Chapter 4
The thing I fear the most is when the air suddenly becomes quiet.
But tonight, the atmosphere became as quiet as if it had taken an overdose of ¹Madam’s Calming Oral Liquid.
Even Fu Jincheng, who had been laughing so hard he was almost snoring, fell silent.
Jiang Shiyu had lived his life like a boat sailing without oars, drifting aimlessly for twenty-three years in the rolling waves of ²Honghu Lake. This was the first time he had capsized in a small ditch.
Facing this bizarre scene, which had the potential to win the top spot in the National Awkward Moments competition in 9102, Jiang Shiyu wished he could immediately hop into a time machine and go back one minute to beat up his idiotic self.
Oh my god, this was the first time I met my brother!
Look at the impression I had left on my brother!
With his head hanging low, Jiang Shiyu awkwardly pulled his hands back, just like a schoolboy who had made a mistake. He rubbed them behind his back, over and over again, rubbing until his skin turned red, but he still couldn’t figure out how to resolve this awkward moment.
Although he couldn’t think of a solution, he understood that he definitely couldn’t speak now. He was afraid that if he opened his mouth again, he might blurt out something like, “Dad, spare me!”
Not daring to speak, Jiang Shiyu also didn’t dare to look at Fu Jinyao’s expression.
After all, even without thinking, he knew it wouldn’t be as calm as before.
Even if Fu Jinyao looked just as calm as he had before, Jiang Shiyu knew that it was only a surface-level calm. Behind that calm exterior, there was something far more terrifying than mere waves.
Not just Jiang Shiyu, but everyone present had almost silently agreed: Jiang Shiyu was done for.
Even though everyone silently agreed with Jiang Shiyu’s view—that the cold, wealthy Fu Jinyao, Young Master Fu, truly was the real deal of a domineering CEO—because of the prevalence of third-rate, melodramatic CEO novels in recent years, they were pretty sure no successful person would want to hear others call them, to their face, a domineering CEO characterized by evil charm and wild arrogance, forceful seizures, emotional and physical torment, pointless showing off, being a teddy bear when things get tough, controlling the fishing pond, liking flat chests, and being hopelessly lovestruck…
Everyone pitifully glanced at Jiang Shiyu, then cautiously observed Fu Jinyao’s expression.
But the reality was far from what they had imagined.
Fu Jinyao didn’t look angry at all, surprisingly, he actually… smiled.
And it was that kind of smile—lips curved upward about ten degrees, silent, unfathomable, the classic domineering CEO smile.
Producer Zhang, the actress, the male idol, and everyone else were all dumbfounded.
What on earth was going on in this world? Magical realism?
Could it be that they were about to witness the classic CEO moment “Very well, man, you’ve successfully caught my attention” between Fu Jinyao and Jiang Shiyu?
The CEO actually… bought it?!
“Everyone, excuse me.”
Just as everyone was struggling to read Fu Jinyao’s mind, he suddenly spoke.
And as he spoke, he took a long stride forward.
So everyone watched Fu Jinyao walk over to Jiang Shiyu, slowing his pace slightly as he approached.
Everyone: Here it comes, here it comes!
However, the much-anticipated classic scene did not happen. Fu Jinyao didn’t stop for Jiang Shiyu, only gently patted his shoulder with his long hands as he passed by.
No one could see Fu Jinyao’s expression, but from his back, the way the CEO patted Jiang Shiyu’s shoulder felt so profound and unfathomable that it sent chills down their spines.
Anyone who knew a bit about this CEO understood that those who had once offended him in the circle… well, they simply ceased to exist afterward.
After all, no one really remembered their names anymore.
So… Jiang Shiyu?
Producer Zhang shook her head and hurriedly began rehearsing polite excuses to reject Jiang Shiyu’s attempt to take the fourth male role.
It was now four o’clock in the morning, the time when most people were deep in sleep.
But in a certain apartment in the city, someone was suffering from insomnia.
Jiang Shiyu tossed and turned in bed like a squid on a cutting board, wrapped in his blanket, rolling back and forth hundreds of times without a trace of sleepiness.
After being dragged back by the pale-faced Producer Hong, Jiang Shiyu’s mind replayed the awkward scene over and over like an automatic little drama.
Every time he closed his eyes and recalled that cringe-worthy moment, his consciousness became increasingly clear.
After tossing and turning for the thousand and first time, his hand accidentally touched the phone lying beside his pillow.
The phone screen’s light illuminated half the room. With no intention of sleeping, Jiang Shiyu unlocked it with his fingerprint, hoping to distract himself by looking up some gossip.
He opened Weibo, and the top trending topic was news of a certain popular idol denying a romance with a certain female star.
If this were before, Jiang Shiyu would have immediately gossiped passionately with Xie Yi, fiercely dissing this obvious playboy who was desperately denying the relationship.
But now, Jiang Shiyu couldn’t muster any interest in the news, in fact, a sudden white flash in his mind made it all seem rather dull.
