Part 2
Bai Qi hesitated. He’d always been afraid of places like this. “I’m a little scared of the dark, and I don’t know if there are bugs inside.”
“Alright, then let’s just walk around here.”
Bai Qi breathed a sigh of relief. The two of them broke away from the group, heading in the opposite direction.
Before long, they found themselves in a meadow of wildflowers, scattered like stars in the grass. The sun filtered through the canopy above, making the shaded clearing exceptionally beautiful.
Bai Qi loved it here. He couldn’t resist pulling out his phone to take a selfie with Bo Yan. Bo Yan was so tall that he had to duck his head to fit in the frame, taking off his mask. His chin brushed against the soft hair on Bai Qi’s forehead.
Seeing him take his off, and noticing they were alone, Bai Qi removed his own hood and mask, smiling sweetly for the photo.
When he saw Bo Yan standing still, Bai Qi had a rare mischievous impulse. He switched from photo to video mode, held up a peace sign to the camera, and said with a grin, “Mom, I’m taking a picture with a celebrity!”
He expected Bo Yan to shy away, but instead, Bo Yan played along, smiling at the camera with a warmth that completely melted away his usual cool demeanor. He looked like a different person.
Bai Qi waved at the camera in surprise, planning to send the video to his mom later that night. He put his phone away, completely satisfied.
Bo Yan, however, didn’t straighten up. From the corner of his eye, he saw a messy thicket of branches. He could just make out a sliver of a white cast.
His expression turned cold. Then, he suddenly bent down and wrapped an arm around Bai Qi’s waist, his gaze focused solely on him. The movement revealed the bite mark on his neck, and the two of them looked incredibly intimate.
The scene was perfectly captured through a camera lens and transmitted to another pair of eyes.
A breeze rustled through the branches in the corner.
Bo Yan lowered his gaze, hiding the fierce, disdainful look in his eyes, and leaned close to Bai Qi’s ear. “Someone’s filming.”
Bai Qi’s body went rigid. “How did they find us all the way out here?” he whispered, stunned.
“Yeah,” Bo Yan nodded, his voice low and serious. “This trip is probably over. There will be more people this afternoon.”
Bai Qi knew how serious this was. Getting trapped on a mountain would be a nightmare. “Then we should tell everyone and head back right away.”
The two of them quickly left.
Behind them, Lin Feng stared at the photo on his phone, his eyes nearly popping with bloodshot veins, so jealous he could have exploded.
So, this is how it is, Bai Qi, he thought bitterly. When you were with me, you acted like such an innocent little saint, wouldn’t even let me hold your hand. Now you’re all over Bo Yan, kissing him, letting him put his arms around your waist.
No wonder he’d shown up right at that moment to “catch” him. He’d already seduced Bo Yan beforehand.
Lin Feng took off his glasses, his usually gentle face twisting slightly.
Bai Qi is working so hard to latch onto Bo Yan, desperately promoting their couple pairing… he just wants to be famous, doesn’t he?
I’ll stop you right when it matters most. I won’t let you get what you want.
Back by the cave, Bai Qi and Bo Yan told the class monitor they were leaving.
The other students were disappointed and reluctant to see them go. They thought the class monitor would try to persuade them to stay, but instead, he just winked.
“Alright, you two should rent a small car and get back now while the others are scattered. The bus has probably been spotted.”
“Okay, see you after the holiday,” Bai Qi said, giving everyone a sweet wave.
The students waved back sadly, while the class monitor waved back with a cheerful grin.
This was great. Getting down the mountain would make things much more convenient. He was curious to see just how Bo Yan planned to hype up their couple pairing.
On the way back, both Bai Qi’s and Bo Yan’s phones were buzzing nonstop. The traffic outside the window had increased dramatically, all heading in the opposite direction, up the mountain.
The photos taken when they left the villa had already been posted online. Even though they were both wearing masks and hats, it still caused a huge commotion.
Because this time, Bai Qi’s eyes were visible.
Bai Qi had beautiful eyes, shaped like flower petals, with light-colored irises that seemed to be perpetually shrouded in a soft mist. One look was enough to pull you in. They were the eyes of a true beauty.
Countless people clicked on the trending topic, completely ignoring Bo Yan beside him, captivated by the photo of Bai Qi looking their way.
Many couldn’t help but marvel at how someone’s eyes could be as beautiful as a painting, every line seemingly drawn with painstaking care. It was simply divine.
Eyes like flowers—no wonder he was known as the school flower, on par with Bo Yan.
