When they returned to Yang Lin's parents' home, the meal was already laid out on the table.
Tong Le and Yang Lin had spotted her from the window long before, and had placed slippers ready for her at the entrance.
"Sis!"
"Tong Yang sis!"
Tong Yang stepped out of the elevator, pushed her hat back, and handed them a plastic bag containing oden.
"Move aside."
"Okay."
"Thanks, sis!"
"Thanks, Tong Yang sis!"
"Uncle, Auntie."
"You're back? Go wash your hands, dinner's ready."
Tong Yang put down her backpack and went into the bathroom to wash her hands.
After dinner, Yang Lin's parents drove over to deliver some things to Grandma Yu, leaving them to do the dishes.
Tong Le and Yang Lin volunteered, one washing and the other rinsing, while Tong Yang and Chu Shiyu sat in the living room, found a foreign film without subtitles to practice their listening skills.
After finishing the dishes, the two joined them in the living room.
"How's school been lately?"
Tong Yang, curled up on the sofa, asked casually.
Tong Le obediently sat beside her and replied, "It's good, sis."
"That's good then."
This had always been their dynamic. For the most part, both were very independent, and unless the other actively sought help, they wouldn't interfere too much in each other's affairs.
When it came to studies, Tong Le and Tong Yang were very similar in character, squeezing out every bit of time relentlessly in pursuit of perfection.
Since Tong Le said it was good, then it probably was.
After starting at the Affiliated Primary School of Peking University, the two kids weren't in the same class, and their classrooms were quite far apart. Their relationship hadn't grown distant because of it. With the change in learning environment, Yang Lin's personality had become much more outgoing compared to when they lived in the old neighborhood.
"Tong Yang sis, Lele has gotten first place in every exam except the entrance test!" Yang Lin said.
"Is that so? Not bad."
"As expected of Lele, you're amazing!" Chu Shiyu ruffled his hair.
Tong Le smiled, unfazed by praise or criticism, and said, "I'm still far behind compared to sis."
Chu Shiyu chuckled. In Tong Le's heart, his sister was probably the most capable person in the world, no one could be better than her.
Tong Yang was used to this. She then picked up her phone and noticed she had received several messages.
A movie was playing on the TV. Tong Yang's goal wasn't to watch the film, but just to listen to the dialogue, so she didn't pay much attention to the plot.
Opening the social app, she saw a message from Ye Huai sent not long ago, asking if she was home.
Studying is for Making Money: 【I'm home, just finished eating.】
Ye Huai: 【My mom bought some imported fruit, air-freighted, very fresh.】
Without any unnecessary chatter, Tong Yang sent over her residential community address and apartment number.
Ye Huai: 【Okay.】
"Who are you chatting with?" Chu Shiyu asked curiously.
Tong Yang didn't hide it, turning her screen around.
"Ye Huai? Delivering fruit? What does that mean?"
Tong Yang turned off her phone and yawned. "Who knows? Charity work, maybe."
Chu Shiyu: "..."
After listening to the entire movie, Yang Lin's parents still hadn't returned.
The weather had been getting colder lately, and they had already canceled their evening park walks.
"Ding-dong—"
Just then, the doorbell rang.
Yang Lin trotted to the door and asked, "Who is it?"
"Is it Mom and Dad?"
The kids were usually very cautious and wouldn't open the door for strangers.
"Delivery."
"Sis, did you order delivery?" Tong Le asked, puzzled.
Chu Shiyu shrugged. "No idea."
Tong Yang shot her a glance, got up, and opened the door.
Pulling the door open, she found Ye Huai standing there holding a white foam box.
"Please sign for it."
Tong Le stood behind Tong Yang, looking curiously at the young man outside.
The young man looked about the same age as his sister, and was very good-looking. Of course, he still thought he wasn't as good-looking as his sister. He wore a black sweatshirt. Perhaps because of the wind, his skin was pale but the tip of his nose was slightly red. His expression was neutral, but his eyes held a hint of a smile.
What struck him as odd was that the other person didn't seem like a delivery worker.
Tong Yang was slightly taken aback, not expecting the sickly guy to deliver it himself so late at night.
"Thanks."
