Chapter 12 First Kiss

When You Yue kissed her, Cheng Hexi closed her eyes in response.

Their first kiss was short, but it was as solemn and tender as the engagement kiss after exchanging rings at a wedding in a movie.

After the kiss cam camera moved away, the two slowly parted their lips.

Liang Xiao adjusted his in-ear monitor while standing on the stage, and smiled when he heard someone cheer.

You Yue removed his hand from her cheek, his expression unchanged, yet he inexplicably thought:

She's such a sharp person, yet her lips are so soft.

Cheng Hexi looked away, feeling the lingering warmth of his fingertips on her cheek.

A few seconds later, Liang Xiao made a pause gesture to regain control of the situation.

Just then, the last note of the love song faded, and the venue fell silent.

Next, as usual, Liang Xiao expressed his gratitude to all the fans and his blessings to everyone in this segment.

His tone was sincere, his expression genuine, and his words substantial.

After that, I started looking for interesting banners and support signs at various camera angles and chatting with everyone.

During this brief moment, You Yue took out his phone, tilted his head slightly closer to Cheng Hexi, and asked her in a low voice, "Should we deal with the public opinion?"

She didn't understand why this person's requesting attitude was so natural, but her mind had already made its own judgment.

"Need not."

It's just a kiss, what's the big deal?

You can find many wedding photos of wealthy families online, but they don't attract much attention after the event.

She doesn't like her private life being overly scrutinized, but she will cooperate with media interviews for Xilin's sake, and You Yue is the same.

Given my status, there's no need to interfere in discussions within reasonable bounds.

Having just kissed on camera at a concert with tens of thousands of attendees, creating a romantic and tender atmosphere, the two parties involved showed no interest in romance and immediately began discussing how to handle the subsequent public opinion.

Thinking about it that way, it seems kind of interesting.

After the climax of the last song of the concert, many people shouted "Encore!" Liang Xiao bowed deeply and sang a song he had written for his fans years ago.

Colorful ribbons fell from the sky once more.

Seeing that the girl next to her was crying, Cheng Hexi took out a tissue from You Yue's pocket and handed it to her.

After thanking her, the girl took the gift, sniffed, and then, somewhat embarrassed, asked if Cheng Hexi could help her take a picture, since she had come alone.

Cheng Hexi readily agreed and took the camera that she was offered.

Before leaving, she thanked the stranger again for the materials and was wished happiness by the girl.

Having been in the high and mighty position of CEO Cheng for so long, Cheng Hexi realized that she was quite reluctant to leave for tonight.

The people around me gradually dispersed.

You Yue was still by her side.

He waited a while before asking, "Going backstage?"

The meaning is clear: he wants to introduce her to his friends.

Cheng Hexi nodded and stood up with him.

-

After the grand event concluded, the bright stage lights in the venue gradually dimmed, leaving behind fragments of confetti on the ground.

The light sticks were allowed to be taken away, and the seats are now empty.

The hustle and bustle returned to tranquility.

The tears shed by fans and admirers have become irreplaceable memories, remaining in their hearts like unique pearls.

You Yue walked beside her, his face expressionless, but he slowed his pace to stay close to her.

The sleeves of the two people rubbed against each other.

Although they appeared to be very close, the topics of their conversation remained formal.

He asked Cheng Hexi, "When are you coming back?"

Cheng Hexi couldn't give a ready answer either, and said carefully, "It's hard to say, but if everything goes smoothly, it will take about three days."

You Yue hummed in agreement, still not asking where they were going, giving each other enough space, and only said, "Jingyao's birthday is next weekend, and we're planning a cruise party. Do you have time to come with me?"

"Yes," she nodded in agreement.

Cheng Hexi was on a business trip to discuss the outcome. If she didn't return after four or five days, it meant they hadn't reached an agreement. She wouldn't waste any more time.

Moreover, the guests at Jingyao's birthday banquet were all friends from You Yue's circle. You Yue's intention was to formally introduce her to others at this occasion, so it would be inappropriate for her not to attend.

He did this because he didn't want Cheng Hexi to think that he didn't value marriage.

This matter was clearly beneficial to Cheng Hexi, but You Yue used the phrase "accompany him," which made Cheng Hexi feel very comfortable.

