Chapter 84

Breaking Down

Zhao Xiaorou twisted her ankle on the last step down, and the way her shoe bent looked painful.

She didn’t stop, walking up to Li Ai with a strong presence, but her shoelace came undone again, and she had to shuffle the last few steps.

From Hu Xiu’s perspective, she could see Zhao Xiaorou’s back and Li Ai’s face, and in that moment, she felt that Zhao Xiaorou must have seen the look on Li Ai’s face, too.

Two scenes played out in front of the ballroom on the first floor: Director Han Yiqiu of the intelligence department was passionately confessing his love to movie star Shen Ling. Not far away, behind a wall of onlookers, another small group had gathered—two players from the police station. The woman was beautiful and pure, her Mary Jane shoes had come undone, and her ankle was red. She was staring intently at the man in front of her; the man, dressed in the same police uniform, calmly watched her, his expression starting to crack.

“Do you love me...”

“I love you. The first time I saw you in the café, I knew. You have someone else in your heart, and I’m not free either. I can wait. Life will give me the greedy opportunity.

The day I got divorced, I was secretly overjoyed, finally able to give my new love to you, but you didn’t take it.”

Seeing that Li Ai hadn’t spoken, she stepped closer. “If you don’t have the courage, or if you have no love to give me, just say it. I can accept it. I’ll leave Shanghai and start over. This love, I’ll bury and destroy it.”

Li Ai remained silent, just watching her.

Nearby, Shen Ling was still in character: “I like Du Mingquan, Han Yiqiu, give up, stop bothering me.”

The audience quietly gathered around Li Ai and Zhao Xiaorou. Some players commented, “This man is so indecisive. How can he make a girl cry?”

Others complained, “The woman’s got a lot of presence, even her tears seem like manipulation. If it were me, I’d stay away.”

The players, dressed in period costumes, were putting on a big dramatic show. The audience was growing more curious about how it would end, wishing they could bring their phones into the theater to capture the moment.

It felt like being forced into a corner.

Diao Zhiyu walked up to Hu Xiu, lightly bumping into her. Hu Xiu understood the cue—Shen Ling was about to “die,” and Du Mingquan would rush over from the other side. Zhao Xiaorou and Li Ai’s conversation would be interrupted.

But the conversation was too important, and now, surrounded by others, it was hard to make things clear. Once they left the room, they might never even be friends again.

Hu Xiu had once thought that Li Ai was like a gentle older brother to her, but at this moment, she realized that the man, often silent, had feelings that surged within him and were painful to hold back.

In the past, he had been too entangled in lawsuits to express himself; now, if he tried to speak, perhaps his skills had become rusty, and hurting others wasn’t his intention, so he chose to remain silent.

Thus, he drove Zhao Xiaorou crazy.

Hu Xiu had, of course, hoped Li Ai would open up like a man playing guitar and drinking, and she knew that Zhao Xiaorou had surrendered recently and was now circling him.

Li Ai didn’t speak. He simply squatted down and tied Zhao Xiaorou’s shoelaces, slowly standing up in front of her. “You tricked me into this play to force me into submission. You’re full of tricks.”

“I had no choice.”

Gentleness leaked out of his eyes, unintentional yet evident. “You really make me dizzy. There are a hundred ways to force me into submission, and you’ll turn around and walk away. Zhao Xiaorou, I’m a man.”

“You liked Xu Meng.”

“What about you...” Li Ai didn’t finish his sentence.

The audience was confused and slowly dispersed, leaving the two of them to continue their scene. Li Ai finally said, “Getting married in the play is meaningless. Outside the play, we can’t communicate normally. We’ve tested each other, and not once have we succeeded.”

Zhao Xiaorou had no words left.

He took a breath. “Be my girlfriend. Let’s throw away all our old grudges and try one last time. If it doesn’t work, we’ll just remain friends.”

