Chapter 49

Xia Xi deliberately kept him in suspense, her expression looking somewhat proud and smug, to put it plainly, a little punch-worthy.
"Oh? What other reasons are there?" Da He couldn’t stand Xia Xi’s mysterious act, so he pretended to look nonchalant, though inwardly he was burning with curiosity.
Xia Xi blinked, studying Da He’s expression. His face seemed calm, but the curiosity in his eyes gave him away. "Do you really want to know?" Suddenly feeling playful, Xia Xi decided to tease Da He a little.
She always did this, liked to play small tricks on Da He, waiting until he was about to get angry before carefully apologizing and making amends.
"Just say it already, it’s so annoying. Your expression has piqued my curiosity," Da He frowned and rolled his eyes. "I hate it when you look so smug!"
"Alright, alright." Xia Xi noticed that Da He didn’t seem to be in the best mood today, so she decided not to push her luck. She narrowed her eyes and said, "Zhao Qian, the award-winning actor who’s also participating in the competition, is my idol. If I join 'Cross-Border Singing Joy,' I might get to collaborate with him! Just thinking about it makes me a little excited."
"Seriously? That sounds even less reliable than your previous reason." Da He fell silent for a moment, studying Xia Xi’s expression and realizing she was completely serious. He said hesitantly, "But after what happened, wouldn’t Actor Zhao Qian withdraw?"
Xia Xi shook her head at Da He's words. "I heard he has a good relationship with Fruit TV. I doubt he’d drop out of Cross-Border Singing Joy over something so trivial. In this show, I’m just a minor character, whether I’m there or not doesn’t really matter. But for heavyweight guests like Zhao Qian, the production team will do everything they can to keep him. Otherwise, what would attract viewers once the show airs?"
"That makes sense," Da He nodded after hearing her explanation. "If I were the production team, I’d also spare no effort to retain the guests who can boost ratings."
"Exactly." Xia Xi glanced at her poster and continued, "Besides, Fruit TV isn’t some obscure station. Their approach to handling unexpected situations is practically textbook. Do you really think they’d go into this unprepared? Participating in this show could also help me build a good relationship with Fruit TV. Who knows, maybe they’ll think of me for other great variety shows in the future!"
"And even if we consider the worst-case scenario, didn’t I just say I’d think about it? Thinking about it doesn’t mean I’ve agreed. If Zhao Qian, the award-winning actor, doesn’t join the show, I can always decline later."
Da He was stunned by Xia Xi’s reasoning. Having spent most of his time in the military and never having read scheming novels like Empresses in the Palace, he was a straightforward person who tended to think in simple terms. His usual solution to problems was to fight. This was the first time he realized that Xia Xi could be so sharp-witted, able to analyze a situation so thoroughly in such a short time. It was impressive.
Genetics really do matter, when it comes to scheming, she’s the spitting image of her brother!
"Hey, Da He, what’s with that expression?" Xia Xi noticed Da He staring at her with a complicated, almost dazed look. She paused, patted his shoulder, and asked, "Did you think of something unpleasant? You look like you’re constipated."
Da He snapped out of it, his expression immediately turning disgusted. "That’s a gross analogy."
"You’re the one overthinking it." Seeing his look of disdain, Xia Xi pressed her lips together and shrugged it off as if it were obvious. "Not my problem."
"Fine. Then, "
Just as Da He was about to say more, an uninvited guest suddenly burst through the door, startling both Xia Xi and Da He.
The intruder froze upon seeing how much he had startled the two. He stared blankly at Da He, then turned to look at Xia Xi standing beneath her poster. A delighted smile spread across his face as he exclaimed loudly, his voice full of astonishment, "Wow, am I dreaming? I’m seeing a live Xia Xi!"
Xia Xi: “...” A live Xia Xi?
Hearing the uninvited guest’s words, Xia Xi could barely control her expression and reaction.
What did he mean by a "live" Xia Xi? Was I not real before?
The uninvited guest seemed quite perceptive. Just as Xia Xi was about to transform into a fire-breathing dragon, he immediately began apologizing with utmost sincerity, "I'm truly sorry for barging in unannounced and startling you all. It's just that this TV station is so massive, I got completely lost. After wandering around in a daze for what felt like ages, I spotted an unlocked room and rushed in without a second thought."
“...” Xia Xi watched the pitiful expression on the uninvited guest's face and rolled her eyes inwardly. This guy was actually trying to act cute, How utterly ridiculous.
Just as Xia Xi was silently fuming over the intruder, Da He, who had somehow appeared beside the young man unnoticed, asked curiously, "Why did you seem so surprised when you saw Xia Xi?"
The boy scratched his head awkwardly at Da He's question and replied sheepishly, "If I tell you, will Sister Xia Xi get angry?"
"No, no, go ahead and say it." Hearing this, Da He's curiosity was piqued once more, and he eagerly answered on Xia Xi's behalf.
Da He's curiosity was genuinely insatiable; even after suffering countless consequences because of it, he never learned his lesson.
Xia Xi couldn't help but wonder if it was just her imagination, but she felt like Da He's tone was dripping with schadenfreude.
"Ah, you mean why I was so shocked when I saw Sister Xia Xi?" The boy glanced furtively at Xia Xi, then quickly looked down again, awkwardly rubbing his nose. A faint blush spread across his cheeks. "It's because I never expected Sister Xia Xi to be so beautiful in person. I always thought it was just heavy photoshopping by her team. I assumed all the online hype about her god-tier looks was just paid promotion, since, you know, pretty girls are like angels."
Xia Xi: “...” I kind of want to strangle him.
Da He coughed lightly upon hearing the boy's words. He glanced at Xia Xi's expression and noticed her face was dark with barely suppressed rage. Deciding not to tease her further out of decency, he asked, "So, now that you've met Xia Xi, how has your impression of her changed?"
"Of course it has! Absolutely!" The boy nodded eagerly. "Sister Xia Xi is so beautiful, she should be forgiven for anything! So it's only natural that she has a bit of a temper. Good-looking people have the right to be willful!"