Chapter 40: Cute
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Ruan Yesheng buried her cheek on Xi Mo's shoulder, not daring to move at all.
The feeling of the hug was like a dream; she feared that even the slightest movement could shatter this bubble dream, causing the version of herself in the dream to wake up.
If this hug had a time limit, how long would it be? Since Xi Mo didn't like close contact, this time should be very short.
One minute.
Or perhaps just a few tens of seconds.
This time limit felt like an invisible alarm clock set to ring mercilessly the moment it arrived, reminding of the impending end of this warmth. Just like how people, upon hearing their alarm but still reluctant to leave the warmth of their bed, press the "snooze" option on their phone, wishing for "sleep for ten more minutes," she was unwilling to leave Xi Mo's embrace.
Ruan Yesheng thought, if only she had an option for a “hug for ten more minutes."
But would Xi Mo be uncomfortable with being held like this?
Obviously, it was merely a fleeting moment, yet Ruan Yesheng couldn't comprehend how she could conjure up so many thoughts in that brief time. Her mind was in turmoil, and her heart palpitated restlessly.
Xi Mo sensed the woman in her arms growing increasingly anxious. Shedding the heavy costumes, both were dressed lightly for summer. In this embrace, with only a thin layer of fabric separating their skins, the sensation of their heartbeats transmitted more distinctly. Sensing this clarity, Xi Mo felt a slight stiffness creeping over her entire body.
Ruan Yesheng immediately noticed Xi Mo's change. Thinking that Xi Mo was still uncomfortable with the embrace and disliked intimate contact, she quickly loosened her hold.
Xi Mo hadn't anticipated Ruan Yesheng suddenly letting go. Her arms, which were maintaining the embrace, were left suspended in mid-air, a bit caught off guard. Then she realized Ruan Yesheng was looking at her and immediately lowered her arms.
Ruan Yesheng chuckled, attempting to cover the prior silent awkwardness, "Why are you so nervous?"
Xi Mo coldly glared at her, "Don't talk nonsense."
"Then why were you so stiff when you hugged me just now?" Ruan Yesheng walked over to sit at the table, continuing to prop her chin up. "If you're constantly tense like this, it might cause stiffness in my muscles. I'll have to dance after switching back to my body. If my muscles stiffen, how can I dance?"
Xi Mo: "..."
"Then why was your heartbeat suddenly so fast when you hugged me just now?" Xi Mo also sat down, facing Ruan Yesheng. "If you keep having this rapid heartbeat, it might cause heart problems in my body. I'll have to act after switching back to my body. If I have heart problems, how can I act?"
Ruan Yesheng: "..."
Ruan Yesheng regretted her previous sarcastic remarks at Xi Mo. Now Xi Mo had become immune to them and was effortlessly throwing back refined and cold mockery, momentarily discarding her noble and aloof demeanor.
She placed both hands on the tabletop, fingers interlaced, supporting her chin. After a while, she said, "Now, I'm starting to enjoy being nervous."
Xi Mo: "..."
"Come on," Ruan Yesheng chuckled, "why aren't you imitating me in speaking?"
Xi Mo: "..."
Admittedly, deep down, Ruan Yesheng sometimes enjoyed seeing Xi Mo being at a loss in front of her. Usually, at times like this, Xi Mo would glare at her with a straight face, but helplessly holding back. That demeanor was genuinely... cute.
"Now, shouldn't you also say, 'Now I'm starting to enjoy having a fast heartbeat?'" Ruan Yesheng continued, knowing Xi Mo's nature, she wouldn't say such things and could only hold back.
She felt a bit ashamed of her own amusement, but she just couldn't control it—after all, she liked cuteness.
Xi Mo lowered her head and casually flipped through the box containing fan letters and handmade gifts on the table. After a moment, she lifted her head, gazing into Ruan Yesheng's eyes, "Now, I'm starting to enjoy having a fast heartbeat."
Ruan Yesheng: "..."
...Why isn't she following the usual script this time?
Ruan Yesheng bit her lip, a slightly peculiar blush tinting her cheeks.
...Not following the script is cute too.
Who made her like cuteness?
If only... she liked the cute side of her as well.
