Shi Guanghua seemed to have changed, yet also remained the same. He was still a man of few words, preferring action over speech, though now his actions were of a different, more intense nature.
Chu Yueyi, exhausted from his attentions, lazily wrapped herself in a blanket and curled back into the corner of the sofa. She had completely forgotten the plot of the movie they'd been watching earlier, and still felt a bit dazed and confused.
Shi Guanghua urged her to drink a full glass of warm water, then casually grabbed a sticky note and began writing down passwords for various bank cards. After finishing and double-checking the content, he handed the note to her: "This should be everything."
"If you want to know anything else, I can tell you," he said, his expression calm. "Including my schedule, if you'd like."
She had never asked about his affairs before, so he assumed she didn't want to know.
Because her work was truly demanding, and she always appeared to have everything under control, he mistakenly believed she wasn't interested in his life. They would mention daily occurrences in their chats, but she never pressed for details, giving him a great deal of space and freedom.
This arrangement worked fine most of the time, but when she went away for filming and they couldn't see each other, he felt somewhat lost. He was indeed prone to insecurity, fearing she might forget him during their separation. This may have been the underlying reason for his erratic behavior during the "Living with Spring" period.
But now it seemed that far from forgetting him in her busy schedule, she had him firmly under her thumb, keeping a close eye on him behind the scenes while outwardly appearing tolerant and nonchalant.
Sure enough, Chu Yueyi stared at the sticky note before her, then turned her head away, saying with a hint of stubbornness, "No need, I can find out for myself."
Shi Guanghua responded in confusion, "...But wouldn't it be faster if I just told you?"
Chu Yueyi raised an eyebrow, arguing, "What if you're lying? Even if you tell me, I still need to check for myself. That way I can verify at any time, in case you're trying to deceive me."
Shi Guanghua: "..." Couldn't there be some trust between people?
Shi Guanghua nodded thoughtfully, "Alright, I respect your hobby. People in the industry do like to be secretive." Even she was no exception.
Shi Guanghua had no objections to her checking up on him, as he had nothing to hide. To be honest, her keeping such a close eye on him actually made him feel more at ease.
Chu Yueyi caught the hint of a smile in his eyes and retorted indignantly, "You're the secretive one!"
Ignoring her awkward attempt at deflection, Shi Guanghua placed the sticky note in her lap, saying good-naturedly, "Keep this to check your answers. You can still investigate on your own if you want."
Seeing how accommodating he was, Chu Yueyi seemed to lose some of her confidence, mumbling, "Don't you feel uncomfortable with this?"
She had been afraid of making him uncomfortable, which was why she hadn't revealed how closely she followed his affairs. She indeed couldn't shake her habit of obsessively gathering information and analyzing from all angles once she became invested in someone or something, in an attempt to fully control the situation.
This approach was very effective for work, but when applied to people around her, it might be met with resistance. She had always restrained herself, not wanting to put pressure on him.
Shi Guanghua glanced at her, saying calmly, "It's fine. Considering I've been through imprisonment, this is nothing."
Chu Yueyi pondered for a few seconds before expressing her suspicion: "...You definitely have some strange tendencies."
His complete lack of resistance to her monitoring or confinement seriously made her wonder if he had hidden proclivities.
The next day, Chu Yueyi continued her habit of counter-surveillance. When she saw Shi Guanghua casually pick up her unopened mask from the table as he was leaving, she quickly stopped him: "Use your own."
Shi Guanghua: "Stingy."
Chu Yueyi: "We use different masks. If you suddenly switch, it might raise suspicions!"
While retrieving his own mask, Shi Guanghua calmly commented: "If you keep this up, I'll start to suspect something."
Chu Yueyi was taken aback: "Suspect what?"
Shi Guanghua gazed at her meaningfully: "That you're keeping someone else locked up in your castle." Why else would she be so cautious, as if afraid he might expose a secret affair?
Chu Yueyi: "?"
