A world that keeps moving
1160 Words
Chapter five
The next morning arrived quietly over Wenzhou.
Rainwater still clung to the roads outside Wuma Street, turning the sidewalks glossy beneath pale morning light. Shop signs reflected faintly against puddles while early vendors arranged steaming baskets of buns near the roadside.
The city smelled like wet concrete, fried dough, and morning tea.
---
Inside the shop, the front doors were already half-open.
Cool air drifted in gently, brushing against the hanging fabrics near the entrance.
Simu sat on the small stool by the doorway with both hands wrapped around a warm cup of tea.
Her damp hair rested against the back of her sweater.
She looked awake.
But not fully here yet.
---
"You washed your hair this early?" He Lifen asked while organizing receipts.
Simu nodded lightly.
"I couldn't sleep."
---
Her mother looked at her for a second too long.
"You've been saying that a lot lately."
---
Before Simu could answer, Zhang Meilu walked past carrying folded fabric boxes.
"That sentence should honestly be banned."
Simu looked up.
"What sentence?"
"'I'm okay.'" Her aunt placed the boxes down dramatically. "Nobody in this family says it honestly."
---
Even He Lifen laughed softly at that.
Simu lowered her head into her tea to hide her smile.
---
Outside, a scooter sped recklessly across the wet road.
A second later—
SHHHHHK.
A wave of rainwater splashed directly onto a poor man carrying breakfast bags.
---
The man froze in complete shock.
His plastic bag swung sadly from one hand while water dripped slowly from his pants.
Silence.
Then—
"ARE YOU DRIVING OR WATERBENDING?!" he shouted furiously down the street.
---
Simu choked on her tea instantly.
Zhang Meilu grabbed the counter laughing but not much loud.
Even He Lifen turned away trying to hide her smile.
---
Outside, another old woman passing by shook her head seriously before yelling:
"At least splash him evenly!"
---
That made it worse.
Simu bent forward laughing now, nearly spilling tea onto herself.
---
Xiaoyu's voice exploded loudly through her phone speaker right at that moment.
"WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING WITHOUT ME?"
---
Simu tried speaking through laughter.
"A car—someone got splashed—"
"I KNEW IT," Xiaoyu gasped dramatically. "Rainy days always expose society's weakest drivers."
---
Yuna sighed softly somewhere in the background.
"You say things like you're eighty years old."
"I'm emotionally experienced," Xiaoyu corrected proudly.
---
Simu pressed the phone closer to her ear, still smiling faintly.
And from inside the shop, He Lifen quietly watched her daughter laugh properly for the first time in days.
Not forced.
Not small.
Real.
---
"You sound better today," Yuna said gently.
Simu looked down into her tea.
"…Maybe."
---
Before anyone could respond, her phone vibrated again.
A notification banner slid slowly across the top of her screen.
---
Li Xun Official Studio
Tonight — Live Promotion Event with Cast
---
Her fingers paused immediately around the cup.
Only for a second.
But Xiaoyu noticed anyway.
---
"Oh no," Xiaoyu said instantly. "She froze."
---
Simu covered part of her face.
"Please don't start."
"Did Li Xun post?"
"No."
A pause.
"…Yes."
---
Xiaoyu screamed loudly enough that Simu had to move the phone away again.
"THIS MAN IS KEEPING YOU EMPLOYED EMOTIONALLY."
---
Even Simu laughed at that one.
Yuna spoke more softly afterward.
"Are you going to watch it tonight?"
---
Simu stared quietly at the notification again.
The livestream thumbnail showed the movie cast standing beneath bright lights.
Li Xun stood slightly behind everyone else.
Hands in his pockets.
Small smile.
Calm expression.
---
"…Probably," she admitted quietly.
---
The rest of the day passed strangely slowly after that.
Customers came and left.
Plastic bags rustled.
Coins clinked softly against the counter.
But every time Simu glanced at the clock, anticipation curled quietly inside her chest again.
Not dramatic.
Just persistent.
---
By evening, rain had started again.
Soft this time.
Thin drops sliding down the windows while neon lights blurred beautifully across wet streets outside.
---
Upstairs, Simu sat cross-legged on her bed with her laptop open.
The livestream countdown filled the screen.
Thousands of comments rolled upward endlessly.
Fans from different countries typing too quickly to read.
---
At exactly eight o'clock, the screen changed.
Bright studio lights appeared first.
Then movement.
Laughter.
Staff voices.
The cast settling into place.
---
The female lead entered first, greeting everyone brightly while bowing toward staff members.
She wore a cream-colored sweater and laughed easily even before sitting down.
Warm.
Expressive.
Comfortable in front of cameras.
---
Then Li Xun walked in behind her.
And somehow—
even through a screen—
the energy shifted quietly.
---
Not because he demanded attention.
But because he never looked like he was trying to.
---
His dark hair fell slightly over his forehead like someone fixed it too quickly backstage.
A simple black jacket rested loosely over his shoulders.
Nothing flashy.
Nothing overly styled.
Still—
impossible not to look at.
---
"Ah, Li Xun looks tired today," the host teased lightly.
---
The female lead laughed immediately.
"He filmed until almost four in the morning."
Li Xun lowered his head slightly with a helpless smile.
"You make it sound worse than it was."
"You fell asleep during makeup."
"That was one time."
"It was literally this morning."
---
Everyone laughed.
Even Li Xun.
Softly.
The kind of laugh that escaped before he fully hid it.
---
Simu's fingers tightened slightly around the edge of her laptop.
Not because of how handsome he looked.
But because moments like this felt strangely human.
---
During the interview, the female lead spoke most naturally.
Bright voice.
Fast reactions.
She teased everyone constantly.
And each time she dragged Li Xun into conversation, he reacted the same way—
slight pause.
Soft smile.
Quiet reply.
---
"Li Xun is secretly competitive," she suddenly revealed.
He looked over immediately.
"That's not true."
"It is," she insisted confidently. "He lost one game on set and didn't talk during lunch."
"I was eating."
"You were emotionally eating."
---
The entire cast burst into laughter.
Even the host bent forward.
---
Li Xun covered part of his face briefly while laughing under his breath.
And somehow that tiny embarrassed smile affected Simu more than all the polished posters released over the past month.
---
Because it didn't feel rehearsed.
It felt accidental.
Real.
---
Then during one segment, the female lead suddenly leaned closer toward him while reading fan comments.
"Someone said your smile looks softer lately."
---
Li Xun blinked once before laughing quietly.
"What does that even mean?"
"It means fans are studying your face professionally."
"That sounds slightly frightening."
---
Even through the screen, Simu smiled softly at that.
The room lights reflected gently across her eyes while rain continued tapping quietly against the windows outside.
And for a little while—
the loneliness inside her chest became lighter again.
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