Pretending Not to Love You [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 71

Chapter 71

The next day, Zuo Qiu and Xiao Baijun parted ways at the airport. Zuo Qiu went directly home, while Xiao Baijun headed north back to B City.

“Wait for me for a few days. After I handle things here, I’ll come to join you in less than two weeks.”

Xiao Bailin called him yesterday, saying there were still some matters in B City that needed attention, so Xiao Baijun had no choice but to go back. Also, since this was his first time meeting Zuo Qiu’s parents, he had to make a good impression. Inexperienced Xiao Er felt it would be safer to go home and ask his Grandma and Mom for advice. If the first impression was good, it would be easier to propose marriage later.

Zuo Qiu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Xiao Baijun had said this no less than ten times since last night. “If you really can’t bear to leave me, I can accompany you back to B City first, and then we can go to my house together.”

Xiao Baijun’s eyes initially lit up, and he was about to nod in agreement when he immediately changed his mind. “Let’s not. You should go home and spend time with your parents first.”

Xiao Baijun thought that Zuo Qiu hadn’t been home for a long time, so he should go home. Besides, if Zuo Qiu was with him, things that could be dealt with in half a month might drag on for a whole month. Zuo Qiu’s presence made him too easily distracted.

Zuo Qiu found it amusing that Xiao Baijun referred to his parents so naturally. He dragged his suitcase and prepared to walk away. “Alright, I’ll head back then.”

Xiao Baijun had imagined this separation countless times since last night, but when the moment of separation arrived, he found that despite all the mental preparation, he was still very reluctant to let Zuo Qiu leave him. Since the second half of their junior year, they hadn’t been apart for more than 24 hours. Suddenly having to separate, and for two weeks, Xiao Baijun felt he was already starting to miss him. If there hadn’t been so many people around, he really would have hugged him tightly.

Zuo Qiu had only taken two steps when Xiao Baijun stepped forward and embraced Zuo Qiu in a restrained manner, just like ordinary classmates, separating after two or three seconds.

“Be a good boy at home, and be sure to tell me immediately if anything happens.”

Zuo Qiu nodded, took a deep look at Xiao Baijun, and turned to leave.

Xiao Baijun watched Zuo Qiu’s back disappear, glanced at the area where the flash of a camera had gone off, and then turned to board his flight in the opposite direction.

…

Zuo Qiu arrived home at 9 PM. Since it was too late, Zuo Qiu didn’t notify his parents beforehand and took a cab straight to his doorstep.

When Yun Duo opened the door, she saw her son, whom she hadn’t seen for over half a year. She was so excited she couldn’t speak for a long time. The mother and son held hands and chatted on the sofa for half an hour without any sign of stopping, until a bowl of rich noodle soup made by Zuo Qinmin made Yun Duo finally stop.

Zuo Qiu took a bite of the noodles and couldn’t help but exclaim, “The taste of home is the best.”

Even the most delicious delicacies outside couldn’t compare to a bowl of noodles personally prepared by his parents.

Although Zuo Qinmin was a physics teacher, he usually didn’t talk much. Hearing his son say the food was good, he just sat aside and smiled quietly.

Yun Duo, hearing this, immediately assumed her son must have had a tough time outside. She said, “Stay home for a few more days, and Mom will cook you delicious food every day.”

Zuo Qiu nodded and agreed.

Yun Duo said she would cook delicious food for her son, but in reality, Zuo Qiu ended up cooking lunch and dinner every day, waiting for Yun Duo and Zuo Qinmin to come home to eat. Since both parents were high school teachers, their teaching load was heavy, and they simply didn’t have time to cook at home. When busy, they would usually just eat in the school cafeteria.

After dinner, Zuo’s parents went out for a walk, while Zuo Qiu cleaned up the kitchen and returned to his bedroom to revise his thesis.

He hadn’t been out much these days except for grocery shopping. Although his hometown, W City, wasn’t as bustling as B City, people who liked to gossip were the same in every city. Since being recognized on the first day, Zuo Qiu made sure to wrap himself up tightly whenever he went out. Fortunately, W City was unusually cold at this time, and outfits where only the eyes were exposed were common, so Zuo Qiu’s appearance didn’t attract special attention.

Less than ten minutes after sitting down, Zuo Qiu’s phone rang.

It was Xiao Baijun.

“Do you miss me?”

Through the phone line, Xiao Baijun’s voice sounded a little hoarse.

Zuo Qiu didn’t answer Xiao Baijun’s question but instead asked something else, “Did you take your medicine on time?”

