First Kiss Diary - Chapter 23

Inside the auditorium, at the school celebration ceremony, a black student who was temporarily invited on stage is delivering a fluent speech in his native language.

After speaking a few sentences, he pauses, and a girl beside him accurately translates with a light voice.

Ji Ning holds the microphone, her mind racing as she simultaneously translates and records the meaning of each sentence, refining them to see if there’s a better way to express them.

“…Here, I understand the meaning of performance and also understand the qualities necessary to be a good actor. I deeply remember every teacher and classmate who has helped me.”

“China is vast and rich in resources, both food and scenery deeply attract me here, like a migratory bird finding a resting place. I am very grateful.”

“If I had to point out a downside, it might be that the auntie in the cafeteria who makes duck blood vermicelli sometimes puts too little duck blood, and once I even ate a chicken leg that was burnt.”

Laughter fills the hall.

Someone shouts from below, “Are you afraid that the cafeteria auntie will come looking for you to talk, young man!”

Ji Ning conveys the question in English, the black guy scratches his head and clumsily says in Chinese, “Can I take it back?”

The atmosphere in the auditorium is great, and the barrage is lively.

[Why are there still metaphorical sentences hahaha!]

[The original sentence wasn’t as beautiful, it’s Ji Ning’s translation that’s beautiful.]

[I’m amazed, who’s this beauty and academic genius that’s emerged from nowhere?]

[Didn’t you know Ji Ning used to top the English exams at school?! If she didn’t enter the entertainment industry, she’d be a top student in English at X University by now, the school still has the awards she won.]

Meanwhile, Sun He is standing silently behind the curtain in the back row, silently watching this scene.

This is completely different from what she expected. She thought even if Ji Ning knew English, she wouldn’t know much, after all, she’s just a twenty-year-old actress, either busy filming since her debut or busy being criticized, where would she have time to internationalize?

But she never expected Ji Ning not only could accurately translate but could even refine the sentences?

Without a solid foundation, it’s impossible to quickly translate while also clarifying the sentence structure. Ji Ning even took this opportunity to liven up the atmosphere, making the whole venue lively?!

The host Sun He behind clearly had no interest, her face souring, relying entirely on Ji Ning to hold it together. The whole event wouldn’t lack anything without Sun He, and Ji Ning smoothly brought the event to a close, ending the school celebration successfully.

As soon as it ended, Ji Ning trended on hot searches, with Ji Shiyan’s red suit ranking first, and Ji Ning’s translation second.

The hot searches about Ji Ning were also bustling with thousands of comments every minute:

[It’s terrifying to think about it. Could Sun He have intentionally sent the black student up there to cause trouble?]

[It’s very possible. Didn’t you notice Ji Ning hesitated when Sun He cued the flow? It’s obvious they didn’t rehearse!]

[Thank goodness Ji Ning knows English, otherwise wouldn’t she have been set up? Sun He is so calculating.]

[It’s like turning decay into magic, Ji Ning is amazing.]

[Just translating some English sentences makes her a genius? Isn’t the threshold for genius a bit low these days?]

[She solves an equation and people go crazy over her genius persona, Ji Ning even translates professional terms and some people say she’s just average? Check your brains.]

Ji Ning’s control and review team shared Ji Ning’s CET-6 transcript in the comments, shutting down all doubts about her being a top student.

That night, Nono happened to click on Ji Ning’s homepage, but refreshed every few seconds, gaining new fans each time.

Nono sighed, “You’re gaining fans so rapidly, it’s like we’re buying them for you.”

“Must be because of the recent popularity,” Ji Ning replied while panting on the treadmill, “Rose’s ratings are high, lifting me up too.”

“Why can’t it be variety shows attracting fans?”

Ji Ning reminded again, “Ji Shiyan and I are a CP couple waiting to break up, not a couple spreading sugar.”

“It’s too early to say that now!” Nono, a staunch shipper of the couple, never gives up, “The second episode is about to air, there will definitely be fans before it ends, just wait for these people to realize it’s really sweet!”

