Chapter 6 – Shi Qiu – The Big White Ball

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“Brother, remember to look at the camera. You have to look at the camera,” Shi Qiu reminded.

Jiang Fengmian nodded. He was used to avoiding direct eye contact with cameras during practice, so if he wanted to film short videos, he would have to change that habit.

Shi Qiu held up his phone, watching the screen as Jiang Fengmian walked slowly out of the teaching building with no expression on his face. “Brother, smile a little,” he said.

And once again, Shi Qiu witnessed the same thing he had seen not long after waking up in the hospital, the sight of a glacier melting. Jiang Fengmian’s face was unbelievably handsome whether he was expressionless or smiling, but the switch between the two made it twice as stunning.

Jiang Fengmian walked over and said helplessly, “Should we reshoot? I kept thinking about looking at the camera, so I forgot to make any expression.”

“No need, it’s good. Should we go home?” Shi Qiu checked the clips he had just recorded.

“Alright.” Jiang Fengmian let out a breath of relief and put his arm around Shi Qiu’s shoulder.

Once Shi Qiu got in the car, he put his phone on his lap and began editing with one hand.

“You can edit videos?” Jiang Fengmian asked while driving.

“Editing this kind of short video is really simple,” Shi Qiu replied with a smile while adding transitions.

As the car left the school, Jiang Fengmian reached over during a gear change and ruffled Shi Qiu’s hair, smiling at him with his eyes, “My little brother is amazing.”

Shi Qiu’s face instantly turned red, all the way to his ears.

He was wearing a mask, so Jiang Fengmian couldn’t see his blush, but when he spotted the red tips of Shi Qiu’s ears, he quickly pulled his hand back and said awkwardly, “I didn’t mean anything by it…”

“Mm.” Shi Qiu nodded and quietly shrank into his puffer jacket.

He was blushing because, as someone with the mental age of almost thirty, he had just been patted on the head and called “amazing little brother” by a twenty-year-old university student.

Youth really is a gift.

I’m a nineteen-year-old good little brother. I’m adorable and I’m amazing.

Snuggled in his puffer jacket, Shi Qiu managed to cheer himself up in just a few minutes.

When they got home, Shi Qiu went to his room. With both his computer and phone running, he continued editing and adjusting the brightness.

Once the final version was ready, he posted it, turned off his phone, and went straight to bed.

While Jiang Fengmian was dealing with messages on his phone, he opened the video app to see if Shi Qiu had posted it yet. The first thing on his screen was a familiar X Drama Academy.

A lively young voice came through, “Today I came to X Drama to pick up my brother~”

The shaky camera turned, and the shot froze on Jiang Fengmian walking out of the teaching building.

The next cut slowed down at just the right moment. Even though it was his own face, Jiang Fengmian found himself holding his breath. Then Shi Qiu’s voice came in, “Brother, smile a little.”

And just like that, it was as if the winter ice melted into spring light.

Jiang Fengmian blinked and noticed that Shi Qiu had adjusted the final shot’s color temperature. The transition was natural, without any obvious filters or harsh lighting. It created the illusion that one smile could light up the whole world.

The video already had over two thousand likes, even though it had been posted for just over an hour.

This was going viral.

Realising that, Jiang Fengmian quietly liked and bookmarked it.

Opening the comments section, he skipped over the joking remarks. Many people were already asking who this student from X Drama was and whether he had any works they could follow.

When Shi Qiu woke up from his nap and saw the video had reached twelve thousand likes, he let out a sharp breath. Then he tagged Jiang Fengmian’s main account in the pinned comment: “This is the handsome guy’s actual account @Jiang Fengmian.” On his alternate account, he replied under that pinned comment, “This guy was X Drama’s number one two years ago!”

Shi Qiu honestly hadn’t expected the traffic to grow so fast. Maybe it was because new accounts were more likely to go viral.

He sat up, and the moment his bare skin touched the air, goosebumps spread over him. Shi Qiu shivered and quickly ducked back under the covers.

09 appeared and went to the wardrobe to find him a fluffy set of pajamas.

