Chapter 25 So It’s You, Yu Xin.

Chapter 25: It's You, Yu Xin.

"Yu Zhizhou wants to see him?"

Yu Xin was completely unfamiliar with the original host’s supposed family. He searched the Star Network and discovered Yu Zhizhou was the future heir of the Yu Group—a golden boy, seemingly groomed for success through elite education, the epitome of a privileged scion.

The man in the photo wore a suit, his gaze cold and stern, yet his face was undeniably handsome, fitting the public’s image of a talented young elite.

This "cheap" older brother of the original host had never paid him any mind after the host left the Yu family and fell on hard times. So why the sudden request for a meeting now?

Had he sensed something amiss?

Yu Xin didn’t know the nature of the original host’s relationship with this brother, but it likely wasn't a good one.

And how well did this brother truly know the original host?

Yu Xin dared not gamble. Meeting the original host’s family in his current state was undoubtedly a risky move. However, the original host had specifically kept Yu Zhizhou’s contact information, suggesting this brother held a significant place in his heart.

If this brother, who should have been out of his life, suddenly reached out, there must be a compelling reason for the meeting. To avoid Yu Zhizhou out of fear of exposure would be shirking his responsibility to the original host.

Since he had inherited this body, he had to take responsibility for the original host’s life.

Having made up his mind, Yu Xin scoured all available information about this brother on the Star Network, making thorough preparations for the meeting. He even looked up the restaurant mentioned in Yu Zhizhou’s message in advance.

It was a luxurious restaurant located in the most bustling area of the Capital Planet, frequented by affluent, upper-class individuals—a world apart from the dingy rental apartment Yu Xin currently inhabited.

Very much in keeping with the style of the Yu family’s eldest son.

The next day, Yu Xin was up early. He was a stickler for punctuality and disliked keeping others waiting. Though Yu Zhizhou had scheduled the meeting for 9 a.m., Yu Xin headed out at 7 a.m.

Most of the original host’s clothes were flashy, so Yu Xin picked a relatively low-key black jacket, put on a mask, and went downstairs.

He had already gained some recognition. After being recognized by a dog-walking auntie during his morning jog, Yu Xin had made it a habit to wear a mask whenever he went out.

He boarded the maglev train. In the Interstellar Era, the primary mode of urban transportation was still rail-based, but it was a suspended rail system powered by new energy sources. It was extremely low-cost, nearly silent, and incredibly fast—traveling from one end of a vast city to the other took only about half an hour.

The rail network was extensive, forming a multi-level transit web within the city. At 8 a.m. on a weekday, the train cars were almost full.

Though Yu Xin’s mask covered most of his face, two young girls dressed like students still glanced at him several times, whispering to each other.

One of the girls nudged her friend, eyes wide: "Look! A handsome guy!"

The other immediately caught on, pretending to casually glance back a few times before turning around excitedly and whispering, "I saw him! The one in the black jacket and white mask, right? OMG, he’s gorgeous."

"His face is so small and fair! His features are delicate and sharp, and his eyelashes are so long, oh my god."

"He looks familiar… Is he some nugu pretty-boy idol?"

"With looks like that, how could he be unknown? I’m not sure. Should we snap a pic and do a reverse image search?"

"I’m too scared. If we get caught, it’d be so embarrassing…"

"I’ll do it! What’s a little embarrassment in front of a handsome guy?"

"Okay… Hurry up, his stop is coming up!"

"Ah, he’s getting off… Good thing I managed to take a photo, haha."

In the photo, the young man leaned casually against the pole, his exposed eyebrows and eyes aloof and cool, yet it was clear he was exceptionally good-looking. The girls admired the photo repeatedly before one of them couldn’t resist posting it on her social media: "Help me find this guy!! The celestial-level handsome guy who got off at Silver Rose Plaza on Line 7 this morning—he made my heart skip a beat!! Does anyone know who he is?!"

A crowd of enthusiastic netizens who appreciate a fine man quickly flocked to the post:

"He was right in front of you, and you didn’t make a move? Now you’re fishing for him online."

"Exactly! When you meet someone like that, shoot your shot! Who knows, it might be fate!"

"I wanted to ask for his contact info, but I didn’t dare! He looks so cold, like he has a vibe that says 'keep back,' you know?"

"Honestly, he’s really handsome. Judging by his face shape and features, it’s definitely not a mask scam."

"Line 7 really has a lot of handsome guys! Is it because it passes by Silver Rose Plaza?!"

"He's gotta be famous, right? How could an ordinary person be this good-looking? Can we find him? I want to follow him!!"

"Wait, why does he look familiar… Are all handsome guys just similar?"

