Filming for the third season of The Shape of Love finally wrapped up that afternoon after half a month.
No matter how everyone had gotten along during filming, they all planned to have one last gathering that evening—to celebrate and say their goodbyes.
Zong Xuan, Xu Tang, Yue Yan, and He Xin had booked flights for the next day. Zhou Xing and Chen Tina planned to pay out of pocket to stay another week and enjoy themselves, while Yu Lun and Aya already had other work scheduled and would be flying somewhere else the day after tomorrow.
Back home, Xu Tang pushed his suitcase aside and collapsed onto the couch.
“I guess this counts as a vacation, right? But somehow it feels even more exhausting than working.”
Zong Xuan sat down beside him with a smile.
“Sometimes traveling is more tiring than staying home. But people still want to get away. Your body gets worn out, but your mind gets recharged—that’s the important part.”
“True.”
Although filming had been exhausting, it had also given him plenty of inspiration. He had recorded all of his ideas as voice memos, planning to organize them after taking a few days off.
As he lazily sprawled across the sofa, Kang Duo sent him a message with his work schedule for the coming days.
Looking at the long itinerary, Xu Tang instantly felt even more exhausted.
Chuckling, Zong Xuan began massaging his shoulders to help him relax.
After a month of editing, review, promotion, and scheduling, the first episode of The Shape of Love finally aired.
Zong Xuan and Xu Tang watched it together the moment it premiered.
The first episode covered their arrival and breakfast.
Just as they had expected, a large portion of Yu Lun and Aya’s footage had been cut. The breakfast segment only showed Yu Lun placing the food on the table.
Objectively speaking, Yu Lun wasn’t a bad cook.
The problem was that every single dish contained seafood—and everything was beautifully plated, making the seafood impossible to miss.
The later footage obviously couldn’t be aired, so it had simply been cut out. Their subsequent interactions also lacked any memorable moments, making them appear rather bland.
In contrast, Xu Tang and Zong Xuan occupied a large portion of the episode.
To outside viewers, it looked like the production team had deliberately given the popular couple more screen time to satisfy fans.
But everyone who had participated in filming knew the truth.
Yu Lun and Aya’s footage simply couldn’t be used, so the editors had no choice but to fill the runtime with them instead.
While the editing might have seemed somewhat “unfair,” the post-production team had done an excellent job. The captions, reaction graphics, background music, and comedic timing were all perfectly executed. Even Xu Tang, who already knew everything that had happened, found himself laughing.
Whenever clarification was needed, playful on-screen captions were added to reduce misunderstandings.
The internet was just as lively.
People watched while posting screenshots and live comments, and the show’s topics occupied four of the top five trending searches.
The rankings were:
#ZongXuanXuTang
#TheShapeOfLoveSeason3
#YuAyaRelationshipExposed
#HeXinYueYan
#MaleGodMakesBreakfast
Zong Xuan checked the comments under his Weibo.
“I thought Zong Xuan was a bad boy, but it turns out he’s actually a loyal puppy!”
“Exactly! They’re so sweet!”
“Where can I order a boyfriend like Actor Zong? I want someone to spoil me like that!”
“Who knew Zong Xuan could actually cook?”
“Actor Zong, may I ask how things are going with your sister-in-law?”
“Why is Shi Duo kind of adorable too?!”
…
There were practically no negative comments.
Zong Xuan was fairly satisfied.
Then he browsed the show’s discussion page.
The comments there were much more varied.
“Yue Yan is so handsome! I’m falling for the behind-the-scenes staff!”
“Mom! I want to marry He Xin! He’s adorable!”
“Zhou Xing and Chen Tina are way too low-key. They should join more shows like this!”
“I like Zhou Xing and Chen Tina. They’re not flashy, but their relationship feels genuine.”
“What is the production team doing? Why did Yu Lun and Aya get so little screen time?”
“Where’s the footage of Yu Lun and Aya eating? Did the editor eat it?”
“Damn, the production team is clearly playing favorites! They filmed the group dinner so carefully, but when Aya wasn’t feeling well, nobody even checked on her?”
“Yu Lun and Aya don’t feel like a real couple at all. Watching them makes me cringe.”
“As Aya’s fan, I’m furious! Aya can’t eat seafood or drink milk! What kind of boyfriend doesn’t know that?”
“Looks like they’re really a fake couple.”
“Wow, Aya really had the nerve to ask to ride on Zong Xuan’s boat? Dream on.”
“Haha! Our Actor Zong is so straightforward. Good job rejecting her!”
…
Never underestimate the audience.
Their eyes were incredibly sharp.
Zong Xuan chuckled.
Sometimes it wasn’t that the production team didn’t want to help.
It was simply because someone had gone too far.
The Shape of Love continued gaining momentum.
Taking advantage of the buzz, the official account for Zong Xuan’s latest movie released its second promotional trailer—
the film’s theme song, performed by Xu Tang.
