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Chapter 25 – Chat
Upon hearing those words, He Yujing’s expression froze on his face.
What does that mean?
For Qin Yi, it was specially prepared, but when it came to him, it became helping out because it can’t all be finished?
He Yujing had initially been somewhat pleased to hear that Jiang Liusui had grilled the food himself, but now his expression darkened again. He wasn’t the type to hide his feelings, so he asked with a half-smile, “So you only thought of me because you couldn’t finish it?”
“……” Jiang Liusui was stung by the dissatisfaction in his tone and belatedly sensed that something was wrong.
Jiang Liusui had assumed that He Yujing saw him go over to Qin Yi first and then brought the plate, thinking all of it was just leftovers for him. Realizing that He Yujing probably had never been treated as “second priority” in his life, Jiang Liusui suddenly understood.
Someone with He Yujing’s privileged temper, who couldn’t stand being wronged, needed to be handled with care. Jiang Liusui asked innocently, “What’s wrong? I haven’t eaten either, so I came to eat with you.”
“I owed Qin-ge a meal, so I brought him some earlier. But it was mostly vegetables, the meat had just finished grilling.” As he spoke, he sat down beside him and placed the wooden plate laden with barbecue on the table. “Want to try? Xu Miao said it tasted pretty good while it was grilling.”
He Yujing stared at him for a moment, his sharp, upward-tilted gaze glinting faintly.
At last, the man lounging in the lazy chair straightened up and said casually, “Then… let’s eat together.”
Jiang Liusui smiled silently.
Neither of them were particularly hungry, so they ate at a leisurely pace, chatting in between bites. The sea breeze, the warm glow of the evening, and the casual barbecue—somehow, it fit perfectly with the show’s vacation vibe.
Seizing the moment, Jiang Liusui finally asked the question he’d been wondering about.
“Why did you decide to join the show?” Even though Jiang Chuan had previously said that He Yujing had declined ⟪Fantasy Holiday⟫, when he saw the final guest list, he thought there must have been some mistake.
The camera was filming from the side. Jiang Liusui spoke vaguely: “Before… I thought you weren’t interested.”
“After this recording wraps up, I’ll be going back to release an album,” He Yujing understood what he meant. “I have a tour in the second half of the year and many pre-arranged schedules. I figured I’d take some time to relax now while I still can.”
But those were just the reasons he could say out loud. As for the real one…
The real reason was simpler. After the MV shoot, he’d found Jiang Liusui intriguing. He needed to appear on a variety show anyway, so he picked the one Jiang Liusui was on.
Looking back now, that decision seemed to have been the right one.
Jiang Liusui was visibly surprised—he hadn’t expected He Yujing to answer so honestly. “Aren’t you worried about revealing your schedule so openly on the show?”
He Yujing shrugged indifferently. “Why wouldn’t it be? By the time the episode airs, the album will already be released. Fans can piece together the rest themselves.”
When Jiang Liusui nodded, looking like he half understood, He Yujing abruptly shifted gears, clearly teasing him. “But for now, you’re the only one who knows. If my schedule gets leaked, I’ll assume it was you.”
“……” Jiang Liusui gave him a speechless look for a moment before earnestly promising, Jiang Liusui stared at him for a moment, at a loss for words, then answered with unexpected seriousness. “No matter where your first concert is, I’ll be there to support you.”
“Oh, really?” He Yujing didn’t take his words at face value. Instead, he deliberately drawled in a mischievous tone, “But my concert tickets are notoriously hard to get. There’s no guarantee you’ll even make it in.”
Jiang Liusui couldn’t hold back a laugh. He remembered Director Huang once saying during the MV shoot that no matter what role he played, He Yujing carried himself with the kind of arrogance that screamed “I’m a big deal”—an assessment that was actually spot-on.
“Then could you make an exception for me, superstar?” He tugged lightly at the sleeve of He Yujing’s hoodie. “Save me a ticket.”
“I’ll think about it.”
Seeing He Yujing still putting on airs, Jiang Liusui was about to tease him further when He Yujing suddenly slipped a Bluetooth earpiece into his ear. “—But I can let you hear it first.”
