Chapter 54
Zuo Bian gulped down the red wine like it was beer. She drank too quickly, and some of it splashed onto her chest, a few crimson droplets tracing a path down her curves, disappearing into the depths.
“Cough, cough, cough…” Zuo Bian clutched her glass, her face flushed red from coughing.
Qin Ai patted her back gently. “Drink slowly.”
“Mm-hmm, cough.” Zuo Bian’s throat still felt a little itchy.
It took her a while to calm down. She placed the glass back on the table.
Qin Ai refilled her own glass, raising it with a slight smirk. Her narrow eyes glinted. “Let me teach you how to drink properly.”
Zuo Bian nodded. “Okay.”
Big Sister Qin Ai successfully taught Little Sister Zuo Bian how to drink red wine. However, the details of the process were not suitable for public consumption.
Zuo Bian slept soundly through the night. As dawn approached, Little Frog resumed its monotonous counting.
This time, Zuo Bian didn’t wake up on time. She lazed in bed for another hour before finally getting up to wash up and get dressed.
Qin Ai had thoughtfully prepared clothes in her villa, clothes she had accidentally bought in the wrong size. They fit Zuo Bian perfectly.
Zuo Bian covered her neck, asking Qin Ai for some foundation. After spending so much time on set, she had learned a few makeup tricks.
Even after covering the love bites, Zuo Bian felt a little guilty. She had stayed out all night and told her mother she was having a heart-to-heart talk with Qin Ai. She wondered if she should confess to her mother.
As she was contemplating this, her QQ rang. It was undoubtedly Qin Tian.
She answered the call. “Hello, Xiao Tian.”
“Older Sister Zuo Bian! Do you want to come over to my house today? Come on, come on, I have a lot of fun games here, and after we’re tired of playing, we can watch TV together. I checked, and the drama you’re starring in is airing tonight. Watching TV with the female lead, that sounds so cool!”
Zuo Bian could hear the excitement in Qin Tian’s voice, so she agreed. “Mm, okay, I’ll come over and play with you today.”
“By the way, Older Sister Zuo Bian, is my sister with you, right?”
“Mm, she’s with me.” Fortunately, they weren’t talking face-to-face, or Qin Tian would have seen Zuo Bian’s blushing face.
Qin Tian sighed with the maturity of an old man. “Tell Sister to take a break from work. She should rest sometimes.”
“Okay, I’ll bring Qin Ai with me.” Zuo Bian said.
“Eh! There’s no need for that!”
Qin Tian didn’t want to play games with Zuo Bian under his sister’s watchful eye. Just thinking about it made his scalp tingle.
“Hmm?” Zuo Bian was confused.
Qin Tian’s eyes darted around, and he quickly decided to betray his sister.
“Older Sister Zuo Bian, don’t you want to see what my sister looked like when she was younger? We have a lot of photos of her from her school days in our family album. Do you think she would show them to you if she were here? She probably only wants you to see her at her best.” Qin Tian’s words were tempting.
He didn’t hear a response from Zuo Bian for a moment, his heart hanging in the balance as he waited for her answer.
“Qin Ai must have always been beautiful, I—”
Just as Qin Tian thought Zuo Bian was going to say she wasn’t interested, he heard her say, “But I want to see what she was like before.”
“So come alone.” Qin Tian said.
Zuo Bian agreed. “Okay.”
Qin Tian might seem like an innocent and naive little boy, and he actually was, but he had one thing in common with Qin Ai: he was incredibly good at persuasion. And just like that, he had lured Zuo Bian in.
Zuo Bian came out of the bathroom and went downstairs to have breakfast with Qin Ai. Qin Ai asked about her plans for the day.
Zuo Bian said, “Xiao Tian invited me to play games.”
She wasn’t good at lying, but she knew one trick: Don’t offer information unless asked. That way, even if she lied, it was less likely to be exposed.
“Mm, then I’ll drive you there later. I have some things to take care of today. Shall we have dinner together tonight?”
“Okay.” Zuo Bian nodded happily, but she didn’t forget Qin Tian’s words.
She held Qin Ai’s hand, her expression serious. “Qin Ai, don’t you think you should rest? Work is important, but you should also take care of your health and spend time with your family.”
Qin Ai’s fingers intertwined with Zuo Bian’s. She leaned closer, her red lips whispering enticingly, “Isn’t this spending time with family?”
Zuo Bian’s eyes widened slightly, her ears turning red from Qin Ai’s closeness.
“I-I meant Qin Mama and Xiao Tian,” she stammered.
Qin Ai chuckled softly, her lips brushing against Zuo Bian’s earlobe. “If you want me to listen, you have to say something nice.”
Zuo Bian hesitated for a moment, then whispered, “Ai Jiejie, I really like you.”
“Just like?” Qin Ai’s fingers traced Zuo Bian’s jawline, then lifted her chin.
Zuo Bian looked up, her eyes sparkling.
“More than just like.”
“Then shouldn’t you show it? Hmm?” Qin Ai’s lips grazed Zuo Bian’s, her voice a seductive murmur.
Qin Ai’s scent, with a hint of tea, filled Zuo Bian’s senses. It was clear that Qin Ai was the one who wanted to kiss, but she was tempting Zuo Bian, making her take the initiative.
