Chapter 314: Fu Yujun & Guan Han [11]
Guan Han's muscles tensed up, and alarm bells went off in her head. She had never felt such a strong sense of crisis, not even when she shielded Qin Yinong through the line of reporters.
The veins on the back of her hands almost instantly bulged. She grabbed Fu Yujun's shoulders, lifting her until her feet left the ground. Her rationality kicked in at the last moment, and with all her effort, she managed not to throw her out but instead pushed her back, causing her to stagger.
Worried that Fu Yujun might get hurt, she thoughtfully shifted her direction before pushing her again.
Fu Yujun lost control and fell backward, her back slamming heavily into Guan Han's office chair. The swivel chair rolled back a meter with the impact.
She let out a muffled groan, assessed her situation, and then inhaled sharply.
It felt as if she had been just a millimeter away from broken bones.
Guan Han tilted her head uncomfortably, forcing herself to ignore the heat in her ears. She looked down at Fu Yujun and said flatly, "Don't do that again."
Her tone was even and unemotional, betraying neither anger nor any other unusual sentiment.
Fu Yujun's mind cleared, no longer clouded by the earlier confusion. A hint of appropriate bewilderment surfaced in her eyes. "Do what?"
Guan Han replied, "Don't get too close to me. I have a nervous reflex." She softened her voice to explain, "Like just now, if I couldn't control my strength and used a bit more force, you could've been hurt."
Fu Yujun blinked, as if processing her words.
Guan Han pursed her lips and added, "Especially don't blow into my ears. I'll..." She hesitated for a few seconds before reluctantly finding a word to describe it. "Mm, I'm not used to it."
Fu Yujun was laughing hysterically inside.
How could Guan Han be so dense that she couldn't even distinguish between flirtation and normal physical contact? Hadn't she written about this in her fanfiction? It seemed she had amnesia the moment she stepped out of the story.
But then again, she couldn't bring herself to feel happy about it.
Guan Han was so oblivious that even if Fu Yujun stripped n@ked in front of her, she'd probably just calmly dress her again and remind her not to catch a cold. Something like that had happened before, after all.
What Fu Yujun hadn't considered was that in Guan Han's mind, she was firmly entrenched as a mischievous little monkey. Being younger than Guan Han, she was often subconsciously treated like a child. A child blowing into someone's ear was likely just a prank—how could it be linked to flirtation?
If it were someone else, regardless of gender, anyone daring to blow into Guan Han's ear would have grass growing on their grave three feet high in no time.
Fu Yujun had a sudden idea. "Then you blow into my ear and see if I'm used to it."
She tilted her head, revealing her delicate, fair earlobe.
Guan Han stared at her ear and the slender neck connected to it, skin as smooth as jade, glowing like snow. Unconsciously, her throat moved, a faint hint of desire stirring within.
Guan Han exhaled imperceptibly, suppressing her unusual thoughts, and said calmly, "Do you think I'm as bored as you are?"
Fu Yujun stubbornly moved her ear closer to Guan Han's lips. "Just try it."
Guan Han pressed her lips together and stepped back.
"Stop fooling around."
Fu Yujun, fearless, hugged her again, determined to make her blow into her ear.
This farce continued for a long time until it was interrupted by the internal phone on the desk.
Guan Han pressed one hand against Fu Yujun's cheek and picked up the phone with the other. "Hello."
After listening for a moment, Guan Han replied, "Okay, I'll be right there."
Hanging up the phone, Fu Yujun asked, "Who was it?"
"General Manager Liu." Guan Han withdrew her hand and carefully examined Fu Yujun's face, relieved she hadn't accidentally hurt her.
Fu Yujun eyed her warily, "Was she trying to assign you a new artist? I've told you before—it's either me or her, but not both!"
Guan Han chuckled, "No, why are you still thinking about that?"
"What if she was?"
"There's no 'what if.'"
"Swear it."
Guan Han sighed helplessly, "I swear I won't take on a new artist without your consent."
Fu Yujun insisted, "You can only have me!"
Guan Han replied half-heartedly, "Mm-hmm."
Fu Yujun swayed their clasped hands back and forth, "Repeat after me: only me."
Guan Han frowned.
