With the team’s covert guidance, another new post floated onto the front page of the Entertainment Insider forum:
“Gossip time! Have you seen Zhulin Entertainment’s latest Weibo post? They directly released their communication records and contract with This! Is the Real Workplace!, stating that there was no inappropriate competition involved! Feels like there’s about to be a reversal? [Link]”
Jing Shun had been receiving plenty of attention over the past two days. Since the post’s title included his name, it quickly attracted everyone’s attention.
—Waiting for the reversal +1.
—I was just informed about what Jing Shun has been through over the years. He really doesn’t seem like the kind of person with powerful financial backing. [Shrugs]
—The authenticity of that previous exposé post was already questionable. There wasn’t a single piece of solid evidence in it. In this day and age, can anyone pretend to be an industry insider just by typing a few lines? And yet Dong Qihao’s fans eagerly assumed their idol had been robbed of resources and all ran off to attack Jing Shun.
—Switching to a smaller account and hiding the details a little: The truth is that Dong suddenly gained popularity after his drama became a hit. He felt that his status had risen and no longer wanted to appear as a peripheral guest, so he stood the production team up.
—Why do I feel like the person above makes more sense? Back when he was in the boy group, didn’t a former member’s fans expose Dong Qihao for loving to throw his weight around?
—Makes sense my ass! Stop pretending to be a neutral voice of reason! You’re spreading rumors that our Xiao Dong throws his weight around? Where’s your proof?
—If Dong’s side was the one that suddenly changed their mind and breached the agreement first, why hasn’t the production team come out to clarify? They’re just pretending nothing happened.
—Could it be that the production team joined forces with Jing Shun to create publicity? Deliberately accusing others of what they themselves are doing?
—I’m telling some people to know when to stop. Does Xiao Dong have no popularity unless you leech off him? Bloodsuckers!
—This is hilarious. How do Dong’s fans still have the nerve to make noise in this post? The production team’s official Weibo account just posted five minutes ago. It’s solid proof, okay? This is the first time I’ve seen an official account come out and expose an entertainer’s team!
Five minutes earlier, the official Weibo account of This! Is the Real Workplace! had published a statement:
“Thank you to all the netizens for your attention to the program and its guests. Recently, we have received a large number of malicious rumors and reports. In order to prevent these rumors from spreading further, we hereby make the following clarification:”
“In December of last year, the production team sent an invitation to Mr. Dong Qihao’s team to participate in the recording. Both parties successfully signed an initial contract. However, as the recording date approached, the artist’s team repeatedly refused to proceed with the official recording, citing reasons such as ‘a fully booked schedule’ and ‘a scheduling conflict,’ causing the production process to be unable to move forward smoothly.”
“Based on the circumstances above, the production team invited Mr. Jing Shun to participate in the recording instead. As of now, all communication and coordination between both parties have followed proper commercial procedures!”
“That is all. We ask all viewers to carefully distinguish between true and false information online. The production team will always reserve the right to pursue legal responsibility against those who spread rumors!”
In addition to the written statement, the production team had even thoughtfully attached screenshots of their WeChat conversations.
The chat records showed that Dong Qihao’s team had initially agreed to the collaboration, then gradually began making excuses about the recording schedule, and finally refused to participate on the grounds of scheduling conflicts. Their attitude had undergone a complete one-hundred-and-eighty-degree reversal!
Before the television drama became a hit, they had wanted to appear on a variety show to gain exposure. Once the drama became popular and Dong’s popularity rose, they began looking down on the status of a variety-show guest?
Who was right and who was wrong was obvious at a glance!
Not long after the production team released the statement, Haishi TV’s official Weibo account actually reposted it as well!
At the same time, the topic #Dong Qihao Suddenly Refused to Record# suddenly landed on the entertainment hot-search rankings. This time, the netizens became even more enthusiastic:
—Support the production team! Support Jing Shun! Some entertainers secretly refused to record, so how do their fans still have the nerve to curse the production team and the replacement guest?
