Spokesperson gossip
System: […Sorry. 】
Shen Xiu: “It’s okay.”
So much time had passed, Shen Xiu felt that he had long been able to talk about it calmly.
The system was afraid that speaking again would touch upon Shen Xiu's sorrow, so it did not dare to say anything else.
After several hours of traveling from bus to coach and then back to bus, Shen Xiu arrived at the small county town where his parents had lived and died. It was already nine o'clock in the evening.
Chen Xiu couldn't say he was familiar with this small county, but he was not unfamiliar with it either.
Although it is called a county town, it is actually not as developed as other county towns. There are just a few high-rise buildings in the middle, and a national middle school and a public high school on both sides of the buildings.
Most of the houses around the high-rise building are self-built by farmers. The shorter ones are three or four stories high, and the taller ones are four or five stories high. Because they are close to the school, some house owners use the first floor to open shops, selling drinks for a few yuan a cup or food such as noodles for a few yuan a bowl. Some turn them into Internet cafes or small hotels.
Even during the summer vacation, in a small county town like this, the streets are not very busy at night. There are lights on the streets, but they are not brightly lit.
Chen Xiu originally wanted to buy some food at the familiar snack bar at the school gate, but when he arrived he found that the snack bar was closed. Chen Xiu then moved to the location with street lights at the back door of the school and ordered something at the small barbecue stall.
While waiting for the barbecue to be cooked, some ghost-fire boys on motorcycles whizzed by.
The barbecue stall owner looked at Shen Xiu while grilling. Although he couldn't see his face clearly, Shen Xiu's temperament made him look like a good student. He guessed, "Is he going home for the university holiday?"
go home?
Hearing these two words, Shen Xiu was stunned for a moment. Being spoken to by a stranger, Shen Xiu was nervous to speak, let alone explain.
He lowered his head and replied in a guilty and vague voice from behind the mask: "...Yeah."
My parents’ ashes are here, so it’s like... half a home, right? Shen Xiu thought so.
After paying the bill, Chen Xiu carried the barbecue and found a small hotel that was built by a farmer to stay in.
Most of the people who can come here are locals. They have their own homes and are not often visited. Although it is a small hotel, not many people stay here. They usually put their changed bed sheets and quilt covers on the roof to dry, which keeps them clean and warm.
After eating, Shen Xiu locked the door, washed up, lay down, and fell asleep quickly.
The next day.
Early in the morning, Chen Xiu took his belongings and left the small hotel. After taking some cash and buying two red envelopes, he took a bus to the funeral home which was a little far from the county town.
When the ashes were cremated, Shen Xiu bought an urn from a local funeral home. The storage fee was very low and it could be stored for three years at a low renewal fee.
Shen Xiu would never hide his parents back to their birthplace. Given Shen Xiu's financial situation at the time, after buying the urn for cremation, he had no ability to pay for a cemetery.
Due to various factors, Chen Xiu had no choice but to store the urn in a funeral home.
Until now, when Shen Xiu participated in the boy group audition and had enough money, the first thing he thought of was to bring his parents' ashes to his city for burial.
When Chen Xiu came to pick up the ashes yesterday, he had already contacted the cemetery while on the road and reserved an expensive plot for two people, which would be ready for burial as soon as he brought the urn back.
Inside the funeral home.
Shen Xiu presented the certificate and successfully took away two urns from the funeral home.
After retrieving the urn, the sun was already high above the head outside without knowing when, and Shen Xiu walked out of the funeral home with numb steps.
There are many people like Shen Xiu in the funeral home who exude the aura of death. From time to time, you can hear the crying and wailing of family members who cannot accept the facts.
Walking outside, Shen Xiu didn't know if it was because he didn't have breakfast or because of something else, he stood in the sun, feeling a little dizzy, and subconsciously stopped and stood still.
Shen Xiu was holding two urns wrapped in black cloth in his hands. People passing by understood what was going on at a glance, and no one bothered him.
The system saw that Chen Xiu stood in the sun for five minutes, as if he was unaware of the sun. Although the morning sun was not considered to be too hot, the summer sun, even in the morning, was not as gentle as the winter sun.
The system had to speak: [Are you okay? 】
The voice of the system came from his head, and Shen Xiu, who was wearing a mask, swallowed his throat: "...Thank you, I'm fine."
