Chapter 111 – Real Couple
The next day, the first episode of Xiao Fang’s first variety show, I Am a Volunteer, officially aired.
Xiao Fang’s legion of fans tuned in at the same time, truly proving the saying, “You can be sitting at home, and good things will fall from the sky.” This massive dose of sweetness left the fans dizzy. Who would have thought that President Fei, who had absolutely no connection to the entertainment industry, would actually participate in this show? If this wasn’t true love, what was? The undeniable truth was laid bare before them, and they had no choice but to ship this couple!
Moreover, all the interactions between Xiao Fang and Fei Xiangnan on the show were incredibly heart-fluttering. Coupled with President Fei’s tacit approval in the later stages, the editing team brought out their most professional skills. While promoting the orphanage, they subtly locked the two together, making the entire show seem to bubble with pink, romantic foam in the eyes of the fans.
Xiao Fang and Fei Xiangnan first watched the variety show, then started reading the comments on Weibo, which were exactly as they had expected.
[Is this the official account dishing out the sweetness? This is solid proof they’re a real couple! I can totally get behind President Fei’s little-wifey-following-him-around look! And that weed-pulling scene? I loved it! He’s so doting! I can’t, I just can’t, I’m too excited! Is it just me, or is Fangfang a bit more willful in front of President Fei? Such a well-behaved kid, how can he be so mischievous with President Fei? I’m so here for it! Fangfang saving the day was so cute! Look at the doting look in President Fei’s eyes. President Fei’s eyes were doting the entire time! Fangfang is so gentle. To be able to treat a child with autism so gently… I hope the world can be gentle with that little one too. I’m going to donate supplies to the orphanage. The children’s books are all worn out, and my family happens to own a bookstore with a lot of old books we’ve collected. Thank you, Fangfang, for letting us see another side of society. Oh my god, when the little boy is with Fangfang and President Fei, it totally looks like a family of three, doesn’t it? So touching~ This has to be love!]
After reading this, everyone started tagging Xiao Fang, demanding an explanation. Xiao Fang looked helplessly at the smug culprit. “I’m not doing it. You explain!”
What was so difficult about that? Fei Xiangnan, the expert at steering public opinion, went online again and posted a so-called explanation on his main account.
Because I’ve always wanted to volunteer, I decided to participate in a friend’s variety show this time. I learned a lot from the experience and will do my best to help vulnerable groups around me in the future. I had many shortcomings, so thank you to Fangfang for his guidance on the show. @XiaoFang.
That wasn’t all. While Xiao Fang wasn’t paying attention, Fei Xiangnan snapped a picture of him cooking and posted it along with the text. In the photo, Xiao Fang was wearing a one-piece yellow duck pajama set. For the possessive President Fei, this was the most conservative picture he could post, but he never expected that this version of Xiao Fang would be even more tantalizing.
In the time it took for Xiao Fang to blank out while eating cake, Fei Xiangnan’s Weibo post had already surpassed ten thousand views. It was impossible to retract it now. An indignant Xiao Fang could only try to assert his authority on the soft sofa, but before he could do anything, he was caught by Xiao Xu, who had just come out for a drink of water.
Xiao Xu’s calm face wore a look of utter indifference, as if this was a common sight. He turned around and thoughtfully closed the door.
Bang!
Xiao Fang reached out, an expression on his face that screamed, Young hero, let me explain! But there was no explaining this kind of thing to Xiao Xu; it would only make things worse. Xiao Fang vented his frustration by punching Fei Xiangnan a couple of times before angrily replying to his man’s Weibo post.
He didn’t say much, just posted two well-behaved smiley emojis and tagged the man who had earned himself a beating.
As expected, their interaction once again stirred up a storm. Everyone started creating a Super Topic, and the whole world was guessing: are Fangfang and President Fei together or not?
The truth, of course, was that they were. The two main characters saw it all but said nothing, pretending to be neutral netizens as they browsed their own Super Topic.
“ABO, President Fei’s Stand-in Little Lover?” Fei Xiangnan read a title out loud with some confusion. Xiao Fang, whose mind was full of such things, immediately snatched Fei Xiangnan’s phone. It was true, and it was even a serialized fanfiction with a link provided.
“What does ABO mean?” President Fei, ever the diligent student, asked when he had a question.
How was Xiao Fang supposed to answer that? Feeling his partner’s intense gaze, Xiao Fang waved his hand dismissively and, fighting back his embarrassment, gave a rough explanation.
