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Perhaps Chi Yizhen had asked too earnestly, but He Tiao surprisingly didn’t react immediately.
Chi Yizhen took advantage of the other’s dazed state and stared at him for quite a while.
He found that this man, who resembled his ideal paper-thin character, was indeed very good-looking.
At this moment, the slight disarray in the man’s appearance, due to his recent confusion, only added to his handsomeness. It even made Chi Yizhen feel a subtle desire to tease.
“Me?”
He Tiao finally caught on but realized that the person who had asked the question had already put on his pants and was squatting at the bedside table, tearing off a piece of paper and scribbling something.
“I’m sorry, but I’m extremely, extremely broke right now. Can I owe you?”
Chi Yizhen handed the note to He Tiao, and it turned out to be a very concise IOU.
It had the date, time, and place, and at the end, there was even a flashy signature.
The last character, “真,” could barely be recognized.
He Tiao was about to mention that Chi Yizhen was wearing his shirt when Chi Yizhen’s phone rang.
“Hello?”
“I’m… I’m at Spring Tide Hotel, yes, the outrageously expensive one.”
The caller ID displayed “Brother Chen,” and Chi Yizhen had glanced at his phone after unlocking it.
The username set on the device was the real name of this body, Chi Yizhen.
He had actually woken up in the world of “After Transforming from a Top scum, I Became the Top Star in the Entertainment Industry”?!!
And he had become the miserable character Chi Yishen, with only a one-letter difference in the name.
This was too tragic.
Chi Yizhen couldn’t help but feel his own pain.
Not to mention the roaring man on the other end of the phone right now.
“What?! Spring Tide Hotel?”
“What are you doing there? I remember you said you had no money left after paying the medical bills yesterday.”
The former manager was penniless, and his voice was loud. Chi Yizhen hurriedly interrupted him.
“I’m waiting for you at the entrance.”
The phone’s schedule also showed many appointments, all of which were part-time jobs that the original owner was supposed to do.
Chi Yizhen had a splitting headache and had no intention of saying more to the man in the bed, who seemed to be mourning his lost virginity. He simply waved his hand.
“I’m leaving now; we can discuss any issues online.”
He Tiao: “…”
The door slammed shut. He hesitated for a moment, staring at the messy IOU with the name “Chi Yizhen.”
“Chi? Yizhen.”
It sounded somewhat familiar, like he had heard it somewhere before.
Before He Tiao had a chance to think it through, he heard his own phone ringing.
With only one person left in the room, he no longer bothered to hide. He found his phone under the bed.
The voice of Deputy General Manager Du Binbai was as cheerful as a wedding bell, as if his daughter was getting married today.
“Has our General Manager He woken up? Just now, Sister Mia called me and asked me to come pick you up.”
The way Du Binbai spoke was casual, and He Tiao pinched his brow. He asked calmly, “Don’t you know that I called you yesterday to come pick me up? Didn’t I call you?”
Du Binbai said, “You didn’t call me.”
Last night was the day of the annual senior management team-building event at Star Trails Technology. He Tiao didn’t attend and instead met with Xiao Zhang, the CEO of Xianggua Entertainment, at the neighboring club of the Spring Tide Hotel.
Xiao Zhang was currently a top-tier reality show producer in China, and he didn’t mention that he had been introduced by Director Qi.
They had a drink together, just like that.
He Tiao had been single-mindedly searching for clues about his birth mother, so he ended up drinking more than he intended.
Little did he expect that after a few rounds of drinks, it was he who got drunk first because of the alcohol ordered by Zhang Miya.
Of course, they hadn’t accomplished anything, and the conversation had been disjointed.
The fragmented memories were hazy, and He Tiao could only recall something about an exchange.
But he was the owner of a gaming company, so where would he get the resources for exchanges in the entertainment industry?
Now, He Tiao’s clothes had been taken by someone else, and his dizziness and frustration were overwhelming. He wasn’t particularly polite to Du Binbai, his senior and deputy general manager.
“Hurry up and come pick me up, and bring a set of clothes with you.”
On the other end of the line, Du Binbai was laughing like a crowing rooster, unable to conceal his gossip-filled heart. He asked with great enthusiasm, “So, it turns out your overnight stay wasn’t so innocent, huh?”
