Chapter 10

Chapter 10

People familiar with Xing Ye all knew he wasn’t someone who loved reposting promotions for others.

And aside from movie promotion periods, he never participated in any variety shows. Since “Who Is the Murderer” began airing, they had invited him several times to be a celebrity guest, but all ended in failure.

The more this was the case, the more eye-catching his sudden repost became.

The key point was that he not only reposted, but also added a meaningful “Worked hard,” which made netizens’ imaginations run wild, wanting to know who he was saying it to.

Someone quickly thought of an answer: “Is Brother Ye helping Teacher Wu Qian promote?”

Wu Qian was one of the celebrity guests in this episode, nicknamed the Golden Supporting Actor. He had once collaborated with Xing Ye on a film, and it was said the two had a close private friendship, so the guess seemed reasonable.

But some people felt it was impossible.

“Would he speak so gently to Teacher Wu Qian? Eww—”

“Stop overthinking, OP! But I also think it’s not Wu Qian. Besides him, which guest is Xing Ye familiar with? Sun Yuxin? Hahaha sorry I laughed.”

“Xing Ye: If you don’t understand, don’t pretend you do—warning.”

“Friends, I have a bold guess. You can’t forget Pei Chuzhi! Can’t an NPC have ‘worked hard’?”

“That’s even more impossible. How would she have that much face.”

“Our Zhizhi must have that much face!”

In the living room, Qiao Na, scrolling on her phone, shouted loudly, full of confidence in her friend. “He must’ve seen Sun Yuxin’s fans bullying you and came out to back you up. But if that’s the case, why didn’t he directly @ you?”

How would Pei Chuzhi know why.

Right now, she felt a mouthful of blood stuck in her throat, ready to spit out at any time.

Next time they dated, she had to remember to remind Xing Ye to notify her before doing something big.

She was just a weak, helpless little nobody who hadn’t seen the world; she couldn’t withstand his willful hype tactics.

But to be safe, Pei Chuzhi still sent him a message first:

“What did that Weibo mean?”

Xing Ye seemed to be waiting for her question and replied quickly: “The meaning you think. Remember to cooperate.”

Pei Chuzhi stared at the words “cooperate” for a few seconds, vaguely guessing Xing Ye’s intention.

He just wanted to use this to attract attention, and when the atmosphere was at its hottest, letting her appear would have a much better effect.

But in what way should she make her grand entrance?

During the half-minute she hesitated, Xing Ye seemed impatient and directly sent a voice message.

Pei Chuzhi avoided Qiao Na’s eager gaze and pressed the phone to her ear.

“Hm? Do I need to teach you how to hype?”

The ending tone rose slightly, conveying confusion and doubt.

And she wasn’t sure if she was overthinking, but after hearing it she felt…

there was a trace of mockery in it.

“No need, I know what to do.”

Her competitive spirit inexplicably rose. After pressing send, she quickly opened Weibo.

One minute passed, two minutes passed…

Pei Chuzhi was like a poor student unable to write an 800-word essay, not knowing where to start.

After all, according to her own personality, she would never actively participate in such high-profile “public affection display,” and she couldn’t think of anything particularly intimidating to say.

Awkward.

Pei Chuzhi deleted the words she had just typed and accidentally clicked into the latest comments.

Several eye-catching comments were piled up.

“Guess anyone but Pei Chuzhi, okay? Brother Ye has cued her several times and she never responded. We don’t dare touch such an aloof newcomer anymore.”

“To be honest, if Xing Ye wants to promote juniors that’s fine, but please change the person next time.”

Pei Chuzhi suddenly froze, and certain details she had long overlooked became particularly clear at this moment.

Scenes from several weeks ago quietly surfaced before her eyes.

In the bright conference room where only the two of them were present.

Xing Ye lowered his head in front of her, his voice light and low, like a lover’s murmur, guiding her to give the correct response.

A faint pink spread over Pei Chuzhi’s earlobes.

If all the contact since signing the contract had been acting, she felt her recent performance hadn’t passed.

Xing Ye handed her the scene, but she hadn’t caught it.

“I should love you.”

Under Xing Ye’s gentle gaze, she had clearly responded like this.

If she truly loved Xing Ye, she definitely wouldn’t be able to hide those little thoughts—wanting to show off yet not daring to make it public.

Half an hour after Xing Ye’s unprecedented repost of the “Who Is the Murderer” promotional post, Pei Chuzhi finally spoke:

“Being able to meet Senior Xing Ye at the recording site was already super exciting. I didn’t expect to also receive encouragement from senior. I’ll remember your words and keep working hard.”

She used the repost-with-comment reply format, and before long it was picked up as the top comment by onlookers.

The replies below also expressed disbelief:

“Is this claiming? Friends, I can’t help looking forward to a car crash.”

“Wait, Brother Ye also went to this recording?”

“??? Husband, come out and explain—did you go to see friends or other women!”

