Gu Qingchi truly lived the life of an elderly person. He was still unaware of the turmoil occurring online despite all the commotion it was causing. Once work was over, he dragged Gu Xie off to buy gifts. He bought a ton of stuff, seemingly accounting for everyone that he knew.
Gu Xie knew, but Gu Qingchi didn’t bring it up himself. Gu Xie definitely wasn’t going to mention it first, so he just pretended not to know.
Gu Qingchi was about halfway through the gig at this point. He was actually quite happy during it all. The work wasn’t too tiring, the atmosphere was nice, and he often received snacks during the photoshoots. Gu Qingchi wasn’t used to the food here, so he didn’t eat much. Whenever the staff pulled out their snacks, his eyes would subconsciously drift over to them, and he would promptly win over a bunch of food.
Alan was always berating them not to bring that rubbish on set, especially if it was food high in calories, but he never said anything, even if he caught Gu Qingchi. He would just let out a huff and leave.
Gu Qingchi was already familiar with the ins and outs of modeling, so the photoshoot went very smoothly. He hardly had to put in any effort at all. Him standing there was already a work of art in itself. God himself had him cradled in the palm of his hand.
Whenever he wasn’t working, he would quietly sit in a corner, seeming incredibly well-behaved. All of the staff liked him. Not even Alan had anything negative to say.
Alan had been in the studio a lot recently. He didn’t actually ask too much of Gu Qingchi. His work efficiency increased just by having him there in front of him. He even churned out a few more sets of clothing at the very last minute. He would put out the clothes one day, and Gu Qingchi would try them on the very next day.
That was until today.
They ran into a problem on the second outfit.
The second outfit was very youthful and simple. The jeans had specially designed pant legs, and the shirt had a simple logo embroidered on it.
The shirt was made from this kind of delicate, draping material. The neckline was wide and loose and revealed his collarbone. There was also a baseball cap. Gu Qingchi looked like a sunny boy-next-door in this outfit.
It was incredibly comfortable. Gu Qingchi even thought about buying a few sets of this outfit to wear as pajamas. However, he didn’t have the time to worry about comfort while he was in the middle of a photoshoot.
Usually, all he needed to do was strike a few poses, refrain from blinking, and then it was onto the next. However, today proved to be a bigger challenge than he expected.
“I need a bigger smile, a little bigger.”
Gu Qingchi did as he asked, but it didn’t seem to have the right effect. The photographer raised his head and gave him a look. Then, he said something to the person next to him. He shook his head as he spoke before finally spreading his hands.
Soon, a staff member walked over to Gu Qingchi. She was a tall, professional woman and very beautiful, but her face was rather unique. Her features were deep-set, lending a boyish heroism to her looks.
“Hey, darling! Is there anything that you’d like? I’ll do my best to satisfy any request. I have to warn you though. If it’s dessert or ice cream that you want, I’ll have to apologize in advance. I like them too, but we don’t want to ruin your makeup.”
Gu Qingchi, who was just about to ask for cake, fell silent for a moment and began to think. He thought about his answer very, very seriously and slowly started to furrow his brows. He looked like a troubled child in a toy store, struggling with his choice because there were just so many options.
The staff member noticed his struggle and couldn’t help but laugh. She offered a suggestion.
“Do you like jokes? I can tell up to three hundred jokes without repeating a single one.”
Gu Qingchi thought for a little bit, his thoughts scattered. He thought of Xie Luyu. Gu Qingchi was always unhappy in the past. If he didn’t pay attention, he could easily fall into a negative slump. He would hug his knees and curl up in a corner for an entire day.
Xie Luyu had dragged him out of that corner. He nuzzled the kitty and prodded the kitty. He didn’t if the cat scratched at him in its anger. He simply waited until the cat had calmed down before dragging it out into the sun to talk. He seemed to have a natural gift for humor. Nearly every word out of his mouth could be turned into a joke. Gu Qingchi often found himself forgetting his sadness whenever he spoke.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
After hearing these jokes, Gu Qingchi would feel much happier. At the time, he’d been envious of Xie Luyu. He thought that Xie Luyu was amazing. He thought that Xie Luyu’s life must be very interesting. Anything could be fun when it came to Xie Luyu. He was completely different from Gu Qingchi’s boring and stagnant life.
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Xie Luyu replied with a meme. It made him seem asking for a beating.
