Han Yu falls silent as soon as Xi Zirui's fingers touch him. Xi Zirui can feel his muscles tense under his palms, and when he chances a sideways glance at his profile, the distinct bob of his throat as he swallows dryly.
Good, maybe he'll behave.
The interviewer, Mei Li, is keen-eyed, and notices something amiss, but as she opens her mouth to ask another question, Xi Zirui cuts in.
"We're ready for the next interview."Xi Zirui keeps a friendly smile in place, but Mei Li narrows her eyes at him as she takes back her media outlet's microphones.
The next interviewer is a nerdy guy, who only asks them questions about all the martial arts scenes they have shot thus far, and wants to know everything about their prop-weapons, and as many details as he can squeeze out about the fighting choreography.
He's Xi Zirui's favourite.
He even forgets to keep a tight, and menacing, hold on Han Yu's thigh, because it would be pretty hard for him to try and squeeze some innuendo out of those kinds of questions.
Cleary Han Yu was just bidding his time until he could lull him into a false sense of security.
"Zi-di is really great during fighting scenes, he has great flexibility, very graceful, like a dancer!" Han Yu says, cutting in after the interviewer asks Xi Zirui if he had trouble with any specific scene.
The way he puts stress on the word flexibility doesn't go unnoticed. Xi Zirui can only grin stiffly, and remind Han Yu with the tight grip of his fingers that he can still make this very uncomfortable for him.
Thankfully, the nerdy interviewer thanks them and ends the interview there.
Before another can take his place, Xi Zirui turns to Han Yu with a fake grin, and whispers between his teeth. "Haven't you had enough?"
"Of what? Didi's hands on me? I'll never have enough of that," Han Yu says, smirking coyly.
He thinks he's so smart. Xi Zirui narrows his eyes at him. Han Yu's words just gave him an idea.
"Here's how it's going to be," he says, leaning close to Han Yu's ear. "I'll keep my hand right where it is, and I'll even play nice. As long as you cut back on the fucking CP stuff. Be professional, compliment me as a fellow actor, and I'll do the same."
Han Yu's smirk widens in anticipation, he knows there's a catch.
"If you don't, not only will you find out just how unpleasant I can be, but no one who watches these interviews will come away thinking that I feel anything but disdain for you."
Han Yu nods minutely and lowers his shoulders. As much of a concession as Xi Zirui is likely to get.
It leaves a bad taste in Xi Zirui's mouth that the only way to get Han Yu to do what he wants is to threaten him with the only thing he cares about: publicity.
It doesn't help matters that Xi Zirui has to carefully monitor his own public perception and reputation thanks to Ni Ni's demented requirements, and that at the moment they're both tied with Han Yu.
Whatever, Han Yu doesn't know any of that, so as unsightly as it is Xi Zirui still has that trump chard to hold over his head.
True to his word, Han Yu behaves. When the next interviewer sits down in front of them Han Yu answers all her questions thoughtfully, and effortlessly ropes Xi Zirui in without using any saccharine words, and only highlights his merits as an actor.
His good behaviour lulls Xi Zirui into a sense of security, so much so, that he's blindsided when the next disruption comes not from him, but from the unassuming middle-aged man wearing a shirt and tie, who sits down in front of them when Han Yu's PA announces they'll be answering the last questions.
His questions start as blandly as possible, but after Han Yu gives him some fluff about the actors' and crew's daily life on set, he turns to Xi Zirui, and asks:
"What is Xi laoshi's opinion regarding the rumours surrounding Han laoshi's child with the actress Bai Mi?"
Xi Zirui is so stunned by the question that he can do little else but stand there and open and close his mouth like a fish out of water.
"I don't know how that question is-" Han Yu starts, his sharp brows knitted in anger above his upturned eyes. He leans forward as if to block Xi Zirui's body from the interviewer's line of sight, but the man ignores him.
"Our viewers would like to know how Xi laoshi feels about coming between a mother and father?"
What the fuck? Now whatever mess Han Yu has managed to get himself in is somehow his fault?
His fingers tighten on Han Yu's thigh without him noticing, a byproduct of his distress.
But the gesture prompts Han Yu into action, "I don't know what you're trying to imply, but I have no relationship with that woman, and certainly not a child. I would also appreciate it if no third-parties were involved in this shameless rumor-mongering."
He gets up from the chair, making it skid backwards loudly. "This interview is over," he says staring down the interviewer.
The man adjusts his tie and mutters a polite, "Thank you for your time."
Xi Zirui gets up from his chair and almost startles when Han Yu's hand lands on the small of his back, trying to guide him from behind the table.
He turns around to glare him into dropping his hand, but the irritation in Han Yu's eyes tells him that perhaps it was an unconscious gesture.
Still, Xi Zirui leaves his side as soon as possible and makes his way towards Su Xueyi, standing against the wall with a worried expression.
"Are you okay?" he asks, as soon as Xi Zirui joins him.
Xi Zirui shakes his head. "I'm fine, I just want to get out of here." He takes in a sobering breath, trying to get his bearings. "Where am I supposed to go after this?"
"You have two scenes with Xiu Xianren's sect elders, and you're free after that."
Thank the heavens for small mercies.
