The two of them nestled on the sofa, silent for a moment, quietly leaning against each other.
Chu Yueyi obediently rested in Shi Guanghua's embrace, her face pressed close to his, sharing warm breaths until a faint rumbling sound came from her stomach.
Hearing her stomach growl with hunger, Shi Guanghua couldn't help but let out an amused chuckle.
Chu Yueyi reached out to tap him, trying to maintain her composure as she said, "Don't laugh."
"Are you hungry?" Shi Guanghua sat up straight, "I'll go check the kitchen, or we could order takeout."
"Yes, I'm hungry," Chu Yueyi admitted honestly, lowering her head. "Anything simple will do."
Chu Yueyi had flown back to Beijing today. She had come over after just a brief rest, without any real break, so naturally, she felt famished. She had work tomorrow morning but didn't want to keep postponing their meeting, which is why she decided to come over tonight.
She used to think that busy people had no time for romance, but now she realized that when you truly want to see someone, you'll desperately make time no matter how busy you are, and you won't even feel tired doing so. The desire to actually see that person outweighs the fatigue, making any busy rush insignificant.
In the kitchen, Shi Guanghua stood by the stove cooking noodles. Being quite tall, he hunched slightly, stirring with a long ladle. The light enveloped him, giving him a homely aura at that moment.
He suddenly noticed the silence around him and turned to look at Chu Yueyi, who was staring intently at him. "What's wrong?" he asked, puzzled.
Chu Yueyi peeked at him from behind the door, her eyes fixed on the heartwarming scene. "Nothing," she mumbled.
She felt too embarrassed to voice her thoughts. No wonder some men are so eager to get married, she thought. Anyone coming home from work to someone waiting and cooking for them would probably feel a sense of security and contentment. Of course, this thought wasn't exactly proper, so she didn't dare say it out loud.
Trying to make conversation, Chu Yueyi casually said, "My dad used to tell me, 'Dumplings for departure, noodles for return.'"
This was a saying her parents loved to use at home, meaning eat dumplings when leaving home and noodles when returning.
Shi Guanghua nodded calmly, "Mm, I could make dumplings for you in the future too, but I still prefer cooking noodles."
She had been gone for several months, which was indeed hard to endure.
Chu Yueyi was momentarily speechless, then said dryly, "Why would you make dumplings?"
Goodness, did he expect her to come to his place for meals before every trip?
Shi Guanghua looked puzzled, "Well, what would you like to eat? I can cook something else."
Chu Yueyi: "..." That wasn't the point at all!
Chu Yueyi finally understood what Shi Guanghua meant when he said he had waited long enough on the show. He had indeed been quite restrained during the recording period, usually expressing his thoughts directly, with emotions easily visible on his face.
This led to his extreme awkwardness when he first started recording, and now resulted in his frequent direct approaches, leaving people no room to breathe.
When others express their longing or promise to cook, it might be sweet talk to please someone, but he was genuinely expressing his thoughts, even asking what she wanted to eat and when she would come, immediately settling various details.
If she were to say she was just making casual conversation, he would probably feel disappointed.
Chu Yueyi: "...Just dumplings then, nothing else."
Shi Guanghua earnestly advised, "Eat fewer dumplings and more noodles."
Chu Yueyi: "?"
Shi Guanghua had already eaten dinner, so he just poured himself a small bowl of noodle soup to keep her company at the table.
The freshly cooked noodle soup was steaming hot, with a soft-boiled egg on top of the noodles, sprinkled with finely chopped green onions, adding specks of green. Chu Yueyi gently blew on the noodles and began eating at a leisurely pace, finally feeling the warmth of the hot soup and food comforting her empty stomach, a cozy feeling spreading throughout her body. Seeing her eating with her head down, Shi Guanghua suddenly said, "You've lost weight."
Chu Yueyi's cheeks used to have a bit of baby fat, but now she had become thinner due to the grueling schedule on set. He felt her face was barely the size of a palm now.
While sipping the soup, Chu Yueyi calmly replied, "If your next sentence is that I don't look good this way, you'll probably be in trouble soon."
She remembered Shi Guanghua's straightforward comments and occasionally brought up old accounts to warn him. After all, he had once said her smile wasn't pretty, which became her trump card for future arguments.
