Chapter 72

The preliminaries ended, and Zhou Chiyu received photo requests from many classmates in the Finance Department. He had instantly become an explosively popular singer.

He loved his hair color from that day and decided to keep it. He friendly cooperated with the unfamiliar classmates, striking various poses.

Gu Yuan stood quietly by his side. Seeing how happy the other was, the corners of his lips quietly curved into a subtle arc.

Zhou Chiyu’s smile seemed to carry a strong infectious power. His eyes, curved like new moons, overflowed with specks of starlight, as if all the stage lights had poured onto his face. He was a natural star who drew everyone’s attention.

Word had spread that there was a handsome guy at the Finance Department’s preliminaries, so people from other academies came specifically. Suddenly, a long line formed of those waiting to take photos with Zhou Chiyu.

Chen Qixuan and his roommates were also waiting for Zhou Chiyu to finish. He sized up Gu Yuan and noticed that the way Gu Yuan looked at Zhou Chiyu brimmed with intense indulgence and affection.

These brothers have such a good relationship.

Half an hour later, the dormitory classmates took a group photo with Zhou Chiyu—everyone except Bai Zhiqi.

Chen Qixuan knew that as competitors, Bai Zhiqi and Zhou Chiyu might feel some discomfort, so he didn’t mention him in front of Zhou Chiyu.

“Look at this necklace.”

Zhou Chiyu held it up and shook it. “My brother bought it for me as contest accessories. Doesn’t it suit me perfectly?”

Chen Qixuan gazed at the circle of diamonds embedded around the rose and frowned. “This must be pretty expensive, right? Could it buy a house next to the school?”

“I’m not sure about the price.” Zhou Chiyu cherished it as he cradled it. “He bought it specially for me yesterday.”

This Rose Necklace was eye-catching enough in the dimly lit venue. Every diamond seemed like a frozen star, strung together into a brilliant galaxy.

Chen Qixuan sighed sincerely. Zhou Chiyu’s life really had no worries.

People gradually left the venue, but Zhou Chiyu was still “open for business.” When a stranger classmate asked if he was single, he first froze, then lowered his head. His curly hair on both sides gently brushed his reddening ear tips as he softly replied that he wasn’t.

Gu Yuan reopened that public account post and found that the comment from earlier already had over a hundred likes, sparking a lot of curiosity.

[What’s the situation? Vote-buying?]

[OMG, no wonder Zhou Chiyu has so many votes.]

[None of the school’s major music clubs have anyone named Zhou Chiyu. How good is his singing? Any water in it? Anyone at the scene, speak up?]

[Honestly, Zhou Chiyu being first in votes right now is normal. In terms of looks, he crushes all the other contestants.]

[Empty words! Show evidence, classmate!]

[Zhou Chiyu’s family is super rich. The vote-buying money is probably just his daily pocket change.]

[They say his outfit for the competition day alone cost millions.]

[With that much money, they still use such despicable means to snatch resources from ordinary students.]

Gu Yuan forwarded the article to his classmate, hoping the other could help investigate who the whistleblower was.

It was already very late at night. Zhou Chiyu was reluctant to remove his makeup and went for a walk around the school with Gu Yuan.

“Bro, how did I do?”

“I wonder what score the judges will give me.”

In the academy’s preliminaries, the score consisted of professional judging (60%) and public votes (40%).

Zhou Chiyu wasn’t too confident in either. After all, he didn’t study music professionally, and he clearly lagged behind classmates who performed original songs with self-accompaniment.

“No worries. Just treat it as a try.”

Gu Yuan’s gaze fell on the constantly flashing messages on Zhou Chiyu’s phone. He reached out and pinched his cheek. “Let’s go home and rest. No phone before bed.”

“Your dark circles are a bit heavy.”

“Really?” Zhou Chiyu cared a lot about his image. He gently rubbed his eyes. “Then I’ll definitely sleep early tonight.”

“Good boy.” Gu Yuan leaned down and gently examined Zhou Chiyu’s face. “I’ve memorized the Big Star’s look.”

Zhou Chiyu lifted the corners of his lips. He was curious how Gu Yuan knew what was on his mind?

He delayed removing his makeup for another reason: he hoped Gu Yuan would look more at his handsome self.

“Mm, that’s good.”

“Bro.”

He softly called to Gu Yuan. “You can kiss me once more.”

