Chapter 54

Stepping Out of Your Unrequited Love Role and Owning Me

Hu Xiu watched Diao Zhiyu standing at the door of the private room, listening to the busy signal on his phone, and thought back to standing at the door of carriage 301 on the Snowpiercer, watching Lin Qiumei reject Qin Xiaoyi’s gift and treating him only as a brother.

It was impossible not to feel guilty. A reasonless rejection was the most hurtful. Lin Qiumei had given Diao Zhiyu a reason, but her current situation would most likely be misinterpreted as a two-timing scene. She had been drinking, was held in someone’s arms, and had rejected someone else’s call. It was the perfect crime.

Hu Xiu also felt a strange sense of competitiveness at this moment. Being contested by two men sounded like the most glamorous scene in an idol drama.

But all she could have was a choice. The variable factors in between depended entirely on the two men adjusting to each other, one rising and the other falling.

And it was at this moment that the chills from her fever gave her soul a shudder.

Yes, the script of fate had once again put the pen in her hand. Didn’t she want to have Diao Zhiyu?

Wasn’t she already extremely jealous? Wasn’t it easy for Pei Zhen to provoke her? This opportunity was fleeting. If she missed it, he might waver again, and she would be in a state of ambiguity forever. After so much ambiguity, it was time to push him.

She looked into Diao Zhiyu’s eyes, the eyes that had envied her on the Snowpiercer, the cowardly and pitiful eyes that had been drenched in the rain; the scattered and tired gaze during her fever, mixed with the guilt of being discovered in Pei Zhen’s arms.

If she hadn’t been confident before, the successful translation in the simultaneous interpretation booth had given her confidence. Don’t doubt your ability to convey emotions, Diao Zhiyu. Look into my eyes, be provoked, be stung, be deceived.

Yes, just like that, step out of your unrequited love role and own me.

Diao Zhiyu walked over with a cold face and stared fixedly at Pei Zhen, his eyes not on her at all. He reached out and put his arm around her shoulders, his grip strong, as if he was digging her out of Pei Zhen’s arms.

The entire private room was very quiet. Dr. Jin stood beside him, hands in his pockets, with a sense of helplessness that came with age and experience.

“She hasn’t fully recovered from her cold, so I’ll take her home first.”

Pei Zhen didn’t let go of Hu Xiu. Only when he saw her frowning did he release her. Hu Xiu pressed down on Diao Zhiyu’s arm, “Why did you know about my colleague’s farewell party?”

“I asked him to come,” Pei Zhen took a step back with his arms crossed, ending the scene, “Good night, Teacher Hu. I have to go to the airport at 6 am. If I stay a little longer with them, I’ll go home to get my luggage.”

Everything seemed perfectly timed. Separating the time to invite both people to the farewell and letting the latter see, Hu Xiu finally understood why Pei Zhen said he wasn’t a good person. He never went too far, but he always accurately ignited Diao Zhiyu’s anger.

The fever made her weak and a little drunk. She stood in the center of the vortex, her mind clear, waiting for Diao Zhiyu’s counterattack.

Diao Zhiyu took Hu Xiu’s hand and led her behind him, smiling reluctantly, “If you had told me earlier, I could have completely sent her here and then picked her up.

I could even stay here and have a farewell party with you. She has a fever and has been working for seven hours, and you still gave her alcohol. Isn’t that a bit too much?”

Then he turned around and hugged Hu Xiu, “We won’t disturb you anymore. Let’s go home.”

Home? What home? Which home? Us?

Diao Zhiyu walked in front, and Hu Xiu followed behind. On the cold night, they walked one after the other, the only sound being their footsteps.

The first step was over, and at this point, anything she said would be an excuse. What was she acting? There was no script, and her opponent had already been provoked.

The impromptu topic came: How to coax an angry boy, on the premise that he caught you hugging another man who was chasing you, and you wanted to explain to him in a mixed bag of emotions, and express it in an organized manner—she hadn’t figured it out yet. Could someone give her an earpiece and teach her what to say at this moment?

Maintaining basic rationality, she took a taxi home. Diao Zhiyu had already closed the car door, but then he opened it dejectedly and sat in the passenger seat.

Separated by the passenger seat backrest, neither of them could see each other’s faces. Damn it, she was so upset.

