The kiss slowly ended, but Shen Xingsui's heart pounded like a drum, showing no sign of stopping.

He blinked repeatedly, wondering if he was hallucinating. On this chilly spring night, he heard his idol, whom he had admired for years, say he loved him.

Fu Jinxiao gently brushed his rough fingertips across Shen Xingsui's face and chuckled, "Give me a reaction, Teacher Shen. You're making me lose face."

Shen Xingsui slowly came back to her senses, and her fair cheeks suddenly flushed red.

The embarrassment of realizing it too late.

Because they just kissed.

Fu Jinxiao was shocked by his thick skin, and smiled with a mixture of helplessness and indulgence: "You're so thin-skinned."

In a sense, it's not that Shen Xingsui is too thin-skinned; it's more likely that someone else is too thick-skinned. However, no one dares to say that.

Fu Jinxiao then said, "It seems I need to work hard to help Teacher Shen adapt to this situation in the future."

Adapt to...what.

Shen Xingsui's eyes were misty, and she blinked in confusion, not yet fully understanding the meaning of the sentence.

Fu Jinxiao looked at him. The young man in front of her had a fair and rosy complexion. His makeup had not been completely removed yet, and his clear appearance inexplicably reminded people of the ethereal goddess on stage, who was stunning yet untouchable. She was both alluring and pure. At this moment, her eyes also carried a trace of affection. When they looked at each other, it was inexplicably tempting to make a mistake.

Fu Jinxiao felt a sudden urge to tease her again.

Shen Xingsui seemed to sense his intention, pushed him away with her arm, and whispered, "No..."

The smile in Fu Jinxiao's eyes vanished in an instant. His eyes darkened, and his voice, somewhat hoarse and imposing, asked, "Why?"

"If my lips are still swollen tomorrow, I won't be able to explain it." Shen Xingsui gave him a look that said, "Be more professional. We have to record a show tomorrow, and if everyone notices..."

His concerns stemmed from all aspects.

To everyone's surprise, Fu Jinxiao showed no mercy, and the movie star scoffed, "So you saw through me."

"..."

How can someone be so willful?

Just as Shen Xingsui was internally complaining, the rumbling of his stomach due to hunger broke the tranquility, sounding quite clear in the quiet courtyard.

Fu Jinxiao raised an eyebrow: "Are you hungry?"

Shen Xingsui nodded somewhat embarrassedly.

"Why didn't you think of cooking an extra bowl for yourself when you were cooking noodles?" Fu Jinxiao said as she stood up and walked towards the kitchen.

Shen Xingsui honestly replied, "I was so busy I forgot."

When I'm thinking about someone else, I completely forget about myself. Only after I've finished my work and relaxed do I realize I'm hungry.

Fu Jinxiao walked into the kitchen, picked up the remaining dough on the table. Fortunately, it was already kneaded. He simply picked it up, boiled water in a pot, and then picked up a kitchen knife, slicing it cleanly and efficiently: "I'm short on time, so I won't knead the dough for you. I'll just make you some knife-cut noodles."

Shen Xingsui watched in awe as the neatly shaved noodles were poured into the pot: "Teacher Fu, how do you know how to do this?"

How many surprises does this man still hold that he doesn't know about?

"I consulted a pastry chef before when I was making a movie," Fu Jinxiao said unhurriedly. "I could only make fancy decorations, the taste was just so-so, enough to fill my stomach."

Although that's what she said, when the steaming hot knife-cut noodles came out, Fu Jinxiao's skill in preparing the sauce and sprinkling hot oil was exceptionally proficient. It was worlds apart from Shen Xingsui's bowl of noodles, which was just watery soup with an egg, and which she ended up eating herself.

Shen Xingsui sat down at the table, took a bite, and couldn't help but say, "It's so delicious."

Fu Jinxiao said, "Eat slowly. I'll make you more later if you like it."

After eating half a bowl, Shen Xingsui felt full and asked, "You can cook so many dishes, do you enjoy making food?"

Fu Jinxiao smiled and said, "It's not really true."

After hearing this, Shen Xingsui felt a surge of admiration. There really were people who did something so well that wasn't even their hobby.

“Actually, I don’t cook much unless it’s necessary for work.” Fu Jinxiao sat lazily in the rocking chair next to him, playing with a red string in his hand, and said slowly, “I’ve never cooked for anyone.”

