Because Yi Xing betrayed the Accelerators on the show, he received a lot of attention at the dinner party afterward, with people constantly coming up to drink with him. Everyone was seeking revenge in this way.
They couldn't outplay him on the show, but at the dinner table, it was their territory as seasoned veterans. As a rookie, Yi Xing was completely overwhelmed by so many people's attacks, but he didn't show any temper.
He understood that while everyone seemed to be making things difficult for him, they were actually acknowledging his performance in the game. Moreover, without the cameras, he felt a closer private relationship with the others.
It was no longer just putting on a show like before; he was genuinely making friends. After round after round of being plied with drinks, Yi Xing's eyes were a bit hazy, and a smile lingered on his lips. He had no idea what happened afterward.
When his eyes opened, it was already afternoon outside. He suddenly sat up in bed, put on his shoes, and walked around the room, seemingly searching for something.
After searching for a long time, he found the item he wanted on the bedside table next to him, placed with his phone. He picked up the cup on top and drank water in big gulps. As for the saying that overnight water shouldn't be drunk, he didn't believe such nonsense.
It's still 12 hours. Why can you drink it during the day but not at night? Is there discrimination even in this?
After satisfying his physical needs, he sat on the edge of the bed, silently contemplating without a word. He seemed to be recalling the events of yesterday, with images flashing backward in his mind like a revolving lantern.
Even in his drunken state, some fragments entered Yi Xing's memory. It seemed someone had brought him back, but he wasn't sure who or how many people.
Even if he didn't remember, the water he had just drunk showed that someone had brought him back. It couldn't have been him getting up in the middle of the night, sleepwalking, pouring a glass of water, putting it next to him, and then going back to sleep. That would be too fantastical.
His thoughts gradually spread with the fragments of memory. He tried to piece together those broken snippets—blurred figures and worried words—which, though not perfectly clear, conveyed a sense of warmth.
He vaguely remembered someone saying something in his ear. It was like 'good night' or something, followed by instructions for him to rest well. He really couldn't remember. He picked up his phone to see if there were any clues or if anyone had messaged him.
The screen lit up, and at the top was a message from Ju Jingyi, followed by a message from Jia Nailiang. It seemed these three must have taken him back to the hotel.
Yi Xing clicked on them one by one, checking them. He found that Jia Nailiang had extended his room for another day, which touched him a little. No wonder the hotel staff hadn't come up to knock on his door to ask him to check out; someone had already taken care of it for him.
“Yi Xing: Thank you, Xiao Liang Ge. I'll treat you to a meal another day!”
Ju Jingyi's messages were a bit more numerous, one after another.
“Ju Jingyi: Yesterday, Xiao Liang Ge and Han Dongjun brought you back to your room.
Because I couldn't lift you by myself.
So I asked them to help me.
I've already poured water for you.
It's on the bedside table, remember to drink it.”
He looked at her messages, filled with concern, and his heart was full of warmth. He replied to each one, making sure to respond to everything. His last message was:
“Yi Xing: Seriously, as soon as I woke up, I was looking for water everywhere. You're so thoughtful!”
Soon after he sent it, she immediately replied:
“Ju Jingyi: Of course! These are all experiences my mom taught me!”
“Yi Xing: Auntie is so experienced in life. Are you in the Magic City now?”
“Ju Jingyi: Yes, I arrived this morning. I'm learning a new dance now. Our group's annual general election is coming up soon, and I'll be performing several new stages then.”
Another term Yi Xing didn't quite understand popped up. What did the general election mean? He didn't reply immediately, searching online for the meaning of the term. After getting a general understanding, he continued chatting with her.
Ju Jingyi's resources for the next year were closely related to her ranking in this general election. The higher the rank, the better the resources she would receive. All these votes were accumulated by fans with real money.
(I remember when I voted, it was about 35 per ticket. I haven't voted since Sister Ju got first place.)
“Yi Xing: Is there anything I can help with?”
Seeing that the person she was chatting with also wanted to vote for her, Ju Jingyi immediately panicked. Although this young master's involvement could bring her immense benefits, the votes of all others combined wouldn't be enough to match his alone.
However, she didn't want to owe him a favor. She was happy to get along with him as a friend now. If she became number one because of him, she wouldn't know how to face Yi Xing afterward.
Should she continue to call each other friends, or should she also call him 'Young Master'? What was the difference between that and him directly keeping her? She didn't want to be a canary in someone's cage; she only wanted to achieve success through her own efforts.
After thinking everything through, she replied:
“Ju Jingyi: No, I appreciate your kind offer to help me.”
“Yi Xing: Okay, I'm going to eat now.”
“Ju Jingyi: What's wrong with you? It's already this late, and you haven't eaten yet.”
“Yi Xing: I just woke up now, didn't I? I'm going right now.”
Afterward, Yi Xing put down his phone and went to the bathroom to wash up. He quickly tidied himself in front of the mirror, then went out to find a place to eat, still thinking about his chat with Ju Jingyi.
Since she said she didn't need his help, he wouldn't actively offer it. He didn't want to end up not helping and just causing more trouble.
Meanwhile, in the Magic City, Ju Jingyi opened her phone's gallery. Looking from behind, one could see that the person in the photos was the one she had just been chatting with, all showing his awkward drunken moments.
As the saying goes, friends might not have many good-looking photos of each other, but when it comes to embarrassing ones, there are plenty to go around.
She stared at the photos for a long time, and finally, she couldn't help but let out a giggle, attracting the attention of her teammates who were resting nearby. They all looked at her with curious eyes.
Lin Shiyi, who was very close to her, scooted over and sat next to her, asking in a low voice, “What are you laughing about? Did you come across a funny video? Share it with everyone.”
“Nothing, I just suddenly remembered something funny from when we were filming the show.”
“Alright. By the way, the variety show you were on airs tonight at ten, right?”
“Yes, why?” Ju Jingyi tilted her head, looking at the person beside her.
“Let's watch it together then. Tell me about the scenes that weren't recorded by the camera,” Lin Shiyi said excitedly. She was very interested in what happened behind the scenes.
“Okay.”
“Yay, I knew you were the best!” Lin Shiyi hugged the slightly smaller girl beside her.