Chapter 50 Part 2

She twisted the lock, pushed open the door—the inner room on the second floor was a standard room, with a light brown plum blossom-patterned carpet. From the entry, looking straight ahead, she could see an open large balcony.

A low table and two rattan chairs sat in the middle of the balcony.

Looking out past the balcony, layered treetops held snow between the leaves.

Bai Kou entered, closed the door, set her luggage aside for now.

Then she went to slide open the glass door, sat on the rattan chair amid the slightly damp cold wind, admired the view, and enjoyed a moment of quiet.

About two hours later, at eight-thirty in the evening, the door sounded again.

First a twisting sound, probably didn’t open, then a knock, and a muffled shout: “Bai Kou—”

Bai Kou hurried down from the bed, slipped on slippers, dashed to the door, and opened it for Yang Wanxi.

“You actually knew to—”

Outside the door, Yang Wanxi wore a very thick black down jacket, holding two things in her arms, face full of fatigue. She had meant to smile and say Bai Kou was safety-conscious now, but seeing Bai Kou in pajamas, her words halted instantly.

She also noticed the extra necklace around Bai Kou’s neck.

Bai Kou spoke then: “You haven’t even started filming yet, and you’re finishing this late?”

Yang Wanxi raised her gaze, smiled slightly at the corner of her eyes, nodded, and silently walked past Bai Kou inside.

Her back seemed to say to Bai Kou: “I gave your birthday gift to Yuqiao Jie. Remember to get it from her when you go back.”

“Got it.” Bai Kou followed Yang Wanxi. “You already told me.”

“Nothing much to eat here.” Yang Wanxi set the script on the table, picked up a plastic sheet and held it out to Bai Kou. “Order whatever you want. Hotel delivery.”

Bai Kou took it, but didn’t look at the menu right away. She held the plastic sheet against herself and asked: “Yang Wanxi, does Li Wan live here too?”

Yang Wanxi didn’t look at her, busy twisting off a bottle cap to drink water: “Mm.”

Bai Kou covered her mouth. Though it had been ages since she chased stars, her childhood passion revived, and she couldn’t help guessing: “Oh my god! She wouldn’t be right downstairs, would she? I’d be a bit nervous then!”

Yang Wanxi finally let out a laugh, setting down the plastic bottle. “It’s pretty far—she lives in her own building by herself.”

“Oh.” Bai Kou sounded a little disappointed.

Yang Wanxi was indeed exhausted. She took a shower first, and even when the food arrived, she said she wasn’t hungry for now. She flopped back onto the foot of the bed all at once, draping her forearm over her eyes and breathing slowly.

Her lips were suddenly poked by something.

Then came Bai Kou’s voice: “Fries, the crispy kind. Have a bite?”

Yang Wanxi moved her lips, about to say she couldn’t eat that stuff lately, but ended up opening her mouth and accepting it anyway.

Recalling how she’d only learned who the director was after joining the crew this time—and those few painful days that followed—Yang Wanxi slowly lowered her arm, letting it fall onto the quilt.

She drawled slowly, “Bai Kou, do you remember the year you came with me to that audition?”

Bai Kou hummed in acknowledgment. “What’s up?”

“The director of this movie… it’s that same one from back then.” Yang Wanxi paused. “Director He.”

Bai Kou, who had been about to dip hers in ketchup, froze and turned to stare at Yang Wanxi in surprise.

Yang Wanxi gazed at the ceiling, not waiting for her to respond before letting out a long sigh. “But we’ve been here a few days now, and it’s not a big deal anymore.”

The one who’d brought it up had swiftly swallowed the topic again, leaving Bai Kou unable to guess what Yang Wanxi had really meant to say in that moment.

The room’s heater was blasting full force. Yang Wanxi, sprawled at the foot of the bed, wore only a white camisole, her black hair splayed out messily. Her expression was distant, like her mind was elsewhere.

It reminded Bai Kou of their childhood—every time she and her sister went over to Yang Wanxi’s house to find her.

