Chapter 7

The bass reverberated through the club, a relentless beat pulsing through the crowd. Neon lights flickered across the room, illuminating swaying bodies, clinking glasses, and glittering outfits. Amid the chaos of noise and movement, Xu Yichen leaned against the sleek bar counter, a glass of whiskey resting in his hand.

He was dressed impeccably, as always crisp, understated, and effortlessly sharp. His dark suit tailored perfectly, a subtle but undeniable testament to his meticulous personality. Next to him, Ren Jiuxiao and his closest friend, downed his own drink with an exasperated sigh.

"Why do I let you drag me to these places?" Ren Jiuxiao grumbled beside him, swirling the remnants of his cocktail. His voice was low, roughened by exhaustion, or maybe frustration.

Xu Yichen just shrugged. "Because you secretly enjoy the company of the unpolished masses," Xu Yichen replied, smirking. "Besides, it's good for your image. Judges need to seem relatable."

Ren scoffed. "Relatable, my ass. The only reason I joined is because you are, unfortunately, my best friend. If one more contestant tries to charm their way into a higher score, I might walk off set. I don't know why I ended up agreeing to this," Ren muttered, setting his empty glass down.

"Because I'm also your boss." Xu Yichen replied smoothly, his voice cutting through the din like silk over steel. "Consider it a break from all the 'pure talent' and 'underdog charm' you've been forced to sift through."

Ren snorted, signaling the bartender for another drink. "Fair point. Some of those auditions could've been classified as noise pollution."

Xu Yichen smirked, swirling the amber liquid in his glass. His gaze swept across the room lazily, indifferent to the sea of faces. Clubs like this weren't his usual scene, but since this was part of the plot, he had no choice but to come so he just dragged someone to suffer with him.

That's when he noticed her.

She stood a few meters away, her delicate frame swaying unsteadily as though the alcohol had finally caught up with her. Her cheeks were flushed, her wide, doe-like eyes shimmering under the dim lights. Lin Yuqing.

Xu Yichen's eyes narrowed slightly.

Her presence wasn't entirely unexpected. The entertainment industry was small, and ambitious newcomers often frequented places like these, hoping to "accidentally" bump into someone influential. 

Lin Yuqing, the supposed pure-hearted female lead of this world, had already caught his attention during the auditions. Not for her talent, but for her guile hidden behind a mask of innocence.

The plot only stated that she caught his attention during the audition, it never mentioned the reason behind it.

"Looks like we've got company," Xu Yichen remarked, nodding subtly in her direction.

Ren Jiuxiao turned, following his gaze, and frowned. "Who is she?" he frowned as she approached, confusion flickering across his face. "Do I know her?"

Xu Yichen's lips curved into a faint, sardonic smile. "Lin Yuqing. One of the contestants. She's a promising little actress, if only for her ability to act outside the camera," Xu Yichen replied dryly.

Before Ren Jiuxiao could respond, Lin Yuqing was upon them, drunkenly stumbling over, to Xu Yichen's amusement and the system's distraught, she fell on Ren Jiuxiao instead of Xu Yichen" a picture of flustered apology. Her hand grazed Ren's arm as she gave him a shy, almost embarrassed smile.

Ren Jiuxiao's brow furrowed as Lin Yuqing stumbled closer, her movements deliberate despite the pretense of drunkenness. She reached out, her hand brushing against his arm as she offered a shy, almost bashful smile.

"Oh, excuse me," she said, her voice soft and slightly slurred. "I didn't mean to bump into you..."

Ren Jiuxiao stepped back, his posture stiffening. "No problem," he said curtly, clearly uncomfortable.

Lin Yuqing tilted her head, blinking up at him with wide, seemingly innocent eyes. "You… you look familiar. Are you in the industry? I feel like I've seen you somewhere before."

"Wait! Wait! Wait! Why did she fall on him?! Ahh~ No, this is wrong! She should have fallen on you!" The system fretted while Xu Yichen watched the scene unfold in amusement.

Of course she won't fall on him. In the plot 'Ji Xuan' did not make his presence unknown. He sat at the judge's table and from the very start, it was clear he was in-charge but Xu Yichen did the opposite.

Xu Yichen hid his smirk behind his glass, taking a slow sip as he watched the interaction with detached amusement. Lin Yuqing's act was textbook acting, a carefully constructed mix of vulnerability and charm, designed to lure in unsuspecting prey. But what amused him more was how obvious it was.

As if backtracking, the system floated beside him and tried to get Xu Yichen to notice Lin Yuqing in a positive way. "Look at her! She's so sweet and nervous! She must really look up to him," the system chirped.

"Little Fool," he muttered under his breath, activating the small device embedded in his mind. "What do you make of this?"

"This baby isn't a fool! Meanie host! Shuang Shuang is a smart system!" It replied in indignance before answering his question. "She looks so innocent and lost! Maybe she really doesn't recognize him. Poor girl must be overwhelmed in such a big, scary club! Don't you just want to take her home and shelter this pure flower in a world of filth?"

Xu Yichen's eyebrow twitched. "Pure flower? In a place she came to deliberately, dressed to catch attention, and targeting the one person she knows can boost her career?" He let out a low chuckle, his tone dripping with scorn. "You're stupider than I thought. Aren't systems supposed to be intelligent?"

"But maybe she's just a little drunk and doesn't know how she's coming off!" the system argued, its voice high-pitched and indignant.

