The already strained servers began to spike wildly from the moment Lu Xianqing posted the Weibo. Every scroll was a struggle, and onlookers dared not leave the page for fear of losing access.
The media at the door couldn’t even manage a proper press release. They immediately uploaded videos, racing to be first.
This was public.
Lu Xianqing had never been involved in a romantic scandal before—when he went public, it was explosive. Reporters’ hands trembled in excitement, anxious even in the few seconds before upload. They had thought resolving this mess would take ages. While staking out Qin Sizheng’s home, they were also watching Lu Xianqing’s moves. He Xing would never allow someone to approach him this way—yet here it was, made public, in the most thrilling way possible.
The audience jumped straight into the metaphorical melon patch.
“They just kissed? Wait, didn’t they just post on Weibo that they weren’t close? Who do I trust now?”
“Trust both. Not being close doesn’t stop them from kissing. Kind of tired, kind of exhausted—they’ve redefined ‘not close.’”
“OMG, my baby’s eyes were red when he opened the door. He threw himself into Fourth Brother’s arms, heartbroken and eager to explain he has no benefactor. Mama, hugs!”
“He probably didn’t want to affect Fourth Brother. He’d rather be misunderstood than involve him. So obedient.”
“He even asked why Fourth Brother didn’t answer the calls, haha. You’re trying to distance yourself, but he must’ve been furious. ‘I’ve put such a big treasure here and you act like we’re not close?’”
“Fourth Brother is fierce too—PR move is direct public reveal.”
“Come on, let’s see how long the server holds. I give it three minutes.”
“Underestimate who? Fourth Brother goes public in three minutes? I’d do it in one! Hahaha, I’ve never been this excited for a server to crash. Fourth Brother is wild—pressed him into his arms and kissed him. Forget not-close, now we’re inseparable.”
Lu Xianqing glanced at the struggling servers. “If they’re too slow to fix, someone start a livestream on a strong platform. I’m not responsible if it crashes.”
The media: ?
Qin Sizheng was stunned, facing the lenses, completely unsure of the situation. He reached up and touched his lips.
So… it was public now?
And Lu Xianqing was even wilder than him?
He had been ready to give up his career, nothing left to lose, to be this assertive. And yet he had minimal achievements in this circle, and losing his reputation wasn’t a huge deal. Lu Xianqing, however…
By doing this, he risked his image and career entirely.
The media quickly set up live broadcasts, eager to capture every moment. Qin Sizheng grabbed Lu Xianqing’s hand, pulling him back inside and closing the door, leaving a bewildered media horde and ecstatic fans outside.
What the hell!
Playing games with people?
“Fourth Brother, what are we going to tell them? Changfeng, call Sister He Xing—maybe there’s a way to fix this!” Qin Sizheng said urgently.
“Do I need to explain when I’m dating?” Lu Xianqing replied, pulling down his hand, his eyes filled with arrogance.
Qin Sizheng, eyes red with worry, couldn’t focus on that. People were somewhat more tolerant of same-sex relationships now, but still, many wouldn’t accept it. Lu Xianqing had sacrificed too much for him.
“Fourth Brother, I’m sorry. I got you involved again. I wanted to handle it myself, but I made it worse,” he lowered his head in apology.
Lu Xianqing lifted his chin, a cold, terrifying smile in his eyes.
“Yes, you’re capable. You can handle anything on your own, don’t need to tell me, and in a crisis, you try to distance yourself. What am I, to publicly be with Teacher Qin?”
Qin Sizheng hurriedly explained, “I didn’t mean that. You’re important—more important than anything.”
“Hmph.”
Seeing he still didn’t believe him, Qin Sizheng’s tears threatened to spill. He grabbed Lu Xianqing’s wrist. “I don’t want you to get hurt. I can quit the industry, but you can’t.”
Lu Xianqing countered, “Why can’t I?”
Qin Sizheng bowed his head. “You’re a god. You should always be admired, never insulted by others.”
