Starlight Descends - 2
Youth
September 16. The sky hung low and heavy.
The mountainside was scenic, a mist-wreathed splendor. Lush willows lined the path, their branches brushing against the soaring eaves of the temple.
Incense smoke coiled through the air at the Daci Temple. Visitors moved in a slow, steady stream.
It was four in the afternoon. The sun was hidden behind layers of cloud, but the autumn heat remained stifling and oppressive.
Qi Yao emerged from the covered walkway, casting one last look at the courtyard behind the main hall, then slowly began her descent, step by step.
She ambled down the mountain, her mind blissfully blank, savoring the rare moment of peace. At the foot of the hill, she saw Qiao Nian standing beside an Audi A4.
The woman was not tall, but she was compact and brisk in her movements. She raised a hand to remove her sunglasses. "So? How did it go?"
“How else can it go?” Qi Yao said with a faint smile, sliding into the passenger seat. “Said everything I needed to say."
Qiao Nian shifted into gear, hands on the wheel. “About yesterday… I owe you an apology. The opportunity was too good to pass up, and I just… forgot about that.”
Qi Yao gave a noncommittal hum, offering no further response.
Qiao Nian couldn't help but glance over at her.
Even without makeup, Qi Yao was beautiful.
A simple white blouse and black pants, a sun hat hiding most of her face. Her features were delicate yet sharply defined, with a fair skin, straight nose, and peach-blossom eyes that were neither too round nor too narrow, softening her sharper edges.
Qiao Nian could never decide if this was a blessing or a curse.
While this face inspired immediate affection, it also typecast her, locked her into a certain role. She rarely landed roles with any real depth, let alone the kind of transcendent complicated leads that came with top-tier productions.
A gentle, quiet, serene beauty.
Ever since her debut, these words had trailed her like a shadow.
Right now, however, the 'Nation's First Love' had dark circles under her eyes, slumped listlessly against the car window.
"...Were you out stealing last night?" Qiao Nian asked, puzzled.
They'd had late shoots and early morning calls before. But even pulling all-nighters hadn't left her looking this rough.
“Stealing would’ve been less exhausting.”
Qi Yao thought of last night—the way that man had turned, looked at her with cool, courteous distance, and the bizarre dreams that had followed. Her fingers curled unconsciously.
She leaned forward, yanked a sleep mask from the glove compartment, snapped it over her eyes, and reached up to flip down the sun visor.
The message was clear: Sleeping. Do Not Disturb.
Qiao Nian shook her head and launched into her usual chatter.
“When we see the boss later, try not to say much, all right? I know you've been in two productions back-to-back this first half of the year. I know you’re tired, you want a break, but that earn‑out agreement is freshly signed, ink still wet. No way he’s letting you off the hook.”
“He’s backed you all these years. Even if you don’t owe him gratitude, you owe him that much.”
She kept sneaking glances at Qi Yao as she talked.
When she was twenty, Qi Yao had played the second female lead in a low‑budget web drama. Unexpectedly, the character became a fan favorite, generating a wave of organic online support.
Later, she signed with the studio. Things went smoothly, scripts kept coming. She was diligent, could take the grind, more professional than most actors her age. Gradually she’d carved out a name, rising to become the most prominent young flower of her cohort. Her career had been, by any measure, smooth sailing.
But though Qi Yao appeared gentle and pliable, she actually had a mind of her own.
Qiao Nian had always thought of her as a lone wolf in sheep's clothing. At first glance, you'd be disarmed by the gentle exterior. But if you tried to peel back that shell, you'd find yourself pricked and bleeding before you knew it.
Qi Yao, unaware of this mental detour, simply leaned against the window, responded wearily. “Got it.”
The car cruised smoothly through the gates of Sheng Yu Media.
Qi Yao kept her mask on. She and Qiao Nian took the elevator straight to the fifth floor, pushed open the conference room door, and walked in on a presentation already in progress.
Qiu Lang sat at the head of the table in his suit, holding a sheaf of papers with casual authority. His gaze swept over her. “This is your senior fellow artist. She’s usually punctual. Today is a special case.”
Qi Yao crinkled her eyes into a polite smile, nodding a greeting to the seven or eight newly signed artists seated on either side.
A quick scan revealed she didn't recognize half of them.
Men and women, most of them rigid with nerves. One even started to rise and bow; she gave a small shake of her head to stop them.
Qiao Nian slid into the seat beside her and whispered a quick briefing. “The ones on the left are from a talent show. One made the final group, one didn’t, but Qiu signed them both. The ones on the right…”
“Mm.” Qi Yao glanced around, her eyes flicking over the presentation slides.
She’d never had much appetite for Qiu Lang’s grand ambitions, but walking out now would be rude. She simply pulled out her phone and hid it under the table.
Scrolling through the hot search list, it was all entertainment headlines, faces she recognized. She skimmed past them without pause until her finger stilled around the thirtieth‑odd spot.
After a moment, she tapped on an entry.
Finance and business news. Compared to the top list, it had far less buzz. But Qi Yao never expected to see that face.
The face she'd seen just last night.
[XX Finance Exclusive]: “Fengxing Group has announced a strategic partnership with rising tech company Jingfan Tech. According to an official statement, the upcoming X-11 series will feature the new XM-9521 chip, developed entirely by Jingfan Tech.”
“This will be the first domestically produced semiconductor chip to be fully developed and manufactured in China. Performance is expected to improve by 49% over the previous generation…”
The accompanying photo showed two men.
On the left, a tall, broad‑shouldered middle-aged man in a well‑cut suit, his face bearing an authority that needed no words. Thanks to Qiu Lang, Qi Yao had met him once before, the president of Fengxing Group.
