As everyone knows, Shen Yu is a person of immense cultivation to her very core.
Having lived a wealthy life since childhood, the people she interacted with were all from the upper class. Words like “decent behavior” and “elegant manners” were always used to praise her.
Except right now, Shen Yu truly couldn’t help but curse under her breath.
What did this mean?
She had to wait another 30 days?
After a long internal struggle, Shen Yu silently sent another message to Xu Shuili.
S: Does your assistant have any spare Weibo accounts? The kind that can get into Wen Xi’s fan group.
Xu Shuili: ?
Xu Shuili: What did you do?
On Wen Xi’s side, however, everything was as usual, calm and peaceful.
Pu Tao hadn’t bought many groceries; the two of them couldn’t eat much, and Wen Xi had the appetite of a bird.
After finishing their meal, they put the dishes in the dishwasher and sat on the sofa playing with their phones. Pu Tao asked, “By the way, Boss, why did you think of moving again? I thought that place was quite nice.”
Wen Xi was scrolling through short videos. Hearing this, she hit pause. “Why did I move before?”
Pu Tao had been following Wen Xi since before she opened her studio. In the beginning, Wen Xi moved constantly, often to different cities, so Pu Tao had to move with her. However, Wen Xi treated her exceptionally well, so she never had any complaints.
Pu Tao said without thinking, “Because you got tired of living there.”
“Mhm, I’m tired of it again,” Wen Xi said.
Pu Tao let out an “Ah”: “Alright! I thought there was some other hidden reason. You haven’t moved in a long time; I thought you actually liked it there.”
Wen Xi smiled but didn’t explain further.
If one were to truly speak of the reasons for her previous moves, and if Pu Tao thought a bit deeper, she might discover that in every city Wen Xi had lived in, Shen Yu had stayed there at some point. Sometimes it was for a film shoot; sometimes it was for a variety show invite.
Wen Xi no longer followed in Shen Yu’s footsteps; it was a way of saying goodbye to the past.
But now, she had been unexpectedly found by Shen Yu, throwing many of her plans into disarray.
This move was simply because Wen Xi didn’t want to be found by Shen Yu so quickly.
She just didn’t expect their next meeting to come so soon.
The Unexpected Encounter
By the next work week, Wen Xi had already packed her luggage and boarded a plane with Pu Tao and several studio employees.
A production’s “look book” photos are generally taken indoors, with strict requirements for lighting and makeup. Therefore, for this kind of commercial order, Wen Xi would bring more of her own team.
Before boarding, Wen Xi had double-checked the itinerary with Pu Tao. The crew had booked a hotel for them; they would rest for a day and start shooting tomorrow.
The hotel was located inside the Film and Television City, very close to the studio.
Wen Xi wasn’t a careless person, so she had checked long ago: Shen Yu’s crew was not filming in the Film City. In fact, they were supposed to be miles away.
Wancheng wasn’t far from Nankou City, so the flight didn’t take long.
Wen Xi hadn’t managed to catch up on sleep on the plane. After being picked up by the crew, she dozed off in the car for a bit. She had been busy with backlogged work from a few days ago and hadn’t rested well.
Perhaps because she was exhausted and had just woken up, her head was still foggy. Thus, she was completely dazed when she bumped into Shen Yu’s group at the hotel.
Only Pu Tao’s eyes widened slightly as she thought: My boss’s luck is truly incredible!
The hotel wasn’t small, but when they met in the corridor of the same floor, the space suddenly felt cramped.
Shen Yu was followed by four people. Ke Han and Yu Yan were two people Wen Xi had seen in the car last time; the others were likely assistants.
Wen Xi also had quite a few people with her, and a crew member was leading the way in front.
In short, once the two groups met, the air froze for a moment.
Those in the know, like Ke Han and Yu Yan, were shocked by this “fate.”
Those not in the know only knew that these two had recently trended together and felt the encounter was awkward. Although Shen Yu had superficially come forward to “rescue” the trending search, and they heard Wen Xi had privately expressed her “liking” for Shen Yu, the entertainment industry was full of such cases, people who appeared friendly on the surface but were actually strangers or even hated each other in private.
The crew member leading Wen Xi cleared their throat and said to her, “I forgot to mention, Teacher Shen is staying on the same floor as you. We only found out when booking the hotel. What great luck. Well, I won’t disturb you then. See you tomorrow, Teacher T. Just be there by 8:00 AM.”