Ji Ning didn’t want to shatter Nono’s dream, wiping her sweat with a towel, “Okay, having dreams is commendable.”

Just as she got off the treadmill, Ji Ning received a message from Song Yu: [Save my child, my alt account got banned!]

Ji Ning replied: [How did your alt account get banned?]

Song Yu: [I reposted too many signed photos of Nie Jianglan yesterday.]

Ji Ning: [….]

She couldn’t help but say, “Can you do some things that normal people can do?”

“Isn’t it normal for a girl like me to chase so many stars in one breath? It’s exhausting to have so many people pampering me every day on the wall! ” Song Yu defended herself.

Song Yu is a typical girl who chases after stars. Today she’s obsessed with Ji Shiyi, tomorrow she’ll forever love Nie Jianglan, the day after tomorrow Zuo Gong is her long-lost boyfriend, and the day after that Gu Yulin is her ex-husband.

In the entertainment circle, there’s nothing she doesn’t know, only things she hasn’t tried, and her motto is “Loving one handsome guy is too hard, so I want to love many.”

Ji Ning understood her meaning: “So, what do you want to do?”

Song Yu immediately sent numerous heart emoji: “Let me borrow your alternate account. I just got a brilliant idea for a repost. I’m sure I can win this time!”

Although Ji Ning had never heard of borrowing an alternate account, she didn’t mind and generously gave her account and password.

Ji Ning asked, “What about after this?”

Song Yu said, “I’ll ask my brother to apply for a new phone number, and then I’ll create another alternate account using his real name verification. But it might take a couple of days, so let me borrow your account to play around with for now.”

Ji Ning was very generous: “Feel free to use it as long as you don’t repost anything related to Ji Shiyi’s family.”

Song Yu: “I won’t! I’ll log in later and update Ji Shiyi’s data. It’s been so long since I’ve seen Salt, ever since I found out he’s your man.”

Ji Ning: “?”

Song Yu said righteously: “It feels guilty to steal a best friend’s man. If it weren’t for you, who would want to give up such a high-quality top star?”

Ji Ning couldn’t be bothered to argue with her and put her phone aside to take a shower.

—

At the same time, Ji Shiyi, who had just finished attending the school anniversary, returned to his home in T City. After taking a shower, he opened Weibo and began his daily routine –

Viewing his “secretly married wife outside the circle” page.

He often felt that he was too bored, so he became unusually interested after discovering this account, which was highly likely to be Ji Ning’s alternate account.

Whether it was because her rainbow farts were interesting or because the contrast outside the account was intriguing, anyway, the highly admired Ji the Actor recently found a new, not-so-publicized pleasure.

But to be honest, reading the things she posted really improved his mood.

Great, he didn’t even know when his secretly married wife had come online ten minutes ago, succinctly commenting for him and reposting the work-related Weibo he had posted the week before last.

Although she didn’t immediately repost a rainbow fart this time, Ji Shiyi didn’t pay much attention to such small details. He made himself a cup of milk, poured it into a glass, then casually turned on the music, sat back on the sofa, and unlocked his phone to check for updates on this account –

Based on his observations over the past few days, if she posted two Weibo within five minutes, she would continue to post many more throughout the night; if she only posted one within five minutes, she probably wouldn’t post anymore.

So she should be active tonight.

…

Realizing he had actually found a pattern, Ji Shiyi felt a bit like a creep.

But he was quite content with it, sipping his milk with a smile, and began to read.

[Ji Shiyi’s secretly married wife outside the circle]: Pei Hanzhou! You’re so handsome, what good is it for me to admire you!

[Ji Shiyi’s secretly married wife outside the circle]: How can I describe Nie Jianglan? It’s like the first sip of cold spring water on a hot summer day, refreshing and soothing, it’s love.

[Ji Shiyi’s secretly married wife outside the circle]: Brother Ruan Ming! Give me back my heart!

