Chi Shuo had a pleasant birthday, but towards the end, she couldn’t help but worry about He Lindi, because He Lindi had returned to her own home—a home with family.
Chi Shuo had seen all three of He Lindi’s apartments in Yunshang Garden last time. There were no signs of anyone else living there regularly. Such large apartments, all belonging to He Lindi… Back then, Chi Shuo had only thought, “What a rich woman.” Now, other thoughts arose.
Chi Shuo didn’t ask what happened after He Lindi went home. On Monday morning, she specifically went up to Xiyu, wanting to check on He Lindi.
But the receptionist told her, “Teacher He isn’t here today. She took leave.”
“Not here?” Chi Shuo murmured, as if to herself. Her brow furrowed slightly, her eyes filled with unconcealed worry.
She hadn’t come up during work hours, but during her lunch break. Normally, He Lindi would be back in the office after lunch.
Back at Xinyue, Chi Shuo pulled a chair over and sat down in the break room. Zeng Guai wasn’t there, and Xia Zhou had gone on a date. Chi Shuo was the only one occupying a spot at the small coffee table.
She held her phone, opened Weibo, scrolled for a while, then clicked into He Lindi’s Weibo page.
He Lindi had posted the photos she took of Chi Shuo in the car on Saturday. She picked six decent ones, with the caption: 【Took on a student.】
The caption, as always, was short and aloof. Chi Shuo had already read those five words countless times. Some of the comments from fans were engaging in “Love the house, love the crow” education, saying these were photos taken by Didi’s student, so even if they were average, they couldn’t say anything.
Chi Shuo couldn’t help but laugh every time she saw this. Wasn’t this already saying something? It was even the top comment, with over two hundred replies, all laughing with “hahaha.” The comments below had a slightly different tone, mostly asking if He Lindi was accepting more students.
They were all half-joking. Chi Shuo’s lips were still curved upwards. Just before she pressed back, she heard a slightly magnetic male voice.
Xiao Cheng sat down across from her, holding a cup of coffee. A bottle of drink had already been placed on the table in front of Chi Shuo.
Chi Shuo smiled. “Thanks.”
Xiao Cheng waved his hand and asked, “What are you looking at? So seriously.”
Chi Shuo shook her head. “Nothing, just browsing Weibo.”
“Speaking of Weibo, we’re not even mutuals.” Xiao Cheng immediately took out his phone. “This won’t do.”
Chi Shuo had no intention of opening Weibo again. She thought for a moment and refused, not mincing words. “Weibo is my private space, don’t even think about it.”
Xiao Cheng froze at her words, then laughed. He clicked his tongue, probing. “Don’t tell me you posted something…” His voice lowered slightly, and he raised an eyebrow. “…inappropriate?”
“Yeah, wrote some erotica,” Chi Shuo knew he was joking and played along.
They left their seats just before it was time to get back to work. Chi Shuo, holding her phone, sat down at her workstation, then sent He Lindi a WeChat message: 【He Lindi, do you have a secret Weibo account?】
She sent another one: 【I do. Sometimes I vent on it. If you have anything you’re unhappy about, you can create a secret account, avoid key information, and say whatever you want.】
Since parting with He Lindi, Chi Shuo had sent her no less than ten messages. She had never been this proactive with He Lindi before, but every message seemed to sink like a stone into the sea, with no response.
Despite this, she still held onto a sliver of hope that He Lindi would come to work. She went upstairs, carrying this last shred of expectation, only to be met with the news that He Lindi had taken leave.
He Lindi had been forcibly evaporated. Chi Shuo, thinking about this, felt a throbbing pain in her temples. It took a while for her to recover.
That afternoon, Chi Shuo was called into her supervisor’s office and given a new assignment. “Chi Shuo, you and Xiao Cheng are going to Qicheng tomorrow. Shen Qu has an event there the day after. You must get an exclusive, whether it’s an interview or a video, the company needs an exclusive.”
Chi Shuo: “…” Fuck.
