Became a National Couple with My Ex Chapter 19: Drinking Penalty

If it were someone else, Liang Yixuan would’ve thought "not even knowing how to feed a dog" was just ridiculous.

But with Bian Xu? It honestly seemed possible.

She remembered one time back on the island—she was bored and sewing a little outfit for Peach. Bian Xu had just come out of the recording studio, glanced at the sporty little dog jacket in her hands, and casually remarked, "Not bad. Into pet cosplay now? Raising a male dog like he’s a toy boyfriend?"

She was stunned for a moment, almost thinking she had gotten it wrong.

She flipped Peach over, checked, then hesitantly said, "Isn’t Peach... a boy?"

Bian Xu’s expression froze for a split second.

Then, as if it was the world that got it wrong, not him, he raised an eyebrow and nitpicked, "What kind of male dog is named Peach?"

She hadn’t known how to argue back at the time. All she could manage was, "Well… I guess the name can be a little misleading…"

Later, she found out that Peach was actually a gift from Bian Xu’s grandfather. The old man had seen his grandson throwing himself into work alone on the island and worried he’d turn into a hermit, so he sent the dog to keep him company. Of course, the name Peach was Grandpa’s doing too.

Bian Xu only kept the dog out of respect for his grandfather. You really couldn’t expect him to care much beyond that.

Liang Yixuan didn’t want to waste breath arguing with him. With the energy they’d already spent bickering, the dog would’ve been fed twice by now.

She picked up Peach and headed upstairs, tossing back a sentence over her shoulder: "I’ll feed it once. Watch and learn."

Bian Xu’s room was on the third floor, south side—a suite with a bedroom, living area, bathroom, and a small balcony.

Talk about VIP treatment.

Before stepping in, Liang Yixuan glanced up at the top of the doorframe.

For once, Bian Xu understood what she was doing. He casually lifted his hand and said, "No cameras. You can come in."

But somehow, the moment he said that, Liang Yixuan didn’t want to go in anymore.

Like the only reason she’d step inside was because there weren’t cameras—like it meant something special.

"You bring it out," she said, nodding her chin toward the room.

Leaning against the wall, Bian Xu gave her a puzzled look.

"What, you think I’m gonna eat you if you come in?"

Maybe it was something about that word choice, but both of them flinched a little the second it came out.

These past few days, every time they’d been around each other, there were either cameras or other people nearby. Even earlier in the car, the driver and background music had diluted the mood. But now that they were truly alone, quiet and face-to-face… even an offhand word could land like a spark on dry grass between ex-lovers.

Watching the subtle shift in Liang Yixuan’s expression, Bian Xu gave a small nod, like he’d silently given in. He went inside, brought out an unopened bag of dog food and a brand-new dog bowl, and placed them beside the coffee table in the third-floor lounge. Then he started fiddling with the packaging.

Liang Yixuan shook her head and walked over.

"Hold the dog."

Bian Xu took Peach from her arms, weighed it a bit, and gave a soft grunt.

"So heavy—and you’ve been holding it this whole time without saying anything?"

As a ballet dancer, Liang Yixuan had strong core and upper body strength, more than most girls. But Peach had grown a bit lately, and even she was starting to feel it.

Still, Peach had wanted to snuggle close to her, so she’d held on a little longer.

She ignored Bian Xu’s comment, squatted down, opened the dog food, poured out the right amount, and waved Peach over.

Peach instantly jumped from Bian Xu’s arms and buried its head in the bowl.

Bian Xu crouched beside it and gave it a light knock on the head.

"Don’t eat so much—you’re getting too heavy to carry."

Peach paused, then looked up at Liang Yixuan with round eyes.

Almost like it understood that Bian Xu was talking about her—because Bian Xu himself almost never carried it.

"I can carry you," Liang Yixuan said, shooting a glare at Bian Xu. She pointed at the bowl and told Peach, "Go ahead and eat."

Reassured, Peach happily dove back in.

Bian Xu, still stunned by the look she’d just given him, didn’t move. He just stared at her.

Had he been blind before… or had her expressions always been this vivid?

He’d never seen her look at him like that.

