RL – Chapter 25

As was his custom, Lin Yi’s dad planned to stay at the cemetery for the whole day, so Lin Yi took Xu Shuyan and left first. Before they left, Lao Lin gave Xu Shuyan a couple of extra glances but didn’t say anything.

On the way down the mountain, Xu Shuyan asked nervously, “Do you think your dad doesn’t like me?”

Lin Yi, who was plucking a half-wilted flower and feeling a bit guilty, was startled by the sudden question. After a moment, she said, “I don’t think so? He’s always like that. He doesn’t really show emotion about anything other than my mom.”

Xu Shuyan was still hung up on it. “Then what did those extra glances mean?”

Lin Yi pondered this. “Maybe he was just checking out the person with such great taste, the one his beautiful daughter has taken a liking to.”

Xu Shuyan: “…”

How did she manage to praise herself with everything she said?

“Why do you care about that?” Lin Yi plucked another winter jasmine and started weaving it into a crown. She said, “It’s not like you’re really coming home to meet my parents. Who cares if he approves or not!”

Xu Shuyan retorted, “It has nothing to do with you. This is about whether I’m approved of or not. It concerns my dignity.”

“…” Such a strange sense of dignity.

Lin Yi couldn’t be bothered to argue with her. She finished weaving the flower crown and held it out to her. “For you to wear.”

Xu Shuyan froze for a moment.

The winter jasmine blossoms were mostly withered, but the branches and leaves were a tender green, with a few bright yellow flowers dotting the vibrant spring foliage. The hastily made crown was a bit rough; as Lin Yi held it out, it swayed, and a few more petals fluttered down.

Seeing that she wasn’t moving, Lin Yi simply placed it on her head and looked her over. “It’s pretty.”

Xu Shuyan asked, “You mean I’m pretty?”

Lin Yi rolled her eyes at her. “Of course I mean the flower crown I made is pretty. I could probably sell it for money. But since we’re so close, I won’t charge you.”

Xu Shuyan: “…”

She knew it.

Lin Yi made one for herself as well. She was wearing a white dress with light makeup, and the bright yellow flower crown added a touch of vitality, making her look like a flower fairy. When she saw Xu Shuyan taking a selfie, she leaned in to get in the frame.

“Go away,” Xu Shuyan pushed her.

“We’re doing fanservice,” Lin Yi made a V-sign, her eyes crinkling as she smiled. “Everyone knows I brought you home. Wouldn’t it be a waste not to do some fanservice?”

Xu Shuyan thought that made sense.

It was still early, and there were more people going up the mountain than down. The one-way path was nearly empty. Lin Yi had gotten addicted to making flower crowns and sat down on a nearby bench meant for resting to focus on her craft.

Xu Shuyan was there to accompany her anyway, so she didn’t rush her. She edited some photos for a while and listened to Lin Yi humming a song. In a daze, she felt like she and Lin Yi weren’t there to visit a grave, but rather on a spring outing.

She put her phone back in her bag, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke as if casually, “Lin Yi.”

“Hm?” Lin Yi didn’t look up.

Xu Shuyan pressed her lips together, but asked anyway, “Aren’t you sad?”

Lin Yi’s movements paused. She looked up at her, and after meeting Xu Shuyan’s extremely serious gaze, she lowered her eyes again. The spring sunlight coated her long eyelashes. She shook her head and said, “I’m okay.”

“Okay?”

“I was still young when my mom passed away,” Lin Yi didn’t know why she was sharing such heartfelt words with her love rival, but since Xu Shuyan had asked, she answered. “I only remember that she had a beautiful singing voice. She would sing to lull me to sleep, and it was so beautiful I didn’t even want to fall asleep.”

Lin Yi smiled faintly. “Besides, my dad has spent his whole life missing her. It’s as if she never left.”

Xu Shuyan watched her quietly.

After a moment, she reached out and ruffled her hair. Lin Yi looked over in confusion, and only then did Xu Shuyan seem to realize what she was doing and quickly pulled her hand back. She lied without batting an eye, “You had a leaf in your hair just now. A greenish one.”

“Really?” Lin Yi looked skeptical. “You’re not just saying that because you feel sorry for me and you’re trying to comfort me, are you?”

“In your dreams!” Xu Shuyan snapped. “Me, feel sorry for you?”

“You’d better not.” Lin Yi took a picture of the flower crown and sent it to Chen Yuan. Not only did she type with a blissful expression, but she also read it aloud to provoke Xu Shuyan: “Yuanyuan, my love, I made this flower crown for you with my own hands. It’s a shame you can’t wear it.”

