Trauma

Su Xin's expression suddenly froze.

He looked up in disbelief, silently parting his lips: 'You......'

Before he could finish, the light overhead suddenly flickered twice, and then the area in front of them lit up again.

Su Xin's voice cut off abruptly.

He watched Liang Shining shield Ying Huai entirely behind him, his expression guarded with an indescribable hint of possessiveness.

Su Xin's brow twitched.

He felt something was off somewhere.

Su Xin opened his mouth to ask something, but the next second, Lu Jing and Xin Wan both ran over and, without asking, also blocked themselves in front of Ying Huai.

Su Xin's brow twitched, but the next second, his expression quickly darkened.

'Fine, Lu Jing. You guys planned this long ago, conspiring together to frame me, right?'

Lu Jing frowned: 'Xiao Xin, calm down first—'

Seeing that Ying Huai's condition had been poor the whole time, he turned and gave Liang Shining a look, signaling him to take Ying Huai back first.

Liang Shining nodded at Lu Jing, supported Ying Huai, and turned to walk back.

Seeing this, Su Xin behind them frowned and tried to follow, but was directly blocked by Lu Jing and Xin Wan.

'Get out of the way.' Su Xin gritted his teeth.

Looking at Lu Jing and Xin Wan's expressions, he belatedly realized something.

'Lu ge, have you all lost your minds?' Su Xin's footsteps paused, and he let out a cold laugh.

'You've forgotten how Ying Huai treated you before. Back then we were so close to debuting, and Ying Huai took it all away...'

'That was a misunderstanding, Xiao Xin.'

Lu Jing said quietly: 'Xiao Huai was forced by someone to go to Lu's. I can testify, he didn't do it on purpose...'

Xin Wan beside them suddenly turned his head. Su Xin was startled. After a long moment, his expression cooled again.

'Shixiong, you've all been deceived by Ying Huai.'

Su Xin took a step back, his expression angry and confused: 'You believe everything Ying Huai says with just one word. Have you all forgotten how angry you were when he left back then?'

'Weren't you the angriest one back then, Xiao Xin? And now haven't you come looking for him yourself?'

The moment Su Xin finished speaking, Xin Wan beside him couldn't help but interject.

Su Xin's angry voice cut off abruptly.

—He had indeed come specifically to participate in this show because of Ying Huai.

Su Xin and Ying Huai were the two youngest in the group, usually the closest to Ying Huai, and the ones who could least accept his sudden departure.

'What we're saying is all true, Xiao Xin.' Lu Jing stepped forward and spoke sincerely. 'If you don't listen to us... you'll regret it later.'

Su Xin's expression paused.

He raised his head to look at Lu Jing, frowned at him for a few seconds, then let out another cold laugh: 'Wait and see who'll regret it, shixiong.'

Su Xin walked out without looking back.

Lu Jing stood in place in silence for a long moment, then let out a silent sigh.

He turned around wanting to check on Ying Huai again, but felt someone grab his wrist.

Lu Jing was startled. He turned back and met Xin Wan's teasing, slightly grave expression.

'Su Xin doesn't want to hear it, but I do.' Xin Wan grabbed Lu Jing and spoke through gritted teeth. 'Why don't Lu shixiong explain to me first how you know all this?'

'Since when has Lu shixiong been so close with Liang Shining?'

Xin Wan had a vague guess in his heart, but for the moment didn't dare confirm it completely.

He waited for Lu Jing to explain, but saw Lu Jing's brow twitch as he said through gritted teeth: 'Next time I let you drink, I... you're a dog.'

Xin Wan: ???

·

Meanwhile, Liang Shining had just helped Ying Huai back to the room when he felt the person beside him suddenly go limp.

Liang Shining's face changed instantly: 'Ying Huai!'

He caught the person in his arms and helped him sit back on the bed.

Ying Huai's face was pale. He seemed to have lost all his strength, his body going soft like water, unable to sit up at all, continuously slumping down.

Liang Shining held the person entirely in his arms before barely managing to keep him upright.

He was about to call Song Si Lan, but the next second felt a cold hand suddenly grip his wrist.

'I'm fine...'

