Huayu 02: The Days of Extreme Pulling and Rolling with the Fairy

"Hey, Yifei, what's up?"

As Ms. Liu listened to the voice on the receiver, her face paled slightly, she bit her lower lip, and her hand gripping the blanket tightened.

Previously, the two had used a variety of nicknames. Miss Liu liked to tease Xie Jin, giving him different nicknames every few days.

This seemed to have become an unspoken understanding between the two.

This was the first time Xie Jin had addressed her by her name.

Although Xie Jin's voice was very enthusiastic, Liu Yifei could sense that it was different from before.

That's just a friendly distance.

She buried her head between her legs, trying to explain that yesterday was just a joke.

She hadn't even read any of the Legend of Sword and Fairy doujinshi; she was just annoyed that he hadn't played with her these past few days. As for that hug, although it was a bit strange, Xie Gouzi occasionally couldn't control his lust, which was actually within her expectations, and she could just bear it.

But the words "What are you doing?" remained unspoken.

"I'm working in Gansu, and a guy here is going to film something."

Xiao Liu's voice was very soft and timid, "Oh... yesterday I..."

Xie Jin interrupted her: "I'm so sorry about yesterday. I shouldn't have done that. I scared you. It won't happen again."

"You're right, you're an adult now, I think you'd be quite suitable to act in Chinese Paladin."

The more polite and courteous Xie Jin was, the colder she felt inside, a feeling she couldn't quite put her finger on.

"I...I...Are you angry?"

Hearing her voice, Xie Jin felt a pang of sadness, like a fine wound slowly bleeding.

But even so, he didn't want to continue like that, maintaining a close male best friend relationship.

  

You can't be a male best friend; it's disrespectful to both yourself and the other person.

The two were in contact too frequently, sending a message every few minutes and making eight or nine phone calls a day.

This is not normal.

"How could that be? Yifei, I have to go to work now. The brand over there is urging me. Let's talk again when I have time. I'll bring you a souvenir when I get back. Bye-bye!"

"I...."

Xie Jin looked at her phone, gritted her teeth, and turned back to work.

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Filming at Wushaoling ended in the afternoon. For the next three days, Xie Jin filmed while also preparing for the TV series project on her computer. With her mind free of distractions, many new ideas came to her.

I made all sorts of miscellaneous plans for the future, which exhausted me.

Ms. Liu called four times during the call, and Xie Jin answered two of them. The two chatted briefly.

Xie Jin talked about the local customs and culture of Hexi, but didn't mention anything about her upcoming TV series or ask her about the Legend of Sword and Fairy.

They clearly understood their place, had no intention of overstepping boundaries, and deliberately kept the conversations confined to the realm of classmates and friends.

Xiao Liu felt he had something to say, but Xie Jin kept changing the subject.

Basically, each phone call lasted no more than three minutes before Xie Jin would make an excuse to go to work.

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I rubbed my eyes.

Xie Jin felt extremely tired and decided to lie down and take a nap.

Gu Renlong knocked on the door a few times and came in: "Xie Jin, stop fussing, you'll get puffy tomorrow if you stay up any longer."

"I'm going to sleep now."

Old Gu, without any hesitation, slumped onto the bed and asked, "By the way, who did you book as your date? Is it that Miss Liu?"

Xie Jin felt a little sad and shook her head: "You can decide on the female companion; it's also fine to see what the brand thinks."

Gu Renlong looked a little confused, but still nodded. "Ah, okay then."

He then opened his laptop and said to himself, "Besides the brand ambassadors, the Leica Night only sent letters to top-tier celebrities."

"Every company wants their newcomers to get on the red carpet. It's all about the top female and male stars mentoring the newcomers. Someone like you, a self-made near-top star, is probably a rare find."

"Am I still considered a near-top-tier player?"

Gu Renlong pondered for a moment: "I can say you're almost a top-tier star, but other near-top-tier stars probably wouldn't dare to put themselves in the same league as you. All we're missing now is a drama series."

Gu Renlong rubbed his face vigorously. Recently, Xie Jin was tired, but he was even more tired. One of them accompanied the filming, while the other went to serve the client to discuss other endorsements. They were so busy that they didn't have time to rest.

Judging solely from her work, Xie Jin is definitely a top-tier actress.

Four wildly popular ringtones and a platinum album allowed him to establish himself in the music industry.

Everyone knows that he is a talented and creative artist.

"When Men Fall in Love" and "Incense" complement each other perfectly. One showcases commercial value, proving box office appeal and the director's storytelling ability, while the other, with its slightly realistic dark humor, demonstrates Xie Jin's artistic expression.

The only problem is that he is slightly socially awkward and rarely participates in activities. Not to mention people outside the industry, many people in the industry have never actually met him in person.

Now, we are just one step away from gaining a firm foothold in the front line.

"If you let me choose, I'll have to take a good look."

"Yang Mi?"

"generally"

"Zhang Jingchu?"

"generally"

"Golden Sands?"

"generally"

Gu Renlong put down his computer and looked at Xie Jin with a half-smile: "Are you messing with me? What? Are you torturing me because you're heartbroken?"