Xu Yichen chuckled darkly, shaking his head. "Again, you're hopeless. If systems were meant to have brains, you'd be an exception. Did you malfunction or are you just a defective product?"

The system let out a soft, indignant squeak. "Shuang Shuang is a mighty, capable and powerful very, very smart system!"

"Show don't tell?" Xu Yichen said flatly. 

As Lin Yuqing continued her feigned conversation with Ren Jiuxiao, Xu Yichen grew bored. He downed the rest of his whiskey and set the glass down with a decisive clink.

"Where are you going?" Ren Jiuxiao asked, his tone laced with irritation as Lin Yuqing latched onto another thread of small talk.

"Away from this farce," Xu Yichen replied. He pushed off the bar and walked away without another word, leaving Ren Jiuxiao to deal with the "innocent" damsel.

Ren Jiuxiao looked at him beggingly. 'Damn Bastard! You drag me here! Don't leave me alone with this barbie! I'm your company's number 1 star! I can't handle another bad press for being rude! Boss! Mister Ji! Sir!' he tried to convey with his eyes. 

On his way to the exit, Xu Yichen's sharp eyes scanned the room out of habit. his sharp features illuminated briefly by the neon sign overhead. He was halfway across the room when something caught his attention.

A figure slumped in a shadowed corner, barely noticeable amidst the chaos. Most people wouldn't have given it a second glance. But Xu Yichen was not like most people.

He slowed his pace, eyes narrowing. Shen Liang.

Xu Yichen stopped, his gaze narrowing.

The little star was anything but unremarkable. Shen Liang's presence usually radiated confidence, a sharp edge that cut through any room he entered. But now, his movements were sluggish, his eyelids heavy, and there was an unnatural flush to his pale complexion.

"Drugged," Xu Yichen muttered under his breath.

Near Shen Liang, a man lingered with a drink in hand, his posture casual but his intentions clear. His hand brushed against Shen Liang's arm, his touch lingering too long to be innocent.

Xu Yichen sighed, a mix of irritation and resignation flickering across his face. "Great. Another fool."

'Ah Shen Shen baby!' The system buzzed in excitement again making Xu Yichen's smirk even more prominent.

"Shen Shen?" He asked calmly, a faint roguishness in his tone making the system freeze as if being stared at by a big beast.

"I- I mean Shen Liang. I forgot his name for a sec hehe!" The system reasoned. "Host, host, aren't you going to help? That bad man is going to do bad things to Shen- Shen Liang"

Xu Yichen didn't respond immediately. He hated getting involved in other people's messes, especially when they were caused by their own recklessness. But something about Shen Liang's situation stirred a faint sense of annoyance within him. Glancing at the system who was as anxious as a headless chicken..

Before he could even speak, his feet were already carrying him toward Shen Liang.

"Excuse me," he said, his voice cold and sharp as a blade.

"Can I help you?" the man asked, his tone defensive.

Xu Yichen's lips curled into a cold smile. "Yes, actually. You can get lost."

The man bristled, but something in Xu Yichen's sharp gaze made him think twice about arguing. The man hesitated, his bravado faltering under Xu Yichen's icy stare. Muttering under his breath, he slinked away into the crowd.

Xu Yichen turned his attention to Shen Liang, who blinked up at him sluggishly.

"Come on," Xu Yichen said, his tone firm but not unkind. "Let's get you out of here."

Shen Liang didn't protest as Xu Yichen helped him to his feet. He leaned heavily against Xu Yichen, his usually composed demeanor completely absent.

As they made their way out of the club, the system hummed in Xu Yichen's ear. "You're actually helping him? I thought you said not to get involved in other people's messes!"

"This isn't helping," Xu Yichen replied curtly. "It's cleaning up someone else's stupidity. There's a difference."

The drive to Xu Yichen's penthouse was uneventful, save for the occasional murmur from Shen Liang, who seemed half-asleep in the passenger seat, his head resting against the car window.

Xu Yichen helped him inside, depositing him gently onto the sofa. Shen Liang stirred, his eyes fluttering open briefly.

Shen Liang stirred, his eyes fluttering open briefly. He looked around, his expression dazed but faintly curious.

"Where…?" he murmured.

"You're safe," Xu Yichen said, standing over him with arms crossed. "That's all you need to know for now."

Shen Liang blinked up at him, his gaze lingering on Xu Yichen's face as if trying to place him. Then, as if satisfied, he closed his eyes again and drifted back into unconsciousness.

The system chimed in, its voice bright and innocent. "You're like a hero, host! Saving a poor, helpless kitten from danger!"

Xu Yichen sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "He's not a kitten, and I'm no hero. Stop dramatizing everything."

But as he looked down at Shen Liang, a faint smirk tugged at his lips. Maybe the system wasn't entirely wrong.

As Xu Yichen put Shen Liang into his bed, the system buffered and finally realized that something was wrong.

"Ah...wait, host, shouldn't it be Lin Yuqing in your bed?" The system asked as Xu Yichen also laid down.

"The plot said that the male lead slept with the little star." Xu Yichen frowned as Shen Liang shifted to hug him like a four tentacled octopus trying to push him away but the little idiot just came back and hugged him tighter. 

"It never said who the little star was, or if they did anything intimate. I am sleeping with a little star, literally" He grunted putting a pillow between him and Shen Liang, the little octopus finally settling down as he hugged the pillow instead.