Chapter 18: Co-rooming

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Hearing that Lu Yiwei said he participated in this variety show because of a person, Mu Zhengqing just nodded knowingly and didn’t ask further. 

This should be the real reason he participated in this variety show, which is much more reliable than his previous answer. 

Not only did Mu Zhengqing not ask further, but even the netizens in the live broadcast room didn’t ask this question again. 

Lu Yiwei, who was waiting to reveal who this person was, kept waiting and waiting. 

He couldn’t believe that no one was curious about such a gossip-worthy matter. 

But surprisingly, no one was curious. 

Next, the netizens saw that this was indeed a serious Q&A session, and the questions became normal. 

Until Mu Zhengqing announced the end of this session, Lu Yiwei still didn’t get his question. 

Following the principle of “if you don’t ask, I’ll say it myself,” Lu Yiwei asked: “Aren’t you curious about who I participated in this variety show for?” 

Mu Zhengqing replied on behalf of the netizens in the live broadcast room: “Not curious.” 

“Why?” Lu Yiwei asked, puzzled. 

Such a big piece of gossip, and no one is curious. 

It seems that not only are the paparazzi of this generation not good, but the netizens of this generation are also not very good. 

“Because it’s so obvious, we can guess.” Mu Zhengqing replied on behalf of the netizens in the live broadcast room. 

Of course, his thoughts were the same as those of the netizens in the live broadcast room. 

“Who do you think it is?” 

Seeing Mu Zhengqing like this, Lu Yiwei suddenly had a bad premonition. 

“Of course, it’s Director Liang Qi.” Mu Zhengqing said very confidently. 

No wonder he answered so confidently, because not only did he think so, but the live broadcast room’s bullet comments were also filled with the name Liang Qi . 

“What does it have to do with Liang Qi?” Lu Yiwei asked, confused. 

Although he had a premonition, he was still puzzled when he heard this answer. What does it have to do with Liang Qi? 

Of course, Liang Qi himself was equally puzzled. What does this have to do with me? 

Hearing Lu Yiwei’s question, Mu Zhengqing began to explain. He said that Lu Yiwei and Liang Qi seemed very familiar with each other, and Liang Qi also agreed with his views. 

The most important thing is that Lu Yiwei, an award-winning actor, participated in a variety show for the first time, and it was a divorce variety show. Apart from owing the director a favour or having a particularly good relationship with the director, he couldn’t think of a third possibility. 

After listening to Mu Zhengqing’s explanation, Lu Yiwei fell silent. 

Liang Qi was also silent. Could it be that Lu Yiwei really participated in this variety show because of him? [T/N: He even sponsored the show. If that isn’t true love, idk what is lmfao] 

Could it be that he had unintentionally helped Lu Yiwei? 

After confirming that their team’s score was far ahead of the other teams, Mu Zhengqing relaxed and didn’t stop Lu Yiwei, who insisted on making dinner. 

After all, his cooking skills really couldn’t compare to Lu Yiwei’s, and of course, neither could takeout. 

It’s just washing vegetables, cutting vegetables, stir-frying, and the like. 

Their score was so high that even if they lost some points, it wouldn’t matter. Being too far ahead was too ostentatious. 

Soon it was time for the program team to announce today’s score results. 

To keep the suspense, the program team only announced the scores of each team: first place 100 points, second place 58 points, third place 33 points, fourth place -50 points. 

The program team asked each team to guess their corresponding score. If they guessed correctly, there would be a reward; if they guessed wrong, there would be a punishment. The more off the guess, the harsher the punishment. 

Mu Zhengqing and Lu Yiwei chose the first place with 100 points without hesitation. 

After the other teams had made their choices, the program team finally revealed the final answers. 

The first place was the Yellow Team, the second place was the Blue Team, the third place was the Green Team, and the fourth place was the Red Team. 

Seeing the results, Mu Zhengqing asked Lu Yiwei uncertainly: “Are we the Yellow Team?” 

“No,” Lu Yiwei said confidently. 

Yellow is such an inauspicious colour in marriage, how could he choose that? They were the Red Team. 

Red sounds festive and is the same colour as his favourite marriage certificate. 

