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The girl’s height, figure, voice, and even a fleeting glimpse of her side profile all gave Gu Si an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
He didn’t dwell on it too much. Since he had taken her dessert, he naturally had to pay for it. Speaking in a calm voice, he said:
“Is there any other dessert you like? I’ll treat you as a thank-you for letting me have this one.”
Ning Qingyan clenched her fingers but responded naturally:
“Since you’re so rich, I’ll have one of everything. Just send it to table 48.”
As she spoke, she pulled out her phone and held it to her ear, pretending to be in a hurry as she walked toward table 48.
Gu Si turned to the server, casually pulling a card from his pocket and tapping it on the glass table. His voice was lazy:
“Do as the young lady said.”
The female server suppressed her fangirling and forced herself to look at the card on the table instead. But the moment she saw that it was an exclusive gold card for the mall’s VIP members, all her excitement vanished. She immediately straightened up and diligently arranged the order.
After all, her job was more important than ogling a handsome guy. Besides, with a card like this, she knew better than to daydream about Cinderella stories.
After paying and handling everything, Gu Si took the packed rabbit-shaped dessert and turned to leave.
Just as he passed Ning Qingyan’s table, a male photographer blocked his way.
“Hey, handsome! My friend wants to take a photo with you and go on a half-day virtual dating project. We’ll cover all the costs! It’s that young lady over there.”
The photographer pointed at a stunning girl behind Ning Qingyan’s table. She had long, waist-length hair and was dressed in an elegant ancient-style outfit, making her stand out in the trendy dessert shop. She turned to look at them and smiled at Gu Si, greeting him in a gentle voice:
“Hello, I’m Yuxi.”
“Not interested.”
Gu Si frowned slightly and was about to leave with his dessert when the photographer blocked him again.
“Dude, are you serious? Do you even know who Yuxi is? She’s the hottest online beauty known for her stunning historical cosplay! She has over 500,000 likes! A total goddess! Plus, we’re just shooting a project. You get a free girlfriend for half a day, and we even pay you.”
“Historical beauty?”
Gu Si recalled that their variety show had a rising star, Lin Qingqing, who had latched onto Ning Qingyan after he saved her once. Ning Qingyan, ever carefree, seemed to enjoy the attention.
Could it be that he liked this kind of classic beauty?
Thinking of this, Gu Si finally turned his head to glance at Yuxi, who was now approaching him. He raised an eyebrow, about to scoff that she was nothing special—after all, internet celebrities couldn’t compare to real actresses.
But then, in his peripheral vision, he saw a girl sitting between them.
Yuxi confidently walked toward Gu Si. Even though he was wearing a mask, his tall stature, well-proportioned figure, and breathtakingly beautiful half-visible face made it clear that he was worth the effort.
She had a gut feeling—this video would go viral!
Sure enough, the previously indifferent heartthrob finally looked at her. Yuxi’s heart pounded, captivated by his mesmerizing eyes.
Then, just as she was about to introduce herself again, the man suddenly changed direction, walking right past her and sitting down next to another girl.
Yuxi froze, awkwardly lowering the hand she had raised to greet him. She turned to look—
The girl had long, straight black hair with blunt bangs and was sipping her milk tea while scrolling through her phone. Even without seeing her full face, her beauty was evident.
No wonder he ignored her.
Yuxi felt embarrassed.
Meanwhile, Gu Si stared at the girl in front of him, even holding his breath slightly.
Ning Qingyan was internally nervous but kept a calm expression. She looked up at the dazed Gu Si and asked indifferently:
“Do you need something?”
The completely unfamiliar gaze and tone snapped Gu Si out of his trance. Her eyes were just like Ning Qingyan’s. If not for the long, straight black hair and the lipstick-stained lips reminding him otherwise, he would have thought he was looking at Ning Qingyan in female clothing.
Sensing her own tension, Gu Si raised an eyebrow and lazily asked:
“Do you have a twin brother?”
Ning Qingyan: “…”
“Sorry, no. I’m an only child.”
As she spoke, she put away her phone, pulled out a mirror, and applied an extra layer of lipstick—making her lips look even fuller and more sensual, completely different from how she looked in male attire.
Gu Si frowned and persistently asked:
“Then do you have a cousin or a sibling who looks a lot like you?”
Ning Qingyan, finished with her lipstick, grabbed her bag and got up to leave. She looked at him as if he were a creep and coldly said:
“Could you come up with a better pickup line? Boring.”
With that, she quickly left the shop.
Gu Si: “???”
Damn it! Him flirting with her? If she didn’t look a little like Ning Qingyan, would he have even glanced at her? Hell no! She wasn’t even comparable to Xiao Yan!
Annoyed, Gu Si grabbed his rabbit-shaped dessert and hurried after her, only to be stopped by Yuxi.
“Handsome, she doesn’t like you. But plenty of people do! You could use me as your fake girlfriend to make her jealous?”
Yuxi was convinced the two were just a quarreling couple. After all, who would outright reject Gu Si’s advances?
Hoping to stir up drama and make the video go viral, Yuxi wasn’t about to let this opportunity slip.
Gu Si, now irritated, spoke in an unusually cold tone:
“Don’t bother me. I won’t say it a third time. Understood?”
The sharpness in his eyes made Yuxi freeze. She dared not speak again. The surrounding onlookers watched with amusement, making Yuxi feel embarrassed and humiliated.
Knowing she had just made a fool of herself in front of other influencers, she wished she could disappear. She also developed a grudge against Gu Si.
Her photographer friend tried blocking Gu Si again, only to be knocked aside as Gu Si stormed past him.
By the time the man regained his balance, Gu Si had already disappeared out the door.
Meanwhile, Ning Qingyan had quickly blended into the crowd, exited the mall, and hopped onto a private transport vehicle heading to her villa.
Since she had spent enough to qualify for a VIP delivery service, she had her shopping bags sent directly to her villa while she rushed home.
She took a quick shower, changed back into male attire, packed her things, and left for the next filming location—City D.
At the same time, the other male and female contestants who had been filming behind-the-scenes footage on the island were also heading to City D that afternoon.
Ning Qingyan was the last to arrive. The program had rented an apartment for them, with each contestant having a private room and bathroom. Though smaller than the island villa, the apartment had better amenities.
Following the GPS, Ning Qingyan knocked on the door. Wen Shijin opened it.
After four days apart, their eyes met. Wen Shijin gently ruffled her short brown hair, took her suitcase, and led her inside.
“Xiao Yan, you’ve lost weight. You need to eat more to make up for it.”
Ning Qingyan beamed. “Really? Gu Si said I got fat.”
Wen Shijin opened the windows and curtains to let in fresh air before glancing at her warmly.
“He lied to you.”
Ning Qingyan smiled brightly. “Brother, I missed you so much!”
At the doorway, Gu Si lazily leaned against the frame and muttered:
“Do you say that to everyone you meet?”