Hu Xiu watched Diao Zhiyu standing at the compartment door, phone in hand as he listened to the dial tone, and was reminded of the scene outside Room 301 on the Snowpiercer—Lin Qiumei rejecting Qin Xiaoyi’s gift, her expression treating him as nothing more than a younger brother.
Feeling no guilt was impossible. A baseless rejection was the most hurtful, yet Lin Qiumei had at least given Diao Zhiyu a reason. Now, Hu Xiu’s current state would likely be mistaken for a classic love triangle scenario: drunk, held in someone’s arms, and ignoring another’s call—a masterclass in emotional annihilation without lifting a finger.
Caught red-handed, with no room for denial.
An unusual sense of rivalry stirred within Hu Xiu. Being fought over by two men sounded like the kind of high-stakes drama reserved for idol shows.
But all she truly possessed was a single moment of choice, with the shifting dynamics entirely dependent on the two men’s interplay—one rising as the other fell, a constant tug-of-war.
And just then, a feverish chill sent a tremor through her very soul.
Yes, the script of fate had once again placed the pen in her hands. Didn’t she want Diao Zhiyu?
Hadn’t jealousy consumed her? Wasn’t she easily provoked by Pei Zhen? This fleeting opportunity, if missed, might allow his wavering heart to linger in endless hesitation. After all this ambiguity, it was time to give him a push.
She met Diao Zhiyu’s gaze—the same look of yearning he’d had on the Snowpiercer, the timid vulnerability of being drenched in rain, the dazed exhaustion of fever, now tinged with guilt at being discovered in Pei Zhen’s embrace.
If she had lacked confidence before, the flawless interpretation she’d just completed in the simultaneous interpretation booth had fortified her. Doubt not the power of your emotions, Diao Zhiyu. Look into my eyes—be provoked, be wounded, feel deceived.
Yes, just like that. Step out of the role of the unrequited lover and claim me.
Diao Zhiyu strode over with a cold expression, his eyes fixed solely on Pei Zhen, not once glancing at her. He reached out and gripped her shoulder, his force so strong it felt as if he were wrenching her from Pei Zhen’s arms.
The entire compartment fell into silence. Doctor Jin stood to the side, hands in his pockets, his face etched with the weary resignation of age and experience.
“She hasn’t recovered from her cold yet. I’m taking her back.”
Pei Zhen didn’t release Hu Xiu immediately, only letting go when he saw her wince. Hu Xiu pressed her hand against Diao Zhiyu’s arm. “How did you know about the farewell party for our colleague?”
“I invited him,” Pei Zhen said, folding his arms as he stepped back, his exit as polished as a performance. “Goodnight, Teacher Hu. I have to leave for the airport at six tomorrow morning. I’ll stay with them a bit longer, then head home to pack.”
Everything unfolded with impeccable timing. Splitting the moments to draw both men in for farewells, then letting the latecomer witness the scene—Hu Xiu finally understood the subtle brilliance behind Pei Zhen’s claim of not being a good person. Never excessive, yet always precise in igniting Diao Zhiyu’s fury.
Fever left her weak, and the alcohol was starting to irritate. Standing at the eye of the storm, she waited with lucid clarity for Diao Zhiyu’s retort.
Diao Zhiyu clasped Hu Xiu’s hand, pulling her behind him, his smile strained. “If you’d mentioned it earlier, I could have brought her here and taken her back afterward.
I could have even joined the farewell party with all of you. She’s been running a fever and just finished a seven-hour meeting. Giving her alcohol—don’t you think that’s a bit much?”
Then he turned, wrapping an arm around Hu Xiu. “We won’t intrude further. We’re going home.”Going home? What home? Which home? Ours?
Diao Zhiyu walked ahead, Hu Xiu followed behind. In the cold night, one in front and one behind, so quiet only their footsteps could be heard.
The first act had ended. Anything said now would sound like an excuse. What performance? There was no script, and her scene partner was already provoked.
An improvisation challenge presented itself: how to coax an angry boy, under the premise that he had just witnessed you hugging another man pursuing you, while feeling a tumult of emotions and wanting to explain things logically—still hadn't figured it out. Was there a stage manager who could give her an earpiece and tell her what to say now?
Maintaining basic rationality, she hailed a cab home. Diao Zhiyu had already closed the car door but pulled it open again in frustration and got into the passenger seat.
