After trying on those elaborate palace costumes, it had already been half an hour. Her first instinct was to glance at the spot where Yan Chi had been sitting before. However, not finding Yan Chi there, she felt a bit uneasy and asked the styling assistant on that side who was packing up.
For some reason, the assistant looked up at her with an inexplicable curiosity and inquiry in her eyes. After a while, she said: “Teacher Yan went to the studio to check the on-screen effects.”
Gu Qingtong acknowledged that this was her own knowledge gap and simply nodded. Just as Gu Qingtong, currently without any work, was about to sit down and continue reading the script, she saw her phone screen light up. A hot news notification popped up, catching her eye.
#Shocking!! Gu Qingtong voluntarily comes out, admitting that Yan, the lead actress, is her girlfriend. Is this “business cp”, Silent Gaze really officially coming out this time?! Click here to jump…..#
Seeing this push notification, Gu Qingtong felt quite disdainful. What nonsense is this UC’s editor talking about again! Although she knew it was just a trick to attract attention, Gu Qingtong couldn’t help but curiously click on it to see what “evidence” they would use this time.
The result was a page that redirected to the Weibo post she had just made, showcasing her beautiful appearance. In just half an hour, the post had garnered tens of thousands of likes and comments, making Gu Qingtong feel that something was not right.
Although Gu Qingtong herself acknowledged the stunning quality of the photos, she still knew her own worth. It seemed odd that she would become so popular so quickly?!
The moment she opened the comments, she froze in place:
[WTF, the sixth picture…the sixth picture is Teacher Yan!! From the girlfriend’s perspective?!!!]
[I think I understand correctly, is she subtly showcasing her girlfriend publicly?]
[Coming out unexpectedly? I thought it was about ‘being,’ but it turns out they fast-forwarded straight to girlfriend status!]
Gu Qingtong’s eyes urgently darted to a few selfies she had posted earlier, and her pupils shook as she discovered that, at some point, she had clicked on the picture of Yan Chi reading the script!
The caption was once again the whimsical “girlfriend’s perspective”!
Any netizen with proper reading comprehension would think that she was claiming to view Yan Chi from the perspective of a girlfriend, making them believe she was truly coming out publicly.
Gu Qingtong felt her vision darken, sensing her blood pressure rising.
In just half an hour, the popularity exploded, and the hashtag #GuQingtongGirlfriendPerspective# even reached the top of the trending list, accompanied by a sensational news article that was widely pushed across the entire internet.
It was the same push notification that had caught her eye just moments ago.
Not only did netizens across the internet respond fervently, but even Gu Qingtong’s WeChat messages were flooded. Both her manager and artists she had worked with before were asking if the two of them were really together.
If the previous instances were forced coming outs, this time it was Gu Qingtong’s own slip-up. She wished she could go back half an hour and knock herself unconscious before posting the sneakily taken photo of Yan Chi reading the script.
What should she do now?!
Is she really going to come out directly? Gu Qingtong was completely unprepared, and she hadn’t even consulted Yan Chi’s opinion.
Just as she was in distress, a WeChat message suddenly popped up.
It turned out that Director Bu, after seeing the trending topic, came to congratulate her and Yan Chi on being together. Perhaps due to the urgency of the current situation, Gu Qingtong’s usually quick-thinking mind was working at an unprecedented speed.
She suddenly remembered a task from the final episode of a variety show they had shot before, where she and Yan Chi were required to play “pseudo-girlfriends.” Maybe Director Bu could help present this as a promotional stunt for the upcoming episode of “Love Game.”
“Director Bu, save me!”
Gu Qingtong explained the misunderstanding to him, feeling quite embarrassed and pitiful:
“Director Bu, could you ask the official account to help claim and repost this, pretending it’s a teaser for the next episode? Otherwise, this misunderstanding has become so huge, and it’s almost impossible to control…”
Director Bu did not expect that behind this bold and sudden coming out, the truth was actually like this, laughing so hard that he is almost breathless. He then went to negotiate with the variety show operations team.
Finally, the netizens who were eagerly following the situation saw the official Weibo account of “Love Game” suddenly come online.
They reposted the “girlfriend’s perspective” Weibo with the caption:
[Next Saturday at the same time, remember to tune in to the finale of ‘Love Game’! With silent gaze, becoming each other’s ‘pseudo-girlfriends,’ what kind of chemistry will happen between them?]
