Chapter 334: Fu Yujun & Guan Han [31]

When Fu Yujun woke in the morning, her head throbbed with a dull ache, and a faint pain pulsed at her temples. She rested the back of her hand on her forehead and turned to look at the woman sleeping beside her. Only then did the frantic, uneasy beating of her heart gradually calm down.

Her gaze drifted farther, to the thin morning light filtering through the curtains. The small pot of succulents on the table had wilted considerably since summer, their leaves tinged with a withered yellow.

"Good morning."

Just as Guan Han opened her eyes, the world dimmed slightly as Fu Yujun's warm lips pressed against hers.

"Good morning," Guan Han replied.

They went to freshen up together—one changing clothes in the bedroom, the other heading to the bathroom. Fu Yujun inevitably tried to coax Guan Han into changing with her, but her efforts were in vain.

After changing, Fu Yujun, alone in the bedroom, checked her phone to confirm that the "alt account" was no longer on her device.

Fu Yujun had two schedules that day, and Guan Han accompanied her throughout. Whether replying to messages under Guan Han's watchful eye or sneaking responses behind her back, both felt risky. Fearful of complications and plagued by anxiety, Fu Yujun had resolved the matter the night before.

She needed to learn to actively sever her connection to that account. Only when she herself forgot she had once been "For_Love_lf" could she deliver a truly flawless performance.

By 8:30 a.m., they had finished the breakfast Guan Han prepared and left the house.

Returning late that night, Fu Yujun collapsed on the sofa before her shower. After bathing, she clung to Guan Han in bed, their closeness soon escalating into int!mate contact. What little energy she had left was spent, and she fell into a deep sleep almost immediately.

Guan Han got up, wrung out a towel to wipe the sweat from Fu Yujun's brow, then went to shower herself.

When she returned to the room, she found Fu Yujun still turned toward her side of the bed, a hand resting on Guan Han's pillow. As Guan Han slipped under the covers, Fu Yujun moved closer, burying her face in the crook of Guan Han's neck. Her hand patted Guan Han's back gently, and she murmured a few unintelligible words in her sleep.

Guan Han turned her head and watched her for a long, long time.

Slowly, she leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to Fu Yujun's forehead.

In the darkness, her sigh was almost imperceptible, swept away by the wind rustling past the window.

Once she had tasted int!macy, Fu Yujun showed no restraint. No matter how tired she was, as long as there was time, she would insist on pressing Guan Han for at least one encounter before sleep. On days off, she wished she could stay in bed with Guan Han all day, experimenting with new ways to keep things exciting.

Guan Han complied with every request, as she always had.

There was only one thing she never did: take the initiative. Fu Yujun found an excuse for her—perhaps she was more conservative in this regard, or perhaps she felt their relationship needed to reach a deeper stage before they could truly merge.

On a day when Fu Yujun was away in another city for work and Guan Han was at the office, Fu Yujun found time in her hotel room to write a new chapter. She saved it in a hidden folder on her laptop and copied it to her phone, planning to upload and publish it on a less conspicuous day, using the time gap to avoid raising Guan Han's suspicions.

After double-checking that the file wouldn't be accidentally discovered, the tension in Fu Yujun's chest didn't ease. Instead, her heart grew heavier.

Was this really the right thing to do?

She covered her face with her hands, then lowered her head, slowly burying it in her arms.

She let out a long sigh, picked up her phone beside her, and tapped on the WeChat pinned chat. Guan Han's profile picture was no longer the black background with white letters spelling "gh"—it had been replaced with a small, vivid illustration of Fu Yujun, drawn by one of her fans. Fu Yujun had reposted it on Weibo, and later asked Guan Han to set it as her profile picture. The previous avatar had remained unchanged for ten years since Guan Han graduated from university.

Fu Yujun gently rubbed her thumb over the lifelike illustration in the profile picture, lost in thought for a long while. She mused: Guan Han's affection for her might run deeper than she had imagined.

She tapped into the chatbox and began typing.

After a moment, she deleted everything. Tilting her head back to look at the ceiling, her eyes gradually reddened.

Guan Han shifted her gaze from the laptop in front of her to the dark screen of her phone, then back to the computer, her fingers flying across the keyboard as she typed.

