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Ye Lin picked up his phone from the bedside table and looked at the incoming call number.
In the bedroom, the ringtones of the two phones overlapped in a rhythmic hum.
Only when Yan Man pressed the “end call” button did the vibration of his phone finally stop.
Yan Man triumphantly set her phone down, watching as the usually composed and self-possessed man revealed an expression tinged with bewilderment. For some reason, seeing him flustered like this gave her a greater sense of accomplishment than when she had seen him lose control under her hands just days earlier.
“Why are you getting so jealous?” She shook her phone, stifling a laugh. “Teacher Ye, does your own jealousy taste good?”
The man paused for a long while, even going into the call log to confirm it was her before slowly parting his lips. “That person… is me?”
She rested her finger against her cheek. “Of course. What else would it be?”
Still finding it hard to believe, he asked again, “The first person I liked—is it really me?”
Yan Man was starting to doubt herself after all his questions.
She said, “Or maybe I should think about it again. What if I once liked someone else?”
“…”
“Stop thinking,” he abruptly grabbed her hand, as if trying to interrupt her train of thought. “It’s only me.”
She deliberately pulled her hand out of his grasp, then leaned over to take a sip of water, only to be pulled back by him.
This time, Ye Lin loomed over her, blocking some of the overhead light. His hair fell across his eyelids, giving off a youthful, fiery aura.
His gaze grew heated, and he lowered his eyes to ask, “During that first drama shoot, at the set—did you really like me?”
There was uncertainty in his tone, but it carried an unexpected sense of anticipation.
A question mark popped into Yan Man’s mind. “What? Was my three months of doting on you, tending to your every need, some kind of performance art?”
What had made him misunderstand this?
If she hadn’t genuinely liked him—if it had been purely for fun—how could she have persisted for so long?
After pondering for a while, Yan Man realized it might have been due to the way she expressed her feelings.
“I did like you,” she said. “It’s just that maybe the way I like someone is different from others.”
After a moment, she lifted her eyes and earnestly added, “But I definitely liked you.”
Though she occasionally spoke in exaggerated, flirtatious tones and always seemed carefree, her affection for him was real and pure. It was only after liking him that she found joy in other aspects of their relationship—not the other way around.
Yan Man shifted slightly, but her wrist was caught again.
He seemed to have many questions. “When did you start liking me?”
“At the set. You were handsome, and I fell for you at first sight.”
Yan Man was candid. “Surprised? That’s how straightforward we appearance-focused people are.”
“…”
He continued, “Then why did you give up on me later?”
“You rejected me—how could I not give up? It didn’t make sense.” At this point, she couldn’t help but feel indignant. “Do you know how many people chase after me? And there I was, pouring my heart out to you for so long, while you completely ignored me. Of course, I’d feel discouraged!”
After a brief silence, he asked, “So when you saw me again on the variety show, how did you feel?”
Yan Man pursed her lips. “Do you want the honest truth?”
“…Mm.”
She felt that at this stage, there was no point in hiding anything. “At that time, it was the first time I’d ever liked someone. The idea of liking someone who didn’t like me back felt too troublesome. So I decided to stop liking someone who didn’t reciprocate my feelings.”
She said, “You already know this—first, you were like an ex-boyfriend to me. Then, as we worked together, my perception of you gradually changed. From being ‘faceless’ to becoming a ‘tool,’ then a teacher, and finally a friend…”
Ye Lin paused before saying, “So during that time, because you felt I hadn’t clarified my feelings for you, you didn’t allow yourself to develop any extra emotions toward me?”
“Yes,” she said. “How could I let the same tragedy happen again? Only when you explicitly told me you liked me did I place you in that category and reevaluate my feelings for you at that moment.”
“And besides, I was really busy with work back then—I didn’t have time to think about those kinds of things.”
She often focused entirely on one thing at a time. During the quieter periods of filming the Republican-era drama, she chased after him. But when things got busier, romance faded from her mind—it wasn’t worth overthinking when the man was so difficult to read anyway.
Reflecting on the past, he couldn’t help but lower his gaze. “I’m sorry.”
“Why apologize?” she said. “There’s no need to apologize.”
“Liking you was my choice, and giving up was my decision. When you pursued me later, accepting you was also my choice—it had nothing to do with anyone else.”
