After Dumping the Scumbag, I Ended Up with His "White Moonlight” - Chapter 7

Recording for this season of Leisure Time took place in Z City, a coastal metropolis in the south.

It was July, the peak of Z City’s sweltering summer. The moment Qiu Yuyi stepped off the plane, a wall of heat slammed into him. Since he had very few fans, he was able to push his luggage through the terminal without incident and hop into the private car sent by the production team.

Su Yichen had initially wanted to come along, especially since this was Qiu Yuyi’s first job in two years. However, the rules of Leisure Time strictly prohibited managers or assistants from accompanying the cast. Left with no choice, Su

Yichen had spent the previous day nagging Qiu Yuyi to take care of his health while filming.

In the car, a staff member sat beside the driver. Seeing Qiu Yuyi board, he immediately handed him a bottle of ice water.

“Thank you,” Qiu Yuyi said gratefully. In the few steps it took to get from the plane to the car, he was already drenched in sweat, his cheeks flushed from the heat.

“You’ve had a long trip, Brother Yi. I’m Xu Yuan; you can call me Xiao Xu or Xiao Yuan.” Xu Yuan was a sweet-talker. He didn’t care about Qiu Yuyi’s low status in the industry, warmly addressing him as “Brother” at every turn.

In his years on film sets, Qiu Yuyi had grown accustomed to the fickle nature of the industry. Seeing someone as enthusiastic as Xu Yuan made him breathe a sigh of relief. This was his first variety show and Su Yichen wasn’t there to help him. He had been so nervous he hadn’t slept at all the night before, which at least kept him too busy to dwell on the heartache caused by Shen Nian.

“Are we heading straight to the guesthouse?” Qiu Yuyi asked. The air conditioning was blasting, and after a few sips of water, he finally began to feel human again.

“Sorry about this, Brother Yi, but we have to wait a little longer,” Xu Yuan said, scratching his head apologetically. “We need to pick up one more person. His flight lands thirty minutes after yours; he should be here any minute.”

“That’s fine.” Qiu Yuyi gave a gentle smile. He was already flattered that the show had sent a car for him. Exhausted from his sleepless night, he told Xu Yuan he was going to close his eyes for a bit.

He drifted into a daze until he felt the car door open again. Someone climbed in. Sensing the newcomer sitting down right next to him, he blinked his groggy eyes open.

The moment he saw who was sitting beside him, every ounce of sleepiness vanished.

Qiu Yuyi thought he was hallucinating. Why else would he see Xia Di’an sitting in the same car?

Xia Di’an’s shoulder-length hair was tied casually behind his head. With porcelain skin, eyes like stars, and crimson lips curved into a slight arc, he was currently looking at Qiu Yuyi with a smile. Despite the 40°C heat outside, he didn’t look like he had broken a sweat; he appeared perfectly refreshed.

They were sitting so close that Qiu Yuyi could catch a faint, pleasant scent lingering on him. Subconsciously, Qiu Yuyi leaned a little closer to catch more of the fragrance before realizing what he was doing. His face flushed, and he quickly sat up straight, inching toward the far side of the seat.

“Hello, Brother Xia.” Xu Yuan was noticeably more nervous than before. He turned around and offered a bottle of water.

Xia Di’an shifted his gaze away from Qiu Yuyi and raised his own thermos. “No thanks, I brought my own.”

Xu Yuan retracted his hand and introduced them with a smile. “Brother Xia, this is another one of our guests, Qiu Yuyi. And Brother Yi, I assume I don’t need to introduce Brother Xia to you.”

Qiu Yuyi waved his hands frantically. “No, no, of course I know Brother Xia.”

I don’t just know him; I was his stand-in for two years, he added bitterly in his head.

Xia Di’an smiled. “We’ve met before.” He turned toward Qiu Yuyi with a look that felt somewhat meaningful.

The look sent Qiu Yuyi’s thoughts into a tailspin. Does he know about my relationship with Shen Nian? Does he know I was his substitute? He quickly decided that Xia Di’an probably didn’t know; if he did, he surely wouldn’t be this friendly to a mere shadow.

Even though he had broken up with Shen Nian and knew it wasn’t Xia Di’an’s fault, he had zero desire to interact with the man. He averted his gaze, pretending to be fascinated by the scenery passing by the window.

Xia Di’an didn’t seem offended. He put in his earphones and started listening to music. With both of them immersed in their own worlds, the car fell into a heavy silence.

The guesthouse for Season 2 was located on a small island off Z City. Though small, the island was fully equipped with supermarkets and a hospital. It was famous for its kapok trees, though they weren’t in bloom in July. Because it was the off-season for tourism, the production team had likely chosen this time to accommodate Xia Di’an’s immense popularity while avoiding massive crowds.

They soon reached the pier, as the rest of the journey required a boat.