He Yujing spoke as he scrolled through his phone. The cameraman consciously avoided zooming in, switching to a wide shot instead. Jiang Liusui also slightly averted his gaze, deliberately not looking at the screen.
A slightly dark bassline and electronic drumbeats began playing in his ear. The moment He Yujing’s voice came through, it overpowered the aggressive accompaniment.
The opening rap flowed freely and smoothly, each pause placed with perfect precision. His vocal tone was unmistakable—distinct without being affected, confident without showing off—carrying a quality that no one else could quite replicate.
The once weighty chords softened and brightened as the song slipped into the chorus, and He Yujing’s voice followed suit, turning light and gentle. The first half felt like cold, radiant crystal; the chorus, by contrast, was a flower sealed inside it, breaking through the surface and blooming outward from shimmering cracks.
Jiang Liusui rarely encountered music with such intricate, layered arrangement. He listened, utterly engrossed, and couldn’t help asking, “Is this your lead single this time? What’s it called?”
The person beside him lit up his phone screen, and Jiang Liusui saw the song title—
⟪Advent of Dawn⟫
Touching the white sun, the suspended flames birth colors.
No wonder the song’s rhythm was intense, carrying a force that felt like breaking through chaos.
While quietly marveling at how well the song title matched the music, Jiang Liusui spoke with genuine admiration: “I thought the last single was already amazing. This one’s just as good—and it’s a completely different style.”
He Yujing’s music had an astonishing reach. In bustling malls and subway stations, in chaotic nightclubs, in cafés on university campuses, during halftime at sporting events—everywhere, his unmistakable voice surfaced again and again. Among Jiang Liusui’s friends and classmates, plenty could sing every one of his songs from start to finish. Shen Sijia used to rave endlessly about how talented her gege was.
But even though He Yujing’s influence had already reached this level, Jiang Liusui—who didn’t usually pay much attention to these things—had never quite felt it for himself.
Only now, sitting side by side with him and listening as his voice flowed directly into his ear, did Jiang Liusui truly realized it for the first time: He Yujing really was as gifted as everyone said, fully deserving of all the acclaim he had received.
He Yujing was not only responsible for writing the lyrics and composing the music—he was also the producer behind the track.
From the smallest details—every drumbeat, every harmony—to the overall structure of the song, it was all personally overseen by him in his role as lead producer.
As the song neared its end, Jiang Liusui directly dragged the progress bar back to the beginning and started it over again. Seeing how much he liked it, He Yujing felt proud inwardly but couldn’t resist teasing: “What, thinking of becoming my fan?”
Jiang Liusui didn’t answer immediately. Just as He Yujing thought he hadn’t heard, Jiang Liusui mimicked his earlier mysterious tone, replying arrogantly: “I’ll think about it.”
He Yujing suddenly laughed out loud and gave his head a firm rub. “Not bad—you even dare to joke around with me now.”
The beach barbecue segment came to an end, and the production team asked everyone to take a short break before resuming filming back at the villa.
Jiang Liusui switched off his mic and headed for the restroom. After asking a staff member for directions, he followed a path lined with palm trees until he finally spotted a small, unremarkable building tucked away in the grove.
It was surprisingly secluded.
When he came back out and was about to retrace his steps, he suddenly heard the sound of someone talking on the phone coming from the palm grove ahead.
Unlike his usual tone, the young man’s voice sounded sweet and soft, carrying a hint of coyness as he said, ““Of course I miss you. We haven’t seen each other for days—I miss you so much it hurts… I miss you holding me most of all.”
Whatever the person on the other end said, the boy responded with a hint of petulance. “Don’t doubt me! When you’re back, I’ll let you check for yourself.”
That voice—Mu Zhe?!
Jiang Liusui abruptly stopped in his tracks.
His eyes widened involuntarily. Embarrassed, his instinct was to turn and flee. But just as he stepped forward, Jiang Liusui forcibly made himself stop.
If he walked out now, wouldn’t that be the same as telling Mu Zhe outright that he’d overheard his phone call?
Mu Zhe is a rising star in the idol world. Even if he’s in a relationship, there’s no way it could be made public. Moreover, the person he is dating seems to be a… guy??