[Ji Shiyi’s secretly married wife outside the circle]: The biggest regret in the world is that Gu Yulin got married to a fan, but the bride isn’t me.

“…………………………”

Ji Shiyi choked on his milk, coughing uncontrollably, leaning against the table. Even though the coughing stopped, his mind was still spinning.

How should he put it, the milk wasn’t cold, but he felt a chill in his heart.

Pei Hanzhou? Nie Jianglan? Ruan Ming? Gu Yulin? Did she love everyone in and out of the circle?

Wasn’t it just the day before yesterday when she reposted Weibo saying that no man besides Ji Shiyi caught her eye?

Sure, here’s the translation with spaces between paragraphs:

Woman, they’re all damn liars. Ji Shixian paced back and forth in the room, feeling a bit tempted to set fire, but quickly told himself to calm down.

After a moment of calm, Ji Shixian leaned on the marble table and dialed a number on his phone. Pei Hanzhou quickly answered, “Call me at eleven tonight, Ji Shixian, you’re quite something.”

Before Ji Shixian could speak, the person on the other end questioned again, “Do you think everyone is like you, without a nightlife?” Ji Shixian replied bluntly, “Do you even remember you have a wife?”

Pei Hanzhou frowned, “What do you mean by that?” “Since you’re a married man, manage yourself and don’t flirt around.” The man clenched his teeth, “Can’t you behave since you’re not in the entertainment circle? Always asking young girls to vote for you?”

“That’s their choice, what does it have to do with me? What can I do with that ranking?” Pei Hanzhou, annoyed by the interruption, retorted, “You’re just jealous because you don’t have a girlfriend like us married men.”

Ji Shixian remained silent. “Anything else? If not, hang up.” Pei Hanzhou said. Ji Shixian, very alert, asked, “What are you going to do after hanging up? Go bother young girls again?”

Pei Hanzhou, no longer angry, said cheerfully, “Engage in activities that single dogs like you haven’t experienced.” Ji Shixian hung up the phone directly. Is this kind of thing worth liking? Still, charming to death? What’s so charming about it? Except for being nice to his wife, who else has he been good to?

Since Ji Shixian didn’t know Nie Jianglan and Gu Yulin, he could only call Ruan Ming again. Ruan Ming, who had just finished work happily, suddenly received ten minutes of education and became self-conscious after arriving at the hotel.

―― The next day was the filming of “First Kiss Diary,” and Ji Ning arrived early as usual, followed by Jiang Sheng. “How come you’re here but Ji Shixian isn’t?” the makeup artist asked.

“Hey, how would I know, he went home and I didn’t follow him,” Jiang Sheng said, “He should be here soon, he won’t be late, don’t worry.” Ji Ning silently wondered if Ji Shixian’s absence was because he lived far away.

When everyone was talking about the incident of a fake account being exposed, the stylist asked Ji Ning, “Ning Ning, do you have a fake account?” “No,” Ji Ning replied.

Just as Ji Ning finished speaking, Jiang Sheng, who was listening, suddenly heard footsteps and stood up, “Ji Shixian is here, you guys keep talking, I’ll go greet my big brother.”

The stylist nodded and continued to ask Ji Ning with her head down, “No fake account? Really?” “I said no… Do you believe it?” Ji Ning finally finished the sentence that Jiang Sheng interrupted, “Definitely have one.”

“Think about it, stars have so much pressure, without a fake account, wouldn’t they be depressed?” Someone added, “Even with a fake account, they can be depressed.” Many artists suffer from depression, probably due to excessive work pressure, intense competition, and relentless insults.

Ji Ning added, “But my fake account is quite boring, I don’t complain much.” “Huh? Then why do you have a fake account?” Ji Ning shrugged, “Just… share daily life, give some compliments.”

I wonder what Song Yu did with her account yesterday. She was too tired last night, went back after finishing the script class, and fell asleep without checking.

