Qiao Mengdi thought to herself: if even her younger brother could see through things, how could someone as formidable as Yao Chiyue not see through her little schemes?
Clutching her phone, her mind spun with restless thoughts.
Just then, Yao Chiyue’s phone call came in again, startling Qiao Mengdi so much that she jumped. The phone rang three times; once she was certain the other party was truly calling her, she didn’t hesitate any longer and picked up.
“Hello!”
“Are you alright?”
Qiao Mengdi wasn’t sure what she was referring to. “Are you talking about my first WeChat Moment post, or the trending topics on Weibo?”
“Both.”
“I’m fine.” Regardless of whether Yao Chiyue was asking out of professional courtesy or a sense of responsibility as a future partner, Qiao Mengdi was moved by this sudden concern.
In this isolated and helpless world, Yao Chiyue was one of the few lifelines she could grasp. “I don’t really care about the things on Weibo. As for fainting, that was just a minor accident; my health has always been very good.”
“Is that so?” On the other end of the line, Yao Chiyue’s tone was cold.
“Sister Yao, do you think I’m cute?” As if possessed, Qiao Mengdi blurted out a question so embarrassing it made her toes curl against the mattress.
Predictably, the other side fell into a suffocating silence. Qiao Mengdi was certain Yao Chiyue had heard her; her voice was always clear and resonant.
“What do you mean by ‘your’ cute?” After a moment, Yao Chiyue countered.
Qiao Mengdi felt breathless again. What did she mean, my cute?
Worth being loved? Pleasing to you? So pitiful no one loves me? Just making small talk?
All of these fit her current situation, but she couldn’t say any of them out loud. I dug this hole myself, she thought. Qiao Mengdi, oh Qiao Mengdi, where has your brain gone?
Her feet continued to scrunch against the mattress while her left hand unconsciously gripped the corner of the quilt.
“Just the usual meaning—” Qiao Mengdi wiped cold sweat from her brow as she spoke. “Sister Yao, you’re overthinking it.”
“In what way have I behaved as if I am overthinking?”
Is she trying to kill me? Qiao Mengdi was almost unable to hold her ground. Though the other woman’s tone lacked emotion, it was still frustratingly sexy.
“You’re making me feel very flustered,” Qiao Mengdi concluded. Flirting with someone who didn’t like her resulted in exactly this: awkwardness and suffocation.
“You are indeed fine,” Yao Chiyue concluded as well.
“Yes, you can rest assured, Sister,” Qiao Mengdi replied, indulging in a bit of wishful thinking.
She expected the call to end there, yet the connection remained.
“By the way, Sister Yao, there’s something I want to ask you.”
“What is it?”
“About the wedding photos… are we going to take them?”
“Of course.”
Yao Chiyue’s tone was certain; Qiao Mengdi felt that the photos must have been part of her plan all along.
“Then you arrange the time. I’m quite free; anytime is fine.”
“Alright.”
Qiao Mengdi felt as if Yao Chiyue was holding back some words. “Sister Yao, if you have something to say, please just say it.”
“Nothing.”
The call ended.
Hmph, what a proud and aloof big sister! Qiao Mengdi was certain Yao Chiyue had more to say.
The next day, as Qiao Mengdi returned home, she saw a black car temporarily parked by the perimeter wall of her house. As she passed by, the horn honked rhythmically.
Subconsciously, Qiao Mengdi turned to look. The window rolled down, revealing a face of peerless beauty. Those smiling “peach blossom” eyes instantly pinned her in place.
“Qiao Mengdi.” Just like yesterday, Yi Hongzhou addressed her directly by name upon meeting.
This time, Qiao Mengdi had built up some immunity to his heavenly voice. She didn’t answer but merely offered a small smile, gave no other response, and turned back toward her gate.
“Don’t you want to hear about Ah Yue’s affairs?”
It was as if Qiao Mengdi’s pressure points had been struck; she froze in the middle of the road.
“I don’t,” she said with her back to him. “If it’s about Sister Yao, she will tell me herself.”
“Really?” Yi Hongzhou didn’t seem to believe her. After a pause, he added as a matter of course, “You owe me a favor. I’ve come to collect it today.”
Strictly speaking, he wasn’t wrong. Qiao Mengdi turned around. “How do I pay you back?”
“A favor is naturally repaid with another favor.”
“I don’t understand what you mean.”
“Don’t be nervous, little cutie. What ill will could I possibly have toward you?”
“What kind of favor? Please make it clear.”
“Tsk!” The smile on Yi Hongzhou’s face deepened. “I caught you just in time yesterday. It’s not too much to ask for you to treat me to a meal, is it?”
“No, I don’t want people saying I’m riding your coattails again.”
“As long as I don’t speak, who in this world has the right to say anything?”
This cousin of hers is certainly silver-tongued, she thought. However, rumors aren’t started by people with “rights”; the less right people have to speak, the more they love to gossip.
