The program was still playing, and Xu Tangzhou’s heart clenched because of the scene he had just seen, not having the time to look at what the comments were saying next. He rewound the video to the part where Ling Che was getting dressed.
This time he saw it very clearly. The bruise on the left side of Ling Che’s waist was blue and purple. It looked like it was caused by a knock against the edge of something hard, such as steps or an elevator, which could cause such a mark.
He realized why Ling Che always seemed so languid and slumped during the recording of the show.
He had thought that Ling Che just loved to sleep, whether it was in the car, on the plane, or in the cabin. Ling Che would lie down rather than sit, sit rather than stand, and it turned out it was because Ling Che had been injured all along.
An injury to the waist and abdomen greatly affects a person’s daily activities.
Yet Ling Che never mentioned it to anyone and insisted on continuing with the recording.
The car was still driving slowly and steadily, but Xu Tangzhou felt a hint of restlessness. He took out his phone and sent a message to Ling Che.
Xu Tangzhou: [How did you hurt your waist? Is it better now?]
After sending the message, he continued to watch the program.
In the show, Ling Che got into the car.
As expected, Ling Che started to sleep as soon as he got in the car. His position looked very uncomfortable, and it wasn’t long before they encountered a traffic jam. A ton of sympathetic comments floated by, and the screen was almost completely covered by the dense barrage of comments, nearly obscuring the person from view.
The scene switched to other guests. They first showed the Lu-Mi CP leaving their home, their deep affection for each other evident from the start, making people envious.
Then, it switched to Xu Tangzhou, who appeared outside the recording studio. He was the third guest to appear and the only one who did not have footage shot at home. His rented apartment was not large, and Huang Qian, for the sake of his idol image, did not arrange for the production crew to film there.
Xu Tangzhou’s first reaction upon seeing himself was: No wonder I get criticized…
The camera was so close, the assistant Momo took the initiative to greet him, and all he did was say three words without expression: “Good morning.”
[The style changed abruptly hahaha]
[2333 This is a devilishly close shot]
[He’s really cold as ice, is this one here to walk the runway? Pretentious]
[An unbearably awkward moment, I saw that miss’s face turn red hahaha]
[Am I the only one struck by the baby’s beauty?]
[To be fair, beauty strike +1]
[To be honest, is this considered a high-class face? So world-weary….]
[You guys haven’t seen the behind-the-scenes, have you? Xu Tangzhou is world-weary, are you guys misunderstanding something xswl]
When Xu Tangzhou started to sign at the check-in, the screen was monopolized by a uniform chorus of hahahas.
Others’ signatures were flamboyant and unrestrained, striving to give off a high-class vibe, but only Xu Tangzhou wrote his name neatly in the corner of the blank space, with each stroke precise, using an exam-level regular script.
[Zaizai is too honest hahaha]
[Wait, this font is actually quite aloof too hahaha]
[Mommy, it’s the first time I’ve seen a celebrity’s signature like this hahaha]
[Hahaha it’s so real hahaha]
[He hasn’t designed it yet, hahaha go back and practice!]
[szd!!! It’s like seeing myself who doesn’t know how to sign 【dying of laughter】]
[Cute and adorable 【blushing】]
In the shot, Momo amiably tossed a prompt to Xu Tangzhou: “Did you only bring one suitcase? What did you pack inside?”
Xu Tangzhou’s face was expressionless, a flicker of confusion in his eyes.
The production team precisely captured his inner monologue, placing three question marks above his head in post-production, and listed all the items that young people might take on a trip next to his body, each marked with a red cross.
A wave of “hahahaha” scrolled across the comments again.
At this moment, in the dimly lit carriage lit only by a reading lamp, Xu Tangzhou’s phone screen lit up.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Ling Che replied to the message he had just sent: [I accidentally fell on the edge of the stairs, but it’s fine now.]
We Kjcuhtbe ofia rbwfktja gfilfnfv jcv kjr jybea ab rfcv j wfrrjuf yjmx ktfc Olcu Jtf rfca bnfg j qtbab.
