Chapter 74

The weather was sweltering.

In the hospital room, the fluorescent lights shone with a stark, cold brightness, the tubes humming faintly.

Shen Li was already battling a headache, but now he glanced at Qian Xingzhi right there beside him, the camera creeping slowly closer from the doorway, and Zhou Yulin standing stock-still—

His head did seem to hurt a little more now.

Thus.

In the camera’s view, a bead of sweat slid down from Shen Li’s temple. He calmly turned his gaze back to Qian Xingzhi, stayed silent for three seconds, then asked him:

“What are you picking? Explain it properly.”

Qian Xingzhi arched an eyebrow. His stern features met Shen Li’s eyes for a moment before he coolly looked away.

With his peripheral vision, he shot a glance at Zhou Yulin in the doorway.

Zhou Yulin gave a slight shake of his head from where he stood. With good humor, he stepped forward, offering Shen Li the gift card and a pen together as he explained in a warm voice:

“Little Li, take a look. It’s for today’s nighttime activity—everyone gets one to give to the person they choose.”

Shen Li accepted the card.

“Thanks,” he said on instinct.

Actually.

Shen Li had already figured out the deal with the gift cards from watching Yang Zhiqi fill his out on the live stream. Put simply, it was a prop to signal romantic interest to another guest in the cabin.

It was called a “gift card” rather than an “intent card” because, on top of handing over the card, you had to deliver a “heartfelt gift” to them within twenty-four hours. The gift could be extravagant or modest—a single flower, or whatever else you liked.

Yang Zhiqi, for instance, hadn’t waited even close to twenty-four hours. He’d prepared an impromptu love poem for Zhou Yulin on the spot.

He’d scribbled the poem on a sheet of paper and stuck it right to the gift card, calling that his gift.

Shen Li hadn’t watched all of it, but it had been pretty funny.

Now, though…

The funny one was himself.

Shen Li dropped his gaze to the gift card, his narrow eyes narrowing slightly.

What to write? What to give?

Though he’d only been mulling it over for a few seconds, Qian Xingzhi’s low voice cut in: “—You’ve got until ten tonight, fifteen minutes left. Take your time deciding.”

Shen Li: .

He fixed Qian Xingzhi with what could only be called a cold stare. Qian Xingzhi might as well have been a crown prince with a knife to his neck, forcing the issue.

Those deep black eyes of his sparked with a glint—not too bright, not too dim.

Shen Li couldn’t say why, but he suddenly felt like teasing the man.

No more hesitation.

Right in front of the camera zooming in close, Shen Li popped off the pen cap and swiftly wrote a few words. His script was elegant, the strokes bold through the paper:

“I didn’t expect you to come”

Six words finished, capped with a perfect, round period.

The barrage of comments in the live stream exploded. Whether they were casual onlookers or hardcore shippers, most were stunned:

【Holy crap?! Is that really for Zhou Yulin???】

【Lmao】

【I’m actually pissed [sobbing] I’ve never gotten any sugar from this ship [sobbing][sobbing] Must’ve stolen salt in my past life to starve like this shipping Save Money [sobbing][sobbing][sobbing] Being a CP fan is too hard [sobbing][sobbing][sobbing] I’m unfollowing, done shipping [sobbing][sobbing][sobbing]】

【Good call—stick to being a bystander, it’s safer. I laugh at anyone shipping celeb couples [lol]】

【Didn’t expect Shen Li to actually have something going with this Zhou Yulin…】

【Pants on fire, obviously lol】

【Look at Qian Xingzhi’s face—totally green! I’ve never seen someone’s expression change so vividly hahaha】

【I’d be green too [clown] What’s the difference from getting cucked right in front of me?】

【Y’all have no sympathy. I feel bad for my bro QAQ He was sneaking kisses and hugs just days ago behind the cameras, and now he’s dropping the act? Shen Li’s trash.】

【Delulu shipper tilting at windmills】

【Real talk: If Professor Zhou came for Shen Li, that first-day gift from Shen Li was probably just courtesy.】

Zhou Yulin clearly hadn’t seen it coming either. The moment Shen Li finished those five words, he took half a step closer.

