He stopped beside Song Chan, smiling with his eyes curving down at the corners. A pair of peach blossom eyes sparkled brightly, his clear and handsome features unlike Su Yicen’s cold austerity.
His innate affable temperament naturally boosted goodwill when interacting with others, and even his voice was so gentle and refined.
Zhou Chiyu took a step closer to Song Chan and proactively greeted her.
“Miss Song, hello.”
The Miss Song he named shuddered, momentarily unsure how to face him.
After all, she had borrowed Zhou Chiyu’s name to defuse situations for so long. Now suddenly running into the man himself, Song Chan felt a bit guilty deep down.
“You… hello, Teacher… Zhou…”
Nervous, she even stuttered a little, unsure how to address him properly. But in front of an entertainer, calling him “Teacher” was always safe.
Hearing Song Chan’s polite address, Zhou Chiyu couldn’t help but chuckle. He maintained a normal social distance but took another step closer to her.
He probed, “Miss Song, no need to be nervous.”
“Actually, no need to be so formal. Just call me Chiyu.”
Song Chan hurriedly waved her hands, continuing her polite response.
“How could I? This is just proper etiquette.”
Zhou Chiyu smiled and agreed, “Alright.”
Both of them were not great at socializing, so when they got together, the result was that once a topic ended, they were left with a long stretch of silence.
After the prolonged silence that seemed to freeze the surrounding air, Song Chan spoke first.
She saw Zhou Chiyu lingering there with no one else around, so he must have come to find her.
Song Chan couldn’t help but ask, “Did Teacher Zhou come to find me for something?”
“Mm…” Zhou Chiyu responded, tilting his head toward her with a light nasal hum.
“It’s nothing…”
But then he continued, “If it’s convenient, could I add Miss Song’s contact info?”
“Perhaps we can collaborate sometime.”
Zhou Chiyu’s name was indeed on the list of collaboration intentions for ZE Fashion’s second half of the year.
The 20th Anniversary Issue in her hands had entered its final stages. Once the pre-sales ended, Song Chan would have some free time.
Barring surprises, Lin Jinhe would definitely hand her the collaboration between ZE Fashion and Zhou Chiyu.
Adding contact info was no big deal, but her phone was in the dressing room since she was attending the gala.
“Sorry, Teacher Zhou, my phone is in the dressing room.”
“After the gala ends later, I’ll add you…”
Before Song Chan finished speaking, a passive-aggressive cold male voice came from behind her.
“So Miss Song’s contact info is that easy to get?”
“Idols really do hold a special place in your heart…”
Just from the voice, Song Chan knew who it was.
The spotlight beside her suddenly dimmed as a tall figure approached her other side.
Su Yicen placed his champagne glass on the bar counter in front of them, precisely wedging it between Song Chan’s and Zhou Chiyu’s glasses.
After speaking, he fell silent.
His icy face expressionless, his dim gaze fixed on Zhou Chiyu, clearly in a foul mood.
Song Chan turned to face Su Yicen, wanting to signal him not to speak like that, but as she looked up, she saw Li Shuning following closely behind him.
Li Shuning’s eyes brimmed with malice, especially after seeing Su Yicen proactively “roast” Song Chan. Her knife-like glare filled with smug satisfaction.
Zhou Chiyu didn’t notice the atmosphere around them gradually turning into a Shura field.
Instead, he focused on Su Yicen’s earlier words.
He asked proactively, “Miss Song, you’re actually my fan?”
Zhou Chiyu’s words pushed the already stormy depths of Su Yicen’s eyes to a new peak.
His expression unchanged, Su Yicen turned his head to Song Chan, as if waiting for something too.
With both gazes on her, facing this situation, Song Chan naturally couldn’t tell the truth.
Especially since she had once said that night was a case of mistaken identity…
Feeling guilty inside, Song Chan hesitated, finding it hard to speak.
But when she looked up and saw Li Shuning smugly stepping closer to Su Yicen—and him deliberately not dodging—a strange, indescribable feeling swirled in Song Chan’s heart, instantly dissolving her guilt.
She turned to Zhou Chiyu, a flawless smile on her lips as she deliberately drew out her tone.
“Yeah! I’m Teacher Zhou’s die-hard fan.”
“I was so nervous seeing Teacher Zhou earlier that I didn’t even greet you properly…”
Song Chan’s emphasized words made Zhou Chiyu unable to hide his amusement, while someone nearby’s face darkened several shades, his champagne glass nearly crushed in his grip.
Su Yicen had words on the tip of his tongue but hadn’t spoken when Li Shuning presumptuously cut in first.
Her passive-aggressive words clearly targeted Song Chan.
“What a coincidence today. Editor Song and I really are fated.”
“Red carpet plus gala—two outfits with clashing styles between us.”
Growing angrier as she spoke, Li Shuning completely forgot to manage her expressions, her heavily made-up face turning somewhat ferocious.
Assuming Su Yicen and Song Chan were at odds, she boldly laid it all out.
