It seemed as if everyone had suddenly hit a rough patch.
Zhao Xiaorou’s breakup video had become a hot topic online, with netizens gleefully mocking the Internet celebrity who had once exposed others now making a fool of herself—a divorced woman trying to date someone from the post-00s generation, an old cow grazing on tender grass. During her livestream, the barrage of malicious comments became overwhelming. Zhao Xiaorou initially tried to ignore them but eventually snapped back—she was never one to swallow her anger.
The persona Wang Guangming had crafted for her had largely crumbled, though fortunately, her advertising fees were still on the rise.
After the last team-building event, Li Ai found himself facing a visit from the Administration for Industry and Commerce—REGARD was suspected of selling counterfeit alcohol.
That night, ten cases of alcohol had been involved, all sourced through Li Ai’s usual channels, with absolutely no possibility of counterfeit products.
Yet, according to complaints filed with the authorities, someone had been hospitalized after drinking and was diagnosed with alcohol poisoning, resulting in a hefty compensation claim.
Li Ai personally traced every distributor involved in the supply chain of those ten cases and produced extensive documentation to prove the legitimacy of the channels, fully cooperating with the investigation.
After two days of muddling through and a two-day suspension, REGARD reopened, but with a tarnished reputation and a drop in its ratings on Dianping.
As for Hu Xiu, her father’s sarcastic remarks were never late—the official announcement for permanent positions at the hospital was posted online. Her father furiously messaged her to come to his ward, where he proceeded to lecture her in front of a room full of patients: "Look at all these widowers, orphans, and lonely souls here! You still don’t have a stable job and take pleasure in being single. When you’re old, you won’t even get to stay in a ward like this!"
It was indeed a high-class ward, but Hu Xiu sighed inwardly—living with such frustration, whether she’d even make it to old age was a question in itself.
That evening, the gathering was unusually held upstairs at Li Ai’s place—REGARD had somehow encountered hygiene issues again, with recent infestations of termites and cockroaches, and today, the guitar displayed in the shop had its strings cut.
Li Ai, his injured leg not yet fully healed, sat on the bed smoking; Diao Zhiyu leaned against a shoebox, deliberately avoiding eye contact with Hu Xiu. Xu Meng was also present, while Zhao Xiaorou stood with her back to them beside Li Ai, occasionally rolling her eyes. The room was dead silent, the air thick with awkwardness.
"REGARD has been open for three years. Logically, it shouldn’t be facing so many issues all of a sudden."
Hu Xiu broke the silence first: "I hardly ever use my Dianping account, but I’d still give REGARD five-star reviews."
"There are plenty of tricks on Xiaohongshu. If we really want to manipulate the data, I can get a few level 7 or higher users to write reviews. The main issue now is whether someone is targeting Li Ai. Everything was fine before."
"Very likely. Li Ai, have you made any enemies?"
Li Ai remained silent, just smoking on the bed. Hu Xiu had a vague suspicion—Li Ai’s refusal to settle had turned him into an adversary in the eyes of the victims.
He was the only one who had rejected a two-million-yuan settlement, insisting on pursuing justice. Whether these underhanded tactics were orchestrated by the perpetrators or the victims, Li Ai wouldn’t let it slide easily. He just hadn’t found a definitive solution yet.
Zhao Xiaorou fumed with indignation: "Check the surveillance footage, find the guy, and confront him head-on. Shanghai is too civilized—people like that need a physical lesson.""We can't do this. Li Ai is currently in a lawsuit, and what he fears most is giving people any grounds for criticism."
Diao Zhiyu took a deep breath: "People only protect perfect victims. The moment Li Ai shows any agitation, someone will immediately be watching him."
Xu Meng moved past Zhao Xiaorou and sat on the edge of the bed, gently squeezing Li Ai's leg as if giving him a massage: "At this point, would you really be satisfied with a settlement?"
"Don't be ridiculous."
