Pat Me Please

Yu Zhou listened to that birthday live stream from beginning to end.

This live stream was very contradictory, the eyes felt noisy yet the ears felt quiet. The world was noisy, but Su Chang was silent.

She recalled Su Chang saying that what she wanted most, what she considered the most precious in the world, was Yu Zhou herself. But now, in a world without Yu Zhou, she expressed gratitude to the world.

Su Chang did not receive the best things, yet she remained grateful.

Yu Zhou was wrong. In their relationship, she had never changed. She was like a snail, always being lured by Su Chang’s beautiful spring. When a storm came, she would retreat into her shell and leave Su Chang alone.

She didn’t know how Su Chang shielded her from the wind, nor did she know how Su Chang protected her from the rain.

Indeed, she had given reason and tolerance to many people, yet when it came to Su Chang, she had been stingy.

She should have given it to Su Chang the most.

Yu Zhou often mentioned that Xiang Wan had lived in a cage during ancient times before they met. Now that she’s in the modern era, she has a broader world. Yu Zhou wanted to help Xiang Wan in breaking free from that confinement, become more free and more true to herself.

But Su Chang was also confined within a cage, a cage that was even grander and more dazzling. Her true self fought against those who sought to define her. 

However, the hot-blooded and justice-filled chūnibyō girl had never thought about saving her.

Peng Xiangzhi was right; confidence should be something she gave herself. She needed to find what she had lost rather than punish Su Chang.

She had told Xiang Wan that Su Chang was the one she truly loved and couldn’t live without. Yet she repeatedly pushed her away, which was illogical.

She was actually like many netizens, who liked to speculate about Su Chang, presumptuously thinking they were doing her a favor, but never asking what Su Chang truly wanted.

She was really quite annoying.

Yu Zhou felt like she was beginning to understand. She suddenly sighed, realizing that she had once believed certain beliefs would remain unchanged throughout her lifetime. However, in reality, getting trapped in confinement can happen in an instant, just like experiencing boundless freedom in an instant.

Just like her chasing after stars. Perhaps at some very small point, she would suddenly lose her interest.

She still hesitated, but she sent a WeChat message, saying: “Happy Birthday.”

It was sent at 12:58 but Su Chang did not reply.

She stayed up until three in the morning, but Su Chang did not reply.

Yu Zhou suddenly felt the pain of belatedly realizing her mistakes. Tearing at her heart like paper, not for any other reason, but because she suddenly realized that during those days when she wallowed in self-pity, every message Su Chang sent her – the ones that sunk like stones – might have made her anxiously wait for a response.

It might be three o’clock, or five o’clock.

She was really quite annoying.

For the next three days, there was still no response.

Tossing and turning became more serious day by day, losing a lot of hair, Yu Zhou couldn’t help but go looking for Peng Xiangzhi.

“Have you…been in contact with her lately?”

“Her? Su Chang? No.”

Yu Zhou was at a loss for words, because she suddenly realized, if the other party ignored you, wanting to approach someone and inquire about her whereabouts was really difficult. How did Su Chang manage in the beginning?

“So, on her birthday, you guys didn’t have dinner together?”

She remembered that when Su Chang left, she was still suffering from a stomachache.

Peng Xiangzhi didn’t reply. Three minutes later, a call came in. There was a long sigh at first, and then a whispered voice: “She was called to assist in an investigation. Didn’t you know?”

“What investigation?” Yu Zhou was shocked, this term sounded really serious.

“Don’t panic. It’s just that there has been a big issue in our circle recently. You know about Skywall Culture, right? The one that made the game Heart Wing Summit. The boss had tax issues, but it hasn’t been exposed yet. Don’t expose.”

“Mmm.” Yu Zhou paced back and forth in her house, leaning back on her waist, attempting to alleviate some of the tension. “But what does Su Chang have to do with all of this?”

“At the time, Su Chang had just become famous, and she had been collaborating with them on several characters for years. So now she has to assist in the investigation to clarify the tax situation as working partners. I was quite worried at the time because she is a freelancer, unlike us who have companies. I was afraid that she hadn’t paid taxes, you know.” Peng Xiangzhi spoke softly, as if covering the receiver and talking in a hushed tone.

“So, so…” Yu Zhou stammered, unable to speak.

Had she…actually paid her taxes?

“Yes, she paid, don’t worry. When I asked her, she said that she had declared every penny as personal income tax, don’t worry.” Peng Xiangzhi hurriedly said.

Yu Zhou took a long breath: “That’s good.”

That’s good.

“But I’m afraid that the netizens will use this event against her. I’m actually quite worried, as you know, some people, regardless of what the matter actually is, can make things up out of nothing.”

Peng Xiangzhi was still very worried.

“I saw that she was also quite distressed so I didn’t invite her to dinner.”

“I understand, I know, I know.” Yu Zhou bit her upper lip and rubbed it gently.

“Moreover, this situation is so risky. The company’s tax affairs were problematic. Many freelancers usually choose to let the other party withhold and pay taxes on their behalf when signing contracts. However, Su Chang was cautious and reported her taxes herself. Can you imagine if the other party hadn’t withheld and paid taxes for her? She would have been involved and might have trouble explaining herself. Although, I heard that if the company’s obligations are thoroughly investigated, it should be fine. But it’s still worrisome if things aren’t clear.” Peng Xiangzhi shuddered just thinking about it.

Yu Zhou was also terrified, feeling cold even in the June weather.

She pondered for a moment before she unconsciously lowered her voice, asking Peng Xiangzhi, “What is she doing now?”

“How would I know? You should ask her yourself.”

“She won’t talk to me.”

“She won’t talk to you… That’s normal; she’s distressed right now. The audio drama she rejected earlier still has unresolved issues. When they were in discussions with her initially, they announced her involvement before signing the contract. Some people only cooperated because she was involved. Now that she quitted, the other party has lost face. I heard she tried to go to the other party’s place to make amends last week, offering to record some to make up for it in some way, but they don’t want to deal with her anymore. They think these matters can’t be resolved with just some make-up work. It’s about personal relationships, which are more important than anything.”

“It’s not their fault either. Mainly because when she rejected them, she turned her phone off too.” Peng Xiangzhi also felt quite speechless.

“What should I…” Yu Zhou was overwhelmed with guilt.

“I’m out of solutions,” Peng Xiangzhi said candidly, “You’ll have to figure it out yourself. I’m busy over here too. And you two are such a mess, I can’t handle it.”

“…Okay, I understand.”

“I have to go now, talk later.”

“Alright, goodbye.”

After hanging up, Yu Zhou sat in the living room for a while before she sent a WeChat message to Xiang Wan: “Wanwan, are you busy?”

She didn’t receive a reply until 3 PM.

Growing restless, Yu Zhou washed her face, changed her clothes and took a taxi to Jiangcheng Central Building.