Chapter 88.2: Little Phoenix (30% Forum Format)
Taking selfies was something they were supposed to do, but of course, not right now.
As soon as the live broadcast ended, the five of them were immediately added to a WeChat group, where the staff reminded them of important matters after their debut. One of the rules was not to post on Weibo without permission. They could write their posts in advance, but they had to be reviewed before being published collectively.
Even their Weibo usernames would be changed to a standardized format later.
At this moment, those who needed rest were resting, while those too excited to sleep were lying in the dark, holding their phones and composing their “little essays.”
The ones too excited to sleep were Yun Pan and Zou Yi.
Xie Xizhao had been aimlessly scrolling on his phone and played a few rounds of a tile-matching game, which successfully lulled him to sleep. With the pillow Zou Yi gave him, he slept soundly. By the time he woke up, the car had already arrived at the restaurant.
They had booked a private dining room, but since it was already the middle of the night, the hotpot restaurant was nearly empty.
A waiter brought them the menu. Xie Xizhao still looked a little dazed from sleep, so Zou Yi naturally took on the task of ordering.
They hadn’t had a proper meal in months, and now Yun Pan and Ai Qingyuan’s faces were practically glowing with excitement. After a brief discussion, they realized that aside from Zou Yi, who couldn’t handle spicy food well, everyone had a heavy taste preference.
Zou Yi was about to suggest getting a spicy pot since he was used to accommodating others, but Ai Qingyuan spoke up first.
“It’s fine, let’s get a yuan-yang pot,” he said.
Then, as if remembering something, he glanced at Xie Xizhao and tilted his chin toward him. “That guy over there has a weak stomach too. Let him at least taste some of the broth.”
By the time the steaming hotpot was brought to the table, Xie Xizhao was finally fully awake.
Zou Yi had just scooped up a ladleful of meat. Seeing Xie Xizhao awake, he placed it directly into his bowl. Xie Xizhao smiled.
“Thanks, Teacher Zou.”
He went to prepare a dipping sauce. The freshly boiled meat, scalding hot, rolled through the oil sauce, turning into a tender, spicy, and fragrant bite.
It turned out that one should never underestimate the appetite of young men—especially young men who had just spent months barely eating properly.
Xie Xizhao had originally thought this gathering was meant to mark the beginning of their collective life, but he hadn’t expected this group to take the concept of a “dining gathering” so literally. As soon as the food arrived, no one bothered with conversation. They all just buried their heads and ate.
It wasn’t until they were almost finished that Ai Qingyuan cleared his throat.
“So…” he said, “from now on, it’s just us together.”
“I have a pretty straightforward temper,” he continued. “If you guys ever have any issues with me, just tell me directly. If I can change, I will. If I can’t, I’ll at least let you know.”
His expression was sincere.
It seemed like the whole Guan Heng situation had really taught him a lesson.
Yun Pan, listening while eating beef tripe, almost choked.
Zou Yi patted Yun Pan’s back while adding, “Same for me.”
He was visibly in a good mood today. That tense, competitive edge he had during the contest was completely gone. Among everyone here, he was the least familiar with the group, so he was a little nervous, but he still said, “If there’s anything, just tell me directly.”
He paused for a moment before adding, “I can change. For the most part.”
Ai Qingyuan: “…”
He sighed dramatically. “Teacher Zou, was that intentional or on purpose?”
Zou Yi: “…”
Alright.
That was not what he meant.
The atmosphere instantly loosened up. The remaining three didn’t go through any formal self-introductions after that. By the time they were nearly done eating, the door swung open, and Guan Heng and Ji Yan walked in.
Almost the moment Guan Heng walked in, Ai Qingyuan’s chopsticks came to a halt.
He visibly stiffened in an instant.
Guan Heng, however, simply patted his shoulder as he passed by and said calmly, “Don’t look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Ai Qingyuan shut his mouth.
Ji Yan, all smiles, walked in and immediately gave Xie Xizhao a hug before peering into the hotpot with an exaggerated expression. “Oh my god, you guys cleaned this out! Couldn’t even save me a bite?”
He had a natural way of livening up a room. As soon as he spoke, everyone laughed.
Xie Xizhao chuckled too.
Sliding over to make space for Ji Yan, he said, “Look at the time. Who told you to come so late?”
“That’s unfair.” Ji Yan winked at him. “Brother Guan and I were here ages ago. We didn’t leave until your debut night was over—we were sitting in the audience the whole time, weren’t we, Brother Guan?”
