"Hand in your craft project obediently, and wait for my kiss." Shen Xunye thought this title couldn't be more fitting. "Isn't this a good baby? Or a bad baby?"
"Get lost!" Chi Li's voice was filled with obvious embarrassment and anger, a mixture of bravado and cowardice, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "Whether you're good or bad, you're not allowed to call me 'baby'."
He can only accept being called "baby" by his future "mommy fans".
"Okay, okay." Seeing that the person was clearly already furious, Shen Xunye quickly coaxed, "I won't call you that anymore, I won't call you that anymore."
"Don't call me that again." Chi Li warned with her eyes.
"Hold head high."
Shen Xunye drew a circle with his head, making it unclear whether he was nodding or shaking his head.
Chi Li took it as a yes and turned to open the bathroom door, feigning indifference as she said, "Next time you want a kiss, you'll need to give me a heads-up."
We really need to discipline him properly; we can't let him get away with this!
"Oh... when does the application usually get approved?" Shen Xunye immediately followed up.
Chi Li: "It depends on my mood."
Shen Xunye had no choice. "... Okay."
[It's perfectly normal for guys to go to the restroom together, so please don't make a fuss about it.]
[They were in such a panic, thinking they'd been poisoned by an ailment that wasn't meant for summer, autumn, or winter, and were rushing to find an antidote.]
I think we can't keep using Night Ashes Dawn. [Serious]
[↑What do you mean? I don't ship Night Ashes Dawn, I ship you and Xiaoming?]
[Because... we need to press the locker door for them. [smile] Who knows, they might suddenly make an official announcement one day.]
[I'll make an official announcement soon, then kiss me in front of the camera.]
[catch.]
The Raising House enjoyed two peaceful and harmonious days.
Soon, it was time for Chi Li to go practice singing with Su Yuan.
Li Ming picked up Chi Li and Shen Xunye, who were going to meet a celebrity, and drove them to the singing room at Starlight Entertainment.
"Although you're very popular now," Li Ming specifically instructed Chi Li before getting out of the car, "You've only got one foot in the door of the Chinese entertainment industry. You still need to show some respect to your seniors, understand?"
"I understand." Chi Li nodded.
Don't be fooled by his behavior in the Raising House. He only strikes hard against those he dislikes; he's kind at heart.
Li Ming glanced at the young master of the Shen family again, "And you..." He wanted to say something, but then thought better of it. "Do as you please."
Anyway, this person is not under his jurisdiction, and he can't control him.
Shen Xunye nodded slightly, indicating that he had received the message.
When the two arrived at the karaoke room, there was already a group of unfamiliar people sitting inside, who looked like staff members brought by Su Yuan.
"Hello." Chi Li stepped forward, glancing around to make sure Su Yuan wasn't there, then asked, "I'm Chi Li, here to practice singing with Senior Su. Where is he?"
"Xiao Su has something come up and will be back later. You'll have to wait," someone replied rudely.
Chi Li frowned slightly. If he wasn't mistaken, this staff member seemed to be quite hostile towards him.
"Oh." Chi Li smiled gently, then turned around. "Then I'll come back later."
It wasn't that he couldn't wait, but Su Yuan was clearly not someone he could wait for in a few minutes, so there was really no need for him to sit here and wait idly.
This is Starlight Entertainment, his hometown. How could he not have anywhere to go?
"Wait—" the staff member who had spoken earlier suddenly stood up, "You have to wait here."
Chi Li's lips curled slightly, but the smile vanished instantly. "What do you mean?"
"What do you mean?" The staff member looked him up and down with a malicious gaze. "As a newcomer, waiting for your seniors is your duty. If you go outside to wait, what kind of impression will it make if Xiao Su doesn't see you when she arrives?"
Oh, so you wanted to act like a senior. You should have said so earlier.
Chi Li's eyes were completely innocent, as if she were genuinely offering advice. "If you didn't see me, just have something else come up, right?"
"You--"
The man's face flushed red, it was unclear whether he was standing up for his master or was furious because he had been exposed as a lie about his master's temporary absence.
"Let's go." Chi Li was too lazy to waste any more words with this person, and pulled Shen Xunye out.
After walking a short distance, he immediately thought of where to go.
" Su Yuan..." Gu Nan sipped the milk tea his cousin had bought for him, flipping through Su Yuan's file with his hand. "I remember when he was a mentor on a rap show, the contestants all said he was down-to-earth... he was nice to even nobody, so why is he targeting you specifically?"
Chi Li kicked him. "You mean the problem lies with me?"
"Ouch..." Gu Nan winced in pain, almost spitting out his milk tea. He turned to Shen Xunye to complain, "Brother-in-law, aren't you going to do anything about him?"
Shen Xunye: "What?"
"Aren't you going to do anything about him?!"
"The sentence before that."
"... Brother-in-law."
"Hmm." Shen Xunye nodded in satisfaction, confirming he hadn't misheard. "Whatever."
Chi Li: "..."
Both of them deserve to be beaten up.
"Okay." Gu Nan pouted, feeling wronged, and continued to diligently analyze the situation for Chi Li. "It's definitely true that the problem lies with you, but it shouldn't be your fault."
"Do you think what you're saying makes any sense?" Chi Li questioned.
"Jealous of your popularity?" Gu Nan lowered his head and pondered for a few seconds. "It doesn't seem like it... Generally, 'seniors' who have been in the industry for a few years and have fame but no real popularity wouldn't act arrogantly in front of newly emerging celebrities. Being a good senior would allow them to show their magnanimity while also riding the wave of popularity..."
Chi Li was not very patient. "State your conclusion."
If he had nothing better to do, he wouldn't have bothered to delve into the deeper reasons behind Su Yuan's actions.
He smiles at anyone who is polite to him, and he slaps anyone who tries to show off in front of him.
"I have a guess." Gu Nan scrolled to the bottom of Su Yuan's profile on the tablet and tapped the last line of text. "He debuted through a talent show, and..." His finger hovered over a group name, "... he's in the same group as Jiang Yue."
Shen Xunye remembered Jiang Yue.
The one who got a live stream connection from the audience, specifically requesting to see Chi Li dance a girl group dance.
... What does this have to do with him?
"What does this have to do with him?" Chi Li asked, voicing the question that had been on Shen Xunye's mind.
After the issue was resolved amicably, hardly anyone cared about his little squabble with Jiang Yue anymore.
"Don't think it's just our company's 'Raising House that's selling bromance; previous talent shows did it from beginning to end too." Gu Nan smiled confidently. "Back then, Jiang Yue's popularity was unparalleled in the talent show. People wanting to be his 'boy-girl' partner could line up from one end of the village to the other. Su Yuan was the most popular of all the Jiang Yue CPs."
Chi Li understood, but not entirely. "You mean, Jiang Yue and I made him unhappy, so he's deliberately putting on airs in front of me?"