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Mirror
Mirror
In the darkness, their eyes met.
After a moment, Yan Man reached out and turned on the bedside lamp, her gaze meaningfully scanning his face.
“You were planning to—”
Ye Lin’s Adam’s apple bobbed, but he answered quickly.
“No.”
She hesitated, leaning closer by half an inch. “Really?”
“...No.”
She came to her senses, thinking it over. He didn’t seem that perverted—
—At least not to the extent of waking her up for pre-sleep activities.
Yan Man adjusted the height of her pillow and then asked, “Then what were you doing touching my fingers? Giving me a massage?”
Ye Lin turned to look at her, the bedside light reflecting in his pupils, revealing a hint of sincerity.
He said, “Didn’t you wear a ring during today’s event? I heard you complain that it was a bit tight. I just thought about it before sleeping and touched it.”
Yan Man nodded, reminded of something by his words. “I have another event tomorrow. I plan to switch to my own ring. Remember to remind me.”
After all, the jewelry prepared by the stylist wouldn’t fit as well as the ones she bought herself.
He agreed and then reached out to smooth the blanket over her shoulder.
Yan Man felt his grip on her wrist loosen, suddenly feeling a strange sense of loss.
Thinking it over, she added, “If you need anything, you can tell me directly. No need to use my hand...”
Ye Lin: “...”
The man reached out and turned off the bedside lamp, his voice low: “Sleep.”
She looked at him innocently: “What if I don’t want to sleep?”
He hummed: “Then try it.”
This time, there was a hint of restrained danger.
With her plan accomplished, Yan Man gracefully bid him farewell.
She wrapped the blanket around her face and smiled gently. “I’m going to sleep. Goodnight.”
“...”
________________________________________
The next day at noon, Yan Man had an endorsement appearance. After getting ready and about to leave, she was called back by the man to choose a ring.
“You have a good memory,” she slipped her slippers back on. “If you hadn’t reminded me, I’d almost forgotten.”
She had a jewelry box where all her rings were neatly arranged. After consulting with the stylist about today’s outfit, she tried on a few.
In a hurry, she removed the ones that didn’t look good and placed them on the table, finally selecting three to take with her and decide later.
Yan Man found a box and placed the three rings inside. Only then did she notice Ye Lin playing with one in his hand, his fingertip tracing the band.
She glanced up casually, asking, “What, do you like this one?”
He murmured, “I think I bought this one with you.”
“That’s right.” Yan Man nodded, beginning to retreat. “I’ll go ahead. You help me put away the rings, okay?”
“Alright, be safe.”
The jewelry box wasn’t packed by her, so Yan Man naturally didn’t notice after leaving home that one ring from the second drawer had vanished.
The next appearance was her solo public schedule.
Traffic began to congest from the entrance. Looking out through the windshield, Yan Man saw a sea of people, order barely maintained by security.
As she rolled down the car window, cheers and screams erupted skyward. She heard her name, pure and unadulterated, belonging solely to her.
This was a situation she had encountered many times before. With practiced ease, she took a megaphone from the car to calm everyone down and remind them to stay safe and avoid crowding.
Being a top-tier celebrity no longer felt like Simon’s far-fetched fantasy, nor something she had to strive endlessly to achieve, nor just an elusive title in award speeches—
Instead, it was the genuine recognition and adoration given to her by tens of thousands of viewers and fans.
________________________________________
In October, Yan Man took on a new script—a suspense drama.
On the day of the table read, she arrived at the parking lot, planning to get into her car, when she spotted a familiar Porsche from afar.
She stood still, waiting as the car slowly decelerated beside her and came to a stop.
The driver’s side window rolled down, and she leaned over, resting her hand on the edge of the window as she peered inside.
Ye Lin was caught off guard, his hand pressing against something—perhaps blocking it.
Yan Man squinted suspiciously. “What are you doing? Hiding someone?”
He openly moved aside, revealing that both the front and back seats were empty, with nothing behind him. His fingers rested on the hem of his shirt.
It seemed he had been tidying his clothes.
He raised the corner of his lips, seemingly in a good mood, his voice tinged with amusement.
“Not even enough room to hide you, let alone anyone else.”
Her gaze fell on the passenger seat, recalling some memories from Sydney.
She immediately pulled herself out of the car. “In broad daylight, can we talk about something wholesome for once?”
“What time will you be back tonight?”
“Around seven, if nothing unexpected happens.”
Ye Lin nodded. “Perfect.”
She looked at him curiously. “What’s perfect?”
“Nothing,” he reached out, gently rubbing her earlobe. “I’ll tell you when you get back.”
As she left, Yan Man kept glancing back, feeling that he’d been preparing something recently but deliberately hiding it from her. She had no evidence to confirm her suspicions.
When she got into her own car, only Zhou Xuan was inside.
Yan Man: “Where’s Simon?”
“He seems to have gone somewhere.”
She didn’t dwell on it, leaning against the window and continuing to think about Ye Lin.
