Chapter 35

Chapter 35

The place Xing Shi and the others visited this time was a seaside vacation villa area in S City.

The hotel had a private beach, and there weren’t many people, unlike public beaches where it was crowded like boiling dumplings.

There were plenty of entertainment options here, including speedboats, jet skis, flyboarding, and wake water skiing, among others. Additionally, there was a special seafood feast by the sea, which was quite excellent.

Bei Jinrong's plan was to have a beach cookout on the first night, then lounge on the beach or enjoy the entertainment the next day. In the evening, they would set sail and enjoy a seafood dinner out on the water. Afterwards, the working professionals would return to Z City overnight, while the rest would stay and continue to play.

Summer should be spent by the sea, so Xing Shi readily agreed and then encountered Fu Xiuning here.

To say he had never considered this possibility would be a lie.

He actually had a secret guess and expectation in his heart, but when he really saw the person, he still felt a bit surprised.

The system, on the other hand, hadn’t expected things to turn out this way at all.

It excitedly said, “How about that? I told you he wouldn’t just stand by and let you spend a night with some other random guy!”

“No wonder there were no point deductions; he planned to follow you!” It was thrilled, “He’s finally not being stubborn! This is the power of love!”

Xing Shi looked at Fu Xiuning and didn’t respond to it.

The system waited a few seconds and asked proactively, “Say something, what do you feel now?”

Xing Shi said, “He’s worried about me.”

The system said, “Yes!”

Xing Shi was touched and said, “No doubt, he’s my brother.”

The system said, “Huh?”

It almost wanted to shake him: “What’s blinding you? He loves you! You’ve said so yourself before!”

Xing Shi looked at Fu Xiuning, trying hard not to laugh as he refuted loudly, “I don’t believe it. He said it in front of my dad; he treats me like a real brother!”

The system was about to debate with him but suddenly stopped.

It had never doubted its host’s intelligence, and they had talked about Fu Xiuning’s awkwardness and passivity plenty of times, so why was the host acting clueless lately?

After thinking for a few seconds, recalling that the host liked to keep monkeys, it sincerely asked, “Spill it, are you messing with me?”

Xing Shi immediately laughed in his mind.

He wasn’t just teasing a system; he laughed and said, “Oh, you’ve discovered it.”

The system said, “I knew it!”

But it didn’t mind; instead, it breathed a sigh of relief. As long as the host knew what was going on, that was what mattered. It was afraid the host would really act like a blind fool.

It indulgently said, “Alright, as long as you’re happy.”

As they chatted, Bei Jinrong snapped out of his surprise and walked towards Fu Xiuning.

His friend hadn’t been wrong; this was indeed a big shot in the entertainment industry.

While he could technically be part of the entertainment industry, he knew his friend was actually referring to their next generation of young elites.

Fu Xiuning had been the type of kid parents always compared their own children to, outshining everyone else in every aspect.

Even if he hadn’t started his own company, just being the heir of the Fu family made him someone you didn’t want to mess with. And with his thriving business, he could now compete head-on with their family’s entertainment company. The trainee teams from both companies were currently competing in the same talent show.

However, Fu Xiuning had always been hard to approach and wasn’t fond of socializing.

It was surprising that his friend managed to get him to come out.

Bei Jinrong greeted him with a polite smile, though he was clearly astonished. "Brother Fu," he said.

Fu Xiuning looked at him and nodded.

Bei Jinrong then turned to Xing Shi, intending to make an introduction but realized something was off. It dawned on him that Fu Xiuning was Xing Shi’s boss. He couldn’t help but mentally wince.

He still hadn’t figured out Xing Shi’s background and wasn’t sure if Fu Xiuning knew about it either. Given Fu Xiuning’s personality, who wasn’t the type to get close to people, their relationship was probably quite ordinary.