"Low-key, same…"

"Hold on!! Friends, don’t you think he looks a bit like Yu Xin?!"

"The Yu Xin who’s been popular recently on that survival variety show? He really does look alike, especially the face shape and eyebrows…"

"It’s him! The more I look, the more I think it’s him. Let me find some comparison photos!"

"Ahhh, it’s really Yu Xin! I compared them—it’s definitely him! [Image x1] [Image x2]"

"I thought we wouldn’t see Yu Xin until the next episode airs. So he does go out sometimes!"

"Same here! It’s been days since the first episode ended, and I’ve been feeling empty without seeing him. Is this what it feels like to like someone? QAQ"

On the other side, Yu Xin got off the maglev train and went straight to the restaurant Yu Zhizhou had chosen.

The restaurant was on the top floor of the tallest hotel in Silver Rose Plaza. Yu Zhizhou had preregistered, and customer information was pre-recorded in the system. Entry only required scanning biometric data like iris recognition, ensuring that customers were verified without any of the outdated TV drama tropes where people were turned away for dressing too casually.

"Ding—Identity confirmed. Welcome, esteemed guest. We wish you a pleasant day."

The hotel’s glass door slid open slowly as the electronic voice spoke politely.

Yu Xin stepped inside. The scene before him was lavish, with well-heeled guests moving about, their expressions polite but aloof, clearly people of high status.

Led by a beaming hostess, he made his way to the top-floor restaurant and entered the elevator on one side of the lobby.

Little did Yu Xin know, just as he stepped into the elevator, the doors of the downward-bound elevator on the other side opened, and a few people walked out.

At the forefront was a man in formal attire—tall, nearly 190 cm, with his hair perfectly in place, swept back to reveal a handsome, chiseled face.

His eyes, cold and translucent like polished stone, were a rose-gold hue.

The two brushed past each other.

Yu Xin entered the elevator, and the doors slowly closed.

But the man stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Yu Xin.

Through the narrow gap of the closing doors, he only had time to catch a glimpse of the young man’s black hair and the defined bridge of his nose.

At that moment, Bai Yizhou, who was following behind him, asked curiously, "General? Everything alright?"

Why had he suddenly stopped like that?

The man was Ji Yixing.

The elevator had already gone up. Ji Yixing, distracted, recalled the face he'd glimpsed when they passed each other. "No, it's nothing," he muttered absentmindedly.

"Just didn’t expect to bump into... him here."

He wasn’t entirely sure if it was that person, but he didn’t mind sticking around for a bit.

A group of people standing by the elevator entrance was quite conspicuous. Ji Yixing started walking again and said, "Hey, Bai Yizhou, scratch the trip back to base. I recall there’s a café on the first floor here, right? Let's grab a seat there."

"Huh?" Bai Yizhou was surprised. Wasn’t the General the one who hated social outings the most? If it weren’t for a can't-get-out-of-it event, he wouldn’t have come out at all. His impatience had been obvious back in the banquet hall. Normally, he’d be itching to get back to the base as soon as possible—why would he suddenly want to have coffee today?

But of course, he couldn’t ask the General that. He simply replied, "Yes, sir. Please wait a moment. I’ll go to the café right away to get us a table."

"Go ahead. Make sure to get one by the window."

Confused, Bai Yizhou headed out.

Lately, the General had been acting stranger and stranger. Not only had he been cooped up in his room at base watching variety shows he’d never shown interest in before, but now he even wanted coffee.

And what was with the random request for a window seat? He thought: Did he want to enjoy the view of the hotel’s bustling crowd?

Ji Yixing went to the café, ordered coffee but didn’t take a single sip, leaving it aside as he pulled out his personal device.

A notification pinged.

"Yu Xin Spotted"

"Yu Xin at Silver Rose Plaza"

"Someone ran into Yu Xin on Line 7! Rumor has it he got off at Silver Rose Plaza, and there are photos. I checked—it’s really him!"

"So Yu Xin might be at Silver Rose Plaza right now? Ahhh, I really want to run into him!"

"I’m nearby! Any sisters want to team up and wait for Yu Xin? I really want to see him in person!"

...

Ji Yixing tapped his fingers cheerfully on the table, a slight smile curling at the corners of his mouth. He was clearly in a very good mood.

"So it really is you, Yu Xin."

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Author’s Note: Sorry, today I went out with my mom and didn’t have time to write... I plan to write tonight, so the next update might be very late (clutching my energy drinks lol). Everyone, don’t stay up late—wait until tomorrow morning to check!

Thank you all so much for your support. I’ll keep working hard!