An: Dui Bu Qi! Dui bu qi, dui bu qi, dui bu qi! Not only was I busy when school ended, I was also doing some volunteering at our local Humane Society, and I started my summer school class to get ahead of my studies. Now that it ended, I'm catching up on sleep. Hopefully, I'm able to finish this 'episode'. Skip Beat has been updating so slowly (and so am I)!

OCs: Director Hong Long, Mai Lin

Characters: Gong Xi/Kyoko, Qin/Moko, Lian/Ren, Shang/Sho, Director Shen/Director Sawara, Qi Shu Fang/Amamiya, Yang/Sho's manager, Mr. Du/Yashiro, Fei Li Hua/Erika, Mei Shen/Mimori, Qing Yuan/Natsu, Wei Xu/Mio, Luo Li/Lory, Zhou Mi/Reino, Jai Li/Kuu

Places: Taidong/Kyoto, Taipei/Tokyo, Taiwan/Japan

Wan Lixue character: Gong Xi/Mulan, Lian/Jun Cheng, Fei Li Hua/Li Mei, Shu Fang/Ling, Shang/Yi Chen, Qin/Zhi Feng

Extravagant Challenge: Season 2

Previously: Gong Xi has been assigned to assist the former actor of Jia Yue, Jai Li. Lian doesn't like that idea. Shang asks something from Mai Lin.

~"Ai shi du xiu solo" Love is a solo show~ Ai shi solo S.O.L.O!

Episode 5: Round Five, Stage Two, Part 2

"You… want me? To do what, exactly?" Mai Lin asks Shang.

Shang mumbled under his breath, rubbing the back of his neck. He exhaled loudly then kicked his feet up on the table. Mai Lin watched him warily. She thought that with his busy schedule and his personality, he wouldn't even bother seeing her. Shang frowned to himself, thinking how he was going to say it, if he was going to say it.

"Be my girlfriend."

"No," is Mai Lin's short reply.

Shang scoffed. "Why? Having a handsome boyfriend is too burdensome for you? Afraid that my fans won't accept you?"

"No, it's not that. You're only doing this because Dun He Lian and Gong Xi are all over the news as the new acting power couple. You're jealous about what you don't have and what you don't understand that may or may not be between them. Why don't you just use Mei Shen as your publicity doll? She'll do anything you say as long as you promise a kiss, right? Tell me, Bu Po Shang, when have you actually kissed her?"

Shang looked away. "Many times," he muttered.

"Never, right? Honestly, the reason why you're using her is not only because her body is your ideal type but because she is what Gong Xi used to be: a devoted, adoring person in love with you. You toyed around with Gong Xi's feelings and now look where you two are. She's far away from you while you long for her. Admit it, the tables has turned and now you're the miserable one, Bu Po Shang."

This made him speechless. No one dared to outright lecture him about his feelings and his personality. This girl, Mai Lin, is no fool. The worst part is, she may be right - like he would ever admit it.

He composed himself, smirking at Mai Lin. "Forget it, you're not worth my time." With that, he got up from his chair and started on his way out.

"Oh, and Shang..." He stopped his stride, but didn't turn back. "Just think... What is love?"

.Shang took note of this and continued on exiting the studio. What is love?

"What do you have planned?"

"What do you mean?" Chairman Luo Li asked Lian innocently. Well, I thought it was too soon for her to call crying. Unless it was really serious, that girl would never give in.

"Please don't act stupid. It's about the situation with Gong Xi... You told her to take care of that person? What exactly do you have planned?" Lian said in a serious tone.

Luo Li sighed. "Don't be so disrespectful. I only heard that she's from Taidong and cooks very well, so I asked her to help. Jai Li expressed that he didn't want normal Taidong cuisine, rather home-made food." Even though I haven't told Gong Xi this. "Is that all you want to say?"

"Ah...," Lian hesitated.

"Then excuse me, but I need to hang up now. This is the second time in my life that I have to make such a difficult decision. No matter what I choose, there will be a tragic ending, so I'm very unsettled." Luo Li stares at the romantic simulation game before him.

"Eh, is that so? I'm very sorry." It seems that I've interrupted him on something, Lian thought.

"No, it's okay. We'll talk more about it later." Then, he hung up.

Lian stared at his phone, contemplating the chairman's motives, if there is any secret motives. Having himself and Gong Xi be a fake couple was enough but having her do this kind of mission? Even if I keep asking him, it'd be a waste of time. Tricking the president into telling the truth is foolish. The president wants him to meet Jai Li... it's possible that he could have said those words to make him feel uneasy. Because ever since Lian came back to Taiwan, he never once did anything that would involve that person...

Jai Li stared at Gong Xi in disbelief as she talked on the phone with the 'president' with a calm and natural face.

"Eh? Nothing. There's no problem at all. He's also very pleased with the cuisine." Jai Li's eyes widened. "Yes, of course. Even though there are places where I haven't been as fastidious as I could have been, since I've already accepted the job, I'll try my best to take care of him! Yes, then..." Gong Xi started to brightly smile. "I'm hanging up."

She sighed then smiled at Jai Li. He stood there, dumbfounded. "Thank you for letting me borrow your phone. My report to the president is complete."

She handed the phone to him. He frowned at her. "Why did you lie?" He asked, "If you had truthfully whined that I was cruel to you, wouldn't that fixed everything?"

Gong Xi continued to smile, setting the phone back to it's rightful place. Then, she started to laugh. "What you did cannot be really called cruel. Drunk customers often act that way."

