When the sound of Fu Jinxiao's elimination echoed from the woods, the guests waiting outside were all shocked, their faces showing expressions of utter astonishment.

Fu Jinxiao lost.

He actually lost.

No way, does their show actually have a script?

Many people couldn't think of any other possibility besides this, and they all looked at the pitiful and innocent director. Only the director shrugged and replied, "We have not interfered with the guests' freedom."

This is one of the reasons why big names are willing to accept Starlight Entertainment.

As we all know, there is no script on Starlight, and the high degree of freedom allows the guests to have a great time and have fun.

The viewers in the live stream were all wailing:

"He gave up."

"He conceded defeat."

"At first, we could comfort ourselves by thinking it was something the production team did on purpose, but why..."

"Fu Jinxiao is such a competitive and proud person, yet he actually took the initiative to bow down to someone else."

"It shocked my whole family."

This was truly unprecedented, and everyone felt as if they had been struck by lightning. At the same time, the trending topics list on Weibo began to soar in real time.

Fu Jinxiao concedes defeat

The topic trended at number one within just ten minutes, and some enthusiastic netizens edited the clip into a short video, which shocked the general public.

"This is too much pampering."

"As the older brother, he genuinely and openly loved his younger brother."

"Come on, you call this brotherhood?"

"I can't accept that they are lovers."

"What era are we living in? Are there still people who can't accept same-sex marriage? The policy was opened up two years ago."

"This violates the principles."

"Although they seem to be a good match, I still feel he's not good enough for Teacher Fu, sob sob..."

The discussion was heated, with opinions varying widely. Online comments were polarized, with some CP fans waving their flags in support, others adhering to their opposition, and a small number of casual observers deciding to calmly watch the drama unfold.

Regardless, everyone at least reached a consensus that Fu Jinxiao had a bias towards Shen Xingsui.

No matter how much you explain it, it will never end.

He definitely loved Shen Xingsui more.

Fu Yingdi makes no attempt to hide or conceal this fact. He is a person who is always open and honest, to the point that his fans feel that he is giving them psychological support.

On the other hand, Shen Xingsui herself had the same question.

When he came out of the secret room, he kept looking at Fu Jinxiao, as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself.

Seeing his pitiful expression, Fu Jinxiao smiled and asked mercifully, "Is there something you want to say?"

"Um……"

Shen Xingsui finally couldn't help but ask, "Why did you choose to do this? You could have won."

Fu Jinxiao raised an eyebrow noncommittally, glanced at Shen Xingsui, and slowly said, "Good and evil are separated by a moment. Maybe one second I want to be a villain and dominate the martial arts world, and the next second I will change my mind."

Shen Xingsui, holding the box, seemed to be looking at him, and said softly, "What made you change your mind?"

Fu Jinxiao stopped in her tracks.

Shen Xingsui had no choice but to stop and look up at him. Fu Jinxiao's eyes were dark and deep, and there seemed to be many emotions in them that Shen Xingsui couldn't understand. The sunlight after dusk in the forest fell on his shoulders, giving him a warm glow. He leaned down to look at Shen Xingsui, his handsome face with a charming smile, and his voice was deep and magnetic: "Because you said that you hoped I was a good person."

Shen Xingsui's thoughts suddenly returned to last night.

In that corridor, Fu Jinxiao asked him a question, and he just casually agreed. But he never expected that this casual remark would determine today's victory, as if he had decided the outcome of the game, and Fu Jinxiao was just doing what he wanted, like a noble gift.

Shen Xingsui felt her heart pounding uncontrollably, a warm and unstoppable flutter.

The guests' voices came from not far away: "You've come out?"

Shen Xingsui looked up and saw her friends not far away.

"Teacher Fu, even you lose sometimes."

"I can't believe we actually won."

"Sui Sui, you are so amazing!"

As the guests gathered to offer their congratulations, Shen Xingsui felt a little guilty. However, when she glanced at Fu Jinxiao, she found that the movie star Fu showed no signs of defeat. Instead, he was poised and confident, walking with an air of nonchalance as if he were the ultimate winner, and that winning or losing was nothing more than a passing cloud to him.

