In the villa.
Pei Huaiyue lay on the soft sofa in the living room. A pair of straight, slender legs occupied most of the length of the long sofa. He wasn’t wearing socks, and his snow-white, glistening toes were curled slightly, swaying gently in mid-air.
On his delicate right ankle, there was an obvious red mark, a trace left behind from spraining his foot on the beach just moments ago.
“Brother Chen, are you done yet?”
Pei Huaiyue knitted his brows slightly. He couldn’t fathom why it would take Gu Yanchen so long to go upstairs to retrieve medicine.
A delicate, lazy murmur escaped his throat, intermittent and persistent, scratching at one’s heart like the paws of a kitten, it was incredibly alluring.
Netizens in the livestream room couldn’t take it either upon hearing this sound.
Why is he panting again? Gu Yanchen isn’t even here; who is he panting for?
He hasn’t even had the medicine applied yet, and he’s already making these unspeakable sounds. If they actually applied it, wouldn’t this livestream get banned?
But I have to admit I’m seduced by him. I want to record this and use it as my morning alarm!
I’m honestly so annoyed with him, still clinging to Gu Yanchen and not letting go!
It was hard to say how much time passed, but just as Pei Huaiyue was waiting in sheer boredom, movement finally sounded behind him.
The sound of footsteps came from afar, drawing closer. Someone was approaching him.
Was Gu Yanchen back?
Pei Huaiyue seized the moment, lifting his right foot weakly and feebly. “Brother Chen, help me apply the medicine. I have no strength left.”
He had sent a message to Su Jin earlier; Su Jin should be arriving back soon as well.
“Alright, I’ll help you apply the medicine.”
Expecting to have to put in quite an effort before Gu Yanchen would agree, Pei Huaiyue was stunned that he had consented so easily. Suddenly, he felt something was wrong. This voice, it wasn’t Gu Yanchen!
He bolted upright, turning his head to look at the person approaching him from behind.
He saw Zhou Jingyuan looking at Pei Huaiyue with a face full of obsession, his hands moving toward his legs. A wave of nausea surged through Pei Huaiyue; he hurriedly pulled his legs back and made to get up and leave.
Zhou Jingyuan, however, blocked his path. “Pei Huaiyue, didn’t you ask me to help you apply the medicine?”
“I never asked you to help. Go away.” Pei Huaiyue’s face went cold. He came to participate in a dating variety show to complete his missions, not to let irrelevant people take advantage of him.
Zhou Jingyuan, however, was not annoyed and reached out to tug at Pei Huaiyue’s sleeve.
“I know you’re angry about what happened this morning, right? You like me, and you sent me a text message last night, I know all of this. Don’t be angry anymore. I apologize to you for this morning, but you really shouldn’t be so lazy. In the future, if you marry into our old Zhou family, you’ll have to do all the housework that needs doing. Anyway, as a servant’s son, you should be quite handy at doing this kind of thing.”
Pei Huaiyue hurriedly dodged away from him, and upon hearing his words, his face flushed red with anger.
“Who sent you a text message? Can you not be so self-indulgent? And when did I ever say I wanted to marry you?”
The more he spoke, the more unreasonable Pei Huaiyue felt this all was. What baffled him most was, how did Zhou Jingyuan know about his family situation?
Ever since he was six years old and his mother became a hired maid for the Gu family, he had lived in the Gu household with his mother.
The members of the Gu family were all very kind to him, especially Gu Minghe.
They attended elementary school, middle school, high school, and university together, never having been separated. Every day, he would ride in the Gu family’s car to school with Gu Minghe. All the students around them thought he was some young master from a wealthy family; no one knew that he was actually a maid’s son. Everyone was very friendly toward him, and with Gu Minghe around, no one dared to bully him.
Gradually, he forgot about his background, as if he were born to be a pampered young master living in luxury, until this very moment, suddenly hearing that phrase “servant’s son” spoken with a contemptuous tone from Zhou Jingyuan’s mouth.
He was shaking uncontrollably with rage.
With red eyes, he glared at Zhou Jingyuan. “So what if I’m a servant’s son? I didn’t commit any crimes or evil deeds. My mother earned money with her own skills to raise me. I never once felt that my background was something that made me unable to face people. There is no need for you to act so superior in front of me. Who do you think you are?”
