Fu Jinxiao noticed that her friend's gaze was a little strange, raised an eyebrow, and smiled, saying, "What's wrong?"
Shen Minglang pushed up his glasses: "Who do you like?"
He wanted to see who was so capable as to be able to control Fu Jinxiao. Among those socialites and heiresses, including the popular young actresses in the entertainment industry, which one hadn't shown interest in Fu Jinxiao? Not to mention those people, since their student days, this person had been a prominent figure in school. He was excellent in academics, good-looking, and from a good family. He was outstanding in every aspect. It's no exaggeration to say that if you threw a brick on the street, eight out of ten girls in the school would have a crush on Fu Jinxiao.
This is the very person who is sitting here, on the second day of the Lunar New Year, and said to him:
"I think I have someone I like."
"You know, people always lack confidence in front of someone they like."
If he lacks confidence, then who should be?
Fu Jinxiao, who was beside her, toyed with the wine glass in her hand and said in a low voice, "It's a boy."
Shen Minglang said, "Now that marriage is legal for men, it is still not fully accepted by the public. If you are a man, especially given your social status and position, it may be difficult to handle."
Fu Jinxiao nodded: "I've considered that too."
"And then?" Shen Minglang urged him, "Be more specific."
Fu Jinxiao leaned back lazily on the sofa, a smile playing on her lips, and said slowly, "He's a very cute boy, but he has a bad personality. Although he's not very smart sometimes, his silly appearance is also quite endearing."
Shen Minglang hesitated for a moment: "There's no need to be so specific."
Fu Jinxiao raised an eyebrow: "You're the one who asked me to be more specific."
"..."
Shen Minglang felt that the fact that they hadn't broken off their friendship after all these years was probably a blessing from heaven.
Fu Jinxiao could see her friend's impatience, and finally sighed: "Yesterday we confessed our feelings to each other."
Shen Minglang sipped his red wine and said coolly, "So you got dumped."
?
A question mark appeared above Fu Yingdi's head.
“No…” Fu Jinxiao chuckled, glancing sideways at his friend: “How can you be so sure it was me who got dumped?”
Shen Minglang leaned back on the sofa and turned on the TV in the private room. It happened to be showing the Spring Festival Gala, so he said while watching the program, "If you were the one who dumped him, you've rejected so many people over the years, and I've never seen you lose sleep over anyone."
Fu Jinxiao asked curiously, "How did you know I couldn't sleep all night?"
Shen Minglang gave him a look: "The banquet ended around midnight yesterday. Can a normal person make a phone call at four or five in the morning? And now you have such dark circles under your eyes. Do you look like a resentful woman from the inner palace?"
"..."
Has anyone ever told you that you have a sharp tongue?
Fu Jinxiao let out a long sigh.
He used to be a powerful figure in the outside world, but now he can only lie on the sofa, troubled by his love life.
Shen Minglang finally decided to get straight to the point: "So now you like him, but he doesn't like you?"
Fu Jinxiao: "No, he likes me too."
Shen Minglang gave him a look that seemed to say, "Are you out of your mind?": "Then what are you hesitating about?"
Fu Jinxiao choked up, unable to answer the question for a moment. He had too many things to hesitate about, so he didn't know where to begin.
When he first met Shen Xingsui, he simply thought the child was very interesting.
Despite appearing so insecure and weak, she always seems to appear in unexpected places and do things that surprise everyone.
Many people like him, and they all want something from him, more or less—money, fame, wealth. But when Shen Xingsui looks at him, his eyes are so clear and without desire.
He was a very strange boy, but it was precisely this strangeness that attracted all of his attention.
At first, I was kind to him because I felt sorry for the child, and since he was also my fan, I couldn't help but take extra care of him.
Later, she treated him well because she genuinely regarded him as her student and a junior she liked. So she couldn't help but want to mentor him and paid him more attention. When she realized that he was even more of a fan of hers than she had imagined, Fu Jinxiao was initially happy, but later she couldn't help feeling somewhat displeased.
Because he couldn't be sure whether Shen Xingsui's feelings for him were romantic love.
Or is it simply because they encountered light during dark times, and therefore merely follow that light, admiring an idol rather than the person themselves?