Ye Huai smiled gently. "You're welcome. I just got off work and was passing by, so I brought it over."
Hearing the familiar voice, Chu Shiyu looked up in surprise towards the door.
"Ye Huai??"
"Hello." Ye Huai greeted politely.
"Hello, brother. Are you my sister's friend?" Tong Le stood by the door, his eyes fixed intently on the other person.
"Yes, hello. I'm Ye Huai."
"Want to come in for a bit?" Tong Yang asked.
"No, I have work tonight. This fruit shouldn't be kept for too long. It should taste pretty good."
"Alright, got it."
"Talk later."
"Talk later."
Ye Huai said goodbye to each of them, then turned to leave. Just before the elevator doors closed, a muffled, suppressed cough could be heard.
Tong Yang carried the foam box inside and told the kids to close the door.
"He personally delivered it to you so late at night, and still has work after this. Can his body handle it?" Chu Shiyu asked.
Tong Yang said lightly, "He knows his limits."
After Ye Tianlin's death, the White Horse Group faced penalties, with most of its assets frozen, leaving a mess behind. Ye Wen was still young, and Auntie Bai was focused on taking care of Ye Wen, so this mess naturally fell on Ye Huai's shoulders.
His health had been relatively okay lately, not as frail as one might think.
"Tong Yang sis, he's really handsome, like a painting," Yang Lin said.
"Not as good-looking as sis," Tong Le retorted.
"Yeah! Not as good-looking as Tong Yang sis!"
"Exactly!"
Tong Yang scoffed. "Aren't you guys being childish?"
"They are kids, what's wrong with being a little childish?" Chu Shiyu defended them.
Tong Yang didn't respond. She opened the foam box; there were quite a few types of fruit. She let them pick what they liked to wash and eat.
"Sis, is he the same brother from the mall last time?" Tong Le sat down beside her, seeming to have hesitated for a while.
"No, why do you ask?"
During this time, she had been in intermittent contact with the Tong Le from 2036, but they hadn't met.
Tong Le seemed thoughtful, lowered his eyelashes, and shook his head.
In the evening, everyone returned to their own rooms.
"What's going on with you and Ye Huai?" Chu Shiyu's face was full of gossip, clearly looking like she wouldn't give up without an answer.
After washing up, Tong Yang leaned against the headboard, giving her a casual glance. "I don't know."
"You don't know? You don't know? That sickly guy specially delivers fruit to you in the middle of the night, and you don't know?"
Tong Yang smiled. "Go to sleep early. We're taking them to see Grandma Yu tomorrow."
Chu Shiyu snorted. "There's something off about you two."
"Who knows."
The next day, after breakfast, they took some fresh fruit and went to visit Grandma Yu.
They had a meal with the two elderly folks and left in the afternoon.
On Sunday afternoon, they returned to school.
After tidying up the dorm, Tong Yang took a shower and went to the classroom for the evening check-in.
That night, as she sat at her desk studying, she received a call from Xu Junyue.
Knowing full well Xu Junyue's bad habit of calling non-stop if she didn't answer, Tong Yang picked up.
"This better be important."
"Of course I have something to say!" Xu Junyue declared righteously. "We haven't talked in ages, you don't reply to my messages, I'm so bored I'm growing mold!"
Lately, probably because the 749 Bureau got involved and the parallel world's time anchor point was seized, life had been unusually peaceful. For someone like Tong Yang who never visited unless she had business, aside from Chu Shiyu and occasionally popping up in the gossip group chat, her probability of replying to social media messages was akin to being missing in action. Sometimes she wouldn't even open the apps for two or three days.
She basically never read the notifications sent in the class group chat. The instructor understood her temperament well and would call her directly for anything urgent.
In this regard, Tong Yang was utterly willful. However, since she consistently scored full marks on every assignment and project, her capabilities were overwhelmingly strong, so the school and teachers' tolerance for her was limitless.
"Get to the point."
"Alright, since you're asking so earnestly..."
Tong Yang hung up the phone.
A few seconds later, Xu Junyue called again.
"Speak."
"Zhou Jingyun received an invitation to a variety show and gave me a few tickets, told me to take you all along."
Tong Yang's reply was resolute: "No time."
"Hey! You're such a bookworm, with zero recreational activities."
