Chapter 30
What did he mean by “hard”…
Ji Wei’s brain shut down for a few seconds. When he finally understood, the blood in his veins nearly froze. The next moment, his heart began to pound violently, as if it were about to burst from his chest.
He snatched his hand back from the scorching heat as if fleeing from a flood or a wild beast, his elbow hitting the wheelchair with a dull thud.
Lu Shenxing just quietly lowered his gaze.
Compared to his idol, Ji Wei reflected that his own reaction seemed a bit over the top. He cleared his throat unnaturally. “Actually, there’s no need to… prove it like this.”
His idol was in a wheelchair, so it wasn’t strange for outsiders to assume he was paralyzed from the waist down at first glance. But he had seen the medical records, so of course he knew his idol only had a fracture and it didn’t affect other… aspects.
He never thought his idol would be so concerned about his pride.
Ji Wei thought to himself quietly.
Suddenly, the man looked up, his usually clear eyes now tinged with visible desire. He stared at him motionlessly. “Help me.”
His voice was so bewitching that Ji Wei, completely on instinct, pushed the man into the bathroom and left the door ajar.
He didn’t dare to look into Lu Shenxing’s eyes, so he closed his own. His hands trembling, he moved mechanically under Lu Shenxing’s guidance.
The man seemed to notice his nervousness and coaxed him gently, “Don’t be nervous. This is a very normal thing.”
Ji Wei nodded stiffly.
Time passed with excruciating slowness.
The sound of the running faucet covered the man’s low gasps.
He didn’t know how long it had been. Ji Wei’s hand was sore, but he was too embarrassed to ask. Finally, he heard the man let out a satisfied sigh.
He had only one thought in his mind.
Was it too late to cancel the agreement now?
***
It was already seven in the evening when he returned to school. He had class the next morning, so he planned to stream for only three hours.
He had left in a hurry today and forgotten to check in and boost the rankings on his idol’s Super Topic. Before streaming, he opened Weibo and checked in.
He noticed that the official cast announcement for Great Nation’s Artifacts was trending.
Was it a new variety show?
He clicked on it to see.
Ji Wei instantly understood. This was a reskinned version of National Style. The guests they invited were basically found according to the original cast list. One of the non-celebrities was even a big content creator from Bilibili, Gu Huaiyi.
Gu Huaiyi was a veteran content creator on Bilibili, and he played the Guzheng extremely well. Although his looks weren’t outstanding, his features were delicate and his temperament was reserved.
The comments below were all looking forward to the broadcast.
[Sour Soup Fatty Beef]: Ahhhhhhh, I’m so into this guy! He’s a content creator I’ve been following for a long time. He’s actually going to be on a variety show! I’m so happy!
[Chopped Pepper Fish Head]: Followed. May I ask when the show will start broadcasting?
[Seven-Leaf Ginger]: This guest lineup is not bad. The production team should still be the National Style team. Yancheng Television Station can recover some of its losses.
There were also quite a few comments scolding Yancheng Television Station for being inhuman, but they were quickly countered by the new guests’ fans.
[Sealed by the Quilt]: I just don’t get it. Yancheng Television Station apologized, fired the person in charge, and even suspended National Style. What more do you want from the station? For them to stop broadcasting programs altogether?
[Potato Chips]: To be fair, the losses from suspending National Style are really huge. Yancheng Television Station is considered to have a conscience. If it were any other station, the show would probably still be airing.
[Grass Jelly]: That’s because the one who got injured was Film Emperor Lu. Let’s see what would happen if it were someone else. And they still dare to secretly create a reskinned variety show. I hope the show flops into the earth’s core when it airs.
[One String, One Pillar, Remembering the Prime of Life]: Emmmm, a lot of people are hating on Great Nation’s Artifacts because their own idol wasn’t chosen for the show, right? They’re just salty.
…
No matter how many people cursed it or looked forward to it, judging by the fact that the official cast announcement alone had hit number one on the trending topics, Great Nation’s Artifacts was not going to be a flop.
But none of this had anything to do with him anymore.
His priority now was to stream more and save up the one million yuan to terminate his contract with Yancheng Television Station.
Yancheng Television Station had previously paid him eighty thousand yuan per episode, and he still had fifty thousand saved up from his previous streams.
Although it was inevitable that he would have to borrow money from his idol, he still hoped to borrow as little as possible, so he would have more courage to ask.
He posted a link to his stream on Weibo and then went live.
“Good evening, everyone. Today I’m planning to stream an old game, Terraria. For the new friends here, you can think of it as a 2D version of Minecraft, but the focus of the game is different…”
He controlled his character to mine, digging from the surface all the way down to the underground lava layer. As he was mining, he glanced at the number of viewers in his stream.
