CSGM - Chapter 113
Chapter 113: Ren Zhi is an Exception
Jin Yuan thought for a moment. "It doesn't sound like it."
Chu Xi: "Because there isn't. I told you not to overthink it. Just buy me two Rubik's Cubes."
Jin Yuan: "Oh…"
Unfortunately, the scenic area was in the middle of nowhere, with no shops selling Rubik's Cubes. The food delivery app showed the nearest supermarket was 12.7km away, but they didn't deliver.
Jin Yuan decided to drive into the city to buy them herself.
By the time Chu Xi finished her two-hour shoot, the Rubik's Cubes had arrived.
She took the two cubes to the dressing room and walked up to Yan Kun, who was sitting in a chair.
Yan Kun glanced at the objects in her hand, turned his head, then looked up at her.
Chu Xi quickly scrambled one and handed it over. "Here, don't you like playing with these?"
Although Yan Kun didn't understand, he couldn't resist taking it.
Waiting around on set was actually quite boring.
Having a toy to pass the time now and then wasn't a bad idea.
Chu Xi twisted the remaining cube in her hand, scrambling it as well, and said to him:
"Want to compete?"
That sentence instantly piqued Yan Kun's interest.
"Sure, let's do it."
He played with the 3x3 cube often and was very skilled with his hands. This was a perfect chance to show Chu Xi what he could do.
Chu Xi said, "You can say when to start."
Yan Kun silently counted down from three, "Start!"
Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish-
The sound of Chu Xi's hands moving was incredibly fast. Not to be outdone, Yan Kun focused, observed carefully, and quickly solved the top layer cross.
Just as he was observing the top corner pieces, the sound of the cube turning beside him suddenly stopped.
"Done."
Chu Xi's voice floated out faintly.
"?!" Yan Kun turned his head to look. All six sides of the cube in her hands were already solved.
Although solving a 3x3 cube wasn't difficult, but… that speed…
Yan Kun hadn't expected it at all!
It was over as soon as it began.
Chu Xi swapped the cubes in their hands, saying, "Does it really need to take this long?"
After speaking, she spent a little over ten seconds and solved that one too.
Yan Kun saw that her right hand, wrapped in bandages and gauze, was still not that flexible…
He looked down at his own perfectly fine hands and was stunned.
Chu Xi asked, "Want to go again?"
Yan Kun's surprise turned into a bit of disbelief. "Okay, again."
This time, while solving his own cube, he watched Chu Xi's movements.
Before his eyes, it was still a blur of motion-swish, swish, swish, swish, swish-a seamless solve.
Yan Kun noticed she didn't even seem to be looking for corner pieces to apply formulas; she just solved it.
The supposed one, two, three steps to solving a Rubik's Cube had been reduced to a single step for her, from start to finish!
Holding the cube, Chu Xi glanced at him again and chuckled.
"Can you do 4x4, 5x5, or 6x6? Can you do a Pyraminx? A Megaminx? Can you do a blindfolded solve?"
The series of questions left Yan Kun stunned, but the answer to each was the same:
"I… haven't tried those yet."
Chu Xi laughed lightly. "Your hobbies are singing, dancing, acting, Rubik's Cubes, and basketball. Do you know why they're making fun of you now?"
Yan Kun shook his head.
Chu Xi said bluntly:
"It's not that there's a problem with your hobbies, it's that you're too bad at them, that's why they laugh at you. Little brother, for a public figure, being bad is the original sin."
It was a principle that even nineteen-year-old Luo Yangtian understood, yet twenty-five-year-old Yan Kun still didn't get it. Chu Xi couldn't be blamed for mocking him.
Chu Xi had originally planned to take both cubes back, since she had paid for them.
But Yan Kun later transferred her half the money, oh, and also covered Jin Yuan's gas money, so Chu Xi sold one to him.
Say what you will, some celebrities might not be the sharpest, but they really had a lot of money, and when they were generous, they were truly generous.
After Chu Xi left, Yan Kun sat silently in his chair for a long time before letting out a long breath.
The plan was for him to show Chu Xi a thing or two.
In reality, Chu Xi had just made him shut down completely.
The others also noticed that Yan Kun had been hit hard and cast sympathetic glances his way.
If you asked them… what Chu Xi said wasn't without reason.
If a public figure's hobby was something they were bad at, it was better not to show it off. They'd be better off just doing their job well in front of the camera.
Being bad but still wanting to show off was just asking to be ridiculed…
There was a solo reshoot scheduled for the end of the day.
By evening, she was the only main actor left on set; all the others had gone home.
Ren Zhi had left too, but she had Xiao Mei come over to let Chu Xi know she was heading back first.
Just as Xiao Mei was about to leave, Jin Yuan grabbed her hand. "Sister Xiao Mei!"
Xiao Mei was startled. "What's wrong?"
Why so emotional? It was like she was calling out to a long-lost sister!
Jin Yuan pulled Xiao Mei aside and whispered, "Sister Xiao Mei, sorry to bother you, but can I ask you a question… Was Teacher Ren mad at Teacher Chu Xi today?"
