“What are you talking about!” Lin Yi frantically blocked Xu Shuyan’s phone and took two steps back. After making sure no one was filming them, she chided in a low voice, “Is this really the time to be talking about this?”
Xu Shuyan lowered her eyes. “I didn’t want to, but you were the one who kept bringing up changing clothes.”
Lin Yi: “…But not into that kind of outfit!”
“What kind?” Xu Shuyan teased her. “Didn’t you buy your own battle outfits before? Why weren’t you embarrassed then? Or was it… for someone else to see-”
A hand covered her mouth.
Lin Yi hissed, “Stop spouting nonsense and slandering me out of jealousy! The… the battle outfits I wore, weren’t you the only one who ever saw them? Did I ever wear them out?”
A faint smile appeared in Xu Shuyan’s eyes. “That’s true.”
She grabbed Lin Yi’s wrist in return. On that slender wrist was a silver bracelet adorned with two tiny, brilliant gold persimmons. Her fingertips brushed over the little persimmons, and her tone softened into a wheedle. “Then wear it for me to see.”
Lin Yi narrowed her eyes. “Just to see?”
Xu Shuyan blinked at her.
Lin Yi: “…”
She knew it!
“If we don’t do something, would it be fair to you dressing up so beautifully?” Xu Shuyan moved away from the microphone, her words meant only for Lin Yi’s ears. “You wouldn’t even have to take it off. Through the thin fabric, everything would be a hazy blur, except for…”
She leaned close to Lin Yi’s ear, enunciating the word “water” with perfect clarity, causing the tips of her ears, which had just cooled down, to flush red again.
Lin Yi shot her a reproachful look.
She added, “Can I use my knee this time?”
Lin Yi immediately objected. “No!”
Xu Shuyan feigned ignorance. “Why not?”
Lin Yi’s face was beet red.
How could Xu Shuyan even ask why? What she was describing was like scratching an itch through a boot-a relentless teasing that would drive her to the brink of collapse without ever reaching the peak. Xu Shuyan wouldn’t let her use her own hands, either, forcing her to cry and beg, to wrap her arms around her neck and kiss her, whispering pleas until she finally got what she wanted.
Lin Yi said in a small voice, “Absolutely not!”
Xu Shuyan leaned against the glass, gently swinging Lin Yi’s captured hand. “So, will you wear it or not?”
Lin Yi: “I…”
Xu Shuyan: “I already bought it.”
Lin Yi: “Then why are you even asking me!”
A smile touched Xu Shuyan’s lips. “I bought two sets.”
Lin Yi: “!”
Xu Shuyan: “One set is in my size.”
Lin Yi: “!!”
Xu Shuyan: “…Don’t drool.”
Lin Yi’s eyes sparkled. “Can we try them on as soon as we get back?”
“Okay,” Xu Shuyan said.
The corners of her eyes couldn’t help but curve up. So easy to fool, she thought.
“I see it! I see it!” Zhou Shichen’s shout suddenly came from the side. Lin Yi looked over and realized the challenge had already begun. Zhou Shichen was peering through the telescope. “Number 21-”
NPC: “Time’s up.”
Zhou Shichen straightened up, disappointed. “The range is too wide, and there’s too much flashy stuff outside. That’s all I saw.”
Yan Qi analyzed from the side, “Number 21 should be a door number. When the three of us take our turns, we’ll skip number 21 and not waste time on it.”
“Okay,” Lin Yi and Xu Shuyan agreed.
“My turn,” Yan Qi said.
Yan Qi had always been steady, looking carefully and searching slowly. By the time she found something, she only managed to see one character before being told time was up. She wasn’t flustered. She gestured to Xu Shuyan to indicate the general location. “It starts with ‘Jia.’ I think it’s a specific address. No need to look at the area on the left anymore, there’s nothing there. Just focus on this section.”
Yan Qi’s description was very detailed, and Xu Shuyan was quick on the uptake. She found it swiftly. “Got it. Jiaqing Road.”
Yan Qi said, “No. 21 Jiaqing Road.”
Xu Shuyan: “Let me look around it to see if there’s anything else…”
NPC: “Time’s up.”
