“Is Teacher Shen going to the cafeteria?”
“Mm. Teacher Ning too?”
“Yes, I heard there are braised spare ribs today, remember to get a portion later.”
“Alright, thank you. Oh right, someone spilled water on the floor at the corner of the second floor, take extra care when you go back, Teacher Ning.”
Just like the most ordinary co-workers. When the two met in the hallway, they greeted each other, exchanged information they knew, thanked each other, and went their separate ways.
Yan Zijin was very satisfied with this way of getting along with Ning Siyin. Ordinary and normal meant it wouldn’t slip out of control.
Arriving at the cafeteria, braised spare ribs were indeed written on the menu; the sweet and sour aroma drifted into his nose, causing his stomach to make a rumbling noise.
“One portion of spare ribs, please.”
Having recorded the show for several hours, Yan Zijin was hungry long ago. After getting his meal, he carried his tray to look for a seat. Right now was peak dining hour, and the cafeteria was surging with crowds; Yan Zijin guarded the tray in his hands to prevent bumping into others.
Suddenly, Yan Zijin’s foot slipped, his body slanting to the side.
“Watch out, Teacher Shen!”
Exclamations came from nearby as several trainees extended their hands at the same time.
Yet Yan Zijin felt a sudden tightness around his waist, followed by falling into a broad embrace.
“Thank… Ning Si… Teacher Ning?”
Steadied by that hand on his waist, Yan Zijin hurriedly voiced his thanks.
Yet upon seeing clearly that the other party was Ning Siyin, he choked on his words, especially regarding that hand holding his waist.
The memories of that night sprouted up like bamboo shoots after rain—being pinned down, being controlled, unable to break free, unable to escape…
And that hand actually gave a gentle pinch at this very moment.
Yan Zijin: !!
Yan Zijin’s scalp instantly went numb, and he hurriedly tried to pull back, yet that hand refused to let go, even bringing him slightly closer into his embrace without leaving a trace. But in the eyes of others, it merely looked as if Yan Zijin hadn’t stood firm and Ning Siyin had simply given another supporting hand. Only the two involved knew the true situation.
Holy crap, what does Ning Siyin want to do!
Yan Zijin felt a bit flustered in his heart; just as he prepared to exert force and break free from the restraint, the other party took the initiative to release his hand.
He immediately retreated two steps backward. After standing firm and ensuring that his current position would allow him to react immediately and dodge if Ning Siyin made any move, he then nonchalantly set down his meal tray.
Ning Siyin looked at Yan Zijin with confusion, appearing thoroughly unable to comprehend the other party’s action of avoiding him like a venomous snake or scorpion.
“Are you alright, Teacher Shen?”
Ning Siyin asked with concern, his expression sincere and earnest. “There were oil stains spilled on the floor, making it very slippery. Be a bit careful, Teacher Shen.”
“I’m fine, thank you, Teacher Ning,” Yan Zijin said.
“No need to thank me, it was just in passing.” Ning Siyin’s eyes curved slightly, looking exceedingly kind and refined.
Yan Zijin couldn’t help but murmur in his heart: could it be that he overreacted? Did Ning Siyin pull him over slightly merely out of concern that he hadn’t stood firm?
His gaze drifted downward; that hand that had been supporting his waist just now was currently resting casually in his coat pocket.
Seeing Yan Zijin look over, Ning Siyin tilted his head, his expression innocent and pure, his eyes carrying an inquiring look.
Yet beneath the thin fabric where no one could see, the palm inside the pocket gently clenched, as if savoring the feeling of that grasp just now.
Recalling Ning Siyin’s performance during this period of time, Yan Zijin felt that he was definitely being overly sensitive.
“Teacher Shen, are you alright?”
“I’m sorry, Teacher Shen, I was careless and knocked over my meal box just now, almost causing you to slip and fall.”
The trainee speaking had a obedient and pleasing face, blinking a pair of fawn-like eyes as he looked at Yan Zijin piteously.
“I’m fine, I didn’t pay attention to my footing myself.” Yan Zijin shook his head, then thanked the few trainees who had extended their hands earlier. “Thank you guys for earlier.”