Seeing the announcement, Xu Tang immediately opened it.
The music video consisted entirely of scenes from the movie, cleverly edited to summarize the story in the shortest possible time.
Zong Xuan leaned over to watch with him.
Seeing how intently Xu Tang was watching, smiling all the while, he couldn’t help teasing him.
“Tell me… do you like me more, or movie-star me?”
Without hesitation, Xu Tang answered,
“I like both. They’re different.”
“How are they different?”
“In real life, you’re wonderful. You’re good to me, and you’re very gentle.”
“But in your movies, what stands out is how powerfully you bring every character to life. That’s professionalism… and talent.”
“Anyway… it’s incredibly attractive.”
Though a little embarrassed, Xu Tang honestly voiced his thoughts.
“That sounds pretty impressive.”
Zong Xuan laughed.
Receiving such sincere praise from the person he loved was something worth being proud of.
“It is impressive.”
Zong Xuan wrapped an arm around him and kissed him.
“If you can completely captivate someone as amazing as me… doesn’t that make you even more amazing?”
Blushing, Xu Tang smiled and turned his attention back to his phone, continuing to watch the trailer.
Because of Xu Tang’s involvement, the film attracted even more attention.
The production team was naturally thrilled.
That very night, they contacted Kang Duo and formally invited Xu Tang to attend the movie premiere together with Zong Xuan.
Xu Tang happily accepted.
After all, it would be the first time he’d publicly support one of Zong Xuan’s films.
He was genuinely looking forward to it.
By the next morning, #YuAyaFakeCouple had overtaken #ZongXuanXuTang to become the number one trending topic.
During a break from practicing piano, Xu Tang casually checked his phone and saw the hashtag.
When he opened it, he found that besides the ongoing discussion about why Yu Lun had cooked food Aya couldn’t eat, there was also a set of comparison screenshots.
The first image showed the breakfast Yu Lun had prepared.
The second showed the sandy yard outside the grass hut where Zhou Xing and Chen Tina had stayed.
Scattered across the sand outside the hut were several objects.
After circling and comparing them, netizens concluded that they matched the breakfast dishes with an 85% similarity.
Their hut had been tiny, with the dining area located close to the doorway.
During filming, it was perfectly normal for the camera to capture objects outside.
The comparison was practically undeniable.
If only one or two items had matched, people could call it coincidence.
But when five or six matched…
There was no explaining it away.
Yu Lun and Aya couldn’t shift the blame onto anyone else, either.
Everyone in the entertainment industry had connections.
Pulling strings to get into a show wasn’t a big deal.
Dragging someone else into the scandal was an entirely different matter.
Even Xu Tang hadn’t expected viewers to be this observant.
It also made him deeply grateful.
Back during the three years when he and Zong Xuan hadn’t confessed their feelings, they had both kept an extremely low profile. Since they were each busy with work, they hadn’t spent much time together either.
Otherwise, if they’d happened to appear on some variety show together…
The audience might very well have caught their little secret.
That afternoon, Aya’s agency released a statement.
It claimed that she had never told Yu Lun about her seafood allergy or lactose intolerance, which was why he had chosen those ingredients for breakfast.
She admitted that she had been upset at the time—whether with Yu Lun or herself, she didn’t know—and had thrown a childish tantrum, accidentally tossing the food downstairs.
She apologized for her inappropriate behavior and promised to mature and stop acting so childishly.
On the surface, the statement seemed to resolve the immediate crisis.
In reality, it fell apart under scrutiny.
The two had publicly claimed to have been dating for a year.
How could they possibly never have discussed something as important as food allergies?
It wasn’t exactly some shameful secret that needed hiding.
After finishing piano practice, Xu Tang went downstairs to get himself a glass of water.
The moment he reached the first floor, he saw Zong Xuan standing there with a dark expression, talking on the phone.
Xu Tang frowned slightly.
That expression clearly meant bad news.
“Fine. Let the lawyers handle it. I don’t want to see him.”
He?
Xu Tang grew even more puzzled.
After Zong Xuan hung up, he asked,
“What happened?”
Zong Xuan walked over, wrapped him in a hug, and said bitterly,
“The delivery guy who poisoned me changed his testimony. He admitted someone paid him to do it.”
“The police followed the lead…”
“It led to Teng Yizheng.”
Xu Tang froze.
Teng Yizheng?
Why would he want to harm Zong Xuan?
“…Did he confess?” Xu Tang gently patted his back.
Zong Xuan shook his head.
“Then… could it be a misunderstanding?”
“The delivery guy said they paid in cash. He secretly took a photo of the man’s back.”
“My brother sent it to me to identify.”
“There’s no way I’d mistake him.”
One of his closest friends had tried to poison him.
Anyone would find that impossible to accept.
Especially since, at the time, Zong Xuan and Teng Yizheng hadn’t even fallen out yet.
The whole thing was terrifying.
