Chapter 120: The Script
Teng Yi held her tightly, kissing her with unrestrained passion.
Ruan Yu clung to his neck, responding with equal fervor and tenderness.
The lingering kiss was greedy, as if trying to convey all the longing, love, and concern that had accumulated over the years.
Ruan Yu felt her cheeks grow sore and her tongue numb. The two of them were nearly melting into one, yet he didn’t want to stop—and neither did she.
Just as the heat between them intensified, footsteps suddenly echoed in the hallway.
Teng Yi, still clear-headed enough to consider Ruan Yu’s reputation, turned slightly and pressed her face against his chest, shielding her completely with his body.
The passerby was a hotel staff member who, upon seeing the couple, assumed they were just an ordinary pair lost in affection. Without a second glance, they averted their eyes and hurried past.
Once again, the hallway belonged only to them.
Ruan Yu lifted her head, her face flushed, and glanced at Teng Yi, who took her hand in his.
“Let’s go eat first,” he said.
“Mm.”
With Teng Yi by her side, Ruan Yu’s appetite returned.
She had thought that after such a major incident, she would lose her taste for food for days. But in his presence, even the most distressing matters seemed less unbearable.
At the table, Teng Yi remained silent at first, waiting until she had eaten her fill before asking what exactly had happened at the arts festival.
“I’m not entirely sure myself,” Ruan Yu admitted. She had spent the entire night replaying the moment in her mind, yet she couldn’t shake the feeling that she hadn’t misread anything.
With her years of experience in hosting, she knew exactly which details were critical and where mistakes were unacceptable. That phone number—she had read it directly from the script, her eyes never straying. How could she have mistaken a six for a nine?
“Do you still have the script?” Teng Yi asked.
“It’s gone.”
“How?”
After stepping offstage, Ruan Yu had gone straight to the dressing room. But before she could even settle in, Xiu Xiu rushed in, frantic, saying something had gone wrong. She was summoned to Jia Yue’s conference room, where she endured over an hour of veiled accusations and outright scolding. By the time she regained her composure and thought to double-check the script, it had already disappeared when she returned.
“Was the dressing room private?”
“It was supposed to be, but there were so many staff coming and going that day. And once the event ended, the cleaning staff went in to tidy up. They probably threw it away by mistake.”
Teng Yi frowned, sensing something off—especially about the missing script.
Ruan Yu felt the same, but without evidence, and without absolute certainty about whether the mistake was hers or the script’s, there was little she could do.
As they left the restaurant, Teng Yi quickly noticed someone following them.
“Looks like a reporter,” he murmured, glancing at Ruan Yu. “Should we split up?”
Given the scrutiny she was under, any romantic scandal now would only make things worse for her.
“No,” Ruan Yu said stubbornly, pressing closer to him. “No matter what happens, I’m not leaving your side again.”
Touched, Teng Yi smiled faintly and laced his fingers through hers.
“Alright. Then we’ll stay together.”
Hand in hand, they walked boldly down the street—yet the shadow trailing them persisted.
Unable to shake it, Teng Yi turned around, only to come face-to-face with someone he hadn’t seen in years: Zhou Xihe.
—♪—
Zhou Xihe wore a black baseball cap, his attire deliberately understated.Ruan Yu had thought that after their parting yesterday, she wouldn't see him again for a while. Little did she know they'd meet again so soon—and with Teng Yi present no less.
She stole a glance at Teng Yi. His expression was unreadable, but it was clear this reunion brought him no joy.
Of course, how could it?
Teng Yi had nearly forgotten Zhou Xihe even existed. This sudden encounter forcibly dragged his thoughts back to the past. Their last meeting had been that confrontation in the bar, when Zhou Xihe left brimming with starry-eyed ambition, as if fame and fortune were just around the corner. But now, the light in his eyes had dimmed—clearly, life hadn't been kind to him these years.
"Yi..." Zhou Xihe removed his cap, ran a hand through his hair, and offered Teng Yi a faint smile.
Teng Yi gave a slight nod but remained silent.
Ruan Yu could tell Teng Yi had no intention of catching up with Zhou Xihe.
"Zhou Xihe, didn't we just see each other yesterday? Why are you following us today?" she asked.
"I need to talk to you," Zhou Xihe said, looking directly at Ruan Yu.
"Me?"
"Yes. Would you mind finding somewhere to sit?"
"No need. Whatever you have to say, say it here."
Zhou Xihe glanced around. The street was crowded, and many passersby had recognized Ruan Yu, whispering and pointing.
Clearly, this wasn't the place for a conversation.
"It's about the number you misread yesterday," Zhou Xihe lowered his voice. "Let's find somewhere quieter. I mean no harm."
As Ruan Yu hesitated, Teng Yi spoke up.
"Let's go to the café across the street."
There happened to be a café opposite the road.
The three entered and took a private booth.
Once inside, Zhou Xihe didn't beat around the bush. He immediately brought up what he'd witnessed at the Floral Arts Festival yesterday.
From the moment Zhou Xihe took the job as Miya's backup dancer, he'd learned from Miya's manager that Ruan Yu was hosting the festival's opening ceremony. He'd planned to ask her about Teng Yi that day, so upon arriving, he inquired about the location of her dressing room.
But before he could find it, he ran into the other host, Shan Anxin.
Shan Anxin was standing by the stairwell, talking to someone on the phone. Hearing Ruan Yu's name mentioned, Zhou Xihe paid closer attention.
"Yes, it's changed. Just that one digit's difference. No matter how clever or sharp Ruan Yu is, she'd never notice."
Those were Shan Anxin's exact words.
At the time, Zhou Xihe was baffled, unsure what she meant. He was about to look for Ruan Yu when the lead dancer called him back for rehearsal.
Amid the busy preparations, he forgot about it entirely. Even when he ran into Ruan Yu backstage, he didn't mention it. It wasn't until after the event, when he overheard people discussing Ruan Yu's on-air mistake, that he connected the dots.
Zhou Xihe rushed to the dressing room, but Ruan Yu was already gone. Only a cleaning lady was sneaking out, looking suspicious.
She didn't notice Zhou Xihe and bumped into him, stumbling to the ground.Zhou Xihe quickly apologized and helped the person up, but the aunt ignored him completely. She dusted off her clothes, kept her head down, and hurried out of the dressing room. Just as Zhou Xihe was feeling puzzled, he spotted the script lying on the floor.
It was Ruan Yu's script.
"I thought you might need it, so I picked it up and kept it safe. I wanted to find you yesterday, but there were so many reporters outside your hotel. I didn’t know which room you were in, so I had to wait outside. I waited until today before I finally saw you come out."
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