Chapter Seven

The "little while" Shen Jinfeng mentioned to Qin Ye before he started fishing was, quite literally, just a little while.

In less than ten minutes by estimation, he returned to the shore, carrying a tree branch laden with fish. Including the circle of fish already by Qin Ye’s side, there were fifteen in total.

"That’s about enough to eat. Shall we head back?"

Qin Ye shifted his gaze from the fish scattered on the ground to the young man in front of him. This refined, ethereal-looking youth was actually a master fisherman? It was almost impossible to believe, even having witnessed it firsthand.

"You are incredible." He stared intently at the hand Shen Jinfeng used to hold the branch, his eyes burning.

Shen Jinfeng was extremely sensitive to others' gazes. He noticed it almost immediately, and his right hand, which had been holding the fish spear steady, couldn't help but tremble slightly.

"Thanks," he said dryly.

He thought for a moment, then snapped the long branch in two and handed the half already full of fish to Qin Ye. "These are yours." This had been the agreement beforehand.

Qin Ye reached out and took the branch subconsciously, then realized what had happened and raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "For me?"

Shen Jinfeng nodded. "You helped me hold the fish; we agreed to split them."

Qin Ye’s gaze rested on the fish on the ground for two seconds. Did he actually help? Even he felt too embarrassed to claim he had really contributed. Rarely in his years of dominating the business world—where his conscience had become as dark as any capitalist’s—did Qin Ye find himself at a loss for words.

But he wasn't about to pass up a good deal. He hesitated, then slowly reached out to take them. "Thank you."

For the first time, he took a serious look at the young man before him. Shen Jinfeng looked to be in his early twenties, with cold, handsome features. His eyes, however, were pitch-black and clear, slightly round in shape, making him look rather well-behaved when he spoke earnestly.

He was tall and lean. Because he had rolled his pant legs above his knees to enter the water, the edges were still damp, revealing calves that were blindingly fair in the sun, with water droplets clinging to them.

Sensing Qin Ye’s blatant scrutiny, Shen Jinfeng’s heart raced. He wanted to drag 888 back and beat it to a pulp! He had occasionally mentioned that it was a pity he hadn’t dated, and he did feel a bit of longing. But that didn't mean he wanted this kind of romantic trouble!

He knew from the original host’s memories that he and Qin Ye weren't close. Qin Ye seemed to have fallen for him at first sight, passing him notes asking for contact information. The original host hadn't given it, so Qin Ye had taken a different path, joining the expedition team, only to end up unluckily stranded on a desert island.

The original host’s face was identical to his own. Qin Ye was truly superficial! And what was going on now? First, he stared at his hands, and now his legs—what was he looking at? Wasn't it normal for a man to show his legs? Was he coveting his body?

Shen Jinfeng shuddered violently, quickly rolled his pant legs down, and bent over to string all the fish on the remaining branch. "Let’s go back."

Only then did Qin Ye realize his gaze had been somewhat offensive, and he couldn't help but cough lightly. It was all Ms. Yun’s fault for bombarding him with blind dates, daily reviews of photos, and detailed descriptions of appearance, physique, character, and intellect.

He didn't know what was wrong with him. He longed for love, but among the many people he encountered, he never felt a spark. Perhaps it was because Shen Jinfeng was a decent person with outstanding looks and a good build, leading him to subconsciously size him up. But Shen Jinfeng didn't need to react so strongly, did he? Being shy just from being looked at?

Yes, shy. Even though Shen Jinfeng hid it well, as a legendary film emperor whose acting skills had reached their peak, Qin Ye saw the young man’s discomfort at a glance. He shifted his gaze away nonchalantly and began walking back with Shen Jinfeng.

The branch was heavy with fish, dangling with weight. There was a distance between the beach and the shore where the others had woken up. Coming here, they had only been thinking about food, but now that the immediate crisis of survival was resolved, the silence along the way felt a bit strange.

Qin Ye thought about how the youth had unreservedly shared half the food with him—simple and guileless. "Are you this selfless with everyone?" he asked, weighing the fish in his hand.

?

Shen Jinfeng was stunned. Selfless with everyone? Damn, Qin Ye couldn't have misunderstood that he was interested in him, right?

He shook his head quickly. "No, you’ve misunderstood."

Qin Ye turned to look at him, noticing that the youth beside him was suddenly quite tense. Was he that scary? He softened his expression, a hint of a smile appearing in his eyes, his tone drawn out with a touch of teasing. "Misunderstood what?"

Shen Jinfeng organized his words and explained solemnly, "Qin Ye, because you are my teammate and we had a prior agreement, I shared half the fish with you. Don't get the wrong idea."

Why was Qin Ye actually smiling the more he spoke?

"Please, really, don't misunderstand. I don't have any other intentions—nothing beyond the relationship between teammates."

Shen Jinfeng couldn't say it explicitly, so he could only rack his brain to hint at it. Little did he know that the more he said, the more he made a non-existent situation look suspicious, perfectly illustrating the phrase "no silver buried here."

[I’m eating and almost choked. Is that what Shen Jinfeng meant? Does he think Qin Ye is interested in him? Oh wait, no, is he afraid Qin Ye is interested in him?]

[He’s so narcissistic. Do many people usually have feelings for him?]

[Well, duh. He’s a notorious pretty-boy vase. Look at that face and that body—it’s normal for people to be interested in him!]

[+1. And I feel like Shen Jinfeng looks ten times better in "Doing Life" than usual. Maybe he’s just more handsome when he’s kind. Thanks to that dog Sun for the persona, allowing me to watch a hottie.]

[Okay, if Shen Jinfeng can keep this up on "Doing Life," I swear I won't bash him while the show is airing.]

