CH 45.1

The small plastic packaging still retained Lin Yu’s body temperature.

Perhaps because most of the audience had already arrived, the lights in the audience seats suddenly went out, plunging the surroundings into darkness. The abrupt darkness silenced the entire venue for a moment, followed by an explosion of excited screams.

It was like the power outage during late-night self-study in student days.

Su Chengyang had never experienced student days, but at this moment, she distinctly felt the throbbing of youth. After years apart, between two worlds, this moment filled her chest.

In the dim light of darkness, Lin Yu’s pupils, so close to her, resembled a sparse starry night sky. Untouchable stars wove a thread of the Milky Way that seeped into Su Chengyang’s chest, intricately entwining her heart. With each heartbeat, the thread grew, embedding itself deeply within her heart, feeling as if… it could never be pulled out again.

To remove this sentiment from her heart, it would require tearing her heart apart, reducing it to a bloody mess.

In that moment, an endless courage surged within Su Chengyang.

Just before Lin Yu’s body moved away, she suddenly grabbed his arm, bringing her body close and lightly pressing her lips against his ear, gently saying, “Thank you.”

The brim of the hat obscured the view of others, and from a distance, they appeared intimately close, whispering sweet nothings.

Lin Yu’s body trembled slightly, maintaining the position without responding for a long time.

Su Chengyang’s heart was about to jump out of her chest. She was afraid that her bold actions would be noticed by Lin Yu. She was even more afraid that he would mercilessly push her away, knowing that he had someone else in his heart, yet she still chose to engage in such ambiguous and unclear behavior with him. Even if Lin Yu was a gentleman, he would probably not be able to tolerate it.

So, one second before Lin Yu could react, Su Chengyang acted as if nothing had happened and leaned towards Han Songxue.

She tightly gripped the beautifully packaged chocolate in her hand, afraid that she would crush it and that the temperature would make it melt.

But what she feared the most was that Lin Yu would sense the trembling and affection in her voice, causing their friendship to instantly dissolve.

After the impulse passed, Su Chengyang regretted her actions.

Her face turned pale, and she dared not remove her mask or even glance at the man on her right. What if Lin Yu pushed her away? Would they not even be able to remain friends?

What should she do…

What should Su Chengyang do…

Lin Yu would dislike her!

It was just a chocolate from the café, why did you act so impulsively?

Su Chengyang’s eye sockets felt warm, and the surrounding noises seemed to be drifting away from her. She felt like she was suffocating, like she was going to die right there.

At that moment, she suddenly felt that everything she had been afraid of before was insignificant because those were things she could control. However, when it came to Lin Yu pushing her away like he did to Mary, she felt lost and terrified from the depths of her heart.

Suddenly, Su Chengyang’s trembling hand was enveloped by a gentle large palm. He didn’t say anything extra, but took Su Chengyang’s hand and slowly, very slowly, put it into his coat pocket.

Su Chengyang looked dazed, not understanding his intention, too afraid to move.

Lin Yu’s hand was warm, while Su Chengyang’s hand was cold.

Inside the pocket, filled with his body warmth, he slowly unclenched Su Chengyang’s fist and let her feel it. Apart from the chocolate in her palm, there were many identical chocolates in the pocket.

He didn’t speak, but his actions told Su Chengyang:

“I’m sorry, I lied to you. The chocolates weren’t from the café; I bought them.”

Su Chengyang dared not move her right shoulder, hoping that the sounds in the theater would be quieter, fearing that what was happening now was just a dream.

If this was a dream, she wished she could wake up a little later. She was willing to work hard to catch up with Lin Yu’s pace, to sit by his side like this, watching time pass, both now and in the future.

“Song Mingan is here!” Han Songxue’s scream disturbed Su Chengyang’s thoughts.

She lowered her head, using the brim of her hat to cover her face, which had turned red. Although the view of the back row audience was blocked by the seats, the people on stage could easily see their actions. She was afraid of causing trouble for Lin Yu and instinctively wanted to pull her hand back.

However, Lin Yu had no intention of doing so. He showed an unusual firmness, holding onto Su Chengyang’s hand and interlocking their fingers, tightly grasping her hand along with the chocolate in her palm. He didn’t give Su Chengyang any chance to escape.

“Brother Lin…”

Su Chengyang felt a little embarrassed and leaned slightly towards him, trying to tell him that this might be seen by others.