Fu Yujun wrapped her arms around Guan Han's neck, cooing, "Promise me, please? Promise me?"
Unable to withstand her antics and eager to end this, Guan Han relented, "Only you."
Fu Yujun quickly pecked her on the cheek, her smile radiant and innocent, eyes sparkling.
"You're the best."
Guan Han stood frozen in shock.
She had no recollection of how she eventually left the office. Blankly, she entered General Manager Liu's office, discussed matters, and returned to find Fu Yujun gone. With no energy to wonder where she might be, Guan Han slowly sank into the sofa, lost in a daze.
The warmth on her cheek gradually spread, heating the very air she exhaled. Guan Han pulled a small mirror from her bag and looked—her cheeks were flushed like the highland red she'd seen on TV.
She rubbed her face, then pressed her cool hands against her cheeks to soothe the heat.
Fu Yujun had actually kissed her cheek.
She had kissed her cheek.
Actually.
Ah.
So that's what it felt like.
The kiss had been so swift Guan Han hadn't processed it in time, but the hazier the memory, the richer the aftertaste. The human brain is fascinating—it fills in the gaps with imagination.
It was undoubtedly soft. She recalled the sensation from last time when Fu Yujun's tongue had brushed her fingertip while feeding her—slightly damp, carrying a faint warmth.
The more she tried not to think about it, the more her thoughts uncontrollably drifted back.
Guan Han muddled through until the end of the workday, took the subway home alone, and nearly cut her finger while cooking.
Abandoning the idea of a proper meal, she boiled some noodles, tossed in a couple of greens and an egg—edible, if not gourmet.
Such is the comfort of living alone.
After eating the noodles, Guan Han gradually regained her composure. She exercised in the living room for a while, then sat at her desk to work.
A message from Fu Yujun popped up: [What did you have for dinner?]
Seeing it, Guan Han deliberately waited half an hour before replying: [Noodles.]
Fu Yujun: [What were you doing? Took you so long to see my message.]
[Exercising.]
[Are you mad at me?]
[No.] Guan Han typed each word deliberately.
[Then why are you ignoring me on purpose?]
[Busy.]
Fu Yujun sat cross-legged on her bed, a smile playing on her lips.
Guan Han had one virtue: she either stayed silent or told the truth, rarely lying. If she said she wasn't angry, she meant it. "Busy" and "going to sleep" were the only two excuses she ever used—her way of avoiding the question.
Putting it all together, it meant Guan Han wasn't angry about the kiss. Instead, it had stirred something in her.
Fu Yujun: [Alright, I'll let you get back to work then.]
Guan Han: "..."
[Okay.]
Guan Han put down her phone, went to the bathroom to wash her face, and returned to her desk to continue working.
Fu Yujun rummaged through the bedroom drawer and pulled out a pink-packaged item, sighing before skillfully taking care of her own needs.
She was still on vacation, occasionally dropping by the company to maintain her presence in front of Guan Han, and sometimes hanging out with Tang Ruoyao and the others. They rarely managed to gather all four, as Miss Wen Shuxian was extremely busy, traveling to a new location every day.
By mid-March, Fu Yujun's play began rehearsals. The crew made adjustments and adapted as they rehearsed, often gathering around a large table in the practice room for discussions. When Guan Han had free time, she would accompany Fu Yujun, sitting in a corner and watching her.
Fu Yujun dressed simply—a letter-print T-shirt, jeans, and white sneakers, with her long hair down and minimal makeup, almost entirely bare-faced. Unlike her usual glamorous and eye-catching self, her focused expression as she listened attentively and the casual way she tucked her hair behind her ear with her pale fingers seemed to Guan Han as if bathed in a soft, glowing filter.
Guan Han thought she might have "motherly eyes"—even without makeup, she felt her "daughter" was the most beautiful.
After a round of discussions, Fu Yujun put down the hand propping her cheek and walked over to Guan Han, who was sitting in a corner chair. Her cropped T-shirt ended just at her waist, and her jeans made her legs appear even longer and more proportionate.
Her legs were long and straight, and the white sneakers added a touch of freshness and playfulness.
Fu Yujun sat in the empty chair beside her, leaning back slightly with her hands supporting her, and casually asked, "Are you bored here?"
"Not really."
