Quentin returned to the dormitory, took off his suit jacket, and casually threw it on the bed.
He had just opened the wardrobe, preparing to get his change of clothes to take a shower in the bathroom, when the frosted glass door suddenly opened. His two roommates walked out one after the other, their expressions relaxed and cheerful, but they froze abruptly the moment they made eye contact with him.
Quentin lowered his eyes, smoothing the pajamas in his hand as he asked casually, “Why didn’t you turn on the light when you went into the bathroom?”
He thought there was no one inside.
Wen Xinyi, who was walking in front, raised his hand to rub the space between his eyebrows and said with a helpless smile, “I was about to ask why you walk so silently. We didn’t even notice you came back.”
Having picked out his clothes, Quentin closed the wardrobe with a backward hand and turned to walk towards the two standing at the bathroom door. “You were just too focused inside, so you didn’t hear the noise outside.”
Wen Xinyi: “Uh…..”
That was true, but it sounded a bit strange?
Fang Xu behind him reached out and patted his shoulder, looked at Quentin, and gestured towards the camera operating in the corner of the ceiling. “What we talked about involves you. Let’s cover that first before discussing in detail.”
“…” Quentin stood still and watched as one covered the camera with a towel and the other locked the door, their coordination so proficient it seemed like they had planned it beforehand.
Hmm, were they planning to do something behind the program team’s back again?
Did they also have agents deliver snacks to them?
His gaze swept around the dorm room, but didn’t find anything different from usual.
Half a minute later, Quentin put his pajamas into the waterproof bag hanging on the bathroom wall, turned around and saw the two standing like door gods on either side of the bathroom door. He tilted his head in confusion: “You still can’t say it now? If not, I’m going to shower first.”
Fang Xu, who originally intended to sit by the bed for a serious confession, paused for a second under his gaze and said, “I told Wen Xinyi about what happened when we played the game in room 205 yesterday. First of all, I want to formally apologize to you.”
Fang Xu frowned slightly and his eyes focused intently on Quentin’s back. “It was my problem yesterday, I didn’t recognize you beforehand, and caused you to make so many mistakes because, so you ended up with a few points.”
Last night before falling asleep, as soon as Fang Xu closed his eyes, the image of himself in the dark room 205 holding Quentin’s chin and feeding him kept appearing in his mind.
Even though he hadn’t seen anything clearly at the time, once he associated such an action with Quentin, he felt extremely uncomfortable.
After much thought, he felt mostly guilty.
After all, he had reached out and pinched Quentin’s chin without permission, and silently stuffed the thing in his hand into the other person’s mouth. It was only because Quentin had a good temper that he not only didn’t mind but was also willing to risk mistakes to cooperate with him in completing the task.
Although it was just a game, and any behavior could be explained as “for the show’s effect,” Fang Xu tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep.
Did Quentin recognize him when he acted?
Did Quentin feel offended?
What would Quentin think of him in his heart?
Fang Xu had a vague intuition that Quentin didn’t care about winning or losing the game, but he cared about how many points he got.
And needing points most likely meant he wanted to exchange them for prizes.
As for prizes… did Quentin want food, fun, or to use a phone to call his family?
First, he eliminated food.
Fang Xu remembered clearly that every time Zhou Zilin brought spicy beef jerky to eat with them, Quentin always ate very little, as if politely having a couple of slices, then quietly sat aside with his water cup, drinking water.
Obviously he couldn’t handle spicy food but he still forced himself to eat, and didn’t say anything when it was too spicy for him. Why was he so well-behaved…
Then he eliminated fun and games.
In the past half month of living together, the three of them got along quite harmoniously, and their daily conversation topics were broad, they could chat about anything.
For boys their age, mobile games were often a topic hard to avoid.
In the first week of living together, Fang Xu and Wen Xinyi would occasionally talk about their ranks in certain games, the heroes they were good at, newly released skins, and other trivial matters.
But they soon discovered that whenever game-related topics came up, Quentin would automatically go silent, just nestling quietly under the covers listening to them talk…this clearly indicated he was someone who never played games.
So from then on, Fang Xu and Wen Xinyi never brought up games again. Who could bear to leave Quentin out and chat alone? That would be truly inhumane.
