CSGM - Chapter 101
Chapter 101: Look, a Shooting Star
Caring? Worrying? Taking care of someone?
Chu Xi believed she could do all these basic things for Ren Zhi, too.
Besides, wasn't she already doing them?
What was the big deal?
Weren't these just thoughts that came naturally to her after getting to know Ren Zhi?
If that counted as a confession, then in this TV drama, could you get pregnant from a simple kiss?
How ridiculous.
Chu Xi spoke with such earnest conviction, her expression completely lacking the shyness of the drama's protagonist.
But it left Ren Zhi at a loss for words…
To make matters worse, as Chu Xi spoke, she placed a piece of snow-white crab leg meat into Ren Zhi's bowl.
"Hurry and eat. This one's plump."
Chu Xi's face was a picture of pure, selfless innocence. It was utterly transparent.
Yet Ren Zhi couldn't help but be momentarily stunned, her heart inexplicably skipping a beat.
To be honest, the protagonist's confession in the show had been very atmospheric, ambiguous, and tasteful.
Even someone who wasn't a fan of the show would feel a slight flutter in their heart watching that scene, thanks to the director's skillful filming.
I can't help but worry about you, care for you, think about taking care of you, getting closer to you, and I want to keep doing this forever…
It was supposed to be a sweet, budding declaration of love. Who gave Chu Xi permission to ruin the atmosphere with an "I'm the same way"?!
In that instant, Ren Zhi's heart felt like it was on a roller coaster.
That one sudden sentence from her had sent it plummeting and soaring.
Only after a brief moment of oxygen-deprived blankness did Ren Zhi's brain slowly resume normal function.
This straight girl is unbelievable, she thought.
Xiao Ju, Xiao Mei, Xiao He, and Xiao Tao also sat across from them, dumbfounded, blinking their eyes as they watched.
—It feels so doting.
—Chu Xi is so doting on Sister Zhi.
They felt that something had been different ever since they walked in tonight and saw Sister Xi virtuously wearing an apron!
In previous years, the restaurant was always responsible for delivering their New Year's Eve dinner. This year, someone was actually at home, waiting with a cooked meal for Sister Zhi to come home from her performance.
How wonderful.
Ren Zhi glanced at her assistants' expressions and felt a hint of helplessness.
"…"
She looked at Chu Xi and said, "I'm done eating."
Chu Xi immediately stopped what she was doing and finished the remaining crab claw herself with a couple of crunching bites.
"Oh, right. Eating too much of this is cooling for the body. I'll peel a shrimp for you to change the flavor."
With that, she reached for the garlic shrimp she had made.
Ren Zhi didn't particularly like meat, so she should eat more fish, shrimp, and seafood.
Perhaps Chu Xi was unaware of it, but in the eyes of the four assistants, she was being incredibly attentive and considerate to their boss.
If they didn't know she was also an artist, the four of them would have suspected Chu Xi was trying to steal their jobs!
Chu Xi's entire face seemed to be written with four large characters—Completely Open and Aboveboard.
After peeling a shrimp, dipping it in sauce, and placing it in the bowl, she even showed off with a smile, "Look how well I peeled it. The whole piece of meat is there."
"Mm…" Ren Zhi was almost defeated by her. She lowered her head and ate the shrimp without a word.
Chu Xi could be openly biased towards her.
But she herself felt guilty even trying to avoid suspicion.
A guilty conscience truly taints everything, turning it into a legion of demons!
A lesbian's natural enemy is a straight girl. Ren Zhi truly understood that now.
Should she just let Chu Xi be this good to her? Of course, she was afraid she'd get used to it.
She was even more afraid she wouldn't be able to rein in certain mistaken ideas.
This was killing her. Ren Zhi realized her heartbeat was a little erratic, the fluttering beyond her control.
After dinner, the group moved their TV-watching base from the dining room to the living room.
The four assistants made themselves comfortable on the large sofa. Sister Zhi had told them they didn't have to work tonight; they were just here to have fun.
Not only did they not have to work, but they also got red envelopes.
Ren Zhi sent a shower of red envelopes into the assistants' group chat. Listening to the sound of WeChat coins spinning as they opened them, everyone was overjoyed on the sofa.
Fifty, eighty, one hundred and twenty—their boss was giving out huge red envelopes!
"Alright, alright, I got the most today. I'll send one too."
One assistant started, and the others followed suit, sending a red envelope as a gesture.
