“You know…” Peng Bo scooted closer when he noticed Wei Xicheng wasn’t responding. Leaning in mysteriously, he whispered in his ear, “Do you think we might all be living in a virtual world, and Yu Beiyan is the protagonist while we’re just the background characters, existing to highlight his brilliance?”
Hearing Peng Bo’s latest bizarre theory, Wei Xicheng didn’t immediately retort. Instead, the phrase “virtual world” made his head ache for a moment, his face paling slightly.
The auditorium lights were quite bright, making his already fair complexion almost glow. Peng Bo didn’t notice anything unusual about him and seized the opportunity to continue speaking before the chatter in the hall died down.
“Or maybe Yu Beiyan is actually the big bad villain, and in the end, some young hero—ha!—defeats him and rises to the top of the world. What if that hero is me? What do you think?”
Wei Xicheng rolled his eyes. As the headache gradually faded, he shoved another candy into Peng Bo’s mouth to shut him up. Then, he pressed his fingers against his temple, figuring it was just fatigue from not getting enough rest lately.
After all, he had always been in good health and underwent regular check-ups. Nothing serious had ever happened to him, so he didn’t give it much thought.
As the applause and murmurs in the auditorium slowly subsided, the school administrators on stage finally spoke a few customary, polite remarks. When another round of applause broke out, Wei Xicheng faintly heard Peng Bo mutter, “It’s always the same few lines, no originality at all.”
He chuckled, then turned his gaze to the one remaining man on stage.
The man stood at the center, holding the microphone casually in one hand. There were no dramatic lighting effects, yet he still commanded everyone’s full attention.
A strange feeling stirred in Wei Xicheng’s chest. Thank goodness this man wasn’t in the same industry as him.
Yu Beiyan took a couple of steps forward, positioning himself where the lights weren’t too harsh. He lightly tapped the microphone twice and spoke.
“Hello, everyone. It’s an honor to be invited to your esteemed school for this exchange. I hope that by the end of this discussion, both you and I will have gained something valuable.”
The auditorium seats were quite luxurious—not exactly soft, but thick enough to be comfortable. Each person had ample space. Being on the slimmer side, Wei Xicheng fit snugly into his seat.
Thanks to some inside information, they had known competition for seats would be fierce. Peng Bo had volunteered to arrive early and somehow managed to secure a spot near the front.
Leaning back into his chair, Wei Xicheng had a clear, unobstructed view of Yu Beiyan’s every move on stage without needing to strain his neck. For some reason, he felt like he had seen this man somewhere before. There was an inexplicable sense of familiarity, a strange warmth, as if they had met in another life.
As soon as this thought surfaced, he chuckled to himself. Impossible.
A person who ranked on the world’s wealthiest lists—how could he possibly know a nobody like him? But one day, Yu Beiyan would know him—once he became a world-renowned actor.
“Before I begin my talk, let me take a moment to promote my company.” Yu Beiyan’s tone remained composed, with a hint of amusement. “Yu Corporation owns subsidiaries across various industries. I hope that after graduation, you’ll consider applying to our company. Who knows? Maybe we’ll be colleagues in the future.”
Pfft.
Wei Xicheng’s smile widened. The man on stage was delivering a joke with a completely straight face. It was actually… quite funny.
Yu Corporation’s subsidiaries were notoriously selective, hiring only the top talents from every field. Even though Wei Xicheng considered himself one of the best students in his major, he knew that if he went to interview at Shengshi Entertainment, he’d still be mercilessly rejected.
He shook his head. Even so, countless people still flocked to Yu Corporation—not just for the lucrative salaries but also for the prestige of proving themselves in their respective fields.
If even the subsidiaries were this exclusive, the main Yu Corporation headquarters was on a whole different level. Out of all the students present today, maybe only two or three would even stand a chance at joining the company.
At that moment, Yu Beiyan’s voice rang out again.
“You, the student shaking your head—are you not interested in joining Yu Corporation?”
Every gaze in the auditorium followed Yu Beiyan’s line of sight.
In the dim red auditorium seats, a boy who was almost too beautiful sat there, momentarily frozen in shock.
Then, in the next instant, his expression shifted into the perfect, most polite smile.
Wei Xicheng stood up as if he were being interviewed. Smiling calmly, he said, “If I could become colleagues with President Yu, I’d be so happy I’d wake up laughing from my dreams.”
Peng Bo was still in shock. He stared at Wei Xicheng, who had suddenly stood up and was now talking directly to Yu Beiyan. Talking? To Yu Beiyan?!
“Then why were you shaking your head?” Yu Beiyan’s lips curved into an indistinct smile. If Wei Xicheng weren’t so close, he might have thought the man on stage was displeased.
“Because I’ve already been rejected once. It made me pretty sad.” Wei Xicheng spread his hands. “But I’ll still give it another shot. I hope I’ll have the chance to become your colleague, President Yu.”
“Oh? Then it seems the person responsible for recruiting you has poor eyesight.”
“……”
Wei Xicheng suddenly didn’t know how to respond. Yu Beiyan’s joke was a little ambiguous. He could only smile awkwardly before sitting back down.
