Chapter 55

He’s Clingier Than I Thought

From confidently saying “I, Diao Zhiyu, am going to chase after you,” to tricking her dream lover, Qin Xiaoyi, into her home, all thanks to the acceleration of her high fever (and almost losing her virginity), she had managed to get the incredibly handsome Diao Zhiyu in less than a week.

Although she felt a bit guilty, but... having Qin Xiaoyi as her boyfriend was so awesome! Honestly, this was a million times happier than Lee Donghae getting married!

Hu Xiu lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. The smell of rain seemed to linger, and she felt a dampness in her body. She wouldn’t be able to look at rainy days the same way anymore.

Her dreams hadn’t been in vain. In her dreams, she had encountered Qin Xiaoyi a few times, and she had also accidentally met Diao Zhiyu (the content was extremely depraved), but when it came down to the real thing, she was as stiff as a board.

Recalling Diao Zhiyu’s actions, whether it was pressing her against the wall or pulling at her clothes, there had been no excessive physical contact, yet they had made her feel incredibly uncomfortable all over.

Hu Xiu squinted at the ceiling, goosebumps erupting all over her body. A veteran, well-versed in the ways of the world, a modern-day Casanova, his every move was pure seduction.

She tried her best to suppress the urge to replay those events in her mind and forced herself to fall asleep. The inability to sleep was a minor issue; the real problem was that whenever she thought about what had happened, she felt a surge of desire.

She had to find a way to fall asleep!

She got up, took two melatonin pills, and stared at the ceiling. Her eyelids were heavy, but her mind was still unusually excited. She couldn’t help but applaud her own brilliant acting.

After all, she had liked him for a long time.

She picked up her phone and hesitated for a long time before typing a line: “Are you serious about dating me?” After thinking about it, she shook her head and deleted it.

Just as she was about to put down her phone, a line appeared on the screen: “My woman can’t stay up late.”

So he was on the other end of the phone, watching her as she typed.

Her heart warmed, and she put the phone aside, feeling sleepiness gradually overtake her. After less than two minutes, Diao Zhiyu called: “You can’t ignore my message.”

“Ah?” After being startled by the phone vibrations and the knocking on the door, Hu Xiu felt like her heart was about to jump out of her chest. The other side heard her drowsiness and lowered his voice, “Are you asleep?”

“Not yet...”

There was a moment of silence on both ends of the phone. The sudden change in their relationship left neither of them knowing what to say.

“If there’s nothing else, then I’ll... go to sleep...”

“Hey, you’re crueler than I thought. I called you, and you just want to sleep?”

Hu Xiu was confused. He was clingier than she thought?

“You don’t want to be my girlfriend?”

“No...”

“I only had this idea after seeing the marriage certificate. I originally thought you didn’t like me, but when I saw that torn marriage certificate, I thought maybe you were really disappointed in me, so you tore it up. So even if it was acting, I really wanted to be with you.”

His voice was low and husky, as if he was burying his face in a pillow shyly. He probably felt anxious after leaving and wanted to hear something from her to reassure himself. Thinking about this, she said, “You were acting in character when you played Qin Xiaoyi, weren’t you?”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because you’re petty, possessive, impatient, and arrogant...”

“More or less. There’s one difference though.”

“What?”

“I don’t want to love someone who doesn’t love me back anymore. I don’t like that ending.”

Hu Xiu looked at the call screen in the darkness, as if she could see his conflicted expression. Diao Zhiyu changed the subject, “I know you want to see me in a uniform. So many people would love to see me in this outfit. From now on, only you can see it, and it’s a bit of a pity.”

He liked to interrupt when he was nervous, and he also liked to make dirty jokes. Hu Xiu thought, this was really different from the first time she met him.

After all, when she had messed up his costume on the Snowpiercer, he hadn’t even glanced at her when he picked up the box.

He really didn’t waste his energy on strangers... he saved it all for the person he liked.

The other end of the phone coughed a few times, making her eyes well up.

As soon as Hu Xiu arrived at the hospital, she received strange looks. The fact that Diao Zhiyu had taken her away on the night of the farewell party had probably become big news at the hospital.

After all, Pei Zhen was a big figure in the hospital, and adding the top handsome guy Diao Zhiyu to the mix, Hu Xiu’s popularity immediately skyrocketed.

Falling into the water was one thing, but being fought over by two handsome guys was the hot topic. What people were more interested in was how an ordinary woman, who wasn’t particularly stylish and only spoke English a bit better, could attract two handsome guys? What was so special about her?

It was hard not to be visually scanned from head to toe.

As soon as she sat down, she was called into Director Cai’s office. Director Cai was pruning flowers and looked very unhappy. He pointed to the sofa beside him. Hu Xiu thought, had this already reached Director Cai’s ears? You were the one who was so eager to play matchmaker back then.

