Chapter 42: Shameless!

[Ding! Detected exposure of host’s absurd behavior, exposure value +69×3... exposure value +69×3...]

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Hearing this sound, Xu Xiu was visibly stunned. This was the first time he had received a "×3" notification. Could it be a critical hit? Which viewer had such a fragile mental state? He had only used a basic attack, and you’ve already blown your ultimate?

Xu Xiu didn't notice Meng Ziyi standing beside him, so he was unaware that her expression had turned terrifyingly dark!

"Ahhh!!!" Meng Ziyi was on the verge of a breakdown. She felt that Xu Xiu was truly out of his mind! In a place like this, with this kind of atmosphere and these lyrics, you respond with "sprinkle some cumin and chili powder"? She wanted to let go of him right then and there, but in the end, she couldn't bring herself to do it and could only sullenly support him as they walked toward the dormitory.

The audience was absolutely stunned by Xu Xiu’s antics.

"Is this right? Tell me, is this right? Are you eating crackers?"
"Sister Meng, have you forgotten your promise? Tears soaking the barbecue, swearing never to be a love-struck fool!"
"Hahaha, I’m dying, Sister Meng’s face is dark; she’s truly miserable now."
"Stop laughing! You’re still laughing? Haven't you noticed that Sister Meng is acting a bit different?"
"Indeed, given Sister Meng’s personality, she should have bluntly snapped back by now!"
"I ship Xu and Meng! Support Sister Meng in turning this fake act into reality—let’s get on the ride first and buy the ticket later!"

On the way back, Xu Xiu gradually felt that the road was very round and very white. This wasn't Xu Xiu's fault; Meng Ziyi’s shoulders were simply too bony, and his head couldn't help but slide downward. Meng Ziyi frowned tightly, using all her strength to nudge his head back onto her shoulder. Just as she placed it back, Xu Xiu let out a "bleugh" and vomited.

Startled, Meng Ziyi jumped away, keeping her feet as far as possible, fearing she might get anything disgusting on her. After retching for a while, Xu Xiu felt much better and, in his daze, reached out to grab a piece of fabric to wipe his mouth.

"What are you doing~ stop pulling~ if you keep pulling my clothes, I’m going to scream!"

The two struggled back and forth. Although Xu Xiu was drunk, he still had plenty of strength. In the end, he prevailed and successfully wiped his mouth as he had intended. Meng Ziyi looked at the marks left on her small dress by someone, her face filled with disgust!

"Mmm~ water, is there any water?"
"No!!!"
"Water! Water!"

Meng Ziyi looked sideways at Xu Xiu on her shoulder, and eventually, her heart softened. She took out a carton of milk she had been drinking from her bag. As soon as she held it to his lips, he downed it in one go, "gulp, gulp, gulp."

"Burp~" Xu Xiu let out a loud, resounding belch!

Meng Ziyi and the audience were flabbergasted. Was he really not going to maintain any image at all? It was the first time the audience had seen an artist drink like this during a recording, showing such a complete disregard for their image. It was truly an eye-opener.

[Ding! Detected exposure of host’s absurd behavior, singing skill +0.0069... acting skill +0.0069... cooking skill +0.0069... physique +0.0069...]

Meng Ziyi struggled to support Xu Xiu back to the dining area. At that moment, the others were at the entrance seeing Wang Chuanjun off to the remote island. Seeing Meng Ziyi supporting Xu Xiu, they rushed over to help. After all, nobody expected Xu Xiu to be done for after only three beers. Was this even reasonable?

Whether it was because vomiting had sobered him up or not, Xu Xiu stood up as if nothing had happened.

"Are you okay? I remember you didn't drink that many bottles?"
"Yeah, nobody was even challenging you to a drinking contest; how did you get this drunk after only three bottles?"
"Are you alright? Do you need us to help you inside to sleep?"

Although their tone seemed concerned, a hint of mockery leaked through, as if they were laughing at how easily Xu Xiu had fallen.

"I'm fine, I’ve sobered up. You don't need to help me anymore." As he spoke, he pushed away those who had come to assist and walked toward Wang Chuanjun in the distance. His walk was no longer wobbly but perfectly steady, showing not a single sign of having been drunk.

"???" A giant question mark appeared over Meng Ziyi’s head. The audience's brains experienced an instant system crash!

"F*ck! Damn it! Xu Xiu, you really deserve to die! You’re a jerk!"
"I finally understand why I’m still single—I don't know how to play the game! Since ancient times, deep affection has never been enough; only schemes can win a heart!"
"You are truly shameless! So, you were faking it the whole time? And rubbing against her was all part of your plan?"
"Oh no! We’ve become a part of Xu Xiu’s play!"
"Mom asked me why I’m kneeling to watch this—I told her I’ve learned the supreme scripture!"

[Ding! Detected exposure of host’s absurd behavior, exposure value +91... exposure value +91...]

At the restaurant entrance, Xu Xiu walked up to Wang Chuanjun.

"Brother!"
"Brother!"
"Brother!"
"Brother!"

The two of them acted as if they were crazy, shouting back and forth. Everyone else covered their eyes; they couldn't bear to watch, they really couldn't!

"Remember! When you get there, don't forget to film the surroundings for me," Xu Xiu instructed.
"Got it, got it."

As they spoke, the two began to put their arms around each other’s shoulders, whispering into each other’s ears with their backs turned to the group. After they finished talking, Wang Chuanjun forced a smile and waved at everyone.

"Bye, I’m heading out."
"Bye, Brother Jun."
"We’ll miss you back home."
"You go ahead and scout the way; we’ll be right behind you."

Wang Chuanjun’s figure soon disappeared, and everyone headed back to rest. As Xu Xiu was about to go wash up and sleep, he almost bumped into Meng Ziyi, who was walking toward him.

Meng Ziyi bit her lip and asked, "Did, did, did you fake being drunk earlier?"
"No, I was genuinely drunk before, but I woke up just as I arrived," Xu Xiu said with an earnest face.
"Still faking it? When you were vomiting, you actually used my dress to wipe your mouth! That’s a dress I really like!"

Is this right? This is not right! Xu Xiu thought she was going to aggressively question him about falling into her arms, but instead, she was asking about the dress! This left the words Xu Xiu had prepared stuck in his throat; he couldn't keep up with Meng Ziyi’s train of thought.

However, a real man knows when to bend and when to stretch. Xu Xiu directly admitted his mistake: "My bad, I really didn't mean to. I thought it was a napkin; if I had known it was your dress, I wouldn't have touched it."
"Hmph! I don't believe you~ I feel like you were faking it. I’ve decided not to talk to you anymore! o(´^｀)o"
"I'll make you a stew tomorrow—Northeast-style mixed stew!"
"Hee hee~ really? ψ(｀∇´)ψ"
"Absolutely!"
"Alright then~ I’ll reluctantly forgive you this time, but only this once, don't do it again!"
"With a grateful heart~ thankful to have you~"
"Hey~ stop singing~ it's late at night and people are trying to sleep!"

The two parted ways in front of their respective dormitories. After turning around, a faint smile appeared on both of their faces at the same time.

Little Xu Xiu, easily handled!
Little Sister Meng, easily handled!