In everyone’s eyes, Pei Huaiyue had always been a dainty, soft little rabbit with zero offensive capability. Yet, at this moment, he rarely cast off his fragile disguise and retorted back to Zhou Jingyuan without the slightest courtesy. Zhou Jingyuan’s face couldn’t hold up after being spoken to like that, and just as he was about to lash out, Xia Mu’s voice sounded from behind.
“What are you guys doing?”
Xia Mu looked at Zhou Jingyuan’s hand that wanted to grab Pei Huaiyue’s wrist, his eyes revealing a hurt expression. “Big Brother Zhou, so you guys. Then I won’t disturb you.”
With that, he suddenly burst into tears and turned to run away.
Zhou Jingyuan was stunned for a second.
He actually cast Pei Huaiyue aside and bolted off in pursuit.
“Mumu.”
A gust of wind brushed past Pei Huaiyue’s eyes. An absurd emotion rose in his heart. What just happened?
Zhou Jingyuan is fucking sick in the head!
The livestream room was also rendered utterly dumbfounded by this scene.
What’s the situation? Is this the Shura field belonging to the trio of Zhou Jingyuan, Pei Huaiyue, and Xia Mu?
Was it really Pei Huaiyue who sent Zhou Jingyuan the text last night? Looking at Pei Huaiyue’s reaction, why do I feel like it wasn’t?
Haha, Pei Huaiyue’s fishing for men backfired, huh? He didn’t manage to fish Gu Yanchen but fished up Zhou Jingyuan instead. Laughing to death!
Zhou Jingyuan is too “daddy-ish”; is this a script or his real personality? Where did the production team find such a traditional, condescending man?
Turns out Xia Mu likes Zhou Jingyuan.
I have to say, Pei Huaiyue’s words just now were actually quite right. So what if he’s a servant’s child? Why should we mock his background? We aren’t wealthy people ourselves, aren’t we just the societal cattle and horses [working class] anyway!
What’s being mocked has never been his background, but that he fakes being rich! He lies and cheats people; why should someone like this be worshipped by the public?!
Exactly, he doesn’t blink when he lies. He’s a calculating boy at first glance. Speaking these things intentionally to the camera just now was to sell his tragic plight, right? Playing the “green tea” act like this, how could Su Jin possibly outplay him?
And so, the comments turned full circle, returning to accusing Pei Huaiyue.
Even though some spoke up for him, because their voices were too feeble, they were quickly swiped past.
In the livestream room, a netizen with the ID “Mrs. Gu” replied: The Gu family doesn’t even despise Pei Huaiyue, so does it get to be your turn to despise him here? How do you know Pei Huaiyue can’t marry into the Gu family? The ultra-wealthy aren’t as mean-spirited as you imagine!
However, it was soon drowned out in the sea of comments, vanishing without a trace.
Watching the comments in the livestream room, Zhong Manzhu was so angry she felt like vomiting blood.
Why do these netizens always insist on catching Xiaoxue to berate?
Is this jealousy that her daughter-in-law is too beautiful?
Or is it because Xiaoxue and Yanchen are getting too close that he’s attracting abuse?
But they are relatives by nature, after all. Attending the same program, it’s appropriate for Yanchen, as the big brother, to look after Xiaoxue. As long as it isn’t excessive, Zhong Manzhu can still accept it.
“This Yanchen, I don’t know what he’s doing, taking such a long time to get some medicine, causing Xiaoxue to almost be bullied by that Zhou Jingyuan. This guy surnamed Zhou is truly both ordinary and confident. How does the production team choose their people!” Zhong Manzhu said indignantly.
Not long after Zhou Jingyuan chased after Xia Mu, Gu Yanchen finally arrived belatedly.
“Sorry, it took a long time to find this medicine.” Gu Yanchen walked up to Pei Huaiyue. Seeing that he wasn’t sitting on the sofa but standing there in a daze, he frowned: “Didn’t you injure your foot? Why aren’t you sitting down and resting properly?”
Pei Huaiyue snapped out of it. Remembering his unfinished mission, he had no choice but to put away his sense of grievance.
Gu Yanchen was not Gu Minghe. There was no need to display his grievances and sadness in front of others, because he knew that only Gu Minghe would feel heartache for him.
