TCFGBH Chapter 12

“There are many people who he has played,” Fang Xihua’s eyes darted around, suddenly putting on a sad expression, “I was hurt by him too. He made it so I can’t trust love anymore.”

“……”

Zhao Wenxiu finally gave him a serious look.

Fang Xihua was somewhat attractive among ordinary people, but in the entertainment industry, he seemed quite average. Meanwhile, Xia Yan… anyone who had seen him would admit his appearance was the best in the industry.

Fang Xihua continued complaining, “I gave him everything I had and spent countless days and nights with him, but he forgot me in the blink of an eye.”

“Just you?”

The two dismissive words were full of contempt.

Fang Xihua was taken aback, unable to shed any more tears. His face turned red, his mouth opening and closing several times before nervously saying, “I’m telling the truth. Mr. Zhao, there’s no need to humiliate me.”

With that, he fled in a hurry.

After finishing a whole cigarette, Zhao Wenxiu finally realized what Fang Xihua’s description reminded him of.

It was like a proud and aloof cat, but Xia Yan… calling him a cat was underestimating his danger. He was more like a leopard, a lion, or a cheetah—majestic, agile, and beautiful.

But if you’re not careful, you might get bitten.

–

On the beach.

Before the volleyball match began, Xia Yan thought he should perform poorly to make the netizens dislike him, so he deliberately underplayed during the serve.

He thought he had achieved the goal of today’s ‘routine task.’

Unexpectedly, someone came with an extra surprise.

When Zhao Wenhan called out to him, he immediately realized that an opportunity for ‘cheating’ had arrived. On the third day of the program, exceeding the task’s requirements meant leaving the small world was imminent.

The young man withdrew his gaze, holding the volleyball, and noticed that Tu Xi was watching him. He casually asked, “Do you want to serve?”

“……”

“…………”

“……”

After a moment of silence, Tu Xi asked softly, “Do you really want to eat French food?”

“Of course.” The young man nodded, “Since joining the program, I’ve been eating too plainly.” He was completely lying through his teeth. The program’s budget was tight, but every meal had meat, vegetables, and soup, and Tu Xi had never been demanding.

“Okay, I understand.” Tu Xi gave him a steady look and extended his hand, “I’ll serve.”

In a daze, Xia Yan seemed to see flames of war igniting behind the man.

Did he… say something wrong?

The warm sand reached only the soles of their feet, and the sea breeze carried a salty, damp scent lingering in the air.

The man stood in the back row, his chestnut eyes glowing golden under the sunlight, looking exceptionally cool and imposing.

The white ball was thrown into the air. With a mighty jump from his calves, it was slammed down hard.

It came crashing down like a white lightning bolt, spinning and landing heavily beside Bai Zhiyi’s feet, bouncing two or three meters away.

Bai Zhiyi blinked, looking down at the large crater by his feet, his mouth twitching: “This… is too intense.”

Jealousy brings out hidden potential.

“Pew, pew!” The referee blew the whistle, “Red team scores a point. Current score: 2-1.”

Xia Yan was also stunned. He turned to look at the man, only to see him giving a fierce yet gentle smile. His voice was soft but filled with confidence: “Yan Yan, I’ll take you out for a big meal.”

Xia Yan shivered slightly, his face stiffening, and his gaze became unfocused.

His tiny heart was filled with big question marks.

[Why is the protagonist shou is so fierce]

System’s lackluster response: [In a broken little world, it’s a bit different… quite normal.]

[Alright then.]

Xia Yan surreptitiously dug his toes into the ground, the fine sand playfully slipping between them. The slight itch made him rub his other foot.

He felt a bit troubled.

His planned loss in the match was about to fail.

After playing the second game dejectedly, Xia Yan was distracted throughout. He only managed to receive one ball; Tu Xi returned the rest. Tu Xi single-handedly turned the tide and won the second point.

Bai Zhiyi and Ruan Meixian nearly gave up in the third game, just playing casually.

The referee blew the whistle, confirming the red team’s victory.

The summer heat was already intense, with temperatures reaching 32 degrees Celsius. The wind felt hot, and Tu Xi was drenched in sweat after an intense game.

Xia Yan was not a cold-hearted villain; seeing the protagonist shou work so hard for his few words, he felt a pang of guilt.

He picked up a bottle of room-temperature mineral water and asked, “Do you want some?”

