After Xie Xi finished speaking, an exceptional silence fell over the music room.
He watched Ye Qiusuo, his nerves on edge.
Professor Ye lowered her head slightly. She reached out, her fingers gliding across the black and white keys and producing a series of wandering notes before coming to a stop in the center. She brushed against Xie Xi’s hand, which was gripped tightly to the edge of the piano, and then gently took it in hers. "You like me? Then... do you want to date me?"
Xie Xi pressed his lips together to keep from losing his composure, managing a reserved, "I do."
His fingers felt warm, and a wave of inexplicable sweetness washed over him.
Professor Ye nodded. She pulled out her phone and sent her new work schedule to him. "Take a look and see what times work best for us to date."
Anyone else might have found Professor Ye’s approach a bit too clinical, but Xie Xi didn't mind at all. He didn't even bother taking out his own phone. Keeping his hand clasped in hers, he leaned toward her to look directly at the schedule on her screen.
"I'm free every week on this day, and from the afternoon until evening on this one," Xie Xi said, using his free hand to point out the overlapping slots on the schedule.
"Mhm." Ye Qiusuo marked them down immediately.
Xie Xi cleared his throat softly. "So... can we start dating now?"
"We can," Professor Ye replied, adding, "Boyfriend."
The word "boyfriend" sent Xie Xi’s heart soaring. He looked down at their joined hands, briefly letting go only to lace his fingers through hers. He preferred it this way—fingers intertwined.
Noticing how focused he was on their locked fingers, Ye Qiusuo called his name. "Xie Xi."
"Yeah?" Xie Xi looked up, the corners of his mouth still curled in a lingering smile.
A hint of a smile flickered in Professor Ye’s eyes. She leaned in and pressed her lips against his.
It wasn't just a fleeting touch; Xie Xi could clearly feel the soft, damp warmth of her lips against his.
Things were moving so fast.
His heart hammered against his ribs, but his lips parted instinctively, welcoming the kiss.
They were both inexperienced, but it didn't matter. Nothing in the world felt better than this kiss.
"If you were one of my graduate students," Ye Qiusuo whispered, opening her eyes slightly as she pulled back just an inch to look at him, "I’d be getting fired right about now."
Huajing University didn't forbid relationships between faculty and students in general, but a professor dating their own direct student was a different matter. Such an affair would trigger an investigation. The Ministry of Education had issued a directive stating that "teachers must not sexually harass students or enter into inappropriate relationships with them." After all, the inherent power imbalance between teacher and student could easily lead to complications.
Xie Xi’s mind was still a chaotic whirl of joy from the kiss. He heard her words but didn't quite process the meaning, simply blurring out, "Then... I’ll leave with you."
Ye Qiusuo let out a soft laugh. "All right."
They didn't stay in the music room much longer. Holding hands, they made their way to the living room.
Now that their relationship had shifted so abruptly, Xie Xi found himself at a bit of a loss. He led her to the sofa and sat down, nervously rambling about his daily life—how he spent his time writing songs, singing, and playing video games. He even went into detail, introducing several of his favorites.
Ye Qiusuo had been listening intently. She was a rigorous person; even before their relationship was official, she had already begun making plans for the possibility of dating and worked hard to clear her schedule. Naturally, she wouldn't brush Xie Xi off now.
What do you want for lunch? Xie Xi glanced at the wall clock and asked Ye Qiusuo. I will order takeout.
He had given everyone the day off today, including the housekeeper.
Anything is fine. I am not picky.
Xie Xi called to order food directly from the catering department of a five-star hotel that required a VIP card for delivery.
Then he turned his head and asked, The second episode of Enigma airs today. Shall we watch it together?
Okay.
Xie Xi turned on the TV and tuned into the channel showing Enigma. He even went to wash some fruit and rummaged through Zhang Dong's fridge for a pile of snacks, stacking them all on the glass coffee table in front of the sofa.
Since the first episode had plenty of hype and the content was genuinely interesting—especially the unexpected twists—the second episode attracted even more viewers.
The second episode no longer followed the previous format. Instead, everyone acted as detectives, following clues provided by the production team to see who could solve the case first. The six participants were divided into three groups, with Ye Qiusuo and You Feibai paired together.
Aww! I am carrying the Bai-Qiu CP banner for life!
This CP hasn't disbanded yet?
If Xie Xi had seen the two of them grouped together before, he probably would have been jealous. But now... they were officially dating!
Xie Xi thought gleefully to himself. Then he turned to look at Ye Qiusuo, only to find she had fallen asleep against the sofa.
Only then did Xie Xi take a truly close look at her face. Her eyelashes were exceptionally long when her eyes were closed, but there were dark circles under them; she clearly had not been resting well.
He carefully pulled over a thin blanket, gently covering her, and then turned down the TV volume.
After watching her for a while, he turned back to the TV, but he could not focus on the show at all. Xie Xi took out his phone and logged into his alt account: We started dating today! Standard lucky draw to celebrate.
He had considered posting from his main account, but on second thought, if the news broke out, it might cause trouble for Ye Qiusuo. She was already busy enough as it was.
Xie Xi did not want to add to her burdens.
Wow, congrats Hao Hao! Wishing you two a long and happy life together!
The prize does not matter; I just want to wish Hao Hao and his partner a long-lasting relationship.
Sob, so happy for you. When will it be my turn for a sweet romance?