Li Mengjun’s movie would be playing on the TV, and Yang Wanxi would be sitting alone on the sofa, hugging her knees.

Her small frame looked so solitary, like she was watching the film or maybe just lost in space.

“Yang Kuikui, last time you read the script to me, it sounded just like reciting a textbook.” Bai Kou got up and headed to the bathroom to wash her hands, chuckling as she went. “How about now? Made any progress? Give me a performance?”

“What’s the difference from making kids get up and sing a song during New Year’s?” Yang Wanxi’s voice drifted over faintly.

Splash splash—Bai Kou rinsed her hands, thought for a second, then tilted her head up and said, “The difference is, I can perform it with you.”

In the curtain-drawn room, the fries and pasta on the table were only half-eaten.

Bai Kou and Yang Wanxi sat facing each other.

Bai Kou held the script in her hands while Yang Wanxi sat with her legs crossed and arms folded, a smug look on her face. “Pick whatever. I’ve got it all memorized.”

Bai Kou might have doubted someone else saying that.

But Yang Wanxi’s script was covered in dense notes, sticky tabs everywhere… the pages all wrinkled and worn. All in all, Bai Kou believed her about 90%.

She flipped through it seriously, stopping at a page and reading aloud: “Does it mean you’re thinking about me?”

Then she looked up at Yang Wanxi.

Yang Wanxi met her gaze. “I don’t know. It’s windy here—do you want me to be thinking about you?”

“Wow!” Bai Kou looked down in amazement. “For real! Word for word!”

Bai Kou flipped another page: “Maybe because it’s too pure, there’s just no way, right? Actually, you could be a little more selfish.” She read the line exactly as she’d described earlier—like reciting from a textbook.

Yang Wanxi blinked slowly, stood up, circled around to Bai Kou’s side, her fingertips brushing the back of the chair behind her. She took a breath, keeping her voice in a faintly trembling state: “I-I don’t want to trap you anymore. I feel like… forget it.”

“Wow—” Bai Kou whipped her head around, glancing at Yang Wanxi with genuine admiration, then flipped the page. “Can I come find you tonight?”

“I’m staying out on my own tonight.”

A few more pages: “My foot got blistered at some point. I mean… I miss you.”

“…”

Yang Wanxi fell silent for a long stretch. Bai Kou turned to look at her chin, grinning. “Oh! Still some you can’t remember! Fail—”

The words had barely left her mouth when she saw Yang Wanxi suddenly lower her gaze, meeting hers in quiet intensity.

For some reason, Bai Kou felt a twinge of nervousness under that stare. She pursed her lips and added, “Fail or not… wait, no—you’ve memorized so much. Um, one slip-up, deduct one point. Ninety-nine.”

Yang Wanxi’s hand rested on the chair back. She didn’t acknowledge the “ninety-nine.” In the shock of Bai Kou’s widening pupils, she leaned in close all at once.

Bai Kou was completely stunned.

Yang Wanxi stared into her eyes and said softly, neither cold nor warm: “This part… has no lines.”

“……Huh?”

Bai Kou looked down at the script, which read: [Hearing Chen Nuo’s words, Fu Wen could no longer hold back her emotions. After gritting her teeth hard, she bent down recklessly and hugged Chen Nuo tightly.]

“Alright, go eat something. It’s getting cold.” Yang Wanxi took the script from Bai Kou’s arms and walked toward the TV cabinet.

Bai Kou’s gaze followed Yang Wanxi, asking with some regret, “That’s it? We’re done acting? Not continuing?”

Yang Wanxi set the script down and glanced at Bai Kou.

“Who wants to come home after a full day of work and listen to a high schooler read like it’s class?”

“You!” Bai Kou was instantly unconvinced. She got up and stomped over to Yang Wanxi’s side, picked up the script she’d just set down, flipped it open to a page, her eyes darting quickly. In a few seconds, she’d memorized it.

“Snap.” She closed the script and set it down.

