TuxedoTranslations

Chapter 70

I bit you too, you forgot?

Xia Tong was caught off guard by Lin Mingfei’s words.

Of course he hadn’t forgotten! How could he forget something so exciting… and embarrassing!

But… could these two incidents really be compared?

Feeling flustered, Xia Tong wrung his small hands. “So that’s how Manager He and Fang Haoyang’s relationship is, huh?” He gestured with his fingers like a double-headed arrow. “Just like the relationship between you and me?”

“Now you get it, right?” Lin Mingfei said slowly, smiling softly. “Manager He really put a lot of effort into our P Team! We should treat him well.”

Xia Tong nodded thoughtfully.

“Oh, right. And one more thing.” Lin Mingfei suddenly seemed to remember something. He leaned close to Xia Tong’s ear and whispered, “Manager He cares a lot about his face, so don’t embarrass him in front of others. He’d feel awkward.”

Xia Tong’s eyes lit up with understanding, and he nodded vigorously.

And just like that, what He Youjin thought was a well-hidden secret romance quietly became a sort of unspoken consensus within the Polaris club.

After the most important registration step was completed, the following measures proceeded naturally. He Youjin revived Polaris Club’s official Weibo account, posting a photo of their base’s big sign with the caption: “Back at the home base.”

During the time the P Team had been quiet, the official Weibo had been practically dead, except for a brief revival to clarify some rumors about “fan incidents” involving Lin Mingfei and a trivial statement that had little impact otherwise.

Fans quickly flocked to the comment section, unleashing their frustrations:

• “Oh my god, I didn’t even know I was following an official club account.”
  
• “Just delete it, I don’t care. It makes no difference whether you have it or not.”
  
• “No updates on raids, no updates on recruiting, no updates on training matches—am I supporting a rogue guild? Why hide everything??”
  
• “Look at Saber Tiger, the looks of those guys, even their average beats our P Team’s median, and they can operate with beauty filters every day!”
  
• “Can you just be normal? Learn from peers, feel the hardship of fans?”
  
• “Posting one selfie is like risking your official account’s life. So cold.jpg.”
  
• “Tell that dog-man Zero to post selfies immediately!! I don’t want to wait!!”
  
• “I want to see Timer brother!! Rolling on the ground!!”
  
• “Our 200-pound Alaskan pig isn’t allowed a name? Let him out, I want to see if he’s lost weight!”
  
• “Island hasn’t gone back to farm again, has he?? Don’t do this, it scares me!!”
  
• “Blink? Blink? The newcomers are supposed to post fruit pics, according to the rules!!”
  
• “Who wants to see my Goose’s fruit pics?? Dare!!! Count me in!!”
  
• “I worry about my Nai Tong in P Team every day, how come…”
  
• “You’re not alone, upstairs.”
  

…

He Youjin had just posted one Weibo, and his phone began vibrating like it had Parkinson’s. Red notification dots for Weibo popped up like crazy, and he immediately saw the fans’ complaints. Squinting, he scrolled through them one by one and quickly sensed a faint “smell of money”—in other words, a business opportunity.

The next day, He Youjin somehow got a DSLR, brought it into the Polaris Club mansion, and camped there early, soon spotting the five members of P Team returning from morning training.

Though these five had “notorious” personalities, it had to be said that anyone of them standing there was strikingly attractive. Lin Mingfei and Shi Ya didn’t need introduction: model figures, model faces, walking down the street attracting scouts wanting to cast them as lead and second-lead in idol dramas. Bo Yu, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, wasn’t talkative but had a body fit for beauty contests. Even Zhou Yanjun, the chubby one, had a lovable charm and got the nickname “Alaskan Pig,” enjoying considerable popularity. The four of them, plus the newcomer Xia Tong, formed a perfectly balanced combination.

Seeing them approach in fitted athletic gear, full of vigor, He Youjin raised the camera and clicked away.

He took the shots from behind a window in the base, morning light filtering through the glass to create a bright, fresh natural filter. The composition was perfect enough to post directly without editing. He exported the raw images and posted them on Weibo with the caption: “Morning training—pick your flavor.”

The reposts, comments, and likes passed a thousand at a visible speed.

• “Aaaaaah!!! I’m in the crematorium!!!”
  
• “Kids make choices! I want it all!!”
  
• “What kind of holographic boy band is this?!”
  
• “Such flawless faces!! Even Zhou Yanjun looks perfectly chubby!! I’m healed!! I’m healed again!!”
  
• “This is way too raw and natural!!! Wuwuwu, Qiu Qiu Club, release a photo calendar!! I’ll buy it all!!”
  
  …
  

Lin Mingfei only noticed this covert move by the official account while having breakfast.

“When did you take these?” He zoomed in on the original photos on his phone, amazed.

“Guess,” He Youjin said proudly. “My photography skills aren’t bad, right?”

