Chapter 8
The next morning, upon hearing someone else get up, Qiu Chi quickly finished her game and changed her clothes before heading out.
Downstairs in the dining room, Qiu Chi was eating at a leisurely pace. Every colleague from the film crew who came for breakfast could see her.
Qiu Chi was always an early riser, so they weren't surprised.
It wasn't until Sister Wang arrived and greeted Qiu Chi that things got interesting. “Morning. I didn’t realize you were such a lightweight. Teacher Fang and I had to help you back to your room yesterday. You should remember to thank Teacher Fang later.”
Qiu Chi nodded. “Got it, thank you.”
With someone breaking the ice, the more gossipy crew members couldn't help but gather around. “Qiu Chi, Teacher Fang is so good to you. Do you really not have any feelings for him?”
“Yeah, Qiu Chi, Teacher Fang is a pretty great guy. You shouldn’t always be pushing people away.”
Qiu Chi replied, “My heart is set on my career.”
“You can have both a career and a love life.”
“That’s right, love can be a nice little spice in life.”
As they were chattering away, a sudden scream echoed from one of the rooms.
Of course, besides Qiu Chi, none of the people eating downstairs heard it.
But those who were closer or had just left their rooms heard it clearly, as the hotel’s soundproofing wasn’t the best.
Thinking something had happened, they rushed to knock on Liu Yuer’s door. “Teacher Liu, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“I’m-I’m fine. I just had a nightmare and got scared…”
“Oh, I see. Should I call your assistant to come stay with you?”
“No, it’s okay. I’m much better now. My head just hurts a little. Could you please ask the director for a day off for me?”
“Sure. You get some rest, then. We won’t bother you.”
Once the footsteps outside faded away, Liu Yuer finally let out a sigh of relief. She turned to Fang Yuming, her brow furrowed deeply as she questioned him in a low voice, “Shouldn’t you be with Qiu Chi? Why are you here?”
Fang Yuming’s brow was also knitted. He was in no better shape than Liu Yuer, his entire body aching.
Hearing Liu Yuer’s question, he snorted coldly. “I’d also like to know why I’m here. I’m certain I went to Qiu Chi’s room yesterday!”
Fang Yuming’s words reminded Liu Yuer of what had happened the previous day—he had come to find her, and she had been knocked unconscious right after opening the door.
Her expression instantly turned ugly.
Seeing this, Fang Yuming asked, “What did you remember?”
Liu Yuer shot him a vicious glare but said nothing.
Fang Yuming frowned. “Why are you glaring at me? Even if we were out-schemed by Qiu Chi, weren’t you the one with malicious intentions? For all we know, Qiu Chi has photos of us now. You’d better figure out what to do.”
“What else can we do? The only option now is to make this ‘couple’ thing real and then break up later. Qiu Chi, just you wait! I won’t let you get away with this!”
With both the male and female leads of the production taking a day off, and recalling the scream from that morning, those who lived next to Liu Yuer and remembered the sounds from last night wore rather suggestive expressions.
Soon, rumors that Liu Yuer and Fang Yuming were together began to circulate on set. Someone even broke the news that they were officially a couple.
The people who had been trying to persuade Qiu Chi to accept Fang Yuming that very morning suddenly felt incredibly awkward.
To prevent Qiu Chi from releasing any photos, the pair acted swiftly. The very next day, they announced to everyone that they were together.
On the surface, of course, everyone offered their congratulations.
Qiu Chi naturally joined in, but upon seeing her, Liu Yuer’s smile faltered. The sight of her trying to smile when she clearly didn’t want to was extremely strange.
Qiu Chi paid it no mind and simply walked away.
Watching Qiu Chi’s retreating back, Liu Yuer’s face twisted with venom. Fang Yuming stepped in front of her, blocking others’ view, and hissed in a low voice, “Get a hold of yourself. Do you want everyone to see that you hate Qiu Chi and were trying to harm her?”
Liu Yuer gritted her teeth. “If it weren’t for her, why would I ever end up with you…”
Fang Yuming was displeased. “What’s wrong with being with me? It’s not like you’re some innocent maiden. Don’t act like I took your first time. I know you’re hung up on President Lu, but I’m still interested in Qiu Chi, you know.”