As everyone was chatting, Ji Shixian walked in. Ji Ning had just finished styling her hair, and when she saw him, she picked up the thermos in her bag and handed it to him. The man lowered his eyes, “Hmm?”

“Breakfast,” Jining said, “oatmeal and millet porridge.”

Jishiyi hadn’t spoken yet, but Jiang Sheng exclaimed first, “Wow, a loving breakfast? You guys are really getting into the romance on this show.”

The hairstylist immediately criticized Jiang Sheng while holding up a curling iron, “You’re always shooting your mouth off. This is called being dedicated to work, okay? What’s wrong with a romance show? Love should look like love. Otherwise, how can we make a good show and get a raise?”

“Yes, yes, Chenjie is right.”

The group then resumed their usual banter, moving past this topic.

While waiting to shoot, Jining took out the script to read, and Jishiyi glanced at her and opened the lid.

Plain oatmeal and millet porridge, but with two raisins sprinkled inside.

The man took a couple of bites, finding the taste decent.

He asked her, “Have you eaten?”

Jining nodded, “Yes.”

“What did you eat?”

“Stir-fried noodles.”

Jishiyi paused, “Then why did you bring me porridge?”

“This is good for your stomach,” she said.

The man stirred the slightly hot porridge with a spoon, smiled without much emotion, and said, “You still remember my stomach isn’t well?”

Jining hesitated for two seconds, then quickly tugged at her ear, “Seeing how health-conscious you are usually, I thought you would like something good for your stomach.”

She didn’t directly answer whether she knew about his stomach condition.

But regardless, she didn’t bring the porridge just casually while having her meal; she prepared it specifically for him.

This finally eased him somewhat.

The man ate silently, halfway through his meal, his phone vibrated.

Very puzzled, Ruan Ming had thought about it all night and still couldn’t help but send him a message: [Did I do something wrong?]

Jishiyi didn’t react at once. He looked at the screen for a moment, then said blankly, “Ruan Ming?”

“Ruan Ming?” Hearing the name, Jining also raised her head, her voice trailing upwards.

Seeing her expression, Jishiyi asked, “Do you know her?”

Jining shook her head, “Never heard the name. Is she a host?”

“No, she’s an actress,” he explained, “Just got the lead role in a BL drama, gained a bit of popularity in a small circle.”

Jining nodded vaguely, not very interested, and continued to read her script.

The man furrowed his brow.

What’s going on? Wasn’t he desperately pining for Ruan Ming last night?

At this moment, the approaching staff interrupted his thoughts, shouting, “Get ready, we’re about to start shooting!”

Since he didn’t like bringing personal emotions to work, he temporarily set aside this issue and focused on filming.

Today’s shooting location was his suggestion. He said he wanted to take Jining to his junior high school for a visit.

This kind of plot appears in many romance variety shows, probably something like “I’ll take you to my city, walk through the paths I once walked, experience the trajectory of my growth.”

Of course, they had to ride bicycles to go to school. Jishiyi took her to his most frequented place to buy cotton candy, then unlocked the bike and pushed it out. With his long legs, he kicked the stand, “Get on.”

Jining took a bite of cotton candy, swallowed the phrase “Are you giving me a ride?” along with the candy, and asked, “Do you ride your bike to school every day?”

She genuinely didn’t know this habit of his.

“Yeah, it’s far to walk,” he said, leaning on one leg and gesturing for her to hurry up and get on.

As Jining slowly approached the back seat, she pondered, should she hug his waist, or hug his waist, or hug his waist?

However, in the end, she still timidly held onto the seat the whole way.

The morning breeze brushed against her face, delivering a pleasant and clean scent, triggering her professional instinct. She slowly shifted from sitting sideways to facing his back, then climbed onto his shoulder, standing on the parts at the center of the wheel.

The girl’s skirt fluttered in the wind, creating ripples like water.

She thought Ji Shiyin would turn around to warn her to be careful, but he didn’t, just rode a bit slower and steadier himself.

