Shi Xuanzhu, who was in the restaurant, did not notice the director behind him. His ears felt slightly itchy, so he pinched his earlobe, then focused as if only one person existed in his sight and looked at the woman across from him.

“What’s wrong? Is it too hot in the restaurant?”

The woman asked, somewhat puzzled.

Shi Xuanzhu smiled gently and said: “Not at all. In fact, your taste is excellent. I just suddenly realized that I am not only spending time with a kindred spirit but also with a person of status. That made me realize that your approachability allowed you to chat with a small actor like me for so long.”

Shi Xuanzhu’s words obviously pleased the woman across from him. Everyone liked compliments, and a smile appeared on her face.

“If brother Shi is a small actor, then there probably aren’t many real big actors in the circle. Besides, I’m hardly a big shot—just a worker helping my boss find investors.”

They humbly exchanged words for a while, and the conversation returned to its normal track.

As they talked, Shi Xuanzhu suddenly sighed. The restaurant lights were soft and warm, casting onto his face and highlighting his gentle and jade-like aura, making the faint melancholy in his expression even more apparent.

He slightly turned his head, no longer looking directly at the woman, but showed his profile to her, appearing somewhat fragile.

“…I wish my partner could be as independent as you,” he said, his voice low and magnetic, tinged with bitterness.

“He isn’t bad. On the contrary, he is really good. He helps me handle any problem in my career, but sometimes when I feel tired and want to complain, all I get is a scolding.”

A glimmer of moisture appeared in Shi Xuanzhu’s eyes, but it disappeared quickly, so quickly that the woman wondered if she had seen it wrong.

Shi Xuanzhu continued speaking.

“This sometimes makes me feel really suffocated. I know he means well, but…”

Shi Xuanzhu hesitated, shaking his head, then looked up at the woman across from him. His voice carried bitterness but also a hint of hope.

“…Do you think maybe I’m just being too fussy?”

The woman looked at him and instinctively shook her head. She saw a flicker of pity in his eyes.

Shi Xuanzhu chose to press his advantage. He looked at the woman seriously and said: “Talking with you really gives me a feeling I’ve never had before. Between us, it seems we don’t need many words to understand each other. This unspoken understanding is truly captivating.”

He looked at her, and a smile returned to his face, as if he had been rescued.

It had to be said, Shi Xuanzhu’s little series of gestures seemed to work effectively.

The woman across from him began to feel affection for Shi Xuanzhu. She wanted to comfort him.

She began helping him analyze the relationship between him and Song Yun, even as she spoke, she comforted him.

But what the woman did not know was that Shi Xuanzhu was calculating in his mind.

The woman was indeed smart, knowledgeable, and spoke wisely. Talking with her made him feel relaxed and happy.

Unfortunately, she was not the type to bring home. Her background and status were unsuitable to become Shi Xuanzhu’s wife. What he needed was someone who could uphold his public image, not a “soulmate” he could only connect with privately.

This was the belief Shi Xuanzhu had been taught since childhood. He fully agreed that someone in a family must make sacrifices—but that someone could never be him.

As a son, he had already sacrificed too much. His pride and thoughts were controlled by his father. In his own small family, he had to be the one in control.

This was what his father had taught him.

Shi Xuanzhu’s gaze flickered momentarily, but the next second, he composed himself, looked at the woman across from him, and forcibly suppressed the emotions surging within him. He listened to her words, nodded and shook his head occasionally, spoke a few sentences to give enough emotional value, then continued talking about his situation with Song Yun.

“I know I should talk to Song Yun properly, but Song Yun…” He sighed helplessly, showing a trace of fatigue in his eyes. This mature vulnerability instantly made him seem very endearing.

“I had considered such methods, but he is always busy with work. After dealing with Ye Wangxing’s matters, he worries about his younger cousin. He’s that kind-hearted person, very attentive to family, which is good—but the topics between us became fewer and fewer.”

“Sometimes, I even feel like we are strangers.”

When he said this, his eyes carried a hint of confusion, and his tone conveyed genuine concern, as if he truly felt pain over the marriage.

