【Jian You posted on Weibo!】
【She doesn’t have a new movie coming out recently. Is she promoting for another friend? Is the caption a little more heartfelt this time? Which lucky friend gets a promotion from our Director Jian?】
【Alright, alright, Jian You is beautiful and kind. Let’s disperse.】
【I say, while you’re all arguing here, has anyone actually gone to look at Jian You’s Weibo? It’s an original post! And it’s a daily life post! Not a promotion! There’s even a mirror selfie!】
【Holy crap, I just saw someone post a picture on my Moments saying it was their wife. I didn’t even click to see the full picture. I can’t believe it’s actually my wife!】
【We have the same wife, kisses.】
【She also posted a picture of fireworks, sniffle, so beautiful and brilliant!】
【The caption is “Wishing you a Happy New Year.”】
【Folks, listen to me, this is a sign of a relationship reveal. It’s not “Happy New Year, everyone,” but “you.” Who this “you” is, I won’t say.】
【If you won’t say it, I will. It’s Yun Chu!】
【Jia Jian Cheng Chu CP fans, don’t push it on this joyous day.】
【What relationship reveal? Jian You isn’t an idol who can’t date. Even if she’s hinting at a relationship, it’s not a scandal. My big sis should be dating!】
【I’m going to save this mirror selfie for a hundred years. So beautiful, and she takes such good pictures, sniffle. If you’re so good at it, please take more!】
【Damn, Yun Chu posted on Weibo too.】
【“Happy New Year~,” one selfie.】
【A couple’s post, it’s a couple’s post, isn’t it!】
【Weibo is not a place for you to provoke your fans! (More, please)】
【Yun Chu’s selfie is so cute, hahaha. But I’ve seen her in person. She’s even prettier and cuter than in her selfies! Don’t be fooled by the pictures!】
【The little couple is in a long-distance relationship right after getting together. They must be missing each other so much QAQ】
【I’m also in a long-distance relationship with my girlfriend right now. I totally relate. Yun Chu, Jian You, I get you!】
【Get lost, you internet know-it-alls! They’re just wishing everyone a Happy New Year. Is there something wrong with you for over-interpreting everything? Isn’t the fan service on the show enough for you to ship? Don’t make yourselves look so pathetic!】
【Hehehe, you’re triggered, you’re triggered.】
…
After posting on Weibo, Jian You didn’t pay any more attention to it. She sat by the window, watching the fireworks outside. She had been involved in the entire process of choosing the location for her studio and had finally decided on this place because of the good view. From here, she could see the entire Yunzhou City.
In the square not far away, a crowd was bustling. Cheers would occasionally drift over with the wind. From this high vantage point, everything looked very small.
Her phone had been vibrating since just after midnight. Group chats, private messages, and texts were all wishing her a happy new year. It only quieted down after about ten minutes.
Jian You replied to them one by one.
Wen Yi had also taken a couple of days off to go home. Before she left, she had been fussing over everything. Liuyue had seen her off to the alley entrance, wagging his tail and nuzzling against her, reluctant to see her go. Thinking of this, Jian You realized she hadn’t walked the dog yet.
So she shut down her computer and drove home. While waiting at a red light, she sent a message to Yun Chu.
She said, “I miss you.”
It was best not to video call the person you missed. She thought that would amplify her emotions. The empty feeling in her heart would be filled, the blank spaces painted over, but it still wouldn’t be enough. Desire was like a black hole that could never be satisfied, swallowing whatever it was given and still clamoring for more.
She had to hold her, kiss her, do even more outrageous things to her.
Soon, Yun Chu replied: I miss you too!
Jian You’s lips curved into a smile unconsciously.
This damn thing called love. Greed was her, and contentment was also her.
Although Chen Jing had strictly screened the business offers that came in, because Yun Chu had to prepare for her new role and also record the dating show, everything was scheduled for these few days. This included, but was not limited to, endorsement shoots, offline brand meet-and-greets, and magazine interviews. She even flew to C City to record a guest interview and game show.
By the time she was done with everything, Yun Chu was half-dead.
She collapsed in the luxurious car provided by the company, her sunglasses hanging from her ears, so sleepy she could barely open her eyes. Her assistant carefully took off her sunglasses and asked, “Teacher Yun, there are no more schedules. Where should I book your flight back to?”
“Yunzhou-” Yun Chu blurted out, then corrected herself, “Bei City, I guess.”
At the end of the year, her parents had been bombarding her in the family group chat, saying she had passed through Bei City three times without visiting home, that she was busier than Yu the Great controlling the floods. Did she still have this family in her heart? Was this the price of having a celebrity daughter?
First, they guilt-tripped her, then they started threatening her. If they didn’t see their precious daughter within a week, they were prepared to storm Yunzhou and stay at her place for a whole month.
Spare her!
“Alright!” The assistant immediately started booking the flight. “How many days will you be in Bei City? Do you need me to come with you?”
“No need, you can go back to the company,” Yun Chu said. “I’m just going home for a bit, quietly. Just book a flight back to Yunzhou for me in three days.”
Almost as soon as she finished speaking, she fell asleep.
Chen Jing had returned to Yunzhou two days earlier and was now accompanying another artist abroad. Even so, she was always keeping an eye on Yun Chu. After learning that she was going home, she gave her a couple of reminders, “Be careful of being followed.”
Yun Chu was unconcerned. “Who would follow a small-timer like me?”
Chen Jing was helpless. “Sister, how are you a small-timer now? Another one of your shelved dramas just started airing yesterday. The discussion volume is already out today. Your name is second only to the male lead! It’s best to take a roundabout way home. Sasaeng fans are crazy these days.”
Yun Chu said, “Got it.”
