I Joined a Fake Variety Show (GL) - Chapter 48

“…don’t leave, okay?”

Zhou Xi’s pupils contracted. She never expected Han Shutong to be crying because of her.

She quickly reviewed what Han Shutong had said in her mind. Although she didn’t know why Han Shutong would link her departure with what happened last night, misunderstandings often arose this way, didn’t they?

Zhou Xi let out a breath, looking up at Han Shutong, whose eyes were still red. Zhou Xi said softly, “Lele has a fever and is in the hospital. I’m just going back to be with her.”

The moment the words left her mouth, Zhou Xi clearly saw the person in front of her freeze. Then, Han Shutong casually wiped away the tear tracks on her face, and even her expression returned to her usual aloofness. Only the sticky lower eyelashes and red eyes told anyone who looked that she had been crying.

Han Shutong cleared her throat with a muffled sound to cover up, then asked quietly, “How… how is Lele now?”

Han Shutong was also very worried about Lele.

Zhou Xi: “She’s okay. When I spoke to the director just now, the fever was already showing signs of going down. She was just constantly asking for me. I managed to soothe her a bit, and she’s much better now.”

Hearing that Lele was better, the anxiety Han Shutong had felt also subsided.

The air was quiet for two seconds; no one spoke.

Zhou Xi smiled faintly. “I didn’t expect that besides Lele crying, Tongtong would cry too.”

Han Shutong: “…”

Zhou Xi’s sudden tease was only meant to ease the tension between them, but clearly, the atmosphere had become a little awkward.

Zhou Xi broke the silence first. She gave a dry laugh, releasing her clasped hands. She casually pointed to the suitcase beside her and explained, “I was actually planning to go upstairs to ask for leave, but it looks like I don’t need to go up now.”

When Han Shutong heard that Zhou Xi was returning because of Lele, her hand, which was gripping the luggage handle, also let go.

Zhou Xi pulled the suitcase next to her, speaking with a plea in her voice. “Boss, I need to request a leave of absence. I hope you’ll approve it.”

Because she was missing the entire episode’s recording, unlike before when she went out after recording, Zhou Xi couldn’t just decide not to film. She needed to ask her boss for leave and get approval before she could leave.

Zhou Xi didn’t want more people to know about Lele’s situation, so she didn’t want to tell Luo Shuiqiu. She could only tell Han Shutong, as Han Shutong was the one who signed the contract with her in the first place.

Boss?

Such a distant term.

Han Shutong pressed her lips together, hummed, and said, “I’ll drive you.”

The other meaning of her words was that she approved.

Zhou Xi smiled and shook her head, refusing. “I can go myself.”

Zhou Xi looked at Han Shutong and, for some reason, added, “You’re wearing pajamas. It wouldn’t be good if someone photographed you.”

After speaking, Zhou Xi pulled the suitcase and walked out past Han Shutong.

The door was pulled shut behind her.

With a click, Han Shutong snapped back to reality and heard Zhou Xi saying goodbye to her.

Instinctively, Han Shutong grabbed Zhou Xi’s arm.

Zhou Xi stopped walking immediately.

The moment Zhou Xi turned to face her, Han Shutong suppressed her apprehension and forced herself to remain calm. She asked, “Can you give me one minute? There are some things… I want to tell you.”

Zhou Xi’s heart clenched. She had already guessed what Han Shutong was about to say, and it made her nervous.

She had thought about it for a long time last night but hadn’t settled on an answer.

Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that she hadn’t figured out how to answer Han Shutong.

Zhou Xi gently removed Han Shutong’s hand. Han Shutong’s gaze followed her hand as it was removed.

Putting Han Shutong’s hand down, Zhou Xi offered a gentle smile. “How about we talk when you get home?”

Then Zhou Xi turned and walked away.

An obvious refusal.

Han Shutong knew this was just Zhou Xi’s nature—to maintain courtesy even when rejecting someone.

Zhou Xi was gentle.

Even her departing back conveyed that feeling.

Han Shutong watched, watching Zhou Xi walk to the elevator, watching the elevator door open.

As Zhou Xi stepped into the elevator, Han Shutong slowly spoke:

“You asked me who the person I like was before.”

“That person is you.”

“I love you.”

Her voice was the same volume as her normal speaking voice, calm, as if she were talking about a boring, meaningless matter.

Han Shutong hid the depth of her feelings.

Han Shutong didn’t want to expose too much, afraid of burdening Zhou Xi, which is why she used a relatively calm tone to speak those words. But she didn’t realize that the hidden emotions beneath her voice suggested otherwise.

She was already completely exposed.

Zhou Xi had already stepped into the elevator the moment Han Shutong finished her first sentence. By the time Han Shutong finished the third sentence, the elevator door closed.

The person inside the elevator did not hear Han Shutong’s words.

As the elevator began its descent, only the slender figure of Han Shutong remained in the hallway.

Having finally said the words she had suppressed for years, Han Shutong’s heart, which should have felt relieved, felt heavy. A lump was stuck in her chest, neither moving up nor down.

A suffocating feeling washed over her like a tide.

Her chest ached faintly.

Han Shutong clutched her chest. After taking two large breaths, she slowly squatted down.

Han Shutong knew this wasn’t a physical problem; it was the unbearable realization of the unambiguous answer she had received.

She was too impulsive.

If only, if only she had waited a little longer. Wait a little longer, a little longer…

Han Shutong couldn’t finish the thought.

See? She wanted to deceive herself, but she couldn’t even lie to herself.

