Chapter 33
Of the seven people in the private room, three were celebrities, while the other four had at least half their families involved in the entertainment industry. That made it barely count as five people connected to the circle.
This outing was something they had planned on a whim the night before, wanting to have some fun today. After lunch, they intended to head somewhere else.
Yu Shu had seen their group chat message this morning by chance. After having his system look into it, he found out they were meeting at Linlan Garden for lunch, so he decided to drop by for a “coincidental” encounter.
After introducing everyone with friendly gestures, Yu Shu noticed most of the attention was on Xing Shi, and he felt quite satisfied with the outcome.
The three celebrities, upon seeing the pair’s looks, immediately knew they were backed by Liuyue Culture. As long as they had decent skills and didn’t ruin themselves, their future would undoubtedly be bright. A sour note slipped into their tone: “Your company really knows how to keep people hidden.”
Yu Shu smiled pleasantly. “It’s not about hiding them. They’re still trainees, currently in training.”
One of the young men looked at Xing Shi. “How many years are your contracts with the company? What’s the penalty for breaching them?”
Yu Shu quickly chimed in, “Hey, no poaching allowed!”
The group burst into laughter.
At the table, a girl noticed that Xing Shi seemed to be messaging someone. She stood up and smiled. “Since we’re all in the same circle, why don’t we add each other on WeChat? I’ll pull you into the group, so we can hang out whenever there’s time.”
Yu Shu nodded in agreement. “Yes, you two should add them. There are a lot of people in the group, and all sorts of news comes through.”
Xing Shi and the girl exchanged WeChat contacts. When someone nearby leaned over, wanting to add him as well, he casually scanned their QR code.
After a few more exchanges, Director Li’s group got ready to leave.
The people in the private room tried to stop them. “Why don’t you stay and eat with us? This place is big enough for everyone to fit. It’s livelier with more people.”
Since most of the people in Director Li’s studio were already acquainted with those in the room, it didn’t really matter where they ate. They glanced at Yu Shu.
Yu Shu hesitated for a moment, then turned to Xing Shi and Yu Yi with a questioning look. “What do you think?”
Xing Shi smirked faintly, tossing the question back. “You’re treating us, Brother Yu. Of course, we’ll go with what you decide. Do you want to eat here, Brother Yu?”
Yu Shu met his gaze and felt a jolt in his chest.
He’d gone through all this effort to get Xing Shi out for a meal, so there was no way he could risk upsetting him. Rejecting the group’s suggestion, he left the room with Xing Shi and Yu Yi.
Back in the hallway, Yu Shu glanced at Xing Shi out of the corner of his eye and called his system.
“I feel like his look just now was off,” he said. “He even questioned me before about being able to hear voices. Do you think he’s figured out my intentions? Could it really be that far-fetched?”
The system replied flatly, “I don’t know.”
Yu Shu mulled over the situation. “Who was he messaging just now? What did he say?”
The system performed a quick search and repeated the message to him word for word.
Yu Shu’s expression changed slightly as he suppressed the urge to glance at Xing Shi. “That’s impossible!”
The system analyzed, “He likely knows you have feelings for Fu Xiuning and has realized you’re deliberately approaching him. It’s unclear if Fu Xiuning told him this after that day.”
Yu Shu sighed. “I could’ve guessed that much.”
It wasn’t surprising to him that Fu Xiuning could see through his feelings. It also wasn’t entirely unexpected that he might tell Xing Shi.
What shocked him was… He asked, “How did he figure out my plan so quickly? I only pretended to bump into him and gave them a simple introduction to the people in the room. I didn’t do anything extra!”
The system said coldly, “I warned you to be cautious. The moment he questioned you, you should’ve canceled your plan.”
Yu Shu fell silent.
He admitted that he had been a bit careless this time, but his intentions weren’t wrong.
He wasn’t doing anything shady.
Director He’s only son, Qi Changyi’s cousin, someone even Fu Xiuning treated with such favor—he wouldn’t dare introduce Xing Shi to anyone improper, even if he’d had the courage of a lion and a leopard combined.
