Forced to expose shortcomings
Elio wasn't really interested in playing, so he simply tossed aside the controller and moved closer to Xia Xingye, asking enthusiastically, "Little Xia, what's Xuefei like in your group? I'm so curious!"
Xia Xingye smirked, feeling absolutely no liking for Elio. He had already heard Ding Xuefei complain about Elio's character, but he couldn't express it due to the recording of the show.
"Haha, my Fei-ge in the group is such a nice guy! He takes good care of us and is really fun, you wouldn't believe it!"
Elio's eyes and mouth widened in exaggerated shock. He said, "Really? I thought Xuefei was aloof in front of you guys! I heard from Lu that he was the group bully!"
“Lu Huai just said it casually, and he even called others the group bully, but he himself is the real bully!” Xia Xingye saw through Elio’s thoughts and explained for Ding Xuefei, “Brother Fei is just a little shy. People who don’t know him well will think he is very aloof.”
Elio's attempt to be mischievous backfired, leaving her feeling awkward.
“It’s true that he’s shy around strangers,” Bai Mu chimed in while playing the game. “He’s like a completely different person when he’s familiar with someone and when he’s not.”
“Right!” Xia Xingye felt like she had found a kindred spirit and started telling everyone, “Actually, he’s quite cute once you get to know him, and sometimes he can be a bit silly.”
"Ahem." Ding Xuefei was called to the kitchen by Stella. They had just baked a batch of cupcakes and asked him to try them. As soon as he came out, he heard Xia Xingye talking badly about him, so he quickly gave the kid a warning.
Xia Xingye tensed up reflexively. He was very obedient to his captain and responded to the kitchen several times. He had just turned his head to play for a while when he heard a calm voice beside him: "Explain in detail."
It was Yu Songlin! Xia Xingye hadn't expected that this guy would also play games, and that he would be interested in his Fei-ge? Hmm?
Xia Xingye quickly glanced at Yu Songlin, who was still laying the wooden planks methodically, seemingly without saying a word. Xia Xingye relaxed her guard again, thinking that it was probably just a matter of time before the show started, which made perfect sense!
Just when he was worried about not having a place to talk about his observations, this opportunity came: "Speaking of our Fei-ge, we can't help but mention his awkward personality. Actually, he really likes to eat sweets, but he never says it. At first, I thought it was because he was trying to control his figure, but when I asked him later, I found out that it was because he thought that liking to eat sweets made him seem childish."
Stella happened to be passing by and brought everyone the cupcakes: "No wonder it took him ages to come over and have a bite, and then he couldn't stop eating them."
Yu Songlin chuckled, picked up a cupcake, took a bite, and found it very sweet—definitely the flavor Ding Xuefei liked.
He knew that Ding Xuefei loved sweets, but she wouldn't deliberately hide it from him. He couldn't help but smile, his heart softening as he thought about how Ding Xuefei pretended not to care when she clearly liked something, and how her teammates would force it on him after finding out.
"Anything else?"
Xia Xingye got carried away and couldn't wait to say, "And another thing, don't let his aloofness fool you, he still sleeps with a plush toy. The little whale on his bed right now is the birthday present I gave him last year!"
Bai Mu suddenly realized: "Oh right, I saw it in their room last time, there was one!"
Yu Songlin remained silent, but pressed the buttons with even greater force.
He didn't know this, because Ding Xuefei used to sleep without needing to hug any toys; hugging him was enough.
I'm a little jealous of the whale plush toy, especially since it was a gift from someone else; it makes me even more annoyed.
Yu Songlin stopped playing games altogether. The little figure jumped off the cliff at will. He turned to look at Xia Xingye with expectant eyes, as if to say, "Is there anything else? Tell me more."
Encouraged, Xia Xingye put in even more effort: "I'll let you in on a secret, Fei-ge will definitely not let me off the hook if he finds out! ... Don't let his respectable appearance fool you, back in the dorm, after showering he liked to wrap himself in a blanket and roll around on the carpet, saying he was a delicious sushi roll! Today it's salmon, tomorrow it's tuna..."