After listening, Shen Xingsui stared blankly at the bowl in front of him, lost in thought.

Fu Jinxiao lifted her eyelids to look at him, turning her attention to him, and smiled: "I've never worked for anyone like this in my life."

Shen Xingsui blushed, and her heart started pounding wildly again. What was wrong with this man? No matter how long they spent together or what his status was, he still made her heart flutter and her mind race!

"I..." Shen Xingsui tried hard to organize her thoughts: "I will also work hard to improve my cooking skills in the future, and strive to make it even tastier."

Fu Jinxiao: "No need."

Shen Xingsui's heart sank, but he didn't have time to think further.

Fu Jinxiao, however, put away her nonchalant demeanor and said in a low voice, "I'm very happy today."

"Thank you, Sui Sui." Fu Jinxiao's handsome face appeared mature and profound in the night. His dark eyes were fixed on Shen Xing Sui, a faint smile in them. He said softly, "Today, I have received the best gift."

...

Day 2

Today is the last day of recording the program.

In order to wrap up the production, the crew decided to organize a group activity for everyone.

The director, standing at the front, said, "Okay, first of all, thank you all for participating in the recording of the second episode. Today we're wrapping up. It's our last day, and there's only one last challenge for everyone to complete."

Everyone stood still and listened.

"That is, everyone must make at least one dish that they ate at the village entrance on the first day." The director said with a megaphone, "In the end, all the dishes will be placed on the same table for our Fei ethnic group residents to taste and see who makes the most authentic flavor. The best guest selected will receive the grand prize prepared by our production team."

Shen Xingchen, the simpleton, raised his hand: "What kind of grand prize, Director? Is it five million?"

The director's lips twitched: "Limited budget..."

"That wouldn't be a seven-day trip to Hawaii, would it?" An Ran joked from the side, "Sending us on vacation?"

The director said, "Don't worry, don't worry, I guarantee everyone will be satisfied."

Since the director has said so, the guests have no choice but to comply.

However, everyone ate different things that day, so everyone had to prepare their own ingredients separately. These ingredients were not free; if you wanted them, you had to exchange them with the villagers using points or labor.

One fish requires 20 points.

Previously, when we were doing tasks, we always gave points, and the guests didn't know why. Now that we're using the points, they finally understand why.

Teacher Tuya said, "I only have 30 points here."

Others said:

"I only have 25 points."

"I have 19 points."

"Stop talking, I'll lose 20 points."

After averaging Shen Xingchen and Shen Xingsui, each person is -10.

After everyone finished counting their scores, they all looked at Fu Jinxiao, who hadn't said much since the beginning. Under everyone's gaze, the movie star Fu slowly said, "135 points."

!!

Everyone was shocked!

Why is Fu Jinxiao's score so high? Isn't that defying the heavens?

Fu Jinxiao seemed to know everyone's doubts and said, "Finding mirrors and divine water in the dense forest, as well as obtaining keys, will earn you points, including regular small tasks."

Most of the people failed to complete these tasks, but Fu Jinxiao did.

This man is incredible!

Teacher Tuya is quick-witted: "Can we borrow some points?"

Fu Jinxiao raised an eyebrow: "What will you give me in return?"

Tuya hesitated before saying, "For the sake of our years of friendship..."

Fu Jinxiao curled her lips into a smile, then turned and left.

Tuya quickly followed, "Hey, hey, you, really, I haven't even finished talking yet! I still, I definitely will, that album you mentioned last time..."

The viewers in the live stream laughed when they saw this:

"Haha, Lao Fu is just like everyone else."

"Friendship? Don't give me that."

"No one should try to take advantage of the old fox."

"Teacher Tuya has a broad perspective, hahaha."

Fu Jinxiao lent Tuya 20 points, enough for Teacher Tuya to get a few more supplementary foods for free, saving her the trouble of figuring out how to get the ingredients herself.

The other guests, seeing that it was indeed possible to borrow it, were all eager to try.

Teacher Li successfully left the show and received several large meals, earning 20 points in return. Seeing that it was indeed possible, everyone gathered around.

"Teacher Fu, I also want to change."

"I have a rare, out-of-print album."

"I……"

Actually, many of these things were just jokes. Fu Jinxiao didn't lack anything at all. Distributing the points to everyone was just a humanitarian gesture. As a senior, he always took care of the younger generation. So even though he didn't need many of these things, he still distributed them.

