Starlight Descends - 10
Reaching for the Stars
"..."
Qi Yao's brain short-circuited for a second.
There, on the coffee table, beneath a stack of Fengxing corporate histories, reports, and biographies, lay a magazine with Jingfan Tech splashed across the cover.
And the headline, in massive, bizarre font, screamed:
"TOP UNIVERSITY STUDENT FOUNDS COMPANY, TAKES IT PUBLIC THREE YEARS AFTER GRADUATION, BECOMES THE SEMICONDUCTOR MARKET'S BIGGEST DARK HORSE: WHAT SECRETS LIE WITHIN?!"
The word "SECRETS" alone took up nearly half the cover.
It was worse than clickbait marketing accounts.
"..."
No, wait, let me explain.
Qi Yao paused for two seconds. With no better option, she pulled the magazine out and flipped it face-down. "...It's a reputable publication."
"Is it?" Yu Jiashu raised an eyebrow, noncommittal.
Qi Yao felt her brain turn to mush. Deciding to just fall on her sword, she gave up on explaining.
Yu Jiashu swept his gaze over it. It was, in fact, a reputable publication.
It was a well-known domestic news journal. The executive editor was an old acquaintance of his.
The cover image showed him during his studies in South San Francisco Bay, stepping onto a lecture podium.
A sharply tailored black suit, a burgundy tie, his white shirt collar crisp and immaculate. His profile was refined and striking. He wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, which was an uncharacteristic choice for him. One long, lean hand rested loosely on the microphone.
His gaze was steady and direct, without arrogance or impatience, composed in a way that belonged to an adult. Yet beneath that calm surface, there lingered a faint trace of the vibrant, youthful vigor of the young man he once was.
Just like the seventeen or eighteen-year-old him, standing on the auditorium stage at No. 1 High, face composed yet unable to fully conceal that wild, unbridled edge.
Seventeen or eighteen. An age before life had taken its cuts, when you felt the whole world was at your feet. As if plucking the stars from the peak of Mount Everest would be the easiest thing in the world.
Both their gazes fell, almost involuntarily, onto the cover image. Their thoughts drifted unbidden as quiet stillness unfurled through the living room.
After a long pause, Qi Yao parted her lips. "I've read…”
—Ding!
The oven in the kitchen hummed to a stop, signaling the end of its cycle.
She snapped back abruptly. The words "I've read" slipped out, soft and indistinct, dissolving between her lips before they could take shape, replaced instead with, "I'll go get the egg tarts."
The tarts were from a pre-made mix she'd picked up at the supermarket downstairs that morning, just pour the filling into the shells and bake. Now the custard had puffed into a golden dome, the pastry blisteringly hot and shatteringly crisp, steam still rising.
Using oven mitts, Qi Yao took out the tray and began packing the tarts into inpidual paper bags.
She'd made twelve. Enough for the people across the hall, assuming they each went home separately. Three to a bag, four bags in total.
The thick kraft paper rustled and crinkled as she folded them closed.
At some point, Yu Jiashu had come to lean against the doorway, watching as she packed every last one.
"You're not keeping any?"
She wanted to. But when she'd gone grocery shopping that morning, she hadn't expected to be invited to dinner. Twelve tarts had seemed enough to last her until the end of the year. Who could have guessed a simple reciprocal courtesy would wipe out her entire stock in one go?
Qi Yao blinked, inhaling the rich, baked aroma, and resolutely shoved the last tart into the bag.
"I'm cutting out sugar."
She's a female celebrity. Par for the course.
Yu Jiashu's eyebrow lifted slightly, and gave a quiet, noncommittal sound.
The security door opened soundlessly. Lai Fu stood at the threshold, watching him leave with reluctant attachment.
The man's tall, straight silhouette stepped through and away, receding step by step.
"Goodnight," Qi Yao said, offering the evening's parting words.
That unfinished sentence, she decided, was perhaps better left unfinished.
Yu Jiashu paused for two seconds, then turned back to look at her.
The motion-sensor light in the hallway flickered on and off. The air was silent.
His clear, narrow eyes seemed to see straight into her heart.