The room cards had already been handed over downstairs.
Wen Xi said with a forced smile, “…See you tomorrow.”
Shen Yu was wearing a mask. Taking advantage of the fact that the others couldn’t see her face, she curled her lips slightly and gestured to those behind her.
Ke Han reacted quickly. “Isn’t everyone tired? Why are we standing here? Go back and rest. We’ll be busy later.”
Yu Yan immediately chimed in, “Yeah, I’ve been traveling all day. I’m exhausted. I’m heading out first, Boss.”
Before leaving, Yu Yan greeted Wen Xi, “Bye-bye, Teacher T.”
Wen Xi helplessly raised her hand and waved. “Bye-bye.”
Pu Tao’s eyes were wide as she whispered in Wen Xi’s ear, “She’s Shen Yu’s assistant, right! How do you know her?”
“An accident,” Wen Xi whispered back. “Met her before.”
“Oh, oh,” Pu Tao nodded slightly.
Once the people behind Shen Yu had cleared out, she stood there expressionless, watching Wen Xi whisper with her assistant.
Under Shen Yu’s gaze, Wen Xi felt immense pressure and gave a stiff smile. “Hello, Teacher Shen Yu. I am Twilight.”
“Hello, Teacher T. I’ve heard much about you.” Shen Yu removed her mask with one hand, walked up to Wen Xi, and smiled slightly, extending her right hand. “Is this our… second meeting?”
They were very close. Shen Yu was bare-faced today.
Looking up slightly, Wen Xi could see the fatigue on Shen Yu’s face. Clearly, she had finished filming at another location and rushed to the Film City without pause.
Wen Xi blinked, her right hand curling slightly before she reached out to lightly touch Shen Yu’s hand. “Yes.”
Wen Xi withdrew her hand very quickly, so quickly it could be seen as impolite.
Standing behind Wen Xi, Pu Tao saw Shen Yu frown slightly and quickly explained, “Aya, our Teacher T is a bit socially anxious and shy. Actually, she really likes you, Teacher Shen Yu…”
Wen Xi hurriedly reached back and patted Pu Tao.
Shen Yu stared at Wen Xi’s right hand for a few seconds. Then, her expression relaxed, she withdrew her hand, and chuckled, repeating the words: “Really likes me?”
“Many people like Teacher Shen Yu; I am naturally no exception,” Wen Xi said, forcing herself to stay composed.
“Since that’s the case,” Shen Yu raised an eyebrow, “shall we discuss a collaboration?”
“Collaboration… on what?” Wen Xi looked at Shen Yu’s slightly teasing expression and was momentarily dazed.
Shen Yu truly understood her. She had liked Shen Yu’s face ten years ago; back then it was somewhat youthful, but today, ten years later, her features were even more exquisite and beautiful.
Even though Wen Xi had watched her on screens countless times over the years, at such a close distance, she found it hard to look away.
“Did you forget?” Shen Yu said helplessly. “Didn’t I comment on your Weibo last time, saying there’d be a chance to collaborate?”
“Sorry,” Wen Xi struggled to shift her gaze. “Regarding collaboration, our teams can discuss the details. I…”
Pu Tao stretched behind her and yawned, turning to the other studio staff. “So sleepy. Are you guys tired?”
As she asked, Pu Tao winked as a hint.
Everyone understood instantly. “So sleepy! We have to wake up early tomorrow. I’m going to go rest!”
“Me too, I can hardly keep my eyes open.”
“Then Boss, we’ll go rest now. See you tomorrow!”
Wen Xi thought for a moment, it was probably only 1:00 PM right now??!
Wen Xi turned back and glared at Pu Tao.
Unfortunately, Wen Xi had a face that looked very young and gentle; her glare didn’t feel threatening at all. Though, Wen Xi wasn’t truly angry either.
Seeing Wen Xi glare at her, Pu Tao pumped her fist to encourage her, silently mouthing: Go for it! I support your idol-chasing!
Wen Xi couldn’t help but close her eyes. There was no helping it; Pu Tao had worked with her for years and had accompanied her in “following” Shen Yu for years. Pu Tao truly believed Wen Xi loved Shen Yu deeply and thought she was just being shy.
The Meal Invitation
Seeing that the people behind Wen Xi had also cleared out, Shen Yu dropped some of her guard and smiled tiredly. “Have you eaten?”