But on the surface, she smiled faintly and nodded. “Okay.”
Less than two months later, Chi Shuo was on another business trip. Logically, given their company’s usual workload, she should have been happy. Her other colleagues who were going were happy. Only Chi Shuo’s lips were turned down, her expression unreadable.
The next morning, a group of six boarded the high-speed train to Qicheng. Since it wasn’t far, the high-speed train was the most cost-effective option.
Of the six, two were women. The other woman, Wang Rui, had been with the company a bit longer than Chi Shuo, but only by a few months. They shared a standard twin room.
That afternoon, Xiao Cheng, as the leader of this business trip, called them to a teahouse for a short meeting.
Xiao Cheng usually seemed a bit unserious, but when it came to work, his aura changed completely. He laid out the work arrangements clearly. Anyone could see he had given Chi Shuo the simplest task: “Chi Shuo, you just need to hold the recorder and diligently record everything.”
Chi Shuo, imagining herself holding a recorder and listening to Shen Qu’s interview, felt truly…
She couldn’t even describe it.
Shen Qu’s event was a brand’s opening ceremony in Qicheng. Shen Qu, as their spokesperson, would attend the ribbon-cutting. Since she was about to start filming a new drama, many companies and media outlets wanted exclusive news.
Xinyue’s interview wasn’t a surprise attack, only Chi Shuo’s participation was a last-minute arrangement. Originally, another woman was supposed to go, but that woman was hospitalized due to period pain, so the higher-ups assigned the task to Chi Shuo, who had been performing well recently.
This was also a good opportunity to gain experience, Chi Shuo consoled herself. The night before the interview, she messaged He Lindi about it, but still received no reply.
Xiyu Company would definitely send a photographer. Thinking of this, Chi Shuo messaged Q Ge. As expected, Q Ge replied: 【This is my turf, other photographers can step aside.】
Chi Shuo: 【Q Ge, you’re awesome.】
Chi Shuo tried to probe: 【What about Teacher He? Haven’t seen her for days.】
Q Ge replied: 【She’s in some closed photography training, won’t be out for a week.】
Chi Shuo’s heart skipped a beat. She sent an emoji: 【Is the source reliable?.jpg】
Q Ge asked: 【What? Do you miss her?】
Chi Shuo froze for a second, then replied: 【A little.】
It was true. As if to confirm the information wasn’t fake, Chi Shuo messaged Xia Zhou, asking her to check with her boyfriend if He Lindi really was in closed photography training.
Soon, Chi Shuo got the answer: 【Yes, DJ had her phone confiscated the day she went home and was sent for photography training.】
Chi Shuo finally relaxed and fell asleep.
The next morning, Chi Shuo and Wang Rui got up and washed up. They had breakfast, then went to the studio they had contacted beforehand, waiting for Shen Qu’s event to end.
Shen Qu’s event, a ribbon-cutting ceremony, started at 11 AM. It wouldn’t take long. Close to noon, Xiao Cheng notified everyone in the group chat: 【Everyone, get ready. Shen Qu has arrived downstairs.】
Chi Shuo’s palms unconsciously clenched, slightly sweaty.
Wang Rui, seeing her serious expression, asked with concern, “Chi Shuo, are you feeling unwell?”
“No.” Chi Shuo gave her a reassuring smile. “Just didn’t expect that after so long, I still have to see her.”
“Her?”
“After so long?”
Chi Shuo only realized she had misspoken after Wang Rui repeated her words. She calmly tried to remedy the situation, her expression nonchalant. “Shen Qu, I mean. We went to the same university, same department. I’ve seen her around.”
Wang Rui was intrigued. She hadn’t been particularly interested in Shen Qu before, but after watching the now-finished drama Urban Love Chronicle, she had become a casual fan. Now, she was excited about Shen Qu’s past gossip. But before she could speak, the doorknob turned.
Chi Shuo pressed her lips together, staring at the door as it cracked open, the gap widening until the person outside was fully visible.