“And before, Editor Song went to great lengths to swap out my feature cover…”
“Don’t you… hate me from way back?…”
Her passive-aggressive tone painted her as the pure victim, her raised voice drawing gazes from nearby guests.
Song Chan knew she was deliberately trying to put her on the spot.
She was angry inside, but this was ZE Fashion’s gala. As a representative of the organizers—especially during a live stream to the entire web—Song Chan couldn’t tear into Li Shuning directly, no matter how furious.
Since she wanted to rile her up, Song Chan refused to take the bait.
She acted as if she didn’t care about Li Shuning at all, not even bothering with a title, and replied flatly.
“You’re overthinking it. I really didn’t mean that. Don’t read into it…”
Before she finished, her nonchalant attitude pierced Li Shuning’s fragile nerves.
Li Shuning slapped the table, raising her voice as she named her directly and interrupted.
“Song Chan!…”
“Hiss—”
Su Yicen inhaled sharply, reaching out to cover Li Shuning’s ear, looking annoyed by the noise.
His disgusted expression needed no acting—just glancing at Zhou Chiyu made his face turn icy.
Su Yicen tsked lightly in displeasure, and Li Shuning immediately shut up, feigning grievance.
“Teacher Su, sorry for disturbing you, but Editor Song is really bullying people…”
Su Yicen waved her off, cutting off Li Shuning’s explanation, and turned to Song Chan.
His gaze swept over her deep collarbone, pausing on the sunflower pendant at her neck for a moment. His lips curved into a smile, his mood seemingly much better.
“If I remember right, Teacher Song’s red carpet gown was onlyU’s early summer haute couture, wasn’t it?”
“And it… hasn’t officially debuted yet?”
Su Yicen’s sudden shift in topic caught Li Shuning off guard.
Realizing he was deliberately backing Song Chan, she still couldn’t let it go, her tone extra ingratiating.
“My gown came from the same designer…”
Su Yicen cut her off without mercy, turning back with a playful tone.
“Miss Li, why so eager to explain?”
He said lightly, “I know your gown was Tao Han’s immature work before he joined onlyU.”
With that, he chuckled lightly, appraising Li Shuning.
“It’s quite fitting for you, actually.”
Her carefully chosen gown dismissed by Su Yicen as an “immature work”—and “quite fitting”—slapped her hard across the face. But to latch onto his connections for the Fashion drama produced by Chichuang and boost her status, Li Shuning had no choice but to force a smile from the heart.
She had no face left to stay. Seeing Song Chan’s melon-eating bystander attitude across from her, Li Shuning swallowed her rage.
“Teacher Su, I have another schedule later, so I need to leave early.”
“We can discuss that drama privately…”
Song Chan, who had been inwardly gloating, tightened her grip on her glass unconsciously upon hearing Li Shuning still wanted private contact with Su Yicen.
Glancing at Zhou Chiyu beside her, Su Yicen tossed out a random topic to avoid leaving.
“I saw you two teachers chatting happily earlier. What about?”
Song Chan inexplicably flared up and spoke before Zhou Chiyu.
“Didn’t Teacher Su see? I’m chasing stars.”
With that, she turned to Zhou Chiyu right in front of Su Yicen.
“Teacher Zhou, can we take a photo together?”
“Of course.”
Zhou Chiyu agreed readily without hesitation.
“I admire Teacher Song too. I hope we get a chance to collaborate.”
Song Chan drew out her tone deliberately: “Of course. I’m already looking forward to collaborating with Teacher Zhou.”
Seeing through Song Chan’s not-so-great acting, Su Yicen didn’t call her out. But facing the man beside her, his expression darkened.
As Zhou Chiyu moved around him to call over the photographer for a photo with Song Chan…
Su Yicen, face grim, wedged himself between them, his shoulder casually bumping Zhou Chiyu to separate him from Song Chan.
He pulled out his phone from his pocket.
“Let’s do it together. I happened to bring my phone.”
Zhou Chiyu’s handsome face rarely lost its smile, but unwilling as he was, he couldn’t refuse on camera and stepped aside to make space.
The top idol Su Yicen, hailed as a selfie god, now fumbled with angles. The lens always favored him and Song Chan, only capturing half of Zhou Chiyu’s face.
Even after all that, Zhou Chiyu still wouldn’t give up the photo.
Su Yicen sneered coldly, bluntly stating without mincing words.
“Sorry, my phone lens can only fit two people.”
“So, you’re a bit superfluous.”
This was the Charity Gala’s free mingling time.
With two top idols together plus the hottest editor from their own company, ZE Fashion’s photographers immediately aimed the live stream at the trio.
The Charity Gala live stream had been going for nearly four hours, and most netizens were getting sleepy, the chat heat lower than during the red carpet.
But seeing these three in frame together instantly skyrocketed the warming atmosphere.
Chanchan posted a selfie today? 【OMG, what a Shura field with these three. Why do I feel like both top idols are pursuing Chanchan? (swoon)】