Ying Huai took a low, shaky breath, pointed at a Medicine Bottle on the table, '...help me get that.'

Liang Shining reached out, but when he picked it up, he realized it wasn't the heart medication he was familiar with.

'What is this?' Liang Shining frowned.

Ying Huai said nothing. He reached out, took the Medicine Bottle directly, tipped out two pills, and without hesitation put them straight into his mouth.

Liang Shining's expression shifted.

He reached out to take the Medicine Bottle back, but Ying Huai had already put it straight back into his pocket.

'What is this, shifu?' Liang Shining pressed Ying Huai's pulse and asked quietly.

Ying Huai's eyes flickered.

'It's nothing, just ordinary medication for palpitations.' He raised his head and smiled at Liang Shining.

Liang Shining's expression clearly carried disbelief.

But before he could say anything, the next second he saw Ying Huai use the wall for support, swaying as he stood up, and push him straight toward the door.

'It's getting late, hurry back to your room to rest. Today's stage was hard work...'

Liang Shining was startled.

Ying Huai's fingers were ice-cold. Even though he tried hard to hide it, his body still trembled uncontrollably.

Liang Shining quickly grabbed the door frame. Ying Huai's pushing motion became unsteady for a moment, he stumbled, and instead was caught by Liang Shining once again.

'I'm not going back.' Liang Shining said quietly.

'I already spoke with Su Yun. I'm switching rooms with him tonight.'

Ying Huai was taken aback. He raised his head in some bewilderment: 'Why are you switching rooms? Staying here...'

'I'm staying here to take care of you.'

Ying Huai's head was spinning, and for the moment he couldn't sort out the hidden cause and effect.

He raised his eyes with some amusement and, out of habit, drawled lazily: 'Why would you take care of me? What are you to me? I don't need...'

Before he could finish, he heard Liang Shining quietly interrupt: 'Shifu.'

Ying Huai was startled, and a subtle something flashed across his expression for a moment.

—Right.

—Liang Shining was his disciple again now.

Ying Huai's movement paused. He stared at Liang Shining oddly for a few seconds and lightly clenched his teeth.

—How had he let his heart soften just now and agreed to Liang Shining?

He turned his head and watched Liang Shining walk back into the room with a composed expression, skillfully pour him warm water and take out the Medicine Bottle. For a moment he really felt like he was back in the days when they used to film the show.

For a moment Ying Huai wanted to relent and let Liang Shining stay in the room, but the next second, the dizziness before his eyes made him instantly retract the thought.

Ying Huai reached out to steady himself against the wall, took a deep breath, stepped forward and grabbed Liang Shining's wrist.

'You're my disciple. What kind of nonsense are you doing here?' Ying Huai glanced at him with a half-smile and drawled.

'Or...does Mr. Liang still want to be my boyfriend?'

He thought he could scare Liang Shining away like before, but didn't expect the person before him to only pause for a moment before calmly raising his head: 'May I?'

Ying Huai: ......???

The tips of his ears flushed red in an instant.

'No.' Ying Huai gritted his teeth.

The moment his words fell, he watched a visible flicker of disappointment cross Liang Shining's expression.

Ying Huai: ?

But when he tried to look more closely, he saw Liang Shining had already raised his head again with a composed expression, placing the warm water and medicine directly in front of him.

Ying Huai's brow twitched.

He reached out to take the medicine: 'I'll take it in a bit. You go find Su Yun first—'

'Then let me feed shifu.' Liang Shining raised his head and said calmly. 'Once shifu's done, I'll go find Su Yun.'

Ying Huai: ........

—Though he didn't want to admit it, this was the first time Liang Shining had left him speechless.

He was usually used to avoiding Liang Shining, and now that he had rarely encountered Liang Shining being so 'unreasonably persistent,' he actually felt a bit flustered.

He took a deep breath, swallowed the handful of medicine whole, and turned to sit back on the bed.

'Is that good enough now?' Ying Huai narrowed his eyes, raising his head with a half-smile.

He had been expecting Liang Shining to keep making a fuss, but the next second he saw the man before him nod, set down the cup, and walk straight out.

Ying Huai was startled for a moment.

