[To be reasonable, I’ve been a Piggy Bank for seven years. I want to ask one question now: what exactly is Qian Xingzhi doing? [sweat]]
[No idea. [sweat] But ever since this variety show started, I feel like my guy got possessed by someone else. [sweat] He feels so unfamiliar. [sweat]]
[What’s wrong? This looks pretty normal to me. Doesn’t he still have that cold, arrogant face?]
[Upstairs is definitely just a passerby…]
[Only fans can tell how abnormal Qian Xingzhi is right now. These past few days, he’s been acting like he drank counterfeit liquor!]
[A man gets three parts drunk and acts until you cry.]
[And someone with acting skills as good as Qian Xingzhi’s might simply have written himself a script where he pretends to be deeply in love.]
[That makes sense. If he wanted to remarry, he would’ve remarried ages ago. Dragging a civilian ex who never planned to debut into the public eye just to act out this whole show with him—no matter how you look at the logic, that can’t be true love.]
[Forget whether it’s true love or not. I still haven’t processed the fact that Qian Xingzhi was married once and then divorced.]
Yang Zhiqi studied Qian Xingzhi, who was seated diagonally across from him. “—Haha! I really haven’t recovered from the shock either! You came in so suddenly!”
Ke Jiujiu glanced at the half-eaten dishes on the table and said sweetly, “Oh, Brother Qian, if we’d known you were coming at this time, we would’ve waited and eaten together with you. I’m really sorry.”
Qian Xingzhi lifted his eyelids slightly, his tone polite and distant. “No need. The program wanted the effect of a sudden entrance. There was no need to arrange anything specially for me.”
But before the words had fully fallen, Qian Xingzhi tilted his head and withdrew his gaze from the ornate but impractical Western dishes on the table.
Leaning slightly toward Shen Li, he lowered his voice and asked softly, “Are you full?”
He looked as though the instant Shen Li said no, he would immediately go fry two more dishes.
Enduring the discomfort throughout his body, Shen Li lightly shook his head. Psychologically, he also felt somewhat uncomfortable.
Truthfully, Shen Li did not like this kind of atmosphere very much.
Whether it was long ago, when he had just started dating Qian Xingzhi in their third year of high school, or later, after they had jobs and were married, every drinking party or gathering where Shen Li brought Qian Xingzhi along made him feel more or less awkward.
Qian Xingzhi loved showing off too much, like a peacock spreading its tail.
If no one else at the table peeled shrimp for their partner, he would. As long as there were shrimp on the table, he could peel an entire mountain and place it in front of Shen Li.
If no one else blocked alcohol for their partner, he would. Guan Ning could barely say, “Let me propose a toast,” before he had even begun speaking, and Qian Xingzhi would already have replaced Shen Li’s alcohol with sparkling water. The leader’s eyes would practically roll out of their sockets, yet Qian Xingzhi remained oblivious.
Compared with being touched, Shen Li more often found it a little embarrassing.
For example, just now—
He could have sat somewhere else, but he had insisted on stealing Lin Xu’s seat.
It would have been enough to answer Ke Jiujiu’s question, but he had insisted on additionally asking Shen Li whether he had eaten enough.
When everyone’s eyes shifted toward him, an introverted person like Shen Li, completely devoid of romantic cells, genuinely did not want to answer.
Still, Shen Li had never told other people that he disliked it. If he said such a thing aloud, Qian Xingzhi would be unhappy, and most people would think Shen Li was simply showing off. The few who could understand him were probably only people like Guan Ning and Zhou Yulin.
But judging from this, Qian Xingzhi’s habit of spreading his peacock tail…
Had apparently not changed much over all these years. The symptom had remained impressively intact to the present day.
Still, Shen Li did not think too deeply about it.
Tiny matters and insignificant emotions like these could never cause much disturbance in his heart.
Shen Li glanced to the right at Qian Xingzhi. Qian Xingzhi’s spine was perfectly straight like a towering pine. His sitting posture was upright and elegant, shoulders slightly drawn back, carrying an innate confidence and composure.
Perfect posture.
As though he were attending an awards ceremony.
Shen Li quietly looked away. At that moment, everyone at the table had sat back down.
Yang Zhiqi picked up a wineglass and stood first, like an attention seeker suddenly preparing to make another speech at a company banquet.
“Come on. Since we have a new member today, as the oldest one here, allow me to boldly say a few words. Let’s officially welcome Xingzhi to our cottage! I hope in the days ahead we can all get along harmoniously. Haha! Hopefully, when each of us leaves this place, those who can find love will find love, and those who can’t will at least begin a new stage of life!”
“Good!”
The instant Yang Zhiqi finished, Ke Jiujiu applauded enthusiastically.
Once she started clapping, everyone in the room joined in.
