Chapter 33

Chapter 33

There were three celebrities among the seven people in the private room. Additionally, four of them came from families involved in the entertainment industry, so you could say five of them were industry insiders.

They had thrown this get-together together the night before, planning to go out and have some fun today. After the meal, they were heading elsewhere.

Yu Shu happened to see the message thread in their large group chat that morning. After asking the system to check, he found out they had a lunch reservation at Lin Lan Yuan, so he decided to "bump into them."

After introducing everyone in a friendly manner, he was pleased to see that most of their attention was on Xing Shi.

The three celebrities, judging by the appearance of the two, immediately knew they were backed by June Culture Media. As long as their professional abilities were up to par and they didn’t mess up, their futures were guaranteed to be bright. One of them, feeling a bit envious, said, "Your company sure knows how to keep its talent under wraps."

Yu Shu smiled pleasantly, "It's not about hiding them. They're still trainees and are currently in training."

One of the young men looked at Xing Shi, "How many years did you sign with the company, and what's the penalty for breach of contract?"

Yu Shu quickly interjected, "Hey, no poaching!"

The group burst into laughter.

A girl at the table saw Xing Shi seemed to be messaging someone and stood up, smiling, "Since we’re all in the same circle, let’s add each other on WeChat. I’ll add you to the group chat, and we can hang out together when we're free."

Yu Shu nodded in agreement, "Yes, you two should add her. The group has a lot of people, and you’ll get all sorts of updates."

Xing Shi and Yu Yi added the girl on WeChat. Seeing that someone else at the table wanted to add them as well, they scanned the QR code.

After a few more exchanges, Li Dao and the others were ready to leave.

The people in the private room tried to stop them, "Why don't you stay and eat with us? There's enough space here, and it'll be livelier with more people."

Since Li Dao’s team knew most of them, it didn’t matter where they ate, so they looked at Yu Shu.

Yu Shu hesitated for a moment and turned to Xing Shi and Yu Yi, "What do you guys think?"

Xing Shi, with a half-smile, threw the question back, "Yu Shu's treat, so of course, we'll listen to you. Do you want to eat here?"

Yu Shu met his gaze and felt a sudden pang in his heart.

After going through the trouble of getting them there, he couldn’t risk upsetting Xing Shi, so he declined the invitation and led them out of the private room.

Back in the corridor, Yu Shu glanced sideways at Xing Shi and called out to the system.

"I can’t shake the feeling that something was off about how he looked at me just now," he said, "He also questioned how I could hear that sound earlier. Could he have already figured out my intentions? Is he really that perceptive?"

The system replied, "I don't know."

Yu Shu pondered, "Who was he messaging just now, and what did he say?"

The system quickly checked and repeated the conversation word for word.

Yu Shu's expression changed slightly, forcing himself to resist the urge to look at Xing Shi in disbelief, "No way, right?"

The system analyzed, "He probably figured out that you like Fu Xiuning and that you're deliberately getting close to him. It’s unclear if Fu Xiuning told him about it that day when they went back."

Yu Shu said, "I could have guessed that."

It didn’t surprise him that Fu Xiuning could see through his feelings. That Fu Xiuning might have told Xing Shi didn’t surprise him much either.

What did surprise him was... "How did he figure me out so fast? I just pretended to run into them, introduced everyone, and didn’t do anything suspicious!"

The system replied coldly, "I warned you to be cautious. When he first questioned you, you should have called off the plan."

Yu Shu fell silent.

He admitted that he had been a bit hasty this time, but his intentions were in the right place.

He wasn’t pimping anyone.

He was He Dao’s only son, Qi Changyi’s cousin, and someone who was treated very well by Fu Xiuning. He wouldn’t dare introduce Star Shi to anyone shady.

Star Shi had no romantic history, which was evident from the filming of the music video.

However, Fu Xiuning's attitude toward Star Shi was like a thorn, pricking him uncomfortably.

So, he wanted to introduce some people to Star Shi. Ideally, it would lead to a relationship, but even if it didn’t, that was okay too. Inviting Star Shi alone always failed, so maybe inviting him with a group would increase the chances.

If someone happened to hit it off with Star Shi and successfully got him to come out and hang out, he would have an opportunity to interact with him.

But he hadn’t anticipated that Star Shi would see right through him.

The data showed that Star Shi was intelligent and difficult to get close to, but from their few interactions, Star Shi always seemed friendly, though not especially shrewd. This lack of clarity caused him to mess up their first meal together.

