Gu Yi had barely begun making waves as a livestreamer when the platform already had its eye on him.

They first approached Xingyao Entertainment, but the company had no real strategy for Vic’s members doing livestreams. From the start, it had all been a gamble.

A “throw them at the wall and see who sticks” kind of gamble.

And somehow—they actually hit the jackpot.

The platform team couldn’t help but marvel at Xingyao’s blind luck.

Cultivating a successful streamer required a hefty investment. Even the most popular streamers today had clawed their way up from obscurity over time.

But Gu Yi had become one of the hottest names in the educational streaming category in under a month.

That kind of speed was… staggering.

And the fact that he did it as an idol from a boy group, while teaching civil service exam prep of all things, made him a total anomaly—he dominated discussions just by existing.

If Gu Yi had been a platform-signed host, they would’ve already planned out his long-term career. But since he wasn’t, and Xingyao was now trying to bundle in the rest of Vic’s members into the deal, the platform decided to cut out the middleman and contact Gu Yi directly.

Gu Yi looked through the contract.

It laid out specific requirements for stream frequency and duration. He frowned. “I’m not sure I can commit to all that.”

“Those terms are negotiable,” the rep replied quickly.

The contract even offered him a base salary—one that blew Xingyao’s compensation out of the water. Tempting? Definitely. But the restrictions were numerous, and even a quick skim revealed over ten clauses he wasn’t okay with.

The platform had thought Xingyao was hard to deal with.

Turns out Gu Yi himself was worse.

But they couldn’t afford to walk away. Gu Yi had already joined Battle of the Stars—sooner or later, the entire internet would know him not as an idol or a tutor, but as both. If they didn’t secure him now, their competitors surely would.

What choice did they have?

Back to redrafting the contract.

---

Gu Yi had promised his fans he’d go burn incense for good luck at Lingshan Temple. He wasn’t all that familiar with S City, but he knew the temple was out in the suburbs and pretty well-known for having a strong spiritual presence.

Of course, for something like this, he first asked Auntie Wang. He messaged her on WeChat, and she responded almost immediately:
“Old Zhang, Old Zhou, plus Auntie Xu and Auntie Pan from our team are going too. Come along with us!”

There was no refusing Auntie Wang. If he said no, she’d just show up with more energy and physically drag him along. Better to go quietly.

Before retirement, she’d been the Women’s Federation director of their street committee—a pro at organizing the masses. As soon as she said the word, the entire dance team was in.

So, the next morning, a massive 33-seater bus rolled up in front of Gu Yi.

Gu Yi: “…We are going to Lingshan Temple, right?”

Watching the aunties and uncles climb on board in perfect order, he gave up and obediently took the seat beside the driver.

Honestly?

His heart was still. He was even starting to embrace the absurdity.

As Hecheng Community’s top performing arts group, the moment they arrived at the temple gates, the whole team pulled out their banners for photos—one from the local cultural association, one from the senior citizens’ league, another from the square dance and poetry club.

Gu Yi stepped forward to help take pictures, but Auntie Wang waved him off:
“Xiao Gu, come pose with us! Uncle Zhang can handle the camera.”

Uncle Zhang, deadpan, took the camera. He muttered under his breath,
“Back in the day, I used to be the one in the centre of the photo.”

Gu Yi: “…”

Meanwhile, the aunties were giddy.
“Gotta get a photo with Xiao Gu to show my daughter!”
“Same here! My granddaughter made me promise to get a selfie with him!”

He hadn’t even set foot inside the temple, and he was already in dozens of pictures.

Thankfully, the aunties didn’t forget the main purpose of the trip. They expertly bought incense and candles for him—they were locals and knew how to avoid the tourist traps. If Gu Yi had gone alone, he would’ve paid triple.

He quietly posted in the exam prep group:
“Should I just pray for a high provincial exam score?”
Along with a picture of the incense.

“! Teacher Gu really went??”
“I’m crying, the almighty Gu is praying for someone like me…”
“All I want is your brain, Gu-god. The incense is optional.”
“Just praying for a smooth test. 80 on logic, 80 on essay. Sending hearts!”

Gu Yi took note of all their requests.

There was a ritual to incense burning—where to stand, how to hold it, what posture to use. Gu Yi had no idea, so he followed the aunties’ instructions.

He dressed more formally than usual. After all, he wasn’t praying for himself, but for his fans. That called for a little reverence.

“Thank you, Teacher Gu!”
“You’re my Superman!”

While fans showered him with praise in their group chat, a thread on a gossip forum was quietly gaining traction at the same time:

“Went to Lingshan Temple today and saw the most gorgeous guy ever.”

“I swear, he’s the best-looking guy I’ve ever seen in person.”

【How good-looking can a regular guy be?】
【Every OP says this. Last time it was some “S City Yang Yuzhou” and “C Province Ji Heng” and they looked like swamp monsters.】
【And someone claimed their ‘aura’ was 6’2”—dude was 169.5cm, with lifts. Criminal.】

The OP didn’t argue. They simply posted a photo.

