Here is a refined, polished, and natural translation that retains the lighthearted tone, character dynamics, and humor of the original text:
Stepping inside, Qi Xiao noticed cameras stationed in every corner of the room. They were essentially monitoring their daily lives from all angles. The director had advised them earlier to interact as much as possible with their roommates so the production team would have plenty of material for the final edit.
Though Qi Xiao wanted to break the ice, Su Mei’s earlier warnings echoed in his head. He settled for playing it safe: “Hello, Senior Lu. I’m Qi Xiao.”
True to form, Lu Xingliang gave a lukewarm response, acknowledging him with a brief, detached hum.
What Qi Xiao didn’t realize was that in just a few short hours, the narrative online had taken a wild turn. Only thirty minutes prior, the hashtag #QiXiaoSucceedsInFanboyingLuXingliang# had shot straight to the top of the trending topics.
It all started when a marketing account suddenly posted ambiguous “evidence,” alleging that Qi Xiao was actually a long-time fan of Lu Xingliang. Joining this show together was supposedly his dream come true, making Qi Xiao the ultimate inspirational fanboy of the entertainment industry.
The earlier airport video could have been dismissed as a coincidence, but this trending topic was unmistakably the work of Qi Xiao’s team.
Lu Xingliang found it almost laughable. Endless people had tried to piggyback on his fame since his debut, but using a cheap trick like this—especially at this juncture—was utterly low-class. Wasn’t the guy afraid Lu Xingliang would make him look like a fool on camera?
Meanwhile, the clueless culprit was gaily circling the room. Qi Xiao tilted his head and asked, “Senior, which bed would you like?”
Lu Xingliang suddenly spoke up, “I watched your drama, Autumn Frost.”
Qi Xiao froze.
Autumn Frost was Qi Xiao’s debut drama as a lead actor. Back then, a single close-up shot of his face in the show went viral overnight, skyrocketing to the top of every major platform’s trending list and launching him into instant stardom.
However, a quick search online regarding his acting in that drama yielded reviews like:
“The main lead expressionless the entire time? Why didn’t they just use a cardboard cutout?”
“At first glance, I honestly thought he was playing a blind person.”
“This isn’t just bad acting; it’s a complete absence of acting.”
If anyone else had been present, they would have instantly caught the subtle mockery in Lu Xingliang’s voice.
Qi Xiao, however, didn’t catch it at all.
He was genuinely taken aback. He hadn’t expected a big shot like Lu Xingliang to have watched his work. Was he really that famous? Remembering how overwhelmingly negative the reviews for Autumn Frost were, Qi Xiao felt a pang of embarrassment. “Actually, my performance was pretty terrible,” he murmured sheepishly.
Reflecting for a moment, Qi Xiao felt he should return the courtesy. Though he knew next to nothing about Lu Xingliang, he had happened to watch one of his dramas just a few days ago!
With utmost sincerity, he offered a compliment: “I’ve watched your work too, Senior. I thought your acting was amazing!” Pausing, he added, “Senior, (the scumbag you played) is my role model!”
Lu Xingliang: “??”
Faced with a compliment that sounded like it came straight out of an elementary school essay, Lu Xingliang’s instinct was to unleash a wave of sarcasm. But when he turned around, he found himself staring directly into a pair of bright, sparkling eyes.
After a moment of silence, Lu Xingliang said, “Thanks.”
With that, he pulled a book from his bag, clearly signaling that the conversation was over.
Seeing this, Qi Xiao didn’t want to intrude further. He neatly unpacked his luggage and sat on the bed, staring blankly into space.
Naturally, his mind drifted back to the task card he had drawn: Act cute once to the first guest you meet. Which meant Lu Xingliang.
If it were anyone else, Qi Xiao might have felt somewhat confident. Knowing how to act cute around his elders was something he was actually quite good at. But Lu Xingliang clearly wanted nothing to do with him. Approaching him out of nowhere to act cute would look bizarre, to say the least—the audience would probably vote him off the show immediately.
