Haunted by the memory of going to a celebration party only to be dragged off to film a show, none of the Gu Group members slept on the way to this one. Yan Qi even pulled out a map to track their location, just in case the car went “astray.”
Zhou Shichen was very displeased by this. “I already said I wouldn’t trick you guys. Is there no love left between teammates?”
“There is,” Lin Yi said.
Zhou Shichen said, “…It would be more convincing if you weren’t staring at the Captain’s phone while you said that.”
“There is,” Xu Shuyan also said.
Zhou Shichen shot back, “Don’t think I didn’t see you leaning on Lin Yi to look at the Captain’s phone!”
She then turned to Chen Yuan. “How come you’re not saying ‘there is’?”
Chen Yuan, an innocent bystander, reached out and patted the back of Zhou Shichen’s hand. “It’s okay. Even if you do trick us, it’s okay. I’ve already packed my bags. I’m ready to go at any time.”
Zhou Shichen was speechless.
That was a kind of trust, she supposed.
Fortunately, Zhou Shichen proved reliable this time. The van stopped on schedule in the hotel plaza where the celebration was being held. The main creative team was already inside waiting for them. Champagne glasses were stacked in a pyramid, and as champagne was poured from the top, white and yellow foam overflowed along with the cheers. Joyful notes danced from the piano by the window.
Lin Yi couldn’t hold her liquor, so she toasted with a full glass of Coke instead. Only then did the reality of the concert being over sink in. She poured another glass, her eyes welling up. “Is this happy water? I’ll love carbonated drinks forever!”
Xu Shuyan swirled the red wine in her glass and glanced at her. “You look pathetic.”
“Like you’re such a great drinker!” Lin Yi grabbed a piece of cake and took a bite, so blissful she was on the verge of tears again. “Have wine today and be merry, next year we’ll cry while we diet. Who cares! Time to eat!”
With that, she ignored Xu Shuyan and happily lost herself among the delicacies. Occasionally, a staff member would greet her, only to chuckle when they saw her cheeks so stuffed with food she could barely speak, and they’d praise her, “Teacher Lin is so cute!”
Lin Yi had just taken a bite of ice cream and was hissing from the cold. “Y-You’re cute too!”
Most of the people at the party were from the company and knew them well, so there was no need for formalities. They ate and drank as they pleased, and once the official toasts were over, those who were tired could leave early.
Xu Shuyan didn’t have much of an appetite. After a few token bites and some small talk, she excused herself to go upstairs and rest.
Before leaving, she saw Lin Yi still gobbling down food. She took a detour to her side and reminded her, “Even if you’ve decided to diet with tears in your eyes later, don’t eat too much. If you can’t digest it, how are you going to sleep tonight?”
Lin Yi was in the middle of her feast and glared at her. Then, as if struck by an idea, she suddenly looked behind Xu Shuyan. “Yuanyuan?”
Xu Shuyan reflexively turned around. When she didn’t see Chen Yuan, her heart skipped a beat. She instinctively tried to dodge to the side, but it was too late. A small piece of cake was pressed against her cheek, accompanied by Lin Yi’s triumphant laughter as she patted her face. “Xu Shuyan! Didn’t see that coming, did you!”
Xu Shuyan wiped the cream from her face, her teeth gritted. “Lin! Yi! I’m gonna get you for this!”
Lin Yi turned and ran.
The two-person cake fight quickly spread throughout the party, pushing the atmosphere to a climax. In the end, Lin Yi was tired of running and afraid of getting a face full of cake from someone else, so she let Xu Shuyan catch her. Resigned, she tilted her head back and closed her eyes. “For the sake of our future fan service, please be gentle.”
Xu Shuyan scoffed. “Beg me.”
Lin Yi, devoid of principles, said, “I’m begging you.”
Now Xu Shuyan felt bad about going all out. Looking at Lin Yi’s fair, clean face, she sighed and just dabbed a bit of cream on her nose before pushing her away. “Get lost!”
