Me And My Four Dancers - Chapter 4
Chapter 4 I’ve had a crush on him for two years
Yan Shuo topped up over a thousand yuan, lighting up a row of QQ icons for the other person.
However, his irritable online girlfriend remained true to her nature and immediately snapped, “Are you crazy?”
“…”
This girl isn’t very cute.
Yan Shuo hesitated, wondering if he should find another partner with Qi Haoyu.
Never mind. At least she wasn’t interested in his money, which was a plus.
Anyway, it was just a joke. Yan Shuo was just having fun, like raising a pet on your phone: you poke her, and she responds. There was no real intention for a relationship, so teasing anyone was the same.
He imagined the other person might be a volatile girl of sixteen or seventeen, quiet, straightforward, simple, cold and aggressive, indifferent to money, and probably from a wealthy family, a little princess… Thinking about it that way, she was quite cute. She really was a little sister.
Yan Shuo was astonished by his own wild imagination, having grasped the beauty of online dating without any guidance.
He seriously suspected that Qi Haoyu had an aura of mental degeneration, leaving nothing untouched wherever he passed, turning them into fools. Otherwise, how could he have been infected and become so mentally retarded as well?
Never mind, just be happy.
123123: “Nothing’s wrong, just trying to be nice to you.”
Frustrated: “…”
123123: “Why do you keep sending ellipsis? Don’t you have anything to say to me?”
Frustrated: “…”
Frustrated: “I want to confirm something.”
123123: “What?”
Frustrated: “Do you know who I am?”
123123: “?”
Frustrated: “You don’t recognize my QQ number?”
123123: “Should I?”
Frustrated: “OK.”
123123: “…”
What do you mean, added an acquaintance? Yan Shuo’s heart skipped a beat, but the other person’s next words immediately dispelled his doubts.
Fan: “I thought you were my real-life friend. It’s okay if you’re not.”
123123: “So?”
Fan: “It’s okay.”
123123: “Okay, then online dating?”
Fan: “I’m a guy.”
Yan Shuo: “???”
Yan Shuo was shocked. How could Qi Haoyu possibly be okay? Why did his girlfriend have a male friend? A gay friend?
123123: “Are you gay?”
Fan: “? I’m straight.”
123123: “…”
Yan Shuo was skeptical. Actually, some girls claim to be male online to avoid trouble. Especially in the gaming community, girls receive certain preferential treatment, but also face technical discrimination.
Yan Shuo used to be addicted to gaming and had seen this kind of thing a lot. He had a lucky thought. Even if Qi Haoyu was unreliable, he wouldn’t be so confused about gender. This girl probably didn’t want to start an online relationship with him and was deliberately making up an excuse to dissuade him.
The more he thought about it, the more it seemed to be the case. Yan Shuo happily played along, chatting with her nonsensically.
123123: “Really? You’re not a girl?”
Fan: “No.”
123123: “A guy would be fine, too.”
Fan: “?”
Fan: “You really want an online relationship? Why? Only people who don’t have anyone to love in real life would do it.”
123123: “Yes, I don’t have anyone to love.”
Fan: “…”
Looking at the row of dots on his phone, Yan Shuo could almost picture the speechless expression on the frantic girl’s face. The more he thought about it, the more vivid it became. …It was over. This character was fixed in his mind.
So, what was his character like in her eyes? I’m afraid it wasn’t good.
It doesn’t matter. Yan Shuo is the best at creating character sets. He’s a professional and has extensive experience.
So the question is, what character set is most likely to resonate with the other person?
Girls of this age, regardless of their personality, are generally more innocent and compassionate, especially drawn to affectionate, loyal, and pitiful men. A frivolous, sweet-talking character set definitely won’t do.
123123: “I can see you don’t want an online relationship with me. It’s not that I absolutely need one. I’m just looking for some comfort online.”
Fan: “Comfort?”
123123: “Yeah, real life is too stressful. I work in the service industry and have to be in good shape all the time, so even when I’m feeling down, I have nowhere to vent.”
123123: “I don’t have any friends. I don’t know who to talk to.”
Fan: “…”
Fan: “Don’t do such a painful job.”
123123: “No Because work is miserable.”
123123: “To be honest, the main reason is… I have a crush on someone, a colleague, but she doesn’t like me. Every day when I see her at work, I… have to put on a cheerful front.”
Fan: “Him? Her?”
123123: “Her.”
Fan: “…”
123123: “Sorry to vent my frustrations on you.”
123123: “If you find this annoying, just delete me.”
This is called retreating to advance. Yan Shuo hummed a song and slowly snapped his fingers.
Sure enough, the other person’s sympathy was aroused.
Fan: “Who do you like? Which colleague?”
Fan: “I mean, what kind of person is he?”
123123: “Her.”
Fan: “What kind of person is she?”
“…”
What kind of person?
Yan Shuo pondered for a moment. What would be the most appropriate way to write this? It’s so cumbersome. Not only does the character design have to be his own, but it also has to come with a story package, bringing out all the involved characters.
He’s not writing a novel, so he can’t just use a ready-made one.
123123: “She’s very good-looking, and her personality is a bit…”
Fu Xinyan is too dramatic, Li Jin is too bad, and Qi Haoyu is too silly. Only Shen is relatively normal.
123123: “She’s a bit of a high-class flower, not interested in talking to people, but she’s very good-looking, talented, and very likable.”
Frustrated: “…”
Frustrated: “…”
123123: “What’s wrong?”
Frustrated: “No, how long have you liked him?”
123123: “I’ve had a crush on him for two years.”
Frustrated: “…………”
123123: “She.”
