The moment Xu Lu received Sister Zhou’s message, she finally knew Liang Yan hadn’t been joking!!
Suppressing her excitement, she replied “Okay” to Sister Zhou, while frantically screenshotting the message and sending it to both Qiao Qi and Cheng Yueming.
Qiao Qi: “?”
Cheng Yueming: “!”
Cheng Yueming was the first to call. Xu Lu knew Cheng Yueming was dating Lin Chu, so she was rather surprised Cheng Yueming had time to call at all.
Picking up, Cheng Yueming teased first, “Oh, look who has time for me even while in love.”
Then, without waiting for a response, she said, “Let me say something, and don’t block me for it.”
Xu Lu went silent.
Cheng Yueming followed suit, silent as well.
Xu Lu had a hunch, “…Are you trying to get Lin Chu…?”
Cheng Yueming gave a vague “Mm,” confirming it.
Xu Lu exploded, “Get lost! Who does favors like that?! God! Do you have any shame at all?!”
Cheng Yueming laughed, “Come on, he’s genuinely talented, what’s wrong with opening a side door for him? Once your new project’s confirmed, take a look and see if he’s a good fit.”
Xu Lu rolled her eyes, asking irritably, “We’ve basically confirmed Qiao Qi and Liang Yan will work together again on the next project, but neither side has a script that really fits. Do you have anything?”
“No TV drama, but there’s a film,” Cheng Yueming said. “Though the production team isn’t locked in yet.”
“That works too, send the script over,” Xu Lu said. “With Sister Zhou involved, the team’s easy enough to sort out.”
Cheng Yueming said, “Great, then my boyfriend has even more justification to join the crew.”
Xu Lu told her to get lost, quickly.
After hanging up, Xu Lu went to tell Qiao Qi about all this.
The first thing Qiao Qi received was a reply from Cheng Yueming — apparently she’d just seen the WeChat message Qiao Qi sent earlier.
She replied: [?]
Qiao Qi: Never mind.
Qiao Qi: I was just going to ask if you had any projects moving forward.
Cheng Yueming: Yeah.
Cheng Yueming: I passed it to Xu Lu.
Qiao Qi was quite surprised.
Qiao Qi: There’s really something?
Cheng Yueming: Yep.
Cheng Yueming: A film.
Cheng Yueming: Personally I think it’s pretty good.
Cheng Yueming: Whether it actually works out depends on Xu Lu’s end.
Qiao Qi: Okay.
Qiao Qi: Thanks.
Right after finishing that exchange with Cheng Yueming, Qiao Qi received the screenshot from Xu Lu.
In the screenshot, Liang Yan’s attitude had completely flipped.
Anyone who didn’t know better might’ve thought someone had threatened him.
Utterly bewildered, Qiao Qi tossed back a question mark.
Xu Lu, meanwhile, seemed genuinely delighted, her laughter downright smug.
Xu Lu: Hahahahahahahahahahaha.
Xu Lu: Damn! What a massive reversal! I nearly thought he had a crush on you, you know that?!
Xu Lu: But then I remembered he seems to have a partner already.
Xu Lu: By the way, don’t you have a partner too? Want to give me a heads-up?
Her partner was more proactive about this than she was.
Give her a heads-up, my foot.
But the formality still had to be observed.
So Qiao Qi replied politely: Sure.
And promptly followed it up with a [smile] sticker.
Xu Lu’s reaction was extremely genuine.
Xu Lu: …
Xu Lu: That sticker is oddly terrifying.
Xu Lu: If your partner ever sends you that, you’re basically on the verge of breaking up.
Qiao Qi: “…”
Not sure what to say to that.
Guess she’d just send another smiling emoji face back.
—
Qiao Qi had just turned off the lights and climbed into bed when she received her partner’s daily greeting.
Liangou: Babeyyy.
Liangou: [cute face-pat.jpg]
Qiao Qi pictured the expression on Best Actor Liang’s face next door while typing this and found it unacceptable.
7: Speak normally!