________________________________________
While Yan Man was immersed in the script reading, on the other side, at the rooftop of the villa:
Bi Tan and Simon were busy setting up the venue while Ye Lin walked around adjusting the lights. Soon, the two agents began arguing over whose shadow had stepped on whose.
Bi Tan mocked: “Is this what you call a decorative tree? It’s even balder than your head.”
“…”
Simon retaliated: “And is this what you call a decorative wall? Even emptier than your brain.”
In no time, the two were bickering loudly, until they noticed Ye Lin’s expression and fell silent.
Simon: “I’ll go set up the camera. We’ll start the livestream later.”
Bi Tan fiddled with the wall, but moments later, he hovered nearby, concerned. “Do you even know how to do this?”
Simon felt his professional abilities were being questioned. “Hasn’t your artist ever livestreamed before? Don’t you know how to start one?”
Bi Tan: “He hasn’t done a solo livestream, true.”
“…”
Bi Tan: “But this is a pre-stream, just to adjust the angle and turn it on at the right time. It’s for commemoration, to give fans a sense of participation. I even found a tutorial last night, just in case. I’ll send it to you.”
Bi Tan searched through his phone and then looked up. “I sent it to your WeChat. Check it out.”
Upon closer inspection, a banner appeared on Simon’s phone screen:
[Idiot: [Shared Link]]
Bi Tan froze for three seconds, then exploded in anger: “You labeled me as ‘idiot’?!?!”
“…”
“No way,” Simon quickly fabricated an excuse. “It’s ‘Shabi,’ a playful nickname based on your surname, to show my affection.”
While Simon was fully focused on explaining, his hands slightly slipped. Right after Bi Tan muttered, “Isn’t that still calling me an idiot?”—
The livestream page underwent a subtle change.
Viewership numbers appeared in the upper-left corner, and within seconds, comments flooded in:
[Huh?]
[They’re here!]
[Sudden livestream.]
[What’s this? Is there an event?]
[Is this Simon’s livestream? Streaming himself or Manman?]
Simon: “….”
Bi Tan: “…………”
Simon: “I told you not to distract me. I pressed the wrong button. What do we do now?”
“Turn it off! Quickly, turn it off first!”
After a long silence, Ye Lin finally stood up and said, “No need.”
He stepped in front of the camera, adjusting its position. “Anyway, she’ll be back soon.”
[Is Ye Lin here?!]
[This feels so mysterious…]
[Holy crap, look at the setup. Could it be a proposal?]
[Ahhhhh, are we witnessing history?!]
[Bought a double mattress for the occasion.]
[Where’s the female lead? Where’s the female lead?!]
Just as these comments popped up, Yan Man’s car smoothly parked downstairs.
After much deliberation, she decided to skip the post-table-read dinner and return home early.
The house was empty, but she heard voices upstairs. Following the sound, she made her way to the rooftop, where sure enough, she heard the two agents arguing loudly.
She nodded to herself, thinking, Finally caught you guys red-handed.
She smoothed her hair and pushed open the rooftop door—
In an instant, the world seemed to hit mute. Bi Tan and Simon abruptly stopped talking, staring at her in shock, as she wasn’t supposed to appear yet.
The box in front of Ye Lin nearly toppled over from the sudden breeze, but he quickly steadied it.
The venue was only half-decorated since she had returned an hour and a half earlier than expected.
Yan Man: “What are you doing?”
Before they could answer, she scanned the area, her sharp eyes catching the camera and Simon’s nervous expression.
Agent, camera, papers fluttering in the wind atop the table—
Yan Man understood immediately and looked at Ye Lin. “I know what’s going on.”
“...”
She took a couple of steps closer and slapped the lid of the box in his hand. “A prank from a variety show?”
“………………”
[?]
[Hahahahahaha!]
[Yan Man, truly blessed by the variety show gods.]
[Manman: You think you can escape my sharp eyes? I’ve done so many variety shows! I could tell what the script was with just one glance!]
Yan Man turned to the camera, pointing at the object in Ye Lin’s arms. “I knew something was off about you these past few days. It’s because of that variety show we filmed a few days ago, right? Since you lost to me, you have to pull a prank on me according to the show’s rules, right?”
“I’ve seen this thing before,” she said. “My brother once scared me with it. When you open it, a big spider pops out.”
In an instant, she grabbed Ye Lin’s wrist, flipped open the lid, and leaned back—but no spider jumped out.
Yan Man was certain. She pointed at the small black box. “Got it. So if it’s not a spider, then when you open this, a cockroach will pop out.”
Yan Man quickly retrieved the small black box. The nearby lights flickered, and she thought to herself, This is quite deceptive—
She slowly opened a corner of the box, letting the setting sun shine inside. Something shimmered and reflected the light.
Two seconds later, Yan Man realized what it was.
Her fingers loosened slightly, and the box closed again. She let out a soft “Ah” and looked at Ye Lin.
The man smirked faintly. “What, giving up on your deductions?”
