54.
Scenario: A minor celebrity with terrible acting skills is caught by his rival watching a fan video of them as a CP (NT: couple pairing).
Question: Is there anything more embarrassing than that?
Answer: Yes. Performing an entire scene under the serious, kind, and attentive gaze of said rival—as if he were a grand master of theater.

 

55.
I didn’t even remember how to spell the word “embarrassment.” Chills ran down my spine, my blurry and trembling eyes landed on the lead actor, and without meaning to, I ended up performing a scene meant for the heroine—full of passion and emotion.
After the scene, the lead actor couldn’t even look me in the eye. When I greeted him, he blushed and quickly looked away.

 

56.
I truly regret not taking my acting more seriously.
But my rival—this paragon of virtue and talent—told me that if the opportunity arose, he’d teach me how to act.
My rival is so kind, like a house (NT: ie. warm and dependable), my strongest support, my softest haven.

57.
Yeah, my ass!

 

58.
I spent the entire day walking on eggshells, terrified that my rival might think I was some kind of creep, lusting after his body and soul.
Back at the hotel, I locked the door, turned off the lights, pulled the curtains, and, with the utmost caution, rewatched that infamous video.
That’s when I realized—the scene he walked in on only showed him, alone, acting.
No incriminating footage. Nothing.
So then… why had he spent all that time in my dressing room looking just as flustered as I was?!
Stiff as a board, tense, hesitating to speak… Was he improvising a whole performance just to match my awkwardness?!

 

59.
So I was embarrassed for nothing this whole time?!
I’m furious!
Grumbling to myself, I finished removing my makeup, took a shower, and flopped onto the bed with a hydrating mask on my face, scrolling through Weibo.
Because of that accidental like this morning, I’d been flooded with snarky comments from my rival’s fans. Lesson learned—this time, I decided to stay discreet:
I hijacked Xiao Chen’s Weibo account.

 

60.
I had barely spent an hour that morning basking in my fictional couple’s bliss—soaking up the warmth, the tenderness, that feeling of being doted on…
And then one of the protagonists had to show up and ruin it all!
I must reclaim my quota of sweetness!
I haven’t even seen all the content yet! I haven’t tasted all the fluff! I don’t even fully understand the dynamic between the two leads or the tone of the story!
I’m not a CP expert yet!

 

61.
My rival’s fans taught me how to grow up.
The Niangzi Army taught me how to love.

 

62.
I checked Xiao Chen’s list of followed accounts. Then his followers. Then his entire Weibo post history.
Nothing. Not a single trace linking me to him.
Xiao Chen is a genius. A shadow without a trace. Even I can’t claim he’s my personal assistant.

 

63.
If you’re going to invest in a ship, you might as well go all in.
I searched Baidu for a beginner’s guide to fandom culture.
Following the instructions, I first downloaded the Super Star Fan Club app and followed both my own account and Gu Yiliang’s.
Then, using Xiao Chen’s account, I joined the super-topic dedicated to our ship and followed a few fandom influencers.
After that, I installed a discussion app for Douban (NT: a popular Chinese platform for reviewing and discussing movies, books, music, events, etc.).
Finally, I bookmarked an anonymous forum.

Tadaaaam!
Time for an intense solo fangirling party!
Little inner scream of joy
Image: flies rubbing their hands together.jpg

 

64.
After a first round of exploration, I found a heavy-duty brainwashing package that was absolutely worth checking out. It offered a detailed breakdown of the CP’s highlights and was rich in images and commentary.
A real gem. A 139-page PDF file packed with analysis, pictures, clips from shows we’d appeared in, interview excerpts, radio show moments...
It’s way too much to get into all the details here, so here’s a summary of the key points:

 

