Friend

Shang Sui's question came without warning, and Shi Qi answered without thinking: 'Yeah.'

...Wait.

Huh?

Ah???

'No! My friend might have a little misunderstanding about you, he's never seen—' Shi Qi's mind raced frantically, and at last filtered out a suitable word, '—never seen someone dress so artistically!'

In truth, Lin Yan hit the bars often, and had seen all manner of freaks and weirdos. Those two lines just now, dressing praise as scorn, were actually a rather high evaluation of Shang Sui's photo.

'As for that, you know—seducing—' even saying the word scalded Shi Qi's mouth, '—that was just him talking nonsense too. I know you didn't mean anything like that.'

Shi Qi explained at a rapid clip, as if genuinely afraid he'd read too much into it.

On the way to the Police Station, Shang Sui had been aware of Fu Siyue watching him the whole time. It wasn't hard to tell Fu Siyue had feelings for Shi Qi, and instinctively rejected any Alpha who appeared at Shi Qi's side. Besides, his own behavior had indeed been a bit out of the ordinary, so it was no wonder Fu Siyue was so wary.

Shi Qi, however, hadn't asked a single question—whether out of obliviousness, or out of pure trust in him.

Whichever the answer, paired with how Shi Qi looked now, it softened a person's heart.

'I understand,' Shang Sui said.

Hearing that, Shi Qi breathed a sigh of relief.

All Lin Yan's fault.

What 'indecent work'—what kind of picture had she painted of him! He was just a chat companion, that was all!

'But...'

Soft-hearted as he was, he still couldn't resist needling her.

Shang Sui added with deliberate insinuation: 'Your friend wasn't wrong either.'

Shi Qi froze. The up-and-down of it felt like a brain teaser.

But just then Shang Sui glanced at the time and changed the subject as if it were the most natural thing:

'It's late. I'll take you back to School.'

'If we head back now, you should still be able to get into the Dormitory, right?'

-

The return trip was a bit slower than expected; it was nearly midnight when they reached the School. Shang Sui stood outside the Dormitory building, watching from a distance as Shi Qi said something to the gatekeeper of her building, who at last let her through.

Before going, Shi Qi waved at him, and Shang Sui raised a hand to bid her farewell too.

There were several famous universities nearby. The country's largest Meiyan Academy sat right beside Shi Qi's School.

Because it was a holiday today, plenty of students gathered in twos and threes, discussing where to go next. Faint singing drifted over from a nearby bar, and some restaurants even had lines out the door.

He recalled that when Xie Professor invited him to be his teaching assistant, he'd said their area had no other distinction—just plenty of life and noise. That, at least, was true.

Shang Sui walked a stretch, and after some thought, sent Xie Professor a message.

Where he lived wasn't far from University Town. After getting home, Shang Sui took a shower, then pinged Shi Qi on WeChat.

Shi Qi replied very quickly.

17: [1.]

Ss: [Free right now? Wanted to ask how today went.]

17: [Free.]

Ss: [Were you satisfied with today's outing spot?]

17: [Satisfied. Quite pretty.]

Almost the instant Shi Qi replied, Shang Sui sent over a photo of the Amusement Park.

There was no telling when Shang Sui had taken this photo. The brilliantly lit castle, the ghost-and-candy scenery—just looking at it brought back the whole atmosphere of Halloween.

Before Shi Qi could reply, Shang Sui continued.

Ss: [And the food you ate?]

17: [A little sweet, but not bad.]

A photo of ice cream popped up.

Only then did Shi Qi recall that when she'd gotten the ice cream, Shang Sui did seem to have snapped a quick shot with his phone.

The yuzu ice cream in the photo looked even better than the real thing, set against a glittering pumpkin carriage as the backdrop. There was no telling how the photographer had found the most fitting angle in such a short span of time.

Shi Qi realized something, and began to look forward to the next question.

Just as she'd guessed, for every question she answered, Shang Sui sent her a corresponding photo. One after another, like unwrapping little presents that belonged to today alone.

Another question popped up, and Shi Qi's gaze caught on it.

Ss: [Were you satisfied with me?]

When the answer was slow to come, Shang Sui's finger couldn't help tapping lightly at the screen.

Had Shi Qi caught the private motive he'd slipped in?

17: [Satisfied.]

He smiled faintly.

Seemed she hadn't caught it.

Getting the answer one wanted was always a pleasing thing. Shang Sui typed out the last question.

Ss: [Anything you'd like to say to me at the end?]

This time Shi Qi replied very fast.