If she got out of the car in a moment, she needed to explain the whole situation clearly: 1. Pei Zhen’s farewell party had been mentioned long ago, and after falling into the water, she had rushed back after hearing news about Zhao Xiaorou, forgetting the time in the hustle and bustle; 2. The hug with Pei Zhen was just a goodbye, and his timing was too coincidental, so coincidental that she was willing to be questioned, just like when she ran into Lin Qiumei; 3. Pei Zhen was a good colleague, a good man, and a good friend, but he was going to America for his ex-girlfriend, which was the most useful information from their conversation just now; 4. Can we not have so many coincidences caused by each other? 5. I like you... no one will ever be more important to me...

The car arrived at the unit door, Hu Xiu got out, and Diao Zhiyu followed. It was obvious he had something to say. Seeing Hu Xiu biting her lip, the usually cold and handsome man’s ice cracked.

“Did you have to get revenge for what happened with Lin Qiumei?”

“I didn’t...”

“Are you trying to repay me for the hurt I’ve suffered?”

The prepared 12345 couldn’t be said. Suddenly, it started raining.

The rain got heavier and heavier, and it hurt a little when it hit her face. Diao Zhiyu’s questioning continued, “Are you sure you like Pei Zhen? Are you reluctant to let him go? If so, then don’t keep me hanging on. I can’t take being hurt twice in a row.

You’ve dragged me into your drama time and time again to stimulate me. I’m not your plaything, and I’m not your acting teacher.”

“I’m sorry...”

Retreating to advance...

The unit door slammed shut, and Hu Xiu ran upstairs and closed the door. She was so flustered that she didn’t know what to do. The drama had reached this point, and if he didn’t chase after her, their story might end at any time.

The rain came so timely, so heavy that it scared her. It reminded her of that winter two years ago.

The person who had once promised to be with her for the rest of her life had coldly told her, “Let’s just forget about it.”

Running away was always better than hearing it again.

After closing the door and regaining her composure, she carefully recalled Diao Zhiyu’s gaze. Since the last scene on the Snowpiercer, when she covered Qin Xiaoyi’s mouth, his gaze had changed, and he was the one who said he would pursue her.

So would everything end just because of the hug? Was she ready to live alone?

After seventeen trials on the Snowpiercer and such a long time of getting along outside the show, would Diao Zhiyu disappear from her life just because of this one hug?

She took a gamble—she bet he would come up!

Hu Xiu stood still in the darkness, listening intently to the sound outside the door—yes, footsteps were getting closer, and they had indeed reached the sixth floor.

Love has no logic. The script was rewritten on the fly, and whether the other person takes the bait depends entirely on their initiative.

But the footsteps did indeed stop at his door. She had heard Qin Xiaoyi’s footsteps countless times, and now was the moment of truth.

The moment I opened the door would be the last time I opened my heart. Let’s see how you react...

He strode in and closed the door behind him with a force that pushed himself against the wall.

The chair next to him was knocked over, and the loud noise startled her. Startled by his fierce momentum, Diao Zhiyu’s face was about three millimeters from hers. In the darkness, neither of them said a word. His breath sprayed on her face, filled with anger, desire, and now she couldn’t escape.

“Why did you choose me? Do you think I’m easy to bully? There were so many actors on the Snowpiercer, did you discover my soft heart early on?”

“No...”

“Pei Zhen won’t make you happy, I will.”

“You...”

“Am I too young to be trusted? Do my parents think that actors are unreliable? How would you know if you don’t try?”

“If you thought I was acting from the beginning, then I have nothing to say. I apologize.

I’m so sorry that such a clumsy method of mine could be seen as a tactic by you. Now I... I’m also very confused.”

“Lin Qiumei broke up with me and Geng Zhongliang because we were too poor. Five days a week, 18 hours a day trapped in the theater, with unstable tips and no time to eat, the players all thought of us as NPCs, machines responsible for advancing the plot, or as objects of their fantasies. Everyone questioned whether this was considered being a real actor.

It was my fault that I couldn’t distinguish between the play and reality for Lin Qiumei, but we are both actors, these are accidents, and so are you.”

“I’m sorry...”

“Don’t try to trap me in Qin Xiaoyi’s script. Wavering between two men, Qin Xiaoyi and Ning Zechen’s routine, I’m sick of it. I’m a living person, a man who likes you, and you can’t treat me like this.”