At this moment, Su Chengyang didn’t really want to think about why Lin Yu would do this. She was afraid that if she figured it out, the result wouldn’t be what she expected.

“Let’s not talk for now.” Lin Yu’s voice sounded somewhat hoarse as he tightened his grip on her fingers.

Lin Yu didn’t want to force Su Chengyang like this, but the whispered words in his ear completely tore apart his gentlemanly disguise. He guessed that perhaps Chengyang liked him.

Because he clearly heard the tremor and affection in Su Chengyang’s voice.

Although Lin Yu knew that this wasn’t a suitable environment for confession, and he couldn’t determine if Su Chengyang’s feelings for him were more than just liking, he felt grateful nonetheless.

However, he doesn’t want to let go of Su Chengyang’s hand right now. He wants to hold her tightly and feel the warmth of her skin. People are always greedy.

When Lin Yu realized that Su Chengyang didn’t resist, he wanted more than just holding her hand. He greedily wanted more.

He gently leaned his knee against Su Chengyang’s knee and when he realized she didn’t move away, a terrifying thought appeared in his mind.

If he kissed Su Chengyang now, would she resist?

The answer is no.

For no particular reason, Lin Yu had this intuition in his heart. If he kissed Su Chengyang now, she would definitely not refuse.

So, is it possible?

The answer is still no.

He didn’t like the kissing etiquette in foreign countries. He always believed that kissing was something that should be done with the person closest to you, and clearly, he and Su Chengyang weren’t there yet.

So, he could endure it for now.

Su Chengyang’s hoodie and his windbreaker overlapped, and no one could see the movements hidden beneath their clothes.

The occasional sounds around them almost made Su Chengyang’s tense heartstrings snap.

The familiar movie “A Chinese Ghost Story,” which she had watched countless times, became unfamiliar to her. Her gaze wandered on the stage, not even catching a clear glimpse of the actors’ faces. All her attention was focused on the hand she held with Lin Yu.

She noticed that the chocolate in the palm was gradually melting. Su Chengyang couldn’t hold back and leaned closer to Lin Yu, lowering her voice. She said, “Brother Lin, the chocolate will melt and stain your clothes.”

Her voice distracted Lin Yu for a moment.

He felt like he might be going crazy. Su Chengyang’s voice, like the paws of a small cat, scratched at his heart. He wanted to restrain Su Chengyang’s restless body, to embrace her with all his might, to… make her dirty.

“Do you fear dirt?” Lin Yu suddenly asked.

He deliberately lowered his voice, and Su Chengyang could still hear the hoarseness in it, as if he had a bad cold.

Su Chengyang was skeptical, “I’m not afraid.”

She had lived in even dirtier environments.

“That’s great.”

Su Chengyang: “?”

She realized that she couldn’t quite keep up with Lin Yu’s thoughts.

After nearly two hours, the stage play finally ended, and Lin Yu finally let go of her hand.

Su Chengyang grabbed the chocolate tightly, quickly pulled her hand back, and anxiously looked around, only to relax slightly when she saw that no one noticed their strangeness.

The security personnel maintained order at the scene, ensuring that the audience left in an orderly manner. Many of the audience members wanted to approach Su Chengyang and her group, but they were stopped by the security. However, there were still quite a few spectators waiting at the square outside the West Second Theater, hoping to see them when they came out.

“You guys sit here and wait for me.”

After turning his head and receiving a response from the others, Lin Yu got up and walked towards the backstage area.

With Lin Yu’s departure, Su Chengyang finally had a moment to catch her breath. The thought of what they had done in that hidden corner made Su Chengyang’s cheeks blush.

On her left, Han Songxue nudged her next to her and curiously asked, “What were you talking about with your Manager Lin? You’ve been whispering for two hours.”

Su Chengyang was taken aback, “What nonsense are you talking about? We didn’t do anything!”

Han Songxue was startled by her reaction, “Why are you so defensive? You two aren’t in a secret relationship or anything.”

Upon hearing this, Su Chengyang became infuriated and directly grabbed Han Songxue by the neck, forcing her to keep her mouth shut.

Tan Qi and He Xu were discussing Song Mingan’s appearance, praising him endlessly and stating that this time he would definitely succeed in his transformation.

Han Songxue’s attention was diverted, so she asked Su Chengyang, “Chengyang, what do you think of his appearance? I still feel he has that poor scholar vibe.”

