One week later.
Nobody had seen the real Mo Fei.
The Mo Fei who returned from the HET Gala felt like a completely different person. After Zhang Yichen dropped him off, Mo Fei stepped out of the car without his usual complaints, jokes, or dramatic speech about how unfair the world was.
Nothing.
He simply entered the building, walked into the lift, pressed his floor, and disappeared.
The moment the elevator doors closed, it felt as though the last thread connecting him to everyone else had snapped.
He went straight to his room. The door closed.
And that was it.
At first, everyone assumed he just needed time.
Mo Fei had always been strange. Maybe he was tired. Maybe he was embarrassed. Maybe he was simply being dramatic in a new and terrifying way.
But one day became three. Three became five.
Five became seven.
And everyone started getting worried.
Because Mo Fei being annoying was normal. Mo Fei being quiet was terrifying.
Inside his apartment, time had stopped having meaning.
The curtains remained closed for most of the day. The once somewhat presentable living room had transformed into a battlefield.
Empty snack wrappers covered the table. Blankets had claimed the sofa. Game controllers were scattered everywhere.
A cup nobody wanted to identify had been sitting there long enough to qualify as a potential scientific discovery.
Mo Fei himself was no better.
His violet hair stuck out in every direction, completely abandoned by civilisation. His wardrobe consisted entirely of oversized shirts and sweatpants.
His routine was simple. Wake up. Game. Eat.
Sleep.
Rinse and repeat.
Sometimes he stared at the screen for hours without actually seeing it. Sometimes he slept because being awake required more energy than he had.
Chen Yu was the only person he gave an excuse to.
"I just want to be alone for a while."
That was all he said.
Normally, Chen Yu would have argued. He would have dragged Mo Fei out by force if necessary. But something about the way Mo Fei said it stopped him.
So he left.
Unfortunately, even Chen Yu had limits. Nobody could survive a full week without annoying Mo Fei.
Apparently, not even him.
The first rescue attempt happened on a bright afternoon.
Mo Fei opened the door after hearing the bell.
Immediately, he regretted it.
Standing outside were Sima Li, Chen Yu, Aria, and Xiao Mei.
They looked like they were preparing for war. Except instead of weapons, they carried bags filled with snacks, gifts and enough concern to be considered a public health issue.
All four smiled brightly.
"Surprise!"
Mo Fei, "..."
Them, "..."
Xiao Mei stepped forward first. "Mo Fei, we brought your favourite snacks."
Aria held up a clothing bag. "And some clothes. Your current fashion choice appears to be 'homeless billionaire'."
Mo Fei looked down at his sweatpants. Then back at them. For a moment, they thought he might let them in. Maybe he would finally talk. Maybe he would complain. Maybe he would insult them.
Anything.
Mo Fei reached out. Everyone brightened.
Then—
Bang.
The door closed directly in their faces.
Sima Li blinked. Chen Yu slowly lowered the food container in his hands.
Xiao Mei's eyes watered. "He didn't even take the snacks."
The group looked genuinely devastated.
Chen Yu clenched his fist. "Round two."
The next day, Chen Yu went alone. He arrived carrying a freshly cooked meal. A peace offering.
A "please stop worrying everyone before we all collapse" offering.
He knocked. The door opened.
Mo Fei appeared. His hair was somehow worse than yesterday. Hope immediately returned to Chen Yu's face.
"Feifei—"
Bang.
The door closed.
Again.
Chen Yu stood frozen outside, still holding the food. "...I cooked for four hours."
No response.
"Four." He looked down at the container. "Do you know how many chefs would fight for my cooking? Actually, some probably would."
He left the food outside.
The third attempt belonged to Sima Li. He arrived carrying wine.
Very expensive wine. At least, according to him.
"Yichen's taste is rubbing off on me," Sima Li announced proudly. "I have become a refined man."
He knocked and the door opened.
