Watching several days of exhausting training, Yan Jin and the others' spirits were a little listless.
Ling Fei looked at the departing figures with some worry: "Won't anything happen if they keep doing this?"
"What could happen? This is just the beginning!" Mu Li comforted him, "Don't worry, there won't be any lasting effects. With my Blissey, as long as they're not dead, they can be saved."
Ling Fei's mouth twitched: "No wonder you're so ruthless, you really train them to death!"
"If you ask me, their battles still lack a bit of temper," Mu Li said. "When I used to battle, it wasn't with this kind of aura."
To be fair, Ling Fei highly agreed with this point. When Mu Li used to battle, his aura was so oppressive it made people breathless.
When Mu Li was still Heavenly King Level, other Heavenly King Level trainers barely dared to make a move against him. Even when facing Champion Level trainers, his battle aura didn't fall behind in the slightest.
Mu Li's battle aura directly boosted the entire National Team's morale. In several matches, even though the opponents were stronger, Mu Li's aura allowed them to directly overwhelm the opponent, leaving them no room to struggle.
Zhu Yuping couldn't help but retort, "Of course, who doesn't know your title as the Destroyer Dragon King?"
Mu Li couldn't help but shiver: "Zhu Yudao, we're still good friends if you don't mention that."
However, as Mu Li saw them preparing to leave with fishing rods and buckets while talking, he couldn't help but ask, "Hey, you two are going fishing without me?"
"Forget it," Ling Fei retorted. "Do you think we don't know about your debuff? Go wash up, do what you need to do, and don't bother us two old men."
Ever since Tapu Fini left, the fog over the lake had dispersed, and many Pokémon began to be active around the lake. Even the fish in the lake seemed more lively. For several days in a row, Ling Fei and Zhu Yuping had full catches.
Fish: Oh my goodness, I've lived for four or five years, and finally, a fish gets to see the sun!
Ling Fei / Zhu Yuping: Hand it over!
Looking at Chichi, Chichi found a large tree and was leisurely playing games under it.
"Brother Chichi? Is there nothing else you can do?" Mu Li asked, puzzled.
Chichi rolled his eyes and said, "You don't understand. For a middle-aged man, what's more comfortable than being away from his wife and children? Don't bother me, let me enjoy this quiet moment."
Mu Li decided this guy was beyond saving.
Just then, Liu Yun sent him a message: "The theme for the next show recording is out - First Love."
"First love, huh?" Mu Li murmured, and then he saw Liu Yun's second message.
Liu Yun: "By the way, have you ever been in love?"
Mu Li: "Who are you looking down on?"
Liu Yun: "Oh? Then tell me? I wonder if Pei Pei knows about this."
Mu Li: "You're really good at reading people."
Liu Yun: "Heh, men."
Mu Li sighed and forwarded the theme to Fu Peiyao.
Mu Li: "Help, the show needs a song about first love, but I've never been in love."
Fu Peiyao: "What? Do you mean you want to go fall in love?"
Mu Li: "??? Why would you interpret it that way?"
Fu Peiyao: "It's best if you don't, otherwise, hmph hmph."
Mu Li: "Gengar scared.jpg"
On the other end of the phone, Fu Peiyao's cheeks were slightly red, and she pouted, huffing, "Little rascal, still trying to tease your big sister? I can't deal with you, can I?"
Assistant Xiao Zhu saw this and couldn't help but tease, "Someone sent you a message again?"
Fu Peiyao wrinkled her nose slightly, showing a fierce yet cute expression: "None of your business."
Xiao Zhu pretended to be indifferent and said, "Yes, it's none of my business. Next time I won't bother to squeeze someone's schedule for a date. After all, I'm just a small assistant."
Fu Peiyao immediately put on a pitiful look: "Xiao Zhu, you're the best!"
Xiao Zhu couldn't help but shiver: "Alright, I won't tease you anymore. I heard that your guy has another show coming out?"
Fu Peiyao asked, puzzled, "How do you know? I haven't even asked yet."
"Heh heh, it's just you who doesn't know," Xiao Zhu retorted. "Mu Li's manager Liu Yun, Sister Wenwen, and Jia Yu's boss Wu Yun created a gossip group specifically to gossip about you two, okay?"
Fu Peiyao's already bright eyes widened a bit more: "No way? They're doing something like that behind our backs?"
"And that's not all," Xiao Zhu complained. "The three of them also ship Mu Li and Wang Yijia as a couple."
Fu Peiyao looked at Xiao Zhu with suspicion: "How do you know?"
"Guess who told them all that gossip?" Xiao Zhu said exasperatedly.
"Then how do you know his schedule?" Fu Peiyao pressed.
Xiao Zhu said, "Of course, from Yang Yitong, Mu Li's assistant. We often have to coordinate schedules, don't we? Otherwise, how can we arrange your two schedules?"
"Why do you two know everything about us, and I'm the only one who doesn't?" Fu Peiyao said in disbelief.
"No, it's not like that," Xiao Zhu explained. "Mu Li doesn't know either."
Fu Peiyao didn't know what to say, so she changed the subject, "Then where is he now?"
"Oh? He? Who is 'he'?" Xiao Zhu asked knowingly.
Fu Peiyao's eyes immediately widened: "Are you planning to resign after today?"
