"I've stewed a bowl of bird's nest for you. Luckily, I steeped some extra today," Aunt Liu placed the stewed bird's nest in front of Xia Qing Tian. "Drink it while it's hot."
"Aunt Liu, how did you know I was coming back?" Xia Qing Tian asked, surprised to see the bird's nest placed before her. Even if it was steeped in advance, stewing a bowl of bird's nest takes at least half an hour.
"Do you think everyone is as unreliable as you, doing whatever comes to mind?" Father Xia snorted. "Mr. Gu called ahead to say that you were frightened by the neighbors arguing upstairs and should be home."
Hearing Father Xia mention Mr. Gu, Xia Qing Tian's heart skipped a beat, and only then did she let out a dry laugh, "It was indeed very scary."
"You're such a scaredy-cat... Where's that spirit you had when you ran away from home?" Father Xia snorted sarcastically. "If you want to be independent, you're still a long way off!"
"Alright, alright, it's all in the past," Aunt Liu, afraid Father Xia would provoke Xia Qing Tian further, quickly intervened to mediate. Xia Qing Yu also chimed in to change the subject.
Xia Qing Tian quietly lowered her head and drank the bird's nest, a complex mix of emotions churning within her.
Just like before, Mobius had once again found an excuse for her retreat, solved her problems, and handled everything flawlessly.
However, their relationship was no longer the same.
From someone she could completely trust at the beginning, Xia Qing Tian felt she could no longer believe him.
Once bitten, twice shy.
That night, after returning to her room and taking a hot bath, Xia Qing Tian lay in her warm and comfortable bed, feeling a sense of daze.
It was as if her past and present lives were merging. In her dream, Song Jun Han's face suddenly became Gu Yao Yang's, and Mo Jia Ning's face became Yu Lin Wan's.
He spoke words of love to her, then poured a bucket of oil onto her bloody legs, and the flames instantly ignited.
Through the raging inferno, she saw the sinister and cold smile on Gu Yao Yang's face.
"So hot..." Xia Qing Tian's brows furrowed, her whimpering voice filled with sobs, "It hurts..."
"Why is it so hot?" Xia Qing Yu had come to call Xia Qing Tian for her morning run but noticed something was wrong. She quickly found the first-aid kit to take Xia Qing Tian's temperature: "38.5!"
Xia Qing Yu nudged Xia Qing Tian a few times, but seeing she wouldn't wake up, she hurried to find Aunt Liu and Father Xia.
By the time Father Xia called the family doctor, Xia Qing Tian's fever had reached 39°C.
After emergency treatment, Xia Qing Tian's temperature was brought under control, and her sleeping face seemed much calmer.
The Xia family finally felt at ease.
"Qing Tian must have been really scared," Aunt Liu sighed. "It's not easy for a girl to be out on her own."
"It's good that she was scared once; maybe next time she won't dare to run away from home," Father Xia snorted, feigning a look of disappointment but harboring worry in his heart. "I'm going to work now. Contact me anytime if anything comes up."
"Yes, don't worry, I'll be here," Aunt Liu nodded, canceling her engagement with the socialite circle for the day to take care of Xia Qing Tian at home.
Xia Qing Yu also wanted to stay home, but today she had a competition that required her to represent her class, which she couldn't decline.
Xia Shang was also extremely worried but couldn't help in any way, appearing absent-minded at work.
During a meeting, a moment's inattention led him to be chosen for a game of rock-paper-scissors, and he inexplicably lost.
"Alright, you're chosen," the team leader said with relief, looking at Xia Shang. "You'll represent the technical department for the upcoming filming!"
"Huh?" Xia Shang blinked his eyes, looking like his brain had short-circuited.
The people in the technical department were accustomed to Xia Shang's behavior and just chuckled, patting him on the back and congratulating him.
Xia Shang remained in a state of confusion until the end of the workday.
Fortunately, upon returning home, Xia Shang saw Xia Qing Tian, who had recovered her spirits after the fever subsided, and his heart finally settled back into place.
Xia Qing Tian hadn't expected to develop such a high fever of 39°C. Fortunately, there were no major complications. Facing her family's concern, she just smiled and offered perfunctory replies.
That evening, Xia Hong Lang intended to lecture her a few words, but under the warning glances of others, he swallowed them back.
After another day of rest, Xia Qing Tian had completely recovered.
That night, the third episode of "First Step of Love" officially aired. This episode featured Xia Qing Tian, Ji Mei Na, and Lin Yi Rou's date in the old street, along with Qiu Xin Xue and Lu Song Tao's amusement park date.
It was evident that the post-production editing had given Qiu Xin Xue and Lu Song Tao some leniency, with some awkward parts being softened with filters and editing fixes. However, it still couldn't hide the overwhelming tackiness.
"These two really have no chemistry," Xia Qing Yu, sitting next to Xia Qing Tian, couldn't help but comment.
"A little bit..." Xia Qing Tian chuckled, still texting Ji Mei Na and Lin Yi Rou while watching TV. The three of them had a separate group chat where they occasionally chatted.
Currently, Ji Mei Na was rushing to a performance, and only Lin Yi Rou was watching TV, interacting with Xia Qing Tian from time to time. Ji Mei Na was very envious.
She wanted to watch too, but unfortunately, she still had to sing and dance on stage. She could only find the video to watch the rerun after returning home that night.
That night, this contrasting pair made it onto the trending searches.
【Sweet Interactions Between Girls】
【Forced CP is Awkward to the Extreme】
These two trending topics remained popular.
Also trending were the segments where Xia Qing Tian confronted the jewelry scammer, and the scene where Xia Qing Tian and her two friends sat on an ancient bridge in the old street, watching the sunset and flowing water, saying, "It's good to be alive..."
The efficient post-production team also added a piece of melodious music and appropriate subtitles to this scene: As long as you are alive, you can see more beautiful scenery and meet a better self.
This sentence was reposted by the "Depression Self-Help Group" that night, reaching the top trending spot.
Everyone left comments about the small joys they found in life, marveling at the beauty of being alive.
Furthermore, some people took the opportunity to educate the public about depression once again, calling for attention to the issue.
Following this, Gu's Entertainment, in conjunction with the "Depression Self-Help Group," launched a series of activities and donations to care for depression patients, garnering widespread acclaim.
Concurrently, "Thousand Year Ancient Treasures," in which Xia Qing Tian participated, announced its upcoming broadcast. The few clips released alone propelled Xia Qing Tian into a new wave of popularity.
Dressed in a white qipao, elegant and dignified, she eloquently discussed ancient treasures, exuding the demeanor of a prominent socialite with every gesture.
Xia Qing Tian's popularity ranking immediately increased severalfold, making her a new symbol of aesthetics.
At the same time, more and more people became curious about Xia Qing Tian's background.
Seeing Xia Qing Tian's popularity, those who had collaborated with her couldn't help but secretly smile. Even the director of "The Moon of Flowers Cherishes Spring" congratulated Xia Qing Tian.
This night brought joy to some and sorrow to others.
In contrast, at Wan Qing Entertainment, after yet another partnership was canceled and they were notified of the termination of next quarter's collaboration, Yu Lin Wan felt she could no longer hold on.