Before the applause had even ended, Yang Zhiqi drained his entire glass of wine, earning even louder cheers.
Just then, music began playing inside the cottage.
Accompanied by the lively tune, the large screen opposite the long dining table lit up with a brand-new “Cottage Announcement.”
[Cottage Announcement]
Residents of the cottage, please take note of the following:
1. Jiang Nan is on leave today. Qian Xingzhi officially moves into the cottage effective immediately.
2. The previous room terms are void. Rent increases starting today. The Butler encourages more housemates to share rooms or purchase housing.
3. Today’s daytime activity begins at 3:00 p.m. Before it starts, there will be a limited-time vote: [Within two hours, cottage residents and viewers outside the cottage will vote to guess whether Qian Xingzhi’s ex is Kris or Shen Li. After two hours, the System will calculate the weighted average and determine the answer. If the guess is correct, the Butler will award new resident Qian Xingzhi “10,000” in personal funds. If the guess is incorrect, no funds will be awarded.]
Once the viewers finished reading the [Cottage Announcement], the mockery in the discussion board grew even louder.
[Please. [sobbing] Put some effort into deceiving me. [sobbing] How is this any different from an open-book exam? [sobbing]]
[This result is so obviously rigged that if I deliberately choose the wrong answer, people are going to suspect I’m an idiot. [sweat]]
[Does a voting segment have to be exciting? Can’t it just be funny?]
[The intention behind Rule Two is even more obvious than Sima Zhao’s ambitions. [eye roll]]
[Someone wants to sleep while hugging his wife. I won’t say who.]
[Ahhh, I can’t stand this poser. Everyone vote Kris, okay? I’m terrified Dog Qian will get the money and order Xiao Li to share a room with him!!]
[Don’t worry. If he wants to, he can manage it even without money. [shattered]]
“Damn. The rent is already this expensive, and they’re raising it again?” Li Weiwei put down her porridge spoon and rolled her eyes at the announcement. “If someone doesn’t want to share a room or can’t afford to buy one, what, do they sleep in the living room or out on the road?”
The System did not answer.
Because the System voice had not appeared at all today. It had only played a piece of music and displayed an announcement on the screen.
Yang Zhiqi said, “Xiao Wei, I think sharing a room doesn’t necessarily mean sharing with your ex. It never says it has to be an ex. Look at you and Xiao Jiu, or Xiao K. Two girls can pair up with each other too. Hey, that works perfectly well.”
Li Weiwei rolled her eyes even harder and had no desire to talk to him.
Shen Li watched the announcement expressionlessly.
When he finished reading it, his gaze passed over Qian Xingzhi. Unfortunately, he discovered Qian Xingzhi was also looking at him.
Their eyes met.
Qian Xingzhi’s gaze was still cold, like a bottomless lake.
Shen Li’s thin lips parted, then closed.
For some reason, he instinctively looked away, leaving only his peripheral vision unintentionally trained to the right—
Qian Xingzhi picked up his knife and fork, ate a little, then raised the teacup on the table and took a sip, every movement elegant and composed.
Shen Li thought nothing of it. He sat there blankly for a while, listening to Yang Zhiqi and the others discuss the new rules and new room prices.
Then he heard Qian Xingzhi lean a little closer and ask, “If I get that ten thousand later, do you think I should choose Number 3 or Number 7?”
Shen Li recalled the other two room types that had not yet been rented.
Room 3: an erotic couples’ room.
Room 7: an antique-style king-bed room.
Both suited Qian Xingzhi quite well.
One was extravagantly luxurious and wasteful to the extreme; the other was outrageously flamboyant.
One suited him on the surface. The other suited what was inside.
So Shen Li also took a sip of tea.
“Either is fine.”
Then Qian Xingzhi’s voice came a little closer.
Shen Li could even feel Qian Xingzhi’s slightly warm breath brushing hotly over the shell of his ear. “But what if I choose neither and just add another bed to your room?”
Shen Li: ?
Shen Li raised his brows slightly and looked over in surprise. He had meant to find some trace of joking on Qian Xingzhi’s face, but that face remained as cold and hard as a sculpture. His lips were tightly pressed, nose straight, brow bones prominent, eyes deep and sharp, carrying an unquestionable chill. There was not the slightest sign that he was joking.
Even if the cameras caught them, his voice was so low that no one should be able to guess what he had said.
Shen Li could not quite tell what this man meant either.
Qian Xingzhi had become very strange, almost as though he had some kind of split personality. From afar, he was cold beyond measure, like an untouchable flower on a high mountain. Up close, he was obnoxious, shameless, and inexplicably arrogant. Shen Li had no idea what he was so proud of.
During this period, Shen Li had observed every one of the man’s movements and still genuinely could not distinguish which of Qian Xingzhi’s words were false or which expression was real.
