Qiao Jingjing had been swamped with work over the past two months.
It turned out that as a celebrity, taking a month-long break on a whim would indeed come back to haunt her. The backlog of work from before hadn't disappeared, her current workload still had to be completed, and on top of that, there were year-end award ceremonies and platform events, plus the food-themed film she shot last year had its release date moved up, pushing the promotional period forward...
The experience was truly... indescribable.
One night, Qiao Jingjing didn't return to her hotel until 3 a.m. again. Just before collapsing onto the bed and falling into exhausted sleep, she suddenly thought of Yu Tu. In her extreme drowsiness, she vaguely mused that even if Yu Tu had agreed to be with her back then, given how busy she was now, they'd probably be breaking up already.
Thinking this, she couldn't help but laugh.
The next morning while brushing her teeth, recalling this thought made Qiao Jingjing feel that she was probably starting to forget after all.
How quickly.
But at this age, in this industry, maybe this speed was normal.
A few days before Spring Festival, Qiao Jingjing attended a platform event in Beijing. At the post-event cocktail party, she ran into Su Ye.
She hadn't noticed him at first, but Su Ye carried an aura that naturally drew people around him. When Qiao Jingjing casually glanced toward the lively center of the party, her eyes happened to meet his.
Then he made his way through the crowd toward her, handing her a brightly colored cocktail.
"Well-mixed, you should try it."
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Qiao Jingjing gracefully accepted it. "Thank you."
The person she had been chatting with earlier left with a meaningful smile. Su Ye looked at her intently: "Long time no see, how have you been lately?"
Qiao Jingjing responded with polite formalities: "Not bad."
"I thought so too. Every time I open any social media app, I see news about you everywhere."
Qiao Jingjing frowned: "It can't be that much."
Overexposure tends to annoy people, which isn't good for an actor - her team had always been careful about controlling this.
"Oh, perhaps it's because I click on too much content about you, so the algorithms automatically push it to me."
Qiao Jingjing's eyelashes fluttered slightly before she smiled: "Well, thank you for giving me those clicks."
As more and more eyes turned toward them, Qiao Jingjing considered making small talk for a bit longer before leaving, but Su Ye showed no intention of ending the conversation. Taking a sip of his drink, he unexpectedly asked: "So that person I saw at your place that day was your high school classmate?"
Qiao Jingjing: "...You follow online gossip too?"
"Didn't I just say I click on too many things? But this one actually wasn't from that." Su Ye chuckled lightly. "I was at the venue when you participated in that KPL Entertainment Match."
Under Qiao Jingjing's surprised gaze, he added: "In the VIP room upstairs."
"Oh, I see." After a moment of slight surprise, Qiao Jingjing brushed past the topic, not planning to ask why he had been there. She vaguely remembered that when she first started playing the game using her WeChat account, Su Ye might have actually been on her game friends list... Well, she'd just assume he was there because he was interested in gaming.
Su Ye slipped one hand into his pocket, maintaining an elegant posture: "He's really good at games, a top student from Tsinghua University. A man like that must have been quite attractive back in high school too?"
Qiao Jingjing: "..."
She somewhat suspected that Su Ye might think he had been the backup option back then.
Sure enough, his next question was: "So, was he one of the reasons you broke up with me so decisively?"Qiao Jingjing: "...It's surprising that President Su lacks such confidence."
Su Ye gazed deeply into her eyes: "Because you've never looked at me with that kind of gaze."
What kind of gaze?
Qiao Jingjing met his eyes briefly before lowering her head to take a sip of wine, suddenly finding it amusing.
When she had been with Su Ye, she had already been in the entertainment industry for several years. With a busy schedule and complicated interpersonal relationships, the youthful affections of her school days had long faded into memories. Her relationship with Su Ye had been genuine. And their breakup had nothing to do with... others.
But there was no need to argue with him about it now. He could think whatever he wanted. Since they hadn't remained friends after the breakup, there was no need to concern herself with his mental wellbeing.
"I don't think we need to discuss these things anymore." Qiao Jingjing raised her glass toward him.
"Indeed." Su Ye agreed like a gentleman. "One must always look forward."
