Chapter 21 Reasons for the Breakup
Because everything happened so fast, just as Mu Jiu felt half of his body leaning against Ling Zhao's shoulder, he was frozen in place for a full ten seconds by a burst of intense flashes of light.
Ten seconds.
Mu Jiu felt as if he was being shone with a bright light, as if his whole body had been subjected to an intense X-ray, and even the words written in his heart and lungs could be seen clearly.
Although he didn't understand what had happened, Mu Jiu finally snapped out of his shock when he heard the photographer exaggerate the chemistry between the two of them in the photo.
The photographer next to them was still enthusiastically suggesting, "That pose was great! How about we try a different one? Like holding hands? Hugging? Or maybe some eye contact would also create a great atmosphere?"
Fearing things would get out of control, Mu Jiu immediately said, "Put me down first."
Based on her experience of watching countless videos featuring couples and their romantic pairings, she has gained a clear understanding of how efficient couple fans are at finding romantic moments.
Even with N people staring at each other in between, they can still have a fierce argument, let alone this level of physical contact.
The usually carefree, extravagant rich young master always clashed with the cold and sarcastic female constable. However, seeing her laughing and joking with other men stirred an inexplicable resentment within him, and in retaliation, he picked her up when he saw her alone.
The rough scabbard was pressed against his neck, and those eyes that smiled gently at others were filled with wariness when they looked at him. He found the woman in front of him utterly repulsive.
He was completely unprepared for her; she had her neck pressed against his and her spine gripped by her other hand, but she wouldn't let go.
[They came in expecting a spectacle, but left carrying the baggage of a state banquet.]
[Teacher, please write another 10,000 words!]
[If you don't understand, is this some kind of "dog jealousy literature"?]
[Excuse me, does the person in front have no idea about Ling Zhao's weight? He's at least a giant dog, isn't he?]
[Hahahaha, it all makes sense now! No wonder he rushed over when he saw Mu Jiu carrying the other female guests with one hand; in a dog's eyes, he'll always be a baby.]
...
Hearing Mu Jiu's voice, Ling Zhao finally came to her senses.
Upon hearing the photographer's instruction, he reflexively lifted the person up.
His bizarre remarks during their first meeting and their tacit understanding in working together to complete the mission gradually made him accustomed to Mu Jiu's presence in his life.
In his mind, this action was no different from carrying a signboard or a heavy box.
Or, during our school days, we might have joked around with classmates, sometimes even giving them a princess carry or carrying them on our backs.
Ling Zhao didn't think there was anything to worry about.
It wasn't until Mu Jiu leaned against him that he realized how terribly wrong he had been—
He overlooked the fact that he had no experience interacting with women in the past two decades, let alone intimate contact.
It's as light as a feather, the heat it feels through the shirt, and the cool, delicate fragrance you can smell when you turn your head.
Strange, hazy thoughts popped into his head, almost scaring him so much that he dropped the person to the ground.
But reason made him restrain his actions. Only after carefully placing the person on the ground did Ling Zhao pretend to look away as if nothing had happened.
They didn't discover the ulterior motives of their partners.
Once his feet were on the ground and he regained a sense of security, Mu Jiu finally breathed a sigh of relief.
She's not a fan of extreme sports, but she's good at controlling her facial expressions. The sudden attack caused her heart to race, but she was able to calm down gradually afterwards.
In short, they now need to minimize interaction as much as possible...
Suddenly, Mu Jiu realized something and looked up.
Her action of holding him with one hand made her reflexively grab the nearest support.
As she landed, her hand slid down Ling Zhao's shoulder to his heart.
She could faintly feel the pulse quickening beneath her palm. When her gaze focused on the other person's face, her vague suspicions were confirmed.
The tips of her ears, which were not covered by her silver-gray hair, began to turn red.
As an actress, she was very familiar with this kind of reaction, but at this moment, Mu Jiu wasn't thinking about anything else, but rather—
Oh no.
Exes who have been in a relationship should be very familiar with how they get close to each other.
It's impossible for someone to display such awkward and shy body language simply because of physical contact with another person.
She completely missed this part of the special training.
