Chapter 25: Compliment or praise each other

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Since Lu Yiwei wasn't willing to teach, Mu Zhengqing didn't insist. He believed that one could become talented through self-study.

He began searching for videos on his phone.

"Why are you learning massage?" Lu Yiwei asked, a bit nervously.

Why was he suddenly learning massage? Who was he going to massage once he learned? Did he have someone special in mind?

"For Mulu, of course. I noticed he really enjoys your massages," Mu Zhengqing explained as he searched.

"If he likes it, I'll do it for him in the future. You don't have to learn,” hearing that it was for Mulu, Lu Yiwei immediately relaxed.

He glanced at Mulu, who was playing happily. Although he learned to massage for Mu Zhengqing, Mulu was their son, so he would do it for Mu Zhengqing’s sake.

Five minutes later

Mu Zhengqing tossed his phone aside and beckoned to Lu Yiwei. As the old saying goes, it’s better to let the specialist handle it. [T/N: funnily enough, I couldn’t find an english equivalent for it. In my language, we have 3, lmao]

He only just realised that learning massage was so troublesome, and required knowledge of both acupressure and human anatomy**

So he planned to make it clear to Lu Yiwei right now that Mulu belonged to him and he hoped that Lu Yiwei wouldn't covet what wasn't his. 

If having a cat helped him to sleep, then he should adopt another one himself, and not compete with him for Mulu in any way.

"What's up?" Lu Yiwei obediently walked over to Mu Zhengqing and asked.

Mu Zhengqing made room for him to sit, then leaned in and whispered, "When we get a divorce, you won't fight me for custody of Mulu, will you?"

After hearing Mu Zhengqing's words, Lu Yiwei was a bit lost in thought.

These past few days had been so happy, so happy that he had forgotten that he hadn't pursued Mu Zhengqing yet, and that they were still in a relationship where they were going to get a divorce after they finished recording the variety show.

"What, are you really going to fight me for him?" Seeing Lu Yiwei's reaction, Mu Zhengqing immediately looked guarded.

"No, I won't fight you for Mulu." Lu Yiwei quickly assured him. ‘But I can't guarantee that I won't fight Mulu for you,’ he silently added in his heart.

"After we divorce, what are your plans?" Lu Yiwei thought for a moment, then asked tentatively.

“Work hard at work, and enjoy petting the cat when I get off work,” Mu Zhengqing replied after some thought.

Since Lu Yiwei had said he wouldn't fight him for Mulu, he was in a good mood and was happy to answer Lu Yiwei's questions.

"What about your love life?" Lu Yiwei continued to ask. He wanted to know what Mu Zhengqing's plans were for the future.

He could plan his future according to Mu Zhengqing, but it seemed like Mu Zhengqing's future plans didn't include him. As expected, Mu Zhengqing's future had no room for his existence.

To be more precise, Mu Zhengqing's future only included himself and Mulu. The only possible additions would be Mulu's siblings or its offspring.

Hearing Mu Zhengqing's answer, Lu Yiwei couldn't help but ask, "You don't plan to remarry?"

Although he would prefer not to get a divorce. But he dared not ask that, because he knew very well how much Mu Zhengqing wanted to divorce him.

He had originally thought that Mu Zhengqing insisted on divorcing him because there was no love between them. But now it seems the problem is even more serious.

“I never thought I'd say this, but listen to your gege, marriage should be taken seriously,” hearing Lu Yiwei ask like that, Mu Zhengqing patted him on the shoulder and said.

If he hadn't been forced into it, he wouldn't have gotten married in this lifetime.

And the reason he was willing to marry Lu Yiwei was because there was no love between them, only mutual use.

Just as Lu Yiwei was about to continue asking, Mu Zhengqing's phone suddenly rang.

It was Liang Qi calling. Mu Zhengqing originally thought Liang Qi was calling to assign them their tasks for the day.

But Liang Qi told him that their task for the day was over, and they had been eliminated.

It turned out that there was a hidden mission today. The production team was observing the interaction of each couple through the live stream, and if either of them exhibited two of the following behaviors: a dark face, provocation, or physical altercation, they would be eliminated. [Bullsh*t! The whole reason audience tunes in to such shows is for the drama. Who wants to watch lovey-dovey couples being mature and sensible?]

After hearing Liang Qi's explanation, Mu Zhengqing asked in confusion, "Which one of us made a dark face?"

"Neither of you did," Liang Qi replied.

“No dark face? You mean we were eliminated because of provocation and physical altercation?” Mu Zhengqing asked uncertainly.

