Chapter 27: What Do You Like About Him?

On the second afternoon of recording, the temperature in G City soared past 38 degrees Celsius.

After wrapping up and getting off work, Dai Jier and Mao Maoyu went out to eat marinated raw seafood. Li Tingzhou didn’t want to go to his brother’s place, nor did he want to stay at the studio and witness First Sister’s nth bout of decision paralysis.

He promptly packed his things and went back to the hotel, ordering some random food.

A little later, Liu Lusi arrived.

“You know Cui Lin?”

She voiced her question while looking at the rapidly rising view count on the trending topic.

Li Tingzhou didn’t even turn his head. “No, I don’t.”

The leadership was inspecting the third public performance, and there was a solid chance it would end up on the news. Some of the slightly “flighty” details in “A Woman’s Heart” needed further revision. The daytime recording environment was too hot and noisy, with a chaotic cacophony of voices and machinery, making it impossible to focus completely. He could only work on it after hours. Though the hotel’s conditions were limited, they were better than being surrounded by cameras.

“Then why did he like Qiaoqiao’s post?”

“Huh?”

It was only upon hearing Qiaoqiao’s name that Li Tingzhou finally turned his head.

He reached up to adjust the thin silver-rimmed glasses on his nose and leaned in to look at Liu Lusi’s phone screen. It was a screenshot, and one line clearly read: 【@Cui Lin Liked】. The content he liked was a meme reposted by @Heartbroken Mengmeng.

The meme’s main cat was, of course, Qiaoqiao.

Qiaoqiao was lying by a flower bed. Two leaves rested on his enormous, garlic-clove-like mane. A front paw was raised halfway to his mouth, his tongue peeking out as if he couldn’t be bothered to lick it. His heterochromatic pupils had contracted in the light, exposing an aloof, dismissive arrogance that said, “Is that all you got?”

And because this cat had fiercely rejected Heartbreak’s job offer, the words [Nyah Nyah Nyah] had been P’d onto the image.

All in all, the meme was applicable to many situations and contexts.

For instance, during a major clash between girl group fans and music industry fanbases, the Mengmeng Fans had once deployed this very meme to mock their opponents, claiming they could train for another ten years and still not be good enough for a technically demanding show like Night Heart.

“So what does a fan war have to do with Cui Lin?”

“He liked a comment from a Mengmeng Fan, then unliked it moments later.”

He had likely quickly realized the move was inappropriate, so the like was then grafted onto the Qiaoqiao meme instead. In the end, Emperor Qiaoqiao shouldered it all…

Li Tingzhou had no choice but to pause for a moment and consider the other party’s intentions.

At the same time, Chi Yue was also scratching his head. He was halfway through a meal with Xu Yuenan when he got a call from his assistant: “Boss, something’s wrong! He inexplicably got on the trending list, already at number 23!”

He had to be impolite and deal with work briefly right in front of the lady.

Taking a closer look, he thought:

You’re saying your boss inexplicably got on the trending list?

Why don’t you mention the backstory, which is that he inexplicably liked someone else’s Weibo post?

【Doesn’t he use a burner account for surfing the internet?】

The assistant was used to his boss being detached from worldly matters. Surfing the internet hardly seemed like his side hobby. Besides, Cui Lin’s acting circle and Mengmeng’s band circle had zero overlap. The assistant truly wasn’t prepared for this, nor had he imagined a steady person could do such an unsteady thing.

Xu Yuenan was very understanding: “If you still have things to deal with, we can end it here.”

She also took out her phone for a glance and said lightly, “I have to go pick up the kid.”

Chi Yue immediately slumped. “Alright, I’ll walk you—”

“No need, I drove here.”

Watching his old classmate leave, Chi Yue dejectedly went back to the matter of Cui Lin. He was frustrated but couldn’t really vent his anger. “Didn’t I have Little Wang make you a burner account specifically to eat melons and read gossip?”

Autumn brought film festivals and TV festivals; this was exactly the nomination and campaigning period.

He’d rather Cui Lin lock himself away studying scripts like before, not emerging for ten days or half a month, than act like a ghost, suddenly causing trouble and scaring everyone.

