Starlight Descends - 70
Acting Pitiful
Qi Yao stood frozen in surprise for several seconds and slowly lifted her gaze.
The winter wind howled through the nearly empty street.
Standing outside the hotel entrance, she looked through the spotless glass doors into the brightly lit lobby and found him immediately.
Dressed in a black coat, the man stood tall and straight, looking effortlessly relaxed. One long hand held his phone loosely against his ear as he quietly watched her.
Their eyes met.
The only sound left in the receiver was the wind.
Qi Yao tightened her grip on her phone. Her lips parted, but for a moment she had no idea what to say.
...He'd come again.
The last time, it had been because she was sick.
This time, it was because of something she'd never even managed to ask for.
Simply... because she wanted him here.
"If I weren't worried about people recognizing us, I'd come outside and hug you."
Yu Jiashu had a grip on the back of Yu Qiuqiu's collar, stopping her from dashing out the doors. He lowered his head and murmured into the phone. "Come inside. It's cold."
Qi Yao answered with a slow little "Mm."
She obediently zipped her down jacket all the way to her chin, waited while Lizi unloaded the luggage from the van, then followed her into the hotel.
Now that the production had money to spend, Xiao Man hadn't been stingy.
She'd booked the best hotel nearby and reserved an entire floor for the cast and crew, which had sparked a chorus of "Thank you, dear investor!" echoed throughout the set yet again.
Naturally, all the teasing eyes landed squarely on Qi Yao.
Blushing, she'd once again simply pulled her hood lower and urged everyone to get back to work.
The lobby was busy with people checking in.
With Spring Festival approaching, families and friends vacationing together filled the hotel, gathering in small groups and making the spacious lobby feel crowded.
Qi Yao wore a cap and mask, wrapped up so tightly that only her eyes were visible. Even so, she still attracted attention as she walked through the crowd.
The phone call hadn't ended.
As she stepped inside, she stole a glance at him beneath the brim of her cap.
Yu Jiashu had already sat down. He leaned casually against the sofa with his usual calm expression, his handsome profile sharp and clean.
Beside him, Yu Qiuqiu happily sucked on a lollipop.
Her eyes bright and wide. As Qi Yao walked farther through the lobby, the little girl kept turning her whole body to follow her like a sunflower tracking the sun.
Every few seconds she gave an enthusiastic update to the person next to her.
"Yaoyao-jiejie is at the front desk now!"
"Yaoyao-jiejie is at the elevators now!"
It felt like an adorable little red-carpet livestreamer.
Qi Yao couldn't help laughing and quickly looked away.
With so many people around, neither of them spoke again. Listening only to the quiet bustle surrounding the other through the phone, they reached the same silent agreement.
They'd go upstairs separately.
Once inside the elevator. Unsure whether the signal would survive, Qi Yao lowered her phone, ready to hang up.
Then she caught the hushed conversation of a few girls behind her.
"He's seriously so handsome... Damn... kind of regretting not asking for his WeChat…"
"I told you to go! Now you regret it? When are you ever gonna run into a guy that hot again? You've gotta shoot your shot."
"But I thought that little girl was his daughter! No matter how handsome he is, I'm not raising somebody else's kid!"
Qi Yao's hand paused. She lifted her eyes to the mirrored elevator doors, quietly studying the girls behind her through the reflection.
They looked like university students on vacation, pulling their suitcases. Young and pretty.
The girl on the left was exasperated. "I already told you! Xiaohan heard the little girl call him 'Gege.' He's that young, how could he have a kid that old? What, did he become a dad at eighteen?"
The girl in the middle hesitated. "I guess you're right."
The girl on the right, presumably Xiaohan, glanced cautiously toward Qi Yao. Seeing that she didn't seem to be listening, she lowered her voice.
"Also, that watch on his wrist is obviously expensive. He totally gives off that cold, arrogant rich heir vibe. You wouldn't lose out hooking up with someone like that."
"Even if it's just one night," Xiaohan said. "Just go for it. What's the harm?"
The girl in the middle frowned, visibly torn.
Only after the elevator reached the tenth floor and Qi Yao stepped out did the girl finally seem to make up her mind.
"Let's go! I'm asking him!"
Her two friends cheered quietly. The moment Qi Yao and Lizi walked out, they hurriedly pressed the button, reversing the elevator's upward journey. The doors slid shut, heading back down to the first floor.
"What was that? Were they talking about the Young President Yu?" Lizi hugged her thermos, frowning. "All that 'you wouldn't lose out' stuff, 'just one night'...Why does that sound so weird?"
Qi Yao didn't answer.
They continued down the hallway, her room was at the very end.
As Lizi continued muttering to herself, Qi Yao glanced absentmindedly at her phone.
The call...hadn't disconnected.
"Hello?" she said, lifting it to her ear.
