It turned out that one should never challenge CP fans with a sweet treat, because they would do anything to get a taste of that sweetness to keep themselves going.
In less than twelve hours, the number of plays reached ten million.
The easter egg was unlocked.
Song Yushi’s just-woken voice was languid, the end of her coquettish tone drawn out long. It was the confidence of someone who knew they were doted on, a gentleness and indulgence that no one had ever heard before.
She said, “Alright, baby, stop messing around. Let me sleep a little longer.”
The call was hung up.
The CP fans spontaneously combusted without a flame, and the entire fandom was in an uproar.
【I declare that this audio clip will be recorded in the annals of domestic entertainment CP history, the kind that makes people who aren’t shipping them weep with envy! Damn, my taste is so good for shipping Qi Yu!】
【Haha, what’s half a million? Baby, she called her baby, wuwuwu!】
【Doesn’t it sound like something you’d say helplessly after a whole night of fooling around in bed, when the little minx still won’t let you go? @The editing masters of my fandom, cut a steamy video for me right now, gwkk!】
【No, it sounds like someone whimpering and begging for mercy after being tormented all night.】
【Aoooo! I’m getting my fill of the younger one topping!】
The solo stans were still struggling.
Qi Ke’s solo stans: “What’s there to be excited about? Isn’t it normal for girls to call each other baby? @Song Yushi Fan Club, don’t you think so, baby?”
Song Yushi’s solo stans: “It seems Yushi and Qi Ke’s relationship is indeed quite good. May their friendship last forever.”
CP fans: I’m shipping the two solo fandoms now too!
Solo stans: Shippers, get lost!!!
Just as Song Yushi and Qi Ke’s closet door was teetering on the verge of collapse, needing only one final kick, the cast and crew of 《Look Up》, where Song Yushi was, moved from the film studio to the border for shooting.
The young couple was now in a long-distance relationship.
Sister Ming went with the crew and stayed for a few days, only returning to Yunzhou City after Song Yushi had settled in, to follow Qi Ke’s schedule. It was the promotional period for Qi Ke’s new album, and her schedule was packed. She appeared on two or three different variety shows as a guest star, and then it was music festival season, so she was in a different city every day for a festival.
When Sister Ming returned, Qi Ke had just finished a performance at a music festival.
Qi Ke took the mineral water from her assistant, listening to Sister Ming talk about Song Yushi’s situation on set while taking small sips. After Sister Ming finished, Qi Ke slowly nodded. “Actually, she reports her schedule to me every day.”
Sister Ming: “???”
So she’d talked until her mouth was dry for nothing?
“But there are some things she won’t mention.” Qi Ke leaned against the vanity, the buckle of her high heels undone, the shoe hanging half-off her foot. Her toes were shapely, dazzlingly white under the incandescent light. She squeezed the water bottle and said in a low voice, “She didn’t tell me she’d been filming rain scenes for several days straight.”
“…The crew is very considerate. They always have ginger tea ready. She didn’t get sick. Not even a cough,” Sister Ming said.
Qi Ke lowered her eyelids, her long lashes casting a faint shadow on her face. To match the somewhat melancholic stage today, the makeup artist had drawn a beauty mark like a teardrop at the corner of Qi Ke’s eye.
It made her look pitifully beautiful, as if she were shedding tears.
Qi Ke spoke, her voice trembling slightly. “Maybe I’m just too worried. My heart aches just hearing others mention it. I need to see with my own eyes that she’s okay to feel at ease.”
Sister Ming sensed something. “You can video call?”
Qi Ke let out a soft scoff. “I can see her, but I can’t touch her. That’s even worse than not being able to see her at all.”
Sister Ming: “…” Understood.
The pity that had risen for the weeping beauty vanished in a second. Sister Ming resumed her indifferent tone. “You have no schedule tomorrow, but the day after tomorrow you have to go to Provence for a magazine shoot. I need to see you at the airport the night after tomorrow.”
“Alrighty!” Qi Ke’s pity party was over. She hopped down happily from the vanity, without a trace of her earlier dejected look. Before Sister Ming could scold her, she immediately made a call. “Is the flight path approved? OK, wait for me.”
Sister Ming: “…”
Haha, she knew it! Qi Ke’s acting at this moment could totally compete with her Hundred Flowers Best Actress girlfriend!
