Once is a challenge, but the second time is far more practiced.
After finishing the meal, Shen Luoxi didn’t rush to clean up the kitchen. Instead, she carried the plate out with both hands and placed it on the table in front of Pei Yu. She handed her a fresh fork and said softly, “Eat up.”
“Thank you.”
Pei Yu took it from her and slid down to sit cross-legged on the rug. She kept her head down, eating slowly, bite by bite. She didn’t pick at the food or complain about the flavor, so it seemed the taste was quite good.
Seeing this, Shen Luoxi didn’t disturb her. She turned back to the kitchen to tidy up. There were water spots and food scraps on the counter; if she didn’t deal with them now, they would start to smell by morning.
Hunger is a strange thing: it’s fine if you don’t eat at all, but once you take that first bite, your stomach becomes a bottomless pit craving more. Fortunately, Shen Luoxi’s cooking was solid, and Pei Yu ended up finishing every scrap on the plate.
Shen Luoxi finished cleaning and hung up her apron. Just as she walked into the living room, Pei Yu happened to stand up with her empty plate, planning to return it to the kitchen. The two nearly collided head-on.
Shen Luoxi instinctively took a step back to give her space. Their eyes met, and for a fleeting moment, both looked slightly flustered.
Shen Luoxi reacted first, reaching out to take the plate from Pei Yu’s hand. “I’ll wash it. You should rest.”
Pei Yu didn’t refuse, leaving her hands empty.
It was only one plate, so Shen Luoxi didn’t bother with the dishwasher. She gave it a quick manual scrub and walked back out. Pei Yu was no longer in the living room; she had likely retreated to her bedroom. The TV was still on, playing a drama starring Pei Yu.
Shen Luoxi walked over and bent down to pick up the remote, intending to turn it off and go to sleep. Suddenly, a scene appeared on the screen where the female lead kissed Pei Yu. It was a light, fleeting kiss, and Pei Yu’s eyes shone brightly under the camera lens.
Watching this, Shen Luoxi unknowingly tightened her grip on the remote. Her gaze remained fixed on Pei Yu’s lips on the screen.
“I like you, A-Li. I don’t know when it started, but whether my eyes are open or closed, you’re all I think about. Will you… be with me?” the lead actress confessed. Her nervous expression was filled with hope and panic, surrounded by a romantic confession scene she had carefully arranged.
“I will.”
Just as the lead actress thought she would be rejected and prepared to turn away in dejection, Pei Yu spoke her acceptance. A look of pure joy flooded the lead actress’s face, and she excitedly swept Pei Yu up in an embrace. The background music swelled perfectly—the voice sounded familiar; it seemed to be Pei Yu’s own vocals. She truly was a multi-talented star.
After the hug, the lead actress set Pei Yu down, cupped her cheeks with both hands, closed her eyes, and slowly lowered her head for a kiss.
Click.
Just as their lips were about to touch, Shen Luoxi turned off the TV. She tossed the remote onto the sofa, feeling a heavy, stifling sensation in her chest.
She turned to look at Pei Yu’s closed door. Her mind unbiddenly flashed back to the moment they had almost bumped into each other just now. In that split second, her eyes had briefly landed on Pei Yu’s lips. They looked soft, with a beautiful shape. If they were to kiss, it would surely be…
“Shen Luoxi!”
She snapped out of it, whispering her own name as a reprimand. “What are you thinking? You’re here to stop her from turning to the dark side, not to keep forcing her like before. Understand?”
After that self-scolding, Shen Luoxi finally went to her room to sleep.
The next morning, the sky was just beginning to turn grey.
Pei Yu changed into black casual wear, put on a baseball cap, and took her suitcase down to the basement. Zhou Jing was already waiting in the garage.
The elevator was silent and empty except for her. When it reached the floor, the doors slid open, and she pulled her luggage out.
“Teacher Pei.” Zhou Jing and the assistant hurried over to take the suitcase from her.
Pei Yu nodded slightly and let go. Once the luggage was in the trunk, the three of them got into the car. It slowly pulled out of the garage and headed toward the airport.
Shen Luoxi didn’t wake up until Pei Yu was already on the plane. Because of that “kissing scene” incident the night before, she had tossed and turned, only falling asleep around 3:00 AM out of sheer exhaustion. Consequently, she slept until the sun was high in the sky.
After getting up and washing, she intended to knock on Pei Yu’s door. Before she could even reach it, she saw the bedroom door was half-open, the room flooded with bright sunlight.
She walked over slowly and called out tentatively, “Pei Yu? Are you there? Pei Yu?”
