202.
The three of us looked at each other, silent for a long moment.
Xiao Chen lowered his eyes, sneaked a glance at our hands, and his expression shifted slightly. He leaned close to my ear and whispered, “I didn’t see anything. I don’t know anything. Yanyan, good luck!”
He gave me a respectful salute and, without waiting for a response, took off running.

 

203.
Why is he always so elusive and fast as the wind?
I stared after him, confused, then looked down to realize I was still holding Gu Yiliang’s wrist. My face inexplicably turned red. I quickly let go and hurried toward the hotel.
Gu Yiliang didn’t seem to notice my little gesture. He followed behind and chuckled softly: “...Your assistant is pretty amusing.”
“He’s not just amusing...” I replied with a slightly forced smile.

Seeing Gu Yiliang lower his gaze a bit, I realized this wasn’t the moment to complain about Xiao Chen, so I pressed the elevator button and gently patted his back to comfort him: “Don’t worry—”

I meant to say that if he was concerned, he could ask the company to prepare some crisis management. But I wasn’t sure whether the company might make things worse just to attract attention, so I stopped myself and simply said: “—Everything will be fine.”

He took out his phone and said calmly, as if to reassure me: “No worries. All they want is money. You made yourself clear. If they turn against me, they’ll get nothing. They won’t do it.”

 

204.
I stared at the red digits flashing on the elevator screen, not asking further.
Who else could “they” be, if not them?
A rising second-tier actor, a young and demanding stepmother, a mysterious car accident...
It sounded like a suspense drama. You could piece it together, right? Just ask Gu Yiliang’s father, who was notably absent from the whole mess.

Every family has its troubles, but his was really too complicated.
I glanced at Gu Yiliang, who was texting, and my heart clenched — with pain, helplessness, and frustration. I almost wanted to say: “Don’t listen to your dad. Pick me instead.”

I’d definitely be a good dad. I’d buy you candy every day.

 

205.
When he finished texting and saw that no one else was in the hallway, I reached out and pinched his precious cheek: “Smile a little?”
He smiled, then tugged on my cheek in return: “Why do you look sadder than me? You should smile too.”

Honestly, I couldn’t bring myself to smile, but I curled my lips slightly.
Seeing my expression, he lit up his phone screen and showed me: “It’s handled. We agreed on thirty thousand a month. If they keep making trouble, not a cent more. You just saved me three million — shouldn’t you be a little happy?”

I remembered what I said earlier, and I really couldn’t smile anymore.

 

206.
Gu Yiliang seemed to have gotten addicted to tugging at my cheeks. He raised his other hand and pulled even harder, making my face look sadder than if I were actually crying — meanwhile, he laughed like a madman for some reason.
What the heck was so funny?
I pulled my face away, rubbed it, and shot him a glare.

After laughing his fill, he asked: “Why do you protect me so much, you’re supposed to be my rival?”

 

207.
I wanted to ask him the same thing! Rival!

 

208.
And as for his question...

Because he had physical and emotional contact with me in a parallel world?
Because I ship us together and am kind of his fan?
Because I don’t want to see him get hurt?
Because I think he’s a good person?
Because... he’s Gu Yiliang?
…I don’t know.

 

209.
Seeing me looking at him without answering, he chuckled and said, “You play the role of the big boss pretty convincingly. Thinking of taking a similar role in your next film?”
Even with my thick skin, being dissed for my acting right to my face stung a little.
I muttered, “You defend me but mock my acting…”

“Not at all, I was complimenting you,” he denied, then tugged my cheek again and laughed softly. “I really thought you’d believe all those things… How do you remember all this stuff about me...?”

This was dangerous! I cut him off and changed the subject: “Ha, I have a good memory.”

He drew out a long “oh,” looked me in the eye and blinked: “Aren’t you afraid that everything you remember will take up too much space in your brain?”

 

210.
I lost my focus under his piercing gaze and, without thinking, blurted out:
“Not at all. Everything is already occupied by you.”

 

211.
Me: “…”
Me: “No, what I meant was, at first I didn’t remember anything, but when the situation got serious, it all came back in a flash.”
Me: “No, what I meant was, I only remember a small part.”
Me: “No, what I meant was, actually I only remember some of it.”
Me: “No, what I meant was, one day I happened to see one of your interviews, that’s why I remember certain things.”
Me: “…”

 

Translator : DarNan