If it were someone else doing this, Chu Yueyi would suspect she was being flirted with. Though she hadn't eaten pork, she had seen pigs run. Having been forced to listen to her classmates' romantic entanglements over the years, she had accumulated some peculiar knowledge.
However, the person before her was Shi Guanghua, a man who didn't play by the usual rules. Thinking back to when they crossed the high-altitude plank bridge together, she had merely taken his pulse by holding his wrist, yet after crossing, he questioned where her on-screen agility had gone, nearly sinking her with his bluntness.
A person with such a personality was completely disconnected from the concept of "flirting," otherwise she wouldn't have had such a hard time when they first started recording the show.
Therefore, faced with this feeding situation, Chu Yueyi didn't know whether she should think more or less of it, whether she should overestimate or underestimate him.
Especially since Shi Guanghua's expression was calm and composed. He held a fork with fruit in one hand, hovering the other hand beneath it, and extended it directly to her mouth, softly saying, "Ah."
When others feed someone, they usually drag out the "Ah—", but even his feeding was concise, appearing pure and noble.
As Chu Yueyi pondered, the fruit was brought to her lips. In her daze, she instinctively bit down, tasting sweet juice between her teeth, yet strangely unable to savor the flavor.
Having successfully fed her, Shi Guanghua's eyes flickered with a hint of pleasure, before he calmly asked, "Want more?"
Chu Yueyi responded numbly, "Do you know what this scene reminds me of?"
Shi Guanghua: "What?"
Chu Yueyi: "Pan Jinlian saying to Wu Dalang, 'Darling, it's time for your medicine.'"
It sounded gentle and caring, full of affection, yet there was always something off about it, chilling when you thought about it carefully.
Shi Guanghua: "?"
Shi Guanghua: "Is this from a TV drama? I haven't seen it."
After speaking, he used his utensil to pick up a second piece of fruit. This time, instead of feeding Chu Yueyi, he tasted it himself, commenting, "It's quite sweet."
Watching him casually eat the fruit, Chu Yueyi's expression became one of hesitation. She wanted to remind him that he had just used the fork to feed someone, but considering she had only touched the tip of the fruit, asking him to change utensils seemed like making a fuss over nothing. So she silently swallowed her words.
Fine, it's just a fork.
She had fed him rice balls with her hand before, so it's not like they could change hands.
They went to get some hot dishes and ate quietly in the corner. As the peak dining hour approached, the number of people in the restaurant gradually increased, and people began to sit down near them.
Chu Yueyi remembered something and looked up, saying, "Oh right, I just saw Zou Qian. He said he sent you a message..."
Just as she finished speaking, a cheerful female voice sounded nearby as someone approached with a plate.
"Yueyi, long time no see!"
Qin Ya held a plate of food in one hand and a glass of juice in the other. She had originally only noticed Chu Yueyi, but now caught sight of Shi Guanghua and quickly said, "Oh, am I interrupting you two?"
Seeing Qin Ya, Chu Yueyi also broke into a genuine smile and stood up, saying, "Senior, it's been a while. Let me introduce you, this is Teacher Shi Guanghua..."
"This is Senior Qin Ya, we used to be schoolmates."
Hearing this, Shi Guanghua politely stood up and turned to observe the person before him. She had neat short hair and wore a work badge around her neck, appearing to be a staff member of the platform.
"Hehe, I've been watching your show!" Qin Ya winked at Chu Yueyi, then teasingly said with a grin, "What's with calling him Teacher Shi? Sounds so formal!"
Shi Guanghua: "It's fine, she's Teacher Chu as well."
Qin Ya had a sudden realization: "Oh, so it's your private nicknames for each other. I get it, I get it! You two really know how to play!"
Chu Yueyi: "..." Wait, what exactly did she understand?
Chu Yueyi was merely nodding acquaintances with the male executives, but she had a deep friendship with Qin Ya. They were not only schoolmates but had also collaborated on student projects despite studying different majors.
Qin Ya was Chu Yueyi's senior, and after graduation, she entered the platform to work. She happened to join during the rapid development of video websites and had been the producer for some hit dramas. With her family's resources and background, she naturally rose quickly within the platform, becoming young and promising with a strong momentum.
Qin Ya sat at the same table as Chu Yueyi and Shi Guanghua, curiously observing the two of them, and said with a smile, "This feels like eating in the school cafeteria, with a friend's boyfriend sitting next to you. It's like making up for missed campus experiences."
