At the same time, Chu Yi was puzzled. This woman and the Black-Clothed Man who controlled Wei Xiaoxiao should be in cahoots, and she was even weaker than the Black-Clothed Man. Why hadn’t he seen something like this when the Black-Clothed Man died?
Had he used the Merit Golden Light on the Five Elements Eight Trigrams Array back then, dissipating the Evil Spirit avatar inside the Black-Clothed Man before it could emerge?
In any case, Chu Yi’s raid on the assassin organization went smoothly. He handed the remaining assassins to Li Sheng and boarded the flight back to the capital.
As he exited the plane, a young woman who looked like a college student glanced at him several times. Chu Yi thought something was on him and checked himself over, finding nothing amiss.
At the exit passage, the girl pulled her friend over. A shy blush colored her delicate face. “You’re Chu Yi, who played Bai Yanming in Da Qing Feng Yun, right? I’ve seen your costume fitting photos and videos. I’m your fan—c-could you sign something for me?”
Chu Yi touched his nose. “Sure.”
He actually had a fan?
The girl pulled out a prepared notebook. Chu Yi signed his name neatly—no fancy celebrity style. His script was bold and rugged, with vigorous strokes that contrasted his pretty boy looks.
The girl hugged the notebook excitedly. “You’re even handsomer in person than in the videos! Don’t take Ying Lin’s thing to heart—we at Yuyi Society will always support you!”
She blurted it out incoherently and dragged her friend away quickly.
Yuyi? Chu Yi blinked. The old fogey clearly didn’t understand modern stanning. He shook his head with a smile and pulled his luggage toward the airport exit.
Little did he know, a cold youth waiting on the second floor, sipping coffee in a café, had seen the whole scene. Seeing Chu Yi’s final smile, he sourly set down his cup and sat motionless for a long time.
He hadn’t expected to pick up Chu Yi anyway; he just couldn’t resist coming for a glimpse.
This guy was getting more handsome, probably unaware of his own charm. He had no works yet but already had fans. Once his fame grew, more people like this girl—or even Liu Shengqing—would flock to him…
Yu Qingxian lowered his gaze. He had been repeating that dream lately. In it, he foolishly picked flowers to confess, and his heart raced each time.
Though he knew what came next, he clung to faint hope that the ending might differ this time.
It was his dream, after all. It should bend to his will.
But Chu Yi was calm and rational even in his dreams, always pushing him away… It was turning into a nightmare.
Yu Qingxian knew his state was off, but telling Chu Yi felt impossible.
Meanwhile, Chu Yi spotted a familiar black car outside the airport, and his steps lightened unconsciously. He opened the back door to an empty seat, and the spark of expectation burst like a fragile bubble.
“Mr. Chu, shall I put your luggage in the trunk?” The young driver, Xiao Zhou, hopped out politely.
He was President Yu’s backup assistant and occasional driver. What puzzled him was that he had just seen Uncle Wen arrive in President Yu’s other car…
Did President Yu have another guest and couldn’t ride together?
Xiao Zhou was just an employee and didn’t pry, so the disappointed Chu Yi remained unaware that President Yu had come to the airport.
He rode with Xiao Zhou back home but spotted Liu Shengqing waiting outside the villa district.
The north wind howled coldly. He sat alone on a nearby bench, his handsome face flushed red from the chill, unknown how long he had waited.
Chu Yi thought for a moment and said to Xiao Zhou, “You go ahead. I’ll head in later.”
Xiao Zhou thought nothing of it. Before leaving, he saw Chu Yi approach Liu Shengqing’s back and assumed it was a friend…
“President Yu.”
“Did you deliver him to the villa?”
“Uh, pretty much. Mr. Chu ran into a friend outside the villa district and said he’d go in himself…”
“Yi Ge!” Liu Shengqing jumped up happily upon seeing Chu Yi stride over with long legs.
But seeing the expression on Chu Yi’s face, the joy in his eyes faded. He lowered his head to his feet and asked knowingly, “Yi Ge, why haven’t you contacted me at all?”
Was it because of Yu Qingxian?
Chu Yi rubbed his face. “How did you know I was back today?”
Liu Shengqing mumbled at his lips. “I didn’t. I wait here every day…”
Chu Yi nearly sighed. If only Liu Shengqing put this persistence into the Righteous Path—his nature was already twisted beyond repair.
“Liu Shengqing…”
Liu Shengqing tensed and cut in quickly. “Yi Ge, did you know? Da Qing Feng Yun is holding a press conference. Director Mo even invited me, so we can be together again then…”
He said nothing of the schemes he pulled to snag the spot.
Liu Shengqing’s smile stiffened, his eyes pleading, but Chu Yi wasn’t one to soften. He finished what was interrupted. “Liu Shengqing, we’re not the same kind of people. There’s no need for contact, and you don’t need to wait outside my house. Whatever you want from me, I’ll tell you now—don’t waste your effort…”
Liu Shengqing paled. “No, Yi Ge, I don’t want anything from you. I’d scheme anyone but you… I-I just like you.”
Chu Yi’s expression was too serious, his words like drawing a line… In his panic, Liu Shengqing blurted it out, feeling a strange release afterward.
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