An inexplicable wave of loss flashed through him. He opened his mouth instinctively to call the man back, but another wave of dizziness forced him to stop the words at his lips.

Ying Huai pressed his brow, curling his lips in self-mockery.

—Never mind.

—No need to let Liang Shining see that.

The effects of the medicine gradually washed over him. Ying Huai slowly lay down, curling himself little by little into the blankets.

—No need to scare his newly-accepted disciple away again on the very first day.

·

'Shifu, Su Yun's already asleep......'

A few minutes later, Liang Shining, who had been wandering around the doorway, pushed the door open again.

But before he could finish speaking, he caught sight of the scene inside the room and his voice cut off abruptly.

Ying Huai lay on the bed, eyes quietly closed, one hand hanging limply over the edge—he was already fast asleep.

Liang Shining's steps paused slightly. He frowned.

When Ying Huai had been trying to drive him away earlier, he had already realized Ying Huai must be hiding something from him.

He had originally planned to wait until Ying Huai's emotions settled, then go back and probe the matter indirectly. He hadn't expected Ying Huai to fall asleep so quickly.

Liang Shining had a vague premonition of unease in his heart, but after keeping watch for an hour, Ying Huai's condition still seemed stable.

Liang Shining silently exhaled, left the hallway light on, and slowly lay back down on the bed.

·

When Liang Shining woke again, it was to a burst of rapid breathing that startled him awake.

His mind hadn't yet caught up, but his body had already sensed something was wrong.

Liang Shining sat up abruptly, quickly rolling out of bed: 'Ying Huai?'

The person beside him gave no response.

Ying Huai knelt on the bed, face pale, eyes vacant and fixed on some spot, completely unresponsive to Liang Shining's words.

Liang Shining's heart sank slightly.

He reached out and turned on the room light. The sudden brightness made Liang Shining squint involuntarily, but he paid it no mind, still looking straight at Ying Huai.

In just one glance, he suddenly realized something was off again.

—Ying Huai had no reaction to the light at all.

The hand at Liang Shining's side trembled uncontrollably.

'Ying Huai?' Liang Shining half-knelt before him. 'Can you see me?'

The person before him trembled slightly, slowly turning his head.

'.......Liang Shining?'

Ying Huai's voice carried a trace of confusion. 'Why are you here.......'

Liang Shining looked at his unfocused eyes, and his heart sank rapidly.

But he steadied his emotions with effort, took out his phone, and spoke calmly: 'We're filming a variety show right now, we're sharing a room, the power's out. I'm going to call Song Si Lan—wait here for me, okay...'

'That's not right.'

Before Liang Shining could finish, he suddenly heard Ying Huai speak in confusion: 'Didn't I go blind a long time ago?'

Liang Shining's pupils contracted.

He paused for two seconds, then said quietly: 'Where are you right now, Ying Huai?'

He listened as Ying Huai spoke in a voice both dazed and certain: '.......I'm at the Sanatorium.'

Liang Shining's expression changed instantly.

But before he could say anything, after a few seconds, he watched Ying Huai's entire body begin to shake violently: 'You need to leave.'

He spoke while fumbling to push Liang Shining away: 'You shouldn't be here, leave quickly.......'

Liang Shining's body swayed from the push.

He listened as Ying Huai's breathing grew increasingly rapid, anxious, and the next second, he finally heard Song Si Lan's familiar voice from behind.

'What's wrong?'

Liang Shining turned his head sharply.

'He can't see.'

Song Si Lan's expression shifted.

He quickly stepped forward and half-knelt before Ying Huai.

Liang Shining spoke urgently: 'He was asleep just now, but for some reason he suddenly woke with a start. His mind isn't very clear right now, and.......'

'Similar to Ying Qi's nightmares from before.' Song Si Lan said quietly.

He looked at Ying Huai, then suddenly raised his head and pressed hard on the web between his thumb and index finger and his philtrum at the same time.

The person on the bed felt the pain, let out a low muffled groan, and suddenly covered his mouth as he choked and coughed.

After a few seconds, Liang Shining watched Ying Huai raise his head and frown at him: 'Cough cough cough.......Liang Shining?'