As soon as the voice came out, Shen Xiu realized that his voice was obviously choked with sobs.
[Well, let’s go under the shade of the tree over there.] 】
The system suggested that this state of Shen Xiu was rarely seen since it was bound to Shen Xiu.
It also understood what Shen Xiu meant by what he said.
It is not surprising that normal human beings can remain indifferent and stand idly by when it comes to separations and deaths that have nothing to do with themselves, but when it does happen to them, it is difficult to control their emotions.
"Yeah." Shen Xiu responded in a daze, and walked to the shade of the tree on the side of the road with stiff steps.
There were stone benches under the shade of trees on both sides of the road leading to the funeral home, and Shen Xiu sat down holding the urn.
As soon as Shen Xiu sat down, the system heard Shen Xiu suddenly say, "I'm fine."
"Hmm..." Chen Xiu nodded again, staring at the urn in his hand, and muttered to himself without any response: "I really lived a good life."
system:【......】
It's a bit creepy to see Shen Xiu like this.
After sitting there for an unknown amount of time, Shen Xiu came to his senses when his stomach growled with hunger. He knew he couldn't go on like this.
According to his plan, he had to hire a car and return to the city where the university was located to place his parents' urns. After thinking about it, Shen Xiu forced his brain and limbs to function normally.
It was impossible to take public transportation with two urns in hand. Chen Xiu didn't have a driver's license or a car, so the only way was to charter a car.
Chen Xiu took out his mobile phone and opened the group chat he had joined when he was in high school because he needed to travel back and forth between the village and the county town. With stiff fingers, he sent out the words he had organized in his mind, then stared at the group chat interface, waiting for orders.
Many people are very superstitious about death, dead people, and ashes.
But there are also some people who are bold enough. As long as the money added is large enough and a red envelope is given to ward off bad luck, there will be people willing to join.
After Shen Xiu sat in the chair and waited for fifteen minutes, someone chatted with Shen Xiu privately.
Chen Xiu clicked on the private chat, typed to communicate with the car owner, and after they agreed on the price, Chen Xiu told the car owner his location.
After communicating with the car owner, Shen Xiu stared at the ground in silence. When he heard the sound coming from his stomach again, Shen Xiu said woodenly: "System, can you help me check on my parents?"
He must fill his stomach so that he can have strength and think.
【no problem. 】
"Thank you." Shen Xiu thanked him in a low voice, gently put down the urn, and went to the breakfast bun shop not far away.
The system that was watching the urn on the stool below in the submerged surveillance camera was looking at the ashes while observing Shen Xiu's back.
It was not sure if it was its illusion, but it felt that Shen Xiu was a bit like a controlled robot, stiff and numb, completing what he had to do according to the set program flow.
Two minutes later, Shen Xiu returned to his original position with two buns and a cup of soy milk.
After Shen Xiu finished eating, he sat for another fifteen minutes, and a white van stopped not far from Shen Xiu.
After seeing the license plate number clearly, Shen Xiu picked up the urn and walked over.
The driver got out of the car and opened the door. He saw a tall, black-clad teenager whose face could not be clearly seen walking towards him with an urn in his arms. He asked tentatively, "Is this the passenger with the last digit of the license plate number 6849?"
Shen Xiu nodded: "Yeah."
It was normal for him to be silent and gloomy in this situation, and it would be strange for him to chat endlessly. Therefore, the driver did not find Shen Xiu strange and opened the car door: "Get in."
"Thanks."
After thanking him, Shen Xiu got in the car. After sitting down, he kept the urn in his arms as agreed, without it touching the cushion.
When the driver got in the car and fastened his seat belt, Shen Xiu handed over a red envelope: "Thank you."
Afraid that the driver might misunderstand, Shen Xiu quickly added: "The fare will be charged separately."
According to their local customs, red envelopes are usually given out after getting off the bus to ward off bad luck. The driver didn't expect that there would be red envelopes given out after getting on the bus. He took the red envelope and said, "Thank you."
Shen Xiu: “…You’re welcome.”
It was far from the county town to where Chen Xiu went to college, but without taking the bus or changing buses, the time to go back was shorter than the time to come.
It was only five o'clock in the afternoon when Shen Xiu arrived.
For convenience, Shen Xiu asked the driver to drive the car directly to the cemetery.