Like a cold front sweeping through a forest of snow-dusted cedar, branches shedding fine crystalline powder, it miraculously stripped away her hesitation and unease.
He seemed to sigh. His gaze was lowered, something like resignation flickering through its usual indifference, as he gently picked up the thread she had left unfinished.
"I know you've read it."
Then, a weight settled in her hand. One of the paper bags she'd sent off was returned, pressed back into her palm. Warm, solid, real. The rich milky sweetness and lingering warmth steadied the slow, heavy beat of her heart.
The scent of cedar and mint enveloped her, clean and fresh. And yet, for reasons she couldn't name, it made her want to cry.
Yu Jiashu looked at her for another second, then turned away, the remaining three bags swinging lightly from his hand.
"Goodnight."
He said.
***
The night was still.
The German Shepherd no longer sprawled in the foyer, it curled up quietly by the bedside in the bedroom, breathing evenly, fast asleep.
For some people, however, it was another sleepless night.
Qi Yao lay in bed, an elbow propped against her forehead, staring blankly at the ceiling's faint glow.
The city had fallen into slumber. A deep silence reigned, broken only by a distant car horn, long and hollow, like something heard in a dream.
The ceiling before her eyes was unmistakably white, yet her mind couldn't stop conjuring an image:
Him, eyes lowered, handing her the paper bag.
His tall frame. His clean, sharp profile.
The unrestrained arrogance of his youth had settled into something deeper, distant and reserved, like an iceberg concealing most of its mass beneath the surface.
If she'd only suspected it during dinner, now she was certain.
Yu Jiashu had recognized her.
His memory had always been exceptional. And with Zhou Qi chattering away in his ear, after two encounters, it wouldn't be difficult for him to piece it together that she was his high school classmate.
Perhaps he had even remembered their few, fleeting intersections, and might bring it up casually one day.
It's nothing, Qi Yao told herself. Stop dwelling on it.
Seven or eight years had passed since high school. So what if he recognized her?
By this age, even the closest high school friends had usually gone their separate ways, drifting further and further apart. What was she but a girl from the class next door?
Still...
What if he knew she wasn't just a schoolmate he’d once crossed paths with?
A wild tangle of thoughts swarmed through her mind, churning restlessly, refusing to let her rest.
She couldn't keep going like this. Tomorrow was the finale of her drama. There's a joint livestream scheduled with the other main cast.
Qi Yao let out a soft sigh, got up, and stepped out of her room, heading for the liquor cabinet. She needed something to help her sleep.
After opening the cabinet, she hesitated for a moment.
Then, her slender fingers closed around a bottle and poured exactly half a glass.
Moonshine.
***
Saturday. Another clear day.
C City's weather throughout September had been unusually pleasant. The heat had eased just enough, leaving the air mild and comfortable beneath bright sunlight.
Yu Jiashu hadn't gone home the previous night. He'd crashed at Zhou Qi's place, only to be dragged awake at dawn by a chaotic symphony of banging and clattering. Sunlight streamed through the curtains.
Standing in the bedroom doorway, he watched speechlessly as Zhou Qi balanced a phone in each hand, tucked a tablet under one arm, and attempted to turn on both the projector and television at the same time using his head.
"Bro, quick, lend me a Weibo account. I gotta watch my goddess's livestream!"
"You don't have your own?"
"I'm already using all three of mine. I need one more. Please, please, please." Zhou Qi clasped both hands in pleading, phones still trapped between his palms.
Yu Jiashu closed his eyes and tossed his phone over.
"Password's the same. Figure it out."
Zhou Qi caught it, beaming. "Sweet, hehehe."
"This seriously feels unreal. My goddess is literally streaming next door. If I knocked on the wall, she might actually hear it. Maybe it'd even get picked up on stream."
Yu Jiashu ignored him and walked into the kitchen. Pulling open the fridge, he paused.
"Did you eat all the egg tarts?"
The spot where the tarts had sat the night before was empty. Not one kraft paper bag remained.
Zhou Qi belched. "Yep. Da Bai and Qian-jie both went home. You don't like sweets. So I finished them.”