Peng Bo, however, started punching his shoulder wildly as soon as he sat down. It wasn’t until Wei Xicheng grabbed Peng Bo’s hands in a death grip that the chubby guy finally calmed down. But Wei Xicheng still felt like there was a gaze from the stage lingering on him. When he looked up, though, there was nothing.
Peng Bo lowered his voice and pretended to be surprised. “Damn, Wei Xicheng, you were so composed! This is the same you who was screaming in the dorm about how blind Shengshi’s recruiters were?”
“You didn’t hear? President Yu just said the person who rejected me had bad eyesight.” Wei Xicheng immediately applied what he had just learned.
“That ‘bad eyesight’… He doesn’t even know your skills or qualifications. Was he talking about your rejection? Or… was he saying you’re good-looking?” Peng Bo’s expression turned into one of utter disbelief. He pounded his chest in regret. “If I’d known, I would’ve stuck to my diet! This world is so unfair to us based on looks!”
Less than a minute later, Peng Bo suddenly snapped back to reality. “But wait, buddy, why would he say you’re good-looking? A man complimenting another man on his looks? Something’s off here… What’s off…? Let me think, let me think…”
“You think too much.” Wei Xicheng smacked him on the head, pulled his hand back, and focused on listening to the man on stage.
Yu Beiyan’s pace of speech was steady, and his words were logical and well-organized. But no matter how skilled he was, he still couldn’t avoid the usual clichés of motivational speeches. Wei Xicheng had heard too many of these and started feeling drowsy.
As his eyelids drooped, just as he was about to doze off, a voice from the stage rang out.
“Looks like my voice is too soothing. This student here…”
Peng Bo shoved Wei Xicheng hard. “Dude, wake up! I think you’re the main character! You’ve been called out twice now!”
Wei Xicheng opened his eyes and saw that everyone around him was looking at him, their eyes full of amusement. He was confused, glancing around until Yu Beiyan’s voice sounded again, making him realize what had happened.
“What’s your name, student?”
“Wei Xicheng.” He answered almost reflexively, then looked at the man on stage and smiled.
“Alright, Wei Xicheng.” Yu Beiyan repeated his name. Because the hall was spacious and the audience members were seated far apart, those sitting farther away couldn’t hear what Wei Xicheng said. But when Yu Beiyan repeated it over the speakers, everyone immediately knew who had been called out twice.
A wave of hushed murmuring spread through the audience. Though everyone kept their voices low, there were so many of them that certain words still reached the stage.
Yu Beiyan seemed to catch on and chuckled. “It seems Wei Xicheng is quite well-known. Well then, I’ve pretty much wrapped up my speech. Do you have any questions about what I just discussed, Wei Xicheng?”
Wei Xicheng glanced at Peng Bo, who shook his head—he hadn’t been paying attention either. Even if he had, he would’ve forgotten everything by now.
“Someone get him a microphone.”
A voice from somewhere in the hall called out, prompting the student council members in charge of order to rush to fetch a mic for Wei Xicheng.
…
Holding the microphone, Wei Xicheng felt a little stuck between a rock and a hard place.
“President Yu, life is long and full of possibilities. You’ve experienced far more than us and have a much broader perspective. Could you give us some advice in other aspects of life, to help us avoid unnecessary detours?”
“What do you mean?” Yu Beiyan’s gaze landed on the young man not far away, his eyes carrying a warmth he himself hadn’t noticed.
“Apart from career-related matters—social interactions, networking, personal relationships, and so on.” Wei Xicheng forced himself to remain calm, but he emphasized the last phrase particularly hard.
He thought he must have gone mad. Asking such a potentially offensive question in this kind of setting could ruin his future.
But the moment he spoke, the safe and polite answer he had originally prepared somehow morphed into this impulsive question. He quickly tried to backtrack. “Sorry, that was too personal. I take it back.”
Backstage, the school leaders frowned. “What kind of nonsense is this?”
A sharp whistle cut through the hall, triggering a wave of amused reactions. Wei Xicheng, for once, blushed slightly. He knew he was being a coward, but he really didn’t want to provoke this “big bad boss” before he had even made a name for himself.
“There’s nothing wrong with asking that.”
To everyone’s surprise, Yu Beiyan switched the mic to his other hand, unfastened two buttons on his cuffs, and adjusted his stance to a more relaxed position.
“People say Yu Corporation makes things difficult for job applicants. When I was invited here today, I wondered if I’d be the one getting grilled instead. But this question? I can still handle it.”
“Though, I think the way you asked it was a bit too broad. Which specific aspect do you want advice on?”
“Relationships.” Wei Xicheng answered almost without hesitation.
“Oh.”
The smile in Yu Beiyan’s eyes deepened.
“In the workplace, you can’t let emotions cloud your judgment. Different roles require different traits—some positions suit emotional people, while others demand a rational mindset. But in leadership, I don’t favor those who are too emotionally driven.”
“I believe in keeping personal and professional matters separate.” Yu Beiyan smiled again, this time clearly for everyone to see. “Are you satisfied with this answer, Wei Xicheng?”
__________________________________________
Author’s Note:
Yu Beiyan: Give up. We won’t be colleagues. We’ll be husbands.
