"..."
Even if he were slow to notice, he could sense the abnormality in Fu Jingfan's tone. Su Huaiming felt inexplicably guilty and weakly explained, "It was wrong of me to go record a variety show without telling you, but I'm maintaining my exercise routine every day and earning money here. Isn't that a good thing?"
"You can maintain your daily exercise routine even at home." Fu Jingfan paused, his tone casual and unreadable, "Or are you only recording this variety show to avoid exercising with me?"
Su Huaiming: "..." Everyone knows this, so let's not say it out loud.
Fu Jingfan had the potential to be a dean of students; he exuded authority without being angry. Su Huaiming felt like a primary school student caught doing something wrong, and he was extremely guilty. He didn't dare to refute Fu Jingfan's words and could only give a dry laugh.
Fortunately, Fu Jingfan didn't dwell on the topic any further, simply saying, "Don't overwork yourself these days, take care of yourself."
Su Huaiming nodded. "I will."
At this point in the conversation, there was already a hint that the call was about to end, but Fu Jingfan suddenly asked, "Are you still having dinner with Qi Xingzhou?"
Su Huaiming nodded, then realized that Fu Jingfan couldn't see. Just as he was about to speak, Fu Jingfan said, "Go eat. Chew slowly, be careful not to get indigestion."
After Su Huaiming agreed, he hung up the phone.
He had just put his phone down when he saw Qi Xingzhou leaning over the table, his head lolling out, and asking excitedly, "Were you talking to President Fu on the phone?!"
Su Huaiming nodded, his lips twitching slightly. "Don't lean on the table; that position is dangerous."
Qi Xingzhou obediently sat back down, looking quite longing. "You and President Fu a perfect match! You two aren't human, you're like immortals who grew up on dew!! I was initially your only fan, but President Fu's charm is too great, and I gradually became a CP fan. You two are truly a match made in heaven, a perfect couple. All the chocolates in the world combined aren't as sweet as the two of you. If there were a ranking of the most loving couples, you two would definitely be number one!"
Su Huaiming was bombarded with humiliating words, and the numbness in his back returned, leaving him choked and unable to eat.
He choked up, looking at Qi Xingzhou's starry eyes, "Actually, there's something I've wanted to tell you for a long time..."
Qi Xingzhou immediately stared at Su Huaiming with wide eyes, looking as if he was about to faint from honor, as if he would treat every word Su Huaiming said as gospel, copy it down and paste it on the wall, and recite it day and night.
Su Huaiming opened his mouth, but no sound came out; he could only express his meaning with his eyes.
So, do we really have to follow this star?
Chapter 60
Looking at Qi Xingzhou's bright, puppy-dog eyes and the invisible tail swaying in a spiral behind him, Su Huaiming couldn't open his mouth no matter what.
It's a precious thing to have fans who love you. Even if Qi Xingzhou showers him with embarrassing compliments all the time, he can't dissuade Qi Xingzhou.
Seeing that Qi Xingzhou was still waiting expectantly for him to speak, Su Huaiming forced a smile and changed the subject, "Aren't you going to eat?"
Qi Xingzhou was stunned for a moment, then immediately became overjoyed.
The idol noticed he hadn't eaten; she really cares about him!
In order not to disappoint Su Huaiming's expectations, Qi Xingzhou immediately lowered his head and ate heartily, looking as if he hadn't eaten for three days.
Afraid he might choke, Su Huaiming quickly poured him a glass of water and advised, "Eat slowly."
Qi Xingzhou looked at the glass of water in Su Huaiming's hand, and his nose suddenly tingled. He almost burst into tears. His hands trembled as he took the glass and hid it behind his back, as if he wanted to treasure it for a lifetime.
Su Huaiming: "..."I'm begging you on my knees, can't you just be normal?!
Su Huaiming was so overwhelmed by Qi Xingzhou's antics that he dared not do anything. He propped his head up with his hand, revealing a look of utter despair, and ate a few mouthfuls of rice without any spirit, trying to get through the lunch break.
Fortunately, the other contestants from Group D asked Qi Xingzhou for help. Qi Xingzhou was very loyal. After hesitating for three or four seconds, he looked at Su Huaiming with reluctance before turning around and leaving.
