The Academic God Becomes an Internet Sensation After Joining a Dating Show - C38 - Orphic

The sun dipped beneath the street, its orange-red glow thinning into twilight as a clear blue-black seeped from above, slowly drowning the sky in night.

Qing Lin tucked away the money he had earned, his fingers brushing against the crumpled bills with a quiet sense of satisfaction. Shen Xuzhi came to stand beside him, his voice low and gentle.

“Finished?”

Qing Lin looked up. Against the fading light, Shen Xuzhi’s figure seemed softened by shadow, and in that moment, realization struck—he had kept him waiting the entire afternoon.

“I’m sorry, Shen Laoshi,” he said, guilt tugging at his voice. “I didn’t realize it was already evening…”

Shen Xuzhi shook his head lightly. “It’s fine. Did you enjoy painting?”

“Ah.” Qing Lin paused, then nodded. “Yes, very much.”

A faint smile touched Shen Xuzhi’s lips as he reached out, ruffling Qing Lin’s hair with quiet fondness. “Hard work, earning money for a living.”

Warmth welled in Qing Lin’s chest at the simple gesture. He quickly lifted the pouch of bills, pride breaking into his voice. “Shen Laoshi, we’ve got seventy-three thousand pesos now. Let’s go eat something good.”

“You wanted to go to a steakhouse, right? I asked a local just now—they said there’s a famous one up ahead,” Shen Xuzhi said.

“Great,” Qing Lin said, waving the drawings in his hand.

Shen Xuzhi took them smoothly, looked at the portrait Qing Lin had drawn of him, and said, “It’s really good.”

Qing Lin’s pulse stuttered. For some reason, drawing strangers had never stirred anything in him. But sketching Shen Xuzhi left him with an inexplicable, secret embarrassment.

He reached out quickly. “Give it to me.”

Instead, Shen Xuzhi turned the paper in his hands, examining it carefully. “Can I keep it?”

“No.” The word slipped out before Qing Lin could think.

“Why?” Shen Xuzhi asked. “Isn’t it me in the drawing, or do you want to keep it for yourself?”

Qing Lin: “…”

Qing Lin froze, words caught in his throat. Should he admit that he had painted it because Shen’s back had looked strangely familiar?

He bit down lightly on his lip, then murmured, “I’ll give it to you.”

Amusement flickered in Shen Xuzhi’s eyes. He found the younger man’s flustered expression unbearably endearing. Resisting the urge to pinch his cheek, he simply said, “Come on. Let’s eat.”

Together they stepped into the Argentine steakhouse.

Inside, the air was warm, the space infused with Latin American charm. Blue-painted walls stretched around them, clean and uncluttered, while a cabinet of wine bottles gleamed beneath the lights.

They ordered several dishes based on the waiter’s recommendations, and the food arrived quickly. In no time, the entire table was filled.

The pre-meal bread was crisp and full of flavor, generously spread with a secret white sauce that melted on the tongue. Beside it, a Caesar salad with crisp lettuce and layered dressing helped whet the appetite.

Qing Lin chose an Angus sirloin steak, prepared in the traditional Argentine style with pepper seasoning. He requested it medium-well, and when sliced open, it revealed a tempting pinkish-red center, fine marbling, and a pleasantly chewy texture.

Meanwhile, Shen Xuzhi’s order was a bone-in steak, a huge, thick cut, beautifully plated with a little Argentine flag stuck on top.

The Argentine empanadas were equally impressive, quite different from Chinese dumplings. These were baked and fried, stuffed with beef, thyme, and bell peppers. Paired with a sip of soda, the drink not only cut through the richness but also enhanced the sizzling aroma of the filling.

Both Qing Lin and Shen Xuzhi must have been hungry, because neither of them spoke. They simply buried themselves in their food.

Shen Xuzhi tried a thick, crispy Argentine fry, when suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a fork holding a piece of steak right in front of his lips.

Following the silver fork upward, he saw a fair, slender hand, and above it, Qing Lin’s bright, sparkling eyes watching him expectantly.

Qing Lin had pierced a piece of steak with his fork and was holding it up for him. He said softly, “Shen Laoshi, try mine.”

