Chapter 19: In The Midst Of Excitement But Not Part Of It
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
The seafood restaurant Feng Tangtang chose is indeed not high-end.
In fact, Xi Mo, who has always been pampered, thinks this doesn't even qualify as a stall.
The table was on the second floor by the window. Xi Mo followed the stairs, which had already been stepped on by customers and were a bit greasy. To her left was Feng Tangtang, and to her right was Yan Tinghuan. She was almost squeezed between the two of them like a slice of cheese in a sandwich, and her heart was about to explode. However, on the surface, she still had to pretend to be a long-time friend, occasionally participating in their conversations.
When Ruan Yesheng was with acquaintances in the past, she often laughed. Regardless of what she truly thought inside, outwardly, she gave people a good-tempered feeling. When she smiled, she especially looked like a charming and enchanting fairy, so Xi Mo was forced to smile a few times as well.
...Ruan Yesheng, are you selling smiles?
Gradually, Xi Mo looked at the two women on her left and right, feeling like her facial nerves were about to twitch.
I'm actually not familiar with either of you!
Feng Tangtang excitedly talked about some interesting incidents at work and also shared a joke another new assistant had told her.
Xi Mo pulled a chair and sat down, smiling, "Oh, really? Sounds quite amusing."
What's so amusing about it?!
How dare she share jokes like this as if she thinks I've never heard any!
"Right, Ruanruan, I also found it very funny." Feng Tangtang sat down and continued chattering, "I just think he's quite witty, and the best part is that he's very handsome."
"Handsome may not be the right word," Xi Mo casually remarked, "I think he's a bit too old. Isn't hiring an assistant for Xi Mo, Lu Qingming's responsibility? How come he hired a man in his thirties this time?"
In her company, the artist assistants, regardless of gender, are mostly young and energetic, willing to work hard, and most importantly, obedient and manageable. They don't need high salaries, and as they get older, they won't work as assistants anymore but move to other positions. If it's a personal assistant, they usually match male artists with male assistants and female artists with female assistants, which makes everything more convenient. Feng Tangtang is Xi Mo's personal assistant. Of course, many artists can't have just one assistant, especially top-tier artists who have many different assistants. If it's for other aspects of work, there are not strict requirements for gender and age.
Feng Tangtang hurriedly waved her hand, "No way, he's really handsome. Men in their thirties are the most charming, with hormones in full swing. It seems that we didn't originally plan to hire him, and we were considering someone younger, but he has great physical abilities, runs really fast, and is very strong. He used to be a special forces soldier. Besides, after the incident at the hotel last time, the company wants him to work as both an assistant and a body guard, so he can quickly handle any emergencies for Sister Xi. Anyway, being in his thirties is not a problem. Besides, Ruanruan, you're in your twenties, and soon you'll be approaching thirty, right?"
Yan Tinghuan took the menu from the waiter's hand and handed it to Xi Mo first, smiling, "Tangtang, I remember your Sister Xi Mo and Ruanruan are around the same age, so isn't she also getting a bit older?"
Xi Mo: "..."
Feng Tangtang laughed silly after hearing that, "Tinghuan, don't say things Sister Xi can't hear. Luckily, she can't hear; otherwise, she would definitely get angry, and I'm afraid of her scolding me when she's angry."
Xi Mo: "..."
When did I scold you!
You better explain clearly!
Don't you want to work anymore?!
Yan Tinghuan winked, "Don't worry, we'll talk behind her back, if your Sister Xi can't hear, she won't fire you. Right, Ruanruan?"
Xi Mo: "..."
Xi Mo smiled, "Mm, since she can't hear, she's usually just pretending to be elegant and aloof."
Feng Tangtang said earnestly: "But speaking of it, Ruanruan, you look so young, not at all like someone approaching thirty. Sister Xi is also like that; maybe both of you have that kind of youthful appearance. Brother Gu doesn't look like he's in his thirties either; he looks handsome and young. He says he's almost forty, but I didn't believe it until he showed me his ID. It's a shame I forgot to take a picture. I'll show you his photo next time, but he looks even more handsome in person. Oh, Ruanruan, when you're on the same set with Sister Xi, you'll definitely meet him."