“Maybe someone just looks similar?” Xu Tang tried to comfort him, though he hardly knew what to say.
“What are the odds of that?” Zong Xuan sighed, released him, and led him to the couch.
Xu Tang still couldn’t understand.
“What was he trying to gain?”
“Look at what he gained during that period.”
Zong Xuan rubbed his face.
“Everyone knew he was taking care of me while I was hospitalized, so the public all thought he was my close friend.”
“Later, when he claimed he would cooperate with the Zong Corporation under my name, why did so many people believe him?”
“Because of all the news reports during my hospitalization.”
Xu Tang thought it over.
That was indeed true.
Fortunately, Teng Yizheng’s career hadn’t improved since then.
Perhaps that was karma.
“Don’t think about it anymore. The lawyers will handle everything,” Xu Tang comforted him.
“Yeah.”
Zong Xuan honestly couldn’t understand how he’d ended up making a friend like Teng Yizheng.
But maybe it was for the best.
Before this, he’d still been willing to show Teng Yizheng a bit of courtesy.
Now?
The farther away he stayed, the better.
“Why did the delivery guy suddenly change his story?” Xu Tang asked.
Neither of them had paid much attention to the case afterward, leaving everything to their lawyers.
“He said he originally thought he’d only be detained for a few days and have to pay compensation.”
“But then he found out he was actually facing prison.”
“And he said he never received the rest of the money.”
Zong Xuan sneered.
“That idiot.”
“If Teng Yizheng had transferred the money electronically, he would’ve exposed himself immediately.”
No one knew how much money Teng Yizheng had promised.
Given his current financial situation…
He probably couldn’t have paid even if he’d wanted to.
“Forget it.”
“Just think of it as trusting the wrong person.”
“You already realized what kind of person he was.”
Xu Tang had no intention of rubbing salt into the wound.
Zong Xuan’s attitude was already crystal clear.
There was no reason to make him feel worse.
“You still have plenty of good friends.”
“Like Brother Yan.”
“Hasn’t he always stood by you?”
“So don’t be too upset.”
“You don’t need lots of friends.”
“Just the right ones.”
“Yeah.”
Zong Xuan squeezed Xu Tang’s hand.
For now…
All he could do was try to let it go.
Just then, Teng Yizheng called.
Zong Xuan rejected the call immediately.
He had no desire to say another word to him.
Thirty seconds later…
The phone rang again.
Rejected.
Then it rang a third time.
This time, Zong Xuan answered with explosive anger.
“Are you done yet?!”
“Do you seriously have no idea what you’ve done?”
“And you still have the nerve to call me?!”
“Zong Xuan, listen to my explanation,” Teng Yizheng said anxiously.
“Explanation?”
“What are you going to explain?”
“That you didn’t do it?”
“That you’ve been framed?”
“What, do you think I’m three years old?”
Perhaps because he knew there was no point denying it…
Or perhaps because nobody else was around to overhear…
Teng Yizheng finally admitted,
“I did wrong by you.”
“But I knew what I was doing.”
“I was never going to seriously hurt you.”
“So… since no real harm was done…”
“Could you let it go?”
Zong Xuan actually laughed from anger.
“Teng Yizheng…”
“You’ve really got some nerve.”
“What?”
“You used me…”
“And now you expect me to be some saint?”
“If you’re really a man, then own what you did.”
“Stop feeding me that bullshit.”
“Our friendship is officially over.”
“I don’t want to hear another word from you.”
“I was the damn idiot for letting you fool me all these years…”
“And I even ended up hurting Tangtang because of it.”
“So let me make this perfectly clear.”
“From today on, we’re strangers.”
“As soon as this call ends, delete my number.”
“And if I ever see you again…”
“I’ll have a nice long talk with your father-in-law.”
With that, Zong Xuan hung up.
Xu Tang had never seen him so furious.
All he could do was pour him a glass of water and continue comforting him.
Honestly, he also thought Teng Yizheng’s repeated calls were incredibly irritating.
Otherwise, Zong Xuan’s anger would probably have cooled by now.
After taking a few sips of water, Zong Xuan suddenly slapped his forehead.
“Damn it.”
“I should’ve recorded that call.”
Xu Tang smiled.
“The requirements for admitting recordings as evidence are pretty strict.”
“If you didn’t record it, just let it go.”
Zong Xuan sighed and pulled Xu Tang into his arms.
Only holding him like this…
Could finally calm him down.
News that Teng Yizheng had bribed the delivery driver to poison Zong Xuan quickly reached the Lin family.
Lin Ying’s father was furious.
But after his daughter repeatedly pleaded with him, he eventually pulled some strings and tried contacting the Zong family, hoping they would show mercy and drop the charges.
After passing through several intermediaries…
The request unexpectedly reached Xu Zhou.
After hearing the entire story and remembering how much Teng Yizheng had hurt Xu Tang back then, Xu Zhou coldly said into the phone,
“Get lost.”
Then he hung up.