After Qi Xingzhou left, Su Huaiming felt the thin air become fresher, and his bloodshot brain calmed down again. He took a deep breath, adjusted his emotions, and then began to eat properly.
After dinner, the show's director sent a message saying that the stage had been modified according to Su Huaiming's adjustments.
The park was huge, and it took Su Huaiming a good ten minutes to ride his electric scooter to get to the performance venue.
He negotiated with the production team for a full two hours, and then received a call from the old lady.
The news that Su Huaiming wanted to alter the performance costumes accidentally reached the ears of the old lady. She offered to help, adding embellishments to Su Huaiming's design and having people work overtime to rush the production of the costumes, which would be delivered tomorrow.
Su Huaiming talked with the old woman for a long time, wanting to do more, and was busy all the time, so he didn't go to the athletes' training room.
The three mentors stayed in the training room, rehearsing with the contestants. Xiao Kaicheng, in particular, was working extra hard these days, intentionally trying to put down Su Huaiming, and practically living and eating with the contestants.
To put on a show, he even staged a flare-up of an old injury.
He lay in the back row of the training room, enduring the pain, his lips pressed tightly together, both devoid of color.
Upon discovering this, the contestants immediately rushed to take care of him in a panic. The production team also quickly contacted a doctor, and Xiao Kaicheng was taken to the infirmary. The contestants, still worried, followed him.
This whole ordeal took a full three hours, and the athletes stood anxiously outside the ward, not returning to the training room.
When Xiao Kaicheng Youyou up, he was moved to tears when he heard that the athletes had been waiting for him outside. He forced himself to stand up and, ignoring the medical staff's advice, limped forward to accompany the athletes to continue training.
The photographer was well aware of these unspoken rules and gave Xiao Kaicheng a close-up of his legs. You could see that he was trying his best to suppress the trembling, but his walking posture was still awkward, obviously because the injury had not yet healed.
After Xiao Kaicheng walked out of the infirmary, looking at the concerned faces, he delivered a pre-written declaration, which moved the contestants to tears. A group of them hugged each other and cried.
Afterwards, despite the advice of the contestants and medical staff, Xiao Kaicheng insisted on returning to the training room, saying that he would crawl back even on his knees to help the contestants complete the performance and realize their dreams.
To take care of the injured Xiao Kaicheng, the group returned to the training room in a large procession. The other three groups of contestants were also alerted, and they all crowded over to comfort Xiao Kaicheng.
Xiao Kaicheng's old injury wasn't actually flaring up. He still had to participate in the first performance and couldn't show it too much. In front of the contestants, he repeatedly emphasized that he was fine and would recover soon.
Everyone was still worried and busied themselves with taking care of the participants, showing concern and concern. The time of the Group A participants was wasted for a whole afternoon, and the time of the other three groups was also wasted for more than an hour.
Xiao Kaicheng thoroughly enjoyed being fawned over and the center of attention. After he had his fill of the adulation, he seemed to suddenly remember Su Huaiming and asked, "Where's Su Huaiming? I remember he was injured while practicing dance before. With me as a cautionary tale, he must take good care of himself."
Upon hearing this, everyone looked around, searching for Su Huaiming, but Su Huaiming was nowhere to be found.
Xiao Kaicheng paused for a few seconds, pursed his lips, and gave a look of having done something wrong. He awkwardly changed the subject, as if trying to excuse Su Huaiming, but it only made things worse and made people think the wrong thing.
[The first performance is coming up soon, Xiao Kaicheng is injured but still insists on coming back to train. Where is Su Huaiming?]
[Su Huaiming is a terrible singer and dancer, what can you expect from him!]
I know he's not very skilled, but at least he should have the right attitude. These contestants are working hard for their dreams, and if Su Huaiming drags them down, I feel it's a shame for them.
[Is the production team crazy? Why did they invite Su Huaiming, this useless performer, to be a guest actor? Isn't this just using the contestants from Group D as cannon fodder to artificially generate hype?]
[Ah, our Xingzhou is in this group too! He loves the stage so much and is a huge fan of Su Huaiming. Su Huaiming, you absolutely can't let him down!]
[How dare you! Su Huaiming is the current Empress. Aren't you afraid of incurring Emperor Fu's wrath by saying such things? lol]
The players in Group D also sensed that something was wrong. They looked embarrassed and subconsciously glanced at their teammates, only to find that the other person also had a hesitant expression.
