Yan Qing intentionally spoke with a hushed and muffled tone that only the two of them could hear, saying, “That time, I waited at the school gate for a long time and didn’t see you. I was planning to go eat skewers by myself, and then…”
Before he could finish the sentence, he blinked, and he suddenly remembered something from five years ago. Everything had drastically changed.
He sat in a corner near the wall, bathed in the dim light of the wall lamp, looking somewhat lonely.
Wen Jueli knew what Yan Qing was going to say in the latter part of his sentence. Yan Qing sighed lightly, “So tonight, let’s consider it as making up for the regret of not having those skewers back then.”
Tonight’s stars and moon were as bright as they were five years ago.
After sharing this whispered sentiment, Yan Qing switched to a normal volume, sounding quite relaxed, “And besides, we’re going on an international trip for a month afterward, right? I’m afraid I won’t get to eat them even if I want to then. So why not eat to our heart’s content tonight? I’ve been coming to this restaurant since I finished my college entrance exams, and the taste is still the same.”
Wen Jueli nodded slightly, lowered his eyelids, and quietly admired Yan Qing’s exquisite appearance.
They had known each other for five years, been married for one, and this was probably the first time they had seriously sat face-to-face to eat and chat.
He raised his head, the starry sky glittered, and the night breeze was gentle.
[As expected! I knew Mr. Wen wouldn’t let love cloud his judgment and change his principles.]
[But did anyone hear what those two were whispering about? I’m so curious!]
[What was Yan Qing saying? He’s really swallowing his words. I only heard something about waiting for Mr. Wen at the school gate.]
[Wow, what kind of gaze is Mr. Wen giving Yan Qing? It feels like the production team added a pink filter to them. I can’t tell if their affection is genuine or not.]
[If it’s not real, then Mr. Wen is truly a master actor, so convincing in playing romantic scenes!]
On a typical workday, the number of online viewers in their livestream hovered around 150,000, and on weekends or holidays, it could reach around 300,000. During the late-night rest hours, the number of viewers gradually decreased, but in Yan Qing and Wen Jueli’s livestream room, the viewership remained around the daytime average.
Yan Qing and Wen Jueli chatted casually for a while, mostly about the things that happened when Yan Qing was filming. Although Wen Jueli’s tone remained even, he answered all the questions, and his demeanor seemed to unconsciously relax.
After they had eaten their fill, Yan Qing stretched lazily, a satisfied expression on his face, and said, “I’ll go wash up and sleep now. You should rest early too.”
Wen Jueli pressed his lips together, hesitated for a moment, then said, “Hmm. We’re departing tomorrow, so make sure to double-check your luggage.”
Yan Qing replied, “Except for clothes, all my stuff is at your place, right?”
He yawned and said, “Alright, goodnight then?”
Wen Jueli replied, “Hmm, goodnight.”
Yan Qing concluded, “See you tomorrow.”
*
The fifth day marked the last day of the guests staying at their respective homes.
A little after 10 a.m., all the guests in the livestream rooms packed their prepared luggage onto their car and headed to the international airport to meet the other guests.
Except for Yan Qing.
[It’s almost 11 o’clock, why hasn’t Yan Qing gotten up yet?]
[Yeah, could he be sleeping in again?]
[And I heard that the other guest, Ni Li, doesn’t like people being late.]
[Upstairs, Yan Qing mentioned before that he’s been oversleeping due to a concussion. Just wait a bit, it’s not even 2:00 PM yet!]
…
Wen Jueli had everything ready, and he checked his wristwatch before sending a message to Yan Qing. Then he stood in the living room, waiting for a while, but Yan Qing didn’t come out. So he lifted his foot and walked to the door of Yan Qing’s room.
Just as he was about to knock on the closed door, it suddenly swung open.
Yan Qing was panting, his hair disheveled and fluffy, his cheeks still tinged with sleepiness. He looked up, on the verge of tears. “Jueli, it’s too late… How about you go to the airport first and don’t wait for me? Senior will give me a ride later.”
Yan Qing had thought that his recent sleep schedule had improved enough that he didn’t need an alarm clock. But he had gone to bed so early last night, yet he had still woken up late. He stumbled as he changed into clean clothes and then headed to the bathroom to freshen up.
Wen Jueli stood by, saying, “Alright, I’ll leave first. I’ve left breakfast on the table. After you finish, just leave the dishes on the table, and the Auntie will come to clean up.”
Still brushing his teeth, Yan Qing poked half of his body out of the bathroom and mumbled, “Got it!”
As Wen Jueli reached the door, he added, “No need to rush so much; there’s still time.”
It took Yan Qing about fifteen minutes to finish getting ready. After having breakfast, he grabbed his suitcase and went downstairs, where the company’s car was waiting.
