Chapter 62: Inviting the Wolf Into the House

“Oh.” Lian Youyou responded absentmindedly.

She didn’t feel the slightest bit nervous—only somewhat sentimental at how endlessly creative variety shows of this era had become.

The two exited the elevator and were heading out, but before they even reached the lobby doors, a figure suddenly darted out and blocked their path.

The person promptly fell to her knees before them, her voice hoarse with tears as she cried, “Sister Youyou, please let me stay and work with you!”

Lian Youyou looked at the disheveled, bruised woman before her. “Excuse me, and you are?”

Coco quietly reminded her, “She’s Fan Xiaoyun’s assistant, Xiao Shu.”

“So you’re Fan Xiaoyun’s assistant—why have you come to me?” Lian Youyou tilted her head. “Judging by your appearance, don’t tell me someone beat you up?”

Xiao Shu knelt there, sobbing and sniffling, “Sister Youyou, I only lost one of Fan Xiaoyun’s diamond earrings. She insists I stole it, and when I denied it, she had someone beat me up like this. It’s not even the first time she’s hit me. I really can’t stay with her any longer. I beg you, please take me in!”

Her wailing was so loud that it drew all sorts of curious glances from the people moving through the lobby.

“Get up first,” Lian Youyou said, uneasy under the scrutiny of strangers. “I agree—”

“Youyou!” Coco interrupted before she could finish, dragging Lian Youyou straight outside the company building.

“Youyou, think carefully!” Coco whispered, glancing nervously back inside as if afraid Xiao Shu might overhear. “Don’t be so quick to agree! I think she’s using the sympathy card—there must be some scheme behind this!”

Compared to Coco’s anxiety, Lian Youyou smiled easily. “Coco, you say she has a scheme—do you have any proof?”

“Proof?” Coco hesitated. “Well, no, not exactly. But I have a feeling! Think of all the things Fan Xiaoyun’s done to you, and Xiao Shu’s dogged attitude before—neither of them seem like good people to me!”

“If there’s no proof, don’t jump to conclusions.” Lian Youyou patted Coco’s shoulder. “Everyone has their low moments. Don’t be so quick to think the worst of people.”

“But… but…”

Before Coco could finish, Lian Youyou was already striding back toward Xiao Shu, who still knelt in the lobby.

“Come on, get up,” Lian Youyou said, helping her to her feet. “I’m just a newcomer; I don’t need so many assistants. Coco is enough. But it just so happens that Coco is planning to visit her parents in Australia for the New Year. Until she returns after the holiday, you can be my assistant temporarily. When Coco comes back, I’ll have Richard arrange other work for you.”

Coco, having caught up, was beside herself. “Youyou, are you out of your mind? How could you—”

She hadn’t even said she was spending the New Year in Australia, yet Youyou had already made the decision for her.

“It’s settled,” Lian Youyou declared cheerfully. “Coco, just enjoy your holiday. Leave everything else to me.”

Xiao Shu gazed at Lian Youyou with teary gratitude. “Thank you, Sister Youyou…”

“All right, I have a variety show to catch now. Go home first; Richard will arrange everything for you,” Lian Youyou said, tidying Xiao Shu’s messy hair. “Before Coco leaves, she’ll hand over her duties to you.”

Once in the nanny van, Coco sulked, “Youyou, you’re too naive! How could you let her join our New Star so easily? Isn’t this inviting a wolf into the house?”

“If you don’t let the wolf in, how can you trap it?” Lian Youyou’s lips curled in a faint smile. “What do you think?”

The New Year’s special episode of “I Want to Shout My Love for You” was being filmed at an amusement park in neighboring Y City. There were three groups of guests, one of which was a very popular regular CP. Responding to overwhelming fan requests, they’d agreed to participate in this special.

Lian Youyou lived nearby and arrived first—the other guests had yet to appear.

At the entrance, a staff member dressed as a mascot handed her a pink bunny-ear hair clip. She put it on, the innocent, playful look suiting her perfectly. Her fair cheeks flushed with pink as she smiled; she was lovely and charming, drawing so many admiring glances that people disregarded the production's no-photo rule, sneaking pictures of her beauty whenever they could.

A crowd of fans had also gathered at the park, held back by staff at the perimeter. Everyone held up glowing signs bearing their idols’ names, craning their necks in anticipation of their favorites’ arrival.

Apart from the regular CP’s popular signs, most of the other fans’ signs bore the name “Tong Xing.”

