I Joined a Fake Variety Show (GL) - Chapter 55

Han Shutong drove Zhou Xi to the company, where she took photos for Zhou Xi and waited for her to handle some work. It was already seven in the evening when they finished.

The two drove back to Han Shutong’s other apartment.

This was the first time Zhou Xi had been to this home of Han Shutong’s; it was twice the size of the place they were currently living in.

Upon entering, the overall decor immediately caught her eye and was very impressive.

“It’s truly beautiful.”

Zhou Xi complimented her.

Han Shutong had designed the interior herself. Hearing Zhou Xi’s words, she felt satisfied and replied, “Thank you.”

Because she was looking up at the interior design, Zhou Xi didn’t notice the ground. After taking two steps, her foot kicked something.

She looked down and saw several stacked delivery boxes by the entrance shoe cabinet.

When Zhou Xi’s foot hit them, the boxes wobbled, and finally scattered across the floor.

Zhou Xi squatted down. As she picked up a delivery box, she saw the recipient’s name.

“Auntie bought these.”

Han Shutong: “Mhm.”

While working that afternoon, Han Shutong had received a call from the cleaning lady, saying several packages had arrived and asking if she needed help signing for them.

Han Shutong didn’t understand why Xue Yun would buy things online when she was only staying for a few days, and she hadn’t had a chance to go and pick them up.

After Han Shutong finished talking to the cleaning lady, she coincidentally received a call from Xue Yun.

She asked and learned that Xue Yun had become engrossed in live streams lately. These packages were ordered from live streams a few days ago, but the shipping was slow, so they only arrived today.

Seeing Zhou Xi tidying up, Han Shutong stepped forward to shield the boxes. Meeting Zhou Xi’s confused look, Han Shutong said, “I’ll do it myself.”

Then, without waiting for Zhou Xi to speak, Han Shutong squatted down and quickly picked up and stacked the delivery boxes.

As she turned around, neither of them noticed that one delivery box had fallen down.

The box was light and made no sound when it landed on the carpet.

Han Shutong tossed her coat onto the sofa, looked at Zhou Xi, and asked, “Do you want water?”

“Yes.”

Zhou Xi walked a few steps. Seeing the house was spotlessly clean, she asked, “Did Auntie clean the place?”

“The cleaning lady did,” Han Shutong exposed Xue Yun’s secret. “My mom never cleans. My dad does the cleaning at home.”

Zhou Xi smiled gently when she heard this. “Uncle is excellent.”

Han Shutong chuckled, handing a bottle of mineral water to Zhou Xi. “There shouldn’t be any hot water at home. Drink this for now.”

After Zhou Xi took the bottle, Han Shutong walked to the fridge again, checking the remaining food inside.

The food was bought by Han Shutong after Xue Yun arrived, but Xue Yun couldn’t eat much alone, so there was a lot left over. Xue Yun had specifically instructed both of them on the road to remember to take the food from the fridge so it wouldn’t go to waste.

Han Shutong turned to Zhou Xi, who had followed her.

“What should we eat for dinner?”

They hadn’t eaten yet.

Han Shutong moved slightly to the side, allowing Zhou Xi to see all the ingredients in the fridge.

Zhou Xi looked around. She wasn’t very hungry and couldn’t think of anything to eat, so she threw the question back to Han Shutong.

Zhou Xi giggled. “Anything is fine with me. I’ll eat whatever you make.”

Han Shutong was infected by Zhou Xi’s smile. The corners of her mouth turned up, and she said softly, “Then I’ll start preparing.”

Han Shutong took the vegetables into the kitchen, and Zhou Xi followed her in.

“I’ll help you wash the vegetables.”

“Teacher Zhou, can you let me try to be independent?”

“Then… thank you for your hard work, Head Chef Han,” Zhou Xi’s voice was soft. “Just call me if you need any help.”

Han Shutong hummed. “Should I turn on the TV for you?”

She was afraid Zhou Xi would be bored alone.