Lin Yi opened her eyes in a daze. “That’s… it?”
It was too innocent.
Xu Shuyan thought with considerable annoyance that Lin Yi’s final stage makeup was exquisite. A tiny blue butterfly winged up from the corner of her eye, and now a dab of light pink cream sat on her pert nose. Her doe-like eyes looked over, full of a worldly innocence.
What kind of sickness is it when you can’t bring yourself to be harsh on your love rival because she’s too pretty? Urgent, need answers online!
Lin Yi was still looking at her, unable to believe Xu Shuyan had actually listened to her—and had been even gentler than she’d imagined. She reached out and touched Xu Shuyan’s forehead. “Did someone possess your body?”
Xu Shuyan swatted her hand away. “What? You wanted me to smear it all over your face? With so many people here, if a photo got out, my image would be ruined, wouldn’t it?”
“Oh,” Lin Yi said. So that was it. That made more sense!
She gently patted Xu Shuyan’s cheek and smiled, her eyes crinkling. “Engraving this fan service thing into your very soul, so professional! Well, I’ll be going then?”
“Go, go, go!” Xu Shuyan said impatiently.
That night, a photo from the celebration party did indeed leak. Coincidentally, it was the exact moment Xu Shuyan dabbed Lin Yi’s nose. In the decadent, glamorous world of fame, that single moment was the epitome of innocence.
[Ahhhhh, how can two people be so perfect for each other!]
[I can’t take it, why aren’t they kissing from this angle??? How can Xu Shuyan resist kissing her? If it were me, I couldn’t!]
[Control yourself, Xu Shuyan… kiss her when you get back! Kiss her when you get back!]
[Even the tips of Xu Shuyan’s ears are red!!!]
[So pure, I love it so much QAQ Yan Zhi You Yi, get married!]
[A divine picture! I’m saving this to ship for a hundred years!]
Back in her hotel room, after washing her face, Lin Yi came across the photo while scrolling online. Her first thought was how beautiful she looked in it. After staring for a while, she opened her personal Super Topic page and, sure enough, saw an edited version of the photo pinned to the top—featuring only her.
She happily saved it and posted it to her Moments: Yay! The concert was a success!
Five minutes later, Xu Shuyan commented: ??? I seem to recall there was another person in that picture?
Lin Yi replied: Shining on my own now.
Xu Shuyan: …
Late that night, Lin Yi received a message from Sister Fang, who specifically praised her dedication as a performer.
The full text read: Xiao Yi, I saw your Moments post. Not bad, you’ve mastered the essence of having a secret crush! This cautious desire to show off but not dare to, afraid she’ll know yet afraid she won’t know, that bittersweet feeling… you’re getting good at this! Keep up the great work!
Lin Yi: …Thank you for the praise, boss.
The group variety show was scheduled to film on Monday. To save them the trouble of traveling back and forth, the company decided they should rest where they were and head directly from Q City to the filming location. The five members of the Gu Group got a short break.
Lin Yi had no particular attachment to the sea; her heart was set on that one restaurant. She woke up right around noon, happily ordered takeout, and pulled up the TV series she’d been slowly watching. She ate while watching, a meal that lasted nearly an hour. Only then did she notice that she was being spammed with @s in the Gu Group’s chat.
Zhou Shichen (Writing a paper): @Lin Yi (The Notes’ Number One Main Vocal) We’re eating seafood! Want us to bring you some?
Yan Qi: @Lin Yi (The Notes’ Number One Main Vocal) No reply means you want some. If you can’t finish what we bring back, you’ll get extra training.
Xu Shuyan (Shining on my own now): @Lin Yi (The Notes’ Number One Main Vocal) I’ve already planned out the extra training for you. 【Link – Two Hours of Stamina BGM, Sweat It All Out!】
Chen Yuan: @Lin Yi (The Notes’ Number One Main Vocal) Xiao Yi, if you haven’t had lunch yet, don’t. They’re packing a lot for you. 【pat pat】
Lin Yi: @Chen Yuan, 【puppy_rolling.gif】
Lin Yi: I’ve already eaten ahhh!