—I’ve verified it for Dong’s fans. These chat records aren’t photoshopped. You’re welcome.
—I’ve followed Haishi TV for many years, and this is the first time I’ve seen both a production team and a television station come forward to expose an entertainer! How did Dong Qihao manage to offend even Haishi TV this time?
—I know the answer! Dong’s fans organized themselves to give The Real Workplace extremely low one-star ratings on a certain review platform, and they even went to the National Radio and Television Administration to submit complaint letters. Who could possibly tolerate that?
—Isn’t it obvious that this hot search and the paid accounts were bought? The two sides never officially signed a contract. The team raised the scheduling issue before filming, and the artist himself never publicly said that anyone had taken his resources. What exactly did Xiao Dong and his team do wrong?
—Why are Dong’s fans crying foul here? Weren’t you the ones who loudly condemned the production team and Jing Shun earlier?
—For those who don’t know, let me explain: In a hot-search topic featuring two entertainers, all the discussion data generated by the topic is credited to the artist whose name appears first. So Dong’s fans guided gossiping netizens to discuss the topic #Dong Qihao . Jing Shun, effectively getting everyone to generate data for their idol for free! What a clever scheme!
As the popularity of the incident continued to rise, another marketing account took advantage of the chaos and posted a long list of revelations:
“First, Dong Qihao already had quite the young-master temper during his boy-group days. Once, while the group was filming a commercial, he got into an argument with the person in charge of the advertisement inside the studio. The person was so angry that, after returning, they canceled the group’s promotional appearance.”
“Second, while he was still in the group, he privately contacted fans and immediately began dating someone, with the timelines of the relationship overlapping considerably. This has long been no secret among his old fans. Once it gets exposed, they simply dismiss it as the delusions of lovestruck fans.”
“Third, he has smoked indoors on more than one occasion, and he is also a regular at overseas nightclubs. Once, when he was recognized by a passerby fan, he even shifted the blame onto a teammate, claiming that the teammate had wanted to go out and have fun.”
“Fourth, after returning to the country and transitioning into acting, he has been late to the set more than once, hasn’t he? The male and female leads even have to wait on set for him, the second male lead. Isn’t that ridiculous?”
“Fifth, after his new drama aired, his team went all out with its publicity. They secretly belittled the male lead, yet his fans still have the nerve to call Jing Shun a marketing opportunist?”
Photos and video screenshots from various periods had been compiled together so tightly that no flaws could be found. Anyone who saw them was left dumbfounded!
At the top of the comment section, many fans came forward with their own experiences:
—An old fan who quit the fandom eight hundred years ago here to say: He really isn’t worth liking, okay?
—I’m a fan-site administrator. During the filming of The Hibiscus Chronicle, this person really was late all the time. His daily working hours never matched his announced schedule. He was only sweet-tongued in front of fans, always claiming that the production team had suddenly changed the filming schedule.
—A former teammate’s fan here. The incident where he caused the loss of an endorsement is real! The promotional materials had already been prepared, but they were suddenly withdrawn without warning.
—This revelation has a very high degree of credibility! Not to mention anything else, I personally witnessed it at work. He really does love smoking indoors!
—He should have been exposed long ago. This is so satisfying!
Whether during his boy-group days or after becoming an actor, Dong Qihao had offended quite a few people. His fandom was also constantly filled with verbal battles and hostility.
Fans from various sides had finally seized this opportunity and launched a united attack. Whenever Dong’s fans tried to defend him or control the comments, they would retaliate with even harsher words and more solid evidence.
The night grew late, but the comment section of this Weibo post had become a new field of gossip and a new battlefield. Countless netizens continued scrolling through it, entertained to the point that they had no desire to sleep.
Dating while in the group? That was called having no idol ethics!
Smoking in public places? That was called having no manners!
