After Appearing on a Dating Show with a Top-Star Omega - Chapter 7

Night fell. Outside the car window, everything was pitch-black, while the streetlights along the road lit up, giving off round halos of light.

After smoothing out the agreements, the two of them each put away their own copy.

There were two copies of the agreement, one for each of them.

Jiang Yuan recalled the phone call from earlier and asked, “Senior, what was that dating show you mentioned?”

“A romance variety show,” Yu Qingshi explained. “There are many kinds. The one Qin Yiting wants to make plans to invite real celebrity couples or screen CPs to travel around together and complete couple missions.”

She turned to look at Jiang Yuan. “Are you interested?”

The reason Yu Qingshi had refused was because she did not want Jiang Yuan to be exposed too much on camera.

Although with netizens’ current detective abilities, Jiang Yuan would probably be dug up sooner or later, even if that happened, Yu Qingshi still wanted to protect her for as long as possible.

Jiang Yuan slowly shook her head. She was wooden and quiet, clumsy with words and not very likable.

How could she possibly like exposing her own life to the public?

Only…

“Senior.” She spoke with some hesitation.

“Mm?” Yu Qingshi immediately responded.

“The more we hide like this, the more curious they’ll become. The more we keep the relationship hidden beneath the screen, the wilder their guesses will become when the agreement ends later.”

Jiang Yuan unconsciously clenched her palm. Because Yu Qingshi was listening to her speak, her bright, focused gaze remained on Jiang Yuan for a long time, making her feel a little embarrassed.

“Why not put it honestly in front of them? Maybe they’ll lose interest instead.”

Yu Qingshi nodded. She agreed with Jiang Yuan’s point.

After being in the entertainment industry for many years, she understood what Jiang Yuan meant.

The unknown bred curiosity. The deeper something was hidden, the more excited netizens became in digging it up.

But she and Jiang Yuan were agreement lovers after all. She was worried that netizens would seize on groundless things and attack Jiang Yuan recklessly.

Yu Qingshi objectively explained it to Jiang Yuan. “In variety shows, cameras are everywhere. There will be cameras in rooms and following beside people. You might not be very used to it.”

In order to provide couples with a freer environment, dating variety shows already had fewer cameras compared to other variety shows.

But even so, Jiang Yuan, as an ordinary person, might still be unable to accept it.

Jiang Yuan paused. She also knew that this would be a challenge for her. Since she had never experienced it, she did not dare make a firm promise casually.

Seeing Jiang Yuan hesitate, Yu Qingshi changed the topic. “It’s still too early to talk about this. Qin Yiting’s show will still need some time. We can discuss it later.”

“Yuanyuan, have you eaten dinner tonight?”

“Yu-Yuanyuan?” Jiang Yuan’s eyelashes trembled. Her words stumbled, as if her tongue had tied itself into knots.

“Mm.” Yu Qingshi answered naturally. She tapped her shoulder bag, indicating the agreement inside. “You’re my girlfriend. I can’t keep calling you Jiang Yuan, can I?”

Jiang Yuan did not know what to say. She only felt the heat burning across her face again. She tried hard to restrain herself. “Y-you can.”

“I haven’t eaten yet. What about Senior?”

Yu Qingshi curved her lips. “Shouldn’t Yuanyuan also change how she addresses me?”

“Qing-Qingshi-jie?” Jiang Yuan carefully tested it out. The words in her mouth felt as if they had caught fire, suddenly spreading heat throughout her whole body.

Yu Qingshi shook her head. “Not intimate enough.”

“Qing… Qingshi?” Jiang Yuan blushed hard and could only think of this.

Yu Qingshi’s gaze swept over the person who had gone completely red from embarrassment. She stopped teasing her and kindly let her off. “That works.”

The two got out of the car and planned to eat something at A University’s cafeteria.

They walked shoulder to shoulder through the tree-lined paths of A University.

The surroundings were dark. The streetlights were dim, and only faint light could be seen through the layers of trees in the distance.

Yu Qingshi said, “Does the cafeteria have any new dishes? Back when I was in university, I got tired of eating there.”

