The New Year's Eve party officially began. The four hosts went on stage together, the girls in the middle and the boys on the outside. The moment the spotlight hit them, they were bathed in radiance.
Xu Qingsong only knew there was an event today; he wasn't performing, so he hadn't looked into who the hosts were. Seeing Ye Qingli on stage shocked him, but what shocked him even more was Huang Xu. How did this guy end up hosting too?
They must have rehearsed for a few days, meaning Ye Qingli and Huang Xu had been spending time together for several days?
Xu Qingsong turned to look at Xiao Yu. His face was expressionless, indifferent, as if he didn't care. Xu Qingsong took a deep breath and typed on his phone.
After each segment, the audience burst into applause. Xu Yan clapped until her palms went numb. Suddenly, her phone vibrated on her lap. She checked it and opened the message.
Xu Qingsong: Wait, Ye Qingli is a host? Why didn't you tell me?
Xu Yan was baffled, her brows furrowed. She found it unreasonable: "Why would I tell you?"
Then she realized and asked, "Did Xiao Yu tell you to ask? He already has a girlfriend, so why is he still asking about Qingqing? Can't he show some restraint and keep his distance?"
These words stunned Xu Qingsong. He didn't understand: "When did A Yu get a girlfriend?"
"Didn't you tell us that during the last meal?"
"When did I say..." Xu Qingsong paused, trying to recall his tone when he said it. He remembered he had meant to provoke Ye Qingli, but how did it turn into an ambiguous statement in their ears?
Xu Qingsong: "You misunderstood me. That's not what I meant."
Xu Yan: "Then what else could it be? Alright, I don't have time to chat. I need to take pictures of Qingqing."
After sending that, she muted the chat and turned to discuss how beautiful Ye Qingli looked today with Zhang Yan and Jiang Mo. No matter how many messages Xu Qingsong sent, she didn't reply. He spotted her in the class, far away, and saw her bobbing her head around, busy as can be.
He was furious. Liu Xu turned and saw Xu Qingsong staring at his phone, his eyes so close it seemed he was trying to bore holes into it. He leaned in to see what he was looking at, but as soon as he did, Xu Qingsong quickly turned off the screen.
If he found out what he'd done, would it be good?
Liu Xu was startled: "Why are you so jumpy? What can't I see?"
Xiao Yu heard the commotion and turned around too.
Xu Qingsong cleared his throat and sat up straight: "Always so nosy. What could I be looking at? I was just checking the time."
"I don't believe you react like that just for checking the time. You're not secretly watching dirty videos, are you?"
"Do you have some problem? How can your mind be so filthy?" Xu Qingsong truly admired his twisted logic.
"As if you don't watch them yourself."
Liu Xu muttered and turned back to the performance.
Seeing that Liu Xu wasn't looking his way anymore, Xu Qingsong finally put down the phone he'd been clutching tightly. Before he could relax, a glance from the corner of his eye showed Xiao Yu still staring at him. Xu Qingsong's fingers turned white from gripping the phone so hard.
"What do you two want? I really was just checking the time."
"Weren't you chatting with Xu Yan?" Xiao Yu said.
"This... You..." Xu Qingsong's eyes widened. He saw?
Actually, no. When Xiao Yu turned around, Xu Qingsong had already turned off the screen. He was just bluffing, but he didn't expect it to work so well. Judging by his reaction, he hit the mark.
He smirked: "Coward. If you like her, just say it. All this hiding is so annoying."
"Like who?" Xu Qingsong was stunned for a moment before realizing he was talking about Xu Yan.
Xu Qingsong felt a huge burden dropped on him: "Give me a break. I'd rather accuse Liu Xu. You think too much. Just chatting a few times equals liking?"
He meant it. He really didn't have feelings for Xu Yan. Her looks and personality weren't his type. He just found her fun and treated her like a buddy.
It was his first love that had hurt him too deeply. In a guy's heart, a first love's power is immense.
Now, he didn't want to invest feelings in anyone anymore. He was too lazy to deal with romance, since it all ended in nothing anyway.
Xiao Yu shrugged, neither agreeing nor denying.
His gaze returned to the stage. It was Ye Qingli's turn to read the script. She wore a satin fishtail dress with a long train, her collarbone visible, and her fair neck held up a cool face. Her features were delicate, especially her peach-blossom eyes, which were captivating every time she blinked.
Holding the cue card, she remained calm before the large audience, a smile always on her lips. Her usual obedient demeanor was gone. This was the first time Xiao Yu saw her so confident and composed. He was momentarily dazed, finally admitting he was drawn to the light she radiated.
He clasped his hands together, gradually feeling numb. Though they hadn't contacted each other for nearly a month, Xiao Yu understood that he had truly fallen.
Even though she wasn't rehearsing with Huang Xu but with another guy, the irritation lingered in his mind, growing stronger. He suddenly clenched his fists, knuckles protruding, and veins spread rapidly across his arms.
He liked her.
He wanted to possess her.
...
"Next, let's welcome the dance performance 'My Future Type' by the girls from Class 3 of Primary Education."
Ye Qingli turned with the microphone and walked off stage. The hosts' resting area was too close to the speakers, making her ears ache. She sat down, lifted her hem slightly, and found it hard to walk in heels. Her calves were sore, and when she touched her ankle, she realized it was rubbed raw by the shoes. Her fair skin made the red marks look even more alarming.
The other hostess handed her a band-aid. Ye Qingli thanked her and put it on while thinking that the final performance was almost over. After all these days of hard work, she wanted to go back and remove her makeup and sleep.
As she thought this, she realized she still had to go back and deliver closing remarks. She let her skirt down, straightened up, and looked up to see Huang Xu's smiling face.
Startled, Ye Qingli blinked for a moment: "Senior, is there something you need?"
"Do you have time after this?"
There were still over two hours before curfew, but Ye Qingli didn't want to deal with him. Just as she was about to make an excuse, Huang Xu added, "I need to talk to you about something. Just ten minutes."
"Can't you say it now?"