"Xia Xingye! Shut up!" Ding Xuefei poked her head out from the kitchen, veins throbbing on her forehead.
That's all dark history from several years ago!
Shang Rou and Bai Mu on the sofa were both laughing, and Elio was laughing so hard he was leaning to one side.
"Hahaha, Xuefei, I never knew you had this kind of hobby!" Elio laughed hysterically. "So childish!"
Ding Xuefei was too lazy to argue with him.
"Sushi rolls? They're so cute." Yu Songlin smiled at Ding Xuefei.
These trivial yet vivid little habits are another side of Ding Xuefei that he had never been a part of, lively and lovely, which is only seen by others, making him happy, yet with a little regret.
After laughing, Shang Rou sighed, "It seems you teammates really have a great relationship."
"It's all built up little by little!" Xia Xingye scratched his head sheepishly. "Speaking of which, when we first met, I thought Fei-ge was pretty aloof, just like you guys!"
“He was much colder back then than he is now. He would keep his head down and do his own thing all day long, with a cold face as if the whole world owed him money. When I first joined the company, I didn’t dare to speak when I trained with him. He would just dance his own routine and leave as soon as it was over.”
Bai Mu sensed something was wrong: "Huh? Did something happen to him?"
"Maybe," Xia Xingye nodded. "It was around that time. I asked Lu Huai, and he said that Fei Ge was acting very strangely back then, but he gradually returned to normal."
Xia Xingye offered his guess: "I strongly suspect that he was dumped back then."
Bullet comments:
"Ding Xuefei, so this is the real you, Ding Xuefei. My dream girl is heartbroken."
"She seems aloof, but she's actually quite adorable in private! So cute!"
"Baby, you're a delicious sushi roll~"
"Breaking up before debuting, that's really admirable."
"Xia Du said it was just a guess. Maybe he's encountered some other trouble. Don't spread rumors."
Yu Songlin seemed to be deep in thought. Calculating the time, he realized that Xia Xingye had just arrived before his debut, and he and Ding Xuefei had already broken up for about half a year.
Has he been heartbroken for so long?
He suddenly remembered that around the same time, he had received a call from Ding Xuefei. She called in the middle of the night without saying a word, and when he called back, she had blocked him.
What was Ding Xuefei trying to say at that time?
Yu Songlin's smile suddenly froze, as if he had been struck by something.
His eyes, which had been smiling, widened slightly, then his eyelashes lowered, concealing the complex emotions churning within. His fingers unconsciously rubbed the game controller in his hand, his knuckles turning slightly white, and he fell into a long silence.
The laughter around him seemed to be separated from him by a barrier, and the truth that Xia Xingye had unintentionally revealed weighed heavily on his heart.
Ding Xuefei brought the freshly made drinks into the living room. The sweets put him in a good mood, and he said in a rising tone, "Fresh strawberry mint sparkling water is here~"
"Thank you, Xuefei!" Shang Rou smiled and winked at him meaningfully, while Elio, standing to the side, watched him and chuckled.
There was a soft chuckle around her. Before Ding Xuefei could figure out what was going on, she suddenly met Yu Songlin's gaze.
Ding Xuefei paused, puzzled. Everyone else was all smiles, but why was Yu Songlin on the verge of tears? What had Xia Xingye said?
Was it to bully Yu Songlin and entertain everyone?
No, I can't think of any area where Xia Xingye could bully Yu Songlin.
Before Ding Xuefei could react, Yu Songlin had already recovered. He calmly got up, took the sparkling water, and distributed it to everyone, as if afraid of tiring Ding Xuefei out.
After much deliberation, Ding Xuefei had no answer and could only stare at Xia Xingye. She was still unsure, but the boy's evasive gaze told her that nothing good was coming.
Xia Xingye followed Ding Xuefei to the side and said timidly that he hadn't said anything, he was just trying to help him clarify the rumors about being "aloof"!
Ding Xuefei knew that Xia Xingye wouldn't lie to him, and guessed that it wasn't anything serious, so he didn't blame Xia Xingye.
However, Yu Songlin is cunning and treacherous, and Xia Xingye is definitely no match for him.
Ding Xuefei: "I'm warning you, don't talk to Yu Songlin too much."
