Chapter 7: My Brother Loves Me Too Much – Day Seven

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It seemed she had just heard some shocking news.

Yun Zhiyi lowered her eyelids, her lips gently pressed together, thinking to herself that just as in the original story, the production team favored Xu Xinran, giving her all the camera time and crafting her perfect persona to become a rising star in the entertainment industry.

Xu Xinran glanced at the girl huddled in the corner of the elevator wearing a mask. She exchanged a knowing look with the woman in the blue dress beside her, and the two ceased their conversation.

The elevator soon reached the first floor, and Yun Zhiyi stepped out.

After the elevator doors closed, Xu Xinran appeared thoughtful. The woman in the blue dress beside her asked, “What are you thinking about?”

Xu Xinran shook her head. “Nothing.”

She just couldn’t shake the feeling that she had seen the girl in the elevator somewhere before; the face was vaguely familiar.

The woman in blue said, “That girl was probably here for the dating show audition. Since she wore a mask, I didn’t pay much attention to her face. Anyway, I’ve already spoken to the production team. You don’t need to worry about the camera time. None of the other female contestants pose any threat to you.”

“What threat could those amateur contestants possibly pose to me?” Xu Xinran smiled confidently. “Mom, don’t worry. After this dating show, I’m definitely going to be famous.”

The two chatted as they walked toward the underground parking garage.

...

Meanwhile.

Yun Zhiyi left Yaoguang Entertainment Media and stood by the roadside, pondering how to spend the rest of her time. While she was thinking, her phone vibrated; a familiar number was calling.

She answered, “Hello.”

A clear female voice came through: “Baby, where are you?”

“I’m outside. What’s up?”

“Do you have time to meet up?” Xu Wanqing said. “I returned to the country yesterday as well. Let’s go for afternoon tea and have a chat.”

Yun Zhiyi was surprised. “You’re back too?”

Xu Wanqing replied, “It was my dad forcing me to come back. Otherwise, he would have frozen my bank card.”

“What about Louis?” Yun Zhiyi asked.

Louis was Xu Wanqing’s boyfriend abroad; they had a good relationship. With Xu Wanqing returning home, it meant a long-distance relationship for them.

Xu Wanqing sounded indifferent. “We broke up.”

“Ah!” Yun Zhiyi was shocked.

“We can find a place to have tea first and then talk slowly,” Xu Wanqing said.

“Do you want to pick the place, or should I?” Yun Zhiyi asked.

“I’ll send you the address,” Xu Wanqing replied.

“Okay,” Yun Zhiyi said softly. “See you later.”

After hanging up, Xu Wanqing sent her the location. Yun Zhiyi hailed a ride via an app to meet her.

The afternoon tea spot Xu Wanqing chose was a traditional opera house, decorated in the style of a classic Chinese teahouse. The waitresses wore plain qipaos and stood outside to welcome guests.

“Hello, do you have a reservation?” the waitress asked.

Yun Zhiyi nodded. “Yes, private room number eight.”

The waitress led her inside, up the internal staircase, turning down the corridor to the eighth private room.

Just as Yun Zhiyi entered, a figure rushed over, embraced her, and kissed her on the cheek, saying, “I missed you so much, baby.”

The waitress gave them a meaningful glance, then closed the door and left.

Yun Zhiyi knew the waitress had misunderstood them. Her cheeks flushed faintly as she awkwardly pushed Xu Wanqing.

Xu Wanqing let go and looked her over, teasingly lifting her chin. “Zhiyi darling, you’re still so easily embarrassed.”

Yun Zhiyi looked at the tall girl in front of her. Xu Wanqing wore a black qipao embroidered with gold edges. Her hair was dyed back to black and styled into double buns, embodying a new Chinese aesthetic that was both beautiful and distinctive.

“You look really beautiful today,” Yun Zhiyi sincerely complimented.

Xu Wanqing smiled. “You’re not bad yourself. All dressed up like this, where have you been?”

“I went to an audition.”

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The two sat down at the table.

Xu Wanqing was cracking sunflower seeds casually and asked, “What kind of audition?”

