CH 27

The contrast between ideals and reality struck Wen Zhecheng like a thunderbolt.

He felt tears welling up in his eyes.

Qu Youhe, still unaware of the situation, leaned over to take a look. “Hey, this groundhog is quite cute…” After finishing his sentence, he caught sight of Wen Zhecheng’s expression and his pupils shook in an instant. “Holy cow! Zhecheng Ge, did it make you cry from cuteness?”

Wen Zhecheng suppressed the heartache and corrected him with a hint of grievance, “This is an otter.”

Qu Youhe responded, “Oh, then what does a groundhog look like?”

Wen Zhecheng replied, “A groundhog is the one that screams.”

Like himself at the moment.

…

After expressing his feelings, Rong Yuheng happily put away his phone and turned to face Pu Zaixi’s indescribable expression.

Rong Yuheng reached out and patted his contorted little face, displaying an innocent and clever demeanor. “I’ve made myself clear, don’t worry.”

Pu Zaixi’s face was smacked with a resounding “smack,” but he still felt that the sound was far less than one percent of what Wen Zhecheng had received.

“What do I have to worry or not worry about? I just think you should be more careful.”

Rong Yuheng’s head tilted back happily, as if he had thought of something funny, and suddenly the switch was triggered, emitting a “hehehehe…” sound.

“Why should I be so careful? Should I grow a flower in my heart?”

After saying that, he playfully nudged and twisted Pu Zaixi like a little worm. “In my heart, I want to take you home~”

Pu Zaixi was nudged to the point of being disoriented. “…”

He really wanted to turn into a dog and take his roommate away.

Pu Zaixi patiently guided him, “Do you know the meaning of a ‘good person card’?”

Rong Yuheng wasn’t a complete idiot, so he immediately understood the underlying message and analyzed, “Isn’t a ‘good person card’ like a butcher’s knife in a romantic relationship and a challenge in friendship?”

Given his relationship with Wen Zhecheng, what’s the problem with giving a ‘good person card’?

— Absolutely no problem!

Rong Yuheng mentally gave himself a thumbs-up.

After pondering for a few seconds, Pu Zaixi was actually convinced by his seemingly reasonable logic!

He thought to himself: Yeah, this damn “friendship”–

This brilliant discourse about the “good person card” was soon discarded by these two forgetful idiots because the third round of the playoffs was just one week away.

The director’s team had always been flamboyant, and the format of the third round of the playoffs had changed again compared to the previous two: this time, contestants would form teams of two, with a total of ten teams competing. They would be both partners and competitors.

Therefore, choosing the right partner became a crucial element in winning the competition.

In Rong Yuheng’s dormitory, all four of them had their own survival strategies and had made it to this point in an orderly manner. They planned to handle it internally, with two people forming a team.

Among them, Rong Yuheng and Zou Yi ranked higher, so Rong Yuheng intended to pair Zou Yi with Pu Zaixi, while he would team up with Zhou Shubai.

Zou Yi and Pu Zaixi had no problem with the arrangement, but Zhou Shubai hesitated.

“No, I’m afraid my brother will sabotage it and cause trouble for you.”

As soon as he mentioned Qiu Jianlun, the other three felt mentally exhausted.

Especially Rong Yuheng, who had directly battled with Qiu Jianlun before, couldn’t understand the thought process of this enchanting and overbearing boss.

Zou Yi suggested, “How about you seek refuge with Teacher Ke this time too?”

Zhou Shubai asked, “Can I?”

Still immersed in his personal senses, Rong Yuheng blurted out, “Why not? Teacher Ke Ting is known to ward off evil, isn’t it?”

“…”

The conversation abruptly paused for a few seconds, like an old television suddenly losing signal.

Then Rong Yuheng’s head shook, and a strand of hair stood up, restoring the signal for everyone.

Zou Yi, strong and resilient, quickly caught the wave.

The first thing he did after restoring the connection was to voice his condemnation, “Your brother is too despicable!”

This was the second time Zhou Shubai corrected him, “He’s not despicable, he’s just overbearing, self-centered, and disregards others’ opinions.”

Rong Yuheng felt that the weight of these adjectives was much heavier than “despicable.”

“What kind of relationship do you guys have, really…”

“It’s alright.”

Zou Yi asked, “He interferes with your wishes, and you don’t hate him?”

Zhou Shubai replied, “I don’t hate him.”

