Chapter 016 The Young Master – “Weibo exploded” (16/35)
Du Yi didn’t get an answer that day, only a meaningful look from Wen Xusheng.
In fact, Du Yi already knew the answer at that time, but he wasn’t giving up.
What if… What if a miracle happened?
The next day, when Wen Xusheng personally discussed the details of ‘Starting with Cohabitation’ with the production team, Du Yi knew that it was already a done deal unless the production team disagreed.
But how could they possibly refuse?
Not to mention anything else, Shi Jingge had millions of followers on Weibo, and he’d never participated in any variety shows before, which was already a significant topic of discussion. Plus, he was specifically chosen by Wen Xusheng.
As for Wen Xusheng, he didn’t participate in many variety shows either, but he had plenty of buzz around him. As a veteran in the entertainment industry, who wouldn’t want to have him on their show?
The live reality show ‘Starting with Cohabitation’ already had four seasons. The first season was planned as a reality show about experiencing life in nature, and its main purpose was to mess with the guests. However, because they were all big names and it was a rare live-broadcast reality show, every episode was very engaging, so it became a big hit.
A movie star and singer even got together during the first season.
In the second season, another couple confessed their feelings and started dating, too; in the third season, two couples fell for each other and were still going strong to this day.
Due to this, the show has been dubbed “a reality dating show” behind the scenes, with an extremely high success rate.
For this season, the production team had already selected the guests, signed the contracts, and started promoting the show on Weibo. But just as it was about to kick off, two of the guests got into trouble.
They had recently finished filming together and attended the wrap party. On their way back, they were involved in a serious car accident. Now the guests were still in the hospital and wouldn’t be able to get out of bed for at least half a month.
The first episode of the fourth season of ‘Starting with Cohabitation’ was scheduled to go live in a week, so there was no room for delay.
Unfortunately, these two guests were none other than the biggest and most talked-about celebrities of their new season.
Finding suitable replacements was a challenge.
The production team had to consider schedules, star power, and buzz, along with screening out a bunch of people with romantic partners.
They were truly at a loss. The executive director even dragged two assistant directors to a temple in the middle of the night to pray for good fortune and distributed amulets to everyone on the production team.
In the wake of all that, there were hardly any options left. When the production team reached out to Wen Xusheng, they didn’t hold out much hope.
It was a last-ditch effort. They thought that sending an invitation was better than not sending one at all.
But then Wen Xusheng accepted!
Not only did he accept, but he also brought a partner!
The partner was none other than the young master from the Shi family, who had millions of followers on Weibo, was known for his outspoken and confrontational personality, and recently got into a heated online feud with the fans of a male celebrity, so his current buzz wasn’t small either.
Such a golden opportunity falling from the sky—who wouldn’t agree? Anyone who refused was an idiot!
Seeing the production team laughing so happily they couldn’t close their mouths, Du Yi knew that the only person who could stop this now was Shi Jingge.
If Shi Jingge refused, this wouldn’t happen.
But would Shi Jingge refuse?
Of course not!
Shi Jingge was a die-hard fan of Wen Xusheng.
Now that his idol had invited him to join the reality show, how could he possibly refuse?
As soon as his idol frowned a bit, sighed, and subtly hinted that he doesn’t want to stay with others, then looked at his little fan with hopeful eyes, Shi Jingge fan would naturally agree without hesitation.
Du Yi was on the verge of collapse, ultimately pinning his hopes on Shi Rongqing.
If Shi Rongqing could stop Shi Jingge from leaving, then this matter would also be impossible.
Alas, Shi Rongqing, who was bestowed with Du Yi’s hopes, honestly didn’t want Shi Jingge to go either. His little darling was now so well-behaved, obedient, and adorable that Shi Rongqing wanted to drag Shi Jingge around and show him off to the world. Why would he want to let Shi Jingge go on some reality show?
At the very least he’d be out of sight for a few days. Shi Rongqing wasn’t about to let that happen.
