Hu Xiaoyu was chatting with Chu Yin while scrolling through the comments under his Weibo.
He thought human language was such a magical thing — just a flat string of words, and yet it could express so many shades of feeling. The anger, the disgust… even on a screen it wasn't much weaker than being yelled at in his face.
Chu Yin reminded him on purpose not to read Weibo, and not to take online comments to heart.
The malice in there was unpleasant even to look at. Hu Xiaoyu was smart, sure, but he was still a bit straightforward — it'd be bad if he actually got hurt.
A moment later, he replied to her:
I'm already reading them. They're interesting.
He'd always looked at mortals with a kind of curious, observant mindset. If it were someone he knew saying bad things, he might actually reflect on it — maybe he'd been out of line somewhere. But strangers talking nonsense? That was just funny.
Especially the ones who posted as if they'd personally watched him and Xu Feng making some shameful deal — so confident in their lies that even Hu Xiaoyu almost believed it.
But what good was lying like that? Words had karma. One day, the bill will be due.
Chu Yin: […]
Maybe she was imagining it, but she could practically smell the "watching-the-drama" vibe of her own artist.
Eating melons for yourself… well, better that than crying over it.
It took them less than half an hour of talking for Chu Yin to settle on how to clarify things.
The chat logs between Xiaoyu and Xu Feng were ready to use. There wasn't a single ambiguous line in there, which made them good evidence — proof that their contact had been proper.
The problem was: they had gone into the same private room. If netizens refused to let go of that point, then someone with weight, who'd actually been there that day, needed to speak up.
From Xiaoyu's description, Chu Yin locked onto the target: the nationally renowned director, Ren Yungui.
He was the one Liu Luanzhou and Li Yu had been entertaining that night — a director who'd supervised large national events, famously clean and upright.
Liu Luanzhou hadn't been at ease about Xiaoyu meeting Xu Feng alone. When he went to check, Director Ren had followed — and both of them had seen the scene in the private room.
A mess, to put it simply. Hu Xiaoyu was standing; Xu Feng was half-dead on the floor.
With years of contacts in the industry, Chu Yin got Director Ren's number quickly.
She just wasn't sure if a person at his level would speak up for Xiaoyu. Bullying in the entertainment industry happens every day — why should a big director open his mouth for an 18th-tier newcomer?
But even if he refused, she had plan B.
Hadn't Mr. Yu been there too? Check the hallway cameras. As long as there was footage of Xu Feng leaving the room injured, there was nothing to argue about.
The problem was, that the club had extremely strict privacy. Ordinary people can't get their hands on surveillance footage. If they did pull it, people would start saying Xiaoyu had a powerful backer — which was yet another thing they'd have to explain.
Actually, the best option was for the Liu family's young master to speak.
He wasn't in showbiz, but all his past partners were well-known faces, and he was handsome and talented himself. His popularity wasn't any worse than a top star's. His statement would be the most convincing.
Unfortunately, Xiaoyu insisted on "not troubling him," so Chu Yin let it go.
When Director Ren got the call, he remembered exactly who Hu Xiaoyu was.
He only worked with big names — sometimes he couldn't even remember some second- or third-tier actors' names. But as soon as Chu Yin mentioned Hu Xiaoyu, he matched the person right away.
Well — "matched" wasn't quite right. It was more like he was sleepy and someone had just handed him a pillow.
Before Chu Yin even started her polite plea, Director Ren said, "I can speak up for Hu Xiaoyu."
Chu Yin: "…"
A little sad for all the persuasive lines she'd prepared.
Wait. He'd said, "Can." She asked carefully, "So you mean…?"
There was a faint excitement in Director Ren's voice, but he pressed it down quickly. "My film is about to start shooting. I need him on call. Can he do that?"
He was about to shoot a xuanhuan film. There was a fox spirit in it — had to be played by someone devastatingly beautiful, but he hadn't found the right person. He'd been about to settle for "passable."
Then, on the very day he planned to "settle," he'd seen Hu Xiaoyu.
Director Ren was thrilled. He'd even wanted to get the boy's contact info — but the young man who'd picked Xiaoyu up looked too formidable. Even he hadn't dared go say hi.
Later he'd checked: Hu Xiaoyu was an actor too. Perfect.
When Chu Yin hung up, she was still a little dazed.
If Director Ern shouted once in the entertainment circle, even film emperors and divas would come running.
So for him to tell them to clear out a whole year? That wasn't even a demand — that was a golden dumpling from the sky. One leap to the top.
She told Xiaoyu the result and said she'd take care of the rest.
After that, she changed his note on her phone. From "Hu Xiaoyu" to "Lucky-Koi Xiaoyu."
She'd never seen an artist this lucky — like something invisible was helping him, like he was born to be adored.
Just as Hu Xiaoyu put down his phone, Yu Tan walked over.
He was tall to begin with. With Xiaoyu half-curled on the bed, he seemed even more imposing, looking down.
His tone was odd. "Done talking?"
Hu Xiaoyu: "Mm… how did you know I was talking?"
Yu Tan thought, not only did he know he was talking, he knew what about. Xin Shibai had already told him that the Xu Feng mess had splashed onto this unlucky little idiot.
He lifted the blanket and got into bed, his tone flat. "I guessed."
