Wearing a cute pink dress and carrying a fluffy white rabbit bag, Qiqi looked full of youthful energy—pretty and charming from head to toe.
"Not bad at all!" she said to herself with a proud nod after checking her reflection in the full-length mirror.
She grabbed her things, called a taxi, and headed straight to the archway entrance of Tianzifang Alley for her meetup.
While sitting in the taxi, Qiqi sent a message to her friend Yuzhen to check if she had left yet.
Yuzhen replied that she was already on her way and would soon reach Tianzifang. She promised to pretend to be a regular tourist and follow from a distance once Qiqi and Jason Liu met. That way, Qiqi could feel more at ease.
Reading her friend's reply, Qiqi smiled to herself.
Although she had agreed to meet Jason Liu in person, it was their first time meeting face-to-face, and they didn't know much about each other. So, to be safe, Qiqi didn't plan to go alone without backup.
A clever girl like her wouldn't be careless. Her safety always came first.
Yuzhen was her "secret" bodyguard. If Jason Liu tried anything shady, Qiqi would scream to draw Yuzhen's attention—or, if she sensed something strange, she would send her a message in advance.
This setup made her feel much more secure.
Hehe, I'm so smart! she thought proudly.
Meanwhile, Jason Liu had breakfast at the hotel, then took a taxi to Tianzifang. Following the driver's directions, he made his way through a narrow alley until he finally reached the archway.
Standing under the archway, Jason looked around. It was still morning, so not too crowded, but people were steadily entering the surrounding streets and alleys.
He took out his phone and messaged Qiqi to let her know he had arrived.
About ten minutes later, he finally spotted her—a young woman in a pink dress with two ponytails and a fluffy white rabbit backpack.
This was the first time they'd met in real life. Even without the filters from a camera or livestream, Qiqi was still incredibly beautiful. Jason found himself briefly stunned. No doubt about it—she was the same streamer he had admired for so long.
"Oh! Brother Jason!" Qiqi beamed, clearly pleased by his reaction. With her hands behind her back and a charming smile on her face, she said, "Let's officially introduce ourselves. I'm Qiqi, a second-year drama student!"
She then reached out her soft, pale hand in a confident, friendly gesture.
Jason quickly responded, gently shaking her hand. Her skin felt smooth and slightly cool. He didn't dare hold on for long—just a quick, polite shake before letting go.
"H-hi, Qiqi, I'm Jason Liu… It's really nice to meet you…" he stammered. Her large, sparkling eyes looked at him with a smile, making him feel a little flustered. His face reddened slightly, and he cleared his throat and looked away shyly.
Inside, he couldn't stop thinking, Wow! Qiqi is even more stunning in person! She's truly my favorite streamer!
Not far from the archway, Yuzhen watched the scene through her sunglasses, playing the part of a random tourist. Every so often, she glanced in their direction.
In her eyes, Jason Liu, dressed neatly in an Armani business-casual outfit, looked tall and well-groomed. Standing next to Qiqi, they really did seem like a good-looking couple.
Remembering Qiqi's mother's request, Yuzhen pulled out her phone and snapped a couple of photos of the two together.
"They do look good together…" she mumbled, checking her photos with a smirk, proud of her secret photography skills.
She sent one of the photos to Qiqi's mother via WeChat.
Then, seeing Qiqi and Jason walking into Tianzifang, she put her phone away and quietly followed them from a distance of about ten meters.
At the First People's Hospital in Modu City, Grace—the head surgical nurse—was doing her rounds with other nurses. As soon as she returned to the nurses' station, her phone buzzed.
She opened WeChat and tapped on the image that Yuzhen had just sent.
In the photo, a smiling young couple stood side by side. The girl in pink was clearly her daughter, Qiqi. The young man next to her—whose side profile was just visible—must be the internet friend Qiqi had mentioned.
"As expected of my daughter. The more I look at her, the prettier she gets!" Grace said with a proud smile. Then she shifted her focus to the young man in the picture, examining him like a mother sizing up a future son-in-law.
Zooming in, she looked closely. "Hmm… He's a bit handsome, looks young. Wearing Armani, that's not bad. He's about half a head taller than Qiqi—should be around 178cm. Good height…"
After a few more mental notes, Grace concluded that the boy didn't seem like a bad person. Still, she messaged Yuzhen to keep an eye on her daughter and to send more clear photos of the boy if she got the chance.
Then she chuckled and went back to work.
Back in Tianzifang, Qiqi led Jason through the alleys, exploring craft shops, shoe and hat stores, and tons of creative jewelry stalls. Jason was impressed by all the unique and creative items he saw—it was eye-opening.
"Hehe, what do you think?" Qiqi asked with a grin as they walked side by side. "This place is full of Modu's best handmade and creative stuff. Fun, right?"
Jason breathed in the light scent of the girl beside him. He couldn't tell if it was perfume or her natural scent, but either way, he found it pleasant.
Maybe it's true what people say online—girls smell good because they're marinated in makeup, he joked silently to himself. The random thought made him smile.
"What's so funny?" Qiqi asked, noticing the sudden smile on his usually serious face.
Jason couldn't hold back and shared the silly idea that popped into his head.
In response, Qiqi rolled her eyes dramatically. "Hmph! You boys are so childish! We wear makeup and perfume to make ourselves smell nice for you, you know!"
"Of course, of course!" Jason replied quickly with a laugh.
Of course girls smell nice, he thought to himself. If they smelled sweaty like guys, no one would want to get close.
After walking around for a while, Qiqi started to feel a little tired and suggested they grab a coffee. Jason agreed, and they picked a nicely decorated coffee shop with a cozy atmosphere.
They chose a window seat and sat down, relaxing after their morning walk through the creative alleyways.
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