She Said She Has Feelings For Someone - Chapter 54

Chapter 54: Mutual Crushes — Long-Premeditated

The next morning, Zheng Yu suddenly sent a message.

— Is something going on between you and Teacher Xia?

Lu Shuyu thought she was hallucinating from sleep deprivation, as she hadn’t had the chance to tell Zheng Yu anything yet.

— Am I dreaming?

Zheng Yu sent a string of ellipses followed by a link.

Lu Shuyu clicked it. It was an update from Er Yu’s short video account—a new cover video. It was a very sweet song. Xia Leshuang had adjusted her voice slightly, making it sound sugary yet with a hint of mature charm. It made Shuyu’s scalp tingle; she was instantly wide awake.

No wonder Zheng Yu asked. Er Yu’s account hadn’t been updated in over six months, and she rarely sang sweet songs. Updating suddenly in the middle of the night was highly unusual. The fans in the comments were equally shocked.

— The Goddess is alive! — Heavens, first time hearing Er Yu sing a sweet little song… I’m wide awake now… — So sweet, so sweet… Did she stop posting for six months to go fall in love? [Crying] — Nooo, I want to hear new voice acting works!

Returning to the chat, Lu Shuyu deliberated for a moment before replying to Zheng Yu: I guess you could say so. She said she’ll wait for me.

The “Typing…” indicator at the top of the screen flickered repeatedly. Zheng Yu sent two messages in rapid succession.

— Wait for what?! — Arghhh I’m so curious I want to take a day off work!

Lu Shuyu replied helplessly: Want to meet up tonight then?

A long while later, Zheng Yu replied: MEET!!!

Lu Shuyu clicked her tongue. Gossip truly was the ultimate motivator; it actually made Zheng Yu break her rule of never hanging out on work nights.

…

As usual, Lu Shuyu washed up, went for a morning run, and grabbed breakfast. Sitting in the shop, she took a photo after her food arrived.

— Teacher Xia, this is the breakfast shop near our place. Let’s come here together next time; the mini wontons are delicious!

Now that she was back in City B, her “long-distance” status with Xia Leshuang had resumed. Having made their feelings clear, Xia Leshuang’s reports became even more detailed—practically a daily blog with photos and text.

“So clingy…” Lu Shuyu laughed.

Despite the teasing, her hands were honest, replying to every single message. By the time she finished, her wontons had soaked up the soup and were plumply waiting to be eaten.

After finishing her meal, Lu Shuyu headed home. The audio of Er Yu’s cover in her headphones looped back to the new sweet song. She was alone at home, but it didn’t feel empty; instead, it was filled with joy and anticipation.

A thought suddenly popped into her head—starting today, she would be a fan!

She didn’t often use the short video platform where Er Yu posted, and her ID was just a random string of characters generated when she first logged in. After thinking for a bit, she typed “Apple Hot Orange Tea,” then decided it was too obvious and changed it to “Green Apple Ice Orange Tea.”

Then, she added Er Yu to her “Special Follow” list, liked and saved every single post, and commented: “This sounds amazing! How did I only just discover this treasure!”

Unsure if Xia Leshuang would see it, she also shared the video to her Moments, set to “Visible only to one person.”

@Lu Shuyu: Such a lovely sweet song! Sang so well [Heart]

By noon, Xia Leshuang finished her work and went through her routine of reporting and replying. Much later, she suddenly brought up that Moments post.

— You still like Er Yu?

Lu Shuyu laughed, remembering how Xia Leshuang had previously tried to distance herself by claiming Er Yu’s skills were “just average.”

— Yeah. Although Teacher Xia said she was average before, I listened to her works and think she’s great! — Maybe it’s the fan goggles? Right now, she’s my favorite voice~ [Shy]

The “Typing…” indicator flickered for a long time before Xia Leshuang sent: You like her even more than Stefanie Sun?

Lu Shuyu burst out laughing. After a moment, she replied: Oh right, let me adjust that. Er Yu is my top 3 favorite voices~

Xia Leshuang replied instantly: How is she only top three? Who’s number two?

The weight of the surprise and urgency practically jumped off the screen. Lu Shuyu smiled and typed:

— Number two is Stefanie Sun~ — As for number one… naturally it’s Teacher Xia! Teacher Xia has the best singing voice!

The indicator flickered for an eternity before new messages popped up.

— [Shy cat emoji] — [Happy cat emoji] — What have you been listening to lately? I’ll go learn some [Expectant]

…

Zheng Yu didn’t get off work until 8:00 PM. Lu Shuyu waited for her personally downstairs at her office. The center of City B was bustling and brilliant with lights. Xia Leshuang had a night shoot today and was likely busy, so Lu Shuyu took a photo of the CBD skyline.

She had some complex thoughts in her heart—perhaps meaningless, but she wanted to share them. To her surprise, Xia Leshuang replied.

— So prosperous. Are you downtown?

Lu Shuyu felt a warmth in her chest. Her ethereal thoughts suddenly had an anchor.

— Yeah, downstairs from Zheng Yu’s office. — Seeing all these elite white-collar workers in their suits looking so exhausted and rushed… it makes me feel emotional. — A bit of tension, but a lot of motivation.