Yan Qi: I don’t care
Zhou Shichen: I don’t care
Xu Shuyan: I don’t care
Chen Yuan: They don’t care
Lin Yi: …
So this was a girl group? There was true love in this world, and only Yuanyuan cared about her!
System: Chen Yuan has retracted a message.
Chen Yuan: I don’t care
Lin Yi: …………
That was definitely Xu Shuyan’s doing! Definitely!
In the end, Lin Yi finished all the seafood they brought back. Led by Yan Qi, the team cornered their group’s youngest member at the dining table in her room. Zhou Shichen pinched her cheek. “You haven’t been eating properly while preparing for the concert. You have to eat more! Put that weight back on!”
“Exactly!” Chen Yuan added. “Look how skinny you’ve gotten. You don’t need to lose weight at all. Look at this tiny face, it’s the size of my palm.”
Yan Qi, wearing gloves, peeled a shrimp for her. “Mhm.”
Lin Yi was touched. “Captain, just leave it there, I can do it myself!”
Yan Qi blocked her hand, saying flatly, “I’d better do it.”
Lin Yi tilted her head.
Zhou Shichen kindly explained, “She has no idea what to do with a sudden vacation. I asked her to watch a movie with me, but she said she wasn’t mentally prepared, that it wasn’t in her plans. Now that she’s finally found something to do, just let her do it. Otherwise, she’ll go back to choreographing right away.”
Lin Yi: “…Okay then.”
Considering that their fanbase was mostly students, the rest of their concerts were scheduled for the summer vacation. For the next two months, they would mainly focus on filming the group variety show and their individual projects. It was far too early to be working on choreography.
Yan Qi focused on peeling shrimp. Zhou Shichen and Chen Yuan huddled together, chattering about gossip. As for Xu Shuyan—Lin Yi glanced at her, lying on the bed playing on her phone. The woman hadn’t said a word since she got back, her eyes seemingly glued to the screen.
Lin Yi grumbled to herself, If she’d been this focused in school, she could’ve had her pick of Tsinghua or Peking University.
Unable to stand Xu Shuyan’s relaxed demeanor, Lin Yi quietly opened their chat. She first sent a dozen sticker bombs, then used the “pat” feature on Xu Shuyan’s profile picture.
Afraid of being found out, Xu Shuyan had long since changed her “pat” message to something incredibly narcissistic: You patted Xu Shuyan and said, “The Gu Group’s number one beauty, Xu Shuyan, is the best.”
Lin Yi: …
Lin Yi: Have you no shame?
While sending the message, she secretly watched Xu Shuyan’s expression. As expected, she saw her frown in annoyance and glance over. After receiving Lin Yi’s provocative look, Xu Shuyan simply rolled over and ignored her.
Lin Yi: ???
Lin Yi: Why aren’t you replying?
Lin Yi: I haven’t even gotten back at you for going out with Yuanyuan and the others today.
Lin Yi: What are you looking at?
The Most Annoying Person Ever: 【Link – YanYuan hugging gif, I’m dying】
The Most Annoying Person Ever: 【Link – YanYuan | She loves her so much, thank you for being my guardian angel!】
The Most Annoying Person Ever: 【Link – YanYuan | I will always protect you, my princess】
Lin Yi: …
Seeing that she had successfully disgusted Lin Yi, Xu Shuyan smiled triumphantly. Still want to know what I’m looking at?
System: Your message could not be sent. You have been blocked by the recipient.
Xu Shuyan: …
So petty!
@MelonFieldWeasel: Scoop, the second episode of the Gu Group’s variety show will be a road trip through Qinghai and Gansu. All members.
[Yay! I love watching beautiful girls travel together!]