Xiao Cheng said respectfully, “Teacher Shen, would you like some water?”
Shen Qu was wearing makeup. Her face was already bright and captivating, and the makeup amplified her aura. She had already taken off her formal dress, changed into a round-neck sweatshirt and jeans, perfectly embodying a youthful vibe.
Chi Shuo bit her tongue, finally snapping out of her momentary daze.
Shen Qu waved her hand, glancing casually at Chi Shuo, her voice soft and filled with a lingering smile. “That would be great, thanks.”
Xiao Cheng’s lips curved upwards. “Not at all. It’s a rare opportunity to work with Teacher Shen.”
Shen Qu had a busy schedule. After this interview, there would be another. Xiao Cheng and the others didn’t waste her time. After letting her sit on the sofa for a bit to rest and adjust, they got straight to the point. “Teacher Shen, let’s begin.”
Shen Qu sat in front of the pre-arranged backdrop. The lighting crew was also in place. Chi Shuo, holding the recorder, stopped two steps away from her.
Chi Shuo pressed the record button.
The interview questions had already been reviewed by Shen Qu’s studio beforehand. Anything that shouldn’t be asked wouldn’t appear in the script. Chi Shuo held her breath, listening to Xiao Cheng ask Shen Qu various questions in his clear, standard Mandarin.
“Many people want to know about the role you’re about to play. Is it one you’ve been looking forward to? From the official filing, the female lead is a cold-blooded assassin.”
“Urban Love Chronicle shined this summer, achieving the highest viewership ratings of the year so far. What are your thoughts? This drama is so popular that everyone’s talking about it. Did you expect this before?”
“One more question for everyone. Do you have any plans to release another single? You released a song when you debuted, and it’s become a KTV must-sing. Do you have any intentions of crossing over into music again?”
Chi Shuo listened to their questions and answers, her emotions gradually calming down. She was completely composed now.
After a while, Xiao Cheng gave Shen Qu a gentlemanly smile. “Teacher Shen, that concludes the interview.”
Shen Qu brushed her hair back, polite and gentle. “Thank you, you’ve worked hard.”
Xiao Cheng quickly shook his head. “You’re the one who worked hard.” He instructed someone, “Pour some water.”
Chi Shuo had already stopped the recording. Her task was complete. She was about to step back when she heard Shen Qu’s voice.
Shen Qu’s tone held a hint of uncertainty. “…Chi Shuo?”
Despite the uncertain tone, anyone could see the warm smile on her face.
Chi Shuo stopped in her tracks and, under everyone’s gaze, slowly nodded at Shen Qu.
She didn’t speak, just nodded. But Shen Qu wouldn’t let her off. In front of everyone, she continued to cue Chi Shuo, even standing up and walking over to stand beside her, a smile on her lips, her tone slightly reproachful. “Why haven’t you contacted me for so long?”
Chi Shuo was internally cursing non-stop, but on the surface, she gave a faint smile, playing along with Shen Qu. “Aren’t you too busy?”
Xiao Cheng interjected, “Chi Shuo, Teacher Shen, do you two know each other?”
As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Qu casually linked arms with Chi Shuo, smiling. “More than just know each other.”
Chi Shuo’s heart skipped a beat. She heard Shen Qu’s next words. “We went to the same university, same department. We used to see each other all the time, we were really close.” She looked at Chi Shuo, her gaze fixed on Chi Shuo’s eyes, a slight curve to her lips. “Later, we got too busy, and we lost touch.”
Chi Shuo silently pulled her arm away and took a step back. She continued to play along, but her reaction remained subdued, just humming an “Mm.” She said, “That’s right.”
Shen Qu’s smile faltered slightly. Under everyone’s gaze, she asked Chi Shuo, “Chi Shuo, you even said you liked me. Have you forgotten all that?”
