Love Variety Show: The despised me exploded in popularity

"What's with the nonsense? Speaking of which, your Uncle Li even gifted you a set of brushes and inkstones, remember?" Zhang Hongmei said.

I remember, hung up some salted fish, and made quite a bit of money, helping him out of an urgent need.

"Of course, I remember, I've kept them well." Xu Qingyan loved to stretch the truth, coughed, "Well, Mom, I'm going to go check on that now."

After hanging up the phone, he grabbed his keys and walked out, messaging Pei Muchan while heading downstairs. If he needed to pick someone up in the afternoon, he definitely wouldn't be able to join for dinner that night.

Suddenly, he saw her coming out from the first floor of the studio, seeming to want to go upstairs.

"Where are you off to?" she asked.

"I have a younger sister at Xinghai University," Xu Qingyan glanced behind her, "I'm worried she's been deceived, so they've asked me to go have a look."

A sister? Pei Muchan raised her eyes and glanced at him, her recently calmed emotions stirring up again.

From the office on the first floor, a click sounded, and an employee hurried out. Their expression was a bit panicked; catching sight of the two standing at the stairway entrance, they felt a touch awkward.

"What's wrong?" she turned with a composed look, took the initiative to ask.

"Ms. Pei, there's a problem with the backing track."

"Okay, I'll deal with it in a moment," Pei Muchan nodded calmly, "It's getting late, no need to work overtime specially. Just finish up and leave."

"Got it." The employee scratched their head, glanced at Xu Qingyan again, "Then I'll head back to the office now, goodbye, Ms. Pei, Mr. Xu."

The employee hurried off, leaving the two of them bewildered.

"Mr. Xu?" The guy grinned slyly, turned to look at her, "Ah, it's a first for me in life, basking in Ms. Pei's glory. Gotta say, it feels pretty good."

Upon hearing this, Pei Muchan suppressed her thoughts, pretending she didn't care.

"You can join the company, I'm all ears," she said.

"Really?" Xu Qingyan took it as her kidding, "But does your studio have any other partners?"

"No," she said, then, with a slight tremble of her eyelashes, unwilling to continue the subject, "Xinghai University... You can also look for Shen Jinyue; she's also studying at that university."

Xu Qingyan paused for a moment, "Shen Jinyue is also from Xinghai University? I had no idea."

The platinum sunlight split through the corridor windows, casting their shadows on the wall, like veteran generals on a shadow puppet stage, their backs bristling with flags.

She flicked a lock of hair behind her ear, averted her eyes, and said with some headache.

"Of course, you wouldn't know as you're too busy teasing her. Last time I saw Jinyue post on her friend circle, a table full of midnight snacks, and you're the only one who commented."

"Eating so little, are you troubled about something? Ready for slaughter?"

"You made her cry in the middle of the night, then she sent me a bunch of voice messages."

"Uhh..." Xu Qingyan felt a bit awkward, "This isn't really bullying, and considering she attacks me daily with emojis, a casual comment from me seems pretty reasonable."

.....

Xinghai University.

Xu Qingyan parked his car in a corner, pulled up the number for Li Yang his mom had sent, and before dialing, he sent a message to the clueless Shen Jinyue.

"You're at Xinghai for university?"

After sending, he exited the page and made a call.

As he waited, he wound down the car window.

The sky was turning dark, Xu Qingyan turned to watch the sporadic flow of university students on the road, recalling his own college days, not having fully recognized everyone in his class as graduation neared.

But there was nobody who didn't recognize him; in the vast lecture halls, there were hardly any better looking than him. Handsome enough to extinguish love, even at the university, that was unique to him.

Reality isn't a teen drama, with no campus queen or department hunk. Flaunting wealth and fighting wouldn't be terminally gossiped about, calling someone "xx lord" wasn't common practice, and most people only cared about their own small patch of life.

Nobody discussed how handsome xxx was on the campus walls, only, "Damn it, who stole my delivery?" or "xxx, shamelessly cheating" or "Please, the guys in dormitory five behave, don't stand in the hallway peeping at the girls' dorm."

Only aceing exams at Tsinghua or Peking University could have teachers praising you in the classrooms for the next five years.

But Xu Qingyan hadn't done anything of note, an average student, naturally he wouldn't attract too much attention, only a bit of a reputation within a small group of over a hundred people.

"Hey, have you seen the handsome guy from xx class didn't come to the lecture again," was the only talk about him.

As past emotions stirred, after waiting for fifteen or sixteen seconds, the phone was answered.

"Hello?" A cautious female voice came through.

There were other noises in the background, as if someone was ranting. It was too distant to make out clearly, but he could faintly hear someone shouting, "We are here to mediate."

"I'm Zhang Hongmei's son, Xu Qingyan," he introduced himself, "Are you Li Yang?"

"Yes, hello... Brother Xu," the other's voice was consistently nervous, as if she was gripping the phone tightly, "What's the situation? Is there something wrong?"

Xu Qingyan wasn't particularly affected by the term "brother"; every year during the holidays, a bunch of kids in the clan had to line up to call him that.

However, there were exceptions; he had to respectfully address a three-year-old as grandpa, truly playing the part of a grandson.

"Yeah, have you registered yet?"

"I've registered, the dorm mates haven't all arrived yet," Li Yang answered honestly, "Military training starts the day after tomorrow."

"I heard you got a part-time job?" Xu Qingyan asked casually, "It sounds like there is a quarrel over there? Send me your location; I'm coming to you now."

After hanging up the phone, Li Yang dutifully sent the location.

The lights were on at the shop front, and the smoking owner came over. Glancing at Li Yang still standing there, his face immediately piled up with impatience.

"Didn't I make it clear to you? Move it, move it! Causing me losses, consider yourself lucky I don't ask for compensation. What are you standing there for? Still hoping to get paid?"