Became a National Couple with My Ex Chapter 34: From Showy Peacock to Sick Chicken

Liang Yixuan silently turned over the lamb skewers, pretending not to hear the whispering in her ear.

The cameraman nearby was both curious and impatient, zooming in on the two of them again and again.

Bian Xu lifted his eyelids and glanced at the cameraman. He lowered his voice and said to Liang Yixuan, "I’ll ask you later."

With that, he straightened up and let her be.

Oddly enough, that’s when Liang Yixuan finally reacted.

She tilted her head toward him and said, "No need. There’s nothing I can’t say on camera."

Bian Xu turned to look at her.

"I joined Nanba in June 2015. In July, Nanba and the Nanhua Opera House invited you for a collaboration. You were constantly hanging around our theater those two months. I’m not deaf or blind. Is it really that strange that I heard about your vinyl release?" she said, frowning slightly.

Bian Xu did remember that collaboration. But to him, it was just another performance among many, and he hadn’t interacted directly with the dancers. Four years had passed, and honestly, he didn’t recall much about it.

Now that she brought it up, he vaguely remembered that several junior performers at Nanba had asked their teachers if they could get insider help buying his newly released vinyl.

He didn’t really care who bought his albums, and since it happened during the Nanba collaboration, he let his studio handle it and gave them some extra copies through informal channels.

Thinking about it that way, it wasn’t odd that Liang Yixuan knew about it.

Still, the way she brushed off their "shared past" so casually made it sound dull and unromantic.

"Oh," Bian Xu responded flatly. "So, you didn’t buy my album back then?"

"Did I look like I was rolling in cash?"

Not willing to let it go, Bian Xu asked again, "Then why didn’t you just say that earlier?"

Liang Yixuan’s eyes flickered slightly. She pointed to the smoke rising from the grill and mimicked Bian Xu’s usual arrogant tone: "With all the smoke, I couldn’t even talk properly. I just wanted to keep quiet, but you wouldn’t stop asking. Can you take a hint or not?"

"……"

Zhao Meng’en stared at Bian Xu, as if watching a proud peacock suddenly turn into a defeated, drooping chicken.

Bian Xu sighed, took the skewers from Liang Yixuan’s hands, and gently pulled her behind him, stepping into the smoky grill area himself.

If it had been someone else, Liang Yixuan would’ve at least been polite. But since it was Bian Xu—especially one who’d just been riding high on smugness—she didn’t feel the need. She happily stayed behind him, handed him seasonings, and bossed him around with zero shame.

At the grill next door, Shen Ji had also taken charge of the cooking. Zhao Meng’en, with nothing left to do, moved to the back and started chatting with Liang Yixuan: "Ms. Liang, you said you joined Nanba in 2015—where did you study before that?"

"I was at the affiliated school of Beicheng Dance Academy. Seven-year ballet program."

"So you’re from Beicheng too, like Mr. Bian?"

Liang Yixuan shook her head.

"I’m from Nanhua. I just lived in Beicheng from age ten to seventeen."

"Still, I’m so jealous. That means you and Mr. Bian breathed the same air for seven whole years!"

Liang Yixuan let out a soft laugh.

This little fangirl really couldn’t go two sentences without bringing up Bian Xu.

She suddenly remembered that when she first found out Bian Xu was from Beicheng, she had once imagined that maybe, during those seven years, they might have run into each other in that city—maybe even just passed by one another on the street.

Later, after learning more about Bian Xu’s background, she realized that those seven years were exactly when he was studying in Europe and touring internationally, gaining fame.

He probably only returned to Beicheng once a year—on New Year’s Eve.

And on New Year’s Eve, she was usually in Nanhua at her grandmother’s place.

In today’s internet slang, you could say they were "living in the same city in name only."

But this time, Liang Yixuan didn’t want to risk saying too much and accidentally revealing something again.

She simply smiled and said, "Maybe."

Bian Xu had been waiting to see if she would blurt out the truth again and correct the mistake.

Hearing her vague reply, he paused, turned to glance at Zhao Meng’en, and said slowly, "Didn’t Baidu tell you I was in Europe during those seven years?"

"Ah—right! My brain short-circuited..." Zhao Meng’en bowed her head apologetically, but as she took a breath, she suddenly wrinkled her nose. "Wait—what’s that smell?"

