After hearing such a shocking secret from Yuan Jingyu, Gu Qingtong’s thoughts were no longer on the script of her reputation being turned around in one fell swoop. Instead, she was consumed with the desire to know what kind of videos Yan Chi had helped her edit.
Perhaps it was because Gu Qingtong herself also had a secret account on TT. After hesitating for a long time, she still didn’t have the courage to ask Yan Chi directly. Instead, she shifted her focus to Yan Chi’s assistant, Xiao Jun.
So, taking advantage of Yan Chi’s busy schedule with filming in the afternoon and evening, Gu Qingtong sneaked over to Xiao Jun’s room on the same floor, intending to pry the answers out of her. When Gu Qingtong visited unexpectedly, Xiao Jun was still basking in the aftermath of the official announcement and audition video of “Bai Mei Sheng” during the day.
She had been a loyal fan of Gu Qingtong for a long time, even though she knew earlier than other fans that Tongtong had obtained the opportunity to play the female lead. Seeing the influx of new fans and the praise from passersby, she was even more excited than Gu Qingtong.
When she opened the door and saw that the visitor was Gu Qingtong, Xiao Jun quickly closed the interface on her phone. Although being a devoted fan of Gu Qingtong wasn’t embarrassing, Xiao Jun was afraid that things might become awkward between them if Gu Qingtong found out, so she had kept it to herself.
Seeing Xiao Jun’s slightly forced calm demeanor, Gu Qingtong’s initial reaction was still stuck in the embarrassment of her last failed attempt to ask her for a room card. She stuttered as she tried to speak: “Xiao Jun, um…..do you happen to know if…..if Teacher Yan edits videos? I only found out today that she specifically edited part of the audition video about me, so I wanted to ask if you know more about Teacher Yan.”
Carefully broaching the topic, Gu Qingtong’s palms involuntarily came together in front of her, her eyes sparkling with curiosity as she looked at Xiao Jun.
Little did she expect that Gu Qingtong would come to her for this reason, and Xiao Jun was momentarily stunned.
Xiao Jun actually had known about Yan Chi helping her wife edit videos since the time Gu Qingtong participated in the pre-broadcast livestream for “Love Game.”
After all, Yan Chi was on a business trip at the time and spent her only spare time editing on the computer, without hiding it from Xiao Jun and their agent. It was seeing her own boss being so capable that Xiao Jun entertained the idea of learning video editing herself, and she initially tried her hand at editing a few “Silent Gaze” CP1Couple Pairing videos that Gu Qingtong had watched. But just like Yuan Jingyu, she had no idea that Yan Chi hadn’t said anything to Gu Qingtong and had silently helped her behind the scenes.
Xiao Jun quickly realized the situation—both the aliases of the couple were now on shaky ground, weren’t they? As someone who knew the secrets of both parties, Xiao Jun suddenly felt complicated. How did she end up being the middleman again?
She had managed to cover up Tongtong’s alias, but what about Teacher Yan’s alias…..should she cover it up or not?
Gu Qingtong, being a clever child since she was young, could see from Xiao Jun’s changing expression that she must know something.
Immediately, she unleashed her well-honed skills of being clingy and whiny, techniques she had practiced for over twenty years since childhood.
“Wuwuwu, please tell me! I promise I won’t say a word to Teacher Yan! I’m just too curious, you know…..”
Gu Qingtong pretended to be pitiful, blinking her eyes rapidly, as if not knowing this secret would cause her to die of regret.
Xiao Jun was already a big fan of Gu Qingtong; she had watched countless edits online portraying Gu Qingtong’s adorable and pitiful side. But this was the first time she had seen the real Gu Qingtong revealing her childish side in front of her. The heart of a devoted fan was on the verge of melting—who could resist?!
Refraining from clutching her chest and smiling wildly, Xiao Jun immediately switched sides, pretending to be serious: “Actually, Teacher Yan’s editing isn’t a secret to us. Maybe she just didn’t have the chance to tell you. I know of a few videos she edited; I can search for them and show you. But that’s all I know. She might have edited others privately, and in that case, I can’t help.”
In her mind, she thought: “Sorry, Teacher Yan, but I have to look out for my girl. Your alias is on its own now. I hope you understand; my girl is just too cute for her own good!”
When Gu Qingtong heard Xiao Jun relenting, she immediately dropped the pretense of being pitiful. Her mischievous nature was exposed without reservation. Her eyes were already fixed on Xiao Jun’s phone, as if fearing she might change her mind.