Mu Jiu gasped, her eyes widening slightly.
However, immediately afterward, a series of dazzling flashes of light appeared in front of me.
Suddenly, the photographer next to them seemed to have been injected with adrenaline and started exclaiming in amazement at them again.
These two are so photogenic! Their stunning good looks, combined with Mumu's deep, expressive eyes, make you want to imagine a whole story just by looking at each other.
[Arrogant and spoiled young master X Cold and upright female constable]
[I want to see this fan-made edit tonight! I can already smell the adrenaline rush of talking big, followed by a nightmare of chasing after the wrong person!!]
[Where's the teacher who just wrote the short play? Have some more, it's delicious, eat as much as you like!]
The female constable was puzzled by his actions, but this time he hadn't committed any crime, and it seemed to be just a prank on a whim. However, when her palm accidentally landed on his chest, the strong tremors and his awkward gaze made her realize something, yet she didn't quite understand.
[Chewing, chewing, chewing, handing over the bowl]
Time flows by swiftly in everyone's different moods, the sky gradually darkens until dusk settles in.
Z University, inside a girls' dormitory.
After a busy day, Tan Xi returned to her dormitory and slumped against the back of her chair like a lump of mud, utterly dejected.
Because her roommate went on a trip, she was the only one left in the dorm. At night, the quiet surroundings made her even more listless.
Tan Xi only lazily opened the notification pop-up when her phone alerted her that a recently followed account had an update.
[Meng Xiangcheng's sweet interactions and endless lantern-lit date]
Tan Xi blinked, reacted for a moment, then sat up straight, excitedly opened the notification, and rushed into the video.
How could she be missing at a time like this!
This time, "Our Past" was released much earlier than usual, even before the public live stream was closed. It seems the daytime live stream was packed with exciting content, prompting the production team to work overtime to release an edited version first.
Upon clicking into the video, Tan Xi became even more certain of her deduction—the title was followed by the word "[Part 1]".
Whether it's up and down, or up, middle and down, it all means that she has new sweet treats to enjoy on her boring nights.
When the play button is pressed, the first scene is Meng Shuning timidly asking Fang Yucheng if he would be willing to give her a ride.
Tan Xi slammed his fist on the table in excitement.
Yes, that's what they love to watch! The production team should maintain this style and lock Meng Xiangcheng up directly, instead of constantly torturing their leopard cat and making the two of them miss their date on the show.
To be honest, part of the reason she's been feeling down lately is that Meng Xiang and Cheng Zhen keep missing each other. She's been tormented for days by the pain of the two of them never being able to be together. Although Tan Xi has never been in a relationship, she's already felt the pain of heartbreak.
But after that line, "You still call me Teacher Fang?" came out, she could feel the coldness and unease in her heart during this period being soothed. No wonder it's the CP she's shipping, it's so authoritative!
Meng Shuning: "Where is your date?"
Fang Yucheng: "There is no one else."
Is it possible that top star Fang Yucheng has no popularity on a dating reality show? Of course not. The reason must be that he didn't give any signals to the other female guests and only focused on Shushu.
Having gotten hooked on this point, Tan Xi paused the video, excitedly picked up the tablet, stood on the chair, and shook it for a while before calming down a bit.
After pressing play again, she eagerly joined the barrage of comments, watching the two stare at each other with a beaming smile.
But then the perspective shifted to several other groups of people.
If it were according to Tan Xi's usual habits, she would definitely skip directly to the part where Meng Xiang and Cheng Zhen interact.
But last time, she thought Ling Zhao just wanted to surpass her brother because of her competitive spirit. But when she heard the sentence, "I hope she can choose whoever she wants to choose," Tan Xi was stunned for a full half minute.
Moreover, when she watched the show later, the two of them did not continue to pester her brother.
Undeniably, her opinion of the two men had changed considerably, but deep down, she was indeed curious about their past.
Tan Xi looked at Ling Zhao and Mu Jiu in the same car, hesitated for a moment, and did not skip the progress bar.
She's not taking sides with her rival; this is strategic observation! In short, don't ask, it's all part of her plan!
