Chapter 66: The Confession Showdown

“So what about you, little Jin?” The host smoothly shifted the microphone toward Wen Jin.

“Hmm...” Wen Jin thought for a moment, then briefly recounted, “There was a scene where I had to be suspended in mid-air, and something went wrong with the props. It was Xiao Xi who reacted quickly and saved me. I guess that counts as a pretty thrilling experience.”

“Oh?” The host looked slightly surprised, and the fans in the audience listened, hearts racing.

“No wonder little Xi and little Jin are such close friends—turns out they’ve been through life-and-death together!” The host livened up the atmosphere.

“Exactly!” Lin Xi nodded in timely agreement, and even pulled Wen Jin into a heart-shaped pose, which sent the fans into a frenzy.

The press conference ended amid laughter.

The live footage was immediately uploaded online by the media, available across various apps at once.

In that moment, the powerful Empress-and-Emperor CP fans began celebrating again—this sweet moment came out of nowhere!

—Ahhh, they must be together! Look at the way God Xiu behaves, that gaze, it’s like he’s fallen hopelessly in love!

—Right, it’s hard to imagine these two not ending up together! After watching the whole livestream, God Xiu was always showing his profile!

—Absolutely, absolutely, I feel like Director Lu, Wen Jin, and the others must know something—they all had such indescribable expressions!

—Everyone else is so shallow, romance isn’t reliable. Am I the only one shipping Lin Xi and Wen Jin’s sisterhood? Wishing their friendship lasts forever~

After the press conference, the ranks of God Xiu’s “wife-chasing” supporters grew larger; even casual fans admitted this sweet moment was irresistible!

On the way back to the ancient city, the group chatted and joked in the car.

Suddenly, Lu Jin patted his son’s shoulder, as if remembering something: “Just now on stage, your answers weren’t really your own.”

The other three looked at him, Lin Xi’s face curious—she was wondering about this too.

Lu Yuxiu met their gazes, lowered his head slightly, his falling hair shadowing his smiling eyes.

After a moment, he let out a low laugh and said slowly, “Wasn’t it a tacit understanding Q&A?”

The group exchanged looks; Jiang He raised her eyebrows, “Uh, so?”

“So,” Lu Yuxiu turned, his dark eyes locking onto Lin Xi, his voice deep, “I know her well enough that every answer would match.”

Lin Xi felt her heart tremble lightly. She suddenly realized: he’d responded according to her thoughts, so everyone would see their mutual understanding was perfect.

That way, their answers would always align, proving he truly knew her.

“Oh~” Jiang He understood, her gaze flickering between them, “That’s stealthily showing off your relationship!”

Lu Jin couldn’t help but glance approvingly at his son—this kid wasn’t bad, chasing after his wife just like he did back in the day!

Wen Jin snickered and nudged Lin Xi’s shoulder, making Lin Xi blush fiercely, awkwardly unsure where to put her hands and feet. Showing off their affection in front of close friends was utterly uncomfortable!

Lin Xi glared at Lu Yuxiu in embarrassed annoyance—this guy was so blatant! He didn’t even care about the occasion!

He continued to gaze at her intently, received her warning look, then lazily smiled, unhurriedly shifting his gaze away.

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After arriving at the set, Lu Jin caught them again to reshoot some close-up shots and perfect the environment.

By the time they wrapped up, night had fallen. Lin Xi and Wen Jin decided to walk hand-in-hand to the hotel, with Lu Yuxiu following behind as their bodyguard.

The set wasn’t far from the hotel; they had to cross a street in Hengdian. On this street, seeing celebrities was as common as seeing cabbages, so their presence didn’t attract much attention.

But for Lin Xi, this stroll was pure torture. The street was filled with all kinds of snacks and delicacies, their aromas drifting tantalizingly through the air.

To make matters worse, when she and Lu Yuxiu had just joined the crew, they were still friends. They’d walk back to the hotel together at night, sharing street food, buying anything she wanted.

Now, as her boyfriend, he used her stomach trouble as an excuse, forbidding her from eating anything after nine o’clock, convinced that street food would trigger her illness.

So now, Lin Xi clung to Wen Jin’s arm, drooling over the scent of grilled lamb skewers wafting from the roadside, her longing obvious.

Wen Jin, amused and helpless at her pitiful expression, spoke up, “We’ve barely eaten all afternoon. How about we find a clean place and have a late-night snack?”

She glanced deliberately at Lu Yuxiu, as if seeking his opinion, while Lin Xi, behind Wen Jin, pouted and made a pleading gesture with both hands.

“Alright.” Lu Yuxiu sighed inwardly; he couldn’t bear to see her unhappy.

“Yes! Long live God Xiu!” Lin Xi, granted special permission, bounced with joy, dragging Wen Jin from storefront to storefront in search of something to eat.

Lin Xi spotted a milk tea shop, tugged on Lu Yuxiu’s sleeve and pointed, “Milk tea, milk tea.”

Lu Yuxiu, masked and helpless, smiled and pinched her nose as punishment, “Just this once! Don’t make a habit of it!”

“Okay, okay, I got it.” Lin Xi pushed his back, clearly not taking him seriously.

