AAMIBBSBY 13

Surprisingly, it was terrifyingly quiet at the banquet. Everyone was looking at the two of them, waiting for that kiss.

Since you asked like that, how is someone supposed to answer? 

Refuse you? How could I survive in the Shen family then?

Xia Zhi pursed his lips, his heart surging turbulently.

“Mm…” A tiny, clear sound arose by Shen Shixiao’s ear. Xia Zhi, with lowered brows and downcast eyes, said, “Can we fake the kiss using an angle?”

The word “mm” was drowned out by the crowd’s applause. Shen Shixiao cupped his cheeks, and when he raised those bright, pitch-black eyes, the scorching breath was already close at hand.

Xia Zhi’s whole body tensed, subconsciously backing away, but his waist was helplessly held tightly by Shen Shixiao. His eyelashes were trembling and he closed his eyes in a somewhat inexperienced manner.

Shen Shixiao slightly lowered his head, kissing his own thumb that was pressed against the corner of Xia Zhi’s mouth.

Although there was no skin-to-skin intimacy, the incoming scorching breath made it hard for Xia Zhi to ignore, and his breathing couldn’t help but quicken. 

He could feel the vibration in his chest cavity, almost unable to hide the sound of his heartbeat.

Wah, his first kiss is gone, wuwuwu.

The five seconds felt as long as a century—the unique woody scent on Shen Shixiao completely enveloped him, making him dizzy.

It finally ended. Shen Shixiao gently lowered his eyes, his large hand gently moving up along his neck, stopping to rub his soft hair.

“Zhizhi and I sincerely thank everyone for your blessings.” Concealing the tender affection in his eyes, Shen Shixiao restored his cold and aloof appearance.

The relatives stood up holding their wine glasses, drinking together with the two of them.

Holding his wine glass, Xia Zhi gently leaned back, half-turning his body to hide behind Shen Shixiao.

The clean, bright wine glass reflected his completely flushed cheeks.

So useless, wuwu. They didn’t even really kiss.

Mother Shen looked at Xia Zhi with a pleased expression, her eyes flashing with indescribable reassurance and emotion. “Shi Xiao, Zhizhi is feeling shy, hurry and give him a hug.”

Hearing this, Shen Shixiao took Xia Zhi’s right hand and gently pulled him to his side, his arm naturally wrapping around his shoulder, patting it soothingly.

Xia Zhi’s face flushed red, and his legs felt a little weak.

Ugh! So useless!

After it was over, the relatives said their goodbyes one by one. Mother Shen and the two of them sat in the living room chatting, her right hand linking arms with Xia Zhi the entire time.

“When are you two going to hold the wedding?”

Xia Zhi’s cheeks were still burning hot. He lowered his eyes and quietly peeked at Shen Shixiao.

Do they still have to hold a wedding? He had been a groomsman once—getting married is exhausting!

Shen Shixiao replied in a low voice, “No rush.”

Hearing this, Mother Shen disapproved slightly, “The certificate is already signed, the wedding should be organized immediately.”

Shen Shixiao remained firm, “I have a plan, you don’t need to worry.”

After following Shen Shixiao upstairs, Xia Zhi crouched at the staircase and dawdled for a long time. The Shen family’s interior design leaned towards a European medieval style. Sitting on the third-floor stairs, in front of him was a directly wooden fan-shaped window.

The silver moonlight from outside shone in, falling onto Xia Zhi’s hesitant eyes.

Is the reason Shen Shixiao doesn’t want to hold a wedding because he is waiting for his bai yueguang?

Saving his most precious wedding for his bai yueguang—it sounds truly romantic.

Anyway, they were just in an arranged marriage. After three years, they would go their separate ways so it didn’t matter.

After the divorce, he would have so much money. What couldn’t he do?

Who cares about their hei yueguang¹Literally black moonlight. A play on “White Moonlight.” It usually refers to a first love who turned out to be manipulative, evil, or toxic upon closer inspection.or bai yueguang!

Standing up confidently, Xia Zhi’s thumb accidentally brushed against the corner of his lips.

Ugh! Shen Shixiao is such a big pig trotter²Slang often used by women to complain about men who are unromantic, insensitive, fickle, or scum. Calling a man a “big pig trotter” is roughly equivalent to calling him a “jerk” or a “pig,” but often in a slightly more exasperated or pouting way.!

The room was completely quiet. Shen Shixiao was resting over the desk, his eyes lightly closed.

Xia Zhi walked over and called out to him a few times.

His narcolepsy must be acting up again.

Recalling their agreement, Xia Zhi grumbled as he pulled up the screenshots of those books on his phone. Swiping the screen, he pondered which book he should start reading from first.

Sigh, he will just go with The Tyrannical Emperor’s Peerless Demon Consort.

Read it aloud with deep feeling and emotion? Does he also need to act it out?

After scrolling through, he chose to start reading from a part of the plot that wasn’t too intense.

“Disciple, let go first!” Xia Zhi fiercely slapped Shen Shixiao’s arm and poked his shoulder, saying, “Like this! You will never get my heart!”