“That's right. Your gesture of beckoning Lu Yiwei over was considered provocation; and patting Lu Yiwei on the shoulder falls under the category of physical altercation,” Liang Qi explained.

After hearing Liang Qi's explanation, Mu Zhengqing was speechless.

He suspected that Liang Qi was deliberately targeting him. Otherwise, how could he come up with such a far-fetched reason. Could it be that Liang Qi had also fallen for Lu Yiwei, so he was displeased with him, the ex-husband?

He remembered that when they first met, Liang Qi had been quite nice to him. Could it be that he had developed feelings for Lu Yiwei during the show?

It made sense. Lu Yiwei on the show was a perfect gentleman, good at both cooking and social interactions. Not only was he handsome, but his physique was top-notch too. It was no wonder people liked him.

If it weren't for the saying "relationships without the intention of marriage are meaningless," he would have wanted to try dating Lu Yiwei himself.

He seemed to have figured out why Lu Yiwei had been so kind to him: it was to impress someone specific.

So Lu Yiwei had gotten what he wanted.

“Congratulations,” Mu Zhengqing, thinking he had figured out the truth, said to Lu Yiwei.

Lu Yiwei was completely baffled by Mu Zhengqing's congratulations. Congratulations on coming in last place?

Mu Zhengqing didn't explain but just gave him an "I know" expression.

Since Mu Zhengqing and Lu Yiwei were the first to be eliminated, they had to accept a penalty.

Starting now, every conversation they had today had to include a compliment or praise.

After hearing the punishment, Mu Zhengqing breathed a sigh of relief. As long as he didn't have to get up at 5 a.m., it was fine.

As for the punishment, it wasn't that difficult. They could just not talk today.

As if Liang Qi could read his mind, he immediately added that they had to have at least a hundred conversations today.

If they didn't complete the task, the 5 a.m. air would be waiting for them.

As for why it wasn't the 5 a.m. sun, it was because the sun didn't rise at 5 a.m.

Before Mu Zhengqing could speak, Liang Qi quickly hung up the phone.

He knew his explanation was far-fetched, so he chose to call Mu Zhengqing instead of Lu Yiwei.

The reason he did this was because he was pressured by the netizens.

After the netizens found out about the punishment, they were determined to make Mu Zhengqing and Lu Yiwei the first to be eliminated.

Liang Qi could understand why the netizens wanted them to be eliminated; it was indeed interesting to watch two handsome guys compliment each other.

He just didn't know what Mu Zhengqing and Lu Yiwei's fans were thinking, they were also joining in the fun.

Mu Zhengqing and Lu Yiwei's fans: We just want to see Mu Zhengqing (Lu Yiwei) compliment our idol.

What, our idol has to compliment the other one too? 

Fine, we'll just pretend we didn't hear it.

---

T/N: If anyone is interested in learning how to massage (for therapeautic or "fun" purposes) I highkey recommend this channel - MedicalMassage-edu Channel. I have been a subscriber for more than 10yrs now and he's really good at explaining stuff.

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Chapter 24: Learned massage for his family member

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Why even bother choosing? Of course, the camera should be installed in his bedroom.

There are only two bedrooms here, it has to be either him or Lu Yiwei. Even if he's extremely reluctant, he can't let the crew install the camera in Lu Yiwei's bedroom. Even if Lu Yiwei agrees, he can't do that.

He's the one who broke the rules, so he should bear the consequences.

However, Lu Yiwei provided him with a different perspective.

Mulu can't leave the two of them alone at night, and they'll likely have to share a room for a few more days. If he doesn't mind Lu Yiwei taking up space while sleeping, he can ask the crew to install the camera in his bedroom, and they can share a room from then on. 

Moreover, they'll be leaving here to meet up with the other guests in a few days.

After listening to Lu Yiwei, Mu Zhengqing asked with some uncertainty, "Of course I don't mind, but how can you sleep well in my bed?"

Mu Zhengqing has no problem with Lu Yiwei's suggestion, after all, he's the biggest beneficiary of this arrangement. Or rather, he's the only one who benefits.

He remembers very well that Lu Yiwei has severe insomnia.

Come to think of it, he was so drowsy last night that he forgot about Lu Yiwei's insomnia. He doesn't know if Lu Yiwei fell asleep last night.

"I don't know if it's because you were there or because Mulu was there, but I slept very well last night. I didn't have any insomnia, and I don't think I sleepwalked either," Lu Yiwei said.

He wasn't lying. He thought he would be too excited to sleep if he shared a bed with Mu Zhengqing. He was certainly excited, but the thought of Mu Zhengqing lying right beside him made him feel very at ease, and he fell asleep without realising it. Not only did he fall asleep, but he also slept exceptionally well.