As Xiao Jun was about to open her phone, she remembered that the interface was still on Gu Qingtong’s fan discussion page. With a lingering sense of apprehension, she quickly dodged that and made sure to exit Weibo before opening her own U Station account.
Xiao Jun was confident in her U Station account. She had tucked away all the videos featuring Gu Qingtong and Silent Gaze in an ordinary-looking collection folder, just to avoid any potential run-ins with Yan Chi. She even thoughtfully compiled the videos edited by Yan Chi into a separate folder for Gu Qingtong’s convenience.
However, little did she anticipate Gu Qingtong’s reaction the moment she saw her homepage nickname. Her pupils dilated in shock. Wasn’t this the same newcomer uploader she had seen a few times before, the one who posted CP videos of Silent Gaze together? How could it be Xiao Jun?
What was even more surprising was that Gu Qingtong seemed to vaguely remember this uploader initially groveling and kneeling in humility when Yan Chi’s fans attacked her for editing videos of the two goddesses early on.
Ever since she received support from Gu Qingtong, Xiao Jun seemed to have undergone a transformation, becoming rather resolute. She prominently displayed her status as a “Tong Mei mom fan” and fiercely rebutted any toxic comments.
A mom fan is right next to me?!
Seeing it online was one thing, but when Gu Qingtong connected it with Xiao Jun right in front of her, she felt embarrassed to the core. Xiao Jun’s age should be similar to hers, so how could she be seen as a “daughter goose” by her? This was just too embarrassing!
As she pondered in a whirlwind of thoughts, she remembered the moment when she had asked Xiao Jun for a spare room key before, and the other’s accusatory look when catching her red-handed with the color scheme.
In an instant, Gu Qingtong understood everything. The root of all evil was here!
“W-what’s wrong?” Both wore their emotions on their faces, and Xiao Jun was taken aback too.
Gu Qingtong couldn’t even hide her surprise and began to feign ignorance: “Huh? What do you mean?”
“Have you seen the videos I edited?” Xiao Jun, seeing Gu Qingtong’s expression, could easily guess what was going on and directly exposed the matter.
“I’ve come across the Silent Gaze videos you’ve edited on U Station…..” Gu Qingtong struggled, “the ‘Moonlight and Rose’ and later ‘Bai Mei Sheng’ edits. I thought they were exceptionally well done, so I even gave them a thumbs-up…..”
She didn’t mention the mom fan incident, but they both had already grasped the situation from the unsaid.
Xiao Jun hadn’t expected her lapse in judgment. The fire that caused the downfall of the couple eventually burned her too, leaving her speechless.
“That mom fan thing is just me casually chatting along with other fans. Don’t feel embarrassed. I just find Tong Mei really cute, so I couldn’t help but become a fan. If you feel uncomfortable or burdened by it, I’ll change my fandom. I won’t secretly follow your updates anymore…..”
Hearing Xiao Jun’s stumbling explanation, Gu Qingtong hurriedly waved her hand: “No, no! I’m delighted to have fans who like me. How could I feel burdened? Even if you’re really a mom fan, it’s okay. At events, many people have told me ‘mommy loves you,’ so it’s just a bit embarrassing.”
Gu Qingtong’s reassurance finally revived Xiao Jun from her unease and embarrassment. The two of them awkwardly smiled at each other. Perhaps this unexpected downfall had shaken Xiao Jun, as even with her caution, she still ended up flipping over due to the world’s small coincidences. Who knows, maybe someday the unsuspecting Tong Mei might accidentally expose her TT alias just like her. Now, despite having just said she wasn’t a mom fan, Xiao Jun was worrying for Gu Qingtong.
“There’s something I’ve been hesitating to tell you, I’ve been holding it in for a long time. Since my alias is out now, I might as well just tell you directly.”
Xiao Jun took a deep breath before continuing: “Your alias on Teacher Yan’s fan page is TT, right?”
Gu Qingtong couldn’t believe it. Just moments ago, she witnessed Xiao Jun’s downfall, and now it was her turn!
“Ah…..Th-this can’t be…..I…..”
Clearly flustered and unable to complete her words, Gu Qingtong even tried to cover up the fact that she was a fan of Yan Chi.
Overwhelmed, Gu Qingtong’s mind went blank, and her denial was merely a reflex.
Xiao Jun, understanding her shock, looked at her sympathetically: “It’s okay. I just wanted to let you know that Teacher Yan showed some interest in TT recently and asked me about it. Don’t get too carried away with being Teacher Yan’s fan while exposing yourself.”
“When did she ask?”
Gu Qingtong, incredulous, asked, forgetting to continue denying.