Xia Zhi’s voice was quite loud, and the spacious, empty room echoed with his impassioned words.

The master’s cheeks flushed with a faint red hue, as if he were drunk. The red marks on his neck were startling to look at.

Xia Zhi indignantly said, “Did you treat me as a substitute³Another massive romance trope where one character is used as a physical or emotional “stand-in” for the other character’s true love last night? Only if you can forget your bai yueguang can you truly have me!”

Wait? This Master-Disciple novel was actually a dog blood substitute novel?

It inexplicably fit his current situation perfectly!

Filled with grief and indignation, Xia Zhi dramatically accused Shen Shixiao as if he had nothing left to live for, “You’re a damn scumbag! Tonight, I won’t let you endlessly take from me anymore!”

…

After finally finishing reading one chapter, Xia Zhi let out a soft breath and proactively took out his little checkbook.

Looking at Shen Shixiao, who was still sleeping, he muttered, “This method isn’t reliable, right? It’s not of any use at all?” Just as he was about to complain about the doctor, Shen Shixiao’s forearm moved slightly, and he slowly opened his lazy, sleepy eyes.

A blush rose on Xia Zhi’s ears, and he coughed softly. “Finished reading, time to settle the bill.”

Shen Shixiao gave a meaningful smile. “Okay.”

—

After returning from the Shen residence, it was time to record the third episode of the variety show. This recording was divided into upper and lower parts, which would take two days, and it was also the first elimination round.

The 40 trainees performed the new unit “Court” according to a brand-new plot.

Unlike previous episodes, the mentors this time would no longer participate in the acting; they were responsible for scoring.

The starlight value voting accounted for 70% of the total score, and the mentors’ scoring accounted for 30%. The comprehensive scores would be ranked, and the bottom five would be directly eliminated.

The makeup room was very lively. The screen time allocated to each trainee had finally increased this time, and it was truly an opportunity for them to show off their acting skills.

However, these 40 people cliqued up severely, dividing into many small factions, which anyone with a discerning eye could see at a glance.

“Xia Zhi, are you playing the male consort⁴It refers to someone elevated to the status of an Emperor’s official spouse.?” The baby-faced boy in front of him was named Ji Yun. He was a very famous short-video internet celebrity, whose starlight value last episode was second only to Xia Zhi.

Xia Zhi nodded. “Yeah, I’m playing the male consort.”

Actually, when Xia Zhi got the script, he also really wanted to ask, why! He was either a top courtesan or a male consort!

Couldn’t he be a general or a powerful minister or something like that?

So frustrating!

Hearing this, Ji Yun smiled and told him a secret.

Today, Ye Liyuan from the Shen Group was coming to select new actors for their subordinate entertainment company.

She is Shen Shixiao’s mother.

Xia Zhi nodded gratefully. “Then we have to perform well.”

Ji Yun raised an eyebrow. “Of course! Their entertainment company’s resources are exceptionally good. The new recruits they sign every year can be counted on one hand, and they even gift a super good resource as a welcoming present.”

Xia Zhi inhaled sharply—that was indeed quite good.

Before the performance began, everyone stood at their marks, waiting for the assistant director’s instructions in their earpieces.

With a “click,” the simultaneous live broadcast began for the viewers waiting in the livestream room.

Inside the palace, slender and delicate hands held a folding fan. The camera slowly panned up, and Xia Zhi, dressed entirely in red, with picturesque features, was slowly revealed in the high-definition lens.

[Zhizhizi’s appearance is absolutely stunning!]

[The opening is Xia Zhi? Is the production team trying to push him?] 

[Zhizhi’s starlight value was very high last episode, isn’t it normal for him to have a lot of screen time?]

He loosely rolled up his robe and took off the white jade hairpin from his jade crown. In an instant, his eyes became deep and gloomy, as he gently wrote a few lines of small characters on the paper.

The mentors sat in the screening room and began to evaluate Xia Zhi’s acting skills.

Film Emperor Liang: “His eyes are very expressive.”

Wu Linxi: “His ancient costume look is truly strong.”

When it came to Xia Mingxuan, he chuckled lightly. “I think there’s room for improvement, but as a newcomer, it’s not bad.”

Hearing this sentence, the live comments increased.

[Why does this sentence sound so weird?]

[I think it’s much better than TV Emperor Xia’s overacting⁵An idiom that literally means “squeezing eyebrows and playing with eyes.” It’s used to describe someone making excessive or unnatural facial expressions, especially poor, hammy acting..]

[With all due respect, the newcomer’s acting is a bit better than yours.]

As the plot continued, the live comments quickly washed these remarks away.

The full 90-minute plot consumed a lot of the trainees’ physical energy, especially Xia Zhi. He had the most screen time and needed to constantly control his expressions and demeanor when facing the camera, so he was extremely tired.

When it came to the scoring segment, Xia Zhi’s Starlight Value was neck and neck with Ji Yun’s. The mentors were also surprised. After all, although Ji Yun’s acting was not bad, compared to Xia Zhi, it was still lacking by a lot.

