New Year's Eve abroad
Like flower petals coated with icing sugar.
So Chu Yiqi stuck out his tongue and touched the corner of Xi Ai's lips.
In the instant Chu Yiqi looked up at Wang, he saw Xi Ai's eyes crinkle at the corners, turning a peach-colored hue reminiscent of a spring breeze.
Xi Ai raised her hand and grabbed Chu Yiqi's clothes at the waist, about to respond, but Chu Yiqi pulled away again.
Xi Ai pursed her lips, pretending to be sullen and move away, but Chu Yiqi grabbed her chin and kissed her again.
The moonlight spilled over the wisteria and blended into the warm yellow ambient lighting in the courtyard.
The ground is covered with stars.
“Sis…”
Chu Yiqi avoided the position by a hair's breadth, but still insisted on pressing Xi Ai against the corridor pillar.
"Hmm." She was clearly in a passive position, but both the kiss just now and the tone of her voice now seemed extremely incongruous.
So this is what Nie Chuiying saw when she went out.
Xi Ai's face was mostly obscured by Chu Yiqi. She put her hand on Chu Yiqi's shoulder, her curled fingertips gripping Chu Yiqi's cardigan, and looked up at Chu Yiqi slightly.
The words that were about to be uttered were swallowed back. Nie Chuiying took half a step back, grabbed Shi Yunshan's wrist, and ran away quickly.
You can also easily pull out your phone to send messages in a small group of six people.
[Sobbing: Where are you, Xi Ai? Hurry up, dinner's almost ready!]
The moment the message alarm rang, Chu Yiqi opened his eyes and was stunned for a long time. He fumbled around on the pillow for a while, but his fingers were not being held. He then became a little more awake.
She sat up, utterly disgusted by dreaming.
The main problem is that I'll be woken up by hearing Xi Ai's special ringtone.
If it's a dream, and if it's you and me in the dream, then what does it have to do with reality? Why not dream a little longer?
Just like in "South of the South," Xue Nan goes crazy, loses track of time, and vaguely believes that her lover was not left behind in the snowy plains of the far south. She can't distinguish whether she is Xue Nan or her lover...
But Xue Nan was the most clear-headed, soberly wanting to live a pipe dream, because at that time their love was deep.
Chu Yiqi scratched his hair, pretending that he had combed it.
Xi Ai finished recording the group variety show in the following weeks as planned, and before she knew it, it was September.
Xi Ai has joined the cast.
"Thank you, Teacher Xi!"
As is customary on the second day of each filming project, Xi Ai ordered coffee and afternoon tea.
I had just picked up a vanilla latte when a hand snatched it away.
That familiar voice...
Xi Ai pouted and looked up to see Yu Nianxi.
"What brings you here today?" Xi Ai handed another cup to the makeup artist's assistant, and finally turned to the five menacing-looking people.
“Come visit the set?” Nie Chuiying’s face popped out from Shi Yunshan’s shoulder.
Chu Yiqi handed a bag of cookies to Xi Ai, saying, "Happy start-up."
"But you're not at all surprised that we came."
Xi Ai smiled, looked at Meng Yike, and said, "This is Beicheng, Miss Xi knows everything."
“You’ve already joined the cast, so please immerse yourself in your 1920s setting, Professor Xi,” Chu Yiqi said. “Since you’re already here, could you please request a performance of ‘Life and Death’?”
"It's not possible here for now, because the first scene we're filming is this." Xi Ai said mysteriously, "This is Qing Zhi's performance, Xi Ai can't do it."
Xi Ai walked onto the stage. From a distance, Chu Yiqi could only see her face occasionally peeking out from behind a curtain. Her voice was somewhat distant, but her singing style was quite standard.
She heard the team's undisputed "King of Curves" mutter, "Can someone explain where Xi Ai found the time to learn that voice?"
"Who knows?"
Nie Chuiying looked at Chu Yiqi and asked, "Don't you think this scene looks familiar, Qiqi baby?"
Chu Yiqi remained noncommittal, simply crossing his arms, and then asked a staff member nearby, "May I take a picture discreetly?"
"OK."
Chu Yiqi took out his phone, muttering to himself with a laugh, "I'm not familiar with it, I can't remember."
And then just keep copying it step by step?
Nie Chuiying laughed, then tugged at Shi Yunshan's sleeve, picked up Shi Yunshan's phone, and started typing.
