Chapter 23 It turns out he liked her.
—I like you, you idiot.
Yu Yue stared blankly at the six words, as if frozen in place, squatting by the trash can for ten minutes without moving.
She didn't realize what was happening until her legs went numb, and she sat down on the ground.
Does Xin Xiaoqi like her?
So, the person Xin Xiaoqi likes is her?
The person Gu Yunze spoke of whom he longed for but could not have, was she also him?
Past events kept flashing through her mind; scenes and conversations flew by.
She seemed to have never considered that Xin Xiaoqi would like her.
The two of them argued and fought every day.
So... did Xin Xiaoqi always tease and bully her to get her attention? Did he actually like her?
Yu Yue felt like her mind was going blank. If that was the case, then that bastard must be really out of his mind!
Who likes someone like that?! No wonder she can't tell!
But the next moment, Yu Yue thought of the junior high school reunion today, where someone subtly mocked her, saying that they were flirting.
What sounded harsh at the time now seems like... another kind of prophecy.
Perhaps all the girls in the class who didn't like her noticed, but she was the only one unaware.
but……
That jerk Xiao Qi, couldn't he just tell her directly?! Who knew he'd write his confession on the gift card!
Yu Yue felt like she was going crazy; her brain was overloaded with information.
So the gifts he gave her, the souvenirs he brought back from his trip, and the snacks he threw at her under the pretext of reconciliation—they weren't actually him showing off; they were expressions of his affection for her.
Yes, he likes her—what an unfamiliar phrase.
All these years, she has been misunderstanding him while still accepting his kindness.
Thinking about this, Yu Yue suddenly realized that she really was a heartless person.
Similarly, she felt wronged. Other men who pursued women would shower them with attention, tenderness, sweet words, and even bring them breakfast so they could eat it while it was hot. But with him, he just coolly and arrogantly tossed the food to her and that was it.
Is it her fault?
Yu Yue simply couldn't describe the complex emotions she was feeling at that moment.
If... if she had seen that birthday card back then, would she have chosen to be with him?
Yu Yue didn't know.
She had never thought of it before, but she had to admit that it was no wonder that others disliked her if someone like her liked her.
He's Xin Xiaoqi, the most dazzling presence in the school.
Now, he has become a star, and is a hundred or a thousand times more popular than before.
Although he always has a cool and aloof expression that keeps strangers at bay, it doesn't diminish his personal charm at all.
And she was oblivious to his good intentions, always treating him as a mortal enemy and someone she hated.
She was completely unaware of, unable to see, or subconsciously ignored his efforts.
They really do seem heartless.
Finally, Yu Yue let out a long sigh of relief. She didn't know how to face that person next.
Fortunately, he went back to the film crew, so we won't see him for a while.
Thinking about how the two of them had parted on bad terms today, she, who hadn't understood it before, thought about it again from Xin Qi's perspective.
Perhaps he rushed back for her sake...
Once some things are pointed out, it's like getting to know the people around you all over again.
For example, Gu Yunze...
I still vividly remember what he said back then.
He said he was jealous of Xiao Qi, but also said he had things he wanted but couldn't have, so he felt balanced.
He later said that he wanted to try pursuing the person Xiao Qi couldn't win over.
Yu Yue had no idea what Gu Yunze was thinking.
Unlike Xin Qi, she never felt how much the other person liked her.
He used to answer my questions patiently, and he would answer everyone in the class patiently.
The only difference is that he and Xiaoqi are deskmates, sitting in the row behind her, so they have a few more opportunities to interact.
All her previous affection for him stemmed from his excellence and his achievements.
She might not yet be able to figure out her feelings for Xin Qi, but she was certain that she didn't have any romantic feelings for Gu Yunze.
When she thought about how the other party had suggested picking her up after the New Year and taking her back to S City together, Yu Yue, who was still hesitant, immediately decided to leave early.
After learning everything, the thought of the other person's recent deliberate approach seemed to have taken a turn for the worse.
Just as Yu Yue was lost in thought, a warm dog head nudged her arm, trying to squeeze in.
Yu Yue was startled, turned around and saw that it was Xin Kaixin.
