Your Aloof Persona Has Crumbled - Chapter 48

Wen Shike truly didn’t know, because throughout her entire life growing up, she had never actually liked anyone. At every stage of her life, she could always find something far more enticing than romance.

Whether it was Math, Physics, or Chemistry, any of them was more interesting than dating. Even playing video games was more fun than falling in love.

Compared to being all lovey-dovey with a partner, she much preferred holding a first place trophy on the flag-raising platform, basking in everyone’s admiring gazes.

She was only nineteen, after all.

She didn’t understand why everyone else was in such a hurry for her.

Propping her chin on her hand, Wen Shike glanced at the time, wondering if Lu Jingwei had finished her phone call yet. She opened Weibo and habitually clicked into her own “Super Topic” (fan community).

Sure enough, there were photos of her at the airport. They hadn’t even been edited before being posted, but luckily, she was a natural beauty. Even without Photoshop, she looked stunning. She saved all the pretty photos from the community.

She glanced through other topics in the Super Topic and rubbed her chin.

[Wen Shike]: Remember the fan benefits?

[Sister Qiu]: What are you up to now?

[Wen Shike]: …

[Wen Shike]: Create a questionnaire for the fans to see what they want.

[Sister Qiu]: …

[Sister Qiu]: That’s actually a sensible suggestion.

[Wen Shike]: By the way, do we have any letter writing events?

[Sister Qiu]: Let’s wait until your one year anniversary for that kind of thing.

[Wen Shike]: Fine.

[Sister Qiu]: I’ll have someone set up the survey.

[Wen Shike]: Okay.

Wen Shike turned off her phone and rested her chin in her hand. The sun had already set, pulling back its piercing glare and looking like a beautiful, plump egg yolk. She subconsciously licked her lips.

Her phone vibrated again.

[Lu Jingwei]: Time to eat. Are you done with your business?

[Wen Shike]: Done. Let’s meet directly at the restaurant.

[Lu Jingwei]: Okay.

The restaurant was on the top floor, just one level below the sky garden.

Wen Shike arrived a bit earlier than Lu Jingwei and the others. The production crew had already selected a spot for them, a large table that could seat twelve and had set up the cameras. Since the others hadn’t arrived yet, Wen Shike chose a random seat and sat down.

Lu Jingwei had indeed taken a shower. Her hair was blown half-dry, and her cheeks were slightly flushed, clearly steamed from the humidity of the bathroom.

When she arrived, Wen Shike watched her closely. Lu Jingwei appeared perfectly normal.

“What’s wrong?” Lu Jingwei pulled out the chair next to Wen Shike and sat down.

“Nothing, just didn’t expect us to be the first ones here,” Wen Shike said, glancing back.

Lu Jingwei let out a chuckle. “I heard they’re playing games.”

Wen Shike really wanted to say, “Playing games without me?” but remembering her “persona,” she held back.

“What game?” Wen Shike asked casually.

Lu Jingwei thought for a few seconds. “Honor of Kings or PUBG? I’m not sure. I don’t play games. Do you?”

“Occasionally,” Wen Shike replied. She actually loved playing games, but her usual group all thought she was too “noob” and refused to play with her. It was irritating just thinking about it.

A few minutes later, Ming Wangxue and the others arrived chatting and laughing. It seemed they had won their game.

Wen Shike felt that people who could play games on camera were impressive. After all, she couldn’t keep her temper in check when playing; while she wouldn’t curse, she would get angry, and her face would make her frustration known to the whole world.

“Sorry for the wait!”

Everyone sat around the table, eating and chatting casually.

“The lights in the ancient city turn on at seven. Let’s head over early,” Yang Simiao said, looking at the schedule. “There’s a float parade at seven-thirty.”

“How are we getting there?” Zhou Yueran asked.

“Let’s take a taxi.”

“But six-something is peak rush hour. Won’t there be traffic?” Xu Keke asked.

Sun Yuexi frowned. “Well… if there’s traffic, there’s nothing we can do. We can’t exactly take the subway.”

Wen Shike didn’t join the discussion. She was focused on the battle with the shrimp in front of her. Holding her fingers in a delicate “orchid” pose, she carefully peeled the shrimp, her brow furrowed from the moment she started, clearly disgusted by the grease.

Watching Wen Shike’s movements, Lu Jingwei suddenly didn’t know what to say.

“Does someone usually peel shrimp for you at home?” Lu Jingwei asked.

“I don’t eat shrimp at home.” Wen Shike successfully peeled the shrimp whole. She glanced at Lu Jingwei. “It’s too much trouble and a waste of time.”

Wen Shike only ate that one shrimp. She wiped her fingers, she was only willing to peel crawfish. One could only say she really didn’t like shrimp that much.

Lu Jingwei: “…”

Wen Shike glanced at the others. They were still debating how to get to the ancient city.

“Miss Heiress, how do you want to go?” Several people looked toward Wen Shike.

Wen Shike wiped her mouth with a tissue. “Taxi. Being stuck in traffic inside a car is better than being squeezed by people in the subway.”

“True.”

