Chapter 86: Get Lost and Play Somewhere Else
Lin Yueyue quit the talent show and moved into acting.
She was immediately cast as the second female lead in a teen idol drama invested in by Shi Jingyan.
With her innocent, sweet looks, she perfectly fit the role.
The main leads were also popular idols, so even during the early promotional stage, the drama had already attracted a ton of die-hard fans.
Tonight was a mandatory live stream for the cast.
As the second female lead, Lin Yueyue’s viewership peaked at... 800 people.
"Good evening, my babies~"
(Yueyue is so pretty! She looks like my first love.)
(Her boyfriend is super handsome! I saw him on TV yesterday.)
Lin Yueyue was already in a great mood today.
Seeing so many compliments in the chat, she flipped her hair on purpose, flashing what she thought was her sweetest smile.
But in her heart, she was thinking—
If it weren’t for proving to Jingyan that I can make money too, why would I waste my time flirting with a bunch of losers, nerds, and brainless fans?
(Yueyue once said that the Moon Goddess stole her boyfriend! That homewrecker even ran away during the finals!)
(Yeah, yeah! Even the production team was dumbfounded. She was the one who got into the top six by botting votes. This is hilarious.)
Seeing people trash-talking Shen Xi, Lin Yueyue suddenly felt wide awake.
"Huh? Shen Xi ran away?"
The moment she said it, she quickly covered her mouth, pretending to look innocent.
"Oh no! I accidentally said her real name. What should I do?"
(Yueyue, you’re too kind! She already quit the competition, so it’s not a secret anymore.)
Some people even suggested doxxing her.
Among them, an old high school classmate helpfully typed out Shen Xi’s full name, just to make sure no one got the wrong person.
Lin Yueyue watched the chat explode with insults and felt smug inside.
The frustration of losing to Shen Xi during the talent show?
Gone.
Now, all she felt was the satisfaction of turning the tables.
But suddenly, one comment stood out—
(If you're here to promote the drama, then focus on the promotion. Why do you keep bringing up your fake relationship drama?)
"Ah? Oh no, I’m so sorry! It’s my fault."
Lin Yueyue put on a pitiful face, looking all wronged and hurt.
Immediately, her die-hard fans rushed to defend her, attacking the commenter until they left the stream.
At first, Lin Yueyue thought she had made it to the trending page when suddenly, her viewer count shot up into the four digits.
But then, the chat exploded—
(Go watch the Su City News live stream!)
(Holy crap, things flipped so fast?!)
Lin Yueyue froze.
A bad feeling crept up inside her.
She quickly grabbed her other phone and entered the news channel’s live stream.
On-screen, Shen Xi stood next to a police car, her face exhausted, holding a microphone with her head lowered.
The soft melody of the intro played—
And strangely, the abandoned building she was standing in made it feel like a music video.
🎶 "All—of it is courage."
🎶 "The scars on your forehead, your differences, your mistakes—"
🎶 "There's no need to hide them."
Hearing the first few lines, Lin Yueyue relaxed a little.
What kind of lame song is this? It sounded so ordinary.
What surprised her way more was the fact that Shen Xi was standing there completely unharmed.
Even the chat wasn’t talking about the song. People were just praising how pretty she looked in real life.
No big deal.
But then, Shen Xi lifted her head. Her gaze turned sharp and determined.
🎶 "Why is loneliness not something to be proud of?"
🎶 "Only those who are imperfect deserve to be celebrated."
🎶 "Who said that being covered in mud means you're not a hero?"
The camera panned away from Shen Xi. Now, the focus was on the police officers, gathering evidence at the scene.
The paramedics rushing to treat the wounded. The SWAT team, fully armed, standing guard.
🎶 "Love you, walking alone through dark alleys."
🎶 "Love you, for never kneeling."
🎶 "Love you, for facing despair head-on—"
🎶 "Without shedding a single tear."
🎶 "Who said only those standing in the light can be heroes?"
In just a short time, the live stream had over a million viewers.
The chat exploded, so much that the screen lagged!