Xing Shi didn’t have a history of romance—this much was evident from when they filmed the music video.
Still, Fu Xiuning’s attitude toward Xing Shi was like a thorn, pricking uncomfortably at Yu Shu’s heart.
So, he’d thought to introduce Xing Shi to some people. If it could develop into a romantic relationship, that’d be ideal. If not, it didn’t matter. His one-on-one invitations to Xing Shi always failed. Perhaps a group invitation would increase the chances.
If someone happened to match Xing Shi’s taste and succeeded in getting him to join them, Yu Shu would have the opportunity to connect with him too.
But he hadn’t expected Xing Shi to see through it.
The data said Xing Shi was intelligent and difficult to approach. Yet, from their interactions, Xing Shi had always been easygoing, showing none of the supposed cleverness. This left Yu Shu without a clear understanding of him, and now their first meal together had been ruined.
As expected, anyone close to Fu Xiuning wasn’t ordinary.
The group entered the private room they had booked.
Xing Shi chose a seat by the window and rested his chin on his hand, watching the server prepare tea.
Noticing a faint gaze from across the table, he raised his eyes and looked over.
Yu Shu handed him the menu, trying to show goodwill. “Take a look and see what you want to eat.”
Xing Shi smiled sweetly. “Anything’s fine. Brother Yu, you decide.”
Seeing that his attitude was as normal as ever, Yu Shu couldn’t help but become even more cautious. “Do you have any dietary restrictions?”
Xing Shi had no intention of deleting the message he’d sent to Fu Xiuning earlier. Now, as he observed Yu Shu’s reaction, he speculated that Yu Shu might have used his system to look into him. Smiling even more sweetly, he replied, “None.”
Yu Shu kept his expression under control and smiled back. “Alright.”
He quickly ordered a few dishes, growing more pessimistic with every passing thought.
He really should’ve chosen a better opportunity to naturally introduce Xing Shi to people rather than staging a rushed encounter.
He asked his system, “What should I do now?”
The system replied, “Don’t make a mess. Just finish the meal.”
Yu Shu asked, “Will Fu Xiuning’s opinion of me worsen after seeing Xing Shi’s message?”
The system said, “Yes.”
Yu Shu argued, “But Xing Shi told him there were others present. Even though he only replied ‘I’ll tell you later,’ Fu Xiuning will eventually know everyone here is decent, right? Xing Shi’s profile says he doesn’t have many friends. If I help him expand his circle, wouldn’t Fu Xiuning and the others be happy?”
The system responded, “I don’t know.”
Yu Shu felt uneasy. “What if he still dislikes me after hearing the names? What then?”
The system said, “Just finish the meal.”
Yu Shu: “…”
After the meal, Yu Shu received a message from a friend, asking about someone—Xing Shi, to be precise.
Having learned his lesson, Yu Shu didn’t dare say anything reckless. He simply replied that Xing Shi’s background wasn’t ordinary and that he couldn’t reveal more. With that, he brushed the person off.
Once they finished eating, they headed to Director Li’s studio.
Xing Shi’s purpose for taking this job wasn’t entirely pure, but this was the first time he was seeing a production he’d acted in. Naturally, he was a little curious.
When the video started playing, familiar scenes of Z University’s campus unfolded. The storyline shifted with the protagonist’s daily life, interspersed with clips of Yu Shu singing.
Director Li’s aesthetic sense was on point. The scenes were beautifully shot, capturing the sweetness and bitterness of a secret crush. Even in this rough cut, it was clear the video could go live immediately.
Yu Shu glanced at them. “What do you think? Not bad, right?”
Xing Shi sincerely praised him, “It’s great.”
Yu Yi, looking visibly excited, nodded in agreement.
Yu Shu rewatched the MV, lost in thought for a moment, and murmured softly, “I hope that when it’s released, he’ll see it or hear about it.”
Xing Shi’s tone was genuine as he encouraged him once again. “Brother Yu, good luck. You can do it.”
