Chapter 138: Gift
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
When Ruan Yesheng heard those three words, she looked up right away and stared at Xi Mo in a daze.
Even though many years had passed, she still remembered that cup of honey lemon water she gave. Now that it was brought up again, it felt like she had just woken up from an old dream.
Back then, she was so nervous. She was scared Xi Mo wouldn’t want to drink something she made by hand, so she made up an excuse that it was store-bought and asked Zhou Wenxu to help send it in.
During that whole time, she didn’t even see Xi Mo’s face, let alone talk to her.
After Xi Mo drank that cup of honey lemon water, she had no idea what it tasted like to Xi Mo.
Even though it was just a drink as plain as can be, she still really wanted to know how Xi Mo felt after drinking it. But she didn’t dare to ask. After sending that cold honey lemon water in, she just quietly walked away.
After that, she never got an answer.
She didn’t expect Xi Mo to tell her now, with her own mouth, that it tasted really good.
Even if it came so many years late.
She still waited long enough to hear it.
The sourness from back then mixed with the sweetness of now felt like an invisible cup of honey lemon water, and Ruan Yesheng tasted its sweet and sour flavor.
The corners of Ruan Yesheng’s lips gently curled up.
The guards and house helpers didn’t have much time. They still had a lot to do. After Xi Mo finished introducing them, she let them go back.
One of the helpers was in charge of buying groceries. She asked Xi Mo what ingredients and fruits to get today. Xi Mo said to Ruan Yesheng, “I don’t know what dishes you plan to make today, tell Auntie yourself.”
Ruan Yesheng made a detailed shopping list on her phone and sent it to that helper. She smiled and said, “Thank you, Auntie. Just buy these for now. If I need anything tomorrow, I’ll send it to you again.”
The guards and helpers saw that Ruan Yesheng was pretty and polite, so they had a very good impression of her.
As the guards and helpers walked off to get back to work, Xi Mo suddenly thought of something. She quickly walked over and caught up with the helper who was going to the supermarket. She whispered a few words to her. The helper nodded, then left.
When Xi Mo came back, Ruan Yesheng asked, “Did you want something to buy?”
“Mm.” Xi Mo replied vaguely, “I forgot something. I asked Auntie to help me get it.”
Zhou Wenxu also turned to leave, but Xi Mo called out to him, “Zhou Wenxu, wait a second.”
Zhou Wenxu stopped where he was and asked, “Is there something planned for today?”
Back in college, he had followed Xi Mo around as her bodyguard. Xi Mo trusted him, so the way they talked was casual and natural.
“Nothing planned.” Xi Mo paused for a moment, then asked him, “Besides the honey lemon water, was there anything else Ruan Yesheng gave you to pass to me, and I didn’t know about it?”
Ruan Yesheng lightly bit her lip.
Zhou Wenxu thought for a bit and said, “There is. Back in college, every year on your birthday, Miss Ruan prepared a birthday gift for you and asked me to give it to you.”
Xi Mo quickly looked at Ruan Yesheng, her eyelids twitching. Her face grew tense. “She gave me birthday gifts?”
But Ruan Yesheng still didn’t say a word.
Zhou Wenxu said, “Yes. But Miss Ruan told me not to tell you who sent them at first. She marked the gifts, so once you opened them, you would understand they were from her. I thought she wanted to surprise you. Every year on your birthday, I helped Miss Ruan bring the gift to you. When you saw the gift box, you just told me to put it with the others. I thought once you opened it, you would know it was from her.”
Xi Mo: “…”
She used to get so many gifts on her birthday that her hands went numb. Because of her father Xi Ji, a lot of people tried to please her. Many gifts she never even opened. Back then she didn’t have real friends. She would open gifts from family she trusted herself.
She never knew Ruan Yesheng had sent her birthday gifts.
“All four years in college, every year?” Xi Mo's breath grew tight.
“Yes, every year.”
