RSDH CH41

The production assistant went out for a smoke. Just as he stepped over the threshold, he found a man squatting at the door talking on the phone. Looking closely, it was their lead actor, rarely showing such an anxious and disappointed expression, as if he had run into trouble.

Cheng Duzhou immediately sensed someone else was there, stood up, walked to the corner, and leaned back against the wall.

The assistant was perceptive, turned around, and left.

Cheng Duzhou couldn’t hear any sound from the other end of the phone. Imagining Duan Xingye’s indifferent response, he realized he had embarrassed himself again. Rubbing his face: “Sorry, I got easily emotional when filming. You sleep.”

Duan Xingye’s face was hot. Taking off his glasses, he said coldly, “Cheng Duzhou, how do you want me to coax you?”

Cheng Duzhou lowered his head, all temper worn away, his voice hoarse: “Stop being sarcastic with me, Duan Xingye.”

Duan Xingye sat up: “?”

Am I a devil?

Since Duan Xingye could feel Cheng Duzhou’s frustration, he was naturally willing to comfort him.

In the past, he might not have been willing because Cheng Duzhou’s act of cutting off contact after leaving hurt their relationship too much, making him hold a grudge. So much so that after marriage, before hearing that Cheng Duzhou had looked for him, they were in a state of cold war.

Otherwise, given their nearly twenty years of childhood friendship, even if forced into a contract marriage, they shouldn’t have been like sworn enemies, making the whole internet see they didn’t get along.

Now it was different.

Since the misunderstanding was cleared up, he wouldn’t ignore Cheng Duzhou’s life or death.

But Cheng Duzhou getting so angry over a CP promotion video was incomprehensible to him, hence not knowing how to coax.

Duan Xingye crossed his legs, straightened his back, cleared his throat, and tried to slow down his tone to avoid Cheng Duzhou thinking he was being weird (sarcastic).

“First of all, my coaxing you doesn’t mean I was wrong. But since the video matter makes you care so much you can’t control your emotions, I can take a step back. Let’s talk after you calm down.”

Because of Duan Xingye’s overly rational tone, Cheng Duzhou didn’t feel much better. Picking at the wall peeling with his finger, he whispered, “You don’t even ask why I care.”

Duan Xingye: “Why?”

Cheng Duzhou pursed his lips. After a long while, he said, “I’m jealous of him.”

“Heh.” Duan Xingye slumped his waist and laughed. “Indeed, he is eighteen.”

Cheng Duzhou: “…I don’t want to talk to you.”

Duan Xingye: “Hanging up, bye.”

Cheng Duzhou punched the wall: “Where’s the promised coaxing!”

Duan Xingye was speechless to death, putting the phone back to his ear: “Speak if you have business. Say one more bullshit word and I’ll start cursing.”

Cheng Duzhou took a deep breath and said, “I hope you can send me messages in the future. Don’t stop contacting as soon as the variety show ends. I don’t want to be just a tool.”

Duan Xingye couldn’t keep up with the topic change, stunned.

Cheng Duzhou continued in one breath: “That video won’t hurt my face, nor do I need you to respond in public. But I fantasized that when you saw my comment, you would know I was paying attention to you, and then ask me on WeChat what I was doing. You haven’t looked for me for three days. I’ve been waiting for your message every day.”

“…”

Duan Xingye’s heartbeat, which had just shown signs of slowing down, failed again. The blush on his face returned, possibly even more exaggerated than before.

“Why should I…”

He hurriedly licked the corner of his lips, stopping himself, almost blurting out “Why should I look for you” again, that kind of contrarian statement.

Duan Xingye bent his knees, burying his head, his voice sounding a bit muffled: “Can’t you look for me? It’s not like you don’t know my number if you want to contact. What are you pretending for, Cheng Duzhou.”

Cheng Duzhou said almost accusingly, “Last time I said I missed you, you blocked me.”

