Chapter 13: “Can’t you like me?”

Ji Wushan really couldn’t understand how she and Xue Erbai had gotten along before she lost her memory.

To her, the two of them had completely opposite personalities.

When it came to work, though, they did suit each other to some extent. Neither of them liked being disturbed; ideally, they would just quietly occupy the same space.

But beyond that, Xue Erbai was noisy.

So noisy it grated on her ears; so noisy it grated on her eyes too.

Now even her body, even her hands, felt noisy.

Without the barrier of fabric, pressed directly against Xue Erbai, it was not just warm; it was faintly hot.

And that heat wasn’t the flushed, embarrassing kind brought on by words; it came from the person herself, from her body temperature.

The world that should have been noisy seemed to fall silent.

The only thing Ji Wushan could feel was Xue Erbai being noisy.

Her fingers curled back, but Xue Erbai still wouldn’t let go. She gripped her wrist and held it firmly in place.

Her bright eyes blinked.

As if confirming the words she had just spoken.

Wife.

Touch me.

Secretly touch...

“Is President Xue feeling unwell?”

The assistant director’s voice came from somewhere nearby. Ji Wushan’s gaze moved away from Xue Erbai’s face, and she also used some force to pull her hand away from Xue Erbai’s waist.

Turning around, she held her breath and steadied herself.

But Xue Erbai’s sweet voice came from behind her. “I’m just not familiar enough with Yunzhi Island’s weather; I wore too little.”

“Sister Shengsheng is super nice. She came over to ask whether I wanted to go back to my room to get clothes.”

With just a few words, Xue Erbai cleanly separated the two of them from that intimate little moment, effortlessly changing the subject. “Mm, everyone can also change how they address me. ‘President Xue’ sounds too distant.”

“Just call me by my name, Erbai, or Xiao Xue, Xiao Bai, either is fine! Whatever feels natural.”

When she finished speaking, the others all looked a little awkward, as if they couldn’t immediately think of what to call her, and also weren’t sure how to answer right away.

Erbai was one thing; Xiao Xue, Xiao Bai...?

No one was going to call her that so easily.

Qimiaomiao might not be the biggest investor, but they still couldn’t be addressed that casually.

Especially not the production staff. So after a brief silence, it was still Lv Wan who laughed and called her, “Erbai.”

Lv Wan was the oldest person present, in her early forties. When she was younger, she directed sitcoms; later, as the market declined, she gradually switched to making variety shows. Her shows were mostly middling, but with XTV backing her, she still had a respectable workload. She was a gentle person, and the way she said “Erbai” made Xue Erbai think of the old lady next door from her childhood...

Just as she was about to answer, a second voice called out, “Xiao Bai~”

It was Yi Fan.

Soft and sweet, calling out to the fake sweet-cool girl Xue Erbai had presented herself as.

The compatibility of their vibes made some of the staff and the other two guests glance over.

Xue Erbai felt a little stuck. “Heh heh...”

She was the one who had said to be casual; she couldn’t very well turn around and reject it now, could she?

Besides, “Xiao Bai” and “Xiao Bai jie” were still quite different.

She gritted her teeth and went along with it. “Okay, okay, everyone can call me that.”

She really was being casual now—so casual that she didn’t care whether anyone was watching as she shifted closer to Ji Wushan, who had already moved a little away from her.

Only when she moved did she realize that Ji Wushan had actually edged closer to Fu Lingnan!

And hadn’t even looked at her once!

As if Xue Erbai were some kind of flood or beast; her head was lowered, and the loose strands of hair falling around her face hid half of her cheek.

She still refused to give up, shifting back and forth as she started to play the victim. “I’m still... a little cold.”

Her voice was weak, faintly trembling.

Ji Wushan still couldn’t help glancing over, then looked at the knit sweater she was wearing. Hesitating, she saw Xue Erbai lick her lips with a touch of docility.

Then she saw a coat draped over Xue Erbai’s shoulders.

Xue Erbai also froze, turning her head to look at Ji Wushan.

Warmth spread over her bare shoulder. Ji Wushan looked past her toward the back.

Xue Erbai had no choice but to turn around too, hearing Cong Yuan speak in a low voice, “Teacher Xue, this coat is new. I saw you weren’t wearing much, so I took the liberty of bringing it over...”

“And I didn’t feel right calling you by your name directly, so is ‘Teacher Xue’ okay?”

Every word sounded considerate, and not at all offensive.

But it was completely not what Xue Erbai wanted. She wanted Ji Wushan to be closer to her!!!

Best of all would be if she touched her arm, or once again covered her stomach and said, “Xiao Bai jie, does this feel warmer?”

But it was completely not like that now; she had to stay far away from Ji Wushan!

Waaah...