Running into his boss while out having fun would definitely put a damper on things. Since he had gone through the trouble of getting Xing Shi out, he couldn’t let him feel uncomfortable. He quietly decided to stick with Xing Shi and steer clear of Fu Xiuning.

"There’s no need for me to introduce him as your boss, right?" he joked. "We’re all out to have fun, it’s a holiday so no work talk. Brother Fu has a good temper, relax and don’t be afraid."

Feng Zifan forced a smile, while Yu Yi looked gentle. Both of them greeted him with "Boss."

Xing Shi, however, had no such concerns and laughed as he approached, "Brother."

Fu Xiuning responded gently.

Xing Shi asked, "Why didn’t you tell me you were coming out to play?"

Fu Xiuning smiled, "I wanted to give you a surprise."

Xing Shi admitted, "You did surprise me."

Everyone around was stunned.

They all found Fu Xiuning’s appearance puzzling, thinking it was because the young master was in a good mood. Now, it seemed they had found the real reason.

Bei Jinrong’s expression faltered as he looked at Xing Shi. "You’re Brother Fu’s brother?"

Xing Shi replied, "Yes, my family knows him and asked him to look after me. I’m currently staying at his place."

The other second-generation kids were surprised again, all thinking the same thing.

No way, Fu Xiuning actually let someone stay with him?

Either their families were really close, or the young master was willing on his own.

Judging from their earlier conversation, the second possibility seemed more likely.

Bei Jinrong couldn’t help but smile awkwardly. "Is that so?"

Xing Shi had already noticed that they didn’t know about his connection to Fu Xiuning, but now he could play it off. He immediately passed the buck to Yu Shu, pretending to be surprised. "Brother Yu knows that he’s my brother too. I thought he had already told you guys, didn’t he?"

Bei Jinrong said, "He only mentioned that your background was special, but didn’t say anything else."

Xing Shi acted even more surprised, continuing to pass the buck. "Director Li and the others know this too. Why did he keep it from you?"

Bei Jinrong was left speechless, his mind racing with questions.

Yu Shu always seemed to have access to some mysterious sources of information, which was why he had connected with them in the first place.

Since Xing Shi's background was something that made Yu Shu speak evasively, he instinctively assumed it would be hard to dig into. He never expected that a director who had only worked with Xing Shi once would know about it, so he never thought to ask.

Xing Shi was right. There was no reason to keep it a secret; it was pointless and ridiculous!

He felt annoyed. "Who knows what he was thinking?"

Xing Shi was quite satisfied with this and comforted them. "It's fine. Now you know as well."

The young heirs became more cautious in their attitude toward him.

Regardless of his family background, just his relationship with Fu Xiuning was enough to warrant their attention.

A few of them secretly glanced at Bei Jinrong, thinking this might be different. At least, their young master Bei's chances had dropped by half, unless Fu Xiuning really saw Xing Shi as just a brother.

Bei Jinrong had set up this gathering.

A few of the young heirs often hung out with him without much formality. Normally, they would have headed to the beach for a barbecue, eating as they waited for everyone. But this time, with Fu Xiuning around, the young master said he wanted to wait until everyone arrived, so they stayed with him.

Now they understood. Fu Xiuning wasn't waiting for everyone to arrive; he was simply waiting for Xing Shi.

Finally, everyone was here, and the barbecue could begin.

"Do you want to change clothes?" someone asked Xing Shi and the others, "If not, just leave your bags here. If you do, go pick a room in the other villa first."

There were too many of them to fit in one villa, so they booked two.

The two villas were right next to each other, making it convenient to walk between them.

Xing Shi and the others came directly after work, wearing training clothes. Although they were casual, the shoes were sports shoes. Since they were at the beach, they naturally wanted to wear sandals and something cooler.

The group split into two. One group headed to the beach first, while the other went to the other villa to pick rooms and change.

Fu Xiuning arrived early and had already chosen a room in the other villa. He hadn't changed clothes either, so he went with Xing Shi and the others.

