Admittedly, this was a terrifying prospect for Xu Shuyan, but for Lin Yi, it was quite amusing. So, the next second, Xu Shuyan pointed out with a deadpan expression, “You’re smiling, aren’t you?”
Lin Yi pressed her lips together. “No.”
“You totally were!”
“Do you have proof?”
“…”
“Alright, it’s fine even if she’s my solo fan. It’s not like she can do anything to you!” Lin Yi held the lipstick out to Xu Shuyan. “Need to touch up?”
Xu Shuyan took it, still worried. “At the table just now, to show how close we are, I put food on your plate and was all handsy with you. I’m not going to get canceled, am I?”
“I don’t think so?” Lin Yi leaned against the door, watching Xu Shuyan touch up her makeup. The dusty rose lipstick spread across her cherry lips, and Lin Yi couldn’t help but purse her own, lost in thought. “She’ll probably see that we have a great relationship and let go of her prejudice against you.”
“What if she gets jealous?”
“…Then just ignore me later?”
“What if she thinks I’m not treating you well?”
“You’re so difficult!” Lin Yi said impatiently. “Are all you rappers this much trouble? Then what do you suggest we do?”
“Finish eating and slip away as soon as possible.” Xu Shuyan decided that of the thirty-six stratagems, fleeing was the best. Finally, she shot Lin Yi a glare in the mirror and capped the lipstick. “This is all your fault!”
Lin Yi nodded in agreement. “Yep, yep. Blame me for being too charming.”
Xu Shuyan was speechless.
She never should have given her the chance to be smug!
Back at the dining table, the atmosphere was still harmonious. Shen Mandong seemed very interested in rap and continued to chat with Xu Shuyan about it. Shen Wanwan, on the other hand, hesitated for a moment before finally asking, “Are you two always out and about together like this?”
“Hm?” Lin Yi realized what she meant and replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world, “Yeah, we’re in the same group!”
As expected, Shen Wanwan visibly relaxed and said with a smile, “You guys really have great group spirit!”
Lin Yi smiled back. “We sure do.”
It wasn’t until they were sitting in the courtyard, enjoying dessert while admiring the flowers, that Lin Yi had a chance to pull out her phone and check her unread messages. Seeing the one Xu Shuyan had sent earlier, she replied with a sticker: “I’m the one who saved your life.”
Xu Shuyan quickly sent back a “?”
Lin Yi: Wanwan now thinks we have amazing group spirit and a super close relationship, as in, besties [heart]
The Person I Hate Most: …
The Person I Hate Most: .
Lin Yi: Use your words.
Xu Shuyan didn’t reply. Not wanting to let her off the hook, Lin Yi bombarded her with a slew of Xu Shuyan-themed stickers before exiting the chat to check the group messages. In their small group of three, Sister Fang had been asking for updates. The moment Xu Shuyan got her phone back, she had sent her an “OK” sticker.
Sister Fang: My dear ancestors, I was on pins and needles the whole time, terrified you two would say the wrong thing and get canceled!
Xu Shuyan: It’s not that serious.
Lin Yi: Yep, not that serious.
Lin Yi: But Sister Fang, your intel was wrong.
Sister Fang: ?
Xu Shuyan: …
Sister Fang: What happened?
Lin Yi: Shen Wanwan likes me.
Sister Fang: I know that.
Lin Yi: Not as a CP fan.
Sister Fang: ???
Sister Fang: What???
Sister Fang: @Xu Shuyan, Yanyan, are you okay?
Xu Shuyan: I’m fine, I’m great.
Xu Shuyan: The food at Teacher Shen Mandong’s house is really good, and the dessert is delicious too.
Xu Shuyan: @Lin Yi, don’t look at me.
Sister Fang: kswl
Xu Shuyan: ?
Lin Yi thought to herself that Xu Shuyan’s control over her expressions was truly impressive. In situations that called for a performance, she had a built-in mask, as professional as could be. She clicked her tongue internally and put her phone away just as Shen Wanwan came out of her room.
Shen Mandong had gone upstairs to rest after lunch, so it was naturally up to Shen Wanwan to see her guests off. Shen Wanwan mentioned she had farewell gifts for them, which was how she and Xu Shuyan ended up with some time alone.
