The Academic God Becomes an Internet Sensation After Joining a Dating Show - C20 - Buy It All

Qing Lin let Shen Xuzhi lead him out of the experience zone.

“Hahaha,” he burst into laughter, bending over slightly. “I can’t believe we actually ran off like that.”

Watching him laugh so freely, Shen Xuzhi said softly, “I really like the way you smile.”

Qing Lin glanced over at him, the corners of his lips lifting even higher, dazzling and heart-stopping. “Then I’ll make sure to smile more often.”

[I’m going to get a cavity from how sweet this is!!]

[Full ShenLin immersion. If you don’t stan ShenLin, we can’t be friends!]

[Meanwhile, I’m still stuck on that deep-dive analysis post about Qing Lin’s YouTube history. The way it slapped me with the truth… brutal.]

[But, come on. He’s obviously just leeching off Shen Xuzhi to debut.]

Qing Lin turned to him and said casually, “Your clothes are soaked. Want to change?”

Shen Xuzhi replied, “It’s fine. They’ll dry soon.”

As Qing Lin straightened up, the earlier encounter with Daniel struck him as almost surreal. He offered a simple explanation. “I used to be a YouTube creator, but that was a long time ago. These days, I’m just a small study vlogger on BiliBili.”

Shen Xuzhi replied calmly, “I know.”

Qing Lin gave him a curious once-over. “There was actually a pretty funny thing that happened back in my YouTube days. Hmm… I’ll tell you about it another time.”

Meanwhile, Bai Wenle was happily chatting with Daniel.

Bai Wenle said, “Seriously, that custom keyboard you made in your video was amazing! I’m a gaming streamer. Could you tell me how to buy one?”

Daniel replied, “You’re Lin’s younger brother, right? Don’t worry about it. I’ll send you one for free.”

Bai Wenle, completely unconcerned about whose brother he was supposed to be, beamed. “Really? Thank you! I think you’re awesome! Can you teach me how it works?”

They were getting along great and hadn’t even noticed the other two had disappeared.

Meanwhile, Qing Lin and Shen Xuzhi continued wandering through the aquarium.

They stopped by the coral exhibit and had a meal at the ocean-themed restaurant.

Sure enough, it didn’t take long for their clothes to dry.

Behind each exhibit hall was a gift shop, and eventually, they stepped into one filled with plush toys shaped like sea creatures.

Qing Lin walked up to the counter and picked up a large octopus plushie. “This is so cute,” he said.

“There are some hair accessories over there too,” Shen Xuzhi added.

Qing Lin glanced over and saw a row of soft, plush hairpins, starfish, clownfish, jellyfish, dolphins, all in adorable cartoon designs.

“This one looks like Ellie.” He picked up a dolphin clip, flipped it around, and fiddled with the buttons at the back to see if it would stay on short hair.

He struggled for a while but couldn’t get it to fasten properly.

“Shen Laoshi, could you help me?” Qing Lin said, pressing both hands down on his hair, looking a little flustered.

Shen Xuzhi adjusted the angle for him and fastened the button with a soft click. The fluffy dolphin now rested on top of Qing Lin’s hair.

But it looked a little oversized. With how small and delicate Qing Lin’s face was, the plushie made him look like a doll, like an ornament perched on a BJD’s head.

Shen Xuzhi paused. His gaze instinctively fell on Qing Lin’s face, skimming lightly across his features before lingering on his slightly parted lips.

Under the cool white lights, the boy’s red lips and white teeth stood out. His amber eyes glowed like gems, and his whole face radiated a quiet beauty.

“What do you think?” Qing Lin asked.

“It looks good,” Shen Xuzhi replied.

Qing Lin, now having figured out how to wear it, tried on a few more. “Which one do you think I should buy?”

Shen Xuzhi, who had been secretly enjoying the sight of Qing Lin playing dress-up, finally spoke. “All of them.”

Qing Lin froze for a moment.

He had just checked the price tag. Each one was 89 yuan.

“Hmm… no need to go that far,” he said.

Shen Xuzhi, clearly in a good mood, took all the ones Qing Lin had tried on and walked straight to the cashier. “They all look perfect on you.”

[I’m gonna cry! He’s spoiling him so much!]

[They all look good! But my wife looks good in anything! Of course, I’d buy them all and let him wear a new one every day, haha!]

[Qing Lin really does look like a BJD doll. I want to dress him up in new outfits every day!]

When Qing Lin saw the packed bag of plush hairpins, his eyes widened in surprise. “You really bought them all?”

