PANT - Chapter 70
Chapter 70: Su Wanxing
Before that incident, Su Wanxing was just the most ordinary little girl.
Her family wasn't wealthy, but at the very least, she had parents who doted on her.
As her older sister, Su Tianxue took great care of her, acting like a snow-capped mountain that stood before Su Wanxing, shielding her from any potential dangers.
Before meeting Jiang Ningran, Su Wanxing had always been a child.
She grew up conventionally, living in an ivory tower where the worst person she encountered was probably the classmate who tattled on others to the teacher behind their backs.
It wasn't that Su Wanxing was stupid enough to think everyone in the world was a good person.
It was just Jiang Ningran.
Their years of friendship.
She never could have imagined that she would do something like that to her.
When she learned the truth, her first reaction was disgust. Her entire body felt a cold, damp sensation, as if a snake were coiled around her, making her feel incredibly uncomfortable. Then came the urge to vomit. She would lean over the toilet, gripping the rim and dry-heaving, as if trying to purge what had happened to her through this act.
Sometimes, a thought would even cross her mind.
She wanted to take a knife and stab herself viciously in the back of the neck. It would be best if she could ruin it, destroy it, so that any place Jiang Ningran had touched would be utterly obliterated.
Such thoughts rose and fell, but in the end, she never acted on them.
It seemed she was a natural-born coward.
It seemed she had always been this weak.
Su Wanxing didn't like herself.
She felt she had no good qualities to speak of.
Her sister was brilliant, shining wherever she went, her grades always at the top of the class.
Meanwhile, her own performance fluctuated, always unstable, always resulting in her parents being called to school.
The moment her grades showed any sign of slipping, her teacher would call her in for a talk and bring up her sister, hoping Su Wanxing would carry on Su Tianxue's legacy of glory.
But Su Wanxing knew better than anyone that she could never become her sister.
She also knew better than anyone that her sister was insurmountable.
She loved her sister; that was beyond doubt.
But sometimes, a small resentment would still stir in her heart. In the dead of night, unable to confide in anyone, she could only let the bitterness bubble up inside her, gurgle after gurgle.
If only her sister weren't so dazzling.
Then, she wouldn't be used as a reference point for her sister wherever she went.
Su Tianxue was the one benchmark in Su Wanxing's life that she could never escape.
Later, Su Wanxing gave up.
To be precise, she half gave up.
She found a new world: the world of online singers.
There, there were no constant comparisons.
Later, when she chose the path of the art school entrance exams, Su Wanxing couldn't deny that, besides her own interests, she was also deeply worried about how abysmal her results would be if she took the regular college entrance exams and they were compared to her sister's.
She had always been like this.
Always hiding her ambitions and thoughts, always taking the winding road.
But after the incident with Jiang Ningran, Su Wanxing suddenly didn't want to be like that anymore.
She wanted to be a little braver.
She didn't want to be an idiot forever.
And she certainly didn't want to live her life according to some so-called future.
Her name was Su Wanxing.
Not the female protagonist of a novel.
She had her own path she wanted to walk.
Since the harm Jiang Ningran had caused was already done, there was no way she could erase it. She might seem to have recovered during the day, but whenever night fell and she drifted into dreams, Jiang Ningran was like a ghost, always haunting her, forcing her to wake up with a start.
She hated Jiang Ningran.
And she hated herself even more.
She wanted to change.
If her heart couldn't change in an instant, then she would start by changing her life.
Zhu Yu's suggestion was a good one.
She could sing.
Step out, walk among thousands of people, and sing.
She had developed a crush on Zhu Yu in high school.
Back then, Zhu Yu had just debuted and was still a bit green. Standing on stage, she wasn't as eye-catching as the other, more senior performers.
The Zhu Yu of that time was far from the poised and confident performer she was now. In a group, she was in the corner with the least light.
But even so.
The first time Su Wanxing saw a video of her performance, she discovered that regardless of whether anyone was paying attention to her, regardless of whether the stage spotlight was on her, Zhu Yu was singing and dancing with complete earnestness.
She was respecting the stage.
And enjoying the stage.
It wasn't without reason that Zhu Yu was later called a natural-born stage queen by her fans. This person, who could be a little nervous and at a loss during interactions, unsure how to respond to affection, would completely transform the moment the music started on stage.