"Hanging up."
"I'll send you the show details. It looks really interesting, and there are lots of celebrities! It's next weekend anyway, and the location is right in the capital."
"Mhm." Tong Yang responded dismissively.
As for the variety show details Xu Junyue sent, Tong Yang didn't even open the social app to look.
"I put your book back."
When Chu Shiyu came out of the bathroom, Tong Yang said without looking up.
"You finished it that fast?" Chu Shiyu asked, astonished.
"I watched the astronomy professor's online lectures in advance, so I've pretty much grasped these basics."
"Whose lectures? Send them to me."
"Okay, sent."
Time came to Friday. Before leaving campus each week, they needed to fill out a leave application in the group chat.
After typing her name, she exited the class group and noticed many messages in her list.
[Ahhhhh so bored!]
[Where's Sister Tong! Haven't seen you in forever!]
[Wah wah wah has Sister Tong forgotten us?]
[My electronic pet is missing, I'm gonna call the cyber police!]
Studying is for Making Money: [Piss off]
[Ah! Such familiar words!]
[Though it's just one word, it contains emotions as vast and endless as the surging Yangtze River—that is, your longing for us!]
[@BeingAoiUshijima'sDog You... I... the best simp...]
[HAHAHAHAHAHA]
[You guys are insane]
Studying is for Making Money: [Been attending lectures lately]
[Wah wah wah we're like concubines in the harem waiting for the emperor's favor]
[(Pounding your chest) Even if Your Majesty is busy with state affairs, you can't be so cold to me and the other sisters like this]
[That's right, Your Majesty!]
[Come on, let's have some fun!]
Studying is for Making Money: [...I'm leaving the group]
[(Well-behaved) I was wrong]
[No more joking, no more joking]
[It's been so boring lately, feels like there's nothing explosive happening]
[The last time it was this boring was... the last time]
[@Studying is for Making Money Sister Tong, has anyone been giving you trouble lately?]
Studying is for Making Money: [Almost none]
[That doesn't seem right]
[I think so too]
Tong Yang also found it a bit strange. Since capturing the parallel world's Yan Qing, aside from the man she encountered last Friday night, she hadn't run into any other people from the parallel world.
Could it be because of the parallel world's Yan Qing?
[But that's fine too]
[Better than Sister Tong being in danger]
[Maybe the parallel world people don't dare to come cause trouble for Sister Tong anymore]
Even so, Tong Yang wouldn't think that way.
Exiting the gossip group chat, Tong Yang called Police Officer Lin.
After the call connected, Police Officer Lin's voice came through: "Tong Yang, has something happened again?"
Tong Yang said, "Nothing much, just calling to check in."
Police Officer Lin audibly sighed in relief. "Every time you call me, it's never good news. You scared me."
Tong Yang: "..."
"I'm not a jinx."
Police Officer Lin chuckled. "Alright, what's up? Tell me."
Even though Tong Yang said it was nothing, she didn't usually call people proactively when she had no business.
"Has the 749 Bureau discovered anything? How's the progress on Gao Changdong's case?"
Police Officer Lin sighed. "You really can't stay idle, can you?"
"Just tell me."
Police Officer Lin said, "The 749 Bureau is analyzing the components of the high-quality gene serum. 'Yan Qing' has been relatively cooperative, telling us everything she knows. It's been a big help."
"That's good. Have they identified the components yet?"
"Not yet. With our current scientific level, we can't fully analyze it. We can't even find the difference between the internal physiology of someone who has been injected with the serum and someone who hasn't. They seem to have contacted researchers from some mysterious organizations abroad, planning to conduct joint research."
Tong Yang asked in surprise, "There are other supernatural/mysterious research organizations besides the 749 Bureau?"
Police Officer Lin sighed. "I'd only heard rumors before, thought they were urban legends. That's what I believed before the 749 Bureau appeared."
"I see."
"What about the Gao Changdong case?"
Police Officer Lin said, "Progress on the Gao Changdong case is very smooth. Our country, in cooperation with some personnel abroad, infiltrated the black market and disrupted several illegal human organ trafficking bases. They're thoroughly investigating whether anyone connected to the parallel world is involved."