In all the time they had known each other, this was the first time Zuo Qiu had heard Xiao Baijun get a cold, and a bad one at that.

Xiao Baijun coughed a few times on the other end of the line and replied, “I took it.” Then he asked again, “Do you miss me?”

“I miss you,” Zuo Qiu answered truthfully.

“Hmm, I miss you too. I missed you so much I got sick.”

This sounded a bit exaggerated, but Xiao Baijun’s bad cold was indirectly related to missing Zuo Qiu. Because he missed him, he worked day and night, leading to his body breaking down and being taken advantage of by the virus.

Zuo Qiu didn’t dwell on whether Xiao Baijun’s illness was related to him. Regardless of the reason that made Xiao Baijun sick and uncomfortable, it made Zuo Qiu feel sorry for him.

“You need to take your medicine properly and sleep well. When I see you again, I want to see a lively and energetic you.”

Xiao Baijun promised to do so on the other end of the line, but he felt sad inside. Having to rely solely on hearing Zuo Qiu’s voice to ease his longing, without being able to see or touch him, Xiao Baijun considered this daily life a torture.

After hanging up the phone, Zuo Qiu continued to revise his thesis. He decided to help Xiao Baijun after finishing his own. Zuo Qiu had already written Xiao Baijun’s initial thesis proposal, and Zuo Qiu didn’t believe for a second that what Xiao Baijun was busy with at home had anything to do with his graduation thesis. So, he decided from the start to handle both papers himself.

At 9:30 PM, Zuo Qiu stopped what he was doing, turned on the TV in his room, and watched the finale of I Think I Love You. The ending of this drama was not like most novels that end with a Happily Ever After—where the male and female leads finally marry, have children, and enjoy a happy life—but rather an open ending.

When Qian Xuduo initially agreed to return to the Qian family, it was actually out of boredom. He never coveted Qian Youtu’s assets. So, after squandering most of the Qian family’s wealth, he decided to return to the place where he was born and raised. However, the female lead, who was unwilling to go to a “small” place, hesitated. She asked Qian Xuduo for time to think it over. Qian Xuduo didn’t try to persuade her much, telling her that if he didn’t hear back within two weeks, he would automatically assume their current relationship was over. He then took You Yi and boarded the flight home.

And in the very end, when the deadline arrived, Qian Xuduo didn’t hear from the female lead. Instead, he received a message from her. The drama did not specify what the message contained. Qian Xuduo read the message, immediately deleted it, and then smiled and greeted You Yi, inviting him to start their new venture together.

When the closing song began to play, Zuo Qiu immediately opened Weibo on his phone to see netizens’ reactions to the ending.

“Although the TV series was filmed exactly according to the novel’s plot, can I say I only understood the original author’s meaning after watching the TV series!”

“What was the message Qian Xuduo saw in the end? Does anyone know? I need an explanation!”

“The person above me, this message is probably only known to the original author, but she refuses to say anything.”

“The final ending isn’t the male and female leads together, but rather the second male lead returning home with the male lead… so, is this actually a story about brotherhood, not love?”

“Zuo Qiu’s acting was consistently great, no need to say more. What’s surprising is that in this movie, I actually saw something called ‘acting’ in Daisy too. It’s simply amazing!”

Zuo Qiu scanned the most popular topics on Weibo. He was tempted several times to click “like” for the netizens, but he held back in the end. He had already registered a new account for himself, but hadn’t started using it yet. Zuo Qiu felt it was better not to use his first public appearance on a “slip of the finger” like.

Seeing that there weren’t many negative comments among the netizens’ messages, he stopped paying attention, turned off the TV, and continued revising his thesis.

…

In less than an hour, Zuo Qiu received another call. This time it was Daisy.

“Are you calling to share good news?”

After answering the call, Zuo Qiu asked Daisy with a smile. This was half a tease and half the truth. Since its broadcast, the drama’s ratings had steadily risen. Thanks to Teacher Xiang’s intensive coaching, the acting skills of the main cast had improved. Audience reviews were good, noting the quality of the acting and the un-cliché plot. Several people, including Daisy and Zhu Mao, had gained many fans and were reportedly receiving many film and TV invitations, indicating a bright future.

Daisy couldn’t help but smile, thinking about the netizens’ support for her and Zhu Mao’s relationship, coupled with her father’s recent softening tone. “Yes, yes! I’m formally announcing that you guys should start saving up for the wedding gift money.”

Both of them laughed at this.

After chatting for a while, Daisy finally got to the main point. “My dad recently had a falling out with the boss of Lingqu. He asked me to remind you that Lingqu will be making a move soon.”