Liang Yixuan rushed over to check the lamb skewers in Bian Xu’s hand.

"How long has it been since you turned them?"

Bian Xu turned back around.

He’d gotten too caught up listening to Liang Yixuan’s conversation and hadn’t touched the skewers for a while.

What? These things were that delicate? Couldn’t even handle this much heat?

He raised an eyebrow and flipped them over.

Charcoal black.

Most of the skewers were burnt to a crisp—only a few looked halfway decent.

"Seriously…" Liang Yixuan shoved Bian Xu aside and moved the charred ones off to the side.

Bian Xu gave a little cough.

"There are still a few good ones left, aren’t there? Just… normal loss."

"If I’d let you keep going, there wouldn’t be a single one left from your ‘normal loss.’"

Zhao Meng’en quickly tried to smooth things over.

"They look fine! Are the ones that survived edible? I’ll take one!"

Liang Yixuan inspected the remaining skewers. They looked cooked on the outside, but since she wasn’t confident in her grilling skills either, she hesitated.

"Let me try one first."

Before she could take a bite, Bian Xu snatched the skewer from her and, like a soldier marching off to battle, said, "I’ll do it."

Liang Yixuan watched him chew with a frown, then swallow.

"Is it cooked?"

"Medium rare, I’d say."

"…" Did he think he was eating a lamb chop?

"Too raw. Don’t eat it," Liang Yixuan warned him.

Just then, Shen Ji came over with some finished skewers and handed them to both of them.

"Mine are ready. If you’re hungry, go ahead and eat."

Bian Xu glanced at the skewers—nicely cooked, garnished with chopped scallions—and said flatly, "No thanks. I don’t eat scallions."

Liang Yixuan choked a little, saw Shen Ji still standing there awkwardly holding out the skewers, and took one.

"Thank you."

"Didn’t you say you don’t eat barbecue?" Bian Xu frowned.

Well, it was only because he had refused Shen Ji so bluntly that she felt obligated to accept one out of politeness.

"He brought it over specially," she whispered, just loud enough for Bian Xu to hear.

"What, he drove fifty kilometers to bring it to you?"

There was no point trying to explain social cues to someone who clearly didn’t get them. Liang Yixuan shook her head and focused on eating her beef skewer.

Bian Xu looked away and silently finished off the half-cooked skewer he’d made himself, nodding firmly.

"I like medium rare."

By the end of the barbecue, everyone was reeking of smoke, yet still hungry. It had all been a chaotic mess—more for the sake of the show than for an actual meal.

At the dining table, two Michelin three-star chefs took turns serving dishes, and everyone finally had a satisfying and luxurious meal.

By the time dinner ended, it was already late. The production team suggested that everyone return to their rooms to shower and freshen up first, and then they would film the texting segment later.

Each double room only had one bathroom, so someone had to go first. Cheng Nuo figured that Liang Yixuan probably wasn’t used to the strong smell of barbecue, so she let her go upstairs for a shower first while she stayed behind to clean up the table.

Shen Ji also gave up the bathroom in his room to Lin Xiao Sheng and stayed to help move the tables and chairs.

Soon, only Cheng Nuo and Shen Ji were left in the courtyard.

When the cameraman came over to shoot some extra footage, Cheng Nuo waved him off and said, "There’s nothing interesting to film with me and Brother Ji. Cut me some slack—can’t you see my face is all black from the charcoal smoke?"

Shen Ji glanced at Cheng Nuo, who looked worn out and dirty, and told the cameraman, "Girls care about their image. Better not film this. You guys go take a break. If Director Liu needs anything, I’ll handle it."

The cameraman nodded and quietly walked away.

Cheng Nuo looked touched.

"If Duan Ye could be even half as thoughtful as you, my life would be so much easier. I was the one fighting through all that smoke during the barbecue, and he might as well have been a corpse!"

Shen Ji laughed.

"It wasn’t just me. Teacher Bian was pretty considerate today too."

Cheng Nuo gave him a strange look.

"And you’re still laughing? Where’s your sense of urgency?" She lowered her voice and said, "Since Yixuan came back to the show, it feels like things between her and Teacher Bian have really been heating up. Better be careful—what if you don’t get a text tonight?"

Shen Ji just smiled and shook his head.

"If that happens, there’s nothing I can do."

"Why are you so Zen about this? You and Yixuan have been a mutual pick for three weeks now."