“Get in the car.”
Access to this community was strictly managed; Qiao Mengdi didn’t know how Yi Hongzhou had gotten in. They stood in a stalemate for a long while, and no one else passed by. In that moment, Qiao Mengdi wished a crowd of fans would swarm him so she could escape.
Clearly, even Yi Hongzhou noticed how quiet the area was; today, he wasn’t even wearing sunglasses. Being stared at by those peach blossom eyes again, Qiao Mengdi—as if possessed—actually got into his car.
By the time she snapped out of it, Yi Hongzhou had already turned the car around.
They sat across from each other in a private, members-only restaurant. It was quiet and secluded, perfect for someone like Yi Hongzhou who couldn’t easily appear in public.
Qiao Mengdi’s thoughts were in a mess. Is the person sitting across from me the “scumbag cousin” who drove the original owner of this body to do something foolish? Even though I liked him for so many years, if I’m not careful, will he indirectly lead me to my ruin too? At this thought, her hands clenched into fists under the table.
“Don’t be nervous. Since you’re treating me to a meal, I’ve already notified Ah Yue.”
Yi Hongzhou’s eyes emitted a mesmerizing light. As long as one looked into them, whatever words came out of his mouth seemed effortlessly believable. Qiao Mengdi knew he was twisting the truth, yet for a moment, she found herself unable to argue.
Does this man possess some kind of sorcery?
No, no, no! Qiao Mengdi, pull yourself together! Stay awake!
She dug her nails into her palms, the sharp pain finally repelling his charm.
“Yi Hongzhou!” Calling her idol’s full name out loud, face-to-face and at such close range, gave Qiao Mengdi a start.
Yi Hongzhou was slightly stunned. He clearly hadn’t expected the “little cutie” in front of him to address him this way.
“Didn’t Ah Yue tell you that you should call me ‘Cousin’?”
“Please don’t say things so casually that could lead to misunderstandings!” Qiao Mengdi felt that every second she spent looking into his eyes, her energy was being rapidly depleted.
“Misunderstandings?”
If an ordinary man were playing dumb like this, it would make one want to punch him. But for a superstar like Yi Hongzhou, whose face could attract people of all ages and genders, his feigned ignorance was easily forgiven.
“Me inviting you to dinner and you telling me to invite you are two different things.” Qiao Mengdi’s tone weakened inexplicably under his gaze—much like how she still couldn’t understand why she had gotten into his car and come to this restaurant that she clearly couldn’t afford.
“The result is the same: you’re treating me. There’s no need to obsess over such small details.”
There it was again—that unique, soul-bewitching look in his eyes. Qiao Mengdi didn’t want to keep arguing; she felt this man possessed a self-righteous obsession.
“Tell me, do you think Ah Yue will come?”
Qiao Mengdi couldn’t help but frown. What did he mean by that?
Yi Hongzhou continued to himself, “How about this: let’s make a bet. Can Ah Yue find us?”
His tone was casual, yet within that heavenly voice, there seemed to be a hidden malice that made one’s skin crawl. The way he phrased it made Qiao Mengdi feel like he had intentionally brought her to a place where they couldn’t be found, launching a malicious game of hide-and-seek against Yao Chiyue.
“She won’t come looking for us,” she said. But in her heart, she secretly hoped Yao Chiyue would come, otherwise she didn’t know how to rid herself of Yi Hongzhou.
“That’s not necessarily true. Didn’t you follow us yesterday at noon?” Yi Hongzhou smiled—a smile so beautiful it seemed capable of curing any terminal illness.
“That’s because—”
Yi Hongzhou made a gesture for her to stop. “You don’t have to tell me; I don’t want to know. Right now, the only thing I’m interested in is whether Ah Yue can find us.”
“What exactly are you trying to do?”
“Some things aren’t fun anymore if you say them out loud, don’t you think?”
At that moment, the waiter began serving the food. It was lunchtime, but Qiao Mengdi had woken up late and had just finished a delayed breakfast at the old lady’s house, so she had no appetite at all. Within this restaurant, apart from the person she was dining with and the staff, there wasn’t another soul in sight.
“I’m going to wash my hands.”
Yi Hongzhou stood up, but after leaving his seat, he immediately turned back and extended his left hand toward Qiao Mengdi. “Phone.”
Qiao Mengdi understood his intent. “On what grounds?”
“Since we’re betting, we can’t cheat.”
“I never agreed to bet with you.”
Yi Hongzhou only smiled. It was a breathtakingly beautiful smile, yet it carried a weight of pressure, as if failing to follow his words would result in being easily wiped out in the next instant.
Qiao Mengdi still wanted to live through the day, so she gave him her phone.
Watching his retreating back, a wave of dread washed over her. God! Why did the original owner like him so much? Why did I used to like him, thinking he was the top star in the world?
What exactly was it that so thoroughly blinded both our eyes and our minds?