From his debut to the present, Xie Xi had released quite a few albums. He found an exquisite wooden box, put all his albums inside, and just like that, carried it to Huajing University.
When Ye Qiusuo pushed open the classroom door, she saw Xie Xi with his head bowed, fiddling with the items inside the box.
"These are for you." Hearing her enter, Xie Xi simply turned the box around, its opening facing Ye Qiusuo. "My albums. After listening to all of these, you definitely won't answer incorrectly again."
Ye Qiusuo looked at the box full of albums and instinctively said, "Thank you, but that's not necessary. I'll just memorize the lyrics."
For a song that lasts a few minutes, she could memorize the lyrics in under thirty seconds. Moreover, she had already memorized the lyrics to all of Xie Xi's albums.
Professor Ye would not stumble over the same stone twice.
Xie Xi: "?"
He never imagined that one day, as a top male singer in the current music scene, he wouldn't even be able to give away his albums.
"Even if it's not for the competition, you can still listen to my songs." Xie Xi forcibly stuffed the albums into Ye Qiusuo's hands. "Or... do you dislike listening to my songs?"
"I don't dislike them. You sing very well." Professor Ye stated the truth.
That line was music to his ears.
Xie Xi's eyebrows and eyes lifted slightly. "Then take them home to listen."
"Alright." Ye Qiusuo glanced down at the albums piled inside, reached out to close the box lid. "It's already class time. Start your copying."
Xie Xi: "..." Why couldn't this harmonious atmosphere between teacher and student continue? Did she have to bring up class?
While he was copying, Ye Qiusuo was also looking through the homework Xie Xi had completed earlier. Dyslexia is caused by issues in a specific area of the brain, but the information transmitted isn't a complete, rule-less mess. As long as the underlying rules and connections can be identified, supplemented with tools, perhaps reading wouldn't have to remain such an obstacle.
Ye Qiusuo suddenly asked, "When you're reading, do the characters shake severely?"
Xie Xi twirled the pen in his hand, propping his cheek with one hand, and said languidly, "Those characters dance on the paper."
Professor Ye noted this down on her computer, then also transmitted the pages of his previously completed homework to the lab, asking them to analyze and summarize this visual-writing behavior pattern when they had time.
"It will take some time, but perhaps in the future, reading won't be so difficult for you."
Xie Xi's hand paused, the spinning pen stopping. "Professor, can you treat illnesses too?"
"No, but it might be possible to find a solution." Ye Qiusuo said seriously. This wasn't a project; it couldn't be rushed.
"Then I'll wait for the teacher to solve this problem." Xie Xi lowered his gaze to look at the notebook on the desk, his tone light and unconcerned.
Just before they parted, Xie Xi asked Ye Qiusuo if she would still get questions about him wrong if the show had more.
Xie Xi added, "If the teacher is willing, during our make-up class next Sunday, I can tell the teacher some information about me."
Ye Qiusuo gave him a faint glance, puncturing his fantasy. "If there are more questions about you, I won't make mistakes. Make-up class is only for doing homework."
...
Starting from the previous episode, the show's director had secretly instructed adjustments to the question selection probability. Having Ye Qiusuo win all the time didn't fit the show's dramatic effect. So, questions about Xie Xi began to increase, becoming much more detailed—difficult for anyone who wasn't a fan to answer correctly.
There were now fewer than ten guests remaining. The civilian contestants had also been moved onto the main stage, sitting face-to-face with the celebrity guests, with a live audience invited to watch below.
"Another question about Xie Xi's albums." The host said in surprise, then teased, "Last episode, I remember Professor Ye didn't seem to know the answers. I wonder how she'll do this time? If she still can't answer, Xie Xi's fans might be heartbroken again."
The audience present burst into laughter, clearly recalling last week's trending meme.
After heating up the atmosphere, the host began to read the question: "In the seventh song of the album 'Starlight'... Oh, Professor Ye has hit the buzzer!"
The camera lights shifted to Ye Qiusuo.
The host stood in the middle. "Professor Ye, I haven't finished reading the question. Are you sure you want to answer? An incorrect answer will deduct points."
Over on the celebrity side, Dong Junjian was still trying to remember what the seventh song was. The show's question was too sneaky—who paid attention to the order of songs on an album?
Ye Qiusuo nodded. "Confirmed."
Down below, the director slapped his thigh, filled with regret.
"Before, she wasn't familiar with film, TV, or music-related questions. For the next recording after she learns, she'll answer better than anyone. We shouldn't have chosen Xie Xi-related questions again for this episode. Ye Qiusuo must know them all now."
"Professors are just professors." A staff member beside him said with admiration.
