What else could be done?

Jin Yiken was an expert at playing pitiful. After kissing her, on the way back, after much persuasion, he finally got Long Qi to temporarily abandon the idea of making him sleep on the sofa.

The worry about being discovered by Lian Shaozi was also gradually overshadowed by his close companionship. She started chatting with Jin Yiken about this and that, about what he ate and played in the UK, how much alcohol he drank and how many girls he picked up.

He was very sensible. When the conversation reached that last topic, he handed over his phone, saying all the chat records with everyone from those few months were preserved intact inside. Look freely, look openly—if she discovered even one suspicious thing, he’d admit defeat.

“Why are you so happy? Looking all prepared ahead of time.”

“No.” He’d just finished parking. “I just like watching you check up on me.”

Really asking for trouble.

He’d booked a scenic area hotel at the foot of the mountain. At this hour no one was walking around. The route from the parking lot to the front hall to the hotel corridor was all very quiet.

The rain had soaked them until they were sticky.

So after returning to the room, she took another hot shower. She agreed to share a bed with him, but nothing more—she was now so tired she just wanted to sleep. Even if she didn’t want to sleep, before going for the test he couldn’t have any ideas. He needed to behave himself and lie on the left side, not even touch her.

Jin Yiken objected.

While she was showering, he started rattling off lengthy treatises about HIV transmission methods and protective measures, hands in pockets, leaning against the door, speaking leisurely. She got annoyed listening to him. Opening the glass door, she threw a bath ball. His head tilted to dodge it. His body didn’t move a fraction, continuing to jabber without interference.

After blow-drying her hair and getting into bed, Jin Yiken used the excuse that she was slippery and fragrant and comfortable to hold, hugging her and not letting go. She struggled until she was hot. Then heard him speak sweet words. She already strangely liked him. This willful yet bounded physical contact was killing her. Her hands were hot wherever she placed them on his body. Later they were simply held and placed on his chest. He took off his upper garment, propping his arms over her, foreheads touching, nose breath against nose breath. She said she wanted to sleep. Jin Yiken said go ahead and sleep.

After speaking, he pressed against her lips, deliberately extending his tongue, as if she were his pet rabbit—as long as he could pin her down, he’d bully her hard. Just entangling like that for a long time—long sessions, short sessions, intense ones, light touches like a dragonfly on water—as if he had endless energy, never willing to settle down. But fortunately he was fairly obedient, didn’t take off her clothes. No matter how hot his body was, ultimately he let her off.

Tossing around until the end, when truly falling asleep, it was already three in the morning.

The alarm was set for six o’clock.

Only three hours of sleep, resulting in slow reactions while eating breakfast, spacing out at every turn. At this time she felt Jin Yiken was impressive. While she was washing up, he’d already found the best breakfast shop in this area. While she was getting dressed, he was already on the sofa with crossed legs playing games. He really cared about his game record being broken by his own mother. While she was doing her makeup, he kept playing. In the end, he only gave up because she urged him to leave.

The local specialty in this area was a type of beef noodle soup. The breakfast shop he chose was also a noodle shop. This shop’s beef noodles came in two flavors—classic and spicy. Long Qi wanted to try both. Jin Yiken ordered her two bowls.

When they arrived, he used chopsticks to pick up a noodle from each, frowning at one of the spicy ones.

“Which bowl do you like?”

She wiped her chopsticks with a tissue, using her eyes to indicate the classic flavor bowl.

He then moved that bowl in front of her, shifting the spicy bowl to himself, picking up chopsticks with a smile: “Told you you can’t handle strong flavors.”

“You also can’t handle spicy food. Don’t eat it, Jin Yiken. Order another bowl.”

“After being outside for a long time, you eat everything.”

These words sounded rather heartbreaking. She glanced at him. He lowered his head to pick up noodles.

But the next second was covered by the satisfaction of eating beef noodles. Appetite very good. Usually only willing to eat one croissant, this time she finished an entire bowl including the soup. The small town’s morning woke later than big cities. The air retained abundant moisture from overnight rain. A child in middle school uniform ate noodles alone. A working woman with a sling bag added vinegar to her noodle soup while looking at her phone on the table. Across from her, her boyfriend was playing games. There was also a table of middle-aged men who’d come early for work. The soup-slurping sounds went slurp slurp. She wore a hat pulled very low, saying this was the best meal she’d had recently.

“I’ll make it for you when we get back,” Jin Yiken said.

“You can even make this now?”

“Now I can make everything.”

“Then I still can’t make anything.”

“Don’t mind that about you.”

Under the table, her foot kicked toward him. He moved slightly, the chair leg scraped the floor. He corrected himself: “Will support you.”

