Lin Yi felt that Xu Shuyan had been a walking jar of vinegar lately.
Especially after she took on a role in a historical political drama that had a romantic subplot.
Although the show was primarily focused on political intrigue and had very few romantic scenes, the male actor she was paired with was very popular with the general public. Her fans immediately got excited. Before filming even began, they used old video clips to create countless ship videos of the two, all of which were tagged with Lin Yi’s name and pushed to Xu Shuyan’s homepage.
Xu Shuyan was very angry, and the consequences… were perhaps not that severe.
It just took Lin Yi coaxing her by agreeing to try new places, unlock new positions, and even consenting to blindfolds and bondage, before Xu Shuyan’s mood finally improved a little.
“I heard you’re going to be acting with Jiang Bai?” Zhou Shichen had recently accepted a movie role and, in order to focus on studying the script, had her manager turn down some less important events. She was quite free and loved to wander around when she had nothing to do. After finishing her shopping, she strolled over to Lin Yi’s studio. The moment she walked in, she started gossiping, her face full of envy. “Jiang Bai is so handsome! He’s my current obsession!”
“Shh!” Lin Yi quickly made a hushing gesture and pulled her out of the office. “Can we please not mention Jiang Bai?”
Zhou Shichen asked, “Why not?”
Lin Yi said irritably, “I’m allergic to those two words lately.”
Zhou Shichen was puzzled. “Huh?”
Lin Yi led her into the breakroom, poured her a glass of water, and handed it to her. “It’s Xu Shuyan. She read my script the other day and saw that my character hugs Jiang Bai’s. The jealousy was so thick you could dip dumplings in it.”
Zhou Shichen went, “Ah, oh.” Then she said, “She’s a grown woman, and she’s still getting jealous over that. Tell me more, let me get my fix!”
Lin Yi: “?”
Zhou Shichen: “I mean, I’ll help you analyze the situation.”
Lin Yi: “Heh, you’d better be.”
Lin Yi’s studio was small, with only a few staff members. It was currently lunchtime, and only an assistant was still clattering away at a keyboard. The whole studio was quiet. She let out a soft sigh. “My girlfriend gets too jealous. What should I do?”
Zhou Shichen repeated her words as she typed: “My girlfriend gets too jealous, what should I do?”
Lin Yi asked, “What are you doing?”
Zhou Shichen: “Making a post to ask for you.”
Lin Yi: “?”
She said helplessly, “Hey-!”
“Don’t worry,” Zhou Shichen said, casually pulling a photo of Lin Yi and Xu Shuyan from her album to use as the post’s main image before hitting send. “This little forum is full of your and Xu Shuyan’s CP fans. They’ll be more than happy to help you with your relationship problems.”
Lin Yi gave a dry laugh. “Thanks a lot.”
Zhou Shichen shot her a flirtatious look. “What’s there to thank me for between us?”
“Don’t!” Lin Yi quickly drew a line. “Between us, you’re you and I’m I. Not even a dog would ship Chen Xin Ru Yi!”
“…” Zhou Shichen said, “You even know our CP name. You must have a secret crush on me, right?”
Lin Yi wished she could sew Zhou Shichen’s mouth shut. She lowered her voice. “Xu Shuyan is in my office catching up on sleep right now! Be careful what you say! For my sake, at least!”
Zhou Shichen covered her mouth. “No wonder your studios are on different floors in the same building. Secret dates! I condemn you!”
Lin Yi said seriously, “How can it be a secret date when we’re a couple? We are having an open and honest! Date!” As she spoke, she pushed Zhou Shichen toward the door. “She has to fly to Hong Kong soon and will probably wake up any minute. I won’t ask you to stay for a meal. Goodbye and good riddance!”
Zhou Shichen waved her phone. “Check the post later! Lots of enthusiastic little sisters in there!”
“I know!” Lin Yi walked Zhou Shichen to the elevator and asked, “Are you really this free? Where are you off to next? Shouldn’t you go back to the company and read your script?”
Zhou Shichen stepped into the elevator. “I’m not done with my inspection tour yet. I’m off to the Captain’s studio to offer some pointers.”