Before the plane took off, she called Jian You again. She was probably busy, as no one answered. She checked the departure time and had to quickly send a few messages.
【I’m going home now.】
【Get ready, I’m going to tell my parents I’m in a relationship!】
【With you!】
【They’re very nice people.】
【Miss you, miss you!】
Jian You’s meeting lasted from noon until nightfall. When her assistant brought in takeout, she also distributed everyone’s phones. The sound of silent mode being turned off and messages flooding in was incessant.
Jian You didn’t pay it any mind. Usually, no one would contact her unless it was important. So at times like this, while everyone else was replying to messages, she would focus on eating. If she really couldn’t concentrate, she would eat while reviewing the issues to be discussed next.
Just as she opened the lid, her phone on the table vibrated repeatedly.
Her hand paused. She glanced at the lit-up screen, and only then did she remember that she had a girlfriend. This realization pleased her, and the corners of her lips couldn’t help but lift slightly. She picked up her phone and started replying to the messages.
Her colleagues in the production team were truly astonished. They were frantically messaging each other in the work group chat.
“I’m not seeing things, am I? Director Jian is actually replying to messages? She’s usually focused on eating at this time!”
“Is it work-related?”
“Basically everyone she works with is in this room. Could it be the investors? But why is she smiling so strangely! It doesn’t look like she’s talking about work!”
“No way, no way, the online rumors about her dating are true?”
“But she’s been acting completely normal these past two days! Not at all like she’s in a relationship! Still a workaholic!”
“Because Yun Chu has been very busy these past two days too?”
“How is it Yun Chu? I say it’s Zhu Wan’er!”
“Wow, you’re shipping such a hard-to-ship CP behind our backs? Did you have to go see a dentist? To be able to ship such a tough CP, I’m impressed.”
“Even rare pairs have their day in the sun. You don’t know shit!”
“The curve of Director Jian’s lips is getting stranger and stranger… My god, is this what people in love are like?”
“When is Yun Chu coming for the script reading? I can’t wait to ship the CP in person, hehehe, more please!”
“A director in love is so captivating!”
“Crap, look what I just found!”
“【Link – Yun Chu pursued by sasaeng fans, nearly causing a car accident! [Image][Image]】
“Damn!”
After replying to Yun Chu’s messages, Jian You also saw the news. Her heart sank. She wanted to remain calm, but her hands were trembling uncontrollably. Just as she was about to lose control, Yun Chu’s call suddenly came through.
Jian You immediately pressed the answer key.
“Hello?” She stood up and walked outside. She was used to facing major storms, but at this moment, she felt as helpless as the little girl who had been left in the dark attic that summer. She suppressed the tremor in her voice and asked, “Where are you?”
As she spoke, she left the meeting room, shutting the whispers inside.
There were lush green plants in the corridor. She plucked a leaf. Not hearing Yun Chu speak yet, she urged, “Say something!”
Say something, just one sentence. Please, put my heart at ease. Please, don’t make me worry.
“Teacher Jian?” Yun Chu’s voice came through, cautious. She asked, “What’s wrong with you?”
Jian You’s heart settled back into place. “Nothing. Where are you?”
Yun Chu guessed the reason. “You saw the news, didn’t you?” Not hearing Jian You deny it, she quickly added, “Don’t listen to their nonsense. I didn’t get into a car accident! It was just a near miss! Do you understand what a near miss is!”
“…Don’t say anymore.” Jian You’s throat was dry. “Where are you now?”
“I’m almost home.” There was a hint of excitement in Yun Chu’s voice. “I didn’t expect anyone to follow our car either. Luckily, my dad is very good at counter-surveillance. We managed to shake off the sasaeng fans just like that! We’re already in the residential complex.”
Jian You let out a complete sigh of relief. “That’s good.”
Yun Chu said, “Teacher Jian is worried about me.”
Jian You hummed in agreement.
Yun Chu chuckled.
Jian You: “You’re still laughing?”
Yun Chu quickly reined it in. “I’m not laughing anymore.”
Jian You: “Then if there’s nothing else, I’ll hang up.”
Yun Chu: “Okay!”
“Wait,” Jian You changed her mind again. She took her earbuds out of her pocket and put them on. “Let’s not hang up.”
“Not hang up?”
“Mhm, just like this.”
She couldn’t be bothered to spend any more mental energy guessing what Yun Chu was doing in these moments when she couldn’t hear or see her. She wanted to keep listening, to know that Yun Chu was sitting safely in a warm, bright room.
Yun Chu said, “Okay~”
“Who are you talking to on the phone so secretively!” Her mother in the front passenger seat turned to look at her. “Wow, my daughter is really famous. People are actually following her car. I need to get more autographed photos this time you’re back.”
“Aiya, Mommy!” Yun Chu turned off her phone screen and held it in her palm. “If I sign too many, they won’t be valuable anymore, will they?”
Her mother: “That’s true!”
Her father chimed in enthusiastically, “I’ll sign, I’ll sign!”
Her mother scoffed, “Go sign your contracts!”
Yun Chu quickly tried to smooth things over. “Don’t you two fight!”
Her mother let out a surprised “eh.” “Don’t you usually stir the pot? Why are you trying to mediate today? Our baby has really grown up, sniffle.”
Yun Chu: “…”
In her ear, Jian You chuckled.
Yun Chu blushed and turned her head to the side, mimicking Jian You’s tone. “You’re still laughing?”
Jian You: “I’m not laughing anymore.”
Yun Chu muttered under her breath, “That’s more like it.”
After saying that, she couldn’t help but laugh herself. Her mother in the front passenger seat poked her father, looking certain. “Our good girl is definitely in love!”
Jian You said, “Auntie’s intuition is very accurate.”
Yun Chu’s face turned even redder.