He Tiao thought about the handsome man who had left in a hurry just moments ago and that provocative sentence he had uttered.
The usual confident tone was interrupted by a rare curse.
“Get lost!”
As Chi Yizhen hurriedly descended the stairs, the memories of the original owner continued to flood his mind, including the reason for his visit to the Spring Tide Hotel.
Chi Yizhen had come to retrieve an heirloom belonging to Chi Yiming. However, it seemed that something had gone wrong. Not only did he fail to retrieve the heirloom, but he had also inexplicably slept with someone.
It felt like sleeping, yet not completely. The other person had seemed…
The hotel was unusually quiet early in the morning.
As Chi Yizhen stepped out of the elevator, he instinctively adjusted his mask. He had an ominous feeling in his heart. Instead of heading towards the main entrance, he changed course and headed for the back door.
Little did he know that as he pushed open the door, he would be met with a group of paparazzi holding their cameras, all rushing towards him when they saw him.
“Here he is!”
“Chi Yizhen! Is it true that you’ve been exchanging your body for resources?”
The intense shutter sounds and flashing lights were causing Chi Yizhen intense distress.
After becoming famous, Chi Yizhen had been well-protected by his talent agency. Even when attending events, everything was carefully planned, and he never faced a situation like this before.
Instinctively, Chi Yizhen took a step back. Just then, an old beat-up pickup truck came into view. He dashed toward it without thinking.
Even the paparazzi, specially brought here for this purpose, were caught off guard by the sudden turn of events.
The person in the pickup truck opened the passenger door just in time, and Chi Yizhen rushed toward it.
The chasing paparazzi followed.
For a moment, chaos ensued, drawing the attention of street cleaners who had paused their work to watch the commotion.
Wearing a bathrobe and just opening the curtains, He Heai saw this scene.
The slim figure in the crowd was running swiftly, almost jumping into the car and closing the door at the same time. The beat-up pickup truck sped away.
He Heai glanced at the paparazzi who hadn’t dispersed yet.
Then he looked in the direction the car had disappeared into.
The “IOU” left behind by the person who had spent the night was still clutched in his hand, with the three words “Chi Yizhen” crumpled on it.
But it was still easy to distinguish between “zhen” and “shen.”
Did he write it wrong in a hurry?
He Tiao looked carefully at the extremely concise IOU.
Finally, he opened the search bar on his phone and entered the three characters one by one.
He remembered.
Yesterday, when they had just started drinking with Zhang Miya, she mentioned this name:
“Yu Yuxing actually used his schedule to deal with me. Doesn’t he just think it’s not cost-effective for him and his husband, Sheng Xin, to participate in the variety show together?”
“Hehe, when he agreed initially, he was fine. Now, he’s raising his status and wants to step on me? Does he think that I can’t find a replacement?”
The woman sitting across from him had a distorted expression. She slammed the table in the private room, causing everything, including the wine glasses, to vibrate.
“He’s about to ditch the show just before it starts. Does he think I can’t find a replacement? He’s just an understudy who managed to take the lead. Does he think this is enough to satisfy me?”
Zhang Miya was a heavy drinker and loved to persuade others to drink. Last night, while listening to her talk, He Tiao had to keep his glass filled.
“He even tried to suppress the other party after turning Chi Yishen into what he is now. Well, then I’ll use him.”
He Tiao tried hard to recall the fragmented memories from last night.
When Du Binbai arrived to pick him up and saw his dear boss, He Tiao, looking particularly downcast, he couldn’t help but wonder.
“Is there something wrong? The hotel doesn’t offer any special services, and you don’t need to look so…”
He Tiao interrupted him with a serious expression, “Of course not.”
Du Binbai looked shocked and asked with disbelief, “It couldn’t be, right? Did something adult happen?”
He Tiao’s hand, wearing a wristwatch, paused for a moment, and he denied firmly, “Absolutely not.”
Du Binbai, being naturally talkative, continued to inquire without waiting for He Tiao to respond, “What does this person look like?”
“What kind of person is he?” Du Binbai continued.
“Is he seductive or innocent?”
“Inno…”
He Tiao almost let it slip but quickly closed his mouth, avoiding the question.
“Can you stop being so curious?” He Tiao complained.
