Can You Believe It? I Ran into My Ex on a Dating Variety Show - Chapter 1

“Just consider it a favor to me, I’m begging you. One last variety show, three months max, and I’ll let you go as soon as filming is done.” His manager, Lin Wuwei, had been pleading bitterly over the phone for half an hour.

Shi Yu, wearing disposable gloves and holding a knife and fork, was methodically performing a “flesh-and-shell separation surgery” on a plate of spicy crawfish.

His phone sat nearby on speakerphone. His patience lasted until the third crawfish before he gave up.

Shi Yu stuffed the raggedly peeled meat into his mouth with a fork and tossed everything else, plate and all, into the trash.

“Why do so many people like crawfish when they’re such a hassle to eat?” Shi Yu remarked out of nowhere.

“Because they taste good, obviously,” Lin Wuwei replied reflexively. If this “ancestor” was willing to engage in conversation, it meant there was hope for his request.

Savoring the lingering spice on his tongue, Shi Yu said, “They do taste good.” It was just the peeling that was too much trouble.

“Are you at home? I’ll bring the variety show script over to you,” Lin Wuwei said cautiously.

“I go to sleep at ten,” Shi Yu replied.

“I’ll be there in ten minutes,” Lin Wuwei said quickly.

Shi Yu did not respond. However, Lin Wuwei knew him well enough to know that as long as he did not refuse, it meant he agreed.

This ancestor never did anything he did not want to do; no one could force him. Fame, money, and resources were all within his reach, but he was passionate about none of it. His debut television drama had set a ten-year record for viewership ratings. He became a household name overnight. Anyone else in that position would have struck while the iron was hot, signing major brand endorsements, snatching up premium roles, and working tirelessly to rake in money until their hands cramped from counting it.

But not this ancestor.

The moment he received his full paycheck, he immediately pulled a vanishing act and went off to have fun. Two years later, just as Lin Wuwei began to wonder if the man had evaporated from the face of the earth, he reappeared. He pivoted to film, starring in a movie that broke sixty billion at the box office. Even now, two years later, it still held the number one spot for total box office earnings. Even the ending theme song, which he had arranged, written, and performed, became a massive hit, echoing through every street and alley.

Resources flooded in and major brands scrambled to offer endorsements. Lin Wuwei was already fantasizing about reaching the pinnacle of his career. Yet, when he approached Shi Yu with these coveted opportunities, all he received was a cold rejection.

“I’m not taking it. Not interested. Turn them down.”

These were the words Lin Wuwei heard most often from Shi Yu’s mouth. Clearly, he could easily ascend to that throne, yet he had absolutely no interest in it. Watching so many prime resources come and go, Lin Wuwei felt incredibly conflicted. But then he remembered the two years Shi Yu had simply vanished, and he suddenly felt that, at the very least, the man had not run away this time.

After the movie became a massive hit, Lin Wuwei developed a sort of psychological trauma. He practically became Shi Yu’s shadow. He would even wait outside the door when Shi Yu used the restroom. For two or three months straight, he had nightmares about Shi Yu disappearing again.

The good news was that Shi Yu stopped running. The bad news was that he would not accept movies, TV shows, or endorsements. Instead, he went to a newly launched, obscure streaming app, registered an account, and started playing video games.

Lin Wuwei thought he was switching careers to become a gaming streamer and was beginning to worry, only to realize that Shi Yu was not nearly as diligent as other streamers. He would “fish for three days and dry the nets for two,” streaming only when the mood struck him. Despite this, he rapidly became the biggest gaming streamer on the app. His fan base grew so fast that he crashed the app several times, leaving the programmers in tears as they worked overtime.

Streaming games would have been fine. Top-tier streamers nowadays make no less than celebrities. However, this ancestor had disabled the donation feature from the very beginning. Various gaming platforms caught wind of him and came knocking, begging him for endorsements, but he rejected them all.

He used a standardized template for rejections: “Not interested.”

If you are not interested, why are you playing so intensely during your streams? Online, opinions on his style were polarized. But this did not stop him from becoming the entertainment industry’s most mysterious top-tier star and powerhouse actor. His starving fans, desperate for him to take on more roles, wailed daily across social media platforms like headless flies, running back and forth and cursing Lin Wuwei in the process.

Lin Wuwei felt more wronged than Dou E. Unfortunately, he could not exactly go online and say that Shi Yu simply did not want to act or take endorsements. Who would believe that? If he were not Shi Yu’s exclusive manager, he would not believe it either.

Just like that, time flew by. It had been nearly five years since he first signed Shi Yu. Less than six months remained on the contract. Lin Wuwei had mentally prepared himself for the fact that Shi Yu would not renew, but he still harbored a sliver of hope.