Zhou Shichen protested from the side, “Your time limit is way too short! Who set this up? Who is this NPC? Can we beat him up?”
Yan Qi pondered, “I think we can?”
NPC: “?”
The famous girl group’s captain is leading an assault!
Lin Yi tried to smooth things over. “This-this is for the show’s effect. Everyone, don’t be impulsive. Think about your on-camera image!”
NPC: “?”
So it’s okay off-camera?!
“Fine, then,” Yan Qi said.
NPC: “?”
You still sound reluctant!
“Then I’ll be the last one?” Lin Yi asked.
Xu Shuyan stepped aside. “No pressure. It’s okay if you can’t find it. Worst case, we’ll just let the Captain and Shichen go outside and enjoy the scenery. They’ll fight their way back.”
Yan Qi: “?”
Zhou Shichen: “?”
You little lovebirds, don’t push it!
Lin Yi nodded seriously.
As luck would have it, the moment she raised the telescope, she spotted something that hadn’t been found yet. She immediately read it out: “Holiday Inn, sixteenth floor!”
Xu Shuyan’s eyes lit up. “16th floor, Holiday Inn, No. 21 Jiaqing Road.”
She turned to Zhou Shichen and Yan Qi. “Captain, Shichen, looks like you don’t have to go outside and enjoy the scenery after all!”
Yan Qi said expressionlessly, “How about I throw you outside to enjoy the scenery right now?”
Zhou Shichen: “Seconded!”
Lin Yi: “No, no!”
Yan Qi: “Heh.”
Zhou Shichen: “Heh!”
After laughing, she felt like a copycat, so she cleared her throat twice and suggested, “So, we’re leaving now?”
Yan Qi: “Let’s go.”
Downstairs, fans were still waiting for them. Seeing them come down, they all raised their phones, shouting their names. The girls didn’t rush off, chatting with the fans for a bit as they walked.
A fan asked, “Where are you guys going now?”
Lin Yi blinked. “To prepare a surprise!”
The fan squealed at her cuteness. “This episode of the group show was planned by you, right, baby! I’m so excited! You’re so smart, the plan must be amazing!”
Lin Yi said sternly, “I’m not a baby!”
The fan: “Okay! Wife!”
Then, a sudden chill ran down the back of her neck, frozen by a glare that shot out from somewhere. She followed the line of sight, only to find the culprit had already shifted her gaze away nonchalantly.
The fan: “?”
Ahhh, it’s Xu Shuyan! she screamed internally. Xu Shuyan, don’t misunderstand! This is your wife! I’m not here to steal your wife! I wish you two a long and happy life together!
But Xu Shuyan had already secretly held a grudge. Just before getting into the car, she deliberately wrapped an arm around Lin Yi’s waist and guided her inside.
The fan: “!!!”
Although Lin Yi had planned the process and structure, she wanted to leave the final location as a surprise for herself, so she didn’t know the exact address. It was only when the car crossed a bridge that she belatedly realized, “This is really close to our dorm, isn’t it?”
The cameraman sat across from them, filming. “It’s convenient so you can rest right after filming.”
Lin Yi gave a thumbs-up, then smiled mischievously. “I’m just afraid some people might go in and never come out!”
Yan Qi raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
The words had barely left her mouth when Lin Yi zipped over to the opposite seat, crossed her arms, and struck a rebellious pose. “I am now officially informing you that I am no longer your teammate!”
Zhou Shichen played along. “Then what are you?”
Lin Yi grinned. “I’m the NPC for this game! From now on, you will follow my orders!”
After saying that, she turned to the camera. “Post-production, remember to add a special effect for me. Use that ‘light of justice’ one to make me look extra righteous, glorious, and great.”
Yan Qi: “Spit it out.”
Lin Yi: “Show some respect to the NPC!”
Xu Shuyan: “Please spit it out.”
Lin Yi: “…”
Why did adding a “please” make it sound even less polite?
Lin Yi was an incompetent NPC. She was silent in the car, and after getting out, she just gave them three room numbers.