Ktf qtbab jqqfjgfv ab yf ajxfc ys Olcu Jtf lc ogbca bo j wlggbg.
Ktf rkfjartlga kjr iloafv ab gfnfji j aluta ibkfg yjmx, atf wermif ilcfr kfgf yfjealoei, oeii bo j rfcrf bo ragfcuat.
The bruise that was visible in the program had disappeared, and the skin had already returned to its original state.
Although the photo did not show a face, was not provocative, and was even just a hastily taken partial shot, Xu Tangzhou still saved it to his phone with an inexplicable flutter of emotion.
Xu Tangzhou: [That’s good.【Smile】]
Ling Che: [Are you watching the show?]
Xu Tangzhou: [Yeah, I just got off work, and there’s a bit of a traffic jam right now.]
Ling Che: [Hmm.]
Xu Tangzhou: [You’re injured, why are you still participating in the show?]
He couldn’t help but feel sorry for Ling Che. There was no need to be so dedicated, right? Weren’t big-name artists supposed to be particularly capricious?
It took a while before Ling Che replied with four cold words: [Don’t want to pay a penalty.]
Xu Tangzhou: “…” Was it really that pragmatic?!
The conversation had ended again.
Xu Tangzhou found that every time they chatted through messages, the topic could be quickly concluded. Because he couldn’t see Ling Che’s face and couldn’t guess his expression, Xu Tangzhou always felt a sense of distance.
Looking at Ling Che’s name, Xu Tangzhou’s heartbeat quickened slightly.
Regardless, they were now in some kind of strange relationship. Last time, Ling Che had said he could initiate contact and that he would reply to his messages, so does that mean he really has some sort of privilege?
If he kept chatting with Ling Che, would Ling Che always reply?
Xu Tangzhou moved his fingers and sent another message: [Have you finished work?]
Ling Che really replied: [No.]
That means he was taking a break in the middle of something!
Xu Tangzhou seized the opportunity to chat: [The concert is the day after tomorrow, right? Shouldn’t you be resting in advance these two days to ensure you have energy?]
Ling Che: [Not rehearsing.]
What was he doing then?
Xu Tangzhou couldn’t think of what Ling Che would normally be doing. Other than writing songs, recording, and performing, he didn’t know.
Ling Che: [Shooting a commercial.]
I see.
Xu Tangzhou didn’t know what to talk about, then had a flash of inspiration, thinking that self-deprecating should work.
Xu Tangzhou: [I don’t seem very smart on the show. 【sad】]
Ling Che’s reply came surprisingly fast: [.]
Xu Tangzhou: “……”
What the heck? Not even a word of comfort? I have my pride too, okay!
Are you belittling my over a decade of internet experience with such a short reply? I can talk about anything!
In the scene on the tablet, the last group of guests, the Xia sisters, appeared, and the comments immediately surged like crazy, filled with all sorts of unprintable insults. The production team exploited their remaining value, knowing the principle that the more they were criticized, the more popular they became, and didn’t cut anything.
Xu Tangzhou continued to send messages to Ling Che to expand the conversation: [I’m really not trying to act cool on purpose, we immortals are all like this 【distressed】]
Ling Che: [Let me see your neck.]
These two messages appeared on the screen at the same time.
It turned out they were both editing messages at the same time, which felt great.
Xu Tangzhou had thought that Ling Che was no longer very interested in talking to him.
Xu Tangzhou glanced at Wu Nana, who was driving, and she was seriously fulfilling her duties as a driver, not noticing what was happening with him.
Taking a picture of a wound bitten by an alpha in the presence of others felt like blatantly displaying one’s mark, and Xu Tangzhou felt a secret sense of shame.
Who knew that before he could even open the camera on his phone, Ling Che made a direct video call.
Video– video call?
Xu Tangzhou’s heartbeat became erratic, and he almost without hesitation pressed the answer button. He saw his own face appear on the screen, from a low angle, which was very unflattering.
He quickly moved the phone further away and higher, and saw that the lighting on Ling Che’s side was even worse than his, probably in some enclosed space at the commercial shoot.
Ling Che spoke first: “Did you scratch the wound?”
