Finally, it was the last day of the show. Qin Qiao'er was about to end this forced co - existence with Zhao Youting.
Thinking about what had happened to her in the past few days, Qin Qiao'er felt like she was on the verge of mourning for herself.
They had gone to the amusement park yesterday. In contrast, the daily schedule for this day was much simpler. It only included free arrangements for the CPs in the morning and an organized session in the afternoon for several CPs to complete the final score announcement.
After breakfast, listening to Qin Qiao'er's words, Zhao Youting always showed an inexplicable and special care for her.
"Ms. Qin, would you like another cup of tea?"
"N... no, thank you."
"Then... milk tea?"
"Um, no either. I'm already full..."
"Then how about some milk?"
"...Mr. Zhao, we've been having this meal for several hours. Look..."
Only after Qin Qiao'er's almost helpless words did Zhao Youting stop his "arrangements" for her.
"Alright."
He gave up quite straightforwardly.
"May I ask if Ms. Qin has any place she wants to go today?"
Changing the topic, Zhao Youting continued his seemingly sincere inquiry.
Under extreme helplessness, Qin Qiao'er spoke up, "Mr. Zhao..."
"Didn't we already set this up before? We just need to take a walk to the assembly point this morning, right?"
Zhao Youting smiled, "It's okay. As long as you wish, our schedule can be changed at any time."
"That's not necessary..."
Qin Qiao'er felt really embarrassed and didn't know what Zhao Youting was up to.
So when it seemed that Zhao Youting was about to give up, she took the opportunity to stand up and was about to walk out.
Zhao Youting couldn't say much either, so he also stood up and followed her out.
Qin Qiao'er walked along the pre - arranged route. The sun that day was quite gentle, and the breeze was blowing. Zhao Youting was also dressed casually. The two of them walking together looked extremely well - matched and pleasing to the eye.
However, they always kept a distance from each other.
"Ms. Qin... Why do you seem to be avoiding me?"
"... Youting, I mean..."
"Yes."
"Are you... deliberately targeting me?"
Zhao Youting pondered for a while, "Why do you say so?"
Didn't he notice that his behavior was a bit obvious? Zhao Youting did have sufficient judgment and action ability.
One could even say he was perfect, but he was really slow when it came to getting along with people.
"You've been a bit abnormal today. Is something wrong?" Qin Qiao'er originally wanted to say more, but after thinking about it, she decided it wasn't a good idea.
Taking a closer look, Zhao Youting's complexion did seem a bit poor.
However, he didn't seem to care much, "It's nothing. Just some trivial matters. You don't need to worry about it."
He said not to worry, but it was her who was being treated specially all of a sudden...
"Or perhaps..."
Qin Qiao'er inexplicably had a premonition that what Zhao Youting was going to say next would give her a headache.
"Or perhaps you're worried about me?"
As he said this, Zhao Youting took another step forward, and the distance between them got a bit closer.
For Qin Qiao'er, who had been "persecuted" for several days in a row, this step wasn't just a shortening of the distance but also the approach of danger.
She didn't answer this question. Instead, she sped up her pace like a pouting child.
Zhao Youting wasn't willing to be outdone and just followed up.
"Mr. Zhao, sir, please don't get so close to me..."
"What if I say no?"
Hearing Zhao Youting's somewhat frivolous words, Qin Qiao'er couldn't help but turn her head.
She needed to make things clearer.
"Mr. Zhao, please be more self - respecting. Although this is a show, there are so many people on the road watching. We don't have any relationship other than the on - screen CP. If someone catches some details, it won't be good for you."
"Oh? What won't be good?"
"Public opinion, gossip..."
"But what does that have to do with me?"
Zhao Youting said it so frankly, and it was indeed true. What did the chattering people on the ground have to do with the shining stars in the sky?
"But Mr. Zhao, public opinion has a huge impact on us people in the entertainment industry who can't control our own fates... Moreover, the safety of the two children is also somehow tied to this."
She said the second half in a low voice, but it did make Zhao Youting stunned for a moment.
"Yeah, it makes sense... But wait a minute. I'll take you somewhere."
Saying this, he stepped forward and directly grabbed Qin Qiao'er's wrist.
Qin Qiao'er tried to break free, but his grip was so tight that she couldn't move at all.
"Zhao Youting, let me go!"
While being dragged in a direction she had never been to before, and not daring to attract too much attention, she could only scold Zhao Youting in a low voice.
Zhao Youting seemed not to hear at all. He just held her hand and maintained a speed that wasn't too fast but was fast enough to shake off the camera crew.
There was the noise of the crowd in her ears, or the feeling of the wind brushing against her face, but the two of them left all that behind.
The man in front was dragging her along, and she didn't know where they were going, but his smell was a bit familiar.
Gasping for breath, these random thoughts flashed through Qin Qiao'er's mind, as if her brain was trying to confirm the current situation.
After a while of running, they reached a place where it was hard to tell the direction. It seemed to be in the city, but the environment was quiet and elegant.
"This must be a place where rich people live," she silently complained in her heart.
Finally, after her hand was gradually released, Qin Qiao'er rubbed her wrist.
"Mr. Zhao, what on earth did you bring me here for?"
"Follow me."
Zhao Youting didn't answer but instead walked straight onto a small path without looking back.
Qin Qiao'er observed the surroundings for a while and found that she was indeed not familiar with the place she had been brought to. Helplessly, she could only follow Zhao Youting onto the path.
The path wasn't very long, but it was winding.
"Where on earth are we going? If we keep walking like this, we'll even miss the afternoon show..."
While Qin Qiao'er was quietly complaining and muttering to Zhao Youting, she didn't notice and bumped into Zhao Youting's back when he suddenly stopped in front.
"Be careful. We're here."
After Zhao Youting turned his head to make sure Qin Qiao'er was okay, he stepped aside to let her see the view at the end of the path.
"This is..."
This was an apparently abandoned mansion. Different from the houses they had seen before, although this mansion looked magnificent, it seemed to have been silent for many years. It looked neat and clean, but there was no one there.
"This is the place where I grew up as a child."
"Huh?"