Chapter 185
Xie Mi was already prepared to come clean, but the fan’s sudden comment — “cosplaying Xie Ye Killing the Donkey” — left her completely speechless.
After two seconds of thought, she nodded at the group of fans.
Beside her, Shen Yuqing also nodded.
The fan instantly brightened. “I knew it! Cosplay! You must be double fans then? Xie-bro fans and Xie Ye Killing the Donkey CP fans? I remember only Xie-bro fans like to cosplay the originals.”
Xie Mi nodded again. Shen Yuqing followed with another nod.
“Wow! Seeing a real-life Xie-bro! The leaked photos just dropped earlier today, and you already found the exact same outfits? That’s incredible!”
Xie Mi and Shen Yuqing kept nodding.
Finally, one fan sensed something was off.
“Why aren’t you guys talking?”
“……”
After a pause, Xie Mi suddenly began using sign language.
The fans were startled at first. Their eyes turned pitying — but then that pity shifted rapidly into something else: suspicion, shock, ecstatic delight!
“Old Xie!!!”
Xie Mi’s whole body jolted!
Before she had time to process what went wrong, the fan shouted excitedly: “That hand seal — no mistake, that’s Old Xie!!”
Xie Mi looked down.
Oh.
While signing, she had reflexively formed a hand seal.
Side effect of acting in stage plays.
Before she could react, a warm hand suddenly gripped hers.
The next second, Shen Yuqing’s deep, beautiful voice reached her ear along with the wind.
“Run!”
Wind roared in her ears as Shen Yuqing pulled her through the dense crowd, sprinting onto an open street. Under the dim streetlights, they kept running.
Behind them came the excited shouts of the fans.
Staring at the broad back in front of her, Xie Mi suddenly understood something. She squeezed his hand in return and quickly darted into a side alley.
“Follow me!”
“Huh??” Shen Yuqing was caught off guard as she dragged him along, ruining what could have been a few more seconds of romantic runaway-drama atmosphere.
But Xie Mi moved with practiced ease, weaving through the narrow alleys. One moment she hid behind a trash bin, the next she was scrambling up a wall like a pro.
The runaway romance scene turned into two thieves showing off their peak escape skills after a robbery.
Shen Yuqing couldn’t help but laugh.
“Feels like Teacher Xie’s done this more than a few times.”
Xie Mi was blunt.
“There are plenty of people who want to beat me up. Can’t hurt to master some getaway skills.”
Shen Yuqing: “……”
At least she was self-aware.
After a series of twists and turns, they finally shook off the fans.
But they also got lost.
The two stood at a deserted intersection in silence.
“Teacher Xie, where exactly have you brought me?”
“All roads lead to ox— no, Rome. Who knows, maybe there’s good food here? Lots of hidden gems are tucked away in quiet alleys like this. Trust me.”
Xie Mi’s specialty: great attitude. Even lost, she stayed unfazed, dragging Shen Yuqing down the street on a food hunt.
Here, with so few people around, they didn’t need masks or sunglasses. Xie Mi hooked the sunglasses onto her collar, swinging her mask casually in one hand as she walked lightly under the streetlights.
Shen Yuqing instinctively pulled out his phone to record. When her figure appeared under the streetlamp in his camera, he froze.
An empty street. A receding silhouette.
The sense of déjà vu hit him hard.
His breathing slowed. He stared at the screen, lost in thought.
When no footsteps followed, Xie Mi stopped too, turning back in confusion.
“What’s wrong?”
Seeing no reaction, she turned fully around. But her gaze fell on the long shadow stretched on the ground. Mischief flickered in her eyes.
She jumped — both feet landing squarely on the shadow’s head.
Grinning up at him, her clear eyes sparkled with slyness.
“Old Shen, I just crushed your head!”
Shen Yuqing’s breath caught.
In that instant, he finally understood why he’d felt that strange thrill all day.
He’d been savoring every moment of capturing her on camera.
That figure which had vanished from his viewfinder countless times was now truly, tangibly preserved on his phone.
That’s why he kept replaying the clips, never missing a chance to record.
And now, under the streetlight, the girl’s radiant smile — bright as starlight — filled his entire screen, as if meeting his gaze directly.
The emotions in his eyes melted into a pool of spring water, diffusing into endless warmth.
“Crushed my head?”
“Crushed it hard.”
“My turn then.”
“!!!”
Under the streetlamp, two figures — one tall, one short — stomped on each other’s shadows like kids.
It should’ve been a sweet, romantic scene.
But the shorter shadow suddenly broke into breakdance moves, then zombie-walked with twitching limbs, completely locking the taller shadow in place for twenty seconds.
“Teacher Xie, please stop. I’m scared.”
…
That night, Shen Yuqing dutifully dropped Xie Mi at her door so she could head straight to bed.
But Xie Mi didn’t rush to get out. Instead, she looked at him seriously and said in a solemn tone:
“The bag of snacks we bought earlier isn’t finished yet.”
“Give me half.”
Shen Yuqing knew she was up to no good, yet he still stayed to listen — and ended up laughing in disbelief.
In the end, he stuffed all the snacks into her arms, then recorded her triumphant grin as she hugged the loot. That marked the perfect end to their date.
Netizens, of course, were lightning-fast.
Not only had they leaked various candids from the day, but now they’d also posted photos of her and Shen Yuqing’s little “fugitive act” in the alleys.
On the trending topic #Xie Ye Killing the Donkey Finally Went on a Date, the very next one was: #What’s Xie Mi Stealing Again?#
[Photo A]: Shen Yuqing, refined and elegant, crouching by a trash bin like a fallen noble. Beside him, Xie Mi peeking inside with shifty eyes.
Caption: Suspected of stealing trash.
Xie Mi: ?
“Suspected of stealing trash” — which normal person even writes that?!
She just wanted to check if the trash bin could be used as a hiding spot!!
[Photo B]: Shen Yuqing standing gracefully by a wall. Xie Mi leaping up to grab the edge, one foot desperately kicking to climb.
Caption: Suspected of fleeing police capture.
Xie Mi: ?
Xie Mi: Excuse me???
She had climbed up in one second flat! Shen Yuqing didn’t even get the chance to help before she slipped and accidentally kicked him away!!
[Photo C]: Shen Yuqing slightly hunched, eyes teary, while Xie Mi looked around shiftily.
Caption: Suspected of scouting surroundings to kidnap a young nobleman.
Xie Mi: … 10/10.
She had been vigilantly scanning the area, and Shen Yuqing just randomly laughed until he teared up — how did that turn into her kidnapping a man?!
Naturally, Xie Mi responded quickly to the hot search.
[Xie Mi]: [middle finger] [smile] [middle finger]
