RL – Chapter 30

Lin Yi thought she had misheard. “I have a crush on Xu Shuyan?”

Fang Yi nodded, confirming that she hadn’t been hearing things. Seeing Lin Yi’s face turn pale then red, she explained, “I’m not asking you to really have a crush on her, but to get into that emotional state. Don’t actors need to have a sense of conviction? Since you don’t have a talent for acting, then just make yourself believe from the bottom of your heart that you have a crush on this person!”

Lin Yi: “…Stop trampling on my acting skills.”

Fang Yi coughed lightly. “I’m not putting you down, you know. I’m also thinking of you. Getting scolded by the director will all be recorded in the behind-the-scenes footage. It’s no joke for it to become part of your dark history and get mocked on forums.”

“Even if you’re not afraid of being mocked,” Fang Yi leaned forward and said, “you don’t want to affect the quality of the entire drama because of you, right?”

Lin Yi said, “Of course not.”

“Then that settles it, right?” Fang Yi pressed on. “Just pretend you have a crush on Xu Shuyan. Her every move tugs at your heartstrings. Everything about her is pleasing to your eye. You want to get closer but pull back, you want to be intimate but you’re afraid she’ll find out. That bittersweet feeling of a secret crush, you get it?”

Lin Yi thought to herself that she understood it all too well. If she just replaced Xu Shuyan with Chen Yuan, her acting would be off the charts.

She couldn’t make any promises, just said, “I’ll try.”

Fang Yi didn’t make it difficult for her. “I know you guys have been busy lately, preparing for the concert and filming the group variety show, but you have to take this drama seriously. Go back and tell Yanyan about this too, okay?”

Lin Yi nodded. “Got it.”

Fang Yi said, “Alright, you can go back now.”

She glanced at the headache-inducing file on her desk about some minor celebrity’s relationship scandal and couldn’t help but remind Lin Yi, “Whatever you do, don’t get into a relationship! Idols who date get their heads chopped off!”

A chill ran down Lin Yi’s neck. I’d love to, she thought, but Chen Yuan won’t give me the chance!

She replied dejectedly, “Please believe in my idol professionalism!”

Fang Yi, still worried, added, “Dating within the group is also not allowed.”

Lin Yi: “…”

With Xu Shuyan?

Not even in the next life!

---

Having a crush on Xu Shuyan was too great a challenge for Lin Yi.

Walking into the bedroom with heavy steps, she wanted to give up the moment she saw Xu Shuyan. Unfortunately, the camera that was filming Xu Shuyan immediately turned to her, forcing her to switch into her business mode. “Why aren’t you asleep yet?”

“Did you get your phone back?” Xu Shuyan asked.

Before she could answer, Xu Shuyan started complaining, “It’s the production team. They said we’re about to go to Q City for the concert and then leave from there to film the group variety show, but they don’t have any footage of us packing. So of course they have to film a segment now, right?”

Lin Yi leaned against the doorframe, in no hurry to enter. “What all have you packed?”

Xu Shuyan said, “So much stuff. We only get a few hundred yuan per person, and we can’t use cards. I wish I could bring the whole dorm with me.” She looked up at her. “Aren’t you coming in to pack?”

“I just want to lie down right now,” Lin Yi replied lazily.

Xu Shuyan still had to talk to the camera, so she let her be. Lin Yi just stood there watching Xu Shuyan, carefully observing what qualities she had that were worth liking.

First, Xu Shuyan’s figure was really good. Slim waist, long legs, curvy in all the right places. And to the touch… hmm, also quite nice.

Second, Xu Shuyan was beautiful. Not the cookie-cutter, featureless kind of beautiful, but a cool, striking kind of beauty. When she was trying to be alluring, she was extremely seductive. The way her gaze melted over you could make your bones go soft.

Furthermore, Xu Shuyan had a great singing voice. Although she was the main rapper, her voice was truly good—clear and bright. Fans could boast that she was the Gu Group’s second main vocal.

Looking at it this way, Xu Shuyan was good in every aspect.

As for what wasn’t good about her… Lin Yi clicked her tongue inwardly. There were far too many things. The worst was that she also liked Chen Yuan, competed with her, fought with her, and pissed her off every day!

While she was watching Xu Shuyan so intently, Xu Shuyan finally couldn’t stand her scorching gaze any longer and looked up. “If you’re not coming in, why are you standing in the doorway staring at me?”