Director: "..."
Sure enough, on stage, after the question was fully read, Ye Qiusuo answered correctly.
Among that initial group of civilian guests, there were other professors and PhDs. How was Ye Qiusuo just so strong?
On stage, Ye Qiusuo didn't know what the director was thinking; she was focused on answering questions.
"Who is known as the 'King of Song' in modern Chinese history? Here are four options."
"C, Yang Bing."
"...Correct." The host's tone carried a hint of numbness. He came on each episode with the hope that today Professor Ye might finally meet her Waterloo, yet that hope was almost always dashed.
Was this the terrifying aspect of a genius?
The episode once again ended with Ye Qiusuo in first place.
Ye Qiusuo didn't get to leave immediately. The director introduced someone who wanted to meet her, saying the person was looking for a guest from "Knowledge Q&A" to be a spokesperson.
As soon as she heard, she knew which company it was: Likou.
The book had mentioned this company approached Wan Yourou, who was ranked first at the time, to be their spokesperson.
Now that Ye Qiusuo was first, the company naturally approached her.
"I don't have any extra time." Ye Qiusuo's first reaction was to refuse. She wasn't clear on the process of being a spokesperson, but it sounded troublesome.
Shows like "Knowledge Q&A," recorded once a week in the evening, only sacrificed Ye Qiusuo's own rest time.
The company representative was stunned, never expecting someone would refuse their endorsement offer.
It was important to note that Likou Beverages had only ever hired A-list celebrities in the past; this was the first time they were extending an olive branch to a civilian.
"Our shooting time won't be very long, one day at most." The Likou representative quickly recovered and explained.
One day?
Ye Qiusuo asked him, "How much is the endorsement fee?" If the fee was high, she could squeeze out the time. She could just stay up a few nights.
Someone asking about the endorsement fee as their second question was a first for the representative. It felt unreal, especially since the other party was a genius professor.
"Our maximum budget is one million." The Likou representative said sincerely. "That's almost the highest price a civilian can get."
In the industry, endorsement fees for A-list celebrities range from five to twenty million, for B-list from two to five million, and for C/D-list the minimum is around five hundred thousand. This price was indeed very high for a civilian, but the representative wasn't factoring in Ye Qiusuo's current popularity.
If Ye Qiusuo's talent agency had been monitoring the data, they would find that since "Knowledge Q&A" began airing, her search volume has remained consistently high, and the level of discussion (i.e., heat) has also been quite significant.
Apart from not officially entering the entertainment circle, Ye Qiusuo possessed all the elements of a star.
"That's a bit low." Ye Qiusuo thought for a moment. "Can you add a little more?"
Professor Ye wasn't very skilled at bargaining, but she still wanted to earn a bit more money.
Likou Representative: "..." Is being this direct really okay? She looks so upright, not like someone obsessed with money.
"Professor Ye, if you don't join the entertainment circle, there will be less program exposure later, and the effectiveness of the endorsement will actually be greatly reduced. How about we go back and reconsider this, is that alright with you?"
"Fine."
Originally, the Li Kou representative came hoping to discuss things over a meal with Ye Qiusuo, but by the time they reached the elevator, their conversation had already concluded.
Ye Qiusuo took the elevator down and headed towards her car. Just after making a U-turn out of the television station and stopping at a red light, she glanced over and noticed two people sitting in the adjacent car.
— Lu Mingzhe and Wan Yurou.
Truly the male and female leads, this kind of fate simply couldn't be severed.
Ye Qiusuo tried to recall the entire book, only to find her memories being swallowed by boundless darkness. Those intricate details she once remembered clearly were beginning to fade, leaving only the major events between the main characters roughly preserved in her memory.
...
Two days later, Li Kou company called, saying they could raise the endorsement fee by another five hundred thousand, but they would also add the currently second-ranked Wan Yurou as a co-endorser.
"Fine." Professor Ye only cared if the money had increased.
One point five million, although just a drop in the bucket for her project, saving up bit by bit could eventually amount to something.
Actually, she would have agreed even for the original one million, since the other party said it would take at most one day.
Endorsements were something Ye Qiusuo knew nothing about. She took some time to search online but didn't find anything useful. Remembering Xie Xi, whose endorsements were plastered everywhere, she figured he must be quite familiar with such matters and decided to ask him.
"An endorsement?" Xie Xi perked up immediately upon hearing Ye Qiusuo's voice message. He called her directly, "Professor, I know all about this. I can explain it to you in detail."
Just imagining Professor Ye standing under the studio lights, pretending to convey the desired effect of the product, sounded incredibly amusing.