"Why, Fei-ge?" Xia Xingye was a curious child. "I think he's a pretty nice guy."
Ding Xuefei rolled her eyes inwardly. That's why I told you to talk to him less. It's not a big deal if you sell yourself out, but I'm afraid you'll sell your brother Fei out too!
Ding Xuefei: "I had a bit of a falling out with him before. You're my friend, you know?"
Since her ex-boyfriend's identity couldn't be exposed, Ding Xuefei switched to a method that Xia Xingye could more easily accept. Anyway, he didn't have many opportunities to interact with Yu Songlin, so he just wanted to get through today quickly.
Upon hearing this, Xia Xingye was indeed filled with righteous indignation, immediately conjuring up a dramatic scene in his mind: "What's wrong? Did he bully you?"
"That's not it..."
Seeing that Xia Xingye was about to press further, but knowing that Ding Xuefei's storytelling ability had reached its limit and that he would only make things worse, he quickly changed the subject:
"Just remember, don't talk to him! Report to me immediately if anything happens!"
"Yes, sir!"
Although Xia Xingye wasn't particularly bright, he listened to Ding Xuefei very much.
Ding Xuefei told him not to talk to Yu Songlin, and he really didn't say a word. When Yu Songlin talked to him, he would pretend to be mute if he could, and if he couldn't, he would just grunt and hum in response.
Let alone Yu Songlin, anyone could see that his attitude towards Yu Songlin had changed.
Did Brother Xuefei say something?
Xia Xingye was startled: "No, what's your relationship with me? You treat me the same way!"
Yu Songlin was shocked. He thought to himself that Ding Xuefei probably wouldn't reveal her ex-boyfriend's secrets. But given Xia Xingye's style, he would let all the guests know today.
"What did he say? Did he have a problem with me? Did he hate me?"
Xia Xingye's eyes darted away, and Yu Songlin knew he had guessed correctly.
The movie star sighed, his eyes showing no sign of desolation, but when he spoke again, even his voice sounded weary and pitiful.
"Is that what he said about me? Ha."
A single, casual remark successfully piqued Xia Xingye's interest.
Yu Songlin: "Actually, we used to be very good friends, but our relationship deteriorated because of a misunderstanding. Now that we're on the same show, I want to make up with him."
Xia Xingye narrowed her eyes, looking at Yu Songlin with a "Do you think I'm that stupid?" look, but didn't see through her: "I don't believe you, how can you prove it?"
"Simple," Yu Songlin said with a slight smile.
"He's afraid of pain, the dark, ghosts, and sudden explosions. He doesn't eat onions, ginger, garlic, carrots, bitter melon, winter melon, or cilantro. Eating too much cold food will give him a stomachache. He has a small mole behind his left ear, as well as on his collarbone and lower back..."
Upon hearing this, Xia Xingye was already 80% convinced. If it were just a past grudge, he wouldn't know so much about Ding Xuefei; there was definitely more to the story...
A mole on his lower back? He didn't know that either... Wait a minute, how did Yu Songlin know?
Xia Xingye: "Then tell me why you two were arguing."
Yu Songlin recounted: "When I met him, he hadn't entered the entertainment industry yet. At the time, I didn't recommend that he do this job, but he insisted on doing it. After he entered the industry, we lost touch."
This might not seem like a big deal to others, but Ding Xuefei is the kind of person who absolutely refuses to be interfered with when it comes to important matters. To put it nicely, she has backbone; to put it bluntly, she's stubborn.
Xia Xingye nodded slightly. He had believed about 80% of what he thought earlier, but now he believed it completely. He looked at the somewhat pitiful Yu Songlin and asked, "So why are you telling me this?"
“I know you’re Xuefei’s good brother and have been by his side all these years,” Yu Songlin said humbly. “I just want to ask him about his true situation all these years, whether he’s doing well. If you’re willing to help me reconcile with him, I would be very grateful. But if you’re not willing, that’s fine too.”
Upon hearing this, Xia Xingye's chivalrous heart was stirred, and he patted his chest and told Yu Songlin that he would take care of any questions he wanted to ask.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com