“Thank you.”

Xia Yan curled his lips into a small smile and said softly, “Actually, it’s okay if we lose.”

“But I want to win.” Tu Xi looked steadily at the young man, his gaze falling on the trembling, uneasy eyelashes. He calmly took a couple of sips of warm water, “The next round is about to start, let’s go.”

“…Okay.”

The second pair of opponents were Song Xueyang and Zhong Feiyang.

Zhong Feiyang was experienced and had played volleyball before, making the difficulty level increase significantly. He was fierce but Tu Xi was fiercer, impassively smashing him down.
In the end, Xia Yan’s team won with a score of 3-1.

Zhong Feiyang crouched, holding his head and wailing loudly, “Ah, ah, ah!!! I bragged before the match, and now I’ve lost two games. I’m too embarrassed to face anyone today.”

Song Xueyang quickly comforted him, saying to endure a bit as life would soon pass.

Xia Yan was stunned. Zhong Feiyang was already very good, yet he lost.

That third game…

The young man placed a towel on his head, covering his face while wiping sweat. He peeked cautiously at Tu Xi through the gaps, seeing his face flushed red, his hair damp in strands, and his white sportswear subtly revealing his skin. He looked disheveled… yet somehow attractive.

The invisible and intangible hormones were overwhelming, making him blush and his heart race.

Xia Yan was somewhat mesmerized.

The comment section of the live broadcast was also exploding.

【Damn, just thinking about how Xi Xi is working so hard just to make Xia Yan have a big meal makes me heartbroken. Need oxygen jpg.】

【I’m going to become a girlfriend fan. Lick, lick, lick.】

【Wealthy, handsome, and loves you. Why does Xia Yan have to flirt? I can’t ship this couple anymore, sob, sob, sob.】

【The hot search on the whole internet is down; ‘Ah Er’ has not been exposed yet, so mad.】

【The ‘Heartbeat’ crew posted on Weibo that Xia Yan and Ah Er are good friends. Hahaha! Director, do you think I’m an idiot?】

……

…………

Xia Yan and Tu Xi’s stream had the highest viewership among the four live streams.

The director, reluctant to lose the traffic and not bothering to explain, stubbornly kept the live broadcast running, allowing netizens to speculate and discuss.

Xia Yan snapped back to reality as the third round began.

He tossed the dirty towel into the bin and returned to the front row. Despite his minimal exercise, the hot weather had caused him to sweat profusely.

Xia Yan had neglected to apply sunscreen in the morning, so his face felt a bit sore.

In the final round of the endurance match, everyone had played two rounds, and theoretically, everyone’s stamina should be nearly depleted. But who would have guessed that Tu Xi would slam a powerful ball from the start, creating an even deeper impact than when he faced Bai Zhiyi?

Wei Junhao was also unwilling to fall behind. His arm muscles bulged as he clearly put in a lot of effort.

Is it possible?

Where is the idol-fan relationship? Why do they look like mortal enemies?

Xia Yan’s brain briefly went on strike.

The atmosphere was infectious. Tu Xi and Wei Junhao went back and forth, sparing no effort in the game, running and jumping as if they couldn’t bear to let a single ball drop. Xia Yan was unknowingly drawn into the intensity.

His running speed gradually increased, his expression tense, his eyes fixed on the ball, trying to coordinate with Tu Xi. The scores were very close.

“Pew, pew! The yellow team scores a point. Current score: 2-2.”

A missed ball meant the match was heading to a decisive point.

Fueled by adrenaline, the young man’s face showed a flash of frustration as he stared at the ball at his feet, completely forgetting about the task at hand.

“We will win.” Tu Xi picked up the ball and, with those words, returned to the back row.

The atmosphere was taut with tension.

Xia Yan reflexively nodded, not yet clearing his thoughts, and the final round began. He quickly returned to his position, ready for the battle.

One minute.

Two minutes.

Five minutes.

A full eight minutes passed, with the ball never touching the ground. Both sides were panting heavily, drenched in sweat.

What was initially just a casual match intended for couples to show off affection, wipe sweat, and hand out water for the audience’s enjoyment had turned into a heated contest.

The spectators were on edge, their eyes glued to the ball, expressions alternating between excitement and anxiety. The barrage of comments had diminished, not because people were leaving but because everyone was focused on the game.

