Chapter 18

Because of the drinking and the rainy weather, everyone got up late the next day. Zhai Xingchen was the first one to crawl out of bed. After checking the time, he started preparing lunch straight away.

Outside, the rain was still falling. Everyone gradually got up.

"Thought it was just a passing shower, didn't expect it to last this long," Hu Ying said with a yawn, walking over to the kitchen island with a glass of water. "What are we having for lunch today?"

"We didn't finish all the groceries from yesterday, so I'll just whip something up."

"Whatever you whip up is delicious," Hu Ying said.

As she spoke, Hu Ying pinched a piece of fried pork belly and popped it into her mouth. Seeing Pei Xu come out, she smiled and called out, "Pei-gege's up!"

Pei Xu gave a quiet "Mm," still looking a bit rough.

"You know you drank too much last night?" Hu Ying asked with a laugh.

Pei Xu said, "Lost track of the cups."

"Feeling better?" Zhai Xingchen asked. "Do you want some congee first? It's ready."

Pei Xu nodded. Zhai Xingchen went to ladle him a bowl.

He felt like he was overflowing with maternal—no, paternal—affection for Pei Xu lately.

"You know what you're like when you're drunk?" Hu Ying asked.

Pei Xu turned his head to look at her.

"You said so many things that shocked the whole room!"

Seeing Hu Ying was about to tease him, Zhai Xingchen pressed his lips together to hide a smile and handed Pei Xu the bowl of congee. Pei Xu took it, went to sit at the dining table, and said, "You can't trick me. I'm very well-behaved when I'm drunk."

Hu Ying sat down beside him with a laugh. "Okay, honestly, I've never seen anyone stay so quiet when they're drunk. You're not just quiet after you're drunk, you're even quiet while you're getting drunk. If it weren't for Xingchen, we wouldn't have even known you were already gone."

Pei Xu glanced back at Zhai Xingchen.

Zhai Xingchen took out a small plate, poured a packet of pickled mustard tuber onto it, and placed it on the table. "If the congee's too bland, have some of this with it."

"Thanks."

Hearing Pei Xu say thanks, Zhai Xingchen let out a sudden laugh, instantly reminded of the Pei Xu from last night who kept apologizing so obediently.

Pei Xu looked up at him. "What's so funny?"

Zhai Xingchen shook his head, still smiling. "Nothing."

Maybe Zhai Xingchen's smile was just too beautiful, like a spring breeze laced with nectar rushing straight into Pei Xu's heart, leaving a faint, sweet fragrance. Pei Xu vaguely remembered Zhai Xingchen helping him in the middle of the night and said, "Are you free today?"

Zhai Xingchen asked, "Morning or afternoon? I have to go to the Dance School this afternoon, and I'm having dinner with Yan Zhi tonight."

Hu Ying immediately asked from beside them, "You're having dinner with Yan Zhi?"

"He has a little sister at my school, and she wants to meet me, said she wants to have a meal together," Zhai Xingchen explained.

Hu Ying let out an "Oh."

Probably because she'd discovered how great Zhai Xingchen was during their last trip to the supermarket together, Hu Ying suddenly felt a pang of jealousy.

She couldn't quite tell who she was jealous of—maybe a bit of both Zhai Xingchen and Yan Zhi. She just felt that with both of them being so outstanding, them getting together was bad news for her.

Pei Xu buried his head in his congee.

Zhai Xingchen looked at Pei Xu. "What's up?"

Pei Xu said, "Just asking."

Zhai Xingchen asked, "What are everyone's plans for today?"

"No plans," Pei Xu said.

Hu Ying said, "I'm meeting a friend."

A lot of people were meeting friends today: Lin Qingning, Hu Ying, Duan Yihua, Wen Nu, Huo Cheng, and Zhai Xingchen himself.

Meeting a friend, sharing a bit about life in the Love Variety Show house, talking about who you like, who likes you, your worries and sweet moments—it was a staple, if slightly awkward and fake, segment of any Love Variety Show.

Only Pei Xu had nothing to do.

Did this guy really not have a single close friend?

Zhai Xingchen felt a wave of deep sympathy for him.

After lunch, everyone started leaving one by one.

Zhai Xingchen asked Huo Cheng to give Wen Nu a ride.

"Where are you planning to eat?" Hu Ying suddenly asked Yan Zhi.