Tan Xi awkwardly shrank back in her seat, watching Mu Jiu walk into the old chat room while letting reason and emotion tug at her mind.
Then, she saw the conversation that had recently been reposted by several marketing accounts.
[A: Was Fang Yucheng involved in your breakup?]
[B: Yes]
[A: ……]
[A: I'm sorry, I asked a very impolite question.]
[B: There's nothing I can't say. Even you know about these rumors about me, so how could Ling Zhao not know?]
[B: But believe it or not, I didn't go on this show for Fang Yucheng.]
The scene then cuts to Ling Zhao asking Mu Jiu for a ride.
Unlike Meng Xiangcheng's sincerity, and unlike their previous interactions, this time in the car, they both carried a sense of distance and awkwardness.
In the past, Tan Xi would have hurled the most vicious words at him.
But after being repeatedly proven wrong, she learned her lesson. This time, she suppressed her dissatisfaction and quietly watched as the two of them, amidst this subtle atmosphere, moved on to the song recognition game.
What's coming towards us is Meng Xiangcheng's home turf.
Attracted by the attention, Tan Xi confidently slapped her thigh.
Not to brag, but she knew all too well her own memory, especially when it involved Meng Shuning. She already had a feeling that this part would feature a lot of sweet interactions.
Just as she expected, her brother demonstrated exceptional musical knowledge and responsiveness from the very beginning.
On the other side, Director Mo, Tan Xi knew his name, from that recently popular short drama. She didn't expect that as a director, he was also very familiar with music.
Just as Tan Xi was becoming increasingly engrossed in the comedic effects of various variety shows and the interactions with his co-stars, the video switched to the female guest's perspective.
Because the music for the female group consisted of songs by the male guests, Tan Xi had already answered the questions in the live chat before anyone else when the intros of many songs started playing.
Don't underestimate the music library of a single fan or a level 10 internet surfer!
After she answered five or six songs correctly in a row, Tan Xi's confidence gradually swelled. Just as she had the illusion that she could do it all and solo the whole show, the intro to the next song started.
This music...?
Tan Xi was stunned for a long time, searching her memory for a long time, but still had no clue. The next second, she saw Mu Jiu pick up the microphone.
[This couldn't possibly be a song by Fang Yucheng, could it?]
Of course not! Don't underestimate the memory of your fans!
If it were Fang Yucheng's song, someone would start typing the answer in the second second, but this time the barrage remained blank for a long time.
With Mu Jiu giving the answer without hesitation, and even after several songs were recognized within just a few seconds of being played, more and more people began to realize that something was wrong.
[I had absolutely no recollection of this, yet Mu Jiu answered it correctly.]
No, so she must really love them?! To be able to identify these songs, which are practically unknown, just by listening to the beginning, means she must have listened to them countless times on her own.
But when it was Fang Yucheng's turn to sing, Mu Jiu's reaction was not like that.
This is different from what most of Fang Yucheng's fans have always believed.
Some say Mu Jiu is being hypocritical, while others say Mu Jiu already knows that Meng Xiangcheng is not someone she can interfere with, so she wants to take advantage of Fang Yucheng's popularity through this program.
Tan Xi couldn't tell which category it belonged to, but this time, she didn't express her dissatisfaction with the two people in the comments like before.
Instead, they watched thoughtfully as the event progressed to the very end, until the last person was announced.
The executive director brought up the question everyone wanted to ask most: "Teacher Ling Zhao, you didn't answer a single song in this segment. Was there something you were worried about?"
Yes, compared to Mu Jiu, it was Ling Zhao, who initially left a deep impression on most people regarding this ex-couple, who didn't answer a single song.
As Tan Xi reminisced, the video cut to the conversation where Deng Minzhou questioned Ling Zhao.
He couldn't possibly not know.
Tan Xi thought so too.
Then she saw the man with the cold expression pause for a moment, and then, as if to cover something up, he quickly said, "There are no concerns, everyone is very strong."
At this moment, as if blessed, she remembered her brother fluently reciting the background music of the TV series he co-starred in with Mu Jiu.
—Was Fang Yucheng involved in your breakup?
--Yes
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Author's Note: Minor revisions
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