After Jian Xingsui finished speaking, the two people on the other end of the phone fell into an eerie silence for some reason. This silence undoubtedly cast a shadow over Jian Xingsui's heart, and his heart slowly tightened, and his breathing began to slow down.

Just as they were wondering, they heard Zhang's mother add, as if trying to salvage the situation, "Haha, don't misunderstand, I'm blood type A, and your dad is blood type B."

Jian Xingsui blinked in confusion, but could only nod: "I see."

Despite saying that, he still harbored doubts in his heart. An Ran filled in "A" in the form, so one of An Ran and the Zhang couple must have lied. Was it because they couldn't send messages without a cell phone here and couldn't collude? Jian Xingsui himself didn't know, but they were still filming the show in the production crew, so even if he didn't know, he had to accept it for now.

After hanging up the phone, Jian Xingsui returned the phone, but her state of mind was somewhat different from before.

Shen Xingchen then walked over and asked him, "Are any family members coming to this event?"

"Huh? Not necessarily." Jian Xingsui said honestly, "They probably won't come. They seem to be quite busy with work."

Shen Xingchen scoffed: "Coming here to participate in a program recording isn't anything shameful. What work is so important that you're busy with, saving the world?"

Jian Xingsui suddenly fell silent.

Shen Xingchen is always straightforward, that's true, but that's precisely why he speaks the truth. Other CEOs who make millions can come all the time, why are you so busy that you can't?

Love and not love are always obvious.

Jian Xingsui wasn't as sad as I'd imagined. He just smiled faintly and sighed softly, "Yes... you're right."

...

next day

The meeting place was very lively today.

On the parents' open day, many students were excited all day long. Some of them hadn't seen their families for more than a month, and they were all overjoyed to finally have the opportunity.

Early in the morning, the mentors organized all the trainees to gather. Fu Jinxiao stood at the front. The handsome and refined man wore a relatively loose and casual sportswear so as not to steal the limelight from the contestants. Even so, Fu Jinxiao was different from most of the young actors. He had a mature man's charm that made people unable to look away.

“Your parents will be arriving at the association this afternoon, so please prepare your gifts for them when they arrive.” Fu Jinxiao pointed to the paper and pen on the table and said, “Write down some of your wishes and aspirations for the future, and keep this letter. Give it to your family when your parents arrive.”

Everyone received a paper.

Jian Xingsui held the paper, unsure of where to begin. Most of the people around him were putting pen to paper, but he was just staring blankly at the blank paper. However, it wouldn't be good to do nothing at all, so he started to put pen to paper and began to draw gently.

Then a voice came from beside me: "What are you drawing?"

Jian Xingsui was taken aback. He looked up and saw Fu Jinxiao standing beside him. He felt a little nervous.

"I'm asking you a question." Fu Jinxiao lowered his head: "What are you drawing?"

There are no words on Jian Xingsui's drawing. It is a drawing made with a black pen. There is a small house in the drawing, and a little person lives in the house. There are some scattered things around the little person, which look like CDs. The house is big, but for some reason it looks very empty. The little person is surrounded by many things, but he looks very lonely and desolate.

Jian Xingsui parted her lips slightly: "The house I painted."

Home?

Is it a home for one person?

Fu Jinxiao remembered that today's theme was about hopes and wishes for the future, so what about Jian Xingsui's future...? Alone?

He didn't participate in the phone call session a couple of days ago, but I heard some things. Apparently, almost everyone got through on the phone that day, but no one answered this child's phone. The poor thing is heartbreaking.

"Is this the home you envision for the future?" Fu Jinxiao leaned down, his dark eyes looking at him. He didn't blame Jian Xingsui for not drawing the people in his home, nor did he ask why he didn't write a letter. He simply smiled and asked, "What is this little person in your drawing looking at?"

Jian Xingsui honestly replied, "Watching TV."

In his imagination, the life he longed for in the future was to have his own house, a good job, and perhaps pursue other careers. If all went well, his life would be on track. In his spare time, he would still quietly follow his idols and watch the lives of celebrities on screen. Those might be peaceful and uneventful days, but the lessons of his past life were still vivid in his mind. For him, living such a life forever would be a luxury.

Fu Jinxiao said in a low voice, "You haven't finished drawing this TV series yet."

Jian Xingsui nodded: "Mm."

