Qiao Mengdi had thought the incident where she fainted upon meeting her idol was a closed chapter. She hadn’t expected it to resurface like this. Her face burned with heat, and she pretended not to hear Yao Chiyue’s teasing.
The afternoon roads weren’t particularly congested, and the car moved swiftly. Qiao Mengdi didn’t really want to go home. Sigh. She couldn’t go back to her “old” home anymore, either.
A few days ago, while buying an engagement ring for Yao Chiyue, she had passed by her old middle school. For a moment, she felt a daze, a sudden impulse to run back to the West District of Luzhou. But the bitter realization of “What good would running back do?” stopped her in her tracks.
It was the same now. She missed her parents desperately. She wanted to tell them everything that had happened to her; she wanted to tell them that she had gotten engaged today to a woman who—
She stole a glance at Yao Chiyue, who was focused on driving. She was engaged to a woman who was beautiful by any standard. She was happy. She wanted to share that joy.
Yet the reality was that whether she was sad or happy, Qiao Mengdi had no one to talk to.
“Since you dislike Yi Hongzhou, Sister Yao, I won’t mention him in front of you again,” Qiao Mengdi said.
“Can you actually do that?”
Qiao Mengdi choked on her words. She realized her promise sounded impulsive and hollow. But she intended to prove it through her actions later. After all, Yi Hongzhou was the “bane of her existence” on her quest to stay alive; she wasn’t about to throw away her young life for a celebrity who might have ulterior motives.
“I’ll do my best,” Qiao Mengdi replied softly.
“Just don’t let his appearance deceive you again in the future.”
In Yao Chiyue’s eyes, did today’s fainting spell and her fandom only count as being “deceived by appearances”? Qiao Mengdi felt a bit frustrated. For someone like Yi Hongzhou, liking him was considered the natural order of things. If you didn’t like him, people would question your taste. His films had a massive following, and his talent was recognized both domestically and internationally with countless awards.
“It’s not exactly being ‘deceived.’ I was just… excited. I didn’t expect to see him so suddenly. Besides, he even knew my name—”
“The incident at your brother’s school? He was the one behind it,” Yao Chiyue interrupted.
“You mean Yi Hongzhou?!” Qiao Mengdi was shocked, her face a mask of disbelief. “But why would he go after my brother?”
“His target isn’t your brother. Haven’t you connected the dots yet?”
Qiao Mengdi shook her head.
Yao Chiyue sighed softly. “It’s because we are getting married.”
The words Yao Chiyue had said before flashed through Qiao Mengdi’s mind: ‘If he sees me having something he doesn’t, he wants to take it.’ So, Yi Hongzhou’s target was her?!
“He really is strange!” she began to feel a spark of anger.
“He went after your brother to confirm if there were actual feelings between us. Diversionary tactics are his usual style.”
“So, now he knows we are—”
“He was certain before, but then you suddenly appeared on the rooftop to find me. Now he’s wavering again.”
“I see.”
“I didn’t expect you to show up, either.”
“But even if he knows the truth, what does it matter?”
“At this point, that isn’t the important part,” Yao Chiyue sighed again. She felt it was necessary to explain Yi Hongzhou’s motives clearly so Qiao Mengdi could be on her guard. “All you need to know is that whether we like each other or not isn’t the key issue. The key is that I have a marriage, and Yi Hongzhou does not. Given his personality, sabotaging my marriage is only a matter of time.”
“I see.” Qiao Mengdi’s mind went blank for a second.
In this context, she knew Yao Chiyue’s comment—“whether we like each other or not isn’t the key issue”—was directed at Yi Hongzhou’s interference. However, Qiao Mengdi couldn’t help but feel a sting of disappointment. It felt as though Yao Chiyue didn’t care if feelings ever developed between them.
Qiao Mengdi wanted to argue back: No! Whether we like each other is very important!
But in the end, she kept the thought to herself. After all, their union was a business arrangement from the start. Saying something like that aloud would only make things more pathetic.
Qiao Mengdi had never imagined her favorite celebrity would meddle in her real life. Although she was certain she wouldn’t be attracted to him like the “original” Qiao Mengdi was, she couldn’t give Yao Chiyue any guarantees. Their relationship was too shallow, and in shallow relationships, words often carry no weight.
The only thing she could do for now was avoid mentioning him.
“We’re at your house.” Yao Chiyue pulled the car over.
Qiao Mengdi still wasn’t used to this “home.” Snapping back to reality, she slowly unbuckled her seatbelt.
