Translator: Dj22031
Editor: Dj22031
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Pei Xu got out of bed at that moment.
He was still only wearing black shorts and a black T-shirt. The T-shirt was loose, but the shorts were tight, clinging to his thick thighs. Pei Xu’s legs were long and strong, and his buttocks were also very perky. Zhai Xingchen glanced at him and suddenly noticed that Pei Xu had turned around, so he pulled the blanket.
Pei Xu went to the toilet, and when he came back, he turned off all the lights in the room, leaving only a small lamp on the bedside table.
Pei Xu returned to the bed and saw that Zhai Xingchen’s blanket was pulled up to his chin, but his eyes were still open, like cold stars in the northern city night sky. However, his face was unusually pale, milky white, and his soft, black hair was scattered on the white pillow.
Pei Xu’s throat bobbed, and he said: “Don’t forget to turn off your phone alarm.”
Zhai Xingchen hummed in agreement.
Pei Xu lay down without turning off the light. His pillow smelled of Zhai Xingchen, which was very comfortable but not too stimulating, unlike when they slept together, which was too stimulating and made him feel restless and unable to fall asleep.
After being here for so many days, he could finally get a good night’s sleep.
He reached out and turned off the bedside lamp, then turned to face Zhai Xingchen and took a deep, hard breath from the pillow.
He received temporary relief.
“Xingchen”.
“……Um.”
“Good night.”
“Good night.”
That “goodnight” ignited a tiny flame in Zhai Xingchen’s heart, which then slowly began to burn brightly.
Late at night, the popularity of the second episode of “Red and Blue Signal” reached its peak.
Almost all the guests in this episode saw a surge in their fan base, with Huo Cheng experiencing the biggest increase. The segment where he drank and talked with his fans completely changed everyone’s preconceived notions about him. The hardships he went through during his entrepreneurial journey resonated deeply with working-class netizens.
The second-highest increase was from Zhai Xingchen. As the dark horse of this season of “Red and Blue Signal,” his early revelation that he was the central figure in the chaotic situation directly gained him countless fans. His most explosive moments in this episode were all in the preview for the next episode.
Because the preview for the next episode showed him dancing in the last few seconds, in slow motion, his skirt fluttering and stunning the audience, coupled with the stunned expressions of the other guests, the comments section exploded.
[Will the next episode feature Zhai Xingchen dancing?! That’s the scene I’m most looking forward to!]
[It looks like the ratings are about to break records. I’m confident the third episode will break the all-time high for “Red and Blue Signal”!]
[There won’t be any problems. This week’s broadcast is a double feature, and it features another highly anticipated dance scene!]
[Zhai Xingchen’s dancing was so beautiful and captivating, it’s a pity he didn’t get much screen time. Hopefully, he’ll get to dance more later.]
[Hopefully, Zhai Xingchen can dance one more time before this season of Red and Blue ends.]
[Ugh, the way you said it gives me goosebumps.]
[Is this the last dance?]
[So many people love him, he can only choose one in the end, or perhaps not even any. In the end, everyone sits together, and he dances for all those who love him.]
[My God, I’ve got goosebumps.]
[Hey ladies upstairs, go give this feedback to the production team! This idea is brilliant!]
[Ideally, a compassionate, poignant, and beautiful dance would be performed, accompanied by the tearful eyes of the other guests…]
[Aa …]
Screenwriter Liu adjusted his glasses and looked at the follow-up comments on the post.
Great, it seems her idea was good and she got the feedback she wanted.
She always felt that Zhai Xingchen should dance again.
But this dance couldn’t be in the style of Lanling Wang; it should be static, graceful, sorrowful yet compassionate, not dazzlingly bright. He would dance it before the final confession. She believed that at that moment, Zhai Xingchen would dance his best, with the most emotion.
The next morning, Huo Cheng got up early.
He was currently staying in room number one, and taking advantage of that, he started cooking the porridge just as dawn was breaking.
He wasn’t good at frying eggs, so he didn’t make any and waited for Zhai Xingchen to come over in the kitchen.
It turned out that Zhai Xingchen wasn’t the first to arrive; it was Hu Ying and Lin Qingning who did.
“How did you two sleep last night?” Huo Cheng asked.
Hu Ying said, “It’s not very good.”
“Were you feeling hot?” Huo Cheng asked.
Hu Ying had a fever, just like Pei Xu, but his heat rash was in the corner of his mouth, and it hurt when he smiled.