Suddenly breaching the recording agreement? That was called having no contractual spirit!
Going to nightclubs and using teammates as shields? Losing endorsements because of his temper? Frequently arriving late to film on set? Anyone who worked with Dong Qihao was simply unlucky!
“…”
Dong Qihao stared at the stream of real-time abuse pouring into the backend. The anger building in his eyes seemed capable of burning a hole through the phone screen.
One night had passed. Not only was his negative hot-search ranking still stubbornly high, but more and more related negative topics had appeared. His individual fan forum and discussion pages were also filled with posts announcing that people were leaving the fandom.
With a stiff expression, Dong Qihao barged into the team’s nearby workspace.
“What exactly is going on? How long has it been already? Why can’t these hot-search topics still be suppressed?”
His manager, Sun Yan, was already overwhelmed with work. Upon hearing him throw another young-master tantrum, he quickly frowned and tried to persuade him.
“Qihao, don’t panic. We’re working on a solution.”
A staff member explained cautiously, “Brother Hao, it’s not that we refuse to suppress the hot searches. Someone else is secretly spending money to raise the popularity.”
Normally, according to their usual public-relations methods, as long as they spent money to push the hot-search rankings down, deployed paid accounts, and organized fans to clean up the discussion pages, they could naturally reduce the attention surrounding an issue.
But the problem was that another team was secretly working against them—and was more willing to spend money to push the topics higher.
Dong Qihao asked, “Is it Jing Shun’s team? Isn’t Zhulin Entertainment just a small agency that was established less than a year ago? Do they have that kind of power?”
Sun Yan shook his head uncertainly. “Not necessarily. It could be another rival.”
The methods used in the competition for online popularity in the domestic entertainment industry were always carried out in secret.
Every year, there were only a few potential stars who managed to stand out. It was inevitable that entertainers would compete with one another for resources.
Compared with Jing Shun, who currently had no film or television projects to support him and still needed long-term surgical treatment, Dong Qihao—who was in the midst of rising popularity—was much more likely to become a thorn in someone else’s side.
Sun Yan analyzed the situation. “That string of revelations last night included both photos and videos. It doesn’t look like something that was hastily put together. That means someone has been watching you for a long time, just waiting for the right opportunity to secretly trip you up.”
Dong Qihao guessed again, “Then was it Liang Yongyi’s side? Did they see that I got the Yvonne magazine before him and become unhappy?”
Liang Yongyi was the male lead of The Hibiscus Chronicle.
After the drama aired, Dong Qihao’s team had never stopped promoting him. Rival fans had questioned more than once whether he was stealing the spotlight from the male lead, so the conflict between the two fandoms had never ceased.
“Whoever it is, the most important thing now is to find a way to get the hot searches removed.”
Sun Yan had just called the company to explain the situation.
“The company said that the marketing budget allocated to us for this quarter has already been exceeded. They’re powerless to provide more public-relations funding and told us to figure it out ourselves.”
“Fuck.”
Dong Qihao cursed.
Sun Yan signaled to the staff to continue monitoring the direction of public opinion, then brought Dong Qihao back to the lounge next door to speak with him privately.
“Qihao, why don’t you call President Wei?”
“…”
A trace of humiliation and unwillingness appeared in Dong Qihao’s eyes.
“I’m not calling him!”
The “President Wei” they were referring to was a wealthy backer Dong Qihao had met at a drinking party six months earlier. He controlled a first-rate home-appliance conglomerate in China. He was rich, but he could not exactly be considered a legitimate investor in the entertainment industry.
President Wei was gay, and he had taken a liking to Dong Qihao’s face. He had repeatedly invited him over, promising to spend money buying him resources if Dong Qihao slept with him.
Dong Qihao had originally refused at all costs, but he couldn’t withstand the temptation of the benefits. Thus, at the beginning of the year, he had endured his disgust and, half willingly and half reluctantly, slept with the man several times.
