RSDH CH5

The silence in the hallway made Duan Xingye’s scalp prickle.

Yet that face, blooming with a rosy flush, was practically begging to be pinched and caressed.

Cheng Duzhou curled his fingers slightly and took a step forward.

Duan Xingye, however, turned on his heel and walked away: “Go to your meeting. Don’t walk me out.”

Cheng Duzhou paused where he stood for a moment, then followed anyway, insisting on seeing Duan Xingye to the elevator bank.

Behind them, the livestream chat had already exploded into utter chaos.

…

Duan Xingye took the elevator down to the basement garage alone and got into the car.

Xiao Dai turned around from the passenger seat, just about to say hello.

Then he saw Duan Xingye’s bright red cheeks illuminated under the dim lighting of the parking garage.

Xiao Dai’s heart gave a jolt.

Duan Xingye’s exorbitantly expensive face rarely displayed any expression other than cool arrogance. No need to even guess—the discussion about the script must have completely blown up. Otherwise, how else could he be angered to this degree?

Xiao Dai had seen it coming. For two people who were equally proud—where sparing each other an extra glance felt like conceding defeat—how could President Cheng possibly agree to a persona where he was madly, passionately in love with Teacher Duan?

The car started smoothly.

Completely oblivious to the strange looks around him, Duan Xingye stared at the scenery outside the window. One moment he was unconsciously touching his lips; the next, he was looking down at his fingernails, his delicate brows knitted slightly in apparent frustration.

Finally, he gave a soft “tsk,” decided to stop overthinking altogether, tucked his hands away, and closed his eyes to sleep.

Sensibly keeping quiet, Xiao Dai huddled in the passenger seat and scrolled through Weibo.

The official announcement for Companionship Along the Way was on the trending searches. In the comments section, a supportive comment popped up maybe once every five minutes; the vast majority of netizens were skeptical about the casting. It could easily be hailed as the most disastrous official cast announcement in romance variety show history.

Truth be told, when Cheng Duzhou and Duan Xingye first tied the knot, they had also attracted a massive wave of CP fans purely drawn to their visuals.

When the two stood together, even their height difference was dripping with palpable sexual tension.

Unfortunately, after getting their certificate, they had zero interaction. On the rare occasions they shared a frame, the atmosphere was downright eerie, quickly exposing the plastic nature of their marriage. By now, the active fans remaining in their Super Topic numbered fewer than fifty thousand.

The only reason Xiao Dai had managed to hold on until reaching the Level 18 die-hard fan tier was because he knew Cheng Duzhou and Duan Xingye had grown up together. He had filled in the blanks with his own dramatic narrative of childhood sweethearts harboring deep affection and reconciling after estrangement, falling so hard down the rabbit hole that he couldn’t climb back out.

Initially, seeing Cheng Duzhou and Duan Xingye officially promoting together made Xiao Dai feel like the clouds had parted to reveal the sun. But before filming had even started, the netizens were in an uproar. To make matters worse, the real-life couple hadn’t even agreed on their script. The teaser trailer in a few days was bound to be unwatchable.

Just as Xiao Dai was mired in gloomy despair, a real-time Weibo post jumped onto the feed:

#SurprisinglySweet #CompanionshipAlongTheWay [drool emoji]

Looking baffled, Xiao Dai thought it was some scammy spam ad. Then he recognized the person on the video thumbnail as Duan Xingye, so he tapped the play button.

With his Bluetooth earbuds plugged in, he stared at the screen. Soon, his eyes lit up.

Suddenly, an ear-splitting shriek pierced the air.

Startled, the driver quickly shot a glance to the side.

There sat Xiao Dai, clutching his mouth with one hand, lifting both feet off the floor, curling up and squirming left and right in his seat like an ecstatic inchworm—overjoyed and bursting with excitement.

“…”

Xiao Dai spun around: “Teacher Duan…”

But Duan Xingye had already tilted his head and fallen fast asleep.

