Starlight Descends - 30

Love

---

"..."

Qi Yao only swept her eyes over the screen, then immediately flipped her phone facedown, pretending to read the comments on stream instead.

Her heart pounded violently.

Then she remembered that this person might very well be watching her every movement from through the screen right now, and her gaze instantly darted away again, landing helplessly on Lizi instead. She didn't know where to look anymore.

...What was wrong with this guy?

Distracted, she unconsciously unscrewed the bottle cap she'd just tightened and took another sip of water.

From the front seat, Lizi turned around and waved her phone at her, mouthing silently:

"Qiao Nian-jie's calling me."

Qi Yao gave a slight nod and lowered her eyes toward the comments again.

In just this short amount of time, the stream's popularity had continued climbing higher and higher.

The CP Fans had nearly flooded the screen. Everywhere she looked, it was Gu Heng's name.

A sudden, unprovoked spike in traffic was never a good sign.

Qi Yao's expression didn't change, but her heart sank slightly.

"Yep, the variety show airs tomorrow! Please go watch it, this episode was really fun."

[WAIT QI GU IS ACTUALLY REAL WHAT THE HELL AHHHH]

[Here to see top-tier actor's girlfriend]

[omg are you gonna respond?? Official announcement soon??]

The moment Qiao Nian realized something was wrong, she immediately started getting people to suppress the topic.

Unfortunately, the drama's general audience base was simply too massive. Throughout the entire summer, and even now, the pairing still ranked number one on the CP charts. Fan accounts, merchandise, fan projects, the whole ecosystem was thriving. There was no way to suppress it immediately.

The flood of comments completely buried the original fan messages in the flood. 

This wasn't a formal, scheduled broadcast. It was just something she'd started on a whim. If things spiraled and the artist accidentally said the wrong thing, it would become difficult to control.

Qi Yao casually used bad internet as an excuse. Conveniently, Qiao Nian logged into her Weibo account from elsewhere and forced the stream offline.

The livestream ended.

"What's going on?" Lizi handed her the phone.

While listening to Qiao Nian on the other end of the call, Qi Yao opened Weibo trending topics.

"Gu Heng got exposed by paparazzi for dating. He's been photographed entering and leaving your apartment complex multiple times.” Qiao Nian sounded agitated. "I'm contacting the reporters right now. His manager isn't answering calls or messages."

The hashtag "Gu Heng Relationship" was pinned to the top of the Hot Search, followed by a red "Explosive" tag.

Further down the rankings, "Qi Yao Livestream," "Qi Gu Is Real," "Gu Heng Qi Yao,” and several related terms were all rapidly climbing upward.

"You've got the worst luck, running a livestream right when this hit. Even random bystanders are flooding in to watch." Qiao Nian's keyboard clattered furiously on the other end.

"Let's clarify." Qi Yao frowned, rapidly sorting through all the female celebrities living in the same apartment complex. "It's not me."

"I know it's not you! The issue is how we're handling this now. Do we ride the wave and keep promoting the ship, or do we immediately clarify and separate you from it?"

Qi Yao sent Gu Heng two messages on WeChat.

After waiting a long while with no response, she tried calling him instead.

His phone was off.

Qiao Nian lowered her voice. "Personally, I lean toward no statement. Public opinion is all peace and goodwill right now. Everyone's congratulating you two. The CP supertopic just doubled."

"If the actual celebrities come out personally to deny things, you might lose fans. People might even say you're being petty. Your next drama airs in November, and whether it'll survive backlash is hard to say."

"Besides, a clarification needs to be timed right. You can't just suddenly jump out and deny it immediately. It'll look too deliberate."

Strange.

At a moment like this, he was completely unreachable.

Qi Yao stayed quiet for a few seconds, mind moving rapidly.

"What did Qiu Lang say?"

"You already know the boss's attitude." Qiao Nian sighed helplessly.

Qiu Lang had always thought highly of Gu Heng. Ever since his debut, he'd pegged him as the top prospect among rising actors. He'd spent a lot of effort arranging collaborations between him and Qi Yao, so naturally he wasn't willing to separate the pairing easily.

"Ignore him." Qi Yao deliberated for a moment, then began giving instructions calmly and methodically. "Contact the reporter. Get the exact dates Gu Heng entered and exited the complex. Then pull up my schedule."

"But you were home this month."

"I was also busy. There's no way we'd coincidentally overlap every single time. Filter out the days I definitely wasn't there. I'll figure out the rest myself."

Qiao Nian hesitated for a long moment. "Do we really have to do this? Honestly, you could just stay silent. Netizens will forget in a few days. They'll even believe you two are the real thing.” 

"One successful CP wave earns more popularity than half a year of filming. Gu Heng's been getting a lot of attention from major directors lately. His resources are excellent."

"Yes, he's a decent guy. Most of our time together on set was pleasant enough. But that's all it was."

Qi Yao remained unmoved. Her thoughts were clear, her tone decisive, words flowing quickly and cleanly.

"He has a girlfriend, Qiao Nian."

