315.
What a worry, truly what a worry.
I looked at Gu Yiliang, who had his head down and was focused on eating, and I could almost feel my hair turning white from anxiety.

 

316.
Though secretly snacking on sugar (TN: enjoying cute or ambiguous interactions) was indeed thrilling, this idol really was a source of endless worry.
So... was he straight or not?
If he was, then why did he keep doing and saying things that were undeniably flirtatious? It wasn’t just because I was easy to charm, right?
But if he wasn’t… then how could he act so naturally and comfortably, never once implying anything ambiguous?

If he really was straight, I could indulge in these sweet moments without guilt.
But if he wasn’t…
That wouldn’t stop me from continuing to snack on sugar.

 

317.
But for me, that would change everything!
If it turned out he wasn’t straight, then not only would I be secretly enjoying the sugar, I’d also be publicly doing fanservice with him under company orders. Wouldn’t that make me a scumbag toying with his feelings?!
No, that would be unacceptable. Unforgivable.

I chewed on my bean sprouts with a sigh, cursing scientists for not having invented a kind of “heterosexuality test strip” yet.
Like pH strips—just stick one on his forehead, and the colour would tell you whether he’s straight or not.
People always talk about Schrödinger’s cat, but Gu Yiliang was basically Schrödinger’s straight guy!

 

318.
Once I was full, I pushed away my plate of fried noodles and chewed on the straw of my soy milk, still lost in thought.
Gu Yiliang noticed I’d stopped eating and frowned slightly: “Not hungry anymore?”

I hesitated, then nodded.
It had been the same the last time we ate together. I have this bad habit of ordering way too much because I wanted to try everything, but I could never finish it all. I always feel guilty, but I still haven’t been able to break the habit.
He gave me a look that was half exasperated, then silently pulled my half-full plate of noodles toward himself.
Under my astonished gaze, he finished it in three bites and wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Next time, don’t waste food.”

I was speechless: “...”

I stammered, “But… I just wanted to taste it.”

He thought for a moment: “Then from now on, bring me with you whenever you eat. That way, I can finish what you don’t.”

 

319.
Oh my god, that was so cute!

 

320.
In an instant, all my anxiety about Schrödinger’s straight guy disappeared. With tears in my eyes, I nodded enthusiastically.

Amused, he gave me a look: “You’re really that happy just because I let you treat me to a meal? If I sold you off, you’d probably even help me count the money, wouldn’t you?”

I almost fell for his seduction trap!
Snapping out of it, I shook my head firmly: “Impossible.”

Curious, he asked, “Oh? Why not?”

So you're the only one allowed to flirt?

Not wanting to be outdone, I put on a playful look and replied with a flirty smile: “Because you’d never be able to bring yourself to sell me.”

 

321.
He went silent: “...”

I blinked: “...?”

Then he burst out laughing.

My attempt at being charming had failed. Dropping the flirtatious act, I pouted and gave him a light punch.
He blocked me and teased: “You sure talk a lot more when the cameras are off, huh?”

I retorted angrily, “And you’re no better when the cameras are off!”

He looked puzzled: “Me? What did I do?”

Are you kidding?!
Every little thing you do or say off-camera is enough to make the entire Niangzi army explode like it’s New Year’s!

A thousand thoughts rushed through my head. I fell silent for a while, but the temptation to enjoy more sugar won out.
So I patted him on the shoulder with a smile: “Nothing, kid. Just keep being you. You’re perfect.”

 

322.

He clearly had no idea what I was rambling about.
He shrugged, about to say something—
When my phone, lying on the table, rang.
It was a call from Lao Huang, the neighbour.

No way I could ignore the call.
I picked up the phone and made an apologetic gesture to him. When he nodded, I took a few steps away and answered: “Boss Huang!”

 

323.
“Yes, yes, the money’s more than enough—I’m earning a good living.”
“No, not tired at all. It’s just a shoot, nothing hard. You should take better care of yourself, and seriously, quit smoking, okay?”
“No, no need—I haven’t even finished this shoot yet.”
“Yes, yes, I’ll come see you as soon as I get a chance. Or, you could come visit me on set?”
“Yeah, I promise. If I ever run out of money, I’ll let you know.”

 

324.
“You’ve made some new friends?”
I instinctively looked toward Gu Yiliang. The dim lighting of the food stall made it hard to read his expression.
“Yes, I met someone—he’s super nice. You know what?...”

Still smiling, I began to whisper into the phone, talking in detail about how great Gu Yiliang was as I made my way to the counter to pay the bill.