Her phone buzzed with a vibration.

Guan Han immediately abandoned the half-replied email and opened the message.

Fu Yujun: [I'm coming back tomorrow. What gift would you like?]

The light in Guan Han's eyes dimmed abruptly. Leaning back in her chair, she slowly typed: [Anything is fine.]

Fu Yujun: [How about textured finger c0ts?]

Guan Han: [？？？]

[System message: Fu Yujun has recalled a message]

Fu Yujun: [Hahaha, I didn't say anything]

Three minutes later, Guan Han replied: [[Image] Is this what you meant?]

Fu Yujun: [I never expected you to be like this, Little Guan Han [stunned.gif]]

[System message: Little Guan Han has recalled a message]

The world of adults is full of colorful surprises.

After a bit of playful banter, Fu Yujun switched to a voice call and began recounting her day—what she had been busy with and whom she had met. Guan Han, wearing earphones, occasionally responded with a word or two. The crisp sound of keyboard clicks in the background reached Fu Yujun's ears.

"Guan Han." Fu Yujun's tone suddenly turned unusually serious.

The sound of typing ceased.

Guan Han stopped what she was doing and asked, "What's wrong?"

"There's something I want to tell you."

Guan Han's voice remained calm. "Go ahead."

"I..." Fu Yujun's knuckles tightened around the edge of the desk. On the screen, the cursor hovered over the fanfiction document, like an arrow forever unable to be released. Fu Yujun let out a quiet breath, her hand dropping limply to her side. Yet, her voice betrayed no hint of her true emotions as she said with a light laugh, "I just wanted to ask you, how much longer until you fall in love with me?"

"You'll know when the time comes." Guan Han's tone remained steady, without hesitation.

Fu Yujun was taken aback.

Guan Han offered no further explanation.

As the call ended, Fu Yujun said, "I love you."

"I know." Guan Han always replied this way—calm, gentle, with the boundless tolerance and understanding of someone who could embrace the entire ocean.

By mid-November, the Flying Apsaras Awards had announced its list of nominees. Fu Yujun was nominated for Best Actress for her role in a television drama adapted from a literary novel, while Wen Shuxian was also nominated for Best Actress for her performance in Intern Doctor, produced by Qintang Pictures. After so many years as close friends, this was the first time the two would face off directly on the battlefield.

Wen Shuxian, who had risen to fame through her popularity, had thrown herself wholeheartedly into acting, hoping this opportunity would mark her successful transition. Fu Yujun, on the other hand, had already won the Magnolia Award—one of the three major awards—years earlier and was now aiming for a grand slam.

In their dormitory group chat, Wen Shuxian scattered red envelopes like blossoms from a celestial maiden.

The last one she sent came with a message: [[Wish me luck on winning the award and washing away past shame!]]

Fu Yujun didn't claim the red envelope and instead typed: [Tsk.]

Wen Shuxian: [Lao Fu, confident you'll beat me this time? [laughing maniacally with hands on hips.gif]]

Fu Yujun: [Look at that upstart gloating.]

After a moment's thought, she couldn't resist flaunting their affection and added: [I didn't send that last message [blushing]]

Wen Shuxian scolded her in the group chat and added Guan Han to the conversation.

Guan Han, who had been diligently working at the company, was utterly confused: "???"

Fu Yujun quickly explained in a private message, to which Guan Han replied: [[ok]]

Fu Yujun, brimming with pride, kept spouting one flirtatious line after another, even going so far as to say, "Please don't go easy on me just because I'm a delicate flower." Guan Han frowned at the messages, took a screenshot, and privately typed: [???]

Fu Yujun then slandered her in the group chat: [My dear says if I keep this up, we're sleeping in separate rooms tonight [sweating]]

Guan Han: "..."

When had she ever said that? Was there any truth left in Fu Yujun's words?

The dorm group chat was buzzing with excitement, and soon a group voice call started. Guan Han put on her headphones and idled in the call.

It seemed Fu Yujun was planning to gather at Wen Shuxian's place for a meal. Guan Han heard the sound of keys jingling and privately reminded her: [Make sure to wear your scarf, hat, and gloves.]

Fu Yujun sent back a selfie, bundled up from head to toe.