Separated by the back of the passenger seat, neither could see the other's face. Damn it, so vexing.
If she needed to explain the whole story after getting out of the car later: 1. Pei Zhen's farewell party had been announced long ago; after falling into the water and hearing news about Zhao Xiaorou, she rushed back and lost track of time in the back and forth. 2. The hug with Pei Zhen was just a goodbye; his timing was too coincidental, so coincidental that she was willing to be questioned, just like when they ran into Lin Qiumei that time. 3. Pei Zhen was a good colleague, a good man, and a good friend, but he was going to the U.S. for his ex-girlfriend—this was the most useful information from their earlier conversation. 4. Could we please not have so many coincidences that hurt each other? 5. I like you... No one will ever be more important to me than you...
The car arrived at the unit door. Hu Xiu got out, and Diao Zhiyu followed, clearly wanting to say something. Seeing Hu Xiu biting her lip, the usually icy handsome guy now had cracks in his composure.
"About that time with Lin Qiumei, were you determined to get back at me?"
"I didn't..."
"Every hurt you suffered from me, do you have to return it all?"
The prepared points 1 through 5 remained unspoken as rain suddenly began to fall.
The rain grew heavier, stinging their faces. Diao Zhiyu's questioning continued: "Are you sure you like Pei Zhen? Can't bear to let him go, right? If that's the case, stop stringing me along. Being hurt twice in a row is too much for me too."
"Dragging me off-stage to provoke me repeatedly—I'm not your plaything, nor your acting coach."
"Sorry..."
Using retreat to advance...
The unit door slammed shut. Hu Xiu ran upstairs and closed her door, panicking and unsure what to do. If the play ended here and he didn't follow, their story might be over at any moment.
The rain came so timely, so heavy it frightened her, reminding her of that winter two years ago.
The person who once promised to be with her forever coldly said, "Let's just call it quits."
Running away was better than hearing it again.
After closing the door and collecting herself, she carefully recalled Diao Zhiyu's expression. Since that final moment on the Snowpiercer when she covered Qin Xiaoyi's mouth, his gaze had changed—it was he who said he would pursue her.
Should all this end because of that hug? Was she ready for a life alone?
After enduring seventeen cycles on the Snowpiercer and spending so much time together off-stage, would Diao Zhiyu disappear from her life just because of one hug?
A gamble—she'd gamble on whether he would come up!
Hu Xiu stood still in the darkness, pricking up her ears to listen for sounds outside the door—yes, footsteps growing closer, definitely reaching the sixth floor.Love has no logic to speak of. The script was rewritten by her on the spot, and whether the other person would take the bait depended entirely on their own initiative.
But the footsteps did stop at his door. She had heard Qin Xiaoyi’s footsteps too many times, and now was the moment to reveal the answer.
The instant I open the door is the last time I lay my heart bare. Let’s see how you respond…
He strode in, closed the door behind him, and pressed her against the wall with force.
The stool beside them toppled over, the loud crash startling her. Shaken by his fierce momentum, Diao Zhiyu’s face was now just three millimeters from hers. In the darkness, neither spoke a word. His breath brushed against her face—filled with anger and desire. Now, she had nowhere to retreat.
“Why did you choose me? Because I seem easy to bully? Among all the actors on Snowpiercer, did you notice early on that I’m soft-hearted?”
“No…”
“Pei Zhen won’t make you happy. I will.”
“You…”
“Is it because I’m young and not trustworthy? Or because your parents think men who act are unreliable? How would you know if you’ve never tried?”
“If you’ve thought from the start that I was acting, then there’s nothing I can say. I apologize.
If even my clumsy methods could be seen as a ploy by you, I’m truly sorry. Now… I’m confused too.”
“Lin Qiumei used me to break up with Geng Zhongliang because we were too poor. Five days a week, trapped in the theater for 18 hours a day, with unstable earnings and no time to eat. The players see us as Non-Player Characters, machines meant to advance the plot, or as objects of their fantasies. Everyone questions whether this counts as being a real actor.
It’s my fault for failing to distinguish between onstage and offstage with Lin Qiumei, but we’re all actors. These things happen by accident, and you were an accident too.”
“I’m sorry…”
“Don’t even think about trapping me in Qin Xiaoyi’s script. I’m tired of wavering between two men, of Qin Xiaoyi and Ning Zechen’s games. I’m a living, breathing person, a man who likes you. You can’t treat me like this.”
