Lin Yi had overestimated her alcohol tolerance. The alcohol content of the milk beer wasn’t enough to make her black out, but floating in the sea for half the day had stimulated her blood circulation. By the time she finally managed to drag Xu Shuyan to the shore, she was seeing stars and collapsed onto the sand right alongside her.
She rolled over and lay spread-eagled, staring blankly at the sky.
The starlight twinkled, seeming so near and yet so far. The distant ones blinked at the edge of the sky, while the near ones shimmered right before her eyes.
She turned her head, wiping her sea-soaked face. I must have owed Xu Shuyan something in a past life, she thought. I must have owed her—huh? Xu Shuyan is sitting there, completely still?
She couldn’t have been scared to death, could she?
“Xu Shuyan?” Lin Yi struggled to her feet and stumbled over to Xu Shuyan, crouching down. “Are you okay?”
Chen Yuan thought the two of them were just fooling around, so after the fireworks, she didn’t disturb their “private time.” She went with Yan Qi and Zhou Shichen to hash things out with the director. This stretch of the coast was empty, with only the sea breeze blowing, leaving just her and Xu Shuyan.
Xu Shuyan’s eyes were shut tight, water droplets continuously falling from her long lashes. Her long hair was plastered messily to her face, and through the strands, Lin Yi could see her pale little face and slightly trembling lips. It was a sight that would stir anyone’s pity, making one want to hold her in the palm of their hand. Even as a love rival, Lin Yi had to admit that Xu Shuyan, in this state, was quite heart-softening.
“Xu Shuyan?” Lin Yi brushed the hair from Xu Shuyan’s face and cupped her cheeks. “Open your eyes. We’re not in the sea anymore.”
Her palms pressed against Xu Shuyan’s ice-cold face, feeling the fragile trembling born from fear. She sighed, raised her left hand to the back of Xu Shuyan’s head, and pulled her into an embrace, patting her back. “Honestly, you. You’re so afraid of water, yet you dragged me into the sea. I told you to stop, but you wouldn’t listen. Who’s to blame?”
Xu Shuyan still didn’t speak.
Their sea-soaked clothes clung to their skin, outlining alluring curves. Without the barrier of the water, the embrace felt much more real. Lin Yi let out a soft sound and muttered under her breath, “You’ve got a really nice figure, huh.”
She tried to pull away slightly, but Xu Shuyan suddenly hugged her back, lowering her head to bury her face in the crook of Lin Yi’s neck. “Lin Yi.”
“What?” Lin Yi snapped.
“You saved my life,” Xu Shuyan said.
“Oh, really?” Seeing that Xu Shuyan was alive and well, Lin Yi couldn’t resist being sarcastic. “Then to repay me, how about I go sleep with Yuanyuan tonight?”
Xu Shuyan fell silent for a moment.
After a while, a palm stroked across her back. Xu Shuyan’s voice was soft and gentle. “Did you get water in your brain? What kind of pipe dream are you having here?”
Lin Yi: “…”
I never should have gone soft!!
If Yan Qi and the others hadn’t come looking for them after they finished arguing with the director, Lin Yi felt she definitely would have thrown Xu Shuyan back into the sea. Unfortunately, before she could act on it, she heard Zhou Shichen running over dramatically. “Could you two be more mindful of your image!”
The moment Lin Yi remembered Chen Yuan was also watching, she lost all interest. She lowered her head, resting her forehead against Xu Shuyan’s shoulder, her voice sullen. “What’s there to be afraid of? We’re just doing fanservice.”
Zhou Shichen: “I’m dying! This is killing me!”
Xu Shuyan: “…”
You two are really in sync, huh.
They didn’t stay on the beach for much longer. After taking a few group photos, they returned to the hotel. Lin Yi tossed the suit jacket her assistant had brought onto the sofa, took a hot shower first, and then replied to her unread messages from the past few days while wearing a face mask.
Fang Yi knew they were filming the variety show and had left a message in the group chat: “Remember to pop up once you get your phones back.”
Five minutes ago, Xu Shuyan had just replied with a period.
Trying to act so cool! Lin Yi complained internally as she sent a sticker of a little fish blowing bubbles in the group chat. Then she DMed Xu Shuyan: “The director sent our selfie to the group chat. Did you see it?”
Annoying Person: Mm.
Lin Yi: Post on Weibo later. Put our picture in the center position.
Annoying Person: I don’t even have the freedom to choose my own center-position photo on Weibo?
Lin Yi: Do I?
Annoying Person: .
Annoying Person: What should the caption be?
Lin Yi: Whatever you want
Five minutes later.
Annoying Person: ???
Annoying Person: Where am I in your Weibo post?
Annoying Person: In the center photo, you can see one of my hands. Is a single hand all I’m worth?
Lin Yi: You don’t understand the art of subtly showing affection!
Lin Yi: The fans are dying over it. Go look at the Super Topic if you don’t believe me!
Annoying Person: .
Lin Yi had posted on Weibo first. Her nine-photo grid was mostly scenery. The center photo was a selfie showing half her face, with Xu Shuyan’s hand visible in the bottom left corner. The bracelet on her wrist was very recognizable.
