He is Too Stingy, This Sand Sculpture Cannon Fodder

Extra Chapter: Talk Show and Open

On the evening of the beginning of spring, Shu You was performing at a theater in the neighboring city.

“Hello, everyone. I’m Shu You.”

He already had many fans, and there were also dedicated audience members who came all the way to this city to support him. Several fluorescent signs were raised in the audience, with his name written on them along with his English name.

“Last time on the show, I mentioned that my boyfriend had succeeded in his business venture, so I can’t make jokes about his entrepreneurial endeavors anymore.”

“Somebody left me a huge comment saying it’s a pity and they still want to hear them.”

“To be honest, I also really want to share them, but I can’t contradict myself.”

Laughs

At this moment, a kind laughter emerged from the audience, and people were whispering to each other, “Is this the same variety show where Shu You gained popularity?”

“Me too, me too. Let’s exchange WeChat and send each other Shu You’s emojis.”

On stage, Shu You paused for a moment and continued, “But my boyfriend helped me solve this problem.”

He held the microphone in his left hand and slightly raised his right hand to show everyone the engagement ring on his finger. With a smile, he shared, “He proposed to me, and now he’s my fiancé.”

“Ah, as expected.”

“Displaying affection, displaying affection is Shu You’s traditional project. Criticizing openly, showing affection secretly.”

“Here we go, I came here specifically to hear jokes about Shu You’s boyfriend. It’s so satisfying to see it live.”

“Sister in the front row, I’m different from you. I’m a fan of Shu You’s husband, and Shu You is my wife.”

“So, now I can continue with jokes about my fiancé.”

Shu You blinked playfully and said, “In the future, I can even tell jokes about my husband.”

“But the unfortunate part is, he really succeeded in his business venture, so now I can’t find any flaws in him.”

The audience members said, “Damn it, this display of affection is too much.”

“After all, he’s good-looking, tall, and a kind-hearted person. He succeeded in his business venture. In short, I suddenly realized that I unknowingly got myself an exceptionally outstanding boyfriend.”

“But in my eyes, he is still the diligent young talent who was working hard on his business venture.”

At this moment, Shu You paused again and emphasized, “Young, talented.”

“It means that even if he gets older and is no longer as handsome, money will still make up for it.”

The audience burst into laughter.

“For example, at that time, we were very poor, and we lived frugally.”

Shu You cleared his throat, “You know, it’s mainly because I’m thrifty.”

Laughs

“Shu You is so self-aware, haha.”

“Yes, Shu You is the stingiest person I’ve ever met, but fortunately, he’s not as stingy as Scrooge1. He’s within a normal range of stinginess, haha.”

“Well, thinking about it, if I had the skills of Shu You in managing money, my mom definitely wouldn’t complain about me every day.”

“Being thrifty, I have a lot of experience.”

Shu You smiled and continued, “I told my boyfriend, you know, the water used for washing vegetables can be used to water plants, and the water used for washing hands can be used to flush the toilet.”

“At that time, we had just started living together, so we didn’t know each other well. When I said this, he looked at me with a very puzzled expression, as if I were an alien.”

“But not long after, because the pipes were as old as the house, the drainage got blocked.”

“I immediately demonstrated the seven-step handwashing technique to him and tried to solve the problem by pouring water into the toilet.”

“And then…”

Shu You intentionally paused and looked at the audience, who shrugged their shoulders. “And then, as expected, it didn’t flush.”

“Hahaha, I thought it would flush.”

“Me too, I’m really laughing to death.”

“I took a closer look, and what do you think was the reason?”

Shu You shrugged again, “It turned out I didn’t use enough water.”

“Laughing to death, you never disappoint.”

“You really live up to your name, Shu You. You only use such a small amount of water to wash your hands.”

“I suddenly want to know how much Shu You’s monthly water and electricity bills are.”

“Water and electricity bills.”

Upon hearing their conversation, Shu You chuckled and said, “Just a reminder, there might be coupons for discounted electricity bills from the official provider recently. Remember to take advantage of it.”

The audience responded, “Wow, I’m going to claim it right away.”

“Love it, love it. Watching a comedy show and saving money. My mom praises me for being thrifty.”