His throat bobbed. Those smiling eyes flicked toward Qian Xingzhi’s ashen face, and he was already reaching for the card, ready to say something.

But before Shen Li’s pen had fully lifted, Qian Xingzhi’s large hand snatched the card away in one decisive swipe.

“You’re welcome,” Qian Xingzhi said coldly, his voice icy. He shot Shen Li a fierce glare laced with deep resentment and unmistakable passion. “Since it’s written to me, I’m taking it.”

【Hahaha bro’s usually ice-cold but steps up and snatches at the key moment】

【Forcing Shen Li to admit it…】

【Dude, you’re a big shot—can you not look this desperate and cheap?!】

【What’s Qian Xingzhi on about? Even if it wasn’t for him originally, once it’s in his hands, it is?】

【Yeah, given Shen Li’s personality, he’s not grabbing it back.】

But—

Shen Li glanced up slightly. Amusement flickered in his eyes before fading to calm. In a soft voice, he said:

“Hand it over.”

Qian Xingzhi: ?!

Shen Li: “One, two…”

As Shen Li started counting.

Before he hit three, the fury in Qian Xingzhi’s eyes swept away the last of his restrained pride like a storm.

Those eyes burned with towering rage, yet undercut by a flickering grievance, like damp earth smothering flames. He fought the urge to snap at Shen Li.

After a long moment, Qian Xingzhi furrowed his brow and asked Shen Li: “You really giving it to him?”

Zhou Yulin could guess they’d probably argued earlier that day.

So he stepped forward too, politely saying: “I think you don’t need to pressure him like this. Let Little Li choose for himself.”

【Whoa, love triangle showdown?! I’m a dirt dog and I eat it up!!!】

【Hate to see it, glass heart here. Were they already in a throuple before?】

【Who’s known Shen Li longer? This Zhou isn’t an ex, is he?】

【[facepalm] Real talk, I’ve stanned Qian Xingzhi for five-six years and never seen him this broken [facepalm] Looks so pitiful… Even as an ex-fan, I feel bad [lol-cry]】

【Aaaah Qian Xingzhi’s eyes are all sparkly oh god oh god I can’t take it, never knew he could be this cute [screaming][screaming][screaming] Suddenly my type!】

【If my bro’s homeless I’ll take him in [sobbing]】

【Dream on, Little Cat’s just toying with the pup—needs you to take him in?】

【Quit clowning. That line from Shen Li’s obviously for Zhou Yulin. He’s just stringing my bro along, disgusting.】

The next second, in the camera’s frame.

Shen Li plucked the card from Qian Xingzhi’s hand. With a flick of his wrist, he added a few more words above the original line.

Now the card read in two lines:

“I thought we’d only meet tomorrow.”

“I didn’t expect you to come.”

Shen Li dotted the period with a flourish, then handed the card straight back to Qian Xingzhi, deadpan:

“Take it. Done writing—no more snatching.”

Qian Xingzhi’s gaze locked onto the card instantly. Expressionless, he reluctantly accepted it. The dark storm of anger in his eyes seemed to dissipate right then.

A summer night breeze wafted through the hallway, making the half-open hospital door sway gently.

Qian Xingzhi shot Shen Li a supremely smug glance, then turned the same look on Zhou Yulin’s embarrassed face.

After a long pause, Zhou Yulin nodded graciously, as if he understood perfectly.

Meanwhile, the show’s hot searches—which had cooled off from all the censorship—finally snagged a scorching new topic:

High Cold Male God Fighting and Snatching#

Once the director announced the live stream shutdown.

Qian Xingzhi’s combo of “charging the door for prime position” and “aggressively swiping the card” had already gone viral across the net.

Someone even dug up Zhou Yulin’s personal Weibo from the auditions, revealing he’d attended the same high school as Qian Xingzhi and Shen Li—and possibly even the same middle and elementary schools, living suspiciously close by.

