It was soft.
It was scalding hot.
It was tinged with the faint bitterness of beer, yet upon contact, one could taste a hint of sweetness.
It was Song Yushi’s lips.
The water from the showerhead pattered down, like a fine drizzle in a gentle spring breeze.
In just an instant, Qi Ke sobered up.
She restrained herself and pulled back slightly, not continuing the kiss. She swallowed, her voice light and hoarse, hiding a bit of panic. “Cap… Captain!”
Song Yushi was drunk; she couldn’t take advantage of her.
But Song Yushi tilted her head, licked her lips, and said, a little unhappily, “What’s wrong?”
The end of her words was sweet and cloying, unlike her usual self.
Qi Ke’s heart skipped a beat. She took a deep breath, appearing very righteous. “Do you know what you’re doing?”
Song Yushi nodded. “I do.”
Qi Ke: “?” Could it be she’s not drunk?
“Fan service,” Song Yushi said again.
Qi Ke: “…” Okay, she’s drunk.
Qi Ke said helplessly, “There are no cameras here. You don’t have to be so dedicated, do you?”
Song Yushi watched her quietly, blinking her eyes as water droplets rolled down her trembling lashes. Only then did Qi Ke realize the shower was still on. She reached out to turn it off.
But Song Yushi grabbed her wrist.
“…Yushi?” Qi Ke called out tentatively.
Song Yushi hummed softly. “No cameras… I know. But, but—”
She lifted her head, the clear water washing her face clean, making her features distinct. She said in a low voice, “Isn’t there a song that goes, ‘In corners where no one sees, there are more romantic secrets’…?”
There was such a song.
Qi Ke said helplessly, “But someone still has to be there to film it.”
Song Yushi was silent for a moment before letting out a muffled “oh.”
A thought stirred in Qi Ke’s heart. The hand she was using to turn off the water changed direction, and she cupped Song Yushi’s face with one hand. She lowered her eyes, her features suddenly becoming radiant, her tone slightly uncertain. “Captain, can I take this to mean that you want me to kiss you?”
Song Yushi didn’t speak, just gazed at her.
In her calm eyes, chaotic emotions, consumed by alcohol, were crumbling in the quiet night.
I gave her a chance, Qi Ke thought.
When she leaned in for the kiss, she did it slowly, giving Song Yushi enough time to dodge.
But Song Yushi didn’t.
Qi Ke took it as her consent.
So those thin lips pressed against hers again. The tip of her tongue lightly swept over the neat rows of teeth. The bitterness of the beer faded, replaced by… the taste of Song Yushi.
Sweet, like a small cherry on a branch after the rain, caught between her teeth.
Song Yushi was very well-behaved when being kissed. Her pearly teeth were slightly parted, and she never pretended to push or pull, just obediently tilted her head back and let the other person conquer her territory.
She remembered a time when she had kissed Song Yushi until her cheeks were flushed red. She had laughed at Song Yushi, “With kissing skills like these, what will you do when you have to film a kissing scene?”
Song Yushi didn’t say anything, just lightly bit her lower lip.
Qi Ke had pounced on her again, biting her lips that were as red as blood, and declared domineeringly, “You’re not allowed to accept any kissing scenes from now on.”
And Song Yushi, between gasps for air, had responded to her shyly.
Just like now.
The shower was still on. In the cramped bathroom, the two embracing figures bumped around, soaking everything that could be splashed.
They were submerged in it, as if they had instantly returned to that restless age, with no technique, only fierce, instinctual taking. Amidst the clash of lips and teeth, a moan escaped.
Qi Ke’s movements paused slightly. She lowered her eyelids.
Song Yushi was cornered by her. A few buttons on her shirt had come undone, and her long, beautiful collarbones held a pool of water that would occasionally overflow and slide down.
Alluring desire, yet pure.
Qi Ke sighed softly. She had long said she couldn’t walk away from a pretty girl. With Song Yushi like this, it was really difficult for her.
Song Yushi still didn’t know how much trouble she was causing. She leaned against the wall, her gaze towards Qi Ke wet, her raven-feather-like lashes soaked. She extended the tip of her tongue and lightly touched her lip.
“Hiss—”
Song Yushi’s face scrunched up. She said in a tiny voice, “It hurts.”
She was being coquettish, still drunk.
Qi Ke inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief. She asked, “Where does it hurt?”
Song Yushi tilted her face up to show her. Her lips, crimson from the kissing, had a small cut. The pain intensified when her tongue touched it. She admonished Qi Ke, “Couldn’t you have been gentler?”
Words that could easily be misinterpreted.
Qi Ke cleared her throat. She raised her hand, her long finger touching the cut on Song Yushi’s lip. She smiled and offered a half-hearted apology, “I hurt you. Sorry about that.”
But Song Yushi’s attention was diverted. “Your nails are so pretty.”
Qi Ke: “…?”
Qi Ke loved doing her nails, trying all sorts of colors and designs, at her most frequent changing them daily, flamboyantly aiming to have the most beautiful hands in Sweet Day.