The production team said, "Everyone has worked hard. We have two days left on this journey. First of all, congratulations to all the young heroes for successfully protecting the treasure left by the goddess. The next two days are very important for our Fei people, the annual Goddess Festival. They sincerely invite us to participate and celebrate the festival together."

Shen Xingchen said, "I think I've heard of this festival before."

Ning Ze began, “This is a very important festival. The Goddess Festival is as grand as the Spring Festival for the Fei people. Every year on the Goddess Festival, they worship their ancestors and gods, prepare bonfire performances at night, and there is also a day for marriage when the moon rises.”

Teacher Tuya is a foreigner, so she didn't quite understand, but it sounded very interesting to her: "What is the Day of Bonding?"

Teacher Li explained to her, "During the Goddess Festival, unmarried men and women of the Fei ethnic group will dress up and attend the event. They will usually place a long table full of red ropes, and people will stand at both ends. Each person will choose one end, and when the moon worship ends and the goddess is sent back to heaven, they will pick it up. If a man and a woman happen to choose the same red rope at the same time, it means that they are destined to be together. If they like each other, the one who takes the initiative will usually choose to weave the rope into jewelry and give it to the other person."

Shen Xingchen, a master of pouring cold water, said: "What if we don't like each other?"

Li Xu'an gave him the answer: "Then cut the red string and sever the bond."

That sounds a bit cruel.

The director smiled and said, "Actually, we usually don't choose to cut the red string because our goddess is very efficacious. It just so happens that everyone has come along for this festival, and I hope everyone will actively participate and share the joy with the Fei people."

The guests asked, "How can we participate?"

None of them had any experience in this area.

The director had already planned it out: "The bonfire party requires performances. Everyone needs to collaborate with our local residents to put on a show. We will also open a live streaming platform for donations on the day of the event. All donations from each performance will be donated to the construction of ethnic minority mountain areas. The guest with the highest donation will receive our grand prize."

Every guest present was a former idol, so producing a program was a piece of cake for them. The fact that the production team chose to film with ethnic minorities shows their dedication; they wanted to promote the culture of ethnic minorities and let more people know about them.

The guests readily agreed.

Shen Xingsui ultimately chose the song and dance performance "Goddess Gazing at the Moon." It wasn't that he particularly liked the program; it was simply a matter of drawing lots, and he had no other choice.

The person in charge of arranging the program "Goddess Gazing at the Moon" is a young girl from the Fei ethnic group named A-Can.

Ah-chan often says, "Our songs and dances are different from popular songs outside. Many people don't understand the language, so not many people like them."

After listening to it once, Shen Xingsui said, "Actually, the main theme is very nice. Popular songs are not necessarily popular just because they are easy to understand. If they are good enough, worth singing and spreading, and conform to the public's aesthetic, they can also become popular songs."

He usually looks like an ordinary guy, maybe a little handsome, but when he talks about music, his whole aura changes. When he holds the sheet music, he seems to exude a confident and composed aura from the inside out, as if he is the absolute king in this field.

Ah-chan, unable to resist being caught up in his mood, said, "How can things become popular if we can't communicate in the same language?"

"How about we translate this song into Chinese and sing it?" Shen Xingsui suggested. "It's perfect, since many of our audience members that day are Han Chinese. We can take this opportunity to showcase our ethnic culture. Translating it into Chinese can serve as a bond of friendship between our two ethnic groups."

Ah-Can was amazed by his idea and said, "Is it okay?"

Shen Xingsui nodded emphatically: "Of course, translating it into Chinese might be difficult, so we only need to modify the chorus. We don't need to sing the whole thing in Chinese, because we're short on time. We can just sing a few lines together in the chorus, like here..."

Even the most difficult songs become easy to adapt and compose in Shen Xingsui's hands, as if he were a fish in water. His exceptional talent and inspiration in this area provide him with creative support.

Shen Xingsui spent the entire night composing the music in the room. In order not to delay the team's bonfire performance that night, he finalized the draft the next morning and then participated in the rehearsal.

"This is amazing!" After listening to the adapted song, the innocent and kind-hearted Fei girl looked at Shen Xingsui with starry eyes: "How did you do it? It seems like nothing has changed, but it also seems like everything has changed. It's just like some really nice pop music I've heard before, but it retains the characteristics of our Fei folk songs."