Although they didn’t catch him, they had still reached out their hands after all.
The trainees in front of him were all wearing identical stage outfits and had their makeup completed.
“Are you guys the first group performing later?” he asked.
“Mm. The first one is us.” The trainee nodded obediently. “Our luck is so bad; we drew the first slot in the lottery. When Teacher Shen grades us later, could you please show some leniency?”
He blinked, his expression looking somewhat pitiable, yet his tone was exceedingly earnest and serious, clearly not joking.
Yan Zijin’s current body was twenty-four years old, not much older than this group of trainees in reality.
Having struggled and tumbled in the entertainment industry for over a decade before transmigrating, in Yan Zijin’s eyes, this group of trainees were like fledgling youths, lambs that had just set foot on the grassland. Although holding various minor schemes, they were harmless.
Therefore, every time Yan Zijin commented and graded, he was exceptionally generous, even being given the nickname “Wealth-Distributing Boy.” It was perhaps precisely because of this that this trainee dared to utter words akin to requesting to cheat.
However, he was already the highest among all mentors during every grading session; how much more lenient could he be?
Yan Zijin smiled, and was about to speak when the person beside him took the floor first.
“You guys put on this display just now precisely for this matter, right?”
Ning Siyin still carried a warm smile on his face, yet the words he spoke caused the expressions of several trainees to turn pale.
“Wasn’t this stuff on the floor spilled by you? Nor was it an accident that your teammates deliberately nudged Teacher Shen over there, causing Teacher Shen to step on it.”
That group of trainees hadn’t expected that their actions had long been seen through by Ning Siyin and exposed without mercy.
“No… we didn’t, we really didn’t do it on purpose.”
Those few stubbornly refused to admit it.
However, one of his teammates immediately turned red-faced and lowered his head, tacitly admitting what Ning Siyin had said.
“If you don’t want to admit it, there’s plenty of evidence.” Ning Siyin raised his chin, gesturing toward the cameraman carrying a camera a few meters away.
Ning Siyin held the highest status and popularity across the entire show’s crew. Furthermore, because Ning Siyin rarely made public appearances, fans loved to chase after all news about him. For the show’s hype, the director team specifically dispatched a camera to follow and shoot right beside him.
That person finally couldn’t hold up under the pressure, looking toward Yan Zijin with a plea for help. “Teacher Shen, we…”
From the moment Ning Siyin opened his mouth, the expression on Yan Zijin’s face hadn’t changed at all, as if he were merely an outsider.
“Go back. Recording is about to start soon; remember to perform well.”
Although not explicitly stated, Yan Zijin saying this meant he wouldn’t pursue this matter.
Hearing these words from Yan Zijin, the smile on Ning Siyin’s face vanished in an instant, and the refined warmth that had consistently hung on his face turned into an expressionless stare.
The trainees didn’t dare to say anything more, fleeing in a pathetic flurry.
The trainee who had turned red and lowered his head first just now quickly raised his head when passing by, taking a secret glance at Yan Zijin before swiftly lowering his head again and jogging away.
“I’m sorry.”
The apology floating past his ear caused Yan Zijin to freeze for a moment. He smiled and shook his head; they truly were kids after all, not even having learned the basic thick-skinned skill required for mixing in the entertainment industry.
The matter resolved, Yan Zijin didn’t look for a new seat either, sitting down directly in the seats those trainees had occupied just now.
“Thank you for earlier.”
Yan Zijin didn’t raise his head, but Ning Siyin knew this sentence was spoken to him.
With a smile blooming on his face once more, Ning Siyin sat down opposite him as well.
“Teacher Shen seems to be a bit too kindhearted. That trainee just now had provoked Teacher Shen on the very first day, right?”
Toward a trainee who had provoked him multiple times, even if Yan Zijin did something as a mentor, others would only think the other party got what he deserved. Yet he didn’t do so.
Yan Zijin smiled, not denying Ning Siyin’s words. In fact, he had recognized him at the very first glance just now; although the other party’s makeup style today was completely different from the first day, he wasn’t blind, so how could he fail to recognize him.
