Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Seeing Su Tinghe talking non-stop on camera, Shang Huoyong immediately called him, cutting off the live stream.

Shang Huoyong asked, "Where are you?"

Su Tinghe replied, "I'm at home."

After some thought, Shang Huoyong couldn't help but instruct, "Next time you go live, make sure to wear proper clothes and don't say whatever comes to mind."

Su Tinghe was puzzled, "Live? What live? I wasn't live-streaming. How do you know I went live?"

"Of course, someone told me. They happened to see you. I'm not bored enough to watch your live stream," Shang Huoyong quickly made up an excuse, taking advantage of Su Tinghe's absence.

"Oh, okay, I'll be more careful next time," Su Tinghe didn't focus on whether Shang Huoyong had watched his live stream. After all, he had no concept of what a live stream was. He usually didn't dwell too much on new things in this world.

Seeing Su Tinghe so unusually obedient, Shang Huoyong had nothing more to say and dryly stated, "Alright, I'll hang up then."

"Well, you..." Su Tinghe thought about Ruan Xiting inviting him to watch a performance tomorrow night but then realized it wasn't appropriate to discuss over the phone, "Never mind, we'll talk when you're back."

What's so mysterious? Shang Huoyong's curiosity was piqued by Su Tinghe's half-spoken words, but his restraint kept him from asking. He simply said, "Okay," and hung up.

That afternoon at work, however, Shang Huoyong's mind was filled with countless possibilities, prompting him to leave work early and return home. Assistant Song exclaimed that the sun must have risen from the west.

After hanging up, Su Tinghe turned his attention to the app he was using and traced back to the post that had mentioned him.

Seeing the photos of himself in ancient attire captured by the camera, Su Tinghe was very pleased, feeling as if the previous world and the current one had somehow connected.

He never imagined that so many people in this world loved Hanfu. Su Tinghe was very pleased and began to wonder what Shang Huoyong would look like in Hanfu.

Shang Huoyong was tall and imposing, much like the legendary emperors and generals of old.

Unable to picture exactly how Shang Huoyong would look in ancient attire, Su Tinghe grew more and more delighted as he looked at his own pictures in Hanfu. He decided to repost and save the pictures.

Having been here for so long, Su Tinghe had become quite adept at using his phone.

With Su Tinghe's repost and the earlier brief live stream, his account's followers continued to grow.

The comments questioning his looks on the original post were quickly refuted. A flood of replies pointed out that Su Tinghe's live stream was done without makeup, and his natural appearance was not only comparable to his made-up look but even more striking. Isn't that infuriating?

Shang Huoyong had logged in with a default username and avatar, which made him look like a bot. However, due to his valiant spirit in battling critics in the comments, he was recognized as an ally by those who later joined the discussion. They even added Shang Huoyong's account, "User67903567," to a newly created fan group.

Shang Huoyong casually posted a few comments, not taking the newly downloaded app seriously. His only thought was to return home and hear what Su Tinghe wanted to tell him.

However, Su Tinghe was slow to mention it, only asking Shang Huoyong after dinner and before bed, "Are you free tomorrow night?"

Shang Huoyong replied indifferently, "I am."

"Actually, it's nothing important, but I wanted to ask if you'd like to watch a performance. You know the place, it's at..." Su Tinghe glanced at Shang Huoyong and slowly said, "the bar where you picked me up last time."

"If you don't want to go, that's fine, but can I go?" Su Tinghe meekly requested, "They're friends, just going to show some support."

"Plop," Shang Huoyong's anticipation plummeted from great heights. After all that, Su Tinghe just wanted his permission to go out and have fun under a legitimate pretext.

Shang Huoyong sternly asked, "What if I don't agree?"

Su Tinghe replied, "Then I won't go. I'll send a message to explain as soon as possible."

Shang Huoyong caught the key point, "Who is 'he'?"

Su Tinghe: "Last time I got drunk, you came to pick me up, remember the band performing at the bar?"

Shang Huoyong immediately recalled Su Tinghe, drunk at the bar, leaning his head on a man's shoulder, and said gloomily, "Sure, why not? I'm free tomorrow night. Let's go together."

Since Shang Huoyong agreed, Su Tinghe sent a message to inform Ruan Xiting, then spread out the rice paper and practiced calligraphy calmly, as Bai Hua's teacher was still waiting for his work.

Shang Huoyong leaned next to Su Tinghe, watched him write for a while, and his perception of Su Tinghe's skills was renewed. He had never noticed before that Su Tinghe could also do calligraphy.

They say that seeing someone's handwriting is like seeing their personality, but Su Tinghe's calligraphy was strong and powerful, free and easy, which was extremely inconsistent with his soft and weak appearance.

Su Tinghe wanted to impress, so he poured all his effort into wielding the brush and splashing ink. After finishing, Su Tinghe glanced at Shang Huoyong with a proud look in his eyes. Only after receiving Shang Huoyong's praise did Su Tinghe put down the brush and conclude his practice for the day.

The next evening, Shang Huoyong took Su Tinghe out for dinner before going to the bar for the performance.

Ruan Xiting and his band had already arrived, tuning their equipment in preparation for the debut of their new song.

