I Stopped Chasing Him

This Weibo post didn’t name names, but even casual netizens could instantly tell who it was referring to.

After all, the original host’s obsessive, almost pathological pursuit of a man was unique in the entire entertainment industry.

[??? Holy crap, what’s going on?]

[Could it be who I think it is?]

[Who else could it be besides him? Can you find anyone in the domestic entertainment industry more obscure and more dramatic than him?
No wonder someone of his lowly status could get on this show.
Turns out he latched onto some old man.]

[Help! I just found myself a wife, and now I’m about to lose him?!
I could tolerate him being a simp, but being a homewrecker and destroying someone else’s family is absolutely unforgivable!!! Crying.jpg]

[You’ve said so much, and all I want to ask is: where’s the proof?
Without proof, anyone can flap their gums.]

[Isn’t the proof enough already?
He’s just a D-list nobody, yet he got on this show.
And during the show, he never once proactively mentioned his husband.
When the kids were calling their parents earlier, only Xie Yaoyao didn’t call.
Isn’t that because the old man can’t be shown, and Ning Shixue wouldn’t let him call?!]

The comments under the gossip account skyrocketed.
The original host’s reputation was too tarnished.
A few days on the variety show couldn’t completely whitewash him.

Criticism was everywhere.

Ning Shixue? Where are you?!
Lu Li fumed.
Don’t you play dead with me!
Tell me immediately what the hell is going on!

Ning Shixue was direct and cut him off.
‘It’s fake.’

All of Lu Li’s pent-up rage got stuck in his chest.
He almost choked on it.
But he was indeed dubious about this trending topic.
Everyone knew just how crazy and how much of a simp Ning Shixue was.
His infatuation with Xie Hanzhou was the kind that wouldn’t quit even if he drowned.

Xie Hanzhou was tall and handsome, at least.
And Ning Shixue was a pampered young master.

He probably couldn’t bring himself to go after some greasy old man.

You’re not lying to me, are you?
Lu Li’s attitude softened a bit at this thought, but he was still very suspicious.
If you won’t tell me who your husband really is, how am I supposed to handle this publicly for you?

Ning Shixue certainly wasn’t going to tell him.

It was a mutually agreed upon arranged marriage.
Neither party would make it public.
Even the original host, with his scrambled brains, didn’t dare drag Xie Zhaozhou into this.
He’d have to be crazy to tell Lu Li.

Lu Li claimed to be acting in his best interests.
But aside from the original host’s own actions, Lu Li had always pushed for the ‘famous for being hated’ route.

The few moderately popular artists under him were all brought up that way.
Not as notoriously infamous as the original host, but close enough.

If Lu Li found out about Xie Zhaozhou, the more he ‘managed’ it, the worse it would probably get.

Don’t worry about it,
Ning Shixue’s voice was lazy.
I’ll handle things myself.

Before Lu Li could say another word, Ning Shixue hung up on him without mercy.
Lu Li was furious, with no outlet, and could only viciously stub out his cigarette.

Ning Shixue didn’t scroll through Weibo anymore.
He simply turned off his phone.

Clarifying or explaining now was pointless.
He doubted a gossip account would suddenly post this without reason.
The original host had too many enemies.
Someone was probably deliberately targeting him.

If that was the case, they definitely had more moves to come.

If he was drowned in criticism and jumped out to explain, he’d be playing right into their hands.

Better to wait and see what they did next.

–

Night fell.

By the time they reached the small mountain village, it was already dinner time.

Xie Yaoyao had fallen asleep in Ning Shixue’s arms as soon as they got in the car and had just woken up.
He lifted his chubby little hand to rub his eyes, hugged Ning Shixue’s neck, and pouted.
I so hungry.

Ning Shixue couldn’t help rubbing his own eyes too.

Back in the instances, he’d often go for over ten days without sleep.
But this was the first time he’d stayed up this late.

His complexion was sickly pale, his eyes a bit red and sore.

Xie Yaoyao blinked his big eyes.
He suddenly thought the bad stepdad looked just like the bunny officer.

The program team acted human for once that night, not making the guests prepare dinner themselves.
Once everyone was assembled, they could eat directly.

