After this night, Tao Xinglai finally experienced the troubles of puberty.

Looking back at tonight’s events, they were quite convoluted.

Qiao Shu first posed as a makeup artist and repeatedly painted rice paddies on him.

During the shoot, she even touched his proud pectoral muscles.

After finishing the shoot, she shamelessly sat in the passenger seat and wanted to eat chicken legs.

Tao Xinglai felt melancholic when he recalled that just now, at the late-night snack stall, he haggled with the owner and ended up paying three yuan less.

Qiao Shu touched his chest, ate his chicken leg, and disdainfully said, “Aren’t you just trying to get famous?”

These words made him angry.

Was he, Tao Xinglai, such a shallow person?

The answer was obviously yes.

After dropping Qiao Shu off at her outrageously expensive high-end apartment, Tao Xinglai sat in the car without driving, staring at the twenty thousand likes on Weibo, feeling like an inflated hot air balloon.

“Delicious, delicious,” Tao Xinglai silently sighed. “So, this is what it feels like to suddenly become popular.”

Just as he was admiring it enthusiastically, someone knocked on the car window, “Knock knock knock.”

Tao Xinglai turned around with a start and saw Qiao Shu had returned.

“What are you doing? All day long, do you have to give me psychological trauma covering one hundred and twenty square meters to be happy?”

Qiao Shu thought this guy was a little idiot.

But every time she listened to the little idiot chatting, she felt so good.

She liked this feeling.

Qiao Shu leaned closer and picked up his phone, “Why are you grinning like an idiot in the car?”

Tao Xinglai covered the screen, “Why do you always use insulting adjectives? I smile because I’m happy, not because I’m stupid.”

Qiao Shu grew a bit impatient, “Do you just love arguing with people?”

“That would be too sweeping a generalization,” Tao Xinglai said. “I don’t love arguing with everyone; I just love arguing with beautiful people.”

Qiao Shu froze.

After saying that, Tao Xinglai hiccuped.

His habitual smart-aleck remarks made the atmosphere awkward.

Tao Xinglai glanced at her, “Why are you blushing?”

Qiao Shu turned her head away coldly, “It’s your eyes that are red.”

Upon hearing this, Tao Xinglai found a new topic, “When I was a kid, my mom always scared me by saying if someone has red eye disease, you mustn’t look into their eyes.”

Qiao Shu: “Why?”

“Because looking at them would make you catch it.” Tao Xinglai reminisced, “For a pretty long time, I didn’t dare to make eye contact with others. Hahaha, wasn’t my mom such a bad egg?”

Qiao Shu: “...”

After a moment of silence, she suddenly said, “I envy you a little.”

“Why envy me? You’re way more famous than I am.”

“I envy your mom for being able to scare you like that.” Qiao Shu appeared nonchalant, but Tao Xinglai caught a glimpse of her fleeting sincerity.

Qiao Shu raised her eyes again, “That’s all. Drive carefully.”

“You came back just to tell me that?” Tao Xinglai muttered, “I thought you forgot something.”

Qiao Shu didn’t know why she came back either.

She had already entered the community gate, but seeing his car parked there motionless annoyed her.

Now that he asked her,

Qiao Shu felt a bit bothered. She bent down, her hands resting on the car window, her beautiful face close to his.

Tao Xinglai’s palms began to sweat again.

Qiao Shu took a shallow breath and looked into his eyes, “Don’t post it.”

“What?”

“I said, don’t post that picture showing your butt.”

Qiao Shu pronounced each word clearly and emphasized, “Did you hear me?”

Tao Xinglai blinked at her.

Qiao Shu was serious, “If you want to attract attention this way, I have a simpler method.” She checked the time, “It’s shift change now. In three minutes, the next batch of paparazzi will be here. We can maintain this pose and make headlines tomorrow.”

Tao Xinglai: “???!!!”

Qiao Shu: “These people, if I don’t take a holiday, they don’t either. They’re very familiar.”

Tao Xinglai: “!!!”

“And,” Qiao Shu reached out her slender white index finger and snatched Tao Xinglai’s phone which he was holding.

“Hey, what are you doing?”

Qiao Shu stood away from the car window, and Tao Xinglai stuck his head out, flailing his hands, “Give it back, my phone.”

