I Have Everything They Like - Chapter 2

You Tao seemed oblivious to being the center of attention. Hearing the clatter of the tea tongs falling, she leaned down swiftly and picked them up before Jing Sinian could react.

The woman’s crimson gown had been draped over the side of her chair, revealing only her delicate, bow-adorned flats. But as Jing Sinian moved, the hem of her skirt rippled like a wave, momentarily exposing a glimpse of her ankle before concealing its jade-like skin once more.

“Thank you,” Jing Sinian said, accepting the tongs from You Tao with a gentle smile. From her hairstyle and elegant attire to her measured tone and the faint floral perfume she wore, every detail radiated her gentle, water-like nature.

You Tao returned the smile, though a hint of deeper meaning flickered in her eyes.

I think I saw a tattoo on Teacher Jing’s ankle… Damn it, the live stream doesn’t have replays!

Ahhh, Sister, wrap those long legs around me!

In that fleeting moment, while the live stream viewers missed the details, You Tao had seen it clearly: a tattoo on Jing Sinian’s ankle.

Half of a butterfly wing, its colors eerie and vibrant, pierced by thorns.

Teacher Jing doesn’t seem as innocent as she appears.

The lingering sweetness of the Golden Junmei tea still lingered on You Tao’s tongue. As she inhaled the floral afternotes, the fragrance deepened and became almost indistinguishable. Suppressing her thoughts, You Tao turned back to Shen Mingrui with a casual smile. “It’s not really a matter of seeking advice. If you don’t mind, I could come by your place tonight.”

Shen Mingrui’s face lit up instantly. The superstar lived up to her name; even her adorable dimples couldn’t diminish her radiant charm. Like a peony in full bloom, her beauty was vibrant and captivating.

Hearing You Tao’s response, Huo Lang finally seemed to have had his fill of the spectacle. Whether he was satisfied with the outcome or not, he shifted his gaze and promptly refilled Jing Sinian’s tea.

Meanwhile, Fu Jinyan withdrew her gaze, her long, straight lashes veiling her deep-set eyes. As Huo Lang casually tilted the teapot, she raised a hand to cover her cup.

“No need,” she said. “It’s getting late. I should go upstairs to wash up and prepare for bed.”

After a brief pause to see if anyone objected, she rose from the table, leaving behind only her cooling cup of tea.

Huo Lang hadn’t really intended to refill her cup anyway. Even before Dr. Fu’s retreating figure had completely left their sight, he slammed the teapot back onto the table and glanced pointedly at his wristwatch.

“Going to bed so early? Are you sure you’re not a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner?” Huo Duidui teased.

Huo Duidui, give it a rest!

Seeing this second-generation rich girl’s flippant attitude, I’m suddenly unsure whether I should ship her with Teacher Jing…

If Dr. Fu’s behavior came from anyone else, I’d call them clueless. But considering her dazzling resume and that austere, almost ascetic aura, girl, you’re living so cool! Makes me wanna paint you with the ugly colors of human desire, heh heh heh heh.

The others didn’t linger long in the tea room either.

Partly because the late-arriving Shen Mingrui still had her luggage, and they hadn’t fully unpacked their own belongings. Partly because they needed to film their “heart-fluttering” videos for the show today and send their “heart-fluttering” texts by 10 PM. With so much to do and not everyone present, the gathering naturally dispersed quickly.

As it turned out, Shen Mingrui was assigned to share a room with Jing Sinian—a rather awkward arrangement. Especially after You Tao helped her carry the remaining luggage from the villa entrance into the elevator and up to their room, all the guests except Fu Jinyan reconvened in the room, albeit in a different formation.

Looks like you guys finally learned to exclude Dr. Fu, huh? Hahaha!

I get it now! The initial couples are set: the lone wolf, the second-generation rich girl paired with the obedient girl, the A-list star with the D-list nobody. How can you not ship them?!

Even though the villa’s rooms were exceptionally spacious, with ample room for two 2.2-meter king-size beds and all the soft furnishings, Huo Lang’s teasing remark—”Don’t worry, we’ll each chat separately and not interfere with each other”—and Jing Sinian’s slightly embarrassed, awkward demeanor made the others feel like intruders.

Shen Mingrui rubbed her nose and, before You Tao could start packing for her, quickly stopped her. “How about I send you the script first? I completely forgot how much stuff I brought while we were chatting. Once you’ve read it, we can schedule a separate tutoring session?”

“Sure, I’m free whenever you need me,” You Tao replied, her expression unreadable as she calmly left the room.

Suggestion: Those shipping Shen Mingrui and You Tao should watch the pilot episode. Idols have professional ethics—they’re just putting on a show for the company’s money. Romantic scenes cost extra. Poor third guy, getting played like that.

Third guy is officially the most pathetic contestant on the show so far.

Having made her rounds through Jing Sinian and Shen Mingrui’s rooms, You Tao remained unaware of the sudden surge of sympathy she had garnered. When she returned to her own room, Fu Jinyan was sitting on the sofa by the window, silently facing his phone on the shelf.

You Tao instinctively softened her footsteps, not wanting to disturb Dr. Fu’s video recording. But before she could take more than a few steps, her peripheral vision caught Fu Jinyan’s half-removed sheer glove, revealing a flawless jade hand with distinct knuckles, as if meticulously sculpted. He tapped the phone screen, then set the device aside.

Rising, he walked toward You Tao, nodding in greeting as he passed her. He entered the bathroom, and soon the sound of rushing water filled the air.

