Starlight Descends - 72
Surprise Inspection
As the Lunar New Year approached, the days seemed to fly by.
Filming wrapped even earlier on New Year's Eve. Winter dusk had yet to settle when the slate clapped for the final time, marking the end of the day's shoot.
The set buzzed with excitement. Someone suggested heading to a little tavern that open all night for food and drinks to celebrate. They invited Qi Yao along, but she just smiled, wished them all a Happy New Year, and politely declined.
"You're even giving us red envelopes, Yaoyao-jie?"
Lizi helped hand them out around the set. The college students all looked flustered, their hands hovering awkwardly as they hesitated over whether they should accept them.
"It's not much," Qi Yao said. She pulled a fluffy white hat over her head, making her face look even smaller, her bright eyes sparkling beneath it. "Just a little New Year's luck."
"I'm a bit older than all of you," she added with a grin. "That makes me one of the elders."
"It's your first New Year away from home too, isn't it? You've all worked hard."
After another round of grateful thanks, the students working lighting and cinematography finally accepted the red envelopes. They remained where they were, watching her walk away beneath the warm glow of the streetlights.
"She's seriously such a nice person. No wonder Wen Chuan likes her so much. I think I like her too."
"Hasn't Wen Chuan changed a lot lately, though? He just quietly focuses on acting now. I saw him memorizing lines in the middle of the night. It honestly feels like he's improved by leaps and bounds."
"I noticed that too. Oh, by the way... have you guys seen the man who's been hanging around the set lately? Apparently, he’s the new investor.”
"Huh? For real? I was wondering why such a ridiculously handsome guy kept sitting behind Director Man every single day without saying a word, and Director Man seems pretty respectful toward him."
"Speaking of which, I once saw him getting into Yao-mei's car."
The young man standing in the middle suddenly remembered something. Smacking himself on the forehead, he awkwardly fished his phone out with his gloved hands.
"Holy crap! I knew he looked familiar! The second you mentioned Yao-mei, I remembered!"
He held his phone out for everyone to see and pressed play on a video.
"Isn't it this guy?"
It was a clip from the press conference.
As the camera zoomed in, the man stood onstage with effortless composure. Tall and elegant, with cool, refined features and a sharply defined jawline, he spoke calmly, each word measured and deliberate.
The group crowded together around the screen. When the video ended, they slowly straightened up.
"...Holy crap."
"He's ridiculously handsome..."
"Those two are dating, aren't they?"
"They have to be. Watching this clip alone already makes me want to ship them. Never mind the fact that he actually came to visit the set."
"Would someone like him really make time during New Year's just for a tiny production like this? Feels more like he used the set visit as an excuse to come see Yao-mei."
"Right! I remember now. That time Yao-mei got sick, I went with Director Man to drop off fruit. I think I saw him there too.”
One scattered clue after another clicked into place.
The more they talked, the more convinced they became.
They exchanged glances for several long seconds, like they'd stumbled upon a secret no one else knew.
After a while, the boy in the middle waved a hand dismissively. "It’s fine. It’s not like we’re gonna spread it around.”
"They really suit each other."
"They really do."
The group tucked the red envelopes into their pockets, slung their arms around each other's shoulders, and headed toward the tavern.
Light snow began drifting from the sky. Tiny flakes shimmered beneath the streetlights, illuminating a figure waiting at the corner of the alley.
The woman who had just declared herself an elder quickened her pace long before she reached him. She broke into a run, lifted slightly off the ground, threw both arms around him, and leaped into his embrace.
He caught her with practiced ease.
A hug that was warm, steady, and solid.
An embrace that made you feel completely safe, one that could wash away every trace of exhaustion.
Nearby, a little girl in a pink-and-white padded jacket squealed as she stretched out her hands to catch the falling snow. The icy flakes made her bare her teeth from the cold, but she endured it anyway. Turning back, she proudly presenting the snow she'd gathered to the two of them.
It was an ordinary winter.
A happy one.
A complete one.
Her first winter no longer spent alone.
***
In early February, Dust Melody officially wrapped filming.
