Fame should be won through genuine skill, not crooked shortcuts.

During the days leading up to the competition, the three of them tacitly avoided mentioning anything about going out for drinks.

They obediently stayed in their respective rooms to prepare for the upcoming event. Every evening, Lin Yu would report on his work to Ji Ya, occasionally chatting about non-work-related topics.

On the night before the competition, Lin Yu dialed Ji Ya’s video call as usual to give his daily report.

Midway through their conversation, he suddenly heard Su Xiaolin asking excitedly beside Ji Ya.

"President Ji! I think I just saw Ah Yu!"

Ji Ya glanced at the screen, then looked over at Su Xiaolin.

*I know,* she thought. *Isn't this person right here on the screen?*

Su Xiaolin pointed excitedly at the tablet, right at a trending topic that had just broken out, and turned the screen toward Ji Ya.

"Look at this, President Ji!"

The video showed a couple being interviewed at a hospital.

The woman’s mouth appeared slightly crooked, and the man walked with a limp. The man was speaking into the camera with intense emotion, saying he wanted to find his life-saving benefactor.

He explained that their child was temporarily safe now, thanks to a kindhearted stranger who had rushed them to the hospital in the nick of time; otherwise, the child would not have survived.

He also declared that he wanted to make this savior the godfather of their child.

This news broadcast was a public appeal to find the person.

The comment section was already in a frenzy.

"Well, well. Judging by the security camera footage, if you didn't know better, you'd think it was special effects from some action movie. The blurring is so absurd, how is anyone supposed to recognize him?"

"Huh? That red sports car looks a bit familiar, doesn't it?"

"Oh, come on! You fake fans, you can tell it's Ah Yu right away! Who else besides him has such broad and dependable shoulders?!"

"Good grief, seriously! If this were a detective show, I’d turn straight into Conan right now!"

"Wait, though, where did Ah Yu get a sports car?"

"Hey, has everyone finished their mandatory youth study session yet? If not, go watch it right now!"

"Ah Yu really is a breath of fresh air in the entertainment industry!"

"There is so much cruelty in this world, but as long as there are kind people around, we don't have to fear a lost path!"

"It reminds me of when we decided to buy a car... Back then during tomb-sweeping day, every other family had their own car, while my father could only ride in the trunk of someone else's..."

"Sending you a hug, the person above! All those hardships are in the past now!"

"Ahhhhh! My Ah Yu! That's my Ah Yu!!"

"Calm down up there, he's everyone's Ah Yu."

"An artist like this totally deserves to be stanned!!"

After scrolling through some of the most-liked comments, a wave of warmth washed over Ji Ya's heart.

She looked at Lin Yu on the screen.

"Do you plan to make a statement?"

"No."

Lin Yu's response startled both women.

This was an official public notice. The topic had already garnered millions of views, and in the future, countless people would continue to exploit this story.

It was a continuous, unending stream of traffic and exposure!

If Lin Yu stepped forward right now, he could reap countless benefits from it!

However, faced with such massive temptation and gain, he actually said no?

"The reason is simple. There are countless good people in this world. The cruelty we see is merely a few exceptions among all living beings, and I still believe that people are inherently good at birth."

"Even if I hadn't stopped my car that day, millions of others would have stopped theirs."

"Besides, as a singer, how can one ever become famous under the title of a 'hero'?"

Lin Yu was remarkably clear-headed about it.

"Alright, let's drop this subject."

"Right now, I just want to focus all my energy on the competition. By the way, Boss, you're coming to watch me tomorrow, right?"

Ji Ya cast a sideways glance toward Su Xiaolin.

Right at that moment, Su Xiaolin was busy booking the plane tickets according to her instructions!

*This guy,* Ji Ya thought, *he saw right through my little schemes even through a screen?*

"Cough, cough."

Ji Ya averted her gaze, unable to meet those eyes that seemed filled with anticipation. She simply couldn't bring herself to utter the lie that was on the tip of her tongue.

"I have an important meeting tomorrow."

Once those words were spoken, anyone could read between the lines.

A flash of disappointment crossed Lin Yu's eyes.

"Okay."

It was such a calm and understated response. Yet, Ji Ya seemed to detect the lingering notes of disappointment, letdown, and shattered expectations within it.

Had she taken this little joke a bit too far?

After a brief moment of reflection and a stretch of silence, Ji Ya suddenly smiled and softly pursued the matter.

"Judging by that look of yours, you really want me to come over, don't you?"

"Yes."

Su Xiaolin, standing nearby: ......?

A huge question mark slowly formed in her mind.

Why on earth had her brain short-circuited to come into Ji Ya's room to talk about work at a time like this?!

She had just been forcefully fed a massive mouthful of dog food. She shouldn't have been here; she should have been...

*Could you two please keep your happiness down a little bit?!*

*You're seriously disturbing my dog food consumption!*

...

Heaven was uncooperative.

The two of them had originally intended to chat through the entire night, but suddenly the hotel suffered a blackout and the internet connection dropped.

Ji Ya frantically switched to mobile data and immediately called him back via video.

The two of them resumed their sweet chatter, while poor Su Xiaolin sat in the next room with eyes swollen red from crying.

*Damn it...*

*I simply can't fall asleep! Despicable!!*

*You two are the absolute worst. When on earth are you going to pierce that layer of window paper and properly get together?*

*At least whenever the two of you are hanging out together, I'd have a good excuse to slip away!*

3:00 AM.

Reluctantly, they hung up the phone.

Tossing and turning, Lin Yu couldn't fall asleep.

For some reason, even though the call had ended, a relentless wave of longing kept washing over him.

*Sigh...*

His mind stubbornly conjured up Ji Ya's face, her smile, her gentleness, her cuteness.

Countless fragments of her merged into a single image of her, seemingly right before his eyes, yet when he reached out, he could touch nothing at all.

A sense of loss washed over Lin Yu.

Back when he had first met Ji Ya, he heard she was betrothed to some young master from a wealthy family, though Ji Ya later denied the engagement.

Still...

The obstacles standing between the two of them remained insurmountable!

She was a high and lofty young heiress of a wealthy family. The men pursuing her were either conglomerate heirs or corporate board directors.

What was he, a mere artist, in comparison?

The Heavens: 😲???

*What is this? I gave you a rebirth, I gave you a chance at a second life, and you don't even know how to seize it?!*

*You are the destined protagonist who possesses the entire music library of the entertainment universe!*

*How can you feel unworthy of the female lead?!*

*Stop having low self-esteem, hey!! Pull yourself together, my boy!!*

Lin Yu was still deep in thought.

He was completely unaware that he had fallen into a classic psychological trap:

When you truly like someone, you inevitably become filled with self-doubt.

He had even forgotten all his previous interactions with Ji Ya, leaving only a single question echoing in his mind:

*Does Ji Ya actually like me, or not?*

If he had a rose right now, he would seriously want to pluck its petals to count and find out!

Yet he was terrified that the rose petals would reveal the worst answer—what if she didn't like him after all?!

He couldn't sleep; he simply couldn't fall asleep at all!!

Running his hands through his hair in frustration, his thoughts were an absolute tangled mess!

*Does she like me? Or does she not like me?*

*She probably doesn't, right?*

*After all...*

*The gap between us is like a mayfly on the ground compared to the bright moon in the sky!*

Having nearly pulled out all his hair, Lin Yu still failed to find an answer.