Starlight Descends - 17

Sleep Talk

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“…Could her old high school classmate have one too?”

The words landed like a thunderclap. Qi Yao could no longer pretend she hadn’t heard them.

At some point, her signature had already devolved into incomprehensible scribbles. Her lashes trembled as she lifted her eyes.

The same spot. The same hallway. The same glance exchanged through a half-open window.

The moment their eyes met, it was as if time itself was reversed, the years rushing backward between them, dissolving into a distant, unreachable past.

Just like high school. She would sit in that second-to-last row by the window, lifting her head from her notes-covered textbook to quietly, secretly trace a certain figure that occasionally passed by.

The ordinary, white button-down mandatory school uniform looked on him like some kind of haute couture.

His broadening teenage shoulders stretched the fabric into clean, beautiful lines. When he ran, wind would billow through the shirt. His chin lifted slightly, laughter loose and effortless.

A boy so bright. So clean. So vividly alive.

Countless times, she had turned back to look at him in her dreams, her gaze carrying a clear, aching affection.

Someone she could long for, but never reach.

But now, that boy has grown up. Tall and relaxed, he stood lazily outside the window, his head tilted slightly, casually looking her way.

Half teasing, half serious, asking her for an autograph.

The wind chime beneath the eaves swayed gently in the autumn breeze, ringing with crisp, clear notes.

And in that moment, Qi Yao suddenly realized something: Now was different from then.

He was looking back at her.

Her reflection clear and distinct in his eyes. 

Her breathing faltered. Her fingers tightened around the pen, lips pressing together. Before she could respond, however, the fragile atmosphere shattered abruptly.

“Dinner! What are you all doing? Any later and the food’ll get cold, and you’ll all get back to the city too late.”

Ren Dandan knocked loudly against the classroom door frame twice, rounding everyone up. 

“…Coming.”

Qi Yao lowered her eyes and let out a quiet breath. She quickly gathered the signed photos and pen, slipping out the front door, not looking at either of them again.

Sun Wenbo turned his head from left to right following her fleeing figure, deeply puzzled. “Brother, why didn’t you just ask her yourself?”

That tiny bit of teasing already scared her into running off, and you want me to ask personally?

Yu Jiashu watched her retreating silhouette disappear. The corner of his mouth lifted in a quiet chuckle. He nudged the boy’s shoulder. “Let’s go.”

***

The welfare home cafeteria food was decent. Ren Dandan bustled around enthusiastically the entire meal, making sure everyone ate properly. By the time dinner ended, the sky outside had already gone completely dark.

It was time to head back.

“The documents are signed and left on Auntie Ren’s desk,” Lizi whispered quietly to Qi Yao. “But Xiao Wang just called. His wife’s gone into labor, he asked if he could leave early."

Xiao Wang was their driver.

"Tell him to go," Qi Yao said, turning to her. "Does he have a car?”

“No, he said he’ll grab a taxi.”

At this hour, in a place this remote, during National Day holidays...finding a taxi wouldn’t be easy.

“Then let him drive our car back,” Qi Yao said after a moment’s thought. “We can just take a taxi ourselves. We’re not in a hurry.”

“But that’s not safe.” Lizi frowned. “It’s already past eight, and this place is really remote.”

Ren Dandan overheard them and waved. 

“Aiyo, what’s the problem? Aren’t you all heading back the same way anyway? Just ride with Niuniu and Xiao Yu.”

“Xiao Yu, your car can fit everyone, right?”

Yu Jiashu hooked his car keys loosely around one finger and glanced toward Qi Yao.

“It can.”

Zhou Qi emerged from the restroom just in time to hear the news that his goddess would be riding in the same car as him.

“Nice. I actually got to chauffeur the goddess today.”

The car belonged to Yu Jiashu, but Zhou Qi usually drove whenever they went out together.

Still grinning to himself, Zhou Qi happily reached for the driver’s side handle, already imagining chatting with the goddess on the ride home.

Then—

Click.

The locks dropped.

Yu Jiashu leaned casually beside the car, key fob dangling loosely between his fingers.

A very clear message: You are not sitting there.

“…Fine.” Happy Little Buzzcut reluctantly circled toward the passenger side. “Having my bro drive me isn’t too bad either.”

He reached for the passenger seat handle. Before he could pull it open, Yu Jiashu looked at him through the lowered window. Not exactly smiling. But definitely not not smiling either.