He merely hadn’t expected that this matter was actually engineered intentionally by them.
Yan Zijin could guess Ning Siyin’s thoughts—toward such repeated provocative behavior, if it were Ning Siyin, he would definitely retaliate. Yan Zijin didn’t intend to tolerate the other party forever either, except…
Ning Siyin had indeed helped him, but Yan Zijin’s positioning of the relationship between the two hadn’t changed in the slightest.
Therefore, he wouldn’t tell his plans to the person in front of him.
“Forget it, forget it, these are all minor matters. They are still kids after all, having just entered the circle—what could they possibly know? Besides, it didn’t cause me much trouble, so there’s no need to take it to heart. Thank you as well, Teacher Ning, for speaking up for justice just now.”
Yan Zijin said, deliberately using a downplaying, peace-making tone.
He remembered that Ning Siyin in the novel appeared gentle-tempered and kind to others on the surface, but in reality, he couldn’t tolerate any sand in his eyes. In the novel, if someone offended him, Ning Siyin was bound to fight back. And what Ning Siyin despised most was precisely what he had displayed just now: weak, incompetent, and unable to hold up like soft mud.
Yan Zijin wanted to annoy Ning Siyin away, ideally so that he would automatically stay far away whenever he saw him in the future.
This method wasn’t wrong; upon hearing Yan Zijin speak like that, the smile Ning Siyin had maintained on his face gradually vanished.
Yan Zijin didn’t look at him, eating his meal nonchalantly, as if he didn’t care in the slightest about being plotted against by a petty person.
Just as he thought his scheme had succeeded, Ning Siyin’s voice resounded.
“Why has Young Master Shen been avoiding me all this time?”
“Cough cough cough—”
Yan Zijin was still expecting the other party to leave early. Hearing such a sentence, he was instantly choked on a mouthful of soup, coughing up a storm.
How does this guy not play by the book?
Didn’t they say the original novel’s protagonist was exceptionally understanding? Didn’t they say he hated people with weak and incompetent personalities?
Was his display of not wanting a deeper relationship not obvious enough so that Ning Siyin failed to grasp it? Or did his nature change, and he no longer hated people who changed their nature?
The astonished look in the eyes of the person opposite caused a refined smile to re-emerge at the corners of Ning Siyin’s lips.
He put on a troubled expression, “If Young Master Shen cares so much about what happened that night, I can let you be on top…” back.
The latter half of the sentence vanished within his lips.
“Wait, wait, wait…!”
Yan Zijin hurriedly covered his mouth, looking left and right guiltily to ensure Ning Siyin’s words weren’t heard just now, nor had anyone noticed their side.
“I don’t need to be on top…”
Yan Zijin lowered his voice, paused, and continued, “Nothing ever happened that night at all. Got it?”
Yan Zijin glared at the eyes of the person beneath his palm, his eyes carrying a threat brimming with anger.
Ning Siyin blinked, and three seconds later, released a soft “Mm” from his throat.
Yan Zijin continued to glare: Keep your word?
His phoenix eyes curved slightly as Ning Siyin nodded, confirming his answer once more.
Continuing to observe for a good while to ensure Ning Siyin wouldn’t go back on his word, Yan Zijin finally released his hand.
Smiling at Yan Zijin, who still looked at him guardedly despite releasing his hand.
Ning Siyin took the initiative to shift the topic, “Does Teacher Shen really plan to let what happened just now go like this?”
This time Yan Zijin didn’t say any words about it being indifferent or not caring, but shook his head.
“Of course not, I’m no fool. But thank you for earlier regardless.”
Ever since the provocation in the first episode, Yan Zijin had investigated that trainee’s background. He also had some guesses in his heart, but the other party’s current identity was a trainee; although his behavior was somewhat improper, it wasn’t worth making a big fuss over. Otherwise, the other party would create public opinion claiming he used his mentor identity to oppress a trainee.
Ning Siyin: “Then do we count as friends now?”
Yan Zijin hesitated for a moment, but still nodded his head.
The other party had already put it to this extent; if he continued to refuse, it would be far too unreasonable.