Duan Xingye was in chaos, louder than him: “Can’t you chat without flirting!”

Cheng Duzhou shut up, frowning slightly.

He didn’t flirt.

He lowered his eyes, whispering, “You said you are busy with your own things usually and won’t think of me. If I actively look for you, will you find me annoying?”

“Can you be normal?” Duan Xingye wanted to curse. “Is sending a message that dilly-dallying?”

Silence on the other end of the phone.

Duan Xingye waited for a while: “Hello?”

“You don’t understand.” Cheng Duzhou said lowly, full of disappointment.

Duan Xingye’s heart twisted a bit, asking, “Don’t understand what.”

Cheng Duzhou: “I want to chat that kind of chat.”

Duan Xingye: “What kind?”

“Trivial and meaningless chat.”

“…”

Duan Xingye didn’t expect him to think these things. Pursing his lips, holding the phone and looking elsewhere: “Don’t you need to work?”

Cheng Duzhou said, “I’m most free after ten.”

Duan Xingye thought of that sticky note.

So that’s what it meant.

He rubbed his hot cheeks with his hand, tilting his head to prop up one cheek: “I have my own things. Why should I waste time chatting with you?”

Cheng Duzhou kicked the ground with the toe of his shoe: “Then forget it. I didn’t intend to disturb you anyway.”

Duan Xingye opened his mouth, then closed it.

Cheng Duzhou’s voice returned to calmness, saying, “See you Friday.”

Can meet tomorrow.

But Duan Xingye couldn’t say. The variety show production team requested it; they wanted to film Cheng Duzhou’s surprised reaction.

After hanging up, Duan Xingye lay down but was inexplicably restless with heat. Tossing and turning for a long time, he threw off the quilt, got out of bed, and went to the kitchen to pour a glass of water.

Walking back with the cup, by the light of the hallway, he saw the kitten was awake, lying in the nest, looking at him with round black eyes.

The kitten’s face hadn’t opened up yet (matured), always looking confused. It seemed quieter than ordinary kittens, not crying at night, just spacing out even when awake.

Duan Xingye passed by, then walked back, squatting by the cat nest.

The kitten’s two white front paws crawled on the cashmere sweater, scooting forward bit by bit. It also wanted to be close to people.

“Stop.” Duan Xingye held up a finger, meaning no closer.

The kitten seemed to understand, really stopped, looking at him ignorantly.

Duan Xingye drank a mouthful of water holding the cup, examining the cat, still thinking about Cheng Duzhou.

When first on the variety show, he indeed treated Cheng Duzhou as a tool, a clear business relationship. busy with their own things off the show; they had spent two years like this.

Duan Xingye was used to a widowed marriage. He thought Cheng Duzhou was too, but didn’t expect that with the progress of the romance variety show, Cheng Duzhou was no longer satisfied with this.

Duan Xingye didn’t understand what trivial meaningless chat was. He chatted with everyone straight to the point, pursuing efficiency.

Previously, due to work relationships, he added some people on WeChat. After talking about business, those people would always intentionally or unintentionally say things like “Eaten yet?”, “What are you doing?”, or send a random gym photo.

Duan Xingye didn’t reply, just blocked. His social philosophy was limited to two sentences: “None of my business” and “None of your business.”

Ultimately, Duan Xingye was someone uninterested in anyone other than himself. His desire to share and express was all in music, so he lived independently from the world.

But tonight, Cheng Duzhou conveyed the need to be paid attention to and the desire to communicate.

Duan Xingye’s first feeling was trouble. But soon thinking that Cheng Duzhou admitted to actively paying attention to him on the phone just now, and recalling Cheng Duzhou reporting before, even taking a picture of eel rice to send over.

Turns out it wasn’t because he was idle; he wanted to chat that kind of trivial and meaningless chat.

Duan Xingye lowered his thick long lashes, face a bit hot again, fingers stroking the cup.

If Cheng Duzhou did this out of childhood friendship, he had no objection.