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Ruan Yesheng's gaze towards Xi Mo appeared somewhat teary, and that look was too captivating; even a log would feel numb seeing it.
Xi Mo, initially looking at her, immediately averted her gaze, pretending to focus on reading the fan letters.
Ruan Yesheng, then, focused on watching Xi Mo, who seemed engrossed in reading the fan letters.
The letters were randomly chosen. Xi Mo went through one after another. Perhaps sensing Ruan Yesheng's gaze, she initially maintained a stiff expression. However, after reading several letters, her expression softened considerably. Occasionally, her lips even curved slightly upwards, likely from reading some interesting content in the letters.
These letters were all written by fans during the evening visit. They are all from girls, and the envelopes and paper are very delicate. Some even have stickers, exuding a strong sense of girlish sentiment.
"Do you like reading fan letters?" Ruan Yesheng suddenly asked her.
Xi Mo, while reading, replied, “It depends on the content. I dislike intrusive ones, but everyone likes cute ones."
Ruan Yesheng stared at the stacked letters, a hint of a different meaning flickered in her eyes. "If a fan knew you read their letter and found it cute, they'd surely be very happy."
Xi Mo glanced at her, saying, "They wouldn't know if I've read it or not. It's random."
"But they probably all hope and believe that you have read them and found them cute, so they are still happy."
"Do you think so?"
"Of course. You're not someone's fan, so you wouldn't understand."
Xi Mo fell silent.
Indeed, she isn't anyone's fan. Even though there are actors, singers, painters, and so on, both domestically and internationally, whose work she finds appealing and really likes, she views them with an appreciation for their artistry; it's not the genuine fan mentality. Besides, given her high starting point since childhood, she's long been accustomed to the admiring and envious gazes directed at her by others. She has never considered herself a fan of anyone; she doesn't need to.
Xi Mo continued to search quietly in this silence. Some letters and handmade gifts were sorted through by her hands. After a moment of observation, her gaze was suddenly drawn to one particular gift.
The gift looked like a photo album; its cover was plain, without any writing, just a piece of pressed specimen attached.
Xi Mo stared at the leaf for a long time before picking up the album and flipping it open, discovering that it was filled with leaves. The fan who gave this clearly spent a lot of time meticulously collecting these leaves, drying and pressing them, then arranging them as pressed leaf specimens neatly stored within the album, one by one.
One leaf per page, depicting the seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter; various shades of green, red, and yellow leaves, representing different trees.
Ruan Yesheng noticed that Xi Mo's expression seemed somewhat dazed, unsure of what she was thinking. At this moment, it felt inappropriate to disturb her, so she remained seated nearby.
It wasn't until Xi Mo closed the specimen book that she spoke in a very soft voice: “Let me take this with me.”
Ruan Yesheng seldom heard Xi Mo speaking in this tone—somewhat drained and breathless. It raised a bit of concern in her mind, though she maintained a smile and said, “This was their gift to you; you can handle it however you want. Do you want to take anything else?”
“No need, this is enough.”
Ruan Yesheng asked, “...Are you interested in collecting pressed leaf specimens?”
Xi Mo didn't directly answer her, simply stating, “I used to collect them when I was a child.”
Ruan Yesheng nodded, refraining from asking further.
Xi Mo placed the pressed leaf specimen book aside and continued flipping through. Sometimes, Ruan Yesheng would speak with her, gradually restoring a lively and natural atmosphere.
"Around eleven o'clock, Xi Mo stood up to leave. Ruan Yesheng escorted her to the door. Before opening it, Xi Mo said, “Goodnight.”
Ruan Yesheng smiled, replying, “Goodnight.”
She then reached out her hand, “Before you go, would you mind saying goodbye to this fan with another hug?”
Xi Mo hesitated: “...”
Ruan Yesheng leaned in, this time just symbolically embracing her for a moment, a brief interaction. She patted Xi Mo's shoulder, “See you tomorrow.”
Xi Mo left, and the door closed behind her.
Ruan Yesheng leaned against the door, took a deep breath, and couldn't help but smile to herself.
Today, she hugged Xi Mo twice, even though the moments were very short. The last one didn't even strictly qualify as a hug, but she felt satisfied nonetheless.
