Chapter 79: Rest (2)
Before Shen Xiu could say anything, Shi Buwen put on a serious face and said, “This is also a request from the production team!”
Shi Buwen had figured it out back when he shot Shen Xiu’s first commercial—despite Shen Xiu’s seemingly unapproachable appearance, as long as you said something was required by the production team, he would always cooperate.
All of which proved that Shen Xiu was a hidden workaholic—one who took his work extremely seriously.
“Alright.”
Upon hearing it was the production team’s request, Shen Xiu didn’t ask any further questions.
He opened the wardrobe and looked at the T-shirts inside. His mind flashed back to the last time in the studio when Shi Buwen had made him take off his T-shirt—he still had a psychological shadow from that.
Decisively, he reached toward the corner of the wardrobe, where a set of athletic wear had been sitting untouched since arriving at the training camp.
Grabbing the outfit, Shen Xiu headed into the bathroom to change.
A few minutes later, he came out and stood at the sink, looking in the mirror. Dressed head-to-toe in the athletic gear, he instantly felt a surge of security.
Sure enough—a sense of security is something you give yourself!
Shen Xiu walked out of the bathroom and stepped into the rest area, meeting the gazes of Shi Buwen and the assistant director.
He was wearing a high-quality black tracksuit, zipped all the way up to his neck. The straight collar stood upright, wrapping around his neck, with a bit of his neckline still visible, leading seamlessly to his sharp jawline. A white stripe ran along each shoulder, subtly adding a touch of brightness to the otherwise all-black outfit. Combined with Shen Xiu’s emotionless expression, icy gaze, and the matching dark rings on his fingers…
The cool and aloof bad-boy vibe hit instantly!
Tsk. Shi Buwen couldn’t help mentally clicking his tongue several times. If it weren’t for Shen Xiu’s chilly stare, which made him hesitate, he would’ve been tempted to whistle at how handsome he looked.
Shi Buwen thought to himself that Shen Xiu had probably already guessed what he was going to take him to do—hence the deliberate choice of this outfit.
As expected, Shen Xiu was meticulous, with everything well within his expectations.
The assistant director also nodded approvingly at Shen Xiu’s carefully coordinated look.
Being stared at simultaneously by Shi Buwen and the assistant director, Shen Xiu froze in place, feeling anxious.
They’re not going to make him change, right?
No. Absolutely not. This time, there’s no way they’re making him take off the tracksuit!
Just as Shen Xiu resolved to fiercely protect his right to keep wearing the tracksuit, he heard Shi Buwen’s voice:
“Let’s go.”
Shen Xiu: “!”
‘Whew—almost had a heart attack! Thank goodness Director Shi’s conscience kicked in just in time!’
“Mm.” Shen Xiu, relieved to have kept his outfit, gave a small response and followed the two directors out of the dorm.
The two directors took Shen Xiu out of the training camp and into one of the production team’s vehicles. The car pulled away from the camp.
Sitting in the back seat, Shen Xiu was filled with questions, but he didn’t know the staff member driving very well, Shi Buwen gave him psychological trauma, and he wasn’t too familiar with the assistant director either. Under these conditions, Shen Xiu wouldn’t open his mouth even if his life depended on it.
After getting into the car, Shen Xiu sat in complete silence. The assistant director and Shi Buwen exchanged glances and nodded at each other, looking as if their guesses had been confirmed.
See? Just as they thought—Shen Xiu had already guessed where they were going and couldn’t even be bothered to ask!
—
Back at the training camp, after Shi Buwen’s figure vanished from the livestream, the stream resumed as normal.
[It’s finally back on! Wait… where’s my Xiu-baby?!]
[Yeah! Where’s my Demon King Xiu?! @ProductionTeam]
[Sisters, I’ve got some bad news to share—I scoured every single livestream room in the training camp and couldn’t find Xiu-baby anywhere. Wuwuwu]
Meanwhile, in the car—
“Achoo…” The assistant director sneezed.