The gesture caught Shen Xuzhi off guard. Asking someone to “have a bite” was one thing but feeding them directly, now that was different. He hesitated briefly, then leaned forward and took a gentle bite of the steak Qing Lin offered.

Perhaps it was because Qing Lin had fed it to him, but somehow, Shen Xuzhi thought it tasted even better than his own.

Eagerly, Qing Lin asked, “Is it good?”

Shen Xuzhi nodded.

A smile tugged at Qing Lin’s lips, softening his features, his eyes crinkling with delight. It was a smile as refreshing as a glass of chilled white wine. “I’m glad you like it,” he said.

Shen Xuzhi felt a little dazed. Was this… because they had kissed before? Now Qing Lin was openly feeding him, and he didn’t even seem bothered by the indirect contact of sharing the same fork.

That was quite a step forward.

Or maybe…

Just then, Shen Xuzhi noticed a production crew member nearby, holding up a cue card, “Shen Laoshi, please wipe Linlin’s mouth.”

Shen Xuzhi: “……”

Ha, just as he suspected. There was no way the kid would suddenly be so sweet on his own. The crew was clearly prompting the interaction. With that acting, Qing Lin deserved an Oscar handed to him on a silver platter. And now he was supposed to wipe his mouth too?

But Qing Lin ate neatly, taking small, polite bites. His lips stayed perfectly clean, leaving Shen Xuzhi with nothing to actually wipe.

He clenched his back teeth, ignored the cue card, and instead cut a piece of his own steak, offering it to Qing Lin.

“Try mine?” he said.

Qing Lin glanced at the piece, then opened his mouth and took a bite. His soft lips closed around the steak, brushing lightly against the fork, and he didn’t seem to mind that it was the same one Shen Xuzhi had just used.

“Mmm, the bone-in steak has more bite to it, the seasoning’s stronger, and the flavor’s richer than mine,” Qing Lin said thoughtfully, chewing and evaluating, then looked up at Shen Xuzhi with a smile. “Thank you, Shen Laoshi.”

Shen Xuzhi: “…………”

He really is—flirting without even realizing it.

For the rest of the meal, every time Shen Xuzhi lifted his fork, he couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling that he was some kind of pervert.

After dinner, it was time to choose their hotel accommodation.

Qing Lin was rather extravagant. “Shen Laoshi, tonight let’s stay at a luxury hotel,” he declared.

Before Shen Xuzhi could respond, Qing Lin had already selected the top recommended option.

Meanwhile, Liu Xin and Zhang Nanyin, having spent most of their money enjoying themselves, could only afford a basic three-star hotel. But true to their live-in-the-moment style, they decided to splurge on a four-star hotel with a king-sized bed, spending the rest of their funds.

Shen Xuzhi actually wanted a room with a king-sized bed too. Yet Qing Lin led him to a luxurious suite, let him choose the room, then smiled warmly.

“Shen Laoshi, get some rest. Good night.”

And with that, he closed the door.

Shen Xuzhi: “…………”

His emotions were complicated.

He couldn’t decide whether having money was truly a blessing. When they were broke, they had shared a bed. Now, they didn’t even share the same room.

It felt… strange.

But Qing Lin really did feel a little tired today. Even though dinner had been excellent, spending the entire afternoon painting intensely had drained him.

Still—it had been a long time since he’d experienced something like that.

After showering, he collapsed onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. It had been ages since he’d painted in such a lively environment with others around.

He pulled out his phone for his usual Weibo KPI check. Today’s “couple pose” post was trending, the official account teasing that if likes surpassed 200,000, they’d release unedited photos of Shen and Lin from the shoot.

Scrolling through, he found fans “shipping” them wildly. There were even fanfics and fanart so sweet that Qing Lin felt almost overwhelmed.

Then he checked his private messages and noticed that the little fan he had messaged the other day had replied to his alternate account.

[Small Balloon: You’re a fan of Orphic too? Yay, sisterhood!!]

[Small Balloon: Want to join the fan group? Sure, sure, hang on, I’ll add you.]

[Small Balloon: [□□ group link]

With a slight frown, Qing Lin tapped the link. The screen flickered, and a page quickly popped up. “Orphic Fans Support Group (@^▽^@).”