After all, anyone who could hang out with Fu Xiuning wasn’t exactly your average person.

The group entered the reserved private room.

Star Shi chose a seat by the window, resting his chin in his hands as he watched the waiter make tea.

Sensing a vague gaze from across the table, he looked up.

Yu Shu handed him the menu, trying to show goodwill. "Take a look and see if there's anything you'd like."

Star Shi, looking polite, said, "Anything is fine with me. You can order for us, Brother Yu."

Seeing that his attitude was the same as usual, Yu Shu became even more cautious and asked, "Is there anything you don’t eat?"

Star Shi hadn’t thought about deleting the messages he sent to Fu Xiuning. Seeing Yu Shu's reaction, he guessed that the system might have checked up on him and smiled even sweeter. "No."

Yu Shu forced a smile, trying to keep his expression neutral. "Good."

He quickly ordered a few dishes but became more pessimistic the more he thought about it.

He should have waited for a better opportunity to introduce Star Shi naturally, rather than forcing a hasty "chance encounter."

He asked the system, "What now?"

The system replied, "Let’s just get through this meal without stirring up any trouble."

Yu Shu asked, "Will Fu Xiuning think less of me when he sees Star Shi’s message?"

The system replied, "Yes."

Yu Shu argued, "But he asked Star Shi who was here. Although Star Shi replied with 'we'll talk about it when we get back,' he'll find out sooner or later that everyone here is respectable. It should be fine, right? The data shows that Star Shi doesn’t have many friends. If I introduce him to more people, maybe Fu Xiuning and the others would be happy?"

The system replied, "I don’t know."

Yu Shu felt uneasy. "What if he still doesn’t like me after hearing the list?"

The system replied, "Let’s just get through this meal first."

Yu Shu: "..."

Just as they finished ordering the food, Yu Shu received a message from a friend asking about Xing Shi.

Having learned from past mistakes, Yu Shu didn’t dare to speak carelessly. He simply replied that Xing Shi’s background was complex and that he couldn’t disclose more details, then dismissed the person.

After the meal, the group headed to Director Li’s studio.

Xing Shi had taken this job for ulterior motives, but as it was his first time watching a work he starred in, he was still somewhat curious.

The video opened, showing the familiar campus of Z University. The story unfolded through the protagonist’s daily life, with occasional scenes of Yu Shu singing woven in.

Director Li’s aesthetic was on point; the footage was beautifully shot. As he had said, it truly allowed one to feel the sweetness and bitterness of unrequited love. This rough cut could practically be released as is.

Yu Shu looked at them. "How is it? Not bad, right?"

Xing Shi sincerely praised, "Very good."

Yu Yi, visibly excited, nodded in agreement.

Yu Shu watched the MV again, lost in thought for a moment, then softly said, "I hope he sees or hears this when it’s released."

Xing Shi, with a sincere tone, encouraged him again, "Hang in there, Yu Ge. You can do it."

Yu Shu smiled and said, "Thanks. I’ll take your good word for it."

He asked the system, "Was there any deeper meaning in his words? Does it mean he doesn’t oppose Fu Xiuning and me being together?"

The system replied, "It was probably just a perfunctory remark."

Yu Shu said, "Can’t you at least give me a little white lie to make me feel better?"

The system replied, "No."

Yu Shu: "..."

After watching the MV, Xing Shi headed back to the company.

Yu Shu personally saw them off and tried to build a closer connection, but found it challenging. It wasn’t that Xing Shi was cold; rather, his warm attitude never wavered.

This reminded him of Fu Xiuning, who had always been kind to him, despite having a negative favorability score. Xing Shi seemed friendly on the surface but saw right through him, making it hard to gauge his true feelings.

Yu Shu had work to attend to and couldn’t enter the company. Sitting in the car, he watched as Xing Shi and Yu Yi’s figures disappeared before calling out to the system, "Alright, what do I do now?"

The system replied, "He doesn’t fall for your usual tricks. Unless he’s willing, there’s nothing you can do."

Yu Shu asked, "So?"

The system replied, "Be more straightforward. Invite him out for a meal or something fun."

Yu Shu said, "Alright, what about Fu Xiuning?"

The system replied, "Wait until the MV is released, then see him after some time."

At that moment, Fu Xiuning had just received a message from Xing Shi, asking who else had been there after he returned.

