Chapter 4: Take Off the Mask, President Zhong
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At seven thirty the next morning, Shi Qiu was woken by faint sounds outside.
“It’s Jiang Fengmian heading out to buy breakfast. You can sleep for another half hour,” 09 said considerately.
Shi Qiu sat up slowly and sighed. “No, I’m already awake.”
He washed up with one hand, then struggled a bit to take off his pajamas and put on warmer clothes.
Seeing how inconvenient it was for him, 09 materialized into a physical form to help him get dressed.
Shi Qiu stared wide-eyed at the black-haired boy in front of him, whose appearance was so flawless he looked like a doll. He couldn’t help asking, “09, are you human?”
“No, I’m a system. I just happen to have a humanoid body,” 09 replied with a smile, picking up a shirt. “Here, host, lift your arms.”
Shi Qiu quietly let 09 help him into the shirt. After that came a vest, and by the time he stood in front of the full-length mirror in a suit jacket, he looked ready for a formal meeting.
“This outfit won’t put pressure on your wrist,” 09 explained, then helped him into a down jacket.
Most clothes would tighten slightly at the cuffs, but this one was fine.
Shi Qiu was still weak and sensitive to the cold. With 09’s help, he was bundled up like a ball just as Jiang Fengmian returned with breakfast.
“Ge,” Shi Qiu said, opening his bedroom door.
Jiang Fengmian, carrying several bags, paused when he saw how neatly dressed Shi Qiu was. Then he smiled. “Up so early? Come eat.”
He handed Shi Qiu a wet wipe to clean his hands. Winter was approaching, and it was genuinely cold outside. Shi Qiu could feel how icy Jiang Fengmian’s hands were.
“Ge, when’s your exam?” Shi Qiu asked while nibbling on a soup dumpling.
“Ten o’clock,” Jiang Fengmian replied, peeling a boiled egg for him. “I thought you’d sleep in a bit. Looks like we’ve got plenty of time.”
Shi Qiu sipped the hot porridge slowly, muttering, “I won’t sleep in anymore.”
“Alright,” Jiang Fengmian said, placing the peeled egg on a plate and pushing it toward him. “Since we’ve got time, let’s go buy you a new phone after breakfast.”
“Okay.” Shi Qiu thought about his last phone, which had met a tragic end. He couldn’t help admiring Jiang Fengmian’s patience. If it had been him, he wouldn’t have tolerated that situation for a second.
After breakfast, Shi Qiu put on a mask and went with Jiang Fengmian to his school.
On campus, nearly everyone looked like a model. Shi Qiu, bundled in his down jacket and mask, watched students braving the ten-degree weather in thin coats and even short skirts. He instinctively shrank deeper into his jacket.
Seeing he was cold, Jiang Fengmian led him to the student council office, which had heating and no teachers around.
“Central heating starts in a few days. It’s an early winter this year,” Jiang Fengmian said, helping Shi Qiu settle on the sofa. He touched Shi Qiu’s fingers, found them cold, and zipped up his jacket properly. “It’s warm here. Wait for me. I’ll come find you after my exam. Call me if anything comes up.”
“Okay, Ge. Good luck,” Shi Qiu replied obediently.
Jiang Fengmian smiled, patted his head, and left.
Once he was gone, Shi Qiu stood up and grabbed a promotional booklet from the rack to read.
09 began explaining the backstory.
X Film Academy had a strict rule: first- and second-year students weren’t allowed to act in films unless it was a top-tier, government-approved project. Basically, unless the country needed it, students had to focus on their studies.
Jiang Fengmian had excellent grades and was well-liked by many professors. But just as his second year was ending and his peers were preparing to audition, Shi Qiu’s parents died in a car accident.
Jiang Fengmian had to handle the funeral, deal with the police and courts for compensation, and care for an emotionally shattered Shi Qiu. That summer, when directors came to scout talent, he missed the golden window. The resources professors had planned to recommend to him were taken by others.
By third year, even if he wanted to ask for help, most opportunities had already been claimed. Professors could only regretfully tell him to wait. “If you’re gold, you’ll shine eventually.”
