Yang Lulu started saying while holding my hands, "Zhao Shiza, I am so, so sorry for yesterday's thing."
"Why should you be sorry? There is no need for that. Just relax."
"No, no, it's needed," she said. "I was the one who sent you those strawberry cupcakes, but trust me, trust me—I didn't know that those cupcakes somehow had drink in them. I don't know how it happened. I tried your phone, I tried to call you, but your phone was switched off."
"Yes, I ran out of battery yesterday," I said.
"I hope my cupcakes didn't cause any trouble for you yesterday?" she asked.
"Of course not, Yang Lulu," I said.
"But Zhao Shiza, what if because of it you got so drunk? If anything, anything happened to you, I'll never be able to forgive myself."
"It's okay, Yang Lulu. It was just a mistake, and I'm not a kid. I'm a grown-up woman. I can handle it," I said to her.
"No matter how much you say that you are grown up, I know you are still so innocent in this world. And because of my silly mistake, your innocence came on the verge yesterday," she said.
"Stop it now, Yang Lulu, and just help me get ready for the shoot. Come," I said.
She nodded.
While helping me get ready, I asked her, "But tell me, Yang Lulu, why did you send me those cupcakes through parcel? And why didn't you come to the set yesterday?"
"Actually, Zhao Shiza, my family found a boy for me, and soon I am going to marry him. Yesterday was a small get-together at my place where our families met and discussed our marriage."
"Are you happy with it?" I asked.
"Yes, of course. That boy is a really good person, but I'm afraid of one thing," she said while looking down.
"Which thing?" I asked, stopping her hands while she was helping me wear the earrings.
"I'm afraid that marriage comes with great responsibility. I don't know whether I'll be able to handle it or not," she said.
I held her hands and said, "Yang Lulu, you know what? You are such a mature person. You handle everything so well on the set. Just like this, you'll handle marriage too."
"You don't understand the depth of marriage responsibility, Zhao Shiza. You are still a kid from inside," she said, softly squeezing my cheeks.
"Why do you call me a kid? Can't you see I'm a grown-up, beautiful woman?" I said.
She chuckled a little. "Okay, okay, my grown-up woman. Now sit properly and don't move. I'm going to do your eye makeup."
I nodded.
Then there was a knock on the door.
"Who is it?" Yang Lulu asked.
A voice came from outside, "Miss Yang Lulu, sir is calling you. Please come outside."
"Which sir?" I asked her, shocked.
"I don't know. Maybe Director Li is calling me for something," she said.
"Yes, maybe. You should go. I'll wait for you to do the remaining makeup," I said, taking the brush from her hand.
She went outside.
Yang Lulu asked that person, "Is Director Li calling me?"
"No," the person said, and took Yang Lulu to Xu Yuan's room.
She got quite shocked—why did Xu Yuan want to see her? She had nothing to do with him.
She entered the room slowly and stood there.
Xu Yuan was sitting on the couch. He immediately stood up and asked, "Miss Yang Lulu, are you the one who sent those cupcakes to Zhao Shiza yesterday?"
She nodded.
He exhaled sharply, as if controlling something inside him, and said, "Why did you send her cupcakes that had drink in them?"
"Mr. Xu Yuan, actually she is my friend—my very close friend. Yesterday my marriage got fixed, so I wanted to share the happiness with her."
"By giving her cupcakes that made her drunk, right, Miss Yang?" he said quietly, in rage.
"No, no, never. How can I do this to her? It was just a mistake by the bakery. They sent the wrong cupcakes. I even tried to call her, but her phone was switched off," she said.
"Just call her? Can't you send any person to her? Can't you call anyone else?" he asked.
"I didn't think that way," she said.
"You just called her once, and when you found her phone switched off, you got free from your responsibility, right?" Xu Yuan said.
He started scratching his head badly, trying to control his emotions.
"Do you even know what could have happened to her yesterday if I didn't reach on time?" His voice raise.
He continued, "Do you know she might have been with the police because someone was about to complain? And what if someone—someone—I can't even say it. Do you even have any idea how vulnerable she was?"
He paused, then said, "No, you don't. But she is the one who has been saying sorry to me since morning, doubting herself that she must have misbehaved with me while drunk. How could she? Even then she was thinking about everyone else, not herself."
"She doesn't remember a single thing about yesterday. What if something bad had happened to her? Who would take responsibility? You, Miss Yang? Tell me—what would you say to her parents? Their daughter is still just studying in college. She is still a kid from inside. I know that."
He sat down on the couch and rubbed his face with both hands.
Yang Lulu stood there quietly, saying nothing. She was observing something unsaid in his words—something hidden.
She finally spoke softly, "I know what I did was a mistake, but—"
Xu Yuan stopped her mid-way, raising his hand. "You may leave, Miss Yang. But be careful next time. If anything like this happens again, you know better."
She nodded and left.
Outside the room, she started talking to herself while walking. "This is not the first time I've seen this. I've seen it before—yes, I remember. This is the same way Zhao Shiza reacted when Xu Yuan was admitted to the hospital. Do they both have feelings for each other? And if they do, why haven't they said it?"
"I think I'm thinking too much… but I've never seen Xu Yuan in such rage. I should go back to Zhao Shiza. She must be waiting for me."
The room was quiet.
Xu Yuan was still sitting on the couch, eyes closed.
"Why did I yell at Miss Yang so much today? Why wasn't I like this before? Why does my heart feel so heavy?" he thought.
Then he remembered how I apologized to him that morning.
"She is so innocent. Why didn't she ask me anything? Does she trust me so much? No… what trust? We don't even know each other well. Then why does it feel like I've known her for years and years?"
"I don't know why, but why do I feel like I need to protect her? If something ever happens to her, I can't live."
"Why am I feeling this? Am I… am I starting to fall for her? No. No. I can't. I can't."
His eyes filled with tears that rolled down.
"I don't know why she avoids me. Why she always runs away from me. Yesterday, in her drunk state, she was talking about me the whole time—'My Xu Yuan is the best.' How does she know every tiny detail about me? How? When?"
He laughed lightly, with unbearable pain. "When did I become her Xu Yuan?"
"I can't answer these questions. I can't even ask her about her secret. I won't force her. She'll say whatever she wants when she's ready."
"I won't trouble her anymore."
"But why am I stuck with her? Why did I tangle myself with her?" he asked himself, rubbing his hair with both hands.
"Some questions don't have answers. Some remain questions forever."
Xu Yuan looked down at his hands and whispered, "What should I name this feeling? Is it love? Or something else?"
"I don't know. I don't even want to name it. The only thing I know is that my soul is screaming—"
"I want to protect you. I want to protect you from anyone and everyone, from anything and everything..."