So even though he finished massaging Mu Zhengqing almost at 1 AM last night, he was still full of energy when he woke up this morning.

Is this the difference between a sofa and a bed? It seems like he should try his best to avoid sleeping on the sofa in the future.

"You slept so well because Mulu was there," Mu Zhengqing said confidently, looking at Lu Yiwei.

Although Lu Yiwei mentioned that it might also be because he was there, he knew that wasn't possible. If he could sleep well just because I was there, he wouldn't have sleepwalked in the middle of the night when Mulu wasn't here.

So there's only one truth: because Mulu is here, Lu Yiwei can sleep well even in an unfamiliar environment.

This is going to be difficult. Lu Yiwei won't try to fight me for custody of Mulu, will he? Although it seems like Lu Yiwei needs Mulu more, I can't bear to part with him either.

"It might also be because of you..."

"Ahem... gentlemen, are you done whispering? Can we install the camera now?"

Lu Yiwei was just about to explain that the main reason he slept well was because of him, not Mulu as he casually mentioned. But before he could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by a crew member.

Crew member: We didn't want to interrupt either. We gave them a long time to whisper, but who knew they would go on forever? We really waited until the last minute to speak up.

Viewers in the live stream: We understand, it really took too long.

It's hard to continue a conversation once it's been interrupted.

Since Lu Yiwei's insomnia has improved, and Mulu still can't be separated from the two of them, the camera was eventually installed in Lu Yiwei's bedroom.

Before the crew installed the camera, Lu Yiwei moved all the things he needed to Mu Zhengqing's room.

Mu Zhengqing and Lu Yiwei's fans: ??? So they're sharing a room now.

One minute later

Mu Zhengqing and Lu Yiwei's fans: No wonder he's Mulu's dad. He's willing to share a room with someone else for Mulu's sake.

Okay, even if they're sharing a room, both fandoms just think they're doing it for Mulu.

In the eyes of the fans, although Mu Zhengqing and Lu Yiwei don't look that incompatible - even though they were once married and then divorced, they still get along quite well now - the fans can't bring themselves to ship them.

It's obvious that they signed an agreement to help each other during difficult times.

That's also why the two fandoms didn't fight at the beginning.

They helped each other when they were both still newcomers and then reached their respective peaks. They don't want to ruin their deep revolutionary friendship because of their fans.

As for why they think that way, it's of course based on the interview at the beginning of the show.

They're all die-hard fans of the two, so they know their schedules inside out for the past few years. One is practically flying all over the place 365 days a year, and the other is practically stuck in the film crew 365 days a year. If they had feelings for each other, how could they possibly resist not seeing each other?

It's logical and reasonable, that's the truth of the matter.

Mu Zhengqing: Smart. Except I forgot to sign the agreement at the beginning, everything else is completely correct.

Lu Yiwei: You won't even eat sugar when it's right in your mouth, do you want me to dissolve it in water for you?

The crew left after installing the camera.

Mu Zhengqing waited for a long time, but the program team didn't assign any tasks for today. With nothing to do, Mu Zhengqing turned his gaze to Lu Yiwei.

His biggest concession was that after he and Lu Yiwei divorced, he would let Mulu choose who to live with.

Last night, Mulu had already chosen him because Lu Yiwei knew how to massage, he couldn't make the same mistake twice.

"Something wrong?" Lu Yiwei asked, noticing Mu Zhengqing's gaze.

"It's nothing, I just feel that your massage technique is very professional. Did you study it specifically?" Mu Zhengqing asked.

Because he danced all year round and would get injured if he wasn't careful, he often needed to find a masseuse to massage him. From the first time Lu Yiwei gave him a massage, he guessed that Lu Yiwei must have studied it specifically.

"Yeah, there's a very important person in my family who gets injured often, so I learned it specifically," Lu Yiwei looked at Mu Zhengqing and said.

"The other party must be very touched when they found out," Mu Zhengqing replied.

He thought the very important person Lu Yiwei was talking about was a family member. 

Although he was also injured often, how could it be that Lu Yiwei had learned massage specifically for him. One shouldn't be too self-righteous, and know one's place.

Lu Yiwei: You can actually be self-righteous.

"As long as he's satisfied." Lu Yiwei pretended to be calm and said. 

He had to stay calm, even if he was happy, he had to hold it in. Mu Zhengqing liked mature and charming people. Not someone who would be silly for no reason.

"Can you teach me?" Mu Zhengqing saw that the timing was about right, so he quickly said it.

All his previous paving the way was for this sentence.