"Aren't you asleep yet?"
Seemingly noticing her unusual behavior, the clever and happy girl called out softly twice, as if showing concern.
Yu Yue smiled, then hugged the dog's head to her chest, burying her face in its fragrant, soft fur coat, and took a deep, contented sniff.
In the corner of the room, Yu Meili, as carefree as her owner, was fast asleep, completely unaware that her friend had left.
"Thank you." Yu Yue patted the dog's head and gave it a big kiss. "Your owner is the biggest, biggest idiot."
He doesn't even know how to pursue a girl properly, and he's turned her into his mortal enemy. That's truly one of a kind.
...
The next day, Yu Yue began packing her luggage.
She booked a business class car online, the kind that allows dogs, and will set off back to S City first thing tomorrow morning.
However, before that, she still made sure to finish editing her last New Year's video and upload it to the platform.
During the Chinese New Year period, she updated a total of five videos, including two short videos and three long videos.
The most popular scene is the hilarious contrast between the younger siblings being tormented beyond recognition by Meili and Kaixin. Later, the two tricked a group of classmates, and in the end, they all lay on the ground in a row.
The viral videos brought a lot of attention to the twin siblings. Knowing they had become internet celebrities, they were so excited that they shouted and yelled in their room without any regard for their image. They had long forgotten the pain of taking care of the dog before, because they had now become local celebrities and respected and admired their older sister even more.
Yu Yue was very satisfied, and the number of fans in the background also surged again because of these two viral videos, approaching the 500,000 mark.
That's right, this is the terrifying traffic during the Spring Festival. Five videos helped her gain over 100,000 followers. In just a few months of making short videos, she already had over 400,000 followers, an achievement she never dared to dream of before.
Perhaps she does have a talent for creating her own media content.
"Are you going back so early?" Mr. Yu frowned subconsciously when he saw her packing her luggage.
They're unhappy living at home; it's only the fifth day of the Lunar New Year and they're already packing up to leave.
If it were just for work, that would be one thing, but she doesn't have a job right now, so she can't just stay for as many days as she wants.
"Well, I want to go back soon. The rented place is quite expensive, and it's not good to keep wasting it. Besides, Meili and Kaixin also want to go back." Yu Yue made up a story casually. In fact, the two dogs were having a great time here every day and didn't want to go back at all.
"Okay, will it be the same boyfriend you had last time who's picking you up?" Yu's mother asked.
"No, I called a car myself and didn't want to bother them," Yu Yue shook her head.
"What's the trouble or not? You two are at the perfect time to build your relationship, how could you..."
"Alright, stop talking," Mr. Yu interrupted his wife's nagging, his face stern. "A girl should be more reserved. She can't keep clinging to him like that. What kind of behavior is that?"
Yu's mother didn't say anything, just glared at him and went to the kitchen.
...
That night, Yu Yue lay in bed with nothing to do. She subconsciously clicked on someone's chat avatar, then silently logged out.
Actually, she didn't sleep well at all last night, so she should be able to sleep well tonight. Unfortunately, her mind was still a mess, and she was tossing and turning.
In the corner, Kaixin and Meili were already fast asleep, their steady snores making her feel very at ease.
Suddenly, the beautiful little legs twitched a few times, and it made smacking noises, which made Yu Yue laugh. She wondered what delicious food the little thing was dreaming about.
Unable to fall asleep, Yu Yue picked up her phone again and idly checked her QQ space, which she hadn't logged into in a long time. It held her entire middle school years, which she hadn't completely abandoned until after she went to university.
Each signature tells a story about her life, with the most frequent being complaints about someone.
[That jerk is picking on someone again, so childish.]
Does Old Lady Zhang also judge people by their looks? Why does she always favor that bastard?
[He did it on purpose, so why am I being criticized? How awful!]
[You arrogant bastard, I curse him to never have toilet paper!]
I'm so happy to be in the top ten today! Of course, it would be even better if that jerk just stayed away from me.
[Ugh, I lost the fight today!]
Why do I always have to go home and review my plays before I can figure out how to lane effectively? It's so frustrating!
