He Xingzhou’s attitude was exactly as Xiao Can had expected.
When Xiao Can pushed open the door with a stern face, he immediately took the initiative to come out, his eyes squinting into slits as he smiled, as if there were flowers blooming in the air from his good mood.
“Don’t say anything first,” he gestured with his hand, “listen to me first.”
Xiao Can pursed his lips, looking at him with an annoyed expression.
“From all perspectives, this was a brilliant move,” He Xingzhou raised a finger, his smile even wider, “Firstly, it finally clarified the relationship between me and Tan Zhen.”
Xiao Can wanted to refute.
He didn’t clarify anything. There was no cause and effect, no explanation at all. He just announced a conclusion simply and rudely, relying on his image of doing whatever he wanted to do. If it were someone else saying this, it would be hard to convince others.
… But coming from him, it actually seemed quite reasonable.
As they talked, the two had already entered the room and sat on the sofa.
“Secondly, no one will misunderstand my intentions anymore,” He Xingzhou said, “and you won’t be jealous all the time.”
“Who’s… who’s jealous?” Xiao Can’s face reddened, “Do I look like I’m jealous?”
He Xingzhou didn’t explain, just smiled and looked at him quietly.
Xiao Can lightly tapped him with his hand, not too hard.
“And also, I’m not finished yet,” He Xingzhou continued, “I also helped you clear your name. You’re innocent, just pursued by me.” He held up three fingers, “Three birds with one stone, too perfect.”
Looking at the results, it didn’t seem bad.
But the process was too scary.
“At least give me a heads up next time,” Xiao Can said, “Was it necessary to keep it a secret from me? It was too sudden.”
“The effect I wanted was this,” He Xingzhou justified himself, “The more surprised you are, the more real it seems to the audience, they won’t suspect it.”
Seeing Xiao Can glaring at him, he hurriedly emphasized, “… This was Tan Zhen’s idea.”
My goodness, he really did conspire behind my back. Xiao Can thought, his initial anxiety was correct, the problem was just that he relaxed too early.
At this moment, the other culprit sent a message.
——Xiao Can [smiley face] Have you finished recording?
Xiao Can replied with a smiley face.
Tan Zhen called immediately.
Unlike what Xiao Can expected, Tan Zhen’s tone sounded very anxious.
“Can you give me a hint, how did he explain our matter in the show?” he asked.
Xiao Can glanced at He Xingzhou, “He… he publicly confessed his feelings for me. Wasn’t this something you guys agreed on?”
“No, I mean… about our matter, how did he say it?” Tan Zhen asked.
He sounded strangely scared.
Xiao Can hesitated for half a second, vaguely guessing what was going on, “You didn’t coordinate your stories?”
“He said he would tell the truth,” Tan Zhen said, “I… can you give me a hint first, so I can prepare mentally?”
Xiao Can understood.
Tan Zhen had been fooled by He Xingzhou’s trick and was already mentally prepared to be exposed to everything, nervously awaiting judgment.
He was about to explain when He Xingzhou suddenly leaned over, saying, “Just tell the truth, didn’t you agree?”
Tan Zhen remained silent for a moment, then said, “Okay, I’ll hang up.”
“Wait,” Xiao Can pushed He Xingzhou away, “He didn’t—”
Mid-sentence, he was silenced by He Xingzhou covering his mouth.
“We’re busy right now, no time,” He Xingzhou covered his mouth with one hand and grabbed his phone with the other, shouting, “Let’s talk later.”
With that said, ignoring Xiao Can’s struggle, he hung up the call on Xiao Can’s behalf.
“Hey!” Xiao Can complained as soon as he was released, “What are you doing!”
“I was about to ask you the same thing,” He Xingzhou said.
Xiao Can was speechless, frowning, “…Are you intentionally scaring him?”
“Is that not okay?” He Xingzhou countered, “Shouldn’t I? Is it unreasonable? Did he suffer because of me?”
“I didn’t mean that,” Xiao Can hesitated for a moment, then held his hand, “Alright, I won’t say anything.”
He wasn’t some high and mighty figure, he was more concerned about whether the person he cared about was happy or not.
If letting He Xingzhou vent like this could make him feel better, then it was fine.
Tan Zhen had to endure a period of anxiety, but in the end, everything turned out well.
He Xingzhou was very satisfied with his attitude towards him, and he smiled again.
“You see, isn’t everything perfect?” he asked Xiao Can.
Xiao Can couldn’t help but laugh, “You’re too clever for your own good.”
He Xingzhou leaned in voluntarily, “Praise me a little?”
“But I’m afraid it might not be as good as you think,” Xiao Can reminded him, “I guess you’ll be heavily criticized.”
He Xingzhou shrugged, “So what?”
Xiao Can realized he had said something unnecessary.
That was something the man in front of him would never care about.
No matter how big the storm, no matter how much criticism, it couldn’t compare to the timeless songs he had written.
And Xiao Can was now very sure that he could bring explosive inspiration to He Xingzhou.
“Praise me?” He Xingzhou urged softly.
“What do you want?” Xiao Can kissed his lips, “Just say it, tell me, one by one.”
