Jiang Mo stood in the bathroom, his face flushed. He spent several minutes there, trying to calm himself. The cold water washed away all the warmth from his hands.
The sensation of Chi Yu’s lips seemed to be imprinted on his fingertips.
Jiang Mo rubbed his fingers in the water, turning them red. His face in the mirror also seemed to grow redder.
“Do you know Senior Chi well?” footsteps sounded, followed by Lu Xuan’s voice.
Jiang Mo raised his head and locked eyes with Lu Xuan in the mirror.
Jiang Mo: “Not very well…”
Lu Xuan walked up and stood beside Jiang Mo. He smiled at the reflection of Jiang Mo in the mirror, his voice filled with joy: “It seems like he cares about you.”
Jiang Mo avoided the uncomfortable gaze and whispered, “It’s… just his care as a senpai.”
“Well,” Lu Xuan smiled, “he is indeed gentle and considerate. He has always looked after me during the filming.”
Jiang Mo: “…”
The production crew wouldn’t follow them into the restroom, but is it really appropriate for Lu Xuan to say such things here?
Jiang Mo placed his damp hands under the dryer, and the noise from the machine drowned out most of Lu Xuan’s words.
Jiang Mo thought Lu Xuan had come over to emphasize the contents of the text message again, but he didn’t expect Lu Xuan to suddenly bring up their interactions with Chi Yu on set.
“Senior is kind to everyone, maybe it’s just because we’re from the same company. Compared to others, he pays a little more attention to me. I was new to acting, didn’t know anything, and he patiently helped me with the script, taught me how to act…”
Jiang Mo nodded, “I… I know.”
Lu Xuan: “What do you know?”
Jiang Mo: “He is indeed very nice.”
Otherwise, he wouldn’t take care of him so frequently, even when everyone else disliked and avoided him.
Lu Xuan: “…”
Jiang Mo’s face was still flushed. When he said those words, it seemed like his face reddened because he mentioned Chi Yu’s name. His voice was too low, giving a shy impression.
Lu Xuan took a deep breath and smiled, “When the company mentioned the idea of pairing us up, he agreed without hesitation.”
“Ah?” Jiang Mo put down his hands, and the sound from the dryer slowly ceased.
Seeing Jiang Mo’s dazed expression, Lu Xuan didn’t feel relieved because of Jiang Mo’s obedience. Instead, the knot in his heart tightened.
Was Jiang Mo unaware or pretending to be clueless? Any ordinary person would have understood his intentions by now.
“Will avoiding suspicion work?” Lu Xuan no longer maintained a fake smile and spoke coldly.
Jiang Mo finally realized the purpose of Lu Xuan’s conversation with him. It was indeed to emphasize something.
Jiang Mo: “Senior came to talk to me, and… I can’t ignore him, right? It would be impolite.”
Lu Xuan sneered, “Does Sister Hong’s script require you to be polite?”
Jiang Mo: “…”
Lu Xuan: “You just need to make everyone hate you, including Chi Yu.”
Jiang Mo clenched his lips tightly and whispered, “But… I don’t want him to hate me.”
Lu Xuan raised an eyebrow, “Do you like him?”
Jiang Mo subconsciously nodded, his face turning red. Then he shook his head frantically, “N-No, not that kind of like…”
Lu Xuan’s gaze turned fierce. Jiang Mo lowered his head again, his voice weaker than before.
Lu Xuan: “You’ve stolen half of my lifetime, Jiang Mo. You owe me this.”
Jiang Mo: “…That’s a huge accusation.”
“It’s not calculated like that,” Jiang Mo tugged at his sleeve that was half torn, and earnestly calculated, “When you were with the Lu family, you had a monthly allowance of five thousand yuan, while I only had a few hundred yuan as pocket money from the Jiang family. My parents and older brother never mistreated you. I thought you were living quite well…”
Lu Xuan: “…”
Lu Xuan: “Are you saying that you feel my biological parents mistreated you?”
