Chapter 71

A man’s dreamcatcher, with every hole thinking of catching a lucky break

The seven days, both painful and itchy, were spent by Hu Xiu and Diao Zhi Yu together. During the first four days, when the pain was strong, Diao Zhi Yu would feed her fruit and distract her with games. They played GTA: Vice City together, and Diao Zhi Yu was terrible at it, constantly using the PANZER tank, which Hu Xiu ridiculed mercilessly. The next three days, she felt excruciatingly itchy, and Diao Zhi Yu gently rubbed her back with his fists over her clothes. Hu Xiu found it both painful and embarrassing, but also a bit stimulating. She didn’t dare to say anything, afraid of sparking something intense.

On the morning of her stitch removal, Diao Zhi Yu insisted on accompanying her to the hospital—just for a simple stitch removal!

When they arrived at the hospital, they didn’t see Pei Zhen. The nurse quickly finished the procedure with a few snips, and then left. Diao Zhi Yu looked at her and said, “The holes from the stitches are still there.”

“Is it scary?”

“No, not scary, just a tiny cut. Doctor Pei did a good job stitching.”

Having a rare weekend off, Hu Xiu dragged Diao Zhi Yu to play an escape room. The horror-themed storyline, along with the dramatic acting, scared Hu Xiu so much that she cried.

Afterward, she was drenched in sweat, looking like a newborn lamb, eyes filled with tears, staring at Diao Zhi Yu, who had a neutral expression, and said, “How can you not react at all to being scared?”

“Because I know it’s fake.” Diao Zhi Yu ran his fingers through his hair. “Let’s go...”

After dinner, they went to a comic shop. Diao Zhi Yu wandered around the shelves, and suddenly, he spotted a complete set of I’s, becoming overly excited. The entire six-volume set cost a four-figure price, and he held it to his chest as though it were a treasure. They bought two ice cream cones on the street, and before Hu Xiu could take a bite, Diao Zhi Yu pressed one cone hard into the other, making the ice cream double in size. He proudly said, “Go ahead, eat it...”

He was truly mischievous. Hu Xiu thought to herself, she hadn’t realized how playful Diao Zhi Yu was—and how much he truly loved Keiji Yoshizawa’s work.

As for the translation work that Hu Xiu turned down, it involved reconstructive medical procedures in a county-level city, with Pei Zhen as the main speaker.

The two sat in a restaurant, eating. Hu Xiu popped a piece of rice cake into her mouth. “This small stitch removal didn’t require taking special leave. It’s such a great immersive experience at 007, it’d be a pity to miss even one performance.”

“Nothing to regret. Dancing and playing an NPC, you’re just a cog in the storyline. No breakthroughs.”

“You’re only 23, why are you always thinking about breakthroughs?”

“If you’re not breaking through as an actor, then what are you doing? Being a lazy bum? I’m still looking for more immersive experiences, preferably small-scale ones where I can have more space to perform.”

“Try movies or TV shows.”

“I’m not going to try anymore. They’re not for me.”

“Why?”

Diao Zhi Yu became serious: “They’re all scripts where directors tell you what to do. In the end, it’s just sugary moments or tear-jerking scenes, no depth.”

“Don’t underestimate love stories. I never understood the Cinderella and Prince Charming stories before. But look at us—there must be something to believe in.”

“Love exists, of course. But I don’t believe in shallow stories. The acting skills of the actors are uneven, and if I do those kinds of roles at my age, I’ll be ruined.”

Hu Xiu always felt there was something more to this, especially since he must have had a bad time during his days at Hengdian. At least the script must have been low-tier, for him to refuse it so strongly.

Maybe the timing wasn’t right. Hu Xiu changed the topic: “Zhao Xiaoru and Li Ai haven’t seen each other in a long time. They’re like strangers now. Every time, I feel bad about it.”

“How can Li Ai be happy if she’s in a relationship with Ma Liang?”

“By the way, when you went to film, I didn’t have a chance to ask. Ma Liang stayed at your place before. What kind of person is he?”

