Fang Yi was well-connected. The moment she said she’d pull some strings, she did. Just as they finished the official recording for the show, she arranged for Lin Yi and Xu Shuyan to fly to B City to have dinner with Shen Mandong’s daughter.
“Shen Mandong’s daughter is named Shen Wanwan. She’s fifteen and in her third year of junior high,” Fang Yi said in a voice message to the group chat. “Shen Wanwan is the apple of Shen Mandong’s eye. She’s gotten whatever she wanted since she was a child, so she might be a bit spoiled and have a quirky temper, but she’s just a young girl, and she’s still quite cute.”
Lying on a massage chair in the airport’s VIP lounge, Lin Yi listened to the voice message with her eyes closed and asked, “Doesn’t this count as private contact?”
Xu Shuyan gave her a speechless look. “Who’s making private contact with whom? Are we contacting Shen Mandong, or is Shen Wanwan contacting us?”
Lin Yi faltered.
She sullenly tapped open the text box. “It just feels weird.”
Fang Yi sent an eye-rolling emoji. “Just be casual about it. I’m not asking you to go suck up to Shen Mandong. That would be opportunistic and would cheapen you. Just think of it as having a meal with a young girl.”
“Do you think my network is so extensive that I can just connect with Shen Mandong whenever I want? It was her people who contacted me! She said she didn’t know Wanwan was a fan and felt like she was failing as a mother. She said that since Wanwan likes you two so much, you should all have a meal together. She was even worried you’d be nervous, so she suggested her home as the location.”
Lin Yi: “…”
That makes me even more nervous!
She asked Xu Shuyan, “Aren’t you nervous?”
They had left in a hurry without removing their stage makeup. A row of tiny pearls still adorned the corner of Xu Shuyan’s eye, shimmering faintly under the chandelier. She fiddled with her phone, not looking up. “What’s there to be nervous about?”
Lin Yi called her out. “You keep scrolling on the same page. You’re too nervous to read a single word, aren’t you?”
Xu Shuyan: “…”
She glared at her. “What’s the use of being nervous? Just be casual. It’s not like Shen Mandong is a monster. Besides, when it comes to putting on a show, aren’t we old hands at this?”
That made a lot of sense.
Lin Yi nodded in agreement, then suddenly remembered this was Xu Shuyan. She quickly straightened her expression and pulled the blanket up higher. “Wake me when it’s time to board.”
After recording all day without a break and rushing straight to the airport from the studio, Lin Yi was truly exhausted. Just as she was about to drift off, she heard Xu Shuyan hum in acknowledgment. Would it kill her to stop acting so cool! Lin Yi thought.
The internet was rife with speculation about Xu Shuyan and Lin Yi flying to B City without the rest of the group and with no public schedule.
【What the hell? Are the little lovebirds off to record something by themselves? No way, no way. My sources haven’t heard a thing.】
【Why are they in such a rush? Sweet Melon Entertainment is so inhumane, exploiting our beautiful girls!】
【Could it be some great new project? I heard Fang Yi was negotiating a magazine cover for the two of them. Did it go through?】
【They walked through the airport together this time, in their familiar one-in-front, one-behind formation. Xiao Yi must feel so secure, right? Yanyan shields her from the front, and all she has to do is follow.】
【Just keep walking together like this forever!!!】
It was late at night when they landed in B City. Shen Mandong’s assistant picked them up and checked them into a hotel near the house. They were given two king rooms with doors facing each other. Holding her key card, Xu Shuyan muttered, “Is Shen Wanwan really one of our CP fans?”
“What do you mean?” Lin Yi asked, tapping her key card against the sensor. “Why are you questioning her fan status before we’ve even met her?”
“Would one of our CP fans not let us stay together?” Xu Shuyan considered this very seriously. “Of course, if she had no idea about this arrangement-“
“Bang!” The sound of a door slamming cut her off. She turned her head. Lin Yi, who had been standing in the doorway, had clearly grown tired of her rambling. She had shut the door, and her “Good night to you!” slipped out through the remaining crack.
Xu Shuyan gritted her teeth.
It was a good thing they weren’t in the same room. Otherwise, she might have actually laid hands on Lin Yi that night.
