The Ex's Tears Are So Hot - Chapter 24

Xie Zhixin caught Guan Jinnian’s emotions as if holding something fragile.

As feeling slowly returned to Xie Zhixin’s body, he realized that Guan Jinnian’s fingers gripping his arm were icy cold—unnaturally so—and he was trembling nonstop. His whole state clearly wasn’t right.

But there was no time to look into it further—the production crew had already arrived.

The PD had been monitoring the livestream and immediately rushed up the mountain with medical staff when the accident happened.

The GoPro had captured everything from a first-person perspective: the sudden turn of the world, the terrifying fall. Even the viewers had been completely shocked.

A medical professional knelt down beside Xie Zhixin, asked about his condition, and after a quick check, pulled out a bandage from the emergency kit. “I’m going to stabilize your arm now—it might hurt a little. Can you handle it?”

“No problem. Go ahead, thank you,” Xie Zhixin replied with a nod as two other assistants helped him sit up.

Off to the side, Guan Jinnian’s eyes were red and watery, his emotions unstable. He visibly flinched when others touched Xie Zhixin, instinctively reaching out to block them.

The medic hesitated, confused by his reaction, and paused, thinking something was wrong.

“Mr. Guan, please let the doctor treat Mr. Xie first. It’s okay—don’t worry,” the PD noticed Guan Jinnian’s tense state and gently tried to soothe him.

But Guan Jinnian didn’t seem to hear a thing. He just kept staring at Xie Zhixin silently, refusing to move aside.

Xie Zhixin’s eyes flickered. After a moment’s thought, he extended his uninjured hand toward Guan Jinnian. “Jinnian, I’m a little scared. Will you stay with me while they wrap it up?”

Guan Jinnian, completely focused on him, finally seemed to snap out of his trance. He nodded repeatedly, like waking from a daze. “Okay, I’ll stay with you.”

“You should get your own injuries treated too. I feel bad looking at them.”

“Okay, I’ll take care of it.” Guan Jinnian responded like a robot following commands—doing whatever Xie Zhixin said.

“Then how about a kiss?”

Xie Zhixin teased him playfully.

Guan Jinnian instinctively leaned in halfway before realizing what he was doing.

“….”

The sudden joke, paired with Xie Zhixin’s usual shameless expression, actually helped calm Guan Jinnian down. He pursed his lips and fell silent, ignoring Xie Zhixin—but still didn’t let go of his hand.

Once Xie Zhixin’s right arm was stabilized, a few people helped lift him gently onto a stretcher.

Guan Jinnian only had some scrapes and bruises, which were quickly dealt with—but he still needed to go to the hospital for a tetanus shot.

The two of them got into the ambulance together, with the production team trailing behind in a car.

While treating his arm, the doctor had removed Xie Zhixin’s jacket and hung it on the rack inside the ambulance.

The GoPro had been tucked in the jacket pocket the whole time—rained on, tumbled down the slope—and was still stubbornly running.

In the livestream, the comment feed exploded:

[That was terrifying today!]
[I feel so bad for gege (older bro)… is it a fracture?? 😭]
[Guan Jinnian looks absolutely devastated—his lips are white…]
[He should feel guilty! If not for his obsession with filming, they’d have gone down the mountain already—no accident!]
[Ugh, this is all his fault. Because of him, Zhixin lost fans and got injured. What a jinx.]

Extreme Xie Zhixin fans showed up again, launching personal attacks on Guan Jinnian. Black fans mixed in, stirring things up. The chat was full of profanity—it was unbearable to look at.

Even casual viewers couldn’t stay quiet—they started defending Guan Jinnian.

[Wow, some of y’all Xie stans really threw your morals out the window, huh? This was a show task. Guan Jinnian took it seriously—how’s that a crime? Why not blame the production team?]
[Did you all forget how much your so-called ‘idol’ loves the guy you’re attacking? Didn’t he literally cut ties with fans like you once before?]
[LMAO, these two are clearly in love—what business is it of yours? Delusional stans thinking they’re married to him or what? 😂]
[Seriously though, if this happened in real life and you were being blamed for someone else getting hurt, how would you feel? Wouldn’t you break down? Use your brains. Try empathy.]

Guan Jinnian had slowly gained a few fans over time—but the numbers were nowhere near enough to go up against a top-tier idol’s fanbase.

The accident was complicated—it wasn’t easy to assign blame. But with more neutral viewers siding with Guan Jinnian, his supporters finally found their voice again.

[Thank God for decent people. Jinnian’s fans were so scared to speak up…]
[Honestly, to some Xie stans, just being “Guan Jinnian” is a sin. 🙄]
[Let’s be honest: no one wanted this to happen. And as harsh as it sounds—Xie Zhixin saved him of his own will. No one forced him to. Okay?]
[Jinnian did great. Please don’t be too hard on him.]

Inside the ambulance—

Xie Zhixin poked Guan Jinnian’s tight lips with his left hand. When he didn’t respond, he let out a loud groan, pretending to be in pain to get his attention.

“Hisss… It really hurts…”

Guan Jinnian stared silently at his bandaged arm, gripping the blanket so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

Xie Zhixin leaned over and rested his head on his shoulder. “Jinnian, talk to me.”

“…If I hadn’t insisted on filming those extra shots…” Guan Jinnian finally spoke after a long silence.