In the end, as the Red Team, Mu Zhengqing and Lu Yiwei came in fourth place, which was the last place. 

Upon learning they were in last place, Mu Zhengqing raised an objection to the program team. 

Even if they weren’t the first place, they couldn’t possibly be the last place, right? 

The last place had a score of -50 points. How could they possibly have negative points? 

Seeing his objection, the program team seemed to be prepared and directly played the video of their point deductions. 

Lu Yiwei lost 30 points for washing vegetables, 50 points for cutting vegetables, and 90 points for stir-frying… 

Hmm, this was even after the program team rounded down their points because they had lost so many. 

Mu Zhengqing was stunned after seeing the point deductions. Losing one point for every move, this was too strict. 

It’s said that where there are variety shows, there are shady dealings. Today, he truly experienced it. 

Although the program team’s actions were strict, faced with the justified results, Mu Zhengqing had no choice but to accept it grudgingly. 

He looked at Lu Yiwei with sympathy in his eyes. You came for him, but he treated you like this. [T/N: he betrayed you]

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Lu Yiwei, who was about to send a message to Liang Qi , asked in confusion. 

“Sigh, it doesn’t feel good to have your sincere feelings misplaced, does it?” 

Mu Zhengqing didn’t answer Lu Yiwei’s question but instead gave him a comforting hug. 

After being released by Mu Zhengqing, Lu Yiwei froze in place. 

He didn’t really hear what Mu Zhengqing said. His mind was filled with the fact that Mu Zhengqing had hugged him. 

They had held hands, and now they had hugged. So, what comes next…? 

As he thought about it, his neck started to turn red, then his ears, and finally his face. 

Mu Zhengqing didn’t notice Lu Yiwei’s reaction because he was focused on something more important. 

Since they didn’t get first place, the more off they were in guessing their rank, the harsher the punishment the program team had mentioned. 

After hearing the punishment, Mu Zhengqing explained to the program team: “If I remember correctly, I joined a divorce variety show, not a dating variety show.” 

The program team confidently told him that this was indeed a genuine divorce variety show, inviting divorced couples or divorced same-sex couples. 

Seeing the program team’s confident response, Mu Zhengqing felt a bit guilty. 

He and Lu Yiwei were only about to get divorced, which means they hadn’t divorced yet. 

So, you’d better not be so sure, or you might get slapped in the face later. 

Speaking of which, he didn’t know what Lu Yiwei had told the program team at the time. It seemed that the program team clearly didn’t know they hadn’t divorced yet. 

Program team: Since you’re participating in a divorce variety show, what else needs to be said? 

“No, you let two divorced people share a room for a night. Do you think that’s appropriate?” Mu Zhengqing asked. 

“Of course, it’s not appropriate, so you tell me if this is outrageous or not,” the program team member answered truthfully. 

Uh, faced with such a shameless response, Mu Zhengqing was momentarily speechless. 

“Say something,” Mu Zhengqing said, tugging at the hem of Lu Yiwei’s shirt. 

Lu Yiwei, snapping back to reality, looked at him with a puzzled expression. 

“The program team wants us to sleep in the same room tonight,” Mu Zhengqing said, taking a deep breath. 

After hearing Mu Zhengqing’s words, Lu Yiwei’s face turned even redder, and he said nervously, “That’s not very appropriate, is it?” 

He must have just sent a message to Liang Qi, otherwise, how could his thoughts come true so quickly? 

Seeing Lu Yiwei’s unusually red face, Mu Zhengqing assumed he was angry. 

If his face didn’t turn red so easily, he would also be red-faced and neck-thick with anger at the program team. 

However, no matter how much he expressed his dissatisfaction, the program team was adamant. 

In the end, Mu Zhengqing gave up struggling. 

Forget it, just think of it as reliving the college dorm days.

However, looking at the despondent Lu Yiwei beside him, he suddenly had a bold idea. 

Could it be that Lu Yiwei likes Liang Qi? 

If he likes Liang Qi, then everything makes sense. 

Why did Lu Yiwei insist on dragging him to participate in this variety show? It was to make Liang Qi jealous. 

Why is Lu Yiwei so good to him? Of course, it was also to make Liang Qi jealous. 

Why has Lu Yiwei been looking so lost since just now? Because Liang Qi actually let him share a room with someone else. 