Xiao Man treated the entire cast and crew to one final meal and even ordered a cake. Qi Yao accepted so many bouquets that her arms nearly gave out, bringing this chapter of work to a perfect close.
Once everyone returned after the holiday, the new year also brought a fresh start. Riding the momentum of the drama's completion, Zhao Min's newly established company's Wansheng Media and Qi Yao Studio released a joint statement on their official Weibo accounts, officially announcing her signing.
[Passion conquers all. Welcome @Qi Yao to Wansheng Media. Let’s work together to present an even more outstanding young actress to the world!]
Attached on the post was an official company document bearing its corporate seal.
Zhao Min reposted it on her personal Weibo. Ye Qingman and numerous friends within the industry followed suit. The announcement was formal and completely unexpected.
Even Qiao Nian posted an intentionally vague message without naming her directly.
[Wishing you a brilliant future ahead.]
The internet immediately exploded.
Aside from fans managing the comment sections, even casual netizens had plenty to say.
[Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap! She actually really broke free?? Sis, you’re finally leveling up!!!]
[Congratulations to Yao-mei for escaping that hellhole... May Qiu Lang's trash company disappear already. Everyone type "new artist, all ugly" in the chat.]
[This company and agent are solid. This agent used to rep Song Qinglan, right?]
[Didn't Zhao Min only recently leave her old company? Qi Yao is the first artist she's signed with her own agency. She must really value her.]
[Sorry, but remember those Zhao Min fans who accused Qi Yao of sleeping her way into resources? Bet their faces are swollen from the slap now.]
[sobsobsobsob Our Yao-mei is only going to get better and better! sobsobsobsob]
[Did they wait until her drama wrapped to announce this? I checked it out... honestly it looks like a low-budget amateur production.]
[She's climbed so high, it's not like her debut days. Why is she still taking on these shoddily-produced web dramas? Wansheng needs to do better for her from now on.]
[Looking forward to Wansheng Media's actress Qi Yao! Please support her upcoming works!]
...
Qi Yao skimmed through the comments and soon lost interest.
Wansheng wasn't Shengyu. It was run by experienced industry veterans, so she had no reason to worry about the basics.
Just as she was about to close Weibo, she noticed her browsing history on the homepage. Her fingertip paused. After hesitating for two seconds, she found herself clicking back into that super topic almost on instinct.
Yu Jiashu had come to pick her up. Their car had just left the airport highway when he casually ask with one hand resting loosely on the steering wheel, "Where do you want to eat lunch?"
"Anywhere's fine. You decide," Qi Yao said without looking up, her fingertip sliding across the screen.
[We cp fans of rare pairings are starving. So sad. Mom and Dad never appear together, so we'll make our own food. [Image)]
Qi Yao had to admit, staring at the poster-quality image spliced together from their press conference looks, it actually looked pretty good.
[(Image) Let me contribute one too. Saw it on a proxy seller's WeChat moments. Super blurry, but you can vaguely make out a man in black sitting on a chair behind the monitor. Shu is a man! Shu likes wearing black too! Therefore... that's definitely our Young Master!!!!!!]
[Never mind us. We've officially entered microscope mode. That's Shu! Young Master invested in the project for love and personally came to watch his wife film! Keeping an eye on her like a hawk in all her interactions with male co-stars!!!!]
[I laughed until I cried... Dear heavens, have mercy on us CP fans. Please give us some real sugar. Even my favorite fanfic author is running out of material... Sob…]
[Eating fake sugar as real sugar, eating real sugar like it’s our last meal. We don't even dare mention their names for fear of people noticing us. The tragic life of a rare-pair CP fans.]
Qi Yao: "..."
The entire super topic was practically drowning in misery.
They really did look pitiful.
Just as she was about to exit, she saw a comment from a small account with a default black avatar and a username that was just a string of system-generated numbers.
[That's actually real.]
Scrolling upward, it was a reply to a post claiming they were actually already secretly married. They provided no evidence to back it up. Just complete confidence.
