The entertainment industry had countless ceremonies, reviews, and galas throughout the year. In the past, they were concentrated at the end of the year, but in recent years, they’ve started finding excuses to hold galas mid-year as well.
This mid-year gala, hosted by a certain platform, was a star-studded event. Fans fought tooth and nail for tickets, just to sneak in light-up signs to support their idols, lest they lose face and be ridiculed by rival fandoms.
Except for Qi Ke’s and Song Yushi’s fans.
Song Yushi had transitioned to acting and didn’t attend such galas often, so there was no need to compete with other idols for pomp and circumstance. Qi Ke, on the other hand, had become a pop singer and didn’t want her fans to go through the trouble of security checks. She just said domineeringly, “I’ll sing great songs that make other fans can’t help but sing along. Then the whole venue will be cheering for me. Isn’t that cooler?”
The fans thought about it, and wasn’t that true?
So they entered the venue with ease and found their seats.
With a glance, they saw their baby was already seated in the guest area.
【Our daughter is wearing a crown! Oh my god! She’s even more beautiful in person than on the red carpet livestream, wuwuwu. The princess look is so gorgeous! So elegant, so expensive, like a little princess walking out of a castle.】
【[Drool][Drool][Drool] I’m so looking forward to Sister’s look today.】
【Sister’s schedule is too tight. This afternoon she was still in Beijing for a brand’s offline event. She rushed over here as soon as that ended, even missing the red carpet. Otherwise, I would have been able to see the newlyweds walk the red carpet today!】
【Whether she walks the red carpet or not isn’t important. The wedding scene is what’s most important.】
Meanwhile, backstage, Song Yushi had just finished her makeup and changed into her gown—just as the fans had imagined, a matching princess dress to Qi Ke’s. The only difference was that Qi Ke wore a crown, while she wore a small fascinator hat with a white veil covering half her face. Through the fine mesh, her delicate features were faintly visible.
“Are you feeling better?” Xiao Nan asked worriedly as she adjusted the hem of Song Yushi’s dress. “Do you want to drink some more brown sugar water?”
Song Yushi shook her head. “I don’t want to keep running to the bathroom.”
Xiao Nan circled her two or three times, looking like she wanted to say something but hesitated.
Song Yushi sat down, methodically touching up her lipstick with a brush. She glanced at her and said, “If you have something to say, just say it.”
Xiao Nan said honestly, “It looks like you’re getting married to Teacher Qi.”
Song Yushi’s heart stirred.
The rosy bean-paste color slowly spread across her lips, covering the paleness caused by her pain and making her look even more gentle. She asked, seemingly casually, “Have her fan sites posted any pictures yet? Let me see.”
Xiao Nan found it strange. “Aren’t you going to see her in a little while?”
Song Yushi hummed in agreement and reached out to take the phone.
She would see her in a little while.
But she missed her right now.
Qi Ke’s fansite masters had already released photos. They were previews, unedited, and the quality wasn’t sharp. But in the blurriness, a different kind of beauty could be seen.
Qi Ke was sitting in the guest area. The lilies on the round table were in full bloom. Her back was straight, her butterfly-like shoulder blades flashing under the occasional light. She was slender and beautiful, with a black velvet choker tied around her neck.
Abstinent.
Yet clearly seductive.
She was her private, exclusive possession.
Song Yushi smiled and stood up. “Let’s go.”
But unexpectedly, as she was walking towards the entrance, Qi Ke, who was in the guest area, couldn’t wait any longer and simply walked to the guest entrance to wait for Song Yushi.
A posture of eager anticipation.
A fansite master posted on Weibo: Who is baby waiting for?
The solo stans all started guessing.
Qi Ke was popular in the industry; more than half of the invited guests were in her circle of friends, so it could be anyone. The ones who hadn’t entered yet could be counted on one hand.
After counting, they realized only Song Yushi hadn’t entered.
Solo stans: “…”
Damn it!
