Spilling the Tea on the Movie Star Who Won't Leave Me Alone - Chapter 33

The day Xu Chi returned from Europe, the airport was swarming with fans there to greet him and reporters hoping to snap something for the headlines.

“Senior, your popularity is so high!”

The few newcomers following closely behind Xu Chi couldn’t help but show expressions of envy, thinking to themselves when they might become as famous as he was.

Xu Chi, seeing this kind of spectacle for the first time, was also startled. In the past, his airport arrivals usually involved at most a few dozen fans organizing a small-scale greeting. There had never been reporters blocking the airport specifically to photograph him.

“No, no, that’s not it. Maybe there’s just a flight for some big star today,” Xu Chi said, nudging Lin Tao with his elbow and whispering, “What’s going on? Whose flight is it today? Why are there so many reporters?”

Seeing the look Lin Tao gave him as if he were looking at an idiot Xu Chi’s heart skipped a beat. “Don’t tell me they’re all here for me. I don’t think I can handle that.”

Lin Tao didn’t bother with Xu Chi’s occasional “dementia” and pushed him forward. “Do you have any idea how many times you’ve been on the trending searches lately? You’re a walking headline right now. If the reporters aren’t blocking you, who would they block?”

Feeling Xu Chi’s hesitant steps, Lin Tao reminded him, “Just act like you’re walking the runway at that European fashion show. Don’t answer anything the reporters ask. Just keep walking and greet the fans.”

With Lin Tao’s reminder, Xu Chi instantly flashed a standard smile that showed eight teeth and winked playfully at the fans screaming and holding support signs on both sides.

“Since you’ve seen me, everyone should head back early. Be careful on the road and don’t get hurt.”

Xu Chi didn’t forget to urge his fans before getting into the car, triggering another round of cheers and loud shouts.

Lin Tao rolled up the car window to prevent anyone outside from seeing in. He thought to himself: After all these years, Xu Chi has made some progress. He knows how to care for his fans and stabilize his foundation.

As soon as Xu Chi returned, Gu Jingxuan learned the news through Weibo trending searches and countless passersby. He called his assistant and had her deliver a gift—which had been prepared for a long time—to Xu Chi’s apartment.

Receiving the gift, Xu Chi’s face was full of surprise. He had originally thought the “wrap-up gift” was that kiss, but he hadn’t expected that to just be a bonus. Holding the gift, he was so excited he didn’t know what to do; the assistant could even see sparkling tears in his eyes.

“You can personally send Brother Gu a message to let him know you’re safe,” the assistant reminded Xu Chi thoughtfully before leaving.

She had watched Gu Jingxuan staring at his phone ever since he found out Xu Chi was back; he was likely waiting for a message. Who Gu Jingxuan liked wasn’t for them to decide, so she figured she might as well help things along.

“Yes, yes, thank you, Sister Xue.” Given Xu Chi’s personality, he would definitely spend ages staring at the gift after taking it upstairs. If not for the reminder, the day might have passed before he remembered to let Gu Jingxuan know he was home.

After smilingly seeing off the assistant, Qin Xue, Xu Chi ran upstairs happily clutching his gift.

The gift in his arms wasn’t very large—just a small, palm-sized box wrapped with a beautiful red silk ribbon tied into a bow. Xu Chi wondered if Brother Gu had tied it himself, then thought that for a big star, that might be a waste of time.

Back in his room, Xu Chi turned on the brightest light in the living room and drew the curtains. He wiped his hands on his pants vigorously for a long time before piously pulling the ribbon.

When he saw what was inside, Xu Chi’s breath caught.

It was a pair of sapphire blue crystal cufflinks. Under the ceiling light, they emitted a beautiful radiance that Xu Chi couldn’t look away from. On the lid of the box was a sentence handwritten by Gu Jingxuan: Happy wrap-up to my dearest little one.

Xu Chi carefully picked up the cufflinks as if they were the most precious pair of sapphires in the world, fearing they would break if he let go.

After settling the invaluable cufflinks safely, Xu Chi immediately messaged Gu Jingxuan.

Gu Jingxuan was currently soaking in the bathtub. Hearing the phone vibrate on the vanity, he picked it up instantly.

[Little One Xu]: Brother Gu, I’m home. I really love the gift you sent.

A smile curved Gu Jingxuan’s lips. He stood up from the tub, grabbed a towel to wrap around his waist, and sent a voice message as he walked into the living room to lie on the sofa.

“I specifically had a friend in France custom-make those. I’m glad you like them.”

Xu Chi listened to that voice message three times before he could bring himself to reply.

[Little One Xu]: Wow, thank you so much, Brother Gu! I really, really like them!

Seeing the exclamation mark at the end of the sentence, Gu Jingxuan could imagine the smile on Xu Chi’s face right now.

“Is the little one’s face better? If not, I can introduce you to a Chinese medicine practitioner who knows a lot about skin.”

Xu Chi grabbed a mirror to check his jaw. The red rash had subsided, leaving only a few faint red marks that hadn’t completely disappeared.

[Little One Xu]: It’s much better now, thank you for your concern, Brother Gu!

Seeing another exclamation mark, Gu Jingxuan finally couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

“Has the little one read the script yet? When are you planning to visit Jiangnan? If I can clear my schedule, I can go with you and take you to eat some special, delicious snacks.”

The moment Xu Chi heard Gu Jingxuan mention delicious food, he couldn’t help but swallow, his face showing a conflicted expression.

“Brother Gu, don’t tempt me. Director Jiang will want me to lose weight again later, and that will truly be the death of me.”

As Xu Chi spoke, he covered his mouth and yawned. To adjust to the time difference quickly, he hadn’t slept at all the previous night; he was only holding on now to message Gu Jingxuan.

Gu Jingxuan heard the fatigue in Xu Chi’s voice. Even though he was reluctant, he urged him to go to sleep.

“Go to sleep quickly. Adjusting to the time difference these next few days will likely be exhausting.”

Xu Chi yawned until tears came to his eyes. He sniffled and sent Gu Jingxuan an “Okay.”

Gu Jingxuan looked at the cute rabbit emoji making an “OK” sign on the screen. He automatically visualized Xu Chi making that gesture and decided that his little one was the cutest.

“Goodnight, little one. Muah.”

“Goodnight to Brother Gu too.”

Xu Chi was too shy to kiss back. He didn’t know when Gu Jingxuan had developed this habit, but every time he said goodnight, he included a “sweet kiss.” Xu Chi listened to that “muah” several times and seriously saved the voice message before turning off his phone and crawling into bed.

Having received Brother Gu’s sweet kiss, Xu Chi felt he would definitely sleep very soundly.