“He’s a complex all-rounder,” Diao Zhi Yu didn’t like talking about others much, but clearly had some negative feelings about Ma Liang. “I can’t understand him. If you say he’s simple, he seems very insightful when you look at his life as a whole; if you say he’s cunning, he really doesn’t have much of a brain.”

“I heard from Zhao Xiaoru that he used to work at a scarf designer’s studio. The pay wasn’t much, and it was tough, so she helped him switch jobs.”

“Probably because his resume didn’t look good, so he had to rely on internal referrals.” Diao Zhi Yu didn’t stop eating hotpot. “I introduced him to the scarf designer job. After he broke up, he didn’t have a job, so I felt sorry for him and suggested he learn design, starting from being a helper... But apparently, he still hasn’t learned Photoshop.”

His character became even more suspicious. Hu Xiu casually asked, “Did any of your friends go to Mexico during the New Year?”

“Mexico?” Diao Zhi Yu took out his phone, showing her the screen. “Do you mean this Mexico?”

A man with the WeChat name “tigerbaby” went to Mexico with his wife during the New Year. A video with the sea breeze in the background was captioned, “At a friend’s request, specially rode a small motorbike to the beach for a video. South America, beauty.”

“Who is this person...” Hu Xiu asked while thinking, “What level is this? Can’t even distinguish adjectives from names.”

“He’s a boss and designer. Ma Liang calls him Tiger Brother. When I was in college, he was working on a streetwear brand and asked me to shoot a commercial for it. Why?”

“Zhao Xiaoru texted Ma Liang during the New Year, and Ma Liang said he went to Mexico.”

“Ma Liang? How could he go to Mexico? That stingy guy would rather mooch off others to save on rent and food. He’d be thrilled if someone helped him swipe a subway card. He’s the type to eat up free food and be ecstatic.”

“Is it that serious?”

“Tai Ge told me that Ma Liang insists on waiting for him at the parking garage every day to go to work together, it’s so annoying.

Tai Ge and his wife have a huge sofa at home. Ma Liang was heartbroken for a while, so Tai Ge, feeling sorry for him, let him stay on the sofa. He ended up staying there for six months, and it got to the point where their married life was nonexistent.

Eventually, Tai Ge had to force him to leave, using the excuse that they were trying for a baby. But Ma Liang still kept hitching rides with him, rain or shine. Whenever Tai Ge opened the B2 elevator door, he’d see Ma Liang pop out—no one knew where he was sleeping.

Later, Tai Ge practically developed Stockholm Syndrome. On days Ma Liang didn’t show up, he’d wonder if he had done something wrong.”

This made Hu Xiu laugh until she had tears in her eyes. “Why does Ma Liang love sleeping on other people’s sofas so much?”

“Friends get the sofa, girlfriends get the bed. I originally wanted to warn Zhao Xiaorou to be careful, but then I thought maybe I was just being narrow-minded and not generous enough.

I feel like Ma Liang is a different kind of PUA—while others bring people down, he lowers himself. But in the end, it’s the same result. He makes others doubt themselves: What did I do wrong? Why isn’t he paying attention to me anymore? Is there any chance for us?”

This logic was impressive. Hu Xiu pondered for a moment—if Ma Liang was acting, it was incredibly subtle.

To be able to make others comfortable by lowering himself, and then step away to make them uncomfortable—it was absurd; and this was all done by the naive Ma Liang—unbelievable.

Since Li Ai and Zhao Xiaorou had a falling out, Hu Xiu rarely saw Zhao Xiaorou. After all, Li Ai had already handed over the mess from their team, and Zhao Xiaorou was too busy to take a breather.

After leaving the venue, Hu Xiu noticed that JuicyDoll’s new pop-up store was on the fourth floor of Joy City. Since she had once worked on makeup copywriting, she decided to check it out.

As she stepped into the elevator, she saw the original team from Enlighten. The beauty team was no longer just working with luxury brands but also starting to market local brands.

The design for the Good Luck Year sign was clearly Emily’s project. She was the type who would always check her fortune before pitching, after all, good luck was a surefire way to succeed.

The junior designers, Bai and Mo Mo, greeted her. For a moment, Hu Xiu felt a bit dazed, almost like she was back in the days of writing copy and staying up late answering calls.