“Don’t get spotted by the paparazzi!”
As Qi Ke happily grabbed her bag and prepared to run, Sister Ming quickly added.
Qi Ke didn’t look back. “It’s a private jet, so I won’t be. Thanks for your hard work, Sister Ming! Bye-bye, Sister Ming!”
Sister Ming: “…” There are so many rich women in this world, what’s one more?!
The new movie Song Yushi had taken on was called 《Look Up》. It was directed by the internationally renowned Director Lu, but the script was written by a recent university graduate from the Chinese department. The film told the story of a female undercover anti-drug police officer’s short but passionate life.
Song Yushi was playing this undercover officer.
When Song Yushi first got the script, she liked it a lot and felt a role was very suitable for Zhong Yi, so she recommended it to her. Zhong Yi accepted it immediately after reading it.
Now, the two former Sweet Day teammates were huddling together for warmth in the miserable wind and rain of the border.
“Captain,” Zhong Yi said, holding a cup of ginger tea and shivering. “You don’t go online, so you have no idea. Our two fandoms are fighting fiercely right now.”
Song Yushi was also drinking ginger tea. She asked, puzzled, “Fighting about what?”
Zhong Yi was carefree and outspoken. As she spoke, the dust deliberately smeared on her face fell off. “About me playing a supporting role for you, of course.”
They were both in the industry and had seen it all. Even without going online, they understood these twists and turns; it was clear with just a hint. Song Yushi let out an “ah.” “Are your fans’ fighting power stronger, or are mine?”
“Evenly matched,” Zhong Yi gave a fair assessment. She nudged Song Yushi’s shoulder. “They’re young and don’t know better, and their concern is making them act rashly. I was more than happy to take this role. A big-name director, a major production, aiming for Best Picture… I could brag about even being an extra in this. What more could I ask for?”
Song Yushi agreed. “I think so too.”
They looked at each other and smiled.
The crew members were still setting up the new scene, so Song Yushi and Zhong Yi had some free time. Zhong Yi couldn’t help but start gossiping, “Captain, you’re such a smart and perceptive person. How did you get tricked by Qi Ke?”
Song Yushi: “…” Try saying what you just said to Qi Ke.
“Qi Ke…”
Speaking of Qi Ke, Song Yushi picked up her phone from the table and saw that Qi Ke had indeed sent her a message. It was a picture from the stage: Tonight, I am the brightest star of the music festival.
Song Yushi smiled and sent one of her own sticker memes: 【biubiu~ sweetheart launch.jpg】
“It wasn’t really being tricked,” Song Yushi said, unconsciously scrolling through her chat history with Qi Ke. “I’d never liked anyone before. People pursued me in school, both boys and girls, but I never felt anything.”
“But you did when you saw Qi Ke?”
“…Not exactly,” Song Yushi laughed softly. “It’s a strange feeling.”
To her, Qi Ke was like a little sun, always full of energy, always positive, barging into her world and letting the light shine in.
“Her affection wasn’t hidden very well. At least, I could see it,” Song Yushi said in a low voice, having just scrolled to a ‘good night’ message Qi Ke had sent her one evening. She smiled and said, “I wanted to respond, but… I didn’t know how.”
As a child who hadn’t grown up surrounded by love, learning to respond to the love of her fans was something the company had taught her. But when it came to liking someone, she still didn’t know how to express it.
She only knew how to act on it.
Thanks to getting drunk at that celebration banquet, it wasn’t that she was forced, or because she was drunk, or because the atmosphere was seductive. It was because Qi Ke was too captivating. It was uncontrollable, and it was premeditated.
Beside her, Zhong Yi started whimpering, “A divine romance!”
Song Yushi: “…Calm down.”
But Zhong Yi opened her chat with Qi Ke and made a video call. In a moment, Qi Ke picked up. She was sitting in a car, her mask pulled down. She didn’t see Song Yushi, but seeing Zhong Yi’s grief-stricken face, her heart instantly clenched. “What happened?”
Zhong Yi shook her head mournfully. “Nothing.”
“If nothing happened, why the long face?” Qi Ke said irritably. “If you want a sweet moment, just say so. I can show off our love directly for you to hear.”
