After Secretly Having the Film Emperor’s Child 5

Chapter 5: Scummy Couple

At dusk, the sky was a swath of sunset orange, and the light streamed in through the car window.

Feng Yan sat in the back seat, legs crossed, reading the invitation and informational packet for All-Round Teen Idol. Half of his body was bathed in the soft light.

The assistant sitting beside him glanced at Feng Yan, then looked away and asked, “Are you really going to participate in this variety show?”

Feng Yan rarely participated in variety shows. Aside from promotional events and sit-down talk shows, Feng Yan had almost never waded into these waters. But this time… why did Feng Yan seem so interested?

As Feng Yan read, he thought to himself, so this is the show Yu Weixi was on last year…

Feng Yan remembered it. After all, Yu Weixi had only been on two variety shows in total: one for street dance and this one. Both had caused a huge stir thanks to his status as a living hot search and his storm-magnet constitution.

“We can give it a try. My manager reminded me the other day not to neglect making occasional appearances on variety shows.”

An actor who only ever filmed dramas would suffer from a lack of traffic and exposure outside of acting. Moreover, it created too much distance from the audience, who would know too little about him, which wasn’t conducive to cultivating a fanbase.

The assistant muttered to himself, if it’s a variety show, then fine, but out of all the invitations, why did he have to pick the one with Yu Weixi?

If the two of them were on the same stage, it would be an even bigger bloodbath. It would truly be a case of “a hundred schools of thought contending”—solo stans, shippers, haters, marketing accounts…

Damn, just imagining it is enough to see the future PR workload.

The assistant was already starting to get a headache and felt an immense sense of dread. He couldn’t help but ask boldly, “Is it because of Luo Yucheng?”

He wanted to get a clear picture for himself to better handle the aftermath.

“…?” Feng Yan paused and asked, “Luo Yucheng is participating?”

His expression…

Was a bit fierce.

Assistant: “?”

Feng Yan flipped open the guest list and, sure enough, saw Luo Yucheng’s name.

Heh.

“Scummy couple.”

That was Feng Yan’s comment.

Assistant: “????”

Feng Yan pinched the list. “Yu Weixi and Luo Yucheng, are the two of them planning to show off their affection on the show? This is a talent show, not a place for them to go on a trip and have a publicly-funded romance.”

Feng Yan sounded like a dean of discipline catching students in a puppy love romance.

Feng Yan: “I won’t let them get their way. I’m definitely going.”

Assistant: “…”

He couldn’t keep up with his boss’s train of thought at all.

Whatever, as long as you’re happy.

“Are you really going?” The assistant confirmed one last time before messaging the manager.

“Yes.”

As the assistant sent the text, he asked curiously, “Is there… some history between Yu Weixi and Luo Yucheng?”

Feng Yan’s face was cold. “Yu Weixi likes Luo Yucheng.”

Assistant: “…?!”

Wow.

Feng Yan put down the program list and explained, “The little Dance King is still young, just a kid who hasn’t experienced anything. It’s natural for him to be utterly captivated by someone like Luo Yucheng. But I guess Luo Yucheng is just stringing him along, playing hot and cold.”

After all, Luo Yucheng was the same way with him.

Feng Yan didn’t forget to add another comment: “His taste is pretty low.”

The assistant said helplessly, “Then how do you know, Yan-ge…?”

Feng Yan reasoned, “The little Dance King especially likes to hang around Luo Yucheng, and the way he looks at him is very different, very intense. Have you ever seen him look at anyone else like that?”

The assistant screamed internally, You…!

Albeit, it’s to chase you down and curse you out.

The assistant pushed up his glasses and continued, “But in and out of the industry, there are more rumors about you and Luo Yucheng, and you and Yu Weixi.”

“The little Dance King and I, that’s because we’ve worked together. As for Luo Yucheng…”

Feng Yan paused, sighed, and thought, best not to mention it.

The car moved slowly forward, navigating through the heavy traffic.

The final guest on the roster for All-Round Teen Idol was thus decided.

…

Two days later, the poster photoshoot for All-Round Teen Idol was on the schedule.

On this day, all the judges and guests went to the studio building to shoot the official announcement posters and promotional photos. Yu Weixi chose a wine-red suit that suited his temperament and flattered his figure. His shoot was basically the smoothest, looking good from every angle.

To put it bluntly, All-Round Teen Idol, or All-Idol, was a talent show, just with more bells and whistles. The so-called “all-round” meant that it wasn’t just about singing, dancing, and rapping, but also included acting, character, and outdoor training, all to cultivate the ten most all-round and popular youths for debut.

The contestants were all amateurs, trainees, or minor celebrities, but the mentor lineup consisted of big shots. Take the dance mentor, Yu Weixi, for example: the number one singer-dancer and dancer in the industry. His teaching assistant was the dance lead of a popular girl group.

The vocal mentor was a musical genius who had become good friends with Yu Weixi last season. The teaching assistant was the thorn in Yu Weixi’s side—Luo Yucheng, an incredibly popular young singer.

The acting mentor was Feng Yan, with Ji Shilin as his teaching assistant.

That’s right, the very same Ji Shilin whose name Yu Weixi couldn’t remember and had used to diss Feng Yan. The same Ji Shilin whose fans had fought a great battle with Feng Yan’s fans on Weibo due to Yu Weixi’s provocation and had been miserably defeated.

The entertainment circle, where entertainment is a circle.

“Xixi!”