"How about I give you a few days off?" Fu Yujun suggested gently. Guan Han wondered if she was hearing things or if Fu Yujun had been possessed.
Noticing Guan Han's incredulous look, Fu Yujun smiled and said, "I feel like I have a lot to learn and might not have much time to bother you, so I might as well give you a break."
Guan Han valued her freedom to manage her own life. Fu Yujun was now fully immersed in studying the play, with little time even to talk to her. Why should she just sit around idly?
"It's work hours right now." Guan Han declined.
"Aren't your work hours determined by me?"
"I know my limits." Guan Han replied flatly.
Fu Yujun tilted her head, resting her chin on Guan Han's shoulder, and looked up at her with a smile.
Even when she didn't need her company, Guan Han came voluntarily and refused to take time off. Did that mean she was also a little reluctant to part with her?
By early June, Fu Yujun's play concluded, with its public performance at the Capital X Theater.
For someone like Fu Yujun, transitioning from the small screen to the stage, theater was an entirely new art form. Everything about it was unfamiliar and required learning from scratch. From March to August, from rehearsals to the final performance, Fu Yujun focused with unprecedented intensity, under immense pressure.
She was too busy to play the role of a "little drama queen." When tired, she would simply collapse onto Guan Han, using her as a human pillow. Guan Han gradually grew accustomed to it and sometimes, seeing her rubbing her temples, utterly exhausted, would even proactively massage her temples.
Fu Yujun adapted to the situation, shifting her strategy from being a "little drama queen" to playing the delicate and frail "Lin Daiyu."
Entertainment headlines trended: [Fu Yujun and Her Manager Are Sweet].
In the photos captured, Fu Yujun clung to Guan Han like a koala, her arms wrapped around Guan Han's neck and her chin resting on her shoulder. Guan Han stood in front of a milk tea shop, one arm encircling Fu Yujun's waist while the other used her phone to scan a code.
Skadi: [Isn't this just like my daily life with my boyfriend???]
Qin Yinong and Tang Ruoyao fighting over me: [FuGuan is real! kswlkswl (I'm dying from sweetness)]
OrigamiX: [If this isn't love~]
Lord Fu Marry Me Please:[Are those calling it sweet lacking same-s3x friends? My bestie and I act like this too when we go out]
Nickname Unavailable: [Not everyone ships romantic relationships, okay? Why rush to clarify? I'm shipping their sisterhood bond. The bolder they are, the less there usually is to hide. If there were really something, they'd be more secretive. But that doesn't stop me from finding them sweet hehehe]
Pineapple Green: [Let's be real, Fu Yujun is totally the bottom]
Fu Yujun sipped the oolong milk tea Guan Han bought for her while scrolling through Weibo and said, "See? I told you it's fine. The more you clarify, the more people will think there's something going on between us."
Guan Han looked at the comments filled with "I'm dying from shipping them" and wondered how the woman in front of her could say "it's fine" with a straight face.
Over the past six months, Fu Yujun had been photographed several times in int!mate situations with Guan Han. Just as she had said before, she personally confirmed their sisterhood bond. Unless Guan Han tied her limbs and sealed her mouth, there was no stopping her from speaking.
Solo fans quieted down, pretending Guan Han didn't exist, but the CP fans and general netizens went wild.
First there were Qin-Tang shippers, now Fu-Guan shippers—people were obsessing over these pairings day and night.
Guan Han was stuck between clarifying and not clarifying. Their "sisterhood bond" was real—could she say they didn't get along? That would only confirm speculation about publicity stunts and give ammunition to antis.
Step by step, things had developed to this point.
To be honest, Guan Han had used Lofter's search function and discovered fanfiction about herself and Fu Yujun. The content was much more expl!cit than the consistently chaste works by the author "For_Love_lf." Guan Han closed one after just a glance—not only was it uncomfortable, but the characters were still wildly out of character.
The real Fu Yujun was at least a hundred times cuter than in those stories.
Fu Yujun handed her half-finished milk tea to Guan Han, who asked, "What's this for?"
"Can't finish it."
"..." Guan Han took it and said, "Then why do you always order a large?"
"Looks satisfying."
Fu Yujun smiled brightly as she watched Guan Han finish the remaining half of the milk tea as usual and toss the empty cup into the trash.