Quentin, who was completely unaware of this and was simply zoning out or feeling sleepy: …?
Based on the above, the only option left was contacting family by phone.
Fang Xu was sure he had found the correct answer.
The next day after getting up, he planned to find an opportunity to discuss it privately with Wen Xinyi. Although he didn’t know how Wen Xinyi managed it, he knew the other party had brought a phone.
This matter was quite a coincidence. Last week while cleaning the dorm, he accidentally found a power bank under Wen Xinyi’s bed, showing a full charge.
What in their boys’ dormitory currently needed a power bank? This was one hundred percent evidence that he was hiding a prohibited item!
At the time, Fang Xu didn’t take this matter to heart and even thoughtfully put the power bank back under the bed.
But that night, he saw Wen Xinyi rummaging through boxes and suitcases in the dorm. Quentin, who was passing by, casually asked what he was looking for, and he answered vaguely and unclearly.
Fang Xu, who was sitting on his bed meditating at the time, slightly opened one eye, glanced at the flustered Wen Xinyi, and reminded him quietly: “How about you look under the bed?”
Wen Xinyi was startled. He subconsciously did as he said, and then unexpectedly fished out a white power bank.
The two looked at each other, and the air was silent except for the sound of rushing water from the bathroom.
Fang Xu watched the changes in Wen Xinyi’s expression..
shock, panic, and conflict…and, too lazy to guess, asked directly: “Did you bring a phone?”
Wen Xinyi was silent for a few seconds, then nodded.
Fang Xu had no particular thoughts, and closed his eyes again: “Hmm, don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.”
He knew many trainees in the filming base were very curious about online public opinion. Everyone wanted to know how “NS” was doing, who was popular and who wasn’t, whether they had gained fans online, and what the audience thought of them.
But Fang Xu didn’t have that much curiosity.
On the contrary, he deeply understood the principle that curiosity killed the cat, and respectfully declined to participate in discussions about these matters by those around him.
So even when he suddenly learned that his roommate had successfully hidden a phone from the program team, he didn’t see much meaning in it and didn’t even have the thought to ask more.
Wen Xinyi came back to his senses, thought about it, and still explained in a low voice: “The one I brought isn’t a smartphone, it can’t access the internet and I can only make calls… It’s because I’m worried about my family, so I have to keep in touch with them.”
Fang Xu: “Understood.”
Originally, this small episode would have been set aside and forgotten through their mutual understanding, but the incident in yesterday’s game forced Fang Xu to dig this matter out from the corner of his memory.
After the ranking announcement ended, he immediately called Wen Xinyi back to the dorm, wanting to explain the matter from beginning to end before Quentin returned.
At this moment, Quentin leisurely took off his tie and threw it into the laundry basket. He still didn’t understand Fang Xu’s meaning. Faced with the latter’s serious apology, he tilted his head in confusion: “This is just a small matter, there’s no need to take it to heart.”
Wen Xinyi on the other side coughed lightly and took the initiative to say: “It’s like this, Fang Xu thinks those points are useful to you, but the program team doesn’t allow us to give points to each other, so he wants to directly compensate you with a prize.”
Quentin: “…. What prize?”
Seeing this, Fang Xu looked at Wen Xinyi.
The smile on the latter’s face seemed somewhat mysterious. He gripped a rectangular object in his suit jacket pocket, took it out, and waved it by his ear: “Look, I brought a phone.”
The boy’s brows and eyes were full of laughter, and his chin was slightly raised. This expression and tone were almost like seeking credit for a deed, which was very different from his usual refined, gentle and calm demeanor.
Fang Xu saw Wen Xinyi show such an expression for the first time and raised his eyebrows subtly. But before he could say anything, he heard Quentin repeat in a strange tone.
“You brought a phone?”
The boy, who had been slowly unbuttoning his shirt, turned around, his collarbone and half his chest exposed. He faced the two at the door and stared intently at the object in Wen Xinyi’s hand.
After pausing for two seconds, he looked up at the phone’s owner: “Was it also you in the toilet stall that day?”
Wen Xinyi was stunned by his gaze, and only after a moment did he react: “….You knew?”
The system yelled in his mind.
