Chapter 25
Fang Yingying spoke a few words, and the people on the other side called her to join them. They waved goodbye, and Qu Di watched as Fang Yingying hurried over. She indeed seemed happier than before.
Not long after, Tang Chaobai came out from inside. Qu Di stood up straight, standing respectfully to the side and softly said, “General Tang.”
Tang Chaobai didn’t even look at him, and he didn’t respond. He simply walked past him. Qu Di also breathed a sigh of relief. Tang Chaobai was too serious, and his expressionless face created an invisible pressure that made people nervous around him.
“Qu Di?”
He heard Tang Xiyan calling him and brought his thoughts back to the dressing room.
The program began with the contestants drawing lots for their seating order. There were a total of one hundred seats, and the contestants sat where they drew. Fang Yingying had someone to handle this for her. After sitting down, the contestants started chatting. They understood the importance of this part, as the later editing would select the more heated and interesting segments for broadcast.
While it was called fair competition, in reality, complete fairness was impossible to achieve. What they could do was to present their valuable aspects as best as possible to gain more screen time.
After some chit-chat, the mentors made their entrance. The program had invited four mentors, all of them veteran figures from the music industry or famous groups. They would provide guidance and evaluations in the middle of the show. There was even the powerhouse singer Jian Wenxuan, who had debuted at the age of 18 and had been in the industry for ten years, maintaining his popularity.
Finally, there was a performance by the guest, Tang Xiyan, and her words of encouragement before the competition officially began, followed by the initial classification of the contestants based on their abilities.
After finishing her scripted lines, Tang Xiyan went directly into her opening performance and smoothly approached Fang Yingying in the latter part of the show. She pretended to slip and fall, and Fang Yingying was standing very close. At first, she looked surprised, then quickly extended her fingers to touch Tang Xiyan’s waist, seeming hesitant to make direct contact with her. Tang Xiyan then regained her balance.
The contact was moderate, not enough to upset the fans, and the action was even somewhat cute.
Tang Xiyan turned to her and smiled as a sign of gratitude. Fang Yingying simply smiled and nodded, and although they didn’t exchange words, it was likely to be highlighted in the final edit.
Tang Chaobai stood at the recording site, watching closely. He was stationed near the production team, and after the performance, he nodded slightly. Although he didn’t say anything, the production team understood that he was satisfied.
The production team now realized that Fang Yingying was likely the pre-selected candidate for this competition. Such backstage arrangements were not unusual in talent shows, as long as they weren’t too blatant. Selecting five or six candidates in advance generally wouldn’t cause major issues.
Tang Xiyan had been singing and dancing all day and was exhausted. Therefore, she returned to her room to rest. Qu Di texted her, saying he had something to attend to and would be back on time. Tang Xiyan read the message and murmured, “It’s not early at 7 o’clock. What could it be?” As far as he knew, Qu Di didn’t have friends or family in this city, so he had been with him since he joined the industry and had never taken a day off.
Tang Xiyan was curious about what Qu Di was up to, and he worried that he might be tricked. He thought about following him to ensure his assistant’s safety. After all, if a scandal emerged later, such as “Famous singer Xiyu’s personal assistant tricked into a financial or romantic affair,” it wouldn’t look good.
To him, it wasn’t stalking but showing concern for an artist’s well-being.
He quickly left his room and happened to encounter Qu Di heading out. Qu Di was on the phone, not realizing Tang Xiyan was there because his back was turned.
“I’m setting off now. It’s Deer Horn Mountain, right?… Xiyu? Are you going somewhere?” Qu Di’s tone carried a hint of unease, but Tang Xiyan, who was equally uneasy, didn’t pick up on it.
“I… I’m going to pick up some takeout.”
“I… I’m meeting a friend. I won’t be long.”
Tang Xiyan immediately thought that Qu Di might have a friend, but he was puzzled. Why would he go out to dinner so late with someone? Didn’t Qu Di live quite far from the city center?
With these thoughts, he lost his appetite and tried to gather more information subtly, not wanting to appear abrupt or intrusive. After all, this was Qu Di’s private matter.
Qu Di: “I’m going out now. I’ll talk to you later.”
Tang Xiyan was left thinking. Was this a friend with benefits? Or perhaps someone who liked his personal assistant? Why else would Qu Di go to dinner with them late at night, especially considering he didn’t seem to have many friends or family in this city?
He sent another text to Qu Di: “Is there something going on? Do you need any help?”
Qu Di: “No, it’s just that a friend is coming to meet me. I’ll entertain them for dinner, and I’ll be back on time.”
Tang Xiyan couldn’t help but think about it. Was this friend a boyfriend, girlfriend, or someone else? Why would they be so busy that they could only meet for dinner one night? Did they not realize that Qu Di lived far from the city center?
