Chapter 35.1: Farewell Banquet (2)
When Lin Jiashi stood up, everyone couldn’t help but hold their breath, their gossip-hungry eyes darting back and forth between Shen Xiu and Lin Jiashi.
What is Lin Jiashi going to do?
That was everyone’s first thought.
To Shen Xiu, the person sitting across from him was no more than a stranger—someone unfamiliar. Shen Xiu paid no attention to his movements.
He was more afraid that if he looked over out of curiosity, the person opposite him would mistakenly think he was trying to start a conversation.
Just imagining awkward small talk with a stranger was unbearable to Shen Xiu.
He became even more determined to pretend he hadn’t noticed anything and shifted his gaze to the glass of red wine in front of him.
After standing up, Lin Jiashi instinctively looked toward Shen Xiu.
Seeing Shen Xiu calmly staring at his wine glass, not even sparing him a glance, Lin Jiashi felt a wave of irritation rise in his chest.
Shen Xiu was clearly sitting right across from him, clearly hadn’t done anything—not even spoken a word to him—and yet just looking at Shen Xiu made Lin Jiashi feel breathless, a fear growing in the pit of his stomach, an inexplicable sense of nervousness and panic.
Lin Jiashi: “……”
The gaze of all the other trainees felt like needles on Lin Jiashi’s back.
Clenching his teeth silently, Lin Jiashi pretended that he stood up not to talk to Shen Xiu, but to go to the restroom instead.
As they watched Lin Jiashi walk away toward the bathroom, everyone on scene felt a twinge of disappointment at missing out on some juicy drama, but also a sense of admiration.
Shen Xiu really was ruthless to those who played little tricks—so cold to the core that he didn’t even bother to spare a glance.
Ignoring. Indifference. Killing with invisibility.
To be treated with such disregard by Shen Xiu… Lin Jiashi must be feeling awful.
As expected, a strong person neither likes nor tolerates sly and scheming types.
[Scared me to death, I thought Lin Jiashi was going to say something. Suddenly standing up like that was terrifying.]
[He wanted to, I’m sure—but with Shen Xiu radiating that dominating aura in his suit today, Lin Jiashi totally chickened out.]
[Remember in the hallway when Demon King Xiu coldly warned Lin Jiashi? And how during the interview, he mercilessly mocked him right to his face? Even if Lin Jiashi wanted to stir something up, he’d have to think twice. With all of us watching this banquet unfold, if he’s smart, he’ll know now’s not the time to mess around.]
In a quiet corner, Song Chengwang tilted his head toward Shang Yu. “Wanna go over?”
Shang Yu shook his head slightly and declined, “Nah.”
“Boring.”
With that, Song Chengwang tossed out the word, picked up a glass of red wine from a nearby table, and strode directly toward where Shen Xiu was sitting.
After Lin Jiashi left, the trainees got lively again. The atmosphere turned noisy and heated, as if they hadn’t all just gone silent to watch the drama unfold.
Once Lin Jiashi left, Shen Xiu let out a sigh of relief—but he hadn’t even finished exhaling before he noticed Song Chengwang heading his way.
His first impression of Song Chengwang was too strong—so in Shen Xiu’s mind, Song Chengwang = Serious.
Just thinking about it made Shen Xiu feel uneasy. He silently prayed he was overthinking it, that Song Chengwang was just passing by.
But Song Chengwang came right up to him, held out his wine glass in his hand, and said lazily, “Don’t tell me you didn’t know the person sitting across from you was Lin Jiashi.”
Shen Xiu: “……”
Unfortunately, that prayer went unanswered.
He had no choice but to shift his gaze away from his wine. Leaning back in his chair, he looked up at Song Chengwang while taking note of the way he held his wine glass. Shen Xiu then raised his own glass and gently clinked it against Song Chengwang’s.
Although Shen Xiu didn’t understand why Song Chengwang asked him that question, he still gave an answer.
“I knew.”
The seat across the table wasn’t far—he could clearly see Lin Jiashi’s face. But compared to other trainees like Xiang Yueting, Lin Jiashi was, to him, just a stranger.
That light, indifferent “I knew,” was spoken so calmly it was as if he were talking about the weather—flat, emotionless.