Lu Xianqing grasped his hand, twisting one finger to tap his own face: “Qingshan,” then rotated it to rest on Qin Sizheng’s nose, “Yousi.”
Qin Sizheng’s heart skipped a beat at that, thumping loudly in his chest.
Lu Xianqing said, “Yanyan, I’ve already kissed you. No PR in the world can fix this now. Everyone knows I’ve officially stamped Qingshan Yousi. There’s only one way to make amends.”
“What way?”
Lu Xianqing rubbed his knuckles, lowered his head, and pressed his forehead against his. “Admit in front of the whole world that you like me.”
Meanwhile, Jiang Zhen was also keeping an eye on Weibo.
Ever since the little Tomato incident, coupled with the airport scandal, his work had sharply declined—all thanks to Qin Sizheng. His resentment ran deep, but there was nothing he could do. He could only watch as Qin Sizheng thrived.
Qin Sizheng seemed untouchable. Even resigning from the industry—something that would have been catastrophic for anyone else—didn’t hurt him. Fans didn’t desert him; even a wave of neutral and black-fan audiences turned supportive, gaining a deeper understanding of the hardships he had endured. And then Lu Xianqing appeared, making their relationship public!
Why him?
He was supposed to be the protagonist. Why had Qin Sizheng stolen all the benefits?
Jiang Zhen seethed with frustration, nearly developing a drinking habit, unable to understand why even after reliving his life, he fared worse than before—at least last time he suffered and finally got Lu Xianqing! And now… he was openly with Qin Sizheng?
Knowing he had no chance, Jiang Zhen still couldn’t bear it. He had to reclaim what was rightfully his, piece by piece.
He sent a message to Wen Li, gritting his teeth: “I promise you. I hope you keep your word.”
Simultaneously, he messaged Si Qianqiu: “You’re not going to let this opportunity pass and keep him in the industry, are you? It’s a perfect chance to shed the ‘substitute’ label.”
Si Qianqiu glanced at his phone, smirking. Did he not understand? Outside, chaos reigned. Xu Zhiliang was smashing things in a rage; Xu Zhi was near insanity, determined to make Qin Sizheng pay. No matter how powerful Lu Xianqing was, he couldn’t take Qin Sizheng from Shengyu.
The contract he personally signed had legal effect. Lu Xianqing couldn’t be strong enough to override the law.
Si Qianqiu wasn’t foolish enough to rush in as the frontman. Once Qin Sizheng was sidelined, he could rise naturally.
He Xing raced back to the company. The first words she heard were: the Weibo server had crashed.
“How did it crash?”
The staff explained. He Xing learned that Lu Xianqing had kissed Qin Sizheng in public and officially stamped Qingshan Yousi. A curse flew from her mouth.
Ah, so he made the decision himself, not bothering to tell her. Smart—secure himself first, then play the big move. No wonder she wasn’t allowed to contact Qin Sizheng or answer Shen Changfeng’s call. She had thought he was angry at Qin Sizheng for not telling him, but now she understood. Lu Xianqing really was treating himself like a god.
She ground her teeth, cursing him silently as she strode to Mingfei Entertainment’s PR department. The staff looked at her, gossiping: “Sister He Xing, some inside scoop?”
“Inside scoop my foot! Get to work!” she yelled.
With Lu Xianqing’s involvement, the matter was essentially settled. Shen Changfeng breathed a sigh of relief and asked whether to contact He Xing about the next steps.
Lu Xianqing said, “Start a livestream.”
Shen Changfeng immediately set it up. Lu Xianqing took Qin Sizheng’s hand and sat in front of the camera. Feeling his tense body, he rubbed his ear teasingly, and sure enough, Qin Sizheng’s breathing faltered. He snatched his hand, sitting up straight.
Lu Xianqing looked at the online numbers and grinned at the camera. “Whoa, so many of you waiting for me—sorry about that.”
He greeted them in his usual casual style, making Shen Changfeng mutter under his breath; only Lu Xianqing could pull this off.
“I’ll tell you about my relationship with Teacher Qin. Listen carefully, because this is it—no repeats next time.”
