Chapter 9

Chapter 9: The Art of Shamelessness

A slow, almost sinister smile crept onto Xia Yang's lips as he leaned back against the couch. His sharp eyes scanned the room, taking in the stunned faces of the hosts, staff, and celebrities. Then, with a dramatic sigh, he cleared his throat.

"Ahem."

The entire room stiffened.

Something about that fake cough sent a shiver down everyone's spine.

"I just realized something truly tragic," Xia Yang announced, his voice laced with grievance. "Since no one helped me when I twisted my ankle, my poor, delicate body has suffered even more, and now…" He let out another dramatic sigh. "I fear my condition has worsened."

Everyone stared.

The hosts exchanged glances. The celebrities looked baffled. The staff members visibly tensed.

Where the hell was this going?

Xia Yang didn't give them time to recover. He clasped his hands together, tilted his head slightly, and continued with a voice dripping in fake helplessness.

"That means… I have no choice but to latch onto you guys until the end of the show," he declared.

Dead silence.

"...Huh?"

The room collectively malfunctioned.

The livestream chat blew up.

[User: NO WAY.]

[User: NOT THIS LEVEL OF SHAMELESSNESS.]

[User: BRO REALLY SAID 'CONGRATS, I LIVE HERE NOW.']

[User: SOMEONE STOP HIM.]

[User: HELP HE'S NOT EVEN PRETENDING TO BE EMBARRASSED.]

A host hesitantly cleared his throat. "Uh… what do you mean, 'latch onto us'?"

Xia Yang blinked innocently. "Isn't it obvious? Since I'm injured and it's your fault for not helping me, someone has to take responsibility." He spread his hands as if it were the most reasonable thing in the world. "Naturally, I'll have to stay here and let you guys take care of me."

Another wave of stunned silence.

Was this guy for real?

One of the celebrities leaned closer to a staff member and whispered, "Did… did he just extort us?"

The staff member, still in shock, whispered back, "I think he did."

Someone in the back coughed violently, unable to hold back their laughter anymore.

But Xia Yang wasn't done yet. He shifted slightly on the couch, wincing as he deliberately pressed his ankle down harder to make it look even more painful. Then, with a pitiful expression, he sighed again.

"I guess if you all don't want me here, I'll just have to endure my pain alone." His voice dropped to a dramatic murmur. "Even though it was you people who made it worse…"

More chaos.

[User: DID HE JUST GUILT-TRIP A WHOLE SHOW?]

[User: BRO REALLY MASTERED THE ART OF SCAMMING.]

[User: HOW IS NO ONE KICKING HIM OUT YET??]

[User: LONG WEI, PLEASE, DO SOMETHING.]

At the mention of Long Wei, the cameras subtly panned toward him.

Unlike the others, who were visibly flustered, Long Wei simply sat there, watching Xia Yang with an unreadable expression. His deep black eyes were calm, almost thoughtful, as if trying to decide whether this man was a lunatic or a genius.

Then—

To everyone's horror—

He let out a low chuckle.

The room froze.

One of the hosts visibly paled. A celebrity gasped softly. Even the staff members looked like they had seen a ghost.

Long Wei. Was. Laughing.

The livestream chat exploded even harder.

[User: HELLO???]

[User: DID LONG WEI JUST SMILE???]

[User: HOLY SHIT. HOLY SHIT.]

[User: WHO IS THIS MAN AND WHY DOES HE HAVE PLOT ARMOR??]

[User: LONG WEI HAS NEVER REACTED TO ANYONE LIKE THIS.]

Meanwhile, Xia Yang, still oblivious to the sheer chaos he was causing, tilted his head and smirked.

"So?" He tapped his fingers on the couch armrest. "Who's going to take care of me?"