Most well-matched

Xi Ai only showed surprise for a moment before switching back to Chinese: "Then I'll tell you another secret."

"What?"

This person's voice is actually very suitable for singing, and when he talks about some convoluted foreign language pronunciations, he has a natural appeal: "Actually, these past few days have all been an act."

Chu Yiqi blinked, her helpless expression clearly indicating she hadn't understood. But that suited Xi Ai perfectly; she had no intention of repeating it.

"What?"

"A secret should not be told a second time."

Chu Yiqi grabbed a cushion and threw it at Xi Ai, half-jokingly: "What is it? Xi Ai!"

"I'm here."

Sisie took the cushion with a grin and repeated it again—still in Italian.

Strangely, this time Chu Yiqi didn't say anything. He just thought about it thoughtfully for a moment, then snorted and leaned against Xi Ai.

Neither of them spoke; they just sat leaning against each other for a long time while a movie was played—an art film.

It was at this moment that Xi Ai and Chu Yiqi remembered to talk about what had happened a few days ago.

Xi Ai said, "Let's interview Professor Chu. What are your thoughts on the trending topics of the past two days?"

—Some time ago, when Chu Yiqi went to pick up Xi Ai, he was photographed receiving a small bouquet of preserved flowers.

"It's nothing." Chu Yiqi hesitated for a moment before saying, "Actually, I felt a little sad when I saw it."

She didn't say it, but Xi Ai still understood.

Even though their relationship was so strained those few days—it must have been quite difficult for Chu Yiqi, at least—someone still managed to take photos, and most people thought they were on good terms.

As one video put it, it has a "long-married couple feel".

Xi Ai felt a pang of regret. She thought that it wouldn't have mattered if she had walked a little further, as long as she didn't see Chu Yiqi cautiously sidling up to her.

At least... the response will be faster and more obvious.

After a long pause, she said, "I'm sorry."

Chu Yiqi didn't expect this answer. She said, "It's not your fault, but we've made up now. And... I know you were there for those two years, I saw you."

She was referring to those concerts, to Xi Ai sitting in the back corner, and also to Xi Ai's movements.

It's strange that Xi Ai always came in with the crowd and always sat quietly in an inconspicuous spot.

Because they were too far apart, Chu Yiqi never saw them clearly, but she always felt that she saw weariness on that person's face.

—Perhaps it was the constant sight of Xi Ai working non-stop and having a tight schedule that created a psychological suggestion.

Xi Ai pursed her lips, leaned against Chu Yiqi and smiled for a while, without taking out the necklace that was always in her bag—she would keep it as a New Year's gift.

It seems like it's always the same; they always end up choosing the same gift without knowing it, and then one of them has to quietly postpone giving it to the other.

Xi Ai's fingertips landed on Chu Yiqi's collarbone, pressing down lightly, then suddenly, as if discovering a secret, she hooked Chu Yiqi's necklace out. Chu Yiqi: "..."

You were being so ambiguous, and then you hooked my necklace?

Xi Ai's eyes were filled with laughter, her fingertips holding the two rings Chu Yiqi had strung on the necklace: "You still keep them?"

"Hmm. You threw it away?"

Xi Ai felt wronged and said, "You're being petty!" She pulled out a velvet ring box. "Tell me! What's this!"

"Okay, then we'll wear the ones I bought!"

Xi Ai nodded and put the ring on the little finger of her right hand.

Chu Yiqi: "..."

No, wait?

Xi Ai put the necklace back on Chu Yiqi and looked at her from a distance.

Chu Yiqi didn't look into Xi Ai's eyes—the light behind her was a bit too bright, so her gaze fell on Xi Ai's lips.

She seemed to chuckle very softly. Before Chu Yiqi could confirm it, his senses were enveloped by Xi Ai's aura.

“Xi Ai”.

Xi Ai shifted away, deliberately ignoring Chu Yiqi's response: "Mm."

...

That evening, Xi Ai happily posted a photo in the six-person group chat for For 8—two hands wearing rings, the same rings she had posted before.

—They took it out and wore it again.

Nie Chuiying: "..."