'Why are you......still awake?' Ying Huai's voice was hoarse as he spoke quietly.

'Didn't you just go find Su Yun......'

Before Ying Huai could finish, Song Si Lan suddenly stepped forward and put another pill into his mouth.

Ying Huai's mind couldn't quite catch up. He instinctively swallowed the pill, his body swayed, and he slowly tilted to the side.

Liang Shining rose quickly to catch him, only then realizing he had broken out in a cold sweat.

'No, I just walked around the doorway, didn't go find Su Yun.' Liang Shining felt the person beside him unconsciously gripping his sleeve tightly, paused, and spoke quietly.

Ying Huai's eyes were slightly closed. Hearing this, he seemed to curl his lips faintly.

Liang Shining checked his pulse, and couldn't help asking quietly: 'Your eyes......are they okay?'

Ying Huai's body shifted slightly.

He seemed somewhat dazed, lifting his eyelids tiredly to glance at Liang Shining: 'My eyes......what's wrong with them?'

Liang Shining said nothing. He looked up at Song Si Lan. Song Si Lan's expression was grave, and he gave Liang Shining a slight shake of his head.

'Nothing, I was just worried the light was too bright for your eyes.' Liang Shining said softly.

'Do you feel anywhere......'

Before he could finish, he suddenly felt the head of the person in his arms silently tilt to one side, eyes slowly closing.

Liang Shining's expression changed sharply: 'Ying Huai—'

He reached out to check Ying Huai's chest, but the next second, saw Song Si Lan step forward and count his pulse.

'He's fine, he's just asleep.' Song Si Lan examined Ying Huai's condition and silently exhaled.

'What I just gave him was a sedative. His emotions are unstable right now—if he remembers what just happened, his heart might not be able to take it.' Song Si Lan said quietly.

Liang Shining's expression was a mix of shock and uncertainty: 'So his eyes earlier were because of his heart......'

Song Si Lan shook his head: 'Probably not.'

'I checked him just the other day when he had an episode. His cardiac function hasn't deteriorated to that extent yet,' Song Si Lan said, frowning. 'It should be psychogenic stress response.'

'He likely has very severe psychological trauma, and this time the stimulus may have been too intense, which caused PTSD or a panic attack.'

Liang Shining's expression darkened slightly.

Song Si Lan took a deep breath and looked up at Liang Shining: 'So what happened today? Do you know what caused it?'

Liang Shining closed his eyes briefly.

'I'm not sure about the specific trigger,' he said quietly, 'but it might be.......singing and darkness.'

Song Si Lan was startled. He couldn't help blurting out: 'Singing? But isn't Ying Huai......'

Liang Shining said nothing, his expression falling silent again.

Song Si Lan instantly understood.

—It was because of all that online hate from before.

Song Si Lan frowned, listening as Liang Shining said quietly: 'Is there any way to treat it?'

'I'm not a psychiatrist, I can't confirm exactly how serious Ying Huai's condition is right now.' Song Si Lan shook his head slightly.

'He should have been on medication to manage it, but it's likely his treatment plan hasn't been adjusted in a long time, which is why he's been having frequent episodes recently.'

Song Si Lan watched Liang Shining help the person slowly lie down, and slowly rubbed his brow.

'I know a psychologist. I'll have him come over sometime to take a look at Ying Huai's condition.'

At this point Song Si Lan seemed to think of something, and a flash of irritation crossed his expression: 'But it'll have to wait a couple of days.'

'Why?' Liang Shining rarely saw Song Si Lan show that expression. He turned his head at the sound. 'Is he hard to invite?'

'No,' Song Si Lan said expressionlessly. 'I just simply don't want to go find him.'

Song Si Lan took a deep breath: 'Because he's an absolute idiot.'

Liang Shining: .......?

·

Because Song Fengyi caused too much public controversy, the production team had no choice but to directly delete all footage of Song Fengyi from this episode and revoke his participation eligibility.

This episode of the variety show was forced to end early. The next morning, the production team arranged cars to send everyone home.

Lu Jing and Xin Wan were bickering again along the way. Ying Huai sat in the back row of the car, yawned, and was inexplicably curious about what those two argued about all day.

