Chapter 26: Cover Up
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Lu Xici's expression froze.
Although she had been thinking about whether to take the time to meet "Shang Shixu" these days, she was still a little surprised when she was actually asked.
Unexpectedly, the other party also wanted to meet her.
Should she agree and risk the possibility of altering their relationship, or maintain the current state?
Lu Xici couldn't get the answer for the time being, so she put away her phone and focused on dealing with Song Liufeng's gossip.
Jun Youyue finally felt she had gathered enough excitement. She thought if she continued to feel bored, she might never get another chance. Thus, she plucked up her courage and sent out this message.
If possible, she actually wanted to settle this matter online.
But communicating through a screen didn't feel formal at all.
Moreover, Lu Xici might just delete her upon discovering Jun Youyue behind the vest, making it impossible to complete the conversation.
At least offline, she could let herself be heard, right? The premise was to speak faster.
Jun Youyue was so naive and found herself not receiving a reply for a long time.
Is Lu Xici having dinner or shooting a night scene? Hopefully, she's not as busy with night scenes as she was last Monday, past midnight.
Jun Youyue involuntarily cared about Lu Xici, turned off her phone, and shifted her gaze back to the television in front of her.
She rushed to finish her original plan today to catch the premiere of the variety show with Lu Xici participating.
Jun Youyue had no interest in the content of the variety show and had no idea what those people were talking about. She was solely focused on waiting for Lu Xici to appear, absentmindedly touching her phone, waiting for her message.
Although Lu Xici was a temporary guest, she appeared relatively early in the show; it hadn't been long since the program began before she took the stage.
Finally witnessing the fresh presence of Lu Xici, Jun Youyue had a smile on her face.
Most of Lu Xici's materials in the fan posts were in the form of images, with few gifs. Consequently, Jun Youyue hadn't seen an animated Lu Xici for a long time.
During this period, Lu Xici surprisingly didn't get drunk again, not even once. She didn't call Jun Youyue over, engaging in a passionate and affectionate relationship.
That day lingered in her thoughts, often appearing in her dreams, bringing brief yet illusory joy. Ultimately, it only left behind a damp silhouette, smiling on the screen, holding a microphone, moving on stage, and bantering with the host.
She wasn't merely replaying a memory in her mind anymore; instead, she was active in front of her.
It was as if Lu Xici was not talking to the host or the audience but to her.
Her charming smile also seemed to be for her, and her angry glance also seemed to be for her.
Just by seeing her like this, she could feel her heart coming alive.
The audible thumping of her heartbeat unexpectedly sounded pleasant, expressing some ambiguous sentiments.
However, after only a few minutes, Jun Youyue noticed something was off.
Lu Xici wasn't wearing a ring.
Whether on her left hand or right hand, Jun Youyue couldn't find the plain ring she used to wear frequently.
That ring displayed countless times in the media, symbolizing affection, reflecting the silver-white cold light of marital commitment, had vanished just like that.
In its place was a pair of gloves, seemingly covering up the truth about her marriage.
Jun Youyue's eyes unconsciously widened as she leaned towards the TV, almost sticking to the screen.
The glaring light penetrated Jun Youyue's eyes, yet it didn't make her blink.
Jun Youyue's eyes always followed Lu Xici, watching her take the microphone from her right hand to her left hand.
The red velvet gloves were extremely smooth at this time, with no bulge at all on the ring finger.
She really didn't wear a ring.
Jun Youyue confirmed this dozens of times and finally accepted the fact.
Even if she didn't sign the divorce agreement, in Lu Xici's heart, their marriage was over.
Rather, in Lu Xici's heart, this marriage existed in name only.
She didn't know that the two of them had had too many emotional and secret moments, and she didn't know that Jun Youyue had spoken outright words of love in the moments when they were most affectionate.
All she knew was that this marriage began with an agreement, and she knew Jun Youyue's habitual silence.
Thus, she unilaterally gave up and wanted to seek new love.
Alcohol was so cruel, taking away Lu Xici's memories of something she had always longed for, leaving Jun Youyue to engrave every detail in her heart without finding the chance to tell Lu Xici.
This couldn't be dragged on any longer.
Remembering the emotional conversation with Lu Xici yesterday, Jun Youyue finally extended an invitation to Lu Xici.
She didn't want the two of them to end things in such a muddled manner, even if Lu Xici had long put an end to this elusive relationship.
But after sending it, Jun Youyue regretted it.
She was very timid. Afraid of wind and waves. She was afraid of meeting Lu Xici. She didn't have the guts to tell her the truth and wanted to escape instinctively.
She long-pressed the message she sent, wanting to withdraw it.
Lu Xici might have already seen it.
Jun Youyue didn't even have the courage to retract it.
It wasn't until about two hours later.
The variety show has long been finished, leaving only the endless rotation of advertisements dutifully playing the role of noisy background music.
Jun Youyue finally received Lu Xici's reply.
Lu Xici: [Okay, but it will be around next Wednesday, I have to wait for this phase of work to end]
Jun Youyue was inexplicably relieved.
Next Wednesday is March 15th. If everything goes well, she can catch Lu Xici's birthday this year and give her a gift.
At least Lu Xici agreed.
Lu Xici's words pulled her out of the oil pan of hell and ended half of her suffering.
The other half of the suffering was beyond help, only relying on Jun Youyue's constant hints to herself to ease the pain.
[OK. Noon or evening?]
She typed a reply quickly, continuing to maintain her persona of replying in seconds.
Lu Xici: [Evening, let's have dinner together.]
