YABE - 33

Wen Siyu set her alarm for 8 a.m. on December 24th. Amid Qu Xiawan’s grumpy morning complaints, she sprang out of bed with great enthusiasm, dragged out her small suitcase, and began packing.

Winter clothes were bulky, so after stuffing two sweaters, a light jacket, underwear, and skincare products into the suitcase, it was almost full. Wen Siyu had never been to the north and wasn’t sure just how cold it would be.

After some thought, she pulled out her thickest gray overcoat, deciding to wear it when she arrived.

At 10 a.m., she went to class but sat in the back row daydreaming all morning. Finally, by noon, she endured through her classes. With no classes in the afternoon, she returned to the dormitory, double-checked her belongings, and then dragged her suitcase to a nearby shopping mall.

Standing at the entrance, the girl let out three eerie giggles before decisively heading to the sixth floor’s children’s section. After browsing left and right, she hesitated for ten minutes in front of the Barbie doll counter, realizing that if she brought one of these dolls to Jiang Xu, he might beat her up.

In the end, she reluctantly gave up and bought a pink stuffed rabbit instead.

By the time she left the mall with the rabbit, it was already 3 p.m. Her flight was at 6 p.m., and calculating the time, it seemed about right. Wen Siyu leisurely took the subway to the airport, pulling out her thick coat from the suitcase and cramming the fluffy rabbit inside.

At 5 p.m., the girl had already collected her boarding pass and was waiting to check in.

At 9:30 p.m., this airline, notorious for its 99% delay rate, surprisingly departed on time for once.

At 10:30 p.m., Wen Siyu, dragging her suitcase, got lost in Capital Airport.

The girl wore the thickest coat from her wardrobe and stared blankly at the crowd of people bundled in down jackets, following signs to find her way. However, as she walked, she noticed fewer and fewer people around her.

So she opened her map navigation app.

It turned out to be useless.

In the vast airport, the girl stood beside her small suitcase, holding her phone and turning in circles aimlessly. Realizing the futility, Wen Siyu lowered her phone in frustration, gripping the handle of her suitcase and lifting her head.

Glancing around casually, she spotted a familiar profile.

It was Zhou Yi.

He was anxiously talking to someone next to him. A marble pillar blocked her view, so she couldn’t see the person he was speaking to.

But her heart started pounding rapidly, as if sensing something. Uncontrollably, she found herself drawn towards them.

At first, she walked step by step, then gradually quickened her pace. Wen Siyu dragged her suitcase and ran toward them, ignoring Zhou Yi completely, her gaze fixed on the man hidden behind the pillar.

A slightly immature, unfamiliar face came into view.

Wen Siyu’s breathing quickened. Upon recognizing him, she froze in place.

Zhou Yi, startled by her sudden appearance, looked at her in surprise: “Assistant Wen?”

Wen Siyu snapped back to reality and turned to him: “Where is Jiang Xu?”

Realizing what was going on, Zhou Yi spoke urgently: “Quick, call him. That bastard should still be—”

Before he finished, the girl turned and ran off.

Halfway through, she came back: “Where should I look?”

Zhou Yi: “… Probably at security. He hung up on me, so I…”

Before he could finish, Wen Siyu dropped her suitcase and ran off again.

Zhou Yi: “….”

As she ran, she pulled out her phone to make a call.

Just as she thought he wouldn’t pick up, Jiang Xu answered.

Before he could say anything, Wen Siyu blurted out: “I’m at Capital Airport!”

Her voice was urgent, almost on the verge of tears: “Please don’t leave.”

Jiang Xu froze. Before his mind caught up, he stepped out of the queue. Realizing what he’d done, he chuckled softly, asking her: “Where are you now?”

Wen Siyu was on the verge of tears: “At the airport! Capital Airport! I’m so worried. How can you still laugh? Have you gone through security? Please don’t go!”

“I haven’t left yet. I haven’t gone through security. Don’t worry.” Jiang Xu held his boarding pass and walked out: “Where exactly are you in the airport? I’ll come find you.”

Wen Siyu: “I don’t know! I’m near the restroom!”

Jiang Xu: “….”

Patiently, he asked her: “What else is nearby?”

“There’s a Burger King. Teacher Jiang, their fries smell so good. I’m hungry.”

Jiang Xu: “….”

Ten minutes later, Jiang Xu stood outside Burger King and saw Wen Siyu nervously looking around, holding her phone. Her face clearly read, “I’m anxious” and “Why aren’t you here yet?”

Seeing her finally, Jiang Xu relaxed. For some reason, he felt a strange sense of relief and silently smiled at her from a distance, not approaching immediately.

A few seconds later, Wen Siyu’s gaze swept over and caught sight of him.

