Xu Shuyan was, without a doubt, beautiful.
Whether she was young and inexperienced or mature and sophisticated, even when they were rivals in love and now just ordinary teammates, Lin Yi had to admit that Xu Shuyan’s looks were a wild dance on her personal aesthetic preferences. Every part of her was perfectly beautiful; every feature stunned her.
But when the curtain of the fitting room was slowly drawn back and she saw Xu Shuyan standing on the circular platform in a wedding dress, she couldn’t help but marvel. Was Xu Shuyan’s face God’s final thesis project?!
The wedding dress was an off-the-shoulder style with a long, white train that trailed on the floor, sparkling with the bling of crushed diamonds. Her waist was slender, accentuating the full curve of her bust. Her beautiful, delicate collarbones were eye-catching, and a pearl necklace adorned her fair, slender, swan-like neck. Her long hair was swept up, earrings swaying gently, and a golden tiara made her look all the more noble and beautiful.
When she turned slightly, the lines of her profile were exquisite, and her prominent butterfly shoulder blades were an invitation to be touched.
Lin Yi’s fingertips twitched, then pulled back.
While Xu Shuyan was changing, the accompanying photographer had set up a camera on the table, specifically to capture her expression. Before the curtain opened, she had already planned how she would act.
Something exaggerated would be good, preferably an immediate “Wow!” followed by a shower of effusive compliments, like “Yanyan, you’re so beautiful!” “This is too gorgeous!” “Let me hug you, beauty!”
But at this moment, all words lost their color.
She didn’t know how long she stood there, frozen, until she heard Xu Shuyan’s impatient “Hey.” “You’re spacing out even at a time like this? Well? How is it?”
As she spoke, Xu Shuyan looked down and fiddled with the hem of her dress, a little self-conscious. She waited anxiously for Lin Yi to speak.
“Beautiful,” Lin Yi said.
The frustration in Xu Shuyan’s heart dissipated slightly, but she was still unsatisfied. “Just one word? Do you know how long it took me to put on this wedding dress? It’s such a pain to wear. Right now, you’re going to praise me for a full three hundred words!”
Lin Yi snapped out of her daze. “Don’t make things so difficult!”
Xu Shuyan didn’t care. “Aren’t you supposed to be at my beck and call today? You have to praise me. If you don’t, I’m not leaving!”
Lin Yi was speechless.
She suspected that if Xu Shuyan weren’t constrained by the wedding dress, she would actually sit on the floor and throw a tantrum. A dark line appeared on her forehead. “Are you a child?”
Xu Shuyan was completely unfazed by her mockery. “I don’t care.”
Lin Yi’s head ached. She recalled the over-the-top compliments she’d seen fans post on Weibo and began to recite them, mortified. “Sister’s legs aren’t legs, they’re the spring waters of the Seine. Sister’s waist isn’t a waist, it’s the deadly blade of an assassin, Sister-”
“Stop!” Xu Shuyan was the first one who couldn’t take it anymore. “I want something original.”
“You’re being too demanding!” Lin Yi slammed the table in protest. “It’s already impressive that I can recite these. You should be grate-” She paused, a brilliant idea suddenly popping into her head. “How about I sing you a song?”
It was inconvenient for Xu Shuyan to move in the wedding dress, so she stood on the platform. The soft, bright light shone down from above, making her look gentle and tender. When she heard Lin Yi’s suggestion, her first reaction was that Lin Yi was trying to fob her off again. She subconsciously wanted to retort, but then she glanced at her own graceful reflection in the mirror and held back.
She smiled. “Go ahead and sing.”
If Lin Yi dared to sing some ridiculous meme song, she would really disregard this dress and fight her, and she would definitely give order number 0813 a terrible review!
Lin Yi clearly remembered they were filming a variety show and was mindful of her task. She didn’t sing anything ridiculous, but the moment she opened her mouth, everyone present was stunned.
“The fragrance of spring flowers carries away the winter chill / A gentle breeze brings an unexpected love / The birds’ high songs pull us closer…” Lin Yi stood up and walked toward Xu Shuyan, her voice light and cheerful. “And in this moment, I suddenly fall in love with you.”
It was “Today You Will Marry Me.”
The cameraman was dumbfounded: Teacher Lin, what… what were you thinking?
The sales associate was dumbfounded: She had already recognized them as members of a certain domestic girl group filming a variety show, but was this part of the script? Was this something that could be broadcast?
Xu Shuyan was dumbfounded: …Does Lin Yi even know what she’s singing???
