Bai Jin’s villa was also pitch black. Gu Qingtong recalled her and Deng Dongjun’s tactics and suspected that Bai Jin was also waiting inside to catch her off guard. She hesitated for a moment but finally gritted her teeth and stepped inside.
However, she didn’t expect that as soon as she entered, she could faintly hear a dispute coming from the balcony. Thinking that Yan Chi was also present, Gu Qingtong’s heart tightened. Could it be that the two of them were already arguing?
She hurriedly made her way towards that direction.
To her surprise, just as she reached the doorway, a pair of hands reached out from the darkness and pulled her aside. Gu Qingtong, who had already been scared multiple times in the locked room today, was numb. Her first reaction was to look at the person who pulled her away.
It turned out to be the person she was looking for all along, Chu Yu.
Gu Qingtong’s previous speculation was indeed correct. At this moment, all three of them were in Bai Jin’s room. It must be quite lively there.
Chu Yu still seemed to be very disdainful towards Gu Qingtong. When she saw Gu Qingtong sneakily peeking outside the door, she knew that the other person, just like herself, had come here to complete a task.
In her mind, she immediately thought that she must not let Gu Qingtong discover the truth about Yan Chi and Bai Jin. If that happened, she might also be exposed.
Chu Yu, just like Wen Ziyao, considered herself a senior in the industry. Moreover, she had played the lead role in a few dramas as a rising star, so naturally, she looked down on Gu Qingtong, an insignificant pawn.
However, Chu Yu was smarter and more composed. Even if she looked down on Gu Qingtong, she wouldn’t show it openly. She would silently despise her in her heart.
This country bumpkin probably had her first encounter with the entertainment industry’s inside scoop. Later, I’ll have to warn her not to spread anything she hears!
Chu Yu furrowed her brows and shook her head at Gu Qingtong, making a gesture for her to stay silent. She signaled Gu Qingtong to turn off her microphone.
At first, Gu Qingtong didn’t understand why Chu Yu was so nervous. But as she slowly shifted her gaze towards the balcony, she witnessed a tense scene between Yan Chi and Bai Jin.
Gu Qingtong couldn’t see Yan Chi’s expression at that moment, but she could see Yan Chi gripping Bai Jin’s collar. Yan Chi’s entire demeanor was different from her usual indifference, and it could even be described as chilling and terrifying.
Bai Jin was clearly at a disadvantage, her previously playful smile vanished as she gritted her teeth and stared at Yan Chi.
Gu Qingtong, who had just considered entering the room, became somewhat intimidated. H-How did it escalate to a fight?
It couldn’t be because of me, right? She tried to shift the blame onto herself in her mind.
Bai Jin’s words shattered Gu Qingtong’s illusions, leaving her heart in despair.
“So anxious? Do you care so much about her? Is it because I said I was interested in her, or because I struck a nerve with you?”
Startled by Yan Chi’s actions for a moment, Bai Jin still tried to maintain her tough facade. She didn’t want to appear weak.
She wanted to struggle, but Yan Chi’s grip on her collar tightened, almost making it difficult for her to breathe. Bai Jin felt an unfamiliar fear creeping in. She couldn’t predict what Yan Chi would do next.
Gu Qingtong had never witnessed such a scene before. For the first twenty-something years of her life, she was completely oblivious to romantic entanglements.
What kind of situation is this? She joined this variety show to enjoy other people’s drama, but who could have imagined that the drama would revolve around her?
Others might not be aware, but Gu Qingtong herself knew very well that these two people didn’t actually like her!
Yan Chi was her arranged partner, and she didn’t want any unclear relationships interfering with that. That’s why she held animosity towards Bai Jin, not to mention their lack of understanding between each other, as they had only met a day ago.
That’s also why Gu Qingtong, despite being unable to handle Bai Jin, didn’t think Bai Jin would actually harm her.
Chu Yu watched as Gu Qingtong’s expression shifted from confusion to slight panic. She thought to herself that it was just as she expected and felt the need to teach this naive girl a lesson.