Looking back at the lingering blush on that breathtaking face, Xiao Dai’s entire mindset did a complete 180.

How was that anger?

That was undeniably the afterglow of passion!

Xiao Dai turned back to his phone. Watching the related topic climb up the trending searches, he muffled his mouth and let out a bizarre, snickering cackle: “Gie~gie~gie~”

Their niche crack ship was finally open for business!

Duan Xingye had accidentally fallen into a deep sleep. When he woke up, his eyes were still sore, and a red imprint was left across his brow.

He brushed aside his dark hair to cover the mark. He hadn’t felt this exhausted in a very long time.

Damn that Cheng Duzhou. That animalistic waist. Tossing him around mercilessly all night long.

Before parting, Xiao Dai had leaned against the car window, his eyes gleaming with a mysterious, thrilled light: “Teacher Duan, remember to check the trending searches!”

Duan Xingye hadn’t taken it to heart. It wasn’t until he stepped into the elevator, leaned his lower back against the handrail, and let his body completely relax that he idly pulled out his phone.

He knew the romance show’s announcement went live tonight, and before opening Weibo, he had already anticipated that netizens wouldn’t buy it.

Yet the moment the app popped open, a hot recommendation was shoved right in front of his face.

Entertainment Granny:

Cheng Duzhou and Duan Xingye act cold on the surface, but in private, a single glance could set their pants on fire. Companionship Along the Way, you really outdid yourself! I’m completely hyped for this! #SurprisinglySweet

The video was auto-playing. On screen, Duan Xingye could be seen dragging Cheng Duzhou into the frame, then yanking down Cheng Duzhou’s back collar to interrogate him about the scratches on his back.

Because it was a screen recording of the livestream, the rolling comments were fully visible.

“What’s going on? A live broadcast of a marital spat?”

“Looks like Duan Xingye is the only one who’s mad?”

“He’s mad because his heart hurts for him. Look at him, he cares a lot about Cheng Duzhou getting hurt.”

Duan Xingye stared intently at the screen, suddenly standing straight up. Clutching his phone with both hands, his breathing hitched and grew rapid.

He knew with absolute clarity what was coming next, and he finally understood why Xiao Dai had told him to check the trending searches…

The audio from the video played through:

—”Never mind the ones on your hand and waist, I’m asking you where this scratch came from! Speak up.”

—”…”

—”Isn’t it about time you clipped your fingernails?”

Boom.

A crimson wave violently detonated across Duan Xingye’s face.

The comments in the video exploded along with it.

“THIS IS NOT THE BUS TO KINDERGARTEN!!!”

“Just how intense was it to scratch his back into a fishnet?”

“Ascetic and pure in public, a scratchy little wildcat behind closed doors? HOLY SHIT! That’s so hot!”

“Cough cough, proof that President Cheng is indeed a fierce top, otherwise Teacher Duan wouldn’t have clawed him so viciously.”

“Hiss… Duan Xingye is so alluring when he blushes.”

“And here I thought they were in a fake marriage of convenience. Their private interactions are actually so sweet!”

“Just this afternoon I said I was dropping Companionship Along the Way, but now I can’t wait for the premiere, dammit!”

The elevator arrived at his floor and the doors slid open, yet it took a long time for Duan Xingye to walk out.

Arriving at his front door, he tapped the numbers on the electronic keypad, taking deep, shuddering breaths as if starved of oxygen.

Calm down. Be calm.

Stay elegant. Don’t panic…

—”Incorrect passcode.”

The mechanical female voice sliced through the air.

Aaahhhhhhh!

Duan Xingye stomped his feet and squatted straight down.

How was I supposed to know there was a camera!

It had already been mortifying enough in front of Cheng Duzhou, and now he was dragged out for a public execution in front of the entire internet! Outrageous!

Now their niche ship had finally broken into the mainstream, but in a way that made the actual subject want to frantically hit the report button.

Humiliating! Shameless!