This level of heartbreak, it wouldn’t make sense not to shed a few tears. 

Mu Zhengqing became more convinced the more he thought about it. 

Thinking about Liang Qi’s weight of over 200 jin, Mu Zhengqing understood a saying: you don’t care about what you already have. 

“I already have a good-looking face, I just want to find an interesting soul.” 

To come up with the idea of letting two divorced people share a room, who wouldn’t say this soul is interesting? 

---

Author’s Note:

Liang Qi: ….???

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Chapter 17: Because of one person

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After realising that he had wasted the entire morning, Mu Zhengqing lost all motivation to cook.

On the other hand, Lu Yiwei was willing to cook, but Mu Zhengqing stopped him.

Washing vegetables, chopping, stir-frying...

The question now was whether their score for today's task could be positive.

The only consolation was that the scores of the other teams weren't too high, so they still had hope of catching up.

In the end, they ordered takeout.

However, Mu Zhengqing ate very little. Now, with each dish he ate, he compared it to what Lu Yiwei had cooked, resulting in less and less appetite.

Had Lu Yiwei spoiled his taste buds like this after just a few meals?

After dinner, the two of them returned to their bedroom for a nap.

Once in the bedroom, Lu Yiwei called Liang Qi.

Even though he could pretend not to have seen the information from the wealthy father, he still didn't have the courage to ignore the call from the wealthy father.

However, as soon as he answered the call, without waiting for Lu Yiwei to speak, he started complaining.

He said that now netizens are criticising him and the show, and that he was forced to do what he did.

Lu Yiwei had no patience to listen to Liang Qi’s rambling. After getting the answer he wanted, he hung up the phone without hesitation.

He understood that if he wanted to win today, the key was still with the netizens.

Soon, he had an idea.

Mu Zhengqing came out of the bedroom and saw Lu Yiwei talking to the camera.

As he walked closer, he realised that Lu Yiwei was actually answering questions from the netizens.

“Yes, Mu Zhengqing is very handsome, but no matter how handsome he is, you can’t have him. He is someone you can’t get.”

“Mu Zhengqing not only sings well, but also dances exceptionally well.”

“The least noticeable thing about Mu Zhengqing is his appearance. He is ambitious and works hard…”

Mu Zhengqingalmost wanted to go up and cover Lu Yiwei’s mouth.

Anyone who didn’t know better would think Lu Yiwei was his brainless fan. 

However, Lu Yiwei didn’t let him feel awkward for too long. After seeing him come over, he put the phone aside.

This time, Mu Zhengqing didn’t “force” Lu Yiwei to order him around but instead sat down next to him.

He understood that he couldn’t “cheat” like he did in the morning, otherwise, it would just be a waste of time.

However, he hadn’t thought of a good solution yet.

He looked at Lu Yiwei, wanting to ask for his opinion.

Receiving his questioning gaze, Lu Yiwei glanced at the phone beside him and said, “I want to interact with the netizens a bit. Can you help me read the comments?”

“I can, but we still have tasks to do today. How about you interact with the netizens another day?” Mu Zhengqing immediately understood Lu Yiwei’s intention and pretended to be in a difficult position.

“That’s true, then forget it.” Lu Yiwei said with a regretful expression.

After finishing the scene, Mu Zhengqing and Lu Yiwei started watching TV.

Twenty minutes later, Mu Zhengqing’s phone suddenly rang.

The call was from Liang Qi. He hoped Mu Zhengqing could help Lu Yiwei read the comments.

To make it worth his while, Lu Yiwei would add 0.1 points for each question he answered from the netizens.

Upon hearing about the 0.1 points, Mu Zhengqing “accidentally” hung up the phone.

After hanging up, he “accidentally” put his phone on silent.

Then he casually put the phone aside and continued watching TV.

Soon after, Lu Yiwei’s phone started ringing.

The two of them acted as if they were deaf, focusing intently on the TV commercials.

The phone rang for over twenty minutes before it finally stopped. Just as it stopped, there was a knock on the door.

This time, the two of them acted as if they had regained their hearing and got up to open the door.

“0.2 points,”  Liang Qi quickly said, as soon as Lu Yiwei opened the door.