Yan Zhi was taken aback.

Hu Ying said, "Aren't you going with Xingchen to meet his little sister?"

Yan Zhi gave an "Mm" and said, "Probably somewhere near Zhongwu Academy."

"What a coincidence, I'm heading that way too!" Hu Ying said. "After I meet my friend, can I crash your dinner? I'd like to make a new friend too."

Zhai Xingchen knew exactly what she was up to and laughed.

Hu Ying looked at him. "Is that okay?"

Zhai Xingchen said, "You'll have to ask Yan Zhi about that."

"Is it okay?" Hu Ying put on a pitiful look.

Who could resist a radiant beauty pretending to be pitiful? Certainly not Zhai Xingchen. "Ask your cousin first."

The girl's opinion was the most important.

Yan Zhi pressed his lips together. In front of the cameras, he couldn't very well show he was unwilling, so he just said, "Mm."

"When you ask her, just say there might be a couple of other friends, see if she's okay with meeting them," Zhai Xingchen said, then explained Pei Xu's situation.

"Sure, the more the merrier," Hu Ying said immediately.

Three tops accompanying her? She couldn't ask for more.

Wasn't this Queen treatment?

Yan Zhi was well and truly stuck now.

He really couldn't refuse. Saying his cousin wasn't willing would sound like a weak excuse.

After all, his reason for the invitation was just ordinary friends meeting up, getting to know each other—it wasn't a blind date.

Pei Xu himself wasn't a concern. Probably because he usually acted so aloof, Yan Zhi and Huo Cheng shared the same view: everyone in the house was a potential threat, except Pei Xu, who was the least threatening.

The guy might as well have "I'm not cut out for romance" written on his forehead.

But Hu Ying wasn't like that.

Hu Ying had strong initiative.

If they were going to bring Hu Ying along, they might as well bring Pei Xu too.

"I won't go," Pei Xu said.

Zhai Xingchen said, "But you've got nothing to do, right?"

Pei Xu said, "I think you should ask Yan Zhi again, see if he really wants me tagging along."

Zhai Xingchen said, "Not just you, Hu Ying too. All of us together, the more the merrier."

He thought Pei Xu was too much of a loner. If things kept going like this, when would he ever get the guy? Since the show had just started and everyone was on the same starting line, he had to hurry up, or the opportunity would be long gone.

You had to remember, Love Variety Shows were brutal. CP fans were even more brutal—the outcome was basically set by the third episode.

He reached out directly to pull Pei Xu up. "Don't just lie there, get up, come on, be good."

Pei Xu felt a strange twist in his heart at the words "be good." "Who are you telling to be good?"

Zhai Xingchen just laughed.

His laugh was too beautiful. Pei Xu had never seen anyone whose smile was so sweet, so bright. Zhai Xingchen was close to him, almost leaning against him as he pulled him up. He caught a faint milky scent on Zhai Xingchen's skin, mixed with the clean smells of soap and shampoo—the kind of scent only a campus boy had, simple and plain, yet oddly captivating. His heart warmed, and he let Zhai Xingchen pull him to his feet.

Hu Ying decided not to drive her own car.

The four of them went out together. It was still raining outside. Hu Ying darted straight under Yan Zhi's umbrella.

Yan Zhi was utterly deflated.

He really hadn't expected the "date" he'd been looking forward to all night to turn into a group hangout. Silently holding the umbrella, he walked with Hu Ying toward the garage. He didn't hear a word she said; only the rushing sound of the rain enveloped him, the damp air soaking into his cool, neat jacket.

Pei Xu opened his umbrella and looked back at Zhai Xingchen.

Zhai Xingchen walked under his umbrella and casually grabbed Pei Xu's arm.

Pei Xu rarely got this close to anyone. Zhai Xingchen had only grabbed him unintentionally, but a strange feeling suddenly rose in him. He pressed his thin lips together, his sharp features growing even more serious. Two grown men sharing one umbrella was actually a bit of a squeeze. Zhai Xingchen simply wrapped his right arm around Pei Xu's back and squeezed in closer.

It was only twenty or thirty steps, but to Pei Xu, it felt strangely long. Many memories from last night's drunkenness suddenly surfaced in his mind. His head was still a bit foggy, his heart heavy, as if soaked by the rain—but the blood flowing in his heart was warm, heating even the heavy dampness.