Hearing Qin Ya's description, Shi Guanghua's brow twitched slightly, and the corners of his mouth pressed together.
Chu Yueyi hadn't expected her senior to still be so straightforward and unfiltered. She hurriedly tried to dissuade her, "Senior, we..."
"It's been so long since we've seen each other!" Qin Ya sincerely continued, "So even though I know I'm being a third wheel, I'm still thick-skinned enough to sit down. It's really been too long since I've run into Yueyi. I hope Classmate Shi Guanghua doesn't mind."
Shi Guanghua: "It's fine, you're not that bright."
Qin Ya: "Hahaha, then I'm relieved."
Chu Yueyi: "..." Why are you two suddenly able to communicate across servers!?
Qin Ya and Shi Guanghua seemed to share some commonalities; they both appeared to live in their own worlds. As long as they weren't embarrassed, the embarrassment belonged to others.
Meeting her former senior, Chu Yueyi originally didn't know how to introduce Shi Guanghua, but who would have thought Qin Ya would be even more intense, immediately launching into wild speculation. She now felt that Shi Guanghua was too accommodating, allowing her senior to freely imagine their relationship without showing any displeasure. It was truly unexpected.
This was in private, not in front of cameras.
Qin Ya was full of energy, enthusiastically chatting about old amusing stories and inquiring about Chu Yueyi's recent situation, never allowing a moment of awkward silence at the table. Chu Yueyi responded gently, occasionally showing a soft expression, seemingly moved by the pleasant memories.
Shi Guanghua sat quietly beside them, eating his meal. He didn't interrupt the girls' chatter, listening thoughtfully throughout, like a statue sitting next to Chu Yueyi.
If it were any other time, he might have found someone like Qin Ya a bit noisy, but since she was now talking about Chu Yueyi, he found himself deeply interested in the topic.
The Chu Yueyi that Qin Ya described wasn't the actress Chu Yueyi, but the student Chu Yueyi, stories from long ago that had never been made public.
Chu Yueyi had once stepped in to help Qin Ya's crew when they couldn't find an actor, working for free, and even helped order meals for the crew before leaving. The student team, filming for the first time, was so busy that the student producer forgot to order food. Everyone was tired, hungry, and about to explode with frustration, but thankfully, the work meals she ordered arrived just in time, easing the terrible atmosphere of that moment.
Qin Ya reminisced, "Wow, I was about to curse Xiao Gang to high heaven at that time, and then the food Yueyi ordered arrived at the set. She had already finished her scenes and left, but when I think about it now, I could cry..."
Qin Ya was the team leader at the time. She wasn't actually responsible for ordering food for the crew, but faced with angry and exhausted teammates, she would inevitably have to take the blame. It was indescribably helpless.
Chu Yueyi: "It wasn't that dramatic. Besides, Brother Gang had a lot on his plate that day. You asked him to refuel the car and move equipment. I just felt like something was forgotten, but when I tried to message you all, no one responded, so I just decided to order first."
Qin Ya grumbled, "No matter how busy he was, he was the producer. If he couldn't handle it, he should have said something. You're just too accommodating to the people you work with..."
Chu Yueyi rarely criticized others at work. She usually just smoothed things over, believing that arguing about right and wrong was pointless; what mattered was whether things got done.
Shi Guanghua unexpectedly chimed in, "Mm, indeed."
If she hadn't been so accommodating to her collaborators, he probably would have discovered the problems earlier.
Getting this agreement, Qin Ya immediately looked at Chu Yueyi and said triumphantly, "Listen, listen! The two people who understand you best at this table have spoken!"
Chu Yueyi picked up her glass and reminded her, "There are only three people at this table."
Qin Ya ignored the sarcasm and looked from Chu Yueyi to Shi Guanghua, asking enthusiastically, "When are you two going to make it official?"
Chu Yueyi was drinking water and nearly choked, coughing violently, "Cough cough..."
Seeing this, Shi Guanghua quickly reached out to hand her a napkin, then stood up and gently patted her back, helping her calm her chaotic breathing. He said calmly, "We're currently recording a show."
His expression was extremely calm, as if he was stating a fact, yet also hinting at something more.
Chu Yueyi covered her mouth with a tissue, suppressing a cough as she hastily replied, "Yes, yes, it's a show. We're recording a show..."
"Oh—" Qin Ya observed the interaction between the two, her tone melodious as she mused, "So it's a show being recorded now, I see, I see."