"..."
Nine. Nine whole tarts.
Yu Jiashu was silent for two seconds, then shut the fridge.
"Hello everyone, welcome to the grand finale livestream for Wild Pear Branch! All six of our main cast members are here. Are we good on audio? Great." The host checked her timing. "Now let's have our cast introduce themselves one by one!"
Zhou Qi had arranged the two phones on a stand, propped the tablet onto the coffee table, and kept another phone in his hand. "Alright, bro. Don't talk to me now. I'm watching the stream."
Who wants to talk to you.
Ate nine egg tarts in one sitting. Practically a pig.
Yu Jiashu stood by the coffee machine, his eyelids lifting slightly.
"Hello everyone, I'm Gu Heng, playing the male lead Xiao Zijin in Wild Pear Branch. Nice to see you all."
The livestream chat exploded the instant the unfamiliar male voice sounded. Comments flew by in a blur. Yu Jiashu vaguely recognized the name but had no interest. He lowered his gaze again to press the coffee machine button.
[Gege, have you eaten breakfast? You look so tired. This stupid platform's insane for scheduling a 10 a.m. livestream on a Saturday.]
[Wife of Xie Zijin, wife of Gu Heng, reporting in! Everyone out of my way!]
[Hubby hubby I missed you so much. You're up so early, are you sleepy?]
"Ate already, not sleepy."
The man chuckled lazily. "Alright, enough about me. Let's hear my leading lady introduce herself."
[Omg, 'my leading lady,' I'M SCREAMING, I'M SCREAMING.]
[The male lead feeding the CP fans himself, WHO ELSE GETS THIS?!]
[Can you two stop flaunting your relationship? All fifty thousand people in this stream know you're dating!]
Zhou Qi scoffed. "Pretentious jerk. All he does is use her for clout."
"Hello everyone, I'm Qi Yao, playing the female lead Xie Zhao."
Qi Yao's voice was unmistakable, soft and warm, yet edged with a cool clarity in the way she spoke.
Yu Jiashu clattered ice cubes into his coffee. At the sound of her voice, his movements stilled, and he looked up, almost unconsciously, to the screen.
For the livestream, her makeup was slightly heavier than usual.
Qi Yao sat centered in frame, pale slender fingers loosely curled around her headphone wire as she leaned forward to read the comments.
Her long, dark lashes fluttered, the corners of her eyes curving into a beautiful smile.
[Qi Yao you're my wife. I'll say it again. My ONE AND ONLY WIFE.]
[Waaah junior disciple Xie Zhao you acted so well. Please let the finale have a happy ending.]
[Does Yao-mei have any plans for the rest of the year? Please rest well, don't overwork yourself.]
"I know."
"I won't be joining any new productions this year. Plans for next year will be announced later.”
The host smoothly guided the conversation according to the script. Everyone played along, the stream proceeded smoothly.
Qi Yao was often amused by the comments, her peach blossom eyes crinkled into crescent as she casually picked a few questions to answer.
"You want to see me in a campus drama?" she read aloud softly.
Gu Heng: "What a coincidence. I've been wanting to try a campus drama myself. Might Teacher Qi consider me?"
[Holy shit, he can't let her go, he's asking her for a second collab, Hengzi loves his wife so much [tears]]
[10086 PEOPLE SIGNING IN BLOOD BEGGING FOR A SECOND COLLAB! YOU TWO ARE SO PERFECT TOGETHER, waaaah]
[Who doesn't know Gu Heng has a girlfriend by now? You CP fans have lost your minds. Stop shoving it in their faces.]
[The one who's lost his mind is the guy himself. Has a girlfriend but still obsessed with hyping CP. Gu Heng, your desperation is so practiced it hurts to watch.]
[What's there to hurt for? He's the first-billed male lead here. Qi Yao fans, take your clout-chasing bargain-bin little flower and get lost.]
[??? Did Qi fans even say anything? The one with a girlfriend is your guy. The one pushing the CP is your guy. Still playing the victim now? First in all of showbiz for being a hypocrite, you got no shame??]