Xu Tangzhou subconsciously said: “No!”
Ling Che’s hair was meticulously styled, and he was wearing makeup on his face, making him look much more spirited and radiant than usual. Perhaps using the word “radiant” to describe a mature, handsome alpha was not quite fitting. But on Ling Che, with his deep-set features, fair skin, and noble vampire-like appearance, the makeup added a touch of liveliness, making him resemble a proud prince from some country even more.
Ling Che frowned: “Lower your head and let me see.”
Xu Tangzhou did as he was told.
He held his phone up high and gently peeled off the gland patch on his neck, unsure if the camera was properly focused.
After about ten seconds, he looked up, his hair disheveled from the motion of bowing his head: “Did you see it?”
It seemed that Ling Che hadn’t even paid attention to the posture, just watching him seriously: “I saw it.”
Someone was knocking at the door, and a voice came through faintly: “Ge, it’s about time to change clothes.”
It sounded like Xiao An.
Ling Che said “That’s it” and unceremoniously ended the video call.
Xu Tangzhou: “……”
Why does he feel like he was no longer of any use!
The phone vibrated again, and Ling Che wasn’t too heartless after all. He sent over a message in response to the distress Xu Tangzhou had expressed about his performance on the show.
Ling Che: [Practice your signature more.]
Xu Tangzhou was both annoyed and embarrassed. He would have practiced his signature well before going on the show if he had known it would be mocked!
But then he quickly realized—wait, how did Ling Che know about his signature? Could it be that he watched the show?
But he clearly heard Ling Che tell Lu Cheng’an last night that he wouldn’t watch the show. It hadn’t been long since it aired, how could Ling Che know about this already?
He was really a tsundere.
Xu Tangzhou complained, thinking that Ling Che, who was participating in a show for the first time, must also be eager to see his own performance.
Even big stars were the same.
After a night of fermentation,《Our Perfect Journey》not only triumphed in its premiere, securing the top spot in national variety show ratings that evening, but also spread even more popularity. Various media outlets published their reviews, and press releases sprouted up like bamboo shoots after rain.
The Xia sisters were widely criticized, easily topping the trending searches again, and incidentally brought more attention to the loving tags of the Lu-Mi CP.
Early in the morning, Wu Nana brought breakfast, and while Xu Tangzhou was groggily eating, she started discussing some hot topics with him.
“The super topic is climbing the ranks quickly, and you have two or three tags that have made it to the trending searches,” Wu Nana said. “Right now, there’s a rival camp targeting you. That Qin Bao, the one who used to be a model, you know?”
There were quite a few artists in the entertainment industry who had transitioned from modeling, and Qin Bao was also an omega model who had worked with more big brands than Xu Tangzhou. But he was known for his sweet image, and after becoming an adult, he switched to acting and had already filmed several movies over the years.
“I have a rival now?” Xu Tangzhou said, confused. “Rival in what?”
Wu Nana said, “You both have similar backgrounds, ages, and experiences, so you’re being compared. Also, didn’t Qin Bao once appear in a music video for God Che?”
Xu Tangzhou was aware of this. Qin Bao had starred in the music video for Ling Che’s song《Dried Memories》but he didn’t have much interaction with Qin Bao.
He looked at the trending tags and saw that the one being attacked was #XuTangzhouOmegaHighClassFace#, with fans from both sides battling it out below. Xu Tangzhou’s fans were not few in number and were very combative, leading to a fierce war of words.
They were arguing over who truly was the high-class face of omega models.
“His camp is running out of resources,” Nana, who mingled in fan circles, had quite a bit of information. “Qin Bao’s movies are always supporting roles, and he hardly has any critically acclaimed works. He started off with a high profile when he switched careers, but now he refuses to lower his asking price to act in TV dramas, which makes his status quite awkward. So, his camp is currently stepping on whoever is popular to ride on their heat.”
Many times, these were not actions directly taken by the artists themselves, so Xu Tangzhou didn’t take it to heart.
Skipping over this, the other topic tags related to Xu Tangzhou were all harmonious.