Feeling his gaze on her face, Liang Yixuan looked back at him, puzzled.

Bian Xu quickly looked away—anywhere but at her. In the end, he just stared at the dog.

When Peach finished munching down all the food and started licking the bowl clean, Bian Xu, for once, found himself thinking, This little thing’s actually kind of cute.

He reached out to rub Peach’s head.

At that exact moment, Liang Yixuan had the same thought—and beat him to it, her hand landing on Peach’s head first.

Almost instantly, a broad palm landed over hers.

Liang Yixuan froze, from fingertips to spine.

A second later, one hand pulled away, while the other instinctively tried to close over it—

And closed on nothing.

Liang Yixuan stood up and said in a flat, mechanical tone, "This amount is too much. From now on, feed half of this per meal, three times a day."

Then she turned and left the lounge.

Bian Xu stood up, resting a hand on his knee.

"When’s the dog walk?"

Liang Yixuan didn’t answer.

He followed her a few steps.

"The dog’s innocent, you know."

She turned back and gave him a look of clear disgust.

"I’ll walk it. But the dog can come—not you."

Shen Ji and Pan Yu, both workaholics, weren’t back from the office yet, and dinner hadn’t started. Seeing that Peach had been cooped up all day and just ate a big meal, Liang Yixuan decided to take it out for a walk to help it digest.

But Bian Xu could tell—she meant it. When she said "you’re not coming," she meant it.

He tried to argue. "It’s getting dark, and we’re basically in the middle of nowhere. Isn’t that dangerous?"

Liang Yixuan shot him a look like, "Could anywhere possibly be more dangerous than standing next to you?"

He said, "Border collies are energetic—you sure you can manage the leash on your own?"

Right then, Cheng Nuo suddenly popped out of some hidden corner and cheerfully volunteered, "I’ll go with her!"

Bian Xu tried again, "Do either of you girls even know the way around here?"

The two girls responded in perfect sync, united in their annoyance: "Ever heard of something called Gaode Maps, Mr. Bian?"

In the end, Peach went off happily with Liang Yixuan, while Bian Xu got left behind in the house. He was stuck awkwardly making eye contact with Lin Xiao Sheng in the kitchen, a young guy who kept sizing him up with a look that basically said, "So this is all you’ve got, huh?"

Liang Yixuan figured dinner would be ready soon and didn’t want everyone waiting around hungry, so she didn’t go far. She and Cheng Nuo just walked Peach around the nearby area in circles.

After a bit, a pair of white headlights appeared in the distance. The two of them looked up—it was Shen Ji’s Cayenne.

He stopped the car and rolled down the window, smiling at the two girls standing under the streetlight.

"Where’d you find such a cute dog?"

"It’s Bian Xu’s," Cheng Nuo quickly answered, sensing Liang Yixuan might feel awkward bringing up her ex in front of Shen Ji. Then she added with a grin, "Cuter than Bian Xu, right?"

Shen Ji chuckled. "Well, you two have fun."

Cheng Nuo was about to nod, then suddenly had an idea.

"Ah! I just realized—I need the bathroom. How about you walk with Yixuan?"

Before Shen Ji could say anything, she waved him off breezily.

"Don’t worry, I’ve had my license for two years. I’ll drive your car back safely!"

Shen Ji glanced at Liang Yixuan. Seeing she didn’t object, he nodded and got out of the car.

Cheng Nuo hopped into the driver’s seat and sped off in a flash.

Now it was just Shen Ji and Liang Yixuan on the roadside.

Well, and one cameraman still tailing them.

The director's team had worked hard to get Liang Yixuan back on camera—even her interactions with Cheng Nuo had been considered worth filming. And now, even though Bian Xu wasn’t around, his dog was, which sort of counted as an indirect connection—so the cameraman had insisted on tagging along.

Shen Ji gave the cameraman a polite nod, then pointed at the leash in Liang Yixuan’s hand.

"Walking a border collie’s no joke. Want me to take over?"

"It’s manageable since it’s not fully grown yet."

But seeing Shen Ji already reaching out his hand, she passed the leash to him anyway.

Holding the leash, Shen Ji began walking forward and turned his head slightly toward her.