Sun Yan put an arm around his shoulders and advised him, “Be sensible! Given the current situation, we really can’t control things anymore. We can only rely on President Wei to spend money and suppress this. Don’t tell me you want to watch everything you’ve built up during this time go to waste?”
During this period, Dong Qihao’s popularity had appeared to soar steadily. Aside from benefiting from the drama’s success, he had also secretly relied on President Wei’s money to obtain numerous resources and pay for internet trolls to build momentum.
Remembering that public opinion was on the verge of spiraling out of control, Dong Qihao swallowed his anger.
“Fine. I’ll call him now.”
“Mm.”
Sun Yan urged him, “Hurry.”
Dong Qihao picked up his phone from the sofa, composed himself, and dialed President Wei’s number.
It wasn’t long before the call was answered.
“Hello?”
“Brother, it’s me~”
Dong Qihao forced himself to use a deliberately soft, breathy voice and lowered his attitude.
“We haven’t seen each other in so long. I happen to be free today. Are you available? I can come over and see you.”
“Xiao Dong, I’m quite busy. Don’t come over for the time being. I’ll contact you when I have some free time.”
President Wei immediately rejected him several times in succession, catching Dong Qihao completely off guard.
The false sweetness in his expression instantly cracked, and he dropped the affected tone from his voice.
“President Wei, you were still messaging me two days ago. How can you suddenly be unavailable?”
President Wei could hear his displeasure through the phone. For once, he did not indulge him.
“Xiao Dong, you’re actually calling me because you want me to help you settle that mess online, aren’t you?”
“…”
Dong Qihao was rendered speechless when his true intentions were exposed.
President Wei continued to mock him.
“Don’t think I don’t know. You, Dong Qihao, have never been willing to sleep with me, but you can’t bear to give up the benefits I provide. Now you want to have it both ways? Who are you putting on this act for?”
Dong Qihao’s face flushed red. He wished he could crush the phone in his hand!
“I’m willing to spend money supporting you because I like watching you have no choice but to serve me. But that comes with a condition: don’t cause trouble for me! And yet you—”
Remembering the warning he had received not long ago, President Wei grew furious.
“You and your team actually went out of your way to provoke someone even I can’t afford to offend?”
Heaven knew, when he received a call from Chi Gui’s assistant early that morning, he had nearly suffered a heart attack!
No matter how impressive his assets were, how could they possibly compare with the Chi Group?
President Wei said, “I’m not trying to scare you. You’re an egg trying to smash against a rock. Forget me—even across the entire country, there are only a handful of people who could protect you!”
In front of genuine aristocratic family capital, the entertainment industry was nothing more than a playground for amusement!
Who would risk offending Chi Gui to help Dong Qihao settle this wave of public opinion? Wouldn’t that simply be a failure to recognize who held the real power?
The phone was still on speaker.
The barrage of insults and questions from President Wei shocked both Dong Qihao and Sun Yan, causing their expressions to change at the same time.
Dong Qihao still hadn’t reacted. “Who? Who did I offend?”
President Wei didn’t dare mention Chi Gui’s name to outsiders, but he was too lazy to waste any more words on Dong Qihao. Without showing him the slightest courtesy, he hung up.
Beep—
The sudden busy tone sounded like a loud slap across Dong Qihao’s face.
Dong Qihao was plunged into utter confusion. He looked at Sun Yan in disbelief. “Is—is it Jing Shun? Didn’t you say he was just some nobody, that he had no backing at all, and that nothing would happen if we used him as a stepping stone?”
How could this be happening?
Jing Shun certainly hadn’t looked like someone with powerful support behind him!
Sun Yan was equally baffled. “Y-yes!”
“Yes, my ass!”
Dong Qihao snapped at him, but the inexplicable fear and unease made him collapse onto the sofa.
Well, this was just great. They had gone too far using public opinion to stir up sympathy and build momentum for his fans. They had offended someone they absolutely should not have offended, and overnight, all the backlash had come crashing down on him.