They'd shared countless indirect kisses, and Fu Yujun's heart still fluttered every time. But she had noticed something troubling—Guan Han seemed to be acting like her mother, and she seemed to enjoy it.
Once, after Fu Yujun's second play performance ended around midnight, they returned to the hotel together and stayed in a suite.
Fu Yujun is being coy again, asking Guan Han to stay until she falls asleep. Guan Han agreed, gently patting her back like soothing a baby.
No matter how much skin Fu Yujun showed or how she showed it, Guan Han would always seriously remind her with a "you should wear warm pants" expression, "Don't catch a cold," and drape clothes over her.
Fu Yujun already had one mother—she didn't need another, and she had zero interest in a "mother-daughter" romance.
Fu Yujun's dignity as a woman had been utterly shattered, but no matter what she tried, Guan Han firmly held her ground as the "mother figure," refusing to budge an inch. It was as if Fu Yujun was regressing—from three years old to one. Would an adult hold a grudge against a one-year-old? Of course not. So, Guan Han grew increasingly indulgent toward her.
But this indulgence was not what Fu Yujun wanted.
Subconsciously, Guan Han rejected any development beyond a mother-daughter bond, leaving Fu Yujun at an standstill.
In the blink of an eye, another New Year arrived.
Fu Yujun had spent a fulfilling year—well, except for failing to win Guan Han over.
This year, Fu Yujun returned home on the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month. As she stepped out of the exit, Fu Yulou and He Wanqing peered behind her, unable to hide their disappointment.
Fu Yujun gave her parents a helpless, bitter smile.
Fu Yulou patted her shoulder, while He Wanqing gently stroked her head.
He Wanqing comforted her, "There's plenty of time. Back in the day, your dad chased me for years too. What's hard to get is worth cherishing."
Fu Yulou wholeheartedly supported his wife: "Your mom is right."
Fu Yujun looked at her and said, "I remember you once said that you and Dad fell in love at first sight."
He Wanqing went, "Huh? Did that happen?"
Fu Yulou shook his head firmly. "No! That never happened. You must have remembered wrong."
Fu Yujun linked arms with her parents on either side and laughed. "Alright, I know you're trying to make me feel better, but I'd like some time alone to quiet down."
......
Guan Han's phone vibrated.
She pulled her gaze away from the heavy snow falling outside the window and opened WeChat.
Fu Yujun: [Arrived.]
Guan Han stared at the message for a few seconds before replying: [Okay.]
Fu Yujun said she was in the car on her way home, that it was snowing there, and sent a photo taken through the car window. The phone's camera was poor, and the lighting was dim, making it look more like a fine drizzle than snow.
Guan Han stood up, walked to the balcony, and opened the window.
Thick snowflakes fell like goose feathers, blanketing the world in white.
She took a photo from above—the cars parked in the residential complex were covered in a thick layer of snow, footprints on the ground were already buried, and a few figures in down jackets appeared as tiny black dots.
Fu Yujun: [Seems like it's snowing heavier where you are than here.]
Guan Han: [Mhm.]
Fu Yujun: [What did you do this afternoon?]
Guan Han gripped her phone tightly, taking a long time to reply: [Nothing much.]
She truly hadn't done anything that afternoon—except wonder if Fu Yujun had boarded her flight, how much longer until she arrived, whether she should message immediately if Fu Yujun didn't check in, and what to reply if she did.
She missed her.
Before parting that morning, Fu Yujun had gone out of her way to see her, yet she still missed her.
It wasn't as if Guan Han had never been apart from her before. Sometimes Fu Yujun went to rehearse for a play, while Guan Han had to negotiate commercial opportunities for her. They didn't see each other every day, and going two or three days without meeting was common. But never before had the longing felt this intense.
She felt unsettled and needed to distract herself.
[I'm going to get busy.] Without giving Fu Yujun a chance to prolong the conversation, Guan Han made an excuse to leave.
Guan's mother was in the kitchen preparing dinner. Guan Han put down her phone, walked in, and peeked into the pot. "What are we having today?"
Guan's mother turned around, startled.
Guan Han: "..." Are we family? You look like you've seen a ghost.
