Chapter 47

Chapter 47
Recently, Ming Huai made an important discovery: Bai Ying had finally stopped making physical advances toward Ji Tingqian. Moreover, all trending topics and related headlines involving the two had been taken down. Bai Ying’s studio even issued an official Weibo statement, carefully worded to discourage public speculation while subtly hinting that Bai Ying already had a boyfriend—someone other than Ji Tingqian.
Whether this boyfriend actually existed was of no concern to Ming Huai whatsoever. All that mattered was that Bai Ying would stop stirring up trouble with Ji Tingqian.
There was yet another matter that lifted Ming Huai’s spirits.
Since Ming Huai explained the situation to Yu Fanglan, her stance has remained ambiguous; she seems to be turning a blind eye, allowing the two to carry on as long as no major scandal erupts.
Ming Huai was quite surprised that things had progressed this far. He had expected that once Yu Fanglan regained her composure, she would oppose the relationship regardless of the circumstances and earnestly persuade him to break up with Ji Tingqian.
Ming Huai, however, was simply happy and didn’t overthink it. In reality, the matter was far from easily resolved. Unbeknownst to Ming Huai, Ji Tingqian had sought out Yu Fanglan for a lengthy conversation. Though the specifics of their discussion remained unknown, it was clear that Yu Fanglan was the one who ultimately compromised.
With no night scenes scheduled for either Ming Huai or Ji Tingqian tonight, the pair bid farewell to Fu Hairong and returned to their hotel early. The penultimate episode of “Farmhouse Courtyard” was set to premiere that evening, marking the first time Ming Huai and Ji Tingqian would appear on screen together. Naturally, Ming Huai insisted on watching the broadcast.
After returning, Ming Huai went straight to Ji Tingqian’s room. It was rather amusing; although they had confirmed their relationship for quite some time, and Ming Huai occasionally stayed overnight in Ji Tingqian’s room without deliberately keeping their distance in public, no one on the bustling film set had discovered their secret. Perhaps their openness made others overlook it entirely.
Ming Huai had taken an early shower and slipped into one of Ji Tingqian’s T-shirts before flopping onto the bed. Lying prone, he held his tablet, navigating the app client to search for “Farmhouse Courtyard.” Since the television station operated its own computer client, the show aired simultaneously on TV and online.
With a little time left before the broadcast began, Ming Huai scrolled through Weibo. Almost unconsciously, he typed both his own name and Ji Tingqian’s into the search bar. Before hitting search, a flicker of nervousness stirred within him, accompanied by a sliver of faint hope—what if someone actually anticipated and cheered for them?
Only heaven knew how desperately Ming Huai longed to be paired with Ji Tingqian as a couple; the desire had nearly driven him mad.
However, after clicking in, the result was not surprising at all; it was all filled with people waiting for the two to engage in awkward small talk and cringe-worthy interactions.
Ming Huai felt quite depressed. It was the first time he had encountered such a peculiar group of “cuties.” Usually, when one’s own idol appears on a show, the support is overwhelming, but this unanimous lack of applause was truly a rare sight in the entertainment industry.
The moment Ji Tingqian emerged, his gaze landed on Ming Huai’s fair calves dangling in the air. Following their graceful curve upward, he saw pale thighs and a perky, enticing contour. Ji Tingqian’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly; he felt suddenly dry-mouthed and quickly averted his eyes.
Hearing the movement, Ming Huai turned to look at Ji Tingqian, waving cheerfully as he called out, “Brother! Come over quickly! Hurry up!”
Brother”… a dangerously provocative title. Ji Tingqian felt a helpless resignation. Ever since they had been together, Ming Huai addressed him as “Brother Ji” or “Teacher Ji” in public, used his full name or “Brother” when they were alone, and during their intimate moments… he would invariably cry out “Brother.
Although Ji Tingqian never voiced it aloud, his reaction was most profound whenever Ming Huai used that address. Finding his response amusing, Ming Huai gradually began using “Brother” more often even outside the bedroom. After all, it was a term he had used before; shifting back to it posed no difficulty whatsoever.
Ji Tingqian walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, ruffling the hair of the person happily lounging there. He glanced at the screen, a faint smile touching the corners of his lips. “You’re watching these again.”
“Yes,” Ming Huai replied, his eyes curving into crescents of delight. As soon as he spoke, he rose and leaned himself into Ji Tingqian’s embrace.
