The Byoukidere Is Her Sweetie

Chapter 123: 123: Fang Bao, do you mind living together?
 

Suddenly unable to cry anymore, Fang Lixiang: “…”

She took a tissue, blew her nose, her eyes originally filled with sorrow, now squeezed out a hint of grievance.

Actors are just actors, switching roles effortlessly.

Actor Fang sighed, “Ah, I can’t believe I’m even less than a blanket of Jiang Zhi’s.” After the sigh, another tear welled up in her eyes; before she had been crying, now it was a crying scene, still textbook level, “Zhou Xufang, have you forgotten the happy times we had together as extras over the years?”

Zhou Xufang did remember, so she corrected her, “It wasn’t that happy.” She meant no harm, she was just sincere, “I didn’t know Jiang Zhi back then.”

Fang Lixiang was finished.

Jiang Zhi was all pleased with herself.

Ah Wan saw Jiang Zhi with a glowing complexion walking out of the rest tent and still thoughtfully asked after her, “Boss, are you alright?”

The boss was obviously in a good mood and didn’t even mind getting knocked out by a stool.

Ah Wan was reassured, tiptoed to peek inside the rest tent, and asked, “Is Miss Zhou alright?”

Jiang Zhi closed the door, standing in the doorway blocking it, “Zhou Xufang’s clothes are wet, send someone to get her a clean set.” Also, “She wears size 37 shoes.”

Ah Wan gave a ‘leave it to me’ look and then went to call Ms. Song, informing Ms. Song that Shuangxi’s mother’s clothes were wet and Daddy Shuangxi asked for clothes to be prepared.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ɴονǥᴑ.сο

From the rest tent, sounds of Fang Lixiang could be occasionally heard, laughter, crying, wailing, all included.

This girl, Xue Baoyi wanted to support her, not bad acting skills, just a bit over the top, with too many vulgar words, Jiang Zhi was slightly worried, afraid that Zhou Xufang might be led astray.

“Over there,”

Jiang Zhi pointed to the water’s opposite side.

“Which director’s crew is that?”

After hanging up the call with Ms. Song, Ah Wan replied, “Director Hong.”

Leaning on the door, Jiang Zhi looked lazily in the distance and casually mentioned, “Call the head of their photography team over.”

The investor for the crew on the other side was the Luo Family, Ah Wan thought the boss was up to something, “What do you want them for?”

He responded offhandedly, with little enthusiasm, “Talk about collaboration.”

Bullshit!

Ah Wan: “Oh.”

Ten minutes later, the chief person in charge of the photography team from “Da Wei Heavenly Dynasty” was ‘invited’ over by Ah Wan, picked a rest tent with no one around for a special ‘treatment,’ and Ah Wan considerately…er, ‘waited’ at the door.

This person in charge was obviously overwhelmed and then excessively shocked, becoming somewhat flustered, “Director Jiang, hello.”

Can’t blame him for being weak, it’s just that Jiang Zhi’s reputation is too grand, ranking first on the Imperial City ancestors list!

The handsomest ancestor in the capital casually dragged his voice, “What’s your last name?”

“My last name is Huang.”

He glanced up and then quickly lowered his head again.

This ancestor, ranking first on the list, was also first on the beauty list – just looking at that face, indeed, would make photographers itch to take his portrait, with very little clothing…

“Let’s skip the nonsense,” Jiang Zhi shifted his position, more like sprawling than sitting, willowy as if boneless, “I want to know if Mr. Huang is interested in collaborating with me.”

Mr. Huang was momentarily thrilled, nearly squeaking, “Of course!”

Jiang Zhi was a low-output director, not many films directed, but it was either high box office or high ratings, raking in awards until his hands were full—not only did his own films benefit, but his team also rose with the tide, achieving both fame and fortune.

So even if Jiang Zhi was tough to serve, there was no shortage of people in the Imperial City willing to line up from the southern to the northern border to attend to him.

Mr. Huang just couldn’t figure out why he was chosen.

“Cough, cough, cough, cough…” Jiang Zhi coughed lightly and slowly followed up, “It depends on whether Mr. Huang is sincere.”

Mr. Huang understood there was no free lunch in this world, “Just tell me what you want, Director Jiang.”

He raised an eyebrow slightly, uttering a name.

Luo Yinghe.

Mr. Huang got the message. Generally speaking, even during actors’ break times, there would be specific cameras turned on. Luo Yinghe had the gall to do it because the crew wouldn’t dare offend the Luo Family.

However, in the Imperial City, who would dare cross the youngest master of the Jiang Family?