Among the buzzing comments, an answer soon appeared.

Xing Ye: “Went to find her.”

…

With those words, the earlier poll about whether Sun Yuxin or Pei Chuzhi was prettier became insignificant.

Everyone’s focus shifted entirely to Pei Chuzhi and Xing Ye.

Qiao Na, who had watched the entire process, was dumbfounded. After a long while she grabbed Pei Chuzhi’s collar and shook her wildly: “Are you two showing affection? That’s too much! No, no—even ten autographs won’t make me forgive you!”

Pei Chuzhi was almost shaken into a concussion. After finally calming her best friend on the verge of losing control, she at last had time to check the new message on her phone.

On the screen lay four words sent by Xing Ye:

“Happy cooperation.”

Pei Chuzhi curved her eyes and smiled, also replying with four words: “Looking forward to the date.”

·

Tuesday arrived in a flash.

Given the special nature of this date, Tang Dong specifically came to Pei Chuzhi’s home to repeatedly instruct her: “We arranged people at the restaurant. They’ll take a few photos from a ‘sneak shot’ angle. Remember to maintain your condition—don’t waste the opportunity, got it?”

While putting on earrings, Pei Chuzhi said, “Brother Tang, don’t worry. I now have some experience with hype.”

“…”

Tang Dong inexplicably felt like he had led a good student astray.

But when he looked up and examined the fully prepared Pei Chuzhi, that feeling disappeared.

How to put it—clearly it was a very ordinary beige sweater paired with black jeans, yet with those exaggerated tassel earrings and carefully painted red lips, the originally fresh outfit immediately became seductive.

“Luckily your personality isn’t the same as your looks,” Tang Dong patted his chest in lingering fear. “Otherwise I’d really worry you’d end up playing Xing Ye.”

Pei Chuzhi smiled lightly, a striking brilliance in her brows and eyes. “He doesn’t look like an easy target either. Who plays whom isn’t certain.”

Tang Dong imagined the two standing together and couldn’t help nodding seriously.

There was some traffic on the way to the restaurant.

By the time Pei Chuzhi arrived at the date location, it was already 7 p.m.

The restaurant had been booked by Song Shiqing.

It was said he chose it because the private rooms weren’t very concealed—only a layer of bamboo curtain separated the doorway—making it convenient for them to arrange people to secretly take photos.

After learning the reason, Pei Chuzhi found it amusing.

Other artists wished for maximum secrecy, but she and Xing Ye deliberately did the opposite.

Public interaction on Weibo was one thing; now even private dining was used as hype material, ready to be thrown out at any time to ignite the relationship.

The waiter kept his head lowered and led Pei Chuzhi to the outermost private room.

Just as Song Shiqing said, as soon as she approached, she saw the vague silhouette of a man through the gap in the bamboo curtain.

And with a slight downward glance, she saw a pair of unbelievably long legs beneath the half curtain.

The waiter lifted the curtain for her. Pei Chuzhi turned to thank him, and her gaze casually caught someone in the corner behind her holding up a phone and filming in this direction.

Whoever that person was, he seemed afraid others wouldn’t know he was secretly filming—everything about him looked suspicious.

“…”

Pei Chuzhi pretended not to see and walked in with a smile.

Xing Ye slowly lifted his eyes. The warm yellow light edged him in gold. If not for the slight frown on his brow, he really looked like a young man waiting for his girlfriend.

Pei Chuzhi smiled at him, mindful of the waiter’s presence, and used a slightly coquettish tone: “Sorry, there was traffic on the way. Did you wait long?”

In her imagination, as a qualified “boyfriend,” he should magnanimously say he didn’t mind her lateness, preferably smiling gently and saying, “It’s fine, I just got here too.”

Unexpectedly, Xing Ye nodded seriously. “Half an hour. It’s a bit long.”

Pei Chuzhi: “…”

That makes it impossible to respond, okay?

The waiter beside them twitched at the corner of his eye, clearly not expecting the legendary big star to be so straightforward when meeting a girl.

Pei Chuzhi took a deep breath, reminding herself to stay calm. She handed her coat to the waiter to hang up, then gracefully sat beside Xing Ye.

To make secret filming easier, Song Shiqing had deliberately booked a smaller private room, so the table inside naturally wasn’t wide.

After she sat down, their arms could only slightly brush together, making them appear especially intimate.

The waiter handed over the menu, his voice trembling slightly while introducing today’s ingredients, probably shocked by the sudden big gossip.

But this restaurant was near several film and television companies in Yan City, and industry insiders often came.

The well-informed waiter maintained professional composure and didn’t do anything irrational.

After ordering, the waiter bowed again, lifted the bamboo curtain, and left.

Pei Chuzhi quickly entered combat mode.

Xing Ye clearly knew the people outside were seizing the chance to secretly take photos.

In that lightning-fast moment, the two exchanged a smile, affection instantly on full display.