At 11 p.m., she finally met Jiang Xu.

The man wore a long black down coat, unzipped, revealing a plain black cotton T-shirt and jeans beneath. His slightly long hair was tied into a small braid at the back, and he wore a mask.

At this moment, he stood there, arms open wide, his expression hidden behind the mask.

Wen Siyu blinked, holding back an inexplicable sense of委屈 (grievance) that suddenly welled up. She ran toward him. Halfway there, Jiang Xu quickened his steps, meeting her halfway and pulling her into a tight embrace.

He smelled familiar, mingled with the scent of the moisturizer she had sent him.

Wen Siyu’s eyes stung, and she sniffled.

Jiang Xu held her close, gently patting her back in reassurance: “I originally planned to be cool and just stand here waiting for you to run over.” He paused, laughing softly: “But I couldn’t resist. I missed you too much.”

His voice was low and gentle. Hearing it, tears streamed down Wen Siyu’s face.

Buried in his chest, her voice trembled: “Teacher Jiang…”

“Hmm?”

“My stomach is empty. I want Burger King fries… waaah…”

Jiang Xu: “….”

Thirty minutes later, Wen Siyu, clutching a large paper bag, followed by a masked man, appeared at the rear exit of the airport’s dedicated passage.

A nanny van waited at the entrance. As they approached, the passenger window rolled down, revealing Zhou Yi’s exasperated face behind the glass.

Glancing at the girl wrapped in a black down coat that reached her ankles and the man in only a cotton T-shirt, Zhou Yi couldn’t help but roll his eyes: “Are you two serious? It’s only been a month since you last saw each other! One rushing here, the other sneaking away? Boss Jiang, Teacher Jiang, Big Brother Jiang, do you even plan to show up on set tomorrow? Or are you ready to be chopped up by Director Xu?”

Jiang Xu was climbing into the car when he heard this. He glanced at the girl who had already climbed in and sat obediently. Their eyes met briefly before she casually averted her gaze to the roof.

Jiang Xu found it amusing, smirking slightly and responding: “Probably not.”

“What do you mean ‘probably not’?” The assistant started the car, and Zhou Yi continued ranting loudly: “Director Xu is terrifying! She’ll probably chop you up remotely.”

“Tomorrow’s scenes are in the afternoon. I can make it back.” Jiang Xu lazily stretched, removing his mask. “Besides, I didn’t actually leave. Why are you acting like my mom?”

As soon as the mask came off, Wen Siyu finally saw his face under the dim light in the car. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, and his face looked gaunt.

She blinked, pulling out a fry and popping it into her mouth: “Teacher Jiang, did you forget to remove your makeup?”

The man glanced at her: “You’re so eager to catch me cheating? Are you that afraid your boyfriend will run off with Ren?”

Wen Siyu: “….”

Zhou Yi: “….”

The assistant driving the car thought to himself: This Teacher Jiang usually doesn’t seem like a normal guy, but when it comes to love, he’s surprisingly ordinary.

The car drove straight to the hotel. By then, Wen Siyu had already finished her large order of fries. There were still two burgers and a portion of fries left in the paper bag. Clutching the bag, she made to run toward the front desk but was pulled back.

Jiang Xu raised an eyebrow: “What are you doing?”

Wen Siyu looked confused: “Checking in.”

“No need.”

Wen Siyu: “?”

“It’s a big room. You can sleep on the sofa.”

Wen Siyu responded slowly: “Oh… But I’ve already booked a room.”

Jiang Xu paused, pulling her directly toward the elevator: “Then cancel it.”

Wen Siyu: “….”

She was dragged into the elevator, still trying to resist: “But I don’t want to sleep on the sofa.”

Jiang Xu tilted his head, smirking: “Oh? Then who do you want to sleep with?”

Wen Siyu, indignant: “I want to sleep on the bed! You’re a gentleman; you should yield to me.”

Jiang Xu: “….”

This flirtation attempt failed miserably.

The Bitter Bird production team had deep pockets, and Jiang Xu, as the male lead, indeed had a spacious room. The dining area connected to the living room and open kitchen, while the bedroom and bathroom were further inside.

Upon entering, Wen Siyu confidently marched straight to the bedroom, dumped her precious snacks onto the bed, and plopped down.

Jiang Xu, walking in later, saw the girl wearing an expression of triumph, as if claiming ownership of the territory.

Leaning against the doorframe, Jiang Xu smirked at her.

Wen Siyu radiated determination and confidence: “I’m sleeping on this bed tonight!”

Jiang Xu drawled an “Mm,” walked over, and looked down at her: “Fine, you take the bed. I’ll sleep somewhere else tonight.”