【Ahhhh, I want to see a full-face selfie!】
【I know we see her on the livestream every day, but I still miss my precious daughter, wuwuwu】
【Wait, is that Xu Shuyan’s hand in the bottom left?】
【I think so?】
【I remember she wears that bracelet every day!】
【OMG! Why are you being so subtle with the PDA? Be bolder! Who doesn’t know you two are on ‘Let’s Fall in Love’ (purely a rumor)】
【Xu Shuyan posted on Weibo! Hahahaha, she put the photo with her wife in the center position!】
【So brave, Xu Shuyan!】
【I’m dying! This is killing me!】
【Can’t Lin Yi be as open as Xu Shuyan! Show us boldly!】
【They’re dating, right? Yan Zhi You Yi is really dating, right?】
…
After scrolling through the Super Topic, Xu Shuyan sent Lin Yi a thumbs-up emoji. “A fanservice genius.”
Lin Yi: ^^
Fang Yi had contacted them to say that their dual magazine cover had been confirmed, and the shoot was next week. After they finished filming this episode, Xu Shuyan would fly directly to be a guest mentor on a talent show for one episode, while Lin Yi would meet with a music producer to prepare for her new single.
They took a private jet back again, landing in S City.
After landing, Xu Shuyan immediately flew to B City. The film and television department had secured a cameo for Chen Yuan and Yan Qi in a tribute drama, and they were picked up by a representative as soon as they got off the plane. In the end, only Lin Yi and Zhou Shichen returned to the dorm.
Lying in the nanny van, Lin Yi asked Zhou Shichen, “I heard a music show asked you to be a mentor last time. How come you didn’t go?”
“Forget it!” Zhou Shichen said while surfing the web. “I’m a senior this year, and I’m swamped with my thesis. If I go out and make public appearances now and end up having to delay graduation, how embarrassing would that be!”
Lin Yi looked at her. “Is that so?”
Zhou Shichen’s hand, which was scrolling on her screen, paused. She said, “Alright, fine. My thesis advisor is one of the contestants.”
Lin Yi: “Huh?”
“I mean, honestly, that old lady… she’s a senior professor in the acting department, but her husband from the music conservatory goaded her into it, and now she’s doing a crossover singing competition. How am I supposed to sit on the mentor panel and critique her?” Zhou Shichen complained. “It’s not even clear who would be critiquing whom!”
She then added earnestly, “Even though you and Yanyan are only juniors, you should get started on your graduation theses soon. Otherwise, you’ll be crying about it later.”
Lin Yi and Xu Shuyan had taken the art school entrance exams in the same year. Their ill-fated connection ran deep. Not only did they get into the same department at the same university, but they were also assigned to the same dorm room.
In the words of the CP fans, the two of them were destined to meet, get to know each other, and fall in love, no matter where they were.
…destined to try and kill each other, more like.
Lin Yi thought.
With Xu Shuyan away, Lin Yi was happy to have the dorm room to herself. She went to and from work alone every day, discussing her new single with the producer. Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was the day of the cover shoot.
Spring was in full swing, and the flowers along the road bloomed in brilliant colors under the spring sun.
The magazine cover shoot was located in Yakutsk, a city north of the north, where spring was late to arrive. It had even snowed two days prior, making it perfect for a snow-themed shoot.
Lin Yi pulled the collar of her thick coat tighter. After getting into the elevator, she took the room key from her assistant and looked at it for a moment. “I’m sharing a room with Xu Shuyan?”
“The magazine booked a suite, but it only has one bedroom,” the assistant said. “After all, everyone knows you and Xu Shuyan are close.”
Lin Yi gave a perfunctory nod.
Right, right, so close. So close that in the five days they hadn’t seen each other, Xu Shuyan hadn’t sent her a single message. She had been thinking they should stay in touch to facilitate their fanservice plans, but after she sent a few messages, Xu Shuyan hadn’t even replied.
Lin Yi couldn’t resist patting Xu Shuyan’s profile picture.
System: You patted Annoying Person’s profile picture and wished her and Yuanyuan a long and happy life together.
Lin Yi: Piss off!
And so, she hadn’t bothered with Xu Shuyan since.
If nothing unexpected happened, they would just bicker when they saw each other later. Lin Yi pushed her luggage out of the elevator, waved to her assistant, and tapped the key card on the sensor.
If-
Lin Yi thought, if she had known Xu Shuyan was watching a movie, she absolutely would have chosen to go get dinner first and would never have disturbed Xu Shuyan’s private time.
But unfortunately, she rounded the partition and came face-to-face with Xu Shuyan, who was leaning against the bed.
On the unpaused computer screen, the overly direct and heated scene was quite impactful. The combination of purity and desire had a kind of sacred beauty. A young woman, her face flushed, was biting her hand as physiological tears wet the bedsheets.
Lin Yi blinked, glanced at the computer, then back at Xu Shuyan.
Xu Shuyan’s expression was calm.
No different from usual. Even her clothes weren’t the slightest bit disheveled. She was just calmly and peacefully watching the moaning on the computer. At Lin Yi’s intrusion, she was surprised for a second. “You-“
“I’ll come back later!” Lin Yi turned to leave.
Xu Shuyan froze for a moment. Not hearing the door close, she raised an eyebrow toward the entrance, only to see Lin Yi’s head furtively peek back in. Her knuckles rapped against the wall.
Xu Shuyan hit the pause button. “What is it?”
Her voice was steeped in desire, very sexy.
Lin Yi carefully pointed at the computer screen and whispered, “How can you watch this and have no reaction?”
Xu Shuyan: “?”
She sat up. “I-“
“How about,” Lin Yi looked very conflicted, hesitating for a long while before tentatively finishing her sentence, “how about I teach you?”
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