The other man was again wearing a white dress shirt, though it wasn’t the same one as last night—the cut was slightly looser. His long legs were clad in black dress pants and leather shoes, somehow lending an air of unruliness to the formal wear. He regarded the camera with a calm, uninflected gaze.
Behind them, the gilded characters for "Jingfan Tech" glittered in the light.
Qi Yao stared for two beats. That urge to sigh from last night suddenly welled up again.
In all her time in the entertainment industry, she'd met all sorts of people, yet she had never encountered an aura quite like his.
He just stood there, casting an indifferent glance at the lens. Nobility and cool detachment blended seamlessly in him, like a bamboo or pine standing proud after a snowfall, impossible to ignore.
She bit her lip, hesitated for just a moment, then saved the photo.
Qiu Lang was still outlining the final‑quarter plan, detailing tasks for each artist. Qi Yao heard none of it.
Top comment: “Sounds impressive. Don’t understand a word. But damn he’s hot. Someone give me a breakdown???”
Second comment: “Don’t use domestic phones. But I need this man's entire file within one minute!!!"
It was all playful teasing. The popularity soared; with one refresh, it had jumped five spots up the hot search list. New replies were being upvoted to the top.
@C_City_Lin_Qingxia: “Professional internet lurker, at your service! He was my high school classmate. Always been at the top of his class. Excelled at everything—academics, sports, arts. Top-tier univ undergrad, Ivy League master's. And not the kind who always buried his head in books. Felt like he just casually placed in the top ten of the province, then casually got into a top-tier school. There’s a whole universe between people like him and us mere mortals T_T”
@Crazy_Alt_Acct_DND: “Same school, can confirm. Also his family is stupid rich. Look up the controlling shareholder of Jingfan. You’ll see.”
@LittleBunnyRabbit777: “Another No. 1 High alum checking in! Adding: he was already ridiculously good‑looking back then. I didn’t go to the same uni (I’m too lame orz), but mutual friends say he was already winning research competitions left and right as an undergrad. His advisor is a huge name in the field, stopped taking students years ago, made an exception for him…”
Qi Yao read each word, her lips pressed tight.
Even though she’d heard most of this already, she couldn't bear to miss any scrap of information related to him.
She refreshed again. The replies were getting more heated.
“Holy shit, I looked it up. Fengxing is Jingfan’s largest shareholder… This guy must be Yu Chongshan’s son, right? Why else would they hand a project this important to some no-name company?”
“Jingfan a no-name? Are you joking? Biggest semiconductor dark horse in two years. Stock’s been soaring since their IPO. They’d be huge even without Fengxing.”
“Isn't this just Fengxing's subsidiary then? Why announce a ‘cooperation agreement’ like they’re separate entities? This headline is bought, right?? This country's done for. Tech companies are starting to act like celebrities now.”
“Can you people please get your facts straight? The company’s been around five, six years. Fengxing only started investing two years ago. ‘Subsidiary’ my ass.”
"Y'all are arguing so hard up there. Don't get it, I’m a simple girl, I'm just here for the eye candy. Saw this random hot guy in a friend’s Moments ages ago, never thought I’d actually ID him. [image]”
The photo was a candid shot. A university lecture hall with a dark wood stage, a gold university emblem front and center—countless student's dream school. The walls behind were lined with portraits of distinguished alumni.
It seemed to be a banquet. Glasses clinked, toasts were made, figures mingled, but Qi Yao's eyes found him instantly.
Yu Jiashu, in a black suit and a neatly knotted burgundy tie, his shirt collar crisp. There was a hint of casualness in his formal posture, an innate presence. One hand rested on the podium microphone.
His dark lashes were lowered, a few strands of hair loose across his forehead. It seemed as if in the next second, he might break into a smile.
Just like before, standing on the podium at No. 1 High, relaxed and nonchalant, chin slightly lifted, the sharp line of his jaw gilded with light.
Youth, in full stride.
---
“…Qi Yao.”
Qiu Lang called her name three times, but her eyes were glued to the screen. She didn’t hear him until Qiao Nian nudged her with an elbow, snapping her back to the present.
The meeting was over without her noticing. The large room was now empty.
Qiu Lang: “I know it’s been a busy year. The way you look right now, I’d have to be a monster not to give you time off.”
Qi Yao collected herself, one eyebrow lifting in wary surprise. “Finally grown a conscience?”
“You're my top star. I have to pace myself.” Qiu Lang smiled and slid a folder across the table. “Just one task before the year ends."
Qi Yao looked at him. She knew better than to expect anything simple.
Her fingers traced the edge of the folder and flipped open the first page. As she did, the “Smiling Tiger’s” smooth voice sounded above her.
“Land this, and I’ll bump five points to your year-end bonus. Can you do it?"
What she’d just seen on her phone screen, now reappeared in bold print: Fengxing X-11 Series Brand Endorsement.
The Smiling Tiger always framed his decrees as negotiations. In reality, once he decided something, no one could change it.
But this was so unrealistic. Qiao Nian, rarely one to challenge him outright, opened her mouth to refuse.
"Can you do it?' This is straight up impossible! Something at Fengxing's level would never fall to us..."
For a moment, Qi Yao felt her soul adrift. The sounds around her grew distant and muffled.
All she could hear was her own voice interrupting Qiao Nian.
“Yes. I can.”
Her lips moved, the words quivering at the end.
Qiao Nian went still. Even Qiu Lang looked surprised, glancing down at her.
Qi Yao stared at the document in her hand.
Why not?
In all those long years, she had waited without hope for their names to intertwine.
She’d already waited ten years.
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