Fortunately, Shi Yunshan never used her phone in front of the camera, and the phone was with Nie Chuiying from the beginning, so it didn't matter if she was filmed.
Shi Yunshan glanced at the screen, the text enlarged: "I told you, I love the feeling of looking back at the past and present at the National Style Ceremony."
"Stop shipping the couple, there are paparazzi over there." Shi Yunshan suppressed her smile, glanced at Nie Chuiying expressionlessly, then tugged at Nie Chuiying's wrist through her sleeve to make way for the passing staff.
Nie Chuiying immediately stood up straight, put her phone into her crossbody bag, and patted the bag to calm herself down.
A few people sat to one side and watched Xi Ai's first scene.
"Come on, let's take a group photo!"
Before even looking at the photos, Xi Ai started spouting nonsense: "You took terrible pictures!"
“You’re also ugly.” Yu Nianxi picked out her nine consecutive beats without turning her head.
"Hey hey hey!"
"I'll tell Director Qin that you said she has bad taste." Xi Ai grabbed Yu Nianxi's neck and threatened her half-jokingly.
Yu Nianxi wasn't intimidated and blurted out, "Pinch me, I'm not sure if the person on the other side is a hater or a fan site admin. Hit me and see if it's bullying within the team or just good relations."
Xi Ai smiled and lowered her hand, rolled up her sleeves, and said, "Do you think they can't make up smear posts without this part? Can't you show some respect for the standards of a hater?"
Chu Yiqi glanced at Xi Ai and said in a low voice, "Xi Ai, can you please respect Director Qin's upcoming drama? Take care of your shattered image."
"Okay, I'm sorry, Director Qin."
As soon as she was mentioned, Qin Siyao walked over and said, "Would you like to have dinner together tonight?"
"How could you not come, Yao Yao?" Shi Yunshan casually asked, "But shouldn't we eat something nice today?"
"Of course."
Xi Ai didn't chat with them for more than a few words before heading to the next event. On the way, she bargained with Qin Siyao: "Can we let those irrelevant people over there go first? It's kind of weird."
"Not allowed!"
Xi Ai didn't pay much attention. She just came over to check the effect after filming one take, and then she crossed her arms and bargained with Qin Siyao again: "Qin Qin, I think we can keep one more take. This part looks a bit strange."
"I just love working with you workaholics." Qin Siyao nodded, and then quietly commented to Chu Yiqi, who had moved a small stool to watch, "Pay attention to this Xi Ai. Every time, something feels off, but if you ask her, she can't explain why."
Chu Yiqi smiled and replied, "Yes, every time I write the beginning, there's always an argument because I can't explain why it's not good."
Chu Yiqi flipped through the photo album, editing pictures, glancing up every now and then, taking a couple more new photos, and finally getting a book from Xi Ai's assistant to read.
As dusk approached, the book in Chu Yiqi's hand was snatched away. He looked up and saw Xi Ai reading a book with her sleeves rolled up.
The stage lights were dim and yellowish, giving it a grainy, vintage feel.
Backlit, Chu Yiqi didn't meet Xi Ai's gaze, but saw Xi Ai reach out her hand again.
"Director Qin said we're wrapping up for today, shall we go?" Xi Ai asked her, a slight smile playing on her lips, before swallowing back the rest of her sentence with some difficulty.
She wanted to say, "Shall we go, Teacher? Yesterday is not yesterday."
Who told Qin Siyao to be the director when Chu Yiqi wrote "Long Summer Day" under a pseudonym?
However, since Qin Siyao still doesn't know, Xi Ai had no choice but to keep her teasing remark to herself.
However, Chu Yiqi immediately noticed the unfinished words.
"Let yesterday remain yesterday, okay?"
"OK."
It was actually a very coincidental date, September 7th.
Anniversary.
But everyone tacitly refrained from mentioning it.
Nie Chuiying only sat in the back seat with Shi Yunshan after getting into the car, and used Shi Yunshan's phone to type in a memo.
Shi Yunshan waited for her to type before asking, "Can your own phone even be used?"
"To be honest, I forgot it at home," Nie Chuiying said without any hesitation.
Just before leaving the house, to prevent myself from accidentally liking or anything like that, I took Shi Yunshan's phone to look at Weibo, and naturally forgot to take my own phone.
Shi Yunshan smiled as she looked at the phone that Nie Chuiying handed back.
