Chapter 348 : A Sight Too Miserable to Behold
“Why... Why did it turn out like this? It was supposed to be my perfect vacation with Ling Ning, just the two of us by the beach! Two happy events merging into one—it should’ve been like a dream, the happiest time of my life... But why?! Why did it turn out like this?!”
Zhou Xiaoxiao wore a face full of sorrow as she gazed at Bai Yiyue chatting with Ling Ning. After braving the waves to return to shore, she had been planning to rest and relax. But why had it turned into this mess?
“Well, well~ Isn’t it Xiaoxiao?”
Seeing Zhou Xiaoxiao approach, Bai Yiyue greeted her with a cheerful smile. After all, they had attended a comic convention together before and could be considered friends.
Zhou Xiaoxiao gave a slight nod before forcing a stiff smile and asking, “Aren’t big celebrities like you supposed to be filming your new music video? What are you doing here?”
“Well, the last shooting location for my music video happened to be an ancient town nearby. Once filming was done, I decided to unwind here. I didn’t expect to run into you on vacation—what a coincidence!” Bai Yiyue explained with a smile, all while clinging to Ling Ning’s arm and rubbing against her affectionately.
Ling Ning tried several times to shake her off but eventually gave up, choosing to stay on guard against her clingy childhood friend. She couldn’t allow Bai Yiyue to pull any unexpected stunts in front of her other friends.
“Oh~ So that’s why. What a coincidence indeed~” Zhou Xiaoxiao sighed helplessly. She added, “By the way, aren’t you worried about being recognized? Shouldn’t you be wearing some kind of disguise?”
“No worries, no worries. This beach is pretty deserted; that’s why I came here in the first place,” Bai Yiyue replied nonchalantly.
Sitting nearby, Wu Zi frowned slightly upon hearing Bai Yiyue casually utter “no worries” in Japanese. Where on earth had her young miss learned such strange phrases?
At that moment, Xia Li, Xia You, and Ling Ye approached, looking tired from swimming. Upon seeing Bai Yiyue, Ling Ye and Xia You furrowed their brows simultaneously, while Xia Li looked utterly shocked.
For Ling Ye and Xia You, their feelings mirrored Zhou Xiaoxiao’s—they were equally exasperated. As for Xia Li, she was simply stunned to find such a famous celebrity casually sitting before her.
“Ye Ye, come over here and give your big sister a hug!”
The moment Bai Yiyue saw Ling Ye, her eyes lit up. She had always wanted to win Ling Ning’s daughter’s favor, but opportunities were scarce. Maybe this time, she could make some progress.
“Nope!”
Without hesitation, Ling Ye ran to Ling Ning’s other side and sat down, glaring warily at Bai Yiyue. To Ling Ye, Bai Yiyue was nothing more than a nuisance constantly trying to seduce her mom. Her opinion of Bai Yiyue was already in the negatives, even though she admitted her songs were quite good.
“By the way, Xia You, I don’t think you two have met yet. This is Bai Yiyue, my childhood friend... and a bit of a clown. The one next to her is her manager, Wu Zi,” Ling Ning said, introducing them.
“Hello, you must be Xia You, Ling Ning’s good friend. I’ve heard a lot about you!” Bai Yiyue greeted warmly, extending her hand. For some reason, she felt that this gentle-looking girl wasn’t as simple as she appeared—especially the way she looked at Ling Ning. It was almost identical to her own gaze.
“H-Hello.”
Xia You cautiously shook hands with Bai Yiyue.
“You... Are you really Bai Yiyue?”
Xia Li suddenly pushed her way forward, her voice trembling with excitement as she scrutinized Bai Yiyue from head to toe. With her die-hard fan instincts, there was no mistaking it—the person before her was indeed Bai Yiyue.
“Meow, meow, meow?”
Bai Yiyue looked bewildered at Xia Li’s reaction. She didn’t recall meeting this lively girl before.
Before Bai Yiyue could say more, Xia Li grabbed her hand tightly and exclaimed, “Hello, I’m your biggest fan! My name is Xia Li~”
Perhaps due to her excitement, Xia Li spoke a bit too loudly. Nearby beachgoers began glancing in their direction, seemingly putting the pieces together. Some started moving closer.
Without wasting time, Ling Ning grabbed a swim cap and goggles from Wu Zi’s hand and shoved them onto Bai Yiyue’s head. If her identity was exposed, they could kiss their peaceful outing goodbye.
The gathering crowd had just begun to disperse when Xia Li’s loud voice rang out again: “Miss Bai Yiyue, can I get your autograph?!”
“Did that girl just say Bai Yiyue?”
“If our ears aren’t failing us, then yes—it’s Bai Yiyue!”
“What are we waiting for? Bai Yiyue’s autograph is priceless! And she’s in a swimsuit!”
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Hearing the commotion, Ling Ning didn’t hesitate. She grabbed Bai Yiyue and bolted toward the upper beach. With their combined stamina, they shouldn’t have been caught, but strangely, the pursuing crowd was beset by mishaps.
Some tripped over their own feet, some had their swimsuits malfunction, while others stopped to chat with a lifeguard nicknamed “Billy.” The scene was one of utter chaos.
Xia Li stood frozen, watching the bizarre turn of events. “What just happened? And why did Ling Ning suddenly drag Bai Yiyue away?” She paused before asking uncertainly, “Did I say something wrong?”
“You didn’t say anything wrong, but your voice was a bit loud,” Zhou Xiaoxiao replied helplessly. She couldn’t fault Xia Li for her excitement. If she had met her idol, she’d probably react the same way—assuming she had any idols in the first place.
“Forget it. It’s about time we headed back anyway. We still have a barbecue party tonight,” Xia You said calmly, glancing at the time.
Whatever happened, she wasn’t about to let Ling Ning spend too much time alone with her childhood friend.
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Author’s Note:
Everyone loves chaotic beach episodes!