It all seemed to be progressing very smoothly.
Tong Yang felt slightly relieved. With "Yan Qing" captured and the parallel world's organ trafficking hindered, perhaps they were too busy dealing with these two issues to have time to bother Tong Yang.
Police Officer Lin continued, "Tong Yang, don't let your guard down. If the black market and parallel world transactions can't proceed, you'll become the primary target for both the parallel world and the beneficiaries of the black market chain. Those people in the black market have no humanity to speak of. They won't care about the safety of the real world."
"I understand."
After a pause, Tong Yang asked, "If I accidentally kill them then, what would that count as?"
Police Officer Lin said gravely, "Self-defense."
"Then there's no problem."
"In short, be careful in all things."
"I know. Let's leave it at that for now."
"Mhm."
After hanging up, Tong Yang leaned against the balcony railing, her expression complex.
What exactly needed to be done to completely resolve the parallel world problem?
She couldn't think of an answer now.
It wasn't possible to just kill them all. Even if many people in the parallel world died, their technological level far surpassed the real world's. If it escalated into a full-scale war between the two worlds, not only would victory be difficult, but it might ultimately accelerate the decay of the real world, making it become like the current parallel world.
Since they couldn't just kill them all, and letting it escalate into a war between two worlds would cause heavy casualties, they had to find another way. As for what that method was, it depended on whether the 749 Bureau could discover something from their research.
Tong Yang didn't ponder further. She turned to go back inside when she suddenly noticed someone standing silently by the balcony sliding door, staring at her in a daze.
Tong Yang subtly furrowed her brow. It was one of her other two roommates, Jin Qi, if she remembered correctly. They rarely interacted.
"Can I help you?"
Tong Yang was certain no one else had been in the dorm when she was on the phone.
Glancing past Jin Qi at the half-open dorm room door, Tong Yang composed her expression. Thankfully, she hadn't said anything too shocking.
Jin Qi seemed to snap out of it and shook her head. "N-no, nothing."
"If you have any questions, ask me now. I can answer them." Tong Yang didn't let her guard down.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop on your call. Please don't mind me. I didn't hear your conversation, I just..."
"Just what?"
"I just thought... the scene just now was very beautiful. You standing against the sunset."
Tong Yang: "..."
"Thank you."
Tong Yang didn't dwell on it. Whether the other girl heard anything or not, she hadn't said anything she shouldn't have, at most mentioning the 749 Bureau.
Chu Shiyu had a club activity that evening. Tong Yang planned to wait for her to return before heading back to Yang Lin's parents' place together.
After watching some online lectures for a while, Chu Shiyu came back.
"Tong Yang, did you see Xu Junyue's messages?" Chu Shiyu asked, putting her things on the desk.
"No," Tong Yang replied.
"She's asking if we want to go to Zhou Jingyun's variety show recording tomorrow night."
"No."
"Why not? We don't have anything else on tomorrow night anyway."
"Not interested. You can go if you want."
Chu Shiyu said, "She specially saved tickets for us. Isn't it a bit rude to refuse?"
Tong Yang glanced at her. "How is it rude?"
"You're being cold!"
"Is this the first day I've been like this?" Tong Yang rolled her eyes.
Chu Shiyu persisted, "But besides Zhou Jingyun, there are other celebrities! Really famous ones!"
"Not interested."
Chu Shiyu: "..."
She had forgotten. Tong Yang usually had no interest in entertainment, let alone watching dramas or variety shows. The number of people she knew in the entertainment industry could probably be counted on one hand.
But these kinds of events are only fun when you go together.
"Tong Yang, just relax a little and go check it out, okay? Maybe a talent scout will discover you on the spot and invite you to debut? I heard their pay is amazing, hundreds of thousands a day!"
Chu Shiyu, having known Tong Yang for so long, knew how to appeal to her interests.
Tong Yang was speechless. "Do I look like I have time to debut right now?"
"Well, that's true..."
"Forget it, I'll go with Junyue myself," Chu Shiyu said dejectedly, returning to her seat.
"Shiyu, what variety show are you going to tomorrow? Is it 'Me and My Friends'?" Jin Qi asked curiously.
"Yeah, how did you know?" Chu Shiyu said.