When Ning Shixue arrived with Xie Yaoyao, Tang He’an and Tang Haohao had just arrived too.

Tang He’an looked a bit awkward but still greeted him.
Xiao Ning.

Ning Shixue knew he had probably scrolled through Weibo.
They were all in the industry, after all.
His name was blatantly hanging on the trending searches.
It would be hard to pretend not to see it.

[My heart aches for Brother Tang.
He might not take a variety show for years, and he ends up with this drama queen, Ning Shixue.]

[It’s just disgusting to think about.
Does the program team have to keep this kind of cancer?
When will Ning Shixue quit the industry?!]

That evening, the village paths had no lights.
Only the moonlight overhead illuminated the alleyways.
Ning Shixue wore a very loose, thin black jacket, making him look especially slender.
His peach blossom eyes held a watery gleam, clear and bright.

But the corners were a damp, red tinge.

As usual, he curved his under-eye area in a smile and greeted Tang He’an.
Teacher Tang.

The mountain roads were too dark; little ones could easily fall.
Ning Shixue struggled to carry Xie Yaoyao, his knuckles pale from the cold.

He was so thin.
When he lowered his head, it was clearly visible.

It made one’s heart skip a beat.

[Why are his eye rims so red?
Could it be…]

[I probably shouldn’t say this, but I actually feel a bit sorry for him.]

[Feel sorry for what?
He deserves it.
Why doesn’t he just cry himself to death?
Destroying someone else’s…]

Tang He’an paused.
He wanted to help Ning Shixue carry the child.
Holding two wouldn’t even be tiring for him.

But he had only spent a few days with Ning Shixue on the show.
Even though he felt Ning Shixue really was different from before, he couldn’t fully trust him yet.

Helping now would be like setting himself on fire.

In the end, he didn’t intervene.

Ning Shixue was nearly broken by the chubby kid’s weight.
After setting Xie Yaoyao down, he bent over, panting.
His dark hair was slightly damp.
When he looked up, his eye rims seemed even redder.

Little Dad,
Xie Yaoyao guiltily wiggled his little bottom.
Uncharacteristically well-behaved, he lifted his soft, chubby little hand, stood on tiptoe, and randomly kneaded Ning Shixue’s waist.
I give you rub rub oh.

Ning Shixue: “…”

Ning Shixue: Pfft.

His waist was especially ticklish.
Even before Xie Yaoyao’s hand touched him, he couldn’t help dodging.

You not allowed run!
Xie Yaoyao’s eyes sparkled, his little mouth puckered into a trumpet shape.
Thinking Ning Shixue was playing with him, he stamped his foot and chased after him.

Tang He’an’s expression was complicated.
Remembering how red Ning Shixue’s eyes were when he got out of the car, he couldn’t help sighing.

He now regretted not helping Ning Shixue earlier.
Ning Shixue must be holding back his grief, right?

But he couldn’t show it in front of the child.

Ning Shixue finally escaped Xie Yaoyao’s little demon claws.
As he passed Tang He’an, Tang He’an suddenly raised his hand and patted his shoulder with a heavy, complex look in his eyes.

Ning Shixue: ???

An unexpected display of macho comfort.

All the teachers have arrived,
the director greeted them once Ning Shixue and Tang He’an were there.
Let’s eat first.
Get a good rest tonight.

The guests all lived in the same courtyard and ate dinner together in the main room.
Ning Shixue acted like nothing was wrong.
Tang He’an and the others gradually felt less awkward.

Those who had made it this far in the industry, if not shrewd, had at least learned their lesson.
Everyone kept up appearances.

The variety show’s atmosphere still seemed harmonious.

After dinner, the little ones dragged their little stools into the next room and sat in a row in front of the TV to watch Forest Bunny Police.

Except for Ji Xiao, who was watching for the first time, the others all bobbed their heads and sang along to the theme song.

The scene was too adorable.
Tang He’an’s heart softened a bit.
He felt his little rascal wasn’t so infuriating after all.

Then Tang Haohao raised his little toy gun, aimed it at the other kids’ heads, and kept going ‘biubiubiu.’