The scenes scheduled for today would have wrapped up by four in the afternoon, but due to Zhou Xufang falling into the water, there was a delay, and they shot until sunset.

Zhou Xufang had one scene, playing an orange seller, not showing her face, but with one line of dialogue, still in a scene with the second lead, Fang Lixiang.

Fang Lixiang asked: How much are these oranges selling for?

Zhou Xufang: Three cents a pound, miss, if you don’t buy, you can’t touch.

Indeed, this wasn’t just ordinary dialogue, but also a secret signal – Fang Lixiang obviously knew, this was the director giving his girlfriend more scenes. So, she, on the brink of infiltrating the enemy, had to trot down the mountain to buy a pound of oranges, even took the secret code dialogue meant for the male second lead and gave it to Zhou Xufang.

Director Jiang also insanely hid the enemy’s important letters inside the oranges, invisibly elevating Zhou Xufang’s role to something very mysterious and badass, leading some onlookers to think it was the big boss’s entrance.

Fang Lixiang wanted to give a thumbs up for that move.

Of course, Zhou Xufang was unaware of how awesome she was in the movie. Instead, she noticed something – her fellow extras working with her suddenly became especially warm towards her.

The extra playing the enemy’s Detective A, a middle-aged lady, came over to chat with her: “You’re called Zhou… Zhou… Zhou…” What was it again?

Actually, the circle of extras wasn’t large, and they bumped into each other on set from time to time. Zhou Xufang could be considered a ‘veteran’ extra, just not sociable, not mingling, always wrapping herself up, her buddies seldom saw her face, nor knew her name, so they gave her a codename – Xiao Hei.

Zhou Xiaohei said, “Just call me Xiao Zhou is fine.”

Xiao Zhou, with a mask, hat, and gloves on, looked like a black lump from afar or up close.

The extra lady thought for a long while, couldn’t find the right words to praise her, and reluctantly complimented, “Xiao Zhou, you look quite good in that outfit.”

Xiao Zhou: “Thank you.”

Extra playing the enemy Agent B: “Xiao Zhou, want some chocolate?”

Xiao Zhou reached out with both hands: “Thank you.”

Extra playing the enemy Agent C: “Xiao Zhou, where are you from?”

Actually, Xiao Zhou didn’t know either, but saying she didn’t know would be strange, so she said, “I’m a local.”

Agent C had a look of realization on his face.

Extra playing our side’s Detective A: “Xiao Zhou, want some milk tea?”

Xiao Zhou: “Yes.”

Extra playing our side’s Agent B: “Xiao Zhou, have some bread.”

Xiao Zhou: “I’ll have some.”

Extra playing the innocent civilian killed by the enemy A: “Xiao Zhou, want some little fish snacks?”

Xiao Zhou: “Yes.”

Extra playing the innocent civilian killed by the enemy B: “Xiao Zhou, fancy some duck feet?”

Xiao Zhou: “Sure.”

Comrade Xiao Zhou had no resistance to snacks, so she accepted them all and then went off to a corner to eat her stash.

She thought, next time she’ll also bring snacks to the set to share with friends. Oh! The little fish snacks are so tasty; she’s going to buy a cartload.

Xiao Zhou was enjoying her snacks when the extra playing the undercover agent on our side squatted down nearby.

“Xiao Zhou,” the serious question came, “you know Director Jiang?”

Xiao Zhou swallowed the fish snacks, wiped her mouth, and put her mask back on.

The special extras chuckled and hinted around the subject: “I see Director Jiang takes quite good care of you.”

Extra playing the innocent civilian killed by the enemy A: “That’s right, you didn’t see it just now, when you fell into the water, Director Jiang almost fainted from worry.”

Comrade Xiao Zhou pondered: Did Jiang Zhi really nearly faint from worry?

Extra playing the innocent civilian killed by the enemy B: “Assistant Lin even said you are a very important person to Director Jiang.”

Extra playing our side’s Detective A: “You must be very close with Director Jiang.”

Comrade Xiao Zhou was still a little socially awkward and not used to being watched by so many people, she subconsciously looked down, avoiding eye contact.

She tried to minimize her presence and replied very softly: “I’m his distant cousin.” She added, “We are not that close, the very distant kind.” She had agreed with Jiang Zhi to date surreptitiously, so she couldn’t tell the truth.

Just then, the very distant, very distant, cousin Jiang Zhi, who just ‘happened to pass by’: “…”

After work, the very distant, very distant, cousin Jiang Zhi called Zhou Xufang out with a phone call. They got into the car one after the other, sneaky and without a word to each other.

