Chapter 9

Fu Zhi sat dazed in the chair.

In the blink of an eye, his originally wispy, parted fringe had been cut by Ning Xi into a flat, helmet-like bowl cut.

It was even more outrageous than turning a French fringe into a French bread roll.

When Fu Zhi finally realized what had happened, he broke down: “Ning Xi! Who gave you permission to cut my hair?!”

With a loud “smack,” Ning Xi threw the scissors heavily onto the makeup table in front of Fu Zhi.

Fu Zhi felt as if the scissors, sharp and swift, had grazed past his head.

Suddenly, the room was as silent as a chicken.

His lifeless eyes had completely lost any desire for life.

And yet Ning Xi patted Fu Zhi’s shoulder, adding fuel to the fire: “It’s not the end of the world. Life is short-just endure it and it’ll be over.”

Fu Zhi was furious but didn’t dare say anything.

His only form of retaliation was to keep a straight face and refuse to interact with Ning Xi.

[Grilled Gluten x French Bread Roll, you two are unbeatable]

[This isn’t friendship, it’s a feud to the death]

[Who understands how good it is to ship Fu Zhi and Ning Xi’s love-hate dynamic! Who gets how high-quality their CP is!!! Who gets it! Who gets it! Anyway, I don’t]

[In the future, when Fu Zhi or Ning Xi’s friends meet them: About your hairstyle, I don’t even want to comment]

[I love the vibe in the comment section, everyone’s words are so sharp and on point, it warms my heart]

Director Qin stared at the monitor, completely numb.

Alright, alright, here we go again with this mess.

Later, when taking promotional photos in the courtyard, the other two groups were harmonious, but the Ning Xi and Fu Zhi group was anything but smooth.

The cameraman couldn’t help but remind them: “Fu Zhi, could you get a little closer to Ning Xi? It’d be great if you could interact with your eyes, too.”

Fu Zhi ignored him, continuing to sulk and refusing to look at Ning Xi.

Ning Xi explained to the cameraman: “Don’t mind him, he’s the Great Qing’s Top Assassin. No one dares to meet his gaze. If you can look him in the eye for five seconds, it means your cold-blooded index is high. If you can last ten seconds, your cold-blooded index explodes. So Fu Zhi doesn’t look at us to keep us from becoming as cold-blooded as he is…”

Cameraman: …Well, okay then.

“Ning Xi! What nonsense are you spouting again!” Fu Zhi turned his head and glared at her viciously.

And at that very moment, the cameraman finally captured a photo of the two making eye contact: “Hey, this shot actually has a nice vibe.”

Although their hairstyles were a bit odd, their expressions were lively and vivid.

It fit perfectly with the Program Team’s “Bickering Lovers” and “Childhood Sweethearts” setting.

Fu Zhi paused when he saw the photo of the two of them together.

It seemed to be the first photo he’d taken with Ning Xi as adults.

His hand clenched and then relaxed, and in the end, he snorted coldly: “So ugly.”

Ning Xi looked up: “What did you say?”

Fu Zhi’s voice had been quieter than a mosquito’s, so she really hadn’t heard him clearly.

She thought Fu Zhi had some opinion about their promotional photo.

Fu Zhi immediately stammered, his expression growing a bit stiff.

“It’s just, just…”

Ning Xi had only asked casually, and seeing Fu Zhi unable to answer, she didn’t press further.

A trace of barely noticeable disappointment flashed in Fu Zhi’s eyes.

Living room.

Ning Mingyue, who had just finished filming, saw Ning Xi and Fu Zhi interacting outside the floor-to-ceiling window, and smiled lightly at Shen Yibai:

“Xiao Xi and Fu Zhi’s relationship isn’t that bad after all.”

She’d thought the two wouldn’t be able to take this promotional photo at all and would end up making a mess of it.

A few seconds of silence passed.

Ning Mingyue looked at Shen Yibai, who hadn’t spoken, and found his profile cold as he gazed out the window, his dark eyes swirling with an unreadable inkiness.

Ning Mingyue’s heart skipped inexplicably: “Yibai…”

But in the next second, Shen Yibai turned his head and smiled at her: “Sorry, I was just thinking about company matters. What did you say?”

Ning Mingyue’s expression immediately softened: “It’s nothing, Yibai. I didn’t expect you to be so busy and still willing to join me on this variety show. Thank you.”

The call Shen Yibai took during dinner earlier had been from his Assistant.

She didn’t know the details, but just from Shen Yibai’s expression at the time, she could tell it was a tricky situation.