Zhao Xiaorou stood there, dazed, as if she didn’t understand what he meant. Du Mingquan, leading a group of players, rushed through the crowd, knocking people aside. When the focus returned to Zhao Xiaorou, she was in Li Ai’s arms, her shoes fallen off.

Li Ai wanted to pick them up, but Zhao Xiaorou, barefoot and uneven on the floor, refused to let go of his hand.

For the first time, she abused the rights of being a girlfriend, greedily crying in Li Ai’s arms, as if she had been waiting for this moment for a long time.

The immersive theater was indeed a magical place. Hu Xiu was stunned by Zhao Xiaorou’s dramatic monologue, which she rarely spoke seriously. Sweet words were something she had written for Li Donghai back in her youth, just like her previous heartfelt confession.

One could only say that the special environment brought special inspiration. It was quite strange. As for the timing, it wasn’t about the people or the opportunity—it was about ex-wives, Wang Guangming, Wang Wei, Xu Meng, Gong Huaicong, Ma Liang...

These people felt like fleeting characters passing through their lives, and perhaps their real issue was that they never honestly faced their own hearts.

Neither of them lacked stories. They provoked each other repeatedly but couldn’t let go. That was the most difficult-to-understand part of love.

And also its charm.

After the game ended, Zhao Xiaorou picked up her shoes and stomped them on the ground. “Did I hear that right?”

Li Ai looked at her ankle, bent down to tie her shoelaces, and slowly stood in front of her. “Get on. I’ll make a deal with you—don’t wear shoes with laces anymore.”

“What about the other two rules?”

“I haven’t figured them out yet...”

Hu Xiu quietly moved away, changed her clothes, and went to look at the popular stickers. Dai Li and Du Mingquan’s stickers had already surpassed Diao Zhiyu’s. Many of the players who came for the trending topic were greeting her.

Compared to the discomfort, she felt a slight sense of loss. The collapse of an idol star’s image and the loss of fans had now happened to her.

When she had been a die-hard fan, it wasn’t without its own disappointments—like when Lee Seungmin from Super Junior got married, and some fans still called for him to leave the group. The immersive theater, too, had many players who genuinely treated it like a love affair.

Diao Zhiyu left, and players were taking photos with him. He happily obliged, striking gentle poses and thanking them with his hands together.

A new player asked if they could exchange WeChat. Diao Zhiyu gently waved his hand. “Sorry, I have a girlfriend.”

The player laughed. “What are you thinking? I have a husband too. I just want to be friends with you because you acted so well.”

He still politely declined, pulling out his phone with an apologetic smile. “It’s on auto-off. Sorry about that.”

He walked over to Hu Xiu without looking at the popular stickers. “How are they doing?”

“They’re together...”

“Really?”

“Li Ai said to give it a try. Otherwise, neither of them would have been able to cross the testing threshold.”

Diao Zhiyu looked at Li Ai and Zhao Xiaorou, who were still adjusting to physical contact not far away: “I’m a little angry.”

“Why?”

“The audience is really cruel. They need novelty to be stimulated. My heartfelt confession to Shen Ling was actually overshadowed by that tortured love story between Zhao Xiaorou and Li Ai.”

Diao Zhiyu pouted: “Look at those two, they’re so happy!”

Zhao Xiaorou obediently went home, waved goodbye to Li Ai without even a kiss, as pure as a high school girl.

She still hadn’t adjusted to the pace of love. She had thought that dating Li Ai would be like dating other men—acting, indulging, using tricks to manage things. After all, this routine, even if it ended in a breakup, wouldn’t result in too much loss.

But after finally getting to this point with Li Ai, she couldn’t sleep all night, recalling the reasons for the failures of all her past relationships.

Wang Guangming was because of infidelity, and she didn’t want to endure it anymore, so she wrote a Weibo post acting weak; Wang Wei was because he had no brains, with too many rich women in his phone; Gong Huaicong was only interested in his status and popularity, just a fleeting figure to him.

When it came to Ma Liang, at least he kept it real and true to himself.