They were “A Bright Future,” “A Promising Future,” and “Early Spring, Late Spring.” And they couldn’t even choose for themselves. Xu Shuyan protested, “Why do they get ‘A Bright Future’ and ‘A Promising Future,’ while I get ‘Early Spring, Late Spring’? That’s not even the same category as theirs, is it?”
“Just go where you’re told. Stop talking so much,” Lin Yi glared at her.
Xu Shuyan blocked the camera and pinched her nose. “You’re quite the bossy little NPC, even glaring at the guests. Aren’t you afraid I won’t tip you?”
Lin Yi sternly slapped her hand away. “The camera is rolling, stop getting handsy!”
Xu Shuyan was unconcerned. “They can just edit it out anyway.”
The follow PD beside them: “…”
But could you please consider my feelings! Ahhh!
Fortunately, Lin Yi was much more clear-headed than Xu Shuyan. She insisted on being a cold, emotionless NPC, treating teammates and her lover equally. She shooed Xu Shuyan off to the “Early Spring, Late Spring Hall,” only to turn around and be cornered by Zhou Shichen and Yan Qi.
Lin Yi: “…Sisters.”
She blinked, deliberately acting cute. “What’s wrong?”
Zhou Shichen said to the follow PD, “Could you please turn off the camera? We have some business to take care of.”
Lin Yi: “!”
She blurted out, “In-group bullying!”
Zhou Shichen rolled up her sleeves. “You guessed it! Today, the Captain and I are going to bully you mercilessly!”
“Don’t be so direct,” Yan Qi was clearly more rational than Zhou Shichen. She looked at Lin Yi calmly. “Why are Shichen and I ‘A Bright Future’ and ‘A Promising Future’?”
Lin Yi said, “It’s my blessing for you!”
Yan Qi: “Then why don’t you have the same blessing for your wife?”
Zhou Shichen: “!”
Lin Yi: “…Her blessing is hidden inside, not on the door sign.”
Zhou Shichen: “!!”
She tried to hold it in but couldn’t resist indulging in a bit of shipping. “She said she’s her wife!”
Yan Qi corrected her, “I said it.”
Zhou Shichen: “But she didn’t deny it! She tacitly agreed! I’m dying from the sweetness!”
Yan Qi: “…Fine.”
Yan Qi turned back to Lin Yi. “You’re biased.”
Lin Yi felt a pang of guilt, but then her confidence returned. “It’s normal to be biased towards my own wife, isn’t it!”
Yan Qi: “…”
Zhou Shichen: “This time she said it herself!”
“…” Yan Qi glanced at her and grabbed her arm. “Let’s go. Let’s leave this heartbreaking place. The next time we have a solo-designed segment on the group show, you have to be biased towards me.”
Zhou Shichen stumbled as she was pulled along, then shouted after realizing what was happening, “Why would I be biased towards you? If I’m biased towards anyone, it’ll be myself! I’ll throw all of you into some miserable place while I live in a huge villa, drinking red wine and watching you suffer from my swimming pool!”
Lin Yi, who overheard this from behind: “…”
What a terrifying girl group!
A moment later, a staff member from the production team came over. “Teacher Lin, the three teachers are all outside their doors now. Should we start now, or wait a little longer?”
Lin Yi glanced at the time.
It was two minutes to three. “Let’s start now,” she said.
As she walked towards the dressing room, she continued, “Use Shichen’s, the Captain’s, and Xu Shuyan’s accounts for three separate livestreams. For the last one, my account’s livestream will play a compilation of group clips in order. Oh, right,” she took off her earrings and asked the assistant beside her, “is the ring I prepared in the dressing room?”
The assistant followed her into the room. “It’s in your bag.”
After saying that, she looked like she wanted to say more but hesitated.
The makeup artist undid the ponytail Lin Yi had casually tied, her long fingers weaving through the soft hair to create a complex but beautiful style. Lin Yi wasn’t idle either, picking out earrings from a jewelry box that would match the gown she was about to wear. She caught the assistant’s expression in the mirror and said coolly, “What is it?”
The assistant said, “I’ll go get you some coffee first.”