Peeking out from under the covers, Shi Qiu watched 09 look for clothes and giggled, praising him sweetly, “09, you’re the best.”

09 accepted the compliment without hesitation, then unfolded a white, fuzzy bunny pajama set. “Master, arms out.”

Shi Qiu let him help put it on, then shuffled out in fluffy slippers to find Jiang Fengmian and show off his achievement.

Seeing a big bunny hop out of Shi Qiu’s room, Jiang Fengmian couldn’t help calling, “Shi Qiu?”

“Brother.” Shi Qiu looked at him standing by the fridge and ran over, “The short video I filmed for you went viral. Did you gain any followers?”

Jiang Fengmian checked his phone. The video now had twenty thousand likes, and his account had gained over a thousand followers. Fangirls were already searching for his past works, but there were none to be found.

“I got a lot of new followers…” Jiang Fengmian raised his hand instinctively to pat Shi Qiu’s head, but then remembered how he had blushed in the car and quietly lowered it again, swallowing the words “Little brother is amazing.”

Shi Qiu checked the account stats again. The video was still being promoted, and since it was close to evening, there would be more traffic later.

He planned to post the next video in two days, once this one’s promotion slowed down.

Even though gaining followers wouldn’t change Jiang Fengmian’s situation much, anyone aiming for the entertainment industry wanted traffic. Having fans and visibility was always a good thing.

“What do you want for dinner? I’ll cook,” Jiang Fengmian asked as he looked through the fridge. “No spicy or greasy food. Your hand hasn’t healed yet.”

Feeling guilty, Shi Qiu hid his left hand behind his back and changed his answer from “braised pork” to “tomato and egg stir-fry.”

Looking at the obedient, fluffy bunny beside him, Jiang Fengmian tugged lightly on one of the bunny ears and said gently, “When your hand’s better, I’ll take you out for a big meal.”

“Okay~” Shi Qiu replied sweetly.

The next day, Jiang Fengmian had another exam. Shi Qiu bundled himself up like a ball again and went with him to school.

Jiang Fengmian left him in the student union office. “This is open to all students, so you can wait here without worrying. If Zhong Xiyuan comes to bother you, just ignore him and find any classroom to sit in. I’ll call you when I’m done.”

It was cold in the classrooms, but at least they were crowded and warm. There was nowhere more comfortable and convenient than the student union office.

“Okay, brother,” Shi Qiu agreed obediently.

He wasn’t afraid of Zhong Xiyuan. He was just worried about causing trouble for Jiang Fengmian, especially since Zhong Xiyuan’s family supposedly had influence.

When Zhong Xiyuan opened the office door, his first thought was that he must be dreaming.

Because the big white ball was sitting on the same little sofa as yesterday, holding a student handbook and reading intently.

Zhong Xiyuan looked down at his own coat, different from yesterday’s, and confirmed it wasn’t an illusion.

“Why are you here again?” Zhong Xiyuan asked with a smile as he hung his scarf on the coat rack.

Shi Qiu wanted to ask him the same thing. By now, he had almost finished reading the handbook and had learned just how important the award Jiang Fengmian might miss because of him was.

It was a scholarship from a well-known foundation specifically for X Drama students, with only one recipient. If an acting student won it, they would almost certainly be given priority consideration for the foundation’s funded projects.

Jiang Fengmian had been calm in his third year because he was aiming for that award.

And Shi Qiu had just seriously dragged him down.

Realising this, Shi Qiu felt a bit deflated.

Seeing him looking down and not speaking, with a mask covering the lower half of his face, Zhong Xiyuan remembered the glimpse he had caught of that face yesterday.

His fingers twitched involuntarily. He wanted to pull the mask down and pinch those soft, fair cheeks again.

But he couldn’t. This little thing had quite a temper, and touching his face without permission might make him run off.

“What’s your name?” Zhong Xiyuan asked.

“Shi Qiu,” Shi Qiu replied quietly.

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Translator note: 📌

Thank you for reading 💖 see you again 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 🤭