Chapter 69: Hiding You Away

Ahhh! Sheng Yi wanted to scream!

What on earth is going on in that seemingly gentle and refined young girl's head?!

She finished her meal in a daze, the water still running. Judging by his actions, he was probably scrubbing his skin raw. There was a bit of dust along the way, but it really didn't have to be this bad!

She sat and played on her phone for a while, the bathroom door still tightly closed, and even the jokes that were usually funny lost their appeal. It was only at this moment that she understood what "restlessness" truly meant.

It felt like someone had thrown a handful of needles under her bottom; she couldn't sit comfortably no matter how she tried. But when her gaze fell on the television on the wall, Sheng Yi's eyes lit up.

Since we moved here, this TV has just been sitting there as a decoration, never turned on once. It's time for it to come in handy.

Sheng Yi jumped up in a flash and fumbled around for a while before finally finding the power switch. Thankfully, it didn't disappoint her; although the device looked old, it still displayed a picture normally when turned on. She randomly selected a channel, leaned back on the bed, and pretended to be engrossed in staring at the screen.

When Wen Shili came out, he saw that she was watching intently without blinking.

Sheng Yi caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of her eye, shifted her body slightly to make room for him, and asked, "Have you seen this movie?"

Wen Shili rarely watched these kinds of family drama programs, so he shook his head. He was still damp, and his pajamas couldn't hide his tall and straight figure.

Sheng Yi looked away. "It's quite pretty."

After saying that, she turned back to the television and focused on it. Wen Shili didn't disturb her anymore and picked up a book that was lying next to him to flip through.

The room was small, and the bed was even smaller. The two sat close together, so close that it seemed a slight movement would cause them to touch each other's arms. Sheng Yi strained to keep her eyes open; the sound of turning pages was like the crunching of dry leaves in a dense forest, each sound tugging at her nerves.

She watched as the ending theme song played on TV over and over again, and by the end, she was yawning incessantly with her mouth open.

It's still early, no sleeping, no sleeping. Sheng Yi silently repeated.

But her eyelids wouldn't obey her commands at all.

As the end credits rolled again, Wen Shili closed the book.

It was a very soft sound. Sheng Yi tensed up instantly. Wen Shili grabbed the remote, turned off the TV, and then reached out to turn off the bedside lamp.

The room was plunged into darkness in an instant. Sheng Yi pulled the blanket around herself, unconsciously pursing her lips. A hand landed on her head and gently stroked it. "Go to sleep."

All those restless anxieties fell into this gentle trap.

My consciousness sank in an instant.

Wen Shili was awakened by the heat.

After a moment of stunned silence, I realized where I was.

The film crew had limited space; with two adults sleeping in this bed, there wasn't much room to spare. Before going to sleep, Sheng Yi even preferred to stay close to the edge of the bed rather than be near him.

At this moment, the person who seemed to want to draw a line between him and Chu River had her entire leg draped over him, and half of her body leaning towards him. His hand was being used as a pillow by her, so he couldn't move at all.

In the darkness, one cannot see people clearly, but other senses become more acute.

Her hair was soft, brushing against her cheeks and causing a slight itch. The fresh scent of shampoo wafted into her nostrils without obstruction, the same scent as his.

She tried to pull her hand away, but as if sensing something in her sleep, she leaned forward again.

The night was long and unbearable. Wen Shili lay there with his eyes open, not knowing how long he had been lying there. Just as he was slowly getting used to this torment, the person in his arms turned over again, rubbed his face against the blanket, and settled into a more comfortable position, then lay still.

She had her back to him, leaving him only with a silent silhouette. His arms were numb from being pressed down, yet the empty embrace seemed to yearn for the feeling of being filled.

Wen Shili moved his stiff fingers, carefully tucked the blanket around her, watched her back, and slowly fell asleep.

When the alarm rang the next day, Sheng Yi really didn't want to get out of bed. After struggling for a long time, she finally crawled out of bed and turned off the alarm.

The person next to her was sleeping soundly, turned to the side.

She rubbed her messy hair, tied it up a couple of times, and then quietly got up, washed, and changed her clothes.

In order to sleep a little longer in the morning, she moved quickly and efficiently, only to find that Wen Shili was already awake when she was about to leave.

He kept his eyes open, still lying on his side, and didn't speak. It was as if he was looking at her, or as if he hadn't come to his senses yet, staring fixedly into the void.

Sleepy-eyed, languid and sentimental. Sheng Yi suddenly understood the king's feelings about no longer holding morning court.

She doubted she would ever leave this room today if he opened his mouth.

As she thought about it, images suddenly started to appear in her mind... She shuddered, shook her head, and stopped her thoughts from wandering off course. She pursed her lips and said, trying to hide her guilt, "Didn't you sleep well last night? You look very tired."

Wen Shili's eyes darkened, and his eyelashes slowly fluttered, seemingly carrying a hint of resentment.

He was very different from his usual self.

Sheng Yi's thoughts stirred.

With a soft "smack".

By the time she realized what was happening, she had already cupped the other person's face and given them a crisp kiss.

No... Let me explain.

She quickly let go, but her hand was caught in mid-air. Wen Shili raised himself up and leaned towards her.

Sheng Yi held her breath, her eyes widening involuntarily as she looked at him warily.

Wen Shili reached out and hugged her, chuckling softly in her ear, "If we don't leave now, we'll be late."

