He is Too Stingy, This Sand Sculpture Cannon Fodder

“Bu lu lu lu lu lu…”

Shu You was immersed in the bathtub, enjoying the various functions of a modernized bathtub!

…So he only extended a few fingers to answer the call on the screen, then raised it up high.

And what Lin Mingxu saw was…

Shu You at the bottom of the tub.

A strand of hair floating on the water’s surface.

And a series, another series, and yet another series of fish-shaped bubbles.

The surroundings were filled with dense white foam, giving the impression that he was performing some kind of special effects scene, like a crime scene from a thriller movie.

…Or maybe he was pretending to be a water ghost.

Because Lin Mingxu asked, Shu You’s voice came from the ethereal “underwater”: “Bu…lulu…lulu…”

Lin Mingxu’s mouth twitched. “Shu You!”

“It’s so much fun…” Shu You emerged from the water, feeling good about himself. “Human inventions are really interesting.”

Lin Mingxu didn’t want to know what non-human species Shu You was.

…And he wouldn’t admit that he had misunderstood Shu You drowning and his heart skipping a beat just now.

He tightened his fingers holding the phone slightly and heard Shu You curiously ask, “Lin Mingxu, do you need something?”

“…No.”

“Then why did you make this video call?”

Lin Mingxu hesitated for a moment, then suddenly changed his words. “There are a few things I want to say.”

“Oh…” Shu You didn’t think much of it. “Then go ahead.”

Lin Mingxu: “…”

Damn, his mind went blank for a moment.

He just…

As the words were on the tip of his tongue, Lin Mingxu stopped himself.

Finally, he dryly said, “Remember to lock the door at night.”

Shu You: “…What?”

“Don’t let strangers come in casually.”

Shu You: “…Huh?”

Since when did Lin Mingxu start caring about such things?

Could it be…

A light bulb went off in Shu You’s head. “You’re not… my boyfriend, are you?”

Lin Mingxu instinctively denied it. “I’m not, I don’t have one, don’t overthink it.”

Shu You: ???

These statements sound familiar.

He tilted his head, rested it on the edge of the bathtub, and jokingly said, “You must be clueless about what to have for lunch, right?”

Given Lin Mingxu’s thin-skinned nature, it was highly possible for him to do something like that.

Thinking this way, this man was quite cute.

Lin Mingxu relaxed his shoulders.

Shu You playfully shook his head. “I knew it, deciding what to eat every day is the biggest problem in a person’s life.”

“…Yeah.”

Lin Mingxu said calmly, “There’s no food at home.”

“Then order takeout.”

Shu You didn’t necessarily mean for Lin Mingxu to cook—although he was frugal, he wouldn’t demand that of others.

In a good mood after the bath, Shu You waved his big hand and said, “Remember to get a coupon first!”

Lin Mingxu paused and reluctantly asked, “…How do I get a coupon?”

“Um…”

Shu You’s expression became a bit subtle.

He never expected that someone as grown-up as Lin Mingxu wouldn’t know how to get a coupon!

Annoyed, Shu You immediately started teaching Lin Mingxu how to save money.

“That’s how it is. Remember to check it frequently from now on…”

Suddenly, Shu You remembered something and quickly added, “Also, if you don’t open it for many days, it will send you a big one.”

He solemnly said with a touch of heartache, “This is capitalism’s sugar-coated shell, small favors! That’s why we must collect more!”

Lin Mingxu, who had recently registered his company and was about to possess billions in capital: “…”

His expression was indescribable. At that moment, a knock on the door suddenly came from outside Shu You’s place.

“Mr. Shu?”

Shu You had just finished washing up and hurriedly put on a bathrobe to open the door.

His hair was still wet, dripping with water, so he vigorously wiped it with a towel a couple of times.

Outside the door was the young man who picked him up at the airport not long ago, named Li Man. He came to accompany Shu You to participate in the program recording and also served as his temporary assistant for these two days.