Realizing she had no room for evasion, she could only reluctantly admit: “….Alright, I am indeed TT.”
Finally, the two of them were honest with each other, and there were no more secrets between them.
Xiao Jun explained to Gu Qingtong how she figured out her alias and also talked about Yan Chi’s matters, saying: “But it’s okay. It’s been a long time, and Teacher Yan didn’t ask you either. Perhaps she followed you before because of the 15th-anniversary film exhibition.”
Gu Qingtong’s mind was in chaos, and she could only follow Xiao Jun’s words, finding some sense in them. For now, she set aside the crisis of being exposed because she heard something she was more concerned about.
The keyword “15th-anniversary film exhibition” immediately reminded her of the invitation from her studio. Until now, she hadn’t replied because she hadn’t figured out how to sneak in.
Seeing Xiao Jun in front of her, she suddenly brightened up. Since Xiao Jun already knew she was a fan of Yan Chi, maybe she could subtly bring her in!
Xiao Jun almost spat blood when she heard Gu Qingtong’s request: “Can you have a bit more sense! On one hand, I warn you about the danger of being exposed, and on the other hand, you want to go and hang around Teacher Yan! Why don’t you just confess to your wife that you’ve been her fan for ten years?”
Hearing Xiao Jun’s latter remark, Gu Qingtong shook her head vehemently, expressing her refusal with her entire being:
“That would be so embarrassing…..a fan being together with their idol like this? What if Teacher Yan finds it odd? You know she doesn’t like being too close to her fans, and we can’t erase her memory. Plus, all those cringey comments I made before are still on my account. I can’t even bear to look at them myself.”
After saying so much, her voice gradually fell silent, as if talking to herself:
“I’ve long been accustomed to secretly chasing after her alone, and I still haven’t been able to stand on the same level as her.”
Although Xiao Jun thought that Yan Chi would be happy and moved if she knew, Gu Qingtong’s latter remark made Xiao Jun swallow back what she was about to say, remembering what Gu Qingtong had said on the TT account more than once: she wanted to meet Yan Chi only when she reached the peak of her career. Perhaps this was the reason why she was reluctant to let anyone know about her pursuit of Yan Chi.
“Do you really want to go to the 15th-anniversary film exhibition? If you’re not afraid of being exposed, I should be able to find a way to take you in to see it…..”
Xiao Jun knew that Gu Qingtong, like the vast majority of Yan Chi’s fans, wouldn’t want to miss this once-in-fifteen-years opportunity, so she relaxed her stance.
Gu Qingtong was overjoyed, and her emotions soared once again. She felt that even if she had been exposed, it was worth it!
However, the film exhibition was after the completion of shooting, so there was still some time left. The two of them didn’t discuss any further plans.
After opening up, Gu Qingtong finally clicked into the collection folder where Xiao Jun had gathered those videos, feeling quite excited, to watch the videos Yan Chi had helped her edit.
The first video that caught her eye was the live stream game edit, the one Gu Qingtong was most familiar with. It was obviously the first personal video on U Station that made Gu Qingtong popular, accumulating over five hundred thousand views to date. During that time, it not only attracted a lot of fans but also brought her many official invitations from game companies.
At that time, it seemed like this game YouTuber, a Bodhisattva of sorts, had helped her edit and release it. But only now did the truth reveal itself. At that time, Yan Chi was even away on a business trip…..yet still managed to edit the live stream recording so quickly, releasing it the next day while the hype was still fresh, without wasting any momentum. Was it all done by her alone?
Even though she had watched this video countless times, Gu Qingtong never knew any of this. There was a very strong emotion flickering in Gu Qingtong’s eyes as she scrolled down. There were several videos: one responding to acting doubts, a compilation of various supporting roles; another was a sweet moment compilation, quickly boosting the popularity of the “Silent Gaze” CP after the first episode of the variety show was released; and then there was the “gift” series, named after the first variety show and magazine cover experience, a compilation dedicated solely to her.
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Although most of the videos had extremely high view counts, the “Gift” series was not popular. Gu Qingtong had watched all of them without exception. Her favorite, the one she would repeatedly watch, was also “Gift.”
Almost every time she had an opportunity or encountered a crisis, Yan Chi silently helped her deal with it and seize it. Just like this audition edit. Anything related to her, Yan Chi would personally handle it.
This silent tenderness seemed to touch the softest part of Gu Qingtong’s heart, like all the love hidden beneath the glaciers. It wasn’t until Gu Qingtong inadvertently discovered it that she realized the temperature under that icy coldness.