But if Cheng Duzhou respected the fact of marriage, hoping to understand each other’s recent situation and life better, and expressing care as a husband, then not only did he feel it was unnecessary, but he would also feel burdened.

It was the kind of burden where one blushed and heart raced, while feeling something pressing on the heart, uneasy.

He understood that marriage was saying to another person: I allow you to enter my world.

But he wasn’t ready to issue a pass to anyone.

He wasn’t suitable for marriage to begin with.

Duan Xingye was quiet for a long while, pursed his lips lightly, moved the cup away to look at the little fur ball in the nest, muttering: “Do you know how old your dad is, still acting spoiled? A grown man, acting spoiled to your grandpa, laughing people to death if told… Say, did I spoil him? Giving him a good face in the romance variety show, and he just pushes his luck every day… I won’t spoil him…”

The kitten was a bit happy, turning sideways, tilting its head, trying hard to stretch its short paws, scratching at the air.

Duan Xingye immediately put on a straight face, pointing at it warningly: “Don’t learn from your dad!”

The kitten purred softly twice, retracted its paws, and lay quietly in the nest.

Duan Xingye felt it was better behaved than Cheng Duzhou. Pulling a corner of the blanket, trying not to touch the cat, he draped it over it, saying: “Sleep. Don’t stay up late at such a young age.”

Duan Xingye turned off the outside lights and entered the room.

Before lying in bed to sleep, he took out his phone, typed, and sent.

Seen: [I’m going to sleep.]

Duan Xingye turned over clutching the phone, burying his face in his arms, hair messily covering his eyes.

If the partner was Cheng Duzhou, he could endure a two-year marriage. If it was photos of eel rice sent by Cheng Duzhou, he wouldn’t feel annoyed.

If Cheng Duzhou was traumatized to death by the edited video of him and someone else.

Fine.

None of his business. His own perspective wasn’t big enough; who to blame.

But if Cheng Duzhou had been waiting for his message, almost crying from grievance due to lack of attention, then he could consider giving the silly dog a little comfort.

Cheng Duzhou picked two pounds of wall peeling in the corner. After the emotional release came boundless shame.

Would Duan Xingye think he wasn’t manly enough? Would he be turned off?

…No. Because he was never turned on by him.

Cheng Duzhou sobered up, no longer having meaningless expectations.

Duan Xingye was the kind of person living in his own world focusing on talent, finding even chatting a distraction.

Career-obsessed batch, deserves to be emotionally stable and rich.

Cheng Duzhou walked back. Phone vibrated, seeing two messages.

Seen: [I’m going to sleep.]

Seen: [How long until you finish work?]

Cheng Duzhou’s heartbeat missed half a beat. Stunned for a while, he wiped his face.

Cheng Duzhou: [One more scene, early morning probably.]

He typed two words, “Good night,” but before sending, another chat box popped up.

Seen: [Oh.]

Cheng Duzhou deleted “Good night” again.

Cheng Duzhou: [What?]

Seen: [???]

Seen: [What what.]

Seen: [Don’t tell me you still want me to find a topic?]

Cheng Duzhou: “…”

…

Lu Qian wanted to go out for a smoke before the next scene started filming.

At the door, the production assistant stopped him, waving his hand: “Don’t go out now.”

Lu Qian took the cigarette out of his mouth: “Back immediately.”

The assistant glanced at the door: “President Cheng’s mood isn’t right. Don’t disturb him, bear with it.”

Lu Qian was half-doubting, looking toward the door.

Right at this moment.

A figure in a sharp suit stepped over the threshold and walked in.

He saw Cheng Duzhou looking down at his phone, typing while walking forward, the corners of his mouth almost grinning to his ears, smiling as happily as could be.

Assistant: “…”

Lu Qian: “?”

Where is he not right?

Is he smiling too happily?

__

Author’s Note:

Assistant: The unpredictable young couple.