If later you realize that you are just an ordinary person, will you still like it?
Fu Jinxiao clicked his tongue and said to Shen Minglang beside him, "You wouldn't understand."
"What's so hard to understand?" Shen Minglang looked at him with disdain and said bluntly, "If you like him, then go after him and keep him by your side."
Fu Jinxiao raised an eyebrow: "People change. No one can be sure that their feelings will never change."
Just like his father.
He later heard that his father and mother had once been a loving couple. However, as the company's business grew and became more international, his father became increasingly busy and was often not seen. Could it be said that he did not love his mother? Of course he did, but he stopped loving her later. He often wondered if he could have spent more time with his mother when she was pregnant, would she have avoided a difficult childbirth?
or……
If he hadn't insisted on flying to the United States when his wife's due date was approaching, would Wen Rong have survived that day?
Marriage is not just about love; it also requires responsibility.
However, the year after his mother's death, his father got engaged to another woman, brought her to him, and made him call her "Mom," saying that she would be the mistress of the house from now on.
Lina seems to be right.
The father didn't seem to be wrong either.
That's right, everyone says they did nothing wrong, that fate is cruel, and that life is bound to have regrets.
Fu Jinxiao often wondered who was really at fault. Was it his mother, or himself who had caused her death, or this failed marriage? If it were him, could he bear the responsibility of marriage and bring happiness to his lover?
He had no desire for marriage and did not expect love.
He was an egoist; he always believed that taking care of himself was enough.
But when facing Shen Xingsui, this idea seems to crumble little by little. He wants to take care of him, he wants to care about him, he worries that he will be bullied, and he wants to give him a better life.
So he hesitated on the rooftop.
On one hand, his rational mind told him that no love or marriage lasts forever, but on the other hand, he was overjoyed and couldn't suppress his happiness. All those feelings were directed at Shen Xingsui.
Shen Minglang said from the side, "Instead of hesitating, why don't you change your approach?"
Fu Jinxiao looked up: "What?"
“Then imagine what it would feel like to lose him.” Shen Minglang looked at him with his wine glass in hand and said, “If one day he is with someone else, can you bear it? If one day he marries someone else, can you bear it? If one day he doesn’t like you anymore, you are no longer in his eyes, and he completely belongs to someone else, can you bear all of that?”
Fu Jinxiao was taken aback.
Shen Minglang smiled and said, "Then you can give up."
Fu Jinxiao fell into deep thought. His expression grew increasingly grim, and finally, his gaze darkened. His usual feigned smile vanished, leaving only the undisguised danger and domineering look in his eyes: "I can't accept it."
Shen Minglang nodded: "That settles it then."
Fu Jinxiao was absolutely furious at the thought of that scene. Compared to the slight hesitation, the rage he felt when he imagined that possibility was even more intense.
Seeing that he finally understood, Shen Minglang finally asked the key question: "So, who exactly is the person you like?"
Fu Jinxiao raised an eyebrow.
Shen Minglang's bad premonition grew stronger: "I know him."
Fu Jinxiao smiled and said, "We might be quite familiar with each other."
Shen Minglang had already put the wine glass back on the table, pushed up his glasses and said, "As long as it's not my brother, everything is negotiable."
"Yeah?"
Fu Jinxiao drawled out the last syllable, his smile deepening as he slowly said, "Well, this matter might be a bit difficult to discuss."
"..."
Day 2
Almost simultaneously, Shen Xingchen and others received a notification from the "Starlight" program team that the program team was preparing for the recording of the second episode and asked everyone to arrive at the location booked on their plane tickets on time.
Shen Xingchen wailed, "The second episode is here!"
Shen Xingsui was already mentally prepared: "It's been almost a month or two since then, so it's time to start filming the second episode."
What I didn't expect was that it would be in such a rush.
Shen Xingchen rolled around on the bed and said, "I don't want to record this show. This show is abusing the guests!"
Shen Xingsui smiled helplessly and said, "There's nothing we can do about it. Fortunately, it'll only be a few days. Just hang in there. Your audience and fans definitely want to see you."
Shen Xingchen rolled around on the ground: "Have I gained weight since I haven't been on camera for so many days?"
