“Come, take a look?” Gu Tingshen walked up to Jing Li and handed him the seashell.
Jing Li lowered his gaze and glanced at it, feeling the familiar aura emanating from it even at a distance.
When he reached out and took it, the smooth and silky texture felt just like before. Even the small mark he had accidentally scratched on the side when he was young was still clearly visible.
“If you really like it, I’ll have someone find a better way to preserve it. Then I’ll have it sealed and sent to you,” Gu Tingshen said with a smile, seeing him caressing the seashell repeatedly.
It was quite magical. From a young age, he had treated this seashell as his own, almost to an obsessive degree, personally cleaning it and never allowing anyone else in the house to touch it.
But in front of Jing Li, he not only willingly brought it before him, but seeing Jing Li holding the seashell also gave him the bizarre illusion that “this thing should belong to him,” as if everything seemed natural when it was with Jing Li.
It seemed he truly liked him to an almost obsessive degree.
Gu Tingshen couldn’t help but tease himself inwardly, yet the smile on his lips only grew. He clearly took pleasure in his own behavior.
“No need, just leave it here,” Jing Li rubbed the seashell for a moment before returning it.
Since it had been gifted away, there was no reason to take it back.
Moreover.
Jing Li smiled and met Gu Tingshen’s slightly lowered and evidently disappointed gaze. He instinctively added, “You said it could only be preserved well here, so if I want to see it, I’ll just come here with you again in the future.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, he immediately realized he had said something inappropriate, as if he was intentionally hinting at visiting Gu Tingshen’s home.
But seeing Gu Tingshen’s expression recover due to his words, he didn’t say anything further.
The two wandered around the villa for a while until the housekeeper called them for dinner.
After eating, Gu Tingshen accompanied Jing Li to the beach to film additional underwater scenes, completing the entire reality show’s work. They then took Gu Tingshen’s private plane back to the capital.
*
After returning from ‘Ultimate Survival Challenge,’ Jing Li’s work schedule entered another break.
However, this time he didn’t rush to take on a new script. His previous drama, ‘The Last Remnant’, was currently airing and gaining popularity. As the plot gradually reached its climax, discussions erupted online, and related topics were frequently at the top of the trending searches, lingering for a long time.
With the explosion of ‘The Last Remnant,’ the actors portraying the characters also rose to fame, especially Jing Li and Hu Li, who had just participated in the variety show. After the edited footage from ‘Ultimate Survival Challenge’ officially aired, discussions about them also surged, coupled with a massive increase in their Weibo followers, surpassing even the top celebrities and becoming the center of attention.
As ‘Ultimate Survival Challenge’ gained popularity, the topic #LuckyKoi# related to Jing Li resurfaced. Someone compiled a short video featuring all instances of Jing Li’s good luck, skillfully editing it to create an illusion that Jing Li was a natural-born fortune child blessed with koi luck, fueling further discussions.
However, what captured the most attention from netizens was the interaction between Jing Li and Gu Tingshen on the show.
As a prominent representative of the outstanding young generation, Gu Tingshen frequently appeared in public but always maintained a cold and distant demeanor. However, in this show, he transformed into a warm and amiable big brother next door, especially when facing Jing Li, his tender gaze almost spilling off the screen.
This immediately caused a stir among a portion of netizens, particularly their CP fans.
“What the f*ck?! Boss Gu actually made a rare appearance as a surprise guest??”
“Aahhhh!!! Mr. Gu is too doting! He even lent out his usually private island just for Jing Shao! And made his first appearance as a surprise guest!”
“The Guli CP is too sweet!! I can’t stop shipping them!!”
“Mr. Gu is always polite to other guests, but the moment he’s with Jing Li, his demeanor changes completely, and he can’t stop smiling.”
“Aahhhh!!!! ‘You like me.’ ‘I like you.’ ‘Is that so?’ Mr. Gu is too smooth!!!”
“Guli CP is officially canon!!!”
……
For a time, the internet was flooded with similar voices. Even the previous rumors about the two having a private dinner at the film studio were dug up again, and fans endlessly dissected and analyzed their interactions.
