Spilling the Tea on the Movie Star Who Won't Leave Me Alone - Chapter 42

Because he kept reminding himself that Gu Jingxuan was coming the next day, Xu Chi woke up earlier than usual.

Before Lin Tao could even call him, Xu Chi was already knocking on Lin Tao’s bedroom door. When Lin Tao, sporting a head of messy “bed hair,” saw the neatly dressed and handsome Xu Chi standing outside, he once again wondered if Xu Chi had been swapped for someone else.

Opening the door to let Xu Chi in, Lin Tao—who had originally wanted to sleep a bit longer—had no choice but to leave his warm bed and head to the bathroom to wash up.

“Why are you up so early today? You’re not in the South for work. Look at how eager you are,” Lin Tao said, his voice somewhat muffled by toothpaste foam.

Xu Chi was busy munching on an apple. Hearing Lin Tao’s question, he fell silent for a moment before answering honestly.

“Brother Gu is coming today, so I woke up early to wait for him.”

Lin Tao walked out of the bathroom in disbelief to look at him, then checked the time on his phone. He nearly exploded with frustration.

“My dear ancestor, look at the time. It’s barely past 7:00 AM. Even if your Brother Gu bought an early morning flight, he couldn’t possibly be here yet.”

Lin Tao sighed, resigned to his fate as he continued to get ready.

“I know, but I’m just so excited I can’t sleep. Let’s go for a walk later; it looks like there will be sun today.”

Xu Chi walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window and pulled the curtains to both sides. Instantly, a ray of early morning sunlight spilled into the room, adding a touch of warmth to the atmosphere.

Knowing Xu Chi wasn’t joking, Lin Tao wrapped himself up tightly in a scarf.

“You’ve been completely blinded by Gu Jingxuan. If Gu Jingxuan gets married or finds a partner in the future, I’d like to see what you’ll do then!”

Although Lin Tao knew Xu Chi liked Gu Jingxuan, he couldn’t quite tell if Xu Chi’s feelings were more of an idol-fan dynamic or romantic attraction between two men. Furthermore, he had never been optimistic about the two of them. No matter how you looked at it, Gu Jingxuan would eventually have to marry a woman and have children; surely he wouldn’t actually come out for the sake of Xu Chi and his vast fan base.

At Lin Tao’s words, Xu Chi’s mood instantly soured. He grumbled that Lin Tao didn’t know how to speak kindly.

“We’re out here to have fun; can’t you say something nice to comfort me?” Xu Chi pouted as he spoke.

During these past few days at home without any announcements or filming, Xu Chi had been going bare-faced every day. His skin had become even better—smoother and fairer than before. When he pouted, his cheeks puffed out slightly and his rosy lips protruded, looking so cute that one might want to pinch them to see if they were made of water.

Lin Tao thought so, and naturally, he acted on it. He grabbed Xu Chi’s face with both hands and pulled his cheeks to the sides. Feeling the texture of the skin under his fingers, Lin Tao couldn’t help but marvel that being young was truly wonderful.

“Ow, ow, ow! Lin Tao, let go! My face is going to be torn apart!”

When Lin Tao let go, he saw that red marks had been left on both of Xu Chi’s cheeks.

“I’m ready. Where do you want to go?”

The two of them put on their masks and headed out. The weather in the South was so cold that people were reluctant to leave their homes; even if Xu Chi didn’t wear a mask, it was unlikely anyone would recognize him.

The number of people they encountered on the street could be counted on one hand. Wearing masks now was purely for the sake of staying warm.

“Let’s go to the riverbank and experience the Southern environment.” Xu Chi walked with large strides, full of curiosity about the South.

“Director Jiang said he wants me to learn more of the Southern dialect and watch some Peking Opera.” As he spoke, Xu Chi seemed to remember something and suddenly stopped. “Why learn Peking Opera in the South instead of Beijing?”

Xu Chi asked quite earnestly, leaving Lin Tao momentarily unsure how to respond.

“The way of speaking and the accents are different between the North and the South. Your character is someone who has lived in the South for years; isn’t it normal to learn Peking Opera in the South? Or do you want to perform with a thick, pure Beijing accent?”

Lin Tao rolled his eyes slightly, his own eyes squinting against the river breeze.

The two of them walked along the riverbank, one after the other. Every now and then, a bone-chilling wind would blow off the water and hit them, but neither complained.

The South was a very suitable place for living—quiet and leisurely. Just being in this environment made one feel a sense of tranquility. It wasn’t like Beijing, where one was busy all day and life felt like a never-ending cycle.

Xu Chi stopped and leaned against the railing by the river, watching the cold wind create ripples in the water that hadn’t yet frozen. The willow trees, which would be lush and green in spring, were now bare, with several having broken branches.

The sunlight wasn’t dazzling; the faint brightness hitting his body felt very comfortable.

There were few people strolling on the road. Occasionally, a car would drive by, the sound of the engine flashing past behind them. Combined with the whistling of the winter wind, Xu Chi found himself loving it immensely.

It would be wonderful if he could live in the South forever—with the trees, the river, and the quiet surroundings.

Lin Tao also liked it here. He was wrapped up tight from head to toe, enough to withstand the cold wind.

“Can I buy a house in the South in the future?”

“No.”

Lin Tao rejected Xu Chi without a second thought. Setting aside the fact that the company was in Beijing and almost all of Xu Chi’s activities were in the North, traveling back and forth would be a hassle. Besides, Xu Chi’s current funds were nowhere near enough to buy a house.

Xu Chi wasn’t too disappointed. It was just a whim to buy a house in the South; perhaps he could come here for retirement when he grew old.

While Xu Chi was still thinking about his future retirement, his ringtone interrupted his thoughts.

When Gu Jingxuan’s voice came through the phone, Xu Chi’s face instantly flushed red.

Lin Tao found the ringtone somewhat familiar. He thought about it for a long time but couldn’t place whose voice it was, only to see Xu Chi blushing as he took out his phone to answer.

Fine then. Even the ringtone had been changed to a song sung by Gu Jingxuan.

Lin Tao suddenly felt as if the little artist he was raising had been lured away by a simple beckoning of someone else’s hand, it felt very much like “marrying off a daughter.”

“Kiddo, are you up yet?”

Gu Jingxuan knew Xu Chi usually liked to sleep in. It was only a little after 8:00 AM, and he was worried Xu Chi might still be in bed.

“I’m up, I’m up. I’m already out for a walk with Brother Lin.” Xu Chi’s voice sounded quite excited. “Brother Gu, can you hear the wind over here? The wind in the South is even stronger than in Beijing.”

Listening closely, one could hear the whistling sound on the other end of the line. Gu Jingxuan smiled and told Xu Chi to zip up his coat and not catch a cold.

“Brother Gu, are you almost here?” Xu Chi asked expectantly.

Gu Jingxuan was still sitting in the airport; the flight wouldn’t depart for another half hour.

“Not yet. I’m about to board. I’ll call you when I land, you come pick me up.”

Gu Jingxuan’s words, “you come pick me up,” struck the softest spot in Xu Chi’s heart. He was so happy he nearly lost his sense of direction.