Chapter Text
Chapter 1: He’s Already Passed Away
“Let’s see who our lucky winner is today!”
The giant screen in the center of the stage began flickering with the faces of the various guests. Amidst a wave of gasps from the audience, the image froze on Fu Xi’s face!
The hosts' voices turned exceptionally vibrant as they swarmed around her. “It’s our Xiao Xi!” (1)
Fu Xi gave a strained, "business-only" smile: I’m so annoyed, but I must keep smiling!
She walked to the front of the stage, her hand rummaging through a cardboard box for a long time before she finally pulled out a slip of paper. Under the watchful gaze of every camera, the live audience and the viewers in the streaming room saw the words on Fu Xi’s slip with crystal clarity:
[Rapid Fire Round: How many times have you been in love? When was your last relationship? And why did you break up?]
Fu Xi: “...”
Fu Xi was participating in a long-running variety show called Let’s Be Happy Together! She was here to promote her new drama, but the show's regular cast and production crew were all a bit dian (2).
Instead of just filming a normal show, they insisted on chasing modern trends. Not only had they switched to a live broadcast format a month ago, but they also dedicated the final thirty minutes to a segment where viewers voted on ten "explosive" questions. These were placed in a box for the "lucky" guest to draw and answer.
Tonight, Fu Xi was that lucky soul.
Due to the director’s eccentric style and the high level of audience participation, this once-stagnant show had suddenly roared back to life. The questions voted on by the viewers were becoming increasingly tricky, fueled by a "melon-eating" (3) mindset where the audience just wanted to see the world burn for the sake of entertainment.
When the viewers saw the question Fu Xi drew, the live-stream chat practically exploded with digital fireworks.
【Hell yeah! I voted for that question! Hehehe~】 【I have to admit, I’m dying of curiosity to know if Fu Xi has ever had a boyfriend!】 【Our Xi-xi is so young, she’s not even twenty-four yet. Surely she hasn’t dated?】 【Lmao, imagine being 24 and never having been in a relationship. How is that possible?】 【??? Person above, delete your post. Why are you using such foul language??? That was uncalled for!】(4) 【Fine, you guys stay here and watch. I’m out! (Turns and leaps from the 24th floor!) (Covers face and cries!)】 【Celebrities are humans too. How could she not have dated? Besides, her crying scenes in her last drama were heart-wrenching—you can’t pull that off without a hundred messy breakups under your belt!】 【Um... I’ll just take that as a compliment for our Xi-xi then...】
As every lens focused on her face, Fu Xi’s mind instinctively flashed to that dog of a man.
She gripped the microphone tight. The host’s voice urged her in her ear, “Xi-xi, this is a Rapid Fire round!”
“How many times have you been in love? When was your last relationship? Why did you break up?”
“3! 2! 1! Answer please!!”
The collective "melon-eating" mood reached a fever pitch. Even the live audience fell silent, everyone waiting with bated breath for her response.
Fu Xi’s voice wasn’t loud, but it carried through the mic to every ear in the room. “I’ve had one relationship. The last one was three months ago. As for the reason for the breakup...”
Fu Xi paused. Her brain suffered a momentary short-circuit.
What should she say?
Maybe she should just say he died. It would save people from constantly pestering her about her ex in the future. Besides... that guy was basically dead to her anyway.
Isn’t there a saying? A qualified ex is one who stays "dead and buried"!
So, Fu Xi cleared her throat. Under the scrutiny of everyone’s gaze—perhaps out of guilt or something else—her face began to feel inexplicably hot. The stage lights beat down on her, and the redness on her face began to spread to the corners of her eyes.
The live-stream viewers immediately panicked.
【Wait? Why is Xi-xi crying??】 【Oh my god, is Xi-xi still hung up on her first love?】 【Sister, wake up! Don't be a Love Brain!】(5) 【Xi-xi don't cry! Time heals all wounds!】
Fu Xi took a deep breath. The redness around her eyes became even more pronounced, and her throat felt dry and raspy. “The reason for the breakup was... because... he passed away...”
The venue fell into a deathly silence. Seeing Fu Xi’s suddenly bloodshot eyes, the host on stage wanted to slap himself several times.
Good lord!
What have they done? He was going to wake up in the middle of the night and regret this.
The previously jubilant chat room went mute. The studio was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Fu Xi reached up and scratched near her eye. Her face was burning and itching like crazy. Damn it, I’m having an allergic reaction!
But the way she rubbed her eyes looked very different to the netizens.
The girl’s fragile silhouette looked so lonely standing at the front of the stage. The lights bathed her, and her back was ramrod straight—a display of strength that made one's heart ache. Yet, at the mention of her late first love, she still couldn't help but "secretly wipe away tears."
Everything around her seemed discordant with her grief.
Everyone recalled that her voice had sounded a bit raspy just now. It must have been because she was suppressing her emotions, struggling not to let herself sob out loud.
She loved him in the midst of the bustling crowd! What kind of beautiful BE (Bad Ending) aesthetic is this?!
【No... Xi-xi, I was wrong!】 【Momma didn't know it would be like this. Baby, don't cry!】 【I’m such a piece of trash!】 【It’s so weird. I know nothing about Fu Xi’s first love, yet seeing her try so hard to be brave makes me want to cry with her!】 【Heavens, I can’t imagine how Xi-xi has survived these past three months. Waaaah!】 【I was wondering why her eyes turned red when she mentioned him. Turns out they’re separated by heaven and earth...】
The host, a veteran of countless high-pressure situations, was lost for words. This awkward, sorrowful atmosphere lingered for several minutes.
Finally, remembering his job, the host cleared his throat to offer some comfort, only to hear Fu Xi’s voice again in the next second. It was very soft—almost a whisper.
“The departed are gone. I hope everyone stops focusing so much on him. Just let him... rest in peace!”
With that, Fu Xi lowered her head and dashed toward the backstage.
Holy crap! My face is itching to death!
No one reached out to stop her. Everyone felt she needed time to process her feelings.
With such a bombshell dropped during a live broadcast, it—unsurprisingly—skyrocketed to the top of Weibo’s trending searches.
Several tags hit "Explosive" status simultaneously:
#Fu Xi’s Ex-Boyfriend Passed Away!# [HOT] #Fu Xi Bursts Into Tears on Live Variety Show, Unable to Continue Filming!# [HOT] #The Heartbreaking Reason Behind Fu Xi and Her First Love’s Breakup!# [HOT]