Xia Leshuang sent a voice message: “Director Lu is an excellent creator. I look forward to you lighting up more people’s lives.”

That’s right. That is a creator’s mission.

Lu Shuyu felt a glow in her heart and replied with a voice message too: “As expected of Teacher Xia. I’ll take your word for it.”

The floor-to-ceiling glass reflected a figure approaching from behind.

“Chatting with Teacher Xia?”

Lu Shuyu laughed. Coincidentally, Xia Leshuang had to start filming again, so she put away her phone and turned around.

“Yeah,” she arched an eyebrow. “Just had a brief spiritual exchange.”

“Ugh,” Zheng Yu shuddered. “I can’t stand it.”

Since time was tight, they went to a nearby gastro-pub they frequented. While the food was average, it was quiet. After ordering quickly, Zheng Yu leaned in, looking like she was all ears. “Alright, spill.”

Lu Shuyu was prepared. she picked the key parts and explained everything.

“My god,” Zheng Yu was dumbstruck. “So back then, you two actually had a mutual crush?” She paused and asked curiously, “When did Xia Leshuang start liking you?”

Lu Shuyu sighed and shook her head. “I can’t guess that, but it doesn’t matter. We’ve reunited now, and we won’t miss each other again.”

Zheng Yu clicked her tongue and shook her head while clapping. “Incredible. I feel like I’ve been following a serialized work for ten years.” She sighed, “Fate is so amazing.”

Hearing this, Lu Shuyu arched an eyebrow. “I can only say that besides the favor of fate, it also required deliberate effort.”

Zheng Yu blinked, then her eyes widened. “That’s right! You got interested in variety shows because of her, didn’t you?” “Later, she left without saying goodbye, and you chose to take the arts entrance exam—” “So,” she realized, “if you hadn’t met Teacher Song back then, would you still have come to City B?”

“Yes,” Lu Shuyu nodded with a smile. “Exactly.”

Ever since her mother’s divorce and her decision to live with her, Lu Shuyu had stopped seeing herself as just a daughter; she aspired to be her mother’s partner. She worked hard to become an adult, becoming increasingly independent and taking on half the family’s burdens. Back then, her dream was simple: to live a better life with her mother.

She was busy with her studies, taking care of herself and the home, and earning money to help out. She had forgotten to set a specific goal until high school, when she realized it and became lost in a fog.

But fortunately, that was when Xia Leshuang crashed into her life. Through her colorful experiences, she helped Lu Shuyu light up the fog and find a clear, concrete future.

“Thinking about it that way,” she smiled, “Teacher Xia really was a guiding light in my life.”

Because she was so determined to meet Xia Leshuang again, she had spotted Xia Leshuang’s application at first glance during the open casting for Silence of Gold.

“I couldn’t tell, Ms. Lu Shuyu,” Zheng Yu marveled. “You’ve been planning this for a long time.” She then shook her head: “No, the two of you were moving toward each other all along. A match made in heaven.”

Lu Shuyu gave a brilliant smile. “It’s nice.”

…

Late at night, Er Yu posted another audio cover—one of the songs from the playlist Lu Shuyu had sent Xia Leshuang during the day. Another sweet little song.

After listening, Lu Shuyu liked and saved it, commenting: “This sounds so good! [Heart]”

The next second, Er Yu actually replied to her: Thank you for the love [Green Apple]

Lu Shuyu laughed. It seemed her “mask” had been discovered.

Soon, a message from Xia Leshuang jumped out: Not asleep yet?

She chuckled and replied: Going to sleep now.

Xia Leshuang replied quickly: Want to hear a lullaby?

Lu Shuyu was startled and immediately placed a voice call. The other side picked up quickly. Shuyu didn’t speak, so Xia Leshuang cleared her throat twice and began to sing the sweet song she had just posted—acapella, from the beginning.

Compared to the produced audio works, the quality of a voice call was a bit distorted. But Xia Leshuang sang softer and slower this time, as if she were right by her ear, coaxing her to sleep.

Lu Shuyu curled up under the covers. Her heart was thumping in her chest, and her blood felt warm. When the song ended, Xia Leshuang paused before whispering, “Shuyu?”

Lu Shuyu held her breath silently and didn’t speak. After a moment, she heard a soft chuckle. “Goodnight.”

The call ended. She tossed her phone aside and buried herself in the quilt.

Goodnight? How am I supposed to sleep now?!

Then, she felt a pang of regret—she had forgotten to record it. Just as she was thinking that, her phone buzzed again.

— [Audio File] — Sleep early.

Tossing her phone away like a hot potato, Lu Shuyu covered her face. How is Xia Leshuang so good at this…

Once she calmed down, she picked up the phone again and downloaded the file. It was indeed a recording of the voice call just now, unedited from start to finish.

Lu Shuyu got up to get her headphones, lay back down, and closed her eyes to listen carefully to her exclusive lullaby.

Listening to it for the first time, she finally realized why Xia Leshuang had laughed at the end. The sound of her breath suddenly stopping when she tried to hide was far too obvious…

She didn’t know how many times she listened to it, but she finally fell asleep during that soft “Goodnight.”

Right before falling completely into slumber, she finally remembered to respond in her heart—

Goodnight, Xia Leshuang.