“Tong Xing… why does that name sound so familiar?”

It was on the tip of her tongue, but Lian Youyou just couldn’t recall where she’d heard it.

“Youyou, Tong Xing is a member of a Korean boy group. He’s actually from Binhai, left high school early when a Korean talent scout discovered him, and went to Korea to become a trainee. He only returned to China last year. You probably saw his name online,” Coco explained.

“It wasn’t online…”

She’d never been interested in chasing stars, except maybe Yamashita Tomohisa from J Family.

Where had she heard that name?

Soon, Lian Youyou saw an SUV pull into the parking lot. Two women got out, one wearing sunglasses, the other holding a parasol over her head.

A parasol in winter?

The woman in sunglasses was tall and slender, walking slowly and confidently to the gathering point. She slid her manicured fingers along the arm of her sunglasses, lowering them to the bridge of her nose. With her captivating, fox-like eyes, she shot Lian Youyou a sidelong glance. “You must be the newly signed Lian Youyou, the one personally managed by Richard?”

“Yes. Hello, Sister Shiqi!” Lian Youyou replied politely, unbothered by the woman’s flippant tone.

She didn’t need any introductions—the overwhelming height alone told Lian Youyou that this was Zhu Shiqi, the supermodel on the guest list.

“Hmph, even little nobodies have come to join the chaos,” Zhu Shiqi sneered openly.

…

The entertainment industry’s hierarchy was indeed strict.

The supermodel’s treatment was leagues above a small-time artist like her. As soon as Zhu Shiqi arrived, the director and main crew members hurried to carry her chair and hand her hand-warmers, falling over themselves to please her.

Coco whispered, “I heard Zhu Shiqi’s CP this time is Tong Xing. Once he arrives, their heat online will even overshadow the show’s most popular regular pair.”

“Tong Xing is that popular? Even more than Fu Yuanye?” The only male artist Lian Youyou got along with was Fu Yuanye.

“He can’t compare to Brother Yuanye yet—Yuanye’s been famous for years and is now transitioning to a more serious actor. Tong Xing is just this year’s breakout heartthrob.”

One group was the regular, high-traffic CP; another was a supermodel and a top idol. It seemed she was just there to make up the numbers…

All the guests had arrived except Tong Xing. The sunshine was so warm that Lian Youyou was getting drowsy.

Suddenly, screams erupted outside the amusement park. The commotion was obvious—not just fans screaming, but people being jostled and pushed. Some petite girls in the middle were nearly knocked over several times.

Tong Xing, wearing headphones and surrounded by bodyguards, walked toward the production team, maintaining a friendly-looking smile and greeting fans on either side.

Lian Youyou clicked her tongue. For a mere traffic star, the procession was certainly grand.

Even Zhu Shiqi, who had been cold as ice since her arrival, broke into a smile as she rushed over to Tong Xing for fan photos.

“Youyou, see? Zhu Shiqi is clearly trying to ride Tong Xing’s popularity,” Coco muttered. “She’ll only get to show off for a day, hmph!”

Lian Youyou looked at Tong Xing’s face—not quite masculine, not quite feminine, too delicate for her tastes.

Suddenly, Tong Xing turned his head. Lian Youyou was caught off guard as their eyes met.

“Youyou, is it really you?” Tong Xing removed his headphones, astonished.

“What?” Did she know Tong Xing?

Ignoring Zhu Shiqi, Tong Xing strode straight to Lian Youyou and grabbed her hand. “You haven’t forgotten me, have you? I’m Tong Xing!”

…

So, yet another of her daughter’s friends…

Left hanging, Zhu Shiqi was displeased, but since she still wanted to benefit from Tong Xing’s popularity, she forced a smile. “Tong Xing, I’m supposed to be your CP.”

But Tong Xing only had eyes for Lian Youyou. “When I saw you online, I thought it was just someone with the same name. Turns out, it’s really you. Youyou, you’ve changed so much over the years—become more beautiful, almost unrecognizable. But your eyes don’t lie; you’re still the same Lian Youyou!”

With that, realization dawned on Lian Youyou—she’d seen the name Tong Xing in her daughter’s diary!

Tong Xing had been her daughter’s high school classmate, even her first love, though they’d only ever held hands—never even kissed.

It wasn’t innocence that kept them from getting closer. As her daughter wrote in her diary, the campus heartthrob Tong Xing never truly liked her; he pursued her only because she ranked first in their grade, and he needed her help to cheat on exams.