Pretending to be knowledgeable, she whispered, “Why are you panicking like someone who has never seen the world? Since we’ve been caught, just follow my lead and don’t let anyone discover us.”
It was then that Gu Qingtong remembered, ‘Oh, right, there’s still an outsider listening at the corner…’
Her hesitation to enter and stop the fight between the two disappeared instantly. She couldn’t let more guests become aware of everything that was happening. So she calmly acted as if she knew nothing and was just an innocent bystander.
Gu Qingtong realized that she had some free time on her hands now, and coincidentally, her assigned task, Chu Yu, was standing right next to her. She decided to take care of the task while she had the chance.
Her gaze leisurely fell upon the back of Chu Yu’s collar, and suddenly her eyes lit up. She noticed a stray hair stuck there.
Taking advantage of Chu Yu’s nervousness as she stared into the room, Gu Qingtong discreetly lifted her hand and plucked the hair.
However, just as she was retracting her hand, Chu Yu happened to turn her head, and their eyes met with Gu Qingtong’s hand suspended in the air, seemingly with ulterior motives.
Fortunately, the surroundings were dim, and Chu Yu didn’t notice the thin strand of hair between Gu Qingtong’s fingertips. She assumed Gu Qingtong hadn’t done anything and only had some doubts.
But before Chu Yu could question Gu Qingtong, both of them heard a commotion coming from the balcony.
Yan Chi’s movements suddenly paused, as if sensing something.
Bai Jin felt that the aura emanating from Yan Chi, which was previously gloomy and impatient, seemed to have changed. The hostility and darkness were fading away.
“She knows about you…” Bai Jin immediately regained her confidence. Without waiting for Yan Chi’s response, she opened her mouth to say something, but suddenly felt a sharp pain. She raised her voice, “Are you crazy? Why did you pull out my hair?!”
Yan Chi’s grip on Bai Jin’s clothes loosened abruptly, and in a voice that only the two of them could hear, her cold and indifferent tone carried a hint of inexplicable mockery:
“Do you really think I see you as a rival?”
Calmly, Yan Chi placed the strand of hair into a plastic sealed bag, just like the one the production team gave to Gu Qingtong, as if collecting some DNA evidence.
After completing these actions, Yan Chi used a tissue to carefully wipe her slightly damp hands, paying special attention to the fingers that had touched Bai Jin’s clothes and hair.
“Is your task to collect everyone’s hair?”
Bai Jin furrowed her brow and glared angrily at Yan Chi, realizing that she had been thoroughly played by Yan Chi.
Not only was she eliminated by Yan Chi, but she also easily had the things needed for the task taken away from her.
Gu Qingtong stood there wide-eyed, thinking, collecting hair isn’t that… my task? Why does Yan Chi need to do this too?
Not only was she confused, even the production team was momentarily caught off guard.
By now, it was almost 2 a.m., and apart from Director Bu and the executive director who were still watching the footage, the rest of the staff had already gone to rest.
Although the microphones of several people were turned off, because this involved Bai Jin’s task, the cameras on the wall didn’t stop recording, capturing everything.
When Yan Chi abruptly pulled on Bai Jin’s collar, Director Bu immediately had the thought of cutting this segment directly. After all, Director Bu and the entire variety show belonged to Hua Yan, and there was no way they would use Yan Chi as a gimmick.
However, now looking at this hair-collecting behavior, it seemed that Yan Chi had just pretended to frighten Bai Jin intentionally.
Director Bu wiped the sweat off his forehead as he watched the two people on the screen, calculating how to edit the footage in a way that wouldn’t offend these individuals, while also explaining the failure to complete the task.
Gu Qingtong was still standing in place, dumbfounded, when Chu Yu suddenly pulled her to the side.
How clueless. They had already finished their business and were about to come out, yet she was still standing there like an idiot! Chu Yu rolled her eyes inwardly.
