Chapter 22 Part 1

Xu Dan was completely unaware of Chi Nuan’s complicated inner thoughts. Every few seconds, she checked WeChat, afraid of missing any message from Xue Wen. Her persistence paid off, and a few minutes later, new content appeared in the group chat.

“Do you all like Lin Shen? I have premiere tickets for Seizing the Dragon, and it’s confirmed that Lin Shen will attend for promotion. Want to go together? [shy]”

Xu Dan could hardly believe it. She read the message back and forth more than ten times in a daze before shrieking, “Quick, look at this!!! Xue Wen says she has premiere tickets for Lin Shen’s new movie!!! Lin Shen will be there too!!!”

She sent countless exclamation marks in a row, her eyes glued to the group chat screen on her phone, her face glowing with excitement. “I want to go, I want to go! Even if my parents break my legs, I have to go see Lin Shen!!! That’s my Lin Shen Baby!!!”

Zhao Jingjing was stunned too. “For real?!”

Du Min crowded in from everywhere. “Where, where?!”

The next second, Xue Wen posted photos of the tickets in the group. “The timing is right after the final exams end. There are plenty of tickets. Since Gu Ningzi is there, ask her if she wants to go too [smile].”

Chi Nuan: “…”

Zhao Jingjing: “…”

Xu Dan: “…”

Du Min, who didn’t have her phone: “???” What happened? Why did the three people looking at their phones all have such complicated expressions?

Xu Dan, whose mind was racing, shoved her phone in front of Gu Ningzi. “Lin Shen’s new movie premiere! Gu Ningzi, Xue Wen invited us all to go together! Everyone, are we going or not? This is the Lin Shen we’ve been dreaming about day and night!”

Chi Nuan opened the photo Xue Wen had sent. The ticket featured a promotional still from the xianxia movie Seizing the Dragon. In the faint morning light, Lin Shen, dressed in a cold and glamorous costume, propped her long sword on the ground. Behind her, a silver giant dragon burst out of the ice, its massive jaws open as if roaring.

Lin Shen was a top-tier traffic star who had skyrocketed to fame in the country over the past two years, captivating a huge wave of fangirls like Xu Dan, who were still in their youthful adolescence. Influenced by her roommates and hearing about her constantly, Chi Nuan had naturally become quite fascinated with Lin Shen too. But after checking the time and location on the ticket, she hesitated and said, “The premiere is in L City, and it’s at 7 p.m….”

Du Min leaned over to look. “L City? It’ll definitely be super late by the time it ends. It’s a three-hour bus ride from here to L City, right?”

Zhao Jingjing: “More like three and a half. If we go, we’ll definitely have to stay in a hotel.”

Xue Wen on the other end of the screen: “There’s a hotel right above the cinema. If we can’t make it back, we can stay overnight in L City [witty], and come back the next day in time for remedial classes.”

Zhao Jingjing immediately opened a search engine and entered the info from the ticket, wanting to check hotel prices.

“…Um,” she scratched the back of her head uncertainly, “the cinema and hotel both belong to ‘Cheng Lan’. This Cheng Lan… isn’t that Xue Wen’s family?”

Du Min: “Yes! Cheng Lan! Our school’s Chenglan Building was donated by Xue Wen’s family!”

“Wow!” Xu Dan rubbed her hands excitedly. “That’s awesome!”

Chi Nuan threw cold water on them. “…Wouldn’t it be too much trouble for her?”

Everyone knew it wasn’t the best idea, but Lin Shen’s allure was just too strong. How could they possibly refuse?

In the group chat, Xue Wen: “After that, I’ll have the whole summer vacation filled with rehearsals and touring with the orchestra everywhere. I won’t see you all until school starts [pitiful]. Come watch with me [pitiful].”

Zhao Jingjing sighed. “Xue Wen is basically saying goodbye to us like this? She’s going off to perform.”

Du Min said that made it even harder for everyone to refuse Xue Wen’s invitation.

Xu Dan: “So? Are we going or not?”

Zhao Jingjing gritted her teeth. “Let’s go!”

Du Min: “Go! Plus, we’ll get to see Lin Shen… Oh my god, how do I have such an awesome friend like Xue Wen?”

Xu Dan turned to Chi Nuan. Chi Nuan had just said “I—” when Xu Dan nodded. “I know you’re definitely going. Among us, you have the best relationship with Xue Wen. Don’t you want to say goodbye to her?”

Chi Nuan: “…”

Xu Dan cheerfully told Xue Wen everyone’s decision. As she looked up, she met Gu Ningzi’s gaze. Gu Ningzi’s thin lips parted slightly. “Go.”

Xu Dan: “…”

Xu Dan sought her opinion. “…Oh, that’s great then. How about this—I’ll add you to the group too, make it more convenient?”

The others: “…”

Gu Ningzi said unhurriedly, “Sure.”

Xu Dan’s fingers flew, and in the blink of an eye, she had pulled Gu Ningzi into the WeChat group.

Xu Dan: “Gu Ningzi is here! [applause][confetti]”

…

Xu Dan: “???”

Zhao Jingjing forced herself to follow suit: “[applause][confetti]”

Du Min said, “…How about we order some spicy pig brains to replenish everyone’s energy.”

…

A few minutes later, Xue Wen: “It’s settled then. After finals, I’ll arrange a car to pick you up [cute].”

Xu Dan: “Okay, okay, we’ll follow your arrangements. A-Wen, I’m going to worship you like a bodhisattva and burn incense for you every day, waa.”

Zhao Jingjing: “[awesome][muah]”

Xue Wen: “I don’t want you burning incense for me [laughing cry]”

Gu Ningzi: “I’ll drive myself.”

Xu Dan: “…”

Zhao Jingjing: “…”

Xue Wen: “Oh [smile]”

…

After dinner, the group walked back toward school together. Xu Dan kept saying this was heaven’s compensation for her heartbreak. If she could, she really hoped to keep getting heartbroken like this.

…

Gu Ningzi lagged lazily behind, the distance between her and the others growing farther and farther. Chi Nuan noticed, stopped in place, and waited for her to catch up.

Under the streetlamp, unknown little bugs danced in the air. Chi Nuan looked at the approaching Gu Ningzi. “You like Lin Shen too?”

Gu Ningzi said, “Average. You like her a lot?”

Chi Nuan’s eyes and brows were full of smiles. “All the characters she plays are so charismatic! I wonder if the real person is like on screen?”

A battery scooter coming the wrong way sped by without its lights on. It nearly hit Chi Nuan before the rider yelled, “Get out of the way up ahead!” Chi Nuan, who had her back turned, didn’t notice at all. She startled at the sound, and Gu Ningzi hurriedly grabbed her waist to pull her aside.

The scooter brushed past them. Chi Nuan was yanked into Gu Ningzi’s arms, her forehead solidly bumping into Gu Ningzi’s collarbone. Gu Ningzi hissed in pain.

Chi Nuan hurt too and rubbed her forehead as she asked Gu Ningzi, “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. You?” Gu Ningzi pulled Chi Nuan under the streetlamp, brushed aside her stray hairs, and fully exposed her forehead to the yellowish light.