After all, she was completely unlike someone who could act.
"Thank you." Ye Qiusuo listened carefully to his advice and precautions, though given her lack of familiarity with cameras and such, she only grasped half of it.
Xie Xi, full of interest, explained a great deal and finally asked, "Professor, where are you shooting the ad?"
"Dongheng Studio."
As soon as the call ended, Xie Xi said to the two people in the living room, "We're going to Dongheng Studio this Thursday."
"Xixi, I remember you don't have any shooting schedules this month," He Feng looked up. "What are you going there for?"
"To see how Professor Ye handles an endorsement." A glint of amusement flashed in Xie Xi's eyes. His album was finished anyway; he might as well go watch out of boredom.
...
On Thursday, Ye Qiusuo postponed her work for a day and went to Dongheng Studio for the endorsement shoot.
When she arrived, Wan Yurou was already there, having changed into her outfit early, with a group of people gathered around her doing her makeup.
The moment Ye Qiusuo entered, she immediately seemed out of place.
Given her height, looks, and the recent popularity of her show, no one could ignore her. However, Professor Ye was clearly from a different world than those around her; her academic aura was too strong.
"Professor Ye, we've prepared clothes for you over here." A staff member approached, leading her away politely and respectfully.
By the time Ye Qiusuo changed and came out, she saw a commotion at the entrance.
"Is that Lu Mingzhe?"
"The champion from 'Tomorrow's Star'."
"It's not that simple. His surname is Lu."
"You mean that Lu family..."
"Shh—"
Wan Yurou had finished her makeup. Dressed in a white gown, she looked like a lotus flower emerging from water, elegant and beautiful.
"Mingzhe, what brings you here?" Wan Yurou asked, feigning surprise.
"I'm shooting an endorsement nearby too, thought I'd drop by." Lu Mingzhe was wearing a suit, his hair clearly styled, revealing his handsome face.
The two standing together did indeed look like a perfect match.
"This is my friend Lu Mingzhe. We sang together on stage before." Wan Yurou proactively introduced him to those around her.
Lu Mingzhe nodded. Upon seeing Ye Qiusuo, he asked in surprise, "Are you the one who saved Yurou at the pool that day?"
Wan Yurou: "..." Could we please not bring that up in public?!
That was the shame of her life. Just mentioning it made her remember Xie Xi's detestable face.
Ye Qiusuo had no goodwill towards Lu Mingzhe. She didn't want anything to do with someone of questionable character.
This was also the first time Lu Mingzhe had been so thoroughly ignored, instantly displeasing him.
"Professor Ye, please sit here. I'll apply some light makeup for you." A makeup artist led Ye Qiusuo to sit aside.
The two sides were clearly demarcated, and the atmosphere grew somewhat tense.
Most people gathered around Wan Yurou's side, especially since Lu Mingzhe was there. Hearing he was from the Lu family, everyone wanted to curry favor.
Ye Qiusuo let the makeup artist do her work while her eyes remained on her phone, reading an email—experiment logs sent by a student.
The makeup artist, standing behind her, used her height advantage to sneak a few glances at the screen: Completely incomprehensible. A professor is truly a professor.
"Later, you'll walk over from there holding the drink, and then..." The director had already started explaining the endorsement script to Wan Yurou.
Over here, Ye Qiusuo felt somewhat neglected.
"Ahhhhhhh! Xixi!!!"
A staff member who was a fan of Xie Xi inside the studio happened to glance towards the entrance and immediately screamed excitedly, stomping her feet and pointing at the doorway.
The people inside were startled by the scream and looked where she was pointing, instantly erupting into excitement once again.
Unlike Lu Mingzhe, Xie Xi had a solid, massive fanbase spanning all fields.
Seeing Xie Xi standing silhouetted against the light at the entrance, Lu Mingzhe instinctively took a step back. He feared Xie Xi deep down, even if he was unwilling to admit it.
"Xixi is so handsome, I'm going to faint," someone nearby whispered.
Lu Mingzhe thought inwardly, annoyed: He's backlit, you can't even see his face. How is that handsome?
"Wuwuwu, my darling, his legs are so long, I could admire them for a year."
"Oh my god, it's Xie Xi!"
Lu Mingzhe and Wan Yurou instantly lost everyone's attention.
Wan Yurou could even see people starting to record videos. What's so great about a man full of malice towards women?
She gritted her teeth, unable to suppress the memory of that day by the pool when Xie Xi casually said he wouldn't save her.
Xie Xi, dressed in casual clothes, walked in, scanned the room, and his gaze landed on Ye Qiusuo: "Professor Ye, you're doing an endorsement?"