Just as they left through the back door, they saw Yan Chi coming out from a distance, confirming their suspicion.
“You are not allowed to say a word about what you just heard.” Chu Yu had a stern expression as she warned Gu Qingtong in the manner of a senior.
Gu Qingtong had initially wanted to ask Chu Yu not to say anything, but the tables turned, and she was left dumbfounded.
Seeing Gu Qingtong’s clueless expression, Chu Yu furrowed her brows and said, “Did you hear me? If you want to establish yourself in this entertainment industry, you should keep quiet about things you shouldn’t say. If I hadn’t stopped you, and you had gone in and discovered everything, what would have happened?”
Gu Qingtong could only nod in agreement, realizing that she had gained valuable advice. But then she thought that she should be worried about Chu Yu discovering it instead, so she cautiously asked in a low voice, “Senior Chu, you probably don’t know who they were talking about, right?”
“I guess it must be some young idol or pretty boy,” Chu Yu casually remarked, and then added sternly, “Stop asking things you shouldn’t ask!”
Chu Yu hadn’t even considered the possibility of them discussing someone of the same gender and naturally assumed they were talking about someone of the opposite sex.
Moreover, with the strong personalities of Yan Chi and Bai Jin, it was definitely a case of keeping a young idol around, a situation she had seen many times before.
Gu Qingtong blushed inexplicably at being mistakenly regarded as a young pretty boy.
It’s quite embarrassing to be enjoying one’s own drama with others…
Chu Yu didn’t want to reveal any more information and dismissed Gu Qingtong, then went back to secretly cooking. However, when she re-entered the villa, she noticed that Bai Jin’s room seemed to be closed and she could faintly hear the sound of things being thrown inside.
Bai Jin seemed particularly angry because of her defeat by Yan Chi.
Chu Yu had some previous interactions with Bai Jin and knew that she wasn’t as sweet and easygoing as she appeared. At this moment, Chu Yu felt that her temperament was unpredictable and scary, so she decided to keep her distance from her in future episodes.
Meanwhile, Gu Qingtong finally regained her freedom and collected the strand of hair that she had been holding tightly in her palm. It had been a close call, but luckily she hadn’t been discovered…
In her heart, she couldn’t help but think back to Yan Chi’s actions just now, still unable to understand them.
However, she quickly noticed that out of the six sealed bags for collecting hair that the production team had given her, one was missing.
In other words, Yan Chi must have taken the bag from her.
Could it be that Yan Chi guessed her mission, knew that she couldn’t handle Ba Jin, and took her sealed bag to help complete the task?
Gu Qingtong found her own speculation absurd.
To find out the answer, she had to go back and find Yan Chi. After all, she was only one step away from completing the mission, and that was getting Yan Chi’s and Bai Jin’s hair.
As Gu Qingtong was counting the sealed bags for the mission, she also remembered the promise she made to Deng Dongjun.
Sleeping together in front of the camera… Even if it was just for a few seconds, it was too embarrassing!
Not only did she have to do it willingly, but it would also be seen by all the viewers. Just the thought of it made Gu Qingtong’s toes start to grip the floor again.
She immediately made a decision: at the very least, she would crawl onto the bed after Yan Chi fell asleep! Then she could casually bring a portable camera and film some footage as evidence before slipping away.
Just as Gu Qingtong, full of thoughts, returned to their room, as soon as she turned the doorknob, she heard a faint voice from inside, saying, “You’re back?”
Yan Chi was leaning against the door, silently watching her. The previous hostility on her body had long since disappeared without a trace.
“Teacher Yan was waiting for me? Is there something you need?”
Gu Qingtong wasn’t sure if Yan Chi had noticed her eavesdropping at the corner of the wall just now, and she didn’t know how to approach the topic of the mission.
As soon as she spoke, she realized that the reason Yan Chi was standing by the door and not leaving was because she knew Gu Qingtong was behind her and would come back soon.