Of course, they weren't as generous as their boss, hehe.
Chu Xi rubbed the bridge of her nose, realizing for the first time that she couldn't seem to get a word in with Ren Zhi.
Her attention was completely focused on Xiao Mei, Xiao Ju, Xiao He, and Xiao Tao.
Chu Xi glanced at her a few times and found that she wasn't getting any attention at all, so she could only stand up and say:
"I also prepared some after-dinner snacks. I'll go make them for you."
The four pampered assistants spoke up cheerfully.
"Thank you, Sister Xi!"
"Wow! There are even snacks after dinner, that's awesome!"
Chu Xi was at a loss with them, smiling helplessly.
Ren Zhi looked up at her, about to get up, and was already saying, "I'll go with you."
Seeing her so relaxed for once, Chu Xi pressed her down, refusing, "You just stay with Xiao Ju and the others. I've already prepared everything. I just need to plate it and bring it out."
With that, she went to the kitchen by herself.
After snatching red envelopes for a while, Xiao Ju put down her phone and said, "Wait for me, I'll go see if there's anything I can help with."
Xiao He said, "Call us if there is."
In the kitchen, Chu Xi was arranging a platter of cut fruit. Milk cakes and french fries were frying in a pot, and in another pan, she was unhurriedly flipping takoyaki balls in their molds.
The sound of Xiao Ju's footsteps entered the kitchen. She glanced over but didn't pay much mind.
It was Xiao Ju who took the initiative to walk to her side and ask attentively, "Sister Xi, is there anything we can help with?"
"No."
Xiao Ju tilted her head, looking like she really wanted to help. "Wouldn't it be faster if we did it together?"
Chu Xi: "I'm almost done. There's nothing to help with."
Xiao Ju let out a disappointed "Oh."
After standing there idly for a moment, she suddenly asked in a small voice:
"Sister Xi, are we bothering you by being here today? You don't think we're being a bother, do you…?"
Hearing this, Chu Xi turned her head and saw Xiao Ju fidgeting with her fingers.
She asked her question so cautiously.
She looked a bit dorky and cute… ninety percent dorky.
The question was also illogical.
Chu Xi helped her sort it out, "This is Ren Zhi's home. As long as she's okay with you being here, it's fine."
"Oh… I mean, are we disturbing you and Sister Zhi?"
"A little," Chu Xi said without thinking.
As expected, Xiao Ju's expression immediately turned heartbroken.
Chu Xi looked at her, then added another sentence.
"As long as Ren Zhi doesn't have a problem with it, it's fine."
She could see that Ren Zhi was quite used to these Four Little Flowers. They were boisterous, and sometimes Ren Zhi would even join in their fun.
Xiao Ju moved from her right side to her left, getting closer, and tilted her head down to study her face intently.
Chu Xi was suspicious. "What are you looking at me for? Do you need something?"
She pointed the chopsticks in her hand at the takoyaki in the pan. "Want to try one?"
Her guess was that Xiao Ju was getting hungry and wanted to have a bite of the after-dinner snacks first.
Xiao Ju let out an "Uh."
"No…"
Why did she always get the feeling that Chu Xi was a super straight person?
Completely clueless about other people's emotions.
Xiao Ju was quiet for a moment before finally saying what she wanted to say.
"Ever since I started working for Sister Zhi, we've spent every New Year's Eve together."
Chu Xi tilted her head, thought about it with her own understanding, and said:
"You don't have to show off to me."
Xiao Ju choked.
She paused for a moment and then quickly explained.
"No, it's because the four of us are orphans. We don't have anyone to spend the holidays with, so Sister calls us over every year."
Chu Xi's movements paused, and she finally looked at her properly.
Come to think of it, Ren Zhi was also all alone.
"Holidays like the Mid-Autumn Festival and the Spring Festival, too. If Sister didn't have us over, we wouldn't know where to go…" Xiao Ju said.
Go home? But they didn't have a home.
"Ren Zhi is also by herself, right?" Chu Xi asked.
"Yeah…" Xiao Ju nodded lightly.
"Then she's very good to you all."
"Yes, yes!" Xiao Ju didn't deny this at all; she even wanted to raise both hands in agreement.
Then she said weakly and hesitantly, "Sister Xi, you seem to dislike me…"
Chu Xi let out a soft laugh.
"No, not at all. I just think you all lack experience."
She didn't dislike anyone.
She just fairly believed that all four of Ren Zhi's assistants were pretty incompetent and didn't seem very bright.
