She Said She Has Feelings For Someone - Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Intelligence — Rainbows.

Smack—

“Power! Again!”

Lu Shuyu sat below the boxing ring, intently watching Xia Leshuang exert her strength on the pads. Each punch was smoother and more fierce than the last. The coach let out a satisfied smile: “Three months in, and you’re starting to look professional.”

Hearing this, Xia Leshuang breathed a massive sigh of relief, her smile bright and unrestrained. “That’s great!”

“The little classmate comes to watch every time. Interested in trying it yourself?”

A voice suddenly rang out behind her. Lu Shuyu flinched slightly and turned to see another coach from the gym. Before she could speak, Xia Leshuang’s voice cut in: “She’s got thin arms and legs; let her off the hook.”

Lu Shuyu turned back, practiced in handing over a towel, and asked softly, “All done with practice?”

The nearby coach couldn’t help but chuckle. “Leshuang, is your little classmate really just a classmate?”

This Muay Thai gym was a rarity, staffed primarily by female coaches whose orientations were as clear as unbent paperclips. Xia Leshuang’s eyes widened as she glared at her. “Don’t talk nonsense…”

Lu Shuyu looked innocent, clearly not catching the subtext.

Nearby, a student finished a session and chatted with others. Listening closely, they were talking about going to the nearby Jiangcheng Mountain to pray for blessings; apparently, it was quite effective—their child’s monthly exam ranking had jumped over ten spots.

It sounded convincing. Lu Shuyu’s amber eyes instantly lit up like glass marbles. “Leshuang, should we go try it too?”

Leaving the gym, the two waited at the bus stop. Lu Shuyu’s face was pale from the biting late-January wind. She asked while shivering.

Xia Leshuang, amused, hooked an arm around her shoulder and swapped positions to block the freezing gust. “I didn’t expect our little Shuyu to be so superstitious.”

“Let’s go before the University Entrance Exams? Please?” The girl looked up at her, her bright pupils full of expectation and persistence.

Lu Shuyu was slender and introverted, her voice always soft. Combined with her clean aura, she looked like a little forest sprite that had just taken human form.

Xia Leshuang, of course, couldn’t refuse. She nodded readily. “Alright~ no problem~”

“Then I’m going to light nine sticks of incense for my Grandma. I hope she has double the happiness and joy in her next life.”

“Then I’ll do six,” Lu Shuyu said, shrinking into her down jacket, her voice tiny. “For me and my mom~”

Another gust of wind howled by as the bus arrived. The moment they stepped inside, it felt much warmer. Lu Shuyu didn’t live nearby, but because she liked watching Muay Thai, she would take the bus every week during the break to watch Xia practice, then ride back with her.

One stop away from getting off, Xia Leshuang looked at the withered branches along the road. “When spring comes, the crabapples along this road will surely be beautiful.”

She said it suddenly, but Lu Shuyu replied naturally: “Then we’ll come in the spring, too.”

In that short span of time, they had made two promises. Xia Leshuang headed home carrying that happiness, only to run into her cold-faced mother.

But it was okay; she was used to her mother’s strictness. Besides, the New Year was coming, and she was feeling cheerful.

“Mom?” Xia Leshuang called out. “Why are you back two days early? Is it—”

Before she could finish, Xu Ruyue looked over, her phoenix eyes filled with impatience and rage.

“Bian Xingyao and her mother have come out of the closet.”

What?

“She said you are one, too.”

Two short sentences, falling like a thunderclap.

Xia Leshuang froze on the spot. She knew she should deny it immediately, but something deep in her heart blocked her. She didn’t want to say the words.

Xu Ruyue took a deep breath, walked closer, and gripped Xia Leshuang’s shoulders. “Penyue, tell me you aren’t.”

“I… I…” Xia Leshuang’s lips parted several times, but she still couldn’t betray her own heart to give the answer her mother wanted.

She looked up and, as expected, saw disappointment and reproach in her mother’s eyes.

The grip on her shoulders vanished. Xu Ruyue stepped back, speaking with cold determination: “Xia Penyue, remember this: you are not.”

Like a judge on a bench, she slammed the gavel down on Xia Leshuang’s sexual orientation. Then, she issued an order: “Pack your things immediately. We’re leaving for B-City.”