In other words, Yan Chi had already noticed that Gu Qingtong had been secretly listening at the corner of the wall.
Yan Chi watched Gu Qingtong’s ever-changing expression and knew that she had already come up with an answer. However, Yan Chi played tricks and didn’t mention anything about the mission, deliberately making Gu Qingtong ask her.
“You, um…” If it were any other time, Gu Qingtong would have directly spoken up, acting spoiled and persistently pestering Yan Chi to tell her.
But now they were recording a variety show, and Gu Qingtong couldn’t easily let go of her pride. What if, by any chance, Yan Chi had her own mission and had no intention of telling her?
Moreover, Yan Chi had intentionally left a hickey on her neck earlier, and Gu Qingtong was still sulking about it!
Gu Qingtong had almost forgotten about it all, but now everything came rushing back to her.
With this in mind, she suppressed her hesitation and firmly remained silent. “If Teacher Yan has nothing to do, you should rest early. It’s already 2 a.m.”
Yan Chi looked at Gu Qingtong’s expression and a hint of playfulness flickered in her eyes. “Thank you for your concern. You too.”
She wanted to see how long this little child could stay angry.
Gu Qingtong didn’t expect Yan Chi to truly disregard her and walk straight towards the bathroom. She widened her eyes in disbelief, took a deep breath, and suppressed her frustration. Unfortunately, she couldn’t show it on camera either.
Feeling annoyed, Gu Qingtong secretly decided that when Yan Chi fell asleep, she would definitely retaliate by pulling out more of her hair!
Since the tasks were mostly finished recording, Gu Qingtong directly turned off the camera in her room. After all, the production team wouldn’t be insane enough to keep the cameras recording throughout the entire night while everyone was sleeping.
Gu Qingtong had no intention of sleeping. After all, she planned to go find Yan Chi at 4 a.m., and there wouldn’t be much time left after she finished showering. So, she decided to pass the time by browsing on her phone.
She thought about the trending topic from the night before and took a glance at Weibo.
At this late hour, the public relations teams had already retreated, and the only ones still talking were either ordinary netizens or Yan Chi’s fans.
Although the mainstream sentiment had changed, it was clear that some people still held biases against Gu Qingtong.
Leaving aside those people, even Gu Qingtong herself would feel that being mentioned alongside Yan Chi, someone she had never met before, and gaining such popularity that didn’t belong to her was just a result of contrived hype…
She didn’t say anything and continued scrolling. Suddenly, she came across a Weibo post that clarified the situation for her.
“The two of them are simply a CP1Couple Pairing arranged by the production team. As for the picture of Gu Qingtong crying while looking at Yan Chi, it was because during the game, when Tongtong was playing the role of a doll, she had an accident and was hit, which made her cry. Changhong’s official statement has been released, and there is evidence to support it. We didn’t buy the trending topic either. When Tongtong was being attacked, the company’s official Weibo didn’t even dare to come online; they hid like a turtle, let alone spend money. Please stop spreading rumors about Gu Qingtong entangling and hyping Yan Chi!”
The accompanying picture was indeed the widely circulated comparison between the double photo and the video of the pink-purple fox doll taken by Changhong Resort. It was evident that both sides were wearing identical doll costumes.
Gu Qingtong knew that she had gained some fans since that live broadcast.
Although she still wasn’t highly regarded in the eyes of others, that night, when she saw the confessions from her little fans continuously flooding the comments section of her lifeless Weibo post, she scrolled through each one and liked every comment. She wanted to let them know that she had seen them. She hardly slept that night.
For the first time since entering the entertainment industry several years ago, Gu Qingtong truly felt it.
She realized that she, like Yan Chi, could be seen and liked by others.
After that, she would often secretly read the comments and posts left by her fans on her own Weibo and fan forums, gradually experiencing many “firsts.”
The first time she heard fans shouting her name at an event.
The first time a little fan specifically came to her schedule to take photos with her.