He leaned half against Liang Shining's shoulder, sat up slightly, and listened quietly for a few seconds. An oddly strange expression crossed his face.

'Why am I the dog?' Xin Wan gritted their teeth, looking at Lu Jing. 'I drank until I blacked out and said some drunken nonsense. Instead of warning me when you heard it, you blamed me instead. Shouldn't you be the dog?'

'Didn't I warn you?' Lu Jing's brow twitched.

He lowered his voice: 'How many times have I warned you, openly and subtly? Every time you stupidly steered the conversation away. How would I know if you're playing dumb or actually dumb? Calling you a dog is doing you a favor—even a dog's IQ is higher than yours—'

Xin Wan's face turned red with anger: 'I'm actually dumb... no, I just didn't react in time. Can't you just—'

Ying Huai listened for a long time but still couldn't figure out what Lu Jing and Xin Wan's core point actually was.

He paused, then inexplicably looked up at Liang Shining: 'Are they fighting over who's the dog?'

Lu Jing and Xin Wan's bickering abruptly stopped. Liang Shining glanced up at them and said quietly: 'No.'

He thought about what Lu Jing had told him about Xin Wan that morning, glanced at the two of them leisurely, and began to speak unhurriedly.

'They're both dogs.'

Lu Jing, Xin Wan: ??

·

Ying Huai hadn't slept well the night before after all. Halfway through the drive, he couldn't help but fall into a deep sleep.

His blood oxygen tended to drop when he slept. Before long, his breathing grew faintly rapid.

Lu Jing, who had been watching Ying Huai's condition from the front, turned around at the sound. He frowned at the sight of Ying Huai and said quietly: 'We should wake Xiao Huai...'

Before he could finish, he saw Liang Shining skillfully lift the person up, position Ying Huai facing him and half-draped over his shoulder, and rub his chest in slow clockwise circles.

Lu Jing was stunned for a moment. He watched Ying Huai's breathing gradually steady, and Ying Huai slightly tilted his head, nestling against Liang Shining's neck and falling back into a deep sleep.

'It's fine. His heart doesn't pump enough blood when he's asleep, so sometimes he has trouble catching his breath.' Liang Shining said quietly.

He raised a hand to block the sunlight falling on Ying Huai and slowly drew the side curtain closed. Suddenly he noticed Lu Jing looking at him with a strange expression.

Liang Shining frowned slightly: 'What is it?'

'Is there really nothing going on between you and Xiao Huai...?' Lu Jing asked quietly.

Liang Shining paused. The silly Xin Wan next to him also leaned over curiously: 'What's going on? Who's bullying little shidi—'

Before he could finish, Lu Jing unhesitatingly slapped a hand over them and pushed them back.

Lu Jing stared at Liang Shining. Liang Shining said nothing. After a long moment, he slowly lowered his eyes: 'Ying Huai is my shifu.'

'That's all there is to it.'

Lu Jing's expression shifted.

He thought back to the scene he'd witnessed when the group had been drinking that day, frowned, and said quietly: 'Then that day you...'

Before he could finish, he saw the person in Liang Shining's arms stir slightly.

Liang Shining's brow furrowed instantly. Lu Jing quickly fell silent. A few seconds later, hearing Ying Huai's breathing steady again,

'There wasn't.'

Liang Shining tilted Ying Huai's head toward his side, gently covered his ears, and looked at Lu Jing with a warning as he spoke quietly.

'Ying Huai is my shifu, and... that's all he should be.'

Liang Shining looked at Lu Jing, speaking slowly and deliberately: 'Don't tell him anything. This is something I... we owe him.'

Lu Jing's expression darkened. After a long moment, he slowly nodded.

·

Ying Huai slept unusually soundly this time.

Just after waking, he was still a bit out of it. He followed Liang Shining in a daze all the way to the front door before belatedly realizing something was off.

'Why are you following us?' Ying Huai turned around, looking at the four people silently trailing behind him, and asked in bewilderment.

'Let me be clear first—I'm here because of your health.' Song Si Lan dragged his suitcase forward without stopping, speaking unhurriedly. 'Living nearby saves me from running over in the middle of the night.'