Jiang Mo quickly shook his head, “No, that’s not what I meant. You said I stole half of your lifetime, which is too severe…”
Lu Xuan was amused by Jiang Mo’s reaction, “You received the best education in the Jiang family. Your experiences and social circle are completely different from mine. That can’t be measured by money.”
Jiang Mo: “Nine years of compulsory education is not worse than the education in elite schools.”
Lu Xuan: “…”
Jiang Mo cautiously gauged Lu Xuan’s expression and decided to say a few good words to appease him.
“You… You see, I attended an elite school, but now I can’t even go to university. You received nine years of compulsory education and went to a prestigious school. We are the best examples. A high starting point doesn’t mean a high lifetime. You… You are much more outstanding than me.” Jiang Mo raised his hand and clapped silently a few times.
Lu Xuan: “…”
“That’s because of my own efforts. How dare you compare your incompetence with mine!” Lu Xuan gritted his teeth, suppressing his angry voice. He rubbed his forehead and quickly regained his composure. He couldn’t let Jiang Mo lead him astray; this person was too cunning.
Lu Xuan: “Anyway, remember what I told you in the car earlier. Keep your distance from Chi Yu. Or do you want to pay the penalty for breaking the contract?”
Jiang Mo: “…”
Jiang Mo came out of the bathroom and returned to the bus without greeting Lu Xuan. He sat back in his original seat.
The sky was once again covered in heavy clouds, with the sun hiding behind them. The glass window was covered in mist.
Jiang Mo curled up in the chair, wearing the hoodie’s hood. The large hood covered most of his face, only revealing his slightly raised nose and slightly reddened lips. The collar of the hoodie tightened, covering his chin as well.
[“What’s wrong with Jiang Mo?”]
[“We’ve been out for a long time, he must be tired and wants to sleep. Every time I get in a car, I feel like sleeping. Sleeping on the bus is quite comfortable.”]
[“Is it just my imagination, or does he seem a little off?”]
Chi Yu waited for Jiang Mo for a long time, but he only realized that Jiang Mo had already returned to the bus when Lu Xuan came back from the bathroom and the production crew informed them to return.
“Senior, let’s have tteokbokki (rice cakes) tonight. Do you prefer stir-fried tteokbokki or tteokbokki soup?” Lu Xuan walked over carrying a large bag.
The bag contained specially bought rice cakes. The other two teams didn’t come to make rice cakes, so Lu Xuan planned to bring them back to share with everyone.
Chi Yu: “Whatever.”
Lu Xuan seemed to be struggling, and Chi Yu wanted to get back to the bus immediately to avoid any delays. He directly took the bag from Lu Xuan’s hand.
Lu Xuan was taken aback but happily said, “Thank you, senior.”
“Let’s go back.” Chi Yu said and walked towards the exit.
“Chi Yu, I heard you guys went to make rice cakes?” As soon as Chi Yu got on the bus, Li Heng, who was sitting in the front row, leaned over to talk to him.
Chi Yu’s gaze immediately fell on the last row of seats, where Jiang Mo was curled up, with only the hoodie hat visible behind the backrest.
“Yeah,” Chi Yu placed the bag next to Li Heng’s empty seat and said, “It’s still hot, so you can eat if you’re hungry.”
“I happen to be hungry.”
“Thank you, Chi Yingdi”
Chi Yu nodded to a few people and walked straight to the last row.
He deliberately slowed down and sat down next to Jiang Mo, gently and quietly.
The voices from the front row drowned out Chi Yu’s hearing, so even though they were so close, he couldn’t tell if Jiang Mo was sleeping or just resting with his eyes closed.
He didn’t say anything, quietly waiting for a while. Jiang Mo remained motionless the whole time, indicating that he must have fallen asleep.
Lu Xuan watched helplessly as Chi Yu approached Jiang Mo, and his hard-earned good mood plummeted again.
