The angry shout instantly triggered laughter from the audience, filling the venue with a jovial atmosphere. Only Chu Yueyi lowered her head in embarrassment. She had never experienced such teasing during her school days, but ironically, it seemed she was making up for lost campus experiences now that she was working, being publicly teased about a man.
As the live camera panned over again, Chu Yueyi tried to hide herself by keeping her head down, genuinely not wanting to disrupt the ceremony's order.
Shi Guanghua, being his usual stoic self, remained much more composed and dignified. He stared straight ahead, as if he wasn't one of the subjects of the teasing.
The live camera lingered on them persistently, but upon realizing that the two were no longer interacting, it reluctantly moved away.
-- Girls, I swear on my 20/20 vision, that man's lips just curved upward!
-- As a current math student, I've precisely measured the angle, and the previous commenter is correct!
-- Well, as a psychology major, I declare them a perfect match.
-- Shouldn't it be engineering students who declare things a perfect fit? Or welded together?
-- I don't know anything, but I'm totally shipping them!
The lengthy meeting finally concluded, and people began to file out of the venue, heading towards the restaurant booked by the platform. Some would leave directly, while only the higher-ups and celebrities would attend the buffet.
The restaurant's environment was upscale and spacious, with tables of various sizes scattered about, pristine white tablecloths adorned with gleaming silverware. On either side were long tables laden with an array of dishes, both Western and Chinese cuisine, along with desserts. The spread looked diverse and colorful, available for self-service with plates.
Of course, there were no cameras filming here, and people in the restaurant were even sensitive about audio recordings. It wasn't uncommon for industry secrets to be discussed in such settings, and if anyone were caught secretly recording, it would be seen as a breach of professional ethics, and no one would dare to collaborate with such a person again.
At the restaurant entrance, Chu Yueyi, whose back had grown stiff from sitting in the venue, took a few steps to stretch, finally feeling some relief. Li You and the others weren't arranged to dine here, so now it was just Chu Yueyi and Shi Guanghua.
Shi Guanghua looked around curiously and asked, "Does it end after we eat?"
"Mm, theoretically yes..." Chu Yueyi hesitated, scratching her face. "But I think the meal might be different from what you're expecting."
Shi Guanghua: "?"
Chu Yueyi: "You see the meal as the end, but it might actually be the beginning." The previous meeting was just for show; the main event was likely to be the dinner.
Shi Guanghua looked even more confused.
Chu Yueyi chose her words carefully and explained, "...It's just that in China, 'having a meal' often means 'discussing business'."
The video platform certainly wouldn't gather people for no reason. In reality, industry insiders were often traveling all over the place, and opportunities to sit down and have a proper chat were rare. This was more of a social occasion, where some projects might be born, like a random dungeon in a game – you never know what you might encounter.
Some people would meet or exchange contact information here, naturally leading to future collaborations. Of course, people would also engage in casual gossip and share insider information, tipping each other off about various matters.
Shi Guanghua's body tensed slightly: "So people will come talk to us?"
Chu Yueyi good-naturedly suggested: "We can find a corner, eat quickly, and then leave!"
Chu Yueyi used to chat with her peers, but today she was with Shi Guanghua and thought it best not to cause any trouble. He was genuinely face-blind, having mistaken Bai Yiyang's manager for Bai Yiyang herself. Who knows how people might misinterpret things, so it was better to come quietly and leave quietly.
The two agreed and found a small table in a secluded spot. It was quiet, low-key, and inconspicuous, though the downside was the lack of warm air – the temperature seemed lower than in the central area.
Shi Guanghua looked up, feeling the air with his hand, and hesitated: "It doesn't seem as warm as the venue. We might catch a chill."
Shi Guanghua was fine in his suit jacket, but Chu Yueyi's dress seemed thin, and she had forgotten to ask her assistant for other clothes earlier.
Chu Yueyi casually replied: "It's not that dramatic, just think of it as building up resistance..."
She had experienced colder conditions while filming, with night scenes where the wind felt like knife blades. Compared to that, this restaurant was practically a greenhouse.
