The decanted red wine rolled into the glass. He frowned slightly, took a sip, and then stopped eating, looking away.
"No need to apologize," Xie Wang suddenly said in a low voice. "It's a matter of personal choice whether you like boys or girls." After saying that, he looked down at the dishes: "The soup is getting cold, drink it quickly."
Throughout the entire ordeal, Xie Wang never once made eye contact with Ling Shuangjiang. Ling Shuangjiang finally looked away from him, tilted her head back, took a sip of wine, and stared blankly at the hand that Xie Wang had just gripped.
The atmosphere grew quieter, though the comments section remained buzzing with excitement. However, many noticed the change in Xie Wang's emotions.
[I think... I can't accept the fourth male lead.]
[Is the fourth male lead really straight? Seriously.]
[Something's not right. The other day, guy number four kept saying "This is my Frost's Descent," and you're telling me he's straight?]
[To be honest, my brother and the fourth guy have very similar personalities. They're always calling each other "darling" and "baby" with their friends, but they've never stopped having girlfriends. Maybe that's just a typical "straight man" thing?]
What was supposed to be a two-hour dinner was shortened to just one hour for the two of them. As they left the restaurant, Ling Shuangjiang noticed Xie Wang avoiding her gaze and said as she walked beside him, "I'm not feeling well today and would like to rest first."
According to the program's format, after the two guests have dinner here, they are free to decide what to do next. Ling Shuangjiang wanted to give Xie Wang some time to process this.
Upon hearing this, Xie Wang finally looked at him and asked, "Where do you feel unwell? Do you need to see a doctor?"
Ling Shuangjiang smiled faintly: "My head hurts, I caught a chill."
"Okay." Xie Wang quickly looked away, reverting to his previous cautious attitude: "Get some rest, and remember to close the windows."
Ling Shuangjiang smiled gently: "Okay, goodnight."
After saying goodbye to Ling Shuangjiang, Xie Wang returned to his room.
As soon as the door was slammed shut, he quickly took off his clothes, walked to the French windows, paced back and forth, and gradually became agitated.
He tossed his multi-million dollar watch on the table, his eyes darting around before finally finding a bottle of red wine in the wine cabinet. He quickly uncorked it and downed a glass, his mind in turmoil.
If Ling Shuangjiang really likes boys.
So these days, he has been very offended by what Ling Shuangjiang has done.
Xie Wang's brow furrowed seriously as he pressed his temples forcefully.
He even kissed Ling Shuangjiang, twice.
From this perspective, he seems like a beast.
He had pretended to be gay for a few days to help Ling Shuangjiang get rid of Shen Ke's entanglement, so he felt that there was nothing wrong with brothers kissing each other.
But now that I think about it, something doesn't feel right.
In fact, his actions were taking advantage of Ling Shuangjiang, and could even be considered harassment.
The regret and frustration in his heart grew stronger, and Xie Wang took two more gulps of wine, his breathing becoming heavy.
He has two gay friends. Although they have a good relationship, they are careful to maintain appropriate boundaries when hanging out and don't act as intimately as ordinary friends.
But then he thought again, and realized that over the years, the only friend he had ever been closest to was Ling Shuangjiang.
Other friends might bump fists when they meet, or occasionally put their arms around each other's shoulders or backs, and that's about it.
Why is he so clingy to Ling Shuangjiang?
He leaned against the counter and squinted.
After careful consideration, he deduced that Ling Shuangjiang was probably both well-behaved and adorable, and he applied his younger brother filter to Ling Shuangjiang.
Who wouldn't want to dote on a well-behaved, sensible, capable, and handsome younger brother?
Xie Wang couldn't help but feel nervous.
Could it be that Ling Shuangjiang secretly resented his intimate gestures but was too embarrassed to say it outright, so she hinted at it in various ways before finally choosing to confront him?
He sighed, feeling that he had wasted the last 28 years of his life, not even realizing that Ling Shuangjiang liked boys.
Thinking about this made him feel even worse.
Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night.
Xie Wang lay in bed, tossing and turning, and almost asked the doctor from the program crew for some sleeping pills.
Finally, at three in the morning, he became drowsy.
But half asleep, he suddenly woke up with a start. He remembered taking a bath and showering with Ling Shuangjiang.
His breathing became rapid, and he almost suffocated.
Ling Shuangjiang must think he's a complete idiot, a big hooligan, and a total pervert.
He wrapped himself tightly in the blanket, wondering how he would face Ling Shuangjiang tomorrow, how he would interact with Ling Shuangjiang, and how he would continue to be good brothers who had kissed and were naked together.
At four in the morning, Xie Wang, unable to sleep, put on his headphones, randomly played upbeat music, and started working out and lifting weights in front of the window, trying to force himself to forget about the incident.
Rock music was playing randomly, and the singer was rapping very fast. Although he didn't know the singer's name, he could vaguely make out a word.
[gay…gay…gay]
Xie Wang suddenly threw down the dumbbells and roared coldly, "So annoying!"
At the same time, Ling Shuangjiang faintly heard a roar coming from Xie Wang's room next door, and tiptoed to her feet.