Later, when this episode aired, it was hailed by Yan Zhi You Yi CP fans as the shining light of fan service in the industry. It wasn’t a dating show, but it was better than one. They wrote lengthy analyses on what stage Yan Zhi You Yi was in at this point, concluding they were “passionately in love” and then loudly proclaiming: The Gu Group’s house has collapsed again!
This attracted curious passersby to click on the episode, making it the most popular one of the season.
[Just a passerby, but I have to ask, is this a wedding documentary?]
[When did they come out?]
[Do fans have to be so dramatic? I really thought the Gu Group’s house had collapsed again and was ready for the tea, but instead I got stuffed with a mouthful of PDA? Where’s the wedding banquet, I can’t wait to go!]
[How could Lin Yi sing this song? And she sang “And in this moment, I suddenly fall in love with you” while walking straight toward Xu Shuyan. I %#￥*&@… anyone who didn’t know better would think the “I do, I do” part was about to start…]
[Listen to me, hand in hand, we’ll walk together, give your life to me… I’m crying, I’m really crying from shipping them!!!]
[I don’t know about anything else, but Lin Yi sings beautifully. The skills of The Notes’ one and only main vocal are on full display. Interested passersby can check out her collected works, you won’t regret it!]
[CP fans, stop fantasizing. My daughter was just singing a random song, she didn’t think that much about it. Why are you still shipping, why are you still shipping?]
[Moms, don’t get so worked up!]
It had to be said, Lin Yi’s fans knew her well. She really hadn’t thought much about it when she sang that song; she just felt it suited the atmosphere. Otherwise, if there had been a piano on site, she absolutely would have played “A Dream Wedding” for Xu Shuyan.
After singing half the song, Lin Yi touched Xu Shuyan’s tiara and gave a wink. “Are you satisfied now, Your Highness?”
Xu Shuyan lowered her eyes, refusing to give in completely. “…It was okay. Passable, I guess.”
Lin Yi knew Xu Shuyan all too well. “Okay” meant “pretty good,” and “passable” meant it passed. Suppressing a laugh, she linked her arm with Xu Shuyan’s. In the large, wall-sized fitting mirror, she tilted her head and leaned it against Xu Shuyan’s, nuzzling her. “Our Yanyan is so pretty.”
Xu Shuyan’s face flushed, and she grew wary again. “Why are you suddenly complimenting me?”
Lin Yi smiled at her reflection in the mirror.
Xu Shuyan: “?”
Lin Yi stood up straight. “Let’s move on to the next outfit!”
Xu Shuyan: “…”
NO!!!
Xu Shuyan tried on dresses until two in the afternoon. When she finally changed back into her regular clothes, she was so exhausted she collapsed onto the sofa. She placed her bare foot on top of Lin Yi’s and pressed down lightly. “I told you I didn’t want to try on any more!”
“Oh, come on, we were already here.” Lin Yi sipped the lemonade the shop provided, her eyes curving into crescents as she smiled. “How could we not try them on to our heart’s content?”
“Whose heart’s content? I’m asking, whose heart’s content?” Xu Shuyan hugged a bucket of popcorn and ate from it, indignantly accusing Lin Yi, “It was yours, wasn’t it?”
Lin Yi let out a sigh. “What’s the difference between you being happy and me being happy? Why draw a line between us?”
The follow PD was speechless.
Why did this conversation sound more and more off to her?
Lin Yi and Xu Shuyan were used to bickering and didn’t notice anything amiss. After a bit more back-and-forth, Xu Shuyan played her trump card. “What happened to being at my beck and call? Are you in any position to argue with me?”
A fawning smile immediately appeared on Lin Yi’s face. “I’m sorry. Are you hungry? Why don’t we go get something to eat first?”
Only then was Xu Shuyan satisfied. “What should we eat?”
Lin Yi suggested enthusiastically, “How about hot pot? There’s nothing in this world that can’t be solved with a hot pot meal. If there is, then make it two!”
A while ago, after the Gu Group resumed work, Chen Yuan had completely separated from the group. Although she still lived in the dorm, she no longer commuted with them.
Facing the reality that the group was now one person short and that Chen Yuan wasn’t coming back, Lin Yi could hold it together during the day, but at night she would toss and turn, unable to sleep. At three in the morning, she went out for hot pot. Xu Shuyan, worried about her going out alone, followed her, sitting across from her and yawning as she watched her eat and cry.
After seeing it too many times, she had firmly blacklisted hot pot and didn’t want to see it again anytime soon.
So, upon hearing Lin Yi’s suggestion, she reached out and pinched the back of Lin Yi’s neck, her tone menacingly sweet. “Why don’t you think again about what to eat?”