Lu Yiwei, who had just opened the door, acted as if he didn’t see Liang Qi and proceeded to close the door.

“0.5 points, no more than that.” Liang Qi’s voice came from outside the door.

“1 point.” Lu Yiwei opened the door and said to Liang Qi.

Seeing that Lu Yiwei was about to close the door again, Liang Qi quickly agreed.

Today, it was really a case of winning because of the netizens and losing because of the netizens. However, you have your tricks and I have my ways.

“Maybe we should just forget it. Don’t want to be accused of cheating again,” Mu Zhengqing said from behind Lu Yiwei.

If the show had told him from the beginning that it wasn’t allowed, he wouldn’t have had any complaints. But now that half the time had passed and they were saying he was cheating, he had an opinion about it.

He had worked hard and used his brain to earn those points, and now they were just wiping them out. He would hold a grudge for that.

“I guarantee you as the director that for every question you answer from the netizens, you will get one point,” Liang Qi said confidently.

“Alright then.”

Having received a satisfactory result, Mu Zhengqing reluctantly agreed.

After Liang Qi left, Mu Zhengqing went into the live broadcast room, planning to read the comments for Lu Yiwei .

But he frowned and looked at it for a long time, unable to read a single word out loud.

“What’s wrong?” seeing Mu Zhengqing’s troubled expression, Lu Yiwei asked in confusion.

“See for yourself,” Mu Zhengqing handed the phone to Lu Yiwei.

Seeing the screen full of “Husband, I love you”, Lu Yiwei also fell silent.

Didn’t they not have any girlfriend fans?

Fan: Iron-clad fans, fleeting roles, we are happy.

As for the term “husband”, he certainly wanted Mu Zhengqing to call him that, but he hoped Mu Zhengqing would call him that only when they were alone, not in the live broadcast room.

Although he knew Mu Zhengqing was calling him, what if others also responded?

After about three minutes, Mu Zhengqing finally found other content among the dense comments.

First question: 

Mu Zhengqing: “Emperor Lu, what are your upcoming plans?”

Lu Yiwei: “Participating in variety show recordings.”

Mu Zhengqing continued to ask: “Netizens are probably more concerned about your plans after this variety show?” See, he is still very professional, asking what the netizens want to know.

Lu Yiwei: “No other plans, everything will be decided after this variety show.”

Lu Yiwei’s answer not only confused the netizens in the live broadcast room, but also left Mu Zhengqing a bit puzzled.

No other plans? As one of the most popular and talented actors at the moment, he only has one variety show he is participating in. Anyone who didn’t know better might think he was planning to retire after this show.

Facing Mu Zhengqing’s confused look, Lu Yiwei didn’t explain but signalled him to continue.

Second question:

Mu Zhengqing: “Do you call each other by your names in private as well?”

Mu Zhengqing only realised what he had said after reading it out loud. He was just looking for normal questions and didn’t expect this one to be about the two of them.

Lu Yiwei: “In private, we also call each other by our names.”

Just as Mu Zhengqing was about to read the next question, Lu Yiwei continued: “A name consists of a surname and a given name. The surname is the identity given to us by our parents, and the given name is the wish they have for us. So, I believe that calling someone by their full name shows that they are very important to you.”

Lu Yiwei’s inner thoughts: “I’m being stubborn, I’m being unreasonable, I’m talking nonsense.”

Third question:

Mu Zhengqing : “Emperor Lu, why did you join this variety show?”

Mu Zhengqing breathed a sigh of relief after reading it. It wasn’t easy. He had been searching for a long time and finally found a relatively normal question.

He was also curious about how Lu Yiwei would answer this question.

Would it be the same as before - giving an answer that made people envious, jealous, and resentful, or would he talk nonsense like the last question?

Lu Yiwei: “Because of one person.”

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Chapter 16: Serve Lu Yiwei for one day

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“Why do you want to be good to me?” Mu Zhengqing asked.

If he couldn’t play it straight, he’d play it indirectly. Holding back wasn’t his style.

“You are my legally recognized partner. Isn’t it right for me to be good to you?” Lu Yiwei looked at Mu Zhengqing and replied.

“But we are going to get divorced soon,” Mu Zhengqing reminded.