The first time someone noticed every minor supporting role she played and specially edited their scenes.
In the afternoon, when condemnations and doubts filled the screen, the voices of Gu Qingtong’s fans were suppressed to the point of being inaudible. However, even so, they were actively seeking evidence to refute the one-sided accusations made by the general public.
Although this clarification Weibo post only received a dozen likes, all from fans in the fan forum, and didn’t cause any ripples, it would only appear in the gradually cooling topic during the late night.
But Gu Qingtong no longer cared about how the public viewed her. The people she cared about trusted her, and that was enough.
“The way this photo was taken… as if I rely on her that much!”
Gu Qingtong looked at the stolen double photo and complained to herself.
She was about to swipe it away when she suddenly remembered something. Wait, with the picture gaining so much attention, could the people in the fan group for Yan Chi that she had joined have also seen it?
Being seen wasn’t the main issue. The main point was what happened on that drunken night just a month ago, during the event where she and Yan Chi both participated in the “Young Actors Development Program” and were caught by Yan Chi’s senior station sister on camera.
Since her face was seen, Gu Qingtong couldn’t possibly admit that she was filming Yan Chi. She had to directly accept the situation of being mistaken as Yan Chi’s fan and her station sister. The discussions about her appearance in the group were still fresh in her mind. Gu Qingtong took a deep breath and hurriedly opened the “What does Teacher Yan eat?” group, which she hadn’t checked for a long time. As expected, the group was in an uproar.
Even at three in the morning, people were still discussing it.
Gu Qingtong spent over twenty minutes quickly going through their chat history.
Ah Lu and Bingtang Xueli, the two station sisters who had seen her before, immediately rushed into the group and told everyone about this shocking discovery upon seeing the photos.
Obviously, not many people believed them and thought they must have been mistaken.
Who would have known that “Bingtang Xueli” secretly took a photo of Gu Qingtong because she thought her appearance was outstanding and wanted to show it to her friends.
However, she felt like it invaded the privacy of an ordinary person, so she didn’t share it in the group.
When she eventually posted that photo in the group, the members were shocked to realize it was the same person.
Fans of Yan Chi even found evidence that Gu Qingtong had also participated in the same event. It was almost certain that the person the two station sisters encountered that day was Gu Qingtong.
[So, you’re saying that Gu Qingtong lied to us when she claimed to be the station sister? Then what was she taking pictures of there?]
[Could it be that she was taking pictures of Teacher Yan? It seems like a well-planned scheme.]
In response to this, Ah Lu said: [Think about it carefully, when we went there, it was during Teacher Yan’s rehearsal phase. Although there were other people on stage, they were mostly taking pictures from the side and not clearly visible… So it’s possible that she was indeed taking pictures of Teacher Yan.]
Upon reading this, Gu Qingtong’s heart skipped a beat. She felt like her secret identity was about to be exposed!
However, as she continued reading, she realized that everyone didn’t suspect her of being a fan of Yan Chi. They believed that she had been planning this publicity stunt for a long time.
After all, their stance was firmly on Yan Chi’s side, and they had previously expressed their dislike for other celebrities who tried to benefit from Yan Chi’s popularity. So Gu Qingtong wasn’t surprised that the group was being harsh. Well… being wrongly accused seemed better than being exposed.
After the official statement was released and Yan Chi personally retweeted it, the attitudes of the group members noticeably softened. Since Yan Chi had dealt with similar situations in the past but never gave them as much attention as now, they chose to trust Yan Chi.
[Let’s see what she does on the variety show. If she tries to bind herself to Yan Chi, then we’ll know] the group admin’s message ended the discussion. At this moment, the station sisters seemed to be discussing their plans for Yan Chi’s schedule for the next day with great enthusiasm.
After all, Yan Chi’s sudden appearance on the variety show caught everyone by surprise. After a day, they received the news that “Love Game” was currently being filmed in a well-known guesthouse area in City A. The filming would last for a day and a half, and Yan Chi would be leaving there this afternoon.