She followed it with a few pitiful-looking yellow emojis.

Xu Shuyan: “Heh.”

A moment later, Chen Yuan hadn’t replied yet, but a new message appeared in their five-person group chat.

AAAA Xu Shuyan (Gu Group’s Number One Beauty): [Selfie wearing the flower crown, cupping her face]

AAAA Xu Shuyan (Gu Group’s Number One Beauty): [Selfie wearing the flower crown, winking]

AAAA Xu Shuyan (Gu Group’s Number One Beauty): [Couples selfie wearing flower crowns]

Lin Yi: “…”

She glared at Xu Shuyan. “You did that on purpose!”

Xu Shuyan avoided her gaze and whistled. “Purpose? What purpose? I was just exposing someone’s little tricks. You made it seem like you only made one for Yuanyuan, when I clearly got one too.”

Lin Yi reached out to snatch the flower crown from Xu Shuyan’s head. “Give it back!”

Xu Shuyan dodged her hand. “Don’t get so worked up!”

Lin Yi was fuming. She glanced down at the group chat and her vision went dark again. As expected, Zhou Shichen was already shipping them, sending a row of drooling emojis and egging them on: “More, more, give us more.”

Lin Yi replied viciously: @Thenotes-Yan Qi, someone’s slacking off.

Gu Group’s CP Expert: …

Gu Group’s CP Expert: You win!

Gu Group’s CP Expert: Sorry, the company cat sent that automatically just now. It’s so naughty, I’ll be sure to teach it a lesson!

Gu Group’s CP Expert: Talk later.

“Why are you bullying a corporate slave who’s just trying to enjoy some CP content while working hard?” Xu Shuyan couldn’t stand by and watch, condemning Lin Yi’s inhumane behavior. She then tried to fish for information: “Did Yuanyuan reply to you yet?”

Lin Yi said glumly, “No.”

She watched the sun slowly rise and said, “Don’t you think Yuanyuan is a bit strange sometimes? I always feel like she’s hiding something from us. Do you think she has a secret crush on me and is too afraid to say it?”

“…”

“Why aren’t you saying anything?”

“I’m picking out a gravesite for a delusional fan like you who spreads baseless rumors.”

“…”

“Don’t be so petty,” Lin Yi tutted. “If Yuanyuan and I end up together, don’t you dare try to sabotage us. For the sake of group harmony, I hope you can give us your heartfelt blessing.”

Xu Shuyan said disdainfully, “I’ll say the same thing back to you.”

Lin Yi was silent for a moment, then said, “I’m doomed, Xu Shuyan. If you and Yuanyuan get together, I won’t be able to stop myself from sabotaging it. What should I do?”

Xu Shuyan: “?”

She twitched the corner of her mouth. “You’re quite good at being strict with others and lenient with yourself, aren’t you?”

Lin Yi nodded gravely. “This is probably just a fundamental flaw of human nature.”

Xu Shuyan: “…”

She said irritably, “Are you done weaving or not? Are we leaving?”

“Let’s go, let’s go.” Lin Yi picked up her bag. “You’ve never been to Mountain City, have you? Want me to show you around?”

Xu Shuyan hesitated. “What if we get photographed?”

“So what if we do?” Lin Yi was completely unconcerned. “We have to do fanservice anyway. Isn’t this just proof that we’re close? If no one takes our picture, we can just hire someone to do it. How about that?”

Xu Shuyan scoffed. “You have too much time on your hands.”

Mountain City was most famous for its hot pot. Lin Yi drove her dad’s old clunker and parked it in front of a shopping mall. She then led Xu Shuyan into an alley, up and down stairs, making Xu Shuyan wonder if she was doing it on purpose, until they finally arrived at the entrance of a hot pot restaurant.

The restaurant was small and the facilities were old. It wasn’t crowded on a weekday afternoon. The lady boss inside was playing mahjong. When she saw customers arrive, she quickly came over to greet them with a friendly, heavily accented Mandarin: “Pick whatever dishes you want yourselves.”

To accommodate Xu Shuyan’s palate, they ordered the nine-square grid hot pot at the “extra mild” spice level. Even so, when it was brought to the table, Xu Shuyan was shocked to see the pot full of chili oil and peppers. “Are you kidding me? This is mild?”

“It’s extra mild,” Lin Yi corrected her. “I made you a dipping sauce with sesame oil, garlic, cilantro, and green onions. It’s not spicy.”

Xu Shuyan was skeptical. “Really?”