"Hmm…?" Xiao Mei thought for a moment. "No, I don't think so."
She hadn't noticed any angry expressions or signs from her boss today.
Jin Yuan: "Oh…"
But now that Jin Yuan had asked, Xiao Mei also felt that something seemed a little off between Sister Zhi and Sister Xi today.
Starting from not arriving together in the morning, their level of closeness seemed to have decreased throughout the day.
Xiao Mei belatedly realized, "It does seem a bit strange, now that you mention it. Sister Zhi and Sister Xi spent very little time together today…"
Jin Yuan looked at her as if she'd found a kindred spirit, grabbing both her hands and shaking them. "Exactly!"
"What's going on, Sister Xiao Mei?"
But Xiao Mei didn't know either.
Because aside from that, her boss had been completely normal today.
Xiao Mei shook her head.
"I don't know either. Sister Zhi didn't say anything to me."
If something had really happened between Sister Zhi and Sister Xi, probably only the two of them knew.
No, Xiao Mei was wrong. Chu Xi had no idea at all.
The definition of "no idea" was that she was even more clueless than an outsider who had only just realized something was amiss!
Jin Yuan didn't get a chance to discuss it further with Xiao Mei before Ren Zhi hurried her away.
She watched Ren Zhi's nanny van drive off, kicking up dust, then looked at Chu Xi, who was performing energetically amidst several cameras, and sighed worriedly.
Half an hour later, Chu Xi's work was done.
Jin Yuan, who had been worrying herself sick over her CP, had already thought of a new topic.
After Chu Xi's makeup was removed, the two were once again heading home under the stars.
Walking to the Mercedes-Benz, Chu Xi said, "Visibility is poor at night. I'll drive."
Jin Yuan: "…Huh?"
She was the assistant. How could she let Xixi drive herself?
"No, no, Xixi, I can do it. I can see just fine."
"Give me a break. I saw your driving skills this morning. I'll do it. Do you want to sit in the front or the back? Your choice," Chu Xi teased her.
Jin Yuan's driving skills were even younger than her actual age.
Chu Xi had already gotten into the driver's seat, and Jin Yuan felt like she was being thoroughly pampered by her domineering idol! With pink bubbles popping over her head, she slipped into the passenger seat, a hint of bashfulness on her face.
-Of course, it would be even better if Zhizhi were sitting here. She'd be willing to hide under the car!
Although it was late, the road was wide and clear, and there weren't many other late-night drivers.
Chu Xi drove much more steadily than Jin Yuan had that morning. According to the GPS, it would only take half an hour to get home.
Time was running out.
Jin Yuan took a sip of mineral water to wet her throat and obediently began to speak:
"Xixi, will it bother you if I talk while you're driving?"
Chu Xi: "No, go ahead. Driving is boring."
Jin Yuan: "Well, I want to ask you about a secret, please don't mind… Of course, you don't have to say if you don't want to, but it would be great if you were willing to tell me. I promise I won't tell anyone! I just want to know!"
The long preamble and numerous disclaimers made Chu Xi glance at her with a smile.
"Ask away."
Jin Yuan's constant cautiousness was a bit silly.
Jin Yuan: "It's just…"
"Um, well…"
"Valentine's Day is in two days…"
Chu Xi said, "Oh."
"Got a boyfriend? If you want the day off, just take it."
"NO!!!" Jin Yuan shouted.
What boyfriend?! Xixi must not misunderstand and think she was involved with a man!
She and Xixi were the same!
Kindred spirits!
Jin Yuan quickly steered the topic back on track.
"No, Xixi… I wanted to ask, what gift are you getting Teacher Ren Zhi for Valentine's Day?"
Chu Xi's first reaction to this question was confusion.
It was already out of character for her to celebrate a non-existent New Year's Eve with Ren Zhi. Why would Jin Yuan even think about Valentine's Day? Wasn't that even more ridiculous than New Year's?
Chu Xi said, "What gift? We don't celebrate Valentine's Day."
Jin Yuan stared at her. "Huh, you don't?"
As she drove, Chu Xi explained to the ignorant girl, "Ren Zhi is career-minded, didn't you know? Besides, she's not even in a relationship. Why would she celebrate Valentine's Day?"
Jin Yuan was stunned.
Don't celebrate.
Not in a relationship.
Don't celebrate, not in a relationship…
Paired with Chu Xi's nonchalant expression, Jin Yuan heard the sound of her own heart breaking.
It was as if Chu Xi had shattered her world with a single punch, the screen of her world cracking like glass.
So it was purely… platonic?
Jin Yuan lowered her eyes dejectedly, her eyelids hiding her wounded gaze.
Chu Xi glanced at her, unable to understand. "What are you sad about?"
Jin Yuan's eyes and brows drooped. In the span of five seconds, the thought of quitting had already flashed through her mind six times. Her heart was dead, and she decided she didn't care about anything anymore. She was going to get to the bottom of this!
"Xixi, you don't like Teacher Ren Zhi?"
"I do like her," Chu Xi answered without hesitation.