Qiao Shu stood still, ignoring him completely, casually opening his photo album and sending all those semi-nude photos to her own number.

Tao Xinglai was stunned.

After finishing, Qiao Shu threw the phone back into the car window and turned around, “Half a minute left. Do you want to wait for the paparazzi?”

Tao Xinglai glared, stepped on the gas, and sped away.

Qiao Shu watched the taillights and laughed, cursing softly, “Little ungrateful brat.”

Back in her apartment, Qiao Shu removed her makeup and took a bath.

She soaked in the large bathtub, looking at Tao Xinglai’s spicy photos and smiled gently.

Qiao Shu thought for a moment and made a call to Li Zhaoyao.

The other party answered, “I was just about to call you. Tomorrow morning’s new film release conference must be on time.”

Qiao Shu hummed in acknowledgment, “How many endorsements are currently under discussion?”

“Nine have been filtered, and we’re still negotiating prices.”

“Price isn’t important,” Qiao Shu used her free right hand to splash some water and said, “Add one more condition.”

“What is it?”

“The collaboration partner must be Tao Xinglai.”

Li Zhaoyao: “!!!”

________________________________________

“Holy crap, Tao, did you hit the jackpot or what?” Brother Qiang had just finished a call, and another vendor seeking endorsement was at the door.

Tao Xinglai looked listless and wasn’t excited at all.

“Tell me honestly, are you and Qiao Shu…you know…” Brother Qiang brought a small stool, placed a bag of melon seeds, cola, and mineral water on the table, and started the interrogation.

At the sound of cracking melon seeds, Tao Xinglai became irritated, “Stop eating those. It makes me want to poop.”

Brother Qiang spoke seriously, “Half a month ago, why did Qiao Shu like your Weibo post?”

“My breathtaking beauty, only blind people like you wouldn’t appreciate it.”

Brother Qiang opened the bottle cap and handed him the water, “Drink some.”

Tao Xinglai looked at it, “I don’t drink Evian. Give me Nongfu Spring instead. I’m bitter inside, and I want it to be sweet.”

Brother Qiang couldn’t stop laughing, “Speak properly, really. How did Qiao Shu, such a big shot, end up liking you?”

Tao Xinglai: “You ugly person, talk less.”

Brother Qiang revealed some gossip, “There are rumors in the industry that Qiao Shu’s family is a huge conglomerate, very powerful. By rights, with these conditions, she shouldn’t be in the entertainment industry.”

Tao Xinglai: “Teacher Li Xiaoqiang, who’s ugly and talks a lot, please start your performance.”

Brother Qiang lowered his voice, “It’s rumored that her family relationships are complicated. In big families, the older generation could star in a two-hundred-episode melodrama. Qiao Shu’s mother passed away early, her father remarried, and things got pretty messy.”

Tao Xinglai thought, “Is this what they mean by ‘father doesn’t care, mother doesn’t love’?”

If that’s true, it explains Qiao Shu’s unique and unconventional personality well.

No one can be relied on; to fight for pride, never admit defeat.

Thinking about this, Qiao Shu’s aloof and cool demeanor truly was honed through life experiences.

“Tao, what nonsense are you thinking again?” Brother Qiang asked.

“You’re so gossipy. Give you a mic to rap, how’s that?” Tao Xinglai was a bit annoyed and walked away, “Clean up the melon seed shells.”

Brother Qiang shouted after him, “The higher-ups specifically instructed you to seize the opportunity.”

Tao Xinglai stopped in his tracks, turned around, and incredulously asked, “When you see a chicken, don’t you just think about whether to cook it braised or steamed?”

Brother Qiang: “...”

After a moment of speechlessness, he approached and said seriously, “Many people can’t wait for such opportunities. Qiao Shu seems interested in you. Be smart about it. Everyone in this circle knows that dating can boost your popularity. Who knows, you might strike gold!”

Tao Xinglai refused to fake it, “I won’t play with feelings and bodies. The mayor will arrest me.”

“How could the mayor know you? Stop joking, okay?” Brother Qiang laughed heartily, patting his shoulder, “Listen to me. Create some buzz. The company will back you up, and you’ll be more famous than ever.”

Tao Xinglai remained silent.