Gu Yanchen handed him the medicine. “Take it and rub it on.”
Grasping the medicine in his hand, Pei Huaiyue cast a peripheral glance toward the entrance at the figure of Su Jin about to appear, acting pitifully toward Gu Yanchen. “Brother Chen, can you help me apply the medicine?”
Gu Yanchen shook his head. “It’s your foot that’s injured, not your hands. Just apply it yourself.”
Saying this, he raised his wrist to glance at the time. “They should be about finished with volleyball; I’m going to go pick up Su Jin.”
As he turned to leave, Pei Huaiyue, seeing the perfect timing, tumbled toward Gu Yanchen. Gu Yanchen reached out instinctively to support him, a scene that was bumped into exactly by Su Jin, who had just walked in.
Looking at Su Jin’s stunned expression, the corners of Pei Huaiyue’s lips curled into a smile.
This was the person he wanted to plot against.
Certainly not those two fools, Zhou Jingyuan and Xia Mu.
Seeing Su Jin, Gu Yanchen hurriedly released Pei Huaiyue.
Losing his footing, Pei Huaiyue fell back onto the sofa.
Su Jin, however, didn’t run off like Xia Mu had; instead, he stepped forward, inquiring about Pei Huaiyue’s injuries with concern.
If not for the continuous points notification sounds in his mind, Pei Huaiyue would have truly believed Su Jin was completely indifferent.
His face flushed red, and he said coyly: “I’m fine. With Brother Chen taking care of me, how could anything happen to me?”
Su Jin’s concerned expression froze; the smile on his lips could barely hold up.
“That’s good. As long as you’re fine.”
Gu Yanchen, however, pulled Su Jin to his side with dissatisfaction. “Why don’t you ever care about me?”
Su Jin was somewhat dazed.
“Isn’t it Xiaoxue who got injured? Are you injured too?”
Gu Yanchen smiled. “Does one have to be injured to receive your concern?”
He gazed at Su Jin, and Su Jin also gazed at Gu Yanchen. A scent of something called ambiguity circulated between the two of them; it was clear they had already forgotten Pei Huaiyue’s existence.
Having completed the mission, Pei Huaiyue didn’t bother them anymore. Quietly taking the ointment, he limped upstairs, leaving the space to the two protagonists.
The CP fans in the livestream room all collectively expressed that they had “shipped it,” and pink bubbles rose in the comments.
No one cared whether Pei Huaiyue’s foot injury was actually better or not.
Before eating dinner that night, everyone sat in the living room and discussed the distribution of housework for the month.
It was finally decided by drawing lots: two people per group, with each group taking turns for one day to be responsible for the day’s chores and meal preparation.
The draw results also perfectly fit the laws of the novel world: the two protagonists always drew into the same group.
Xia Mu was paired with Zhou Jingyuan, and Jiang Leran was paired with Shen Zhimian.
Only Pei Huaiyue was left out.
Xia Mu gave a light cough. “Well, that can’t be helped. Pei Huaiyue, you’ll have to do the housework alone. But for you, this should be very simple, right?”
Pei Huaiyue bit his lip.
When he returned to his room in the afternoon to apply medicine, he finally had time to check the hot searches, only then learning that his family background had been exposed online and had drawn ridicule from a group of people.
Everyone laughed at him for being a liar, faking being rich, and cursed him as “Dead Pretender Bro.”
Pei Huaiyue’s tears fell as he read through it.
He wiped his eyes, thinking he didn’t fake it. He had no money, but his husband had money. Why couldn’t he spend his husband’s money?
He was not a liar.
Now listening to Xia Mu’s subtle mockery, he didn’t want to look timid. He raised a smile so beautiful it made people dizzy: “Sure, being alone is cleaner anyway.”
Su Jin leaned close to Pei Huaiyue and whispered, “Don’t worry, Yanchen and I will help you when the time comes.”
Pei Huaiyue’s heart softened, and he almost wanted to cry again.
“Brother Su Jin, you are truly so good to me.”
Boo-hoo.
I’m sorry, you treat me so well, yet I still have to hurt you.
According to the division of labor, Jiang Leran and Shen Zhimian were cooking tonight.