"Oh." Xiao Ju sighed in defeat.
"Where did you graduate from?"
Chu Xi now had the patience to ask her one more question.
"Just… a regular first-tier university. Sister sponsored my last two years of tuition. I've never won a scholarship…"
Chu Xi took out some shredded seaweed and stir-fried it in the pot.
"What about the others?"
"Xiao Mei is about the same as me. Xiao He started working after graduating from junior high, and Xiao Tao graduated from a textile technical school, but she's very good at handicrafts now."
Facing Chu Xi, Xiao Ju always felt a tiny bit insecure.
She even admitted it herself, "I know we're all very ordinary and definitely can't compare to you. We also wish we could be as smart and quick-witted as you, so we could help Sister Zhi more…"
Chu Xi glanced at her, a smile in her eyes. "Are you serious?"
"Of course!"
In fact, Chu Xi had shown them a disdainful expression several times, not just tonight but before as well. The sensitive assistants had all noticed, and it had been quite disheartening.
Who could be so arrogant, looking down her nose at people like that?
But the longer they knew her, the more they realized that although this person wasn't very polite, she was genuinely good to Sister Zhi. Truly doting.
Like tonight. Although no one said it out loud, they all unanimously felt that Sister Zhi was clearly much happier tonight than on the same day in previous years.
If only she could stay with Sister forever.
After sprinkling the shredded seaweed over the takoyaki, Chu Xi prepared the hot drinks, placed six cups on a tray, and pointed to the pink one.
"When you take this out later, give this cup to your Sister Zhi. Don't mix it up. It has brown sugar in it, specially for her."
"Huh?" A question mark appeared over Xiao Ju's head. "I don't think her period is due yet?"
"It's coming soon. This is a precaution."
Xiao Ju took out her phone and checked the calendar. A look at the app's prediction confirmed it was indeed in the next few days.
She blinked her eyes, as if she could see a giant magnet embedded in Chu Xi's body, emitting a powerful, invisible magnetic field that was pulling Ren Zhi towards her.
Pull, pull, pull, pull, pull, pull, pull—
"You're so good to Sister…"
"But don't you dare deceive her. We'll all be watching you…"
"Actually, Sister Zhi seems to like you a lot too. No one else has ever spent New Year's with us before…"
"Oh… we'd better not have any conflicts, or it will be very difficult for Sister Zhi…"
Xiao Ju mumbled to herself for a long time.
The more Chu Xi listened, the funnier she found it. She was quite confident in her own importance.
Chu Xi said, "Create a group chat with me and you guys."
Xiao Ju: "Huh?"
Chu Xi felt that what she was saying was an act of supreme benevolence.
"I'll teach you when I have time. If you get a bit smarter, you'll be more clever in the future."
"Ah… Th-thank you…"
Did they now have a private tutor with a super high IQ?
Xiao Ju was in a daze, pleasantly surprised.
She carried a tray of hot drinks out and quickly ran back in.
Chu Xi looked at her and chuckled. "Is there anything else you want to say? You can say more."
"Um…"
Having spent some time alone with Chu Xi, Xiao Ju started telling her about a friend Ren Zhi had made in the entertainment industry a few years ago, back when she wasn't yet a big star. But in the end, their relationship soured and they became enemies due to conflicting interests.
Although it was just a summary, Xiao Ju's expression made it clear that it must have been a very regrettable situation at the time.
"And many people in the entertainment industry are two-faced and very calculating. This circle is very complicated…"
Xiao Ju, who worked in the industry, lamented as such.
"Just be smarter," Chu Xi said, her attitude towards this statement nonchalant.
"It's not that easy…"
Xiao Ju muttered, and Chu Xi let out a soft laugh.
"Oh, maybe it's because they can't fool you."
Thinking about it, Xiao Ju understood. Idiots were the target customers for scammers. Someone like Chu Xi would probably never have the chance to contribute to a scammer's performance quota in her entire life.
"Sister Zhi rarely has close friends in the industry anymore. There are many people she can't trust."
Thinking back after being told the answer, Chu Xi realized that it seemed to be true.
On the show Our Restaurant, the first night Ren Zhi's leg was hurting from its old injury, she had intentionally tried to hide it from her.
It was best if as few people as possible knew things about her that she hadn't made public.
It was as if she was afraid that Chu Xi would find out and use it to create a story.
—Recalling it now, there must have been a layer of guardedness back then.