Chu Yueyi tore open the mask packaging and decided to put it on him herself, resignedly saying, "Here, use this one. Since a mask can't shut you up, I might as well sign it for you..."
Shi Guanghua: "..."
The two playfully scuffled at the doorway like schoolchildren, with Shi Guanghua eventually taking both masks. Chu Yueyi wasn't sure which one he'd end up using.
Of course, Chu Yueyi's continuous efforts to cut off the "sugar supply" were quite effective. In recent months, it had left the "Moonlight Scientists" (fans) starving and howling for Shi Guanghua to come out and "dance wildly" again. While Chu Yueyi was active on screen, she didn't reveal a thing, and Shi Guanghua had completely moved behind the scenes, no longer making public appearances.
The Moonlight Scientists once joked that Shi Guanghua had no conscience, speculating that either he no longer cared about the outside world now that his relationship was stable, or that he was truly locked up in Chu Yueyi's castle.
Time flew by, and soon it was the end of the year.
Chu Yueyi had achieved a lot over the year, and the end of the year was particularly busy with countless grand events to attend. The on-site execution of these events was often chaotic, but skipping them wasn't an option, so she had to grit her teeth and attend.
Backstage at one such event, there was a severe shortage of celebrity dressing rooms, with unknown artists crowding even the corridors. Chu Yueyi resignedly followed a staff member through the crowd, finally squeezing into an empty dressing room. Before she could catch her breath, she heard the door being pushed open again.
An event staff member was about to lead Bai Yiyang into the room when he spotted Chu Yueyi inside. He stopped awkwardly, a flash of panic crossing his eyes: "Ah..."
Bai Yiyang was equally stunned to see Chu Yueyi, momentarily at a loss. She tried to maintain her composure in front of others, but her knuckles turned white from gripping her hands tightly.
The staff member responsible for Chu Yueyi glared at the unexpected intruders. She wanted to berate her colleague but refrained due to the celebrities present. Instead, she lowered her voice and said, "This room is occupied."
It was common for such events to have chaotic arrangements, and truthfully, Chu Yueyi's access to a dressing room was due to her recent rise in popularity. In the past, she often had to share makeup rooms with others.
It wouldn't have been an issue for friendly celebrities to temporarily share a dressing room, but Chu Yueyi and Bai Yiyang were clearly not a good match. The young woman guiding Chu Yueyi became irritated, feeling that her male colleague had blatantly stepped on a landmine, jeopardizing both their work.
The young man was now sweating profusely, mainly because he couldn't solve the lack of dressing rooms. He hesitantly asked for Bai Yiyang's opinion: "Should I... find you another location?"
While celebrities appeared glamorous on stage, not all of them had pleasant temperaments, and no one knew Bai Yiyang's true nature. By suggesting that Bai Yiyang leave, the young man seemed to be yielding to Chu Yueyi, partly because she had arrived first, and partly because she was currently more popular.
The reality was cruel: top celebrities and ordinary artists were treated very differently, just as the lower-tier entertainers crowding the corridor outside were worlds apart from Chu Yueyi and Bai Yiyang.
If it had been any other artist in the dressing room, Bai Yiyang might have felt disrespected, believing the organizers were playing favorites. But seeing Chu Yueyi made her lose her nerve, and she softly replied, "Okay."
Chu Yueyi was used to Bai Yiyang avoiding her, as their friendship had broken down due to the latter's evasiveness. However, given the chaos outside and the potential for gossip if Bai Yiyang left, coupled with her recent career struggles, it could lead to more trouble.
Considering this, Chu Yueyi casually glanced aside and said nonchalantly, "No need to go elsewhere, it won't be for long."
They were just using the backstage area briefly before heading to the main venue, so there was no need for repeated disruptions.
Bai Yiyang's eyes widened slightly at these words.
The staff members were surprised by Chu Yueyi's accommodating attitude. Given the chaos outside the dressing room, they arranged for Bai Yiyang and her assistants to stay.