Song Yushi was the exact opposite. Her nails were always neatly trimmed, fair and slender, and equally captivating.
“Do you like them?” Qi Ke turned off the shower.
The sound of the water disappeared, and the sounds of heartbeats and breathing became clear.
Thump, thump.
Heartbeats resonating, rhythms uneven.
Song Yushi stammered, “I like them.”
Qi Ke liked the drunk Song Yushi, who was so honest she would answer any question, and always with the truth.
She took Song Yushi’s hand, examining it carefully as she spoke, “If you like them, how about I take you to get them done next time? What design do you want?” She let out a soft “ah.” “No.”
Song Yushi’s eyes widened slightly as she repeated her last word, “No?”
Her tone rose, looking very puzzled.
“That’s right.” Qi Ke held back a laugh, using her talent for spouting nonsense to trick her. “I asked you to get them done before, but you weren’t willing and even got fierce with me.”
Song Yushi was completely fooled, stunned. She shook her head. “I shouldn’t have.” She glanced at Qi Ke’s nails again with envy and commented in a small voice, “They’re really pretty.”
“Then how about I take you to get them done tomorrow? What design do you like?”
Song Yushi thought for a moment, her eyes becoming hazy as if recalling something. “A starry sky. It should have little planets, little stars, and be light purple.”
It was a design Qi Ke had once had.
Qi Ke asked, “If I take you, what will you give me in return?”
Song Yushi looked at her blankly, her lips, crimson from the kisses, moved slightly. “…What?”
Qi Ke cupped her face, stared into her eyes, and said softly, “Captain, you kissed me first.”
Song Yushi blinked slowly, water droplets rolling down, as innocent as a little girl who’d been sold and was still counting the money.
Qi Ke felt like she was committing a crime under her gaze. Without even preparing herself psychologically, she said quickly, “To prevent you from beating me up tomorrow morning, I suggest you start this time. This way, I’ll have a reason to argue back tomorrow.”
Right, you made the first move.
Qi Ke’s little scheme was well-planned, but unfortunately, Song Yushi was drunk and actually got sleepy after listening to all that. She pushed Qi Ke away, yawned, took off her clothes and threw them outside on her own, then turned on the shower.
Qi Ke: “…………….”
Huh? This development isn’t right!!! You’re in danger, Captain!!! Open your eyes and look! There’s a big bad wolf in front of you who wants to trick you into bed!!
Ugh, her self-awareness was painfully clear.
Song Yushi turned to face her.
Qi Ke’s mind went blank, then started scrambling. “Ah, Captain, I fucking… Song Yushi!”
Song Yushi had just tucked her hair behind her ear, revealing her entire clean, beautiful face, tilting her head back to let the water cascade down. Qi Ke’s voice scattered in the narrow bathroom, bouncing off the glass walls and into her ears.
Song Yushi froze for a moment, then opened her eyes.
Their eyes met.
Both were soaked to the bone, one at ease, the other disheveled.
Song Yushi asked, “…What’s wrong?” Her voice was soft, her enunciation clear.
Qi Ke was originally filled with rage, but hearing how calm she was, she suddenly panicked, thinking, could Song Yushi have sobered up at this moment? Just as she was wondering where to run, her clothes were grabbed.
Qi Ke’s heart tightened.
Song Yushi walked out from behind the curtain of water.
She’s so fair, Qi Ke thought randomly. The fairest in their group. A slight touch would leave a mark, a crimson color, very beautiful.
Qi Ke felt her throat go dry. “You…”
Song Yushi smiled at her, her small dimples appearing, sweet. Under her gaze, Song Yushi kissed the corner of her lips.
Like a cherry-flavored gummy candy.
The string called ‘reason’ in Qi Ke’s mind, which had been teetering on the brink, finally snapped with a “pa—”. By the time she realized it, she had already pushed Song Yushi against the wall, grabbing her wrists and holding them above her head, slowly lacing her fingers through hers.
This time, Qi Ke’s kiss was meticulous.
She carefully savored the sweetness between Song Yushi’s lips and teeth. The tip of her tongue slid over the sensitive palate, leaving a shiver in its wake. The scalding breaths were indistinct amidst the sound of the water, laced with a hint of ambiguity.
A lingering kiss, pushed towards fervor amidst intertwined breaths and ambiguous gasps.
My little captain is really soft, Qi Ke thought.
The next day.
The consequences of the hangover were obvious: a splitting headache. Song Yushi frowned and turned over. As she was about to fall back asleep in a half-awake state, her movement suddenly froze.
Everything that happened last night replayed in her mind.
Kissing Qi Ke on her own initiative… whining that it hurt… praising Qi Ke’s nails… asking Qi Ke to take her to get her nails done… little planets, little stars, light purple, she had even described the design in vivid detail… the payment was…
Song Yushi: “…………….”
She felt like she could die.
Song Yushi struggled for a moment, then decided to face reality. She opened her eyes. Beside her, Qi Ke seemed to be sound asleep.
