Falling in Love Online with an Ancient General

[Qingyi: Actually, I don't really celebrate foreign holidays, but it's nice to join in the fun.]

[Yuechuan: How do you plan to spend your birthday?]

He was about to have enough points to exchange for a space-time teleportation array, and he wanted to set a date with her.

[Qingyi: I'll probably have dinner with friends, go shopping, and sing at a karaoke place.]

[Yuechuan: Can I have your time in the evening?]

[Qingyi: For the evening, have you prepared a surprise for me?]

[Yuechuan: You could say that.]

[Qingyi: Alright, I'll come home early in the evening.]

[Yuechuan: I'll be waiting for you.]

Qingyi was quite looking forward to the surprise Qin Yuechuan had prepared.

Christmas happened to fall on a Saturday.

Early in the morning, Qingyi received a call from her best friend, Jiang Xiaoxiao.

Jiang Xiaoxiao wasn't good at academics, but she had an exceptional talent for music.

Her parents were very supportive of her desire to study music and had been nurturing her talent since she was young.

In high school, she took the art exam and got into the country's top-ranked music academy. Now, she had become a singer with a small but growing fan base.

Especially after her recent appearance on a variety show, where she gained a large number of fans with her singing.

If it weren't for her poor dancing skills, she might have already debuted as part of a group.

"Qingyi, I'm already at your school gate. Come find me quickly!" Jiang Xiaoxiao's crisp voice came through the phone.

"You busy bee, how come you have time to visit me today?" Although they hadn't seen each other for a long time, their friendship remained unaffected.

"I'm swamped with work now, so it's not easy for me to come see you. Hurry up and come out, let's have breakfast together!"

Qingyi put on her coat, "Alright, wait for me a bit. I'll be there soon."

When Qingyi found Jiang Xiaoxiao, she was wearing a snow-white wool coat and a fluffy khaki hat on her head.

A mask covered half of her face, and her black hair cascaded over her shoulders, slightly tousled by the wind.

"Finally, you're here. It's freezing out here, let's go!" Jiang Xiaoxiao slipped one hand into Qingyi's down jacket pocket.

The two walked side by side, just like old times.

"Qingyi, I saw your brother's social media post. He's got a girlfriend now?"

Qingyi nodded, "Mm-hmm."

"There are so many excellent young men at your university. Don't you have any thoughts about that?" Jiang Xiaoxiao asked.

Qingyi replied, "What thoughts could I have? By the way, you've had a taste of the entertainment industry now. Any insights?"

Bringing up this topic, Jiang Xiaoxiao became animated.

"My insight is that from now on, I'll stick to performing in musicals and won't participate in any more variety shows. Actually, those variety shows are all rigged."

"I used to think they were real when I watched them, but after actually participating, I realized it's all just a game between capital interests."

"People like me are clearly there just to be cannon fodder. I'm lucky I had some real talent and managed to gain some fans."

Qingyi suddenly remembered how Jiang Xiaoxiao used to talk about wanting to be a big star. It seemed things had changed now.

"You're already very impressive. Keep working hard, and I'll definitely support your musicals!"

Jiang Xiaoxiao smiled and said, "I'm going to become the best musical theatre actress. Qingyi, have you thought about what you want to do in the future?"

"With my major, most graduates consider jobs in finance, maybe investment banking." Qingyi was still a bit uncertain about her future career path.

Jiang Xiaoxiao smiled and said, "Someone as excellent as you can go anywhere. If you can't find a job, you can always go back and inherit the family business."

"Our family doesn't need me to inherit anything. Come on, let's go eat!" Qingyi led Jiang Xiaoxiao to a noodle shop just outside the school.

As soon as Qingyi walked in, she saw Song Jingyuan eating. He was wearing a black coat and had a cool, aloof air about him.

Qingyi and Jiang Xiaoxiao sat down not far from him.

Jiang Xiaoxiao excitedly poked Qingyi, "Qingyi, he's so handsome! I'm going to ask for his WeChat."

Qingyi was about to say she knew him, but Jiang Xiaoxiao had already rushed to Song Jingyuan's side.

"Hello! Can we exchange WeChat contacts?"

Song Jingyuan looked up at Jiang Xiaoxiao, "Sorry, no."

Rejected by the handsome guy, Jiang Xiaoxiao dejectedly sat down across from Qingyi, muttering softly.

"Sigh, he's very handsome, but too cold. I'm quite a beauty myself, yet he rejected me so heartlessly."

Qingyi pushed the noodles the waiter had just brought over to Jiang Xiaoxiao, "Alright, eat up."

"He's really an exceptionally handsome guy. Do you think he already has a girlfriend?" Jiang Xiaoxiao mused.

Qingyi: "Probably not."

"Do you know him?" Jiang Xiaoxiao stared at Qingyi eagerly.

Qingyi nodded, "He's a senior at our school. I've met him a few times."

"Xiaoxiao, if I remember correctly, don't you have a boyfriend?"

Jiang Xiaoxiao smacked her forehead, "If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten."

"In the future, don't end up in a long-distance relationship like me. Having a boyfriend becomes the same as not having one."

"I don't even know what he's been up to lately. He doesn't contact me, and I've almost forgotten he exists."

After finishing their meal, the two went shopping together.

It being Christmas, the mall was beautifully decorated.

Qingyi and Jiang Xiaoxiao each held a cup of hot milk tea, sipping as they browsed. Before long, they were carrying several shopping bags.

"Qingyi, this watch is so beautiful!"

Qingyi looked at the watch Jiang Xiaoxiao was pointing at. The face was inlaid with pink diamonds, and it was indeed very beautiful. She felt a bit tempted.

Next to the pink diamond watch was a men's watch, very simple and elegant.

"Would you ladies like to take a look at these watches? They're a couple set, not sold separately."

Qingyi checked the price, which was within an acceptable range, but she didn't have a boyfriend, so why buy a couple set?

Jiang Xiaoxiao waved her hand decisively, "I'll take it."

Qingyi thought to herself, it's exhausting that even buying a watch these days means getting a couple set.

Seeing Qingyi staring at the watch for a long time, Jiang Xiaoxiao said, "Qingyi, if you like it, you can buy it too!"

Qingyi shook her head, "No, I won't."

"Your birthday is coming up soon, but I have rehearsals for the musical I'm performing in, so I might not have time to celebrate with you."

"Since you like it, I bought one for you too. Consider it your birthday gift."

"It may seem a bit hasty, but given how close we are, we don't need to worry about such formalities."

Jiang Xiaoxiao gave Qingyi no chance to refuse. She had already handed her the watch packaged by the store clerk, then asked the clerk to prepare an identical one.