The fleeting loneliness in Xu Meng's eyes was still noticed by Hu Xiu. Zhao Xiaorou's gaze remained fixed on Xu Meng's hands as she said with suppressed anger, "Li Ai, don't worry about money. If you want to pursue this matter, my money and connections are your backing."
Once outside, she continued cursing loudly: "Did you see that! She placed her hand on him so naturally. I don't even dare touch Li Ai, yet she acted so casually. Has she no sense of propriety?"
"Doesn't she have a child and husband? How could she actually be dating Li Ai? Those intimate gestures - could they have slept together already!"
"Don't overthink it. How do you always manage to create so many scenarios from such small things? Writing a novel?"
"My mind is filled with their pornographic movie, damn it. I just couldn't come during the hospitalization period."
"Do you know how much courage it took for me to come apologize to Li Ai? Even though I didn't end up saying it, I've been tormented for a full week, and still had to act calm in front of him because he doesn't like hysterical women."
"Alright. Anyway, we know Xu Meng and he won't have any future. You still have your chance."
"The love of married women with children is always sordid. With responsibility weighing on their heads, they create complications. Don't pretend to be suffering."
As she finished speaking, Xu Meng in her red dress walked past the two. In the small alley, she could obviously hear everything, but she just kept walking in her high heels - a cheap knockoff of BV.
Diao Zhiyu also came out: "Watch your language. I could hear you even without coming downstairs."
"That was meant for her to hear." Zhao Xiaorou felt somewhat embarrassed: "I'm leaving first..."
In the narrow corridor of the small house, Hu Xiu and Diao Zhiyu stood a meter apart, neither able to speak first.
Hu Xiu couldn't sort out her feelings, only wanting to delete her confession: "Your computer - could you lend it to me one more time?"
"You should get your computer repaired."
"Please, I'm begging you."
Diao Zhiyu sensed something unusual and became serious: "Sorry, the graphics card burned out while editing photos. If you still need it in a few days, I'll lend it to you. REGARD is having a gift exchange on Christmas Eve, I'll bring it then."
Hu Xiu just nodded and turned to leave.
"So what are you going to do? Just write off everything that happened before?" The voice on the phone was Zhao Xiaorou's, who sounded like she was drinking while lying on the sofa, her speech slightly slurred.
Hu Xiu couldn't bring up her game confession - she'd probably get drunkenly scolded for it - and just mumbled: "I don't know..."
"Of course we can't just let it go. Is Diao Zhiyu out of his mind? If he only likes Qin Xiaoyi, he should have cut ties immediately after changing Roles. All his charm would have become ineffective anyway, with all that talk about going to Escape Rooms together, sleeping on Camp Beds, and walking the streets."
"Those little boy tricks of his - coming and going as he pleases, withdrawing whenever he wants - we definitely can't let this slide."
"Besides, Hu Xiu, when we were chasing Lee Donghae, did Lee Donghae ever ask whether we liked SJ's Lee Donghae or the normal person Lee Donghae?"People inherently have many facets. If Diao Zhiyu's rejection makes you back off, how humiliating! A woman from Donghae's circle should never admit defeat so easily."
"But he doesn't like me. This is completely different from pursuing Lee Donghae."
"You're giving up too soon. Listen to me - we absolutely cannot let this end here." Zhao Xiaorou twisted her hair into a loose bun, securing it with an eyebrow pencil, her jade-inlaid-in-gold aura returning in full force: "We're women who've pursued Super Junior members. Those old men got married, got DUIs, faced boycotts - our fragile hearts have been shattered so many times, what's one more prick? Tell me, what does Diao Zhiyu like? How much do you know about his hobbies?"
"The Lakers..."
"That won't work. Going to the US is too expensive, and you can't play basketball. Anything else?"
"Video games, but he's pretty bad at them." This made her even more depressed.