She said this, especially excited, her eyebrows were so happy they seemed like they would fly off, "You're filming again, and you're acting together with Sister Xi. I... I'm so happy, we can work together."
Xi Mo said, "...Tangtang, you've already told me this a hundred times on the way here."
Feng Tangtang suddenly felt embarrassed and gestured towards the menu, "You go ahead and order. Just choose whatever you like."
Xi Mo looked down at the various seafood photos on the menu, "..."
Just by looking at it, she felt her stomach, no, Ruan Yesheng's stomach, starting to convulse.
Of course, this convulsion was just an emotional perception in her brain. Ruan Yesheng's stomach was perfectly fine. It's just that Xi Mo had a severe seafood allergy in her original body. She couldn't even touch a tiny bit of seafood, and the psychological trauma was deep. Seeing seafood was like seeing poison, and even now, with a different body, she reflexively wanted to avoid it.
"You can go ahead," Xi Mo pushed the menu back, "I don't mind. I like everything."
Feng Tangtang and Yan Tinghuan each ordered their dishes and also called for several bottles of beer. As the shrimp, crab, shellfish, and other dishes were served one by one, Xi Mo's heart trembled. On the other side, Yan Tinghuan poured her a large glass of beer, preparing to toast enthusiastically, "Cheers!"
Xi Mo: "..."
She really disliked beer; it was too coarse. Besides, she easily gets drunk when drinking, so at most, she would have some red wine.
Ruan Yesheng, on the other hand, loved seafood and even enjoyed beer. It seemed like everything she disliked, Ruan Yesheng loved. It felt like they were destined to be together to settle some debt from their past lives.
With a headache, Xi Mo could only force herself to act and smiled, raising her glass, "Cheers."
"Wait, I want to join too!" Feng Tangtang put down the crab legs and came over, "Here's to Ruanruan's great success!"
With a ding sound, the three of them clinked their glasses, and Xi Mo took a sip, suppressing the nausea.
Yan Tinghuan peeled a shrimp and considerately handed it to Xi Mo, "Here, have this."
Xi Mo turned her head to look at the shrimp: "..."
"I peeled it for you, and you're not even eating it," Yan Tinghuan looked a bit hurt.
"..." Xi Mo reluctantly accepted it.
She wanted to call the police, or maybe dial 120* in advance.
*China's hotline for first aid ambulance, 110 for police
Feng Tangtang ate while saying, "Ruanruan used to be the most diligent at peeling shrimp and shared them with us. What's wrong today? Do you not have much of an appetite? Hey, Ruanruan? Why are your hands shaking so much?"
Xi Mo took a bite of the shrimp and then put down her slightly trembling hand, smiling, "It's a residual effect from the last hospitalization. Sometimes my hands shake a bit, making it inconvenient to peel shrimp."
"Do you need to see the hospital again?" Yan Tinghuan looked concerned.
Xi Mo said, "It's fine, I just need to take it slowly. But before I was discharged, the doctor instructed me to be cautious about certain foods, like seafood, which can trigger it. Also, I should avoid smoking, alcohol, and spicy food, among others."
Feng Tangtang was startled, "Why didn't you say it earlier? Then I... I wouldn't have ordered seafood. What should I do? I even had drinks with you just now."
Xi Mo remained indifferent and said casually, "If I said it earlier, it would have spoiled the mood. Just eat less seafood and drink in moderation. Besides, I also enjoy eating seafood."
...She's about to vomit!
Feng Tangtang quickly said it was not acceptable and promptly asked the waiter to bring several non-seafood light dishes. They also ordered fresh fruit juice. Yan Tinghuan laughed beside them, while Xi Mo watched her peel the shrimp, wishing she could peel Yan Tinghuan's skin off.