He glanced at Qin Sizheng, still nervous, and smirked. “It started with Xu Jinhan. This guy, injured even filming a variety show, begged me to record an episode for him. I couldn’t refuse. Thanks to Teacher Qin looking out for me on set.”
“Next, I became his ‘dad’ for the promotion of Nine Swords. Go watch the trailer—I filmed it so well you’ll all want to be Teacher Qin’s stepmom.”
Shen Changfeng was baffled. Was he really praising himself this much?
“Then came Between Good and Evil. Teacher Qin played my boyfriend, a particularly cool kid named Chu Jing. If you can’t wait, check the original. Loved me to bits—couldn’t shake me off.”
Qin Sizheng blinked. What was he even saying?
Sighing, Lu Xianqing continued, “You get it, right? Love comes fast. Teacher Qin won my heart. Just as I fell for him, he tells you all we’re not close. I rushed back overnight for justice. You’ll help me, won’t you?”
Millions of viewers online, flipping eyes at Lu Xianqing’s casual flex.
“Seriously, if you go public, go all out! Who hasn’t read the original? Ding Chenhai loved Chu Jing obsessively, don’t compare!”
“Said you wanted to be my baby’s stepmom? I want to be your daughter-in-law! Fourth Brother, enough. You kiss your dad and steal my man—are you even human?”
【“Look at this!”】Shen Changfeng shoved his phone into Qin Sizheng’s hands.
Lu Xianqing watched the scrolling comments with a faint smile.
“Your filming was amazing—praise your boyfriend, Fourth Brother! Your boyfriend filmed so well, Little General made me cry in-game, I couldn’t continue, and now I’m stuck in this game pit—refund us!”
“This wave cost Xu the Emperor a fortune! Helping you get romance and still getting scolded—Fourth Brother, be human!”
Lu Xianqing chuckled, “Being human, or not being human—either way, you get romance. If you had Teacher Qin, would you choose to be human?”
“Showing off is fine, but why are people still complaining? Without Little Kite, we wouldn’t have your hand to speed things up. Are you going to return him to us?”
Lu Xianqing laid a hand on Qin Sizheng’s shoulder, glancing at the occasional doubters in the comments. Qin Sizheng had just said they weren’t close, and now here they were streaming together.
“So Qin Sizheng was lying again? How many lies does he have? First saying they were rivals, yet secretly hiding so much of Lu Xianqing’s stuff. Then claiming they’re not close, and the next second—kiss. Are they treating fans like fools?”
“This is really too much, I don’t dare trust anything. Maybe it’s emergency PR, not real.”
“The entertainment industry is full of fakes; who knows what’s true? Even if public, Qin Sizheng saying they’re not close is clearly lying.”
“I saw Lu Xianqing flirting before—the lipstick promotion was clearly more than just business. They’ve been playing fans all along.”
“Calling them all villains? Not publicizing a relationship before it’s stable—what’s wrong with that? Has anyone ever revealed a relationship immediately? How do you know they were already together during that promo? People flirt when they like someone. Have you never been in love?”
Qin Sizheng grew increasingly guilty. He had only wanted to protect Lu Xianqing, but once again, he had made everything worse.
Then his biggest hater, Jing Shi, posted a rebuttal to the “sugar daddy” rumor, laying out the timeline and itinerary clearly, with solid evidence.
A roommate teased him, asking if he’d changed because of “that Xu doctor,” a supposed fan of his.
Qin Shi glared, “I don’t like him. That doesn’t mean every bit of filth can be thrown at me. I’m just being honest, has nothing to do with Xu Fei.”
The roommate grinned, “Really?”
Qin Shi kicked him, “I said no, so no. Get lost.”
The debate between fans and haters raged on, unending.
Lu Xianqing, seeing the chaos, straightened his expression. He grabbed Qin Sizheng by the nape and pressed him close, lowering his head for a deliberate, official kiss on live stream.
Qin Sizheng froze, overwhelmed. How…?
