I Watch Him Smile

By chance, Jiang Yici realized that the singer she'd liked for years seemed a lot like the friend her brother had once brought home.

Their age, school, and looks all seemed to match.

She glanced at her own brother, sprawled on the sofa playing video games, and tentatively asked, "Have you heard of Lu Zezhou?"

"Lu Zezhou? I've done more than hear of him. We play games and soccer together all the time."

Jiang Yici's heart skipped a beat.

Her brother asked, "You know him?"

Jiang Yici said, "No. I saw him in the... news."

Her brother picked up the photo. "It really is that dog. He's coming to stay at our place for a while in a couple of days. Don't cause trouble when he gets here."

A moment later, her brother suddenly asked, "Kid, are you a fan?"

Jiang Yici carefully hid her ticket to Lu Zezhou's Beilin concert. "No. Of course not."

Later, Jiang Yici secretly got into the same university as Lu Zezhou.

She had seen his gentleness, and she'd also seen the wild side of him, smoking at night as he played the piano with an expressionless face. She thought they were closer than anyone.

When she finally couldn't hold back and confessed to him, Lu Zezhou turned her down.

The next day, she happened to hear a few of his buddies talking. "What's the deal with that freshman?"

"Brother Lu said she's a kid from his family, like a little sister."

"I thought she was his girlfriend. But I guess she's too well-behaved. Brother Lu likes the wild type, probably a pretty campus queen who's outgoing and knows how to work a room."

That night, Jiang Yici put away every last fantasy she had about Lu Zezhou.

A year later, Lu Zezhou became an overnight sensation and a top-tier star rapper. He was invited to perform on New Year's Eve, and after his performance, Jiang Yici, the host, asked, "Do you have a wish for the new year?"

Lu Zezhou looked at her with a hint of flirtation in his eyes. "I hope my little one at home will give me a chance."

Later, Lu Zezhou, who rarely bothered to engage with his fans, was forced to start a livestream. The man onscreen looked like he was already dead, rebellious and defiant, as if he couldn't wait to count down the minutes until he could end the stream.

A few minutes later, a petite figure in pink appeared on camera, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

Lu Zezhou: "Why are you awake? Are you hungry? And you're not wearing socks again."

Jiang Yici: "Why aren't you asleep yet...?"

The fans had been desperately thirsting over him, even when he couldn't be bothered to engage. They now watched as the man who'd seemed like he was too tough to bend for anyone not only bent down in front of the camera, but also knelt on one knee to put socks on Jiang Yici.

Turns out, he'd been counting down to ending the stream so he could put his little girlfriend to bed.

[You lured us in just to kill us???]

[Good thing I'm both blind and deaf.]

Screenshot taken on 2021.4.21

Theme: Positive energy