17: [I'll book you again next time.]

Shang Sui: '...'

It seemed Shi Qi had taken this entirely as part of his job, hadn't thought in any other direction at all, and had even thoughtfully tacked on a line.

17: [You can hand in your report now, right? Want me to throw in a couple more compliments?]

Ss: [Sure. Compliment me some more.]

17: [Hold on, let me look something up.]

Before Shang Sui could wonder what on earth she was looking up, a long string of messages popped out.

17: [This employee demonstrated an exceptionally high level of professionalism throughout this event, consistently maintaining enthusiasm, courtesy, and a smile, bringing me immense comfort—I am most delighted! May Mr. Shang Sui's career reach ever greater heights!]

One look and you could tell it had just been copied and pasted off the internet.

Ss: [...Thank you for the praise.]

Ss: [This is the last photo. Goodnight ^^]

This time what Shang Sui sent was no longer scenery or food, but a portrait.

Shi Qi was stunned for a moment, then remembered that Shang Sui had indeed asked at the start whether he could take her picture. She'd nodded without much care back then, never realizing when he'd actually caught the shot.

The person in the photo showed only a slightly blurred three-quarter profile. Shang Sui had caught the exact instant the lights of a nearby ride spilled over; Shi Qi's platinum strands were tinted by the overlapping play of light and shadow. The whole of her seemed to glow.

More than a casual record of a day out, it looked like a finely crafted piece of photography.

Lin Yan's voice drifted over from beside her: 'What are you staring at so intently? I've called you twice now.'

Shi Qi: 'Admiring myself.'

Lin Yan: 'Let me admire it too... my god! That's an insane shot, you look like a little sprite.'

'Did you hire a photographer today too? Push me the WeChat contact! This is way better than that 2,000-a-day shoot I did last time.'

'No, it was someone I went to the Amusement Park with who took it.'

Lin Yan froze, then pressed: 'Who exactly did you go out with?'

Probably knowing that candid shots weren't a noble thing, Fu Siyue hadn't captured Shang Sui's face. Even seeing only below the neck, Lin Yan could tell this person was no ordinary figure.

Thinking of Shi Qi's taste in aesthetics, Lin Yan grew all the more worried: 'You're not getting scammed by some scumbag, are you?'

'Nine out of ten guys who take photos for their dates are players. You've never even dated—someone like that would reel you in like a fish.'

Shi Qi countered: 'No. I can tell the difference.'

From high school through university, Shi Qi had run into a fair number of Alphas with ulterior motives; even slight contact would make her instinctively recoil. With Shang Sui, though, being around him was comfortable.

Somewhere in that line had hit Lin Yan's funny bone—she came giggling over to ruffle her hair: 'True enough, you're hard to fool. You've got the instincts of a little animal.'

'...'

Shi Qi held it in for a moment, then added: 'Besides, it's not that kind of relationship. It's purely a... service?'

Lin Yan sucked in a cold breath: 'You mean a photography service, right?!'

Unable to explain it in a few words, Shi Qi said: 'Just take it that way.'

Lin Yan's expression grew more and more horrified, until at last she broke into a gratified smile: 'Xiao Qi, I misjudged you.'

'I'd always thought your gland degeneration had robbed you of all worldly desire. Turns out, once you get started, you're the wildest player of us all.'

Shi Qi reached the end of her patience and fixed her with a stare: 'Right now I want to play something even wilder.'

'Oh my, you're so S!' Lin Yan cupped her own face, full of anticipation. 'Mhm, mhm, what do you want to play with me?'

'Sewing your mouth shut with my own hands.'

'...'

-

The next morning.

When Shang Sui woke, Xie Professor had already replied.

He told him the teaching assistant post was still vacant; as long as he was willing, he could come take it up anytime.

Xie Professor asked him to reply once he'd seen the message, and to set a time to come to the School and handle the paperwork.

Shang Sui got out of bed, and after a quick wash he was about to call when Jiang Yan's call came through first.

'Bro, you made the social news,' Jiang Yan's tone carried a teasing edge. 'Together with your boss.'

As he spoke, Jiang Yan sent over a video link. Last night at the Amusement Park, he and Shi Qi had joined forces to subdue the Alpha gone berserk, and someone had recorded the whole chaotic scene.

'It's sitting high up on the trending list. The moment I got to the shop today I heard people discussing you two. Impressive, impressive.'

The likes and comments on the video were staggering. Most praised the act of stepping in for justice; some explained the Alpha Special Sensitivity Period; there were even people swooning over their looks and shipping the two of them. For a while it was all very lively.

