Before she could give a happy reply, the other person spoke again.
“Why should I care about you? It would be so much easier if I didn’t have to care at all.”
Watching Mu Xuefei’s rambling, self-talking behavior, Yun Yongjun felt a bit strange. She hurriedly raised a hand and waved it in front of the other’s eyes, but received no response whatsoever.
Was she drunk? Yun Yongjun didn’t know whether she should feel happy or amused; who confesses their feelings only after getting drunk? Still, this was probably the truth coming out after a few drinks, right? Thinking of it this way, she felt a wave of sweetness wash over her.
After finishing her dazed speech, Mu Xuefei suddenly raised both arms to wrap them around Yun Yongjun’s neck, burying her face against the other’s collarbone while tears streamed endlessly from the corners of her eyes. “Junjun, I want to go home.”
Go home? Although confused, Yun Yongjun felt a sharp tug at her heart, mixed with an unfamiliar sense of guilt and pity. All she could do was stroke the back of the other’s head and comfort her, “Feifei, it’s my fault.”
After a short while, receiving no response, she lowered her head to look and found that the other person had already closed her eyes and fallen asleep. With an amused smile, she pressed a kiss to the other’s brow, calmly paid the tab under the bartender’s astonished gaze, and scooped Mu Xuefei up in a full bridal carry.
Back in Feifei’s hotel room, she skillfully wiped down the other’s body and, after a moment of hesitation, went ahead and changed Feifei into her pajamas. Perhaps due to the alcohol, the other person was exceptionally cooperative, simply letting herself be handled in a dazed stupor.
By the time she finished changing her pajamas, beads of hot sweat had broken out across Yun Yongjun’s forehead, and her face was flushed quite a bit. Looking up to see the other person staring at her with wide, uncomprehending eyes, she felt a sudden, unexplainable prick of guilt, and could only reach out to tap the other’s brow. “If only you were this obedient when you’re awake. Why are you like two completely different people when you’re sober versus when you’re drunk?”
Mu Xuefei didn’t get angry either; she just blinked dazedly, raised a hand to touch her brow, and suddenly smiled. No sound came out, but the amusement in her eyes clearly showed she was in a good mood.
“Look at me, why am I even arguing with a drunk person?” Yun Yongjun shook her head helplessly, standing up with the intention of taking a shower and changing into her own pajamas. But as she stood, she felt the hem of her shirt being tightly grabbed. She turned around to follow the hand and locked eyes with Mu Xuefei—who looked pitiful yet was brimming with tears.
“Be a good girl, Feifei. Let go first, I’ll go change my pajamas and come right back.”
Mu Xuefei didn’t answer. She only shook her head, stubbornly gripping the fabric in her hand as if afraid Yun Yongjun would leave and never return.
I really am completely helpless against you. Yun Yongjun sighed silently, bent down to wrap her arms around the other’s waist, pulled her close into her embrace, and gently patted her back while humming a soft lullaby.
Crouched in Yun Yongjun’s arms, Mu Xuefei blinked continuously. She felt as though this young lady’s voice possessed a magical power that dragged her thoughts down into an abyss, and within moments she drifted off to sleep—though even in slumber, she didn’t forget to tightly clutch the fabric at the other’s shoulder.
Noticing the action, Yun Yongjun shook her head with a helpless smile, though the doting affection in her eyes remained entirely unchanged. She felt as if holding this person meant holding the entire world. With that thought, her previously wide-awake self quickly drifted off to sleep as well.
[Ding! Romance target affection level: 95/100. Affection interpretation: Only caring about you.]
Hearing the voice ring out in her mind, the intoxicated Mu Xuefei merely shifted her body, burrowing even deeper into Yun Yongjun’s embrace, while the sleeping Yun Yongjun unconsciously tightened her grip around the other’s waist.
The next day, Yun Yongjun was woken up by a phone call, groggily pressing the answer button.
“Hello? What? Is my Eldest Sister Xi alright? I’ll be right there.” Hearing what the person on the other end said, Yun Yongjun’s sleepiness vanished instantly. She hurriedly got out of bed, changed her clothes, and rushed out in a panic.
Bam.
The moment the door slammed shut, Mu Xuefei slowly opened her eyes in bed. She had actually woken up the exact moment Yun Yongjun answered the phone, but for reasons of her own, she had chosen not to open her eyes.
Lying in bed for a long time, she felt as though she had thought about a great deal, yet at the same time hadn’t thought about anything at all. With a throbbing headache, she checked the time—6:00 AM, before dawn. She forced herself to struggle out of bed.