Not only did they repost this, but they also released a preview clip of the scene recorded on the helicopter, where they awkwardly called each other girlfriend and wife. Gu Qingtong, caught off guard, saw the specially edited segment with the toe-curling mistake of accidentally calling each other “wife.” She felt it was an extreme exchange for what happened.
With no other options, who asked her to keep having accidents?
The vast majority of netizens suddenly realized that it was just a promotional stunt. Instantly, they lost interest and scattered, no longer engrossed in the gossip.
Although it was just a minor misunderstanding, fans of the “Silent Gaze” coupe, who had been deprived of interaction for a long time, finally got a taste of involvement with the two characters. They were quite happy and enthusiastically engaged with the short preview clip.
However, apart from the fans of the “Silent Gaze” cp, fans of Yan Chi and some onlookers felt that Gu Qingtong’s solo promotion was initially unclear. Allowing rumors to spread without clarification was deemed inappropriate. It seemed too ambiguous, directly causing Yan Chi to once again be embroiled in the controversy of a same-sex relationship, which felt awkward and abrupt.
Combining these rumors with the recent speculation that there was no interaction between Gu Qingtong and Yan Chi after the “Silent Gaze” program, the situation became even more delicate. It appeared as if Gu Qingtong, lacking attention, suddenly brought up Yan Chi, intentionally using this pseudo-official announcement to garner attention.
Especially noteworthy is the fact that, whether in the previous “coming out” incident or the current promotion, Yan Chi remained completely silent without any response. This led some marketing accounts to take the opportunity to mock Gu Qingtong for seemingly pursuing Yan Chi:
[Haha, besides cooperating on variety shows, Teacher Yan has never mentioned Gu Qingtong on her own Weibo. It’s quite strange to suddenly bring it up when the promotion ended and there’s no attention. ]
[Teacher Yan’s Weibo never posts such things; she only shares official collaborations and content related to her movies. Instead of worrying about this, let’s look forward to Teacher Yan’s fifteenth-anniversary film exhibition.]
Fans of Yan Chi explained below, stating that although it was mentioned there was no specific targeting of Gu Qingtong, there was also no denial of what the marketing account said. Everyone had accepted that Yan Chi would continue to remain silent.
After all, despite their sweet interactions on the variety show, once they were out in the public, there was no sign of any interaction. As one fan pointed out, recently, Yan Chi’s studio officially announced the fifteenth-anniversary film exhibition and fan meeting. They mentioned selecting fans to give away tickets, and all fans were eagerly anticipating it.
Gu Qingtong simply brushed over these comments, knowing that it was her own slip-up that caused all of this. Being able to avoid being at the center of a public coming-out controversy was already fortunate for her.
Compared to those discussions, the matter of the fifteenth-anniversary film exhibition had firmly caught her attention, and it had been her recent source of distress. As a fan of Yan Chi for over a decade, Gu Qingtong naturally desired to participate in this special commemorative film exhibition. However, no matter how securely wrapped, it was easy for things to be exposed. The thought of the consequences if discovered by the public made Gu Qingtong uneasy. Despite both of them openly expressing their feelings, she had always treated Yan Chi as the idol she pursued since childhood and had developed a habit of keeping it hidden. After all, with so many photos taken and numerous over-the-top expressions of admiration for Yan Chi in her younger days, it seemed like she belonged to the category of fervent and loyal fans!
It felt like she wanted to keep a last piece of personal dignity, almost like keeping her last pair of underwear. She couldn’t bring herself to talk about this matter, as it would be too embarrassing. She believed she had concealed it well enough, and even now, Yan Chi remained completely oblivious. Despite her fear of others finding out, deep down, she still hoped her fan account TT dedicated to Yan Chi would receive an invitation, almost as if it were a form of recognition from Yan Chi.
Strangely, in the group “Teacher Yan, have you eaten?”—where active fans and content creators were almost all invited by the studio—her secondary account had yet to receive any invitation. Even though she had many exposure posts, could it be because she declined the invitation to join Hua Yan Entertainment, and now they were holding a grudge against her?
Gu Qingtong pondered this in her mind.
Refusing to give up, she reluctantly checked her secondary account again, only to find that there was still no sign of any private messages…..
Just as the hairstylist arrived, Gu Qingtong temporarily set aside the matter and continued with her styling. Meanwhile, Yan Chi and a few makeup artists had just finished adjusting the colors and combinations for the first set of makeup.
With a bit of free time, Yan Chi picked up her phone, clearly having seen the news that had been widely pushed across the internet. She didn’t believe that Gu Qingtong would suddenly make a real announcement; her little wife was too cautious and knew the rules too well.