Normally, she’d rather drop out of the show than let Shen Yibai be so busy.

But… she felt their relationship should move forward.

She insisted on joining this variety show, hoping to confirm a romantic relationship with Shen Yibai.

Otherwise, she’d always be anxious and uncertain.

*

After the promotional photoshoot, Ning Xi wandered back to the living room. Seeing Shen Yibai and Ning Mingyue standing together in the kitchen, she paused in her tracks.
Let her think. According to the plot, Ning Mingyue and Shen Yibai only truly understood each other’s feelings during the variety show.

That meant the time when Shen Yibai would break off the engagement with her was coming soon.

Ning Xi shrugged and went to the gym at the far end of the first floor to work out.

As a qualified Singer-Dancer, maintaining her figure was the most basic professional ethic.

The moment the gym door closed, Shen Yibai lowered his eyes, hiding the gloom in them.

“Where’s Ning Xi?”

Fu Zhi soon came into the kitchen as well, frowning as he asked.

Ning Mingyue hadn’t expected Fu Zhi to come here looking for Ning Xi. The smile at the corner of her mouth faded a little:

“Is there something you need with Xiao Xi? Maybe I can help.”

Meeting Ning Mingyue’s gaze, Fu Zhi calmed down too.

He put on a casual air: “Oh, I just want her to add me back on WeChat.”

He’d been shaking his phone just now, but couldn’t find Ning Xi at all!

“I didn’t notice.”

Ning Mingyue had been facing away from the living room, cooking, and hadn’t paid attention to the others.

She looked at Shen Yibai: “Yibai, did you see Xiao Xi?”

Shen Yibai looked calmly at Fu Zhi, his pupils pitch black.

But before he could speak, Fu Zhi cut in first: “Forget it, she’ll definitely show up at dinner. That brat must’ve been a starving ghost in her past life…”

He complained, but his gaze avoided Shen Yibai’s eyes.

Shen Yibai said nothing more.

Ning Mingyue noticed the expressions of the two cousins and frowned slightly.

In her memory, Shen Yibai and Fu Zhi, these distant cousins, had always been very close.

After Mother Shen passed away, Fu Zhi’s mother even told Fu Zhi to treat Shen Yibai like his own brother.

But now, their atmosphere seemed… not as close as before?

Ning Mingyue mused: Looks like something happened between them during the years she was abroad that she didn’t know about…

*

After finishing her workout, Ning Xi casually flipped her hair, picked up her phone, and noticed a message from Fu Zhi sent half an hour ago.

Fu Zhi: “I forgive you. Just add me back on WeChat.”

Ning Xi: “[ok]”

Fu Zhi replied instantly: “Then why haven’t you added me yet? Didn’t you just agree?!”

Ning Xi: “Who said I agreed? [ok] means I’m flicking your forehead.”

Fu Zhi: “………………”

Fu Zhi: “What are you doing?”

Ning Xi had no patience to serve this princess and replied casually: “.4°”

Fu Zhi: “?”

Fu Zhi: “What does that mean?”

Ning Xi ignored him.

After a while, Fu Zhi suddenly sent another message.

“.4° doesn’t mean you’re pooping, does it? Ning Xi, aren’t you gross? Do you even remember you’re a girl?”

A few seconds later, Fu Zhi shamelessly added:

“.4°”

“Mine’s bigger than yours.”

Ning Xi: ………

What’s wrong with him!

Ning Xi really couldn’t stand Fu Zhi’s endless messages anymore, so she simply blocked his number too.

The world was finally quiet.

Just then, Ning Xi received a message from the Program Team:

Youai Butler: “Female Guests, please bring your friends to the living room. We will now begin tonight’s Youai Secret Chat activity.”

Ning Xi, who had just deleted all of Fu Zhi’s contact info: …

She thought for a moment, then headed to the media room.

On the way, she happened to run into Shen Yibai, who had just come out of the study.

The corridor lights cast shadows on his cold face, making his expression unreadable.

Only when he looked at her did his brows and eyes seem to show a hint of gloom and mockery.

Ning Xi silently commented in her heart: Another weirdo.

Then she kept walking forward without looking sideways.

Shen Yibai paused for a moment, but ultimately didn’t say anything.

The two of them passing by like strangers would seem normal to anyone who knew about their engagement.

But the Netizens didn’t know that.

[? These two don’t even greet each other. So cold, it’s almost weirdly cold]

[I’ve long sensed something’s off. The vibe between them isn’t like friends at all, more like enemies!]