Cui Lin, however, showed no guilt over his mistake. “Anyone can slip with their thumb.”

Chi Yue noticed he was sweaty, probably just out of the gym.

“Slipping with your thumb isn’t slipping like that! The band circle and the idol circle were fighting, what business is it of an actor like you? If you’re really that bored, how about I get you a few magazine shoots? You’re sculpting your body right now anyway, it’d be a nice memento.”

Compared to his state last month, Cui Lin had indeed bulked up.

It was that solid, muscular build that emphasized bone structure, refined with a hint of fierceness.

Chi Yue had initially worried whether fans could accept their symbol of national peace and prosperity transforming into One Punch Man. Now, it seemed their top priority was to fish their artist out of the crossfire of two major fandom wars, completely intact and unscathed…

“No shoots. I’m going to wash up.”

When Cui Lin came out of the shower, his first words were: “No one contacted you?”

Like someone from Heartbreak’s side?

Maybe their official Weibo account might send a private message thanking him for following Heartbreak, give him a few VIP seats, and welcome him to the third round of public performances for season seven of “Sing My Heart Tonight,” to watch the joint performance of Heartbreak and First Sister live. And then, ideally, everyone could go backstage after the performance for a chat. If the timing was right, they could even catch a late-night snack. G City had plenty of good food…

Chi Yue just felt baffled. “Why would they contact me?”

A slip of the thumb was just a trivial matter.

Besides, the content Cui Lin liked was utterly harmless. Getting on the trending list was purely because the fans had been starved for too long and finally found something to do. Everyone treated it as a little exercise for their muscles. They were panicking outwardly, but inwardly, they weren’t treating it as a big deal at all.

What was this petty squabble?

If there were no wall posters with accusations, it was just chickens pecking at each other.

Cui Lin was extremely disappointed. “Did you check your work email again?”

“Look here—Cui Lin, you’re exploiting your staff. Everyone’s off work by now, and you want me to call someone back to boot up their computer and recheck for you?” Chi Yue immediately shot back, slapping a huge accusation on him first to gain the upper hand.

Only then did Cui Lin fall silent, but his expression remained resentful.

~

Tonight’s spotlight undoubtedly belonged to Night Heart Seven.

The buzz around the new “All-Star Launch” trailer was defeated by a competitor’s old tricks.

Every season of “Sing My Heart Tonight,” the third round of public performances was in Summoning Mode.

This was a deliberately set segment by the show’s creators, a choice between “Happy Reunion” and “Grand Melee.” Happy Reunion meant everyone joyfully gathering to sing a song together. Grand Melee meant all guests fighting tooth and nail for connections and votes, maximizing dramatic effect.

Season seven’s guests were only just starting to show their strength, so it was still unclear which way this one would go.

Because of Cui Lin’s slip-up like, Chi Yue, who was forced to catch up on a lot of fresh gossip, didn’t overthink it. But then his assistant, Little Wang, suddenly requested leave: “Boss, I need to request leave early, okay? My mom’s making herbal chicken soup on Thursday and asked me to come home for it.”

“Specifically asked you to go home for chicken soup?”

“Yeah, she added tons of medicinal herbs!”

Chi Yue thought nothing of it. Cui Lin had been busy preparing to join his new production crew lately; only Cui Lin himself was busy. Everyone else was managing their usual business as always. It was no big deal for the assistant to go home for a couple of days. Who cared if he wanted to eat chicken or duck? As long as the reason was passable, that was enough. Chi Yue never pried.

Cui Lin, however, looked at him suspiciously. “You’re going to G City on Thursday?”

Not earlier, not later, but precisely on Thursday.

Going back on Friday would even be more logical, wouldn’t it?

Cui Lin’s physique had evolved into half a rugged worker’s build, and his gaze had grown increasingly sharp.

Little Wang struggled internally for a moment, then steeled himself and confessed honestly: “Alright, I’m going to see Night Heart Seven’s third public performance.”

Chi Yue: “Wait a minute… where did you get a ticket?!”

Their ticket lottery hadn’t even started yet, and you were sure you could get in?

Is this right?