At this moment, Lu Xici still had no idea that she would be meeting someone she was so familiar with that she didn't want to see again.
She was even looking forward to meeting "Shang Shixu".
What would the other person look like? Long hair or short hair?
She said she prefers simple dressing; would it be better for her to wear simpler clothes for the appointment?
Lu Xici was both conflicted and eager for the appointment, and the less-than-a-week time almost flew by.
There was a small incident midway: the cameraman had a problem at home, delaying things for a day.
So, even though the film crew was rushing, Lu Xici and her team didn't finish the shooting schedule on Wednesday. They had a small leftover part to handle the next day.
It wasn't that troublesome.
Lu Xici confirmed tomorrow's scenes, sent Song Liufeng, who wanted to chat, away, rushed back to the dressing room to change clothes, and got ready for the appointment.
She arrived fifteen minutes early at the chosen restaurant to express the importance she placed on this date.
The meeting spot was decided by Lu Xici.
It was a Chinese restaurant owned by an old friend of the Lu family, with excellent confidentiality, ensuring no possibility of paparazzi intrusion.
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Before knocking on the door of the private room, Lu Xici took a deep breath.
She pulled out a small mirror, a must-have for female stars, and checked herself from left to right.
Good, her makeup hadn't smudged. After taking off that bulky raincoat, her clothing combination was aesthetically pleasing, simple yet elegant.
She even wore a watch, thinking that "Shang Shixu" might appreciate such practical jewelry.
After triple-checking her appearance, Lu Xici pushed open the door to the private room.
There was already someone seated, looking out of the window, facing sideways.
The person had a ponytail and wore a gray coat over black trousers—a combination that looked oddly familiar.
Coupled with the curvature of the neck, almost ingrained in Lu Xici's marrow, an answer was on the tip of her tongue.
It was Jun Youyue.
The person sitting in the private room wasn't "Shang Shixu" but Jun Youyue.
Lu Xici hadn't informed anyone about this particular date.
Then, the person she had been chatting with during this period couldn't be anyone else but Jun Youyue.
No wonder "Shang Shixu" felt so much like Jun Youyue in both spoken and unspoken words.
It also explained why the location of the night sky picture sent to her looked so familiar. Jun Youyue must have taken the photo near the research institute—why did it seem so familiar?
All these slightly suspicious details came together at that moment.
Lu Xici suddenly felt a bit despondent.
She thought she was developing affection for a stranger, allowing this closeness to flourish unrestrainedly.
In the end, why did she end up liking Jun Youyue again?
Caught between forgotten and remembered, Jun Youyue, who she couldn't shake off, Lu Xici heard the door open and abruptly turned her head.
Lu Xici didn't overlook the surprise in her eyes.
What was she surprised about? Could it be that she was also here for a blind date, and "Shang Shixu" was just a pseudonym, unaware that she will be sitting across from her?
Regardless of that now.
Lu Xici didn't want to see Jun Youyue, not at all unless she handed over the signed divorce agreement.
Lu Xici raised her leg, ready to bolt. She didn't even take a step into the private room.
"Wait! I have something to tell you!" How could Jun Youyue just let her leave like that?
Finally getting another chance to see Lu Xici, Jun Youyue entered the private room almost an hour early.
She took out her "memoir" that she had added tens of thousands of words to, repeatedly flipping through and revising it, rehearsing in her mind the possible scenarios that might occur later.
She hadn't anticipated Lu Xici arriving fifteen minutes early.
In her imagination, Lu Xici, whom she had been entangling for so long, should have stopped and listened to her explanation, both out of emotion and reason.
After all, the misunderstanding between them originated from Lu Xici's assumption that she didn't like her.
She had stopped her twice, and they had been chatting online for over a month.
With a little thought, Lu Xici should have been able to understand that she didn't have no feelings for her.
Why else would she persistently pursue her?
Lu Xici's reaction at the moment didn't match any of Jun Youyue's expectations, but it was strikingly similar to their last accidental encounter.
In Lu Xici's mind, she was trying hard to treat Jun Youyue as a thing of the past, attempting to discard the person she had mistakenly loved for nine years.
She wanted to bid farewell to the unresponsive past, but the ambiguous scene she witnessed at the restaurant had hurt her deeply.
She stubbornly believed that Jun Youyue didn't like her and convinced herself that she merely wanted to start anew without overthinking it, relying solely on instinct to guide her actions.
But could her heart forget so quickly?
Even after a year and a half, despite her desire to avoid, the lingering tremor of worry and care still existed.
Deep down, she did want a response from Jun Youyue.
Her two attempts to escape seemed more like post-traumatic responses. The strong aversion to contact with Jun Youyue, not wanting to hear a single word, was a cover-up for the love she had harbored for Jun Youyue from the past until now.
Escaping from where Jun Youyue was present meant evading Lu Xici's own self, which still contained remnants of love.
She was like a moth that failed in its pursuit of the flame, falling to the ground, unable to move on due to the haunting memories, trapped in place, unable to break free.
Her swift escapes only demonstrated her intense hatred and inability to forget herself.
"Wait a minute! I really have something to say! It's very important!" Jun Youyue stood up and wanted to chase Lu Xici just like last time.
Author's Note:
Lu Xici's thoughts were more complicated. It was probably the feeling of falling in love with an ex who had broken up and had cheated on her before. She hated her ex and hated herself at the same time. Emotions running high lead to intense reactions without much rational thinking.
I promised to clear up the misunderstanding today but ended up having fun with writing... My hands have their own ideas, and it's all my fault! (I'll help you beat it (pat, pat, pat))
Definitely tomorrow!