As soon as Chu Yueyi finished speaking, a warm jacket fell on her shoulders, enveloping her entire body, the fabric still retaining its owner's warmth and scent.
Shi Guanghua had draped his suit jacket over her, sighing lightly: "This will have to do for now."
He looked around, trying to find some blankets.
Chu Yueyi, now wearing his suit jacket, noticed he was only in a dark dress shirt, which didn't look much warmer. She quickly said, "Wait, you wear it, I don't need it."
Shi Guanghua glanced at her, calmly pointing out: "You're shivering."
His gaze fell on her fingertips, which were indeed trembling involuntarily due to the low temperature.
Chu Yueyi lied with a straight face: "Oh, that's not from the cold."
Shi Guanghua clearly didn't believe her and continued to question: "Then why are you shivering?"
Chu Yueyi: "I'm shivering from fear."
Shi Guanghua was taken aback: "What are you afraid of?"
Chu Yueyi: "I'm afraid of getting food on my clothes while eating. I'm shivering from that fear. Is that not allowed?"
Shi Guanghua: "..."
Shi Guanghua was truly at a loss for words with Chu Yueyi and could only stare at her silently.
A moment later, Shi Guanghua quietly reached for his jacket back. Just as she thought he was giving in, he instead draped the jacket over her front rather than her shoulders, readjusting its position. He calmly said, "Now you won't get it dirty, and you won't shiver."
"Or you could wear the jacket backwards, making it even less likely to get dirty," he suggested unhurriedly.
Chu Yueyi couldn't help but quip: "Are you trying to make me a bib?" Or perhaps using the backwards suit jacket as a kitchen apron.
As they were about to continue their debate, someone passed by and remarked, "You two get along so well!"
Chu Yueyi and Shi Guanghua fell silent simultaneously. They hadn't expected anyone to come over despite sitting in a secluded spot, and immediately ended their jacket tug-of-war.
They greeted the passerby, who turned out to be a male executive from the platform. He was mainly responsible for film and television projects and was a nodding acquaintance of Chu Yueyi's.
The male executive teased: "Why don't you two sit over there? Why are you hiding here by yourselves?"
Chu Yueyi responded vaguely and introduced them to each other, managing to get through the encounter. Fortunately, the male executive didn't ask too many questions and soon left with his plate, without inviting them to join him.
After the outsider left, Shi Guanghua stood up decisively and said in a low voice: "I'll go ask for a blanket."
As Chu Yueyi watched him turn to leave, she quickly held out his suit jacket, muttering: "At least put this on first!"
However, Shi Guanghua didn't look back. He strode towards the door, his tall figure disappearing from view.
Seeing his stubbornness, Chu Yueyi felt quite helpless. She placed the jacket on his seat, unsure of what to do next, when unexpectedly, the male executive who had left earlier circled back.
The male executive, noticing her sitting alone at the table, asked curiously: "Where did he go?"
Chu Yueyi put on a professional smile and explained politely: "He went to get something."
The male executive nodded and exclaimed: "I see your collaboration is going well! Usually, people would be at each other's throats, but your marketing trend seems good too. It's quite rare..."
"He didn't have many works before, but he's able to transition into a celebrity riding this wave of popularity. His team is indeed quite skilled."
Hearing this, Chu Yueyi's smile gradually faded. The man had been warm and polite to Shi Guanghua's face, but now he was showing a completely different side – truly a case of honey in the mouth and a dagger in the heart.
Although she knew this was common in the industry, she felt slightly annoyed at the moment and calmly corrected him: "He's a musician." The implication being that he did have works.
The male executive retorted: "Is there any real music in China nowadays that can match the quality of the dramas you film? But it's fine to create some buzz with the show, the young girls online love watching this stuff. The platform is happy to cash in on the trend too. I personally don't understand what's so entertaining about it..."