Director Cai took a sip from his cup, making an old-fashioned sound, clearly trying to intimidate her. “When Doctor Pei took you as a translator a while ago, it had a negative impact on your colleagues. Everyone was discussing it.

I didn’t say anything about you falling into the water during the filming, but you should still focus on your work at the hospital.”

“Don’t worry, Director...” Hu Xiu thought about who could have reported her. Besides Dr. Jin and his girlfriend in the private room yesterday, there was also the senior resident from the Hepatobiliary Surgery department, Dong from the General Surgery department, and oh, Chen Yang and her senior sister. What a coincidence.

“It’s okay to date, but don’t make a big fuss about it—after all, there are a lot of people talking.”

“Don’t worry, Director Cai, Pei Zhen and I are just friends.”

Director Cai paused for a moment and understood. She stood up, “After the promotional video comes out, your profile will be listed first in our translation team. Your education is impressive and your image is good, you’re like a business card for the administrative department—a leader should look like a leader.”

As for that senior sister... Hu Xiu understood. Although the incident of falling into the water was comical, it was indeed a contribution. Coupled with the fact that she had accompanied the vice president to several translations involving the government, the hospital valued her image and temperament more.

Director Cai picked up a document and handed it to her, “Give this to the secretary. Having a highly skilled translator working in administration seems like a waste of talent, but there are many things you don’t understand about medicine, and you still have a lot to learn.

The hospital isn’t just about Pei Zhen. You can learn more from other departments in the future. The hospital is also a school.”

Although Director Cai often looked down on her, she still recognized her talent. So, spending extra hours working at the hospital wasn’t a waste of time.

Most importantly, in the half year she had been at the hospital, she hadn’t reported anyone, not even once.

She hadn’t even gossiped. Director Cai had heard a lot of rumors from her senior sister, but in turn, she didn’t trust her words either.

It was a strange office relationship.

On the big screen, she saw the promotional video that Diao Zhiyu had edited. She was wearing a white coat and following behind the team, and there was even a close-up shot of her facing the sunlight.

Her pointed nose created a sharp angle against the blue sky, and her ears were also pointed. It was the first time she had seen herself from this angle.

Usually dressed in a formal suit when accompanying translations in the administrative department, she spent most of her time wearing a white coat. Initially, she was unaccustomed to the thick, white Oxford cloth, but now, she found herself habitually wearing it.

Whether it was the hospital or translation work, life was giving her positive feedback, constantly telling her that her current life was much happier than before.

It was just that she couldn’t quite pinpoint what she wasn’t satisfied with.

After leaving the office and walking back to her office, Hu Xiu glanced down the corridor. Pei Zhen should be on a plane to the United States.

Losing her best friend and closest comrade in the hospital, she felt a little lonely for a while.

Even if there was no longer any possibility of a romantic relationship, she at least wanted him to see her progress.

If she had enough free time, she also wanted to try stepping out of the booth and teaching her experience to younger generations who wanted to become interpreters like her. It was just that she wasn’t sure if she was photogenic enough.

As soon as she thought about it, she caught sight of her father. Hu Xiu greeted him, and her father waved and walked away after seeing the promotional video.

She hadn’t seen her father in a long time. Even though they lived in the same compound, they hadn’t crossed paths in almost a month.

She chased after him, “Dad, have you been in Shanghai all this time?”

“Taking care of your teacher, I told you.”

“Staying at the hotel nearby? Is it convenient? Why didn’t you contact me?”

“I didn’t want to disturb you and Doctor Pei’s relationship. Besides, I didn’t have time.”

“I and him...”

“Perform well. You’re lucky to be with him. If I were you, I’d sleep with him and get married as soon as possible. At least your job at the hospital would be secure.”

“What?”

“Forget about that actor. He saved you when you fell into the water a few days ago, but he’s shameless. If you disappoint Doctor Pei, you’ll never find someone as good as him in your life.”

So he knew she fell into the water...

And he hadn’t even come to see her...

And he was still thinking that she wouldn’t be worthy of a doctor because of another man...

Her father checked his watch, “I still have to go give tutoring lessons to art exam candidates. I’ll go first.”

Hu Xiu stood there, her enthusiasm for her work suddenly waning. If he hadn’t been in a hurry, she would have wanted to argue with him in the street.

It was just that when she talked to her father, her vocabulary and update speed were not fast enough, and she would always be at a disadvantage.

Her tolerance for pain was as high as ever. In the past, it made her feel panicked, then it made her feel tired, and now she had learned to coexist with pain and had even found ways to forget it.

In her memory, when her mother was sick, her father had also cared for her casually, at most taking out the trash from the house.

While organizing her files, Hu Xiu thought, when did her parents’ relationship start to become so distant?

She only remembered that the love they gave each other was relative. If you gave less, I would give even less.

