WWSEG – Chapter 48

【@Song Yushi: #30 Days of Cohabitation Life# The fifth episode is now online. @Qi Ke, please hand over the secretly hidden Candy.】

Half a minute later, Qi Ke reposted: Hidden in your heart.

The CP fan who switched to the Childhood Sweethearts CP: ??? Is it appropriate for you two lovebirds to act like this? Can’t I just climb back over! You wait! I’ll perform a back-and-forth jump for you right now!

Qi Yu CP Fan: Official fan service is the most lethal.

Childhood Sweethearts CP Fan: Hehe, it’s just for business.

Qi Yu CP Fan: What do outsiders know? This is “expressing hidden love to the fullest amidst a crowd of distinguished guests”!

Childhood Sweethearts CP Fan: …

At a loss for words.

K.O

Song Yushi put her phone on the table, took the black coffee Xiao Nan handed her, took a sip, and frowned, “…Bitter.”

Xiao Nan blurted out, “It shouldn’t be.”

Song Yushi looked up, “Did you put a lot of sugar in it?”

Xiao Nan shook her head, “Didn’t Teacher Qi hide all the sugar in your heart, Boss?”

Song Yushi’s face darkened. “…”

Wake up, will you!

Xiao Nan suddenly sobered up under her boss’s murderous gaze, blushing furiously. She secretly took out a sugar packet and reflected on her actions, “I’m sorry, Boss.”

Song Yushi asked, “What are you sorry for?”

Xiao Nan said, “During work hours, I should be professional, not have my head full of CP fantasies.”

Someone nearby chuckled softly.

Xiao Nan’s hand trembled, and she spilled too much sugar.

Song Yushi calmly moved the cup aside and put the lid on, rescuing the black coffee. People were coming and going on the set, each busy with their own tasks. No one noticed that their leading actress, who had just taken a break, was having a friendly conversation with the other protagonist of her other popular CP.

Ruan Xiangmeng sat on a small stool nearby, watching the people come and go while drinking plain water, her large eyes shining with curiosity.

Song Yushi took a sip of coffee and said, “Don’t come see me off tomorrow.”

Without turning her head, Ruan Xiangmeng said, “I have nothing else to do.”

Song Yushi said, “Then go find a job. Isn’t your health good now? If you don’t want to find a job… how about going to school?”

Ruan Xiangmeng immediately said, “No!”

But Song Yushi continued on her own, “Your student status is still active. What was your major again? Chinese Language and Literature? You only attended for a year before taking a leave of absence. Now that you’re healthy, go and finish it.”

“You just want to send me away so you can get back together with Qi Ke, right?” Ruan Xiangmeng immediately turned her head.

Song Yushi’s smile froze. The bitterness of the black coffee was mixed with dissolved sugar, melting sweetly between her lips and teeth. She retorted, “If I wanted to get back together with Qi Ke, would I need to send you away?”

Ruan Xiangmeng seized on the main point, “So you are getting back together?”

Song Yushi deftly avoided the question, “Are you my solo stan, being so concerned about my love life?”

Ruan Xiangmeng tugged at the corner of her mouth, turned her head, and went back to people-watching.

Just then, Song Yushi’s phone suddenly rang. She thought it was a spam call and was about to hang up, but she saw Chengzhi’s profile picture flashing on the screen.

The girl had long hair, tied in a high ponytail, a very Japanese-style picture.

Song Yushi answered, “Hello?”

Chengzhi: “Whatcha doin’?”

Song Yushi: “On a break.”

Chengzhi: “I’ve wrapped up filming! I’m flying to Florence tonight, so I’m coming to see you before I go.”

Song Yushi was about to say okay when she heard the stage manager calling her to prepare for the next scene. She said helplessly, “Don’t come. I have to shoot soon, and I don’t have time to entertain you.”

“It’s fine, I’ll watch you film and learn a thing or two,” Chengzhi said immediately.

“…” Song Yushi stood up and hesitated. “What are you really up to? Just say it.”

“Alright,” Chengzhi confessed, “There’s a supporting actor in your crew who’s my junior. I’m going to see him.” Song Yushi remained silent, so Chengzhi continued to confess, “Okay, a friend of mine has taken a liking to him, so I’m going to check him out.”

Song Yushi said, “That friend you mentioned…”

Chengzhi exclaimed, “It’s Zhong Yi!”

Far away on another set, the diligently working Zhong Yi let out a huge sneeze. A staff member next to her immediately asked, “Teacher Zhong, are you sick?”

Zhong Yi said expressionlessly, “No.”

Someone was talking about her. She didn’t even have to think; it had to be Chengzhi.