Qiu Yuyi walked to the trunk to get his luggage, but a pale, elegant hand reached out first, grabbing the handle before he could. He looked up into Xia Di’an’s impossibly refined face. Pursing his lips, he lowered his head and stammered a thank you.

“You’re welcome.” Xia Di’an’s eyes turned up at the corners, filled with a warmth that suggested he hadn’t noticed Qiu Yuyi’s coldness at all.

To avoid a scene as more people began to recognize the superstar, Xu Yuan hurried them onto the boat. Xia Di’an put on his sunglasses and grabbed the handle of Qiu Yuyi’s suitcase. “Let’s go.” Without waiting for a reaction, his long legs carried him toward the gangplank.

“Wait! Brother Xia!” Qiu Yuyi jogged to catch up. “I can take it myself.” Because of Xia Di’an’s long stride, Qiu Yuyi was forced into a half-run just to stay alongside him.

Noticing the struggle, Xia Di’an slowed his pace. Qiu Yuyi finally stopped running and caught his breath.

“I’ll help you so we can move faster,” Xia Di’an said, gesturing toward the fans beginning to gather behind them.

“Then, thank you, Brother Xia.” Qiu Yuyi conceded. “But where is your luggage?” He noticed Xia Di’an only had a small crossbody bag.

“I sent it straight to the guesthouse. It should be there by tonight,” Xia Di’an said succinctly.

Once on the boat, Qiu Yuyi found a seat in the front row. Xia Di’an sat diagonally behind him rather than right next to him, allowing Qiu Yuyi to breathe a sigh of relief.

But shortly after the boat set off, Qiu Yuyi felt his stomach churn. Having never been on a boat before, he had no idea he was prone to seasickness. His head began to throb. Xu Yuan was sitting further away, and because he didn’t want to bother Xia Di’an, he simply closed his eyes and tried to endure it.

As the nausea worsened, he prayed for the trip to end. Suddenly, someone tapped his shoulder.

He opened his eyes to find Xia Di’an’s deep, honey-brown eyes inches away. The sight made his head spin even more. In his weakened state, a sudden wave of grievance washed over him, and his eyes began to prickle with tears. He quickly turned away, not wanting Xia Di’an to see.

To his surprise, Xia Di’an reached out and firmly turned his face back. Seeing Qiu Yuyi’s red-rimmed, watery eyes looking at him with a mix of vulnerability and annoyance, Xia Di’an froze for a second before giving a helpless smile.

He pulled out two small, round patches and peeled off the backing. Leaning forward, he tucked the hair away from Qiu Yuyi’s ear with one hand and applied a patch behind each ear. He was so close that his breath brushed against the back of Qiu Yuyi’s ear, making the boy flinch in discomfort.

Xia Di’an’s eyes flickered, but he sat back as if nothing had happened.

“What did you put on me?” Qiu Yuyi’s cheeks were flushed from the intimacy. The shock of the gesture had momentarily distracted him from the nausea.

“Motion sickness patches,” Xia Di’an explained. “I could tell you weren’t feeling well and guessed you might be seasick.” He looked at Qiu Yuyi’s pale face. “It’s best to lie down if you’re sick. You can rest your head on my lap if you want.”

Qiu Yuyi, who had been feeling guilty for his cold attitude, immediately recoiled. “Thank you, Brother Xia, but that’s not necessary. We’ll be there soon. Thanks for the patches.”

Xia Di’an didn’t push. He told Qiu Yuyi to call him if he needed anything and returned to his seat.

Whether it was the patches or a placebo effect, Qiu Yuyi did feel much better. His wariness toward Xia Di’an began to melt away. In just a few hours, he had experienced the man’s gentleness and attentiveness firsthand. No wonder he’s Shen Nian’s White Moonlight. It’s impossible to hate him, Qiu Yuyi thought with a self-deprecating internal laugh.

After disembarking, Qiu Yuyi felt much better and declined further help with his luggage. He trailed slowly behind the group.

Xia Di’an looked back, slowed his pace, and waited for Qiu Yuyi to catch up.

“You aren’t happy to see me,” Xia Di’an said. It wasn’t a question; it was a flat statement of fact.

Qiu Yuyi’s heart skipped a beat. He hurriedly denied it. “That’s not true. It’s an honor to be on a show with you.”

Hearing the stiff, formal deflection, Xia Di’an let out a light laugh. His voice remained certain. “You don’t want to be near me.” He turned his head, his “peach blossom” eyes filled with genuine confusion. “Why?”

Qiu Yuyi’s head began to ache again. He was stunned by Xia Di’an’s directness and found himself momentarily speechless.

“Why?” Xia Di’an asked again, a glint in his eye. “Is it because of Shen Nian?”

Qiu Yuyi snapped his head around. Their eyes met, and both of them stopped in their tracks.