When he picked the room, he gave off an air of wanting some peace and quiet, and everyone was tactful enough not to choose the room next to his, which remained vacant. Seeing this, Xing Shi moved into that room, while Feng Zifan and Yu Yi chose rooms on the first floor.

After changing, they gathered downstairs.

Xing Shi wore a tank top and shorts with flip-flops, looking effortlessly cool.

Fu Xiuning wore a simple short-sleeved shirt and shorts with flip-flops, but his presence made him seem approachable rather than casual.

As they came down, Feng Zifan couldn't help but feel the same admiration he had when he first met them: these two really didn't give others a chance.

Bei Jinrong's expression darkened as he watched, a mix of frustration and resignation. He knew he couldn't compare to Fu Xiuning and could only hope that Fu Xiuning didn't have feelings for Xing Shi.

Yu Yi also looked at them with bright eyes until Fu Xiuning's gaze swept over, and he hurriedly looked away.

They arrived at the beach, where the chef was already busy.

The main meat dishes were seafood, and the ingredients were very fresh. The lights were soft, and the sound of the waves could be heard in the distance. Taking a swig of cold beer under the stars was pure bliss.

Fu Xiuning didn't have the habit of eating in the early morning, so he only ate a few bites and stopped.

He sat quietly next to Xing Shi, listening to their conversation, occasionally giving Xing Shi a skewer, all very naturally.

Everyone noticed this interaction and realized that Bei Jinrong's chances were looking even slimmer.

Feng Zifan and Yu Yi were witnessing their private interaction for the first time. Feng Zifan gradually sensed something was off and thought to himself, no wonder Fu Xiuning is so protective of Xing Shi. It all made sense now.

Xing Shi ate a grilled scallop, then looked up as if sensing something, only to suddenly meet Yu Yi's gaze, which caused him to pause.

Yu Yi held a skewer and looked at him intently.

Xing Shi raised his eyebrows inquiringly.

Yu Yi first glanced at Fu Xiuning, then winked at Xing Shi.

Xing Shi smiled and withdrew his gaze.

Everyone present, except for Fu Xiuning, had already met several times. As they ate and chatted, the atmosphere quickly warmed up.

The original plan of the second-generation rich kids was to play Truth or Dare, helping Bei Jinrong probe Xing Shi's feelings, but things had developed to this point, and they weren't sure if they should continue.

In the end, it was Bei Jinrong who secretly kicked the person next to him, who then suggested playing the game, quickly receiving responses from everyone around.

The game was simple: spin the bottle.

The person who suggested the game spun first, and the bottle landed on Bei Jinrong in the first round. Without hesitation, he chose truth.

The spinner, seeing his attitude, obliged him: "Qian'er, do you have a crush on someone?"

Bei Jinrong's name sounds like "finance," and since shells were ancient currency, his nickname was Qian'er (Money).

Without looking at Xing Shi, he replied directly, "Yes, love at first sight."

A few of the guys exchanged impressed glances.

You’re really going for the gold this time, huh!

The system also chimed in with gossip: "He’s definitely talking about you, isn’t he?"

Xing Shi nodded. "Yeah."

The system, seeing his unwavering response, asked, "You didn’t even blink, did you?"

Xing Shi said, "With a face like mine, why would I hesitate? Besides, I'm not stupid."

The system, about to agree, saw an opening and said instead, "You’re not stupid, yet you can’t see that Fu Xiuning likes you?"

Xing Shi seriously refuted, "No, he just sees me as a little brother."

The system, seeing him tease it again, gave up.

Xing Shi took a bite of the skewer, realizing that Bei Jinrong was practically laying it all out there. He figured he needed to keep his distance in the future.

He used to go out a lot, mainly to give Yu Shu a chance to get closer.

This time, he agreed to come, partly because he really wanted to hang out by the seaside, and partly because Yu Shu's current event location wasn't far from here. He wanted to see if Yu Shu would show up after seeing the group message.

