Chapter 82

Welcome Home

Hu Xiu pushed him away, and the audience gasped. Diao Zhiyu was confused—was she rejecting him in front of so many people?

Her eyes shimmered like stars, the galaxy reflected in them, glowing with an unpredictable light. The atmosphere grew tense as the seconds stretched in silence. If she rejected him now, it would definitely be the most dramatic twist of the night.

Hu Xiu hesitated for a long time before speaking.

“I’m sorry, I long for a relationship to progress step by step. I want love to grow at a steady pace, but instead, I gave you my anxiety and fear of failure.

I want success to be as quick and clear as language itself, and precision became my habit. Effort became my muscle memory, but I was too demanding of you.

And after you left, I got drunk and hated how fast everything was. I forgot that acting needs refinement, and love requires balance. I thought all conflicts could be fixed with CPR, but in reality, we shouldn’t let other things interfere with us.

I’ve thought about how to get closer to you, how to say something that would make you accept me. And I realized the reason I like you is so simple. From the moment I saw you, I realized you were like a muse to me. That’s the most fascinating thing about acting.

Whether I become another person through acting or drift in the dark, to the audience, you are an irresistible inspiration. You are the truth that comes through daydreams and fantasies.

You are so unique, so irreplaceable, that even if I can’t have you, I still feel happy.”

“But I can’t…” Diao Zhiyu smiled. “I can’t accept a life without you.”

That embrace lasted an eternity, until a player shouted from the side, “Director Han, that’s enough, our phones are almost out of battery!”

Hu Xiu shrank her neck, realizing—what? Everything that happened with Diao Zhiyu at the door was recorded?

The players around them, who had been encouraging the scene, were too tired to shout anymore. Phones were pointed at them, some even with flashlights on. Hu Xiu, still in Diao Zhiyu’s arms, wiped her lips with her finger. If she had known this was the treatment of a female celebrity, she would’ve done her makeup properly. Now she looked like a steamed chicken in a bland broth—her hair messy, standing on tiptoe, appearing fragile and disheveled. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be!

She overheard a woman saying, “Oh my God, idols are definitely not lying. She’s so ordinary but managed to get Diao Zhiyu—what’s her secret? Is she good in bed?”

Diao Zhiyu heard this too and couldn’t help but chuckle. Hu Xiu felt deflated—couldn’t these women think for a moment? Besides looks, there’s personality, emotional intelligence, ability, and loyalty. Why is it that whenever they’re jealous, they automatically link everything to sex? How shallow!

Turning to Zhao Xiaorou, she noticed not only was she still filming, but she was also holding a DJI gimbal, steady as ever, recording a vlog.

Zhao Xiaorou laughed, her voice full of excitement. “My emotional channel hasn’t had a viral video in a long time. Forget about hitting a BMW; I’d crash into a tank for this!”

“Zhao Xiaorou, enough already… you can’t post this, I’m not wearing makeup!”

“Your makeup or not, what does it have to do with me? This drama, with its ups and downs, is worth editing all night. There are so many phones filming right now. Can you stop me?”

Hu Xiu sighed, Diao Zhiyu spoke calmly, “Wait for me. I’ll change and we’ll go home together.”

Go home together? Whose home? Who invited you?

When Diao Zhiyu came out, he was wearing black jeans, a black T-shirt, and had his black curly hair slicked back. His pale skin under the moonlight fit every Mary Sue trope—like a character straight out of a manga: Black Butler, Kid the Phantom Thief, a vampire, a nightgown-wearing masquerader... He looked like he had stepped out of a comic.

He greeted the other female players around him as the male star of Shanghai Chronicles.

He put his arm around her shoulders and guided her to the car. He seemed to notice what she was thinking. “What’s with the look? Is this the first time you’ve seen me like this?”

Hu Xiu’s mind was blank. She had been dazed after the kiss earlier, but Diao Zhiyu walking out at that moment was even more shocking. Her mind kept repeating: Damn! He’s so handsome! I’m losing my mind!