Fortunately, she was now in Ruan Yesheng's body, and it was only the mental barrier she couldn't overcome. In reality, her body was not affected at all. If it were her old self, she would have probably ended up in the hospital by now.
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
By the end of the gathering, Feng Tangtang was completely drunk. Xi Mo used to think she was a well-behaved girl who didn't drink much, but it turned out she could really hold her liquor. She was now walking down the stairs in a Titanic-like pose, shouting for Jack to hold her. Luckily, Xi Mo caught her and prevented her from falling, or else this sweet candy would have been shattered into pieces.
Yan Tinghuan supported the drunken Feng Tangtang down the stairs, while Feng Tangtang was still singing loudly, "The great river flows eastward, and the stars in the sky form the Big Dipper." All the guests on the first floor were looking at the three of them. Xi Mo was initially embarrassed and felt her face turning green, but then she realized it wasn't her own face. Suddenly, she became composed again, showing elegance as she walked out the door.
Yan Tinghuan had also had quite a bit to drink, but she had a strong tolerance and didn't appear too drunk. Xi Mo didn't dare to drink and only pretended to do so initially. Later, with the excuse of a medical restriction on drinking, Feng Tangtang stopped her from even pretending to drink, reminding her to strictly follow the doctor's advice.
To avoid the possibility of Feng Tangtang and Yan Tinghuan driving drunk and getting into an accident, Xi Mo drove them home. She had never served as anyone's driver before, and now she had to take care of two drunks. By the time she got back home herself, she felt like her whole body was falling apart.
The curtain was half-opened, and moonlight gently spilled onto the living room floor, casting Xi Mo's shadow in the moonlight, creating a profound silence.
She poured a glass of water, sat on the sofa, and gazed out the window as she sipped slowly.
In the past, she didn't have many real friends. She had countless notifications piling up like mountains, and after work, she would often return home alone. Today, she gathered with Feng Tangtang and Yan Tinghuan, and amidst all the noise and annoyance, she also sensed a bit of warmth to cherish. Especially after such liveliness, sitting alone at home now made her feel an even deeper sense of loneliness, and unexpectedly, she started to long for that kind of liveliness.
But even in the liveliest moments, it belonged to Ruan Yesheng.
Although she stepped in by accident, this was not her life after all.
However, sometimes she felt that Ruan Yesheng was also quite lonely. She didn't know if she was overthinking, but there was always a feeling that Ruan Yesheng was in the midst of excitement but not a part of it. Otherwise, why was it that when she was hospitalized, no one visited or contacted her?
Xi Mo took out her phone and saw that Ruan Yesheng's number was the first one on her message list. Ruan Yesheng was the last person to send her a message today, asking about her audition. Xi Mo thought Lin Qitang would definitely tell her, so she didn't reply.
Setting down her water glass, Xi Mo sat in the moonlight and sent a message to Ruan Yesheng: "Passed."
After some time passed, she finished her water, but there was no reply from Ruan Yesheng. Xi Mo stood up, feeling a bit displeased. She glared at her phone with a cold expression and realized that her actions seemed like she was waiting for Ruan Yesheng's reply. This made her even more irritated. She decisively turned off her phone and went to take a shower.
Ruan Yesheng didn't bring her phone with her. Earlier, Lu Qingming came over and knocked on the door, so she went out and talked with him outside the room.
Lu Qingming looked at the usual composed woman in front of him, pondered for a moment, and then asked, "You haven't been home recently and have been staying at the company. What's going on?"
Ruan Yesheng's demeanor at the company was always cold and distant, which was Xi Mo's usual image. She handled it perfectly.
With little emotion, she replied, "I just don't want to go back."
"Did something happen?" Lu Qingming seemed a bit concerned. It was evident that he had been holding back for days, and now he couldn't help but come and ask, which was quite unusual for him.
Ruan Yesheng lazily raised her eyes and said, "I simply don't want to go back. I can stay wherever I want to."
