QT: Don't fall in love with the Male Lead

Chapter 145: Don't trust a h--

When Jade team is getting started on dinner for themselves and Diamond team, two production assistants show up, telling Xi Zirui and Han Yu to get changed for their private dinner.

Xi Zirui is steadily thinking of it as a date, so he makes an effort to dress in something nice from all the clothes the original brought.

All of it is too flashy for his tastes, but he does find some nice joggers and matching jumper which is his preferred look when in a contemporary time period. 

Xi Zirui doesn't know what he was expecting, but it definitely isn't a white ironwork table in the garden by the pool, burdened with what looks like french food. The mood set by two rose scented long stemmed candles.

It's dinner in the backyard and they still managed to make Xi Zirui feel underdressed.

Two cameramen stand a few paces away from the table, filming him and Han Yu as they approach it.

All of this is excruciatingly awkward.

Han Yu chuckles as soon as he sits down and finds a red rose on top of his plate. "Someone wanted our dinner to be romantic, gege," he says, twirling the thin stem between his fingers.

Xi Zirui takes the rose on top of his own plate and sticks it into the cup of water in front of him.

"Seems so," he agrees, through gritted teeth.

He should have known he and Han Yu wouldn't be allowed a quiet dinner on their own -- not when the whole thing could be milked for views.

It's easier to forget they're constantly behind filmed when they don't see the cameras. Trying to have a nice dinner with two large cameras trained on their every movement is almost impossible.

Not to mention that the food has been left outside for too long and has now grown cold. 

"This is great," Han Yu says after a pointed look from one of the cameramen. They've been eating their food in silence for ten minutes, which probably isn't very entertaining television. 

"Super," Xi Zirui agrees, meeting Han Yu's eyes briefly.

Han Yu smirks, something wicked glinting in his eyes. "Probably the best food I have ever had," Han Yu says, moaning dramatically.

Xi Zirui catches on to his idea. 

On his next bite he rolls his eyes back into his skull and lets out a prolonged groan. "So delicious, best thing ever."

Han Yu takes a dainty pastry from the table and shoves it inside his mouth in one bite. "I'm ravenous," he says, speaking with his mouth full, spreading crumbs everywhere.

It turns into a competition after that. Several times Xi Zirui has to focus not to choke from laughter while Han Yu's antics grow ever more ridiculous.

Finally the cameramen can't take enough. One of them lowers his camera with a sigh of dismay, "We won't be able to broadcast most of this. You're being too graphic."

Of course this just sends them into a new fit of laughter.

"Wasn't that what you wanted, with the romantic candles and the french food by the pool?" Xi Zirui asks with a knowing smirk.

The other cameramen gives up next. "We're just doing our jobs, man."

Xi Zirui does feel sorry for them, although he thinks it's extremely shady of the show to try and manufacture a romantic atmosphere between two random contestants.

Unlike him, the show has no idea of his and Han Yu's past history.

"I'm full now, though," Han Yu says, patting his stomach. 

"Me too," Xi Zirui says, eyeing the remaining food. There's much more food remaining on the table than either of them could eat.

"Help me carry it inside?" Xi Zirui asks Han Yu. "It can be our contribution to dinner for the winners."

---

When they return to the house, they find everyone seated around four large round tables in an adjacent dining room to the living area, none of them looking particularly pleased.

The first thing Xi Zirui notices is that only the Diamond team has food in front of them.

"What happened?" Han Yu asks, finding the whole situation strange as well, considering the Jade team was supposed to cook for everyone.

Shen Yun lets out a teary sniffle from his table. "I accidentally dropped one of the pots of noodles on the floor."

He gets a series of annoyed glances from a few teammates, but quite a few pitying ones too.

"Since we were two people short there wasn't time to cook any more food," he says, his clear eyes red and shinning with unshed tears.

Xi Zirui wants to snap at him to curb the act, it makes him look like he has hayfever. 

"Why not just cook more food?" Xi Zirui asks, leaning his hip against the edge of Shen Yun's table, to his annoyance -- which is exactly why Xi Zirui does it.

"The production team said we didn't have time, the camera crew needs to shoot us eating before leaving for the day," one of the boys in Jade team says, his shoulders slumped. "We can just have a few snacks before lights out."