Meanwhile, Lin Yi hadn’t actually gone to sleep after returning to her room. She had slept in the lounge until boarding and all the way from takeoff to landing. With no need to wake up early the next day, she was now full of energy. She called out in their group chat, “Anyone up for PUBG?!”
Group: Top-Tier Idols in Training
Gu Group’s Famous Shipper-ologist: You guys arrived?
Gu Group’s Famous Shipper-ologist: Have you seen Shen Mandong?
Gu Group’s Famous Shipper-ologist: Remember to get me an autograph ahhhhh
The Notes-Yan Qi: In class.
AAA Lin Yi (Cute pics on Moments): Still studying this late at night?
AAA Lin Yi (Cute pics on Moments): Captain, the entertainment industry has done your scholarly soul a great injustice.
The Notes-Yan Qi: 【Smile】
AAA Lin Yi (Cute pics on Moments): Is the Captain cursing me out with that emoji?
Gu Group’s Famous Shipper-ologist: Trust me, she genuinely just thinks it’s an emoji that represents a smile.
Gu Group’s Famous Shipper-ologist: Answer my question, have you seen Shen Mandong?
AAA Lin Yi (Cute pics on Moments): Tomorrow.
AAA Lin Yi (Cute pics on Moments): PUBG first.
AAA Lin Yi (Cute pics on Moments): @Yuanyuan what are you doing, come play.
Yuanyuan: Coming!
Yuanyuan: What about Yanyan? Isn’t she joining?
AAA Lin Yi (Cute pics on Moments): Don’t worry about her.
AAAA Xu Shuyan (Gu Group’s No. 1 Beauty): Getting on.
AAA Lin Yi (Cute pics on Moments): …Could your nickname be any longer? And on what grounds do you have one more A than me?
Gu Group’s Famous Shipper-ologist: Double A’s, I’m dying.
AAA Lin Yi (Cute pics on Moments): …
AAA Lin Yi (Cute pics on Moments): Xu Shuyan, you better not die right after landing and drag me down, or I’ll kill you with a frying pan first!
AAAA Xu Shuyan (Gu Group’s No. 1 Beauty): Heh.
Setting aside her biases and speaking objectively, Xu Shuyan was actually a great gaming partner. Her movements were slick, her shots were clean, and she could even drive. As she chauffeured Lin Yi across the battlefield, Lin Yi would just tilt her head back to watch the brilliant sunset and cheer, “Go! Go! Go!”
Xu Shuyan wished she could just give her a headshot. “You’re just going to lie flat and let me carry you?”
“I’m tired!” Lin Yi said, full of self-righteousness. “There’s only one opponent left. If you can’t even win this, I’ll really look down on you.”
“Fine,” Xu Shuyan said, laying out her strategy. “When we get to the safe zone, you draw their fire and sacrifice yourself. I’ll find them, avenge you, and we’ll get that chicken dinner. How about it?”
“…In your wildest dreams!”
Fortunately, Xu Shuyan’s skills were genuinely good. She managed to flush out the opponent and secure the chicken dinner without needing Lin Yi to draw fire. Lin Yi still ended up as the MVP. Feeling smug, she took a screenshot and changed Xu Shuyan’s contact name to “Most Most Annoying Person.”
Removing one “most” was the highest praise she could offer Xu Shuyan.
The meal was scheduled for noon.
Shen Wanwan attended a prestigious private middle school where the academic pressure wasn’t too intense. She was picked up and brought home after just one equestrian class in the morning. By then, Lin Yi and Xu Shuyan had already been chatting with Shen Mandong for a while.
In person, Shen Mandong looked younger and more elegant than she did on television, possessing a calm and graceful air that only time could bestow.
Although Lin Yi and Xu Shuyan were nervous, they weren’t intimidated. They chatted with Shen Mandong with a demeanor that was neither servile nor overbearing, and the atmosphere was quite harmonious. Shen Mandong moved in a different circle from theirs and held some preconceived notions about young idols, so the conversation was also a way of testing them.
After all, she had been in the entertainment industry for decades; her sophistication was leagues beyond that of young idols. No matter how hard they tried to remain composed, Lin Yi and Xu Shuyan grew tense as they talked, and a naive foolishness began to color their words.
