Chapter One: Competent and Professional at Work

"Gently..."
Her voice was soft, barely caught in her throat, a fragile murmur.

The bed was a mess. Lying on her side, Cheng Xiao's long hair was scattered over the wrinkled sheets, exuding a languid allure.

"Is that so? I don't usually see you this delicate," Gu Jingyi laughed lightly as he looked up, just as a bead of sweat rolled down the side of his neck.

In the sunlit air, where even the drifting dust was visible, the drop bounced twice before landing on Cheng Xiao's shoulder.

The heat of that sweat, as it touched her, was as if a boiling piece of iron had been plunged into a glass of water. It triggered an immediate reaction, her body moving involuntarily.

The droplet slid down as her shoulder shifted, unable to hide the beauty of her bare chest any longer.

Through the thin gap in the window, sunlight illuminated the scene. Gu Jingyi watched intently as the bead traced a path down the deep hollow of her collarbone.

He stared for several seconds before pulling his gaze away, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he teased, "Was it just because I was slow to reply to your messages that you came looking for me, Senior Cheng Xiao?"

Cheng Xiao was a member of Cosmic Girls. After gaining fame for her rhythmic gymnastics performance on Idol Star Athletics Championships, her individual popularity quickly surpassed that of her group. She now traveled frequently between overseas and home.

There weren't many Chinese working in Korea; whenever a new face appeared, they would be pulled into group chats for support and company. The chat buzzed with messages and occasional group dinners.

Soon enough, Gu Jingyi and Cheng Xiao became acquainted.

Especially after Gu Jingyi, who had ranked first in the third round of "Produce 202," withdrew from the competition and returned home, their contact became even more frequent. But as for when exactly their relationship began to change, not even Gu Jingyi could quite remember...

Facing his provocation, Cheng Xiao remained calm and unhurried.

She raised her hand, her fingertip brushing lightly along Gu Jingyi's neck, gently tucking away a strand of her own hair that had stuck there. She laughed softly, "It's been almost a year, and you're still so eager to keep things this way with me."

She deflected with ease, and indeed, over the past year, they had grown very close.

But Gu Jingyi and Cheng Xiao didn’t meet every weekend.

Sometimes, when Cheng Xiao was busy, she would send Gu Jingyi a quick message on WeChat; sometimes, when Gu Jingyi was occupied with filming, he would do the same.

Mostly, their exchanges were short voice messages, ending quickly.

Gu Jingyi's agent, Lin Ze, had overheard one of these voice notes once. After pondering for a while, he'd commented that Cheng Xiao had a voice both sweet and commanding—swift and assertive when speaking quickly, but when she slowed down, her tone was like sugar-dipped cotton candy, soft and melting.

Gu Jingyi, having been close to her for nearly a year, felt this even more deeply than Lin Ze did. Familiarity had become habit; he could catch the nuances effortlessly without trying.

Now, Cheng Xiao was speaking slowly, her brows lifted in a smile. "Why are you looking at me like that? Did I say something wrong?"

Her bangs, damp with sweat, clung obediently to her forehead, making her look especially adorable—a stark contrast to the boldness of her words.

But Gu Jingyi was used to this. Once they’d grown close, Cheng Xiao would occasionally say the most startling things after letting off steam.

"Is it possible," she mused, "that I've just grown accustomed to you?"

Gu Jingyi smiled, his fingertips tracing softly over her skin.

A chill followed his touch, cool air pressing against her damp skin. The sudden contrast made her shiver and try to sit up.

"What's the rush? Weren’t you just satisfied a moment ago?"

Gu Jingyi, a bit displeased, grabbed her wrist and leaned in.

Cheng Xiao stared straight at his face—just as striking as his profile, the intensity and distance only serving to heighten his allure.

Even with their familiarity, his sudden closeness made her instinctively want to pull away, not lean in.

No wonder he’d become a breakout star, his good looks setting him apart time and again. Even after a year back in China, the fans he gained from "Produce 202" hadn’t all left; they would climb digital walls, piecing together his every move in China, collecting the fragments like a precious puzzle.

Realizing she'd been staring at him absentmindedly again, Cheng Xiao felt her cheeks grow warm. Like a prickly hedgehog, she pouted and deliberately brought up her "former teammates'" success.

"Gu Jingyi, Wanna One just won Best Boy Group."

"Really? I know," Gu Jingyi replied, picking up his clothes from the messy floor and putting them on, his expression giving nothing away.

Cheng Xiao, a bit deflated, continued to prod him: "Do you regret it? If you hadn’t withdrawn, you’d probably have debuted as the center. Wanna One became a top Asian boy group right after debuting. If you’d known the outcome, would you still have quit?"

Gu Jingyi raised his brow and answered calmly, "I don’t envy them. Not at all."

As someone reborn, how could Gu Jingyi be swayed by his former group’s fleeting glory?

In his past life, he’d created multiple iconic moments and million-hit performances on "Produce 202." From the first round, his position as center was undisputed.

But, without a company and forging ahead alone in a foreign land, his debut spot was manipulated by the production team on the finals night. His ranking dropped from first to fifth, which meant fewer lines to sing and less prominent positions on stage.

