Chapter 31: Overflowing Happiness
The words she had always wanted to say but hadn’t, the feelings she had always wanted to express but hadn’t, were now laid bare. As soon as the words left her mouth, Mi Hongdou was incredibly embarrassed, but amidst the rush of blood to her face, she also felt a sense of relief. It turned out that saying these words wasn’t as difficult as she had imagined. But her face was burning hot, what should she do!
For some reason, Ji Junxin heard Mi Hongdou’s “I like you too!” as “I like you!” Her mind went blank, her eyes widened slightly, and a strange warmth rose from behind her ears and spread across her cheeks…
Just one sentence, and both of them were blushing furiously.
Ji Junxin felt dizzy, something seemed off. Fortunately, the slightly delayed “too” finally registered. “I like you too!” What did that mean? Ji Junxin calmed herself down and quickly recalled when Mi Hongdou’s unusual behavior started. It was right after she had given Shen Zhu her autograph, when Mi Hongdou suddenly said she was going out for a walk. So, the “like” she was referring to must be the kind of admiration Shen Zhu had for her, right? No longer shocked, Ji Junxin’s mind was now functioning normally. Thinking this through, she realized her initial interpretation had been a bit of a leap.
“You’re saying, you like me too?” Ji Junxin was eighty to ninety percent sure that the “like” Mi Hongdou meant was the kind of admiration Shen Zhu had expressed earlier, the kind a fan has for their idol. But she didn’t know why, when she felt a slight resistance from Mi Hongdou’s hand, which she was holding, she asked again.
Argh… she wanted to find a hole to hide in! The heat on Mi Hongdou’s face wouldn’t subside. She really didn’t understand why the words that Shen Zhu had spoken so casually and cheerfully were so embarrassing and awkward when it was her turn. Mi Hongdou was looking down, searching for a crack in the ground. If Ji Junxin hadn’t been holding her hand, she would have run away. Now that Ji Junxin had asked, Mi Hongdou could only nod.
The little girl in front of her had her head lowered, her expression hidden, but her ears were completely red. Ji Junxin wasn’t satisfied with Mi Hongdou’s nod. Although Mi Hongdou’s “I like you too!” was so sudden that Ji Junxin had momentarily missed the “too.” Missing one word, it sounded like a confession. With the extra word, it could be interpreted as a fan’s admiration for their idol. But why was she so shy?
Ji Junxin had been famous for several years and had a considerable number of fans. She had heard countless normal confessions like “Ji Junxin, I like you very much!” and more passionate ones like “I’ll always support you, I love you the most!” Recently, the phrase “give birth to monkeys for you” had become popular, and her Weibo comments were occasionally filled with messages like “My dear, I want to give birth to monkeys for you!” Of course, these were all online. Ji Junxin hadn’t yet met a fan in real life who said they wanted to give birth to monkeys for her. As an idol, there would be many people who liked her. Hearing those supportive and affectionate words often, she was touched, but it didn’t cause much of a stir in her heart.
Perhaps it was because Mi Hongdou was also an actress, or perhaps because Ji Junxin already had some admiration for her. When Mi Hongdou said those words, Ji Junxin’s first reaction wasn’t to simply take it as a fan’s admiration for their idol. Although she quickly corrected herself, that brief misinterpretation still puzzled her.
Perhaps it was because Mi Hongdou’s expression when she said those words wasn’t the joy of a fan confessing to their idol, but rather the embarrassment of a confession blurted out in a moment of pique, Ji Junxin thought, finding her own misinterpretation somewhat amusing.
Mi Hongdou, who had lived several decades across two lifetimes, was also puzzled. While still embarrassed, she was already berating herself. She was so old, yet she had no resilience. It was just being a fangirl, why was she so flustered that her legs felt weak!
Mi Hongdou, caught between embarrassment and self-reproach, remained silent with her head lowered. Mainly because she didn’t dare to look up and see if her idol, after hearing her confession, would smile kindly and respond like she did with Shen Zhu… Although that would be nice, it still felt like something was missing.
The little girl in front of her kept her head down and didn’t speak. Earlier, when Ji Junxin asked, “You’re saying, you like me too?” she only nodded without saying anything. Ji Junxin had never encountered such a shy fan and had no experience dealing with this kind of situation. She could only recall her interactions with fans on Weibo.
In Ji Junxin’s limited experience, ordinary fans would say “I like you very much.” More enthusiastic fans would say “I love you so much.” The most passionate ones would say “I want to give birth to monkeys for you.”
Ji Junxin, wanting to understand Mi Hongdou’s situation, inexplicably asked: “Do you also want to give birth to monkeys for me?”