Xing Shi hadn’t remembered everyone, but with the system’s help, he sent over the full list. Fu Xiuning glanced at the list and replied with a simple "Hmm."

Xing Shi didn’t come back.

They had spent too much time at lunch, and class had already started by the time they got back. The two of them slipped into the back row and began their training.

It wasn’t until they returned home in the evening that they picked up the conversation again.

Xing Shi casually wiped his hair and sat cross-legged on the sofa, asking, "Bro, do you know those people?"

Fu Xiuning nodded, "I've met them."

Xing Shi asked, "What are they like?"

Fu Xiuning gave an objective evaluation, "They're alright."

Xing Shi thought to himself that Yu Shu wasn’t too stupid and said, "Oh, so it’s okay if I go out and hang with them."

Fu Xiuning looked at him, "Did they invite you?"

Xing Shi said, "Yeah, they messaged us in the evening, asking if we wanted to go eat. I said we had training at night and couldn’t make it, so we didn’t go."

But as full-time trainees, they did get days off, unlike when they were in school. On weekends, they had to stay in the company to catch up on progress.

And it was coming up—this weekend.

Two days later, Xing Shi waited at the entrance of his apartment complex for the car that came to pick him up.

The young man driving was the same one who had asked them about the termination fee last time, named Bei Jinrong. His family also ran an entertainment company.

He watched as Xing Shi got into the car and sighed with a smile, "You trainees are really tired, training from morning till night, and you only get one day off."

Xing Shi buckled up and laughed, "That's right, nothing's easy these days."

Bei Jinrong examined him closely.

Xing Shi wore a baseball cap and a T-shirt with jeans, all very simple styles, but he looked really good, just like the last time in the private room where, once you saw him, you couldn’t notice anyone else.

Bei Jinrong looked away and started the car, "Have you ever thought about debuting now?"

Xing Shi said, "My skills aren’t up to standard, so I can’t debut."

Bei Jinrong said, "You could debut and continue improving while you perform."

Xing Shi lazily slouched, "No way, that would be even more draining."

Bei Jinrong laughed, "Fair enough."

They went to pick up Yu Yi and Feng Zifan from their apartment.

Yu Yi was already in the group, and they recently added Feng Zifan because he’s close with Xing Shi.

Their destination was a multi-activity club with everything from shooting ranges to go-kart tracks.

When Yu Shu arrived, Xing Shi had just finished his go-kart run.

It was sweltering, and after three laps, he was drenched in sweat, his hair soaked through.

Bei Jinrong, equally winded, joined him with a grin and handed him a bottle of icy water.

Yu Shu saw this and immediately shouted to the system, "I told you my method would work. It was hasty, but it succeeded. Look how quickly we got him to come out!"

The system didn’t respond.

Yu Shu, in a good mood, walked towards them.

Xing Shi spotted him right away and greeted him with, "Brother Yu."

Yu Shu smiled. "Having fun?"

Xing Shi said, "It was pretty awesome."

The lunch spot was a nearby farmhouse restaurant, and in the afternoon they went back to the city to sing karaoke. In the evening, they grilled out and then went to a nightclub.

Xing Shi stayed out late, finally heading home feeling satisfied, only to find Fu Xiuning still awake.

Fu Xiuning closed his book and glanced up. "You’re back?"

Xing Shi smiled brightly. "Hmm."

Fu Xiuning examined his appearance. "You had fun?"

Xing Shi had a hint of smoke smell on him and didn’t come closer, laughing from across the living room. "Not bad. They’re really nice people, know how to have fun and eat well."

He asked, concerned, "Bro, why aren’t you sleeping at this hour? Waiting for me?"

Fu Xiuning said, "Reading. Didn’t notice the time."

He asked, "Your dad couldn’t get ahold of you during the day, so he messaged me. Did you reply later?"

Xing Shi said, "Yes."

He Dao knew he was on leave and asked about his plans. Xing Shi had been busy playing karting at the time and couldn’t reply immediately, but responded once he saw the message.

He said, "I’m heading to bed. Goodnight."

Fu Xiuning replied with "Goodnight" and watched his figure disappear before heading into the bedroom.

The next day, the two resumed their routine of office workers and trainees, occasionally having a meal with He Dao. Life continued at its previous pace.

The only difference was that Xing Shi’s social invitations suddenly increased.

It was unclear whether it was due to Yu Shu’s suggestion or if Bei Jinrong and the others had discovered it themselves, but they frequently sent Xing Shi pictures of delicious food, and about once every four or five times, it paid off.