Shen Xingsui stood beside her, the refined and elegant young man with a humble and polite expression: "You flatter me. Your songs are inherently very good. I was just showing off my limited skills."

Ah-chan patted him on the shoulder and said, "Don't be modest."

Shen Xingsui smiled sheepishly.

After listening, the viewers in the live stream had no choice but to say:

"He is the most talented original singer I have seen in the music industry in recent years."

"Truly, the future is bright."

"If he had debuted a few years earlier, he wouldn't have fared any worse than Jane."

"Actually, I think he will become someone important sooner or later."

Now that the song has been decided, the next issue is the dance.

After the reorganization, Shen Xingsui has established a friendly relationship with these members of the Fei tribe.

Ah-Can proactively considered his needs and said, "Sui-Sui, since everyone had already assigned roles for this song and dance performance, we discussed it yesterday and realized that it wouldn't be enough time for you to relearn the song and dance. Fortunately, we have a role that requires almost no movement throughout that we can give you."

Shen Xingsui hadn't expected such a good thing: "What role?"

Ah-Can revealed a mysterious smile, a smile that sent a chill down Shen Xing-Sui's spine even in broad daylight.

...

evening

The annual Goddess Festival of the Fei ethnic group has begun.

For the first time, a mysterious ethnic minority group showcased their grand festival to the world, which is why the live stream reached an all-time high in viewership, with most families even viewing it as a dinner to explore their ethnic culture.

When the torches in front of the huge goddess statue were lit, the grand ancestral worship ceremony began.

Hundreds and thousands of Fei people attended the event in their traditional blue and silver-adorned costumes. They gathered in the square in an orderly fashion and, led by their chief, made a prayer gesture for each person. Then, they danced and knelt in worship, with torches burning. This solemn and grand scene was awe-inspiring.

The goddess statue is gentle and compassionate towards humanity, as if it were truly listening attentively to the prayers of its people.

With the clan chief's command, the banquet began.

The guests took turns performing their respective acts. After the live streaming platform enabled tipping, the gift effects on the page never stopped. The performances of the first few groups of guests achieved great results and went very smoothly. In particular, An Ran's dance amazed many people, and Fu Jinxiao's rare singing caused quite a stir.

Finally, we arrived at the last set, "Goddess Gazing at the Moon".

By the time they arrived, the audience's expectations were already high due to the performances of the previous groups. By the time it was Shen Xingsui's turn, most people had lost much of their expectations, thinking it was impossible for her to surpass the previous performances. However, to everyone's surprise, when the Goddess Group appeared, the entire audience erupted in cheers.

because……

They had no idea which one was Shen Xingsui!

The men who are drumming are not the real people, and the girls who are dancing are even less so. The only one left is a goddess standing in the very center who only needs to perform a few simple movements.

The moon slowly rose, and the goddess, dressed in a pure white moon robe with a pale yellow ribbon flowing around her waist, wore a silver hair crown with tassels that shimmered with her movements. A white veil covered her face, giving her a mysterious yet ethereal air. Her tall and slender figure, light and graceful demeanor, flowing hair, and graceful dance all made her appear breathtakingly beautiful.

The camera focused on it multiple times, showing every angle without any blind spots; only the word "beautiful" can describe it.

The viewers in the live stream were stunned:

"Is Sui Sui a goddess?"

"I was just saying who this beautiful woman is!"

"My wife just couldn't call out because it was stuck in her throat."

"Waaah, I never dreamed that Sui Sui could be so beautiful."

Just as everyone was discussing and hesitating, the chorus reached its middle part, and Shen Xingsui finally got to sing with the microphone clipped to his collar. His voice was deep and elegant, but it was also a very ethereal female voice. This was his first time trying to sing in a female voice, and he was a little nervous, but he perfectly brought out the song's somewhat passionate and trembling meaning.

The beautiful and melodious voices pierced the microphone clearly, and the Mandarin part of the chorus, filled with the sincerity of the Fei people, created an unexpected and delightful surprise that instantly brought the atmosphere to a climax. Most viewers in the live stream were actually thrilled.

"This is absolutely amazing!"

"Is this female voice really Sui Sui's?"