Yu Shu smiled. “Thank you. I’ll take that as a blessing.”
He then asked his system, “Does his comment have any hidden meaning? Is it a sign he doesn’t oppose me being with Fu Xiuning?”
The system replied, “It’s probably just a polite remark to brush you off.”
Yu Shu groaned. “Can’t you lie to me once in a while and tell me something nice?”
The system answered, “No.”
Yu Shu: “…”
After finishing the MV, Xing Shi returned to the company.
Yu Shu personally saw them off and attempted to build rapport along the way, only to find it challenging.
It wasn’t because Xing Shi was cold toward him—on the contrary, Xing Shi’s attitude hadn’t changed at all.
And that was the problem. Just like Fu Xiuning, Xing Shi was always warm and polite, but Yu Shu’s favorability rating with him seemed to be zero—or even in the negatives. Xing Shi was outwardly friendly, but it was clear he saw through everything Yu Shu was doing. The true favorability score remained a mystery.
Yu Shu still had work to do, so he didn’t go into the company with them. Instead, he sat in his car, watching Xing Shi and Yu Yi disappear into the building. Calling his system, he asked, “Alright, tell me—what should I do now?”
The system replied, “He doesn’t fall for tricks. Unless he’s willing on his own, nothing you do will work.”
Yu Shu pressed on. “So, what’s the next step?”
The system said, “Be straightforward about your intentions. Invite him out to play and use food as the starting point.”
Yu Shu asked, “And what about Fu Xiuning?”
The system replied, “Wait for the MV to be released. Then reconnect after some time has passed.”
At the same time, Fu Xiuning had just received Xing Shi’s message. Seeing that Xing Shi had returned, Fu Xiuning followed up with another question: “Who else was there?”
Xing Shi couldn’t recall all the names, but with his system’s help, he sent the complete list. Fu Xiuning glanced at it, gave an “Mm,” and didn’t say anything further.
Xing Shi didn’t reply again either.
He and Yu Yi had already lost too much time during lunch and were now in the middle of training. They quietly slipped into the last row of the team and got to work.
It wasn’t until evening, when they returned home, that the topic came up again.
Sitting cross-legged on the sofa, casually towel-drying his hair, Xing Shi asked, “Brother, do you know those people?”
Fu Xiuning nodded. “I’ve met them.”
Xing Shi continued, “What do you think of them?”
Fu Xiuning gave an objective assessment. “They’re alright.”
Xing Shi silently noted that Yu Shu hadn’t been completely foolish and said, “Oh. So, it wouldn’t be a problem if I went out with them sometime.”
Fu Xiuning glanced at him. “Did they invite you?”
Xing Shi answered, “Yeah. They messaged in the evening, asking if we wanted to go out for dinner. I said we had training and wouldn’t make it, so we didn’t go.”
However, as full-time trainees, they had breaks, unlike when they were still in school and had to stay at the company on weekends to catch up on progress.
The date was soon—this weekend, to be precise.
Two days later, Xing Shi waited at the entrance of his residential complex for the car that would pick him up.
The driver was the young man from before who had asked about their contract termination fees. His name was Bei Jinrong, and his family owned an entertainment company.
Seeing Xing Shi get into the car, Bei Jinrong chuckled with a sigh. “You trainees have it rough—training from morning till night and only getting one day off.”
Xing Shi buckled his seatbelt and smiled. “Exactly. Nothing’s easy these days, is it?”
Bei Jinrong studied him closely.
Xing Shi wore a baseball cap, a simple T-shirt, and jeans—plain and casual, yet he looked stunning. It was just like the other day in the private room. Once you’d seen him, it was hard to notice anyone else.
Bei Jinrong reined in his gaze and started the car. “Never thought about debuting now?”
Xing Shi replied, “I don’t meet the standards yet, so it’s not happening.”
Bei Jinrong said, “You could debut while continuing to learn, though.”
Xing Shi leaned back lazily. “Nah, that’d just be even more exhausting.”
Bei Jinrong laughed. “True enough.”
