Chapter Thirty: Meeting Li Feng Again

After finishing her breakfast, Zhou Xiaoqi walked to school with a light heart. As soon as she entered the classroom, she spotted Li Feng, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time.

The last time they met was during the opening ceremony. Li Feng was in the same class as Zhou Xiaoqi. He had been signed to a talent agency early on, and Zhou Xiaoqi later learned that the company representing Li Feng was quite a major one. Though it couldn’t compare to the Cui Group, apart from that, it was considered the best.

“Xiaoqi, how have you been lately?” Before Zhou Xiaoqi could go over and greet him, Li Feng had already walked up to her.

“I’ve been doing pretty well. How about you? I heard you’ve been filming recently. Not bad! You’re already getting roles—surely you’ll be a superstar in the future. Don’t forget about me when you get famous,” Zhou Xiaoqi said, teasingly patting Li Feng, who was much taller than she was. Thanks to Cui Hao, she had become a lot more cheerful, a testament to his influence.

Li Feng was a little surprised at the change in Zhou Xiaoqi, though it hadn’t been that long since they’d last seen each other. Still, it was a good change. In the past, Zhou Xiaoqi had seemed like a fairy untouched by the dust of the mortal world—aloof and indifferent. Now, she finally seemed like a real person. Li Feng couldn’t help but wonder what had caused such a transformation in her.

“Oh, stop making fun of me. I actually hope I get to act alongside you someday,” Li Feng replied, not knowing that his offhand remark would soon come true.

Zhou Xiaoqi was quite happy at the prospect. Recently, one of Li Feng’s movies had been heavily promoted—he was gaining some fame. Zhou Xiaoqi had been following the film, too; the cast was almost entirely made up of A-list stars. She could imagine how hard Li Feng must have worked to secure a role. Standing out among so many talented people was no easy feat. Zhou Xiaoqi was already plotting in her mind that if she could collaborate with Li Feng in the future, it would be ideal—not only were they old acquaintances, but she could also ride the wave of his popularity. It was a win-win situation, and the thought delighted her.

“All right, class is about to start. I’ll head back to my seat. Let’s have lunch together later—I’ll invite Xue Ran,” she said, then walked away.

Li Feng was well aware of Zhou Xiaoqi’s intentions; she had always wanted to sign with Red String. But what she likely didn’t know was that certain feelings had long since taken root.

It wasn’t until just before class that Xue Ran strolled into the classroom, still looking sleepy. She sat down at her desk, ready to continue her nap.

Zhou Xiaoqi, seated beside her, nudged her with a pen. “Li Feng came to class today. We’re having lunch together this afternoon.”

At Zhou Xiaoqi’s words, Xue Ran immediately perked up. She glanced around and, sure enough, spotted Li Feng not far away. Frowning, Xue Ran covered her face with her hand and looked at Zhou Xiaoqi in distress. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner? I’m not wearing any makeup! I look such a mess and he’s seen me—what am I going to do?” She looked on the verge of tears.

Zhou Xiaoqi hurried to comfort her. “It’s fine, really. You still have time to put on makeup now. He was reading just now—I’m sure he didn’t see you.” She could only reassure herself with this little white lie. Otherwise, knowing Xue Ran’s personality, if she found out Li Feng had seen her, she’d be furious—after all, Li Feng was her biggest idol.

“Are you sure he didn’t see?” Xue Ran asked, half-believing.

Zhou Xiaoqi replied with a face as sincere as possible, “Absolutely.”

Given Zhou Xiaoqi’s firm answer, Xue Ran immediately brightened. “Watch out for me—I'm going to do my makeup right now.”

Zhou Xiaoqi nodded enthusiastically, like a pecking chick, afraid that even a moment’s hesitation would upset Xue Ran. Seeing this, Zhou Xiaoqi couldn’t help but marvel at how effective a man’s charm could be. Why, she wondered, did she never feel the need to dress up in front of Cui Hao? In fact, being with him put her more at ease—she never had to pretend.

At noon, the three of them didn’t go out to eat but instead had lunch in the school cafeteria.

“Li Feng, when did you get back? And when are you leaving again?” The moment Xue Ran sat down, she couldn’t help but ask. At least now, she felt Li Feng must know she liked him, so there was no need to hide it. After all, she truly missed him after not seeing him for so long.

“I just got back today, but I have to leave this afternoon,” Li Feng replied. He had always made it clear to Xue Ran that his heart had no room for anyone but Zhou Xiaoqi, but he still treated Xue Ran with courtesy—they were classmates, after all. Yet, whenever he spoke to her, there was always a certain distance.

Xue Ran didn’t mind this much. What did disappoint her, though, was how soon Li Feng would be leaving again.