After getting off the car, Shen Xiu handed another red envelope to the driver and walked towards the cemetery holding the urn.
Chen Xiu wants to buy a grave in the cemetery, which will provide temporary storage for urns and burial services. Under the guidance of the cemetery staff, Chen Xiu stored his parents' ashes and then went to check the cemetery he had previously seen on his mobile phone.
The location of the cemetery and the surrounding environment were no different from what Shen Xiu had seen on his phone. He immediately paid the money, selected a date, agreed on the burial time and process, and returned to the storage point to burn incense for his parents. Only then did Shen Xiu reluctantly leave the cemetery.
night.
Chen Xiu returned to the hotel near the school that he had booked earlier, lay on the bed, turned on the light and stared at the ceiling in a daze.
When he was at the cemetery storage point, he had a lot to say, but the staff was close to him, so he was embarrassed to say it. He could only keep it in his heart and leave with red eyes.
As for the fact that Shen Xiu wore a hat and a mask throughout the whole process, the cemetery staff had worked here for decades and were accustomed to the cold death. As long as the money was paid enough, they would not ask any more questions.
The short-term plan was halfway completed, and Shen Xiu blinked blankly.
It's only nine o'clock in the evening, not time for him to rest. Now that he is awake, he suddenly doesn't know what to do.
I feel empty inside, I have no motivation to do anything, and I don't even want to use my brain.
Finish college seriously, find a way to make a movie... These are the goals he had set a long time ago. They are dreams that have taken root in his heart since his parents were still alive. In his limited life, he will try his best to get closer to them step by step.
Apart from these, what else can he do to occupy his time and stop himself from thinking about random things?
Thinking of what his parents said before they died, Shen Xiu murmured to himself: "Home...Yes, I should have a home."
After talking to himself, Shen Xiu picked up his phone, checked his bank card balance, then checked the house prices in the city, and put down his phone in autism.
Home...whether from a spiritual or material perspective, it is indeed very expensive!
He doesn't deserve it now.
System: [Well, your home is my home, and my home is your home, do you understand what I mean? 】
The system was so good, and wanted to lend him his home. Shen Xiu felt guilty because he had previously suspected that the system would use its abilities to do bad things: "Thank you, but no need."
Every inch of land there is valuable, and he wouldn't dare take it even if the system dared to give it to him.
The system is good, so he must not take advantage of the system, which is more beneficial than anything else in the world.
System: [Where do you live? 】
Shen Xiu looked at the calendar: "School is about to start, and we will live in the dormitory."
For 350 yuan a year, he could own a dormitory with air conditioning for four people, and the water and electricity bills would be a few dozen yuan a month shared by four people. Where could he find such a good place?
System: [...Okay, as long as you are happy. 】
It doesn't dare to say more!
"Uh-huh!"
Chen Xiu had just finished humming in a muffled voice, and someone suddenly thought of something in his mind. At the same time as he uttered a "hmm" with a slightly raised tone, he sat up cross-legged.
His eyes were no longer confused and dead as before, but were shining brightly.
System: [What, what happened? 】
Shen Xiu: "I know what I'm going to do!"
The system was confused: [Ah? 】
Shen Xiu: "To have a home of my own."
In order to get the home he wanted, he had to work harder than before to make money, and the time he spent studying, which was beyond his dreams, was naturally occupied.
I have a new goal to strive for, so happy!
Shen Xiu lay down contentedly, his expression very peaceful.
Now, he felt that his heart was finally not so empty.
system:【......】
To this day, it still doesn't quite understand Shen Xiu's train of thought.
After lying peacefully for a few minutes, Shen Xiu suddenly opened his eyes, picked up his phone from the bedside table, and quickly sat up: "I almost forgot to contact you."
Fortunately I remembered it, it was a close call, he almost broke the appointment!
Chen Xiu opened WeChat and found the group Xiang Yueting had created. He unblocked it, and then went back to check carefully. He saw that the eight people in the group had @ed him at different times, asking him why he didn't speak.
Shen Xiu felt guilty and typed a response.
【Group Chat】
Shen Xiu: Sorry, I have something to do.
Xiang Yueting: Ahhh it appeared @all members
Xia Wenhao: I understand. Are you done with your work?
Chen Xiu: Still halfway there.