"You're so infatuated that you're not thinking straight." Zhao Xiaorou scrolled through her social media: "I see Snowpiercer's lobby has a Christmas tree. Buy two theater tickets, adjacent seats. No performing arts major would turn that down - anything by Meng Jinghui or Lai Shengchuan works.
The staff will collect the tickets for the actors, so they definitely won't get lost.
If he recognizes your handwriting, he'll definitely come. Sitting together watching the play - he'll be Diao Zhiyu, not Qin Xiaoyi's character, no Lin Qiumei, just you Hu Xiu. Ninety minutes feeling each other's body heat nearby will surely melt the tension between you."
These words finally brought some light to Hu Xiu's eyes: "How do you come up with so many ideas?"
"That's what friends are for - solving problems." Zhao Xiaorou searched on the app: "This show on the 23rd - it's coming up soon."
Hu Xiu personally went to collect the tickets during her lunch break. When she returned and placed them on her desk, Pei Zhen happened to see them during his after-hours visit to the office: "Going to see a play?"
"Yeah..."
"'Rhinoceros in Love' - I've seen this production. It was in Beijing, during Duan Yihong's run."
"That was ages ago..."
"Right. I can still recite the lines - the bible of ideal love. That kind of love is probably extinct now, different era, different soil. Are you going with Diao Zhiyu?"
"With Zhao Xiaorou..." Better not complicate things.
Pei Zhen smiled understandingly: "I'd like to see it again sometime."
After work, Hu Xiu went to Snowpiercer and simply hung the tickets on the Christmas tree before leaving.
The greeting cards on the tree hadn't been collected yet, resembling a real-time popularity chart - many had written ambiguous blessings for Feng Youjin and Li Rong.
Remembering the line "I only acted as Feng Youjin for you, Qin Xiaoyi's unrequited love torments me," Hu Xiu's hand paused, momentarily uncertain whether to hang this ticket.
The iron gate creaked open, signaling the end of a gaming session. Hu Xiu hung the envelope on the tree and left. The contents were simple - one ticket plus a blessing: "You're a natural lead who needs no one else's light; become a true actor, and I'll be there for all your performances."
As for whether Diao Zhiyu would see it, she wasn't entirely confident.
On the evening of December 23rd, Hu Xiu touched up her makeup before leaving work, preparing to take a taxi to Yihai Theater.
Before heading out, she encountered Pei Zhen who was on his way to perform surgery. There seemed to be a trace of unease in his eyes.After a brief farewell, Pei Zhen couldn't resist asking one more question: "Are you really going to watch the play with Zhao Xiaorou?"
Hu Xiu's smile was stiff: "Of course..."
"Have fun..." Pei Zhen ducked into the emergency exit to take the stairs.
Under the shimmering night lights, she headed north through the bustling streets, watching the streams of cars rushing home, her heart filled with bittersweet anticipation.
Diao Zhiyu had once briefly mentioned at REGARD how much he loved theater, and she hadn't even been as thoughtful as Zhao Xiaorou.
Zhao Xiaorou comforted her on WeChat: "You're too smitten to think straight, spending every day blushing with a racing heart.
No need to tell him later that buying tickets was my idea—just watch the play together and see if he's moved enough to hold your hand.
Although most young people have seen 'Rhinoceros in Love,' no one would refuse to watch it again.
Crazy love is becoming rare in life, with everyone posting personal ads at the matchmaking corner in People's Park.
I double-checked the seats next to you—they're still unsold, so no one will disturb you two later."
"I hope he comes."
"If he doesn't, forget about you—I'd cut ties with him. With all the memories you've built, if he doesn't show, he's heartless.
Enough chatting—I'm going live. By the time we text again, you'll probably be a couple, finally off the singles market."
The scariest thing is friends' encouragement—Hu Xiu smiled at her screen. Before entering the theater, she bought two bottles of water, picked up play-themed stickers and a poster, and sat in her seat studying the woman on the poster—Huang Xiangli starring in "Letter from an Unknown Woman."
