Chapter 42: Sweet Oranges

She wanted to leave immediately; even returning to the hotel to sleep would be better than staying here.

But she felt a bit reluctant. Damn it! Why did he look like that! His portrayal of deep affection was too realistic! Why was he looking at me with such reluctance, as if this were our last meeting!

Yang Yi stood up, returning to her usual coldness: "It's too late, let's go back!" Her tone was even somewhat formal.

Chris sensed the subtle change in her emotions; he stood up at a loss, gazing carefully at her face.

Yes, in the news she used this very face—cold, polite, calm. According to his analysis, this represented a deep sense of distance from the outside world; this was her "face for external use."

But now, she was suddenly using this expression to treat him.

Something he didn't know about must have happened.

"What's wrong... did I... did I do something wrong somewhere?" He steadied himself by holding the giant beast's horns. Though nearly 20 centimeters taller than her, he felt as if she were looking down on him at that moment.

Yang Yi looked up at his bewildered face. Oh, if this was his acting, it was far more brilliant than his performances in movies. She could see traces of his real self in any role he played in films, but from his real self, she could detect none of the characters he had portrayed.

In the illusory dream she wove, he was like a king draped in sashes and wearing a crown, lofty, glamorous, and dazzlingly brilliant, while she herself was like the dirt on the ground, a wild weed by the roadside. If she could become this king's servant—that would be such an honor—sometimes she thought so.

But at certain times, she was like a rebellious minister committing treason, fiercely driving him from his throne, ascending the throne herself, watching him kneel beneath her feet, watching him crumble into the dust. But even then, he remained proud, as if he were noble by nature, his spirit forever strong.

In the illusions she shaped, he would never show such bewilderment, like a child who didn't know what mistake he had made.

Even if this was acting, it satisfied her vanity and her desire for control, no less than watching a former king kneel before her, looking up and begging for her forgiveness.

Considering he had provided ample emotional value, Yang Yi smiled and shook her head: "No, you did very well. It's just that it's late, we should go back; I have a meeting tomorrow."

Yang Yi released this pitiful giant beast and flew back to the hotel with Chris.

She set him down on the terrace, hesitating, thinking about what to say before leaving.

Chris saw through her intentions; he realized her influence on him was too great, to a point he could not bear. He had to cut the knot decisively: either abandon this dangerous relationship or win her heart. He could not remain in this state filled with unease and suspicion.

Just say "I think we aren't very compatible," and everything ends. You won't lose yourself, you won't be unable to endure her sudden coldness. Say it quickly!

"I smell like oranges today..." was the sentence that slipped out.

Perhaps the disappointment in his heart had overflowed, causing him to say it involuntarily.

This god among men had forgotten the "agreement" from their first meeting. From this small detail, he sadly realized she didn't seem to care about him that much. Her approach to him might have been just curiosity, just to fulfill a fan's wish.

His disappointment was so obvious that Yang Yi suddenly understood she was influencing this superstar's emotions; she controlled him.

An uncontrollable joy suddenly filled her heart.

A person once only imagined in dreams, distant as the horizon, worshipped as a god, the most expensive sapphire in a shop window—a sapphire her salary couldn't buy even if she worked from the age of dinosaurs—was, from this moment on, entirely at her disposal.

In that instant, she felt a tingling numbness along her spine, a sensation of complete comfort throughout her body.

She decided not to rush to open the lid of the box containing the sapphire; isn't the anticipation before unwrapping a gift the most enjoyable part?

Yang Yi leaned close to him and sniffed lightly; indeed, there was a faint citrus scent, perhaps mixed with other fragrances. Because it differed so greatly from the cheap orange candy scent of her childhood, she hadn't connected the two at all.

But this behavior pleased her; she felt extremely satisfied inside, and she even wanted to kiss him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think... you would still remember this..." Yang Yi was both excited and hesitant; she wanted to stay with him a while longer, yet also wanted to leave quickly.

She felt somewhat moved, and being moved was the easiest way to entrust one's true heart; she wasn't ready yet.

She took a breath, made up her mind to leave: "Um... I hope my childish behavior today didn't scare you."

She began to conclude their first date of the day.

"No, I was very happy today," Chris said sincerely. "I'm afraid I'll never be able to forget this night."

