Chapter 19 - My Costar And I...did We...?

Eventually, Yao Shen has to scrape himself out of bed, gather the scraps of his dignity and get ready for the day ahead.

He feels marginally better after showering, and when Bi Jialu comes pick him up for breakfast he doesn't look completely awful, save for the lingering soreness of his body, which he is adamantly not thinking about.

Along with ignoring what may or may not have happened, Yao Shen is also trying to stave off the identity crisis about to descend upon him.

He has only dated women in the past. Three to be more precise.

If he's being honest with himself he never put much thought into the relationships, and wasn't heartbroken to see them end.

Two of them happened while he was in high school, and the girls didn't want to go all the way too soon. Yao Shen had no problem respecting their wishes, but neither relationship progressed to the 'next phase'.

His last relationship happened while he was already trying to establish himself as an actor, and all the running around he had to do, desperately looking for work, didn't leave him much time for his girlfriend.

That relationship ended up fizzing out into nothing. They didn't even properly break up, just stopped talking and went on with their lives.

Yao Shen didn't manage to lose his virginity to either of his ex-girlfriends, but one drunken one-night-stand with the costar he hates, and it's over and done with.

It's not like he attaches too much importance to virginity, his or anyone else's, but he always thought he would remember his first time. That, for better or worse, it would be a memorable experience.

Was he so ambivalent about his previous relationships because he doesn't really like women?

Or is he bisexual?

Maybe he should try to meet some men, go on a few dates and see how it goes, because one thing Yao Shen is sure of -- regardless of his sexual orientation, he's never going to sleep with Xin Hulei again, or ever.

Even if he likes men, he needs to believe he has better taste than the literal demon he needs to capture in order to save the human realm -- or whatever.

[That would be for the best, yes.]

Yao Shen nearly jumps out of the backseat from the start of hearing the system's voice all of a sudden.

Bi Jialu turns around on the passenger seat and shoots him a concerned look.

Yao Shen shakes his head and mouths, "it's nothing."

[Host should keep in mind that demons can charm and manipulate humans easily. It's better to remain vigilant.]

Yao Shen sits up straighter. There's that too.

He needs to get to the bottom of what really happened the previous night.

---

While Yao Shen is getting his makeup and hair done for the day ahead, trying not to let his stormy thoughts distract him from studying the script for the scenes he'll be shooting, a storm of a different kind is brewing online.

[LeiLei doesn't have any bad angles: Sisters, have you seen this?]

In one of Xin Hulei's fan discussion threads on weibo, a fan posts a collection of photos she found in a forum.

They show Xin Hulei coming out of a taxi in front of a hotel. He leaves the taxi first, and then helps someone out. The photos aren't of a great quality, but it's obvious the person with him is another man.

Xin Hulei tries to help the shorter man stand up, but he can't go two paces without his knees buckling.

The next time Xin Hulei helps him up, the man clings to the front of Xin Hulei's clothes and brings their faces close. The photos are taken from a distance, and with the angle their heads are at, it seems as if the shorter man is pulling Xin Hulei down into a kiss.

In the next photos Xin Hulei is shown bending down and picking up the shorter man under the knees, and then carrying him in his arms into the hotel.

[LeiLei show us your smile: !!!!]

[Big Bird: Is that Yao Shen?]

[@Big Bird, Fuck you're right it's totally him!!! franticrunningaround.jpg]

[LeiLei marry me: Wasn't their relationship bad? What the hell is this?]

[I'm LeiLei's #1 mom fan: I think it's cute. We're seeing a nurturing side of LeiLei we haven't seen before fierceblush.png]

[LeiLei doesn't have any bad angles: I just don't know what to think about all this, sisters! Could this be promotion for their drama?]

[Big Bird: ...isn't kissing taking it too far?]

By the time Yao Shen arrives on set to film a short scene with Frozen Peak's sect leader, the discussion is still growing rampant on weibo, and has now spread beyond their respective fan circles.

Even random people have something to say on the matter.

[Octopus Fiend: This is clearly CP baiting, you people are so gullible cryinglaughing.jpg]

[One foot in the darkness: Who cares about celebrities anyway? Bunch of braindead idiots, go outside and touch some grass instead of losing your mind over the lives of people you don't even know.]

[Lovesick: Some of you are so cynical, I don't get it. What kind of CP baiting makes the actors look like they're arriving late from a night out partying? That's toeing a line. This looks pretty candid to me.]

[@Lovesick, so true! People believe what they want. Honestly they could officially announce their relationship and engagement, even adopt a child together, and some people would still be like 'this is obvious CP baiting'.]

Yao Shen goes on with his day, blissfully unaware of the rabid speculation going on online, until Bi Jialu approaches him during a break clutching her phone anxiously in her hand.

Never a good sign.

"What is it now?" Yao Shen asks with a groan of dismay.

She gives him her phone, and Yao Shen's eyes are immediately drawn to the photo of Xin Hulei carrying him in his arms.

Fuck.

He scans through all the other photos quickly, feeling his heart beating in his ears.

He looks like such a mess, barely able to stand on his feet, clinging to Xin Hulei so shamelessly, even...kissing him?

His face goes beet red and he shoves the phone back at Bi Jialu, too embarrassed to see anything else.

Yao Shen thought that whatever happened yesterday must have been initiated by Xin Hulei, but looking at the photos just now, he did seem like a very enthusiastic participant. Perhaps too enthusiastic.

Shit, what a mess.

He can only imagine the level of of online speculation.

He's busy trying to hold himself together when Xin Hulei walks into the set, ready to film their next scene together.

Yao Shen makes a beeline towards him.

"We need to talk," he tells him, pulling him by the sleeve of Xie Huan's fiery robes towards an empty maintenance closet.