Xing Shi either went out for lunch with them or went after his evening training, playing until early morning before returning home.

One day, Fu Xiuning saw him emerge in the morning yawning, clearly not having slept enough. Upon asking, he learned that Xing Shi had gone out in the early hours to have a barbecue with them.

He looked at the person opposite. "You guys are getting along well?"

Xing Shi, slowly sipping his porridge, replied, "Not bad."

Fu Xiuning asked, "Was Yu Shu there too?"

Xing Shi said, "Most of the time."

Fu Xiuning understood; there was still a small part of it that was just about the food.

Xing Shi said, "I’m going out with them for a late-night snack again tonight, just letting you know in advance."

Fu Xiuning said, "Didn’t get much sleep last night, and now you’re staying up late again? You’re not worried about burning out?"

Xing Shi reassured him, "Don't worry, I'll be back before midnight and won't stay up late."

Fu Xiuning gently responded with a "Mhm."

"Beep"

"Current favorability: 21"

Xing Shi: "..."

System: "!"

Fu Xiuning: "..."

Xing Shi’s favorability had dropped to 21 out of nowhere, but it bounced back to 22 the next day. Now, after a few days, it was dropping again.

The reason was obvious.

The system chimed in, "Duh, it’s because you’re not spending time with him! You’re not even planning to team up with Yu Shu, so why are you hanging out with him? You should spend more time with your lonely husband... I mean, brother, right?!"

Xing Shi swallowed the food in his mouth and looked across the table. "Bro, you don't mind that I go out to play all the time?"

Fu Xiuning smiled gently, "Go ahead, no problem."

Xing Shi blinked, "You sure?"

Fu Xiuning gently nodded. "I've said before, it's good for you to make more friends."

Xing Shi said, "Okay."

The system facepalmed. "You actually believe him?"

Xing Shi frowned, "He’s my brother. Why would he lie to me?"

The system snorted, "Come on, you know he’s saying one thing but thinking another. Aren’t you supposed to be smart?"

Xing Shi shook his head. "No way. My brother always has my back!"

The system said, "If he has your best interests at heart, why did he deduct points?"

Xing Shi replied, "He's just being stubborn."

The system nodded. "Exactly. He says one thing, but he’s totally thinking something else."

Xing Shi paused, then sighed. "You might have a point."

The system was excited. "Right?!"

Xing Shi grinned, "He’s probably just worried I’ll get fat and won’t be able to make him money later. Typical guy stuff."

System: "Wait, what?!"

Fu Xiuning: "..."

Xing Shi held back his laughter and put down his utensils. "Bro, I'm full."

Fu Xiuning nodded. "Alright, just give me a minute."

After finishing his meal, Fu Xiuning calmly got up and led Xing Shi to the company.

Before he knew it, another week had passed, and Yu Shu's MV was set to release.

Xing Shi had previously asked the system to check Yu Shu's schedule and had been deliberately choosing times when he was busy to go out and play.

This left Yu Shu constantly rushing from one thing to the next, always having to drop everything to meet up with them after work or during breaks.

Once, he had been busy all day, and just when he finally wanted to sleep, Xing Shi agreed to go out for a midnight snack. He forced himself out of bed to accompany them, only to drag his exhausted body to catch a 4:30 in the morning flight to another city to record a variety show.

After some time, he felt completely worn out.

Fortunately, his efforts paid off, as Yu Shu felt that his relationship with Xing Shi had significantly improved.

The day before the MV dropped, he felt like all his hard work was finally paying off.

When Xing Shi received the message, he was sitting on the couch playing with his phone. Fu Xiuning was sitting next to him reading a book. In front of them was a dazzling array of snacks, and the living room was bathed in a comfortable light, the atmosphere quiet.

He called out, “Brother.”

Fu Xiuning didn’t look up from his book, just grunted in response.

Xing Shi said, “They’re asking me to go out and play.”

Only then did Fu Xiuning look up. “It’s raining outside.”

Xing Shi had already stood up. “It’s just a light rain, no big deal. I’ll go play for a while; you should head to bed early.”

He went back to his room to change clothes, then left happily.

The door made a soft "click" before the room fell silent again.

Fu Xiuning lowered his eyes to the book in his hand and took a long time to turn the page.

The place Yu Shu had invited him to was an exclusive lounge. Bei Jinrong and the others were already there.

Recently, they had been hanging out together often and had become quite familiar. As soon as Xing Shi entered, he casually greeted them and sat on the couch.