Ning Sinian: I'm busy too. It's too painful to go to class (bitter face)
Mu Zhenchu: Woo woo woo, I would rather be in pain. What made a tall and strong man shed tears? It’s all because of my stupid brain back then!
Xiang Yueting: Have you started live streaming? Fans are now asking me in my comments when I will be live streaming. I dare not start it at all, for fear that they will ask me to perform a scene of being chased by a husky (shivering.jpg)
Mu Zhenchu: I would like to let it go, but (hush, no more details) they won’t let me! If I continue to be controlled by them like this, I will be crushed to death sooner or later.
Chen Xiu: I didn’t have time to check Weibo before, I’ll go check it out, good night.
live streaming?
Chen Xiu thought about the interview when he left the training camp and what he promised to his fans. He was afraid that he would forget to switch back to WeChat because he watched it too late, so he said good night to everyone.
The rest of the people were gone, and Xiang Yueting and the others who had been talking also said good night, and the group fell silent.
Shen Xiu stared at the phone screen, and when he saw that no one was talking, he opened his Weibo account.
After posting a few times on Weibo, Shen Xiu probably knows what the fans are thinking and will comment on the latest Weibo post.
Clicking on the top Weibo post, Shen Xiu indeed saw a lot of comments below that he had never seen before.
——When will Xiubao start live streaming? The next day when I can’t see Xiubao, I feel like the days are long and I miss him!
——How can I live without Xiubao (twisted into a giant cockroach, attacking everywhere bravely, roaring randomly, scaring countless people and making everyone as messy as me)
——Help... Please, change into something else!
——Shang Yu was live streaming during the day and said that he didn’t see Xiubao. Where on earth was Xiubao? Even if he was live streaming and chatting with us for five cents, it would still be a shame! I am envious of Shang Yu’s fans. Damn it. We, the fans of Xiuxue, also want to have what other fans have!
After reading Weibo comments and private messages for more than ten minutes, Shen Xiu came to the conclusion: fans wanted to see him and chat with him.
This feeling of being needed and cared for dispelled the anxiety in Shen Xiu's heart.
Before Shen Xiu’s mind had recovered from his joy, he realized that he had already edited the Weibo post and sent it out.
@沉修: Thank you all for your concern. Live broadcast tomorrow night at 8 o'clock.
--What's this? (In disbelief, he takes out a magnifying glass and studies every word) Ah, my Xiubao invited me to watch the live broadcast (Puts away the magnifying glass, pulls out a loudspeaker from behind and confidently announces to the world) Sisters, Xiubao loves us!
——Others say that if you keep thinking about something, there will be a response. In Xiubao, if you keep thinking about something and say it out loud, there will be a response. This Xiujia is very satisfied (peaceful)
——(explodes into fireworks) See you there!
Looking at the comments below, Chen Xiu unknowingly forgot his previous disappointment. He felt that he could do more things again and had more expectations for the future.
After promising everyone, Shen Xiu put away his phone and thought seriously about the live broadcast.
It is impossible to live broadcast in the dormitory as it will expose the privacy of roommates.
Chen Xiu decisively downloaded the rental app: “I have to rent a house outside.”
system:【! 】
[Why look at rental software? Aren’t there ready-made landlords right here! 】
"I'll rent your house..."
System: [It’s not that villa, it’s an empty house in the city center, only a ten-minute walk from Jinghe University. But the house has been vacant for many years and no one has ever lived in it. It only has basic furniture. It’s empty anyway. Don’t you want to thank me? Then let me make some money and help me warm up the house! 】
Shen Xiu thought of the bank card balance and asked cautiously: "How much is the monthly rent?"
The system quoted a price, and Shen Xiu silently opened the downloaded rental software, entered the community location mentioned by the system, and checked the rental price.
I found that the price reported by the system was not less than the average rental price, so I felt relieved.
"Thanks."
It seems that he has to work harder to make money so that he can afford to rent a house in the system.
System: [You’re welcome. No need to transfer money to me. I can do it myself. 】
The next second, Shen Xiu received a text message from the bank, indicating that one month's rent was indeed missing.
Transferring money from Chen Xiu's card to another card of Chen Xiu was like a drop of water into the sea, without any splash. The system was even afraid that it had made a mistake in the order.
The next day.