Tang Hao!
Tang He’an’s face instantly darkened.

Tang Haohao stuck out his tongue, finally put the gun down, and sat still.

Beside him, Xie Yaoyao was still wearing the Black Soil Wolf clothes Ning Shixue had bought him.
They were too big, even trailing on the floor.
His eyelashes were long, his profile like a little bun.

[Yaoyao is so pitiful too.
He must really miss his mom.]

[No wonder he always hated Ning Shixue.
If it were me, I’d hate him to death.
Isn’t this exactly what an evil stepfather looks like?]

Online, it was a complete mess.
But Ning Shixue was still slumped on the sofa playing Tetris.
He was wrapped in a blanket, his pale, slender chin buried in it.
When he was alone, his eyes always seemed cool and indifferent, casual.

It was that attitude that was particularly infuriating.

Like punching a pillow.

[Forgive my bluntness, but I’ve never seen anyone so shameless.
How does he have the nerve to be on this show?]

Ji Qing cut peaches for the little ones, all chopped into small pieces in little bowls.
Each child got a bowl.

There was still plenty left.
He brought the rest out for the other guests, even giving some to Ning Shixue.

[Qingqing, seriously, I’m crying.]

[I want to make Ning Shixue spit it out.
Why does Ji Qing have to serve him again?
Ji Qing is just too nice.]

Ning Shixue paused for a moment, then reached out and took it, saying politely,
Thanks.

He went back to his game, but Ji Qing didn’t leave.
He bit his lip, his face pale, looking conflicted, but finally sat on the sofa next to him.

Ning Shixue glanced up.

Xiao Ning,
Ji Qing’s tone was still gentle, comforting him.
Don’t take those words online too seriously.

He seemed to want to avoid the camera, deliberately choosing a seat at a certain angle and lowering his voice.

But it was useless.

All the guests were in this main room.
Of course, the program team had arranged plenty of camera angles.
There was no way to hide.
It was just for show for Ning Shixue.

Ning Shixue sneered inwardly.

Ji Qing’s words were suggestive.
‘Don’t take those words seriously’—was that ‘I believe you’re not that kind of person,’ or ‘don’t take those words seriously even if you are that kind of person’?

In Slaying the Whale, the character Ji Qing played was gentle and restrained.
Since his debut, his agent had marketed that exact persona.

Fans certainly wouldn’t think Ji Qing had any ill intent.
But others and various gossip accounts might, probably taking it as the latter and stirring up trouble.

Everyone thought Ji Qing was Xie Hanzhou’s boyfriend.
He surely knew about the Xie family matters.
Ji Qing’s ‘comfort’ effectively confirmed the rumors about Ning Shixue and the old man.

Why would I take it seriously?
Ning Shixue lifted his eyelashes.
His eyes were exceptionally innocent, looking back at him with a hint of bewilderment.

He was young to begin with, and thin.
His under-eye area was full.
When he wasn’t wearing a cold expression, he looked even younger than his age, with a boyish air.

He appeared especially guileless.

Ji Qing faltered.
The hand on his knee tightened involuntarily.

He hadn’t expected Ning Shixue to deflect his statement and throw the question back at him.

The bullet comments grew even more impassioned.

[??? What kind of attitude is this?
At a time like this, only Ji Qing still cares about him.
Who’s he pretending for?]

[He’s just heartless.
The villain Ning Shixue played in ‘Slaying the Whale’ is just him playing himself.]

The director initially wanted to suppress this.
After all, the buzz Ning Shixue generated was too significant.
Their show’s ratings had been declining for two consecutive years.
Now it was finally reviving.
He was reluctant to cancel Ning Shixue’s contract and let him leave.

But it was spiraling out of control, far beyond his ability to manage.

The back end was even flooded with private messages from viewers, demanding they hold an impromptu interview segment right now.

Director Meng, what do we do?
the assistant director asked anxiously.

The director’s eyes darted, and he made a decisive call.
Interview now.

When you thought about it, the program team couldn’t lose either way.

If Ning Shixue’s situation was real, they could milk his buzz one last time.
If it was fake, this was the perfect chance for him to clarify.