Ji Tingqian reached out to catch Ming Huai, pulling him into a full embrace. Although Ming Huai used the same body wash as he did, Ji Tingqian always found Ming Huai’s scent exceptionally delightful—fragrant and soft, making one want to devour him whole.
Sometimes Ming Huai was incredibly clingy, much like a large cat now. He shifted his position, leaning softly against Ji Tingqian’s chest with the back of his head resting on Ji Tingqian’s shoulder. Perhaps this was his true nature revealed after they started dating; yet, in truth, Ming Huai had always been this clingy with Ji Tingqian in the past—if anything, even more so.
After fooling around for a while, the time finally arrived. Ming Huai pondered whether to enable the live comments or keep them off. After careful consideration, he decided it was better not to turn them on.
As the program aired second by second, Ming Huai grew increasingly uneasy. He stared blankly at the screen on his tablet, struggling to recall if he had truly acted that way back then. Leaving other things aside, when they first met, Ming Huai was actually extremely surprised deep down. However, since he couldn’t reveal that particular kind of astonishment, he exaggeratedly embraced Ji Tingqian instead. There was definitely some awkwardness in that moment.
But… as Ming Huai recalled the footage just shown, the show’s post-production team possessed nothing short of divine editing skills. They had miraculously erased that faint trace of awkwardness, leaving viewers with nothing but an overwhelming display of brotherly affection.
In the scenes that followed, even Ming Huai, as one of the main participants, found it unbearable to watch. Had he really been that obvious back then? It was as if the words “I like you” were practically written across his face. Moreover, the interactions between Ji Tingqian and Ming Huai increasingly carried a different flavor; no matter how one looked at it, the atmosphere was undeniably ambiguous. Anyone claiming they weren’t intentionally catering to fans of male-male romance would hardly be believed. Coupled with the special effects and captioning added in post-production, the result was extraordinarily effective. A lifestyle variety show had been vividly transformed by Ji Tingqian and Ming Huai into a romantic reality series showcasing their love.
By the time the show was halfway through, it was finally time for bed. Ji Tingqian held Ming Huai close, watching the footage with great relish. He rarely appeared on variety shows, and this was the first time he had ever watched an episode featuring himself. As he watched, he found it surprisingly entertaining; moreover, given how their relationship had changed from what it once was, viewing it now evoked a strange sensation, as if separated by lifetimes.
Ji Tingqian suddenly felt immensely grateful that he had agreed to participate in “The Farmhouse Courtyard.” Had he not joined this recording, he couldn’t say when—or even if—he and Ming Huai would have met again. Yet here they were, able to hold one another while spending a simple, peaceful night that filled him with profound contentment.
Just then, Ming Huai suddenly slammed the tablet face-down onto the bed, blocking Ji Tingqian’s view. Ji Tingqian was slightly taken aback, only to catch sight of a pair of ears burning bright red.
“What has post-production done to this edit? I’m not watching anymore, I’m not watching,” Ming Huai said, flustered and embarrassed.
Ji Tingqian curved his lips into a smile, took Ming Huai’s hand, and accepted the tablet from him before tapping to resume playback. The screen displayed nothing other than the scene from the next morning when they had first woken up—their faces so close they were nearly touching.
“Stop watching! Stop watching!” Ming Huai reached out to snatch the tablet back, unsure why a rush of heat was surging straight to his head.
Ji Tingqian chuckled softly, dodging Ming Huai’s attempt, and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. “I quite enjoy watching this,” he said. “Just because you don’t want to see it doesn’t mean I can’t.”
In the end, Ming Huai was firmly pinned down by Ji Tingqian, held tightly within his embrace. He endured two full hours of viewing, battling through sheer embarrassment, his initial eagerness long transformed into a blazing crimson flush across his face.
Ming Huai couldn’t quite figure out why he appeared so utterly smitten, and at times, downright foolish.
At 9:30 PM, a certain Best Actor posted on Weibo—Ji Tingqian V: A very novel experience @Ming Huai [Image] [Image]
The two attached photos showed, first, a tablet and a pair of hands in the frame, and second, Ming Huai on set in costume, sipping bubble tea.
As the night passed and the episode finished airing, fans fell silent for a long while before the trending topics exploded. It went without saying that Ji Tingqian and Ming Huai were traffic magnets unto themselves; merely placing their names together sparked a奇妙的 chemical reaction.
