Chapter 29

Back when Shen Yu took on the role in the TV drama "When Will You Love Me," adapted from a novel, she played the female lead, Yuan Yue. Because of this, she had a good understanding of the character’s personality and the plot, and naturally, she felt quite fond of her.
Their previous two meetings had been rushed, and Yuan Yue herself gave off a somewhat strange vibe. So when Yuan Yue messaged her to meet up, Shen Yu agreed right away.
The meeting place was a high-end Chinese restaurant. The restaurant was decorated in a classical style, with waitresses wearing ethereal, flowing dresses and even their hair styled in ancient fashion, very exquisite. But nowadays, many Chinese restaurants adopt this kind of theme, so it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary.
Before Shen Yu left home, Shen Xiao grilled her relentlessly, almost like interrogating a criminal. Before this, Shen Yu rarely went out alone to meet friends.
In the end, it was Uncle Li who said he would personally drive her there that Shen Xiao reluctantly agreed. Luckily, something urgent came up at his company, so he had to leave and temporarily let her off the hook.
When the car stopped at the restaurant entrance, Uncle Li asked, "Do you want me to go up with you?"
Shen Yu shook her head and smiled. "The other person is a girl too."
"Then I’ll wait for you downstairs?" Uncle Li said.
She shook her head again. "We’ll be eating and chatting, and I’m not sure how long it’ll take. I’ll just take a taxi back later."
"Then I’ll head back first. When you’re about to leave, call me in advance, and I’ll come pick you up." Uncle Li went on like a worried father, giving endless reminders.
Only then did Shen Yu nod. "Okay."
On the way there, Yuan Yue had already sent her the private room number. Shen Yu entered the restaurant and asked a server to show her the way.
For some reason, she had a feeling that she and Yuan Yue might end up discussing something quite significant.
As she knocked on the door, she steadied her emotions and took a light breath.
Yuan Yue quickly opened the door. She was dressed casually today, jeans, a white base layer, and a beige trench coat, with her hair tied up in a bun. She looked very bright and sunny.
People with delicate features really do catch the eye, at least at first glance, you wouldn’t find them unpleasant.
Upon seeing her, Yuan Yue immediately broke into a radiant smile, eagerly pulling her into the private room and saying, "Come in quickly, I’ve already ordered the dishes."
Shen Yu raised an eyebrow, thinking to herself that this person was indeed overly familiar at first sight.
She glanced at the dishes on the table, a lavish spread of six dishes and two soups, far more than enough for just the two of them.
"Is someone else coming?" Shen Yu asked, puzzled.
From the moment Yuan Yue had pulled her in, she hadn’t let go of Shen Yu’s wrist. They were about the same height, standing face to face, which felt quite awkward.
Shen Yu turned to find a seat, casually withdrawing her hand in the process.
Yuan Yue quickly sat down beside her, still staring intently, and said, "No one else, just the two of us. The thought of seeing you made me so excited that I unconsciously ordered a few extra dishes. See, aren’t these all your favorites?"
Hearing this, Shen Yu naturally turned her gaze to the dishes. Sure enough, they were all ones she liked.
She couldn’t help but furrow her brow and look back at Yuan Yue.
Noticing Shen Yu’s suspicious gaze, Yuan Yue’s smile grew even brighter. Without a word, she reached for her phone on the table, unlocked the screen, and showed Shen Yu a video.
Shen Yu glanced down, it was her performance of "Ode to Dunhuang" from the gala the other night.
Hadn’t Shen Xiao already had this video deleted? Yet Yuan Yue still had it. "Why are you showing me this?" she asked.
Yuan Yue didn’t rush to answer, instead narrowing her eyes as if reminiscing before speaking slowly, "I remember one time, it was pouring rain, and you were rushing to an event to perform. The ground at the entrance was slippery, and you twisted your ankle. It hurt so much you had tears in your eyes, but you gritted your teeth and went on stage anyway. By the time you finished dancing, your ankle was swollen like a steamed bun. The dance you performed that day was 'Ode to Dunhuang', a piece you often danced before entering the entertainment industry."
Shen Yu listened quietly, her expression shifting from surprise to shock. She lifted her head, staring at Yuan Yue in disbelief, her eyes glimmering with emotion.
Yuan Yue lowered her head to tap the video, and Shen Yu on screen continued dancing. Every spin, leap, and flourish of the silk ribbon appeared exceptionally fluid, as if she had performed it thousands of times, the movements ingrained deep in her bones and blood.
Yuan Yue sighed with emotion, "That night, I missed your live performance. What a shame. Luckily, I got to see the video afterward."
Shen Yu’s face remained expressionless as she stared straight at her and asked, "Were you there when I twisted my ankle?"
Yuan Yue tried to force a smile, but her emotions overwhelmed her. Her nose tingled, and her face twisted into a pained expression.
She sniffled before speaking, "I was searching everywhere for ice for you back then, and Manager Chen kept scolding me, saying I hadn't taken good care of you and that it would delay a lot of work."
Shen Yu's tears instantly fell. With trembling lips, she reached out to hold the other's hand, barely managing to speak after a long pause, "Han Xiaobing!"
Yuan Yue nodded frantically, her voice choked with sobs, "Sister Yu, it's me."
For a moment, both were overwhelmed with emotion, yet too agitated to find the right words. They could only face each other, shedding tears foolishly.
