Let Me Chase You (Completed)

Chapter 22: Rumors

Being the devotee (and lover) that knew his Zhan-ge very well, Yibo laughter sounded from the phone as he was able to envision what Xiao Zhan was doing and feeling. "You were amazing," Yibo whispered once he calmed down.

"...You too."

Xiao Zhan put his phone on speaker as he got up to wash his face then headed to the kitchen for a wake-up drink.

"Are you making tea?"

"I do enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning too, Wang laoshi."

"... a few hours with a stranger and you're already mimicking his behavior."

Xiao Zhan stopped in the middle of scooping out coffee grounds, What? ... "Oh~, Chuyue..."

"..."

"Hahaha," it was now Xiao Zhan's turn to be entertained by the other man. "Then. How about 'Lao Wang'?"

The two continued with their morning bickering as if they were an old-time couple.

It was a time of peace. It was a time of calm.

Too bad, this calm was one before a storm.

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The unspoken Gusu rule in regards to not using events that occurred on their premises as entertainment materials was a solid wall that was rarely broken. However, for those who craved the benefits that would accrue, they had the lion heart to sneak around the watchful gazes. The final tipping edge was in how valuable the information was and unfortunately for YiZhan, their relationship was one that could break the country.

Even though there were plenty of opportunities for people to obtain images of them at the festival, to bluntly post those up was a fool's tactic. Instead, the smart reporters chose to focus on Xiao Zhan's amazing performance since that was approved by Gusu to be photographed. Utilizing that as the initial spark, fellow reporters and fans started to dig into the personal life of Xiao Zhan. Since Yibo was not trying too hard to hide his courtship, the fans easily found images of Yibo frequenting Yunmeng's hospital, then of him interacting with Xiao Zhan. One simple blurry image of YiZhan was all that the fans needed to ignite the gossip forums and 'scandalous' assumptions were born. As mentioned before, a simple cough from a celebrity can turn into a front-page headline: Yibo smiling at anyone was a major event.

Fortunately for Xiao Zhan, such breaking news was only earth-shattering for those in the circle and fans who were constantly browsing about. For the normal citizens, which he considered himself as would remain oblivious until someone pointed it out. Even more fortunate was that the people who would bring it up were more inclined to protect him from the oncoming poisonous smog of being under the spotlight. For the time being, this simple doctor will carry-out his quiet life while encased in a marble box, wrapped with golden sheets, and tied with spiky vines.

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As for those who live under the limelight, it doesn't matter how far below the earth you try to hide, society will continue to tear your existence apart.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Cheng Xiao was the most surprised at seeing Xiao Zhan on stage that night. Since she wasn't even expecting him to step foot on Gusu ground, to see him perform and did so well made it feel more like a dream. Every time she met this man, she was pushed one step further from Yibo. She was still unwilling to admit it, but that doesn't mean that her consciousness didn't perceive what a catch Xiao Zhan was.

The day after the festival, headlines exploded left, right, in reality, and the virtual world:

Who is this amazing performer?

How is he connected to Wang Yibo?

Wang Yibo's friend... or more?

YiXiao at Gusu Festival!

YiXiao, another date masked under the excuse of "same stage performance"?

YiXiao and a possible third person?

Is YiXiao real or staged to grab viewerships?

And the rumors/accusations intensified. It wasn't that Cheng Xiao hadn't heard the comments from those who knew there was no YiXiao. It was that the supporters were a lot stronger and they fed her motivation to work harder to gain Yibo's heart. She understood and chose to foolishly drown herself in the false supports.

Now that there's a real love rival, the blurry line has cleared itself and allowed the anti-YiXiao fans to destroy any possible implications in their relationship. I knew it! Look how uncomfortable Yibo was! See, he totally took a step away from her! He didn't even eat the food she made for him.

It hurts. Cheng Xiao touched her cheek to feel a trail of moisture. It's painful enough to see your heart cracks, it's more detrimental to have the world rectify your foolishness.

A knock on the door.

Mrs. Yu slowly opened the door and looked inside. Noticing that her daughter was not making any attempt to turn around and face her, Mrs. Yu walked up in concern. She has been hearing some rumors here and there but doesn't delve too much because she knew that the entertainment world was constantly filled with false information.

"A-Xiao," Mrs. Yu walked around and saw Cheng Xiao's tearful face, still staring at the computer screen but her eyes were in a different land. Such an image caused a tremor in her motherly soul. She grabbed Cheng Xiao's hand and called out again, "A-Xiao."

Hearing the familiar voice, Cheng Xiao looked at her mother with complete defeat. "Mom," her voice cracked. Then the tears just fell like waterfalls, "Why can't it be me?"

Mrs. Yu pulled Cheng Xiao in her embrace, holding her tightly for it was the only thing she was able to do at this time. She has witnessed Cheng Xiao feeling defeated and wronged by the entertainment industry many times, but Cheng Xiao was always able to climb back up. However, she has never seen such empty eyes from her daughter before and she doesn't know how this will turn out for the matter at hand was of the heart. Wang Yibo, Mrs. Yu thought in anger. How could you hurt my baby like this!

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Human beings are prideful creatures. Our thoughts and actions strive for survival, stability, and happiness. The ideal image is to be strong, dignified, and understanding; the reality is that we've all foolishly stepped into a safe bubble that indulges our desires. Depending on how big the prize is, we'll completely drown ourselves into the good and the bad just to win. This is usually a slow, slow journey in which you may not realize the crystal clear water has turned murky and black. By then, you've already adapted and have no memory of the path that you took. Even when people tell you to stop, to come back, you can only look at them and ask, How? What they expect from you requires you to take a new route, towards the unknown, and away from your current comfort space. The ideal image is of a strong, dignified, and understanding hero to bravely tread an adventurous path; the reality is a simple human being who just wants to live, even if that means you foolishly choose to linger in the swamp that has long since become your home.

This author wrote this story with Cheng Xiao being the love rival, not an "antagonist". The thoughts she has, the words she speaks, and the actions she takes are things that I believe most of us would also carry out if we're in her shoes. Love makes us all foolish (each person just display it differently). I consider myself a fairly calm and peaceful person but ... if this author came up with such ideas then it also means that there's a possibility for me to act out either in the unforeseen future or an alternate life 🙊🙉🙈

Also.... MXTX novels have put me in mind where there are no such things as an "antagonist", just some severely tragic characters 😭💔💧