After Flirting with the Wrong Stand-in, I Overturned (GL) - Chapter 33

“Are you back at the set?” Ren Xuan asked softly.

“I’m back.” Only after answering obediently did Lin Shuyan voice her own concern. “Are you home yet?”

“I’ve been back for a while now.” Ren Xuan’s voice was gentle. “The scenery along the way was beautiful; I watched it the whole time and didn’t feel tired at all.”

Why does Ren Xuan always manage to say exactly what I want to say first? Shuyan thought ruefully.

“Ren… next time you don’t need to come all that way,” Shuyan said after a pause. “I’ll be finished filming in a few days anyway.”

“How many days is ‘a few days’?” Two or three days and eight or nine days were very different things.

“Seven days.” Shuyan flipped through her calendar. She had about a month’s worth of scenes in this production; she’d filmed for over half a month before the relocation and spent several days in Ningjiang City. There wasn’t much left, and she felt bad about Ren Xuan making another trip for her sake.

“Seven days?” Ren Xuan’s voice was full of amusement. “That is fast.”

“But the reason I don’t need to go back isn’t because you’ll be back in seven days.”

“Then what is it?”

“Because,” Ren Xuan chuckled, “now that I’ve caught my girl, I don’t have to worry about her running away anymore.”

Hearing the meaning behind Ren Xuan’s words, Shuyan’s face turned crimson with shyness. “I… I have to look at my script. I’m hanging up now.”

As Shuyan prepared to flee, Ren Xuan managed to give her a final instruction before the line went dead: “I know you’re busy, but don’t stay up too late. Get some rest.”

“Mhm.” Shuyan hung up quickly. The room was suddenly silent, save for her own breathing. Staring down at the contact name, she gripped her phone tightly, replaying Ren Xuan’s words over and over in her mind.

A knock on the door startled her. Snapping out of her daze, she opened the door to find Chen Yan, who told her what time she needed to wake up and head to the set the next morning.

“Congratulations on wrapping up!” Seven days later, Lin Shuyan accepted a large bouquet of flowers from the director. She smiled and replied, “Thank you, Director Li.”

After saying goodbye to the staff of Leaving Home, Shuyan practically couldn’t wait to rush back to Yecheng. Filming finished at 3:00 PM, and by 5:00 PM, she was emerging from the airport terminal.

She wanted to see Ren Xuan sooner, but she hadn’t told her the exact time she was finishing.

Does Ren Xuan think I’m coming back tomorrow?

Shuyan wondered if this counted as a surprise. Does Ren Xuan want to see me? Having arrived in Yecheng without a moment’s rest, Shuyan suddenly hesitated, holding her phone and wondering if she should make the call.

Would she be busy? It’s this time of day; she might not be off work yet. Maybe I should go home and wait there. Ren Ke must be out of school. I wonder if she knows about me and Ren Xuan… will it be awkward?

Being a “close sister” versus being “the older sister’s girlfriend” were two very different concepts. At that thought, Shuyan’s footsteps as she dragged her suitcase grew even more hesitant.

“Over here!” A figure waved at her.

“Ren…” Shuyan looked up, staring blankly at the person approaching. She was so excited she couldn’t speak. Ren Xuan quickened her pace, walked up to her, and lightly patted her head. “Lin Shuyan, aren’t you in a hurry to get home now that you’re back?”

“I…” Shuyan instinctively wanted to shy away, especially in public, but the joy was so overwhelming that she could only ask dazedlly, “How… how did you get here?”

Ren Xuan took the suitcase from her hand. The driver was quick to pick it up and head toward the airport parking lot.

“Lin Shuyan,” Ren Xuan smiled and gave her phone a little shake. “Your production team posted it.”

Shuyan finally remembered. The crew of Leaving Home was different from The Dragon Emperor. The latter had kept everything under wraps until the final wrap-up, but the former announced everything as it happened. Many actors had finished before her, and each time, the production team had posted a wrap-up message on Weibo.

“I… I forgot.” Shuyan scratched her head awkwardly. The wrap-up photo had been taken right in front of her, yet she’d completely forgotten. She’d even been wondering how Ren Xuan would react if she came back early.

How could I be so silly!

After berating herself, Shuyan felt a secret relief. She had told Chen Yan she had something to do and came back early, so they weren’t on the same flight. If Chen Yan had been standing here and seen Ren Xuan waiting for her, Shuyan couldn’t imagine…

“Let’s go home.” Ren Xuan naturally took Shuyan’s hand.

They walked together for a few steps. In the airport lobby, people waiting for their loved ones were peering inside anxiously; many others, like Ren Xuan, were greeting people with hugs. Ahead of them, a man and a woman—clearly a couple—were kissing affectionately.

The bystanders nearby reacted with smiles, gasps, or shyly turning their heads away.

As Ren Xuan pulled Shuyan past them toward the parking lot, Shuyan suddenly realized there were acquaintances ahead and hurriedly broke free from Ren Xuan’s grasp.

“There are people ahead.” Shuyan’s voice was tiny, as if trying to reason with her. If Ren Xuan truly wanted to go public, Shuyan would have no way to stop her, but she knew exactly what kind of person Ren Xuan was.

Sure enough, Ren Xuan wasn’t even startled; she simply nodded and accepted it. A smile remained on her face, though it was tinged with a sort of helplessness. In a low voice, she asked, “I haven’t told anyone yet, but… do you plan to be like this once we’re back at the Ren house?”