"The drama finished filming almost two years ago. We have had virtually zero contact in private since. I'm not the only actress living in the complex. Him staying overnight multiple times cannot possibly be coincidence."

"Fans can ship whatever they want inside the drama. That's their business. But it shouldn't extend into real life. I don't want this kind of popularity, and I don't want to become someone's shield."

"I'm only accountable to my own fans. If it's true, it's true. If it's not, it's not. Be honest."

Qiao Nian fell silent for a while.

"...Alright. I'll handle it."

Qi Yao gave a quiet hum and hung up. She looked up and called to Lizi. "Who has Gu Heng worked with this year?"

Lizi rapidly searched through entertainment news and started listing names one by one. By the third name, Qi Yao nodded.

"That's enough. I think I know."

Ye Qingman had just gotten off set and walked over, still dressed in elaborate period costume.

"Come help me check playback! I'm not super confident about this scene."

"Sure." Qi Yao climbed out of the car wearing a mask and hat, carrying two large bags of hot milk tea for Lizi and Ye Qingman's assistant to distribute to the crew. 

After watching for a while, Qi Yao offered two suggestions. Ye Qingman agreed immediately and refilmed two extra shots.

The director, whom Qi Yao had worked with before, eyed her for a moment. "Come here. Haven't seen you in ages. There's a cameo role we still need. I'm too lazy to find someone else. You mind shooting it for me while you're here?”

Qi Yao laughed. "Sure, Director Wang."

Ye Qingman had just been about to clock out when she heard that.

"Hey, Director Wang, you're not even sparing the visitors off the hook!"

"She's playing Ruyan. Your best friend."

It was a likable role.

Not many scenes, but important.

Ye Qingman let out an "Oh," found a chair, and pulled out her phone to wait. "Well, that's fine then."

The scene was quick. Just a cameo, and didn't require interaction with anyone else.

While getting makeup done, Qi Yao read through the script twice and memorized her lines. Once filming started, she slipped into the role immediately.

Almost every take passed on the first try.

In about an hour, she was mostly done. Ye Qingman applauded and went with her to remove the makeup.

She'd spent the last hour speed-scrolling the internet and had already seen everything she needed to see. But with outsiders around, she couldn't ask directly.

"It's so late already. You should just stay over tonight," Ye Qingman said.

Qi Yao checked the time, then closed her eyes again, letting the makeup artist remove her eye makeup.

"Mm."

"Yao-mei, Qiao Nian-jie's on the phone." Lizi connected the call and handed it over.

"Hello?"

Qiao Nian flipped through documents while speaking.

"We paid the paparazzi for details. They agreed to give us specific dates. Gu Heng was photographed entering the complex six times this month. Mostly overnight stays. Three of those days you weren't home. The other three, you were."

Qi Yao gave a quiet hum. "Read me the dates. I'll think through them."

"October 2nd. October 6th. And yesterday."

Ye Qingman, beside her, frowned. "October 2nd, I was staying over at your place. We even went shopping."

"Right. That even trended for a bit. There should still be photos online."

"Okay." Qiao Nian quickly noted it down. "What about the others?"

"October 6th. High school classmate's wedding. I got back pretty late. I have a group photo with the bride."

"The issue isn't what you did during the day," Qiao Nian said. "It's the nighttime. He went there after work. Around eight at night."

"At eight I was still at that wedding venue outside the city. Any later than that..."

Qi Yao paused.

Later than that, Yu Jiashu had driven her home. She'd been drunk.

And yesterday, she'd also been with him.

She thought for a moment. "Let's just do it this way. Issue the clarification first, just in case. It's better to be prepared. What the public wants is a clear stance, anyway."

Qiao Nian agreed readily. "Alright. I'll post it later."

"Qiao Nian." Qi Yao's voice was heavy. She knew her manager too well.

"Post it now."

Silence briefly fell on the other end.

What a neat little calculation.

Qi Yao lowered her eyes.

First stall for time. Calm her down. Then conveniently squeeze another round of publicity out of the situation before quietly releasing a weak statement after public attention faded.

In the past two years, following Qiu Lang, Qiao Nian's capitalist mindset had become increasingly blatant. She wouldn't willingly pass up even the smallest profitable opportunity.

Two minutes later, the makeup artist left the room. Lizi closed the door and stood guard outside. Qi Yao finally leaned back into her chair and spoke firmly.

"Back then, pushing the ship was Qiu Lang's decision. Most of the early buzz was manufactured by you guys. I only agreed to cooperate during the drama's broadcast period. That did not include dragging things out for two extra months afterward."

"You all know perfectly well how dangerous real-person shipping can become, don't you? Even real couples can implode and turn on each other, let alone me and Gu Heng, who are barely even acquaintances."

Qi Yao took a deep breath and glanced at the time.

"My next drama premieres next week. Isn't it about time to dissolve this? Am I supposed to cling to this one fake pairing for the rest of my life?"

Her voice was as soft and gentle as always, yet every word landed crisp and decisive without the slightest hesitation.