"Give me the pen." Fu Jinxiao took the pen from his hand and drew a few simple strokes on the TV screen, sketching out the shape of a little person.

Jian Xingsui asked, "What is this?"

Fu Jinxiao raised an eyebrow: "Can't you tell?"

Jian Xingsui chuckled. His eyes were bright and handsome when he laughed: "How did you know I was looking at you?"

"Um?"

Fu Jinxiao's deep voice was sexy and magnetic. A barely perceptible smile flashed across the actor's eyes as he asked, "Wasn't it me?"

"..."

It's you.

Jian Xingsui's heart seemed to skip a beat at that moment. He looked down at the painting on the table. The painting about the future, which originally only had a lonely little figure, no longer featured him alone. Even though that person was still on the screen, he appeared on the same piece of paper as him. Moreover, this time it was no longer his wishful thinking, but was added by Fu Jinxiao himself.

Fu Jinxiao could have dealt with this painting in countless ways, even by directly asking why he didn't write a letter to embarrass him, but he didn't. The painting, though only a few steps long, seemed to illuminate his world.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Fu Jinxiao stood up. "I added something to your painting, are you angry?"

Jian Xingsui quickly shook her head: "No!"

His eyes were a little moist.

It may have just been a casual stroke, but it was a great warmth for that lonely little person. What can I do? I really like him.

"I'm not angry." He awkwardly held the painting, and even explained to avoid misunderstanding, "I will cherish and keep this painting, really."

Fu Jinxiao smiled and asked, "How will you keep it? Will you frame it and hang it up when you get home, or will it be passed down as an heirloom?"

Jian Xingsui blushed slightly at what was said and said softly, "It's not that bad."

Fu Jinxiao stopped teasing him: "Then you still have to keep it safe. I'll check it later."

After saying this, the movie star left for the next table, but Jian Xingsui, who was left behind, was not so calm. He was slightly stunned and even a little confused. What did he mean by "in the future check-up"?

After they finish recording this variety show, is there any possibility that they will have a future together?

...

afternoon

On the day the parents were to officially come to visit, the director had all the students gather in a hall, and the parents who came to visit their children slowly walked in from the red carpet. It was a rather solemn occasion, and many parents dressed up specially to look good on camera.

Parents came in one after another, and the children rushed over to greet their parents with great joy and affection. The scene was very warm and touching.

Jian Xingsui sat on the edge watching, seemingly oblivious to the commotion around him.

Shen Xingchen said, "I don't know who from our family will be coming this time."

Upon hearing this, Jian Xingsui asked, "Isn't Auntie coming?"

"Not necessarily, she seems to be on a business trip abroad with my dad." Shen Xingchen leaned back in her chair. "Sigh, I hope it's not my older brother."

Jian Xingsui asked curiously, "What happened to your older brother? Is he scary?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Xingchen showed a fearful expression and held up a finger: "In this world, I can count the number of people I'm afraid of on one hand, and you're about to meet almost all of them."

Fu Jinxiao, that smiling but cunning devil, is not to be trifled with.

Seo Eun-jin, a mother who appears gentle but can actually chase after him with a rolling pin.

Another one is his older brother, Shen Minglang. This man is not as vengeful and difficult as Fu Jinxiao, but he is too fond of lecturing and values ​​rules, interests and money, while he himself is a person who particularly dislikes rules. As a result, the clashes between the two can be quite intense. And every time, Shen Xingchen is someone who dares not resist his older brother's power, so he suffers a lot.

Shen Xingchen began to pray: "I hope it's not my older brother."

Jian Xingsui smiled gently: "You always say that what you fear most is what happens."

After saying that, Shen Xingchen was about to retort, but the words caught in her throat. It was not for any other reason than that not far away, another parent was entering. The person walking on the red carpet was a man in a suit. His face was very serious, his suit was very well-fitting, and even his steps were so neat, as if every inch had been precisely measured.

When the camera started filming his face, Shen Minglang frowned almost imperceptibly, but still walked in anyway, leaving the viewers in the live stream completely stunned.

"Whose parent is this?!"

"This is Shen Xingchen's brother!"

"Wowo~ I instantly went from being Xingchen's girlfriend to his sister-in-law."

"Ha ha ha ha……"

Shen Minglang walked to the seat next to Shen Xingchen and sat down. He glanced coldly at his younger brother and said, "Sit properly. Did someone break your back?"

