Roommate and Shrimp
Yu Songlin's casual remark infuriated Ding Xuefei once again.
He rushed back to his room almost in a daze, slammed the door shut, and threw himself onto the soft bed.
"Ugh! I'm so angry!" The muffled roar was muffled by the pillow.
These days, he often recalls his encounter with Yu Songlin in Kyoto, and it seems to come up and disturb his peace of mind all the time.
Now he was 100% certain: Yu Songlin did it on purpose! He deliberately came to this show, deliberately hung around in front of him, and deliberately made things difficult for him!
Finding a partner? Ha, he thinks Yu Songlin is just using Ding Xuefei as a pawn in his game! A villainous ex-girlfriend script, huh? A cannon fodder second male lead script, huh? Can't you at least pay him his appearance fee?!
"Brother? Are you boxing with your pillow here?" Ke Ran came out of the bathroom, drying her wet hair, and saw Ding Xuefei rolling around on the bed, punching and hitting the innocent pillow.
Ding Xuefei froze as her wrist was suddenly grabbed, and glared at him irritably: "What are you doing?"
"Come downstairs and play, bro!" Ke Ran smiled brightly, but used a little force to pull him off the bed without giving him a chance to explain. "Everyone's downstairs, we're just missing you!"
Ding Xuefei tried to struggle, but Ke Ran half-hug and half-push her out the door.
The living room downstairs was filled with a harmonious and joyful atmosphere.
Bai Mu and Xu Yimeng, the last couple to return, were vividly describing their date at the ancient-style restaurant. Xu Yimeng was even excitedly gesturing about the embarrassing things that happened while changing clothes, which made Shang Rou cover her mouth and chuckle.
Ding Xuefei found a spot to sit in the corner of the living room, 60% of her mind was blank, 30% was listening to Bai Mu talk about his cosplay experience, and the remaining 10%... was used to observe Yu Songlin.
Don't misunderstand! He wasn't interested in Yu Songlin; he was just worried that this lunatic Yu Songlin might say something dangerous again, catching him off guard.
In the kitchen, Yu Songlin stood tall and focused in profile. He didn't participate much in the conversation, concentrating solely on his work, his movements fluid and efficient. Seeing that Stella wasn't much help, he simply let her rest, while he simultaneously managed both the stir-fry and the steamer, managing to keep up without any fumbling.
It was the same before. Back then, their rented apartment wasn't even as big as the living room of the villa. When Yu Songlin was cooking, Ding Xuefei would occasionally help in the kitchen, but most of the time he would just lounge on the sofa, not doing anything else, just watching Yu Songlin busy himself, looking very reliable.
At that time, he thought: It's like I'm married to him... I really want to marry him.
Looking back now, it was incredibly stupid.
"Dinner's ready, friends." Yu Songlin plated the last fragrant dish of braised beef with potatoes, announcing that dinner was ready.
The crowd cheered and helped set the table, creating a lively yet orderly atmosphere.
Bullet comments:
"Don't tell me this whole meal was made by Actor Yu; it looks delicious!"
"So the two-hour cooking livestream I just watched was an illusion?"
When people ask me what is perfect, I say: [Yu Songlin.jpg]
Ding Xuefei reacted quickly, taking a step to the very edge and standing next to Ke Ran, trying to maintain the greatest possible distance from Yu Songlin.
"Hey, hey, hey! How can the hero be sitting on the side!" Xu Yimeng was the first to shout. "Brother Lin must take the seat! The center seat! The center seat!"
"Brother Lin, sit in the middle!" Ke Ran chimed in.
Amidst a chorus of agreement, Yu Songlin readily complied, and with his impeccable gentle smile, very naturally... sat down in the empty seat next to Ding Xuefei.
Ding Xuefei: "..." He felt his temples throbbing.
It was too late to switch places at this point, so Ding Xuefei could only quietly move ten centimeters to the side, artificially creating a "Chu River and Han Border".
Yu Songlin watched calmly and urged everyone to eat: "I didn't know what everyone's tastes like, so I made a few of my specialties. Please try them."
The person is guilty, but the food is innocent!
Ding Xuefei ate her food without any psychological barriers, thinking to herself that no matter how bad Yu Songlin was, his cooking was really delicious.
The taste is the same as before, nothing has changed... Sigh, why am I thinking about the past again! Stop!
Not only was Ding Xuefei satisfied with the meal, but everyone else who was eating it for the first time also praised it highly.
Xu Yimeng took a bite of the eggplant and her eyes lit up: "Oh my god, Brother Lin! You could open a restaurant with this skill!"
Stella was also very supportive: "It looks and smells amazing! So delicious!"
