AAMIBBSBY 14

The dining table was silent for a long time. To ease the awkwardness, Yan Wenqing smiled and said, “Did one of the mentors press the wrong score? After all, no matter how low, they wouldn’t go as far as giving one point.”

Ye Liyuan obviously didn’t want to skip over this topic. “Actually, giving one point doesn’t matter. After all, everyone has different judging standards in their hearts. I can understand this mentor, I’m just curious.”

The hand Xia Mingxuan used to hold his chopsticks trembled slightly. He kept his eyes lowered the whole time, not participating in the conversation. Even if Ye Liyuan wanted to get to the bottom of it, she wouldn’t be this disrespectful, right?

Did she want to stand up for Xia Zhi that badly?

Xia Zhi knew who it was without even having to think. Resting his chin lightly on his right hand, he looked at Xia Mingxuan across from him with great interest.

According to the usual tropes, shouldn’t he step forward and take the initiative to say, I don’t care about the score, let’s just let this matter go!

However, he just wouldn’t. Maybe he was the vicious villain in the book.

Bullying others by flaunting one’s powerful connections.jpg

At this moment, Liang Siyue suddenly said, “It wasn’t me.”

The people at the table were stunned. Did this mean the investigation was starting?

Film Empress Xu and Wu Linxi understood implicitly and quickly responded, “It wasn’t me either.”

Finally, everyone’s gaze tacitly landed on Xia Mingxuan.

There was no longer a trace of color on his face, and the cold sweat escaping from his forehead was clearly visible. He licked his dry lips, his voice a bit hoarse and dry. “It was me who accidentally entered the wrong score. I originally wanted to give 9 points.”

The people present secretly exchanged glances, obviously not believing it.

Ji Yun buried his head; that triumphant and smug energy from just now had long faded. In this case, first place should have been Xia Zhi’s.

Ye Liyuan chuckled lightly. “So that’s how it is. To think Mr. Xia suffers from hand tremors at such a young age. I have contacts at top-quality hospitals here. If you would like a consultation, I can recommend one to you.”

Xia Zhi held back a smile and served Ye Liyuan a bowl of soup.

The atmosphere at the banquet returned to normal. Yan Wenqing had truly broken out in a cold sweat. It seemed that Madam Shen was very satisfied with Xia Zhi. 

Moreover, this Xia Mingxuan too. He’s the guy’s brother after all, yet he actually resorted to such underhanded methods.

After finishing the meal, Ye Liyuan picked a few promising newcomers and invited them to sign with Shen Entertainment, including Xia Zhi.

Only now did Xia Zhi realize that aside from being in charge of the Ye family business, Ye Liyuan also helped Shen Shixiao oversee their subordinate entertainment company.

After seeing Ye Liyuan off, Xia Zhi and the trainees prepared to return to the hotel to rest; they still had a recording tomorrow. 

On the way, many trainees took the initiative to chat with Xia Zhi, but they couldn’t go three sentences without mentioning Ye Liyuan, beating around the bush to ask if the two of them had known each other for a long time.

Xia Zhi kept his mouth shut tight, and his appearance of being completely clueless deterred many people.

On her way back, Mother Shen sent a message to Shen Shixiao.

【Finished watching his performance for you, rest assured.】

【Thank you, Mom.】

【That Xia Mingxuan, aren’t you planning to do something?】

【I’m currently investigating Zhizhi’s car accident from back then. I’ll settle the score¹Literally means to “calculate the bill” or “settle accounts.” Used metaphorically to mean taking revenge or punishing someone for past wrongs. for everything together later.】

Before going to sleep, Xia Zhi lay in bed, finding it a bit hard to get used to a new bed. Since he and Shen Shixiao got married, this was the first time the two of them were apart.

Xia Zhi suddenly felt a little unaccustomed to it.

Hmph, why is he thinking about him? Making him look so worthless!

Anyway, he will be someone else’s husband in the future. 

Once the bai yueguang returns, he will have to get out!

Baring fangs and brandishing claws.jpg

At this moment, a message suddenly popped up on WeChat.

Shen Shixiao:【Rest well, good night.】

Xia Zhi held his phone and studied it for a long time, then burst out laughing.

What kind of straight man²While literally meaning a heterosexual male, in Chinese internet slang it refers specifically to a guy who is oblivious, unromantic, literal-minded, or bad at flirting. chatting style is this? It directly blocks the path dead³Slang for “killing a conversation.” Shen Shixiao’s blunt “Good night” left Xia Zhi with absolutely nothing to reply to, effectively ending the chat prematurely.!

After thinking it over, he typed out a few words:【You too, good night.】

Hohoho, time to sleep!

Filming continued the next day. Xia Zhi clutched the script, reciting it. Today was New Year’s Eve. In order to grab traffic, Best Actor specially broadcasted two episodes back-to-back, and fans were squatting in the livestream room early in the morning.

Xia Zhi was sitting on a small folding stool scrolling through Weibo when hurried footsteps came from outside the palace in the film and television city. Xia Mingxuan had changed his usual arrogant attitude and was much quieter.