"What kind of gift should we prepare?" she asked.

"I'll take care of it," You Yue replied casually. "You've been busy lately, so don't bother."

She turned her head to look at him and smiled, "Thank you."

This is to thank him for his thoughtfulness.

At this moment, Liang Xiao's assistant jogged out from backstage to greet them. He had met You Yue a few times before, so he greeted her first, and then cleverly greeted Cheng Hexi, calling her "President Cheng".

Cheng Hexi nodded and said, "Hello."

Liang Xiao sings and dances throughout his concert, using live microphones the entire time. He changes his clothes more than a dozen times, and even with his good stamina, he is exhausted after the concert.

You Yue and Cheng Hexi left without disturbing them for long after they arrived, exchanging a few words.

They will meet again tomorrow, but she has to go on a business trip and won't be able to attend.

Liang Xiao has extremely high emotional intelligence and said there will be many more opportunities in the future.

-

It was very late when I got home. The night was deep, and the moon hung high in the sky.

Cheng Hexi went to the study to finish some remaining work and didn't run into You Yue afterward. She then proceeded with her usual washing and skincare routine. Just as she entered her room, she received a call from Xu Zhumeng.

Xu Zhumeng joined a production almost seamlessly once again.

She showed no signs of slackness and remained as dedicated as when she first entered the industry.

During their last meeting, she remarked that the reason their friendship had lasted so long, besides genuinely attracting and resonating with each other, was that they were both workaholics.

Cheng Hexi remembers saying at the time, "So I won't be sad because I'm being ignored, right?"

Xu Zhumeng laughed for a while, "Yeah, that's right. We're ignoring each other."

After the call connected, Cheng Hexi took off her outer robe, leaving only a slip dress, and walked to the bedside to charge her phone.

Therefore, Xu Zhumeng on the other end of the phone first noticed her shoulder and the tattoo on her collarbone.

The big star was startled: "You're showing me such a steamy scene as soon as you answer the phone?"

Cheng Hexi was using the remote to close the curtains when she noticed what was happening in the camera lens.

"Yeah?"

She chuckled, then suddenly remembered You Yue's reaction when he saw her shoulder tattoo on the second morning after they started living together.

His reaction was no reaction.

He was as indifferent as if he were looking at a business report.

But when I saw my "plastic husband" come back from the gym, I glanced at his chest muscles under his clothes and thought he was in pretty good shape.

Speaking of tattoos, Cheng Hexi got this tattoo the year her mother passed away.

She couldn't see this spot unless she looked in the mirror, so she hadn't really paid much attention to it over the years.

Its function is roughly equivalent to a talisman or amulet.

Leaning against the headboard, Cheng Hexi pointed her phone camera at her face and looked closely at Xu Zhumeng.

She looks a little tired, but she's in pretty good shape.

"Are you very tired lately?" she asked.

"A little." Xu Zhumeng shifted her position and leaned back, then applied a face mask.

"I had a great time on the last film set—this set has a lot of night shoots and a particularly long production period."

But the advantage is that there are holidays.

This is something many film crews can't match.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Hexi thought about their recent conversations and asked, "It's a suspense film, right?"

"Hmm, it's a really interesting notebook."

At this point, Xu Zhumeng mentioned, "The movie I made two years ago is about to be released. You have to come to the premiere! I'll give you two tickets!"

No matter how busy she is, she will still attend the premiere of Xu Zhumeng's new movie.

Xu Zhumeng has remained unchanged for ten years since her debut.

Cheng Hexi agreed, then asked, "Why are there still two?"

Unlike roadshows, premieres are usually attended only by media and partners, and tickets are not sold collectively.

Cheng Hexi's assistant, Xilin, who had just graduated three years ago and was recruited by Peking University, was a fan of Xu Zhumeng. Last time, when Xu Zhumeng gave Cheng Hexi two tickets, she went with that assistant.

But Cheng Hexi always felt that the girl was very reserved around her. After thinking about it carefully, she realized that watching a movie with her boss was probably like working overtime.

After that, she told Xu Zhumeng that she would give her a ticket to the premiere and go see it herself. She would then give a few more good seats to her assistant when they sent her tickets for the Beijing roadshow.