“In summary, in the beginning, we had a rough start in life.”

“He’s used to being generous, and I’m more frugal.”

“But the circumstances at that time didn’t allow him to be too generous.”

“So, usually, I spend the money, and he pays, which satisfies both my thriftiness and his generosity.”

The audience commented, making it seem like they were a perfect match.

One responsible for saving, the other for spending.

“So much so that now I think it’s more comfortable to be in a relationship with someone complementary. It’s like two irregular semicircles fitting perfectly together, forming a whole.”

“But…”

Shu You winked mischievously and said, “After all, now I speak with a filter, so it doesn’t count.”

“Hahaha, you admitted it. Showing affection shamelessly, hahaha.”

“Shu You, who is your boyfriend, anyway?”

Even though Shu You occasionally mentioned his boyfriend, he had kept his identity, name, and personal information well hidden.

He wasn’t a celebrity in the entertainment industry and didn’t have paparazzi following him.

Over time, questions about how good-looking Shu You’s boyfriend was, whether Shu You’s boyfriend was made up, and whether Shu You actually had a boyfriend became the famous “Shu You’s Three Questions.”

Today, Shu You had no intention of addressing these questions either.

“I can only say that my boyfriend is real.”

Shu You blinked his eyes and said seriously, “Otherwise, who bought me the engagement ring?”

“What if I bought it for myself?”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk.”

Shu You didn’t hold back and stared at that audience member, smiling mischievously, “Don’t leave right away. I’ll give you an autographed photo later.”

“Hahaha, I’ll remember that, Shu You.”

“Don’t leave after school, Shuyou. Hahaha.”

The performance ended.

Amidst the applause and cheers from the audience, Shu You walked lightly to the backstage area and drank a special throat-clearing beverage.

As he turned his head, he saw Lin Mingxu standing not far away, raising an eyebrow as he looked at him.

“Ahem.”

Shu You knew that Lin Mingxu would come to pick him up today, but he didn’t expect him to arrive so early.

“Did you see it?”

He couldn’t help but cough and proactively asked, “My performance.”

“I saw it.”

Lin Mingxu admitted.

It’s hard to describe the feeling of watching Shu You perform from the audience’s perspective, even though it wasn’t the first time.

But when Shu You mentioned him during the performance, it felt different.

He was like shining.

Radiantly shining.

At that moment, Shu You on stage, under the spotlight, in the eyes of the audience, was magical.

And it firmly captivated Lin Mingxu’s heart.

So…

Initially, the jokes that left him slightly speechless, now he listened to them without any change in expression. After all, everyone knows now that Shu You has a boyfriend, and they are very affectionate.

At least this satisfied some of Lin Mingxu’s inner thoughts.

As for the specifics, it was just an ordinary and private matter of love.

The two of them walked side by side, heading outside.

At the exit, there were scattered spectators leaving one after another. Some sharp-eyed individuals quickly recognized a familiar figure and promptly took photos.

Before long, a new post appeared on a certain online platform.

[LittleMelonLovesEatingMelon: I captured a picture of Shu You and his boyfriend! They really look perfect together. #Picture #Picture #Picture]

Originally, this was just a small account with a few hundred inactive followers. However, due to the post, it quickly made its way to Shu You’s fan page and was even retweeted by his dedicated fans.

The next morning, Shu You woke up feeling a familiar soreness and reached for his buzzing phone by the pillow. It was a call from Wu Youzhe.

“Shu You.”

“Bro, Brother Wu.”

“Shu You, why are you so unenthusiastic today? Did your battery run out?”

Shu You replied, “No.”

Struggling to get up with his sore back, he leaned against the soft cushion on the bed. “I just need to rest today.”

“Don’t do that.”

Wu Youzhe sounded urgent. “You’re on the hot search, don’t you know?”

“It’s just a hot search.”

Shu You didn’t think much of it and sarcastically remarked, “Anyway, I don’t have many fans. It’ll blow over soon.”

“It’s different this time.”

Wu Youzhe raised his voice. “You were seen with someone last night, don’t you know? If you don’t want things to get too complicated, you better handle it quickly.”

“What?”

Shu You was a bit confused.

Last night, he was with Lin Mingxu.