Shi Guanghua: "..."
After eating her fill, Chu Yueyi lazily sprawled on the sofa, feeling an indescribable contentment in her heart.
Shi Guanghua picked up the bowls and chopsticks, kindly reminding her, "Don't lie down immediately after eating."
Chu Yueyi mumbled a response, though it wasn't clear if she had actually heard him.
After tidying up the dining table, Shi Guanghua returned to the living room to find her asleep, curled up quietly on his sofa. Her eyes were tightly shut, long eyelashes drooping, face bare of any makeup. She looked like a cat curled up in deep slumber, finally succumbing to days of exhaustion.
This was no longer a professional facade, but a complete shedding of her perfect image.
He had known about her state at home, from her refrigerator to her interactions with Chu Wenyue. He could basically deduce that she wasn't meticulous in private, only careful not to show flaws or weaknesses in public.
His original intention wasn't to say she didn't look good, but rather that her smile didn't seem genuine enough. He had forgotten that their relationship wasn't close enough at the time, especially since she didn't remember him, making his words sound particularly impolite.
But now she had let down her guard, falling asleep without any wariness.
She was no longer perfect and flawless, yet still made his heart flutter.
Shi Guanghua wanted to coax her into the bedroom to rest, but she drowsily turned away, facing her back to him. Left with no choice, he carried her to the bed and went to rest in the next room.
The next day, Chu Yueyi woke up startled by the sound of the alarm clock. Looking at the dark gray bedding, her mind was in a whirl of confusion as she hurriedly got out of bed.
She had accidentally fallen asleep at Shi Guanghua's place! She had originally planned to just meet briefly and then go home to rest, but who knew she would pass out the moment she closed her eyes!
Chu Yueyi had overestimated her time management skills. She rushed out of the bedroom only to see Shi Guanghua holding a plate of steamed buns.
Shi Guanghua set the breakfast on the table and calmly said, "I was just about to wake you."
Chu Yueyi hadn't even brought her makeup bag. She could only quickly wash her face, saying in a panic, "I have to go to the company this morning."
She wasn't sure if she'd make it in time if she rushed home now and then to the company.
Shi Guanghua's expression remained steady, "I'll drive you after breakfast."
Chu Yueyi was taken aback, "Ah? No, brother, I don't have anything with me. I can't go straight to the company."
Shi Guanghua tentatively asked, "You have me, don't you?"
Chu Yueyi, flustered and annoyed, retorted, "...I need to go home to put on makeup. Am I supposed to use you to wipe my face?"
Shi Guanghua looked puzzled, "Isn't this okay as it is?"
Chu Yueyi recalled how Shi Guanghua often appeared bare-faced on the show, making his on-camera appearance less attractive than in person. She was momentarily at a loss for words. If the production team arranged for makeup artists, he would cooperate and put on makeup, otherwise, he'd just wear a hat and not care about anyone else, completely relaxed like an ordinary person.
Chu Yueyi warned, "If you dare say I look the same with or without makeup, that would be an insult to my makeup skills, and I definitely won't be happy about it."
Shi Guanghua hadn't actually commented on her makeup skills; he simply thought eating was more important, especially since she had lost weight after returning from the film set.
Chu Yueyi indeed couldn't argue with him, just like at home. As a female celebrity, she shouldn't wear thermal underwear, but when her mother Zhang Han found out, she would immediately give her the cold shoulder, a stark contrast to her usual gentle demeanor, and ask if she was trying to reach for the sky.
Chu Yueyi thought about wearing a mask to cover up and having Li You, who was picking her up, stop by her house to get her things. Maybe she could still make it on time. With this in mind, she relented and sent a message to her manager.
After breakfast, Shi Guanghua drove Chu Yueyi to her company. Since the management company often had artists coming and going, the parking lot and surrounding areas were designed for privacy. As he turned the steering wheel, he calmly said, "I feel like I'm feeding a cat."
Chu Yueyi: "What do you mean?"
Shi Guanghua: "When a cat is in a good mood, it lets you pet its head. Once it's full and satisfied, it runs off again."
