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

In the early morning, the sun climbed through thick clouds, scattering its radiance over a silent campus. A few lonely figures had already appeared on the athletics track.

“Ring-ring, ring-ring—” A phone buzzed, alerting the person mid-jog. Jiang Yuan slowed her pace and picked up. “Hello?”

Two voices exploded on the other end.

Qi Meng’an: “Yuan! Yuan! Help!! SOS!!”

Liang You: “What do we do? We’re not going to make it!”

Jiang Yuan paused, stepping off the inner lane of the track. “Slow down. What happened?”

Qi Meng’an: “Our alarms went off but we didn’t get up! If we head to the auditorium now, there definitely won’t be any seats left. Waaaah, Yuan… Yuan… please, I beg you!”

The two had planned to go to the Great Hall to witness Yu Qingshi’s world-class beauty. Jiang Yuan had called them before her morning run and only left once she saw they were awake; they must have fallen back into a deep sleep.

Jiang Yuan glanced at her watch. “If I head over now, I can still make it. I’ll grab seats first. Take your time, don’t rush.”

“Yes! Thank you, Yuan! Love you! Lunch is on us today!”

Jiang Yuan smiled faintly and hung up. She grabbed her backpack from the bleachers and jogged out of the stadium.

A stone path led from the track to the auditorium, flanked by lush trees. In early summer, the sunlight filtered through the leaves in pillars of gold. As Jiang Yuan walked, the path became increasingly crowded. People huddled in small groups, looking excited. She caught the words “Yu” and “Senior” floating through the air.

Are they all here for Senior Yu? Jiang Yuan wondered.

The image of those watery amber eyes flashed in her mind. She hadn’t realized the woman had so many fans at school. Jiang Yuan picked up her pace.

The auditorium was overflowing. The tiered seating was packed to the gills; finding a vacant spot was nearly impossible. Eventually, Jiang Yuan found three seats in a remote back corner. The view was obstructed, which was likely why they were empty.

A short while later, Qi Meng’an and Liang You rushed in, gasping for air as they sat down.

Liang You spoke first: “Thanks, Yuan. You’re a lifesaver. We wouldn’t have even gotten in otherwise.” For major events like the school anniversary, the university took official photos for the website, so they didn’t allow people to crowd the aisles.

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

“They’re perfect!” Qi Meng’an peered toward the podium while waving her phone. “From here we can see Senior Yu, but we can also play on our phones without being caught. It’s strategic brilliance.”

As the ceremony officially began, the trio went silent. The proceedings were typical of any major university—leadership speeches, award ceremonies, and long-winded introductions. Classic and tedious.

As the rounds of speeches droned on, her two friends grew bored and reached for their phones. Jiang Yuan pulled up study notes on her own phone. She hadn’t originally planned to attend; she’d meant to go to the library. However, the speeches were so sleep-inducing that the “ocean of knowledge” seemed like a better way to stay awake.

“Next, we invite a distinguished alumna to deliver a speech,” the host announced.

Music swelled. The rhythmic, crisp click-clack of high heels echoed through the hall as someone stepped onto the podium. The students looked up, and one by one, a collective, synchronized gasp rippled through the room. In the quiet hall, the sound was deafening.

Liang You nudged Jiang Yuan, who looked up in confusion. When her eyes landed on the figure on stage, she froze. Her pupils contracted, and she went rigid.

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

The microphone amplified her voice, filling every corner of the hall. It was cold, clear, and melodious—like a stream flowing through a deep valley. It was so familiar, even with the slight distortion of the speakers, just like the whisper in her ear last night.

Today, her long hair was swept to one side. She wore a simple yet elegant apricot-colored sundress paired with a matching open-knit cardigan.

Yu… Yu Qingshi?

Jiang Yuan’s lips parted, but no sound came out. The eyes from the photo merged with the face from the night before. She was Yu Qingshi.

Yu Qingshi, long accustomed to being the center of attention, smiled and began her speech without a script. She spoke of her mentors and her recent win at the film festival. Her gaze shifted, meeting the excited eyes of the audience with a smile. When her eyes swept over a pair of familiar dark pupils in the corner, she paused.

It’s her.

The speech hit a split-second snag. Yu Qingshi gave a slight nod toward the corner before continuing. It wasn’t surprising that the Beta she met in that alley was an A-University student.

Qi Meng’an clutched her chest, looking mesmerized. “Did she just nod at me?”

Liang You was beyond arguing; she was at a loss for words. “God, she’s so beautiful.”

Jiang Yuan’s face heated up, and she buried her head in her notes.

Once the star guest finished, the rest of the program consisted of dance troupes. Students were free to stay or leave, but no one moved. Everyone stared longingly at the backstage area, hoping for one last glimpse of the superstar.

“Excuse me.”

A voice from beside her made Jiang Yuan jump. She turned to see a woman in a light-colored suit.

“Who are you?” Jiang Yuan asked, puzzled.

“Jiang Yuan, correct? Someone wishes to see you. Please follow me.”

Before Jiang Yuan could process this, the woman turned and walked away with professional efficiency. A seemingly impossible suspicion rose in Jiang Yuan’s mind. She shook her head to dismiss the thought and followed.