Song Yushi said emotionlessly, “Still not awake?”
Qi ‘Sound-Asleep’ Ke: “I’ll wake up if you promise not to hit me.”
Song Yushi: “…”
The cameras in the room weren’t on yet, and the curtains were drawn. The faint morning light filtered through the window gauze, only enough to tell that the weather today was pretty good.
Song Yushi was in a terrible mood.
She buttoned the top button of her pajamas, trying hard not to think about who had changed her clothes. She stared coldly at Qi Ke, who was still pretending to be asleep and unwilling to “wake up.” After a long while, she finally spoke, conflicted, “I was drunk yesterday.”
Qi Ke couldn’t hold it in and laughed out loud.
Song Yushi: “?”
Qi Ke opened one eye and blinked lightly. “I thought about it all night.”
“What?”
“About how you’d react when you woke up.”
“…”
“I thought you might kick me out of bed, but then I thought you’re not that crude. I thought you might be so surprised you’d roll off the bed, but you wouldn’t let yourself be so undignified.” Qi Ke closed her eyes again. “After thinking it over and over, this was the only reason I could come up with.”
Qi Ke condemned, “Scumbag!”
Song Yushi: “…Shouldn’t it be scumbag woman?”
“Sorry, I’m used to hearing people say ‘scumbag man’ online. ‘Scumbag woman’ doesn’t have the same ring to it,” Qi Ke explained seriously. After a pause, she opened her eyes. “Is this really the time to be arguing about titles!”
Song Yushi: “…”
Qi Ke lay on her stomach on the pillow, transforming into the victim. “It’s okay, you were drunk, I get it, I…”
Before she could finish, the bedroom door was suddenly thrown open.
Meng Ying threw herself onto the bed, shouting, “Ahhh, why is your bed softer than mine? Yushi, move in, squeeze in, squeeze in.”
Song Yushi was inexplicably forced to squeeze closer to Qi Ke. Meng Ying, still feeling there wasn’t enough space, gave Song Yushi a push. Caught off guard, Song Yushi fell into Qi Ke’s arms.
The perpetually confused Song Yushi: “?”
Qi Ke, who had been annoyed and wanted to curse Meng Ying’s ancestors but was now pleasantly surprised: “Sister, you’re a true friend!”
Later, this footage, recorded on Meng Ying’s GoPro, was edited into the behind-the-scenes featurette “Whispers of a Reunion Between Former Teammates.” The Qi Yu CP fans went wild.
Meng Ying’s push was also dubbed “the push of love.”
At this moment, the push of love, Meng Ying, had just put down her GoPro. She burrowed under the covers, complaining to the captain and the main vocalist, “You two are really something else. Leaving early last night, sleeping in this morning. Can’t you be a little more professional!”
Under the silk quilt, Qi Ke’s hand rested on Song Yushi’s waist. Separated only by a thin layer of pajamas, the warmth of her palm was faintly perceptible against her skin. Both of them were a little distracted.
Meng Ying had just come back from outside and still carried a chill with her. She was completely unaware of her teammates’ strangeness and chattered on, “Zhou Er and I walked the dog and got it vaccinated. We also bought you guys breakfast. I didn’t want to get up, but Zhou Er said this would get more screen time, so I…”
She leaned mysteriously closer to Song Yushi. “You know, it’s not easy for me to get a project, hahaha. Hey, Yushi, why are you lying on top of Qi Ke? Aren’t you afraid of crushing her to death?”
Song Yushi managed to sit up, patting the back of Qi Ke’s hand under the covers. She smiled at Meng Ying. “I’m not that heavy.”
“That’s true,” Meng Ying laughed. “The captain with the best figure in Sweet Day. Let me have a feel.”
And with that, she reached out to touch her.
This was how girls were with each other. A touch here, a little grope there, holding hands—it was all within the normal range. When people exclaimed they were shipping them, they were actually just shipping their friendship.
Song Yushi laughed and tried to dodge, but Qi Ke, who was behind her, suddenly sat up. Without her support, Song Yushi fell straight back onto the bed, dodging Meng Ying’s hand.
Song Yushi: “…” She had not expected to dodge in such a way.
Qi Ke held back a laugh, slapped Meng Ying’s hand away, and changed the subject. “Where’s Zhou Er?”
“Eating breakfast.” Meng Ying’s attention was diverted. She let out a cry. “I came to find you for something important!”
Meng Ying took a task card out of her pocket. “Today’s task.”
Qi Ke glanced at it, her expression becoming subtle. Song Yushi could even detect a hint of glee in it.
Song Yushi immediately had a bad feeling. She took the task card and asked, “What is it—a snowball fight?”
Song Yushi: “…”
Qi Ke: “Hahahahahaha!”
Meng Ying was baffled. “It’s just a snowball fight. You haven’t even won yet. Is it necessary to be this happy?”
Qi Ke laughed so hard she pounded the bed. Song Yushi gave a cold laugh, threw off the covers, and got out of bed.