When he raised his eyes, he happened to catch Xia Mingxuan looking at him. He returned a “you’re sick in the head” look to the other party and continued to memorize his script.

Today’s script had two action scenes, which were very challenging for this kind of live broadcast variety show. After all, the wirework that was usually edited out with technology would have all its flaws fully exposed at this time.

When Xia Zhi was an extra, he had been put on wires a few times—his thighs hurted.

Because a 90-minute performance required switching between multiple scenes, the broadcasting room played an extremely important role. If the camera angles and positioning were good, it could add a lot of points to the performance.

The trainee acting opposite Xia Zhi today was named Li Yiyao. He was a somewhat famous supporting actor who frequently appeared in major hit ancient costume dramas. His appearance was tough and handsome—he was just missing an opportunity to become popular.

He was very enthusiastic and kept explaining the techniques of shooting ancient costume dramas to Xia Zhi. Xia Zhi listened attentively, and at the end, smiled gratefully. “Thank you, Yao-ge.”

Today, Xia Zhi’s clothes were a dark green long gown. His waist-length black hair was gently tied up, pinned with a light green jade hairpin. A few stray strands of hair were scattered at his temples, and when the wind blew, it revealed the delicate mole at the corner of his eye.

Li Yiyao was stunned, and foolishly scratched his head. “You’re welcome.”

Filming began. Xia Zhi sat in front of the guzheng, chatting in a low voice with Li Yiyao.

In the original script, the male consort played by Xia Zhi was quick-witted and, relying on the guzheng⁴A traditional Chinese plucked zither with a history spanning over 2,500 years, producing a very distinct, classical sound. piece Li Shang, was deeply adored by the emperor. The directing team, considering that Xia Zhi couldn’t play the guzheng, designed the shot to start right after the ancient piece ended.

Before filming started, Xia Zhi had looked at the musical score. He had actually learned the guzheng, but memorizing it in a short time was a bit difficult.

Li Yiyao played his older brother. The two were discussing national war affairs. Due to the atmosphere being solemn, Xia Zhi’s fair fingers gently stroked the strings, playing out that short segment of the score from his memory.

This piece carried a faint sadness and feelings of concern for the country and its people. Paired with the two people’s dialogue, the artistic conception was even better.

[Oh my god! Zhizhi can play the guzheng?]

[Sighing in admiration at Zhizhi’s beauty countless times. How does Zhizhi know how to do everything?]

[Envious of Zhizhi’s husband. Speaking of which, who is his husband? Do any of you have inside information?]

[Why are you guys so certain that Zhizhi’s partner is a husband? Can’t our Zhizhi be on top?]

The topic became more and more explicit, and the livestream moderators hurriedly purified the live comments.

At the same time, the mentors and the director were also very surprised. Xia Zhi could actually play the guzheng?

Liang Siyue’s gaze was focused, and a shallow smile reached the depths of his eyes.

Xia Zhi was truly quite good.

At the filming site, the sound of the zither faded.

Xia Zhi stood up and looked at the distant city wall with Li Yiyao. Just as they were about to continue reciting their lines, a towering, crumbling sound suddenly came from behind. Li Yiyao, standing opposite Xia Zhi, shouted loudly, “Run!”

When Xia Zhi turned his head, the city wall behind him was shockingly collapsing. His reaction speed was extremely fast; his crisp turnaround showed no signs of panic. In the dust of the bricks and tiles, his long hair swept a beautiful arc, finally landing in front of his shoulders and neck.

He furrowed his brows slightly, his eyes carrying deep thought.

The directing team was greatly shocked. How could a safety issue suddenly appear?

Out of danger, Xia Zhi regained his composure. Scrutinizing the ruined walls behind him, the corners of his mouth curled into an arc. “That group of people finally couldn’t hold back anymore.”

Still in shock, Li Yiyao opened his mouth, and after reacting, he seriously said, “Yes.”

The two continued to converse, only now they were a bit further away from the collapsed area.

After the live broadcast ended, Weibo insiders leaked the news: Today, a collapse occurred during the Best Actor live broadcast. Fortunately there were no casualties.

As soon as this news came out, the production team knew they couldn’t hide it, so they publicly issued an apology statement, reflecting on their inadequate safety facility inspections, and informing everyone that the two artists affected by the accident, Xia Zhi and Li Yiyao, were currently in good condition and had not been injured.

Under the Weibo post, the show’s fans and netizens exploded⁵Internet slang. It means a topic has blown up, gone viral, or that the commenters are going crazy with excitement or outrage.:

[In other words, the wall collapsing just now was an accident?]

[Holy crap, did any of you notice Zhizhi’s dodging speed and acting skills? I almost thought it was a plot designed by the production team.]

[Were Xia Zhi’s lines after escaping danger also improvised on the spot? I’m starting to like him a bit.]

Catching this key point, netizens cut out a solo clip of Xia Zhi during the wall collapse, which was shared countless times in an instant. The show’s traffic was already high, and many marketing accounts⁶Accounts on platforms like Weibo that are run by companies rather than individuals. They post gossip, news, and entertainment content purely to drive engagement and traffic. took the opportunity to share it. While praising Xia Zhi’s acting skills, they also reminded the production team to pay attention to safety, riding the wave of traffic into the sky.⁷“蹭” (Cèng) means to rub against or freeload off someone else’s heat/popularity. “飞起” (Fēiqǐ) means to fly high. They are essentially milking the situation for maximum views.