There were tags like #LingCheZaizaiProtective#, #XuTangzhouWellBehaved#, #LingCheTeachesXuTangzhouToChooseFlights#, and so on, most of which were related to Ling Che. Since the two of them were a pair, naturally, they had the most topics. Additionally, tags like #XuTangzhouFaceChangingSkill# and #BlushInASecond# also rose to the top.
The animated GIF of Xu Tangzhou blushing a second after receiving a call from Ling Che resurfaced and took the throne as the number one meme in the expression pack world.
The segment in the show where Ling Che answered the phone had netizens laughing uncontrollably.
At that time, Xu Tangzhou, instigated by Qi Mu, asked Ling Che over the phone if he knew who he was. Ling Che first called out “Zaizai” and then said, “Do you think I’m an idiot?” Initially, it was thought to be a critique of Xu Tangzhou, but with the program’s footage revisited, everyone said that the remark was actually mocking Qi Mu.
This was because the phone screen Ling Che was using to answer the call was captured by the camera, clearly showing that the caller was “Zaizai.”
Qi Mu himself posted an update: My heart has been stabbed by God Che.
Thus, the tag #LingDissGod# also became popular.
But currently, the top trending tag was #LingCheInjured#, with all of Ling Che’s fans continuously discussing this topic, starting to recount the injuries and hardships Ling Che had endured over the years.
Wu Nana cautiously said, “Zhouzhou, I was browsing the super topics last night and found out that you now have CP fans, so the people targeting you might not just be from Qin Bao’s camp. Don’t take it to heart.”
Xu Tangzhou: “???”
CP fans?
Nana said, “It’s you and God Che.”
After swiftly navigating her device, she quickly entered a magical zone where a small group of fans were secretly indulging in their fandom. Because previously, some of Ling Che’s solo fans had cursed loudly in the super topic circles, this small group of fans quietly switched to another social media platform.
Wu Nana said, “These uncles will handle it. Ya jie is very capable, she can clear things up quickly if she wants to. Probably after the program airs. Don’t worry too much, the fans all have a goldfish memory.”
Could Xu Tangzhou say he wasn’t worried at all?!
He browsed through the discussion topics here and immediately saw: #CheZhou#
[The way the alpha accommodates the omega is truly the sweetest thing ever! Wuuuuh]
[The nickname ‘Zaizai’ is just too indulgent!]
[I dare say Xu Tangzhou blushed in a second because he was charmed by God Che, that voice is irresistible, and I’m the only one who knows this secret!]
[Gege teaching Zhouzhou how to calculate the cost of plane tickets was also spoiling him to no end!]
[And there’s more!! The part where they check the suitcase!!! So alpha!]
[Gege: My omega, only I can touch his personal items.]
[So gentle, 1551, damn it’s just too good to ship ahhhhhh]
Someone posted a two or three-second GIF of Ling Che looking at Xu Tangzhou talking to Lu Cheng’an, and as soon as Xu Tangzhou turned around, Ling Che immediately averted his gaze, his expression very calm.
[I’ve never seen God Che act like this with anyone!!! His waist is injured, he must have joined the show just to spend seven days alone with Xu Tangzhou!]
Xu Tangzhou was stunned. This brief moment was specifically captured, and it really gave off the impression that Ling Che was secretly paying attention to him and didn’t want to be caught. Also, the idea that Ling Che would continue filming the show despite his injury, it couldn’t possibly be just for him, could it?!
At that time, Ling Che didn’t know about his amnesia, yet he still joined the show.
So, how long had they been in a relationship before…?
Did Ling Che love him a lot back then?
“Zhouzhou.” Wu Nana called out twice, “Zhouzhou?”
Xu Tangzhou snapped back to reality: “What’s up?”
Nana said, “Your phone is ringing.”
Xu Tangzhou was still holding the tablet and only realized upon hearing her that his phone on the desk was vibrating, displaying “Mom calling.”
Thank You for the new chapter ♡〜٩( ╹▿╹ )۶〜♡
a Ling Che photo appears on Zaizai’s phine screen
Zaizai: auto-saved photo to device
HAHAHA