But her legs gave way, and she fell onto the carpet.
Song Yushi: “…” I really want to curse.
Meng Ying was startled by her and quickly jumped out of bed. “What’s wrong? What’s wrong? Are you still not over drinking last night? Why are your legs weak?”
Song Yushi hummed in agreement. She stood up with Meng Ying’s help and looked back.
Qi Ke was looking at her with a grin. Her long hair was pushed aside, revealing half of her face. Her eyes were curved, and even without makeup, she was dazzlingly beautiful.
Song Yushi said, “Get up.”
Qi Ke was very obedient to her captain. She got out of bed without another word, her long, thin, straight legs standing right in front of Song Yushi.
Song Yushi blurted out, “How come you’re fine?”
“What could be wrong with her?” Meng Ying chimed in. “Our great main vocalist can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk. Not like you.”
That’s not what she was asking!
Song Yushi looked at Qi Ke seriously, waiting for her answer.
Who knew that Qi Ke would just nod. She leaned slightly closer to Song Yushi, her breath brushing against her ear. “You were so drunk. What could you possibly do?”
Song Yushi: “…”
Meng Ying hummed in confusion. “What are you guys talking about?”
“Nothing.” Song Yushi walked out stiffly, her head aching and her legs weak.
Zhou Er, who was eating breakfast with Candy in the living room, raised her hand. “Morning.”
“Morning.” Song Yushi stiffly entered the bathroom and closed the door.
Zhou Er asked Meng Ying, who was following behind, “What’s wrong with her?”
Meng Ying didn’t want to talk to her, but given the cameras and the consequences of ignoring her, she had no choice but to answer, “A hangover. She’s not fully awake yet.”
Qi Ke was humming, looking to be in a great mood.
Zhou Er met her gaze.
Qi Ke: Thanks.
Zhou Er: …And you still say you’re not dating!
Last night, it was Qi Ke who had asked Zhou Er to flip the circuit breaker for the third floor, which was how she and Song Yushi had gotten out of the bathroom.
Zhou Er finished her meal but didn’t move. She sat at the dining table and started doing her makeup. She had a sexy image, so her makeup was on the bold side, with a berry-colored lipstick, giving off a strong, cool older sister vibe.
Zhou Er waved the lipstick in her hand. “Qi Ke, I recommend this shade.”
Qi Ke reached out her hand. “Let me try it.”
Zhou Er pulled her hand back and rolled her eyes beautifully. “In your dreams. You dare to covet my things?”
Qi Ke pouted and said to Meng Ying, “She’s so stingy.”
Meng Ying nodded furiously in her heart, but on the surface, she just gave an awkward smile. “Not at all.”
Qi Ke said seriously, “Meng Ying, you’ve changed.”
Meng Ying: “?”
Qi Ke: “The you of the past was so innocent, so…”
The bathroom door opened, interrupting Qi Ke’s condemnation. Song Yushi stood in the doorway and smiled at Qi Ke, who was looking over. “Come wash up. We have a snowball fight after we eat.”
Qi Ke stammered an “oh” and walked over. As she passed Song Yushi, Song Yushi said in a low voice, “The fan service ends here.”
She still remembers the bet she lost.
Qi Ke couldn’t help but laugh. Ugh, she got glared at.
It was cold, and with the New Year approaching, the students were on vacation. The production team, fearing that filming outside would attract overly enthusiastic fans and cause trouble, chose a nearby hillside east of the residential complex for the snowball fight.
The reward was also direct: the losing team would have to cook and wash the dishes, while the winning team could sit back and enjoy the fruits of their labor.
Zhou Er: “I will definitely win!”
It was clear she really didn’t want to serve others.
Meng Ying also rubbed her hands together, but for a different reason. She turned to Qi Ke and Song Yushi and said, “With our cooking skills, I’m afraid this show will end up on the social news.”
Qi Ke: “…”
Song Yushi: “…”
Zhou Er, who was still doing warm-up exercises, overheard the words carried by the wind. She beckoned, “Meng Ying, come here.”
Meng Ying went over reluctantly.
Seeing this, Song Yushi asked Qi Ke in a low voice, “Did you talk to Zhou Er?”
Qi Ke said helplessly, “I did. She said I don’t know shit.”
Song Yushi: “?”
Qi Ke spread her hands. “She’s just like that. Sharp-tongued but soft-hearted. She won’t bully people.”
“Ah—” Meng Ying, who had just walked up to Zhou Er and was hit square in the face by a surprise snowball, cried out.
Song Yushi looked at Qi Ke.
Qi Ke: “Uh…”
If that slap in the face had come two seconds later, she wouldn’t have been caught in such an awkward situation!
Soon, the teams were formed. The twelve guests were divided into two teams. Song Yushi, Qi Ke, Meng Ying, Zhou Er, as well as Chen Sheng and his teammate Jiang Jing, were on one team.
The two groups were opposing factions. Getting hit meant elimination.
