The horse stumbled.
Bullet comments:
"Oh, we almost won, what a pity!"
"Feibao, does it hurt? Mommy's blowing on you!"
"Did I hear that right? Yu Songlin offered to carry Ding Xuefei on his back?"
"Yes, you heard right, we, Xingfeng Xueyu, are celebrating the New Year today!"
"It wasn't Yu Songlin who took the initiative; didn't Ding Xuefei make Yu Songlin carry him on his back?"
"Really? I didn't hear that."
"He spoke with his eyes! He's just playing the victim because he's injured, and nobody can pretend they didn't see it [eye roll]"
"Then Yu Songlin will have to fall for this, so don't let your guard down, or I'll get all emotional again..."
Ding Xuefei was unaware of the arguments happening off-camera. He was filled with self-doubt: had he just spoken his inner thoughts aloud? Or had Yu Songlin overheard his conversation with the system?
What's going on? Why did Yu Songlin understand before he even spoke? Was this mission completed so easily? Is this right?
Ke Ran, who was standing nearby, was eager to lend a hand, but Yu Songlin stopped her with a look: "I'll do it."
Yu Songlin's profile was sharply defined, and his attitude was gentle yet irresistible. His gaze returned to Ding Xuefei's face, his voice tinged with annoyance, but his grip remained light. "You dare to move around with your skin swollen like this?"
The air went still for a moment.
The sea breeze, carrying a salty heat, swept by. Yu Songlin squatted in front of Ding Xuefei, his back firm and reliable. He turned his head slightly to look at Ding Xuefei, a smile on his lips, as if he had long expected him to give in.
……hateful.
Ding Xuefei took a breath and, as if she had finally decided to go all out, slowly climbed onto that broad back.
As Yu Songlin supported his knees and easily stood up, Ding Xuefei subconsciously tightened his arms around his neck.
[Mission complete! Pain relief reward has been issued~ Thank you for your hard work, Master!]
The cooling sensation covered the burning pain, and although it still hurt, it did relieve the pain a lot.
Ding Xuefei breathed a sigh of relief, her nose inadvertently brushing against the skin on the back of Yu Songlin's neck—it was damp, carrying the scent of sweat and sunscreen, a unique smell that made him feel at ease while his heart raced erratically.
Yu Songlin carried him towards the rest area, his steps steady and slow. The staff wanted to follow, but he shook his head to stop them: "No need, I'll take him there."
The sounds of the crowd faded into the distance, leaving only the rustling of waves crashing on the shore and the mingling of breaths.
Ding Xuefei lay on his back, able to clearly feel the vibration of his chest beneath her palms. Yu Songlin suddenly spoke, his voice low and brushing against her ear: "Does it still hurt?"
"Much better," Ding Xuefei said in a muffled voice.
Yu Songlin's pace was neither fast nor slow, and the staff beside him were neither too close nor too far. At a time when it seemed inappropriate to start a conversation, Ding Xuefei's heart was pounding. After hesitating for a long time, he finally asked, "How did you know?"
I want you to carry me on your back.
Yu Songlin chuckled.
"If you don't want me to carry you, then don't look at me like that..."
Ding Xuefei felt as if she had been lightly brushed by a feather. She wanted to retort, but her cheeks were burning, so she simply kept quiet.
After taking two steps in silence, Yu Songlin suddenly turned his head slightly and whispered, "Were you injured when I wasn't by your side?"
Ding Xuefei sniffed, and unconsciously tightened her grip on Yu Songlin's neck.
The answer is actually no. After becoming an idol, his dance teacher taught him some tricks, so he has basically not been injured in the past few years, and even if he has, it has never been this serious.
However, there were a few times when I was with Yu Songlin before.
On a snowy day in a park, before they had officially started dating, Ding Xuefei asked Yu Songlin out on a date.