Indeed, not all parents have love. A teacher would be more worthy of his care at the end of his life than his wife. How much did he really dislike his wife and daughter.

Feeling a little down, she went to REGARD and leaned against the table at the back. A few men were playing guitars and singing “Half-Island Iron Box.” Li Ai was sitting next to them, singing softly, and Diao Zhiyu was playing a harmonica at the end.

It was the first time she had seen Diao Zhiyu play the harmonica, and she didn’t expect a boy born in 1996 to listen to such early Jay Chou songs.

Diao Zhiyu saw her and raised an eyebrow in greeting. When the song ended, the man with the guitar said, “There are a few parts that aren’t good, we have to do it again. Where did you buy your harmonica?”

“I lost mine. Li Ai brought this from home,” Diao Zhiyu leaned closer to Hu Xiu, “Are you upset?”

“Oh, his wife used to play this. Don’t mention his wife, she’s been gone for so long.” A friend urged, “Sing it again...”

A few minutes later, Hu Xiu understood why Li Ai hadn’t picked up the guitar and joined in—he stood up to answer a conference call with Zhao Xiaorou and a client.

After taking over some of Zhao Xiaorou’s business, Li Ai was indeed much busier than before: responding to client feedback, scheduling meetings in the group, reviewing contracts with the legal department, and developing new clients. He was practically running the entire department by himself...

Fortunately, the newly hired employees shared some of the workload, and he only needed to oversee things. But after the call, he sat down, looking dejected, and silently picked up his phone.

This kind of designer who occasionally took on projects while running a coffee shop, accustomed to a leisurely lifestyle, was indeed ill-suited for this fast-paced environment.

Zhao Xiaorou was elusive, constantly being photographed on dates with Gong Huaicong and making headlines on various gossip websites, almost living out her dream of being a celebrity.

She was quite excited in their four-person group chat: “I said I want to open an escape room, and Gong Huaicong said he’s willing to invest. So Diao Zhiyu, you just need to find a suitable location. Li Ai will take care of the design, and money isn’t a problem. So we don’t need to rent a creative park in Central, we can totally find a mall in the inner ring.”

Li Ai didn’t reply, he simply slammed his phone down on the table. Hu Xiu and Diao Zhiyu looked at each other, not knowing how to deal with Li Ai’s low pressure.

The man next to them continued to sing: “I’ve gotten used to not stopping you, after a while you’ll come back, the love I remember seems to not be able to withstand the passage of time.”

Why was he singing “Half-Island Iron Box” when there was nothing to do.

Diao Zhiyu checked the time: “It’s about time, let’s go. I’m taking you somewhere.”

The car headed towards the Snowpiercer. Hu Xiu looked suspicious, “You’re not going to make me play Qin Xiaoyi again and give me a new marriage certificate, are you?”

“Am I a pervert? I want to trick you into marriage all the time. They have a gathering tonight, and they asked me to go back for dinner, and to bring my girlfriend.

I don’t have many friends, and now that I have a girlfriend, of course, I want to introduce her, although most of them know you.”

He seriously took her to meet his circle of friends.

She hadn’t realized that behind the ornate, Republican-era setting, the backstage was incredibly simple: ten dressing rooms separated by blue tarpaulins (with the Snowpiercer logo printed on the fabric for customers), two large wooden tables and four long benches for meals; in addition, there were three old sofas, and the actors would have to scramble for a seat when they were resting.

English Translation

Before Hu Xiu could comment on the environment, Ning Zechen greeted her first: “You really caught him, huh.”

Behind her, the other actors laughed. General Feng Youjin and Ning Zechen appeared one after another, their gazes falling on her as if they were watching a play. Lin Qiumei held a fan and was still wrapped in a shawl, not at all cold;

Bai Luoyu came in and saw the two of them, and his busybody expression returned: “Oh my god, Diao Zhiyu, isn’t this that... that girl named Xiu! You said you were bringing your girlfriend to meet everyone, is it really her?”

His tone was as if Diao Zhiyu had picked her out of a thousand dazzling options, blinding his eyes.

Diao Zhiyu wasn’t angry: “Didn’t you all see it during the last performance when I played Qin Xiaoyi?”

“But there was another man at that time, a giant with a face as big as a fist, who gallantly came to the rescue and gave the girl the green light, and even kissed her on stage.”

Ning Zechen’s habit of joking hadn’t changed: “But Hu Xiu, you have to be careful, Diao Zhiyu has a lot of girls in his phone, and none of them are easy to deal with.”

“I have a girlfriend now.”

“But that doesn’t stop female players from harassing you. Don’t test a man’s bottom line, because men—have no bottom line. There are countless people who find them through reviews on Dianping.”

“Oh?”