He raised his hands and moved his phone slightly away from his face, but once again, countless thoughts flooded his mind.
People are strange.
Some people are already in a relationship but still deny it.
Some people haven’t even started a relationship yet, and they’re already heartbroken.
And tonight, Jiang Shiyu is the one who is heartbroken…
Wuwuwuwu, Jiang Shiyu closed his eyes in pain.
The countless fantasies he once had, about a perfect first encounter with the CEO—
Accidentally bumping into the CEO’s broad, solid chest…
Accidentally spilling red wine on his pants and crotch…
Accidentally walking into his room…
Accidentally getting knocked over by his luxurious car on a stormy night…
Accidentally being pinned against the wall by the CEO and having a domineering “wall slam” against his hormone-charged chest.
Wuwu.
It’s all gone. It’s all gone!
Not only the “wall slam,” but even the “bed slam,” “chair slam,” “car slam,” “chest slam,” “thigh slam,” “door frame slam,” “floor slam,” and even “air slam”—all gone!
Regretful and sad, Jiang Shiyu let go of his hands, and his nose bridge met the falling phone in an unbelievably close and seamless encounter.
After the phone successfully hit his face, Jiang Shiyu finally became obedient.
—
However, the consequence of falling asleep at four o’clock in the morning was that Jiang Shiyu, with a heavy head and dizziness, had two large dark circles under his eyes.
While the makeup artist covered up the dark circles, she chatted with him.
“Didn’t sleep well last night, Xiao Jiang? Were you up late catching up on schedules?”
Jiang Shiyu, in a daze, took several seconds to respond slowly before he weakly said, “A bit of insomnia…”
The makeup artist, a kind-hearted older sister, immediately felt concerned and said, “Is it because of the stress recently?”
This question had some basis.
According to her gossip, the members of the AYO boy band were originally a group of unknown young people. The company hastily formed them into a group three months ago to participate in a variety show. They never expected the group to become popular, but suddenly, through the show, they unexpectedly gained fame half a month ago.
The attention and exposure that came with fame were incomparable to their previous unknown status. As public figures, their privacy was almost entirely exposed to the public eye, and such a huge difference made many people still struggle to adapt to it.
According to what the makeup artist knew, several members of their group had already visited a psychologist.
Looking at Jiang Shiyu’s beautiful face and the pitiful dark circles under his eyes, the makeup artist imagined the poor image of Jiang Shiyu being overwhelmed by excessive attention, unable to sleep at night, and felt a surge of motherly love. She just wanted to give him a hug.
Jiang Shiyu is still a child—how could he bear such great pressure?
At this moment, Jiang Shiyu didn’t really hear what the makeup artist said, he just randomly nodded slightly, indicating that he was listening.
Seeing Jiang Shiyu confirm her guess, the makeup artist, feeling both heartbroken and understanding, quickly switched to a more comforting tone, “Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. As a public figure, you have to learn to get used to this kind of life.”
Half-asleep and half-awake, Jiang Shiyu didn’t catch the first part clearly—he only vaguely sensed that the makeup artist was telling him he needed to learn to get used to this kind of life…
His mind couldn’t help but question in return: Get used to… what kind of life?
A life where you call your idol the wrong name, offend the domineering CEO’s younger brother, and get kicked out of the production without even getting to play the fourth male lead… that kind of life?
Just a second ago, Jiang Shiyu had been as lifeless as a wilted eggplant, but now he was fully awake.
He looked into the makeup artist’s eyes.
After confirming that the other person was looking at him with a loving, motherly, caring, and compassionate gaze, Jiang Shiyu finally snapped back to reality.
Sister, do you have some misunderstanding?
After the makeup was done, Jiang Shiyu was taken to a room by the staff.
Their company had signed a contract with a live streaming platform, and the members of AYO boy band would each do a live stream on that platform.
There were seven members in the AYO boy band, and each had their own unique style. In order to make the streams more diverse, the platform had arranged different content for each member.
For example, the two vocalists in the band who were good at singing were assigned a singing live stream.
The leader of the band, who had an impeccable and overwhelming sense of dominance, was assigned a straight-talk Q&A live stream.
As for Xie Yi, who was overflowing with flirtation yet insisted on playing the aloof, high-cold dominant role, his live stream was…
Oh, Xie Yi hadn’t started his live stream yet.
Of course, that didn’t really matter.
What mattered was that the live streaming platform the AYO boy band had signed with was currently one of the top three game streaming platforms in the country. Since Jiang Shiyu was the best gamer in the boy band, the important responsibility of game streaming naturally fell on his shoulders.
So, Jiang Shiyu shouldered the heavy responsibility entrusted to him by the AYO boy band and stared helplessly at the streaming equipment in front of him, silently repeating to himself three times:
³Stay zen. Stay zen.