Shen Xingsui: "..."
"What should I do? What should I do?" Shen Xingchen's idol image suddenly kicked in: "Will I not be able to appear on camera?"
Shen Xingsui comforted him, "It's okay, what the audience likes is your talent."
Shen Xingchen froze, turning to look at Shen Xingsui. This glance made Shen Xingsui suddenly feel nervous, thinking that he was angry and that she had been talking nonsense.
Unexpectedly…
Shen Xingchen clapped his hands: "That's right, I make a living with my talent, what am I afraid of!"
Shen Xingsui: "..."
It's so good to be carefree.
The two quickly packed their luggage, boarded the plane tickets booked by the production team, and after an overnight flight, finally arrived at their destination early the next morning.
As soon as I got off the plane, the sun was blazing.
The photographers were already waiting, and they started taking pictures as soon as the plane landed.
Meanwhile, the "Starlight" live stream started again. Unlike the first time, which had low viewership, the second episode attracted a large audience right from the start. When the guests appeared, the live stream became lively.
"Sui Sui, Mommy misses you so much."
"Has Xingchen gained weight?"
"Hahaha, watch out, he might jump up and hit you."
"Finally, I can see the babies again."
"Great! We can watch An Ran and the others fight again. Finally, we have some juicy gossip to eat, sisters."
Now the whole internet knows about the messy affairs between the Shen and Jian families. Although it's all old news and the bickering between a few young people is pointless, the key is that the gossip about wealthy families and the infighting among their young masters is really interesting!
When these people aren't fighting, the entertainment industry is peaceful, and the gossip-loving public is as lonely as snow.
The show has finally started airing, and people who were idle at home during the Spring Festival are all active in the live broadcast room, becoming the number one melon farmer.
After getting out of the car, Shen Xingchen exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, what a winding mountain range!"
“That’s a village,” Shen Xingsui said, pointing to a spot not far away. “The buildings there look so old.”
Wooden houses with blue bricks and tiles, two-story buildings, are nestled among the mountains, shrouded in mist, giving the place an ethereal feel, like a paradise on earth.
A voice came from behind: "Before we came, I guessed we were going to film in the Miao ethnic area. I didn't expect it to actually be true!"
A surprised voice came from behind.
Shen Xingsui and Shen Xingchen turned around and saw Teacher Tuya and Teacher Li coming together. They seemed to be captivated by the beautiful scenery before them, and both showed longing expressions.
Other guests arrived later.
When An Ran came over, she was carrying some small cakes and other items, which she enthusiastically distributed to everyone: "These are homemade. Are you all hungry after a long day on the plane? You can eat them together."
When the food was given to Shen Xingsui, he said, "Thank you, I brought my own food."
An Ran asked, "What did you bring?"
“It’s just a regular rice ball.” Shen Xingsui took it out of her backpack. “You can eat it if you’re hungry.”
Everyone was initially sharing An Ran's cake, thinking he was really thoughtful and warm-hearted, but then they saw Shen Xing Sui's rice ball and their attention was drawn to him as well:
"This rice ball is considered ordinary?"
"So cute! They even have animal shapes."
"Haha, it looks so delicious!"
Shen Xingsui smiled shyly: "My mother made all of this. If everyone likes it, she will definitely be very happy to see it."
As they were talking, more people came from not far away. There were several more cameramen following them than others. In particular, there were some small cheers from people waiting to pick them up. The voices of staff members greeting them could be faintly heard. With such a high status and entourage, it was almost impossible to guess who was coming.
Fu Jinxiao was glancing sideways and whispering something to the staff member beside her.
The man was wearing a black trench coat over a light-colored wool sweater. He was tall and slender, and wore dark sunglasses. In the slightly chilly winter wind, he looked somewhat aloof.
The other guests, being more sensible, had already started to greet everyone first.
"Teacher Fu."
"Happy New Year, Master."
"Teacher Fu..."
Fu Jinxiao nodded in agreement, and An Ran, who was standing next to him, was also quite proactive. He held up some pastries and stepped forward, saying, "Teacher Fu, are you hungry after getting off the plane? These are pastries I made myself. Would you like to try some?"