The light of the phone was dim, but she could still see his face. Oh no, why was she all wet, her eyes swollen? Did she make the boy in front of her cry?

How much was real and how much was acting at this moment?

Should she say something now... but facing the wet and pitiful boy, she surrendered.

The moment their lips touched, she instinctively shrank her neck. The young boy’s lips were cold, and his nose was also cold, as if his heart had cooled first.

He rested his elbow on the wall, bent down, and pressed against her so closely. There was no smell of mint candy or laundry detergent, only the dampness of rain and winter nights, and the grievances of a boy who had sneaked out in the dark.

She took her arm away from his chest and stood up straight, tiptoeing, and moving the position of the kiss upwards.

He grabbed her hand, their fingers intertwined, and his other hand fell down and rested on the back of her head, slowly sliding down her hair and stopping at the back of her neck, with a force that was neither light nor heavy, making her scalp tingle.

Lip to lip, chest to chest, belly to belly, this was finally a kiss.

The palms of his hands gradually warmed up. His tongue explored her lips like a key opening a strange door. Their entangled tongues scrambled her brain. His lips wrapped around hers, gently sucking away her soul. The places where they touched became hot: lips, chest, waist, abdomen... the dampness was like soaking a dry flower, soaking it, and then expanding it bit by bit.

## English Translation

She’d never experienced such a mind-numbing fever before. Oh no, she couldn’t think straight...

She shifted slightly, and her back pressed against the bedroom light switch, turning it on. So bright! Did the suffocating kiss just stop like that?

Not knowing what to do next, Diao Zhiyu reached behind her, and the light snapped off.

She didn’t know how to continue this script!

“I, I have something to tell you…”

“Don’t say anything…”

He seemed to know exactly what to do next. He scooped her up in his arms and pressed her against the bed, adding another human blanket. Feeling the unusual sensation in his body, Hu Xiu realized what was about to happen.

The on and off of the light made her slightly more alert. Her brain was racing: How many ex-girlfriends did he have? Why were his moves so smooth?

Was he really going to... with the door closed and the lights off... just the two of them alone? This time it would be really hard to stop...

His movements slowed, as if asking for permission. Hu Xiu didn’t move, she could only feel him supporting himself, his weight pressing down on her. One hand gently pulled at her sweater around her waist, his fingers lightly moving upwards. She got goosebumps. He didn’t kiss her again, it was like he was watching her in the dark.

This physical intimacy made her want more.

There was a sound of someone climbing the stairs outside. The walls of the old southern house were thinner than paper, and you could clearly hear people talking. It was really inconvenient. No, that voice was...

“Unit 71, 602, is anyone home?” There was a loud banging on the door, “Open up!”

Who would be knocking on the door so late at night? Hu Xiu turned on the light, and she was so scared that her teeth were chattering, “Who... who is it?”

“Police!”

What? Diao Zhiyu took a deep breath, propped himself up, calmed his breathing, and went to answer the door.

In a daze, Hu Xiu opened the small kitchen window connected to the bedroom. The police walked in and said, “What’s going on here? Your neighbor in 603 called the police, saying there was a man outside, and they heard noises inside. You, show me your ID; and you inside, come out too.”

It was late at night, and their words were very harsh. The young policeman peered into the room and squinted his eyes;

Hu Xiu tucked her sweater into her pants and fixed her hair, her expression ambiguous.

Diao Zhiyu said nothing and obediently took his ID out of his wallet. The photo was handsome and clean-cut. Hu Xiu glanced at the police’s notes: Diao Zhiyu, native of Shenyang City, born on August 2, 1996.

“What was that noise?”

“The power tripped, and I kicked over a chair. My boyfriend lost his car keys and was looking for it downstairs, so he came up to help me reset the circuit breaker. The noise was pretty loud. Is your neighbor a lady? I’m sorry for scaring her.”

After all, I know my own house better, Hu Xiu thought, her thoughts clearer now than they were in the dark. “Your ID as well, please.”

Hu Xiu obediently took out her ID. The police officer carefully compared the two IDs, looked up at Hu Xiu, then at Diao Zhiyu, “There’s such a big age difference. Is your relationship legitimate?”

“Of course it is...” Damn it, can’t an older woman date a younger man?