"It really is him. His voice hasn't changed, but his singing is absolutely amazing."

"It gave me goosebumps, it's so good."

"His stage design and music arrangement have improved so much since he was in the talent show."

This performance not only caused a sensation in the live stream, but also went straight to the top of the trending searches. The goddess's appearance and singing voice impressed everyone. Shen Xingsui's name once again entered the audience's field of vision and the eyes of various music producers, not because of gossip and scandals, but because of her own strength.

Even those who didn't know him before were attracted:

"This woman is really beautiful."

"He sings well too."

Who is this?

"Where is this being streamed live? I want to watch it too."

After the performance ended, the online donations for "Goddess Gazing at the Moon" surprisingly exceeded one million.

In terms of the number of viewers in the live stream, Shen Xingsui's viewership in a solo live stream exceeded 100 million for the first time, making him the second most popular guest after Fu Jinxiao.

When Shen Xingsui stepped off the stage, his legs were trembling. Although he appeared as steady as a rock on stage, he was actually panicking inside and almost fell. He was caught by someone and whispered, "Thank you..."

A low chuckle came from beside him: "You're welcome."

When Shen Xingsui looked up, he met Fu Jinxiao's face. His face turned red, and he instinctively wanted to cover his face.

Fu Jinxiao said, "What are you blocking?"

Shen Xingsui was incredibly embarrassed: "This outfit..."

"Comrade Xiao Shen, you're dressed like that and you're giving me that look." Fu Jinxiao raised an eyebrow and said slowly, "Anyone who doesn't know better would think I'm flirting with a commoner."

Shen Xingsui's face turned even redder: "Please don't joke around."

Fu Jinxiao indeed toned down his carefree expression. There was a reason he was standing there: because of him, he blocked many of the prying and ambitious glances directed at Shen Xingsui.

Although Shen Xingsui wore a veil, his refined and elegant demeanor, along with his fair and beautiful face, was still undeniable. However, he himself was unaware of this and said somewhat embarrassedly, "Do I look strange? I told you I couldn't do it, but A-Can insisted..."

Fu Jinxiao took off her coat and draped it over his shoulders: "Not surprising."

Shen Xingsui was taken aback.

"It's beautiful."

Fu Jinxiao's voice was deep, and his evaluation was serious and heartfelt. It was precisely because of this seriousness that Shen Xingsui was slightly stunned for a moment. He originally felt a little ashamed, but when he heard Fu Jinxiao's praise, he couldn't help but feel a little bit of joy growing in his heart.

Fu Jinxiao added, "Try to wear it less in the future."

Shen Xingsui was taken aback: "Why?"

It wasn't that he had this hobby; he was just curious and wanted to know if he was being disliked, so he asked that question.

Fu Jinxiao gave him a meaningful look, raising an eyebrow noncommittally. Shen Xingsui felt that there was a lot in that look, but in the end, the movie star Fu said nothing.

...

After the performances, the highlight of the evening began.

A knotted rope.

Shen Xingsui wasn't really interested in this, since he wasn't really hoping that the goddess would randomly arrange someone for him to be his destined other half. But since he was in the local area, he figured he might as well do it for good luck, so he still participated in the activity.

There were many long ropes on the table. Shen Xingsui walked over to one of them and picked up a rope at random. According to the rules, he needed to tie a wooden token to the rope and hang it on a tree. Once the torch burned out, he could take the token down and see who had tied the other half of it to the same rope as him.

Shen Xingchen came over and said, "We didn't take the same one, did we?"

Shen Xingsui was both amused and exasperated: "The goddess probably wouldn't arrange it like that, would she?"

Shen Xingchen was just teasing him and soon went to play with other people.

As dusk approached, Shen Xingsui remembered something important after tying the wooden plaque, so she went to ask the staff about the time. When she heard that it was almost 10 o'clock, she became a little anxious.

Since there was nothing else to do and the live stream was almost over, he asked the production team for leave and secretly ran back to his small courtyard where he lived, borrowing the small kitchen from the homeowner.

So when the guests realized that Shen Xingsui was missing, it was already past eleven o'clock.

The director said, "Everyone has worked hard. Sui Sui has already gone home. Everyone should go home and rest too."

