Starlight Descends - 34
Movie
[Tbh I kind of believe it... Qi Yao's side feels really sincere. She denied the relationship so fast, wasn't that just her trying to give fans an explanation? Who could've predicted this whole thing was gonna blow up back then?]
[She actually seems pretty decent. No scandals, no drama. I remember a bunch of directors she worked with praising her nonstop before.]
[Never underestimate how dirty the entertainment industry is. You never really know people. Who's to say what your faves are like in private? Before every celebrity gets exposed, don’t they all have tons of diehard fans too?]
[Why is everyone only dragging the girl? If you're gonna curse someone out, curse Gu Heng. Dares to cheat but too chickenshit to own it? Dude hasn't made a single peep since last night. Making his ex and current girlfriend face each other is actually insane.]
[Finally caught some fresh drama while it’s still hot. Qi Yao's rinky-dink little company actually showed some teeth this time. The timeline and everything are pretty clear. Just missing stronger evidence. Waiting for the next update.]
[So this clears her name now? Just like that? She wrecked a ten-year relationship, and y'all netizens are this forgiving? Careful, you might be the next ones getting homewrecked.]
[There are so many lunatics on the trending page, I’m scared. Clicked into the profile of the person upstairs and... honestly, with a boyfriend that ugly, you’re probably safe.]
[Qi Yao probably really has nothing to do with this… My college classmate got married that day and she was in the group photo. The bride said they were high school classmates, and the wedding went super late too, past midnight. [Image]]
[So she wasn't working, but she still had her own social life. Which raises another question: why won’t the blogger deny it? Neither admitting nor denying, staying vague on purpose. What exactly is the point?]
[The internet seriously has no memory. There was also that day she was shopping with Ye Qingman and it trended. Ye Qingman herself even said she stayed at her place that night [screenshot]]
[Pretty girls really have terrible luck...gets saddled with this crap and still has to prove herself. The entertainment industry is doomed.]
[HOLY SHIT GO LOOK AT THAT HOT SCIENTIST GUY FROM THE LAST TRENDING TOPIC!!! HE POSTED PHOTOS!!! IS THAT YAO-MEI IN THEM?!]
[Which one which one? Link please!]
[I SAW IT!!! IT’S TOTALLY YAO-MEI AHHHHHH!! And did you guys notice? His photos have live timestamps on them. like it shows what day they were taken. The two with Yao-mei in them? Exactly the two days missing from her schedule!!]
[WAIT HOLY SHIT. The angle in his last photo is obviously the same place from the picture Qi Yao posted on her alt account!! So they were together that day, right?!]
[AHHHHH WHAT IS GOING ON?? Attending weddings together, and taking walks together?? AND WHY IS THIS GUY SO HOT??]
[Can I say this...? Even though these photos aren’t crossing any lines, and they’re not even standing close together... why do they have more chemistry than that so-called power CP...?]
[Look at this guys... Qi Yao's livestream recording… this handsome guy didn’t just send gifts once, he spammed them multiple times, and under his real name too! HELP. He's pursuing her, right?! Right?! AAAAAAHHHHH!!]
[OH MY GOD IT’S ACTUALLY HIM. I thought it was one of those joke usernames like "Brother Wang Building Materials Wholesale" or something... Damn, a guy this hot and smart and rich who's bold enough to openly chase someone, doesn't he beat that cheap bastard Gu Heng by five hundred miles??]
[AHHHHH WHAT IS THEIR RELATIONSHIP?? Based on what people above said, they’re high school classmates?? They're so perfect together aaaahh!! And posting these photos right now... hard not to think he did it on purpose.]
[Okay I’m just making things up for fun here, fans don’t attack me, but... is this the actual boyfriend getting pissed that his girl’s name got dragged through the mud and quietly claiming her?? Uuuuu I'm shipping so hard aaaahhhh]
...
Countless comments swept past her eyes, good and bad alike. Most of them no longer stirred much inside her anymore.
And yet certain words still managed to make her heart tremble.
Qi Yao pressed her lips together. Her slender fingertips hovered above the screen for a moment, then finally tapped into the trending topic under her name.
The moment it loaded, a popular post sat pinned at the very top.
The Weibo of the man who had accidentally gone viral for his looks and credentials was clean and sparse. Even his photo posts were brief and minimal. The caption was nothing more than the platform’s default “Posted Images.”