So when Shi Jingge first mentioned it to him, Shi Rongqing firmly refused. But Shi Rongqing was a bro-con. You see, when there was no ethical issue involved, a bro-con would always give in to his brother. Shi Jingge only had to throw a tantrum for two days, and Shi Rongqing couldn’t take it anymore.
Fine, go ahead.
Anyway, that reality show had a decent reputation. It sounded like it was just about experiencing life.
His little bunny was so spoiled and clueless about the world. It might not be a bad thing for him to get a taste of the harsh realities of life.
Maybe he’d be willing to study hard when he came back.
What truly made Shi Rongqing give in was Mu Jincheng’s movements.
He had gathered some evidence, but it wasn’t concrete or substantial enough.
Shi Rongqing was afraid that his little brat would be deceived again, so he closely monitored every move Mu Jincheng made.
Recently, Mu Jincheng was in desperate need of money. Since his efforts to contact Shi Jingge had yielded no results, he had no choice but to try his luck with other rich brats.
However, Mu Jincheng had already been labeled as Shi Jingge’s, and there were multiple brats who had conflicts with the young master, so looking at Mu Jincheng wasn’t exactly pleasant either.
Moreover, those playboys had poor reputations and had already formed their own cliques, while Mu Jincheng, on the other hand, had an impeccable reputation. How could Mu Jincheng possibly receive favor without any problems?
After all, they were experienced—they wouldn’t be as foolish as Shi Jingge.
Mu Jincheng went through all that trouble, only to get nothing in return, and endured countless insults and mockery. How could he feel fine about that?
He hadn’t been insulted like that in years.
Just a few weeks ago, if someone even looked at him the wrong way, Shi Jingge would rush to his defense like a loyal dog protecting its master.
Now look at him—the dog had turned on its master.
Mu Jincheng was both angry and resentful, and in the end, he blamed everything on Shi Jingge.
If Shi Jingge hadn’t ignored his calls, refused to see him, and treated him like he wasn’t even there, how would he have ended up in this situation?
It was all Shi Jingge’s fault.
Brothers? Was this how Shi Jingge treated his brothers?
Over the years, Mu Jincheng had been spoiled by Shi Jingge’s constant deference to him.
In his subconscious, Shi Jingge was supposed to obey him in everything, and whatever he wanted, Shi Jingge had to give him. Now that Shi Jingge wasn’t doing that anymore, Mu Jincheng had grown to hate him.
And the more humiliation and cold treatment he suffered, the more he hated Shi Jingge.
Ordinary rich kids naturally looked down on him, and he didn’t think much of them either.
Mu Jincheng’s gaze gradually shifted to those who had a grudge against Shi Jingge and whose family backgrounds were no less impressive than Shi Jingge’s. Among them, the one who had the most conflicts with Shi Jingge and had even come to blows with him was Du Mingxu, the young master of the Du family.
Logically speaking, Du Mingxu should have been highly averse to Mu Jincheng.
However, what if Mu Jincheng revealed to Du Mingxu his intention to target Shi Jingge?
The enemy of my enemy was my friend.
Especially when that person was once the enemy’s best friend.
There was no need to say more.
The spectacle of such betrayal alone would be worth watching.
When Shi Rongqing discovered that Mu Jincheng had been spending a lot of time with Du Mingxu lately, his face turned half-black. This was also the main reason he relented.
Since Mu Jincheng wanted to act, let him act.
He’d been worried about not having enough evidence to make the rascal give up this “good brother” once and for all, and now Mu Jincheng had handed him the evidence on a silver platter.
Come to think of it, shouldn’t he thank Mu Jincheng?
Shi Rongqing laughed, and the temperature in the room dropped sharply.
However, Shi Jingge was unaware of this little incident. He only knew that Shi Rongqing had relented. The young master was overjoyed. If not for Shi Rongqing holding him back, he would’ve rushed out to sign the contract that very day.
However, Shi Rongqing could hold him back for a day, not two.
The next morning, seeing the young brat who’d gotten up early and was full of energy, Shi Rongqing finally gave in.