At the entrance of the residential complex, Guan Han ran into Qin and Tang, who arrived hand in hand, both carrying groceries for a hotpot dinner that evening. Though Guan Han had long stopped working as an assistant, her instincts kicked in, and she reached out to take the plastic bag from Qin Yinong. She initially tried to help Tang Ruoyao as well, but Tang Ruoyao politely declined.

Walking behind the couple, Guan Han noticed Qin Yinong deliberately falling back a couple of steps to walk beside her.

Qin Yinong, who had achieved success in both her career and personal life, had recently developed a fondness for gossip, though very few people piqued her interest. Guan Han happened to be the perfect target.

"How are things with Fu Yujun?"

Guan Han glanced at Qin Yinong's earnest expression, momentarily stunned, before replying softly, "Pretty good."

"That's good to hear." Qin Yinong was tempted to ask whether Guan Han was a top or bottom, but as her current boss and former employer, such a question felt entirely inappropriate. She decided she'd have Tang Ruoyao probe Fu Yujun about it next time.

Yes, that settled it.

"Qin Jie."

Qin Yinong noticed her hesitant expression and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Guan Han pressed her lips into a thin line.

"Running into some issues?"

"Yeah, but it's nothing major." Guan Han lowered her gaze to the ground. "I can handle it."

Qin Yinong patted her shoulder reassuringly.

Tang Ruoyao, walking ahead, rang the doorbell. Fu Yujun came out to greet them. Though Fu Yujun was bold and flirtatious online, in person, with Guan Han and friends around, she didn't dare go overboard. She simply reached out to take the plastic bag from Guan Han.

Guan Han dodged her hand.

Fu Yujun rubbed the tip of her nose with her index finger.

Fu Yujun had the day off, but Guan Han had to work. The previous night, Fu Yujun had tried out all the little toys she'd bought, and Guan Han had nearly been late in the morning. She hadn't spoken to Fu Yujun all morning, but in the afternoon, after being added to the group chat, she showed concern. Fu Yujun had thought she was no longer angry, but it seemed that wasn't the case.

Once inside, Tang Ruoyao shot Fu Yujun a questioning look.

Fu Yujun shrugged in response.

She had only told Tang Ruoyao about her relationship with Guan Han, while the other two roommates only had guesses. Originally, she had planned to formally introduce them at some point, but this year's new drama kept her too busy, and the other three weren't exactly idle either. From mid-year until now, this was the first time they had managed to gather for a meal. The secret online identity made her feel as if she had a fishbone stuck in her throat, unable to openly admit to Wen Shuxian's teasing that the two of them were already together.

She felt like a ship gradually approaching the shore while sinking, uncertain whether the final outcome would be reaching the shore or sinking entirely.

The night spent at Wen Shuxian's home was quite pleasant—or at least it would have been, if Guan Han hadn't locked her out.

After everyone had returned to their rooms, Fu Yujun hesitated to knock, fearing she might disturb the others. She waited by the door for a while, then decided to settle for any guest room for the night. Just then, a faint creak sounded behind her.

Fu Yujun turned around.

Guan Han stood silently at the doorway.

The corridor light cast a downward glow on her, making her resemble a silent tree. The look in her eyes seemed to carry an unspoken sorrow.

Suppressing the unease rising in her heart, Fu Yujun forced a smile, no different from usual, and said, "Darling."

Guan Han turned and walked back inside.

After Fu Yujun entered, she closed the door behind her.

The guest bathroom at Wen Shuxian's home was much larger than the one at her own place. Guan Han tilted her slender neck back, her shoulder blades pressed against the cold wall, reddened from the friction. Fu Yujun buried her tear-streaked face in the crook of Guan Han's neck, her reddened eyes impossible to conceal any longer.

Guan Han left very early. When Fu Yujun woke up, all she found was a note left on the bedside table.

A few days later, on the scheduled update day, the monthly-update author "For_Love_lf" uploaded a new chapter in the backend and set it for timed release.

Before going to bed, Guan Han saw the update and left a comment: "Keep it up, author!"

For_Love_lf did not reply.

By December, as the year drew to a close, various events emerged one after another. Female celebrities increased their public engagements, and as a female celebrity's agent, Guan Han was exceptionally busy.