Lin Yi: “…Good luck with that.”
After seeing Zhou Shichen off, she bought a bag of candy from a vending machine before returning to her office.
The office curtains were drawn. Xu Shuyan was curled up on the sofa, resting with her eyes closed. The overly large blanket drooped to the floor and got tangled beneath her as she shifted. Her small, exquisite face was flushed from the warm air, looking so delectable that Lin Yi’s heart softened at the sight.
She couldn’t resist squatting in front of her and poking her cheek.
It was soft.
Xu Shuyan was a light sleeper and had woken up almost as soon as Lin Yi entered. Too lazy to open her eyes, she grabbed Lin Yi’s hand and pulled it toward her. No matter how petite they were, they couldn’t lie side-by-side on the sofa. Just as Lin Yi was about to push her away, Xu Shuyan pulled her right on top of her. She was now lying on Xu Shuyan’s body in a… very indecent position.
“…Hey!” Lin Yi protested. “Don’t you think this position is a little… perverted?”
Xu Shuyan chuckled, her voice muffled. She supported Lin Yi’s thighs and shifted her up a bit to make the position more comfortable, then nuzzled into the crook of Lin Yi’s neck. “Really? I think it’s fine.”
Lin Yi mumbled, “It makes it look like I’m taking advantage of you.”
Xu Shuyan didn’t mind. “I’m your girlfriend. Go ahead, take all you want.”
Lin Yi figured she had a point, so she stopped holding back. She leaned down and nibbled on the beautiful face she’d been coveting for so long, squishing Xu Shuyan’s cheeks and squealing like a toxic solo fan, “Ahhh, so cute I could eat you up in one bite!”
Xu Shuyan said helplessly, “That’s a very dangerous thought you’re having.”
Lin Yi wrapped her arms around her neck and grinned. “Shichen was just here, but I dragged her out when I saw you were sleeping. It’s Xiao Yi’s duty to protect her wife’s sleep quality!”
Xu Shuyan managed to open one eye. “So?”
Lin Yi was being too well-behaved. There had to be a catch.
“Look at you.” Lin Yi buried her face in Xu Shuyan’s chest and rubbed against her like a big, spoiled cat. “Can’t I just be nice to you? Does everything I do for you have to have an ulterior motive? Do I always have to be asking for something in return?”
“No,” Xu Shuyan coaxed, opening her other eye. “So?”
Lin Yi: “…”
This person was so hard to fool!
Lin Yi picked up the bag of candy that had fallen on the floor and shook it. “I just wanted you to have some of this. After you eat this, you won’t be sour anymore, okay?”
Xu Shuyan considered this. “Oh?”
Lin Yi’s eyes drooped. “If this doesn’t work, I’ll go check the post Shichen made.”
Xu Shuyan asked, “What post?”
Lin Yi explained what Zhou Shichen had done. Xu Shuyan made a sound of understanding. “Why are you seeking outside help? You should use your own methods to coax your wife, no matter how clumsy they are.”
Lin Yi keenly picked up on the keyword. “Aha! You called me clumsy!”
The moment she said it, she sat up straight, and immediately regretted it. She had been lying on top of Xu Shuyan, so sitting up put her in a straddling position. With her aggressive posture, anyone who didn’t know better would think she was about to do something to Xu Shuyan.
Sure enough, Xu Shuyan started acting, clutching her chest with a terrified expression. “What are you doing!”
Lin Yi: “…”
She said “viciously,” “I’m going to do you right here, right now!”
Xu Shuyan raised an eyebrow. “Okay.”
Lin Yi grumbled, “Couldn’t you be a little more reserved!”
Xu Shuyan made a move to pull off her clothes. “Why should I be reserved with my own wife?!”
“Don’t! Don’t!” Lin Yi quickly stopped her. “You have to go to the airport soon. If your makeup gets messed up, you won’t have time to fix it.” After stopping her, she worried Xu Shuyan would get moody, so she leaned down and gave her a kiss. “We can mess around when you get back.”
