Why Is the Male Lead Looking at Me Like That [Entertainment Circle] (BL) - Chapter 2

When Xia Xu saw that expose post, only one thought filled his mind:

Oh crap, the thing I was most worried about has happened.

Ever since he learned that Nan Qingyan had entered the entertainment circle, he had been constantly afraid of appearing on entertainment gossip alongside him.

It was the kind of fear that woke him up from nightmares.

He quickly scanned the post and realized the reason it caught fire was that the more than a dozen fan groups who had been besieging him earlier had all poured into this new thread.

They lined up comparison photos of him and Nan Qingyan, essentially trampling him into the center of the earth.

A quick glance showed that he was a seductive femme fatale, while Nan Qingyan was an immortal fairy.

“Can we apply to the admin to delete this post?” He immediately texted Qi Hong.

Qi Hong checked the explosive post online: “If you want to delete even this kind of gossip, doesn’t that just make it look more suspicious? I think you’re overreacting. The post only says you two were high school classmates, it doesn’t say you had anything going on… But are you sure you don’t want to ride Nan Qingyan’s coattails for a little heat? He’s genuinely super famous right now.”

Xia Xu said emphatically, “I can hype up with anyone, but absolutely not with Nan Qingyan!”

“Fine,” Qi Hong paused, reading the main thread of the post again: “But… is he really still a virgin?”

Nan Qingyan had just arrived home.

The apartment was a spacious, single-floor unit, but it was extremely bare and empty, designed in a minimalist style, lifeless and dreary. Apart from black and white, there wasn’t a single bright color to be seen. He took off his jacket. Black sleeve garters were tied around his upper arms, and his belted white shirt emphasized his trim waist and long legs. He had pulled his black tie halfway off and was leaning against the wall.

On the entrance cabinet, the faint scent of catnip surrounded him.

A cat suddenly ran out of the bedroom, darted to his feet, and fawningly pawed at his trousers. Nan Qingyan bent down and picked up the cat.

Having not eaten all evening, Xia Xu was starving. When he got back, he cooked a bowl of instant noodles.

Watching the heat of that exposé post rise higher and higher, he was truly terrified.

He put down his noodles, switched to a small account, and commented: “Stop dragging these two people together! How is Xia Xu fit to be compared to God Nan? One is heaven, the other is earth!”

In less than three seconds after posting, he received several replies.

“An anti-fan pretending to be a fan just to create hype, huh? Nan-fans, attack! Tear him apart!”

“Clearly a Xia Xu paid poster. They’re getting smart now and starting to self-deprecate for heat.”

“I just read it and was pitying how badly Xia Xu was being compared, but now I suddenly understand!”

“I knew it was reverse psychology all along! Sisters, don’t attack him; attacking him just gives him more attention!”

Xia Xu: “…”

Xia Xu put down his phone and continued eating his instant noodles.

After only two bites, his phone vibrated. Xia Xu answered the call on speaker while slurping his noodles.

“Brother Xu!”

“If you call me that again, Wei Qiang is going to come at me with a knife.”

“Why would he kill you?”

“What do you think? Wasn’t your act today a little too much?”

“Too much? I think it was quite effective. Wei Qiang hasn’t bothered me since.” Liu Fen said, “Why would someone be so persistent? Was my acting not convincing enough? Doesn’t he believe I love you? We don’t seem like we’re playing the same role [competing] either.”

Xia Xu took a sip of water: “You nearly got me killed today.”

Liu Fen chuckled: “Don’t you feel like you scored a point against Nan Qingyan? I even went to beg my cousin just so you could save face.”

“Wasn’t it because you wanted more chances to talk to your cousin?”

Liu Fen laughed hehe: “You truly are my bestie; you understand me so well. But this was also killing two birds with one stone. You and Nan Qingyan were bound to run into each other eventually. What’s the biggest fear when ex-lovers meet? That the other person is doing better than you! And Nan Qingyan isn’t just ‘doing better’ than you, he’s in a different universe, okay? I helped you win a round today, at least letting him know you’re not doing that badly, and you even have a handsome, talented young idol like me who loves you!”

“Yeah, thanks a lot!”

“But speaking of which, Nan Qingyan is really amazing. If he weren’t your ex-boyfriend, I would seriously make a move.”

“I’m coming over with a huge knife.”

Liu Fen laughed loudly: “Don’t worry! Sisterhood rule number one: don’t touch a sister’s ex. But I have one question that I’m very curious about, and I hope Teacher Xia can answer it.”

“Ask.”

“Is Nan Qingyan really still a virgin? …What’s wrong? Everyone is calling him the last virgin in the mainland entertainment circle… You didn’t waste such a good thing, did you? He has a very virgin-like aura. If you tell me you didn’t even sleep with him, I’m going to be mad.”

Liu Fen was a chatterbox, and he got even more excited when the topic turned to this. Xia Xu rushed him a little: “It’s already eleven o’clock. Shouldn’t you hurry up and go pester your cousin?”

Liu Fen then started talking about the progress he had made with his extremely distant cousin for the day.