Because he knew Qiao Shu might be serious.

Girls from such families may appear cold and distant, but their hearts are actually quite fragile.

He joined the Young Pioneers in first grade and was an outstanding student every year. How could he mess up now?

While Brother Qiang was rambling, Tao Xinglai’s thoughts drifted to Qiao Shu.

In fact, during these past half months, Qiao Shu indeed caused him a lot of “trouble.”

For example, the other day, he went to his sister’s house, held his niece He Mengmeng, and posted a photo on Weibo.

Qiao Shu immediately retweeted and commented, [Pregnant?]

Another example, in the middle of the night, she occasionally sent him messages on WeChat, [The seam on your butt, it’s crooked.]

Thinking about it made him blush.

Indeed, Tao Xinglai attracted attention through this topic.

He had acted in quite a few TV dramas, though always as a supporting role. But his acting skills were solid and stood the test of scrutiny. In one scene where his villain character was supposed to fall from a building and die, he performed a rapid descent from the fifth floor with his head hanging upside down — and he did it all without using a stunt double. It took him three days to recover from the resulting brain congestion.

Qiao Shu’s actions indeed brought him both benefits and troubles.

Tao Xinglai reflected for a moment. Perhaps Qiao Shu, the Best Actress, was fulfilling his wish to “become famous” in the most direct and simple way possible.

Tao Xinglai squinted. This Best Actress… was actually kind of foolishly endearing.

He picked up his phone, opened WeChat, scrolled down absentmindedly, and somehow stopped at Qiao Shu’s name.

After hesitating for a few seconds, Tao Xinglai sent her a message: [You liked my Weibo post again today.]

Qiao Shu quickly replied: [Mhm.]

[Why?]

[Don’t pretend you don’t know.]

Tao Xinglai fell silent. Ugh, this awkward conversation.

Qiao Shu followed up with another message: [Because I like you, so I’m doing everything I can to help you achieve what you want.]

Tao Xinglai’s face immediately turned red. The feeling of being cherished like this was simply overwhelming.

Qiao Shu continued typing: [You refused the endorsement offers, you didn’t take the film and TV resources I gave you. Tao Xinglai, if you keep acting like this, how are you going to support me in the future?]

All the sharp-tongued retorts that Tao Xinglai had been ready to fire off melted away before they even reached his fingertips.

What an intense, unexpected, yet bittersweet exchange.

Qiao Shu asked again: [Where are you?]

Tao Xinglai didn’t reply.

A minute later, Qiao Shu sent:

[I’m home alone. My stomach hurts so much.]

________________________________________

An hour later.

Tao Xinglai drove with Qiao Shu in the car.

Fuming, he said, “Oh my God, you really are such a deceptive girl. Can you be a little more sincere? Like a grown-up groundhog. I just can’t forgive you.”

Qiao Shu burst into laughter at his exaggerated foreign movie dubbing tone. Her aloof demeanor crumbled instantly.

Tao Xinglai snapped, “Laugh, laugh, laugh until you’re wheezing. And you still say your stomach hurts?! Why don’t your lies just fly straight to heaven already!”

Qiao Shu’s relaxed expression softened, like the first thaw of winter snow—beautiful and serene.

She said, “If I hadn’t lied, would you have come to see me? I’ve been thinking about you all day. It’s my rare day off.”

Tao Xinglai felt a surge of emotion and slammed on the brakes abruptly.

Qiao Shu remained calm. “You could’ve chosen not to come, but you still did.”

Tao Xinglai suddenly felt guilty. “I… I was just passing by.”

Qiao Shu was in a good mood. “For dinner, I want to eat barbecue.”

“Barbecue again? Are you even trying to maintain your figure?”

“That depends on you.” Qiao Shu leaned closer, looking at Tao Xinglai as he drove. “Do you prefer girls who are a bit curvier or slimmer?”

Qiao Shu was slim. So Tao Xinglai said, “I prefer curvy girls.”

“Then I’ll definitely eat more tonight.”

“…”

The first time they had barbecue together, Tao Xinglai went to buy it himself because he wasn’t famous back then, and no one recognized him.

But this time, things were a bit tricky. He was now a somewhat well-known young actor.

Qiao Shu sighed, “Looks like we can’t eat it now.”

