Chapter 25

In the end, Yuan Yi didn't tell Zhang Wang what symptoms he had been experiencing in his brain. He used the excuse of needing to sleep to gracefully end the conversation.

Zhang Wang thought that if Yuan Yi wasn't such a longtime close friend, he would have already been added to his blacklist.

The morning in the capital at the end of summer and the beginning of autumn was just the perfect temperature—not too hot or too cold. Yuan Yi hadn't had anything to drink or eat and arrived at the hospital on an empty stomach. The hospital already knew that the young master's friend would be coming for a checkup, so as soon as Yuan Yi arrived at the hospital entrance, a special person was there to greet him.

After completing all the necessary medical tests, Yuan Yi was preparing to undergo an electrocardiogram when Zhang Wang hurried over.

After all the heart examinations were completed and the data came back normal, the doctor explained to the young master with a puzzled look: "To get accurate data, we would need to wait until Mr. Yuan's heart is uncomfortable to do the test. Based on what we know now, it seems like there's nothing wrong with Mr. Yuan's heart. Just remember to get plenty of sleep and avoid staying up late."

"He has the old-school habits, when did he ever stay up late?" Zhang Wang sighed with relief. It was good to know there was nothing wrong with his heart. "Let's go, let's do the brain examination."

The brain was even more mysterious than the heart, and current medical science had not yet conquered this issue. After the brain examination, no problems were found. A doctor even gave him an adult intelligence test, and it turned out his IQ was higher than most people's.

"Yuan Xiao'er, I really think you have a problem with your brain," Zhang Wang shoved a stack of test reports into Yuan Yi's hand. "You don't have a single problem with your body." If he'd known this, he wouldn't have wasted his time accompanying him. "Come on, you owe me a meal today."

Yuan Yi stared at the test reports, his face showing a serious expression. There was nothing wrong with his body, so why had he been feeling all these strange symptoms?

"Come on, young master," Zhang Wang saw that he hadn't moved from where he stood and said irritably, "Are you doubting the medical level of my hospital?"

Yuan Yi pondered for a moment: "Are you sure there's really no problem?"

"Geez," Zhang Wang slapped Yuan Yi's shoulder a few times, "I've never seen someone like you—no health problems and yet still hoping for something wrong?"

Yuan Yi ripped up the test reports and threw them in the trash. He turned to his friend: "What do you want to eat? Let's go."

"Alright, I'll pick up Lulu on the way."

"Isn't it Ning Ning?"

"She changed. It got boring," Zhang Wang said nonchalantly with a smile. "The routine was too much; she almost trapped me."

He remembered the girl named Ning Ning, who had just recently complained about him being too patriarchal, and now, so soon, she had been replaced? Yuan Yi didn't care about other people's personal lives, so he didn't ask any further. "Alright, I'll call the other guys, and we'll make it a lively gathering."

Though they weren't as carefree as when they were younger, the bond between these old friends hadn't faded over the years.

The group of old friends gathered around, and Xu Qiaosheng took off his hat and sunglasses, collapsing in a chair, panting heavily.

"Qiaosheng, are you trying to be a big star or a thief?" Zhang Wang couldn't help teasing, "Dressed like this, how did the waitstaff even let you in?"

"You can laugh," Xu Qiaosheng sat up straight, "Didn't you bring your little girlfriend?"

"I was going to, but today is a guys' gathering, so I didn't want her to join the fun," Zhang Wang waved his hand, not letting the waiter serve him tea, instead pouring a cup himself. "Looks like Yuan Xiao'er has some face; you managed to get everyone together."

When Yuan Yi heard his name mentioned, he didn't even look up from ordering the food. "I kicked you out, and just like that, we'd be missing one."

Zhang Wang: ...

The group ordered their food, and Zhang Wang casually asked, "By the way, did you go to that Sichuan restaurant I recommended last time? How was the taste?"

"Not yet," Yuan Yi thought about the time he had set with Yan Xi, "I've been too busy."

His friends were subtly surprised. Yuan Yi was a well-known figure in the capital, and it had been almost two weeks since the last time they talked about the restaurant. Who could afford to make him wait this long? Given Yuan Yi's personality, he didn't seem like the type to put up with such delays.

Seeing that Yuan Yi didn't intend to explain, they didn't ask further but couldn't help but be curious. Yuan Yi knew they were curious, but for some reason, he felt this was something he couldn't share. He turned to the waiter and pointed at the TV embedded in the wall. "Can you turn on the TV?"

"Of course," the waiter hurriedly brought the remote. "What channel would you like to watch? I'll find it for you right away."

"No need, I'll do it myself," Yuan Yi took the remote and started flipping through the channels of the capital's eight TV stations.

Being a newcomer in the workforce was tough, and today was Yan Xi's first time hosting the news program. He thought watching it would be a good way to support her.

