Chapter 10
On Weibo, discussions about the “street-performing young man” had cooled down slightly, but a significant number of people were still following the topic.
[Another day of hyping up my adorable baby!!!]
[I’ve rewatched the video 136 times already. Excuse me, when is my strawberry-cream boy making his debut?]
[Actually, in that video Lin Rui posted earlier, wasn’t he at the registration point for Stellar Light? That means…]
[Calling it now, he’s debuting through Stellar Light! Hehehe.]
…
[Sorry, have I been off Weibo for too long? Who are you all talking about?!]
[Pfft, you mean that brick-moving guy? He’s so rustic. Are you seriously saying he should debut?]
[+1. His looks and voice are barely passable, but… are you seriously suggesting a construction worker should debut? What’s he going to perform—brick-laying or farming?]
[Being an idol isn’t as easy as you think. So many people start training in middle or high school. Is it fair to let a complete newbie just rise to fame overnight?]
[Face fans unite. Even if he’s just a pretty face standing there like a vase, I’d still support him, hehe.]
*
The next morning.
When Fang Huai woke up, his mind was still groggy.
Did he dream about something last night? It felt like he did, but the moment he woke up, all the details slipped away—he couldn’t remember a single thing.
Absentmindedly brushing his teeth, Fang Huai quickly shoved the strange dream to the back of his mind.
At 8 AM, sunlight spilled onto the windowsill. A sparrow chirped as it landed above Fang Huai’s head. He yawned while getting dressed, packed his backpack, and was just about to head out for another day of brick-moving when his phone suddenly rang.
“Hello, Mr. Fang,” the voice on the other end said. “I’m a staff member from Stellar Light. You signed up, correct? The auditions are currently underway, and there’s only an hour left. We noticed you still haven’t checked in…”
Fang Huai: “?!”
Auditions?!
—Thirty minutes later.
Fang Huai stood in line outside the sports arena where the auditions were being held, struggling to keep his eyes open as he yawned repeatedly, barely staying awake.
He had signed up just in time—the previous day was the last day for registration. Since the schedule was tight, the auditions began immediately after the deadline. There was a selection round that morning, meaning Fang Huai had to put his brick-moving work on hold.
There were many applicants, but only forty would make it to the competition. In the first round, half of those forty would be eliminated.
To save time, the auditions were conducted in pairs.
This didn’t mean that only one person from each pair could pass. The grouping was merely for efficiency; each contestant was scored individually.
Still, the atmosphere between paired contestants was inevitably tense—after all, standing so close together, people couldn’t help but compare them.
Take Fang Huai’s pairing, for example.
The moment Fang Huai arrived, many eyes turned toward him. Even those who didn’t closely follow social media had at least heard about the “street-performing young man” over the past few days. But his groupmate also seemed to be someone noteworthy.
The audition list showed that Fang Huai’s partner was someone named Ren Ping. At that moment, Ren Ping stood in front of him, glancing at him with a mix of arrogance and indifference.
Fang Huai: “…”
“Hello?” Fang Huai greeted him, puzzled.
His sleep quality had been poor the night before, and now his light amber eyes were hazy, resembling pools of water. His nose was slightly red, and he kept yawning. A small bird had even landed on his shoulder.
Ren Ping didn’t respond—not even a word. His gaze swept over Fang Huai, from his loose, slightly worn-out T-shirt to his patched-up sweatpants. A hint of disdain flickered in his eyes. After a moment, he let out a cold snort.
Poor bastard.
Fang Huai: “…?”
He wasn’t socially adept and had no idea what Ren Ping was thinking, but he could tell the guy wasn’t friendly. So, he said nothing.
Ren Ping seemed quite popular. While waiting in line for the audition, many contestants around him were eager to strike up a conversation. And every time he spoke, it was in that same aloof, arrogant tone.
“By the way, Ren Ping, have you ever met President Ye?” someone beside him couldn’t help but ask.
“You mean Ye Yuyuan?” Ren Ping lifted his eyelids slightly, his tone casual. “Yeah, I’ve met him.”