Qiao Jingjing had no intention of pondering the deeper meaning behind his words. Feeling the conversation had reached its natural end, she prepared to leave.Just then, a young woman came over to greet Su Ye, giving her the perfect opportunity to excuse herself: "I'm going to chat with some friends." Please make yourself comfortable, President Su."
Unexpectedly, Su Ye said, "Wait, there's one more thing."
Now Qiao Jingjing couldn't easily leave, and the visitor looked slightly awkward. Only Su Ye remained elegantly composed as he exchanged a few pleasantries with the woman.
After she left, Su Ye turned back to Qiao Jingjing.
"There's something I haven't found the right opportunity to say."
"What is it?" Qiao Jingjing asked absently, spotting an acquaintance appearing at the venue entrance and giving them a small wave.
"Actually, when I came to your place that day, it was to apologize to you."
Qiao Jingjing froze, her attention fully returning to him.
Su Ye said calmly, "The gaming video of you was released by my ex-girlfriend. Of course, that's why she's now an ex-girlfriend."
Qiao Jingjing: "..."
This time her face genuinely showed a "what the hell" expression. After piecing together what must have happened, Qiao Jingjing found it somewhat unbelievable. "You're in my WeChat contacts... So you were watching me play games, and even recorded it to post online?"
Su Ye looked at her intently. "Not 'we' - I was watching. I played for a while and happened to see you gaming. I found it amusing and saved it. I don't know how she discovered it, but she re-recorded it and posted it online... I wasn't careful enough. My apologies."
Qiao Jingjing was practically speechless. "Someone of your status, President Su, doesn't secure their phone better?"
Su Ye maintained an elegantly apologetic expression. "My mistake. A single oversight amid countless precautions."
"...I should have blocked you earlier. But isn't your girlfriend quite upset now?" Qiao Jingjing raised an eyebrow. "Please be sure to convey to her that, thanks to her misplaced affection, my gaming endorsement fee has tripled."
"Ex-girlfriend." Su Ye smiled casually. "I'm single now."
He looked at her, his eyes seeming to hold endless meaning. "You handled it excellently. It made me see you in a new light."
"I've been wanting to find an opportunity to apologize to you. But I've been abroad for work these past two months and only returned this morning. When I heard you'd be attending this event, I came immediately." He paused here. "I wonder if you might have time in the next couple of days to let me properly express my apology.""No need for that, it's already resolved anyway." There was no point in pursuing this matter further, and even if she did, it wouldn't mean anything. Qiao Jingjing mentally noted it down but outwardly chose to be magnanimous.
"Mr. Su, just make sure to protect your phone better in the future." She couldn't resist adding a pointed remark.
Su Ye seemed surprised by her refusal, raising an eyebrow slightly.
"If there's nothing else, Mr. Su, I'll take my leave."
"There is."
Qiao Jingjing: "..."
She was just being polite!
"I'd like to ask you one more thing."
Qiao Jingjing looked at him.
"That day on the competition stage, you said you were still single. Was that true?"
He lifted his glass to his lips for a sip, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth, his handsome features radiating unwavering confidence. "If it's true, would Miss Qiao be interested in starting a new relationship? Of course, with someone from the past."
"I have a question."
After a moment of silence, Qiao Jingjing spoke.
"Go ahead." Su Ye responded with gentlemanly grace.
"Your girlfriend posted that video of me online. Did you ever genuinely feel sorry about it? Because I get the sense you were almost... pleased? Pleased that someone would go to such lengths competing for your attention?" Qiao Jingjing gently swirled the colorful liquid in her glass. "Or maybe not pleased, just watching with great interest how I'd handle it?"
"You said you came to apologize that day, but it had already been half a month since the incident happened, right? So you were probably just passing by and decided to drop in for an apology on a whim?"
"Also, I won the competition. But what if I had lost? What if I had been completely humiliated and became the laughingstock of the entire internet? Would you still be standing here today, saying these things to me?"
Qiao Jingjing's bright eyes fixed on him.
Su Ye was momentarily speechless.
Qiao Jingjing was right - his visit to her home that day had indeed been a spur-of-the-moment decision while passing by, and even his later attendance at the competition had been impulsive. Throughout the entire situation, he had indeed maintained a detached attitude, watching from the sidelines to see how she would handle it.
But he hadn't expected Qiao Jingjing to handle it so brilliantly.