Shen Xingchen, who had been sitting casually, immediately straightened up after hearing these words.

Jian Xingsui originally thought that Shen Minglang was disciplining his younger brother because he was worried that his posture was bad and he wouldn't look good on camera. Who knew that when there were no cameras around, Shen Minglang slowly said, "We've spent so much money promoting you, and you're not doing a good job? Do you want me to lose money?"

Shen Xingchen cried out, "Brother, all you ever think about is losing money, you don't care about my feelings at all!"

"I've already spent money to promote you, and you still don't care about your feelings?" Shen Minglang, wearing glasses and looking every bit the shrewd businessman, sneered, "Please, you should also care about how money feels."

Shen Xingchen huffed, "Do I need money to promote myself? Go ask my fans, who wasn't attracted by my talent and good looks?"

Shen Minglang pushed up his glasses: "Then you'd better work harder and try to create more value, otherwise I'll lose money."

Shen Xingchen was even angrier.

Jian Xingsui, standing beside him, glanced at the young master with a hint of sympathy. It turned out that his older brother was such a shrewd person. He never expected that the young master would be suppressed one day.

When someone handed out light boards and wristbands, Jian Xingsui naturally took them for Shen Xingchen. When staff came to fill out forms, Jian Xingsui also helped Shen Xingchen report her dormitory information and duty roster, showing great consideration.

Although it was just a small favor, Shen Xingchen could feel that his older brother's gaze was becoming increasingly stern and intense, like being roasted by fire, which was extremely unbearable.

Shen Xingchen turned to her brother and introduced him, "Brother, this is my good friend whom I met here, Jian Xingsui."

Shen Minglang looked at Jian Xingsui

Jian Xingsui was also intimidated by this very well-mannered older brother. As he hesitated about how to speak politely, Shen Minglang took the initiative to extend his hand: "Hello, Shen Minglang."

Jian Xingsui quickly took the hand: "I am Jian Xingsui."

"I've heard so much about you." Shen Minglang said in a deep voice, "My brother has caused you trouble. Please take good care of him."

Jian Xingsui was flattered that her arrogant older brother was so polite: "No trouble at all."

Shen Xingchen, who was listening from the side, was dumbfounded. He said indignantly, "Brother, how have I caused trouble for anyone? On the contrary, Xingchen is my little brother, and I've always been the one protecting him!"

Shen Minglang knew his younger brother liked to cause trouble, so he continued to say to Jian Xingsui, "If he offends you in any way, don't hold it against him. Treat him like an ordinary roommate. If you have any questions, you can come to me or tell the tutor. This is my business card."

Jian Xingsui accepted the gold-embossed business card. As expected of a big company and a big CEO, even their business card exudes such a lavish air.

Seeing her friend's sullen expression, Jian Xingsui felt a slight envy. Even though Shen Minglang appeared strict and disdainful towards his younger brother, his words and actions, including putting aside his busy work at the company to come over, showed that he was a good older brother and a responsible one.

He once had an older brother.

His brother only gave him indifference and disgust, and even now that he has biological parents, it remains the same.

"Okay, now all of our parents are here!" the host, Teacher Li, called out from the front. "Now let's all do some interactive parent-child games!"

Contestants whose parents didn't come are naturally exempt from today's recording.

Although Jian Xingsui had expected this to happen, she couldn't say whether she was more disappointed or relieved at this point. Just as she was about to leave, the production team stopped her.

The staff said, "Since you're not participating in the recording today, please head to the library. You can read freely there and enjoy your vacation."

Perhaps feeling sorry for these children who didn't have parents, the production team did act like human beings after all.

Jian Xingsui naturally followed.

The library was quiet, and there were actually very few students from different colleges here, only about ten people here. Everyone seemed to be in a bad mood, so no one was in the mood to chat; everyone was doing their own thing.

In the afternoon, he was reading a book when he heard some lively noises outside.

"It looks like someone's coming," a student said softly from another table.

Jian Xingsui looked outside and saw a large group of people walking towards the door. When they reached the door, they could see more clearly that An Ran was leading the group. He seemed to be carrying a basket, which was probably filled with food, which he was distributing to the students who had not participated in the activities that day.

"Please don't be shy, everyone."

"My family and I made all of this by hand at noon."

"Don't be disgusted by it."