…
Before long, it was once again the day of the program recording.
As one of the observation-panel guests, Jing Shun had not been affected by the online controversy. He headed to Studio One according to the originally scheduled call time.
While waiting at a red light, Yu Xiuzhu turned his head toward his artist and teased him, “Haven’t you had enough yet? I really should have taken a picture of you enjoying the gossip.”
Jing Shun was wearing a white-and-blue shirt that day. His bangs hung naturally over his forehead, untouched by styling, making him look fair and delicate—so much so that it was difficult to look away.
Jing Shun raised his head and smiled sheepishly. “I’m just looking. I won’t make any comments and accidentally expose myself~”
To make gossip-watching more convenient, he had specially obtained a small Weibo account from one of the staff members. With nothing much to do at home over the past two days, he had been secretly darting around the gossip fields.
Just over the past weekend, another netizen had come forward under her real name to expose some shocking information—
She claimed that Dong Qihao had already entered into a romantic relationship with her while he was still an idol. She accused him of continuing to flirt ambiguously with other girls over the past two years while dating her, and recently, there had even been rumors of a male financial backer!
After all the timelines were reviewed and compiled, he could practically be called a master of time management!
The negative public opinion surrounding Dong Qihao grew more and more intense, like a snowball that had triggered a full-scale avalanche—
Dong Qihao lost countless followers within two days. The presale of his nearly top-tier magazine hit an all-time low, and even the brands he endorsed announced that they would be ending their collaborations ahead of schedule.
“I heard that…”
Yu Xiuzhu drove through the intersection and into the underground parking lot of Studio One. “He had originally secured the male lead role in Director Zou Shiming’s new drama. He was practically at the stage of signing the official contract, but the investors were afraid that these scandals would affect the drama’s future broadcast, so they simply dropped him.”
“The male lead in Director Zou’s drama?” Jing Shun’s eyes lit up slightly. He murmured regretfully, “What a great opportunity.”
Yu Xiuzhu knew that he was craving the chance to act in a drama, so he smiled and comforted him. “That was his own doing. There’s nothing to regret. All right, we’re here. Wait a moment. I’ll get your wheelchair from the back.”
Jing Shun smiled and nodded. “Okay.”
Before long, Yu Xiuzhu returned, pushing the wheelchair.
He handed over a beautifully packaged luxury gift box. “Here. The one you asked me to buy for you. I almost forgot.”
Jing Shun remembered the important matter and carefully placed it in the storage pouch on the side of the wheelchair. “Thank you, Brother Yu.”
The two of them entered the elevator from the basement level.
Looking at the “Haishi Television Station” logo on the elevator wall, Jing Shun suddenly remembered something. “Brother Yu, why did Haishi’s official account get involved and repost the statement this time? Did Sister Yin communicate with them?”
Yu Xiuzhu also found it strange. He shook his head. “Apparently not? Sister Yin only said it was ordered by the station’s higher-ups. She doesn’t know the details either. Maybe it really was like the netizens said—the Dong fans’ malicious reports angered the leaders at Haishi.”
Jing Shun couldn’t shake the feeling that things weren’t that simple. “Really?”
Yu Xiuzhu reminded him, “We’re on the fifth floor.”
Ding.
The elevator doors opened, and the commotion from the corridor on the fifth floor immediately reached them.
“Chairman Chi, this floor is our indoor studio. At present, it’s divided into three areas, namely…”
“…”
Hearing the familiar form of address, Jing Shun hurried out of the elevator and shifted his gaze toward the sound.
In the corridor outside the studio, Chi Gui was surrounded by a group of people. Yet, his exceptionally tall stature still made him stand out at a glance.
The staff member beside him was enthusiastically giving a tour, but Chi Gui’s expression was impassive, even somewhat cold. The slight nods he gave were barely perceptible. It was the kind of indifference that made people’s hearts tremble.
