Chapter 58 I Like You
Don't you think it's such a waste to live like this from dawn till dusk?
Hearing her roommate's voice suddenly coming from beside her brought Tan Xi, who was staring blankly at the computer screen, back to reality.
Her fingertips were still hovering over the mouse. After hearing the sound, she looked over with a hint of confusion in her eyes.
"Isn't it a very sad thing to end things like this when two people still love each other?"
My roommate rested her chin on her hand, her brows furrowed, her voice full of regret: "Didn't you ever think about what we could do for Chaomu?"
Tan Xi looked up at the other person with a puzzled expression: "What do you want to do?"
"Actually, I also..."
Just as her roommate was about to reply, a sudden vibration of her phone interrupted their conversation.
Seeing that the other person had lowered their head and started scrolling through their phone, Tan Xi looked away and prepared to get up and return to her seat. But just as she straightened up, she heard her roommate excitedly slap her thigh.
"XiXi, let's go support them in person!"
"……ah?"
What surprised Tan Xi more than the offline fan support was that her roommate, who wasn't a big fan of celebrities, would say something like that. Upon hearing it, she almost instinctively retorted, "Didn't you always think that this kind of thing is a waste of money and energy and has no meaning whatsoever..."
"The past is the past, and dawn is dawn!"
Her roommate interrupted her decisively, hands on hips, looking righteous and stern.
Then, as if remembering something, she leaned closer and asked solicitously, "So, are you interested? Want to come along? Maybe we'll run into Teacher Fang while we wait for the sunrise and sunset together?"
Tan Xi refused expressionlessly: "But I have to go to work tomorrow."
"The production team has leaked information that the guests will be returning to the cabin tomorrow night, and then the final selection will begin. Our success or failure will depend on tomorrow!"
Although Tan Xi rejected her with a working-class resentment, her roommate's voice still nags in her ear: "Xi Xi, you're the best, Xi Xi~~"
Tan Xi tried to ignore the noise coming from the other side and returned to her seat.
Actually, she originally wanted to say that even if she went, what difference would it make? She might not even get to see him.
Even if Mu Jiu and Ling Zhao heard their voices, the parties involved had already made their decisions, and going to the scene wouldn't change anything.
But the moment she was about to speak, Tan Xi recalled every concert she had attended for Fang Yucheng, every offline movie premiere she had followed, and every offline fan gathering and support event she had participated in.
Looking back on those experiences when she was full of passion and never felt tired, although there were times when she regretted them, most of the time she felt that it was worth it to do something for her brother.
When they do those things, it's only for their own satisfaction.
Even so, she shouldn't have said those sarcastic things to the other person.
"...Just consider it keeping me company~ I'll reimburse your airfare and hotel."
While Tan Xi was lost in thought, her roommate across from her blinked and pitifully shook her arm, "Okay, Xi Xi, you're the best~~"
"...Don't act cute."
Tan Xi waved her hand dismissively, then shifted her body slightly to the side. Ultimately, she succumbed to the other's persistent gaze: "I'll go, I'll pay for the flight and hotel myself… Let me clarify beforehand, I'm not a fan of the Chaomu CP. I'm going because I want to see my brother, and partly because I'm worried you'll get kidnapped…"
"Yay—" her roommate screamed excitedly, rushing over to hug her and physically interrupting her words: "Xixi, the best roommate in the universe! I knew you loved me the most!"
Feeling suffocated by her roommate's hug, Tan Xi raised her hand to push her away, only to see the other person rush to the wardrobe and start packing for tomorrow.
The night was still quiet and long, but tonight seemed much more lively.
When Tan Xi returned to her seat, she was still somewhat dazed, feeling as if she had been inexplicably dragged onto a pirate ship.
Seeing her roommate's beaming face, she shook her head helplessly and looked down at her phone. After asking her boss for leave, she checked tomorrow's flight information.
——
"I have a question, but I don't know who to ask."
