Liu Xia was listlessly sprawled on the sofa. To make her performance convincing, she had pulled an all-nighter watching shows, fought sleep like a dog playing competitive games all morning, and finally succumbed to a short nap in the afternoon when she couldn’t stand it anymore. Even then, she woke up before four o’clock, worried about Gu Lingluo’s arrival.
From last night until now, she hadn’t eaten a single grain of rice, let alone drunk any water!
She checked her phone camera, surveying her pale, wilted face, especially her dry, peeling lips. Liu Xia was satisfied.
Thank you, dry autumn and winter weather. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have achieved such a result from a full day and night without water.
Clang! The short, thick minute hand on the wall clock pointed exactly to the number 7.
It was this late, and Patron Mom still hadn’t arrived. Had the plan failed?
No! You have to come! Or else she would have suffered for nothing and taken a sick day for no reason!
The little kitten she had just bought was crawling all over her. She rubbed its fluffy belly and called Hao Yan.
“What’s wrong? She still hasn’t gone?”
Hao Yan hit the nail on the head. Liu Xia was on the verge of tears.
“No…”
“Wait a little longer. I guarantee she will go.”
“Hao Yan, I’m telling you, I really admire you. You’re barely 80 to 90 pounds. Where does all that solid confidence come from?”
“Stop fooling around. Do you remember everything I told you to say? Tell me again.”
“My father doesn’t love me, my mother doesn’t care, my grandparents prefer sons, and I’ve been neglected since childhood. I moved into this small apartment alone right after junior high. As a result, my housework ability is 0. I can’t do anything but cook instant noodles. Everything is solved with money.”
“And what else?”
“And… I’m lonely, bored, and cold. I look cheerful on the surface, but it’s all a forced smile to hide myself. Having family is the same as having none. My friends are busy with their own lives. When I’m sick, I’m all alone. In short, I’m a supremely pitiful White Lotus—tough on the outside, fragile on the inside—and I desperately need someone to bring me warmth!”
Hao Yan was very satisfied. “Good. Remember your character setting. Don’t break character.”
Liu Xia couldn’t resist rolling her eyes. “Didn’t you guys say before that I should capture her stomach? This character setting doesn’t seem right, does it?”
“Do you know what it means to ‘suppress first, then raise’? The previous attempts were deliberately meant for you to invite her to dinner, for you to fail repeatedly, and to make her think you’re pulling another fake-sickness stunt. When she realizes she misunderstood you, she will definitely feel guilty. Even a little guilt is a breakthrough. Whether you can turn that into other emotions depends on how convincingly you play the pathetic role.”
Liu Xia was utterly incredulous. “So, you guys have been scheming against me all along? With Plan 1 to Plan 10? You were treating me like a monkey?”
“It’s not scheming. We were worried your acting wouldn’t pass muster. If we had told you beforehand, you might have slipped up.”
“And now you’re not afraid I’ll slip up?”
Hao Yan paused. “Did you do everything I told you to?”
“Yes. I slept for less than three hours this afternoon, haven’t eaten, and haven’t drunk any water.”
“That’s enough. Don’t stress. Authentic acting is the most perfect.”
Liu Xia rubbed her temples, which were aching from lack of sleep. “Are you sure this method will work? Why does it feel so unreliable?”
“It’s very reliable. Women are the creatures most easily softened. Rather than flattering her with food and entertainment, you should make her pity you. Pity, then love. Once there is pity, there will be love.” (憐愛 Lián’ài means ‘pity’ and ‘love/cherish’ in Chinese, which Hao Yan is playing on.)
Liu Xia smacked her lips, feeling something was still off.
“All I want is to make a friend. Why is it so complicated? This chain of conspiracies is almost as intense as a palace intrigue drama! I mean, are you guys on the Zhen Huan side or the Empress side? Am I Shen Meizhuang or Qi Guiren? Even though none of them had a good ending, at least Shen Meizhuang had Zhen Huan and Wen Shichu agonizing over her. What about you? Watching me throw myself at her with such relentless effort, doesn’t your conscience hurt?”