“I told you! The car fare is reimbursed anyway, why bother saving money to squeeze onto the subway?”

“Yeah, that’s the main point.”

The group laughed again.

“Why are you only eating salad?” Wen Shike finished her steak and glanced at Lu Jingwei, noticing the other had gone to get more salad, a sea of green with barely any dressing.

Truly “eating grass.”

“Didn’t I just have steak?” Lu Jingwei took a sip of plain water. “I’m almost full.”

She then took a bite of lettuce.

Wen Shike was certain that once this show aired, Sister Qiu would definitely make her learn from Lu Jingwei. Because Wen Shike truly hated vegetables, let alone eating them raw. Every time she ate a salad, it was as painful as taking medicine.

When Lu Jingwei ate salad, her face was expressionless. You couldn’t tell if she liked it or not, but she had a “walking dead” vibe, as if she were mechanically performing the action of “eating.”

Wen Shike felt she probably didn’t like it that much either.

“Why do you keep looking at me?” Lu Jingwei wanted to laugh. Wen Shike’s gaze was strange, filled with disbelief and pity.

And she was just eating a salad.

Wen Shike was silent for two seconds. “Does it actually taste good?”

“It’s alright, very fresh,” Lu Jingwei said. “You could try a little.”

“I’ll pass.” Wen Shike declined decisively. She wanted to eat something else, but her stomach was full. While she could eat more, they had to film next. The clothes she was wearing today weren’t particularly loose, if she overate, a bloated stomach would be visible.

Wen Shike felt a bit melancholy. She placed a hand on her stomach and sighed.

When a group of idols eats at a buffet, they 100% won’t get their money’s worth. Everyone basically just took small portions to taste. Only Zhou Yueran and Sheng Ling dared to eat more, one was a fitness fanatic, and the other was someone who never gained weight.

The eleven of them split into four taxis.

By the time Wen Shike and Lu Jingwei realized what was happening, the other nine had already automatically split into three groups, leaving the two of them for the last car.

Wen Shike: “?”

“I feel like you guys are discriminating against us,” Wen Shike said.

“How could we?” Ming Wangxue waved her hand. “It just happened that way. You two came out late, and we were already split.”

“Yeah, yeah.” The others immediately nodded in agreement.

Wen Shike stared expressionlessly at the nine people putting on an act. Before, it was just Ming Wangxue, now, the whole group was acting weird. Clearly, these people weren’t looking at “good things” on the internet.

The taxis arrived. Wen Shike and Lu Jingwei were in the last one. Wen Shike opened the door and let Lu Jingwei get in first.

At six o’clock, it was indeed rush hour. The road was congested, and the car moved at a snail’s pace.

Wen Shike used her GoPro to record a segment of the view outside the window, then suddenly pointed the lens at Lu Jingwei.

Lu Jingwei was startled for a moment, then raised her own GoPro and pointed it at Wen Shike.

The two looked at each other and couldn’t help but laugh.

“Childish,” Lu Jingwei said.

“I’m only nineteen.”

“Yes, so… childish.” Despite saying that, Lu Jingwei didn’t put the GoPro down.

In the end, Wen Shike was the first to lower her hand.

It proved that Lu Jingwei was actually the more childish one. Normally so “Buddhist” and detached, yet she insisted on being stubborn over something like this.

The car suddenly braked hard. Wen Shike frowned and leaned out to look. It turned out a car was trying to cut in. Traffic was already bad enough, yet someone was trying to force their way through.

Their driver couldn’t help but curse in the local Jiangcheng dialect, which Wen Shike didn’t quite understand.

The driver refused to give way, and with something else happening up ahead, the entire line stopped moving. The car trying to cut in was now stuck diagonally in the middle of the road. The lane to the right was moving, but because this car was blocking the way, no one else could pass.

The drivers nearby started honking, clearly losing patience. After two more minutes, even more people joined in. The sounds were all different but equally noisy, especially when blended together, it was enough to cause a headache.

Wen Shike leaned against the backrest and took a deep breath. She didn’t know what kind of luck this was.

[Wen Shike]: We’re stuck.

[Ming Wangxue]: ?

[Wen Shike]: Someone tried to cut in.

[Sheng Ling]: We’re almost there. Should we wait for you?

[Lu Jingwei]: No need. Someone got out of their car, looks like they’re going to fight.

[Ming Wangxue]: ???

[Jiang Qi]: What a shame I’m not there! I want to watch a fight too.

[Wen Shike]: …

The driver of their taxi also rolled down his window and poked his head out. “Can’t you just back up?! What are you doing?!”

“For f***’s sake, cutting in with so many people around? Are you sick?!”

One driver after another poked their heads out.

The male driver in the adjacent car was indeed very irritable. After getting out, he kicked the car that was blocking the way. The man who dared to cut in was certainly not the type to take things lying down either, he threw open his door, which slammed hard against the front of Wen Shike’s taxi and got out. Perfect. Now their taxi driver was getting out too.

Wen Shike silently raised her GoPro.

“The footage we’re recording is definitely going to be unique,” Wen Shike said.

Lu Jingwei: “…”