Zou Yi couldn’t understand. He wasn’t a blood brother, so unlike in a bond of kinship, many things could be understood and forgiven.

He firmly grasped the nape of Zhou Shubai’s fate and tried to lift him up, shaking him a few times. “I won’t allow you to play the saint!”

Zhou Shubai was lifted up like a piece of paper, but he still didn’t lower his noble head.

“I’m not playing the saint!… I just feel that it’s exhausting to hate someone you can’t avoid.”

Zou Yi loosened his grip, and the paper face returned to the ground.

Zhou Shubai continued, holding his neck, “Honestly, what my brother did made me feel disgusted, but I don’t hate him as a person.”

Rong Yuheng was stunned by his words. “Can you separate the person you hate from the things you hate?”

Zhou Shubai said, “As long as you’re willing, you can. There’s no need to be at odds with yourself.”

Rong Yuheng’s eyelashes trembled, as if something lightly struck his heart.1He was at odd with his father, the explaination only he was kick out of house till this chapter.

A faint ache and an echo.

Pu Zaixi cruelly broke the silence and forced Zhou Shubai to face reality.

“But you still want to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. If your brother doesn’t allow you to appear in public, what can you do?”

Zhou Shubai wavered, like a prince in distress in troubled times.

He even raised his hand to wipe away tears that didn’t exist.

Rong Yuheng didn’t want to see Zhou Shubai’s affected posture. Breaking free from the inexplicable sadness, his colorful and radiant soul began to shine…

After a moment, a morning star suddenly rose from the horizon, casting its wise light upon the guarded Zhou Shubai.

Rong Yuheng said, “I can show you a clear path.”

Zhou Shubai leaned forward, “What?”

Rong Yuheng’s eyes filled with affection. “Perform a duet.”

“…”

Although Rong Yuheng’s suggestion seemed like a ridiculous fart, it opened up a new train of thought for Zhou Shubai.

He wanted to ask Qiu Jianlun if it was possible to continue his performances without showing his face.

…

At this time, no one realized that the plot had quietly shifted to a strange subplot–

Since receiving the card, Wen Zhecheng had not replied to Rong Yuheng’s message.

Every time he opened their conversation, he could always see the phrase “You’re a good person.”

Below that was a rubbing face otter, as if the words came from the otter’s head.

Wen Zhecheng felt uncomfortable.

He didn’t understand why such a cute creature could have such a devastating impact.

And Rong Yuheng didn’t receive a reply but didn’t ask about it either — he completely ignored it!

Feeling gloomy, Wen Zhecheng poked into the conversation box of one of his friends.

This person’s name was Kuang Zhao, and his father Kuang Yong was a close friend of Wen Zhongyun in the entertainment industry.

Kuang Yong had supported Wen Zhongyun during the most difficult period of his acting career, providing him with great help, and since then, the relationship between the two families had become extremely close.

After interacting with Kuang Zhao, Wen Zhecheng discovered that he, like his father, had a penchant for helping others, so he considered him a friend.

At this moment, Wen Zhecheng was trying to absorb a hint of warmth from Kuang Zhao, the heir of the “family of help.”

He entered Kuang Zhao’s conversation box, holding onto the principle that silence is golden, and sent a reserved message:

“I received a card.”

Kuang Zhao, who was essentially a playboy, was probably busy somewhere, as it took a while for him to reply with astonishment:

“With your status, can anyone still give you a small card at a hotel!?”

“…”

For a moment, Wen Zhecheng questioned his judgment in choosing friends.

[Wen Zhecheng]: Not that kind of card, it’s a good person card.

[Kuang Zhao]: You scared me, that’s good then.

Wen Zhecheng: “?”

No, this is not good at all.

[Kuang Zhao]: It seems that your charitable deeds are finally paying off.

Wen Zhecheng: “……”

Perhaps because he usually gave off a cold and distant impression, Kuang Zhao didn’t even consider that aspect. Wen Zhecheng squeezed his phone, his eyes fixed on the screen, and when he saw the words “charitable deeds,” he felt an inexplicable pang in his heart.

His enthusiasm was not just for doing charity.

Wen Zhecheng closed his phone, feeling neither warmth nor any positive feeling. Instead, he felt even more melancholic…

Just as he was feeling down, a phone call came in. It was Chen Li, the director of “Ace Star,” and his tone was filled with anticipation.

“Wen Teacher, it’s been a while since you visited our program. The audience misses you. Can you come by in a few days?”

