I Really Didn’t Want to Increase My Favorability!

Chapter 253

“Refreshing!”

“Is it more refreshing to soak in a hot spring or to soak in a hot spring with a beautiful girl?” Ji Yun teased him.

“Both are refreshing.”

Xu Lin nodded, leaning against the edge of the pool with a small towel on his forehead.

However, he deliberately kept some distance to avoid physical contact. While he liked girls, he didn’t like to take advantage. They were all his future wives; there was no need to act indecently now.

“Come over and help with the grilling, tool man.”

“Coming.”

Hearing Ji Yun and the others calling him again, Xu Lin moved over carefully. The girls were much more relaxed than he was, crowding around eagerly on both sides.

“Grilled beef?”

“I’ll have the wing tips.”

“I don’t mind.”

Xu Lin started getting busy with the grilling, and Qin Yunhe also squeezed over to help.

Xu Lin and Qin Yunhe’s arms brushed against each other from time to time. It was strange; after a few intimate touches, the previous tension was gone.

Is this what they call familiarity breeding comfort?

Then Liu Qinnuan came over, picking up a piece of beef with chopsticks. Her little foot brushed lightly against his leg underwater, making him shiver.

“I’ll do the picking for you.”

“I’m just checking if it’s cooked.”

As she spoke, her small foot nudged his thigh again. Xu Lin knew she was doing it on purpose!

“Seven minutes. But if you grill it thinly like this, even if it’s cooked through, it won’t be tough.”

While talking, Xu Lin quickly moved away from her to avoid any more incidents.

“Brother Xu, you’re trending on WB again.”

Liu Qinnuan waved her phone, and Xu Lin looked at it with a bit of apprehension, fearing she might accidentally drop it into the water.

“Put the phone up. How did I end up on the hot search again? Last time it was just an ad, which was a passing thing.”

Xu Lin was quite familiar with the entertainment industry. It was a chaotic place; one day you’re popular, and the next, you’re in trouble. Some people get hammered but remain famous, while others disappear without making a big mistake.

“It’s not that. It’s because Director Sun had an interview recently.”

“Director Sun Jianren’s interview?”

“Yes.”

“Didn’t he say he liked you last time? He even wanted to invite you to play the male lead in his new project.”

“They did invite me, but it’s not up to me; it’s up to the company. Although Director Sun and screenwriter Hei are highly respected in the industry, the project they’re working on is a low-budget indie film. Because of that, not many people are optimistic about it, and the company feels the same. With such a low budget, the pay isn’t high either. The company is too shrewd to accept it.”

“I see. I was wondering why you didn’t agree immediately.”

“Well, you could still go. It’s the lead role, with the backing of two major directors.”

“If Xu Lin is acting, I’ll definitely support him.”

Su Qingwan raised her arm, so she could tell others, ‘My boyfriend is the big star Xu Lin!’

“No, no. I’m already exhausted from school. Who’s going to act? By the way, you went around in circles. Why am I trending?”

“Well, it’s because of a recent program, a documentary on CCTV. There’s a segment featuring two teachers. When the interviewer asked personal questions, they talked about the ad and praised Sister Chu, saying that hard work leads to progress, which they saw in her. Finally, they mentioned you, saying they were impressed and wanted to cast you as the male lead, but they thought you were too aloof.”

“What’s so aloof about me? Neither of them ever sent me any messages.”

“Anyway, you ended up trending on WB with the search term ‘seeking aloof young man.'”

“That headline is ridiculous. And in the end, they didn’t find anyone.”

“Yeah, but someone who knows you mentioned that you’re a student at Linshui. It was buried in other comments and didn’t get much attention.”

“People are really idle. I’m just an ordinary student.”

Xu Lin thought about how his personal information had been exposed; it was indeed troublesome. Not to mention the entertainment news, but even just dealing with girls had become risky.

“Don’t worry. If something really goes wrong, you can always contact Chu Fengyi.”

“True, but she’s so busy. I don’t want to bother her.”

“By the way, Ji Yun, how’s that business plan of yours going?”

“Well, Sister Fengyi told me to think it over myself. She has the money, so if I want to go for it, I can. She also suggested I wait until I’m in college, saying I’m not mature enough yet.”

“What kind of business does Ji Yun want to start?”

Bai Xiaoxiao thought Ji Yun was just another ordinary student like her, but it seemed she had bigger goals.

Ji Yun awkwardly waved her hand, looking reluctant to talk about it. However, the other girls all looked at her, and she eventually shared her thoughts briefly.

A few minutes later, everyone around was stunned—5 billion! A high school girl wanting to start a business with 5 billion?

That number seemed surreal and distant, something only seen in novels and movies. Yet they realized this young girl, who appeared delicate, had the courage to try for such a huge amount.

Even Liu Qinnuan, who had been running various shows and ads over the years, had only amassed around 200-300 million in total. After company deductions, she ended up with about 40-50 million. Despite her efforts, she didn’t have many resources.

“Sister Ji Yun, you’re really impressive. We can’t compare. Even if someone dared to lend us money, we wouldn’t have the guts to take it.”

“I’m actually quite unsure myself. I’ll follow Sister Fengyi’s advice and wait until after high school. Maybe by then, my own ideas will have changed.”

Ji Yun, seeing the envious looks, felt a bit embarrassed. She just wanted to catch up with Xu Lin’s pace, but she couldn’t bring herself to say that she was starting a business for her future husband…

“By the way, the Wan Hua’s Strongest Voice auditions are coming up soon, right? I’m looking forward to it. Last year’s music show featured many talented young singers.”

Su Qingwan remembered that the show she was watching was a music competition, and she hadn’t noticed it was coming up.

“But Wan Hua’s Strongest Voice is mostly known for famous singers. It’s hard for newcomers to get noticed.”

Qin Yunhe, who knew a bit about the show, explained that the program started by auditioning ordinary people, not professional singers, from ten selection areas nationwide. Out of 100 participants, the top 32 would compete against 7 professional singers.

“By the way, Sister Liu, do you know any insider information?”

“I don’t know much about the company’s matters, but a few people might be going back to participate in the auditions. As for the 7 professional singers, I don’t know about them.”

“I see. Xu Lin, the wing tips are burnt.”

“Ah!?” Xu Lin was startled, having just spaced out. He quickly got up to grab the tongs. However, as he stood up abruptly, his towel fell off. Both he and the girls were stunned!

Xu Lin hurriedly grabbed the towel and sat back down, flustered.

The girls, however, were staring in shock, their eyes not blinking for half a minute.

“Sorry, sorry! I really didn’t mean to.”

Xu Lin nervously looked at the girls, but they didn’t react as he had imagined, no one scolding him or anything.

“It’s fine… just seemed kind of cute.”

“Su Qingwan, you’re a teacher. What are you saying!” Qin Yunhe felt a bit upset, as if her things had been taken by someone else.

“Sister Qin, we didn’t see anything. Teacher Su was just joking, and Xu Lin didn’t mean it.”

Ji Yun quickly went over to pull Qin Yunhe away, while Bai Xiaoxiao nodded and occasionally glanced at him.

Xu Lin noticed that none of the girls were blushing or making a fuss. It felt like they seemed to be the hooligans !

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