“Alright, alright,” the blond vice-president nodded, “So, what did you talk about with Miya?”
He Tiao’s headache intensified. His mind was now filled with thoughts of excessive contact with Chi Yizhen. After struggling for a while, he managed to say, “I forgot.”
Du Binbai asked, “What?”
At that moment, He Tiao received a new message on his phone from General Manager Xiao Zhang.
The document had a striking title: “Invitation to the Variety Show ‘My Days in the Apartment building.”
He Tiao closed his eyes for a moment, then focused on the bold letters that read “15 Days of Love and Co-habitation Reality Show.”
The traffic light turned red, and Du Binbai noticed that He Tiao was lost in thought. He glanced at the document and exclaimed, “Damn, are you planning to debut?”
He Tiao had already been annoyed by Du Binbai’s incessant chatter during the journey. He rarely let his calm demeanor slip, but he couldn’t take it anymore. He said firmly, “Could you please be quiet for a moment?”
At the same time, various online marketing accounts began spreading the hot gossip of the day:
“EntertainmentStarLand: Chi Yishen is rumored to have a new relationship and was seen entering the Spring Tide Hotel with another man.”
The news and discussions continued to escalate on social media:
BigSaltShaker: OMG, this is insane! The once blacklisted Chi Yishen was caught entering and exiting a high-end hotel with a man!
Comments were pouring in:
– “OMG!!! Spring Tide Hotel!!! That’s some high-class stuff! The minimum price is a five-figure number, and it starts with a nine.”
– “Wait, isn’t there a famous bar right next door?”
– “Isn’t Chi Yishen straight? Why is he with a man…”
– “Damn, let me grab my 500-page novel about the entertainment industry’s rich and gossipy melons! I remember this guy had a miserable life!”
– “I haven’t heard about him in ages, only knew something big happened in his family…”
– “Aren’t you guys afraid of catching someone’s attention with such big names?”
The online buzz surrounding Chi Yishen’s situation was intensifying rapidly.
The discussion on social media continued:
– “Hahaha, can we even talk about this? But those few clips show that Chi Yishen looks really good!! A bit blurry, but still quite handsome! Who said he’s not as good as You Yuxing?”
– “Can we talk about the fact that they took down White Moonlight by replacing him and messing up with his husband? Don’t they dare delete this post!”
– “Can you share that 500-page PDF? Please, I also want to see the melodramatic love, hate, and drama in the rich and gossipy world!”
– “Chi Yishen was also my childhood male god. I remember he started acting when he was just a teenager, right? It might look cringy now, but his looks could carry it. Take a look at this bunch nowadays… my eyes 5555.”
– “I always thought he was quite old, but then I searched, and he’s only twenty-five???”
– “Someone mentioned they saw him during an extra’s audition, but they rejected him despite Chi Yishen looking like this… Definitely some targeting going on here! (I’m going to say it!)…”
The online discussion was a mix of nostalgia for Chi Yishen’s earlier career, sympathy for his situation, and anger towards those responsible for his downfall.
The news that somehow made it to the trending topics, thanks to someone’s manipulation, didn’t have the expected effect. Even the puppet master behind it didn’t anticipate it would go this far.
Aren’t any of you going to condemn the fact that he made an appointment with a man? Didn’t his gay act pique your interest?
Meanwhile, early in the morning, Chi Yizhen, who had managed to escape from the relentless paparazzi, sat panting in the passenger seat of the pickup truck. He opened the small sandwich Chen Linan had handed him and ate it while searching for water.
He was wearing a shirt that was obviously too big for him, and his jacket was several sizes too large, making him look much younger than his actual age.
Chen Linan watched Chi Yizhen with a sigh and asked, “What were you doing in there? How did you manage to get out? And those paparazzi, where did they come from? Damn, those two slimy dog-like men just wouldn’t let you go?”
Chi Yizhen was about to answer when his phone rang. Chen Linan saw that he was preoccupied, so he answered it for him.
The voice on the other end got straight to the point, saying, “Mr. Chi Yishen, I’m Zhang Miya from Xianggua Entertainment. Are you interested in participating in our upcoming reality dating show?”
Note: Chi Yizhen found himself inside a book/Novel, taking on the role of Chi Yishen, which is why you might see different spellings of their name. 😊.