Yet those images had set the trending page on fire.
There were only four pictures.
The first was from Li Xun’s wedding.
Chen Yinyin had spent a fortune hiring a full professional wedding photography team. Even the candid shots looked flawlessly composed.
Beautiful people always drew the eye, as though the camera lingered on them a second longer than everyone else.
White chairs arranged side by side, half an arm’s distance between them.
Qi Yao sat quietly, calm softness resting between her brows as she watched the newlyweds onstage with a faint smile.
Beside her, the man leaned lazily against the backrest, gaze fixed ahead, long legs crossed. His suit pants were crisp and immaculate. Loose strands of hair hung over his brow bone, black eyes deep beneath them, jawline sharp and cold.
Detached.
Careless.
The timestamp in the lower-right corner read October 2nd.
The second photo was from the outdoor movie that night.
Wine bottles sat atop a white camping table. Strings of colorful star lights blinked endlessly in the dark. The projection screen glowed against the night sky, black-and-white scenes flickering across it.
It’s a Wonderful Life.
The female lead was speaking to the male lead:
“My love for you will never die.”
Then the camera angle pulled farther away.
At the center of the frame was the man’s profile, his brow bone and high nose impossibly well-defined, a trace of a smile on his lips as he tilted his head to speak to the person beside him.
Following his gaze, you could see the slender back of a girl entering accidentally into the frame. Her long hair lifted in the wind, brushing softly across one corner of the lens, revealing the calm line of her profile.
It was as if the person taking this photo had thought the scene was too worthy of poetry, had let their wrist shift just slightly, and framed them both inside the same picture.
Beautiful as a film still.
Qi Yao pressed her lips together. Her fingertip tapped lightly. Almost without thinking, she saved the image.
She swiped to the last photo. No person appeared in the frame, yet it stirred the imagination just as powerfully.
Moonlight rippled across the river’s surface. A full moon hung high overhead, endless city lights stretched along both banks.
October 14, 22:37.
A photograph of the moon, taken by him.
Her heart felt tightly clenched in an invisible hand, so tight she could barely breathe. Qi Yao stopped reading the teasing comments and suspicious speculation altogether.
She only stared blankly at those photos.
Nothing about them could really be called inappropriate.
All the photos where his face appeared were centered on him, as if the person beside him was just an incidental inclusion. Yet she was undeniably, unmistakably present.
People caught in the center of controversy always had to be careful, especially when it came to anything involving romance. Every little detail became something to tiptoe around.
That was exactly why she had never clarified those private outings separately.
Because she hadn’t wanted to drag him into this.
But he didn’t seem afraid at all.
Openly, unapologetically, in his own way, he had quietly filled in the missing pieces of her timeline for her.
Perfectly measured, and impossible to ignore.
Like a real lamp shining steadily in the dark.
***
In the rumor-churning world of the internet, one explanation was never enough to kill the public’s appetite for drama.
The situation continued to ferment.
Clarifications and insults tangled together into chaos. Her private messages and comment sections drowned in malicious attacks. Public opinion raged louder and louder.
Qi Yao had no desire to play the saint.
Her kindness only existed in moments where she genuinely empathized with someone else. For those who didn't deserve it, she had no interest in repaying malice with grace.
The moment she received the video, she forwarded it to Qiao Nian, along with the recording of her call with Ye Qingman and the underground parking garage security footage. She let them decide how to handle it.
Sheng Yu might be useless when it came to fighting for resources, but at a critical juncture like this, they wouldn’t dare slack off.
Handling brand partners, crisis PR, controlling public opinion. Qiu Lang had been up all night. After multiple failed attempts to contact Gu Heng and the blogger, his temper had finally snapped.
"Just post it. We've given them way more face than they deserve.”
They organized the evidence, checked the wording carefully, and prepared the official statements.
The next afternoon, the trending page changed completely once again.
The now-completed itinerary had become convincing enough on its own. The video, released by the studio's official account as hard evidence, plus the filing records showing legal action against several rumor-mongering marketing accounts, hit like a bucket of boiling oil thrown onto a raging fire.
#GuHengYeYue#, #XiaoLiCan’tWakeUp#, #QiYaoWronged#.
One topic after another dominated the homepage, the heat showing no signs of dying down.
[Holy shit, Sheng Yu went hard this time. How did this tiny little company manage to dig up evidence like this? So damn impressive. Begged for a hammer and got one!!]