“What what?” Zhou Yanjun leaned over, curious to join in.

Lin Mingfei handed the phone directly to him.

Zhou Yanjun was shocked. “What the heck! Old He, when did you take these? Why didn’t you pick a better angle?! Look at my double chin!! Almost four layers!”

“This angle makes your legs look long, don’t you get it?” He Youjin rolled his eyes.

“Then you shouldn’t make my face look so big—”

“Pick one: big face or short legs?” He Youjin said sharply. “And why do you have a double chin when no one else does? Reflect on yourself! And you still eat!”

He shouted, scaring Zhou Yanjun so much that he dropped his chopsticks.

“I think the shots are fine,” Shi Ya leaned back in his chair, scrolling through his phone with satisfaction. “Let me see the comments… Ah, Master Shi’s face is always on point. Timer’s handsomeness makes my heart melt… Huh, people really have good taste.”

“Any comments saying I’m handsome??” Xia Tong, proud, leaned over and smiled, craning his neck.

“Comments saying you’re handsome…?” Shi Ya pretended to check his phone. “Doesn’t seem like it!”

Xia Tong’s smile slowly faded.

Shi Ya added a jab: “Ah, really none!”

“Ah? Why… am I ugly?” the little omega wailed.

“Huh… no, not at all,” Shi Ya said. “They didn’t call you handsome because… they’re all saying you’re beautiful!”

Xia Tong froze. “Huh? Let me see, let me see!”

Shi Ya chuckled. “Here, take a look.”

The little omega’s expression slowly brightened. He grabbed Shi Ya’s arm and phone, pulling them in front of his eyes.

• “Blink is seriously the perfect little beauty with red lips and white teeth!!!”
  
• “Nai Tong is too beautiful ahhhhh!!!”
  
• “How can I marry Blink!!!”
  
• “I disagree!! My Goose should be beautiful on his own!!”
  
• “Is this beauty even real?! The morning light pales in comparison!!”
  
• “Stop exuding charm! You charming creature!!!”
  
  …
  

Xia Tong scrolled through the comments, laughing foolishly. “Hehehe…”

“He’s completely blinded by praise,” He Youjin muttered, speechless.

Lin Mingfei ignored the comments declaring someone wanted to marry him. Instead, one comment caught his attention:

• “What’s with all these colors?! Your P Team doesn’t even have proper uniforms yet! Poor review!”
  

“Right, the new uniform design I mentioned last time,” Lin Mingfei said seriously. “How’s the progress?”

“I was just about to tell you,” He Youjin clapped his hands. “Tomorrow the designers will release drafts. If all goes well, samples could be ready this week. You’re welcome to give feedback.”

“New uniforms!” Zhou Yanjun’s eyes sparkled. “Finally, new clothes to wear!”

“New uniforms? What’s a new uniform?” Xia Tong was excited, spinning around. “Someone tell me!”

“They’re our team’s exclusive uniforms,” Bo Yu explained. “Only our team can wear them. Wearing it means you represent Polaris.”

“Wow!” Xia Tong was ecstatic. “Then I want a new uniform too! I want—”

“Don’t worry, you won’t be left out. How could I kick you out of P Team?” He Youjin laughed. “Anyway, work hard, the competition is on you. Leave logistics to me—no worries.”

Lin Mingfei: “Time to post ‘Long live Manager He’ in the public chat.”

Xia Tong raised both hands: “Long live! Long live!”

He Youjin announced the design drafts would be released tomorrow, and the next morning at 9 a.m., they arrived exactly on time. He Youjin promised to be online all day for any immediate requests, unlimited revisions, no arguing.

Faced with such dedication, Lin Mingfei guessed He Youjin had probably used every trick imaginable—threats, persuasion, everything. Not a benefit to seize? Unthinkable. They invited Shi Ya, always at the forefront of fashion, to inspect the drafts and critique every detail.

After about ten rounds of back-and-forth, even Lin Mingfei, the client, felt overwhelmed. Closing his eyes, he saw the lines squirming like caterpillars. Finally, he and Shi Ya thought the drawings were fine—but He Youjin, still energetic, tapped a subtle pattern with his pinky and muttered, “This part’s slightly lacking… not classy enough!”

Shi Ya groaned: “I give up. I don’t care about uniforms anymore. Put me in a sack, I don’t mind. I’m going to rest with a steam eye mask. You guys continue.”

Lin Mingfei held his forehead and sighed: “Old He, if you were born in the old era, there’d be no Huang Shiren to worry about. You know Huang Shiren, right?”

“I know, my Chinese has always been perfect.” He Youjin snorted coldly. “You mean the one that drove Yang Bailao crazy, right? If you’ve got the guts, don’t wear the ‘Huang Shiren’ uniform you forced them to make.”

Lin Mingfei chuckled and didn’t bother arguing. “Alright, alright, my bad. Whatever you say goes. Whatever uniform you want us to wear, we’ll wear.”