Shen Xingchen came over and said, "Don't say anything more, I'll steal one of my brother's collectibles to exchange for points."

He has always been quite good at being filial.

Fu Jinxiao said, "I'll give you 10 points."

Shen Xingchen felt it was alright; at least his score wasn't -10 anymore, which sounded better no matter what. But he still considerately asked his younger brother, "What about Sui Sui? What will Sui Sui use to exchange?"

Shen Xingsui remained motionless on the sidelines.

Fu Jinxiao glanced at Shen Xingsui and asked, "How many do you want?"

When others come to borrow, it's all about negotiation. They first explain what they can offer, and then see how much they can lend based on Fu Yingdi's mood. But when it's Shen Xingsui's turn, he doesn't even need to say anything. Fu Jinxiao directly asks, "How much do you want?"

Shen Xingsui had been keeping track of Fu Jinxiao's spending, and nearly a hundred points had already been used up. He felt bad even if he didn't care, so he said, "It's okay, I don't need many..."

Fu Jinxiao replied directly: "I'll give you 40."

Shen Xingsui was stunned. Before he could speak, Shen Xingchen exclaimed, "What did Suisui exchange for so much? Can I borrow this much too?"

Fu Jinxiao gave him a cool glance, but smiled without saying a word.

Shen Xingchen: "..."

Silence fell.

The viewers in the live stream burst into laughter:

"A day in Shen Xingchen's life when she became withdrawn."

"How can you compare yourself to his heart and soul?"

"Haha, Sui Sui doesn't need to be given anything."

"Teacher Fu is taking such good care of the students."

"I feel like I'm Teacher Fu's student, and he spoils me like this too, sob sob."

"Wake up, not everyone in this world is Shen Xingsui..."

After the guests received their points, they had to split up to find ingredients. Since everyone ate different things, the places to collect and redeem the ingredients were also different. So Shen Xingsui went to collect the ingredients with Xu Qinke. The two of them had never interacted before, so they chatted while walking together.

Xu Qinke said, "Thank you for what happened a couple of days ago."

Shen Xingsui hesitated: "What is it?"

"Amulet." Xu Qinke smiled, guessing that he might have forgotten, and said, "You gave me the amulet back then, even though Teacher Tuya and I still couldn't win."

Shen Xingsui then remembered and said, "It's nothing, it's nothing, no need to thank me."

Xu Qinke knew that he was also an upright person. He had heard of Shen Xingsui's name when he was in the training camp, but he was not familiar with him at that time. He had only heard from other people that this person seemed to have all sorts of bad things about him. However, his impression of Shen Xingsui had always been quite good. This was not for any other reason than that he always saw Shen Xingsui in the training room in the early morning.

Work hard enough.

He also has a talent for writing lyrics and composing music.

Xu Qinke has always respected hard-working people, so when he learned that Shen Xingsui was not selected on the night of the debut group formation, he did not look down on him at all, but instead felt sorry for him.

Later, when they participated in this variety show, the two of them didn't actually interact much, but he could vaguely sense that Shen Xingsui was a person of upright character, quite different from the rumors.

"We haven't really done missions together much before." Shen Xingsui casually started a conversation: "You and Feng Fan are close, aren't you? You two are also destined to be together, always drawing the same cards."

Xu Qinke said directly, "You and Teacher Fu have a good relationship too."

Shen Xingsui froze, turning her head to look at Xu Qinke in disbelief. Her mind raced, trying to figure out what the sentence meant or if it meant nothing at all.

Xu Qinke smiled and said, "Don't be nervous, I won't say anything out of the ordinary. I'm just chatting."

Shen Xingsui then realized that Xu Qinke had picked his wheat at some point.

They were really just chatting, and the kind of chatting that the audience couldn't hear. After thinking it over, Shen Xingsui decided to take off his microphone.

Xu Qinke said, "You can tell, right? Feng Fan and I..."

Shen Xingsui had a guess in her heart, but she never dared to say it: "You guys...?"

"Hmm." Xu Qinke nodded, and the sunny and healthy-looking boy smiled: "It's not a secret, most of our friends in the industry know about it."

Shen Xingsui felt a sense of sudden enlightenment.

I always felt that the relationship between these two brothers was too good, to the point that it seemed a bit excessive. But if it's this kind of relationship, then it makes sense.

Xu Qinke looked at him and said, "You and Teacher Fu, aren't you?"