Ruan Xiting's band is called Sharp Bee. Most people can't help but laugh when they hear the band's English name, but Su Tinghe didn't understand and turned to ask Shang Huoyong.

Seeing that Su Tinghe's expression was genuine and he really had no clue, Shang Huoyong's lips pursed, and he spoke with utmost seriousness, "This name expresses an attitude of the band, and people probably appreciate this attitude."

Su Tinghe seemed to grasp it but not entirely. He had just mastered all the pinyin letters but was still clueless about English, thinking it might be some kind of slang.

With Shang Huoyong by his side today, Su Tinghe couldn't possibly drink again. Su Tinghe obediently sipped the sparkling water Shang Huoyong had ordered for him and listened to the band's performance.

As the song began, everyone present was captivated by it. When the lyrics sang, "Now I have found you, it is love that keeps us alive, I am willing to die for you," Su Tinghe turned to gaze at Shang Huoyong.

"Shang Huoyong, are you willing to die for me?"

Shang Huoyong's heart skipped a beat, but it was just the melodramatic lyrics of a love song, not to be taken seriously. Why did Su Tinghe suddenly ask such a question?

But in the previous life, Shang Huoyong did not die for Su Tinghe, but died accidentally because of Su Tinghe.

The look in Shang Huoyong's eyes shifted several times, and in the dim light, he stared at Su Tinghe unblinkingly, and replied, "Yes."

Su Tinghe smiled and hugged Shang Huoyong, "I like you so much, Shang Huoyong."

Ruan Xiting, performing on stage, noticed the two embracing below, and his eyes dimmed for a moment, but quickly returned to normal. He too longed for sweet love, but Su Tinghe's husband always seemed oddly familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere before.

After the new song performance had concluded, the bar owner started offering perks. Any couple present who completed the specified mini-game could have their tab for the night waived.

Su Tinghe felt playful and wanted to join in the fun with Shang Huoyong.

But upon hearing the game rules, Su Tinghe tugged at Shang Huoyong's hand and shook his head in dismay, because it was truly embarrassing.

The couple had to face each other, and someone would drop a piece of paper between them. If the couple could simultaneously kiss and hold the paper, they would win. Among all the couples present, the one who completed the game in the shortest time would also receive a mysterious gift.

Su Tinghe glanced at the paper, which was roughly the size of a palm. If they couldn't hold it at the same time, they would have to kiss in front of everyone. Su Tinghe, with thin skin, backed off.

Shang Huoyong was also not interested in such a boring mini-game, especially such an ambiguous one, so he chose to give up as well.

But some people didn't want them to give up. The four members of Sharp Bee had met them once before and encouraged them to give it a try. Seeing this, others also came over to encourage them.

Su Tinghe was too embarrassed to refuse again, blushing and shyly looking at Shang Huoyong, clearly waiting for Shang Huoyong to give an attitude.

Shang Huoyong glanced at the crowd, swept over Ruan Xiting, and said expressionlessly, "Then let's give it a try."

Su Tinghe's face turned even redder, but fortunately, the bar's lighting was dim, so it wasn't obvious.

But when the first piece of paper fell, Shang Huoyong actively leaned closer to Su Tinghe. The paper fell between them and landed on the ground, and Shang Huoyong's lips brushed Su Tinghe's cheek, feeling the burning temperature on Su Tinghe's face.

Afterwards, the second piece of paper fell, resulting in a failure. On the third attempt, they finally succeeded. This success was entirely due to Shang Huoyong's quick reflexes, while Su Tinghe stood there, stiff and dumbfounded, waiting for Shang Huoyong to make the move.

There weren't many couples in the bar, and the other couples were either too engrossed in the game or not competitive enough. In the end, Shang Huoyong and Su Tinghe completed the game in the shortest time.

True to his word, the bar owner not only comped their tab but also presented them with a large gift, packed in an oversized box.

Everyone in the bar was curious. Su Tinghe opened the box in front of everyone, revealing two bottles of high-quality red wine and another, smaller box inside.

Apparently, the bar owner had a thing for Russian nesting dolls. Su Tinghe proceeded to open the smaller box in front of everyone.

As soon as the box was opened, Shang Huoyong swiftly closed it again. The onlookers exchanged knowing looks and erupted in laughter, while Su Tinghe stood there clueless, unaware of what had just happened.

The bar owner resealed the box for them and kindly offered to help load it into their car. Shang Huoyong nodded with apparent calm and then took Su Tinghe home.

Su Tinghe remained clueless about the box's contents. Upon returning home, he offered to help carry the box, but Shang Huoyong wouldn't let him, instead placing it in a corner filled with unused items.

When Shang Huoyong wasn't around, Su Tinghe sneaked back to open the box. After a quick search on his phone, he dropped the box like a hot potato.

He had no idea the owner would send a bunch of rubbers, and even the greeting card included a wish: "Wishing you everlasting happiness!"

The bar owner, far away, felt a sense of relief. His friend's factory had too much stock, and he had cleverly decided to start promoting couple activities, aiming to give away all the excess inventory as prizes.

This would not only boost the bar's business but also help his friend solve the inventory problem—a win-win situation.

No one could outsmart him!