DXXZL - 60

Zhu Xingyao roughly guessed that Lin Jiayu’s father must have helped Jiang Tu after the college entrance exam incident. Jiang Tu seemed to be the kind of person who remembered every kindness done to him and sought opportunities to repay it.

Even something like helping Lin Jiayu find a boyfriend—he had agreed to it…

This was so unlike Jiang Tu. No wonder Lin Jiayu said he had gone mad.

Zhu Xingyao thought back to all the things Jiang Tu had done for her, which were also very uncharacteristic of him. That was why no one had ever realized he liked her. She sighed and asked Lin Jiayu, “Who did he introduce to you?”

Lin Jiayu replied, “His college roommate, who happens to work at the same company.”

Lin Jiayu then asked, “Are you coming with me?”

Almost simultaneously, Jiang Tu sent a message.

Jiang Tu said, “Stars, let’s have dinner together tomorrow night. Lin Jiayu and my college classmate will be there too.”

Zhu Xingyao replied with a simple “Okay” to both Lin Jiayu and Jiang Tu.

The next day happened to be Saturday. At six in the afternoon, Zhu Xingyao came down from the practice room with her cello on her back. Jiang Tu’s car was parked by the roadside. After she put away her cello case and sat in the passenger seat, she turned to look at him and suddenly asked, “Did you ask Jiayu what type she likes?”

Jiang Tu helplessly replied, “Jiang Lu asked. She said she looks at faces.”

Jiang Lu had even asked Lin Jiayu, “Then who is your standard? Someone as handsome as me?”

Lin Jiayu scolded him for being narcissistic and said, “You’re overthinking it. I like Peng Zhou.”

Peng Zhou was a rising male actor—very handsome and highly versatile.

Zhu Xingyao couldn’t help but laugh. She said, “That’s pretty honest.”

Who doesn’t like good-looking people?

The restaurant was booked by Lao Yuan, located in a Chinese restaurant in the city center, only a ten-minute drive away.

When Jiang Tu parked the car, he asked Zhu Xingyao to call Lin Jiayu. Lin Jiayu sounded resentful: “I was kicked out by my parents at five o’clock and have been here for a while. I’m sitting in the bubble tea shop on the first floor. I’ll head upstairs now and wait for you at the entrance.”

The restaurant was on the sixth floor. When Zhu Xingyao and Jiang Tu stepped out of the elevator, they saw Lin Jiayu standing outside.

Lin Jiayu linked arms with Zhu Xingyao, casting an annoyed glance at Jiang Tu and muttering, “He hasn’t even managed to chase his own girlfriend yet, and he’s already trying to find one for me…”

Zhu Xingyao: “...”

Jiang Tu walked ahead, glanced back at Zhu Xingyao, and calmly said, “Chasing her and helping you find a boyfriend don’t conflict with each other.”

Zhu Xingyao’s cheeks flushed slightly. Lin Jiayu turned to look at Zhu Xingyao and said helplessly, “But I’m only 26, not 30! Do I really need to be set up on blind dates?”

Zhu Xingyao comforted Lin Jiayu: “I’ve been on blind dates before. Sometimes parents are just overly worried.”

Lin Jiayu gasped in shock. “You’ve been on blind dates too?”

Jiang Tu paused in his steps. Zhu Xingyao suddenly realized how revealing her words were. She lowered her head and softly said, “It was earlier this year. My dad’s friend’s son wanted to set us up.”

Jiang Tu calmly said, “Let’s go in.”

Lao Yuan was already waiting in the private room. He had added Lin Jiayu on WeChat a couple of days ago, and they had chatted. Lao Yuan was straightforward and cheerful. Upon meeting her, he laughed and said, “I’ve been telling Jiang Tu to invite you out for a meal for a long time, but he never did.”

In fact, Lin Jiayu vaguely knew Lao Yuan. When she couldn’t reach Jiang Tu in the past, she had called his dormitory several times, and most of the calls were answered by Lao Yuan. Lao Yuan had a good personality and temperament, and his appearance was decent. He was also single, so Jiang Tu naturally thought of him as the first candidate.

Lin Jiayu smiled awkwardly. “We’re both in Jiangcheng anyway; we would’ve met sooner or later.”

Zhu Xingyao wore a loose white sweater paired with jeans and had a scarf wrapped around her neck, covering half of her face. Lao Yuan caught a glimpse and immediately thought she was beautiful and elegant. When Zhu Xingyao removed her scarf, Lao Yuan’s eyes widened. He pointed at her, stammering, “Z-Zhu Xingyao??”

“Hello,” Zhu Xingyao smiled.

Lao Yuan looked at Jiang Tu, then at Lin Jiayu: “So, you’re all classmates?”

Lin Jiayu said, “I’m from the neighboring class. They were desk mates in high school.”

Jiang Tu pulled out a chair and said to Zhu Xingyao, “Sit down first.”