“Wow, when?”
“Too many times to count,” Ren Ping said, curving his lips slightly in a nonchalant smirk. “The first time was probably on Brother Ye’s private island. He invited my dad for a round of golf, but my dad was busy, so I went instead.”
Some people noticed that Ren Ping referred to Ye Yuyuan as Brother Ye instead of President Ye, signaling familiarity.
After speaking, Ren Ping absentmindedly rolled up his sleeve and checked his watch. Someone immediately whispered:
“Ren Ping, is that a Ptah smart watch? Those were a limited global release!”
“It’s nothing special,” Ren Ping shrugged. “Brother Ye gave it to me.”
Ptah’s products had a unique imprint that couldn’t be counterfeited. Seeing this, most people believed him, eagerly gathering around to ask more questions. After all, this was Ye Yuyuan—the top ten wealthiest person in the world, someone far removed from their everyday lives.
Ren Ping pressed the surface of the smart watch—and suddenly froze.
It had shut down.
How could that be? The battery had been full.
In reality, Ren Ping had never actually met Ye Yuyuan. He had simply come across this watch by chance and used it to brag—knowing full well that someone like Ye Yuyuan would never cross paths with him or care.
But now, staring at the powered-off watch, an unsettling thought crossed his mind.
Ptah’s AI system reserves administrative privileges for Ye Yuyuan. Under special circumstances, his AI has the authority to disable specific devices…
But… that’s impossible, right?
It must’ve just malfunctioned. Feeling a little uneasy, Ren Ping lowered his wrist and brushed the thought aside.
“That’s incredible! Does your family do business with Ptah?”
“Are you here to chase your dreams, or are you one of those ‘if I don’t make it, I’ll just inherit a multi-million-dollar business instead’ types?”
“Besides the private island, where else have you met him?”
“…”
“Well, there was also that time Brother Ye invited me to his private golf course and swimming pool just outside the city—” At this point, Ren Ping suddenly turned to the young man standing behind him and smiled:
“If you want to take a look at Brother Ye’s golf course, I can ask him and see if he can make an exception for you. But… you might need to change your clothes. Otherwise, even with my connections, they might not be willing to let you in.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the people around them burst into laughter.
Fang Huai wasn’t dressed sloppily, but his clothes were a bit worn out, and his pants had visible patches. He was relying purely on his looks to hold everything together.
He had been listening absentmindedly to their conversation, feeling drowsy. When he suddenly realized someone was talking to him, he barely managed to wake up a little.
“Oh.”
Fang Huai absentmindedly nodded.
What were they talking about again?
He was so tired. His eyelids drooped slightly, his light amber eyes hazy with sleepiness.
But in Ren Ping’s eyes, that expression looked like embarrassment and humiliation. He couldn’t help but smirk inwardly.
A poor loser will always be a poor loser. No matter how lucky this rustic, broke construction worker got, he was still just an insignificant ant—worlds apart from people like them.
Ren Ping looked down on even having someone like Fang Huai as his competitor.
Forget stepping into Ye Yuyuan’s golf course or swimming pool—Fang Huai wasn’t even qualified to shine the shoes of Ye’s butler.
With that thought, Ren Ping, who had been feeling jealous over Fang Huai’s sudden rise to fame, suddenly felt much better.
The line moved quickly, and soon, it was Fang Huai and Ren Ping’s turn.
A staff member came out and called their names. Fang Huai startled awake, finally shaking off some of his drowsiness.
His light amber eyes, now clearer as if washed by water, blinked in confusion as he looked at the staff member. What was he supposed to do next?
There was something special about Fang Huai’s aura—pure, with a mix of innocence and quiet defiance. Freshly woken up, his youthful handsomeness was impossible to ignore.
The staff member, a young woman, blushed slightly at his appearance and patiently explained, “When you go in, you’ll have two minutes to sing. Just relax and do your best. Oh, and if you can perform a talent, you’ll get extra points!”
Fang Huai nodded and sincerely thanked her.