Yun Zhiyi hesitated for a moment, reluctant to tell Xu Wanqing in advance that she was here for a dating show. Finally, she decided to tell her and asked first, “Have you ever watched a dating show?”

Xu Wanqing didn’t understand how Yun Zhiyi switched the topic to dating shows. “No, I haven’t. What’s so interesting about dating shows? They’re all scripted. The actors fool the audience completely.”

“But then again, dating shows have been very popular in recent years.” Xu Wanqing recalled the occasional trending topics she had seen. “Many mediocre celebrities and amateurs have become popular or even famous through dating shows.”

“Why do you suddenly bring this up?” Xu Wanqing threw down her sunflower seeds and poured herself a cup of hot tea, blowing on it to cool it. “Don’t tell me you’re going to participate in a dating show.”

“You guessed right,” Yun Zhiyi told her. “I just had an audition today at Yaoguang Entertainment Media.”

Xu Wanqing’s eyes widened in surprise, her jaw almost dropping. “Are you serious?”

Yun Zhiyi nodded.

Xu Wanqing put her teacup down. “Why?”

Yun Zhiyi was a typical introvert, slightly socially anxious and quite a homebody who disliked socializing. Joining a dating show meant interacting with many people. The entertainment industry was full of cunning people; Yun Zhiyi would surely be bullied if she joined the show.

Xu Wanqing felt like a worried mother sending her daughter off to school, full of concern and confusion.

Back when they were abroad, she had urged Yun Zhiyi to find a boyfriend and experience love, but Yun Zhiyi had firmly refused, saying she wanted to focus on her studies. Now, just after graduation and returning to the country, she was participating in a dating show, interacting and socializing with complete strangers. It was stranger than a fairy tale.

“It’s a long story...” Yun Zhiyi looked at Xu Wanqing.

Xu Wanqing interrupted, “Take your time. I’m not in a hurry.”

Yun Zhiyi said, “My brother is going to participate in a dating show. I’m going to watch over him.”

Xu Wanqing blinked, puzzled.

“I’m afraid he’ll get hurt,” Yun Zhiyi explained.

Xu Wanqing knew that Yun Zhiyi had lost her parents early and lived with family friends, and she had a childhood friend of a brother. Yun Zhiyi’s brother was several years older, a grown man. How could he be at a disadvantage?

Could Jiang Yanbai be an idiot?

Yun Zhiyi explained, “My brother likes a woman who treats him as a backup. He has a bad temper. If the production team edits things maliciously, he might get cyberbullied. So I want to help him on the show...”

Xu Wanqing was speechless. “Help him pursue a woman?”

Jiang Yanbai’s image as an idiot in Xu Wanqing’s mind deepened.

Yun Zhiyi said, “It’s something like that.”

“What a troublesome brother,” Xu Wanqing muttered.

Yun Zhiyi changed the subject. “Enough about me. Are you really done with Louis?”

“We’re in a cold war,” Xu Wanqing said. “I wanted to come back to the country, but he disagreed. We had a big fight, so I ran back.”

Yun Zhiyi asked, “What do you plan to do next?”

Xu Wanqing took a sip of tea. “For now, this is how it is. I can’t settle abroad for him, and he doesn’t want to come to Haicheng for me or have a long-distance relationship. So we can only break up.”

She recalled how Louis had gotten angry when she said she wouldn’t stay in America. “Who says the woman must move for the man in a relationship?”

“If he really loved me, why couldn’t he come to Haicheng for me?”

Yun Zhiyi thought Xu Wanqing was right, so she didn’t try to persuade her otherwise. Matters of the heart were only clear to those involved.

Outside, the opera house had started. Yun Zhiyi’s eyes fell on the stage, where a heavily made-up qingyi (lead female role) was singing softly. The audience watched attentively, occasionally throwing money onto the stage or clapping enthusiastically.

Xu Wanqing praised, “The singing is really good.”

Yun Zhiyi asked, “Why did you think of coming to the opera house?”

Nowadays, most young people entertained themselves at trendy afternoon tea cafes or upscale venues. Few would come to listen to traditional opera.