Fans had genuinely planned to wage a fierce battle once the program aired. After all, they had previously declared with such certainty that the two were utterly incompatible, insisting that sharing the same stage would result in nothing but awkwardness from start to finish. They truly did not want to see them appear together; they had zero anticipation for their joint appearance.
But given the current situation… well, how should I put it? The shift was nothing short of monumental; all our prior preparations had gone to waste. After all, no one can blatantly lie with a straight face.
So everyone fell silent, each side quietly observing the other to see what move they’d make next, ready to follow suit. We fans would never admit that we actually found your person quite likable, nor would we confess to having spent the entire time grinning like fools. Most certainly, we wouldn’t acknowledge that, as the episode progressed, merely seeing the two of them together in the same frame made our smiles before the screen grow increasingly unhinged, leaving us utterly desperate and itching for the next episode the moment this one ended.
Casual observers, however, had no such reservations. They immediately took to Weibo, declaring themselves thoroughly satisfied with the evening’s broadcast, newly won over by the duo of Ji and Ming. They gushed about the incredibly moving brotherly bond between the two, praising its authenticity and the palpable affection they showed one another.
Soon after, fans began chiming in, conceding that perhaps it wasn’t so bad after all. “The script provided by the production team was just too convincing,” they argued. “Look, it wasn’t just you casual viewers who were fooled; even devoted fans like us were completely taken in.”
The situation truly exploded when a blogger named “Bai Tian Bai Tian Yao Shui Jiao” reposted her own comment from the official Weibo account of the farmhouse courtyard right after the episode aired, kicking off a live spectacle of faces being slapped.
Bai Tian Bai Tian Yao Shui Jiao: #JiMingPerfectMatch# @MingHuai @JiTingqian I hereby declare that I now have two idols: Huaihuai takes first place, and Teacher Ji comes second. See the attached image for the Weibo repost lottery @WeiboLottery [kneeling][/kneeling]. Repost of Bai Tian Bai Tian Yao Shui Jiao: Heh, if there’s even a hint of chemistry between them after this airs, I’ll switch from hating Ji Tingqian to becoming his fan, plus I’ll add another homepage lottery [smile][/smile].
As soon as the blogger posted, a massive crowd of onlookers flocked in. Being highly efficient, she produced a short video within just a few dozen minutes, proving she truly meant what she said.
Once one person led the charge, everyone else threw shame to the wind. Immediately, the ranking of the super topic surged rapidly; after all… under the current circumstances, shipping this couple is the only truth.
The comments section under Ji Tingqian’s Weibo post was filled with wails of mock despair, with fans begging him to stop releasing so much sweetness, claiming they were about to die from the overload. The official account for “Farmhouse Courtyard” was buzzing with unprecedented activity, its comment section thriving like never before.
@我是淮淮家的小宝贝：我错了，我忏悔，我有眼无珠@明淮@纪廷谦[心]你们不要那么般配啊啊啊啊！！！！！我的心脏承受不住啊！！
@TeacherJiIsMine: Replying to @ImHuaiHuisLittleBaby — I-I-I can’t take it anymore QAQ! This is foul play!!! My poor heart can’t handle this, can’t handle this [sobbing][/sobbing]
@为什么要上课：不好意思，我只是觉得这台本太假了，真是太假了[微笑][/微笑]不然我为什么会觉得甜死了？
@KKKKKK：别说了，我现在只想等着过十二点再看一次，纪影帝看我们家淮淮那个宠溺的眼神，我的天……【糟了是那种感觉】
@我是纪廷谦家的正宫：你家淮淮颜值是真的能打，睫毛精一个，又卷又翘又浓，真的……好看……【都怪淮淮那么好看】
@卷心淮：我觉得纪老师超级好看啊！！！第一次get到了纪老师的颜，和我们家奶淮……我不行了……我不行了……XJJ快来救救我！！！
……
The comments were lively, and so was the scene on the bed. While teasing Ming Huai, who had already been rendered dazed by their intimacy, Ji Tingqian whispered each comment into his ear. His voice was low, hoarse, and laced with a sensual allure that made his mischief feel anything but cruel.
He shifted slightly and laughed, “I truly hope Actor Ji can tackle our little Huai to the ground… Look, hasn’t he already done it? See for yourself, right?”
Ming Huai let out a couple of muffled whimpers; he didn’t want to hear a single word Ji Tingqian was saying. The man was simply too wicked.