The wish gift package.
It was something Qi Ke had invented after she and Song Yushi got together. She had her own set of reasons, saying she couldn’t give her girlfriend lucky money for the New Year, as that would imply a difference in generation, so she could only give other things. For example, fulfilling a designated wish.
Of course, the prerequisite was that Song Yushi also had to grant her a wish in return.
At first, Song Yushi didn’t take it seriously, thinking Qi Ke was childish, but she was pestered by Qi Ke into making a whole bunch of random wishes. For example, wanting to travel to Iceland, wanting to hold a concert for ten thousand people, wanting to ride a carousel at an amusement park without being surrounded by onlookers, and wanting the sasaeng fan who had been harassing her for a long time to disappear from her life. And also, for example, hoping Qi Ke wouldn’t tire her out the day before a tour performance.
In the end, except for the last one, all the others were realized within that year.
That sasaeng fan never appeared again.
The first stop of Sweet Day’s new season of their group variety show was Iceland.
On the night of the recording, after their teammates had all gone to sleep, Qi Ke woke Song Yushi up from bed, excitedly took her to an amusement park, and announced that she had rented out the entire place. As the carousel started to turn, the light music was moving.
In July of the same year, Sweet Day held their first-ever ten-thousand-person concert in the capital. The concert tickets sold out in twelve seconds.
When Sister Ming informed them they would be holding a ten-thousand-person concert, Song Yushi belatedly realized that Qi Ke had been serious about the wish gift package. She also remembered that she had promised Qi Ke a wish in return.
“What was it again?”
Qi Ke draped the jacket brought by the housekeeper over her shoulders and sat with Song Yushi on the veranda, watching the children play.
Song Yushi had changed into cotton slippers, and her cold feet gradually warmed up. The dark night sea breeze blew snowflakes, which danced in the gentle light shining on them.
Hearing Qi Ke’s question, she answered without thinking: “To attend your birthday party.”
When they were in the group, the five of them basically did everything together. Even if solo stans angrily demanded more focus on individual activities, they had Sister Ming, a manager determined to build up the group, so group resources always took precedence.
Only birthday parties were individual events.
When Song Yushi went to attend, she put on a simple disguise, dressing down with a mask, hat, and plain clothes, trying to look like an ordinary fan—oh no, she wasn’t even as glamorous as an ordinary fan.
She sat in the audience and sang the birthday song for Qi Ke along with the other fans. She thought she was well-disguised, until she went on stage for the handshake event and Qi Ke tickled her palm.
It was very strange.
Song Yushi wondered at the time, how on earth did Qi Ke recognize her when she was dressed like that?
Now that Song Yushi remembered, she asked Qi Ke directly.
Qi Ke yawned and said, “Perfume.”
Song Yushi: “Hm?”
“The perfume you wore that day was one I mixed myself. The base note is cherry.” Qi Ke winked at her. “It’s very difficult to mix. If it’s too light, you can’t smell it, but if it’s too strong, it smells like a cheap knockoff. I spent a long time working on it.”
Song Yushi: “…You never told me.”
Qi Ke smiled, then added with a soft “ah,” “And your eyes.”
Song Yushi: “My eyes?”
Qi Ke nodded: “Such beautiful eyes, I…”
Her unfinished words were scattered by the wind. How could I not recognize my lover’s eyes? Qi Ke thought.
The housekeeper opened the glass door and urged the children to get ready for bed, saying if they didn’t sleep now, they wouldn’t get any lucky money tomorrow. At that, the children scrambled towards the housekeeper.
The veranda became empty and quiet.
The snow fell silently, and the sea churned quietly.
Qi Ke was the first to speak: “So, what’s your New Year’s wish?”
Song Yushi shook her head: “I think things are pretty good right now. I don’t have any wishes. What about you?” she asked politely.
“I do.”
“What is it?”
“My new album, do you want to come sing a song with me?”