Lin Yi muttered about her being so secretive, then shifted her gaze to the tablet on the side, wondering how Xu Shuyan was doing on her livestream.
Livestream.
[Whoa, Sweet Melon Entertainment is launching a surprise attack this afternoon! Why the sudden livestream? Where is this? Some kind of auditorium? Don’t tell me I’m watching a live broadcast of the Yan Zhi You Yi wedding?]
[Does anyone understand how sketchy I feel secretly watching a livestream on a workday? Getting paid to watch a livestream…]
[Why is no one here? Did Sweet Melon Entertainment take on a wedding planning promotion? If I get to marry Lin Yi, I’ll pay for all of this!]
[Daydreaming before it’s even nighttime?]
[The door’s opening, the door’s opening! Let’s welcome the first bride… Xu! Shu! Yan! Aww, this close-up! My wife is so beautiful! Those brow bones! That cherry mouth, that dazed little expression, I’d scoop her up and sprint a hundred meters!]
[Wait, what exactly is going on? An empty banquet hall, lots of gift boxes on the benches next to the red carpet, and the door has a combination lock. What is this? An escape room?]
…Xu Shuyan had the same question.
She was already confused about being assigned to the “Early Spring, Late Spring” hall, and seeing all this made even less sense. Just then, the television at the end of the red carpet suddenly lit up. The NPC’s voice was altered, but it was still recognizably Lin Yi, playfully announcing the rules of the game: “Xu Shuyan! Please step onto the red carpet and find the password among these gift boxes to leave this room. Otherwise, you will be trapped here forever!”
Xu Shuyan: “…”
She twitched her lips and retorted, “Could you be any more cringey, Lin Yi?”
[Hahahahahaha Xu Shuyan’s smile is so indulgent! It’s like: my wife is being silly again, please don’t mind her, I’m used to it.]
[But seriously, Lin Yi! Can you be any more cringey?]
[This voice changer is so cute haha, what a little chatterbox, sob sob sob, mommy wants to hug you!]
“Alright.” Xu Shuyan casually picked up an exquisitely wrapped gift box. As she undid the ribbon, she said, “If you want to play, I’ll play with you. But if I can’t unlock it, you have to remember to come and save me, okay?”
[Xu Shuyan! Don’t take advantage of the fact that the NPC is your wife to act all spoiled!]
[In the next livestream, Zhou Shichen is already contemplating food and lodging if she gets trapped! The Captain is considering the possibility of breaking down the door! You’re just banking on your wife liking you, aren’t you!]
[Zhou Shichen and Yan Qi: We never want to play games with a couple again.]
In the dressing room.
Lin Yi took a sip of coffee and watched the makeup artist close the door on her way out. Only then did she ask the assistant, “What did you want to say? There’s no one else here now, you can say it, right?”
The assistant’s face was grim. “Sister Fang asked me to ask you… this whole thing you’ve planned, with the ring, the gown, the livestream… you’re not planning to propose to Teacher Xu, are you?”
“…” Lin Yi had to laugh. “Am I that ridiculous?”
“You might not have been before! But who can say for sure when someone’s in love?” The assistant mimicked Fang Yi’s words. “A love-struck brain is a terrifying thing!”
Lin Yi said sheepishly, “Don’t worry, I’m not.”
She placed the earrings she’d picked out on the table. “It’s not like Fang Yi hasn’t seen my plan. They’re in three different halls, and at the end of each hall is a door with a combination lock. Whoever gets the password first gets to come out. Only the one who comes out gets to see me and get the ring. Who said it has to be Xu Shuyan?”
The assistant asked cautiously, “You’re so biased, you wouldn’t give Teacher Xu the answers, would you?”
Lin Yi slammed her hand on the table. “Am I that kind of person!”
The assistant muttered, “Yes.”
Lin Yi: “…”
Fine, she was.
“But I really didn’t give Xu Shuyan any hints this time,” Lin Yi said. “If you don’t believe me, turn on the livestream right now. She’s definitely racking her brain trying to solve the puzzle!”