Pei Xu was someone who had never loved anyone before. Both his emotions and his body were blank slates.

He'd been solitary since childhood, going his own way, without friends, not good at getting close to people.

He wasn't like Huo Cheng and Hu Ying, whose feelings were vivid and clear, nor was he like Yan Zhi, reserved yet perceptive, able to immediately sense his own feelings and act on them.

Even though Zhai Xingchen had caught his eye from their first meeting, he was still confused: if caring was a sign of liking someone, then why did caring about someone bring not joy, but this inexplicable, irritating feeling?

For someone as emotionally detached as him, there had to be a triggering event.

Something profound, vivid, impactful, that pierced right into his heart, to flip the switch on his feelings and desires.

The four of them didn't need two cars.

Yan Zhi drove. Hu Ying went straight for the passenger seat.

Zhai Xingchen and Pei Xu sat in the back.

On the way, Zhai Xingchen and Hu Ying kept talking, but Pei Xu and Yan Zhi were both quiet. Yan Zhi kept his eyes on the road ahead; Pei Xu kept looking out the window at the rain.

"Actually, I used to go play around University Town a lot," Hu Ying said. "There are tons of young people there. I heard they recently opened a new Culinary Street?"

"Yeah, there's so much good food there, and it's cheap and tasty. Next time you have time to come over, I can take you to eat your way through the whole University Town," Zhai Xingchen said.

"Great! But I probably can't go anytime soon. After this show ends, I'll come find you to hang out."

"Wow, I thought once this show was over, we'd all go our separate ways and never contact each other again," Zhai Xingchen joked.

"How could that be? What kind of person do you think I am? I make friends based on whether our personalities click. I really like you."

Zhai Xingchen said, "If you like me, then send your next text message to me."

Hu Ying said, "Why don't you send me one... oh, right, you like Duan-ge."

Zhai Xingchen's face instantly flushed red.

Pei Xu turned his head to look at Zhai Xingchen.

"You sent your text to Duan-ge?"

Zhai Xingchen's face grew even redder. "The Production Team rules say we're not supposed to discuss this, right?"

Pei Xu was surprised. He glanced at Yan Zhi in the front.

Yan Zhi had been driving, watching them in the rearview mirror.

"Who told you that?" Zhai Xingchen asked Hu Ying.

Hu Ying smiled smugly. "Who needs to be told? I guessed after fishing for info with a few words. I also know who sent one to you."

The atmosphere in the car instantly turned awkward, but Hu Ying hadn't noticed yet. "Wen Nu, right?"

Zhai Xingchen played dead. "I don't know... the texts don't have names on them."

"So annoying, I..." Hu Ying suddenly felt that saying she hadn't received a single text in front of three tops would make her seem less desirable. She swallowed the rest of her sentence.

Zhai Xingchen rolled down the window a crack for some air.

He was feeling a bit hot.

When they got near the Television Station, Hu Ying got out. After she left, the car fell silent.

The next stop was Zhongwu Academy. Zhai Xingchen had to go to the Dance School first.

Pei Xu was going with Yan Zhi to hang out at his team's place.

They agreed to meet at six o'clock at the Niangjia Restaurant next to Zhongwu Academy.

Zhai Xingchen was mainly there to rehearse today.

Next Wednesday was their Final Exam Performance, and this was his first time taking the lead as the principal dancer.

As soon as he entered the Rehearsal Hall, everyone started teasing, "The big star's here!"

Many of his classmates knew Zhai Xingchen had gone to join a Love Variety Show. Zhongwu Academy had produced plenty of big stars; joining a Love Variety Show wasn't exactly news. But for most students, getting on TV was still something to envy.

"Why didn't you tell us you were going on The Red and Blue Signal? Not cool, man!"

Zhai Xingchen hadn't made a big deal of it, but he knew his classmates would find out sooner or later.

But hearing them all shipping him with Huo Cheng left him torn between laughter and tears.

"Me? With Huo Cheng?"

"That clip of you two playing on the hydrofoil board was too good! You guys even have a CP name now, you know? Mars CP!"

"When are you going to invite President Huo to our school? I'm a huge fan! I use that short video app he founded!"

"How far have you two gotten? Everyone's dying of curiosity! Why are your Live Streaming segments so short? Wouldn't a 24-hour live stream be way better?"