So Jiang Fengmian started preparing to apply for a school-level scholarship. Some production teams prioritized students with awards. With his grades, he should’ve had no problem.
But he missed an exam yesterday morning.
Because he got a call from Lu Chengyan saying Shi Qiu had attempted suicide.
Shi Qiu winced as he pieced everything together. “Is this one of those toxic romance stories? Why does the ‘scumbag’ character suffer so much?”
09 replied, “But from the perspective of ‘Shi Qiu’ in the story, it’s all about unrequited love. He threatened suicide just to be with Jiang Fengmian, who then repeatedly cheated and treated him poorly. Yet Shi Qiu still clung to the relationship, trying to salvage it.”
“Is that what love is? That’s terrifying,” Shi Qiu muttered. He didn’t understand romance, but if someone jeopardized his future like that, he’d definitely retaliate.
After all, he used to film four dramas and two movies in a single year. His fans constantly worried he’d work himself to death.
“09, if someone misses an exam, can they still qualify for awards?” Shi Qiu asked quickly.
09’s mechanical voice was cold. “No. At X Film Academy, the highest score for a makeup exam is sixty.”
That was a problem.
No wonder Jiang Fengmian seemed down yesterday. He probably failed to convince the professor to make an exception.
Rules like that couldn’t be changed. Shi Qiu grabbed a student handbook, hoping to find some loophole to help Jiang Fengmian.
When Zhong Xiyuan entered the student council office, he saw a student he didn’t recognize curled up on the sofa in the corner, reading the thick handbook intently.
That was rare. Ninety-nine point nine percent of students at X Film Academy never even glanced at that boring manual, let alone read it seriously.
And in such a warm room, this person was still wrapped in a down jacket like a giant marshmallow.
Zhong Xiyuan took off his scarf, hung it up, sat at his desk, and casually asked the white puffball on the sofa, “Hey, what year are you in?”
Shi Qiu looked up from the handbook, scanned the room, and confirmed they were alone. Zhong Xiyuan was talking to him.
He stared at the student council president sitting at the desk and blinked, saying nothing.
He hadn’t finished reading the handbook yet and didn’t know what would happen if they found out he wasn’t actually a student here. He didn’t want to be kicked out into the cold.
Zhong Xiyuan didn’t get a reply, but the eyes peeking out from the mask caught his attention.
Even with the mask on, he could tell this person had striking features. Probably a student from the acting department.
X Film Academy had no shortage of good-looking people, but those eyes were especially vivid and clear. Under the lights, they looked almost translucent.
If this person debuted, those eyes alone could be marketed to gain popularity.
Zhong Xiyuan had that thought instinctively.
“I’m Zhong Xiyuan, the current student council president. What year are you in?” he asked again.
Oh, so this was his office. That meant Shi Qiu was technically trespassing. But it was freezing outside.
Shi Qiu realized this and grew even more nervous.
Zhong Xiyuan saw him shrink further into the sofa. He’d only asked casually, but now he was intrigued.
Shi Qiu watched the president walk toward him and clutched the handbook tightly, thinking he could probably make up a believable answer.
Zhong Xiyuan noticed his nervousness and smiled. “So shy? How do you handle being on camera? Haven’t you taken acting classes?”
Acting classes required performing in front of the whole class. If you couldn’t let go, the teacher would scold you in front of everyone.
Shi Qiu was surprised that Zhong Xiyuan had already assumed his major.
Standing in front of him, Zhong Xiyuan looked into his eyes again and realized the impact wasn’t just a fluke. This person, looking up at him so timidly, would normally annoy him. But those eyes made him seem innocent and pitiful.
He took back what he said earlier.
Now he thought those eyes weren’t just marketable. They could make someone a rising star.
“Take off the mask,” Zhong Xiyuan said with a smile.
Translator note: 📌
Thank you for reading 💖 see you agin in the next chapter my lovely cherries 😘
📍Note: I’m pretty free lately so I will be posting 3 to 4 chapters a day. Enjoy 🤭
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