In half an hour,【Xia Zhi Best Actor】topped the trending searches.

Netizens who didn’t follow the show clicked in and got educated on the situation, then couldn’t help but sigh in admiration. This little actor’s acting skills and looks were really good, and his on-the-spot improvisation was also awesome—he would become popular sooner or later. Even more netizens were directly drawn in as fans, running to Xia Zhi’s Weibo to find like-minded people.

In just a short while, Xia Zhi’s Weibo followers skyrocketed.

Coming out of the film and television city, Xia Zhi happened to run into Liang Siyue. Liang Siyue was wearing a black overcoat, leaning against the front of his car with a cigarette held between his fingers.

He slightly raised his head. “How are you getting home? Want me to drop you off on my way?”

Xia Zhi smiled in surprise, then waved his hands. “Thank you, but I have a driver picking me up.”

Liang Siyue chuckled in a low voice. “Alright, did you get hurt today?”

Xia Zhi: “No, I dodged it.”

Liang Siyue nodded. “You are very impressive.”

Hahaha⁸Literally translates to “Goose goose goose!” This is onomatopoeia for a specific type of internet laughter—usually a snorting, stifled laugh that sounds like a goose honking.! His idol praised him as impressive!

At the entrance of the film and television city, Shen Shixiao, with his overcoat open, hurriedly got out of his car, and happened to see such a scene. Seeing the boss, who had been burning with anxiety just a moment ago, suddenly froze, the driver was a bit puzzled.

Xia Zhi chatted with Liang Siyue for a few sentences, then said goodbye and left. Opening the familiar car door, Shen Shixiao was unexpectedly sitting inside.

“You’re here!” Xia Zhi’s tone was brisk. “Are you not busy today?”

Shen Shixiao’s deep eyes looked at him. “Not busy. I heard there was an accident with the production team, were you injured?”

Xia Zhi familiarly took two cups of warm coffee out of the car’s insulated box, and after handing one cup to Shen Shixiao, said, “I know Chinese Kung Fu! I won’t get hurt.”

Shen Shixiao’s gaze fell on the coffee. “Seeing you alive and kicking, I knew you were fine.”

The car was silent for a long time, when he suddenly asked, “What were you chatting about with Liang Siyue just now?”

Xia Zhi remembered the incident at the group dinner last time, and replied in a small voice, “Just saying hello. After all, he is my mentor and I have to be polite to him.”

“Mm,” Shen Shixiao replied with a sound, making it impossible for people to discern his emotions.

With 20 minutes left until they reached home, Xia Zhi let out a yawn and was just preparing to doze for a bit, when the top of his head suddenly felt heavy.

He saw Shen Shixiao’s head resting on it. His body tilted slightly towards him, and finally, his body slowly leaned onto him.

The driver saw everything through the rearview mirror and speculated, “President Shen’s narcolepsy has acted up.”

Xia Zhi gave a sound of acknowledgement, his pitch-black eyes secretly appraising the driver.

There’s an outsider here. How is he supposed to read?

Can they talk about it when they get home?

Shen Shixiao was 188 cm tall; because of year-round exercising, it made him look thin when dressed, but his weight was not light. Xia Zhi tried several times to help him adjust to a comfortable position, but unfortunately, he couldn’t push him at all.

After a few tries, Shen Shixiao actually got closer and closer to him, finally pressing firmly against his body.

Xia Zhi gently and nervously lowered his head at a loss, but who knew his the corner of his mouth would immediately touch Shen Shixiao’s face, which was close at hand.

The driver hurriedly retracted his gaze and coughed softly.

Xia Zhi wanted to cry but had no tears.

It really wasn’t him who moved his mouth first!

• 1
  Literally means to “calculate the bill” or “settle accounts.” Used metaphorically to mean taking revenge or punishing someone for past wrongs.
• 2
  While literally meaning a heterosexual male, in Chinese internet slang it refers specifically to a guy who is oblivious, unromantic, literal-minded, or bad at flirting.
• 3
  Slang for “killing a conversation.” Shen Shixiao’s blunt “Good night” left Xia Zhi with absolutely nothing to reply to, effectively ending the chat prematurely.
• 4
  A traditional Chinese plucked zither with a history spanning over 2,500 years, producing a very distinct, classical sound.
• 5
  Internet slang. It means a topic has blown up, gone viral, or that the commenters are going crazy with excitement or outrage.
• 6
  Accounts on platforms like Weibo that are run by companies rather than individuals. They post gossip, news, and entertainment content purely to drive engagement and traffic.
• 7
  “蹭” (Cèng) means to rub against or freeload off someone else’s heat/popularity. “飞起” (Fēiqǐ) means to fly high. They are essentially milking the situation for maximum views.
• 8
  Literally translates to “Goose goose goose!” This is onomatopoeia for a specific type of internet laughter—usually a snorting, stifled laugh that sounds like a goose honking.