Chapter 26 (1/2)

Screen Partner Chapter 26

Xu Zheyi understood very well that he was now in a terrible state.

He was trapped in an infinite cycle that went roughly like this: he realizes that Ruka is good to him → has a guilty conscience about it → looks for an opportunity to make clear his true feelings → decides that he will properly explain it next time, because he cannot bring himself to speak → and then, again, realizes that Ruka is good to him.

If the number of times he went through the cycle was engraved on the wall, he would need to find a building the size of Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall to contain it all.

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The Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. In case you were curious. Source:

For many reasons, he has been unable to stop the cycle.

Xu Zheyi fully admitted to himself that he was a fucking coward. While he was in the midst of this period of burying his head in the sand like an ostrich, he received a phone call from Ah Li.

The other party was quite straightforward when he said he was dumped and needed to drink. Xu Zheyi thought for a moment and felt that he also needed alcohol induced numbness, so the two whose thoughts were together from the first beat immediately met at the bar.

“Ah-Yi1, over here.”

When he walked into the bar, Xu Zheyi did not look around carefully since he immediately saw the man waving him over.

He did not know if it was due to the dim lighting in the bar, but Ah Li’s face appeared a bit wan and sallow, even though in general he looked okay. He did not sound too bad when they spoke on the phone, but at that time he was still a little listless.

“Cheer up,” Xu Zheyi encouraged as he patted him on the shoulder from across the table.

Ah Li only showed a reluctant smile and did not say anything more.

The waiter showed up at this moment with the happy hour drink list, but the two men did not even take a look. With getting wasted as their aim, they ordered every cocktail from beginning to end and began to binge.

After waiting until the two people were each three to four points intoxicated, Ah Li finally asked, “Did you receive a copy of the film?”

When Xu Zheyi thought about it, he knew that Ah Li must be referring to the DVD copy of their GV that was sent as a keepsake for their role. He had only glanced at it when he received it, barely registering the cover, before he stuffed it into the cupboard.

“Well, what’s wrong?”

“My girlfriend saw the film,” he answered with a wry smile, “Actually, I should call her my ex-girlfriend, I guess. She broke up with me immediately and shared the film with all of my friends. I don’t dare to contact my friends now.”

Xu Zheyi did not know how to comfort Ah Li, so he chose to remain silent.

He had also suffered the loss of his friends, and he could not completely handle it. He suspected that perhaps it was because of the lack of a friend’s relationship that he had grown dependent on Ruka—like he was grasping at straws.

They continued to down their drinks, one after another. Xu Zheyi listened quietly to Ah Li pour out his bitter sufferings, allowing him to vent his feelings. He listened to him curse his ex-girlfriend for being cruel and unscrupulous2, and his friends for being selfish and uncaring.

“Cheer up, it’s not your fault,” Xu Zheyi said in an attempt to comfort Ah Li.

Ah Li poured himself another drink, and then said quietly, “That’s right, I have not thanked you.”

Xu Zheyi was unsure what Ah Li was referring to, so he continued to listen as Ah Li spoke up quickly, “After the shoot, I learned that the pills were a Group B medication. At that time, if you hadn’t lied and played that trick on me, I would never have been able to complete the scene.”

…Group B? Xu Zheyi frowned. Before he could decipher the meaning behind those words, Ah Li continued and asked, “Isn’t it better with a man than a woman?”

This sentence frightened Xu Zheyi so much that his tipsy feeling disappeared completely. He tried to remain calm and asked, “Why are you asking me this question?”

“Haven’t you been dating Ruka for a while now?” Ah Li answered thoughtlessly, then continued, “At the wind-up party after we finished the first film, I hear someone say that you seemed to be a couple. It was my understanding that your relationship was what made the film so good.”