It was precisely because she had considered him a friend that when he confessed under the streetlamp, saying, “Bearing my imperfect soul, I’ll strive to love you,” though she didn’t feel much at the time, looking back, she realized she had been moved.
Without the accumulation of emotions at every stage, perhaps everything wouldn’t have fallen into place so naturally.
“As for the kiss in the hospital bed,” Yan Man said, “I thought about it later—it must’ve been because I was seduced by your vulnerable beauty.”
“…”
He gripped her wrist and murmured, “That’s still liking me.”
Yan Man nodded, agreeing that he was right.
“Mm, that’s still liking you.”
Even though he had spoken the words first, hearing her echo them made him pause again.
“What?” he asked.
Was he pretending not to understand, forcing her to repeat it?
“It’s liking you,” she mumbled softly. “Liking you.”
Previously, she could speak outrageous, earth-shattering flirtations without hesitation, but now, with the atmosphere so charged, she couldn’t help but feel her face grow warm.
To her astonishment, she realized she actually cared about dignity sometimes—wasn’t this supposed to be unlike her? Could the word “shyness” even exist in her vocabulary?
Her eyelids felt increasingly hot, and she didn’t dare look up at his expression. After a long moment of silence, unable to bear it, she nudged his shoulder.
“What are you doing? I’m confessing here—give me some kind of reaction!”
Just as she was about to say, “Don’t I deserve some respect?” his scorching breath suddenly closed in.
“What kind of reaction?” he growled. “Is this enough?”
Her chin was tilted up, and his breath mingled with the kiss that followed—hot and intense. He didn’t speak, but through the kiss, she clearly felt everything he was conveying.
Excitement, passion, trembling, and exhilaration—words that never seemed to fit him perfectly described this moment. Now, he expressed them differently, even tugging gently at her lower lip, causing a faint sting.
Things spiraled out of control. As if recalling something, his kiss took on a dangerous, possessive edge.
Her fingers clutched his shirt, tightening involuntarily as she gasped for air. “It hurts…”
Her wrist was pinned down, and Ye Lin’s hoarse voice came. “After teasing me for so long just now, you’re complaining about pain?”
—So he had realized she was intentionally teasing him earlier about her first love.
This man held grudges.
“This isn’t… foreplay?” she tried to justify herself. “Otherwise, you sitting there alone would’ve been so boring…”
Her hands were pinned behind her back, and he traced her earlobe with his tongue.
“Don’t… No…” She squirmed backward. “I have an early scene tomorrow—I need to wake up at four.”
It was already past midnight.
Ye Lin gazed down at her, his eyes clouded and dark.
“So you’re suggesting I just let you go?”
“…”
“Well, no,” she whispered. “I can spare a few precious minutes to give you a quick compensation.”
Her fingertips brushed against his long, strong fingers, which slowly entwined with hers.
________________________________________
The next morning, they headed to the set before dawn.
Yan Man yawned, resting her hand on the small table in front of her, staring absently at it.
Zhou Xuan: “You’ve been staring at it for several minutes. What are you thinking about?”
Yan Man blinked.
She was thinking about how she had no dignity—previously, she had come on her own, but last night, she had still been led by him…
His voice seemed branded onto her ear, the grip on her palm firm.
Clearing her throat slightly, she said seriously, “I was thinking about how sexy men look when they pant.”
“…”
Zhou Xuan: “Are you insulting me for not having a sex life?”
“I don’t either,” Yan Man replied. “Thinking about it that way makes me feel better, doesn’t it?”
Zhou Xuan was about to say, “Are we in the same situation?” when the next moment, Yan Man smiled gently. “But maybe soon I’ll have one.”
Zhou Xuan: “...”
I really want to announce your relationship right now and let the whole country see Yan Man’s face at this moment.
Today was New Year’s Eve, and the set was bustling with activity. The director had cooked tangyuan for them and even bought a cake from a nearby shop.
—Of course, according to the director, buying the cake was purely a spur-of-the-moment decision. While passing by a supermarket, he spotted a dessert shop that displayed a large cake adorned with a row of beautifully crafted candles, handmade by the shop owner.
Each lead actor received one candle. After finishing their scenes for the night, Yan Man went to change her clothes and instructed them not to light hers. However, when she came out after changing, she found that her candle had been lit anyway.
She carefully packed the candle and brought it home, making sure the flame didn’t go out along the way.
As soon as she entered the house, she nervously carried the small box, not even bothering to take off her shoes, and placed it reverently on the table to check if the candle was still lit.