Her gaze was full of tension, always capturing the camera, never missing an opportunity.
From the first moment she saw Zhu Yu, Su Wanxing knew.
Just give Zhu Yu one chance, and she would definitely become a huge star.
Later, things turned out just as Su Wanxing had thought.
Zhu Yu became famous.
At this point, Su Wanxing wasn't yet a die-hard fan of Zhu Yu; she just liked her performances and listened to her songs.
When she was tired from studying, she would click on her videos.
Idols truly are a magical kind of existence.
Though they were miles apart, one on this side of the screen and one inside it, yet—
The other person's every move, every frown and smile, every word they said, seemed to be able to give you strength.
There was a period when Su Wanxing's academic performance was very poor.
She was in low spirits and couldn't absorb anything she tried to study.
Even though she felt she was working hard, studying until two in the morning, her grades were still unsatisfactory.
So she simply thought about giving up on studying altogether.
Her mind drifted, completely detached from her schoolwork.
She spent her days hiding under the covers, looking at her phone.
In truth, she was anxious. Seeing others study while she did nothing was stressful, but it was as if she just couldn't get herself to act. She didn't know what she was resisting.
Perhaps she was still worried that her efforts would once again go unrewarded.
It was in this state that Su Wanxing saw Zhu Yu.
An old interview had been released.
In a simple, unadorned room, Zhu Yu sat on a chair, looking at the camera. She held a microphone, and the label on it was the name of the show conducting the interview.
The host asked.
"How do you feel about the fact that you haven't achieved much success?"
The question was sharp and merciless.
Zhu Yu's expression didn't change. She said very seriously, "Isn't that a common occurrence?"
"In this world, hard work doesn't always pay off."
"But I believe that as long as I continue to persevere like this, one day, the scroll of the future will unfurl before me. I will have bigger and better stages."
Zhu Yu's words came true.
And she did it.
Su Wanxing suddenly felt that her own obstacle had been overcome.
She looked at the Zhu Yu in the interview, then at the Zhu Yu who now stood on bigger and better stages.
All of a sudden, a spark of motivation ignited in her heart.
It seemed she could stand up again and keep trying.
In her first year as a fan of Zhu Yu, Su Wanxing, like many others, was prone to the daily impulse of wanting to call her "hubby."
But one time, she saw Zhu Yu mired in malicious rumors and fake news, getting anti-fan hate to her face. She saw her standing on stage while being booed for the entire performance, forcing herself to finish the song while holding back her dejection.
In that moment.
Su Wanxing thought Zhu Yu's expression was like that of a sad little puppy.
And she was the owner who had to protect the puppy, or better yet, the puppy's mother.
It only takes an instant to switch from a "girlfriend fan" to a "mom fan." Looking back at Zhu Yu's occasional cute actions, Su Wanxing's mind would only be filled with one thought: "Oh my god, my baby is so precious."
After being a fan for a long time, you realize something.
Sometimes, the person you're chasing, the person you like, is just a template onto which you project your emotions.
Whatever you want to express, whatever you want to receive, you interpret her from that angle.
For Su Wanxing, this was the most liberating kind of affection.
Zhu Yu was far away from her, as distant as the horizon, untouchable.
But Zhu Yu was also very close to her.
She existed in every one of Su Wanxing's fantasies and fleeting thoughts.
The first time she saw Zhu Yu in person, Su Wanxing had bought a camera and gone to the airport with a friend. Then, through the crowd, she saw her clearly through the lens.
Zhu Yu seemed to notice her camera, looked in her direction, smiled, and raised a hand to wave.
—Ah!!
My baby is so good!
She waved at her mommy!!
At that moment, Su Wanxing, who looked like nothing more than an older lolita herself, had a heart wailing with motherly love.
She shared the photos she took this time with other fans online.
Everyone loved them, and the response was great.
Some people were even looking forward to her next set of pictures.
So, without realizing it, whenever there was an offline event Su Wanxing could attend, she went.
She always brought her camera and would take a few photos.
Over time, she became a relatively famous fansite in Zhu Yu's fandom.
Many of her legendary photos went viral, helping Zhu Yu attract a lot of new fans.
Su Wanxing was very happy.
She liked seeing more people pay attention to Zhu Yu.