"Let's go, I want to get this day over with as soon as possible."
"Go ahead, I'll be right behind you," Su Xueyi says.
Xi Zirui makes his way to the door, but then stops just inside the double doors and turns around to look at Su Xueyi.
He has his back to him, but Xi Zirui can tell he's talking with the interviewer who asked the questions about Bai Mi.
What is he doing talking with him?
Is he berating the man because of what he asked Xi Zirui? He wishes he was close enough to hear what they were saying.
The conversation is short-lived, and Su Xueyi leaves the man to join Xi Zirui at the door.
"What were you talking about?" Xi Zirui asks.
Su Xueyi smiles and winks. "I was just telling him that if he tries to harm your public image in any way our agency will sue him for every yuan he's worth."
That makes sense, but then why did Su Xueyi talk with the man in a secluded corner of the recreational room?
All the way to the location in which he's going to be shooting the next scenes, Xi Zirui gives Su Xueyi a wide berth, his mind still swimming with everything the reporter threw at him.
---
When Xi Zirui finally reaches his hotel room, at the end of another grueling day of filming, he falls face-first into the bed with a groan.
He's sore all over, from the wirework, and from having to stay on his knees, while the elders of the righteous cultivation sects berated and threatened Hai Yaomei for take after take.
At least, being shaken by the journalist's probing questions allowed Xi Zirui to understand Hai Yaomei's mental headspace a little better.
It was easier to portray a deep sense of injustice when that feeling was still bubbling under his skin.
Even Liao Min found it in herself to praise him.
Now, all he wants to do is put the day behind him and sleep until morning.
Ni Ni has other plans. "Congratulations host! Public perception increased by 30 points, reputation increased by 10 points!"
Well, most of the interviews painted him in a good light, so it was to be expected.
Except that not even five minutes later Ni Ni's chime was going off again, "Caution host! Public perception decreased by 16 points, reputation decreased by 7 points."
Before her words can even register in Xi Zirui's mind, a new chime sounds off. "Public perception up by 5 points, reputation down by 1"
After that Ni Ni just continues to list off the fluctuation of his stats like a malfunction smart home appliance.
The sound of that metallic chime is going to make him break out into hives.
He opens her holo screen and scrolls around desperately for a way to turn her off, or at least the incredibly annoying updates.
Somehow, he must succeed because she finally falls silent.
Xi Zirui sprawls on his bed with a tired sigh. There goes his quiet evening of peace and relaxation.
He knows he won't be able to fight his curiosity, and what he's beginning to suspect are some masochistic tendencies, and so opens up weibo on his mobile.
He's not surprised to see his and Han Yu's CP name trending again.
He is a little surprised to see the tag "homewrecker" a few spots below it, though.
Xi Zirui has a bad feeling about this.
It's much worse than he could have expected.
"Paperplane Dreams: That Xi Zirui is so disgusting, how could he get involved with a man who already has a child with someone else!"
That's one of the most commented posts, followed by a video excerpt of the interview, where Xi Zirui has the displeasure of watching himself in full Hai Yaomei costume and makeup, falter under the interviewer's questions, while Han Yu's face grows paler and paler.
The supertalk is filled with more posts of the same nature, decrying him, sometimes Han Yu, and almost all of them lamenting Bai Mi's poor luck.
Xi Zirui doesn't even bother checking the comments on those posts for fear of what else he'll find written about him.
Checking his and Han Yu's CP supertalk almost gives him whiplash.
On there, everyone is celebrating since, apparently, their reactions to the questions about Han Yu's alleged child with Bai Mi all but confirm that they're in a relationship.
"Da Feng: Ahhh did you see Han Yu's reaction??? Jumping in to defend Xiao(1) Zi! So cute~~~"
"I like fast cars: The person asking the questions is really obnoxious! They're just trying to stir up trouble for Han Yu and Xi Zirui."
"Lilly Pond: If you ask me this is all that Bai Mi's fault! She's just jealous that Han Yu left her."
"Clockwork Cloud: Guys, let's be rational this is just sensationalist bullshit, we shouldn't leave hate messages on Bai Mi's profile, nor should we assume they're together just because of the interviewers' questions. Everybody stay calm until we learn more about all this."
And on that reasonable note, Xi Zirui finally logs off from weibo, feeling more drained than he has since this whole crazy thing began.
His mobile vibrates and he's surprised to see a text message notification. An actual text message, not a notification from a messaging app.
"Hey, I assume you saw the mess on weibo. My PA wants to talk with me tomorrow, I assume yours will want to meet with you too. How are you doing?"
Xi Zirui debates with himself for a long time whether or not to reply to Han Yu, but eventually sends: "How did you get my number? And why are you texting me? What year is this?"
A few moments later he gets a friend request on WeChat.
"A winter as cold as my solitude: Better now?"
"Spicy little kitten: No, and what kind of nickname is that?"
Xi Zirui sends the message before blocking Han Yu, but his brief moment of childish elation is thwarted when he reads his own nickname.
The original Xi Zirui continues to be the bane of his existence.
---
1- the "xiao" here means little. In that way "Xiao Zi" is a kind of cute nickname, I left it in pinyin, because writing "little Zi" is really awkward.