Crossover Actors - Chapter 24

The ripples on the lake were so gentle that Qu Yanting felt like sinking into the water to relax his body and mind. He didn’t like being with strangers and found it inconvenient, so he had reserved the pool in advance.

 

He asked, “What are you shouting about?”

 

Lu Wen, taken aback to find that the person who had reserved the pool was Qu Yanting, looked deflated. “I wanted to swim too.”

 

After being blown around by the cold wind at noon, Qu Yanting was tempted to kick Lu Wen into the water and also wanted to hear a reasonable explanation from him.

 

He said, “Go change.”

 

Inside the pool area, the high vaulted ceiling was adorned with spotlights. Three walls had floor-to-ceiling windows, and a pool of deep blue water shimmered with light.

 

Qu Yanting entered first, walking slowly along the poolside. He untied the sash at his waist, letting the bathrobe fall loosely, and tossed it onto a lounge chair.

 

Lu Wen changed into swim trunks, not afraid of the cold, and walked barefoot into the pool, his eyes catching sight of the dark blue silk bathrobe.

 

Qu Yanting was already in the water, gliding through the deep blue.

 

Standing on the marble poolside, Lu Wen took in the vast pool. Through the water’s surface, he saw Qu Yanting, a few dozen meters away, partially submerged, a white streak like thin smoke or gauze.

 

Lu Wen jumped into the water with one arm resting on the poolside. The water was slightly cool, rising to his chest and abdomen. He splashed a few handfuls of water on his neck and shoulders, then stretched out and began swimming forward.

 

In the immense space, only the sound of water remained.

 

Lu Wen and Qu Yanting were far apart, each swimming their own path in parallel lines, as if they would never intersect.

 

After half an hour, Lu Wen couldn’t remember how many laps he had swum. He stopped at one end of the pool, steadied himself in the water, wiped his face, and shook his short hair like a dog, splattering water everywhere. He rested lazily, leaning his elbows on the edge of the pool.

 

Looking around, he was impressed by Qu Yanting.

 

The reservation was so thorough that not even a service staff member was left behind.

 

In the distance, the water splashed and gradually approached. Lu Wen stared without blinking, counting silently, and nine seconds later, the splash reached him.

 

Not bad, he thought silently.

 

Qu Yanting emerged from the water about five to six meters away from Lu Wen.

 

His body floated slightly in the water. As he raised his head out of the water, his dark hair was swept back, and his chin formed a graceful arc with his Adam’s apple.

 

Qu Yanting was dripping wet, with water flowing down his forehead, temples, and collarbone. The droplets on his pale skin reflected the light like a swimming star in the galaxy.

 

Lu Wen’s hand, which had been resting on the edge of the pool, warmed the cold marble. He suddenly pulled his hand away, knocking into the drink tray on the poolside with a clatter.

 

Qu Yanting heard the noise and finally looked over, his damp eyes meeting Lu Wen’s with a slow, watery gaze.

 

Lu Wen, flustered, turned his face away awkwardly. He looked at the glass window, pretending to admire the city night scene, but saw their reflections on the glass.

 

Qu Yanting coughed, covering his mouth with a muffled sound.

 

The tray had mineral water. Lu Wen picked up a bottle, walked or swam closer to Qu Yanting, stopped half a meter away, and unscrewed the cap to hand it over.

 

Qu Yanting took a sip, stopping his cough. With no more splashes around, the area was quiet and empty. He looked at Lu Wen silently.

 

In less than three seconds, Lu Wen felt uneasy. “What’s up?”

 

His words echoed slightly. Qu Yanting asked, “Don’t you want to say something?”

 

Lu Wen raised an eyebrow, puzzled. He wondered what Qu Yanting meant. Should he say something?

 

After pondering for a moment, he chose an appropriate topic: “I see you swim well in the frog style. Can you do the butterfly stroke?”

 

Qu Yanting replied, “Yes.”

 

Lu Wen tried to lighten the mood: “Shall we race a lap?”

 

Qu Yanting said, “No.”

 

Lu Wen awkwardly said, “Oh,” and the conversation about swimming ended. He didn’t want to think of anything new. Besides, he had a genuine question.

 

“You…” he started, “Why didn’t you go to the B team dinner?”

 

Qu Yanting answered, “Too many people.”

 

Lu Wen was dismissed by the simple three-word response. Unsure if it was true, he asked again, “Why reserve the entire pool for swimming?”

 

Qu Yanting replied, “Same reason.”

 

Lu Wen said, “Then why let me in?”

 

Qu Yanting sighed in resignation. He regretted letting Lu Wen in. Holding the bottle of mineral water, he said, “It’s nice to have someone to pass the water when my throat is uncomfortable.”