But she suddenly controlled herself. Diao Zhiyu sat in the front seat, ensuring her safety, but through the rearview mirror, he could see her staring at him. His eyes, full of teasing, were already descending to more impure places.

Hu Xiu remained composed, chatting seriously with Zhao Xiaorou, replaying the scene in her mind. They rewatched the scene in the interrogation room, with all its electric chairs and handcuffs.

Zhao Xiaorou quickly noticed Hu Xiu’s thoughts, chatting on the surface while texting her: “I shouldn’t have gotten in this car, the hormonal level inside is off the charts. I’m turning into an ice queen here.”

Hu Xiu, of course, knew what was going on. The air conditioning wasn’t enough to cool Diao Zhiyu down.

When they arrived at the neighborhood, Diao Zhiyu confidently followed behind her and even opened the building’s door for her. Hu Xiu asked, “Who invited you up? Did I agree to it?”

“I came to grab my stuff. My shirts, T-shirts, underwear... they’re all here.”

His face turned red—he was shy. He took long strides up half a flight of stairs, then turned to look at her with a pleased and lighthearted expression.

Hu Xiu followed behind him, thinking to herself, You...

She still had some lingering anger. Even though it seemed like he was closing in, she hadn’t figured out what was real and what was fake.

But just walking up the stairs together, the sound of their footsteps intertwining, was the most beautiful sound. Walking alone was too quiet.

She had been holding onto her frustration, but when she opened the door, she whispered, “Welcome home…”

As soon as the door closed, Diao Zhiyu pulled her into another passionate kiss, as if trying to make up for the two months of unfinished business. Hu Xiu felt like he was treating her like a cat, unwilling to let go no matter how much she pushed.

“Let go of me, I need to turn on the air conditioning…”

He clung to her like a camel.

“I’ve been out all day. I’m going to take a shower…”

“No…”

“Hey…”

“I haven’t seen you in two months.”

Damn it, wasn’t this the same guy who completely ignored her and deliberately made things difficult for her in the murder mystery game? He set a clear line between them, and it was all her persistence that got him. Now, the moment they stepped inside, he was acting like this?

Dragged into the bathroom, the temperature was so high that the cold water made her shiver. As the water flowed over her, it warmed up when it hit her body, thanks to Diao Zhiyu being under the cold stream.

The kissing seemed like it wouldn’t stop. Even as the water gradually warmed from cold to hot, their breathing and heartbeats quickened, their clothes soaked through, both unwilling to leave each other’s lips.

The water seemed to flood her mind, making her unable to think and crave him even more, her body weighed down by the clothes pressing against her.

Diao Zhiyu reached out to touch her neck, his kisses falling delicately on her earlobe and then moving downward. His hand rested on her chest, trying to feel her heart rate quicken.

The sound of rushing water masked their gasps. The old house had poor sound insulation, so every startled cry could be heard through the ventilation fan.

She stood on tiptoe, pleading intermittently. Privacy didn’t come just by closing the door; if they were going to indulge, they should at least retreat to the bedroom and close the door and windows.

Behind her, Diao Zhiyu covered her mouth, catching her earlobe and licking deeper, clearly trying to make her embarrassed.

He whispered in her ear, “I promise I won’t act anymore. From now on, I’ll speak from the heart, no pretenses.”

The cost of not pretending was the raw desire and teasing that made her unable to resist. He was still teaching her—pleasure didn’t only come from the body, but also emotions, like mistaken love and feelings of shame.

Her clothes hung on the shower’s glass, and the shadows revealed her blurred reflection.

Losing her balance, she was pulled tightly against him. He pushed her hair aside and whispered in her ear, “I’ve been waiting too long for this day.”

So bad!

After drying her hair, she climbed back into bed. Diao Zhiyu reached out to hold her, but she pushed him away.

He sat on the edge of the bed, surrendering with a raised hand. Hu Xiu pointed to his chest. “From now on, answer honestly.”

“Alright…”

“When did you start planning to turn the tables on me?”

“I’ve answered that. Ask something else.”

“Are you so sure I’d fall for it?”

