Chapter 58

Limited Edition Acting Masterclass 3: How long have you been coveting my body?

Zhao Xiaorou left the Mercedes-Benz event and, without paying any attention to Diao Zhiyu who was drenched, took a taxi to Gong Huaicong’s villa in Pumington Road. She returned victorious at three in the morning.

The reward for breaking up with Gong Huaicong was a Porsche 718 and a breakup fee of one million yuan.

For Gong Huaicong, the cost of each breakup was like a snake shedding its skin. Money was nothing, the main thing was to get away.

And every woman who had dated him would become the focus of attention, and Zhao Xiaorou was no exception.

Being scolded was a daily occurrence for internet celebrities, and Zhao Xiaorou regained her composure after that night. The next day, she posted an advertisement, completely ignoring the abuse in the comments section.

She gradually became immune to words like “bitch”, “prostitute”, and “slut”. Thanks to Hu Xiu organizing the posts and Li Ai’s efficiency, the lawyer’s letters were sent out very quickly.

As for her and Li Ai in the office, they didn’t take the initiative to talk to each other, as if there was a barrier between them.

The whole company hadn’t slept all night. Hu Xiu came out of WeWork at nine o’clock in the evening. She hadn’t seen Diao Zhiyu for an entire night and a day. When she got home and called him, he didn’t answer. She was secretly worried, having been drenched in the rain all night, where was he now?

Did the invitation from that so-called art-house film director already push him half a step into the entertainment industry?

She took a shower uneasily and Diao Zhiyu finally replied, “I went for an interview during the day, I’m at home now, I didn’t check my phone just now.”

“How was the interview?”

He didn’t reply again. She cleaned the refrigerator in her room, tidied up the mess, and took another shower, but her phone still didn’t respond.

She called him directly, and on the third call, she got a little angry, “Where do you live? I’ll come find you!”

“I have a fever...”

It was a fifteen-minute taxi ride away. He opened the door after three minutes, his curly hair was messy on top of his head, he lay back on the bed, biting a thermometer and motionless.

Before going out, Hu Xiu had brought a pumpkin by chance, and coincidentally, Diao Zhiyu’s refrigerator was full of carbonated drinks.

She cut it in half, dug out the flesh with a spoon, put it in a pot and boiled it with millet porridge. Diao Zhiyu curled up on the bed like a shrimp, looking pitifully.

Northerners probably... don’t eat salty porridge. The windows were not open in winter, the room was dark and hot, and it exuded the sweat of a young boy.

Sitting on the bed looking at the closed-eyed camel, he had forgotten to remove the thermometer in his fever.

She heard him mumbling that he was worried about Zhao Xiaorou’s safety, so he took a taxi to Pujiang Town and stood outside the villa area in the near-zero-degree weather to protect her, and when he went home at dawn, he was already feeling unwell. He lost his soul halfway through the interview—what a hero, she really couldn’t do anything about him.

After tidying up, the camel opened his eyes and spoke, his throat dry, “Sorry, I didn’t answer the phone in time.”

It’s not a big deal. Hu Xiu put her hand on the camel’s forehead, her eyelashes brushing against her fingers, “Don’t talk, I’m checking your pulse.”

“Doctor, how am I?”

“Diao Zhiyu, male, 22 years old, body temperature 39.5 degrees, weak pulse.” He smiled: “Taking my pulse on my forehead?”

“I’m just guessing.”

“Okay. Doctor, how is my pulse?”

“Not suitable for sex...”

“...” The boy, with a fever blister on his lips, smiled helplessly with a fever patch on his forehead: “Have we done it? When?”

Neither of them disliked dirty talk, and they seemed to be testing each other’s boundaries. Sitting on the bed, she didn’t know where to put her eyes, her chest was heaving, and her mouth was dry.

Even when he was sick, he was so good-looking. His eyes couldn’t open, but he tried hard to open them wide to look at her, blinking and softening her heart.

“What are you thinking, I’m not that kind of person.” Diao Zhiyu was probably so dizzy with fever: “In your eyes, I’m so frivolous.”

Hu Xiu stood up, “The porridge is probably cooked.”

Her arm was grabbed by the person on the bed, “Don’t go...”