Chu Yueyi briefly thought that Qin Ya could apply for a senior lecturer position at the Moonlight Science Association. Her ability to fabricate stories and make far-fetched connections was no worse than some fans. She said with a trembling voice, "Senior, have you been working on the platform for too long and been influenced by certain cultures?"
How else could she have the mindset of a CP fan? Wasn't there anyone normal on such a large platform?
It seemed they either treated CP fans as leeks to be harvested or directly infiltrated the CP fan community.
Qin Ya: "Of course, it's always been like this."
Chu Yueyi: "..."
Chu Yueyi immediately didn't dare to continue the conversation. She abruptly changed the subject, laughing dryly, "Let's not just talk about us. How's your work going? What have you been busy with lately?"
Qin Ya: "Ah, I've just taken charge of a new section. We're now working on the film side of things. Recently, I've been looking for music for Director Chen's new film. You have no idea how strict music copyright is these days..."
In recent years, the status of video websites has risen dramatically, with deep collaborations with renowned directors and involvement in new film investments and production. This allowed Qin Ya to interact with top-tier teams, paving her way for promotion and salary increase.
Chu Yueyi was startled: "Music?"
Noticing her reaction, Qin Ya blinked at Chu Yueyi, then suddenly turned to Shi Guanghua, realizing, "I almost forgot that's what your family does!"
Chu Yueyi raised her hand to stop her, saying helplessly, "Wait a minute..."
At that moment, more celebrities and artists began entering the restaurant. Bai Yiyang casually glanced around the room. Seeing it was peak hour, she initially wanted to leave, but then noticed the three people in the corner, narrowing her eyes slightly.
In a corner of the restaurant, Chu Yueyi and Shi Guanghua sat side by side, with Qin Ya sitting opposite them. They seemed to be chatting and laughing, oblivious to their surroundings.
Bai Yiyang recognized Qin Ya as Chu Yueyi's close senior who was now highly valued within the platform, making her someone many artists tried to curry favor with.
In fact, many alumni maintained contact with Chu Yueyi, but she wasn't the type to ask for favors. Perhaps because of this, she was well-liked by others. Not asking for help but helping others made everyone want to stay in touch with her.
Shi Guanghua wasn't participating in the women's conversation. He quietly took Chu Yueyi's plate and casually handed her a clean one. Chu Yueyi continued chatting while naturally accepting it. The silent coordination between the two was impeccable, making them look like a perfect couple.
Normally, Bai Yiyang would avoid places where Chu Yueyi appeared, but witnessing this scene now inexplicably irritated her.
At the table, Qin Ya was still having sudden ideas: "Hey, could Shi Guanghua do film scores?"
"Teacher Shi Guanghua mostly does electronic music, which might be quite different from film music."
Chu Yueyi had already guessed Qin Ya's thoughts and was about to respond when she heard a long-unheard voice, causing her fingertips to tremble violently. She looked up and, sure enough, saw Bai Yiyang standing beside Qin Ya.
Bai Yiyang met Chu Yueyi's gaze, her eyes flickering slightly with unease. To cover it up, she turned to Qin Ya and asked, "There are no seats nearby. May I sit here?"
The tables in the restaurant were originally meant for business discussions, with considerable distance between each table and partitions for privacy, which indeed limited the number of available seats.
Chu Yueyi had never discussed Bai Yiyang with anyone, so Qin Ya's knowledge of her was limited to their school days.
Qin Ya only remembered that they were close friends in school, and given how the media loved to fabricate stories about celebrities, she hadn't taken the rumors of them being rivals seriously. She replied, "Sure, sure, it's an alumni table after all."
Chu Yueyi remained silent.
Bai Yiyang sat next to Qin Ya, directly facing Shi Guanghua. Her reason for sitting down was simple: she didn't want Chu Yueyi's connections to help Shi Guanghua network.
Shi Guanghua sensed Chu Yueyi's unease. His fingers tapped rhythmically on the table, as if playing a piano.
Qin Ya was the only one at the table in high spirits. After hearing what Bai Yiyang said, she looked at Shi Guanghua with disappointment: "So the style of music you're good at can't be used for film scores?"
Shi Guanghua tilted his head towards Chu Yueyi, his eyes like black jade, and said nonchalantly, "If she says it's possible, then it's possible."
His tone was casual as he shrugged, appearing as if he was quite strictly managed.