[Will I get to see Lin Yi drive? She livestreamed her progress when she was learning to get her license. Is it finally time to put it to use?!]
[The scenery there is amazing. They can finally relax after the concert.]
[Am I the only one who cares about getting some ship content? Will they be in the same car? Will my CP sit together? Can Lin Yi sing to Xu Shuyan: ‘Sit down, sit down, wanna sit in my passenger seat?’]
…
It was one car.
The seven-seater Chevrolet was spacious, and cameras were installed everywhere they could fit, eliminating the need for a cameraman inside the vehicle. The production team’s car followed closely behind, giving the girls maximum freedom.
On Monday evening, the five members of the Gu Group landed in X City. The dry air of the northwestern city hit them immediately. It wasn’t until they were on the production team’s bus that their funds were distributed: 505 yuan each, a mix of bills and coins, symbolizing the five members of the Gu Group, whole and complete.
“What is this!” Lin Yi counted the 505 yuan over and over. “This isn’t even enough for gas!”
Xu Shuyan was sitting next to her. The bus was driving smoothly, but Xu Shuyan kept bumping into her, making her drop her money several times. Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore. “Xu Shuyan, what are you doing?”
Xu Shuyan moved her mic aside. “The blocklist.”
“Oh,” Lin Yi said. “Then you can just stay in there.”
Xu Shuyan’s face darkened. “I’m your fan service CP. It’s one thing not to pin me or mark me as a favorite, but what’s with putting me on your blocklist?”
“Who told you to show me those CP pictures of you and Yuanyuan?” Lin Yi made a gagging motion. “That ship is disgusting!”
“Is it? I think it’s great,” Xu Shuyan said.
Lin Yi glared at her and said resentfully, “Then you can just stay in there!”
Xu Shuyan was speechless.
She had come to make peace, but she just couldn’t resist showing off.
She shrugged, thinking, whatever. Lin Yi would eventually unblock her when she wasn’t angry anymore. The worst that could happen was her contact name being changed to “The Most Most Most Most Most Annoying Person Ever.”
The altitude here was high, and the sun set late. It was still twilight at seven or eight in the evening. Outside the window, the vast wilderness stretched to the horizon, where endless mountain ranges were capped with unmelted snow. The light of the crimson sunset cast a faint golden glow upon them.
It was a breathtaking natural vista.
Having spent so much time in the city, they rarely saw such scenery outside of work. It was a novel sight, and for a moment, they forgot the hardships that awaited them. Some took photos, others recorded short videos.
As the sun slowly sank behind the mountains and stars filled the dark blue sky, the silence in the bus was broken by a few sharp honks from a small horn. Lin Yi snapped back to reality and saw Zhou Shichen standing up.
Wearing a red baseball cap and holding a small megaphone, she walked to the front of the bus and cleared her throat. “Attention, tourists on the bus! Attention, tourists on the bus! All eyes on me!”
Lin Yi leaned over the back of the seat in front of her, drawling, “Changed careers to be a tour guide?”
Zhou Shichen winked at her. “Now that we’re done admiring the scenery, let’s talk about the plan for the next few days. As the planner for this trip, I’m honored to be traveling with all of you, and I’m honored that we’ll be spending the next three days together with our 2,525 yuan. How about you all—”
Yan Qi and Xu Shuyan were calm. “Mhm.”
Lin Yi and Chen Yuan, the hype team, cheered, “Me too!”
Zhou Shichen nodded in satisfaction. “Honestly, I just wanted to go on a trip with everyone. There are no special missions. I just hope everyone can have a good time. As for our itinerary, tomorrow morning we’ll drive to Qinghai Lake and spend the night in Chaka Town.”
Three days was far too short for the full Qinghai-Gansu loop, but their time was limited, so they had to be selective.
Even after they reached the hotel, Lin Yi was still lamenting, “Since we’re already here, it’s such a shame not to visit the Ghost City!” She turned to the person next to her. “See how magical that is? Why don’t we go on our own after filming ends?”