Perhaps due to some mental preparation, Li Man’s smile was even more enthusiastic. “Mr. Shu!”

“Are you ready? Let’s go have lunch! What kind of cuisine do you like? We have all eight major Chinese culinary styles here!”

“Do you prefer a quiet environment or a lively one? I’m familiar with the surroundings…”

From Lin Mingxu’s perspective in the lower right corner, the young man was enthusiastic, handsome in a small way, and his eight teeth were shining brightly.

He was especially attentive to Shu You.

At this moment, Shu You hurriedly said to Lin Mingxu, “I have to go now, bye!”

Lin Mingxu: “…”

The call was disconnected.

A few minutes later, Peng Shang’en limped out of the bathroom.

“Damn it, I’m never eating hotpot from that place again. I thought Sichuan spicy and Hunan spicy were similar…”

He frowned and held his stomach as he moved to the edge of the table and sat down. As soon as he sat down, Peng Shang’en was startled.

“Bro-Brother, Lin, what’s wrong with you?”

Lin Mingxu had no expression on his face as he said, “You mentioned expanding into overseas markets last time. I see that the Indian smartphone market is vast. When are you planning to visit for research?”

Peng Shang’en: ???

Shu You had just finished a satisfying meal at the hotel buffet.

After taking a few walks in the hotel as a way to aid digestion, he finally arrived at the recording session. At 3 o’clock in the afternoon, Shu You went to the TV station and entered the recording studio.

It was not a large recording studio. Apart from some filming equipment, there was a round table and a few small sofas arranged in a corner against the wall. Some cushions with sponsor logos were placed prominently.

It was Shu You’s first time in such a recording studio, and he looked around curiously.

The cameraman entered, carrying equipment, and immediately saw him wandering around. “Hey, what are you doing? Hurry up and come help!”

Shu You turned his head. “Are you calling me?”

“Yes.”

The cameraman, with a scruffy beard, said gruffly, “What’s wrong with young people these days? Each generation is worse than the last. In my time…”

Shu You suddenly realized, “Were you like this in your time too?”

Cameraman: “…”

At that moment, Li Man happened to come in. “Mr. Shu!”

He greeted attentively, “Mr. Shu, why did you come so early… The dressing room is this way.”

Shu You made a cheering gesture towards the cameraman and then turned to follow Li Man around a corner and entered a large dressing room.

There were seven or eight stations inside, but they were all empty at the moment. As soon as they entered, a makeup artist appeared out of nowhere and grabbed Shu You, examining him.

“Hmm… your foundation is good… but the details need some touch-ups…”

Shu You was about to speak, but the powder puff was already coming towards his face! He had to hold his mouth shut and remain motionless like a puppet.

A few minutes later, the makeup was done, and Shu You looked shocked at his reflection in the mirror. “Is this me?”

“Yes.”

The makeup artist casually glanced at him and proudly said, “My skills are pretty good, right?”

…Indeed.

From Shu You’s inexperienced perspective, he couldn’t see any traces of makeup at all. But he looked radiant and energetic.

Feeling inspired, he took a photo and posted it on his social media.

Li Man knocked on the door and entered. “Mr. Shu, are you ready?”

“I’m ready.”

Shu You didn’t have time to check if the post was successful or not and hurriedly returned to the recording studio.

The hosts were already there, a middle-aged man and a young woman. The other guest had a relatively high profile, but Shu You didn’t recognize him. They said he was a bestselling author.

After the opening remarks and self-introductions, the host opened the live chat and chuckled, “Today’s theme… oh, it’s about how couples celebrate holidays.”

“But the only holiday that truly belongs to couples is Valentine’s Day, right?”

The female host joked, “Or should we include Dragon Boat Festival, Qingming Festival, National Day, and Spring Festival?”

“Celebrating holidays is definitely… celebrating holidays.”

The male host smirked and said, “But now there’s a question that depends on the relationship history of our two guests.”

“If I were single, I could only imagine such topics,” he said.