[Hey, it's September 7th again! I want to see the kissing scene return.]
[？]
Shi Yunshan stared at Nie Chuiying, then looked at Xi Ai, and finally couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Although they stopped immediately, Yu Nianxi and Chu Yiqi still looked back with great suspicion, trying to discern the two gossipy individuals through their eye contact.
Shi Yunshan blinked and nudged Nie Chuiying twice with her elbows.
[Did you forget that you lost the bet when you came back after seeing it?]
Because of that kiss, Nie Chuiying, who was determined to stand in the corner for final exam review: "..."
After a moment of silence, Nie Chuiying changed the subject.
[You said they're acting strangely; do they want to reconcile or get married?]
[Good question, I'll send you to ask.]
Shi Yunshan glanced at Xi Ai, who was wearing half an earphone and answering a work call in the front row. Her eyes flickered, but she still whispered, "Thinking back to when Yiqi first came back, it actually feels like it's coming soon."
[I suddenly remembered, back when Yiqi was abroad, there was a concert that happened to be on Chinese New Year's Eve. Did Xi Ai go to that one?]
That's right.
That New Year's Eve, Xi Ai flew abroad a day early, secretly went to the Royal College of Art and sat in on a class in the last row, and then quietly left early to see Nadia.
I got a concert ticket.
"What a good time."
"It was a time that was deliberately chosen."
So on New Year's Eve the next day, the concert only lasted until 10 p.m., and not many people actually left. Chu Yiqi stayed in the square with them until midnight.
On New Year's Eve without fireworks, Chu Yiqi took out colorful ribbons from the sleeves of her Hanfu.
It was a snowy day, but there was no need for snowflakes.
Chu Yiqi also handed out confetti to some fans. Under a sky full of confetti, on a New Year's Eve in a foreign land, they were separated by the crowd, and even their gazes were deliberately avoided.
Chu Yiqi was surprised to find Xi Ai also there; she thought Xi Ai wouldn't be able to make it on New Year's Eve.
She suddenly felt a strong urge to see Xi Ai, so after the car she had arranged took all the fans home, Chu Yiqi subtly inquired about Nadia, only to learn that Xi Ai had already gone back and caught a flight in the early morning.
But no, on that day Xi Ai went to the bar owned by Xi Yuchuan, but did not accept the green grape jasmine cocktail that Nadia offered.
Xi Ai looked at the only wine on the wine list named "Spring Mountain Outside" in Chinese, but in the end she only ordered one glass of White Beauty.
That night, Chu Yiqi only went to the river to eat dessert, spending the first night of the new year in the dim light of half the city.
It was their first New Year apart.
Shi Yunshan looked at Nie Chuiying's words and moved her fingers.
[Who knows if, during those times, besides wanting to spend New Year's Eve with his fans, there was ever a moment when Chu Yiqi also hoped that Xi Ai would appear in the audience.]
[I wonder if we'll see Xi Ai, who basically never misses a game.]
[Actually, I feel it's more like a tacit exchange of glances, with neither side stepping forward.]
Nie Chuiying looked at it and sighed again, her hands needing to exert more force when typing.
"Be nicer to my phone," Shi Yunshan said helplessly.
Nie Chuiying immediately softened her movements and gave Shi Yunshan a sweet smile, which earned her a pinch on the cheek from Shi Yunshan.
[I've never understood why they have to create such a romantic atmosphere; what's the difference between them acting like this and actually talking?]
Shi Yunshan didn't know the details, but she noticed some clues at times, but she never asked any further questions.
After all, Chu Yiqi had no intention of saying it.
Sometimes, liking someone doesn't mean you can be together immediately.
Nie Chuiying was not allowed to continue talking; she was urged to get out of the car as soon as it stopped.
I failed to notice the undercurrents in the front row.
Xi Ai changed her clothes, tugged at the overly loose cuffs of her sweater, turned to look at Chu Yiqi, and in a gust of autumn wind, lifted a strand of hair from her temple as she looked at Chu Yiqi.
His gaze appeared dim and unclear in the darkness of the night.
Chu Yiqi didn't dare to look back, and seemed to say something that Xi Ai couldn't hear.
Chu Yiqi reached out and touched the car door, intending to jump out, but only after one foot was already out did she belatedly realize that she was wearing high heels.
Xi Ai stood to the side and watched, only reaching out her hand just before Chu Yiqi's toes touched the ground.
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