Zhong Yi: “…I was just moved by the beautiful love story the Captain told me.”
Qi Ke: “…”
I’m the other main character in that beautiful love story! Why won’t you listen to me show off our love!
Zhong Yi was silent.
When some people show off their love, you listen and go ‘wuwuwu, divine sisters, divine romance.’
But with others, you can only grit your teeth. ‘So you got the treasure, huh? You won’t let anyone else covet her, yet you insist on flaunting it!’
Qi Ke belonged to the latter category.
Extremely punchable.
“Is the Captain next to you?” Qi Ke shook the camera, trying to turn Zhong Yi’s hand. “Turn it around and let me see.”
Song Yushi poked her little head into view.
Her face was grimy just like Zhong Yi’s, a deliberate disguise after rolling around in the dirt. Song Yushi looked at the scenery on her end. The car window was one-way glass, and it was gray and gloomy outside, as if it were raining. “Is it raining in Yunzhou?”
Qi Ke was vague. “Not hard.”
“It’s the same here,” Zhong Yi interjected. “It’s raining, but not hard, yet it’s freezing cold. But in the show, it’s a downpour, so they still have to set up the rain scene.”
Qi Ke’s heart ached watching them. “Why are you still getting drenched? Is this scene ever going to end? I hate watching rain scenes in movies!”
Song Yushi comforted her, “We’re just filming it first. They won’t use that much of it in the final cut.”
Qi Ke: “…”
Zhong Yi: “…”
That makes it even more heartbreaking, okay!
Only after saying it did Song Yushi realize it sounded wrong. She let out an “uh,” and then heard the stage manager shouting for her, “Teacher Song! Teacher Zhong! Get ready to start! It’s the last scene. The director says we can wrap up after this!”
“Coming!”
Song Yushi and Zhong Yi said at the same time.
Song Yushi started to leave, but then she thought for a moment, stopped, and said to Qi Ke, who was still on the video call, “I’m going to get busy now. I’ll contact you later.”
After a moment’s hesitation, she touched her fingers to her lips, then brought them close to the camera, giving Qi Ke a kiss through the screen.
Zhong Yi: “…” What did a single dog ever do to deserve this!!!
Song Yushi held back a laugh. “I’ll get you a new phone when we get back.”
The single dog’s resentment was appeased.
When Qi Ke arrived, Song Yushi’s rain scene was nearing its end. Xiao Nan and Zhong Yi’s assistant were standing side by side, holding bath towels and waiting. Qi Ke walked over and patted Xiao Nan’s shoulder.
Xiao Nan turned around, surprised. The gasp she was about to let out was forcefully suppressed at Qi Ke’s signal. “Teacher Qi!”
“I came to visit the set.” Qi Ke took the bath towel from her hands and watched Song Yushi from afar, who was having an intense scene with Zhong Yi in the curtain of rain. The downpour washed the dirt from her face, revealing her clean and beautiful features.
Moving, earnest, beautiful.
“Cut! That’s a wrap!” the director shouted through a small megaphone. “Wrap it up, wrap it up! Thank you for your hard work, Teacher Song and Teacher Zhong! Everyone worked hard today.”
The artificial rain was turned off, leaving only the pattering drizzle.
Song Yushi shook the water droplets from her hair. A cold wind blew past, and she shivered. Just as she was about to look for Xiao Nan to get a towel, her vision suddenly went dark as a large, snow-white bath towel was draped over her face.
Through the towel, her hair was being messily rubbed. The pressure was comfortable, like it was being dried, yet also like a caress—ambiguous and sensual.
It couldn’t be Xiao Nan.
Song Yushi’s heart skipped a beat. She raised her hand, grabbed the person’s slender wrist, and swallowed. “Qi—”
Before she could finish, the towel was lifted.
Like a bride in ancient times having her veil lifted, the light towel was half-draped over her head. Qi Ke stood in the rain, looking at her through the fragmented light that filtered through the towel.
Full of tender affection.
Suddenly, Qi Ke cupped Song Yushi’s face. The towel drifted down, enveloping them both. The light rain pattered gently on it; the colder it got, the more tender the moment seemed.
In that secret yet bold space.
Qi Ke captured Song Yushi’s lips.
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