“It will burn...”

“It’s just a rice cooker...”

“It will make a noise, it’s very loud...”

“I won’t eat it—don’t go.”

It was exactly the same as when he had a stomachache at REGARD. Hu Xiu sat on the bed holding his hand, the docile camel stuck to the pillow, his curly hair sticking out in all directions. When he opened his eyes, both eyes were double-eyelids—when he was awake, his right eye was occasionally not.

It seemed that he didn’t like taking advantage of people that much, at most he would just hold her hand tightly and not let go.

Until he fell asleep, she realized that it wasn’t just her who liked to hold something while sleeping. In this world, there were also aliens with exactly the same habits as her.

Diao Zhiyu was still holding her hand, Hu Xiu thought for a moment, stuffed the corner of the blanket into his hand, and her hand was freed.

The house was very simply decorated, with dark gray bed sheets and a dark gray quilt. Apart from the walls, the room was dark.

The curtains were not drawn, and outside the window was a loft apartment that had not yet fallen asleep, with stars twinkling, just like her, who had not yet fallen asleep.

On the bookshelf were movie calendars and director and screenwriter textbooks, next to it was a tripod that had not been put away.

He did have many versions of “The Actor’s Self-Cultivation”, and one of the spines was worn out. When he opened the book, the pages scattered all over the floor, almost waking the sleeping person.

Putting them back in order by page number, Hu Xiu discovered that Diao Zhiyu had also been to the same select shop where he bought the black shirt, and the date was very recent—it was possible that he had gone to find the black shirt he gave to Pei Zhen on purpose.

And before giving himself a masterclass, he had also stayed up late to study “The Actor’s Self-Cultivation”?

Sitting at the desk reading Robert McKee’s “Story,” she barely managed to muster her spirits -

She had to wait for the camel to wake up and eat and take medicine, and the room was so simple that there was no sofa, so she couldn’t lie on the bed.

Stay rational, take care of him and then leave. Absolutely don’t leave any opportunity for taking advantage of him.

Zhao Xiaorou sent a message, “Thank you...”

“It’s a small matter...”

“I didn’t realize Hu Xiu was so brave before.”

“People change...” Hu Xiu turned around, Diao Zhiyu was still holding the corner of the blanket, he was definitely a hand-grabber.

“The Gong Huaicong matter is over, although I’m a victim in the public opinion, but I also really gained money and attention, it’s worth it.”

“Is that worth it?”

“If you can’t be happy about being scolded, it means the reward you got isn’t enough. People who are famous for negative reasons are in the spotlight, but the attention is real money.

And I still have some die-hard fans, and they’re very good at arguing, even the haters can’t defeat them.

I’ve come to realize that you still need to study. If your cultural literacy is not up to par, people will spray you with ashes.”

“Don’t play like that anymore.”

“I’m very clear-headed. Do you think I’m just someone who’s crazy about love? Since I divorced Wang Guangming, every one of my relationships has been for myself.

Ning Zechen was for physical pleasure, the little puppy was for his youth, and Gong Huaicong was for his money and status. I haven’t lost in every relationship.

Moreover, Gong Huaicong’s breakup fee plus the sale of the car adds up to two million, and the rent for the escape room comes out directly.

Not to mention the increase in my fans and the big and small advertisements I got because of this, no wonder so many internet celebrities want to date Gong Huaicong.”

Hu Xiu sighed. She knew that Zhao Xiaorou had a playful side, but this ceiling was getting higher and higher.

Her messages didn’t stop: “Maybe I didn’t climb up gracefully enough, but my pride is still there; as long as my sisters don’t leave me, I won’t be lonely.”

“I want my sisters not to get hurt.”

“Okay, I got it.” Zhao Xiaorou was typing: “Li Ai has been acting strange lately, I don’t know what’s wrong, he did draw the design for the escape room for me, but he insists on not talking to me... Can you ask him for me if you have time?”

“Okay...” The script for the escape room was written by Diao Zhiyu himself. The draft and script were already out, and Hu Xiu had been translating for two weeks but hadn’t had time to see it.

“Of course, don’t thank me yet, I have something to show you too—you still can’t leave me for now, after all, your reaction is so slow, judge for yourself.”