A second later, the signal finally caught up.
"Made it?" Yu Jiashu asked.
Qi Yao hummed. In case he didn't know which floor, she added, "Tenth."
"I know." He laughed. "I'm the dear investor, remember? I've got a handle on this stuff."
He tilted his chin toward Yu Qiuqiu.
The little girl immediately understood. Still chewing on her lollipop, she jumped up and ran to press the elevator button.
Yu Jiashu rested an elbow on his knee and rose from the sofa, ambling leisurely toward the elevator.
"When I was inside the elevator just now..." Qi Yao hesitated. "Could you hear anything on my end?"
"No." Yu Jiashu lowered his eyes lazily. "There wasn't any signal."
"...Then why didn't you hang up?"
He seemed to smile. Dragging out his words with his usual lazy drawl, he answered quietly, "Because Her Highness the Princess deserves someone on standby at all times."
He wasn't willing to miss even a single second she might need him.
"..."
Sitting on the balcony swing, Qi Yao paused for a long beat before murmuring, "...Oh."
Silence followed.
She faintly heard the elevator doors opening. Qi Yao figured there was no point for him to waste time waiting on the phone.
"I'll hang up first. See you upstairs."
"Okay."
After ending the call, it suddenly occurred to her.
That elevator had been the exact one carrying those girls downstairs. Meaning they wouldn't even have to return to the lobby. They could ask for his WeChat right at the elevator doors.
Maybe they'd chat for a bit. Maybe the conversation would drift into topics meant only for adults.
"..."
A strange feeling welled up inside her.
A sour, complicated knot.
She stared blankly at the disconnected call.
It wasn't that she didn't trust him, nor was she irrationally jealous. She wasn't that unreasonable. But the thought of someone else wanting him, and not being able to say anything about it openly, left her chest unbearably tight.
They were obviously dating.
Yet in public they had to pretend they were complete strangers who had no connection.
It stung a little.
When would they finally be able to hold hands without hiding?
She drifted aimlessly through the thought. About five minutes later, there was a knock at the door.
Qi Yao walked in from the balcony and opened it.
At eye level, she saw...no one.
Looking down, she found a tiny little girl standing there in a white padded coat, her hair braided in two pigtails.
Probably because she hadn't found a trash can, the lollipop wrapper was still crumpled in her tiny palm.
With both hands, she carefully held out a bouquet. Her bright eyes blinked expectantly. "Hello, Yaoyao-jiejie!"
It was exactly the same sweet little voice she'd heard over the phone.
Soft and childish. Every word perfectly pronounced.
Stretching out her chubby little arms, she offered the flowers. "My name is Yu Qiuqiu! I'm your super awesome, number-one, tiny fan."
...That title just kept getting longer. Super, awesome, number-one, and with admirable self-awareness, she'd tacked on a "tiny."
Qi Yao wanted to laugh. She bent down until her eyes were level with the girl's, accepted the flowers, and smiled warmly. "Thank you, Qiuqiu."
"Come on in." She stepped aside to let the small pink dumpling enter, then lingered in the doorway a moment longer.
The hallway was empty, no one there. Puzzled, Qi Yao turned back and asked the child, "Where's your brother?"
Yu Qiuqiu climbed onto the sofa with both hands, her short little legs dangling in the air.
Blinking innocently, she answered honestly, "He's downstairs talking to some pretty sisters. He told me to come up first."
"..."
Qi Yao: "?"
Two seconds later, she calmly closed the door. "Oh. Okay."
Her face remained expressionless. Inside, she was already laughing coldly.
Ha. Men.
What exactly was so important that he had to send the child away first?
Here she was, trusting him so much.
A lie, all of it! Good guy, bad guy, in the end they'll all enjoy stealing a few moments to chat with wildflowers on the roadside.
Men really were all the same. Boring.
Fuming silently, she opened her tablet and started playing co-op games on 4399 with Yu Qiuqiu.
The little girl specifically wanted to play Prince and Princess Go Home.
A few minutes later, the clueless offender came upstairs and knocked on the door.
Three raps of his knuckles, a long silence, and no response.
After another moment, a little voice finally called through the door.
Yu Qiuqiu, standing dutifully behind it as the official messenger, announced with stiff formality: “Today's famous actress is tired. She doesn't want to see visitors. Please come back another day.”
She sounded every bit like the lady of the house politely turning someone away.
"..."
Yu Jiashu: "?"
One eyebrow slowly rose. He ignored the little brat and spoke directly to Qi Yao.
"So Yu Qiuqiu gets to see you. But I don't?"
"..."
Qi Yao hadn't expected him to see through it that fast. She scoffed. "Qiuqiu is way cuter than you, you know that?"
Yu Qiuqiu nodded along vigorously beside her, showing zero intent to open the door for her brother.