Ying Huai paused, then gave Song Si Lan a guilty smile.

'The variety show ended early this time, and I happen to be free these two days,' Xin Wan said with a grin, sidling up. 'Came to hang out with little shidi for a couple of days.'

Ying Huai's brow twitched.

'If you're free, go home and rest. Don't come to me...'

'Going home is work,' Lu Jing next to him raised his head, looking at Ying Huai as he spoke quietly. 'Xiao Huai, could you let us hide out at your place for a bit?'

A faint, almost imperceptible sadness lingered in Lu Jing's expression. The refusal Ying Huai had on the tip of his tongue stalled, and inexplicably he couldn't bring himself to say it.

.......For the first time, he realized Lu Jing had the potential to play the green tea bitch.

Ying Huai was silent for two seconds, then suddenly laughed: 'I'd love to let my shixiongs hide out too.'

'But this is Teacher Liang's house. I can't make that call...'

Before he could finish, he heard Liang Shining say quietly: 'You can.'

Ying Huai: ???

He turned his head in disbelief: 'What did you say?'

Liang Shining said nothing.

He opened the door. The fat Bouquet, who hadn't seen anyone in days, immediately rushed out, circled Ying Huai's feet, meowed, raised a paw, and placed its front paws on Ying Huai's calf, asking to be picked up.

Ying Huai's attention was immediately diverted. He instinctively crouched down to pick up the fat Bouquet, but the moment he bent over, a wave of blackness washed over his vision.

Ying Huai frowned. Liang Shining understandingly stepped forward to steady him. The next second, Xin Wan beside them reached out and, with some effort, lifted the fat Bouquet up.

Ying Huai: ???

'Little shidi's not feeling well, so I'll carry you in,' Xin Wan said, scooping the fat Bouquet entirely into their arms. Their face contorted almost imperceptibly. 'Oh my god, how heavy are you...'

Ying Huai next to them turned his head expressionlessly, and Xin Wan's words instantly took a turn.

'—How light you are.'

Ying Huai couldn't help but curve his lips. Xin Wan's eyes instantly lit up. They bounced the fat Bouquet in their arms and, ignoring the slap they'd just taken to the face, ran straight inside.

Lu Jing next to them also quickly walked off, with Su Xin silently following behind.

Ying Huai looked up and held his gaze for a few seconds, then said with a half-smile: 'Shixiong isn't planning to go in too, is he?'

Su Xin's expression cooled.

—He wasn't sure why he'd inexplicably followed Ying Huai all the way here.

He looked at Ying Huai and said through gritted teeth: 'How did you trick Lu Jing and the others?'

Ying Huai paused.

He looked at Su Xin and said sincerely: 'I want to know that too.'

—He was also very curious what had suddenly gotten into Lu Jing and Xin Wan.

But Su Xin only felt that Ying Huai was tricking him again.

Su Xin took a deep breath and was just about to turn around when he heard Ying Huai's lazy voice behind him: 'If shixiong wants to leave, go ahead. No need to see you out—'

Su Xin's brow twitched.

Before Ying Huai could finish, he saw Su Xin suddenly turn around and walk inside without looking back.

Ying Huai: ?

Liang Shining beside him silently breathed a sigh of relief and reached out to help Ying Huai bring his things inside, when he suddenly heard a teasing voice from the side.

'Liang Shining.'

Ying Huai stood with arms crossed, leaning half against the doorframe, and said slowly: 'Aren't you going to explain this to me?'

Liang Shining's movements stalled.

He turned his head to look at Ying Huai, only to see Ying Huai looking at him with an unreadable half-smile, his expression giving nothing away.

Liang Shining silently opened his mouth.

Song Si Lan's words from that night floated back into his mind.

'Also... Ying Huai's mental state isn't quite right. He usually looks lazy, but his first reaction to anything is to hide it. That kind of emotion just builds up heavier and heavier.'

'It's best not to let him be alone. Find opportunities to let him gradually desensitize.'

Song Si Lan thought for a moment, then raised his head: 'We can start with livestreaming. The online discourse has calmed down a lot recently. You can help him watch the comments so he gradually gets used to being in a public environment.'

