Chapter 43: “Sister, Have You Ever Regretted It?”

What a mess.

As Sheng Li led Yu Chi and Xu Yang to the dormitories to drop off their luggage, this was the only thought swirling in her mind.

The dormitories were on the second and third floors, just a few minutes away. The entire walk was filled with Xu Yang talking nonstop. Yu Chi had said “Sister Lili” once and then remained silent, carrying the luggage with a calm expression as he walked behind them.

Xu Yang was excited: “Sister Lili, you really watched my competition?”

This summer, a wildly popular talent show had aired. On the day the program released Xu Yang’s personal information, Yu Chi had reposted Xu Yang’s Weibo post with the words “Good luck.” This brought Xu Yang, who originally had few fans and little attention, to the top of the trending lists. Their relationship was quickly uncovered—they were high school classmates who were close friends. Both had previously signed with Starshine Entertainment Media, though Xu Yang had terminated his contract just a few months ago and shortly after joined the talent show.

Many people said Xu Yang had hitched a ride on a golden opportunity. When Sheng Li saw the trending topic, she wasn’t particularly surprised, guessing that Yu Chi must have helped resolve Xu Yang’s contract issues.

“I watched some of it on Weibo since the show was so popular,” Sheng Li smiled. “Congratulations on signing and debuting. You have many fans now.”

“I owe it all to my Brother Chi,” Xu Yang said bashfully, scratching his head.

Sheng Li turned around and met Yu Chi’s calm gaze. She lightly raised an eyebrow: “My younger brother has grown up.”

They had already reached the dormitory entrance. Xu Yang looked back at Yu Chi: “You’re the one who filmed with Sister Lili, but somehow it feels like I’m closer to her. Am I talking too much? It even makes me feel awkward calling you ‘Sister.’”

“I didn’t sleep much last night, so I’m a bit tired,” Yu Chi said lightly.

Sheng Li quickly said: “Then rest for a while and unpack. There’s still time; two more guests haven’t arrived yet.”

With that, she hastily escaped.

Yu Chi and Xu Yang’s rooms were next to each other. After entering his room, Yu Chi sat quietly on the bed for a moment before pulling out a change of clothes from his suitcase and heading to the bathroom. With no cameras in the bathroom, he turned on the shower and stood under the water, pressing his hands against the tiles and taking a deep breath.

Huang Baiyan had initially wanted to reject the invitation for him to appear on the show, but Yu Chi insisted on participating.

In this industry, fame brings privileges. When the production team called to inform him of the theme for this episode and asked whom he’d prefer to appear with, he didn’t hesitate to say Xu Yang. Xu Yang was the only suitable choice—over the years, Yu Chi hadn’t made many friends in the entertainment circle. He only had a few mentors and directors who had supported him, like Wei Cheng and He Yuanren.

There was no nostalgia involved—he simply wanted to see Sheng Li.

He wanted to know if she still felt anything for him, even if it was regret. If she admitted to feeling even a little something, he could show vulnerability, tell her he couldn’t forget her, and explain how hard he worked to become worthy of her, to make his presence known in front of her, all because of her words: “You’re the treasure I discovered.”

He touched the pendant hanging around his neck. With two films breaking 3 billion yuan at the box office, a Best Actor nomination, and praise from mentors and directors calling him a rare talent, his fans also hailed him as a treasure.

Back then, he was just a high school student with nothing to his name, yet she had gone out of her way to seduce him.

Now that he had fulfilled her expectations, could she truly say she didn’t regret or feel anything?

________________________________________

When Sheng Li returned downstairs, she secretly exhaled in relief but felt a bit troubled about how to proceed with filming. She was worried others might notice something.

She wandered into the kitchen for a bit, and by the time she came out, the other two guests had arrived—it was none other than Academy Award-winning actor Jing Yiming and popular actress Jiang Qing. Both were 34 years old, classmates from university, and had been acquainted for 16 years. Neither was married, and they had even been rumored to have dated during their first love.

At this point, the director announced: “This episode’s theme is ‘Reunion.’”

Sheng Li thought that if Chen Yu had come, the theme could’ve been “First Love,” which would’ve been more eye-catching.

Just then, Yu Chi and Xu Yang came downstairs.

