Chapter 34: The Farewell Banquet (1)
Shen Xiu glanced at the clothes in the room—so expensive it made his tongue curl in shock. But it seemed like he could pull off wearing just about anything.
He spoke honestly: “Anything’s fine.”
Shang Yu: “……”
Don’t say “anything’s fine”! If you dress like Xiang Yueting, I swear my eye will start twitching!
Shen Xiu realized that standing here talking to Shang Yu always made their conversations feel stiff and dry. Would Shang Yu think he was boring?
Would he think Shen Xiu himself was dull?
To avoid that possibility, Shen Xiu didn’t dare stay put.
He decided to grab the clothes as quickly as possible and leave—let some distance create allure, and also prevent anyone from realizing how uninteresting he actually was!
He had already scanned the whole wardrobe earlier, and by the principle of attracting the least attention, black was the least conspicuous.
With a clear goal, Shen Xiu headed straight for the wardrobe against the wall on the left, which looked to be filled entirely with black clothing.
He opened it carefully and quickly pulled out a black suit with matching pants, along with a dark shirt with gold embroidery hanging beside it, and a pair of shoes in a box.
After grabbing everything, Shen Xiu could feel all the eyes on him. He didn’t dare look around, just hung the clothes over his arm and walked away under the pressure of everyone’s gaze.
As he reached the door, his eyes met Shang Yu’s. Since they’d made eye contact at such close range, it would’ve felt awkward not to say something.
Stiffly, Shen Xiu said, “I’m heading out first.”
Shang Yu looked at the outfit Shen Xiu had picked, and finally, his heart settled back into place. He gave a slight nod. “Mm.”
What could he say? Shen Xiu was truly Shen Xiu—his eye for fashion was razor-sharp!
In just one glance, he had picked out the most expensive outfit in the room.
As expected, Shang Yu knew it—when Shen Xiu said “anything’s fine,” it wasn’t to be taken literally. Shen Xiu saying something casually didn’t mean he actually meant it casually!
Someone cautious enough to use a PowerPoint to explain a music video—how could he possibly mean “anything’s fine”!?
After Shen Xiu stepped out of the crowded dressing room and into the empty hallway, his heart—racing from nerves—gradually settled down.
Xiang Yueting had picked out two outfits—one flamingo pink, the other a bright leafy green—and was hoping Shen Xiu could help him choose. But when he turned around, he only saw Shang Yu standing alone by the door.
Xiang Yueting was surprised. “Where’s Shen Xiu?!”
Shang Yu couldn’t bear to look directly at Xiang Yueting’s death-by-fashion choices. “While you were still choosing, Shen Xiu already finished and left.”
“The whole thing took…” Shang Yu instinctively glanced at his wrist, raised his hand, and then remembered he wasn’t wearing a watch during filming. Casually, he lowered it again. “One minute.”
“So fast?!” Xiang Yueting exclaimed.
“There are so many stylish and cool outfits! He didn’t even take a proper look?”
Vain as ever, Xiang Yueting just couldn’t understand.
And really—who doesn’t love gossip? The trainees picking out clothes while eavesdropping all perked up at that, reacting the same way as Xiang Yueting.
Shen Xiu had been so fast, they hadn’t even gotten a good look at what he picked.
Shang Yu: “He didn’t need to.”
“Huh?” Xiang Yueting was even more confused.
Song Chengwang, who had already finished picking his clothes, walked over and patted Xiang Yueting on the shoulder. “Because in just under a minute, Shen Xiu managed to grab the most expensive outfit in the entire room.”
Xiang Yueting stared at the two outfits in his hands, doubting his whole life. “I thought these were the most expensive.”
Looking at the green and dragon-fruit red outfits in Xiang Yueting’s hands, Song Chengwang winced. “Old Xiang, tonight when you sleep, prop your pillow up a little higher.”
Xiang Yueting: “Why?”
Shang Yu: “So you can have sweeter dreams.”
Xiang Yueting: “…So, between these two outfits—which one actually looks better?”
Song Chengwang and Shang Yu exchanged a look. With perfect unspoken coordination, they casually stepped to either side of Xiang Yueting, dodging the question entirely. After all, fashion tastes were personal… and frankly, the outfits Xiang Yueting liked leaned dangerously close to fashion disasters in their books.
