Chapter 72

Unlike Huo Cheng's evasion, when Yan Zhi met his eyes, he didn't look away. Without the glasses in the way, those eyes looked sharper, like he had a bellyful of things he wanted to say to him.

This time he was the one to look down first.

Yan Zhi could barely hold back anymore.

He felt like last night he'd already hit his limit. Suppress love and desire too much and it backfires—who knows what happens when it all comes crashing down.

He'd always been extreme about love and desire.

He couldn't keep going like this. Even if he didn't confess, he couldn't keep approaching Zhai Xingchen as just a friend. Too long and they'd really become friends.

If Zhai Xingchen couldn't feel his love, what was the point of loving him at all?

He had to take another step.

But love makes people timid. Even someone as wild and unrestrained at his core—when it came to actually taking that step, he was still nervous, still hesitant.

Zhai Xingchen was a Blue Team Member, which meant he was the same attribute as them.

Sure, people said real-life top/bottom distinctions weren't that clear-cut. But in fact, for Zhai Xingchen—with four beautiful, accomplished Red Team Guests right there—choosing to date a Blue Team Member wasn't impossible, but it was definitely harder.

If it was going to happen, it could only be through feelings built up over time.

Once there were feelings, the attribute didn't matter as much.

So both he and Huo Cheng were holding back.

They both had a line—not quite lovers, more than friends. They were actively trying to get closer to Zhai Xingchen, slowly building up feelings first.

But this was a Love Variety Show. Only one month. Short time, and Zhai Xingchen could fall for Hu Ying or any Red Team Guest at any moment.

By the rules, they couldn't confirm a relationship before Confession Day, and they couldn't refuse any date request. But by the time Zhai Xingchen liked someone else, anything they did would be too late.

Especially since today, after the Performance, there was Room Assignment. If Zhai Xingchen got paired with Hu Ying or Huo Cheng, the consequences didn't bear thinking about.

But making Zhai Xingchen feel his love was also risky. How much to show, how to show it, when—all of it mattered.

He was still thinking.

He took a sip of water and glanced at Zhai Xingchen again.

Zhai Xingchen was confused.

Because he felt like Huo Cheng and Yan Zhi's gazes at him were both a little off.

This discovery really startled him. He kept his head down, eating while racking his brain for the original novel's plot.

He'd only read part of the original novel, but in the character intros at the start, the author had defined Zhai Xingchen through different characters' perspectives.

For example, the four Red Team Guests' inner monologues were detailed. When they met Zhai Xingchen, their take was: 'Too pretty, not dominant enough.'

'Zhai Xingchen's good-looking, nice-tempered, capable—but I pick Pei Xu.'

'Zhai Xingchen's fine, but Pei Xu and Yan Zhi are clearly the Red Team Guests' type.'

'Great personality, could be good sisters.'

And so on.

What stuck with him most was Duan Yihua's avoidance of Zhai Xingchen. The whole CP line was a tragic story: a poor student top hopelessly devoted to the oldest big-boss bottom, but the big-boss bottom just wanted him to go like someone else.

Even the show's audience automatically ignored Zhai Xingchen and Wen Nu. They wanted a wealthy romance show, the love-hate drama between rich second-gen kids. They all saw him and Wen Nu as 'just filler dragged in to pass review.'

His screen time was even less than Wen Nu's. Wen Nu's character as a bottom still had plenty of fans.

Even the author said, 'No Blue Team Member treats him as a rival, no Red Team Guest is interested in him. Zhai Xingchen completely plays the tool-person role.'

Yan Zhi's a Haitang male lead, Pei Xu's a Jinjiang male lead, Huo Cheng's a Dianjia male lead. Only him—he's no site's male lead. He remembered in the original novel, there was a stretch where whenever Blue Team Members didn't want to CP with Red Team Guests, they'd pull him in as a shield—good-bros persona stays strong. And when Red Team Guests didn't want to CP with a Blue Team Member they didn't like, they'd pick him too—good-sisters persona gets set up.