In an instant, online speculation about the trio’s history surged.

ShenZhou#

WhosWhosYouth#

ChildhoodSweethearts#

ChildhoodSweetheartsLosingToSuddenRivalFightingAndSnatching#

On the ride back to the cabin after shutdown, Zhou Yulin kept tapping open that glaring hot search #ChildhoodSweetheartsLosingToSuddenRivalFightingAndSnatching#, then closing it again. His heart was a tangle of emotions.

These past years, Zhou Yulin did regret it.

Back in school, he’d buried himself in studies, woken up to his feelings too late. He hadn’t recognized his heart in time or clearly expressed it to Shen Li.

Meanwhile, Qian Xingzhi—first come, first served—had shared a high school class with Shen Li and relentlessly pursued him, bending him straight into…

If only he’d known back then that Shen Li swung that way so easily…

Zhou Yulin pressed his lips thin and powered off his phone.

No more thinking.

Life had no ifs.

Any fantasy was just blasphemy against Shen Li.

Zhou Yulin didn’t want that.

After much deliberation, he sent Shen Li a long, rambling message essay.

Shen Li got the notification while confirming the latest on the case with Guan Ning, along with the higher-ups’ newest directives on the show.

He didn’t reply—not even close. With a swipe, he dismissed the alert.

After finishing with Guan Ning, he checked the capture operation with Zhao Rong, confirmed timelines for potentially extracting Jiang Nan and Zhen Tian with Lin Jie, and casually passed on Guan Ning’s take that Sun Junhui might face the death penalty to Qian Xingzhi.

By chance and necessity, Shen Li completely forgot about Zhou Yulin’s message.

Once Qian Xingzhi finished washing up, he stormed in with a sour face, ready to check on Shen Li’s knee.

Shen Li, thinking he meant to massage it again, instinctively pulled back his leg. Propped on his phone, he looked up and said coolly:

“No massaging today—the injury’s too bad.”

Qian Xingzhi snorted. A hint of mockery crossed that peerlessly handsome face. “You know it’s bad? I thought you didn’t.”

Shen Li: .

After a beat, Shen Li explained: “It’s not that I don’t care about my body. In that situation—”

I had no choice.

Before he could finish the four words.

Qian Xingzhi cut him off:

“Enough,” he said brusquely, snatching the phone away and ordering:

“Roll up your pants. Let me see that leg.”

It was one thing if Qian Xingzhi hadn’t let his mind wander into the gutter, but now that he had, Shen Li felt too embarrassed to even suggest bunking together.

“…What are you looking at? Stop staring,” Shen Li said with a frown, turning his head away with a cold expression as he casually added, “Give me back my phone. Let’s get some sleep.”

Qian Xingzhi: ?

He glanced at Shen Li’s phone and saw messages from Zhou Yulin popping up one after another.

A light tap of his finger brought up Zhou Yulin’s sprawling essay, brimming with literary flair.

So many poems and allusions crammed in there that he couldn’t even make sense of them.

Qian Xingzhi was already fucking fed up.

What a goddamn day.

No peace from start to finish.

From Shen Li inexplicably dashing around with Zhao Rong all morning, to learning that Shen Li was hurt, to discovering the “Catfish” was Zhou Yulin—and then him sprinting around like a damn dog, battling Zhou Yulin for first place by ripping off nametags…

Thwack.

Qian Xingzhi tossed the phone back to Shen Li.

Shen Li caught it with a slight frown and looked up at him.

Qian Xingzhi’s tall frame suddenly dropped into a squat. He lunged forward from above in a fierce, neck-to-neck embrace that pinned Shen Li tight, bristling like a suddenly deranged pup.

Shen Li’s throat bobbed as he stared at Qian Xingzhi. His face remained utterly expressionless, yet his heart pounded wildly out of control.

“Do you like me like this?” Qian Xingzhi’s voice rumbled.

Shen Li: …?

“You do like it,” Qian Xingzhi said. “It’s all an act.”