Ultimately, Liu Xia was still angry about Plan 1 to Plan 10. Even though she knew it was meant to ‘suppress first, then raise,’ couldn’t they have used fewer plans to save her some face?
Based on Liu Xia’s understanding of Hao Yan, there should have been laughter—contemptuous, arrogant, disdainful, or condescending laughter.
However, there was none. Hao Yan was surprisingly silent.
Had she gone too far with her complaints?
It shouldn’t be that bad, right? They always joked like this.
“Hao Yan?”
“Hao Yan!”
She called twice, and only then did Hao Yan respond.
“Hmm, you’re right. It is a bit complicated. I was too eager for success. If you don’t like it, we can slow down in the future.”
Being this polite and serious, Liu Xia felt a little uncomfortable.
“What are you talking about? I’m the one who’s eager for success! I wish I could wake up tomorrow and already be sworn sisters with her, inseparable! I was just joking! But what are you spacing out about? Is something wrong? Oh, right, where is Gai Gai? I didn’t see her when I went to the dorm last time.”
Given Gai Gai’s nature, it would be impossible for her not to grab the phone from Hao Yan, unless she wasn’t there.
“Gai Gai is having her first love recently. She keeps running off to the city, so she’s not here.”
“First love? What first love? How come I didn’t know?”
“You know the experimental building that the alumni from the 12th graduating class donated to the school and was inaugurated last week? The senior was invited to the ribbon-cutting ceremony, and Gai Gai fell in love at first sight.”
“Ah? You mean Xu Qinglan? A woman?!”
“Yes, a female CEO. Young, promising, beautiful, and rich.”
“Then Gai Gai definitely has no chance.”
“When has she ever had a chance? This is like the eighth ‘first love’ for her.”
Liu Xia pushed away the little kitten’s licking head and clicked her tongue. “Gai Gai’s taste is truly volatile, switching between men and women. I feel tired for her.”
Hao Yan’s light laughter was faint and ethereal. “You’re wrong. She’s always had the same taste. You just haven’t noticed.”
“Really?”
Liu Xia thought carefully, but couldn’t find any common thread among all the people Gai Gai had been in love with.
Well, she couldn’t say that. At least they were all human. Gai Gai hadn’t sunk to the taboo of bestiality yet.
She hung up the phone. It was 7:30. Liu Xia shut the cat on the balcony and collapsed back onto the sofa, her steps feeling weak.
Oh, right, Hao Yan mentioned it would be more convincing if she took some medicine.
But how could Gu Lingluo possibly tell if she took medicine or not?
Although she found the idea slightly ridiculous, considering that Hao Yan’s intelligence was far above hers, she hesitated.
It’s often said that true veteran actors immerse themselves in their roles. If the character is sick, she has to be sick. If the character takes medicine, she has to take medicine. It makes sense.
She poured two white pills and washed them down with bottled iced tea. She took one last look at the clock. It was almost eight o’clock.
So hungry… so sleepy… I want to sleep so badly…
No! I can’t sleep! If Gu Lingluo didn’t come by 8:30, she would have to go to school herself to submit the homework. She couldn’t really cause Patron Mom to lose points…
I can’t… I can’t sleep…
The pills had a sedative component. Liu Xia fought desperately, almost resorting to using matchsticks to prop open her eyelids, but she was ultimately weak against the irresistible call of the Duke of Zhou (the Chinese God of Sleep). She was in the middle of changing her clothes when she fell into a deep sleep.
Click! Clack!
The apartment lights were off, but it wasn’t completely dark. Besides the distant streetlights reflecting on the window, the occasional flash of orange headlights, the dutiful wall clock reflected a slight glimmer of light.
8:36 PM.
Knock, knock, knock!
A knock sounded at the door.