“Senior…” Jiang Yuan paused, then under Yu Qingshi’s direct gaze, changed her wording. “…Qingshi, did you also eat at the cafeteria when you were in school?”

“Of course,” Yu Qingshi admitted.

Although she had become famous early and already had many jobs during university, she had never missed a single class.

The acting teachers at A University were also well-known directors and actresses. Even attending one class brought great benefits.

Yu Qingshi counted them out. “All those signature dishes at A University—the rice cake and chicken wing casserole, braised pork rib rice, scrambled egg curry… I’ve eaten all of them.”

“Rice cake and chicken wing casserole?” Jiang Yuan looked puzzled. “The cafeteria has that?”

“It was at the first window on the second floor. Yuanyuan hasn’t eaten it before?”

Jiang Yuan shook her head. “I remember the first one being curry rice. Did it move away already?”

“Did it move away?” Yu Qingshi lowered her eyes and sighed. “I thought I would be able to eat it this time.”

She had been away from campus for four years already. Things changing over time was normal.

Jiang Yuan said, “If there’s a chance, I can…”

“Jiang Yuan?” A girl passing by suddenly turned back and asked, interrupting their conversation.

Jiang Yuan stopped. She subconsciously took a step to the side, blocking the space through which the other person could look at Yu Qingshi.

She turned and looked at her.

The light on the stone path was hazy, and Jiang Yuan could not see clearly. She could only roughly make out the outline of the girl’s face and could not call out her name for a long while.

“It’s me, Jiang Qi.” Jiang Qi moved closer, and her face gradually became visible.

Jiang Yuan’s brain searched at lightning speed and finally matched the face to a memory in some corner of her mind. She carefully said, “From the ideological and political theory class group?”

“Yes! Yes!” Jiang Qi could not hide her excitement. “That day, I didn’t have anyone to team up with. You were the one who pulled me into your dorm group.”

Jiang Yuan replied, “Long time no see.”

Jiang Qi’s gaze shifted to the side. Jiang Yuan was tall and long-limbed, blocking the person behind her completely. Jiang Qi asked, “Your girlfriend?”

Jiang Yuan was shy, but still admitted it openly. “Yes.”

Out of politeness, Yu Qingshi held Jiang Yuan’s arm and poked her head out from behind her. Her eyes curved as she waved.

The person before Jiang Qi wore an oversized mask, but her eyes were bright and shaped beautifully like peach blossom petals on a branch.

Her black hair fell in curls over her chest. Her figure was tall and slender, her temperament extraordinary. With just one glance, it was obvious she was no ordinary person.

“Hello.” Jiang Qi nodded in response, but no matter what, the corners of her lips could not rise. “Sorry to bother you. I’ll go first.”

Jiang Qi slipped away quickly. In the blink of an eye, her back had disappeared.

Blocked behind Jiang Yuan, Yu Qingshi only heard the sound of the other person running off. She stretched out a finger and poked Jiang Yuan’s back.

Summer clothes were thin, so the touch on Jiang Yuan’s back was very distinct, carrying an itchy feeling.

Jiang Yuan turned her head.

Yu Qingshi smiled with curved eyes and asked, “Your classmate?”

For some reason, seeing Yu Qingshi smiling happily made Jiang Yuan feel a little strange. She unconsciously explained, “When we were forming groups for ideological and political theory class, she didn’t have anyone to team up with. Our group was short on people, so I let her join.”

“I was responsible for making the PowerPoint for the group assignment, and she was the presenter. She and I… didn’t interact much.”

Like pouring beans out of a bamboo tube, she explained the whole thing from beginning to end.

After she finished, even Jiang Yuan herself felt that she was being inexplicable.

No one had asked to hear it. What exactly was she saying?

Jiang Yuan felt dizzy.

Yu Qingshi chuckled softly and suddenly called, “Yuanyuan.”

“Mm?” Jiang Yuan responded subconsciously, her voice passing through her nose, sounding muffled.

Yu Qingshi stood slightly on tiptoe and leaned toward the other person’s ear.

Jiang Yuan cooperatively bent down and brought her ear closer.

“So obedient.”