The assistant brought out the tablet. “Teacher Lin, you could have just said you wanted to watch Teacher Xu’s livestream.”
Lin Yi: “…Have you written your resignation letter already?”
The assistant: “Here is Teacher Xu’s livestream, in 1080p HD. If you’d like to send gifts, you can use my account. Don’t be shy, after all, I’m about to get my year-end bonus!”
Lin Yi huffed. “Log into my alternate account.”
As she was logging in, she saw Xu Shuyan trying to open a small wooden box. It was locked tight, and there was no key. She looked around, and finally, her patience ran out. She placed the box on the floor and stomped on it.
The comments: Whoa-
[That works? Reminds me of some crude methods for solving a nine-ring puzzle… Xu Shuyan! You’re one of a kind!]
[Won’t the thing inside break?]
[Huh? Is that a piece of paper?]
“Xu Shuyan,” the television lit up again, still with Lin Yi’s altered voice, “please show what’s in your hand to the camera.”
Xu Shuyan did as she was told.
The fans in the livestream all leaned closer.
Lin Yi couldn’t help but lean forward as well, then found her own subconscious action amusing. She was the one who had put the item inside; she knew what was on it without even looking.
It was a yellowed piece of paper-her cousin’s work schedule from when she was at Sweet Melon Entertainment.
Xu Shuyan clearly recognized it too. She smiled and explained to the camera, “Before I signed with the company, my cousin was a music teacher at Sweet Melon Entertainment. I often came here on weekends for free lessons. Y City is close, so it wasn’t too much trouble… What are you doing, Lin Yi,” she lowered her head to look at the schedule in her hand, “digging this up?”
“It was trouble,” Lin Yi answered from off-camera.
Xu Shuyan was so young back then, at an age when she should have been playing. But she gave up her Saturdays, tirelessly traveling to a strange city for music lessons to chase her dream. It was a lot of trouble.
“There’s no password hint in here. Is it the day I first came to the company? I don’t remember.” Xu Shuyan shrugged, placed the schedule on a nearby table, and moved on to the next one.
The next one was a standard gift box. Inside was a bell from a Christmas tree. Xu Shuyan picked it up and shook it gently, producing a crisp sound. She showed it to the camera. “You all should know this story, right?”
[Is it the story about running away from home and being found by Lin Yi on Christmas Eve morning, and then tricking her?]
[LMAO, spare the kid some dignity, no need to be so detailed!]
[Why does this feel like a journey through their story?]
[It’s pretty much the same in Zhou Shichen and Yan Qi’s livestreams. An object brings back a memory. This trip down memory lane is so tear-jerking. I saw Yan Qi take a bandage out of a box, and the whole chat just burst into tears. Everyone knows how many injuries Yan Qi has suffered for dancing, bandages are a necessity for her QAQ]
Xu Shuyan could also see the thought Lin Yi had put into the plan. This long red carpet and the journey along it were all markers of their growth.
“We’re not about to get sentimental, are we?” she muttered, trying to liven up the atmosphere. “Lin Yi, if you make me cry, I won’t let you off easy. When we get back… hmph!”
As she spoke, she opened the box in front of her.
Suddenly, she fell silent.
[What is it? What is it?]
[A microphone? What’s with this microphone? What’s its significance?]
[It’s the microphone Xu Shuyan used when she auditioned to sign with the company! I’ve seen that video! It’s blurry, but the microphone has the number ‘03’ on it. Oh my god, is that the one?]
It was that one.
Lin Yi changed into her gown, the zipper on the back slowly being pulled up. She watched the livestream as Xu Shuyan raised the microphone and said to the camera, “Hello, teachers. My name is Xu Shuyan. I’m from Y City. I’m good at rap and singing, and if you need me to dance, I can learn. My motto is-”
At this point, she suddenly lowered her head, sniffled, and asked, “What do you guys think my motto was?”
She was young back then, and any nice phrase she came across would be declared her motto. She really couldn’t remember. The fans remembered better than she did, flooding the comments with a storm of crying emojis.
[Thank you to the Xu Shuyan from back then, for tirelessly coming into my life.]
[Sobbing, I’m really crying.]