An Ran was well-liked on the show. He was always generous to others, which was reflected in his excellent interpersonal skills. All the students excitedly gathered around him.

Jian Xingsui saw Jian Gu and Jian Kuo standing behind An Ran. Completely different from the coldness that man had shown him, he now seemed like a responsible father, expressing his warm concern to the other students: "Everyone, please eat more and don't be shy. Ranran usually relies on you all here."

The other students all expressed their gratitude, saying that their uncle was too kind.

It was only at this moment that Jian Xingsui realized that his father was not incapable of caring for people; he simply hadn't chosen to care for him before.

He was sitting by the bookshelf at the back, thinking it would be quiet and undisturbed. However, to his surprise, even though he tried his best to stay out of the way, someone still came looking for him when he turned to the next page.

"Xing Sui, you're here." An Ran walked over carrying some things. "Let's eat something together. My father, brother, and I made this."

Jian Xingsui put down his book and glanced at the basket in his hand. Inside were exquisitely presented pastries, but these pastries were seaweed buns. He had always disliked seaweed since he was a child, and even had some mild allergic symptoms, so he shook his head: "Thank you, I'm not hungry."

"Please have some, don't be shy." An Ran came over very kindly: "It's really delicious."

Their conversation attracted the attention of others.

Jian Gu and Jian Kuo, who were not far away, also noticed it, so they strode over and asked, "What's wrong?"

An Ran said softly, sounding a little aggrieved, "I want to share some pastries with Xing Sui."

Jian Gu immediately looked at Jian Xingsui. Although they were once family, his gaze towards Jian Xingsui was terrifyingly indifferent and even reproachful: "Suisui, Ranran meant well, so please eat a little."

Now, Jian Xingsui's heart is completely cold.

Living under the same roof, we were completely unaware of his allergies, and now we even try to suppress him.

Jian Xingsui, holding the book, refused decisively: "I said I'm not hungry and I don't want to eat."

The usually strict eldest brother, Jian Kuo, reprimanded her in an elder brotherly tone: "You're all here as trainees, Ranran just wanted to share with you. Even if she wasn't hungry, you shouldn't..."

“I’ve already thanked him,” Jian Xingsui said, unable to hold back any longer. She looked up at Jian Kuo and said, “Besides, I’m allergic to seaweed and can’t enjoy it.”

As soon as he finished speaking, both Jian Gu and Jian Kuo's expressions changed.

At that moment, they might have felt a little embarrassed or guilty, but for some reason, they didn't show it. Only An Ran stepped forward and offered a perfunctory apology before pulling her father and brother away.

The other trainees said their goodbyes.

Someone came over to Jian Xingsui while eating cake and said, "Suisui, aren't you going to say goodbye to your uncle and Mr. Jian?"

“No need.” Jian Xingsui looked down at his book, his voice neither loud nor soft, but unusually firm and clear: “I’m not familiar with them.”

The father and son, who had already reached the door, paused slightly. They had heard it, but seemed to find it hard to believe, and their bodies instinctively stopped for a moment.

Even as a father, Jian Gu unconsciously turned around, but all he saw was a figure sitting quietly at a desk not far away, head down, reading a book. Jian Xingsui didn't look at them, as if not only now, but also in the future, they wouldn't be in his eyes.

...

A little later, Jian Xingsui, who was in the library, received a notification that someone was looking for her outside.

Somewhat puzzled, he left the library and was surprised to find the Zhang couple sitting on the sofa in the reception hall, each holding a thermos.

Jian Xingsui didn't know how to describe her feelings at this moment, and even her steps into the door were slightly hesitant.

"Sui Sui!" Zhang Xia stood up, looking at him with some joy: "You're here?"

Jian Xingsui stepped through the door and nodded gently.

Zhang Xia came over and took his hand, appearing much more affectionate: "Your father and I rushed to see you, but we were still too late. We're so sorry for making you suffer."

Jian Xingsui's heart stirred slightly.

So they did come after all, they just missed it...

Zhang Xiangyang also came over. He handed Jian Xingsui a thermos and said softly, "These are some dumplings that your mother and I made for you. It was a bit bumpy on the way, and some of the dumplings broke. Don't mind."

I also brought some things for myself.

The insulated container seemed to still retain warmth, and Jian Xingsui hugged it, feeling a warm feeling in her heart as well.