He smiled helplessly; it seemed the other person wasn't asleep either.
He smiled slightly, beginning to wonder how Xie Wang would interact and communicate with him in a few hours.
He had recently applied for a Weibo account and already had 1 million followers. In the early hours of the morning, Li Man told him that he was trending at number one on Weibo with the keyword "Ling Shuangjiang homosexuality".
Although same-sex marriage is now legal, the appearance of same-sex guests on popular dating reality shows still generates enough buzz and is bound to trend on social media.
He picked up the tablet provided in the room, clicked on the top trending topic, and found that netizens were sharing high-resolution images of his interactions with Xie Wang. He didn't have these images himself, so he couldn't resist browsing a couple.
Among them, nine photos of two people wearing earrings on the deck have been newly released.
Here are some comments from netizens:
[Does Boss Xie really dislike Frost's Descent? His eyes showed concern when Frost's Descent was unhappy.]
[Why would you care about someone you don't like, and even carefully choose earrings for them? Earrings aren't something ordinary friends can give each other as gifts.]
[Maybe it's just hype, a persona? Anyway, ever since Xie Wang revealed his identity, Xie's Hengtai's stock price has soared, surpassing Xie Fan Group.]
[I also lean towards a script. To be honest, this is a tactic used to pursue girls; a big shot like this wouldn't usually do this.]
[Will Xie Wang continue interacting with Ling Shuang after he learns of her sexual orientation? After all, she's portrayed as a straight man.]
It was already 5 a.m., and Ling Shuangjiang turned off his tablet, no longer watching. Like the netizens, he was also eager to know Xie Wang's future attitude towards him.
They might drift apart, things might remain the same, or things might develop further. That's why he told Xie Wang that he was gay.
—
Before she knew it, it was morning. Ling Shuangjiang went out of her room and found that Xie Wang was not in the living room.
At this time, Xie Wang should have already returned from the gym and be calling him for breakfast.
But today, there was no movement from the other party's room at all.
The live stream was already on, and Ling Shuangjiang calmly prepared breakfast for two in the kitchen. Xie Wang liked to drink coffee, so she specially brewed a fresh latte.
Good morning, honey.
[A little frost, give me a kiss.]
[My wife looks so soft in her apron; I want to touch her.]
[Where's Xie Wang? I haven't seen him. He left my wife to prepare breakfast all by herself, ugh!]
After making breakfast, Ling Shuangjiang asked the photographer, "Has Xie Wang gotten up yet?"
Photographer: "Yeah, exercising outside in the yard."
Speak of the devil and he appears.
Xie Wang, carrying a towel, strode in from the foyer. When he bumped into Ling Shuangjiang standing in the dining room, he was slightly taken aback and instinctively wanted to leave, but then felt it was inappropriate, so he forced himself to remain calm.
"morning."
Ling Shuangjiang replied calmly, "Good morning."
At the dining table, Xie Wang saw his favorite breakfast and coffee, looked up and asked, "Did you make this or was it prepared by the production team?"
Ling Shuangjiang: "I did it."
Xie Wang's eyes suddenly flickered. He sat down at the dining table, his gaze falling on Ling Shuangjiang's apron.
His little frost is still so well-behaved and considerate, treating him very well.
Despite his perverted and thuggish nature, the other party still treated him as before, without holding a grudge.
He was touched, but at the same time, he was worried about the other person.
What if he really is a scoundrel, deliberately trying to take advantage of others?
His "Little Frost" is too easy to fool.
This breakfast lacked its usual relaxed and leisurely atmosphere, as Xie Wang's brow was furrowed and his demeanor serious, and the two barely exchanged a word.
Xie Wang forgot table manners for the first time today. He was absent-minded when serving porridge and often knocked the bowl, making quite a noise.
When he almost dropped the bowl, Ling Shuang calmly reminded him, "Slow down, don't rush."
Ling Shuangjiang's voice was like clear spring water, gentle and melodious. Xie Wang was extremely embarrassed and replied in a muffled voice, "Mm."
Ling Shuangjiang rested her head on her right hand, observing Xie Wang's preoccupied expression. If she had a hammer, she really wanted to break open the door and see what was going on inside.
After dinner, the two returned to the island with Qi Yu and Wen Ai. On the yacht, Wen Ai winked at Ling Shuangjiang, "Little brother, so you like boys."
Ling Shuangjiang glanced at Xie Wang, who was admiring the scenery alone in the corner, and said, "Hmm."
Wen Ai asked softly, "So, is it true between you and President Xie?"
Ling Shuangjiang smiled and asked, "So, are you and Qi Yu really together?"
"Tch." Wen Ai raised her eyebrows, secretly mocking Ling Shuangjiang's cunning, not falling for her trap at all.
On the sofa in the corner, Xie Wang faced the sea, his brows furrowed with sorrow, repenting for his sins.
He shouldn't have any other thoughts about his good friend dressed as a woman, he shouldn't touch other people's heads or hug their bodies so easily, and he certainly shouldn't ask them to rub his back.
What's the difference between him and a scumbag who runs away as soon as he gets his pants up?
At this time, the other guests were preparing lunch.