Yan Qing and Kan Hai sat on either side of the back seat. Since there was a director and camera crew behind them, neither Yan Qing nor Kan Hai said anything out of the ordinary. Yan Qing did notice Kan Hai’s expression, though, so he slowly took out his phone.
When he checked his phone, there were indeed messages.
Kan Hai: [You’ve been doing pretty well these past few days. The online sentiment seems to be shifting in your favor. But we still need to work hard, especially with what you said during the previous interviews. Your Weibo followers have surged to four million!]
[The boss said if you maintain this pace, your net worth will definitely increase several times after the show ends.]
Four million?! Yan Qing slightly opened his mouth in surprise. He had been annoyed by all the criticism recently, so he hadn’t been checking Weibo much. He didn’t expect it to have increased so much in just a few days. He curled up his limbs and squeezed himself into the narrow space, then replied: [Hehe, I understand!]
[Cat dancing.jpg]
Kan Hai knew that Yan Qing had been easily swayed by success since high school. He chuckled helplessly and typed another message: [Don’t get too carried away. Even if you’re focused on the next 28 days, for now… just occasionally remember your image in front of the camera and try not to be too noisy when you’re with Wen Jueli.]
Yan Qing: [Don’t worry, no matter how I act, he still likes me anyway, right?]
Kan Hai choked. He looked up at him with a faint sigh and replied, [Well, it seems like it.]
However, there was a lingering feeling in Yan Qing’s heart that had been bothering him for a few days now. He kept sensing that he had forgotten something, but he couldn’t quite remember what it was…
*
Before getting off the car, Yan Qing noticed that the airport was bustling with people, almost to the point of overcrowding. Since the show was being live-streamed globally in real-time, there were many fans who came out of curiosity. Fortunately, the production team had arranged plenty of staff to maintain order at the airport. Most of the fans who were waiting behaved well and didn’t cause any trouble for the airport’s regular operations.
The windows of Yan Qing’s chauffeured car were all covered with curtains. This way, the fans watching the livestream didn’t know Yan Qing’s travel route, and Yan Qing thought that when he got out of the car, no one would notice him. However, as soon as the door opened, a cry rang out from the distance, “Look! It’s Yan Qing!!”
Security and bodyguards quickly maintained order, forcing the fans who were rushing over to keep a certain distance from Yan Qings vehicle.
Yan Qing was wearing a duckbill cap. He raised the brim with his fingers, looking at the numerous fans, both male and female, all of whom had expressions of excitement and joy. They formed an impenetrable circle, holding their phones and cameras high to record videos and take photos. The crowd was noisy, and the distance was far, so Yan Qing couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he could somehow feel the exhilarating atmosphere.
Apart from a few fans who were following other celebrity guests, the majority of the fans in attendance were fans who had been won over by Yan Qing’s performance on the show. Although not numerous, there were about forty to fifty of them, which made Yan Qing quite satisfied. It turned out that he had real, live fans.
This peculiar realization suddenly made Yan Qing feel elated, especially when one of the fans initiated a chat through the livestream and shouted, “Yan Qing!! Moms love you!!”
“You’re so cute!!”
“Even more good-looking than on TV!”
Yan Qing was startled, and his cheeks instantly turned red.
The barrage of comments in the livestream also exploded.
[Ah! Sisters, you’ve voiced my inner thoughts. Yan Qing is really so cute!!! (Loud)]
[It’s over, if Yan Qing keeps smiling like this, my maternal instincts will go bad!]
[It’s a fact that even without relying on Wen Jueli, just based on that face, Yan Qing can still become famous!!!]
[Wuwuwu, why did this adorable young man marry early… If Yan Qing and Mr. Wen get divorced, do you think I’ll have a chance?]
[The one above, what are you thinking? If there’s any chance, it’s mine!]
…
Yan Qing’s popularity was even higher than he had estimated. He just stood there, smiling foolishly, until Kan Hai pulled him away, and only then did he snap out of it. Being dragged by Kan Hai, he left the area.
Kan Hai asked, “Why are you smiling so happily?”
Yan Qing’s face still carried a faint smile. “They said I’m cute!”
Yan Qing currently doesn’t have an official fan support group or a fan site manager. Consequently, most of his fans directly posted candid photos of him from the airport on the internet. They didn’t know the need for retouching these photos because Yan Qing’s candid shots were naturally impeccable, and they didn’t require any editing!
As soon as the photos were uploaded, they caused an immediate sensation. The hashtag, #YanQingAirportCandid, gained significant attention, and it climbed up the trending topics on its own without needing any promotions.
In the photos, Yan Qing had a warm and cheerful smile, a delicate and exquisite appearance, and every single feature on his face was extraordinarily beautiful. He was more stunning than many idols in top idol groups, leaving people in awe!
Sitting in his office, Mr. Chen scrolled through his phone and couldn’t help but sigh. Signing Yan Qing was indeed the right choice. He was really a peace of mind.
