She's a Passerby, But Can See the Protagonist's Halo-Chapter 137

As Ling Hong's words rang out, the crowd erupted with a collective "Ohhhh—!"

"Did you hear that? Did you hear that? My ship might actually be real!"

"Is Gu Jiasui even on campus right now? I’m so excited!"

Yan was doing her best to keep her expression neutral, while she and Jue Jue frantically typed out messages on their phones. Every single student at the scene had their phones out, recording—Jiasui, where are you?!

Yan sighed inwardly. What was this? The magnetic pull of someone with star power?

Gu Jiasui wasn’t even there, yet drama still found its way to her.

By the time Ling Hong left the campus with the film crew and Yan and Jue Jue returned to their dorms, the latest trending topics had already blown up online.

#LingHongCallsOutGuJiasui

#TheConsortWantsToSeeThePrincess

#LingHongFilmingAtBinUniversity

Yan entered the dorm, set down her bag, and after a quick glance around, locked the door. Seeing Gu Jiasui inside, she let out a sigh of relief.

"Jiasui, thank goodness you’re here."

Otherwise, no matter where she was on campus, some busybody would’ve undoubtedly approached her with questions.

"I’m fine." Gu Jiasui frowned slightly, reassuring the visibly shaken Yan.

Meanwhile, their dorm group chat was exploding with messages.

[Chu Bingbing]: What the hell?! Is he insane? What kind of audacity is this?! Jiasui, are you okay?

[Yi Zhi]: I’m downstairs, be right there.

[Ding Ling]: Same.

Chu Bingbing had gone back to her place to sort through clothes, but within two minutes, the sound of keys jingled as Yi Zhi and Ding Ling returned together, followed shortly after by senior He Xing.

At this moment, Dorm 320 was on high alert, as if bracing for a repeat of last semester’s incident when Lu Jianian had come looking for trouble.

He Xing didn’t know the full details, but seeing her juniors so tense made her uneasy too.

"What’s the deal with that celebrity?" she asked.

All eyes turned to Gu Jiasui—was this a romantic pursuit, or just a nuisance?

Gu Jiasui rubbed her temples. "We only worked together once and exchanged contact info. After the show aired, his agent reached out to mine, hoping for further collaboration."

"Recently, because of the buzz around related videos, they’ve contacted me and my agent a few more times."

She phrased it diplomatically, but everyone immediately understood.

"So he’s just trying to force a fake relationship!" Chu Bingbing declared confidently over the video call.

"Doesn’t his current project have a female lead? Why drag Jiasui into this?" Yi Zhi couldn’t wrap her head around it.

"I know a bit about this," Chu Bingbing chimed in, raising her hand on-screen.

"The thing he’s filming on campus is probably just a promotional shoot—only two days, not a full series. Otherwise, they wouldn’t let so many students watch."

"Ling Hong’s last historical romance drama, which aired during winter break, was supposed to be an S-tier production but flopped hard. Plus, he had a messy fallout with the female lead. Their promotional appearances were more awkward than a divorced couple—no way to milk that ship anymore." She gestured animatedly, dishing out the industry gossip.

"So after the show bombed, he’s desperate to claw back some clout and set his sights on Jiasui?" Yan mused, stroking her chin.

"Probably. Ever since Jiasui appeared on that New Year’s show, I’ve been seeing videos about Princess Jianing everywhere," Chu Bingbing said.

Ding Ling raised her hand. "I’ve seen them too."

"See? Even Little Ding Ling’s getting them. Let me check—there are multiple fan-edited shipping videos on a certain site with over a million views each. Not sure if it’s organic or paid promotion, but the hashtags on Weibo were definitely prepped. This was planned." Chu Bingbing spoke with certainty.

Yan scrolled through Weibo, where the trending topics were flooded with gossip and shippers hyping things up. Netizens loved drama, and some were even tagging Jiasui directly under the videos.

"OMGGGG, is this a confession?! Am I witnessing real love?! Princess and Consort CP is REAL!!"