For a moment, Jing Shun thought he was imagining things.
The next second, Chi Gui turned his head and looked over, accurately catching sight of him.
Their eyes met.
Jing Shun suddenly felt as though everything around him had fallen silent.
Yu Xiuzhu looked at Jing Shun and asked in a low voice, surprise evident in his tone, “Why is Chairman Chi here?”
Jing Shun shook his head. He wanted to know the answer too.
Perhaps Chi Gui’s gaze had lingered for too long, because the people surrounding him also noticed Jing Shun and Yu Xiuzhu.
Among the group, Yu Yinhe sensed the subtle change in Chi Gui’s aura. Highly perceptive as always, she took the initiative to step forward and introduce them.
“Chairman Chi, President Yan, this is one of our program guests, Jing Shun, and his manager, Mr. Yu Xiuzhu.”
Everyone had assumed that Chi Gui would remain silent as he had earlier, but no one expected him to respond first.
“Yes, I know. I’m acquainted with Teacher Xiao Jing.”
“…”
Teacher Xiao Jing?
This was the first time Jing Shun had heard Chi Gui address him that way, and he froze.
President Yan was one of the senior leaders at Haishi Television Station and had heard something about the online controversy from the previous week.
He almost immediately guessed what was going on. With a hint of unspoken probing, he said, “Well, what a coincidence. Chairman Chi, why don’t you and Teacher Xiao Jing have a private chat?”
“Sure.”
Chi Gui walked up to Jing Shun and revealed a faint smile that the people behind him could not see.
“Where’s your waiting room? Let’s catch up.”
The phrase “catch up” was clearly meant for the outsiders to hear.
Jing Shun had no choice but to play along with him. “Okay.”
“…”
Yu Xiuzhu watched the two of them walk away but did not follow.
Instead, he moved closer to Yu Yinhe and asked in a low voice, “Sister Yin, what’s going on? Chi Gui… I mean, why is Chairman Chi here?”
Yu Yinhe said, “Since last year, the station has been planning to build a global comprehensive media platform. Unfortunately, the funding from above has never come through.”
“I only received the news early this morning that an investor was coming.” She discreetly gestured with her hand. “Look, they’re investing this much right off the bat.”
After the station director and senior executives confirmed the Chi family’s intention to cooperate, they had practically started worshipping Chi Gui as the God of Wealth.
Yu Xiuzhu pushed up his glasses and sighed. “I think I finally understand.”
Jing Shun was no fool either.
Inside the waiting room, after learning the real reason Chi Gui had appeared there, the last trace of doubt in his heart finally had a clear answer.
Jing Shun asked, “Was it your doing when Haishi’s official account reposted the program’s Weibo post?”
Chi Gui did not deny it. “I only had Yiming mention it.”
Which senior executive capable of thriving in this industry wasn’t shrewd?
Jing Shun drew in a quiet breath. “I thought you had simply stepped in to warn the capital backing Dong Qihao on my behalf. How did you end up having an investment relationship with the television station too? You didn’t have to go that far.”
Chi Gui could hear the pressure weighing on him, so he explained, “The Chi Group has never been involved in the entertainment industry before. We had already been considering expanding into new fields over the past two years.”
For a group as large as the Chi Group, ordinary film and television companies were merely playing around. They could not handle an investment of that scale. Conversely, the group’s senior management would not be interested in the insignificant returns brought in by those small film and television projects.
Chi Gui told him honestly, “The decision to choose Haishi was made after careful consideration from several angles. It just happened that your situation coincided with this timing.”
The heavy stone in Jing Shun’s heart finally dropped. “So that’s how it was.”
No wonder a Chi Group subsidiary was involved in the recording of This! Is the Real Workplace!, and no wonder Chi Gui’s car could enter the television station’s exclusive parking lot so easily.
Seeing the way Jing Shun visibly relaxed, Chi Gui secretly smiled.
