Smile Code (Lost Laughter) 失笑 - Zhu Le 祖乐

50

Call Back.

It felt like time travel. The first time she saw him, he was sitting in the first row, staring at the stage without a hint of a smile. In the humid air, Gu Yi could sense the change: the summer had faded, autumn was slowly rising. Everything seemed to be drying out. The sticky, awkward atmosphere had gone, but Liang Daiwen's moist eyes had arrived.

He looked like he had just rushed back from a flight, windblown and tired. His hair was longer, his beard still unshaven, and he was tall and thin. Had he always been this thin? He looked frail, adding an air of melancholy. Since stepping into Rongmao Theater, his eyes had been searching for someone. They locked on Gu Yi's, and she stood there, frozen for a few seconds before moving toward the door, greeting Lu Ming.

Gu Yi was overjoyed. "Oh my god, the person involved in the nipple pad incident is here."

The audience turned in unison to look at the door, as the main character was a tall, slim man. The impromptu comedy love story had exceeded their expectations. Cheers and jeers filled the room, becoming louder and louder. Liang Daiwen still seemed unaware of the situation, surrounded by shouts and outstretched arms. Everyone waited for him to do something. Someone suddenly shouted, "Go on stage and kiss her!"

"Isn't this something we should be doing behind closed doors? Don't kiss her now?"

"Yes, exactly, what are you waiting for? It's not every day you see a beautiful actress, don't miss this chance, we'll all be watching!"

It seemed like the whole room had become unbearably sticky. Originally, Gu Yi had expected Liang Daiwen to sit in the front row, ears red, and listen to the joke. The best scenario would have been him giving a sarcastic comment after the show. But at this moment, the entire room, along with the hundred or so people, was putting too much pressure on Liang Daiwen to refuse. Gu Yi could almost hear the sound of water droplets hitting the surface of the lake-one drop, two drops...

"Please, Liang Daiwen, come over here, come up on stage and hug me, tell me I'm not just a random choice..."

But Liang Daiwen's legs moved slowly. The audience in the back pushed his shoulder and pulled his arm, trying to drag him forward. His steps were hesitant, his legs heavy as if they weighed a thousand pounds. The force from the crowd came at him from different directions, and he stumbled, taking a step backward instead. He kept his eyes lowered the whole time, lightly raising his hand to block others' arms, a quiet rejection. It would only take a few seconds to walk up on stage, even if he had to weave through the crowded seats, but Liang Daiwen only reached the second-to-last row. The audience was confused, as this was not the normal progression-they had expected a scene of mutual affection, with the couple coming up to the stage for a passionate kiss. Why was he being so cold? Gu Yi felt a chill run through her body, as if snow had buried her. She took a deep breath, and the blood, now colder, flowed through her veins. No, there was still a conclusion to the skit. Before it became too awkward, she quickly decided to finish the routine and exit the stage...

A figure flashed by from the corner of her eye-Xu Guanrui, sitting in the second row, jumped up, smiling as he embraced Gu Yi. His lips brushed against hers, and the embrace, with his head tilted away, looked from the audience's view as if the lighting, the atmosphere, and the image of love were all perfectly set. The main characters didn't matter anymore. Cheers erupted again, and Xu Guanrui whispered in her ear, "Sorry, I can't let the girl cry as she leaves the stage."

The performance seemed even more brilliant because of this misplaced moment. Back at her seat, the audience around her whispered, and Gu Yi felt as if she was surrounded by their gazes. Her phone vibrated-it was Jacqueline calling, reminding her that the Bypass project topic form was due by Monday at 11 a.m. Gu Yi, now holding Xu Guanrui's hand, felt a tremor. "Do you really like Liang Daiwen that much? Isn't chatting with me at all boring? Bunny, no matter how bad you are at expressing yourself, if someone truly cares about you, they'll come find you first."