As for being cursed on Weibo for inviting ‘cancer’ Ning Shixue, he didn’t care.
When he initially approached Ning Shixue, he had already considered the worst possible outcomes.

He still didn’t regret it.

Teachers,
the director cleared his throat and announced,
Filming for the third episode starts tomorrow.
We’ve arranged an interview for tonight.
Please come one by one.

The director called them in order of age.
Tang He’an went first.
Ning Shixue was last.

This interview was a bit different from before.
Previously, the program team would summarize the top comments and then ask the guests questions.

But this time, the comments were all cursing Ning Shixue.
Few could be selected as questions the director’s team could directly ask.

The director simply changed the rules.
He let the guests look at the comments themselves and pick a few to answer.

Teacher Ning,
the director turned the camera towards him.
You can look at the live stream now.

The number of online viewers in Ning Shixue’s stream had already exceeded five million, and it was increasing by the minute.

The comments were a dizzying blur.

He had to lean in a bit.
Under the camera, his skin was as pale as porcelain, his eyelashes exceptionally thick, long, and beautiful.

[Dammit, almost got seduced.]

[??? Do you have no bottom line?
He’s the one who willingly climbed into that old man’s bed.
Aren’t you disgusted?!]

[Please, let Ning Shixue be locked down with that old man.
Stop pestering my Brother Zhou. Hands clasped together.jpg]

The live streaming platform for ‘Let’s Go, Baby!’ could display popular comments in real time.

They scrolled by the side, cycling according to popularity.

The top comment was barbed: [Who exactly is your husband?
Is being a homewrecker this high-profile these days?]

The director rubbed his hands nervously, unsure how Ning Shixue would respond.

He thought Ning Shixue would be eager to explain.

Instead, Ning Shixue crossed his legs.
His entire aura shifted.
He was like the pampered, arrogant young master of before, the reckless drama queen.
‘Why should I tell you who my husband is?’

‘Also, spreading rumors is against the law.’

[???]

[Has he lost his mind? What is he doing?]

Of course, Ning Shixue hadn’t lost his mind.
But at this point, whether it was the gossip accounts across the internet, this program team, or Ji Qing, they had all pushed him to the forefront of the storm.
Anything he said to explain would be meaningless.

It would all be taken as excuses.

No one would even care what he actually said.

The emotions in the comments had already been stirred up.
The original host had offended many people.
Old grievances, new hatred, the condemnation of thousands—all of it was now crashing down on him like thunder.

These people just wanted to see him humiliated.

Since that was the case, why should he indulge these haters?
Worst case, he’d just quit the industry.
He wanted to leave anyway.

Ning Shix scrolled through the comments.

Right after that came:

[Is your husband really a greasy old man?
Is he that unshowable?
You’re really not picky, aren’t you afraid an old man can’t perform?
Eat something better, will you?]

Ning Shixue: “…”

Bold!

How dare they curse the main antagonist like that?

‘Sorry to disappoint you, but my husband is young and vigorous, and he’s handsome,’
Ning Shixue said without missing a beat, his eyes innocent.
‘Would you know better than me whether he can perform or not?’

‘You’re not part of our little game anyway.’

For a moment, the comments section was filled with curses.
The hired trolls were furious, let alone the real haters.
The director wanted to cut the live stream but didn’t dare.
He was about ready to kneel to Ning Shixue.

The director was full of regret.
He was wrong, so wrong.
Why did he have to provoke Ning Shixue!

Ning Shixue completely ignored the director’s desperate signals and kept scrolling.

[Why did you stop chasing Xie Hanzhou?
Even a simp like you gives up?]

Ning Shixue: “…”

Damn.

Ning Shixue couldn’t help cursing inwardly.
He had no comeback for this one.
After all, the original host really had chased Xie Hanzhou.

But he pressed his lips together, and suddenly his eyelashes curved.
‘I stopped.
I fell for someone else.’

The comments exploded.

Stopped???

Ning Shixue actually said he stopped???

This was even more explosive than the rumor of him marrying an old man to be a homewrecker.