“Alright.” The director’s team was urging her again, so Song Yushi didn’t have time to argue with Chengzhi that if she was going to find a scapegoat, she should at least pick someone she didn’t know. She said, “Come on over. I’ll have Xiao Nan pick you up.”

Fifteen minutes later, Xiao Nan picked up a heavily disguised Chengzhi on the road. Chengzhi furtively followed her onto the set, asking, “No one’s following, right?”

Xiao Nan: “…”

Nowadays, what celebrity didn’t have a few tails following them?

Xiao Nan comforted her, “Teacher Cheng, you’re here to visit our boss on set. It doesn’t matter if you’re followed.”

Chengzhi was taken aback, then it dawned on her. “That’s right!”

Xiao Nan: “…” The silly, sweet, and naive group, the reputation was well-deserved.

Chengzhi sat in Song Yushi’s rest area, distractedly greeted Ruan Xiangmeng, and then pulled out… a pair of binoculars from her LV bag?

Ruan Xiangmeng: “?”

Chengzhi scanned the area with the binoculars but didn’t see the person she was looking for. She put them down resentfully. Seeing Ruan Xiangmeng staring eagerly at her binoculars, she offered them forward, “Do you want to use them?”

Ruan Xiangmeng didn’t stand on ceremony and took them directly. “Thanks.”

She raised the binoculars, pointing them in the direction of Song Yushi, who was filming.

Chengzhi relaxed, and her mind started working. Seeing how intently Ruan Xiangmeng was watching, she thought for a moment and abruptly asked, “You like our Captain, don’t you?”

Ruan Xiangmeng’s hand paused slightly.

“Well, our Captain is so wonderful. Growing up with her, as long as you’re not completely straight, you’d definitely fall for her.” Chengzhi picked up an orange from the table, the glitter on her nails sparkling. She slowly peeled it. “But, you should know about our Captain and Qi Ke, right?”

“I know.” Ruan Xiangmeng looked at Song Yushi through the binoculars. She seemed so close, yet she was unreachable.

“I didn’t know before.” Chengzhi put a slice of orange in her mouth, bit into it gently, and a slightly sour juice burst out. She recalled, “It was Zhong Yi who told me a while ago. I was so mad at the time. These two people, who didn’t seem to know each other at all, had actually been dating right under my nose for so long?!”

Ruan Xiangmeng listened silently as Chengzhi spoke.

“But thinking about it carefully, some of the minor romantic details are actually easy to spot. Our Captain, you know, she doesn’t like physical contact. Once, Zhong Yi hugged her in a moment of urgency and was almost pushed into the sea by the Captain. But when Qi Ke hugged her, it was fine. Princess carry, back hug, regular hug, she could hug her however she wanted.”

“How did I not notice before that the Captain had such a double standard?”

“And Qi Ke. Back when she was in the group, she had a good personality and got along with everyone. Sister Ming said she should just be the group’s pet and youngest member, and that she could be paired with anyone. She cooperated, and although they were on good terms, some of the intimacy on stage had an element of business to it. This time, being in a business CP with the Captain, I browsed the Super Topic and thought her acting skills had improved. I never expected it was all a genuine display of emotion!”

The orange was eaten slice by slice, and Chengzhi’s words stabbed at the heart, one after another.

“I see that those two are still attached and will get back together sooner or later. So, don’t hang yourself from one tree.” Chengzhi finished the last slice of orange and made her closing statement, feeling the weight of her great responsibility. “I suggest you switch targets.”

Ruan Xiangmeng didn’t know where Chengzhi got her ability to be so friendly with strangers, or if everyone in Sweet Day was this silly and naive. For a moment, she couldn’t help but laugh.

After laughing, she put down the binoculars, was silent for a while, and then said, “I wasn’t planning on telling her.”

Chengzhi raised an eyebrow slightly.

“I know how she feels about me. She once told me that human emotions aren’t black and white, so she probably both hates me and can’t bear to let me go. Seeing me reminds her of her days with the Ruan family, but she also can’t bear to watch me die.”

“I’m just using that bit of pity to stay by her side a little longer. I know that sooner or later, I’ll wear away what little familial affection is left. It’s what our Ruan family owes her. In the end, the only one who will be in pain is me.”

“But I want that end to come later. I want to look at her a little longer. Before she belongs to Qi Ke, before I die, just looking at her a little longer is enough.”

Ruan Xiangmeng also picked up an orange and said with a smile, “So I won’t tell her, and I won’t disturb them. Mm, I hope that before I die, I can see your Captain dance to 《Cherry》 on a stage for a hundred thousand people.”

Chengzhi blinked.