Fortunately, it hadn’t gone out.
Ye Lin walked over. “What did you bring?”
“A candle,” she smiled. “The director said it was a New Year’s gift and told us each to make a wish. I said not to light mine, but they went ahead and lit it anyway.”
Ye Lin looked at her for a moment. “Couldn’t you have blown it out and brought it back?”
“Yes,” she said, “but isn’t there a proper process for this kind of thing? Once a candle has been blown out, the wish won’t come true.”
She patted her jacket and said, “After all, it’s the New Year, so there should be some sense of ritual.”
He chuckled softly. “Did you bring it back specifically to make a wish?”
“No,” she tilted her head and looked at him. “My wish is half yours.”
Ye Lin stared at her for a moment before raising an eyebrow. “You’re sharing half of your wish with me? That’s touching.”
Yan Man changed into slippers and sat down at the table, gesturing with her hand. “You go first.”
Ye Lin shook his head. “You go first.”
She coughed lightly, clasping her hands together in earnest. “My wish is that we can smoothly finish filming this drama, and then I’ll have the chance to properly complete my mother’s stage play.”
After finishing, she hummed softly to herself, as if affirming the end, and then looked up at him. “What about yours?”
The man stood up, meeting her gaze across the candle, sparks dancing in his eyes.
“My wish is that your wishes will all come true.”
…
She was inexplicably struck by his gaze, turning her head away and touching her earlobe, muttering, “Then didn’t I bring it back for nothing…”
But she couldn’t help the subtle flutter of joy spreading through her heart.
“Considering you didn’t get much out of it,” she coughed lightly, sitting on the bean bag sofa next to the cat bed, “is there anything you want that I can fulfill?”
Yan Man touched the sofa beneath her and glanced at the nearby cat bed, thinking about mentioning the packages she had ordered, when she was suddenly interrupted.
The night was thick, and Ye Lin bent his legs, leaning down.
The man lowered his eyes to look at her, reaching out to cup the back of her neck, his fingertips brushing against the side of her neck. His voice was low.
“Can I have a kiss? Is that alright?”
A certain part of her body began to warm up. After staring at him for two seconds, she couldn’t help but avert her gaze and push lightly at his shoulder.
“You’re so unambitious…”
He seemed to chuckle. “Yes, quite unambitious.”
After waiting for a while, the man still hadn’t turned his face away. Yan Man couldn’t help but feel curious and turned back to look at him.
He lowered his eyes, seemingly having another question. “Was your first kiss also with me?”
“…”
Why was he still talking about this…
Yan Man said, “Yes.”
“Why were you willing?”
She was honest, not understanding why he needed to probe so deeply into such questions. “You’re good-looking, so it wasn’t a loss.”
Ye Lin: “Would you be willing to kiss other good-looking people too?”
“No, the screenwriter of this drama once wanted to add a scene for me, but I felt it wasn’t appropriate and refused.”
After thinking for a moment, she added, “My aesthetic threshold is too high. I only think you’re handsome; I haven’t thought that about anyone else…”
Her voice grew softer and softer, yet it pierced his heart steadily and gently.
He finally confirmed that he was somewhat special to her.
Perhaps right now, she only liked him, but that was okay. There was still plenty of time ahead, and he could wait for the day when she truly loved him as well.
She parted her lips, as if she still had something to say.
But before she could finish, he raised his finger and leaned down to kiss her.
This kiss was restrained yet overwhelming. Unconsciously, her coat slipped off and fell to the floor. He deepened the kiss, his tongue tangling with hers. She moved past her initial reaction, slowly wrapping her arms around his neck and responding softly to the sound of water droplets.
Suddenly, cheers erupted from somewhere, and the wall clock chimed, signaling the arrival of the new year.
One chime after another, the lingering echoes stretched on.
By the time the clock’s chimes faded, Ye Lin finally ended the kiss amidst their rising and falling breaths.
She opened her eyes hazily to look at him, seeing only the smooth lines of his jaw. The man was still pressed against her, searching for something, his breathing clear and audible.
Yan Man: “What are you looking for…?”
He extended his fingertip, pointing to a certain spot on the contract. “The contract’s validity period has expired.”
Yan Man froze, not having time to react.
He leaned down, pressing his nose against hers, his voice tinged with amusement as he whispered, “Boss, can we renew the contract? Hmm?”
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