While the two were giving their statements, an internet celebrity saw a clip of Qin Shuang hitting someone. He hadn't watched the live stream of the dating show, but immediately uploaded the clip for the sake of traffic, with the title naturally being "A popular actor hitting someone."
A lot of people clicked in and saw it. At first, some people were cursing, but soon viewers and fans of dating reality shows came over, and someone immediately pointed out that it was taken out of context and that it was not like that at all!
After the production crew discovered this, they reported it to the director, who immediately had the complete screen recording released and condemned the behavior of some people who were spreading rumors for the sake of traffic.
After the full video of Xiao Shulang and Qin Shuang helping the person was released, the internet celebrity sheepishly deleted the video and apologized. Everyone's attention was focused on Xiao Shulang and Qin Shuang, and they were all praising them.
"They're both amazing! Abusers are so awful!"
"What kind of person only knows how to bully the weak? Thumbs up to the two brothers!"
Their story also trended on social media because it was an act of bravery, and was even shared and praised by some news media outlets that deal with people's livelihood issues!
If it were only in the entertainment media section, only a portion of people would see it. However, the reposting by these accounts undoubtedly expanded their influence, allowing even people who are not interested in the entertainment industry to see it. Amidst the praise, the popularity of the two quickly rose to another level.
Qin Shuang has appeared in many commercials and dramas, and many people who don't follow celebrities have seen his face. Xiao Shulang's appearance is relatively new to them, and coupled with his good looks, he became a hot topic and the discussion was very high for a time.
Wang Hao's work phone kept ringing, with people calling to inquire about Xiao Shulang. Even people from the company wanted to revise Xiao Shulang's contract and wanted to sound him out through Wang Hao first. Wang Hao remembered that Xiao Shulang had mentioned starting his own company, so he used some persuasive language to temporarily gloss over the matter.
He thought to himself with delight, "Xiao Shulang is really famous now."
Qin Shuang's arm had been given a hot compress and massage by Xiao Shulang in the car, and by the time they arrived at the police station, the muscles had relaxed and her hand was no longer trembling.
The man was yelling at the police station that Qin Shuang and Xiao Shulang had beaten him up, but the video that the director of Heartbeat Meets showed was enough to serve as evidence—Qin Shuang threw him over her shoulder onto the beach. The sand was soft and did not cause any harm. Afterwards, she only restrained his hands to prevent him from going crazy and beating people.
The police presented the evidence to him: "Take a good look. How did they beat you up? On the contrary, you grabbed someone's head and pushed it underwater. It's clear as day!"
When the man realized he couldn't get away with his accusations, he switched to his old excuse: "I'm just making my wife obey, so what!"
Everyone who heard this gritted their teeth in anger, but Qin Shuang merely lifted her eyelids and said indifferently, "Useless."
Only a loser would make such a fuss and abuse his bedmate over and over again. That person is clearly the one he promised to spend his whole life with, yet he doesn't cherish her and thinks he's so capable of hitting her.
The man glared at him: "You!"
“He’s right,” Xiao Shulang said coldly. “Only a useless piece of trash would think it’s justified to beat his wife, and then be so self-righteous about it. If you’re really capable, why don’t you treat her well and give her a peaceful home? It’s perfectly reasonable to say you’re incompetent.”
The man was so angry at their back-and-forth that his veins were bulging, but now that they were in the police station, it wasn't a place where he could just take action.
The police officers nearby quietly gave Xiao Shulang and Qin Shuang a thumbs up.
The woman who was assaulted received treatment at the hospital and, after obtaining a medical report of her injuries, also came to the police station to give a statement. Xiao Shulang and Qin Shuang's statements were brief and completed quickly. When they came out, they met the woman who had arrived in the lobby.
She changed her clothes, and a policewoman accompanied her. Upon seeing the two of them, she went up to thank them again.
Thank you so much!
She was so emotional that she was about to bow, but Xiao Shulang quickly stopped her, saying, "No, don't be so polite."
Xiao Shulang saw that she seemed more energetic and said, "You have a long life ahead of you, so think more about yourself."
"Yes!" The woman wiped away her tears. "I've decided to get a divorce. I'll live a good life."
After leaving the police station, it was past lunchtime. She hadn't noticed it before, but as soon as she relaxed, she realized she was hungry. Qin Shuang spoke first: "What do you want for lunch?"
