She Said She Has Feelings For Someone - Chapter 67

Chapter 67: Side Story II — New Year

Chapter Summary: I’m so looking forward to it—every single one of our future days.

Winter, 2027.

As the Lunar New Year approached, a blanket of snow fell over Jiangcheng. The “Cherry Media” branch building sat in the suburbs, surrounded by a flat, pristine expanse of white.

A minivan pulled up to the entrance. Xia Leshuang bid farewell to Li Ruowei and the driver: “See you after the New Year~”

“Teacher Xia is here!”

She visited so frequently that the company staff had long since grown used to her presence.

“Lu PD is in the cafeteria.”

The relationship between the two was, naturally, an open secret everyone tacitly understood.

Xia Leshuang smiled. “It’s okay, I’ll go up and wait for her.”

Last year, as planned, Lu Shuyu filmed the third season of her series, Shining Gold. It combined the popularity and reputation of the first two seasons, becoming a phenomenal hit and a masterpiece of recent years. Lu Shuyu’s name was now firmly established. Min Wutong had personally come to Jiangcheng to set up a dedicated office for Cherry’s star PD.

The office was on the tenth floor, facing south with ample light and a wide view. It was perfectly equipped with a lounge and a meeting area.

Opening the door, Leshuang found that Lu Shuyu was indeed out. Scratch paper was piled on the desk, looking slightly chaotic. Xia Leshuang walked closer and saw the contents of the top few sheets—it was the section where Shuyu had complained about being stuck creatively the night before. A mess of tangled lines was scribbled in the top right corner; she clearly hadn’t untangled her thoughts yet.

Leshuang chuckled. She couldn’t help but sit down, picked up a green pearlescent pen, and drew a cyan apple next to the mess of lines. Then, she used a red pearlescent pen to add a blushing face and a kissing heart to the apple.

Just as she finished, movement came from the hallway. A familiar voice followed—Shuyu was back from lunch. Xia Leshuang put down the pen and slipped into the lounge in the back.

…

When Lu Shuyu entered, her eyes fell on the messy desk and she sighed. It wasn’t until she spotted the green pen that she paused.

“Did I use that today…?”

Before she could finish mumbling, she saw the familiar green apple. This was the secret code between her and Xia Leshuang, and it had always been the background image of their social media accounts.

The frustration in her heart vanished instantly. Shuyu smiled, scanned the room, and finally looked toward the lounge door.

“Xia Leshuang?” “Present!”

The door popped open, and a well-behaved head poked out.

Lu Shuyu couldn’t help but let out an “Aie!” She had just opened her arms when Xia Leshuang rushed over in a few steps and pulled her into a full embrace. Having not seen each other for nearly a month, they held on for a long time before letting go.

“Have you eaten?” Xia Leshuang shook her head. “No.”

Jiangcheng wasn’t far from the filming base—about a five or six-hour drive. She was supposed to return tonight after the wrap party, but the filming finished early last night. She had slept for a bit, then woken up early to drive back, having only eaten breakfast.

Lu Shuyu gave her a mock glare and immediately started packing her things. The company holiday started the day after tomorrow, and since she didn’t have to clock in, there was no difference in leaving early or late.

“Let’s go.” After shutting down the computer, she took Xia Leshuang’s hand. “Let’s go home.”

…

As the car pulled out of the parking lot, Xia Leshuang looked at the employee dormitory area to the northeast of the building and suddenly smiled. “Actually, when I came last year, I thought about whether I should buy a whole building in Jiangcheng.”

In recent years, housing prices had dropped nationwide, and Jiangcheng’s prices weren’t high to begin with. Now that the branch was here and Shuyu worked here year-round—and it was close to City S—settling down here seemed like a good idea.

Lu Shuyu’s eyes widened. “How are you thinking exactly like me?”

The dream of having all her friends and family live in the same complex had always been in her heart, but she hadn’t mentioned it because it seemed too difficult to achieve. After coming to Jiangcheng, that dream felt possible.

Xia Leshuang was surprised, then asked, “What about Teacher Lu?” She had only kept the thought to herself because Shuyu loved City S and her home was there.

Lu Shuyu chuckled. “Actually, Teacher Lu, Zheng Yu, and I have been talking about this all year. Zheng Yu got sick from work stress in the middle of last year, so she promised me she’d move here after the New Year. Teacher Lu is retiring this year. It’s not that she doesn’t like Jiangcheng, it’s just that all her friends are in City S, so she’s been hesitating.”

Xia Leshuang laughed. “We can’t deprive Teacher Lu of the right to play with her friends.”

“True,” Shuyu agreed. “So I didn’t tell you about buying a building. Let’s plan it for the long term.” Xia Leshuang hummed. “If all else fails, we buy in both places and live in both.” Lu Shuyu laughed helplessly and gave her a thumbs up: “Teacher Xia truly is a big star~”

Currently, they stayed in the dorms in Jiangcheng. They were now heading back to City S to spend the New Year with Lu Huaiqing.

“By the way,” Shuyu asked, “when is Teacher Xu coming back?”

Last spring, Xu Ruyue and Xia Ye had divorced. They had intended to handle it quietly because of their “model couple” image, but it leaked anyway and became a hot topic online. It coincided with Min Wutong suing Zhou Hongcai’s marketing company, which unexpectedly uncovered tax issues that sent the man to prison. This took the reputation of Starry Media and Xia Ye down with him. Later, Xu Ruyue used her accumulated network to partner with Min Wutong, moved behind the scenes as a director, and officially started her new career.

“The second day of the New Year,” Xia Leshuang answered. Lu Shuyu gripped the steering wheel, unable to stop a wave of nervousness.