“…”
Song Yushi looked at Qi Ke in astonishment. Qi Ke met her gaze calmly, her eyes firmly telling her that she hadn’t misheard.
Song Yushi averted her gaze, “…We’ll see what my work schedule is like.”
“Also—” she couldn’t help but remind Qi Ke: “There’s no one else here, and no cameras. There’s no need for fan service.”
After a long moment, Qi Ke’s voice came: “I know.”
It was as if she had suddenly woken from a dream, belatedly remembering there was no audience. They didn’t need to be so intimate in private; how much was real and how much was fake didn’t matter at all.
Song Yushi left first. Qi Ke remained seated, watching the snow for a long time. Until Qi Yue, holding a tablet, mysteriously sat down beside her.
“Sis, did you have a fight?” Qi Yue nudged her shoulder.
Qi Ke glanced at her, took a cigarette from her pocket and lit it. “If you have something to say, say it. If not, scram.”
Qi Yue muttered as she typed: “When they fight, Keke will smoke, and once she starts… Ouch!”
Having been hit on the head, Qi Yue clutched it: “What was that for!”
“What are you making up?”
“Fake gossip, of course.” Qi Yue said, full of confidence.
“…” How was one supposed to respond to that?
“Whoever believes it is an idiot!”
“…”
Qi Ke blew a small smoke ring towards the snowy sky and went silent.
Qi Yue went back to typing mysteriously for a while, making up fake gossip that could rival a third-rate marketing account. Qi Ke couldn’t take it anymore: “If you keep making things up, you won’t get any allowance for a year.”
“I said the little Captain was your first love. Was I wrong?”
“…No.”
“You’re desperately in love with the little Captain, right?”
“…Right.”
“When you came out to the family before, you yelled at Grandpa with red eyes, ‘I just like her and I want to be with her.’ That was you, wasn’t it?”
“…It was me.” Qi Ke glared at her: “Your memory is on par with Song Yushi’s.”
Qi Yue smiled and typed: “Can’t go three sentences without mentioning the little Captain, tsk tsk tsk.”
Qi Ke: “…”
Haha, just kill me!
She stubbed out her cigarette and beckoned to Qi Yue. Qi Yue immediately leaned over excitedly. Qi Ke said with a grin: “Actually, Song Yushi and I have already broken up.”
Qi Yue looked like she’d been struck by lightning.
Qi Ke smiled even more happily: “It’s all just for show now. Little kid, your ship is fake.”
After speaking, Qi Ke gloatingly watched Qi Yue’s expression change again and again. Just when she thought Qi Yue would run off heartbroken, Qi Yue suddenly shrieked and jumped up.
Qi Ke: “?”
Qi Yue: “Oh my god! A bad ending means it was real!”
Qi Ke: “??”
Qi Yue: “The aesthetics of a bad ending are the fucking best! Bad endings are the fucking best!!!”
Qi Ke: “???”
She’s insane!!!
Celebrities have almost no holidays. After New Year’s Eve, press releases were put on the schedule. Song Yushi needed to reorganize her studio, so she returned to Yunzhou City one step ahead of Qi Ke.
In Yunzhou City, the sky was clear for thousands of miles, as if it had been washed with water, a transparent blue.
To Song Yushi’s surprise, as soon as Sister Ming heard she was back, she asked to meet her at the studio.
“From now on, I’ll be your manager.” Sister Ming sat opposite her at her desk and said, “The company considered that I’ve managed you before, so we have an established relationship. And—” Sister Ming’s mouth twitched. “You’re still in a business ship with my artist, which makes marketing easier.”
Compared to a stranger, Song Yushi of course preferred to have Sister Ming’s help, so she naturally ignored her last sentence and gave her the warmest of welcomes.
Sister Ming was highly competent, didn’t cause trouble, and always planned with long-term goals in mind. She and Song Yushi spent the afternoon finalizing her path for the coming year and scheduled a career press conference.
