Let Me Meet You chapter 46

Outsiders

Li Xuan had never watched any talent shows before; the format sounded boring to him, like a bunch of puppets waiting to be picked out of a claw machine. But to handle this appearance, he still found some time to watch an episode. It was from the season that Sheng Min participated in.

At first, Sheng Min was not a favorite of the production team. He had no singing or dancing background, and despite years of struggle in web dramas with poor production and storylines, it was hard to gain fans. His company sending him to participate felt more like filling a spot. Even though he was good-looking, he didn’t get much screen time initially, and whenever he did, he was always smiling.

Even though they had become familiar with each other, when Li Xuan looked at Sheng Min on screen, he found that he couldn’t completely discern whether those bright, perfectly curved smiles at the corners of his eyes and lips were genuine or fake.

“Thank you to the trainees for their performance.” Li Xuan had zoned out a bit. As applause erupted behind him, he instinctively started reciting lines. He picked a vague comment from the pre-written notes by Sheng Min and recited it, then leaned back in his chair.

“Actually, I think this group is quite mature, both in terms of stage presence and performance skills. They work very well together.” The vocal coach gave their commentary next. “I remember this song was from YIL. Since we have two former members here today, perhaps Zhengchen can share his thoughts?”

YIL was Sheng Min’s former group, but Li Xuan hadn’t known the song belonged to them. This was already the fifth group of trainees, and up until now, Qin Zhengchen had been relatively restrained. However, his eagerness to perform was evident, as he had made it a point to critique each group as if he wanted to personally demonstrate every part.

“Yes, your memory is amazing!” Qin Zhengchen smiled brightly. “This song was one of our less popular ones, but personally, I’ve always liked it. Seeing it performed today was a pleasant surprise. They did a great job, especially the guy in the white shirt. He danced Sheng Min’s part, right? It really brought back memories of Sheng Min’s performance—beautiful, how should I put it? Eye-catching. I really enjoyed it.”

He hadn’t mentioned Sheng Min before, but it seemed he couldn’t resist when the opportunity arose. His words carried a faint hint of ambiguity, prompting cheers and laughter from some clueless audience members. However, it also sparked dissatisfaction among Sheng Min’s solo fans, leading to a small-scale dispute between the two sides. Staff quickly stepped in to calm things down. The other judges turned their attention to Li Xuan.

Li Xuan twirled the microphone in his hand, reluctant to speak. Although he didn’t yet know what had transpired between Sheng Min and Qin Zhengchen, he had no intention of saying anything that might link their names together again. But with all eyes on him, waiting for his response, he felt fortunate that Sheng Min wasn’t actually present.

“Is that so?” After a moment of deliberation, he brought the microphone to his lips, looking at Qin Zhengchen with a faint smile. “Maybe my memory isn’t as good. I was going to return the favor with a few words, reminiscing about the past, but I really can’t recall which part you danced back then.”

“Thank you, judges, host and participants. That’s it for today’s recording. The trainees will exit through the back left door! Don’t go through the wrong door! Tomorrow’s recording time is…”

Unlike typical variety shows, Pick Your Moon required three days of filming to produce two episodes of roughly three hours each, so the recording schedule was much tighter. There was only time for a meal in between. After a full day of filming, his back was stiff, but fortunately, Li Xuan was used to sitting for long hours in front of a computer. The continuous music, however, made his temples ache.

“Hey, Ge, here, your coffee.” Yang Xu, seated at the back of the recording hall, had been thinking about how ‘Sheng Min’ mentioned wanting coffee before the show but never got it. The moment the cameras turned off, he quickly brought it over.

“Thanks.” Li Xuan unfastened the top button of his collar with one hand and glanced behind Yang Xu. No one else was there. “Where’s he?”  

“You mean Li Xuan? Probably in the lounge,” Yang Xu replied, taking the script from Li Xuan’s hand. As he opened the door and stepped outside, he hesitated, turning back to call, “Ge.”

“What is it?”

“Today, I was really… really mad. Just seeing him made my blood boil. You must be even angrier than I am, and I acted too impulsively without considering your feelings.”

Even though Li Xuan had requested an Americano, Yang Xu still bought a caramel macchiato, something more to Sheng Min’s usual taste. For Li Xuan, it was far too sweet. One sip made him furrow his brows. “I’m not angry.”

