Chapter 566: Chapter 566: Dare to Think, Dare to Act—Xie Qingci

The class reunion didn’t last long. Xie Qingci played a couple of games with them in the private room, had some late-night snacks, and then left.

Zuo Ling walked him out and suddenly brought up Chu Yao.

"She came to see me twice. The first time she just cried, the second time, seeing I really didn’t want to help, she told me something. She said that during the summer after graduation, she saw Yu Xia entering the place you rented next to the school."

Zuo Ling had been to that rental place many times, playing games and basketball with Xie Qingci, occasionally doing homework or watching movies there.

But for a while, Xie Qingci kept saying he had stuff to do and would go back very early after school, not letting them tag along. Back then, he thought maybe there was something inconvenient at home, but looking back now, it’s quite suspicious.

Zuo Ling turned to him, staring intently, and asked, word by word, "What she said is true, right? So, it’s Yu Xia, and you started a long time ago."

Before his debut in the talent show, even before his graduation, they already had a connection.

Xie Qingci looked back at him, neither denying nor directly admitting, simply saying:

"Chu Yao still hasn’t apologized to my girlfriend. She has to pay for what she did, I think it’s normal."

"Don’t give me that. I just want to know if you were involved with Yu Xia early on and how it started."

Zuo Ling punched him on the shoulder: "Are you telling me nonsense? Don’t I keep secrets well enough for you? Don’t you trust me?"

They were friends, really close friends who knew everything about each other.

Most of the boys’ friendship came from playing basketball and games together, but Zuo Ling and he were different. They lived close by, knew each other since elementary school, went to the same middle school, and were in the same high school class. Zuo Ling basically knew everything about him.

Except for the matter with Yu Xia.

Before Chu Yao told him, Zuo Ling had never even considered that Xie Qingci might have been in touch with a female celebrity long ago.

Xie Qingci was silent for two minutes, looking at the endless stream of cars outside, then nodded and said, "Yes."

It was Yu Xia; there was indeed an early connection.

Zuo Ling took a deep breath, looking at him incredulously: "You’re really daring, seeking thrill like this."

Some in their class said he seemed free of worldly desires, but how could he be free of desires when the thrill wasn’t big enough?

"I thought it was already crazy that you went abroad alone to some survival camp, but I didn’t expect you did something even crazier."

Xie Qingci’s expression was calm: "Crazy? It’s just a relationship."

"You’re in a relationship with a big celebrity! And... how did Yu Xia persuade you? People always say the entertainment industry is chaotic, and they’re right."

This was something no one else would even dare to think of, yet he did it secretly from everyone, even his parents...

Zuo Ling’s eyebrow twitched again: "Your parents don’t know, do they? Was it Yu Xia who approached you first? Or did you fancy her while seeing the world? Did you debut because of her?"

"So curious? Do you think my parents would know?" he retorted.

His parents were rarely home, not even when he took the college entrance exam.

Others prepared thoroughly for exams, kept the students company over meals and hotel stays, and wore qipaos outside the exam venue waiting to give ice cream after the last test. He was alone from start to finish.

After the college entrance exam, he went to the basketball court with a ball and then went to another city for some camping event the next day. When choosing schools, he didn’t discuss it with classmates or friends; Zuo Ling was well aware of these.

Opening his mouth, he could only say: "Alright, definitely unknown. So what exactly happened between you two? Did a celebrity deliberately seek out an eighteen-year-old boy for a thrilling romance? Or did you seek a thrill and took a fancy to a female star?"

The evening breeze gently swept across his hair. Xie Qingci squinted slightly, looking at the swaying bus across the street, recalling the poster of Yu Xia he once saw in this place, feeling like she was the whole world back then, not willing to give up.

So, now they have this.

"Two thrill-seekers met," he answered with a light laugh.

Zuo Ling added: "And then you got addicted to the romance, so you went into the entertainment circle pursuing her, right?"

Xie Qingci looked at him: "Can’t I? Didn’t you always say that pursuing a girl requires seizing the moment and putting aside pride?"

"..." Zuo Ling held his breath, "Feels like I’ve become your romance teacher. I said those things for others to hear, who knew you’d learn from it? You used to think I was being long-winded about romance, but secretly you were studying my romance manual the whole time?"

Xie Qingci let out a chuckle.

Seeing him like that, Zuo Ling knew he was indeed in a good mood. He relaxed, exhaled, then nodded toward his phone with his chin and asked, "And how are you two now?"

Earlier, he clearly saw his expression while taking the call, it was as sweet as candy.

"Pretty good," Xie Qingci lowered his eyes and smiled again, tenderness all over his face.

Zuo Ling clicked his tongue and shook his head, then sighed long and hard, somewhat bewilderedly looking up at the sky.

"You’re indeed daring. That’s why you’ve achieved what you wanted. Meanwhile, we’re still confused about the future, yet you’re already leading the way."

"That can only mean you don’t have something you really want yet."

If you really want something, someone, to achieve a certain goal, you can’t help but want to strive toward it.

The parked car slowly pulled up. Xie Qingci patted Zuo Ling on the shoulder and said, "I gotta go. Got a shoot early tomorrow. Let’s catch up when there’s time, hit me up anytime."

Zuo Ling nodded, watched him get in the car, and then turned back into the clubhouse.

Xie Qingci sat in the car, letting his mind wander while fiddling with his phone.

After a moment, he sent a message to Yu Xia.

[I’m back at the hotel]

Yu Xia replied after a few minutes: [Why are you telling me? I can’t verify if what you say is true]

He rubbed the words on the screen, eyes full of amusement.

[How about we video call later? That way you can verify if I’m being honest.]

Yu Xia: [No time, stop trying to trick me into a video call]

[Sigh, this relationship is so sad, not seeing each other for ten days and no video calls allowed.]

[Earlier, a friend asked why there haven’t been any news about us lately, asking if there’s trouble in paradise]

Yu Xia: [If this were a time before video calls, would you be throwing a tantrum or worse?]

Xie Qingci: [...]

Yu Xia: [Yu Yue snickering.jpg]

This meme was quite a mockery of Yu Yue, and Xie Qingci couldn’t help but laugh.

[Why are you using Yue as a meme?]

Yu Xia: [What’s that? I even have memes of my brother.]

Yu Xia: [Want some? I can send you a few. When you ask him to let me come home, and he doesn’t agree, just send this meme to intimidate him.]

Xie Qingci: [And then get beaten and dumped in the wilderness by your brother? You’re so ruthless]

Yu Xia: [Hahaha curly wool shaking.gif]