He knew that Fu Xiuning's presence here likely had similar considerations, though the weight of that thought was unclear.

On the other side, Bei Jinrong started spinning the bottle again.

This time, it landed on one of the second-generation rich kids, who chose a dare and was messed with for a while. Holding the bottle, he spun it again, and it stopped in front of another person.

They played a few more rounds like this. The second-generation rich kids loved watching the chaos and were eager to land on Xing Shi or Fu Xiuning, but the bottle just wouldn't stop on them.

The bottle landed on Yu Yi in the ninth round. Startled, he paused for a few seconds before saying, "I... I choose truth."

The questioner, aware that another guy was pursuing him, asked with a smile, "Do you like anyone, Yu?"

Yu Yi shook his head and weakly asked, "Does an idol crush count?"

The questioner, curious, asked, "Who is your idol?"

Yu Yi's eyes lit up as he said, "Qi Changyi. I grew up listening to his songs!"

The group erupted in laughter. Seeing his confused expression, Feng Zifan laughed and said, "You'd better not say that in front of Boss Qi. He just debuted early; he's only six or seven years older than you."

Yu Yi, realizing his slip of the tongue, blushed in embarrassment.

The questioner reacted quickly, "So, does that mean you're into guys?"

Yu Yi was startled, his expression flustered, and he instinctively looked at his agency boss.

The pursuer, sensing the tension, quickly helped smooth things over. "Let's change the subject. It's Yu's turn to spin the bottle."

After a few more rounds, the topic was soon forgotten.

Finally, in another spin, the bottle landed on Xing Shi.

Meeting their collective eager gaze, Xing Shi smiled and said, "I choose dares."

Everyone: "..."

What kind of answer is that?!

With Fu Xiuning keeping an eye on him, who would dare mess with him?!

The person responsible for spinning the bottle, seeing Fu Xiuning's glance, proposed a moderate punishment.

Xing Shi calmly completed it, casually spun the bottle, and the game continued.

The group secretly rubbed their hands in anticipation, not giving up. Since they had agreed earlier that no one could choose the same option consecutively, the next time the bottle landed on Xing Shi, he would have to choose truth.

In the blink of an eye, five more rounds passed, during which the bottle landed on Fu Xiuning, who also chose dares and passed easily.

Two rounds later, the bottle landed on Xing Shi again.

As luck would have it, it was Bei Jinrong who spun the bottle.

Hearing Xing Shi choose truth, Bei Jinrong's hand under the table tightened into a fist.

Once, during a gathering, he had heard Yu Shu mention Xing Shi's MV shoot and knew that Xing Shi had no experience with relationships.

Now, under Fu Xiuning's gaze, he carefully worded his question. "Have you developed any feelings for someone, even a little bit?"

Xing Shi, looking at the table in front of him, was silent for a few seconds.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Fu Xiuning pick up his glass and take a sip of wine.

"Beep"

"Current favorability: 24"

System: "!"

It had been waiting nervously, and upon hearing the voice, it exclaimed, "Ah? Why?"

Xing Shi snapped out of his daze and chuckled to himself.

His silence spoke volumes; if there wasn’t, he would have said so right away.

He started to say, "I..."

Before he could finish, a familiar light chuckle interrupted. "Did I miss anything?"

Everyone turned their heads, only to see Yu Shu.

They had been so focused on Xing Shi, and with people coming and going to the bathroom, no one had noticed Yu Shu approaching until he spoke.

Noticing the bottle in the center of the table, Yu Shu quickly realized they were playing a drinking game.

Just as he was about to say he wanted to join, he heard the familiar "beep."

For a moment, both he and the system were delighted, thinking that the last incident was just a fluke. But then they heard the specific value.

"Current favorability: -10"

Yu Shu: "!"

System: "..."

Yu Shu's smile froze, but thankfully, the dim lighting hid his reaction from everyone.