The bamboo curtain silently closed.

Pei Chuzhi let out a breath, feeling she hadn’t done such improvised acting in a long time.

She picked up the teacup on the table and softly asked, “Do you think he got the shot?”

Xing Ye thought for a moment and said, “The person was found by Song Shiqing—a professional paparazzo. I heard his professional standards are solid.”

Pei Chuzhi almost choked on her tea. She turned her head in disbelief. “Aren’t you afraid he’ll talk nonsense outside?”

“He owes Song Shiqing a favor.”

Xing Ye didn’t explain the reason in detail, just casually pulled a tissue and handed it over. “Reliable.”

Pei Chuzhi wiped the corner of her lips with the tissue and continued along this topic: “I heard Song Shiqing graduated from a famous overseas university in finance. Why would he want to be an agent?”

Xing Ye glanced at her. “You’re on a date with me, yet you’re concerned about Song Shiqing?”

Pei Chuzhi froze, then after a moment explained, “I was just asking casually. Otherwise I can’t exactly ask why you wanted to be an actor, right? Everyone knows how you entered the industry.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she regretted it a bit.

What’s going on, Pei Chuzhi?

You actually dared to retort to a Best Actor?

Before she could figure out how to salvage it, Xing Ye lazily laughed. “True. Then what about you? Why did you want to be an actor?”

A nostalgic look appeared on Pei Chuzhi’s face.

It was an expression Xing Ye had never seen. She tilted her head and smiled, her eyes curving, making the light in them brighter.

“Influenced by what I constantly heard and saw.”

Pei Chuzhi rested her chin on her hand, her voice gentle. “My family used to have a very beautiful garden. Back then, my parents had friends in the film and television circle, so occasionally they borrowed our garden to shoot.”

Xing Ye lowered his gaze, then lifted his eyelids after a moment. “Really? What productions did they shoot?”

“I had just started elementary school then. I didn’t recognize any stars, and after so many years I don’t remember anymore.”

“But watching for a long time, I realized acting is very interesting.”

“No matter what those people were like off camera, once they stood in front of it, they seemed to become completely different people. Like magic.”

As she spoke, Pei Chuzhi laughed cheerfully again. “But not everyone filmed smoothly. I remember a little boy who kept acting badly. The director had quite a temper and announced on the spot that he’d be replaced and not allowed to act. He ran angrily into the artificial rock cave to hide. In the end I coaxed him out with a piece of candy.”

Xing Ye’s voice lowered. “And then?”

“And then there was no ‘then.’”

Pei Chuzhi thought carefully and realized she truly couldn’t remember. “Forget it. I don’t even remember what he looked like, and I don’t know whether he continued acting.”

Xing Ye’s breathing paused. Then, as if thinking of something, he let out a hoarse laugh.

·

After dinner, the two took the elevator down to the garage.

The building’s garage was oddly designed. After exiting the elevator, they still had to walk through three corridors to reach the parking area.

The underground level was colder. Pei Chuzhi put on her coat while walking. Just as she closed the front, the corner of her eye caught a flicker of light in the dimness.

She quickly thought of the person Song Shiqing had arranged, and couldn’t help twitching her mouth. Since there was no one else here, he could just come closer to shoot—why be so professional hiding in the dark?

“That person…”

She turned, wanting to complain to Xing Ye.

Before she finished, she saw Xing Ye’s expression turn cold. Before she realized what happened, her body was suddenly pulled back, stumbling into the man’s solid chest.

Xing Ye wrapped an arm around her shoulders, stepped back several times, and hid behind a wall.

Pei Chuzhi raised her head blankly. “What’s wrong?”

Xing Ye applied slight force, pressing the back of her head so her face lowered. He bent down, warm breath lingering by her ear. “Don’t make a sound. That’s not the person we arranged.”

Pei Chuzhi blinked. At such close distance, she could smell the faint scent of laundry detergent on Xing Ye.

Compared to his unruly appearance, this subtle fragrance felt strangely unfamiliar.

But his embrace was warmer than she had imagined.

That warmth passed through the barrier of clothing, letting her thin body feel a steady stream of heat, so that her cheeks and the side of her neck also began to grow hot.

Time flowed silently.

After waiting in torment for a while, Pei Chuzhi finally couldn’t help raising her head. “Um…”

“Mm?”

Xing Ye lowered his eyelashes, her puzzled expression reflected in his dark pupils.

“Weren’t we… originally trying to get exposed?”

“…”

“Now that someone came to secretly photograph us,” she spoke only in a breathy whisper, light as a feather brushing past, “wouldn’t that be even better?”

The air froze awkwardly.

After a few seconds of silence, Xing Ye expressionlessly released his hand.

“Oh, forgot.”

Author’s note: Sorry, today’s longer update came late. Little cuties, please forgive me for the word count (:з」∠)

Also, some smart readers must already know who that little boy is, right?