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

The first consequence of the big reveal is Su Xueyi vanishing into thin air.

By the time Xi Zirui and Han Yu make it out of the trailer, Su Xueyi is nowhere to be seen, and Li Siqi is frantically looking for him everywhere.

That evening, Xi Zirui finds a goodbye letter pushed under his hotel room door.

It's short, apologetic, regretful and a little whiny.

Xi Zirui asks Li Siqi for Su Xueyi's mobile number and sends him a copy of the audio he recorded. In the message he writes only: "Forget the past, and I'll forget this."

Neither he nor Han Yu hear from Su Xueyi again.

---

Of course Bai Mi wouldn't go down silently, and unlike her cousin she didn't have the good grace of disappearing into the long night.

Instead, she books as many talk show appearances as her company can schedule and shows up to all of them looking demurely contrite, crying about how she did everything out of love for Han Yu.

When asked why she showed her "love" with blackmail and threats she cites a "lack of positive role models growing up."

Which is effective in switching the blame to her parents for a while. As some people blame them for Bai Mi's terrible upbringing and rotten morals.

Of course, being both dead, Bai Mi's parents can't defend themselves.

Another contingent of people fully believe Bai Mi killed her parents herself.

(These claims are never investigated, as they both died in a car crash when Bai Mi was 12, and several kilometres away.)

"Aren't you tired of having your name dragged into this mess?" Xi Zirui asks Han Yu, when the two of them are lazing around in bed after a hard day of shooting.

Han Yu switchs channels, and after seeing Bai Mi's face for the second time, turns off the television altogether.

He nuzzles into Xi Zirui's neck and lets out a contented sigh. "Forget about her, all this noise is just her dying breath."

---

The problem is, Bai Mi is taking a long time to die.

She's everywhere, even more so than before the video was leaked. Sure, no one is offering her roles in anything, but she's getting a ton of exposure, which by her own admission is what really matters.

Xi Zirui doesn't share Han Yu's blasé attitude. He thinks Bai Mi will continue to be a threat until they completely remove her from the public eye.

Besides, it's nothing less than she deserves.

Thankfully, Xi Zirui knows just what to do.

He invites Ji Limei over for lunch with him and Han Yu, and over a bowl of noodles asks her:

"How is that actress Bai Mi screwed over doing? Do you still have her number?"

As luck would have it, Ji Limei does.

---

After that, it's only a matter of asking Han Yu to pull a few strings in his company. Not a difficult thing, considering his star power has achieved meteoric levels as a consequence of the whole Bai Mi exposure.

Han Yu manages to talk them into signing Ji Limei's co-worker, Shuan Lu, a shy girl who at first isn't willing to speak out about all the underhanded things Bai Mi did against her, but once told this could result in her getting her career back, bravely decides to come forward.

It only takes a single interview, for the public to remember her as that promising actress who disappeared out of thin air when ridiculous rumours started cropping up about her.

Shuan Lu is serious and polite during the whole interview, and doesn't flinch under the more probing questions.

The vitriol towards Bai Mi mounts. Which makes her overstep.

She goes on a talkshow and accuses both Shuan Lu and Han Yu of being part of a conspiracy to boycott her.

With two of their artists now implicated, Han Yu's company now has the grounds to sue Bai Mi for defamation and moral slander.

They also send cease-and-desist letters to all networks and shows who would ever consider giving her a platform.

Xi Zirui watches all this go down live on weibo from the comfort of a shady tree during a break between scenes.

Han Yu takes a peek at his phone when he hears him cackle maniacally.

"My didi is an evil genius," he says, shaking his head fondly at Xi Zirui's glee.

Xi Zirui preens a little under the praise, and it is praise, and bumps his head against Han Yu's. "I'm just taking care of gege."

---

Bai Mi falls out the face of the earth after that, but Xi Zirui can't even bask in that victory because the end of shooting is approaching at terminal velocity.

He clings to Han Yu harder at night, fearful of a time he won't be able to hold him like this.