Whether it was right or not, Little Wang didn’t know. “I got a channel ticket from someone.”

Cui Lin was genuinely displeased now. “How come?”

Little Wang felt a bit smug. “Obviously, because I have connections~”

As if he didn’t have connections. Chi Yue was just about to speak when he saw Cui Lin’s gaze lock onto him. “You want to go too? Who was it that said they didn’t like Mengmeng?”

“I never said that. Do you have proof?”

When a rule-follower suddenly acted abnormally, it meant something big had definitely happened!

Quite abruptly, a lightbulb went off in Chi Yue’s head.

He had found a reasonable motive for all of Cui Lin’s strange behavior recently.

How did it come to this?

Chi Yue couldn’t figure it out. He took a deep breath and asked, “Can you just level with me? Do you like Heartbreak’s songs, or do you like Mengmeng?”

Cui Lin played dumb. “Is there a difference? Heartbreak’s songs are all written by Mengmeng.”

“There’s a huge difference, my dear ancestor!”

Chi Yue couldn’t even be bothered to check the new message from Xu Yuenan. He anxiously scratched his hair, barely organizing his words. “If you just like Heartbreak’s songs, that’s easy. I’ll go find connections for tickets right now. You can pick any seat in the entire venue. You can even sit right under their noses if you want!”

At this point, Chi Yue felt like he was struggling to breathe.

“But if you like Mengmeng, I really can’t help you. Cui Lin, didn’t we just see that little video Little Melon Jiang secretly filmed a few days ago? Open your eyes and look closely! This is a straight, straight man! Okay?”

Cui Lin averted his gaze, refusing to meet his eyes, not intending to receive his manager’s telepathic signal.

“How do you gay guys even define your ideal type? So smitten after just one look? Don’t you need to taste the flavor before knowing if it’s good? I really don’t get it.”

“Of course you don’t get it. You don’t even care if someone gets married and has kids.”

Cui Lin had also grown a backbone. “You talk as if you’ve had a taste yourself.”

Suddenly stabbed viciously by this retort, Chi Yue clutched his chest. “I—”

Right now, Little Wang desperately wished he were deaf and blind.

He was terrified his day off would be canceled. Looking at his boss, then at his superior, he employed the school-day trick of keeping his upper body still while moving only his lower body, stealthily sliding out the door.

Seeing his assistant tactfully withdraw, Chi Yue took a deep breath and continued his persuasion.

“Fine, let’s say you didn’t know when you first became interested in him, like that time we met in the Wave Tower elevator. But after watching two episodes of Night Heart Seven later, you should have known, right?”

Cui Lin dodged the real issue. “I just found out too.”

“Really? I don’t believe it.”

Chi Yue refused to believe a gay man’s radar would suddenly fail.

“Believe it or not, that’s how it is.”

“You’re going to anger me to death… I said he has a girlfriend. All his songs are written either for his current girlfriend or his ex-girlfriends. Don’t you get it!”

Cui Lin was even more stubborn than him. “I know. So what?”

Chi Yue suddenly felt this person was incredibly difficult to communicate with. His past composure and calm were all a facade. If Mengmeng were only dating and not married, following this trend… it might not just be a simple emotional problem, but a matter of ethics…

“One last question: What do you like about him?”

Cui Lin finally met Chi Yue’s eyes, but soon, his gaze lost focus, as if reminiscing. “I saw he has a tiny bluish mole under the outer corner of his left eye! It’s such a shame—Night Heart Seven had so many close-ups, but not once did they capture that little mole…”

Chi Yue just felt despair. “Who asked about that?!”

“I mean, I also have a mole like that. It happened in elementary school, my deskmate tried to poke my eye with a pencil, but I dodged. It left a pencil-point mark that looks like a mole. Whenever I put on makeup, the artists always cover it up without exception. Is it that ugly? Why do they have to cover it?”

Cui Lin’s lips curved into a smile. “See? Doesn’t it perfectly match Mengmeng’s mole?”

“Match my ass. I think you’re spellbound and bewitched.”

~

Ever since Night Heart Seven activated Summoning Mode, the pace felt like it had been doubled.