However, when Yan Chi saw the Weibo post that indeed resembled an official announcement too much, her heart skipped a beat. “Girlfriend’s perspective~” Below it, in the grid of nine pictures, there was a photo of her. This bare-faced and casually dressed picture was obviously taken sneakily during the makeup session.
In a moment of trance, it felt like Gu Qingtong was subtly showcasing their relationship to the whole world.
Yan Chi didn’t say anything but flipped through the nine pictures one by one, finally pausing at her own photo. Even with a simple phone camera, the atmosphere of this picture was on par with all the photos taken by TT. She appreciated how well it captured her cold and aloof demeanor, portraying Yan Chi as the dominant figure.
Regarding the matter of inviting fans to the fifteenth-anniversary film exhibition, the reason TT didn’t receive an invitation was because Yan Chi personally crossed out her name from the list sent by Xiao Jun. It was because Yan Chi intended to invite her in person.
At this moment, Yan Chi knew about all of Gu Qingtong’s likes and affections for her. It wasn’t as urgent as before to seek a response from Gu Qingtong’s perspective as a fan. Now, it was time for Yan Chi to respond to Gu Qingtong’s years of pursuit and admiration.
Yan Chi wanted to publicly acknowledge their relationship on this fifteenth-anniversary occasion. Thinking about this, Yan Chi’s thoughts returned to those few pictures. Gu Qingtong intentionally blurred the background in her own photos, but the one related to Yan Chi showed a corner of the script. It was evident that Gu Qingtong hadn’t initially planned to share this photo, likely accidentally clicking on it and causing this misunderstanding.
The significant attention generated by the repost of “Love Game” did alleviate the awkwardness, but it also stirred controversy for Gu Qingtong. As Yan Chi read assumptions about Gu Qingtong “pursuing” and “creating hype for attention,” a hint of coldness flashed in her eyes.
She opened the album titled “Tongtong.” Initially created to store photos and bits of Gu Qingtong’s online presence, it later accumulated many pictures unique to Yan Chi after they got together.
Yes.
Not only had Gu Qingtong taken pictures of Yan Chi as a fan from a distance, but Yan Chi, in situations unknown to Gu Qingtong, had diligently documented her own moments of affection. Just like those paintings Yan Chi had once created, these were moments she didn’t want Gu Qingtong to discover.
❖❖❖❖❖
No one expected that the promotional collaboration between Gu Qingtong and “Love Game” would have a continuation. Yan Chi, who rarely came online and only posted promotional advertisements on her official account, shared a Weibo post. It consisted of four simple words, identical to “Girlfriend’s perspective.”
Carefully selected in a grid of nine pictures were various images of Gu Qingtong. There was one of her descending the steps in a dazzling evening gown, drawing attention from the audience. Another featured her wearing a purple fox costume, clumsily cute as she danced. There was also one in a bold skiing outfit, charging forward with determination, creating a spray of snow….
Without exception, Gu Qingtong didn’t look at the camera in any of the photos. Still, from each picture, one could see the intricate details of every aspect of her.
Shortly after Yan Chi posted this Weibo, the official account of “Love Game” also reposted it. Even so, it was challenging for everyone to perceive this Weibo as mere “forced promotion.” It was evident that these photos, never seen by the audience and not even captured by the show’s cameras, were unmistakably taken by a certain someone.
There were a total of nine pictures released, each perfectly fitting the phrase “Girlfriend’s perspective.” Gu Qingtong’s colorful and vibrant appearance was captured from the perspective of her being Yan Chi’s “girlfriend.”
Yan Chi’s indifference to others’ opinions did not mean she could tolerate people freely commenting and speculating about her relationship with Gu Qingtong. The obvious nature of this release aimed to divert certain speculations away from Gu Qingtong.
Gu Qingtong was always someone Yan Chi cherished and held in high regard, not the submissive and inferior party that some people assumed without justification. This move undoubtedly slapped the faces of all the marketing accounts and netizens who had previously made malicious speculations.
Regardless of whether they were truly “girlfriends,” Yan Chi’s protective stance toward Gu Qingtong was enough to debunk some rumors. Following Yan Chi, other guests from “Love Game” also shared similar promotional images and captions. Just like tasks given to everyone on the variety show, this misunderstanding was finally resolved with a unified arrangement from the production team.
Gu Qingtong was busy until the makeup trial was completed before she saw Yan Chi’s posts. She had never known that Yan Chi silently took so many pictures of her.