Well... Tracy wasn’t far behind. Hu Xiu stood for a while before buying some of the Sha Shang Qian series makeup and, sure enough, saw Tracy wearing high heels and a nude-colored suit with green eyeshadow.

A few months had passed, but Tracy was still the same—assertive, her high heels clicking loudly on the floor. Even though the pop-up store was offline, she was still fully involved, completely dedicated to ensuring everything went smoothly for the clients.

From what Hu Xiu knew, local beauty brands were way more generous with their campaigns and social media budgets than some luxury brands. If Tracy could make a client happy, she could easily secure a raise or KPI boost for the next year.

It was a well-known office gossip that Tracy liked to spend money recklessly, especially on men.

But, as a fiery, independent woman with a brain and drive at the age of thirty-one, Hu Xiu admired her.

When Tracy saw Hu Xiu, she seemed quite pleased. “Who contacted you to come here?”

“Just happened to be passing by...”

“We all miss you. We can’t find someone who works as efficiently and cooperatively as you anymore.”

Rather, I’m easy to fool, Hu Xiu thought. She replied, “I learned a lot from your team. I’ve quit now, but I still think about you guys occasionally.”

“No way, I’m just wasting time. Are you in a relationship now?”

“I am...”

This made Tracy look her up and down. Still as simple as before. Tracy then pointed at the JuicyDoll shopping bag with a slight balance: “Thanks for your support. If you think it’s good, post a Weibo with the hashtag ‘Guohuo Zhi Guang JuicyDoll,’ and I’ll do a lucky draw for a small gift.

I’ll treat you to dinner when I have a chance. Today’s a bit busy, I have to accompany clients, it’s inconvenient, but we’ll do it another time.”

“I also have to go now.”

“You seem to have changed a lot. I mean, apart from your clothing, your mental state is much better. Is it the power of love?”

Hu Xiu suddenly seemed to remember something. “Tracy, do you know Ma Liang?”

Tracy’s face visibly twitched, a look that mirrored the one Hu Xiu had seen when Qin Xiao had mentioned something.

She tensed for a few seconds before speaking, still not relaxing: “Do you know him?”

“He’s my friend’s boyfriend.”

Tracy glanced at the clock, then said, “Let me buy you some afternoon tea.”

The two of them went to a nearby café and found a table. From a distance, they could still see the flow of people at JuicyDoll. Tracy began with a hint of sadness: “How is Ma Liang now?”

“Seems like he’s working at an agency as a client executive, but I’m not sure what exactly he does. Do you know him?”

“This person...” Tracy shook her coffee cup, releasing a sense of melancholy, “He once told me to wait for him, but now he has a new girlfriend.”

Hu Xiu was initially trying to stay composed, but this... Ma Liang didn’t seem that charming?

“We met at a bar while playing darts. He approached me when I was going through a dry spell. It was hard not to be moved—he had a nice nose.”

At this point, Hu Xiu couldn’t help but think, how could he not be good-looking? Pei Zhen was the top facial surgeon in the plastic surgery department, an experienced craftsman.

“When we were dating, he slept at my place. No matter how late he worked, I always had warm food waiting for him. He was great at making pigeon soup, it tasted exactly like the pigeon soup at The Cook, you had to queue for it. He promised me that even though he had no money, he would give me everything he had. Back then, he gave me his entire monthly salary of 1600 yuan. One time, it rained and I was working late at the office, with a client pushing for a proposal. He waited downstairs for a long time and gave me an MK bag—MK, I didn’t even use it anymore. But he was so pleased, he had saved up five months’ worth of salary to buy it for me. Later I realized the corners were already scratched, and it was second-hand, from a flea market, but I didn’t mind. I thought it was just because he hadn’t seen much of the world, he was too naive. When he got his bonus, I asked him what he wanted. He didn’t care about my money at all, he just wanted a stable job.”

“I bought him a whole new outfit, custom-tailored, even the underwear was CK. I sent him to a top-tier company, and he worked really hard, even sending the boss home at 3 AM.”

Tracy, lost in thought, made Hu Xiu realize that this woman wasn’t invincible. Ma Liang had just hit her soft spot.