Yu Songlin was very composed, but Ding Xuefei was so happy that she jumped around. However, her joy turned to sorrow, and she suddenly twisted her ankle after playing for a while.
At first, he stubbornly said he was fine and tried to walk independently while clinging to Yu Songlin's arm, but soon he was in so much pain that he couldn't walk anymore.
Finally, Ding Xuefei sat on a bench by the roadside, tugged at Yu Songlin's sleeve, and looked at him with red eyes, acting spoiled.
"Um, I really can't walk anymore, can you carry me?"
"sure."
At that time, Yu Songlin also squatted down like this, carrying him on his back as he stepped through the new snow.
On the way, Ding Xuefei chattered incessantly. He first asked Yu Songlin if he was heavy, then mentioned that it snowed just as heavily when he was born, and carefully asked if Yu Songlin had ever carried anyone else on his back. He was secretly happy for a long time after learning that no one had.
Ding Xuefei became a little embarrassed, but no matter what he said, Yu Songlin just said it was nothing and silently carried him through the light snow.
In the icy and snowy environment, no one noticed the young couple. Ding Xuefei hugged Yu Songlin tightly and secretly pressed her cheek against the back of Yu Songlin's neck.
At that time, he thought, "I wish it could always be like this."
Wait, this isn't the time. Ding Xuefei pulled herself out of her memories.
We've already agreed to be friends and to do a good job recording the show.
Ding Xuefei said stiffly, "No, I haven't sprained my ankle in the past two years."
"Really? That's good."
"I wasn't lying to you!" Ding Xuefei sensed Yu Songlin's skepticism, hooked her arm around Yu Songlin's neck to prop herself up, and whispered a complaint in his ear, "It's all because you talked nonsense. I knew meeting you would bring bad luck..."
"Yes, it's my fault." Yu Songlin smiled good-naturedly, while he lifted Ding Xuefei up in his hand, startling him so that he hugged Yu Songlin's neck tightly.
"But you, have you gained weight in the last two years?"
"Yeah, I lifted weights!" Ding Xuefei's emotions came and went quickly; as he talked about this, he put his previous sad memories behind him.
"Really? That's good. Eat more."
As they approached the rest area, many staff members surrounded Ding Xuefei, trying to help her up, but Yu Songlin refused. Ding Xuefei's cheek was pressed against the back of Yu Songlin's neck, showing no intention of getting down, until the staff led them to their seats.
"We're coming down." Yu Songlin turned his head.
Before letting go, Ding Xuefei leaned closer to Yu Songlin, her voice hoarse: "Thank you."
After a brief exchange, neither of them made a move immediately, as if they were reluctant to part.
The sticky, ambiguous atmosphere only gradually dissipated when the doctor came to check the injury.
With a doctor present, Yu Songlin couldn't offer much help. Ding Xuefei felt a little embarrassed and urged, "You should leave now."
Yu Songlin, who had been standing to the side watching, approached the doctor upon hearing this and said, "He is very afraid of pain, so please be careful when treating his injuries."
The doctor smiled and nodded in agreement.
Ding Xuefei, unusually, did not refute. Only when he heard Yu Songlin's footsteps fading into the distance did he look up and watch his retreating figure.
*
The beach volleyball match ended in a draw, with the points awarded being split equally among the participants, making it a win-win situation for everyone.
There was supposed to be a recording session in the afternoon, but it was temporarily suspended at noon, and everyone was given free time. Ding Xuefei was happy to lie down and recover from her injury.
He didn't want to go out anyway, so as not to run into Yu Songlin again.
He had a feeling that Yu Songlin had changed a bit since their conversation yesterday, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
I don't know what Yu Songlin is thinking. Surely he doesn't want to get back together with him? Speaking of which, when he said it was his problem that day, it sounded like an excuse. Did he have a problem then, but not now?
Honestly, putting aside the feelings themselves, just considering their circumstances, when they started dating, Yu Songlin had just entered the entertainment industry, and Ding Xuefei was still a college student. Now, one is a controversial idol and the other is a movie star. Going public with their relationship would have a huge impact on the entertainment industry.