“Why are you nervous?” Leshuang laughed. Shuyu shot her a look. “You’re used to it now, but I haven’t spent much time with Teacher Xu.” Even though they had been together for over two years, she had only met Xu Ruyue a few times, and always briefly. Now they were going to have a formal face-to-face meal.

“Don’t worry.” While stopped at a red light, Xia Leshuang squeezed her hand. “Teacher Xu is a loyal fan of yours now. She was even asking me about your new variety show project the other day.”

Lu Shuyu’s heart went on a roller coaster. Thinking of her stalled project proposal… “Thanks, now I’m even more nervous.”

Passing a mall, she got out to buy Xia Leshuang a sandwich. “Eat this for now. Sleep a bit more, I’ll wake you when we’re home.” “Okay,” Leshuang replied obediently.

…

City S was close to Jiangcheng, and the heavy snow from two days ago had affected the roads there too. Lu Shuyu drove slower than usual, arriving home two and a half hours later.

As if she had a radar, Xia Leshuang woke up just as they entered the neighborhood. She checked the time: “I slept that long?” Her cheeks were flushed from sleep.

Lu Shuyu teased her: “It seems our Teacher Lu’s aura is so powerful it shook you awake.” Xia Leshuang rubbed her eyes. At the mention of Lu Huaiqing, she subconsciously straightened her posture. Although she had spent the New Year here last year, her school memories were so deep-seated that she still held a trace of awe for her former teacher.

“Pfft…” Lu Shuyu was highly amused as she skillfully parked the car.

Unlike last year, they arrived two days early, so Lu Huaiqing wasn’t home. “Teacher Lu,” Shuyu worried, “the snow hasn’t even melted and she’s out playing.” Xia Leshuang took out her phone. “Should we call her back?”

Shuyu wanted to laugh. Leshuang had looked so nervous a moment ago, yet now she was fearless in teasing. “Forget it,” she sighed, “let her play~” Lu Huaiqing had been diligent for all those years as a teacher. Now that she was retired, she should play as she liked. Any worries could be discussed when she returned.

Xia Leshuang put her phone away and looked at the New Year supplies. “Should we organize the things then?” They had hired someone to clean last week, and Shuyu had been buying supplies recently. They had agreed to organize them together.

“Sure,” Shuyu took off her coat. “Let’s change the door couplets first.” They changed the couplets, replaced the tableware, tablecloths, and decorations, and put on new bedding. By the time the sunset glowed through the window, the whole house looked festive.

The sound of the door came from outside, and the lights flickered on. Lu Huaiqing was back. “Didn’t you say you’d be back tomorrow night?” Xia Leshuang was busy in the kitchen and didn’t hear. Lu Shuyu stood up with a bag of trash: “Leshuang finished filming early.”

Lu Huaiqing was admiring the vibrant new decorations. Hearing the sound of the range hood in the kitchen, she exclaimed: “Why did you let Leshuang cook the moment she got back!” Lu Shuyu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, thinking back to who it was that used to suggest Leshuang cook. “She saw kimchi and ham in the fridge. A simple fried rice and soup is very quick.”

As they spoke, Xia Leshuang finally noticed the movement and poked her head out: “Teacher Lu is back! Have you had dinner?” “No, but I can’t eat much,” Lu Huaiqing replied. “Understood.” Leshuang went back to the kitchen.

…

Dinner was ready before the sun had fully set. After chatting about recent events, Lu Huaiqing remembered the date. “Are you going to the old house tomorrow?” The old house was Xia Yunxiu’s place. Lu Shuyu nodded. Tomorrow was the anniversary of Grandma Xia’s passing. Since Xu Ruyue couldn’t make it back, she and Leshuang should go.

Lu Huaiqing thought for a moment, then looked at Xia Leshuang. “Is the date for Teacher Xu’s return set?” Xia Leshuang froze, her back going rigid. “She returns on the second day of the New Year.”

Lu Huaiqing nodded. “How about you take me along?” Lu Shuyu was surprised. “So sudden?” But Xia Leshuang hurried to reply: “It’s not sudden! Actually, my mom mentioned it too, she was just afraid the time wasn’t right yet…”

Lu Huaiqing put down her chopsticks. “This past year, I’ve learned a lot about how people marry abroad. I saw documentaries of many pairs of girls wearing wedding dresses together. It was beautiful, happy… I subconsciously started imagining you two in those films.” Her eyes shimmered. “It felt a bit unreal, but like a dream—a wonderful one.”

She looked back and forth between the two of them. “So if you want that, I will definitely help you achieve it.”

Lu Shuyu hadn’t expected her mother to have thought so much. “Though it’s still early,” Lu Huaiqing patted their hands. “You’re both young and it’s a good time to focus on your careers. But I want to meet Teacher Xu and reach an understanding. That way, you’ll be a ‘legitimate’ young couple who have met both parents and are ready to marry at any time.”

Hearing such a long preamble, Lu Shuyu couldn’t help but laugh. She looked at Xia Leshuang—her eyes were red, looking at Shuyu with a mix of anticipation and vulnerability. “Such a crybaby,” Shuyu said, handing her a tissue. “Okay. We’ll have a meal and meet.”

…

After the lights were out that night, Shuyu suddenly remembered a notification she had seen. Xia Leshuang wasn’t asleep yet. Sensing the movement in her arms, she asked, “What’s wrong?” Lu Shuyu had already found the news. “There’s a drone fireworks show on the second day.”

They huddled in front of the screen. Xia Leshuang understood her thought: “Should we book a spot at a nearby hotel?” That way, they could watch the show after dinner. “Good. Let’s see what’s available tomorrow.”

The phone screen went dark. Lu Shuyu pulled her close, and Xia Leshuang held her back. In winter, huddling under the covers with a lover was warm and peaceful.

Almost simultaneously, they let out a sigh of contentment.

I’m so looking forward to it. Every single one of our future days.