“What do you mean? I remembered you the moment I saw you. You still needed my hint, yes!”
“I'm so sorry, I’ve experienced quite a lot this year, so it took me a moment to recall.”
Yi Xing apologized with his hands clasped together. That day, he thought he was just casually helping a stranger he met by chance. Who would have known they would meet again? He wanted to find a hole in the ground to crawl into; it was just too awkward.
“It’s fine, it’s fine, I was just teasing you. It’s normal that you wouldn’t remember me. Let’s reintroduce ourselves. I am Ju Jingyi from SNH48. Please take care of me.”
Seeing Ju Jingyi say that, he breathed a sigh of relief and responded with a smile, “You scared me, I thought you were angry! Hello, my name is Yi Xing. Please take care of me.”
“Speaking of which, aren’t you a young master? Why are you backstage at “China Speeding Up”? Could it be that you had a hand in this program?”
Ju Jingyi was very curious about Yi Xing’s presence here. Normally, she wouldn’t, and absolutely couldn't, encounter him here.
Unless he was an investor, there was no other possibility. The option of him being a teammate was dismissed as soon as it popped into her head.
“I’m not a young master now. I’m a guest invited by the production team, just like you.”
Yi Xing waved his hand. He didn’t want his identity to reach the director’s ears. He had promised not to rely on family connections, and he would stick to his word.
“Ah, no, really? Are you also an accelerator? Why?”
“Of course it’s true. As for why I’m doing this, it’s not something I can explain in a word or two.”
“Alright then.”
From Ju Jingyi’s expression, she clearly wanted to continue chatting, but unfortunately, her companion came looking for her. From far away, the other person’s voice could be heard, and the words “Xiao Ju” echoed for a long time in the empty corridor.
“My friend is looking for me, I’m leaving now. See you during the official recording.”
“Okay, see you during the recording.”
After she left, Yi Xing continued to wander backstage. After about a full circle, he returned to the door of the dressing room, took a deep breath, pushed the door open, and walked in.
Compared to when he left, there were many more people he had only seen on TV, which made things even worse for him, as he was not good at socializing. After much hesitation, he still went up and greeted them one by one.
He bit the bullet, wearing a stiff but polite smile. He knew the saying that you don’t hit a smiling face. He introduced himself to the famous actors and athletes.
Some responded warmly, some nodded slightly in acknowledgment, and others were not very friendly towards him.
Because he was a newcomer to the entertainment industry, he was considered an unknown, and they didn't take him seriously. Even when he took the initiative to greet them, they pretended not to hear him.
Yi Xing would not continue to approach such people; he couldn't bring himself to offer a warm face to a cold shoulder.
After this experience, he secretly made two decisions in his heart. The first was to increase his popularity. He didn't want to encounter similar situations again; the feeling of being dismissed by others was truly uncomfortable.
The second was to definitely improve his social skills. Even if he couldn't join every conversation, he should at least not be shy in such public settings.
After greeting everyone, he naturally sat down next to Liu Xuhui, letting out a long sigh of relief. The agonizing part was finally over.
Liu Xuhui witnessed the entire process and nodded in satisfaction, but he chose not to help.
When Yi Xing decided to enter the entertainment industry, socializing was unavoidable. He could help him for a while, but not forever. There would always be times when he wasn't by his side.
“Looking at your relieved expression, you’ll have many more similar experiences in the future. Keep up the good work.” He reached out and patted his shoulder in encouragement.
“I will.”
After an unknown amount of time, Yi Xing, sitting in his chair, was starting to feel sleepy when he finally saw Director Xu Ke. He came to announce the specific detailed rules.
What was introduced at the coffee shop that day was just an overview. After everyone present understood, he led them to the starting point.
Since the men’s and women’s dressing rooms were separate, Yi Xing saw Ju Jingyi again here. She instinctively walked towards him, seemingly feeling very secure standing by his side.
“Why did you come over here? Shouldn’t you be standing with your friend?”
“You mean her? She went to get to know some other people.” Ju Jingyi pointed to a girl not far away. She was moving among the various guests, a skill that made one very envious.
“Then why didn’t you go with her?”
“I was a bit shy.”
“Never mind, just stay by my side.”
“Mhm, mhm.”
The two of them were so engrossed in their conversation that they forgot there was an observer standing with them. It was Liu Xuhui, who looked at this scene in surprise; he needed to re-evaluate Yi Xing.
As expected of a rich second-generation, he was quick at striking up conversations with girls, a stark contrast to his hesitant state in the dressing room earlier.
“Ahem, there’s still someone standing here. Could you two pay attention to the setting when you’re flirting?”
“Liu Xuhui, what are you talking about? She and I are just simply…”
At this point, Yi Xing didn't know how to describe his relationship with Ju Jingyi. This was only their third meeting; could they be called friends? He turned around and asked quietly.
“What kind of relationship do we have now?”
“I’m not quite sure either, I guess we’re friends.”
“Then friends it is.”
After Yi Xing and Ju Jingyi agreed on their stance, he turned back and continued what he was saying: “She and I are just simple friends.”
“Exactly!”
“Alright, alright, I get it, friends. You two actually don’t need to specially explain it to me, because even if you explain, I won’t believe it, hahaha!” Liu Xuhui felt uncomfortable if he didn't stir up some trouble for a day.
Yi Xing didn't really want to bother with him, so he punched his arm hard, then turned his gaze to the four iron boxes in the distance.
Inside were men wearing sunglasses and black suits. Just looking at them from here gave off a chilling feeling.
Director Xu Ke stood not far away, observing everything. He raised his hand to check the time, waved to a staff member, took a megaphone from his hand, put it to his mouth, cleared his throat, and said,
“Please quiet down, everyone. Now, listen to me. In front of you are four boxes, each containing a Hunter. Each person will walk to a Hunter box and pull the rope inside, which will result in three outcomes.”
“One is ‘Safe’, two is ‘Team moves forward 2 meters’, and three is ‘Hunter’s Eye’, meaning the Hunter can be released. Members who have drawn their lot can leave the starting point first and enter the game area to hide.”
“If all members succeed, you will get one minute of hiding time. After one minute, the Hunters will be released. Did everyone understand?”
“Understood!”
“Now, I declare the recording begins. You decide who goes first.” After saying this, Xu Ke left the scene and sat in the control room, watching every move of the people through the cameras.