“Keep your voices down late at night. Most people who live alone call us over for any little thing, and it’s hard work for us to respond to these calls.”

The old policeman and his young partner looked around the room, leaving muddy footprints all over the floor from the pouring rain.

The old policeman, however, smelled something off: “Young people, keep your voices down.”

Hu Xiu finally understood what he meant—please, nothing had even happened yet!

Their passion was completely extinguished by the interruption. They opened a crack in the window to listen to the rain, but the heavy raindrops forced them to close it again.

Diao Zhiyu sat on the sofa on the balcony and coughed lightly. Hu Xiu tidied up the messy living room and bedroom, cleaning up after twelve. The rain hadn’t stopped yet. Diao Zhiyu stood up, “I’ll call a car to go back.”

“Wait for the rain to stop...”

There was another long silence between the two of them. Hu Xiu sat at the dressing table and secretly glanced at Diao Zhiyu. He looked around the room, his eyes returning to Hu Xiu, and his face turned completely red—wasn’t he very brave just now? Why was he so shy now?

She suddenly remembered when she first learned to play the role of an NPC in the Snowpiercer and asked the customer service representative, Niko, what Qin Xiaoyi was like in private. Niko’s answer was simple: “He’s a shy boy.”

The hormones in the room had dissipated, leaving only a young boy who looked around nervously, avoiding eye contact. After the visit from the police officer, he seemed like he had really been caught doing something wrong...

“Do... do you want something to eat?”

“I’m not hungry...”

“The rain might be heavy. If you really want, you can sleep on my sofa...”

“No, I’ll leave in a while.”

As he said this, Diao Zhiyu suddenly saw the marriage certificate posted on the wall. Feng Youjin and Xu Zhenping, from the Rongcheng Notary Public Office, were married. It had been torn and then carefully pieced back together, placed neatly on the front of the desk.

The two of them looked at the marriage certificate together. Hu Xiu turned around to find something in the refrigerator. She had been drinking and felt uncomfortable, so she needed something to eat. Yogurt, cherries, fortunately, it wasn’t too shabby to entertain guests.

“You told me to throw away the marriage certificate.”

“I didn’t...”

“Then why did you tear it up?”

She didn’t want him to know about her family affairs, but she didn’t want to lie either. Hu Xiu turned her back to Diao Zhiyu, washing the cherries without stopping, “I didn’t mean to tear it—anyway, I put it back together.”

A pair of arms wrapped around Hu Xiu’s body, “Does what we said about being a couple still count?”

“After being caught by the police, if you say no, and next time you come, I’ll really have a criminal record.”

“Then, it counts...”

His arms tightened around her, “But I have three conditions—first, you’re not allowed to have any physical contact with Pei Zhen again; second, only I can enter this house.”

“What’s the third?”

“You can only go to escape rooms and play murder mystery games with me.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re too easily moved by NPCs, and you have a history of doing so.”

The water was still running from the tap, warm water flowing through her fingers and down the drain. Hu Xiu heard a pleasant voice say to her, “You have a history of this.”

“You’re so good at taking care of people, you’re so gentle, and you’re so jealous. So how could you have been so patient before?”

“Since you’re my girlfriend now, I can relax. The rain has stopped, I’m going home. So as not to seem like I’m just after you, I can’t stay here.”

It’s as if the wild man from just now wasn’t you...

“What were you about to say to me?”

Hu Xiu blinked in confusion, her 12345 points were driven away by desire, and she had forgotten them long ago.

As he walked out the door, Diao Zhiyu turned back and smiled. She thought he would leave her with a kiss, but his expression was so familiar. Qin Xiaoyi often had that smug smile when he reported Ning Zechen to the police in Rongcheng and killed Feng Youjin.

Hu Xiu was made uncomfortable by that smile, “Diao Zhiyu, are you acting to force me?”

“Of course not...” That smile belonged to Qin Xiaoyi, a little bad and a little playful.

Often, she couldn’t tell the difference. And she couldn’t be mistaken about that triumphant look. After all, when she pretended to have a stomachache in Lee’s coffee shop, he smiled so smugly. “How could I deceive you about something like that.”

The moment the door closed, Hu Xiu let out a long breath—a girl with a crush should never underestimate her ability to rewrite the script of her life.

She succeeded.