Weibo, Douban, and other fan forums were all buzzing. Countless posts popped up discussing it, some even comparing Bo Yan’s and Bai Qi’s eyes, debating the merits of phoenix eyes versus peach blossom eyes.
The “Jiang University School Flower” had officially broken out of his campus circle, attracting countless new fans. The popularity of their couple pairing skyrocketed once again.
Some remarked on how incredible their chemistry was; just being in the same frame created a feeling that they were made for each other. That was why even a photo of his back had been enough to gain so many fans.
But before, no matter how famous the Jiang University School Flower was, all people had was a picture of his back. Many people who cared more about facial features than “vibes” couldn’t get into the ship without knowing what he looked like.
This time, however, the number of members in their super topic exploded again. The chat was on fire, even more excited than when they got a picture of Bo Yan and him together.
Many fans were ecstatic. With eyes like that, he had to be a great beauty. Even if the lower half of his face looked like a monkey, he’d still be handsome. Plus, he was so fair and petite; even from far away, his skin looked translucent.
The topic trended high, and many people were now determined to see them both in person.
As a result, another wave of visitors descended on the scenic area, the cars rushing past the small car Bai Qi and Bo Yan were in, all of them destined to be disappointed.
Bai Qi was just thankful they had left early. He dozed off in the car.
When he woke up again, they were almost back at school. At the same time, he received a message on WeChat.
It was another invitation to a variety show.
But unlike the last time, where he hadn’t even heard of the show, this one was so famous that even Bai Qi had a vague idea of what it was.
The show was known for its dramatic concepts. Each episode featured different guest stars, always choosing celebrities who were currently embroiled in scandals or gossip.
There were divorced couples invited to reminisce about their dating days, famous rivals forced to share a bed, and couples who had just denied dating rumors made to act all sweet and lovey-dovey.
The show always had ways of digging up juicy material, and even frequently used a livestream format. It was incredibly popular.
And now, they had invited him and Bo Yan.
Bai Qi looked at Bo Yan, bewildered. “Do you want to do it?”
“Are you willing?” Bo Yan asked in return.
Bai Qi was a little intimidated. A show this popular right off the bat was nerve-wracking. He was afraid of embarrassing himself. As he hesitated, the other party sent over the payment details.
200,000 yuan for one episode. It was currently set for one, but could be extended if the ratings were good.
Bai Qi blinked, his eyes slowly widening.
He stared at the long string of numbers, his breathing quickening, almost unable to believe it.
He was just a regular person whose face hadn’t even been fully revealed online. One episode would, at most, take up a few days of his time.
He didn’t know how much Bo Yan would get, but he was getting a full two hundred thousand… My god.
With that money, he could pay off his family’s hundred-thousand-yuan debt completely, and with the rest… he couldn’t even count how many nice things he could buy for his mom.
Even if he did terribly and got flamed by the entire internet, it would be worth it.
Bai Qi found himself nodding, his beautiful eyes shining brightly.
A slender hand plucked the phone from his grasp. He heard Bo Yan’s soft chuckle from beside him, sounding very pleased. “So, I’ll accept?”
Bai Qi nodded dazedly.
He was still in a dreamlike state, so dizzy with excitement that he barely registered how he got from the car back to his dorm room.
For some reason, the variety show was in a huge hurry. They wanted them to come to the studio the next morning to get ready.
Bo Yan carried Bai Qi’s suitcase back to the dorm for him, then went to his company to handle the negotiations.
Bai Qi stood alone in the empty dorm room, feeling like the air was fresher than it had been at the scenic area.
He felt incredibly lighthearted. He gracefully opened the window and started to repack his suitcase.
Bo Yan had said the show would provide them with clothes and necessities, so he only needed to bring a few personal items.
Bai Qi couldn’t think of what to bring. He didn’t own any special little trinkets, nor did he have any strict daily routines.
He thought for a moment and went to rummage through his wardrobe.
After a moment, he found an old backpack in the corner that he had brought from home when he started university.
The backpack wasn’t very good quality. After two years, it had started to oxidize and look old, and it took up a lot of space in his closet.
Bai Qi took it out, casually checked it over, and was about to throw it away when a letter fell out of the side pocket.
The envelope was black with a gold-foil trim, and the opening was sealed with an exquisite dollop of gold sealing wax. It was perfectly round, without a single flaw. Even after two years, it was still incredibly beautiful.
Bai Qi picked it up in surprise, a little puzzled.
Was this… a love letter?
It didn’t really feel like one. Why would any young person use such a formal, serious color scheme for a love letter?
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