Just like when everyone was divided into groups at the beginning, two people lived in a small courtyard. When Fu Jinxiao walked back slowly, she found that the room light in Shen Xingsui's bedroom was not on, but the kitchen light was on.

When I went inside, I found the pot steaming hot, and Shen Xingsui was ladling something out.

Fu Jinxiao was somewhat surprised: "What are you doing?"

"You're back!" Shen Xingsui's hand trembled so much that he almost burned himself. He said, "Go sit in the yard for a while, I'll be done in a minute."

Fu Jinxiao walked closer and saw that Shen Xingsui was actually cooking noodles. There were no packaged noodles in this small courtyard. There was a bowl of flour on the table not far away, and there were traces of hand kneading the noodles. The noodles in the bowl were uneven in thickness and very rough. There was a boiled egg and some scallions on the bowl.

Fu Jinxiao suddenly realized something. His eyes darkened, but a smile appeared on his lips: "Did Grandma tell you?"

Shen Xingsui nodded gently, but was a little nervous: "I'm sorry... I found out secretly without telling you."

“There’s nothing to apologize for.” Fu Jinxiao stood under the light, but her eyes, which were always shrouded in a layer of indifference, revealed a gentle smile at this moment: “I should be thanking you.”

Shen Xingsui breathed a sigh of relief.

That's right, today is Fu Jinxiao's birthday, and also the anniversary of his mother's death.

To avoid mentioning this matter, the Fu family always postponed the birthday by more than ten days. Even the date Fu Jinxiao publicly announced was more than ten days later. No one ever truly celebrated Fu Jinxiao's birthday. Only the old lady knew that this day was actually the most difficult day for Fu Jinxiao every year. No one would wish him a happy birthday. It was as if his birthday, his arrival into this world, was a day that was not worth celebrating or being happy about.

Fu Jinxiao was a quiet and reserved person who kept everything to himself and never said anything. No one knew what he was really thinking, but the old woman did. She had secretly seen Fu Jinxiao when he was a child, and she saw him buy himself a small cake and eat it secretly in his room. People said that the eldest son of the Fu family was very successful, but he was just a child who could only curl up in a corner even on his birthday.

Shen Xingsui placed the noodles on the table outside and sat down next to Fu Jinxiao, saying somewhat awkwardly, "I've never been very good at cooking, and we're in the village right now, so I really didn't know what to do. I just made them by hand. If they're not good..."

Fu Jinxiao took the bowl of noodles.

This was probably the simplest, most haphazard, and worst-cooked meal he had eaten in recent years. Those who knew him well knew how picky he was, but at this moment, the man sitting in the chair simply picked up his chopsticks and ate his noodles in silence. He ate quietly, with elegant but serious movements, and slowly finished the whole bowl of noodles.

He left the egg behind.

Shen Xingsui looked at him in confusion. Fu Jinxiao handed him the egg and said, "You've been busy all night, have something to eat to tide you over. I'll make you something else to eat later."

Shen Xingsui subconsciously opened her mouth, slowly ate the egg, and even gave her evaluation: "I cooked it pretty well this time."

Fu Jinxiao smiled and said, "Yes, it tastes very good."

It was just a bowl of plain noodles, but the two of them ate it all up, one eating the egg and the other sharing the noodles.

Fu Jinxiao put down her chopsticks and gave her evaluation: "The food is not bad, I think it's delicious."

Shen Xingsui breathed a sigh of relief, relieved. "That's good."

Not far away, the square was still lit with ever-burning lamps. Today was a major festival for the Fei people. Even into the evening, people were still singing and dancing in the square, and cheers and the sounds of fireworks could be heard from time to time.

Fu Jinxiao said, "I'll go cook you something else to eat."

Shen Xingsui quickly grabbed him and said, "Wait a minute."

Fu Jinxiao looked at him with some surprise.

Sitting back down in her chair, Shen Xingsui quietly took a small box from her pocket and handed it to Fu Jinxiao, saying, "This is a gift."

Fu Jinxiao has received countless rare and precious gifts throughout his life.