The faint glow from her phone still allowed her to see his face clearly. Damn it, why was he drenched all over? His eyes were red and swollen. Had she made the actor before her cry?
How much of this was real, and how much was an act?
Should she say something now…? But faced with this pitiful, rain-soaked boy, she surrendered.
The moment their lips touched, she instinctively flinched. The young boy’s lips were cold, his nose icy, as if his heart had frozen first.
His elbow pressed against the wall as he leaned down, coming so close to her. There was no scent of mint candy, no fragrance of laundry beads—only the dampness of rain and winter nights, and the boy’s hidden grievances escaping into the darkness.
She withdrew her arm from his chest, straightened up slightly, rose onto her toes, and shifted the kiss upward.
His hand caught hers, fingers intertwining, while his other hand descended to cover the top of her head, sliding slowly down the back of her skull and settling there. The pressure was just right, sending shivers down her scalp.
Lips pressed against lips, chest against chest, abdomen against abdomen—this finally felt like a real kiss.Her palm gradually warmed, her tongue pried open his lips like a key unlocking an unfamiliar door. Their entangled tongues muddled her mind; his lips enveloped hers, gently sucking away her soul. Every point of contact grew feverish—lips, teeth, chest, waist, abdomen... Dampness seeped through like dry blossoms being soaked, unfurled, and slowly swelling.
She had never experienced this kind of mind-blanking heat before. Damn, she couldn’t think straight...
Staggering unsteadily, she twisted slightly, her back accidentally hitting the bedroom light switch. So bright! Did the suffocating kiss just stop like that?
Unsure what to do next, Diao Zhiyu reached behind her and snapped the light off with a click.
She was completely thrown by this turn of events!
"I... I have something to tell you..."
"Don't speak..."
He seemed to know exactly what came next, scooping her up by the waist and laying her on the bed before covering her like a human blanket. Only when Hu Xiu felt the unusual tension in his body did she realize what was about to happen.
The brief flicker of light had sobered her slightly. Her mind raced: How many ex-girlfriends has he had? Why is every move so fluid?
Was he really going to...? The door was closed, the lights off... A man and a woman alone—this was really getting out of hand...
His movements slowed, as if seeking permission. Hu Xiu remained still, only aware of him hovering above her, his weight gentle; one hand tugged lightly at her knitted sweater around her waist, fingers tracing upward until goosebumps prickled her skin. He didn’t kiss her again, just watched her in the dark.
This intimacy was irresistibly addictive.
Footsteps seemed to echo from the staircase outside. The walls of these old southern homes were thinner than pride, carrying every sound with unsettling clarity. How ill-timed. Wait, that voice sounded like...
"Unit 71, 602! Anyone home?" The door shuddered under heavy pounding. "Open up!"
Who would be banging on the door so late? Hu Xiu switched on the light. Though not utterly terrified, her teeth chattered faintly. "Who... who is it?"
"Police!"
Huh? Diao Zhiyu took a deep breath, pushed himself up, steadied his breathing, and went to answer the door.
Hu Xiu, looking dazed, opened the small window connecting the bedroom to the kitchen. An officer stepped inside. "What's going on here? The neighbor in 603 reported a man loitering outside and noises from this unit. You—ID, now. And you in the room, come out."
The late-night interrogation felt abrasive. The young officer peered into the room, squinting slightly.
Hu Xiu tucked her sweater into her pants, smoothed her hair, and stepped out, her expression betraying more than she intended.
Diao Zhiyu remained silent, compliantly pulling his ID from his wallet. The photo showed a sharp, clean-cut young man. Hu Xiu glimpsed the officer’s notes: Diao Zhiyu, born August 2, 1996, registered in Shenyang.
"What about the noises?"
"The power tripped. I kicked over a stool. My boyfriend's car got stolen, he was searching downstairs and came up to help me reset the breaker. It got a bit loud. The neighbor's a woman, right? Sorry we scared her."
Knowing her own home best, she spun a story in her panic, her thoughts clearer now than in the pitch-black confusion earlier.
"Your ID, for registration."
Hu Xiu obediently handed hers over. The officer scrutinized both IDs, glancing from Hu Xiu to Diao Zhiyu. "Quite an age gap. Is this relationship legitimate?""Of course it's legitimate..." Damn, is a relationship between an older woman and younger man not allowed?