Guan's mother said, "I thought it was your sister."
Guan Han had her own place outside and rarely stayed at home. Her cooking skills were just average, so Mother Guan usually didn't let her into the kitchen. As a result, Guan Han seldom went in, only occasionally helping out as an assistant, but she never asked what was for dinner.
She ate whatever was available—not picky and not talkative.
Guan Han glanced toward the kitchen counter and asked, "Is there anything I can do?"
Guan's mother replied, "No, I'm almost done frying, there's just one last dish left."
Guan Han looked at the prepped ingredients, rolled up her sleeves, and said, "Let me handle it."
Guan's mother immediately rejected the idea, "No need!"
Guan Han: "..."
Guan's mother coughed awkwardly, trying to cover up her slip, "Mom didn't mean to say your cooking is bad, okay?"
Guan Han: "...Yeah, I know."
Would she not be looked down upon if she had cooking skills like Fu Yujun's?
A sudden thought crossed Guan Han's mind, and her footsteps faltered as she was about to leave. Then, she pinched her palm hard, forcing the unwelcome thought away.
Guan He was watching TV in the living room, twisting her neck left and right, and couldn't help but speak up, "Sis, what are you doing?"
Guan Han stopped, "What do you mean?"
Guan He said, "You've been pacing back and forth, back and forth in the room. Are you running an indoor marathon?"
Guan Han looked confused, "Was I pacing?"
Guan He nodded firmly.
"You were, and you seemed absent-minded." Guan He thought to herself, wow, did she just use the phrase "absent-minded"? Her sister actually had a day like this?
"Absent-minded?" Guan Han repeated unconsciously, then changed direction and headed toward her room.
Guan He: "..."
Guan's father squinted his eyes, watching Guan Han until she entered her room, then turned to Guan He and asked quietly, "Has your sister been doing well at work lately?"
Guan He picked up an apple from the table and took a crisp bite, saying, "Pretty well, she got a huge year-end bonus. Dad, let me tell you, she's even in our assistant group, collecting red envelopes from both sides. Tsk."
Guan's father: "Has she been spending time with anyone recently?"
Guan He shook her head, "No."
"Are you sure?"
"I swear." Guan He raised her hand as if taking an oath.
Guan's father frowned, "Why does it seem to me like your sister is in love?"
Guan He laughed, "Her, in love? Don't joke, that's impossible."
Guan's father glared, "How is it impossible? Your sister is beautiful, well-educated, and earns a good salary. I don't believe no one is pursuing her."
Guan He bit into her apple and chuckled, "Have you seen her personality? Who would she even take a liking to? And finding a reliable guy these days is harder than panning for gold in the ocean. It's better to stay single."
Guan's father muttered, "The artist she's managing seems pretty good. I saw in the news photos that the two of them are very close. Have you ever seen your sister let anyone get that near to her?"
"That's a woman!"
"So what if it's a woman?" Guan's father said matter-of-factly, "Same-s3x marriage is almost legal. Can't two women live together?"
Guan He's jaw dropped in shock, and the apple in her mouth fell out. She quickly caught it.
"Dad! That's not what you said last year!"
Last year, when the rumors spread, the elderly couple had looked at the photos with complicated expressions at the dinner table. The Guan family was relatively traditional, and although society had become more open in recent years, they had never imagined their own child might be gay. If Guan Han were to come out, she might face resistance.
Just one year later, Guan's father did a complete 180-degree turn in his attitude.
Guan's father said, "Last year your sister was 29, this year she's 30. Can it be the same?"
Guan He cheerfully replied, "Then I'll go find a girlfriend too. There's one named Xiao among Sister Qin's assistants who's quite pretty—she's my type."
Guan's father immediately widened his eyes fiercely: "How dare you!"
Guan He complained, "Why can my sister find a girlfriend but I can't?"
Guan's father said, "When you turn 30, you can too. Not just finding a girlfriend—if you bring a dog home, I'll accept it."
Guan He was initially furious but ended up being amused, playfully pushing her dad's shoulder while acting cute.
Guan's mother brought the dishes to the dining table and sighed as she saw the father and daughter laughing and playing in the living room, while Guan Han's bedroom door remained tightly shut.
"Time to eat. Guan He, go call your sister."