This chat lasted another ten minutes. Once he finally hung up, Xia Xu had finished his instant noodle soup.

He quickly cleaned up and left his room.

Their group currently rented a three-bedroom, one-living-room apartment in the suburbs. The place was old, but the space was large enough. When he got to the living room, he saw Wen Yu and the others gathered to watch a movie. All the lights in the living room were off, leaving the room dark.

“Captain, have you seen this movie?”

Xia Xu saw Nan Qingyan’s perfect face on the screen.

On the big screen, his features were even more defined. Unlike the “gentleman villain” look he had on-site today, this was a ski-sports film, and Nan Qingyan was completely bare-faced, looking incredibly clean and heroic.

He hadn’t seen the movie. When it was first released, Liu Fen invited him, and he was free at home, but he didn’t go. He only knew Nan Qingyan was very handsome in it and that the movie was a massive hit, a five-billion-box-office debut that directly earned him the title of “God Nan.”

The box office gave him the status of a heaven-sent star, and that face gave him the popularity of a top-tier celebrity.

He was handsome in the movie, pulling off all the close-ups. His icy quality was the most striking—the ultimate in cold solitude and the ultimate in beauty. He had a face many people wanted to conquer. His lighter-colored eyes and heroic brow shape gave him an intense air of abstinence. The moment of his “burst” on screen made people hold their breath, instantly capturing everyone’s attention. As he leaped down from the high mountain, his taut, well-defined abs were briefly exposed during a roll, causing even these young straight men to cheer.

The director showed him immense favoritism, capturing his fleeting abs, his abstinent lips, his clearly defined fingers slightly curled in mid-air, and his tall posture that couldn’t be hidden even by a loose-fitting ski suit.

“Holy crap, that waist is at least Porsche level,” the third member, Huang Yue, commented.

Xia Xu hugged his cat, leaned back on the sofa, and fell into contemplation amidst the flickering light and shadow.

The memoir of a cannon fodder shou.

He met Nan Qingyan the year he transferred schools in the eleventh grade.

At that time, he transferred to South City No. 3 High School. One time, when he went to the neighboring No. 1 High School to play basketball, he fell in love with Nan Qingyan at first sight.

Nan Qingyan at that time was even better looking than now—youthful, clean, fair-skinned, and beautiful, unstoppable on the basketball court. Even drenched in sweat, he didn’t lose his scholarly family aura. When he played, the spectators on the field were packed.

He was like a math textbook—the more you looked, the more you wanted to sleep.

Someone with such a refined name could dominate everything.

That handsome campus heartthrob didn’t have a girlfriend, certainly not because he couldn’t find one.

It was because he didn’t want one.

It took him a lot of effort to chase Nan Qingyan, and he even specially transferred to No. 1 High School.

At first, Nan Qingyan was especially cold and unresponsive. Xia Xu’s enthusiasm for that face was the only thing that kept him going.

For Nan Qingyan, he learned to play the guitar and sing love songs. After mastering them, he chased Nan Qingyan with his guitar, singing.

He still remembered that the song he sang for his confession was “Just Love You.”

[I just love you, love you.]

He put on a rebellious, cool-guy act.

But Nan Qingyan remained unmoved, looking at him with “ice-pure” disdain.

But as the saying goes, true gold fears the fire, and a fierce woman fears a persistent pursuer!

Relying on a face that surpassed the school beauty’s and an unyielding spirit, Xia Xu successfully plucked this High Mountain Flower.

The day they officially started dating, he didn’t even dare to hold hands, feeling that Nan Qingyan was like his name suggested—a fairy who shouldn’t be profaned.

Until their first kiss.

Nan Qingyan came straight up and deep-kissed him for an hour and a half.

He later witnessed Nan Qingyan’s two-sided nature.

They traveled together. Apart from having fun, Xia Xu didn’t need to do anything. Nan Qingyan took care of everything: booking rooms, arranging itineraries, and he wouldn’t even let Xia Xu carry a bag. When Xia Xu ate, Nan Qingyan held the food for him. If he wanted water, Nan Qingyan unscrewed the cap. The suitcase was organized better and neater than a luxury goods counter. The white shirt Nan Qingyan wore was spotless, and he always carried a pleasant scent. He was gentlemanly and gentle, treating Xia Xu like a princess.

But when they checked into the hotel at night, Nan Qingyan kissed him from head to toe, saying dirty things that made Xia Xu, the “most promiscuous guy” at No. 1 High School, blush.

Handsome, from a good family, high IQ, and a captivating contrast in personality—who wouldn’t be moved by the 18-year-old Nan Qingyan?

Xia Xu certainly was.

Nan Qingyan was like a male lead in a novel, fulfilling all of one’s fantasies about a lover.

The kind from a harem novel, too.

Then one day, Xia Xu woke up and suddenly realized that he was actually living in a harem novel.

Xia Xu was completely late to the realization: Ah, no wonder…

In this novel, his role was just a cannon fodder ex.

The Male Lead Gōng was Nan Qingyan, and the Protagonist Shòu was Xie Muxin.

