Resisting Arranged Marriages: Starting with Myself - Chapter 12

Today’s tasks ended early. After the couples exchanged the accessories they had made and finished dinner together, they retired to their respective rooms to rest.

Seeing that it was still quite early, Ye Jiming was about to suggest they curl up on the sofa to watch a movie. However, Le Xiao’s phone rang quite tactlessly. The caller ID showed “Xiang Nan.” Not daring to delay, Le Xiao hurriedly left Ye Jiming and walked quickly into the master bedroom to take the call.

“Hello?”

As soon as the call connected, Xiang Nan’s words tumbled out like machine-gun fire. He started with work, asking how the filming was going and when the recording for the new album would be scheduled. After a few sentences, the conversation naturally shifted to Ye Jiming.

On the other end, Xiang Nan quickly switched from work mode to “best friend” mode, prying into every detail. “So? How is it going? How have you been getting along with Ye Jiming lately? Is our plan going smoothly?”

Reminded by him, Le Xiao suddenly recalled the childish plan they had formulated in the bar. According to that plan, he was supposed to act as a complete “diva” during the filming until Ye Jiming became so annoyed and exhausted that he would demand a divorce.

However, he realized he could hardly remember the so-called plan anymore. He no longer spent every waking moment thinking about divorcing Ye Jiming. Now, it was only in moments when he was teased into embarrassment that he would occasionally remember their initial goal and clumsily try to pretend. But more often than not, he had gradually grown accustomed to Ye Jiming’s presence. He was used to those firm and powerful arms, the cold cedar pheromones, the smiling eyes, and the warm, dry palms.

He was used to the constant heat radiating from the man beside him as he fell asleep each night. He was used to finding breakfast already on the table every morning. He was used to having someone immediately respond to his every need, no matter what he wanted to do. He had become so used to everything about the man that it felt as if they really would last forever.

“Xiao Xiao?” It was not until Xiang Nan’s puzzled voice came through the phone that Le Xiao snapped back to reality.

“What?”

“Have you even been listening to me?” Xiang Nan grumbled. “I asked if our plan is going smoothly.”

“The plan? It is, it is fine, I guess.” The sentence came out disorganized and stumbling.

“What do you mean by ‘fine’?” Xiang Nan sounded more anxious than Le Xiao. “Did you act out? What was his attitude? Have you two had a fight yet?”

Le Xiao tried to remember. “I tried to be difficult. His attitude was quite normal. A fight, I suppose we had one.”

That night of avoidance and silence could probably be considered a fight, right? Xiang Nan became excited at the last answer. “You fought? How? Shouting at each other? Throwing things? The silent treatment?” From his tone, Le Xiao felt as if the man wanted to grab a bucket of popcorn to listen.

“Not really.”

“Huh?” Xiang Nan was not giving up. “What about him? What was his attitude after the fight?”

“He, he apologized to me the next night.”

“He apologized?” Xiang Nan sounded incredulously disappointed. “He really did not mention a divorce?”

“No.”

“His temper is so good,” he muttered. “So what do you plan to do now?”

Le Xiao was equally confused. “I do not know either. What do you think I should do?”

This question stumped Xiang Nan, who stammered for a long while without an answer. After hesitating, he managed to ask, “Then how do you feel about him now?”

That was a fatal strike. Feelings? What feelings? What could he possibly feel for Ye Jiming? They were strangers forced together by an absurd childhood betrothal, appearing as a couple by day but living separate lives in spirit. At most, he was just used to the man’s presence. What feelings could he have for Ye Jiming?

But it seemed it was not entirely like that. He was not as unshakeable as he had imagined. On the first night they shared a bed, the cedar pheromones had wrapped around him like fine silk, gently coaxing him to sleep like a mother’s cradle. On the first night in Nanfeng Village, that bowl of milky-white fish soup had been fragrant, with every bone carefully removed from the tender meat. In the incense-making cottage, the room had been filled with the scent of cedar and mint, and the constant alarms had made his heart skip a beat as he leaned down to sniff the cedar scent on his own palm.

That night, the teasing expression under the dim streetlights had been difficult to read. There was the cold wall and freezing water in the bathroom contrasting with his burning body, and the names he had written and torn from his notebook over and over. There was the large hand holding his own while applying wax, leading him to trace patterns bit by bit. There was the warm embrace, and the two pairs of dye-stained forearms that left permanent marks on his white clothes.

There was the moment Ye Jiming had said solemnly, “I am sorry. Can you forgive me?” with eyes behind the lenses that were utterly sincere, carrying an unreadable and profound emotion. The way they laughed and played together was no different from any other couple. And then there was today, the silver ring slowly being slipped onto his finger, sparkling brilliantly in the sunlight.

Subconsciously, Le Xiao began to rub the silver ring on his ring finger again. The smooth, rounded ring felt like water, and it seemed to still hold the man’s body heat. It seemed he was more than just used to Ye Jiming. Within that consistent gentleness and consideration, something else seemed to have broken through the soil to take root and sprout.