When he emerged, the sheer glove had once again concealed all its beauty.

By then, the live stream room had split into two channels. The majority of viewers flocked to the more crowded and popular channel featuring Jing Sinian and Shen Mingrui, while a smaller group of hand fetish enthusiasts remained here, frantically spamming the chat with pleas for Dr. Fu to show mercy and remove his glove.

Of course, Fu Jinyan couldn’t see these messages. Noticing You Tao taking clothes from the wardrobe, preparing to wash up, he suddenly spoke up:

“Wait a moment. The bathroom is still a bit damp.”

As a notorious germaphobe, Dr. Fu couldn’t tolerate the lingering steam and slow-drying streaks on the bathroom floor and walls after washing up. Having not had time to clean it himself, he instinctively warned his roommate.

The other person simply smiled and replied, “It’s fine, I don’t mind. I’ll make sure to clean the bathroom thoroughly and turn on the ventilation system after I’m done.”

Afterward, You Tao sat at the white vanity, placing her change of clothes beside her, and began removing her hair accessories in front of the mirror.

She looked somewhat tired, her fingers moving lazily. Inadvertently, she tugged out a strand of light-colored hair, letting out a soft gasp.

But her patience lasted only a few seconds. Since the hair accessories were at the back of her head and out of view in the mirror, You Tao’s movements grew a bit rougher, and she couldn’t help but let out a soft, involuntary sound:

“Mmm.”

She was both the aggressor and the one feeling wronged.

Fu Jinyan had already finished his morning routine and completed his video recording task. Now, he sat by the window where he had been filming, reading a foreign book. At first, he merely glanced indifferently in the direction of the noise. But when he noticed that the person hadn’t moved after five or six minutes, he calmly set down his book and asked, “Do you need help?”

The person sitting at the vanity looked as if she had been granted a pardon. She lowered her aching arm and turned around, her smile tinged with a watery glint in her eyes. “Would you?”

Fu Jinyan didn’t answer. He simply stood up and walked over to her.

Thank goodness, Dr. Fu still has a shred of humanity left. I couldn’t bear watching this beauty tear out her own hair any longer!

Who’s the one clutching their balding head and counting the strands You Tao pulled out? Me!

Even though the alcohol had evaporated quickly, You Tao still felt that familiar scent filling her nostrils as Dr. Fu stood behind her.

She obediently lowered her head, revealing her tangled, disheveled hairstyle and a glimpse of her swan-like neck.

Like a white peach.

The image flashed through Fu Jinyan’s mind before he dismissed it. The doctor’s movements were swift and gentle, separating the hair ornament from You Tao’s fine strands in just a few deft motions. However, the ornament proved stubborn. Just as she was about to remove it, a stray thread from its edge snagged on her glove.

Dr. Fu, accustomed to the clean, non-stick feel of rubber gloves, frowned slightly.

Yet she maintained her composure, carefully detangling the ornament and setting it aside. You Tao, who had been struggling to stay awake, sensed the movement and opened her eyes. She exclaimed sincerely, “Wow, Dr. Fu, you’re so quick!”

After a pause, she turned back with an envious gaze. “Your fingers are so long and look so nimble.”

How long? Tell me more.

I don’t believe it unless you make her take off her gloves and let me see.

Unfortunately, Fu Jinyan remained unmoved by her praise. After helping her, he turned to leave, eager to return to his work. Just as the sound of water began to run in the bathroom, a knock came at the door.

It was a member of the Production Team.

“Dr. Fu, you didn’t say a single word during your ‘heart-fluttering’ video segment. We’ll have to cut that part out in post-production. Would you consider re-recording it?”

“How do you want me to record it?” Fu Jinyan asked coldly.

“For example, you could mention someone you just met today, something that interests you, or something unexpected that happened,” the staff member suggested cautiously.

“Nothing.”

“……”

The two stared at each other for a long moment before the staff member retreated, wisely closing the door behind her. But she made one last attempt: “If anything comes up later, please say a few more words during the recording, okay?”

Fu Jinyan’s silent stare earned him the quiet of a closed door.

But not for long—

Click.

The person by the window glanced up, a hint of annoyance in her eyes. When she looked over, she saw the source of the noise: the bathroom. A figure stood there, wet hair dripping, looking even more pitiful than when she had been struggling with her hair accessories at the vanity. She called out cautiously, “Doctor?”

“Dr. Fu,” You Tao called out.

Fu Jinyan calmly looked at her, assuming her new roommate needed help with something again. But instead, You Tao blurted out, “I accidentally knocked your clothes off the drying rack earlier… but don’t worry! I already washed them for you!”

The person by the window stood silently for a long moment before walking back toward You Tao. The camera didn’t follow them into the bathroom, but it inadvertently captured the piece of fabric You Tao was holding up.

It was a pure white undergarment with minimal embellishments.

The Production Team swiftly blurred it out.

Discussing Ineffective Censorship

Wait, so the most risqué live stream room turns out to be the one with the ascetic doctor and the D-list actress? Am I seeing this right?

As everyone knows, the collapse of an iceberg often begins with the most inconspicuous details.

Whether the iceberg would collapse or not, Fu Jinyan didn’t know. But at that moment, she caught the overwhelming scent of cheap, artificially fragranced body wash filling the bathroom—an intense peach aroma.

Even the clothes You Tao was carefully handing her now were saturated with the same cloying scent.

At first whiff, Fu Jinyan didn’t feel her clothes had been cleaned at all. Instead, the pure white fabric, now invaded by this cloying fragrance, felt… even dirtier.