Troublesome – Chapter 127

Teacher Jin’s Secret Crush Extra

The Things About a Secret Crush

Winter came, and Jin Shuilan started a new story. The theme wasn’t novel—it chronicled the daily life of a secret crush—but readers showed up on time every day to camp out on the platform, waiting for the latest update and screaming their heads off in the comments.

【This is too real. My first secret crush was just like this.】

【Painfully real. It reminds me of my last crush. This is exactly what I did.】

【One step forward, you’re afraid of bothering them; one step back, you’re afraid of growing distant. A secret crush is truly the world’s most difficult emotion.】

Jin Shuilan updated right on schedule. After each update, she would read the comments, then switch to a different app and enter a small stream. It was a small stream because there were never many people in the room. The streamer didn’t have a set schedule or a fan group, so there were very few long-time followers, just a rotating audience of transient fans.

Even so, Jin Shuilan had been watching silently for two months.

She hadn’t registered an account, so there was no welcome message when she entered the stream—just a raw string of backend data. The streamer was looking down at something, a thick stack of papers in her hands. She spoke softly and unhurriedly, her voice clear, pleasant, and a little sweet.

“This is the script for the last radio drama. Mm, it’s finished. As for recent radio dramas, ah, I’m in talks for one, but I haven’t decided whether to accept it yet.” The person on the screen was all smiles, her features clear and bright, her eyes especially captivating. Jin Shuilan wasn’t sure if it was because of a filter, but it made her skin look even fairer. She saw a bullet comment ask: 【Qiuqiu, are you going to take it?】

【Wifey Qiuqiu, take it, please take it! I really want to hear you voice act.】

The same few people were always commenting. She recognized them by now. Lu Zhenqiu was still smiling. 【If it’s a good fit, I’ll take it.】

Her smile was particularly infectious—sunny, vibrant, and full of life.

Jin Shuilan clutched her wildly beating heart. As she watched the person on the screen press her lips into a smile, she, too, felt the corners of her own lips lift.

Lu Zhenqiu set down the script. “Should we sing next? Hmm? You want to see a PK¹? Okay, let’s do a PK for a bit.”

She adjusted the camera as she spoke with a smile. When her eyes focused, Jin Shuilan felt as if she were looking right at her. Her heart began to pound uncontrollably. The pads of her fingers pressed hard against the metal edge of her phone’s case, the indentations growing deeper and deeper.

The person on the screen had clear, pure eyes that curved when she smiled. Jin Shuilan suddenly remembered the time not long ago when the girl had bumped into her and looked up to whisper, “Sorry.” Her voice was like a magic spell, invading her dreams night after night.

So this was what a secret crush felt like.

Jin Shuilan watched the screen, carving Lu Zhenqiu’s every frown and every smile into her heart. Then she heard her say, “It’s starting.”

The PK began. The streamer on the other side was also a singer but had a bit more popularity than Lu Zhenqiu, so the value of the PK gifts consistently kept her suppressed. Lu Zhenqiu didn’t seem anxious. Jin Shuilan had watched her stream many times and discovered that she only did PKs to complete platform tasks or at her fans’ request; she didn’t care much about winning or losing. The expression she made whenever she lost and had to obediently do the forfeits always made Jin Shuilan’s heart flutter.

This time, she didn’t want Lu Zhenqiu to lose.

She registered an account. When it came time to choose a name, she thought for a long time. The PK timer was about to run out when she finally typed one in: Autumn is Lan-colored². She deliberately used the wrong character, choosing one from her own name. Harboring the feeling that she might be found out, she sent a gift.

No one noticed.

She couldn’t say if she was happy or disappointed. That cautious, careful feeling had gone unseen. A chill touched Jin Shuilan’s fingertips as she instantly sent a flurry of gifts.

“Thank you—” Lu Zhenqiu paused. “Thank you to my friend, Autumn is Lan-colored. Thank you.”

