Not long after Xie Jin Yi left, Wen Ting Xue finally came out of the restroom.
Yu Wen Li, who was smoking against the wall, immediately extinguished his cigarette.
"What's wrong?"
He quickly walked to her side, looking at her with concern.
"Nothing," Wen Ting Xue smiled and shook her head.
Although she wasn't smiling broadly, her emotions seemed normal.
After all, she had already decided. Whether Chi Ze Rui truly liked her or if she had misunderstood him, she would pretend it never happened.
Otherwise, she really didn't know how to handle their relationship. Their brotherhood of over a decade, their childhood friendship, shouldn't be marred by rifts or distance because of her.
"I just suddenly felt a bit unwell in my stomach."
She lowered her head to wash her hands, using it as an excuse to cover up her earlier distress. After all, Yu Wen Li had chased after her, asking repeatedly. In her flustered state, she couldn't articulate anything and could only use the restroom as an escape.
"But Teacher Mo wants to see you now." The assistant blocked the elevator button with his body first.
Yu Wen Li frowned, his expression already showing impatience. The assistant bit his lip nervously. When he spoke again, his tone softened, tinged with a plea. "Teacher Yu, please go over. Teacher Mo really has something to discuss with you."
1808.
Mo Yi Chen had prepared drinks and was sitting on the sofa, smiling as Yu Wen Li entered.
"You just saw your girlfriend. Teacher Yu should be in a good mood, shouldn't you? Why do you look so unhappy?" He pushed one of the glasses of wine towards Yu Wen Li, feigning ignorance.
Yu Wen Li glanced at him with cold eyes, not even bothering to sit down. "Get straight to the point. What is it?"
"I think it's more interesting to discuss this sitting down."
Yu Wen Li turned and walked away. Mo Yi Chen's assistant and bodyguard blocked his path. Mo Yi Chen's expression turned cold, and he said, "For the next performance, vote for Mo Zha. Name your price."
"Impossible," Yu Wen Li flatly refused.
Mo Yi Chen downed a glass of wine, stood up, and approached him, saying word by word, "Yu Wen Li, not everyone can replicate your success. Let me be blunt: the final three spots in this competition have already been decided."
Yu Wen Li frowned. Mo Yi Chen counted on his fingers in front of him. "Third place, Jiang Yi from Lin's Records. Second place, the young master from the Fu family's collateral line, Fu Xin. First place, Jiang Cheng Yuan's youngest disciple, my cousin, Mo Zha."
Although he had anticipated it, hearing it stated so boastfully made Yu Wen Li feel disgusted. "Aren't you ashamed to win the championship through manipulation?"
Mo Yi Chen laughed. "The outcome is far more important than the process. As long as you're the winner in the end, who will care how you won? You know the saying, 'The winner takes all,' don't you, Teacher Yu?"
"The winner takes all? You call yourselves worthy?" Yu Wen Li turned to leave.
Mo Yi Chen not only moved aside himself but also waved for his assistant to retreat. As Yu Wen Li neared the door, Mo Yi Chen slowly swirled the wine glass in his hand and said with certainty, "You'll agree eventually. I'll be waiting."
The response was a loud slam of the door.
The assistant spat indignantly, "What's he acting so high and mighty for! If it weren't for the Han family's help, would he have debuted?!"
"That's enough." Mo Yi Chen feigned a gesture to stop him. "He wants to uphold justice, how can we object?"
"Then what about Young Master Mo Zha?" the assistant worried. "If he's still so unyielding..."
He was just sending medicine because Que You had a sore throat recently. How could she imagine something else? Sigh, having too much imagination was also a burden.
Just as she was thinking of stepping forward to say hello, Chu He Fei suddenly leaned in towards Que You. From Wen Ting Xue's angle, it looked very much like a kiss. But she knew it wasn't, because Que You showed no reaction.
Half a minute later, Chu He Fei smiled and pulled back, saying, "Then I'll head up for the stage first. Remember to wait for me tonight."
Wen Ting Xue:?
"Mhm." Que You replied lazily, taking out a cigarette from his pocket. Chu He Fei, who was about to leave, paused and took out a lighter to light his cigarette.
Even Que You, who didn't think too deeply, could sense something now.
"Oh, come on, watch something proper. He and I are just ordinary colleagues. I've had a sore throat these past two days, and he said he'd make some tea to soothe my throat, so I asked him to find me after the recording." It would be evening by the time this recording was finished.
Wen Ting Xue pouted, "Just ordinary colleagues?" She didn't quite believe it. Que You was speechless. "What else would it be?"
"Then you're not as good to others as you are to him, always accommodating."
Que You said, "What can I do? His personality is good, and he knows how to act spoiled. Haven't you heard the saying? The squeaky wheel gets the grease."
-
Saturday night at eight o'clock, the new episode of the performance was released. Wen Ting Xue was on set and didn't have time to watch. However, many actors around her were following the show, so she could catch a glimpse during makeup breaks. When she was styling Xie Jin Yi's hair, it was during the part where the judges voted. Even though they already knew the outcome, they couldn't help but feel anxious. When the voting results were revealed, Wen Ting Xue and Xie Jin Yi's expressions changed simultaneously. On the day of the recording, they were both present. Yu Wen Li had clearly voted for Jiang Yi Xian in the end, but now it was edited to Mo Zha?! The comments section was also questioning: [Yu Wen Li could vote for Mo Zha?! What a joke! He sang so badly!]