“Cut! That’s a wrap for today, great work everyone!”
The director’s powerful voice came through the megaphone, and the tense string in the set’s atmosphere instantly relaxed. A chorus of thank-yous rose and fell, and the busy set proceeded in an orderly fashion.
This was a snow scene. It was the middle of winter, and for the sake of realism, the director’s team had specifically waited half a month for this snow. Heaven did not disappoint the director’s hopes. It was freezing cold, and the snow was so heavy it almost buried their calves.
Song Yushi stepped through the snow, pushing aside branches, and ran right into the director who had come to meet her. “Teacher Song, you’ve worked hard today.”
Song Yushi took the down jacket the director handed her, smiled, and offered a polite and thorough reply: “Everyone worked hard. Oh, right.” Song Yushi draped the jacket over her shoulders. “I remember I don’t have any scenes tomorrow.”
The shooting schedule had been set long ago, and indeed, Song Yushi had no scenes tomorrow.
The director asked, “Teacher Song, do you have plans for tomorrow?”
“Yes.” Xiao Nan handed her a thermos from the side. Song Yushi took it and sipped a little. The temperature was just right. She said, “I have something to do tomorrow. I need to fly to Beijing.”
The director let out an “ah.” “Alright, you go ahead.”
After a pause, the director rubbed his frozen hands together and asked gossipily, “Are you going to celebrate Teacher Qi’s birthday?”
Song Yushi: “…”
Oh, she had forgotten. The whole world knew Qi Ke’s birthday, and they also knew that if she left the set, it would be to celebrate Qi Ke’s birthday. What’s more, someone might even buy her a trending topic for it.
What kind of surprise would that be?
Song Yushi held the cup, looking listless. She shook her head. “No.”
The director hummed in confusion.
His level of surprise was as if he had seen a field of green above Qi Ke’s head.
“Uh,” Song Yushi said seriously, “Director, don’t worry about this, and please don’t tell anyone else. Just consider it for Qi Ke’s sake, okay?”
Director: “…”
Teacher Qi, you’ve been cheated on.
Song Yushi thought that since she’d said that, the director couldn’t possibly still think she was going to celebrate Qi Ke’s birthday. As long as the birthday surprise was safe, the rest didn’t matter. With that thought, she was satisfied, smiled at the director, and left.
Xiao Nan, who had heard everything clearly from the side and was shocked by her boss’s love-addled brain, saw the melodramatic scene of cheating and catching the affair playing out in the director’s mind. She quickly patched things up from behind: “Director, our boss is indeed going to celebrate Teacher Qi’s birthday. But she wants it to be a surprise and was afraid you’d spill the beans, so she said that.”
A single sentence pulled the director back to reality. He breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good, then.”
Xiao Nan: “???”
Director, the way you sighed in relief really makes you seem like one of Teacher Qi’s family members.
The misunderstanding cleared up, Xiao Nan hurried after Song Yushi.
What no one expected was that the conversation had been overheard by a passing crew member. Even worse, he had only heard the first half before letting his imagination run wild and getting back to work. As soon as he was done, he immediately submitted a post to a certain forum.
In less than twenty minutes, a post titled “【Gossip】Song Yushi Has Other Plans on Qi Ke’s Birthday, Suspected of Cheating” had already garnered over five hundred replies. Netizens speculated wildly—as long as there is life, there is gossip—and it quickly trended.
At that moment, Song Yushi was already on a plane to Beijing.
She had joined the cast last month, and the shooting schedule was very general, so she wasn’t sure if she would be free on Qi Ke’s birthday. She only found out the day before yesterday. The plane ticket was booked in a hurry, and only business class was available. Unfortunately, the midnight flight was crowded, so it was inevitable she would be recognized.
“Song Yushi!”
“…You have the wrong person.”
“I’m your fan!”
“…” The probability of being mistaken was a bit low then.
“Ah, am I bothering you? I’m not a sasaeng, I just happen to be on the same flight as you!”
“You’re not bothering me.”
“Ahhh, we’re so fated to meet!”
“…” Calm down, dear!