"Then that's four birthday gifts. Anything else?" Xi Mo kept asking.
"A few letters," Zhou Wenxu tried hard to remember. "They were in envelopes. I think they were all letters?"
Xi Mo: "..."
"How many is a few?" Xi Mo asked quickly. "Exactly how many letters?"
Zhou Wenxu looked troubled. "It's been too long. I really can't remember how many there were. Anyway, I gave you all the ones Miss Ruan told me to pass on. Not a single one missing."
Xi Mo frowned deeply and looked at Ruan Yesheng again.
But Ruan Yesheng just lowered her head and stared at the floor.
Zhou Wenxu said, "Didn't you see those letters Miss Ruan gave you?"
Regret and frustration filled Xi Mo's heart. She said, "There were so many letters back then. How was I supposed to read them all?"
Many celebrities step into the entertainment circle while still studying at film school. They’re young, but already doing great. Some even got famous before getting into the academy. Xi Mo was no exception.
She had good resources. While in school, she already took on acting jobs, filmed commercials, and even played the second female lead in a movie during her sophomore year. That role was very likable and gained her a lot of fans.
With fans, of course, came fan letters.
Moreover, a university campus is full of youthful energy. Everyone's young and full of hormones. Xi Mo's looks were too outstanding. No matter where she stood, she was always the one that caught the most eyes. Though some people couldn’t stand her high-and-mighty attitude, there were still many classmates who secretly admired her.
With admirers, of course, came love letters.
Fan letters and love letters were all put into different kinds of envelopes. They poured in like snowflakes, handed over to her by the people around her.
Also, many people were too shy to write their names on the envelopes. They only wrote “To Xi Mo.” If she didn’t open the letter and check the signature at the bottom, she had no idea who sent it. Some didn’t even leave a name and just quietly poured out their feelings without hoping for a reply.
In that kind of situation, it was impossible for Xi Mo to open every single letter.
In fact, after getting so many, she grew numb, even annoyed. Later on, she basically didn’t want to open them at all.
Xi Mo had to turn her face, staring at Ruan Yesheng, but her tone had softened a lot. She asked in a low voice, “Do you… remember how many letters you wrote me?”
Ruan Yesheng finally glanced up at her, just using the corner of her eye: “It’s been so long. How would I remember?”
Xi Mo: “…”
“Besides,” Ruan Yesheng said with a bit of grievance, “you didn’t get the gifts, didn’t get the letters. After so many years, who knows where they ended up. What’s the point of remembering?”
Xi Mo's lips moved. There was a bit of urgency in her eyes, but she didn’t say anything.
Because of Zhou Wenxu, it felt like Ruan Yesheng's past was being opened again. She sighed and said to him, “Back then, I really troubled you. You helped me so much.”
“Miss Ruan, you’re too polite. It was nothing at all,” Zhou Wenxu also sighed, “But Xi Mo didn’t get your gifts or letters. In the end, I didn’t help much at all.”
Xi Mo: “…”
That one stung a little to hard.
Zhou Wenxu was clearly happy to see Ruan Yesheng again after so many years.
Maybe to comfort her, so she wouldn’t feel bad about the lost letters and gifts, he tried to encourage her, “Miss Ruan, I really like your movie. When you left the industry back then, I felt pretty down for a while. I thought I would never see your work again. So when I saw news online that you were coming back, I was really happy. And I didn’t expect you would be working with Xi Mo. When Sui Ting airs, I’ll definitely support you both.”
“Thank you,” Ruan Yesheng smiled, “How do you plan to support us?”
Zhou Wenxu, being a celebrity’s bodyguard, often dealt with Xi Mo’s fans. He also liked trying new things and knew a bit about fan culture. He said, “When it airs, I’ll watch it right away, then write some real and heartfelt reviews to help boost the ratings. If there’s any publicity, I’ll help spread the word. And with Sui Ting’s setup, I bet it will be a hit. Once it’s hot, the leads will usually get magazine interviews and cover shoots. When that time comes, I’ll just buy out all the magazines.”