It was a pity they swapped bodies. Even when she hugged Xi Mo, she was essentially hugging her original body. This feeling was indeed a bit strange, so she always closed her eyes when hugging. At least she knew that Xi Mo was willing to hug her back.
If only they could switch back and she could truly hug Xi Mo once.
She felt an increasing desire to laugh, and an inexplicable urge to exchange back with Xi Mo intensified within her.
Leaning against the door, Ruan Yesheng realized Xi Mo hadn't actually left. Separated by a door, Xi Mo quietly observed for a long while, then smiled faintly.
After her smile faded, her face suddenly froze, as if she couldn't believe herself, she rubbed her face, erasing the smile.
...Why did I smile?
Am I sick?
As a high mountain flower, Xi Mo couldn't accept the inexplicable smile at the door. She straightened up and left with a stern face.
Some days later, the official promotion of the Sui Ting drama finally commenced. Even before this, rumors and speculations were circulating, gaining considerable attention when the lead roles were speculated. The hype continued afterward, but none compared to the impact of this official announcement.
Sui Ting's official Weibo account had just released the first set of makeup photos of the main characters, causing a frenzy online.
Xi Mo, being the queen of popularity herself, with an enormous fan base, initially sparked the first wave of excitement. Followed by the fervent female fans of Yan Mu, the male god. Subsequently, other important actors' fans contributed to the surge in shares and comments. Combined with the promotional efforts of Xi Mo's company and Lin Qitang, the hired social media boosters, the reposts and comments on the initial makeup photos on Weibo skyrocketed, immediately taking the top spot in the hot search.
The number of participants is just too many, and the style in the reposted comments is a chaotic mess, there's a bit of everything.
"Ah ah ah ah ah ah aaaaah! The goddess's character makeup photo is stunning!!!”
"#Xi Mo as Deng Sui in Sui Ting# Xi Mo is so beautiful! When will it be aired?”
"#Yan Mu as Liu Zhao in Sui Ting# Male god beauty!!! Male god charm!!! Male god, marry me!!!"
"Ink-dyed Hua Guang*, Sui Ting in the prosperous age!”
*Don't know what this means, probably some well wishes, Hua Guang is a Taoist deity, but Hua also means magnificent or flowery and Guang can mean bright or shiny
"Ha ha, some fans are shameless. They're promoting the ‘Prosperous Sui Ting'! The Eastern Han Dynasty, was an extremely sick and feeble era, how dare you use the term 'prosperous age'? It gives me goosebumps. Fans, quickly reincarnate and study history for several more years before coming out to embarrass yourselves again."
"Is Ruan Yesheng who plays Ding'e a newcomer? She's so beautiful! I bet my moral integrity, that actress is going to be popular!"
"Are the fans of this drama very young? How come so many people don't know who Ruan Yesheng is now? You didn't know where she was when she was popular in the early years. Not much else to say, I recommend her movie 'Sound Of Steps', you will come back and share it after watching it."
"Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah my goddess Ruan Yesheng!!! Ah ah ah ah ah everyone look at me!!! Eat my amway*!!! Ruanruan is finally back!!!"
*Amway means recommendation
Under this kind of promotional momentum, fans and detractors naturally come up with various tactics. Xi Mo's detractors relentlessly criticize Sui Ting and Xi Mo. Xi Mo's fans roll up their sleeves and engage in mutual squabbles with these detractors. They argue back and forth, but because more people are paying attention to this drama and its actors, the squabbling is quickly overwhelmed by a wave of comments, then resurfaces, rising and falling like rolling in turbulent waves.
Having seen these quarrels many times, the melon eaters have become numb. Their focus has shifted to whether the characters' clothes are good-looking and if their faces are attractive or not. The conclusion drawn is that the costume design is beautiful, Xi Mo is beautiful, Yan Mu is handsome, and even the supporting actress Ruan Yesheng is unbelievably beautiful. The appearance of the other cast members is also very good. Without saying much else, in terms of appearances, this show's attractiveness is quite high.
In terms of looks, they are quite satisfied.
