CHAPTER 60: CHAPTER 59: SHOOTING THE ASSIGNMENT (2)

That day’s flight was delayed for two hours due to air traffic control. By the time Xiang Qichen arrived in Yanchuan, the sky had already turned gray, deeply dark, leaving only the afterglow on the horizon.

The house had been cleaned up thoroughly. Xiang Qichen put down his bag and went to take a shower.

At eight in the evening, after finishing dinner, Xiang Qichen collapsed onto the bed.

It had been a while since he last checked Weibo. When he opened it again, it was still flooded with messages. After going through his mentions for a few minutes, he found that the most-reposted Weibo about him lately came from a passerby fan—

[@CatLovesPomelo: Ahhh, what luck during the Mid-Autumn Festival when my bestie dragged me to the supermarket!!! I ran into Xiang Qichen! His tall figure and long legs while grabbing yogurt were simply drool-worthy! So handsome that even a hat and mask couldn’t hide it, I recognized him in an instant!!! Even got an autograph! By the way... Qi Chen, how can your signature be so cute! I’ve truly become a fan now!!! @XiangQichen]

[Attached photo: Xiang Qichen’s signature featuring rounded strokes and a heart]

Xiang Qichen: "..."

[@LittleSweetHeartOfQichen: Reposted the Weibo]

[@LoveXiangLoveQiChen: Ahhh cutie why did you change your signature!]

[@XiangQichenOneAndOnlyWife: Round and cute, Qi Chen, are you planning a makeover! Adorable... cuteness overload? @XiangQichen]

[@Qichen’sSweetheart: Give me a hundred of these signatures!]

[@QichenTreasure: Lucky girl!! Ahhhh, I wish I could run into him at the supermarket too!!]

...

Xiang Qichen: "..."

Live watching Zhou Huaiyi shatter the image everyone had of him...

——

The next day, Xiang Qichen arrived at school on time. Ying Yue and the other three from the dorm arrived shortly after him.

After missing for a short half-month, Ying Yue saw him from the end of the hallway and quickly ran over, playfully slapping his shoulder and teasing with a smile: "Where did you go for National Day? With your boyfriend?"

Xiang Qichen got up, nodded as a greeting, and murmured vaguely, "Was at home the whole time."

The others heard this and let out a long "oh~", their tones drawn out with implications.

Xiang Qichen: "..."

Once the boys in the group borrowed some equipment, they all swaggered downstairs to catch a ride.

Besides the few from the dorm, Xiang Qichen didn’t know the other four boys. To avoid being approached, he quietly walked at the back, holding the equipment.

But it turned out, he underestimated Zhou Huaiyi’s presence in the group.

After just a few steps down the stairs, a boy carrying a tripod in front suddenly paused and turned to look at him.

The boy was tall and thin, slightly hunched, with messy hair sticking up in all directions, looking utterly unpresentable. He stood at the stairway corner, beckoning Xiang Qichen with a finger.

The latter glanced at him indifferently and walked straight past him without responding.

The boy didn’t mind, just chuckled a bit, reached out, and tugged on Xiang Qichen’s shoulder strap backpack, asking, "Zhou Huaiyi, have you recently found a boyfriend?"

Xiang Qichen still didn’t speak.

"I saw it that day..." the boy leaned closer to him, lowering his voice, "a Mercedes G63."

Xiang Qichen instinctively stepped off to the side, keeping a distance from him, his expression remaining calm.

Xiang Qichen: "Oh."

Just then, Zhou Huaiyi sent a WeChat message with photos and names of the group members, and Xiang Qichen sneakily glanced at the photos for a while before turning to look at the boy again.

Zhang Yue?

Whether truly clueless or simply pretending, Zhang Yue seemed unaware of Xiang Qichen’s indifferent attitude toward him, grinning widely and catching up to chat more: "Zhou Huaiyi, wow, you bagged a rich guy just before graduation. That car’s market value isn’t cheap at all!"

Another boy who had been walking ahead of the two suddenly turned around, sticking his nose in: "What are you guys talking about?"

Zhang Yue: "Zhou Huaiyi found a rich boyfriend!"

With a booming voice and flamboyant tone, he seemed to be afraid the whole world wouldn’t hear, so he relayed it with all his might.

Hearing this, everyone turned around to look.

Ying Yue and her peers, though knowing Zhou Huaiyi had a boyfriend, were utterly unaware of the boyfriend’s background and wealth. When they heard this news, they walked over with full curiosity, bombarding her with questions.

"Is that true, Zhou Huaiyi?"

"..."

"Where’s your boyfriend from?"

"..."

"Have you moved out recently to live with him?"

"..."

"When will you introduce him to us, maybe for a hangout?"

Xiang Qichen was too lazy to respond to each question, so he just tugged a smile and casually said, "I’ll ask him when he has time once I get back."

Everyone: "No problem!"

"..."