Wen Xi moved a step back imperceptibly. “I’ve eaten.”
“I haven’t eaten yet.” There was a bit of darkness under Shen Yu’s eyes. She put her mask back on, her voice sounding muffled. “I only had some bread this morning.”
“Then you should go eat,” Wen Xi said considerately. “Get some rest after eating. I’ll head out now; I won’t disturb you.”
“My meaning was,” Shen Yu said helplessly, “will you accompany me? Please?”
“No,” Wen Xi stayed silent for a few seconds, then looked up with a sweet smile. “We don’t have much of a relationship, and we’re not close. Why eat together?”
“Not close?” Shen Yu’s expression remained unchanged. “Indeed, we aren’t close. I’m inviting you to eat to discuss a collaboration.”
“Or,” Shen Yu leaned in closer, “does Teacher T have other thoughts?”
“Of course not,” Wen Xi turned her head away with difficulty. “Collaboration can be discussed with my assistant. I’m not entirely sure about my schedule.”
“Is eating really out of the question?” Shen Yu’s voice was muffled by the mask, and Wen Xi actually heard a hint of “pitifulness” in it. “And, I told your team I wanted to talk to you in detail. If you go back so soon, will they think our conversation was unpleasant?”
Shen Yu lowered her head to look at Wen Xi. Her long eyelashes obscured most of her gaze.
Wen Xi was most vulnerable to Shen Yu acting like this.
It had been like this a long time ago. Back then, the gap between them was so large, one in the sky, one on the ground. In Wen Xi’s heart, Shen Yu should have been the young lady living in the clouds. She couldn’t stand it when Shen Yu would hold her hand and speak to her in a low, humble voice.
Who was she? Was she worthy of Shen Yu treating her this way?
Back then… when Shen Yu wanted to kiss her, she would speak like this. Wen Xi wouldn’t last a few minutes before agreeing. Even if she was bullied until her eyes were red, she wouldn’t push Shen Yu away.
Seeing Wen Xi remain silent, Shen Yu lowered her voice further. “Can you?”
Wen Xi knew clearly that she should refuse, that she shouldn’t have any more connections with Shen Yu.
Fine…
Just this once.
Think of it as making up for the “breakup meal” they never had.
If Shen Yu knew Wen Xi was thinking about a breakup meal, she would probably cough up blood right then and there.
Wen Xi didn’t meet Shen Yu’s eyes but nodded. “Alright. But it’s my treat.”
“No need. Go put your luggage in your room first.” Shen Yu, taking advantage of her mask, smiled with satisfaction. “I invited you, so naturally, it’s my treat.”
As she spoke, Shen Yu smoothly took over Wen Xi’s suitcase. “What’s your room number?”
“…512.” Wen Xi didn’t grip the handle tightly and let Shen Yu snatch it away easily.
“What a coincidence,” Shen Yu led the way. “I’m in 516.”
“…” Wen Xi had nothing to say. Since they were on the same floor, she didn’t see where the “coincidence” was.
“Have you been to Nankou City before?” While waiting for Wen Xi to drop off her luggage, Shen Yu sat on the sofa and began picking a restaurant.
“I’ve been here for business,” Wen Xi replied.
“Have you tried the local specialties?”
“No. Anywhere is fine.” Wen Xi’s appetite was actually quite average. “Besides, I already told you I’ve eaten. Aren’t you the one who hasn’t?”
Shen Yu blinked. “Won’t you eat a little with me?”
Wen Xi lost the battle again.
By the time Wen Xi sat down at the restaurant, there were no fewer than ten dishes on the table.
“…We can’t finish all this.” Wen Xi felt her vision go dark looking at the food.
“But these are all specialties; I wanted you to try them.” Shen Yu placed a piece of fish in Wen Xi’s bowl. “Whatever we can’t finish, we’ll pack up. No waste.”
Shen Yu had long planned to feed Wen Xi; she was too thin, with almost no meat on her arms.
As for the future…
Shen Yu thought: So what if we’ve been broken up for ten years? If I want to reconcile with Wen Xi, no one can stop me.
Shen Yu didn’t believe Wen Xi didn’t like her. Perhaps Wen Xi hadn’t noticed, but the look in her eyes as she gazed at Shen Yu right now was exactly the same as ten years ago.
It was full of admiration and longing.
They say the eyes are the windows to the soul.
That kind of look cannot lie.