65.
Beginning: Two young rookies in the entertainment industry—one cold, talented, and responsible; the other innocent and naïve, unfamiliar with the ways of the world. Their first meeting is etched into eternity—a single glance sparks a million questions. Is it fate? Is it love? It’s the red thread of destiny that tangles and binds them tightly.
Development: They stumble forward, hand in hand. As they grow, their wounds, sweat, and tears share the same hue. They support each other, coexist, and when they look at each other, they see only the other… and the bright glow of hope.
Turning point: Gradually, their feelings become impossible to hide. But they lack the strength or means to face the consequences. So, with one final look brimming with meaning, they understand that this love already carries its own weight. They raise their glasses, wish each other well, and turn away—heading in opposite directions, soaring through their own skies. From then on, they walk separate paths, pretending to be indifferent, all while hiding under the surface a storm of embers and crashing waves.
Conclusion: A story written in deep ink—still being written.

 

66.
I.
Am.
In Shock.

 

67.
Seriously, I’m speechless.
Isn’t this way too believable?!
Hello?! Can someone put on a track for me—quick! Play “The Truth Untold”!
Especially when I saw this montage:
They ask me about my ideal type. I smile and say, “Tall, slim, ambitious… and someone who’s only soft with me.”
Cut to an interview snippet of Gu Yiliang: “If I fall in love, I’ll only change for my partner. I’ll stay the same with everyone else. And love will never take me away from my career.”
I was so stunned, my sheet mask almost slipped off. Thank goodness I caught it just in time. That would’ve been a waste.

 

68.
Since the beginning of our careers, there had been countless “messages sent from afar” like that.
At first, I thought the fanbase just randomly slapped two guys together into a CP, but I didn’t expect the whole thing to be so well-constructed.

 

69.
I was born in a coastal city. In one program, I jokingly said I was the son of the sea. Not long after, Gu Yiliang posted on Weibo about his favorite fairytale: The Little Mermaid.
In a radio show, Gu Yiliang mentioned that he’d always wanted to visit Amsterdam, but work kept him too busy. Shortly after, I posted an old photo from a vacation in the Netherlands on Instagram, captioned with the lyrics: “I took a train from Brussels to Amsterdam…”
Once, I hurt my ankle while filming and made a Weibo post to complain. One of Gu Yiliang’s industry friends uploaded a video of him catching a kitten that was about to fall off a bed and gently saying: “You’re not being careful.”
…

70.
Some people are still alive, but they’re already dead.
Some are dead, but they’re still alive.

 

71.
Some people have never been together, and yet they’ve already been “together” for three years?!?

 

72.
But why?
We’d debuted three years ago, and our real-life interactions were nearly non-existent—let alone any public chemistry. And yet somehow, we’d managed to attract a massive CP fanbase, with a staggering amount of content. Isn’t that strange?
I analysed the situation and came to two main conclusions.
We were both really, really good-looking.

These people were incredibly skilled at digging up information, creating content, and manipulating minds.

Even I had almost fallen victim to them.

73.

I had consumed so much sugary content that I began to question reality itself, feeling drained after the emotional roller-coaster, my phone still in hand, drifting on the edge of sleep.

Suddenly, my phone started vibrating frenetically, jolting me awake.
I looked at the screen—
Notification after notification.

 

74.

Your baby @GuYiliang_Liam is online [Weibo]
Your baby @GuYiliang_Liam is online [Weibo]
Your baby @GuYiliang_Liam is online [Weibo]
Your baby @GuYiliang_Liam is online [Weibo]
Your baby @GuYiliang_Liam followed @WeiYanzi_William
Your baby @GuYiliang_Liam posted on Weibo
Your baby @GuYiliang_Liam tagged @WeiYanzi_William in a Weibo post

 

75.

Expressionless, I unlocked my phone, checked Weibo, typed out a reply, shared the post, then locked my phone again.
I got up calmly, walked into the bathroom, took off my face mask, washed my face, brushed my teeth thoroughly for five minutes, and finished by applying moisturizer.

 

76.

Then I dove head-first onto my bed.

 

Translator : DarNan