The comments quickly fractured into three factions: one wave of CP fans enthusiastically searched for proof of "true love" in every interaction, and two armies of solo stans going for each other's throats.
But the latter were, ultimately, a minority, scattered among the rapidly scrolling comments and quickly buried beneath the flood of passionate shippers before vanishing entirely.
Even when people saw them, they pretended not to. This was a required course for any celebrities.
Gu Heng had been on a steep upward trajectory the last two years, his resources pushing him steadily toward the A-list. Rumors about his seven-years girlfriend had followed him for years, which he'd never confirmed nor denied.
This drama was filmed early last year. When Qi Yao spent New Year's on set, Gu Heng had volunteered to stay behind and keep her company, but she'd refused.
Throughout the four months of filming, she'd never seen the hide nor hair of this rumored girlfriend, only a female assistant. Still, rumors that persistent rarely appeared from nowhere.
Qi Yao deftly deflected the topic, neither accepting nor rejecting, her tone impeccably polite.
[LMAO, turning down a second collab with Gu Heng. She really thinks she's all that.]
[Sorry, our last project was with an actual A‑lister. Unlike some people who get two modest hits and start frothing at the mouth over touching the A-list threshold.]
[Qi-Gu are real! Qi-Gu are real! Qi-Gu are real!]
[Who doesn't know Qi Yao is Sheng Yu Media's little queen? Where'd this royalty come from, the entire company's resources are funneled straight to her.]
[Yeah, she's the queen, what of it. Yao-mei's a goddess descended! A high IQ, high EQ beauty who can actually act. Who else should they push if not her, you?]
As the vicious comments grew increasingly prominent, even the host started panicking, forcing a strained smile while repeatedly urging viewers to stay civil.
Gu Heng hadn't spent all these years in the entertainment industry for nothing. He gave a low laugh and smoothly picked up the host's cue.
"Teacher Qi has her own career plans. That's perfectly normal. I'll just wait here patiently. Whenever Teacher Qi wants to work with me again, I'm ready.”
"..."
The QiGu CP fans instantly exploded into another frenzy.
The screen filled with endless declarations of [HE LOVES HER SO MUCH].
Meanwhile, on the eighteenth floor of a certain C City's high-rise apartment, three people sat in silence, collectively suffering such intense secondhand embarrassment that goosebumps rose on their skin.
"Jesus." Zhou Qi shuddered, rubbed his arms. He swiftly snapped into action, working across the four devices in front of him.
"Shut them down! Shut them down!"
[Happy Little Buzz Cut] gifted @Qi Yao a Ferrari!
[Happy Little Buzz Cut] gifted @Qi Yao a Ferrari!
Yu Jiashu had been watching the stream for quite a while by now. The ice in his coffee had mostly melted, the sharp cube edges worn smooth.
Lowering his gaze, he casually picked up the glass and strode out from behind the bar.
Qi Yao paused for two seconds. Out of the camera’s view, her hand tightened around the edge of her chair. She still maintained her smile. “Thank you, Gu… huh?”
Her expression froze, a flicker of astonishment crossing her face.
Receiving gifts during livestreams wasn't unusual. But right now, the screen was erupting in an overwhelming barrage of special effects that the video itself started lagging.
[XM Chip Developer – Yu Jiashu] gifted @Qi Yao a Yacht!
[XM Chip Developer – Yu Jiashu] gifted @Qi Yao a Ferrari!
[XM Chip Developer – Yu Jiashu] gifted @Qi Yao a Dream Castle!
[XM Chip Developer - Yu Jiashu] used a special privilege to send a Super Shoutout:
“[heart][kiss] Radiant and Resplendent Qi Xiao‑Yao [rainbow] Unparalleled Beauty Qi Xiao‑Yao [rainbow] You're done for [rose] Just you wait [rainbow] I've never liked anyone this much [heart] I truly believe [rose] My entire existence is meant to protect you [kiss][heart][rose]”
Qi Yao: "..."
Yu Jiashu, who had just walked past the projector, caught his own name blazing across the top of the screen:
"...?"
———
Author's Note:
Happy Little Buzzcut: Love's Security Guard (?)
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