Xu Wanqing said, “My cousin recommended it. He said this qingyi’s singing is amazing and wanted me to listen.”

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Yun Zhiyi was even more surprised. Xu Wanqing’s cousin was a playboy who loved gambling, racing cars, and going out with girls. She never imagined he would have the leisure to appreciate opera.

After listening for a while, Xu Wanqing found it boring and commented, “It’s not as good as my grandma’s singing. We’ve been sitting for so long; let’s go for a walk and maybe find a place to get a beauty treatment.”

Yun Zhiyi agreed, “Sounds good.”

...

At the business center building.

Jiang Yanbai’s assistant, Peng Wei, led the way, followed by a man dressed in a white suit.

“Has President Jiang been working overtime recently?”

Peng Wei replied, “President Qin, the last project has been settled. President Jiang isn’t very busy these days.”

“Then why does he refuse to go out drinking with me?” Qin Xiuyuan’s tone was tinged with resentment.

Peng Wei knocked on the door of the CEO’s office. A handsome male voice came from inside: “Come in.”

“President Qin, please,” Peng Wei opened the door.

Qin Xiuyuan entered, and Peng Wei closed the door behind him.

The spacious office immediately drew the eye to the meeting sofa and tea table. To the left was the working area, with a custom-made luxurious wooden desk holding a computer, pencil holder, files, and decorative items.

Behind the desk sat a young man in formal attire—a white shirt and dark tie, his tailored suit making him look noble and handsome.

Jiang Yanbai glanced down, ignoring Qin Xiuyuan’s uninvited arrival, continuing his work as if he were invisible.

Qin Xiuyuan raised an eyebrow and walked to the left side of the desk, catching a glimpse of the computer screen showing search results for “...romantic encounter?”

His gaze landed on Jiang Yanbai’s face, studying his expression before smirking teasingly. “President Jiang, are you planning to go on a dating show?”

Jiang Yanbai’s bony fingers clicked the mouse, closing the webpage. “What are you doing at my company?”

“Can’t I come just for fun?” Qin Xiuyuan said. “You’re so cold and heartless. A man like you wouldn’t find a partner even if you went on a dating show.”

Jiang Yanbai moved his office chair. Qin Xiuyuan, prepared, stepped back quickly but still couldn’t avoid a swift kick from Jiang Yanbai’s long leg, which left a gray footprint on his perfectly pressed trousers.

“Hey!” Qin Xiuyuan protested angrily. “These are brand new! Do you know how much this suit cost me?”

“How much?” Jiang Yanbai said coldly.

Qin Xiuyuan said, “You couldn’t afford it even if you sold your lousy company.”

Jiang Yanbai sneered.

Qin Xiuyuan bent down to pat his pants and then sat on the sofa, brewing tea by himself.

“Jiang Yanbai, are you really going on that dating show?”

Jiang Yanbai looked down at the investment project documents on the desk, his expression indifferent, and said nothing.

Qin Xiuyuan cleared his throat awkwardly. “Well... actually... I signed you up.”

Jiang Yanbai looked up at him.

Qin Xiuyuan said, “I just wanted to joke with you. Look, you’ve been single all these years, no girlfriend, no partner. Everyone says you have a thing for me. To protect my own reputation, I had to find you a match...”

Seeing Jiang Yanbai’s expression grow colder, Qin Xiuyuan’s voice grew smaller.

“My niece said that everyone loves variety shows these days—mystery, singing, competition, dating. Your company is on the rise; going on a show is like free advertising. You might even meet your dream girl. Killing two birds with one stone—how great is that?”

Jiang Yanbai replied expressionlessly, “Then I should thank you.”

“No need,” Qin Xiuyuan said awkwardly.

A few days ago, Qin Xiuyuan had taken a video of Jiang Yanbai’s university graduation interview and used it to register him for the dating show.

Among the amateurs, Jiang Yanbai was from a wealthy family, handsome, and a rising tech star—definitely someone the production team would select. Jiang Yanbai must have received a message on his phone, which was why he was researching dating shows.

That was what Qin Xiuyuan thought.

“So, are you going or not?” he asked, curious.