Chapter 44: 44 Out and About: Reputation, Good and Bad
Jianghu isn't about fighting and killing, it's about human sentiments and worldly affairs.
Prop team member Zhou Mian stood at the edge of the lawn, packing away the returned unmanned drone, and cast a deep glance at that illuminated window. He turned and left, concealing his skills and fame.
Twenty minutes later.
Xu Qingyan's screen went black again, just as Pei Muchan happened to come out of the bathroom, her cheeks still slightly flushed from the bath. Her tender profile and the yellow little bear pajamas were somewhat endearing.
He caught a glimpse, the pajamas round and full, and it was hard to imagine someone making a loose pajama set look so curvaceous, almost like a Korean manhwa heroine.
"Requesting assembly!"
The game voice interrupted his brief fantasy, and Xu Qingyan instantly snapped back to reality, his credibility points almost gone.
"I'm done washing," Pei Muchan regretted not bringing regular clothes into the bathroom. Out of habit, she had brought pajamas, and it now seemed somewhat impolite to change.
"Oh," Xu Qingyan said, focused on his game, fingers flying, "if you feel awkward, you can go to the bathroom and change into something else."
Pei Muchan's head was wrapped in a dry towel. She felt a bit embarrassed as a strand of hair escaped and dripped down water droplets, leaving a coin-sized wet mark on the thin little bear pajamas.
She quickly turned her back and wiped off the water stain, "No need, I don't have... I trust you."
"Why?" He was still busy with the game. Orphan Bai Li had just left the tower and was surrounded by three burly men, locked in a strong grip.
"You're a good person."
Xu Qingyan wanted to flash away but his hand trembled, and the screen went gray.
He looked up, incredulity plain on his face as he stared at Pei Muchan. How dared she give him the good guy card. Believe it or not, he felt like exploding right there, damn it!
"I'm begging you, go change your clothes. I'll find you scissors to put under the pillow for protection."
"Why?"
"Because I'm not any good guy, I've been single since birth for over twenty years, not because I'm not lustful," Xu Qingyan said with sincerity, "Hurry up, take back that statement! Don't make me beg."
"Alright," Pei Muchan realized belatedly, pursed her lips and smiled, "I take back that statement, you're not a good person, is that okay now?"
"Do guys really care about that?"
"Yeah, it's more important than chastity."
He put down his phone and tried hard to suppress the urge to look at Pei Muchan. He muttered, "I'm going to take a shower," and stiffly headed to the bathroom.
Downstairs in the living room.
Shen Jinyue had just come back from a big meal and burst into the room like a mouse in a melon patch, pulling Nian Shuyu into a chirpy discussion about the hot search topic the show crew had just released.
"I'm telling you, they were arguing fiercely!"
"Ah?"
"Really, although I didn't see it with my own eyes, I heard the sound of things being thrown!" Shen Jinyue puffed up her cheeks and gestured wildly while sitting on the living room carpet.
The barrage of comments went wild with laughter, watching two beautiful girls in front of the camera, confusedly enjoying the drama, which also made for a good show effect.
"Throwing things? From the rooftop?" Nian Shuyu turned pale, "Xu Qingyan doesn't seem like someone with a violent tendency.
"It might not be throwing things, but whatever it was, the argument was intense. If it weren't for the manacle on his wrist, he probably would've started a fight!" Shen Jinyue had an I-know-it-all air.
"Look at the hot search! The hot search is trending! How can it be fake!"
Nian Shuyu leaned forward to glance, and indeed, the phone screen displayed, trending topic #RomanceHunterShowBroadcastIncident#CelebrityClashesWithBootlicker.
Behind that was a long string of hashtags. Nian Shuyu was too lazy to look at them, and took a glance at the hot search rankings, which were not that high. She suddenly felt a bit overwhelmed, considering it was only the first day and so many complications had already arisen.
In the brightly lit living room, only she and Shen Jinyue were present, making it seem a bit empty. Live streaming equipment surrounded them, while pairs of crew members were following around with cameras.
"Where are Bai Jinze and Sister Enya?" Nian Shuyu fiddled with the hair behind her ear. "What about the others? Is it just the two of us tonight?"
"It seems that the director group said it's voluntary rotation, the guys all went back to rest, and they agreed to stream in the latter half of the night," Shen Jinyue answered.
"Sister Enya said she's not feeling well and doesn't want to stream tonight. After we finish, we can go back and rest."
"What about Sister Pei and the others?" Nian Shuyu asked, looking down.
"They probably won't stream either, they have chains on their hands, I guess even taking a shower is inconvenient," Shen Jinyue spilled the beans rapidly, her mouth chattering non-stop.
The moon climbed high into the sky, hidden above the ocean of the Fluorescent Sea, swayed by the tides.
Room.
The window was half-open, the air conditioner outlet at the top buzzing. The pale moonlight faintly shone on the curtains, and the light passing through drew a straight line on the floor.
Occasionally, cars with their dull engines passed by the seaside villa, their yellow headlights casting an irregular halo across the walls of the darkened room.
The entire room seemed like a sanctuary isolated from the outside world, chaotic outside but eerily quiet within.
Click, the light from Xu Qingyan's phone screen lit up beside his bed.
Immediately after that, rustling sounds of movement came from Pei Muchan's side—her breathing was weak, as if deliberately controlled, suggesting she hadn't slept.
"Can't sleep?" he asked first.
"Yeah, I drank this afternoon and didn't take my medication," Pei Muchan nestled within the covers, her voice slightly hoarse in response, soft and tingling as if it could graze someone's heart.
"Singers shouldn't really drink, it's not good for the throat," Xu Qingyan said as he sat up in bed, scrolling through his phone casually.
"True, but it doesn't matter. I'm has-been, might not even sing anymore." Her tone was calm.
"I don't think I've ever heard your songs," he suddenly said.
Pei Muchan: "....."
About a few seconds later, Xu Qingyan directly searched for her songs. He picked a popular one at random, and pressed play. The soothing intro quietly flowed through the room.
A song ended.
"It's pretty good," he commented.
"Thanks, although it's hard to feel happy about it," Pei Muchan felt her lips were dry, wanted to get up for a drink but was too lazy to move, "Have you listened to Lin Wanzhou's songs?"
There was silence in the room for two seconds.
"Probably heard them on the street, but not sure if it was her singing," Xu Qingyan pulled up Lin Wanzhou's personal playlist and played a song at random.
The moment the pure, youthful voice began, Xu Qingyan found it somewhat alien, unable to connect it with the quiet and reserved girl from his memory.
People ultimately grow up; probably no one likes having their past dug up and proclaimed loudly. The past sealed in yellowed photographs should be left to gather dust.
"Does she sing well?" Pei Muchan asked.
In the darkness, he could only see her vague silhouette. Pei Muchan was lying on her side on the pillow, her eyes bright and looking his way.
"Yeah," he said.