After Appearing on a Dating Show with a Top-Star Omega - Chapter 3

Early morning. The first rays of sunlight climbed upward, passing through the dense clouds and scattering their glow. The campus was silent, though a few figures had already appeared on the sports field.

“Ring, ring, ring—”

A phone ringtone sounded, reminding the person who was doing her morning run.

Jiang Yuan slowed her pace and answered. “Hello.”

Two voices exploded by her ear.

Qi Meng’an: “Xiao Yuan, Xiao Yuan! Help!”

Liang You: “What do we do, what do we do? We’re going to be too late!”

Jiang Yuan paused. She stopped walking and stepped out of the inner lane of the track. “Speak slowly. What happened?”

Qi Meng’an: “Our alarms went off, but we didn’t get up. If we rush to the auditorium now, there definitely won’t be any seats left. Wuwuwu, Xiao Yuan~ Xiao Yuan~ Please, wuwuwu.”

The two of them had planned to go to the auditorium today to admire Yu Qingshi’s peerless beauty. Before Jiang Yuan went out for her morning run, she had called them awake and only left after seeing that they had woken up. They had probably gone back to sleep again.

Jiang Yuan lowered her head and glanced at her watch. “I can still make it if I go now. I’ll go save seats first. You two take your time. Don’t rush.”

“Okay, okay, okay. Thank you, Xiao Yuan. Love you. We’ll treat you to lunch, wuwuwu.”

Jiang Yuan smiled faintly and hung up. She picked up her backpack from the stands and jogged away from the sports field.

There was a stone-paved path from the sports field to the auditorium. The trees around it grew thick and lush. It was early summer, and sunlight poured through the gaps, casting beams of light. Along the path, everything was green and flourishing.

Jiang Yuan walked all the way toward the auditorium. The closer she got, the more people there were on the road.

They gathered in groups of two and three, their expressions excited. From their words, Jiang Yuan could catch fragments like “Yu” and “senior.”

Were they all going to see Senior Yu?

Jiang Yuan thought about it.

Those watery amber eyes flashed through her mind.

She had not expected the school to have so many of her fans.

Jiang Yuan quickened her pace.

The auditorium was packed with people. The tiered seats were completely filled, and it was almost impossible to find an empty spot.

Jiang Yuan barely managed to find three seats in a corner of the back row. The location was remote and the view was obstructed, which was why they had been left empty.

Before long, Qi Meng’an and Liang You rushed over. Panting, they put down their bags and sat.

Liang You was the first to speak. “Thank you, Xiao Yuan. It’s all thanks to you. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have been able to get in.”

For a major occasion like the school anniversary, the university had to take photos and post them on the official website, so they did not allow people to crowd the aisles and ruin the appearance.

Jiang Yuan shook her head. “It’s fine. The seats just aren’t very good.”

“It’s good enough, good enough.” Qi Meng’an glanced toward the podium and shook her phone. “From this spot, we can see Senior Yu and also play on our phones without being discovered. Truly a brilliant location.”

Liang You said, “Exactly, exactly. There are still people outside who can’t get in.”

The school anniversary ceremony officially began, and the three of them fell silent.

This school anniversary ceremony was no different from those of other major universities. It was nothing more than speeches from leaders, award ceremonies, and the like.

Classic, yet boring.

One speaker after another went onstage. The two people beside Jiang Yuan had already grown bored and started reaching for their phones.

Jiang Yuan pulled up study notes on her phone. She had not originally planned to attend the anniversary ceremony; she had been preparing to go to the library to review.

However, the speeches were too sleep-inducing. The ocean of knowledge was actually better at keeping her awake.

“Next, let us invite an outstanding graduate from a previous year to give a speech,” the host announced dutifully.

Music sounded. The sound of high heels entered the podium along with the beat, crisp and clear, landing firmly on the floor and echoing throughout the auditorium.

The students below all raised their heads to look. Then, one after another, as if in perfect tacit understanding, came a unified sound of inhalation.

The auditorium was quiet, making the gasps especially obvious.

Jiang Yuan was nudged by Liang You. Not understanding why, she lifted her head.

The instant her gaze landed on the person onstage, she froze. Her pupils shrank slightly, and she stared blankly in place.

“Hello, everyone. I am a graduate of the School of Performing Arts—Yu Qingshi.”