Shi Buwen quickly handed him a mask. “Caught a cold?”
As he spoke, he instructed the driver to close all the windows.
The assistant director took the mask and shook his head. “No, just got hit by the wind.”
At that moment, as Shen Xiu recognized more and more of the familiar road, a delayed realization struck him—his teacher had mentioned something.
That he and Xiao Wen… which meant Director Shi… had been invited to their teacher’s house for a meal.
“……”
Understanding everything now, Shen Xiu turned his gaze on Shi Buwen, eyes dark and accusing. You could’ve just told me we were going to the teacher’s house—did you have to scare me half to death?!
Even though the weather outside was drizzling and wearing a long-sleeved tracksuit was technically appropriate… sitting inside a car with no air conditioning and a fully zipped-up collar—he was boiling!
Up front, Shi Buwen was chatting with the assistant director when he suddenly felt a chill from behind. He turned around and met Shen Xiu’s gloomy, soul-piercing stare. A shiver ran down his spine. “W-what’s wrong?”
‘Why is he suddenly staring at me with that dark, terrifying look?’
Though Shen Xiu felt incredibly stifled inside, he couldn’t bring himself to say it out loud.
After all… if Shi Buwen found out that Shen Xiu had deliberately guarded against him—a director—for the sake of his own sense of security… it would just sound too weird.
Sweltering in the car, Shen Xiu could only mutter, “Nothing.”
Shi Buwen: “……”
That ice-cold stare didn’t look like “nothing” at all.
“…Oh.” With that half-hearted response, Shi Buwen turned back around—but under Shen Xiu’s frigid gaze, every second felt like an eternity.
‘Why aren’t we there yet?!’ Shi Buwen was screaming inside.
Feeling overheated, Shen Xiu looked at the tightly closed windows and the light drizzle outside. At that moment, he felt like it wasn’t rain falling outside—but boiling water!
In his heart, Shen Xiu thought miserably: Why aren’t we there yet?!
—
As Shen Xiu and Shi Buwen endured the torturous crawl of every passing second, the car finally pulled into the familiar courtyard Shen Xiu knew so well.
Apparently, Shi Buwen had informed them ahead of time that they were coming. As soon as the car stopped, a housekeeper appeared in the courtyard holding an umbrella and handed it to Shi Buwen.
She glanced inside the car.
Shi Buwen got out and opened the umbrella, and the assistant director shamelessly squeezed underneath it with him.
Shen Xiu, sitting in the backmost seat, was the last to get out. Upon seeing the housekeeper who brought the umbrella, he instinctively greeted, “Hello, Auntie Lu.”
“Oh my, the Madam said you were coming, but I didn’t believe her! And here you are!” Auntie Lu’s voice carried obvious joy.
“Mm.” Even though he had been here many times, Shen Xiu still wasn’t used to Auntie Lu’s enthusiasm—just like how he still hadn’t built immunity to Xiang Yueting’s warm-heartedness.
It wasn’t that Shen Xiu didn’t like it. He did like it. He was just shy and introverted, with a mind that worked faster than his mouth. He was always afraid that if he didn’t respond quickly enough, the other person would feel let down.
So, with a shy reply, Shen Xiu naturally took the black umbrella from Auntie Lu’s hand, tilting it slightly toward her side, and the two of them walked toward the house.
Auntie Lu seemed quite used to this. She chatted non-stop along the way, and before Shen Xiu could even figure out how to respond, she was already on to the next sentence. All he could do was respond with soft “mm”s.
Shi Buwen stood in place, watching the backs of Shen Xiu and Auntie Lu disappearing into the rain—feeling utterly left behind.
The assistant director looked at Shi Buwen’s expression, then at the two figures up ahead. He tried to hold back, but couldn’t resist: “Director Shi, are you sure you’re the most welcomed guest here?”