Hu Xiu had read the novel, but Huang Xiangli's eyes lacked the humility and loneliness of the woman in the story, instead radiating rebellion.
When Diao Zhiyu arrived, she could ask for his opinion—after all, professionals understand these things better.
Someone so passionate about theater wouldn't miss a romantic date, especially since the ticket left on the Christmas tree aboard the Snowpiercer was the best blessing for an actor.
At 7:15, Hu Xiu put away the poster and brochure, took a deep breath, and gazed at the stage.
At such close range, if Diao Zhiyu held her hand, the actors might even see it.
They had so many memories—he was the one who took her to the Escape Room, begged her to stay when she had a stomachache, chased her downstairs to confirm her feelings, and hoped for more time together. He would definitely come to this play.
By 7:25, Hu Xiu grew increasingly uneasy. Her phone remained silent for five minutes; she kept looking around. All the expected attendees had arrived, and she had stood up several times to let people pass.
At 7:28, the theater lights dimmed. Anxious, Hu Xiu hesitated over Diao Zhiyu's WeChat, typing "Where are you? It's about to start" in the message box. She thought: maybe he didn't realize it was her, and it's hard to accept an invitation from a stranger; perhaps he wasn't interested in "Rhinoceros in Love"; or he could be on his way—but she held back and didn't send the message.
At 7:30, the theater plunged into darkness, and the first act began on stage.
In the dark, Hu Xiu strained her ears, waiting for footsteps behind her and for someone to sit beside her.
Every time someone passed, she looked up—it was always hurried couples or crouching staff, but never him.Her heart gradually grew cold. On stage, Ma Lu's long monologue was nearly finished: "You are different, unique, soft, clean, like the sky—my Mingming. How can I make you understand?"
Disappointment and anger spread through her chest. Hu Xiu stared at the chat window, typing and deleting before finally sending: "I gave you the ticket. I truly never thought you wouldn't come."
There was still no response. Hu Xiu took a trembling breath, her eyes fixed on Ma Lu on stage. Damn it, of all plays, why did it have to be Rhinoceros in Love? Every line was driving her insane.
"You have the face of an angel and the heart of a whore. I love you, I truly love you, I madly love you. I flatter you, I make promises to you, I swear eternal devotion—what else can I do? How can I make you understand how much I love you?"
This was Hu Xiu's first time watching Rhinoceros in Love, and she felt somewhat sorry for this millennial love bible. The script was excellent, the acting superb, but her mood was utterly ruined.
Zhao Xiaorou sent a message: "How's it going? Did he come?"
"No. I'm alone at Yihai Theater."
She was like a novelist who had lost her direction, listening blankly to others' passionate declarations, unsure how to write her own love story.
It had started so suddenly, weathered twists and turns, then glided smoothly and sweetly for so long. Now, the pen in her heart touched the paper only to lift away, leaving behind nothing but dull stains. Mingming's lines seemed to speak for her:
"I remember one evening when you fell asleep, childlike, breathing softly, so quietly."
"I looked at you, gazed at you recklessly, leaned close to you, greedily inhaling every breath you exhaled into my lungs... thinking this must be what sharing breath means. Humans can live on carbon dioxide, as long as there is—love."
As the play neared its end, hurried footsteps came from behind, quick and urgent, accompanied by panting.
Hu Xiu held her breath as someone forcefully sat down beside her. The mystery unraveled like her own prophecy come true—her heart leapt to her throat, then gently settled back down.
A sweet, girlish fragrance drifted between the seats. Zhao Xiaorou took Hu Xiu's hand: "I ended my livestream, bought a ticket, and came. It doesn't matter if he didn't show up—I'll watch this play with you. I won't stand by and watch my friend of ten years suffer."
She held Hu Xiu's hand tightly. Ma Lu's lines were too moving, and Hu Xiu's tears finally fell.
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