They picked up Yu Yi and Feng Zifan from the apartment.
Yu Yi was already part of the group chat, but they had recently learned during casual conversation that Feng Zifan was close to Xing Shi, so they invited him into the group as well.
Their destination was a multi-purpose club that offered a variety of activities, most notably shooting and go-karting.
When Yu Shu arrived, Xing Shi had just finished three laps in a go-kart.
The weather was hot, and after speeding around the track, he was drenched in sweat, his hair visibly damp.
Bei Jinrong had accompanied him on the track and looked just as disheveled. He walked over with a grin and handed Xing Shi a bottle of iced water.
Yu Shu happened to witness this scene and immediately called his system. “See? I told you my method works! Sure, it was a bit rushed, but it got results. Look, I’ve already got him to come out!”
The system didn’t argue. “Mm.”
Feeling pleased, Yu Shu walked toward them.
Xing Shi noticed him quickly and greeted him. “Brother Yu.”
Yu Shu smiled. “How’s it going? Having fun?”
Xing Shi replied, “Pretty great.”
Lunch was at a nearby farm-to-table restaurant, followed by karaoke back in the city in the afternoon. Dinner was a barbecue, and the night ended with a trip to a nightclub.
Xing Shi didn’t return home until late at night, fully satisfied, and found Fu Xiuning still awake.
Fu Xiuning closed his book and looked at him. “You’re back?”
Xing Shi grinned brightly. “Mm.”
Fu Xiuning studied his expression. “You seem like you had a good time.”
Xing Shi, faintly carrying the scent of cigarettes, stayed at a distance across the large living room and said with a smile, “Not bad. They’re good people—fun and great at picking places to eat.”
He then asked, “Why are you still up this late, Brother Fu? Were you waiting for me?”
Fu Xiuning replied, “I was reading and lost track of time.”
He then asked, “Your dad couldn’t reach you during the day and messaged me instead. Did you get back to him?”
Xing Shi said, “I did.”
Director He knew Xing Shi was on break and had asked about his plans. At the time, Xing Shi had been racing go-karts and hadn’t replied immediately, but he’d responded as soon as he saw the message.
He said, “I’m going to bed now. Goodnight.”
Fu Xiuning returned the sentiment with a “Goodnight,” watching him disappear into his room before getting up to head to his own.
The next day, they returned to their regular routines—one as an office worker, the other as a trainee. Occasionally, they had meals with Director He, but otherwise, life followed its usual rhythm.
The only noticeable change was that Xing Shi suddenly had more dinner invitations.
It was unclear whether this was due to Yu Shu’s influence or if Bei Jinrong and the others had taken the initiative, but they often sent Xing Shi pictures of food. Out of every four or five attempts, at least one would work.
Sometimes Xing Shi would meet them for lunch, and other times he would head out after training, playing until the early hours of the morning before returning home.
One morning, Fu Xiuning saw Xing Shi stumble out of his room yawning, clearly not fully awake. Upon questioning, he learned that Xing Shi had gone out for late-night skewers.
Looking at him, Fu Xiuning asked, “You get along well with them?”
Xing Shi sipped his porridge slowly and replied, “They’re alright.”
Fu Xiuning asked, “Is Yu Shu usually there too?”
Xing Shi said, “Most of the time, yeah.”
Fu Xiuning understood. Part of the reason was probably just the food.
Xing Shi added, “I’m going out for late-night snacks with them again tonight. Just letting you know in advance.”
Fu Xiuning asked, “You didn’t sleep well last night, and you’re staying up late again tonight. Aren’t you worried about burning out?”
Xing Shi explained, “I won’t stay up too late. I’ll be back before midnight.”
Fu Xiuning nodded warmly. “Mm.”
[Ding Ding]
[Current favorability: 21]
Xing Shi: “…”
System: “!”
Fu Xiuning: “…”
The last time Xing Shi’s favorability had mysteriously dropped to 21, it had rebounded to 22 the next day. Now, after several days, it had decreased again. The reason was obvious.
