Shen Li’s shots had effectively siphoned off some of the scorching heat from Qian Xingzhi’s exploding hot topics, easing the pressure a bit.
Just five hours after the show went live, the hot searches were dominating the charts like weeds sprouting endlessly after a spring rain—one batch barely cleared before the next popped up.
Geng Qiuqiu was like a sneaky critter in a melon patch. She’d scroll through one topic, swipe away, and bam—another fresh tag appeared, all of them right up her alley!
Anyone else get this kind of thrill?
Meanwhile, she lounged on her foldable bed, legs crossed, thumbs flying across her screen with a weird grin on her face. She slapped together old tags from her binge-scrolling spree with the brand-new ones hyping Shen Li, firing off a post at lightning speed:
【@IsGoodQiuqiuNotBadQiuqiu: #QianXingzhiDatedOnce# #ShenLiShooting# #ShenLiSoHandsome# [lewd] Whoa whoa [lewd] Anyone else think Shen Li and Great Film Emperor Qian are a perfect match? Feast for the face fans! Any Photoshop wizards wanna whip up their wedding pics?!】
Her Weibo post vanished into the real-time hot topic flood almost instantly, without a single reply or like.
But she couldn’t care less. In fact, she was having a blast.
After pumping out several more 【Shen Li x Qian Xingzhi】 ship posts following the same recipe, Geng Qiuqiu noticed that while a small handful of netizens were still dissecting Qian Xingzhi’s odd look at Shen Li—the way he’d reacted to the leg injury mention, which screamed “Ex-Husband Bro” vibes—such sharp-eyed fans were few and far between. They got buried under a barrage of Qian’s girlfriend stans spamming the screens, too scattered to stand out. Even casual passersby who’d sensed a spark of chemistry had lost interest.
Bottom line: Not many people were solidly shipping this pair yet!
So what?!
What kind of person was Geng Qiuqiu?
She was someone who’d peeped through enough keyholes to know the world!
Today! Since Movie Emperor Qian had dared to pin her Uncle Shen against the door in the dead of night—left kiss, right lick!
Tomorrow! She had every reason to believe this couple’s ship would deliver the sweets!
Was it too early, like the Arctic winter?
Nah!
Worth investing in! Guaranteed jackpot!
No CP feed yet?
Even less of an issue!
The working masses’ hands were made for churning out content!
Who can’t cook up some fan stuff?
Photoshop pics, fanart, fic, edits—what’s the big deal?
Even if she couldn’t do it now, she could learn! Way easier than high school math, right?
Geng Qiuqiu did a carp leap to sit up. She checked the time, set rice steaming in the pot, prepped the veggies, and tidied every wipeable and moppable spot in the house—though she left all the personal items untouched.
Once done, she glanced at the clock again, fired up a Photoshop tutorial on A Station, streamed the live broadcast of “Broke Defense? Ex-Husband Bro” on Aunt Lin’s computer, and pulled up editing lessons on her phone. Left hand, right hand—she dove in with glee.
Right then.
The program group switched their biggest camera feed to the observation room after a one-hour break.
The live chat’s first view was Qian Xingzhi’s impeccably handsome face!
Geng Qiuqiu’s hand jerked. She quickly hit her newly learned screen record, thinking it’d make great material later. She caught Yao Shuang asking Qian Xingzhi his take on Shen Li’s performance:
“Very eye-catching.”
When Qian Xingzhi uttered those three words, his face was coldly handsome, his expression steely. But look closer—his Adam’s apple bobbed faintly, his gaze locked unblinkingly on Shen Li in the screen. That usual icy stare softened just a touch. Yao Shuang was about to chime in when Qian Xingzhi—uncharacteristically—cut her off, unable to hold back as he added six more words:
“Very beautiful. Looks great.”
“Uh,” Yao Shuang smirked ambiguously, still playing it up with a tease at Qian Xingzhi’s expense. “I know my ex-husband’s good-looking. What, you like him too?”
“Hmph.”
Qian Xingzhi tilted his chin up slightly, a strange delight flickering in his arrogant eyes. His peerlessly stunning features refused to assemble that old, steely gaze of someone swearing party loyalty.
His eyes never left Shen Li as he stated matter-of-factly, “No one could dislike Shen Li. Unless they’re blind.”
The moment Qian Xingzhi finished speaking, the observation room guests piled on, one after another, praising Shen Li’s striking looks and marksmanship. But at the same time, Qian’s fanbase erupted into quite the uproar.
Had Qian Xingzhi ever complimented anyone?
By incomplete stats, no records in the industry.
Qian Xingzhi was notoriously tight-lipped, ice-cold, and unforthcoming since blowing up. Fans who’d followed his variety shows and scoured every set sneak peek had the most say on that.
Forget praising people—he was so arrogant that hardly anyone ever registered in his eyes.
After wrapping a drama, Qian Xingzhi often recalled costars by character name, not real ones.
In the best light, he was work-focused, above petty socializing.
In the worst, he was arrogant, self-centered to a fault.
But with his stellar achievements and family backing, Qian Xingzhi’s aloof demeanor let him bulldoze through showbiz unchallenged.
So in all those years of interview clips—had anyone heard him call someone “very eye-catching”?
Nope.
Qian Xingzhi only ever gazed admiringly at his own reflection.
Heard him call someone “very good-looking” or “very beautiful”?
Never.
Whenever media asked about a costar’s looks or his type preferences, he’d stand under the red banner, eyes burning with party-oath fervor:
“Face blind.”
“All the same.”