But if it weren’t for seeking admiration from men, she wouldn’t have ended up as a stepping stone.

Acting failed, and not acting also failed. She didn’t even know how to be herself anymore. Love was casually tossed in a convenience store microwave, in the reflection on the rain-soaked street, in the discarded bottles on the side of the road, lost in the eyes of one man after another.

Now, when she wanted to seriously fall in love, she found herself so nervous she couldn’t sleep.

At 3 a.m., she couldn’t help but send a message: “I miss you a little.”

There were far more words stuck inside her than those five. Li Ai replied immediately: “I’m working on a design, I’ll come find you when I’m done.”

Zhao Xiaorou replied, “Don’t.”

Li Ai called her, his voice anxious: “Are we going to go through this again?”

“If you come over, it’ll be just like any other relationship between a man and a woman—But with you, I want to cherish it properly.

There are too many bad memories tied to this place for you, and for me too. Tomorrow I’ll go look for a new house.”

“Don’t look for a house. I have other plans for that. Would you... want to go on a date with me?”

If they didn’t go on a date, Zhao Xiaorou wouldn’t have known just how old-fashioned Li Ai’s idea of romance was. He actually took her... to taste coffee beans.

At a coffee plantation in the suburbs, Zhao Xiaorou accompanied Li Ai as he examined various washed beans, from the fresh beans in red and green to the drying process, and then to the freshly roasted beans, which they carried back in a box. Li Ai was ecstatic, passionately explaining how the small Yunnan beans could completely replace the so-called premium coffee beans from abroad.

After drinking several cups of coffee, Zhao Xiaorou started to feel uneasy and ended up falling asleep on the way back. Li Ai placed his hand on her forehead: “Are you running a fever, or not feeling well?”

Zhao Xiaorou thought to herself, it’s probably because of staying up late, too nervous to sleep—her heart, feeling like a withered tree experiencing spring again, was so confused about how to even start a relationship.

She placed the beans back at REGARD, and her eyes were so heavy she couldn’t keep them open. She leaned against the lazy couch in the storage room, and when she woke up, she was already at Li Ai’s place.

It took five minutes to walk from the store to the upper floor, a small space with only a one-person revolving door and creaky stairs, but she hadn’t noticed? Li Ai smiled and said, “I just realized, you really sleep like a log.”

“Am I heavy?”

“No, not at all. Your hands are small, your frame delicate. I could carry three of you. Want something to eat? I’ll cook some noodles.”

Zhao Xiaorou just held onto him. This man’s strong arms were different from how he appeared when they first met. Back then, he looked more worn out, like a man in his thirties who carried the weight of a fifty-year-old. Though gentle, there was no spark in his eyes. Now, there was tiredness in his eyes, but it was vibrant.

Holding onto his arm while looking at the design drafts on the computer, Li Ai had created many house designs in two or three months, mostly Italian and Japanese styles. He talked non-stop about them.

If helping Zhao Xiaorou connect with clients was work, struggling through the sea of difficulties, then coffee and design were his oasis.

The second rule of their agreement: absolutely no bringing up the past. But Zhao Xiaorou couldn’t help it and softly asked, “Why were you so resistant to the 600,000 you lent to REGARD before?”

“I didn’t want that money, and I didn’t want it to give you any power over me. Equality is really important to me.”

Zhao Xiaorou’s heart skipped a beat. Li Ai wasn’t angry, though. He just set the computer down on the floor. The small space of the ten-square-meter apartment made it difficult to move around. As he bent down and stood up again, his face was suddenly very close to hers.

This action was dangerous, a lone man and woman in the house—likely to spark something.

But instead of doing anything, Li Ai bent down and carefully peeled an orange with a ceramic knife. Zhao Xiaorou rested her chin on his shoulder, and he said, “If you keep this up, I’ll have to attack you.”

The third rule of the agreement came from Zhao Xiaorou: absolutely no excessive physical contact until they were both ready, to ensure their love remained pure.