Guan He sprang up nimbly: "Sure thing!" She drawled her words, shouting as she walked, "Sis, dinner's ready—"
Guan Han opened the door and stepped out with an indifferent expression.
At the dinner table, Guan's mother and father exchanged a glance and casually brought up, "Your Uncle Huang's son has returned from studying abroad and will be working here now. He studied finance."
Guan Han kept her head down, eating quietly.
Guan He was munching on salt-baked chicken wings, her mouth smeared with oil.
With no one responding, Guan's mother felt a bit awkward: "Ahem."
Guan He looked up from her chicken wings and mumbled, "Who is Uncle Huang's son?"
Guan's mother smiled. "The one who used to practice martial arts with both of you when you were kids. His name is Huang Yunfei."
Guan He shook her head honestly. "Don't remember."
Guan Han spoke coldly, "Is it the one with buckteeth?"
Guan He: "Oh, it's him! I remember now—the bucktoothed kid who always got beaten up by Sis when we were little."
Guan's mother laughed at this but then cleared her throat, feeling it wasn't appropriate. "How can you give people nicknames like that? Besides, he got them corrected later. You can't tell now—he's quite a handsome young man."
The truly straight-laced Guan He asked, "How handsome? Do you have a photo? Show me later."
Guan's mother glanced at Guan Han, but Guan Han continued eating at the same pace, showing not a hint of interest.
Guan's mother said, "Uncle Huang and your dad are close friends, so this New Year, Uncle Huang will bring his son over for a meal at our house."
Guan He's eyes darted around as she guessed her mom's intentions and immediately chimed in, "Haha, I'll see how handsome he is in person." Meanwhile, she thought to herself: 'Mom, you're really bold—actually trying to set Sis up.'
After dinner, the three family members passed around a photo of the handsome Huang, praising him profusely. Under pressure from her parents, Guan He reluctantly handed the phone to her sister. Guan Han kept her hands behind her back and didn't take it.
The situation became extremely awkward.
Guan's father stepped in to smooth things over, laughing a few times and slapping his thigh. "Actually, quite a few people have returned from studying abroad recently. Your Auntie Liu's daughter came back last year—she's a university professor."
He called Mom Guan by her name: "Aren't you close with Liu Qing? Why not invite her and her daughter over for a meal too?"
Guan's mother eyes widened as if to say, 'Are you crazy? Liu Qing's daughter is a girl!'
Guan's father closed his eyes, then opened them with a determined look, 'What era is this? Who cares if it's a guy or a girl? Let's invite her over first and see.'
Guan's mother widened eyes gradually returned to normal as she said, "Right, I'll call her later."
Guan's father asked, "Do you have a photo? Of Liu Qing's daughter?"
Guan's mother other replied, "There's one on her social media. Let me find it."
Guan Han watched quietly as this farce of setting her up unfolded.
When the photo-passing round was over, messenger Guan He once again handed the phone to Guan Han. Guan He closed her eyes, bracing herself, afraid her sister would fly into a rage and pin her down on the sofa for a beating. To her surprise, her hand felt empty.
Guan Han had taken the phone.
Dad Guan & Mom Guan & Guan He: "!!!"
Oh my god! Our daughter/sister really is into women!
Guan Han stared expressionlessly at the screen, taking in the unfamiliar woman in a plain long dress with delicate features. She scanned from the eyebrows to the eyes, from the eyes to the bridge of the nose and the lips—not a single feature could compare to Fu Yujun's.
To be precise, they were far from comparable.
Instinctively, she compared the blind date candidate her parents had in mind to Fu Yujun, yet she didn't delve into where this impulse came from.
"What do you think of Aunt Liu's daughter?" Guan's father looked at her expectantly.
Guan Han handed the phone back, her tone flat and unruffled. "Not ugly."
Her father's eyes lit up, and he chuckled. "As long as she's not ugly. After all, my daughter is as beautiful as a flower—few can compare."
Guan Han frowned, about to retort, but she merely pursed her lips and swallowed the syllable "Fu."
Lowering her gaze, she said, "I'm going back to my room."
Her father's words followed her footsteps. "Aunt Liu Qing will be coming over for a meal in a couple of days."
Guan Han closed the door behind her.
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