Director Li called us to shoot a scene. We followed and shot the scene. After shooting, I sat on a chair and started preparing for the next scene. Then he came and sat beside me on another chair. I shifted my chair lightly, then he shifted his chair near mine, one more step closer. Then I moved my chair again. This moving-the-chair game went on until my chair hit the wall. He laughed and said, "What happened? Are you trying to break this wall and cross it?"
"Xu Yuan, stop," I said.
"What stop?" he asked.
"Stop teasing me," I said.
He leaned closer to me and said, "Sorry, I have already signed this project. I can't back off from my commitments."
The day went like this, and now we were all done with today's shooting. I changed my costume and came out of the room. Outside, I saw Xu Yuan standing there. It looked like he was waiting for someone, but it was not my matter of concern, I told myself. I ignored him completely and started walking away. But the moment I passed him, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me towards him.
"Where are you going, little bunny rabbit?"
My eyes went wide. I don't know why, but this felt like proper flirting. I pushed him away slightly and said, "Xu Yuan, I have a name. It's Zhao Shiza. Stop calling me names like silly girl, little bunny rabbit, Miss 22."
He bent down slightly, his hands on his knees, his eyes meeting mine, and said, "Okay, Zhao Shiza."
Something inside me just stopped. I don't know why he was behaving like this. I was confused by this sudden change in his behavior. I turned to leave, but again he held my wrist. I struggled to free my hand and said, "Xu Yuan, I need to go to my dorm. Leave me."
He smiled and said, "Get inside the car. I'll drop you."
I said, "Did you really take my advice seriously yesterday? Are you really going to enroll yourself in the university?"
He smiled again and said, "If you keep running away from me, then maybe I must do that."
Now we were both inside the car.
"Hey, silly girl, you are not wearing a seat belt," he said.
"Yes, I know. I don't feel comfortable wearing it. It feels like it cages me, which I don't like at all," I said.
He laughed again and said, "So rebellious. You even fight with a seat belt."
Then he started the car. After driving for a few minutes, he suddenly stopped the car and got out so fast that I didn't even get a chance to ask him why. After a few minutes, he came back with a vanilla-flavored ice cream in his hand. He opened the car door and handed it to me, then got inside and started the car again.
I tried to give it back to him, but he said, "Eat it. From my side."
My mouth fell half open in shock. "Xu Yuan, the ice cream is melting. Please take it."
He shook his head and said, "I bought it for myself, but now I don't feel like eating it."
I got confused, so without wasting a second, I started eating it because it was already melting. Xu Yuan watched me and smiled, thinking to himself that I was eating it like a five-year-old kid.
I finished the ice cream. He laughed softly, wiped the cream from my cheek with his hand, and said, "The little kid will be caught by everyone for eating ice cream without permission."
"Xu Yuan," I said in a frustrated tone.
"My parents never stopped me from eating ice cream or sweets. You don't know that," I said.
He smiled to himself and thought that he knew they never stopped me because of my low blood sugar levels, and that was why he made me eat the ice cream today after consulting his doctor.
I looked at him and asked, "Are you going to perform and sing at the award show on New Year's night?"
He nodded.
"I'd love to hear you then," I said.
He smiled. Soon we reached my dorm. I got out of the car, and Xu Yuan also stepped out. As I turned to leave, he pulled me into a hug and said, "Take care of yourself, silly girl. Otherwise, I'll have to send my bodyguards to protect you."
I was shocked, but I finally asked the question that took all my courage.
"Xu Yuan, your behavior towards me for the past two days has changed completely. I don't need to remind you, but I think I have to. You already have a girlfriend, so it's not appropriate for you to treat me like this. I'm just your co-actor, nothing more, nothing less."
After saying that, I ran into my dorm without looking back or waiting for his reply.
Inside my room, Wang Ruoxi was making notes. She immediately stood up and asked worriedly, "What happened, Zhao Shiza? Why are you breathless?"
"Nothing," I said, trying to steady my breathing. "I just got stuck in something."
"Something or someone?" she asked.
"Something," I said confidently so she would believe me.
"Wang Ruoxi, you know what? Today Xu Yuan gave me my favorite Vanilla ice cream. I never even told him it was my favorite. How did he know?"
She forced a smile and said, "Maybe his luck worked."
But inside, she remembered how Xu Yuan had called her earlier and asked about it.
She told him, "Don't tell her I told you, or she'll kill me. Vanilla is her favorite."
Back in the present, Wang Ruoxi said, "You should rest. You must be tired after shooting."
I nodded and lay on the bed without even changing my clothes. Xu Yuan's new side was too hard for me to digest.
But I must figure it out.
Detective Zhao Shiza is officially on duty—
mission: finding the real reason behind Xu Yuan's sudden change in behavior....