This sincerity was almost piercing, hardly seeming like acting.

What if... what if he wasn't acting? What if all his actions... came from his true heart?

Yang Yi seemed burned by his gaze, quickly looking away, her tone stumbling involuntarily: "Then my goal is achieved; I can make my idol remember me forever..." She deliberately spoke as if joking, but it wasn't very successful.

She stepped back, deciding to say goodbye and leave quickly.

Chris stretched out his long arm, firmly grasping her shoulders, and gazed into her eyes: "Yang Yi, look at me!"

Yang Yi was startled. Chris had always been a gentleman; he had never made such an overstepping move before. She looked at him somewhat dazed.

"I am not some idol, let alone a star. Acting is just my job—I hope that before you, I am just an ordinary man, a man who has feelings for you, a man pursuing you! Please forget those illusory images you saw on television in the past; perhaps there was a bit of true feeling in them, but mostly they were improvised performances, pretenses based on entertainment requirements. Please look at the real me, not the illusory me!"

This completely disrupted Yang Yi's rhythm; she unconsciously swallowed, staring blankly at his face.

These words struck her heart like swords, cutting through her suspicion and indecision. She almost began to doubt if he was also an Awakened one; the ability he awakened must be mental, just like Jane or Veder.

She simply couldn't believe his words came from his true heart, from his genuine liking for her, from the fact that he had already fallen in love with her...

Chris's expression was complex: "Yang Yi, I'm even afraid of you seeing the real me, because I expect the illusory you hold in your heart is shaped by those film and television works. Those roles were shaped by the Hollywood industrial process. Yes, they each have strengths, each has moving aspects, but that is the credit of the director, the screenwriter, the cinematographer, the editor, perhaps also me—the actor. But those are not my own strengths; the charm in those characters has nothing to do with me personally. Stripped of the halo caused by fans' projection psychology, I am very ordinary—Oh God, how I want to show my best side before you. I both hope you continue to be infatuated with me, not seeing the fact that I am an ordinary person, and I hope you know I am an ordinary person, yet still fall in love with the real me... I..."

Suddenly, he seemed to snap back to his senses, realizing he was rambling nonsense. He let go of Yang Yi's shoulders, stepped back a few steps in confusion, and sat on the edge of the pool.

Yang Yi recovered from her shock. The confused man before her was no longer perfect, no longer dazzlingly brilliant to the point of being unbearable to look at. He was even no longer the proud king; he was just an ordinary man named Chris Norton. His profession was acting; perhaps he was very successful, perhaps his acting was good, but in his life, he was completely a sincere person.

Perhaps, this was the truth.

This realization swept away all suspicion and indecision. For the first time, she had a sense of certainty; she felt she had finally fallen from the suspended air to the ground, her feet firmly planted.

Moreover, she thought his confused and bewildered appearance was even more charming than his previous dazzling brilliance.

Yang Yi slowly walked over and sat beside him; together, they gazed silently at the bright moon in the sky, lost in thought.

She felt that this brief moment of shared silence brought them closer to each other than all their previous ambiguous connections.

After a while, Yang Yi asked softly: "Chris, I'm very insecure... what exactly do you like about me?"

Chris realized she didn't dislike him because of his impulsive confession just now; even that coldness that kept people at a thousand li away had vanished. She suddenly seemed to have a human touch, like any real person beside her, rather than that "god among men" who tamed giant beasts.

"I don't know... really," Chris turned his body, gazing at her. "Perhaps it was when I first saw you at the banquet, when you said you were my fan, and you also said you were afraid of those monsters, treating them like cabbages... Perhaps it was seeing you dive headfirst into Misty Town in the news... Or perhaps it was when you told me about your mother who abandoned you since childhood coming to find you... I really don't know... When you confessed to me that day, I was overjoyed. I even hated myself for not confessing first. But you hung up on me—I worried if you regretted it. At that time, I thought, seize this opportunity quickly, must hold on tight, even if she really regrets it... Am I very despicable? Are you disappointed in me?"

Yang Yi bit her lip and smiled, shaking her head. "No. On the contrary, I like you more and more."