“Because you’re pretty to look at,” Lin Yi said as she walked in, squatting in front of Xu Shuyan and cupping her face. “Have you gotten even prettier recently?”

Xu Shuyan: “…”

She coldly pushed Lin Yi’s hands away and lowered her head. “Just say it. What do you need my help with this time?”

Inwardly, however, she was complaining. Lin Yi’s fan service had come out of nowhere. With the cameras rolling, she had to play along. Didn’t she get tired, doing this in the middle of the night?

“I don’t need your help with anything.” Lin Yi remained squatting, propping her chin on one hand as she looked at her, her eyes curving into a smile as if they held starlight. “I just wanted to praise you, is that not allowed?”

Xu Shuyan glanced at her. “Really?”

Lin Yi lowered her eyes. Her fingers carefully slid through the air and grasped the corner of Xu Shuyan’s shirt, giving it a light, almost imperceptible shake. Her voice was cloying. “Really.”

After a pause, she added cautiously, “If you could help me pack a couple more outfits, I’d be very happy.”

“…” Xu Shuyan was speechless with anger, raising a hand as if to hit her. “I knew you were up to no good!”

The moment Xu Shuyan reached out, Lin Yi quickly stood up and took two steps back, gloating, “Haha! You missed!”

Xu Shuyan couldn’t be bothered to get up. “Don’t run if you’ve got the guts!”

Of course, Lin Yi didn’t have the guts. She stuck her tongue out provocatively at Xu Shuyan and turned to enter the walk-in closet. The moment the closet door slid shut, her smile vanished. She lowered her head and buried her face in the clothes, inhaling the faint scent of laundry detergent and letting out a troubled sigh.

Just how was she supposed to have a crush on Xu Shuyan!!!

---

When the five members of The Notes arrived in Q City, it had just finished raining.

The late spring rain drizzled down. Late-blooming cherry blossoms drifted everywhere, blanketing the wet roads, only to be trampled into puddles in an instant. Muffled thunder rumbled behind the dense dark clouds, booming its announcement of summer’s arrival to the world.

There were many fans to greet them at the airport this time, but thankfully they were orderly. After placing their letters in the basket held by the assistant, they didn’t approach the members, instead shouting their names from behind a self-imposed boundary, their words of advice growing warmer with each call.

Fan: “Be careful not to catch a cold during the change of seasons!”

The Notes: Okay.

Fan: “Dress warmly, baby! You’ll be cold dressed like that!”

The Notes: We’re not babies!

Fan: “You have to eat well!”

The Notes: We have to manage our figures!

Fan: “No dating within the group!”

The Notes: …?

Lin Yi was the closest, and she wasn’t wearing earbuds, so she heard it clearly. Unable to resist, she followed the sound and saw a fan with the three characters for “Xu Shuyan” stuck on her face, staring at her with a look of deep-seated hatred.

Lin Yi: “…”

Got it. This was a warning to her.

She thought for a moment. It wasn’t easy for fans to follow their idols; it was better not to do things that would upset them right in front of their faces. So, she carefully shuffled to the side, trying to put some distance between herself and Xu Shuyan.

Who would have thought that Xu Shuyan, accustomed to protecting her at the airport, would immediately become alert when she moved even a centimeter out of her line of sight? She reached out, pulled her over, and wrapped an arm around her.

She scolded in a low voice, “Don’t wander off!”

A chill ran down the back of Lin Yi’s neck.

If looks could kill, she suspected she would have already been sliced into a thousand pieces by Xu Shuyan’s fans.

But Xu Shuyan remained oblivious. Afraid that she would leave her sight again, she grabbed her wrist and didn’t let go. It wasn’t until they were in the car that Lin Yi shook her off. “How can you be so unobservant?”

Xu Shuyan was taken aback. “What?”

Her airport fashion this time was fresh and clean. She wore a yellow and green dress full of spring vitality, and her Japanese-style makeup made her look even more refreshing. When she stared blankly at Lin Yi, she looked a bit dorky and cute, making Lin Yi’s heart tremble.

…It was hard to be fierce with a beautiful woman, you know.

With that thought, Lin Yi’s imposing manner softened, and she said in a low voice, “Your fans were following us just now.”

Xu Shuyan was still confused. “It wasn’t just my fans, was it?”