He had initially felt a bit disheartened towards the Zhang couple, but since they had still shown up today and even brought him some gifts, Jian Xingsui's heart softened slightly. He said softly, "It's alright, I don't mind."

“You all…” Jian Xingsui shed her somewhat aloof demeanor and became much gentler: “You must have had a long journey. Have you found a hotel to stay in? Are you settled in properly?”

Zhang Xiangyang smiled and said, "Everything is taken care of, so don't worry."

Zhang Xia also pulled Jian Xingsui and said, "Enen, don't worry, I'm fine. Take good care of yourself here, eat and drink well."

Almost no one cares about him anymore.

This scene was so heartwarming, just like everyone else, being cared for and reminded by their parents.

His previous unverified suspicions about them have gradually faded. At least further investigation is something to be done after he leaves. Right now, he is still touched by the kindness the people in front of him are showing him.

Jian Xingsui's heart gradually warmed up, and a smile unconsciously appeared on his happy face. He said, "Don't worry, I'm fine. I... I'm doing very well here, and the mentors are taking good care of me. I will work hard in the future."

Mr. and Mrs. Zhang smiled and exchanged a few pleasantries before leaving due to time constraints.

On his way back to the dormitory with the thermos, Jian Xingsui was overjoyed. He ran into Fu Jinxiao in the corridor. The movie star Fu seemed to be talking to someone, and the person standing next to him was Shen Xingchen's older brother, Shen Yuelang.

Jian Xingsui paused, then quickly bowed: "Hello, Brother Fu! Hello, Brother Shen!"

His voice was full of energy and sounded very cheerful and energetic.

Fu Jinxiao sensed that the young man seemed particularly happy today. Seeing the thermos in his hand, she could roughly guess what was going on and smiled teasingly: "Oh, a loving meal sent by your family."

Hearing his deep and pleasant voice, Jian Xingsui felt even sweeter. Today was truly a happy day. She had seen her family and chatted with her sweetheart. There couldn't be a better time than this: "Yes, these are dumplings sent from home. They're vegetarian. My family runs a rice and pastry shop. There are also some pastries and snacks below. They're not very pretty because of the bumpy ride, but you can try them if you don't mind."

Fu Jinxiao is different from her composed and strict demeanor on stage. She speaks casually in private: "Come on, this was sent by your family from a thousand miles away. Take it back to your dorm and enjoy it. But you have to be careful not to eat too much. You need to maintain your weight, otherwise you won't be able to look good on camera, and you'll cry when the fans criticize you."

Jian Xingsui smiled and pursed her lips: "Okay, then Brother Shen, what about you...?"

Shen Minglang was surprised that the boy would still care about him, and his impression of the boy improved considerably. He nodded and said, "Thank you, but I have already eaten."

Jian Xingsui wasn't disappointed and waved to them, "Then I'm leaving."

The child ran very fast and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

When Fu Jinxiao looked away from him, she met Shen Minglang's meaningful eyes: "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Shen Minglang said, "You seem to like this student quite a bit."

Fu Jinxiao's ever-present smile remained unchanged: "Oh? I don't seem to dislike any of the students."

"You don't like anyone either, do you?"

Shen Minglang, as his childhood friend, knew him well. He was indeed a shrewd and self-serving businessman, but he never hid it. Fu Jinxiao, on the other hand, was a cold-hearted person to the core. He seemed to treat everyone well, but in reality, he wasn't really close to anyone. He just had a good appearance and could disguise himself perfectly. In fact, he was a thoroughly self-serving bastard. If there were no conflict of interest, he had seen Fu Jinxiao chatting and laughing with someone one second, and then turning cold and indifferent the next second after the cooperation ended.

Fu Jinxiao raised an eyebrow: "Where do you begin?"

"He talks too much."

"..."

"He's gone and you're still laughing."

"..."

Fu Jinxiao clicked his tongue. The movie star spoke slowly and deliberately, his words revealing an astonishing coldness: "I just noticed that this child is quite well-behaved and sensible, so I paid a little more attention to him. There's nothing special about him. I would have done the same for anyone else."

Shen Minglang remained silent.

He trusted his intuition, not Fu Jinxiao's perpetually untruthful mouth.

…

On the other side

Jian Xingsui carried the thermos back home, already planning on the way that she would share the food with her roommates so they could all have some fun, and that she would find a way to put any leftovers in the cafeteria's refrigerator...