The manager led her into a dressing room and tapped her watch. “Five minutes. You have another appointment to catch.” The manager stepped out and closed the door, leaving Jiang Yuan and Yu Qingshi alone.

“Senior… Senior Yu,” Jiang Yuan stammered, standing awkwardly.

“Have a seat.” Yu Qingshi’s eyes crinkled into a smile as she gestured to the chair in front of her. Jiang Yuan sat down obediently, her movements stiff as if she were learning how to sit for the first time.

Noticing her tension, Yu Qingshi spoke softly. “Time is short. I actually asked you here to thank you.”

Jiang Yuan gripped the hem of her shirt. “You don’t have to. It was the right thing to do.”

Yu Qingshi chuckled, curling a finger to her lips. “It wasn’t just ‘the right thing’.” Though her hand hid her smile, the light in her amber eyes gave her away, making them sparkle.

Jiang Yuan’s ears turned red. She scratched her cheek, her mind blank. She squeezed out a clumsy reply: “I’m just glad I could help.”

Yu Qingshi smiled and took a white box from her bag. “I didn’t expect to see you here, so I wasn’t prepared. Take this as a small gift for now.”

“No—” Before Jiang Yuan could refuse, a knock came at the door.

“We’re going to be late,” the manager’s voice called out.

In the rush, Yu Qingshi pulled out her phone and displayed a QR code. “Let’s add each other. I’m working in A-City lately; let’s grab dinner when I’m free.”

“Ah, okay.” Jiang Yuan hurriedly scanned the code. She moved so fast she didn’t even look at the profile before clicking “Add.”

Yu Qingshi pocketed her phone and stood up. “See you again, Jiang Yuan.”

“…See you again.”

The events of the past two days felt like a dream, flashing before her eyes frame by frame. The hard corner of the gift box pressed into her palm—a physical reminder that it was real. Jiang Yuan sat on the sofa for a long time, unable to snap out of it.

A “ding” from her phone brought her back. She looked down; Yu Qingshi had accepted the request.

[I’ve accepted your friend request. Now we can chat!]

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

[Do you like the gift?]

Jiang Yuan opened the box. Inside, resting on black velvet, were two silver cat-claw studs. Earrings.

Jiang Yuan instinctively touched her earlobe. A ripple of complex emotions washed over her. She hadn’t worn earrings in a very long time.

Days passed. The chat log ended with Jiang Yuan’s reply of “It’s beautiful,” and nothing followed. It seemed the “dinner” comment was just a polite pleasantry. Jiang Yuan placed the gift carefully in a corner, untouched.

Then, one day in the dorm:

Qi Meng’an leaned over her laptop. “You, is it ready yet?”

“Wait, wait, wait.” Liang You was refreshing her Weibo feed.

“Hurry up and play games with me,” Qi Meng’an grumbled, clicking her mouse rapidly. “What are you even looking at?”

Mentioning this made Liang You fuming. Ever since the school anniversary, she had fallen deep into the fandom. She had even met many fellow fans online through the high-quality photos from the event. What she couldn’t stand were the anti-fans.

“There’s a marketing account that said they’re dropping a massive bombshell today,” Liang You said indignantly.

“And?”

Liang You counted on her fingers. “Twenty-five years old, just won Best Actress, last name starts with Y! Who else could it be but our Qingshi?!” She huffed. “I want to see what ‘bombshell’ they have. I’m going to flame this account into oblivion.”

Qi Meng’an laughed. “Those accounts just use big names for clout, then reveal some D-list gossip. Don’t take it seriously.”

“Wait, wait! It’s out!” Liang You read the latest post aloud. “Yu Qingshi… late-night tryst… with her girlfriend?!”

“Cough—hack, hack!“

The sudden, violent coughing startled the two girls. They looked over to see Jiang Yuan clutching a cup in one hand and a trash can in the other, coughing fit to burst.

“Yuan? Are you okay?” Liang You asked.

Jiang Yuan grabbed some tissues. “Cough—I’m fine. Just choked on my water.”

“Be careful,” Qi Meng’an warned.

The interlude over, they returned to the phone. Jiang Yuan crumpled the tissue, her mind racing.

Girlfriend? Senior Yu has a girlfriend?

When she snapped out of it, she noticed the light in the room had dimmed. Liang You and Qi Meng’an had moved—almost telepathically—to stand right in front of her desk.

“?”

Jiang Yuan looked up in confusion. “Wh-what is it?”

Qi Meng’an narrowed her eyes. “Jiang Yuan! Spess up! Truth now!”

Liang You shoved her phone in Jiang Yuan’s face. “Your ‘girlfriend’… is Senior Yu?!”

Jiang Yuan froze. Her eyes slowly moved to the screen. In the grainy, blurred photo, two people were embracing under a streetlight, looking incredibly intimate. An arrow pointed to the person bundled up in the other’s arms, alongside a comparison photo of Yu Qingshi leaving a restaurant in the exact same outfit.

Jiang Yuan’s face was a mask of shock. It took a long time before she could squeeze a single word out from the depths of her throat.

“Huh?”