Polite and distant.

And yet, there was an indescribable flutter of joy.

It was a feeling no one else knew, one she savored all by herself. The bullet comments quickly took notice of her.

【A gold master daddy³!】

【A gold master daddy has arrived!】

【The other side is trying to steal the tower⁴ again.】

She breathed steadily. After the other side tried to steal the tower, she stole it right back. Lu Zhenqiu won the round. She smiled and gave her thanks to the screen. Jin Shuilan saw her private message inbox light up. She clicked it open. It was Lu Zhenqiu’s first message to her: 【Thank you, Boss.】

Thank you, Boss.

She took a screenshot and saved the message, her mood soaring.

She helped Lu Zhenqiu win the next few rounds as well. Each time a round ended, she would glance at her inbox, but it was as if the private message icon had broken. It never lit up again. By the time the stream ended, she hadn’t received another message from Lu Zhenqiu.

After thinking it over, she finally replied to Lu Zhenqiu: 【You’re welcome.】

It seemed the relationship between two people always started with a single overture. Many years from now, Lu Zhenqiu would probably have long forgotten what she had sent Jin Shuilan, but Jin Shuilan would always remember this moment.

After she sent the message, Lu Zhenqiu replied: 【You’ve spent too much today, Boss!】

It came with an adorable cat-head emoji. Jin Shuilan smiled and asked her: 【Was it tiring, singing today?】

Lu Zhenqiu: 【It was okay. I didn’t sing for very long today. I spent more time discussing the script with everyone. Is this your first time watching my stream, Boss?】

“Yes” and “no” hovered at Jin Shuilan’s fingertips.

Finally, she sent: 【No.】

Before Lu Zhenqiu could reply, she asked another question: 【You have a new radio drama coming up?】

Lu Zhenqiu: 【Still in talks.】

Jin Shuilan: 【Is it going smoothly?】

Lu Zhenqiu: 【It’s going pretty smoothly so far.】

An idea occurred to Jin Shuilan. She smiled and typed: 【That’s good.】

Lu Zhenqiu didn’t seem to pay it much mind. She replied with a cute sticker and went offline. Jin Shuilan sat in front of her computer, reading their conversation over and over again as Lu Zhenqiu’s voice quietly echoed in her ears.

Soft and gentle, clear and pure.

That night, it seemed to follow her into her dreams.

The next time she watched the stream was three nights later. She had just rushed to finish her manuscript for publication and was resting in her chair when a push notification appeared on her phone: Lu Zhenqiu was live.

Her face was a little pale, and her eyes weren’t as bright. She seemed to be sick. Her voice was very hoarse, and she would cough every now and then.

“Sorry, I can’t sing today. Can we just chat?”

“Yeah, I have a bit of a cold.”

She coughed again after speaking, and tears welled at the corners of her eyes. Lu Zhenqiu wiped them away with a tissue. The corners of her eyes were rubbed red, and the tip of her nose was red, too. She looked like a little bunny—a bit cute, and a bit pitiful.

For a moment, Jin Shuilan didn’t know whether she should feel sorry for her or laugh. Today’s Lu Zhenqiu was exceptionally gentle. Perhaps because of her hoarse voice, she seemed different from her usual self. The bullet comments kept telling her to go rest early. Jin Shuilan sent her a private message, too: 【You should get some rest.】

Lu Zhenqiu replied: 【Thanks, Boss. I’ll go rest in a little bit.】

With that, she left her computer. The door was left ajar, and a dog’s head—a Golden Retriever—poked in. A short while later, Lu Zhenqiu returned to her desk. She was holding a mug, smiling gently as she replied to the bullet comments. Seeing her pale face, Jin Shuilan’s heart clenched.