Especially the first one in the evening gown—others might not recognize it, but Gu Qingtong remembered it well. That was the outfit she wore when she appeared at the family banquet of the Yan family, as the person engaged to Yan Song. Clearly, Yan Chi had recognized her at that time and captured the moment.
As someone who is also into photography, Gu Qingtong could keenly perceive the emotions of the photographer. In this imagery, Yan Chi’s patient and restrained affection took root and blossomed.
Even though the whole incident began with the unintentional post she made, the sincere response from Yan Chi made Gu Qingtong feel like her heart was filled with warm emotions. When their Weibo posts were placed side by side, the term “girlfriend” indeed looked like an official announcement.
Gu Qingtong suddenly felt that she wasn’t as afraid of the potential impact of coming out publicly as she used to be. After all, Yan Chi never cared about such things, and neither….did she.
At this moment, Gu Qingtong’s secondary account on TT received a private message. The moment she saw the sender’s name, she hurriedly opened it. It was a message from Yan Chi’s studio:
“Hello, may I inquire if Miss TT is interested in participating in my exhibition? I am looking forward to your presence.”
Excited, Gu Qingtong didn’t notice that this time Yan Chi’s studio identified themselves as Yan Chi, an unusual use of the first person in their message.
However, when it came time to actually type a response, Gu Qingtong abruptly hit the brakes. Could she really go? But not going might lead to lasting regrets…..
Gu Qingtong hadn’t come up with an answer yet when she heard Yan Chi’s voice coming from the doorway: “It’s time to discuss the script.”
She was visibly startled, and her phone almost slipped from her hands. When she looked up, Yan Chi’s eyes were still far from calm. It wasn’t clear how long Yan Chi had been standing silently by the door.
Yan Chi took in Gu Qingtong’s expression, tightened her grip on the phone, which still displayed a certain Weibo page, and thought ‘if she wanted to, she could make Gu Qingtong reveal her own tail at any moment.’ However, her surprise was still in the planning stages, and for now, scaring off Tongtong would be unwise.
“Did you see the photos I posted?”
Gu Qingtong picked up the script, catching up with Yan Chi. The panic in her eyes gradually subsided. Thinking about Yan Chi’s nearly real announcement just now, her face blushed again, and she whispered: “Hmm.”
“Actually…”
Gu Qingtong was about to say something when Yan Chi interrupted her. Yan Chi looked over and said the words Gu Qingtong wanted to express: “Want to say that you can handle it yourself?”
“Not about resolving the announcement, but about not being able to resist saying how much I like Tongtong,” Yan Chi’s voice contained numerous gentle smiles. It was like a breeze blowing over Gu Qingtong’s ears, bringing a hint of crimson.
“From, from that time onwards, did you record yourself and watch it over and over again? But I distinctly remember that you didn’t attend the banquet that time.”
Gu Qingtong felt a bit embarrassed to look at Yan Chi, but they both knew they were referring to the photo from the banquet. Unexpectedly, after revealing everything from their past lives, it seemed there were still many secrets waiting for them to slowly surprise each other.
“I attended the banquet and saw you almost becoming Yan Song’s fiancée again. So, I just watched you from the second floor, thinking from the moment I saw you, how can I snatch Tongtong away.”
“Do you still remember the private detective you initially hired to investigate the affair? It was also arranged by me in advance. Even if Tongtong didn’t awaken, I would have reminded her.”
At this moment, Yan Chi could finally unabashedly express all the possessiveness and inexplicable obsession she had at that time. Her gaze was intense as she stared at Gu Qingtong, as if trying to imprint the other person into her own eyes.
“I, I…” Gu Qingtong almost found herself about to reveal her secrets under Yan Chi’s openness, but after some thought, she blushed and subtly expressed, “There’s no need for such trouble. With Tongtong’s affection for big sister…..she definitely could have been easily swayed!”
“Isn’t it easy to be swayed in an instant?” Yan Chi lightly chuckled and asked, “When I proposed the marriage alliance, you believed everything I said. I’ve never seen such a naive and easily deceived fool.”
Gu Qingtong felt a mix of irritation and embarrassment. “Huh? What did you deceive me about back then?!”
“Lied about marrying you for the sake of family inheritance rights…..it wasn’t like that at all,” Yan Chi clarified, pausing with a hint of intensified emotions in her eyes. “It was simply because you are Tongtong.”
