December 22, morning.

The teaser that revealed the identities of the guests had sparked widespread discussion upon its release, with several related search terms still dominating the top of the trending charts. After another night of online buzz, an increasing number of people were paying attention to this live-streamed divorce variety show titled Why Are You Unhappy?

It was nothing short of viral.

Before 10:00 AM, the number of viewers waiting in the live stream continued to soar, reaching an astonishing figure even before the broadcast officially began.

The live stream screen was pitch black, with a ten-minute countdown plugin embedded in the center, while the comments section and chat bar were already a frenzy of activity.

[Only seventeen minutes until it starts!]

[I wonder who the first guest to appear will be. Camping here.

[I want to see the civilian x movie star couple. Who supports this, and who opposes it?]

[I support it! The gossip-mongers raise their arms in support!]

[Only eight minutes left.]

[So excited! Watching other people get divorced is even more interesting than my own divorce [Laughs].]

[Watching celebrities get divorced is way more stimulating than watching them get married.]

[Holy crap, there are already three million people watching in real-time? I’m kind of worried the stream will crash. I hope the tech department can hold up; don’t mess this up.]

[Only three minutes left!]

[One minute!!]

10:00 AM, right on the dot.

The screen suddenly changed, cutting to a shot filmed by a drone.

On a morning in winter, the sunlight was a pale white. The dark blue sky echoed the horizon, sending ripples of light across the water. The scenery on the other side of the water was desolate and vague, surrounded by mist; within the mist lay a stretch of ruined cliffs and forests in muted tones.

A narrow path extended out from the fog.

A black car drove along the mountain road, spiraling upward. The road was uneven, causing the car to jounce slightly, but it soon pulled onto a relatively spacious clearing. Behind the clearing was a small village, where the brick and stone houses looked quite aged.

It was somewhat desolate.

The show’s director monitored the multiple camera feeds, switching angles at the right moments to let the audience explore the place where the guests would be living for the next few days, before cutting back to the guests.

[Holy crap, is this ‘X-Change’?]

[It feels like the living conditions are a bit tough.]

[The car has stopped!!]

Suddenly, the scrolling speed of the comments slowed down, as if everyone had collectively held their breath, waiting quietly for the people inside the car to reveal their true faces.

The camera switched.

The rear car door opened, and the man wearing a black, short-length padded jacket was the first to step out. The loose, casual clothing didn’t make him look bloated at all; instead, it set off his tall and broad figure even more.

Unlike the serious, cold-eyed image he projected in a suit yesterday, the man’s outfit today felt like the “neighbor next door” type. However, when the camera cut to a close-up of his face, everyone in the live stream couldn’t help but gasp.

[Whether one should say it or not, the movie star’s man…]

[The “tough guy” vibe is so strong.]

[Wearing glasses gives off a sort of “restrained” aesthetic, but it also makes you feel like this guy is the type who might engage in “forced love.” This contrast is just too delicious. I desperately need to know the love story between this civilian and the movie star; I’m so curious!]

[I spent yesterday consuming gossip about NO1’s timeline, and I’m totally hooked, but my friend told me this is a divorce show and to wake up. But damn, even expired sugar tastes good!]

The man stepped onto the ground, but he didn’t rush to close the car door. Instead, he tilted his head and looked inside, one hand resting on the roof of the car, waiting for the other person to step out before he reached over and slammed the door shut with a heavy thud.

The audio equipment was excellent. The audience could clearly hear the man say in a flat voice:

“Stand there. Don’t move.”

Consequently, the person who stepped out after him retracted the foot he had just raised, obediently standing exactly where he was.

He was wearing an oversized black turtleneck sweater; the sleeves were too long, covering both of his palms and leaving only the tips of his fingers exposed. The collar was folded over high, engulfing his long neck and making his face look exceptionally small.

[Hmm, isn’t official data for Movie Star Xie 1.8 meters? Why does he look so small when standing next to his man? Also, that outfit—lol, it has the vibe of a child sneaking into an adult’s clothes.]

[His height is real. I’ve worked on a buddy-cop movie with him, and the two of them are about the same height—a little over 1.8 meters. As for whether he’s stealing “adult” clothes, I have no idea.]

[Looking at their profiles, they are five years apart. I originally thought the movie star was a mature man, as he’s played many tough roles over the years, but standing next to his man, he immediately looks like the “little brother.”]

[Hahaha, what kind of weird description is that!!]

[Oh, so the “boss’s lady” is actually a good boy in private.]

[Boss’s lady? Are you from NO1??]

[Hahahaha, yeah. Slacking off to watch the live stream. Fortunately, the boss is off filming a variety show. Although the overtime pay is really sweet, what’s the difference between working hours when you can’t slack off and being in prison!]

[Recognized a colleague at a glance. [Peeks]]

Shi Linchuan did not pay attention to the storm on the internet.

After packing up the night before, their combined luggage consisted of two large suitcases, one small one, and the backpack Xie Jinghe was currently wearing.