Voices murmured faintly on the other end, distant and echoing. She was clearly on speakerphone, stammering and hesitating. Qi Yao could guess who else was in the room.

"Qiu Lang."

"Qiu Lang," she said directly. "I'm still in the background check period for the Fengxing final interview. Any negative public opinion could destroy all the work that came before. What, you don't want this endorsement anymore?"

Beside her, Ye Qingman was scrolling through Weibo. She added, with icy precision, "Gu Heng's fine as a friend, at best, but he's basically the same as all those spoiled rich boys in my circle."

"If something really happens later, just send Yaomei over to our company instead. Better than letting her fight with a bunch of nobodies over scraps of resources at yours."

Ye Qingman never held back when she spoke. Every sentence carried that natural arrogance of someone impossible to offend.

Qiu Lang's face was livid, his jaw tightened briefly, then shot Qiao Nian a look.

"...Fine. Post it now."

Hanging up, Qi Yao let her head fall back against the chair and sighed. "What a mess."

"So what's actually going on?" Ye Qingman was still scrolling through Weibo. "Everything online looks pretty peaceful. How did things suddenly escalate to the point where you absolutely had to separate the pairing?"

Qi Yao held the exhausted, boneless slump and turned her head to look at her friend. "So you didn't know either? Then why were you backing me up so fiercely just now?"

Ye Qingman frowned at her like the question itself made no sense. She answered without a second thought. "I support whatever you choose to do."

The certainty in her tone was completely natural.

And it was exactly that kind of unguarded sincerity that softened people's hearts before they even realized it.

"You're the clearest-headed person I've ever met," Ye Qingman added. "If you decide to do something, then you definitely have your own reasons."

Silence settled briefly.

Qi Yao turned her head back and stared at the ceiling, emotions drifting restlessly through her chest.

"Have you ever worked with Gu Heng before?"

Ye Qingman thought back. "A variety show earlier this year, I think."

"Do you remember one of his assistants? A girl. Always wore a mask."

Ye Qingman squinted, trying to recall. "Mmm... now that you mention it, I have a vague impression. But who pays attention to that?"

Qi Yao rested both hands over her forehead, blocking the dim overhead light.

"That's probably his girlfriend."

"Huh?" Ye Qingman widened her eyes in surprise and tried once more to reconstruct the girl in her memory.

The girl was quite unremarkable. Not especially tall. Not thin by entertainment industry standards. Silent, for the most part, trailing behind the man with a large bag, like part of the background scenery itself.

Even straining her memory, all Ye Qingman could summon was that vague silhouette.

What she looked like. What her name was. What her voice sounded like. Nothing.

After a long while, Ye Qingman quietly pulled over a chair and sat down beside her. The gesture resembled curious classmates gathering around for gossip back in school, but her expression remained complicated rather than excited.

"How did you know?"

Qi Yao lowered her eyes in thought.

Actually, there were many moments when love could be felt.

The ring on her left ring finger.

The pale line marks of a band at the base of his finger.

The way she stood on tiptoe to straighten his collar, even the path of her fingertips carrying impossible gentleness.

When they filmed Wild Pear Branches, it had been winter.

Hengdian winters were bitterly cold. Sometimes it snowed. They'd worn thin costumes. The girl always carried hand warmers and hot water bottles with her. The water inside the thermos was the perfect temperature. Warm, but never scalding.

While they filmed scenes, she would stand quietly in the corner watching.

Black clothes. Black mask.

Her hands exposed to the cold until they turned red. A bucket hat covered most of her forehead, revealing only a pair of bright eyes.

Qi Yao had once accidentally caught a glimpse of those eyes. Even now, she could still remember them clearly.

It was hard to describe what emotion lived inside them.

Like someone watching the person they loved run toward his future, hoping more fiercely than anyone else that he will go further and further, soar higher and higher.

Yet unable to stop wondering whether the distance between them would also continue growing wider.

The boy she loved in youth had suddenly become the dream of thousands upon thousands of girls.

More and more people surround him. Endless ways of interacting with the world bloomed around him in dazzling forms. His throat, his fingers, the tips of his hair, every inch of him illuminated beneath spotlights, becoming posters, backgrounds, wallpapers.

None of it belonged to her anymore.

Restlessness. Fear. Unease.

All kinds of emotions fermenting silently in places no light could reach.

During certain moments when they looked inseparable on the surface yet were actually drifting farther and farther apart, had she ever regretted it?

Qi Yao didn't know.

But she didn't want to profit from someone else's wound. Nor did she want to be anyone's shield.

If it's real, it's real. If it's not, it's not.

In this noisy, complicated world, she would always believe sincerity was the greatest strength of all.

Ye Qingman stayed silent. She didn't ask why Qi Yao could empathize so deeply.

Both of them already understood.

Throughout her entire long youth, Qi Yao had looked at that person the exact same way that girl looked at Gu Heng.

Except Qi Yao had stood even farther away.

So far away, she never even possessed the chance to get close to him.

---

← Previous | Table of Contents | Next →

0