The two celebrities and their teams settled on opposite sides of the room, silently preparing for their stage appearances without any interaction. The atmosphere in the dressing room was awkward and tense, and with the main parties not speaking, the staff members didn't know how to communicate with their counterparts.
Sometimes, Chu Yueyi couldn't understand Bai Yiyang's submissive attitude towards her. She didn't comprehend the other's avoidance, her anxiety, or the genuine fear she seemed to harbor towards Chu Yueyi.
But years later, she gradually realized that perhaps the small dark side beneath her perfect mask could only be sensed by those closest to her. Shi Guanghua firmly believed she wouldn't hurt him, but Bai Yiyang didn't have that confidence, especially since she had indeed made mistakes in the past.
She may have been accustomed to seeing through people too clearly, to the point of making others feel afraid.
As the grand event was about to begin, staff notified them to head to the venue.
Bai Yiyang was closer to the door. She had already stood up when she saw Chu Yueyi approaching, so she quickly turned to avoid her, intending to let the other go out first.
Bai Yiyang waited for a moment, heard the sound of the lounge door opening, and then turned back around, only to find that Chu Yueyi hadn't left at all.
Chu Yueyi stood silently in place. She had just pretended to grasp the door handle but hadn't actually opened it, watching Bai Yiyang's flustered state the entire time.
Their eyes suddenly met, and the atmosphere instantly froze.
Bai Yiyang felt a chill down her spine and inexplicably lost confidence. She could be high and mighty with others, but in front of Chu Yueyi, she was still her timid school-day self, unable to step forward.
Chu Yueyi noticed her nervousness and abruptly said, "Apologize to me."
Bai Yiyang was stunned.
Chu Yueyi: "Hurry up."
Bai Yiyang's eyelashes trembled slightly as she instinctively said, "...I'm sorry."
"That apology came awfully late," Chu Yueyi chuckled lightly. She casually pulled open the door handle and left the lounge first, saying, "I'm letting you off now, so you should let yourself off too."
Regardless of how things ended up, they had once shared happy times in school. Tears and pain had been washed away by time, and the future held warm, infinite dawn. There was no need to hold grudges anymore.
The lounge door closed, hiding Chu Yueyi from view.
Bai Yiyang hadn't understood her sudden request at first, but now her eyes reddened and her nose stung. Tears nearly spilled out, and she could only lower her head to hide it.
She had wondered countless times if Chu Yueyi regretted knowing her, not realizing that the other had never regretted anything from beginning to end, unlike her own cowering and avoidance.
Chu Yueyi found it hard to describe her feelings. It was as if she had put down a burden carried for years, or drawn a conclusion to something. Like a bird soaring high in the sky, all that remained was a sense of how the world had changed.
She had grown and improved, meeting someone who understood her better.
Chu Yueyi's good mood even lasted until Shi Guanghua came to pick her up. After attending the grand event, she returned to the company to rest before finally arriving at the underground parking lot in casual clothes.
These days, she occasionally felt the urge to confide in Shi Guanghua. Although he didn't say much, he would listen patiently. They could chat about even the smallest things for a long time, sometimes even sounding like they were doing a comedy routine.
As soon as Chu Yueyi got in the car, she eagerly shared with Shi Guanghua inside: "I met Bai Yiyang today."
Shi Guanghua's eyebrows twitched slightly, his gaze peculiar. "?" I came specially to pick you up, and this is the first thing you say?
Chu Yueyi didn't notice his coolness. She pondered how to phrase it and decided to start from the beginning: "She and I used to be college roommates..."
Shi Guanghua: "Mm-hmm."
Chu Yueyi looked suspicious: "Why do you sound so perfunctory?"
Shi Guanghua patiently said: "I know."
He could actually deduce the past entanglements between Chu Yueyi and Bai Yiyang, so he really couldn't show the attitude of hearing it for the first time.
Chu Yueyi asked in surprise: "How would you know?"
Shi Guanghua: "...I just do."