He preferred actions over words.

This was his subtle way of showing tenderness.

The car quickly arrived at the school during class dismissal time. To avoid disturbing students during class, the two of them took another round of browsing at the bookstore near the entrance. The shopkeeper, upon seeing Ji Shiyin, exclaimed with delight, “You’re back?! You don’t know, every day, many girls come asking me what textbooks you used to buy before, saying chasing you would motivate them to study well. You’re a hero too.”

Seeing Ji Ning, the shopkeeper was even more elated, “Oh my, I’ve watched your drama! When will Shu Ke Yi realize she likes Xuyan? Is she going to pursue Shen Min? Will they end up together? When will she realize Xuyan arranged the reunion? Who ended up with whom in the end?”

Ji Ning smiled.

“Spoiler alert isn’t fun,” Ji Shiyin said, “Just enjoy the drama.”

“Of course, I’m enjoying it very much. I’m eagerly waiting for tonight at ten!” The shopkeeper promised not to skip any episodes and asked for Ji Ning’s autograph.

As they entered the school during class time, students having PE class in the playground started screaming upon seeing them. Ji Ning gestured for them to be quiet.

Ji Shiyin introduced her to each spot, “The leftmost seat in the fifth row, my old spot.”

“After the first class every day, homework should be turned in.”

She actually enjoyed this feeling, feeling like the time she missed was being compensated for in his narration.

Ji Shiyin’s old classroom was no longer in use; the students had a new building across from it.

Ji Ning went to his classroom, which seemed to have been cleaned in advance; there wasn’t much dust, but everything had a slightly old smell to it.

Traces of his life.

Unintentionally, she felt like she had been a part of his youth.

In the last cabinet, there was a compartment filled with pink and blue items. Ji Ning asked, “Whose letters are these? Why didn’t you take them?”

After waiting for a while without a response, Ji Ning looked up, “Hmm?”

After a pause, the man replied in a low voice, “Love letters.”

She exclaimed, “Yours?”

Ji Shiyin’s voice was vague, as if he wanted to quickly move past this topic, casually responding, “Yeah.”

It turned out the person she liked had always been so popular. The girl couldn’t help but smile uncontrollably, sighing, “They really put in a lot of effort.”

He had been afraid she wouldn’t be happy, but now, seeing her smile…?

The man cleared his throat a couple of times and decided to leave this troublesome place, “Let’s go outside.”

Ji Ning followed him out, standing in the corridor where they could see the vast basketball court below, with teenagers energetically playing.

She asked him, “Did you used to play basketball before?”

“I did.”

Ji Ning tentatively asked again, “When you liked a girl… did you try to show off and make shots?”

The man stared at her for a while before slowly saying, “Back then, there wasn’t a girl I liked.”

Clouds floated overhead, their elongated tails resembling someone’s small tail, being bitten off again.

Before the end of class, the two left the school promptly to avoid causing a commotion.

The time pointed straight to twelve, the man checked his watch and asked her sideways, “What do you want to eat?”

“Let’s eat near the school,” Ji Ning said, “What was your favorite food before?”

He took her to a small restaurant nearby, where many small elephant plush toys hung at the entrance, and even the water sold was mint and pink.

Ji Ning shook a wind chime and said softly, “You’re quite girly.”

“It’s been redecorated,” Ji Shiyin glanced over and explained, “Before, they hung… skeletons here.”

She shuddered and let go of his hand.

The owner chuckled and interrupted, “He’s teasing you. It was pretty much the same before. Later, they changed it to couples’ seats, and he never came again. I was thinking he’d come back when he got a girlfriend.”

“And here you are today.”

Ji Ning smiled and looked down to order.

They ordered the popular set meal here, and the owner also gave them two candles.

Ji Shiyin watched her skillfully light the candles and spread out the heart-shaped placemats. Suddenly, a sentence Jiang Sheng had said popped into his mind—

“You don’t know, she disappeared from the country for two months before, stirring up a storm of rumors. They said she went to the US to give birth, quit the industry for a wealthy sponsor, had a brainless love affair, and all sorts of rumors.”

