Rebirth from the Ashes

The words “Big Brother” saw Shen Xi clutching her fingers while she was on her knees tying up her shoelaces. After a pause, she laced up and scooped her backpack from the sofa before putting on her sunglasses and mask. Once she was all covered up, she bade farewell to Fu Qingye who was on the phone and took off without waiting for his acknowledgment.

Shen Xi opened the door to a crowd outside. Those passionate, worshiping, and prying eyes nearly scared her to the point of retreat.

F*ck!

She was wrong!

Why was there a huge turnout? What did he do when he brought her here?

Was he not aware that he was a huge superstar and any little thing he did could stir scandals?

The crowd was naturally waiting for Fu Qingye. With Shen Xi appearing at the door, someone even got on their tiptoes to sneak a peek inside. However, none of them had the guts to cross the line since Mr. Fu was not one to mess with given the status and public esteem he held.

Curious about who Shen Xi was, they were scratching their heads trying to figure out her relationship with Mr. Fu. Still, it was not their place to pop the question. Hence, they watched as she took the elevator and left.

By the time Fu Qingye hung up the phone and looked over, the girl was gone. He walked up to the door and opened it.

The chief director, Su Botao, was panting after coming in a hurry. “Hello, hello, Mr. Fu. I am Su Botao.”

Fu Qingye nodded at him. His good looks appeared rather solemn. “Mr. Su, I have an emergency at home and have to rush home tonight, so I can’t join tomorrow’s shooting. I’ll head to the studio to check on the trainees now.”

“Mr. Fu, you should head home now if it’s urgent. It’s not a problem!” Su Botao was being honest.

He did not even try to invite Fu Qingye, and it was not that he did not want to, rather he dared not imagine or have any insatiable thought.

Mr. Fu the great Movie Star was a man on top of the entertainment pyramid and for him to come to a talent show – not that Su Botao was looking down on his own show – it was just beneath Mr. Fu as he was of high status.

To Su Botao’s surprise, Mr. Fu initiated contact and said he loved Mr. Xixi’s work but could never get in touch with the person. Thus, Mr. Fu asked if he could be on the show.

Oh gawd! Su Botao was dumbstruck. A pie in the sky just fell on his lap. He would be over the moon if Mr. Fu simply made a personal video for the show, let alone joined the shoot.

“I should meet the trainees and give them some encouragement.” Fu Qingye smiled warmly.

“Of course, sure.” Su Botao was hot with emotions. No way was he going to say no to that.

Appearing as a mystery guest, Mr. Fu did not sign a contract with them, nor did he ask for a fee since his intention was to visit Mr. Xixi. It was an honor for the production team to welcome his special appearance to the show.

“I wonder if Mr. Xixi is here now?” Fu Qingye asked.

He was here to see the girl in the first place. However, she fainted the moment they met and slipped away in a blink of an eye. He probably would not be able to see her again.

Su Botao shook his head. “Mr. Xixi just contacted me and said he’d be late for an hour.”

“Okay.” Fu Qingye gazed at him. “After you, Mr. Su.”

The production crew, especially the girls at the back, could not hide their excitement and admiration. They could pass out in happiness to be in close quarters with Fu Qingye. Never in their dreams could they imagine they would be in close contact with their idol.

Feeling a little disappointed, Fu Qingye made a move ahead to the studio.

He received a call from Qingli that Qingxuan had met with a car accident and was in critical condition. Fu Qingye had to rush home, but he was going to go back on his word since he had agreed to an appearance on the show.

With the filming of trainees ending at nine o’clock, Mr. Fu had half an hour left to interact and share his words of encouragement.

The shooting of National Idol was nearing its end. Tomorrow was the ninth episode, also the second last episode of the shooting. As the trainees had undergone rounds and rounds of elimination, there were only 36 girls left. All of them could fit in one studio.

Nobody knew who was the first among the trainees to spot Fu Qingye but she shrieked as she was swept off of her feet by her idol’s good looks, which drew out all the other trainees in practice.

Having heard the commotion, the few mentors came out of the studio and the break room. They were in shock to see the handsome man surrounded by a group of girls.

The production team was on fire to invite bigger and better celebrities each time. They were definitely on a roll!

It was not a bad idea for them to join the cast of mentors. Mr. Xixi, Mr. Qi Xiu, Ms. Guan Yue, Ms. Li Jingran, and now Mr. Fu came to the show to cheer them on.

Fang Yao was most fired up, unable to stop her shrieking. Without regard to her image as a mentor, she rushed over like a fangirl. “Hello, Qingye.”

Fu Qingye took all his work seriously. He watched the first few episodes Shen Xi appeared in and even if she did not make it for the last few, he made sure to catch all episodes for fear she might make a sudden appearance. This was why Fu Qingye could recognize all the mentors and trainees. “Hello.”

With the mentors around, the trainees let them greet Mr. Fu first despite their elation and the urge to scream their lungs out.

Su Ruowan did not go with the crowd and stayed in a corner to watch. She learned her lesson and was not going to put herself in an unwelcomed position.

Nevertheless, she was curious as to why an influential figure like Mr. Fu would descend upon a talent show.

Su Muyan had never met Fu Qingye face-to-face before. He did not have a high opinion of the movie star after hearing from Li Jingran that Shen Xi seduced Fu Qingye. Still, as a mentor, he went to greet Fu Qingye.

After the exchange of pleasantries, the scriptwriter gave an account of the show’s flow. The success of a program depended on how the production team ran the show.

Su Botao was not going to take up a lot of Mr. Fu’s time, knowing he had family affairs to attend to. Following the introduction, he captured the intimate interaction between Mr. Fu and the trainees, plus a pep talk from Mr. Fu before escorting the latter on his way out half an hour later.

“I’m really sorry, Mr. Fu. You weren’t able to meet Mr. Xixi during this occasion.” Su Botao felt sorry.

Mr. Fu came for Mr. Xixi but had to leave before he got to see him.

“Don’t be, Mr. Su. I should be apologizing,” Fu Qingye lamented. “There’s still plenty of time. I could meet with him sooner or later.”

Su Botao expressed his apologies and regret towards the matter.

He was thoroughly impressed and honored to get Mr. Xixi on the show.

Mr. Xixi, whom even the face of status and talent Mr. Fu failed to meet, was the guest on their show. This was enough for Su Botao to brag for a lifetime.

Mr. Fu the Movie Star came and went, staying for a total of an hour. However, this was sufficient to get the mentors and trainees all pumped up.

Fang Yao was on her phone, looking at a photo of her and Mr. Fu as she walked out of the washroom. Grinning from ear to ear, she lifted her chin and saw a person coming toward hers. She cheerfully greeted, “Mr. Xixi.”

Shen Xi nodded at her as a greeting.

Fang Yao was still on cloud nine. “Oh, what timing. It’d be great if you could make it earlier. Fu Qingye the Movie Star joined our program as the mystery guest.”

Looking no different from the usual straight face, Shen Xi nodded.

Fang Yao was good-natured and too happy to care about Shen Xi’s reaction, or lack thereof. She showed Shen Xi the photo of her and Mr. Fu just to share her joy with someone.

Nevertheless, they were walking together when someone came in their way. Fang Yao looked up to find a handsome man in a suit. Taken by surprise, she uttered, “You’re Jing Yu!”

It was Mr. Fu’s manager!

“Hello there.” Jing Yu nodded at Fang Yao with a smile before turning to Shen Xi. He handed an exquisite-looking package to her. “Mr. Xixi, I’m told to give this to you.”

With her heart skipping a beat, Shen Xi suddenly had a bad feeling about it.