Fu Jinxiao glanced at it indifferently and said, "I've already eaten."
An Ran felt somewhat embarrassed, but dared not say anything, and could only nod awkwardly.
However, after Fu Jinxiao finished speaking, he turned his gaze to Shen Xingsui, who was not far away. He took a step forward, stepped over a row of people, and walked up to Shen Xingsui. His tall figure naturally brought a lot of pressure. Shen Xingsui was still holding the box in his hands, and was stunned.
Fu Jinxiao took off his sunglasses to look at him. His handsome eyebrows and eyes seemed to still carry a hint of fatigue. He said, "I received an urgent notice and went to City B a couple of days ago. I didn't remember to come and see you."
Shen Xingsui was taken aback.
He knew that he didn't need to tell her such private matters, but... Fu Jinxiao's words made him inexplicably happy.
Shen Xingsui replied, "Oh, um... Take care of yourself, don't overwork yourself."
Fu Jinxiao had been working through the night to help a friend with a rehearsal for a gala. The intense work made him look tired, and he had been catching up on sleep on the way here. He had just woken up and asked, "Did you bring these rice balls?"
Shen Xingsui nodded.
Fu Jinxiao opened her lips: "I want to try it."
Shen Xingsui was worried about him, and upon hearing this, she quickly said, "I'll get you gloves. There's still half a box left. Is that enough? I have other things in my bag."
Fu Jinxiao said, "That's enough. Don't make a fuss, just try two."
An Ran, who was behind them, came over at this moment. Holding her pastries, she took advantage of the live broadcast camera and complained, "Teacher Fu, didn't you just say you had eaten?"
Fu Jinxiao glanced sideways, raised an eyebrow, and smiled, "I never said I was full."
"..."
An Ran could only lose to the old fox's meticulous logic.
The production team, seeing that everyone had arrived, finally began their introduction: "Hello everyone, welcome to the new season of 'Starlight'! It's a pleasure to meet you all here. Today, we're going to visit the beautiful and mysterious Miao ethnic minority. Over the next five days and four nights, we'll delve into the Miao culture, explore their customs and traditions, and become friends with nature!"
Everyone applauded.
The director smiled and said, "Everyone worked hard last time. Just treat this episode as a trip, relax, and enjoy life."
Nobody believed his nonsense.
If the production team had good intentions, pigs would fly.
Sure enough, when the group walked through the path and finally arrived at the mountain stronghold, they were presented with two tables of dishes. The dishes were all partially covered by tablecloths, and they emitted a sour smell from a distance.
The director said, "As we all know, the Miao people have always enjoyed sour foods. Today, as we enter the Miao village, we must first pass the test of the Miao people. On the table in front of you are the special delicacies of Miao culture. There are three dishes on the table: sour soup fish, pickled cabbage beef, and sour and spicy chicken."
That sounds pretty acidic.
Even before you get close to the table, you can smell a tangy yet fragrant aroma. For those who can handle sour flavors, it's heaven; for those who can't, it's hell.
The director, seeing that most of the guests had put on their pain masks, smiled and said, "The guests will sit alone and take turns to taste the food. Others can only see the top half and won't know what they are eating. We will randomly give each group of guests not pickled cabbage, but dessert. The winner is the one who gets to eat the dessert by voting at the end. If everyone votes wrong, the group that gets the wrong vote and the dessert winner will win."
In other words, this is a test of acting skills.
Ultimately, only two Oscar-winning actors will emerge victorious, but unfortunately, most of the participants here are hot-blooded young people.
The director then gave a final, climactic announcement: "The winning guest will have the right to nominate one of the losing guests and make a request, which the losing guest cannot refuse."
The crowd cheered.
[Start Game]
The first person to take the challenge was Shen Xingchen. The young master walked behind the curtain with an air of superiority, sat down, and then glanced at the dishes in front of him. His smug expression vanished instantly. He then lowered his head to smell the dishes, and his brows furrowed.
Everyone else guessed:
Is it a dish?
I bet it's a bad dish.
"If this weren't a dish but a dessert, this acting deserves an Oscar, okay?"