But Zhao Xiaorou couldn’t resist, gathering up her courage: “How about... you kiss me, and I promise not to cross any boundaries.”

Li Ai turned around: “Can I trust you?”

Then he leaned in closer, and as his face came nearer, Zhao Xiaorou’s heart raced faster. It was happening—her love had returned.

She had originally thought love would only come when she and Li Ai encountered some dramatic situation. She was even hesitating about whether to take him to an amusement park.

Li Ai came closer, and closer still, his hand gently cupping her chin, then suddenly rubbing his stubble against her, his hand pressing on her waist, not giving her a chance to escape.

It was so ticklish!

They both turned red, and Li Ai said, “I really have to go cook some noodles now. I’m starving.”

Zhao Xiaorou thought, maybe Li Ai was pulling away because it had been too long, and he lacked experience, afraid of showing weakness.

She looked in the mirror, her cheeks flushed, then lay on the bed, thinking about the scent of beans roasted under the summer sun, the taste of oranges on her fingertips, the warmth of the cotton fabric that kept the body heat and scent in the blanket, and the rough stubble that brushed her face... that tingling sensation in her nerves—this was love.

She was determined to hold onto this love this time.

After the trending topic, Diao Zhiyu seemed to receive more invitations. The number of people from his agency, including actors, theater performers, celebrities, and even advertisers, seeking him out only increased.

Diao Zhiyu often came to Hu Xiu’s house late at night. After Hu Xiu studied until his head was spinning, they would have a late-night snack together, and the next day, his face would be swollen like a chubby fish.

Diao Zhiyu refused to accept roles in idol dramas and didn’t sign with an agency. Instead, he focused on theater acting, researching eccentric characters all day. Fearing he couldn’t maintain balance, he would occasionally take up modeling for ads when he had free time during the week.

One day, Hu Xiu was on the subway, transferring at Jing’an Temple, when he was startled by an advertisement in front of him.

Diao Zhiyu, a sunny young man holding a tennis racket while wearing a white T-shirt, indeed looked radiant under the lights.

The feeling of seeing someone you’re close to in an ad was quite surreal.

That night, Hu Xiu showed Diao Zhiyu the photo of the advertisement, but he scoffed, “The ones I didn’t post are much better. They picked this one because the client thought I looked like their son.”

“Client daddy...” Hu Xiu laughed. “Their reasons for choosing things are always weird. When I wrote the ad for Mattel, they kept rejecting my drafts because I didn’t have kids and lacked empathy.”

“These are nothing. They’re just blows to your self-esteem. We often encounter temptations like this, and the price is selling out.

I told you before, I got replaced in that TV drama because they invited me to karaoke, with the director leading the way, doing drugs. Nobody could leave, but I walked out.

I’ve also met male agents who wanted to play with me. At a bar, they touched my hand and said that if I just agreed once, they’d help me find a top-tier production crew... There are many temptations in this industry.”

“My God...” Hu Xiu stroked Diao Zhiyu’s hair. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

“This is a man’s issue. I didn’t think you should have to go through this with me. Your image of being an artist is so beautiful, I didn’t want to shatter it.

Now I’ve figured it out. Maybe if you understand me better, you won’t want to push me away so easily.”

“If you have no money, I’ll take care of you. Lately, I’m not going to Shanghai Windstorm, so my income is much more stable.”

“But I won’t be able to see you on weekends. During the week, even if I’m busy, I hardly have time to check my phone, and I fall asleep as soon as I lie down.

We only have two nights a week to meet. You... want to think about living together?”

“Huh?”

“I’ve said it. Think about it.” Diao Zhiyu’s face turned a little red. “Next week, I’m switching roles with Du Mingquan. I’ll be playing Du Mingquan on Saturday.”

Hu Xiu was shocked. “Really?”

“Why would I lie to you? Look at you, so excited, I guess you’ve lost your novelty with Han Yiqiu. Is there a translation session?”

