Veteran academic underachievers have their own unique way of thinking. Li Mengjiao and Wang Shuang argued over the “Cambrian glacier” metaphor for a bit, and Li Mengjiao got sidetracked.
Did they kiss or not? Li Mengjiao thought they did, Wang Shuang thought they didn’t, and neither could convince the other. Wang Shuang, ever straightforward, said, “Then go ask them.”
Li Mengjiao: …!
Ask who?
Ask Wen Ying?
If Wen Ying didn’t want to talk, she’d brush her off in a couple of sentences. Sometimes Li Mengjiao’s puppy-dog act worked, but sometimes it didn’t.
This was one of those times when it wouldn’t. They were good sisters, but girls get shy talking about such things.
Ask Xie Qian then?
Li Mengjiao shivered at the thought.
She didn’t know if Xie Qian’s lips were sealed with Cambrian glaciers, but he could definitely bury underachievers under a pile of test papers deep enough to reach the Cambrian era.
“I’m not asking.”
Hmph, she might be silly, but she was smarter than Wang Shuang.
Li Mengjiao glanced at Wen Ying and Xie Qian again, then tiptoed back to her room.
…
Gossipy Li Mengjiao could resist asking due to the threat of test papers, but Wen Ying, the person involved, couldn’t hold back.
Playing ostrich felt good for a moment, but not forever.
Though the idea that “the male god might like her” was shocking, after spending so much time with Xie Qian, Wen Ying had been influenced by his top-student mindset. Eliminate all wrong answers, and no matter how absurd the remaining one seems, it’s the correct one.
Wen Ying was no longer the insecure, dowdy girl from her past life. She believed she was worthy of being liked, but if that person was Xie Qian, the whole thing felt like a surreal dream.
She couldn’t turn into an ostrich just because she was young again. Adults should be bold, at least confirm the matter first.
What to do after confirming… well, deal with that later.
In the hotel corridor, only Wen Ying and Xie Qian remained. Wen Ying steeled herself, “Xie Qian, I have something to ask you.”
Poor thing, holding it in for two days and finally bursting?
Xie Qian stopped, completely unfazed, “Go ahead.”
Wen Ying cleared her throat, “I want to ask, at the airport the other day, why did you hold my hand?”
Since she’d asked, Wen Ying was determined to get clarity. She looked straight at Xie Qian, not wanting to miss any microexpression, hoping to read something from his face.
What a sin, no matter how long she looked, Xie Qian’s face was still so handsome, perfectly matching her aesthetic from every angle.
On that handsome face, there was no guilt, no nervousness, only calm composure.
Xie Qian’s eyes reflected Wen Ying’s figure, stirring a string in her heart. She trembled slightly, swearing to catch every microexpression, yet her gaze involuntarily shifted.
In that moment, Xie Qian kicked the ball back, “Why do you think I held your hand?”
Uh.
How was Wen Ying supposed to answer? Her face wasn’t thick enough to ask, “Do you like me?” Her boldness faltered, and she stammered, “I’m asking because I don’t know.”
Xie Qian said leisurely, “If we’re keeping score, you held my hand back at the music academy, remember? If you forgot, I can remind you, your hand had just thrown a rotten egg.”
Boom.
Wen Ying’s face burned hot enough to fry an egg.
Her flush wasn’t because Xie Qian said they’d held hands before, but because he couldn’t forget she’d thrown a rotten egg.
Really, Xie Qian, couldn’t he remember something nice instead of the rotten egg?
“It’s not the same thing…”
Wen Ying mumbled, but Xie Qian cut her off, “It’s exactly the same. You held my hand for the same reason I held yours.”
She’d pulled him to run from the music academy’s security guards.
He’d pulled her to run from excited crowds and reporters.
Both were for safety, the same in essence.
Xie Qian stuck to this explanation, and since he was known for not lying, Wen Ying wasn’t sure if she felt relieved or disappointed, murmuring, “…That’s it?”
“What else could it be? What did you think?”
Xie Qian’s counter-question made Wen Ying want to crawl into a hole.
Heavens.
She couldn’t face the world.
How could she have misunderstood that Xie Qian liked her?
“Ahem, I think we should listen to Aunt Dong and rest early. We need energy for the promotion event tomorrow, good night.”
Wen Ying bolted back to her room, slamming the door shut.
Xie Qian lingered outside, a smile creeping onto his lips. He thought for a moment and texted Wen Ying, “Are you too idle lately, coming up with weird ideas? I have a few test papers to clear your mind.”
“Ah!!!”
Through the door, Xie Qian heard Wen Ying’s wail.
Then came a series of thumps.
Was she, mortified, pounding her pillow in her room?
Xie Qian was in a great mood all night.
Thanks to her thick-skinned talent, Wen Ying slept it off and bounced back, erasing last night’s episode from her mind. A new day, a new journey, today was the copyright promotion event for ‘Star River and You’ at the Huatian Hotel.
Xie Qian knew there was serious business today and didn’t mention last night’s embarrassment or hand out test papers.
Like left and right guardians, they followed Mrs. Wang to the event, ready to be her support.
Mrs. Wang had gone all out with professional makeup, a styled haircut, and a business suit with heels, looking oddly like Yuan Fenghui from a distance.
Yuan Fenghui’s shrewd competence was real, Mrs. Wang’s… was an act.
As the event neared, Mrs. Wang grew nervous, her palms sweaty, running to the bathroom twice. Wen Ying couldn’t stand it, “Aunt Dong, you can’t be like this. If you panic, we’ll lose our backbone.”
I see you all calmer than the next, Mrs. Wang muttered.
But no matter how calm Wen Ying and Xie Qian were, they couldn’t send two minors to negotiate broadcasting rights with TV reps, or people would think Tianjiao was truly out of options.
“I’m not panicking.”
Mrs. Wang psyched herself up, “What’s so special about TV station people? I’ll treat them like customers at a phone shop.”
Repeating this a few times, she actually calmed down.
Wen Ying found the words familiar, akin to Li Mengjiao’s “audiences are cabbages” theory.
An assistant hurried over, “Manager Dong, the Zhejiang TV rep is here.”
Mrs. Wang strode forward, shaking hands with the Zhejiang TV representative.
“Welcome, sorry for the rush in preparing the event, thanks for coming.”
The Zhejiang TV rep smiled broadly, “For a good drama, this distance is nothing. Our station has always wanted to work with your company, Manager Dong, you must give us this chance today.”
Mrs. Wang just smiled.
Sweet words cost nothing.
Tricking her into promises? Not happening.
Who got the broadcasting rights for ‘Star River and You’ depended on the station’s strength, bid, and slot sincerity.