“It wasn’t.” Lin Yi explained patiently, “But one of your fans just shouted ‘No dating within the group.’ Wasn’t that obviously meant for the two of us?”

Xu Shuyan said, “Oh,” and added, “But we’re not dating.”

“What?” Zhou Shichen, who had just fastened her seatbelt, jumped into the conversation, exclaiming dramatically, “You’re not dating? Oh! I don’t believe it! This can’t be true!”

Lin Yi poked her cheek. “We’re not.”

Zhou Shichen puffed out her cheeks, trying to dislodge Lin Yi’s poking finger, and declared confidently, “Even if you’re not dating within the group, you definitely have a crush on each other!”

Xu Shuyan: “…”

So guilty, she didn’t dare to refute it.

Lin Yi: “…”

She now had a crush on two people, which made her even more guilty.

Zhou Shichen keenly sensed their guilt and was narrowing her eyes to study them when Yan Qi, beside her, said, “Are you done talking? If you’re done, let’s go over tomorrow’s rehearsal schedule.”

The four members of The Notes all sat up straight.

“Tomorrow’s rehearsal is without makeup. Here’s the detailed schedule.” Yan Qi handed out the printed schedules. “Everyone has seen it, but look it over a few more times and memorize it. Group stages first, then multi-member stages. Yuanyuan has to meet a director tonight, so her stage will be prioritized over the others, and she won’t participate in the game.”

“The game segment is the Pocky game. The pairings were decided by drawing lots. Which means it’s me and Shichen, Shichen and Yuanyuan, and Yanyan and Xiao Yi—those three pairs.”

Xu Shuyan complained, “Such a fair and impartial drawing of lots.”

“Don’t get negative. This is part of your job.” Yan Qi said seriously, continuing her explanation, “The game will start with a traditional round. Two people eat a Pocky stick from opposite ends, and whoever breaks it first loses. The punishment is getting sprayed with water on the spot.”

Lin Yi listened while watching the scenery flash by outside the window. Hearing this, she couldn’t help but ask, “There’s a non-traditional version?”

Yan Qi nodded. “The relay method. We pass a Pocky stick down the line starting from me. If it reaches Xiao Yi without breaking, we win. During the transfer, other people can also eat it, as long as it gets passed on.”

Lin Yi let out a sound of surprise. “No way, no way, people wouldn’t actually eat it, right?”

But Xu Shuyan seized on another key point. “Then, in order, I’ll be passing it to Yuanyuan, right?”

Yan Qi nodded.

Lin Yi’s heart skipped a beat, but then she remembered, “And Yuanyuan passes it to me?”

Yan Qi nodded again. “But we’ve never played this game before, so we’ll rehearse it once to see how it goes. If it doesn’t work, we’ll change it.”

Lin Yi said, “Oh.”

She looked out the window. The high speed of the car made the raindrops slide quickly across the glass, leaving long, slanted trails of water with winding patterns. She said softly, “I wonder if the rain will stop tomorrow.”

“The weather forecast says it won’t,” said Xu Shuyan.

---

The next day, the rain indeed hadn’t stopped.

Since they were rehearsing without makeup, they saved a lot of time. To ensure they were in good condition, the rehearsal started at one in the afternoon. By then, thunder was crashing and lightning was flashing. Rain pattered down, drumming on the roof of the venue.

The group stage rehearsal was mainly for checking formations and positions, making sure no one was off-center. They didn’t need to actually dance full out.

Because it was a live broadcast, they also had to discuss camera work with the director and camera operators. By the time they finished running through the stage performances, it was already past six. After Chen Yuan was picked up by her assistant, the boxed dinners ordered by the company arrived.

They didn’t go back to the dressing room, just sat on the edge of the stage to eat. Lin Yi swung her long legs, opened her meal box, and her eyes lit up. “Wow! It’s from that place I loved last year!”

She called out, “Thank you, stage manager! Love you, muah muah muah!”

“When you suggested we hold a concert in Q City, it wasn’t just for the food from this place, was it?” Xu Shuyan sat next to her, teasing her. “You’ve been talking about it for a year.”

Lin Yi’s eyes grew teary from the fragrant aroma of the food, but she still found a moment to retort, “Am I that kind of person? Of course I suggested it because the fans here missed us so much!”

Zhou Shichen found this amusing. “You really talked about it for a whole year?”

