Chapter 55

Wu Zhiqi couldn’t hold back and asked again, “But I remember your encyclopedia says you went to A Univ. Acting Dept.? Wasn’t your ranking a bit too high for that?”

A University’s Acting Department had high art exam scores, but the cultural scores were definitely on the lower side.

If Yu Xi had entered A University’s Acting Department with a ranking that only had an asterisk, it would definitely be dug up and explode on the hot searches.

“My first major wasn’t Acting.”

A University had two ways to enroll.

One was through the gaokao, and the diploma said main campus.

The other was through the art exam, and the diploma said A Univ. School of Arts.

Back then, Yu Xi and Ji Ruiou had been roommates—one through gaokao, one through art exam.

Different scores, different requirements, different colleges, different diploma names, but on the same campus. Who roomed with whom depended entirely on the teachers’ whims during dorm assignments.

“I double-majored,” Yu Xi explained. “My first major was Computer Science, and my second was Acting.”

Wu Zhiqi’s eyes widened slightly. “Why did you double-major?”

“Advance or retreat, attack or defend.” Yu Xi joked, “I could mix in the entertainment industry. If I didn’t want to anymore, or if I signed with a shady company, I could take civil service exams, teacher quals, or go work at a company.”

Wu Zhiqi was a bit surprised. “You actually worried about stuff like that?”

“Why not?” Yu Xi asked, puzzled.

Wu Zhiqi blinked.

In her eyes, Yu Xi was strong, had a great personality, had this forward-charging enthusiasm, and sometimes a fearless wildness. He was the type to charge ahead at any small goal. It was hard to imagine that back then, at eighteen or nineteen, in his most high-spirited days, he would think about the future.

Yu Xi understood Wu Zhiqi’s confusion and didn’t mind sharing more with her. “Back then, I was a bit different from now.”

At that time…

His mental and psychological state hadn’t been great.

Before his mother went abroad, she had chosen the path into entertainment for him. All the past education targeted at him was so he could achieve something later. After she left the country, Yu Xi almost spitefully wasted all the classes his mother had invested in. He dropped those suffocating training sessions and focused on returning to the classroom.

He was alone, with no one to help him plan his majors. He didn’t want to look back, so he deliberately went against his mother’s expectations and chose a major with good job prospects and relatively high pay.

But when he truly stepped into university alone and entered the classroom, he envied those who could stand on stage, in front of the camera.

Perhaps sticking with it for so many years wasn’t just his mother’s pressure.

After understanding the school system, Yu Xi chose Acting as his second major.

Double-majoring exhausted him. His schedule was full every day; he had to cross the entire campus, interleaving two completely different disciplines—one emotional, one rational. From thinking to action, they were total opposites.

But back then, Yu Xi enjoyed that busyness.

Busyness let him forget some things.

Forget the mother who abandoned him and left, forget Yi Chen, forget the times he went crazy, cried, begged to stay, only to be mercilessly torn apart by reality in the end.

Yu Xi had never marketed his grades or deliberately mentioned his gaokao scores. Everyone just knew his high school grades were good—no one asked for details.

When he blew up, he had already finished the credits for his first major and didn’t need to go to classes anymore. He basically just hung out in Acting Department professional classes, so outsiders naturally assumed he went to A University’s Acting Department.

After Yu Xi shared some heartfelt words with Wu Zhiqi, Yi Chen on the side felt unhappy instead.

He hadn’t been part of Yu Xi’s university life.

They had parted at the airport in an ugly way, both sulking, neither willing to reach out first. Yu Xi had even blocked him—he couldn’t even see his Moments!!

Yi Chen: “You’ve never told me this much.”

Yu Xi glanced at him strangely. “You never asked.”

Yi Chen grumbled, “You blocked me back then. I couldn’t even see your Moments.”

Yu Xi: “Didn’t I unblock you? Look all you want.”

Yi Chen: “They’re only visible for three days.”

Yu Xi: “…”

The banquet lights gradually brightened as it shifted to the front stage. The charity auction was about to start. Wu Zhiqi stood up with a grin. “You two bicker. I’m going to find Lele and ask.”

The charity auction donated proceeds to various funds. The items weren’t too precious, but a few antiques fetched brutal bids. It looked like a few rich young masters were fighting in a love-rival shura field. Yu Xi was interested in a couple and bid a few times, but the rich young masters’ red rose was also into them. They kept competing until the price far exceeded the item’s value.

Later, Yu Xi stopped joining in and just watched the rich young masters battle it out. Beside him, Yi Chen even provided commentary: which young master from which family, what absurd things he’d done for that red rose. Stories from rich families were always one wilder and more absurd than the last.

The banquet finally ended.

Guests left one by one. A middle-aged couple blocked the banquet hall entrance. Ignoring countless cameras snapping photos and people stopping to watch, they cried and shouted nonstop.

“My daughter…”

“I found such a great marriage for her!! Such a mature, steady man… She won’t marry, wasting all my hard work. Is she unfilial?”

“My daughter… Where’s my daughter…”

A crowd gathered. Security tried to escort them away, but as soon as they got close, the middle-aged woman shrieked, “What are you doing? I’m looking for my daughter! Where’s my daughter? I want to see her!!”

“You all, so many people! I’m not scared! Film me, film me! I’m not afraid at all! Anyway, my daughter’s unfilial. I have nothing left to live for in this life!”