Shen Xuzhi took the bag, and seeing that Qing Lin looked a bit uneasy, he said, “Think of it as a gift from me for our first date.”

Qing Lin was suddenly reminded of the contract they signed.

If that’s how this works… shouldn’t he give Shen Xuzhi a gift too?

After buying the souvenirs, the two of them headed to the aquarium’s second most iconic spot, the underwater tunnel.

It was the longest tunnel of its kind in the country, divided into shallow-sea and deep-sea zones. Walking through it felt like entering another world beneath the ocean.

The 360-degree transparent glass tunnel was like a dream, with marine life swimming in every direction above and around them.

Since the area had been cleared in advance, there was no one else in sight, just a vast sea of blue and countless fish drifting by.

“It’s breathtaking,” Qing Lin said in awe as he stood at the entrance.

“Want to go further inside?” Shen Xuzhi asked.

Qing Lin nodded, and they stepped in together.

The tunnel wasn’t very wide. They walked side by side with just enough room for one more person on either side.

Above them, fish floated gently, and sharks occasionally swam past overhead.

As they went deeper, the lighting grew dimmer.

They reached a fork in the tunnel. A sign read, “Deep Sea Zone Ahead.”

Qing Lin hadn’t felt anything strange at first, but as the lights grew fainter, he suddenly felt a heaviness in his legs.

His pace slowed unconsciously, and a tightness began to form in his chest.

It felt like the ceiling was gradually caving in. The swirling seawater outside the glass seemed as though it might come crashing down at any moment, cold and unfamiliar.

“Qing Lin?” Shen Xuzhi noticed something was off  and gently patted his back. “Are you okay?”

[What’s wrong with Lin? He looks so pale.]

[Wait… could this be deep-sea phobia?]

[But he seemed completely fine earlier. What happened all of a sudden?]

“I’m fine,” Qing Lin said with some effort, snapping out of his daze at the sound of Shen Xuzhi’s voice.

Up ahead was a designated photo spot, and in an attempt to change the atmosphere, Qing Lin quickly shifted the topic. “Shen Laoshi, want to take a photo over there?”

Shen Xuzhi gave him another glance. Qing Lin had already regained his composure, his amber eyes steady and unreadable, like the surface of a still lake, concealing all emotion beneath.

“Alright,” Shen Xuzhi replied.

They made their way to the couples’ photo area, where a cheerful staff member greeted them. “Please stand here and strike a pose! We also have a guide for ‘Five Loving Couple Poses’ if you’d like some inspiration.”

Qing Lin still felt off, though he couldn’t quite pinpoint why.

His limbs felt numb, and blood flow seemed sluggish. The environment felt stifling, as if the sea beyond the glass would burst in and tear him apart at any moment.

A quiet sense of panic crept in.

“Ready?” the staff member asked.

But Qing Lin’s head felt foggy, and the voices around him began to fade.

Then, suddenly, a pair of strong arms wrapped around his waist.

He was pulled into a firm, steady embrace.

Shen Xuzhi’s body radiated the warmth of summer. Even through their thin clothes, that heat seeped into Qing Lin, sending a flush through his body.

His heart skipped a beat, a faint ringing echoing in his ears. He looked up at Shen Xuzhi, completely at a loss.

The man leaned down, gently taking Qing Lin’s cold hand in his own, fingers gliding softly across his palm in a quiet gesture of comfort. “This is one of the most classic couple poses,” he murmured.

His breath brushed against Qing Lin’s ear. “Come on, look at the camera.”

The camera flashed, capturing the moment.

Still held in that steady embrace, Qing Lin slowly lifted his gaze and looked forward, into the dim, endless blue beyond the glass.

 [Oh my god, a back hug! That photo! Can the official Weibo please release the full version?!]

[Xu-ge is totally comforting him! Ugh, that protectiveness… this quiet dominance… how can something feel so gentle and so possessive at the same time?!]

[That “look at the camera” whisper is too much. I’m dying over here.]

[The size difference between them… I should mind, but I don’t. In fact, I love it. Drooling.]

[Careful with your words, sis! I get how you feel but be careful or the stream might get taken down!]

“Wow, the shot was incredible!” Even the staff couldn’t help but praise it. “Would you like to take another one? Maybe try a different pose?”

Still holding Qing Lin’s hand, Shen Xuzhi replied, “No need. This one’s perfect.”

Qing Lin hadn’t quite snapped out of it yet. He just held tightly onto Shen Xuzhi’s hand. By the time he came to, they had already walked out of the tunnel.

Once again, he’d been led out, out of that silent, tangled confusion, his hand held firmly the entire way.