Chu Yueyi thought he might have heard rumors from the rival company. She tentatively began: "Because of a drama called 'Rolling Up the Palace Curtains,' she and I..."
Shi Guanghua calmly nodded: "I know."
So he didn't want to hear about Bai Yiyang. He just felt that person wasn't right.
Chu Yueyi: "..."
Chu Yueyi had originally been eager to tell the story, but now she felt the annoyance of having the plot spoiled on the spot. She felt Shi Guanghua was being too dismissive and said irritably: "We used to be so close in school that we even paired up as couples in games. Did you know that too?"
Shi Guanghua: "???"
Shi Guanghua's expression changed slightly as he frowned and said: "You two even..."
Shi Guanghua: You two really weren't right!
Seeing that he finally had a reaction, Chu Yueyi raised her chin proudly and challenged: "I thought you were Mr. Know-It-All, but there are still things you don't know, huh?"
"..." Shi Guanghua didn't want to argue with her. He took a deep breath and said good-naturedly, "Alright, go on. I'm all ears."
He decided to listen carefully to how she was going to annoy him again, how she would repeat the game of "upset girlfriend, then spend a day coaxing her." This was clearly a tactic she never tired of.
Seeing him take the bait, Chu Yueyi immediately began describing the past in vivid detail, even embellishing her friendship with Bai Yiyang. She couldn't wait to see his face grow colder and colder, determined to irritate him until he exuded a citrusy aroma of jealousy.
Though she couldn't remember many details, her competitive spirit drove her to rack her brains, desperately searching for memories, inevitably adding embellishments and dramatizing the atmosphere.
True to her acting skills, Chu Yueyi spun tales effortlessly: "When I learned the truth, I was devastated and burst into tears. I even ran around the film set like a headless fly, unable to accept it all!"
Shi Guanghua listened to her exaggerated descriptions and let out a soft sigh, remaining noncommittal throughout.
Chu Yueyi: "?"
Chu Yueyi suddenly flared up: "You're very disdainful?"
Seeing her raised eyebrows, Shi Guanghua, relying on his strong survival instinct, lowered his voice a bit and conceded: "...No, please continue."
Chu Yueyi glared at Shi Guanghua. Her memory was actually nearing its end, and the subsequent events were not very clear. Now, to compete with him, she forced herself to continue: "At that time, after hearing what the assistant director said, I was in a daze and bumped into someone from the crew, accidentally occupying their room..."
A glimmer flashed in Shi Guanghua's eyes. He unconsciously pursed his lips, not wanting to ask too obviously: "What kind of person?"
He had thought she had forgotten everything, but apparently not completely. Inexplicably, he began to feel nervous.
Chu Yueyi was instantly stumped by his question. She actually couldn't remember the person clearly. Mainly because it happened in a rush, they didn't even exchange names, and she hadn't even seen his face. She only remembered it was a crew member.
Chu Yueyi hesitated: "A guy."
Shi Guanghua's throat went dry. His eyes darkened slightly as he hurriedly asked: "What kind of guy?"
Chu Yueyi sensed his slight panic and suddenly had a mischievous idea. She deliberately said: "Tall, handsome, and emotionally intelligent. He had a nice voice and could play the piano to comfort people. His musical talent was no less than yours!"
Well, that was a lie.
She didn't know the person's name or face, only heard him play the piano and exchanged a few words. There was no further contact afterward. But that didn't stop her from embellishing. She also remembered his voice wasn't pleasant, and he seemed to have a cold at the time.
Faced with her emphatic praise, Shi Guanghua looked at her in disbelief, taking a long time to recover.
Chu Yueyi mistakenly thought she had successfully annoyed him and was already preparing to use her coaxing skills. To her surprise, the expected small temper didn't come.
Shi Guanghua blinked, embarrassed by the flattery, and asked in bewilderment: "So you had such a good first impression of me?"
If only she had said so earlier, he wouldn't have gone on that dating show and would have contacted her directly instead.
Chu Yueyi: "???"!