Jiang Zhi suddenly hummed, “We’re not close?”

Distant cousin Zhou Xufang: “…”

He stared at her with an intense gaze, like a beast that had tasted blood, sending a dangerous message: “I’ve kissed you so many times, you’re telling me we’re not—”

Zhou Xufang immediately covered his mouth and glared at him: “Ah Wan is still here.” Don’t say such shameless things…

Jiang Zhi pulled her hand away, slightly upset, a bit fierce, but since he had a delicate appearance, his fierceness seemed mostly harmless, like a clawing kitten: “If he dares to peek, I’ll break his dog’s head.”

Driver Lin Wanwan: “…” she kept her hands on the steering wheel, playing the quiet driver.

“Zhou Xufang, I’ll give you one more chance.” Jiang Zhi pinched her chin, not forcefully, but he wouldn’t let go, and insisted on looking into her eyes, “Are we close or not?”

It was clear from his expression—dare to say we’re not close, and I’ll make sure we are.

Zhou Xufang quickly nodded.

What she meant was, they were very close.

But Jiang Zhi played bad and deliberately misinterpreted, leaning in close, his handsome eyebrows and eyes full of triumphant joy, “Where do you want to be kissed?” Without waiting for her reaction, he took the initiative and kissed her lips.

Lin Wanwan internally cursed: Beast! Jerk!

Zhou Xufang thought: Ah Wan is right, Jiang Zhi is a little bastard.

Along the way, Zhou Xufang looked at the scenery outside the car window, ignoring that immature little bastard Jiang Zhi.

Jiang Zhi’s phone kept ringing, it was their childhood friends’ four-person group chat, distracting him, so he muted it. Before muting, he glanced at the chat content, and it was Xue Baoyi, that idle rascal, sending cheesy love lines, only the good baby Xue Bingxue would entertain him.

The handsomest man in the capital: “Guess where my heart is?”

I am a small ice snowflake: “On the left side.”

The handsomest man in the capital: “Wrong, it’s by your side.”

I am a small ice snowflake: “Your heart has a problem.”

Qiao Nanchu: “His brain has a problem.”

The handsomest man in the capital: “Do you have a lighter?”

I am a small ice snowflake: “I don’t.”

I am a small ice snowflake: “I don’t smoke.”

The handsomest man in the capital: “Then how did you ignite my heart?”

I am a small ice snowflake: “Get lost, it’s so disgusting.”

The handsomest man in the capital: “I want to buy a piece of land.”

I am a small ice snowflake: “Where? What project are you investing in?”

The handsomest man in the capital: “Your undying devotion.”

Xue Bingxue: “I’m not talking to you anymore!”

The handsomest man in the capital: “Are you tired?”

Xue Bingxue: “Tired, yeah. I got up at six this morning to go to Yuxiu Mountain to find Wei’er.”

The handsomest man in the capital: “Of course you’re tired, you’ve been running around in my heart all day long.”

Xue Bingxue: “Shameless!”

Qiao Nanchu had kicked the handsomest man in the capital out of the group chat.

Jiang Zhi tossed her phone aside and looked towards Zhou Xufang, but she wouldn’t look his way, which slightly displeased him.

“Xufang.”

Zhou Xufang turned her head to look at him: “Yes?”

The words that Xue Baoyi had sent, though silly and tacky, were still lovey-dovey, and his own family member here seemed to really enjoy hearing them; every time they were spoken, her eyes would turn red with emotion.

Therefore, Jiang Zhi decided to take a leaf out of that book.

He had a good memory: “Guess which side of me my heart is on?”

Zhou Xufang wore a big “confused” expression on her face: “Huh?”

“It’s on your side.”

Zhou Xufang’s face first appeared startled, then innocent: “It’s in your chest; I didn’t take it.”

Jiang Zhi: “…”

This didn’t count. Zhou Xufang was hearing this kind of cheesy lovey-dovey talk for the first time and hadn’t yet grasped what to do. Jiang Zhi continued: “Do you have a lighter?”

Zhou Xufang suddenly became very serious: “When did you learn to smoke?”

Her expression was grave and stern, no joking around: “Jiang Zhi, you shouldn’t smoke,” she warned him. “Smoking is bad for your health.”

The line ‘how did you ignite my heart’ suddenly became impossible to say. Jiang Zhi licked his teeth in frustration, with an indescribable expression: “I don’t smoke.”

“Oh, that’s good then.”