She reduced the number of times she accompanied Fu Yujun to events. The rest of the time, she was either at the company or attending social engagements. She had made her intentions clear, both explicitly and implicitly. If Fu Yujun was determined to play dumb despite understanding...

At the end of the first week of December, Guan Han received a text from Fu Yujun on her way home from work: "I'm returning to Beijing tomorrow. Let's talk."

Fu Yujun came directly from the airport, wearing a black down coat that reached her knees and a baseball cap, her raven-black hair cascading down her back.

"Hello, Teacher Fu," the receptionist greeted her.

Fu Yujun, hands in her pockets, nodded in response, her smile strained.

As Fu Yujun approached Guan Han's office and was about to knock, Guan Han's assistant rushed forward to open the door for her, saying, "Manager Guan instructed that you can go straight in when you arrive."

Fu Yujun replied, "Thank you," her voice unusually hoarse.

The assistant asked, "Do you have a cold? I have some medicine here."

Fu Yujun cleared her throat. "No need. You can go back to your work."

"Alright," the assistant said, knocking on the door for her and announcing loudly inside, "Manager Guan, Teacher Fu is here."

The sound of the door closing echoed behind her. Fu Yujun looked toward the window side of the office, where Guan Han, dressed in a white formal suit, sat on the sofa and gave a slight nod. "You're here."

Fu Yujun sat down opposite her. On the coffee table in front of them was a small plate of cake and a glass of milk. She reached out to touch it—the temperature was just right.

Guan Han said, "You must be hungry. Have something to eat first."

With just those words, Fu Yujun's eyes welled up with tears.

Fu Yujun picked up a fork, cut a small piece of the cake, and put it in her mouth. "It's delicious," she said.

She ate slowly, while Guan Han watched her. After she finished the milk, Guan Han handed her a tissue to wipe her mouth.

Fu Yujun swallowed and said, "Thank you."

Guan Han didn't correct her.

This only deepened Fu Yujun's despair.

Guan Han replaced the cups with two glasses of plain water on the coffee table. Fu Yujun clasped her hands together, resting them between her knees, and lowered her head. "The account 'For_Love_lf'... it's really mine," she admitted.

Summoning her courage, Fu Yujun glanced up at Guan Han, whose expression remained unreadable.

She really had known all along.

Fu Yujun smiled bitterly to herself.

"Over three years ago, almost four," Fu Yujun began, "I attended Tangtang's wedding. Just as I was about to fall asleep, I received a message from you. You accidentally sent me a fan edit of President Qin and Tangtang. To save you from embarrassment, I pretended to be a fan of their pairing too and struck up a conversation with you."

Guan Han's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. This part, she truly hadn't known.

Fu Yujun made no attempt to justify her deceit. "Although my initial intention wasn't to deceive you, after that night, I grew fond of pretending to be a fan and interacting with you. Everything that followed was deliberate. I've always had feelings for you, but work kept me too busy to get to know you better, and you were always so hard to approach. So I..."

Guan Han remained silent.

Fu Yujun continued, "Later, when I recommended fanfiction to you and you said it was out of character, I decided to write one myself. Fortunately, you liked it, so I kept writing, interacting with you under a pseudonym. The more I learned about you, the more I fell for you. When my contract was about to expire, I went to President Qin and made a condition: if I could be assigned to work under you, I'd join the company."

Guan Han tapped her knee lightly with her knuckles. "After your confession failed and I decided to keep my distance, that story you wrote about you and me—was that intentional?"

Fu Yujun nodded softly. "Yes."

"And borrowing the hairdryer right after I left a comment?"

"Yes."

"Those privately commissioned works you sent me?"

"Yes."

"Everything was part of your plan, including my reactions. You predicted it all, didn't you?"

Fu Yujun struggled to speak. "Yes."

"You acted all businesslike in person, while online, you used a stranger's identity to extract information from me, subtly influencing me, over and over again. Watching me step right into your carefully laid trap and fall for you—did it make you proud?"

Fu Yujun looked horrified and immediately denied it. "I didn't!"

"Not even a little?" Guan Han's expression remained calm, her tone as casual as if she were discussing the weather.

"Not at all!"

"Alright," Guan Han said. "I believe you."