“You said it yourself, it’s soon. As long as we are not divorced for a day, we are still legally protected partners. Your well-being is my well-being,” Lu Yiwei affirmed.

“But we…”

“No buts. Let me massage your arm, or it will hurt tomorrow,” Lu Yiwei interrupted Mu Zhengqing.

Mu Zhengqing obediently stretched out his arm, enjoying the massage from Lu Yiwei.

To be honest, Lu Yiwei’s massage technique was skilled and the pressure was just right. If it weren’t for the awkward position, he would have fallen asleep comfortably.

Being with Lu Yiwei made him feel like a useless person.

No, he had to do something to show his value.

“I’m done. Let me massage you too,” Mu Zhengqing said as he withdrew his arm.

“Okay.”

Lu Yiwei hesitated for a moment before extending his arm to Mu Zhengqing.

Mu Zhengqing placed his hand on Lu Yiwei’s arm and had just started massaging when Lu Yiwei suddenly stood up.

“What’s wrong? Did I hurt you?” Mu Zhengqing was startled by Lu Yiwei’s strong reaction and asked in confusion.

He hadn’t even started applying pressure yet, just feeling around his arm. Why was he so jumpy?

“No, I just suddenly remembered something. I have to go.” Lu Yiwei explained briefly and hurriedly left Mu Zhengqing’s bedroom.

Watching Lu Yiwei leave, Mu Zhengqing felt a strange sense of familiarity.

However, Mu Zhengqing didn’t think much of it. After Lu Yiwei’s massage, his legs weren’t sore and his arms didn’t hurt. He felt sleepy.

Mu Zhengqing had a good night’s sleep and woke up before the alarm clock.

He moved his arm and then his leg, and after confirming there was no discomfort, he felt great.

To thank Lu Yiwei for his help last night, he decided to make him breakfast.

After washing up and leaving the bedroom, he found that Lu Yiwei was already up.

When he saw what Lu Yiwei was holding, he immediately walked to the bathroom.

Seeing the laundry basket empty, he lowered his head and asked Lu Yiwei, “Did you wash my clothes?”

“Yes, I had nothing to do when I got up, so I washed them,” Lu Yiwei replied while hanging the clothes.

“Thank you,” Mu Zhengqing said with his head down.

If his neck weren’t so short, he could have bowed his head to the ground.

The early-rising Lu Yiwei not only finished washing the clothes but also prepared breakfast.

However, until finishing breakfast, Mu Zhengqing never lifted his head.

Seeing Mu Zhengqing's head getting lower and lower, Lu Yiwei leaned close to his ear and whispered, “I only washed your outer clothes, so I’m not sure if you mind. I put the intimate clothing aside.”

Upon hearing Lu Yiwei's words, Mu Zhengqing suddenly lifted his head, looking at Lu Yiwei with his reddened eyes, then hurriedly ran to the washroom.

Watching Mu Zhengqing leave, Lu Yiwei couldn’t help but touch his arm. How could someone feel like a massage and scratching at the same time?

Mu Zhengqing roared, “I was looking for a sense of touch. Your massage feels more like scratching!”

While washing clothes, Mu Zhengqing vowed that no matter how tired he was, he would always wash his clothes.

After Mu Zhengqing finished washing the clothes, Lu Yiwei had also cleaned up the dining table.

This meant that their day of relaxation was about to begin again.

However, just ten minutes into their relaxation, the show’s crew came to assign them today’s task.

Today’s task was for Lu Yiwei to do nothing, and for Mu Zhengqing to do all the work.

Mu Zhengqing would earn one point for each task he did for Lu Yiwei, and Lu Yiwei would lose one point for each task he did himself. By 8 PM, the team with the most points would be the champion of the day.

Mu Zhengqing felt okay about this task. After all, serving Lu Yiwei for a day wasn’t difficult.

Moreover, after feeling useless last night, the show’s crew had given him a chance to shine today. He was full of energy.

He had already thought about what to do during the two hours of live broadcast.

However, Lu Yiwei was not very happy after hearing the task content.

After repeatedly confirming with the staff that personnel could not be exchanged, he picked up his phone and started typing furiously.

Upon receiving the message, Liang Qi quickly threw his phone aside, pretending not to see it.