Xie Jin slumped in the chair, tilted her head back, and shoved the script over her face. "Bullshit! I'm not heartbroken! I'm not in a relationship. It's like pulling a millstone naked—utterly embarrassing!"

"Tsk tsk tsk, poor kid~"

Xie Jin frowned, a little annoyed: "Ancestor, just choose for yourself and stop bothering me."

"It's just walking the red carpet, sitting there watching the performance, it doesn't matter who my date is. You pick, I'll just go along with it."

Gu Renlong leaned closer: "Tell me, tell me. Seeing you so upset makes me feel so much better, really. I've been there."

"Someone who's been there?"

Old Gu scratched his head. "I forgot to mention, I got married a long time ago. My wife was my junior high school classmate. Go on and tell me more, I love listening to her."

Xie Jin was rather curious about what Gu Renlong's wife would be like.

Old Gu was clearly from a highly educated family; he was refined in appearance, elegant in demeanor, impeccably dressed, and physically fit.

To be honest, aside from being a bit ugly, he basically fits the stereotypical image of the male lead and second male lead in idol dramas.

It's not that he's ugly, he just has that kind of sleazy, depraved look.

Don't let his age fool you; even in the dating market twenty years from now, Lao Gu would still be a top contender.

Xie Jin gritted her teeth and mumbled on and on, finally getting all her worries and anxieties out.

Gu Renlong listened attentively, nodding without interrupting him.

After rambling on, Xie Jin felt the tightness in her chest dissipate.

Old Gu didn't lecture him; instead, he lit a cigarette and asked, "Do you know when I married my wife?"

Xie Jin shook her head.

"My family is from Fujian. My grandfather used to be a boatman. Later, a few people from the village went to work illegally in Amei, and my grandfather would send money home."

"My uncle used the money my grandfather sent him to get married and have me. Later, he started a factory in our hometown. When I was seventeen, my uncle said he would send me to Amei to find my grandfather so I could study there."

At this point, Old Gu blushed slightly: "My wife was my classmate in junior and senior high school. I really liked her back then, but she could only express a slight liking for me."

"Besides me, a lot of other people were pursuing her at that time, and I didn't know if she liked me that much."

Gu Renlong paused for a moment before continuing, "The night before I boarded the ship, she said she had a stomachache and asked me to stay with her on her family's boat for a while, and then... she slept with me."

As he spoke, Old Gu took off his shirt, turned around, and revealed several crooked earthworms on his back.

"Look, look, how rude! You scratched me, you scratched me so badly!"

Xie Jin's face darkened: "You fucking put your clothes on! If the paparazzi take a picture, I'll be sitting at the same table as Liu Ye and Hu Jun in a minute!"

Xie Jin thought for a moment: "Are you telling me this using your sister-in-law's story, so I can learn from her and force myself on her?"

"Fuck you, that's a crime!"

"I'm saying this to tell you, guys, don't be so petty. Sometimes it's really hard to guess what girls are thinking."

"At least I can tell you with certainty that Tangren was rejected by the Liu family."

Xie Jinteng sat up abruptly: "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. There's nothing I can't find out."

Xie Jin felt much better. At least he knew that she was simply scared that day and didn't like him, and that it had nothing to do with his interference in the TV series.

Things happened one after another, and words flowed in quick succession.

"So, you're in the agent business? Isn't your wife worried? You don't seem like someone to be trifled with."

Gu Renlong pushed up his scumbag glasses, his gaze unusually gentle: "Although my wife, who has shared my hardships, is no longer as beautiful as she was in her youth, her waist and legs have thickened."

"But I was delighted to see her gain weight."

"I wasn't in the country when my mother passed away. The old lady was confused but kept talking about your sister-in-law's name. She took very good care of the family. I'm the one who let her down."

"Betraying one's wife is punishable by being boiled in oil."

"I just look like a scumbag, but most of the time I'm pretty much a human being."

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Xiao Liu stayed in her room, feeling sullen and glancing at her phone every now and then. She was seething with anger, feeling a pang of sadness and a sense of being wronged.

Why does Xie Gouzi have such a bad temper...?

They even said they were best friends, but it was all a lie.

We haven't had a proper conversation for several days.

He was either blowing the wind or it was raining when he made those two phone calls.

I used to text all day long... Now my phone is like it's broken, it doesn't ring at all.

She lay on the bed, holding up her ragdoll cat, and muttered to herself, "Tell me! Why are you so petty?"

Meow~

"Yes! You've realized your mistake, haven't you?"

Meow~

"Shouldn't you give me a call?"

Meow~

After glancing at her phone, which hadn't been used all day, Ms. Liu's lips drooped completely.

"No! I have to find out!"

Meow~

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Buzz

Xie Jin felt the ground shaking in her sleep and thought it was an earthquake.

After all that, I opened my eyes and realized it was a dream; it was just my phone vibrating.

Why would she call so late?

"Hey, Yifei, what's up so late?"

Miss Liu had been mentally preparing for a long time, intending to confront him, but as soon as the phone call came in, her mind went blank and she forgot everything.

Fearing he would hastily find an excuse to hang up the phone again, she decided to be upfront about it.

"Xie...Xie Jin, you're not allowed to sleep, I have something to ask you."