DYUTVOBGA Chapter 39

Quentin… likes men?

‘That is too far-fetched, how could it be possible!’

This was the trainees’ first reaction.

But the next moment, Quentin’s face surfaced in their minds, and they inexplicably felt… ahem, if he liked men, that didn’t seem entirely unacceptable?

In this era of open sexual orientation where even liking Walmart plastic bags could be tolerated, what was homosexuality? In their circle, everyone was practically appearance-sexual anyway!

Someone as good-looking as Quentin should easily be able to make anyone question their orientation.

Moreover, with Quentin’s level of looks, he really didn’t seem like someone who had never been in a relationship.

So what if he was 17? Early romance was hardly news in the entertainment industry. If they had Quentin’s face, they’d probably have been holding hands with female classmates since elementary school.

Thinking about it, maybe Quentin already has a boyfriend or girlfriend. Such a rare, peerlessly handsome guy probably rarely had dry spells unless he was nursing a broken heart.

Just as everyone was sinking into subtle contemplation over this question, a familiar and pleasant voice came from behind.

“What are you all doing?”

“Haha, look at me hallucinating, I think I heard Quentin’s voi…”

Sheng Yuanxu turned around laughing, and his eyes met a pair of light green eyes. His unfinished words got stuck in his throat like a duck abruptly having its neck squeezed, and his eyes widened in shock.

“Quentin…?!!”

Everyone stepped back simultaneously, and over ten pairs of eyes stared uncertainly at the boy standing in the middle of the corridor.

When did he appear? How much did he hear? Ahhh! Why didn’t anyone notice him!

…Wait, what is he wearing?

Quentin, with damp hair and a calm expression, still wore the program-issued white short-sleeve. His top was on properly, though the collar area was somewhat damp.

But his sleep pants were very short, barely reaching mid-thigh.

They were loose, made of lightweight quick-dry fabric, and light gray with two thin stripes along the seams.

As the wind outside blew in, the pant legs billowed and lifted at an angle, revealing the skin on his inner thighs that seldom saw sunlight.

It was strikingly white.

Quentin had perfectly shaped legs, with relatively small kneecaps, giving an overall visual impression of length and delicacy.

At first glance, he seemed slender, but closer inspection revealed substantial flesh on his thighs.

Not skinny to the bone, nor bulky “frog legs” packed with muscle, but firm and full, and flexible and well-proportioned, like a BJD doll.

The lines of his calves suggested even greater strength, and the skin was as smooth and delicate as white ivory. His ankle bones were narrow and small, as if they could be encircled with one hand.

He had clearly just showered; his damp, disheveled hair was casually thrown back, revealing his beautiful and vibrant light green eyes.

A towel hung around his neck, and water pooled on the soles of his flip flops. His legs were slightly spread in an outward stance, and the whole person exuded a carefree and unrestrained air that sharply contrasted with his appearance.

It was this contrast that made him more approachable and weakened the sense of distance his face created, as if he had descended from a distant cloud, making people even more unable to resist drawing near.

No wonder they had not detected Quentin’s approach; he had deliberately approached quietly. Anyone seeing a crowd gathered in the corridor whispering and murmuring would be curious about what they were up to.

Besides, Quentin happened to be searching for the phone-hiding Main Character No.2. He had just peeked in from the corridor entrance, and was wondering if the Class F trainees were so bold they could congregate in the corridor to play with their phones. Wasn’t that bait for the directors?

But… the group gathered together was merely watching two boys perform a skit.

Perhaps this was the daily life of teenagers forced to quit their internet addiction?

Liao Fei steeled himself and stepped forward: “It’s nothing, we’re just… fooling around.”

“Yes, yes! Just fooling around, fooling around!”

“Our eight-person dorm is too cramped and it’s unbearable inside, so we came to the corridor to chat and catch the breeze. See, even Lu Kui got squeezed out and had to squat in the corridor to wash his underwear…”

‘Damn it! Don’t drag me into this!’

Lu Kui gritted his teeth secretly, feeling inexplicably ashamed as he lifted his washbasin, only wanting to hurry back into the dorm.

But Quentin’s gaze fell upon him, surveying him thoughtfully: “You… aren’t wearing clothes?”

The boy standing at the dorm door holding a basin was bare-chested. His lean muscles were openly displayed, and there was a towel slung over his shoulder as if he was about to go to the bathhouse for a scrub.

Everyone around looked accustomed to it. No one gave him odd looks, and no one blocked the corridor cameras.