Hu Xiaoyu had been sprawling across the whole bed. He moved over to make room, placed his phone on the nightstand, and lay down properly. "Oh. Then… good night, Yu Tan."
Yu Tan: "... Nothing else to say?"
His voice was a bit low, and his dark eyes fixed on Xiaoyu, like he wanted to read him.
Hu Xiaoyu hugged the extra pillow he slept with and shook his head very solemnly. "Nothing."
To prove he really was fine, he even shut his eyes right away.
If he fell asleep fast enough, he might avoid being dragged into another round of "this and that." He was someone with a job now — he had to feed the studio. Bedtime activities needed moderation.
Ten minutes later, he cracked one eye open and saw that Yu Tan had his back to him.
He usually slept on his back, straight. So…was he mad?
Sleeping angry was bad for the body, and it unsettled the spirit. That wasn't good.
Hu Xiaoyu's mind stirred. A thin green wisp of spiritual light crept quietly onto Yu Tan's pillow and sank into his body.
Then he sensed it — Yu Tan wasn't actually asleep.
And Yu Tan, who wasn't asleep, soothed by that spiritual energy, rolled back over soon after.
They talked a bit about the uproar online.
Of course, Yu Tan said he'd found out from the news push.
He asked, "Why didn't you tell me?"
Xiaoyu blinked, a little nervous. "I can handle it. Don't take the studio back, okay?"
Yu Tan: "…I won't. How are you handling it?"
Relieved, Xiaoyu scooted closer, secretly occupying the edge of Yu Tan's pillow, and told him about Chu Yin's plan.
Yu Tan memorized Director Ren Yungui's name, then asked, "Why didn't you ask Liu Luanzhou to clarify?"
In his opinion, Liu Luanzhou was an even better choice — and Xiaoyu was more familiar with him.
Hugging his soft pillow, Xiaoyu said, as if it were the most natural thing: "You don't like Brother Liu. So I won't trouble him about my stuff."
Yu Tan: "I don't like him — that's very important?"
Xiaoyu rubbed his head on the pillow, which counted as a nod. "Brother Liu's a good person. But you're the most important person to me. If you don't like him, I'll stay away. I won't make you unhappy."
Yu Tan chuckled softly. "Sweet talker."
Before Xiaoyu could protest that "sweet talker" didn't sound very good, Yu Tan was already leaning in to taste him.
They were like two kissing fish, brushing together for a long, quiet while.
Xiaoyu felt that something about Yu Tan had changed — when he kissed him now, he was unhurried, gentle.
It reminded him of the way he ate an excellent little cake — one tiny bite at a time…
…
That night, Hu Xiaoyu slept soundly.
By morning, the rumors about him and Xu Feng had quieted a lot.
Many of the scolding comments on his Weibo had been deleted. More people were camped under his post apologizing, sending crying emojis and repentance memes, line after line.
And… his follower count had gone up again.
He remembered the last time, when he'd been scolded because of Yang Kai — and when the truth came out, netizens also apologized like this.
He just didn't know if any of the people scolding him this time had also been the ones apologizing last time.
He'd joined the industry for spiritual energy. Even strangers who liked him for a moment still brought him a bit of growth. Being scolded… maybe that was just the price.
But some people were different.
A user named "Hawthorn Little Dumpling" commented:
"Xiaoyu, I'll always support you!"
Hu Xiaoyu liked the comment and even replied:
"Thank you."
That account had been defending him yesterday when he was getting roasted — he'd seen it.
While things were turning in his favor, some other celebrities were in a slightly awkward position.
Some of them, either to gain fans or to distance themselves, had reposted or implied things about Xiaoyu and Xu Feng's "deal." At the time they'd gotten praise. Now, backlash.
Comments like "one-sided," "spoke without checking facts," "low IQ" were all right there.
But Xiaoyu didn't know any of this.
Right after he replied to "Hawthorn Little Dumpling," his phone was confiscated by Yu Tan, and an extra crystal bun was added to his plate — a clear signal to focus on eating.
While he was eating, his phone rang.
Yu Tan glanced at the craning Xiaoyu. "Eat. I'll answer."
Xiaoyu glanced — it was an unfamiliar number. Even if it hadn't been, it didn't matter whether he answered or Yu Tan did. He puffed his cheeks and went on eating. "Mm."
Yu Tan picked up. His brows drew together slightly. "On purpose, what?"
The person on the other end had been about to explode. Then, hearing "Yu… Young Master Yu?" they hung up immediately.
Xiaoyu leaned over. "What was 'on purpose'?"
Yu Tan blocked the number. "Nothing. Sales call."
In truth, it had been Li Yu — demanding to know if Xiaoyu had stolen his role.
Last night, Director Ren hadn't only spoken up for Xiaoyu — he'd even publicly said he was optimistic about this newcomer and that Xiaoyu suited a role in his upcoming film.
That was the exact role Li Yu had his eye on — a great character, perfect for his move onto the big screen.
He and his agent hadn't been able to secure it, so he'd asked his cousin, Liu Luanzhou, to talk to Director Ren. That very night — the night Xiaoyu hit Xu Feng — Director Ren had actually seemed willing to reconsider. And now…
Li Yu was so furious he could hardly breathe. He'd called to confront Xiaoyu — only to be scared off by Yu Tan.
So he called Liu Luanzhou instead, sounding like he was about to cry. "Cousin, help me…"