Although he could also learn from online videos, it would be more difficult to catch up with or surpass Lu Yiwei that way. So the best way was to learn directly from Lu Yiwei.

He felt that Lu Yiwei was quite likely to be agreeable.

But what he didn't expect was that Lu Yiwei actually rejected him outright.

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Chapter 9

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After learning that Xu Chi's confession had been successful, Yu Yang finished the handover work and returned to school to teach physical education.

Seeing Yan Shu on the playground during class, Yu Yang smiled and greeted him, "Teacher Yan."

Not seeing the person he wanted to see, Yan Shu was a bit surprised, "Did Xu Chi take a leave of absence?"

Yu Yang was stunned for a moment, then quickly reacted, "Has Xu Chi not told you yet?"

Yan Shu asked, "What is it?"

"He's not a teacher at our school. At the beginning of the semester, I hurt my leg playing basketball, so I asked him to substitute for me for a while."

Yu Yang thought for a moment and explained, "He's a friend of mine. One day he told me he's liked you for a long time, and knowing that we were colleagues, he asked me to help. I thought it was an opportunity."

"So that's how it is. It's okay, I'll go first."

"Alright."

After hearing that Xu Chi wasn't a teacher at the school, Yan Shu felt relieved. After all, dating and being gay at the same school wouldn't have a good influence.

He had been considering changing schools for work these past few days.

Returning home, he saw a sticky note on the door.

"I have something to do today and will be back later. Come to my place. There's some food I made in the fridge. Remember to heat it up."

They had previously given each other their keys.

Xu Chi didn't keep Yan Shu waiting long. Yan Shu had finished eating by the time he returned.

The room was lit up, and Yan Shu was sitting on the couch playing with his phone. Everything was so peaceful and beautiful.

Xu Chi's eyes curved into a smile. "I'm back. Have you eaten?"

Yan Shu looked up at him. "I've finished."

"That's good," Xu Chi walked into the kitchen, seeing that the dishes had already been washed. He said with a hint of regret, "I forgot to write and tell you not to wash the dishes."

Yan Shu found this a bit amusing and his gaze swept over the sticky note on the coffee table. Curious, he asked, "Why do you like using sticky notes so much?"

Xu Chi hesitated for a moment, looking at Yan Shu expectantly. He whispered, "Because I used to write to you like this in college. Do you remember?"

Yan Shu thought carefully and recalled similar sticky notes from his college days. Surprised, he asked, "Are you the underclassman who helped me finish the campus run?"

Xu Chi was overjoyed that he remembered and nodded vigorously, "Yeah."

"Then why didn't you come and get to know me back then?"

"That's just how it is with a crush. I didn't have the courage."

Yan Shu started to feel a little heartache. He had been secretly liking him for so many years.

But if Xu Chi had confessed to Yan Shu in college, Yan Shu probably wouldn't have agreed. Because he wouldn't have been interested in a younger student. He had a stereotype that college students, especially underclassmen, were naive.

Yan Shu took a deep breath and smiled at Xu Chi, "Well, that's all in the past. It's not too late now."

"Yeah."

"By the way, Yu Yang said you weren't a teacher at our school, so what's your real job?"

"Gym owner."

"The newly opened one near our school?"

"Yes."

Thinking back on all the coincidences, Yan Shu couldn't help but laugh, "You really planned this all along."

Xu Chi admitted with a smile, "Yes."

Half a month after Yan Shu and Xu Chi got together, Song Yu found out.

It wasn't that Yan Shu was intentionally hiding it from him. He just had a feeling, for some reason, that Song Yu… knew.

How did Song Yu find out? Well, Yan Shu had been going to the gym, and quite frequently at that. That was odd, very odd.

After asking around, he found out that the gym owner was Xu Chi. Then, one time he went over to Yan Shu's place and saw a pair of couple's slippers and a pair of couple's mugs. That's when he was certain Yan Shu was in a relationship. And when he asked, Yan Shu said it was with Xu Chi.

That day, Xu Chi invited him over for a home-cooked meal.

Song Yu said, "Well done, you didn't even tell me?"

Yan Shu awkwardly explained, "I forgot. I always thought you knew."

Having seen the scene he wanted to see play out, Song Yu was in a good mood and didn't mind. "Alright, alright. Actually, you two are pretty good together. You should have him help you exercise, go for a run every day or something."

Yan Shu laughed, "That's impossible."

Xu Chi interjected, "It's okay, I'll take good care of Yan Shu. And I've been studying health and wellness."

Song Yu glanced at Yan Shu, "Look at Xu Chi, then look at you."

Yan Shu didn't feel anything was wrong at all, and confidently replied, "Look if you want, he's my partner."