Film Empress Xu told everyone that two days ago, Ji Yun went viral on a certain short-video platform, attracting many die-hard fans, and with his own company having its artists promote him, it was normal for his starlight value to be high.

When it was the judges’ turn to score, the calculator quickly tallied, and after the comprehensive scores came out, Ji Yun narrowly won with a 0.5 point advantage.

The detailed scores could only be seen internally. Liang Siyue noticed that one mentor gave Xia Zhi 1 point, and gave Ji Yun 9 points.

After the voting ended, there was a huge controversy on the internet. However, Ji Yun’s fans were no pushovers and quickly fought Xia Zhi’s casual fans into a steady retreat, filling the screen with their celebratory flowers and flattery.

Xia Zhi calmly accepted this point. As long as he was satisfied with his acting performance, that was fine. After all, everyone has a different measuring stick in their heart.

With 35 trainees left, the directing team specially organized the program’s first large-scale group dinner today. After changing clothes, Xia Zhi saw that his Weibo followers had increased by another fifty thousand and felt inexplicably happy.

The production crew booked an entire floor at the restaurant next door. Yan Wenqing stood at the front holding a microphone. “Today, President Ye is treating us. We are just borrowing flowers to offer to the Buddha⁶An idiom meaning to use someone else’s property, gift, or money to do a favor for a third party, or to express respect using someone else’s generosity..”

When Ye Liyuan came in with her assistant, her gaze was gentle. Because she took good care of herself, she looked only to be in her early thirties. That steady and elegant temperament, along with the sound of her high heels, made the scene quiet down a bit.

Arriving at the dining table, Ye Liyuan nodded towards everyone. “The trainees are all very excellent, just now, I was watching you all the whole time in a separate screening room.”

The trainees understood implicitly, and immediately straightened their postures, for fear that Ye Liyuan wouldn’t be able to match them with their acting personas.

Xia Zhi sat on the right side of the main table, some distance away from Ye Liyuan. He silently smiled at her, thinking to himself that Mother Shen must have been a strong career woman in her youth.

Sweeping her gaze lightly, Ye Liyuan glanced at the seat the production team had arranged for him, curled her lips and proposed, “Can I invite a trainee to sit next to me? He acted very well, and I’ve even become his fan.”

Director: “Of course you can.”

The trainees’ eyes all lit up, quietly looking forward to Ye Liyuan as she walked this way. Especially Ji Yun—his curled fingers tightened, smiling expectantly.

“This little friend is so well-behaved, are you willing to eat with me?”

Xia Zhi held back a smile and looked up innocently. “Okay.”

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Xia Zhi accompanied Ye Liyuan to sit at the main table, feeling a little embarrassed.

Secretly taking the back door feels so good⁷An idiom meaning to secure an advantage, position, or privilege through unofficial channels, connections, or nepotism rather than fair competition. In Xia Zhi’s case, it is Ye Liyuan favoring him.!

The other trainees sighed in disappointment, guessing how many newcomers Ye Liyuan would choose to sign this time.

After the banquet started, Ye Liyuan slightly raised her eyes, and while picking up food for Xia Zhi, her gaze fell on Xia Mingxuan several times.

Everyone, unaware of the truth, enviously said, “Xiao Xia, it seems President Ye really likes you.”

Ye Liyuan responded, “Yes, Xiao Xia has good acting skills and is very well-behaved, I really wish I had a son like this.”

Xia Zhi secretly peeled a shrimp for Ye Liyuan.

Auntie, you are too good at acting!

At this time, the smile on Ye Liyuan’s face gradually faded, and she casually asked, “I heard that during the judges’ scoring this time, one mentor gave Xiao Xia one point. I’m just curious about which judge it was?”

The main table fell terrifyingly quiet for a moment, as the other trainees also just found out—a judge actually gave Xia Zhi one point?

Suddenly, Xia Mingxuan’s face turned as white as a sheet of paper.

• 1
  Literally black moonlight. A play on “White Moonlight.” It usually refers to a first love who turned out to be manipulative, evil, or toxic upon closer inspection.
• 2
  Slang often used by women to complain about men who are unromantic, insensitive, fickle, or scum. Calling a man a “big pig trotter” is roughly equivalent to calling him a “jerk” or a “pig,” but often in a slightly more exasperated or pouting way.
• 3
  Another massive romance trope where one character is used as a physical or emotional “stand-in” for the other character’s true love
• 4
  It refers to someone elevated to the status of an Emperor’s official spouse.
• 5
  An idiom that literally means “squeezing eyebrows and playing with eyes.” It’s used to describe someone making excessive or unnatural facial expressions, especially poor, hammy acting.
• 6
  An idiom meaning to use someone else’s property, gift, or money to do a favor for a third party, or to express respect using someone else’s generosity.
• 7
  An idiom meaning to secure an advantage, position, or privilege through unofficial channels, connections, or nepotism rather than fair competition. In Xia Zhi’s case, it is Ye Liyuan favoring him.