Afraid of attracting others, Song Yushi made a hushing gesture, signed an autograph, and took a photo with the enthusiastic fan, then instructed, “Don’t post it yet.”
“Roger that!” The fan saved the picture. “There’s no internet now anyway!”
Song Yushi: “…”
Good point.
Song Yushi paused for a moment, then said, “Post it the day after tomorrow.”
The fan was confused at first, then had a sudden realization. She excitedly covered her mouth, afraid she would scream, and lowered her voice, “You… you… you’re going to celebrate Qi Ke’s birthday?!”
Song Yushi asked, “Are you a CP fan?”
The fan shook her head. “I’m not.”
Song Yushi: “?”
The fan said, “I’m a mom fan.”
Song Yushi: “…” Please don’t say “Mommy loves you,” thank you!
Seeing Song Yushi’s silence, the fan explained, “A mom fan means I’ll support whatever choice you make.”
Song Yushi: “…”
She resisted the urge to say, “Thank you, Mommy.”
The flight was only two hours long. The fan was considerate; after chatting for a while, she told Song Yushi to get some rest and not mind her. Song Yushi closed her eyes to rest for a bit, then suddenly said, “I also quite support my choice.”
The fan looked at her in surprise.
Song Yushi slowly opened her eyes. She was leaning against the window, the shade next to her hand not closed. Outside was a brilliant river of stars, and the dim yellow light overhead cast a gentle glow. She smiled at the fan.
The tacit understanding between a fan and an idol can sometimes be magical. Because she had liked this person for so long, her eyes seemed to speak.
The fan felt it.
Song Yushi really loves Qi Ke so much.
At two in the morning, Beijing had not yet fallen silent. There were plenty of places indulging in debauchery, wild and unrestrained. And in an office building closest to the bustling district, the worker bee Qi Ke had just gotten off work.
“To the airport.” Qi Ke got in the car and instructed the driver, “Quickly, I’m in a hurry.”
Tomorrow was her birthday. Song Yushi was on set and definitely wouldn’t have time to come out, but that was no problem for Qi Ke. If the mountain will not come to Mahomet, Mahomet must go to the mountain. She would just go over and have Song Yushi celebrate her birthday with her.
Besides.
Qi Ke opened her Hermès bag. Inside lay two blue velvet ring boxes. That’s right, a birthday proposal. It would be twice the result with half the effort, and they could celebrate two anniversaries together in the future.
“Teacher Qi…” the assistant in the passenger seat began, hesitating.
Without looking up, Qi Ke said, “If you have something to say, say it.”
The assistant handed over her phone and said, “I don’t think you need to be in such a hurry to find Teacher Song anymore.”
Qi Ke didn’t pay it much mind and casually glanced at the phone. She was immediately drawn to the red headline. She took the phone and read the post titled “【Gossip】Song Yushi Has Other Plans on Qi Ke’s Birthday, Suspected of Cheating” from beginning to end. She tutted, “They’ve spun a pretty convincing tale.”
The assistant said, “I just asked Sister Ming. Sister Ming said Teacher Song did indeed fly to Beijing tonight.”
Qi Ke shook her head and handed the phone back. “Then she’s definitely coming to celebrate my birthday.”
Assistant: “…”
I’m so envious of Teacher Qi’s confidence!
The driver asked, “So, are we still going to the airport?”
“Of course.” Qi Ke clutched the ring boxes in her bag and smiled at her assistant. “We’re not catching a flight anymore. Find out which flight she’s on. We’re going to pick her up.”
Qi Ke didn’t manage to meet Song Yushi.
She was recognized at the exit by a fan of Song Yushi’s. The fan said she had just been on the same flight as Song Yushi and that Song Yushi had just been picked up by someone, who seemed to be a young man.
Qi Ke nodded.
The fan wanted to say more, but Qi Ke had already thanked her and turned to leave. On the long airport road, the dim lights cast on her back made her look dejected and lonely.
Assistant: Sob sob sob, Teacher Qi, try to look on the bright side. If you want to get by in life, you have to wear a little green.