Obviously, in their view, not wearing clothes in the dorms wasn’t a big deal.

But in room 303, if Quentin took his top off, his two roommates would tactfully persuade him, saying if he didn’t change in the bathroom, he must specifically turn off the camera.

He had previously wondered if the Chinese variety shows in this book world were more conservative than in his past life. Now, in comparison… Perhaps it was just his two roommates who paid extra attention to such details.

Lu Kui subconsciously raised the basin to cover his chest, his retort dying in his throat. After a moment, he squeezed out, “I’m just not wearing a shirt.”

‘There’s no AC in the corridor, it’s over thirty degrees, can’t I take it off if I’m hot?’

‘We’re all men, fuck, why is he looking at me with that kind of expression!’

“His face is blushing…”

“Yeah.”

“It wouldn’t be from anger, right?”

Lu Kui: (▽皿▽#)

‘You’re the one blushing from anger, you bunch of bastards watching the fun!’

Liao Fei cleared his throat: “Ahem… that, Quentin, are you looking for someone?”

“No, I just came down for some air, and happened to see your group gathered, so I came to look.”

Quentin withdrew his gaze and shrugged: “Then you guys keep playing, I’ll head back.”

Under normal circumstances, this group of young and energetic boys would definitely strive to keep Quentin and try to pull him into their dorm to hang out.

As for what to do, it didn’t matter, just get him inside first, even awkward small talk would suffice.

But the current atmosphere was really a bit off.

Mainly because they had just done something shameful. They were speculating about his sexual orientation and love life behind his back. They were all too embarrassed to look Quentin squarely in the eye, afraid he’d see through the little dramas they were concocting.

Thus, under the trainees’ gazes, Quentin turned and left the Class F dormitory area, leaving the group in the corridor looking at each other.

“…So, he just left.”

“What else? Stay and mess around with us?”

“Sigh, it’s rare for him to come to the first floor, why now of all times.”

“Alright, stop looking, staring won’t bring him back.”

Li He noticed Sheng Yuanxu’s wistful and melancholic expression and closed his eyes speechlessly: “It’s not like there’s no chance to chat later, aren’t you usually smooth talking… Useless.”

Sheng Yuanxu touched the tip of his nose, his tone somewhat depressed: “This is different…”

“What’s different? Is he handsome? Is he a genius? Is he more impressive than anyone you’ve met?” Li He’s expression was calm, “Yes, but in the end, he’s just a 17-year-old kid. How old are you, how old is he? What’s there to fear?”

Sheng Yuanxu was rendered speechless, and he hesitated for a while before being barely convinced: “Well… you’re right, that makes sense, he’s just a 17-year-old kid.”

With his years of experience struggling and hustling in the internet celebrity circle, he should be able to quickly establish a close relationship with the other party.

It was just making friends, he shouldn’t be so hesitant.

Li He saw his frustrated expression return: “…Useless.”

*

Quentin returned to the third floor, pushed open dorm 303’s door, and unexpectedly found the room packed.

All the Class A trainees were present.

“Eh? Quentin, you’re back?”

Zhou Zilin, who was sitting on Wen Xinyi’s bed, raised a glass jar toward him and greeted with a smile: “My agent visited yesterday afternoon and gave me a few more jars of beef. Our dorm lacks a fridge, so I kept only three. Come have some, try to finish them in the next couple days.”

Both Wen Xinyi and Fang Xu’s beds were crowded, while Quentin’s own bed remained empty, with only his casually piled sleepwear and clothes.

“Okay, let me wash my hands first.”

Quentin closed the door behind him, preventing AC leakage. He quickly washed his hands in the bathroom, then emerged and walked over to Zhou Zilin, bending to take a piece of beef: “Thanks, Ge.”

He called him ‘ge’ easily; after all, whether in this life or past life, Zhou Zilin was older.

The members of Class A had indeed grown quite close. With mics off and cameras covered, they could shed formalities and vent, mostly lamenting the chaotic team assignments, the difficulties of leadership, and teams that were hard to manage.

The songs the production team assigned the leaders were decent; even if they were to choose by themselves, they’d likely have picked these.

No one would idly challenge a new field for the first public performance. The initial stage was for showcasing their best strengths to captive viewers.

“Still, your team faces the highest difficulty, Quentin. The initial song adaptation alone will consume considerable time.”

Zhou Zilin sighed emotionally, glancing at Yan Wenbing: “I recall Wenbing also chose ‘Black Umbrella’? You and Qi Yang are teamed up.”