Everyone looked at each other. Seeing Hu Xiu’s curious expression, Ning Zechen said, “Forget it, I might as well tell you. We all look at reviews on Dianping, and if we see a smart and beautiful girl, we’ll take the initiative to contact her.

We chat and chat, and the other party asks to add a WeChat, and it’s hard to refuse. After all, we’ve left a good impression in the play, and suddenly rejecting them would result in a bad review, accusing you of having physical contact with them that day. You’ve encountered this before when you played Qin Xiaoyi, right? More than once.”

“Um...”

Hu Xiu’s ears perked up, and Qin Xiaoyi, the person involved, was drinking from a paper cup, completely ignoring her.

“Hu Xiu, keep a close eye on him. When dating an ordinary handsome guy, it’s enough to be wary of occasional girls, but with a handsome guy like Diao Zhiyu, who is so flamboyant, you’ll attract a lot of trouble.”

Diao Zhiyu slapped Ning Zechen, his movements a little displeased: “Why are you always scaring her? Were you the reason she was so wary of me before?”

“Just look at your own face.”

Hu Xiu was patted on the forehead by Diao Zhiyu: “This is my girlfriend that I chased after with great effort. If you scare her away, I’ll hold you responsible.”

The people around them made disgusted sounds. The pot boiled, and the group leader threw a plate of meat directly into the blanching pot, stirring it skillfully with public chopsticks. In ten seconds, the tenderloin was devoured. The young people had such good appetites.

Ning Zechen stood up to get some sauce and asked casually, “Hu Xiu, is it true that Zhao Xiaorou is dating Gong Huaicong?”

“It’s true...”

“Damn. That woman has no principles and no bottom line, it’s a miracle she hasn’t been exposed yet. She might fall sooner or later, after all, she’s so daring.

Before she broke up with me, it was because she was cheating on me. In order to compete with another internet celebrity for popularity, she hired water armies to smear the other person and reported the video to have it taken down.

I’m telling you this now that it’s over. She’ll play herself one day.”

Hu Xiu listened silently.

The smell of hotpot filled the backstage of the Snowpiercer. With a rare break, Diao Zhiyu had come back, and a group of people sat together chatting casually, talking about the unforgettable players they couldn’t get and reminiscing about scenes from the play, making Hu Xiu laugh non-stop.

On the other hand, Diao Zhiyu seemed a little nervous, constantly sneaking food into her plate and pouring her drinks, as if he were apologizing.

Hu Xiu didn’t think she was drinking too much, but she realized that the speed at which he filled her glass was faster than she could drink, and she couldn’t help but tease him softly, “Diao Zhiyu, what are you doing, toasting me?”

“Don’t take what they said seriously.”

Hu Xiu wanted to laugh a little: “It’s okay, I’m one of the players too, and I’ve moved up the ranks. It sounds pretty enviable.”

“I’ve never actively added female players before.”

“Really?”

“You’re the first.”

Hu Xiu looked into Diao Zhiyu’s pupils, which were pitch black and only contained her distorted by the wide-angle lens: “Really?”

“If I lie to you, I’ll never get hard again.”

Stamp of approval. The nervous Diao Zhiyu would tell dirty jokes—he wasn’t lying. The time for the next performance arrived quickly, and the actors stood up and left with their makeup still on, leaving a messy table to be cleaned up after the performance. Still in their costumes, it was as if they had briefly escaped from Rongcheng in 1934, but she pulled Diao Zhiyu and stayed behind.

She reached out to help clean up, but Diao Zhiyu stopped her: “No need, wait for them.”

“It’s okay...”

“No, it’s not. They might... not be finished eating.”

This hurried actor life... no wonder Diao Zhiyu had a bad stomach. Hu Xiu was held by his hand, and even when she stood up and walked out the door, she couldn’t shake him off, giving her a faint feeling that he was more flustered than she was about the secrets the actors had revealed.

He... was so clingy.

The night was dark, and after their intimate encounter the night before, Diao Zhiyu, who had his hands in his pockets, didn’t dare reach out to hold hers.

Sure enough, after the impulsive moment, he returned to his former shyness. Hu Xiu followed him, and her small head with black curly hair and white skin suddenly appeared in front of him.

Except for a small mole under her eye, her entire face was unnaturally fair, only her eyes were different. Hu Xiu retreated when she was stared at: “What’s wrong?”

“Your understanding of acting is very problematic. As a result, you have a guard up against me, which makes me very uncomfortable too.

The suspicion between us is greatly affecting our relationship. Murder mystery is harmful and self-defeating, it excites you but doesn’t teach you the correct way to transition smoothly.”

“So?”

“So, Master Diao is going to give you a supplementary acting self-cultivation class. This is a master class, limited edition, only one worldwide—please check your invitation.”

He kissed the palm of his hand and pressed it lightly on Hu Xiu’s forehead.