Meng Ying looked at the rules for a while and said hesitantly, “This is… a low-budget version of CS in the snow?”
The others: “…”
Looks like everyone can see it!!!
The director’s voice sounded at just the right moment, “Sorry, everyone, due to the production team’s limited budget, this is the best we can do for the venue. Will the guests please draw lots to decide who gets the high ground.”
The so-called high ground was the top of the slope, a position that was easy to defend and hard to attack. Since the lots were taking too long to prepare, the two captains decided with rock-paper-scissors.
Song Yushi was still dazed when she won the high ground with paper. She closed her fingers into a fist and protested, “How did I become the captain?”
“You were always our captain,” Meng Ying said as if it were obvious. “I’m used to calling you that. Right, Qi Ke?”
“Yes, yes, yes.” Qi Ke nodded while climbing the slope. “I’m the strategist, Yushi is the captain, and Meng Ying is the vanguard.”
Meng Ying: “What does vanguard mean?”
Zhou Er said coolly from the side, “It means the first one to go and die.”
Zhou Er was even more pampered than Qi Ke. When she first came out, she was still wearing high heels and stubbornly refused to change into snow boots. Later, after Meng Ying said something to her, she put on the snow boots with a look like she had eaten shit.
Now she was in a foul mood, snapping at everyone she saw.
Meng Ying quickly hid behind Song Yushi. “Captain, save me!”
When this episode aired, the bullet comments were also spectacular.
【When Meng Ying shouted ‘Captain, save me,’ she looked like a daughter running to her mommy, hahahahaha. I don’t know if it’s my imagination, but did Qi Ke glare at her?】
【I’m dizzy. Meng Ying just put an arm around the captain’s waist. Qi Ke, was that necessary?】
【Is this why Meng Ying was the first one to be eliminated?】
【The captain is so cool when she’s laying out the strategy. I actually saw the group spirit! Sweet Day is real!】
【Qi Ke’s execution is so strong. She attacks wherever the captain points. She’s like a loyal puppy!】
【Damn! What’s going on?!】
【Fuck, fuck, fuck! Song Yushi and Qi Ke rolled… rolled down? Damn, what is the production team doing? How could they roll to the other side of the hill?】
【Oh my god! Production team, hurry up and check on them!!!】
Song Yushi lay on the snow, looking speechlessly at Qi Ke, who was lying on top of her.
Qi Ke looked terrified, lying on her chest and praying to the heavens for blessings, but her palm was placed on the back of Song Yushi’s head.
It was a reflexive form of protection.
Song Yushi endured it for a moment, and seeing that she still wasn’t getting up, said, “That’s enough. Get off.”
Qi Ke’s voice was muffled. “I’m scared now.”
Just a moment ago, the other team had successfully reached the summit via a roundabout route. In the ensuing melee, a huge snowball flew towards Song Yushi. Without thinking, Qi Ke rushed over to block it.
As a result, her foot slipped, and she rolled down the slope. Not only did she fail to save the damsel, but she also dragged the damsel down with her.
Qi Ke said sadly, “I’m too sad. I can’t get up.”
“…” Song Yushi’s gloves were gone, and her hand was surrounded by loose snow. She moved her fingers slightly and grabbed a handful of snow. “Qi Ke.”
“What?”
“Look at me.”
Qi Ke hesitated for a moment, then raised her head, only to have her face smeared with icy snow.
Qi Ke: “…………”
This was something she had never expected!!! Song Yushi had learned to be bad!!
Qi Ke, deciding to go all in, also grabbed some snow and stuffed it down Song Yushi’s collar.
Neither of them was willing to admit defeat. They started fighting right there on the snow, going back and forth. By the time they finally stopped, they were both covered in white from head to toe.
Qi Ke lay spread-eagled on the snow, gazing at the clear sky. This side of the slope was lower and had been turned into a ski area by the rich residents of the villa complex. It didn’t take long to roll down, and with the right posture, one wouldn’t get hurt. But it would take some time for people to walk down and find them.
This small gap in time felt stolen.
Song Yushi lay beside her, in the same position, with the same gaze, under the same sky.
Their rapid breathing gradually steadied. A bird flew past the empty woods, and the heavy snow on a branch fell, spinning in mid-air and lightly sprinkling onto the two of them.
“Qi Ke.” Song Yushi’s voice was steeped in the snow, but it held a bit more warmth than the snow itself.
Qi Ke turned her face to the side, pressing it against the cool snow.
But Song Yushi wasn’t looking at her. She just stared at the sky as the sound of the staff’s footsteps grew closer. She said in a low voice, “Let’s just pretend last night never happened.”
Qi Ke was silent for a moment, then her tone held a hint of laughter. “Trying to be irresponsible?”
Song Yushi was flustered. “Nothing even happened!”
“You were drunk. What would you know?”
“…Then I don’t need you to take responsibility.”
“…” Qi Ke was rendered speechless. She wanted to say more, but Song Yushi quickly got up and composed herself before the camera was in her face.