He wants to go over scenes again and again, in a desperate bid to make the days stretch.

It doesn't help that Ni Ni isn't telling him anything. He grows hoarse trying to get her to give him just a clue of what he can expect if the bad ending does happen.

She also doesn't tell him how close he is to the ending of whatever "this" is.

Han Yu notices some of his desperation, and although he doesn't understand it, he gives Xi Zirui everything he needs.

He sweeps Xi Zirui off his feet with his tiny, private demonstrations of affection.

And renders him speechless with hours of feverish sex, that make Xi Zirui feel like a collection of oversensitive nerves instead of a person.

(He likes those breathless moments of afterglow the best, because his brain is so liquefied that he doesn't have the mental bandwidth to worry.)

But Xi Zirui knows nothing lasts forever.

---

Xi Zirui expects the worst when shooting comes to an end.

He expects to drop dead any second during the closing ceremony.

He almost jumps out of his skin when Liao Min slaps him on the back and passes him a glass of plum wine. "I gotta say, against all odds, you kinda did pull it together in the end," she shakes her head, a rueful smile playing at her lips. "Don't get me wrong, you won't be winning any acting awards but...you did well."

Xi Zirui has no explanation for why he starts tearing up at Liao Min's terrible encouragement, and judging by her panicked face, neither does she.

Instead she calls over Han Yu to deal with Xi Zirui's emotional breakdown.

Han Yu hugs him to his chest, and pets his head softly. "What is it, didi? Are you sad that filming is over?"

Xi Zirui clings to the front of his suit and lets himself be guided by Han Yu's movements, slow-dancing even though there's no music. "Yeah, that's it, I guess it ended up growing on me."

Han Yu nods sagely, his chin bumping against the top of Xi Zirui's head. "Mn, like a wart."

He's such an idiot, Xi Zirui can't help laughing at his terrible metaphor. It's only after slapping Han Yu on the arm a couple of times that he realizes he's no longer crying.

---

Nothing happens on the day of the final ceremony, and nothing happens on the days that follow.

Xi Zirui moves into Han Yu's apartment in Beijing, insults his extravagant taste, tells him they're going to move somewhere smaller because it makes no sense for two people to live in such a big place, and makes him sell his car because, "Who even drives here? there's enough public transportation options you can take a different one every day of the week!"

Han Yu lets him take over his life with an indulgent smile and a quick "yes, didi", as if he's been waiting for someone to show up and berate him for not properly recycling garbage all these years.

What happens is that Xi Zirui grows complacent.

How far away is this bad ending, anyway? Ni Ni never specified, and still refuses to do so.

She's been talking less and less, actually, only giving Xi Zirui updates on the increase of his public perception and reputation.

Xi Zirui prefers it that way, it allows him to enjoy his domestic bliss with Han Yu in peace.

---

The drama's network organizes a small press tour before the drama airs, and Xi Zirui and Han Yu are contractually obliged to attend.

It ends up not being that bad. They don't come out and announce their relationship but they also don't try to make a secret of it.

If people figure it out, then they figure it out.

Of course, most hosts on the talk shows and variety shows they go on, are more interested in teasing out the details of their relationship than hearing about their upcoming drama.

Xi Zirui sticks to business talk. Only offering details about shooting, the technical constraints they had and how they overcame them, and so forth.

Han Yu, as always, can't help CP baiting.

The speculation online grows rampant. Half of their fans are convinced they got secretly married and adopted a baby, the other half is trying to convince the first half that they hate each other and are actually in relationships with random women.

Xi Zirui follows all this back and forth attentively, to Han Yu's great amusement.

They're coming out of a network's studio, ready to grab lunch together, when Ni Ni chimes for the first time in a long time.

"I'm sorry Host."

Xi Zirui barely has the time to process her words when he hears the sound of screeching wheels coming towards him.

A car has ridden over the sidewalk and is barreling towards him and Han Yu at full speed.

