I'm Rich - 6
Chapter 6
Once the doors closed, the elevator began its descent.
Qi Chengyan glanced at Guan Zhiyi, who was still too afraid to move beside him, and took the coat off her head.
“You’re all grown up, but still scared of your brother. Some things never change."
Guan Zhiyi gave a small humph. “You know how bad his temper is.”
“Is it?” Qi Chengyan smiled.
Guan Zhiyi nodded with certainty.
Her cheeks were flushed from being bundled up for a while, and her hair was slightly disheveled. Finding the sight amusing, Qi Chengyan reached out to pat her head.
“Ah, why did you hit me?”
Seeing her aggrieved expression, he softened his touch, running his fingers lightly down the tangled strands of her hair. “Big star, don’t you think you should tidy yourself up a little?”
There was a teasing note in his voice, and his touch was light, barely tugging at her roots.
Guan Zhiyi looked at him and seemed to catch his scent again, a faint trace lingering on the sleeve of his coat.
Her heart gave an inexplicable little jolt. She quickly reached up to fix her hair. “It’s fine... Nobody’s taking pictures of me anyway.”
“So lacking in confidence?”
“It’s not that I lack confidence. I’m just not famous to begin with,” Guan Zhiyi said. “Ge, thank you for today. I’ll treat you to a meal next time I get the chance.”
"Mm. I'll hold you to that."
"Alright. Hold me to it." Guan Zhiyi smiled. “The elevator’s here. I’ll go first.”
“Wait.”
“Huh?”
Qi Chengyan asked, “You came with your manager just now?”
“Yeah.”
"So how are you getting back now?"
"Uh... cab?"
Qi Chengyan looked at her as though he could hardly believe what he was hearing. “I’ll drive you.”
“No, if you’re busy...”
“I’m not busy. I still have time to take you home, you little brat.”
“...Oh.”
It seemed as though nothing had changed, and yet somehow, so much had.
The car moved along the road, bands of light falling across the interior, bright one moment and dim the next.
Guan Zhiyi stole a glance at the man beside her. He was leaning against the seat, head turned toward the window, a trace of tiredness in his posture.
He'd drunk quite a bit tonight. Though, he showed no obvious signs of being drunk, there was a faint trace of alcohol she could still smell.
Honestly, the version of Qi Chengyan she'd seen at the dinner table was completely unfamiliar to her. The Qi Chengyan she saw in the business world was nothing like the warm, smiling big brother from her memories. Yet perhaps it was precisely that unfamiliarity that stirred a little curiosity in her. What kind of life had this person been living all these years?
“President Qi, we’re here.” The car came to a stop, and the assistant turned around.
Guan Zhiyi pushed open the door. “Then I’ll get going.”
“Okay.” Qi Chengyan glanced past her. The residential complex behind her was brightly lit, and a security guard was standing at the entrance.
Satisfied, he said: "Be safe. Text me when you get inside."
"Mm, I will."
Guan Zhiyi got out of the car and headed toward the residential complex, looking back every few steps. Once she was through the gate, she even waved at them from a distance.
Qi Chengyan's mouth curved in amusement.
The assistant caught the smile in the rearview mirror and couldn't help asking, “President Qi, is that Mr. Guan’s younger sister?”
“Mm.”
“I didn’t realize you two were so close, too.”
Qi Chengyan said, “I watched her grow up.”
“No wonder. I've noticed you're much warmer with her than with your other younger relatives."
Qi Chengyan lowered his eyes. “Do I?”
“You do.”
Qi Chengyan said nothing more, because it was indeed the truth.
Apart from Hua Hongxi, his relationships with his blood relatives were cold at best. With his cousins especially, maintaining surface civility was already a victory, so naturally, those relatives he barely knew could never compare to Xiao Wu, whom he had watched grow up right before his eyes and spoiled along the way.
Although his company and family affairs had kept him from returning home for many years while he was abroad, his memories of this little girl, and the affection he had for her, remained vivid.
**
After returning home, Guan Zhiyi sent messages to Qi Chengyan and her manager separately to let them know she had arrived safely. A few minutes later, her manager called her directly.