Ke Ran, holding a bowl of rice, said, "I'm going to eat at least two bowls of rice from him today!"
After a round of mutual flattery, the atmosphere warmed up.
Xu Yimeng said, "These days, guys who can cook and cook so well are a rare breed! When did you learn to cook?"
"I already knew some basic cooking skills before, but I really honed them back in college when my roommates had very picky tastes..."
Everyone burst into laughter, but some sensed something was amiss and began to subtly stir up trouble.
"Your roommate must have done something amazing in his past life to be able to eat Lin Ge's cooking every day!" Ke Ran said with envy.
Ding Xuefei lowered her head even further, wishing she could disappear into the bowl of white rice in front of her.
He was truly impressed by Yu Songlin's acting skills—his ability to lie through his teeth without batting an eye, and his shamelessness!
On a TV show, right in front of him, what do you mean by "roommate"? Does sleeping in the same bed count as being a "roommate"?
"Picky eater"? He was so easy to feed back then! ...Okay, he was a tiny bit picky. Just a tiny bit.
Just when he thought this deadly topic was finally over, Yu Songlin beside him, as if he felt there wasn't enough gunpowder, casually dropped another bomb:
"It's a pity there are no shrimp today."
"Cough! Cough cough cough—!" Ding Xuefei choked on a mouthful of food, coughing until his face turned red. He bent over, feeling like his lungs were about to come out.
A warm hand covered his back, patting it gently with just the right amount of force.
Ding Xuefei knew who it was without even looking, and he jumped back in fright, waving his hands repeatedly: "N-nothing!...Water..."
He practically fled his seat in a disheveled state, rushed to the water dispenser and gulped down several mouthfuls of water. He turned his back to the table, took deep breaths, and fanned himself with his hand, trying to cool down the heat on his face as quickly as possible.
Behind her, Stella's curious voice came: "Shrimp? What's wrong with the shrimp?"
Yu Songlin smiled and said, "It's nothing. I've just been practicing cooking shrimp lately... Maybe next time, when I have the chance, I'll make it for everyone to try."
Ding Xuefei cursed Yu Songlin eight hundred times in her heart.
Cooking shrimp? Unheard of! They never cooked shrimp for him when they were together!
Bringing this up now is just to remind him of peeling shrimp for him in Kyoto, isn't it? This person will stop at nothing to annoy him!
Ding Xuefei ground her back teeth as she sat back down, her forced smile as stiff as a plaster statue.
"Xuefei, are you alright?" Stella asked with concern, her eyes filled with inquiry. "You don't look too well."
Several pairs of eyes immediately focused on Ding Xuefei.
Even Ke Ran, sitting diagonally across from him, put down her bowl, looking worried: "Yeah, Fei-ge, I haven't heard you say much. Is the food not to your liking?"
Ding Xuefei forced an even bigger, faker business smile, trying to cover up his guilt with his loud voice: "Cough! I choked too much just now, my throat is still a little uncomfortable! I'm not talking because the food is too delicious! With this kind of cooking, I'd be doing myself a disservice if I didn't eat more!" He deliberately picked up a large mouthful of beef and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing hard with his cheeks puffed out, but his eyes didn't fall on his side.
Noticing a gaze fixed on her from the side, Ding Xuefei braced herself, met Yu Songlin's smiling eyes, and said with a smile, "It's delicious."
Yu Songlin tilted his head, as if looking at a delicious dish, and said, "Brother Xuefei, you don't like shrimp, do you?"
"Of course I love it," Ding Xuefei replied with a friendly smile. "Spicy crayfish, who doesn't love it?"
Yu Songlin raised an eyebrow, seemingly accepting his answer, and didn't ask any further questions.
Bullet comments:
"What happened to Ding Xuefei this time?"
"What's wrong with shrimp? I think the actor's words have a hidden meaning."
"What kind of riddle are we playing? For some reason, I feel like I've been shown off."
"Are you just shipping the air again? It's your imagination..."
"There's something fishy about these two. Wait, where did they go?"
After dinner, taking advantage of the moment when everyone was busy and the camera was temporarily off, Ding Xuefei quickly approached Yu Songlin, lowered her voice, and spoke rapidly: "Yu Songlin, I need to talk to you by the pond in the backyard later."
Without waiting for his reaction, she immediately distanced herself and casually helped clear the dishes in front of her.
Yu Songlin naturally wouldn't refuse.
The two acted like thieves. First, Yu Songlin said he was going out for a walk, and then they left after passing by everyone.
Ding Xuefei waited for the right moment, and two minutes later he came downstairs, saying he was going out to make a phone call.
