The Male Lead Who Doesn't Like to Eat (15)

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At 9:45 in the evening, Si Jiu ran out onto the balcony.

"Neighbor, neighbor, are you there?"

She called twice, then asked once. A minute later, she called twice more and asked again. By the third call, Xie Yu's figure appeared on the balcony next door.

He'd actually taken off his mask.

Well, of course—who wears a mask in their own home?

Si Jiu squinted.

Which anti-fan had claimed Xie Yu must be hideously ugly and that's why he didn't dare show his face? Come out and take your beating.

He was absolutely gorgeous.

His appearance wasn't what she'd imagined, and it differed from the previous ones too, yet overall there was a similar quality to him.

Then again, beautiful faces generally share some similarities—and besides, they were the same person after all.

Compared to the previous ones, Xie Yu's features carried an extra air of restraint and austerity.

"What is it?" He stood on his own balcony, tilting his head to look at Si Jiu.

The girl's hair hung loose, making her already slender face look even thinner. Her pajamas were unexpectedly conservative—a dark blue cotton long-sleeve top and long pants, with the collar buttoned neatly in place. She looked like a gentle, well-behaved girl with a mild temperament.

But the expression on her face said otherwise.

Her large, bright eyes with their distinct black-and-white contrast blinked and sparkled. Whenever she looked at someone, she never flinched—always meeting their gaze head-on. A playful smile hung on her face, like someone lively, cheerful, and carefree.

She really did love to put on a performance.

Xie Yu thought of the way she'd acted around that man named Lin Yang—sometimes timid, sometimes unable to hide her affection, sometimes putting on a show of false bravado.

It weighed on his heart a little.

"Nothing much. Just letting you know—it's 9:48 now." Si Jiu waved the phone in her hand.

"...Got it."

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"Then go get ready." Si Jiu waved her hand. "I'm going to lie down."

Xie Yu: "..."

At 9:59, Si Jiu, propped against the headboard of her bed, received a call from Xie Yu.

"Hello?"

Si Jiu was wearing earphones, and that single syllable sounded as if it had been whispered right against her ear.

Perhaps mindful of the quiet of the night and the fact that her goal was to fall asleep, he kept his voice somewhat soft, imbuing it with an indescribable tenderness.

Half of Si Jiu's body went numb.

"Alright, I'll begin."

"By the forest lived a lovely girl. Her grandmother gave her a red cap, which she adored. Wearing it..."

Si Jiu: "...Neighbor, hold on."

The pleasant voice paused for a moment, then asked with a hint of confusion, "What's wrong?"

"So in your mind, I'm a girl who listens to fairy tales?"

"...What else would you read for a bedtime story?"

"Do you... not have any other reading material?"

Xie Yu's gaze swept across his bookshelf. The books were all things like The Art of Monologue Interpretation and Basic Techniques of an Actor's Vocal Art.

So he said, "No."

Si Jiu: "I knew you wouldn't have any. Your WeChat and phone number are linked, right? Accept my friend request—I'll send you some right away."

Xie Yu didn't respond. He thought to himself, it's only a one-time bedtime story. Is this really necessary?

Si Jiu tapped on the system. [Is there anything in your database?]

The system puffed out its chest proudly. [We have everything you could ask for.]

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Si Jiu: [Then pick some out and send them to Xie Yu. The more appealing ones.]

In just over ten seconds, the system told her it was done.

"Neighbor, did you receive them?"

Xie Yu stared at the file he'd just opened and fell into a strange, contemplative silence.

"Neighbor?"

"Are you sure you want to listen to this?"

Si Jiu: [What did you send Xie Yu? Give me the list of titles.]

Honeyed Love 100: The Cold Young Master's Pampered Sweetheart, My Overbearing Husband, Gently Kisses Me, After the Substitute Marriage, the Tycoon Demands Without End...

Si Jiu: "...I'm sure. Don't be prejudiced against romance novels—they're the spiritual sustenance of countless women everywhere. Stop dawdling and get on with it. Are you trying to weasel out of your promise?"

Xie Yu's emotions were complicated. He casually tapped open one of the books.

"In City A, inside the luxury suite at the top of the Grand Hotel, the curtains were drawn tight, the room steeped in darkness, the air..."

His voice came to an abrupt halt.

Si Jiu: "?"

Silence filled the phone line, making one wonder if the call had dropped. But she could faintly make out the sound of slightly unsteady breathing.

He didn't speak for a long while. Si Jiu raised an eyebrow.

The system helpfully prompted: [He's reading the Cold Young Master one.] And it forwarded the text file to Si Jiu's phone.

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