 

The conversation seemed impossible to continue. Lu Wen said, “Okay, okay, drink up. Have some more.”

 

Qu Yanting tightened the bottle cap and placed it on the poolside. “I don’t want mineral water. Go to the water bar and bring me a cup of oolong tea.”

 

Lu Wen frowned at the additional request. Out of respect for Qu Yanting’s previous favor, he agreed but said for the sake of appearances, “I was about to get some dragon fruit juice anyway. I’ll bring you a cup of tea too.”

 

Lu Wen turned away, propping himself up on the counter. Water droplets slid down his slightly arched shoulders, and the thin but resilient muscles on his back were highlighted.

 

Behind him, Qu Yanting didn’t feel the satisfaction of having a servant. Instead, he felt stifled. As Lu Wen emerged from the water, the sound of splashing followed. Qu Yanting couldn’t help but ask.

 

“Did you forget something at noon?”

 

Lu Wen stopped abruptly, surprised that Qu Yanting brought it up.

 

How could he answer? That he hadn’t forgotten and hadn’t missed the appointment? That he had been foolishly holding a persimmon and had become the top on WeChat exercise?

 

Then, he was intercepted by Ruan Feng.

 

Qu Yanting asked more directly, “Why did you stand me up?”

 

Lu Wen took a deep breath and answered, “I overslept this afternoon.”

 

Fearing more questions from Qu Yanting, Lu Wen climbed out of the pool and quickly headed to the water bar.

 

Oolong tea needed to be brewed fresh, and dragon fruit juice needed to be freshly squeezed. His phone was locked in the changing room. Lu Wen waited, listening to two men at the adjacent table talk about real estate, bonds, and finally, wellness services.

 

He finished the juice first and returned with a cup of oolong tea to the pool, much like bringing the persimmon to the lakeside, and all for Qu Yanting.

 

After several minutes, he hoped the noon incident had been put to rest. Lu Wen called out loudly, searching for Qu Yanting’s figure amidst the echoes.

 

No response.

 

The deep blue water remained still. Lu Wen focused on the center of the pool, where under the shimmering light, Qu Yanting was submerged, unmoving like a stagnant cloud.

 

Lu Wen shouted, “Teacher Qu?”

 

In the next moment, he felt a sudden panic and shouted, “Teacher Qu!”

 

Lu Wen dropped the oolong tea and sprinted along the poolside, diving into the pool with a splash. He swam with all his might, shouting, “Teacher Qu! Qu Yanting!”

 

“Qu!”

 

Lu Wen swam to the center and sank into the water, reaching out his arms to Qu Yanting.

 

Qu Yanting, holding his breath, was enveloped by the water from head to toe. The sensation of weightlessness made his tense body relax completely.

 

Suddenly, a pair of strong hands lifted him up. A warm, solid body pressed against him, and the person wrapped their arms around his waist, pulling him up to the surface.

 

Qu Yanting squinted his eyes; the lights were blinding, and his cheek was scratched by Lu Wen’s short hair, which was a bit irritating.

 

He was held tightly by a muscular arm and dragged to the poolside. Still dizzy, Qu Yanting hadn’t recovered when his body was abruptly lifted, and Lu Wen placed him on the marble surface.

 

To prevent Qu Yanting from hitting his head, Lu Wen, still in the water, lifted his hand to support the back of Qu Yanting’s head. At that moment, he met Qu Yanting’s clear, open eyes.

 

Lu Wen, scared out of his wits, asked, “You… you’re awake?”

 

Qu Yanting’s expression was calm. His legs dangled in the water, his knees against Lu Wen’s chest and his abdomen. He nodded, with water droplets dripping from his chin.

 

As Lu Wen’s hand, which had been covering the back of Qu Yanting’s head, slowly moved away and fell, he supported Qu Yanting with the edge of the marble surface. Confirming that Qu Yanting wouldn’t fall, Lu Wen stared at him and asked, “What were you doing by yourself?”

 

Qu Yanting said, “I—”

 

“Do you know how dangerous that was?!” Lu Wen interrupted harshly, shouting.

 

Forgetting their respective statuses, only the recent scare was on Lu Wen’s mind. He yelled, “Teacher Qu, Director Qu, do you have any basic safety knowledge? Where did you learn to swim? Who taught you to stay at the bottom of the pool and not move!”

 

Qu Yanting explained, “I just wanted to relax.”

 

Lu Wen raised his voice, “There’s no such way to relax! What if you had a cramp? How would you get out? You’d have ended up in hell!”

 

“Reserved the whole pool? Not even a lifeguard was left!”

 

“If something happened, no one would save you! Fortunately, I came back in time!”

