The Unseen Connection

In the third row of the audience, Jin Bo, ever diligent, continued to hold his selfie stick, the lens meticulously trained on the stage.

His attention, however, was fixed on his good friend beside him, whose focus had visibly wavered. Following the third act, both Qiu Yuelun and Jin Bo found themselves somewhat lost in thought.

Fearing his words might carry into the livestream, he instinctively covered his mouth, his voice dropping to a low whisper. “Yuelun, this is a chance that won’t come again. We’re already here; asking for a WeChat isn’t out of line.”

“If you don’t ask, there’s a throng of admirers waiting to. Even I wouldn’t mind having one.”

At these words, Qiu Yuelun finally stirred. “What would you, a straight man, do with it?!”

Jin Bo paused, chastened, before a knowing, ambiguous smile spread across his face. “Tsk, so you’re finally admitting you’re not straight? Yuelun, you actually have quite a soft spot for that handsome young man, don’t you?”

Qiu Yuelun remained silent.

“It’s rare to see you harbor any worldly desires. As your brother, I’ll support you in whatever you choose to do.”

“What are you planning?” Qiu Yuelun frowned, genuinely fearing what this guy might do.

“Nothing much. I’m just going to the restroom. You hold this for me.” Jin Bo reverted to his usual nonchalant expression, thrusting the selfie stick into his friend’s hand before quietly slipping away.

Qiu Yuelun’s ears flushed crimson, a wave of heat spreading from his earlobes down his neck.

He felt utterly humiliated. Not long ago, he had dismissed all dancers as equally vulgar, convinced he would never be impressed by any of them. Yet, this boy was different. His eyes were stunning, so captivating that a mere glance created the illusion of an electric shock.

Qiu Yuelun had initially been resting with his eyes closed, but the incessant neighing of warhorses in the background had been unbearable. He had opened his eyes in irritation, only for his gaze to fix on the image of the red-clad youth spinning on stage, red silks swirling before he dramatically collapsed to the ground in the final moment.

At that instant, his heart thumped like the war drum, struck with a fierce beat.

He watched the subsequent scenes with growing astonishment, becoming increasingly captivated. While the hip-swaying movements in bars left him completely cold, the young man’s actions possessed an added sense of purity. Even his sensual leg-touching and hip-twisting did not evoke any disgust.

Qiu Yuelun mused that he might possess a ‘face-dog’ tendency, for that face was simply impossible to ignore. His standards for beauty were quite high—at least on par with his own. This young man was one of the rare few he had encountered who was even more handsome than himself.

Perhaps such a comparison was unfair; they weren’t the same type of man. The other’s face was more ethereal, more delicate, like a fragile piece of craftsmanship, better suited for display in a glass case.

For the first time, Qiu Yuelun felt the urge to pursue a deeper connection with this beautiful young man. When Jin Bo so directly exposed his thoughts, a sense of shame, unfamiliar even to himself, bloomed within him.

It seemed he was, after all, merely a mortal. His previous disinterest hadn’t been genuine; he simply hadn’t yet encountered the person who would pull him into the mundane world.

Backstage lounge area.

Jian Ye stared blankly at the young man who was offering him a pen.

Judging by his attire, the young man appeared quite well-to-do and certainly wasn’t from their university. No one seemed to know how he had managed to get backstage.

The young man was direct, asking Jian Ye for an autograph as soon as he saw him.

His classmates around him began to tease him with laughter.

“Oh, Little Ye, you’re already so popular? Fans are already coming right to you!”
“And a male fan at that! I’ve always said Little Ye’s type is simply irresistible to men.”
“Will our class beauty need a bodyguard now? These fervent fans are even chasing him backstage, hahaha!”
“He’ll also need an agent. All business should go through the agent, no direct contact with the artist.”

Li Xiangchi declared, “Aren’t I the best candidate to be Ah Ye’s agent? Who else could possibly handle it besides me?”

“Don’t flatter yourself! Your only advantage is being roommates with our class beauty, and nothing more!”

As everyone laughed and joked, Jian Ye paid them no mind. Instead, he smiled at the young man before him and politely asked, “I’ve never signed an autograph before. It might not look very good.”

Jin Bo, infected by the youthful energy of the university students, suddenly felt a pang of envy. He had expected this handsome young man to be aloof, as some exceptionally beautiful people tend to be haughty. Yet, this young man’s demeanor matched the gentle, appealing aura he exuded on stage. His voice, like a kitten’s soft purr, tugged at one’s heartstrings.

“Actually… I’m getting this for my brother. He really loved your performance, but he’s a bit shy and too embarrassed to come himself. My brother is a really good guy; he always looks out for me, so I wanted to do something for him too…”

Jin Bo possessed a certain emotional intelligence, knowing how to phrase things to soften people’s hearts. Since the young man before him appeared kind, getting him to agree wouldn’t be difficult.

Jian Ye considered an autograph a small matter, so he readily agreed. “Where should I sign?”

Jin Bo’s presence here wasn’t impulsive; he had come prepared. He had discreetly taken Qiu Yuelun’s racing gloves, which his friend had discarded earlier, while Qiu Yuelun was still dazed. The venue was a little warm, and Qiu Yuelun had just entered.