And she hoped Zhu Yu would do better and better.
She felt she was probably a combination of a mom fan and a career fan.
After being a fan for so long, Su Wanxing had never imagined that one day she would be able to interact with Zhu Yu as a friend.
So, when Zhu Yu actually appeared in her life, she was startled.
The real-life Zhu Yu was very different from the one on stage.
On stage, Zhu Yu was sharp and brilliant, like a sword, openly displaying her edge and ambition.
But in life, Zhu Yu was very ordinary.
This ordinariness meant that she was like a friend Su Wanxing might meet in her normal life—kind and gentle.
Very easy to get along with.
She wasn't the type of person who would make Su Wanxing feel threatened.
After a while, Su Wanxing felt even more gratified.
So her dear baby was also being a good person in places her mommy couldn't see.
Ah!
How gratifying!
Participating in the survival show was a development Su Wanxing had expected.
As an idol fan herself, she knew that in this environment, there wasn't much room for idols to survive.
For a newcomer with no fame who wanted to start from scratch, the options were also limited.
A survival show was the most direct path.
Su Wanxing took this path.
At first, Zhu Yu was a little worried and wanted to pass on some experience to Su Wanxing.
But Su Wanxing seemed completely unfazed.
She even seemed to be enjoying it.
For Su Wanxing, this was an opportunity to sing.
She wanted to seize this opportunity.
It had been a long time since she had sung. The moment she stood on stage, being watched, Su Wanxing realized that she, too, craved the spotlight, craved being watched, craved standing before thousands of people.
In that instant, all the gloom in her heart seemed to be forgotten.
Everything vanished.
All the distracting thoughts in her mind disappeared.
All that remained was the desire to keep singing.
For so long, she had stood below the stage, looking up at Zhu Yu. Now, at this moment, when it was her turn to stand on stage, Su Wanxing finally understood the difference, and she finally understood why every time Zhu Yu stepped on stage, it was as if a deep-seated desire in her soul was ignited.
The stage had that kind of charm.
Only those who could lose themselves could truly shine.
Zhu Yu was very worried that Su Wanxing wouldn't be used to the arrangements, like the training and the interactions.
But Su Wanxing handled everything with ease.
She was more serious than anyone in training, and during breaks, she could blend in with everyone, joking around and playing with memes. She was good at photography, and the film camera she carried with her seemed to become the best icebreaker for her in the survival show group.
She took great photos, and it was easy to get good shots.
Everyone was a girl who loved beauty, so it was common for them to ask her to take pictures together.
Later, netizens even joked that Su Wanxing was moonlighting as the show's behind-the-scenes and stills photographer.
She probably had more material on hand than the production team itself.
Su Wanxing and Fei Xuzhi also became familiar with each other through photography.
Su Wanxing had noticed Fei Xuzhi early on.
She had an air of arrogance, looking more defiant than anyone else, and her rapping was excellent. Everyone said she would probably be the group's rap lead in the future.
Gossip about her was everywhere.
Some said she was a natural-born "royal," with a movie star and a tycoon for mothers, and that she was just going through the motions by participating in the survival show.
The production team would definitely save a debut spot for her.
Others said that Fei Xuzhi didn't need to compete; her name alone represented victory, so she didn't need to work hard.
Su Wanxing heard this gossip but didn't take it to heart.
She got to know Fei Xuzhi because they were assigned to the same group for a performance.
It was only after truly interacting with Fei Xuzhi that Su Wanxing realized this girl who usually ignored people wasn't arrogant or proud, but rather... a little socially awkward.
When getting along with Fei Xuzhi, there was no need for pleasantries; you just had to exchange thoughts on dancing and singing.
Although Su Wanxing was a great singer, she was still clueless when it came to rap.
Fei Xuzhi, on the other hand, was slightly lacking in her singing, so the two complemented each other.
Su Wanxing liked taking pictures of Fei Xuzhi.
Because only through the lens could she capture the helpless shyness beneath the girl's misunderstood mask.
Her relationship with Fei Xuzhi naturally grew closer.
Online, some people even shipped their CP.
Somehow, their CP became the top ship of the show.
When Su Wanxing came across it, she even laughed and joked with Fei Xuzhi, saying that people were just picking up scraps and shipping them randomly.