However, his mind was entirely calm. Song Yun’s busyness was an excuse he could exploit. He did not need too many reasons for his behavior, he only needed to make the woman in front of him believe that his marriage was already effectively over.

And that the other party was at fault.

The truth didn’t matter. As long as she believed it, even if he grew tired of the mental interaction, he could claim reconciliation with Song Yun.

After all, with no intimate connection, these people’s longing for him was irrelevant.

“Sometimes I really envy you,” he continued, his eyes softening. “You know so much, and talking to you makes me feel life has another possibility.”

The woman felt embarrassed but pleased by his words. Her previously clear eyes became slightly flirtatious.

At that moment, the restaurant door was suddenly pushed open, producing a loud scraping sound.

Shi Xuanzhu instinctively looked up. His gaze froze on the doorway, where a figure appeared.

Just now, Song Yun—who had appeared in his conversation and had no common ground with him—suddenly stood at the restaurant doorway!

Shi Xuanzhu could not clearly see Song Yun’s eyes, but he was certain that Song Yun had come to catch him in the act!

Thinking of this possibility, Shi Xuanzhu’s heart tightened instantly. He felt this time might go badly, but after calming down, he thought there was still a chance to survive. As long as he explained that he was just eating with a friend, Song Yun was not the type to act unreasonably.

After all, it was only an emotional affair. Without concrete evidence, even if Song Yun suspected him, he could only keep those suspicions in his heart.

Thinking this, Shi Xuanzhu put on a normal smile and even a hint of curiosity, like an ordinary man who saw his partner while dining out.

But before he could enjoy this feeling too long, he saw a black-haired, black-eyed young man walk in behind Song Yun. Shi Xuanzhu naturally could not fail to recognize his brother-in-law.

His heart leapt again. Song Yun was not intimidating, but this brother-in-law—someone even Shi Xuanzhu admitted he could not outmaneuver in matters of the heart—was absolutely not easy to fool.

Shi Xuanzhu panicked slightly and stood up. He had to come up with a foolproof plan.

But before he could think of one, Song Yun rushed in front of him. In haste, Shi Xuanzhu could only plan to tell Song Yun that he was just here to eat with a friend, according to his original plan.

—but he didn’t even get a chance to speak.

“Smack—!”

With a loud sound, everyone in the restaurant turned their attention.

Shi Xuanzhu’s face turned to the side. He froze for a moment, then felt a burning pain on his cheek.

He realized that a hard slap had hit his face.

And that slap came from Song Yun.

The Song Yun who had always been gentle, at most argued with him, but never dared to hit him—had hit him.

The pain and humiliation were exactly like the feeling he had experienced when his father beat him as a child.

But unlike his childhood, when he endured silently, the current Shi Xuanzhu only felt a nameless fire surging inside him.

Even though he knew Ye Wangxing was present, he could no longer fully control his temper.

—Moreover, sometimes it was important to speak up first, to let others take the first impression.

“Song Yun, are you crazy? I was just eating with a friend! Why did you come up and slap me?”

Shi Xuanzhu did not know whether he wanted to shout at Song Yun or at the father who never listened to him, but after shouting, he felt much better.

Especially as his voice echoed throughout the restaurant, with everyone staring at Song Yun as if he were insane, Shi Xuanzhu felt a strange pleasure, unlike anything he had experienced before.

This strange pleasure urged him to say a few more words to Song Yun, preferably exposing everything he had done in the past to everyone.

Just as Shi Xuanzhu could no longer restrain himself and lifted his head to speak…

Several people appeared behind Ye Wangxing.

A red-haired man, a blond man, and two white-haired men.

He didn’t even need to see their faces, their height alone told him who the four were.

Shi Xuanzhu: “…”

No—had he broken a taboo?

He could not believe which heavenly rule he had violated to summon these four “great Buddhas.”

Luckily, the four did not step forward to attack him. They only looked at him with a strange gaze.

Later, Shi Xuanzhu realized it was a “gaze of prize assessment”—like in nature when presenting gifts to a desired mate.

But at that moment, he only felt chills. His mind immediately raced, and he put on the most innocent, slightly aggrieved expression.

“Wife, what exactly happened? I was just eating with a friend. Why did you rush in and slap me without distinguishing right from wrong?”