Jiang Liusui had stumbled into someone else’s secret relationship completely by accident and had no idea what to do. Then he heard Mu Zhe’s voice drifting through the phone: “This show is actually pretty fun. Everyone’s really friendly…”
“But I’ve definitely offended He Yujing.”Mu Zhe sounded tired as he recalled the way He Yujing’s expression had suddenly darkened. “He’s met so many fans—he probably saw through my act from the start… And with my terrible acting… I was out of my mind to agree to this in the first place…”
There was a pause, then Mu Zhe added hesitantly: “I’m already halfway through the role. I can’t just quit now, can I? And… I really do respect Yu-ge. I’m just feeling insecure, a little afraid of him.”
Ah—so he’s just a fake fan after all.
Recalling how, since the recording began, every time Mu Zhe cautiously tried to be friendly, He Yujing had responded with indifference. Jiang Liusui realized He Yujing had probably figured it out long ago but hadn’t exposed him.
Snapping back to reality, Jiang Liusui pinched himself hard.
Stop! This isn’t the time to think about that.
Should he leave now?! If he left now, he’d make noise—and since Mu Zhe just admitted he’s a fake fan, Jiang Liusui felt a shiver of embarrassment just thinking about it.
As he agonized, the conversation seemed to shift topics. Mu Zhe tentatively asked: “By the way… that show I mentioned before, the one where you can promote your songs… ah, really?! I can actually be on it???”
“—Thank you, husband! You’re the best!!” Mu Zhe gushed, planting a kiss straight onto the phone.
Jiang Liusui: “…?”
Hu—husband??!!
No way! He really did not need to hear this kind of private stuff—and of all times, why now? Why did he have to stumble right into someone’s phone call like this?!
This was the first time he’d ever heard someone use that term so intimately in real life, complete with affectionate kisses. He was utterly stunned, frozen in place.
Hearing them talk about “resources,” Jiang Liusui guessed the person on the other end probably wasn’t Mu Zhe’s partner. Still… it was absolutely not the right time to make an exit so he had no choice but to stand awkwardly under the palm tree, waiting for Mu Zhe to finish his call.
He didn’t want to pry into someone else’s privacy. Mechanically, he reached into his pocket for earphones, hoping to find something to block his ears. But he realized he had not only forgotten to bring earphones, he hadn’t even brought his phone.
Jiang Liusui’s fingers paused as a desperate wail echoed in his heart.
Damn…!
The call had barely lasted ten minutes, but to Jiang Liusui, it felt like a whole day had dragged by. When Mu Zhe finally hung up and walked away, he exhaled sharply, relief washing over him as he hurried back toward the villa.
Perhaps it was just his imagination, but on the way back to the villa, he kept feeling Mu Zhe’s gaze on him from time to time.
Even though he had unintentionally overheard the call, he still felt guilty about eavesdropping. Jiang Liusui unconsciously glanced towards Mu Zhe, only to find the latter turning his head at that exact moment.
Their eyes met, and both were momentarily stunned.
Mu Zhe blinked first, stammering: “Y-you… were looking at me?”
Jiang Liusui managed to stay calm. Even though his heart was racing, his face betrayed nothing. “No, I wasn’t.”
“Oh…” Mu Zhe replied hesitantly.
Upon entering the villa, everyone thought they could simply wrap up the recording, but the host announced with a smile that room assignments would be reshuffled tonight. The atmosphere shifted immediately. Expressions changed instantly. Xu Miao’s voice, full of genuine distress, sounded: “Why are you always so eager to stir up drama?”
Drawing from previous experience, they decided to assign rooms through rock-paper-scissors. Eventually, only Xu Miao, Jiang Liusui, and He Yujing remained. Jiang Liusui suggested: “How about I share the double room with Yu-ge, and you take the single room?”
“No!” Xu Miao said firmly. “We agreed on rock-paper-scissors. What’s this? Trying to sneak off and stay together behind my back?”
“……” Jiang Liusui had nothing to say.
He Yujing chuckled ambiguously, and Xu Miao shivered immediately. Although she was making a fuss, she knew that the production team would never let male and female guests share a room—all this fussing was purely for show.
