Shen Li’s sharp brows furrowed. “Drinking again?”
“I don’t even like drinking,” Qian Xingzhi replied. His voice carried a hint of laughter—or perhaps not. It was cool and teasing, begging for a punch. “Ten years ago, every night, didn’t you always want to…”
Shen Li cut him off before he could finish. “You know that’s ten years ago.”
“Just kidding.”
Shen Li didn’t find it funny. His heart pounded rapidly, irritation bubbling up alongside it.
The sensation reminded him of high school, when Qian Xingzhi used to tease him relentlessly every day. But it wasn’t quite the same.
Shen Li couldn’t quite put it into words. Was it habit? Attraction? Annoyance? Whatever it was, it was a familiar emotion that only surfaced because of something Qian Xingzhi said.
He and Qian Xingzhi were complete opposites in personality.
When Qian Xingzhi liked someone, he made it known to the whole world, practically parading his affection with fanfare and drums.
Shen Li found that embarrassing, humiliating even.
Or perhaps it was more accurate to say they’d never walked the same path—not in their styles of handling things, nor in their daily habits.
That was why, ever since joining the show, Shen Li had felt uneasy. Whether it was Qian Xingzhi writing “50% sexual incompatibility” as the reason for their divorce on that form, or dropping these ambiguously intimate lines in a moment that wasn’t fully private, it all made him feel unsafe.
According to the cabin rules, only the ex-CP pairs announced by the Program Group would have their “midnight bath chats” revealed. Even so, Shen Li knew that even with the cameras off for now, no one could guarantee some sneaky insider wouldn’t flip them back on at any moment.
After years in criminal investigation, he had that much counter-surveillance awareness. That’s why, upon entering the bathroom, he’d first checked for hidden cameras. Only after confirming none were there did he sit on the toilet to take calls from Qian Xingzhi and Lin Jie.
Even then, the director required them to report the general content of their nightly ex chats.
Shen Li wasn’t good at lying, and he was already dreading what to say tomorrow.
Now Qian Xingzhi was saying these flirty things, and his instinctive reaction was anger.
But on second thought, his own principles might seem utterly baffling to Qian Xingzhi.
Two people not on the same wavelength needed a ton of time and effort to understand each other.
Could he really sync up with Qian Xingzhi now?
Shen Li couldn’t stop his mind from rationally analyzing and weighing the options. The more he did, the more stifled his chest felt.
Because he realized he couldn’t.
Reason didn’t have to mean pessimism, but countless tiny details all pointed to a grim conclusion.
In the end, they might not even stay friends. All those past good memories would fade or get buried under frustration.
Was it really worth it?
Shen Li had always been clear-headed about such things. He wouldn’t pursue anything harmful to both sides.
He was just about to carefully choose his words, to tell Qian Xingzhi they should prioritize investigating the WCC leak over personal feelings—especially since Qian Xingzhi had other motives for joining the show. He also needed to make his stance clear: if they kept interacting like before, he absolutely wouldn’t remarry.
But before he could speak, the man’s voice from the phone paused for a long moment and broke the silence first. “Sorry. I didn’t realize that joke would stress you out so much. I won’t say stuff like that again.”
Qian Xingzhi’s tone was cautious, even carrying a hint of appeasement.
No bubbly affectation, no showboating—just sincere affection.
For some reason, Shen Li’s heart tugged again. He pressed his lips into a straight line and blinked slowly, a touch helpless.
“Okay.”
Shen Li’s reply was just one word, his voice softening.
Qian Xingzhi coughed lightly, thought for a beat, then added, “Make sure to bundle up under the covers tonight. Your room’s a bit drafty.”
Shen Li nodded. “Got it. You get some sleep too.”
With that, he hung up without hesitation.
If he hadn’t ended it so abruptly, Qian Xingzhi probably would’ve said goodnight.
The ups and downs in his chest felt like a kid stealing glances at street balloons—desperately wanting one but passing by wide-eyed because Mom had refused once, too scared to ask again.
The shower sprayed a hazy mist. The one-square-meter bathroom was old and outdated, without any dry-wet separation.
The water heater ran scalding hot. The warm stream enveloped Shen Li like a membrane. In the tight space, his mind grew calmer.
As droplets traced down his neck, shoulders, back, and legs, forming glistening lines on his pale skin, now lathered with milky body wash, Shen Li’s gaze drifted to his ruined leg.
Fearsome knife scars crisscrossed it. Even slick with lotion and covered as densely as possible, they could never blend with his intact skin.
He brushed past the scars hastily and carelessly, rinsing off with cooler water. His movements weren’t gentle.
In three or five minutes, he’d cleaned the body he didn’t even want to look at, in the simplest, most expedient way.
Back in the room, he still had five or six minutes of free time left.
Shen Li first replied to Geng Qiuqiu’s messages.
The girl was trying hard to hold back, but sending him a message every hour or two showed just how hyped she was today.
13:34
[Qiuqiu: Uncle Shen hahaha, did you really fall asleep? What amazing sleep quality!]
16:58
[Qiuqiu: So handsome so handsome so handsome!!! I should’ve tested into the military police if I knew you’d be this hot!!!!!]
[Qiuqiu: Uncle Shen, you’re too handsome! Oh no, now I think your ex-husband might not be good enough for you!!!]
21:22
[Qiuqiu: Whoa, why does this Jiang Nan guy feel off? Did you guys go to the bathroom?]
[Qiuqiu: Why’d it take so long!]
[Qiuqiu: Your ex-husband’s gonna get jealous lol]
23:14
[Qiuqiu: Wahahaha such a bold sister! Uncle Shen, you really can’t have little kittens? Meow?]
23:55
[Shen Li: Can’t.]
It felt a bit too curt.
[Shen Li: (Yellow-eared white kitten with big watery eyes sadly looking down at the ground) Crying Cat-Cat Head.jpg]
Geng Qiuqiu replied instantly:
[Qiuqiu: (Stick figure wildly spraying two nosebleeds).jpg]
Shen Li: ?
[Shen Li: Go to sleep. Goodnight.]
[Qiuqiu: !!! Okay! Goodnight!]
Hee hee hee hee hee!
Who else got a goodnight from Uncle Shen?
Geng Qiuqiu grinned ear to ear, screenshotting the cat head emoji for her collection.
Her enthusiasm surging, her spirits sky-high, she stayed up late pounding out an 8,000-word bittersweet reunion pure-love story pairing Ex-Husband Bro x Captain Shen. She posted it across every writing site she knew, not crashing until the wee hours, utterly satisfied.
The next day, Geng Qiuqiu groggily woke up to a data alert from one site:
Her story had 31 total views. One user had checked it out 30 times overnight.
Geng Qiuqiu: ?
No way—did she actually strike gold?!
Was it Ex-Husband Bro lurking?
Hee hee!
Overdosing on brainrot, Geng Qiuqiu couldn’t resist clicking the user’s avatar. They were still online—and then a message popped up:
[Hi, I’m setting up a Fan Support Group for Qian Xingzhi x Shen Li CP. Sister, wanna join?]