What would waiting a little longer change? No matter how long she waited, Zhou Xi wouldn’t love her.

Everything… was just her own self-pity.

The elevator chimed. Han Shutong heard it.

At that moment, she remembered how she looked. Her hand moved away from her chest. She buried her head in her bent arms to prevent anyone from recognizing her.

But would anyone even dare to mistake her for Han Shutong in this state?

After all, in the eyes of outsiders, Han Shutong was a dazzling, proud, and glamorous celebrity standing under the spotlight. She would never be seen squatting in a hotel hallway in pajamas, with messy hair, looking utterly defeated.

The sound of footsteps grew closer. Suddenly, a glimmer of hope rose in Han Shutong’s heart.

Could it be… Zhou Xi?

She heard the person stop in front of her.

The hope in her heart maximized.

The next second.

“Sister Tong, what are you doing squatting here?”

It was Bai Mo.

Clang. Her hope shattered on the floor.

“Sister Tong, I came to bring you clothes.”

Han Shutong opened her mouth, trying to make a sound, but she knew that if she spoke, she would be found out that she was crying.

She didn’t want Bai Mo to know. She didn’t want anyone to see this side of her.

Han Shutong hugged her arms tighter, pulling them over her ears. This way, she wouldn’t hear anything.

But no matter how tight she squeezed, when that familiar voice spoke, she heard it clearly.

She said, “Xiao Mo, my suitcase is still upstairs. Can you go watch it for me?”

“I love you.”

Zhou Xi heard those four words. Even though the elevator door was closing, she heard them.

Looking at the closing elevator door, Zhou Xi’s first reaction was relief. She felt she could pretend she hadn’t heard anything, pretend Han Shutong hadn’t said anything, and leave.

This way, she could avoid the question and didn’t have to give the answer she hadn’t figured out yet.

Although the thought was fleeting, as the elevator descended, as people stepped in and out of the elevator, and as the elevator reached the ground floor.

The thought appeared again.

If she walked out now, she could check out, then leave this hotel, leave N City.

But Zhou Xi took half a step out, then suddenly pulled her foot back.

The fleeting thought she had just had vanished.

She couldn’t run away from this question; that would be selfish toward Han Shutong. Even if she hadn’t fully figured out her feelings, she should still give Han Shutong a definitive answer.

Zhou Xi walked to the right side of the elevator, next to the buttons, and pressed the 25th floor.

When she stepped out of the elevator and was looking for Han Shutong’s room number, she ran into Bai Mo, who was coming out of Han Shutong’s room.

Bai Mo saw Zhou Xi and asked in surprise, “Sister Zhou, are you looking for Sister Tong? But Sister Tong went downstairs to look for you and hasn’t returned yet. Did you two miss each other?”

“Hasn’t returned yet?”

“Yes! I was just about to go down and bring Sister Tong clothes,” Bai Mo lifted the clothes in her hand. “Sister Tong rushed out when she heard you were leaving, without even changing out of her pajamas. If someone photographed her, Sister Qiu would scold me again.”

So… she’s still on the 21st floor?

Zhou Xi turned toward the elevator. “I’ll go down and check.”

Seeing Zhou Xi’s urgency, Bai Mo followed closely. “Sister Zhou, I’ll go with you.”

When they reached the 21st floor and stepped out of the elevator, they saw a person squatting down in the distant hallway, looking like a… mushroom.

Bai Mo walked toward Han Shutong first. Zhou Xi hesitated for a moment, then, as Bai Mo asked Han Shutong what she was doing, Zhou Xi resolved her indecision and walked over.

As she got closer to Han Shutong, something slowly became apparent.

Zhou Xi thought that she must have figured out the answer she had struggled with all night.

“Sister Tong, I came to bring you clothes.”

Bai Mo finished speaking just as Zhou Xi reached her side.

Han Shutong’s action was clearly visible in Zhou Xi’s eyes. Seeing Han Shutong’s current state, a sudden wrenching feeling rose in Zhou Xi’s heart. An inexplicable emotion surfaced.

A feeling of guilt, mixed with something else.

Zhou Xi saw Han Shutong’s reaction and instantly knew her thoughts. She patted Bai Mo’s shoulder, took Han Shutong’s clothes from her arms, and said softly, “Xiao Mo, my suitcase is still upstairs. Can you go watch it for me?”

Bai Mo looked down at Han Shutong, then at Zhou Xi. As an assistant, she shouldn’t leave Han Shutong now, but seeing Han Shutong like this, she felt helpless and didn’t know what to do.

Zhou Xi said gently to Bai Mo, “Go on. I’ll take care of things here.”

Bai Mo hesitated, then looked down at Han Shutong again. Seeing that she was completely unresponsive, she nodded. “Okay.”

She had no solution, but Sister Zhou definitely did.

Bai Mo didn’t know why she had such faith in Zhou Xi, but her intuition told her that Zhou Xi could handle it.

Watching Bai Mo get into the elevator, Zhou Xi averted her gaze. She walked up to Han Shutong, and just as she was about to squat down like Han Shutong, the person squatting looked up, her eyes even redder than before.

Seeing this, Zhou Xi bent down and took Han Shutong’s arm, pulling up gently.

Zhou Xi didn’t use much force, and Han Shutong was easily pulled to her feet.

Then, Zhou Xi took the key card from her pocket and pulled Han Shutong into the room.

The room was bright. The morning sun streamed through the glass, scattering light into every corner of the room.

The bed, the cabinet, the floor, the entryway.

And Zhou Xi, standing in the entryway, embraced by Han Shutong from behind.