Although Su Huaiming didn't come to the rehearsal room, his opera singing was already perfect enough to amaze the audience and add to the stage performance.
They already knew Su Huaiming was a terrible singer and dancer, so they didn't have high expectations for him. But Su Huaiming helped them solve such a big problem, and they were already very satisfied. They didn't expect too much, but when they brought it up now, they still felt a little unbalanced. After all, the mentors in other groups were so strong and could help the contestants better.
The silence seemed contagious; the contestants hesitated for a long time, but ultimately didn't say a word for Su Huaiming.
Qi Xingzhou, seemingly oblivious to the subtle atmosphere, remained the same cheerful fanboy, taking a step forward and declaring loudly, "Su Huaiming is helping us design costumes and adjust the stage. With him here, we can deliver our best performance. Just you wait, our group will definitely be number one!"
Qi Xingzhou spoke these words without the slightest hesitation, his expression quite confident, as if it were a matter of course.
To be a fan of Su Huaiming, you must have this kind of spirit!
The other contestants, having come to their senses, nodded in agreement.
"Don't underestimate us just because we're in Group D. If we get serious, you won't be able to handle us!"
"Just wait, we'll amaze everyone."
"Xinzhou, why didn't you fix your hair? Who talks tough with a messy, unkempt hairstyle?!"
Upon hearing this, the contestants all laughed.
They were in the prime of their youth, harboring the same dreams, and naturally unwilling to be outdone, they rushed to make bold statements, creating quite a commotion.
The tense atmosphere vanished instantly, and everyone's attention shifted away from Xiao Kaicheng.
Xiao Kaicheng couldn't stand being ignored. A flash of resentment crossed his eyes, and out of sight of the camera, he clenched his fist tightly.
How so!
What kind of nonsense did Su Huaiming give the players in Group D? Why are they so protective of him?!
Su Huaiming is a terrible singer and dancer; he can't even perform on stage. He's far worse than him.
Xiao Kaicheng was emotionally unstable, feeling as if a lemon had exploded inside him, so sour and astringent that it was almost dripping thick juice.
But he couldn't say much and had to appear understanding and magnanimous. However, the first public performance was coming up soon, and he was waiting to see Su Huaiming get criticized and insulted!
Thinking this, Xiao Kaicheng felt much better. A smug smile appeared on his lips, as if he could already see the scene. He felt so good that every cell in his body was trembling, and he tried his best to suppress the urge to laugh out loud.
Xiao Kaicheng's sprained ankle took up the entire afternoon. After dinner, the members of Group D returned to the training room and were immediately amazed by the performance costumes displayed on the table.
Their eyes lit up as they rushed over, wanting to pick it up and examine it, but afraid of breaking it, they only touched it cautiously.
"Oh my god, it's so beautiful!"
"I'm so happy to be able to wear clothes like this even before my debut!"
"The director is awesome! This outfit feels more expensive than my appearance fee."
Upon hearing this, all the contestants present were stunned.
The production team isn't a charity, so why are they investing so much in their worst group?
Although they didn't say it aloud, a name simultaneously came to everyone's mind as they looked around, searching for Su Huaiming's figure.
Su Huaiming received a phone call, put his phone away, and then headed to the training room.
As soon as he entered the room, he felt a blur before his eyes, and more than 20 contestants, as if they could teleport, suddenly appeared in front of him with their sunny and handsome faces.
Su Huaiming: "..."
He was forced back a few steps, his back pressed against the cold wall, his hands on his chest, weakly pushing away.
What happened?!
Is Qi Xingzhou's illness contagious?
Su Huaiming couldn't understand the thought process of these big boys. Just as he was about to ask, Qi Xingzhou scooted forward again, his golden hair making him look like a fluffy golden retriever. "Idol, did you make these clothes for us?"
Su Huaiming nodded and casually asked, "Take a look and see if there's anything that needs improvement. There's still time."
The training room fell silent instantly upon hearing this.
Su Huaiming reflected on what he had just said and figured there was nothing wrong with it, so he looked at the contestants with a probing gaze.
Three seconds later, the entire training room erupted in chaos, with the players' chatter echoing in Su Huaiming's ears.