Xu Shuyan chuckled. She asked, “What time is it?”
Lin Yi said, “I’m keeping an eye on the time for you. You have at least ten more minutes.”
Xu Shuyan hummed and tossed the candy to her. “Then you feed me.”
Lin Yi tore open the candy wrapper and popped one into her mouth. “You want to play the candy game again? It’s mango flavor, you saw.”
Xu Shuyan opened her mouth, her tongue darting out as if asking for a kiss. “I don’t care. You feed me.”
Lin Yi was helpless against her. She leaned in and captured Xu Shuyan’s lips, passing the round candy over. It slowly dissolved into sweet syrup between their lips and teeth, which they swallowed down. Unsatisfied, Xu Shuyan pressed the back of Lin Yi’s head, deepening the kiss, and then deepening it again.
In an instant, the only sound in the office was the wet smack of their kissing.
They kissed until the candy had completely melted into syrup. Only then did Xu Shuyan, panting slightly, release Lin Yi. Her fingertip traced Lin Yi’s lips as if stamping them. She whispered domineeringly, “I’m not jealous now, but I can’t say the same for the future.”
As she spoke, she started to get upset again. “He’s going to hug you!”
Lin Yi said, “It’s just for a scene.”
Xu Shuyan: “Hmph.”
“Besides,” Lin Yi said, kissing her reddened lips, “I admit I have some charm. But I’m not some kind of siren that everyone falls in love with on sight. So don’t worry!”
Xu Shuyan got upset again. “Why wouldn’t they like you? You’re so wonderful, you deserve to be liked by everyone!”
Lin Yi: “Oh?”
Xu Shuyan pinched her cheek and declared, “Then you can only be mine. You can only be completely devoted to me!”
Lin Yi smiled, a wave of reluctance washing over her. She hugged Xu Shuyan tightly and whispered, “By the time you get back, I’ll probably have started filming with the crew. It’ll be a long time before I see you again. I’ll miss you so, so much.”
Xu Shuyan patted her head and said, “Me too.”
Ten minutes later, Xu Shuyan was in the car on her way to the airport.
About fifty minutes after she left, Lin Yi was scrolling through her homepage and saw photos of Xu Shuyan’s airport departure. Xu Shuyan had recently become the spokesperson for a brand of sunglasses and wore them every single time she was at the airport, showing a strong sense of duty as an endorser.
The fansite’s caption read: Sister Yan out on the town. One word: cool!
The comments below were all filled with fans screaming “Wife” and “Baby,” looking for all the world like a mass pants-dropping scene. Lin Yi clicked her tongue, lamenting how unrestrained people were these days, while fiercely reposting from her side account: “Sister, please top me head-on!”
A moment later, Zhou Shichen’s side account commented on her post: “And from behind?”
Lin Yi: “…Get lost.”
Only then did she remember the post Zhou Shichen had made. She asked for the link, clicked on it, and was surprised to see so many replies. The first one was: “Is the Captain jealous? The Captain is easy to please! Just give her a lesson!”
Zhou Shichen replied: “Asking for a teammate @TheNotes-LinYi, thanks.”
The fans all thought Zhou Shichen was just another fan cosplaying, so they didn’t take it seriously and replied playfully: “Aiya! Xu Shuyan is even easier to please! Lin Yi has her wrapped around her little finger. A kiss would probably fix everything!”
“Getting so jealous is just because she cares about you! Let her be jealous, let her be jealous!”
“I live for the jealousy trope!”
“Lin Yi, she must love you so much. Just give her a kiss!”
“Lin Yi! Tell her! You favor her! You’ll always favor her!”
“Give her a sense of security, like by stripping naked and presenting yourself on her bed (fog) (kids, please ignore this comment)”
“The person above me is going to get arrested.”
“Serious answer here.
Based on my last analysis, Yan Zhi You Yi are already dating. And in a relationship, Yanyan’s personality will inevitably put her in the dominant position.
But do you think having everything under control gives her a sense of security? No. She will only demand more and require more in return. And the response she requires is something only Lin Yi can give.
The true hunter appears disguised as the prey.