Shi Linchuan had just dragged the three suitcases from the trunk when he caught a glimpse of Xie Jinghe moving over, raising his hands to take one of the large suitcases from him. Shi Linchuan didn’t let go; he simply tilted his chin, indicating:

“You take the small one.”

The road had been bumpy for the second half of the trip.

Even though the frequency and intensity of the jolts were nothing compared to the “impact” he had given Xie Jinghe the previous night, and while Xie Jinghe didn’t seem visibly bothered, he had been changing his sitting position every few minutes, looking like he couldn’t sit comfortably, clearly still feeling the aftermath.

As the perpetrator, Shi Linchuan decided to take a little responsibility.

It had nothing to do with Xie Jinghe himself. It was just that his “bed manners” were good.

Just then, the production team handed them a small map.

The map simply summarized the terrain and routes of this small village. It was marked with three very obvious red circles, each labeled with the names of the three guest pairs; one of these marked their residence for the week.

“Two teachers, you are the first guests to arrive. Your priority is to find your accommodation and settle in your luggage. You can rest for a while, but remember to head out around 11:30 AM to the place marked [Cliffside Old Banyan Tree] on the map to meet the other guests.”

“At that time, the show will host a welcoming banquet with a luxury meal for everyone.”

The staff member acted like an NPC and exited after speaking.

Shi Linchuan glanced at the map in Xie Jinghe’s hand, quickly identifying the direction. After making eye contact, they both walked into the village.

The village roads were uneven, and the suitcases couldn’t be used as seats.

Shi Linchuan thought coldly:

If Xie Jinghe actually sat on one and let himself be pushed around, he’d probably be hugging his waist and refusing to let go within two minutes, crying and whimpering, “Linchuan, hug me.”

He was still a bit red and swollen this morning.

After all, it had been a long time since the two of them had done it. It was very tight.

As seen in the camera frame:

The man was unhurried, his pace exceptionally slow, as if he were touring a museum, while the person behind him followed just as slowly. However, unlike the man who looked around casually, Xie Jinghe focused only on the man’s back, following exactly in his footsteps, one stride after another.

The comments section started debating again:

[Is the civilian guy lost? Look at the map again!]

[The map is in the movie star’s hand. He only looked at it once and then started leading the way, and the movie star is actually just following him blindly. I wonder how long it will take for them to find the place.]

[If they can’t find it, will they start arguing? That scene in the Civil Affairs Bureau in the teaser completely stunned me.]

[Don’t panic, I suggest watching the “airplane sleeping” clip.]

[Everything looks quite harmonious for now; the civilian guy is really taking good care of people.]

However, the netizens’ predictions didn’t come true.

Shi Linchuan led Xie Jinghe, slow but accurately, to the residence assigned to them by the production team.

Along the way, the two discovered many fixed cameras installed in advance and staff members dodging the lenses.

There were no local villagers.

Clearly, this was an empty village. This week, there would likely only be the six guests and nearly a hundred production staff members active here, filming the live reality show.

The sound of the suitcase wheels rubbing against the ground stopped abruptly.

The accommodation assigned to them was an old self-built two-story house with a front yard. The gate was incredibly aged, and the spring couplets on both sides had faded, the characters blurred.

However, the conditions inside were decent.

Although the environment was dated, it didn’t look dirty.

The first floor had a hall and a kitchen, and the second floor had the bedrooms. Both floors had bathrooms, but only the one on the second floor had hot water; that was the only place to bathe.

The production team had cleaned it up beforehand, clearing out the main bedrooms, kitchen, and bathrooms that the guests would use, and they had even put on brand-new bedding.

Naturally, there was no shortage of fixed cameras installed in every corner.

Shi Linchuan carried the suitcases up to the bedroom on the second floor, while Xie Jinghe carried his backpack and slowly climbed the stairs. By the time Shi Linchuan had finished moving all the luggage, Xie Jinghe had only just reached the doorway.

The two stood face-to-face by the bedroom door, less than half a meter apart.

Shi Linchuan lowered his eyes to look at him, pulled the backpack off Xie Jinghe’s back, and tilted his head to signal: “It’s still early, go and sleep for a bit.”

In fact, what he wanted to say was “go lie down for a bit.” But it didn’t make much difference.

Xie Jinghe didn’t move; he just tilted his face up and asked, “What about you?”

Shi Linchuan: “Why?”

Xie Jinghe didn’t say anything, but suddenly raised both hands, exposing half of his palms, and gripped the two black fur balls at Shi Linchuan’s collar. He pulled gently, like a game of tug-of-war, the strings rubbing against the padded jacket and making a rustling sound that was recorded in detail by the audio equipment.

Shi Linchuan stared at him, disdain in his heart.

Never seen a man who loves to act spoiled as much as this guy in two lifetimes.

He deserves a spanking.

He still pretended not to understand and asked again:

“Seriously, why?”

This tug-of-war made the live-stream audience want to stick their mouths into the screen and whisper into the ear of this man who refused to take the hint, urging him frantically:

[Why else would he do it?]

[Obviously to sleep with him!]

[Otherwise, just sleeping with him works too!!]