[I want to know if you guys think it’s funny so I can tell it to my lover.]
The group chat immediately became lively.
[Someone tag the chat moderator. Can we kick this hoes before bros asshole?]
[I would like to point out that he deliberately used the word lover. He’s just here to show off.]
This person clearly wanted to stir up some chaos.
[I’m letting you know right now that your wedding gift has been revoked.]
This text came from a peeved bachelor.
[Hey, when are you going to make your relationship public? You’ve hidden it way too well. You shouldn’t be like this. I’ve been hearing about this person for so long, but I’ve yet to meet them.]
Xie Luyu eventually made an appearance in the chat.
[I’ll worry about it later. I don’t want to interfere with my lover’s career. Anyway, I’ve got work now, so I’m heading out. I’ve got a family to support. As for a certain cheapskate, don’t even think about trying to get out of giving me my wedding gift.]
It was then that Gu Qingchi realized something. Xie Luyu’s life wasn’t necessarily all that interesting. He simply made everything sound interesting.
Gu Qingchi had laughed at those jokes once. Now, he didn’t think very much of them. However, Xie Luyu messages in that group chat stuck with him. Gu Qingchi hadn’t found them particularly funny at the time, but, now, he couldn’t help the upward tilt of his lips. Suddenly, he felt that there was nothing funnier than this.
It was so stupid. How could someone do such a foolish thing?
In the end, the staff member didn’t manage to tell a single joke. Still, Gu Qingchi’s smile only grew bigger and bigger.
The photographer waved wildly at the person next to him. This person then dragged the staff member out of the way, and the flash of the camera started flickering away once more.
“Oh my god, you’re amazing. It only took you a few minutes this time.”
“Uh, no problem, piece of cake.”
She initially felt a little conflicted, but, in the end, she graciously accepted the compliment from her colleague.
⁂
Online spectators and fans alike had been waiting for a statement from either Gu Qingchi or Xie Luyu. However, so far, both of them have remained silent.
Xie Luyu didn’t even comment on his fender bender incident. Gu Qingchi was abroad and hadn’t made any statements either. He didn’t really have the attitude of an idol. The fans didn’t know what to do. They had always done as their idols did.
Xie Luyu’s fans didn’t know whether to deny it to the very end or to stand up straight and accept it. Gu Qingchi’s fans were especially confused. They didn’t know whether they should go on the attack or just pretend nothing happened.
[What exactly are these two people doing? Does anyone know? Have there been any results? There’s been so much noise online, but neither of them have come out to say something.]
[My legs are going to go numb. I’ve been squatting here day after day, but it looks like there’s no movement again today.]
[Is there really any need to focus so much on someone else’s private life? Isn’t it best if we just focus on their works?]
[Not necessarily. We need to at least show our attitude. It will affect how we interact with other fans in the future. We also need to think about how we’ll clarify the situation to outsiders. It’d be best if their relationship with each other is fine now. If it isn’t fine, then it’s another matter. In that case, we’ll have our work cut out for us.]
[Hey, there’s activity! Chi Chi released a video.]
The video had been brought back from overseas. The date was recorded to be a few days ago. Upon calculation, the video seemed to have been filmed right around the time that news broke of Gu Qingchi and Xie Luyu’s marriage.
The account that posted the video was a gossip account. The caption didn’t contain much content. It was obvious that they had avoided mentioning any sensitive topics.
The video was very clear and very touching. Gu Qingchi was initially placed in the center of the frame. Someone next to him helped wipe his sweat. The studio was huge, and the ceiling was very high. They were surrounded by a pile of expensive photography equipment.
A blond woman wearing professional attire stood in front of him. It wasn’t clear what they were talking about. However, the corners of Gu Qingchi’s mouth started to rise. His smile gradually grew bigger and bigger until it almost resembled the smile in that video of him as a student.
The camera zoomed in. His every expression, even his every hair, could clearly be seen. His eyes were bright, like a moonless night sky full of stars.
The sunlight just so happened to hit his face. Someone walked by him, casting a shadow on his face and the part of his body that was in the sun. The alternating light and shadow gave him a gentle vibe.
The video was also accompanied by music. The song was part of the soundtrack for a popular romance movie. The singing was passionate and affectionate.
It made Gu Qingchi look as though he was falling in love.
[Chi Chi looks so happy. I’ve never seen him smile so brightly. Even the sun seems to shine brighter.]