"At least she's not off chatting up other pretty girls!” Qi Yao added indignantly.
Yu Jiashu: "..."
Now he finally understood what's going on.
"Your Highness. I've been wrongfully accused."
He stopped knocking and simply leaned lazily against the doorframe, talking to her through the wood.
He really was innocent. When the elevator doors opened, the three girls inside immediately halted their conversation. The one in the middle hesitated for two seconds, then stepped forward and politely asked if they could talk somewhere more private.
Yu Jiashu didn't react much. He lifted his gaze and glanced over. The spot she pointed to was near the fire escape, quiet, fewer people.
Looking back at her, he replied evenly, "Whatever you need to say, you can say it here."
Cold and decisively distant.
The girl hesitated. Flustered, she looked back at her friends. After receiving encouraging looks, she gathered her courage again.
"It's too crowded here. Might block people getting on and off the elevator, that's not great, right?" she added hastily. "And it really won't take up much of your time."
Only then did Yu Jiashu really look at her. His dark eyes were cool, the sharp lines at their corners hinted at growing impatience.
Anyone who knew him would recognize it immediately.
He was thoroughly annoyed.
The only thing that kept him from showing it was basic courtesy toward a stranger, especially a woman.
People had asked for his contact information too many times growing up. He could tell at a single glance whether someone had actual business or was simply looking for an excuse.
With this many people around, he didn't want to embarrass her publicly. Patting Yu Qiuqiu gently on the head, he told her to head upstairs first, then walked toward the quieter corner.
The girl hurried after him. Her friends were still flashing her encouraging gestures behind her back.
It obviously didn't help.
She hadn't even finished speaking before Yu Jiashu interrupted. "I'm sorry. I have a girlfriend. I don't add other women on WeChat."
His expression remained indifferent, disinterested. Yet somehow that aloof confidence only made him more attractive.
The girl froze for two seconds. Maybe egged on by her friends' earlier words, or something else entirely, she actually opened her mouth and asked, "Your girlfriend's not here, though, is she?"
The implication was unmistakable.
Yu Jiashu looked at her, saying nothing.
She hesitated for a few seconds, then barreled on. "I guessed. You came alone. You checked in alone, so your girlfriend isn't with you. If she's not here, whatever happens during this vacation… She'll never know."
Yu Jiashu slowly raised one brow, a faint smirk tugged at his lips.
She misread it, thinking he was only worried about something else, and rushed to add. "Don't worry, I know the score. Once the vacation's over, it's over, no strings attached. I won't cling."
…
By the time he finished recounting the story, even Qi Yao fell silent behind the door.
...How ridiculous.
She didn't want to judge someone else's life choices, nor could she find anything to say. She simply paused, covered the little pink dumpling's ears, and asked:
"So...How did you answer?"
"I said..." Yu Jiashu paused. Straightening lazily, he skipped over the harsher parts. "I suggested she find someone else."
In truth, he'd been much colder. After hearing her proposal, Yu Jiashu nearly laughed. The corner of his mouth curled into a faintly mocking smile.
He was generally easygoing and reasonably polite, but only toward people who deserved it.
Anyone who crossed his bottom line rarely received kindness.
"Sorry," he had said, voice stripped of emotion. "My girlfriend is far too wonderful, far too beautiful. If we ever broke up, I doubt I'll have any interest in another woman for at least ten years after."
The girl's expression had frozen.
Without a flicker of expression, Yu Jiashu looked at her once more before adding, "Besides, I'm never going to break up with her."
"As for this little trick of yours..." He paused deliberately, the sarcasm landed with perfect precision. "You should save it for someone else."
Her face had turned deathly pale afterward, but Yu Jiashu didn't mention that part.
Standing outside the door now, he reached back to rub his neck once, neatly glossing over the incident, then immediately started acting pitiful.
"I said, my girlfriend is still upstairs, being a good girl and waiting for me. We haven't seen each other for more than ten days. She probably misses me so much she'll cry."
"Guess I was bragging too soon."
"The one who's about to cry, the one who came running like an idiot... is me."
He sighed dramatically. "My girlfriend is such an independent career woman. She won't even open the door for me."
"..."
Something inside Qi Yao's heart melted.
His exaggerated sigh was so obviously fishing for sympathy. And yet, she fell for it every single time.
She pressed her lips together and took her hands off Yu Qiuqiu's ears.
Outside, Yu Jiashu kept talking. "Forget it. It's only a few hours by plane. I can go."
Qi Yao: "..."
Honestly. No one acted pitiful better than he did.
...But there was nothing she could do.
She just fell for it!
Two seconds later, a smile curled across Yu Jiashu's lips.
Even the corners of his eyes softened with amusement as his unwilling, pouting girlfriend glared at him and finally opened the door.
---
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