But what the assistant didn’t expect was that Teacher Qi was humming a song. While humming, she was working up a tearful tone. Once she had it ready, she dialed a number. When the call connected, Teacher Qi looked up at the sky. “The moonlight in Beijing is beautiful tonight.”
Song Yushi glanced out the window but didn’t see the moon. She hummed in acknowledgment. “Why are you still awake?”
Qi Ke said, “I miss you.”
“…” Song Yushi paused, then said, “Happy birthday.”
“You’re not by my side, so I’m not happy.”
“…”
“I just got off work. I was planning to come find you, and I even made it to the airport. But then I thought, even if I came, you’d be busy and wouldn’t have time for me, so I might as well just go sleep in a hotel.” Qi Ke started playing the victim, her acting skills were explosive, and she even choked up. “Sigh, I’m heading back.”
Song Yushi’s brow furrowed slightly. “Where did you say you were?”
Qi Ke said, “The airport.”
Song Yushi: “…Which airport?”
Qi Ke: “The international airport.”
“Where at the airport?”
“Exit 5.”
“Stay right there and don’t move.” Song Yushi hung up. Without even thinking about why Qi Ke would be at the arrivals exit instead of the departures entrance if she were catching a flight, she said to the driver, “Turn around.”
The driver obeyed, immediately turning the steering wheel. Only after the car was turned around did she complain, “What happened to the surprise you mentioned?”
Song Yushi said sheepishly, “Isn’t me appearing in front of her now also a surprise?”
The driver: “…”
Fine.
The interior lights of the car were off, but the bright headlights illuminated the driver’s face—Sweet Day’s deadpan joke master, Zhong Yi. Zhong Yi had recently taken on a role in a melodramatic romance drama about a female lead who disguises herself as a man to join a band. Because she had to wear a wig, Zhong Yi simply cut her long hair short again, causing fans to exclaim that their youth was back.
She was also the one the fan had mistaken for a young man.
Despite the countless misunderstandings, Qi Ke chose to believe.
After the passengers from that flight gradually left, the airport fell quiet for a short while. This was especially true for the road outside, where only an occasional car would speed past.
Wearing a mask, Qi Ke sat on a stone bollard. If her back could talk, it would surely be sprouting a text bubble: “All the other little kids have been picked up, when are you coming to get me?”
A red Audi A4L pulled up in front of her.
The car door opened.
Song Yushi got out of the car and walked over to Qi Ke. Qi Ke froze for a moment, then slowly raised her head. Seeing it was Song Yushi, she smiled. “I knew it.”
Song Yushi also froze for a moment. “What?”
“I knew you would come pick me up.” Qi Ke looked up at Song Yushi and smiled. “I saw online that you came to Beijing, and it even said you got into a young man’s car.”
“You believed it?”
“I believe my ass!” Qi Ke blurted out, then covered her mouth, looking like she’d done something wrong. She blinked ingratiatingly at Song Yushi. “Of course I didn’t believe it.”
Song Yushi laughed and asked, “Why?”
Qi Ke said with certainty and seriousness, “Because I know the one you love is me.”
“Hey—” the young “man,” Zhong Yi, called out in an annoyed voice. “How long are you two going to be all lovey-dovey? I just booked you a room at the airport hotel, five-star. Why don’t you go be lovey-dovey there?”
“Thanks,” Qi Ke called out. “I’ll treat you to a meal later.”
Zhong Yi waved her hand and drove off in a flash.
Qi Ke stood up, visually estimated the hotel’s location to be only a hundred or two hundred meters away. She started walking forward, saying, “Let’s go, let’s go be like dry wood and a raging fire!”
“Let’s get married.”
“I’ll make it all up to…” Qi Ke’s voice stopped abruptly. She whipped her head around, her lips trembling. “What did you say?”
Song Yushi stood in the winter wind, her long hair flying. She had arrived in a hurry, bringing a flurry of wind and snow with her, yet her eyes seemed to hold thousands of stars. She smiled at Qi Ke and repeated patiently and seriously, “Qi Ke, let’s get married.”
From now on, let’s walk the road together.