The microphone amplified her voice, making it echo throughout the entire auditorium.

Her voice was cold and clear, like a trickling stream flowing through a hollow mountain valley, ringing cleanly and crisply.

It was so familiar, with the distortion of electric current, just like the soft voice by her ear last night.

Today, the woman had swept her long hair to one side. She wore an apricot-colored spaghetti-strap dress paired with a hollow-knit cardigan in the same color family, simple yet elegant.

Yu… Yu Qingshi?

Jiang Yuan’s lips moved, but no sound came out. It was stuck in her throat.

The eyes from the photo and the face from last night finally merged together.

So she was Yu Qingshi.

Yu Qingshi had long since grown used to occasions where all eyes were on her. With a smile on her face, she began her speech without a script.

She spoke about her mentors during her time at school and then about the film festival where she had returned with an award a few days ago.

Her gaze moved slightly, carrying a smile as she met each pair of excited eyes below the stage.

When her gaze drifted to the familiar black eyes in the corner, it suddenly paused.

It was her.

Her speaking voice paused for a moment.

Yu Qingshi nodded in the direction of the corner, then continued.

That Beta had appeared in that alley yesterday. It was not strange that she was a student at A University.

Qi Meng’an pressed a hand to her chest, her face full of infatuation. “Did she just nod at me?”

Liang You did not even have time to fight over that. She could not find the right words. “Oh my god, she’s so freaking beautiful.”

Jiang Yuan’s face turned red, and she buried her head.

After the finale guest of the school anniversary finished, there were still some song and dance performances arranged afterward. Whether to stay or leave was up to the students.

However, not a single person in the seats moved. They all stared dazedly toward the backstage area, waiting for the big star surrounded by people to leave, hoping to catch another distant glimpse of her.

“Hello.”

A voice came from the side, startling Jiang Yuan.

She turned her head and saw a woman wearing a thin suit standing in front of her.

Jiang Yuan was confused. “You are?”

“Jiang Yuan, right? She has something to discuss with you. Please come with me.”

While Jiang Yuan was still stunned, the woman had already turned and left decisively.

A completely impossible guess surfaced in Jiang Yuan’s mind.

She shook her head, chased away the thought, then got up and followed.

The manager brought her into a lounge. She pointed at the watch on her wrist and spoke concisely. “Five minutes. You need to rush to the next job.”

Immediately afterward, the manager left and closed the door behind her. Only Jiang Yuan and Yu Qingshi remained in the room.

“Se-Senior Yu.” Jiang Yuan stood where she was and called out awkwardly.

“Sit.” Yu Qingshi’s eyes curved as she lightly indicated the seat in front of her.

Jiang Yuan obediently sat down. Her movements were stiff, as if this were the first day she had learned how to sit.

Yu Qingshi noticed her nervousness and said gently, “Time is limited. I actually asked you to come over this time because I wanted to thank you.”

Jiang Yuan clenched the hem of her clothes. “There’s no need. It was what I should have done.”

Yu Qingshi was amused. She curled her index finger by her lips. “That was not something you were obligated to do.”

Her smile was hidden by her hand, yet it spilled from her eyes, dyeing her tea-colored pupils with light until they shone brightly.

The tips of Jiang Yuan’s ears turned red. She scratched her cheek with her index finger. She was clumsy with words and did not know how to respond, so she forced out a sentence. “As long as I could help Senior Yu.”

Yu Qingshi smiled. She reached into the bag beside her, took out a white box, and handed it over. “I didn’t expect you to be here, so I didn’t prepare anything. For now, consider this a makeshift gift.”

“No…” Before Jiang Yuan could refuse, a knock came from the door.

The manager’s voice came from outside. “We’re running out of time.”

Time was tight. Yu Qingshi took out her phone, pulled up a QR code page, and handed it over. “Add me as a friend. I’ve been working in A City recently. When I have time, I’ll treat you to a meal.”

“Ah, okay.” Jiang Yuan hurriedly took out her phone and scanned the code. Her movements were so quick that she did not have time to look at anything before she swiftly tapped to add her as a friend.

Yu Qingshi took back her phone and stood up. “Until we meet again, Jiang Yuan.”

“…Until we meet again.”

Everything that had happened over these past two days was like a dream. Frame by frame, it flashed before her eyes. The hard corner of the box in her hand pressed against her palm, the sensation clear, reminding Jiang Yuan that all of this was real.