Truth mixed with falsehood, falsehood mixed with truth.
For example, last night in Room 219, the man had abruptly blurted out something about “kiss me once,” only to immediately add, “I’m joking.”
…It was a little like the attitude Qian Xingzhi used to have when they had first become desk mates in their second year of high school and were not yet familiar with each other.
“Say something. Can we share a room or not?” Qian Xingzhi asked again in a mild voice. His tone sounded relaxed, as though he had merely mentioned it casually and did not care about the answer at all.
Shen Li’s brows furrowed more deeply.
He and Qian Xingzhi had been divorced for so long. Now that they had met again, they felt even less familiar in some ways. Wouldn’t directly living together be strange?
A relationship determined one’s attitude, and attitude guided behavior.
“No.” Shen Li refused without much hesitation.
The very next second after his answer, Qian Xingzhi gave a slight nod and immediately sat upright again. The questioning posture from a moment ago vanished at once. He really did look as though he did not care much.
But the viewers clearly did not think so.
Because of those few movements, the comments were already screaming.
[Ahhh, are these two acting in a movie? They match so well I’m shitting everywhere.]
[Upstairs, you… forget it. Just don’t shit on my face.]
[Ahhhhh, fuck, why are they whispering so quietly? What kind of noble secret can’t the audience hear?!]
[I heard a little. Did Qian Xingzhi just say he wants to live in the same room as his wife?]
[Can you stop having shipper brain? I’m so done. You shippers can turn anything into a fantasy. Maybe he was asking where the bathroom is. [smile]]
[Hahaha, triggered, triggered Piggy Banks. Forget it, I won’t make fun of you. You’re pretty miserable too. Hahahaha, it’s just genuinely hilarious.]
[Why do I feel like these two keep pulling close and drifting apart?]
[Like a little couple who have never dated but secretly like each other. QAQ]
[Ahhhhh, anyway, they’re very good for my eyes. There’s no suspense—they should definitely be a couple!]
[Of course there’s no suspense… Qian Xingzhi’s eyes are practically embedded in our Xiao Li’s body. [shattered] I have a question: at this level of harassment, do the police not care? [hands out]]
Shen Li ate a few more bites, washed his bowl, then returned to his room. He was truly too tired and low on energy, so he rested for quite a while.
After being rejected, Qian Xingzhi did not initiate another conversation.
Until two hours later.
Still half asleep, Shen Li heard the System notification and learned that the free-activity chat period had ended. That also signaled the end of the livestream sales period. The daytime production activity was about to begin, meaning it was time to officially clock in for this miserable job.
Incidentally—
The Butler System also announced the utterly unsurprising voting result.
Thus, the 10,000 in virtual funds was, with equally little surprise, deposited into Qian Xingzhi’s account.
The audience finally received confirmation of the outcome they already knew and filled the screen with jokes.
[Rigged.]
[Rigged.]
[Report him for rigging the result in his own favor.]
[I just want to ask one thing: Qian Xingzhi, are you happy now? Ninety-nine percent of the viewers got it right. Happy now, Mr. Qian? Everyone knows your wife is Xiao Li. [smile]]
[Correction: ex-wife. My guy has already corrected that mistake~]
[Wake up. The mistake he corrected was the existence of your fan-support club.]
[As a complete passerby, I’ll say this: I think Qian Xingzhi is acting a bit too much. I’ve watched a lot of his work, but I’ve never seen such obvious traces of performance. Isn’t he supposed to be really indifferent and aloof? What just happened felt a little out of character.]
[Blame this shitty script. Who the hell wrote it for my guy?!]
Shen Li expressionlessly listened to the System announce that the guess had been correct, that Qian Xingzhi’s funds had been issued, and that room rent had increased by twenty percent. He picked up the iPad, intending to check the current residents’ asset rankings.
Before he could even find the rankings, he saw fresh roommate-search posts in the cottage’s public System, all from cottage members.
[Lin Xu]: WHAT, rent really went up 20%?! Damn it! No! I seriously need someone to share my standard twin room!! I’m clean, I have good sleeping habits, and I’ve only slept in the bed by the window. The other bed hasn’t been touched! I only put my bag on it! Rent is 5,280 a day now, so 2,640 each!
[Ke Jiujiu]: Looking for a roommate~ Older sister or younger sister welcome~
Reply @[Zhao Yunzhi]: Can I?
Reply @[Ke Jiujiu]: Yes!!!
Shen Li continued scrolling. He thought there was nothing below, but then a brand-new real-time post refreshed…
After reading the string of words, however, Shen Li’s eyes widened slightly. His brows drew together as he reread the sentence several times.
What unfamiliar Chinese.
[Qian Xingzhi]: Looking for someone to share a room. No men. No women. Just looking.