“Step by step. We’ve got plenty of time. It’s just that there’s no more ‘Snowpiercer,’ so it’s not so easy to play with you. In real life, you’re too serious, always thinking about how to make me successful.”

“And you—you’re hard to deal with. You disappear all the time and run off to the Northeast. I had to fly and take a train to find you, exhausted, almost missed my stop.”

“Then why did I break up with you for your future, and you were so decisive?”

“I was angry. I like acting and working hard to prove myself. You just think I’m handsome and should be an idol, not really understanding my thoughts.”

“But you didn’t say anything… If we hadn’t accidentally played the murder mystery game, maybe it would have ended right there. Weren’t you afraid we’d really break up with no way to fix things?”

“At that time, I really thought we were done.” Diao Zhiyu looked at her. “You could give up on me for something as cheap as an idol manager and a contract, so I could easily throw you away too.”

“Oh…”

“Are you done asking?” Diao Zhiyu yawned. “I’ve been acting all day. I’m so tired.”

“Who was that strong and energetic just now…?”

“It was mainly because I waited for you all day, my nerves were tense. Seeing you work so hard voting and filming videos wanting to play Shen Ling, even sending Zhao Xiaoru to scold the company, I got nervous, afraid I’d lose my job.”

“After all, I wanted a chance to act in a murder mystery with someone I truly like.”

Her heart jolted with that confession. He mimicked the way she had fumbled with her pocket in Shanghai Windstorm. “When you reached into my pocket in the scene, I almost went crazy.”

“Wasn’t the most unforgettable part when you were Minister Qin’s wife?”

Once she started reviewing the scene, all of Diao Zhiyu’s small insecurities surfaced. “You still say that? ‘Minister Qin doesn’t want me,’ ‘I wandered for seven years to Shanghai to marry Du Mingquan?’ Do you know how smug he was after signing that marriage certificate?”

“Huh?”

“No one in Shanghai Windstorm had seen a marriage certificate before. You even pulled everyone into signing it, while now he’s single, almost thinking you were really going after him.”

“And then?”

“What do you think happened next? I repeatedly told him to stay away from you, not to touch my woman.”

“And I told you, his personal life is full of girlfriends, all tall, curvy, mixed-race faces. Stay away from him.”

The more she listened, the stranger it sounded. Hu Xiu squinted. “I’m starting to suspect that you were nervous all day and played the confession and kiss scene in Shanghai Windstorm just to prevent me from having any sparks with Du Mingquan, even if it’s just in the play.”

“Otherwise, with your turtle-like patience, you could’ve made me watch Shanghai Windstorm twenty more times.”

Afterward, Hu Xiu grabbed Diao Zhiyu’s shirt collar. “It’s definitely true!”

“Even if I’m acting, you can’t say I’m scheming this deeply. Don’t I have any judgment about you?”

“Du Mingquan is obviously not your type. He’s so naive! When it comes to being smart, I’m the one.”

“Not necessarily…” Hu Xiu tilted her head and retorted, “Dating a smart and handsome guy is exhausting. Right now, I just want to date a muscle-bound, slow-thinking guy and make money.”

“Money-grubber…”

“Diao Zhiyu, eight sessions of Shanghai Windstorm, eight thousand yuan! I wanted to move into an elevator apartment this year, but after searching for so long, the rent is too high.”

“If I hadn’t spent so much time on Shanghai Windstorm, I would have already moved into the building across from us…”

“Forget it, every inch of sunshine in Shanghai is priced, and you and I are destined to coexist with moss and cockroaches.”

Hu Xiu pushed Diao Zhiyu onto the bed. “Sleep now. I have a big conference tomorrow in Jiading. My heart almost stopped all day for you, and on weekends, I have no time to earn money. If I go back to Shanghai Windstorm, I’ll be a dog.”

Diao Zhiyu pulled a notebook from his bag. “I’ll keep you company…”

But in less than five minutes, he fell asleep. Hu Xiu gently removed his glasses, and he grabbed her hand in his sleep.

She thought to herself, even if they didn’t make plans for the future, at this moment, what they had was each other’s all.