Among the four participants, Wei Junhao was the tallest, about 1.8/1.9 meters, exuding a commanding presence. Tu Xi, shorter by half a head, matched him and seemed to overpower him in intensity slightly.

Xia Yan’s usual ambiguous smile had disappeared.

He pushed his soaked hair back, exposing his smooth and entire forehead. His lips were pressed into a straight line, his face tense and wholly absorbed in the game.

When they occasionally glanced at the camera, his elongated, upturned eyes still held an indescribable emotion, but combined with his cold expression, it appeared almost aloof.

The stark contrast fueled desire.

【I want to rip Xia Yan’s clothes off and pin him down, watching him cry and beg.】

【Even though I hate Xia Yan’s personality, I have to admit, a serious man is indeed the most handsome. His charm increased by several points in an instant.】

【Go red team!!! We must win! It’s the first time I’ve seen Xi Xi so dedicated. If it weren’t for the ‘Ah Er’ incident, as a fan, I would accept Xia Yan, sob, sob, sob.】

But… there was no ‘if’.

Xia Yan’s flirtatious behavior remained a thorn in fans’ hearts. The CP fans accumulated during the previous live streams were now calling for a breakup.

The match had already lasted two hours.

Everyone’s stamina was nearly depleted, and they were only being sustained by sheer determination. The assistant director hesitated and approached the director, whispering, “The weather is too hot; it feels a bit dangerous.”

After intense exercise, drinking large amounts of water was not advisable.

The break between rounds was short, and both sides had only replenished a small amount of water. Continuing could lead to dehydration or heat stroke for the guests.

The director hesitated, “There’s only one ball left, and it’s not good to explain to the audience.”

“Tu Xi and Wei Junhao don’t want to give up.” The assistant director’s expression was troubled.
While they were discussing, the situation on the field changed.

Wei Junhao received Tu Xi’s ball and tried to hit it down with force, but his strength waned, causing him to hit it higher instead, giving the opponent a chance to score.

He instinctively ran to defend against Tu Xi, but unexpectedly, a figure dashed out.

A tall, slender figure leaped up against the light, eyes shining brightly, gleaming with pure, joyful anticipation of victory.

He moved like a leopard, leaping with all his might, graceful and dazzling.

The white ball spun and crashed hard beside Fang Xihua, with Wei Junhao in the back row, powerless to prevent the loss.

“Pew, pew!” the referee yelled, “3-2, red team wins.”

“It’s over.”

“We won.”

“The red team won, he won.” The spectators, drawn in by the game, cheered collectively. Though it was just an amateur match, they felt the tension as if they were watching the Olympics.

The match ended.

Xia Yan stared blankly at his hand. The intense exercise had exhilarated him with adrenaline and dopamine. The hard-earned victory made him instinctively want to share it with his teammates, but as he took a step forward, a sharp pain shot through his ankle.

?

Unprepared and off-balance, the young man fell face-first onto the sand, like a large doll tumbling down.

He looked up in confusion, tears welling in his eyes. He appeared to not quite understand what had happened, looking innocent like a naive little demon.

The cameramen’s reflexes were quicker than his brain, zooming in on the scene and broadcasting it to all the live-stream viewers.

【……】

【…………】

【……】

A barrage of ellipses appeared.

Eventually, someone couldn’t help but comment: 【Damn, isn’t that my long-lost wife?】

–
The beach was in chaos.

A crowd gathered around Xia Yan. The director quickly called for a doctor while Tu Xi anxiously inquired about the situation. Zhao Wenhan also ran over, angrily pushing Tu Xi.

“It’s all your fault. Brother Xia Yan wouldn’t have been injured if it weren’t for you.”

“Shut up.”

Tu Xi’s eyes were bloodshot. Seeing Xia Yan had only moved his head a bit at first and then remained still, his heartbeat accelerated.

“Yan Yan…” He called softly, carefully, and swiftly, turning the young man over, extending his hands, and gently lowering his head to listen to his chaotic heartbeat. Clumsily, he held him in his arms and hesitated before pinching Xia Yan’s philtrum to perform first aid.

The process was so swift that Xia Yan barely had time to react.

“???”

Embarrassed by the public fall and not wanting to face the harsh reality, the young man, trying to play dead, thought:

Maybe it’s even more embarrassing if he stays unconscious.

Should he wake up or not?