“The reason it tastes good isn’t the noodles.” She said, “It’s because you’re eating with me.”

These words sounded comfortable. Jin Yiken lifted his forehead to glance at her, as if he’d never heard such an easily given “confession.” Feeling a bit sorry for her, yet a bit proud. Her leg under the table happened to touch his calf. She wore nine-tenths length jeans. The exposed ankle area was cool. He was leisurely eating cold dishes, right hand holding chopsticks. His idle left hand went under the table, wordlessly scooping up her ankle, holding it in his palm.

Warming it.

Later, the shop’s diners gradually changed from local small town residents to tourists. Although it was the off-season, there were still quite a few young couples. This storefront shop had no private rooms. Fortunately, her and Jin Yiken’s table was on the second floor corridor. The first floor wasn’t full. People looking up to find seats were very few. The environment was quite safe.

One bowl of noodles wasn’t enough for Jin Yiken to eat. He ordered some steamed cakes.

Long Qi poked at the cold dish plate with chopsticks. Seven-thirty. They’d agreed to gather at eight for filming. The group chat still had not a trace of activity. As if everyone was still asleep. She said: “After dropping me at the guesthouse, go back to the hotel. There are lots of people outside with mixed intentions. With your criminal status, stop wandering around these places full of WiFi everywhere. Understand?”

He didn’t respond, eating steamed cake, with an attitude of “see if this master listens to you or not.” Long Qi’s ankle pulled back. He gripped tight, not letting her succeed: “Talk after eating.”

“Why are you acting like Si Bolin?”

“What’s ‘acting like Si Bolin’?”

“Starving ghost.”

He laughed. Just at that moment, there was commotion on the first floor. Another wave of diners entered. Voices clamorous, voices young. Long Qi immediately recognized Wu Yishan’s loud voice among them. Turning her head to look, just in time to hear Wu Yishan’s line: “Hey, right here!”

“This is the one I searched—best food, highest rating!”

Looking back at the WeChat group, still no messages. But this bunch of people, as if they’d arranged it, including Fu Yu’ao, came into this shop one after another, not one missing. After combining into one large table, they started ordering. Among them, Fu Yu’ao still kept his distance from Ge Yinling. The two sat farthest apart, not exchanging half a sentence.

The shop owner had a cat, circling around Jin Yiken’s feet begging for food. He was idly teasing it. Long Qi wordlessly watched downstairs. He finished teasing, looked at her, then followed her line of sight downward.

“Your classmates?”

She didn’t respond. Just then one of the girls responsible for the script finished ordering, saying: “Hey, I’ll post the completed document in the group. You all discuss first and claim your roles.”

That table’s phones successively made group message notification sounds.

Second floor, her phone was completely silent.

Understood.

Assuming they’d arranged during last night’s card game to come out collectively for breakfast at this time, that would be understandable. But now it was clear they’d excluded her and created another group. Every detail was first discussed and decided in that group, then they’d throw a result at her. No matter her reaction, what she received was never the first response. Layer upon layer like this—quite boring, quite ugly. She picked up a chopstick of cold dish, lowered her head to eat, then poured a cup of hot tea: “Wait until they finish eating before leaving. So they don’t see you.”

Jin Yiken looked at her. Her cheeks moved slowly.

Downstairs, the noodles were served. Fu Yu’ao said to the owner: “Add another order of classic beef noodles and steamed cake. For takeout.”

Ge Yinling didn’t speak.

Nalin chimed in: “By the time it’s sent up, the soup will have all dried up, Fu Yu’ao.”

“Then what do you want her to eat alone halfway up the mountain?”

“What’s it to us? Doesn’t the guesthouse have breakfast?”

“Let’s talk about it later, let’s talk about it later. Let’s discuss the script first.” Wu Yishan changed the topic.

The tea ran out. The owner brought a pot of freshly brewed hot tea upstairs. Jin Yiken poured tea, also adding a bit to her cup. The tea was very fragrant, steaming hot.

……

Downstairs, they chatted while eating.

Ge Yinling didn’t touch her chopsticks, continuously looking at the document on her phone. When the other few had claimed roles almost completely, giving her the female lead role, she spoke: “Give that role to Long Qi.”

“Why give it to her?” Nalin reacted a bit.

“Is there a role that doesn’t require acting opposite the male lead? I’ll play that.”

The male lead was Fu Yu’ao.

“Then that would be the third female role,” said the girl who wrote the script.

“Third female role then.” She continued, “The last scene, where the male and female leads’ feelings sublimate—I think something’s missing.”

“Is there? What needs to be added?”

Ge Yinling looked at Nalin, then at Fu Yu’ao: “Add a kissing scene.”

Fu Yu’ao looked up.