[Ahhh! Mom won’t allow it! You hear me? No, no, no! Society is too complicated! You don’t understand!]
[It’s not like this is a direct response to the controversy. Is he silently admitting that all the speculation is true?]
[It’s not really speculation. It’s proven. Should we start going at it with Xie Luyu’s fans?]
[I saw that some of the more irritable fans have already started picking fights. However, does this mean he’s starting a new relationship?]
[I don’t think so. It’s probably just work.]
[What is this video implying? Is it a “eat shit and die” kind of video or a “let go and move on” kind of video? I’m so conflicted!]
Thus, Gu Qingchi and Xie Luyu’s popularity went up another level. This time, Xie Luyu made it to the top of the trending list all on his own.
Some of Gu Qingchi’s fans had already started making fun of him. Xie Luyu just so happened to have been involved in a fender bender quite recently, so they used that to attack him.
As popularity grew, passers-by started joining in.
Xie Luyu’s fans may be easy-going, but they were still pretty strong fighters. However, they really didn’t have the high ground this time. Xie Luyu hadn’t made a statement yet, so they decided to lay low and avoid a direct confrontation. Instead, they muddied the waters and quietly tried to protect Xie Luyu. Xie Luyu was their modus operandi, and they were going to wait for him.
Hence, they came off as rather passive.
Xie Luyu ended up on the trending list again.
⁂
Gu Qingchi finished shooting. He just got off the plane.
Gu Xie’s assistant came to pick them up.
It was now eight o’clock in the evening. Gu Qingchi had been sleeping on the plane, so he was very much awake at this moment.
Gu Xie’s assistant immediately clocked off and went back from the airport. Gu Xie was driving. Gu Qingchi felt that he shouldn’t distract him by talking. He was a little bored, so he turned on his phone and suddenly remembered to check WeChat.
He just so happened to see the message from Ye Li.
It clearly delineated the cause and effect of the situation.
Gu Qingchi fumbled his way over to Weibo. He roughly knew how to surf through Weibo. He just so happened to see Xie Luyu’s name sitting on the trending list.
He tapped on it with a serious look on his face. He looked through the tag and found that most of the posts were talking about Xie Luyu. He slowly started to frown.
He logged into his account and fumbled for a while with the complicated interface. In the end, he looked up how to make a post on Weibo. Once he figured it out, he began editing his post.
He spoke directly, saying whatever came to mind.
[I just got back and saw the news. I’m okay. Thank you for your concern. The video was posted by the studio. It doesn’t have any deeper meaning. The staff were all very good to me.
Our relationship is also very good. @XieLuyu.]
As soon as the post was made, comments began piling up.
[I’m first! It’s fine as long as you’re okay. I’ve been so worried these days.]
[I just finished arguing with a Xie Luyu fan. If you’re the one saying it, I won’t be sleepy, I’ll stay up all night to delete my posts … ]
[Xiao Chi, you’ve finally grown up! I just saw that you like the post that teaches people how to post on Weibo. Now that you’ve learned how to use it, please use it a lot! Make sure you don’t forget.]
[My idol doesn’t need me to buy supporters for him! I either won’t be able to buy it or I won’t be able to afford it. Ahhh, I really can’t afford this kind of support.]
GQC is in love with XL and I hope that once the parents know about it they will just let gqc do what he wants to
Now that I think about it, despite the history between the two… Xie Luyu can be considered a malicious bystander (not direct perpetrator or even accomplice) for Gu Qingchi’s tragic marriage, but he’s also the light and savior that dragged him out of the darkness at the end. He also saved Gu Qingchi’s life at his most recent darkest point!
I’m not saying his neglect is forgiveable, but it’s not unforgivable yet. Perhaps a beautiful ending can still be reached between these two awkwardly in love adults. >w<
Thank you for the update ❤️💯
Thank you for the chapter!
Thanks for the update!
Finally after the rain, we’re about to see the morning sun😭
Aww so sweet that he smiled so much☺️
He is healing he was almost as bright as in college 🎉🥳🎊
Thank You for the new chapter ʚ♡⃛ɞ(ू•ᴗ•ू❁)
So, that video was approved by the studio. I was already wondering if that person still had their job. Since they just posted information of new clothes online which didn’t see the daylight yet.
Thx for the ch (ㅅ˘ㅂ˘)