But this put Shen Mandong at ease. In the entertainment industry, authenticity was more precious than worldliness—a soul that remained endearing in its genuineness. These two kids were very endearing.
As they were speaking, Shen Wanwan returned.
The young girl genuinely adored them. Her usual carefree, princess-like demeanor vanished the moment she saw them. She greeted them with a blush and only began to relax after they sat down at the table and started chatting over the meal.
While Shen Mandong was talking with Xu Shuyan about rap, Shen Wanwan carefully poked Lin Yi. “I’m sorry, Xiao Yi,” she said.
Lin Yi hummed, confused, and leaned closer.
“I liked that post by accident. I didn’t realize I was on my mom’s account.” The girl’s face was scrunched up in a worried expression. “And I never wanted to use my mom’s connections to contact you privately, please don’t misunderstand! I know that idols and fans are supposed to keep their distance!”
So that’s what she was worried about.
Lin Yi smiled and whispered back, “Thank you for liking us.”
Shen Wanwan smiled shyly, the tips of her ears turning bright red. She quickly put some food on Lin Yi’s plate to avert her gaze, her heart pounding like a trapped rabbit. She finally opened up, asking about Lin Yi’s life in the group and showing concern for her back injury, reminding her not to get too tired with the upcoming tour.
Xu Shuyan, sitting nearby, overheard their conversation, and the more she listened, the more something felt wrong.
As a supposed CP fan of theirs, why wasn’t Shen Wanwan mentioning her at all? Could she be a biased shipper? She even asked if Lin Yi got along well with Zhou Shichen. Don’t tell me she’s a fuwei for Lin Yi?
As she mulled this over, Xu Shuyan placed a piece of pork rib on Lin Yi’s plate. “Careful, it’s hot,” she said.
Lin Yi smiled at her. “I know.”
Xu Shuyan: “…”
She saw it! She definitely saw it! Didn’t Shen Wanwan just glare at her? She absolutely did!
This girl isn’t a toxic solo fan, is she?!
Xu Shuyan’s heart sank. She grabbed her phone and messaged Lin Yi: “Emergency. Come to the bathroom with me right now.”
Lin Yi’s phone vibrated in her bag. She glanced at it but didn’t move.
Xu Shuyan felt a frantic urgency, but she kept a smile plastered on her face. Under the table, she kicked Lin Yi’s foot. Caught by surprise, Lin Yi dropped the pork rib she was holding back into her bowl and shot Xu Shuyan a questioning look.
Xu Shuyan subtly gestured toward the restroom with her eyes.
Lin Yi was in the middle of an enjoyable conversation and wanted to pretend she hadn’t noticed, but under the table, Xu Shuyan kept rubbing her ankle with her foot, over and over. It was almost like flirting, and it was making her distinctly uncomfortable.
Forcing a smile, she said to Shen Wanwan and Shen Mandong, “I think I’ll use the restroom.”
“I’ll go too,” Xu Shuyan said, standing up. Then, in a rather transparent attempt to cover her tracks, she added, “I drank a lot of lemonade earlier.” She looked at Lin Yi. “Shall we?”
Lin Yi nodded.
Shen Mandong’s house was huge; they had to cross the living room to get from the dining room to the restroom. The moment they were inside, Xu Shuyan locked the door. Lin Yi gave her a strange look, then took out her lipstick to touch up her makeup. “What is wrong with you?” she asked.
“I’ve discovered a problem,” Xu Shuyan said in a low voice.
“What?”
“Do you know what the content of the Weibo post Shen Wanwan liked was?” Xu Shuyan asked.
Lin Yi hadn’t seen it. She tilted her head, guessing, “Wasn’t it just a CP post about us? A compilation of our sweet moments? Or a photo thread?”
Xu Shuyan shook her head. “None of the above.”
“Then what was it?”
“It was a poll started by a marketing account. The question was, ‘Do you think Yan Zhi You Yi are compatible?’ The options were ‘Compatible’ and ‘Not Compatible,’ and voting automatically liked the post.”
“So?”
Xu Shuyan thought about Shen Wanwan’s intense focus on Lin Yi at the table and her complete disregard for her. Her mouth twitched as she voiced a terrible possibility. “Have you ever considered that if she’s your solo fan, she might have voted ‘Not Compatible’?”
Lin Yi: “?”