The original host was exceptionally stubborn, never hiding his feelings for Xie Hanzhou.
He confessed during interviews, rushed to give flowers after Xie Hanzhou’s concerts, and even once admitted he only joined the cast to chase Xie Hanzhou.

Then he was criticized for half a year for being unprofessional and unfit to be an actor.

And now he was giving up?!

[LOL, can you pretend any harder?
Just this month, on Xie Hanzhou’s birthday, he bought him a car.]

The poster attached a screenshot.

It was the motorcycle the original host bought Xie Hanzhou.
Globally limited to ten.
The original host bought it with his real name, didn’t even choose anonymity.
A quick search on the official site could find the buyer.

[Holy crap, so it was this bike.
I saw paparazzi photos of it before and thought it was fake news.]

Xie Hanzhou didn’t live permanently at the old Xie residence, only visiting occasionally.
A few days ago, paparazzi photographed that motorcycle in his garage.

The helmet was hanging on the handlebars, engraved with Xie Hanzhou’s initials.
The silver letters were captured very clearly in the photo.

Ning Shixue bought it, engraved Xie Hanzhou’s name on it.
Who else could it be for?

Would lying to you benefit me in any way?
Ning Shixue pulled the blanket tighter.
The main room door wasn’t closed, and the mountain wind was making him cold.

The commenters thought he was just being stubborn.
But within minutes, someone suddenly posted a screenshot.

[Wait, is this Ning Shixue’s motorcycle?
It looks like it’s listed for sale online.]

[It really is.]

[I’m shook to my core.
Am I dreaming?]

At Elder He’s birthday banquet, Ning Shixue had taken the keys from Xie Hanzhou’s hand and listed the bike for sale online that very night.
He hadn’t checked yet if there was a buyer.

The matching helmet was engraved.
He specifically noted, [I don’t know how to remove this.
Price negotiable if it bothers you.]

This motorcycle had appeared in Xie Hanzhou’s garage.
It must have been given to him.

Yet now Ning Shixue was selling it online.

If Xie Hanzhou didn’t want it and returned it, Ning Shixue would at least look a bit upset.

But now Ning Shixue looked completely calm.

Many of those deliberately harassing Ning Shixue during the live stream were Xie Hanzhou’s fans.
Now they were speechless.

They even felt their faces burning, as if they’d been slapped, humiliated beyond belief.

‘Price negotiable if it bothers you’—was there anything more humiliating in this world?

He had once worshipped Xie Hanzhou like a god.
The slightest frown from Xie Hanzhou made his heart race.
Now he had thrown Xie Hanzhou off the altar, shattered him into pieces, and was trying to pawn him off like unsellable goods, even willing to take a loss.

[I actually find this kind of satisfying, somehow.]

[When I get rich, I must buy a gossip account that can actually finish a story.
Why haven’t they posted a photo of her husband yet?!
What kind of husband can make her settle down like this?!!!]

Ning Shixue didn’t want to drag Xie Zhaozhou into this, but he didn’t care about the original novel’s scum gong.
If they pushed him too far, they’d all pay.

Xie Hanzhou actually did want to sleep with the original host.
After all, Ning Shixue was a rare beauty.

But the original host’s health was too poor.
He had heart surgery as a child.
Even if fully recovered, the Ning family had been terrified for years.
Xie Hanzhou didn’t dare touch him.

If Ning Shixue died in his bed, it would be a very tricky problem.

Even though Old Master Xie was still in a coma in the hospital, and the rest of the Xie family didn’t have that deep a connection with the Ning family, Xie’s father would still have to answer to the Nings out of face.
He would definitely blame Xie Hanzhou.

The thought made Ning Shixue’s skin crawl.
Luckily, the original host hadn’t slept with that scumbag, Xie Hanzhou.
You’re so pure, so amazing.
Lacking basic decency doesn’t make you a suitable male lead, okay?

…

No one had expected things to turn out this way.

The little ones didn’t know what was happening.
They were still in the next room watching cartoons.
But during Ning Shixue’s interview, the other guests were also present.

He Lin was dumbfounded.
He couldn’t help sending Xie Zhaozhou a message, along with screenshots of some comments.