QT: Don't fall in love with the Male Lead

Chapter 154: Don't complain about the puppies

Jin Ranyu needs some more gentling before he'll be in any condition to leave. Xi Zirui takes advantage of his cellphone from the first world being strewn over a couch to show him clips of the previous episodes in the hope of jogging his memory.

Like Cao Fei he reports having some vague second-hand recollection, but after Xi Zirui's and Han Yu's joined efforts to make him and Cao Fei recall enough of the events in this world so that they won't give themselves away he seems to feel more at ease with his current situation.

At ease, but not at peace -- something Xi Zirui can wholly relate to.

If Xi Zirui had to make a wager he'd guess he's more upset about Cao Fei not remembering whatever relationship they had in the third world.

From the way Cao Fei speaks, it seems like his feelings for his shixiong are completely platonic.

Xi Zirui sends them on their way out of the pocket realm first, reminding them not to talk with each other when they leave the bathroom.

Once they're gone, and he and Han Yu are finally alone he tackles Han Yu into the cramped sofa and covers him in hungry little kisses that set off a fit of giggles.

"I've missed you so much," Han Yu says, punctuating each word with a sloppy kiss on any exposed patch of skin he can reach.

Before Xi Zirui can return his fervor, a familiar chime sounds:

"Ni Ni apologizes, Host, but the pocket realm can't remain open for too long," Ni Ni says, apologetic. "Host has already spent close to an hour here, Ni Ni is afraid that if things...escalate...the pocket realm might close uh...in the middle...."

Well, that's a traumatizing bit of conversation Xi Zirui absolutely didn't need in his life.

With great reluctance he pulls himself away from Han Yu, who whines pitifully and tries to pull him back on top of his body.

It's a crime to put a stop to things when Han Yu is acting like this, so affectionate and needy.

The last time it happened they made babies.

"We're going to have to put a pin on this," Xi Zirui says, smiling despite himself when Han Yu groans theatrically.

"Have I told you already how much I hate this world? It's possibly my least favorite world."

Xi Zirui snorts. "For me that was the world in which I was married to your father, who happened to be Su Xueyi. No world since has managed to top that, in terms of sheer awfulness."

Han Yu pulls Xi Zirui higher up onto his chest, threading his fingers into his smooth hair. "You know, I used to visit the memorial tablets of my ancestors and pray for forgiveness after we had sex, in that world."

Xi Zirui grows quiet. He can picture that with vivid clarity, Han Yu dutifully apologizing to his mother, to his grandparents, aunts and uncles for that most unfilial of actions. How many times did he flagellate himself like that?

"I always forget, how different it is for you," Xi Zirui says, nuzzling in against Han Yu's side.

Han Yu kisses the top of his head. "I have an entire life in each world, before meeting you. Sometimes, it's hard to let go." He turns on his side so he can look Xi Zirui deeply in the eyes. "It's always worth it, though," he says, smiling.

---

Returning to Su Xueyi's aggravating acting classes after that brief respite is torture. 

At least Jin Ranyu seems as deflated as him, and they mostly go through the motions of practicing their scene together, without putting much effort into it.

All Xi Zirui can think about is getting back to the house and hopefully having some more alone time so that they can enjoy the pocket realm's privacy undisturbed.

That's easier said than done, because once Su Xueyi's lesson is finally over and they can go back to the house for lunch. Ji Limei tells them about the arrival of special guests who are sure to keep them entertained for most of the day.

The special guests are puppies. 

About twenty of them, absolutely let loose on the NNI house.

The challenge is for each member of the two teams to catch, groom, give treats to, or play with, as many puppies as possible and then take a polaroid selfie with each of them.

An extremely time consuming endeavor, because the puppies are excitable and more than happy to be chased around a huge house.

Things are made harder by the fact that they can't talk with people from the opposite team, and warn them when they are about to step on something they absolutely don't want to.

At the end of the day, Xi Zirui is left with selfies of 6 puppies out of the twenty, and with a renewed appreciation for cats -- which is exactly what he tells the production assistant when he's called in for a confessional style interview and asked what he thought about the challenge.

He misses Little Thunder.

Jade team wins, and their reward is getting to watch while Diamond team cleans up all the mess the puppies made.

By the end of it, Xi Zirui is happy to take a shower and collapse on his inferior bunkbed for a night of exhausted sleep.

At least the whole ordeal served to make something abundantly clear: he's a cat person.

---

The next day he wakes up feeling optimistic that surely, surely, he and Han Yu will be able to have some time alone in the pocket realm -- the stars can't keep aligning inauspiciously. Xi Zirui has gone through too much already.

He attends Bai Mi's singing class with all the enthusiasm of a dead fish, but he actually has to make an effort now -- he has a debt to repay.

He should really check weibo whenever he gets the chance to see how his popularity ratings are doing. 

Han Yu's too, while he's at it.

Ironically, he's afraid Han Yu might just be voted out before he is.

A couple of days ago that would just be all the more reason for him to quit the damn show, but now he needs to stay until the final -- and he can't imagine stomaching that without Han Yu by his side.

Which is why when Bai Mi gives him some passive-aggressive coaching on his terrible singing, Xi Zirui just grins and thanks her for the help before trying again.

The main piece for Sunday's presentation will be a duet that Bai Mi still hasn't given to anyone, instead asking a few of them to practice the song, until she makes the final decision.

Xi Zirui is one of the lucky few, which only serves to cement in him the conviction that NNI is completely scripted, because there isn't any world where anyone would think he has a good enough voice to be given that dubious honor.

Still, he doesn't complain and tries to do what he's told.

He gets back to the house haggard, he wishes he could at least talk with Han Yu about all of this, and just unwind, but it's impossible with the current challenge, and he hasn't yet found the time to visit the pocket dimension again.

That day is no different. 

Despite of how tired Xi Zirui is, and the relatively cool day, they must spend an entire afternoon in the pool trying to pry sticky dinosaurs out of the pool's walls and stick them onto each other.

At least this is a stupid, pointless game that Diamond team wins.

Their reward is having a pick-nick outside, catered by Jade team.

The evening is much too cold for something like that, but Han Yu takes the opportunity to serve Xi Zirui food, and never leave his side. Making their hands brush 'accidentally' on purpose, and exchanging giddy smiles whenever the cameramen are filming someone else.

All in all, it's not a bad end to the day, all things considered.

---

Two more days pass like that with Sunday quickly approaching. Xi Zirui thinks he's going to go mad if he has to endure another day of pointless idol training without getting fucked, or at least fondled. At this point he'd settle for that.

He wakes up during the early hours of Saturday morning with the feeling that there's someone next to him. 

He blinks his eyes open to find Han Yu staring down at him, his eyes curved into smiling crescent moons.

Xi Zirui tries to sit up, his brain still foggy, but Han Yu barely gives him the time to react before pulling him along after him, in a direction that Xi Zirui only recognizes as the communal bathrooms when he's nearly at the door.

They can't speak, but Han Yu's intentions are obvious.

Since they don't have time in the evenings, and are too tired to do much of anything, the solution is to try their luck in the mornings.

Once again Xi Zirui marvels at how much they complement each other.

He pulls Han Yu with him into an empty stall, and activates the pocket realm via the holo screen.

Han Yu takes his hand as both of them step through the glowing portal.