We're clearly just friends.
Fei Xuzhi nodded, hiding her phone.
That night, back in the dorm, the first thing Fei Xuzhi did was huddle under her covers like a high school student wary of the dorm auntie's inspection, using her phone to search for the content Su Wanxing had shown her earlier.
Then, using a side account, she followed the top ship's Super Topic, liking and saving other people's analysis posts.
Fei Xuzhi had originally planned to look for a little while and then go to sleep.
She was usually quite disciplined with her schedule.
But she found that this CP Super Topic was like a drug.
The more she looked, the more hooked she became, the more addicted she got.
Before she knew it, she had stayed up all night.
The next morning, when she went to the practice room, Fei Xuzhi's face was deathly pale.
It startled everyone else.
Su Wanxing, not knowing the reason, quickly pulled a chair over for Fei Xuzhi to sit down, then took out some candy and told her to eat it to replenish her glucose.
Looking at Su Wanxing, Fei Xuzhi blushed slightly and lowered her head, hiding her shyness.
She couldn't tell Su Wanxing.
The reason she had stayed up so late was that while lying in bed looking at the CP Super Topic last night, she had somehow clicked into a fanfiction writer's Weibo.
Then, despite her overwhelming sleepiness, she had forced her eyes to stay open and read every single fanfic the writer had written.
There was fluff and there was smut.
It was very stimulating.
Anyone who could fall asleep after reading that wasn't human.
Su Wanxing was completely oblivious to Fei Xuzhi's inner turmoil.
She took care of Fei Xuzhi as a friend.
It was strange.
At home, Su Wanxing had Su Tianxue to take care of her.
On the romance show, even when Su Tianxue and Shi Ning were often paired up and couldn't look after her, she had Zhu Yu by her side, like a big sister accompanying her.
But here on the survival show, Su Wanxing had become the one taking care of others.
She was clearly a sweet girl, yet she was always worrying about everyone else's situation.
Su Wanxing felt that this situation was inseparable from her "mom fan" nature.
Sometimes, when she looked at the girls around her, she didn't see them as competitors, but as a group of young idols with dreams, striving hard. With that premise, when she looked at them, Su Wanxing would unconsciously ascend to the status of a mom fan, viewing them through a parental filter.
Fei Xuzhi seemed to be the one among these kids who needed her care the most.
Fei Xuzhi, who had originally been on the verge of being ostracized, gradually became friends with everyone under Su Wanxing's guidance and integrated into the group. Everyone slowly came to understand that many of Fei Xuzhi's actions weren't due to arrogance or defiance, but because the girl was socially awkward and shy.
Although Fei Xuzhi didn't care at all what others thought of her.
She had no interest in becoming friends with others or integrating into the group.
But Su Wanxing looked so expectant.
So she didn't mind putting in a little more effort in this matter.
Su Wanxing was completely unaware of Fei Xuzhi's thoughts.
This sweet girl, who was both keen on being a mother figure to others and obsessed with heading for the highest peak.
No one doesn't want to win.
And no one doesn't yearn for the highest position.
Since someone had to sit there, why couldn't it be her?
In any case, every step she took now was outside of Su Wanxing's "future."
Therefore, every step was a hard-won surprise for her.
There was nothing left to fear.
Towards the goal, keep moving forward.
This was the only thought in Su Wanxing's mind.
After successfully debuting, Su Wanxing and Zhu Yu's contact became less and less frequent.
Or rather, their contact had already started to dwindle while she was on the show.
Zhu Yu was very busy, not an idle person; she had to earn money and had her own activities.
As for Su Wanxing, it was even more of a given.
Every day, she had probably less than half an hour to herself, just enough time to catch her breath, adjust her mood, casually scroll through social media, and chat with someone for a bit before she was so tired she could die. Yawning, she would curl up in bed like a dog, ready to sleep.
Sometimes Zhu Yu even regretted it.
She was probably the first person in the world to push her future wife away.
But watching Su Wanxing go further and further, constantly working hard and advancing in what she loved, Zhu Yu felt that this was actually a good thing.
The Su Wanxing of today looked much better than when she had first met her.
When you saw her, you could feel that there was a light in this girl's eyes.
It wasn't like their first meeting, when her eyes were dim and lifeless, as if her entire world had been destroyed.