Everyone looked surprised. Ai Qingyuan even lifted his head directly.
Clearly, the two hadn’t come just for the food.
They chatted for a while and took a few group photos for Weibo. Then, Guan Heng stood up. “I’m heading to the restroom.”
The moment he got up, Ai Qingyuan stood as well and followed him out.
Everyone in the room had heard bits and pieces about their situation, but no one made a big deal out of it.
Fu Wenze and Zou Yi were murmuring about something, while Yun Pan was absorbed in replying to messages—apparently from his older brothers.
Xie Xizhao stepped out into the hallway for some fresh air. Ji Yan joined him.
Ji Yan pulled a box of mints from his pocket and handed Xie Xizhao one, his voice slightly muffled as he spoke. “Not bad, brother.”
He grinned. “Ninety million votes. Did Xiao Ai cry?”
Xie Xizhao laughed at that. “What kind of impression do you even have of him?”
“I have no idea what kind of impression I have of him,” Ji Yan said with a straight face. “All I know is that in everyone’s eyes, you’ve basically become the Gu King.”
Xie Xizhao flicked his forehead.
Ji Yan kept running his mouth for a while.
They hadn’t seen each other in a long time, and Xie Xizhao genuinely missed Ji Yan’s loud, exaggerated energy.
Ji Yan mentioned that he was about to start filming soon. Xie Xizhao asked about the drama and was a little surprised. “Second male lead?”
“Uh-huh,” Ji Yan nodded. “It’s just a lighthearted modern romance, but they said I fit the image, so they cast me directly as the second lead.”
For someone still in the rookie phase, this was a pretty great opportunity.
Xie Xizhao was happy for him. Then Ji Yan asked, “So, you guys are under Shenghong now?”
“Yeah,” Xie Xizhao replied.
He didn’t go into too much detail about the contract.
That was covered by a confidentiality agreement.
He had expected Ji Yan to think it was an unwise choice, but Ji Yan only frowned slightly before saying, “Shenghong’s actually not bad. Among this generation of boy groups, Newstar is probably the most prominent, and for girl groups, it’s Teacher Li’s team, right? Shenghong’s own boy group isn’t quite on Newstar’s level, but I’ve looked at their planning strategies—they’re solid.”
And more importantly, if Shenghong was the management company, their existing boy and girl groups’ comebacks would definitely be scheduled to avoid overlapping with the new debut group. There would still be other competitors, of course, but at least they’d have a few fewer direct rivals right off the bat.
“It’s just… thinking about how they went so hard against you during the competition, and now you’re turning around to make money for them…” Ji Yan sighed. “It feels like such a loss.”
Xie Xizhao just smiled mysteriously.
Ji Yan saw the way Xie Xizhao was smiling and suddenly had a realization. “Brother, you won’t…”
Xie Xizhao cut him off. “I didn’t say anything.”
Ji Yan immediately understood, giving him a thumbs-up. “As expected of my brother.”
“Then there’s nothing to worry about,” he said. “Now it just depends on how Shenghong plans to manage you guys. But with the little prince in your group, I feel like they’ll definitely take it seriously.”
—
Whether they would take it seriously or not, Xie Xizhao didn’t know. But they were definitely strict.
Besides Weibo posts needing approval, the very next day, they received a notice in their work group chat—there was a mandatory meeting at the company.
Xie Xizhao had originally planned to go home for a bit, but after checking the schedule, he realized there wasn’t enough time. So, the group just stayed at the hotel for the night and headed to the company the next morning.
Luckily, when they arrived, they were told it was just an introductory meeting with their new manager, a preliminary get-to-know-you session. They would still have some time off afterward.
Ai Qingyuan let out a sigh of relief. “I thought so. The competition was already exhausting enough.”
Ever since the post-competition dinner, his mood had visibly improved. Now, his usual sharp tongue was back in full force. The staff member assigned to them clearly knew him and struggled to keep from laughing before walking away.
The group took their seats in the meeting room.
Not long after, the glass door swung open, and a man walked in.
He was dressed in a sharp suit, wearing rimless glasses, with a refined appearance. As he stepped inside, he scanned the room, his gaze lingering on Xie Xizhao for a moment before he smiled and took a seat.
“Apologies for being late,” he said.
“Hello, everyone. I’m your new manager, Miao Haicheng. You can call me Brother Cheng.”
