Different Treatment

No exaggeration—Si You was drenched in sweat.

The moment he entered the hall, a staff member approached him. The person's expression was awkward and strange, but Si You did not care.

At this point, dignity was a luxury to him.

The staff member led Si You to the filming location. It was actually a manor. The owner, supposedly a longtime friend of the investor behind Spring Heartbeat, had rented it out to the production crew. In the middle lay a large artificial rock garden and pond, its koi fat and plump, with rolling mountains in the background. It was a successful blend of classical and modern design. Clearly, the first season had done well, and the investors had spared no expense this time.

Once the show aired, its visuals alone would be quite impressive.

The guests' accommodations were at the very back: a four-story white villa surrounded by lush plane trees.

As Si You approached the entrance, he heard cheerful laughter from both men and women inside. Naturally, the laughter stopped abruptly the instant he appeared.

Drawing on the original owner's memories, Si You matched each person on the sofa to their identity.

On the far left sat Shao Ancheng and Song Yalin. They were the only real couple participating as a CP. Shao Ancheng had shot from obscurity to fame after playing a devoted prince in a historical drama, and his resources afterward had been quite good. Song Yalin was a model with an impeccable figure. Her looks leaned toward the commanding mature type, making her highly recognizable.

The slightly older man in the middle was Zhang Jianlin, a conventional male actor with upright features. For some reason, though, he had always had little audience appeal. His CP partner was the singer Jiang Yao, but Jiang Yao was absent for the time being.

Xu Ke and Fei Chang on the right, meanwhile, were a male-male CP. Although homosexuality was now legal, such pairings still drew tremendous enthusiasm onscreen. Xu Ke was young, only twenty-three, and both a singer and actor, though he had made little splash in either field. Fei Chang, who was paired with him, had claimed Cool Cat Music's top sales spot for half a year straight with Gone. Xu Ke often acted spoiled around Fei Chang like a child, and their fans ate it up.

The remaining pair was Xue Boyu and He Qing, but He Qing could not come because of a car accident.

And Shen Chuan, the original owner's CP... had already withdrawn from the show after enduring all he could.

"Hello, everyone." Si You removed his hat and mask, and everyone in the room drew a short breath.

Who had not seen the turmoil online? Si You had repeatedly trended because of Horror Livestream. He had clearly been on the verge of becoming irrelevant on both fronts, only to suddenly turn things around.

Everyone present was an old hand. Though they had their doubts, none showed it on their faces. As the oldest, and last season's captain as well, Zhang Jianlin's good-guy nature was on full display as he stood and said, "Si You's here? Welcome, welcome."

The original owner had focused entirely on Shen Chuan last season and did not know the others very well, so Si You would have to take things one step at a time.

"Thank you, Brother Zhang," Si You replied.

Zhang Jianlin sighed at that. "You've really grown up. You didn't even call me Brother last season."

Si You frowned almost imperceptibly. The implication seemed to be that he had been immature and rude last season.

It was indeed true, but it sounded somewhat off coming from Zhang Jianlin.

Yet Zhang Jianlin was smiling kindly. Si You met his gaze, said nothing, and sat down in a chair by himself.

Zhang Jianlin's heart skipped a beat. He really was different now.

With Si You there, no one else had anything to say. They silently drank tea while the cameras filmed in secret. The production team was being cruel. They knew Si You's arrival would be awkward, but rather than resolve it immediately, they figured that with Si You's personality, he might start making passive-aggressive remarks again. It would make for a perfect explosive opening.

The original owner had come from a poor family and had been insecure and sensitive since childhood, unable to change even after becoming an adult. At the slightest disturbance, he thought others were looking down on him or causing him trouble. He always sought security through fierce verbal attacks, which meant he often made unreasonable scenes. Last season, aside from Shen Chuan, he listened to no one's advice.

His popularity with passersby was abysmal.

How could Si You fail to see what the production team was planning?

He leaned against the chair, closed his eyes, and rested, showing no intention of losing his temper.

The standoff lasted forty minutes. Even someone as good-tempered as Zhang Jianlin was starting to grow restless. Xu Ke looked uncomfortable; he had already drunk four cups of tea and was bursting to pee.

Fei Chang noticed and patted his shoulder. "Want to take a walk outside?"

"Yes, yes." Xu Ke agreed eagerly.

Just as Xu Ke rose to his feet, someone walked in. Young and fair-skinned, with absurdly long lashes—who else could it be but Xue Boyu?

"Bai Yu's here?" Zhang Jianlin's greeting carried several more degrees of heartfelt warmth.

Xu Ke's eyes also lit up. "Bai Yu!"

Bai Yu—steadfast and upright as a cypress, gentle and beautiful as uncut jade. It was clear how dearly the Xue Household cherished him.

At once, Xu Ke and Fei Chang no longer went outside. Some poured tea while others pulled Xue Boyu over to sit down. Beneath their intimacy lay barely concealed attempts to curry favor, making it seem Xue Boyu's background was truly formidable.

Si You licked his dry lips, feeling that the gap between people was truly vast.

Although Xue Boyu was young, he knew how to handle people well and had even brought gifts for everyone. Si You did not even open his eyes, unwilling to invite humiliation, when Xue Boyu carefully called out, "Brother Si You?"

Si You looked over at the sound. "Hm?"

Xue Boyu was struck by his looks, then handed him a box. "This is for you."

Si You was somewhat surprised, then accepted it with a smile. "Thank you."

When expressionless, he had single eyelids, but when he smiled, faint double eyelids appeared. His sharp, detached brows and eyes resembled a lake after the ice had broken, glittering beneath sunlight, carrying a seductive quality Si You himself did not notice.

Xue Boyu could not help looking at him again, though he was purely appreciating his face.

The production team did not dare slight Xue Boyu and promptly arranged rooms for everyone.

After playing along with their little act, Si You could finally rest.

His room was in a corner. Because of its layout, it only received sunlight for a while in the morning. When he pushed open the door, the air even carried a musty smell, in stark contrast to the sunlit rooms of the other guests.

The cameraman followed right behind Si You, hoping to capture an angry or teeth-gritting expression. Yet Si You's face did not change. After setting down his bag, he opened the windows. Fortunately, the vegetation outside was lush, and airing the room out greatly diluted the unpleasant odor. Though the room was secluded, it had everything it needed. Si You efficiently changed the sheets and duvet cover he had brought, then turned around to find the cameraman still there.

"Watching over me?" Si You said. "Get out."

The cameraman did not move.

Si You lifted his chin slightly, a faintly condescending smile in his eyes that was somehow not unpleasant. His long fingers lightly flicked a button as he stared at the cameraman. "I'm going to shower. Want to watch?"

The cameraman's mind buzzed.

He suddenly remembered a line floating around Si You's anti-fan forum: "He seduced me!"

Seeing that Si You was serious, the cameraman could not hold out and stumbled out of the room.

Finding it amusing, Si You smiled, took off his clothes, and walked into the bathroom.

After a night's sleep, filming would officially begin tomorrow, and everyone would learn the identity of that mysterious guest.