As these voices grew, Jing Li and Gu Tingshen’s names gradually climbed to the top of trending searches, with the first headline being #Iloveyou#.
Their relationship was once again the subject of speculation and discussion among numerous netizens, quickly sweeping across the show’s official website and their Weibo accounts.
With such a massive online commotion, the two parties naturally couldn’t remain unaware.
There was no reaction from Gu Tingshen’s side, unsure if he hadn’t seen it or simply didn’t care.
However, Jing Li felt somewhat uneasy about it.
The entertainment industry was always filled with such rumors and controversies. He had mentally prepared himself when entering the industry, so he didn’t pay much attention to the online discussions. But Gu Tingshen, being an outsider, was now embroiled in this turmoil because of him, especially considering Gu Tingshen’s usually low-key and private personality.
Moreover, after learning that Gu Tingshen might have been the mysterious person who saved his life in the Spiritual Realm, Jing Li’s sense of guilt only intensified.
Although he knew that most netizens were just joking around and didn’t take it too seriously, he still asked his team to control the commentary and sent Gu Tingshen an apology.
[Jing Li: Shen-ge, sorry for dragging you into another rumor because of me.]
When Gu Tingshen received his message, he was also browsing the online comments, but his focus was evidently different.
He not only had no aversion to netizens pairing him and Jing Li together as a couple and analyzing their interactions, but he even felt a subtle sense of happiness, almost wishing he could personally like those comments praising their love.
However, his good mood instantly faded when he saw the untimely appearance of Hu Li’s name.
As a top celebrity, Hu Li had always been popular online. Many people were aware of his close relationship with Jing Li due to their previous Weibo interactions, and quite a few people shipped their CP.
With the popularity of ‘The Last Remnant’ and the airing of the variety show they participated in together, these CP fans became active again, asserting their presence amid the overwhelming support for the Guli CP.
Gu Tingshen knew that in the industry, it was common for people to randomly pair up celebrities based on their own fantasies, but when it involved someone he cared about, this realization made him feel… other emotions.
Especially seeing comments on the screen calling for Jing Li and Hu Li to get together soon, saying Hu Li stood up for Jing Li explosively, and they were a perfect match, Gu Tingshen immediately pursed his lips, barely restraining himself from having someone contact the platform to delete those absurd comments and ban those accounts.
Seeing Jing Li’s message, Gu Tingshen’s expression finally softened slightly, but upon reading its content, his lips tightened again.
He glanced at the message and paused for a few seconds before replying: [Did you send the same apology message to Hu Li?]
Jing Li had been waiting for Gu Tingshen’s reply after sending his message and couldn’t help but feel confused upon seeing his response.
[Jing Li: ?]
[Jing Li: Why would I need to apologize to him?]
[Gu Tingshen: There are also people online talking about rumors between you and him, aren’t there?]
[Jing Li: Oh, you mean that.]
[Jing Li: We’re all in the same industry, it’s normal to be paired up. I’m used to it.]
Jing Li truly didn’t take it to heart. After all, whenever a new drama aired, the actors were almost always paired up and analyzed by fans. Some productions even intentionally encouraged these pairings for marketing purposes, so they were accustomed to it.
However, Gu Tingshen clearly didn’t share this view.
Almost instantly after Jing Li’s message, he replied: [So why did you specifically apologize to me?]
[Gu Tingshen: It’s an honor to be associated with you.]
[Gu Tingshen: Or does Xiao Jing mind it?]
Jing Li froze, his gaze lingering on Gu Tingshen’s second-to-last sentence, unable to look away for a long time.
“It’s an honor to be associated with you”?
What did Gu Tingshen mean by that?
The thought that Gu Tingshen might have feelings for him resurfaced in Jing Li’s mind, causing his heart rate to become erratic once more and his blood to start boiling, leaving him feeling dizzy.
Jing Li stared blankly at the chat for a while, growing increasingly flustered the more he thought about it.
But he had never been one to beat around the bush. Letting things continue this way wasn’t a solution, so he took a deep breath, determined to seize this opportunity and clarify things with Gu Tingshen.
However, just as he began typing, Gu Tingshen suddenly sent another message: [I have something to attend to, let’s talk later.]