Sitting in the chair, Shen Xingchen picked up a piece of food and put it in her mouth at the urging of the production team. Because the curtains were blocking the view, the guests could not see what she was eating and could only guess from her expression.
When Shen Xingchen looked up, he was chewing, his expression contorted from the sourness. He said between bites, "Delicious, so sweet, this dessert is really delicious."
Other guests: "..."
The viewers in the live stream were laughing so hard they were doubled over:
"Hahaha!"
"It's fucking delicious!"
"Child, if it really doesn't work out, let's just give up."
After tasting all three dishes, Shen Xingchen was almost numb. When she came down, she asked a staff member for a bottle of water and chugdled it down like crazy.
Soon it was the turn of the second guest.
When Teacher Tuya sat down, her brows furrowed. She picked up some food and put it in her mouth, her expression contorting for a moment before she quickly recovered and smiled, "Mmm, it's delicious! You can try it later, it's really good!"
The other guests fell silent again.
Next it was Fu Jinxiao's turn, and all eyes were on him.
Then, Fu Yingdi saw the dish in front of him, raised his eyebrows slightly in surprise, picked up the spoon and took a bite. His expression remained indifferent throughout, and he would nod occasionally while eating. Although he was sitting behind the cloth shirt, the man was as calm and composed as if he were sitting in a Michelin-starred restaurant enjoying a delicious meal.
Others were suddenly puzzled after seeing this:
Is this dessert?
"This looks like a dessert."
"But he's an award-winning actor."
"Don't let him fool you, will you?"
Shen Xingchen, standing next to her, said, "You guys really have to say that people who say this haven't actually tried it. It's so sour, unbearably sour. I've eaten Miao cuisine before, and it wasn't that sour. The production team did it on purpose to make it more difficult. The sourness is like putting a bowl of vinegar in a bowl with a few pieces of vegetables."
The others were initially skeptical, but after taking turns going up, they were so sour they almost couldn't hold it in.
Shen Xingsui originally wanted to keep a straight face, but he couldn't eat sour food, so when he ate it, his face immediately crumpled up, and he was eliminated on the spot.
Finally, the production team initiated a voting process.
No one believed that Fu Jinxiao, no matter how good her acting was, could hold back such sourness, so everyone voted for Fu Jinxiao. Only Teacher Li sighed, "You are all too young."
After the production team received the voting results, they smiled knowingly and said, "Now, let's announce the name of the person who won the dessert. He is—Teacher Tuya!"
Everyone was dumbfounded.
So does that mean Fu Jinxiao also ate pickled cabbage?!
Everyone looked at her as if she were a monster, but Fu Jinxiao gave an innocent smile: "Actually, pickled cabbage is quite delicious."
Teacher Tuya next to him laughed and said, "You all underestimate your Teacher Fu. Back then, in order to film a movie, he would eat rotten cabbage and still make it look delicious. He has eaten even more unpalatable things. What are these few bowls of food?"
Everyone was filled with awe and respect.
The director began by saying, "Alright, now let our two winners exercise their right to win. You can make a request or challenge to any of your losing teammates."
Tuya got her first chance.
She thought for a moment, then smiled and said to Teacher Li, "The spicy chicken you brought me last time was really good. Could you bring me some more to try next time?"
Teacher Li was both amused and exasperated: "Okay."
This was easily resolved.
Next up was Fu Jinxiao's turn. The production team reminded him, "Brother Fu can also choose a contestant and make a request."
Fu Jinxiao received the card, played with it in his hand for a while, and then his gaze fell on Shen Xingsui not far away. His dark eyes held some emotions that Shen Xingsui could not understand, which made people a little nervous.
Fu Jinxiao smiled at Shen Xingsui: "I have a favor to ask of Teacher Shen."
Shen Xingsui felt inexplicably nervous. With so many people watching and a live broadcast being recorded, he thought that even if Fu Jinxiao was always willful, she wouldn't do anything reckless. He could only force himself to remain calm and ask, "What?"
Fu Jinxiao seemed to ignore the cameras, the other guests, and the production team. He stood there openly, looking at Shen Xingsui. The afternoon sun shone on him as he looked at him with a generous air. His deep eyes seemed to be smiling as he asked, "Can you be with me?"
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