Actually, Su Wanxing probably didn't know.
Zhu Yu had recognized her from their very first meeting.
Back when Zhu Yu was just starting to get famous, there was a young girl who always carried a camera and chased after her.
She always stood on the outside, small in stature, making one worry whether she could even get a good shot holding up her camera.
What set this girl apart from other fans was that she was always calm, yet fervent.
She maintained a certain distance from her.
It was the first time Zhu Yu had encountered a fan like that.
She was a little intrigued, but she didn't completely take it to heart.
She didn't know this fan's name, let alone anything else about her.
The only times they met were when this fan came to see her.
Later, for a long time, Zhu Yu didn't see this fan again.
How should she put it?
There was a slight sense of loss in her heart.
It was as if someone who had grown up with her had left.
She would occasionally wonder if she had done something to make the other person stop being her fan.
At other times, she would think that this was also a good thing.
Perhaps the other person was focusing on her own life.
Living well, in a place she couldn't see.
Later, at Shi Ning's request, Zhu Yu went to the Su family home to take care of Su Wanxing.
The moment she pushed open the door and saw her, Zhu Yu recognized Su Wanxing.
She hadn't changed much at all.
Even though she always wore a mask when she came to see her in the past, she was still recognizable.
Small in stature, with bright, round eyes, like a cat's.
It was just that the Su Wanxing she saw now was different from the one she had seen in the past.
There was no light in her eyes.
They were completely dim.
Zhu Yu didn't know what had happened to Su Wanxing, and she didn't ask.
She just thought to herself that it would be nice if, one day, she could see Su Wanxing find her light again.
Zhu Yu had also secretly observed her.
Well, how should she put it?
From the perspective of the idol she used to like, she secretly observed, wanting to see if there was another reason Su Wanxing had stopped being her fan.
For example, if she had switched to another idol.
But Zhu Yu found nothing.
Beyond that, she couldn't even find a trace of herself in Su Wanxing's life.
So she couldn't help but feel a little emotional.
Ah—
Even fans will leave as she grows.
Even a high and mighty idol could only accept this fact.
The life paths of people were never meant to overlap from beginning to end, never to part after meeting.
Let alone an idol and a fan.
Although Zhu Yu felt a subtle, indescribable sense of loss, she quickly accepted it.
The reason she suggested Su Wanxing go sing was simply because she wanted to bring back the light in Su Wanxing's eyes.
If she could no longer be her light, then she hoped she could find a light of her own.
Stand on stage and sing her heart out.
She had heard Su Wanxing's singing level. Although she didn't have much technique, she was very talented. With some training, it would be a matter of time before she became the main vocalist of her group. Plus, her vocal range was wide, and her voice was very distinctive, with a sweetness that wasn't cloying. Singing a little love song would be memorable, and if she sang rock, she could also be unique.
What was worth celebrating was that Su Wanxing was walking this path very seriously and diligently.
Sometimes, watching Su Wanxing's practice room videos through the screen, she would be momentarily stunned.
It was as if she saw a shadow of her past self in this young girl.
Watching Su Wanxing go further and further.
And other people appeared in her life.
For example, Fei Xuzhi.
For some reason, Zhu Yu suddenly felt a subtle sense of crisis.
.......
Ah.
Don't tell me that in the end, I'll have lost a true fan and a wife?
When Shi Ning asked Su Wanxing if she had any thoughts of dating.
And then tentatively asked for her opinion on Zhu Yu and Fei Xuzhi, the first reaction in Su Wanxing's mind was—Sis just wants to focus on her career.
She knew better than anyone that dating now would be irresponsible to her dreams and her fans.
Although there were no rules forbidding idols from dating these days, and everyone had become more tolerant, saying they could understand that idols are human, with their own emotions and desires, and would have people they like.
But from Su Wanxing's perspective, as someone who had gone from being a fan to where she was today, dating now was something that would seriously shake morale.
It would disappoint and sadden many of the fans who supported her.
After all, she was the one who had stood on the survival show stage, repeatedly saying she would strive for bigger and better stages, that she would work harder to bring better works.
Now that she had successfully debuted and her career was just starting, she was going to turn around and date?
Was she afraid that getting slapped by others didn't hurt enough, so she was offering up her own face to be slapped?