The person next to her replied flatly, “Not going.”
Lin Yi froze, turning around in disbelief. “Xu Shuyan? Why is it you?”
“Who did you think it was?” Xu Shuyan was wearing a bucket hat and a mask, completely covered from head to toe, with only her eyes visible. She pushed her suitcase along. “Didn’t you hear when they assigned rooms? We’re sharing a room tonight.”
Lin Yi thought, I do not want to share a room with Xu Shuyan. She took a step back, intending to get another room from the front desk, but Xu Shuyan saw right through her little scheme and grabbed her without a second thought. “Don’t waste your energy. We have to film us waking up tomorrow. If we’re not in the same room, are you planning to give the rival shippers something to celebrate?”
“I can just come over tomorrow morning!” Lin Yi said stubbornly.
Xu Shuyan glanced down, thought for a moment, and let her go. Lin Yi’s face lit up, and she turned to go to the front desk, only to hear a cool voice from behind her. “We have to be up at four tomorrow.”
Lin Yi: “…?”
She turned back to see Xu Shuyan smiling at her, and her temper flared. “Couldn’t you have just said so?”
“Who told you not to pay attention?” Xu Shuyan put on her headphones and pressed the room key into Lin Yi’s palm. “Room 8419. You lead the way, and I’ll catch you up.”
Lin Yi saw that her other teammates were already in the elevator. Thinking about having to share a bed with Xu Shuyan tonight, she relented. “Fine.”
After their “friendly” exchange, the show’s cameraman approached them. As they walked, Xu Shuyan said to her, “Later, we’ll roll dice in the group chat. Whoever gets the highest number gets to wake up late tomorrow. But given our luck over the years, I doubt we’ll win.”
Lin Yi: “…”
Because they had to do fan service, she and Xu Shuyan were almost always paired together. And for various reasons, whether drawing lots or rolling dice, their luck was never good. The fans had even nicknamed them the “Unlucky Couple.”
Lin Yi forced a smile. “Four o’clock, right? I’ll go to sleep as soon as we get back.”
The production team never missed an opportunity for them to do fan service. The room they had booked for them was a couple’s suite with a king-sized bed. Normally, they were used to it and it wouldn’t have been a big deal, but this hotel’s couple’s suite was for real couples. Not only was the room decorated suggestively, but the large bed was also scattered with rose petals.
Xu Shuyan: “?”
Lin Yi: “?”
They both turned to look at the cameraman, their smiles awkward but not threatening, their voices squeezed through their teeth. “What’s the situation here? Did we get the wrong room?”
The camera shook slightly. The cameraman held his ground, looking pleadingly at the director behind him.
The director was calm. “All the king-sized rooms in this hotel are like this. It’s one of their special features. See, your room is called ‘Garden of Roses,’ so it’s covered in roses. Shichen’s room is called ‘Platycodon’s Heart,’ and it’s covered in platycodons. It’s for the atmosphere!”
Xu Shuyan: “…”
Lin Yi: “…”
What kind of atmosphere? The atmosphere for doing… that?!
Completely out of words for the production team’s planning, Xu Shuyan simply started shooing people out, pushing the cameraman toward the door. “Alright, that’s it for today. It’s getting late, everyone should get some sleep. Bye!”
The words had barely left her mouth when the door was shut and clicked locked.
Xu Shuyan turned around and met the eyes of a bewildered Lin Yi, who was standing beside the rose-covered bed. Lin Yi glanced at the camera next to the TV and asked, “Why were you in such a hurry to push him out?”
Xu Shuyan looked innocent. “What’s wrong?”
Lin Yi shot her a look, a hint of a whine in her voice. “Anyone who didn’t know better would think we were in a hurry to… do something.” She picked up a rose petal and showed it to Xu Shuyan. “It smells nice. Come smell it.”