Jiang Zhi felt a bit hot, rolled down the car window, supported Zhou Xufang’s shoulder, and made her look at him: “Zhou Xufang, I want to buy a piece of land.”

Zhou Xufang blinked: “Don’t you have enough money?” She reached into her wallet, pulled out a card, and handed it to Jiang Zhi, “I can give it to you.”

Jiang Zhi: “…” He stuffed the card back to her, “I’m not short on money.”

This steel-hearted straightforward girl!

The passenger, Lin Wanwan, struggled to suppress her laughter until her face contorted.

After a quiet moment.

Jiang Zhi still wasn’t quite reconciled, tried one last time: “Are you tired?”

Zhou Xufang finally responded according to the script: “Not tired.”

Jiang Zhi’s furrowed brow relaxed: “You’ve been running around in my heart all day.”

This time, Zhou Xufang understood.

She said: “Jiang Zhi, you’re so cheesy.”

Jiang Zhi: “…”

In the end, who’s the cheesy one!

He didn’t want to talk to this steel-hearted straightforward girl anymore and turned to look out the window, but unexpectedly ended up cricking his neck.

Zhou Xufang immediately grew anxious: “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Zhi held the back of his neck, let out a few hums and haws, tilted his head, and collapsed onto Zhou Xufang’s shoulder: “My neck hurts.”

Cheesy lines didn’t work on Zhou Xufang, but the sympathy ploy always caught her.

“Let me take a look.”

Jiang Zhi obediently bowed his head for her inspection.

Zhou Xufang pulled open the collar of his sweater: “It’s all bruised, a big patch.” Jiang Zhi’s skin was pale, making the injured area look distinctively marked. She used her fingertip to gently touch it, “Does it hurt a lot?”

It didn’t hurt.

Her fingers tickled him, making him want her to be gentler, but also harder.

He answered: “It hurts.”

Zhou Xufang thought he was really in pain, so while rubbing the area she blew on it too: “Then we should first go to the hospital.”

Jiang Zhi took her hand out from his clothes: “Do you have any medicinal plasters at home?”

“Yes.”

“Then let’s go to your place.”

Zhou Xufang hesitated, then agreed: “Alright.” She glanced at Ah Wan, saw he wasn’t peeking, then dared to reach out her hand to loop around Jiang Zhi’s neck, her palm against the red and swollen spot, “How did this happen?”

Jiang Zhi said: “A dog did it.”

Lin Wanwan, who was always ready to eavesdrop: “…”

After more than ten minutes, they arrived at Yuquan Bay. Ah Wan parked the car outside the residential area, waited in the car, while Jiang Zhi and Zhou Xufang went in, hand in hand. From behind, they indeed looked like a perfect couple – that is, if Jiang Zhi didn’t insult someone by calling them a dog.

As soon as Zhou Xufang entered her house, she started rummaging through the cabinets trying to find the medicinal plaster, turning everything upside down before finally digging out a box that wasn’t expired, along with a bottle of medicinal liquor.

She had Jiang Zhi sit on the sofa and stood behind it herself. “Lower your head.”

Jiang Zhi pulled her to the front, and by lowering his head, it perfectly reached her waist. He wasn’t behaving himself, nudging her with his head.

Zhou Xufang pressed down on his head, telling him not to move. She poured some medicinal liquor into her palm, rubbed it to warm it up, bent down, and placed her hand on his neck, gently massaging in circles. “This is medicinal liquor, a friend gave it to me. It’s very effective for bruises.” It was Shuangjiang who had given it to her, but since her self-healing abilities were very strong, she rarely used it.

Jiang Zhi looked up, “Male or female?”

“Female.” Zhou Xufang patted his head, “Lower your head.”

Jiang Zhi wrapped his arms around her waist and lowered his head again.

Zhou Xufang poured some more medicinal liquor into her hand, covered his neck with her palm again, and gently massaged him. “Does it hurt?”

“It doesn’t hurt, it’s cool.”

It was the temperature of her palm, very cool.

But Jiang Zhi found it comfortable, an agonizing sort of comfort.

After Zhou Xufang finished applying the medicinal liquor, she put two plasters on him. “All done.”

As soon as she removed her hands, he caught them and pressed them back. “Your massage is very soothing, do it a little longer.”

His mind was foggy, recalling the ludicrous things he had done to her in his dreams.

His desires were stirring.

Zhou Xufang didn’t realize this, her hands remained on his neck, feeling sorry for his injury, so she massaged very gently.

Suddenly he asked, “Xu Fang, do you mind cohabitation before marriage?”