If she really lost the draw, not even with all her courage would she dare stay in the same room with this “King Yama[mfn]阎王 (Yán Wáng) – King of the underworld; used here humorously to describe someone intimidating or strict[/mfn].” Sharing a room with Jiang Liusui, however, would be acceptable…
“Rock, paper, scissors—!”
“Ah!” When the results came out, Xu Miao gloated: “Looks like you two are stuck with each other after all.”
Mu Zhe had been quietly observing the game from the sidelines. Seeing He Yujing and Jiang Liusui paired up, he let out a small sigh of relief—after all, He Yujing clearly wouldn’t want to cram into a room with anyone else.
“Yu-ge, should we swap? I’d like to room with Suisui.”Mu Zhe said, summoning all his courage and spilling out every excuse he had rehearsed. “It’ll be more convenient for you to stay alone, and you won’t have to move your luggage. Qin-ge and I can just swap our luggage.”
He Yujing, who had been quite pleased about ending up with Jiang Liusui after losing the game, gave Mu Zhe a puzzled look.
In his recollection, Mu Zhe and Jiang Liusui weren’t close at all—they’d only exchanged words during filming and almost never interacted in private.
And now he wants to room together? Ridiculous. Why does everyone keep wanting to share a room with Jiang Liusui?
Jiang Liusui, however, could roughly guess what Mu Zhe was thinking. Seeing Mu Zhe’s direct gaze, he hesitated for a moment and was about to agree.
“What a coincidence,” He Yujing said, grabbing Jiang Liusui’s arm with a firm, possessive tug, pulling him closer. “I want to too.”
Mu Zhe’s expression changed, and he felt extremely flustered, yet in front of the cameras, he couldn’t show any sign of it.
He had thought that little grove of palms was secluded enough—turns out, he could still run into someone. Near the end of the call, a sudden unease made him glance around, but there was no one in sight.
Even so, he still couldn’t set his mind at ease. A while later, when he saw Jiang Liusui emerge from the palm grove as well, his heart skipped a beat, and he couldn’t help but wonder repeatedly whether Jiang Liusui had overheard him.
Despite his inner turmoil, he didn’t dare to compete with He Yujing for Jiang Liusui. Moreover, during the earlier beach barbecue, he had been rambling incessantly to make conversation, which seemed to have already offended He Yujing.
Mu Zhe forced a smile. “Alright then, you two are indeed more familiar with each other.”
With the room assignments settled, the day’s program recording came to an end. The host reminded everyone to rest well and specifically mentioned that they didn’t need to wake up early the next day, so they could relax and sleep in.
Noticing Mu Zhe’s slightly awkward expression, He Yujing kept a careful eye on him. As they made their way upstairs, he leaned a little closer and asked quietly, “What did he want with you? Are you two… close?”
“Maybe he’s afraid of staying alone at night and wanted to room with me,” Jiang Liusui casually made up an excuse, not mentioning what had happened in the grove. He Yujing remained somewhat doubtful, but as the door to their shared room was just ahead, he soon pushed this trivial matter out of his mind.
He Yujing was in high spirits this time and, even before entering the room, carried himself with the air of a host. Seeing Qin Yi inside busy organizing his things, he thoughtfully asked, “Do you want me to help carry your luggage?”
Qin Yi was somewhat surprised, never expecting He Yujing to offer help voluntarily. He Yujing’s proud and straightforward personality was quite rare in their circle, and seeing him act so amiably further improved Qin Yi’s impression of him. “No need to trouble yourself. Please wait a moment, I’ll be done soon.”
He Yujing nodded, completely understanding. “Alright, no rush.”
Jiang Liusui paid no attention to their conversation, still preoccupied with thoughts of Mu Zhe.
That phone call earlier had been far too stimulating for him, and Mu Zhe’s voice kept echoing in his mind from time to time.
“Thank you, husband[mfn]老公 (lǎogōng) – commonly used as a cutesy term between couples in modern Chinese.[/mfn]… You’re the best, husband… I’ll let you check when I get back…”
…Stop !! Don’t think about it anymore!!!
He Yujing noticed Jiang Liusui’s vacant gaze, clearly staring blankly ahead, yet his expression kept shifting dramatically. “What are you thinking about?”
Distracted, Jiang Liusui replied without thinking, “Thinking about husband.”
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