Chapter 48: Tonight, You Belong to Me

On the other side, Yan Mi cheerfully led her team back to the backstage area. Su Chen’s victory over Wang Qi had come as an unexpected delight to her as well. Counting Su Chen, Yan Mi’s team now consisted of eight people—six men and two women. Su Chen didn’t know any of them; even during the days spent familiarizing themselves with the venue, he hadn’t interacted with the others. But now that they were all on the same team, everyone exchanged a few polite words with each other.

“Hello, Su Chen! I’m Xu Jiajia, and this is Liu Ying~” The only two girls in the team walked over to Su Chen, excitedly introducing themselves. Judging by how inseparable they seemed, they must have been friends even before the competition. Neither of them had expected to both advance, let alone end up under the same mentor—such luck was truly remarkable.

“Ah... nice to meet you. I’m not a ‘master’ or anything, just call me Su Chen,” he replied with a friendly smile, keeping a polite distance. He felt compelled to do so, as the six other boys behind the girls were eyeing them all with a mixture of jealousy and resentment.

Only two girls in the entire team, and now both had gravitated over to Su Chen’s side. Were they not as good-looking as him, or simply not as talented?

Xu Jiajia couldn’t help but burst out laughing at Su Chen’s reserved demeanor. “I was a bit worried before, but seeing you like this, I completely believe what you said earlier. Haha~”

“Exactly! So handsome and so talented—there’s no way the rumors online are true!” Liu Ying chimed in. “I heard your speech just now, and your voice sounds like it carries so many stories... Why don’t we grab a late-night snack together? I know a great place!”

Liu Ying, whether from excitement or shyness, blushed adorably. Not to be outdone, Xu Jiajia added, “Yes, yes! After we eat, you could come to our room for a bit. I’m stuck on an original song I’m working on. Would you mind taking a look?”

Xu Jiajia winked, lowering her voice mischievously. “Just the two of us share a room, you know...”

Su Chen: “……”

Even someone as accustomed to the antics of the entertainment industry as Su Chen found himself a little overwhelmed by their enthusiastic attention.

The dazzling allure of this world was undeniable, but from just a few exchanges, Su Chen could already guess the girls’ intentions. There were only two possibilities: either they wanted to ride the wave of his popularity and stir up rumors, or they were hoping to collaborate on a song. Every song Su Chen released was an original, and each was strikingly good—landing a song from him could be a ticket to instant fame.

But regardless of their motives, Su Chen had no intention of agreeing, so it was better to maintain a purely teammate relationship from the outset.

“I’m sorry, it’s already very late. I need to prepare for the next round, so I’ll have to pass,” Su Chen replied, his polite smile keeping them at arm’s length.

The two girls were clearly unprepared for his outright refusal; their expressions shifted as they protested, “But it’s not late at all! We’re not filming tomorrow—we can sleep in, and even wake you up ourselves!”

Xu Jiajia put extra emphasis on “wake you up,” certain that she’d made her intentions obvious enough that Su Chen would relent.

However...

“Sorry, I’m used to going to bed and getting up early,” he said, still wearing that same gentle smile.

Xu Jiajia was stunned. She exchanged a glance with Liu Ying, and both could only muster awkward smiles as they walked away.

Now both girls were fuming inside, wanting to curse at the world. Damn it, is there something wrong with the people at Starshine? How could someone like this ever harass women? He’s practically a living saint!

As the two girls left, Su Chen finally breathed a sigh of relief. In the entertainment industry, opportunists were a dime a dozen. With so many people vying for a breakthrough, it was no wonder. Su Chen sighed inwardly, and Yan Mi called everyone to attention.

“Alright, now that we’re all members of the same team, I want to extend a very warm welcome to each of you. Honestly, I wasn’t all that confident about coming on as a mentor, but your faith in choosing me means a lot—it’s my honor.”

“As for the show,” she continued, “the next episode will focus on our daily lives and preparations for the competition. Since it’s so late, tomorrow’s live broadcast has been pushed to the day after.”

“So, I’m planning a team-building event for tomorrow night, where we’ll discuss our plans and celebrate the formation of our team!” Yan Mi beamed. “We’ll talk more specifics tomorrow. Tonight, it’s late—so I officially declare us dismissed! Go get some sleep!”

With that, everyone bid Yan Mi good night and left the TV station building, some catching taxis, others taking the shuttle back to the hotel.

After Wang Yilong’s elimination, he’d returned to the hotel right after Su Chen’s match, so Su Chen didn’t have to wait for anyone and headed straight for the shuttle in the parking lot.

But before he could leave the backstage area, Yan Mi called out to him.

“Su Chen, wait a moment.”

Su Chen turned, puzzled, to see Yan Mi looking at him with a playful smile. “You’re not sleepy, are you? Are you hungry? Want to go out for a late-night snack with me?”

Su Chen: ???

He was dumbfounded. As far as he knew, he and Yan Mi didn’t know each other at all, so why was she inviting him out? And this was nothing like Liu Ying and Xu Jiajia just now—Yan Mi was the owner of an entertainment company, a top celebrity, the very picture of wealth and beauty. This was a chance for him to climb the social ladder!

Wait, was she interested in him? Did she want to make an unspoken deal? Surely not!

Watching Su Chen’s expressions shift from surprise to blankness, to tangled confusion, Yan Mi immediately saw through him. Rolling her eyes, she teased, “What are you thinking! Tsk tsk… Fu Yu told me her little brother was so pure, but I’m starting to doubt it!”

Caught off-guard, Su Chen blushed. “…Wait, Sister Fu Yu? Mentor Yan Mi, you know her?”

“Of course! She’s one of my closest friends.”

Yan Mi’s eyes glittered mischievously as she saw the flush on Su Chen’s face.

“Little brother, just come along with me. Your sister said you’re mine for tonight~”