*[Nuomi, we're done with Hong Zhenghua's gossip. Let's switch to someone else. Whose gossip is it this time? Oh, Le Tianyu? Sure, this guy looks pretty sunny...*
*Huh? Is that person onstage doing ballet? Ooh~ kind of interesting... Hey, no, no, no, I'm done watching. Go on, go on, I'm listening...]*
Shang Shujue was probably a little tired. His gaze wandered before finally settling on Qiao Ze, who was dancing ballet onstage. His thoughts nearly strayed, leaving everyone itching with impatience, especially Le Tianyu, whose name had been mentioned.
Luckily, the system called Nuomi brought Shang Shujue's thoughts back on track. Otherwise, Qiao Ze had been ready to make a mistake on purpose. He was certain to advance, so a minor mistake would not matter, but now there was no need to manufacture one.
[Pfft, hahahaha... Seriously? Hahaha... Le Tianyu, you're going to kill me! Hahahahaha...]
No one knew what juicy gossip Shang Shujue had heard. His silvery laughter echoed through their heads, making Le Tianyu run through every embarrassing thing he had done since childhood, yet he still could not think of anything that funny.
The director did not even dare cut to Shang Shujue anymore, because the guy truly could not hold it in. He covered his mouth, but his laughter escaped anyway. Hearing it, everyone hurriedly applauded to cover for him.
If Qiao Ze, standing onstage, had not been able to hear Shang Shujue's thoughts too, he would have thought his dancing was so funny that it had made him laugh aloud.
[What? What's suddenly wrong with Shang Shujue? Why is he laughing out of nowhere? ꒰꒪꒫꒪⌯꒱ Our baby Qiao Ze is clearly dancing beautifully, you lunatic!]
[I swear, can the director stop showing Shang Shujue all the time?! So what if he's good-looking? He's still trash, all glitter on the outside and rotten within! (ꐦÒ‸Ó)]
[I don't know why, but doesn't this sudden applause feel a little too synchronized? It even drowned out Shang Shujue's laughter. Anyone get what I mean, guys?]
Song Yanqing dipped his brush in ink again. Listening to Shang Shujue's laughter, he continued copying the family rules with his lips curved upward. His strokes were neat and forceful enough to penetrate the paper, blending strength with softness. His brush calligraphy was excellent.
"Young master, the family head sent a message. He wants you back at the ancestral residence before eleven tonight."
Song Yi, the Song Family head's trusted aide, had arrived while Shang Shujue was delivering his music. He stood quietly beside Song Yanqing, watching him copy the family rules. Seeing that his mind did not seem to be on them, he could not help reminding him.
"The family head wants you to bring the rules you've copied. Bring however much you've finished. You'll copy the rest in the ancestral hall, and you may only leave the ancestral residence once you're done."
Song Yanqing's copying paused. His fingers tightened around the brush handle until they turned white, but he offered no objection. He had already found the Song Family head's appearance and personality deep in his memories.
"Understood."
After speaking, Song Yanqing devoted himself to copying the family rules. But Shang Shujue's voice remained in his ears. He could not remain completely unmoved, so he could only restrain himself as best he could.
Shang Shujue finally managed to suppress the laughter on his face and continued discussing Le Tianyu's gossip with Nuomi in his mind, his tone brimming with amusement he could not hide.
*[Pfft, haha... No, I still can't quite hold it in... Hahaha... Le Tianyu is just too funny...*
In elementary school, he slipped in the snow and slid straight onto his knees in front of his sworn enemy, scaring the guy into jumping three meters high...
In middle school, during the group run, a girl behind him tripped over her own feet and fell, yanking down his pants in front of everyone and exposing his red floral boxers. That earned him the title "Floral Boxers Bro"... Pfft, hahahaha...
In high school, he was rushing to the cafeteria and didn't notice the girl ahead had stopped to tie her shoelaces. He charged over... Hahaha... charged over and got his crotch stuck on her head...
Pfft, hahahaha... This idiot actually tried to step right over her head... Hahaha, but the girl wanted him to back up, so she crawled forward too...
Pfft, hahahaha... So, both of them bright red, they moved more than a meter down the path in that bizarre position before the girl lowered her head and let him step over, finally separating them...
*Hahahahaha, Crotch-Stuck Bro... I can't take it... Hahahahahaha... Lost his dating rights for three years... What a hopeless straight guy... Hahahaha... This is comedy gold... Hahahahaha...]*
Le Tianyu's face turned bright red as he listened, long-buried memories of social death attacking him. He instinctively covered his face, feeling he could never face anyone again. Wait... why did digging up gossip have to include ancient history like this...? ∑(❍ฺд❍ฺlll)
Everyone desperately suppressed their laughter and nearly lost control. A few really could not hold it in anymore and simply ran to the restroom to laugh their heads off.
The eliminated contestants did not have to remain in their original seats, so they all headed backstage as though they had arranged it beforehand. Le Tianyu went too. He could not take it anymore either. Those barely concealed glances from everyone were so mortifying...
"Ahem, I'm going to the restroom."
Shang Shujue could barely hold it in. He told Zhang Zhichen, whose expression beside him looked a little strange, and slipped away as soon as he finished speaking, without taking a proper look at what his expression meant. He had barely left the studio, and the door had not even shut, when he burst out laughing.
"Pfft, hahahahaha... How can one person be such a walking joke? Hahahahaha... I can't take it, my stomach..."
Everyone thought, Seriously, Brother Jue, could you go a little farther away before laughing? Your laughter nearly scared us...
Hearing his thoughts, Song Yanqing nearly lost control of his expression. He set down his brush and rubbed his wrist, then pretended to be thirsty and took a sip of water. In truth, he was hiding the smile spilling onto his lips.
Unable to hear the thoughts, Song Yi stared expressionlessly at Song Yanqing. No emotion showed on his face, but loathing for Song Yanqing lurked deep in his ink-black eyes.
Song Yanqing really was hard to kill. Even with such a large dose last time, he still hadn't died... Or were those drugs all fake...?
But none of that mattered now. What mattered was the man Song Yanqing cared about... Since he had gone this far for that scandal-ridden Shang Shujue, he probably wanted more than just to toy with him...
If I could get some dirt on Shang Shujue and use it to get him under my thumb, I might be able to control Song Yanqing and make him work for me.
Then Qu Lin might be able to enter the Song Family and become its rightful third young miss. As her uncle, my own status would naturally rise another level...
Song Yanqing knew Song Yi could not hear Shang Shujue's thoughts. He had already guessed that Song Yi was very likely among those who had killed the original owner of his body before he transmigrated, but he could not alert them yet. In some patches of grass, snakes were not the only things hiding...