A few cameramen are spread out around the room, keeping to themselves while filming close ups of the contestant's faces, along with the fixed cameras behind the wall which film them at set angles.

"In that case it's a good thing we didn't have much of an appetite," Xi Zirui says, lowering the containers of leftovers the production team packaged for them on top of the table.

Most guys start digging into the food after thanking Xi Zirui and Han Yu for their graciousness. 

Honestly speaking, there isn't that much food, and Xi Zirui's only concern was to avoid food waste, but he's still glad to see he inadvertently thwarted Shen Yun's plan to earn sympathy votes from the audience, and throw Han Yu and Xi Zirui under the bus while he was it.

He watches everyone eat with his arms crossed in front of his chest and a frown on his bloodless lips.

"Aren't you hungry?" Han Yu asks, handing a few pastries for some boys to take to the other tables of Jade team contestants.

"I don't have a stomach for leftovers," Shen Yun says, smiling sardonically.

Xi Zirui snorts. "Suit yourself," he gets up from the table with a loud yawn. "I'm going to bed."

Han Yu dusts his hands off and bounds after him. "Wait up gege, I'm afraid of the dark."

Neither of them notices the cameras zooming in on them.

---

The next day all the contestants have choreography practice with Liao Min, except for Xi Zirui and Han Yu who get to sleep in.

They'll have their private practice sessions after lunch.

When Xi Zirui wakes up he's alone in the dorm, Han Yu off to amuse himself with somewhere else.

He stretches leisurely and luxuriates in the soft sheets. Despite narrow, the bunk bed is surprisingly comfortable.

They aren't allowed phones during the competition, not only to encourage them to interact with each other, but more importantly, so that the public's opinion won't influence them.

Of course, Xi Zirui can cheat.

He taps the side of the silver bracelet, and turns sideways on the bed, facing the wall. The holo screen is only visible to him, but even so, Xi Zirui doesn't think it will be a good thing if there's footage of him out there looking at the empty space above his wrist intently.

His first stop is weibo, where of course NNI is a popular discussion topic, as expected.

He's dismayed to realize he's incredibly popular.

[Eat Sleep Game: I love that Zirui guy, he's so unbothered about the whole thing. It's like he has no idea how he ended up on an idol show cryinglaughing.jpg]

[Kingfisher: He's really smart tho! I like how he barely expends any effort and still comes out on top.]

Xi Zirui smirks, those words could describe his entire philosophy on sex.

Of course, not everyone is a fan of him 

[Sugarcane Floss: I think that Xi Zirui is an arrogant asshole, he thinks he's better than everyone else.]

[Dog food consumer: Not everyone...he's getting awfully close with that Han Yu guy... doge.jpg]

The more surprising thing to him, is how unpopular Han Yu seems to be. With the exception of the people who ship the two of them, everyone else pretty much hates him.

He doesn't understand why until he stumbles on a particular post.

[Third Master: Listen up, if you call yourself a fan of Xi Zirui, that is if you truly consider yourself wise and farsighted (1), then don't be fooled by that dog Han Yu's cheap tricks. He has said himself that he has no problem clinging to a golden thigh to climb his way up to victory. If you don't believe me, see for yourself.]

The post has a link to a video, that shows Han Yu in a non-descript room. He's clearly being interviewed.

"If you're selected to join NNI what will your strategy be?" a woman's voice from outside the frame asks.

Han Yu leans back against the chair, one of his arms thrown over the back in a lazy slouch. "I'll find whichever contestant has the best chance to debut as center(2), and become his biggest buddy," he says, a mischievous grin hooking the corner of his lips up.

---

(1) this is play on Xi Zirui's name. The two characters of his name mean: Zi - hardworking and industrious, Rui - farsighted, astute. Ru zh is an expression that means wise and farsighted, and uses the same 'Rui' character as Xi Zirui's name. Why do I keep making these puns even though they really only make sense in Chinese? I don't know, I just think they're charming, Chinese is a cute language T-T

(2) all the guys who win the contest will debut when they join the boyband, but it's understood that the center no only occupies a central role in the band but is also the most popular, gets the most attention and sponsorship and so on.