So, he couldn’t help but ask, “Did you disappear from the country for two months before?”

The man pretended to casually mix the rice, “Where did you go?”

She didn’t conceal it, answering openly, “I was learning lines.”

Because you said, lines are the lifeblood of an actor.

Ji Shiyan nodded, then understood why her acting skills were so much better than other supporting actresses.

The company is really something, not even dispelling such rumors.

Reaching behind him, Ji Shiyan turned off the microphone for capturing sound, and asked her softly, “Have you ever thought about changing companies?”

Ji Ning paused, then whispered into her own microphone, “Of course I have, I’ve thought about it before.”

“But I heard the company is about to change its top management, and there might be changes in the boss’s position. If possible, I still want to stay.”

It’s not that she’s particularly attached to the company, but terminating the contract would lead to legal battles. In case of losing, she’d have to pay a penalty. Money isn’t a big deal, but it’s a waste of energy.

The most crucial thing is… Sun HeLiu is still in the company.

She wants to stay so that when she’s capable enough, all the top resources of the company will be prioritized for her selection. Without her father’s backing, and lacking any notable skills, Sun HeLiu won’t even get a share of the ordinary resources.

She wants Sun HeLiu to experience the feelings and situations she once experienced. She won’t leave until the company changes hands, to make sure those people don’t have it too easy.

She never does or condones selfish acts, but she’s not one to swallow her grievances. She distinguishes clearly between right and wrong.

Ji Shiyan probably understood her thoughts, nodded to conclude the topic, and turned the microphone back on.

The director muttered to himself on the side: “If you want to chat, turn off the mic and chat; if you don’t want to chat, turn it on and continue your romance. You young people really want to play.”

The restaurant has two floors, and Ji Shiyan rented the second floor, but considering that students need to eat lunch, he didn’t rent the first floor. Instead, a few bodyguards were stationed at the stairs to prevent any disruptions to the filming.

After finishing their meal and preparing to leave, Ji Ning wiped her mouth. A small fan turned to face her, blowing her hair into her face.

She was about to use a tissue to fix her hair when another pair of hands gently brushed her temples, pushing the stray hairs behind her ear.

Ji Ning pursed her lips.

“Finished eating?” Ji Shiyan reached out to her naturally. “Let’s go.”

Ji Ning knew he was very good at getting into character, able to slip into any role effortlessly. So, from the first day of filming, he dutifully took on the role of her boyfriend. The scenes of these days, and those that will happen later, are mostly what he believes should be presented to the audience.

Just like idol dramas, reality dating shows are about creating dreams. Getting into character and cooperating are their most basic professional ethics.

Regardless of whether the feelings are real or fake, regardless of whether they are sure of each other’s feelings, at this moment, they have to be a couple, and they must be a couple.

She told herself not to overthink it, but it’s inevitable to feel a subtle sense of pleasure. Holding his hand, she walked down the stairs with him, greeting the students gathered at the staircase.

“After eating, hurry back for a nap. There are classes in the afternoon.”

“I know, sister is really beautiful in person!”

…

The two of them went to a nearby park in the afternoon, took photos, and stamped seals. Time quickly passed, and it was already night. Ji Shiyan took her to a place he hadn’t informed her about in advance.

Once again, the man covered her eyes.

Ji Ning began to struggle, unwilling to go along, “Are you going to make me jump off a building again?”

“No, this time it’s absolutely not scary,” he said. “Trust me.”

Listening to the chirping of insects around her ears, along with the man’s gentle reassurance, Ji Ning finally calmed down.

“Don’t lie to me.”

“I won’t.”

After a while, she stood still, and someone gently removed the blindfold. Ji Shiyan adjusted the astronomical telescope in front of her eyes.

“This is the best stargazing spot in the country. Here, you can see the brightest stars.”