Zhou Xi shook her phone at Han Shutong, her eyebrow slightly raised. “I’ll play with this.”

Walking out of the kitchen, the first thing Zhou Xi saw was the view outside the floor-to-ceiling window on the other side of the living room.

High-rise buildings stood tall, and neon lights flickered.

The view instantly lifted her spirits considerably.

She walked toward the floor-to-ceiling window, but as she passed the entryway, her peripheral vision caught the fallen box.

Zhou Xi walked over and picked it up. As she placed the box back with the others, Zhou Xi’s eyes scanned the logistics information on the delivery box.

[Recipient: Simple Love]

[Sender: Doesn’t Like Strawberries]

“?”

Zhou Xi thought she had read it wrong. She picked up the box, double-checking the sender’s information.

The phone number was Zhou Simei’s, and the address was her home address.

Zhou Xi then looked at the recipient’s address. Since she didn’t know the exact address of Han Shutong’s apartment, Zhou Xi used her phone to pull up the current location.

After comparing the two, they were identical.

She looked at the recipient’s name.

Simple Love.

Is it a coincidence?

Zhou Xi took a photo of the delivery information with her phone and put the box back in its original spot.

However, Zhou Xi placed the side with the delivery label face down.

Pretending not to have seen it.

Zhou Xi instantly lost the desire to look at the scenery. She walked to the sofa and sat down.

She pulled up the photo she had just taken and carefully double-checked the information.

The phone number and shipping address were correct.

Then the name…

Zhou Xi initially wanted to say that Han Shutong just chose the name randomly, and it was a coincidence.

But in an instant, she remembered Zhou Simei in @SimpleLove’s follower list, and Zhou Simei saying she mailed the autographed photo to @SimpleLove.

And the music she heard at Han Shutong’s door last time, which matched the video background…

One thing might be a coincidence, but two or three things made it a fact.

Simple Love was Han Shutong, and Han Shutong was the UP host, the one who… was her fan.

Zhou Xi subconsciously looked toward the kitchen, watching Han Shutong’s back as she washed the vegetables.

Zhou Xi didn’t know how to describe the feeling of discovering that the UP host was Han Shutong.

Was it surprise?

Perhaps.

But more than that, it was the stunning shock of the unforeseen.

Thinking of the videos Han Shutong had edited, a warm current suddenly flowed through Zhou Xi’s heart, going to a place Zhou Xi wasn’t aware of.

Looking at the photo in her album, Zhou Xi’s finger paused mid-air, then she pressed the delete button.

Since Han Shutong didn’t say anything, she would just pretend not to know.

After dinner, the time was nine in the evening.

Han Shutong suggested they stay here for the night and go home tomorrow to pack for the film crew.

Zhou Xi readily agreed.

Han Shutong took the opportunity while Zhou Xi was out of the living room to move the delivery boxes from the entryway into a small storage room.

Han Shutong knew that the pile of boxes contained the autographed photo Zhou Simei mailed to her, which is why she stopped Zhou Xi from tidying up earlier.

She had initially thought that with the address she gave yesterday, the package wouldn’t arrive until the day after tomorrow at the earliest.

It was only when the delivery person called her that Han Shutong realized the only difference between Zhou Xi’s home and this apartment was one city over. The package only needed a morning to arrive.

Zhou Simei had placed the autographed photo in a clear box.

So, the first thing Han Shutong saw when she opened the package was Zhou Xi.

She took the photo and walked to a corner of the room.

There was a shelf there, and tucked deep inside the shelf was a photo album.

Han Shutong hadn’t opened the album since graduating.

It was only when she was trying to figure out where to put the photo that she remembered it.

Inside the album was a graduation photo and several small, square newspaper clippings.

The clippings were from the school newspaper, all mentioning Zhou Xi’s name or featuring her picture.

These were her “masterpieces” from college.

Han Shutong reached out to touch the name on the clipping, but she touched the thin protective plastic over the paper instead.

