Chapter 141 : Before
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
After hanging up, Ruan Yesheng’s heart was still pounding hard.
She stood there for a long while before barely calming down, pressing down the restless beating of her heart. Even she herself felt it was unbelievable. Xi Mo just changed the way she called her, yet she was moved to such a degree.
But she really liked it when Xi Mo called her Yesheng.
Only Xi Mo called her like this.
The feeling was so special, like it became a little secret between the two of them.
Ruan Yesheng thought, she must guard this special secret.
If one day an acquaintance also called her Yesheng directly, she would have to find a tactful way to make the other person change and call her Ruanruan instead. For her, that would be easy.
Thinking of this, Ruan Yesheng gave a little laugh again. It had not even happened, yet she was already worrying about it now. Xi Mo must have put a spell on her, but she still fell headlong, willing and glad.
Because Xi Mo had clearly mentioned it on the phone, Ruan Yesheng especially wrapped on a scarf, put on gloves, bundled herself warm and snug. It was still raining cold outside. Ruan Yesheng held an umbrella, walking along the path in the courtyard toward the next building.
Before she reached the next building, she already saw from afar a tall figure standing at the entrance. In the cold rain and mist, that figure looked so warm.
Ruan Yesheng quickly sped up her steps, almost running toward where that figure was.
Xi Mo stood at the entrance. Seeing Ruan Yesheng running over, her lips moved slightly, wanting to call something out. But she thought again if she was worrying too much. In the end, she did not speak, just stood there a little stiffly, waiting for Ruan Yesheng.
“Xi Mo.” Ruan Yesheng ran up to her and said.
After running for a while, Ruan Yesheng was slightly out of breath, white mist spreading from her lips, her cheeks faintly glowing red.
Xi Mo looked at her panting like this, and the words she had swallowed earlier finally slipped out: “It’s slippery in the rain, don’t run like that, be careful not to fall.”
“You’re right.” Ruan Yesheng’s eyes rippled with a smile. “I was too happy, I didn’t notice. Next time I’ll remember.”
At some point, Xi Mo had begun reminding her of little things like this. When it was cold, to wear gloves and a scarf. When the road was slippery, not to run, easy to fall. Things like that, carrying bits of everyday gentleness.
Xi Mo’s gaze fell on Ruan Yesheng’s scarf and gloves. Her expression showed a quiet kind of happiness.
“When you saw me, why didn’t you call me?” Ruan Yesheng’s tone had a teasing lilt.
Xi Mo: “…”
After a moment, Xi Mo said: “…Yesheng.”
Only then was Ruan Yesheng satisfied.
She was still soaking in the joy of Xi Mo finally changing how she called her, her whole body wrapped in a tingling she could not pull herself out of. It felt fresh, and she always wanted to find chances to hear Xi Mo call her a few more times.
All the more since teasing the block of wood was such a fun thing to do. It would be a waste if she didn’t tease her.
It was too cold outside. Standing at the door was no good. Ruan Yesheng put away the umbrella, and with Xi Mo walked into the first floor, closing the big door behind them.
As they went upstairs, Ruan Yesheng spoke to Xi Mo: “I didn’t expect you would come down on purpose to meet me.”
Xi Mo didn’t answer for a while, as if right then she didn’t know what she should say.
Ruan Yesheng understood Xi Mo, she knew this block of wood really did come down on purpose to wait for her.
Although she often felt uneasy because of those hidden feelings in her heart for Xi Mo, afraid she might overthink since Xi Mo was treating her better and better, and fall into self-doubt thinking she was being self-indulgent. This time she was very sure, Xi Mo really came downstairs for her.
Xi Mo stepped onto the stairs: “You’re the guest, I should come meet you.”
Ruan Yesheng saw she finally found a reason, glanced at her: “You really are hospitable.”
Xi Mo: “…”
“Today you changed how you call me, you called me Yesheng.” Ruan Yesheng’s smile lingered on the corners of her eyes and brows, never fading. “But I won’t change how I call you. I just like calling you Xi Mo.”