By the time Song Yushi and Sister Ming had finally sorted everything out, dusk was approaching.
Sister Ming took a sip of coffee, slumped into her office chair, and said, “Don’t be fooled by the fact that Qi Ke hasn’t opened a studio; her affairs are much smoother than yours. Sister Fei was truly a rotten apple that spoiled the barrel. If I had known she was like this, I shouldn’t have agreed to let you transfer out from under me back then.”
After saying that, she added with an “oh,” “Back then, you were the one who strongly requested to be transferred. I thought I had done something wrong.”
Sister Ming was very smart and knew Song Yushi well, having practically watched the Sweet Day girls grow up. Connecting the dots, she immediately understood. Back then, Song Yushi didn’t want Sister Ming to manage her because she was actually avoiding Qi Ke.
Song Yushi also took a sip of her coffee. It was unsweetened, and the bitterness slid down her throat. She smiled. “Sister Ming is very good.”
When Sister Ming managed Sweet Day, they were all still young. They were new to the entertainment industry, didn’t understand anything, and were easily deceived. They would do almost anything their manager told them to.
But Sister Ming just told them to practice hard, cherish every stage, and that working hard was all that mattered.
It wasn’t until she left to start her own studio that Song Yushi realized how many open and hidden attacks Sister Ming had shielded them from. So actually… Song Yushi finished the last sip of her coffee. Leaving Sister Ming for Qi Ke, she thought, was the best choice.
Song Yushi had promised Ruan Xiangmeng she would visit, so she said goodbye to Sister Ming and left.
Sister Ming still had some things to take care of, so she stayed at the studio. Therefore, when Qi Ke pushed the door open, panting, both of them were a bit dumbfounded.
Qi Ke blurted out, “What are you doing here?”
Sister Ming looked speechless. “That’s what I’d like to ask.” She closed the file. “Miss Qi, shouldn’t you be in Chunxi City visiting relatives and friends right now? Did you parachute in?”
Qi Ke: “Uh…”
Sister Ming: “I didn’t see your flight information from the scalpers. How did you get here?”
Qi Ke gave a sheepish smile. “Perhaps you’ve heard of something called a private jet?”
Sister Ming: “…” Get lost.
Qi Ke was smart. She glanced at the documents Sister Ming was reading and immediately understood. “You’ve taken over Song Yushi’s work?”
Sister Ming said, “Yes.”
Qi Ke turned, closed the door, and walked in, her high heels clicking on the floor. She had come in a hurry, her clothes casually thrown together, but relying on her beautiful face, she still managed to exude a kind of messy beauty.
Sister Ming had another mental breakdown: Do pretty girls only fall for other pretty girls!!! How many hearts would be broken if word got out about this internal consumption!!!
After her breakdown, Sister Ming calmed down again. Oh, that wouldn’t happen. Their CP fans took up half the sky.
But then she remembered that she had personally cultivated eighty percent of their CP fans, and Sister Ming started to feel dizzy and had another breakdown.
How could Qi Ke have known that in just a dozen seconds, Sister Ming had already had several breakdowns? She sat down and immediately asked, “Where’s Song Yushi?”
Sister Ming said numbly, “She went to see Ruan Xiangmeng.”
Qi Ke said, “Oh.”
Sister Ming: “So you took a private jet… Damn it, you’re the only one with money!” After slightly calming her resentment of the rich, she continued to ask, “What did you come looking for Yushi for?”
Qi Ke blinked and pulled a watch from her pocket. “She left this at my place.”
Sister Ming: “…” Do I look like I believe you?
Qi Ke just grinned, looking like she had no intention of telling the truth.
Sister Ming rolled her eyes. After a moment of silence, she spoke with feigned nonchalance, “After the girl group disbanded, Yushi went to film and was off the grid for half a year. That half a year, you were depressed and anxious. Was it because you two broke up?”
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