Chapter 51 We Are in Manarola: Fanfiction, Cat Figurines, and Deceitful Lovers
Gu Lai hadn't been this excited in a long time.
Although the wealthy don't need to prepare as many things as ordinary people when they travel, Gu Lai still discussed things with Eileen until very late the night before. Jiang Yi, sitting next to her with his laptop, couldn't concentrate on his work and spent the whole night reading fanfiction about himself and Gu Lai written by fans.
As soon as Eileen left, Gu Lai belatedly felt sleepy. She turned her head and saw Jiang Yi looking bright and alert, preparing to put down his phone, his eyes still lingering on it.
Her expression was so serious and earnest that Gu Lai wondered for a moment if someone had sold Feng Lu.
Gu Lai snuggled up to Jiang Yi, wrapped her arms around her, sniffed her, and looked up listlessly, asking, "What are you looking at?"
"Uh... cough." Jiang Yi hesitated for a moment, then handed over the phone, indicating that she should look at it herself.
"The 'Return to the South', a fanfiction? Hmm, 'Her back was forced against the cold and damp wall, and she trembled involuntarily'... Ugh!"
Jiang Yi covered her mouth, laughing and annoyed at the same time: "Stop chanting 'Master,' this is too embarrassing."
Gu Lai pulled her hand away: "Oh, what's the big deal? Besides, wasn't I the one forced to stick to the wall?"
"No...no, it won't work."
"There's something fishy going on. You're not the kind of person who embarrasses others, let me keep reading... Oh! It's my seme's story!"
"...Go to sleep, go to sleep."
Gu Lai smiled and dodged her hand that was reaching for the phone: "Wait, I haven't finished reading it yet."
Jiang Yi sighed: "I regret it. You should stay away from your fan life."
Gu Lai ignored him, watched with great interest until the end, and then returned the phone.
Jiang Yi turned off the light and got into bed, only to be hugged by Gu Lai again. He heard her say, somewhat puzzled, "Why are you suddenly reading fanfiction? Didn't you say it was all nonsense?"
Jiang Yi cleared his throat: "If I don't say it, I'll feel a little tipsy after I forget the embarrassment."
The person holding her was very quiet, perhaps stunned by her words.
The first word of admission is always the hardest, but once it was out, Jiang Yi felt more at ease.
She continued, "I've been reading all night, more than one of the stories in 'The Return of the South,' as well as 'Rose in the No Man's Land,' 'Growing Pains,' 'Stockholm Lover'..."
“Wait a minute,” Gu Lai interrupted her as she recited the titles of the ci poems, “I’ve seen the titles of the poems before that often too. What’s this ‘Stockholm Lover’? Who has Stockholm syndrome?”
"...Generally speaking, it's you."
"So there's another way?"
This made Jiang Yi a little unconvinced: "So what?"
"You childish brat." The mature Gu Lai gave him a quick kiss and coaxed, "Okay, okay."
Jiang Yi was a little confused, but he still kissed her back.
Gu Lai thought about the fanfiction she had just read and sighed, "Things are really different now than before. I remember that fanfiction used to like writing about tragic love stories, and there was a lot of content about it."
Jiang Yi, on the contrary, spoke in a reasonable tone: "Literature is like a mountain, not a flat plain. It probably looks like a quiet, uneventful marriage to outsiders now. It's just that your concert brought some buzz."
Gu Lai: "Tasteless."
Jiang Yi buried his face in her arms and laughed uncontrollably.
Gu Lai thought for a moment and said fairly, "But then again, although angst stories can be absurd at times, they are still more enjoyable to read."
Jiang Yi asked, "Is it better to be 'be'?"
Gu Lai's voice suddenly weakened: "Hmm..."
Jiang Yi's voice softened even more: "You didn't get too caught up in the story while watching, did you?"
Gu Lai hesitated for a moment, but when she saw Jiang Yi's slightly narrowed eyes, she immediately said decisively, "No, haha, that's not true at all."
Jiang Yi knew perfectly well what was going on, but she moved on and suggested, "Actually, you can take some photos or videos when you go out. You can post them on Weibo, and then there will be European-style fan art."
Gu Lai was silent for a moment: "As a rich woman, shouldn't you be thinking about spending hundreds of thousands or even millions to have writers write custom stories?"
"That won't do."
"Who knows who you are through the internet cable?"
"No way! I can't get past this mental hurdle. If you order it, don't tell me."
"I won't get it customized!"
The result of discussing fan fiction is that it will occasionally appear in the subsequent schedule.
Gu Lai was intently looking out from the observation deck at the top of the yacht, holding binoculars, when she heard Jiang Yi call her name. Looking down, she saw Jiang Yi pointing a camera at her.
Gu Lai smiled at her subconsciously, her eyes crinkling, and after a few seconds said, "I never noticed you were filming me before!"