A solo stan wrote a veiled post: “So speechless. Isn’t she acting like too big of a star? So many people here are bigger stars and busier than her, and they’ve all arrived. What’s with this ‘fashionably late’ act? Her punctual persona of arriving half an hour early for events has collapsed, right? And making the great beauty wait, speechless! Just speechless!”
Song Yushi’s solo stans caught wind of it and rushed over: “Big stars have busy schedules. If you’re so ignorant, don’t come out and embarrass yourself. Keep making veiled comments and your fave will have no work for a year and be picking their feet at home!”
CP fans: Stop fighting, stop fighting!
Multi-stans: It’s so pleasing to the eye to see beautiful women together! Don’t people have two eyes so they can look at more beauties? Stanning an idol isn’t like finding a partner, why be so exclusive!
While the fans were fighting, the idols themselves entered hand in hand.
CP fans: Wow, you curse me, I curse you, our sisters sleep together. You tear me down, I tear you down, our main couple is together.
Qi Ke closed her palm, enveloping Song Yushi’s hand. Her brows furrowed slightly as she murmured in a low voice, “Your hands are so cold.” Then she complained to Song Yushi, “Didn’t I tell you to drink more hot water?”
“I did, I did,” Song Yushi said perfunctorily.
Her mind wandered. When did Qi Ke become so naggy?
Qi Ke wouldn’t let her off. “Did you really?”
Song Yushi pushed her with a smile. “I really did!”
In the audience seats not far away, fans saw their interaction but couldn’t make out the details. The moment they saw Song Yushi push Qi Ke, they exploded: “Why is Song Yushi hitting someone?! Does she have any sense of proportion? This is with people watching, how does she bully our sister when no one’s around?”
Song Yushi’s fans were calm: “It’s just playful banter between friends, what’s there to get excited about? Are you this worked up because you don’t have any friends?”
Other fandoms: …You guys are so dramatic!
The gala was about to start. The lights in the venue gradually dimmed, and they could only see the path by the light from the ads on the stage’s large screen. Qi Ke greeted people all along the way.
“Hello, Teacher Zhao, let’s have hotpot together some other day! Mmm-hmm, I’m here to pick up my Captain. Isn’t she beautiful?”
“Director Qian! The ending theme song is a go, find me later. Haha, Teacher Song and I are indeed a good match!”
“Xiao Zhou, I listened to your new song, not bad. This is your master’s wife, wife, wife—aaah, Captain, I’ll stop talking nonsense, give me some face, don’t let the fans see.”
In the pitch-black darkness, they could only see the people right next to them.
Qi Ke was giving a live performance of: My girlfriend hasn’t hit me in three days.
Song Yushi’s stomach hurt, so she followed Qi Ke without thinking, listening to her run her mouth the whole way. Only when Qi Ke said the last sentence, which seemed outrageous but was actually true, did she give her a pinch.
They finally made it to the guest seats without any mishaps before the show started.
Two guests per table, so no one disturbed the little couple.
However, a female celebrity was sitting next to them. As soon as she saw Song Yushi, she immediately came over and greeted her warmly: “Teacher Song! Long time no see! Do you still remember me? I was on the set of 《Shang Bei》.”
“I remember,” Song Yushi said, shaking her hand. “Long time no see.”
Although they had worked together, they hadn’t been in much contact after filming wrapped up. The two exchanged a few pleasantries and then took their respective seats. Qi Ke rested her chin on her hand and looked at Song Yushi, her face full of happiness.
Song Yushi hesitated. “…What is it?”
“She likes you,” Qi Ke said.
Song Yushi was taken aback, then she couldn’t help but laugh. “Is your gaydar going off again? Everyone you see is bent? Everyone you see likes me? I’m not that much of a heartthrob.”
Qi Ke shook her head. “Not that kind of like.”
Song Yushi said, “Hm?”
But Qi Ke just smiled. “I’m not jealous. I was just thinking, I have such good taste. The person I like is just so likable.” She reached out to wrap an arm around Song Yushi’s waist. “But you’re only mine.”