Lin Yi promised, “Really!”

They added duck blood to the cold pot, and while waiting for it to boil, Lin Yi browsed a forum. She actually found photos taken by a passerby who had spotted them. In the picture, she and Xu Shuyan were walking side-by-side, talking about something, and she was smiling so hard her eyes were curved into crescents.

[kswlkswl]

[She really took her home… oh my god… what a Real Couple…]

[I heard today is Lin Yi’s mom’s birthday, and Lin Yi took Xu Shuyan home to visit her mom’s grave.]

[??? Holy shit.]

[This makes it even better to ship.]

[AHHHHHHHHH!!!]

[I have no words. When’s the wedding?]

[I have no doubt that within the next five years, the trending topic #XuShuyanLinYiGetMarriedAbroad will appear.]

[Gu Group’s number one Real Couple.]

[Why do you like her so much, Lin Yi? Tell me what happy thing you were talking about, you’re smiling so hard your eyes have disappeared.]

When Lin Yi read that last comment, she thought back. At that moment, Xu Shuyan had been worrying that the hot pot would be spicy enough to kill her, and of course, Lin Yi hadn’t passed up the opportunity to laugh at her. If she remembered correctly, when that photo was taken, she was in the middle of mocking Xu Shuyan for not being able to handle spicy food.

Lin Yi: “…”

As long as you guys are happy shipping it.

“What’s with that creepy smile?” Xu Shuyan tapped her bowl with her chopsticks, pulling Lin Yi’s attention back. “Are you reading hate posts about me again?”

Lin Yi showed her the phone. “You’re just judging a gentleman by your own petty standards. I’m looking at our CP thread, okay?”

Xu Shuyan: “?”

She’d rather have her reading hate posts!

She glanced at it casually, not paying it much mind, and asked Lin Yi, “Can we start putting the food in? Is it really not spicy? Don’t you dare lie to an out-of-towner like me. I’ll be traumatized.”

“It’s really not spicy.” Lin Yi held up three fingers to swear. “I wouldn’t lie to you about this!”

…My ass!

Xu Shuyan had only eaten three mouthfuls before the spice made her tear up, her eyes turning red. Lin Yi hadn’t expected such a strong reaction and quickly ordered her a Coke. After downing a glass of ice-cold Coke, Xu Shuyan finally came back to life, sticking her tongue out to curse at Lin Yi: “You-you big liar! It’s-it’s so spicy it’s killing me!”

Lin Yi froze for a second, then couldn’t hold it in and burst out laughing.

Xu Shuyan’s eyes widened, and she got even angrier. “You’re still laughing?”

“Sorry, sorry,” Lin Yi apologized quickly.

Xu Shuyan put down her chopsticks. “I’m not eating anymore.”

“Don’t be like that,” Lin Yi coaxed. “We ordered so much food. I can’t finish it all by myself. It’ll go to waste, won’t it?”

Xu Shuyan turned her head away. “I’m not eating. Period.”

Lin Yi sighed dramatically. “You’re just eating it wrong. You didn’t use the dipping sauce I made for you, did you?” She fished out a piece of duck blood, rolled it around in Xu Shuyan’s dipping bowl, and held it to her lips. “Try this. I promise it’s not spicy.”

Xu Shuyan wavered. “…Really?”

Lin Yi was very sincere. “Really.”

Xu Shuyan chose to trust Lin Yi one more time. She blew on the piece of duck blood and took a bite. Coated in the dipping sauce, the duck blood was indeed not as spicy-at least, it was within a tolerable range. Under Lin Yi’s expectant gaze, she slowly nodded. “Not bad.”

“So, shall we keep eating?” Lin Yi asked.

Xu Shuyan picked up her chopsticks again. “Let’s eat.”

Lin Yi laughed at her. “You’re like a little kid, always needing to be coaxed.”

Xu Shuyan: “…Shut up and eat.”

Later, Xu Shuyan posted about her day trip to Mountain City on Weibo. Fans figured out the address of the hot pot restaurant from the pictures and went to check it out for themselves. They chatted with the lady boss, trying to dig up some sweet CP moments, and they actually succeeded. They went back online and embellished the story quite a bit.

[The lady boss at the restaurant said she’d never seen two girls so lovey-dovey. Both were gorgeous! Super small faces, super fair skin, super cute! One of the girls (I’m guessing Yanyan) couldn’t handle spicy food, so the one who could coaxed her into eating. I’m dying from the sweetness, I’m dying!]