Shi Xuanzhu spoke innocently and displayed his most pathetic side, like a weak husband bullied by a strong-willed brother-in-law.

What puzzled him was that Song Yun did not feel embarrassed upon hearing this, instead, his anger intensified, much like the furious wives he had seen before.

But unlike the burning anger on his own face, Song Yun’s eyes appeared relatively calm.

—even showing a trace of pity for him?

Shi Xuanzhu found this strange. Why pity?

Did he really done anything to be pitied for?

But before Shi Xuanzhu could figure out exactly where things had gone wrong, Song Yun, seemingly blinded by anger, slapped him again.

“You bastard! We’ve been married for seven years, and you’ve emotionally cheated more than once. Now that I finally catch you in the act, you still dare to argue!”

Song Yun’s voice was thick with hatred as he said: “I even considered giving you a chance before, I even specifically consulted my brother, but what did you give me in return? The show just ended, and you brought someone here!”

“You said we had no common ground, so why didn’t you admit you were using the excuse that I couldn’t leave home to keep me tied to the family, even though my work ability isn’t bad!”

Shi Xuanzhu held his face after another slap, first shocked that Song Yun might actually be insane, daring to say such things aloud. Then he looked at the woman beside him, seemingly hoping she would help defend him.

—He truly thought this way, hoping she could help bear some of the anger, but she wasn’t stupid. In this situation, it was clearly a family dispute, and Shi Xuanzhu was the guilty party. Would she stay just to get hit?

Without a word, the woman grabbed her bag and left, not forgetting to politely greet the six people present before going.

The six did not blame her, and the little brother even nodded at her, which reassured her. She picked up her bag and left quickly, settling the bill before she went.

—She was truly afraid of getting involved over a meal again. Paying quietly and deleting them from contacts was the best plan.

However, her escape made Shi Xuanzhu the target of all six again.

He wanted to show weakness once more, at least to bring Song Yun and Ye Wangxing back to the negotiation table — but they didn’t give him that chance.

“…I’m just friends with them.”

Song Yun angrily threw a stack of photos onto the table. The photos showed him in ambiguous positions with those so-called “just friends.”

“These are just perspective tricks!”

Shi Xuanzhu shouted when he saw the photos.

—Then he saw Ye Wangxing’s assistant place a laptop on the table.

The screen played looping videos of those “just perspective” interactions.

The cause, process, and result were clearly labeled. Anyone with eyes could tell whether it was just perspective tricks or real ambiguous relationships.

Cold sweat appeared on Shi Xuanzhu’s forehead. As he pondered how to break the deadlock, he also felt that something was off with Song Yun and Ye Wangxing.

—Today, Ye Wangxing and Song Yun were too eager.

Whether directly throwing evidence or confronting him, their approach was too hasty. They didn’t even give him a chance to speak outside, so now the entire restaurant was watching.

This was abnormal. Song Yun and Ye Wangxing were normal people, they would usually consider the consequences of exposure. Netizens wouldn’t be lenient, they would point fingers.

Yet they seemed to ignore this due to anger, focusing only on blaming him.

While Shi Xuanzhu was puzzled, Song Yun spoke again.

“I don’t care if it’s just perspective tricks. I clearly saw whether you emotionally cheated or not.”

As Shi Xuanzhu had suspected, Song Yun’s tone was calm, yet to him, it carried a hint of urgency.

Shi Xuanzhu felt he was just one step away from the truth, but Song Yun’s words made him immediately lose his composure.

“Let’s get a divorce, Shi Xuanzhu.”

After saying this, Song Yun tried to leave, but Shi Xuanzhu grabbed his hand, wanting to question why he had said such words.

He hadn’t physically cheated. He was just chatting with those people. Why couldn’t Song Yun understand the mental pressure he was under?

—But the next moment, he was lifted into the air like a chick.

Shi Xuanzhu angrily turned his head.

A bodyguard, solid as a wall, casually held him by his clothes.

Seeing him look, the bodyguard smiled at him kindly.

Then he put him back in his place.

