Chapter Five: Would You Believe Me If I Said My Hand Slipped? (Part Two)

As soon as Bai Chenxi opened Weibo, the hashtag #BaiChenxiLikes shot straight to the top of the trending list. Even #BaiChenxiLinYue and #BaiChenxiChuMuyun were among the hot topics. The moment she saw Chu Muyun’s name trending alongside hers, Bai Chenxi’s heart skipped a beat—this was bad. Clenching her teeth, she tapped the post open, but wait, why did the tone seem off?

“My poor idol, he finally posts on Weibo after so long, only to be used as a decoy, but why do I find this so funny?”

“My idol’s being forced to eat dog food—when are you going to announce us, idol?”

“I just want to ask, does the dog food taste good? @ChuMuyun”

She had thought the netizens would accuse her of hyping things up, but when she opened the comments, she realized the discussions had veered wildly off track.

The netizens were concocting stories dramatic enough for a full TV series. Just because Lin Yue was among the people she liked, and he had also liked her post, they imagined an entire romance: their relationship was opposed by the company, leaving Bai Chenxi to secretly like his posts and drag others in as cover.

Others said that even if they hadn’t made their relationship public, this was clearly a show of affection—a tacit admission. After all, the two were friends; if there was really nothing between them, why not openly like each other’s posts? Why involve so many others unless there was something going on? This led to a frenzy among their couple fans.

Some even claimed Bai Chenxi secretly had a crush on Lin Yue, which made Bai Chenxi scoff: if I ever had a crush on him, my brain must have been waterlogged.

Though being accused of having a crush on Lin Yue left her a little annoyed, on second thought, it wasn’t so bad—at least people wouldn’t pay attention to her liking Chu Muyun’s post. Even though Chu Muyun was still trending with her, most netizens assumed he was just a smokescreen, joking around rather than linking the two of them together. Hmph! Let them say I’m hyping things up—I couldn’t care less!

As for Lin Yue, Bai Chenxi didn’t feel the slightest bit guilty. That’s what friends are for—especially at crucial moments, they make the perfect human shield. And with a friend like Lin Yue, she could sell him out without mercy.

Just as she thought of Lin Yue, her phone rang with his call.

The moment she picked up, Lin Yue’s lazy drawl came through: “Morning! I hear you have a secret crush on me. You should’ve said so sooner—between us, you can confess without a second thought. For the sake of your fragile heart, I’ll reluctantly accept.”

He exaggerated several deep breaths, then continued, “Sorry to keep you waiting—it really takes courage to accept your confession. All right, I’m ready, go ahead.”

Bai Chenxi could only sigh helplessly on the other end as he carried on with his act—after all, this was the king of drama.

Lin Yue didn’t really wait for her confession and suddenly asked, “So, what’s really going on?”

“Hmm?”

His question came out of nowhere, leaving Bai Chenxi confused. Suddenly, Lin Yue turned into a gossip columnist. “I’m talking about all your likes, of course! Spill—what’s the inside story? You, who usually only uses your alt account, suddenly went on a liking spree. There’s definitely something up! Don’t tell me you logged into the wrong account!”

“Oh, you’re so clever, Brother Yue! That’s why you’re the best. I give you a manual like!”

Lin Yue didn’t buy her flattery. “Save it! You think I’ll believe you?”

Bai Chenxi replied indifferently, “Believe it or not.”

On the other end, Lin Yue clicked his tongue. “All right, I’ll stop. Still, them saying you have a crush on me is enough to keep me laughing for a month—no, a whole year!”

“We’re done. Friendship over,” Bai Chenxi threatened.

Sensing her seriousness, Lin Yue quickly called out, “Wait!”

“If you have something to say, speak up. If not, leave the court.”

“Your lordship will be back in a few days. Remember to come pick me up.”

“Hey! The wind’s too strong, I can’t hear you. That’s it, bye.”

As the dial tone sounded, Lin Yue wished he could reach through the phone and give her a piece of his mind. But he didn’t even have time to be annoyed—someone was already calling for him.

“Xiao Wen, just tell me straight—why do you keep staring at me?” Chu Muyun had reached the end of his patience. Since this morning, ever since Xiao Wen saw him, the look on his face had been off, and every now and then he’d flash a bizarre, almost deranged smile.

Xiao Wen hesitated, but Chu Muyun was already losing his patience. “Speak.”

Startled, Xiao Wen squeezed his eyes shut and blurted out, “I just want to know how it feels to be force-fed dog food and end up trending, Brother Chu!”

Chu Muyun didn’t catch the first part, but he understood the rest. He replied calmly, “Oh, I’m trending again? What for this time?”

His tone was so casual, as if trending was an everyday occurrence. How must other celebrities, who struggle so hard to get noticed, feel about this?

But Xiao Wen was used to his nonchalance. Hearing that Chu Muyun didn’t know the reason, his eyes lit up. Clutching his phone, he eagerly ran over—he couldn’t miss this chance to promote his idol.

Perhaps too excited, Xiao Wen shoved the phone practically into Chu Muyun’s face. Chu Muyun leaned back, shot him a glare, then looked at the screen.

His name was at the top of the rankings, right alongside Bai Chenxi’s. Chu Muyun’s gaze turned frosty in that instant—so, after all the pretty words, she’s finally showing her true colors.

A tense silence fell. Xiao Wen, rubbing his arms nervously, finally mustered the courage to ask, “Brother Chu, how does it feel to be front row for my idol’s dog food?”

“Hmm?” Chu Muyun was baffled by the dog food reference.

Seeing his confusion, Xiao Wen excitedly recounted his idol’s exploits—just to show off a relationship with Lin Yue, she went on a mass liking spree.

“Brother Chu! My idol liked your post first, and now you’re trending together. As a spectator in the front row of this public display of affection, do you have any comments?”

Instead of answering, Chu Muyun snatched the phone to look for himself.

“Is Lin Yue with her?” After a long silence, Chu Muyun finally asked.

Xiao Wen looked at him, bewildered. Chu Muyun’s tone sharpened. “Is Lin Yue her boyfriend?”

“No, well, I guess he’s a rumored boyfriend. My idol’s never admitted it, but judging by their interactions, it’s probably true, though…”

Xiao Wen was just about to seize this rare chance to promote his idol to Chu Muyun—after all, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—when he saw Chu Muyun gesture for him to shut up, signaling the matter was closed.

Xiao Wen had no choice but to fall silent, comforting himself: it’s fine, at least Brother Chu took an interest in my idol—no other actress gets this kind of attention. My idol really is the best; Brother Chu has great taste.

Chu Muyun said nothing more, staring at the phone, lost in thought. He tossed the phone back to Xiao Wen, who scrambled to catch it and complained, “Brother Chu, can’t you return my phone properly? That’s my lifeline!”

Chu Muyun shot him a look. “I think you’ve lost your mind—whether you have a lifeline left is the least of your worries.”

Xiao Wen: Oops. My mistake. I shouldn’t have spoken.

Chu Muyun turned to his own phone and began typing. Xiao Wen, seeing him tapping away, felt a sense of foreboding but dared not say anything. Where are you, Brother Kai?

After a while, Chu Muyun put his phone away and stood up. Sure enough, Xiao Wen’s own phone chimed. He opened Weibo—he was curious to see what this master had done now.

Xiao Wen’s mouth twitched as he looked at the screen. Only Chu Muyun could reject “dog food” in such a unique way.

Chu Muyun V: If I have to eat dog food, what will my dog Caesar eat?