Why did it sound like he was with someone else from Wu Youzhe’s tone?

He quickly hung up the phone and logged into his Weibo account to check.

Hmm, this time the phone didn’t freeze. It seemed like the situation wasn’t too serious.

After reading for a few minutes, Shu You finally understood what had happened.

Perhaps, maybe, he should ask Lin Mingxu if he wanted to go public.

Initially, he thought that involving Lin Mingxu, who was not part of the entertainment industry but rather a businessman, might have an impact on him.

And Shu You was used to being low-key. He had never considered himself a celebrity and still saw himself as that nerdy guy from before.

But now…

Lin Mingxu still hadn’t replied.

Shu You eagerly clicked on the hot search and started reading what people were saying.

[Netizen A: Is this really Shu You’s boyfriend?]

[Netizen B: Does simply walking together mean they’re a couple? Then my brother and I walking together would be misunderstood too.]

[Netizen C: Are you and your brother that close? If so, my friend, be brave, okay?]

[Netizen D: Wait, this guy looks somewhat familiar.]

Enter the all-knowing detective netizen.

They claimed to be able to uncover anything, whether it be the filming locations of fleeting scenes in movies and TV dramas, clothing and accessories, home decor, or even well-hidden celebrities. They could find out everything.

And today, the netizens were just as efficient in digging up information.

[Netizen D: Found him! It should be this person.

Their body type, hairstyle, and side profile all matched, except for one thing. This person seemed to have come from a wealthy family since childhood, while Shu You mentioned that his boyfriend had only recently achieved success after a period of struggle.]

[Netizen E: I also found some traces while digging deeper. I’m a bit excited. This is my first time actively participating in the gossip frontline.

Not only did I find some information about this person, but I also found evaluations from his classmates during his school days.

Wow, he attended an extremely expensive private school and was practically the real-life version of a campus heartthrob.

Both in terms of appearance and abilities, he was outstanding. Oh no, oh no, if I were Shu You, I might also like him.]

[Netizen F: Hold on a second, let’s not jump to conclusions. Could it be that Shu You’s story has been artistically enhanced? Perhaps there are some compromises for the sake of performance, which might not be entirely true.]

That statement is a bit delicate.

Below, there were clamoring crowds of onlookers. Suddenly, a furious fan of Shu You exclaimed, [What do you mean? Are you saying that Shu You fabricated a story for performance?]

[Netizen G: I didn’t say that. I just mentioned artistic embellishment. Maybe the real experience was adapted. And besides, it might not necessarily be the person he mentioned. It could be someone else.]

The topic started to go off track.

Wu Youzhe called again.

“Shu You, you can’t just ignore this,” he said anxiously. “These people are spreading rumors that you broke up with your previous boyfriend and found someone wealthy, and they’re spreading it with such vivid details.”

“You need to discuss with Lin Mingxu and figure out how to respond.”

Shu You was a bit confused.

But after thinking for a moment, he calmly said, “Don’t worry, I’ll figure it out.”

He hung up the phone and returned to the internet.

The narrative was indeed starting to shift.

Netizen H suggested, [Shu You, come out and respond. Which one is your boyfriend? Is it this bronze entrepreneur who failed in his business or this gold second-generation tycoon?]

Netizen K added, [They’re always showing off their love on stage. Could it all be fake? One does stand-up comedy, selling this kind of image. Is it interesting?]

Netizen L chimed in, [There aren’t many fools. These three are just a bunch of clowns.]

Shu You pondered for a while when suddenly the door was pushed open. Lin Mingxu walked in carrying breakfast. Seeing that Shu You was already awake, he raised an eyebrow and said, “Awake?”

“Awake, awake,” Shu You instinctively flinched a little and chuckled, “Can I apply for a work-related injury?”

“Sure.”

Lin Mingxu set up a small table for him, allowing him to have breakfast in bed. He also got closer, gently kissed the corner of Shu You’s lips, and smiled, “Then I’d like to apply for overtime pay.”

“Boyfriend, are you working overtime?” Shu You asked.

Lin Mingxu answered calmly, “I didn’t before, but now I want to do 996.”

Shu You: “…”

Lin Mingxu, where is your face?