“Come on, bro, you…” Yang Xu, still upset, trailed off. Just then, they heard someone calling Sheng Min’s name up ahead. Yang Xu’s hair seemed to stand on end as he caught sight of who it was. “What are you doing here?”

Li Xuan remembered Qin Zhengchen had left earlier, and his assistant was nowhere to be seen. Clearly, he had waited deliberately.

“Xiao Min,” Qin Zhengchen ignored Yang Xu and fixed his gaze on Li Xuan. “Can we talk for a minute?”

Yang Xu, who had been reflecting on his impulsiveness, instantly forgot all about it in his anger at seeing Qin Zhengchen. He charged forward like he wanted to bite him. “What makes you think you deserve to talk to him?”

Li Xuan clicked his tongue, pulled Yang Xu by the arm, and positioned him behind himself. Without acknowledging Qin Zhengchen, he sidestepped to leave. However, Qin Zhengchen blocked him again, wearing an earnest expression. “I really just need a minute. Xiao Min, we’ve known each other for so many years. You can’t even give me this chance?”

“Are you serious?”  

“Yang Xu.” Li Xuan gestured for him to calm down by lowering his hand.

“For so many years? Fine.” Li Xuan looked at Qin Zhengchen with a faint smile. “Say what you want.”

“Ge!” Yang Xu exclaimed.

“Wait for me up ahead.”

Reluctantly, Yang Xu retreated to the end of the hallway, standing watch a mere ten meters away, like a guard.

“Yang Xu hasn’t changed a bit,” Qin Zhengchen commented with a faint smile. “Always so quick to blow up. He even wanted to throw coffee at me today. I let it slide only because I was considering your feelings.”

Yang Xu hadn’t mentioned this detail, likely because he deemed it entirely justified.

“He’s too impulsive; it’s not good for you,” Qin Zhengchen continued, pretending to care.

“Did you stop me to discuss my assistant? If you want to hold it against him, go ahead. Who’s stopping you? Don’t act like you’re doing me some grand favor.” Li Xuan sneered.

Qin Zhengchen didn’t rise to the provocation. He wasn’t much like a typical idol from a talent show. Though comparable in height, his physique was more solid. Li Xuan remembered seeing on Qin Zhengchen’s information that he had been a seasoned dance instructor before debuting—a background that placed him at a disadvantage in terms of age. His features, less refined, were rugged and masculine.

“Xiao Min, you can even crack a joke now.”

“If you think so, sure. But we’re not close, so don’t use that nickname—it’s annoying.”

“You’re still holding a grudge,” Qin Zhengchen said with a hurt expression. “I know I was wrong, and I’ve already apologized. At the time, I was desperate and I had no choice. You debuted smoothly, while I couldn’t get any roles, and the company didn’t support me. I didn’t want to be abandoned again. You’ve always been soft-hearted, and now that you’re successful, can’t you find it in yourself to pity me and forgive me?”

There it was. Though Li Xuan still didn’t know the full story, he could feel there was something substantial. The feeling was suffocating, as was the man standing before him. He couldn’t help recalling the duet Qin Zhengchen had performed with Sheng Min, his hand once resting on Sheng Min’s shoulder. The thought filled him with an urge to punch the man in the face.

“Xiao Min?” Qin Zhengchen seemed to notice the shift in his demeanor.

“I told you, don’t use that name.”

“But we used to—”

“Save the nostalgia for when you’re dying,” Li Xuan interrupted coldly. “Are you here to beg for scraps?”

“Xiao Min… Sheng Min.” Qin Zhengchen appeared heartbroken. “I just wanted to say, even if you don’t forgive me, there’s no need for us to be so hostile publicly. The comments you made today gave outsiders something to laugh at. It’s awkward for both of us. You’re the main host, and I barely managed to get this guest spot. There’s no need to target me.”

Outsiders? As if Qin Zhengchen qualified as an insider. Li Xuan clenched his fists at his sides.

Qin Zhengchen’s intentions were clear—he felt that ‘Sheng Min’ had embarrassed him in public today. He was hoping the next recording session would go smoothly and that ‘Sheng Min’ might even indulge in reminiscing about their past and playing up the camaraderie of their group.

From both Yang Xu and Zhang Zhihua, Li Xuan could sense that what happened back then had been no small matter.