For some reason, Xu Shuyan felt a little awkward. She grunted, “Hurry up and get rid of those rose petals.”
“Don’t. Take a few pictures of me on here.” Lin Yi suddenly changed her mind and sat down. “You know, for that magazine shoot we did, they should have scattered some rose petals on the bed. It would have created such an atmosphere!”
The magazine they shot for was the June issue. It wasn’t out yet, but they had already been sent the photos to review.
It had more than just atmosphere.
Xu Shuyan took her phone out of her pocket, recalling one of the photos. The curtains were drawn back slightly, and Lin Yi was leaning in her arms, her hand caressing Xu Shuyan’s face. Her long eyelashes fluttered with a hint of spring as she stared directly at Xu Shuyan’s lips, her gaze sexy and alluring.
She had embodied the pure-yet-seductive look to perfection.
…Why was she remembering this?
Xu Shuyan shook her head sharply. She quickly exited the camera app she had just opened and switched to a video app instead. Lin Yi watched her, confused. “What are you dawdling for?”
Xu Shuyan ignored her. She turned on the room’s projector and cast the video she had just found onto the screen. Chen Yuan, wearing a red cloak and running freely in the snow, appeared on the large screen.
Video – 【Princess Pingting Solo Edit | In the End, She Faced the Blizzards of This Life Alone】
“Why are you playing a video of Yuanyuan?” Lin Yi didn’t know what had gotten into Xu Shuyan, but the camera was still on. Although it could be edited out, it didn’t mean they could expose their crush on Chen Yuan in front of the staff. She thought for a moment and tried to cover for Xu Shuyan. “But I’ve seen this drama of Yuanyuan’s. It’s really sweet!”
Xu Shuyan didn’t respond. She stood there and watched the entire three-minute-and-forty-second edit before letting out a long sigh. “Alright, I’ll take your picture—”
Her eyes met Lin Yi’s, who was still watching the video with a wistful expression. Another wave of irritation washed over her, and she said deliberately, “My treasured video. Not bad, right?”
“Your treasured video?” Lin Yi scoffed. “I already liked, commented, and shared it!”
Xu Shuyan: “…” Even more annoyed now.
Just then, both of their phones buzzed at the same time. They looked and saw a message from the director in the group chat, tagging them: I know your group is close, but please focus on your own ship.
Lin Yi: “…”
Xu Shuyan: “…”
Making money was so hard.
Lin Yi and Xu Shuyan exchanged a look. Their well-practiced fan service was natural and harmonious, giving no hint that it was a forced pairing. It was only after they had showered and were lying in bed, with the cameras and lights off, that Xu Shuyan suddenly said, “Our acting skills are pretty good.”
Lin Yi was dead tired but didn’t forget to retort, “You mean my acting skills.”
She rolled over and questioned Xu Shuyan, “What was wrong with you today? You didn’t even try to hide it in front of the camera. Are you trying to tell the whole world that you watch videos of another teammate while you’re supposed to be doing fan service with me?”
Xu Shuyan stared at the ceiling, hidden in the darkness. After a long moment, she said, “I just suddenly missed her.”
Lin Yi was on the verge of sleep. She mumbled an “oh,” and fell asleep without knowing if she had actually answered Xu Shuyan.
The next time she woke up, it was to the sound of the door opening.
“Teacher Xu? Teacher Lin?” the cameraman called softly from the doorway. “I’m coming in with the camera, okay?”
In an instant, Lin Yi, who had been sleeping practically two meters away from Xu Shuyan, plastered against the very edge of the bed, felt alarm bells go off in her head. Before the camera could pan over, she rolled over and threw her arms around Xu Shuyan.
As if that wasn’t enough, she buried her face in Xu Shuyan’s chest, nuzzling against her and whining coquettishly, “I don’t wanna get up~~~”
Xu Shuyan, who had been sound asleep, was suddenly embraced and had her chest nuzzled. She slowly opened her dazed eyes. “?”
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