“…”
Back at the hotel, Chi Shuo kept her headphones on. Her music player was on repeat, playing the Great Compassion Mantra. She had listened to it the entire way, wanting to calm herself down, but thinking of Shen Qu’s “performance” today, Chi Shuo felt a wave of irritability she couldn’t suppress.
“Fuck,” Chi Shuo cursed softly.
Wang Rui, back in their room, heard her curse. She turned her head in surprise, looking at Chi Shuo. “Chi Shuo, you curse?”
Chi Shuo was momentarily speechless, then replied, “Just don’t do it often.”
Wang Rui, hearing this, jumped onto her bed, unable to hide her excitement. “Then I won’t hold back either.” She said, “Holy shit, Chi Shuo, you and Shen Qu are actually friends? Why didn’t you ever tell me? You have no idea, I was internally screaming. This is the first time I’ve been so close to a celebrity, and her friend is my colleague. Fuck, this feels even better.”
“…” Chi Shuo pulled the covers over herself and lay down. “I’m going to take a nap. Good afternoon.”
“Good afternoon!” Wang Rui’s voice was still filled with excitement.
At 3 PM, the group embarked on their return trip to Yuncheng. This interview hadn’t taken much time. They just needed to organize the recording and post it on the official website’s homepage.
Chi Shuo sat by the window. Due to Shen Qu’s devilish remarks, she wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone. She put on her eye mask, separating herself from the outside world. Even though she wasn’t asleep, others, seeing her like this, didn’t disturb her.
But when they got off the train past 5 PM, there was no eye mask to shield her.
Xiao Cheng walked beside her, pushing his suitcase, and asked curiously, “Why did you delete Shen Qu before?”
Chi Shuo, expressionless, replied, “Just felt like it.”
“You can’t delete or block her this time. Shen Qu has our boss’s contact information. If you delete her, and she mentions it to the boss…” Xiao Cheng frowned. “Your job might be…”
Chi Shuo interrupted him before he could finish. “Got it.”
Xiao Cheng revealed a set of white teeth. “Good.”
Chi Shuo sighed, hailed a taxi, and went home.
This business trip was short. Because it involved Shen Qu, Chi Shuo knew it wouldn’t be that simple, but she hadn’t expected Shen Qu, that shameless person, to bring up the “I liked you” incident in public.
Judging by everyone’s reaction, Chi Shuo’s past “liking” of Shen Qu was just friendly banter between good friends, nothing to do with romantic love.
But the two involved knew exactly how Chi Shuo felt when she said she liked Shen Qu back then.
Chi Shuo, before even showering, opened a can of beer. She had just taken two gulps when her phone rang.
Chi Shuo wiped her mouth, looked at the caller ID—Shen Qu—and didn’t answer.
Then she received a WeChat message from Shen Qu: 【Yo, not answering my call? Still mad?】
Chi Shuo: …
Chi Shuo sent her an emoji: 【I’m somewhat choked up.jpg】
She added: 【I added you for work, but please don’t disturb me, okay?】
Chi Shuo didn’t want to lose her job at Xinyue just yet.
Shen Qu: 【Fine, on the condition that next time I’m in Yuncheng and ask you out for late-night snacks, you have to come.】
【Okay.】
The world seemed to quiet down. Chi Shuo leaned against the sofa, listening to the whirring of the air conditioner, the chirping of birds outside the window, the crunching sound of her hand gripping the beer can.
She lowered her gaze, then looked back at her phone. She put down the beer, picked up the phone, opened her contacts, and tapped one.
She was calling He Lindi. She suddenly missed He Lindi, wanted to hear her voice, even though she knew He Lindi was away for training.
She had already prepared for the “The number you have dialed is powered off” message. But after two rings, it connected.
Chi Shuo immediately sat up straight. Before she could speak, she heard He Lindi’s voice, filled with a smile. “Chi Shuo, what a coincidence. I was just about to call you.”
The corners of Chi Shuo’s lips lifted. “Really? What a coincidence.”
If you’d like to read ahead and support me, you can request extra chapters or get the full novel as an EPUB.