He sighed, waved his hand, and signaled for him to get out. The little imp happily rolled away.
Shi Rongqing felt a pang of sadness.
Just then, the young master, who had rolled through the gate, came back in and instructed, “Drink less coffee today!”
Alright.
At least this little imp had a conscience.
Shi Rongqing curled the corners of his lips and decided to drink tea today.
Shi Jingge and Wen Xusheng went to sign the contract together and were then dragged by the production team to take promotional photos.
Du Yi felt like his heart had turned to ashes.
Shi Jingge looked at Du Yi, tapped Wen Xusheng, and curiously asked, “What’s wrong with him?”
“Nothing,” Wen Xusheng said indifferently. “Men have those few days every month.”
Shi Jingge: “?”
Wen Xusheng quickly changed the subject. “Have you packed your luggage yet?”
Shi Jingge shook his head.
“Apparently, we’re going to a fairly remote village for three days and two nights. It’s still pretty cold there, so you’re going to want to bring some warm clothes,” Wen Xusheng said nonchalantly.
Shi Jingge nodded blankly. “Oh, I see.”
“But I haven’t had time to prepare my winter clothes yet.” Wen Xusheng frowned in distress, “Buying clothes is such a hassle, and I don’t have anyone to help me pick something out.”
The implication of this statement was all too obvious.
Du Yi turned and gave him a meaningful look.
Wen Xusheng ignored Du Yi completely and asked directly, “Have you packed your winter clothes?”
Shi Jingge shook his head subconsciously.
“Why don’t we go shopping together and help each other out?” Wen Xusheng suggested.
The young master’s eyes lit up. “Sure!”
Wen Xusheng got what he wanted and smiled contentedly. “What brands do you like?”
The young master mentioned a few off the top of his head, all of which were brands Wen Xusheng liked. The smile in Wen Xusheng’s eyes grew even softer.
Du Yi: “…”
He shouldn’t have stayed in this car!
Wen Xusheng, you weren’t like this before! How dare you say something like “I haven’t prepared my winter clothes for this year”?
Buying clothes was a hassle? And you don’t even have someone to help you pick them out?
You dare say those things, and I don’t have the face to listen!
Du Yi was heartbroken. They hadn’t even started dating yet, and his Wen-Ge was already being so shameless.
What would he become in the future? Not taking a single role for a year, just traveling around the world with the young master?
Damn it, the more Du Yi thought about it, the more he believed that Wen Xusheng was capable of such a thing!
Since it was Wen Xusheng’s last-minute decision, and mainly because he didn’t want the young master to leave, Du Yi didn’t have time to contact any designers he knew. In the end, they went to the VIP floor of a shopping mall.
That mall had a membership system, and the VIP floor was on the top floor with a direct access corridor, offering strong privacy, so Du Yi felt relatively at ease.
But Du Yi had been too complacent. He never expected that buying clothing could deal such a blow to his eyes and soul.
Du Yi covered his eyes in agony.
Soon, he heard Wen Xusheng’s voice. “This one is nice. It suits you well. Your skin is fair, and this color will complement you. Why don’t you try it on?”
The young master obediently put on the light blue jacket.
After a pause, Wen Xusheng’s voice carried a hint of deeper meaning. “You remind me of a poem.”
Shi Jingge looked over in question.
“A gentleman is as graceful as jade on the path; there is none like him in the world[mfn]陌上人如玉，君子世无双。 Original Intention and Source The phrase “The man on the street is like jade, and the young man is unparalleled in the world” comes from Ye Mi’s (fourteen que) work “Wood and Jade Make a Promise”, which is an adaptation of “The gentleman is unparalleled in the world, the man on the street is like jade”. In the original sentence, “路上人如玉” is usually understood to describe a woman’s beautiful face, while “公子世无双” is to describe a handsome man who is unparalleled in the world. Together, the two originally mean that the man and woman are talented and beautiful, a match made in heaven. — Baidu[/mfn],” Wen Xusheng spoke slowly.
The young master didn’t understand the meaning of the poem, but he knew it must be a compliment. “I’ll buy it!” he said happily.