“Wait here,” Tao Xinglai pushed open the car door and jumped out.

He caught a passing elementary school student, crouched down, and spoke to the kid with a smile.

Not long after, he got back into the car. “It’s settled. I got the kid to buy it for us.”

Qiao Shu asked, “Did he agree?”

“He did! I promised him twenty yuan to play video games. I paid half upfront and will give him the rest when he comes back with the food.” Tao Xinglai was beaming with pride. “When I was a kid, my sister and I used to do this all the time.”

Qiao Shu raised an eyebrow. “You have a sister?”

“Yes! My sister is gorgeous. She has legs for days and is dazzlingly pale. My brother-in-law is completely smitten with her.” Tao Xinglai was clearly a devoted younger brother.

Qiao Shu felt a twinge of jealousy. “What do your parents do?”

“My mom sells dishwashing liquid, and my dad…” Tao Xinglai paused, coughed, and finished awkwardly, “…he’s a city management officer.”

Qiao Shu thought to herself: What a lively and down-to-earth family.

Soon enough, the child returned with the barbecue, holding a crisp twenty-yuan bill, thrilled to spend it on video games.

“Let’s go,” Tao Xinglai said. “Let’s find a place to eat.”

Qiao Shu sniffed the delicious aroma and couldn’t help drooling. “Let’s eat in the car. It’s not good to be surrounded by people.”

“No worries, I’ll take you somewhere secluded.” Tao Xinglai made a dramatic steering wheel turn, like he was practicing tai chi.

“Aiyooo!” Qiao Shu lightly leaned toward the car window, her head bumping against it with a soft thud.

Tao Xinglai laughed heartily. “Surprised? Shocked? Happy?!”

Qiao Shu: “….”

What a silly fool.

The car headed toward the outskirts of the city, winding along mountain roads. Eventually, Tao Xinglai brought her to Qi Yue Mountain.

“Most tourists only go to the mountaintop, but there’s a large clearing halfway up the slope. The view is amazing.”

Tao Xinglai stepped out of the car, stretched lazily, and called out to Qiao Shu, “Come on, let’s eat some barbecue.”

Out of professional habit, Qiao Shu glanced around before getting out of the car. True enough, there was no one around.

This wasn’t the summit, but they could still overlook the entire city.

Under the night sky, the lights replaced the daylight, and from this angle, it looked like countless pearls embedded in a jade plate.

Qiao Shu took a deep breath.

Tao Xinglai, still stretching, looked at her. “Relax. There are no paparazzi or reporters here. You’re exhausted. Look at me.”

In an exaggerated manner, he started imitating a gorilla, making faces and growling, “Ooo ooo.”

Qiao Shu couldn’t help but crack a smile at his ridiculous antics.

“Quick, quick, quick!” Tao Xinglai suddenly cried out in pain. “Help! Help!”

Qiao Shu tensed up. “What’s wrong?”

Tao Xinglai groaned. “My eyes rolled back, and I can’t get them to return to normal.”

Qiao Shu burst into laughter.

Hearing her laugh, Tao Xinglai relaxed, adjusted his eyes back to normal, and softly said, “It’s good to see you smile.”

Qiao Shu froze.

“You’re always so aloof, bottling up your emotions instead of letting them out. You need to smile more and loosen up.”

Tao Xinglai opened a disposable lunch box and handed her a chicken leg. “Come to my house sometime and experience our joyful atmosphere. My sister and I make a great comedy duo. We can entertain you with skits and jokes all night.”

He spoke naturally, without a hint of awkwardness.

But Qiao Shu… fell silent. She lowered her head and stared at the chicken leg, saying nothing.

“Why aren’t you talking? It’s boring when I’m the only one speaking.” Tao Xinglai turned to look at her and froze.

Qiao Shu was crying.

“I’m sorry, I, I…” Qiao Shu sniffled, trying hard to hold back her tears.

Tao Xinglai quickly reassured her, “It’s okay, it’s okay. Cry if you need to. It’s unnatural for a girl not to cry.”

Qiao Shu gazed at him through teary eyes.

Her tear-streaked face, like pear blossoms adorned with raindrops, tugged at his heartstrings.