“’Cause from where I’m standing… Shen Xiu seems way more popular than you.”
Shi Buwen shot him a cold glare and sneered, “I suggest you shut up.”
After that, Shi Buwen turned to look at another car parked in the courtyard. Recognizing the make and license plate, he let out a breath of relief.
“Just like the teacher said. He’s here.”
Shi Buwen gripped the umbrella handle tightly. “Now… it’s all up to Shen Xiu!”
The assistant director tried to comfort the nervous Shi Buwen. “Don’t worry too much. You know what kind of person Shen Xiu is. When he saw the ring back at the dorm, he already matched his outfit to it. It’s obvious he figured out what today was about. Just leave it to him and relax.”
Shi Buwen thought about it. “You’re right.”
The two of them walked forward to catch up with Shen Xiu and Auntie Lu, their gazes toward Shen Xiu full of hope and expectation.
Under the eaves, Shen Xiu closed his umbrella.
As he did, the umbrella brushed against some green vines hanging from the corridor. Rainwater dripped from the leaves onto his hair. As the black umbrella folded down, Shen Xiu instinctively reached up to sweep the droplets from his head.
The moment he lowered his hand, he was met with the burning gazes of Shi Buwen and the assistant director.
Shen Xiu: “……”
Great. The moment he saw Auntie Lu, he completely forgot about the two directors!
Their intense stares… they were definitely silently condemning him.
“Director Shi, I…”
Shen Xiu had barely started to apologize when a familiar voice called from inside the house: “Is that Shen Xiu? Come in, quickly.”
Hearing that, Shen Xiu immediately responded, “Coming, teacher.”
Auntie Lu added from the side, “Go on in now. Madam’s been going on and on about you these days. She said she saved up a pile of homework for you. If you didn’t show up, she said it wouldn’t be any fun.”
At the word “homework,” Shen Xiu’s excitement spiked. “Then I’ll go in first!”
Seeing how eager Shen Xiu was to go do homework, Shi Buwen and the assistant director frowned so hard it looked like they could crush a fly between their brows.
“Director Shi… is there really someone in this world who genuinely likes doing homework?”
“Maybe… this is what they call the King of the Grind.” As a bottom-of-the-class student, he truly couldn’t understand the mindset of a top-tier academic… No, in Shen Xiu’s case, he’d call him nothing less than an academic deity.
‘A lowly slacker like me… how could I ever hope to comprehend the heart of a god of learning?’
“Xiao Wen, come on in!” Auntie Lu finally acknowledged Shi Buwen’s presence, and when she saw the unfamiliar director beside him, she greeted him warmly, “Ah, you must be Director Xu that Xiao Wen mentioned! Please, come in, come in!”
Shi Buwen: “……”
‘Hah. First it was Shen Xiu, now it’s Director Xu. And what am I? Chopped liver?’
With a heart full of bitterness and resentment, Shi Buwen strode through the corridor and headed toward the house.
—
Shen Xiu thought only his teacher was inside. He hadn’t even entered the living room yet when he called out loudly, “Teacher…”
The very next moment, he stepped into the room—and froze. Besides Jiang Jinya, there was another young man he didn’t recognize sitting there.
Realizing how loud and unrestrained he’d just been, Shen Xiu stopped in his tracks, suddenly stiff with embarrassment.
W-Who’s this?
When Jiang Jinya saw Shen Xiu come in, she stood up with a smile. “You’re here.”
The man beside her also stood up the moment he saw Shen Xiu.
His eyes first landed on Shen Xiu’s face, then moved to the fingers hanging casually at his side. Noticing the glossy black ring on Shen Xiu’s finger, he then took in his entire outfit. Especially when he saw the damp hair falling slightly over Shen Xiu’s forehead, the whole image radiated a cool, aloof aura—and his eyes lit up.
Shen Xiu: “……”
He stared awkwardly at the stranger, both of them locked in eye contact. The atmosphere was so awkward.
