The Beloved One Is Always Coveted - Chapter 12

Chapter 12

◎Who Should Go to Whom?◎

A-Po Qi was a person with great propriety. Worried that Yu Li might be shy, most of her topics revolved around Qi Xue, talking about how she got into fights for bullied classmates and how the teacher called her in, forcing an old lady like herself to go to school and clean up her mess repeatedly.

Qi Xue didn’t mind. She just bit her vegetables and smiled at Yu Li from across the table, happiness radiating from the corners of her eyes and brows, like a dog that had won a reward, its tail wagging, paying no mind to A-Po’s words.

A-Po called her shameless, saying she fought constantly and went to the office again and again a disgrace.

Yu Li lowered her head, snapping a string bean, thinking: What’s there to be disgraced about? That’s just who Qi Xue is. If she sees something wrong, she has to fix it. Fixing it with force is still fixing it.

By the end of the meal, her eyes sparkled with tiny points of light, though she didn’t realize it. She just felt much better; the lump of stagnation in her heart had noticeably lessened.

A-Po was getting old and had poor digestion, so she went out for a walk.

Yu Li and Qi Xue cleaned up and washed the dishes, silent with each other. It was a very quiet process, as if everything that needed to be said had been expressed in that embrace.

In fact, it hadn’t. When it was time to leave, Qi Xue came out to see her off. Looking at the dark stairwell, she worried Yu Li would be scared and offered to walk her up to the sixth floor.

She said the stairwell was pitch-black. “You might miss a step walking alone. I can pull you up if I walk you up.”

They stood outside the door. The stars twinkled in the sky, and both of them were bathed in a soft glow. The wind was noisy in the distance, then suddenly completely quieted.

“What if you fall?”

Yu Li asked her but didn’t look at her, as if it were just a casual thought that popped into her head.

Qi Xue understood her meaning. She could hold onto her, but what if she missed a step and Qi Xue couldn’t hold her?

“Then I’ll pull you, and you’ll fall with me.”

The clear voice poured into Yu Li’s ear along with the wind.

The wind suddenly roared, rushing through them and slamming the door shut behind her. Her ears were startled by the noise, but she could still clearly hear Qi Xue’s words.

The spirited youth stood in front of her, answering without hesitation.

She said she would pull her down with her; she wouldn’t leave her behind.

If they have to fall, they’ll fall together.

She’s so overbearing, Yu Li thought, trying to drag me with her even if she falls down the stairs. But she lowered her head, a silent smile spreading across her face.

“Do you want to go for a walk?”

Yu Li spoke first, one foot placed on the stone step, the other moving down and then back up.

She rarely made such unguarded movements, and it was all because of Qi Xue.

This was the old district, and the nightlife was just beginning. They deliberately avoided crowded areas, walking shoulder-to-shoulder along the dimly lit sidewalk.

“Qi Xue?” She put her hands behind her back, pretending to call her name casually, but secretly noting Qi Xue’s reaction.

The girl with the fiery red hair put her hands in her pockets and simply hummed, tilting her head slightly towards her. She said plainly, “What is it?”

Quite aloof.

“Don’t you have anything to ask me?”

Yu Li stared at their gradually stretching shadows. They were moving away from one warm streetlamp and approaching another.

“Mmm?”

Qi Xue nodded, her expression serious. “A lot of things. I don’t know where to start.”

“Start with the simplest one.”

Yu Li stopped walking. They were directly under the streetlamp. Their shadows were one tall and one short, both the same dark base color.

“The simplest…” Qi Xue murmured, hesitating for a long time before finally asking, “Why don’t you remember me?”

The simplest is often the hardest to answer. Yu Li didn’t know what to say. Why did she forget her childhood? She should have remembered it best.

“Is it too hard? Then let’s change it.” Seeing her remain silent for a long time, Qi Xue didn’t want to make her uncomfortable and said in a lighthearted manner.

“Because I was scared.”

Yu Li finally lifted her eyes. The night wind blew her bangs, revealing a patch of dark red her innate birthmark, the embodiment of all the suffering of her childhood.

Without needing more words, Qi Xue understood.

She curled her fingers, restraining the urge to hug Yu Li. She just smiled faintly, comforting her: “You don’t need to be afraid anymore. I’ll protect you.”

It was the same back then. When a pebble split her head open, the “boss” hugged her and told her not to cry, then beat up that other kid like a little wolf.

Yu Li fell silent. Qi Xue said she was still the same as when she was a child. But she wasn’t, really. Promises of protection were just words now.

“Anything else?”

The wind reddened her nose. She hastily lowered her head and walked forward on her own, stepping into the shadow. When she didn’t feel anyone beside her, she looked back and saw Qi Xue still standing there.

She then realized how bright the streetlamp was. Qi Xue stood in the light, her hands in her pockets. In the flickering light and shadow, only her silhouette was clearly visible.

And Yu Li looked up at her from the darkness, her eyes full of envy.

Who should go to whom?

She jogged towards the light, asking Qi Xue, “What’s wrong?”

She got no response. The person in front of her was staring blankly, watching her, with an undercurrent moving in her eyes.

Her shoulder was seized, the grip light and gentle, but it moved up along her shoulder line, just shy of touching her clearly defined collarbone.

“Yu Li,”

Her voice had changed too it was muffled, carrying an unusual tone.

Yu Li didn’t understand why, but she obediently lifted her head, waiting for her to continue.

They seemed to stare at each other for a long time. Yu Li saw the stars shift in her eyes, and her own reflected silhouette’s eyes flickering.