The system said, “It’s definitely because you’ve been ignoring him! You’re not even trying to team up with Yu Shu, so why bother hanging out with him? Spend more time with your lonely husband—uh, brother, okay?”
Xing Shi swallowed his food and looked across the table. “Brother Fu, you don’t mind me going out so often, do you?”
Fu Xiuning replied considerately, “I don’t mind. Go ahead.”
Xing Shi pressed, “Really?”
Fu Xiuning nodded lightly. “I’ve told you before to make more friends. It’s a good thing.”
Xing Shi said, “Alright then.”
The system couldn’t help but scream in his head, “You believe that?”
Xing Shi replied seriously, “Of course! He’s my brother—why would he lie to me?”
The system retorted, “He’s obviously saying one thing and thinking another! Aren’t you supposed to be smart?”
Xing Shi retorted back, “I don’t believe it. My brother just wants the best for me!”
The system said, “Then why would he deduct points if it’s for your own good?”
Xing Shi said, “He’s just awkward.”
The system, connecting the dots, said, “So, he says it’s for your own good, but that’s not how he really feels, right?”
Xing Shi fell silent for a moment before replying, “You’re right.”
The system exclaimed, “See?!”
Xing Shi immediately added, “He’s probably thinking that if I eat too much and get fat, I’ll stop looking good and won’t make him any money in the future. Sigh, men.”
The system: “???”
Fu Xiuning: “…”
Xing Shi stifled a laugh, set down his utensils, and said, “Brother Fu, I’m full.”
Fu Xiuning said, “Alright, wait for me.”
He calmly finished his meal and took Xing Shi to the company.
Another week passed, and it was time for Yu Shu’s MV to go live.
Xing Shi had previously asked the system to check Yu Shu’s schedule and had deliberately chosen times when Yu Shu was busy to hang out.
This resulted in Yu Shu scrambling between events—rushing to join them during work breaks or even late at night.
Once, after a long day of work, Yu Shu finally lay down for some rest. But when Xing Shi agreed to meet for late-night snacks, Yu Shu forced himself out of bed to join them, only to catch a 4:30 a.m. flight for a variety show recording the next day.
After weeks of this, Yu Shu felt utterly drained.
Thankfully, his efforts seemed to pay off. Yu Shu felt that he’d grown significantly closer to Xing Shi.
The day before the MV release, he decided to test the waters.
Xing Shi received his message while lounging on the sofa, playing with his phone.
Fu Xiuning sat next to him, reading a book, with a cart of snacks nearby. The soft lighting in the living room created a serene atmosphere.
Xing Shi called out, “Brother Fu.”
Fu Xiuning turned a page without looking up. “Mm.”
Xing Shi said, “They’re asking me to go out.”
Only then did Fu Xiuning glance at him. “It’s raining outside.”
Xing Shi was already on his feet. “It’s just a drizzle, no big deal. I’ll be back early—you should get some rest.”
He went to his room, changed, and left with a spring in his step.
The sound of the door closing with a soft “click” returned the house to silence.
Fu Xiuning stared at his book for a long time before finally turning the page.
Yu Shu’s chosen spot was a high-end club, and everyone, including Bei Jinrong, was there.
By now, the group was well-acquainted, so when Xing Shi entered, he casually greeted them and took a seat on the sofa.
Yu Shu approached and sat beside him. After some small talk, he prepared himself and said, “My MV is going live tomorrow.”
Xing Shi had expected as much and responded with pleasant surprise. “Really?”
Yu Shu nodded. Xing Shi said, “Don’t worry, Brother Yu. I’ll rally my fans to support you too.” Yu Shu thanked him, but his expression revealed some unease. “Do you think… he’ll see it?” Xing Shi replied, “I’m not sure, but I’ll wish you the best.”
Yu Shu studied his expression, leaning in slightly to lower his voice. “Let me tell you the truth—I like your brother.”
Xing Shi’s eyes widened in surprise. “Huh?”
Yu Shu carefully observed his reaction and asked, “So, do you think he’ll watch it?”
