Shen Li’s sharp brows furrow. “Have you been drinking again?”
“I don’t even like drinking.” Qian Xingzhi seems to laugh, or perhaps not. His voice is cool and still irritatingly provocative. “Ten years ago, every night, weren’t you always trying to—”
Shen Li stops him. “—You said it yourself. That was ten years ago.”
“Just joking.”
Shen Li does not find it funny. His heart is beating very fast, and he is also a little irritated.
It feels somewhat like high school, when Qian Xingzhi used to tease and flirt with him every day, yet not entirely the same.
Shen Li cannot quite explain whether what he feels is habit, attraction, or annoyance. In any case, it is a very familiar emotion, one that exists only because Qian Xingzhi has said something.
He and Qian Xingzhi have completely different personalities.
When Qian Xingzhi likes someone, he wants the whole world to know, practically beating gongs and drums to proclaim his love.
Shen Li, however, finds it awkward. Embarrassing.
Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that he and Qian Xingzhi have never walked the same road, whether in the way they deal with people or in their habits and methods.
That is why, ever since coming on the show, whether Qian Xingzhi writes on the form that fifty percent of the reason for their divorce was sexual incompatibility, or says things like this at a moment that is not entirely private, Shen Li feels unsafe.
According to the house rules, only ex-couples officially revealed by the production team will have the contents of their Bathhouse Night Talk made public. Even so, Shen Li still feels that no one can guarantee some “interested party” will not switch the cameras back on at some point.
He spent so many years in criminal investigation that he still retains this basic counter-surveillance awareness. So when he entered the bathroom, the first thing he did was check for hidden cameras. Only after confirming repeatedly that there were none did he make his calls to Qian Xingzhi and Lin Jie while sitting on the toilet.
Even then, the director requires them to report roughly what they talk about with their exes each night.
Shen Li is not good at lying. He was already struggling with what he would report tomorrow.
Then Qian Xingzhi says these suggestive things, and Shen Li instinctively gets angry.
But when he thinks carefully, perhaps his own principles seem inexplicable to Qian Xingzhi too.
For two people who are not on the same wavelength to understand each other requires a great deal of time and emotional effort.
And now, is there really any possibility that he and Qian Xingzhi can ever reach the same frequency?
Shen Li cannot stop his mind from continuing its rational analysis and judgment. Yet the more he weighs it, the heavier and more bitter his chest feels.
Because he realizes they cannot.
Reason does not necessarily equal pessimism, but countless small pieces of evidence all point toward a pessimistic ending.
When that happens, perhaps they will not even be able to remain friends. Even the beautiful things they once had might be forgotten, or buried beneath resentment and frustration.
—Is that really necessary?
Shen Li has always believed he knows how to keep things clear. He will not do something that benefits neither side.
So he is just about to choose his words and make things clear to Qian Xingzhi: since Qian Xingzhi has another purpose for producing this show, they should put fully investigating and exposing WCC ahead of their private feelings.
Moreover, Shen Li thinks it is important to make his position clear. If they are still going to interact the way they did in the past, he will absolutely not choose to remarry.
Just then, after a long silence, the man on the other end speaks first. “Sorry. I probably didn’t realize that kind of joke put so much pressure on you. I won’t say things like that next time.”
Qian Xingzhi’s voice is cautious, even carrying a trace of appeasement.
No affected tone, no vocal fry, no showing off. Only sincerity and affection can be heard.
For some reason, Shen Li’s heart feels as though it has been tugged again. He presses his lips into a straight line and blinks slowly twice in helplessness.
“Okay.”
Shen Li answers with only one word, his voice a little gentle too.
Qian Xingzhi coughs on the other end. After thinking for a moment, he adds, “Keep yourself covered properly tonight. That room of yours is a little drafty.”
Shen Li nods. “Okay. You sleep early too.”
As soon as he finishes, Shen Li hangs up directly.
If he had not ended the call so quickly himself, Qian Xingzhi would probably have said “good night” too.
But the surging feeling in his chest is like a child secretly staring at a balloon on the street. He wants it desperately, yet still walks past without taking his eyes off it—because his mother refused him once, and after that he no longer dares to ask.
The shower sprays a hazy mist of water. The bathroom is old-fashioned and barely one square meter, so there is naturally no separate wet and dry area.
The water heater runs hot. The warm flow seems to wrap Shen Li’s whole body in a thin membrane. The smaller the space, the calmer his heart becomes.
Water beads trail down his neck, shoulders, back, and legs, forming glistening lines as milky-white body wash coats his pale skin.
Shen Li’s gaze falls on his damaged leg as well.
One hideous scar after another. Even covered in slick soap, no matter how thoroughly concealed, they can never look the same as uninjured skin.
Shen Li hurriedly and carelessly brushes over the scarred area, then rinses himself clean with slightly cooler water. His movements are far from meticulous.
In perhaps three to five minutes, he washes clean the body he himself does not want to look at for even one second longer, using the simplest and most convenient method possible.
When he returns to his room, there are surprisingly still five or six minutes left in the activity period.
Shen Li first replies to Geng Qiuqiu’s messages.
Although the girl has clearly been trying hard to restrain herself, the fact that she has sent Shen Li one message every hour or two still makes it obvious that she has been wildly excited all day.
1:34 p.m.
[Qiuqiu: Uncle Shen hahaha did you seriously fall asleep? Your sleep quality is incredible!]
4:58 p.m.
[Qiuqiu: HANDSOME HANDSOME HANDSOME HANDSOME if I’d known it looked this cool I would’ve applied to a military or police academy too!!!!]
[Qiuqiu: Uncle Shen, you were way too handsome! It’s over, I now think your ex-husband might not be good enough for you!!!]
9:22 p.m.
[Qiuqiu: Wow, why does this Jiang Nan feel kind of weird? Did you two go to the bathroom?]
[Qiuqiu: Why were you gone so long!]
[Qiuqiu: Your ex-husband is going to get jealous hahaha]
11:14 p.m.
[Qiuqiu: Wahahahaha what a brave sister! Uncle Shen, can you really not give birth to little kittens?]
11:55 p.m.
[Shen Li: No.]
.
That seems a little too blunt.
.
[Shen Li: (white kitten with yellow ears, huge watery eyes lowered sadly toward the floor) crying-kitten-head.jpg]
Geng Qiuqiu actually replies instantly:
[Qiuqiu: (stick figure spraying two streams of nosebleed).jpg]
Shen Li: ?
[Shen Li: Go to sleep. Good night.]
[Qiuqiu: !!! Okay! Good night!]
Hehehehehe!
Who is it that gets a good night from Uncle Shen?
Grinning from ear to ear, Geng Qiuqiu immediately saves the kitten reaction image.
Overflowing with passion and heroic ambition, she simply stays up late and writes an eight-thousand-word bittersweet pure-love remarriage fic about Ex-Husband Bro × Captain Shen. She posts it to every major writing site and keeps busy until deep into the night before finally falling asleep in complete satisfaction.
The next day, Geng Qiuqiu wakes in a haze. A site’s data assistant shows:
Her story has a total of thirty-one views, and one user viewed it thirty times in the middle of the night.
Geng Qiuqiu: ?
No way. Did she actually run into the real person?!
Could Ex-Husband Bro have secretly read it?
Hehe!
Having thoroughly swallowed her own fandom brainwashing, Geng Qiuqiu cannot resist clicking the user’s avatar. She finds the person is still online, and to her surprise, the other party sends her a message first:
[Hello. I’m currently setting up a Qian Xingzhi × Shen Li CP fan support club. Sister, would you be interested in joining?]