Beside him, the assistant did not even dare to breathe too loudly. “Miao-ge, Gu Huai’s acting is just like that; it’s not like you don’t know.”
“Besides, look, Lin Yu was constantly being hyped up as the lead for this show, but now he’s only playing the second male lead. His fans are going to tear Gu Huai apart.”
Song Miao’s eyes remained dark for a moment before he finally relaxed slightly. “True. But handle the water army more carefully this time; make sure the rhythm is right.”
The assistant nodded vigorously. “Of course! You can put your heart at ease with how I handle things, Miao-ge.”
Song Miao looked at the screen full of negative comments under Gu Huai’s Weibo. Clicking through, he saw many IDs sporting Lin Yu’s fan badges. Satisfied, he switched to an alternate account to like each of the hate comments one by one before finally logging off contentedly.
Xie Wenye watched the like counts on those malicious comments steadily rise, his brow never once uncurrowing. Seeing Gu Huai beside him—who was actually in the mood to munch on an apple—he grew even more anxious. “Hey, have you looked at Weibo?”
Xie Wenye stared at Gu Huai’s calm demeanor, worried that the current online vitriol would affect his life.
But a master is still a master. Gu Huai spared him a glance, looking entirely unbothered. “I saw it. The insults are a bit lacking in offensive power.”
In truth, anything with real “offensive power” wouldn’t make it past the platform’s censors.
Xie Wenye realized he was overthinking. If there was one thing Gu Huai didn’t lack, it was the courage to fight against anything. Even when he knew trashing the Gu family banquet would leave him open to gossip, he did it anyway.
Gu Huai really didn’t care. If he were eighteen, being cursed at might have made him sad, but things were different now. Having been criticized for so long, he had naturally built up an immunity to hate comments.
Instead, what made him feel uneasy was not receiving any messages from Bo Jianyan for the past two days. Thinking about how he would be joining the film crew soon—meaning even fewer chances to see Bo Jianyan—a strange sense of reluctance bloomed in his heart.
Gu Huai hesitated before taking the initiative to send Bo Jianyan a message: [Brother Bo, good evening.]
He pondered over it for a long time, but that was all he could manage. He bit his lip, wondering if he should retract it, but ultimately decided to let it stay. His last conversation with Bo Jianyan was from two days ago.
After sending it, he tossed his phone aside and decided to read the original novel the drama was based on. He wanted to better understand the character’s psychology and the progression of the plot.
He hadn’t been reading for even half an hour when Xie Wenye brought him a glass of milk. “Is there something important on WeChat? You’ve checked your phone nearly ten times in thirty minutes.”
Gu Huai silently locked his screen. “You saw wrong.”
Xie Wenye let out a “Heh.” Having grown up together, he knew exactly when Gu Huai was up to something just by the way he moved.
The phone let out an untimely “Ding.” Gu Huai snatched it up immediately, only to find it was a notification for his daily step count. His excited expression instantly turned to disappointment.
Xie Wenye’s lip twitched. “What’s wrong? Your sweetheart didn’t message you?”
Gu Huai looked at him and closed his eyes. “He hasn’t talked to me for nearly an hour.”
“Wait, man… are you really showing off right now?” Xie Wenye was annoyed that his joke had actually hit the mark. He suppressed the urge to scold him and spoke hesitantly, “Maybe he’s busy? What did you send him?”
Gu Huai showed him the chat record.
Xie Wenye stared at it, his mind filled with ellipses. A simple “good evening” was so unlike Gu Huai’s usual style. No way… is he actually falling for this fake marriage? Besides, was this chat history something an outsider like him should be seeing? He felt like he’d been force-fed a face full of public affection for no reason.
Xie Wenye shifted the topic. “If you’re really afraid he’s ignoring you, just go find him in person.”
Gu Huai thought about it and decided he was right. He grabbed a set of keys and prepared to head out.
“?? Are you crazy? It’s midnight and you’re going out to find someone?”
Gu Huai leaned back through the door. “I won’t be back tonight. Don’t leave the door unlocked for me.”
At that moment, Xie Wenye truly felt like an old father watching his son leave the nest. Watching Gu Huai walk away without looking back, he felt something was off. Since when did Gu Huai care this much about someone? Feeling like he’d stumbled upon a massive piece of gossip, Xie Wenye solemnly decided to tell their other friends.
After stepping outside, the night wind blew Gu Huai’s hair into a mess. Only then did he realize he had been a bit hasty again. He didn’t actually know where to find Bo Jianyan.
It seemed that in this relationship, Bo Jianyan had always been the active one. Gu Huai stared at his phone in a daze. His calls went unanswered. Didn’t Brother Bo say he wasn’t angry with me anymore? Usually, he replied in seconds. Could something have happened to him?
The more Gu Huai thought, the more anxious he became. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. He remembered that at the banquet, he had exchanged contact info with Bo Jianyan’s friend. Although they had barely spoken, Gu Huai carefully drafted a message: [Hello, I wanted to ask if Bo Jianyan is free right now?]
The reply came quickly: [! Wait a second, I’ll send you an address.]
An address followed shortly after. [Tell me when you arrive, I’ll come get you!]
Gu Huai hailed a taxi without hesitation. When he arrived at the location Song Chengchi sent, he found a luxurious villa. Gu Huai didn’t have the energy to admire the architecture; he just sent Song Chengchi a message.
Song Chengchi must have timed his arrival perfectly, as he appeared at the main gate seconds later. His expression was visibly excited. “Let’s go, let’s go. Bo the Dog is upstairs. He’ll be thrilled to see you.”
Gu Huai nodded slightly. “Is something wrong with Brother Bo?”
Hearing this, Song Chengchi looked at him several times with a meaningful glint in his eyes. “You’ll know once you go in.”
Thank God! Taking care of Bo Jianyan these past two days has been a nightmare! His wife is finally here!!!
Song Chengchi suppressed his excitement, resisting the urge to hug Gu Huai or pour out a stream of thanks. He remembered how Bo Jianyan reacted when Ye Yunsui merely touched Gu Huai’s shoulder; if he actually hugged Gu Huai, he was afraid Bo Jianyan would crawl out of bed to hack him with a knife.
Song Chengchi felt a chill down his spine just thinking about it. Bo the Dog’s possessiveness is really something else.
He led Gu Huai into the villa, intending to introduce the place, but seeing Gu Huai’s serious face, he silently stifled his urge to share. Stopping at a bedroom door, Song Chengchi gestured to Gu Huai. “Bo the Dog is inside. Go in yourself; I won’t follow.”
Without waiting for a response, he bolted.
Are you kidding? Who wants to stay for a single second longer! The party is calling my name!!
He left behind a confused Gu Huai with his hand hovering over the door.