He and Ren Ping walked in together. Throughout the entire walk, Ren Ping remained arrogant, not even sparing Fang Huai a glance. He reached into his bag and pulled out a jade flute—his prepared talent piece.
The flute had exceptional sound quality and, of course, was incredibly expensive. Even someone with no skill could play it and make it sound decent.
The two of them entered the audition room.
The judges sat in a row, sizing them up while whispering among themselves. Finally, the head judge cleared his throat and smiled at them.
“Ren Ping, you go first.”
Ren Ping glanced at Fang Huai out of the corner of his eye before stepping forward and clearing his throat.
Since the auditions were a cappella, Ren Ping had specifically chosen a song with a classical, traditional style. It was a medley of ancient-style melodies cleverly woven together, subtly masking some of the flaws in his voice.
The judges nodded as they listened, a flicker of appreciation in their eyes.
There were a few imperfections, but they weren’t major. Overall, it was an excellent performance.
And in the middle of his song, Ren Ping seamlessly transitioned into playing the jade flute. The crisp, clear notes rang out like the call of a mountain bird, instantly elevating the performance and even surprising the judges.
When he finished, Ren Ping gave a formal bow.
The judges applauded, and one of the female judges even praised him:
“A gentleman as refined as jade, unmatched in the world.”
It was quite a coincidence—both Ren Ping and Fang Huai had chosen songs with a traditional folk style, yet they had been placed in the same group. But now, it seemed clear that Fang Huai wouldn’t be able to compete with Ren Ping.
Many of the judges had seen the viral video of the “street performer pretty boy” and had developed a slight fondness for Fang Huai. However… he probably only knew how to sing that one song, right?
He had sung the same dialect song twice already, and there was a good chance he’d sing it again. While it had been breathtaking at first, it was a bit one-dimensional. Compared to Ren Ping’s carefully crafted and well-executed performance, it was far less impressive.
And since Fang Huai hadn’t brought any instruments, it seemed like he hadn’t prepared a talent piece.
There was an unspoken rule in these auditions—talent performances were crucial. Since the official show would also include a dedicated talent segment, those who showcased a talent in the auditions tended to score higher.
The judges looked at Fang Huai with a hint of regret.
Meanwhile, Ren Ping stepped down and shot Fang Huai a glance—aloof yet tinged with smugness.
“Alright,” the judges finished marking Ren Ping’s score, and the head judge cleared his throat before saying, “Fang Huai, you have two minutes.”
Fang Huai stepped forward, bowed slightly to the panel of judges, and stood still.
The audition was being held in a gymnasium, with the bustling crowd outside kept at bay. Soft morning light spread across the floor.
Ren Ping didn’t leave after his performance. Instead, he sat off to the side, watching with a leisurely air. He wanted to see what Fang Huai would come up with. He had watched Fang Huai’s video and knew that the guy had a good vocal foundation—but just a foundation.
To debut from a talent show? He was lacking in far too many ways. A construction worker will always be a construction worker, Ren Ping thought disdainfully.
The judges, too, didn’t expect much. Ren Ping had already exceeded their expectations, so they had little hope for Fang Huai.
The room fell silent.
Fang Huai closed his eyes slightly. Dust floated in the air, catching the light in delicate beams. A soft glow fell on his long, slightly curled eyelashes.
His skin was fair—not an unhealthy pallor but a smooth, porcelain-like whiteness. His lips had a natural, gentle curve, and his features were clean, striking, and effortlessly likable.
And at that very moment, as his eyelids lowered, many of the people in the room sensed something.
Fang Huai’s presence—had changed.
—
Author’s note: The side character is about to get slapped in the face~ Also, Fang Huai is actually a little genius! Don’t underestimate him just because he’s from the countryside!
Bonus Scene
Ren Ping: Is the watch broken, or did Ptah sell me a defective product?!
AI: Don’t worry, it’s neither. It’s just that you’ve already been blacklisted by the Ptah intelligent system. 😀
Ren Ping: …………???