What was this inside joke about dancing to 《Cherry》 on a stage for a hundred thousand people? Was she lagging again???

---

In early April, after the MV teaser for the first song of Qi Ke’s new album was released, her global endorsement for BVLGARI was officially announced. At the same time, Song Yushi wrapped up filming for 《Awakening of Insects》, and news of her collaboration with a certain top-tier luxury brand spread like wildfire.

At a Sweet Day gathering, which was missing two members, Meng Ying announced, “This will be the last drama I ever film! Congratulate me! The great star Meng Ying has wrapped up filming!”

The other two Sweet Day members, Qi Ke and Song Yushi, had different reactions.

Qi Ke: “This kid has had too much to drink. She’s finally been driven mad by cruel reality.”

Song Yushi: “Zhou Er must have done something again.”

“Don’t look at me like that.” Meng Ying hiccuped from the alcohol, her face flushed and tipsy. She stood up unsteadily, planted one foot on a chair, looking very imposing. “I’ve decided! I’m going to terminate my contract with the company tomorrow! The termination fee… hic! Even if I have to sell everything I own, I’ll pay it—”

Before she could finish her sentence, two thin checks suddenly appeared before her eyes.

Meng Ying: ?

The two owners of the checks looked at each other and said in unison, “If it’s not enough, ask for more.”

Meng Ying: “…?”

The shock sobered her up.

Meng Ying plopped back down, staring with hazy eyes, and in a tiny voice, counted the digits on the checks, “Ones… tens… hundreds, thousands… hic! Hic!”

Song Yushi & Qi Ke: “…”

Seeing that she would be counting for a while, Qi Ke decided to ignore her. She poured a glass of coke, gently tapped it against the glass Song Yushi had on the table, and said, “Happy wrap-up, Captain.”

Song Yushi hesitated for a moment, picked up her glass, took a sip, and then said, “…Sister Ming told me you’ve been very busy lately.”

Qi Ke didn’t understand and wanted her to be more clear.

Song Yushi said helplessly, “Since you’re so busy, you didn’t have to take a day out of your schedule just to celebrate my wrap-up. It’s a lot of trouble for others to arrange schedules.”

Qi Ke said seriously, “You were there when I wrapped up my filming, so I have to be here now that you’ve wrapped up yours.”

Song Yushi understood even less. “Just because of that?”

Under the Captain’s probing gaze, Qi Ke slowly gave in. She propped her chin on one hand, tugged at the corner of her mouth, and said, “Alright, those are all excuses.”

Song Yushi: “Hm?”

What was going on with her group members now? Did none of them have a simple reason for visiting her?

She’d like to see what Qi Ke was really here for.

“I missed you,” Qi Ke said.

Song Yushi was caught completely off guard. “…Ah?”

“It wasn’t to celebrate your wrap-up, nor to celebrate Meng Ying’s wrap-up, and certainly not to give Meng Ying money. All of those were just excuses.” Qi Ke confessed honestly, “I just missed you, Captain.”

Amidst a chaotic and heavy schedule, I looked for every possible legitimate reason to see you, because I missed you too much.

Around Qi Ke’s neck, the ring swayed gently.

“Five million!!!” Meng Ying shot up again, shattering the atmosphere Qi Ke had just created. Qi Ke facepalmed. She turned around and saw Meng Ying’s hand, holding the check, trembling nonstop, her eyes red-rimmed. “So much money…”

Qi Ke reminded her, “There’s still one you haven’t counted.”

Song Yushi also facepalmed. “Doesn’t it have the amount written out in words on the side? Do you need to count?”

Two checks, five million each, for a total of ten million. Enough to buy two Meng Yings back from the company.

Meng Ying’s eyes immediately turned red.

Song Yushi had no intention of continuing the previous atmosphere. She moved closer to Meng Ying and, ignoring that she was currently dazed by money and alcohol, asked, “What do you plan to do after leaving the entertainment industry?”

Meng Ying’s eyes shifted, moving to Song Yushi’s face. She stammered, “Open a firepot restaurant.”

Classmate Meng Ying was deeply in love with firepot.

Qi Ke joked, “Then you have to give us a friendship price for the group, at least give us a discount, right?”

Meng Ying wiped her tears. “Mhm! A one percent discount!”

Qi Ke: “…”

Believe it or not, I’ll break your bones right now?

Seeing Qi Ke get snubbed, Song Yushi couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Qi Ke immediately shot her a mournful look and, taking advantage of Meng Ying’s muddled state, gently placed her fingertips on the back of Song Yushi’s hand. “You laughed at me.”

Song Yushi suppressed her smile. “I didn’t.”