Su Chengyang: “…”

Suddenly, Su Chengyang felt really sorry for Song Mingan because throughout the entire play, Su Chengyang was in a daze and didn’t even know what Song Mingan had performed.

“It’s, it’s good.” Su Chengyang mumbled.

Coincidentally, Lin Yu walked over from backstage and approached the audience area. He nodded to everyone and said, “I talked to the staff, and we can leave through the back door.”

West Second Theater has three front doors and one back door, which is specifically for actors and staff.

Su Chengyang looked up and met his gaze, but a second later, she looked away.

The others passed by Su Chengyang and headed towards the backstage, leaving Su Chengyang as the last one.

Meanwhile, Lin Yu didn’t move either. He stood outside the audience area, waiting for Su Chengyang.

Being so close to him, Su Chengyang felt somewhat uneasy. Until now, she didn’t want to think about why Lin Yu held her hand like that.

When she reached Lin Yu’s side, he naturally stood next to Su Chengyang. Perhaps he didn’t want to interrupt Su Chengyang’s gathering with her friends. He leaned down and lowered his voice, saying, “We’ll have plenty of chances to get to know each other in the future. For now, you don’t have to think too much about it. Just enjoy your time with your friends.”

Su Chengyang’s heart fluttered, and she was so nervous that her breathing became erratic.

Lin Yu said they would have many opportunities to get to know each other in the future. Does this mean that they will be able to be together for a long time?

Even if it’s just as friends?

It seems that even as friends, Su Chengyang is willing.

Knowing that Lin Yu rarely breaks his word, his non-promising promise made Su Chengyang feel incredibly relieved, and her anxious mood finally settled down because of it.

The time spent with Songxue and the others will be less and less, so she should cherish every second she spends with them now.

Su Chengyang’s tense body finally relaxed, and Lin Yu also breathed a sigh of relief without showing any signs.

“Do you want some chocolate?” Lin Yu asked.

“Yes,” Su Chengyang nodded obediently.

Lin Yu placed another piece of chocolate in Su Chengyang’s palm and took the opportunity to gently graze her fingertips.

Su Chengyang tore open the package and bit into the chocolate. Han Songxue happened to turn around and saw this scene, so she took two steps and came to Su Chengyang’s side, embracing her neck.

“What are you eating? Chocolate? I want some too.”

She spread her palm in front of Su Chengyang.

Su Chengyang still had a chocolate that was about to melt in her pocket. She had been holding it in her palm with Lin Yu for nearly two hours and was a little reluctant to give it to Han Songxue.

So, without any loyalty, she glanced in Lin Yu’s direction and said, “It’s from Manager Lin.”

Han Songxue immediately leaned over and asked, “Manager Lin, is there more?”

Lin Yu glanced at Su Chengyang in the same way, and Su Chengyang guiltily turned her head away, afraid to look at him.

Lin Yu withdrew his gaze and said calmly, “There’s only Su Chengyang’s.”

Su Chengyang was stunned, and in the next moment, her cheeks suddenly turned red.

Perhaps if someone else heard it, they would think that he meant “only the one in Su Chengyang’s mouth,” but Su Chengyang clearly knew that he had many chocolates in the pocket of his jacket. So what he wanted to express was actually “all the chocolates on him were prepared for Su Chengyang alone.”

Han Songxue responded with an “oh,” obviously not grasping any other meaning.

With a racing heart, Su Chengyang lowered her head, her cheeks burning hotly. She realized that Lin Yu’s romanticism extended beyond describing the person he liked. His actions and words were all very romantic. Was this something in his genes? Wasn’t he afraid of being misunderstood by others?

On the way out, Han Songxue leaned on her shoulder and chatted with her. Su Chengyang quietly complained about Lin Yu in her heart, not paying attention to a single word.

Upon entering the backstage, Song Mingan went to the dressing room to remove makeup and change clothes, while the others planned to go outside and wait for him.

The back door was located in an internal employee parking lot, separated from the location of the front door.

Su Chengyang’s phone in her bag vibrated twice. At this moment, she remembered something and hastily took out her phone, opened WeChat, and checked the message.

She had made an appointment with Du Senyu to meet after the play ended! She actually forgot!

By the time they left, there were only a few people left in the theater. Du Senyu must have been waiting outside for a long time.

【Sister, have you come out?】

【I’m a little to the left of the southeast gate, wearing a white school uniform and black sneakers.】

【I overheard people discussing about you. Come out a bit later, I can wait for you.】

【Sister, remember to reply to me when you see this message.】

. . . . .