"Yi Ge, is there anything good in the ads?" Xu Qiaosheng looked at the TV station's logo, which looked familiar, but then saw the extra horizontal bar with the number 8, and he knew it was a local station in the capital. A person on the screen was using an exaggerated tone to promote a product, stating that it was sold on a certain floor of a shopping mall. The entire ad had no artistic quality, just blunt and simple promotion, almost forcibly brainwashing the audience into buying.

"It's fine, just leave the TV on for some background noise," Yuan Yi put the remote in front of him, signaling that he wasn't planning on changing the channel.

"Sure... whatever makes you happy," Xu Qiaosheng forced himself to look away from the screen. He was a popular male celebrity, so he definitely couldn't let himself be influenced by such lowbrow television, but he still made a mental note of the floor in the shopping mall.

At exactly 12 o'clock, the advertisement ended, and a classic symphonic background music played.

"Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to today's 'Noon News.' I'm your host, Zhang Hao."

"I'm your host, Yan Xi."

"Hey, that little beauty host, I've seen her before," Xu Qiaosheng pointed at the female host on the TV. "A couple of months ago, I was at the Didu station for an interview, and I ran into her at the elevator when I was heading downstairs."

Usually, after such a long time, he would have forgotten what the person looked like, but this particular host was different. She was standing silently at the elevator, and her expression gave him the impression that he was somehow bullying her. So, he had taken the initiative to invite her into the elevator, but unfortunately, she had declined.

Perhaps it was because she appeared so delicate that he remembered her.

Could it be that Brother Yi is interested in this female host? He turned to look at Yuan Yi, who was focused on his tea, seemingly uninterested in the TV program.

"Brother Yi, aren't you watching?"

"Watching TV while eating isn't good for the eyes," Yuan Yi said without looking up, his long fingers delicately holding the ceramic teacup, exuding a sense of nobility and calm.

His friends: So, if you're not watching, why did you turn it on?

"Let's move on to the next news," Yan Xi glanced at the materials on the table and saw that the director's prompt board didn't have any special instructions. She then smoothly began reading the news content. Apart from her, no one else knew that she was actually a little nervous.

After the brief news broadcast, she quickly turned off the microphone on her collar and thanked Zhang Hao. "Thank you, Teacher Zhang, for guiding me earlier. I was so nervous that I was sweating."

Zhang Hao packed up the materials and smiled gently at Yan Xi. "You did great for your first live news broadcast. It was really impressive." He had heard that the station was assigning him a newcomer as a partner, and he had been a bit uneasy about it, but since the other party had some connections, he had kept a proper attitude.

After hosting this broadcast, however, he had changed his opinion of her. In any profession, talent is crucial, and this newcomer had a great presence, solid hosting skills, and an appearance that the audience liked. She was a natural fit for the job.

In the entertainment industry, if you can't act, you can still rely on looks to make a living. But in hosting, no matter how beautiful someone is, if their hosting skills aren't up to par, the audience won't buy it.

"It's thanks to Teacher Zhang's guidance," Yan Xi replied humbly, "Before I entered the studio, I was so nervous I couldn't even drink water. Afterward, I just decided to let it go and think, if I mess up, it's okay, since you're there, Teacher Zhang, the live broadcast won't go wrong. Once I thought that, I felt much calmer."

Zhang Hao chuckled and said, "It's not good for young people to rely on others like that." However, he felt pleased by Yan Xi's compliments, and as she kept calling him "Teacher," he grew more fond of her.

That's how the world works—doing well isn't always enough; you also need to speak nicely. Plus, Yan Xi's family had some connections, which only helped her further. Once she stepped into the studio, her colleagues complimented her on her excellent hosting skills, saying she had a bright future.

Yan Xi thanked them all, and in the evening, as a token of appreciation, she treated her colleagues to a meal. She had earned the news hosting slot, so it was only right to invite everyone.

In fact, for the long-time viewers of the "Noon News" program, who were used to the pairing of Chen and Zhang, the sudden appearance of a young and pretty female host took some getting used to. So the next day, someone called the hotline to complain, saying the station shouldn't have replaced Chen just because the young girl was pretty. While the new host was good, they were more accustomed to Chen's style.

The station had already anticipated this and, after the next episode of "Noon News," released a statement saying that Chen was pregnant and couldn't continue hosting. After that, the complaints gradually stopped.

People are creatures of habit. When their habits are suddenly changed, they feel uncomfortable. But once they get used to the new thing, they find it isn't so bad. Yan Xi, as the new host, was eventually accepted after the audience got used to her.

First of all, her Mandarin was better and her voice more pleasant than Chen's. Secondly, she worked well with Zhang Hao, with no awkward pauses or disjointed sentences. Most importantly, the viewers of Didu's Channel Eight were older, and they had a soft spot for young and pretty girls. Watching her soft, gentle demeanor made them reluctant to be harsh.

Within a few days, those who had previously complained about the change started calling in to praise Yan Xi, saying the station should give young people more opportunities, and that the new female host was doing great.

Because of this, Yan Xi became known within the station as the "Auntie and Old Master Killer."