Shen Xingsui choked up. If this question had been asked yesterday, he could have immediately shaken his head, but today, he just couldn't shake his head no matter what.

Feeling guilty.

But I was also secretly pleased.

He had never talked about his lover with anyone before, nor had he ever had the right to do so, but this feeling of friends getting together to talk about their partners was both novel and...something he wanted to say.

Shen Xingsui, being cautious, said, "Why would you ask that? He gets along well with other people too."

"It's a feeling," Xu Qinke replied. "I like Feng Fan, so the way I look at him is different. Teacher Fu likes you, so the way he looks at you and the things he does for you are also different. Many things can be hidden, but the things that unconsciously show when you like someone are the only things that even the best actor can't hide."

Shen Xingsui was taken aback; he hadn't expected this answer.

At the same time, his originally calm heart began to beat faster. When he thought of Fu Jinxiao, his eyes flickered slightly, and the corners of his lips unconsciously curved into a smile.

Xu Qinke could tell from his appearance that Fu Jinxiao's feelings were not unrequited: "I didn't mean to offend you when I said this."

"I was just a little curious because I had heard people say that Professor Fu once publicly stated that if he had a girlfriend, he would not hide it but would make it public." Xu Qinke said, "I saw that you two haven't made it public, so I guessed that you might have just started dating. So out of curiosity, I asked you a question. If I offended you, I apologize."

Shen Xingsui pursed her lips and said softly, "It's nothing."

Xu Qinke continued, "Actually, I think your choice is correct, just as we didn't make it public."

Shen Xingsui looked at him and listened quietly to him speak.

Xu Qinke walked to the potato digging area, picked up his tools, and started working. He said, "You know, in this society, although the policy has allowed it, most people still can't accept it. Many popular celebrities have seen their careers plummet because they announced their relationships, and how many people have been criticized and fallen from grace because of relationship issues?"

“Professor Fu, you’re still at the peak of your career.” Xu Qinke smiled and said, “I think keeping it private is the best choice you could have made.”

His words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Shen Xingsui from head to toe.

The elation he felt last night when they confirmed their relationship was instantly dampened by the harsh reality. After thinking it over carefully, he was even somewhat grateful to Xu Qin for reminding him of this.

Based on his current reputation and abilities.

Will the public accept that Teacher Fu's lover is him?

What should I do if I delay or affect my idol?

“We…” Shen Xingsui’s gaze darkened slightly before he finally spoke, “We really don’t plan to go public.”

Xu Qinke paused in his hoeing motion: "Is this Teacher Fu's intention?"

Shen Xingsui pursed her lips and remained silent.

Xu Qinke was an exceptionally intelligent man. His words today were merely a test of the couple's feelings, as he himself wanted to go public, but he was too afraid—he was a coward. So, if the other couple were bolder, it would be like giving him peace of mind. However, as things stand...

The other couple didn't fare so well either.

...

Afternoon

All the guests gathered the ingredients and started cooking. After a long time of work, they prepared a table full of dishes and invited the Fei people to taste them. In the end, the dishes made by Fu Jinxiao and Teacher Tuya won the vote.

The production team is finally going to use their ultimate prize: "Congratulations to the two of you for winning the title of Ambassadors for the Promotion of Ethnic Culture!"

"..."

Fu Jinxiao and Teacher Tuya were silent for a moment, then clapped.

Actually, it's a pretty good endorsement. After all, promoting national culture is a good thing, and it's also very beneficial for the artist to establish a good public image. After recording the last episode in the afternoon, the second season of Starry Night came to an end once again.

The guests are heading back.

Shen Xingsui and Shen Xingchen both booked evening flights, but Shen Xingchen had another shoot to do, so he couldn't go home first. He had to go to City B to shoot a magazine cover before he could go back. So Shen Xingsui took the plane home alone.

As he was packing his luggage, he ran into Fu Jinxiao's assistant, who, upon seeing Fu Jinxiao behind him, asked, "Are you also taking the evening flight?"

Fu Jinxiao opened her mouth and said, "Shen Xingchen isn't in the same class as you, is she?"

“Yes,” Shen Xingsui said, “He has a notice.”

Fu Jinxiao said to her assistant, "Change my flight so I can go with him."

The assistant didn't hide anything from them. The assistant was still a young girl. She glanced at Shen Xingsui with a gossipy look in her eyes, then ran away with a mysterious smile.

