Top Chinese celebrity: Debuted from Running Man

Chapter 302 Parting on Unhappily (4k)
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The following afternoon, the sun was shining brightly.

Gu Qing arrived at the upscale afternoon tea restaurant that Su Mang had booked. The agreed time was 2:30. He didn't like to arrive too early, nor was he used to being late. At 2:20, he got out of the car on time.

He was dressed very casually: a simple white T-shirt, black casual trousers, a pair of clean sneakers, and sunglasses perched on his nose.

Even with the simplest attire, he couldn't suppress his youthful energy and exceptionally handsome features.

The sunglasses concealed part of his face, but they accentuated his smooth jawline and upright posture, giving him a youthful look that drew frequent glances from passersby.

After giving her reservation information, Gu Qing entered the restaurant, led by a waiter who couldn't hide his excitement.

The ambiance was indeed elegant: soothing classical music flowed through the air, green vines and creepers hung from above, adorned with blooming flowers, and the aroma of coffee and desserts filled the air—a tranquil and pleasant place.

Passing through the beautifully decorated booths, you gradually approach the center of the restaurant.

A window seat surrounded by woven vines and clusters of flowers came into view, where two figures were sitting.

Hearing footsteps, Su Mang, who was facing the entrance, was the first to look up. The instant he saw Gu Qing,

Her eyes lit up instantly, and a radiant smile bloomed on her face as she greeted them warmly, "Oh my! Our nation's little brother is here!"

The greeting made Liu Tianxian, who had been engrossed in her book, look up. A face with classical charm turned towards the source of the sound, her beautiful features, as radiant as an autumn chrysanthemum, held a hint of curiosity.

Her clear, autumn-water-like eyes, peering through the gaps in the flower branches, were fixed on Gu Qing as he approached, filled with curious inquiry.

Su Mang jumped up and warmly greeted him with open arms.

"Sister Su Mang, it's been a long time."

Gu Qing's lips twitched almost imperceptibly, his hands remaining naturally at his sides, showing no intention of responding, as if he had already given up resisting, allowing the smiling Su Mang to give him a firm hug.

Seeing Su Mang habitually turn his head, seemingly wanting to give a close 'cheek kiss'—

"Hey, Sister Su Mang!"

Gu Qing suddenly turned his head, his gaze landing precisely on her earlobe, his tone carrying just the right amount of surprise, "Your earring... is so unique!"

"Ah? Really?"

Su was interrupted and was taken aback at first, but was then pleased by Gu Qing's "praise" and her smile became even brighter.

She subconsciously raised her hand to gently touch the jewelry on her earlobe, with a hint of showing off, "Cartier's latest limited edition, I think it suits me quite well."

She began to enthusiastically introduce the design and craftsmanship, completely immersed in the pleasure of being appreciated.

Seeing that Su Mang had successfully diverted his attention, Gu Qing secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and his tense shoulders relaxed slightly.

As everyone knows,
Behind the flower stand, those eyes, as clear as autumn water, took in the whole scene, a hint of understanding and a smile flashing across them.

"Come on, come on,"

Su Mang finally remembered the important matter, affectionately took Gu Qing's wrist, led him to the seat, and enthusiastically introduced him to Liu Tianxian, "Qianqian, this is Gu Qing, right? I don't need to introduce him further."

"Little brother, this is the beloved Liu Tianxian, Liu Qianqian!"

"Sister Su Mang, please don't call me that,"

Liu Tianxian stood up, but her first words shattered the "celestial beauty" filter, revealing a self-deprecating and straightforward tone: "I'm not some celestial beauty, just a regular girl."

She extended her fair and slender hand, her smile bright and generous, "Hello, Brother Gu Qing, I've heard so much about you."

Her gaze was open and honest, carrying a hint of curiosity and a subtle, almost imperceptible scrutiny.

"Hello."

Gu Qing was momentarily taken aback by her down-to-earth opening remarks, but quickly regained his composure, politely extended his hand, gently shook her fingertips before letting go, and then sat down opposite her.

Su Mang sat down close to Gu Qing, her arm naturally resting on the back of the chair behind him, her body leaning slightly forward, her chin almost resting on the back of her hand.
She looked intently at Gu Qing, her voice deliberately gentle: "Baby, what would you like to drink? Coffee? Tea? Or... cappuccino?" She deliberately used a foreign accent.

Gu Qing stared straight ahead, her eyes slightly vacant, and said succinctly: "Orange juice."

"Pfft-"

Liu Tianxian across from her seemed to have been suddenly tickled, and quickly covered her mouth with her hand, her shoulders trembling slightly as she laughed uncontrollably.

Su Mang was about to scold Gu Qing for being unromantic when she suddenly remembered: "Oh right, right right, look at my memory, I forgot you're a singer, you need to protect your voice, you can't drink too much of these stimulating drinks."

Just as she was about to wave for a waiter, her phone rang urgently.