Jiang Yi wasn't on the same floor as her. At that moment, the sound of circling seabirds and the yacht's water jets mixed together, drowning out Gu Lai's words. Jiang Yi only saw Gu Lai seemingly say something through the camera.
She laughed, caught up in Gu Lai's laughter, and asked loudly, "What are you saying!"
"I—am—saying—" Gu Lai put her hand to her lips and shouted in response, but the words changed at the last minute, "Sunscreen—!"
After she called out, she saw Jiang Yi seem to stand there for a while, then wave at her and turn to go inside. Gu Lai assumed she had gone to rest and didn't pay any attention, turning back to continue watching the seabirds. After a while, she suddenly heard Jiang Yi's voice coming from behind her.
"Alai, a sun-protective shirt and a hat."
Gu Lai turned her head and saw with satisfaction that Jiang Yi had put on a hat and was wearing a sun-protective shirt.
Gu Lai took her hat and clothes and said with a smile, "I was just talking about you. I forgot I didn't wear sunscreen either."
Jiang Yi said, "You should set a good example, big stars."
Gu Lai was too lazy to argue with her, so she leaned in and asked for a kiss.
After the kiss, Gu Lai leaned happily against Jiang Yi, remembering the camera in her hand, and said, "What did you film? Is it material for your fan-made videos to upload? I was just watching seabirds, there are so many seabirds here."
“I don’t want to show my photos to others,” Jiang Yi replied to her other question. “It’s probably because it’s near the coast.”
Two days ago, Jiang Yi and Gu Lai's plane landed in Genoa, Italy. After resting for a day, they departed from the port of Genoa this morning.
Jiang Yi didn't participate much in the discussions between Gu Lai and Eileen. He only found out after boarding the plane that Gu Lai wanted to experience the "Special Forces Tourism - Rich Version," which involved two days of intensive travel followed by a leisurely vacation in one or two different places.
Jiang Yi wanted to object to the seemingly exhausting itinerary, but Gu Lai's words silenced her—
"I haven't experienced it myself, but the stories they tell online sound so interesting."
As they spoke, the small dot in the distance magnified, gradually transforming into a colorful cliffside town, like patches of paint drawn by a child with oil pastels, abruptly standing on the boundless blue sea. The intense sunlight poured down without obstruction, and the collision of colors was so dazzling that it was almost impossible to help but blink.
Gu Lai gazed intently at the scenery of Cinque Terre while holding onto the railing. Jiang Yi's eyes lingered between her and the coastline—Cinque Terre was too famous; she had visited it with Jiang Mei when she was a child, but Gu Lai was still more attractive to her.
She wanted to get the camera again, leaving behind a moment of pure curiosity and joy for A-Lai.
Gu Lai suddenly turned her head and kissed Jiang Yi, who was caught off guard.
"What are you thinking about?" Gu Lai asked with a slight tilt of his head as he looked at her from close range.
Jiang Yi told the truth: "I'm thinking of you, and I want to take a picture of you."
Gu Lai blushed slightly, but she still looked at Jiang Yi calmly: "Why?"
Jiang Yi's gaze became meaningful, as if he were saying to Gu Lai, "I know what you want to hear."
Gu Lai's feelings for her gradually warmed under her gaze.
Gu Lai thought, "The Mediterranean is really hot in June."
Jiang Yi leaned against the railing, speaking slowly and deliberately, as if dictating an essay.
"Because you're cute. Just like that calico cat near the filming location when you were shooting 'Gansui,' it stared at the distance with such focus and dignity. Compared to those colorful and messy little houses, you are more attractive to me."
Gu Lai covered her mouth, buried her face in her neck and laughed, "Don't say it, it's so embarrassing to read like this."
"Awkward? I don't think you meant that." Jiang Yi patted her hair. "Wow, it feels so nice. Even though I don't have a cat, I already have the joy of having one."
Gu Lai got up to disembark, then turned back and glared at her, saying, "Stop teasing me!"
Jiang Yi clicked his tongue, mimicking her intonation and tone, and said in a sweet and soft voice, "Even Mao Su knows to stop paying attention to the lives of your fans!"
Gu Lai laughed and was a little annoyed. She wrapped her arms around Jiang Yi's waist and kissed her, giving her a light nibble. After they separated, Jiang Yi, feeling somewhat satisfied, didn't say anything.
An excellent silencer.
Gu Lai shifted her attention to the itinerary: "Let's take a group photo at the 'Road of Love' in Manarola later, and post it on Weibo!"
The crew lowered the shuttle boat, and Jiang Yi got on first. He turned around and reached out his hand to wait for Gu Lai to come over from the cruise ship's deck—in fact, there was no need to help at all, as the deck of the shuttle boat was at the same height as the bottom deck of the mother ship, making it as easy as walking on flat ground.
However, Gu Lai still walked over carefully, grabbed Jiang Yi's hand, and made sure they were standing properly on the transport boat before speaking: "Why did you suddenly stop talking?"