Yan Shuo corrected the wrong pronoun again. He was portraying himself as a loving, good man, not a loving, gay man. He didn’t want to have a close friend.
However, after the conversation ended, the other party suddenly fell silent, and there was no reply for a long time.
Overacting?
No problem, let’s take it step by step. We’ll talk next time.
Yan Shuo turned off the lights and went to sleep. Although he was mentally high, his body was actually exhausted. He fell asleep as soon as he touched the pillow.
The next day, the five-member M.E.N group was separated from their activities. The company had originally given the high-profile variety show “Super Star,” a guaranteed hit, to Fu Xinyan. After Fu Xinyan’s “demotion,” it fell into Yan Shuo’s hands.
But the company wouldn’t just promote him, leaving the others idle. So, Fu Xinyan, Li Jin, and Qi Haoyu went to film together. It was said to be a well-known, big-name idol drama. Acting skills weren’t a priority, just cool looks and fan following.
Three of his teammates left at once. When Yan Shuo got up, only Chen Ze was left in the living room.
Shen Ze was eating breakfast. He was wearing a white T-shirt today, his tall figure resembling a human clothes hanger. He could pull off simple outfits with a unique flair.
He was wearing his headphones as usual, the black cable a different one from yesterday.
Yan Shuo couldn’t help but sigh. Apparently, he knew wearing headphones forty-eight hours a day was too much wear and tear, and even gave them rotating rest periods.
Yan Shuo said nothing, walked to the dining table, and sat down across from Shen Ze.
They ate in silence, neither of them speaking.
In the past, if other teammates were around, Yan Shuo would have taken the initiative to greet them. After all, as captain, it was his daily duty to “promote superficial harmony within the plastic group.” But Shen Ze was different. The royal heir was rather aloof, his aloof face clearly saying, “Shut up, commoner, don’t bother me.” Yan Shuo had no interest in arguing with him.
But why hadn’t Shen Ze left?
He didn’t have to film, so did he have other plans? Was he also on a solo trip?
Yan Shuo was about to ask when he looked up and suddenly found Chen Ze staring at him.
“What’s wrong?” Yan Shuo was puzzled. “Is there something on my face?”
Chen Ze said nothing, coldly turning his gaze away.
Yan Shuo: “…”
This breakfast was a difficult one to describe. Every time Yan Shuo looked up, he found Chen Ze glaring at him (?). He choked several times, which resulted in him not eating much and instead drinking a bellyful of water, which also made his face red from choking. It was truly miserable.
Thankfully, his agent came to his rescue.
Li Linjia, a man of few words, got straight to the point and announced the good news—since the sponsor of “Super Star” was one of ours, the production team had given Yue Shi two spots. Now, not only was Yan Shuo participating, but Chen Ze was going too.
Li Linjia clapped her hands, and Yan Shuo, respectfully, joined her in the applause.
Chen Ze, however, didn’t react, seemingly unconcerned. Yan Shuo suspected he’d received advance notice.
“Superstar” is essentially a celebrity reality show, featuring ten regular guests, including them. These ten individuals include actors, singers, idols, hosts, directors, comedians, and models.
The production team will arrange for these individuals to live together in isolation for a period of time, assigning them tasks such as cross-disciplinary performances. The actual process of preparing for these performances will be filmed, edited, and broadcasted in real time.
This clearly shows that the show’s focus isn’t on the stage—while the contrasting crossovers on stage can be interesting, the behind-the-scenes content is the most captivating.
With Yan Shuo’s extensive experience, he’s seen through the production team’s tactics. They’ll undoubtedly find various angles to create friction, using a point of entry that easily resonates with the public and sparks discussion. This will then be heavily marketed online, attracting the attention of netizens eager to watch the show, and the show’s popularity will naturally be high.
This idea is standard and not particularly novel, but what if the guest lineup is particularly stellar?
Top-tier idols, rising star actors, superstar singers with sold-out concerts, A-list directors, controversial TV commentators… Any one of these people is enough to attract a ton of attention. Put them all together and use them to generate buzz, and the results are undeniable.
And with the massive investment and a strong platform, this show is sure to be a hit.
Yan Shuo nailed the key points and asked Li Linjia, “How will you arrange your accommodations during lockdown? A single room? Or a room for two?”
This is a classic tactic: pairing two people together to create the most engaging pairings, which will generate more interesting moments during the recording.
Li Linjia confirmed his guess: “Yes, a room for two.”
“Then I’ll sleep with Shen Ze.”
Yan Shuo is self-aware. He’s the type of celebrity who’s unsuitable for reality shows; his true nature is easily exposed. After all, he was too picky about trivial matters in his daily life. If there were any friction, he’d get into an unpleasant situation with his roommate, not only would he offend his senior, but it would also be negative news if it got out. It would be better to live with someone he knew so they could bear with each other.
Unfortunately, Chen Ze wasn’t impressed by his proposal.
Yan Shuo selectively forgot the grudge he’d received from being glared at and tried to negotiate: “Brother Ze, what do you think? I want to sleep with you.”
He was flexible and forced a closer relationship. He put his arm around Chen Ze’s neck in a friendly way, shoulders touching, and the warmth of his body unconsciously transferred through the thin T-shirt.
Chen Ze froze.
Li Linjia, not noticing anything wrong, said businesslike, “Okay. I’ll talk to the production team later. You two can live together and do some business.”
Yan Shuo said, “I don’t have to do business with Fu Xinyan anymore?”
Li Linjia: “Yes, from today on, you’re betrothed to Chen Ze.”
Yan Shuo: “…”
Chen Ze: “…”