“Now?” Xia Leshuang was shocked. “Leaving today?” They had promised to go to her Grandma’s house for the New Year this year…

“Right now.” Xu Ruyue left no room for negotiation.

“Mom, can we wait just one more day?” Xia Leshuang pleaded. “Tomorrow is the anniversary of Grandma’s passing…”

Xu Ruyue paused slightly, knitted her brows, and turned away. “Tomorrow night. No later.”

Just as Xia Leshuang breathed a sigh of relief, Xu Ruyue walked back. “Give me your phone.”

She had no choice but to hand it over.

“Penyue, don’t disappoint Mom again.”

Xu Ruyue’s silhouette gradually faded. The biting wind outside the window blew straight into Xia Leshuang’s heart, making her feel as though she had fallen into an ice cellar.

…

“Hey, the wind is picking up?”

Xia Leshuang snapped her eyes open. There weren’t enough rooms in the guesthouse, so she was sharing with Tang Jiahe.

“The weather doesn’t look great today.”

Tang Jiahe was standing by the window. Xia Leshuang looked over; the sky was indeed a murky gray. “It might rain…” She sat up.

“Oh, sorry, did I wake you?” Tang Jiahe closed the window and apologized.

“It’s fine.” Xia Leshuang checked the time. It was just 7:00 AM, still a while before the guest group needed to prepare. “I’ve slept enough anyway.”

Dreaming of those old events two days in a row—she would have been better off not sleeping at all.

“But is it really going to rain?” Tang Jiahe was worried. “That’ll make filming difficult.”

Hearing this, Xia Leshuang sent a message to Chen Qian. Chen Qian used to specialize in outdoor shoots and had more experience handling these situations.

The overcast clouds persisted until they suddenly vanished after noon, only to regroup abruptly the following evening and begin to pour. It was completely unpredictable.

Fortunately, the rain wasn’t heavy. The production team stopped at the final recording location: the outer square of Culture Street. The only places to seek shelter were the shops along the street. To avoid blocking passersby, the entire crew stayed on standby where they were.

They quickly distributed transparent rain covers for the equipment, and the crew members put on ponchos. Seeing pedestrians running aimlessly through the rain, Lu Shuyu handed out the remaining disposable ponchos.

After finishing, she let out a sigh of relief and smiled. “Hard work, everyone. Luckily, only the singing mission is left. We’ll head back as soon as we finish.”

“Great~” the group replied.

“This is the first time I’ve encountered rain during an outdoor shoot,” Lu Shuyu mused.

Chen Qian laughed. “You’ll run into it again. You’ll get used to it after a few more times.”

Chi Shan nudged her. “Wipe your equipment and stop jinxing us.”

Amidst the joking, an older woman approached and handed over a thermos. “I have some hot water here; let me share some with you.” It was the woman Lu Shuyu had given a poncho to earlier.

“It’s okay, Auntie,” Lu Shuyu declined gently. “We’re healthy, and we’ve already ordered drinks. We’ll bring some over to you in a bit~”

Just as she finished speaking, she heard an electric tricycle approach from behind. The woman riding it called out, “Which one is PD Lu?”

Lu Shuyu instinctively replied, “Me?”

Chi Shan stood up and waved. “Boss, over here.”

A whole cart of hot lemon tea. Judging by the brand, it was from the shop across the street. Chen Qian helped distribute them to the crew, and some were given to the kind Auntie to share with other pedestrians.

“What’s going on?” Lu Shuyu asked. “Did you order this?”

Chi Shan shook her head and winked at her. “Sent by President Min~”

…

Chi Shan was a loyal fan of the “Min-Lu” ship; Lu Shuyu felt a momentary flash of helplessness. She was about to brush it off when she recalled the night before last. Her heart shifted, and she raised her voice: “Is President Min here?”

“Yeah,” Chi Shan said. “She arrived this afternoon. She said it might rain today and has been waiting for a long time.”

Lu Shuyu raised an eyebrow in surprise. It seemed something might have happened… As she thought, she noticed someone repeatedly glancing over from the corner of her eye. She smiled. “Then I should go and thank her properly in person.”

Zhong Wen bit her straw and mumbled softly, “It’s just sending warmth; our Shuangshuang can do that too!”

“Exactly, exactly,” Jiang Fei whispered in agreement.