Shen Wanwan came out holding two bouquets of flowers, explaining they were freshly picked from the back garden. She said her flower arrangement skills weren’t the best, but it was the thought that counted, and she hoped they wouldn’t mind.
Xu Shuyan said of course they wouldn’t mind, while taking a couple of extra glances at Lin Yi’s bouquet, which was clearly wrapped more exquisitely and had more vibrant blossoms-
The favoritism was off the charts. How could anyone not mind!
On the way back, Xu Shuyan was still sour, saying in a passive-aggressive tone, “Lin Yi, are the thorns on your roses prickly? So roses and eustomas look that different, huh? And the scent is completely-”
She was cut off by a glare from Lin Yi.
“Here, here, take them. It’s like you’ve never seen a flower before,” Lin Yi pulled two roses from her bouquet and stuck them into Xu Shuyan’s. “Let me have some peace and quiet, okay?”
Xu Shuyan was satisfied. “Okay!”
After a pause, she mused, “I wonder if this will be enough for Shen Wanwan to let go of her prejudice against me.”
“What prejudice?” Lin Yi closed her eyes to rest.
“Probably,” Xu Shuyan considered, “that I’m a bloodsucking teammate who’s forcing a ship with her bias?”
Lin Yi was speechless.
Stay away from fan culture, please!
Meanwhile, in the Shen family’s back garden.
After seeing Lin Yi and Xu Shuyan off, Shen Wanwan shadowboxed on the lawn, but even that couldn’t contain her excitement.
Six months ago, she had been completely captivated by Lin Yi’s performance, but she never intended to use her famous actress mother’s connections to meet Lin Yi in private.
Liking that post really was just an accident.
Who told Sweet Melon Entertainment to be so shameless, always bundling Lin Yi and Xu Shuyan together? Just picking someone up after filming wrapped was worthy of buying paid articles? And debating whether Yan Zhi You Yi was a good match? Of course they weren’t!
But in a fit of passion, she’d liked the post using her mother’s account, and it was immediately screenshotted and posted on all the major forums. It also exposed her fan activities to her mother. Shen Mandong scrolled through the Yan Zhi You Yi Super Topic and asked with great interest, “You’re a CP fan?”
No! Shen Wanwan screamed internally. I’m a toxic solo fan!
Shen Wanwan leaned back on a bench in the circular corridor, basking in the sun as her fingers flew across her phone screen. “I just saw Lin Yi off! She’s so pale and cute and tiny in person, and her voice is so gentle!”
Her best friend, who had just finished an equestrian lesson with her, sent a surprised sticker. “So lucky!”
Shen Wanwan: I’m so happy I’m incoherent QAQ!
Shen Wanwan: When she left, she rolled down the car window and waved at me, her smile was so beautiful! (It would have been even better if Xu Shuyan wasn’t sitting next to her. Xu Shuyan sitting there looked like she was picking up her bride or something. (What a terrible analogy, spit spit spit!))
Bestie: …
Bestie: You’re shipping it.
Shen Wanwan: I am not!
Shen Wanwan: And from my observation, our Xiao Yi just sees Xu Shuyan as a regular teammate, a normal colleague! They all get along well in the group, after all, they’ve been together for so long.
Bestie: What about Xu Shuyan’s feelings for Lin Yi?
Shen Wanwan: She’s very attentive to Xiao Yi.
Shen Wanwan: Wow, you should have seen it. She was getting her food, serving her soup, and even quietly reminding her to be careful because it was hot. I’m just… a gay person in love with a straight person, this has to be it!
Shen Wanwan: Too bad our Xiao Yi doesn’t care at all. She’s focused on her career and would never date within the group!
Shen Wanwan: Xiao Yi is so, so cute, as white as a little sticky rice ball. I just want to eat her up in one bite.
Bestie: Danger, danger, danger.
Shen Wanwan: But there’s one detail that’s bothering me…
Bestie: What?
Shen Wanwan: Well… they went to the restroom together in the middle of the meal, and when they came back, their lipstick colors were the same. Please tell me they just used the same lipstick to touch up their makeup!
Bestie: What else could it be?
Shen Wanwan: They definitely weren’t kissing, right?
Shen Wanwan: Even a real couple wouldn’t be that clingy, right? They wouldn’t go to someone else’s house for dinner and still have to sneak off to the restroom to make out! It was just touching up makeup, right?