"@GuJiasui Your Highness, we need a response!!"

"PLEASE give us a second collaboration, they’re so perfect together!!"

"Rumor has it Ling Hong specifically chose Bin University for filming just to ‘accidentally’ run into the Princess—I CAN’T EVEN!!"

"If you don’t stan the Princess x Consort CP, you’re missing out. Come join us in rewatching the god-tier fan edits—THEY’RE SO GOOD!!"

"Your Highness, come see your Consort already—he’s literally falling apart without you."

Yan: "…"

She had a feeling Xiao Qingnang from the boys’ dorm might be the one actually falling apart.

"The hype’s only getting worse," Yi Zhi murmured, watching the hashtag climb higher.

Gu Jiasui stepped into the bathroom to take a call, likely discussing the situation with her agent.

"Not even that famous, but loves to cling to clout," Chu Bingbing rolled her eyes on-screen.

"He clearly had a strategy—prepared hashtags, hired bots, made ambiguous remarks that toe the line. Whether she responds or not, it’s a problem."

As a seasoned gossip connoisseur, Chu Bingbing laid out the analysis.

"So what do we do? Netizens love fueling drama," Yi Zhi asked.

"Just reject him outright?" Ding Ling suggested.

Yan rested her chin on her hands. "They’re in the same industry. That’d be a direct slap in the face, and his fans might go rabid and attack Jiasui online."

Ding Ling puffed her cheeks. "But we can’t just let him have his way. Otherwise…" She shot Yan a series of exaggerated winks, tapped her head, then closed her eyes dramatically.

Yan blinked, lost. What was that supposed to mean? Was Ding Ling suggesting… physical violence?

"Honestly, if she just ignores it, the buzz will die down fast. The real issue is if he keeps pushing it," Yan said. It wasn’t ideal, but it was the safest route.

"I think the odds of him clinging to this are pretty high. Shipping isn’t illegal, but if he keeps stirring the pot, it’ll be like a fly buzzing nonstop. Unless Jiasui’s family steps in."

Yan suspected that Gu Jiasui’s natural charisma and public appeal were exactly why Ling Hong was so eager to latch onto her.

Most actresses might hesitate to shut things down to avoid drama, but Gu Jiasui had no such concerns.

And knowing Jiasui—outwardly easygoing, but sharp as a blade, with unshakable principles—she wouldn’t let anyone take advantage of her.

While Dorm 320 was deep in discussion, the same scene was unfolding in Boys’ Dorm 414 across campus—minus Lin Fan, who was home taking care of his kid.

"Who even is this guy? Some pretty-boy actor? Doesn’t even look as fair-skinned as Yuan Ye. Yuan Ye could debut too," Chu Shen remarked.

Yuan Ye shot him a deadpan look. "Chu Shen, I can’t tell if that’s a compliment or an insult."

Even though he knew Chu Shen’s EQ was below sea level, being friends with him still came with the occasional verbal jab.

"A toad lusting after swan meat," Chu Shen muttered, sneaking a glance at Xiao Qingnang and exchanging meaningful looks with Zhu Jue.

Xiao Qingnang sat silently at his desk, eyes fixed on his phone, not saying a word. The quiet was… unsettling.

The person hasn't even been successfully pursued yet, and halfway through, a "Cheng Yaojin" barges in—a big celebrity publicly making a declaration. Who wouldn't be annoyed by that?

Looking at Xiao Qingnang, he appeared calm and composed at the moment, but it was hard to tell whether it was genuine or just an act. Was he truly unshaken or merely pretending?

The four guys exchanged glances, silently debating whether to speak up or not.

Finally, after a silent round of rock-paper-scissors, the loser, Ye Ping'an, hesitantly spoke up, "Old Xiao, you okay?"

Many things didn’t need to be spelled out for everyone to sense. Xiao Qingnang had been leaving early and returning late every day, brewing brown sugar ginger tea or chrysanthemum and lily drinks in the dorm. After all this time, the guys in the dorm weren’t stupid—they could all tell what was going on.