She glanced at the screen and saw it was a work call. Especially with Bazaar coming up soon, she, as the director, was extremely busy.

"Oh dear! Qianqian, little brother, I'm so sorry, I have an urgent call and I have to go take care of it. You two chat for a bit!"

Su hurriedly got up apologetically and walked quickly to a quiet corner.

As soon as Su Mang's figure disappeared behind the greenery, Gu Qing clearly felt that the surrounding air was fresher and more circulating.

He relaxed completely, leaned back in his chair, and even his breathing became easier.

"Sir, your orange juice." The waiter carefully brought the drink over.

"Thank you." Gu Qing said politely, picking up the cup to drink—

"Cough cough..." Another suppressed laugh came from the other side.

Gu Qing paused, looked up at Liu Tianxian, and said calmly, "What? Do I look like a country bumpkin drinking orange juice?"

"No, no, no! Absolutely not!"

Liu Tianxian quickly waved her hand, trying hard to suppress her laughter, her eyes curving into crescents, "I'm sorry, I really wasn't laughing at you. It's just this joke..."

Don't you know the 'orange juice' meme? It's about Teacher Jingxing; it's been all over the internet lately.

Gu Qing: "..."

He opened his mouth, then silently closed it again.

It turns out it's this old joke, something that was popular when he was in elementary school, which turns out to be trendy now.

"You really didn't know?" Liu Tianxian was even more surprised by his reaction, then showed a hint of regret. "I thought you were just saying orange juice on purpose to mock Sister Su Mang's 'Coffee or Tea' tone!"

"Don't talk nonsense, I didn't, I'm not."

Gu Qing immediately denied it three times in a row, and even subconsciously glanced back to make sure Su Mang wasn't nearby.

"Don't worry, don't worry," Liu Tianxian said with a smile, lowering her voice with a hint of mischief, "I'm keeping my mouth shut."

But little brother, your disdain for Sister Su Mang is written all over your face.

She then changed the subject, her tone tinged with a touch of sympathy and teasing, "How about it? Now you understand the level of enthusiasm we female celebrities have to deal with on a daily basis, right?"

"Stop comparing how miserable you are."

Gu Qing sipped her orange juice dismissively. "At most, you female celebrities get taken advantage of by men. But us male celebrities? After being taken advantage of by men, we also have to be wary of being taken advantage of by men. Who's worse off?"

His tone carried a hint of self-deprecating sarcasm.

Liu Tianxian's beautiful eyes instantly lit up with gossip, and she leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice to ask, "Have you ever been taken advantage of by a man?"

Who is it? A celebrity? Or... a boss?

She thought of the intelligence her team had gathered about Gu Qing—his impeccably clean private life—and a bold idea flashed through her mind.

"Did...did you succeed?" Her eyes were filled with the light of a curious child.

That's a bit rude of you.

Gu Qing put down her cup, glanced at her speechlessly, and clearly read the unspoken message in her eyes: "Stop thinking dangerous things. I'm perfectly normal."

"Oh, I'm so sorry,"

Liu Tianxian chuckled and scratched her head. "Just curious, purely curious!"

Gu Qing responded in kind: "Oh? Well, I'm curious too, have you ever had a girlfriend?"

Liu Tianxian: "..."

The smile on her face froze instantly, and her chattering mouth shut as if it had been paused.

The air seemed to fall silent for a second. Gu Qing stared wide-eyed in surprise at her reaction.

"Hey! Don't make wild guesses!"

As if she'd been stepped on, Liu Tianxian quickly clarified, "I like boys, the normal kind of liking!"

"Oh,"

Gu Qing nodded, with an "I understand" expression on his face. "I like girls too."

As soon as he said it, he immediately realized that his words were a bit ambiguous, and quickly added, "No... uh... I mean..." The more he explained, the more confused he became.

"Hehe, little brother, I didn't realize you were so narcissistic."

Liu Tianxian laughed in exasperation.

"Sister Fairy, we're alike."

Gu Qing immediately retaliated.

"..."

A brief silence followed.

Liu Tianxian picked up the book on the table again and began to read it.

Gu Qing also randomly picked up a book from the small bookshelf next to her and opened it.

"Shuashuashua——"

In the quiet air, the sound of Gu Qing rapidly turning the pages of the book seemed exceptionally clear and… perfunctory.

Liu Tianxian couldn't help but look up again, her delicate brows furrowing slightly: "You also like reading?"

Her tone was clearly skeptical: How could someone possibly learn anything so quickly?
She felt the child was putting on an act.

"I don't like it." Gu Qing answered crisply without even looking up.

"Don't you like reading?" Liu Tianxian was taken aback by his directness. "Then what are you holding it for?"

"Avoid looking at people."

Gu Qing continued to stare at the pages of the book, speaking as if it were a matter of course, as if she were saying that the weather was nice today.

Liu Tianxian: "..."