While washing up, she looked up and caught sight of the woman with a face full of sorrow in the mirror, barely recognizing herself. She was supposed to be a person of bold character who lived freely and on her own terms; how had she let a single romance target change her into someone so unlike herself? Who knew how many worlds lay ahead of her—how could she afford to wallow in despair like this?
At that thought, a look of sudden realization flashed through her eyes, and she curved the corners of her mouth at her reflection in the mirror. After tidying herself up, she packed her meager belongings into her suitcase.
When she arrived at the set, most of the others had already trickled in.
“Is Xuefei in such a rush?” Seeing the suitcase by Mu Xuefei’s side, Director Mo voiced the question on his mind.
“A little bit.” Mu Xuefei didn’t want to let him in on her plans, so she simply brushed it off with a casual laugh.
Of course, Director Mo knew she had her reasons. He shot Mu Xuefei a meaningful look and didn’t press further. Once everyone had arrived, he made the announcement: “Xuefei has an urgent matter to attend to, so we’ll be shooting her scenes first over the next few days, and handle the rest afterward.”
The others didn’t have much of an objection, but Bai Tiantian, standing off to the side, let out an instant sneer. “On what grounds do we all have to bend to her schedule?”
“Can you ever not be unreasonable for once?” Director Mo didn’t understand why Bai Tiantian always liked to target Mu Xuefei, but since the other girl was indeed acting unreasonable, and because of Yun Yongjun, he naturally leaned toward favoring Mu Xuefei. “I’m making an announcement, not asking for your opinion. Also, I don’t want to see anyone bringing personal grudges to the set again. If it happens, I’d rather take the time to recast the role.”
Unreconciled and boiling with resentment, Bai Tiantian glared fiercely at Mu Xuefei and said no more. Unfortunately, Mu Xuefei completely ignored the one-sided glare, keeping an expressionless face all day that gave off a “do not approach” vibe. This only stoked Bai Tiantian’s resentment further, making her convinced that the other person looked down on her and that was why she was being ignored.
The opening scenes were simple enough. Even though Bai Tiantian deliberately dragged her feet to stall progress, the entire morning went by smoothly.
“Let’s break for lunch, and we’ll resume in an hour.” After telling the crew to take a break, Director Mo carried a cold expression as he led Bai Tiantian off to the side.
Although Mu Xuefei noticed Director Mo’s actions, she didn’t pay them any mind. However, when she inadvertently glanced over at the two of them, she caught sight of Bai Tiantian’s red-rimmed eyes and hateful glare directed right at her. It was easy to guess that Director Mo was lecturing her, but unfortunately, that approach would likely only make the girl resent her even more.
Withdrawing her gaze, Mu Xuefei closed her eyes to focus on her script.
Mu Xuefei, stop thinking about other things. Finish the mission quickly and go home.
After a simple lunch, Mu Xuefei poured her heart and soul into the filming. Because she was beginning to appreciate the joy of acting, she easily slipped into the zone, even pulling her scene partners along into a fast-paced rhythm. Combined with the fact that Bai Tiantian had been warned into compliance, the past two days had gone smoother than ever before.
Although Shui Yu’s scenes had been expanded, her ultimate ending remained unchanged; Shui Yu still met her demise unintentionally at Bai Lan’s hands.
Compared to her lack of emotion a few days prior, Mu Xuefei’s emotional outburst this time left even Director Mo astonished. At the exact moment she projected herself into Shui Yu’s death, she channeled her feelings for Yun Yongjun, combining them with the tangled confusion and loss she had carried in her heart these past few days, allowing her emotions to flow forth naturally.
If I leave, will I finally stop hurting? The thought crossed Mu Xuefei’s mind the moment she closed her eyes.
“Cut—!”
Because they had practically worked overnight through overtime to finish shooting Mu Xuefei’s scenes, the moment Director Mo called it a wrap, almost everyone collapsed from exhaustion. Yet when they looked up, the person who should have been the most tired was instead bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and cheerfully packing her things, prompting gasps of “Monster!” They had the luxury of taking turns resting, whereas Mu Xuefei had to participate in every single scene without a break—yet somehow she still had the energy to pack?
Glancing at the crew members sprawled out on the ground and muttering in their sleep, Mu Xuefei felt a pang of guilt; after all, her request had been a bit excessive. Taking a deep breath, she walked into the dressing room to change out of her costume and back into her everyday clothes.
Sensing that Mu Xuefei was acting far too rushed, and remembering that Yun Yongjun hadn’t shown her face lately, Director Mo quickly pulled out his phone to call her, only for the automated voice to inform him the line was busy.
Why isn’t she answering? After failing to get through despite multiple attempts, he could only quickly type out a text message explaining Mu Xuefei’s request and her somewhat out-of-it state.