“Ah? How could this be?! So the Main Character No. 2 you’ve been looking for, the one who hid the phone, was Wen Xinyi all along!”
After going around in circles, the mysterious, almost furtive Main Character No. 2 whose progress bar inexplicably increased several times was actually his roommate.
Although Quentin had long expected Wen Xinyi to be one of the main characters, when the other party suddenly overlapped with the image of Main Character No. 2 he had envisioned…sneaking into a toilet stall during lunch break to play with a phone…well, it was quite a surprise.
The expression on his face wasn’t exactly happy, nor was it disappointed, but it wasn’t quite his usual indifferent look either.
For a moment, the three people in the dormitory stared at each other, each waiting for the other’s reaction, and the atmosphere suddenly became strange.
“….” Wen Xinyi said hesitantly, “Aren’t you happy?”
Quentin was still pondering the relationship between Wen Xinyi and the changes in the progress bar for Main Character No. 2, and answered subconsciously: “I am happy.”
Wen Xinyi blinked and handed it over: “Then do you want to use it now?”
Quentin: “…. Huh?”
Fang Xu couldn’t hold back anymore: “Weren’t you going to use the points to exchange for a chance to make a phone call? Or… that’s not what you wanted?”
Hearing this, Quentin finally understood what they were planning.
He shook his head: “Of course not, I just wanted to eat hot pot.”
A very straightforward and sincere sentence, paired with his large eyes drooping from sleepiness, made him look even more innocent.
Wen Xinyi silently retracted his hand, his tone dry: “I see.”
Fang Xu was silent for a full three seconds before raising his hand to hold his forehead, his palm covering half his face, his voice sounding somewhat weak: “Okay… hot pot… I know now.”
Quentin seemed completely unaware of the awkward atmosphere in the air. He tugged at the collar hanging on his shoulder nonchalantly, and said, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll shower first?”
“Okay…”
*
Early next morning.
Quentin, who had been finalizing the release of the album’s next pre-release single in the system recording studio before the deadline, opened his eyes early and quickly got out of bed.
He had just finished washing up and walked out of the bathroom when he made eye contact with Wen Xinyi, who had changed into his pajamas on the adjacent bed.
Quentin had just splashed his face with cold water; his forehead and the hair on both sides was damp, hanging in strands, the long ends reaching his eyes.
His hair had grown quite a bit over the past half month, and the golden roots at the top of his head had grown out a section. Fortunately, he was tall and had thick hair, so there wasn’t much change at first glance.
Wen Xinyi, who was sitting on the bed, saw this and raised his hand, making a scissor gesture in front of his forehead, whispering: “Don’t you need a haircut?”
Quentin shook his head, flinging away the bangs that were over his eyes, and also replied in a whisper: “Yes, but let’s wait until the blonde grows out a bit more, then I’ll cut off all the dyed black parts.”
After sharing a room for over half a month, Wen Xinyi naturally knew his natural hair color was light blonde, though he had never seen Quentin with blonde hair. Hearing him say this, he couldn’t help but feel a bit expectant.
He smiled, and said as if coaxing a child: “Wow, you’ll definitely be very handsome then.”
Quentin calmly accepted this praise. He glanced at Fang Xu, who was sleeping soundly in the other bed: “Are you going to wait for him to get up?”
Wen Xinyi looked at the clock: “It’s almost time. I’ll wake him in five minutes. You go ahead for breakfast first, no need to wait for us.”
Quentin nodded: “Hmm, there’s grouping today, pay attention to the time.”
The other party’s smile grew even gentler: “Okay, don’t worry, we won’t be late.”
Quentin went to the cafeteria alone for breakfast. Although he woke up early, he ate rather slowly. Compared to the “hungry tiger pouncing on its prey” eating speed of most boys his age, his dining demeanor was refined and out of place.
This was a habit formed in his previous life. He often stayed up late writing songs and forgot to eat, which ruined his stomach overtime. If he ate too quickly, he would get a stomach ache.
His agent had scolded him for not learning his lessons and tormenting himself until he was full of ailments, and sooner or later would end up in the hospital for ten days to half a month before he learned to behave.
Unfortunately, the habits formed from his teenage years were deeply ingrained. Even after brushing past death’s door, Quentin still couldn’t break the habit of staying up all night.