A beam of sunlight shone through the window, illuminating the room.

Wen Zhecheng’s features were bathed in light, and he felt the icy snow in his heart slowly melting away, trickling down…

He tried to make his voice sound calm as usual. “I’ll have to check my schedule, but I should be able to make it.”

It was just a good person card, and if he met the person in person, he could always request to return it.

Not only did the production team call Wen Zhecheng, but they also called Song Tang, Qiao Tan, and Jin Zhiyao back.

The third round of the qualifying competition was approaching, and the pre-competition episode required all the mentors to appear together to boost ratings.

As the competition drew near, almost all the trainees returned to the training center and found their partners for practice.

Rong Yuheng and Zhou Shubai were paired together, and Rong Yuheng corrected Zhou Shubai’s pronunciation like an intelligent AI.

“It’s ‘no’… nasal sound, ne-wo–no.”

“Le-wo–lo…”

Rong Yuheng: “Nuh! Nuh-nuh-nuh–!”

Zhou Shubai: “Guo! Guo-guo-guo–!”

Rong Yuheng felt mentally exhausted, as Zhou Shubai seemed to be feeding pigs.

Moreover, he had a sense of déjà vu, as if he was the pig himself.

“Shubai, with your pronunciation like this, I’m afraid no one will dare to perform a duet with you in the future.”

Zhou Shubai’s eyes widened instantly like bronze bells. “Why do you just assume that I want to perform a duet?”

Rong Yuheng suddenly woke up from his own habitual thinking and then sheepishly raised two fingers, making a gesture of “kneeling” in the palm of his other hand.

“I’m sorry for arranging it without your consent.”

“…”

The two of them trained relentlessly until it was time for dinner.

As they were walking together towards the downstairs restaurant, they saw a familiar figure by the stairwell.

There was a window on the wall by the stairwell, allowing the outside light to shine through. The person stood in a halo of light, their figure distinct, tall, and upright.

Zhou Shubai nudged Rong Yuheng, “Hey, isn’t that…”

Rong Yuheng looked up and instantly pointed with joy, “This silhouette! It’s Teacher Wen!”

Zhou Shubai took a sharp breath, “Such beautiful Chinese!”

Rong Yuheng grabbed Zhou Shubai’s hand and rushed over, saying, “Teacher Wen, it’s been so long since we last saw you!”

Wen Zhecheng’s gaze lingered on Rong Yuheng holding Zhou Shubai’s hand for two seconds before shifting to the latter’s face.

“Long time no see.”

Indeed, it had been a long time. The last time they met was in a police drama.

Just as Zhou Shubai called out “Teacher Wen,” he saw a clear message in Wen Zhecheng’s eyes that said, “Go quickly.”

“… ” Zhou Shubai blinked hard, realizing it wasn’t an illusion.

He exclaimed internally and consciously broke free from Rong Yuheng’s grip. “Uh… Yuheng, you guys go ahead and talk. I’ll go downstairs to find Zou Yi and the others.”

Without waiting for Rong Yuheng’s response, he slipped away and disappeared down the corridor with an aristocratic air.

Rong Yuheng was caught off guard and abandoned…

Wen Zhecheng glanced at him and said calmly, “Let’s go.”

Rong Yuheng was puzzled, “Where are we going?”

“I packed some food. Let’s eat together in the break room. I heard your resources are always being intercepted, and I wanted to talk to you about it.”

“Okay.” Rong Yuheng trusted him without a doubt and followed the former towards the break room. After a couple of steps, he exclaimed again, “Teacher Wen, you’re really a good person.”

Wen Zhecheng paused his steps, and in his mind, a group of sea otters suddenly appeared, gleefully rubbing their faces against him…

He didn’t want to dwell on it and changed the topic. “You didn’t call me that before.”

Rong Yuheng paused for a moment, then remembered, “Oh~ Little brother – kekekeke…”

After he finished speaking, he foolishly moved closer. “Teacher Wen, so you actually like this way of addressing you. If you like it, just say it.”

Rong Yuheng noticed Wen Zhecheng’s displeased expression and immediately became alert, holding himself tightly. “Little brother, what are you planning? You’re a good person and shouldn’t ruin your image.”

Wen Zhecheng looked at him deeply and thought to himself, “This guy really needs to be dealt with.”

In his mind, he weighed the three shiny good person cards and then a mischievous thought emerged:

Little brother isn’t a good person.

Little brother might be up to no good.