On the first day of Sui Ting's official announcement, it dominated the headlines amid this hot-pot craze Naturally, Xi Mo and Yan Mu ranked high in the hot searches, and even Ruan Yesheng secured a prominent spot in the hot search list. Her previous works and experiences were exposed to the public eye. Coincidentally, a singer released a song today; he has always had the fate of being overshadowed in the headlines no matter what he does, and this time was no exception.
Many netizens went to the singer's Weibo to express their condolences: "Hey, headline sightseeing card. Your headline got stolen again! So sad!”
"Ai ya, so frustrated, headline stolen again, but still gotta keep smiling."
By the evening, around eight o'clock, another celebrity's action once again stirred up a frenzy around Sui Ting's official announcement. Shen Qingbie reposted Sui Ting's makeup promo post, adding a sentence: “Keep going!”
Fans were outraged, and so were the media, speculating wildly.
"#Shen Qingbie reposts Xi Mo's new drama promotion, dispels rumors of their discord!"
"What's going on? Shen Qingbie reposted the promotion of Xi Mo's new drama? Can someone tell me if the sun rose from the east or the west this morning?"
"Can you stop randomly speculating, saying wind as rain*! Yan Mu and Qingqing are good friends. In this drama, Yan Mu is the male lead, so what's strange about Qingqing helping her good friend Yan Mu promote? Ha, any half-hair relationship with a certain noble lady? Fans of a certain noble lady, don't try to put gold on your faces**."
*taking an inaccurate news/rumor as the truth even if you only heard half of it.
**glorify oneself, think highly of yourself
"Hehe, shouldn't fans of a certain quiet lady refrain from putting gold on their faces? Sui Ting's promotion is so hot right now, a certain quiet lady can't stay quiet anymore and wants to bask in our goddess's popularity?"
The Weibo posts of major celebrities are very valuable, especially those of Shen Qingbie's level. If they are asked to share promotions, either the crew or the company has regulations and interests involved or for the sake of friendship within the industry without expecting anything in return. Otherwise, who would help generate heat for their enemies?"
So that's why it's strange, Shen Qingbie isn't foolish.
After seeing this, Shen Qingbie's manager immediately dialed Shen Qingbie's phone number and shouted furiously into the phone: "Qingqing, are you stupid?"
At the time this happened, the Sui Ting crew was gathered together for dinner. They finished work late, so they were having dinner at this time.
Upon learning about Shen Qingbie's repost, Xi Mo initially thought she misheard. She wanted to ask Yan Mu about the situation but found it hard to broach the topic.
Fortunately, Lin Qitang was quite a gossip aficionado. After reading it, he burst out laughing. He couldn't believe even Shen Qingbie had helped to spread it; this promotion was really worth it. He immediately asked Yan Mu at the table, “Did you ask Shen Qingbie for help in promoting?”
Yan Mu was confused: 'No, I didn't. I didn't tell Sister Qingqing about this matter. However, it's possible she voluntarily wanted to help me promote. After all, there were some shows in the past that I didn't inform her about, but she still helped me spread the word.
Ruan Yesheng portrays Xi Mo very professionally in front of others. Currently, many actors at the table are eating while busily checking their phones, paying attention to the updates of today's official announcement. She's the only one holding her bowl, eating slowly and delicately, displaying an air of aloofness as if the matters do not concern her.
Xi Mo looked at her appearance, almost doubting her life—Was I really like this before?
Ding Pei and Ruan Yesheng were separated from the others. Ding Pei leaned back and leaned over, whispering to Sister Xi softly, “Sister Xi, Sister Xi, have you seen online? Sister Qingqing reposted a Weibo post related to you for the first time! Do you know what she means by this?”
Ruan Yesheng glanced at him faintly, giving a slight smile, “I don't know, I haven't checked my phone.”
Ding Pei could only refrain from asking further.
Xi Mo: “...”
After finishing the meal, Ruan Yesheng immediately left. Xi Mo noticed her hurried pace and quickly followed behind. Although Ruan Yesheng was walking swiftly, her demeanor remained graceful. Mimicking her perfectly, Xi Mo walked exactly like her. Then she saw Ruan Yesheng briskly entering the restroom, taking out her phone at the sink, and intensely scrolling through it.
Xi Mo: “...”
“Aren’t you too dying to know?” Xi Mo suddenly remarked coldly."