Du Yi silently reached out and also covered his ears.
Happiness belonged to them. As for him, he had nothing.
Although it was supposed to be Wen Xusheng buying clothes and asking Shi Jingge to accompany him, in the end, most of the clothes selected were for the young master, and they were all personally picked by Wen Xusheng.
Of course, the one who paid was also Wen Xusheng.
Although the young master was slower to catch on, he still felt a bit embarrassed at that moment. “I’ll transfer the money to you later.”
“No need.” Wen Xusheng smiled. “It was the young master who took the time to accompany me shopping. This is just a token of my gratitude.” After a pause, Wen Xusheng deliberately provoked him. “Or does the young master think his time isn’t worth anything?”
“Of course my time is worth something!” The young master looked up at him angrily, then quickly averted his gaze.
Even his reaction was exactly as Wen Xusheng had imagined.
Wen Xusheng’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “In that case, I’m the one who came out ahead.”
The young master felt a bit off, but at this moment, he couldn’t afford to lose face. “I’m glad you know that,” the young master said, forcing a smile.
“Hmm.” Wen Xusheng picked up another item, but before he could speak, he saw the young master walking straight toward the other side.
Wen Xusheng followed him. Then he saw the young master pick up a piece of clothing, suddenly turn his head, and his face was filled with surprise and joy.
“This one! This one is definitely perfect for you!”
That smile made Wen Xusheng’s breath catch, and his heart began to race.
At that moment, only one phrase remained in Wen Xusheng’s mind.
—“A smile that captivates a thousand hearts[mfn]回眸一笑百媚生 Chinese Idioms “One smile brings out a hundred beauties” comes from the Tang Dynasty poet Bai Juyi’s “Song of Everlasting Sorrow” which reads “One glance back and one smile brings out a hundred beauties, making all the beauties in the palace pale in comparison” [1-2], describing the attractive and charming features of a beautiful woman . The idiom has a condensed grammatical structure and is used as an object or attributive in a sentence. It is used exclusively to describe a woman’s appearance. [1]The record of “Mei Xi was bewitching, with a charming smile but a fierce look” in Luo Mi’s “Lu Shi·Hou Ji Thirteen·Emperor Lugui” in the Song Dynasty confirms its application scenarios in ancient literary works. In the modern language environment, it can be used as a term for appreciating classical poetry and can also be used for oral praise. — Baidu[/mfn],” Wen Xusheng heard himself say. “Hmm.”
The young master’s clothes were all chosen by him; and his clothes were all chosen by the young master.
How wonderful.
Wen Xusheng didn’t buy much, but he specially bought two of the same style as the young master’s. On the way back, Wen Xusheng kept mentioning to the young master how good he looked in that shirt.
The young master said happily, “Then I’ll wear that one!”
Wen Xusheng achieved his goal and smiled broadly. “Okay.”
Wen Xusheng had specially bought the same shirt.
—
The promotional campaign for ‘Starting with Cohabitation’ had already begun.
The two guests who were involved in the car accident had released official statements, and fans knew they couldn’t attend the show. Countless fans were disappointed and saddened, but everyone understood it was unavoidable. They began speculating about who the replacement guests might be.
The production team understood fan psychology well and didn’t release any clear photos, only blurry images or hand-drawn outlines without discernible features.
However, the power of fans was relenting.
Even with just these clues, some fans guessed it might be Wen Xusheng.
For a time, there were all sorts of speculations, with countless fans flooding the show’s official accounts demanding an announcement. Even bystanders were curious.
Some even theorized about whether, if it was indeed Wen Xusheng, then who would be his roommate?
People speculated endlessly, one theory after another, with anticipation and curiosity reaching a fever pitch!
On the day before the show aired, under the spotlight of millions, the production team finally made the official announcement.
The next second, the official Weibo post was flooded with question marks.
Two minutes later, Weibo exploded.
Ten minutes later, Mu Jincheng was trending.
Edit: Krone
Proofread: Choux_choux
