I Joined a Fake Variety Show (GL) - Chapter 21.1

After saying that, Han Shutong walked with a flustered pace to the bedroom door. Just as she was about to open it, she felt a sudden sense of timidity when Zhou Xi didn’t respond.

Han Shutong’s hand froze. She turned and said to Zhou Xi, “I’ll go book another room after all.”

“No need.” Hearing Han Shutong, Zhou Xi walked up to her with the blanket in her arms, smiling. “It’s not like we haven’t slept together before. Are you afraid I’ll do something to you?”

Zhou Xi then gestured for Han Shutong to open the door. As Han Shutong twisted the doorknob and watched Zhou Xi walk in, she thought: Am I afraid of you? What I’m afraid of is…

…myself.

Once in freshman year, the class organized a dinner. It ended too late, and the school gates were already closed. The four roommates followed Zuo Yuan’s suggestion and booked a standard twin room at a nearby hotel.

Zuo Yuan shared a bed with one person, and naturally, Zhou Xi and Han Shutong shared the other.

The situation that night was the same as now. The only difference was that the bed was much smaller back then, and…

…her feelings for Zhou Xi were much purer then.

But now…

After making her bed, Zhou Xi turned and sat on it. She looked up at the door and saw Han Shutong standing stiffly beside it, silent and looking somewhat solemn.

“Shutong?” Zhou Xi called softly.

Han Shutong looked at Zhou Xi. Since she had just showered, Zhou Xi was wearing a light blue nightgown that ended at her knees. She was sitting sideways on the bed, her feet resting on the edge.

Seeing Han Shutong look over, Zhou Xi asked, “Aren’t you coming over?”

Han Shutong cleared her throat and said, “Mhm, I still have work to do.”

“Oh, okay. Then I’ll go to sleep first. I won’t wait for you.” With that, Zhou Xi climbed under the covers.

Today’s exercise exceeded Zhou Xi’s usual level, making her incredibly sleepy. She was barely holding onto the energy to talk to Han Shutong.

After lying down, Zhou Xi waved at Han Shutong and said, “Goodnight.”

Han Shutong smiled and replied, “Goodnight.”

Before leaving, Han Shutong thoughtfully turned off the bedroom light for Zhou Xi.

The bedroom darkened, while the living room remained bright.

Han Shutong walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. The night view outside wasn’t her focus; something else was.

For example, her rapidly beating heart rate.

To calm herself down, Han Shutong poured a glass of wine. After taking a sip, she felt much better.

Work was not just an excuse. After touring the branch office today, Han Shutong found many issues that needed her attention.

Taking another sip of wine, the moment the rich alcohol bloomed in her mouth, Han Shutong began her work for the night. She worked until midnight before closing her laptop.

When the laptop was closed, the room fell silent without the sound of typing.

The quiet environment brought back the thoughts Han Shutong had before starting work.

Checking the time, Han Shutong got up and walked into the bedroom.

Using the light from the living room, Han Shutong clearly saw that the person on the bed was sound asleep. Her posture was proper, with her hands folded over her abdomen, and her body was right against the edge of the bed—the kind where she would fall off if she turned over.

The other side of the bed could fit three Zhou Xis.

Seeing this, Han Shutong moved a chair from the living room and quietly placed it by the edge of the bed to prevent Zhou Xi from falling.

After placing two chairs by Zhou Xi’s side, Han Shutong walked around to the other side, lifted the covers, and lay down.

Han Shutong lay silently for a minute. The entire room was enveloped in stillness.

It was so quiet that Zhou Xi’s breathing became clearer and clearer, so quiet that Han Shutong could hear her own heart beating without covering her ears.

It was beating fast, very fast.

To calm herself down, Han Shutong closed her eyes and thought about other things, trying to distract herself.

But the first thing that came to mind was: It seems like another holiday is coming up. What should I send Zhou Xi this time?

After college graduation, Han Shutong didn’t want to lose contact with Zhou Xi. But she was naturally cold, spoke little, and didn’t know what to talk about with people. Therefore, the only way Han Shutong could find a topic was through holiday greetings.

The first time she sent Zhou Xi a greeting, Han Shutong was nervous. She was afraid Zhou Xi would think it was a mass message and ignore it. But unexpectedly, she received a reply from Zhou Xi immediately after sending the message.

This started Han Shutong and Zhou Xi’s way of communicating. Their contact never ceased because of it.

Even though Han Shutong knew how to chat now—she could share her life with Zhou Xi or ask how Zhou Xi was doing—Han Shutong didn’t do so.

First, she didn’t want to bother Zhou Xi. Second… she was afraid that in the course of the conversation, she might accidentally send the words she had repeated countless times in her heart.