Bestie: Why didn’t I think of that?
Bestie: #Leave it to the solo fans to find the best shipping material#
Shen Wanwan: Go away, go away!
Lin Yi and Xu Shuyan’s meeting with Shen Mandong was kept completely secret. Fearing Shen Mandong would misunderstand and think they were trying to ride her coattails for buzz, Sister Fang didn’t even dare to release any press statements.
But there’s no such thing as a wall that doesn’t leak. Rather than let netizens speculate wildly, it was better for the company to send someone to post about it and control the narrative.
Thus, a post titled “Lin Yi and Xu Shuyan Secretly Dine with Shen Mandong” appeared on an anonymous forum. The details were vague and ambiguous, keeping the discussion contained within a small circle. It gave the gossip-mongers something to chew on while also allowing fans to clarify, “Don’t speculate or discuss without solid proof.” It was a masterful, if mind-bending, marketing play.
Naturally, Sister Fang wouldn’t let Lin Yi and Xu Shuyan worry about these things. She only sent a message to the group chat: “Your flight is tomorrow afternoon. Get some good rest in B City and don’t overthink things.”
Suddenly having an extra day off made their schedule much more relaxed. Lin Yi went back to the hotel and lay down for a while, scrolling through travel guides for B City. She remembered that Universal Studios had just officially opened, and since she was already here, it would be a shame not to go.
So she booked a ticket, arranged for a car, and got fully disguised before heading out.
She never expected that just as she opened her door, Xu Shuyan’s door across the hall would open too. The two came face to face unexpectedly. Lin Yi glanced at her; she was also dressed to go out. “Where are you going?” she asked casually.
“What about you?” Xu Shuyan’s voice was muffled by her mask as she walked with Lin Yi toward the elevator.
“Out to have some fun,” Lin Yi said.
Xu Shuyan nodded. “Oh.”
She didn’t ask where.
They were rivals, after all. When there were no cameras around, they didn’t need to bother with pleasantries. As long as the other wasn’t seeking out Chen Yuan, they could do whatever they wanted and stay out of each other’s way.
So Lin Yi didn’t ask where Xu Shuyan was going either. After exiting the lobby, she just said, “Watch out for stalker fans,” and got into her ride-share.
As the car pulled away from the hotel entrance, she saw Xu Shuyan get into a car as well-a black Audi that gleamed under the sun. She looked away and opened her chat with Chen Yuan, sending a sticker of a cute cat rolling around.
Lin Yi: Yuanyuan! You went to Universal Studios during its soft opening, right? Do you have any tips?
Yuanyuan: You’re going?
Lin Yi: Yep!
Yuanyuan: With Yanyan?
Yuanyuan: Yanyan made the guide for me last time, she should be very familiar with it!
Lin Yi: ?
So that Xu Shuyan had been secretly currying favor behind her back!
Lin Yi casually lied: She lost it. Can you send me a copy?
Yuanyuan: Okay~
Yuanyuan: [File]
To her credit, Xu Shuyan had been patient enough to make the guide into a PowerPoint presentation. It took a moment to download. Lin Yi glanced out the window, then glanced again. Something felt off-
Damn it, why was Xu Shuyan’s flashy Audi following her?
An unpleasant thought began to form in her mind. She shook her head, trying to dismiss it. Impossible, impossible. No matter how similar her and Xu Shuyan’s interests were, they couldn’t possibly share a brain to the point of going to Universal Studios at the exact same time… right?!
The file finished downloading.
Lin Yi studied it for a moment, then looked up. The Audi was still behind her. She studied it some more, then looked up again. Still there.
The taxi turned left; the Audi turned left.
The taxi went straight; the Audi went straight.
The taxi signaled right; the Audi signaled right.
The taxi stopped at the entrance to Universal Studios, and the Audi stopped right behind it.
Lin Yi got out of the car, her face expressionless. She watched as Xu Shuyan also got out and even shot her a questioning look. Before Lin Yi could speak, Xu Shuyan struck first. “Why is it you?”
“What do you mean, why is it me?” Lin Yi snapped. “Didn’t you see me get into the taxi?”
Xu Shuyan thought back. “Did I?”
She shrugged. “Sorry, I don’t really pay attention to people who aren’t Yuanyuan.”
Lin Yi rolled her eyes dramatically. “Get lost!”