Only then did Xiao Qingnang turn to look at them, his tone as calm and steady as ever. "I'm fine."

"You’re really okay?" Chu Shen still wasn’t convinced.

He took a couple of steps forward, his sharp eyes darting to Xiao Qingnang’s phone screen—clearly displaying a Weibo page!

Hah! Men will stay stubborn till the very end!

"This guy just wants to ride the CP hype, leech off the popularity, and cozy up to a rich woman," Yuan Ye summarized, pulling his swivel chair closer.

Xiao Qingnang gave a faint "Mm" in agreement.

"Don’t you have any thoughts about this?" Ye Ping'an couldn’t hold back either.

"Are you planning to stay silent and let things unfold?" Zhu Jue chimed in. After all, this was someone else’s romantic affair, and neither he nor Yan knew exactly how far things had progressed between the two in private.

Was Xiao Qingnang’s current state one of confident certainty, or was he biding his time for a silent victory?

"So you’re saying I should do something?" Xiao Qingnang glanced at his roommates.

"Old Xiao, here’s the thing—if my love rival pulled something like this, I’d take it as a direct challenge. I’d curse him a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand times. Hypothetically, of course," Ye Ping'an added.

"So if you’re upset about anything, you can vent to us. We’ll curse that idiot together. Or we can go roast him for you—what are brothers for if not to step up now?" Yuan Ye said.

"Take this chance to plant a few seeds of doubt in Gu Jiasui’s mind! A crisis is also an opportunity!" Chu Shen egged him on.

Xiao Qingnang then turned to Zhu Jue. "Zhu Jue, what do you think?"

Zhu Jue studied his composed demeanor, his gaze flickering slightly before he replied, "No opinion. It’s up to you."

Xiao Qingnang nodded. After a moment of thought, he spoke. "Here’s how I see it."

"What happens between her and me doesn’t involve anyone else. That’s our business."

"As for this… Ling Hong, his intentions are obvious. It’s her place to handle it, not mine. I have no right or reason to interfere. Overstepping would backfire."

Was Xiao Qingnang anxious? Of course he was. His mind would occasionally flare up with anger, but he wasn’t like other young men his age.

Perhaps due to algorithm-driven recommendations, he’d been bombarded with "Princess X Consort" videos lately, including interviews where this male celebrity mentioned looking forward to collaborating with "Her Highness" again.

He sensed something off immediately.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been pushing boundaries more boldly around her lately, testing her limits.

She allowed some of his advances, and Xiao Qingnang naturally seized every opportunity—testing, inching closer, slowly weaving his net around her, drawing her in bit by bit.

Xiao Qingnang wasn’t sure if this was what modern people called the "ambiguous phase." The term alone made his skin crawl.

All he knew was that every tiny step closer filled him with indescribable joy.

In a way, he wasn’t in a hurry.

Because he knew, better than anyone, that aside from Zhu Jue and Yan’s relationship, he and Gu Jiasui were the two people who understood each other most deeply in this world—bound by shared secrets.

As for "official status" or going public, given her current career, exposure, and public image, Xiao Qingnang wasn’t desperate for it. He was willing to take it slow, with endless patience.

Hearing Xiao Qingnang’s words, Chu Shen was dumbfounded. He raised a hand.

"Wait, let me process this. I still feel a bit lost—it’s kinda convoluted."

Ye Ping’an raised his hand. "I get it. Old Xiao, you’re saying that what’s between you and Gu Jiasui is one thing, and this male celebrity is another. They’re separate issues that need to be analyzed independently."

"But if it were me—to put it bluntly—if a guy I liked got publicly pursued by someone else, I wouldn’t think it has nothing to do with me. Doing nothing feels too passive," he voiced his opinion.

"Xiao Qingnang isn’t doing nothing," Zhu Jue interjected.

"Right now, by not acting, he’s already winning."

The moment Zhu Jue said this, all the roommates turned to him.

"Please enlighten us, oh master of long-term relationships," Yuan Ye asked humbly.