Zhou Qi froze. He stood outside, completely baffled.

"...Bro. What's that supposed to mean?"

Yu Jiashu couldn't be bothered to argue. He tapped two fingers on the steering wheel. "Get in the back."

Zhou Qi: “…”

???

***

After handing the signed photos to Sun Wenbo, Qi Yao stood by the main gate saying goodbye to Ren Dandan.

“Don’t work yourself too hard. Take care of your health” Ren Dandan said while holding her hand. “And if money ever gets tight, stop donating so much here. We have enough. Really.”

“I know."Qi Yao hugged her gently. Looking up, she saw a cluster of children leaning over the second-floor railings, waving enthusiastically at her.

Her eyes immediately curving into crescents. “I’m leaving now. I’ll come visit again next time.”

“Bye-bye, Sister Yaoyao!!!”

Children are still too young to understand the hardships of the world. Even their farewells sounded bright and happy.

Adults, however, always carried a trace of melancholy when parting. Even knowing separation was simply part of life.

Qi Yao turned away, her face composed. But inside, ripples were spreading through her heart.

She had never been good with goodbyes.

Especially these kinds, where each meeting might be one fewer left in a lifetime.

A black Bentley sat parked quietly by the roadside. Still distracted by her thoughts, Qi Yao instinctively reached for the rear passenger seat.

“Ahem!”

The moment the door cracked open, Zhou Qi let out a profoundly fake cough.

Her hand froze.

…Wait. How exactly had they arranged the seating?

Only the front passenger seat and one spot in the back were left. She couldn’t exactly ask Lizi to take the front seat.

A little confused, Qi Yao walked around and opened the front door instead.

Yu Jiashu said nothing. Only after she fastened her seatbelt and the crisp click sounded clearly inside the quiet car did he finally tap the steering wheel lightly, start the engine, and pull smoothly away.

After driving for a while, Lizi cautiously spoke up from the back seat.“Um… could you drive a little more steadily? Yao-mei gets carsick.”

Not many people knew this. Qi Yao's drivers were always the same one or two specifically because they drove exceptionally smoothly. No abrupt braking, gentle acceleration, and slow turns.

Because she got motion sickness easily.

Not all the time. But whenever she hadn’t rested well, riding in unstable cars made her chest feel tight and uncomfortable. That was why she rarely rode in other people's cars.

The man in the driver’s seat glanced at her through the rearview mirror. His gaze remained cool and sharp. Long fingers rested loosely on the steering wheel, he gave a quiet hum of acknowledgment, as though he had already known.

Lizi blinked in surprise and quietly shrank back into her seat, exchanging astonished looks with Zhou Qi.

Meanwhile, Zhou Qi, who genuinely had not known this information, silently thanked heaven he hadn’t been the one driving. His driving style was pure speed and chaos. They'd have had to pull over and switch drivers halfway through.

…Wait.

Zhou Qi tilted his head slightly.

From his angle, Yu Jiashu looked exactly the same as usual, distinct knuckled hands resting casually on the wheel, giving away absolutely nothing.

So why did he have a vague feeling that the man was already aware of this information? 

***

The car was quiet. Soft music played at low volume, soothing without becoming distracting.

Maybe because of Lizi’s reminder, or maybe for entirely different reasons, Yu Jiashu drove with extraordinary steadiness.

The understated luxury Bentley glided smoothly through the dark suburban roads. Neon lights from the city slipped through the windows one after another, flashing briefly across the man’s sharply defined features, adding to his aura of detachment.

Qi Yao watched him from the corner of her eye for a moment, then turned toward the passing scenery outside.

Streetlights stretched into blurred ribbons of light. At some point, without realizing it, she tilted her head against the window and drifted into a deep sleep.

When she woke again, neon lights pulsed outside. Wind howled faintly beyond the sealed windows.

The music was softer now than before she’d fallen asleep. And inside the car, there were only two people left.

Qi Yao blinked slowly in confusion, mind still tangled in fading dreams. She instinctively reached out and caught the jacket slipping from her shoulders.

It was black. The fabric understated and smooth. The faint inner pattern only became visible when light swept across it.

A familiar scent surrounded her. Just like in the dream she’d just had.

“Awake?” A low voice sounded beside her.

Cool and clear, the final syllables carrying that lazy, effortless drawl unique to him.