The subtext was clear: ‘Yeah, I knew. So what? Does it matter?’
Song Chengwang let out a chuckle. Shen Xiu was still the same Shen Xiu—cold and sharp to the bone, distant yet cool. The kind of person who wouldn’t spare an ounce of sympathy or pity for someone he didn’t care about.
Even if that someone was about to leave the stage.
But the gossip-lover in Song Chengwang still itched with curiosity. After taking a sip of wine, he couldn’t help but speak again.
“So, any thoughts about him choosing to leave on his own?”
Shen Xiu couldn’t really follow Song Chengwang’s line of thinking. A stranger left—what was there to say?
If he had to say something, well… he was kind of glad.
But saying that out loud in front of everyone would make it sound like he had forced Lin Jiashi out. Heaven knows, that wasn’t the case.
He’d studied how Song Chengwang sipped his wine, and now—unsure of how to respond and feeling slightly awkward—he mimicked the gesture, took a small sip, composed his thoughts, and finally came up with two appropriate words: “…Take care.”
Originally, he was going to say ‘Bon voyage’, but that had too many syllables—so he settled on something that fit his personality better.
Simple, and accurately conveyed his “best wishes” for Lin Jiashi.
Song Chengwang: “?”
What kind of savage parting line was that?! Shen Xiu wasn’t just a cool guy—he had a razor-sharp tongue too.
Thankfully, he hadn’t taken a sip of his wine—otherwise, after hearing Shen Xiu’s words, he would’ve definitely sprayed it everywhere.
Song Chengwang looked at Shen Xiu, who was staring at him with that calm, indifferent gaze, and thought to himself: If I spat wine all over Shen Xiu, he’d probably kill me on the spot.
If it weren’t for the inappropriate timing, Song Chengwang really wanted to throw away all decorum and give Shen Xiu a big thumbs-up. As it was, all he could say was, “As expected of you.”
“Take care”—how was that any different from the sarcastic “Rest in peace”?
The phrase “Take care” originally carried good intentions, but thanks to the internet, it’s now often used in a mocking or sarcastic tone, making it feel strangely inappropriate when said out loud.
“Goodbye.”
Shen Xiu’s responses were always short and to the point, but each word packed a serious punch—perfectly matching the cold, ruthless aura he gave off.
Song Chengwang, feeling like he might choke to death on Shen Xiu’s bluntness, just wanted to flee the scene.
Shen Xiu: “!”
Thank goodness!
Afraid Song Chengwang might actually stay, Shen Xiu quickly replied, “Mm.”
Song Chengwang: “……”
‘Excuse me? Not even a hint of trying to make me stay?’
‘Don’t you feel bored sitting here with no one daring to talk to you?’
As someone who loved to have fun, Song Chengwang couldn’t understand Shen Xiu’s preference for standing alone at the top, aloof and detached.
After Shen Xiu said “mm,” he didn’t really understand why Song Chengwang had said goodbye and still wasn’t leaving.
With someone just standing beside him like that, Shen Xiu felt immense pressure. He looked up at Song Chengwang again.
Meeting Shen Xiu’s cold, indifferent gaze—even though Shen Xiu didn’t say a word—Song Chengwang felt like he could read it clearly.
He’s totally, silently questioning why I’m still here!
Hmph! Fine, he’d leave right now!
Song Chengwang let out a light huff and turned to leave, heading straight for Shang Yu.
Compared to Shen Xiu—who was so cold he practically seemed like a robot—it was way more comfortable being around Shang Yu! Even if Shang Yu found him annoying, he wouldn’t bluntly and heartlessly throw a frosty glare his way. Instead, he’d grin and throw sarcastic barbs with a smile.
By the time Song Chengwang returned to Shang Yu’s side, he looked visibly frustrated. “You’re still the—”
Before he could finish saying “best”, Shang Yu cut him off with a smile: “Got put in your place?”
Song Chengwang: “……”
What’s so great about that? People with sharp tongues are the worst!
Seeing his expression, Shang Yu immediately understood: “Classic Shen Xiu.”
Song Chengwang: “Nobody asked you to speak.”
Shang Yu smiled faintly. “But if I don’t say it, I feel uncomfortable. Saying it out loud feels much better.”