Even when other users questioned the claim, the account maintained an attitude of, ‘Believe it or don't, I know the truth.’
Qi Yao: "..."
"...?"
Why did this tone feel oddly familiar?
Suddenly thinking of that "3 of your friends are following this topic" alert, she glanced at the man beside her, and held out her hand. "Give me your phone for a second."
"Checking up on me?" Yu Jiashu asked casually.
Despite teasing her, he didn't hesitate for even a moment. Still looking ahead, he hit the gas, and casually handed her his phone with one hand.
"I'm a very honest man."
"..."
"As if I care whether you're honest or not," Qi Yao muttered under her breath.
Yu Jiashu chuckled softly and said nothing more, appearing completely unconcerned about what she planned to do.
Qi Yao reached to unlock the phone with the pass code. Who would have thought, the moment her thumb touched the screen, it unlocked instantly.
It was so fast, the process so seamless, she was stunned for two seconds.
"When did you register my fingerprint?"
"A long time ago," Yu Jiashu finally glanced up to catch her eye in the rearview mirror and say leisurely, "The first time you fell asleep at my place."
"...Oh."
She opened Weibo while thinking to herself.
This man really does a lot of things behind the scenes.
And somehow, they’re so... disarming.
Some things hit differently when you discover them by accident.
Her heart softened as she tapped into his account.
"Huh?" She frowned slightly, puzzled. "Why do you have an app lock on Weibo?"
Even with fingerprint access, the separate app lock required an independent password.
Yu Jiashu paused for a second before lifting his eyes toward the rearview mirror again. His expression unreadable.
"Zhou Qi once messed around with my account and posted random things. It traumatized me."
That was understandable.
Qi Yao gave an "oh," nodding, and pressed on, "I won't post anything. Tell me the password?"
After two seconds of silence, Yu Jiashu asked, "What do you want to do?"
"Nothing." She tilted her head toward him and blinked innocently. "My phone's dead. I just want to browse Weibo."
"..."
Another long silence.
"Do you absolutely have to?" he asked.
Qi Yao: "..."
How was she even supposed to answer that?
Finally, Yu Jiashu said, "We'll be home in ten minutes. Just hold on."
Qi Yao: "..."
She fell silent , her gaze lingered on that suspicious app lock.
Something was definitely up!!!!
This guy had even recorded her fingerprint, yet he specifically left a lock on one app. What was he so afraid of her seeing?!?!
If there was nothing to this, she'd write her name backward today.
"Fine." Qi Yao sighed dramatically as she placed the phone on her lap, pretending she'd given up.
Then she distinctly felt the man beside her subtly exhale in relief.
Hah.
Men.
She waited until Yu Jiashu slowly reversed into the parking space before lighting up the screen again with exaggerated surprise.
"Huh? This lock just randomly opened all by itself."
Yu Jiashu was still backing into the spot. Hearing that, he paused, but couldn't stop the car midway.
Two seconds later, he said expressionlessly, "Impossible."
"Don't try to trick me, Qi Shiyi."
He said that, but Qi Yao could clearly feel him reversing much faster, parking neatly inside the lines.
If he didn't confess now, she'd lose the chance.
"It really opened," Qi Yao insisted earnestly.
Two seconds later, she gasped dramatically, sounding as though she'd uncovered a huge secret. "Well, well, Yu Dongdong! So now you’re running a secret account, huh..."
Yu Jiashu froze.
He immediately shifted into park, pulled the key from the ignition, and leaned across from the driver's seat. His long fingers curled around her wrist, pinning it gently against the window as he reached for the phone.
Caught completely off guard, Qi Yao failed to defend herself.
Her wrist twisted over, showing the phone screen fully into view.
The app was never unlocked.
The bright white app lock screen was still sitting there exactly as before.
"..."
Both of them fell silent.
Neither moved.
The quiet stretched between them.
After a long while, Qi Yao finally spoke.
"...So."
"The one running a secret account in the super topic, telling everyone we've been married for a year. It's you, isn't it?"
---
Author's Note:
So... who's the one that got caught this time?
---
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