After his shoot, Yu Weixi was on his way to the break room when he ran into Ji Shilin, who had come to greet him.

There was a reason Ji Shilin had managed to stand out in that “award-winning” Golden Stinky Tofu movie. He was already handsome and a good actor; he just lacked exposure and good styling.

Now, thanks to Yu Weixi, this handsome and elegant young actor, Ji Shilin, had finally shot to fame. It was said that his subsequent resources were excellent, and he even had a film with a major director lined up.

Yu Weixi stopped, leaned against the hallway wall, and gave Ji Shilin a casual wave.

Yu Weixi didn’t dislike Ji Shilin. After all, Ji Shilin had a gentleness similar to Yu Han’s, so Yu Weixi naturally felt a bit more favorable toward him.

“Xixi, you look great today.” Ji Shilin was wearing a steady black and white suit today, looking like a graceful and elegant gentleman.

“Thanks.”

“Thank you for the other day at the Golden Stinky Tofu Awards, for specially mentioning me.” Ji Shilin smiled. “Ji Linlang… I didn’t expect you to still remember my online username.”

When they were bored on set before, they used to play games together quite often. After all, they were the two male leads playing each other’s love interests, so they naturally had the most scenes together.

The two walked to the break room together. Ji Shilin had his assistant hand him a bag.

“Xixi, I haven’t congratulated you yet. Congratulations on moving. This is a housewarming gift.” Ji Shilin gave the exquisite handmade bag to Yu Weixi.

“Thanks.” Yu Weixi was already numb to receiving gifts and didn’t react much.

Ji Shilin paused, then made small talk. “How have you been lately?”

“Fine.”

Ji Shilin knew that Yu Weixi was this cold to everyone unless you stepped on his tail and argued with him. He didn’t mind. He saw him to the break room and then turned to leave.

“…Yan-ge?”

As soon as Ji Shilin turned around, he saw Feng Yan carrying a case, with his assistant following behind.

The case was a bit large. The tall Feng Yan was wearing a suit and a black overcoat, looking like a mafia boss bringing his men to beat someone up.

“Hello.” Feng Yan smiled. “Here’s to a pleasant collaboration.”

“Pleasant collaboration.”

The two shook hands. Yu Weixi, standing to the side, rolled his eyes at Feng Yan.

Pretentious, a well-dressed beast.

“Little Dance King, I brought you a housewarming gift too.” Feng Yan placed the large case in the room.

“What is this…?” Ji Shilin glanced at the assistant, who had a strange expression, then at the unusually large box, feeling a bit curious.

“For building up your body.” Feng Yan said with a straight face. “I see the little Dance King has been out of his mind lately. A weak body leads to a weak mind. Keep it up, you need to exercise more.”

Yu Weixi expressionlessly kicked the case open and saw a punching bag inside.

Yu Weixi: “…”

Feng Yan smiled. “For practice, you should use proper equipment. Keep up the good work.”

Yu Weixi looked at Feng Yan with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

Feng Yan’s skin was thicker than a city wall. He didn’t mind at all and turned to Ji Shilin. “It should be your turn now.”

The photoshoots naturally prioritized big shots like Feng Yan and Yu Weixi, so the mentors could rest now while the teaching assistants had to continue working.

“Okay, thanks for the reminder, Yan-ge.”

The way to Feng Yan’s break room was the same as the way to the studio for Ji Shilin. The two walked together. Ji Shilin glanced at Feng Yan and couldn’t help but speak up for Yu Weixi. “Actually, Xixi is a pretty good person.”

“Hmm?” Feng Yan raised a slight eyebrow.

Ji Shilin smiled. “He’s just sharp-tongued, but he’s actually very soft-hearted and kind. Although his acting might not be that good, he knows a lot of things. On set, he taught me a lot about how to catch the camera, stand out, and get into character.”

“Can you tell me about it?”

“Of course.”

Ji Shilin said a few things, and Feng Yan felt a strange sense of familiarity.

That was what Feng Yan had taught Yu Weixi when they were filming The Coast’s Solitude.

He hadn’t expected Yu Weixi to still remember…

Seeing Feng Yan slightly lost in thought, Ji Shilin paused and asked cautiously, “Um… can I ask a question? Senior, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

“Hmm?”

“There are many rumors in the industry that you and Xixi are together. May I ask…”

“We’re not.” Feng Yan’s tone was unreadable.

“Ah…” Ji Shilin was stunned for a moment, then smiled. “Then I’m relieved.”

“You like him?” Feng Yan was a bit surprised.

“Mmm, a lot of people in the industry know.” Ji Shilin grinned. “It’s not a secret.”

Feng Yan felt a strange feeling in his heart.

“Is that so. Then I wish you the best.”

After Feng Yan returned to his private break room, his assistant asked curiously, “Yan-ge, with Yu Weixi’s personality… do you think Ji Shilin can succeed?”

Feng Yan took the tea his assistant poured him and thought for a moment. “Probably not. Ji Shilin looks like a top. Yu Weixi likes soft bottoms like Luo Yucheng.”

Assistant: “…”

Almost forgot about that.

“Knock, knock…”

As they were talking, they heard a knock on the door.

A clear voice sounded from outside.

“Yan-ge, it’s Yucheng.”

Feng Yan: “…”

The assistant couldn’t help but let out a laugh and gestured, “He’s here.”

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.

Feng Yan: “…”

He didn’t really feel like talking.