Chu Qiao leaned closer, her curiosity piqued. As she raised her head, she met Xi Chi's gaze.
Chu Qiao was startled, and a sudden thought of those explicit scenes flashed through her mind.
Her cheeks flushed instantly. She panicked, wanting to pull away, but her hand was suddenly caught by him.
"Why is your face so red?"
His clear eyes stared directly at her, not seeming pure at all.
"Is it? That's just makeup!"
She cupped her hands over her cheeks, not wanting him to see.
Xi Chi raised an eyebrow slightly. "Oh?"
"What do you mean by 'oh'? Don't you believe me, don't you believe me, or don't you believe me?"
She decided to act shamelessly, poking his chest with her finger, quite forcefully.
Though he looked thin, his physique was exceptionally good, with attractive muscle definition. Truly someone who looked slim in clothes but had substance underneath.
She distinctly remembered having her fill of touching him that day…
Bah!
Why was she dwelling on something she shouldn't?
She had told herself to pretend it never happened and maintain their relationship as star and assistant. But it was really so difficult!
A man so handsome, always in her sight, occasionally releasing his charm unintentionally, her resistance was weakening!
Although she vaguely guessed Xi Chi's family was well-off, he was a few years younger than her and hadn't even graduated college. She had gotten involved with him…
Alas, she was too much of a scoundrel.
Just then, her phone rang.
She answered it; it was Lin Zhuonan.
They had been neighbors as children, growing up together, true childhood sweethearts, and considered close friends in the industry.
She took her phone to the side to answer. "What's up?"
"What's going on with you? Are you dating?"
"Don't spout nonsense! While I don't follow the traffic route, I still have fanboys!"
"Fanboys?"
Lin Zhuonan chuckled. "Aren't you afraid your little assistant will be angry? Still talking about fanboys… If you dare mention those three words in front of him, I'll call you a real hero!"
"Hey, that's my temper! How could I not dare…"
As she was about to retort further, Xi Chi walked over. "What's wrong?"
"..."
Seeing his young, handsome face, Chu Qiao caved.
She merely pointed at the phone, not speaking, her smile entirely professional.
Xi Chi seemed to understand and gestured towards the door, indicating she should take the call outside.
Chu Qiao made an OK sign. At that moment, Lin Zhuonan's laughter came through the receiver: "You really are disappointingly timid!"
"Mind your own business!" Chu Qiao retorted. "Where did you hear gossip about me dating again?"
"The male lead posted it on his WeChat Moments. Does that count as gossip?"
"Moments?"
Chu Qiao was shocked and forgot to ask how he had Xi Chi's WeChat. She simply said, "You may withdraw," hung up, and immediately checked what he had posted.
Xi Chi had posted a photo of her. It was an unposed shot, a bit blurry, but with the spotlight overhead and her slightly surprised gaze, everything was perfectly coordinated. She looked more beautiful than ever!
Xi Chi had only captioned it: 【That person is found at the place where the lights are dim.】
Chu Qiao: "..."
What did that mean?
She must be "that person," but who was "that person"?
A beat late, she turned her head to look towards the door, swallowed, and prepared to view the situation rationally.
As her assistant, posting her photo was understandable. But the problem lay in the caption he had added…
Just then, Ji Huan called.
"What's going on with Xi Chi's Moments?"
As expected.
"Uh…"
"You're too close to him, and rumors about the two of you are already spreading. Combined with him posting something like this… I just wanted to ask you, are you and he…"
"No!"
Chu Qiao replied quickly and urgently, afraid of being misunderstood.
Ji Huan paused for a moment and said, "I called Xi Chi before this."
Chu Qiao's heart skipped a beat, a vague sense of unease creeping in.
"...He said that you are indeed dating."
Chu Qiao pursed her lips, her expression genuinely complicated. "We..."
"If you truly have feelings for him, I won't stop you. After all, our planned route is steady and solid. As long as it's a genuine relationship, whether you want to announce it officially or not, I support you. However, from a friend's perspective, there are a few things I must say."
Ji Huan continued, "Xi Chi is younger than you. Currently, both his studies and career are unstable. Are you sure being with him will have a future?"
These words completely stumped Chu Qiao.
To be honest, this was also the reason she had been hesitant to make a conclusion about their relationship.
If it were just a one-night stand, just drunken indiscretion, they could go back to how things were, and there would be room for maneuver.
Conversely, their relationship would end without a trace.
Despite not wanting to admit it, Chu Qiao had developed feelings and was somewhat afraid of this outcome.
"Huan Jie, I know what I need to do," she said softly.
Perhaps sensing her disappointment, Ji Huan said, "I treat you and Wei Liang as friends, so I'm the last person who wants to see you get hurt. Wei Liang has the Film Emperor looking out for her, so I can rest a bit easier. After all, if he dared to announce it to the entire internet, it's definitely not just for fun."
The more Chu Qiao listened, the heavier her heart became. The issues she had been avoiding were now all brought out into the open.
"Chu Qiao, he's still young. I can understand his eagerness to share his feelings about dating right now, but he might not know what he's doing…"
Until the call ended, Chu Qiao's mood had been in a state of precipitous decline.
"What's wrong?"
Perhaps waiting too long, Xi Chi, worried about her, pushed the door open to find her.
"Nothing."
Chu Qiao lowered her head, intending to walk past him.
Suddenly, his hand wrapped around her waist.
Chu Qiao flinched, as if electrocuted, and was about to push him away. "Xi Chi!"
But he had no intention of letting go, tightening his hold. "Huan Jie called me."
Chu Qiao steadied her nerves, thinking she was a few years older than him and shouldn't act like she'd never seen the world, inviting ridicule!
So, she pretended to be calm. "Mm, I know. It's just that you posted a photo of me, and she misunderstood. Hehe, it's quite funny, actually. She even asked me if we were dating? How is that possible! Me and you? Impossible, impossible~"
She laughed as she spoke, waving her hands. "How could I possibly find someone younger than me? And still a student! If people found out, wouldn't they say I'm an old cow eating tender grass! Besides, right now, I only want to focus on my career and have no time for such things."
She didn't dare to look him in the eye while speaking, but her tone was light.
The young man opposite her remained silent, and the atmosphere in the room became exceptionally awkward. Fortunately, the makeup artist had already left, otherwise, she would have wanted to find a hole to crawl into.
"Hehe…" Xi Chi suddenly chuckled. "Not dating? Then what does sleeping together count as?"