As Xiao Can had expected, the internet exploded after the show aired.
He Xingzhou was indeed heavily criticized. Whether it was his blunt declaration of “never having been in a relationship” or his confession that left Xiao Can stunned, they were all heavily criticized.
Many people went to Tan Zhen for confirmation.
Tan Zhen, who had been silent for a long time, simply responded with: “It’s true 😂.”
He didn’t dare to watch the show when it first aired. It was only when friends came to ask out of curiosity that he realized he had been played by He Xingzhou. At that moment, he didn’t even bother to complain, feeling relieved instead.
He privately sighed with Xiao Can, “His explanation was too crude, wasn’t it? I never thought we could get away with it like this.”
“He doesn’t see it as getting away with it,” Xiao Can said, “Him being willing to speak up already shows some respect.”
“That’s also respect for you,” Tan Zhen said.
That was not wrong. Speaking up was not only respect for Xiao Can but also showing respect for Xiao Can’s sake.
Later, He Xingzhou told Xiao Can that he had limited resentment towards Tan Zhen and chose not to be specific in his explanation. Firstly, he was grateful to Tan Zhen for creating the opportunity for them to meet, and secondly, he didn’t want Xiao Can to feel uncomfortable.
“The person I love has the softest heart in the world, I have to take good care of it,” He Xingzhou said.
Xiao Can was moved to tears.
However, most people on the internet were sympathetic towards him.
He Xingzhou’s public confession was rated as “overbearing,” “selfish,” “completely disregarding Xiao Can’s feelings,” and “toxic love.”
Thinking of his usual behavior, Xiao Can looked pitiful, like a delicate white flower bullied by a tyrant.
Of course, there were also many conspiracy theories.
Some people wrote lengthy analyses, saying that He Xingzhou was definitely infatuated with someone else, Xiao Can was the third party who intervened in a friend’s relationship, and Tan Zhen undoubtedly had to tolerate and retreat for the sake of his future.
These people captured every frame, analyzing all of Xiao Can’s micro-expressions on the show, thinking his on-site spraying of water was excessively exaggerated and his acting skills were poor.
These “hidden agenda” analyses always attracted attention.
Many people who didn’t like Xiao Can took the opportunity to vent, saying he was hypocritical and pretending to be innocent. This public confession was undoubtedly a deliberate arrangement by the two, only fools would believe it.
Since his appearance in public, almost all public opinion had sided with him. It was bound to be deceitful, a product of capitalist manipulation, and its collapse was only a matter of time.
One particularly harsh comment was widely circulated. The one who wrote the comment was very excited, and deliberately added a sentence at the end: “Just expressing my opinion, everyone has the right to criticize, will anyone come after me?”
This Weibo post was drowned in the flood of information. Xiao Can originally didn’t see it at all, but it came into his view because an unexpected person replied to it.
The person who had previously been exposed for snatching Xiao Can’s role and subsequently attacked, Yi Qiwen, used his main account to comment in the replies: Isn’t it too malicious to speculate about someone you’ve never even met? Xiao Can is a very, very good person.
He still had only a hundred thousand followers and very few reposts and comments on Weibo, completely lacking awareness as a public figure. However, this reply immediately attracted a lot of attention. Xiao Can’s fans rushed over, crazily screenshotting and reposting, marveling at “what kind of angel Xiao Can was to make a competitor speak up for him.”
Those who had previously scolded Yi Qiwen for not having a sense of shame suddenly changed their attitude, becoming gentle and kind, asking Yi Qiwen why he said that. Unfortunately, Yi Qiwen seemed to be scared and didn’t reply.
Xiao Can was also surprised when he saw it and took the initiative to call Yi Qiwen to express his gratitude.
In the phone call, Yi Qiwen frankly said that the comments on the internet a while ago had hurt him a lot, and he was rethinking whether he was suitable for the actor’s path.
Just as Xiao Can felt sympathy, he heard him sigh softly and say, “Do I have to inherit the family business? It’s really boring.”
Thinking about his family business, Xiao Can silently swallowed his words of comfort.
Besides Yi Qiwen, another unexpected person also voiced support for him.
Xiao Yi, his cousin who was now a somewhat famous video producer, spoke confidently to his audience during a livestream, claiming to know Xiao Can and praising his exceptional taste. He mentioned how Xiao Can had silently supported and encouraged him during his tough times, becoming a benefactor on his career path.
Although it was somewhat self-aggrandizing, Xiao Can’s fans quickly extracted the essence from it when they came across it.
The fact that such a chaotic mix of information could go viral was purely mystical. Who could have predicted it?
Xiao Can was just too kind!
All this information was consolidated, and Xiao Can was crystallized into a flawless being.
He was only twenty-three, practically a kid. How could he possibly have any ulterior motives? Everyone who had ever interacted with him spoke highly of him, surely because of his charismatic personality.
To have such a pure and wonderful person exist, and to be so beautiful, it was natural that He Xingzhou couldn’t resist.
Of course, a public coercion-style confession was still despicable, and the fans didn’t seem too eager for Xiao Can to accept it.