A chill ran down Lin Yi’s neck. “I booked a table at 18 Mingshan Road!”
Xu Shuyan hummed in confusion. “Don’t they only serve dinner? And you have to book in advance.” She sat up. “There’s no way you could have made a reservation in time, right?”
Lin Yi pinched her cheek. “When enough money is involved, who needs rules?”
A French restaurant with a minimum spend of four thousand yuan per person, only serving dinner on business days, and with only one table for ten. How much money would it take for the restaurant to make an exception and open for two people on a Saturday afternoon?
Xu Shuyan glanced at the camera. “The production team must have spent a fortune.”
The follow PD said, “This expense was not covered by the production team.”
Xu Shuyan’s eyes widened slightly, and she looked at Lin Yi with a hint of disbelief. “You paid for it?” She frowned. “Do you have too much money and nowhere to spend it? Why eat somewhere so expensive?”
“Oh, it’s not that expensive!” Lin Yi said. “The French chef there is a fan of yours. The moment I said it was a surprise for you, he agreed with both hands and feet. It’s all thanks to you, really. It’s usually so hard to get a table there!”
Xu Shuyan was still frowning.
Lin Yi narrowed her eyes. “You’re not worried about my money, are you?”
Xu Shuyan immediately denied it. “Of course not!”
She insisted stubbornly, “…I’m just afraid the portions will be too small, and it’s expensive, so we won’t even get full.”
That was true. At high-end restaurants like this, you were paying for the atmosphere. The dishes were exquisite but not plentiful, with tiny portions that were barely a mouthful. You couldn’t expect to eat until you were full, not to mention they were filming a show and couldn’t drink alcohol.
Lin Yi considered it. “Then let’s just treat it as afternoon tea!”
After all, Lin Yi had gone through the trouble of booking the place, so Xu Shuyan didn’t want to be too much of a wet blanket. Still, she couldn’t help but grumble, “An afternoon tea that costs four thousand per person.”
When they arrived, Xu Shuyan realized she had underestimated the cost. Lin Yi was determined to give her the full princess treatment that day and had ordered all the most expensive dishes. All in all, even eight thousand per person wouldn’t cover it.
The chef was a die-hard fan of Xu Shuyan. His Mandarin was poor, but he could rap Xu Shuyan’s parts fluently. After serving the appetizer, he performed one for Xu Shuyan before running out with a red face. When it was time for the main course, he brought them a plate of truffle toast and gave an elegant gentleman’s bow. “I wish you both a pleasant meal.”
Before leaving, he cast a shy glance at Xu Shuyan.
Lin Yi saw it all and said sourly, “Does he know you were just trying on wedding dresses with me?”
Xu Shuyan was starving and started eating the moment the chef left. Lin Yi had spoken softly, so she didn’t hear clearly and looked up. “What?”
Lin Yi regretted her words as soon as she said them. “Nothing!”
She took a bite of lobster, listening to the sound of waves from the projector, her mind wandering. It must be because she’d been in character all day, which made her feel a possessiveness toward Xu Shuyan that she shouldn’t have. She felt annoyed when anyone else looked at Xu Shuyan for too long.
This was normal.
It meant she was professional.
Although she had convinced herself in her mind, for the rest of the meal, Lin Yi intentionally kept a slight distance from Xu Shuyan. The meal was quiet and slow, and by the time they finished dessert, they were about half full.
“Did you have fun?” Lin Yi asked, propping her chin on her hand.
Xu Shuyan couldn’t resist ordering a glass of red wine. She swirled the stem of the glass between her fingers, her face slightly flushed. She could hear her heart pounding, so she avoided Lin Yi’s gaze. “I did.”
Lin Yi clinked her glass of juice against Xu Shuyan’s. “There’s more fun to come! Let’s go! To the music festival!”
The music festival started at six in the evening, located in a park downtown. A stage was set up on the open lawn, blasting electrifying music. The atmosphere was already hyped up before it even began.
Since it was a gathering place for fangirls, the follow PD hid the camera for covert filming before they entered. Xu Shuyan and Lin Yi disguised themselves slightly, wearing masks, hats, and sunglasses. They looked less like they were attending a concert and more like they were there for a secret rendezvous.
Not only did they attract attention, but people also whispered about them.
“Wow! Beauties! They both have such great figures! And they’re sticking so close together, my gaydar is going off!”
“Not just close, they’re holding hands!”
“Damn, that beauty smelled so good when she passed me! I’m gonna go ask her what perfume she’s wearing!”
“Keep it simple. Your reason for hitting on her should be simpler.”