 

325.
When I came back after paying and hanging up the call, it was like the whole world had changed.

I tried talking to Gu Yiliang, but he only replied with a flat “Hmm.”
I looked into his eyes, but he turned away.
I walked beside him, and he kept moving forward, head down, avoiding any eye contact.
I nudged him with my elbow, and although he didn’t say anything, it was obvious he was upset.

 

326.
What was going on?
We hadn’t even started anything, and he was already acting like we were about to break up?

He had just said confidently that he’d eat with me every meal, and now he was giving me the cold shoulder?
What a heartbreaker. Total scumbag!

 

327.
I saw him pull out a pack of cigarettes, but before I could say anything, he put them away again.
Now I was even more confused. What, had someone possessed him during my phone call?

 

328.
I circled around him, chanting like a broken record: “Gu Yiliang, Gu Yiliang, Gu Yiliang, Gu Yiliang…”

Just then, a delivery tricycle zoomed by, and Gu Yiliang suddenly yanked me back with a sharp, irritated voice: “Watch where you’re going!”

Off balance, I stumbled straight into his arms.

He held me tightly for a long moment before finally pushing me to the inside of the side-walk, stepping between me and the road.

 

329.
Ah, that protective strength—so familiar!
This was the Gu Yiliang I knew! My chant had worked!

I nudged him with my elbow: “Hey, why were you ignoring me just now?”

After a long pause, he replied—completely off-topic: “Later, let’s run our scene together.”

Me: “Huh?”
Him: “To improve your acting.”
Me: “Huh?”
Him: “So you can become a respected actor.”
Me: “Huh?”
Him: “That way, you’ll get more roles.”
Me: “Huh?”
Him: “And have a bright future.”
Me: “Me?”
His expression turned complicated: “I’m serious. Stop settling for being just a supporting role.”

Me: “…”

 

330.
I mentally replayed our conversation, trying to figure out what he meant.

He must have been thinking while I was on the phone—probably reflecting on my acting skills—and felt like I wasn’t quite on his level.
It must have bothered him, but he didn’t want to give up on me. So instead, he wanted to help me improve, so we could become partners worthy of each other—a perfectly matched CP for the fans.

Ah… Gu Yiliang really was the sweetest.

That thought moved me so much that I grabbed his hand and shook it. “You’re just too kind.”

He didn’t pull his hand away but looked at me, clearly confused.

Overwhelmed with gratitude, I gripped his hand even tighter. “You don’t even judge me.”

His expression grew even more complicated.

 

331.
I was humming a cheerful tune while he walked beside me in silence. We went a good distance like that.
He looked preoccupied, turning his head toward me every few steps as if he wanted to say something but didn’t quite dare.

I noticed his hesitation and asked, “What’s wrong?”

After a moment of uncertainty, he finally spoke. “This… how long has this been going on?”

Ah, he was talking about my poor acting? “Since the beginning of my career.”

He stopped in his tracks. “You’re not afraid of what people might say about you?”

After all the criticism I’d gotten over the years, I was immune. “They can say what they want. I’m used to it.”

He was silent for a long time, then finally asked, “...Do a lot of people know?”

That was a weird question. “Well, yeah. It’s pretty obvious—you noticed it too, didn’t you?”

Him: “…”

 

332.
The atmosphere grew strangely tense.
I looked at him, confused. “What? What is it?”

He met my eyes, serious and hesitant. “Couldn’t you… just stop?”

Wow. Did he really have to be that dramatic over something so minor? Was my acting really that bad?

I tilted my head, thinking it over.
I still had a bit of confidence in myself, so I smiled and gave his cheek a playful pinch. “Of course I can. Now that I have you, there’s no problem anymore.”

He stopped walking, dead still.

 

333.
I watched, dumbfounded, as Gu Yiliang smoked his third cigarette in the little garden outside the hotel.

Weren’t we just going to run lines to improve my acting? He was the one who suggested it.
Why was he now acting like he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders? Was this what they called “artistic devotion”?

When he reached for a fourth cigarette, I placed my hand on his to stop him. “Enough, enough. If you don’t feel like it, let’s drop it, okay? Don’t force yourself.”

I smiled and added, “I’m fine with things just the way they are. I’ve got roles to play, money coming in—everything’s going great for me.”

He was quiet for a long time.
Then, as if making some kind of final decision, he grabbed my wrist and declared solemnly, “All right. Then let’s do that. No forcing anything.”

Me: “Huh?”

 

Translator : DarNan