A comment asked: 【Qiuqiu, are you drinking cold medicine?】

【Qiuqiu, don’t forget to take your medicine.】

【Qiuqiu, you have to get better soon!】

She typed out a message, then deleted it, character by character. Lu Zhenqiu smiled faintly at the screen. 【I know, I know. It’s not cold medicine, it’s ginger tea. Have you guys ever had it?】

【Ginger tea? That stuff has a real kick!】

【I have. Every time I get a cold, my mom makes it for me.】

【My mom too.】

Lu Zhenqiu blinked at the screen, her smile freezing. Then, she said slowly, “Back when I lived at home, my mom would make it for me every time I got a cold. But I can’t seem to make it taste the same.”

She didn’t know if she was talking to her fans or muttering to herself. Her voice grew quieter and quieter until it was drowned out by the music. Jin Shuilan watched this scene in silence, her grip on her phone tightening.

Lu Zhenqiu ended her stream a little early that day. Jin Shuilan sent her a private message: 【Is your cold any better?】

There was no response for a long time. It wasn’t until the middle of the night that a reply came: 【Thanks for your concern, Boss. I’m much better.】

Jin Shuilan: 【Why are you still online so late?】

Lu Zhenqiu: 【Huh, you’re still awake, Boss? I just came online to reply to messages.】

Right. So many fans were concerned about her health.

And she was just one of them.

Jin Shuilan draped an arm over her head. After thinking for a moment, she called Ji Zibo. It was the middle of the night, and Ji Zibo was already asleep. Her voice was muffled. “What?”

She said, “When is that radio drama being recorded?”

Ji Zibo was groggy with sleep and slurring her words. “Which one? Oh, that one. Next month. What’s up?”

Jin Shuilan said, “I want to move it up. Can we do it at the end of this month?”

“The end of the month, huh.” Ji Zibo yawned. “I’ll contact them tomorrow to check their schedules. What’s wrong? You’re not free next month?”

Jin Shuilan grunted in affirmation and hung up. When she checked again, Lu Zhenqiu was already offline. She put down her phone.

The contract for Lu Zhenqiu’s radio drama was signed with unusual speed. She soon shared the good news with everyone in her stream. The chat was filled with congratulations. Jin Shuilan took advantage of the commotion to drop a couple of gifts and sent a private message: 【Congratulations.】

Lu Zhenqiu: 【Thanks, Boss!】

This time, the reply came with a default system sticker. It was generic, but Jin Shuilan found it unexpectedly cute. She saved the sticker to her photo album, as if she were hiding Lu Zhenqiu herself in the album, hiding her away in her own world, where no one would ever know.

After that, Lu Zhenqiu streamed much less frequently. Sometimes she would only go live once every two or three days, and for only two or three hours. By the time Jin Shuilan was done with her work and went to the stream, she could only listen to the recording.

At the end of the month, Ji Zibo told her everything was ready and they could proceed ahead of schedule. He also told her that several studios would be recording together this time. Her heart knew and her stomach was clear⁵; she replied to Ji Zibo that she understood.

The night before she was due at the studio, she was tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Her phone lit up with a notification that Lu Zhenqiu was streaming. She tapped it open. Lu Zhenqiu’s background had changed. The girl was still smiling brightly. “Yeah, I’ve arrived in the city. I’m in a hotel. The radio drama recording starts the day after tomorrow. What script is it? It’s a secret.”

Her smile was exceptionally sweet.

Jin Shuilan lay in bed on her side, her phone propped up in front of her. Lu Zhenqiu spoke softly from the screen, occasionally replying to the bullet comments. She just listened quietly.

After a long time, a question appeared in the comments, and Lu Zhenqiu read it aloud: “What do you think about secret crushes?”

She let out a laugh. “When I have a secret crush on someone, I’ll tell you.”

The bullet comments giggled and laughed.

Only Jin Shuilan gripped her phone tighter.

What did she think about secret crushes?

For her, a secret crush was probably this: if Lu Zhenqiu so much as glanced at her, she had already figured out how to walk the remaining one hundred steps.

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