 

“Damn it, were you deliberately trying to get rid of me? You could have relaxed earlier or later, but you chose to do it when no one was around. Is it that you can’t relax when there are people around?”

 

For the first time, Qu Yanting was harshly scolded by a small celebrity. He had a headache and said, “Alright, I’m fine.”

 

Lu Wen, still furious, said, “Fine? How can you say it’s fine!”

 

Qu Yanting said, “Don’t worry.”

 

“Who’s worried about you!” Lu Wen exploded again, “I’m angry! I tell you, my blood pressure and heart aren’t good, and I lack calcium! You scared me into a condition… it’s an occupational hazard!”

 

Qu Yanting, at his wit’s end, feared that Lu Wen’s shouting would attract the staff. He tried to calm him down, reaching out and pressing Lu Wen’s forehead in a soothing manner like calming a cat.

 

“Stop shouting,” he said, “Isn’t your throat tired?”

 

Lu Wen was instantly silenced, staring with wide eyes.

 

It seemed to work; Qu Yanting rubbed his head and whispered, “Thank you.”

 

Lu Wen’s turbulent emotions came to an abrupt stop, unable to say a word. Qu Yanting’s “thank you” was what he had wanted to say all day, but now it was said by the other person first.

 

He didn’t know what to do.

 

Lu Wen turned away, moving two steps aside, and jumped onto the poolside. “I’m not swimming anymore.”

 

Qu Yanting, also exhausted, had come to relax but ended up being so stimulated.

 

He put on his bathrobe and followed behind. He almost got blinded by Lu Wen’s long legs. The smooth neck and shoulders, slightly protruding veins on his arms, waist, and water droplets sliding over each muscle, forming a water trail as they fell.

 

The two of them entered their respective changing rooms to shower and get dressed.

 

Qu Yanting’s hair was a bit longer, so it took a bit more time to dry. He walked to the corridor, where Lu Wen’s voice became clearer.

 

“…You have major safety issues here. There should always be a lifeguard on duty. Oh, they said they reserved the whole place, but reserving doesn’t mean clearing it out. You can’t just pay to get things done and agree to everything…”

 

The staff member nodded repeatedly, “It was our oversight.”

 

Lu Wen, wrapped in a velvet night robe with his hands in the embroidered pockets, stood with a pose like he was on guard. When Qu Yanting arrived, he pressed his lips together, pretending he hadn’t said a word.

 

Qu Yanting played along, “Let’s go.”

 

The two of them, feeling slightly on edge with each other, returned to the 62nd floor in silence. At the door, Qu Yanting habitually glanced at the wall bottle. Since that day, he had been ill and couldn’t help but notice the daily color variations.

 

They turned their backs and opened their own doors.

 

After swimming in the cold water for so long and not having a sip of oolong tea, Qu Yanting’s throat began to feel a bit itchy and sore, and he coughed softly.

 

Lu Wen hesitated by the door handle and broke the silence, “Wait a minute.”

 

Qu Yanting waited as Lu Wen swiped his card and, a few seconds later, ran out with a ripe persimmon in hand.

 

“For me?” Qu Yanting asked.

 

Lu Wen replied, “My manager said eating persimmons helps with the throat and coughing.”

 

Qu Yanting took it, feeling the warmth from Lu Wen’s palm.

 

After all the fuss, Lu Wen had managed to give it to him. His lingering dissatisfaction was also pulled up, and he couldn’t help but retort, “Actually, I didn’t stand you up.”

 

Qu Yanting asked, “Then you…”

 

Mentioning Ruan Feng would definitely be awkward, so Lu Wen lied, “I got dizzy while wandering in the grove.”

 

Qu Yanting, who had waited so long, thought of the lyric “For you, I endure the cold wind.” He wasn’t as displeased as Lu Wen might have imagined. He chuckled in resignation, “You come up with new ways to be foolish every day.”

 

After laughing, he asked, “Did you want to ask me something?”

 

It was quite late, so Lu Wen got straight to the point, “I’ve heard the play you told me about. I just wanted to thank you.”

 

Qu Yanting took a few seconds to react. For him, this matter was long forgotten and not worth thinking about. Holding the persimmon, he said, “I like the gift very much.”

 

After exchanging “good nights,” Qu Yanting went back to his room, took a spoon, and went straight to the sofa to sit down.

 

He removed the stem from the persimmon and took a bite, suddenly stopping.

 

Eating it plain seemed a bit wasteful. Qu Yanting turned on the projector and started looking for a movie to watch while eating. As the opening music played, he even knew what the scrolling subtitles were every second, since he had watched this film countless times.

 

The title appeared: “Echoes of Heaven.”

 

Qu Yanting took another bite of the persimmon, and thanks to Lu Wen, this time it tasted sweet.