The more Qi Xiao thought about it, the more miserable he felt. He couldn’t help hugging his pillow and rolling over in distress.
Soon enough, it was time to gather. A staff member knocked on their door: “Could you two please head to the third-floor buffet restaurant? We’re about to begin filming.”
So we’re starting straight with food? Qi Xiao felt a wave of gratitude. Having overslept that morning, he had only gobbled down a few bites of bread. Now that it was almost noon, his stomach was flat with hunger.
He exited the room with Lu Xingliang. Just as they were about to take the elevator down, the door opposite opened. A stylishly dressed young man stepped out and greeted them with effortless charm: “Hey there! I’m Shen Ye, a gaming streamer.”
After exchanging names, the three boarded the elevator together. Remembering that one male guest was still missing, Qi Xiao asked Shen Ye, “Where’s your roommate?”
“He took a last-minute phone call,” Shen Ye replied. “Said he’d be down shortly.”
“Oh,” Qi Xiao nodded. He thought about asking for the guest’s name, but figured it was likely someone he didn’t know anyway, so he let it drop.
True to his profession as a streamer, Shen Ye was exceptionally chatty and utterly unfazed by celebrities. He struck up a conversation with Qi Xiao on a random topic, while Lu Xingliang served as a silent background element.
Arriving at the restaurant, they found an area pre-cordoned off for filming. The director gave them a brief overview of the day’s schedule: First, they would shoot everyone meeting and dining together for the first time. After lunch, the guests would have a period of free time for outdoor camera follow-ups—any location was fine, as long as they didn’t wander too far from the hotel. Later in the evening, they would shoot the promotional photos.
Upon stepping into the filming area, Qi Xiao glanced around. The production team had selected two tables by the window, offering a view of the shimmering sea—a lovely backdrop for a meal.
None of that mattered to him right now, though. The moment he spotted the array of dishes on the buffet counters, his eyes lit up. Abandoning his chat with Shen Ye, he grabbed a plate and headed straight for the meat station.
After meticulously picking through the selection, Qi Xiao’s plate was stacked high. Still unsatisfied, he turned around to grab a second plate, only to almost collide with someone walking toward him.
Qi Xiao quickly apologized, “I’m so sorry!”
The man was warm and forgiving: “No worries.”
Hearing the voice, Qi Xiao found it familiar. Once he got a clear look at the man’s face, recognition flashed: “Are you Zhou Chongyu?”
Indeed, while Qi Xiao was an utter novice when it came to industry gossip—unable to even recognize a veteran movie star—he knew Zhou Chongyu.
Granted, his knowledge wasn’t extensive. He only knew that Zhou Chongyu had debuted a few years ago through a talent show and was now a hugely popular singer. He hadn’t expected him to be the final male guest.
“Yes, nice to meet you,” Zhou Chongyu replied. Unaccustomed to reality shows, he appeared a bit tense under the camera’s gaze.
“I’m Qi Xiao.” Sensing the man’s awkwardness, Qi Xiao offered warmly, “why don’t we sit together?”
Zhou Chongyu seemed visibly relieved and nodded: “Sure.”
Between Qi Xiao piling his plate high with food and chatting with Zhou Chongyu, the other guests had already settled into their seats by the time they returned.
Qi Xiao looked over and saw Shen Ye sitting at a table ahead, surrounded by three female guests. Qi Xiao’s eyes widened. Shen Ye is a smooth talker, but isn’t this a bit much?
On the other side, Lu Xingliang was seated with a woman dressed in a sophisticated style. The two were chatting comfortably, clearly acquainted from before.
Since Lu Xingliang’s table had fewer people, Qi Xiao and Zhou Chongyu walked over. Spotting them, the female guest offered a polite smile: “Hi, I’m Jiang Fei.”
After introductions were made, Jiang Fei resumed her conversation with Lu Xingliang. Catching a couple of sentences, Qi Xiao realized they were university classmates. Feeling it inappropriate to chime in—and with Lu Xingliang showing little interest in conversing with him anyway—he turned his attention to Zhou Chongyu beside him.
