Chapter 85: Such Enthusiasm

Today, Xu Mengbai was dressed in a spaghetti strap dress, her entire look reminiscent of a dark porcelain doll. She was just as lively and cheerful as she had been on the dating show, bounding up to Lin Yu and giving him a big hug.
“I never expected to run into you here—it must be fate! I still remember your perfect score, ranking first in the exhibition match.”
The elevator sped down from over twenty floors, its rapid descent making their ears ring, but Xu Mengbai chattered relentlessly beside him: “I was confident I’d bring home a good result, but now that you’re here, I suddenly feel like there’s no hope of advancing~”
Her half-joking words made the accompanying staff cover their mouths and laugh quietly.
Xu Mengbai’s manager tugged at her dress, reminding her to tone it down, not to draw so much attention.
Image management for artists was strict, especially with agencies invested by the Korean side—every word and gesture was heavily restricted. Otherwise, most Korean artists wouldn’t achieve instant fame upon debut.
Lin Yu, the target of the joke, didn’t mind. Seeing Xu Mengbai warned by her manager, he actually helped smooth things over: “Mengbai, are you interested in visiting Ji Fei?”
Hearing the name Ji Fei, the middle-aged manager’s eyes flickered with a strange expression. He was all too familiar with Ji Fei: the strongest agency in the country. If they could establish a connection, both the company and he himself would have tremendous prospects ahead.
He nudged Xu Mengbai, urging her to interact more with Lin Yu, hoping that one day she could meet Ji Ya and discuss potential agency collaborations.
Powerful alliances and mutual benefit were always a great thing.
Xu Mengbai didn’t think much of it; her mind was simple, her personality straightforward, and she paid no heed to her manager’s reminders.
“Are you feeling better now? Your chest doesn’t hurt anymore, right?”
This was pure concern, with no ulterior motives.
Lin Yu wasn’t surprised that Xu Mengbai knew about the incident. The name Lü Bu, famed for his prowess, had gone viral online—who didn’t know? He nodded politely: “I’m fine now, thank you for caring.”
It wasn’t that he disliked Xu Mengbai; rather, seeing the manager’s unpleasant demeanor made him disinclined to speak further.
Director Zhou Xiaoyi was a woman in her thirties, well-maintained and looking remarkably young, almost as if she were twenty. Yet, she didn’t feel she could join in the younger crowd’s conversations.

When the two finished their chat, she finally spoke: “Both of you are familiar with the competition rules, correct?”
After the artists arrived at the hotel, Zhou Xiaoyi had already briefed each of their managers about the rules. Some artists would arrive later, and worried that someone might be missed, Zhou Xiaoyi had personally ensured everyone was informed.
After reviewing the procedures, with several seasons of “Talent Show” already produced, it was essential to guarantee nothing went wrong.
…
At lunchtime, most artists had arrived. The dressing room was packed, bustling with managers and makeup artists, while the artists greeted one another with exceptional politeness.
Si Shaozhe was there too. Upon seeing Lin Yu, his face showed disdain, clearly unwilling to interact. Not only with Lin Yu, but he didn’t bother much with the other artists either.
He kept up a lofty attitude, but no one cared to flatter him—after all, it wasn’t as if things couldn’t go on without him.
Xiao Lin quietly reminded Lin Yu to be courteous. If not for Ji Fei’s company image, Lin Yu wouldn’t want to be so fake, but since there were company seniors present, it was good to make acquaintance.
Aside from the veterans, the rest were just there to exchange a nod and get familiar faces. Too close a relationship would dissolve once the show ended; unless they were lucky enough to collaborate again someday, they might become ‘friends,’ but relationships in this circle never lasted long.
After the brief greetings, the entire scene fell into silence.
Everyone tacitly avoided unnecessary talk, busy preparing themselves, hoping to outshine others in appearance when they took the stage.
Wang Fei, who had looked after Lin Yu on the dating show, wanted to greet him and reminisce about their happy times, but was called away by her manager before she could speak.
Lin Yu didn’t bother guessing others’ intentions or malice; staying focused on his own tasks was most crucial now.
Xu Mengbai, who had just shown Lin Yu warmth in the elevator, seized the moment when her manager was away to run over and beam at him.
“Don’t worry about Si Shaozhe; none of us like her much, those who know, know.”
“After your incident on the dating show caused it to stop airing, everyone agreed it wasn’t your fault. Anyone in that situation wouldn’t just wait around—you were amazing, standing against so many.”

“That Si Shaozhe kept complaining about you on the way back, blaming everything on you, so nobody wants to deal with him.”
Lin Yu had wondered if his actions had caused unnecessary trouble or impact by halting the show. Now it seemed the real nuisance wasn’t him, but rather…
Truly, people of poor character are disliked wherever they go, especially those oblivious to their own faults, desperately seeking attention. They are the most pitiful.
He grumbled inwardly, but soon forgot about it; it was nothing more than a passing acquaintance. Their greatest connection was simply participating in the dating show together. Except for Bai Yichu from the same company, the others likely felt much as he did. Since it was all superficial, why bother?
“It’s fine, don’t take it to heart.”
He genuinely paid it no mind, his smile relaxed and indifferent. Seeing this, Xu Mengbai felt reassured.
She glanced around the room, then leaned in close to Lin Yu and whispered:
“Actually, Si Shaozhe only acts superior in front of you because you’re not famous enough yet. He probably hasn’t even listened to your new song; otherwise, he’d know you’re a genius, destined to become a top star in the industry.”
“I’ll tell you this: you’re definitely his greatest rival! When the time comes, you must put him in his place!”
Xu Mengbai threw a left jab and a right hook in the air, venting her injustice from the show caused by Si Shaozhe.
Lin Yu turned his head to look at her, and the makeup artist sighed helplessly: “Mr. Lin, please don’t move.”
Her voice, tinged with a sweet, coquettish accent, quickly drew Xu Mengbai’s attention. The makeup artist responded to her while doing her best to make Lin Yu look handsome.