Fu Yujun froze.

Was that it?

A flicker of disbelief shone in Fu Yujun's eyes. "Do you forgive me?"

Guan Han shrugged.

"I've forgiven you," she said. "I forgave you the day after I found out. After all, everything you did was out of love for me, and I've come to care for you too. To be honest, life with you has been quite good."

Though her words were clear, Fu Yujun still felt an inexplicable unease.

"So..." Fu Yujun asked cautiously, "Are we okay now?"

Guan Han picked up her bag from the side, took out a key card, and pushed it toward Fu Yujun with her index finger, her tone devoid of emotion. "I've booked a luxury suite for you at an international hotel for one month. Your luggage has already been packed and sent there."

Fu Yujun forced a smile. "I don't understand what you mean."

Guan Han looked at her. "You do. You're smart—there's nothing you don't understand."

Fu Yujun's face turned pale, her lips pressed tightly together.

Guan Han continued, "I can forgive what you did before, but I can't forgive your current secrecy and deception. When we were at your place, I told you clearly: only players can play on the field. We're supposed to fight side by side, not alone. Speak directly, no acting. Do you remember that?"

Fu Yujun explained weakly, "I remember. I was just afraid..." of losing you.

Her lips moved, but the rest of her words faded into silence.

Guan Han nodded. "I can understand, but as I said, I can't forgive it. You lied to me because, ultimately, you don't trust me, and you don't trust our relationship."

The color drained completely from Fu Yujun's lips, leaving them as pale as paper. She had no rebuttal.

Guan Han clasped her hands together and delivered her verdict. "So, we should take some time apart to cool off."

Tears welled in Fu Yujun's eyes. "For how long?"

Guan Han didn't answer.

She met Fu Yujun's gaze for two seconds, her knuckles tightening with effort before she reluctantly looked away. Picking up a magazine from the coffee table, she flipped through it casually and spoke in a businesslike tone. "I won't be accompanying you to your upcoming schedules. Everything's arranged. If there's official business, have your assistant relay it. Let's not see each other for a while."

She paused almost imperceptibly, catching her breath before adding, "You must be tired from the journey. I'll have the driver take you back to the hotel."

Guan Han stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window to make a call.

From behind her, Fu Yujun said, "That's not necessary. I'll arrange it myself."

Guan Han, with her back turned, paused for two seconds before replying, "Alright."

Fu Yujun picked up the down jacket she had left on the sofa, draped it over her arm, and stepped backward, one slow step at a time.

Guan Han's back remained straight, like a tree, seemingly unshakable.

As Fu Yujun reached the door, the light in her eyes gradually dimmed. She turned and closed the door behind her.

The click of the lock acted like a switch, freezing the scene. Guan Han's rigid spine suddenly slumped. Pressing a hand to her chest, she slowly walked back and sat on the sofa, waiting for the sharp pain to gradually subside.

She wiped the tears from her chin, sat quietly for a moment, and then made an outgoing call.

"Miss Yao? Could I ask you for a favor?"

"Yes, it's about Fu Yujun."

"If she calls you after having nightmares, please let me know."

"It's fine. No matter how late, you can call me anytime. I'm available 24/7."

"Well, thank you. It would be best if I don't end up having to call you."

......

Fu Yujun sat in the back seat of the van, her expression wooden, like a silent statue.

Ai Ya was trembling with fear.

A tear fell from Fu Yujun's eye without warning. She turned her head to look out the window, biting her lip hard as more and more tears streamed down.

The van stopped at the hotel entrance. Wearing sunglasses, Fu Yujun went upstairs accompanied by her assistant, swiped her card to open the door, and saw a medium-sized suitcase placed against the wall in the entryway. It wasn't the one she had brought to Guan Han's house, and her backpack was missing too.

Fu Yujun stared blankly at the brand new suitcase for a moment, but her mind couldn't handle thinking about anything more. All she wanted now was to cry and then sleep.

Ai Ya didn't even step inside before Fu Yujun shooed her away. Sighing, Ai Ya looked at the tightly shut door.

Fu Yujun dragged her leaden legs to the bathroom and took a hot shower. Tears mingled with the steaming water, her suppressed sobs drowned out by the sound of the shower.

She collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep, only to wake up in the middle of the night shivering from the cold. Pulling the blanket over herself, she remembered how Guan Han used to tuck her in, and tears streamed down her face once more.

Under the shadow of the trees across from the hotel, a figure stood for a long time before driving away.

The next day, Ai Ya came to pick her up and was startled by what she saw.

Inside the room, Fu Yujun's suitcase lay open on the bed, its contents—mostly a change of clothes and her usual skincare products, all brand new—scattered about. There was nothing extra.

"I'm fine," she said, forcing a smile through puffy, red eyes.

Ai Ya thought, Oh, my dear, and hurried to find something to soothe her eyes.

Her makeup that day was heavier than usual. The makeup artist struggled to conceal the swelling around her eyelids, joking lightly to comfort her, "If you cry again, even I won't be able to make you presentable tomorrow. I'd have to admit defeat and pack my bags."

Fu Yujun clasped her hands together and gave a slight bow to the makeup artist.

In Ai Ya's eyes, Fu Yujun seemed to bounce back just one day after the "breakup." She didn't drown her sorrows in alcohol, nor did she wake up with swollen eyes again. She threw herself into her work and treated everyone around her with diligence.

But when she was alone, her spirits visibly dipped. She would often space out, only snapping back to reality when she noticed someone watching her, offering a faint smile in response.

She stopped going to the company to avoid running into Guan Han, afraid of breaking their agreement.

Only she knew that she had turned her phone's sound back on. Every time it rang or chimed with a notification, she would check it immediately—each time hoping, each time disappointed.

......

At QinTang Entertainment, Guan Han was in the middle of reporting to Qin Yinong when her phone suddenly rang from her pocket. She paused her report, glanced at the screen, and muted it.

After finishing her report, Qin Yinong remarked with a smile, "So that's your ringtone? I've never heard your phone go off before. Isn't that a song by Fu Yujun... what's it called again?" She clicked her tongue. "You're quite the secret romantic, switching from vibrate to ringtone just to show off, huh?"

Guan Han smiled but said nothing.

After work, Guan Han returned to her home. Everything inside remained exactly as it was before Fu Yujun left, even the book she had been reading was still lying on the coffee table.

Guan Han watered the small succulent on the windowsill. Its leaves had started to wilt again this summer, but after her careful nurturing throughout the autumn, it had grown even more robust than the previous year, lush and vibrant.

She picked up a black pen from the pen holder and crossed off another day on the calendar on the desk.

Placing her phone in a waterproof pouch, Guan Han brought it with her into the bathroom.

......

Twenty days later, in the dead of night at 1 a.m., Tang Ruoyao received a call from Fu Yujun—surprised, yet not entirely unexpected.

Tang Ruoyao asked, "Nightmares again?"

Fu Yujun replied, "How did you know?" She laughed lightly. "Great, now I must have the worst impression in your mind."

While comforting her, Tang Ruoyao gently nudged the sleeping Qin Yinong's shoulder. Qin Yinong blinked her sleepy eyes and looked at her. Covering the microphone, Tang Ruoyao mouthed, "Fu."

Qin Yinong silently pursed her lips, picked up her own phone, and headed to the bathroom.

Across the street from the hotel, a black car was parked in the shadows. Guan Han sat in the driver's seat, her seatbelt unfastened, her gaze fixed upward at the towering building. Suddenly, she frowned.

Had she woken up? Was it a nightmare?

Guan Han pressed her thin lips together and glanced at her phone resting on the console. She picked it up and checked—calls, text messages, WeChat—nothing she wanted to see, as usual.

In the quiet of the night, just as she was about to set the phone down, it rang.

Guan Han saw the caller ID and couldn't hide her disappointment, but she answered immediately, speaking rapidly, "Qin Jie! Is it—"

Qin Yinong replied irritably, "Yes, your wife called my wife again. What exactly are you even doing?"

"Right." Guan Han responded while pushing the car door open. "I'm going now—" She stumbled, catching herself with her palm against the ground, barely avoiding a full fall. Without a second thought, she shook her hand and strode quickly toward the hotel entrance.

After Fu Yujun hung up the phone and had just settled back into bed, Guan Han swiped the key card on the sensor, turned the handle, and walked in.

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