Jai Li was shocked. This... ! Imagining me as a drunkard! How dare she treat me like this!

"If I find any offense with every intoxicated customer and don't do my job," Gong Xi continued, "Then I won't be able to serve the customers."

Jai Li then smirked. Oh, not bad. It's true at the case with serving customers. In the entertaining industry, restraint is also a very important quality. Is this the girls stubborn determination that I've heard of? Very well, give me your best shot! During this span of time I'm in Taiwan, I'll definitely make you cry. In one motion he had dumped everything that Gong Xi had made into a garbage bag. Gong Xi froze as he started to shake the bag.

"At an elegant hotel like this, you made such a disgusting ball. I just can't stand it," Jai Li said in a fake tired tone.

Gong Xi's face morphed into that of anger. You're the one that's mixing everything up! The results of my beautiful work that I tried to hard to make... Damn... you. Even her revenge spirits threatened to be released as he handed the filthy bag to her.

"This disgusting filth was made by you. Take it back!" He gave her an evil grin. "And then eat it with your commoner friends. You're in the remake of Ahn Yue, right? I'd like you to share it first with what's-his-name male lead."

Gong Xi's features started to darken. This man even suggested that Lian should eat this? She started to shake her head and clench her fists, then... an explosion. Jai Li stepped back, convinced that he was hallucinating the giant craters around the room and that dark aura around her. What is this?!

Gong Xi looked up at Jai Li with a dark and serious expression. "Lian..."

"Huh?" Jai Li said, not hearing her whisper.

"Dun He Lian," she said louder, "Is the one that will surpassed you as an actor." Then she glared at him. "Please remember that."

Jai Li was shocked. "Oh? You seem quite fond of him and I have heard of these rumors. Could it be that you do actually have special feelings for him?"

"Of course!"

Shang had finished another interview at Channel 8 in his schedule and planned to relax in the lounge. It made him tired that all these people talk about Dun He Lian and Gong Xi. Some say that Gong Xi may not be a match for Dun He Lian because she is a rookie. Others disagree, saying her skills makes up for her newcomer status, just watch Dark Moon and other projects that she's been involved in. All this talk, but what made him even more bitter is what Mai Lin told him. He had toyed with Gong Xi who had loved him unconditionally and now he's the one staring after her. The worst part is that she had already moved on from him. He knew all of this and he came back to his senses. He felt no bitterness because Gong Xi is with Dun He Lian, but he felt so because he himself have never gave love back. Then, the last thing that Mai Lin said before he left: What is love?

He has heard that there are many types of love. There's the love he had when he was growing up from his parents, but they went against his dream in becoming a singer. Then there's friendship love, that, he received from Gong Xi as they grew up together. After that, is the love you have with your significant other. For Gong Xi, it was one-sided. Maybe he had felt it too as they lived together in Taipei, how he had waited for her when she went out to get food, happily listen to his first album with her, and ate strawberry with her. He sighed, leaning back in his chair, his long legs propped up against a stool, the closed his eyes. Come to think of it... he still had a picture of Mai Lin on his phone.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" shouted a familiar whiny voice.

Shang opened his eyes to see Mei Shen shouting at another familiar figure... Mai Lin? Why would both of them be here? Maybe Mei Shen was here because of the recent commercials and magazine modelings that she's been doing, but Mai Lin? Why does her name makes Shang smile a little?

"Mei Shen, you shouldn't talk so loud. Stop disturbing others that are here," Mai Lin told Mei Shen in a calm voice.

"Me, disturbing? It's your ugly presence that's disturbing everyone!"

"Mei Shen," her new manager warned her. She bowed on behalf of Mei Shen to those others who were rudely disrupted in their business by Mei Shen's actions. "I'm so sorry, everyone."

Shang shook his head. Yelling in public leaves no good impression. In fact, it's embarrassing. He planned to break it up, but that would mean scandals on his involvement. Yang came back with Shang's coffee.

"Is that Mei Shen?" Yang asked in shock. Shang nodded, still watching the scene.

"Thief!" Mei Shen continues as Mai Lin walked away.

It was like slow motion as Mai Lin, covered up in a grey coat and a scarf, walked past Shang. He had the urge to get up after her and demand what happened. But he couldn't... that was the disadvantage of being a famous singer. He couldn't do what he should have done before, which was to go after the girl.

As Mai Lin reached outside, she looked around, checking to see if anyone recognized her. Suddenly, her phone vibrated; someone had sent her a text.

""What happened back there?"

- Strawberry Pudding"

Strawberry pudding? Then a realization dawned on her - it was Bu Po Shang. When did they ever exchanged numbers? During the time she acted as his temporary manager?

""Fine, don't tell... I'm sorry about what I said the last time we spoke. Erase that from your memory. Now you have my number... feel free to talk anytime you feel like it. Our conversation will be between you and me. I swear on the existence of Strawberry puddings that I will keep it a secret."

-Strawberry Pudding"

Shang looked up to see Mei Shen walking towards him. He cleared his throat signaling Yang towards the door. He started to get up and walk quickly, ignoring Mei Shen as he finally reached the door. Something inside of him had hoped that Mai Lin was still out there. Then, his phone buzzed.

""Fine, Strawberry Pudding. Secrets are kept between you and me. I accept your apology, but, did you ever thought about my question earlier?"

- Choco"

Shang sighed at the simple question with a complicated answer: What is love?

An: I tried making this longer for you deprived people. I'm a horrible person . But I had to focus on my class. Now that summer school is done, I'll try to update as much as I can ^^