Chapter 12: Pendant

While waiting for the awards ceremony livestream to begin, Gu Yu finished a four-panel comic.

Initially, she had wondered if she could even manage daily updates. She was a chronic procrastinator who never submitted work until the very last moment. That was the case even when she was getting paid. For something unpaid, she might not have the willpower to persevere.

Now she realized she had worried for nothing. Every single minute and second spent with Jiang Bomu made her want to record it all. Daily updates were practically effortless.

At seven-thirty, the long-awaited livestream finally began. After a few simple words from the host, the stars started walking the red carpet.

Gu Yu had already gotten inside information from Tao Tao. Jiang Bomu would appear at around twenty past eight. She’d even obtained a beautiful behind-the-scenes photo of her waiting.

Profoundly moved, Gu Yu used her phone to watch the livestream while simultaneously drawing a character design for Tao Tao on her tablet.

As soon as eight o’clock passed, she stopped immediately and focused intently. Tao Tao was also live-reporting on WeChat: [Ten more people to go!]

[Eight!]

[Five!]

Gu Yu hadn’t been anxious initially, but emotions are contagious. Seeing the other girl so excited, she found her own breathing a little uneven. She was more nervous than Jiang Bomu probably was about the red carpet.

Afraid she’d get even more flustered, she ignored Tao Tao and casually scrolled through Weibo.

The studio had posted photos an hour ago. On the trending searches, #JiangBomuFlowerFairy# was already at number 10, followed by a “Boiling” label. Gu Yu clicked in.

Even though she’d already seen dozens of photos, her heart still skipped a beat. How could anyone in this world be this beautiful?

A message from Tao Tao popped up at the top of her screen: [Next! She’s next!]

Her gaze shifted to the tablet. The host was reading the cue card: “Welcome, Jiang Bomu!”

The next moment, the goddess of beauty descended.

All the spotlights focused on the entrance. The flower fairy gracefully glided forward, lifting the hem of her skirt. Everywhere she stepped, flowers seemed to bloom.

The bullet comments in the bottom left had gone absolutely wild. The host paused for two full seconds before exclaiming with awe, “Mu Mu is truly beautiful today… so beautiful…”

When you truly want to praise someone’s beauty, words fail you.

Gu Yu understood this feeling deeply.

In that single minute on the red carpet, the trending topic shot up to third place. Gu Yu couldn’t help but contribute to the heat, freaking out on the public square.

After posting three tweets in a row, a fan commented: [So the Teacher is also a Twilight! Aaah, I love Mu Mu so much too!]

Twilight was the name for Jiang Bomu’s fandom.

Gu Yu’s heated excitement instantly cooled. This was her main account. What if fans guessed that Rose was actually Jiang Bomu?

She didn’t dare risk it. She was about to delete the posts but worried that would look even more suspicious. She simply replied: [I love all female celebrities who slaughter people with their beauty!]

Universal love. That was the safest approach.

After the red carpet, the awards ceremony officially began. Gu Yu split her attention between her phone and the screen, conveniently retweeting a few red carpet photos of other female celebrities. It wasn’t until she heard the host call Jiang Bomu’s name that she suddenly sat bolt upright.

The camera mechanically swiveled into the audience, honestly recording Jiang Bomu’s every move.

She stood up, politely declining the gentlemanly offer of assistance from a male star who was also going on stage to accept an award. Instead, she took the hand of a female star beside her, who was wearing a tight black mini-dress.

The two exchanged a smile and walked towards the stage arm in arm.

Gu Yu propped her chin in her hands. Since her debut, Jiang Bomu had never been involved in a scandal with a male star, but there were plenty with female stars. Look, another CP! Netizens in the bullet comments were already coming up with a CP name: Sui “Yu” Yun “Mu”(Broken Jade, Cloud Dusk).

The speed of it all amazed Gu Yu.

By now, the two had reached the stage and their hands naturally separated. Gu Yu felt a little envious. They’d held hands for quite a long time.

After receiving their awards, it was time for the customary acceptance speeches. When it was Jiang Bomu’s turn, her speech was standard, neither wrong nor exceptional. However, no one really cared what she said. The bullet comments were full of “Sister, marry me!”

A sour feeling rose in Gu Yu’s heart. So many people are trying to steal my wife!

After the livestream, she went out to the balcony.

Yuning City was brilliantly lit. Cars shuttled back and forth, their headlights extremely bright. It was as if the human world below was experiencing a reckless meteor shower.

Her gaze didn’t linger there long, because the nearby LED screen ad slowly shifted to a photo of Jiang Bomu. It was tonight’s Flower Fairy look, breathtakingly beautiful.

No idea which wealthy fan had paid for that.

Gu Yu watched silently for a while, then felt a burst of inspiration. She turned on a light, set her easel down right there on the balcony, and sketched a vibrant scene onto the blank paper.

The next afternoon, Jiang Bomu returned.

She wasn’t wearing makeup, just a hat and a mask. Her eyes were hidden in the shadows, yet their astonishing beauty still shone through.

“Aren’t you going to invite me in?” she said flatly.

Gu Yu snapped out of her daze. She stepped aside to make room. “Have you had lunch?”

Jiang Bomu was in a good mood. For once, she cracked a joke. “No, I’m saving room to taste the results of your training.”

Yesterday at noon, Gu Yu had made poached egg noodles. She’d taken a photo and sent it to her. Jiang Bomu had replied that she wanted to eat it too when she got back.

Hearing this, Gu Yu immediately felt guilty. What if the carefully edited photo didn’t match the real thing?

Yesterday, somehow she had misjudged a seasoning. It had looked nice but tasted terrible. She hadn’t wanted to waste it, but after a few bites, she still found it too hard to swallow and ended up ordering takeout.

She headed to the kitchen. While preparing the vegetables, she gave a preemptive warning: “Maybe we should order takeout just in case? I’m afraid my execution won’t be great today.”

Jiang Bomu was leaning on the sofa with her eyes closed, resting. She replied, “No need. I’m not a picky eater.”

Her voice was soft but brooked no refusal.

Gu Yu had no choice but to bravely continue. Remembering the item the cousin had delivered the day before yesterday, she mentioned where it was. Jiang Bomu hummed an acknowledgment and got up to look.

Although curious about what the aloof cousin had delivered, Gu Yu restrained herself from looking and focused on carefully slicing the tomatoes.

Soon, footsteps approached. It was Jiang Bomu, coming to stand right behind her.

Gu Yu assumed she was there to supervise, and instantly felt a wave of nervousness. Fortunately, her knife skills had improved recently. Her hands didn’t falter an inch. The tomato slices were of even size and thickness.

She successfully finished slicing. She put down the knife, just starting to feel secretly pleased, when a sudden coolness touched her neck.

She looked down. A pendant glittered, like the Milky Way.

Then, her long hair was swept to one side. A tingling numbness spread across the back of her neck. The woman’s fingernails were warm, her fingertips soft. They seemed to touch her skin, then not, like a teasing caress.

The pendant still swung back and forth, but her heartbeat had long since come to a standstill.