His fists clenched tight, nails digging into his palms.

“Don’t say that.” Xie Zhixin slid his fingers into his palm and gently massaged the crescent-shaped marks. “It was just a small accident—no one could’ve predicted it.”

Guan Jinnian suddenly clutched his shirt and asked, “Why did you risk yourself to pull me back?”

“Instinct,” Xie Zhixin replied.

“What if that slope was steeper? What if you—?”

“Then I’d just fall with you. I’d cushion your landing.”

He joked with a smile.

“You think that’s funny?!” Guan Jinnian whipped around and glared at him.

Xie Zhixin raised his hand and gently touched his reddened eyes, pulling him into a hug. “It’s not funny. But it’s better than watching you cry.”

Guan Jinnian rested his chin on Xie Zhixin’s shoulder. When he heard those words, tears welled up instantly.

“Want me to sing to cheer you up?”

He sniffled. “You sing off-key.”

“Wow, throwing shade now? We’re still live, you know!” Xie Zhixin pretended to be mad.

“It’s true.”

Guan Jinnian’s voice was low and muffled, a little aggrieved.

Xie Zhixin’s heart softened. He kissed his ear and cheek, coaxing him softly: “Alright, alright. How about a smile now? My arm really does hurt.”

“Then stop hugging me.”

“…Fine, I lied.”

Guan Jinnian let out a laugh through his tears.

The comment section forgot all about the arguing—everyone was squealing from the sugar overload.

[Awww this is so sweet—are they about to get back together??]
[These are not exes—these are newlyweds smearing honey all over each other 😭]
[Come on, he literally broke his arm saving you—just say yes! Take him back! TAKE HIM BACK!]
[Haha moral blackmail time: Now that Zhixin’s arm is hurt, someone has to help him shower at night, right? 😏😏]
[LMAOO you guys are really good at this shipping thing.]

Some viewers also noticed something else:

[Wait… Xie Zhixin didn’t cry today? He’s the one doing the comforting?! Total role reversal!]
[Right?! Normally he’s the crybaby who needs cheering up!]
[Looks like our “teary king” has finally toughened up!]

Meanwhile, in the observation room, the entire interaction was being watched by the relationship experts.

The program team noticed the relevant comments and cut in a small split-screen to show the professors.

Host Xiaoyu repeated a few highlighted comments to the panel.

“Today, it seems like the emotional dynamic between Guan and Xie has shifted. Everyone’s wondering—why the change?”

Professor Hu turned to the others: “This is the first time Guan Jinnian has shown negative emotions toward Xie Zhixin, isn’t it?”

Professor Lin replied, “Yes—especially right after the fall. He was clearly on the verge of emotional collapse.”

“Xie Zhixin picked up on that—maybe not consciously—but he instinctively took on the role of soothing Guan Jinnian,” added another expert. “That’s a more mature way of handling things. I’d say he’s showing real growth.”

“I agree,” said Professor Hu. “In the past, Xie Zhixin tended to gain emotional attention by acting weak—always taking, rarely giving. That imbalance was a major reason for their breakup.”

Professor Lin added his thoughts. “From everything we’ve seen, I think Guan Jinnian is the one who actually lacks security. Maybe he’s lived in an environment where he couldn’t express vulnerability.”

“Today, some of that emotional iceberg finally peeked out—and surprisingly, Xie Zhixin caught it and held it well. Once he calms down, he’ll likely realize that.”

[Summary: Guan Jinnian exposed his emotional issues. Xie Zhixin caught him—and now their relationship is about to level up.]
[Thanks, class rep!]
[So… our Crybaby Bro really did well today?]
[He did indeed!]

Professor Hu confirmed it too: “Yes, Xie Zhixin handled things well. Guan Jinnian showing his real needs was a healthy step.”

With that, the observation room segment wrapped up.

“Thank you to all the professors for your insights,” Xiaoyu concluded. “A blessing in disguise—this accident might just lead to real change between them. Let’s all be patient and give them time.”

Back to the live feed—

They’d arrived at the hospital.

Xie Zhixin was getting X-rays.

The bright lights of the CT room made the corridor seem dim. Guan Jinnian stood by the observation window, frozen, anxiety creeping back into his brows.

Xie Zhixin noticed and took advantage of the moment while the doctor adjusted the machine to mouth silently through the glass:

“Don’t—worry—it—really—doesn’t—hurt.”

“Focus! Don’t move around!”

Guan Jinnian scolded instinctively—then remembered he couldn’t hear through the glass.

He mouthed back, “Get it over with first!”

This time Xie Zhixin understood. He nodded and sat back obediently.

The results came quickly—just a minor fracture near the wrist. With proper care, it could heal in one or two months.

Guan Jinnian finally relaxed—only to hear Xie Zhixin tease him: “Hey… your snot’s showing.”

He reflexively wiped his nose—but there was nothing there.

“Xie Zhixin!!”

Furious, Guan Jinnian raised his hand to hit him.

Xie Zhixin laughed as he dodged. “Hey, hey! My arm! My arm!”

“Do you have a problem?!”

“Well, yeah. Isn’t that why we’re at the hospital?”

“Shut up—!”

Guan Jinnian gave up trying to catch him, stopped in place to catch his breath, and nearly rolled his eyes to the heavens.

The anxiety was gone.

Now, all he wanted was to give this guy a good punch.