She didn’t forget to extend a hand to pull her up.
So, after this episode aired, the comments at the end turned into—【Our Qi Yu has also been through life and death together! Sob, sob, sob, so romantic. What were you guys talking about before the staff arrived? Let me listen, let me listen!】
【See the captain’s hand? She’s going to hold Keke’s hand and walk into the wedding hall. By rounding up, I’ve witnessed the wedding scene.】
【? kdl】
“What about you? What about you? Are you shipping it?” Meng Ying held a tablet, sitting cross-legged on the carpet in Song Yushi’s apartment. She leaned against the sofa, desperately trying to show the tablet to Song Yushi.
On the tablet was a clip of Qi Ke and Song Yushi’s interaction during a game segment of Sweet Day’s second tour.
It had to be said, these CP fans were impressive. During their time in the group, Qi Ke and Song Yushi had a total of three hundred CP fans online, each one more zen than the last. There were no fan sites, and knowing there wasn’t much interaction, they didn’t even record videos at the concerts.
But now that the two of them were popular, the number of fans had grown, and they had dug up all the old videos with incredible thoroughness.
A few seconds here, a few seconds there, strung together with music, and a well-produced love story was born.
Song Yushi sat on the sofa eating cherries. She glanced at it and said helplessly, “When did you become a CP fan?”
Meng Ying picked up a cherry and said indistinctly, “Just shipping casually. I’m bored, you know.”
That day, after the recording for 《30 Days of Cohabitation Life》 ended, the original plan was to go to Nanshi to record 《Happy Star Show》. However, the production team for the star show postponed the recording until after the New Year for some reason.
So Song Yushi was just waiting to join her new film crew after the New Year. With no work scheduled before then, she suddenly found herself on an early vacation.
Qi Ke, on the other hand, had flown to a recording studio abroad to work on her music.
As for Meng Ying, who was used to lazing around, she had accepted a script and was now running to Song Yushi’s house every day to discuss the plot, character development, and rehearse lines. After two days of effort, she was now just shipping CPs here every day.
And she was even trying to get Song Yushi to ship with her.
Song Yushi: “I’m supposed to ship a CP of myself?”
Song Yushi was uninterested. “I’d rather watch a TV drama. The pacing of this one is pretty good.”
Meng Ying: “We have nothing in common anymore.”
Song Yushi: “…” She inexplicably felt like a parent whose child had grown up and become difficult to manage.
So Song Yushi reluctantly watched one video. It was a compilation of her and Qi Ke’s journey since their debut, and the background music happened to be the song Qi Ke had sung to her during the game of Truth or Dare.
The song was called 《Anywhere Door》.
The last line of the lyrics was, “Every dream is like an anywhere door, leading to different worlds, and your story is just beginning now.”
The scene shifted from their farewell at Sweet Day’s graduation concert to a grand awards ceremony, where Qi Ke and Song Yushi appeared arm in arm.
Subtitles slowly appeared: The little girls from back then can now stand on their own. For those who meet at the summit, the place where they stand is the beginning of the story.
Qi Yu, Qiyu, a wondrous encounter.
Meng Ying looked at her expectantly. Song Yushi pressed her lips together and, after a long moment, managed to squeeze out, “…It’s well-edited.”
Meng Ying: “That’s it?”
Song Yushi nodded. Meng Ying still looked dissatisfied. Song Yushi said helplessly, “You’d get the same reaction if you sent it to Qi Ke.”
Meng Ying: “Really?”
Song Yushi: “Yeah.”
Meng Ying: “I don’t believe you.”
Song Yushi: “…”
Meng Ying sent the video link to Qi Ke. Five minutes later, Qi Ke replied: Fucking amazing ship. She’s got my coins.
Song Yushi: “???”
She was speechless.
Song Yushi glanced at the time. “I have to go to the company. You can stay here.”
“A meeting?” Meng Ying didn’t even look up.
It was no wonder she was used to it. In the few days she had been staying at Song Yushi’s place, Song Yushi had been in meetings for just as many days.
Song Yushi hummed in agreement. “It’s the end of the year. We need to plan our focus for next year, but we haven’t been able to settle on it.”
Song Yushi’s personal studio was affiliated with her company. There were a lot of things to handle at the end of the year, and as the boss, Song Yushi couldn’t avoid them. Her rare vacation time was all spent dealing with these matters.
The past two days had been particularly overwhelming.
“Your manager is really something else,” Meng Ying said, putting down her tablet and criticizing Sister Fei. “She has no long-term vision at all, just wants to cash in on your popularity by taking on these fast-food variety shows. If you compromise, is the next step accepting bad dramas?”
Song Yushi also had a headache. Because of the plans for next year, she and Sister Fei had been arguing in meetings for three days straight.
Song Yushi wasn’t good at arguing. Most of the time, it was Sister Fei doing all the talking.
