Please Dote on Me - Chapter 54 - This Isn't Just a Hallucination 1

“Yang Jiexi, can we go back now?” I looked at Yang Jiexi with pleading eyes. I didn’t want to stay in Japan any longer; I wanted to return to my own life.

“Why go back?” Yang Jiexi’s question instantly irritated me. Isn’t now the perfect time to leave?

“No reason!” Talking to someone like him, I could only use this tone.

“But we haven’t gone shopping yet, have we?”

Ugh…

I couldn’t help but throw a frustrated look at Yang Jiexi, almost on the verge of tears. “Is that seriously your reason? You can shop anytime, but I want to go home now.”

“Fine, I’ll buy you a bag. Don’t start crying again.”

“No! I want to go home!”

“Let’s grab some food first, then we can talk about this.”

“No! I want to go home!”

“Alright, fine! I’ll be honest with you-I don’t want you to go back right now! That Gu Yuzui kid is driving you insane, isn’t he? When Shichui confessed to you, do you know how happy I was? Do you know what I was thinking? You don’t care about yourself, but can’t you let others care about you? You know it’s a muddy pit, yet you still jump in. Are you an idiot? You like Shichui Mingyan too. He confessed to you, and in such a romantic way! Isn’t that the best outcome? Accept Shichui and start a new life. That’s your only option! You’re losing it! Do you even realize how worried Wen Rou Jing and I are about you? We’re fed up! We don’t want to see you upset over Gu Yuzui anymore. We don’t want you drinking coffee until you’re drunk again.” Yang Jiexi finally spilled the real reason for staying in Japan in one breath.

“You… I knew you were doing this on purpose!”

I couldn’t quite describe how I felt. Yang Jiexi wanted me to be okay, so I couldn’t blame him, could I? I felt helpless.

“Yes. I’m alive. Touch me and see-I’m really here in front of you. So we still have plenty of time to be together.”

Shichui’s words echoed in my ears.

I found myself fantasizing about a future with him.

I could ask him to sign my notebook, filling every single page… I could sit in the VIP section at his concerts, cheering for him until my voice went hoarse, shouting alongside other fans. I could watch him record singles from outside the studio and bring him orange soda. I could watch him rehearse tirelessly in the dance studio and wipe his sweat.

Ugh… These fantasies made me feel like his assistant.

Thinking about all this, I fell asleep lying on the bed.

When I woke up, it was already afternoon. Shichui called me. If we were going to meet again, there’d be reporters… newspapers… entertainment news… What a headache. But somehow, this headache was oddly enticing.

“Didn’t you say there were still many places we haven’t visited? Tonight, let me take you out,” Shichui said.

“No way. Are you trying to stir up trouble again?”

“I won’t. I’ll cover my face.”

“Even if you wear a Momotaro¹ mask, people will still recognize you. Don’t bother. Just focus on your work.”

“If you don’t let me take you out, I’ll announce during a live broadcast that we’re officially living together.”

This guy! He won again! So childish! Not even close to having the qualities of a star. Resorting to threats like this!

“Fine, fine. Wait for me. I’m coming. Where are you, you troublemaker?” I knew if I didn’t comply, he’d actually do it.

“I’m coming to pick you up now.”

This time, as I prepared to go out, I grabbed a hat and wrapped my scarf high to cover my face. Seriously, an ordinary person like me now had to hide from paparazzi like a star.

Ridiculous!

Every time I saw Shichui, I couldn’t help but feel breathless. Every time we met, I needed some time to adjust to him again.

His gently contoured jaw tilted slightly as he sat in the car, sizing me up.

“What are you doing?” I couldn’t help but speak to him in a less-than-friendly tone.

“Looking at you.”

There he went again, leaning in suddenly to speak to me up close. Even though we were already familiar with each other, I still found it hard to breathe.

Damn it!

Why did his closeness make me so nervous?

“I really don’t want to be a star. It brings so much trouble to you. I want to live freely, without worrying about paparazzi, without having to wrap myself up like a mummy every time I go out. I hope my love for you isn’t a burden.” Shichui looked as if he’d committed some grave mistake.

Standing in front of Tokyo Tower, I felt genuinely happy.

“It really is magnificent. So beautiful.”

“Is it? Clearly, you haven’t seen much of the world,” Shichui said, hiding his joy with a mocking tone. “There are so many more beautiful places we haven’t visited together. We have to go to all of them-everywhere that makes you gasp with childish wonder.”

I looked up at the top of the tower. Shichui grabbed my hand.

He placed a ring in my palm. A simple yet beautiful design.

“Qi Yang, you understand, don’t you?”

Oh my god…

I covered my mouth in shock.

Was this a proposal?

Damn it! Was making me cry his idea of fun? My heart was tightly gripped by emotion again. I felt flustered and nervous.

“Is it okay? Hurry up and answer!” He seemed genuinely anxious, pressing me with his usual domineering tone.

“Can you speak more gently? You troublemaker!” The more he pushed, the more nervous I became.

I might as well die right now. Why was something like this happening to me? Let me die before I find out it’s just a dream. If I realize it’s a dream, I’ll be so disappointed. Let me die before that happens.

A few months ago, he was still a big star to me, and now he was proposing in this way.

“Alright, alright. I’ll just agree. Who knows when you’ll suddenly change your mind, so I better say yes quickly!”

I didn’t want to think about anything else. If there were problems, I’d deal with them when they came. For now, there was no way I could say no. In fact, I wanted to start over-with Shichui.

Footnote:

1. Momotaro(桃太郎):Momotaro is a character from Japanese folklore, known as “Peach Boy.” He is a heroic figure who was born from a giant peach and is famous for defeating demons with the help of his animal companions.