Chapter 07
Two hours later, the crew had no choice but to call a halt to filming.
Fang Ying, just hearing the news, shamelessly demanded his phone back from the production team. It’d been days since he’d touched it, and once it was in his hand, he giggled like a total dork, “teehee”-ing nonstop.
Xu Qiuluo chuckled, “Why are you acting like a teenage internet addict?”
Fang Ying grinned, “Because this new game is seriously addictive!”
He scrambled onto the bed, burrowed under the blanket, and dove into Big Cucumber’s fanfic updates.
Though she had “wall-hopped” ships like crazy, Big Cucumber’s conscience still kicked in—churning out a solid 3,000 words a day, not missing a beat. Fang Ying binged the backlog of chapters he’d missed in the past month. Still craving more, he slid into her DMs:
“Madam, when’s the next chapter update???”
Since wall-hopping, her main account online time was halved, so Fang didn’t expect a quick reply. Lo and behold, she happened to be online and responded in a flash: “Ahh! Xiao Huai! Long time no see! What’ve you been up to? No Weibo updates for days!”
Fang’s mouth ran wild: “Went back home to deal with stuff, internet was terrible. Madam, don’t dodge—tell me! When can you update next?”
She said: “Busy last two days. Tomorrow’s my son Fang Ying’s drama premiere, the day after I gotta follow his variety show.”
Fang twisted inside: Fang Ying, Fang Ying, and more Fang Ying! Do you even remember our beloved LuoZong anymore?
“What’s wrong with you? Are you seriously jealous of your own cousin? When I first met you, you weren’t like this.”
Fang Ying: “…”
Being jealous of his cousin was nothing—when he got mad, he even got jealous of himself!
Fang tried to smooth things over: “Let’s not quarrel. You keep those daily updates, I’ll send perks your way.”
She was intrigued: “What perks? [drooling emoji]”
Fang: “All kinds of merch from my cousin.”
She gasped: “!!!!!! Is that for real???”
Fang was about to assure her, “Don’t worry, I’m only giving you the stuff he’s about to throw out”—then Big Cucumber shamelessly showed her true colors:
“I thought about it, and you know what? This is perfect. Our fangirl sister teamwork is the fandom role model. You help me, I help you!”
Fang smoothly added: “If you don’t help me, I might as well help you.”
Big Cucumber: “Deal!”
Fang: … 凸
Fang Ying: “…”
Being jealous of his cousin was nothing—when he got mad, he even got jealous of himself!
Fang tried to smooth things over: “Let’s not quarrel. You keep those daily updates, I’ll send perks your way.”
She was intrigued: “What perks? [drooling emoji]”
Fang: “All kinds of merch from my cousin.”
She gasped: “!!!!!! Is that for real???”
Fang was about to assure her, “Don’t worry, I’m only giving you the stuff he’s about to throw out”—then Big Cucumber shamelessly showed her true colors:
“I thought about it, and you know what? This is perfect. Our fangirl sister teamwork is the fandom role model. You help me, I help you!”
Fang smoothly added: “If you don’t help me, I might as well help you.”
Big Cucumber: “Deal!”
Fang: … 凸
Meanwhile, as Fang and Big Cucumber pat each other’s backs like partners in crime, Xu Qiuluo, wanting to respect Fang’s “game time,” had already slipped out alone.
The countryside’s dark, rainy evenings come early. When Fang crawled out of bed at around 7 PM, the room was pitch black.
He fumbled for the light switch—nothing. Power outage? Circuit blew somewhere?
“Luo Ge?” he called out.
No response. Outside, quiet as a tomb.
Suddenly, panic set in. Forgetting the flashlight, Fang stumbled out of bed like a blind man. Narrowly escaping a faceplant over the threshold of the main room, he was snatched up just in time by a pair of firm hands.
“Why’re you out here so suddenly?” Xu’s voice.
Fang’s scattered mind came back to himself: “Power’s out. Where did you guys go?”
Xu: “Only a short outage, someone’s already fixing it. The rest are in the next room gaming. You coming?”
Though Xu was subtle, Fang caught the sweetness behind the words.
Power out? Idol? Immediately? Right this minute? Just to come get him?
Joy bubbled up, and Fang nodded enthusiastically: “Yeah, going!”
They hadn’t even stepped inside when Fang spotted the rest of the crew, gathered in a circle with two candles burning and an empty beer bottle at the center.
Xu Zong had a flashlight pointed at his chin, creepy voice: “Fang Xiao Ying… we’ve been… waiting… for you… for so… long…”
Fang’s face paled. Legs nearly gave out as he stood frozen at the door. “Zong… Zong-ge, what are you guys playing? Please… please tell me it’s not… the Ouija board?”
“It… might be…”
Laughter burst out around the room, and Fang quickly stepped back, only to be pulled in by Xu Qiuluo’s shoulder.
“Enough, don’t scare him.”
Xu Zong smirked, making some mock ‘hmm’ sound, moving two spots over.
Once seated, he said dramatically:
“Fang Ying, tonight we’re taking you back to schoolyard classics. Truth or dare. Ever played?”
Fang nodded honestly.
“Good. Welcome to our final round.” He spun the bottle, pointing the neck right at Fang.
“You lost.”
Fang: ???
What kind of sadistic game is this?!
Xu Qiuluo hid his smile, barely holding it in.
Xu Zong’s questions came fast: “Whose chat is pinned at the top of your private WeChat? Spill it!”
Fang: “Two people.”
Xu Zong pressed: “Just pick one.”
Fang glanced at Xu Qiuluo and sheepishly gave up: “My Luo-ge.”
Everyone else looked as if they hadn’t heard juicy news at all, their expressions clearly saying “you’re definitely not telling the truth.”
Only Xu Qiuluo lifted his head and gave him a smile, his gaze unbearably gentle.
Fang caught that silence and blushed.
Later that night, neither could fall asleep. Fang was wired from a day of downtime.
Xu Qiuluo was turned over with a burning question he’d kept inside, finally blurting out after a couple minutes: “You really pinned me as your top contact on WeChat?”
Fang: “Yep.”
Xu solemnly faced him in the dark: “You said you pinned two. Who’s the other? Auntie? Uncle?”
Fang: “Neither. It’s Zong-ge.”
Xu: … “Go to sleep.”
He turned away, back facing Fang.
Fang smiled to himself quietly, no trace on his lips.
Xu snorted.
Long after, Fang heard Xu’s steady breathing.
He turned back and softly asked, “Luo Ge, you asleep yet?”
No reply.
Fang’s tiny heart raced and he whispered, “Actually, only one. Just you.”
“Not asleep.” Xu’s quick answer startled him.
Next chapter
Later that night, neither could fall asleep. Fang was wired from a day of downtime.
Xu Qiuluo was turned over with a burning question he’d kept inside, finally blurting out after a couple minutes: “You really pinned me as your top contact on WeChat?”
Fang: “Yep.”
Xu solemnly faced him in the dark: “You said you pinned two. Who’s the other? Auntie? Uncle?”
Fang: “Neither. It’s Zong-ge.”
Xu: … “Go to sleep.”
He turned away, back facing Fang.
Fang smiled to himself quietly, no trace on his lips.
Xu snorted.
Long after, Fang heard Xu’s steady breathing.
He turned back and softly asked, “Luo Ge, you asleep yet?”
No reply.
Fang’s tiny heart raced and he whispered, “Actually, only one. Just you.”
“Not asleep.” Xu’s quick answer startled him.
Next chapter
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