Yan Wenbing nodded silently.

Xue Mingzhu, who was sitting on another bed, had a sullen face; apparently, he had argued with his teammates over part distribution.

“They want to rap, fine, I don’t object, so I let them all try, but the results were poor!”

The boy ruffled his hair irritably: “Rap isn’t something you can learn just by saying so, it requires talent and time. Rapping isn’t reciting lyrics, nor chanting! Tch, so many noobs who just love to mess around, thinking I’m hogging parts… I only handle that one rap section, they get all other vocals! Isn’t that enough?!”

Wen Xinyi was also a little depressed, but he still comforted softly: “It’s alright, the final result is what matters. The audience has ears, they can discern who sings better.”

Zhou Zilin waved a hand: “Hey, it’s our first team formation, we can only adjust gradually. Don’t rush, take it slow… By the way, my agent mentioned yesterday that the official airing date for our show has been announced.”

Everyone’s attention instantly shifted.

Zhou Zilin didn’t keep anyone in suspense, stating directly: “The first official episode airs September 28th at noon sharp, the day after tomorrow. Following the precedent of last year’s girl group survival show, the first episode lasts at least two hours, covering most of our initial stage performances.”

He mentally calculated, speculating: “Hmm… It should end right after Xinyi’s performance, right? Or perhaps it will be extended and the orders adjusted, leaving the Class A battle as a first-episode cliffhanger?”

Yan Wenbing smiled: “By that count, I don’t appear in the first episode either. Fang Xu, you neither, right? I recall you performed several spots after me?”

Fang Xu nodded: “Yeah.”

Only Yan Wenbing and Fang Xu among the seven Class A members earned their spots through battle, so their performance order was naturally later.

The first battle was Yan Qiao and Cheng Shaozhi’s freestyle dance pk, which looked like a perfect hook for the later half of the first episode.

Quentin had no opinion on the episode’s airing; he was still preoccupied with the inexplicably 5% increase of the progress bar for Main Character No. 2.

Regardless, this 5% must be related to him, he just didn’t know which specific action triggered the butterfly effect.

This Main Character No. 2 was concealed far deeper than Yan Qiao. Previously, the changes to Yan Qiao’s progress bar at least had a clear direction, giving Quentin a target.

But now, where to find the silently progressing Main Character No. 2?

Should he have squatted at the restroom entrance that day?

Sensing the host’s turbulent thoughts, the system silently emerged: “Host, actually, there’s no need to be anxious. According to the original novel, this boy group survival show was merely mentioned briefly at the beginning. The BE plots of the six characters theoretically only officially begin after the show.”

“According to your dream, Yan Qiao’s BE plot also erupted half a year after debut. Thanks to the host’s resourcefulness and peak efficiency, we were able to discover and prevent it over six months in advance!”

The system stated bluntly: “The other main characters might not trigger progress bars until after the show ends.”

Quentin: “…Hmm.”

If the BE plots of the six main characters really only commenced after debut, then how did he advance Yan Qiao’s line by 50% ahead of time?

Was Yan Qiao’s storyline an exception? He didn’t think so.

Rather than BE plots starting after debut, it was more likely that the previously laid fuses were triggered and exploded after debut.

But there was no point overthinking it now. After all, without targets or clues, there was little he could do.

Since he couldn’t advance progress bars early, he might as well focus energy on career development and strengthening his own power.

Regardless of what the future holds, empowering himself first was never wrong.

Even if the crises and hidden dangers behind the original BE plots were unstoppable, and this ill-fated boy group remained destined for “forced early disbandment”, how would he salvage the situation?

Quentin knew this routine well. He simply applied his previous life’s comeback experience: establish his own company, build his team, let strength and work speak, and gradually accumulate sufficient funds and fame…

Once he had considerable influence in the industry, he could simply sign all six main characters into his company for protection. Any BE ending could meet ghosts.

All human fear stems from insufficient firepower.

Perhaps once he grew powerful, the seemingly immovable “villains” from the original novel would be mere small fry before him, like using a cannon to kill a mosquito.

Just then, the system suddenly detected some good news.

“Host, your new song ‘Leap’ has risen to #18 on the daily charts and has remained there for six hours! Judging by the data curve, ranking shouldn’t fluctuate greatly short-term.”

The electronic voice said cheerfully: “Congratulations, host, on your first victory! Your first song successfully achieved the excellent result of number 18 on the daily chart!”

“So fast?”

Quentin was a bit surprised.

Then… might as well add more fuel.

He had already decided on his next song.