The member count read “865.” So there really was a fan group.

Curious, Qing Lin decided to check it out. He immediately switched to another alternate account and applied to join.

Approved instantly.

[□□Admin: @～ Welcome to the group～]

[Wind in May: Oh, a newbie! Welcome!]

[Small Balloon: Welcome!]

Since it was still morning in China, the group was pretty active.

Qing Lin replied.

[～: [Thanks.jpg]]

[Small Balloon: Ahhh it’s you, Yaobao? You joined? That’s great, that’s great!]

[Mu Yecun: You know each other?]

[Small Balloon: They DM’d me on Weibo and is also a fan of Orphic]

[Wind in May: Ahhh Yaobao, you should’ve done it earlier!]

[Wind in May: Orphic was just chatting with us, you missed it! Such a pity]

Qing Lin was puzzled.  

[～: Orphic is in this group?]

[Small Balloon: Of course!]

[Small Balloon: This group was founded by Orphic themself!]

Qing Lin hadn’t expected this. Someone was impersonating him under his name, openly lurking in the group. That was bold. Far too bold.

Still, he had no idea what the fan group’s true purpose was. Better to clarify sooner rather than later. He opened the member list, searching for the owner. Strangely, there were no admins, only the owner’s avatar pinned at the very top.

Qing Lin tapped the profile of the so-called “Orphic.” The moment the page opened, he froze.

…Hwie.

He quickly backed out, scrolling through the chat history until he found messages from “Orphic.”

[Orphic: Thanks everyone for your support, let’s stop here for today]

[Huahua: Thank you for sharing, big boss!]

[Waterflow: I love you, Orphic! That was amazing, I learned so much!]

[Wind in May: Kiss kiss kiss kiss!]

Qing Lin stared silently at the chat log, then shifted his gaze back to the “Orphic” avatar.

Ha.

Interesting.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Meanwhile, in a small internet café tucked down an alley.

The café’s air conditioning wasn’t great. Paint peeled from the walls, and the ceiling fan squeaked, blending with the clacking of mechanical keyboards, a noise sharp enough to make one’s ears itch.

Qing Yejie tore open a cup of instant noodles, poured in boiling water, and the steam clouded his face. He frowned and muttered, “Damn.”

His phone buzzed again. Notifications from the □□ group popping up non-stop, extremely eye-catching.

Guo Daishu slurped his noodles and leaned over. “Yo, nice, another new fan.”

Qing Yejie snapped his phone shut impatiently. “I still think this isn’t right.”

“Bro, you’ve said that a hundred times already.” Guo Daishu sat back down and opened his computer. “All you have to do is say a few words in the group, that’s it. If it really bothers you, just tell Ma Zi to reject…”

“Holy shit! Isn’t that your brother?!”

He never finished. He shot to his feet, smacking Qing Yejie on the arm and pointing at the screen. “Look! Damn, your brother’s painting! Where the hell is this? So fancy… Shit! Abroad! Rich as hell!”

At the mention of “Qing Lin,” Qing Yejie immediately shoved Guo Daishu’s head aside and leaned in.

On screen, Qing Lin sat quietly in front of an easel, painting. His gaze was calm and serene, carrying a faint glow Qing Yejie hadn’t seen in a long time.

Qing Yejie’s eyes stayed locked on him, he hadn’t seen his brother paint in ages. Only when the camera suddenly cut to Shen Xuzhi beside him did Qing Yejie snap out of it.
A wave of irritation surged. He sat back down, grabbed his phone, and opened the group chat.

“Orphic Fans Support Group (@^▽^@).”

[White Bird: Orphic, when will you drop by again QAQ]

[Waterslide: Orphic! When’s the next art update? I’m craving for more!]

[Wind in May: Orphic! Please reply if you see this QAQ]

The fans kept showering praise, none of them suspicious at all. They all believed this was the real Orphic. And why not. After all, he wasn’t so bad at it himself.

Qing Yejie looked at the avatar, at the name beside it. Annoyance burned in him. He clenched his teeth, typed a few words, and hit send.

[Orphic: I’ll drop in tonight, see you all later～]