She sent a screenshot of a Weibo post, with the text: “Long time no see, Mr. Aurora.”

The accompanying video showed Pei Zhen bending down to tease a dog with a transparent umbrella, in Boston.

The Weibo account was also included in the dialog box, the woman was doing a project at Boston University, drove her own dog, and was staying in a friend’s vacant villa.

She didn’t see the woman’s name, but there was a DongHae (Lee Donghae) in the homepage link.

She couldn’t sleep now. She had seen the polar light photo under the glass of the desk.

It was fake to say she wasn’t sad, but she wasn’t too surprised—after the farewell party, Pei Zhen had hardly sent her any messages.

Although she hadn’t kept her promise of a fair competition for three months, she didn’t want to question Pei Zhen about all this.

She was jealous, but... she no longer felt guilty.

“Doctor...”

“You’re awake...”

“Yeah...”

“How was the interview...”

“It was a mess. I was too feverish to concentrate.”

“Standing in the cold wind in the suburbs in the middle of the night, you’re bound to get a fever.”

“Are you concerned about me?”

“No. A man who can be tough doesn’t need anyone to care about him, and besides, parents are the ones who worry about things like that, I don’t want to be.”

“Fuck. I used to think you might care about me a lot, but now I know... you’re pretty ruthless.”

“Adults reap what they sow. Anyway, I told you not to be a hero, and you still did.”

Diao Zhiyu buried his head in the pillow and mumbled, “I’m hungry, feed me.”

The porridge bowl was scalding hot, and just as the spoon was brought to his beautiful lips, Hu Xiu’s face turned red.

Diao Zhiyu had sweat on his forehead, with stray hairs sticking to his pale skin. His eyes were lazy and wet, and the mole under his eyes was like a secret leaking from his pupils. His lips were caught by his teeth and then opened, and after licking them, they were pink and crystal clear, it was hard to say that this wasn’t a seduction.

She couldn’t take advantage of a sick person when his mind wasn’t clear. Hu Xiu put the porridge in his palm, “Eat it yourself...”

“You’re so cruel...” His eyes were bright, it seemed that his fever had not subsided, and his spirit had also improved by half.

Hu Xiu yawned and opened a can of Coke, “I’m going now. I have to go to work tomorrow, and I haven’t slept for thirty hours in a row.”

“Sleep here.”

The Coke choked out of her nose, “What did you say?”

“What’s our relationship?”

“Boyfriend and girlfriend relationship.”

“Then what’s wrong with sleeping together. Or are you saying there’s something you don’t want me to see on you.”

Isn’t that a line from Snowpiercer? Hu Xiu reached out and pointed a gun at Diao Zhiyu’s nose, “I warn you, don’t use anyone’s persona from Snowpiercer, especially Qin Xiao Yi.”

He was a little smug, “Can’t resist the charm of Qin Xiao Yi? Then you still want to sleep with me.”

His nose was crooked for a second, and Hu Xiu suddenly remembered something and laughed. Diao Zhiyu held the bowl and licked his lips, “What are you laughing at?”

“I said—you promise not to break up with me, and don’t tell the young Qin Xiao Yi.”

“Okay...” Diao Zhiyu stopped drinking the porridge and sat on the bed, looking at him seriously.

“I said—” Hu Xiu took a breath, “That young Qin Xiao Yi is a handsome guy that women would forget after sleeping with him once, and Diao Zhiyu is a charming little darling who is worth savoring.”

Stunned for three seconds, Diao Zhiyu’s expression was very subtle, “How long have you wanted to sleep with me?”

“I guarantee that this metaphor is pure! At that time, it was purely for comparison, to highlight how irreplaceable your Qin Xiao Yi is. Zhao Xiaorou insisted on telling me that another sunny boy was more handsome.”

The phone rang. Diao Zhiyu answered the phone and said a few words, then stood up and said, “I actually passed the interview. I’m going to take a shower, wait for me.”

“Ah?” Hu Xiu waved her hands nervously, “No, I don’t mean anything else, don’t take a shower!”

Diao Zhiyu poked his head out from behind a towel draped around his neck and let out an exasperated sigh. “I was just saying—Zhao Xiaorou rented the escape room space, Li Ai finished the blueprints, and I wrote the script. Now I’m taking a shower before showing it all to you.”