"Fine, so what if you have a boyfriend? I'll leave, I won't disturb you anymore."

After Song Yu left, Xu Chi looked at Yan Shu with a complex expression.

Yan Shu turned to look at him, "What's wrong?"

Xu Chi pursed his lips and said shyly, "Can you stay tonight?"

Yan Shu looked at him with a slightly evasive gaze and said, "Are you thinking..."

Xu Chi's eyes darted around, his face flushed, and his voice was low and unclear, "If you don't want to, it's fine."

Unexpectedly, Yan Shu smiled, "Are you ready?"

"I'm ready," Xu Chi nodded and then took a folder from the bedroom and handed it to Yan Shu.

Yan Shu took it and opened it. Inside were a bank card, a property certificate, and even a medical examination report.

"You've had this idea for a long time?"

Xu Chi buried his head, nervously asking, "So... stay?"

"Okay."

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Chapter 8

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After being with Xu Chi, Yan Shu always felt he would become lazier because Xu Chi didn't let him do this or that.

"I'll become useless like this."

"No, I can only help you with small things. You're very capable, and you'll always shine brightly."

Having the identity of a boyfriend, Xu Chi no longer needed to be as cautious as before.

Whenever he had time, he would wait for Yan Shu to finish work. Today, Yan Shu said he would finish work very late, so Xu Chi waited at the school gate on time. As soon as he saw Yan Shu come out, his eyes lit up like the stars above. Then he waved excitedly.

Yan Shu turned to look, a faint smile on his lips, and all the fatigue in his body disappeared. He walked over and said to him, "You don't actually need to pick me up."

He wanted to say, I already understand your feelings.

Xu Chi shook his head and said seriously, "No, that's not okay. I was like this before we were together, and I won't change after we're together. I want you to never regret being with me."

Yan Shu smiled. He thought being with Xu Chi was probably the thing he regretted the least.

Under the streetlamp, their shadows stretched long, and the summer night breeze gently blew on two burning hearts.

Xu Chi said, "The moonlight is so beautiful tonight. Let's take a walk before we go home."

"Okay."

As they walked, Yan Shu suddenly asked Xu Chi a question, "Have you ever been in love before?"

Xu Chi answered without hesitation, "No, you're the first."

Yan Shu tilted his head, looking at Xu Chi, "You give me the feeling that you're very experienced in love."

Xu Chi scratched his head, unsure if this was a compliment. He said honestly, "I just want to be good to you."

"Then why do you like me?"

Xu Chi looked at Yan Shu, his eyes filled with smiles. "If I told you I've liked you since college, wouldn't it be so sudden?"

"College?" Yan Shu thought carefully. There was no trace of Xu Chi in his memory, or maybe there was, but he hadn't noticed.

Yan Shu felt his heart skip a beat. He stopped and looked at him blankly, "You... when did you know me?"

Xu Chi looked up at the sky, lost in thought. "During the first student council meeting of our freshman year, that was when your image was deeply imprinted in my heart. But for the entire four years of university, I never had the courage to confess to you, or even the courage to let you know me."

Is this what they call unrequited love?

Thinking of the bitterness and helplessness of unrequited love, Yan Shu felt a little sad. His eyes gradually turned red, and finally he smiled bitterly, "Aren't you silly?"

"Not at all," Xu Chi raised his chin and smiled happily. "You are the moon in the sky, surrounded by countless stars. I would be satisfied just being one of them."

Xu Chi paused, turned to look at Yan Shu, his eyes as bright as a galaxy. "And now I have my moonlight. I'm very happy."

Yan Shu blinked, lowered his head, and said softly, "But what if you find out that I'm not that good? You seem to have a filter on me. Maybe in the eyes of others, you could be their moon too." [T/N: yeah, but, the Moon just has Earth in his eyes. He doesn’t care how many other planets there are]

"Well, there's nothing I can do about it. I can only be yours. Don't feel any pressure. I like you, I like everything about you."  

After saying that, Xu Chi raised an eyebrow, "Wait for me a second."

Yan Shu watched him doubtfully as he blended into the night. His figure disappeared for a moment, then reappeared in Yan Shu's sight.

Xu Chi walked towards Yan Shu step by step with his hands behind his back.

He stopped a metre away and took out a bunch of red roses from behind his back.

Yan Shu heard him say, "They say a formal relationship should start with a bouquet of flowers and a confession. So, Yan Shu, I like you. Will you be my boyfriend?"

His voice was soft but exceptionally clear, falling on Yan Shu's heart with a tingling sensation.

His heartbeat had already answered for him.

"Okay."

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