"Saturday night, in the capital... the famous one right now is probably that show."
"Oh, I see."
"If you go, could you get me an autographed photo of Ji Jiaen? I'm a huge fan!"
"Uh... I'm just going to watch. I might not get to meet her."
"It's okay! If you get a chance, please try! I can pay you!"
Chu Shiyu smiled. "Alright then, I'll try my best, but the chances are slim."
"No problem! Thank you, Shiyu!"
Tong Yang paused her movements, stopped the online lecture, and turned to ask, "Whose autographed photo?"
"Ji Jiaen!"
"Ji Jiaen..."
Tong Yang narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.
"Do you like her too? I absolutely loved her first drama! My eternal white moonlight! Even though her character died, I'll always love the 'wrapping filming' meme!"
It wasn't really about liking or disliking. Ji Jiaen was one of the few celebrity artists Tong Yang knew of.
The reason she knew her was because she was supposed to be killed by someone from a parallel world in May 2026.
"Will Ji Jiaen be at tomorrow night's recording?" Tong Yang asked.
"Of course!"
Chu Shiyu was surprised. "You didn't know? It's all over the internet. Xu Junyue must have told you."
Tong Yang frowned, opened her social media app, and saw the 99+ messages from Xu Junyue. She had muted notifications for her because she was too persistent.
Scrolling to the top, she indeed saw a screenshot of the recording lineup, with Ji Jiaen prominently featured.
Unlike the death scene photo she had seen in the gossip group, in the promotional picture, Ji Jiaen smiled gently and sweetly.
Chu Shiyu asked, "So, are you going now?"
"I'm going," Tong Yang agreed immediately.
Chu Shiyu was astonished. "I never knew you liked Ji Jiaen."
Tong Yang didn't explain. She entered the gossip group chat.
[Studying to Make Money: How are things with Ji Jiaen?]
Due to the ever-widening time dilation between the two timelines, Tong Yang wasn't sure what time it was for them. It might be the middle of the night, so she didn't receive a reply immediately.
However, last time they mentioned the police still had no leads on the case. This was a good opportunity for her to get close to Ji Jiaen.
That evening, Xu Junyue called them on video.
"Boss, you said you weren't going. Why the sudden change of heart?"
Tong Yang leaned against the headboard, using her tablet to look up information about Ji Jiaen.
Ji Jiaen, 23 years old, debuted less than two years ago. She acted in two police-crime films with minor roles, remaining relatively unknown. She rose to fame after switching to a historical drama, playing a fairy who sacrifices herself for the world—a very likable character.
"Not welcome?"
"Of course not! I super-duper welcome you! I'm just curious. What made you, who so firmly refused, change your mind?"
Chu Shiyu chuckled. "Who else? Ji Jiaen."
"Huh? You like Ji Jiaen? You should've said so earlier! She and Zhou Jingyun are apparently cousins. This variety show opportunity was something she helped Zhou Jingyun get!"
Tong Yang was momentarily taken aback. "He's related to Ji Jiaen?"
"Yeah, surprising, right? I didn't know before either. No wonder he was so confident he could debut!"
Tong Yang nodded. "If there's a chance, I'd like to get close to Ji Jiaen."
"Do you want an autograph? I'll mention it to Zhou Jingyun. It shouldn't be a problem."
"Okay, thanks."
"Don't mention it."
Chu Shiyu took the phone and asked, "Who else is going besides us?"
"Tao Bai and Hu Shuo? I heard He Jingjing is back in the country. Zhou Jingyun invited her, not sure if she'll grace us with her presence."
"Jingjing..."
Recalling what had happened at Xili Mall, Chu Shiyu's expression turned downcast. "Is she feeling a bit better now?"
Xu Junyue shrugged. "Don't know. Zhou Jingyun said he ran into her a few days ago. She looked the same as before, just hasn't reached out to us."
"What can we do? She has to walk this path herself eventually. It's not anyone's fault."
Xu Junyue's thinking was simple: what's done cannot be undone, and it wasn't something any of them wished for. When you got down to it, it was the fault of the parallel world.
"I hope she gets better."