"Wow! Ranran, your dumplings are so delicious!"

As she passed a dormitory, a sudden exclamation came from inside, causing Jian Xingsui to stop in her tracks.

His whole body seemed to have been switched on, and he squatted stiffly in place, unable to move an inch. He could only hear An Ran's gentle voice from inside: "Eat as much as you want. It was just delivered and it's still warm."

"These rice cakes look so delicate."

"These meat dumplings are delicious too."

"Ranran, your parents are so good to you! They even brought you things so late at night!"

An Ran chuckled: "They're worried about me, afraid that I'll be too tired from training, so they insisted on coming."

Just a wall away, inside, it was bustling and warm, a heartwarming story unfolding, with people laughing and chatting. But outside, someone felt as if they had fallen into an ice cave.

His dumplings and pastries were intact, while his were defective.

His dumplings were filled with meat, while his were filled with vegetables.

They visited An Ran first, and then themselves.

As the cheerful laughter reached his ears, Jian Xingsui felt like a joke. The joy and emotion he had just felt now made him feel like a living clown. His fingertips, gripping the thermos, turned white, and his whole body trembled uncontrollably with anger. It was nearing autumn, and the air conditioning in the corridor was set to a low temperature, but he felt terribly cold.

An Ran's laughter came from inside the room: "You guys eat, I won't eat any. I'm a little full from eating too many pastries during the day."

Jian Xingsui hadn't eaten much during the day, and he was feeling a bit hungry, his stomach aching slightly. He walked slowly to the dormitory door, half-squatted down, placed the thermos in his hand by the door of An Ran's dormitory, paused for a moment, then slowly wiped his face with the back of his hand, turned around and walked away slowly.

...

Half an hour later

Fu Jinxiao and Shen Minglang, two good friends, met and chatted for a while before parting ways. The movie star personally saw his friend off. As the two were talking, they ran into Jian Xingsui, who had just returned from the cafeteria. This child looked completely different from the one they had met before; she seemed to be in a daze and had no energy.

I almost crashed into it while turning the corner.

Fu Jinxiao managed to escape unharmed by grabbing his arm, and found it somewhat amusing: "Little boy, don't you watch where you're going?"

Jian Xingsui snapped out of his daze, looked up and met Fu Jinxiao's gaze, and immediately apologized in a flustered manner: "I'm sorry."

Fu Jinxiao frowned almost imperceptibly, not for any other reason than that Jian Xingsui's eyes, which had just been smiling, were now as red as a rabbit's, heartbreakingly broken. Even so, he was still forcing a smile as he apologized to himself.

Fu Jinxiao: "You..."

Jian Xingsui quickly lowered her head and said, "I promise I won't do it again next time. I'll definitely watch where I'm going. The dormitory lights will be turned off soon, so I'm leaving now. Bye-bye, Brother Fu. Bye-bye, Brother Shen."

As soon as he finished speaking, he ran away in a flash.

Fu Jinxiao turned around and looked over, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Shen Minglang was also a little curious, after all, this was his younger brother's good friend. The two of them happened to be near the cafeteria when some staff members came back from work. He stopped someone at random to ask about the situation and learned that Jian Xingsui hadn't eaten dinner and had just come over to eat. But that was strange, since his family had sent him something.

Although he was puzzled, and although it would be easy for Fu Jinxiao to investigate if he wanted to, Fu Yingdi didn't say anything when Shen Minglang looked at him, only saying, "I'll take you back."

Shen Minglang: "Aren't you a little concerned? Why don't you check it out?"

Fu Jinxiao recalled those bloodshot eyes and felt inexplicably irritated, but she still glanced coldly at her friend: "What does it have to do with me?"

Shen Minglang shrugged and didn't say anything.

Just as the two were about to leave the area, they ran into An Ran, who had just come downstairs. He saw them too, and jogged over. The young man had delicate features and a handsome appearance. He smiled brightly and sweetly greeted them, "Hello, Brother Fu! Hello, Mr. Chen!"

Fu Jinxiao turned around, intending only to give a curt reply and leave, but his gaze fell on the thermos in An Ran's hand, and he inexplicably stopped in his tracks.

Seeing that Actor Fu was actually interested in her thermos, An Ran smiled slightly and said, "Brother Fu, would you like to try some?"