She was completely stunned, her cherry lips slightly parted, staring incredulously at the handsome yet infuriating young man before her.

A sudden surge of anger welled up in his chest, and his fingers, gripping the edge of the book, tightened involuntarily, his neatly trimmed nails turning slightly white.

This brat... has he never been hit before?!

"You speak..."

Liu Tianxian took a deep breath and almost squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth, “This is really interesting.”

She tried her best to maintain her composure, thinking that as an adult, she shouldn't stoop to the level of a child.

"Likewise." Gu Qing finally looked up and gave her a dazzling smile, then casually lowered his head and flipped through the book.

……

When Su finished her call and hurried back to her seat, she keenly sensed that something was amiss.

Gu Qing and Liu Tianxian each occupied one end of the table, unusually quiet.

Although they were separated by only a small round table covered with a clean white tablecloth, it felt as if an invisible chasm existed between them.

Sunlight streamed through the glass window and fell upon them, beautiful and pleasing to the eye, yet unable to dispel the subtle, almost stagnant, low-pressure atmosphere.

"Qianqian," Su Mang tried to lighten the mood, sat down again, and looked at Liu Tianxian with a smile, "I heard that you and your brother almost had a chance to work together before?"

It's a pity it didn't work out. If you two could really make a movie together, it would be a guaranteed huge hit!

She tried to steer the conversation toward common ground.

Liu Tianxian raised her eyes, her gaze sweeping over Gu Qing. A cold smile appeared on her lips, and her tone was indifferent: "I would like to act, but unfortunately... this 'male god' doesn't think much of it."

She emphasized the word "male god" a little.

"Huh?" Su Mang looked at Gu Qing in surprise. "Really? Little brother, you really didn't like that project?"

Gu Qing put down the book she had finished reading, looked up, and calmly met Liu Tianxian's slightly provocative gaze. Her answer was clear and direct: "Yeah, I didn't like it."

"Shh-"

Liu Tianxian suddenly stood up, the movement causing the chair to make a soft creak.

She grabbed her handbag, her pretty face darkening slightly, her breathing becoming noticeably more rapid, and her chest heaving.

In all her years in the industry, she has never been so directly and bluntly "denied" before!

"Qianqian! Qianqian! Don't go!"

Su hurriedly stood up to try and stop him, "Little brother was just joking. You two need to discuss the details of how you'll pair up for the red carpet the day after tomorrow, right?"

"No need to discuss it!"

Without turning her head, Liu Tianxian's voice was filled with suppressed anger as she continued walking, "He can go wherever he wants!"

She felt that if she stayed any longer, she would really lose control and become unruly.

“Don’t misunderstand,” Gu Qing added from behind her, trying to explain, “I meant the script was bad.”

This explanation at this moment is more like adding fuel to the fire.

"Then you might as well say it's me!"

Liu Tianxian paused, uttered this even more infuriating remark, and with a crisp, rapid "clack-clack" of her high heels on the floor, disappeared into the restaurant entrance without looking back.

“Brother…you…sigh!” Su Mang looked at Liu Tianxian’s resolute back and then at Gu Qing, who had a “I’m just telling the truth” look on his face. He was speechless for a moment, his face full of helplessness and headache.

"I'm sorry, Sister Su Mang,"

Gu Qing also stood up, her tone slightly apologetic but her eyes open, "It seems today didn't go very smoothly, so... how about we each go our own way on the red carpet?"

"How can that be done!"

Su Mang immediately rejected the idea, and as Liu Tianxian completely left, the helplessness on his face was instantly replaced by a smile.
She looked at Gu Qing and smiled, "The list has been announced, and so many fans are eagerly waiting to see the 'god-like beauty X celestial beauty' together! We can't let this hype go to waste."

She changed the subject, her tone filled with curiosity and satisfaction, "But you, little brother, I've been in the fashion industry for so many years, and this is truly the first time I've seen a male celebrity who doesn't respect Liu Tianxian."

"I'm just telling the truth."

Gu Qing finished the remaining orange juice in her glass in one gulp: "Now that she's gone, I'm going back to continue rehearsing. See you tomorrow, Sister Su Mang."

"Okay..." Hearing the irrefutable reason of "rehearsal," Su Mang could only watch Gu Qing leave with regret.

The following day was the Bazaar Charity Night.

As dusk settles, the area outside the venue is glittering with starlight and a red carpet is laid out.

Gu Qing had already changed into a Wei-Jin style dress meticulously designed by Guan Qiwen, and got into a luxury car arranged by the organizers to head to the venue.

at the same time,

Liu Yifei, dressed in haute couture, was exquisitely made up and breathtakingly beautiful, yet she exuded a coldness like a meticulously sculpted ice sculpture.

just thought of,

She couldn't bring herself to smile because she was going to be in the car with that brat for a long time.

The two people set off at the same time by car and met at the venue.

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(End of this chapter)