*
Yan Qing got delayed on the way and hurriedly made his way to the airport waiting area, searching for the rest of the team. But when he arrived at the designated area according to the instructions, he didn’t see Wen Jueli.
Where could he have gone?
Yan Qing looked at the address given by the production team and the glowing sign in front of him, but he puzzledly muttered, “I didn’t go to the wrong place… but where is everyone?”
He stood still, looking around, and noticed that there was only one woman sitting on a row of chairs. She wore sunglasses and luxurious brands. Yan Qing approached her and asked, “Excuse me, have you seen a tall guy around here? Or maybe a camera like the one behind me?”
The woman wearing sunglasses, her skin impeccably maintained to the point where her age was indiscernible, looked a bit surprised. She raised her head and asked, “A tall guy? A camera?”
Yan Qing wondered if he was running late, and they had already left without him. He nodded, “Yes. We’re filming a TV show, but I’m running late… I came over here and didn’t see my husband and the others. I only see you here in the waiting area, so I wanted to ask.”
The woman had maintained a serious and composed expression throughout, but she couldn’t help but curve her lips into a half-smile. After a moment, she asked, “You… didn’t notice the cameras near me?”
“…”
Yan Qing lifted his head and immediately saw two unfamiliar cameramen holding cameras.
Their eyes met.
In Ni Li’s live chat, several rows of laughter emojis quickly filled the screen:
[Hahaha!]
[Yan Qing is so daring. He’s the first one to talk to Sister Ni like this!]
[Yan Qing looks so soft; if he gets scared and cries because of Sister Ni, I’d say it’s normal, haha!]
Ni Li uncrossed her legs and closed the book on her lap. She looked at Yan Qing through her dark sunglasses and said lazily, “The flight is at 2:00 PM, so you’re not late.”
Yan Qing scratched his face, “What about the others…”
Ni Li replied, “They weren’t late. They’ve already gone to check in their luggage.”
Yan Qing breathed a sigh of relief, grabbed his suitcase, and sat down next to her, suddenly realizing, “No wonder… you don’t have any luggage with you.”
As he said this, it caught Ni Li’s attention, and she stared at the young man, who had a beautiful, doll-like appearance and a pleasant voice. She asked, “Don’t you recognize me?”
Yan Qing was stunned. He finally understood why he had been feeling uneasy these past few days, as if he had forgotten something. It was because he hadn’t even glanced at the guest profiles that Kan Hai had given him earlier. While he had seen the other three groups of guests during his trending search, he had no recollection of them at all.
Now, Ni Li was still looking at him, her gaze penetrating through the sunglasses, silently questioning Yan Qing.
What should he do? Should he admit that he didn’t recognize her on the spot? That would be impolite, right? Among this year’s guests, there seemed to be only two female participants. Who could she be?
As Yan Qing’s brain was frantically processing, he glanced at the person behind the cameramen, none other than the previously advised and instructed Kan Hai.
Yan Qing was on the verge of tears.
At this moment, Ni Li removed her sunglasses, revealing a well-maintained face. She had delicate eyebrows, captivating almond-shaped eyes, and her alluring red lips enhanced her exceptional charm. When she didn’t express any emotions, her aura was captivating, like a poised and ready cheetah waiting to pounce.
Ni Li was nearing her forties, yet her inherent pride remained intact. At a glance, it was impossible to discern any traces of aging on her flawless skin. She was truly a timeless beauty!
“!”
As she took off her sunglasses and her gaze met Yan Qing’s, her lips slightly curved. She asked inquisitively, “What’s with that expression?”
It took Yan Qing a while to find his voice, and he asked in confusion, “Are you… Are you Teacher Ni Li?”
Ni Li’s lips curved upwards a bit more, “I’m used to people calling me Sister Ni.”
Yan Qing exclaimed, “It’s really you! I’ve watched your movies since I was little. I’m a huge fan of yours!”
Ni Li was momentarily taken aback. ‘You’ve watched my movies since you were little? Hmm?’
Yan Qing, completely oblivious to the awkward atmosphere, continued, “You still look as beautiful and young as you did five years ago! This year marks your tenth anniversary with your husband, right? I’m so excited to see you here!”
Hearing his sincere tone, Ni Li’s expression softened, and she responded nonchalantly but with a sharp edge, “You seem to know quite a bit. It looks like you really did grow up watching my movies.”
As she said this, viewers could hear her emphasizing her words a bit more.
Young fanboy Yan Qing nodded eagerly, “I started watching them in the fourth grade!”
Ni Li smiled and asked, “So, which of my movies do you like the most?”
Yan Qing was momentarily stunned.
[Oh, Yan Qing is laying it on thick and getting close to crossing the line.]
[Waiting for him to crash and burn.]
[It’s been a while since we’ve seen Ni Li roll her eyes!!]