Mi Hongdou, who was struggling with whether to buy a nice, big notebook to get Ji Junxin’s autograph when they went to buy soy sauce, was startled by this question, as if she had been stepped on, and jumped back: “Give birth to monkeys? Do you even know what that means? What do you mean ‘too’? Who else are you giving birth to monkeys with?” It had only been a few days since her rebirth, and she had been busy with signing contracts and filming, so Mi Hongdou hadn’t had time to browse the internet. Was the phrase “give birth to monkeys” already popular? Even if it was, who would dare to give birth to monkeys with Ji Junxin? If people had fangs, Mi Hongdou’s would be bared right now.
“Cough…” Ji Junxin had originally just been teasing, but she didn’t expect the previously shy girl to suddenly turn serious and question her, even looking a little angry. Even if she knew that “give birth to monkeys” meant having children, the current atmosphere wasn’t suitable for this kind of joke. “Well, since we’re both out here, how about we go buy soy sauce?” Ji Junxin abruptly changed the subject. As for what level of fan Mi Hongdou was, based on her awkward confession earlier, she didn’t dare to explore further.
Even if it was an abrupt change of topic, it was still a way to resolve the awkwardness, wasn’t it? Who knew that Mi Hongdou wouldn’t take the hint and instead pulled Ji Junxin, her expression serious, and said: “Giving birth to monkeys means having children. You can’t just say that to others. If someone jokes about giving birth to monkeys with you, don’t respond positively. Although on the surface, it’s just a joke, and no one will take it seriously, you still have to be careful. What if someone uses this kind of joke to create a scandal? It would be troublesome…” It wasn’t like similar things hadn’t happened to others in her previous life, just not with the phrase “give birth to monkeys.” Now, although Qiao Rubai and Mi Hongdou were reborn, “Imperial Secrets” had already started filming, and Zhang Zijing, Jiang Duo, and Lu Gaoshi were still around Ji Junxin. Moreover, there was also the reality show collaboration coming up. During such a long period, if Qiao Rubai and Mi Hongdou disrupted someone else’s plans and caused unforeseen consequences, it wasn’t impossible.
In Mi Hongdou’s eyes, Ji Junxin needed to be protected. Some jokes, if taken too far, might become real. She didn’t know how Zhang Zijing got close to Ji Junxin and won her heart in her previous life. Anyway, these two years were crucial, and all-around protection was necessary. In her previous life, Zhang Zijing had clearly used Ji Junxin to rise to fame. After being reborn, Mi Hongdou wouldn’t give him the chance to even create rumors with Ji Junxin, let alone be together.
Suddenly, the little girl was no longer shy, but instead looked like a worried old woman, repeatedly giving her advice. The previous awkwardness was completely dispelled by Mi Hongdou’s rambling. Ji Junxin had never met someone so long-winded. She already knew what Mi Hongdou was saying, but she couldn’t bear to tell her that she understood. Inexplicably, a warmth spread through her heart. Ji Junxin realized that she really liked this kind of concern.
“Alright, alright, I won’t give birth to monkeys with anyone else, only with you, only with you, okay? Let’s go, let’s go buy soy sauce.” Ji Junxin hadn’t intended to interrupt Mi Hongdou, but she suddenly saw Lu Gaoshi and Jiang Duo walking towards them across the street and didn’t want to run into them. It wasn’t anything else, it was just that after what Mi Hongdou said, her heart felt warm, and she didn’t want to run into Lu Gaoshi and have her heart chilled again. At least, not now.
So, Ji Junxin said this and pulled Mi Hongdou away.
What did she say? Give birth to monkeys with me? Mi Hongdou, being dragged away by Ji Junxin, would absolutely not admit that for a moment, she felt like she had been struck by a huge lightning bolt called “happiness”!
“I just told you not to casually say ‘give birth to monkeys’ to others…” Although it was a reprimand, Mi Hongdou’s voice was weak.
“Okay, okay, I won’t say it casually, I’ll only give birth to monkeys with you.” Ji Junxin pulled Mi Hongdou, quickening her pace, casually responding without noticing that Mi Hongdou’s face was getting redder and redder.
She was just saying it casually! She was just teasing! Mi Hongdou knew this in her heart, but it didn’t stop her from feeling like she had been struck by a cluster of lightning bolts called “overflowing happiness.” Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, pain and joy intertwined, it was a strange feeling. She shouldn’t be feeling this way… but, she might as well indulge for a few seconds, just a few seconds.
Idols were really annoying! Idols who casually teased were the most annoying! Mi Hongdou glared at Ji Junxin, who looked completely unfazed, and decided to buy an extra-large, extra-thick notebook later, and a bunch of ingredients to make a table full of delicious food. If Ji Junxin didn’t fill the notebook with autographs, she wouldn’t let her eat! Not a single bite!
Mi Hongdou’s plan was beautiful, but as the saying goes, plans never survive contact with the enemy…
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