“If you’re interested in her, then get close to her. When the show airs, I’m going to make sure she’s branded as a homewrecker! Don’t you dare get soft-hearted and back out then.”
“This isn’t about whether I’m soft-hearted. You’re trying to ruin me too. I don’t care if you go after Qiu Chi, but if you try to destroy my career, you can’t blame me for being ruthless.”
“…Then hurry up and get close to her! Take some pictures and give them to me!”
Qiu Chi, who was reading a book, curled her lip into a slight smile. She found them to be utterly clueless, still plotting against her at a time like this.
Did they really think the photos would be useless just because they were now boyfriend and girlfriend?
However, Qiu Chi had no intention of releasing the photos directly. But since they were still so fixated on her, she thought she might as well let Lu Mingxuan have a look.
After all, Liu Yuer was obsessed with Lu Mingxuan. As for how he would react after seeing them, that was none of her business.
Qiu Chi was a person of action. The moment the idea struck, she acted on it. During her lunch break, she found an internet cafe, anonymously emailed the photos to Lu Mingxuan, and then erased her tracks before leaving for a bookstore.
She had discovered that programming was quite interesting. Not only was it interesting, but it was also incredibly useful in this era. She needed to study it properly.
While Qiu Chi was busy filming and studying, Gu Ting found himself in a dilemma.
On one hand, he was incredibly annoyed seeing Qiu Chi appear with Lu Mingxuan.
On the other hand, he felt that his past feelings for Su Yingying weren't love at all, but rather the familial affection of childhood sweethearts who grew up together.
What he felt for Su An'an, that was love. He just hadn't understood it before and had hurt her.
Now that he understood his own heart, he wanted to win her back and make it up to her.
But just then, Su Yingying had said, “Brother Ting, I like you. All those times I said I saw you as a brother, it was only because I thought I didn't have long to live. I said it on purpose.”
“Now I’m better, but you’re engaged to my sister. I don’t want to hurt her, and I don’t want to make things difficult for you. I was originally going to let go of my feelings for you.”
“But-but at the banquet, seeing Sister with another man made me realize she doesn’t cherish you at all. I was so angry, so I decided I couldn’t hold back any longer.”
“Brother Ting, I like you. I’ve liked you since we were little. Can we be together? You like me too, right?”
Su Yingying’s slightly moist eyes gazed at him tenderly, filled with a hint of anticipation.
Even though Gu Ting felt he now understood his own heart, he found it difficult to refuse the girl who had grown up alongside him.
So he remained silent.
The hopeful light in Su Yingying’s eyes instantly dimmed. Her eyes grew wetter, and a single tear rolled down her cheek, feeling as if it had landed right in Gu Ting’s heart. His heart clenched, and the words tumbled out of his mouth, “Yes, I like you too.”
Su Yingying’s dim eyes instantly lit up. She couldn't help but break into a tearful smile and threw herself into Gu Ting’s arms. “I knew it! I knew Brother Ting liked me.”
Holding Su Yingying, Gu Ting felt exceptionally conflicted.
After hearing a loud fart, he pushed Su Yingying away. Averting his gaze from her face, he said in a heavy voice, “But, I’m already engaged to your sister.”
“But Sister already said she would give you to me, and she has another man by her side now. Are you rejecting me because of the engagement, or is it because… you’ve come to despise me, Brother Ting?”
“Of course not. You’re the little sister I grew up with, how could I ever…”
Before he could finish, he heard something being knocked over behind him. Gu Ting turned his head, and his pupils shrank when he saw what Su Yingying was doing. “Yingying, what are you doing? Put the knife down!”
“‘Little sister,’ it’s all lies. Brother Ting just despises me. If even Brother Ting despises me, then I might as well just die…”
Su Yingying was truly ruthless. She sliced the knife across her own wrist without hesitation.
Gu Ting was terrified. He quickly stopped her from making a second cut and rushed her to the hospital, all the while promising, “I was wrong. How could I ever despise you, Yingying? Since you want to be with me, I’ll be with you, even if no one else agrees!”
Nestled in Gu Ting’s arms, a smile finally appeared on Su Yingying’s face.
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