Why was Qin Zhengchen so self-assured, thinking he could come to make peace with Sheng Min? Was he naive? Or was he banking on Sheng Min’s supposed soft-heartedness?

The latter possibility felt like a thorn in Li Xuan’s throat. At some point, his hand at his side had curled into a tight fist, his nails digging painfully into his sweaty palm.

“You think I’m targeting you?” Li Xuan took a deep breath to calm himself. “You’re delusional. Do you really think I’d risk being tied to you and tarnishing my reputation? Stop dreaming. If you have issues, go see a doctor, and stop barking at me.”

Qin Zhengchen’s face momentarily showed humiliation. Though their heights were close, Li Xuan’s gaze carried a palpable sense of superiority as he looked down at him. “You’re worried about being embarrassed? Maybe reflect on whether your guilty conscience is the issue.”

With that Li Xuan left.

…

As they neared the lounge door, Zhang Zhihua’s call came through. Li Xuan gestured for Yang Xu to head inside, casually pushed open the nearby emergency exit door, and answered the call.

“You’re right, you really guessed it.” Zhang Zhihua sounded a bit excited. “I found out that Qin Zhengchen was recommended by a vice president of a video platform to replace the guest. Originally, he didn’t have the qualifications, but the show’s production team didn’t want to offend the higher-ups, and they also thought having you two together might create some buzz, so…”

“What kind of topic would I have with him?” Li Xuan had asked Zhang Zhihua to investigate, though he wasn’t entirely sure of anything. After meeting Qin Zhengchen, however, if something shady were to come up, he wouldn’t be surprised.

“Why are you mad at me?” Zhang Zhihua stammered. “You’re both from the same group…”

Sometimes, Zhang Zhihua spoke without thinking, more so than Yang Xu. Li Xuan snapped, “It’s been disbanded for ages… What’s his relationship with that vice president? Are they dating?”

“Of course not! His wife’s already had their second child. This guy’s just living off his wife’s family, climbing up through her brothers. He only dares to fool around with him in private.”

“Qin Zhengchen fooling around with a man?”

“Yeah, a man,” Zhang Zhihua said, sounding a bit disdainful but not surprised. “This time it’s a man.”

“This time? There was a woman before?”

“You should know about that,” Zhang Zhihua replied.

The stairwell lights weren’t very bright. The walls had recently been repainted, and there was still a faint dust in the air. Li Xuan walked a few steps down, and a small window on the corner of the stairs allowed a branch, covered in dust, to poke through.

“Are the rumors online true?”

“Why ask that?” Zhang Zhihua said ambiguously. “I’m not under his bed, but there’s no smoke without fire…”

As he continued talking, he suddenly realized something wasn’t right, and hurriedly added, “Now that you two aren’t together anymore, you don’t need to worry about this. I used to joke about it, but you didn’t like hearing it.”

As a joke.

Li Xuan plucked a leaf from the tree branch and absent-mindedly crushed it in his hand. Since Zhang Zhihua thought Qin Zhengchen was Sheng Min’s ex-boyfriend, what was the point of telling him all this? Who was he trying to mock?

“Anyway, I’ve looked into it for you. Let’s just drop this, okay?” Zhang Zhihua said.

Li Xuan didn’t respond. Zhang Zhihua, nervous, continued, “Wait, Sheng Min… you’re not planning anything, right?”

“What could I do?”

“I don’t know.” Zhang Zhihua cursed inwardly. In the past, Sheng Min wouldn’t have done anything, but recently, he seemed like he’d lost his mind… Now, Zhang Zhihua didn’t even dare to speak loudly. After how Qin Zhengchen had treated him, if ‘Sheng Min’ lost his temper tomorrow during filming and slapped the guy in front of everyone, it wouldn’t be impossible.

Thinking about it made Zhang Zhihua shudder, and he quickly said, “Don’t do anything rash. Don’t get yourself into trouble. Think about it. Qin Zhengchen is so ruthless. If you do something, and he seeks revenge on you, he might really go all in. I heard he’s still seeing this vice president, and now he even got a TV show for him. Sure, you’re famous now, and you don’t need to fear anyone, but if it gets messy, it’ll be a problem! No need for that… Sheng Min, are you listening to me?”

After calling out a few times, only a string of busy tones answered him. Li Xuan had hung up the phone.