Li Tingzhou clearly felt the show crew’s spring being wound tighter. It was as if everyone’s blood had been injected with Red Bull, each one seemingly tireless. The benefit, of course, was that communication and work efficiency had skyrocketed.

Even figures at the director and associate director level extended their on-site hours.

The Spirit Confluence Hall was a semi-open venue. Outside was Spirit Gathering Lake and Spirit Gathering Park, and surrounding it were the most expensive residential compounds in G City’s old town. It was a safe bet that no matter what song was sung inside the gymnasium, it couldn’t be hidden from the active residents nearby. Hence, the show crew could only let the guests and Raid Singers rehearse in designated areas within the Wave Tower.

With this clustered rehearsal, the lineup was no longer a secret.

All seven main guest groups, plus the two Raid groups, were all on high alert!

Although First Sister had one raid immunity, she still didn’t dare relax. Both on and off camera, she fretted over the summoning. “Watching previous seasons, singers just made one phone call, and their friends came rushing over. Now that it’s my turn, I realize it’s not that simple. What if I call a friend, but they have a grudge against someone else here?”

Li Tingzhou thought: First Sister truly lives up to her name—she’s so thorough.

Most people in this position wouldn’t even care about compatibility!

Driven by trending topics and exposure, they would just grit their teeth and go for it!

If you force a strained smile, can the other person truly laugh heartily? Actions have equal and opposite reactions. If there’s awkwardness, both sides feel it.

And, just by coincidence, the friend Zhao Chenmin brought had a major feud with Zhuang Yifan.

These two, right in front of the cameras, directly fell out and started cussing each other out!

Zhuang Yifan immediately announced a standstill and returned to his rest room, only sending his agent out to negotiate: either she goes or I go.

The problem was, Zhao Chenmin wasn’t a pushover either.

She firmly stood by her friend, telling the director: “If she quits, I quit too!”

Mao Maoyu went out to investigate and dutifully returned with a big, juicy piece of gossip. “This time it’s huge! Zhuang Yifan stole Chou Ning’s (ex-)boyfriend!”

Including First Sister, everyone was stunned. “Huh?!”

Knowing Zhuang Yifan was gay and actually hearing his gossip firsthand were different things.

“Details?”

“So, Zhuang Yifan met some guy at a dinner party. They hit it off immediately and got together. Zhuang Yifan promised to release his songs and records, make him a guest at his concert… basically, lots of perks. But this guy turned out to be quite the operator. In Zhuang Yifan’s name, he messaged his own girlfriend to tell her to smarten up and break up. Then he told the girlfriend that Zhuang Yifan was trying to force him, but that he only loved her—”

“What!”

“So what happened in the end?”

“Zhuang Yifan and Chou Ning passively compared notes, discovered this bastard was two-timing both of them. They dealt with the bastard together, but they still can’t stand the sight of each other. So here we are, the situation we see now: either she goes or I go.”

Li Tingzhou subconsciously asked, “He had a girlfriend and still got with a man…”

“Oh, Mengmeng, you don’t get it. Some people just eat everything.”

He knew men liked men and women liked women. During his time studying abroad, he’d heard plenty of conquest stories from playboys and playgirls at parties. But those decadent, drunken styles felt more like a kind of reckless squandering of youth. With ample capital, they were fearless, caring only for the thrill of the moment.

Now, working and witnessing even more outrageous behavior, he couldn’t help but be a little shocked.

Turns out, those who followed the rules were the extreme minority.

First Sister couldn’t help but sigh. “Stop it, or Mengmeng’s going to throw up.”

Li Tingzhou smiled helplessly. “It’s not that exaggerated.”

“But you’ve been frowning the whole time!”

Mao Maoyu clearly grasped the crux of the problem and quickly changed the subject. “Tonight, Zheng Bing and Junko are coming by to visit us during rehearsal. When they get here, we can also figure out how to add some flair. Do it like previous seasons and just have friends suddenly appear in the audience for a surprise reveal? Or play the ‘pass the parcel’ game? We’ll also need to free up some time to practice a bit.”

Li Tingzhou asked, “Aren’t they all supposed to come tomorrow?”

“They probably rushed over early to eat marinated raw seafood.”