She pressed against him, warm and soft, the damp from her hair and skin seeping through the thin layer between them. Her eyes were full of the particular relief of someone who had just narrowly escaped something unpleasant.
“Thank you, Teacher Shen. You’re my hero.”
Shen Baizhu thought privately that if she had shown up ten minutes earlier, hero would have been the last word she used to describe him.
The warmth of her was seeping through the fabric. He had just taken care of himself not fifteen minutes ago, and somehow it felt like it had done nothing at all.
He held onto what was left of his self-control. And gently pushed her hands away.
Rong Shu dropped them immediately, looking completely flustered.
“Sorry, Teacher Shen. I was scared and I grabbed you without thinking. I didn’t mean to. This is my first time on a real production and something like this happens right away, and I don’t know anyone here. You were the only person I could think of.”
His voice came out a little hoarse. “It’s fine. You’re probably new to the industry. There’s a lot of people here willing to do whatever it takes to climb, and the whole thing is a mess because of it. Someone like you is rare.”
First time on a production. Only person she could turn to.
Which meant he was the only person she had been this close to. The awkwardness and the uncomfortable feeling that had been gnawing upon him previously dissolved quickly after that.
His gaze dropped without meaning to. He was in a dark navy towel. Rong Shu’s bathrobe had a little rabbit on it, and the rabbit was dark navy and white.
Shen Baizhu clenched his back teeth hard. He was genuinely concerned about what sound might escape his throat if he didn’t. He had lost count of how many times tonight he had forced himself to look away from her.
“I think it was Director Bai in there. I didn’t dare go in. Then I heard him say he wanted me to join them. I covered my mouth and stood in the hallway, too afraid to breathe. Suddenly, my phone buzzed. Weibo told me that you followed my account. I remembered your room was on the top floor, so I took the elevator and ran straight here.”
He reached over and pulled two tissues from the box on the side table instead. “Come inside. I’ll go change. And stop crying, you’ll be in no shape to film tomorrow if you don’t. Go dry your hair first or you’ll catch a cold.”
t/n: how romantic for a straight man to pick up a hair dryer for her.