Jiang Yuan sat on the sofa for a long time without coming back to herself.

Her phone rang softly with a “ding-dong,” pulling her wandering thoughts back.

Jiang Yuan picked it up and looked. Yu Qingshi had already accepted her friend request.

[I have accepted your friend verification request. We can now start chatting.]

Her profile picture was a hand-drawn little cat hugging a crescent moon.

[Do you like the gift?]

Jiang Yuan quickly opened the box.

The box was lined with black velvet. A flash of silver stood out sharply and brightly. Two small silver cat paws stood upright on the cushion.

They were earrings.

Jiang Yuan subconsciously touched her earlobe. Suddenly, ripples spread through her heart, leaving her with mixed feelings.

It had been a long time since she had worn earrings.

＊

Days passed one after another. The last message in the chat box was Jiang Yuan’s reply: “They’re beautiful.” After that, there had been no movement for a long time, as if the casual mention of eating together had only been a polite greeting.

The gift was carefully placed in a corner by Jiang Yuan and had not been touched.

That day.

Qi Meng’an lay beside the computer, waiting bitterly. “Youzi, is it ready yet?”

“Wait a little longer, wait a little longer.” Liang You was sitting beside her, refreshing Weibo on her phone.

“Hurry up and come play games.” Qi Meng’an boredly clicked the mouse back and forth, making rapid clicking sounds. “What exactly are you refreshing?”

At the mention of this, Liang You grew angry.

Ever since seeing Yu Qingshi, she had already been hammered straight into the pit and become an honorable fan.

Along with the high-quality beautiful photos produced during the school anniversary, she had already met many fellow fans online.

What she could not stand the most was antis jumping around and causing trouble.

Liang You said angrily, “Yesterday, there was a marketing account saying it was going to reveal some huge gossip.”

“And then?” Qi Meng’an asked.

Liang You counted on her fingers, listing everything one by one. “Twenty-five years old, just won a Best Actress award, female celebrity with the surname Y! Who else could it be besides our Qingshi?!”

She said indignantly, “I want to see what kind of gossip they can expose. Just watch me flame that marketing account to death.”

Qi Meng’an chuckled. “Those kinds of marketing accounts are just borrowing big celebrities’ popularity. In the end, they’ll reveal some tiny gossip about an eighteenth-tier nobody. Don’t believe them too much.”

“Hey, hey, it’s out, it’s out!” Liang You refreshed the newest Weibo post and read along with it. “Yu Qingshi… late-night secret meeting… girlfriend?!”

“Pfft—cough, cough, cough…”

The sudden coughing scared the two people looking at the phone.

Liang You followed the sound and looked over, only to see Jiang Yuan holding a cup in one hand and a trash bin in the other as she coughed.

She asked with concern, “Xiao Yuan? Are you okay?”

Jiang Yuan pulled out a few tissues and wiped the corner of her mouth. “Cough, I’m fine. I just choked by accident.”

Qi Meng’an reminded her, “Be careful.”

After this small interruption, the two of them refocused their attention on the phone.

Jiang Yuan silently crumpled the tissue in her hand, somewhat distracted.

Girlfriend?

Senior Yu had a girlfriend?

By the time she came back to herself, she suddenly felt the light in front of her darken. Jiang Yuan glanced to the side from the corner of her eye.

At some point, Liang You and Qi Meng’an had practically teleported to Jiang Yuan’s desk.

Jiang Yuan: “?”

Her face was full of confusion. “Wh-what’s wrong?”

Qi Meng’an narrowed her eyes. “Jiang Yuan! Confess honestly!”

Liang You shoved the phone in front of Jiang Yuan. “Your girlfriend! Is Senior Yu?!”

Jiang Yuan froze, and her gaze slowly fell on the phone screen.

On the screen, two people were embracing beneath a streetlamp. The photo quality was blurry, and one could only vaguely make out that the two were acting intimately.

In the picture, an arrow had even been used to point out the person wrapped up tightly in Jiang Yuan’s arms, with a photo placed beside it of Yu Qingshi wearing the same outfit when she had just left the restaurant.

Jiang Yuan’s face was full of shock. For a long time, she was unable to speak.

Only after a while did she finally squeeze out a word from deep in her throat.

“Huh?”