“Speak more clearly.” Jiahui gripped her phone, strangely feeling her heartbeat accelerate.
That end only sighed, and sighed again before abruptly shifting tones, “Go see for yourself. Remember to grab some ice cubes from the fridge, freeze yourself calm.” Then promptly hung up.
She thought and rethought before carrying her laptop from the bedroom. Searching ‘Yi Wenze latest interview,’ several dozen pages instantly popped up from the program she accompanied him to that day. The titles were all over the place. She scanned them and opened one named ‘Shocking secrets, Yi Wenze reveals his own romantic history,’ staring at the buffering screen and deeply inhaling.
Don’t make it too romantic, or I really will be jealous.
Very normal opening. The host was even chattier than in the waiting room that day. Kept laughing and claiming to be his long-term fan. Yi Wenze only sat very comfortably on the sofa, continuously smiling with slight nods. Occasionally saying a couple words was already enough to spur shrieks from the fans below. Those retrospective videos interspersed with clips from all stages after he became famous even made her feel excited watching.
Until the host grinned and asked, “I wonder if today, I can break your habit?”
Yi Wenze laughed. “I know what you want to ask.”
The beaming host sighed loudly three or four times before first addressing the audience, “Do you want to know?”
Below rang out waves of laughter. Several girls said in unison, “Don’t want to know!”
Jiahui lightly laughed. This poor host probably had never seen fans so protective over their idol before.
But the host was quite composed and casual in saying he had already mentally prepared himself. Today’s challenge was facing not only one person’s silence, but also dozens of fans acting as guard. The fans echoed raucously, shouting ‘don’t ask,’ ‘don’t say.’ The atmosphere turned comedic for a time. Yi Wenze merely smiled until finally speaking near the end, “We’ve been friends over ten years.”
“That’s right.” The host was extremely grateful he was willing to talk, easing the awkwardness on set. “So, I’ve decided to withstand the director’s pressure and give you leeway this time.”
He laughed while adjusting into a more comfortable sitting position.
Jiahui pulled out a cookie tin from under the tea table and flipped to her favorite flavor.
“I first met my fiancée also in Beijing over ten years ago.”
The video instantly turned dead silent before erupting into roaring shrieks.
The cookie she just started tearing froze, her fingers already numb without knowing how to bend.
In Beijing over ten years prior? How was that possible?
Wait…since when was it “fiancée”?
The host also dramatically covered her mouth and suddenly stood from her seat. Facing the camera, she said, “Director, I want a raise. Yi Wenze is finally opening his mouth for the first time and it’s about his feelings!” After finishing, she covered her chest again to look at Yi Wenze. “Ze, please give me a moment to adjust. My mind’s gone completely blank. I have no idea what to ask.”
The fans below were even louder.
He laughed, “No need to ask. I’ll honestly divulge things.”
Then very casually picked up mineral water for a few sips.
Jiahui stared fixedly at her screen only to find she had crushed all the cookies.
“I’m considered quite fortunate. Entering the industry went very smoothly, seemingly no twists or turns.” He paused before continuing, “Actually before entering this line, I was an extremely shy person. Suddenly having to face the media and public everyday, I always felt somewhat poorly adapted. Luckily Sister Mai[1] was very tolerant, no demands whatsoever and just gave me two months’ break.”
[1] His manager
His words seemed to contain a gently compelling power that quieted everyone.
“At the time, I was in Beijing and lived around a month there. I remember when your Xidan Book Building had just opened. I met a friend nearby for tea but by the time I arrived, he had already sat for very long. Then he pointed outside the glass and told me, ‘I never thought of you as an idol but I’m thoroughly convinced today. That young girl used up even her fare home to buy your posters.’”
The shot pulled in closer. He kept that faint smile the entire time, seeming so unreal.
Jiahui almost forgot to breathe. She vaguely recalled doing something similar many years ago. But it was now hazy, even she couldn’t remember clearly herself. How was this related to him? Merely a pane of glass apart, she had seen him over ten years ago?
Or it should be said, he had seen her.
The program team responded very timely.
Very slowly, they played his new track “With You.”
The rather smooth melody made his voice even gentler.
“At the time through the glass, I saw a young girl carrying a huge schoolbag. Probably completely stuffed full of books. One corner of her bag stuck out a very long paper cylinder, seemed to be a poster rolled up. I asked my friend, ‘How do you know she has no money to get home?’ He said while she picked books, he saw this girl muttering to herself, calculating what she could buy based on her bus fare money. Then she happily discovered it was actually enough for three posters.”
“What happened after?”
“Afterwards,” he smiled. “Do you mean that day? Or afterwards afterwards?”
Jiahui stood, then sat, then after three seconds immediately stood again. She had been in the waiting room herself that day. He actually said all this while she knew nothing…
What about after? What about after? Innumerable fans clamored to know offscreen.
He smiled with a head shake. “Nothing afterwards that day. I owed her a ride home. Many years later after seeing her again, with interest plus living costs, it already seemed I owed far too much and could only use the method Chinese people most commonly employ to settle debts.”