Yu Shu walked over and sat next to him, chatting for a few minutes before steeling himself and saying, “My MV is being released tomorrow.”

Xing Shi, who had already guessed what was coming, feigned surprise. “Really?”

Yu Shu nodded.

Xing Shi said, “Don’t worry, Brother Yu. I’ll get my fans to support you too.”

Yu Shu thanked him, looking somewhat uneasy. “Do you think... he’ll actually see it?”

Xing Shi said, “I’m not sure, but I’ll bless you.”

Yu Shu observed his expression and leaned in a little closer, lowering his voice. “To be honest, the person I’ve been thinking about… is your brother.”

Xing Shi looked surprised. “Ah?”

Yu Shu, reading his reaction, asked, “So, do you think he’ll watch it?”

Xing Shi looked innocent. “I don’t know, man. But I’ll do my best to get my fans to support you.”

Yu Shu pressed him. “What do you think? Any chance he’ll watch it?”

Xing Shi thought for a second, then another, before finally saying, "Can’t guess."

Yu Shu: "..."

Why can’t you just get it?

Can’t you at least hint that he should watch it?!

He controlled his expression and said sadly, "Do you think I have any chance with him?"

Xing Shi spoke sincerely, "I don’t know yet, but I’ll be cheering for you all the way!"

His expression remained unchanged, just like before.

Yu Shu locked eyes with him and called out to the system, "What does this mean?"

The system remained silent.

Yu Shu said, "Speak!"

The system said, "He’s just playing along with you."

Yu Shu’s breathing tightened. "What do you mean by that?"

The system said, "His attitude toward you has never changed."

Yu Shu: "..."

So all this time, being careful and smiling, was for nothing!

All I got from this is dark circles and wrinkles?!

Why is this kid so impossible to get close to?!

He took a deep breath. "What now?"

The system said, "Wait for the MV to be released."

The following morning at 10 AM, Yu Shu’s new MV dropped.

Industry friends shared it widely, and Xing Shi and Yu Yi even logged in during class breaks to show support.

Since he debuted as a singer, Yu Shu had many fans. The promotional copy mentioned that the song was written for his crush, which piqued the curiosity of passersby.

The combination of a relatable crush, a heartwarming melody, and the lead’s good looks quickly sent the MV viral on social media.

Many people said the song was about them, about the feeling of unrequited love. Others said they were going to confess to Xing Shi and live happily ever after with him.

Some people scrutinized it closely and slowly realized something was off between Yu Yi and the male lead, concluding that Yu Shu might be in love with a man, adding more fuel to the fire.

More and more people joined in, analyzing each lyric and trying to match them with other artists from June Culture Media to guess who the other party was.

The topic stayed at the top of the trending list on Weibo for an entire day.

Three days later, Yu Shu did an interview with a media outlet and mentioned the situation.

"No need to guess, there are no clues in the lyrics. I won't reveal who the person is. I wrote this song just to express my feelings and won’t expose the other party to the public."

"I’m not sure if he’ll ever see it or even know how I feel, but if he does…" His smile was bitter yet sincere, "I want to tell him that I’ll work hard to get closer to him, no matter how difficult it is."

When the interview started trending online, Yu Shu finally went to look for Fu Xiuning.

He knew this probably wouldn't sway Fu Xiuning, but he did it for two reasons: one, because he truly wanted to express his feelings, and two, because he knew Fu Xiuning could see through his pursuit and he wanted to say it to him.

If Fu Xiuning was even a little moved, it would make all this worth it.

Through the System, he found out Fu Xiuning was eating at the company cafeteria, so he went to find him, acting like it was a coincidence that he ran into him and flashing a smile to say hello.

The next moment, he heard the long-absent notification sound.

"Beep"

"Current favorability: -8"

Yu Shu: "!!!"

System: "..."

Yu Shu's System glanced away, then checked the program again after two seconds. It was still -8.

It paused for a beat before opening the group chat.

Shang Shang Qian: "@Face Control Forever, got a minute to chat?"

System 99 was suddenly mentioned and felt puzzled.

This senior rarely spoke or showed up, so it was caught off guard by the sudden contact.

It cautiously sent a symbol.

Face Control Forever: "?"

Shang Shang Qian: "The host mentioned something about your situation."

Face Control Forever: "?"

Shang Shang Qian: "How’s your host handling that -8?"

System 99: "..." (What do I say to this?)