His smile faded a bit. After thinking it over, he asked, "Do you really think it was mutual?"

"If not, then what?"

"The show’s rules say we have to send a message to someone of the opposite gender every night. She’s just someone who follows the rules." Shen Ji shook his head. "Over half her messages to me were just saying thank you. The rest were polite responses—just good manners. Even our dates felt like that."

"But she picked you to text and go on dates with—that still means she likes you, at least a little. Otherwise, why not pick Duan Ye or Xiao Sheng?"

Shen Ji looked down with a faint smile.

"Don’t you like me?"

Cheng Nuo froze for a moment.

Shen Ji really did have the kind of personality that made people feel comfortable.

But that kind of liking wasn’t necessarily romantic.

"How do you know she only sees you as a friend?"

"Because I’ve seen how she acts around Teacher Bian."

His answer was calm, reasonable—and left Cheng Nuo speechless again.

Thinking back, Shen Ji hadn’t been completely passive when the show started. But ever since Bian Xu arrived, the more Liang Yixuan treated him differently, the more Shen Ji faded into the background.

"But if you never try, how do you know she’ll never act like that around you?" Cheng Nuo shot him a look.

"Is this a side effect of your job? Always doing risk control? Emotions don’t work like that. You just have to go for it and see what happens. Look at Teacher Bian—he tried once and failed, but he’s already on his second try."

Shen Ji looked up at the second floor, where Liang Yixuan’s room light was still on.

"There’s only a little time left on the show," Cheng Nuo said, patting his shoulder. "Might as well try—better to regret trying than to live with what-ifs."

Upstairs in the double room, Liang Yixuan had finished showering and blow-drying her hair. Since Cheng Nuo hadn’t come back yet, she threw on a jacket over her loungewear and went downstairs, where she saw Cheng Nuo and Shen Ji washing dishes in the kitchen. She offered to take over.

"You go take a hot shower. I’ll handle the rest," she told Cheng Nuo.

"Great. Then you help Brother Ji." Cheng Nuo winked at Shen Ji, hinting that he should seize the opportunity, and then vanished in a flash.

Shen Ji shook his head at her disappearing figure, then turned back to Liang Yixuan.

"The water heater in the kitchen’s acting up today. Don’t put your hands in the water. Just help dry the dishes—that’s how Xiao Nuo and I split the work earlier."

"It’s fine. I’ll wear gloves, it’s not cold." She picked up a pair of cleaning gloves.

Shen Ji paused and frowned slightly.

"Yixuan, you don’t always have to be so polite with me."

She froze mid-motion.

"I really don’t mind the cold. Washing together will be faster…"

"If…" Shen Ji started to say something, then stopped himself and forced a smile. "If you insist, then let’s wash together."

Liang Yixuan nodded, pulled on her gloves, and looked at the counter full of plates.

"Did we really use this many dishes?"

"Eight servings of fine dining, each with multiple courses—it adds up." Shen Ji smiled and nodded.

Liang Yixuan sighed and shook her head.

"Hopeless at everything… except wasting stuff."

In the third-floor suite, the self-declared king of extravagance was sitting on the couch, holding his phone and messaging the production team: 「Send up some stomach medicine.」

Director Liu Peng replied:「Oh no, Teacher Bian, what happened?」

What happened? If the production team hadn’t insisted on using the barbecue as a highlight, would his delicate stomach be hurting from half-cooked lamb skewers?

Bian Xu sent back a voice message: "Just bring up whatever stomach meds you’ve got."

Then he tossed the phone aside and leaned back against the sofa.

Fifteen minutes later, there was a knock at the door.

He pushed himself up and opened it.

Outside stood Pan Yu, holding a bag of medicine, which he gave a little shake.

"Stomachache?"

Bian Xu frowned.

"Who told you to bring it?"

Pan Yu gave a casual smile.

"The staff came to deliver the meds, but Yixuan’s still downstairs doing the dishes with Shen Ji, so I brought it up instead."

Bian Xu’s tone earlier hadn’t actually been a question—it was a clear sign of displeasure.

He hadn’t expected that kind of answer.

After a brief pause, Bian Xu gave a wordless nod, took the medicine from Pan Yu, and shut the door.

He tossed the bag onto the table, braced his hands on the edge, clenched his jaw, and closed his eyes.