After debuting, he had zero business deals, and any endorsements that came his way were rejected by the company.

Gu Jingyi drifted through two and a half years, his top-tier popularity waning to the edge of the limelight.

Even when, on May 29, 2020, the Seoul court announced that Ahn Joon-young was imprisoned for rigging votes in the "Produce" series and Gu Jingyi's injustice was finally redressed, it was already too late for him to return to his golden era.

Like many minor celebrities, he started over on variety shows, building recognition before taking supporting roles in dramas, gradually accumulating popularity.

Only when he starred in "Reset," which became a hit, did Gu Jingyi finally rise as a popular young actor.

Coming back to life, the best decision he made was withdrawing from "Produce 202." He knew he would return home eventually; by amassing popularity ahead of the upcoming "idol era," he could leverage his overseas fame and expand his advantage like a snowball.

Winner takes all. That was Gu Jingyi’s aim.

And "A Little Brighter," a low-budget youth school drama, was his first target upon returning to China. With his built-in popularity, he directly replaced Hu Yitian as the male lead.

From its premiere in November, "A Little Brighter" overturned the cliché of domestic youth dramas—no more melodramatic love triangles, accidental pregnancies, or terminal illnesses. By simply adding more campus life, it resonated more deeply with viewers.

Gu Jingyi, too, grew from a minor celebrity to a rising star.

Cheng Xiao was momentarily stunned by his reply, then quickly lowered her lashes, adjusted her mood, and smiled at him. "That's true. Congratulations. Since 'A Little Brighter' premiered, it’s already amassed 1.76 billion views. Even on Douban, it’s tied for the highest-rated web drama of 2017 with a score of 8.3."

"It's only been a month since it started airing, and your Weibo followers have jumped from 1.02 million to 4.87 million. Gu Jingyi, this time you’ve really achieved both popularity and acclaim."

Gu Jingyi smiled without replying.

But then Cheng Xiao abruptly changed the subject. "So why, just as your acting career is taking off, did you suddenly decide to join 'Idol Producer'?"

Gu Jingyi wasn’t surprised Cheng Xiao had learned the answer ahead of time.

"As expected of you, Xiao Xiao—always so well-informed."

Cheng Xiao was unimpressed, eyeing him with suspicion. "Did you already know I was one of the dance mentors the show invited?"

She hesitated a moment but couldn’t help voicing her question. She truly couldn't understand why such a rising star would join a little-known talent show.

When the show's producers announced Gu Jingyi as a contestant, she’d thought he was being forced by his company. She’d even worried and called to check on him.

Oh no, she thought, is he doing this because of me...?

She looked at him, her cheeks growing warm.

Seeing her expression, Gu Jingyi realized she’d misunderstood. But he didn’t intend to explain. Besides himself, probably no one in the industry would believe that "Idol Producer" would usher in China’s "idol era."

In just three or four months, the show would catapult an unknown idol entangled in lawsuits with his old agency into the top ranks.

If Gu Jingyi didn’t participate, his popularity would be quickly eclipsed in a few months.

"A Little Brighter" was a hit, but most of the scripts offered to him were for similar roles. The major content producer, Hua Ce, only had a handful of in-house youth dramas: "Sweet Blow," "Encountering You Beyond the Lightyears," and "My Dearest You."

Gu Jingyi’s situation was awkward—too many similar youth scripts, and most female leads were newcomers. He didn’t want to "nurture" rookies at the expense of his own popularity.

The scripts he really wanted, their producers doubted his acting and ability to carry a show.

Gu Jingyi refused to hinder his own development for quick money. Most actor-fans in China were "three-month fans": after a drama ended, viewers gradually separated the actor from the role, and only half the heated popularity remained.

Since "A Little Brighter" aired in November, Gu Jingyi’s trending topic hit 100,000 sign-ins, just enough to make him a "sub-top star."

But after "Idol Producer" aired its third episode, even the unknown Cai Xukun’s Weibo trending sign-ins reached 96,967.

Once "Idol Producer" started airing, Cai Xukun would soar to top-tier status, joining Long Ge as the "dual top stars." In just a few months, they would complete their meteoric rise.

But even if Gu Jingyi explained all this, Cheng Xiao wouldn’t believe it.

Outside, the wind had picked up, low clouds pressing down as if rain was imminent.

Gu Jingyi picked up his car keys and stood up, not wanting to linger.

This was the tacit understanding he and Cheng Xiao had developed: finish their business, then leave without delay.

Their relationship could be summed up with a single, not-so-virtuous term—friends with benefits.

"Wait," a slightly hoarse voice called from behind.

Gu Jingyi instinctively paused, his gaze settling on Cheng Xiao.

There were still marks on her face from the pillow, a delicate vulnerability at odds with her dry, raspy tone.

Seeing he had really turned around, Cheng Xiao brushed her hair from her cheek, narrowed her beautiful eyes, and with a half-smile, said, "Next time we meet, it’ll be for the show recording. When we’re working, remember to address me properly."