They had too many questions, crowding around him and talking all at once. Zhai Xingchen didn't know which one to answer first.

'Huo Cheng and I are good buddies. He's a Blue Team Member and I'm a Blue Team Member—it's The Red and Blue Signal. Red and Blue are the official pairing. The Live Streaming time was too short; you guys didn't see the whole picture. He and I really are just good friends. And honestly, there are so many great guests on the show—I don't even rank among them.'

Zhai Xingchen felt a bit guilty.

Good friends for now, at least.

Whether these big shots, these wealthy people, would ever see him again after the show wrapped was actually hard to say.

They weren't from the same world.

Thinking of this, Zhai Xingchen suddenly felt like he was waking from a big dream. These past couple of days, everyone had gotten along so well. Living with a group of high-quality, outstanding guests, he'd almost forgotten he was just an outsider.

Not just an outsider in this game of love, but even on the level of life and the world, he was an outsider.

Now he was back in the mundane human world.

These people were his real buddies.

After the teacher arrived, everyone started rehearsing intently. Many eyes were fixed on Zhai Xingchen, unable to look away.

Zhai Xingchen wasn't the most outstanding student at Zhongwu Academy, but he was the most dazzling—broad shoulders, narrow waist, a slender, flexible body, and a face with no flaws. There were plenty of men and women who admired him, plenty who had confessed to him.

But he was as bright as a star in the sky, destined not to belong to them.

Perhaps he belonged to those tall, rich, handsome guys on The Red and Blue Signal who had both looks and talent. This bright, brilliant star—only they could pluck him and hold him close.

'Zhai Xingchen, watch your expression—yes, up, tuck your leg, back flip, beautiful, keep going. This is the Music Festival set, so watch the rhythm, listen to the drumbeat...'

When Yan Zhi and Pei Xu came to pick him up, the rehearsal room was in full swing. Despite the cold weather outside, the room was bursting with heat and energy.

They looked for a long time but couldn't spot Zhai Xingchen. There were too many people on the stage, and the music was a bit chaotic. The dance teacher kept shouting through a megaphone.

On the stage with over twenty people, only one stood out the most. He wore a thin, gradient-colored robe and a mask, spinning on the stage. The thin robe whirled, a red belt fluttering, accentuating his slender waist that seemed a mere handful. He executed a forward somersault in the air, flipping over with ease, his movements fluid as flowing clouds, so light he seemed about to float away. The music grew faster and faster, flutes and drums sounding together. The dance teacher kept shouting, "Watch your safety, watch your expression, posture, posture, hold it, good... Zhai Xingchen!"

The masked boy turned, lifting his right leg in mid-spin, holding it high above his head until his two legs formed almost a single vertical line. Standing on one leg, he spun rapidly, his sleeves flowing like blossoming flowers.

Then he fell straight to the ground, only to spring up in an instant—reaching forward, extending a hand, stepping back, turning. The movements were seamless and fluid; both Pei Xu and Yan Zhi were left stunned.

His waist was both resilient and soft; his movements were both light and powerful.

A soaring female voice echoed through the vast hall. Zhai Xingchen stood center stage, lifting his mask to reveal that jade-like face. He spread his arms slowly, toes pointed. His hands were so beautiful, his body itself seemed to speak—leaning, leaning—until the music stopped dead and he froze at a forty-five-degree angle on the stage. A beam of golden light fell on him and turned his white robe to gold.

As if the entire Milky Way had settled upon him.

He was glowing.

If you saw him dance, you couldn't help but fall for him.

The tracking cameras caught every subtle shift in their expressions.

In that moment of captivation, that moment your heart stirs—you forget everything. The look in your eyes is real. Your expression is real.

It made the Director and the team overjoyed.

"We've got it, we've got it, we've got it!"

"Especially that sourpuss Pei Xu, look at his eyes! Did you see his fingers curl slightly, clenching?"

"Hahahaha, they're stunned!"

Guo Bing said, "I think for the opening of our first episode, we can edit in and replay the pre-interview clips of the guests from the trailer."

All that "I'm just here to repay a favor," and "I'm a slow-to-warm-up person."

The face-slapping, 'it's actually amazing' trope is forever the best!

Go, Zhai Xingchen! It'd be best if you make them weep. The moment their tears fall will also be the climax of The Red and Blue Signal!