Variety Show

Li Yu and Chi Yan did not talk for long. After wishing each other good night, they ended the video call.

Li Yu thought Chi Yan was truly a very polite person. He had only yawned slightly, yet Chi Yan immediately said he needed to rest and would hang up first.

Good heavens, where could one find such a considerate man?

He could take others' feelings into account while also finding a reason to end the conversation without making the other person awkward.

However, Li Yu had no idea that a certain considerate man had shamelessly reddened at the ears while video calling him.

Chi Yan sighed, took off his suit, and headed for the bathroom.

Before long, the soft sound of running water filled the bathroom.

Before going to bed, Li Yu carefully reviewed the materials Ruan Yun had sent him. The variety show he was taking on was called A Day to See All the Flowers, a travel-themed program.

The show would be livestreamed from beginning to end, with edited episodes released after each installment. There would be eight regular guests, and its central theme was "discovering the beauty of the world with your eyes," embarking on a wonderful journey painted with countless elements—canyons, oceans, ancient towns, ice, and snow.

Li Yu still held some expectations for the show. He did not hesitate any longer and directly messaged Ruan Yun, telling him that he would sign the contract tomorrow.

When Chi Yan woke up the next day, he lay in bed for a long while. He stared at the photograph beside his pillow as scenes from last night's dream surfaced in his mind.

It was the first time he had dreamed of Li Yu taking the initiative.

Chi Yan stopped thinking about it. He pushed himself up and pulled several tissues from the bedside table.

Because he had to go to the company to sign a contract, Li Yu woke up early as well.

As soon as he went downstairs, he saw a boy in a high school uniform sitting at the dining table, a piece of bread between his teeth as he raised his brows and smiled at him.

It was his half-brother from the same father, Li Shuhe.

Li Shuhe had only been brought back to the Li family by Li Cheng after Li Yu's mother passed away. He was just one year younger than Li Yu.

Li Cheng had a woman he loved, but family pressure had forced him to be with Li Yu's mother. Li Shuhe's age alone showed how complicated Li Cheng's feelings toward Li Yu's mother had been, and as a result, he had never cared much for Li Yu either.

The former Li Yu had even found this younger brother somewhat annoying. Li Shuhe had a sharp tongue, loved stirring up trouble, and liked making a fuss over Li Yu and Shen Zhonglou. Even at the dining table, he would take every chance to make snide remarks at Li Yu. That was nothing unusual.

Even now, Li Yu still did not particularly want to deal with Li Shuhe. He sat far away without saying a word, quietly eating his breakfast.

"I'm talking to you, Li Yu. Keep your lover under control. He was knocking outside first thing this morning." Li Shuhe finished his bread, propped his chin up with one hand, and stared at Li Yu with an arrogant tone.

"My lover? Who?"

"Who else could it be? Shen Zhonglou. I really don't know what kind of taste you have, falling for that thing. He even disturbed people's sleep early in the morning."

Li Yu even stopped in the middle of drinking his milk. He remembered breaking up decisively last night, and had no idea what Shen Zhonglou was trying to pull now. "Where is he?"

"I had him wait outside the gate. He probably hasn't left yet."

Li Yu stood and was about to go open the courtyard gate. Seeing this, Li Shuhe picked up his schoolbag with one hand and followed him.

The moment he opened the gate, he saw Shen Zhonglou standing outside, and that vague feeling of nausea rose in his stomach again.

"What did you come to see me for?"

Shen Zhonglou sensed the distance in Li Yu's tone and felt unaccustomed to it for a moment. It was as if, overnight, the person whose entire world had revolved around him had vanished.

"Little Yu..."

"Stop." Li Yu raised a hand and abruptly cut him off. "We've already broken up. You don't need to call me so intimately. It might cause unnecessary misunderstandings."

Li Shuhe, standing behind Li Yu, looked as though he had just heard some earth-shattering gossip. His eyes widened.

Broken up? Li Yu and Shen Zhonglou? Could Li Yu have been dumped?

But from the looks of it, Shen Zhonglou was the one clinging on...

Shen Zhonglou's expression froze at Li Yu's words. "I thought about it after going back yesterday. What happened yesterday was indeed my fault..."

"Hey, hey, make way, make way. I'm going to be late for school."

Li Shuhe suddenly popped out from behind Li Yu and "casually" shoved Shen Zhonglou aside. Shen Zhonglou instinctively frowned and opened his mouth, about to lecture Li Shuhe.

"What are you looking at? It's not like I deliberately wanted to watch you two flirt. I just happened to be leaving for school."

Li Shuhe snorted and slung his schoolbag over his shoulder before getting into the driver's car. Before closing the door, he stuck his head back out. "Li Yu, are you getting in or not? Quit dawdling. Don't cry later when you have to take a taxi to the company yourself."

Li Yu had no time to argue over Li Shuhe's outrageous remarks. He left Shen Zhonglou with a simple, "I have matters to deal with at the company," then got into the car as well.

Once both young masters had left, a Li family servant slammed the front gate shut with a bang. Not a single person cared about Shen Zhonglou standing outside.

Shen Zhonglou had never looked so awful. At first, he thought this was merely one of Li Yu's new tricks, using a breakup to keep him on the hook.

He had already swallowed his pride and come to apologize. What more did Li Yu want?

Shen Zhonglou left with his heart full of rage, silently swearing that no matter how Li Yu begged to get back together afterward, he would never agree.

Li Shuhe and Li Yu sat in the back seat, neither of them speaking first. Li Yu actually understood that Li Shuhe had helped him out just now.

"You really broke up?"

There was a probing note in Li Shuhe's voice. He had been observing Li Yu's expression for a while, and only dared to speak after seeing no sign of sadness on his face.

"We really broke up." Li Yu met his gaze, then added, "I know you were helping me just now. Thanks."

"Hmph. I told you long ago that Shen Zhonglou was no good, but you never listened!"

"Mm, you were right."

"I..." Li Shuhe was choked up by Li Yu's agreeable attitude and did not know what to snap back with for a moment. "I think it's not much of a life for you to be constantly showing your face in the entertainment industry. You'd be better off finishing film school and going straight back to work at the family company."

"No need. That company is Dad's gift to you. Besides, I quite like my current job."

Li Yu spoke lightly of Li Cheng's favoritism. Li Shuhe still wanted to say something, but Li Yu had already told the driver to stop.

He watched blankly as Li Yu got out and left, vaguely feeling that Li Yu had changed. Could breaking up really change someone, just like people said online?

Over here, Li Yu had only just signed the contract when an investment proposal was placed on Chi Yan's desk.

He read the proposal back and forth three times before his gaze finally stopped on the guest list, where Li Yu's name appeared.

"I believe this program is worth investing in. Have the evaluation team further assess the specific amount we should invest."

At the end, Chi Yan added, "I see there's still one empty spot on the guest list. When you go to sign the contract, discuss it with the director and consider me."