"Seafood." Since they were by the sea, they naturally wanted to try it. Xiao Shulang knew Qin Shuang could eat seafood and wasn't allergic, but he couldn't explain how he knew, so he still asked, "Can you eat seafood?"
"Okay," Qin Shuang replied. "Let's go eat seafood."
There are plenty of places to eat seafood by the sea. After arriving at the restaurant, their live stream was restarted. The two split screens in the main live stream room became three screens again. When the viewers saw the two of them appear, the barrage of comments started.
Welcome back!
"You haven't eaten yet? I've already finished eating. Come on, eat!"
[Thank you for your hard work!]
The other two groups had already eaten. Xu Baichang and You Ziang were discussing what to do in the afternoon, while Zhuo Cheng and Yin Xingzhi decided to take a nap first.
Zhuo Cheng really treated it like a travel show, and he had a lot of fun. Yin Xingzhi appeared happy on the surface, but only he knew what he was really thinking.
If there's nothing interesting after splitting the screen, people will focus on other groups, so no matter how much screen time he gets, it's useless if no one watches.
Zhuo Cheng performed well, and the relaxed atmosphere made people feel comfortable. However, it seemed that it didn't matter whether Yin Xingzhi was there or not. Zhuo Cheng could still have fun on his own.
Yin Xingzhi couldn't help but complain in his heart, he was really not as good as Luo Tian, at least he and Luo Tian could create some topics of conversation!
Xiao Shulang and Qin Shuang ordered their food. While waiting for the food, Qin Shuang left for a short while. When he returned, the food had already been served.
The two enjoyed their meal while discussing what to do in the afternoon and evening.
During the couples' date, they can skip sending romantic text messages tonight, and the live stream will be extended a bit, which is to encourage them to spend more time together.
After thinking about it, they decided to go back to the hotel to rest for a while after dinner, then go to the beach to collect seashells in the afternoon and attend a bonfire party on the beach in the evening.
In the afternoon, when they went to the seaside town to rent buckets to collect seashells, the shopkeeper told them that the seashells they collected could be processed into necklaces, bracelets, and other souvenirs. They only charged for labor, which was cheap.
Xiao Shulang smiled without saying a word; he could do it himself.
In his own world, whenever he went on a business trip or traveled, he couldn't help but buy some local souvenirs to bring back to the children in the orphanage. He hasn't changed this habit now. He's thinking of collecting some seashells to bring to the children in the orphanage that the original owner often sponsored.
Although it was no longer the orphanage he had stayed in, the children's experiences were similar, which was a source of comfort for Xiao Shulang.
As he walked and looked around with Qin Shuang, they found seashells and conches. When Xiao Shulang was inspecting his spoils, he reached out and flipped through them: "These would definitely look nice strung into a bracelet."
Qin Shuang's heart skipped a beat: "Give it to the children?"
Xiao Shulang: "Yes."
Qin Shuang didn't know why she was able to guess it. Logically speaking, it was a bit strange because although Xiao Shulang sponsored the orphanage, he was ultimately just a sponsor. It was normal for him to think about the children in the orphanage occasionally. Most of the self-helpers Qin Shuang had met would not remember them as frequently as Xiao Shulang.
They can come up with anything fun and new, which is something only a very close person can do.
Moreover, the longing in Xiao Shulang's eyes when he mentioned the children... was as if he, like himself, had once stayed in the orphanage.
But that's impossible. Xiao Shulang grew up in a healthy family, that's an indisputable fact. A rich young master who would always be thinking about the children in the orphanage, and his indecisive personality when faced with someone he likes... all of this together doesn't make sense.
Or is the Xiao family's relationship actually very complicated, with stories unknown to outsiders?
Qin Shuang lifted the bucket in her hand: "Teach me."
Xiao Shulang blinked, and Qin Shuang said, "Next time I go to the orphanage, I'll bring some for them too."
Xiao Shulang laughed: "Okay."
The two played on the beach until nightfall, then put the seashells they had collected into a bag and temporarily placed them in the production crew's vehicle. As dusk fell and the sun dipped below the horizon, torches were lit on the beach to illuminate the sand, and the bonfire party began.
Such a party is naturally more lively with a large number of people, but unfortunately, it was inconvenient for Xiao Shulang and Qin Shuang to join because of the large crowd. Because of what happened during the day, they were more famous, and people kept taking pictures of them on the beach, making it even more difficult for the staff to stop them.