Tao Xinglai gathered himself and said earnestly, “Today, the Best Actress is in a bad mood. It’s time to perform a storm of emotions for everyone. Make it beautiful and convincing. If you do, this year’s rice paddies are sure to yield a bountiful harvest.”

He clapped enthusiastically. “Encore! Encore! Encore!”

Damn it. Qiao Shu immediately broke into laughter despite her tears.

Tao Xinglai chuckled. “Whenever my sister cries, this is how I comfort her. I haven’t consoled any other girl before, so I’m inexperienced.”

Qiao Shu didn’t say anything. Suddenly, she reached out and took his hand.

Tao Xinglai’s mind raced. Holy crap, she’s touching me again! So bold! How could she do this without asking if I’m willing? What’s going on here?

Thinking about it made him furious. In his frustration, he hurriedly extended his arm further toward her.

If she wanted his arm, she should’ve just said so.

It’s not like he wouldn’t give it to her.

Qiao Shu wasn’t aware of all the thoughts racing through his mind, and her eyes still glistened with tears.

She took Tao Xinglai’s hand, lowered her head, and buried her face in the crook of his arm.

Her muffled sobs sounded especially fragile. “Don’t move. Let me wipe my tears. I’ll be fine in a moment.”

Tao Xinglai was on the verge of breaking down himself. He couldn’t stand seeing girls cry.

Finally, he gently pulled her into his arms. “Stop crying. Divorce rates are so high these days; it’s common for families to not get along. Oh, by the way, you probably don’t know my nickname. It’s Tao Jianqiang (Resilient Tao). You should learn from me: optimism, positivity, always looking forward.”

Qiao Shu, still nestled in his embrace, began trembling even more violently.

Tao Xinglai grew increasingly alarmed. “Why are you crying harder? Look, I’m telling you, your eccentric personality, stubborn behavior, weird hobbies, and mysterious sense of aesthetics—none of that matters. You actually have many good qualities, like being beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Don’t let family issues make you give up on yourself.”

At this point, Qiao Shu wasn’t just trembling in her shoulders—her whole body was shaking.

Tao Xinglai suddenly realized something was off. He gently pushed her away—

“Oh my god! You’ve been laughing this whole time!”

Qiao Shu couldn’t stop laughing, all traces of sadness long gone.

Tao Xinglai felt deeply wounded. “This is such a waste of a young man’s emotions. That’s not fair.”

Qiao Shu: “Hahaha!”

Her uninhibited, carefree self was truly captivating.

As Tao Xinglai stared at her, he found himself momentarily distracted.

Qiao Shu gazed at the city lights below, her eyes flickering as if flames were dancing within them. A faint smile graced her lips. “Today, I’ve laughed more than I have in a long time.”

Tao Xinglai didn’t dare respond.

Qiao Shu exhaled softly. “That movie—if you don’t want to act in it, you can refuse.”

It was a youth-themed film, a big-budget production directed by a renowned director. The female lead was Qiao Shu, who had specifically requested Tao Xinglai to play the male lead.

“I… I didn’t say I wouldn’t do it,” Tao Xinglai said quietly.

“Really?” Qiao Shu tilted her head back, looking up at him, and slowly curved her lips into a smirk. “The first scene is a kissing scene, you know.”

Tao Xinglai’s face instantly flushed red as if it were on fire. “I… I’m not afraid. I’m professional.”

Qiao Shu slowly stepped closer to him, closing the distance between them.

“I heard Director Zhang is extremely strict. To avoid getting scolded too much, let’s rehearse a bit.”

Her deliberately lowered voice, combined with the faint scent of her perfume, was intoxicating.

Tao Xinglai was completely disoriented, blindly agreeing, “Okay, okay.”

Qiao Shu placed her hands lightly on his shoulders, her touch feather-light, her voice even softer.

“Xinglai, look here.”

Tao Xinglai’s dazed expression followed her instructions, clumsily meeting her gaze.

Their eyes locked, sparking lightning and fireworks.

Qiao Shu wrapped her arms around his neck, stood on her tiptoes, and pressed her lips against his slightly moist ones.

A thunderous “boom” echoed in Tao Xinglai’s mind.

This wasn’t just his first kiss scene for a movie—it was his first kiss ever in his life.