Eloping with the School Heartthrob

I said irritably, “I’m not angry. Isn’t that how rumors start? What’s there to be surprised about? They can write whatever they want, the innocent will clear their name.” She laughed, “The innocent will clear their name. I think Sheng Siwei should be the one saying that.” My face turned pale, I opened my mouth but had nothing to say. Bi Lian Shu was too harsh, always managing to hit my sore spot with just one sentence. Just as I was at a loss for what to do, Senior Li Jie approached with a little girl, about twelve or thirteen years old, and said, “Xiao Wu Xiang, Sheng Siwei, could you sign an autograph for my niece? She really loves watching you play Mi Xiaoyi and Pei Luo. She heard today was the wrap-up and insisted I bring her.” “Sure,” I smiled at the little girl, “Come and sit here.” “Sister Mi Xiaoyi, you look exactly like you do on TV, I really like you.” “Thank you.” “And Pei Luo, I like you too, you must stay with Sister Mi Xiaoyi.” “Hehe.” Sheng Siwei and I couldn’t help but laugh. Bi Lian Shu was clearly not pleased, angrily placing her mirror on the vanity, saying, “Can we not bring autograph seekers into the dressing room in the future?” Then she turned and went into the bathroom. The little girl stuck out her tongue, “Fang Shu looks so fierce.” “Hehe, do you like her? She’s the most beautiful actress in our show.” “No,” she shook her head, “She’s always bullying you.” “That’s acting, not real.” “But she gives me a bad feeling.” “Really?” “Yes, I don’t like the way she talks.” … This was the last scene. The director instructed, “This scene needs to be performed well, all your explosive energy should be here. It must be devoid of any emotional color, decisive.” Bi Lian Shu chuckled, “Director, she can act well, her greatest strength is that she acts without any emotional color.” I looked at her, stunned. Indeed, reflecting on these three months, she had always faced me with this expression, this demeanor, which I had become quite familiar with. She had always been full of hostility and wariness towards me. “Everyone get ready! Action!” the director shouted. Fang Shu stood before me with a red backpack, her gaze fixed on me, full of enmity, but without the usual anger, replaced by boundless coldness. “Mi Xiaoyi, don’t let your gaze waver. Just like that.” The director was speaking. … “Mi Xiaoyi, I never considered you my friend. You always competed with me for everything, for the top of the class, for my friends, now you even want to take away the only person I love. I’m not your friend, and from now on, we will never see each other again, in this life or the next.” “Slap.” A crisp slap landed on my face. I was stunned. Looking into her icy eyes, I gasped. My cheek burned with pain, how much force did she use? “That slap tells you our friendship is over.” “…” “Cut!” “Fang Shu, you moved too fast, the camera couldn’t keep up. Let’s do it again.” … “Slap.” Another slap. It hurt. I didn’t know how much force Bi Lian Shu used, was I her enemy? “That slap tells you our friendship is over.” The TV drama had wrapped, but I stood there, speechless, unsure of what to do or how to act. My mouth and body trembled, breathing was difficult as if I had fallen into water! My brain was intermittently oxygen-deprived, blank patches connecting. Tears flowed like floodgates had been opened. “OK.” With the director’s calm announcement, “Youth Never Ages” had wrapped. Sheng Siwei came over, touched my face, and asked, “Does it hurt?” I nodded. He cursed. “Forget it,” I said, “It’s for the show. I don’t blame her, she also wanted to wrap up early.” “You’re still defending her?” At that moment, Bi Lian Shu approached, saying, “Sorry, Xiao Wu Xiang. I did it for your own good, the more pitiful you look, the more the audience will like you.” “Bi Lian Shu, you’re going too far.” “Who’s going too far? I said it was for Xiao Wu Xiang’s good. Right, Xiao Wu Xiang?” I said nothing. “Alright, I’m leaving. There’s a celebration at the Empress tonight, you’ve been invited, right?” At the Empress, we habitually went to our “designated” private room. Gu Nanxiang mentioned that Xia Wei might be late due to some last-minute issues, I smiled. Xu Yang muttered to me, wondering what Xia Wei was up to, suggesting we go out to listen to some music, saying it was too dull without Xia Wei, and facing Bi Lian Shu’s stern face was depressing. I agreed, and we left. Sheng Siwei always disapproved of girls drinking, so without Xia Wei, he ordered juice. I wasn’t a fan of drinking, but I hoped he would ask if I wanted some, it was polite. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, I glanced at him without speaking. Perhaps out of the tacit understanding we had developed, he immediately asked with feigned kindness, “Xiao Wu Xiang, do you want some wine?” Gu Nanxiang, the head, loves someone else, I said, “No.” Then, I casually chatted with Xu Yang. What were you doing earlier? Now you’re saying this just to annoy me, right? Sheng Siwei didn’t mind, awkwardly smiled, made a helpless gesture towards Xu Yang. Xu Yang also laughed heartlessly, saying, “Don’t mind her, she doesn’t drink, she likes to drink blood, she’s like a mosquito. Let her drink from your wrist until she’s full.” I gave her a fierce glare. She made a strange face at me and told Sheng Siwei, “Don’t mind, you know Xia Wei and I, we’re all bark and no bite.” Sheng Siwei said, “I know.” After some time, the lights dimmed. Like a dream, the sound of a violin playing “Happy Birthday” came from somewhere. Chu Lian, as if by magic, pushed out a cart of roses from a corner and said tenderly to Bi Lian Shu, “Happy Birthday.” Bi Lian Shu was holding Gu Nanxiang’s hand, her eyes on him, smiling without replying, occasionally whispering in his ear. Under the dim light, her face was as red as a ripe apple, radiant and tempting—an apple in Gu Nanxiang’s hand. This thought made me even more uncomfortable. I picked up the wine Sheng Siwei brought, retreating to a corner of the sofa. Honestly, I wished I could shrink inside, hide, or even dissolve into the air. 999 roses!