There was no response. She pushed the door open to find the room tidy and clean, the bed neatly made. It seemed she had already left. Shen Luoxi stared at the perfectly folded quilt for a moment before heading back to her room to grab her phone. She messaged Zhou Jing: Are you with Pei Yu?
On the plane, Zhou Jing was in a deep sleep. To catch the early flight, she had turned off her phone and passed out the moment she sat down. Pei Yu sat beside her, covered in a blanket with her cap pulled low, her head tilted to the side as she rested with her eyes closed.
Receiving no reply, Shen Luoxi messaged Pei Yu directly, but that too was met with silence. She pursed her lips—no matter. As a big star, Pei Yu’s schedule was always known by the fans. She opened Weibo and entered Pei Yu’s “Super Topic” community.
Sure enough, she found the information quickly.
User “Xiao Wanzi”: Our baby left for City A in the early hours for an event. She looked so cool in all black! User “Heart for Baby Pei”: So handsome! My husband!! User “Love Baby”: She’s almost at 70 million followers. I’m so excited for the dance video reward!!
Pei Yu’s studio had previously posted a teaser saying the 70-million-follower reward would be a cool dance video. That three-second teaser alone had hit number one on the trending searches. That day, Pei Yu’s follower count had jumped by a full 100,000—a feat unmatched in the domestic industry.
After checking the schedule, Shen Luoxi scrolled further. Aside from fan comments, most of the posts were photos of Pei Yu: magazine spreads, drama screenshots, GIFs, and various selfies. One photo featured Pei Yu in a black suit with a deep V-neck, standing coolly with her hands in her pockets. She looked both sophisticated and sharp. No wonder fans called her the “Top Alpha of the Lesbian Circle.” But Pei Yu was an Omega—she was destined not to be a “Top.”
After looking through the photos, Shen Luoxi flopped back onto the sofa. That almost-kiss from the night before unbiddenly surfaced in her mind again. It was like a curse she couldn’t shake.
“Shen Luoxi, oh Shen Luoxi, what is wrong with you?” she asked herself, but no answer came.
After a four-hour flight, Pei Yu landed safely in City A. The airport exit was swarmed with fans. Security was trying to control the crowd, but the fans were relatively rational; knowing they shouldn’t disrupt airport order, they stayed behind the barriers.
Pei Yu was still in her black outfit and cap. The moment she appeared at the exit, screams echoed through the terminal. As she walked quickly, she kept her head down and greeted them, her slender fingers waving gently, her lips curved in a slight smile. “Thank you. Please stay safe, don’t push. Thank you, everyone.”
She bowed politely all the way out. The car was waiting at the exit. Zhou Jing shielded Pei Yu through the crowd and into the vehicle. Once inside, Pei Yu rolled down the window. Fans tossed flowers and letters inside; since Pei Yu had previously insisted they not send expensive gifts, they stuck to these tokens of affection.
As the car pulled away, Pei Yu closed the window and began organizing the thick stack of letters. Zhou Jing proactively handed her a bag. “Put them in here.”
Pei Yu blinked, momentarily stunned. Under her previous manager, Guan Tong, these letters were often treated as trash and stuffed haphazardly into a plastic bag, only for Pei Yu to sort through them once she got home. Zhou Jing’s thoughtfulness was a stark contrast.
“Thank you.” Pei Yu folded the letters neatly and placed them inside.
Once settled, Zhou Jing checked her phone and finally saw the message Shen Luoxi had sent hours ago. She replied: Sorry, President Shen, I was on the plane and didn’t see the message. Teacher Pei is with me; we’re heading to an event this afternoon.
Pei Yu also replied with a brief: Working.
Shen Luoxi didn’t reply immediately. She was currently in the university library, working on her graduation thesis. Although this degree had essentially been bought by the original owner, the current Shen Luoxi wanted to graduate with her dignity intact. Fortunately, she had studied Financial Management in her original world; with a few days of review, this was no trouble for her.
At 2:00 PM, the event officially began. The mall was packed to the rafters; there were people everywhere. Pei Yu appeared in a pure white, form-fitting dress. The moment she stepped out, the screams rose in waves like the tide.
Taking the microphone, her first priority was the crowd’s safety. “Please stay safe, everyone. Don’t lean too hard on the railings. Everyone, please take a step back.”
The fans were obedient and moved back in an orderly fashion. Even when a few overzealous fans tried to rush forward, they were pulled back by the rational ones. As the host began the interview, Pei Yu adjusted her expression, offered a smile, and focused on her work.