“Isn’t that the truth.” Xu Shuyan opened her meal box and said, “One time, she mysteriously told me she’d found a substitute for it in S City and insisted on going to eat in the middle of the night. You guys were all asleep then, and she didn’t dare go alone, so she asked me to go.”

“Huh?” Zhou Shichen asked. “You weren’t asleep?”

Xu Shuyan chuckled dryly and glanced at Lin Yi.

Lin Yi guiltily shuffled to the side, then laughed out loud. “She was asleep.” She immediately made an excuse for herself, “She said she was really hungry before she went to bed. I was doing it for her own good!”

Yan Qi interjected unexpectedly, “And then you two went?”

And then they went.

That’s right. At two in the morning on a winter day, Xu Shuyan and Lin Yi threw on some down jackets, didn’t even put on makeup, and drove straight to a restaurant twenty li away to eat.

“It was disgusting!” Lin Yi said indignantly. “It was a total knockoff restaurant! Not to mention the chef’s cooking was terrible, the service was awful too! And when we were leaving, two creepy guys hit on us.”

Zhou Shichen’s eyes widened. “You had an adventure like that? What happened next? They didn’t recognize you two, did they?”

Lin Yi shook her head. After eating, she and Xu Shuyan had put on masks and bucket hats. Their black down jackets went down to their ankles, leaving only their eyes exposed. They were a bit dumbfounded when the guys hit on them.

Those two guys, with god-knows-what kind of confidence, came right up and laid it on thick, saying they would give them a wonderful night.

Yan Qi was also curious now. “And then?”

Xu Shuyan and Lin Yi exchanged a look.

Lin Yi opened her mouth, then swallowed the words she was about to say. “You tell them.”

Yan Qi and Zhou Shichen turned to look at Xu Shuyan in unison.

Xu Shuyan tugged at the corner of her mouth and said, “I was originally going to just walk away, but as soon as I took a step, this person here wrapped her arm around my waist, leaned on my shoulder, and said to the two guys, ‘But I’m going to spend a wonderful night with my wife.’”

Yan Qi: “…”

Zhou Shichen: “…Hic!”

Yan Qi looked over. Zhou Shichen swallowed. “I ate too much.”

Lin Yi: “…”

You’re stuffed when you’ve barely started eating?!

Zhou Shichen paid them no mind and pressed on, “And then what?”

And then, under the two guys’ shocked gazes, Lin Yi’s arm around Xu Shuyan’s waist slid down to grab her hand, lacing their fingers together. She gave an impatient tug at the corner of her lips. “If you know what’s good for you, get lost.”

Lin Yi looked at the dumbfounded Yan Qi and Zhou Shichen and nodded. “So yeah, I’ve come out of the closet before.”

Xu Shuyan shot her an annoyed glare. “Who wants to come out of the closet with you?”

“Huh?” Lin Yi suddenly remembered something and sidled up next to Xu Shuyan again, bumping her with her shoulder. “Looked at it this way, when you came out to my dad, it wasn’t your first time coming out in front of a stranger.”

Xu Shuyan: “Yes, and at the rate you’re going, I’ll be coming out to the whole world with you soon.”

Lin Yi said sheepishly, “It was an accident.”

Zhou Shichen stammered, “You guys have been going around coming out of the closet behind my back…”

Lin Yi: “?”

Xu Shuyan: “…?”

We haven’t!

---

In order to finish work early, they were only given fifteen minutes to eat. They hadn’t paid attention while chatting, and by the time they realized, there were only five minutes left.

Lin Yi ate at a frantic, life-or-death pace but still couldn’t finish. When the coordinating teacher started rushing them, she reluctantly closed her meal box. “Leave it here! I’m still eating this!”

“Eat what!” Xu Shuyan found her embarrassing. “Just order more when we get back.”

Lin Yi stomped her foot. “I’m cherishing my food! Don’t you understand ‘who knows that of the meal in the dish, every grain comes from hard work’?”

Xu Shuyan didn’t even turn her head. “I only know that someone’s eating like a starving wolf.”

Lin Yi: “…Xu Shuyan, I’ll fight you!”

“Alright, stop fooling around.” Yan Qi restored order. “Get into work mode, quickly.”

This part of the game had a host, who announced the rules, distributed the props, and then announced the start of the game. Yan Qi said, “While Shichen, Yuanyuan, and I are playing this game, Yanyan and Xiao Yi will go change. After you’re done, come on stage to replace us. Everyone, manage your own time. Don’t finish too quickly.”