Fei Xiangnan had a moment of realization and applied his newfound knowledge. “So, aside from not having a gland, you’re an Omega?”
A groundhog scream erupted in Xiao Fang’s mind. This was a man’s dignity at stake! Who said only Omegas could give birth? “You’re the O! Your whole family are O’s!”
“What nonsense are you talking about? If the whole family were O’s, how would Lang Lang be born? What did they write?” President Fei first gave Xiao Fang a serious lecture, then clicked on the link with curiosity. Xiao Fang’s rescue attempt failed, and he was even pulled along by Fei Xiangnan to read his own fanfiction. He was so mortified he wanted to find a hole to crawl into.
[President Fei sneered and said, “You’re nothing but a stand-in. What right do you have to say no? Or do you not want to save your father’s company?” Xiao Fang cried, his face streaked with tears. “What will it take for you to let me go?” President Fei gave a wicked smile. “When my white moonlight returns, of course. Man, remember your place. You’re just a bed warmer!” Amidst Xiao Fang’s whimpering cries, President Fei unbuckled his belt. The sound of the metal buckle made Xiao Fang tremble instinctively, and then…]
What followed was five thousand words of pure smut.
“This, this, this!” Xiao Fang was so ashamed and angry he could barely stand it. What was this about a trembling bunny tail, being tormented until he cried and begged for more, and these lines sounded nothing like him! And what was with all these shameful acts!
As Xiao Fang read, he felt like he was about to collapse. He pulled at President Fei, begging him to stop reading, but unexpectedly, Fei Xiangnan’s own face had darkened.
“You are not a stand-in.”
Huh? After all that smut, that’s what you’re focused on?
“Hey, this is just something they made up. The trope later is probably…” Xiao Fang glanced at the phone. There was an author’s note at the end. It turned out the white moonlight was about to return, and in front of the white moonlight, they would… ugh.
Xiao Fang quickly confiscated Fei Xiangnan’s phone and did his best to console him. “Don’t look, don’t look. Don’t let it get to you. The trope in these kinds of stories is that they’ll get together in the end.” How pathetic. He was clearly the one getting screwed in the story, yet he had to be the one doing the comforting. This life was so damn frustrating!
“I don’t like this. You are never anyone’s stand-in. No one is even allowed to guess that.”
Xiao Fang did his best to soothe him. “It’s just a novel trope. If you don’t like it, we won’t read them in the future.”
“How about I buy out his copyright? That way, you won’t be a stand-in in the book. No one can replace you!” Fei Xiangnan said with utmost seriousness. There was even a hint of heartache in his voice, so much so that Xiao Fang didn’t realize the man was already plotting something. His attention was entirely focused on how to persuade his partner not to spend money on a buyout.
“There’s no need to go to such lengths for something like this. They’re just having fun in their own little circle. If we don’t look, we won’t get upset. How about I tell Auntie Chen not to come tomorrow, and I’ll cook for you instead?” Xiao Fang’s small body leaned completely against Fei Xiangnan.
Fei Xiangnan let out a dissatisfied huff, clearly still angry.
What kind of mess was this? He had to fill the hole someone else had dug!
“Then what else can I do to make you happy? Nothing involving murder or arson, though!”
A triumphant glint flashed in Fei Xiangnan’s eyes, but his face still wore a wronged little expression. A true Film Emperor. “Unless… you’re willing to try that bunny tail.” His expression looked particularly pitiful.
Xiao Fang wasn’t an idiot. He knew he’d been played and turned to leave. But strangely, Fei Xiangnan didn’t chase him. Instead, he sat calmly on the sofa. Just as Xiao Fang was about to enter the room, he picked up his phone, looking as if he was about to buy out the copyright. On the verge of tears, Xiao Fang snatched Fei Xiangnan’s phone away. He was truly trapped by this man for life.
“Just once!”
Fei Xiangnan flashed a triumphant smile and raised an eyebrow. “Just once.” Of course, that’s a lie!
This kind of fanfiction really gave him endless inspiration. He would have to secretly read more in the future.
As long as the shipping fans were imagining it, making it a reality didn’t seem so hard.
***
The company, of course, was the first to know about the couple’s recent antics. Sister He, who knew the truth, watched these two real-life husbands flirt and playact online. Inwardly, she was still incredibly excited. Knowing the truth made shipping them a completely different kind of pleasure.
“According to President Fei’s intentions, they’ll probably go public within the next two years.” Wen Qianshi sat by the tea table in his office, his shrewd demeanor perfectly matching his appearance. He skillfully prepared tea, not looking the least bit anxious.