“Not lying. See for yourselves.”

Morning sunlight bathed the trees at the temple gates in rich, golden hues. The plaza, surrounded by greenery, was already bustling with tourists—but near the incense altar, one figure stood out like a spotlight had been cast on him.

Sharp features. Black hair and eyes. Even with his head bowed, his side profile alone was mesmerizing. When he looked up—

It was as if the photo spoke.

【This is exactly how I imagined the male lead from A Letter on My Desk.】
【I swear I saw Shen Yao himself come to life.】
【These pics aren’t even touched up. Face-wise? Shen Yao incarnate.】

A Letter on My Desk was a massively popular campus novel that had taken the internet by storm. The rights had been snapped up for a TV adaptation years ago, but the male lead, Shen Yao, still hadn’t been cast.

Until now.

Letter on My Desk had a massive following, and the male lead, Shen Yao, had just as many diehard fans as the top young actors in the industry. Marketing accounts had once cycled through every A- and B-list male celeb for casting guesses, but none of them satisfied the book fans.

【Wait, isn’t this Gu Yi from Vic? He looks so much better in real life than in that official promo photo!】

Gu Yi had gained some visibility thanks to his square dance video and upcoming appearance on Battle of the Stars, but overall, he was still under the radar.

【He’s in Vic’s J-Team??? What’s going on with Vic?】

【Zhu Yu and Lu Xuan from A-Team are nowhere near this level of handsome. How did he end up in the worst-tier squad???】

【It’s because Gu Yi used to ruin his own looks. Now he’s let himself recover—and boom, every pic is a slay.】

【Just watched his square dance clip. He’s too good-looking! No way someone like this should be buried!】

The original poster, now fully vindicated, reappeared:
“Looks like Gu Yi came here with a group of retirees. I didn’t mean to blow this up. I’m literally just… undercover in the grandma squad right now.”

【Please… send more pics 🙏】

At first, the post had attracted little attention. But as more and more photos were added, it skyrocketed—becoming the top trending thread on the gossip forum that day.

【This is insane. Whether he’s smiling or stone-faced, the man’s beauty is offensive.】

“Right now I just want to transform into one of those community aunties so I can get a radiant smile from this god-tier man.”

【Apparently Hecheng Community is recruiting volunteers. Gu Yi is listed as one of their cultural ambassadors.】

【Count me in. Where do I sign up?】

—

Gu Yi and Auntie Wang’s group didn’t just visit the temple—they went on a hike too. And he had to admit: the aunties and uncles were shockingly fit. Even with all his recent dance training, Gu Yi couldn’t keep up with them on the trail.

During their break, the group began chatting about volunteer work. Their community was working toward a “civilized neighbourhood” certification, but they didn’t have enough young people willing to help out. The community staff didn’t feel comfortable relying entirely on senior citizens.

“Xiao Qiao from the community office has asked me several times to rally the residents,” Auntie Wang said. “I’ve asked in the chat group, but no one ever replies.”

“It’s not like we’re allowed to go,” one uncle muttered.

“It’s boiling hot outside,” another auntie added. “And they want us standing on street corners guiding traffic and promoting good behaviour? We’d scare poor Xiao Qiao half to death.”

Uncle Zhang opened a cooler bag and handed out popsicles. “Xiao Gu, have one.”

Gu Yi would’ve liked to help—but Battle of the Stars was starting next week, and he was already working overtime in dance rehearsals. He simply didn’t have the time.

The dance team wasn’t about to let him volunteer, either. In their eyes, Gu Yi had already gone above and beyond with the Chaoyang Cup. They couldn’t bear to see him get dragged into more responsibilities.

“We’ll think of something for Xiao Qiao,” Auntie Wang said. “I’ll reach out to her tomorrow.”

As the bus left Lingshan Temple, the aunties were still brainstorming. Gu Yi closed his eyes for just a moment… and was fast asleep before he knew it.

—

The next day was the C-Province Civil Service Exam. S City’s testing sites were notoriously remote, and Gu Yi had heard fans complain about it repeatedly. He got up early that morning, hoping to catch some post-exam chatter.

Just after brushing his teeth, he saw that he’d been tagged in the neighbourhood WeChat group.

He opened the app.

The group was exploding:
“Welcome home, our hero Xiao Gu!”

Gu Yi: “…”

He was instantly drowned in a flood of colorful middle-aged emoji packs.

And he still had no idea what had happened.

Auntie Wang sent a gleeful voice message:
“…Xiao Qiao told me she got over a dozen phone calls first thing this morning, all asking if volunteering at our community meant getting to meet Xiao Gu!”

“She said yes, and now all the young people are signing up with huge smiles on their faces.”

“…Even the neighbouring community wants to borrow Xiao Gu. I told them: sorry, he’s ours. You couldn’t afford him.”

“Starting rate: 1,000 yuan. No upper limit.”

“We can’t let them ‘borrow’ him just to sabotage us during the Chaoyang Cup!”

“Exactly!”

Gu Yi: “…”

Okay. That’s… a bit much.