It was holding steady at two hundred thousand.
[There’s a purple chest on the right! But there’s a big demon there. The streamer should hurry back. You lose half your gold coins every time you die.]
[Gu Huaiyi next door has started streaming. After trending today, his viewer count is over five hundred thousand. That’s amazing. It’s a bit of a shame that Weiwei isn’t participating in Great Nation’s Artifacts, to be honest.]
[A shame for what? With Yancheng Television Station’s shitty attitude, who the hell would go? The streamer is fine as he is, streaming quietly. Once you get famous, you get more haters.]
[Uh… I’m a fan of both. There’s no need to be so vulgar. Is this the quality of Ji Wei’s fans? A bit salty, aren’t we? I’m going to the stream next door.]
Ji Wei remained focused on his stream.
Suddenly, his phone vibrated.
A message came from Weibo.
[Lu Shenxing]: Want to play. @Ji Wei Who Plays Games
The comments exploded.
[Lu Shenxing’s Fan Club]: The boss finally posted on Weibo! It seems his leg is really not a big deal. Everyone can stop worrying.
[LuLu]: I’m relieved. But I want to ask, does typing cost money? What does ‘want to play Ji Wei Who Plays Games’ mean? It’s easy to get the wrong idea.
[Wherever Lu-Wei Is, I Am There]: No wrong ideas, no wrong ideas! This is all sweet stuff! CP fans, hurry up and get your fix!
[Lu-Wei Please Marry on the Spot]: Sisters, I’m here!
Lu Shenxing’s popularity was unparalleled. Just by posting a single Weibo message, he shot to the top of the trending topics, pushing down the promotion for Great Nation’s Artifacts.
And more and more people flooded into Ji Wei’s stream.
Ji Wei sent Lu Shenxing a message on WeChat.
[Ji Wei]: Have you downloaded the game?
[Lu Shenxing]: Ying Guanxiao helped me download it.
Ji Wei hesitated for a moment, then sent an “okay” and started a multiplayer room, inviting Lu Shenxing in the game.
In just that short time, the number of viewers in his stream had surpassed eight million. Not only did he leave Gu Huaiyi far behind, but his stream also had the most viewers on all of Bilibili!
Ji Wei suddenly had the feeling that Lu Shenxing had deliberately come to back him up. Could it be that his idol had been paying attention to his stream all along?
He quickly shook his head.
Ji Wei told himself not to overthink it. Although he and his idol were already married, in reality, their relationship was only slightly closer than that of strangers. He shouldn’t have these unrealistic, ridiculous thoughts.
He pursed his lips and started the multiplayer game.
Terraria was a survival-oriented standalone game. The character started with only simple copper tools.
Ji Wei was afraid Lu Shenxing wouldn’t know how to play, so he began to teach him step by step. “First, use the copper axe to chop trees. Monsters will appear when night falls, so you need to build a house with wood before dusk.”
The man’s deep voice came through the headphones. “No need.”
Did he find it a bit boring…
Ji Wei’s character paused its tree-chopping action. He patiently explained the reason, “Right now, we can only craft wooden armor. Our health is very low, so we can’t beat the monsters at night at all.”
The man said lazily, “Can’t I just sleep with you?”
In an instant, the tips of Ji Wei’s ears turned explosive red.
[Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh, Lu-Wei is so sweet to ship! Is it too late to join the fandom now?!]
[Wait, isn’t the streamer already married? Whispering, even though they’re both male, they should still maintain a certain distance, right?]
[+1]
[Some people have their minds in the gutter. It was clearly an unintentional comment in the game. Do you really have to twist it?]
[Wuwuwuwuwu, Weiwei, get a divorce! Kick that scumbag to the curb! Isn’t Film Emperor Lu suave?]
Fortunately, Lu Shenxing didn’t say anything else that could easily lead to wild thoughts. Ji Wei breathed a sigh of relief.
By the time the stream was about to end, the bullet comments had become a paradise for CP fans, all demanding that Film Emperor Lu persuade Ji Wei to get a divorce. Even those who weren’t CP fans joined in.
[Film Emperor Lu, please persuade Weiwei. What’s so good about that scumbag? I’m so angry I could die, and I’m just a mom fan.]
[I’ve seen your Wind of Qin. You acted very well. You’re older than the streamer, old enough to be his uncle. I hope you can persuade the streamer as an elder. If he should get a divorce, he should.]
[What era is this? Divorce is not something to be ashamed of.]