A soft laugh brushed past her ear, the clear, melodious voice like ripples on a lake, making her dizzy.

She thought...

Sheng Yi didn't dare to look at his expression at all, and hurriedly left the room after saying "I'm going to work first".

After a morning of deep reflection, she finally calmed down. If she could do it all over again, she would definitely have made a more graceful exit.

During a break in the director's instructions, Sheng Yi took out her phone and sent a message to Wen Shili.

I waited a few minutes but there was still no reply. Could they have fallen asleep again?

She always sleeps soundly at night, and yesterday, filming had exhausted all her energy. She forced herself to stay awake for a while watching a scene that she couldn't understand, before finally falling into a deep sleep. Only in the middle of the night did she vaguely hear the sound of water.

For him, this place might indeed not be suitable for sleeping.

She had originally planned to have lunch with him, but plans changed, so she left him a message saying she would make plans after get off work.

Wen Shili opened her phone and was immediately bombarded with messages. From feigning composure to appearing calm and collected, she had already put on a whole show all by herself.

He tidied up quickly, had lunch at the place she recommended, and spent the afternoon in his room, finishing the book he had read yesterday before Sheng Yi finished work.

Sheng Yi didn't waste any time after finishing the play. When she arrived at the agreed place, Wen Shili was already waiting there, still dressed in a low-key manner.

With two film crews stationed nearby, his attire wasn't particularly eye-catching, if one ignored his exceptionally well-built physique.

The two tacitly distanced themselves from the film set area and walked hand in hand on unfamiliar streets, enjoying a rather leisurely and pleasant feeling.

Of course, that was before I met Zhang Li.

Since she consciously avoided him, she and Zhang Li had never met again. Sheng Yi didn't know if Xu Jiayi was involved in this.

The moment she saw the person approaching from afar, she instinctively shook off Wen Shili's hand and shoved him into a corner.

The building's shadow fell behind him, obscuring his figure. He stood in the shadows, his expression unreadable. Sheng Yi didn't have time to explain further, only saying, "Wait for me."

Before she finished speaking, Zhang Li was already nearby. Sheng Yi composed herself and heard his surprised yet delighted voice, "Teacher Sheng, what a coincidence!"

He didn't deliberately try to find out what was going on with Sheng Yi and his group, but sometimes, as long as the higher-ups gave a hint, the people below would naturally know how to respond.

As far as he knew, she was supposed to have a show all day, and then she suddenly appeared here...

Zhang Li lowered his gaze, already aware of the implications of this "chance encounter." But then again, it's not uncommon for women to have a few ulterior motives.

"I knew it, Teacher Sheng is a smart person."

His tone was too confident, perhaps because his background and invincible experience gave him this confidence; with a snap of his fingers, people would follow one after another.

Even at the lowest point, Sheng Yi never considered such a simple and straightforward approach. Perhaps only after taking a detour can one be forced to examine oneself, realizing that some shortcuts are not unknown, but that stepping onto them requires sacrificing far too much.

Some people are willing to go all out, while others will discard them like trash.

She couldn't say she was particularly aloof, but she was too lazy to explain herself to him. Wen Shili's presence was just too strong; she was worried he'd run out impatiently, but also concerned that Zhang Li's sharp eyes would spot him.

Trying to phrase it tactfully, I said, "Thank you for your kind offer, but I'm afraid I'm not up to the task."

Her voice was soft, and when she took the initiative to show weakness, her innocent expression was like that of a helpless fawn, making people want to keep her as a pet for amusement.

Zhang Li gave her a meaningful look. No matter how politely she refused verbally, her body language made it clear: she didn't budge an inch, just standing there right in front of him. Really…

Unfortunately, it would have to be postponed. Thinking of Xu Jiayi, he felt a headache coming on again. "It's okay, we have plenty of time, we'll take it slow."

The tone of her voice gave Sheng Yi goosebumps. He was about to retort when he suddenly heard a woman's voice calling Zhang Li from behind.

Turning around, it was indeed Xu Jiayi.

She realized that the two of them were determined to stick together; if Zhang Li didn't show up for a while, Xu Jiayi would come looking for him.

Is she dating him or just playing around? Judging from how closely she's watching him, Sheng Yi is more inclined to believe the former.

That's some really bad taste.

But it's not her place to stand up for her.

Sheng Yi pretended not to see the sharp glare she threw at him, turning a blind eye and letting it pass.

Fortunately, Xu Jiayi had no intention of continuing the fight. Once the two were completely out of sight, Sheng Yi quickly pulled Wen Shili out from the side, wrung his hands and thought for a while before finding a suitable description.

"Ignore this strange person."

Wen Shili hummed in agreement, took her intertwined fingers, separated them, and squeezed them.

"Need any help?" he asked casually.

Sheng Yi shook her head and said, "I can handle it."

"That's good." Wen Shili paused for a moment, then sighed softly, "I thought I was someone who couldn't be seen by others."

She knew it!

So that's where she was waiting.

If he can't even be seen in public, then at least 99% of the people in this world must be crying their eyes out.

With life hanging by a thread, Sheng Yi naturally said whatever sounded nice: "How could that be? You're just too lovable, so I have to hide you away."

She was disgusted with herself, but Wen Shili was much calmer, still looking unfazed. He smirked and discussed with her, "No need, they all know I have someone backing me."