“Mm.” Xi Mo only nodded.
She actually liked hearing Ruan Yesheng call her Xi Mo. From university until now, the two words “Xi Mo” spoken from Ruan Yesheng’s lips were carved into her very bones. She was long used to it.
Back in university, Ruan Yesheng was always circling around her, every day she would hear Ruan Yesheng call her Xi Mo many times, and she had felt a bit impatient.
Ruan Yesheng was in the same class, every day they saw each other from morning till night.
At that time Ruan Yesheng would say Xi Mo good morning, Xi Mo good night, bring over nice things she bought saying, Xi Mo look, isn’t this interesting? Xi Mo don’t you want one too, how about I give this to you?
Or she would say, my mom finally came home, she brought back many gifts, all local specialties from her trip, you can’t buy them outside. Xi Mo, look at these pictures of the gifts, is there one you want?
Xi Mo, when will you go to the library, I’ll go with you.
Xi Mo, do you want to go see the aquarium?
Things like that.
Back in university, Ruan Yesheng was full of youth, full of energy.
Without realizing it, she had called Xi Mo’s name like that for so many years.
Ruan Yesheng did not know Xi Mo’s rising and falling thoughts at this moment. Her words carried a bit of couquettishness. She said: “Even though many people call you Xi Mo, the way I call it, anyway, is not the same as others.”
Xi Mo thought, indeed it was not the same.
Because Ruan Yesheng was not the same as others.
The two reached the third floor.
Each floor of the neighboring building was also very spacious. Ruan Yesheng had thought the third floor would have many rooms, but after looking, she found out the third floor actually had only one big room and one small room.
Especially that big room, it was really too shocking.
She stood at the door, looking at the neat rows of shelves extending inside, just like the racks in factory warehouses. Each shelf was divided into many layers, and every layer was filled with transparent storage boxes. Inside the boxes were all gifts. It was clear that those square gift boxes were sorted—some shelves stacked large items, some shelves stacked small ones, and even irregularly shaped gift boxes were all grouped together.
The moment Ruan Yesheng saw this layout, she understood that when this neighboring building was being renovated, Xi Mo had already designed the third floor especially as a place to store her gifts and fan letters. No walls were left, the whole space was made through like a warehouse.
Although there were many shelves, they only occupied part of the room. There was still plenty of empty space. This wide and unobstructed area could let Xi Mo keep storing things here for a long time.
The other room, compared to the gift room, was much smaller, but still far bigger than an ordinary room. The layout was the same as the gift room, except the transparent storage boxes were filled with all kinds of envelopes.
With these transparent boxes, the servants only needed to regularly clean the dust on top of them. The gifts and letters inside were properly kept.
The orderly sorting, easy to manage and clean, was very much Xi Mo’s style.
It was also thanks to Xi Mo’s style that even though there were countless gifts and letters, as long as more time was spent opening the storage boxes one by one to check, sooner or later they could be found.
Zhou Wenxu, a few helpers, and some guards were inside, busy opening gift boxes. Their work was clearly divided. They went shelf by shelf in order. As for the storage boxes that had already been checked, they would mark them in an inconspicuous place to avoid confusion.
Seeing all this, Ruan Yesheng felt a deep admiration in her heart for Xi Mo’s thoughtfulness.
Perhaps this was partly connected to Xi Mo’s almost obsessive seriousness, liking everything to be neat and in order, but even more so, it was about respecting the devotion of others.
Even if she could not reply to those people, she still carefully stored away the handmade gifts made with hard effort, and the letters written word by word with their own hand, giving them a bright and proper place to stay, never letting them gather dust.
“If your fans knew there’s a whole floor just to store gifts and letters, they would be very happy.” Ruan Yesheng looked at Xi Mo and said softly.