“Here! My buddy is a race car driver; his skills are incredible!” Jin Bo handed over the gloves.

Jian Ye took the pen and began to consider where to sign, his attitude remaining pleasant. “Oh, really? That’s amazing!”

“How about I introduce you to my brother? He’d definitely take you for a spin in his race car! It’s super thrilling!”

Jian Ye thought to himself that this person was quite friendly. They had just met, yet he already seemed so familiar. How interesting. He didn’t respond to the offer, instead handing back the signed gloves with a smile. “Here you go. If fate allows, we’ll meet again.”

The refusal was quite clear. Jin Bo rubbed his nose, unwilling to push further. Getting an autograph was already a great success; his worst-case scenario had been not getting one at all. In any case, they weren’t in a hurry to return to Z City, so there would indeed be plenty of opportunities to meet again in the future.

Watching Jin Bo depart, Jian Ye slowly exhaled.

[Jian Ye: I have a green tea persona, but my charisma suddenly increased, and I’m not used to it.]

[System 748: This is somewhat related to the host achieving the second stage. Each stage upgrade also modifies the host’s personal magnetic field.]

[Jian Ye: Hmph, so it was you systems messing around! I thought my own charm had genuinely increased.]

[System 748: No, the main reason is that the host works very hard! The system is just an auxiliary. It’s because the host is excellent and possesses charm that the magnetic field bestowed by the system can take effect.]

[Jian Ye: So it’s like adding a buff, then?]

[System 748: You could say that, hehe. Once the host experiences the rewards of this upgrade, you’ll understand its meaning even better.]

Jian Ye was often left bewildered by the system’s words, too lazy to delve deeper. He rose and went to the washroom to clean off the makeup he hadn’t fully removed after his performance.

After a long wait, the performances outside were drawing to a close. The host delivered the final curtain call, and the audience rose to their feet, applauding. Some people left immediately, while others lingered, hoping to see the cast take a group photo.

All the students who had participated in the cultural gala now stood on stage. After the photographer below arranged their positions, everyone chorused “Cheese,” and the moment was captured.

Jian Ye had long noticed a certain man standing in the audience, as well as Mo Huan behind him, and the young man who had asked for his autograph backstage. Beside him now stood another person: a strikingly flamboyant young man with a fiery red head of hair.

They were all staring intently at him. In his original world, Jian Ye was accustomed to facing cameras and the scrutiny of others. By all rights, he should have been used to it, yet at this moment, being stared at by these few individuals made him want to hide in a shelter.

Why did he feel this way? It was strange…

Once everything concluded, Jian Ye was about to greet Yi Siyu when Mo Huan, Jin Bo, and the others rushed forward.

“Junior Jian, you said you were going home for dinner. Let me give you a ride,” Mo Huan offered.

“Take my buddy’s car! He has plenty of cars, if nothing else!” Jin Bo pointed to the person beside him. “This is the good brother I told you about. His name is Qiu—mmph!”

Before he could finish, Jin Bo’s mouth was clamped shut by the other man’s hand. Qiu Yuelun’s ears, meanwhile, were burning crimson.

This simpleton really was just going to hit on him directly! He wasn’t ready yet! He wondered if his car had any strange smells. He should have washed it thoroughly before driving here. If the other party actually agreed to ride in his car, what should he say during the drive?

Qiu Yuelun’s face flushed as he brainstormed, practically boiling himself alive.

Jian Ye, however, caught a glimpse through the gaps between the people, seeing his CEO husband’s face instantly darken.

Jian Ye: ‘…’ For some reason, he felt a little guilty.

Though he thought this, Jian Ye took a step back, swallowed, and refused. “No need, someone is picking me up. I won’t chat much longer; I need to go backstage to change.”

Without waiting for their reply, he slipped away like a little rabbit, leaving them in his dust.

As Jian Ye ran towards the changing room, he sent a message to Yi Siyu.

[It’s Ye Not Zhui]: You drove here, right? Go back to your car first; I’ll be there after I change.

[Yu]: Are there other people in the changing room?

Jian Ye looked at the message, puzzled, not quite understanding why the other person would suddenly ask that. Still, he answered honestly.

[It’s Ye Not Zhui]: I was delayed a bit, but now I see everyone has changed and left. It should be empty.

[Yu]: If there are people, don’t change yet.

Jian Ye smiled, seemingly understanding his meaning.

[It’s Ye Not Zhui]: The changing rooms here have stalls, not what you’re imagining.

Tsk, are married men really so particular? They say domineering CEOs are possessive of their belongings. Even if there was no love between them, they were legally bound. Suddenly, he could understand the man’s thoughts. It was like animals marking their territory; the specific use didn’t matter, they simply didn’t want other wild beasts entering their domain.

Jian Ye entered one of the stalls, just as he was about to close the door. In a flash of lightning, a large hand reached in, blocking the door.

Jian Ye’s heart gave a violent leap. Just as he thought there was a pervert in the changing room, a tall, familiar figure squeezed inside.

The door closed and was locked, all in one smooth motion.