"Been busy lately?"

To avoid Bian Xu, Liang Yixuan had barely been on camera except for the mandatory texting segments. She and Shen Ji hadn’t really spoken for a few days.

They had exchanged texts, but it was just the usual polite stuff—"Hope work’s going well," "Get some rest," that kind of thing.

Both of them were naturally reserved and gentle, and this polite distance didn’t make it easy for the relationship to warm up. Lately, things had even started to feel a little distant again.

Liang Yixuan nodded.

"Sorry I haven’t really joined in on group activities this week."

Shen Ji shook his head.

"It’s understandable. I get it."

From that single line—"It’s understandable"—Liang Yixuan could tell he had probably figured out the real reason she’d been keeping her distance.

Seeing she had nothing to say to that, Shen Ji shifted to a lighter topic.

"Who’s cooking tonight?"

"Xiao Sheng."

Shen Ji smiled.

"Not many guys in their early twenties are that capable and hardworking these days."

Liang Yixuan nodded, then, for some reason, her thoughts drifted to another early-twenties guy.

"There are plenty out there who don’t lift a finger and couldn’t tell you whether rice grows on trees or in the ground—let alone cook a meal."

Shen Ji burst out laughing.

"Seems like you’ve been busy lately, but your spirits are up."

Liang Yixuan paused, surprised.

"Really?"

Shen Ji nodded thoughtfully.

"I think I’m a pretty good judge of character."

As they chatted, the villa came into view ahead of them.

Just then, Liang Yixuan happened to look up—and froze.

At the top of the arched wooden bridge in the yard, someone was standing perfectly straight, arms crossed, staring straight at her.

The cold intensity in his gaze felt almost tangible as it landed heavily on her.

The cameraman behind her lit up like he’d just found buried treasure. He lifted the camera higher and zoomed right in on the figure across the yard.

"……"

Shen Ji held the dog leash in one hand and pushed open the garden gate with the other. He nodded toward the man on the bridge. "Mr. Bian."

"Just got off work and already squeezing in extra face time? You really work hard, Mr. Shen." Bian Xu walked over, took the leash from him, and scooped up Peach, who was panting slightly. As he scratched the dog’s belly, he said, "You’ll go with anyone, huh?"

Peach squirmed in his arms, letting out little distressed whimpers.

Liang Yixuan quickly walked up with a frown and lightly patted him. "Don’t mess around."

Bian Xu suddenly froze, lowering his gaze to where she had just touched his arm. He stared blankly for a while, seemingly dazed.

The cameraman, sensing a great shot, zoomed in on his face.

Bian Xu glanced coldly up at him.

The cameraman quickly backed off with an apology.

Liang Yixuan also realized her action might look inappropriate on camera and sighed in frustration before ducking her head and walking between Bian Xu and the cameraman.

Bian Xu chuckled softly.

He wasn’t even mad about being "hit," yet she seemed to be upset on his behalf — so much so that he didn’t even have the chance to get mad himself.

Inside the villa, everyone had finally gathered. With all seven of them present, the production team sent out a message asking the group to play a quick game before dinner — Truth or Dare, using props.

Liang Yixuan had gone out to get away from Bian Xu and enjoyed a brief moment of peace, but when she came back, the seating arrangement was already set. Bian Xu had chosen the seat between the last two open spots, so no matter where she sat, he would be between her and Shen Ji.

And while Cheng Nuo was willing to switch seats with her, his seat was directly across from Bian Xu, which wasn’t much better.

So Liang Yixuan just let it go and sat down next to Bian Xu, treating him like he didn’t exist.

There were eight Chinese dishes and a few cans of beer on the table.

Duan Ye, looking like he hadn’t eaten in days, picked up his chopsticks, but Cheng Nuo nudged him with his elbow. "Don’t rush! Everyone’s here tonight, let’s warm up with a few rounds of Truth or Dare first."

Duan Ye waved him off. "I’m good. You guys play."

Cheng Nuo muttered, "You think I’m not hungry too? Didn’t you see the message from the production team?"

Duan Ye gave a casual "Oh" and set down his chopsticks.

Shen Ji smiled, playing along. "Alright, it’s been a while since I played one of these games."