They casually greeted him to sit down and shifted their attention back to Xing Shi, urging him to answer the question.

Yu Shu pulled a nearby chair and tried to keep his tone normal. "What were they asking you?"

Xing Shi looked at him and obediently answered, "They asked me if I have someone I like."

Yu Shu tightened his grip on the chair, thinking to himself, *No wonder Fu Xiuning lowered my score!*

He asked, "Oh, so do you?"

Xing Shi beamed, "Yeah, I do."

"Beep"

"Current favorability: 25"

System: "!!!"

Ahhh, it's like Christmas morning! The host just admitted it!

Even if it was probably deliberately said for Yu Shu's benefit, it could be taken as real!

Yu Shu’s smile faltered as he forced a laugh. "I remember during the music video shoot, you couldn’t seem to get into character."

Xing Shi gratefully said, "Thanks to the song you wrote, Yu Ge. I listened to it over and over, and eventually, I started to understand these feelings—realizing that I do have someone I like."

Yu Shu's rationality completely snapped, raging in his mind, "Damn it—!!!"

System: "..."

It reminded him, "He’s saying that just for you. Try to keep it cool."

Yu Shu said, "I know, but I can't stand it!"

The system replied, "Then you've fallen into his trap. Are you willing to?"

Yu Shu managed to calm down, took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, then smiled at Xing Shi. "Is that so? Congratulations."

Xing Shi seemed to sense a flash of killing intent, so brief that it felt like an illusion. He smiled and said, "Thank you, Brother Yu."

The game continued. After hearing Xing Shi's answer, Bei Jinrong felt both disappointed and couldn't help but entertain some hope. What if Xing Shi didn’t like Fu Xiuning, or what if Fu Xiuning had no feelings for him?

This fleeting hope was quickly crushed.

It was Fu Xiuning’s turn next, and they boldly asked the same question.

Fu Xiuning gently said, "Yes."

The others were stunned into silence, their shock visible on their wide-eyed faces.

Though they had expected it, hearing it with their own ears still left them deeply shaken.

Yu Shu heard it clearly, emotions churning in his eyes, his gaze fixed on the table’s edge without looking up.

Without reaching for the wine bottle, Fu Xiuning added, "We should wrap it up for today."

No one argued, and they all nodded in agreement, getting up to leave.

Feng Zifan walked a few steps before looking back and noticing that Yu Shu was still sitting there, hesitating for a moment.

Having spent so much time with Xing Shi, he had a good sense of his personality. While their conversation seemed normal on the surface, Feng Zifan sensed that something wasn’t right.

Yu Yi noticed him stopping and, following his gaze, also spotted Yu Shu. He called out, "Brother Yu, let's go back."

Yu Shu took two seconds to respond, looked up, and smiled at them. "I just arrived and want to enjoy the sea breeze for a while. You guys go ahead."

Yu Yi nodded and caught up with the rest.

Xing Shi and Fu Xiuning were at the front of the group.

They didn’t bring up the game, as if by unspoken agreement, and upon entering the villa, simply said "good night" before heading to their rooms.

Xing Shi was an early riser, thanks to his consistent sleep schedule. But since they had played late into the night, he allowed himself to sleep in a bit longer. After going downstairs for breakfast, he was about to head back up when he ran into Yu Shu.

Yu Shu had put on light makeup, looking quite refreshed. He had also carefully considered his outfit, exuding star quality.

He acted as if the previous day’s events had never happened, treating Xing Shi with unusual warmth and friendliness. He seemed to have completely forgotten, not only returning to his previous closeness but occasionally showing some deep affection.

Xing Shi decided not to sleep and wanted to see what Yu Shu was up to.

Fu Xiuning also woke up early and, upon going downstairs and seeing them heading towards the beach, followed along.

But Yu Shu ignored him completely, continuing to offer Xing Shi warm greetings. Xing Shi went along with it, accepting every gesture with a smile.

Bei Jinrong and the others, having woken up and arrived at the beach, witnessed this loving scene.