“That analogy...”

“You’re the one who said it was just for comparison.”

Forget it, Hu Xiu thought. Diao Zhiyu is such a proper gentleman—he gets flustered over everything, and he’s running a fever too. He doesn’t seem like someone capable of doing anything inappropriate.

Just make sure not to drool, breathe easily, drink plenty of carbonated drinks, and keep your distance from him.

Hu Xiu sat cross-legged on the floor, engrossed in her phone. Suddenly, a man appeared behind her—a guy in black T-shirt and sleep pants with a towel covering his head. As he approached wearing gold-rimmed glasses—weren’t those Qin Xiaoyi’s glasses?!

Wait, the computer! Where’s the computer?!

Hu Xiu jolted back to reality. “How are the drawings coming along? Li Ai’s skills are top-notch. What software should we use to open them? CAD?”

“No need to rush...” Diao Zhiyu replied, but as he spoke, his breath puffed right into her ear.

Xia Su woke up inside her underwear. Hu Xiu took a step forward but was pulled back again. As she stood up, he also rose, his entire body now shielding her from view.

“What are you hiding for?”

“I can’t get that close.”

“Why not?” Diao Zhiyu stepped closer with each word, watching as Hu Xiu retreated towards the bed. “I never planned on letting you leave once you entered this room.”

Wasn’t she running a fever? Weren’t you holding a thermometer, barely able to breathe? Haven’t you still not taken your fever medication?

Hu Xiu hit the edge of the bed and collapsed onto it with a thud. I shouldn’t be flirting with a patient, she thought. Young people have more energy than you’d expect.

No, this wasn’t the time to think about such things. Adjusting his glasses, Diao Zhiyu leaned over the bed, inching closer to her at an increasingly slow pace. He licked his lips, raising his eyebrows in a way that was both strange and sensual.

He looked like someone who had just finished masturbating...

“Explain something to me,” he said. “What do you mean by ‘high return rate’?”

“It’s just a figure of speech. Don’t read too much into it.”

“I’m not reading anything extra. My thoughts are pretty simple—I just... didn’t want you to leave.”

With those words, he peeled off his T-shirt, his bare upper body suddenly in her face. Hu Xiu didn’t know where to look—his frame was as perfect as a trained dancer’s, his muscles sculpted by basketball, his contours a natural work of art. He exuded vitality, and she wondered what treasures were hidden beneath his sleep pants... It was a far cry from his innocent expression just moments ago.

He bent down, scooped her up with one hand under each armpit, and moved them both to the center of the bed. She felt his hands on her waist, the sudden skin-to-skin contact sending shock through her—this fucking—

It felt too good—the arms were so strong, the waist so firm, and there it was, right before her eyes... He whispered hoarsely, “You’ve been wanting this for a while, haven’t you?”

She had long forgotten how to do this... It’d been ages since she last watched a romantic comedy...

“You mentioned something once,” he said, “before Christmas. You hoped that when you opened door 301, you’d find Qin Xiaoyi dressed as a naked Santa Claus—you wrote it yourself on Dazhong Dianping.”

“How do you know if it was anonymous?”

“Are you kidding me? I clicked on your profile page—those gushing, anonymous comments were all from you.”

“So now, let’s play a little game of role-playing again. It’s time to test your acting skills.”

“Who should I be?”

“It doesn’t matter...” Diao Zhiyu leaned over her, covering her eyes with one hand while moving closer to her ear. He gently bit her earlobe before whispering into her ear, “I want to try being... Qin Xiaoyi in bed.”

Just hearing those words sent Hu Xiu into ecstasy.

Limited Edition Acting Masterclass, Lesson 3: Suddenly appearing, unfinished...

1.  Acting can blur reality; it can lead to obsession or fade away like a passing fad.

2.  When patients act cute, doctors become vulnerable. In this world, there’s more than one alien with their own agenda. Even camels need proper care when sick—they’re valuable breeds that directors might discover, despite being heroes who’ve braved rainstorms. Beware of sly directors staging unexpected love scenes!

There’s no such thing as a perfectly planned first time...