[Hhhhhh, Ning Xi is equally savage to everyone, so why do you guys only give Shen Yibai the enemy script?]

[Who says Ning Xi hates everyone? She’s clearly very nice to Ning Mingyue [I ship it]]

[Honestly, I’m starting to ship them too]
On the other side.

Ning Xi went to the media room and found that Fu Zhi was actually there.

His former “French bread” hairstyle had somehow been cut into a buzz cut, and paired with Fu Zhi’s usual sullen face, it made him look even more wild and unruly.

When he saw Ning Xi coming over, Fu Zhi didn’t even lift his eyelids, his whole body radiating a cold aura of “I’m in a bad mood, don’t mess with me.”

Ning Xi inexplicably thought of a puffed-up pufferfish.

She called out, “Hey.”

Fu Zhi’s eyes lit up for a moment, but he still tried hard to suppress the corners of his mouth that wanted to rise, and asked irritably:

“What do you want with me? Didn’t you delete me already? Ha, are you regretting it now? Let me tell you, once you delete my WeChat, it’s not so easy to add me back…”

Ning Xi replied calmly, “I’m here to eat shit, okay?”

Fu Zhi: .

Dead brat, dead brat, dead brat.

“The Program Team wants you in the living room.”

Ning Xi tossed out the words and turned away in style.

Fu Zhi glared fiercely at her back, cursed her several more times in his heart, and then finally got up to follow Ning Xi.

[Not to be dramatic, but after Ning Xi roasted him a few times, why does Fu Zhi look way better than when he was sulking watching racing videos?]

[Every time Fu Zhi banters with Ning Xi, it’s all bark and no bite, and he’s always the one getting so mad he jumps up and down.]

[But this guy still loves to pick fights with Ning Xi, and he doesn’t see anyone else at all.]

[I’m dying, Fu Zhi looks fierce, but he’s actually just a grade-schooler using arguments to get the attention of the girl he likes!]

[Childhood Sweethearts, the hot-tempered young master x the stunning idol, who wouldn’t ship this?]

[Is this food? Just serve it up already [speechless]]

[Can’t ship it, thanks. Our Baby Xi deserves better, she doesn’t need a friend who talks like he swallowed gunpowder [bye]]

The six guests gradually arrived in the living room, and then saw six phones laid out on the table.

Next to the phones was a pink card:

“Youai Butler’s Warm Reminder:

During the recording, everyone can use the phones provided by the Program Team to chat and communicate, and send one Moments post each night to the person you’re interested in.

Each person can view someone else’s Moments once per night.

Note: The phones do not yet have the 1v1 private chat feature unlocked; everyone can only communicate in the ‘Youai Family’ WeChat group.”

Fu Zhi read the card and sneered, “How is this group name any different from ‘A Loving Family’? Can’t they be a little more creative?”

After speaking, he looked at Ning Xi.

Seeing that Ning Xi ignored him, he snorted irritably and turned his head away.

[Shipped again, Fu Zhi really pays so much attention to Ning Xi]

[But it looks like Ning Xi isn’t interested in Fu Zhi at all, hahaha]

[Fu Zhi, just wait for your wife-chasing hell arc]

[This world is just one big romance brain, always shipping other people’s friendships as love [disdain]]

Wei Xuan finished reading the card and asked in confusion, “Why does the Program Team use the Moments format? Isn’t our Moments content meant for the other guests in our group?”

As soon as he said this, everyone’s phones beeped.

Youai Butler: “Congratulations to the guest who noticed this! ‘You Are My Blessing’ is a friendship variety show, aiming to explore whether friends of the opposite sex can become lovers, and whether pure friendship exists between men and women.

Our answer is: both are possible.

If you’re more than friends but not quite lovers, this show will definitely help you see each other’s true feelings.

But if you’re just pure friends, then every guest on the show has the chance to pursue someone they like.

In other words, if a guest is interested in someone from another group, they can absolutely send a Moments post to hint at their feelings!”

When this message came out, everyone was in an uproar.

The comments exploded.

[Wow, things are getting spicy]

[So does this mean, for example, if I’m Fu Zhi and I’m just pure friends with Ning Xi, I can totally pursue Jiang Sheshe or Ning Mingyue from the other group?]

[Similarly, Ning Xi can pursue Wei Xuan or Shen Yibai from the other group? Or accept their advances?]

[LOL, can you use someone else as an example? If anyone dares to hit on Ning Xi, do you believe Fu Zhi would roast them to death?]