Having been his manager for nearly five years, Lin Wuwei occasionally felt that Shi Yu did not belong to this world. He often seemed detached and indifferent to much of what the world had to offer. Lin Wuwei sometimes had whimsical thoughts that Shi Yu was here simply to elevate the world’s aesthetic standards. After all, he possessed a face of ultimate beauty, like a deity descended to earth.

His skin was fairer than snow and his features were sharp and captivating. He possessed a 360-degree beauty with no bad angles. When he first debuted, ten trending topics about his beauty appeared on Weibo, and his photos were shared frantically across short-video platforms. At the time, Lin Wuwei thought he had struck gold and was about to soar to the top of his profession. Only later did he realize that Shi Yu did not care about fame or fortune at all. He acted purely according to his own heart.

Still, Lin Wuwei had not expected the man to refuse to wait for the final six months. He wanted to terminate the contract and leave immediately, even specifically calling to ask about the liquidation damages. Because the contract had been signed before he became famous, the penalty was not actually that outrageous. With his level of stardom, he could easily cover it.

Lin Wuwei could not sleep for three days over this. He was so stressed he developed mouth ulcers. At this critical juncture, he received a script for a dating variety show. They were cordially inviting Shi Yu to participate.

Lin Wuwei had handled countless variety show offers, but Shi Yu had not been willing to do a single one. In the past, he might have just looked at it and set it aside. But the “invited guests” listed for this show caught his eye. With a “give it a shot” mentality, Lin Wuwei kept calling Shi Yu, pleading and cajoling. Through sheer persistence, he actually managed to sway him.

He guessed it might be because he mentioned his newborn child and the pressure of buying formula. Perhaps he had moved Shi Yu enough for him to give his manager one last performance boost before leaving. Many who knew Shi Yu thought he was heartless. But Lin Wuwei knew that was not true. Beneath Shi Yu’s seemingly indifferent, detached, and aloof exterior was a heart with clear boundaries, one that was gentle and kind. It was just that most people never got close enough to see that side.

The entire way there, Lin Wuwei was nervous. He nearly ran a red light in his haste. He arrived just in the nick of time.

Lin Wuwei knew the passcode to Shi Yu’s house and rushed straight in. His forehead was covered in sweat. In his rush, he tripped at the entryway while changing his shoes, and the variety show script flew several feet across the floor.

Wearing a pair of cartoon slippers, Shi Yu walked down the spiral staircase and bent over to pick up the script.

“100 Days of Love Contract?” Shi Yu read the name on the cover.

He was dressed in a black leisure suit that was loose, comfortable, and well-draped. The V-neck design left his exquisite, beautiful collarbones partially visible. Even his skin seemed to glow with whiteness.

Lin Wuwei patted his pant legs, stood up, and rushed toward Shi Yu, saying excitedly, “I’ve even brought the contract. The legal department has already reviewed it. All it needs now is your signature.”

He was afraid Shi Yu would change his mind, so he had completed all the preparations in advance.

Shi Yu poured himself a cup of coffee. He had just hand-ground the newly bought beans, and they emitted a faint, pleasant aroma. He sat down on the sofa, crossed his legs, and took a sip with elegant poise.

“Sit,” he said, gesturing casually to the other end of the sofa.

Lin Wuwei habitually took a disposable seat cushion from the coffee table drawer, laid it on the sofa, and sat down. Looking at Shi Yu’s straight back, he unconsciously straightened his own posture.

Shi Yu did not look at the contract, nor did he read the script in detail. He simply placed the script on the coffee table and said calmly, “I’m gay.”

Lin Wuwei replied instantly, “It’s a BL dating show, the first of its kind domestically. Currently, the invited guests include a smash-hit Movie King, a top-tier idol, a rising star from the music scene, a non-celebrity, and others.”

Shi Yu flipped directly to the signature page. A hand of elegant calligraphy appeared from the tip of his pen: Shi Yu.

Lin Wuwei had failed so many times that this sudden success gave him an intense sense of unreality. It worked? He was not dreaming, was he? Lin Wuwei pinched his thigh hard, the pain bringing tears to his eyes.

Seeing Lin Wuwei laughing and crying at the same time, Shi Yu suggested, “Do you want to go see a psychiatrist?”

Clutching the signed contract, Lin Wuwei’s tears flowed even more freely. “No need. You are my best medicine.”

Shi Yu: “…”

His manager was good in every way, except for the fact that he acted like his brain was damaged. Shi Yu had not looked at the list of invited guests in the contract, so he had no way of knowing that on this dating show, he would encounter that person.

His ex-boyfriend.