The courtyard on this spring night carried a cool, grassy scent, and the corners without the lights from the production crew appeared somewhat dim.
When Yu Songlin arrived, Ding Xuefei was indeed on the phone.
Unlike his impolite manner towards Yu Songlin, he spoke more slowly and gently.
"It's nothing, I just happened to see it and bought it for you..."
"Mr. Yan, that's not very nice of you to say it like that... Okay, I'll definitely do it next time."
Ding Xuefei hung up the phone, and Yu Songlin was already waiting by the agreed-upon fountain, his hands in his pockets, looking relaxed.
He was still smiling, but the smile didn't reach his eyes, sending a chill down one's spine.
Looking for me?
Without the cameras, Yu Songlin no longer needed to maintain his fake smile, and his slightly flippant manner made him seem even more irritating.
Ding Xuefei stopped in front of him, the two not too close. To avoid being caught by any recording devices, he had to lower his voice, making his question sound somewhat comical: "Stop pretending! Don't you know why I came to you?!"
Yu Songlin seemed amused by Ding Xuefei's flustered state and laughed, "Sorry, I really can't guess what Xuefei is thinking."
Ding Xuefei hated his pretentious attitude the most. She clenched and unclenched her fists at her sides: "Fine! Then I'll ask you, why did you come to record this show?!"
"You can come, but I can't?"
"You can come, but you can't come with me!"
"Why not?" Yu Songlin leaned forward slightly, his gaze fixed on Ding Xuefei's eyes, which were still bright in the dim light. "Just because we dated? Does dating mean we can't record a show together?"
The words "had dated" were like fine needles, pricking Ding Xuefei's heart with a subtle, stinging pain.
He didn't understand why Yu Songlin could be so calm, so open in meeting him, and so casual in talking about their relationship.
It seems he really doesn't care at all.
The growing sense of powerlessness extinguished her anger, and Ding Xuefei forced herself to loosen her fist, trying to imitate the other person's nonchalant attitude.
"Okay, you're amazing... So what's your purpose in coming on this show? You're not actually looking for a partner, are you?"
Ding Xuefei tried his best to speak calmly, but unfortunately he didn't believe it himself, and his words inevitably carried a hint of sarcasm towards the end.
Yu Songlin tilted his head and, in the dim light, carefully examined Ding Xuefei. His eyebrows were lowered, his lips were pursed, and his arms were crossed over his chest, staring at him warily like a little animal.
The injury on my hand has healed.
After a moment, Yu Songlin spoke slowly, his tone revealing no emotion whatsoever:
"Whatever your purpose is, that's what I'll be."
"you!"
As always, Yu Songlin performed consistently well in making Ding Xuefei angry.
Ding Xuefei's rationality was instantly overwhelmed by anger. Did he actually expect to hear a serious answer from Yu Songlin? What was he expecting?
Ding Xuefei closed her eyes and silently recited, "Anger makes you sick and no one can take your place." She already knew that Yu Songlin was sick, and she didn't need to argue with a sick person at all!
"Great! Absolutely great!" Ding Xuefei squeezed out these words through gritted teeth. "Then let's each rely on our own abilities!"
Yu Songlin shrugged, looking completely innocent, as if to say, "What else?"
Ding Xuefei gritted her teeth and said through gritted teeth, "Judging from your expression, you already have a target in mind?"
"Hmm." Yu Songlin nodded, his gaze settling calmly on Ding Xuefei's face.
Although she had expected it, hearing him admit it still made Ding Xuefei feel as if something thick and dark was covering her chest, making her feel a little suffocated.
He subconsciously looked away.
Seeing Ding Xuefei's silence, Yu Songlin leaned closer and asked, "What's wrong? Is Brother Xuefei trying to take it from me, or are you afraid you can't win?"
"Stop being so narcissistic. I'm just worried you'll go around causing trouble for others. Have some decency!"
Ding Xuefei pushed Yu Songlin away and ran off. He always felt short of breath when they were close.
"Xuefei." Yu Songlin's voice came from behind, carrying a strange penetrating power, causing him to pause in his steps.
Yu Songlin walked around to stand in front of him. In the darkness, his outline was somewhat blurred, but his eyes shone brightly. Gone was the previous mockery; instead, they revealed an emotion that Ding Xuefei couldn't understand.
Are you planning to keep pretending to be a stranger to me?
Ding Xuefei's heart skipped a beat, but not wanting Yu Songlin to notice, he straightened his back and tried to maintain a tough exterior: "Is it not okay? This is better for everyone!"
"Sure, of course." Yu Songlin nodded and chuckled, a hint of mockery in his voice. "But you're overacting, don't you think?"
"They're not like ex-lovers, they're like enemies."
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