As she looked out the window with a dreamy look in her eyes, Hu Xiu even felt a bit of sympathy. No one is a winner when they fall into love. The sharp-witted Tracy, who was skilled at cutting others’ wages and flattering clients, now seemed foolish in her current state.

So sincere that it left Hu Xiu confused. They say the person involved is always the most clueless. With Tracy in the past and Zhao Xiaorou now, how was Ma Liang so charming?

“How did you break up?”

“Before going to bed, I saw his chat history. He talked to his mother about me. His mom said I wasn’t rich enough and was from out of town. She said we would struggle if we got married, so they should break up. He and I both cried. He said money wasn’t the issue, but his mom disagreed, and even the best love couldn’t last without family approval.

To keep him, I bought him an IWC watch worth 100,000, which was half of my bonus for the year. I wanted him to take it home to show his mom and prove that I had financial strength.

But his mom still disagreed. In the end, he admitted that continuing like this would be difficult without the blessing of our elders, and we would be financially burdened.

That night I cried myself to sleep. When I woke up, he had already gone, leaving a note: ‘You are the woman I love the most in this life. I’ll work hard. Wait for me.’”

Hu Xiu felt that something wasn’t quite right with the story. “That watch…”

“You think he’s a gold digger, right? I thought the same. Afterward, he stopped replying to my messages, and I couldn’t find him anywhere.

I had nightmares, thinking he was just mooching off me, climbing up while taking my money and youth.

Whenever I thought like that, I couldn’t sleep, and I’d feel bitter. I even went to a psychologist.

But the pigeon soup didn’t lie. The boy who waited for me in the rain didn’t lie either. Even if I was deceiving myself, I had to bite the bullet and accept it. At least I had been with a young man.

After all, I’m an outsider in Shanghai, spending money freely. The men I met through blind dates would never bring me pigeon soup in a thermos.”

Hearing this, Hu Xiu felt uncomfortable. Tracy took a deep breath, straightened her back. “It’s been a while since I talked about this. It’s embarrassing. But after quitting my job, I realized you’re so smart, and you’re even a simultaneous interpreter. Before, I thought you were just an average copywriter. So, what does your boyfriend do?”

“An actor…”

“Oh? Do you have a photo? Let me see…”

Having already heard so many secrets, Hu Xiu didn’t feel right hiding hers. She pulled up a photo with Diao Zhi Yu.

Tracy studied the photo seriously for a few seconds. “Is that Qin Xiao from Snowpiercer?”

“You know him?”

“I’ve watched three of his shows. Later, I felt like he wasn’t interested in women, and I thought he was gay. You really... have some tricks up your sleeve.”

Tracy stood up, as if looking at her with newfound respect. “When you see Ma Liang, tell him I said hi, and ask him if he remembers Tracy, the one who used to live across from Guilin Park.

If he pretends to not know, just call him by his real name. Not many people know that one.”

“He has another name?”

“He used to be called Ma Wuliu, given by his father because he was the sixth child in the family. Local families have a lot of kids.”

Tracy looked at Hu Xiu, her eyes suddenly filled with a fiery determination. “I’ve told you my story. If he’s still a heartless man, I hope his girlfriend can use this.”

Hu Xiu understood now. Tracy’s burning desire for revenge was directed at her, hoping she would pass the torch to Zhao Xiaorou.

A gentleman’s revenge is never too late. No matter how beautiful a love story is, it can’t erase the pain of being abandoned.

The gossip was too hot to handle. As soon as she left Joy City, she called Zhao Xiaorou: “Big news! Ma Liang’s ex-girlfriend is Tracy! Where are you? I’m coming to find you.”

On the other end of the line, Zhao Xiaorou was calm. “Ma Liang left me a note and disappeared. Do you know what it said? He said he wasn’t worthy of me and had to say goodbye like this. I, Zhao Xiaorou, was dumped by him because of a foolish mother!”

Zhao Xiaorou was fuming, cursing non-stop at the speed of a Gatling gun: “I, Zhao Xiaorou, have five million followers. I gave him food and shelter, and he left me with a note saying he wasn’t worthy of me?