Who am I? Where am I?

“Class monitor—a girl?”
“I’ve never seen a male class monitor since I was a kid. Superstar Chu, let me reply to this message. It’s kind of private.”
“Kid, I’m not interested.”
“Fine, but can you stop staring so seriously at my screen? I can check on my phone just as well.”

Xu Lin closed QQ on his computer and opened it on his phone, only to find that Ji Yun hadn’t said anything special.
“Xu Lin, are you home?”
“Yes, I am.”
Not two seconds later, she replied, “I’ll come over to your place and tutor you.”
“There are guests at home, and they’ll be staying for lunch. I’ve also got some things this afternoon.”
“Alright then, I’ll go study with Zhuo Yan instead.”

Seeing the class monitor say that, Xu Lin’s eyes immediately lit up. Going out was great, that way he’d avoid running into this seemingly proper but actually not-so-proper superstar.

But he couldn’t agree too quickly, or he’d look indifferent. He still had to show some attitude, so he typed:
“I’m really sorry, we had agreed on it before.”
“No worries. If you want, I won’t go out. Waiting for you to come back wouldn’t be too late.”

“!” Xu Lin felt himself freeze. Being polite had backfired. Fortunately, the other side quickly sent another message:
“I’ve already told Zhuo Yan, so forget it.”
“Alright, see you at school tomorrow.”
“Okay.”

After replying, he glanced back and found that the USB drive he’d left in the pen holder had somehow been plugged into his computer.
“No!”
He was too late to stop her from clicking on it, and could only yank out the speaker wire nearby.

The computer screen started playing the study material from where he’d last stopped.
He watched as Chu Qingchan’s cheeks went from pale to crimson in an instant, her breathing growing rapid.
But her eyes didn’t budge, still watching with relish as if viewing an ordinary film.

“Didn’t expect you’d be into this, kid. But I don’t like wearing those clothes. They’re uncomfortable.”
“Superstar, please just close it. If my mom comes in, I’ll be dead and buried.”
“But this proves you’re a healthy, normal guy. I thought you weren’t interested in me, that you might be into guys.”
“Wow, you really imagine things. If I didn’t keep myself in check, I could have had a whole football team by now.”

He hadn’t finished boasting when the door suddenly opened. His heart skipped a beat, and cold sweat broke out.

Glancing sideways, he saw Chu Qingchan had already closed the player and was back to her proper self.
He went to open the door, but his mother only called him to eat and then left.
“Come on, let’s eat. Try my mom’s cooking—it’s as good as my grandmother’s.”
“Sure!”
“But don’t eat any cold dishes or anything spicy, and go easy on the sweets. Your surgery was on your stomach, right?”
“Yes. How did you know?”
“You subconsciously put your hand on your abdomen now and then, even when you’re not in pain. Besides, after any surgery, you can’t eat spicy or cold foods.”
“Ah, dietary restrictions are the worst. Food just isn’t tasty without spice.”
“If you’re living on your own, you have to take care of yourself and pay attention to these things.”
“Thank you so much, Mr. Xu. You’ve helped me a lot, and I still tease you all the time.” Chu Qingchan’s tone shifted, suddenly sincere.
“It’s nothing. Friends show their true selves, don’t they? Having a superstar like you as a friend is something to brag about.”
“I’m just a goddess of bad films—I can’t give you much to brag about.”
“Enough, let’s not keep everyone waiting. Time to eat.”
“Alright, you go ahead. I need a moment to prepare.”
“Prepare for what?”
“To say hello, of course.”
“Okay…” Xu Lin couldn’t imagine what kind of greeting needed preparation but went out first.

“Sit down, don’t be shy!”
As he walked over, he heard the bearded man’s booming voice. Xu Lin could only nod, resigned. It really felt like this was their own home now…
“Where’s your friend?” Old Xu asked from the side.
“She’ll be right out.”
“So, Xu Feng, where were we?” The bearded man started chatting again as soon as Xu Lin sat down.
“Your daughter made it into the interview.”
“That’s right. Qin Tian didn’t have much confidence at first, but the interviewer took a liking to her right away, even if it’s just a supporting role.”
“But think about it, she just started college and already received work from outside. This line of work really suits her.”
“It’s thanks to your good upbringing, and your script is very well written. By the way, Tian Tian, eat more, don’t be shy.”
Xu Lin’s father joined in with praise, though Xu Lin could tell his dad was starting to lose patience. But the other side kept talking.
“By the way, what’s this TV series called?”
“It’s called ‘Love of the Returning Phoenix,’ a time-travel drama. The female lead is that ice goddess, Chu Qingchan, playing a female assassin.”

Just then, the girl who had been frowning at her phone and hadn’t picked up her chopsticks suddenly spoke, cutting off her father.
“Ice goddess? More like expressionless.”
“Well, she’s pretty, and that’s enough. Plenty of shows rely on looks to carry them.”
“Still expressionless. Maybe she got the part by sleeping with the producer or director,” she sneered.

No sooner had she finished than, accompanied by the click of heels, a tall figure strode in with the grace of a runway model.
But unlike a model, her cold yet flawless face exuded the aura of a powerful woman, enveloping everyone there.
She stopped by Xu Lin’s father, bent slightly—at once the chill dissipated and a gentle, spring-like smile appeared. “Hello, Uncle. Sorry to disturb you.”

Xu Feng stared at the beauty beside him, stunned for a few seconds before stammering, “Not at all… please, sit.”
“Thank you, Uncle.” She nodded, sat to Xu Lin’s left, and scooted her chair closer to him.
Then, her eyes sharpened, the smile vanished, and she became as cold as the blood-soaked executioner she played on screen, her gaze cutting like a blade.
“Go on, continue.”

“…Daughter?”
The bearded man tugged at his daughter, feeling as if he were dreaming. As he spoke, the very star herself had appeared in this little county town.
“Miss Chu… I really didn’t mean… I’m so sorry, so sorry…” Qin Tian’s head plunged down, nearly under the table.
“Speak up. What, are you afraid now? You’re Qin Tian, right? A supporting role? Since when does three lines of dialogue make you a supporting character?”
“And you, Mr. Qin, I did some checking. You’re quite a character. Always hanging out with that second-rate scriptwriter, playing the sycophant.”
“Your script was submitted thirty-some times and only accepted once—and that was a web drama for fun.”
“Yes, yes, please don’t blame my daughter.”
The bearded man bowed repeatedly, but Chu Qingchan didn’t even glance at him, continuing,
“I admit I’m not a great actress, but I’ve never used my body to get by. As for your daughter, I hear she got into the crew and landed a speaking role by sleeping with the assistant at the audition.”

Immediately, the girl’s head shot up, staring at her in disbelief, but Chu Qingchan remained expressionless, waving her hand dismissively.
“Whatever. Everyone has their fate. I know you’re angry now and want revenge, but let me tell you—don’t bother. My PR team is very effective.”
“Well, what are you still sitting here for? Isn’t showing off what you came for? Now you’re done, so off you go.”
“We’re leaving—right away.” The bearded man called several times, hurrying out, even forgetting his daughter.
A few seconds later, Qin Tian, her makeup streaked with tears, ran out as well!

With a loud bang as the door closed, the Xu house was plunged into silence once more.
Mrs. Li, just out from the kitchen, and Mr. Xu both stood there bewildered, as if to ask: Who am I? Where am I? What just happened!?