“Thank you, Sister Yao. I’m heading in,” she said.
She had originally wanted to ask Yao Chiyue if they should take wedding photos, but in this moment, the desire vanished.
“Mhm,” Yao Chiyue nodded. “Weiwei asked us to meet up again soon to discuss the details of the wedding dress.”
“Oh, sure. No problem,” Qiao Mengdi replied mechanically. “Just pick a time when you’re free. I’m quite flexible lately.” With that, she pushed open the car door.
After stepping out, she stood by the side of the road and waved as Yao Chiyue turned the car around. She knew that from Yao Chiyue’s angle, she was likely invisible, so she simply stood quietly in the shadow of the street trees. She watched the car drive away until it disappeared around the corner. Only then did she turn around.
Reaching the front door, just as she was about to press her finger to the electronic lock, she had a sudden whim. She decided to go visit the Old Lady.
On Weibo, it started with a single fan posting a candid video.
Topics involving Yi Hongzhou always came with built-in virality. Very quickly, entertainment media and paparazzi picked it up. Yi Hongzhou’s massive fanbase joined the fray, and with netizens always eager for drama, the topic “Female fan faints in front of Yi Hongzhou at Golden Heron Hotel” exploded, sparking widespread debate.
“OMG, is fainting the new ultimate strategy? Falling right into my Number One Husband’s arms? Sisters, who can tell me who this manipulative girl is?!”
“I waited at the hotel all morning and didn’t even see his shadow. She gets to fall into his arms? Same world, different fates. What kind of insane luck is this?!”
“Please, everyone, stay awake! This isn’t the time for ‘wuwuwu.’ We need to find this girl. She is clearly clout-chasing your husband!”
“Can we talk about her figure though? Her skin looks amazing! And that outfit—the white floral dress with the blazer? That’s a bold look!”
“Found her! It’s definitely @QiaoMengdi_DidiTaste!”
“Wow, it really is her. I saw her face—I’m so jealous, she’s actually a top-tier beauty! Heaven, did our husband…? No, I refuse to acknowledge it!”
“She seems to have a background, no wonder she could see him! I need a heart pill! If they get together, someone please burn incense and tell my ghost, because I won’t let her off!”
By late afternoon, Yi Hongzhou’s official account reposted the video with the caption: “In a good mood today. Met a cute little sister QiaoMengdi_DidiTaste.”
The entire fandom erupted.
“What kind of signal is this? Yi Hongzhou has never posted something with such strong emotional language before!”
The topic surged in temperature, quickly reaching the #1 spot on the entertainment trending charts. Qiao Mengdi’s Weibo account was instantly overrun. Private messages flooded in, and every post she had ever made was scrutinized by fans and gossip reporters alike.
As the situation continued to escalate, Qiao Mengdi herself was blissfully unaware. Since transmigrating, she had found the original owner’s constant notifications annoying and had turned them all off.
At the Old Lady’s house, she tossed her bag on the sofa, played with the dog, Sandun, for a while, and then felt an overwhelming wave of exhaustion. She collapsed onto the bed and slept until dusk. If the Old Lady hadn’t woken her for dinner, she felt she could have slept until the next morning.
Before dinner, Qiao Mengdi held her left hand out to the Old Lady. “Does my engagement ring look good?”
The Old Lady glanced at the back of her hand. “Is this what you’re marrying her for? The jewelry?”
Qiao Mengdi nearly choked. So annoying! Would it kill you to compliment me?
“When you married the General, was it for love?” she asked defiantly, hoping to poke at the Old Lady.
“What else would it be for?”
“Weren’t people from your generation all about ‘parents’ orders and matchmakers’ words’?”
“I don’t know about others, but I wasn’t.”
“Grandma, tell me the story of how you and the General met,” Qiao Mengdi said, her eyes drifting toward the portrait of the General on the wall.
“I don’t want to. He left me all alone. Right now, I hate him.”
“You’re being unreasonable.”
“Being reasonable all the time is a losing game.”
The two of them began their dinner. Afterward, Qiao Mengdi cleaned up the kitchen. “Grandma, when is that ‘Blue Girl’ coming back?”
“In a few days.”
“Do you have laundry? I can help you.”
“When did you become so industrious? Let me tell you now, I have no money to give you.”
“I don’t want your money.”
“Suit yourself. The clothes are in the laundry room.”
With that, the Old Lady took Sandun and headed out. Qiao Mengdi put the clothes in the washing machine, and only then did she remember she should tell Qiao Chengrong that she wouldn’t be coming home tonight.