Faced with the male executive's incessant chatter, a hint of impatience flashed in Chu Yueyi's eyes, but politeness prevented her from interrupting abruptly. Although such views on hyped-up celebrity couples were quite normal in the industry, she still found his perspective foolish and felt a surge of irritation, thinking, "It's none of your business."
"Aren't you two called 'Moonlight' on the show? And there's another pair of guests called something like 'Roar', right? I suddenly can't remember the name of that 'Roar' guy, but he's actually been secretly married for a while. It just hasn't been exposed yet. He's probably keeping it from the show's production team. As for the one you're working with..."
Hearing this, and seeing that he was about to question Shi Guanghua, Chu Yueyi spoke softly but firmly, "He's not that low."
Although the other party hadn't directly doubted Shi Guanghua, the direction of his words was quite obvious.
She immediately intervened, not wanting to hear any more.
The male executive was suddenly rebutted, and he was momentarily stunned, "Huh?"
Chu Yueyi was sitting across from the male executive, separated by Shi Guanghua's seat. She casually picked up the suit jacket from the chair and draped it back over her shoulders. Standing up with a smile, she changed the subject, "I'm going to get some food over there. Would you like to join me?"
The dining area would have other people around, clearly not suitable for discussing others.
Faced with her flawless smile, the male executive instantly forgot her decisive words and hurriedly said, "I've already been there, I'll look around elsewhere..."
Chu Yueyi nodded with a smile, said goodbye to the male executive, and went to get food alone, wearing Shi Guanghua's jacket. She touched the suit on her shoulders and thought to herself that he was really dawdling. He hadn't even returned with a blanket yet, and was probably being trampled on behind the scenes.
Logically speaking, the male executive's thoughts weren't wrong. The show's filming only lasted a few months, and people couldn't truly get to know each other deeply. As long as one forcefully concealed their true nature, they could fool not only their co-stars but even the production team.
However, she had a kind of arrogant cognition that she understood Shi Guanghua quite well, and couldn't tolerate others questioning him.
Chu Yueyi thought: He's just a simpleton, what bad things could he do?
But she hadn't known him for that long either, and was still in a period of reassessment.
At the food area, Chu Yueyi was distractedly looking at the dishes when she unexpectedly caught sight of a familiar face - it was Zou Qian, whom she hadn't seen in a long time. She didn't remember Zou Qian appearing at the New Year's gala, and if he had come, he should have greeted Shi Guanghua, so she was naturally quite surprised.
Zou Qian was selecting food on the other side of the long table, and there seemed to be a girl beside him. The two were chatting and laughing, the atmosphere quite pleasant.
Chu Yueyi observed secretly, and some impressions surfaced in her mind - the woman next to Zou Qian was a female singer.
She didn't rashly approach, waiting until the female singer left before slowly going over.
In the corner, Zou Qian was watching the other's figure disappear when he suddenly heard a familiar female voice: "Momma's big boy, stop staring at her."
Zou Qian was startled and turned to see the expressionless Chu Yueyi. He exclaimed, "Where did you pop out from!?"
Chu Yueyi gave him a sidelong glance and said coldly, "Are you crazy? You dare to fall in love?"
Thinking of the water Zou Qian was holding during the New Year's Eve party, and the way he had just been gazing at the female singer, Chu Yueyi wanted to shake his shoulders vigorously and listen to the waves in his head.
With no one around, Zou Qian immediately stammered, "Who-who's falling in love... I'm just getting to know her, is that not allowed!?"
Chu Yueyi: "What's the use of getting to know her?"
Zou Qian: "Who says it's useless? Don't people always get to know each other first, just like you and Brother Shi..."
"We're filming a show, what are you trying to do?" Chu Yueyi said calmly, "What's the use of getting to know her? Does it help you fade into obscurity? Does it help her get crazily criticized? Or does it help Weibo reach its KPIs? Is your head okay?"
Shi Guanghua was an outsider to the entertainment circle, and Chu Yueyi never talked about these things in front of him, always speaking gently and considerately. However, she and Zou Qian were genuine artists, so their communication was naturally straightforward, and both understood each other quite well.