[What is this tear-jerking segment… I thought my heart couldn’t hurt anymore sob sob sob]
“Teacher Lin, here is the bouquet you wanted.” A staff member knocked and opened the dressing room door. “No one has come out yet. Are you going to wait now?”
Each of the three halls had a door leading to a small waiting lounge. That was where Lin Yi would wait for the final winner and present the ring.
Lin Yi lifted the hem of her dress and glanced at the livestream one last time.
The next box Xu Shuyan opened would be related to her. It was that year that she had completely entered Xu Shuyan’s life, their storylines intertwining.
“I’m going now,” Lin Yi said.
It was like waiting for an unknown fate, yet Lin Yi was certain that the first person to open the door would be Xu Shuyan. After she got into position in the small lounge, the livestream on her account switched directly to her, leaving the fans bewildered once again.
[??? Why is Lin Yi dressed like that?]
[Whoever clears the stage gets to marry Lin Yi? What kind of prize is this?]
[And Lin Yi is holding a bouquet? Oh my god! Is that a ring the assistant next to her is holding???]
[…I’m about to witness history. A girl group member coming out within the group!]
[I’m getting excited!]
[Wait a minute, family. Think about it, that’s impossible, right? Unless it’s rigged, how could Lin Yi be sure that Xu Shuyan would be the first one out?]
[What if it is rigged?]
[…I condemn this!]
In Xu Shuyan’s livestream.
The latest box she opened was a transparent sphere, inside which lay a single milk candy. “…This was when our group was just starting to get famous and we were on tour. Because of the chaotic schedule and the exhausting travel, I always had low blood sugar. Xiao Yi, she… came back from an outing once with a bag of White Rabbit candies. I asked her if they were for me.”
Of course, Lin Yi wouldn’t have been nice to her back then. She immediately jumped up. “Stop being so full of yourself, Xu Shuyan! I would never buy them for you! I bought them for myself!”
She talked tough, but unfortunately, she didn’t like sweets, so the White Rabbit candies were left untouched.
During the tour in the next city, right before going on stage, Lin Yi suddenly stuffed a milk candy into her palm. When she looked over in surprise, Lin Yi whistled and avoided her gaze. Later, unable to withstand her questioning look, Lin Yi finally said irritably, “I’ll be happy when you get a mouthful of cavities from eating candy!”
…So tsundere, yet so thoughtful.
Further on was the black gauze they used for their first duo stage; the medicine she drove out to buy in the middle of the night when Lin Yi had a stomachache; the tickets and light sticks from all their concerts; the AI speaker programmed with her voice; their physical albums; a group photo of the five members of the Gu Group, and a photo of just the two of them.
The images flashed by in the long river of time, disappearing into the past, so vivid yet irretrievable.
She finally reached the end of the red carpet.
The combination-locked door was right in front of her.
The NPC stood by the door. “Are you ready to enter the password? You only have three chances.”
Xu Shuyan nodded. “I already know what the password is.”
NPC: “You know?”
She knew.
Xu Shuyan stepped forward and, without any hesitation, entered a four-digit code. With a click, the lock sprang open.
She pushed open the door and saw Lin Yi.
Lin Yi was turned sideways, looking out the window. Her head was slightly lowered, and the pale pink gown made her neck look even fairer and more slender. At dusk, amidst the falling snow, the neon lights flickered in the winter wind.
Finally, she called out her name. “Lin Yi.”
Lin Yi’s expression paused. She turned at the sound of her voice and looked at her for a long moment before belatedly smiling. “I knew it would be you.”
Xu Shuyan smiled back. “I knew it too.”
Lin Yi tilted her head. “What was the password?”
Xu Shuyan: “2296.”
Two thousand, two hundred, and ninety-six days ago, on a golden autumn day when all things were withering in splendor, she stepped out of the elevator at Sweet Melon Entertainment and brushed past a small Lin Yi.
That was the first time they met.
On this journey of over two thousand days, they thanked each other for turning “my” path into “our” path.
And even more certain than that is the fact that I love you.
It is ethereal, but it exists forever.
【End of Main Story】
