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Chapter 19 – Avoiding Suspicion
He Yujing froze for a moment, locking eyes with Jiang Liusui. The latter looked utterly sincere, but his words and actions were completely different from his usual self.
【Hahahahahahaha what’s going on?! Their dynamic isn’t quite what I imagined?!】
【When gege grabbed Jiang Liusui’s hand, my bestie and I screamed in unison, but the next second we were both dumbfounded—it really seemed like they were just good buddies.】
【They’re literally just friends, why’s everyone shipping them? He Yujing has tons of friends, do we have to ship them all? But Jiang Liusui is really nice, he didn’t even try to take advantage of the situation.】
【Waaaaa, I don’t care, brotherly affection is still affection. Them being on screen together is too pleasing to the eyes, please have them interact more!】
“Hahahahaha! That’s absolutely right! Teacher He has always been known for having impeccable taste.” The host snapped back to reality and gave an approving glance at the bracelet on Jiang Liusui’s wrist before turning to the camera with a cheerful tone. “All the guest teachers for this season have now arrived. We can see everyone is very excited for the show to air, but unfortunately, we’ll have to wait a bit longer.”
“We’re also looking forward to meeting everyone, so—bye for now!”
After the host finished speaking, the director decisively shut off the livestream despite a chorus of protests. A staff member ran over and said, “Teachers, you can head upstairs for styling first. We’ll come back down shortly to begin the official recording.”
Everyone gradually stood up. He Yujing asked, “You haven’t done your makeup either, right? Want to go together?”
Jiang Liusui hummed in agreement. Mu Zhe chimed in, “Brother Yu looks even more striking in person than in videos and photos—he’s this handsome even without makeup.”
He Yujing didn’t respond, leaving Mu Zhe looking somewhat awkward. Jiang Liusui knew it wasn’t deliberate—He Yujing simply hadn’t been paying Mu Zhe any attention at all. Quietly, he reached out and gave He Yujing a subtle poke as a reminder.
“Oh.” He Yujing finally turned his attention to Mu Zhe, a lazy smile tugging at his lips. “Thanks.”
“No need to thank me!” Mu Zhe said, clearly a little embarrassed as he looked at him. “Could I get your autograph later? I’ve been a fan of yours for a long time!”
He Yujing nodded.
The production team had arranged two large dressing rooms on the second floor, with male and female guests getting their hair and makeup done separately. Partway through the process, the chief director made a special trip over to greet He Yujing, expressing how much he loved the new song, praising everything from the melody to the music video. Even Jiang Liusui, who was sitting nearby, received repeated compliments for his on-camera presence and expressive performance.
Once the chief director had gone, a faint, almost imperceptible smile crossed Jiang Liusui’s face. He Yujing, who had already finished his makeup, noticed his expression and draped a long arm over the back of Jiang Liusui’s chair, leaning in close.
“What are you smiling about?”
“It just feels like everyone’s looking at you with stars in their eyes[mfn]星星眼 (xīng xīng yǎn)[/mfn],” Jiang Liusui teased quietly, gazing at the confident man in the mirror. “As expected of a superstar.”
He Yujing couldn’t resist reaching out and ruffling Jiang Liusui’s hair with a firm rub. The makeup artist standing nearby, who had just finished styling Jiang Liusui, immediately issued a serious warning. “Teacher He, please don’t mess with Teacher Jiang’s hair—he just got his hair done!”
He Yujing raised both hands in surrender, indicating he wouldn’t cause any more trouble. “I won’t touch him—gotta make sure Teacher Jiang looks pretty on camera.”
The stylists standing nearby were all struggling not to laugh. As if it were just idle chatter, He Yujing asked, “You know Qin Yi?”
“We worked on the same film before. He was the male lead.” Jiang Liusui noticed the person in question had just finished makeup and styling, so he called out to him, “Brother Qin, we were just talking about you.”
Qin Yi glanced at He Yujing, who appeared relaxed and casual. Even though Qin Yi had encountered many artists, none were as strikingly captivating and impossible to overlook as He Yujing. Even without seeing his face clearly, it was obvious at once that this was no ordinary man.
Qin Yi took the initiative to extend his hand. “I’ve long admired you.”
He Yujing smiled briefly and gave his hand a simple shake. “Hello.”
“I still owe him a meal,” Jiang Liusui said, suddenly remembering something amusing. “Back when we were filming, he played my older brother. The character was blind, and to really immerse himself in the role, he actually kept pretending to be blind and cooked me an entire dinner.”