Dating was a private matter between two people, and Shuyan’s profession made it even more delicate. Without consulting Shuyan first, Ren Xuan hadn’t told anyone.

So Ren Xuan hasn’t told anyone either. Shuyan thought for a moment and nodded.

Shuyan knew that Ren Xuan’s silence wasn’t because she didn’t want to acknowledge her; she just wanted Shuyan’s consent. But right now, Shuyan really didn’t feel prepared. If she had to face Uncle Wang, Ren Ke, or even Auntie Lin An as “Ren Xuan’s girlfriend,” she wanted to run away.

She had never been a brave person. If she could do it over, given the change in setting and situation, she might not even have had the courage to agree to date Ren Xuan.

“Alright then.” Ren Xuan quickly accepted the reality of their “underground” relationship and didn’t say much. Instead, she produced a bouquet of bright red flowers from the car. “Lin Shuyan, congratulations on wrapping up.”

“Thank you,” Shuyan replied stiffly, catching the driver sitting in the front seat out of the corner of her eye. She carefully watched Ren Xuan’s expression, and only when she saw that she truly didn’t seem angry did she feel at ease.

The two of them sat in the backseat as a couple, yet they instinctively left a seat’s distance between them. On the drive back to the Ren estate, they chatted politely and casually.

Their relationship felt exactly the same as before, or perhaps it wasn’t different at all, Shuyan thought. After all, they had only just started.

“Miss Lin is back!” Uncle Wang, the butler, had been waiting at the door. He asked with concern if she was tired from the trip and if she needed to rest.

“Thank you, Uncle Wang, I’m fine.”

“Uncle Wang,” Ren Xuan called out to the butler from behind, “she just got back.”

“I’m getting old and forgetful,” Uncle Wang said with a self-deprecating smile. “Miss Lin, go up and rest first. Dinner will be ready in a while.”

“Uncle Wang,” Shuyan acknowledged him. She scanned the living room, her gaze drifting toward the backyard through the glass window. “Is Keke in the garden?”

“The Young Miss went to a classmate’s birthday party,” Uncle Wang smiled. “She’ll probably be back a bit late.”

Shuyan headed upstairs. As soon as her footsteps disappeared at the top of the stairs, Uncle Wang turned to Ren Xuan, looking like he was disappointed in a hopeless cause. “Eldest Miss, how is it that you’ve made no progress at all?”

To think he’d praised her for making progress earlier by chasing her to the film set!

Ren Xuan felt utterly helpless. She understood exactly what Uncle Wang meant. She had caught her girl; she just couldn’t tell him. However, Ren Xuan walked toward the sofa; she had technically fulfilled Uncle Wang’s wish, even if he couldn’t know it.

“Uncle Wang,” Ren Xuan said, “I have my own plans.”

Plans? You’ve had her in the house for all these days and made no progress. With Miss Lin’s profession, who knows when she’ll be off filming again for a month or two? The butler worried in silence. When will my Eldest Miss finally get her wish? It’s driving me crazy!

Although she’d made an agreement with Ren Xuan, Shuyan felt like a thief whenever she left her room, especially when Uncle Wang was being kind to her. The butler was actually treating her the same as always, but Shuyan felt a difference; she couldn’t help but wonder how people would look at her if they knew she was with the Eldest Miss.

Would he regret being so good to me?

Shuyan had some initial doubts about how to interact with Ren Xuan. She wanted to see her, but when they actually met, she became restrained. Now, with these new considerations, she was on edge with every interaction, terrified that someone would notice something.

“This is good, try some.” Ren Xuan proactively placed a piece of chicken into Shuyan’s bowl.

Uncle Wang, pretending to wipe the coffee table nearby, was secretly listening to everything. Seeing Ren Xuan take the initiative, he was overjoyed.

“…Thank you.” Shuyan ate without looking up.

“Miss Lin,” Uncle Wang chimed in anxiously, “the Eldest Miss specifically ordered this chicken dish. It’s fresh, tender, and smooth—mostly low-fat and not greasy at all.”

When had she ever given such an order? She just thought the dish was good and noticed Shuyan wasn’t taking much. A question mark appeared over Ren Xuan’s head. She didn’t need to think hard to know who Uncle Wang was saying that for. Ren Xuan maintained a smile. “I’m glad you like it.”

“I like it very much.” Shuyan’s heart was in a stir. Her hand moving the rice grew slower. Ren Xuan had even noticed the details of her staying in shape and was constantly accommodating her…

“You finished filming today, so get some good rest.” After dinner, Ren Xuan didn’t chat much with Shuyan, simply giving her a gentle instruction. At that, Shuyan practically fled back to her room.

Having just wrapped up Leaving Home, Shuyan had nothing to do. She wasn’t famous yet, so advertisements, endorsements, and galas had nothing to do with her. Lying on the soft, comfortable bed, she rolled over and began to ponder her relationship with Ren Xuan again.

She hadn’t been thinking for even two minutes when the doorbell rang.

“Miss… Ren…”

Ren Xuan closed the door the moment she entered. Hearing the title, she asked teasingly, “You’re still calling me that?”

“There’s only the two of us here,” Ren Xuan reminded her. “Can’t you call me by my name?” She hadn’t wanted to before, but surely it was okay now?