“Here, Xiaoya, open wide.”
Lin Jin’an brought a spoonful of eggplant rice bowl, at just the right temperature, to Li Xingya’s lips.
Li Xingya: “…”
Staring at the lunch in front of her mouth, Li Xingya turned her head away in resistance.
“…I can feed myself.”
She struggled to say.
‘Lin Jin’an is going too far.’
‘Isn’t she treating me completely like a child?’
‘Playing around during breakfast is one thing… but now she’s doing it again at lunch.’
Li Xingya shot Lin Jin’an a disgusted look, reaching out her hand.
“Give me the spoon.”
“No.”
‘Tsk.’
Seeing Li Xingya’s helpless expression, Lin Jin’an smiled even more brightly.
‘Ahh.’
‘Xiaoya’s look of disdain is amazing too.’
‘Unlike when she fakes a smile.’
‘This kind of disgust… is completely from the heart.’
Lin Jin’an preferred the real Li Xingya.
“Come on, Xiaoya, just one bite, okay?”
Lin Jin’an pleaded.
“I order from this place all the time. It’s really good.”
“…I’d rather eat something you made with your own hands, Sister.”
Li Xingya sighed but still opened her mouth.
When it came to being willful, she thought Lin Jin’an was more like a child.
Sometimes she really couldn’t tell who was accommodating whom.
But that was fine too.
‘Having her whole heart focused on me and all.’
Thinking this, Li Xingya opened her mouth again.
‘Xiaoya’s a tsundere through and through.’ — Lin Jin’an fed another spoonful of minced pork eggplant into Li Xingya’s mouth.
“How is it?”
“It’s passable, I guess.”
Li Xingya picked up the bowl of pork rib and seaweed soup from the table and took a sip.
“You order takeout like this every day, Sister. Is your cooking really that bad?”
“Actually, I’m pretty good at making instant noodles.”
Hearing this, Li Xingya chuckled.
“Isn’t that the same as me?”
Li Xingya had once considered learning to cook for Jiang Chiyue.
Now, she was having the same thought again.
If there was someone at home who cooked good food and waited for her to come back from work, would Lin Jin’an like her a little more?
‘Until I finish paying off my debt and leave, I have to keep Lin Jin’an firmly by my side.’
‘As for what comes after…’
Li Xingya thought about the day, three years from now, when she would quietly slip away.
A sudden pang of pain shot through her heart.
Did Li Xingya like Lin Jin’an…?
She thought she probably did.
She couldn’t say what kind of like it was, but it was liking nonetheless.
Yet the life she had now wasn’t what Li Xingya wanted.
She didn’t want to shine brilliantly on stage.
She yearned for that feeling, but she was also terrified of actually doing it — no matter when, change was always a painful thing.
Right now, Li Xingya could use “work” and “debt” as reasons to numb herself, but what about later?
What would she do when those reasons were gone?
When that time came…
‘…When that time comes, I’ll definitely end up running away.’
Just like Li Xingya had always insisted.
‘Lin Jin’an and I will always be people from two different worlds.’
‘I just hope Lin Jin’an can forget me quickly by then.’
“Xiaoya?”
“Xiaoya?”
***
“Li Xingya.”
“Yes?”
Li Xingya snapped back to reality, looking at Lin Jin’an with a dazed expression.
“What were you thinking about?”
Lin Jin’an set down her chopsticks and bowl, wrapping her arms around Li Xingya and gently pulling her into an embrace.
“Your eyes looked really scary, you know. Did you remember something bad?”
Burying her head in Lin Jin’an’s chest, Li Xingya’s voice came out muffled.
“No.”
‘So big.’
‘Soft and big.’
‘I don’t know how Lin Jin’an managed to develop so well.’
“Sister.”
“What is it?”
“Do you have work this afternoon?”
Lin Jin’an stroked Li Xingya’s hair.
“I haven’t had much going on lately, but next month will be busy. I’m going to be on a variety show.”
“A variety show?”
“Yeah, a love one.”
Lin Jin’an recalled.
“Though I’m appearing as a judge… but I heard from Zhou Zhiting that there might be some small interactions between the judges this time around.”
Li Xingya quietly lifted her head, staring straight at Lin Jin’an with a distinctly “unhappy” look.
“Sister, you never used to participate in love variety shows before. I’ve never even seen that kind of video pop up on my feed.”
“In the past, I had to prioritize my main work, and I didn’t want to become famous through entertainment, so I naturally wouldn’t participate. As for now… I’m just simply boosting the show’s ratings, and maybe mentoring some newcomers on the side.”
A slight smile curled at the corner of Lin Jin’an’s mouth.
‘Xiaoya’s jealous, isn’t she.’
‘It’s fine.’
‘Consider this a little surprise for you. Next month’s show — you’ll be appearing as a special guest.’
Li Xingya naturally had no idea what Lin Jin’an was thinking.
She simply nestled obediently in Lin Jin’an’s arms.
“If it’s just mentoring newcomers, then I’ll temporarily believe you for now, Sister.”
Li Xingya tugged at Lin Jin’an’s sleeve.
“I’ll watch every single episode of that show, including the behind-the-scenes footage.”
Li Xingya’s implication was clear — “I’ll be watching you, so don’t mess around out there.”
As for Lin Jin’an, she just smiled even wider.
‘Forget watching me through videos.’
‘When you get to the set, I’ll let you look all you want.’
‘Don’t worry, Xiaoya…’
‘Other than you, not just anyone can ride on my fame.’
Once the two finished their lunch.
Inside the spacious living room, Lin Jin’an drew the curtains and turned on the ceiling light overhead.
“This afternoon, let’s practice your acting. If Xiaoya wants to debut as an actress in the future, the requirements for performance-related results at acting universities are pretty high.”
Lin Jin’an believed Li Xingya had talent in this area, and she didn’t want her to waste her natural advantages.
‘Smile.’
‘Tears.’
‘Speech.’
These were the most important things for an idol.
A smile earns love.
Tears earn sympathy.
Speech earns remembrance.
Li Xingya didn’t need to worry about tears.
Even if she never cried, her unintentional aura was enough to make people’s hearts ache.
As for speech…
‘…Xiaoya’s so good at lying, I’m sure she’ll have no problem at all.’
But the smile.
Li Xingya was a little liar with lies on her lips.
A succubus who seduced hearts with her smile.
That was all true.
Yet when she smiled, she happened to have a pair of honest eyes.
Li Xingya’s eyes couldn’t lie.
Her smile was never sincere.
On this point, Lin Jin’an believed Li Xingya was aware of it too, which was why she subconsciously avoided eye contact.
“Xiaoya, today we’re going to practice smiling.”
Before the words even faded, a perfect smile spread across Lin Jin’an’s face.
From the angle of her mouth, to the tension of the muscles in her face, to the shy smile hidden in her eyes — everything was perfect.
It was the exact same smile as the Lin Jin’an on stage.
This smile had nothing to do with Lin Jin’an’s mood, nor was it affected by external factors.
It was simply a smile.
A smile Lin Jin’an could produce anytime, anywhere, whenever she wanted.
Only by learning to hide emotions behind a smile could one become a qualified idol.
“If you can reach Sister’s level before the sun sets, you pass.”
“There’ll be a little reward waiting for you then.”
Lin Jin’an gently pinched Li Xingya’s cheeks and pulled them upward, forcing out an ugly grin.
‘Come on, Xiaoya.’
‘Today, Sister will personally teach you how to—’
‘Lie.’