Lin Qingning, on the other hand, seemed to have slept very well last night.
Lin Qingning had come to terms with it.
Perhaps because everyone liked Zhai Xingchen, he himself understood why people liked Zhai Xingchen. So when Pei Xu liked Zhai Xingchen, he was only a little surprised and felt an instinctive pang of bitterness, but he accepted it very quickly.
He had never seen Pei Xu care about anyone so much before; this time, Pei Xu was truly in love.
Pei Xu, who had developed genuine feelings for someone, in him he suddenly lost interest.
He felt he might be like Hu Ying; they both previously thought Pei Xu was a blank slate— his personality was terrible, but the fact that he had never liked anyone was really alluring. However, after witnessing his attentiveness towards Zhai Xingchen, Pei Xu’s allure diminished.
Of course, he also had the intention of deliberately reinforcing this idea.
He doesn’t want to be portrayed as a devoted simp[1] on a dating reality show.
Although there were plenty of devoted admirers in dating reality shows, and those who were incredibly devoted could attract a lot of fans, Lin Qingning was clearly not that kind of person.
He now felt that being the only one among the eight guests who didn’t get involved in the chaotic situation was also quite special.
He quite liked this state of mind.
Just then, he saw Pei Xu come in carrying food.
Hu Ying and Huo Cheng both looked at Pei Xu. Pei Xu was wearing a hat and mask, fully armed, and exuding a chill.
“What did you buy?” Hu Ying asked.
Pei Xu said, “Steamed buns, soy milk, fried dough sticks, and noodles with fermented bean curd.”
“I just made porridge,” Huo Cheng said. “Where’s Xingchen?”
“He’s still sleeping. I told the production team yesterday that we’ll buy breakfast today,” Pei Xu said. “You only made porridge, right?”
Huo Cheng hummed in agreement.
“We should be able to finish it.” Pei Xu said, putting all the things he bought into the pot. Seeing that Huo Cheng was looking at him, he looked up at Huo Cheng.
What one rival considered thoughtful was actually quite hurtful to another. Huo Cheng felt very jealous, but he couldn’t say anything. When the two looked at each other, Pei Xu reacted normally, lowering his head and putting the pot lid on. Perhaps he looked too obedient. Although Huo Cheng regarded Pei Xu as a rival, he wasn’t as sharp as he had been towards Yan Zhi and Hu Ying before.
Pei Xu’s obedience wasn’t like Wen Nuo’s. Rather, he appeared aloof and quiet. If they were a large family, Duan Yihua was the most stable and gentle eldest brother, while Pei Xu was the second eldest who took care of everything. Wen Nuo was the youngest that everyone doted on. Hu Ying was the most assertive one, and Yan Zhi was the most popular one with a good temper and good looks. Lin Qingning was in the middle and had a moderate presence. Pei Xu was like the younger brother who excelled academically, was handsome, but had an aloof and quiet personality. Huo Cheng, with his elder brotherly personality, was particularly prone to feeling a sense of brotherly affection for Pei Xu.
Even though he was now everyone’s enemy, he was still the same as before, very low-key.
With that kind of personality, even the slightest thing directed at him made him feel like he was bullying someone.
“Have you been consistently applying the frostbite medicine I gave you?” he asked Pei Xu.
Pei Xu hummed in agreement and said, “I applied it when I went to sleep yesterday.”
Just then, they suddenly heard Hu Ying’s voice: “You bought food too?”
They looked towards the door and saw Yan Zhi carrying food as he came in.
Seeing what Yan Zhi was holding, Lin Qingning smiled and asked, “Did you and Pei Xu buy it from the same store?”
Yan Zhi bought steamed buns, tofu pudding, and fried dough sticks.
Hu Ying was greatly inspired.
He felt that he had always been the one being pursued, so he was used to being passive and had never thought of doing anything for Zhai Xingchen. He wouldn’t take the initiative to cook or buy breakfast; all he could think about was romance and spending as much time as possible with Zhai Xingchen, wanting to go on dates with him and take him out.
Hmm, then he should buy breakfast tomorrow too?
He thought.
Besides that, he really couldn’t think of anything else he could do for Zhai Xingchen.
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[1] The direct Chinese equivalent for the English slang “simp” is 舔狗 (tiǎn gǒu), which literally translates to “licking dog”. It describes someone who shows excessive, one-sided devotion or cringeworthy fawning behavior in pursuit of a romantic partner who does not reciprocate or care about them. The term is informal, highly critical, and often used mockingly on social media.