Xing Shi looked genuinely clueless. “I don’t know.”
Yu Shu pressed, “Take a guess?”
Xing Shi thought about it, then thought some more, before giving him three words: “I can’t guess.”
Yu Shu: “…”
Why can’t you take a hint? Couldn’t you at least say you’d remind him to watch it?
Yu Shu kept his expression under control but sighed with a hint of disappointment. “Do you think I have a chance with him?”
Xing Shi replied sincerely, “I still don’t know, but I’ll cheer you on!”
The expression on Xing Shi’s face was identical to before—calm, unbothered, and unchanging.
Yu Shu locked eyes with him and called out to his system. “What does this mean?”
The system was silent.
Yu Shu demanded, “Say something!”
The system replied, “He’s brushing you off.”
Yu Shu’s breath hitched. “What do you mean?”
The system explained, “His attitude toward you hasn’t changed at all.”
Yu Shu: “…”
So all this running around, careful flattery, and forced smiles had been utterly useless!
What had he gained after all this effort? Dark circles under his eyes and wrinkles?
This little brat was impossibly hard to get close to!
Yu Shu took a deep breath. “What should I do now?”
The system answered, “Wait for the MV to be released.”
At 10 a.m. the next day, Yu Shu’s new song and MV officially went live.
His friends in the industry shared it widely, helping to promote it. Even Xing Shi and Yu Yi logged into their accounts between classes to show their support.
Since Yu Shu had debuted as a singer, he already had a large fanbase. The promotional material mentioned that the song was dedicated to someone he had a crush on, which piqued the curiosity of many.
A crush, paired with touching lyrics and the MV’s stunning visuals, quickly propelled the release onto trending searches.
Many listeners commented that the song perfectly expressed their own experiences of secret admiration and love. Some even joked about wanting to accept Xing Shi’s confession and live happily ever after with him.
Others examined the MV more closely and began to notice something subtle—Yu Yi and the male lead seemed a bit… off. This led to speculation that Yu Shu’s crush might be a man, sparking even more discussion.
As more people tuned in, some began dissecting the lyrics line by line, comparing them with other Liuyue Culture artists to figure out the identity of the person Yu Shu admired.
The topic trended on Weibo for an entire day.
Three days later, Yu Shu gave an interview with a media outlet where he addressed the speculation.
“There’s no need to guess. The lyrics don’t contain any clues, and I won’t reveal who the person is. I wrote this song simply to express my feelings. I don’t want to expose the person to the public.”
“I don’t know if they’ll see it, or if they even know how I feel about them. But if they do see it…” His smile was both bitter and resolute. “I want to tell them that I’ll keep trying to get closer to them, no matter how difficult it is.”
As the interview went viral online, Yu Shu finally decided to approach Fu Xiuning directly.
He knew this wouldn’t win Fu Xiuning over. His primary purpose was to express his feelings, but he also wanted to say it to Fu Xiuning himself, knowing that the latter could already see through his intentions.
If there was even the slightest chance that Fu Xiuning would be moved, Yu Shu’s efforts wouldn’t have been in vain.
Through his system, Yu Shu learned that Fu Xiuning was eating in the company’s cafeteria, so he went there and pretended to run into him by coincidence. Plastering a bright smile on his face, he prepared to greet him.
The next moment, he heard the long-forgotten notification sound.
[Ding Ding]
[Current favorability: -8]
Yu Shu: “!!!”
The system: “…”
Yu Shu’s system averted its gaze and checked the program again two seconds later. The number remained -8.
After a brief pause, the system opened their internal group chat.
“Lucky Draw: @PerfectionistBro, let’s talk?”
System 99 was suddenly mentioned, leaving it confused.
This senior rarely spoke in the group and almost never interacted. Why was he reaching out now?
System 99 cautiously sent a single symbol.
“PerfectionistBro: ?”
“Lucky Draw: Your host mentioned you and asked me to help with something.”
“PerfectionistBro: ?”
“Lucky Draw: What’s the deal with your host’s -8 favorability score right now?”
System 99: “…”