[Xu Shuyan needs to be coaxed! When I think about her teaching the trainees on the survival show with that cold expression, I just can’t imagine her being someone who needs coaxing!]

[Some women just have a whole different personality in front of their wife!]

[Thinking about it now, Xu Shuyan’s Weibo post is also very intriguing. The caption just says “A day trip in Mountain City,” but based on my reading comprehension, what she really meant to say was: My wife brought me home! My wife is so cute! The flower crown my wife made is so pretty! Don’t you feel pathetic for not having a wife?]

[LMAO, that’s totally something she would do. Turns out I’m the pathetic one.]

But that all came later.

That day, after finishing the hot pot, Lin Yi saw that it was still early and took Xu Shuyan for another long stroll around Mountain City before heading home. Unexpectedly, they ran into a sasaeng on the way.

At first, Lin Yi didn’t notice. Her driving skills were average, so she was concentrating fully on navigating Mountain City’s numerous uphill, downhill, and winding roads. It was Xu Shuyan in the passenger seat who suddenly looked at the rearview mirror and said, “Look at that Mercedes behind us. Is it following our car?”

“No way,” Lin Yi glanced back, and her heart sank. “A sasaeng?”

They had seen plenty of sasaengs. They were practically omnipresent, especially in public places-tailing their car, pushing and shoving, staking out locations. There was no privacy to speak of. Lin Yi had thought they were being discreet enough this time to avoid being followed, but she had underestimated the sasaengs’ speed.

Xu Shuyan was also a little unsure. “Why don’t you test it?”

Lin Yi thought for a moment and said, “Okay.”

She rarely came home after her debut, and her family’s information was well-protected. Her dad wasn’t one to show off, so almost no one knew he ran a small convenience store. More importantly, the house she was staying in was full of her mother’s traces. If a sasaeng found out, her dad wouldn’t be able to just move, so leading a sasaeng to the house was out of the question.

Lin Yi turned the steering wheel and made a left turn. The Mercedes also turned left.

Lin Yi drove straight. The Mercedes also drove straight.

Lin Yi signaled right and changed lanes. The Mercedes also signaled right and changed lanes.

While waiting at a red light, Lin Yi and Xu Shuyan exchanged a look. Xu Shuyan sighed. “Unfortunately, it’s a sasaeng.”

Lin Yi had a headache too. “How did they follow us?”

“It’s all my fault,” she blamed herself. “I thought they wouldn’t follow us, so I wasn’t careful and just paraded you all over Mountain City.”

Xu Shuyan disagreed. “What are you talking about? It’s not like we have to hide from the public. What’s wrong with being out and about?”

“Alright, alright, I misspoke, okay?” The light turned green, and Lin Yi stepped on the gas. The car in front of them shot forward like a rocket. Drivers in Mountain City were known for their love of drifting, and she figured the driver of the Mercedes behind them probably had the same skill. Lin Yi tutted and said, “I’ll park the car in the mall’s parking lot up ahead.”

“And then?”

“And then I’ll take you on a real tour of Mountain City!”

“…Speak human.”

“You have no sense of fun at all.” Lin Yi drove into the mall’s parking garage. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Mercedes follow them in. She kept her foot on the gas as she rounded the corners, saying, “I know this area well. There are lots of nooks and crannies we can slip through. I guarantee we’ll shake the sasaeng and get home safe and sound.”

Xu Shuyan was naturally skeptical of Lin Yi. “Really?”

Lin Yi couldn’t be bothered to explain. “Fine, don’t believe me then.”

She reversed into a parking spot, stopping smoothly. Xu Shuyan couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. “Your driving has gotten pretty good. Have you been secretly going go-karting behind my back?”

“Why would I need to go go-karting behind your back?” Lin Yi unbuckled her seatbelt. “Get out and follow me.”

The sasaeng thought the two of them had gone into the mall to shop, not realizing they had already been spotted and were launching a guerrilla tactic. Lin Yi had grown up in this area; she took these paths to school and to the cemetery. She could count a dozen routes home with her eyes closed. Shaking off a sasaeng unfamiliar with the roads was, of course, a piece of cake.

Unfortunately, Xu Shuyan was also unfamiliar with the roads and often couldn’t react in time to Lin Yi’s sudden changes in direction, seriously slowing them down.

“This way!”

“Hurry up!”

“Xu Shuyan, I really owe you in a past life! Give me your hand!” Lin Yi finally couldn’t take it anymore. She grabbed Xu Shuyan’s hand, and fearing they would get separated in the rush, she simply laced their fingers together.