“I’m heading off then?” Having packed up and stepped out, Mu Xuefei received no response to her casual parting words, but she didn’t mind. She smiled wryly, picked up her suitcase, and prepared to leave.
Meanwhile, upon receiving the phone call, Yun Yongjun hurried over to the hospital specified by the man on the phone.
When she spotted the man sitting out in the hallway, Yun Yongjun felt a strong urge to beat him to a pulp. But considering she was in a hospital, she had to swallow her fury. “How did Eldest Sister suddenly end up injured?”
“While I was away, someone from your family came looking for trouble. You know how your sister’s temper is, and my second uncle’s words were a bit harsh, so your sister threw hands. By the time I got back, she had already fallen down the stairs.” The man narrowed his eyes dangerously. “I’m not going to cover for those people; whatever needs to be done legally will be done.” He was even prepared to pay the proper price for his own role in the scuffle.
Catching the underlying meaning in his words, Yun Yongjun felt the fire in her chest cool slightly. Four hours later, the tightly shut doors of the operating room finally swung open.
“Doctor, how is my Eldest Sister?”
“Her life isn’t in danger. She just suffered an impact to the back of her head and lost quite a bit of blood. Keep her under observation in the hospital for a bit to see if there are any adverse reactions.”
Hearing the doctor’s words, both of them visibly breathed sighs of relief.
“Thank you, Doctor.” Yun Yongjun watched the doctor walk away before turning to the man beside her. “Now that Eldest Sister is fine, I’ll call my parents later.”
“I’m truly sorry.” A look of guilt crossed the man’s face. “I’ll make sure to explain everything clearly to Auntie and Uncle.”
Yun Yongjun nodded and turned away to make the call. Sure enough, upon learning that their eldest daughter had met with an accident, the two big-wigs vacationing abroad flew into a rage. It took a full hour of reassuring them that Eldest Sister was fine and they didn’t need to rush back before they finally calmed down.
Because she needed care after surgery, apart from hiring a private nurse, Yun Yongjun stayed right by her side out of fear that the nurse might miss something. Come to think of it, when they were little and their parents were swamped with work, she had practically been raised by this sister of hers which was the only reason she could tolerate the woman’s unreasonable antics.
By the time she finished handling everything over there, it was already the next day. When she discovered her phone was out of power, she rushed to plug it in, only to find missed calls and text messages from Director Mo.
“Xuefei asked me to rush through the rest of her scenes. Seems like she’s in a hurry to leave.”
Leave? Remembering how the other person had been avoiding her these past few days, coupled with the memory of her aggrieved look while drunk, Yun Yongjun felt an ominous premonition clawing at her chest. Handing over watch-duty to someone else, she practically sprinted to her car and drove straight to the set.
The moment she stepped onto the set, she spotted Feifei walking out dragging her suitcase.
“Where are you going?” Yun Yongjun cast a dark, inscrutable glance at the other’s luggage before raising her head to lock eyes with her.
Never expecting to get caught right in the middle of an escape plan, Mu Xuefei didn’t know what to say for a second.
Should I tell her I plan on hiding from you for a while? Raising her head to meet Yun Yongjun’s intensely oppressive gaze, Mu Xuefei swallowed those words back down and clumsily changed her tune instead. “I’m planning to go travel and see the world.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me?” Separated by a few steps on the staircase, Yun Yongjun closed the distance as she spoke, stopping a mere step away from Mu Xuefei while keeping her eyes locked firmly on the other’s. “Feifei, are you trying to hide from me?”
Mu Xuefei’s index finger twitched unconsciously. She didn’t answer, simply gazing at her in quiet silence.
An attitude that could practically be called tacit admission made Yun Yongjun’s expression darken a fraction. Because of the stairs, they stood at nearly eye-level, allowing her to clearly see the rejection reflected in the other’s eyes.
Rejection? Yun Yongjun felt a bitter, pained amusement. The thoughts racing through her mind felt like wild grass growing in a frenzy, completely beyond her control.
“Can I have a hug before you leave?” When the other didn’t nod, merely watching her quietly, Yun Yongjun smiled faintly and reached out directly to wrap her arms around the other’s neck.
“I’m sorry.”
Hearing those slightly odd words, Mu Xuefei currently trapped in an embrace tightened her grip on the handle of her suitcase. Before she could utter a word, she felt a sharp pain at the back of her neck, and her vision abruptly faded to black.
“Don’t blame me.” The smile had long since vanished from Yun Yongjun’s face, replaced entirely by a heavy, overcast gloom.
Glancing around, she swiftly scooped Mu Xuefei up into her arms and left the area, taking the other’s luggage with her.