Ding Xuefei thought, "Anyway, I'm not going to come out on my own initiative. I'd be torn apart by my fans. Just coming out to my family is already difficult enough..."
Wait a minute, why are you thinking about this? They're not even together yet! And they have no plans to be together!
Ding Xuefei felt irritable, so she changed her lying position and was about to play on her phone for a while to rest when the door opened and Ke Ran carefully ran in.
Ke Ran, her face beaming with excitement, ran towards Ding Xuefei in a low voice: "Brother Xuefei, I just learned a secret..."
Ding Xuefei's interest was piqued, and he quickly sat up: "What's wrong? What's wrong?"
“I heard it from them,” Ke Ran sat down beside Ding Xuefei’s bed. “Do you know why the afternoon recording was suspended?”
"Isn't it because I injured my foot?"
"Oh! That's just a superficial reason!"
Ding Xuefei blinked: "So it's because?"
Ke Ran made a "shh" gesture, then had Ding Xuefei lean closer and whispered through her hand, "I heard it's because of Elio."
What's wrong with him?
Now that he mentions it, Ding Xuefei remembers that Elio didn't seem to be in a very high mood today. Even when he sprained his ankle, such a great opportunity to flirt, he didn't make any move. Ding Xuefei had almost forgotten about Elio...
Ke Ran was also surprised to see Ding Xuefei looking completely bewildered. He said, "You didn't know? I thought you arranged it?"
Ding Xuefei was even more confused. He was focused on recording the show and recovering from his injury. What could he possibly arrange?
"What did I arrange?"
Ke Ran took out her phone, opened the trending topics, and the fifth most popular topic on the entertainment list was "Elio's unreleased behind-the-scenes footage," while the eighth was "Elio was used and then discarded."
Ding Xuefei still didn't understand, so Ke Ran simply clicked on it to show him. The pinned entry was a revelation from a small account, which was a video.
In the video, the lighting was very dim, and only two figures could be seen, one of whom could be vaguely identified as Elio.
Elio: "I'm so annoyed by him. He's such an idiot. If it weren't for XX saying he wanted to sell bromance, I wouldn't want to associate with him at all."
Someone next to him said something, and Elio continued, "He's just a tool, someone I'll use and then discard. Once all the CP fans become my fans, who'll remember him anymore..."
Elio's voice in the video doesn't sound as sweet as in the recording. It's mixed with profanity, his fingers flicker, and there's smoke swirling around him, which is quite different from his usual well-behaved image. Fans' filters will definitely be shattered after hearing this.
Ding Xuefei knew immediately that he was talking about him. He even remembered the recording scene. It was the rest room of the wilderness survival show that he and Elio had recorded together before. He guessed that Elio was chatting with his colleagues there and was accidentally recorded by the machine. He just didn't know which "righteous person" had released it to the public.
The original video was quite long and included other evidence of Elio's indiscretions in his private life, but the beginning part was the most widely circulated.
Ke Ran said, "Sigh, I thought he was a nice guy, but he's actually quite complicated in private... Brother Xuefei, you've suffered!"
As she spoke, Ke Ran patted Ding Xuefei on the shoulder, leaving Ding Xuefei both amused and exasperated.
"But it's okay, now that the truth is out, everyone knows that Brother Xuefei was the victim, and all the things he did to smear you have been clarified, so don't worry!"
Ding Xuefei thought to himself that he wasn't really worried about anything. He was still reeling from the shock of this incident. Such a big thing, even if it didn't ruin Elio's career, would at least make him feel bad for a while...
"Seriously, Xuefei, did you really not have someone post this video?"
"Huh?" Ding Xuefei was taken aback by the question. If he hadn't actually never seen the video before, he would have doubted it himself.
But if it wasn't him, then who could it be?
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