I won today, hahaha!
[Damn it, I'll be back next time! Just you wait!]
Yu Yue covered her face, feeling ashamed that she had been so childish as a child. She was about to close the space when she glanced at the visitor list and noticed that someone had recently visited her space.
Yu Yue subconsciously felt that something was unusual about this account that she had abandoned for many years.
It was a system-provided profile picture. Yu Yue scrolled through her friend list and confirmed that she had never seen the other person before.
So, out of curiosity, she clicked on it.
...
"Cut! Great!"
Inside a film crew, the director yelled "Cut!" and couldn't help but smile with satisfaction as he looked at the imposing figure on horseback, wielding a long spear and exuding a fierce aura.
"Xiao Qi, you've been in great shape lately." The assistant director couldn't help but step forward and pat someone on the shoulder. "At first, I thought you were handsome, but you lacked the fierce aura of someone who had fought on the battlefield. I didn't expect that you would be completely transformed after coming back from this vacation. Not bad, not bad. We were right about you."
Amidst the praise, Xin Qi returned to her resting tent and drank water in large gulps.
Seeing his expression, Li Youliang felt no joy, but rather a sense of worry. "Xiao Qi, you've been acting a bit strange these past few days. What happened on your way back? Did you run into your parents and they had another argument?"
In fact, Li Youliang had wanted to say it a few days ago, but every time he met that expressionless face, he swallowed back the question that was on the tip of his tongue.
He was afraid of affecting his artists' performance, so he kept it to himself.
He performed well while filming today, and you could say he was very lucky; by sheer chance, he perfectly captured the aura required for the recent war drama.
Otherwise, with that grumpy face of his, if he were to film a happy scene, he probably wouldn't be able to laugh in the way the director wanted.
"Nothing, what's wrong?" Xin Qi put down the kettle, leaned back in the chair, and closed her eyes to rest.
The chairs inside the tent were foldable stools, made very small for portability. When Xin Qi lay back on them, the chair beneath him was almost invisible, making him appear very large. His long legs seemed to have nowhere to go, so they had to be placed under the coffee table and stretched all the way to the feet of his manager, Li Youliang, opposite him.
Seeing a foot being casually and domineeringly stretched out from a distance, the agent could only helplessly move back a little.
That's right, Xin Qi is a young master with a bad temper and a habit of being arrogant.
If he didn't want to talk, there was no way to get any information from him. So, he could only say helplessly, "Just don't let it affect the filming. This is a rare opportunity, you must..."
"I know," Xin Qi interrupted the nagging, saying impatiently, "I know, don't worry."
"That's good." Li Youliang maintained his smile.
He can't possibly be at ease, you jerk.
While the agent was internally raging, Xin Qi, who was lying to the side with her eyes closed, took out her phone and pretended to casually open the chat interface, only to find that there were no messages.
He snorted inwardly, put down his phone, and continued to close his eyes to rest.
Five minutes later, he picked up the phone again, pretending to check the time, and casually opened the chat software, but there were still no message notifications.
He pursed his lips and continued to close his eyes to rest.
Five minutes later, he repeated the above actions again, but still did not see the message he wanted to see, and his face darkened.
Li Youliang watched him act strangely and repeatedly, and he held back.
What did he say? No wonder he couldn't feel at ease.
Once again, Xin Qi opened her phone, casually glancing at the chat app.
There was a red dot. He raised an eyebrow and casually tapped it, pretending not to care. Before the corner of his mouth could even curve into a smile, he had already pulled it back halfway.
It's a message pushed by a WeChat official account.
He gave a low hum and simply turned off his phone, out of sight, out of mind.
He said he wouldn't talk anymore, and he really didn't.
He really is a heartless guy.
Of course, this can't really be blamed on Yu Yue. All day long, she still didn't know how to face him. As for now... she's currently looking at the space of that unknown visitor.
The other person wasn't her friend, had no profile picture, and no bio; it was obviously a secondary account used for everyday ramblings.
Because the undecorated blank space was filled with hundreds of personalized signatures.
Instantly, she had a premonition.
So she quickly scrolled to the bottom and started reading from the first item.
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