No way was Su Wanxing going to do that!
Besides, she felt that Shi Ning's questions and worries were completely unfounded and unnecessary.
In what way did Fei Xuzhi and Zhu Yu look like they liked her!
Neither of them belonged to the so-called "future plot."
Logically speaking, they shouldn't have fallen for her, right?
Because she was so terrified of the "future plot," Su Wanxing now had a bit of PTSD about being liked by people.
Originally, she hadn't even thought about things in that direction.
But perhaps it was because she was influenced by Shi Ning.
Ever since Shi Ning had mentioned it, whenever she saw Fei Xuzhi and Zhu Yu now, or heard what they said, it was easy for her thoughts to veer off in a strange direction.
Sometimes, looking at their behavior, a question would pop into Su Wanxing's mind.
—Could they really like me?
Su Wanxing was the type of person who couldn't hide things in her heart.
Fei Xuzhi, as her teammate who spent every day with her, had noticed something was off with her long ago.
Unable to bear it any longer, as the awkward atmosphere was making both of them feel strange, Fei Xuzhi took the initiative to find Su Wanxing, wanting to talk things out.
"Wanxing, why have you been avoiding me lately?"
Su Wanxing's eyes darted around. "I-I haven't."
Fei Xuzhi: Every expression on that face wrote the opposite answer to the words Su Wanxing spoke.
She stubbornly grabbed Su Wanxing's wrist. "You have."
Su Wanxing: "I have not!"
Fei Xuzhi: "You have!"
When other teammates passed by, they couldn't help but tease, "I say, Xuzhi, Wanxing, what are you two doing here? Having a childish squabble?"
Being called out like that by their teammate made both of them a little embarrassed.
Fei Xuzhi let go of Su Wanxing's hand.
Her hand was released.
But Fei Xuzhi's entire person was still like a lingering spirit, following Su Wanxing around, constantly nagging about this matter.
"You're avoiding me."
Su Wanxing really couldn't stand Fei Xuzhi like this anymore.
This person was too persistent!
So she found a time to talk with Fei Xuzhi.
She couldn't just keep avoiding Fei Xuzhi for the rest of her life, could she?
They were still teammates and had performances together.
If they had a falling out, the internet would definitely be flooded with rumors of discord within the group.
Su Wanxing felt she had to be brave and face this matter.
"I was indeed avoiding you," she said, looking into Fei Xuzhi's eyes seriously.
Fei Xuzhi didn't understand. "Why?"
Su Wanxing: "Fei Xuzhi, let me ask you something."
Seeing Su Wanxing speak like this, Fei Xuzhi felt a little unaccustomed and a little lost.
But she still nodded obediently.
Fei Xuzhi: "Go ahead."
Su Wanxing summoned her courage and asked in one breath, "Although asking this might be a bit presumptuous but Xuzhi I really want to know you don't happen to like me a little do you?"
She said it all in a smooth rush, without taking a breath.
After speaking, Su Wanxing looked at Fei Xuzhi.
Fei Xuzhi blinked. "I thought you already knew."
Su Wanxing: "........."
Fei Xuzhi: "Didn't you show me our CP Super Topic back during the show?"
Su Wanxing: "Huh?"
Fei Xuzhi: "I thought you enjoyed it as much as I did."
Su Wanxing: "Well, I didn't really enjoy it."
She was really just doing what she was supposed to do, but whenever what she did was related to Fei Xuzhi, netizens were very keen to interpret it in another way.
Su Wanxing understood this.
After all, that's how shippers were.
Being in the same frame is a treat.
Making eye contact makes you want to bang your head against the wall.
Su Wanxing cleared things up with Fei Xuzhi.
She confessed her thoughts.
"Sorry, Xuzhi, I've always seen you as a very good friend and teammate. Besides, for the foreseeable future, I have no intention of dating. To me, the most important things right now are the group and my work."
"I want to stand in a higher and more distant place."
Fei Xuzhi was silent for a moment, then asked, "In that place, will I be there?"
"At that time, can I be by your side?"
Su Wanxing felt a momentary headache.
She looked at Fei Xuzhi and told her seriously, "Xuzhi, I don't have feelings for you that go beyond friendship."
Fei Xuzhi pondered for a moment.