Wu Zhiqi had been chatting and laughing with Yu Xi and Yi Chen as they left, but she stopped at the commotion at the door. Her expression froze, a hint of impatience and disgust spilling from her eyes and brows.

No one noticed.

She quickly adjusted and apologized to Yu Xi and Yi Chen. “Sorry, I have to go over there first.”

“Dad! Mom!” Wu Zhiqi waved to them with a smile, beaming as she hooked her arm through the middle-aged woman’s, feigning surprise. “How did you guys come?”

The middle-aged woman saw Wu Zhiqi and instantly stopped crying and fussing. She scrambled up excitedly. “We looked everywhere for you, called but you didn’t pick up. We thought you were abandoning your brother and us!”

“Mom, I told you, tonight’s banquet, this outfit isn’t suitable for carrying a phone.” Wu Zhiqi lowered her voice. “You looking for me like this—people who know will say you’re worried about me; those who don’t will say you’re controlling. If someone snaps a photo and it spreads, how will your son find a wife?”

At the mention of her son, the woman and man immediately shut up.

“Besides, Mom, don’t you know me? All my work is to make money for your son’s house. His bride price isn’t cheap, you know.”

With the middle-aged couple calmed, Wu Zhiqi bowed apologetically to the crowd. “Sorry, sorry. A little misunderstanding with my parents. Could everyone please not post it?”

“Yeah, yeah.” The middle-aged woman chimed in. “Family matters, family matters.”

Wu Zhiqi persuaded her parents away, saw them off to the car, and waved to Yu Xi and Yi Chen before following.

Yu Xi stopped her, his expression serious. “A misunderstanding?”

The way the middle-aged couple had just blown up, then suddenly regained reason at “brother”—it didn’t look like resolving a misunderstanding.

“Misunderstanding, really a misunderstanding. How could my parents harm me?” Wu Zhiqi said earnestly. “I’m fine, but Teacher Yu Xi, Teacher Yi Chen, there is something I need your help with. Not convenient now—can we talk during the show recording?”

“Zhiqi? Why aren’t you coming?” The middle-aged woman, seeing Wu Zhiqi lingering, poked her head out puzzled.

“I’m coming!” Wu Zhiqi responded, then waved to Yu Xi and Yi Chen. “I’m off. See you next week!”

–

Where to Go This Weekend‘s fourth episode was set for next Friday, Saturday, and Sunday—three days total.

Before the show aired, it was still ordinary workdays: sun up, sun down, busy and lively.

Yu Xi’s heat symptoms flared once or twice, but Yi Chen was always there. Temporary Mark solved it easily.

The Boundless also officially announced its two male leads during this time. Though most netizens had guessed, when the crew posted, fans went wild with joy.

Openly shipping CP, eating official sugar—wasn’t it happier than sneaking details?

Wang Hui shared the comment section frenzy in their three-person group chat.

[Wang Hui: Haven’t felt this enthusiasm in ages.]

[Wang Hui: Wow.]

[Wang Hui: My cold heart’s warm again.]

[Wang Hui: Seeing the light of day feels great.]

Netizens flooded the crew’s Weibo. Wang Hui enthusiastically interacted, occasionally pasting fun comments and interactions into the group.

[Wang Hui: [Screenshot][Screenshot][Screenshot]]

[Wang Hui: You guys browsing the super topic?]

[Wang Hui: These two netizens are interesting.]

[Wang Hui: Sharing for you to see.]

The screenshots showed two very familiar IDs.

[Geng Shanglou: Director Wang has great taste!! The Boundless needs them two to be watchable!!]

[Geng Shanglou: Aaaah they really hooked up! Begging director to recreate the dog bite scene!!!]

[Zhen Bu Chi Yumi: No no sister be careful! You really want your Yu Xi bitten again? So painful!]

[Geng Shanglou: Sister, pain on him, ache in my heart, sweetness in everyone’s mind—CP fan carnival, publicly funded romance!!!]

Wang Hui humbly asked: [What’s the dog bite scene?]

[Geng Shanglou: [Link] See the VCR]

Geng Shanglou shared the video from the banquet night where Yu Xi answered the reporter. When asked about the back-of-neck wound, Yu Xi clutched his neck fiercely: “Dog bite.”

[Geng Shanglou: I’m Fish Fish Teacher’s dog!!!!!]

[Wang Hui: See, such lively netizens.]

Yu Xi: “??”

Yi Chen: “…………”

[Wang Hui: Oh right, Ruan Wen contacted me today. Said Ji Ruiou’s been wanting to see you in detention @Yu Xi]

[Wang Hui: What do you plan? Need me to reply anything?]

Ji Ruiou was in detention. He’d touched the “candy,” so he couldn’t escape alone. The case was still under investigation. Ji Ruiou spat some things out, but his time with Ruan Yan Shan was short, so what he spilled wasn’t core—but enough for police to request a search.

The case grew bigger. Ji Ruiou was totally stuck now.

Ruan Wen visited Ruan Yan Shan on divorce matters and saw Ji Ruiou too.

Ji Ruiou was skin and bones, eyes vacant. To Ruan Wen, he only said: “I want to see Yu Xi.”

He didn’t say why.

Maybe to repent, or maybe something more vicious and twisted.

Ruan Wen relayed it.

Yu Xi said: “No.”

Whatever Ji Ruiou wanted, it was meaningless now.

Time flew by. Amid the busyness, Where to Go This Weekend‘s fourth episode was about to start.