At most, he changed from staying up all night in reality to staying up all night in the system recording studio.
While he was eating, several people arrived one after another.
The trainees entering the door quickly noticed the boy sitting alone by the window. They hesitated for a while with their trays but still didn’t have the courage to sit directly opposite Quentin, instead choosing tables near him.
But there was always someone “audacious enough to defy the heavens” who took the first step…that’s right, we’re talking about a certain lucky individual who advanced in 72nd place.
After waking up from his sleep, Tang Heng, who had passionately confessed his feelings in public yesterday, just wanted to find a block of tofu to knock himself out with.
Especially this morning on his way to the cafeteria. He happened to meet a classmate from Class C who, upon seeing him, deliberately repeated his classic lines like a parrot.
“Oh dear, I’ve never been a lu~ck~y person since I was a child”
“I’m just stating my deter~mination~~”
“Although you might not have much impression of him, it’s~okay~~”
Tang Heng: “…”
Okay, okay, he knew his confession had incurred public wrath. He was now too ashamed to show his face, but thanks to his thick skin, he could still manage a smiling face and nod in agreement facing his friends’ teasing and mockery.
But if you asked him if he regretted it…only a fool would regret it! Hah, he dared to bet that there were countless people in the class who were secretly envious of him right now!
Therefore, with this kind of mindset, Tang Heng could, of course, withstand the scorching gazes from all around and righteously sit down opposite Quentin with his tray.
“Clang!”
The metal tray made a clear sound as it collided with the tabletop. The chopsticks wobbled in their groove, knocking against each other noisily.
Tang Heng’s heartbeat also skipped a beat with the sound. He cautiously looked up towards the opposite side, both nervous that Quentin would notice him because of these noises, and worried that Quentin wouldn’t recognize who he was.
Fortunately, these worries were unnecessary, because Quentin simply didn’t look up.
The boy across the table was engrossed in eating his salad, his head down. He wore a navy blue baseball cap, the brim pulled quite low, with his somewhat long strands of hair all tucked under it.
From Tang Heng’s angle, he could clearly see the boy’s elegant, straight nose bridge and his lips moving slowly as he chewed.
The morning sunlight came through the glass, so bright it was almost glaring. Tang Heng narrowed his eyes against the glare, and the next second he saw Quentin raise his left hand, pinch the brim of his cap, and pull it down further, as if to block the sun.
The slender fingers resting on the cap brim were rendered almost transparent by the light, the curve of his wrist bone as beautiful as the most exquisitely carved statue in an art academy.
Tang Heng hadn’t even met Quentin’s eyes yet, but he was already so stunned by this close-up, face-to-face scene that he swallowed his saliva.
He hadn’t felt like this yesterday afternoon. Was it because he was too flustered and preoccupied with being nervous about Quentin’s response, that he forgot to pay attention to the other’s face?
Quentin knew someone had sat down opposite him but didn’t pay much attention at first. But after nearly ten seconds, he noticed that the other party still hadn’t touched his chopsticks.
He looked up, saw a familiar face, and greeted: “Good morning.”
“Good, good morning….”
Quentin looked at the untouched boiled egg and corn on Tang Heng’s tray: “Aren’t you going to eat? You’ll be late.”
Tang Heng hurriedly grabbed the corn, took a big bite and chewed with puffed cheeks as he asked: “Late? What time is it? I got up unusually early today, is it that late already?”
Quentin: “…..Eat slower, I was just saying it randomly.”
“Oh, oh oh.” Tang Heng nodded obediently, the foolish air emanating from his demeanor truly hard to watch. He was thoroughly embodying the reaction of “having breakfast with his idol for the first time.”
Was he intent on becoming a fan and chasing stars right here on a survival show?
“Crunch, crunch!”
From all directions came the continuous sound of biting into lettuce and gnashing teeth, like a herd of cows grazing.
The trainees who weren’t familiar with Tang Heng whispered to each other, their expressions clearly showing they weren’t saying anything nice. The sour taste was so strong even a mouse would have to cover its nose and run.
Damn it, hateful! That 72nd place guy, he really is a fool who stepped in dog shit but got lucky!