“Not yet. But if you’re playing Du Mingquan, of course, I’ll go.”

“As expected. The reason you’re not going is that Han Yiqiu isn’t charming enough. I’ve figured it out. Your favorite will always be Qin Xiao Yi. Everyone else is just a replaceable substitute.”

“How could that be? Clearly, Han Yiqiu’s acting has improved rapidly, but there’s still the white moonlight in drama games. Qin Xiao Yi is the white moonlight, and of course, irreplaceable.”

Hu Xiu playfully poked his chest, but he quickly grabbed her and toppled her over. Hu Xiu thought to himself, luckily he didn’t see the message I sent to Zhao Xiaorou. Next week, with Du Mingquan, I can’t miss the chance to tease him.

“Zhao Xiaorou, can I borrow your color printer? I need to print something.”

Chapter 85: The Freshness of Love is That Both Sides Have Endless Tricks Up Their Sleeves

It had been a long time since Hu Xiu used Photoshop. She found an image online, cut it out, and pasted it together with a pink background, carefully adding some text before heading to Zhao Xiaorou’s house to print it.

After taking a shower, Zhao Xiaorou came out and saw a row of cards. She immediately asked, “Hu Xiu, did you change careers?”

“Just some small props for Shanghai Windstorm.”

“For what?”

“Do you want to join? If you come, you’ll know.”

“I’m busy, my weekend is packed with shoots, and I’ve also made plans to attend an event with Li Ai. Are you planning to use this to scare Diao Zhiyu?”

“This actor is so professional, as a family member, there’s not much I can do, so I prepared a little surprise to help him with improvisation.” Hu Xiu then noticed the hint in Zhao Xiaorou’s words, “You two seem to be getting along quite well.”

“Other than holding hands, nothing has happened. No kissing either.” Zhao Xiaorou sat at the vanity, patting her face with cosmetics, making a slapping sound. “I’ve always been the kind of woman who’s been rough with men, but this time with Li Ai, I’m being respectful and it feels surprisingly wonderful.

Before, when I interacted with men too often, I felt that it was desire controlling me, not love. Now, even just holding his hand, I feel like I’m almost vanishing into thin air. Li Ai is so gentle. How could he handle everything I wanted to do before I even had a chance to think about it?

And he hasn’t complained once. I’m so famously picky, often getting mad during shoots and insisting on changing the script. Now, I can shoot four takes a day, and transitions have gotten faster.”

Hu Xiu listened, feeling a bit surprised. Zhao Xiaorou, with a flushed face, looked rejuvenated, and her vitality was more stunning than any cosmetics or medical treatments.

She picked up a small card and said, “When you two reach this stage, you can use this card to flirt a little.”

Zhao Xiaorou reverted to her usual sharp tone: “Hu Xiu, why do I feel like now you’re even more lewd than me? What do you two do behind closed doors?”

Hu Xiu’s ninth attempt still hadn’t escaped the curse of being completely unrelated to the intelligence department.

But this time, her goal was to enter the underworld. After all, it was rare for Diao Zhiyu to switch roles, and his romance didn’t affect his popularity as the number one star.

After the meeting, she dared to stay for the late session. The box for drawing roles only had a few name cards left. She thought, being a seasoned pro, and decided to sneak into the back door with a receptionist, thinking, “Can I secretly grab a gangster card...?”

The receptionist smiled and shook her head. “No.”

She reached in and felt around—gangster youth—and proudly did a set of calisthenics at the drawing area before finally entering.

Diao Zhiyu’s romantic turmoil had passed, and fans were no longer curious about the dating rumors surrounding the highly popular Han Yiqiu.

As she entered, she immediately spotted Du Mingquan’s version of Han Yiqiu from a distance. It must be said, the top-tier handsome guy really had a different aura when he changed his appearance. The current version of Han Yiqiu had more of a vibrant, youthful sunshine vibe compared to Diao Zhiyu, who stood out for his unique temperament: gloomy, rebellious, and with an inherent nobility.