Very obvious joke. Faint smile.
It took her a long time to recover her senses among the fans shouting “betrothal with one’s body.”
Joy bubbled forth, layer by layer, nearly blurring her sight completely.
The host couldn’t speak for a time due to being so moved. Finally after a long while, she sighed and said all was fated. She estimated the fans here would be willing to walk home and exchange several Yi Wenze posters if possible. Yet in that sea of people, he had only seen her, back when she was still a young girl. What grated teeth with envy the most was they could even meet again years later.
The video clip slammed in. Clearly from a staunch Yi Wenze fan who specially edited this section.
Jiahui forgot to even turn off the window. She wandered into the kitchen. In the dead of winter, she actually took out a bottle of mineral water and downed several big gulps. But the blaze in her heart still leapt about. Her entire body seemed to burn. Frighteningly hot.
Only after emptying that entire bottle did she toss it into the trash and continue leaning against the wall in a daze.
She had never considered such a coincidence possible.
He had seen her, moreover in Beijing.
Bits and pieces floated up in her mind of hints from the past. The scene stopped at his second run-in with Gu Yu[1]. He had clearly said that year when she was 15, he saw her. She truly felt too ashamed, actually thinking he was reciting movie lines…
[1] Name of a character
As she covered her face with sighs, she suddenly heard the entrance door sound.
Oh no, Yi Wenze came back.
She had just taken a step and hesitated quite awkwardly. Hearing the footsteps come closer, she rubbed her face before walking from the kitchen. He went to the water dispenser and poured a cup of hot water. Seeing her emerge, he casually asked, “Did you get the photo frame?”
Jiahui’s face reddened as she mumbled that she did.
No good. Recalling that he had actually seen ugly ol’ her back in the sprout years made her feel rather awful.
She feigned composure. But the moment she passed him, Yi Wenze suddenly embraced her. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing much.” She smiled sweetly.
The corners of his lips curved up as he lowered his head to nip her mouth. The two very naturally kissed. Having downed a whole bottle of icy water, Jiahui’s tongue was cool while his was hot and comfortable. They continued kissing until she grew somewhat breathless and he carried her horizontally to the living room.
Photo frames lay atop the sofa. He glanced over and simply held her sitting on the carpet by the table side instead.
Jiahui snuggled in his arms and just thought of asking if she should cook him something to eat. But she noticed her laptop was still open on the table so she swiftly hugged his neck to block his sight. “Tired?”
All done for! The video had stopped but the entire screen showed search results. If he saw, wouldn’t she be utterly humiliated?
Yi Wenze leaned against the sofa behind him. “Not bad. I ate dinner before boarding.”
She straightened up again, desperately trying to find an excuse to draw him from the computer. Seeing her concentrated thinking, Yi Wenze suddenly chuckled. Just as he wanted to say something, she took the initiative to kiss him. Her little tongue tentatively slid into his mouth. That hint of evasion yet insistent physically expressive method completely set a flame ablaze.
But he deliberately had no reaction, enjoying her rare initiative.
“Hey!” Jiahui finally couldn’t endure it anymore. She shifted her gaze at him. “How come you lack a response?”
He asked back, “What reaction?”
“When I’m like this already…” Jiahui nearly cried. “Don’t tell me you have a woman outside already?” With that thought, she actually disregarded her main objective. Hands roaming over him, she sniffed all around. Right as she lowered her head, Yi Wenze happened to see the laptop screen and instantly understood what she wanted.
Jiahui lifted her face suspiciously. “Or have you been too exhausted recently that you don’t want to do that anymore?”
That must be it! Otherwise, this was far too frustrating. She so rarely took the initiative to offer her body yet he, he actually had no reaction!
He carried her up and pressed her below him, propping his head very near hers.
Jiahui grinned widely instead. “You’ve reacted now?”
Right after asking, she realized how blatant she was and promptly shut up.
Her teasing made him chuckle. “Wife, very reacted. Let me report.”
Only then did he lower his head to kiss her face. Gradually shifting to her ear, he very softly said, “I already told you about this long ago. Why are you only recalling it now?”
……
Jiahui ah-ed. She promptly understood his implication. “That day…I thought you were joking.”
He oh-ed quietly. “When did I ever joke with you?”
It seemed…perhaps…he never had.
He steadily proceeded until a hand went behind her back to unclasp her bra, pausing to ask another question. “Here? Or the bedroom?”
That simple line entirely dissipated her prior boldness to offer herself. After hesitating very long, she finally said, “The bedroom…” Yi Wenze said okay. Just as he wanted to carry her, she suddenly recalled a huge problem. Eyes wide, she stared at him, “Or, why don’t you just sleep instead. You flew between Beijing and Shanghai for a day already. So tiring, right? Let me go spread blankets for you.”
He was exasperated into laughter. “Wife, what’s the matter now?”
Mewling and pawing for a while, she finally kissed him apologetically. “I forgot, it’s not convenient today…”
Leave a Reply