “Holy cow, it’s Superman!”
• “Was it really that easy? His move makes me think I could do it too.”
• “No, you cannot.”
• “Even Dove chocolate isn’t that smooth.”

Yu Yuan watched Lou Yishu pick fruit with a dark, unreadable expression. Lou Yishu was like a leopard agile, light, and possessed of a savage beauty. He began to maliciously imagine this “noble leopard” acting spoiled in his arms, and his entire body tingled with a sudden, predatory excitement.