Tong Yang wasn't interested in their topic. In her view, these matters had long since ceased to have anything to do with her. If He Jingjing couldn't get past it in her heart, then it was simple—just find the parallel world and get revenge for He Jingjing (Sister).
Before going to bed, Tong Yang finally got a reply from the gossip group.
[Why are you suddenly asking about Ji Jiaen?]
[The police have basically given up on her case. It's absolutely connected to the parallel world.]
[We don't know the case details either, just that it was at a hotel.]
[What's up, Sister Tong?]
Studying is for Making Money: [I'm going to a variety show recording tomorrow. Ji Jiaen will be there too.]
[Huh???]
[Sister Tong, are you debuting?]
[Whoa! Does that mean I'll see you on TV!]
[Ahhhh! So excited! Our Sister Tong is definitely gonna blow up!]
[I've been reborn. In my past life, I was a genius from a humble background. In this life, we're entering the entertainment industry...]
[Hahaha, that totally has the vibe now.]
Tong Yang was utterly speechless. You had to admit, their mindset was impressive. After experiencing that chain-reaction car accident, they still had the mood to joke around here. They were definitely just here for the laughs.
Studying is for Making Money: [A friend is participating and gave me a few tickets.]
[???]
[You have friends in the entertainment industry??]
Studying is for Making Money: [A friend of Xu Junyue's. He was with me at Xili Mall before.]
[What's his name??]
[Oh my god, recording a show with Ji Jiaen? Which episode?]
Studying is for Making Money: [Zhou Jingyun. Why?]
Studying is for Making Money: [Recording tomorrow night. They say it'll air next Saturday, should be November 30th.]
[Huh???]
[It's already late November where you are? We're only on November 3rd here.]
[The time flow difference is getting bigger and bigger!]
[Meeting Sister Tong in person is just around the corner!]
Studying is for Making Money: [Back to the main topic.]
[Oh...]
[I think I've seen that episode!]
[Let me check...]
[Zhou Jingyun... is it him?]
[[picture.jpg]]
Tong Yang opened the photo and replied: [Yes.]
After a few seconds, Tong Yang vaguely sensed something off: [It's in black and white?]
[Sister Tong, I've discovered your mouth is blessed/cursed. Whatever you ask about, something happens to it.]
[Zhou Jingyun is dead.]
[Such a shame, a young guy like that. They say he drowned.]
[Is the variety show 'Me and My Friends'?]
Tong Yang frowned and replied: [Yes.]
[The episode airs on the night of November 30th. The time of death seems to be early morning on November 24th.]
[And it only broke out on the day the episode aired. It's reasonable to suspect someone used the deceased to hype the show's ratings.]
Early morning on November 24th... wasn't that right after the recording?
Studying is for Making Money: [Did this happen in the original timeline?]
[Yes!]
[I remember this incident clearly. I watched the episode that day because it was trending.]
[The cause of the accident seemed to be accidental drowning. But since he wasn't famous, it only caused a minor stir online because of his connection to Ji Jiaen.]
Studying is for Making Money: [...Why didn't you mention it during the Xili Mall incident?]
[We plead innocence, your honor! How were we supposed to know the Zhou Jingyun with you was that Zhou Jingyun!]
[I think I heard his name back then, but I didn't connect the dots.]
[Mainly because he hadn't debuted yet. He only gained attention after his death because of Ji Jiaen. Probably not many people remembered his name.]
[Exactly.]
Tong Yang sighed. It seemed that even if the original timeline hadn't changed due to her appearance, Zhou Jingyun would still be doomed to die after recording tomorrow night.
Accidental drowning? She wondered if it was connected to the parallel world.
"What's wrong?"
"Boss, why are you sighing?"
Since the two of them pretty much knew about Tong Yang's situation, there was no need to hide it.
"After recording tomorrow night, in the early hours of the 24th, Zhou Jingyun will accidentally drown."
"He dies?"
"Mm-hmm."
"That's easy then. We'll just pull an all-nighter singing karaoke tomorrow night."
Tong Yang said, "If it's related to someone from the parallel world, even if we help him survive the early hours of the 24th, as long as we don't catch the culprit, he'll still die."
"But it might not necessarily be related to the parallel world, right?"
Tong Yang gave a half-smile. "It's possible. Which possibility do you think is more likely?"
