Chapter 79: Gentle Touch

The car stopped at Tianyuan. Gu Ting glanced sideways at the girl, her head lolling as she slept soundly.

“Sir…” Shiyi turned around, just in time to see Gu Ting press his finger to his lips. She immediately fell silent.

Half an hour later, Shen Qing slowly woke, stretching her neck, which had grown a bit stiff.

“Want to sleep a little longer?” Gu Ting reached out to gently massage her temples.

“No, thank you.” Shen Qing’s tone was noticeably distant as she dodged his hand and opened the car door to step out.

Gu Ting watched the door close, his eyes darkening.

“Sir, shall we go?” Shiyi asked.

“Yes.”

**

The incident with Teacher Cao at school had become rather ugly. Xie Mingming had sided with her student, and Teacher Cao had simply stopped teaching their class altogether.

Director Yan had no choice but to assign a new teacher to Class Three. The newcomer, lacking experience, was at a disadvantage in front of third-year students.

As the new physics teacher entered Class Three, everyone looked up in unison.

“H-hello, everyone. I’m your new physics teacher.”

Yao Panpan led the greeting, “Hello, teacher!”

The rest of the class echoed her.

The teacher smiled shyly, his gaze lingering on the empty seat in the last row—the one that belonged to Shen Qing.

She wasn’t in class. Had she been…?

“Teacher, Shen Qing has taken a leave of absence,” Yao Panpan spoke up, noticing the teacher’s gaze fixed on their big sister’s seat.

“Oh.” The new teacher adjusted his glasses, trembling slightly as he took out the test papers and began the lesson.

**

A black van came to a halt in front of an academic building at Fancheng University, where a crowd had already gathered.

Sister Wei, spotting their arrival, hurried over.

“Young Master Gu.” She bowed slightly to Gu Ting, her attitude exceedingly respectful.

Gu Ting barely glanced at her, only responding with a soft hum.

Only then did Sister Wei turn her attention to Shen Qing, who stood quietly to the side. Her looks were striking, dressed simply in a white sweatshirt and pale jeans, her features frosty and aloof.

“Miss Shen, hello. I’m Wu Xiaowei, an agent with Chunqiu Entertainment.”

“Hello.” Shen Qing gave a small nod.

“Sister Wei! Has the leading lady arrived yet?” A young, handsome man approached, standing tall—at least one meter eighty, by the look of him.

As Zhai Chao walked up, his eyes immediately landed on the girl in the crowd. Her clothes were plain, yet her face was angelic.

“And she is?” Zhai Chao looked at Shen Qing, stunned for several seconds, tugging at Sister Wei’s sleeve.

Sister Wei smiled, “This is Miss Shen, our leading lady.”

Shen Qing gave Zhai Chao a cold glance, her tone frosty. “Hello, I’m Shen Qing.”

“H-hi, I’m Zhai Chao. I’m… the male lead in the MV.” A faint blush crept up Zhai Chao’s face.

Gu Ting shot Zhai Chao a chilly look but said nothing, moving closer to Shen Qing until the two were nearly touching.

Only then did Zhai Chao notice the man at Shen Qing’s side.

“And you are…?” Zhai Chao observed how close they stood, and the man’s good looks. Together, they seemed like a perfect match.

Boyfriend?

“You may call me Gu,” Gu Ting replied in a measured tone, brushing a stray lock of hair behind Shen Qing’s ear.

“What is it?” The tickle made Shen Qing lean away slightly.

Gu Ting glanced at Zhai Chao, a touch provocative, then leaned down to murmur by her ear, “There was something in your hair.”

Shen Qing jabbed a finger hard into his shoulder, muttering under her breath, “If you have something to say, just say it—why get so close?”

Gu Ting chuckled softly, rubbing the spot she’d poked, his tone indulgent, “Easy, that hurt.”

“You’re impossible.” Shen Qing shot him a glare and moved a step away.

Watching their interaction, Zhai Chao’s whole body tensed, his eyes darkening.

Sister Wei sensed the shift in atmosphere and forced a laugh. “Miss Shen, have you read the script?”

Shen Qing nodded; she’d gone through it the night before—nothing difficult.

“Alright, then let’s begin.” Sister Wei smiled, calling over a makeup artist for Shen Qing.

Her skin was flawless, her face delicate and fair, lashes thick and curling. A swipe of lipstick was all it took.

“Miss Shen, your skin is amazing! What’s your secret?” Xiao Tao, Zhai Chao’s assistant, crouched nearby, watching as the makeup artist applied the lipstick.

“Good genes,” Shen Qing replied coolly.

The makeup artist paused mid-action, breaking the lipstick in half.