Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I was sitting in front of my screen, watching Xie Xu’s livestream.

When it came time for the prank segment, the host asked the guests onstage to call their best friend in the industry and borrow some money.

Not much-just five hundred yuan. Whoever got the money first would win the round.

On the livestream, Xie Xu, standing onstage at six-foot-three and towering over everyone else, took his phone from a staff member and opened his contacts with practiced ease.

A few seconds later, my phone rang.

I answered. “Hello?”

Xie Xu’s voice was completely devoid of emotion. “Lend me five hundred. It’s urgent.”

I deliberately teased him. “Bro, what’s with the attitude? You’re even this aloof when borrowing money?”

On the livestream, Xie Xu’s handsome brows drew together, and a hint of urgency crept into his voice. “Are you lending it or not?”

“I am, of course I am. But given our relationship, you are worth exactly fifty cents.”

The moment I finished speaking, the live studio erupted in teasing laughter.

The other guests held their breath, not daring to make a sound, but their eyes honestly darted straight to Xie Xu.

The Best Actor, who had never been seen getting close to anyone in the industry, was actually teased like this in private?

Guys, who gets it? We shipped something real!

Xie Xu’s face went bright red with a whoosh, and he hung up at once.

The next second, I transferred him the money.

WeChat payment received: five hundred yuan!

The corners of my lips lifted in triumph as I switched back to the livestream comments.

Chapter 2

Some time ago, I shot to fame thanks to a drama.

In the show, I played the devoted second male lead, while the male lead played by Best Actor Xie Xu was my romantic rival.

Originally, we didn’t even have that many scenes together. But thanks to the nutritionally balanced “shipologists” online, footage of me and Xie Xu was edited into an unrequited-love BL video that spread like wildfire across the internet.

The popular young actress didn’t blow up because of her romance scenes with the Best Actor. Instead, netizens locked onto the CP between me and Xie Xu:

[Xie Xu is a guy, and Xiao Huai is also a guy. What are the odds? Just get together already!]

[Their visuals match so well, okay! One wolf, one puppy-an absolute perfect fit!]

[And their personalities match too. Xie Xu is aloof, Xiao Huai is lively.]

[Crowdfunding ten million to make them act as a CP!]

…

Xie Xu didn’t like commotion.

He always liked to sit slightly hunched on some inconspicuous step, holding a thick script covered densely in notes he had written himself.

His profile was deep-set and strikingly handsome, his skin so pale that the blue veins beneath the surface were clearly visible.

Thinking back on it carefully, he really was very good-looking.

After the video went viral, terminally online netizens formed the Xihuan CP all on their own.

Because Xie Xu had a cool, distant personality, to other people, my relationship with him was nothing more than that of ordinary colleagues.

Our CP fans didn’t have much actual material to ship, so they had to make it up themselves.

Relying on exquisitely written fanfiction, they repeatedly pushed Xihuan CP beyond the fandom circle and single-handedly sent it to the top of the CP rankings.

Every time I came across one of those fics, I silently liked it with my side account.

It was too sweet-so sweet that even I almost thought it was real.

Don’t be afraid. Starting today, I’ll be the one guarding our CP.