There was still some time before the burial date agreed upon by Chen Xiu and the cemetery. Chen Xiu left the hotel with his luggage in the morning, went to the cemetery to visit his parents, and then, under the guidance of the system, took the bus to the house mentioned by the system.
At the same time, Duan Mingfei waited for two days and finally got the news about the VG summer series spokesperson.
Assistant Xiao Gong saw the gossip about VG and hurriedly knocked on the door and walked into Duan Mingfei's office.
"Brother Ming, a few marketing accounts have posted gossip about the spokesperson for VG's summer series. I don't know if it's true or not. Please take a look."
The assistant handed the studio tablet to Duan Mingfei.
The marketing account sent several chat records.
The chat records were revealed by a mysterious acquaintance and a gossip account, who said that he was having dinner with Kaiser, and Kaiser was drunk. He took the initiative to say that the spokesperson for the summer series had been decided, and the person was suspected to be Chen Xiu, who debuted as the center of "Young Man Invincible".
——There has been no news for such a long time, and the first news was about Shen Xiu. How should I put it...his image and temperament are really well matched.
——I haven’t heard of it. I don’t believe in rumors or spread them. I only believe in Xiubao’s words!
——Xiu Bao will start live broadcast at 8 o'clock in the evening, why don't you just ask directly in the live broadcast room then? It's so tiring to guess all the time!
"Chen Xiu?!" Duan Mingfei doubted his life.
"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"
Shen Xiu spent most of his time in the training camp. He had only been out of the camp for a few days and he said he wanted to see his parents. How could he have time to meet Kaiser?
If he remembered correctly, Kaiser was abroad during the days when Shen Xiu was out of the training camp.
Assistant: "There will be a live broadcast of Shen Xiu at 8 o'clock tonight, want to wait for a while?"
Although Duan Mingfei didn't really want to watch Shen Xiu's live broadcast, he had to admit that Shen Xiu disdained to lie. If it was there, it was there, and if it was not there, it was not there.
Whether it is a rumor or a fact, you can find out the answer by watching Shen Xiu’s live broadcast room.
"Hmm." Duan Mingfei hummed with a very bad expression.
As soon as Xiang Yueting saw the gossip, he sent the link to the group.
【Group Chat】
Xiang Yueting: Is Zundu a fake one?
Song Chengwang: Speak human language.
Business metaphor: authenticated as authentic.
Xiang Yueting:?
Zhuang Yi:?
Ning Sinian:?
Jiang Yanxi: I understand. When Chen Xiu was talking about being busy, he wasn’t talking about this, right?
Shang Yu: No, it was decided a long time ago.
Mu Zhenchu: I can’t help it, Shang Yu, why do you know everything? !
Xiang Yueting: +1111111
Ning Sinian: Wait, where is Shen Xiu? Are they signing a contract?
Song Chengwang: The smart guy has already called, but Shen Xiu’s phone is turned off.
Chen Xiu was afraid that he would not know what to talk about during the live broadcast, so he chose to read the comments of fans to remember what everyone was curious about. He watched it too late and did not know when he went to bed, so he did not recharge.
No one has ever called Chen Xiu. It is common for Chen Xiu to go out without making a phone call for a month.
Therefore, Shen Xiu didn’t even know that his phone automatically turned off in his pocket.
At twelve o'clock noon, Shen Xiu, who had returned from the cemetery, finally arrived at the room rented to him by the system.
Although the two security guards at the entrance of the community have not been working here for a long time, they have been here for a year, and they can recognize most of the owners coming in and out by their height and appearance.
The two were stunned when they saw a tall young man wearing a black T-shirt, casual pants, a baseball cap and a mask appear at the gate of the community.
Who is this person? If they had ever met someone with such a distinct temperament and such a tall stature, they would never forget him, but they had never met him before.
Rounding it off, not seeing any faces is roughly equivalent to 100% strangers.
In the high-end residential area here, as long as you are the owner of the community, you don’t need keys or access cards. You can enter and exit the door through automatic facial recognition.
Adhering to the principle of the owner's safety, the two security guards looked at each other, and one of them opened the door of the security booth, intending to walk towards Shen Xiu to ask about the situation.
The access control system will automatically open when the door is opened.
Seeing the residential area on the security booth display, the security guard inside stopped the security guard who was about to leave and said, "No need to go. He is the owner of Area A, not a stranger."
good evening!
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