Han Shutong had been suppressing herself, terrified that her feelings might accidentally leak out, and that Zhou Xi would consequently distance herself.

It wasn’t until the day Han Shutong saw the trending topic and the person pedaling the bicycle so hard that her heart ached, and she regretted everything.

Even though Zhou Xi had only filmed a few dramas, Han Shutong still thought Zhou Xi was doing well. In her mind, how could someone as excellent as Zhou Xi not have roles? She must have been choosing not to film…

Thinking of this, Han Shutong opened her eyes. After a two-second pause, she turned on her side, facing Zhou Xi.

The room was dark, and she couldn’t see anything, but listening to the shallow breathing, Han Shutong knew: Zhou Xi is here. Zhou Xi is beside me.

Nothing like that will ever happen again, Han Shutong thought.

Then Han Shutong closed her eyes again. The person who usually fell asleep in seconds couldn’t sleep no matter what she tried after closing her eyes.

Han Shutong opened her eyes, changed her position gently, switching from side to back.

Three minutes later, Han Shutong turned on her side again, facing away from Zhou Xi.

A few more minutes passed. After trying several positions and still feeling uncomfortable, Han Shutong had to face reality: it wasn’t the pillow, the blanket, or the lack of a good position that kept her awake—it was Zhou Xi beside her.

Han Shutong tossed and turned, but Zhou Xi slept soundly.

Seeing that she hadn’t woken Zhou Xi, Han Shutong cautiously got out of bed.

Whether from tossing and turning or something else, Han Shutong had broken out in a light sweat. It was clinging to her pajamas and felt very uncomfortable.

Walking into the bathroom, Han Shutong’s eyes unintentionally swept the mirror as she took off her clothes. She froze at the sight of her reflection—eyes full of desire, cheeks flushed.

Is that me?

To confirm, Han Shutong slowly touched her face. The unusual warmth instantly transmitted to her fingertips confirmed it was indeed her.

She had found the reason for the intense heat she felt.

Han Shutong walked closer to the mirror, silently observing her appearance, looking at the blush that hadn’t faded yet. Han Shutong mentally cursed: Seriously… so pathetic.

Adult love couldn’t be described as earth-shattering, but it was much stronger than her current situation. What was the difference between her unspeakable secret crush and a giddy, infatuated child?

The next second, Han Shutong took off her pajamas, hung them aside, and turned the faucet to the cold water setting.

The moment the water hit her, Han Shutong felt the suffocating heat on her body disappear. Only her heart, which the water couldn’t reach, still held an unquenchable fire.

Emerging from the bathroom, Han Shutong felt refreshed. She didn’t return to the bed but curled up in a chair in the living room, opening another bottle of wine for herself.

The fire in her heart was ignited by the alcohol, growing larger and larger. But the little figure that had been jumping around in her heart was numbed by the alcohol, now resting on her heart, extinguishing the previous agitation.

It was four in the morning when Han Shutong finally returned to bed.

After lying down, whether due to the wine or her inner thoughts, Han Shutong had initially planned to sleep close to the edge of the bed like Zhou Xi. But when she saw the wide, wide distance between them, she thought: A little closer.

After moving one centimeter, Han Shutong thought again: Maybe a little closer won’t be noticed either.

When Han Shutong slowly moved another centimeter, feeling satisfied, her brain finally succumbed to sleep. Her eyes closed, and she fell into a deep sleep.

When the sun shone on the earth, Han Shutong’s tumultuous night of internal chaos disappeared.

Zhou Xi woke up around nine. Seeing Han Shutong still asleep next to her, she was somewhat surprised.

Han Shutong usually woke up at six or seven for exercise. Why was she sleeping in so late today?

When Zhou Xi scooted closer to Han Shutong and caught a faint, barely detectable scent of alcohol, she realized Han Shutong had been drinking.

So, what happened last night after I fell asleep?

As Zhou Xi turned to get out of bed, her eyes swept over the two chairs by the bedside, and her movement froze.

When she vaguely turned over in the middle of the night, she felt the presence of the chairs. It was because of the chairs that her movement stopped; otherwise, she would definitely have fallen off the bed.

Did Han Shutong place the chairs for her?

The reason Zhou Xi had slept so close to the outer edge yesterday was because she saw Han Shutong’s solemn expression and thought Han Shutong was genuinely afraid she would do something to her. So, Zhou Xi had deliberately moved to the edge of the bed to put more distance between them while sleeping.

She hadn’t thought about falling off at the time. Now it seemed she owed Han Shutong a thank you.

Within three minutes of waking up, Zhou Xi’s head was full of questions.

Stepping out of the bedroom, Zhou Xi immediately saw the half-empty wine bottle on the table, indicating Han Shutong hadn’t drunk too much, just a few sips.