Since Xiao Baijun asked her to relay the message to her father last time, Daisy had called her dad multiple times, arguing countless times for this. Fortunately, her father finally sided with her.

Hearing this, Zuo Qiu wasn’t surprised at all. He wasn’t entirely clear on the specifics of how Xiao Baijun was dealing with this, but this was likely the main issue he had been handling in B City recently. Xiao Er must have sensed Lingqu’s impending move.

“Thank you and your father for your concern.”

Seeing Zuo Qiu’s attitude, Daisy guessed they must have a strategy to deal with it, but she still shared the decision she had thought through. “If you need anything, just let us know. My dad and I will support you.”

Daisy’s father supporting them indirectly meant that H Channel would also support them. Zuo Qiu thanked her with a smile, and the two chatted for another 10 minutes before hanging up.

…

A few days later, when the first snow fell in W City, Xiao Baijun appeared travel-weary at Zuo Qiu’s house.

“Auntie Yun, Uncle Zuo, hello. I am Xiao Baijun. It’s our first meeting, and I hope you can like me.” Xiao Baijun had sought advice from his Grandma and Mom at home. His Grandma said the most important thing to impress elders was to let them see your sincere heart. So, Xiao Baijun directly “analyzed” his truest inner thoughts to Zuo Qiu’s parents—I hope you can like me, like me as Zuo Qiu’s boyfriend!

After Xiao Baijun finished his opening remarks with a serious bow, Zuo Qiu almost burst out laughing. Xiao Baijun usually had a cold, aloof appearance in public, but he was quite lively in front of family elders. But now, looking at Xiao Baijun, who was sweating on his forehead despite the cold winter weather and wasn’t wearing too many clothes, the word nervous was practically written all over his face.

Yun Duo didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Having taught for over twenty years, she had seen all kinds of students. When she first saw Xiao Baijun on TV, she thought he was the kind of disobedient and rebellious child, but after meeting him in person, she realized she had been mistaken. Xiao Baijun was much better than she imagined. His words were simple, direct, yet sincere, and the eyes looking at her son seemed to shine.

“Hello, just treat this place as your own home, don’t be too reserved,” she said, then looked at the pile of gifts, “Don’t bring so many things next time; it’s too tiring.”

Yun Duo spoke in a gentle and soft voice. Xiao Baijun felt delighted; his mother-in-law told him to treat this place like home and was concerned about him being tired from carrying things!

The first step was finally taken!

“It’s not tiring at all, not tiring. I often heard Zuo Qiu mention you and Uncle. I’m finally meeting you today. Auntie is so young. It seems the bird’s nest and peach gum I brought won’t even be needed.”

These words were a bit of an exaggeration, but women love to hear such compliments, and Yun Duo was no exception, her smile brightening by a few degrees.

The four of them chatted for a while, and then it was lunchtime. Yun Duo called Zuo Qinmin to the kitchen to cook. Zuo Qiu originally offered to help in the kitchen, but Yun Duo stopped him.

“It’s Saturday, a rare day off. You rest and try Mom’s cooking. Besides, Jun-jun is here; you two should have a good chat.” After saying that, she left the two and went into the kitchen.

Seeing Yun Duo’s firm attitude, Zuo Qiu didn’t insist. He took Xiao Baijun into his bedroom.

The Zuo family lived in subsidized housing provided by the school—a three-bedroom, two-living-room apartment, about 100 square meters, simply decorated but very cozy. Especially the rare central heating made the house very warm at this time.

As soon as they entered the room, Xiao Baijun pulled Zuo Qiu to sit on the bed. He put his arms around Zuo Qiu and rested his head on Zuo Qiu’s shoulder.

“Is your cold better?” Zuo Qiu asked him, leaning into Xiao Baijun’s embrace.

“Hmm, much better.” This cold had lasted too long. In the end, Xiao Baijun, to avoid disrupting his trip to W City, went to the hospital for two days of IV drips to recover faster.

“Are you done with all your business?” He was supposed to come over in two weeks, but he rushed over in barely ten days. Zuo Qiu suspected he might have left his work halfway done.

But Xiao Baijun didn’t answer this question. Zuo Qiu nudged him gently with his elbow and asked again, “You didn’t abandon your work just to come to my house, did you?”

When Zuo Qiu asked this question, Xiao Baijun still didn’t reply. It was only then that Zuo Qiu sensed something was amiss. He turned slightly to look at Xiao Baijun and realized he had fallen asleep on his shoulder.