Back in place, Shi Xuanzhu: “…”

When the headline #Shi Xuanzhu Slapped# hit trending, netizens, still immersed in the previous “tall mysterious man” incident, didn’t even realize what had happened, thinking it was a promotional stunt for a new drama.

The identity of the tall mysterious man remained undecided. Many speculated he was Ye Wangxing’s deceased husband, but both official sources and Ye Wangxing’s company played dead.

—Until someone clicked on the trending topic and shared the marketing account video.

The video was clear, showing Shi Xuanzhu’s reddened face from being slapped twice, and the process of the cheeks turning flushed was visible.

It also included what he had said to the woman, though the video only showed below her neck. But Shi Xuanzhu’s words were heard by everyone.

Including how he spoke to the woman about the issues in his marriage with Song Yun and his current distress.

Netizens initially thought Shi Xuanzhu could never do such a thing, as his entertainment persona had always been flawless, with supporting evidence.

But after seeing the video, they called him shameless. When Song Yun’s slap landed, it received a flood of likes in the comments.

The final scene, where four men kindly spoke to Shi Xuanzhu, was replayed multiple times.

—Seeing four men standing peacefully and even threatening Shi Xuanzhu was a rare sight.

Though for Shi Xuanzhu, he would have preferred not to see such “kindness.”

But he had no choice.

“…So the two white-haired ones provided evidence, the red-haired one provided bodyguards, and the blonde one provided lawyers? Isn’t this overkill for a divorce case?”

“Though China has its own circumstances, if this lineup couldn’t pass the first trial… then it really is national conditions, not just legal technicalities.”

“Stop discussing the court? Let’s talk safety — like how long Emperor Shi can survive!”

Netizens began cruelly analyzing how long Shi Xuanzhu would last.

“One month, at least he’s an Emperor actor. He hasn’t engaged in money laundering or shady contracts, and taxes are fine. His private behavior shouldn’t affect him much…”

“I think only half a month. Once all his shows stop airing, he’s done!”

“But they seem to want to go through legal channels, probably only in entertainment.”

Someone hit the point: “I think it depends entirely on when Emperor Shi has foreign work.”

Remembering Song Yun’s brother, a widower, whose lovers mostly grew up in free countries with powerful connections…

Right!

That comment instantly received thousands of likes, breaking ten thousand in ten minutes.

As more people joined, comments proliferated.

Many were shocked by Song Yun’s life and education background.

“Is Shi Xuanzhu crazy? Song Yun graduated from a top university, yet he’s the househusband, and he’s still ungrateful?!”

“Song Yun gave up his career for the family, and Shi Xuanzhu cheated? What an ungrateful man!”

“With Song Yun’s conditions, anyone would be better than Shi Xuanzhu. What is he thinking?”

“The best flowers are at home… and this guy is sly, only emotionally cheating. Evidence is hard to find.”

“But even hard-to-find evidence was found by the widower.”

Some suggested Shi Xuanzhu shouldn’t go abroad.

“Laughable, Shi Xuanzhu, don’t leave the country, or you’ll be ‘taken care of.’”

“Shi Xuanzhu should thank national laws.”

Marketing accounts reposted netizens’ comments.

“Shi Xuanzhu: I was just chatting. Netizens: You were asking for trouble.”

“Shi Xuanzhu: I just emotionally cheated. Widower: I just physically settled it.”

Meanwhile, discussion about the tall man declined.

By the next morning, posts about him had disappeared, including those with data and comparison charts.

Netizens, like springs, insisted on digging up all gossip.

Then…

They discovered something shocking.

They compared the black-and-white photo of the man on the Gore family website with the tall man from the variety show. Despite some scars on the cheeks, the features matched perfectly.

“—How did someone survive being hit by a mud truck?!!”

As netizens erupted online, the man who had been hit by the mud truck, 19, was troubled.

His host was discussing post-task matters with him.

The host’s tone and expression were normal, as always.

But…

19 looked at the flashing red alert and at his host sitting on the sofa, three body lengths away, and fell into thought.

Soon, 19 concluded: “Host, are you planning to change your system?”

Ye Wangxing, who was trying hard not to take advantage of 19: ?

Ye Wangxing, realizing it: !!!!!

 

 

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