Lu Xianqing’s tongue followed, leaving no room to retreat. He gripped Qin Sizheng’s waist, biting and massaging his lips and ears. Qin Sizheng, inexperienced and under the gaze of thousands of viewers, melted into him.
It wasn’t aggressive—it was slow, lingering, exquisitely intimate, grinding against him like yesterday’s final tearful scene. Qin Sizheng’s eyes reddened; his hands shook as he clutched Lu Xianqing’s.
“Fourth Brother,” Qin Sizheng whispered, struggling to push him away, but the embrace only tightened. Their heartbeats seemed to merge.
“Don’t—Fourth Brother, don’t—”
The livestream stuttered and crashed seconds later.
Shen Changfeng buried his face in his hands. Couldn’t they just announce it properly without testing every server in the industry?
After repeated attempts, the stream returned. Fans entered just as the kiss ended. Lu Xianqing wiped Qin Sizheng’s lips and said nonchalantly, “Yanyan… do you like me?”
Qin Sizheng nodded, stunned.
“Say it to them.”
His chest tightened. He forced steady breaths, blushing as he addressed the camera:
“I’m sorry. Fourth Brother and I are together. It was wrong not to announce it before. I was afraid my image would affect him, so I hid it from you. I like Fourth Brother. If you can’t accept it, scold me—but don’t scold him, okay?”
Lu Xianqing tilted his head, smiling at him. The fans caught every moment.
“Treasure, don’t apologize. We trust and support you. You wanted to protect Fourth Brother—you did nothing wrong. Haters should reflect.”
“I think my treasure got tricked—admitting love in front of the world, saying whatever, believing it all. Fourth Brother, be human, don’t bully my treasure!”
Lu Xianqing laughed. “How is that trickery? Be honest—keep testing me and I’ll stop the livestream.”
“No!”
“Don’t end the stream, I’ll beg on my knees!”
“Qingshan Yousi forever! Kiss again, Fourth Brother! If you can’t, I will! I’ll make him cry from the kiss—ahh I’m dying here!”
He lifted his left hand, revealing a ring on his index finger—the first he ever wore after winning his first Best Actor award, given by Ye Xu.
He removed it and slid it onto Qin Sizheng’s hand.
“Keep it safe. Don’t lose it.”
Qin Sizheng glanced at the ring. He had the same one, made into an R-ring, worn since the day he crossed over.
Lu Xianqing intertwined their fingers and faced the camera. “Everyone, meet my boyfriend, Qin Sizheng.”
Qin Sizheng stared at the flood of congratulatory messages and cheers, tears pricking.
When he crossed over, he had been terrified, trying to avoid Lu Xianqing. Forced into collaboration, he hoped to finish quickly and never see him again.
Yet he fell in love, secretly, keeping it hidden because of Jiang Zhen.
From the confession after filming, to sneaking back for the Mid-Autumn Gala, to this scandal—Lu Xianqing had publicly declared himself Qin Sizheng’s partner in front of the whole world.
Qin Sizheng suddenly felt as if he were in another world, his nose stinging from the faint scent of metal and chain.
He pulled a chain from his collar—a delicate silver thread—with a ring strung onto it, wrapped in a few strings from his small musical instruments.
The little musicians who cared for him felt their hearts ache just seeing it; some nearly cried again.
He had been wearing that ring all along! Back on that variety show, someone had accused him of showing it off to gain fan favor, and afterward it had vanished—now he realized it had been carefully kept hidden all this time, treasured silently.
Qin Sizheng unfastened the silver chain and carefully slid the ring Lu Xianqing had given him onto it, then tucked it back under his collar.
With this simple gesture, he silently told the little musicians—and Qin Sizheng—that they were just as precious to him as Fourth Brother.
The chaotic storm of events reversed completely after Lu Xianqing appeared; he controlled the rhythm perfectly, even swaying some of the most devoted fans to favor Qin Sizheng.
Qin Sizheng had endured so many grievances to protect Lu Xianqing, even going so far as to post on Weibo that they weren’t close, just to shield him. He valued Fourth Brother above himself.