The moment Guan Zhiyi answered, Liu Yun’s excited voice came through the phone. “You’re really home?”
Guan Zhiyi knew exactly what Liu Yun was thinking. “I really am home, Yun-jie. Don’t get the wrong idea.”
"The wrong idea? If I’m getting the wrong idea, then everyone in that room last night has a thoroughly twisted imagination.” Liu Yun said, “Anyone with eyes can tell Qi Chengyan is interested in you.”
“Oh... We were actually just talking about the TV series. We talked for a little while, and then he took me home.” Guan Zhiyi lied awkwardly.
Liu Yun fell silent for a moment before saying, “Looks like Qi Chengyan isn’t the impatient type. He prefers to take things slowly and lead you in.”
Guan Zhiyi was speechless. “Yun-jie, I think it would be better if we didn’t read too much into this.”
“Tsk. What am I supposed to do with you?” Liu Yun said. “You have a golden opportunity right in front of you. You need to seize it, understand? Didn’t you want the role of Zhaoyang? If Qi Chengyan puts in a word for you, you won't have to worry about getting it. Wait... Did you mention it to him just now?”
“Zhaoyang? We did talk about it, but...”
“Then that settles it!” Liu Yun said excitedly. “Who would’ve thought, Zhiyi? Looks like I’ve underestimated you all this time.”
“...”
"Auditions are the week after next. President Zhao will have news by then." Liu Yun laughed. “Unless something unexpected happens, that role is as good as ours.”
Guan Zhiyi opened her mouth, but could not quite bring herself to shatter Liu Yun’s sky-high fantasy.
“So, um, I really can go audition the week after next?”
"Of course you're going. Even with the odds in our favor, you still need to go through the motions. Can't afford to be complacent."
“...All right.”
“Then prepare properly. I’ll send the audition script over tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
Liu Yun was brimming with confidence. And it was not just Liu Yun. After that night, rumors had already spread throughout the company:
Zheng Yitong had gone out of her way to approach the president of the Qi Group and couldn't even get a smile from him, but he'd apparently taken a shine to no-name Guan Zhiyi!
Zheng Yitong’s position in the company was bound to be shaken now.
Guan Zhiyi’s resources were definitely going to get a massive upgrade.
So this was the type that big shot liked?
...
The gossip grew more outlandish with each retelling.
After Song Qiaofei returned from the company rehearsal room, she pounded on Guan Zhiyi’s door.
“My precious Zhiyi! You really know how to keep a low profile! Tell me! When did you start dating Qi Chengyan?” The moment the door opened, she was so excited she looked ready to throw herself at her.
Guan Zhiyi hurriedly took a step back. “Qiaofei, why are you believing all those rumors too?”
Song Qiaofei froze. “What do you mean? It’s not true?”
“Of course it’s not true.” Guan Zhiyi said, “We just exchanged a few more words, and everyone’s imagination ran wild.”
"But everyone's talking about it. And I ran into Zheng Yitong today—someone asked her about you and Qi Chengyan, and she stormed off in a fury. That kind of mortified rage only makes the whole thing look incredibly real.”
“All right, but Qi Chengyan and I... We’re really not like what you think.”
Seeing how serious Guan Zhiyi looked, Song Qiaofei immediately deflated. She knew Guan Zhiyi wouldn't lie to her about something like this. “You’ve got to be kidding me. I got all excited for nothing.”
“What were you excited about...?”
“I thought you were going to soar straight to the top without a single obstacle. Ah, forget it, forget it. Guess this kind of shortcut just isn’t meant for us. Let’s wash up and go to bed.”
Guan Zhiyi laughed at her. “See? That's the spirit. Now stop standing in the doorway. Come in. I just ordered takeout.”
“Aren’t you dieting?”
“Can’t I have one good meal once in a while?”
...
Guan Zhiyi knew there was no point explaining, because time would prove everything.