Lao Yuan exclaimed, “Let me tell you, Jiang Tu has hidden himself so deeply—it’s terrifying! We shared a dorm for four years in college, and he never mentioned any high school classmates. We only knew he had a childhood friend—Little Lin.” He looked at Zhu Xingyao. “Another guy in our dorm was obsessed with you. He treated you like a goddess and almost talked about you every day in the dorm. When you released your album, he bought thirty copies at once. And Jiang Tu—you were her desk mate, but he didn’t mention it at all… Isn’t that terrifying?”

Zhu Xingyao froze and looked up at Jiang Tu.

Jiang Tu’s tone was light: “I didn’t know how to bring it up.”

Lin Jiayu leaned over and whispered in Zhu Xingyao’s ear, “He only found out you broke up with Lu Ji when he was in the U.S.”

Zhu Xingyao felt a pang of unease. She hadn’t expected Jiang Tu to have such a roommate. What had he been thinking every day when he heard his roommate talk about her?

The atmosphere suddenly grew cold.

Lao Yuan lowered his head and sent a WeChat message to Du Yunfei: “Guess who I’m having dinner with right now?” He looked up at Zhu Xingyao and asked, “Can we take a group photo later? I’ll send it to Du Yunfei to make him jealous.”

Zhu Xingyao smiled faintly and nodded. “Sure.”

Du Yunfei was probably busy and didn’t reply.

After the dishes were served, Lao Yuan looked at Lin Jiayu and smiled, “I heard from Jiang Tu that you’re now a full-time writer. Can you tell me your pen name? I want to check it out.”

Lin Jiayu’s pen name had always been a secret until Jiang Lu accidentally found out earlier this year, causing her identity to be revealed. Later, after joining the provincial writers’ association, she stopped hiding it. Li Xixi and Zhu Xingyao had been busy in the first half of the year, so she wasn’t sure if they had read her books.

“Lin Xing,” she said, looking at Lao Yuan.

Lao Yuan chuckled, then suddenly widened his eyes.

He saw Jiang Tu peel a shrimp and place it in the small bowl in front of Zhu Xingyao.

Lao Yuan stuttered again: “I… can I ask what your relationship is?”

Lin Jiayu winked playfully. “Just what you see.”

Both Jiang Tu and Zhu Xingyao paused, neither offering an explanation. Lao Yuan was completely baffled, cursing inwardly. Just then, Du Yunfei replied. Lao Yuan quickly checked the message and said, “I won’t let myself be the only one confused. I’ll keep this secret and not tell Du Yunfei. Next month, when Zhu Xingyao’s concert comes around and he arrives, I’ll let him see it personally—I want to see him heartbroken.”

Zhu Xingyao pursed her lips and changed the subject: “Du Yunfei is coming to the concert?”

Lao Yuan glanced at Jiang Tu and sighed emotionally, “Brother Tu, I’m thoroughly convinced. No wonder none of the department beauties could win your heart—it turns out this is why…” How could any department beauty compare to Zhu Xingyao’s beauty? Not to mention her elegance and talent.

Zhu Xingyao was truly a goddess.

Lao Yuan then brought up their dorm’s betting pool: “Back then, the whole department was spreading rumors that he was dirt poor, even relying on the department beauties to pay for hotel rooms. Everyone thought he was just a pretty face. I bet he’d stay single through all four years of college. Guess what he said?”

Lao Yuan truly thought Zhu Xingyao was Jiang Tu’s girlfriend and mentally filled in many dramatic scenarios. Desk mates always had ambiguous feelings for each other, right? No wonder Jiang Tu’s expression was so cold whenever he met Lu Ji. If Zhu Xingyao broke up with Lu Ji and got together with Jiang Tu, he must have been holding onto a lot of resentment.

“He said, ‘I bet on you winning.’”

Lao Yuan enthusiastically continued, “Spending a few years as a monk for such a beautiful girlfriend—I’d be willing too.”

Zhu Xingyao looked up at Jiang Tu’s calm profile, her heart aching with suppressed emotions. She began to feel sorry for him again.

After the dinner ended, Lao Yuan finally realized that this meal was supposed to be his blind date with Lin Jiayu, but he had spent the entire evening talking about Jiang Tu and Zhu Xingyao. He slapped his forehead in regret and said to Lin Jiayu, “Little Lin, let me treat you to a movie?”

Lin Jiayu smiled sweetly. “Not tonight. I have something else to do. Let’s chat on WeChat later.”

Lao Yuan quickly nodded. “Alright, alright.”

As Zhu Xingyao and Jiang Tu walked to the car, she stopped and looked up at him. “Let me accompany you to get new glasses.”

Jiang Tu had waited many days for her response.

He looked down at her, his voice low. “Okay.”