If they join the main group, they'll either be surrounded by screams and noise, or others will feel uncomfortable and unable to enjoy themselves. Choosing either side is not a good option.
So they chose an empty campfire. Although two or three staff members joined in to try and liven things up, it still seemed too deserted compared to the cheers and dancing around the other campfires.
While it's nice to watch others have fun, viewers can't feel the atmosphere of the event from behind a screen. Doesn't it get boring watching like this?
As Xiao Shulang was thinking, he looked up and saw that Qin Shuang, who had said she was going to get drinks, had returned, but in addition to the drink bag hanging on her finger, she was also carrying a large box.
Xiao Shulang hurriedly got up to take it: "How many drinks did you carry...?"
Xiao Shulang was stunned when he saw what was in the box. It wasn't a drink at all!
Xiao Shulang: "Fireworks?"
A staff member spoke up for Qin Shuang, saying, "When you were having lunch, Teacher Qin asked us to prepare it!"
So he disappeared from the hotel for a while to arrange this?
Xiao Shulang held the sparkler, his heart suddenly filled with complicated feelings, indescribable, but... definitely tinged with a hint of sweetness.
"It can be lively even if there are few people."
Qin Shuang put down the box, the campfire flickering in his eyes. He took out a cigarette and offered it to Xiao Shulang: "Together?"
Xiao Shulang took it, and smiled in Qin Shuang's eyes: "Together."
The staff also lit sparklers and danced around the bonfire, while Xiao Shulang and Qin Shuang sat further away, lighting their sparklers in the dim, flickering firelight.
The small sparkler suddenly lit up; it wasn't grand, but it was still dazzling, its brilliance reflected in the two people's pupils as it burned beautifully.
All I could hear was the gentle lapping of the waves at night, the crackling of sparklers, and the beating of another person's heart.
In a daze, Xiao Shulang felt that this was the most beautiful night he had ever spent.
Both the scenery and the people I was with were beautiful.
Chapter 41 He lay on the water's surface, like a lazy cat.
After a box of sparklers burned out, the bonfire party had entered its late-night phase. Those who could stay stayed to drink and sing, while most people had already left.
There was no need to send "love text messages" today. After the live stream ended, the staff also joined in for a while and had a great time.
Xiao Shulang and Qin Shuang had a couple of drinks and, not planning to continue the night, returned to their hotel from the beach.
After returning to her room, Qin Shuang saw the missed calls on her phone and dialed them back.
The male voice on the other end of the phone said, "I thought you would be off work after the live stream ended, so I called right on time, but no one answered."
"I have other things to do after the live stream ends."
"For example, continuing to play with someone?"
Qin Shuang: "Qin Yunting, get to the point."
Qin Yunting: "Call me brother."
The person on the other end of the phone was Qin Yunting, Qin Shuang's fraternal twin brother. Qin Yunting insisted that he was the older brother, since he was born a few seconds earlier than him.
After Qin Shuang was found by her family, she always felt that it was quite absurd for the Qin family to lose their child in the first place. The Qin family probably also thought it was absurd, and everyone treated Qin Shuang very well. Qin Shuang's relationship with her family was also quite good.
Before his brother, Ice Cube, could freeze completely, Qin Yunting finally got down to business: "I saw your trending topic today. You weren't hurt, were you?"
"No." Qin Shuang raised her arm, her eyes softening as she recalled how Xiao Shulang had wrapped a hot towel around her arm.
"That's good. By the way, my parents wanted to ask but were too embarrassed to, and I'm curious too, so I'll ask them for you: Was your performance on this variety show purely for work and the show's effect, or was it genuinely for others... um?"
His voice rose at the end, carrying an unspoken understanding and a hint of teasing. Qin Shuang stared at the sea outside the window at night and simply said, "It's not acting, it's all real."
"Oh, I get it." Qin Yunting chuckled. "Keep it up, bro. But I think you're a bit withdrawn and don't have much experience in relationships. Call me 'brother,' and I'll teach you a few tricks."
Qin Shuang thought about Qin Yunting's current situation, where he was single but often inexplicably caught up in gossip, and said lightly, "No need, I don't need experience that only attracts bad romantic prospects."
Qin Yunting choked. In the brothers' battles, although Qin Shuang didn't talk much, he won the most arguments. Every word he said was precious, and his fighting power was formidable.
After hanging up the phone, Qin's mother couldn't wait to ask Qin Yunting, "How did it go?"