Help! My Fanservice Partner is Looking at Me Differently Lately - Chapter 5

Chi Li froze. “Are you not an artist from the Film and Television Department?”

The office for that department was on the 16th floor, and Shen Xunye’s elevator had come down from above, so it made sense. Besides, with a face like that, how could he not be an artist? It was unbelievable.

Shen Xunye replied, “I am not an artist either.”

“Are you a staff member?” Chi Li was genuinely surprised. “Did your colleagues not try to persuade you to join the industry?”

“I am not a staff member either.” The corners of Shen Xunye’s mouth curled up. “I am the family member of a certain staff member.”

“It is not a girlfriend or anything like that, is it?” Chi Li immediately became vigilant.

Even though the pairing would be fake, he did not want to create a romantic persona with someone who had a partner. That would give him a guilty conscience. He realized he should have clarified this sooner.

“Of course not. I have an older brother who works here.”

“Phew, that is a relief.” The tension in Chi Li’s heart instantly vanished. “Since you cannot act, just behave naturally. Do not be afraid. In the beginning, we will pretend we do not know each other well. Later on, just follow my lead.”

One could not have too many expectations for an ordinary person. Chi Li figured that if he took the initiative to create some chemistry and then had Gu Nan use a secondary account to start the shipping trend, there should be no problems.

Shen Xunye was quite obedient. “All right.”

“Then we will not talk about personas for now.” Chi Li placed a different set of materials in front of him. “Get to know these three people.”

“Who are they?” Shen Xunye flipped through the pages without much interest.

“Future colleagues and our primary competitors.” Chi Li accepted the first dish brought by the waiter. “Our goal is to steal the spotlight from them.”

“I see.” Shen Xunye still seemed indifferent. “How do we steal the spotlight from them?”

“By selling fanservice.” Chi Li gave him a look that said he should already know this. “We will sell it so hard that we knock them right out of the game.”

This time, Shen Xunye became interested. “How hard are we talking?”

“You do not need to worry about that. I will handle the control,” Chi Li said, though he had not actually decided on the extent of it yet.

Shen Xunye nodded. “All right.”

“Remember these three faces well, especially that Zhou Yang.” Chi Li gritted his teeth and said hatefully, “It would be best if we could strip that hypocritical mask right off his face in front of the cameras.”

Shen Xunye raised an eyebrow, looking at Zhou Yang’s unremarkable appearance on the screen. “Is it a personal grudge?”

“Yes.” Chi Li did not hide it and added, “You are mine now, so we should share the same enemy.”

Shen Xunye smiled. “That goes without saying.”

Three days later, at the Nurture House, 10:00 AM.

Zhou Yang ran into the living room out of breath, holding a letter. He shouted loudly, “Senior! There is a letter from the production team!”

Xie Weishui ran out of the kitchen, wiped his hands on his apron, and jogged to his side. “Is someone coming to visit?”

To provide a perfect sense of immersion, no staff members appeared on camera in What Should We Do Today? Tasks were occasionally assigned via the mailbox at the entrance. Currently, receiving a letter meant one of three things: a new member was moving in, a guest was visiting, or there was a special plan for the members to go out together.

Half a month ago, the residents had been invited to a local amusement park, and Zhou Yang had joined as a new member just a few days ago. Therefore, the most likely scenario was a guest visit.

“Oh?” Zhou Yang looked nervous. “What preparations should we make if a guest is coming?”

“Look at you.” Xie Weishui gave him a playful, reproving look and took the envelope to open it. “Do not worry, I will look out for you.”

However, in the next second, Xie Weishui’s smile froze.

“Members Xu Su and Yang Haiguang will move out of the villa before 12:00 PM. Around 2:00 PM, new members will move in.” He slowly read the words on the card, looking puzzled. “Why are there new members again?”

Zhou Yang made a crying face. “I am already not the newest one anymore.”

He thought to himself that Xu Su and Yang Haiguang had no presence, which allowed him to dominate the main live stream alongside Xie Weishui. With two newcomers arriving so soon, they would definitely be prioritized for screen time regardless of their performance. He decided he would pretend to be enthusiastic and hover around them to steal the spotlight.

While Zhou Yang was making his internal calculations, Xie Weishui had already adjusted his mood.

“Well, adding fresh blood is always a good thing. Let us see off Big Brother Xu and Little Yang, then go to the nearby supermarket to buy some things. We should throw a welcome ceremony for the new members!”

A smile blossomed on Zhou Yang’s face. “I will do whatever you say, Senior!”

He was clearly afraid he would not be able to control the newcomers. He hoped he would keep his dominant position in the house, or he would end up suffering too.

“I am also your Senior.” Fang Jin walked over and skillfully joined the conversation. “How come I have not heard you call me that?”

The comments on the screen were moving quickly. Fans noted that today’s drama was starting early and that the house smelled of jealousy. Some worried about their favorite being taken away, while others questioned if Xie Weishui was being unfair by only interacting with Zhou Yang. They debated whether it counted as cheating and if the fans’ feelings were being hurt. Some even suggested they would support Fang Jin pairing up with a newcomer.

“What does a ‘messy mix’ mean?” Shen Xunye’s arm rested naturally on the back of the sofa, his fingertips only an inch away from Chi Li’s shoulder.

Chi Li stared intently at the screen. “It means you can be paired with anyone.”

“With anyone?” Shen Xunye clicked his tongue and offered a sharp critique. “How scandalous.”

“You certainly have a way with words.” Chi Li leaned back and glanced at him.

The soft tips of Chi Li’s hair brushed against Shen Xunye’s wrist. Shen Xunye did not move his hand away; instead, he shifted his weight slightly in that direction. From a certain angle, it looked as if he was circling Chi Li entirely within his territory.

“I do not want to be part of such a strange relationship,” Shen Xunye said disdainfully.

“I would not allow you to join a relationship like that either.” Chi Li lowered his head to take a sip of juice through a straw and warned him seriously, “I am the one who found you, so you can only look at me. You will have chemistry with me and sell fanservice with me. Do you understand?”

“I understand.” Shen Xunye reached out to tidy Chi Li’s hair. “Is that such strong possessiveness?”

“Let’s go. We are going to the mall. I want to buy some gifts for them.” Chi Li stood up abruptly and pulled Shen Xunye along.

“Do we have to buy them gifts?” Shen Xunye asked reluctantly.

“You do not have to buy anything. Just remember, we are supposed to be strangers at first. Do not let the secret out.”

“I am not an idiot.”