Oh, Lin Mingxu’s personal funds were all in Shu You’s hands, so there was no problem.

Thinking about the growing number in his bank account, Shu You felt a bit relieved and hummed a little, “It hurts.”

He complained, “Boyfriend, you don’t love me anymore. You don’t even feel sorry for me.”

“In that case, I won’t work overtime today. I’ll massage you.”

Lin Mingxu immediately softened his attitude. He reached out his arm, his large hand finding the right spot with precision, and gently started massaging.

Shu You was taken aback. Lin Mingxu’s fingers were really skillful.

He didn’t dare to move and quickly changed the subject, telling Lin Mingxu about the hot search.

After listening, Lin Mingxu simply asked, “Do you want to go public?”

For him, going public was a good thing. But ultimately, it depended on Shu You’s thoughts.

“It’s not a problem,” Shu You pondered for a moment.

Both his and Lin Mingxu’s careers were stable and thriving. Going public wouldn’t have any negative impact.

However, he curiously asked, “How should we go public?”

“I’m open to anything,” Lin Mingxu just looked at him and left the decision to him, “You can choose how to go public.”

“But,” after a brief hesitation, Shu You said, “A few days ago, there was a magazine interview. Maybe it’s a good opportunity.”

Lin Mingxu also had a verified mega-blog account, but he left it to Tang Le to handle and hadn’t personally used it.

He logged into his account and indeed saw some good news. Lin Mingxu casually followed Shu You, found the magazine’s promotional post, and retweeted it with a caption.

The fresh and hot gossip ignited everyone’s enthusiasm. Soon enough, someone discovered Lin Mingxu’s new update and clicked on it.

Netizen X exclaimed, [Wait, what did I just see?]

[Better late than never, could it be that the big shot has finally appeared?]

A group of people flooded in, rapidly increasing Lin Mingxu’s fan base.

[Lin Mingxu: Thank you all for your concern. I am indeed the rumored boyfriend, a relatively new entrepreneur, not very successful.]

Everyone: “…”

Seems like I’m tasting this kind of melon for the first time.

My mood is strange, but my stomach feels full. What’s going on?

I understand, that’s the bittersweet taste of dog food, like the smell of my brother’s feet when he’s in love.

After all the fuss, this is indeed someone’s boyfriend.

Hilarious! That G, that H, that K, you guys are the Three Stooges, haha!

GHK ran away.

Shu You scrolled through the screen, laughing softly as he read. As he laughed, he leaned back in Lin Mingxu’s arms and let him feed him a large piece of dessert.

He had been spoiled to the point where he could hardly take care of himself.

A comment was pushed to the top.

[Netizen T: I found out that the big shot indeed comes from a good background, but he is also excellent himself and truly started his business from scratch.

It seems there’s another story inside this, wow, there are even legal documents. This melon is somewhat inspiring. It is said that the big shot’s family had a major incident and lost everything. At that time, the big shot, who was broke and penniless, coincidentally met Shu You, and it matches the jokes that Shu You tells.

Impressive, they really are a devoted couple.

And this, although the big shot started his business from scratch, the company is about to go public. If this isn’t considered successful, then I’m simply useless.]

Other netizens:

[Oh no, I was jumping with excitement before, now I’m kneeling while looking at my phone.]

[Indeed, they’re good-looking and outstanding. Shu You praises Lin Mingxu every day, and it’s not without reason.]

[Ah, ah, ah, how can I compete with Shu You, such a outstanding rival?]

Another sudden comment appeared.

[Lu Chenbi: Hello everyone, if you want to know the specific love story of Shu You and Lin Mingxu, please follow me, the party involved. My performance time is xxxxxx, and the location is xxxxx.]

[Hahaha.]

Unable to hold back, Shu You completely buried himself in Lin Mingxu’s embrace, snuggling against his chest and shoulders, unable to stop trembling.

With a soft body in his arms, and his cheeks blushing, his disheveled hair swaying back and forth, it felt like he was shaking Lin Mingxu’s heart.

It made his heart itch, difficult to resist the emotions.

So, his eyes darkened, and he gently embraced the person in his arms, leaning in for a kiss.

“Lin Lin Mingxu.”

The Lin family today is also harmonious.

It’s truly wonderful.