“What else?” Ruan Yesheng found him funny and asked again.
Zhou Wenxu was tall and broad, like a bear just standing there. He looked like someone with a strong and scary presence, but his voice was gentle, like a fierce tiger sniffing a rose. He said, a bit embarrassed, “I only know how to enjoy shipping and eating candy. I’m not like those big-name fans who can make stuff. I can only keep shipping the CP and keep buying the magazines."
Ruan Yesheng laughed and asked, “Have you seen the promos for Sui Ting?”
Zhou Wenxu nodded, “I’ve seen them all. I didn’t miss a single one.”
Ruan Yesheng said in a soft tone, “Then you must know, in the show, my character and Xi Mo’s aren’t a CP. Liu Zhao and Deng Sui are. Ding’e isn’t. You said you want to support us, want to ship us, but you won’t find any CP food in this drama.”
Xi Mo: “…”
She didn't know why, but seeing the cunning look in Ruan Yesheng's eyes, she always felt that Ruan Yesheng said that on purpose.
She was originally feeling a little low and full of regrets. Now she listened carefully to Ruan Yesheng and Zhou Wenxu's conversation, wanting to hear what the two were talking about.
Zhou Wenxu quickly said, “How could that be?! Miss Ruan, you might not know, but CP foods come in all types. It all depends on which granary you pick. I watched the trailers and the behind-the-scenes clips from the wrap-up livestream, and I think the master-servant bond between Ding’e and Deng Sui is full of potential! These kinds of strong bond dynamics are super popular now. Even though the drama hasn’t aired yet, some fans have already started shipping Deng Sui and Ding’e just from the promotional clips and livestream. Mainly because you and Xi Mo had such sweet interactions during the wrap-up party, it really sparked the fans’ imaginations. Some already bought into the Deng Sui x Ding’s granary early.”
Xi Mo: “…”
...you people who ship CPs, are you riding rockets while you ship or what?
The show hasn’t even aired, what are you all shipping so crazy for?
“Really?” Ruan Yesheng’s eyes were bright. “There’s actually something like that?”
When Zhou Wenxu first saw Ruan Yesheng, he was a little shy from the reunion. But after a few words, he relaxed a lot and started chatting without holding back.
He is a seasoned veteran in the CP scene and talked eloquently: “Of course. I already bought stocks for Deng Sui and Ding'e. Nowadays CP shipping is everywhere, way more than before. There’s romance, Danmei, Baihe, and so on. Even a person and a cold robot can be shipped, okay? The radio and television authorities won't approve it, but that doesn’t stop us from shipping. Baihe ships have a smaller fanbase and aren't the main push in CP circles, so it’s hard for them to go viral. But if the female lead and the female side character have strong CP sense in the show, a lot of people still love it. I'm broad-minded and support all types of CPs, as long as it’s good, I’ll ship it. I really think Deng Sui and Ding’e have great CP potential.”
Xi Mo: “…”
At first, she was just asking casually, but she didn’t expect Zhou Wenxu to say so much.
She wondered how she never knew Zhou Wenxu understood fandom stuff this well. All these years, she really underestimated him.
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
But then Xi Mo thought about it and realized it was her problem. Back then, she wouldn’t talk to Zhou Wenxu about these things, so he never had a chance to show that side. Now that Ruan Yesheng was willing to chat with him, he naturally answered everything without holding back.
Ruan Yesheng was really good at talking. People often got drawn into her words without even noticing, and just ended up getting close to her without meaning to.
Now Xi Mo didn’t know whether to be happy or unhappy.
And thinking about the gifts and letters from Ruan Yesheng that she missed, regret filled her heart.
In short, her mood is very complicated.
Author's Note:
Zhou Wenxu did a good job, give him a raise!
Hmph, Wood block, you must be regretting this.