Xue Erbai was crying on the inside, but what came out was gratitude. “Thanks, Xiao Cong.”

Her voice was low, a bit too serious, though her expression looked as if she were grinding her teeth.

Ji Wushan, who had been inching closer to her, saw it all clearly, and a trace of amusement even appeared in her eyes.

Unfortunately, Xue Erbai was too busy grinding her teeth and didn’t notice the soft smile at the corner of her mouth.

----

“Her Romantic Encounter” was being broadcast live. That night was the calm before the livestream.

Starting tomorrow morning, the group would head to the sub-island of Yunzhi Island and officially begin filming.

So the end time was still early enough to give the guests ample rest.

Xue Erbai... was rather miserable.

Her crop top had invaded her will, and the warmth of the room left her completely scattered.

After Ji Wushan came back, she went to shower. When she came out wiping her hair, she saw Xue Erbai sitting listlessly in the corner of the bed, her head bent very low.

Her hand gripping the towel tightened; in the end, she threw the towel onto the bed and sat down facing Xue Erbai.

“What’s wrong?”

Xue Erbai didn’t answer. After hesitating for a moment, Ji Wushan reached out to hook her chin and slowly lift her head.

But the instant she saw the flushed red of Xue Erbai’s cheeks, her concern turned into a surge of anger.

She knew Xue Erbai hadn’t been obedient and had worn too little.

But she never expected Xue Erbai to end up like this.

It was clearly a chill, the look of someone starting to come down with something.

“Mm, I just feel really hot.”

“My head feels dizzy too.”

As she spoke, Xue Erbai moved closer to Ji Wushan, resting her head on Ji Wushan’s shoulder as she mumbled, “Let me lean on you. Maybe I’ll feel better in a little while.”

That weakness didn’t look fake.

Ji Wushan subconsciously wrapped an arm around her waist, wanting to let her lean comfortably.

At that moment, she forgot Xue Erbai’s deliberate act of coy weakness; after they drew close, the loss of control only deepened, and she held her even tighter.

No one knew how long had passed before Xue Erbai shifted, breathing close to her as she said, “You smell so nice.”

Ji Wushan’s cheeks reddened uncontrollably, but Xue Erbai had already pulled back a little.

Frowning, she said earnestly, “I want to smell nice too.”

“I want to take a shower.”

Saying that, she broke free from Ji Wushan’s hold and staggered toward the bathroom, tugging at her clothes as she walked.

Ji Wushan looked at her in disbelief.

Why did Xue Erbai seem drunk?

She had never dealt with a situation like this, but then she remembered what had happened more than half a month ago, when she had been lying sick in hospital, only able to cling to Xue Erbai like that.

Xue Erbai had given her temporary peace.

She couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.

“Xiao Bai, your body’s a little hot. Don’t go showering.”

“Why don’t you skip it tonight and lie down on the bed, okay?”

Xue Erbai’s body paused slightly. She turned back to look at Ji Wushan, but in her dazed state she couldn’t say anything.

A few seconds later, she sluggishly lay down on the bed and started tugging at her own clothes.

There wasn’t much fabric to begin with; after only a few pulls, enough was exposed to—

Ji Wushan hurriedly covered her with the blanket, pressing almost entirely over her upper body.

Her flushed cheek brushed against Xue Erbai’s cool neck.

It happened in a flash, but Ji Wushan still felt herself burn hot and freeze for a moment.

Xue Erbai was writhing around, her expression hazy and unfocused, nothing like the clever smile she wore at night; soft and squishy, she made it impossible not to soften in turn.

Ji Wushan coaxed her in a low voice, “I’ll go pour some hot water. Wait for me.”

At least from what she understood, she couldn’t really make sense of it.

How could Xue Erbai have gotten sick so quickly, and be feverish and muddled like this already?

But when she saw that flushed face, it didn’t seem fake either.

So she didn’t just pour hot water; she also took out the cooling patch she had prepared in advance.

After feeding her a little water, she tucked the blanket back in place, held Xue Erbai still, and pressed the cooling patch onto her forehead.

Xue Erbai was still dissatisfied and tried to pull away.

Ji Wushan caught her hand to stop her. Xue Erbai pouted and asked miserably, “Do you think I’m a burden?”

“I don’t..."

“You do.”

“Can’t you like me, Ji Wushan?”

Xue Erbai’s voice was thick with tears. She pressed the cooling patch against Ji Wushan’s chest as she sniffled and said, “Then when you signed this show, why didn’t you tell me?”

“I know the agreement says it can’t be made public unless absolutely necessary.”

“But this show is full of beautiful women!”

“What if someone takes a liking to you?”

“I’d lose my wife, wouldn’t I!!”

Ji Wushan stiffly took her into her arms.

But she couldn’t make sense of her words.

How would she have known about any of this?