Half an hour later, Chu Yiqi pressed the Enter key with his slightly wrinkled fingertips, which had been soaked in warm water, and another photo appeared after a string of ellipses and question marks.

—The same two hands, but from a different perspective.

Ten seconds later, Nie Chuiying's message popped up. It was sent to Xi Ai secretly, because it was uncertain whether Chu Yiqi knew about it.

[Have you been deliberately trying to hook up with someone these past few days?!]

Xi Ai glanced at Chu Yiqi, who had just sent a picture, and quickly replied to Nie Chuiying: [bingo~ But Chu Yiqi doesn't know.]

[oh. ]

[Cat covering its mouth.jpg]

At the villa over there, Nie Chuiying muttered as she handed out money to each person, "Xi Ai, you've really disappointed me."

Shi Yunshan said, "It's okay, you can win it back soon. From the day Xi Ai left until today, it's exactly 25 days. Almost a month. Give me the money."

Nie Chuiying took back 300, which is equivalent to giving only the amount to Shi Yunshan.

—Not a loss.

Several days later, For8 reunited to attend a music festival.

Chu Yiqi and Xi Ai came alone. Just as they got into the car, Chu Yiqi mysteriously pulled Xi Ai aside and said, "Let me tell you a secret?"

"What?"

Chu Yiqi's voice was very soft, but it was almost as if it were ringing in Xi Ai's ear. She said in slightly broken French, "I've been faking it these past few days."

After saying that, Chu Yiqi leaned back in his chair and kept laughing, leaving Xi Ai sitting by the window for a while to process what he had just said.

"No, how did you know!"

Chu Yiqi would never betray his teammates.

Xi Ai stopped asking and silently went through many names in her mind, finally settling on three words—Mu Rujin.

She bit her lower lip angrily, turned to Chu Yiqi, and once she was sure the partition had been raised, she went to scratch Chu Yiqi.

"Hey, hey, a gentleman uses words, not fists!"

Chu Yiqi laughed and said, "Oh, it's nothing serious."

Xi Ai smiled sinisterly and said, "Yes, so what?"

She grabbed Chu Yiqi's wrists twice, preventing him from continuing to chatter.

Chu Yiqi was initially a little confused, but after regaining her senses, she still tilted her chin up and responded.

I don't know how much time passed, but Xi Ai said, "Remember to call me at seven o'clock, I have something to do."

Chu Yiqi was too lazy to ask and simply said, "Oh."

When they arrived at their destination, Chu Yiqi was already asleep, and Xi Ai almost laughed.

I'm the one who goes to bed later!

She got out of the car and went around to Chu Yiqi's side, opened the car door for her, and said with a smile, "Chu Yiqi, if you don't get up soon, you'll be photographed. Today's trending topic: Chu Yiqi sleeping at an event. Chu Yiqi acting like a diva."

Chu Yiqi opened her eyes groggily and subconsciously reached out to pull Xi Ai. Xi Ai had already reached out to pull her as well, but the two blinked, looked at each other, and then let go at the same moment.

Chu Yiqi was completely awake: "..."

"Watch your actions, Teacher Xi. Our CP fans are still talking about the 'bad ending' and 'hate the sea and love the sky'."

Xi Ai: "..."

There's nothing I can do about it. I browse through CP-related hashtags and supertopics every day, and I can see four out of ten posts from fans who want a tragic ending. They're quite serious about it.

Chu Yiqi quickly got off the bus, but because of her sleeping posture, her legs were a little numb and she couldn't stand steadily.

Xi Ai quickly grabbed her hand and said, "Shall we stand here for a while?"

"I think that's a good idea. Let's wait for them while we're at it."

"Okay." Xi Ai let go of his hand and continued to pretend to avoid suspicion.

After a long time, the six people finally met up.

When signing autographs on the red carpet, they didn't use their own names; they just each wrote one stroke and signed "For 8".

Xi Ai was originally sitting with them, and they even chatted about the latest gossip while covering their mouths when she had a chance. Suddenly remembering the time, she quickly and quietly teased Chu Yiqi.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

"What time is it? What time is it?"