There was an optical store on the street below the restaurant. Zhu Xingyao and Jiang Tu walked in. The store wasn’t crowded. Her face was buried in her scarf, and the store clerk greeted them, glancing at her a few extra times before politely asking, “Are you here to get glasses?”

Jiang Tu replied, “Yes.”

“Shall I help you pick out frames?” Zhu Xingyao asked, her gaze falling on the counter.

Jiang Tu smiled. “Sure.”

Jiang Tu went to get his eyes tested first.

Zhu Xingyao slowly walked along the counter, her fingers trailing across the glass surface. Subconsciously, she picked out frames that were more affordable. But as the clerk brought them out, she suddenly realized—Jiang Tu was no longer the impoverished student he used to be.

She quickly said, “Not these. Let me look over there.”

After Jiang Tu finished his eye test, Zhu Xingyao had already picked out frames similar to the ones he used to wear—gold-rimmed.

As Jiang Tu paid with his card, Zhu Xingyao looked up at him. “What’s your current prescription?”

“425.”

“That’s 75 degrees more than in senior three,” she murmured softly.

Jiang Tu looked down at her, his eyes dark, and said in a low voice, “You still remember?”

“Of course I remember…” Zhu Xingyao nodded. After all, she had accompanied him to get glasses throughout her life.

This was the third time.

The glasses were ready quickly. When Jiang Tu put them on, his demeanor instantly became colder.

Zhu Xingyao turned to look at him. In high school, she thought he looked better without glasses. Now, she found that his appearance with and without glasses had two distinct charms—it was hard to say which one she preferred.

Jiang Tu noticed her entire face exposed and saw someone staring at her.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, reached out to adjust her scarf. His expression was calm and gentle as his warm fingers brushed against her cheek. Zhu Xingyao bit her lip and looked at him, her heart stirring slightly.

It seemed it was already too late…

“Ah! Are you Zhu Xingyao?”

Suddenly, a girl ran up to her, excitedly shouting.

Jiang Tu’s expression turned cold. “You’ve mistaken her.”

He grabbed Zhu Xingyao’s wrist and pulled her out of the optical store.

________________________________________

Sunday morning, Zhu Xingyao came downstairs for breakfast. Zhu Yunping was sitting on the sofa reading news on his iPad. He looked up at her and said warmly, “Stars, let’s go out for dinner with Mom and Dad tonight.”

Zhu Xingyao hadn’t eaten out with them in a while, so she nodded without hesitation. “Sure.”

Ding Yu warmed up a glass of milk for her and asked, “What time is Hua Ling coming this afternoon?”

Zhu Xingyao took the milk and replied, “Around two in the afternoon. To our house.”

They had planned to discuss the contract at home.

Ding Yu nodded. “Perfect. After that, we’ll head out.”

In their three-person WeChat group, Lin Jiayu sent a message, extremely excited: “I have great news to share with you guys! Embracing the Moon has sold its film and TV rights. I’m going to Beijing in a few days to sign the contract!”

This was Lin Jiayu’s first book to sell its film and TV rights. Zhu Xingyao could feel her excitement and joined in the enthusiasm, replying, “Wow! Congratulations!”

After a while, Li Xixi said, “Is it the book you’re pre-selling today? I retweeted it for you.”

Ten minutes earlier, Lin Jiayu had posted a pre-sale tweet for her new book. Initially, it only had a few hundred retweets, but after Li Xixi shared it, the number skyrocketed to over a thousand and kept increasing rapidly. Lin Jiayu quickly sent a “Thank you, boss” meme: “I’m a bit worried there won’t be enough copies to sell.”

Zhu Xingyao chuckled and logged into Weibo to retweet it as well.

At three in the afternoon, Lao Liu brought Hua Ling to the house. Zhu Yunping and Ding Yu listened in as Zhu Xingyao discussed the contract with Hua Ling.

Hua Ling asked, “Do you need me to manage your Weibo account?”

Zhu Xingyao’s Weibo was quite active today. She opened it, glanced at it, and smiled. “No, I don’t post much. I’m not really in the entertainment industry either, so there shouldn’t be any scandals. There’s no need for comment control. You can set up an official studio account.”

“That makes sense,” Hua Ling laughed.

Zhu Xingyao clicked on the comments and suddenly spotted the top trending comment. She froze.

“Oh my god! Zhu Xingyao is the real-life inspiration for the female protagonist in Waiting for Stars , right? I’ve read it—the starlight lamp confession matches what was revealed during her and Li Xixi’s school anniversary event. It’s definitely her!”

The replies below—

“It’s her, absolutely her! The goddess who plays the cello!”

“That’s right! It’s her!”

“I didn’t expect the truth to be like this. I’m super curious now—what does the prototype for Jiang Xing look like?”

“Lin Xing, come fill in the gaps! We’ve found your female protagonist prototype, Lin Xing.”

At the same time, Lin Jiayu’s Weibo and WeChat exploded.