[Who even is this woman... Never seen her before, what a nobody.]
[All of you who were dragging Qi Yao??? Gonna come apologize or not??? She denied that relationship so sincerely, and you called it a guilty conscience?]
[No way no way no way, did these two cheating dogs really try to use someone else as a human shield? One played dead and the other played dumb? Honestly, you two deserve each other. Hope you stay together forever.]
[@XiaoLiCantWakeUp So many netizens were outraged on your behalf, and this is how you repay them? Dragging innocent people into your mess while acting all vague? What exactly was the point??]
[Did she get paid by competitors to sabotage people or what... This is ridiculously petty. I actually felt bad for her before. Now I just feel bad for beautiful Yao-mei. She really got screwed over.]
[What kind of trash paparazzi is this vile? Trespassing on private property and still pretending to be a bystander, then threatening people??? The audacity is unreal.]
[This pap is a repeat offender. Doesn't just follow artists into their complexes to take photos, but also threatens them. Hope he rots in hell. ❤]
[Even as a random passerby I have to say this beauty suffered way too much. Dragged by force into a three-person love mess and somehow caught the most heat. I'm a fan now.]
All at once, countless capital-driven operations kicked into gear behind the scenes. Marketing accounts started digging up her old interviews and livestreams with Gu Heng, picking apart every tiny detail they could spin into a new narrative.
Back then, rejecting Gu Heng’s invitation for a second collaboration during a livestream had been called arrogant. Now it became independence and clear-headedness.
The way she quietly redirected questions during interviews used to be criticized as lacking social awareness. Now it became sharp intuition.
And so on.
In the entertainment world, public opinion was the least controllable thing.
And also the easiest thing to control.
Qi Yao’s name hung on the trending list almost the entire day. The attached labels changed over and over.
“Qi Yao, Poor Thing.”
“Qi Yao, Clear-Minded Queen.”
“Qi Yao, Career-Focused.”
There was also a small, unexpected trending topic: "Qi Yao High School Classmate.” It sat near the bottom of the rankings, not quite popular enough to last. After briefly lingering there, it disappeared quietly again.
And yet somehow, it had still managed to gain a surprising number of followers.
All in all, everything was moving in a better direction.
The negative labels were washed clean. The association was smoothly severed. CP fans were naturally filtering themselves out. Her public favorability and follower count both surged upward.
Even Lizi secretly sighed in marvel. She'd thought Yao-mei had genuinely been scared yesterday. Instead, she'd reacted instantly, telling Ye Qingman on the other end of the line to start recording, then pulling the parking garage surveillance footage, and methodically piecing everything together until the truth surfaced.
Calm. Composed. Sharp.
Those were her defining traits.
Always the gentlest, most harmless sheep in the flock, her fleece even whiter and softer than the others. But underneath it all was a strength and resilience nobody could rival.
Qi Yao, of course, knew nothing of these reflections.
She didn't care to follow public opinion. At this very moment, she was staring blankly at her phone screen.
Two messages lay in her WeChat window, eent ten minutes ago.
[S]: Know how to play mahjong?
[S]: We’re one short.
Of course she did.
Was there even such a thing as someone from C City who couldn’t play mahjong?
Yu Jiashu watched the “typing...” indicator appear and disappear on the other side for nearly ten minutes before a hesitant reply finally came through.
[1]: Are they good?
[1]: Am I gonna lose a lot of money?
Where had all that confidence from yesterday’s gaming session gone?
Yu Jiashu could practically picture her expression, eager to join in yet conflicted at the same time. Unable to hold it back, he tipped his head and laughed softly.
[S]: They suck.
[S]: I’ll wait for you outside.
As he replied, he stood up and rapped his knuckles against the table where the other two sat.
“Act dumber later.”
Yan Jiu looked up from her phone. “How dumb?”
“One look at Jiujiu and people can tell she's never been dumb a day in her life. Might be a challenge.”
Da Bai picked up a mahjong tile and spoke in an exaggeratedly sugary voice.
“Gege, is this one bamboo or dots? I can’t tell~”
"That's not dumb, that's straight-up brain-damaged." Zhou Qi hurled a throw pillow at him. "Jiu-jiu and Yao-mei are way too smart for that. They could probably play a perfect hand with their eyes closed."