Xu Junyue thought for a moment. "With you involved, it probably has something to do with the parallel world."
Chu Shiyu nodded in agreement. "Makes sense."
Tong Yang coolly rolled her eyes at them.
The next afternoon at four o'clock, they got ready and headed out.
Before leaving, Chu Shiyu specifically held Tong Yang down to give her light makeup.
Tong Yang didn't wear makeup much and didn't feel uncomfortable, acting the same as always.
Arriving at the pedestrian street where they agreed to meet Xu Junyue, Chu Shiyu pulled her into taking a selfie together.
"How is it?"
"Not bad."
"Really? You look good in it, I don't. Let's retake it."
Tong Yang crossed her arms, not very interested.
"Look at the camera!" Chu Shiyu nudged her.
Tong Yang cooperatively made a peace sign.
"Wow! This one looks great!"
Tong Yang glanced at it. "Average."
"I say it's good, so it's good..."
Just then, someone suddenly tapped them on the shoulder.
They both turned around simultaneously. A girl was standing right behind them.
"Hi."
A hauntingly familiar scene, one that even made Tong Yang pause for a moment.
Chu Shiyu murmured, "Jingjing..."
He Jingjing smiled, her eyes curving,
"I thought you might not recognize me."
Xu Junyue was right. She did look just like before, even her way of greeting was exactly the same. If not for the absence of He Jingjing (Sister), it was as if time had rewound to August.
"Long time no see." Tong Yang gave her a slight nod.
"Yeah, it's been almost four months. How have you all been?" He Jingjing's eyes held a smile, as if the past had never happened. There seemed to be little change in her, just that she'd lost some weight.
"Jingjing, long time no see. Tong Yang and I thought you might not come." Chu Shiyu showed a relieved smile.
He Jingjing linked arms with her and laughed. "It's a rare chance to see everyone, and it's Zhou Jingyun's variety show debut! Of course I'm going to show my support!"
"Sorry for making you worry. I'm fine now!"
Chu Shiyu said, "That's great. Junyue and the others should be here soon."
"Yeah, that's really great." He Jingjing said.
"Boss!"
"Shiyu! Jingjing!"
"Long time no see!"
Xu Junyue stood not far away, accompanied by Hu Shuo and Tao Bai, waving her hands to greet them.
During this time, Xu Junyue's hair had grown a bit longer. She had dyed the new black roots blue, making her blue-and-pink head look like a vibrant bouquet. She had also intentionally worn blue and pink colored contact lenses, making her even more eye-catching than before at first glance.
"Long time no see! Did you miss me?" He Jingjing playfully blinked her eyes.
Xu Junyue threw an arm around her shoulders, "Of course! I've missed you to death."
"Don't be so dramatic!" He Jingjing shot her a mock-scolding glare.
"Long time no see."
"Long time no see."
Hu Shuo and Tao Bai also greeted He Jingjing one by one.
"Tong Yang, long time no see." Tao Bai walked straight up to her, obediently offering a smile.
Tong Yang glanced at him, her tone indifferent: "Long time no see."
"Where's Zhou Jingyun?"
Hu Shuo said, "He's rehearsing. He'll come find us when he's done."
"A variety show needs rehearsals?"
Of course, there are song and dance performances interspersed in the middle too.
"I see."
The variety show recording was scheduled for 8 PM, so they chose to go shopping and have dinner near the TV station.
Even after such a long time apart, everyone was still the same as before. Aside from He Jingjing (Sister) not being there, nothing felt different.
As evening approached around six o'clock, they entered the restaurant Zhou Jingyun had booked in advance.
Not long after, Zhou Jingyun, dressed in ordinary clothes, entered the private room.
"Welcome our rising star!"
"Congratulations!"
"May your variety show debut be a complete success!"
Zhou Jingyun was startled by the confetti. He took off his cap and performed a standard gentleman's bow to the group.
"Thank you, everyone."
"You're welcome!"
"The recording starts at eight. Why are you still dressed like this?"
Zhou Jingyun said helplessly, "One of the male artists wasn't happy with his makeup and styling, so he asked the makeup artists and stylists to change it on the spot. But the male guests' looks are part of a coordinated series. If he changes, we all have to change together."