Jiang Yi's tone was quite casual, but she was still whimpering, "Waaah, I'm so jealous of your kisses."
Several crew members who understood Chinese were standing very close by. They were so shocked that they couldn't suppress their laughter and turned to laugh.
Gu Lai became increasingly embarrassed amidst the laughter of the crew.
If it weren't too dangerous, Gu Lai would really like to jump into the sea and swim away.
Why is it that Jiang Yi is the one speaking, but she's the one feeling awkward?
She glared at Jiang Yi, completely at a loss for words.
Jiang Yi smiled and leaned close to her ear, whispering, "A kiss will fix it!"
Gu Lai puffed out her cheeks: "You're naughty, aren't you!" After saying that, the ship docked, and she really did go ashore as lightly as a cat.
Jiang Yi lazily trailed behind her.
Countless tourist boats of all kinds crowded together in the harbor, while in the distance, steep cliffs were carved into terraces, and houses were stacked like Lego bricks. Stone paths extended from the dock into the gaps between the houses, winding around the mountain like capillaries.
Manarola is the most popular village in Cinque Terre, and it's very crowded. Along the way, there are tourists dressed in light clothing who come to escape the heat. Gu Lai suddenly felt that she might lose Jiang Yi in the crowd.
She took two steps, stopped, turned around, and waited for Jiang Yi to catch up and walk beside her before pulling her along.
Jiang Yi's hands were cool to the touch, like porcelain. Gu Lai traced her forearm upwards, and her temperature returned to normal only when she touched her elbow.
As Gu Lai made her rustling movements, Jiang Yi didn't look at the scenery; instead, he turned to look at her. Large sunglasses obscured her beautiful eyes, making it impossible to see her expression, but when Gu Lai looked up, her languid posture revealed her joyful mood at a glance.
“Drink some Chinese medicine, I’ll drink it when I get back.” Gu Lai’s expression was very determined, so he started walking with big strides, as if he was going to flatten Manarola, “to cure your cold hands problem.”
Jiang Yi pouted, but then obediently said "Oh".
Here, if two girls are holding hands, they are naturally assumed to be a couple. Occasionally, if someone bumps into them by chance, they will understand and smile knowingly when they see them holding hands.
Gu Lai whispered, "Did you notice that the smile of that lady who just passed by was a little strange?"
Jiang Yi blurted out, "He probably wanted to strike up a conversation, but unfortunately found that I had already taken you away."
Gu Lai was both amused and exasperated: "How can you be jealous out of thin air? Hmm? You're such a con artist!"
"A con artist? I didn't manage to fool anyone just now."
After Jiang Yi finished speaking slowly, just as Gu Lai was about to reply, Jiang Yi suddenly turned his head and kissed her directly.
They stood in the middle of a narrow street, nestled between cliffs dotted with colorful houses and the vast sea, surrounded by a bustling crowd. Jiang Yi kissed her without any restraint or inhibition.
Jiang Yi was even wearing sunglasses, still holding Gu Lai's hand, with her other hand carrying her bag, without making a hugging gesture. Even her kiss had a languid feel to it, as leisurely as a perfectly normal afternoon kiss.
But they are now on the streets of a foreign land!
Gu Lai's pupils dilated instantly.
Her hearing became incredibly sharp, filled with the lively chatter of the surrounding crowd, the clicking of camera shutters, and the chirping and hopping of birds. Several passing tourists cast curious and well-meaning glances in her direction, and Gu Lai felt as if she were being burned by the stares from all around her.
But once she focused her attention entirely on the composed and relaxed Jiang Yi in front of her, the distractions that had made her feel ashamed and flustered suddenly became insignificant background noise.
"It was just a kiss," a voice said to her, and it seemed to be Jiang Yi's voice.
The sound of the waves seemed to suddenly become very close, and the white waves, like broken pearls, bloomed and disappeared right beside my ears. The sound was noisy, yet it also seemed very far away. It was so quiet that I could hear my rapid breathing.
After they parted ways, Jiang Yi looked at Gu Lai, who was still somewhat dazed, and smiled, "Now you've fooled one."
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I'm here!! The author's note in the bonus chapter is a bit long-winded, so there won't be a list of thank-you notes for now~
Today we're showing you a portion of the lyrics draft for "Do you miss me like I miss you," which A-Lai refused to reveal.
verse1
Do you miss me like I miss you
Would you hold me if I asked you to
Caught in the echoes of your love's decay,
I'm lost in memories, chasing shadows away.
Tell me, darling, does your heart still sway
verse2
Pictures hanging on the wall,
Captured smiles, a bittersweet trace,
I reach for you in the dark.
But it's empty space that I embrace.
The laughter that we used to share,
Is now a ghost that walks with me,
I wonder if you ever care.
Or if you're finally free.
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