With all these thoughts in mind, Tang Xiyan couldn’t eat dinner. He was trying to gather more information, but he didn’t know how to ask without seeming intrusive. After all, they were currently work partners, and in a stricter sense, he was Qu Di’s boss.
Qu Di: “I’m heading out now. Let’s not talk for now.”
Tang Xiyan felt conflicted and decided that he needed to ensure Qu Di’s safety. After all, what if his assistant was being deceived? He couldn’t allow that to happen. Therefore, he immediately went out, planning to follow Qu Di to Deer Horn Mountain to find out what was going on.
Tang Xiyan was certain that Qu Di had lied about going out for dinner. There was nothing on Deer Horn Mountain, and it was dark at night. He couldn’t help but wonder why they would go there. Did they plan to buy souvenirs from the roadside vendors? He was becoming angrier the more he thought about it. If Qu Di were genuinely going out to eat with a friend, why was he in such a hurry to end the call? There had to be something suspicious.
Tang Xiyan huffed, thinking, “You, fickle man, are thinking about someone else even when you’re with me? Going out with someone late at night and not considering that they might have ulterior motives? Not everyone is as honest as I am.”
Both of them were hiding something, and they continued in silence until they waved goodbye. Qu Di let out a sigh of relief and quickened his pace to
leave. Tang Xiyan stood there like a grumbling child, watching Qu Di escape as if his life depended on it, gradually disappearing into the night, without even turning back once.
Tang Xiyan quickly turned back and returned to his room. He changed into a different set of clothes, put on sunglasses and a hat to disguise himself, and prepared to follow Qu Di to Deer Horn Mountain to uncover the truth.
Tang Xiyan had been told they were going to dinner, but he was certain that Qu Di had lied. There was nothing at Deer Horn Mountain, and it was dark at night. This made him even angrier. He couldn’t believe that his assistant might be seeing someone else while they were working together. He couldn’t let that happen.
They say following someone is stalking, but in this case, it was about showing concern for an artist’s well-being.
Tang Xiyan quickly left his room and ran into Qu Di, who was on the phone and hadn’t noticed him due to his back being turned.
“I’m heading out now. It’s Deer Horn Mountain, right?… Xiyu? Are you going somewhere?” Qu Di sounded slightly uneasy, but Tang Xiyan, who was feeling the same way, didn’t pick up on it.
“I… I’m going to pick up some takeout.”
“I… I’m meeting a friend. I won’t be long.”
Tang Xiyan followed up, “But it’s almost midnight.”
Qu Di pulled him along, saying, “We’re not here to watch the meteor shower. I’m just happy to be with you.” He paused and added, his voice tinged with shyness, “Tonight, you’re my shooting star.”
They say that a brilliant meteor shower is fleeting, each star has its own path, and they won’t stop for anyone. However, Qu Di believed that he had found his own star. It had come down from the unreachable sky, torn through the darkness, and gently landed in his hands.
Suddenly, a streak of light flashed across the sky. Excited, Qu Di grabbed him and exclaimed, “It’s a shooting star!”
Before long, the shooting stars fell like raindrops, one after another, illuminating the entire sky, more awe-inspiring than a sky full of fireworks.
The streaks of light broke into his watery eyes, like fire falling into water, causing no ripples but captivating Shu Yi’s heart.
At that moment, Shu Yi found himself sinking into that pool of clear water. He didn’t struggle; he allowed himself to fall. In the dark night, there were only the two of them, and the background music of insects filled the air. Suddenly, Shu Yi grabbed Qu Di’s hand and kissed it passionately. Qu Di was surprised and looked at him with confusion.
But Shu Yi saw the hidden struggle in Shu Yi’s eyes, and his eyes were filled with tears. Why? He didn’t have time to ponder this as Shu Yi took the lead, pulling Qu Di closer. The two clung tightly to each other, their breaths mingling, and the temperature suddenly rising.
The subtle scent of mint drifted through the air, tinged with the fresh greenness of grass. Shu Yi was moved to the point that he couldn’t control the release of his pheromones.
Even though Qu Di was a Beta unaffected by pheromones, Shu Yi’s emotions made his waist feel weak, and he could hardly stand. He lightly parted his vermilion lips, closed his eyes, and let Shu Yi conquer him.
The two of them kissed as if lost in themselves, completely unaware of Tang Xiyan standing not far away behind a tree. His hands were tightly gripping the tree trunk, his face filled with disbelief, watching them in a state of entangled passion. He observed Qu Di, whose eyes were tightly closed, cheeks flushed, and even an uncontrollable soft moan escaping, as if a knife had pierced his heart.
T/N: Hey there! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~
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Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!
If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield
If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’
How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection
What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love
How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep
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