"Fine by me." Yan Jiu laughed, visibly satisfied and gave a thumbs up.
"Anyway, just go easy on her." Yu Jiashu reached the entryway and pressed the door handle, pulling it shut behind him without looking back. As he headed toward the stairwell, he tossed out one last line, perfectly casual.
"I'll cover your losses."
“...”
The living room fell silent for a moment.
The three exchanged knowing looks. Da Bai and Zhou Qi both shook their heads with complicated expressions.
Yan Jiu clicked her tongue lightly and sent a message to someone on WeChat, saying that a certain somebody was practically bubbling pink hearts lately.
The reply came shamelessly fast: More than me? I doubt it.
The stairwell was quiet, the draft from the hallway much gentler here.
Yu Jiashu leaned against the polished marble wall tiles, watching as Qi Yao opened her door and stepped outside.
She was dressed simply as always. A loose solid-colored hoodie layered over white innerwear, paired with a dark short skirt that revealed long, slender legs.
Maybe because she’d been dubbing all morning, her hair was casually tied into a bun. Loose strands framed the sides of her face, making it appear even smaller.
Qi Yao closed the door behind her and pressed her lips together, looking at him.
Neither of them moved, as though there were still unfinished words lingering between them before they reentered the noisy atmosphere waiting inside.
“That video...” Qi Yao hesitated before speaking. “How did you even think of that?”
Yu Jiashu tapped his fingers idly against his thigh. "Went down to grab something that day. Happened to see it."
But he wasn't the type to pay attention to things like that. Countless people brushed past him everyday, unremarked passersby he never gave a second thought. Qi Yao was a little skeptical.
“Did you know him?”
“No.” He lifted a brow lazily, answering immediately. “Cheating scumbags aren't worth knowing."
The final syllable rose lightly at the end, carrying a faint sense of couldn’t-be-bothered disdain.
“Then why did you remember him?”
“I just did.” Yu Jiashu sounded perfunctory.
Qi Yao: “...”
Now he was just being unreasonable. She pressed her lips together and said nothing more.
Yu Jiashu had originally been half leaning against the wall with one hand in his pocket. Now he unhurriedly shifted his weight back upright.
"I've got several files in there, you know. And you’re only asking about him?”
“...No.” Qi Yao said softly, “I just don’t know how to ask about the others.”
“How else would you ask?” He looked at her lazily. “Our photo is now sitting on the coffee table.”
Qi Yao felt heat rush to her face. "That doesn’t really count as a proper photo together. I just... accidentally entered the frame.”
Her voice was soft and quiet, shyness woven into every word.
Including those few on his Weibo, they were all accidental shared frames.
They hadn’t even been in the same class back in high school.
Not even in graduation photos could they stand side by side.
Yu Jiashu stared at her for a moment, then let out a low amused laugh. “Fine. So when are you gonna take a proper one with me, then?"
Qi Yao’s fingers curled slightly around her phone.
For a moment, she couldn’t answer.
“Hey, hey, hey! Are you two still playing or not?!” Da Bai shouted from inside. “Should we bring a chair out for you two? Standing around talking must be exhausting.”
Qi Yao’s lashes trembled. She quickly averted her gaze, fixed her eyes on the tile floor, and stepped forward, a little awkward. "...Let's go."
The man shifted slightly sideways, blocking her path.
Qi Yao looked up to find him gazing down at her, not letting her pass. He studied her for a moment, then spoke again.
"That photo I took last time. Your fans said my photography skills could still use some work."
His voice was low and lazy, the ending drawled out with obvious amusement.
Qi Yao’s brain stalled completely. She had to replay the sentence two or three times in her head before it sluggishly dawned on her what he meant.
He was talking about the photo he’d taken during their walk that night.
The one she’d secretly posted on Weibo.
“...”
Heat exploded across her ears almost instantly.
Qi Yao felt a jolt of shock, then a wave of pure fluster. Her eyes went wide. "You follow my alt account?!"
Yu Jiashu didn’t answer.
He gazed down at her for a long moment, black pupils glimmering faintly like polished obsidian beneath the light.
Then his long fingers moved slightly.
He opened the camera on his phone and casually held it out toward her.
A lazy smile rested between his brows and eyes as he called out to her in the same casual, familiar tone as always.
“So how should I take it to make it look better?”
“Teach me, Teacher Qi.”
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