He did this to follow public opinion, as the task was voted on by netizens overnight. Even though Lu Yiwei is the sponsor, he cannot go against public opinion.

After the program team left, Mu Zhengqing arranged for Lu Yiwei to sit on the sofa and then asked if he needed anything.

Lu Yiwei said he didn’t need anything and asked Mu Zhengqing to sit with him.

Seeing him like this, Mu Zhengqing went to pour a glass of water for him.

After Lu Yiwei took the glass (水杯, shuǐ bēi), he noticed that Mu Zhengqing was staring at him without blinking.

He thought for a moment and drank the water in the glass.

After finishing the water, Mu Zhengqing patted him on the shoulder with satisfaction and then walked away with the glass.

When Mu Zhengqing returned, he was holding a plate of strawberries and placed it in front of him.

Lu Yiwei looked at Mu Zhengqing and then at the strawberries, picked one up, and started eating.

While Lu Yiwei was eating the strawberries, Mu Zhengqing went to the bedroom and brought back a blanket to cover his legs.

After finishing the plate of strawberries, Lu Yiwei thought it should be enough.

But to his surprise, it was just the beginning.

Mu Zhengqing asked with a smile, “Do you feel a bit hot?”

Lu Yiwei moved the blanket off his legs and replied, “Yes.”

Mu Zhengqing brought him a box of ice cream.

Mu Zhengqing asked with a smile, “Do you want to eat some walnuts?”

Lu Yiwei threw the ice cream box into the trash can and replied, “Yes.”

Mu Zhengqing started shelling the walnuts for him.

Mu Zhengqing asked with a smile, “Do you feel like there’s no taste in your mouth?”

Lu Yiwei swallowed the walnut in his mouth and replied, “Yes.”

Mu Zhengqing went to make him a glass of fruit juice.

………

Two hours later, before Mu Zhengqing could speak, Lu Yiwei quickly said, “Can we take a break?”

He had eaten everything in the house and drank everything he could. Although he wanted to cooperate with Mu Zhengqing, he really couldn’t eat anymore.

“Alright,” Mu Zhengqing said with a look of regret.

Yesterday, Lu Yiwei had eaten so many egg noodles that he thought he had a big appetite.

“I want to read a book . Can you go to my bedroom and get it for me?”

Seeing Mu Zhengqing’s disappointed look, Lu Yiwei thought for a moment and said.

“Sure,” Mu Zhengqing happily went to get the book for Lu Yiwei.

He realised he had been too narrow-minded, only thinking about food, when there were so many other things they could do.

This was his first time entering Lu Yiwei’s bedroom.

What surprised him was that Lu Yiwei’s bedroom was neat and clear , with no extra clutter besides the essential items like the bed and wardrobe.

The only thing that seemed out of place in the bedroom was the panda plushie he had given to Lu Yiwei earlier.

This was completely different from what he had imagined. He thought Lu Yiwei would have decorated his bedroom like a gaming room.

After handing the book to Lu Yiwei, Mu Zhengqing sat down beside him and asked quietly, “Your bedroom is different from what I imagined.”

“How is it different?” Lu Yiwei asked calmly.

“I thought your bedroom would be like a gaming room,” Mu Zhengqing said.

“The bedroom was tidied up after confirming participation in the show,” Lu Yiwei explained.

Of course, he didn’t say what exactly he had tidied up that couldn’t be seen by others or specifically by Mu Zhengqing.

After hearing Lu Yiwei’s explanation, Mu Zhengqing didn’t ask further.

He thought too much. He originally wanted to visit Lu Yiwei’s bedroom after they got more familiar, to see if there was anything he could learn from.

Lu Yiwei read for a while and then asked Mu Zhengqing to help him get the script, scissors, and other things.

In the live broadcast room, some netizens calculated that they scored more than 50 points in the morning.

They visited other live broadcast rooms, and when they returned, for the first time, the netizens in their live broadcast room had a unified opinion.

The bullet comments were densely packed with the word “cheating”.

Considering the principles of fairness, justice, and transparency of the program, the production team decided that their morning score would be zero.

As for why Liang Qi didn’t call Lu Yiwei, it was because he didn’t dare to.

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