At this point, Fu Jing can’t deny that there’s Something between them, worthy of a capital s.

“It’s really not a big deal,” Xuanyi says as Fu Jing finishes dabbing ointment on her legs, being so careful about it Xuanyi can barely feel her touch.

Five minutes and thirty one seconds after I walk into this restaurant, I can tell that it definitely isn’t a simple late night crawfish restaurant.

When Xuanyi hears Fu Jing say “I have to walk down this road alone,” she can’t help herself as she mouths No, Jing, I’m still here, I’ll always be here.

“I didn’t make it at SM and I didn’t make it in Produce Camp either.” Yiyang swallows and casts her eyes down. “It just…it feels like I failed, you know?”

Dear God. After Fu Jing’s heat has finally ended and she’s fallen into a deep sleep, Xuanyi sits in an armchair by the window and feels her heart still pounding at 180 bpm as she starts to seriously ponder this question. Weren’t they just going to have dinner? Why did she devour the host who sent her an invite in her house once again?

“You were,” Myungsoo starts, and doesn’t even know how to finish that sentence. He always has too many words he wants to use to describe Sungyeol and yet never enough at the same time.

“Was everything a sham? Our friendship, was it just a way for you to get votes?”

Xuanyi flattens her hands against her abdomen. “Do you think my stomach looks big?”

“I’m not ready for it to be over.” Fu Jing sniffs and brings a hand to wipe her eyes. For once, Xuanyi doesn’t beat her to it. “I thought I was ready for it but I’m not.”

Hi everyone, I’m Fu Jing. I think I’m really happy right now!

Hi everyone, I’m Wu Xuanyi, and I’m freaking out right now.

I marked Xuanyi.

Fu Jing is still wiping her eyes when Xuanyi finds her away from the cameras. Not exactly backstage, more like—backtent? “The bing was that good?” Xuanyi says, smiling, as she reaches out to brush away Fu Jing’s tears, lingering longer than she needs to.

You’ve been on what feels like hundreds, thousands of stages, smiled out into millions of faces, felt an infinitude of adoration and enthusiasm and passion.

“So do you think it’s impossible? Staying friends after you break up?” It’s not that it’s impossible, Xuanyi thinks, looking at Fu Jing’s back, her figure even thinner than usual but, as usual, she takes up all of Xuanyi’s sightline, occupies her entire vision and leaves no room for anyone else.

“I don’t get you, Fu Jing.” “I’m not that complicated,” Fu Jing says. She really isn’t. Like many other consorts, she only cares about one person, always wants to see that one person, would do anything for that one person. It’s just that that person isn’t the emperor.

“Liu Xiening…” Yiyang’s voice is cool, her impression inscrutable. “Do you have anything to say for yourself?” “I-I can explain!” Xiening’s voice cracks, of course, in a decidedly panicked way. “It wasn’t what it looked like!”

Love is separated by mountains and seas. Mountains and seas can’t be overcome. She only found out many years later that this was actually an inevitable outcome.

1. “Chaoyue, Chaoyue, am I your little baby?” Yihan, who’s sitting on the couch watching TV, shifts her gaze to Chaoyue, who’s wholly absorbed in playing PUBG Duo Mode online with Fu Jing beside her. 2. Fu Jing has to go with Xuanyi to eat at a high-end restaurant because…