Chapter 11: Not as Beautiful as You

The trending topic, however, had nothing to do with dance; it was all because of a photograph.

A photograph of Xu Yancheng.

The photo was clearly a candid shot—while Su Yi was practicing, Xu Yancheng stood beside her, watching her with a gentle smile.

The caption read, “Just an ordinary day.”

Su Yi had a knack for finding the perfect angles when posting photos, and this one was no exception. She’d played with blur and lighting, capturing her own silhouette in a way that was breathtakingly beautiful.

Xu Yancheng’s angle was even more striking: slightly out of focus, but that did nothing to diminish the aura that set him apart from everyone else.

Beneath the post, countless fans were shipping the two of them, creating a super-topic called “Dust and Heart, Dust and Intention,” and concocting elaborate Mary Sue-style storylines.

For a while, the sweetness index soared off the charts.

Of course, there were also fans who were simply infatuated with Xu Yancheng’s looks.

But the majority were CP shippers.

There were a few outliers who ran to Su Yi’s page to claim that Lin Lu was better looking, but those comments were met with a barrage of scorn.

Lin Lu only saw the post while scrolling through social media over lunch, thanks to one of those outlier fans who, while complimenting her, had tagged her directly.

That was how she found herself clicking into the thread.

After she finished reading, she closed the app with perfect composure.

Yuan Ruoxia brought over her tray. “Did you see Weibo? That Su Yi is showing off her love life again. I just can’t figure it out—how did Second Young Master Xu, that unattainable flower on the mountain, get plucked by her? She’s really lucky.”

Yuan Ruoxia rambled on, finally adding, “I mean, Su Yi is pretty, sure, but she doesn’t have staying power. The more you look at her, the more tired you get. But you—you’re the real beauty. Stunning at first glance, and I’ve never grown tired of looking at you.”

“Is that so?” Lin Lu replied blandly, lowering her eyes and continuing with her meal.

Yuan Ruoxia kept scrolling through Weibo. “Lin Lu, look! Someone in the comments said, ‘In terms of looks, Lin Lu and Xu Yancheng are a better match.’ Even Su Yi herself replied.”

Lin Lu opened Weibo to take a look. Good grief—did that netizen have a grudge against her? The username was “Little White Deer,” which looked suspiciously like one of her own alts.

Su Yi’s response was tactful and polite; she asked if the commenter had wandered into the wrong place and helpfully pointed out that Lin Lu’s page was next door.

That was all Su Yi wrote, but the effect was dramatic.

Su Yi’s fans swarmed in to defend their idol, and their words were far from kind. They told Little White Deer to go back to her own corner and keep fantasizing.

Clearly, Su Yi was shrewd. She knew how to ride the waves and turn things to her advantage.

The drama raged on Weibo all afternoon, until Little White Deer, outnumbered and outgunned, deleted her comments and retreated.

Xu Yancheng first heard about the Weibo incident right after finishing a senior management meeting at Xu Corporation.

It was Zhou Ruikang who brought him the news, telling him he’d made the trending list.

When he checked, the headline read: [Xu Yancheng & Su Yi ~ Dust and Heart, Dust and Intention].

His brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and just then his phone rang.

It was Su Yi.

She invited him to dinner at a Western restaurant, and Xu Yancheng agreed.

The venue was the most upscale Western restaurant in the North City.

Su Yi had taken special care with her appearance that day, wearing the blue dress Xu Yancheng had once loved most on her, looking radiant and striking.

Xu Yancheng walked past her without much of a reaction and entered the restaurant.

Su Yi didn’t mind, following close behind.

“What’s going on with Weibo?” he asked.

“I was sorting through some old photos the other day and came across this one. It brought back memories, so I posted it,” Su Yi replied, looking at Xu Yancheng with a trace of hope in her eyes. “Yancheng, do you remember? That day was our anniversary—you came to the campus to pick me up and take me to the beach.”

Back when they were together, Xu Yancheng had treated her well, fulfilling her every wish.

It was only because she’d made a foolish mistake that things had gone wrong.

“Su Yi, we’ve already broken up. Do you think it’s appropriate for you to keep posting things like this?”

Su Yi’s smile froze on her lips. She lowered herself, speaking in a soft voice. “But you once said you’d take care of me for a lifetime.”

Xu Yancheng’s heart softened for a moment, and the words he’d meant to say died on his lips.

The sight of her brought back memories of their happiest days.

He sighed. “Let’s eat.”