Chris said, feeling a bit aggrieved: "I started preparing from two in the afternoon. I took a shower, shaved, wore the suit I guessed you would like. I also specially prepared roses and champagne, a candlelight dinner. I waited from the sun setting until the moon rose. I kept waiting and waiting, but you never came. You didn't even make a single phone call..."

At this moment, Yang Yi felt she was utterly guilty; the crimes she committed should have landed her directly in prison.

Yang Yi really wanted to hug him and say sorry, but she also felt that would be too lacking in restraint.

If it were before—before he said those words—she could have naturally approached him, controlled him, even played with him, and then discarded him. But after those words, she dared not profane him or defile him anymore.

Yang Yi could only lift her face to look at him, immersed in his blue and beautiful eyes. At this moment, these two pools of water were no longer mysterious and incomprehensible; instead, they were clear and transparent.

Chris gazed at her: "... Oh God, your eyes are so beautiful... May I kiss you?"

Yang Yi was set ablaze entirely; heat steamed from within to without, and she felt her head dizzied by this warmth, unable to think.

Chris still gazed deeply at her, waiting for her reply. When he saw her flushed face, he understood; sometimes a girl's blush is worth ten thousand "I do's."

He reached out to wrap an arm around her waist, slowly lowering his head; his pace was very slow, as if giving her a chance to change her mind.

Yang Yi now simply didn't know what to do; should she close her eyes? But wouldn't that make it seem like I'm eager for him... to kiss me? Then keep my eyes open? Wouldn't that be even stranger?

Her heart was about to leap from her chest; she heard the entire world echoing with her drum-like heartbeat. At this moment, she was as if placed upon a bonfire, being roasted, being burned; her blood was boiling, and her world was spinning upside down.

Chris's lips were very soft; he first gently and carefully tested, and only after sensing she did not object did he continue forward.

She was like a dazed little fish, stiffening in place; he gently drew near her, tentatively touching her. She startled and retreated a bit, then stiffly turned back to look at him. She was too inexperienced, so he good-naturedly took hold of her, guiding her, and two little fish danced together in the stream...

Yang Yi felt fireworks going off in her brain, crackling and popping, almost causing tinnitus, dazzling her eyes to the point of blindness.

His breath was also orange-scented; perhaps he used orange-flavored mouthwash, perhaps he chewed orange-flavored gum, or perhaps he himself was a sweet, giant orange...

Yang Yi's mind was much like gruel; her jumbled thoughts drifted through her brain like floaters, and whenever she deliberately tried to catch that annoying mosquito, it slowly vanished.

He really was so sweet; why could a man's scent be so wonderful...

Yang Yi vaguely thought that her stomach hadn't taken in any food for many days; the scent of food carried a rotting aura to her. She persuaded herself, self-hypnotized, that this was normal; she was merely perceiving the future state of food in advance...

But at this moment, this sweet orange had no rotting deadness at all; it was even more delicious, more tempting, and more vibrant than a real orange. Her stomach, empty for many days, suddenly felt double the hunger.

The torment she suffered from "It" during the day was merely icing on the cake, hunger upon hunger. She was like a traveler in the desert, extremely thirsty and hungry, eagerly absorbing the sweet water source...

Not enough! Not enough! Too little!

Every cell in her body was clamoring; they were restless, like wild wolves starved for over ten days that finally spotted a lone sheep, furiously pouncing upon it, tearing its flesh, thirstily drinking its blood, and absorbing its life...

'Hehe...'

Suddenly, she heard a cold sneer, seeming mocking, seeming malicious, seeming like someone watching a show.

Yang Yi instantly came to her senses; she hurriedly looked at Chris, seeing only that his expression was intoxicated and dazed, as if he had witnessed the most beautiful and happiest scene of his life—the same expression as the corpses beneath the altar.

She suddenly pushed Chris away; her whole body felt as if it had fallen into an ice cellar. A chilling coldness penetrated straight to her soul, making her shiver.

"What's wrong?" Chris seemed to suddenly come to his senses; he gazed at Yang Yi in confusion, completely unaware that he had just walked a circle at the door of hell.

"I... I have to go; I have a meeting tomorrow." She stammered, her teeth chattering. Before Chris could react, she swiftly flew into the high sky and vanished in an instant.