Nalin also looked toward Ge Yinling. Wu Yishan too. They all looked toward Ge Yinling. Second floor, Long Qi laughed coldly.

“Um…… this needs to ask whether Long Qi agrees or not.”

“Fine. Go ask her.”

“No need to ask.” Fu Yu’ao interrupted. “Not necessary.”

“I think it’s necessary.” Ge Yinling followed very quickly.

“What are you trying to do?”

This remark from Fu Yu’ao carried a bit of helplessness, voice lowered, forehead tilted, directly looking at Ge Yinling.

“I’m seriously providing my opinion. Do you think I’m bringing personal feelings into it?” Ge Yinling replied composedly. “Stop being childish, Fu Yu’ao.”

“I don’t think a kissing scene is that necessary.”

“Then look for yourself. The ending is very abrupt.”

“Then add other content, or change the ending.”

“You think this is really playing around? When you join crews to film in the future, will you be like this too? If you don’t like something, make the screenwriter change the script, make the director accompany you to reshoot? Did you study for nothing?”

The words were very stern. Fu Yu’ao listened, shaking his head helplessly, leaning back against the chair, his eyes looking at a completely unfamiliar person. Ge Yinling’s tone shifted: “Or are you the one bringing personal feelings, afraid that if Long Qi really has HIV, you’ll be infected?”

Upstairs, Jin Yiken put down his chopsticks with a clack. His expression was a bit heavy. But at least looking like he’d finally eaten his fill. Long Qi’s foot moved toward him, not letting him get up.

“If you’re going to target her at every turn like this, why agree to let her join the group?”

Fu Yu’ao asked.

Nalin was dissatisfied: “Wait a minute. Yinling targeting at every turn?”

“Alright, Nalin, say a few words less……” Wu Yishan interjected.

“No, I don’t agree with these words. Yinling has been talking professionally from start to finish, okay? You’re the one with ulterior motives, Fu Yu’ao. Yinling hasn’t even pursued what you were doing with Long Qi last night.”

Wu Yishan’s ears were sharp. Stunned: “Last night? What happened?”

Fu Yu’ao also asked: “What was I doing with her?”

The entire table unknowingly stopped their chopsticks, focused on watching this scene. Ge Yinling at this moment didn’t speak. Nalin became the main speaker, helping her bestie laugh mockingly: “Stop playing dumb, Fu Yu’ao. Long Qi wasn’t in her room at all last night. I got up once at five. Her room door was open. The auntie was cleaning. Why don’t you say what you were doing at five in the morning?”

“I was on a morning run. You’re saying she wasn’t in her room?”

“Which also means you weren’t in your room either. You and Long Qi both weren’t in your rooms.” Nalin summarized, laughing lightly. “What a coincidence.”

Upstairs, couldn’t hold Jin Yiken back anymore. He snapped his fingers. The owner at the front desk heard, came up to settle the bill. Jin Yiken’s chin pointed downward: “That table too, together.”

“What are you doing?” Long Qi asked.

He didn’t speak, chewing a mint candy to cut the grease, finished settling the bill, took the receipt, forehead tilted, with an attitude of “this master just wants to leave now.” She was pulled up by the wrist.

“You think I was with her?” Fu Yu’ao asked.

Long Qi followed him down the stairs.

“On the way here, you two were already lovey-dovey in the car. Actually, Fu Yu’ao, at least wait until the activity ends. You two can go get hotel rooms on your own. No need to rush this timing. It’s a bit ugly.”

“I was really fucking on a morning run!”

“Also stop pretending you won’t film the kissing scene. You two know what level you’re at.”

“She didn’t……”

Smack.

Passing through the corridor, passing by this table, Jin Yiken just like that, eyes straight ahead, pressed the receipt slip on this table surface. Loud and crisp, rudely interrupting Fu Yu’ao’s laborious denial. Wu Yishan and a male student with their backs to the corridor both flinched, shoulders jerking. Looking back, Nalin and Ge Yinling also looked up. The entire table looked up. Jin Yiken continued walking leisurely, while walking glanced at this table, too lazy to say even one sentence. Anyway, he’d seen them, remembered them. He’d settled everyone’s account. Days were so long, take it slow. Those eyes, darkly, all carried this meaning.

Long Qi had her hands in her jacket pockets, being led at his side.

That table still hadn’t reacted. The previous tense atmosphere instantly died down, as if everyone was trapped in the moment of being caught gossiping behind someone’s back, sitting restlessly, silent as death. Ge Yinling’s chest rose and fell. Nalin stared at Jin Yiken’s retreating back. Fu Yu’ao stood up. The owner said the takeout beef noodles and steamed cake were ready. He stared at the doorway Long Qi had walked out of. After a long while, he didn’t respond.

……