The cameras were set.
The cameraman's tone made it clear that Yushan and Jun were expected to be ready, not just in words but in everything: their expressions, the way they sat, even how they looked at the lens.
"We already aired that there would be a live stream right now," Jie said.
She looked at both of them with an obvious expectation. "So they're probably waiting." Her gaze flicked briefly between them, assessing everything from posture to distance. "Get a bit closer," she added finally.
Yushan didn't move.
He stayed exactly as he was, straight-backed, composed, and unmoving, like a man carved from stone. His stillness felt almost defiant.
Jun, however, swallowed hard. His pulse thudded in his throat, and against the dread twisting inside him, he shifted slightly, moving closer to Yushan.
"Yī, èr, sān." the cameraman counted to three.
And in that instant, Yushan's expression changed.
A sudden, effortless smile appeared on his face... broad, alive, and disarmingly precise.
It was the kind of smile that felt rehearsed yet entirely natural, like he had spent years perfecting it until it became instinct.
The transformation was so fast that Jun almost doubted what he saw. A moment ago, Yushan had been unreadable, almost cold, but now he looked as if he had stepped out of a screen, every line of his face alive with practiced charm.
Jun found himself staring. It was startling, the way Yushan could shift in an instant, his features aligning with perfection as though his face obeyed its own rhythm.
The effect was impossible to ignore.
That smile made it impossible to look away. It didn't just make Yushan handsome, it made him otherworldly.
The curve of his lips softened the sharp edges of his jaw, and the brightness of his teeth stood out against his warm skin tone.
Jun's breath caught before he could stop it. It wasn't as if he had never noticed Yushan's looks before.
Everyone did.
He was the face that topped every chart, the man whose photos sold magazines.
Actor, model, singer... every label seemed to fit him naturally, and every image of him carried that impossible blend of distance and allure.
But this was different.
Jun seeing Yushan smile like that in real life, it made Yushan become something unexplainably magnetic.
Jun's chest tightened as he stared. He forgot where he was for a moment.
The cameras, the lights, the directors watching behind the glass, it all blurred until only Yushan's expression remained.
His heart raced uncontrollably, pulsing in his ears.
He forced himself to look away, turning toward the camera instead, though his hands had grown cold from nerves. He wasn't sure if he should smile too or keep still.
The live chat comments were already flashing across the screen, rising and disappearing upward before he could even read half of them.
The feed was exploding with messages. Most were filled with praises and adoration for Yushan- how good he looked, how he hadn't aged a day, how even the silence before he spoke was enough to calm them.
One comment stood out before it vanished: I was really mad, but that face just calmed everything in me.
Jun tried not to look at Yushan again.
Without warning Yushan moved. He slid his arm casually around Jun's shoulder. The gesture was smooth, natural, like part of the performance, but Jun froze instantly.
His body went rigid, his thoughts scattering. There was no script for this. No direction. No signal. All he could do was stay still and play along, letting Yushan take the lead, trying to appear calm while every nerve inside him was alive and unsteady.
Yushan looked directly at the camera, his voice calm when he finally spoke. "As you all know," he began, his tone measured but warm, "there's a new series coming up. One that will be unforgettable this time." His delivery was flawless, his posture relaxed yet commanding. "And that's why I'm introducing to you our new second lead."
He didn't glance at the comments even once. He spoke as if he already knew what they were saying. "I know, I know…" He smiled faintly, shaking his head a little as though amused by something unseen. "We both know there are some changes, changes everyone is eager to understand. But you see, there's really nothing big behind them, nothing as dramatic as you might think."
His words were slow, each one chosen carefully. "I know most of you believed that Xin and I were together," he continued, his voice steady, "but it's not true. It might be heartbreaking to suddenly realize you were wrong about something like this, but… well, it's true. We actors work closely together. We have to. We get close, and it starts to seem like there's more, but that closeness is what helps us work perfectly together. It doesn't mean we're actually together."
The silence that followed carried weight. Jun didn't move, not even when Yushan's arm remained across his shoulder, his fingers brushing lightly against the sleeve of his shirt.
Every word Yushan spoke felt careful, like walking across fragile glass.
"So when Xin left," Yushan went on, his tone never wavering, "it wasn't because we broke up or because something happened between us. He just decided to take a break." His gaze flickered slightly, just enough for Jun to see something shift in his eyes, before it disappeared again. "He might come back, or he might not," he added.
"He once told me acting wasn't his dream job. But as much as he's decided to take a break from social media, he still plans to show up for you. He wanted me to tell you how thankful he is for all the support you've given him over the years."
Yushan's tone was steady, but beneath that calm, there was something faintly strained, something that didn't belong to the script.
The comments were still flooding the screen... questions, hearts, and endless lines of disbelief, but Yushan didn't look at them once.
He just held that same calm face, the same careful composure that kept everything sealed in place.
Beside him, Jun stayed still, feeling the weight of it all.. the silence, the audience behind the lens, and the unspoken truth that lingered somewhere between the words Yushan said and the ones he didn't.
"Anyway," Yushan sighed, his tone smooth but weary, "personally, I've come to realize that it's more advantageous to work with different people, gain various experiences, learn new things, and help each other grow. That's why, from now on, I won't be working with just one specific partner. In upcoming series, I'll appear alongside different co-stars. Don't get me wrong.. partnerships are great, but I've decided to explore other ways."
As the words left his mouth, he knew exactly what kind of reaction they would cause.
The directors's shock was inevitable. What he had just said wasn't part of the plan, definitely not in line with the agreement he had signed.
His contract clearly tied him to Jun as his new on-screen partner, and now, without warning, he had just announced something that went completely against that arrangement.
Jun's chest tightened, but he forced his expression to remain calm in front of the camera.
Inside, though, his thoughts spiraled in confusion. Why would Yushan say that suddenly?
He glanced at the streaming screen beside the camera. The comment section was exploding, lines of text flashing and vanishing too fast to read.
From the fragments he caught, it was clear Yushan's words had only made things worse.
Many fans were convinced that Yushan's decision had nothing to do with "new experiences" but everything to do with Xin... That he didn't want partnership anymore because he couldn't get over him, that no matter who he worked with, Xin would always be the one.
Others were already predicting that the two would reconcile and work together again someday.
Jun suddenly felt invisible, as though his presence meant nothing.
Maybe he shouldn't have agreed to join the live stream after all.
The thought of walking out crossed his mind, but before he could move, Yushan's arm slid smoothly around his shoulders again. That same perfect smile returned to his face, as he looked down at Jun.
"So," Yushan said lightly, "here's my first partner in this new chapter, Xiao Jun. Talented, smart, cute, and absolutely adorable. You agree with me, don't you?"
Jun forced a natural laugh, slapping Yushan's thigh near the knee with mock protest. "Hey! I'm not cute or adorable. I'm a handsome grown man. But yes, I'll take smart and talented."
Yushan laughed, the sound easy and practiced. "Since we're live and everyone can see us, why don't we ask who's actually right about that?"
The comments immediately shifted to Jun, flooding the chat with heart emojis and playful words calling him cute... most of them siding with Yushan.
Still, beneath the flood of chatter, Jun could see that not everyone had moved on. Some comments still mourned Xin, still wished for the past to return, refusing to let Yushan start over.