“That’s more like it.” He Youjin snorted through his nose and turned to continue negotiating with the other side.

He Youjin truly had a “talent” for exploiting others. At first, he said it would take a week to produce sample uniforms. But after revising the designs, by the third day, several versions of the samples were already packed and delivered to the P team’s base.

“Everyone, come out and shake it out!” He Youjin called loudly at the door as he picked up the package. “Time to try the new uniforms!!”

Except for Shi Ya and Lin Mingfei, the others had no idea how intense the process of “unearthing” these samples had been, so they all excitedly ran downstairs.

He Youjin went into the meeting room, tidied up the table, and then pulled out all the dry-cleaning bags, laying them out neatly.

Inside were several blue-and-white uniforms. The colors were fresh and clean, like an endless clear sky after the rain, or the silver stars bridging the heavens and earth in the far north. Some were cardigans, others hoodies. Each style came in multiple variations, with subtle pattern differences giving each piece its own unique cool flair.

“Whoa! These uniforms are way too good-looking!” Zhou Yanjun lunged forward, stroking the fabric through the clear dry-cleaning bag, looking like an old lady caressing a family heirloom. “This material is so soft to the touch! I could sleep wearing it next to my skin!!!”

He Youjin: “…Let go. If you dare wear it as pajamas, I’ll hit you.”

Bo Yu held up a sleeve, turning it to inspect the angles. “The embossed patterns are so delicate… they even refract light!”

Xia Tong: “Wuuu the color scheme is so pretty! I love it!”

He Youjin, one hand on his hip, said coolly, “Mainly because you guys picked such a good team name—Polaris, the North Star. Very poetic, very aesthetic, very inspiring for designers.”

“Give me a break!” Lin Mingfei entered the meeting room just then, rubbing his arms. “Even the worst design draft, if forced to be revised thirty-something times, wouldn’t turn out that ugly, right?”

Shi Ya rubbed his eyes with two fingers. “Really, Manager He, you’re only one step away from rushing over and hand-teaching them how to draw.”

“I’m the client! I’m the client!” He Youjin said, self-righteously. “If I have opinions, can’t I make changes? It’s not like it costs them any money!”

Zhou Yanjun was still mesmerized by the feel of the uniforms. “Can I have all of them…?”

“No! Dream on.” He Youjin rejected him sharply. “You can only pick two. Hoodie as the inner layer, wearable alone in autumn. Cardigan, I’ll have them design a fleece version so it can go over your clothes in winter.”

“Manager He really thinks of everything!” Xia Tong clapped excitedly.

“Summer versions, I’ll check the trends for spring fashion shows next year before designing. No rush.” He Youjin pointed at Lin Mingfei and Shi Ya. “So here’s the question: which of you two will try the samples?”

Lin Mingfei: “…“

Shi Ya: “…“

Then they both pointed at each other and said in unison: “Him!”

Xia Tong: “Huh?”

Confused, he looked on as Zhou Yanjun, on tiptoe, raised his hand desperately. “I want to try!! I really want to try!”

He Youjin’s face turned cold. “Step aside.”

Zhou Yanjun was furious. “Why can’t I try?!”

He Youjin: “I want to see how beautiful the new uniforms look, not how big they can stretch.”

Zhou Yanjun argued, “But the uniforms are standardized! Don’t you need to make sure they fit everyone? If it’s ugly, it needs changes! You can only fill a bucket as much as the shortest stave allows!”

He Youjin turned his head mechanically, a cold smile on his lips. “Oh? You want the uniform to accommodate you? I’ll tell you, if you can’t fit into my beautifully designed uniform, then don’t wear it.”

Zhou Yanjun: “…“

Lin Mingfei cleared his throat, pretending to be reluctant. “I’ve gained weight recently. My stomach isn’t flat, so trying it on wouldn’t look good.” He even patted his flat, firm abs for effect.

Shi Ya: “??? You gained weight? I’ve gained weight too! I—”

He Youjin stroked his chin. “I think Timer is the better choice to try the samples. So that’s decided. Timer, go change. I’ll get the tape measure and camera.”

Shi Ya: “…“

Xia Tong watched the scene, thoroughly entertained. Curious, he leaned toward Lin Mingfei and tugged at his shirt corner. “Why don’t you want to wear the new uniform? I think it looks great! You’d look good in it too.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to…” Lin Mingfei bent slightly, whispering, “When trying on samples, you have to pose and show off, which is tiring. Look, Old He’s already getting the camera. Later they’ll take photos and take measurements, it’s really bothersome… Shi Ya has good camera presence; I don’t. And the whole point of trying samples is for adjusting the fit, which means people measuring and pinching all over you. I hate that—it tickles.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than he felt someone gently pinch his waist muscles. Again, and again.

Lin Mingfei looked down to meet the bright, innocent, mischievous gaze of little Omega.

“Does that bother you?”