After finishing her materials, too tired to think, Zhao Xiaoru sent a message: “Wake up, you two are trending.”

What?

She opened Weibo, and the topic “Dating an NPC from a Murder Mystery” was trending.

Zhao Xiaoru’s vlog, showing a love triangle with a top-tier murder mystery heartthrob, was sweet to the point of making people sick. The video, with over ten thousand shares, showed Diao Zhiyu looking so handsome that people were in awe. His smile left two dimples on his cheeks, which was incredibly sweet—this was the first time. Her nose and eyes were red, her face filtered with a Korean drama-style look, making her appear pitiful, almost like... Suzy.

After watching the entire heartfelt confession, she was at a loss for words—how could she say such cheesy things!

The comment section was even worse. “The girl doesn’t deserve the guy. She’s good at delivering lines, but how long did she rehearse?”

“In real life, there are also Cai Xukun types! Isn’t this just an idol drama? I’m jealous!”

“The last time I saw a scene like this was in a Taiwanese drama. Cheng Youqing and Li Daren, no more, I’m going to rewatch it.”

“This is the number one popular character in Shanghai Wind, Han Yiqiu, the one who’s indifferent to everything. He was at the scene; everyone went crazy.”

Hu Xiu shakily sent a message to Zhao Xiaoru: “Oh my god, this hype. Someone must be saying I’m ugly now. If my dad finds out, he’ll kill me…”

“What are you afraid of? I’ve posted your Bilibili account in the comment section. It’ll help you gain some followers.”

Sure enough, when she clicked the link, Hu Xiu’s Bilibili followers skyrocketed, and the comment section and bullet screen now had a Weibo sightseeing group.

In contrast, Shanghai Wind’s fan page was much quieter. Few female fans were willing to congratulate their “husband” for finding true love. Diao Zhiyu, the most popular character, was likely to lose followers.

She gradually calmed down, following her previous thinking—she didn’t want to be noticed at all, wishing the trending topic would fade quickly. But now, she felt it wasn’t so bad. After all, it was hard to get back what was lost, and she wasn’t so terrible. Standing in the sunlight and being seen by more people—there was nothing to be afraid of.

Zhao Xiaoru’s messages kept coming in. After becoming single, she felt lonelier than she had expected: “You guys, as innocent and pure as a couple, have nothing to be afraid of. If anyone’s going to be criticized, it’ll be me.”

She sent a sticker: “If you can record this kind of love, you’ll cherish it in the future. I sincerely envy you.”

“At this moment, all I have are followers and money. Just now, when the elevator lights went out, I wasn’t scared, didn’t feel anything. It felt no different than a coffin. But at that moment… forget it, I won’t say more.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I thought of Li Ai. If I die, will I have left a good impression on him? Over the past year or so, I’ve squandered all my goodwill, and if I take a bad elevator and fall into a deep pit, he’ll probably just think a friend who loves to stir up trouble accidentally passed away.”

“Thinking of that makes me unwilling, but there’s nothing I can do. Yes, I gave up.”

“I envy you so much, having a little patience for love and being willing to hold on. Maybe that’s how you’ll get him.”

In the morning, Hu Xiu woke up to a ton of messages asking if she was the one on Weibo.

Diao Zhiyu realized that his Weibo, which had only 450 followers, now had 80,000 new ones.

His Weibo didn’t feature selfies, just photos of landscapes and short videos, with captions of various shots of Hu Xiu’s back: REGARD swinging her legs on a high stool, wearing canvas shoes in the rain, sitting on the couch staring out the window lost in thought...

New followers were joking that the NPC Diao Zhiyu was probably a pervert.

After all, the male lead in I’s harbored a fantasy of secretly loving Wei Yueyi, which was quite suggestive.

Diao Zhiyu, however, remained unfazed: “No, I’m like Yiguai, someone who wants to confess but just can’t bring myself to.”

That was true. At this point, Hu Xiu asked Diao Zhiyu: “What about that hidden room in the secret line? Do you have a chance to perform there? I think we need to stir things up for Li Ai and Zhao Xiaoru.”