They couldn’t afford to miss this opportunity any longer.
Unlike attending award ceremonies or live shows, filming a variety show had no ticket requirements and had low barriers. By waiting outside, they could capture some candid shots. So the station sisters expressed their desire to go.
Since Yan Chi never participated in variety shows and mostly attended official events or movie premieres, it was a rare opportunity for the station sisters. This time, a particularly large number of people responded.
Even Ah Lu and Bingtang Xueli, who had seen Gu Qingtong before, were planning to come.
As Gu Qingtong saw these familiar nicknames, her heart stopped. Oh no, it was a large-scale fan gathering!
It was as if they had a telepathic connection with Gu Qingtong.
A group member mentioned her once again, but this time, it was her other alias, TT.
[@TT, sis, are you going this time? I’m so tired. It’s Teacher Yan’s first time participating in an entertainment-oriented reality show. Although we might not capture any specific content, at least we can be the first to see Yan Chi’s stunning beauty!]
When Yan Chi’s fans learned that she wasn’t forced by the company to appear on the variety show, they were actually more delighted than worried. Even though “Love Game” sounded a bit strange, who wouldn’t want to see Teacher Yan in a variety show beyond movies?!
For fans who had been craving for her presence for almost a month, this was simply heavenly!
As soon as TT was mentioned, someone immediately jokes:
[Wow, speaking of TT, she clearly said she wouldn’t go to that young actor’s event, but she still went! Familiar VIP area and high-quality pictures. TT, you’re so cunning just to avoid meeting us.]
Other station sisters chimed in: [Sister TT! No excuses this time!]
Seeing these summoning-like remarks, Gu Qingtong almost choked. She still had to film the variety show, why are they coming up with all these ideas?
“Last time, I unexpectedly got media tickets and thought it would be a waste not to go, so I went on a whim. But this time, it’s really not possible. The news came so suddenly, and I’m still abroad. Look at my messed up schedule.”
She calmly came up with a lie without changing her expression or skipping a beat. Being online in the early morning and instantly replying to messages served as her self-confirmation.
Everyone burst into laughter and stopped teasing her.
Just when Gu Qingtong thought everything was fine, she saw the next message from the group members:
[No problem, we understand you’re busy. Tomorrow, we’ll get up early and provide you with live updates through text and pictures! You’ll be able to see firsthand accounts, as if you were there yourself.]
“No need, really! I’m a bit busy, so I’ll watch the variety show another time.”
Gu Qingtong quickly made excuses and bid farewell to everyone, fearing that another incident might arise.
Checking the time, it was now around 4 am. Gu Qingtong put away her phone, grabbed the portable camera provided by the production team for each guest, and prepared to go on the mission.
Thinking about what everyone in the group said about wanting to see her performance on the variety show, Gu Qingtong’s survival instinct kicked in. She directly faced the camera and started reciting and silently writing down a disclaimer:
“It’s currently 4 am, and I’m going to steal some strands of Teacher Yan’s hair. Because I made a deal with Deng Dongjun before, Teacher Yan, I’m sorry, I’m going to secretly sleep in your bed. It’s all for our breakfast! Blame the cunning production team if you want to blame someone! In any case, I hope I don’t wake Teacher Yan up!”
Her face clearly showed her desperate plea of “I’m not doing this willingly, please don’t misunderstand, I’m forced to do this.”
After completing all of this, Gu Qingtong finally tiptoed out of her room.
Yan Chi’s room was right next to hers. She took a few steps and reached the door, only to find that it was slightly ajar, saving her the effort of opening it carefully.
Without thinking too much, Gu Qingtong peeked inside the room from the outside, making sure it was quiet. Then, she slowly pushed the door open and stealthily entered.
Knowing that she would come out soon, she didn’t close the door completely, leaving a small gap.
The curtains of the bed were not drawn, allowing the serene moonlight to seep in from the glass wall outside, illuminating Yan Chi’s sleeping face for Gu Qingtong to see.