Duan Xingye crossed his arms and buried his burning face in the fluffy, soft down jacket, rolling it around for ages, yet the heat refused to fade.

…No. I can’t be the only one suffering from second-hand embarrassment.

Duan Xingye lifted his head, fished his phone from his pocket, and forwarded the link to the #SurprisinglySweet trending search directly to Cheng Duzhou.

This was entirely Cheng Duzhou’s fault for talking nonsense in public.

Go reflect on yourself properly!

Simultaneously embarrassed, enraged, and frantic, Teacher Duan stood up with aggressive momentum to go inside.

Just as he was about to punch in the code again, his phone buzzed.

Duan Xingye checked it.

Cheng Duzhou: [What’s this? Enjoying the shipping so much on your own that you have to drag me into it too?]

Cheng Duzhou: [Is shipping your own CP that much fun, Teacher Duan?]

“…”

—”Incorrect passcode.”

Dog of a man.

Ship my ass.

Overnight, the Lu Ye Shu Huai Super Topic—which had previously seemed completely isolated by the internet—gained five hundred thousand followers.

After tasting a hint of real sweetness, netizens began to change their minds about the rumored plastic couple.

Cheng Duzhou and Duan Xingye were probably just low-profile people who valued their privacy after marriage, which was why they rarely did public promotions.

Both were towering figures in their respective fields with undeniable character and celebrated bodies of work; there was no need for them to chase cheap clout.

At the same time, the public regained confidence in the new season of Companionship Along the Way, counting down the days in the official account’s comments while demanding the teaser trailer.

The production team had originally planned to conduct the interview at the Shengxing building, but the schedule was later adjusted to invite Cheng and Duan to the studio at their production base instead, which would yield better filming results.

On the day the couple set out, Sister Yu and Xiao Dai accompanied them, riding together in Cheng Duzhou’s customized Mercedes van.

The interior was spacious and fully equipped, serving as Cheng Duzhou’s resting space when filming on location.

Duan Xingye boarded first, heading straight to the inner seat that belonged exclusively to Cheng Duzhou. Noticing there was no charger plugged into the vehicle’s outlet, he tapped open the hidden compartment by the door to check.

Inside lay only a face-down picture frame.

Just as Duan Xingye reached out to pick it up, a large hand slammed the compartment door shut with a sharp clack.

Startled, Duan Xingye snatched his hand back and glared up at Cheng Duzhou, who had just stepped into the van.

The man leaned in close, his arm braced against the door, boxing him in.

“Are you sick?” Annoyance flared in Duan Xingye’s eyes. “Trying to clip my little hands off, is that it?”

…Whenever he was alone with Cheng Duzhou, Duan Xingye would occasionally slip into cute diminutive reduplications—not to act like a coquettish child, but purely out of southern dialect habits. Like little plates, little bowls, or cursing someone’s little ancestors.

Cheng Duzhou had held his strength back just now; he wouldn’t have actually pinched him.

“Why are your hands so nosy? Always snooping through other people’s things.”

Duan Xingye knew he was referring to the rabbit ornament on his desk.

It was placed there for people to look at anyway; was it forbidden to touch?

Duan Xingye leaned back heavily against the seat, ignoring him, and pulled out his phone with a sullen face.

He and Cheng Duzhou had never had boundaries. Growing up together for twelve years from kindergarten through high school, they wandered into each other’s bedrooms freely and never asked for permission when rummaging for things, let alone after getting married and moving in together—they had never practiced polite social etiquette.

Now he was starting to draw lines with him. Was it because they had three months left until the divorce, so he was intentionally putting up distance?

Duan Xingye let out a faint sneer.

Fair enough. Once he divorced Cheng Duzhou, they wouldn’t even be friends anymore. Better to get used to it early.

At that moment, Cheng Duzhou fished out a charging cable from elsewhere and handed it to the person beside him.

—Teacher Duan had severe low-battery anxiety and always looked for a charger the second he got in a vehicle.