Xiao Zhu pouted and said irritably, "Hmph, stingy, threatening me over a joke."
Fu Peiyao rolled her eyes: "Hurry up, otherwise..."
Fu Peiyao showed off her pretty little fists, completely unaware that her appearance not only had no destructive power but was instead adorable.
Xiao Zhu retorted, "What? Doesn't he always report to you? He didn't tell you this time?"
"Please, am I that kind of controlling person?" Fu Peiyao subconsciously explained, "No, why should he report to me? We're just ordinary friends, okay?"
Xiao Zhu sneered, "Right, ordinary friends. So, do you want to know where your 'ordinary friend' went?"
Fu Peiyao hesitated for a moment, then nodded slightly.
Xiao Zhu: Little rascal, I know you too well!
"He seems to have gone back to his home in Yangcheng. I don't know the specific reason, but it seems he'll be there for a few days," Xiao Zhu said.
"Went back home? That idle? Doesn't he have other engagements?" Fu Peiyao asked, puzzled.
"Not really. I heard he went back because of some urgent matter," Xiao Zhu said. "He even pushed back an engagement he had during that time."
Fu Peiyao nodded, took out her phone, and messaged Mu Li: "I heard you went home?"
Soon after, Mu Li replied: "Yeah, I came back to help the National Team members with special training for a few days. I'll be back in Modu soon."
Fu Peiyao couldn't help but show a knowing smile.
Xiao Zhu looked at Fu Peiyao's expression, shook her head helplessly, and sighed, "Sigh, I really wonder what they'll be like after they start dating."
Fu Peiyao's face immediately turned a little red: "What dating? We're just good friends chatting."
"Right, right, whatever you say," Xiao Zhu said with deadpan eyes, muttering in her heart, 'Do I look stupid to you?'
However, Xiao Zhu quickly changed the subject.
"Oh, by the way, Sister Wenwen asked me to get your opinion on something," Xiao Zhu inquired.
"What is it?" Fu Peiyao asked, puzzled.
"Mango TV has a travel show called 'Flowers and Youth,' and they asked if you're interested in participating?" Xiao Zhu asked.
"Travel show?" Fu Peiyao frowned.
"This season focuses on youth, inviting artists under 40, so there shouldn't be as much complicated interpersonal drama," Xiao Zhu explained. "You haven't participated in a variety show for a long time. Sister Wenwen thinks you should consider it. This time you can go out for 21 days and relax a bit."
"Help me decline it," Fu Peiyao shook her head. "A travel show that lets me relax and rest? Do you think I just debuted?"
This kind of travel variety show seems comfortable but is actually exhausting. The daily schedule is even busier than during work. Especially for female celebrities, after deducting makeup time, they barely get three or four hours of sleep every day.
Not only that, celebrities also have to maintain their best condition at all times. Sometimes they even have to attend some inexplicable social banquets and compete with other celebrities in their team. Fu Peiyao felt that this kind of money wasn't worth earning.
Xiao Zhu showed an indifferent expression, but secretly chuckled: "Then I'll decline for you, okay? I heard they also invited Mu Li..."
Before Xiao Zhu could finish speaking, she saw a doll directly thrown at her. Xiao Zhu subconsciously caught it in her arms.
"You brat, can't you just say everything at once next time?" Fu Peiyao said exasperatedly.
Xiao Zhu laughed: "Still declining?"
Fu Peiyao said irritably, "Decline your head! Tell the production team, if he goes, I'll go."
Xiao Zhu pretended not to know: "If he goes, you'll go? Who is 'he' again?"
Fu Peiyao's gaze sharpened, and Xiao Zhu immediately begged for mercy: "Alright, alright, I've replied for you."
Fu Peiyao nodded contentedly, mumbling, "Traveling with him should be very nice."
For Mu Li, even though he had lived two lives, he had never been in love. If there was one person who made his heart flutter, it was Fu Peiyao.
Although they haven't confirmed their relationship yet, for Mu Li, he can already feel a bit of the beauty of love.
Some say the ambiguous period before falling in love is the most precious. Mu Li currently agrees wholeheartedly, as he hasn't experienced the feeling afterward.
But when it came to first love, Mu Li's first thought wasn't Fu Peiyao, but a certain figure in his high school classroom from his previous life—a girl he had a crush on but never confessed to. He couldn't even quite remember her name anymore, but the taste of that unrequited love was still etched in his memory.
Unrequited love might also be a type of first love, but unfortunately, the taste was a bit bitter.
However, that was all in his previous life. For Mu Li, it was like being attracted to a girl in a youth idol drama during his adolescence; it all seemed too illusory.
Instead, when first love was mentioned, Mu Li couldn't help but recall the night they sat on the hillside stargazing.
A clear night sky, twinkling stars, crisp sounds of frogs and insects, a boy and girl in ambiguous romance, and a dog.
Just thinking about this scene felt incredibly beautiful.
Togekiss: Even those frogs were mentioned?? Do I not deserve a name?
With this in mind, Mu Li decided on the performance song for this time and wrote the following words on paper.
"One step, two steps, three steps, four steps, looking at the sky hand in hand, one star, two stars, three stars, four stars, forming a line, watching the stars."
...