Zhou Xi guessed it might have been due to too much stress.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door. Zhou Xi quietly asked who it was. Hearing Bai Mo’s voice, she opened the door.

“Sister Zhou, are your bags packed?” Bai Mo said, then saw Zhou Xi still in her pajamas and exclaimed, “Sister Zhou, you just woke up, didn’t you?”

Before Zhou Xi could answer, Bai Mo called out, “Sister Tong, are you awake too?”

Zhou Xi turned her head and saw Han Shutong leaning against the door frame, looking at them with sleepy eyes.

Zhou Xi: “Are you up?”

Han Shutong nodded. “Teacher Zhou.”

“Sister Tong, Sister Zhou,” Bai Mo called out. “Come eat breakfast. We need to get ready for the airport after we eat.”

Bai Mo placed the breakfast on the table and went into the bedroom to help Han Shutong pack her luggage.

Zhou Xi walked to the table, saw the wine bottle, and asked, “Is something bothering you?”

Seeing Han Shutong look at her with confusion, Zhou Xi pointed to the wine bottle.

Han Shutong paused. “Insomnia.”

Zhou Xi asked, “It wasn’t because I was next to you, was it?”

Zhou Xi had hit the truth.

But Han Shutong wouldn’t admit it. She said, “No, it was just plain insomnia.”

Relieved that it wasn’t her fault, Zhou Xi said, “Drinking does help you sleep, but it’s better to drink less. Next time, you can call me to drink with you. It’s too dull to drink alone.”

Han Shutong looked up at Zhou Xi, who was eating, and wanted to say something, but ultimately only replied, “Mhm.”

Back home, it was time for the third round of filming.

But this time, it was different: Han Shutong needed to go to the observation room for filming.

The observation room segment was always filmed only after the first two episodes were completed.

Filming the observation room content required a full day. The guests would watch the already edited first two episodes, and then the post-production team would edit the observation room segments into the main feature.

The observers invited included the show’s contestants, the host Cheng Yongyuan, and a few members of an observer panel, who were all small hosts signed with a minor company, brought onto the show for exposure.

Zhou Xi was not included in the observation room filming; it was only Han Shutong.

While Han Shutong waited in the room for the filming to start, Luo Shuiqiu walked in.

Luo Shuiqiu hadn’t come to accompany Han Shutong; she had work in the area and specifically came over after hearing Han Shutong was here.

And the reason for Luo Shuiqiu’s “special” visit was none other than Han Shutong’s love life.

“So? Any progress?” Luo Shuiqiu leaned against the table, looking down at the person who was resting with her eyes closed.

Han Shutong opened her eyes, blinked, and said in a low voice, “Yes.”

“What?” Luo Shuiqiu immediately became excited, thinking her arrangements had worked and that Han Shutong was making an effort. She asked excitedly, “Did you confess? Or did you already… um… um?”

Han Shutong shot Luo Shuiqiu a side glance. A sentence Zhou Xi had said floated through her mind, and the corner of her mouth curved into a smile. “We became drinking buddies.”

“…” Luo Shuiqiu took a moment to process this. “Are you messing with me?”

“No.”

Luo Shuiqiu: “You had a perfect opportunity to confess, but you used it to arrange a drink?”

“…It counts as getting a step closer.”

Luo Shuiqiu was exasperated. “I’m telling you, someone as excellent as Zhou Xi will be snapped up by someone else if you don’t move faster.”

“I really don’t know—”

Luo Shuiqiu was about to say more but was interrupted by Bai Mo suddenly entering.

“Sister Tong, filming starts in three minutes. You need to get ready—Boss, you’re here too.” Bai Mo only saw Luo Shuiqiu beside her as she finished speaking.

“Mhm. I thought you didn’t see me,” Luo Shuiqiu said.

Bai Mo quickly explained, “No, no. I was just rushing to tell Sister Tong that the filming was about to start.”

Han Shutong stood up at that moment. “I’m leaving. How about you?”

“I’ll go out with you.” Luo Shuiqiu stood up. As she passed Bai Mo, she patted her shoulder. Bai Mo thought she was about to be scolded, but Luo Shuiqiu said nothing and followed Han Shutong out of the room, one after the other.

Seeing the door about to close, Bai Mo quickly followed them out.

Luo Shuiqiu had other work to attend to, so she said goodbye to Han Shutong once they were outside.

Only Han Shutong and Bai Mo went to the observation room.

The observation room set was cozy, decorated primarily in pink and blue. In the center was a large round table, covered with brands from the sponsors.

As soon as Han Shutong entered, the host, Cheng Yongyuan, was the first to greet her.

After exchanging polite words with Cheng Yongyuan, an acquaintance walked out from behind him.