[Hahahaha, I think my idol is being hinted at (implicitly/explicitly) to his face for the first time: "Don't get the wrong idea that I'm interested in you."]

[But seriously, the persona that dog Sun gave Shen Jinfeng is too outrageous. Who gives away all their food and then splits their own share with someone else? I’d be moved too.]

[But looking at the first two seasons, have you ever seen a persona have such a huge effect? Is it possible that Shen Jinfeng is actually selfless?]

[Shen Jinfeng’s warning: Don't misunderstand, I’m not interested in you.]

[Hilarious. Look at Qin Ye’s expression. I bet he’s so embarrassed he’s digging a hole with his toes right now.]

While the comments section was in a heated discussion, Director Sun Xinping and the heads of the core command team wore grave expressions.

"That's strange. Didn't we implant the subconscious thought that Qin Ye likes him into Shen Jinfeng’s persona?" Sun Xinping frowned deeply. "Shen Jinfeng doesn't like Qin Ye?"

Why was he trying so hard to make sure Qin Ye didn't get the wrong idea?

He didn't know how many people Shen Jinfeng had offended. Before the show started, one after another, people had come to him, either bribing or pressuring him to give Shen Jinfeng a truly vicious, selfish persona that would ruin his reputation completely. Originally, they wanted to implant a subconscious obsession with Qin Ye, hoping that with Qin Ye's massive influence, the public backlash would destroy him.

Sun Xinping wasn't familiar with Shen Jinfeng, but he was sensitive enough to realize that Shen Jinfeng’s reputation in the entertainment industry was likely tied to the people who had come to him. He was happy to have the show's traffic, but a "vicious" persona wasn't new. He didn't dare let Shen Jinfeng harass Qin Ye, fearing retaliation after the show. So, he had racked his brains to give Shen Jinfeng a "Big Shot" persona.

Because the "Big Shot" persona was so ridiculously over-the-top, Shen Jinfeng was bound to make a fool of himself just by following it. Implanting the subconscious thought that Qin Ye liked him was meant to achieve the same effect—if he were narcissistic enough to think Qin Ye liked him and then did something stupid, he would be torn to shreds by the public. Of course, the audience couldn't know this, or Sun Xinping would be the one being torn apart.

But he had miscalculated; Shen Jinfeng was indifferent to Qin Ye’s supposed affection and even wanted to get away from it! Sun Xinping felt his head spinning, as if things were spiraling out of control.

At this moment, the head of the publicity team analyzed hesitantly, "Is it possible that Shen Jinfeng is playing 'hard to get'?"

"Huh?" Sun Xinping looked puzzled.

The publicity head pointed to the comments section, which had shifted again.

[No way, is Shen Jinfeng just clearing his name like that? I’d like to ask, was there any ambiguity in what Qin Ye just asked? If Shen Jinfeng wasn't interested in Qin Ye himself, why would he overthink it?]

[Is he trying to get Qin Ye’s attention on purpose?]

[Yeah, I’ve been meaning to say, have you forgotten? Shen Jinfeng publicly confessed his love for Qin Ye in real life!]

[Wasn't that just clout-chasing? That’s ancient history. Qin Ye is the star of stars. Didn't you see the interviews? Half the male stars say Qin Ye is their favorite actor.]

[Not just male stars, female stars too. They say Qin Ye is 'safe'.]

[Saying he's safe doesn't mean they aren't being sincere, right? Like Li Quan and Shen Yin, they both considered Qin Ye their idol before they debuted.]

[But this is "Doing Life." The guests don't have memories of each other, right? Even if Shen Jinfeng really did idolize Qin Ye, that's impossible now.]

[Is it possible that Shen Jinfeng just likes Qin Ye’s type?]

[...You guys are getting more and more ridiculous. You see romance everywhere, just like those shippers.]

[Whatever, forget it. It’s normal to like Qin Ye. Even if Shen Jinfeng really likes him, it's not a big deal. Anyway, my brother is destined to be alone; he’s not going to date.]

[That’s true. When Qin Ye was in the industry, he never looked at any of his co-stars, male or female. Truly zero scandals. A finance magazine interviewed him a while ago, and he said he had no thoughts of dating or marriage.]

[Moving on, moving on... wait, what did Qin Ye say?]

On the screen, Qin Ye nodded thoughtfully. "It’s fine if you don’t have them now."

After saying this, he saw exactly what he wanted: Shen Jinfeng’s pupils dilating in shock, and he curled his lips in satisfaction. Such a small trick to attract attention was a bit too clumsy, Qin Ye thought.

Shen Jinfeng looked up abruptly, only to see Qin Ye turn his head back immediately, as if afraid he might say something else hurtful. He frowned in conflict, hesitated for a long time, and didn't speak again.

[Why do I feel like something is off?]

[Shouldn't Qin Ye have said, "Don't be self-absorbed"? Even if he’s being mindful that they're teammates, he should have a clear attitude of rejection, right?]

[Damn, did that old dog Sun mess with the settings again?]

Sun Xinping shivered. He gritted his teeth and gave the order with a trembling voice, "Release Qin Ye’s persona." Hopefully, Shen Jinfeng would share the blame if things went wrong.

On the screen, a few lines of persona boxes, several times smaller than before, suddenly appeared.

[Name: Qin Ye
Identity: President of Qin Group, stranded on a desert island due to a ship accident.
Skills: Maintains original relevant skills (the production team has only removed Qin Ye’s memories related to the entertainment industry).
Personality: Retains original personality, with an added subconscious desire: to find a partner.]

Qin Ye’s persona update caused an immediate uproar across the live stream and social media platforms.

[What the hell? Are you kidding me? Is that old dog Sun sick? The persona is for finding a partner???]