He lacked nothing, and no gift would surprise him. But when he opened the box, he saw a wooden carving of a trumpet vine. It was clearly hand-carved, and the craftsman's skill was rather clumsy. Many flaws were immediately apparent. However, in the dim light, Fu Jinxiao could still see some hidden knife marks on Shen Xingsui's fingertips.

He noticed it when he was applying the medicine that day, and he kept it in mind, thinking he would look into it later, but he never expected it was because of this.

This somewhat clumsy trumpet creeper was painstakingly carved out by the child in front of him. It wasn't the most expensive gift, but it was the most precious gift Fu Jinxiao had ever received.

Shen Xingsui said somewhat nervously, "It might be a bit simple, but I really didn't know what you might need. I don't have many handicrafts that I'm good at making from childhood to adulthood..."

Fu Jinxiao said softly, "I like it very much."

Shen Xingsui breathed a sigh of relief, a smile appearing in her eyes, feeling that all her efforts over the past few days had not been in vain.

But Fu Jinxiao said, "I also have something to give you."

Shen Xingsui was taken aback; he remembered that today wasn't his birthday.

Fu Jinxiao took out a wooden plaque from his pocket. It was the marriage plaque that Shen Xingsui had tied to the tree that day. When Shen Xingsui saw the plaque, she was a little surprised: "What a coincidence, we're actually tied together?"

Fu Jinxiao chuckled as if looking at her own silly child: "What a coincidence."

Shen Xingsui: "Then..."

“I searched all the signs near that tree,” Fu Jinxiao said in a low voice. “It took a while, but I found it.”

Shen Xingsui then realized that the rope connecting her and Fu Jinxiao had been broken once and then tied back together by someone, and tied a very tight knot. Their fates were not connected at the beginning, and were even far apart, with no possibility of any interaction. Even Shen Xingsui herself did not dare to imagine that there would be any interaction.

but……

but……

Their ropes were tied together.

Shen Xingsui stared blankly at the two wooden plaques joined together. The emotions that had been suppressed in his heart seemed to be completely released by the sudden recovery of these plaques. His eyes even reddened, and for some reason, his fingers trembled as he picked up the plaques: "You, you found it?"

Fu Jinxiao nodded: "Mm."

Shen Xingsui looked up at him: "Why?"

The square not far away was brightly lit, and fireworks exploding in the sky added a touch of splendor and romance to the whole night. The stone statue of the goddess stood tall, and the spring evening breeze blew through the courtyard. The man sitting opposite her was Mingyue, whom he had loved for decades.

“Because I wanted to be with you.” Fu Jinxiao sat beside him, her voice clear and firm: “So I found it.”

Shen Xingsui's heart trembled. He had always had a vague suspicion that Teacher Fu might also like him, but he was not sure. He even worried that Fu Jinxiao was just having a passing interest and playing around.

But there are so many signs on the tree.

How long will it take him to find it?

He didn't have to do it at all, but he did it anyway.

Just like the fate between them, they were never going to have a chance or a future together, but Fu Jinxiao found him. In the vast sea of ​​people, among the wooden signs on the trees, she found the inconspicuous him.

Shen Xingsui's eyes were red-rimmed. He was somewhat at a loss, as if he had been overwhelmed by joy, and he stammered, "How did you find them? So many brands, I thought it was impossible..."

The man sitting opposite him was handsome. Even though he had seen that face many times, he still felt his heart flutter every time they met face to face.

They were so close that they could almost feel each other's breath, so close that it seemed they could stay together forever, so close that Shen Xingsui even wondered if it was all a dream.

Fu Jinxiao said, "Nothing is impossible."

Fireworks were set off again in the square. The statue of the goddess stood silently, as if silently loving and protecting all living beings. Brilliant fireworks exploded in the sky.

Fu Jinxiao leaned down and gently and reverently placed a kiss on the lips of the person beside her. Their bodies pressed together, and the kiss slowly deepened. The wooden plaque tied with a red rope slid off the table, the rope wrapped around Shen Xingsui's hand, and fell onto Fu Jinxiao's body, as if tightly encircling the two of them.

Fu Jinxiao's voice was deep and magnetic. His eyes darkened slightly as he looked at the person's crimson lips and whispered, "Because I love you."

So no matter how far away.

So it doesn't matter whether the rope is broken or not.

I will find you.