“Before I left home today, I originally wanted to ask whether you wanted to come along since we were going the same way. But I was worried you might feel burdened, so I didn’t mention it.”
He paused for two seconds, then added rather deliberately, “I didn’t expect us to run into each other so coincidentally.”
Jing Shun gave a little huff. “Fortunately, you didn’t mention it. You’re one of Haishi’s investors now. If someone else saw me arriving in the same car as you, it would have been far too conspicuous~”
Chi Gui had already guessed that would be his reaction. “And now that we’re alone together, that doesn’t count as conspicuous?”
“…”
For some reason, Jing Shun’s ears felt a little hot. He pretended to clear his throat.
He suddenly remembered the gift placed beside his wheelchair and simply took it out.
“That… thank you for helping me so much during this time, and for giving me the jasmine tea.”
“This is the return gift I picked out for you. I originally planned to take it home and give it to you when I had the time.”
“For me?”
A trace of delight rippled through the depths of Chi Gui’s eyes as he accepted it.
“Can I open it now?”
Jing Shun said, “It’s already yours. You can decide.”
Chi Gui did not bother with unnecessary politeness. His hands moved quickly.
“Okay.”
The relatively simple wrapping came off, revealing a tie inside.
It had a very steady dark-blue base, decorated with delicate black patterns and a well-known luxury brand logo. The craftsmanship was exceptionally detailed, but the design was not one of the familiar, common styles seen at the counters.
Jing Shun had not given anyone a gift in a very long time, and his heart was pounding hard.
“Do you think it looks good?”
Because he had spent his childhood filming on sets, Jing Shun had rarely needed to worry about food, clothing, or daily necessities. During the years he had been ill in his previous life, his desire for material possessions had declined even further.
Jing Shun knew that Chi Gui certainly lacked nothing in the way of expensive items. After much consideration, he had no choice but to seek help from Yu Xiuzhu, who was also a wealthy young master.
The tie was a limited-edition, custom-made design from the brand. Yu Xiuzhu had used his black-card privileges to purchase it, but Jing Shun had personally chosen it. Both its texture and drape were excellent.
“Looks good.”
Chi Gui took out the tie and gave his approval. “You have a good eye and a great sense of style. Thank you.”
Having received his approval, Jing Shun’s smile grew a little more confident. “I noticed you wear formal suits more often in your daily life, so I chose a tie.”
Chi Gui lowered his eyes, his words carrying a hint of meaning. “Hmm. It looks like it goes quite well with the color of my suit today.”
Jing Shun studied it carefully for a moment before offering his suggestion. “Would you like to try it on now? I think a Kelvin knot would look good.”
Chi Gui ran his fingers over the tie’s subtle, woven pattern, but said, “I’ve never really studied how to tie one. Do you know how? Could you help me?”
“Me?”
Jing Shun was caught off guard by the sudden request.
He instinctively glanced at the height difference between them and hesitated. “It might be a little difficult for me to help right now. You’re too tall.”
“…”
It was “a little difficult,” not “I can’t help.”
After confirming the other man’s willingness, Chi Gui decisively bent down, quickly narrowing the difference in their heights.
Perhaps to keep his balance, he rested his left hand on the armrest of the wheelchair, drawing very close to Jing Shun and forming a subtle, possessive posture.
“How about this? Is it easier now?”
“…”
Jing Shun had never looked Chi Gui in the eyes from such a close distance. For a moment, he even forgot how to speak.
Chi Gui’s eyes were deep, but not cold.
In them, Jing Shun caught a glimpse of something he couldn’t quite understand—a trace of devotion and expectation, like the brief touch of a dragonfly upon water, vanishing without a trace.
It wasn’t until Chi Gui handed him one end of the tie that he finally spoke.
“Jing Shun, could you tie it for me?”
Jing Shun tightened his grip on the tie and answered obediently, “All right, then.”