After Hu Xiaoyu left the Yu family's mansion, he stayed at the studio.
Fortunately, his office came with a bedroom and a private bathroom, essentially a small apartment.
The apartment didn't have a cooking area, but Hu Xiaoyu didn't mind.
Since he began filming the variety show, in Chu Yin's words, he had leaped from being a minor figure to a third-tier star. His spiritual energy absorption was now enough to sustain his daily life.
However, to avoid scaring others, he still ordered takeout on time, but he could only eat fish and not much else.
Meanwhile, gossip was spreading among the upper circles of Shen City.
The gossip started with the story of Hu Xiaoyu hitting Yu Tan and then leaving the Yu family mansion, essentially abandoning the ruthless Yu family patriarch.
However, no one believed this version. Yu Tan was not someone who could be slapped or abandoned. The image was simply unimaginable.
But it was true that Hu Xiaoyu no longer went to the Yu family's mansion, so the gossip shifted to another version, saying that Yu Shao had grown tired of Hu Xiaoyu. Not only did he kick Hu Xiaoyu out, but he also beat him up before he left.
This second version of the rumor was clearly more plausible, and even Hu's father and mother called Hu Xiaoyu to ask about it.
Hu Xiaoyu didn't pick up the phone. Unless necessary, he didn't want to deal with any human relationships right now.
...
As Hu Xiaoyu's popularity skyrocketed, many people came to him for collaboration.
Chu Yin told Hu Xiaoyu that Director Ren's movie would begin filming in mid-August. He needed to clear his schedule to read the script and improve his acting skills. He couldn't take on any new scripts for now, but a few advertisements were okay.
Hu Xiaoyu said he could do advertisements, so Chu Yin quickly arranged one for him—a high-end face cream endorsement.
Given Hu Xiaoyu's current status, this face cream brand, which only selected top-tier celebrities as ambassadors, wouldn't typically consider him.
But after watching The Light of Inheritance, the investors fell in love with Hu Xiaoyu's looks and skin, and they personally requested him to be the face of the brand.
The filming location was on the sixth floor of the Double Star Entertainment Building. The studio was on the twelfth floor, so it was very convenient to just take the elevator down.
On the day of the shoot, Chu Yin went ahead to arrange some minor details in the studio. Afterward, she called Hu Xiaoyu to come down directly.
When Hu Xiaoyu took the elevator to the tenth floor, it stopped.
The doors opened, and outside stood Shi Jingyang and... Yu Tan.
Hu Xiaoyu thought about it for a moment and realized he hadn't seen Yu Tan in nearly ten days. Time passed really quickly.
Shi Jingyang's eyes lit up when he saw Hu Xiaoyu. He greeted him, "Xiaoyu, what a coincidence."
Hu Xiaoyu nodded without speaking.
Humans were the best at pretending. Even though Shi Jingyang had heard Yu Tan belittle him in the past, he was now greeting him cheerfully. Was it just to watch the drama, or did he share the same disdain?
Forget it, thinking about it gave him a headache.
Shi Jingyang and Yu Tan entered the elevator, seemingly heading downstairs as well. Hu Xiaoyu stepped aside to make room.
When the elevator reached the eighth floor, Shi Jingyang patted Yu Tan on the shoulder and said he had something to do before stepping out.
As the doors closed again, it was just Hu Xiaoyu and Yu Tan standing silently in opposite corners of the elevator, distant and detached.
Hu Xiaoyu recalled the punch he had thrown at Yu Tan last time and couldn't help but clench his fists.
He silently wondered if Yu Tan seemed upset and whether he would want to hit him back. Should he fight back if Yu Tan struck first?
Forget it, if it was just a single punch, he wouldn't retaliate.
But if Yu Tan kept hitting him, then he'd fight back.
Hu Xiaoyu's mind was a mess. To others, it probably just looked like he was spacing out, a little silly, yet a bit cute and pitiful.
Yu Tan, being taller than Hu Xiaoyu, shifted his gaze and almost greedily looked at the boy's profile.
He didn't like this angle.
Hu Xiaoyu should have smiled when he saw him, eyes lighting up with warmth and affection, calling his name with unparalleled enthusiasm.
But now, Hu Xiaoyu was looking down, avoiding his gaze...
Hu Xiaoyu wasn't looking at Yu Tan, but his spiritual energy was monitoring him, and he could tell Yu Tan was staring at him.
Let him stare. The elevator would be over soon anyway.
As it turned out, today's elevator ride wasn't quick at all, and it felt like there were a lot of things happening.
When the red indicator showed the sixth floor, the elevator suddenly jolted, and the lights above went out.
Hu Xiaoyu, who had never encountered such a situation, instinctively braced himself against the side of the elevator.
His vision in the dark was excellent, and he saw Yu Tan's hand reaching out, quickly flipping the switch. "What are you doing?"
Yu Tan replied, "...The elevator's broken. Don't be afraid."
Hu Xiaoyu turned on his phone's flashlight, and the elevator lights came back on.
He called Chu Yin and told her the elevator was broken and that he was stuck. Following her instructions, he pressed all the floor buttons and thanked her for the comfort before hanging up.
Yu Tan watched Hu Xiaoyu handle the emergency calmly, both fascinated and anxious.
He was fascinated by every little thing about this person, and anxious because Hu Xiaoyu's indifference toward him didn't seem to be faked.
He knew exactly why the elevator broke. He was the one responsible.
He repeated his reassurance, "Don't be afraid. It'll be fine."
Hu Xiaoyu, looking at the dust dancing in the light of his flashlight, didn't even glance his way. He politely replied, "Thank you, Yu... Shao, I'm not scared."
Yu Tan's muscles tensed instantly, and he stepped forward, "What did you just call me?"
The next moment, his anger and embarrassment turned into helplessness, because the boy who had been polite and distant was now leaning against the corner of the elevator, his fox eyes wary and defensive.
There was only wariness and defense, like a little animal preparing to bare its teeth and show aggression when faced with danger.
Twenty minutes later, the elevator was fixed.
Hu Xiaoyu stood still, looking at the open elevator doors. "You go first."
Although he didn't want to get close to Yu Tan, he still owed him gratitude, and it was only right to let him go first on a safe path.
Yu Tan closed his eyes briefly and strode out.
He didn't leave the elevator, just watched as Hu Xiaoyu walked away, feeling empty inside. The little fool was scared of him...