Lin Yi is the perfect example.
Lin Yi needs to give her more than enough security. She needs to tell her, I love you, I only love you, I will love you forever. And that ‘forever’ extends to the second after life ends.”
“Worshipping the ship-ologist above!”
“Lin Yi, get in here and copy the answer!”
“Taking notes on how to be in a relationship from our fandom’s ship-ologist.”
This ship-ologist… Lin Yi stared at the long reply, pondering it as she opened her chat with Xu Shuyan. Fans were ultimately watching them through a screen. Even in the most mundane footage, as long as a camera was present, they had to be mindful of their public personas, so any analysis was bound to be biased. But that last sentence was right.
Lin Yi typed, pressing one key at a time.
She recited silently, “Xu Shuyan, I love you. I only love you.”
I will love you forever.
And the ‘forever’ I speak of extends to the second after life ends.
When Xu Shuyan said she was coming to visit the set, Lin Yi had just finished a rain scene. Her assistant trotted over, draped a prepared towel over her head, and, fearing she would catch a cold, gently pushed her toward the dressing room.
As they walked, the assistant said, “Ms. Xu said she’s coming over tomorrow.”
The date was just past Jingzhe, a time when the spring chill still lingered. Lin Yi had been soaked to the bone by the rain and hadn’t quite recovered yet. The ancient maiden’s topknot on her head felt like it was about to fall off. Finding it heavy, she lowered her head for a moment before repeating the assistant’s words, “Ms. Xu is coming tomorrow?”
“Yes.” The assistant closed the door and handed her a cup of ginger tea. “Drink it while it’s hot, don’t catch a cold.”
Lin Yi hummed listlessly.
She had been pulling all-nighters for filming the past two days, her sleep schedule completely overturned. She hadn’t been sleeping well to begin with, and being drenched by the rain and pulled out of the story made her even more lethargic. She sat down, sipping the ginger soup, and asked, “Where’s my phone?”
The assistant found it for her. “Do you want to reply to Ms. Xu? She’s recording a show right now and probably won’t get her phone back until tonight.”
“Oh.” Lin Yi pulled her hand back and continued to slowly drink the ginger soup. “Never mind then.”
After a moment, she asked the assistant again, “Did she call you? What did she say?”
The assistant helped her undo her topknot. Her long, straight black hair cascaded over her light blue silk blouse. The hairpins and ornaments were laid out one by one on the table. While doing this, the assistant said, “Ms. Xu video-called.”
Lin Yi looked up. “…She saw me filming?”
She did.
In the last two years, Lin Yi had developed an interest in acting. Besides holding concerts and releasing albums, she would also pick one or two scripts a year. As long as the script was good, she didn’t mind if it was a cameo or a supporting role. She was also able to endure whatever hardships came with filming.
This scene was difficult to shoot. It involved riding a horse in the rain, fighting, and solving a mystery. The romantic storyline with the male lead also reached a breaking point and erupted all at once. Lin Yi filmed in the rain over and over for seven or eight hours before they were done.
When Xu Shuyan called, she was in the middle of calmly telling the male lead that they should part ways, that they should go their separate ways, and that no matter how wretched she felt, she would walk her path alone. After the male lead left, she stood in the rain, silently crying. These were real tears for a close-up shot—her eyes had to be red, welling with hot tears, her face streaked with them.
“What did she say after watching?” Lin Yi finished her ginger soup and pretended to be casual. “Was her heart just breaking for me?”
The assistant thought for a moment. “Ms. Xu didn’t say much after watching. She just said she’d come visit the set once she’s done with her work, and told you to take good care of yourself and not to catch a cold, otherwise you’d definitely pass it on to her.”
Lin Yi paused, instantly understanding Xu Shuyan’s little trick.
She was just banking on the fact that Lin Yi cared for her and loved her, and would take good care of herself, if only to avoid getting her sick.
Lin Yi waved her hand. “Got it.”
The assistant said, “Now that you’re done drinking, don’t just sit there. Change your clothes first. I’ll go see if the driver is here. You need to take a hot bath when you get back. You absolutely can’t get sick.”