Occasionally when the author gave him slightly more screen time, a flood of comments would say:

[Don't want to see Zhai Xingchen.]

[Zhai Xingchen has too much screen time. Can't you write more Hu Ying?]

[Honestly Zhai Xingchen's parts are so boring. He has zero chemistry with the Red Team Guests.]

If that's not cannon fodder side character, what is?!

When did the plot veer this far off course?

Could it be because he's not dominant enough that the Blue Team Members are interested?

After all, from his reading experience, the youngest, pretty dancing male student—if his character was a bottom, that fit mainstream aesthetics way better than a top.

He'd always focused on the Red Team Guests, never once considered the Blue Team Members forming a Blue-Blue CP.

Like he'd never shipped Pei Xu and Huo Cheng, or Huo Cheng and Yan Zhi.

Because whether it was the previous three seasons or the novels he read, he'd always had a Red and Blue CP mindset. In danmei, shipping top-top or bottom-bottom gets you roasted as a lazy CP fan. Plus he'd transmigrated into the book, which had changed his whole worldview.

He was living in a novel. He was the cannon fodder side character, the tool person.

Maybe that awareness had blinded him?

But wait—that didn't add up. If Huo Cheng and Yan Zhi both liked him, how could Hu Ying, with her 'fiery and jealous' persona, still be so close to him?

Thinking this, he glanced at Hu Ying beside him. Hu Ying said to him, 'Xingchen, this tofu is so good.'

See—her attitude was still great.

He looked at Hu Ying and the others.

Hu Ying's beauty was stunning. Even bare-faced she could crush a bunch of pretty boys in the entertainment industry. Great personality, great figure, rich and hardworking—her persona was vivid like a ball of fire.

Then look at Lin Qingning—young university professor, good-looking, outstanding temperament.

Duan Yihua was even more the picture of success—mature, steady, handsome, generous.

Every single one of them was top-tier, one in a million.

Zhai Xingchen felt his brain had turned to mush.

Forget it, forget it. Just a look. He shouldn't overthink it.

But some thoughts—if you never think about them, you won't think about them at all. But once the seed's planted, it's hard to stop the imagination running wild.

In the afternoon he kept teaching Huo Cheng to dance. He kept feeling Huo Cheng's gaze at him was a little too intense.

That kind of passionate, joyful, slightly shy look.

Male lead, why are you looking at me like that?!

Huo Cheng thought: he had to hold back.

At first he'd thought having Zhai Xingchen teach him to dance would build feelings between them. But now he felt he'd been wrong—what he was building wasn't their feelings, but his own.

Every touch, every eye contact, was pouring oil on his fire of desire. His brain and body were out of his control.

'Am I wasting too much of your time?' Huo Cheng said, panting. 'Go practice your piano. I'll keep watching videos for a bit. I doubt I'll get any better than this anyway.'

Zhai Xingchen nodded. 'Okay.'

Huo Cheng said, 'Sorry for taking up so much of your time. Thanks for all the effort.'

Zhai Xingchen shook his head, his little face flushed red, anxious and uneasy, and walked out of the Dance Studio.

He felt like Huo Cheng had reacted just now.

Of course, it could also just be that he was naturally... well-endowed.

Sigh. He could never happily be good bros with Huo Cheng again.

After leaving the Dance Studio, passing by next door, he suddenly heard pleasant Accordion music.

He glanced inside and saw Lin Qingning already playing the Accordion.

'Mural of Dusk' had a very Soviet feel—sonorous and sorrowful. He stood at the doorway listening for a while. Lin Qingning saw him, stopped, and waved: 'Xingchen, come over and hear how I'm doing.'

Zhai Xingchen smiled. No—he didn't want to go in.

Because Duan Yihua and Yan Zhi were in that room too.

After going in, he realized only Lin Qingning was there. Duan Yihua and Yan Zhi weren't.

Lin Qingning played 'Mural of Dusk' for him. He wasn't exactly polished, but he got through the whole piece. That was already impressive—Piano and Accordion are very different, and a lot of people take forever just to learn to play without looking at the keys.