Zhu Jue cleared his throat. "First, you guys might only see this male celebrity’s fame and influence, but as far as I know, he’s only worked with Gu Jiasui once. They have no private interactions—he’s just a former co-star at best."

"Second, if he wanted Gu Jiasui to make a cameo in the drama he’s filming at our school, reaching out to her directly would be faster than making a public declaration. Why the grand gesture? Because she’s ignoring him, so he’s resorting to this to force a response, especially with the online hype growing. It’s basically holding public opinion hostage."

"Or let me put it this way—if a guy publicly confesses to a girl who clearly isn’t interested, and the crowd eggs them on to pair up, how would the girl feel?" Zhu Jue gestured for them to answer.

"Like he’s a massive idiot," Chu Shen said.

"A self-absorbed, world-class dumbass," Ye Ping’an added.

"I get it now," Yuan Ye nodded.

Zhu Jue continued, "What does riding the CP hype get him? Popularity, clout, shared fanbase benefits—which of these does Gu Jiasui lack?"

All three shook their heads. Gu Jiasui lacked none of those. Most celebrities, even if they enroll in university, spend most of their time filming or doing variety shows, only returning for exams.

But Gu Jiasui? Her main identity wasn’t "actress"—it was "student." She only acted during holidays and weekends.

Zhu Jue snapped his fingers. "She doesn’t need any of that, so she’d never agree to be tied to him. In fact, she’d probably resent him for it."

"And…" Zhu Jue paused.

"Choosing the 'Princess and Consort' CP is especially dumb. Historically, princesses and consorts didn’t get along, and consorts even had concubines," he remarked.

Considering Gu Jiasui’s true background, Zhu Jue didn’t dare imagine how furious she must be right now.

Chu Shen, Yuan Ye, and Ye Ping’an had an epiphany. Looking at Xiao Qingnang again, they realized—Old Xiao truly was Old Xiao.

But Chu Shen raised his hand again. "Master, one more question."

"If that's the case, shouldn't Brother Xiao take this opportunity to score some points? Wouldn't it be perfect to clarify things by going public with the relationship now?"

Zhu Jue coughed lightly—he didn’t know the answer to that question.

"Let me answer that myself."

"First of all, we’re not in a relationship. It’s just me openly having feelings for her. Secondly, doing something like that would feel like taking advantage of the situation. I don’t want her to feel pressured by outside forces into making a decision she wouldn’t normally make." Xiao Qingnang spoke with a serious expression.

"Brother Xiao, you’re really… such a good guy." Chu Shen opened his mouth but struggled to find the right words to describe him.

Xiao Qingnang neither confirmed nor denied it. "Maybe."

Faced with Xiao Qingnang’s response, Zhu Jue’s eyes flickered with emotion.

A true gentleman—this was the epitome of one.

The title of "Divine Physician" wasn’t just earned through exceptional medical skills.

A healer’s compassionate heart required both the actions to save lives and the integrity of a noble-minded scholar.

After ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‍their brief conversation, the boys in Dorm 414 went about their own business. Zhu Jue exchanged messages with Yan.

[Zhu Jue]: Brother Xiao is a true gentleman.

When Yan received Jue Jue’s message, her eyes curved into a smile. Reading Xiao Qingnang’s words, she didn’t seem the least bit surprised.

They were all such good people.

Still, Yan rubbed her chin thoughtfully—should she show this to Gu Jiasui? Should she play matchmaker, or just stay out of it?

Huh? Gu Jiasui just posted on Weibo!

Seeing the notification from her special follow, Yan immediately clicked through.

The moment she saw the post, she nearly burst out laughing and quickly forwarded it to Jue Jue.

[Gu Jiasui V]: [Goodbye emoji] [Image of historical text]

Gu Jiasui had posted a standard Weibo "goodbye" emoji—a little cartoon figure waving—but in internet slang, it carried the connotation of "politely declining" or "hard pass."