This simple yet profound confession was etched into Yan Chi’s heart across two lifetimes. Caught off guard by another confession, Gu Qingtong’s previous mix of embarrassment and irritation slowly faded from her face. She opened her hands, covering her flushed cheeks, blinking for a while without being able to say anything.
“3, 2, 1, time’s up. Tongtong missed the chance to respond to the confession.”
Yan Chi smiled, then pushed open the door to the meeting room in front of them. Clearly, unnoticed by both, they had already reached their destination. Inside, various directors, producers, and supervisors had taken their seats, and almost everyone turned their attention towards them, their gaze fixing on the two.
Gu Qingtong’s face grew even redder. Clutching the script, she quickly slipped inside, feeling a bit guilty as if she had been caught in the act.
Yan Chi watched her retreating figure, the smile in her eyes unabated. She followed suit, unhurriedly taking a seat beside Gu Qingtong.
❖❖❖❖❖
The entire seminar consisted mainly of presentations by industry experts. Although Gu Qingtong sat beside Yan Chi, both were immersed in their work. Yan Chi handled the discussions effortlessly, occasionally expressing dissenting opinions on the presentations. Her insights were always sharp, pinpointing the crucial issues and benefiting everyone present.
Gu Qingtong, witnessing Yan Chi’s professional prowess for the first time, diligently recorded notes in her script and notebook. Despite being a newcomer, she managed to navigate through the challenges, and others, recognizing her status, didn’t make things difficult for her.
As the seminar finally concluded, Gu Qingtong looked at the time and realized it was already nine in the evening. Director Yuan stayed behind with Yan Chi, apparently discussing something important.
Gu Qingtong walked back to the dressing room where the crew stored their belongings, preparing to retrieve her things and head back to the hotel. Unexpectedly, she saw Yan Chi’s coat placed next to her own clothes and handbag.
She hadn’t forgotten her plan from earlier in the morning to secretly enter Yan Chi’s room. Seeing the coat reignited Gu Qingtong’s curiosity. Glancing around to ensure no one was nearby, she boldly reached out and touched the pocket.
Surprisingly, there was indeed a hard card-like object. Gu Qingtong immediately pulled it out and found it to be a room key, just like her own. They both stayed in rooms 604 and 607, but unfortunately…..the room numbers weren’t consecutive. Gu Qingtong complained silently in her mind about the inconvenience of not having adjacent rooms for future nighttime visits.
Nevertheless, she accepted the room key without hesitation.
After all, if Yan Chi discovered the missing room key, she would certainly ask Xiao Jun for a spare one. Gu Qingtong wasn’t worried at all about being locked out. It wasn’t until she reached the hotel that she realized she was probably too naive.
Although the room numbers 604 and 607 seemed non-consecutive, they were actually adjacent to each other. It seemed that Yan Chi had intentionally arranged it this way. After all, apart from Gu Qingtong, no one else would be meticulous enough to check the actual room locations before choosing room numbers.
With this realization, Gu Qingtong became more daring. Since Yan Chi wouldn’t be back for a while, she swiftly went to her own room, grabbed a towel, and a specially brought silk see-through nightgown. She quietly sneaked into Yan Chi’s room, planning to take care of her shower needs there.
Looking at herself in the mirror, wet from the shower, Gu Qingtong reached up to rub the corner of her eye and the teardrop-shaped birthmark. In an instant, a touch of blush adorned her face, like the finishing touch, adding a charming and seductive allure.
The most suitable attire for her was still the white lace silk gown. Beneath intricate patterns, it elegantly covered and revealed the lacy openings, a tease of exposure. After completing everything, Gu Qingtong turned off all the lights and slipped into the beddings.
While waiting, she didn’t forget to open her phone and review the notes she had taken earlier, making the most of her time to continue studying the script. After an unknown period, there were slightly disordered footsteps and conversations in the corridor. Gu Qingtong became alert, turned off her phone, and listened attentively. Besides Yan Chi, she heard another familiar voice – it was Yuan Jingyu! It didn’t seem like she lived on the….sixth floor?
She suddenly realized, could Yuan Jingyu be entering together with Yan Chi?!
Oh no, she was still in a seductive attire!
In that instant of realization, Gu Qingtong jumped up, wanting to retreat to the bathroom for cover. Little did she know that the two were already at the door, and the prompt sound of the door card swiping open was imminent. Gu Qingtong looked at her outfit for a moment, dumbfounded. She quickly retreated back under the covers, muffling herself entirely, not daring to breathe loudly, as if she could only hear the sound of her own heartbeat.