Su Chengyang quickly replied with a message, saying that she had already come out and left through the back door.

Du Senyu quickly responded, asking if she wanted him to bring the things over.

Su Chengyang felt bad for making him wait for so long, so she said that it wasn’t necessary and that she would come over herself right away.

Du Senyu replied with a “okay.”

“Um… you guys wait here for Mingan. I need to go out for a moment,” Su Chengyang greeted everyone and turned around to find Lin Yu looking at her.

Su Chengyang added, “I’m going to meet a friend, I’ll be back soon.”

She said this for Lin Yu to hear, afraid that Lin Yu would worry.

“A friend?” Before she could finish speaking, Han Songxue, who enjoyed gossiping, came over and said, “A boyfriend?”

Lin Yu lowered his gaze and remained silent.

Su Chengyang wished she could cover Han Songxue’s mouth, glared at her, and said, “No, it’s Brother Du’s son. I asked him to borrow something.”

Han Songxue, who usually loved gossip, teasingly asked, “What is it that you can’t borrow from us and have to ask him?”

Just as Su Chengyang was about to say, “Do you have any study materials?” Lin Yu intervened and said, “Chengyang, you should go first, so the kid doesn’t have to wait too long.”

Su Chengyang forced a laugh and said, “Then I’ll go first, I’ll be back soon.”

“Well, take care.” Lin Yu said casually.

Su Chengyang put on her hat and mask, then turned and walked out of the parking lot.

A kid…

Is a seventeen-year-old still considered a kid?

Su Chengyang couldn’t help but chuckle.

When she entered, she deliberately paid attention to the direction of the southeast gate, and after a few minutes of leaving, she found the southeast gate.

Su Chengyang walked quickly on the road, attracting some attention from passersby, but not enough to stand out.

“I’m here.” Su Chengyang looked around and didn’t see any male high school students, so she lowered her head to send a message to Du Senyu, mentioning her attire.

“Sister!” Just as Su Chengyang sent the message, a surprised voice sounded behind her.

Su Chengyang instinctively turned around and saw a young boy standing not far behind her.

The boy was wearing a clean white school uniform, with a sunny and handsome appearance, and was about 1.8 meters tall.

Su Chengyang waved at him and ran up to him, asking, “Are you Senyu? Sorry for keeping you waiting.”

Du Senyu and Su Chengyang looked at each other with bright eyes. Du Senyu shook his head and said, “It’s okay! I’m glad to meet you, sister. Can we take a photo together? Many classmates in our class really like you.”

Su Chengyang smiled and felt a little embarrassed, “Sure.”

Du Senyu took out his phone and opened the front camera. Su Chengyang moved closer, wanting to take off her mask, but Du Senyu interrupted, “No need to take off the mask. It’s crowded here, and it would be troublesome if you were recognized.”

Su Chengyang chuckled and decided not to remove her mask.

After taking the satisfying photos, Du Senyu became a bit shy and took out a few promotional photos of Su Chengyang that she had taken before from his pocket. He said, “Sorry, some classmates heard that I was going to see you, and they insisted that I get autographs for them. They also asked me to bring snacks for you.”

Su Chengyang shook her head and said, “It’s okay. I’m happy to be liked by all of you.”

“Do you have a pen?”

“Yes!”

Du Senyu bent down and took out a pen and a notebook from a box. He handed the pen to Su Chengyang and asked her to sign on the notebook.

Su Chengyang signed several large pages diligently.

Finally, she returned the signed photos to Du Senyu, who asked if she could write a message for their classmates.

Su Chengyang gladly agreed, although she wasn’t good with words, so she could only give them a simple blessing:

“The sun awaits you in the future, regardless of the outcome. It will continue to shine upon you.”

Su Chengyang’s handwriting was delicate and graceful, like a joyfully dancing figure.

Du Senyu carefully closed his notebook and bent down to pick up the cardboard box from the ground. It contained many books, letters, and a wide variety of snacks.

“Sister, where did you park the car? Let me take it there,” Du Senyu offered.

Su Chengyang shook her head and tried to take it from his hands, “It’s alright, thank you, I can go by myself.”

Du Senyu smiled, revealing his two small front teeth, “It’s a bit heavy, let me take you…”

“Give it to me.”

Suddenly, another familiar voice came from beside them.