Below it was an image of a historical text, with underlined passages documenting how Princess Jianing and her consort had a strained marriage, lived separately, and how the consort kept a mistress outside the palace. The text even noted that the consort was not buried in the princess’s tomb.

To those unaware of Gu Jiasui’s other identity, the post might just seem like a witty, sarcastic jab.

Not a single word of text, just an emoji and an image—yet it said everything without saying anything at all.

Far more devastating than an outright rejection, every line screamed, "Stay away." If any delusional shippers or Ling Hong’s fans tried to attack Gu Jiasui over this, they’d only make fools of themselves. After all, she was just quoting historical records—what did that have to do with them? Were they so eager to claim the role of the disgraced consort?

And with the historical text blatantly stating the couple’s discord and the consort’s infidelity, shipping them as a couple was downright toxic! Who in their right mind could still romanticize that?

Within two minutes of Gu Jiasui’s post going live—thanks to the ongoing hot search—Yan refreshed to find a flood of comments.

"As a certified chaos enjoyer, I’m wheezing—Gu Jiasui might as well have just typed out ‘GET LOST’ in all caps, LOL!"

"Anyone who knows even a little about this historical couple knows they were NOT in love. How can people still ship them? Our brilliant, legendary Princess Jianing deserves better than being paired with that deadbeat consort."

"Teacher Gu is too considerate—she even included a translation under the historical text. I’m dying. She really made sure no one missed the part where Princess Jianing and her consort couldn’t stand each other, not even sharing a grave in death. What was that male celebrity thinking, trying to force this ship? Did he think public pressure would make her cave?"

"Princess Jianing: lying in coffin The audacity! I’ve been dead for centuries and still can’t escape being tied to that useless consort? Who dug this up??"

Yan nodded approvingly at the comments—plenty of sensible people out there.

Though, Princess Jianing wasn’t lying in a coffin these days. She was in her dorm room.

Turning around, Yan noticed Gu Jiasui wasn’t at her desk. She hadn’t left the dorm either—the bathroom light was on. Another phone call?

Inside the bathroom, Gu Jiasui had just finished discussing matters with her team via headphones. Spotting an incoming WeChat video call from Xiao Qingnang, she accidentally tapped it, switching to video.

The two locked eyes, their cramped bathroom shower curtains visible in the background.

Gu Jiasui cleared her throat. "Misclick. What’s up?"

On the screen, Xiao Qingnang’s face was closer than usual, his sharp features and earnest gaze almost piercing through the screen.

"Nothing," he murmured, lips pressing together briefly.

"Just wanted to ask what time you’re visiting Pengpeng tomorrow. I’ll adjust my schedule to avoid overlap."

Gu Jiasui raised an eyebrow. "Why avoid it?"

Xiao Qingnang faltered, lowering his eyes. "With all the busybodies following you lately, it wouldn’t be convenient if they caught me with you."

"Doesn’t bother me," she said flatly.

His eyes brightened instantly.

Then, as Gu Jiasui added, "We’ve already trended together before," his expression dimmed again.

Xiao Qingnang gave a quiet "Mm," tilting his face slightly away. "Is the hot search under control now?"

"Yeah. If they keep pushing this ship, we might need a different approach." She adjusted her phone.

"What approach?" he couldn’t help asking.

Casually, Gu Jiasui replied, "Publicly rejecting the forced pairing outright. Backup plan: announce a contractual relationship to scare off any male celebrities from getting close in the future."

His breath audibly hitched. On screen, Xiao Qingnang turned back fully, jaw tight but voice steady as he asked, "Have you settled on the backup plan?"

"I turned it down." Gu Jiasui picked at her nail.

"Using someone else for personal gain feels disrespectful."

His voice came through softly: "I don’t mind."

"I don’t mind you using me," Xiao Qingnang repeated.

"I do." Her sharp reply sent a chill through him.

"Matters of the heart may not be fair, but they should be honest and sincere. My response to your feelings shouldn’t be tangled up in this."

"It wouldn’t be proper. It wouldn’t be right."