A moment later, Qi Xiao spoke up: “Didn’t you endorse Qise’s new flagship phone recently? The brand theme song you sang was amazing. My ringtone has been set to that song forever!”
Unaccustomed to such straightforward praise, Zhou Chongyu offered a shy smile: “Thank you.”
“Oh, I even have the collaborative plushies at home! They’re adorable!” Qi Xiao whipped out his phone, pulling up his photo album to show him.
Overhearing their conversation, Jiang Fei couldn’t help but chuckle. She turned to Qi Xiao: “Are you a fan of Zhou Chongyu?”
The question caught Qi Xiao off guard. He had never been one to follow celebrities, though he genuinely enjoyed Zhou Chongyu’s music.
He nodded, “I suppose so.”
For some unknown reason, Lu Xingliang—sitting quietly beside them—suddenly let out an ambiguous scoff.
Jiang Fei looked at him in surprise, “What are you laughing at?”
Lu Xingliang replied smoothly, “Just remembered a joke.”
After lunch, Shen Ye suggested everyone go down to the beach behind the hotel.
At the mention of fun, Qi Xiao immediately brightened up: “Count me in!”
The other guests voiced their agreement, and the group headed down to the shore together.
The beach had been specially arranged by the hotel for guest leisure, equipped with all kinds of amenities. Shen Ye quickly organized a beach volleyball game with a few female guests.
Though Qi Xiao longed to join, his pending task hung over his head. After a moment’s thought, he decided to take the initiative to find Lu Xingliang. Scanning the beach, however, he found no sign of the man.
Looking around more carefully, he spotted Lu Xingliang relaxing on the second-floor viewing deck of the hotel instead of coming down to the beach.
Jiang Fei noticed him too and offered, “I’ll go call him down.”
Qi Xiao suddenly realized this was a golden opportunity. Approaching Lu Xingliang alone to secretly execute his task was far better than attempting it in front of a crowd.
Steeling his resolve, he volunteered, “I’ll go get Senior!”
Surprised by his enthusiasm, Jiang Fei paused briefly before smiling, “Alright, thanks then.”
Reaching the hotel deck, Qi Xiao found Lu Xingliang reclining on a lounge chair, reading a foreign book.
“Senior, do you want to come play on the beach?”
“The cameraman stepped away for something,” Lu Xingliang replied, completely ignoring the question.
“What?” Qi Xiao didn’t quite catch his drift.
Lifting his eyes, Lu Xingliang said coolly, “Did you really think I wouldn’t see right through you?”
Hearing this, Qi Xiao froze in his tracks. Has my Liar identity been exposed already?
Under Lu Xingliang’s penetrating gaze, Qi Xiao hesitated, nervously fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. “Senior, I didn’t mean to trick you,” he murmured softly.
Watching his flustered reaction, Lu Xingliang let out a soft chuckle. “Don’t be nervous.”
“You can do whatever you want.”
Though you’ll have to bear the consequences. He left the second half of that thought unsaid.
To his surprise, Qi Xiao’s face instantly lit up with sheer joy. “Really?”
Lu Xingliang raised an eyebrow in mild confusion.
So, I had Senior wrong all along, Qi Xiao thought to himself, overjoyed. He’s actually such a nice guy! Not only is he not exposing me as the Liar, he’s even willing to help me finish my mission!
Refusing to let such a rare opportunity slip away, he hurriedly took two steps forward.
Lu Xingliang watched him, utterly bewildered.
Qi Xiao naturally had light-colored irises—a striking shade of amber that gleamed in the sunlight, as if flecks of sunshine were trapped inside. When he focused on someone, he looked a bit like an adorable little animal. Gently tugging at Lu Xingliang’s sleeve, he widened his eyes slightly and said softly:
“Brother, won’t you come play with us?”
The fingers pinning down the pages of Lu Xingliang’s book suddenly went slack. A sudden gust of sea breeze swept past, rustling the paper wildly in the air.