Mu Jiu nestled in bed, wearing headphones and making a phone call, staring at the ceiling with a rather serious expression: "I think I'm a fairly sensitive type, and I'm quite observant in my daily life, after all, that's a basic skill for acting."
On the other end of the receiver came the soft rustling of fabric against a wooden floor. A languid female voice responded casually, but then, realizing something was amiss, the last syllable of her voice rose sharply: "Hmm...hmm?"
Mu Jiu rubbed his temples and glanced at the camera covered by the blanket in the room.
Although the live stream had stopped in the room where she and Ling Zhao were resting late at night, she still unconsciously lowered her voice: "Recently, I've noticed that someone keeps saying strange things to me."
Actually, to be honest, she's not the kind of person who consults others about everything.
But recently, while watching the recorded broadcasts, the increasingly intense comments and the various events that have occurred recently made her feel that something was wrong.
In the past, if she had encountered such a perplexing situation, she would have immediately sought out a partner to discuss and analyze it rationally together.
But this time, the person who filled her with confusion was Ling Zhao himself.
So Mu Jiu hesitated for a long time, scrolled through his contacts, and finally dialed the number after seeing a certain name.
There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone before Zhang Songlan's hesitant voice came through: "You mean your ex-boyfriend? The one who came to me for dance lessons after you broke up?"
Mu Jiu was surprised to learn that the main character of the topic had been guessed so quickly, and blurted out, "How did you know?"
Her reaction caused the other person to fall silent for a moment.
"No matter how much I ignore the news in the entertainment industry, the people around me have been talking about the two of you lately."
When she spoke again, Zhang Songlan's voice carried a familiar teasing tone: "On the contrary, I don't understand what you can't figure out?"
Having been exposed as to who he was talking about, Mu Jiu stopped hiding it: "Simply put, I've recently noticed that when he makes eye contact with me, he unconsciously avoids eye contact, his ears turn red when he gets close to me, and his heart races when he hugs me."
“Even if it’s acting, there’s no need to control your heartbeat, especially since that scene didn’t really need to be acted out. Most importantly, he’s emphasized to me many times that he’s not acting.”
Mu Jiu: "Could it be..."
The person on the other end seemed to hold their breath. After hearing Mu Jiu pause there, their voice carried a knowing smile: "It sounds like you're very close to the truth."
"!"
Mu Jiu's eyes widened suddenly: "Could it be that he's completely immersed in the role?!"
This is a very rare talent. Method actors completely immerse themselves in the experience of another character, without realizing that they are themselves.
If we use this line of thinking to analyze the events of the past few days, both Ling Zhao's recent strange behavior and those words that bothered her make perfect sense.
She said that the other person was a rare acting talent, and as long as he used the right acting methods, he would definitely become the next best new actor.
Zhang Songlan: "..."
Zhang Songlan: "I'm hanging up."
"Wait--"
Mu Jiu raised her voice, and after confirming that the phone was still connected, she pouted and leaned against the bed: "I know you might think this guess is outrageous, but it's the most reasonable explanation I can think of. You can't exactly say that he really likes me, can you?"
Zhang Songlan: "..."
Mu Jiu: "..."
"you mean……"
Mu Jiu frowned, her eyes widened, and her expression gradually turned to disbelief: "He...likes me?"
Is it strange that someone likes you?
Taken aback by Mu Jiu's unpretentious surprise, Zhang Songlan paused suspiciously for a few seconds before speaking with a hint of "disdain": "What kind of strange self-perception do you have? Do you know how many innocent young men your vixen face could steal away just by walking around?"
Before Mu Jiu could refute, the other person immediately changed the subject: "I'm more curious about how you 'actually' noticed something was wrong than about how your relationship is progressing."
Zhang Songlan emphasized the word "surprisingly".
This is a provocation.
Mu Jiu subconsciously stood up from the bed: "I'm an actor, after all! Of course I'll pay attention to things like changes in expression, breathing rate, body temperature, and heart rate!"