Qi Yao’s fingers tightened unconsciously around the jacket, and she turned her head.

Yu Jiashu still sat in the driver’s seat, eyes lowered toward his phone. White screen light illuminated the bridge of his nose and cast his handsome profile into pale contrast.

He didn't look up. His long fingers moved across the screen, replying to messages.

The scene felt absurdly familiar. Like the kind of line a male lead would say softly to his lover in one of those romance dramas she acted in.

She paused for two seconds, then simply hummed.

“Where are the others?” She glanced toward the back seat.

“Your assistant went home. Zhou Qi went back to campus.”

Yu Jiashu finally finished with his work messages and lifted his eyes to look at her.

Her hair was messy from sleep. Her expression still carried that soft, dazed slowness of someone just woken up.

When she first woke up, her gentleness became even more obvious, quiet and soft. A shimmering moisture glossed the corners of her eyes.

Yu Jiashu paused for a fraction of a second.

"Were you dreaming?"

Qi Yao froze, her mouth opened. The confusion in her expression slowly shifted into alarm. Her lashes fluttered twice.

“…Did I talk in my sleep?”

Barefaced and freshly woken, her right cheek still carried a faint red crease from leaning against the window. Meanwhile, her pale fingers unconsciously twisted tighter into his jacket. She looked unbelievably nervous.

And unbelievably sweet.

Yu Jiashu arched his brow almost imperceptibly and hummed in confirmation.

“…”

The world instantly darkened before Qi Yao’s eyes. Still unwilling to give up hope, she asked weakly: “What did I say?”

Yu Jiashu's long finger curled, tapping lightly against the steering wheel. His dark eyes fixed steadily on her.

“You called my name.”

“…”

It was over.

Qi Yao immediately looked away, staring desperately toward the residential complex entrance ahead, rapidly calculating the possibility of opening the door and sprinting home.

Yu Jiashu followed her gaze. As if he could read her mind, his finger gave a slight flick. Click. The car locks dropped.

“…”

Qi Yao slowly turned toward him. He was wearing that same look again, somewhere between a smile and a smirk, and drawled lazily:

“What were you dreaming about me?”

There was absolutely no way she could answer that honestly.

Qi Yao maintained her silence.

Yu Jiashu, meanwhile, seemed infinitely patient. One arm rested casually against the door, his gaze held her with deep, idle amusement. 

The temperature inside the car spiked. The air was thick, suffocating. Qi Yao looked away frantically, blurting out the first nonsense that entered her head.

“…I dreamed about the sports meet. You were doing high jumps. And your shirt got caught on the bar.”

“…”

Silence instantly descended inside the car.

The trace of amusement on Yu Jiashu’s face stiffened, slowly replaced by a profound speechlessness.

Naturally, that accident was still vivid in his mind. To this day, he could still remember the title of the trending school forum post afterward: “AAAAAHHHH COME LOOK AT THESE ABS AAAAAHHHH” Complete with a bright red [HOT] tag and over eight hundred replies.

Second year of high school.

The sports meet required every student to register for an event. Yu Jiashu couldn’t be bothered, so the homeroom teacher directly shooed him off to do the high jump.

He figured it wasn’t too much effort. After clearing several rounds casually, he made it to the final round. 

By the time the bar reached 1.7 meters, it was just him and a basketball jock left. Yu Jiashu wasn’t professionally trained, so clearing higher heights would be difficult.

So he changed techniques midway. If he cleared it, great. If not, at least he’d given it his best shot—then he could finish the competition and go play games.

But that was where the problem started.

Even now, the memory remains clear in Qi Yao’s mind.

The boy stood beneath the bright gymnasium lights, dark hair dampened slightly with sweat at his temples. He lifted his chin, eyes narrowed at the high jump bar as he rolled his neck to loosen up, then began his approach from the edge of the field.

A Fosbury Flop.

Amid the crowd’s astonished gasps, the boy launched himself cleanly into the air. His tall body arched beautifully against the sky, clearing the high bar with room to spare.

Cheers instantly exploded throughout the gymnasium. Tucked quietly in a corner, Qi Yao barely dared breathe until she saw him land safely.

As gravity pulled him downward, the loose hem of his school shirt rode upward slightly. Yu Jiashu landed smoothly on the mat, used the momentum to flip himself upright, and somehow, by absurd coincidence—

The hem of his shirt caught directly on the zipper at the edge of the landing mat.