Shen Yu felt both sorrowful and joyful. During the car accident, Han Xiaobing, her assistant, had been sitting right beside her. Because they had both read the novel, they had been enthusiastically discussing the plot.
Ever since Han Xiaobing was assigned as her assistant, the two had always had plenty to talk about. Coupled with Han Xiaobing's naive and sweet nature, they had grown very close.
Who would have thought that a car crash could transport them both into the same book?
Shen Yu calmed her emotions and asked, "Was it three months ago, when Yuan Yue got injured, that you crossed over?"
Yuan Yue nodded, "When I woke up, I was completely bewildered. Not just then, even now I'm still confused. Every day I don't know what I'm doing, feeling dizzy and disoriented."
As she spoke, she sighed, "That night, I was scrolling through Weibo and suddenly saw your dance video. Although the costume and music were different, I had seen you dance a few times before, so it left a deep impression. I wanted to come find you right away, but my manager stopped me, saying I hadn't finished my schedule and couldn't leave."
Seeing her crestfallen expression, Shen Yu couldn't help but laugh through her tears. Even though she was in a different body, her naive and sweet personality remained unchanged after all these years.
Yuan Yue suddenly widened her eyes and exclaimed excitedly, "Sister Yu, how did you end up as the villain's sister? Is it because you share the same name? But that villain is written so terrifyingly in the book, like a complete psycho! Has he given you a hard time? Why don't you move out and live with me? I have a place and savings now, I can take care of you!"
Listening to her rapid-fire speech, Shen Yu couldn't help but laugh, "You're several years older than me now. Calling me 'Sister Yu' would be strange. Just call me by my name."
Yuan Yue shook her head, "I've been calling you that for two years; I'm used to it. I'm just so happy. Finally, I don't have to be confused anymore. From now on, I'll follow your lead on how to live!"
Shen Yu: “…”
"You've read this book too, so why are you confused?" Shen Yu said, "Just follow the plot."
Yuan Yue shook her head, "I've found that after coming here, many plot points are different from the book we read. That Situ Yi isn't like the character in the book either. All that talk about him being a modest gentleman with graceful manners is a lie, he's a total lecher who gets handsy as soon as we meet!"
Then she added, "No, no, how I am isn't important. What matters is you, you're living with a major villain! Just thinking about it gives me chills. Are you okay??"
Shen Yu completely understood her feelings. In the beginning, under Shen Xiao's oppressive presence, she had indeed had a tough time. But after more than three months of interaction, her initial fear of Shen Xiao had faded significantly. Nowadays, she even dared to talk back to him occasionally.
"This isn't something that can be explained in a short while. Let's talk while we eat, the food is getting cold," she said.
Yuan Yue finally released her hand, picked up her chopsticks, and began serving her food. "Sister Yu, I'm really rich now! Let me show you my bank balance. I can afford things I never even dared to dream of before! Aside from getting criticized for my acting, life is actually pretty good. I've thought about it before, no matter what happens, I'll just find a small, quiet place where no one knows me, buy a little house, and live a leisurely, carefree life. That would be perfect!"
In no time, she had piled Shen Yu's plate high with food, smiled, and said, "Now I'm not overthinking it anymore. I'll just stick with you."
Shen Yu was speechless and reminded her, "You're a newly popular celebrity now, and I'm still a college student. What do you mean, stick with me?"
Yuan Yue: “…”

Shen Xiao sat in his boss's chair, legs crossed, his expression indifferent as he stared at Secretary Du in front of him. His phone flipped restlessly in his hand.
"So you rushed me here urgently just to get a signature?"
Secretary Du: "..."
How could the boss lie so blatantly? He was called here clearly for a video conference, the signature was just a side task!
Shen Xiao asked impatiently again, "Is there anything else? Say it all at once. Don't drag it out like you're constipated!"
Secretary Du: "..."
He was definitely not constipated!
Fortunately, he was used to his boss's sarcastic remarks and replied calmly, "Nothing else. Would you like to have lunch at the restaurant downstairs, Boss?"
Shen Xiao glanced at the time on his phone, stood up, and stretched. "No, I'm going home to tease the kid. It's so much fun."
Secretary Du was baffled. He remembered the boss only had a younger sister at home, where did a kid come from? Was it the boss's secret child?
Shen Xiao ignored him, humming a tune as he walked out. After a few steps, he frowned, pulled out his phone again, and checked the location. It showed that Shen Yu was still out!
Shen Xiao's face darkened. He put away his phone and strode quickly into the elevator. He had to go catch her and bring her back. Who was she meeting that took so long? She said she was meeting a woman, was she lying to him? Was she on a date with some strange person?
At the thought of this possibility, Shen Xiao's handsome face grew long with displeasure. He thought to himself, if anyone dared to make a move on his sister, he would make sure they regretted it!
So he drove off, following the location. It wasn't hard to find, a restaurant he had visited a few times, a decent enough place.
Shen Xiao parked his car in the restaurant's attached parking lot. Just as he got out, someone stepped out of a Mercedes parked nearby.
Two tall, imposing men faced each other and found the other vaguely familiar.
"President Shen?" the other man spoke first.
Shen Xiao narrowed his eyes, sizing him up.
He chuckled and said, "Let me introduce myself. I'm Situ Yi."