She'd planned to spend the next few days happily getting familiar with the script. But then her father, Guan Xinghuai, called and asked how things were going with Hua Hongxi. Guan Zhiyi suddenly remembered that she still had this whole matter to deal with!
So she gave him a few perfunctory answers, hung up, and immediately sent Hua Hongxi a message.
They'd added each other on WeChat before the blind date, but aside from exchanging addresses that day, there'd been no contact.
[Is now a convenient time to talk?]
Hua Hongxi replied surprisingly quickly: [What a coincidence! I was just about to message you!]
Guan Zhiyi: [What’s up?]
Hua Hongxi didn't reply. Instead, he called her directly.
Guan Zhiyi answered it. “Hello?”
Hua Hongxi: “Zhiyi! So, my mom just called me today asking how the two of us are getting along.”
Guan Zhiyi: “...My dad did too.”
Hua Hongxi immediately grew nervous. “You, what did you tell him? I told my mom we were getting along great! You didn’t say we left that day without even eating, or that we haven’t been in touch since, did you?!”
“No. I also said we were getting along well.”
Hua Hongxi breathed a sigh of relief. “Good, good. I was worried our stories wouldn’t match.”
"I was worried about the same thing."
Hua Hongxi laughed. “Hey, I can see your family's putting the pressure on too. How about this? Let's help each other out. Just put on an act in front of our families.”
Guan Zhiyi hesitated. “How would that work?”
“When our parents ask, we just tell them we’re together. Don’t worry, I know you’re a public figure. We won't say anything publicly. This is just to give our parents some peace of mind. Besides, I know you're not into me. You’re only doing this because your family is forcing you. And me? I haven’t had enough fun yet. I have absolutely no intention of getting a girlfriend right now. So if you’re willing, we can play along together.”
Guan Zhiyi thought of her father's nagging, and felt a flicker of temptation.
She knew that if she told her father she wasn't interested in Hua Hongxi, it wouldn't be long before he arranged another man for her.
And then where would it end? All she wanted was to focus on filming in peace.
“Will it work?”
“It will. Absolutely.” Hua Hongxi said, “As long as we both keep quiet, they'll definitely believe us and won’t pressure us to meet another blind date. Then, when the time is right, we can stage a peaceful breakup and call it a day.”
"That's... not a terrible idea."
"Right?! So you're in? Then let’s make it official!”
Guan Zhiyi agonized over it for a moment. It really was a good plan and mutually beneficial. Her father would leave her alone.
“Zhiyi, Zhiyi?”
“Ah?”
“What do you say?!”
Guan Zhiyi gritted her teeth and threw caution to the wind. “Fine!”
Hua Hongxi immediately said, “But the truth stays between the two of us. No one else can know, especially not my cousin!"
“Why?”
“If my cousin finds out I’m fooling around with this, he’ll definitely tell my parents. Then our whole act will be exposed.”
Guan Zhiyi hesitated.
She didn't like the idea of lying to Qi Chengyan. It made her feel inexplicably guilty. But after thinking it over, she really was being pushed into a corner by her father.
“All right. Then we won’t tell anyone.”
“Deal!”
After the call ended, Guan Zhiyi let out a breath. The boyfriend problem was solved.
Yet there was also a weird feeling in her heart. The only thing nagging at her, strangely, was: if Qi Chengyan found out that she and his younger cousin had teamed up to deceive everyone, would he be angry?
He probably... wouldn’t, right?
It wasn't real anyway. Just a small trick she had resorted to so she could keep following the path she wanted.
Guan Zhiyi frowned and thought it over for a while. Forget it... She would explain it to him later. Surely he would understand.
With that thought, Guan Zhiyi put down her phone and headed to the bathroom.
That night, she took a bath and went to bed early.
She had no idea, then, the same night she and Hua Hongxi had agreed to begin a fake relationship that no one outside their families would know about, a hashtag on Weibo had quietly gained traction that very evening. The tag spread from the fan circles to the wider public, growing bigger and bigger as word traveled.
The hashtag was: #GuanZhiyiBlindDate#
—
Author's Note:
Shock! Even a young female star has to go on blind dates!
---
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