His role as the cannon fodder ex was also nearing its end after the college entrance exams.

According to the plot, Nan Qingyan would meet Xie Muxin in college.

He even specifically went to Peking University to look at Xie Muxin.

He was a scholar who was taller and more outstanding than Xia Xu, a gentleman whose smile was better than the spring breeze. He and Nan Qingyan were close roommates, seeing each other day and night. The two of them standing together were practically the “Twin Jades” of Peking University.

After just one look, Xia Xu was depressed.

He hadn’t thought about this extremely short relationship for too long. He slightly raised his eyes and saw the acknowledgment credits appear on the big screen. The ending song was moving, and Wen Yu and the others were still immersed in the feeling of the ending.

“No wonder the box office was so high, it was damn passionate,” Huang Yue said. “I’ve decided. Starting today, I’m a fan of God Nan! Do you think I can get a physique like his?” He rolled up his sleeves to show off his muscles.

“My coach said his bone structure is natural. You definitely can’t train for that alone.”

“The Captain might stand a chance. He has the right proportions. With some training, he can definitely do it!” Wen Yu said.

Xia Xu lay on the sofa: “Your captain still prefers to be a quiet, salted fish.”

It was very late. After the movie ended, they all went back to their rooms to rest. Xia Xu lay there for a while longer, trying to compose himself.

It had been a long time since he thought about his cannon fodder fate.

Looking back now, a person’s fate is predetermined, and he was indeed destined to be cannon fodder.

So pretty but still can’t get famous—what else is cannon fodder?

Damn it.

It really makes me angry.

He got up from the sofa, grabbed a cigarette, and went downstairs to go for a run.

It was already the middle of the night, and their neighborhood was remote. There was almost no one on the road. He ran hard for an hour and was completely exhausted when he returned.

To look good on the red carpet, he had been dieting for the past few days, as his livelihood depended on his face.

As he walked, he wondered if Nan Qingyan and Xie Muxin had already broken up and gotten back together several times by now.

Nan Qingyan’s statement that he would never love again sounded like the petulant remark often seen in substitute-love literature—he was bound to eat his words eventually in a wife-chasing crematorium.

Perhaps it was a case of dreaming what you think about during the day. As dawn broke, he fell into a deep sleep and dreamt of his first love. The dream was a long summer day. Half his body was sticking out the window, his two legs resting on Nan Qingyan’s broad shoulders, the cicadas chirping, and his eyes were delicate and innocent.

Xia Xu woke up and went to the bathroom to wash clothes. Just as he finished, Wen Yu came in.

“Nan Qingyan is truly the current top star, Captain. You’re trending… Captain, you’re washing clothes early in the morning.”

Xia Xu: “You should also get into the habit of washing things as you go, instead of letting them pile up.”

Wen Yu smiled, his thoughts successfully diverted: “It’s getting hot; I really haven’t been letting things pile up anymore…”

Xia Xu hung up the clothes and went back to his room to check Weibo.

For the first time in his life, Xia Xu saw his name on the trending search list.

And it was trending with Nan Qingyan.

The more you fear something, the more it happens!

And all of this stemmed from that one exposé post.

The reason that post blew up and made it to the trending list wasn’t the stark, extreme contrast between the two men, but because someone, in a moment of utter depravity, started shipping them as a couple!

And the reason they started shipping them was because of their red carpet photos from the night before!

King of the Sea Xia couldn’t sing, dance, or act, and he relied on the red carpet to keep his obscure group from going completely under, so he put his all into every red carpet appearance. Yesterday, his makeup artist gave him a particularly vibrant and frivolous look. His eyes were dark, his smile bright, and he was, as his name suggested, radiant like the summer sun.

Nan Qingyan, on the other hand, was lofty like an ice mountain, the epitome of abstinence, the male version of the Little Dragon Girl (a character from wuxia novels known for being cold and aloof) in the entertainment circle, without a single expression change from start to finish.

The two male celebrities with the best physiques in the entertainment circle—one the extreme of cold, the other the extreme of sweet—were dressed in black and white suits.

Netizen [The Contrast is the True Flavor]: “The Demon Seducer and the Abstinent Immortal—I can’t be the only one who thinks they’re a perfect match, right?”

Netizen [I Only Cry Wuwuwu]: “You are not alone!”

The direction of the explosive post immediately changed completely.

“I didn’t dare say it for fear of top-star fans attacking me and thinking Xia Xu isn’t worthy, but they genuinely have great CP chemistry. (whispering)”

“I fully support this. An ordinary person definitely can’t move someone like Nan Qingyan, but Xia Xu could try. (excited)”

“What would an abstinent person look like when he’s moved to passion? And what would the King of the Sea look like begging for mercy? (serious)”

“Oh my god, sister upstairs, you are so talented! (screaming)”

“A handsome, playboy King of the Sea like Xia Xu who loves to flirt should be paired with a pure and unblemished Gōng who dominates him until he can’t get out of bed. (innocent)”

Xia Xu: “…”