Only a single table lamp was on in Yun Chu’s room. The deep green lampshade contained a warm, yellow light. A pull-chain switch dangled under the lamp, its shadow swaying gently on the intricately patterned wallpaper.
The north wind howled, rattling the window frames and making the room seem exceptionally quiet.
Yun Chu was in a daze.
Jian You didn’t rush her. She seemed to be very interested in Yun Chu’s cosmetics, propping her chin on her hand and examining them. After a while, she finally heard Yun Chu’s footsteps.
She didn’t walk towards her, but instead sat down on the bed.
She picked up a strawberry and took a bite.
“Is it sweet?” Jian You asked.
The strawberry juice was very sweet, seeping into her taste buds. The taste that lingered was all sweetness. Yun Chu nodded and said, “Very sweet.” She took another bite of the strawberry. “I can send it to you.”
Jian You looked at her. “Because of the strawberries?”
Yun Chu shook her head.
Jian You asked, “Who were you originally planning to send it to?”
“Originally,” Yun Chu ate a piece of mango. Compared to the strawberry, the mango was too sour. She scrunched up her face from the tartness. “I wasn’t planning on sending it at all.”
Jian You let out a thoughtful “Oh.”
She wanted to ask, then why not send it to me? But after hesitating for two seconds, Yun Chu spoke again. “Teacher Jian, you know that our statuses are quite… you know.”
You know?
Yun Chu walked over, placed the fruit plate on the table, and picked up her phone. Seeing Jian You’s confused expression, she sighed. “I was afraid you’d think I was leeching off your popularity, that I had ulterior motives…”
Her voice grew smaller and smaller, lacking confidence, and she was also afraid that Jian You would think she was saying this on purpose.
Jian You raised her eyes. “So that’s why you didn’t send it to me?”
Yun Chu nodded honestly.
“But I’ve thought about it carefully,” Yun Chu said while quickly typing out a message. “I don’t have such intentions, so the innocent have nothing to fear. I should get rid of these concerns. Besides, although I’m an 18th-tier actress right now, fortunes can turn… Uh, I don’t mean that I’ll definitely become a big star.”
By the time she finished speaking, the message had been sent.
She tossed her phone on the table and met Jian You’s probing gaze. Her heart trembled.
She thought, Jian You is so beautiful. Even this close, there were no visible flaws on her small, palm-sized face. Her eyelashes were long, and as she blinked, her gaze lingered on her for a moment before she looked away. “When two people are together, they always want something from each other.”
“Beauty, money, connections, a sense of security, an exclusive reliance,” Jian You stood up and said, “So, having a motive is nothing to be ashamed of.”
Yun Chu blinked her eyes. “Then Teacher Jian, what do you want from me?”
Jian You was caught off guard. “?”
Yun Chu: “Hm?”
Jian You: “…Get some sleep.”
She turned and walked away.
Ignoring the late hour, she used a bit too much force to close the door. It didn’t latch and swung back open. By the time Yun Chu reached the doorway, Jian You had already disappeared down the stairwell.
Across the hall, Meng Zhaozhao yawned and pushed her door open. “What happened?”
“Nothing,” Yun Chu asked, “You’re still awake?”
There was a small living room on the second floor. A floor lamp was on, illuminating the small space. Meng Zhaozhao didn’t rush back. She walked over to the small sofa and sat down. “I can’t get used to the bed. I can’t sleep.”
Yun Chu could tell at a glance that she had something to say. She turned, closed her door, and walked over. Before Meng Zhaozhao could ask, she said, “I quite like listening to your songs.”
Meng Zhaozhao hummed in acknowledgment. This was a much better reason than liking the way she fed chickens. She became a little more wary. “Which one do you like?”
Yun Chu was prepared. “Sky Light and Cloud Shadows.”
Meng Zhaozhao: “Sing a line.”
Yun Chu: “…Don’t make things so difficult.”
Meng Zhaozhao laughed out loud.
Yun Chu’s eyes widened slightly. “So you’re laughing at me?”
“I know you quite like Director Jian,” Meng Zhaozhao said seriously. “But because you’re an actress, you don’t feel it’s right to make a move, right?”
During filming, a follow PD would usually be assigned to the small living room, so there was only one camera installed, which had been turned off when night fell. Therefore, no one could hear their current conversation.
Yun Chu gave a vague “mhm.”
“I don’t have that concern,” Meng Zhaozhao said. “I sent it to her yesterday.”
Yun Chu: !!!
What’s the meaning of chatting up a love rival?
Meng Zhaozhao made a placating gesture. “I just sent it casually. How can there be so much love at first sight?”
Yun Chu let out an “oh.” She said irritably, “Next time, can you just say everything at once?” She hesitated. “You didn’t come to me just to talk about this, did you?”
Meng Zhaozhao: “Yeah.”
Yun Chu said, “Just say what’s on your mind.”
Meng Zhaozhao: “…I like Wen Xi.”
Yun Chu: “?”
She looked perplexed. “Didn’t you just say there’s not that much love at first sight?”
Meng Zhaozhao said righteously, “Right, Wen Xi and I fell in love over time!”
Yun Chu was exasperated. “Yesterday and today.”
Meng Zhaozhao: “A person’s life is only three days: yesterday, today, and tomorrow. I’ve known her for two-thirds of my life. Isn’t that long enough?”
Yun Chu: “…It’s a waste you’re not on a debate team.”
Meng Zhaozhao: “What?”
“Nothing,” Yun Chu said. “So you like her. Do you want me to be your wingman?”
She could barely handle her own affairs!
Meng Zhaozhao: “Wen Xi also sent her message to Teacher Jian yesterday.”
Yun Chu: “?”
Meng Zhaozhao: “Alliance, get it?”
Yun Chu: “I get it completely!”
The two reached an agreement to protect their love and win over their wives as soon as possible. Meng Zhaozhao breathed a sigh of relief. She said, “I’m a bit thirsty. I just saw Teacher Jian bring you some fruit. Can you give me some?”
Yun Chu refused decisively. “No.”
Meng Zhaozhao: “?”
Yun Chu smiled sweetly. “Go ask your wife to bring you some.”
Meng Zhaozhao: ???
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