"I just came to see you all for a bit, but I have to go back soon to get my makeup and styling redone."
"So you can't have dinner?"
Zhou Jingyun sighed, "Forget dinner, I sneaked out when the staff wasn't looking."
"Just order whatever you want to eat. I have a VIP membership card; we can settle the bill online."
"Great! Thank you, big star, for your generosity."
"Oh, right, Tong Yang." Zhou Jingyun suddenly remembered something and looked over at her.
"What?" Tong Yang looked up.
"I mentioned it to Sister Ji Jiaen. We can arrange a meeting with you after the show recording finishes."
Tong Yang nodded, "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Tong Yang had originally planned to tell him in advance about the accidental drowning incident, but Zhou Jingyun didn't have much time. After saying hello to them, he hurried back to the TV station.
He Jingjing said, "It's so nice. Everyone's life is getting back on track."
Xu Junyue said carefreely, "Yeah! Let's have a toast!"
"Minors aren't allowed to drink, you know."
Tong Yang: "..."
Tao Bai smiled and poured half a glass of soda into her cup.
After dinner, around 7:30, they checked their tickets and entered the studio.
Typically, live audience tickets for pre-recorded variety shows aren't sold publicly to prevent leaks of the content. The admission tickets are usually given to staff or guests participating in the recording, and the seating is very limited.
At the entrance, staff handed out glow sticks to them.
According to their seat numbers, Tong Yang and Tao Bai sat in the middle, while the others were all scattered in different places.
The studio lights were dim, with only the stage illuminated.
Tao Bai said, "I have a feeling something bad is going to happen any second now."
"Is that so." Tong Yang yawned. She wasn't interested in the variety show content; she just wanted to seize the chance to contact Ji Jiaen and conveniently resolve Zhou Jingyun's drowning issue.
After it's done, how much money should she ask Zhou Jingyun for?
Tao Bai tried to make conversation with her to get her attention, but unfortunately, Tong Yang maintained an air of indifference throughout.
Sitting diagonally behind them, Chu Shiyu and Xu Junyue had their heads close together, whispering.
"I don't think Tao Bai stands a chance," Xu Junyue said.
"Me neither," Chu Shiyu nodded in agreement.
"His good-boy type can't handle the boss."
"I completely agree!"
Chu Shiyu asked quietly, "Then what do you think about Ye Huai?"
"President Ye?" Xu Junyue frowned in thought, then shook her head. "No way. I'm afraid the boss might accidentally elbow him to death. That would be involuntary manslaughter!"
Chu Shiyu: "..."
Isn't your thinking a bit too ahead of its time?
"I just don't think they're suitable."
Chu Shiyu said, "I think there's potential between her and Ye Huai."
Xu Junyue thought carefully, "Maybe. Last time she asked him for a selfie."
"Really? There was such a thing? Last weekend, Ye Huai personally delivered fruit to her in the middle of the night!"
"Really? There was such a thing?" Xu Junyue looked surprised. "Was the fruit good?"
Chu Shiyu was speechless. "Is that the point?"
"So, was the fruit good or not? Anyway, the hotpot President Ye treated us to last time was pretty good."
"When was that? How come I didn't know?"
"The day we caught 'Yan Qing'!"
Xu Junyue rested her chin on her hand and said thoughtfully, "But, being with President Ye does have one advantage."
"What advantage?"
"He recently took over the mess Ye Tianlin left behind, and it seems to be improving. If he and Tong Yang got involved, he'd die young! Then wouldn't Tong Yang become a young widow, tearfully inheriting his millions?"
Chu Shiyu: "..."
Chu Shiyu glanced towards Tong Yang's seat and found her looking back at them coldly.
"I'm starting to suspect Tong Yang might have the same idea."
"What idea?"
Suddenly, a voice came from behind them.
Both girls froze simultaneously and turned to look.
He Jingjing had somehow moved her seat to right behind them. A smile hung on her face, and the glow from the green fluorescent stick cast on her features, giving her a somewhat eerie look.
"You two seem to be having a very enjoyable chat. Care to share with us?"
Chu Shiyu looked at the empty seats on either side of He Jingjing.
Who did she mean by "us"?!