“Hahaha…”

The male author spoke up at the right moment, “I’ve been married for ten years, so I have a lot of experience on this topic. Not just Valentine’s Day, but also going on outings with my wife during the Dragon Boat Festival, paying respects on the Qingming Festival, taking vacations during National Day and Spring Festival – we have experienced many of them.”

“Oh, what about Shu You?”

Shu You blinked his eyes, “I have a boyfriend now.”

“Wow…”

“Oh my…”

“Is it the honeymoon phase?” the male author curiously asked, “At this age, it’s definitely the honeymoon phase, right? Youth is really great.”

Shu You coughed, “Well, you can say that.”

…Our relationship depends on my efforts to keep the flame of our honeymoon phase alive.

“Shu You, how many Valentine’s Days have you celebrated?”

Shu You pondered for a moment, “I haven’t celebrated yet.”

According to the original book’s timeline, it seems like there might be one. But by that time, he and Lin Mingxu would have definitely parted ways, so he didn’t need to bother with it.

“Oh?”

The female host dug deeper, “Did you have any memorable Valentine’s Day experiences before?”

“Well…”

Shu You paused, smiled, and said, “I haven’t been in a relationship before, so normally, I would spend Valentine’s Day alone.”

The male host felt something was off with that answer and couldn’t help but ask, “Did someone give you a surprising gift?”

“No.”

Shu You blushed, “Because if something surprising happened, it would be spent in the hospital.”

“…”

After all, it was just half an hour of idle chat, and the recording quickly ended.

“One last question!”

The male host reached this point and couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief—for some reason, he felt that this episode would generate a lot of buzz.

He cleared his throat and said with a smile, “This… since the topic of this episode is related to love, would both of our guests like to take the opportunity to say a few words to their significant other on the show? Would you like to give it a try?”

The male author shook his head wryly, “No, no. I’ve already talked about it on other shows many times before. My wife told me that actions speak louder than words…”

The two hosts turned their attention to Shu You.

Shu You contemplated for a second, “I’ll say a few words.”

The young man cleared his throat, stared at the camera position, his eyes clear and profound, and spoke slowly, word by word, “Dear boyfriend.”

“Although there are some things I don’t need to think about because I can’t understand them.”

“Although there are some paths I shouldn’t take because they won’t lead anywhere.”

“Although sometimes I get mad at you, but in the end, it doesn’t really make me mad.”

Everyone: ???

“But!”

Shu You quickly pulled back, “For certain reasons that are inconvenient to mention, I am the person in this world who sincerely wishes for your well-being the most.”

After all, it concerned his own life.

“I believe in your outstanding abilities and talents to achieve success. You are the most outstanding person I have ever met, without a doubt.”

“No one and nothing can defeat you. You are also the most amazing person in my heart, without a doubt.”

“Also, you are the most handsome man I have ever seen!”

“And finally…”

“I genuinely hope that your life will be as bubbly and enjoyable as carbonated drinks.”

“Every day, overflowing with happiness!”

The next morning, Shu You flew back to Beijing City.

Wu Youzhe had something to attend to, so Shu You didn’t ask him to pick him up.

But when he walked out of the airport exit, a black Bentley slowly stopped beside him.

The window rolled down, revealing a handsome face.

Lin Mingxu succinctly said, “Get in.”

“Huh?”

Shu You didn’t expect him to come and pick him up.

But he did mention the estimated time of his flight landing to Lin Mingxu.

Since the car had already arrived, he certainly wouldn’t refuse. Shu You smoothly got into the car, sat in the passenger seat, and conscientiously fastened his seatbelt.

After fastening it, the vehicle gradually accelerated, merging into the long street. Shu You was still relaxed when suddenly a deep voice sounded in his ear.

“Shu You.”

Shu You leaned back in the seat, tilting his head. His messy hair swayed to this side, “Hmm?”

Lin Mingxu’s gaze darkened. Without looking at him, he calmly asked, “I want to know… what is the reason that you can’t mention?”