Ji Wei had to speak up and explain that he had a little argument with his partner when he was interviewed that day, and his partner wasn’t as bad as he made him out to be. However, the bullet comments only scrolled faster.
[The streamer is so pitiful. He’s been deceived to this extent and is still speaking up for the scumbag.]
[Wuwuwuwuwu, Weiwei, Mommy’s heart aches for you.]
[Film Emperor Lu, please say something. Persuade him to get a divorce. Weiwei is your fan, he’ll listen to you the most.]
[Yeah, just say a few words.]
Ji Wei was speechless.
Just as he was about to end the stream, Lu Shenxing actually responded. The man’s tone was flat. “He won’t get a divorce.”
“Because he’s married to me.”
“Also, I’m not old enough to be his uncle.”
Ji Wei never expected him to go public. He was so nervous he shot up from his chair. However, the bullet comments went silent. After a long moment, they started to scroll again.
[Cough, was Film Emperor Lu angry just now? I was so scared I didn’t dare to post a comment. I wonder which brave soul actually said Film Emperor Lu was old enough to be Weiwei’s uncle.]
[You really shouldn’t mention age in the entertainment industry. Even Film Emperor Lu cares about it. He directly retorted that he was married to Weiwei.]
[Although Film Emperor Lu often plays characters in their thirties or forties in movies, he himself is not yet thirty. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have shaken the entire entertainment industry when he won the Triple Crown.]
[CP fans should tone it down a bit. Don’t bring up this kind of topic next time.]
Who knew that not a single person believed him.
For a moment, Ji Wei’s mood became indescribably peculiar. He slowly let out a breath, sat back down in his chair, and ended the stream.
He suddenly received a call from an unknown number. When he answered, he found it was Director Lu from the Palace Museum. He subconsciously stood up. “Director Lu, may I ask what you need?”
“Weiwei, I can call you that, right?” Director Lu’s familiar voice came through the phone.
Ji Wei quickly nodded. “You can.”
Director Lu continued, “The Palace Museum is planning to create a new variety show related to cultural relics. I was wondering if you’d be interested in participating?”
Ji Wei thought of the one-million-yuan penalty and asked politely, “May I ask what the remuneration for the show is?”
Director Lu sounded a little strange. “Weiwei, are you short on money?”
Ji Wei admitted embarrassedly with a “hmm.”
Director Lu asked with concern, “How much do you need?”
Ji Wei’s voice grew even quieter. “Around five hundred thousand.”
Director Lu made a decisive decision. “Then it’s five hundred thousand per episode!”
After hanging up, Ji Wei couldn’t help but marvel at how rich the Palace Museum was. He should have known, compared to Yancheng Television Station’s mere eighty thousand per episode.
***
Palace Museum, Director’s Office.
Secretary Gao reminded him in a deep voice, “Director, I have an obligation to remind you that the fee for a non-celebrity participating in a show should be controlled at under one hundred thousand yuan per episode. You are misusing public funds.”
Director Lu took a bank card from his wallet and placed it on the table. “It’s coming out of my private account. I remember this card still has over eight million in it. The PIN is 666666.”
Secretary Gao: …It’s good to be rich.
After he took the card and left, Director Lu, suppressing his anger, called Lu Shenxing. “How can our Lu family have such a stingy man like you?”
Lu Shenxing was half-lying on the hospital bed reading a script. He frowned. “What’s wrong?”
Director Lu had always been a little afraid of this nephew of his. The moment Lu Shenxing spoke, he chickened out. “A-Xing, shouldn’t you provide your partner with some living allowance? Weiwei is still in school, after all, and has no source of income.”
Lu Shenxing’s frown deepened. “I transfer five million into his card every month. Hasn’t he been using it?”
Director Lu was also puzzled. “Maybe something happened. From the sound of it, he’s quite short on money. He even came to participate in our variety show.”
“What variety show?”
“The one I told you about before. You even said I was being petty and shouldn’t bother with Yancheng Television Station. Anyway, I’ve invited Old Sir Ma Liqing, Du Ruosong, Zhao Yue, and the others. It’s a pity your leg is broken and you can’t participate, otherwise the whole crew would be here.”
Lu Shenxing suddenly closed his script and asked calmly, “Zhao Yue?”
Director Lu hummed in agreement. “He asked if Weiwei and the others were coming. I said I would try to invite them, and he agreed immediately, even at a friendship price.”
The man lowered his eyes and said with a blank expression, “Then I want to participate too.”
Director Lu tried to persuade him, “Your leg is broken.”
“I can use a wheelchair.”
Director Lu tried again, “You said you weren’t interested before.”
“I’m interested now.”
Director Lu: …There was no persuading him!