Qi Ke accused, “I saw it!”

Song Yushi: “…You saw it?”

Qi Ke: “Mhm!”

Song Yushi: “Alright, I laughed at you.”

Qi Ke: “…?” So if she hadn’t seen it, it wouldn’t have happened, is that it!

Qi Ke lowered her eyes, her fingertips sliding across the back of Song Yushi’s fair hand. It was like a feather, light but impossible to ignore. Song Yushi wanted to pull her hand back, but her body didn’t seem to receive the command from her brain, remaining frozen in place.

Qi Ke suddenly spoke, “Where’s Ruan Xiangmeng?”

Song Yushi: “She went back to Yunzhou City.”

Qi Ke: “If she stayed any longer, the Childhood Sweethearts CP would have overtaken ours. You have no idea, your solo stans, in order to break up our CP, wished everyone would ship the Childhood Sweethearts.”

Song Yushi smiled.

She understood the minds of solo stans. How could they break up one pair without forming another? It must have been hard for them, trying to find sweet moments from Ruan Xiangmeng seeing her off to and from work.

Song Yushi said, “They’re shipping a familial bond.”

Qi Ke raised her eyebrows.

“They’re shipping our friendship,” Song Yushi added, then emphasized again, as if trying to cover something up, “And our sisterly bond.”

“You two, stop with the familial bond, friendship, sisterly bond stuff. I’m about to see love.” Meng Ying, who had been staring silently at the checks for a long time, suddenly interjected. She blinked her teary eyes, and after Qi Ke and Song Yushi looked over, she covered her face again. “Wuwuwu, I’m tainted. I know my mind is in the gutter. I shouldn’t defile your friendship. I’m seeing lesbians with my fujoshi eyes!”

Qi Ke: “…When did she become a fujoshi?”

Song Yushi sighed.

Not all straight women were as accepting as Song Yushi. After being straight for over twenty years and then suddenly being confessed to by someone of the same sex, Meng Ying was currently in a state where her worldview was being reshaped.

Song Yushi glanced at the time and said, “It’s getting late, let’s go back.”

“Okay.” Qi Ke stood up. Just as she was about to call the waiter to get the bill, there was a sudden knock on the private room’s door. Qi Ke said reflexively, “Come in.”

The door opened, and Zhou Er stood in the doorway.

Almost instantly, Qi Ke and Song Yushi stood up, shielding Meng Ying behind them.

Zhou Er was wearing a new-season LV long dress, her makeup exquisite, looking like a princess who had run away from a ball. She was panting, leaning on the doorframe. Seeing their actions, her face darkened. “Guarding against a thief?”

Since she was a close friend, Qi Ke didn’t say anything.

Song Yushi, however, was blunt. “Yes.”

“Boss! Aren’t you afraid of spraining your ankle running in high heels!” Another voice came from outside the door. From the sound of it, it was probably Zhou Er’s assistant. When she reached the door, she asked blankly, “Why aren’t you going in?”

Because the way was blocked.

Zhou Er said helplessly, “I just want to say a word to her.”

“Who’s talking?” Without waiting for Qi Ke and Song Yushi to move, Meng Ying pushed them apart and stumbled out. She froze when she saw Zhou Er, lowered her head, rubbed her eyes, and looked again. “Zhou Er?”

Zhou Er took a step forward. “Are you drunk?”

“Stop right there!” Meng Ying pointed a finger, her beautiful eyes glaring slightly, her aura intimidating.

Zhou Er stopped.

But Meng Ying walked up to her.

Song Yushi wanted to step forward and grab Meng Ying, but her wrist was gently pulled. She looked over, and Qi Ke shook her head at her, mouthing, “Matters of the heart, let them handle it themselves.”

Song Yushi froze for a moment, wanting to pull her hand back, but Qi Ke held on firmly.

Song Yushi: “…”

Qi Ke turned her head slightly, a hint of pleading in her eyes. “Just for a little while.”

Song Yushi’s fingertips twitched. She felt the spot where Qi Ke was holding her wrist gradually heat up, and a tremor traveled up her veins straight to her heart. With a gentle blow, the softest part of her was easily struck.

Thump, thump.

It was all Qi Ke’s fault.

Song Yushi’s thoughts ran wild. It was all Qi Ke’s fault for being exactly her type. Lust clouds the mind; she must have lost her head right now.

While the two of them were having their little interactions in the back, there was new progress on Zhou Er and Meng Ying’s side.

When Song Yushi came back to her senses, she saw Meng Ying lightly slapping Zhou Er’s face with the two checks, her expression proud. Speaking word by word, full of dominance, she said, “To hell with your good resources, I don’t want them! I wasn’t born to be in this line of work. This lady is going to be a commoner!”