They really didn’t want to ask him why, when faced with a choice between stylish and hideous, he’d gone straight for bizarre.
The eavesdropping trainees: “!!!”
They’d been picking out clothes for ages, and Shen Xiu just swooped in and grabbed the most expensive outfit in one go?! Was his fashion sense that sharp?
And wait a second… how did Shang Yu and Song Chengwang recognize it with just a glance?
Could it be… they also regularly wore luxury haute couture?
If you round up… did that mean they were all secretly rich??
The trainees glanced at each other in shock—they never expected choosing outfits to reveal so much juicy gossip from the tiniest of details!
[Wha-what?! It was the most expensive one?! I didn’t even pay attention to it when it was hanging there—the flashy ones totally distracted me! Ugh! If I’d known Shen Xiu would take it, I would’ve memorized every detail. Now I can’t even remember what it looked like!]
[Ughhh, same! All I know is that it was picked by Demon King Xiu.]
[Song Chengwang really is the king of shade, LOL]
[Regret. Massive regret right now.]
[All I remember… is that it was black…]
[Oh no, everything’s going dark for me too. Who would’ve thought Shen Xiu would choose so fast?!]
Half an hour later.
The trainees, all done with picking their outfits, cheerfully returned to their dorms with their clothes in hand, ready to start doing their hair and makeup.
Meanwhile—
Shi Buwen was in the main control room of the live stream station, directing the staff.
“Shut down all the dorm hallway livestreams—leave only the banquet hall feed running.”
The assistant director remembered how Shi Buwen had shut down the live feeds from all the practice rooms during the first performance episode, which had caused the online viewership to skyrocket.
This time, he didn’t even question it.
[What’s going on?! Why are the dorm and hallway livestreams down?!]
[As someone running around all the feeds—I can confirm, only the banquet hall’s livestream is on now! The production team is seriously determined to keep us from seeing the trainees’ looks ahead of time. Ugh!]
As the audience waited anxiously, the banquet finally began.
[Front row, front row! I came right after dinner—tell me I didn’t miss Shen Xiu’s entrance?! Where is he, where?!]
[Wuwuwu, Shen Xiu still hasn’t shown up—only ten minutes left, where’s my God Xiu?!]
[Okay but seriously—Song Chengwang and Shang Yu standing side by side in white shirts and suit pants? Stunning. The banquet decor is so luxe, the food looks exquisite, everyone’s dressed like they stepped out of a designer catalog. This is exactly the kind of glamorous fantasy I live for—it’s like the set of a drama about the rich and powerful!]
Just one minute before the banquet was officially set to start, Shen Xiu appeared at the entrance to the banquet hall, picked up his number card, and began walking inside.
As he walked, Shen Xiu was thinking:
Black—low-key.
Aside from the faint gold detailing on his shirt, he was dressed in black from head to toe. He definitely wouldn’t stand out, right?
Perfect.
The moment Shen Xiu appeared on camera, the once lively barrage of on-screen comments went dead silent for a few seconds.
And then—chaos. The stream exploded with an avalanche of comments, so dense it was impossible to even read what people were typing.
Shen Xiu, used to keeping a neutral expression, worried that people might think he looked strange. He also didn’t like looking around too much when he walked.
On camera, Shen Xiu had his hair neatly brushed back, revealing a smooth, clean forehead. He was dressed in a black suit and slacks, polished leather shoes on his feet. No tie. The dark gold-patterned shirt underneath wasn’t buttoned all the way—he’d left the top two undone, the slightly open collar revealing just the right hint of skin.
Viewers watched Shen Xiu stride forward with cold eyes and tightly pressed lips, his expression unreadable. His steps were firm, steady, and full of purpose. Cold. Sharp. Noble.
And Shen Xiu had that kind of build—lean in clothes, muscular underneath. The tailored suit made his already tall frame look even more commanding.
The moment he appeared, radiating that ice-cold and cutting aura, the audience—who had been waiting so patiently—completely lost it.
[What is this?! Is this the legendary top-tier Alpha?! Every move he makes screams dominance—now I finally understand what people mean when they say “cold and ruthless” vibes are real! The atmosphere of this entire banquet changed the second he walked in!]