Xu Shuyan struggled instinctively for a moment. Lin Yi threatened her, “If you let go, I’m leaving you to him!”

Xu Shuyan twitched her lips. “Oh, I’m so scared.”

But unexpectedly, Lin Yi took her seriously and patted the back of her hand reassuringly. “Don’t be scared, don’t be scared.”

As she spoke, she tightened her grip on her hand.

Xu Shuyan’s expression flickered. She wanted to explain that she wasn’t really scared, but Lin Yi pulled her into an alley. After just a few steps, they came to a long flight of stairs, and Lin Yi dragged her up them.

The wind blew straight down from the top of the stairs. She could smell the scent of Lin Yi’s hair. On this spring day in Mountain City, with sunlight filtering through the shadows of the trees, she thought that if a camera were pointed up at them from the bottom of the stairs, their retreating figures would probably look like they were eloping.

With no regard for destination or time, just escaping from the crowds and the world.

Unfortunately, the sasaeng following them was a toxic solo fan. Seeing that he couldn’t keep up, he started cursing at them from the bottom of the stairs: “Lin Yi! You fucking stay away from Xu Shuyan! Shit! Just seeing you stand next to her makes me want to puke!”

“Shut up!” Xu Shuyan yelled back over her shoulder.

A sense of guilt rose from somewhere, and she tugged on Lin Yi’s hand, explaining frantically, “Lin Yi, sasaengs aren’t fans, you know that, right? Their brains are-“

“I know.” Seeing that the sasaeng couldn’t catch up, Lin Yi stopped, let go of Xu Shuyan’s hand, and bent over, panting heavily with her hands on her knees. She paid no mind to the insults from below, which fell silent for a moment before starting up again, even more unrestrained.

Xu Shuyan couldn’t listen to it anymore and was about to retort again, but Lin Yi stopped her. “With people like that, the more you respond, the more worked up they get.”

Sure enough, without a response, the cursing from below grew fainter and fainter, eventually fading away completely.

Lin Yi let out a soft sigh of relief. She was covered in sweat from running, and her face was glistening in the sunlight. After catching her breath for a moment, she suddenly smiled and said, “Your fan probably doesn’t know that you want to puke when you stand next to me, too.”

Xu Shuyan’s brow furrowed slightly. “Don’t you feel the same?”

“I do.” Lin Yi slowly straightened up and draped herself over Xu Shuyan. “It’s such an honor to be able to disgust you. Seeing as I helped you shake off that sasaeng, how about you give me a piggyback ride?”

“Get lost.” Xu Shuyan felt an inexplicable irritation and shook her hand off. “I find you disgusting. Besides-” She didn’t have time to think, and the hurtful words tumbled out without a second thought: “If you hadn’t made me come here, I wouldn’t have run into a sasaeng in the first place.”

Lin Yi fell silent.

Xu Shuyan’s heart lurched. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“What didn’t you mean?” Lin Yi’s face turned cold. “So I wasted your time, did I? It was such a grievance for you to accompany your love rival to meet her family for fanservice, wasn’t it? You’ve finally said what’s on your mind, huh? Does seeing my mom make you want to puke, too?”

Xu Shuyan got angry too. “I said one thing. Do you have to blow it up like this?”

Lin Yi grunted. “Yes, I’m blowing it up, okay? You know perfectly well what you’re thinking! Anyway, I owe you for this. I’ll remember it, and I’ll pay you back eventually!”

With that, she turned and walked away.

Xu Shuyan thought, What kind of attitude is that? Asking for help like she’s the boss. What’s she got to be aggrieved about? So she yelled after her with just as much force, “Just make sure you remember!”

But looking again, Lin Yi’s retreating figure seemed so lonely. Maybe because she had been running so fast, her ankle was twisting as she walked.

…No way.

She didn’t twist her ankle, did she? These mountain paths are treacherous, and Lin Yi was running so fast. It would be perfectly normal for her to twist her ankle. She stood there, conflicted for a moment. Then, the thought that Lin Yi would probably go back and play the victim to Chen Yuan made a nameless fire rise in her heart.

She stomped her foot, jogged to block Lin Yi’s path, and crouched down. Looking back over her shoulder, she said through gritted teeth, “Get on.”

Unexpectedly, Lin Yi turned her head away with great dignity and fiercely refused her. “No!”

“What’s with the attitude?” Xu Shuyan glared at her. “I’m only counting to three. If you’re not on by then, forget it! One, two-whoa!”

Lin Yi had jumped onto her back.

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