As he spoke, Jiang Liusui turned to Qin Yi. “What do you feel like eating? Linzhou Island has plenty of local specialties. How about we slip out one night when there’s no recording and have a little private feast?”
Qin Yi replied nonchalantly, “No need. Just cook me a meal sometime when you’re free.”
Jiang Liusui let out an “ah,” looking a little troubled. “Are you sure? I’m not very good at cooking.”
He Yujing listened to their conversation with an indifferent expression, showing no particular emotion.
When all the guests had finished their makeup and styling and gathered in the first-floor living room, the official recording finally began.
The host greeted them cheerfully, “Hello, teachers! Welcome to the second season of ⟪Fantasy Holiday⟫! Over the next three days and two nights, we’ll be enjoying a relaxed getaway on Linzhou Island. To make this trip truly unforgettable, we’ve prepared a wide range of fun activities for you.”
“Before the holiday officially begins, the teachers will first need to move their luggage to the activity room on the second floor, making it convenient to relocate later after choosing rooms in the evening.”
This seaside villa was indeed beautiful, but it didn’t have an indoor elevator, and all the rooms were on the second floor. Carrying their luggage upstairs would be too strenuous for the female guests, so it was best to ask the male guests for help.
As everyone began to move, Xu Miao scanned the male guests. Mu Zhe, who was familiar with Shang Qingzhi, had already offered, “Sister Qingzhi, I’ll carry your luggage for you.”
“Thank you, Xiao Zhe,” Shang Qingzhi said at once.
Xu Miao turned her attention to the three men left. She first ruled out the one she couldn’t possibly boss around, then followed her heart and picked the most eye-catching of the bunch. “Jiang Liusui, could you help me with my luggage?” she asked—conveniently angling for a shared shot to stir up a bit of on-screen interaction.
“Sure, I’ll move yours first,” Jiang Liusui said, gesturing with his eyes. “These two light-colored ones?”
“Yes, yes, yes!” Xu Miao immediately signaled her cameraman and even addressed Jiang Liusui more affectionately. “Hurry, get this on camera! Suisui is helping me with my luggage—so handsome and kind!”
“No need to exaggerate,” Jiang Liusui couldn’t help but laugh. Xu Miao, who was usually quite lively, felt her heart skip a few beats when she saw him smile.
She had a weakness for good looks[mfn]颜控 (yán kòng) – lit. looks-obsessed; referring to someone who is particularly attracted to good-looking people.[/mfn], especially those of Jiang Liusui’s type. Leaning close to him, she said softly, “Um, thank you. I’ll return the favor whenever I get the chance.”
As they whispered together, the cameraman nearby recorded every detail., Once edited, there was no telling what the scene might look like on screen.
Without warning, He Yujing spoke up. “I’ll carry one for you too.”
“Ah?” Xu Miao blinked, thinking she had misheard. Seeing him staring at her expressionlessly, she immediately responded, “Oh, oh! Thank you, Teacher He!!”
The activity room was located at the corner of the staircase. He Yujing and Jiang Liusui carried Xu Miao’s luggage up one after the other, with Xu Miao repeatedly thanking them. Jiang Liusui couldn’t help but feel that she seemed extremely nervous around He Yujing,then thought to himself that most artists probably behaved this way in front of him.
Back on the first floor, noticing He Yujing’s two large suitcases, Jiang Liusui felt curious. “Why did you bring so much stuff? Do you want me to help carry your luggage?”
“Clothes,” He Yujing said simply. “I’ll carry them myself.”
Remembering how frequently He Yujing changed his outfits and accessories off-camera, these two large suitcases seemed like the bare minimum.
He had been about to tease him a little, but out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the cameraman had somehow appeared behind them[mfn]神出鬼没 (shén chū guǐ mò) – lit. appear like a god, disappear like a ghost[/mfn], invisible until now. So instead, he threw a bold thumbs-up. “As expected of you—so meticulous.”
“…?” He Yujing looked at him strangely. “Today you—” His expression flickered midway, as if a sudden realization had struck him.
The other person shot frantic glances, terrified he might blurt out something unsuitable for the cameras. Luckily, He Yujing stayed silent, letting the moment pass.
At least he was keeping himself in check.
If He Yujing had blurted out something like, “Why are you acting so weird today?” Jiang Liusui felt he would have coughed up three liters of blood on the spot and completely lost his composure.
For this program recording, Jiang Liusui had only brought one small suitcase, which he effortlessly carried upstairs. The others had already arranged their luggage neatly in a row, leaving him as the only person in the activity room.