[How does someone make a suit look that good?! I’m losing it!! That Adam’s apple?? The shirt even has subtle gold patterns?! Shen Xiu’s attention to detail is flawless!!]
[This is that classic “Alpha CEO who dominates the world” energy!! I’m frantically screenshotting—just imagine a cold, aloof Shen Xiu staring down at you while—ahem ahem]
[Sister, this is not a no-man’s land, mind the chat! But also… as a seasoned video clipper, I’m already screen-recording like mad to make edits, heehee~]
[I LOVE suits, I LOVE uniforms—why does he even walk so dominantly?! I’m fainting on the spot! This doesn’t feel like someone attending a banquet—it’s like he’s about to negotiate a multi-billion dollar deal, who can relate?! His aura is fully unleashed!]
[I’ve got the burlap sack ready—who’s in for a group mission to kidnap Shen Xiu? We need more people, Demon King Xiu is too powerful. I’m scared if it’s just one or two of us we won’t survive!!]
[Wow, someone really thought this through—count me in! I desperately want to experience Shen Xiu’s aura up close. My heart might just explode from the impact, but it’s worth it!!! (shouting loudly)]
The situation on-site was no different from the barrage of frenzied comments.
The moment Shen Xiu stepped into the banquet hall, the previously bustling room fell completely silent. The trainees sitting in their seats would sneak a glance at him—then immediately look away.
“Like… like, it’s literally just a simple shirt and suit with his forehead showing—so why does Shen Xiu make it look so captivating?!”
“Seeing Shen Xiu, I finally get what it means for someone to radiate elegance from the bones. That aura? It’s overwhelming. I couldn’t make eye contact with him before, and now I definitely can’t!”
“Why do I feel like my heart is being gripped when I see him? So… so uncomfortable! Sitting near him is more nerve-wracking than being next to my boss!”
Shen Xiu: “……”
Why is everyone acting like this? The whole room is full of flashy outfits!
Help… Why are they whispering to each other while sneaking glances at me?! This is so awkward—did I mess something up? I wore black on purpose to stay under the radar!
Is it because… I’m too tall?
Yes. That must be it.
Feeling uneasy from all the secretive chatter, Shen Xiu kept his expression stiff as he headed straight to seat number 33, the one matching his number card.
He tried to comfort himself in his mind: It’s fine. Everything’s fine. Once I sit down, no one will think I’m weird anymore. They’ll stop looking.
Once seated, Shen Xiu instinctively glanced across the table.
When he saw who was sitting opposite him, his nervous heart calmed just a little.
Thank goodness, he thought. It’s someone I barely know and haven’t interacted with much—they probably won’t talk to me.
Relief.
—
In the backstage control room watching the live feed from the banquet hall, Shi Buwen beamed with satisfaction.
“Beautiful, beautiful—I just love seeing everyone looking so radiant!”
The very next second, Shi Buwen spotted who was sitting across from Shen Xiu.
“Ah… this…”
He blinked in disbelief at the seating arrangement, then turned to the assistant director.
“Who assigned these seat numbers?”
Shen Xiu was actually sitting directly across from Lin Jiashi!
After Shen Xiu sat down, viewers also quickly picked up on the interesting seating choice.
[Who arranged this seating? 666! Putting the undisputed top-ranker and the king of stage mishaps face to face—this is explosive no matter how you slice it. The production team really gets it.]
[I mean, petty fan wars and sarcastic forum posts are nothing—if you want real drama, leave it to the showrunners.]
[Guarantee Lin Jiashi will wake up in the middle of the night cursing the production team. That’s how wild this is. LOL]
[It’s not just that. Imagine a top-tier alpha CEO radiating overwhelming presence, staring you down coldly across the table. Wouldn’t you be terrified? This is next-level psychological pressure. Poor Lin Jiashi won’t be sleeping tonight.]
The guests in the banquet hall soon noticed the painfully awkward seating arrangement too.
Since no one dared to look directly at Shen Xiu, they all turned to stare at Lin Jiashi instead.
Feeling the constant gazes landing on him, Lin Jiashi’s expression darkened—and with a sharp motion, he suddenly stood up.