Feeling dazed, Shen Xiu instinctively turned to the person he was most familiar with in the room—Jiang Jinya. “Mm, I’m here. Hello, Teacher.”
Then, he turned to the unfamiliar man and greeted him with some difficulty, “Hello.”
Upon hearing Shen Xiu’s polite but distant tone, and seeing the calm and reserved look on his face, the man’s eyes gleamed even brighter.
This—this is exactly the vibe he was looking for!
When news got out that he was looking for a brand ambassador, and Professor Jiang had come to request the unreleased ring from him, he’d hesitated. But now, seeing this with his own eyes, he wanted nothing more than to go back in time and slap his hesitant self.
If he had continued to hesitate, how could he have witnessed such a powerful visual contrast today?
From the expression and behavior of this boy named Shen Xiu, there wasn’t the slightest hint of unfamiliarity in his eyes—clearly, they had met before.
He definitely knew who he was. He knew about his influence in the high-end fashion industry. He knew he was someone that countless celebrities in the entertainment industry scrambled to curry favor with.
But Shen Xiu, upon seeing him, had no trace of flattery or sycophancy in his eyes. That alone proved he wasn’t simple.
Thinking back on the recent trending topics about Shen Xiu, Kaiser suddenly understood.
Someone like Shen Xiu, who had clearly seen the world, wouldn’t be shocked just because of him.
“Hello!” The man walked over to Shen Xiu, extending his hand as he introduced himself, “My name is Kaiser.”
Shen Xiu, unless absolutely necessary, was not accustomed to physical contact. But in this situation, not shaking hands would be rude. So he stiffly extended his hand. “Hello, Kaiser.”
They shook once, and Shen Xiu quickly let go, breathing a small sigh of relief inside.
Seeing Shen Xiu’s composed and dignified demeanor, unfazed even after hearing his name, Kaiser was even more satisfied—and all the more certain of his guess.
And then…
Kaiser’s eyes once again landed on Shen Xiu’s fingertips, and he nodded almost unconsciously.
Excellent. No matter what Shen Xiu’s background was, the way that ring looked on him—that was exactly the vibe he wanted. He had a feeling this ring was destined to become a classic!
Shen Xiu: “……”
He wanted to run—but he couldn’t!
Feeling cornered, Shen Xiu turned his gaze toward the only familiar face in the room: Professor Jiang Jinya.
Meeting Shen Xiu’s gaze, Jiang Jinya instantly understood and smiled in satisfaction. “Shen Xiu, everything’s already prepared. You can go ahead—when dinner’s ready, Aunt Lu will call you.”
Good, good. Even though Shen Xiu was now in the entertainment industry, his heart was still that of a director—completely focused on the assignments she left him, without the slightest trace of restlessness or distraction.
Hearing his teacher’s words, Shen Xiu felt as if he had been granted a royal pardon. “Alright, Teacher.”
With that, he nodded slightly toward the stranger—oh no, toward the man named Kaiser—who had been staring intently at him, then turned and practically fled the room, as if escaping from a scene so awkward it was suffocating.
Just as Shi Buwen and the assistant director entered, they saw Kaiser staring at Shen Xiu with burning intensity, while Shen Xiu, looking cool and composed, gave a faint nod before turning to leave without even a glance back.
The two directors exchanged a look—Shen Xiu truly was Shen Xiu. Even in front of Kaiser, he could remain unfazed. Clearly, someone who’d seen the world.
“Wen, you’re here!” Kaiser’s face lit up as he spotted Shi Buwen and went in for an enthusiastic hug.
Shi Buwen pushed him away in disgust. “Fine, you gave yourself an English name, whatever—but do you have to call me like that in such a cringey tone?”
Shi Buwen and Kaiser were university classmates. But Kaiser was incredibly stubborn—unless it was someone he personally approved of, no one could represent his designs. He hated nepotism more than anything.