Yu Chi had changed into a simple white T-shirt and casual pants. His hair was still damp, and relying on his good looks, he hadn’t bothered with styling or makeup. He looked clean and refreshing. Jiang Qing’s eyes lit up, and she exclaimed dramatically: “The production team didn’t tell me Yu Chi would be here! I’ve been obsessed with him lately.”

Jing Yiming laughed: “Show some restraint. Aren’t you a bit old to be fangirling like a teenager?”

Jiang Qing playfully punched him, pouting: “Who are you calling old? Director, I don’t want to film with this person anymore.”

“You’ve already been paid; there’s no escaping now. Teachers, just bear with it and go through the motions, alright?” Resident host Teacher Luo joked, lightening the mood.

Everyone was quick with banter, instantly livening up the atmosphere.

Yu Chi and Xu Yang, being younger, greeted the elders respectfully. Then Teacher Luo began assigning tasks. As his gaze swept over the group, Sheng Li suddenly had a bad feeling. The next moment, she heard Teacher Luo say: “Sheng Li, you and Yu Chi go attract customers.”

Sheng Li: “...”

Yu Chi raised his head, staring straight at her.

Sheng Li’s heartbeat paused for a moment, but she quickly smiled: “Isn’t it better to let these two young, energetic hunks do it? The audience is already tired of seeing me outside attracting customers every day. Let’s give them a change of pace.” Without a trace of hesitation, she shifted her gaze and bent down to massage her slender, white calves. “I’ve been meaning to say this—I always end up with sore legs from standing. Since this is the final episode, I won’t hold back anymore. Teacher Luo, please let me slack off this one time? I’ll help out in the kitchen.”

Everyone burst into laughter. Yu Chi’s lips curved slightly in self-deprecation as he murmured softly: “I don’t mind.”

Xu Yang grinned: “Neither do I. Let Sister Lili rest this time.”

With the tasks assigned, everyone set off.

Before leaving, Yu Chi looked at Xu Yang: “Bring your guitar.”

Xu Yang nodded, his eyes suddenly lighting up: “Right! I can attract customers by playing and singing!” Performing on the show would also help him gain fans. He quietly thanked Yu Chi again. Yu Chi had done so much for him, bringing him onto the show and giving him extra exposure compared to his fellow group members—an invaluable opportunity. Hurrying upstairs, he said: “Wait for me. I’ll grab it.”

Yu Chi stood casually by the door, his hands in his pockets.

A short while later, Xu Yang ran downstairs with his guitar slung over his shoulder. Patting Yu Chi’s shoulder, he said: “Let’s go.”

Ahead was the beach. It was already 5 PM, and the setting sun bathed the sea in a soft golden glow. Many tourists strolled leisurely along the shore. Yu Chi let Xu Yang start playing as they left the restaurant, attracting immediate attention from the crowd.

Before they even reached the beach, they were surrounded by tourists.

Several Chinese tourists recognized Yu Chi and were ecstatic: “Can we get your autograph and take a photo if we eat here?”

Yu Chi replied: “Sure.”

Sheng Li hid in the kitchen washing vegetables when the actress acting as the receptionist excitedly ran in and exclaimed: “Oh my god! Yu Chi and Xu Yang brought back so many customers! A whole line of them! The restaurant’s going to be packed! Chef Du, you’re going to be swamped!”

Sheng Li: “...”

Less than half an hour after they left, the restaurant was already full. Compared to previous episodes, didn’t that make her look bad?

Unable to resist her curiosity, she peeked outside.

Inside the restaurant, Xu Yang stood by the bar playing his guitar and singing, while Yu Chi sat on a high stool, his long legs casually resting on the ground. After a while, Xu Yang tossed the guitar into Yu Chi’s lap and grinned: “Come on, sing one! I haven’t heard you sing in years.”

Back in high school, Xu Yang had been part of a band and occasionally dragged Yu Chi along. Yu Chi was smart and picked things up quickly. Though he only played occasionally to pass the time, he always managed to look impressive.

The crowd cheered: “Play one! Sing one!”

Yu Chi held the guitar, coolly refusing: “It’s been years since I’ve played. I don’t remember the chords.”

“Don’t lie! With your photographic memory, how could you forget?” Xu Yang said skeptically, adding, “Besides, everyone’s here for your face. No one will laugh even if you mess up.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Yu Chi caught a glimpse of a red dress. He hesitated for a moment, lifted one foot onto the footrest, and rested the other loosely on the ground. His long, pale fingers gently plucked the strings, and he lowered his head: “Let me try.”

