She Said She Has Feelings For Someone - Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Liar: “Never Changed.”

“Beep—!”

A sharp horn blared abruptly.

“Gosh, you scared me…” Tang Jiahe shuddered in fright. From the driver’s seat, He Wenyin apologized quickly: “I hit it by accident!”

Lu Shuyu stepped back a few paces because of the noise, and the impulse driving Xia Leshuang instantly dissipated.

Jiang Fei tugged Tang Jiahe into the back seat. Being the last to get in, Xia Leshuang took the front passenger seat. As He Wenyin steered the car into a turn, Lu Shuyu’s silhouette vanished from the rearview mirror.

Even though they had already unclipped their microphones, Jiang Fei still did a thorough scan of the car interior, only sighing in relief once she was certain all the recording equipment was powered down.

She lamented, “I used to love watching reality shows, but I never realized how exhausting it is to be under the lens for so long…”

In the back seat, Luo Han patted her shoulder and couldn’t help but tease, “Isn’t it just because the cameras were stifling your urge to gossip?”

At this, Jiang Fei’s eyes lit up. Her slumped posture snapped upright as she looked at the person beside her. “Jiahe~ I want to hear the gossip!”

Tang Jiahe covered her face, looking utterly helpless. “I knew there was a reason you insisted on sitting here…”

Despite her protest, she indulged everyone’s curiosity. “Actually, I don’t know that much. After PD Lu graduated, she met President Min through Song PD. It wasn’t until last year that their interactions became noticeably frequent.”

“Do you remember the ‘Green Apple & Iced Orange Sparkler’ PD Lu ordered at Chun Lan the day before yesterday?”

“I do!” Jiang Fei raised her hand. “It was beautiful, looked delicious.”

Luo Han recalled, “That drink was in a separate column, marked with a heart and labeled as a ‘Special Customization.'”

Tang Jiahe nodded. “The owner of Chun Lan is close friends with President Min. That drink was created specifically for PD Lu. PD Lu loves iced drinks, so President Min’s office is permanently stocked with ice; PD Lu loves extreme sports, so President Min often makes time to go with her.”

“Even though they haven’t officially ‘announced’ anything,” Tang Jiahe added, “they never clarify or deny it either. Among those in the know, they’re already accepted as a couple.”

“So,” Jiang Fei clutched her heart, “that’s why PD Lu said, ‘I have someone I like’…”

She couldn’t help but look at the back seat. “Zhong Xiao-wen, thank you for your flash of inspiration earlier. My shipper heart is very happy!”

Hearing this, Zhong Wen gave a small smile that looked a bit forced and bitter.

“What is it?” Jiang Fei asked curiously. “Don’t tell me your ‘fan-girl’ feelings aren’t pure?”

She meant it as a joke, but to her surprise, Zhong Wen nodded and said softly, “Yeah, a little bit.”

Everyone in the industry had seen it all; they were well-acquainted with different sexual orientations. But they hadn’t expected Zhong Wen to admit it so bluntly and decisively.

The car fell into a sudden silence. Jiang Fei was dumbfounded for a long moment before asking, “So, your question wasn’t just on a whim? It was intentional?”

“Yes,” Zhong Wen smiled, admitting it once more without hesitation.

Silence reclaimed the car, making the thirty-minute drive feel even longer.

“Zhong Xiao-wen…” It was so sudden that Jiang Fei didn’t even know how to offer comfort.

Zhong Wen replied helplessly, “Don’t be like that. This doesn’t even count as a breakup; it’s just a bit of a letdown.” By now, her emotions had relaxed considerably. “That tiny little spark died in the cradle before it could even start.”

Liking someone wasn’t a shameful thing. And the person you like having someone they like was a perfectly normal occurrence. Everyone understood the logic, yet when it happened right next to them, they couldn’t help but feel empathetic.

The car remained quiet. Xia Leshuang sighed inwardly and reached out to turn on the radio.

“There is a beam of light—”

It was Stefanie Sun’s Against the Light.

“Your gaze is understanding, why am I so reluctant to let it fade…”

Outside the window, traffic flowed like lines of light, passing through Xia Leshuang’s eyes without causing a ripple. Her mind began replaying the past again, so vivid it felt as though it had been screened a thousand times.

This song was one she and Lu Shuyu had once secretly listened to in class; one they had hummed together in their secret base; and one she had liked in the first place because of Lu Shuyu.

Zhong Wen’s spark was small, so it could be easily extinguished. Xia Leshuang, however, couldn’t do the same.

In these nine years, she had changed a lot. The only thing that had never changed was her love for Lu Shuyu.

…

Upon receiving her room card, Xia Leshuang found she was staying on a different floor from the others.

“Because we want the teachers to rest well, we’ve booked king rooms for everyone. There weren’t enough on the fourth floor, so we’ve put Teacher Xia on the third. The PD and directors are also on this floor,” the staff explained.

“Bye Leshuang~ Rest well, see you tomorrow.” “Bye~ See you tomorrow.”

Xia Leshuang stepped out of the elevator and found her room. Beep-beep— The door unlocked. She didn’t rush inside, but instead couldn’t help glancing around, her gaze finally landing on the door directly opposite hers.

Expectation surged in her heart, followed closely by a mountain of disappointment.

Her luggage had already been delivered. Since she lived in L-City, she hadn’t brought much. She did some light tidying, her gaze pausing on the bag she usually carried. Inside were her essentials: band-aids, sanitary pads, lip balm, hair ties, sticky notes, and a pen—the mundane items of daily life.

Only in the side pocket was a special string—something she carried with her but never used.

After a moment of silence, she took it out: a red woven cord with an orange bead at its center. It was Sunstone, a type of crystal that Lu Shuyu had been very fond of during their student days. The bracelet had been hand-woven by Lu Shuyu; they had one each. After all these years, the cord was old, but the Sunstone remained smooth and rounded, shining brightly and warmly under the light.

Xia Leshuang gently rubbed the stone, remembering how Lu Shuyu once said that Sunstone was the most beautiful crystal and she would love it forever.

Liar. You clearly don’t wear it anymore.

After washing up and lying in bed, she saw a reply from Chen Qian on her phone. —We’ve finished packing up and are heading back now. Get some rest.

The phrase “heading back” made her already restless mind and muscles even more alert. Xia Leshuang rolled over and buried her face in her pillow, remaining still for a long time. The room was deathly quiet; she felt she could almost hear the ticking of time itself.

As oxygen grew scarce, she finally lifted her head, her dark pupils fixed on the phone nearby. A message required a reply.

As that thought clicked in her mind, Xia Leshuang finally picked up her phone. Those two words in the chat box were clear and distinct, slowly breaking into countless fragments that filled the air around her, soaking into every inch of her senses.

Amidst extreme excitement and anticipation, a sound finally came from the hallway—the sound of many footsteps and voices.

“Goodnight, Teacher.”

Soon, that crisp voice stood out from the chaotic fragments, drawing closer in Xia Leshuang’s slowed breathing.

“Okay, see you tomorrow~”

The voice stopped at the spot nearest to her.