Chu Yueyi didn't think Zou Qian had already balanced his feelings and career well. He was still considered popular now, but getting involved couldn't offer any promises, so why bother entangling the other person?
Zou Qian was silent for a moment, as if cold water had been poured over him. His expression darkened, "I know."
"Alright, I'm not in the mood to lecture you, I'm not your manager anyway." Chu Yueyi had no desire to watch him look dejected. She hadn't come to scold him either, so she said, "I have something to ask you."
Zou Qian looked up, "What is it?"
Chu Yueyi: "Do you know why Shi Guanghua participated in the show? He doesn't seem like someone who wants to be famous. Who pushed him to join initially?"
She was now reassessing Shi Guanghua, so naturally, she needed to collect a lot of information to answer some of her past doubts.
Under her calm questioning, Zou Qian suddenly felt an unprecedented suffocation: "..."
He had initially wanted to encourage Chu Yueyi to get to know Shi Guanghua, but he had just been scolded for "getting to know" someone.
Zou Qian said dryly, "...Why don't you ask him directly?"
Chu Yueyi stared at Zou Qian speechlessly.
Zou Qian's forehead broke out in a sweat: "If you can't get it out of him yourself, how could I pry open his mouth?"
Chu Yueyi didn't suspect anything and nodded, "You're right, you're quite useless. I shouldn't have had expectations of you."
Zou Qian breathed a small sigh of relief.
"We're sitting in that corner over there. You can come over later if you want, but if you want to sneak away, that's fine too." She guessed that Zou Qian had come secretly, and the reason was obvious.
Sure enough, Zou Qian said quietly, "I'll send Brother Shi a message, but I won't come over. I have work in the afternoon..."
Chu Yueyi had been working non-stop to the point of fainting recently, and Zou Qian would only be busier than her, probably with even less rest time.
Chu Yueyi mocked, "You're so busy and still trying to get to know someone? Why don't you try online dating in the future? Can you handle it?"
Zou Qian: "...A man can't say he can't!"
Chu Yueyi: "So you're not a man."
Zou Qian: "..."
Chu Yueyi made a round at the food area. Having failed to extract any valuable information, she returned to her seat to wait quietly for Shi Guanghua's return.
Not long after, Shi Guanghua appeared with a blanket. From afar, he saw Chu Yueyi wearing his suit jacket, resting her head on her hand at the table, lost in thought, not knowing what she was worrying about. She tilted her head to one side, not joining the discussing crowd, just quietly waiting for him in a secluded spot, like a world-famous painting.
A moment later, she looked up and saw him approaching, and complained dissatisfied, "You're really slow."
Chu Yueyi had begun to suspect he was weaving the blanket himself, otherwise how could it take so long to return.
Shi Guanghua handed her the blanket and then glanced at the dishes on the table. They were mostly cold dishes, and there were two untouched portions.
Chu Yueyi noticed his gaze and said, "I didn't dare to get hot food. If you want to eat, get it yourself." She didn't know when he would return and was afraid the hot dishes would get cold if taken out.
Shi Guanghua looked at her clean utensils, his gaze softening as he said gently, "Why didn't you eat first?"
He hadn't expected her to wait without eating, thinking she would have started her meal.
"How could I eat first?" Chu Yueyi watched him sit down and unceremoniously picked up her utensils, muttering, "I'm starving."
They were already sitting in a secluded spot, and if she finished eating first and left him to eat alone when he returned, it would seem a bit miserable.
"Why couldn't you eat first?" Shi Guanghua knew she was waiting for him, but he blinked and deliberately said, "I could feed you if you'd like."
Hearing this, Chu Yueyi almost dropped her utensils in shock, looking at him incredulously, "?"
Shi Guanghua had already speared a piece of fruit. He looked at her calmly, his face all but saying "not eating first might mean waiting to be fed," seeming both serious and as if he was making a dry joke.
Chu Yueyi: "..."
She was already in a period of reassessment, and now faced with this strange offer of feeding, she found herself increasingly unable to understand this person!