Zhou Xufang was startled for a moment, then shook her head, “I don’t mind.”

He suspected she didn’t understand.

“The kind where we share a bed.”

Her face turned red, but she still shook her head, her answer unchanged, “I don’t mind.”

Jiang Zhi pulled her to sit down, “You answered too quickly,” he said, with a quite rationale attitude, “As a girl, you should think about it deeply.”

Zhou Xufang didn’t think about it and said firmly, “You’ll think for me, I’ll listen to whatever you say.”

She trusted him completely, leaving no room for personal thoughts or margins.

However, Jiang Zhi shook his head. “Even if it’s me, you shouldn’t agree to everything I say. Don’t just acquiesce to my requests – I’ll take advantage of that, and then, if one day you stop indulging me, I might feel like it’s because you’re in the wrong or you don’t love me anymore.”

He was serious and his tone wasn’t like usual.

Zhou Xufang listened, half-understanding, “So we can’t cohabit before marriage?”

He said not exactly, “If you can be sure, at the very least after careful thought, that you will marry me someday, that you’ll be the mother of my children, then we can.”

Zhou Xufang was still somewhat naive about marriage. She didn’t completely understand his words and asked Jiang Zhi, “Have you decided?”

Jiang Zhi nodded, “Yes, I have decided, so I’m waiting for you.” He looked at her with profound eyes, like an endless starry sky on a mid-summer’s night.

Being someone who follows his desires and has a strong possessive streak, Zhou Xufang was surprised to hear him say such things, “What you’re saying is strange.”

Jiang Zhi picked her up and sat her on his lap, “Does it not seem like me?”

She obediently hung her arms around his neck, “Yeah.”

The usually Jiang Zhi would be clingier, love to act spoiled, and liked her to coddle and spoil him. Sometimes he even got annoyed if she didn’t obey him.

Jiang Zhi touched her still hot ears, “These aren’t my true intentions, but what your mother should’ve taught you. But since it’s just you, with no one to teach you, it’s up to me.” He let go of her ear and kissed its tip, adding, “Although I would really like to live with you, would really like it if you agreed with everything I want.”

The last part was his true intention.

Yet, knowing Zhou Xufang grew up alone, he couldn’t bear to see her confused and fumbling as she learned to be independent and kind. He took it upon himself to teach her the rest.

He felt like something was wrong with himself, clearly her boyfriend, yet he was playing both dad and mom, wanting to fill all the gaps for her.

Zhou Xufang was moved and held onto his neck, kissing his face repeatedly, “Jiang Zhi, you really are a good person.”

“…”

He had been given the “good guy” card again.

Jiang Zhi had dinner at Zhou Xufang’s place, neither of them could cook, so they ordered takeout. The person who’d just spoken of not living together anytime soon couldn’t bear to leave, playfully asking Zhou Xufang to kiss him, dawdling for a long time before going downstairs.

Zhou Xufang’s home had cameras everywhere except where she slept, changed clothes, and bathed. When Jiang Zhi was there, she’d turn them off, only to turn them back on after he left. She also turned on her computer; the building she lived in, the residential area, and the area outside all had surveillance. She watched her computer screen as Jiang Zhi’s car drove away into the distance.

Shuangjiang went online, and SpongeBob popped up, “Xu Fang.”

Zhou Xufang absentmindedly responded.

“Jiang Zhi is already far away.”

“Oh.” She shifted her gaze from one computer to the next.

Shuangjiang had serious matters to discuss, “I did some digging on the adoptive son of the Luo Family.”

“Did you find anything?”

Zhou Xufang suspected that she had some relationship with Luo San or the Luo Family – the disjointed fragments could be memories.

“The information I found is pretty much the official story the Luo Family tells,” Shuangjiang used a synthesized voice rather than typing, “He was a child brought from the countryside by the family’s butler. The Luo Family adopted him as a son. He has chromosomal abnormalities, born with disabilities, he doesn’t feel pain or hunger, and also has speech impediments.”

Chromosomal abnormalities again, Zhou Xufang furrowed her brows.

Shuangjiang continued, “But one thing is odd, no one in the Luo Family likes this defective adopted son. Why keep him? The Luo Family doesn’t have any kind-hearted souls who would raise an outsider for no reason. If it were just because the Luo Family lacked a male heir, they could’ve simply adopted a normal child instead of one they call ‘retarded.'”

Zhou Xufang fell silent for a while, then spoke up, “I can only think of one possibility.”

Shuangjiang asked, “What?”

“Luo San is of Luo Family’s bloodline.”