'You can bring Lu Jing and the others along. From what I've observed, Ying Huai tends to relax a bit more when there are people around and things are lively. It also gives you a chance to help clarify some facts for him.'

'But don't tell Ying Huai about this,' Song Si Lan took a deep breath and said slowly. 'Ying Huai's emotions are unstable right now. Let him adapt on his own slowly. If he's stimulated again, it could backfire.'

Liang Shining looked at Ying Huai, his thoughts racing.

He suddenly said softly: 'The house is too quiet. I'm... not used to it.'

A strange look flashed across Ying Huai's face.

Liang Shining bit his lip, and forced himself to continue: 'Shifu, promise me... please?'

Ying Huai stared at him without speaking.

The unease in Liang Shining's heart deepened.

He opened his mouth to try to add something more, but saw Ying Huai turn around and walk inside without another word.

'Okay.'

Liang Shining paused, and couldn't help the smile that crept into his eyes.

·

It had to be said, with Lu Jing and Xin Wan there, the whole house came alive in an instant.

Ying Huai sat cross-legged on the sofa, listening to Xin Wan and Lu Jing argue all the way from what to make for dinner to whether Bouquet should be fed shrimp or chicken.

'Little shidi, want to do a livestream for a bit later?'

Xin Wan failed to wrestle Bouquet away from Lu Jing, and sulkily scooted over to Ying Huai.

'Lu Jing insists our Bouquet is fat. I'm not convinced. Let's do a livestream and let the fans judge...'

Ying Huai glanced at Xin Wan and lazily yawned: 'No.'

Xin Wan said aggrievedly: 'But fans are asking for it...'

'If you want to do it, you do it. No one's asking me to...'

'Who says?'

The moment Ying Huai finished speaking, he heard Xin Wan say excitedly.

'Haven't you checked Weibo? So many people have been asking you to livestream. Some have even come to me.'

Ying Huai was startled.

He watched Xin Wan pull out their phone and tap to the bottom of Ying Huai's latest Weibo post.

[@77: Aaah my Huai Huai finally posted on Weibo, wuwuwuwu!]

[@IWantToHugBouquet: Teacher Xiao Huai, when are you going to livestream? Let's just livestream ourselves, avoid that sb Director.]

[@LockMyCP: Huai Huai, what happened between you and Teacher Liang? Can you give us the details!]

[@PuppyLovesYou: Although I'm Teacher Liang's fan... Teacher Liang's shifu is my shifu (bushi). Anyway, came to support Teacher Ying Huai!]

[@XiaoHuaiIsMine: Xiao Huai used to livestream for us all the time, ugh I really miss it.]

[@HuaiHuaiSleepsNextToMe: Sis, your ID is bold... Huai Huai, go for the livestream! I'm here for you!]

[@LittleColdMeow: Sis, your ID... is also pretty bold QAQ.]

Ying Huai looked a bit stunned.

Before the internet turned against him, he had genuinely enjoyed livestreaming and chatting with fans.

Every first of the month, without fail, he'd share new songs and bits of daily life.

But after everything that happened later, Ying Huai barely even went on Weibo anymore.

Earlier, because of Liang Shining, he couldn't help reposting that Weibo. Until now, he hadn't dared look at the comments. He hadn't expected the comment section to be... this kind of scene.

His eyes flickered, but he still shook his head: 'No.'

'That Weibo was just an exception, just a small group of people...'

Before he could finish, he watched Xin Wan tap out of that Weibo and open another one.

It was the voting Weibo the Director's team had originally posted.

Because the Director's team later directly revoked Song Fengyi's eligibility, Ying Huai's and Lu Jing's two groups automatically became the top two.

But the broadcast had ended in such a rush that the Director's team hadn't had time to close the online voting channel.

By the time they realized, Ying Huai's group's vote count had already pulled tens of thousands ahead of Song Fengyi's.

Xin Wan scrolled through several pages of comments. Apart from praising Ying Huai, they were all cursing Song Fengyi.

'Little shidi, are you at ease now?' Xin Wan put away their phone and stood up with a grin.