Song Chengwang: “?”
So… he’s the one who’s supposed to feel uncomfortable instead?
Meanwhile, Shen Xiu, who sat quietly in his seat, avoiding social interaction and not daring to move around too much: Ahh, finally! The world is quiet again! Bliss!
After Song Chengwang left, Shen Xiu realized that, at some point, there was no one left around him.
The trainees who had been sitting next to him had either rushed up on stage to fight over a microphone for karaoke, gathered in small groups to chat and drink, or huddled together to sample the food.
For Shen Xiu, no one approaching him and no one talking to him—that was the ideal scenario.
To the livestream viewers, this whole episode between Song Chengwang and Shen Xiu played out as:
Song Chengwang, dressed in a shirt and slacks with a lazy, roguish air, whispered a few words to Shang Yu, then confidently walked off with a glass of red wine—headed straight for Shen Xiu.
Under the banquet’s soft lighting, Song Chengwang leaned down slightly, eyes lowered, and clinked his wine glass lightly against the glass held by Alpha Xiu, who sat poised and commanding in his tailored suit.
As they spoke, Shen Xiu, with his ever-indifferent expression, casually dropped two light remarks—just enough to make Song Chengwang’s expression shift and simultaneously deliver a soul-piercing blow to Lin Jiashi.
Whether it was their silhouettes during the exchange, their postures, or even the content of their conversation—it was more impactful, immersive, and atmospheric than any carefully crafted scene in a drama.
The livestream viewers watching it unfold were absolutely fired up.
[Aaaahhh this is EXACTLY the kind of scene I live for—powerful CEO vibes at a luxurious banquet, exuding an aura so overwhelming that no one dares approach and can only admire from afar. I didn’t expect to see this in a talent show instead of a drama—who would believe me if I said that out loud?!]
[Do we even need to edit this?! Just cut this whole scene and you’ve basically got the climax of a drama—whether it’s the charged atmosphere among the three or the layered dialogue, it’s pure gold! This is peak Shura field!]
[In an extravagant high-society banquet, the lazy and roguish Young Master Song and his refined but morally questionable CEO friend watch from the shadows as the cold, ruthless Demon King Xiu—undeniably the most powerful man in the room—holds court. After a brief whispered exchange, Young Master Song makes his move, red wine in hand, approaching the big boss. The way he looks at Demon King Xiu while sipping his wine is definitely not innocent. But the cool, sharp-tongued Demon King Xiu remains unmoved, delivering just a few cold words that send Young Master Song storming back to his friend, only to be mercilessly teased again!]
[Sister, are you the reincarnation of the God of Literature?! Take my pen. Write! WRITE! If you don’t finish this story, I will crawl through the internet and supervise you in person!]
[Ahem… am I the only one pointing out that the real takeaway here is that Lin Jiashi just got emotionally wrecked by Demon King Xiu again with just two words?]
[No no no, sister upstairs—our Demon King Xiu doesn’t even care about irrelevant nobodies. That’s not the main point. The real highlight is the intense emotional tug-of-war between Demon King Xiu, Young Master Song, and the sly, refined CEO Shang!]
Just seconds after that banquet livestream clip ended, netizens with “emergency response king” instincts had already screen-recorded and uploaded it all over social media and video platforms.
#FeastOfTensionFromYouthUnstoppable
#ShenXiuSongChengwangShangYuTriangleOfTension
#AlphaXiuInFullPowerMode
#IknowTakeCare
#FlamingoEnergy
#OthersAreThePrettiestYoureTheCraziest
#BadboyBrotherMing
[Which drama is this scene from? Who’s playing the domineering CEO sitting in that chair? He’s so A, I’m obsessed! And the smirking refined-villain CEO lurking in the corner? Spot on! And the rich young master throwing a tantrum? Iconic! Even the background characters are all attractive and dressed in expensive-looking outfits—it’s all so high-society banquet-coded! The attention to detail is chef’s kiss! Why are we only just seeing this masterpiece now?! I need full info on this drama in three minutes or I’ll lose it!]
[Aaaah! When Boss Xiu slightly lowered his gaze and sipped his wine—it wasn’t wine he was drinking, it was my heart!]