After the show removed Shen Xiu from the top popularity rankings, Shi Buwen had been trying to find a way to make it up to him. When he heard Kaiser was launching a new product and saw the new ring design, he immediately thought of Shen Xiu.
This ring Kaiser designed wasn’t just any ring. According to Kaiser, it would be released in tandem with a luxury watch under his brand. Normally, only top-tier or A-list celebrities had the chance to represent it.
Shi Buwen was worried that if he recommended Shen Xiu directly, Kaiser would think he was trying to pull strings and would reject it outright.
So, he had no choice but to ask their teacher for help—borrowed the ring, and had Shen Xiu wear it so Kaiser could see for himself.
The moment Shen Xiu got the ring, he carefully dressed himself before heading out. And now, it was clear—strong and determined as Shen Xiu was, he would always fiercely claim anything he set his eyes on.
Kaiser turned to Jiang Jinya and said, “Teacher, thank you!”
Although Jiang Jinya didn’t like that Shen Xiu had entered the entertainment industry—worried that the toxic culture would influence him—Shen Xiu was clearly someone with strong opinions and remarkable execution skills. No one could stop him from doing what he wanted.
So Jiang Jinya thought, if she could help, then she should. She said to Kaiser, “No need to thank me. In my heart, Shen Xiu is just like the two of you.”
Hearing this, Shi Buwen and Kaiser exchanged a look and instantly understood.
Their teacher was telling them—Shen Xiu was their junior.
“Got it.”
“Understood!”
Kaiser had other matters to attend to and got up to leave. Though he didn’t say anything as he left, Shi Buwen was confident that this matter would have no further complications.
After Kaiser left, Shi Buwen asked Jiang Jinya curiously, “Where’s Shen Xiu?”
Jiang Jinya glanced in a direction and pointed. “Over there—watching a movie and doing homework.”
Then she turned to Shi Buwen and asked, “Interested?”
Shi Buwen had originally planned to become a director too. But then he diverted into the entertainment industry to be an idol. That didn’t work out—he had to quit miserably and lay low for several years before resurfacing now.
Shi Buwen shook his head like a rattle drum. “Spare me!”
“But—I wouldn’t mind taking a look.”
The assistant director had come mainly to build a connection with Jiang Jinya, so he quickly said, “I won’t disturb you two, then.”
“Professor Jiang.” The assistant director took a book out from their bag. “I remember you once said…”
—
As soon as Shi Buwen entered the room, he said to Shen Xiu, who was staring at the movie playing on the screen, “Kaiser has left.”
Hearing Shi Buwen’s footsteps, Shen Xiu finally relaxed.
No comparison, no pain.
In Shen Xiu’s heart, even Shi Buwen—who once gave him psychological trauma—felt far more approachable than that completely unfamiliar Kaiser.
Hearing Shi Buwen’s inexplicable comment, Shen Xiu didn’t quite understand and could only respond dryly, “Oh.”
Shi Buwen: “……”
Okay, it’s confirmed—Shen Xiu really doesn’t think Kaiser, or the luxury brand Kaiser represents, is anything impressive!
And… Shen Xiu must think that landing such a luxury endorsement is no big deal. Otherwise, how could he be so indifferent, not even asking a single question? He acted as calmly as if he had just had a glass of plain water. But that’s a luxury brand so many top-tier celebrities are fighting over!
Just how powerful is Shen Xiu’s background for him to be this nonchalant?
Unable to figure it out, Shi Buwen took out his phone, snapped a photo of Shen Xiu’s back, and posted it on Weibo.
@Mr.S: Emo. My little junior brother is terrifying!
Right after posting, Shi Buwen put his phone away, but within three seconds, he seemed to suddenly remember something. With trembling hands, he pulled his phone back out—only to realize in horror that he had forgotten to switch to his alt account. He had posted Shen Xiu’s photo straight from his main account…