Duan Xingye didn’t look, didn’t move, and refused to take his things.

Cheng Duzhou bent down, plugged the charger into the outlet himself, and left it hanging there without another word.

Sister Yu and Xiao Dai boarded only afterward, failing to notice the weird tension between the two in the back.

Midway through the drive, Sister Yu said, “You two need to pay attention to your emotions during the interview. Don’t just mechanically recite the script. Want to run through it once now?”

“No need.” “No need.”

Duan Xingye looked at his phone while Cheng Duzhou flipped through a magazine, replying in perfect unison.

Sister Yu twitched her mouth and shrugged.

The rest of the ride passed in absolute silence.

As they neared their destination, Xiao Dai suddenly smacked his forehead: “Shouldn’t President Cheng and Teacher Duan pay attention to what you call each other?”

Xiao Dai truly understood CP shipping, instantly latching onto the crucial detail.

“Like casually calling each other by nicknames—the sweetness shoots up immediately! Audiences eat that up.”

“Works for me,” Sister Yu agreed. “Something like Zhouzhou, Xiaoye.”

Xiao Dai got excited: “Or Baby, Darling!”

Setting down his phone, Duan Xingye let out an elegant yawn before scoffing, “Don’t you find that nauseating? Might as well just call him hubby.”

When Duan Xingye yawned, he did so gracefully, opening his mouth only slightly behind a shielding hand.

The moment the words left his mouth, the front seats fell dead silent.

Beside him, however, came the faint, crisp sound of paper being pulled taut.

Duan Xingye’s peripheral vision flicked to the side. The corner of the magazine page Cheng Duzhou was holding had crumpled.

He reacted to those two words?

Interesting.

Duan Xingye tilted the corners of his eyes, sizing Cheng Duzhou up with a playful, improper gaze: “Hubby? Is that right?”

Cheng Duzhou had the face of a domineering CEO—austere, refined, yet his sharp brows carried an unmistakable aggressive edge. He could make a fortune doing nothing but starring in romantic art-house films based on his looks alone, and his current expressionless demeanor was thoroughly intimidating.

An ordinary person would have backed off, but Duan Xingye was no ordinary person; he was an ancestor.

Besides, he noticed Cheng Duzhou’s ears had flushed red, thin and engorged with blood under the sunlight.

Duan Xingye’s mood brightened considerably, as if he had managed to pry loose a few bricks from Cheng Duzhou’s heavily fortified fortress wall, catching a glimpse of his weakness.

So he liked being called hubby.

What kind of chauvinistic kink was that?

“Hubby, I’m talking to you.”

Duan Xingye crossed his legs, flexing the tip of his shoe to lightly nudge Cheng Duzhou’s trouser leg.

Sister Yu and Xiao Dai didn’t look back, but they could hear it clearly.

Duan Xingye’s first “hubby” was a test; this second one was blatant teasing.

Treading dangerously close to provocation.

Cheng Duzhou’s gaze dropped to the foot tapping against him.

Today, Duan Xingye wore a pair of spotless white lace-up leather shoes.

Yet through the leather, Cheng Duzhou’s mind flashed back to the snow-white instep beneath—curving into a soft, taut arc when pointed.

Cheng Duzhou’s eyes remained cool. He closed the magazine, entirely refusing to take the bait.

Just at that moment.

The car arrived at its destination and pulled over to the curb, with electric scooters zipping past on the side.

Cheng Duzhou pulled open the door.

Duan Xingye’s eyes curved, full of mischievous spite, as he deliberately adopted a sweet, milky tone to warn: “Hubby, watch out for passing traffic~”

“Aye.” This time, Cheng Duzhou actually responded. Stepping one foot out of the vehicle, he tilted his head back toward Duan Xingye: “Wifey sure has a sweet mouth.”

Duan Xingye’s expression instantly froze: “…”

Don’t force me to throw up my New Year’s Eve dinner.

__

Author’s Note:

President Cheng: Wifey, don’t mess around.