So even casual viewers didn’t bat an eye at Qian Xingzhi complimenting someone’s looks—they figured he just admired the male guest’s skills. Strength and beauty draw everyone; Shen Li was legit badass.
But Qian’s diehard fans and station sisters? They were about to lose it.
They knew him best! Had Qian Xingzhi lost his mind or gotten his head caught in a door???
Why was he suddenly like a dead tree blooming, an iron tree flowering—flashing that creepy look, spouting words so out of character?!?
Not long after.
In the 【Ai Qian Support Group】 fan chat.
As the show’s hype blazed hotter, a wave of backlash against the program group exploded out of nowhere:
【Fuck, there must be a script for my bro, right? Why else would he act brain-dead all afternoon???】
【Getting gayer by the minute. Maybe make him drink some Chinese medicine to regulate?】
【From years chasing his shows, def scripted. Ironclad script.】
【Yeah, no panic, sisters.】
【+1! Newbies lack experience. Old fan here: I’ve hit every movie premiere. He’s just pro. Signed the contract, so he’ll follow the script [rose]】
【This reassures me. I nearly unfollowed hearing him say those four words.】
【Aww sister, that fragile mentality won’t cut it for Ai Qian fans~ He’s the artist who least cares what fans think.】
【Never sells merch, no endorsements—doesn’t need us grinding his hype. Even if he really got married, I’d get it and support. He never courted girlfriend stans anyway.】
【Don’t talk nonsense. Don’t let outsiders sway you. Just a regular variety show. No way he actually married and divorced. All program effects.】
【One question though: This show’s not acting-related. Why join, and grab that script? You know his personality—no one forces him.】
…
The bustling group went dead silent.
15 seconds.
30 seconds.
Finally, someone dropped a link to derail:
【Link: “Broke Defense? Ex-Husband Bro” Program Group’s Script Too Obvious! First Day Mishaps Galore! Entertainment Bus Breaks Down the Script Holes in “Broke Defense? Ex-Husband Bro”!】
Thus, around six that evening, #Script# blew up out of nowhere and rocketed onto the hot searches.
–
Shen Li, smack in the middle of it all, had no clue.
His leg just hurt.
Objectively, Shen Li’s day had been pretty cushy. Paid naps twice over, guns to fondle on waking, eight bullseyes in reg time, nailing a 69kg score—a modest flex. Since leaving the team, he hadn’t felt this rush of achievement and primal thrill so intensely.
No thrill beat the gun yet.
But the cost was clear.
His leg throbbed.
“Shen Li! You’re way too strong~ Thanks for saving our dinner!” Ke Jiujiu bounced over, her hair bow jiggling like a lively little rabbit, voice all sugary sweet. “Without you, we might not even get tonight’s date~”
Shen Li managed a half-smile. “Gotta thank Li Weiwei too.”
“Oh, right,” Ke Jiujiu said. “Wonder if she’ll still get paid after the switch. If not, whoever’s got cash can chip in.”
Shen Li: ?
Sure, he’d planned to split some with Li Weiwei and Zhao Yunzhi anyway. But her words sparked a rebellious streak. Before he could reply, a male voice cut in:
“Shut your trap. All talk, no skill.”
It was Lin Xu, trailing Ke Jiujiu with two rifles in tow.
Ke Jiujiu planted hands on hips. “What’s your deal~ You’re so mean!”
Lin Xu sneered. “She’s got money, so she should give? By what right? I say you contributed zilch—shouldn’t you pay up?”
Ke Jiujiu pouted, grabbed Shen Li’s arm, and snuggled right up. “Teacher Shen~ Look at this guy! So aggressive~ Can’t he just talk nice? Not gentle at all~”
Shen Li impassively yanked his arm free and nudged her back a bit. “Really? I think he’s plenty gentle.”
Ke Jiujiu: ??
Shen Li’s sparse lashes fluttered. Pretty sure Ke Jiujiu and Lin Xu had been a pair before. He pointed out, “He carried your guns too.”
But Ke Jiujiu seemed oblivious to his chill, glomming on again without boundaries. “Mmm, but I prefer Teacher Shen’s type~”
Shen Li: …
What wiring was in this girl’s head?
Then Ke Jiujiu invited, “—Teacher Shen, how about you and I go on that date tonight?”
Shen Li refused without the slightest hesitation. “No.”
Ke Jiujiu was quite attractive—an eight-out-of-ten cutie with a lively personality. No guy had ever outright rejected her when she took the initiative like that.
So even though she’d considered the possibility that Shen Li might not be into her type and would let her down gently, it had never crossed her mind that he would reject her so decisively right in front of the camera. He wasn’t leaving her any face at all.
“Eyah~ Teacher Shen, you’re going to hurt my feelings like that. I admire you so much—you’re way better than my ex, I mean it~”
No man disliked flattery. As the saying goes, you don’t slap a smiling face.
And so, with a flirtatious lilt to her voice, Ke Jiujiu lavished praise on Shen Li right in front of Lin Xu—who hadn’t landed a single point—hoping to rub it in a little.
But Shen Li merely shot Lin Xu an indifferent glance. Suppressing his irritation and pain, he looked back at Ke Jiujiu. His brows furrowed slightly as he said in a cold tone,
“But I think you’d be better suited to Yang Zhiqi.”
It was an angle Ke Jiujiu had never even considered.
“Ah?” She blinked in confusion, her big eyes fluttering as she asked in a coquettish, pleading voice, “Why? Why Brother Yang?”
Shen Li replied, “You two both talk a lot. You can chat with each other.”