Gu Yuan lowered his eyes to the figure that suddenly drew near. He gently curved his lips, and the tenderness spreading in his eyes drowned out the surprise on his face like seawater.

“Okay.”

…

The next day, Zhou Chiyu was full of energy. He entered the tiered classroom, humming a tune as he started eating breakfast.

He completely failed to notice the probing and curious gazes around him.

Chen Qixuan had just learned about the Top 10 Singers vote-buying scandal. He quietly approached Zhou Chiyu. “Young Master, I want to ask you something.”

Zhou Chiyu chewed on a meat bun and blinked curiously. “What is it?”

Chen Qixuan lowered his voice and explained the whole story of the vote-buying incident to Zhou Chiyu.

It turned out that the original whistleblower faced a lot of skepticism, so he started a dedicated thread on the school forum, uploading all the evidence he had.

Evidence one: A WeChat screenshot where Zhou Chiyu worried about low public scores. The chat records showed him anxious, with a clear goal of rushing into the top three in the academy.

Evidence two: A screenshot of Zhou Chiyu commissioning a friend to canvass votes—one hundred yuan per ticket, payment claimed via screenshot.

Evidence three: A reveal that Zhou Chiyu hired a Music Academy professor for tutoring. This self-proclaimed righteous passerby couldn’t stand rich kids using improper means to ruin competition fairness and squeeze out space for ordinary students to shine.

Once the post went up, it quickly topped the hot list. Even people from other schools came to spectate. Various social platforms buzzed with similar exposes, and a photo of Zhou Chiyu with classmates that night was prominently displayed in the whistleblower’s post.

“I didn’t.” Zhou Chiyu hurriedly defended himself. “The Zhou Chiyu in those chat screenshots isn’t me. I suspect they’re photoshopped.”

“Phew, with you saying that, I’m relieved.”

There were still ten minutes until class. The other roommates gathered around him, asking for details.

Chen Qixuan frowned. “I also think the Young Master wouldn’t buy votes. Your performance that night was amazing—top three was within reach even without it.”

“Besides, vote-buying is wrong.” Zhou Chiyu’s lips pressed into a bloodless line. “How could I use such dirty tricks?”

“Of course I know your character.” Chen Qixuan patted Zhou Chiyu’s shoulder, signaling him not to worry. “Right now on the forum, there’s a classmate speaking up for you, arguing fiercely with the crowd.”

Zhou Chiyu surprisedly took Chen Qixuan’s phone. “Let me see.”

“This guy’s logic is clear. He’s demanding the whistleblower release a screen recording and show your Moments to prove it’s you.” Chen Qixuan rubbed his chin. “He also said if it’s slander, they’ll pursue legal action.”

Zhou Chiyu gradually calmed down and began thinking of ways to prove his innocence.

What was this person’s goal? Just personal dislike, or targeted at a Top 10 Singers contestant?

There were many solutions. Even if none worked in the end, he could ask Gu Lao for help—he believed Gu Lao would clear his name. But if the scheming rumormonger was really a classmate, the consequences for them would be severe.

“I’ll leave a message for him.”

After registering an account, Zhou Chiyu privately messaged the whistleblower, giving them a chance to come clean.

If they admitted to slandering him, he wouldn’t pursue legal action.

With everything prepared, Zhou Chiyu attended class normally.

Chen Qixuan and the others were amazed by his composure. If they were the protagonist, they’d be frantic like ants on a hot pan, desperate to defend themselves.

After class, Zhou Chiyu and his roommates went to the cafeteria. Gu Yuan was at the Laboratory for practicals and wouldn’t be home until late. Chen Qixuan hadn’t seen Bai Zhiqi all day, which felt odd. Bai Zhiqi was very serious about studies and never skipped class—why take sudden leave?

Zhou Chiyu still had a good appetite. He ordered chicken leg and curry beef rice, eating it in small bites. Students passing by occasionally glanced at him and whispered with companions.

None of it affected Zhou Chiyu much. His mind was occupied with plans for the next step.

The only thing he was glad about was that Gu Yuan wasn’t at school today. Otherwise, if Gu Yuan learned of this mess, he’d be even more anxious than him.

He needed to resolve it quickly and stop sitting idly by.

“Hey! The person speaking up for you on the forum claims they’ll present solid evidence tomorrow at nine PM to clear your name.” Chen Qixuan smiled. “Little Fish, you think this guy isn’t your secret admirer?”

“Secret admirer?” Zhou Chiyu propped his cheek. “This classmate is too kind.”