Ever since Jiang Fei gained interest in the “Lu-Xia” ship two days ago, she had gathered a lot of “intelligence” from Zhong Wen. Although there were rumors of a relationship between Min Wutong and Lu Shuyu, it was strange—no one had ever heard them formally admit it. It was always “a friend said,” “an open secret,” or “matching items.”

Some people speculated they were doing it on purpose to ward off unwanted suitors. Before the rumors started, many pursuers had been quite bold; afterward, their “luck with the opposite sex” had visibly diminished. It was just like Zhong Wen’s own little spark of a crush that had been “strangled” in the cradle.

Thus, the two of them felt perfectly justified in their shipping.

While their eyes were shining with excitement, Xia Leshuang was suffering. She didn’t dare mention that she had fled in a panic the other night, likely making Lu Shuyu angry…

— “Xia Leshuang.” — “Shall we… continue being friends who talk about everything?” — “Just like before.”

Over the past two days, whenever she had a free moment, she would think of those three sentences, Lu Shuyu’s gentle smile, and the dream-like invitation hidden between the lines. Then she had run away, rejecting it in a very ungraceful way, essentially smashing that dream into pieces on the floor.

But it was because it was too tempting that she couldn’t accept it.

A colleague relationship was already the closest distance within her control. Anything closer—just imagining it gave rise to boundless greed. So she couldn’t, and even more so, she didn’t want to.

“Hey, the rain has let up a lot,” Chi Shan shouted. “Hurry, we can still record at this level.”

Lu Shuyu urged them to drink a few sips of hot tea before starting the shoot. Cherry Film produced many variety shows, including music shows, so they had partnerships regarding copyrights. They had a wide range of songs to choose from.

“By the way, Leshuang,” Zhong Wen suddenly asked, “what was the name of that song we heard in the car that night in L-City?”

Since that night, they had all listened to a lot of Stefanie Sun’s songs and found interviews from Xia Leshuang’s school days where she mentioned liking her.

” ‘Against the Light’?” Xia Leshuang replied.

“Right, right! How about that one?”

“Sure, I’m fine with that.”

Luo Han, hearing their choice, picked another Stefanie Sun song, “Rainy Day.”

“Quite fitting for the occasion,” Tang Jiahe laughed.

Singing outdoors with people passing by required a bit of courage. Fortunately, because of the rain, the crowds had thinned, reducing the pressure.

Until Xia Leshuang opened her mouth—

“Leshuang’s voice?” Tang Jiahe was surprised.

“Is she imitating Stefanie Sun’s voice and singing style?” Luo Han asked in shock.

Lu Shuyu wasn’t surprised. Xia Leshuang had shown this ability back in high school—though not for her, but for Bian Xingyao.

“Hiss—” Chi Shan suddenly frowned. “Why do I feel like Teacher Xia’s voice sounds familiar…”

Lu Shuyu looked over. “What do you mean?”

“Like a certain CV…” Chi Shan wasn’t sure. “That CV is also famous for imitating voices, especially Stefanie Sun…”

Lu Shuyu chuckled. “It’s normal for voices to sound similar. There are plenty of singers and CVs who can imitate.”

Their conversation came to an abrupt halt as the weather cleared and passersby began to gather. The three members of the “Cute Deception” group all had great vocal tones and strong breath control. Especially Zhong Wen—she completely redeemed her “physically weak” reputation; when she sang, there was no sign of shortness of breath.

“Facing hope, against the light—”

“Oh my god! A rainbow!”

Midway through the song, the sun came out, and a rainbow arched across the sky. Chen Qian hurriedly adjusted the camera angle to capture the beautiful scene. The fresh dampness after a spring rain and the vibrant vitality of the rainbow under the sun made the moment feel full of beauty and hope.

“Feeling the place where love exists—”

Under the rainbow, Xia Leshuang, singing “Against the Light,” was also swept up in the atmosphere. She was no longer tense, singing more and more happily alongside Jiang and Zhong.

She looked exactly like she used to—at her most bright and unrestrained.

With that, the recording in T-City officially ended, concluding perfectly with a chorus under a rainbow after the rain.

Back at the inn, Lu Shuyu notified the whole team: “Everyone, pack up and rest for a bit. We’re having a group dinner at that barbecue place at the street corner tonight~”