Seeing Ying Huai sitting with lowered eyes and silent, they immediately stood up: 'I'll go set up the livestream equipment, and wrestle Bouquet back while I'm at it...'

Ying Huai said nothing.

He looked down at the phone beside him, slowly picked it up and opened that Weibo. He hesitated, but in the end still didn't open the comments.

·

In the end, Ying Huai still didn't agree to do a livestream himself, but tacitly allowed Liang Shining to do one.

The moment the livestream started, over 100,000 fans flooded into the room.

Forget negative comments, you couldn't even read a single bullet comment.

Ying Huai's eyes went blurry from looking, so he simply curled up in the back and let Xin Wan chat with the bullet comments on his behalf.

'What are you saying? How can you call the kitty fat?' Xin Wan rubbed Bouquet's belly, grimaced as they dodged its swat, then said seriously.

'I think every day that he doesn't eat enough.'

[Love is always feeling you owe them... but then again, what do you owe this cat?]

[If you don't feed him more... this ton of a cat, I'm afraid he'll get the three highs.]

[He looks like he hasn't eaten in 30 seconds, poor half-trailer piggy kitty.]

Ying Huai listened to Xin Wan chatting with the bullet comments, and couldn't help a smile tugging at his lips.

'This counts as a team-building, right? But we'll only stream for a bit, then we need to make dinner. Who's cooking? Of course it's me. Little shidi hasn't even tried my cooking yet...' Xin Wan said confidently, watching the comments.

'Don't talk nonsense. Is your cooking even edible?' Before Xin Wan could finish, Lu Jing scoffed.

Xin Wan's eyebrow twitched.

The livestream chat was going wild with laughter.

[Stop arguing! Fight! I want to see!]

[Play a game to decide! I'm afraid fighting will get the stream banned, but just secretly send me the fight video separately, my email is—]

Xin Wan read this comment and suddenly had an idea.

The next second, before Ying Huai could react, he saw Xin Wan turn around and pull him to the front.

'Come on, little shidi, let's play a game.'

Ying Huai looked up in bewilderment as Xin Wan stepped aside and pushed him in front of the camera.

Ying Huai instinctively scooted back, but Liang Shining had somehow sat behind him, and Ying Huai ended up sitting right in his lap.

The bullet comments paused for a moment, then started scrolling wildly.

Ying Huai's ear tips reddened. He bit his lip and sat back in front again.

'Fans want to see us split into two teams and play hide-and-seek in some 5v5 mobile game. The winning team is in charge of cooking and feeding the cat later, the losing team has to spill some secrets.'

...No matter how Ying Huai heard it, something about that sentence felt off.

Xin Wan counted the people and turned to look at Song Si Lan nearby.

'Dr. Song, come join us too?'

'I won't participate.' Song Si Lan, head down typing something on his phone, waved his hand without looking up. 'I don't know how.'

'I won't participate either,' Ying Huai rubbed Bouquet's belly and lazily yawned. 'I don't know how to play games. This is just a roundabout way of making me lose to you...'

'How could that be? I'll carry you, little shidi.' Xin Wan said smugly. 'Besides, we're just playing the simplest hide-and-seek. No skill required.'

They turned to Song Si Lan again: 'Dr. Song, if you don't come we can't make even numbers. It's fine, you and little shidi will balance each other out.'

Ying Huai: ??

He stared at Song Si Lan for a few seconds, narrowed his eyes, and suddenly said: 'You have a point.'

—Song Si Lan had just added another week to his confinement yesterday. Ying Huai's protests had been useless. Now he'd finally found a good way to 'get back' at him.

Song Si Lan: ...?

He turned around and saw Ying Huai, as expected, curve his eyes in a half-smile.

'Dr. Song refusing, could it be that you have some unspeakable secret?'

Song Si Lan had already been arguing himself hoarse with the Psychologist across from him. Provoked now, he rose to the bait instantly.

'What unspeakable secret would I have?'

Song Si Lan said as he put down his phone and walked to the livestream. The next second, something seemed to occur to him, and he suddenly laughed slowly.

'You shouldn't mind if I bring in a champion ringer, right?'

As he spoke, he opened his phone and switched to a chat window labeled [Yu Sheng].