Her eyes were so deep, like a bottomless pool. Yu Li worried she would be sucked in. She quickly looked away, her heart already beating uncontrollably faster.

Qi Xue slightly parted her lips, intending to say something, but swallowed it back. When she spoke again, the words were different.

She thought it was too soon. It would make things difficult for Yu Li.

“Have I changed a lot?”

“Eh—”

Yu Li drew out the sound, carefully looked at Qi Xue, and then slowly said, “You’re the same as when you were little.”

“That’s clearly not true. My hair color is different, my accent is gone, and I’m taller.”

Qi Xue’s tone was playful as she counted the changes.

“Those are just small things.”

The atmosphere instantly livened up. Yu Li bounced along behind Qi Xue, asking her why she used to hit people and even mentioning the time she saw her kick someone in her second year of high school.

Qi Xue didn’t argue, a rare smile in her eyes. Her tone unconsciously held a hint of seeking praise: “She was collecting protection money illegally. She needed a lesson to settle down.”

Yu Li had no idea that protection money was a thing at school. She widened her eyes in shock. “Wow, I thought that only happened in novels.”

Then she praised Qi Xue: “You’re so amazing, Boss!”

After she spoke, both their faces flushed. That title was something they had learned from a TV show when they were kids, and saying it now was a little embarrassing.

“Let’s go back. It’s getting a bit cool.”

Qi Xue broke the silence. The evening wind was still refreshing, but only wearing a short-sleeved shirt made it feel a little chilly.

They slowly walked back along the way they came. When they arrived home and Yu Li took out her phone, it was only 8:00 PM.

Yu Li then remembered they hadn’t added each other as friends. She asked for her WeChat ID, then gave Qi Xue’s tabby cat a few strokes on her way upstairs, before finally returning home and turning on her phone.

Qi Xue accepted the friend request immediately and sent a smiling emoji with red hair. Yu Li saved the image with a smile and reported that she was home.

They didn’t have much to talk about, exchanging a few simple messages before saying goodnight.

Of course, it wasn’t a real goodnight. She worked on practice problems for a while before getting into bed with her phone.

Yu Li wasn’t particularly addicted to her phone, and Twelfth High didn’t allow them anyway. She only had a phone for convenience in contacting people, and for fan-girling.

She was a fan of Du Yuran.

Du Yuran was a sudden sensation, a monster rookie. Her first film was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Golden Eagle Awards. Since then, her career had soared, earning countless awards.

For those who admired strength, being her fan was very satisfying. Her acting and looks were impeccable, not to mention her drive for success. She released films one after another, all with good reviews and box office success.

Her fans’ names for her also changed, from “Ran Bao” (Ran Treasure) at the beginning to “Sister Ran,” and later to “Queen Du.”

Yu Li was also a fan because of her career ambition. Moreover, when Du Yuran wasn’t filming, she was like an eternally burning sun—sunny, cheerful, and sparkling. Yu Li had never met someone with such extreme differences in her personality and was unconsciously drawn to the light she radiated.

Her new TV series, Night, was scheduled to air on Apple TV soon.

It was her first TV series, and the promotions were extensive. Yu Li felt Du Yuran was aiming for the highest TV drama honor, the Peony Award for Best Actress.

With all the unexpected events of the past few days, she hadn’t had time to check her updates.

She opened her social media and immediately saw a Weibo post from Du Yuran. The location was Mingqing Plaza in Jinghui District, Tunnan City. There was a roadshow scheduled there, and the time was this Saturday.

Yu Li couldn’t help but squeal. She had no classes on Saturday, so she could see her idol up close.

Scrolling further down, fans were screaming in the comments, though occasionally, she could find a few jarring comments.

“Who is this? Doesn’t even look that good.”

“Water Queen (an insult implying her success is fake)!”

“One roadshow and she’s trending? Give back the popularity that belongs to my Jiejie!!!”

“The ugly child of a capitalist!”

Yu Li didn’t take it seriously. Her “Ran Bao” didn’t care either. Just block them.

Du Yuran was practically here to save the precarious domestic entertainment industry. In three years since her debut, she had only acted in eight films, yet her box office revenue completely outshone those “A-listers” who couldn’t even deliver their lines properly.

The more popular you are, the more trouble you get. These little “black fans” were just jealous of Ran Bao’s acting and box office appeal.

Yu Li put down her phone and went to sleep, completely satisfied.

The next day, Yang Zhuo still came to pick her up. They drove in silence. It wasn’t until the car was near the school gate that Yang Zhuo spoke cautiously, seemingly as a reminder: “It won’t be me picking you up this afternoon, Miss Yu.”

Yu Li was wearing the Huizhi school uniform a shirt and trousers. The tailoring was good, and sitting in the passenger seat with a straight back, even a timid person like her exuded an air of aristocracy.

Yang Zhuo glanced at her before continuing: “I have to go on a business trip.”

Yu Li acknowledged it, understanding, and assumed she would have to take the bus home herself.

This was exactly what she wished for, and she couldn’t help but feel joyful.

However, Yang Zhuo immediately poured cold water on her enthusiasm. “Someone else has been arranged to take you home this afternoon.”

“Yang Zhuo-jiejie, you don’t have to bother. I can go back by myself.” Yu Li pinched her fingers, trying to plead for the right to go home alone.

“This is the Family Head’s command.”

Yang Zhuo coldly rejected her. The simple phrase, “The Family Head’s command,” was enough to extinguish Yu Li’s hopes.

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