The cat also brazenly freeloads meals and occupies the bed, then the next day it hurriedly continues its busy schedule, rushing off to the next job, leaving no room for reproach.
Chu Yueyi didn't rush to get out of the car. She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, then unhurriedly opened the car door and said calmly, "What are you talking about, honey? We don't have a cat at home. This is called a widower-style marriage."
Shi Guanghua: "?"
Before Shi Guanghua could react, Chu Yueyi had already dashed off, tossing back a parting shot without looking back: "May the best person win."
Shi Guanghua: "..."
At the talent agency, Chu Yueyi slipped into her manager's office first. Li You noticed something unusual with just a glance and asked suspiciously, "What were you up to yesterday?"
Li You knew Chu Yueyi's personality quite well. She wasn't the type of artist to wander around at night, usually relying on company cars for transportation and rarely having unaccounted moments. She could be described as a homebody.
This morning, when Li You went to Chu Yueyi's home to pick up something, she was nowhere to be found, naturally raising questions.
Chu Yueyi calmly said, "Sister You, I need to report something to you. I'm currently in a relationship."
Li You: "!!?"
Li You stared at the well-known "Ice Queen" in shock, unable to believe it. "No way, you're not joking with me, are you? Don't tell me you're doing this just to break up the CP..."
Chu Yueyi quickly denied it: "Oh, it's not about breaking up the CP. I'm actually dating Shi Guanghua."
Li You: "???"
Li You: "That's not necessary, really not necessary. Your commercial value as a pair is high, but it's not to the point of sacrificing your happiness..."
Li You was stunned by the successive revelations. Her first reaction was that the two were doing post-CP fan service, and it couldn't be as simple as them actually getting together. They weren't outsiders who would lose their heads like that. But thinking carefully about Shi Guanghua's recent behavior, she suddenly felt that many doubts were resolved. One of the people in this CP was indeed not following the rules of the entertainment circle.
The company's publicity team couldn't figure out Shi Guanghua's team at all, not understanding what direction they wanted to take in the future. Now it seemed a reasonable explanation could be drawn – he wasn't on the show for career development!
Chu Yueyi informed Li You that the reason was simple, it was closely related to his work, and the manager should be prepared after knowing this.
Li You couldn't blame Chu Yueyi either, mainly because she wasn't following the idol route, and the new round of exposure actually relied on the dating reality show. There was nothing to fault from any angle.
Li You just felt it wasn't real. She stammered, "How long have you been together?"
Chu Yueyi frankly said, "We officially confirmed it yesterday."
Li You: "Oh, then let's wait. Things are unstable both internally and externally now. Let's see how it goes in a few months..."
Li You was speaking as an observer. The two hadn't been together long enough, and externally there was the turmoil of the business CP. The budding relationship might be destroyed by public opinion, making the situation very awkward at that time.
Chu Yueyi obediently agreed. She understood Li You's concerns; the manager was worried about both parties having a fleeting interest. But many things needed time to prove, and couldn't be dismissed with just a few casual words.
Li You finally recovered from the shocking news. She suddenly remembered something and hurriedly said, "Oh no, the company still plans to hype you up with Dong Yan. Won't Shi Guanghua's side have thoughts about this?"
Chu Yueyi was single before, but now she came specifically to report, so the situation had obviously changed.
Chu Yueyi said helplessly, "I still don't know who came up with this idea on a whim. Don't they find it embarrassing?"
Her attitude on set was quite clear, yet they could still forcefully create a CP.
Li You frowned: "It's no use even if I say something. Dong Yan has some background, and you and Shi Guanghua were quite stiff at the beginning too. They just think if they keep hyping, it will eventually become popular..."
Chu Yueyi and Shi Guanghua were also awkward at first, but didn't they still win over many fans afterward? The company executives believed the key was Chu Yueyi; she was the driving force in the early stages. Shi Guanghua's performance was quite average, so they thought any male artist would do.
"Who knew you two could be popular because you're actually together." Li You said incredulously, "God, I still feel like I'm dreaming. I always wondered why his team was such a mess."
Li You had thought there shouldn't be such an easy-to-deal-with artist team, but it turned out she had overthought it – they actually didn't have a team at all.