Shang Sui watched for a bit, then, knowing Jiang Yan was always talkative: 'Don't tell my family.'

Jiang Yan was his high school classmate and knew a little of his situation: 'Got it.'

In high school Shang Sui's temperament had been far colder than now. He was an art student—well-off, strikingly handsome, seemingly without a single flaw to pick at—yet he never blended into the crowd.

There were many who liked him, and no few who disliked him.

After all, when a person is too perfect, yet seems to keep a wall between himself and everyone, it sometimes can't help but rub onlookers the wrong way.

Compared to the past, Shang Sui's temperament had already changed a great deal.

Come to think of it, when had he started to change...?

Jiang Yan thought about it for a long while and came up with no answer, so he switched tack: 'But weren't you two just going for dinner? How'd you end up at the Amusement Park? Oh right, how much did you spend coaxing him? I'll transfer it to you.'

'No need.'

'?' Jiang Yan was deeply moved. 'Thank you, Xiao Sui Gege, I get it—cold on the outside, warm on the inside.'

'What made you change? I know now—are you finally interested in buying into our Huijian Restaurant? Step one being to dip into your own pocket to fill the gap—'

Jiang Yan had always firmly believed Shang Sui carried great luck on him; during his bachelor's and master's years, the few projects he'd casually invested in had all made big money. When Jiang Yan first opened the restaurant, he'd once wanted to drag Shang Sui in as a shareholder—not for any other reason, just to ride on his luck.

But after Jiang Yan, brimming with excitement, had finished describing the brilliant idea he'd cooked up, Shang Sui had refused without a moment's hesitation.

Jiang Yan, thinking he'd finally opened his eyes to Huijian Restaurant's business potential, began to indulge himself: 'Buy in now, and I'll put your name up immediately.'

'Don't like special venues. Hanging up.'

'?' Huh?

After Shang Sui hung up on him one-sidedly, Jiang Yan fumed: '...What kind of person! I run a proper, legitimate restaurant—a restaurant!!'

Shang Sui was about to exit the video when he suddenly spotted a comment.

[One of them kinda looks like baby 17, no?]

[It's him, it's him! Xiao Qi dyed his hair recently! That pale color is easy to recognize.]

...

Someone in a nested reply had @'d an account named 1717177. Shang Sui realized something and clicked in.

This account must have been one Shi Qi opened in high school, used right up to now.

The first post was a physics workbook with a pen lying on it. After finishing it, Shi Qi had given herself her own review:

[Genius.]

Shang Sui glanced at the post time.

A little past four in the morning.

Did she study this hard?

In high school Shi Qi had done part-time modeling, and some posts were behind-the-scenes from shoots; she was also very good at dancing, and the most-viewed posts were all dance-related.

What she danced was likely hip-hop, popping, that sort of style. Shi Qi's body was very supple, with long arms and legs; especially the hits and pops, which she handled beautifully—full of a crisp, youthful air.

You could tell she folded her own aesthetic sense and clever ideas into her dancing.

Many people followed Shi Qi, yet she posted very little—especially now, with winter approaching, she seemed even less inclined to log in. The last update was two months ago.

Shang Sui tapped follow. Almost at the same instant, the homepage auto-refreshed, and the account '1717177' put up a new post.

The Shi Qi in the photo showed only a slightly blurred three-quarter profile, against the backdrop of a kaleidoscopic amusement park.

It was the one he'd taken. So Shi Qi was rather satisfied with this photo.

[Boss Cat, you finally remembered your account password...]

[Xiao Qi!! Mama thought you'd gone into hibernation!!!]

[Holy shit, this one's both gorgeous and dashing, makes me want to drop to my knees looking at it. Who took it? Hubby baby, you're not dating behind everyone's backs, are you?]

[17's in black again.]

[Hahahahaha well of course, the cool guy who only ever wears black and white his whole life.]

[Saw the Amusement Park news, you okay!]

...

[1717, was the person with you in the video a new friend?]

Seeing that last comment, Shang Sui's gaze caught for a moment.

For a Shi Qi who'd forgotten the past, they'd known each other less than a single week—he hardly seemed to meet the standard of a friend.

Besides, with so many people commenting, Shi Qi might not even notice this one.

Just then, the system flagged that the account holder had replied to a post.

Hm...? No way.

Even as Shang Sui thought this, the slim possibility stirred a flicker of anticipation in him.

When the page refreshed again, Shi Qi had replied to that post about the friend:

[Mhm. A very interesting person.]