Ji Ning tiptoed to match the height of the towering telescope and closed one eye.

Ji Shiyan helped her adjust to the right angle, and when it felt about right, he asked her, “Can you see it?”

Ji Ning pursed her lips, “Nope.”

He moved it again, “Still can’t see it?”

“Yeah, can’t see it.” She blinked slowly and said softly, “Really can’t see it.”

“You came to me, let me see.”

The girl obediently jumped down from the platform, and the man tilted his head to see the smile she couldn’t hide, realizing he had been tricked.

He said, this angle had been tested countless times, how could she not see it as soon as she came.

Ji Shiyan narrowed his eyes, “Tricked me?”

Ji Ning clasped her hands behind her back and raised her eyebrows, “No, I’m telling the truth.”

Because the brightest star had already landed beside her.

After finishing the variety show, Jining entered a period of intense filming for dramas. Every actor would have some rest time on set, but she was too hardworking, either attending classes or filming variety shows during her free time. When “Rose” was halfway through airing, the flagship program of the TV station needed them for promotion, arranging for them to attend.

The program was recorded from 6:30 to 10:00, featuring common games like horror boxes, physical challenges, and charades. After filming, Jining slept for a few hours on the plane and then rushed back to the set of “Starry Sky.” She truly valued this drama. For over a week, Jishiyang was busy and couldn’t come to supervise, but soon they would shoot a magazine together.

Before shooting the magazine, Jining and Xiaobo had offline promotion to attend. Since it was scheduled to start at six, she arrived on time. Jishiyang arrived early and opened the director’s sent storyline demo while waiting for her. The director marveled at his enthusiasm: “You, as a producer, are so dedicated, always asking me for scenes. Anyone would think I gave you a lot of money.”

Jishiyang glanced at the message and then opened today’s shooting plot. In the first scene, Jining smiled happily at Zhuogong, waving the letter in her hand: “I remember, you can’t go back on your word.”

In the second scene, she tugged at Zhuogong’s sleeve, playing the female lead with earnest anticipation: “Qirenlai, shall we try to be together?”

With just one look, she revealed the girl’s thoughts. In the third scene, the two leaned on the railing, and she was all smiles. Jishiyang couldn’t hear what she was saying anymore.

The director couldn’t help but send a message to Jishiyang: “Jining’s acting is really good. She’s making us feel so sweet today. This drama is definitely the sweetest reservation for early winter.” Jishiyang left, just as he pulled down the notification bar on his phone, he saw a push notification from an app: “Jining and Zhuogong’s first collaboration is sparking, are you tempted by these drama stills?”

He deleted the push notification and opened the video app to watch a movie. The recommended variety show caught his eye: “Jining and Xiaobo interact on the same stage, fulfilling the lives of ‘Rose’ fans.” As long as actors have works released or have a collaboration announcement, even if it’s not a CP (couple) that both sides agree on, the media will still ride the wave to create some gossip. It’s normal for Xiaobo to pay attention to it; it’s called the publicity period CP.

Jishiyang didn’t want to be affected by these murky things and exited the video app, thinking that there wouldn’t be any new CP news if he just checked Weibo. However, when he opened Weibo, he found that Jining had just posted a commercial Weibo five minutes ago, with text consisting of star and moon emoticons, accompanied by a nine-grid selfie with Zhuogong.

“…”

Planning to switch accounts, he found that “Jishiyang’s out-of-circle hidden wife” had also posted another Weibo: “Cheng Yi, my rumored boyfriend.” …

As he scrolled through Jining’s seemingly endless gossip news, the protagonist of the incident finally arrived. Jining rushed in:

“Sorry for being late! Hasn’t it started yet?”

The man looked up: “Where were you?”

Jining was taken aback by his not-so-kind tone and hesitantly replied truthfully: “With Xiaobo… for ‘Rose’s college promotion…”

The man threw his phone onto the table and smirked expressionlessly. “You really have a lot of rumored boyfriends.”