Zhang Songlan: "..."
Zhang Songlan: "No, I'm starting to think it's a bit strange that you can be praised for your acting skills."
"You're not aware of the whole picture; you're prejudiced."
Being questioned about her professional competence at work suddenly woke Mu Jiu, who was feeling drowsy.
She reflected on her experiences over the past few months, identified what she couldn't tell anyone, and then carefully pieced together the recent events, recounting them in a way that was selective and selective.
Finally, she made the final statement: "Now you should understand why I feel that we are just comrades-in-arms, right?"
Zhang Songlan: "How does this conflict with him liking you?"
Mu Jiu emphasized, "What I mean is, we're here to work and earn money."
Zhang Songlan also stated bluntly and emphatically: "How does this conflict with him liking you?"
Mu Jiu: "..."
If they were face to face, Mu Jiu could almost picture the other person looking at her with dead fish eyes. But she couldn't understand why the other person would come to such a completely opposite conclusion.
Zhang Songlan: "...Or rather, what kind of answer do you hope to hear from me?"
Mu Jiu, who was initially unsure how to respond, subconsciously looked up upon hearing this.
"Do you want to pretend that what you've already noticed doesn't exist?"
The voice on the other end took the initiative to ease the atmosphere, with a hint of persuasion: "Things that can influence your judgment can't be unimportant, right?"
Things that could influence her judgment...
Even after the call ended, Mu Jiu was still unconsciously stroking his phone.
Ultimately, has Ling Zhao's actions now affected her judgment?
Mu Jiu opened his contacts and found that familiar name. His fingertip hovered over the call button, but he didn't immediately press it.
The last time I took the initiative to call them was during a live broadcast.
Although the screen was filled with sharp and piercing bullet comments, it did not affect her actions.
From the past to the present, once she has thought through the consequences and decided how to act, she never procrastinates.
But this time, Mu Jiu hesitated... She wasn't quite sure what she was hesitating about.
After a few seconds, she took a deep breath and dialed the number.
"beep--"
The phone was answered before it even rang once. The voice on the other end was still a little sleepy, deep and hoarse.
"Hello? What's wrong?"
Unexpectedly, Ling Zhao responded so quickly, and Mu Jiu was taken aback for a moment: "...I want to talk to you."
"You're contacting me at this time..."
On the other side, after she spoke, there was a rustling sound, like someone getting out of bed: "Are you hungry?"
Mu Jiu: "A little, but not important."
Ling Zhao: "So, are we going to talk about the question the production team posted: 'Whether or not to visit the ex-boyfriend's house tomorrow?'"
Mu Jiu: "That's important too, but wait a minute."
Mu Jiu loosened his grip on the phone, and his expression gradually relaxed.
Good, her partners seem normal now.
Now that things have come to this, she doesn't think her judgment was wrong.
From the very beginning until now, the other party has always managed to keep up with her pace... Regardless of whether his reading comprehension was correct or not, he certainly tried his best to cooperate, and he acted steadily and with tact.
Now their conversations are very polite, friendly, and business-like.
Mu Jiu's lips unconsciously curved into a slight smile, and the inexplicable tension that had just arisen gradually dissipated, allowing him to completely relax.
"It's nothing. After watching the recording from earlier today, I realized I was overthinking things. I even chatted with my childhood friend a little insecurely just now... and she actually thinks you like me."
With her mind relaxed and her body feeling tired, Mu Jiu leaned lazily against the pillow: "It's definitely the best way to go directly to you. No need to beat around the bush, and no misunderstandings. Besides, how could you possibly..."
Ling Zhao: "Mm."
Mu Jiu paused, blinking blankly.
The room fell silent.
So much so that her attention was involuntarily drawn to the soft breathing sounds on the other end of the receiver.
Also, my heart started racing for no reason.
"She's right."
The voice on the other end carried a familiar chill, so clear that there was no possibility of mishearing it.
"I like you."
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