However, it wasn’t the tranquil and cold appearance she had imagined.
Yan Chi seemed to be sleeping restlessly, furrowing her eyebrows slightly. There was even a strange blush on her usually pale face, and her lips trembled slightly, as if she wanted to say something.
Is Yan chi okay?
Feeling a bit strange, Gu Qingtong stood still and waited silently for a while, confirming that Yan Chi was probably just having a bad dream. Only then did she continue with her next actions.
Gu Qingtong held the small camera in her hand and discreetly captured the scene of Yan Chi sleeping before quickly retracting the lens. She didn’t want others to see Yan Chi in that vulnerable dream state.
Having followed Yan Chi for so long, Gu Qingtong knew that she was someone who valued her privacy greatly. She kept her personal life separate from her work in the entertainment industry, maintaining a distance that was neither too close nor too distant in interviews and interactions with others. She never revealed her private personality or life in front of the camera.
After thinking for a moment, Gu Qingtong decided to seize the opportunity while Yan Chi was asleep and lay on the bed herself. After all, who knew if Yan Chi would wake up while she was cutting her hair?
Gu Qingtong found it a bit inconvenient to hold the camera while doing so.
First, Gu Qingtong placed one knee on the edge of Yan Chi’s bed and gently supported it with her hand, using the leverage to silently lift her body up.
Being naturally thin and extra cautious, she didn’t make any noise.
Once she was up, she knelt on the edge of the bed and made sure that Yan Chi was still asleep. Then, holding her breath, she slowly lay down.
In order to be able to observe Yan Chi’s movements at all times, she turned her face towards Yan Chi’s side as she lay down.
Gu Qingtong raised the camera, looked at the lens, and captured the moment when she had successfully positioned herself on the bed.
Satisfied with the shot, she breathed a sigh of relief and shifted her gaze.
Unexpectedly, she locked eyes with a pair of suddenly opened eyes.
A pair of extremely… unfamiliar eyes.
In Yan Chi’s wide-open eyes, there was a captivating allure, accentuated by the blush on her face.
Gu Qingtong had never imagined that someone as cool and reserved as Yan Chi could also be trapped in such a swamp of passion.
“You… haven’t left?” Yan Chi’s voice was moist, sticky, and completely devoid of her usual coldness and superiority.
Upon seeing Gu Qingtong in front of her, the amorous emotions in Yan Chi’s eyes did not fade away. Instead, it ignited like a spark setting dry tinder ablaze, spreading a sea of crimson.
Gu Qingtong stood dumbfounded, unable to react in time. She saw Yan Chi, who had already gotten up from the bed, approaching her with only a thin layer of clothing on. Without any deviation, Yan Chi pressed her hand directly onto the hand holding the camera.
Her skin was scorching hot, radiating heat throughout her body, completely different from her usual coldness.
A loud “thud” echoed as the camera fell to the ground.
This sound seemed to abruptly awaken Yan Chi, and the emotions in her eyes receded like a receding tide.
Only the flush on her face and the burning heat of her skin reminded Gu Qingtong that this was not a dream she had conjured.
A dream…?
What kind of dream did Yan Chi have?
“I’m sorry,” Yan Chi said through gritted teeth, as if struggling against herself.
She seemed torn between two sides—a seductive, unearthly body pulled out of water on one side, and a resolute restraint of her conscious mind on the other.
Gu Qingtong anxiously watched her and then turned her gaze to the camera lying on the ground. With a faint voice, she said, “Teacher Yan….the c-camera.”
Yan Chi also knew that she couldn’t let others see her in her current state. She leaned slightly, her upper body touching Gu Qingtong’s, causing a shiver to run through Gu Qingtong’s body. Taking a deep breath, Yan Chi managed to retrieve the camera from the ground, turned it off, and finally placed it back on the ground, feeling a sense of relief.
“I’ll go take a cold shower.”