Thinking about their more recent interactions, Ren Zhi was indeed not very proactive with people.
She appeared very gentle on the surface, but there seemed to be an invisible wall around her heart.
Chu Xi pondered for a few seconds.
"She's insecure."
Thinking about it carefully, why did it feel like Ren Zhi didn't trust her either?
They were so close, yet she still treated her and her assistants completely differently.
Chu Xi felt a little bit of imbalance in her heart.
"Ah… yeah!"
To think that even the universally super-straight Chu Xi could figure it out. After her initial surprise, Xiao Ju nodded happily.
Chu Xi looked at her silly expression and thought that her innocence was truly pitiable.
She said, "I understand. I'm not interested in the fame and fortune of the entertainment industry. You can tell her to rest assured when she's with me."
After arranging two platters of steaming hot fried food, she asked Xiao Ju to help carry them out. "Alright, let's go."
"It smells so good." Xiao Ju's nose twitched, but then she suddenly remembered, "It's a pity Sister Zhi doesn't eat these things. She's very self-disciplined. Besides for work, she never touches any fried food… How come you don't have to watch what you eat?"
Chu Xi said without a hint of shame, "I work out. Eating a little won't hurt."
Xiao Ju's eyes widened, but then she looked at her waist, at her arms, and fell silent.
Alright, the facts spoke for themselves.
The six of them spent the New Year's countdown together in the living room. The midnight bell chimed from the glass frame, the hands returned to their starting position, and in an instant, fireworks exploded by the distant river, visible from the large balcony of the high-rise apartment.
They rose from the sparkling river into the boundless night sky, blooming brilliantly before fading away.
The night was illuminated by a riot of colors for a good while, lasting for several minutes before it quieted down.
The four assistants stayed until they had finished watching the foreign romantic comedy, and then Ren Zhi and Chu Xi saw them out of the residential complex and into a taxi.
"Be safe. Send a message in the group chat when you get home."
After seeing the last one off, Ren Zhi turned around and was suddenly called out by Chu Xi:
"Look up, quick."
She subconsciously tilted her head up, and the sight of a silver streak with a trailing tail of light descending from the sky entered her vision.
Chu Xi's voice sounded by her ear:
"It's a shooting star. Quick, make a wish."
The next second, Ren Zhi closed her eyes, clasped her hands together, and gently pressed them to her forehead, looking truly devout.
Chu Xi took this opportunity to brush back the strands of hair that had been lifted by the breeze at the back of her head.
They were light and airy, as soft as a feather brushing against her fingertips.
The shooting star was fleeting. After making her wish, the corners of Ren Zhi's lips curled up slightly.
But when she opened her eyes, she saw Chu Xi staring at her.
"You didn't make a wish?" she asked, puzzled.
"Oh, I don't believe in that stuff," Chu Xi replied.
"A shooting star is the trail of light produced by electron transitions that occur when dust and debris from interstellar space are pulled in by our planet's gravity and travel at high speed through the atmosphere. It can be called a once-in-a-lifetime physical phenomenon, but it has absolutely nothing to do with granting wishes. That's all made up by people. It's useless."
"…"
Ren Zhi was silent for a moment before speaking. "Then why did you tell me to look?"
If she didn't believe in it, why did she seize the moment to call her?
Chu Xi explained seriously:
"The New Year's countdown isn't really a new year either. It's all a psychological effect anyway. I saw that you like this kind of thing, so I called you."
"This kind of mentality… it's all about the experience, right?"
She even analyzed it.
The corners of Ren Zhi's lips, which had just been turned up, were now having a hard time staying that way.
Chu Xi even smiled and asked her, "How was it? Are you in a better mood now that you've made a wish?"
… …
"Maybe," Ren Zhi replied faintly.
At the elevator door, Ren Zhi was typing on her phone.
Chu Xi wondered, it hadn't been that long, the four assistants couldn't have gotten home so quickly, could they?
"What are you doing?" she asked Ren Zhi curiously.
She really wanted to peek at Ren Zhi's screen, but she asked first.
"Googling," Ren Zhi said succinctly.
"What's the question? If you have a question, ask me," Chu Xi recommended herself.
Ren Zhi turned her head and suddenly gave a dark, cold smile.
The next second, Chu Xi saw the screen she turned over—
Googling: 【Is there a poison that can make someone mute without hurting their throat.】
Chu Xi's back stiffened, and as she stepped into the elevator, she subconsciously touched her own throat.
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