It was hard for him to deny one thing—Jiang Mo was right. Chi Yu had voluntarily gotten closer to Jiang Mo.
He could make Jiang Mo stay away from Chi Yu, but he couldn’t prevent Chi Yu from approaching Jiang Mo.
After a few minutes of driving, the vibrating windows caused by continuous motion made Jiang Mo uncomfortable. He furrowed his brows, shifted his head in his sleep, and the hoodie slid down to his forehead, revealing his covered face.
A red mark appeared on Jiang Mo’s left cheek from the pressure. He moved his head, resting the back of his head against the seat, but this posture was even more uncomfortable. He pursed his lips unhappily, and the deep dimples were filled with a heavy shadow.
Chi Yu reached out his right hand and carefully pressed Jiang Mo’s head, moving his shoulder aside to let Jiang Mo rest his head on his shoulder.
Finding a comfortable sleeping position, Jiang Mo finally stopped tossing and turning. He rubbed his cheek against Chi Yu’s clothes, finding the soft fabric comforting. His brows and eyes relaxed, and the flushed cheeks revealed the reappearance of his dimples.
The urge to poke Jiang Mo’s face resurfaced, but suddenly Jiang Mo’s two arms wrapped around his left arm. It was as if he had found a secure support, and his slender body pressed tightly against Chi Yu’s arm.
A complete act of reliance.
Chi Yu slightly raised his right hand and then lowered it. His body tensed, his gaze averted, and his eyes stared blankly ahead without focus.
In his ears, he could hear Jiang Mo’s steady breathing.
The heart rate gradually increased in the suddenly crowded space.
Not knowing how long he had slept, when Jiang Mo opened his eyes, the setting sun was about to disappear, and the mist on the glass window had dissipated. The first thing he saw with his eyes open was the gentle orange-red sky. For a moment, Jiang Mo didn’t come back to his senses. He blinked and quietly looked at the scenery outside the window.
It wasn’t until he realized that the feeling of his body leaning against something was off that Jiang Mo fully regained his senses. He lifted his head, and his bangs brushed against something, falling back and getting tangled in his curled eyelashes.
His beautiful thin lips curled slightly, and as his gaze moved upward, he saw a perfect, overly handsome nose and a pair of smiling eyes.
Chi Yu didn’t speak, quietly locking eyes with Jiang Mo. He was very satisfied with the result of this silent gaze. He had witnessed how Jiang Mo managed to paint his face with colors even more vibrant than the sunset.
“S-Sorry,” Jiang Mo slowly backed away, hindered by an additional barrier.
Because his arms had been wrapped around Chi Yu’s arm the whole time, his right index finger was even hooked with Chi Yu’s ring finger.
Jiang Mo: “…”
He clearly understood one thing: this time, it was him who had clung to Chi Yu.
Jiang Mo was frightened and retreated, hitting the back of the seat with his back.
The loose hoodie hung on half of his face and head, as if it had caught a lifesaving straw. He hurriedly grabbed the drawstring of the hoodie, burying almost half of his face inside it, leaving only his nose and eyes exposed for breathing.
“I-I-I… S-Sorry,” his muffled voice came from within the hoodie.
Chi Yu covered his mouth with his hand, concealing the raised corners of his mouth.
“Let’s get off the bus.” Worried that Jiang Mo would be too embarrassed to get off, Chi Yu walked to the door and said to Jiang Mo.
The bus fell into silence again, and Jiang Mo dared to lift his head.
Chi Yu had already left, and he couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
As Lu Xuan said, Chi Yu was truly considerate.
If only that consideration were only for him.
Jiang Mo forcefully slapped his cheeks, dispelling his unrealistic thoughts.
I hope our sweet dear MC gets the best life ever and gets taken care of. The poor baby
all his care will be for you Jiang MoMo 🤧
+1 the confrontation in the bathroom 🤣
Absolutely lost it at that confrontation in the bathroom… how could MC be so cute? Like I’m fucking crying that shit was funny af 😭😭😭