Inside the Su City News broadcast room, the director, Chen, was shouting with excitement—
"We broke it! We broke the ratings record again!"
Meanwhile…
Lin Yueyue felt a chill run down her spine.
Her face paled, filled with disbelief. Her phone slipped from her hands and hit the floor with a loud smack.
Right now, Shen Xi seemed to be glowing, her presence so dazzling that it made Yueyue’s eyes sting.
……………………………………
Back at the scene.
Keke gasped, covering her mouth in shock. The crowd erupted into applause. Shen Xi lowered the microphone, then gave a small bow.
"This song is dedicated to all the heroes who protect us from the darkness."
In her mind, she thought, ‘Alright, now that I’ve put a label on it, it won't be like an anime song, right...?’
Afterward, the three of them went to the police station to give their statements.
After that, they were allowed to go home and rest.
Since Su Kexin was still shaken up and could barely walk, Shen Xi used the excuse of being too tired and pushed the blushing Keke toward Shen Zekai, who ended up supporting her into his car.
"Take care of Keke for me," Shen Xi said, waving them off.
As she watched them leave, she thought, if fate brought them together, she won’t interfere too much.
Over an hour later, Shen Zekai parked his car in the underground parking lot of Keke’s apartment complex.
They got out and took the elevator up. The whole way, Keke stayed close behind him.
This "little brother", who was actually younger than her, somehow felt taller and stronger than ever in her eyes.
When they finally entered her apartment, Keke switched on the lights. The warm yellow glow filled the room, chasing away the darkness.
But somehow, she still felt uneasy. Shen Zekai turned to leave.
"Rest well, Sister Kexin. I’ll be going now."
Shen Zekai, the clueless guy that he was, had just dropped Keke off at her door and was about to turn and leave.
When suddenly, he felt a light tug on the hem of his shirt.
He turned around to see Su Kexin standing there, her head lowered, her voice soft and a little hesitant.
“Zekai… can you… stay with me a little longer? I’m still kind of scared.”
Zekai scratched his head, realizing, ‘Oh right, after everything that happened, of course a girl would feel scared being alone.’
Keke, finally starting to relax, was overcome with exhaustion. After a quick wash-up, she collapsed onto her bed.
Zekai didn’t think too much about it, he just sat quietly at her bedside, keeping her company.
Keke knew that Zekai already had a girlfriend, so even in her fear, all she did was lightly hold onto the hem of his shirt before closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep.
Sitting beside her, Shen Zekai took a proper look at this girl. The same girl who used to follow his sister around like a little sidekick.
She was actually… kinda cute.
But Shen Xi called Keke her friend, her bestie. So Zekai figured, that means she’s his friend too.
His gaze lingered on Su Kexin’s sleeping face.
Her lips were pale, still showing traces of the shock she had been through. She looked so fragile, so delicate, it made people want to protect her.
Just then, his phone vibrated.
It was another payment link from Susie, asking him to cover for her again.
……………………………………
The Next Evening.
“Cheers!”
To celebrate that they all made it out safe, Shen Zekai brought the girls to a KTV lounge for a night of fun.
Mostly, he just wanted Keke to let go of all the bad emotions.
Since Shen Xi made singing her profession, she actually doesn't like to sing as much in her free time. She just happily listened to the two of them taking turns singing for her.
Now, she focused on snacking.
The KTV had some decent drinks and snacks, so she ended up eating a lot and drinking two whole bottles of their special drinks.
...Then it hit her.
The drinks had alcohol.
Her face turned red-hot, and the room felt stuffy.
She figured she should go out for some fresh air and maybe splash her face with cold water in the bathroom.
But the moment she stepped out of the private room. She ran into Shi Jingyan.
He had just walked out of another KTV room. And there were two bright lipstick marks on his neck.
Shen Xi frowned.
Oh great. Of course, the moment a side character steps out, they just have to run into the male lead.
The alcohol was making her dizzy, but she forced herself to stand up straight. She glanced at Shi Jingyan, then at the lipstick stains, and let out a light chuckle.
"Mr. Shi, you look busy. Go have fun. Don't let me get in your way."