Xu Zhumeng agreed at the time, and now she wants to give her two more.

"Look at you and your husband. I asked you a few days ago, and you said you were getting along quite well?"

Cheng Hexi could only sigh: "When I said 'not bad,' I meant that we get along well. He's not as mean as I imagined; he's a nice person. I don't mean that we're already in a relationship where we can go to the movies together."

Xu Zhumeng was silent for a moment, then asked, "Isn't going to a concert together more ambiguous than going to a movie together?"

Cheng Hexi knew she was going to say that.

A few days ago, she mentioned to Xu Zhumeng that she was going to see Liang Xiao's concert with You Yue today.

Xu Zhumeng was puzzled at the time. Beijing had a wealth of cultural and entertainment activities, with concerts of all sizes filling every weekend every month. Why did she have to go see Liang Xiao's concert?

Cheng Hexi said that You Yue and Liang Xiao were friends who had known each other for many years.

"Going to the concert together was Grandma's idea, not our date."

Xu Zhumeng said "Oh", "That's fine, it'll probably be when the movie is released."

This time, it was Cheng Hexi's turn to remain silent.

Thinking of the kiss just now, she guessed that Xu Zhumeng probably didn't know about this.

But there's not much to say about this accident; it was just a kiss, and it didn't change their relationship at all. She ultimately didn't bring it up, instead asking her, "Speaking of Liang Xiao, how's your on-screen couple going?"

"It was quite popular before it joined the cast, but I haven't watched it recently, so I don't know," Xu Zhumeng answered honestly.

After filming the suspense film that won her the Best Actress award, Xu Zhumeng had a rare period of rest. During this time, her agent arranged a travel-themed variety show for the big star, who had never been on a variety show before, to help her relax. Xu Zhumeng made her variety show debut.

Besides giving her a lot of inspiration and happy memories, this variety show also gave her a fanbase who shipped her with Liang Xiao.

Before that variety show, the two were practically strangers, and they weren't close even after the show. Their only interaction off-camera was attending one of his concerts with friends from the industry they met on the show.

The tickets were a gift from Liang Xiao himself; everyone who participated in that variety show received one and attended.

Therefore, Xu Zhumeng herself is very curious about what netizens are shipping.

Also, their couple name is "A Dream of Yellow Millet", which doesn't sound quite right!

Xu Zhumeng knew that Cheng Hexi was quite fast at surfing, so she wasn't surprised and chatted with her for a while.

The two always had something to talk about until Xu Zhumeng had to go to sleep before ending the video call.

Before hanging up, the person on the other end asked, "Is your insomnia still very serious lately?"

Cheng Hexi paused for a moment, then said, "Much better."

She wasn't lying.

Her insomnia was most severe for a long time after her mother passed away, and also when she first returned to China to take over Xilin's care. Now, she only has poor sleep quality and occasional difficulty falling asleep.

The room fell silent again.

After a long time, Cheng Hexi still felt no sleepiness at all, so she got up, poured some water in the room, and opened the bedside table to look for melatonin.

When the melatonin bottle was moved in, she put it in the first drawer of her bedside table. Since coming here, she hadn't had insomnia, so she hadn't opened it for a long time.

Upon closer inspection, there were several packs of heat patches and two boxes of ibuprofen inside.

She remembered that a few days ago, she got up early and looked for ibuprofen at home, but to no avail. She went downstairs to ask Aunt Yao, who went upstairs and found her a box.

-

The next morning, she went downstairs for breakfast and found Aunt Yao busy at the kitchen counter.

Cheng Hexi said she had just noticed the medicine and heat packs in the bedside table and thanked her for her concern.

Aunt Yao said, "No need to thank me, Madam. It was Mr. You who asked me to prepare this."

She remembered that You Yue was eating breakfast at the time, and only slightly raised his head without saying anything.

It turns out he was listening.

A note from the author:

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Xu Zhumeng and Liang Xiao's story, "A Fleeting Dream," is available in my column, and it'll probably be released next year? It's about a male celebrity's unrequited love; interested girls can add it to their favorites. Thank you!

Thank you everyone for your comments and support! Thank you for keeping me company with this series. See you the day after tomorrow! [heart emoji]