Her finger gently traced the area where Zhou Xi’s name was written. Han Shutong realized how many… foolish things she had done back then.

Han Shutong stood still. Flashes of her college life passed through her mind until she heard Zhou Xi call her name. Han Shutong snapped back to reality.

As she answered, Han Shutong slipped the photo she was holding into the album.

When Zhou Xi knocked and entered, she saw Han Shutong walking out of the aisle between the two doors.

“Are you busy?” Zhou Xi asked.

“No, I was just moving the packages,” Han Shutong replied casually.

Then, as if afraid Zhou Xi would see the opened delivery boxes on the floor, she walked up to Zhou Xi. “What did you just ask me?”

Zhou Xi had asked a question when she called Han Shutong’s name, but Han Shutong hadn’t heard clearly.

Zhou Xi noticed Han Shutong’s actions and understood why she was doing it. She turned and walked away, saying as she went, “Nothing. I was just asking which room I should sleep in.”

Zhou Xi was conscious of being a guest.

“Any room is fine.”

“Then I’ll choose one myself.”

Han Shutong acknowledged her.

But seeing Zhou Xi walk toward a specific door, Han Shutong called her to stop. Seeing Zhou Xi’s confused look, Han Shutong slowly said, “That’s my room.”

Zhou Xi was puzzled. “You don’t sleep in the master bedroom?”

Han Shutong shook her head.

“Why not?”

Because the master bedroom was too big, and Han Shutong preferred sleeping in a smaller space.

Han Shutong was about to answer when she heard Zhou Xi whisper, “It couldn’t be…”

Couldn’t be what?

Han Shutong looked at Zhou Xi.

Zhou Xi walked up to her, placed a hand over her mouth, stood on her tiptoes, and whispered in her ear, “…that there are ghosts?”

The woman’s breath blew against Han Shutong’s earlobe, warm and gentle. The woman’s clear scent also drifted into Han Shutong’s nose.

But Zhou Xi immediately took a step back, widening the distance between them.

Zhou Xi was just teasing Han Shutong.

After all, this was Han Shutong’s house; she could sleep anywhere she wanted.

She stepped back, about to tell Han Shutong she was joking, but Han Shutong looked at her with an expression of disbelief, surprised as if she had found a kindred spirit. She asked, “You saw it too?”

Han Shutong was just playing along with Zhou Xi’s act.

After speaking, Han Shutong returned to her usual cool demeanor.

“?”

Zhou Xi froze when she heard Han Shutong’s words.

A few seconds later, Zhou Xi remained completely silent.

Han Shutong guessed Zhou Xi must have been frightened.

Han Shutong took a step forward, stood in front of Zhou Xi, and embraced the still Zhou Xi. She patted Zhou Xi’s back gently, lowering her voice. “I’m joking. Don’t be afraid.”

Sensing that Han Shutong was comforting her like a child, Zhou Xi’s face flushed. She retreated from Han Shutong’s embrace.

Could she tell Han Shutong that when she saw her serious expression, she genuinely believed there were ghosts in the room?

Could she?

No, that would be too embarrassing.

Zhou Xi cleared her throat, denying it. “I didn’t believe you.”

Han Shutong’s voice was gentle. “Mhm, that’s good.”

Zhou Xi pointed to a door. “Can I sleep in that room?”

“You can.”

The room was settled.

Zhou Xi washed up, turned off the lights, and prepared for bed.

Whether it was Han Shutong’s excellent acting or Zhou Xi’s overactive imagination, after Zhou Xi lay in bed, she felt as if there were extra things in the room.

She covered her head with the blanket, muttering under her breath: I dug my own grave.

She tried to scare Han Shutong but ended up scaring herself.

Ten minutes later.

There was a knock on Han Shutong’s door.

Han Shutong opened the door and saw Zhou Xi standing at the entrance, hugging a pillow and a blanket.

Hearing the door open, Zhou Xi looked up, meeting Han Shutong’s eyes.

“Can I sleep with you tonight?”