Actor Fu narrowed his eyes dangerously, a smile playing on his lips: "Your family sent it to you?"

"Yes, that's right." An Ran was also very eager: "There are rice cakes here, they're a local specialty, would you like to try some?"

"No, thank you." Actor Fu gave a forced smile, his expression unreadable. "I'm allergic to rice cakes."

An Ran was momentarily embarrassed: "Oh, I see."

Shen Minglang, who was standing next to her, covered his mouth and chuckled softly. An Ran noticed this and asked, "Mr. Shen, would you like to try some?"

Shen Minglang didn't know why, but when the first child asked him the same question, he felt it was polite and he had a good impression of him. However, when this child was holding the same bucket, as someone used to the cutthroat world of business, he knew there was something wrong. Thinking that it might be related to his younger brother's good friend, he also felt somewhat dissatisfied with An Ran, but he didn't show it. He just smiled and said, "No, I'm allergic too."

An Ran was caught off guard by the outcome and felt incredibly awkward. He inexplicably felt that Actor Fu and Young Master Shen didn't like him, but he couldn't figure out why. However, the feeling of being snubbed made him feel humiliated, so he could only leave somewhat embarrassed.

Actor Fu glanced at Shen Minglang and raised an eyebrow: "Are you allergic to rice cakes?"

"Aren't you the same?" Shen Minglang even teased him, "Didn't you say you didn't dislike any of the students? Why are you targeting them?"

This is just like a spoiled brat who protects his child and stands up for his kid.

Actor Fu said, "I just had an allergic reaction, is that not okay?"

Shen Minglang smiled and said, "What a coincidence, me too."

"..."

next day

In order to boost ratings, the production team organized the trainees into a group competition and individual contest, with the winners receiving a chance to go out for a hot pot dinner.

The students participated enthusiastically, and the mentors served as judges, making the scene quite lively.

This time it wasn't a live broadcast, but a pre-recorded one, so some trainees were more relaxed. Everyone drew lots, with the group leaders drawing lots according to their dormitories, and then sending people from their respective dormitories to compete.

When Shen Xingchen went up to draw lots, the others were very worried:

"Don't smoke anything too strong."

"You're on a lucky streak."

"Go, dormitory head!"

Shen Xingchen gave everyone a determined look, then strode onto the stage. He confidently reached into the box and pulled out a red ball.

Teacher Li asked, "Which dormitory has the red ball?"

In a group of silent dorm rooms, someone timidly raised their hand; An Ran's dorm room stood up.

Shen Xingchen smiled and said, "It's fate."

Zhou Xun also stood up and said, "Then let's have a competition?"

"Fine." Shen Xingchen put his hands on his hips and even arrogantly gave him the middle finger: "You think I'm afraid of you? Bring it on, I'll show you what real strength is, what a shutout is!"

These words made the contestants clap and cheer excitedly.

The first round featured Shen Xingchen, who was the first to come up. After a brief exchange with Zhou Xun, they began their rap competition. As the most popular contestant, Shen Xingchen possessed his own unique charm. His dance and stage presence were incredibly explosive, his movements were unrestrained, and he exuded a flamboyant wildness. What might be considered a punk hairstyle on others looked incredibly cool on him. His crisp and clean turns and fast-paced, energetic rap demonstrated his solid foundation. He was dashing and unrestrained in front of the camera, exuding a cool and charismatic aura.

After the two finished their competition, even Tuya covered her mouth and exclaimed, "Wow, that was awesome!"

Shen Xingchen's smug little face was practically sticking out to the sky.

The next group played a different game.

Since Shen Xingchen chose her roommate in the previous group, this time it was the other person's turn to choose. An Ran walked to the center of the stage and smiled, "I want to choose Xing Sui as my opponent."

A subtle silence fell over the scene.

then

Most people looked at Jian Xingsui. After all, when Brother Liangwan first came to "Star Show", he was only interested in getting 20,000 yuan and running away. An Ran, as a popular contestant in "Star Show", was even more likely to debut. One was a seeded contestant, and the other was a slacker. They were really amazing.

An Ran smiled and said, "Brother Xing Sui, is that alright?"

Jian Xingsui remained seated, seemingly unsurprised that his opponent was An Ran. He stood up, composed, and said, "Okay."

The atmosphere immediately became lively.

Someone applauded enthusiastically: "Start! Start! Start!"

Just before the match