Sister He nodded beside him. Shipping them was fun, but the company was also very important. “Isn’t it a bit too obvious? Should we remind Xiao Fang?”
“Do you think this is Xiao Fang’s idea?” Wen Qianshi said with a smile, yet it gave the impression that he knew everything.
Sister He thought for a moment. “It should be both of them…”
Wen Qianshi shook his head. “This is President Fei’s idea. A person like him, once he decides to do something, can’t be stopped by people like us. Besides, with his involvement, many doors have opened for our company. He’s telling us with his actions to do our jobs well and use the best resources to help Xiao Fang establish himself quickly. The time limit he’s given us is these next two years.” Wen Qianshi poured the warmed tea into a cup and handed one to Sister He.
Wen Qianshi had always been a steady operator, possessing a calm demeanor as if he could remain unshaken in the face of a great enemy.
Sister He hadn’t considered it that deeply. “So, President Fei contacted you a long time ago?”
“No, I just guessed. A big shot like him wouldn’t waste time explaining it to us. Isn’t this great? It’s mutually beneficial. Signing Xiao Fang to the company was not a loss. With his own strength, two years is not a problem.” Wen Qianshi had long ago assessed his company’s artists. His own sister and Zhang Hang would be relatively slower, but Xiao Fang was the company’s biggest dark horse.
Sister He nodded. Some things didn’t need to be scrutinized; it was enough to understand. She lifted the tea Wen Qianshi had given her and took a delicate sip.
“Good tea.”
“Anything brewed with care is naturally good tea.” Wen Qianshi smiled and took a sip, gently blowing on the hot steam before leaning back in his chair. It had been almost a year since he returned to the country. This development was beyond his expectations, but it was also exceptionally freeing. Although he didn’t really want to get involved with the Fei Family again, for Xiao Fang’s sake, he was willing to take the risk. Only with careful brewing could one ultimately obtain the best result.
***
Before starting his next project, Xiao Fang had a very important task, one his father had left for him before he departed: attend Elder Liu’s return banquet. This was also the most crucial turning point. After coming clean with President Fei, he no longer needed to be secretive and directly laid out the stakes. If Yan Yunyang succeeded this time, they would definitely be at a disadvantage when it came to future retaliation.
Actually, if Xiao Fang hadn’t mentioned it, Fei Xiangnan wasn’t very concerned about this matter. For him, the affairs of the Third Branch of the Fei Family were more important. But now that it was brought up, things were different.
“So, according to this, we’re the villains and the cannon fodder? Great, a perfect match!” Fei Xiangnan praised.
Xiao Fang was also an optimist and nodded with a grin. “Right, right, a perfect match.”
Fei Xiangnan bent down and pecked Xiao Fang’s lips. “Then I’ll go tonight too. We’ll go together.”
Xiao Fang was slightly taken aback. “Together? Won’t a lot of people find out then?”
“It was the same at the First Month Celebration last time. The people who attend banquets of this level are all sensible. They won’t be foolish enough to get in our way.” Fei Xiangnan was very familiar with this circle.
Xiao Fang used to go into battle alone. After three seconds of contemplation, he agreed, draping an arm over Fei Xiangnan’s shoulder. “Alright then, this time let me experience the feeling of bullying others with a powerful backer!”
Fei Xiangnan flicked Xiao Fang’s forehead with concern. “How can you compare yourself to a dog? If you’re a dog, wouldn’t Lang Lang become a dog spirit?”
Fei Xiangnan’s reverse analogy made Xiao Fang laugh successfully. He collapsed into Fei Xiangnan’s arms, laughing nonstop. Fei Xiangnan let him be, dotingly stroking Xiao Fang’s head and wholeheartedly pulling him into his embrace.
The next day arrived just like that. Xiao Fang and Fei Xiangnan first tried on a set of suits, one black and one white. Xiao Fang was very satisfied looking at his handsome husband. He was at his best when he wasn’t being black-bellied.
“Letting such a beautiful person go out really makes me worry, my little beauty. Let me give you a peck so all those little flowers outside won’t dare to bother you,” Xiao Fang teased playfully.
“Who’s the little beauty?” Fei Xiangnan raised an eyebrow.
Xiao Fang giggled and burrowed into Fei Xiangnan’s embrace. “You’re my most cherished little beauty~”
“So disrespectful!” Fei Xiangnan scolded with a laugh, then fiercely kissed Xiao Fang before he could react. A disobedient little uke deserved to be punished!