The pupils of Zhou Er’s assistant at the door trembled. “It’s over, it’s over, it’s over. Our CEO Zhou has been proud and arrogant her whole life; she’s never been slapped in the face. When she gets angry later, where would be a good place for me to run…”

Zhou Er: “Okay.”

Assistant: “?”

Qi Ke chuckled. “It’s just a case of one thing conquering another.”

Meng Ying was also stunned. “Huh?”

Zhou Er grabbed her wrist and said with a smile, “I said okay. You don’t want resources, fine. You want to be a commoner, fine. You want to open a firepot restaurant, all fine.”

Assistant: Damn?

Qi Ke: “…?”

They all grew up together. How did this person’s skill level go directly from Bronze to King? Where did Zhou Er go to grind monsters and level up behind her back?

Zhou Er’s gaze went past Meng Ying to Qi Ke, lingered on her for a moment, then turned to Song Yushi without hesitation. “Can I take her away?”

Qi Ke: “…” Why did she look at me for two seconds and say nothing? Do I look like I have no say in this!

Song Yushi slowly shook her head. “I don’t know.”

Zhou Er: “What?”

Song Yushi pulled her wrist out of Qi Ke’s hand, stepped forward, completely unafraid of Zhou Er’s gaze. “If you’re taking Meng Ying away, you should ask her. Why are you asking me?”

Zhou Er lifted her chin slightly. “Lesson learned.”

She retracted her gaze, looking seriously at Meng Ying, who was intermittently zoning out from the alcohol. She asked softly, “Meng Ying, the two people behind you want to have some private time. Are you willing to come back with me for the night?”

Meng Ying had just been crying, and her red-rimmed eyes, set against her flushed, fair cheeks, made her look like a beautiful, gullible little rabbit.

She murmured, “Private time?”

Zhou Er softened her tone as much as possible. “Mhm, you’ll be disturbing them.”

Qi Ke rolled her eyes. She really wanted to film this scene and send it to a kindergarten to show the children what a real-life big bad wolf luring a little white rabbit looked like.

Meng Ying stared blankly at Zhou Er.

Zhou Er looked back gently.

Slowly, Meng Ying bent down, resting her head on Zhou Er’s shoulder, her tears staining Zhou Er’s expensive clothes. Unfazed, Zhou Er wrapped an arm around her waist and looked at Song Yushi. “She’s made her choice.”

Qi Ke: “Wait.”

Zhou Er: “?”

Qi Ke: “You’re not going to do anything to her, are you?”

Zhou Er’s face darkened. “Am I that kind of person?”

Qi Ke said matter-of-factly, “You are.”

Zhou Er: “…”

Song Yushi didn’t listen to their bickering, but simply warned, “Don’t do anything you’ll regret later.”

Zhou Er understood. “I know.”

After speaking, she helped Meng Ying out. Song Yushi stared at the empty doorway, feeling a momentary sense of loss, but then her pinky was grabbed.

And shaken a little.

Song Yushi said helplessly, turning her head to the side, “…Don’t push your luck.”

Qi Ke said innocently, “Captain.”

“Hm?”

“Let’s go have our private time, shall we?”

“…”

The night wind was still cool. Qi Ke had also had a little to drink and felt unsteady on her feet as she followed Song Yushi back to her apartment, showing signs of catching a cold. She relied on her voice for a living, and a cold would affect her work. Left with no choice, Song Yushi turned on the stove and boiled some ginger soup.

Qi Ke leaned on the counter, watching her back.

Song Yushi liked houses with a counter, an open-plan kitchen connected to the living and dining rooms, so you could see the person cooking with just a turn of the head.

Without turning around, Song Yushi said, “You can wait on the sofa.”

Qi Ke agreed, “Okay.”

But she didn’t move.

Hearing the agreement but no movement, Song Yushi couldn’t help but twitch the corner of her mouth and just let her be.

“Captain.”

“…I’ve been meaning to remind you. I haven’t been your captain for a long time.”

“It’s just a form of address, a bit of fun.”

“…”

“Captain.”

“Speak.”

“I’m going to LA soon, and I won’t be able to see you for a long time. Give me something to remember you by.”

“…”

Song Yushi didn’t speak. She turned off the stove, ladled out a bowl of ginger soup, turned around, and placed it on the counter. “Drink it.”

Qi Ke fiddled with her ring. Before Song Yushi could look over with an impatient gaze, she raised her hand and pressed the ring against Song Yushi’s lips. It was cool to the touch.

Qi Ke smiled. “Just a kiss will do.”

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