The warm airflow brushed against her ear, the breath fragrant like orchids. As Yu Qingshi leaned closer, the scent of magnolia drifted over.

Jiang Yuan instinctively held her breath, and her breathing completely fell into chaos.

After her brain processed the information, heat rushed straight to the top of her head. Her whole body burned up, and she stammered out a few meaningless, broken words.

“I… this… you…”

In the end, Jiang Yuan realized what was happening and simply closed her mouth, no longer making a sound.

On the dark stone path, another little tomato had ripened completely red.

＊

After dinner.

Even though Yu Qingshi refused again and again, Jiang Yuan still escorted her to the black car by the school gate.

Jiang Yuan stood beside the car, her tall figure blocking the faint gazes that seemed to be glancing over from around them.

“Qingshi, send me a message when you get home,” Jiang Yuan said as her final goodbye.

Suddenly, a flash of light swept past. A light breeze blew, and a rustling sound came from the grass across from them.

Omega senses were sharp, and Yu Qingshi instantly caught the oddity in it.

She frowned, her gaze sweeping one by one over the nearby crowd.

It was mealtime, and there were many people at the university entrance. Most people had their own destination in mind and walked straight toward the corresponding stalls without paying much attention to those around them.

But there was one person dressed entirely in black, hidden in the night, casually wandering beside a stone bollard.

Yu Qingshi’s gaze moved to the grass beside him.

Sure enough, she caught a bit of reflected light inside.

Yu Qingshi hurriedly took off her baseball cap and placed it on Jiang Yuan’s head, covering most of her face.

Jiang Yuan was at a loss, but still obediently lowered her head to cooperate with Yu Qingshi’s movements. “What’s wrong, Qingshi?”

Yu Qingshi said, “There’s paparazzi.”

Hearing the answer, Jiang Yuan immediately grew nervous. She opened the car door, wanting to protect Yu Qingshi as she got in.

But Yu Qingshi raised her hand and pressed down on Jiang Yuan’s arm.

The paparazzo in black across from them had clearly noticed the change. The person keeping watch silently wandered over to a snack stall.

Jiang Yuan looked at Yu Qingshi in confusion, her eyes full of questions.

She did not understand why Qingshi had pressed down on her arm, but she still stopped with the movement. Just as Jiang Yuan was about to ask—

Yu Qingshi moved.

The hand that had stopped her slid down along Jiang Yuan’s arm.

Jiang Yuan’s shirt sleeves were rolled up, so Yu Qingshi brushed directly over her skin, bringing with it a trail of tingling numbness like ants nibbling, all the way to her palm.

Finally, that small hand slipped into Jiang Yuan’s palm and interlocked fingers with her long, slender hand.

The feeling in her hand was smooth and soft. Jiang Yuan lowered her head to glance at it. Her eyes blinked once, but she was still dazed.

It was as if ants were crawling through her blood vessels. The itchiness connected all the way from her heart to her fingertips. Her brain directly went on strike and gave up thinking.

Yu Qingshi raised their interlocked hands and looked coldly straight at the grass across from them.

It was both an open declaration and a stern warning.

Sure enough, the light in the grass flashed rapidly several times.

Yu Qingshi ignored it after that. Her hand was still holding Jiang Yuan’s as she pulled her into the car.

After the two sat properly, she raised her hand and knocked on the partition. “We can go.”

The driver responded and started the car, leaving everything behind them.

Inside the car.

Jiang Yuan’s entire arm had gone stiff. She did not dare move recklessly at all, and even her breathing slowed considerably.

It was Yu Qingshi who noticed the stiffness in her palm. She let go and explained, “If we didn’t let the paparazzi photograph something today, they would continue squatting at the school gate for you tomorrow.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll handle this news when I go back tonight.”

Jiang Yuan slowly moved her fingers, easing the stiffness in her arm, and nodded. “Okay.”

She lowered her eyes to avoid Yu Qingshi’s gaze, turning instead to look at the streets moving backward outside the window. “Then should I go around once before returning to A University?”

Yu Qingshi paused.

“If you go back now, paparazzi might follow you.”

“Yuanyuan, why don’t you stay at my place tonight?”