One of them scratched his chin, unsure, and asked, "Am I the only one who thinks... Yu Shu might actually like Xing Shi?"

Another person said, "It's not impossible. Remember how Yu Shu was always following him around whenever we went out to play?"

A third person said, "And his music video was directed by Xing Shi."

The others gasped in surprise, wondering to themselves, could it be that Yu Shu has a thing for Xing Shi?

No way, Yu Shu said in an interview that he's been into someone for a while now. Do these two know each other from before?

They weren't sure and decided to wait and see.

Feng Zifan felt increasingly uneasy and wanted to ask Xing Shi about it, but there were always people around him. He could only send a message on his phone.

Xing Shi casually replied with "It's nothing" and decided to try wakeboarding.

Yu Shu volunteered to teach him, but when Xing Shi learned that Fu Xiuning could do it, he declined Yu Shu's offer and happily went with Fu Xiuning.

Yu Shu wasn't discouraged and approached Xing Shi again when they returned.

As evening approached, the group took a boat out to sea.

A seafood feast was a specialty here and was well worth the price. They enjoyed the feast as the sun set, eating until it grew dark and then setting off fireworks.

Just as they were about to head back, Yu Shu looked at Xing Shi, his voice trembling with nervousness. "Xing Shi... can I talk to you alone? I... I have something I want to say to you."

Everyone turned their attention to them, wondering if their suspicions were correct. Was there really someone else trying to win him over?!

Fu Xiuning and Xing Shi were sitting next to each other and both looked up at the same time.

Fu Xiuning asked, "What do you want to talk about? Can I join?"

Xing Shi, still wiping his mouth from a bite of watermelon, was a beat behind.

He put down the tissue, a look of innocent harmlessness on his face, "Yu Ge, you've been crushing on my brother for so long. Seeing that he came here specially for me, and after last night when he admitted to having someone he likes, you don't hate me, and you even put on a show for me all day, just to wait for this moment to have a private chat with me and maybe stage an accident to push me into the sea?"

Everyone gasped.

Wow, that's heavy!

They held their breath, eyes glued to the three of them.

Yu Shu's expression froze, and the hand by his side clenched instantly.

His system had been pestering him all day, asking what he was planning, but he hadn't responded. Seeing his state, it asked, "Did he guess correctly?"

Yu Shu remained silent.

The system wanted to pry into his mind and asked coldly, "You know he's smart and probably saw through your act. What exactly are you thinking?"

What Yu Shu was thinking about was getting rid of Xing Shi.

He wasn't smart, but he knew that smart people were often arrogant.

Moreover, he could tell that Xing Shi enjoyed playing mind games. So, he had deliberately played the fool for a day, providing Xing Shi with entertainment, just for this moment.

He figured Xing Shi wouldn't miss his humiliation, but even that had been anticipated.

He tried to stay calm and not give up, saying dejectedly, "I do have a crush on your brother, and I know he might like you. I just want to talk to you, is that okay?"

Xing Shi sensed the murderous intent again and laughed, "Yu Ge, I speak bluntly, don't take offense."

He casually draped his hand over Fu Xiuning's chair back. "My brother is outstanding, and lots of people like him. In his eyes, you're just another face in the crowd, no different from the flowers and plants. Just because you're crushing on him, you think your feelings can influence his life?"

His eyes turned sharp. "Don't flatter yourself. Your infatuation is your business. Who do you think you are to come to me and say you want to talk?"

It was a total public embarrassment.

Yu Shu's face contorted with rage, and he almost lost control.

The system, knowing him all too well, immediately triggered a Level 1 punishment.

Yu Shu shuddered, his face paling slightly, but his gaze remained locked on Xing Shi, unwavering.

Xing Shi watched the scene unfold and decided the moment was perfect.

He lazily rose to his feet. "But hey, I’m not heartless. I’ll give you one last chance to talk privately."