Jin Yuan puffed her cheeks. "Then if you say Teacher Ren Zhi isn't in a relationship, don't you have any ideas about that?"
Chu Xi paused, stopping the car at a red light.
She turned to look at Jin Yuan. "Ideas? What ideas am I supposed to have?"
Her idea was that she supported Ren Zhi not being in a relationship, because no one else was good enough for her.
Jin Yuan shouted, "Didn't you say you like Teacher Ren Zhi? Then you should be thinking about dating her!!!"
After shouting, Jin Yuan realized her voice might have been a bit too loud… Ah, she had actually yelled at Xixi! Realizing this, she was frightened and immediately clamped her mouth shut guiltily.
"I'm sorry, Xixi… Th-th-then… are you secretly in love with Teacher Ren Zhi? You just haven't told her yet?" she mumbled in a small, gossipy voice.
Chu Xi was genuinely stunned by her shouting.
Da… dating?
How could she and Ren Zhi date?
Chu Xi said, "But we're both women. I'm straight. I've always seen her as a friend."
"Huh? You're straight?!"
Hearing this shocked Jin Yuan even more than hearing that Chu Xi had no thoughts of dating Ren Zhi!
It was even more unbelievable!
Xixi was such a lady-killer every time she appeared on screen!! And she was straight!!!
Chu Xi looked at her. "What else? Did I give you some kind of misunderstanding?"
Another soul shut down after a conversation with Chu Xi.
It was as if a layer of gray had settled over Jin Yuan's eyes.
Her heart dead, she asked, "So, Xixi, have you ever been in a relationship?"
"No."
"Then have you ever liked someone? The kind of like where you want a romantic relationship."
"No."
Answering this didn't even take a moment of Chu Xi's time.
Only Jin Yuan was left, slumping back in her seat, sitting up, slumping back, and sitting up again.
Because Chu Xi gave her a glimmer of hope, then disappointment, and after the disappointment, another glimmer of hope.
"If you've never had either, how do you know you're straight?"
"Is there logic in proving a positive? But I don't like women either."
"Oh… Is there not even a tiny exception for Teacher Ren Zhi?" Jin Yuan looked at Chu Xi with pleading eyes.
Chu Xi's reply slowed, taking some time to think.
"She's a very good friend of mine. Of course, I treat her differently than others."
"I heard that during Our Restaurant, you slept with Teacher Ren Zhi at night. How was that?" Jin Yuan transformed into a little reporter.
"It was fine."
"Then when Teacher Ren Zhi kisses you, do you resist?"
"Kisses me?" Chu Xi asked, tilting her head.
"Don't say it didn't happen, it was on a live stream once! I saw it!"
Chu Xi thought for a moment.
"That was to grant a wish for the audience. I didn't feel anything."
Actually, she did. The feeling was that every part of Ren Zhi smelled wonderful, but she decided it was better not to tell Jin Yuan that.
She felt it was enough that she knew.
Jin Yuan: "Th-then, I'm just saying hypothetically, if the crew did a live stream and asked you to kiss Teacher Zhuang Yuge, would you be willing?"
Hearing this hypothetical, Chu Xi frowned.
The crease between her brows and the resistance in her eyes had already answered the question for her.
Jin Yuan didn't need to hear her answer. She quickly changed the question while Chu Xi was still patient enough to answer:
"Then what if it was kissing Teacher Ren Zhi again? Would that be okay?"
"With Ren Zhi, it's okay."
They had already kissed anyway, Chu Xi thought. There was no difference between once and twice.
"What if, and this is just a what-if, last question, Xixi, what if Teacher Ren Zhi took the initiative and wanted to be a couple with you, would you accept?"
The quick-witted Chu Xi was finally rendered speechless by the little reporter's barrage of questions.
A question for which she had never considered an answer, and for which she couldn't come up with one right away, had appeared.
She was stunned, staring straight ahead, the car maintaining a steady speed for a long time.
Jin Yuan blinked. "Xixi?"
Chu Xi said slowly, "Your question doesn't seem valid. She probably wouldn't do that."
Jin Yuan: "But what if? I think Teacher Ren Zhi likes you a lot too."
Chu Xi seriously tried to imagine herself in that hypothetical situation for a moment.
It felt like even if they became a couple, the way she and Ren Zhi interacted wouldn't change much.
So she said frankly, "If it were Ren Zhi, I could accept it. But not any other woman. I'm really straight, Xiao Yuan."
She truly couldn't imagine what it would be like to date someone of the same sex; just the thought of it made her resistant.
But if it was specifically Ren Zhi, then it didn't matter.
Ren Zhi was fragrant.
The most fragrant person in the world.
Thinking of this, Chu Xi even smiled with a sense of relief.
She knew Xixi's best quality was that she didn't lie and always told it like it is!
"Hah…" Jin Yuan closed her eyes and let out a breath, feeling much more at ease.
As someone who had a crush on a female teacher in high school but only came to terms with it at eighteen, she had a wealth of experience-some people are just gay without realizing it.
Dr. Jin has diagnosed Xixi. There's a ninety percent chance she has this illness!
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