Sima Li immediately smiled. "Feifei. Look. Gifts." He lifted the bottles. "Before you say anything, these are genuine. I did not buy them from a convenience store this time."
Mo Fei stared at the wine. Then reached out.
Sima Li froze. His eyes widened.
He was accepting him.
Finally.
Mo Fei took the bottles.
Then closed the door.
Bang.
Sima Li remained standing outside.
Empty-handed. Emotionally destroyed. He placed a hand over his chest. "I can't breathe."
Eventually, even Louis got involved. Which meant everyone knew the situation had become serious.
Louis rarely panicked.
He was usually too exhausted for panic. But when he and Aria arrived carrying imported strawberry sweets, even he looked concerned.
"These are imported," Louis said, holding the box out. "Your favourite."
Mo Fei appeared behind the door. His eyes moved to the sweets, he closed the door on them too.
Louis, "..."
Aria, "..."
The sweets remained between them.
Neither of them moved.
An emergency meeting was called. Everyone was worried sick. After a week of failed attempts to cheer Mo Fei up, they had run out of ideas and decided the only solution was to gather together and brainstorm.
The chosen location?
Zhang Yichen's house.
Because apparently, everyone had agreed that the best place to solve Mo Fei's problems was the home of someone who had absolutely nothing to do with the situation.
Yichen had been speechless. His flabber had been completely gasted.
Somehow, his quiet home had transformed into an Avengers headquarters. Except the Avengers were celebrities with emotional problems and instead of saving the world, they were trying to convince one dramatic celebrity to open his apartment door.
His house was occupied by invaders.
Louis. Aria. Xiao Mei. Nil.
Chen Yu. Sima Li. All sitting around like a crisis management committee, coming and going whenever they pleased, eating his food, using his things, and treating his house like a public facility.
Without permission.
Yichen sat on the side of the sofa, staring at them with the patience of a man who had reached the edge of civilisation.
This was his home.
And somehow, he had no authority in it. His patience was hanging by a thread.
This was yet another meeting he had been forced to attend.
Forced?
It was his own house. And somehow, he was still the hostage.
"My Feifei, my poor, poor Feifei," Chen Yu wailed. "He's all alone and sad. Waaaahhh."
"We need a new plan," Aria rubbed her temple. "Everything we tried has failed. Anyone have something useful?"
"I have an idea." Xiao Mei raised her hand announcing excitedly.
Sima Li immediately frowned. "Your previous ideas did not exactly come from a functioning mind."
"Oh really?" Xiao Mei clenched her fists. "I'd like to see your genius brain come up with something better."
"I'm better at planning than you," Sima Li scoffed. "Why don't you manage your own life before trying to manage someone else's? Hmph!"
"How dare you!" Xiao Mei launched herself at him.
The two immediately began fighting while everyone else tried to separate them.
Yichen watched from the side.
This happened every single time. They gathered. They discussed. They created a terrible plan.
Then they fought like children.
Who would have thought these were people with millions of fans?
Yichen rolled his eyes.
Simpletons. Fools. Delinquents. People actually looked up to these idiots.
"Why are you all in my house?"
Nobody answered. This was the 2,345th time he had asked.
"Don't grab my legs!" Xiao Mei shouted.
"Ah! That's my hair! I'll bite you!" Chen Yu snapped.
"Everyone calm down," Nil attempted.
"Calm down?" Sima Li yelled. "If I don't show this brat who her grandfather is today, then I'm not Sima Li!"
"Watch the glass!"
"No! My hair! My beautiful hair!"
"Someone save me!"
Yichen closed his eyes. This was his life now. "Please leave my house," he said quietly. Nobody heard him.They were too busy fighting to acknowledge his existence. "I would really like all of you to leave my house."
"Enough!" Louis' voice cut through the chaos. Everyone immediately froze. For approximately three seconds, then Xiao Mei stuck her tongue out at Sima Li. Chen Yu caught it and shoved it back.