“...”
She thought he would be upset, but he wasn’t.
Yan Man licked her lips, her mind racing as she began searching for a way to make amends. “I didn’t actually open it—I haven’t seen anything yet.”
“How about this,” she extended three fingers. “I’ll step out and come back in. I promise I’ll play along this time, pretending I don’t know. My acting skills are top-notch.”
[Manman: A glimpse into the self-cultivation of female actors.]
[Can she really re-enter? Is this some kind of game disconnection?]
Ye Lin gazed at her for a long moment, his silhouette outlined in a soft golden glow against the backlight of the sunset.
“No need,” he said, slipping her hand into his pocket and lowering his voice. “It wasn’t ready this time anyway. Next time.”
“Next time? When?” Her heart pounded loudly as she followed him out. “Do you want to give me a heads-up beforehand?”
“No,” he replied. “If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise anymore.”
Soon, that night’s “mock proposal rehearsal” trended on social media, skyrocketing to the number one spot. Everyone chimed in with their thoughts—
[I’ve never seen a funnier proposal in my life.]
Meanwhile, the super topic gained hundreds of thousands of new followers overnight, and Yan Man even received invitations to appear on newlywed reality shows.
After reading the trending topic, Yan Man pouted and handed her phone to him.
“It’s over. Now the whole world knows you’re planning to propose to me.”
“Mm,” he chuckled softly, his voice low. “Still got two proposals to go.”
...
That night, the more Yan Man recalled the mix-up, the more embarrassed she felt. He had prepared for so long, so perhaps she should find a way to make it up to him.
After pondering for a while, the sound of running water came from the bathroom. She glanced at the bathroom door.
...
Ten minutes later, after Ye Lin rinsed the shampoo foam from his hair, he heard two soft knocks.
Thinking it might be his imagination, he waited a few seconds, but the knocking sounded again.
He wrapped a towel around himself, opened the door, and saw her dart inside through the crack, whispering:
“Wanna shower together?”
________________________________________
The sound of flowing water filled the air.
Her red dress lay crumpled in a heap at her feet, soaking wet. The water cascaded over her pale, slender ankles before flowing into the drain.
The air was thick with fragrance. Her bangs were damp as she leaned against the sink, her elbows resting on the cool marble countertop. She watched as mist slowly gathered on the mirror, growing thicker and thicker.
Unexpectedly, a pair of long fingers appeared before her. He reached out and gently wiped away the condensation from the mirror.
The reflection cleared, and she lowered her head, her ears turning red, only to have her chin tilted up by him.
“Look,” he said.
________________________________________
This night was nearly endless. Traces of her fingertips lingered everywhere—the sink, under the showerhead, on the tiles, and on the glass doors separating the wet and dry areas. Yan Man was carried back to bed, utterly spent.
Her phone kept dinging with notifications.
Her forehead rested against the crook of his neck as she whispered softly, “Who is it? Can you check?”
Ye Lin unlocked her phone and browsed through the messages. “Simon. He’s asking which TV station’s New Year’s Eve gala you’re attending.”
She thought for a moment before replying in a soft voice, “Just the same one as last year. We’ve been collaborating with them for a while. The director’s nice and always adjusts the stage without complaint. There’s a lot of creative freedom.”
“Alright.” After replying for her, Ye Lin added, “Why are you speaking so softly?”
Yan Man: “I’m too tired to talk loudly.”
“...”
________________________________________
At the end of the year, the New Year’s Eve gala officially kicked off.
Yan Man squeezed in some rehearsal time during her filming breaks, leaving her utterly exhausted. While getting her makeup and hair done backstage, she dozed off, only to be woken by noise from the other side of the wall.
She blinked and asked, “What’s going on over there?”
Staff member: “Not sure, probably Mr. Ye’s program rehearsing.”
As per tradition, both Yan Man and Ye Lin were participating in this year’s New Year’s Eve special.
However, their performances were scheduled separately—one after the other. Once they finished, they could head home together.
She murmured an “Oh,” too sleepy to ask further.
On the other side of the wall, Bi Tan flipped through the script, marveling quietly. Worried Yan Man might overhear, he whispered, “There won’t be any issues this time, right?”
“No,” Ye Lin replied. “She’s too busy this time. She hasn’t noticed a thing.”
Bi Tan: “Proposing on New Year’s Eve, huh? Won’t this crash the servers?”
“To be honest, this is even more romantic than last time. How did you even come up with this? Truly brilliant.”
The clamor outside grew louder. Ye Lin glanced at Bi Tan, who promptly shut his mouth just as Yan Man appeared at the door.
She smoothed her hair and asked, “When are you going on?”
Ye Lin looked at her.
She looked stunning tonight in a mermaid-style strapless dress that shimmered like waves with every step she took.
He replied, “Soon.”
Yan Man nodded, completely unaware of what was about to happen. Soon, a staff member approached her and reminded her—
“Teacher Yan, it’s time for you to go on stage.”
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