"Then being friends is also very good."
Seeing Fei Xuzhi like this, Su Wanxing breathed a sigh of relief.
She really didn't want everything to go back to the "future plot."
She asked Fei Xuzhi, "So we'll just be good friends from now on?"
Fei Xuzhi nodded.
Having dealt with the issue with Fei Xuzhi, Su Wanxing decided to go talk to Zhu Yu about it.
However, she couldn't find the right time.
And there was no opportunity.
Could Shi Ning have been mistaken?
Why would Zhu Yu like her?
But in the time that followed, during the few moments she spent with Zhu Yu, after learning that Zhu Yu might like her, Su Wanxing couldn't help but have little bubbles of doubt pop up in her mind when she observed Zhu Yu's behavior.
Could Zhu Yu really like her?
But what was there to like about someone like her?
Su Wanxing couldn't figure it out.
One day, backstage, Su Wanxing's team ran into Zhu Yu.
Because dressing rooms were in short supply and there was a problem with the arrangements, Su Wanxing's team didn't have a suitable place for makeup. Zhu Yu generously offered up her own dressing room.
To express their gratitude, after the performance, Su Wanxing and Zhu Yu had a meal together.
Zhu Yu looked at the little girl who had grown up.
Now, when she interacted with her, she also used polite formalities.
This version of Su Wanxing made Zhu Yu feel unaccustomed.
Throughout the meal, Su Wanxing's behavior made Zhu Yu concerned.
Zhu Yu: "Did something happen?"
Zhu Yu asked.
Su Wanxing choked on her water. Facing Zhu Yu, she wasn't as bold as she had been with Fei Xuzhi, able to ask her questions all at once. She beat around the bush, probing, "Zhu Jiejie, I saw in the news a couple of days ago that on your new film set—"
Before Su Wanxing could finish, Zhu Yu clarified the false rumor herself.
"We're not dating."
"We're just relatively familiar with each other."
Zhu Yu looked at Su Wanxing and asked with a smile, "What's this? When did you start caring about my gossip?"
Su Wanxing: "I just happened to come across it."
Zhu Yu: "What about you? Are you dating?"
Zhu Yu's question stunned Su Wanxing.
Su Wanxing: "Huh?"
Zhu Yu mentioned casually, "Are you and Fei Xuzhi dating?"
Su Wanxing shook her head. "Nothing like that."
"Besides, I don't want to date right now."
For Zhu Yu, this sentence was both something to be happy about and an answer that made her feel a little dejected.
She couldn't help but probe, "Not even with me?"
Su Wanxing: ...It's over!
Mom fan on high alert!
"Of course not! Right now, for both me and you, it's a time when we should be focusing on our careers! Besides, you've said before that you wouldn't date before you're thirty!"
.....Wait.
She seemed to have exposed herself.
Hearing this, Zhu Yu started to laugh. "When did you start remembering even the things I've said so clearly? Su Wanxing, don't tell me you're my fan?"
Listening to Zhu Yu's words, Su Wanxing decided not to hide it anymore.
She gritted her teeth and admitted, "That's right, I am indeed your fan."
Seeing the fish take the bait, Zhu Yu asked curiously, "Really?"
"Would a fan not want to date their idol?"
Hearing this, Su Wanxing frowned in disapproval.
"Of course not."
At that moment, Zhu Yu saw a strange expression on Su Wanxing's face. She didn't yet understand why that expression had appeared.
Until she heard Su Wanxing's next sentence.
"Zhu Jiejie, I'm your mom fan."
—Mom fan?
Zhu Yu fell silent.
At that moment, she finally understood the reason for the subtle sense of care she had felt during her time with Su Wanxing in the past.
What was she supposed to say?
Thank Su Wanxing for giving her a mother out of thin air?
Zhu Yu looked at Su Wanxing's serious expression, fell silent for a moment, and then decided to temporarily skip over this topic. Now was really not a good time to continue discussing matters of liking someone or not.
She raised her glass. "Then, here's to our bright futures."
Su Wanxing smiled. "Yes, to our bright futures."
She looked at Zhu Yu.
One day.
She would go to where she was.
To stand shoulder to shoulder with her, or, to surpass her.
This was her ambition.
Get instant access to all the chapters now.
Comments
Post a Comment