Actually, Sheng Li had never heard Yu Chi sing or knew he could play the guitar. They had only been together for two short months, stealing moments to date amidst filming. Standing near the bar, she stared at his sharply defined profile as he played a string of unfamiliar notes. The intro was beautiful, and he sang a song she’d never heard before.

It was probably a song no one had heard before.

Yu Chi’s voice was pleasant, deeper when singing than when speaking, and the song’s low pitch brought out a slight raspiness.

Sheng Li found the song incredibly sexy. Staring at him, she felt something collapse inside her. A voice kept reminding her: “Stop struggling. You think no one compares to him. You regret it.”

Three minutes later, Yu Chi set the guitar down, and the crowd erupted into applause. Someone shouted for another song.

Yu Chi glanced at the director and bluntly said: “Director, this song isn’t copyrighted. This segment needs to be cut.”

Director: “...”

After a stunned pause, he quickly responded: “Who wrote this song? The production team has money! Can’t we just buy the rights?”

“Hahaha,” Xu Yang burst out laughing. “It was written by the leader of a street band. I have his contact info, Director. I’ll give it to you later. He wrote the melody, but Yu Chi rewrote a few lines of the lyrics.”

The original lyrics were a bit explicit, but the melody was excellent.

Yu Chi handed the guitar back to Xu Yang and suddenly turned to look at Sheng Li.

Sheng Li blinked, clapping slowly a beat behind everyone else. Walking over from the corner, she smiled brightly: “You two are amazing! To fill the place so quickly—why didn’t the director invite you earlier? Sister worked so hard for so many episodes.”

Yu Chi sneered, restraining himself from responding.

The restaurant was packed all evening, and everyone worked late into the night. After a quick late-night snack, the director let everyone retire. He said: “Tomorrow, we’ll only handle lunch service. In the evening, we’ll have a wrap-up dinner where we can casually chat since this episode’s theme is ‘Reunion.’”

After the official recording ended, the camera crew withdrew, but cameras were still scattered throughout the first and second floors. Teacher Luo reminded the guests: “If you need to make private or work-related calls, you can go to the third floor. The assistants stay there, and there are empty rooms and two terraces with no cameras. Feel free to use those spaces.”

Yuan Yuan’s room was on the far right of the third floor, next to a terrace with a table and sofa chairs. Every night after filming, Sheng Li would go up there to relax, needing a break from being filmed all day. Since she always retreated there, and the terrace was next to her assistant’s room, the regular MCs tacitly acknowledged it as her space and avoided disturbing her.

At 11:30 PM, Sheng Li finished her shower, changed into a red long dress, and answered Zhou Sinuan’s call while holding the script as she walked up to the third floor.

Zhou Sinuan said over the phone: “If he really wins Best Actor, he’ll be the youngest in the industry. So many women are eyeing him—are you really okay with that? Let me tell you, opportunities like this don’t come around often. If it weren’t for your connection with him, I wouldn’t be able to resist jumping in myself.”

“What should I do? Although it was for his own good, we broke up cleanly three years ago. I even gave him a breakup fee, and there hasn’t been any纠缠since. Looking back, it seems like I chose my career over him,” Sheng Li whispered, turning around just in time to see Yuan Yuan emerge from the terrace with a dazed expression. Upon seeing her, Yuan Yuan’s eyes lit up. Sheng Li walked over and whispered, “If I admit I regret it, wouldn’t that make me pathetic?”

Sheng Li’s voice was soft, and Yuan Yuan barely caught it.

As Sheng Li approached, Yuan Yuan signaled toward the terrace and mouthed: “Yu Chi...”

Sheng Li’s heart skipped a beat. Her first reaction was: Run, quickly run, pretend I was never here.

A minute earlier, Yuan Yuan had heard something fall on the terrace and assumed Sheng Li had come up. She grabbed a blanket and went out. Seeing the person on the terrace, she froze. He was staring at the basket of snacks on the table, slightly lost in thought.

He turned to look at Yuan Yuan and asked softly: “Is someone here?”

The basket held snacks Sheng Li liked—he remembered them clearly, having bought them for her before.

Yuan Yuan’s first instinct was to run and warn Sheng Li, and that’s exactly what she did.