Just as he was about to slide his suitcase into the line, a casual knock sounded on the open door. Turning, Jiang Liusui saw He Yujing leaning effortlessly against the frame. His hands were empty—clearly, he hadn’t come to help with luggage.
He Yujing removed his personal mic and said to Jiang Liusui’s cameraman, “Please step out for a moment. I need to speak with him alone.”
Once the cameraman had left, he shut the door behind him. Jiang Liusui grinned teasingly. “What’s so important that it needs to be said behind closed doors?”
He Yujing didn’t respond immediately. With a deliberate motion, he locked the door and asked, “Today… are you acting like this on purpose?”
“What?”
“Your attitude toward me during the livestream was… strange,” He Yujing said, counting off each incident on his fingers, cataloging the day’s anomalies. “In the dressing room, when no cameras were around, you were perfectly normal. But the moment the cameraman showed just like now, your behavior completely changed.”
Recalling how hard Jiang Liusui had worked to convey brotherly affection, He Yujing chuckled. “What’s going on with you? Are you deliberately keeping your distance from me?”
For some reason, he deliberately added, “Then why aren’t you doing the same with Qin Yi?”
Jiang Liusui stared at him, momentarily speechless.
Seriously…
Couldn’t he just leave it at that? Did he have to press for an answer? Doesn’t he realize how offensive this is?
For a moment, silence filled the room. He Yujing began to wonder if he had been too harsh, when he heard a muffled, almost reluctant voice say, “…Because I don’t want to ride on your popularity, and I don’t want the production team to edit things out of context.”
Mentioning Qin Yi, Jiang Liusui muttered under his breath, “Why would I need to avoid him? Hardly anyone even knows we’re friends off-camera.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than He Yujing suddenly laughed out loud.
Jiang Liusui shot him an annoyed glare. Perhaps because He Yujing had always been so gentle and considerate toward him, being teased even slightly made Jiang Liusui’s tone unconsciously carry a hint of grievance: “You clearly already guessed it, did you really need me to say it out loud?”
“I’m not mocking you,” He Yujing saw him pouting and quickly coaxed in a soft voice. “Why is your head full of all these ridiculous ideas? Honestly, I find the way you think kind of… amusing.”
After so many years in the industry, this was the first time he’d encountered someone who actively avoided him.
If this guy were a bit more calculating—pretending to be obedient and trying to please him—that might not be so bad either.
Jiang Liusui could only roll his eyes. “No need to flatter me. If you want to laugh, just laugh, Yu-ge.”
“This isn’t flattery,” He Yujing said, his eyes twinkling, voice soft and soothing as if calming him.qq
“……”
Even though it still sounded like nonsense, the way he said it was so sincere and pleasant that Jiang Liusui couldn’t help but feel a bit pleased.
Seeing him relax, his brows and eyes smoothing out and a smile returning, He Yujing brought the topic back on track: “Alright, let’s get serious. Although I’m glad you’re thinking about me, there’s really no need to worry too much.”
“I came on this show with my team’s full consideration, and I’ve already anticipated the possible ways the production team might edit things. So you don’t need to be concerned on my behalf.”
“But…” Jiang Liusui began, but He Yujing raised a finger, signaling him to pause, a quiet command for silence. “Are you feeling wronged by being associated with me on the show?”
“Of course not.” Jiang Liusui denied without hesitation. “My agent would be thrilled just to have me share a screen with you. Before coming here, he tried every way to get me to interact with you—just short of outright telling me to cling to you.”
As they spoke, they stood close enough for He Yujing to catch the faint scent clinging to Jiang Liusui, likely from his shower gel or fabric softener. The makeup artist had applied a sheer lip gloss to Jiang Liusui’s lips, giving them a translucent, petal-like pink sheen.
He Yujing’s mind drifted, suddenly imagining pressing his thumb down, applying just enough pressure to feel the movement of those lips as they parted and closed…
Snapping back to reality[mfn]回过神来 (huí guò shén lái) – lit. have one’s mind come back[/mfn], He Yujing froze for a moment.
What on earth had he just been thinking?
“From now on, just treat me the same as always. Be natural.” He deliberately stepped back, restoring a proper social distance. The subtle, lingering scent vanished with the movement.
“After all, asking me to be the kind of buddy who links arms and calls you ‘bro’[mfn]This is a call back to how JLS act about the “matching bracelet” at the end of last chapter.[/mfn] is asking a bit too much.”
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