Jing Li paused, forced to put it aside for the time being. He deleted the words he had typed and simply replied “Okay,” closing the chat and intending to find another chance to clear things up.
However, over the next few days, Gu Tingshen seemed quite busy, and Jing Li soon became preoccupied himself.
After the dramas and variety shows aired, his popularity skyrocketed, accompanied by a surge of faith power flooding his body.
Since his last core formation, the previously damaged meridians in his body had fully recovered, and his spiritual energy circulation had instantly increased several-fold compared to before. With this massive influx of spiritual power, he once again broke through his bottleneck and was about to face a new round of tribulation lightning.
As cultivators progressed in their cultivation, the intensity of the tribulations they faced also increased. With his previous experience, Jing Li naturally wouldn’t choose a densely populated area, so he contacted Hu Li early on to borrow his place again.
After finalizing the meeting location, Jing Li hastily packed a change of clothes and headed out. But as soon as he reached the door, he saw Gu Tingshen standing outside, carrying something and about to ring the doorbell.
“Shen-ge?” Jing Li paused when he saw him. “Why are you here at this hour?”
He had intentionally chosen to leave at night for convenience, and it was already past 9 PM.
Gu Tingshen looked surprised for a moment when he saw Jing Li, then glanced him up and down, noticing the bag he was carrying, and couldn’t help but ask, “You’re going out?”
“Yeah, I made plans to hang out with Hu Li,” Jing Li casually responded, feeling his spiritual energy becoming unstable. Unable to delay further, he quickly added, “My brother isn’t home, so if you’re looking for him, you can go inside and wait.”
As he finished speaking, he nodded at Gu Tingshen and attempted to walk past him.
“…Wait.” Gu Tingshen grabbed his arm, glancing at the surging mist-like energy atop Jing Li’s head that seemed ready to break free from his body. He quickly set down the bag he was carrying, removed a pendant necklace from around his neck, and placed it in Jing Li’s hand. “This is the lucky charm I’ve worn since I was young. I feel it has…good meaning, so you should take it with you.”
Jing Li paused when Gu Tingshen grabbed him and glanced down, ready to politely decline, but swallowed his words when he saw the purple-golden spiritual energy emanating from the pendant.
Since wearing it wouldn’t cause any harm, he might as well try to absorb some of the purple energy from Tian Dao’s favorite.
Jing Li reasoned with himself and didn’t say anything further. He accepted the pendant necklace, stuffed it into his pocket, thanked Gu Tingshen, and hurriedly walked into the night.
After he left, Gu Tingshen, who had been standing at the Jing family’s door, didn’t ring the doorbell either. He simply turned and quietly watched the direction Jing Li had gone before leaving himself.
*
In the night, Jing Li shot through the darkness, instantly transforming into a shooting star and disappearing from sight.
When he arrived at the location where Hu Li was waiting, sensing the fluctuations in Jing Li’s spiritual energy, Hu Li didn’t say much and directly took him to the mountain where he had faced his last tribulation.
Almost as soon as they landed, the spiritual energy within Jing Li broke through its final restraints, surging out of control. The previously tranquil sky rumbled with the sound of thunder as tribulation clouds rapidly gathered and rolled in.
The tribulation clouds formed swiftly, covering the entire sky above Jing Li in an instant. Fortunately, it was nighttime, barely concealing this abnormal phenomenon.
The tribulation lightning struck fiercely and relentlessly, the powerful gales instantly shredding Jing Li’s clothes.
Without a spiritual body or artifacts for support, withstanding such powerful tribulation lightning as an ordinary human would undoubtedly be extremely difficult. As the first bolt struck, Jing Li closed his eyes, prepared for the excruciating pain of being blasted apart, body and soul shattered once again.
However, seconds passed without any discomfort. Puzzled, Jing Li opened his eyes to see a dazzling white radiance manifesting in midair, instantly devouring the tribulation lightning and continuing upward, consuming the rolling tribulation clouds in the sky until they disappeared completely.
Once the white radiance dissipated, Jing Li looked closely and realized it was the lucky charm pendant Gu Tingshen had casually given him, which he had stuffed into his pocket.
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