Xu Shuyan and Lin Yi had expected to be approached. They had planned to ignore any men who came up to them, but they didn’t expect a cute girl with pigtails to run over, blushing, and ask what perfume they were wearing.
Ignoring her would be rude.
Answering her would likely expose them.
After exchanging a look, they decided to take a chance. Xu Shuyan deliberately lowered her voice, told the girl the name of the perfume, and quickly pulled Lin Yi away. The girl with pigtails stood there for a moment, then dashed back to her friend. “Yan Zhi You Yi! It’s Xu Shuyan and Lin Yi!”
“No way,” her friend, who didn’t follow the domestic entertainment scene, said, looking at their retreating backs. “Don’t just say it’s Yan Zhi You Yi because you see two girls who match!”
The pigtail girl grew anxious. “It’s true! I’ve been a fan of the Gu Group since their debut, how could I be mistaken?”
Her friend remained skeptical. “If they were coming to a music festival, they’d have VIP access, right? Why would they be squeezing through the regular entrance with us like this?”
The pigtail girl was already convinced it was them, exploding with a series of muffled sobs. “They’re so perfect, so perfect! Our Yan Zhi You Yi is so perfect! I knew they were close in private! There are more romantic secrets in the unseen corners, sob sob sob, Mama is so relieved! Our Yan Zhi You Yi really got married!”
Her friend was speechless.
CP fans really did have a strong capacity for divergent thinking.
While one side was still immersed in the excitement of seeing their idols and witnessing their CP being real, Xu Shuyan and Lin Yi were being approached so frequently that they eventually got fed up. They found a tree to hide behind for some peace and quiet, only slipping into the crowd when the festival officially began.
The festival featured professional singers, rappers, folk artists, bands, and members of active girl and boy groups. Some sang quietly, while others jumped off the stage to party with the audience. When the band came on, the beat of the drums sent the entire crowd into a frenzy, pushing the atmosphere to its peak.
Lin Yi got hyped up too, waving her light stick and jumping more enthusiastically than anyone, screaming, “Xu Shuyan!”
The place was deafening, and she didn’t expect Xu Shuyan to hear her, but she did. Xu Shuyan shouted back, “Don’t yell my name! What if we get recognized?”
Lin Yi grabbed her arm. “Who’s paying attention to us? Everyone’s having a blast!”
Xu Shuyan figured she was right and let it go. She never expected that during the transition between two stage performances, someone next to them would poke Lin Yi and ask, “Are you Lin Yi from The Notes?”
Lin Yi reacted instantly. “I’m not!”
The person then looked at Xu Shuyan. “Are you Xu Shuyan from The Notes?”
Xu Shuyan also immediately said, “I’m not!”
It would have been better if they hadn’t spoken. The moment they did, the person became even more certain, jumping up and down excitedly. “It really is Xu Shuyan and Lin Yi! Ahhh! Oh my god, I’ve liked you guys for so long!”
Xu Shuyan: “…”
Lin Yi: “…”
Wait? Didn’t they just deny it???
One stone stirred a thousand waves. The audience, who had been calming down, immediately looked over. Among them were many die-hard fans of the Gu Group who didn’t even need to see their faces; they could recognize their idols by their figures alone.
“Xu Shuyan! It’s really Xu Shuyan! Oh my god! Wife!”
“Who’s next to her?”
“Don’t tell me it’s Lin Yi!”
“It is Lin Yi! My god! It really is Lin Yi!”
“Ahhh! I’m at a music festival with Xu Shuyan and Lin Yi!”
As more and more people on the lawn spotted them, they naturally caught the attention of the organizers. The mid-show break was originally planned for some interactive games, but seeing that Xu Shuyan and Lin Yi were there, the organizers weren’t about to let the free publicity go to waste. The director came on stage and asked Xu Shuyan and Lin Yi to perform a song.
The microphone was handed to Xu Shuyan, and a camera zoomed in, projecting her and Lin Yi onto the large screen on stage. She pulled down her mask and said helplessly, “Director, Xiao Yi and I are here to watch the festival.”
“Exactly,” Lin Yi also took off her mask and leaned into the microphone. “Singing costs extra!”
Her words sent the whole crowd into laughter.
Then the cheering grew even louder. “I’ll pay for it!” “Director, transfer the money to Lin Yi and Xu Shuyan right now, don’t let that unlucky company Sweet Melon Entertainment take a cut!” “I’ll chip in fifty!” “I’ll chip in two hundred!”
Lin Yi looked at Xu Shuyan, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
Xu Shuyan was also speechless.
Lin Yi raised her eyebrows at her. “Sing or not?”