She narrowed her eyes, hands on her hips, locking onto Yang Wanxi’s eyes with great momentum.

Yang Wanxi wasn’t flustered at all. She even smoothed down Bai Kou’s hair that had frizzed up on the way over, her gaze faintly asking: Well?

Bai Kou reached out and grabbed Yang Wanxi’s wrist, then pressed it forcefully against her own chest.

“Fu Wen.” Her voice turned soft and affectionate. “Do you know what I want most?”

Through the thin sleepwear, the warm touch, the heartbeat so clear—thump thump, thump thump. Bai Kou’s heart beat steadily, not flustered at all.

Thump thump thump, thump thump thump.

Yang Wanxi swallowed, seeming more immersed than every single table read up to this point.

Her five fingers, forced against Bai Kou’s chest, tightened. Her eyes trembled, just as the script required. Almost hoarsely, she asked back: “…What do you want?”

Bai Kou took a step forward, her slippers pressing right against Yang Wanxi’s.

“I want you.” Bai Kou said softly with a shallow smile.

“!”

Yang Wanxi’s heart trembled violently. Her neck heated up uncontrollably, her mind going blank for a moment. She moved her lips, wanting to say so much, but could only barely squeeze out, “Bai Kou, I—”

“Haha!” Bai Kou laughed, releasing Yang Wanxi’s hand. Her fingertips poked Yang Wanxi’s shoulder. “How was that? Not bad, right?”

Yang Wanxi’s throat felt dry. She couldn’t help but turn her face away and close her eyes.

“Mmm.”

That night, Bai Kou had wanted to chat with Yang Wanxi, but the other girl ruthlessly put on her earphones and suddenly said she wanted to listen to the script.

“……”

Bai Kou burrowed under the covers, glaring at Yang Wanxi’s back for a while.

Fine, if you don’t want to chat! She rolled over and went to sleep!

There was no sound in the earphones.

Yang Wanxi lay there with her eyes open. She heard Bai Kou sigh in frustration, the bedding rustling for a bit before it went quiet.

She closed her eyes, her mind fixed on just one thought—

If this keeps up, I’ll go crazy sooner or later.

The next morning, Bai Kou was sleeping soundly when Yang Wanxi’s alarm jolted her awake. Half-dreaming, half-awake, she sat up. After a night of dry air from the heater, her throat felt especially clogged.

“…Mmm… It’s not even light out yet… What time is it…”

The other person, who had stayed up half the night, was even more exhausted and didn’t want to move. She bossed her around: “Bai Doudou, hurry and turn off the alarm for me…”

“It’s not mine.” Bai Kou groggily picked up her phone and glanced at it. “It’s clearly yours.”

Yang Wanxi covered her ears: “…Whoever’s it is, just turn it off for me.”

“Oh.” Bai Kou threw off the covers, got out of bed barefoot, walked to Yang Wanxi’s bedside, knelt on the edge of the bed, and was about to crawl over Yang Wanxi to reach the phone on the other side.

Yang Wanxi “whoosh” retreated from the bed in an instant, standing on the carpet.

Bai Kou looked up in a daze: “You… possessed or something?”

Yang Wanxi couldn’t explain either. She awkwardly grabbed the phone and turned off the alarm: “No—I—”

Knock knock knock.

Fortunately, someone knocked on the door from outside right then.

“I’ll get it.”

Bai Kou quickly slipped on her slippers and eagerly ran to the door, pulling it open—

“………………………………”

Li Wan, outside the door, lowered her sunglasses and scanned Bai Kou up and down in confusion: “You’re… Xiao Xi’s little sister?”

Author’s note:

Yang Wanxi (knocking on the bathroom door): Bai Doudou, Bai Doudou, hey, it’s fine—

Bai Kou: [Sobbing hysterically][Sobbing hysterically][Sobbing hysterically][Sobbing hysterically] Don’t call me!! How could I meet Li Wan like this? I don’t want to live anymore!!