"Great." Cheng Nuo, clearly familiar with how things worked, grabbed a glass bottle and placed it in the center of the table.

Everyone seemed to know the rules and didn’t object.

Bian Xu waited for someone to explain how to play, but when no one did, he leaned toward Liang Yixuan and asked in a low voice, "Truth... or what now?"

"..."

Liang Yixuan didn’t really want to deal with him, but since Cheng Nuo had already started spinning the bottle, she quickly whispered, slowly and clearly, "Truth. Or. Dare. It means—"

She was still explaining when the bottle stopped — pointing straight at Bian Xu.

Everyone looked over with varying expressions at the two who had been whispering.

Things suddenly got quiet. Liang Yixuan stopped talking and pointed at the bottle. "It’s your turn."

"Mr. Bian, starting us off strong. Pretty lucky," Cheng Nuo said with a grin.

"Oh." Bian Xu reached out to spin the bottle again.

"?"

Liang Yixuan stopped him and gave him a helpless look, as if scolding a clueless kid. "It’s your turn to answer, not to spin…"

Bian Xu glanced at Cheng Nuo in confusion. "And you’re calling that lucky?"

Cheng Nuo was momentarily speechless. "It’s just a figure of speech…"

Pan Yu chimed in with a smile. "Looks like Mr. Bian’s never played this kind of game before. Let’s be patient and explain. Now you choose a punishment — either answer a truth question or do a dare. The content is written on the cards."

Bian Xu casually picked a card from the Truth pile.

Cheng Nuo glanced down and cursed under his breath.

Pan Yu leaned over to look, then raised an eyebrow with interest. "Mr. Bian, the question is — when was your first love?"

Bian Xu frowned. "Do I have to answer?"

"If you don’t, you’ll have to drink," Pan Yu replied cheerfully.

Bian Xu went quiet.

Drinking a little beer wasn’t a big deal. Everyone, including Liang Yixuan, thought there was no way he’d share something that personal. But then, to their surprise, Bian Xu opened his mouth.

"Last December."

Liang Yixuan’s eyelashes trembled slightly.

Cheng Nuo let out a low whoa, his face clearly reading, That face and your first love wasn’t until you were 23? You’re not faking some pure-boy image, are you?

But then again, did Bian Xu need to fake anything?

And even if he were, that kind of image wasn’t exactly a brag for a man.

Bian Xu acted like he didn’t notice any of the side glances, only looking at Liang Yixuan. "That count?"

"It counts," Cheng Nuo said, collecting the card, shuffling the pile, and pointing to the bottle. "Now Mr. Bian gets to spin."

Bian Xu spun it again.

After a few dizzying turns, the bottle slowed down and came to a stop — pointing right at Liang Yixuan beside him.

Liang Yixuan: "..."

"Bad luck for that corner of the table," Cheng Nuo said with a shrug. "Yixuan, pick a card."

Worried the dare might involve something awkward with a guy, Liang Yixuan also picked from the Truth pile.

As she flipped over the card, everyone froze.

Liang Yixuan stared at it.

It was the exact same question Bian Xu had drawn.

Under the table, her hand tightened into a fist.

Bian Xu glanced beneath the tablecloth.

"What a coincidence..." Cheng Nuo laughed awkwardly, regretting deeply that he had shuffled the card back in earlier.

Liang Yixuan exhaled lightly. "Can I take the drink instead?"

Bian Xu turned to look at her.

Pan Yu chuckled. "It’s a pretty simple question. Mr. Bian answered just fine, and he’s a public figure. What’s the problem?"

Liang Yixuan pressed her lips together and gave a faint smile. "Because it’s not something worth remembering."

With that, she reached for the beer can in front of her and popped it open with a crisp psst.

The sound hit Bian Xu’s ears like a sharp stab.

Just as Liang Yixuan tilted her head back to drink, the can was suddenly snatched from her hand.

Bian Xu, under everyone’s stunned gaze, drank the entire can in one go, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he gulped it down.

When it was empty, he crushed the can, casually brushed his knuckles across his lips, and turned to look at her.

"Since that’s the case, I’ll take the punishment for you."