Blue Team bros, come look—this is what a quality bottom looks like.

Looking at Lin Qingning, he felt Lin Qingning had a noble air about him, like a Lily.

If he switched to thin-frame glasses, he'd definitely look even better.

'Where are Yan-ge and Duan-ge?' he asked.

'Duan-ge went next door to practice Guitar. Yan Zhi went back to the residence and hasn't come back—said he's prepping for the Magic,' Lin Qingning said. 'How's your piano practice going? Is 'Love Song' a bit hard?'

Zhai Xingchen said, 'More than a bit hard—it's way too hard. I was just about to go practice.'

'Then hurry up and go,' Lin Qingning said. 'If you need my help, just say so.'

'Okay,' Zhai Xingchen said.

Zhai Xingchen didn't head straight to the piano room. He stood in the hallway for a while, catching his breath.

Then he heard faint Piano music—graceful, light, stirring.

He got to the piano room and found Pei Xu practicing there. But he wasn't playing 'By the Lake Baikal'—he was playing 'The Desert Dance Hall.'

This time he played with complete ease.

Seeing him arrive, Pei Xu stopped.

'You want to practice?' he asked.

Zhai Xingchen said, 'Why are you still playing this one? Have you got 'By the Lake Baikal' down?'

'I already knew that one—no need to practice,' Pei Xu said, giving up his seat.

Zhai Xingchen sat beside him. Pei Xu spread out the sheet music for 'Love Song' for him.

'Can you play 'The Desert Dance Hall' all the way through now?' Zhai Xingchen asked.

Pei Xu hummed, then asked, 'Want to hear it?'

Zhai Xingchen said, 'This is my favorite song.'

Pei Xu didn't dress as carefully as Yan Zhi. His style was always casual—even his Down Jacket was the bulky, oversized kind. Right now he sat by the Piano, fair face, black hair, sharp features, fingers flushed red, pinky a bit swollen—but he just looked incredibly attractive.

Quiet, beautiful music flowed from his fingertips. The song was perfect for Piano. Once Pei Xu started playing, hearing the familiar melody, he felt goosebumps rising.

In the cold piano room, the music drifted slowly.

At the opening [If there's time] section, Pei Xu just played. As he played, reaching the most widely-known section, Pei Xu suddenly sang softly along: [I've never seen a village where the aurora appears,

Nor have I seen anyone,

Setting off fireworks late at night.]

His voice was low, almost lost in the Piano. Voice and music merged. Zhai Xingchen felt every hair on his body stand on end. Suddenly a beam of light came through the window, landing right on them—half sunlight, half shadow.

The sun had come out.

Pei Xu sang casually, expressionless, low-pitched—that offhand quality, which made it especially attractive.

He only sang that short bit, restrained just right. After that he just played. The Piano version was quieter, sadder than the original. Between the two sections was a fast-paced interlude, often used as background music for quick-cut videos on video apps—romantic, fast rhythm, perfect for flashing images. Pei Xu used both hands, his fingers gliding over the black and white keys. Zhai Xingchen couldn't help turning to look at Pei Xu. Pei Xu's profile was clear and bright, clean-cut and distinct.

Pei Xu playing Piano was captivating. Zhai Xingchen slightly hunched his shoulders, feeling cold and wanting to shiver.

Pei Xu seriously played the whole song through for Zhai Xingchen.

Zhai Xingchen felt he played it too well. It wasn't about technique—this was someone who really knew how to play, with expression and feeling in the music.

He'd had Pei Xu play for him for a reason.

After listening, he felt like Pei Xu had played it specifically for him.

He felt Pei Xu's Piano had deepened his suspicion.

Or in some way confirmed it.

'I've never seen a village where the aurora appears, nor have I seen anyone setting off fireworks late at night,' Pei Xu repeated the lyrics, then said seemingly offhandedly, 'You can't really see the aurora around here.'

Then he heard Pei Xu say, 'But you can see fireworks here. Zhai Xingchen, do you want to see fireworks?'

Zhai Xingchen thought, holy shit.