What could Lu Yuxiu do? He’d spoiled her; he’d just have to endure it. Hands in his pockets, he walked toward the milk tea shop.

“Come on, let’s wait for him at that hotpot place—it looks pretty good.” Lin Xi, as if smelling the rich aroma of hotpot, turned and pulled Wen Jin toward the restaurant.

The hotpot shop’s entrance was wide open, decorated beautifully outside—arched marble, flowing rocks, wisps of white steam.

A spirited young man with a buzz cut stood in front of the marble, apparently soliciting customers.

Lin Xi hurried over with Wen Jin, hoping to grab a table and avoid a long wait.

“Hi, hello, we’re here for hotpot. Is there a table available?” Lin Xi approached with a bright smile.

The young man turned at the sound, locking eyes with Lin Xi. A look of amazement flashed in his gaze, and he froze, motionless.

Lin Xi glanced at him in confusion—why wasn’t he moving? She exchanged a look with Wen Jin.

Wen Jin watched him cautiously, then said, “Sir, if there’s no table, it’s fine.” With that, she tried to hurry Lin Xi away, sensing the atmosphere was off.

“No, no, no!” The buzz-cut guy seemed suddenly agitated, stepped forward to block their path.

His eyes shone with an oddly intense emotion. Lin Xi frowned, quickly raising her arm to shield Wen Jin behind her.

What happened next, Lin Xi never imagined: she was confessed to by a stranger in the middle of the street—and right in front of her boyfriend!

It turned out this man was Wu Yan, famously known as “Buzz-cut Brother” on Hengdian’s main street. He owned a hotpot restaurant, wildly successful, frequented by many actors filming nearby.

Hengdian was never short of celebrities. The buzz-cut brother had confessed to seven or eight actresses, never successfully, always for the same reason: they looked too good, and he wanted them as girlfriends.

The whole town knew about it, treating him as a running joke for tourists—even the national award-winning actress Lu Zishan had been confessed to by him.

Society has its eccentrics; and sometimes, they haven’t done anything wrong, yet there’s nothing you can do about them.

Now, Lin Xi’s predicament.

The buzz-cut man blocked their way, producing a bouquet from who-knows-where, earnestly offering it to Lin Xi, “Goddess! Be my girlfriend!”

Lin Xi, who had been excited to eat hotpot, now looked terrified, completely thrown off, unsure how to react—what was happening?

Are guys really this bold now?

Wen Jin was equally shocked, but then she saw Lu Yuxiu, his expression grim as he watched this “heartfelt confession,” two cups of milk tea in hand.

Wen Jin inwardly cursed, tugging Lin Xi’s arm anxiously, giving her frantic signals when Lin Xi glanced over.

Lin Xi suddenly realized what was happening, her neck turned mechanically toward Lu Yuxiu, her face cracking.

She was doomed! Truly doomed!

As Lin Xi was considering how to placate her jealous boyfriend, Wu Yan, holding his bouquet, got no response and assumed his goddess was just shy.

He cleared his throat, flashed what he thought was a charming smile, smoothed his shiny hair, and declared confidently, “Goddess, don’t worry—I’ll treat you well! From now on, my hotpot restaurant is yours! You’ll be the lady boss!”

Lin Xi was thoroughly unprepared for that, almost disgusted, swallowing hard, looking at him with a complicated expression. “Um...”

She opened her mouth to refuse, but he interrupted again.

“Goddess! Believe me! My affection for you isn’t just superficial! We can get to know each other better after we’re together—feelings can grow with time, as long as—”

“Wait!” Lin Xi’s scalp tingled with discomfort; she hurriedly raised her hand to stop him, feeling the jealous boyfriend beside her was about to kill her with his glare.

“Goddess, say whatever you want!” Wu Yan looked at her with sparkling eyes.

Lin Xi couldn’t worry about his feelings anymore, and spoke directly, “Sir, your affection may be sudden and inexplicable, but I must say this clearly: I already have a boyfriend, and we’re very happy together.”

She said it all in one breath, giving him no chance. Wu Yan, hearing this, visibly deflated, his arms dropping along with the bouquet. His lips moved as if to speak, but he hesitated.

At this point, Lu Yuxiu finally stepped forward, standing beside Lin Xi, confronting the man, half a head taller, exuding an intimidating presence.

He adjusted his previously rolled-up sleeve with elegant composure, then wrapped his arm dominantly around Lin Xi’s waist, coolly and arrogantly declaring to the man before him,

“She’s mine.”

His voice was quiet, cold and calm, but those four words carried an undeniable authority and aloofness.

Wen Jin couldn’t help but feel nervous for Lin Xi—any boyfriend would be upset if their girlfriend was confessed to in public.

Lin Xi, however, snuck a little smile—this guy couldn’t resist asserting his claim again, and honestly, he looked quite dashing doing it.

Lu Yuxiu’s gaze suddenly shifted to her face; Lin Xi quickly straightened up, looking at him seriously and blinking.

But he seemed to see through everything, staring at her deeply as if planning to settle accounts later; Lin Xi broke out in a cold sweat.

A jealous boyfriend is not easy to appease~