Yan Chi was in a terrible state, her eyebrows furrowed, and even her exhaled breath felt hot. Every word seemed to be surrounded by a haze, difficult to articulate.
“Your health is not good. Taking a cold shower could be problematic,” Gu Qingtong’s heart was filled with worry, and she had already forgotten about Yan Chi’s earlier bias towards her. Her gaze closely followed Yan Chi’s face. “Have you experienced this kind of situation before?”
Facing Gu Qingtong’s approach, Yan Chi stepped back, her face showing signs of painful struggle.
“Tongtong, don’t come closer. I’m not in a good state right now, I don’t know what I might do.”
There was no other way. Before daybreak, she had to endure the torment of oscillating between dreams and reality until this flush subsided.
This wasn’t the first time it had happened, but it was the first time it had occurred in front of Gu Qingtong like this.
It… carried all of her secrets.
Seeing Yan Chi’s reaction, Gu Qingtong knew there was no other choice.
After contemplating for a moment, she reached out her hand and slowly held Yan Chi’s limp fingers hanging by her side. She gently brushed against them, using a comforting tone to console the woman in front of her.
“Since the first day I met you, I have said that my hands are warm and can provide you some warmth. But now, it seems they can also cool you down.”
There was a slight chill in the touch of their fingers, the normal body temperature of a winter night. But in Yan Chi’s perception, it felt like a refreshing spring, bringing a moment of tranquility.
Her pinky finger trembled in resistance, but in the end, she couldn’t hold back. Yan Chi furrowed her brows, closed her eyes, and reflexively grasped Gu Qingtong’s fingers with her other hand, as if she had done it countless times before. Their ten fingers intertwined.
Reality and dreams overlapped for the first time.
❖❖❖❖❖
Chu Yu secretly sneaked into Gu Qingtong and Yan Chi’s house at three o’clock and found that, as she expected, both of them were already asleep.
She hurriedly went to the kitchen, hoping that her limited cooking skills could complete the damn dish, soup, and staple food before seven o’clock.
By four o’clock, Chu Yu was clearly struggling to stay awake. She was nodding off while standing.
But at that moment, a voice floated into her ears—a voice she had never heard before, so delicate and whiny. It was soft and alluring, saying, “I can’t do it, I can’t.”
It startled Chu Yu, causing her breath to stop, and she immediately woke up.
What was that sound?!
Before she could think further, the voice continued, “Don’t, Han!2phonetic representation of a sound It’s happening again… wu wu…”
The subsequent words became even more indistinct, as if they were muffled.
Chu Yu faintly recognized that it was Gu Qingtong’s voice, but it sounded more tender and delicate than usual, as if she was being lovingly embraced and comforted, crumbling into someone’s arms.
Who was the other person…?
Chu Yu couldn’t believe that today she encountered two explosive revelations in a row. First, there was Yan Chi and Bai Jin, but now, even the seemingly clueless Gu Qingtong was involved?!
Although she had told Gu Qingtong not to ask inappropriate questions, if she could control her curiosity for gossip, she wouldn’t have listened in on Yan Chi’s conversation earlier.
So, once again, she placed the ingredients on the cutting board without taking off her apron and hurriedly walked step by step towards the living room.
That’s when she realized the sound was coming from one of the rooms, with the door slightly ajar. No wonder it was so clear…
“Tongtong, if you can’t hold back, just scratch me. It’s okay.”
Yan Chi’s voice seeped through the crack in the door, mingling with Gu Qingtong’s fragmented sobbing.
Chu Yu’s footsteps came to an abrupt halt, and her face resembled the overturned seasoning bottle from earlier—a sight to behold.
She never expected that the owners of both scandals were the same person!
Not to mention just being a spectator in the past, she couldn’t even dare to cook now. She rushed into the kitchen, put everything back in its place, and swiftly retreated, leaving behind the half-prepared ingredients.
If Yan Chi found out that she had been here tonight, she might as well bury herself alive.