The terrace lights were off, and the soft glow from Yuan Yuan’s half-open door spilled out, creating a boundary between light and shadow. Yu Chi, hands in his pockets, stepped out of the dim terrace and looked deeply at Sheng Li.

Sheng Li held the phone to her ear, barely hearing what Zhou Sinuan was saying. She whispered: “I’ll talk to you later.”

Hanging up decisively, she took a deep breath and calmly walked over, standing in front of Yu Chi with a bright smile. “What a coincidence! You’re here to relax too?”

“Mm,” Yu Chi looked down at her, letting out a soft chuckle. “Do you want me to leave?”

“No, this is a public area, not my room. You were here first. Do you need to make a call? Should I step aside?” Sheng Li raised an eyebrow. “If so, I’ll leave.”

Yu Chi coldly stared at her: “No need.”

The air grew silent for a few seconds.

“In that case, good,” Sheng Li said, walking past him with the script in hand. She flipped the switch on the wall, bathing the terrace in soft light. She sat down in the armchair and opened the script. “I’ll stay for half an hour and then leave.”

Yu Chi glanced at his watch, took two steps back, leaned against the railing, and lit a cigarette. He stared intently at Sheng Li. Over three years had passed, and her appearance hadn’t changed much, but she rarely used to wear such vivid colors like red. Yet, on this show, she frequently wore red dresses. Her skin was naturally pale, her hair black and soft, and the red dress accentuated her fair complexion, making her features more striking and adding a seductive charm she lacked before.

Sheng Li felt as if she were sitting on pins and needles, unable to focus on the script. Leaving immediately would seem too cowardly, so she decided to exchange a few casual remarks before departing. Turning to Yu Chi, she asked: “Did you help resolve Xu Yang’s contract?”

Yu Chi retracted his gaze and hummed in affirmation.

“I didn’t know you could play the guitar,” Sheng Li said, gripping the script. “Your singing is pretty good too.”

Yu Chi abruptly replied: “There’s a lot Sister doesn’t know.”

Why had he suddenly switched to calling her “Sister”? He had been calling her “Sister Lili” all day. Sheng Li suddenly felt unable to stay. Pretending to yawn, she stood up, turned to face him, and smiled: “Congratulations on being nominated for Best Actor. I think your chances are great. Next time we meet, it’ll probably be at the awards ceremony. If you win, reporters will swarm you. Let me congratulate you in advance.”

Yu Chi’s eyes turned icy as he glared at her.

Sheng Li’s breath caught, but she maintained her smile: “I’ll head back to sleep. Feel free to stay.”

With that, she turned to leave.

Suddenly, rapid footsteps chased after her. Her heart raced to her throat. In less than two seconds, an arm blocked her path, startling her so much that she dropped the script. Thud —his palm hit the wall, pressing the light switch and plunging the terrace into darkness.

The terrace fell into dimness, and even the wind seemed to stop. All that remained was the sound of her rapid breathing.

Sheng Li’s heart pounded wildly as she stared at the arm blocking her path. Yu Chi took a step forward, standing in front of her, his voice tense and restrained: “Sister, do you really dislike being with me that much?” He glanced at his watch. “Only eight minutes and fifty-six seconds.”

At this moment, Sheng Li’s heart was racing so fast that her brain felt oxygen-deprived. Dazed, she looked at his wrist, raised her head to meet his dark eyes, and forced a smile: “How could that be? Can’t I genuinely want to go back to sleep?”

Yu Chi was hurt by her avoidance. Lowering his gaze, he coldly sneered at her and asked: “Sister, have you ever regretted it?”

Regretting breaking up with me?

Sheng Li froze, unsure if his gaze had frozen her or if his voice had chilled her. Suddenly, she snapped back to reality. Showing weakness now would likely lead to mockery. Look at how you dumped me, and now that I’m famous, are you regretting it?

“No,” Sheng Li said, looking up at him.

Yu Chi stared at her for a long time, the light in his eyes slowly fading.

After a while, he lowered his hand, bent down to pick up the script from the floor.

His gaze lingered on the cover for two seconds before he handed it to her without a word. Turning around, he walked away, his back radiating coldness.

Sheng Li stood there clutching the script for a few seconds. When she stepped out, she saw Yuan Yuan, who looked like she was about to cry. Smiling, Sheng Li patted her round face: “Don’t worry. I’ll find you a new brother-in-law, guaranteed to be no worse than Yu Chi.”