Zuo Bian leaned forward, pressing her lips against Qin Ai’s.
Qin Ai’s lips were soft and sweet, like delicious jelly, making Zuo Bian crave more.
The rest of the breakfast on the table was forgotten. Long hair scattered on the white carpet, and the air grew hotter.
Qin Ai drove Zuo Bian back to the Qin family home. Before parting, Zuo Bian kissed Qin Ai’s lips again. To her, kissing was one of the fastest ways to express affection.
“See you tonight. Call me if anything comes up.” Qin Ai leaned against the car window, a strand of black hair swaying by her temple.
Zuo Bian smiled at her. “Mm, I know.”
“I’m leaving.”
“Bye, Ai Jiejie.”
The last “Ai Jiejie” was a soft whisper, but Qin Ai still heard it.
She smiled and drove away.
After Qin Ai left, Qin Tian peeked out from behind the door, then ran towards Zuo Bian. “Older Sister Zuo Bian, why are you so late?”
Zuo Bian thought for a moment. “There was traffic.”
“Oh, traffic. Come on in, Older Sister Zuo Bian, I already got the photo album from Sister’s study.” Qin Tian pulled Zuo Bian’s hand, leading her inside.
555 couldn’t help but comment, 【Qin Tian is so naive. Only a silly little sweetheart like him would believe that excuse you came up with after a three-second delay. Host, your acting skills really need improvement.】
Zuo Bian followed Qin Tian inside, still conversing with 555 in her mind.
‘But I don’t think my acting is that bad. Qin Ai has believed me so many times.’
【Uh…】555 was speechless. Should it reveal the truth?
Both Qin Tian and Qin Ai believed Zuo Bian’s lies because they were two extremes. Zuo Bian and Qin Tian were a perfect match of one daring to say and the other daring to believe. Zuo Bian and Qin Ai, on the other hand, were a match of one speaking nonsense and the other playing along.
[Xiao Bianbian is a super awesome actress, ribbit! Her acting skills are amazing, ribbit!]
‘I think Little Frog’s words are very pleasant to hear.’
【Good advice is often unpleasant to the ear.】555 sighed dramatically.
Qin Tian pulled Zuo Bian onto the sofa in the living room. A large photo album lay open on the coffee table in front of them.
“Older Sister Zuo Bian, let’s start from when Sister was born.” Qin Tian flipped through the album, his finger pointing at a baby in a pink outfit.
“This is Sister when she was little.”
Zuo Bian’s gaze followed Qin Tian’s finger. She looked at the baby carefully. “Qin Ai was so cute when she was little.”
“It’s a pity I wasn’t born yet when Sister was little. Otherwise, I could have shown off my beautiful little sister to everyone.”
Zuo Bian couldn’t help but chuckle. “But Qin Ai is your older sister, she can’t become your younger sister.”
“Have some fruit.” Tian Yumeng brought over a fruit platter.
Zuo Bian looked up and thanked her. Qin Tian also thanked his mother and took a bite of dragon fruit.
Tian Yumeng also saw the photo album. Her eyes were filled with nostalgia. “Time flies. Xiao Ai has grown up so much.”
Zuo Bian asked, “Auntie, what was Qin Ai like before?”
Tian Yumeng smiled gently. “Xiao Ai was a good child. Sometimes she could be a bit sharp-tongued, but she has a kind heart and is very gentle.”
Qin Tian swallowed his dragon fruit and protested, “Mom, you’re lying! Sister is so fierce! She’s not gentle at all!”
“I think Qin Ai is just like what Auntie described.” Zuo Bian recalled her interactions with Qin Ai, a smile unconsciously appearing on her face.
Qin Tian, unconvinced, flipped through the album, skipping from Qin Ai’s baby pictures to her high school years.
The girl in the photos had a cold gaze, her face turned away as if she disliked the camera. She stood with her hands in her pockets, looking prickly and unapproachable.
In the next photo, the girl was squatting on some steps, a cigarette between her slender fingers. The smoke obscured her face.
The photo was taken from a low angle, the girl’s chin slightly raised, her narrow eyes half-closed, her gaze aloof and disdainful.
Zuo Bian could see arrogance, recklessness, and a hint of youthful naiveté on the girl’s face. Was this Qin Ai in her younger years? What would it have been like if they had met back then?
Zuo Bian remembered the time Chang Wenyan had treated the crew to dinner. She had seen Qin Ai on the balcony, playing with a silver lighter, but she hadn’t lit anything.
Qin Ai had quit smoking now.
“Older Sister Zuo Bian, look! Three black earrings on her ears! And a black tattoo on her neck! So rebellious! She got one herself but wouldn’t let me get one. I also want a tattoo.” Qin Tian’s true intentions were revealed.
Zuo Bian’s fingers gently traced the girl’s face in the photo, lingering on the tattoo on her neck.
“But Qin Ai only has a tattoo on her chest now, not on her neck. That means the one on her neck was a temporary tattoo sticker.”
Qin Tian gasped. “Eww, Older Sister Zuo Bian, you know so much about her. I feel like I’ve discovered something amazing, but I won’t tell.”
Tian Yumeng smiled knowingly. She had long seen through the relationship between Zuo Bian and Qin Ai.
Zuo Bian pursed her lips and changed the subject. “Let me see more photos of Qin Ai from different periods.”
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