They had played the Pocky game before, so they skipped the part where the rules were explained. Yan Qi directly bit one end and leaned toward Zhou Shichen, who steadied herself by placing a hand on Yan Qi’s shoulder and leaned in.

The long biscuit grew shorter and shorter, and their heads drew closer and closer.

From Lin Yi and Xu Shuyan’s angle, it looked like they were already kissing.

Lin Yi grabbed Xu Shuyan’s wrist.

Xu Shuyan asked in a low voice, “What are you doing?”

Lin Yi stared at Zhou Shichen and Yan Qi, who had just been declared the winners as the game ended, and shook her head in amazement. “I really don’t understand the world of straight girls!”

“Cut the crap.” Xu Shuyan pulled a Pocky stick from the box, bit down on it, and leaned over to poke Lin Yi’s lips with the other end. Her voice was muffled. “Hurry up.”

They were very close.

Lin Yi thought, if she had a crush on Xu Shuyan, her heart should be pounding like a frightened deer right now. Averting her gaze would make it more convincing, but she couldn’t look away.

Xu Shuyan’s eyes were like an abyss, staring at her as if to devour her, unleashing her full charm in business mode.

Lin Yi parted her lips and bit down.

As the distance of the Pocky stick steadily shrank, Xu Shuyan’s breath tickled her face. She suddenly felt she had a bit of an actor’s conviction, as if she really did have a crush on Xu Shuyan. The deafening beat of her heart felt like it was about to leap out of her chest, clamoring as if it would be broadcast in all directions through her earpiece.

Oh no, she panicked for a second, she won’t find out, will she?

Lin Yi blinked rapidly.

She took half a step back.

The Pocky stick broke.

She heard Zhou Shichen let out a sigh of regret.

For some reason, she also felt a little regretful.

…Regretful my ass!

The next second, Lin Yi threw the thought out of her head. I’m being so weird right now, she thought. It’s all this damn “have a crush on Xu Shuyan” script’s fault!

She closed her eyes, letting herself calm down from the emotion, and heard Zhou Shichen shouting, “Punishment, punishment!”

“Where’s the punishment prop?” Yan Qi asked.

The host went, “Ah, oh,” and apologized quickly, “I forgot to bring it up. It’s just at the side of the stage, I’ll go get it.”

Zhou Shichen volunteered, “I’ll get it!”

It seemed that not getting the ship content she wanted had given her a bone to pick with Lin Yi and Xu Shuyan; she couldn’t wait to spray water in their faces herself.

“Lin Yi, what are you thinking about?” Xu Shuyan chewed on the biscuit, very dissatisfied with her performance in the game. “Your gaze was wandering, your body was stiff. The chocolate Pocky wasn’t that bad, was it?”

Lin Yi, annoyed, just grunted and didn’t reply.

Xu Shuyan was relentless. “Losing means getting sprayed with water, you know? In front of so many people, sprayed right in the face!”

“I know!” Lin Yi said impatiently. “I just zoned out for a second, that’s why I messed up.”

Xu Shuyan was speechless. “You can even zone out during a game? I think you just don’t want to play this game with me, right?”

“You saw right through me?” Lin Yi, as if she’d found an excuse, nodded emphatically. “Yes, that’s right. I just don’t want to play with you. Being that close is disgusting.”

Xu Shuyan’s face turned cold too. “If you’ve got the guts, then refuse to play the game during the actual show and just accept the punishment directly.”

Lin Yi retorted stubbornly, “I’d be glad to!”

The stadium was large, with staff busy both on and off the stage. They had moved their earpieces aside to talk, and their voices were hidden in the immense noise, so almost no one heard them.

Zhou Shichen quickly returned with the spray bottle. “Although I’m very sad you didn’t succeed, I’m now very happy to be able to punish you.”

Xu Shuyan had a look of resignation. “Bring it on.”

Lin Yi looked as if she were facing death unflinchingly. “Let the storm rage even more fiercely!”

Zhou Shichen granted their wish, using a spray bottle with an upgraded nozzle to biu biu them both in the face. Lin Yi shook her bangs and said optimistically, “Yay! Now I don’t have to wash my face when I get back!”

Xu Shuyan wiped her face and cued the next part of the schedule. “Next game.”

