The Entire Entertainment Industry Knows the Best Actor Has a Crush on Me - Chapter 32

Qiao Zhiyu stayed in the living room for a while before returning to the bedroom. By then, thirty minutes had passed since his screen last lit up.

Don’t Mess With Me, My Butt’s On Fire: [What are you doing?]

Zz: [Nothing much. That hat… did you already have it?]

Qiao Zhiyu replied the moment he saw the message. No matter what he was thinking internally, he found himself unable to give Pei Yuan the cold shoulder.

Don’t Mess With Me, My Butt’s On Fire: [What if I said I didn’t?]

With a dull thud, Qiao Zhiyu buried his face into the mattress. Heavens… what am I supposed to do…

His phone began to ring with a video call request. Pei Yuan was actually calling him. After hesitating for two seconds, he answered. A handsome face appeared, occupying the entire screen. Qiao Zhiyu sat kneeling by the bed, staring blankly. His heart wouldn’t stop thumping.

Looking at the background, Pei Yuan seemed to be sitting on a sofa in casual clothes; it appeared he had no work today.

“Zhiyu, you’re in a bad mood. Why?”

“I’m not… how can you tell?” he said, feigning composure.

The man in the lens furrowed his brows slightly. He wasn’t angry; he looked like he was deep in thought. “I don’t know, it’s just a feeling. And your dark circles are very heavy.” Pei Yuan continued, “The hat incident is making you feel burdened.”

It was a complete statement of fact, so blunt that Qiao Zhiyu didn’t know how to hide. Silence fell between them. However, his silence gave the other man the answer he needed.

“Zhiyu, look at me.”

He obediently lifted his eyes, looked for a second, and then looked down again.

Pei Yuan said, “I’m sorry, Zhiyu. Not just for this time.”

His voice was steady and calm, but if Qiao Zhiyu had looked up, he would have seen otherwise. The emotions flickering in his eyes were self-reproach and heartache. His impulsive action had burdened Qiao Zhiyu, which wasn’t what he wanted. He had been too self-righteous.

“It’s not that!” Qiao Zhiyu interjected. “Yuan… you helped me. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have become popular so quickly, and the endorsement wouldn’t have exploded with orders! I’m not unhappy because of that…”

He was bad at interpersonal relationships. He couldn’t pick things up, and he couldn’t let them go. He wanted more kindness, yet when it was laid out right in front of him, he didn’t dare accept it.

“I don’t blame you… and I don’t feel burdened. I just… I…”

Just what?

The rims of his eyes turned red with anxiety. How could he talk about the things from his past life? Even if he did, why should Pei Yuan accommodate him? In the end, he was the only one trapped in those memories.

A sigh came through the phone, followed by Pei Yuan’s voice. “Zhiyu, don’t belittle yourself. You could have achieved this even without me, perhaps even better. You don’t have to explain if you can’t put it into words; I don’t necessarily need an answer. I asked only because I feared you were unhappy. But if the reason for that unhappiness is me…”

Pei Yuan paused, his voice turning much raspier when he spoke again. “Well, then I don’t know what to do, either.”

Actually, he did know, but he didn’t like that answer. “There are some things I won’t say to you right now, but you understand, don’t you? Zhiyu, it hurts me to see you unhappy.”

Qiao Zhiyu looked up, his eyes already flushed deep red. The man’s furrowed brow and the lingering worry in his eyes made Qiao’s heart ache with a sour intensity.

“I’m sorry, Yuan…”

Pei Yuan looked stunned for a moment, then tilted his head and gave a light laugh. “You’ve done nothing wrong. Why are you apologizing?”

When Gu Jiao arrived, Qiao Zhiyu had already fallen asleep on the bed. She approached quietly, but the person on the bed still woke up.

“Sister Jiao… why are you here?”

Seeing him awake, Gu Jiao sat down on the edge of the bed. “I should be asking you that. Pei Yuan called me and said you weren’t in a good state of mind, so he asked me to come check on you. What happened between you two? Did you fight because of the internet stuff?”

She had been quite surprised when he called. Not because he had her number a manager’s number isn’t exactly a secret but because he was calling specifically for her artist.

Qiao Zhiyu shook his head. They hadn’t fought; he was the one being inexplicable. But he didn’t know how to explain, so he only mentioned the hat. Gu Jiao didn’t believe him for a second, but seeing that Qiao Zhiyu clearly didn’t want to talk about it, the air fell into silence.

“Sister Jiao… if there were someone who might like you and was very good to you, what would you do?”

“Are you talking about Movie Star Pei?”

Qiao Zhiyu froze but didn’t deny it. “It’s just a feeling. Maybe I’m just being narcissistic…”

Gu Jiao crossed her arms and said directly, “You like him too, don’t you?”

“…Why would you say that?”

“I’m not blind, okay?” she continued. “Movie Star Pei told me he would have the trending searches taken down, so the purpose of your call must have been related to the online stuff. I don’t know exactly what you two said, but he likely apologized to you, feeling he’d caused you trouble. But you don’t actually think that way, do you?”

Qiao Zhiyu: “…” Since you’ve said everything, why bother asking me?

But he still nodded.

Gu Jiao continued her output: “In my mind, it’s because you like him. If someone makes you happy or sad, what is that if not ‘liking’ them? Brotherhood? I don’t recall you being a fragile person; I don’t believe you’d be this depressed just over some internet comments. Zhiyu, let me ask you: why did you suddenly start being a picky eater?”

“…”

Because of being sick… Food had become unpalatable, having a strange aftertaste. No matter how much seasoning was used, it only tasted like mud and blood. But that was the past life. In this life, he didn’t eat those things simply because he was used to not eating them.

Qiao Zhiyu lowered his eyes and started talking nonsense: “Because the meat that day wasn’t cooked well.”

Gu Jiao sighed and didn’t press the issue. “Zhiyu, if Pei Yuan likes you too and it’s mutual, I won’t oppose it. I’m just considering the big picture. I’m afraid the internet will drown you in spit. I’m afraid you won’t be able to move on if you break up. Even though Pei Yuan is outstanding and being with him would be like us winning the lottery… feelings are something you have to try to truly know.”

Qiao Zhiyu’s hands tightened under the covers. He understood the logic, but he was afraid. What if it failed again? What if it all went down the drain again?

“But I’m afraid there won’t be a result…”

“Oh, my dear brother! Feelings are often without ‘results’! Even people who get married get divorced! The important part is the process. Sometimes being too focused on the ending causes you to miss the opportunity.”

Qiao Zhiyu was left dazed by this flood of “chicken soup” for the soul. Certain thoughts were slowly crumbling. The process is what’s most important…

That’s right… how can Song Yuanjia even be compared to Pei Yuan?