Lin Yi nodded. “Go on.”
The costumes, makeup, and props for this drama were top-notch. The ancient clothing was intricate, with layer upon layer to remove. By the time she had changed, her assistant had been waiting at the door for a while, a long look on her face. “The driver is stuck in traffic. We’ll probably have to wait another two hours.”
“That long?” Lin Yi yawned. “Should we just get a taxi?”
The assistant hesitated.
Lin Yi: “Just say it.”
Only then did the assistant say, “Mr. Jiang’s car is here. He said he can give us a ride.”
Lin Yi: “Mr. Jiang?”
Jiang Bai, the male lead of the drama. Although he and Lin Yi were staying at the same hotel, they always went their separate ways after work. Aside from occasionally chatting during behind-the-scenes filming, they had no other contact.
If she took a ride back to the hotel in his car…
Lin Yi frowned. “Forget it. Let’s just wait.”
If Xu Shuyan found out, she was afraid the jealousy would be enough to fill the Pacific Ocean and drown her. Who could she even complain to then?
“It’s not just us!” the assistant quickly explained. “Che Ling is coming too. Her driver is also stuck in traffic. So it won’t matter even if someone takes a picture.”
Lin Yi made a sound of understanding.
Che Ling was the second female lead in the drama, a rising young starlet. Her acting was quite good, she had a cheerful personality, and she was still in university. Based on a little bit of romantic intuition, Lin Yi felt that Che Ling liked Jiang Bai.
If she could set Che Ling and Jiang Bai up as a couple, then what reason would Xu Shuyan have to be jealous!
Lin Yi’s eyes lit up, and she perked up. “Let’s go, let’s go. We’ll take Jiang Bai’s car.”
The assistant was a bit baffled by her sudden enthusiasm but felt relieved. In any case, as long as they could get back to the hotel on time, it was fine.
Jiang Bai’s van was fully equipped and neatly arranged. Just as Lin Yi had thought, Che Ling did have a crush on Jiang Bai. Despite being such a lively and outgoing person, she became a little reserved in his car. Jiang Bai handed each of them a bottle of juice and said, “Who knows how long this rain will last.”
“I know, right!” Che Ling said. “But all the scenes tomorrow are indoors, so it doesn’t matter if it stops or not.”
Lin Yi watched their interaction from the side. Judging by Jiang Bai’s attitude, she concluded that he probably had feelings for Che Ling too. She felt another surge of excitement. The probability of successfully playing matchmaker was one hundred percent!
Just as she was thinking this, Che Ling suddenly asked, “Sister Xiao Yi, what are you smiling about?”
Lin Yi snapped back to reality. “Huh?”
Oops, I couldn’t help but start shipping them. I didn’t hide my fangirl smile well enough.
She composed herself and found a topic to steer the conversation. “Ah, I was just thinking that the character dynamics in our drama are really well done. You could ship anyone with anyone.”
Che Ling, completely unguarded, said, “Right? I think our characters are pretty shippable too.”
Lin Yi: “!”
She paled. “You can’t ship that one!”
Che Ling smiled sheepishly. “Isn’t it popular to ship the female lead and the second female lead these days? But don’t worry, Sister Xiao Yi, I won’t force it! Besides, I know you already have a CP!”
“…” Lin Yi glanced at Jiang Bai and asked Che Ling, “You ship CPs too?”
Che Ling answered honestly, “Yan Zhi You Yi. I’ve heard a little about it.”
Lin Yi gave her a thumbs-up.
The girl had good taste, shipping a Real Couple right off the bat. But- Lin Yi took a sip of juice and said, “What I mean is, the male lead and the second female lead are actually a good match too, don’t you think?”
As soon as she said that, those with guilty consciences didn’t dare to respond.
And there were two people with guilty consciences in the car. They exchanged a look, and an ambiguous current flowed through the air. All they could hear was Lin Yi chattering on about the shipping points for the male lead and second female lead. Against the sound of the rain outside, Lin Yi shipped them with passionate fervor.