It’s just a game. No need to care so much about winning or losing. So what if I win? So what if I lose? At worst, I’ll just lose three games in a row.
And sure enough, with that jinx of a mouth, Jiang Shiyu’s words came true—he didn’t win a single one of his first three matches.
Looking at his team’s “⁴snake-skin” lineup with double mages, double marksmen, and double supports, Jiang Shiyu, trapped in his own online silence, was speechless and choked up.
On the surface, he maintained a ⁵zen appearance, but inside he was already flipping out.
Ahhh, what kind of useless teammates are these?! Because of them I lost three rounds in a row!! I can already imagine how many people on Weibo and the anonymous forums are crazily mocking how bad I’m playing. QAQ
Waaah, I’m not 【that bad】, wait, listen to me!
Fortunately, thanks to Jiang Shiyu’s timely live adjustments, in the fourth round his Varus carried the whole game, barely saving some face…
After the stream ended, still immersed in the double blow of heartbreak and losing points in the game, Jiang Shiyu had no mood to check for any negative posts about himself, nor to read the confessions from fans in his super topic.
However, he still couldn’t control himself from habitually clicking on the link Xie Yi had sent him ten minutes earlier in the “Afternoon♂Night♂Passionate♂Chat” group…
Only when the link opened the webpage did Jiang Shiyu finally realize what it was.
Patting his involuntary “claws,” Jiang Shiyu, adopting a “since I already clicked it, might as well take a look” attitude, looked at the page.
The content on the webpage was actually quite simple: a certain big fan of the Yisheng Yishi CP, inspired after watching Jiang Shiyu’s live stream tonight, had written a whopping 10,000-word update depicting a stunning love story between Xie Yi and Jiang Shiyu that supposedly happened tonight.
The plot summary was basically the usual cliché: Xie Yi was promoting a new drama and was forced to do a “business CP” marketing stunt with the female lead of the show, sparking rumors. Jiang Shiyu, the jealous type, saw this and his jealousy flared up. He cried with red eyes last night, drank to drown his sorrows, stayed out all night, and as a result, was distracted and in a bad mood throughout today’s game…
Below the article were numerous agreeing comments from CP fans:
Yisheng Yishi is a dream: Waaah, the baby really looked unhappy during today’s stream.
Yisheng Yishi is just a dream: Waaah, I wonder if he had a fight with Mr. Yi.
Yisheng Yishi never separates: Waaah, they must have had a quarrel. Didn’t you see how red and tearful the baby’s eyes were, just like someone heartbroken?
Jiang Shiyu spat out a mouthful of old blood…
Heartbroken eyes…
Is it really that obvious?
No, wait!
But what does any of this have to do with that flirtatious pretty boy Xie Yi?
They were simply just pure and innocent business besties—no, wait—⁶business CP!
Regarding this beautiful misunderstanding, Jiang Shiyu neither wanted to clarify nor could he clarify. He could only let the CP fans wildly spin all sorts of fanciful, nonsensical theories.
Having only rushed to sleep for three hours last night, Jiang Shiyu was now so sleepy he could barely keep his eyes open.
After quickly taking a shower, Jiang Shiyu flopped onto his warm, big bed.
No schedule tomorrow, so he didn’t have to get up early.
Lying in an extremely comfortable position, Jiang Shiyu soon drifted to the edge of sleep.
Just as he wrapped himself up into a ball, about to fall asleep, the phone rang.
Startled like a rooster crowing at dawn, Jiang Shiyu immediately brought the phone to his ear.
Before he could speak, a strange man’s voice sounded in his ear.
“Jiang Shiyu.”
—
¹“太太静心口服液” is a Chinese calming herbal tonic, often used humorously to describe someone or something becoming unnaturally calm or quiet. “又双叒” is playful internet slang emphasizing repetition — think “once again” but exaggerated, like “yet again and again.”
²Honghu Lake, reference to a famous Chinese revolutionary folk song called 洪湖水浪打浪 (“The waves roll on the waters of Honghu Lake”).
³“stay zen” is a great alternative to “stay chill” in this context—especially if you want to preserve the original Chinese nuance of “佛系” (foxi), which literally means “Buddha-like” or “Zen-like,” implying a peaceful, indifferent attitude toward outcomes.
⁴“Snake-skin” in this context is slang for weird, chaotic, or trashy gameplay or teammates — like when your team makes no sense and plays terribly. It’s a joking or mocking way to say someone is playing badly or irrationally.
⁵“Zen appearance” refers to looking calm, peaceful, and unbothered on the outside, even if you’re not actually feeling that way inside. It’s like keeping a relaxed or “Buddha-like” face while your mind might be freaking out.
⁶”business CP” (short for “commercial couple pairing” or “营业CP” in Chinese, where “营业” means “business/promotion”) refers to: A pair of celebrities (real or fictional) who: Publicly interact like a couple, but Do so for promotional reasons – to gain popularity, media attention, or sell a product, show, or drama.