Xi Zirui only has time to push Han Yu out of the way before his world goes dark.

---

"Congratulations on reaching the end of your journey in the custom experience: Take Over the World as a Famous Actor!"

He hears a mechanical voice ringing through his mind. It doesn't resemble Ni Ni, and has a pre-recorded quality to it, like an old answering machines.

The first thing he notices is that he's lying on something flat, neither cold nor hot, neither smooth nor rough.

Xi Zirui opens his eyes, and is violently assaulted with a disorienting sense of vertigo. Everywhere he looks, he only sees white, blinding white as far as the eye can see.

"How are you feeling Host?" This time the voice is definitely Ni Ni.

Xi Zirui looks at his wrist and sees the silver bracelet blinking blue, but the holo screen that usually accompanies Ni Ni is nowhere to be seen.

"Where am I?"

"This is the main menu between worlds, a standby area before Host either returns to his own world or embarks on a journey to a new one."

There's something Xi Zirui knows he should be focusing on. Something happened before he came here.

He recalls the grating sound of rubber on pavement, and Han Yu's radiant smile melting off his lips in a split second.

His heart seizes. "Han Yu, what happened?"

It takes sometime for Ni Ni to start talking. "Host didn't fall in love with the Second Male Lead so he got the bad ending."

Xi Zirui has figured as much...but....did it have to hurt this much? He feels as if there's a fist tightening around his heart.

Ni Ni continues. "The drama was a success. Host's...death, only gave it bigger projection. Several memorial services where held all over the country in Host's memory. Director Liao went on to have a successful directorial career, and even produced a documentary about Host from all the behind the scenes footage from the drama. Manager Li Siqi quit the entertainment business after Host's death and opened a bakery. Both Director Liao and Manager Li lived good lives, but because Host never finished their B-couple side quest they never got together. So Host won't be awarded extra points for this activity."

"What happened to Han Yu?" Xi Zirui asks, wondering if Han Yu moved on after his death. He hopes he did.

Ni Ni sidesteps his question entirely. "Ji Limei got quite a lot of attention with her role as Hai Yaomei's right-hand woman, and was cast in the main role in her next drama. She achieved a lot of success as an actress. Host finished the secret mission of clearing up Ji Limei's colleague's name. So he'll be awarded extra points that will be converted into shop rewards."

Xi Zirui couldn't care less about any of that. "What about Han Yu?"

"Bai Mi was arrested after running down Host. Her target was Han Yu, but Host stepped in her path and pushed him out of the way, saving his life. She was arrested and sentenced to life in prison. Su Xueyi moved to a remove fishing village and opened a delivery business to make the villagers life more comfortable and practical."

Xi Zirui feels like laughing, he guess neither he nor Bai Mi got what they wanted in the end. He doesn't know if he can fully blame her though, it seems he was fated to the bad end.

He asks Ni Ni one last time, tears clinging to his long lashes like dew on lemongrass, "What happened to Han Yu."

"As to Han Yu...INFORMATION NOT AVAILABLE."

Ni Ni says the last words as if something has written over her own voice, or her programming.

Xi Zirui taps the silver bracelet. "Tell me about Han Yu."

"INFORMATION NOT AVAILABLE."

Fuck why is this happening? How is he supposed to move on if he doesn't know what ending Han Yu got?

"What would have happened if I got the happy ending?"

Still sounding disoriented, Ni Ni answers him. "If Host had reached the happy ending, he would have lived out an entire lifetime with his Love Interest, together in blissful and harmonious joy."

He sucks in a shuddering inhale. He wanted that with Han Yu. Xi Zirui was never as happy as he was with Han Yu.

Why couldn't the two of them have a happy ending?

Ni Ni's careless words settle something in him.

The Transmigrator 4000 took him to Han Yu once, it can do so again.

"Ni Ni take me to that terrible shop," he says, wiping his tears with the back of his hand and sitting down on the white floor. "I want another chance."