Chapter 51: Your Friend?

Feeling a stir in her heart, Chu Luoxi found herself admiring Yan Han even more. On set, they could always reshoot a scene if it went wrong—but once Yan Han’s disguise was exposed, would he ever have another chance? Art originates from life, but the price it demands seems a little too steep.

“Sister, your friend?” Xiao Jingxuan’s voice suddenly cut in. Only then did Chu Luoxi realize she had been outside for quite some time.

“Yes, I just bumped into him and chatted for a bit.” Chu Luoxi smiled serenely, with nothing to hide, answering with genuine candor.

“Oh!” Xiao Jingxuan’s gaze moved seamlessly from Chu Luoxi to Yan Han, his brows slightly furrowed, eyes narrowing, and a powerful aura emanated from him, pressing down like Mount Tai as he addressed Yan Han, “Since you’re my sister’s friend, why not come inside for a cup of tea?”

At his words, Chu Luoxi reacted first, quickly stepping to Xiao Jingxuan’s side and speaking with practiced ease, “No need, he has things to do and really doesn’t have time to sit and drink tea.” Remembering that he was still on assignment, she decided for him, feeling tea was the least of her concerns.

Yan Han, of course, recognized Xiao Jingxuan—not only did his profession grant him an uncanny memory for faces, but Xiao Jingxuan’s recent surge in fame made him impossible not to know. Still, he hadn’t expected the wildly popular idol to be so incisive. Yan Han was certain that, with just one glance, Xiao Jingxuan had seen through his disguise, even though they had never met before.

His hand in his pocket involuntarily clenched, veins standing out as he forced himself to maintain a casual smile and easy manner, joking, “I’ll skip the tea, but Xiaoxi, it’s almost dinner time—my treat. Are you really not coming? Too much tea isn’t good for you anyway.”

Hearing Yan Han call her by name for the first time, Chu Luoxi was flustered. These people—did they have to be so familiar so quickly? By her count, this was only their third meeting. Likely, after his soldier accidentally injured her, he’d looked up her details; otherwise, how would he know her name?

She sensed Xiao Jingxuan beside her suddenly emanating a chill, making her shiver involuntarily, yet she managed a bright smile, “Next time, since you’re busy, right?”

Yan Han raised an eyebrow, glancing at the unfazed Xiao Jingxuan, then chuckled with playful intent, “Alright, next time I’ll come find you.”

He turned and left with flair, but only Yan Han knew how much cold sweat had broken out on his back. Was Xiao Jingxuan really just a simple entertainer?

Returning to the private room, Chu Luoxi saw that the “Great God” had returned to normal and breathed a sigh of relief. As for Leng Lu, he’d disappeared after dinner, and was nowhere to be found.

“How did you come to know someone like him?” Xiao Jingxuan’s eyes sparkled like starlight, shimmering so brightly it was hard to look at him directly.

Fortunately, Chu Luoxi was no longer the naive girl she once was, and had developed some resistance to Xiao Jingxuan’s aura. She assumed he was referring to Yan Han’s lack of propriety, “Don’t judge him by his appearance—he may seem like a playboy, but it’s just an act.”

Xiao Jingxuan raised his eyebrows; she knew he was just pretending? He’d thought she might have been fooled by Yan Han’s charming facade. But, indeed, his junior sister’s taste wasn’t that shallow.

Chu Luoxi had no idea what Xiao Jingxuan was thinking, and simply continued, “Last September, he came to our school as the chief instructor for the freshmen’s military training. I ran into him on an assignment once before, and probably again this time, though he was completely different than before.”

She truly knew nothing more, so she didn’t care about revealing it. It was something any ordinary person could know, so she never considered keeping it secret.

“He’s a soldier?” Xiao Jingxuan was surprised, then understood more, silently pondering the phrase “on assignment.” “But you’re not a freshman and didn’t participate in the training—how did you get to know him?”

“Uh…” Chu Luoxi’s expression twisted slightly; this touched upon a painful memory.

Noticing her discomfort, Xiao Jingxuan elegantly took a sip of tea and said lightly, “If you don’t want to talk about it, never mind.” After all, if he wanted to know, it wouldn’t be difficult.

“It’s fine, it’s no secret at school, nothing I can’t say…” Chu Luoxi sighed in resignation, finally giving up the struggle, and recounted what had happened back then. Besides, it was because of that she was reborn!

Xiao Jingxuan’s hand holding the teacup tightened, and the corner of his mouth twitched at an unusually high frequency.

“Hmph, laugh if you want—I’ve been laughed at enough times already, one more won’t make a difference.” Chu Luoxi brushed aside the long hair that had drifted across her face, speaking with bravado, though inwardly she lamented that this embarrassing story would haunt her forever.

“Pfft—” Xiao Jingxuan raised a dazzling, radiant smile, so stunning that Chu Luoxi was nearly blinded. Luckily, he quickly composed himself, coughing twice to regain his calm, “You hit your head? Did you get it checked?”

Healed by that fleeting, immortal smile, Chu Luoxi rubbed her forehead and spread her hands, “I didn’t notice anything wrong, and it was just a slip on his part—not serious. Senior, let’s eat, I’m starving…” She was obviously changing the subject, not wanting to discuss her embarrassing mishap any further. Who would have thought that meeting Yan Han again would bring it all back up?

“Alright, what do you want to eat?” Xiao Jingxuan obliged, following her lead. As for reopening old wounds, it was best avoided.

“As long as it’s Chinese food, I don’t care for foreign dishes. By the way, senior, are you really this free?” It seemed he’d spent the whole day with her, while Leng Daji was nowhere to be seen.

“It’s just a rare day off.” Xiao Jingxuan was honest; lately, he’d been so busy he barely had time to sit down and enjoy tea.

The imperial capital was vast, and a simple meal took considerable time in transit. By the time Chu Luoxi returned to campus, it was already late.

“Thank you, Senior Xiao!” Chu Luoxi glanced at the stylish driver up front, then turned to Xiao Jingxuan by her side. She hadn’t realized before, but the great idol’s daily treatment was five-star, no wonder reporters always said that unless Xiao Jingxuan himself released news, it was nearly impossible to track him or snap candid shots.

With such tight security, those untrained shouldn’t even bother trying.

“Mhm, take care.” Xiao Jingxuan nodded, his smile gentle as water, perfection radiating from every inch of his noble, elegant form—a cultured face, handsome features, each smile as soft as spring breeze, another as serene as moonlight above the clouds.

“Hmm?” Chu Luoxi turned, quickly got out of the car, and closed the door. She felt that when dealing with the great Xiao Jingxuan, she had to guard against his ever-present “beauty trap”—her heart sometimes strong, sometimes fragile, and such extreme swings could only lead to trouble!