Chapter 37: Jealousy Distorts the Human Face

On his way back to the bedroom, Lu Zhou ran into Li Jiayan in the living room.

She was sitting there alone, an open can of beer beside her. The television played a comedy show in the background, but she wasn’t watching it; instead, she was absorbed in her phone.

“Not going to sleep yet?” Lu Zhou greeted her casually.

“No need to get up early tomorrow, so I’ll stay up a bit later,” Li Jiayan replied. When she saw that it was Lu Zhou, she patted the spot next to her on the sofa. “Care to chat for a while?”

Lu Zhou sensed she had something on her mind for him and didn’t refuse. There was no one else around, and the living room lights were dimmed.

He sat down beside her. They looked at each other in silence for a couple of seconds, neither speaking.

“How are you?” she asked in a low voice, rubbing her temples.

“How am I?” The question caught Lu Zhou off guard.

“I just wanted to check if you're alright. After tonight’s date, it seems everyone’s emotions were a bit off. Some people seem to be under a lot of pressure.”

She spoke in a hushed tone, as if worried someone might overhear.

“I’m fine. What about you? Any pressure?”

“No, I’m good too.”

“Good. Then don’t burden yourself with unnecessary worries. Do what you want to do,” Lu Zhou said, glancing at the time, then at her beer can. “Get some rest soon. It’s late, don’t drink so much or you’ll wake up with a headache.”

It was the kind of advice an old friend might give. Having said his piece, he didn’t linger and returned to his bedroom.

Not long after, Zhang Chen came back. The two of them shared a room, but tonight, silence hung heavy between them.

Lu Zhou had no interest in paying attention to Zhang Chen’s jealous mood. He switched off the bedside lamp and prepared to sleep.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

After these few days, Lu Zhou had already figured out the pattern: when someone knocked on their door at night, it was almost always a female guest looking for Zhang Chen. So he ignored it, turned over, and closed his eyes, trying to sleep.

“Who is it?” Zhang Chen got up and opened the door, only to find Ye Fangfei standing outside.

His irritation evaporated instantly, a smile spreading across his lips as he greeted her warmly, “Fangfei? What’s up? You wanted to talk to me?”

As he spoke, Zhang Chen instinctively pulled the door nearly shut, ready to step outside and talk to Ye Fangfei.

But at that moment, he heard her ask, “Is your roommate asleep?”

Zhang Chen’s expression froze.

“You’re here for him?”

“Yes.”

He clenched his teeth, gripped the door handle, and swung the door wide open. Looking back at Lu Zhou, who was lying on the bed with his back to the door, he raised his voice, “Lu Zhou! Someone’s here for you.”

Sleep fading, Lu Zhou opened his eyes in confusion, got up groggily, and walked to the door.

Zhang Chen, disgruntled, stepped aside and sat back on his bed, pretending to play with his phone—though his ears were pricked, listening intently.

Lu Zhou didn’t close the door after stepping out. He and Ye Fangfei spoke just outside the doorway.

“What’s your Doule account? Can you tell me?” Ye Fangfei got straight to the point.

“Why do you want to know?” Lu Zhou immediately thought of the show’s rules and didn’t understand her purpose, reminding her, “The program doesn’t allow us to share personal contact info—it’s against the rules.”

“Don’t worry, I checked with the crew. For work purposes, as long as I don’t add you as a friend, it’s not a violation. I just need your ID to tag you in my video,” Ye Fangfei explained, clearly having considered all angles.

To tag his account? That surprised Lu Zhou.

“Why do you want to tag me?” he asked, unable to suppress his straightforward curiosity.

Ye Fangfei seemed amused by his reaction and smiled.

“Don’t get the wrong idea, there’s nothing else to it. Tonight’s dance video idea was partly thanks to you. When I post the video, I should mention you—that’s just how I do things. Of course, if you’re uncomfortable with it, I won’t tag you.”

For a moment, Lu Zhou had misunderstood her intentions, which left him a bit embarrassed, but he quickly realized how he ought to respond.

“Got your phone with you? I’ll just search for my account on your app.”

Ye Fangfei handed over her phone, already on the Doule short video app. Lu Zhou found his account, opened his profile, and handed the phone back to her.