In truth, after listening from the audience for so long, her heart, which hadn’t been on a proper stage for nearly twenty days, was already itching. With Lin Yi’s suggestion, she was tempted. “Sing what?”
“‘Cotton Candy’?”
They had recently started choosing solo songs for their summer tour. Lin Yi didn’t have many options and had been listening to a lot of songs. This one was old but didn’t sound dated, and it was sweet. She often had her smart speaker play it in her room, so much so that even Xu Shuyan knew how to sing it.
Xu Shuyan hesitated. “Isn’t it a bit too sappy?”
Lin Yi said, “You choose then. I’ll listen to you today, anyway.”
Xu Shuyan licked her lips and lifted her chin. “Let’s do that one.”
With that, her hand, which had been gripping Lin Yi’s arm, slid down to take her hand, their fingers slowly intertwining. The crowd automatically parted to create a path to the stage. Under the watchful eyes of thousands, they walked onto the stage, hand in hand.
A cheerful, sweet BGM began to play.
The production team’s cameraman openly took out his equipment and started filming. His high-definition footage wouldn’t be released until the show aired, but the audience members had no such restrictions, filming short videos and uploading them to the internet as they watched.
[What the??? Xu Shuyan and Lin Yi went to a music festival??]
[OMG OMG OMG?]
[Is this for real? The festival is in the park right next to my house!]
[A love song duet!!!]
[Yan Zhi You Yi has another duo stage!]
[Ahhhhh! I was supposed to go! But I transferred my ticket because of overtime! Fuck! I lost my closest chance to see Xu Shuyan!]
[Solo fans should be glad they didn’t go! This is basically Yan Zhi You Yi’s wedding. Who objects?]
[Such a sweet song! Such a sweet couple!]
[Fuck, when they sang “You are the cotton candy in my heart, a sweet dream,” Xu Shuyan kept looking at Lin Yi! She’s using the lyrics to speak her heart, right? Lin Yi, stop interacting with the audience! Look at Xu Shuyan!]
[This song has been added to the Yan Zhi You Yi love song playlist…]
[Shipping Yan Zhi You Yi is a blessing!]
Many years later, when asked which Yan Zhi You Yi collaboration stage was their favorite, many CP fans would answer with this impromptu performance of “Cotton Candy.” When asked why, they would all say, “Because we saw their passion.”
At the intersection of an early summer dusk and night, the setting sun sank between the buildings, and stars and the moon filled the sky. The evening breeze was cool. Amidst the waving light sticks and glistening sweat, Lin Yi and Xu Shuyan sang a sweet duet, their smiles bold and unrestrained.
For them, it was a far more modest stage, a far more casual outfit, and far more everyday makeup than they were used to.
But in those three minutes and forty-eight seconds, people saw passion.
Passion for the stage, and passion for each other.
In the end, Sweet Melon Entertainment had to send people to pick up Lin Yi and Xu Shuyan. Many fans who knew they were there couldn’t get in but had all flocked to the park entrance. The company sent enough security to escort them safely to the car.
In the nanny van, Sister Fang was waiting for them with her arms crossed.
Lin Yi was startled, then smiled and threw herself at her, acting cute. “Sister Fang, what brings you here?”
Sister Fang shuddered, trying to shake her off. “Cut it out. If I’d come any later, I probably would have seen hashtags like #XuShuyanLinYiComeOut# and #TheNotesInternalCollapse# on the trending list.”
Lin Yi gave a dry laugh. “It’s not that exaggerated, is it? We were just doing fan service.”
Sister Fang said earnestly, “There has to be a limit to fan service. Don’t do it like it’s real. People will say you’re straight girls queerbaiting, and that’s a sin that’ll get you struck by lightning!”
“They seemed to be having a great time shipping us,” Lin Yi muttered under her breath. “Besides, we just sang a song…”
“Sang a song?” Sister Fang shoved her phone screen in Lin Yi’s face. “You two were singing a love song while gazing deeply into each other’s eyes? Is that how you look at a teammate? Is there anything innocent about that look?”
It was too close. Lin Yi had to lean back to see clearly.
The photo was probably taken by a fan in the audience. She and Xu Shuyan were holding hands while singing, the smiles on their faces and in their eyes impossible to hide. At first glance, they did look very much in love.
…But she was innocent!
Lin Yi declared righteously, “It is!”
Sister Fang scoffed and shoved the phone at Xu Shuyan. “Is it? I’m asking you, is it?”
Xu Shuyan glanced at it.
It really wasn’t.
She lied without batting an eye. “It is.”
After a pause, she added, “Stop shipping, Sister Fang.”
Sister Fang: “???”
Who was shipping!!!
Get instant access to all the chapters now.
