Naturally, Li Wanbai had no idea about the storm brewing in the bullet comments. All she knew was that her attempts to chat with the cameraman had been futile.
With nothing else to do, she simply sprawled on the single-seat sofa, closed her eyes, and caught up on some sleep.
Wherever you are, you can always nap if you set your mind to it!
She still remembered the time she and Yu Baichuan were both detained after class.
Yu Baichuan was a good student, diligently finishing the homework the teacher had assigned. She, on the other hand, dozed off as the sun set in the west. When she finally came to, she saw Yu Baichuan’s smiling face.
“Seriously? You fell asleep during detention? Aren’t you afraid the homeroom teacher will come back and find you haven’t finished your homework, then keep you here even longer?” Yu Baichuan said with a laugh.
Li Wanbai blinked, taking a moment to process the situation before abruptly sitting up straight. “Duo Duo and I stayed up late gaming last night, and I accidentally dozed off. Why didn’t you wake me? Oh no, oh no! I have a lot of unfinished homework. If the teacher checks, I’m done for!”
When luck runs out, even drinking cold water feels like a chore. Frantic to finish her homework, Li Wanbai searched around but couldn’t find her assignment notebook. Panic set in, and she instinctively looked up at Yu Baichuan.
He was sitting by the window, backlit, a smile on his face as he waved her notebook in his hand.
Li Wanbai recognized it immediately and couldn’t hold back her anger. “When did you take my notebook? Stop messing around, give it back! You don’t actually want to see me get scolded by the teacher, do you? What happened to our brotherly bond?”
Yu Baichuan’s smile faded slightly, but he remained motionless.
Growing impatient, Li Wanbai gritted her teeth. “Why did you take my notebook? Give it back!”
“Because I couldn’t bear to,” Yu Baichuan said cryptically, before tossing the notebook back to her.
Li Wanbai looked puzzled. “What do you mean, ‘couldn’t bear to’? Explain yourself.”
But Yu Baichuan had already lost interest in talking. He picked up his own notebook, stood up slowly, and headed for the door, ready to submit his homework to the teacher and enjoy what was left of a high school student’s weekend.
Not one to back down, Li Wanbai quickly opened her notebook to finish her homework, only to find it already filled with dense, neatly written characters. Someone had completed it for her.
It didn’t take a genius to figure out who.
She grinned, grabbed her backpack, and hurried after Yu Baichuan. “Good brother, it had to be you! I wondered why you’d take my notebook for no reason. So you were finishing my homework for me! You’re so thoughtful—you’ll have girls swooning over you. I almost want to marry you myself!”
Back then, she had already begun to sense her own feelings but didn’t dare voice them directly. Instead, she continued to interact with Yu Baichuan under the guise of their ambiguous “brotherly” relationship.
It was precisely because they were “brothers” that she felt bold enough to catch up to him, sling an arm over his shoulder, and express her feelings through laughter and jokes.
To this day, she remembered the warm, orange glow filling the hallway and the profound look in Yu Baichuan’s eyes as he gazed at her.
At the time, she hadn’t had the chance to ponder what Yu Baichuan meant by “couldn’t bear to.” Now, she thought she understood, at least a little.
He couldn’t bear to wake her, so he let her sleep.
He couldn’t bear to see her punished by the teacher, so he finished her homework for her.
Because he couldn’t bear to let her be the only one staying after school, he deliberately asked the teacher to let him stay too.
Yu Baichuan’s grades were much better than hers and Su Chengzi’s, so why was he also kept by the teacher that day?
Li Wanbai figured it all out in her dream, a faint smile lingering at the corner of her lips.
[Damn, am I really sick? I actually think she looks quite cute like this!]
[Come on, maybe she’s not even asleep and is just pretending on purpose!]
[She knows her face is pretty and is deliberately using this to tempt us!]
[Can’t help it. This girl has neither notable works nor good character—all she has is her face!]
[Aren’t you all being too conspiratorial? Though I don’t like LWB either, she’s asleep now. What kind of person would still think about hyping themselves up while sleeping?]
[At least she has a face that’s the ultimate pass in the entertainment industry. With that face, who wouldn’t feel pity and affection for her? No wonder she’s popular!]
[I’ve had enough. How long is this empty-shell person going to dominate the entertainment industry?]
[Relying on looks won’t last long.]
[Stop arguing, everyone—our Baichuan is here!]
As soon as this comment appeared, the small Western-style building’s door made a clicking sound. Yu Baichuan stepped in first and immediately spotted Li Wanbai sprawled asleep on the single sofa. He froze on the spot, instinctively turning back to stop the production crew from following him inside.
Lowering his voice, he said, “Don’t come in. Just give me the task card.”
The crew paused briefly before quickly handing the task card to Yu Baichuan and scurrying away.
Only then did Yu Baichuan relax. He tiptoed into the building, even closing the door with extreme gentleness, afraid of disturbing anything.
He cautiously sat on the nearby sofa, his gaze fixed on Li Wanbai, unusually complex.
No one knew whether the two of them were recalling the same time, the same memory.
Yu Baichuan sat quietly beside Li Wanbai. It had been a long time since they had shared such a peaceful moment.
In his memory, whenever the two of them were together, it was endless arguments and endless pain.
Li Wanbai would always accuse him hysterically, saying he restricted her freedom and disrespected everything she pursued. Yu Baichuan didn’t understand—hadn’t he respected her enough?
Even if Li Wanbai fooled around outside, as long as she could come back one day and remember this home, he was willing to let bygones be bygones.
If Li Wanbai wanted fame and popularity, he obediently let her ride on his coattails and leech off his success. Everyone in the industry knew that if you wanted to hype yourself or drag others, you must never involve Yu Baichuan—or face the consequences.
Only Li Wanbai was the exception. No matter how successful Yu Baichuan became or how high his status rose, it was all just to serve as her stepping stone. Even if Li Wanbai never asked, Yu Baichuan would do it anyway.
He had endured for so long. Even if Li Wanbai truly had divided loyalties, he didn’t mind. Others were like inns—only he was home.
But he never expected that Li Wanbai would bring Mu Sang before him, openly tearing apart their facade.
Did it bother him? Truthfully, it hurt a little.
That little hurt became the final straw that broke him.
If being together only brought sorrow, then it was better to part early.
Yu Baichuan looked at Li Wanbai and suddenly smiled faintly, a very light and subtle smile, as if mocking himself.
Their recent meetings had been free of conflict and arguments, but Yu Baichuan wouldn’t be careless enough to think that their future would change.
It would end sooner or later, after all.