Chu Yueyi: "It's not that bad, it's not that exaggerated."
Li You: "It is exaggerated, really exaggerated. Is this the consequence of filling in after an anime character? The development in reality can be more fantastical than anime. If I were an artist, I'd sign up for the second season of 'Heart-Fluttering Promise'."
Chu Yueyi: "..."
After explaining everything to Li You, Chu Yueyi composed herself a bit and was about to go out to meet with others.
Li You advised, "Oh right, you should also tell Shi Guanghua about the company's ideas. They might continue to hype you and Dong Yan for a while. They'll only give up when they're sure it won't work. I can't talk sense into them now, so tell Shi Guanghua not to think too much..."
There was never a shortage of factional struggles within the company. Li You certainly didn't want her own artist to be exploited, but many things in society couldn't go as one wished. Capitalists didn't care who truly loved whom; they were thinking about how to maximize profits, and artists were just tools to achieve returns.
Chu Yueyi sensed Li You's helplessness and comforted her, "Sister You, it's okay. This isn't your fault. One day, it won't be like this anymore."
One day, she would be different from all of them, reaching the highest point in her own way.
She would still run forward with all her might, but now she had a new force supporting her progress.
Chu Yueyi's return from the film set not only excited her solo fans but also gave CP fans a shot in the arm. Just in time for the Star Gala, the Moonlight Scientists were all thrilled. This was the first time Chu Yueyi and Shi Guanghua would meet in public after the finale.
Chu Yueyi won the Best Actress award in the film and television section, while Shi Guanghua received the Annual Producer award in the music section.
Although both were to attend and receive awards, unfortunately, their seats were far apart, practically at opposite ends of the venue, disappointing CP fans watching the live broadcast.
To be honest, even if the seats weren't allocated by section, the staff wouldn't dare to put the two together. Having a business CP sit side by side after the finale would give the impression that the organizers were stirring things up.
Chu Yueyi was seated next to Zou Qian; they had worked together in a drama before, so it wasn't an unreasonable seating arrangement.
-- The farthest distance in the world is when you're not by my side.
-- Wuwuwu I don't care, Zou Qian knows both of them so it's approximately equal, rounding off it's like Moonlight sitting together!
-- Have pity on us, give us some food after wrapping up filming, we want to see them face to face, it's been so long since they've been in the same frame.
The gala live broadcast mainly focused on the award presentation process, but cameras were set up at various positions to provide fans who wanted to see their idols. Chu Yueyi had been sitting next to Zou Qian all along, but the situation soon changed.
Not long after, Shi Guanghua finished receiving his award on stage. He quietly arrived at the film and television section, then gestured with Zou Qian, chatting about something unknown.
Fans staring at the camera positions all showed surprise, speculating that it must have been a topic that left Zou Qian speechless. Because his face showed a confused expression, followed by a "black person question mark.jpg" look, and he even made a gesture as if to hit Shi Guanghua.
The next moment, Zou Qian stood up and gave up his seat. Shi Guanghua naturally sat down, right next to Chu Yueyi who was waiting for her turn.
Chu Yueyi watched this scene, seemingly wanting to say something but feeling quite powerless.
It was a long bench, and Zou Qian didn't leave. He moved next to Shi Guanghua, no longer sitting next to Chu Yueyi.
Shi Guanghua's sudden appearance made the comment section explode, especially since the camera positions were all for fans of celebrities in this area. Even Zou Qian's fans gleefully mocked their idol.
-- Wow, I can't believe it, Teacher Shi is taking advantage of their friendship to steal seats!
-- Damn, Teacher Shi is so bold, truly the first to break the unspoken rules of the circle. From now on, you're Mr. Shi in my heart!
-- Zou Qian: Handsome guy speechless.jpg
-- Shi: Excuse me, let me sit with my wife.
-- Chu: Don't be so blatant, please.
-- Zou: Am I bright enough? Was this seat arrangement deliberately made to squeeze me out?
-- Shi: Brother, I think you should get into music next year. How about my seat over there?
-- As a Zou Qian fan, I can't watch this anymore. He's still just a kid, don't miss any chance to bully him!!
-- Oh Zou Qian, Zou Qian, three's a crowd, and you're the single dog!