Chapter 17: Climbing the Mountain, Discovering a New World Along the Way

The main reason was nothing else but the fact that Si Shaozhe had recently become incredibly popular; on a short video platform alone, he already boasted tens of millions of followers.

There was a story behind his rise to fame. Two predecessors had come before him—one who profited from the notoriety of scandal, only to vanish from the scene after failing to negotiate with paparazzi and being exposed for forcing his girlfriend to have an abortion; the other, who was imprisoned after a scandal involving underage girls and was reduced to sewing machines in jail.

With the disappearance of these two top-tier stars, all their resources flowed to Si Shaozhe. Even though the entertainment industry saw new, talented, and versatile fresh faces every day, none could outshine him.

The secret lay in his powerful backing, augmented by extraordinary luck; the combination made him unassailable at the pinnacle. As long as he stayed true to himself, he would never tumble from his pedestal.

Lin Yu nodded in greeting to him. Though both were men, Lin Yu couldn’t help but marvel at Si Shaozhe’s striking features—sharp, chiseled, flawless.

His style leaned toward the androgynous trend of K-pop idols: earrings, flamboyant clothes, but as the so-called “Prince of Love Songs,” he commanded an aura perfectly. Androgynous, never effeminate; his agency mastered his image meticulously.

Si Shaozhe truly deserved his status as a top star; his image management was impeccable. Even in a first meeting with Lin Yu, every gesture radiated an aloof yet courteous air.

That was why, when they saw Lin Yu earlier, they remarked that to be worshipped and followed, one must first become someone others look up to, someone out of reach.

Lin Yu had no intention of pleasing anyone. Calmly, he informed the enthusiastic Wang Fei, “I made handmade fish balls. You can try them tonight, senior.”

Wang Fei liked this polite newcomer, so he played along, feigning surprise and anticipation. “Ah~ great, I’ll have to really try your cooking tonight!”

Then, the show’s director Lin Jia signaled off-camera for them to cooperate in advertising.

Wang Fei immediately noticed the prominent refrigerator in the kitchen and walked over, exaggerating his question. “You put your handmade fish balls in the fridge—aren’t you worried their flavor will change?”

Lin Yu opened the fridge and took out the fish balls, seemingly introducing his culinary skills, but actually highlighting the refrigerator’s features.

“In fact, this newly released double-door fridge from the show has exceptional preservation effects. Even if you put fresh vegetables in for a day, when you take them out to cook, it feels just like they’ve been freshly picked.”

Making money—there’s nothing shameful about it!

Si Shaozhe glanced at their seamless cooperation and turned his face away, clicking his tongue in disdain. For him, standing at the peak, even a single appearance fee on a variety show was worth multiple times his usual rate, so he didn’t care at all about the show’s ad revenue.

Lin Yu and Wang Fei chatted for a bit, drawing their relationship closer on camera and helping to bolster Wang Fei’s long-standing friendly image. Once the camera shifted away, the atmosphere between them instantly became awkward.

Lin Yu understood that an artist’s image before the camera was always carefully packaged; he wouldn’t comment on what they were like in private.

It was simply mutual assistance: as a newcomer, he needed exposure, while Wang Fei needed to maintain his affable persona in front of the camera.

“Where are you going?” Wang Fei asked, curious as Lin Yu turned to leave, and followed him.

Lin Yu was surprised—were they still pretending off-camera, or had Wang Fei become so immersed in his persona that he couldn’t step out of it?

No matter Wang Fei’s motives, Lin Yu replied politely, “To climb the mountain.”

“Do you think I still have a chance?”

“Hm?”

“Haha, you don’t know the meme? Never mind, just take me with you!”

The dating show’s setting was surrounded by mountains and water. The two left the villa and started hiking; in about ten minutes, they reached the halfway point of the neighboring mountain.

After a bit more effort, they reached the summit. Though the mountain wasn’t tall, Lin Yu was surprised to find that, from the top, a vast sea stretched out behind it.

The horizon met the sky, with no end in sight. At dusk, the orange sunlight danced on the waves, gilding the sandy beach. A few seabirds skimmed the water, and at just the right moment, one plunged its long beak in and snatched a fish, flying off.

Lin Yu finally relaxed, but his thoughts drifted unexpectedly.

In his previous life, Xu Xiaoqian had bailed on a trip they’d planned, her phone switched off and unreachable, and when she didn’t return late into the night, Lin Yu tracked her location in a panic.

He arrived at a bar, only to see Xu Xiaoqian in the arms of a middle-aged man. Caught in the act, she hastily pulled away, claiming the man had forced her because he was drunk.

Lin Yu believed her then, flew into a rage, and beat the man so badly he ended up in the ICU, resolving the matter only after months of salary went to compensation.

Looking back, Xu Xiaoqian was never forced—she was laughing flirtatiously in the man's arms. Lin Yu, blinded by love and jealousy, had been duped by her lies.

If he remembered correctly, the man was the infamous CEO of a big company, notorious for cheating; the news broke, and Xu Xiaoqian was tagged and cursed online by the CEO’s wife, accused of shamelessly seducing her husband.

Despite the scandal, Xu Xiaoqian, backed by capital, lay low for a while, then returned to the stage as if nothing had happened.

But because of the incident, Ji Fei cut ties with her publicly. Yet, with her status, Xu Xiaoqian didn’t care—she immediately signed with Ji Fei’s rival company.

He wondered what Ji Ya’s expression had been when she saw the news—disgusted, or perhaps she never regarded Xu Xiaoqian as anything but a plaything for the powerful.

Lin Yu shook his head. Why was he suddenly curious about that beautiful CEO?

He should be thinking about himself: in his past life, he’d been cheated on countless times without realizing it, willingly playing the fool and ATM for others, moved by his own self-sacrifice.

No matter what, the past was gone. In this new life, he had sworn to himself—a fierce vow—to achieve a better life than Xu Xiaoqian, to reach even greater heights.

And before that, he would never lose himself for any woman again.

Of course, once he made his fortune, he would savor life and enjoy it to the fullest.

Lin Yu pulled from his pocket a necklace he’d once planned to gift Xu Xiaoqian after graduation—a token of love, bought with months of wages.

Now, ready to embrace his new beginning, he decided to throw that tainted thing into the sea, bidding farewell to his tragic past.