Another fight began.
Louis closed his eyes. His headache had developed a headache. Eventually, everyone settled down.
"So," Aria announced, "New plan. We create a distraction and drag Mo Fei out." Everyone thought about it.
"I say we kidnap him." Xiao Mei said
Everyone looked towards her.
"Kidnap?" Sima Li stared at her "Girl, are you insane?"
Xiao Mei crossed her arms. "It's not a real kidnapping. We'll just make him think it is."
Sima Li pointed at her. "Who allowed this criminal thought process into the room? You want to kidnap a celebrity? That is literally a crime."
"I don't see you coming up with anything better," Chen Yu snapped.
"You want to kidnap your best friend?" Sima Li tried to reason.
"It's not a real kidnapping," Xiao Mei defended. "We just make him think it is. We'll drag him out."
Aria raised her hand slightly. "I like the plan."
Sima Li slowly turned towards her.
The disappointment on his face was obvious.
"Mm." Aria nodded thoughtfully. "I have ski masks."
Sima Li looked betrayed.
Nil folded his arms. "If you have a better idea, say it."
Sima Li looked towards Louis. Louis shrugged.
The room went silent.
Because unfortunately, nobody had a better idea.
Yichen frowned at all of them.
Slowly, he wondered if calling the police would be considered rude "Why are you discussing this here?"
Everyone turned.
For one brief moment, he had hope. Then they immediately turned back.
Ignoring him completely.
"Anyway," Aria continued.
Yichen's eye twitched. "I asked a question."
"Yichen," Sima Li said calmly, "go buy drinks."
"Yeah," Chen Yu added. "We're stressed."
"We need refreshments." Xiao mei agreed.
"You drank everything in my fridge," Yichen said.
Xiao Mei looked offended. "We are guests. Is this how you treat guests?"
Yichen looked around the room. "I didn't invite any of you."
"Whatever. Use your own money and buy drinks." Chen Yu waved him off.
Yichen looked like his soul left his body.
Twenty minutes later, he returned with drinks.
Not because he wanted to. Because apparently refusing them required more energy than surrendering.
He sat in the corner, watching six adults fail to solve one emotional crisis.
The plans became more ridiculous with every passing hour.
Yichen spent most of the time laughing at them.
Eventually after countless failures, Xiao Mei broke.
"I just want Mo Fei to open the door…" Her voice cracked as her eyes filled up with tears.
Immediately Aria pulled her into a hug. "There, there."
Seeing Xiao mei cry, Chen Yu's own eyes became wet.
"This is too sad. I miss my Feifei."
Nil grabbed him before he could completely collapse. "Babe. Come here."
Across the room, Sima Li saw an opportunity.
Slowly, he moved towards Louis.
"Waaaah… Louis…" His expression became tragic as he leaned closer.
Louis immediately gave him a warning look. "If that tear touches my shoulder, I will throw you outside."
The tear vanished instantly. Sima Li sat back down. Fear was stronger than emotions.
"We tried everything," Aria said quietly.
Nobody argued.
Their heads lowered.
Then Sima Li slowly looked towards Yichen.
Everyone followed his gaze.
Yichen immediately felt danger.
Sima Li smiled "Not everything,"
Yichen stood.
Too late.
They were faster, seconds later, all of them were on their knees in front of him, each single one of them had grabbed onto him.
Yichen looked down at the group attached to his legs. His expression was empty. "What the hell—get off me, you crazy people!"
"Please," Xiao Mei begged.
"Help us," Chen Yu said.
Aria held on tighter. "Just talk to him."
"Yuchen…" Sima Li's voice was filled with desperation.
Yichen stared at them. "I would rather die." With that, he kicked them away and walked off. Everyone watched him leave.
Sima Li sighed.
Louis picked up his drink.
The mission to save Mo Fei had officially failed.
And somehow, along the way…
They had successfully traumatised Yichen.