Liangou: You’re so fierce.
Qiao Qi: “…”
Thanks, that landed.
7: Why the sudden change?
7: Are you cheating on me?
The moment she sent that, Qiao Qi suddenly remembered what had nearly happened between her and Liang Yan on the hospital rooftop —
Right now, the room was similarly dark, with only the phone giving off a faint glow. The scene was almost identical to that on the rooftop.
The familiar setting seemed to yank Qiao Qi straight back to the rooftop; she could almost catch a faint whiff of alcohol, the air thick with tension.
Qiao Qi blinked. The next second her phone buzzed, jolting her back; her blurred vision snapped into focus, landing on the screen.
Liangou: ?
Liangou: I sell barbecue at a street stall.
Liangou: Not hats.
Liangou: What are you even thinking, baby?
Liangou: Or is it just that women in love have no sense of security?
Reading that last line, Qiao Qi felt her blood rise a little.
7: Whose fault is it if a woman lacks security?
7: Is it the woman’s own fault?
7: Or a fault of the relationship?
7: So — what do you think the solution is? [smile]
Liang Yan, upon receiving this: “…”
He had no idea if women in relationships lacked security, but he was certain women in relationships had terrible tempers.
Struck by this realization, Liang Yan wanted to say something, but couldn’t say it to his girlfriend — after all, that smiling emoji was frankly terrifying.
So Best Actor Liang, never one to shortchange himself, turned instead to Weibo to torment his own fans.
A few minutes later, a notification popped up in Qiao Qi’s notification bar: [@LiangYan, whom you follow, has posted a new Weibo]
She tapped in without thinking, refreshed the page, and the front page showed:
@LiangYanV: …Oddly terrifying.
Attached was a bright, oversized version of the smiling emoji face.
No clues to be found.
But the fans in the comments were still thoroughly panicked.
【…The fact that you post weird stuff like this is what’s actually terrifying】
【Um… this reminds me of something… if your idol keeps posting cryptic, inexplicable things…】
【Let me finish that thought for the sister above — it definitely means someone else out there understands it!!!】
【High-level summary: it definitely means the idol’s in love!!】
Suddenly, some inexplicable competitive urge flooded Qiao Qi’s mind.
So a few minutes later, another new Weibo post appeared on fans’ feeds.
@QiaoQiV: @XuLuV, @HuaxiaMedia
Attached was a screenshot of her chat with Xu Lu, reading:
Xu Lu: Looking forward to working together!
Qiao Qi: Sure, let’s take care of each other. [smile]
This was clearly a post officially announcing her talent agency.
But fans read a thousand different meanings into it.
【…Fuck.】
[Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha, sis is fierce and says little!]
[Peak minimalism, sis I understand you.]
【…Is this the official announcement? It is, right? Right?】
[Which official announcement are you talking about? Playing dumb to save myself.]
[Goddamn hahahahahahahahahahaha what official announcement is the person above talking about!]
【I’m genuinely speechless, how can you do this? How is this different from forcing a ship down our throats?】
[Exactly! So what if I ship it, ship it, ship it?]
【Well then, let’s officially introduce ourselves! Team QiaoLiang never backs down!!】
[…I’m dying. That ship name is so cheesy]
[Simple and blunt, I love it! I’m here, I’m here!]
【? Come check out our main house? Head to the fan forum #WorthySpouseQiaoLiangHusband#, we’ve got everything you want】
[Worthy Spouse Qiao Liang Husband, go go go! Worthy Spouse Qiao Liang Husband, charge charge charge!]
【This pairing is oddly terrifying, check out the “kicked the bucket” ship】
[Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha I’m literally laughing myself to death, are you a solo stan?]
[Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha you can just tell from the ship name this pairing is doomed to a bad ending, I’m dying]
【I’m here, I’m here! Bringing my whole mansion with me! The great river rolls east, #ChooseAGoodTreeToRoost# reigns supreme! That’s the official fan forum confirmed by all the major fan clubs, though the main house really is #WorthySpouseQiaoLiangHusband#, everyone’s got their own fun, either way the real people involved are still those two, let’s all coexist peacefully. [heart hands]】
【Oh, well then this noble guest from #SwallowsReturnToTheBridge# will join the party too】
【Then… can the #Tragic# ship also get a name?】
[This solo stan suggests the “kicked the bucket” ship and the “tragic” ship hit it off, hehe]
【????】
[This passerby has a head full of question marks]
[Can ship names even work like this now?]
[Domestic entertainment’s number one household, as a passerby all I want to say is: fight, fight, fight!]
“…?”
Qiao Qi herself was the one with a head full of question marks!
Why did Liang Yan’s comment section at least have passersby praising him with “big bro you’re here” “big bro I love you” “big bro goodnight,” while her own comments were entirely shippers fighting over favor?
Didn’t she have any solo stans?!
Annoyed, Qiao Qi aggressively clicked back into Liang Yan’s Weibo comments.
“…”
Silence.
Well, alright then.
There were plenty of shippers fighting over favor here too.
Liang Yan himself had clearly seen it too.
He even enthusiastically screenshotted it and sent it to her.
Liangou: Your idol and my idol formed a ship.
Liangou: I think “Choose a Good Tree to Roost” sounds the best.
Liangou: Mainly because the meaning’s good.
Liangou: Choosing a good tree to perch on.
Liangou: Liang Yan really is a good tree, worth perching on.
Qiao Qi: “…”
This man stirred up a whole wave on Weibo with a single emoji, and this was his reaction afterward?
What sins had his fans committed in a past life to end up worshipping such an infuriating specimen?
But Qiao Qi noticed something else entirely.
7: You’ve finally admitted your idol is Liang Yan.
Liangou: Baby, you really have a sharp eye for this stuff.
Liangou: Why didn’t I notice it myself?
Liangou: Am I just not standing high enough?
Qiao Qi replied with a cold laugh.
7: Isn’t it more that you’re not tall enough?
7: How tall are you again?
7: 184?
7: Huh? I remember you telling me your idol is also 184, right?
7: What a coincidence, you two.
7: [smile]
Reading this message, some wire in Liang Yan’s brain must have crossed, because he casually replied.
Liang: Didn’t you tell me before you like your milk tea light on milk, heavy on tea?
Liang: So does Qiao Qi.
Liang: What a coincidence, you two.
Liang: [smile]
The moment he hit send, Liang Yan snapped back to full awareness: “…”
Qiao Qi, upon receiving the message: “………….”
A few seconds later, both of them, equally guilty, sent nearly identical messages at almost the same time.
7: Qiao Qi and Liang Yan worked on a drama together, quite the coincidence too.
Liang: The two of them acting together and forming a ship, even more of a coincidence.
7: …
Liang: …
Not sure why, but the mood suddenly turned delicate, and both parties, each harboring their own secret suspicions, grew even more anxious.
So the two of them each hastily invented an excuse, said goodnight, and beat a full retreat!
Once she’d retreated into the covers, Qiao Qi suddenly caught up with herself — huh? What did he just say? Work tomorrow? What work does he have tomorrow?
On the other end, having also just burrowed into bed, Liang Yan paused too, confused — huh? What did she just say? Work? Is she joining a production?
So two seconds later, Xu Lu, about to power down her phone for the night, received two messages.
Qiao Qi: ?
Qiao Qi: Has Liang Yan already joined the production?
Liang Yan: ?
Liang Yan: Wasn’t the plan for the new project to start together? Why has Qiao Qi already joined?
Xu Lu: “…?”
Expressionless, she clicked into her chat with Qiao Qi and replied: Don’t believe rumors.
Then clicked into her chat with Liang Yan and replied: Don’t spread rumors.
Then sent both, in unison: Goodnight. [smile]
Author’s Note: Goodnight to you all too.
But after holding it in as long as I could, I still feel compelled to shout: I recommend the “kicked the bucket” ship and the “tragic” ship hit it off. [smile]