"Keep your voices down late at night. Most people renting here live alone. They call us over at the slightest disturbance, and police responses are quite taxing."
The older policeman led the younger one in a quick inspection of the room, not even bothering to remove their shoes. The torrential rain had tracked mud and water all over the floor.
It was the older officer who noticed the awkward tension between the two: "Young people, lower your voices."
Only then did Hu Xiu understand what they meant—for heaven's sake, nothing had even happened yet!
With the interruption, their passion had completely fizzled out. They tried leaving the window cracked to listen to the rain, but had to close it tightly when heavy droplets started splashing into the room.
Diao Zhiyu sat on the balcony sofa, coughing lightly a few times, while Hu Xiu tidied the messy living room and bedroom. By the time she finished cleaning, it was already past midnight. The rain still hadn't stopped when Diao Zhiyu stood up: "I'll call a ride home."
"Wait until the rain lets up..."
Another long silence fell between them. Hu Xiu sat at the dressing table, stealing glances at Diao Zhiyu. He was looking around, but when his eyes returned to her, his entire face flushed red—weren't you so bold earlier? Why are you back to being shy now!
She suddenly remembered when she first learned to play the behind-the-scenes role in Snowpiercer and had asked customer service Niko what Qin Xiaoyi was like in private. Niko's answer was simple: he's a shy boy.
The hormonal atmosphere in the room had completely dissipated, leaving behind only a young man with wandering eyes, avoiding the subject. The police officers' visit had made him act as if he'd genuinely been caught doing something wrong...
"Are you... hungry?"
"I'm not..."
"The rain might be heavy. If it doesn't let up, you can sleep on my sofa..."
"No need, I'll leave in a bit."
At this point, Diao Zhiyu suddenly noticed the Marriage Certificate pasted on the wall. The marriage registration between Feng Youjin and Xu Zhenping from Rong City notary office had been torn and carefully pieced back together, displayed properly in front of the desk.
As they both looked at the Marriage Certificate, Hu Xiu turned to search the refrigerator. The alcohol had left her uncomfortable, and she needed something to settle her stomach. Yogurt, cherries—fortunately, these wouldn't be too shabby for serving a guest.
"You told me before you threw away the Marriage Certificate."
"I didn't..."
"Then why was it torn?"
She didn't want him knowing about family matters, but didn't want to lie either. With her back to Diao Zhiyu, Hu Xiu continued washing cherries: "I didn't tear it intentionally—anyway, I pasted it back together."
A pair of arms encircled her from behind: "Does what we said about being boyfriend and girlfriend still count?"
"Since the police caught us, if you say no and they come again, I'll really have a record."
"Then, it counts..."
The arms tightened around her: "Then I want to set three rules—first, no more physical contact with Pei Zhen; second, only I'm allowed through this door."
"And the third?"
"You can only go to Escape Rooms and Live Action Role Playing Games with me."
"Why's that?"
"Because you fall for NPCs too easily. You have a record."
The faucet was still running, warm water flowing through her fingers down the drain. Hu Xiu heard that pleasant voice whispering in her ear that she had a record.
You're so good at taking care of people, so gentle, so easily jealous—just how much were you holding back before?"Since you're my girlfriend now, I can rest easy. The rain has stopped, I'm heading home. To avoid looking like someone who's only after your looks, I can't stay here."
As if the beast-like man from earlier wasn't you...
"What were you going to tell me earlier?"
Hu Xiu blinked in confusion. The list of points she had prepared had been completely driven away by passion, long forgotten.
As he stepped out the door, Diao Zhiyu turned back with a smile. She thought he might leave her with a kiss, but his expression was so familiar - it was the triumphant smile Qin Xiaoyi often wore when he reported Ning Zechen in Rong City and counterattacked Feng Youjin.
Hu Xiu felt uncomfortable all over from that smile: "Diao Zhiyu, are you acting to pressure me instead?"
"Of course not..." That smile belonged to Qin Xiaoyi - somewhat mischievous, somewhat playful;
Most of the time she couldn't tell them apart at all. But she couldn't mistake that triumphant expression - after all, when he pretended to have stomach pain at Li Ai's coffee shop, he had smiled just as subtly: "How could anyone act something like that? Besides, how could I deceive you."
The moment the door closed, Hu Xiu let out a long sigh - a girl with a secret crush should never underestimate her ability to rewrite life's script.
She had succeeded...
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