The next game was the Pocky relay. No one played any tricks in the beginning, so the stick was still whole when it was passed from Xu Shuyan to Lin Yi. After the host announced their victory, the game segment ended.

“Good work! Good work, everyone!” Yan Qi led them in bowing to the staff, then they clocked out for the day.

“Xiao Yi, you’re staying behind, right?” Zhou Shichen picked up a jacket from the side and asked Lin Yi, who was drinking water. “I remember they added a talking segment for you at the last minute?”

Lin Yi sipped the hot water. In the rising steam, a bit of mist clung to her eyelashes. She hummed in agreement. “I haven’t thought of what to say, so I might as well just sing a song a cappella for the fans.”

The talking segment was to give her teammates time to change costumes. If she sang with a backing track, she would inevitably be dissed by the solo fans of her other teammates for having a solo stage. So, after weighing the options, Lin Yi decided to just chat with the fans for a bit, then play and sing half a song on the guitar. That would buy enough time.

“Our Xiao Yi works so hard.” Zhou Shichen pinched her cheek. “Then we’ll head back first?”

Lin Yi nodded. The venue, now dark, was empty and desolate. Occasionally, when someone entered or exited, a draft would whistle through, sending her unstyled long hair flying messily. She gathered it and casually picked up a hat from the side.

Just as she was about to put it on, she realized it was Xu Shuyan’s.

…So forgetful.

Lin Yi opened her mouth to call out to the departing Xu Shuyan, but then thought better of it. Why call her? If she called her to take the hat back, then she wouldn’t have one to wear, would she?

Lin Yi put on the hat, took the guitar from a staff member, and sat on the edge of the stage. Her long fingers plucked a string to test the tuning. She gave the lighting technician an OK sign, and a beam of light shone down from above, enveloping her.

The notes took flight.

It was a refreshing song about summer, sung gently like a girl confiding her secrets. It was as if, in an instant, she was back in high school, with the sound of the dismissal bell, the noisy but joyful laughter and horseplay, the tapping of chalk on the blackboard, and the creaking of the ceiling fan overhead, bringing a breeze that was better than nothing.

And the heart-pounding moment when a girl meets someone she likes.

“It’s so beautiful.” Halfway out, Zhou Shichen couldn’t help but stop. Standing in the dimness, she watched Lin Yi in the single beam of light on stage. “Xiao Yi’s musical intelligence is the best I’ve ever heard.”

She didn’t need any deliberate embellishment; when she sang simply, the emotion contained within surpassed technique, striking deep into the soul.

Xu Shuyan also stopped and turned back.

After watching for a moment, she narrowed her eyes and said, “Lin Yi is wearing my hat.”

Zhou Shichen: “?”

Is that the point?!

Wait! Wearing Xu Shuyan’s hat on stage, what kind of subtle display of affection was this??? Zhou Shichen shot Xu Shuyan a grateful look.

Xu Shuyan: “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Zhou Shichen: “Thank you, I’ve been fed.”

Xu Shuyan: “…”

---

Lin Yi’s talking segment was a last-minute addition and had no script. She could only test the timing over and over until the director called “OK” and said it was long enough. Only then could she finish for the day.

Lin Yi bowed to the staff. “Good work!”

Her assistant jumped onto the stage, handed her a jacket, and reminded her, “It’s a bit windy outside, so keep the hat on. The fans have basically all gone home, and the few that are left aren’t close by. I have to come back for a meeting after I see you to the car.”

“You have to come back?” Lin Yi put on her jacket and mask. “Then don’t bother walking me. It’s too much trouble to go back and forth in the rain. Just give me the umbrella.”

The assistant hesitated. “Will that be okay?”

She had been with Lin Yi for a long time and was close with her. Lin Yi nudged her off the stage. “It’s fine. It’s not that far, and I’m not a preschooler. I can get to the car and go home by myself.”

The assistant thought for a moment. “Alright then. Send me a message after you get in the car.”

Lin Yi made an OK sign, said goodbye to the staff again, took the umbrella, and headed outside. Just before leaving, she shouted back, “Order tomorrow’s boxed meals from the same place!”

The stage manager laughed and replied, “You got it!”

As soon as she walked out of the long corridor, Lin Yi was buffeted by the wind. The rain hadn’t stopped and was showing signs of getting heavier. It pattered against the surface of her umbrella, running down the curve to form a curtain of broken pearl strings around her, dripping onto the ground.