He had already begun to rely on Ye Jiming. When he encountered a problem, he called for Ye Jiming first. When teased by other guests, his first instinct was to look at Ye Jiming. When the production team announced rules, he instinctively sought out Ye Jiming. Even when falling asleep at night, he needed the scent of cedar to enter his dreams.

“Ye Jiming” was like an addictive drug that had forcefully entered his life, catching him off guard. Through their daily interactions, it had created a dependency that made him unable to stop, unable to break the habit. He had even begun to look forward to things: looking forward to seeing the man’s smile, hearing that low and gentle voice call him “Xiao Xiao,” and anticipating his frequent small gestures. He even began to look forward to what their life would be like after they returned home.

Perhaps the silence had lasted too long, as Xiang Nan began to ask repeatedly on the other end, “Xiao Xiao? Le Xiao? Hello? Are you still there?”

“Ah, yes,” Le Xiao replied, quickly coming back to his senses.

“Why were you quiet for so long?” Xiang Nan asked. “I just asked you what your feelings are for him.”

Before Le Xiao could speak, Xiang Nan suddenly seemed to have an epiphany and said something shocking: “Wait, you do not, you do not actually like him, do you?”

This gave Le Xiao such a fright that he nearly choked on his own saliva, coughing several times before he could stop. “What nonsense are you talking about?”

Xiang Nan was not angry at being rebuffed; instead, he became more excited. “Otherwise, why were you quiet for so long? Why did you not just say you have no feelings for him?”

“I, I was thinking.”

“There is nothing to think about if you have no feelings! If you have to think for that long, does it not mean you have feelings for him? Admit it, Le Xiao, you have fallen for him!”

Was it true? Le Xiao looked down at himself in disbelief. Did he really like Ye Jiming? Was this what liking someone felt like?

Xiang Nan continued to ramble on the other end. “When I let you go on the show, did we not agree you would work hard to get a divorce? How did you fall for him so easily? This is a betrayal of the organization.”

“Wait,” Le Xiao interrupted his nagging, asking carefully, “Is this really what love is? How do you know?”

“Good heavens!” Xiang Nan sounded like an exaggerated fairy godmother from a cartoon. “If this is not love, then what is? You are already beyond help, okay? Forget about the divorce, just do not do it! Xiao Xiao, you were not like this before. It is not as if you have never been pursued. No matter how good someone was to you, when asked how you felt about them, did you not always say firmly that you felt nothing and it was impossible? Why is it that this time, when asked about Ye Jiming, you could not answer for so long?”

“This, Ye Jiming is different from others,” Le Xiao explained weakly.

“It is because you think he is different that it proves you like him!” Xiang Nan sounded like a well-meaning mother. “It is only because you are in the middle of it that you cannot see clearly!”

“I like Ye Jiming,” Le Xiao murmured blankly, still processing this massive discovery.

Before he could finish processing it, a knock came from the door. “Xiao Xiao?”

Le Xiao was so startled he nearly dropped his phone. On the other end, Xiang Nan also held his breath, waiting to hear what Ye Jiming would say.

“What is it?” After clearing his throat with some effort, Le Xiao finally asked. His voice sounded slightly distorted.

The lock turned, and Ye Jiming stepped in quietly, carrying a glass of warm milk. “Xiao Xiao, are you almost done with your call? It is very late, and you should get some rest.”

“Just a few more words.”

“Then drink the milk.” He handed the glass to Le Xiao.

“I am not a child,” Le Xiao muttered as he took the glass. He tilted his head back and finished the milk in a few gulps. Then, he somewhat awkwardly shoved the glass back into Ye Jiming’s hand and quickly turned his back to him. “Fine, now go out. I am not finished yet!”

“Alright.” Behind him, Ye Jiming smiled gently. His gaze lingered on Le Xiao’s ears and neck, which were redder than usual. He quietly backed out of the room, not forgetting to close the door carefully behind him.

The room was silent for a moment before Xiang Nan’s voice exploded on the other end. “If that is not love, then what is? Do you dare to go out right now and tell him you want a divorce?!”

“Stop it,” Le Xiao said, feeling powerless. He let himself collapse onto the bed like an octopus, saying self-deprecatingly, “I like him. I like Ye Jiming. Fine!”

With that, he buried his face deep into the pillow, his voice muffled and blurred. As it happened, it was Ye Jiming’s pillow. The cold, lingering scent of cedar filled his nose, making him feel almost intoxicated.

What he did not know was that in the hallway, just a door away, Ye Jiming had unintentionally overheard his words before entering the room. That single sentence, “I like Ye Jiming,” had already filled his heart with joy, making him lose track of time and space. Ye Jiming still stood in the hallway, listening carefully to the sounds inside the room, afraid to miss even the smallest detail. He held the empty milk glass in one hand, and the corners of his mouth turned up unconsciously, looking like a fool who had fallen deeply in love.

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