She paused, then said, “Let’s go our separate ways. I have no desire to see you in a happy place like this.”
“You think I want to see you?” Xu Shuyan scoffed and put in her earbuds. “I have a VIP pass. I’m leaving.”
Lin Yi followed right behind her. “Like I’m not a VIP too!”
Xu Shuyan was speechless.
The two picked up their tickets and entered the park. They glanced at each other, snorted in unison, and went their separate ways.
Although she had the guide Xu Shuyan made, it was only to familiarize herself with the park layout. Lin Yi, intending to wander freely, first headed to the Harry Potter section, which interested her the most. She never expected to run into Xu Shuyan at the Three Broomsticks.
Xu Shuyan was frowning as she drank a butterbeer and froze when she saw her.
Lin Yi was speechless.
She politely backed out.
But sometimes, you just had to admit that you were fated to clash with certain people, especially when the world was so small.
So when she found Xu Shuyan in the seat behind her on the Decepticoaster, Lin Yi said nothing. When she was in the same row as Xu Shuyan on Jurassic Flyers, Lin Yi endured it. When she went to take a photo with a Minion and saw Xu Shuyan shopping in the Minion Mart, she could only lament how small the park was.
It wasn’t until they met by chance on the Kung Fu Panda ride that she finally exploded. “Xu! Shu! Yan! Why are you haunting me!?”
Xu Shuyan had clearly been holding it in for a long time too. She hissed back in a low voice, “I was about to ask you the same thing! Why are you following me everywhere?”
The boat rocked in the shifting light as they sat in the same row, glaring at each other, completely oblivious to what the various Kung Fu Panda characters around them were saying. The boat gave a sudden, violent lurch, and Lin Yi cried out, grabbing Xu Shuyan’s wrist.
Xu Shuyan reflexively patted her hand and cooed, “It’s okay, it’s okay.”
It was only because they had faked it so often that protecting Lin Yi was now etched into her DNA. The moment she did it, Xu Shuyan regretted it. She frowned in annoyance and was about to say something when she heard Lin Yi exclaim, “I need someone to take my picture!”
Xu Shuyan let out a slow, “Huh?”
“You’re so dense!” Lin Yi’s grip on her wrist tightened as she glared. “I’m saying your photography skills are pretty good. I’m hiring you as my personal photographer!”
Xu Shuyan blinked. “Oh.”
It was only when Lin Yi was pulling her off the boat that she realized: what was in it for her to be Lin Yi’s personal photographer? Why on earth did she agree?!
Before she could refuse, Lin Yi shoved her phone into her hands. “Quick, I want a picture with Kung Fu Panda.” She even gave her a little shake. “Please take it for me~~~”
Whenever they were “on,” Lin Yi was always the one to act cute. She was like the tilde key incarnate, her sweet and soft act making one’s heart flutter. Xu Shuyan opened the camera app. “Okay.”
After taking countless photos from every angle Lin Yi demanded, Xu Shuyan was speechless.
She hated some of her reflexes!
Lin Yi and Xu Shuyan had a blast at Universal Studios and didn’t bother hiding much. It was perfectly normal for them to be recognized by fans. That evening, in their Gu Group chat, Zhou Shichen shared a post: 《Yan Zhi You Yi’s Sweet Outing at Universal Studios! I’m Dying!》
Gu Group’s Famous Ship-ologist (Zhou Shichen): I’m dying, I’m dying.
【Ahhhh, did the little couple fly to B City for a secret date???】
【Help! They’re so perfect together!】
【Can we get a couple’s travel vlog?】
【Am I worthy of shipping this? Am I? I’m asking, AM I WORTHY!?】
【Heh, all you people who said Yan Zhi You Yi was just for show, come and see this! The little couple’s trip shatters the brainwashing narrative that they don’t get along in private! Yan Zhi You Yi: We’re doing great!】
【A sweet couple’s trip T_T】
【I remember in an interview before, Xiao Yi said she wanted to go to Universal Studios, and Yanyan said if you want to go, everyone will go with you. Well, well, Xu Shuyan, by ‘everyone’ you just meant yourself, didn’t you! Don’t spoil your wife too much!】
Lin Yi and Xu Shuyan, who saw this post at the same time in their respective hotel rooms: “…”
Sweet couple’s trip, my ass!!!