It was always “for your own good” or “for the good of the company.” When that didn’t work, she would say a few passive-aggressive things like, “Yushi’s wings have grown strong; she doesn’t need a manager like me anymore,” bringing the atmosphere of the entire meeting to a freezing point, trying to force Song Yushi to compromise.
“I won’t compromise.” Song Yushi sat by the window, the gentle winter sun shining in. Her face was reflected in the makeup mirror. She was wearing simple makeup. She said softly but firmly, “I told her a long time ago, I can compromise on other things, as long as I can focus on acting. My principles won’t change.”
“That’s right.” Meng Ying flopped onto the sofa, her tone proud. “Our captain is the most principled!” She rolled over again. “And then? Did Sister Fei compromise?”
Song Yushi’s movements paused. She shook her head. “She left the meeting on the spot.”
When Sister Fei first started managing her, the two had a long, frank discussion. Song Yushi’s request was simple: every role she took had to be from a good script. If there weren’t any, she could wait.
Sister Fei’s request was even simpler: make money.
The two had cooperated like this, constantly adjusting to each other, for two years. During the gaps in her filming schedule, Sister Fei had booked her for endorsements and commercial events, constantly consuming her commercial value using the fame she had gained from her girl group days. Song Yushi had no right to refuse. But if it meant wasting too much time on variety shows, she would not agree.
Meng Ying sighed. “Variety shows bring in money quickly, and they increase your exposure. But in the long run, actual achievements are more important.” She sat up, her expression turning serious. “But the recent trend online has been making me feel strange.”
“What trend?” Song Yushi picked a dusty rose lipstick from her makeup box.
“Those negative press releases I told you about before. The ones saying you suppressed the four of us back in Sweet Day, making it sound so convincing. Why hasn’t your team dealt with it yet? Are they shelving it to stir up hype later?”
Song Yushi slowly applied color to her lips. The clean, understated shade made her face look even gentler. She said, “I asked Xiao Nan. She said Sister Fei won’t let them handle it.”
Meng Ying’s eyes widened. “She’s giving you the cold shoulder! Does she not care about your image anymore?”
Of course, Song Yushi could see that.
Meng Ying: “Aren’t you angry?”
“It’s alright.” Song Yushi thought for a moment and said, “I’ve scheduled a meeting with the studio’s PR department today to handle this.”
“Wait, didn’t Sister Fei say not to bother with it?”
“It’s my studio. Asking for her opinion is a sign of respect.” Song Yushi put the lipstick back in the makeup box. She smiled slightly at her reflection in the mirror. “Whether I listen to her or not is my business.”
Meng Ying’s eyes widened. After a long moment, she slowly spat out, “Fuck! That was so cool!”
Song Yushi: “…Don’t swear.”
Meng Ying: “Qi Ke swears too! How come you don’t say anything to her? You have double standards!”
Song Yushi: “I don’t.”
Meng Ying: “Then will you tell her off next time?”
Song Yushi: “I have double standards.”
Meng Ying: “…?”
Get lost!!!
Meng Ying fell back onto the sofa. “Actually, you don’t need to discuss it with PR. Qi… I mean, I’ve already thought of a solution!”
Song Yushi raised an eyebrow slightly.
“I didn’t know what your PR team was thinking before, so I never said anything.” Meng Ying looked at the message from Qi Ke in her chat window and said, “It’s actually very easy to solve. We just need to play up our group spirit, right?”
Song Yushi: “Play up our group spirit?”
Meng Ying: “It means announcing to the whole world how much the other four members of Sweet Day love our dear Captain.”
Song Yushi: “…” She felt inexplicably embarrassed.
Song Yushi still went to the company. She had been too busy before and had delegated authority over the studio’s affairs. Sister Fei, banking on her lack of expertise in these matters, had deliberately taken a hands-off approach, just waiting for Song Yushi to compromise.
“This dog of a manager doesn’t understand the captain at all.” On Meng Ying’s phone, a message from Qi Ke popped up: “Yushi isn’t some bright flower swaying in the spring breeze. She can bear as much storm and rain as she can sunshine.”
Meng Ying felt a bit sour. “You’re so good at singing the captain’s praises, why haven’t you posted on Weibo yet?”
After Song Yushi went to the company, the other members of Sweet Day all posted on Weibo to support their former captain, dispelling the rumors of discord.
Each of them had a different personality, and their support was expressed in unique ways.
For example, Zhong Yi, without a second word, dropped a rap, fully demonstrating a rapper’s deep love for her captain.
Meng Ying posted a short essay, fifteen hundred words long, ending with a condemnation of the marketing accounts that speculated about their friendship, cursing them to lose their mothers.
Chengzhi posted a never-before-seen photo. A Polaroid was pinned to the wall, showing two people with cream smeared on their faces, smiling brightly at the camera.
Only Qi Ke remained silent, with no updates.
The Qi Yu CP fans waited with bated breath, all guessing in the super-topic when Qi Ke would post on Weibo, saying they would copy her ID if she did. But they waited from day to night, and instead of a Weibo post, “Qi Yu” started trending.