Song Yushi tried to avoid her hand. “The cameras are here.”
“Let me rub your tummy for you.” Qi Ke’s palm rested on Song Yushi’s lower abdomen, rubbing it gently through the thin fabric. Her voice overflowed with heartache. “It hurts a lot, doesn’t it?”
The words of refusal stuck in her throat. Song Yushi let out a low hum of agreement.
On stage, the gala began. The hosts’ opening remarks were passionate and grand, echoing throughout the entire venue.
Off stage, the fragrance of lilies floated in the air. Using the table for cover, Qi Ke quietly and gently soothed her girlfriend, her love flowing out naturally.
In the audience seats.
Countless cameras were aimed at the two of them.
Among them, several cameras were positioned just right to capture their small movements under the table. To film or not to film, that was the question. The cameras wavered back and forth, but in the end, they steeled themselves and kept filming.
From the camera of a Song Yushi solo stan: Ahhh, I’m so mad! Qi Ke must be hitting my baby. I’ll record this as evidence. If anyone dares to talk crap, I’ll snipe them!
From the camera of a Qi Ke solo stan: What the hell is she doing? The cameras are right there, Qi Ke, is this the time to be flirting with girls? Can’t you flirt with someone else? Why are you touching her stomach! It’s not like she’s carrying your baby!
From the camera of a CP fan: Wuwuwu, such a tender scene. Another fucking iconic moment, 555, it’s too real!
Soon, the CP fans uploaded this video to the internet, watermarked it with “Marketing accounts that repost this will die,” and set it to be visible only to fans. But it was still seen by casual viewers who love to ship couples.
Casual viewers: Casual viewers are dumbfounded. If this isn’t love???
【This counts as a ‘collapsed house,’ right? Honestly, even best friends aren’t this intimate. If my best friend did this to me, I’d kick her into the Pacific Ocean! It’s love, it has to be love!】
【Is this what you women call friendship? I don’t get it. Looks like love to me.】
【Husband!!!】
【The top dish of the lesbian circle truly doesn’t disappoint. How can I become Qi Ke’s girlfriend?】
【I want to transmigrate into Song Yushi’s soul.】
【Wuwuwu, two tops will have a good ending!】
【What the hell do you know! Our little Captain is an abstinent sweetheart bottom! Being a bottom is so great, you just have to lie there.】
【But the abstinent little sweetheart will also pin Keke underneath her, pleasing her without any skill, like a sacrifice. Even though her technique isn’t good, because it’s her, the psychological satisfaction is greater than the physical.】
【Here, take the pen.】
【Excuse me, where can I buy your published works?】
【I rushed to the bookstore, couldn’t find your book, and smashed the place up.】
Qi Yu CP fans: It’s just a small scene, don’t panic.
But it was only after Song Yushi and Qi Ke went on stage that the casual viewers truly understood what it meant to “express one’s hidden love to the fullest amidst a hall full of distinguished guests.”
Qi Ke held Song Yushi’s hand as they walked forward on the stage. Their singing was like a sound from heaven, their harmony exquisite.
The lyrics were moving.
Qi Ke turned her head to meet Song Yushi’s gaze. On the stage watched by thousands, under countless cameras and flashing lights, amidst the singing and the cheers and applause of the entire venue, they sang “I love you.”
During the two years she was separated from Song Yushi, she had imagined this kind of reunion countless times. At a grand ceremony, at a mutual friend’s dinner party, on the red carpet, on a film set, or even at the airport. The kind of meeting between old lovers where “we must have lingering ties, we must be indebted to each other.”
For all these scenarios, Song Yushi had never given her the chance for such a reunion.
Until this year, when she returned to her life, returned to her world.
In the name of a girlfriend.
This is how it should be. People in love shouldn’t be friends. If you’re going to love, love passionately, recklessly. You should be indebted to each other, have red-rimmed eyes, have misunderstandings and jealousy, and have the sky clear after the rain.
You should look up at the stars together, and walk out of the forest together.
Together, you should face any unknown destiny.
-I love you.
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