“They will never know, and I will never let them know.” Xi Mo was rational: “If they knew, they would only send more gifts and letters with even more frenzy. That kind of frenzy would affect their normal life. Every moment of life is precious. It can be used for many meaningful things. Properly sending gifts and writing letters is a gentle bond that keeps feelings alive and makes people feel warm. But if someone puts too much frenzy of emotion on one person, it is improper.”
The enthusiasm of fans can make a star, but it is a double-edged sword. When enthusiasm grows too much, it turns into a sharp blade and a heavy burden.
Being at the very top, Xi Mo naturally understood this well. That was why she always kept just the right distance from her fans.
She treated her fans very well, but she never flattered them. If her fans did something improper that caused some impact, she would definitely speak up to stop it. She would clearly state her will and say she did not want to see such things.
The fan circle was a huge melting pot. Everything existed inside. It was impossible for every fan to understand her intentions. Many even misunderstood, thinking Xi Mo was too coldhearted on certain matters. These fans felt wronged. They fought battles for Xi Mo, helped her quarrel with rivals, yet Xi Mo did not appreciate their passion. Instead, she said what they did was wrong. Over time, many turned from fans to haters because of this.
The larger the fanbase, the more irrational fans there would be. That number was truly frightening. With Xi Mo’s scale of fans, even if eighty percent were rational, the remaining twenty percent raging outside could still make people shiver in fear.
Xi Mo was only one person. She could not stop those fans from stirring up trouble outside. But she believed she should do what she ought to do, and say what she ought to say.
Thanks to her persistence in this, most of her fans could still understand her, and to some extent, it lessened some of the storms and bloodshed in the fan circle.
“I agree with you.” Ruan Yesheng smiled. “Fans’ love is like drift bottles, floating with fate until they reach your hands. You treasure each one. But you do not want to guide such fate. If you guide it, frenzied love will trigger floods and tsunamis, destroying all the warmth from before. By then, those lovely drift bottles would not even arrive.”
Xi Mo looked at Ruan Yesheng and nodded lightly.
Ruan Yesheng always understood her.
Zhou Wenxu heard them talking and came over to greet Ruan Yesheng. He said, “Miss Ruan, don’t worry. We will gradually check all the gifts and letters on the third floor. As long as your gifts and letters are here, we will surely find them.”
“Thank you, Mr. Two.” Ruan Yesheng smiled.
Zhou Wenxu said no need to be polite, then went back to work.
Ruan Yesheng asked Xi Mo, “I didn’t tell you what kind of gifts I gave. You let them open each one to search. Can they really tell which are mine?”
“Zhou Wenxu said you made a mark on your gifts back then.” Xi Mo said. “As long as they find the mark, they’ll find the gifts.”
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
“You didn’t even look. How do you know what mark?”
Xi Mo lowered her eyes. “I know what mark you’d use. Back in college, you always used that mark. So when you said as long as I opened a gift and saw the mark, I’d know it was from you—I thought it must be that mark. After all, that mark was designed by you and me together. You said it would be your emblem in the future.”
Ruan Yesheng’s eyes were full of delight.
Not only because of Xi Mo’s sharpness.
But more because Xi Mo still remembered.
She remembered the mark they once designed together.
As she spoke, Xi Mo opened a photo on her phone and showed it to Ruan Yesheng. “This is the mark, right? At noon, I drew it on white paper, then gave it to Zhou Wenxu and the others. I told them to watch out for this mark while looking. If they saw gifts or boxes with it, they should take them out.”
“Yes.” Ruan Yesheng looked carefully at the pattern in the photo, her heart stirred.
Xi Mo remembered it this clearly.
Every detail on that pattern was correct.
“I thought you had forgotten.” Ruan Yesheng lifted her eyes, her gaze on Xi Mo’s face, and spoke softly.
“I have good memory.” Xi Mo put her phone away. “Besides, half of this pattern design was my idea. Of course I would remember.”
“When I asked you to help me think of the pattern back then, you were so unwilling.” Ruan Yesheng smiled.
Xi Mo: “…”
After a moment of silence, Xi Mo said: “Before was before, now is now. They're different.”
Author's Note:
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