While eating dinner, Xia Mu and Zhou Jingyuan were exchanging glances; clearly, the interlude in the afternoon had caused their relationship to advance by leaps and bounds.
In the livestream room that followed them, there was even a replay of the footage.
After chasing down Xia Mu, Zhou Jingyuan explained to him that it was Pei Huaiyue who had deliberately seduced him, and that he had sternly rejected it, but the other party had clung to him and wouldn’t let go. He denounced Pei Huaiyue as a seductive vixen, but claimed that he himself was a man of honor who hadn’t been tempted by Pei Huaiyue’s beauty.
Only then did Xia Mu stop crying and tell Zhou Jingyuan that it was he who had sent him the text message last night.
Zhou Jingyuan was stunned.
Soon, he took Xia Mu’s hand again, appearing very touched.
The netizens in the livestream room “shipped it” again.
Zhou Jingyuan has found his way back, knowing who the one who truly likes him is!
Xia Mu has had it so hard. After sending Zhou Jingyuan a text last night, he waited ages without a response. My heart ached seeing that lonely look of his; thank goodness Zhou Jingyuan finally saw him!
Pei Huaiyue must be dumbfounded now. His fan-boy got hooked away by Xia Mu just like that, hahaha.
Pei Huaiyue keeps deliberately seducing men. One Gu Yanchen isn’t enough; he doesn’t even spare Zhou Jingyuan and Jiang Leran. Thank goodness they aren’t blind people.
Can’t blame Zhou Jingyuan for putting all the blame on Pei Huaiyue just now either. Who told him to bare his legs and pant non-stop? If that’s not seduction, what is? Zhou Jingyuan is innocent!
Su Jin treats Pei Huaiyue so well, yet Pei Huaiyue always competes with Su Jin everywhere. This afternoon, he even tumbled into Gu Yanchen’s arms right in front of Su Jin; I saw Su Jin’s face change!
Does he think he can play everyone in the palm of his hand? I, for one, can’t wait to see the pathetic look on his face when he doesn’t receive a single text message!
That night, just as the netizens said, Pei Huaiyue didn’t receive a single text message.
In the days that followed, no one voted for Pei Huaiyue.
Pei Huaiyue didn’t mind at all; he focused exclusively on sending text messages to Gu Yanchen every day.
Seeing that no one voted for him, netizens successively expressed that they were happy to see this and mocked Pei Huaiyue for putting on a brave front and “faking it” again.
And online, along with the show’s popularity, the cursing against Pei Huaiyue continued unabated, even extending to the people associated with Pei Huaiyue.
Xu Ran, a mutual follower of Pei Huaiyue on the Tremolo [TikTok equivalent] platform, belonged to the same MCN agency. The two often interacted on Tremolo and posted co-created videos.
These past few days, as Pei Huaiyue became more and more popular, people kept going to Xu Ran’s Tremolo page to curse at him.
They claimed that if he hung out with Pei Huaiyue, he must also be a “green tea.”
Xu Ran could be said to have lost countless followers over these past few days.
Finally, unable to bear it, he posted a Tremolo, clarifying: “Pei Huaiyue and I are just ordinary colleagues. Because we belong to the same company, we would follow the agent’s requirements to post some collaborative videos, but that doesn’t mean we are good friends. Pei Huaiyue’s worldview does not represent my worldview. Please do not equate me with him, thank you!”
With that, he unfollowed Pei Huaiyue.
And very quickly, he posted a video of his interaction with a big influencer from Star Leap.
This big influencer was named “Dai Xiaotao,” who was very much at odds with Pei Huaiyue. Usually, when they met at the company, they would always have to trade barbs with each other.
Now, Xu Ran had become good friends with Dai Xiaotao.
Seeing Xu Ran “abandoning darkness for light,” everyone gave up on their crusade against him. Leveraging this wave of traffic, Xu Ran not only regained all the followers he had lost but his follower count was even higher than before.
Just as the online world was arguing up a storm over Pei Huaiyue, the This Is Love! program team released a new update.
They indicated that a new male guest was about to join the Heartbeat Cabin; everyone, guess who it will be?
They also provided three keywords: “Top-tier,” “Cold and aloof,” and “Brother-in-law.”
All of a sudden, the entire internet was guessing who this new male guest could be.