Finally, she slapped the table. “Logically, you two don’t even have a romantic storyline, so why do I always find something to ship?”
Che Ling blushed and clumsily and hastily changed the subject. “By the way, Sister Xiao Yi! When you were filming today, I saw your assistant on a video call with Ms. Xu. Ms. Xu is so concerned about you. You two are really close.”
Lin Yi was on a roll and said proudly, “Of course. We’re the closest in the group.”
Che Ling was something of a minor fan of the Gu Group. Her eyes sparkled as she gossiped, “Really? Then for your birthday before, that thirty-million-yuan necklace, was it really a gift from Ms. Xu?”
“Thirty million?” Lin Yi frowned. “It was twenty-six million. Why has the price been inflated?”
“Ms. Xu really gave it to you!?” Che Ling suppressed her excitement. “Oh my god, that’s so expensive! She… she… if I didn’t know you were both straight, I’d really think you were dating!”
She was moved. “What a touching sisterly bond!”
Lin Yi was still reeling from the news of the price being inflated to thirty million when she was hit by the “if I didn’t know you were both straight” comment. She let out a slow “ah.” “Who told you we were straight?”
Che Ling was dumbfounded. “You… you’re… not?”
Jiang Bai, who had been quietly listening to them from across the way, was also shocked. “???”
Lin Yi was used to their shock. “It’s fine to tell you guys. I’m not straight. It’s pretty normal for a girl group to have a Real Couple, right? Che Ling, you said you were a fan of mine. You couldn’t tell?”
Che Ling: “???”
Che Ling wasn’t a seasoned fan. When she said she was a minor fan, it meant she mostly liked their stage performances and wasn’t aware of the more in-depth news. Suddenly learning that Lin Yi was gay felt a bit like her idol’s image had collapsed. She was still in shock even after getting out of the car.
Lin Yi, on the other hand, felt a bit disgruntled. Staring at the ascending elevator numbers, she reflected on her actions. She was just too eager to show off their relationship. The moment someone mentioned Yan Zhi You Yi, she went off-topic, and her matchmaking attempt failed. If it weren’t for the sake of her own love life, she couldn’t be bothered with how far Che Ling and Jiang Bai’s ambiguous relationship had progressed.
The more she thought about it, the more tired she felt. She dragged her heavy feet out of the elevator, only to see someone standing in front of her hotel room door.
A long black dress, sunglasses pushed up to reveal a small, delicate, palm-sized face. Hearing the elevator ding, the person turned her head. Her makeup was cool and her expression indifferent, but when she saw Lin Yi, a smile slowly bloomed in her eyes.
Like the melting of the spring snow, when all of life begins anew.
Lin Yi’s eyes lit up too. “Xu Shuyan!”
She trotted over, her footsteps muffled by the carpet, and threw herself into Xu Shuyan’s arms, her joy overflowing. “What are you doing here? Weren’t you supposed to be recording a show? You… ah, no wonder my assistant told me to come back early! It was because you were here!”
Xu Shuyan wrapped an arm around her waist and cleared her throat. “Hello.”
Only then did Lin Yi realize that Che Ling was on the same floor and was standing right behind her. She sheepishly pulled away from Xu Shuyan’s embrace and turned around. “Xiao Ling, this is Xu Shuyan, from my group.”
Che Ling looked at her, then at Xu Shuyan.
Lin Yi knew what she was thinking and said, “That’s right. Yanyan and I-”
“Ms. Xu!” Che Ling suddenly interrupted her. Looking at Xu Shuyan, she asked, “Do you also know that Sister Xiao Yi is gay? Since you’re in the same group, you must have… must have known for a long time, right? But how did you find out?”
Che Ling had clearly never encountered a situation like this before and was in a complete daze. “It couldn’t be that she only found out because she liked someone, right?”
She gasped. “She doesn’t have a girlfriend, does she?!”
Lin Yi: “…”
She said to Xu Shuyan, “The kid’s gone stupid.”
Xu Shuyan: “…”
She smiled kindly at Che Ling. “Have you considered the possibility that I’m her girlfriend?”
Che Ling: “???”