Seeing that the camera wasn't on him, Chu Yiqi quickly glanced at his phone and said, "Six o'clock, 58."

Xi Ai straightened her skirt and said, "No, I have to go."

"Where are we going?" Yu Nianxi asked, somewhat annoyed. People who leave halfway through gossiping are the most annoying.

Chu Yiqi shrugged and said, "I don't know. She told me in the car today that she wasn't there for a part of the journey."

Shi Yunshan didn't react immediately, and slowly repeated, "Doing... how could she do this?"

The other five people were stunned for a long time. Nie Chuiying was so embarrassed that her shoulders trembled as she tried to suppress her laughter, but she couldn't be too unrestrained. She could only hold Shi Yunshan's hand tightly under the cover of her skirt.

Nie Chuiying said, "Why are you like this? What are you thinking about all day?"

Chu Yiqi was also speechless, but what he wanted to say was spoken by Yu Nianxi: "People with heart disease see everything as dirty."

"Alright, alright, we're about to start reading. Stop laughing, or we might get caught on camera and have something bad said about us." Meng Yike gestured for silence.

"Song of the Year, Chu Yiqi – 'Shining'!"

Wow! I've found my midnight snack again tonight.

"I second that."

"Sure," Chu Yiqi replied with a smile, putting away the coat she was wearing.

Meng Yike's eyelids suddenly twitched, and she finally realized what was wrong with her.

—This is clearly Xi Ai's coat, isn't it?

Is this the same outfit Xi Ai wore when she first walked the red carpet?

Wow, this is trending today—Chu Yiqi wearing a Xi Ai coat. Hey marketing accounts, did you see that?

I don't know what the rules are, but anyway, the person who presented the award to Chu Yiqi was Xi Ai.

Chu Yiqi was slightly surprised—so this is what they meant by "not here" in terms of legality.

Xi Ai looked at her and smiled smugly, taking advantage of the fact that her back was to the camera.

When Xi Ai went on stage, she was very serious, and throughout the whole process she looked like she was "just doing her job and didn't know who the winner was."

until……

Only when he handed the trophy to Chu Yiqi did he secretly rub his hand against Chu Yiqi's palm.

Chu Yiqi: ...

She told herself eight hundred times, "I can't look down on stage," but Xi Ai was happy anyway, and walked off the stage with particularly light steps.

During the photo-taking process, Chu Yiqi realized that the flowers in her hand were different from others—they were preserved flowers.

It looks like a winter cherry blossom, but has a hint of plum wine flavor.

This person is really... unreliable, but you can't get angry with her.

Chu Yiqi would never admit that, besides the occasional surprises, Xi Ai's face and the suit she sometimes wore also played a significant role in the overall effect.

—This long dress looks great today, and the pink diamond butterfly necklace is especially pleasing to the eye.

Both of them were back. Yu Nianxi glanced between them and clicked her tongue: "Is the power of capital just used to make you two show off your love on stage?"

Xi Ai said without any burden, "I relied on myself, on myself! Although the direction is different, the Best Actress award ceremony is not low-level either."

"Alright, your love is stronger than gold, you two are a perfect match—"

Xi Ai smiled and said, "Yes!"

Chu Yiqi smiled and tugged at Xi Ai.

Nie Chuiying stared blankly, then nudged Shi Yunshan again. Shi Yunshan clicked her tongue and stared at Nie Chuiying.

"That one, is it the same style?"

Nie Chuiying looked at Xi Ai and Chu Yiqi's hands.

Shi Yunshan remained silent for a long time before saying, "Congratulations, you accidentally revealed the truth. It's not only the same model, but also a limited edition."

After a moment of silence, it was unclear whether they were marveling at the two people's audacity or something else.

Nie Chuiying looked at Shi Yunshan: "Let's make a custom necklace together."

Shi Yunshan: "..."

So, after thinking about it for so long, you were deciding what to customize?

"OK."

The host kept the audience in suspense: "Who will be the group of the year?"

The strings of names on the screen flashed repeatedly, and then, in a moment of stunned silence, slowly came to a stop...

For 8!