Shen Xingsui guessed that she already knew.

Of course, he was very happy to be able to fly home with his idol, so he didn't refuse.

He only found out he was in first class when he boarded the flight late, and the two seats were very close together. Before the plane took off, Shen Xingsui leaned back in his chair, took out his phone and started playing. He opened his Weibo side account and browsed the super topic as usual. Unexpectedly, in the past few days, the topic surrounding him and Fu Jinxiao was very popular, with some shipping them as a couple and others holding different opinions.

On Shen Xingsui's Weibo supertopic, I saw many comments:

"I heard that Shen Xingsui and Brother Fu work for the same company."

"Did you sign some kind of bundled marketing contract?"

"I don't like him."

"He's a newcomer who's been in the industry for less than a year, and he's always trying to curry favor with his seniors. He's just trying to take shortcuts."

Shen Xingsui had considered that he might not be liked, but seeing these comments still gave him an unavoidable jolt, especially when he opened his fan group. Coincidentally, the group was also discussing this:

Is what happened between them true?

"How could that be?"

"Is Shen Xingsui a good match for Teacher Fu? What are his merits?"

"Compared to that celebrity who pursued Brother Fu before, he's just average-looking."

"That's right, that's right..."

Some comments were even more serious:

I am homophobic.

"If Teacher Fu likes him, I will stop being a fan."

"Can't you just be normal?"

Shen Xingsui turned off his phone after scrolling for a while, not daring to look anymore. He had suspected that people would not approve of his relationship with Fu Jinxiao once it was made public, but he did not expect the online reaction to be so intense. He had been leaning back in his seat for several hours on the plane and had not moved much. He was also absent-minded when he got off the plane.

It's unclear who leaked the itinerary, but there were a huge number of fans waiting at the airport. Looking out from the exit, you could see many fans holding up light boards for Fu Jinxiao.

Fu Jinxiao, holding Shen Xingsui's luggage, said, "Let's go, the car that's here to pick you up is outside, I'll take you back."

He has always been very open and honest, and he doesn't even shy away from his fans.

Shen Xingsui paused, then said, "I'll take another passage."

Fu Jinxiao frowned slightly.

"It's not good for the fans to see this..." Shen Xingsui said softly, "You go first, I'll go later."

Fu Jinxiao remained silent for a moment. His silence was frightening. When he wasn't smiling, he was very serious, which gave people a sense of oppression that made it hard to breathe and made them very nervous.

Just as Shen Xingsui was feeling uneasy, Fu Jinxiao said, "Let's go, let's use the private entrance."

Shen Xingsui asked in surprise, "Aren't we going that way?"

Fu Jinxiao said calmly, "We won't separate; we'll go together."

No matter what, he will always stand firmly by Shen Xingsui's side and will not let him walk alone.

Shen Xingsui's originally gloomy mood gradually relaxed for some reason. The two of them walked outside together, got into the nanny van, and now there was no one else but the driver.

Fu Jinxiao asked, "Are you tired?"

Shen Xingsui nodded slowly. He was a little reluctant to part with Fu Jinxiao, so he sat down next to him and leaned against him. His hand unconsciously gripped and played with Fu Jinxiao's clothes. He was also thinking about some things that he couldn't shake off.

Fu Jinxiao glanced at him. Under the warm yellow light inside the car, the young man's face was fair. He leaned against her with some reluctance, but his face was down, and he looked preoccupied. It had started this afternoon. Fu Jinxiao was an extremely intelligent person. Almost as soon as Xu Qinke returned, she could tell what they had talked about just by looking at their eyes.

He just didn't expect Shen Xingsui to be so good at keeping things to herself, preferring to keep them to herself rather than tell him.

Fu Jinxiao opened her lips: "What are you thinking about?"

Shen Xingsui's hand froze. He pursed his lips, feeling a little overwhelmed. He wondered how he should tell Fu Jinxiao that they should keep their relationship a secret and not go public. He wondered how he should express his complex emotions.

"I..." Shen Xingsui hesitated before speaking, "I'm thinking, given our current relationship, should we..."

Fu Jinxiao's eyes slowly darkened, and he curled his lips into a smile: "Yes, I've thought about that too."

Shen Xingsui was taken aback and looked up at him.

Fu Jinxiao sat beside him. The man's tall figure gave people a sense of security. His handsome face had a faint smile on it, and his voice was deep and powerful: "Let's go public."