Xie Xi did not read the comments. He was watching the TV, where Ye Qiusuo and You Feibai were one team, while he was paired with Xia Zhoubing.
One had to admit Xia Zhoubing had a lot of restraint. Back then, he had bought a bunch of trending searches modeled after You Feibai's persona, which Xie Xi had exposed. Yet here they were on the same show, with Xia Zhoubing showing no sign that there had ever been any friction or grudge between them.
With Ye Qiusuo and You Feibai teamed up, the others basically had no hope of winning. If Xie Xi had turned on the live comments, he would have definitely seen a flood of messages shipping the two of them.
Halfway through the show, the hotel delivery arrived. Xie Xi brought it in and checked the time. After hesitating for a moment, he did not open it. He waited another half hour before waking Ye Qiusuo. Teacher... it is time to eat.
Upon hearing the first half of the sentence, Ye Qiusuo snapped awake instantly. Once she saw it was Xie Xi, she relaxed slightly and reached up to massage her neck.
“Is it sore?” Xie Xi asked, sitting beside her. He straightened up and pressed his hand against the back of Ye Qiusuo's neck. He hadn't dared to move her earlier for fear of waking her. Although his sofa was soft, leaning against the backrest for so long wasn't comfortable.
Warm fingertips massaged her neck, providing considerable relief. Ye Qiusuo checked the time; it was already 12:30 PM. “You haven't eaten yet?”
“I was waiting for you.” Xie Xi massaged her for a while longer before helping her up.
The food had gone cold, so he transferred it to plates to reheat.
Just by waking up from a nap, the distance between them seemed to have suddenly shortened.
“We have the afternoon and evening free the day after tomorrow. What would you like to do?” Professor Ye asked about their remaining date for the week.
Xie Xi thought for a moment. “I'll go find you that day.”
“Okay.”
Once the food was on the table, Xie Xi took a photo of it and sent it to his family group chat with the message: [The first day of my official relationship with Professor Ye.]
The photo and the message instantly caused an uproar between Xie Xi's parents.
Mother Xie: [Son, you and Professor Ye actually made it happen!!!]
Father Xie: [You'd better start learning how to cook. Are you going to order takeout forever?]
Mother Xie: [Mr. Xie, you act as if you know how to cook yourself. Our son can just hire a good housekeeper later on. _]
“Xie Xi.” Professor Ye disapproved of the big star's constant phone usage. “Focus on your meal.”
“Okay.” Xie Xi finished reading the group messages and didn't reply. He put his phone away and obediently ate with her.
Now, every time Ye Qiusuo called his name, the big star didn't feel guilty at all; he was thrilled.
It was an expression of love!
After finishing their meal, they didn't sit for long before Xie Xi claimed he was sleepy and needed a nap, dragging Ye Qiusuo to the balcony with him.
The balcony was in typical Xie-style: a thick carpet with two lounge chairs on top.
Calling them lounge chairs wasn't entirely accurate; they were more like modular sofas designed to perfectly fit the body's curves—ideal for napping while soaking up the sun.
Xie Xi settled Ye Qiusuo down first, then hurried to get a light blanket to cover her. He even looked for suitable throw pillows, appearing very busy.
Professor Ye watched him at first, but eventually, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.
She really was exhausted.
Xie Xi slowed his pace. He dropped the pillow in his hand onto the floor and, with his long legs bent, rested his head near Ye Qiusuo's hand, quietly watching her.
If their dating time was spent with her resting, it was actually... quite nice.
In this month, with the sun shining down, the inevitable spring drowsiness kicked in, and Xie Xi drifted off in that position.
...
By the time Ye Qiusuo woke up, the sun had shifted to the other side. As she sat up, she saw the person sleeping beside her hand. Half of his face was visible, looking exceptionally clean and handsome.
If she hadn't had that dream and let things take their natural course, perhaps the two of them would never have even met.
He would have been a singer, and she would have been a professor. Occasionally, she might have glanced at a poster of him and looked away without a second thought, until he eventually retired from the entertainment industry and even the posters disappeared.
The fate of the world is always so mysterious.
Ye Qiusuo smiled faintly. She reached out and touched his cheek. The smooth, warm sensation traveled from her fingertips to her brain. This was reality. Regardless of whether this was a book or not, at this moment, they were real people.
“Professor...”
Xie Xi woke up, his eyes fluttering open before his mind had fully processed his surroundings. As he straightened up, he realized he was still clutching a corner of the thin blanket she was wrapped in.
"Mhm," Ye Qiusuo hummed in response. "Time to get up."
Xie Xi tried to stand but failed. He looked up at Professor Ye, who was already on her feet, with a pitiful expression. "My legs are numb."
Ordinarily, Professor Ye wasn't one to fall for such tricks, but some people were simply born with a natural talent for being charmingly helpless.
Professor Ye leaned down and extended her hand. "I’ll pull you up."
Xie Xi took her hand to stand, but instead of letting go, he pulled her into his arms. Resting his chin on her shoulder, he wore a triumphant smile. "I was lying."
Ye Qiusuo didn't seem to mind; she simply stayed still and let him hold her.
"From now on... we’re boyfriend and girlfriend," Xie Xi murmured, his voice sounding a little dazed.
The entire day had felt surreal, like a dream. He feared that once the dream ended, they would return to being just a celebrity and a professor—two people from completely different worlds with nothing to do with one another.