The black van was waiting for her by the roadside. The windshield wipers swished back and forth as fresh rain fell.

Lin Yi looked up.

The LED screen on the building opposite was playing a fan support video. She watched for a moment and realized it was a compilation of her and Xu Shuyan’s stage performances.

There were alluring and innocent clips, sultry and pure ones. In the most daring one, she was thrusting her hips up with one hand on the ground while Xu Shuyan looked down at her, tilting her chin up. Xu Shuyan’s fingertips slid from her lips downward.

…Will this really not get reported?

Lin Yi averted her gaze and quickened her pace toward the van. The automatic door slid open slowly. She put one foot inside, about to complain to the driver about how heavy the rain was, when she suddenly met the eyes of the person inside.

Her movements froze, and her brain shut down for two seconds. She blinked. “Xu Shuyan?”

Xu Shuyan was still wearing the same outfit from when she left: a light-colored dress that reached her knees. Her long, straight legs were crossed, and she had a black suit jacket draped over her shoulders. The look she gave Lin Yi was nonchalant.

Like the cool rain behind her, she had a delicate yet chilling beauty that sank into the dimness.

“What are you standing there for?” Xu Shuyan’s lips moved slightly, her enunciation clear. “Hurry up and get in.”

Lin Yi’s gaze moved from her face to her hands. She frowned. “What are you holding?”

Xu Shuyan looked down too and said, “Oh. Strawberry Pocky.”

“Eating the props?” Lin Yi got into the van, shook the water off her umbrella, and then pressed the button to close the door. She asked suspiciously, “Why didn’t you go back? You weren’t hiding in here just to secretly eat the props, were you?”

The door slowly closed, shutting out the sound of the wind and rain. The inside of the van suddenly became quiet, and Xu Shuyan’s voice was clear. “How could that be?”

She added, “I was waiting for you.”

“Waiting for me?” Only then did Lin Yi notice the driver was gone. “Where’s the driver?”

“He waited for you for too long and went to get dinner.”

“…” Lin Yi put the umbrella in a plastic bag and looked at Xu Shuyan. After sizing her up and down, she still couldn’t figure out what she was up to, so she just asked directly, “Are you my guardian angel?”

Xu Shuyan: “…No.”

Lin Yi was even more confused. “Then what were you waiting for me for?”

Xu Shuyan shook the Pocky in her hand. “To play this game.”

Lin Yi: “?”

She asked seriously, “Did the water Shichen sprayed get into your brain?”

“I know that even if you pull away during the actual performance, the fans can still ship it as you being shy or feeling guilty, but isn’t it much better for shipping if we just complete the task directly?” Xu Shuyan tossed the Pocky into Lin Yi’s lap. “So let’s practice a couple more times. Once you get desensitized to it, it won’t be disgusting anymore.”

That’s true, Lin Yi thought, but waiting for me in the van specifically for this is too weird!

She hesitated, then remembered something else. “I can promise not to pull away, but aren’t you disgusted? What if you pull away?”

Xu Shuyan said impatiently, “If I pull away, I’m a dog, alright?”

Lin Yi was delighted. “Alright!”

She pulled out a Pocky stick, bit down, and leaned over. She watched as Xu Shuyan bit the other end, as if in a contest. The distance shrank, and the chocolate-covered strawberry filling melted in her mouth, sickeningly sweet.

Five centimeters.

She looked directly into Xu Shuyan’s eyes.

Four centimeters.

Xu Shuyan looked back, her eyes seeming to hold a watery light and a trace of an emotion she couldn’t understand.

Three centimeters.

What did strawberries taste like again?

Lin Yi had forgotten.

Two centimeters.

It couldn’t get any shorter. Any closer and she would touch Xu Shuyan’s lips—lips she had touched before, soft and warm with a bit of body heat. And Xu Shuyan’s unique scent drifted over from the air.

What perfume did Xu Shuyan use? Lin Yi wondered. Why did it smell so good?

The sound of the rain grew more urgent, drumming dully against the car windows. The dim yellow light enveloped them, their breaths intertwining. The atmosphere grew uncontrollably ambiguous.

Lin Yi closed her eyes, feeling a sense of reckless abandon. She steeled herself, about to press forward—

The Pocky in her mouth was gone.

Lin Yi froze, taking a long moment to react.

Xu Shuyan had pulled away.

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