That day in the VIP room, watching her witty and clever control of the rhythm on stage, observing her agile positioning and skilled gameplay during the match, he found himself completely unable to look away.
He knew she couldn't play at all before - how had she transformed so much in just over a month?
When she achieved that Triple Kill at the end, and the audience erupted in gasps of amazement, he had even risen to his feet without thinking, surprising the staff accompanying him.
In that moment, as she hugged another man on stage, celebrating with a radiant smile, he watched from the VIP room, his chest pounding. It felt like a flame had been rekindled inside him, burning even more fiercely than before. He thought it was just a temporary fluctuation influenced by the atmosphere, but after two months abroad, instead of calming down, the feeling had only grown stronger.
Then there was no need to restrain it.
He had always been a man of action.
But he hadn't anticipated that Qiao Jingjing would be so perceptive, accurately guessing his mindset. Even with Su Ye's social skills and eloquence, he found himself at a loss for words to explain it away.
Qiao Jingjing found her answer in his expression.
"To answer your previous question. When I was with you, I was completely serious. That's why our breakup had nothing to do with anyone else. Have you forgotten what it was about?""I've always been quite curious," Qiao Jingjing tilted her head adorably. "When you suggested I give up my career, had you truly prepared to spend your life with me? No, you hadn't. Yet you proposed it so casually. That's when I understood you never placed me on equal footing, and it seems nothing has changed even now."
"You always look down on others from your high horse." Qiao Jingjing smiled radiantly. "I simply can't tolerate that. Mr. Su, we walk different paths and need not force cooperation."
News travels fast in this circle. Three days later, when Qiao Jingjing flew back to Shanghai and reached home at ten in the evening, Ling Jie was unexpectedly waiting for her in the lobby downstairs.
Spotting her getting out of the car, Ling Jie's first words were: "Has Su Ye been trying to win you back again?"
Qiao Jingjing: "..."
Was gossip spreading at light speed?
Speechless, she walked inside while Ling Jie followed closely. "Don't be fooled by his sweet talk. That man, pfft, isn't even one ten-thousandth as good as Teacher Yu."
Mentioning Yu Tu reminded Ling Jie of something. "Hey, Jingjing, have you been in touch with Teacher Yu recently? Why didn't he come to the celebration hotpot that day?"
Qiao Jingjing remained calm. "You hold my phone most of the time. Have you seen any contact?"
Ling Jie thought for a moment. "True, you barely have time to sleep these days."
Pressing the elevator button with serene composure, Qiao Jingjing felt she deserved an Oscar for her real-life acting. Two months had passed since that night, yet no one around her had noticed anything unusual—even the driver that day remained unaware of what happened.
Perhaps her reaction had been too composed.
"You should invite him to dinner when you're free. Without his coaching, how could you have achieved such good results? But it's already the 29th today—he's probably gone home for New Year. Maybe after the holidays?" She suddenly clapped her hands. "Wait, you're from the same hometown! You could treat him there! You'll return right after your New Year's Day performance, right?"
Qiao Jingjing interrupted her: "You waited until midnight just to say this?"
Ling Jie scrambled for a legitimate excuse: "No, it's about the New Year's Eve show on Dragon TV. I need to confirm some details with you."
The excuse was utterly unconvincing.
The elevator arrived. As Qiao Jingjing stepped in, she realized Xiao Zhu, who had been following them, was missing.
Holding the door open button, she asked, "Where is she?"
Just then, Xiao Zhu came rushing over with a stack of letters. "I went to check the mailbox. There were quite a few."
Qiao Jingjing didn't inquire further. Mail sent here usually consisted of bank statements and similar trivialities—things she never bothered with.
As the elevator ascended, Ling Jie resumed her grumbling about Su Ye. But Xiao Zhu, sorting through the mail, suddenly exclaimed, "Jingjing."
Surprised, she said, "Someone actually wrote you letters, and several of them too!"
Qiao Jingjing glanced absently at the letters in her hand, but the next second, her gaze froze.
The elevator chimed to announce their floor, yet she remained motionless, reaching out to pick up the top envelope.
The handwriting on the envelope—elegant and unrestrained—was something she hadn't seen in a long time, yet she recognized it instantly.
To Miss Qiao.
And the sender was indeed—Yu.
OpenNovel