“This one.”

“OK, got it. Good night!” With her business finished, Ye Fangfei didn’t linger a second longer and turned to leave.

Lu Zhou closed the door and turned to see Zhang Chen sitting on his bed, staring at him with an indescribably aggrieved look.

…

Could he get a new roommate? He really wanted to switch.

Lu Zhou saw no need to explain anything further—after all, in Zhang Chen’s eyes, any explanation now would only sound like a cover-up.

So he silently got back into bed and tried once more to fall asleep.

With a sharp click, Zhang Chen switched off his bedside lamp, plunging the room into darkness.

“She’s always had a kind heart, always eager to help the less fortunate,” he suddenly remarked, his tone thick with sarcasm.

Hearing this, Lu Zhou laughed silently in the dark.

How true the old saying was: jealousy distorts a person beyond recognition.

Yet Lu Zhou found himself curious—Zhang Chen said such things in front of the cameras and didn’t seem at all concerned about how it might affect his image once the show aired. Or perhaps, as the son of a capitalist, he had the privilege of viewing the episodes ahead of time?

Probably the latter, Lu Zhou thought.

Being eager to help others was, after all, an admirable trait. He himself had enjoyed supporting talented newcomers in the past.

Which talented newcomer hadn’t risen up with a little help, only to become a big shot themselves?

He saw nothing wrong with accepting the goodwill of those who had already made it. If an opportunity presented itself, one should seize it—nothing to feel ashamed about.

Self-admiration and bitter disappointment were the true misfortunes of an artist’s life.

Besides, he hadn’t accepted her kindness for nothing—tonight’s video idea had indeed come from his suggestion. Since Ye Fangfei wanted to tag him, why not let her?

Lu Zhou didn’t bother to respond to Zhang Chen’s remark and fell asleep in peace.

But Zhang Chen couldn’t sleep all night.

He tossed and turned, finally unable to resist venting to his best friend via text under the covers:

[What the hell kind of show did my parents invest in and force me to join? I thought I’d get a chance to bond with Ye Fangfei, but she’s practically driven me mad these last few days!]

[I’ve never met a woman so hard to get in my life! All the others go out of their way to please me, but she couldn’t be more distant!]

[And to top it off, she’s been spending time alone with some washed-up guy from the entertainment industry every night, and tonight she even asked for his Doule account. Unbelievable! Is she trying to provoke me on purpose?]

His night-owl friend replied soon enough:

[Ye Fangfei’s famous for being difficult—everyone in the industry knows it. At least, thanks to your family, you managed to get her as your girlfriend for three days. Seriously, have any of our other buddies pulled that off with her?]

[Nope, only you.]

[As for her spending time with that small-time celebrity, it’s probably not to make you jealous. That’s not her style—maybe they just get along or have things in common.]

[There’s no need to be jealous of a washed-up artist, man. She’d never go for someone like that. At most, she probably just sees him as a colleague.]

Zhang Chen: [I’m not jealous, okay? That guy’s not worthy of her. I’m just pissed off, that’s all.]

Friend: [I can smell the jealousy through the screen. Give it a rest.]

Friend: [Honestly, she’s got you wrapped around her little finger.]

Zhang Chen: [Ha! Only because I haven’t won her over yet. Once I do, we’ll see who’s in charge.]

Friend: [Maybe, but right now, you’re acting like a lovesick puppy.]

Zhang Chen: [Screw you. If you were in my shoes, you’d be even worse.]

Friend: [I should be so lucky.]

Friend: [Hang in there, brother. If you want to outshine your older brothers in the family, it’s all about marrying her into your family.]

Friend: [Just keep doing whatever she likes, and one day you’ll win her over. You’ve already got both sets of parents on your side—you’re halfway there.]

Friend: [Isn’t she mad about the arts? Give her more art!]

Zhang Chen: [Art? I don’t know the first thing about art!]

Friend: [So learn!]

Zhang Chen: [Seriously? At my age? Is it not too late?]

Friend: [Where there’s a will, there’s a way! It’s not about the result—it’s about sincerity!]

Zhang Chen: [You’ve got a point.]