The entire gymnasium fell silent. 

Even Yu Jiashu froze for a second.

He stood there beneath countless staring eyes, shirt hem caught midway beneath his ribs, exposing sharply defined abdominal muscles.

Not exaggeratedly bulky. But lean, cleanly sculpted, every line taut and powerful beneath the bright gymnasium lights.

Because he'd been competing, a slight sheen of sweat made his abs glint under the bright overhead lights.

High schoolers. They might not understand many things. But they definitely weren’t innocent.

The beat of stunned silence was followed by an explosive roar of shrieks and cheers, louder than ever before, deafening enough enough it felt like it could blow the roof off.

“HOLY SHIT THAT’S SO HOT AAAAAAHHHH!!”

“He actually has abs?! Aaaaah, I've finally seen real-life abs."

"Did you get it, did you get it, DID YOU GET THE SHOT? God, I wanna touch them, help!"

Qi Yao stood frozen in her corner, pressing her lips together, her gaze darting left and right, not knowing where to look. After a fierce internal struggle, her gaze still ultimately landed back on him.

A few guys from his class had their arms slung around each other, hooting and whistling.

“Damn, Shu, when the hell did you secretly get ripped?”

"Unbelievable. You did that on purpose, didn't you? Knew you weren't gonna win, so you decided to put on a little show."

“Piss off.” Yu Jiashu laughed.

The shirt was stubbornly caught in the zipper. After failing to yank it free by hand, he lowered his head slightly, caught the fabric between his teeth, and tugged backward. He glanced down to confirm the zipper hadn't been damaged, then slowly released the fabric.

The hem fell back into place, covering the defined lines of his abdomen and his lean, narrow waist. Then he turned around, readying himself for his next attempt.

At that point, however, almost nobody in the gym cared about the competition anymore.

Within ten minutes, photos from every possible angle flooded the school forum. The discussion was in full swing. Even the third-year seniors who hadn’t attended the sports meet and students who'd missed the high jump entirely, had all by now seen the full, glorious spread of the HD photos. 

The reason “AAAAHHH COME LOOK AT THESE ABS AAAAAHHHH” became the top trending post wasn’t only because the photos were absurdly high quality. 

But because one particular anonymous user had left a certain comment on the thread in a tone of perfect, unsettling serenity:

“This shirt really has no sense of timing. Should’ve just gotten caught on the bar itself.”

At the time, the bar had been set at one meter seventy.

If the shirt had gotten caught there…well, that basically would’ve been equivalent to taking the whole thing off.

Reply 1L: I came in here and immediately tripped over Teacher Anon's shamelessness.

2L: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA this just spoke the words straight from my soul!!!

3L: Teacher Anon, this is a comment section, not a no-man-land. Have some restraint.

4L: Homeroom teacher's away. I'm lonely. Add me on VX to see Class 7 walking abs [Rose] [Heart]

…

It was the internet and they were high schoolers. Naturally, the comments got increasingly outrageous. So when the entire thread suddenly just vanished afterward, nobody found it surprising. They simply assumed it had finally crossed the line too far and gotten deleted.

Only Yu Jiashu knew the truth. After being fed up with a pack of lunatics from his class randomly shoving a pole in his face, he had coldly, and without a shred of remorse, hacked into the Dean of Students’ admin account and deleted the post himself.

To this day, Old Deng still hasn't recovered the account.

…

Silence settled inside the car.

The heady, glorious days of youth was unearthed from the depths of memory, so distant they felt like another lifetime, the scenes now filtered through the nostalgic haze of time.

Outside, neon lights flickered. Late-night food stalls down the street were buzzing, the barbecue joint where they'd run into each other was packed to the brim. A world steeped in human warmth and vibrant life.

Yu Jiashu suddenly laughed.

The low sound brushed lightly through the air, sending an uncontrollable shiver crawling up the back of Qi Yao’s neck.

She turned her head to look at him.

The man leaned lazily against the window, the curve of his lips just as it had been back then, bold and unrestrained. His words came slow and teasing, drawn out with deliberate ease.

“What? Hoping for another look?”

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Author's Note:

A C City No. 1 High alum who saved the pics: Send me 50 bucks, and I'll show you the high school heartthrob's abs (?) 

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