As Qi Ke had expected, new negative press releases followed seamlessly. This time, they fabricated stories about Qi Ke and Song Yushi’s relationship.
【Dead Rabbit: Hot topic in the group, Qi Ke and Song Yushi are cashing in on the CP hype, faking it for marketing, but their private relationship is actually very bad. What do you think? [Thinking]】
【Just watch with your heart, kswl is all that matters.】
【This ‘hot topic in the group’ is hilarious. First, the hot topic was that Qi Yu is real, now it’s that their relationship is bad. You guys get to say everything, huh.】
【Passerby, these two sisters are really beautiful.】
【Just a fan, I think the two sisters have a great relationship. Why not pay attention to the upcoming 《30 Days of Cohabitation Life》 instead!】
When the marketing accounts posted the press release, Song Yushi had just finished a meeting.
She pinched the bridge of her nose and drank the now-cold coffee. Xiao Nan was organizing the meeting minutes beside her, looking as ecstatic as if she had won the lottery. “Boss! You’re so amazing! Hahaha, they don’t listen to Sister Fei, but they listen to everything you say!”
Song Yushi smiled. “They see me through a filter.”
When the studio was hiring, although they said it was best not to be a fan, most of the applicants were people who liked Song Yushi. Those with outstanding abilities were naturally kept on. Having been accustomed to Sister Fei’s two-faced behavior, they were of course happy that Song Yushi could take over the studio’s affairs.
Sister Fei only cared about profits, and she was arrogant, so people who were good at sucking up were more likely to get ahead. Song Yushi hadn’t known until she looked, but now she saw that the studio was a mess.
Song Yushi finished the coffee in her cup and stood up. “Xiao Nan, bring this year’s financial statements to my office.”
“You got it!”
Song Yushi walked out of the meeting room. Her personal studio was on the twelfth floor of Mangosteen Entertainment. The space wasn’t large, but it had everything it needed. The people in the public office area hadn’t left work yet and were all busy at their computers.
The head of PR was tapping on the table. “Draft a statement tonight, reassure the fans, tell them we will not tolerate slanderers! What do they mean, marketing a CP? Our boss and Teacher Qi are the realest in the world!”
Song Yushi: “…?” How strange.
Past the office area was her personal office. She rarely came here, so it was filled with Sister Fei’s personal belongings.
Song Yushi tidied up the desk a bit, turned on her computer, and after some thought, clicked into the anonymous forum.
The anonymous forum was full of all sorts of people, who laid out her relationship with Qi Ke, meticulously searching for evidence of sincerity or pretense.
【Of course it’s fake! Look, all the other members of Sweet Day came out to speak for Song Yushi, but Qi Ke hasn’t posted anything. Qi Ke, say something, Qi Ke! Is it that hard to move your fingers and post on Weibo?】
【Haha, Qi Ke is a 5G surfer, it’s impossible she hasn’t seen it. A couple is like two birds in the same forest; they fly their separate ways when disaster strikes. Nice, I’m shipping it again!】
【Sweet Day’s group spirit is indeed good. Qi Ke and Song Yushi’s relationship is indeed bad, it was obvious when they were in the group. I really don’t know how they got so popular now.】
【It’s Qi Ke’s birthday, how would she have time to look at this? She was chatting with fans in her livestream and didn’t mention Song Yushi once. My heart is cold. I shipped them for nothing.】
【This CP isn’t sweet, but the BE (bad ending) is certainly dramatic.】
The mouse scrolled down, and the replies on the webpage flashed quickly before her eyes.
Song Yushi’s left hand twitched. She wanted to reply to something, but then curled her fingers back.
She sat there for a while. The computer screen went into standby mode. She took a deep breath, preparing to look at the financial reports, when the phone on her desk suddenly rang.
“Ring ring, ring ring.”
Song Yushi hesitated for a moment before answering the phone. “Hello?”
The person on the other end chuckled.
Song Yushi: “…Qi Ke?”
Qi Ke answered quickly, “What are you doing?”
Song Yushi glanced at the pile of documents on her desk. “Working.”
“That’s too much work, isn’t it?” Qi Ke said. “I’m livestreaming right now. Is there anything you want to say to me?”
Song Yushi blurted out, “Happy birthday.”
Qi Ke seemed surprised for a moment, then immediately became happy. “Let me see what the fans are saying. They’re asking if you prepared a birthday gift for me.”
Song Yushi was silent for a moment, then answered with a non-sequitur, “The New Year is almost here. Aren’t you coming back to the country?”
Across the vast distance of mountains and seas, a weak electric current connected them. Song Yushi’s voice echoed simultaneously in the livestream being watched by thirty million people. Her tone was so intimate that the bullet comments froze for two seconds.
It was at this moment that everyone saw Qi Ke smile.
A radiant smile, with her beautiful, spirited eyes.
She asked, “Captain, do you miss me? If you miss me, I’ll come back.”
Everyone held their breath.
After a long time, Song Yushi’s voice came through, low and soft, “I—”
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