Chapter 113: Parting Ways p1
“Can I sleep with you tonight?”
Ji Junxin’s voice was calm and soft, yet firm in the quiet room.
Absolutely not! A twin bed is too small for two people, and if Ji Junxin sleeps next to me, how can I possibly sleep! I wouldn’t even know where to put my hands and feet! Mi Hongdou’s first reaction, after confirming she hadn’t misheard, was to refuse.
However, before she could utter the words, she met Ji Junxin’s clear, calm gaze. Mi Hongdou suddenly remembered Ji Junxin’s earlier indifference, her lack of any sadness at their impending separation. Her own hopes of continuing their close friendship after the film seemed like a mere fantasy.
Perhaps… there won’t be another opportunity to be this close to her…
The resolute refusal softened as she spoke, her voice hesitant. “But… the bed is too narrow…”
Her intended rejection sounded more like an invitation. Mi Hongdou, hearing her own weak response, was about to say more when Ji Junxin interrupted smoothly, “It’s okay, we’re both slim, there’s enough space. But if you don’t want to sleep with me, I’ll find another solution.”
Ji Junxin’s tone was casual, as if she didn’t mind either way. As she spoke, she glanced at the alarm clock by the bed, as if calculating the time, as if she would really find another solution if Mi Hongdou refused.
Mi Hongdou followed her gaze and saw that it was almost eleven o’clock.
Even if it were eleven in the morning, she couldn’t reject Ji Junxin and make her sleep on the floor!
Seeing Mi Hongdou’s hesitation, Ji Junxin smiled sadly. “It was inconsiderate of me to ask, you sleep.” She slowly stood up.
“No, no, no…” Mi Hongdou knew that if she didn’t say anything, she would be blamed for rejecting Ji Junxin.
Choosing the lesser of two evils. She couldn’t worry about how awkward and uncomfortable sharing a bed would be, she wouldn’t take the blame!
“Let’s sleep together, together…” Seeing Ji Junxin stand up, Mi Hongdou quickly pressed her back down onto the bed.
The contact, the warmth of Ji Junxin’s body against her palm, her racing heart, made Mi Hongdou instantly regret her decision… should she… just let Ji Junxin sleep on the floor?
But before she could change her mind, Ji Junxin kicked off her slippers and got into Mi Hongdou’s bed.
“Come on, let’s sleep early, we have an early call time tomorrow,” Ji Junxin said, peeking out from under the covers, her tone casual and inviting, without a hint of embarrassment, as if she was the one who had spilled cola on her bed and needed a place to sleep.
Mi Hongdou felt incredibly awkward.
She hesitated, then walked towards Ji Junxin’s bed. The spilled cola… the sheets, the blanket, the pillow… all ruined. Her hope of separating the beds was dashed by the large cola stain on Ji Junxin’s bed. She silently bundled up Ji Junxin’s bedding, then turned to her own bed.
Just as she lifted the covers, before she could even get in, Ji Junxin rolled over.
“I drank too much water tonight, you take the inside,” Ji Junxin said casually, patting the side of the bed near the wall.
Mi Hongdou’s bed was next to the wardrobe. Although they could get in from either side, the side near the wardrobe was a bit narrow, they usually got in from the other side, between the two beds. The spot Ji Junxin patted was the narrow side.
You drank too much water, and you also drank cola! Mi Hongdou thought, putting down the covers and preparing to get in from the other side.
“Hey, it’s too narrow there, you might bump into the wardrobe, come over here,” Ji Junxin said, sitting up cross-legged, making space for Mi Hongdou.
Her bare legs exposed under her nightgown… Mi Hongdou, thinking that the usually food-obsessed Ji Junxin was being strangely considerate today, climbed into bed, slightly dazed. As she passed Ji Junxin, she caught her scent, and her face flushed. I’m definitely not sleeping tonight.
Before Ji Junxin turned off the lights, Mi Hongdou lay stiffly on her side, facing the wardrobe, her body a straight line, minimizing her contact area.
As Ji Junxin turned off the lights, got into bed, and pulled up the covers, Mi Hongdou tensed even more.
Ji Junxin’s movements were light, and she seemed to be lying on the edge of the bed. Mi Hongdou could feel the weight of the blanket on her back, warm and comforting. There was a gap between them… she was relieved. She was afraid of touching Ji Junxin and having… those feelings again… and then Ji Junxin would notice, and their friendship would be over.
In the darkness, Mi Hongdou listened intently, but there was no sound from the other bed.
She waited, her anxiety gradually giving way to exhaustion. After a long day of filming, and all the emotional turmoil, she was tired. The side of her body that had been pressed against the bed was numb. Ji Junxin should be asleep by now… Mi Hongdou carefully turned onto her back.
Lying flat on her back took up more space. She could almost feel Ji Junxin’s warmth beside her. She hoped it was just her imagination.
She carefully moved her numb limbs, then didn’t dare to move again, afraid of waking Ji Junxin.
Thinking that Ji Junxin was asleep, Mi Hongdou relaxed, her tense muscles loosening, and sleepiness washed over her.
At first, she resisted, but eventually, she surrendered.
So, their last night together passed. No heartfelt conversations, no awkwardness from sharing a bed. It was a peaceful night, even more so than their previous nights together.
Was it a pity? Yes. Was she relieved? Also yes. And a lingering sense of… regret.
Why so sleepy? Why couldn’t I stay awake longer, to savor this last night?
Mi Hongdou thought, her breathing even, drifting off to sleep.
Just then, Ji Junxin suddenly turned over, and Mi Hongdou’s eyes snapped open!
Although she didn’t know which way Ji Junxin had been facing earlier, she was now facing her, Mi Hongdou was certain. She could feel Ji Junxin’s breath on her neck.
So, how close was Ji Junxin!
Mi Hongdou’s sleepiness vanished. She held her breath and carefully tensed her muscles, preparing to move away, to create some distance between them. At least… at least to escape that warm breath on her neck, tickling her, making her ear burn!
But before she could move, Ji Junxin turned over again.
So, what was Ji Junxin’s sleeping position now?
Mi Hongdou knew the answer. Ji Junxin was now practically lying on top of her, half her body pressing against hers.
If Ji Junxin’s breath earlier had made her nervous, then now, with Ji Junxin’s forehead against her cheek, her warm breath on her neck, half her body pressed against hers, Mi Hongdou felt like she was about to explode!
Do you have to toss and turn so much in your sleep?!
Ji Junxin’s warm forehead against her cheek, her hot breath on her neck, her left arm trapped between their bodies, Mi Hongdou didn’t even dare to think about what it was trapped against!
And what about the arm across her chest, lying on top of her! Well, it was Ji Junxin’s arm, and she was asleep, it was okay, the real problem was her own trapped arm!
Ji Junxin’s weight on her was like a thunderbolt, all her sleepiness gone, replaced by a burning sensation. Her heart pounded, her body stiff, her head buzzing, she felt like her nose was about to bleed.
But she didn’t panic, she focused on controlling her breathing.
If I breathe evenly, she’ll stay asleep and won’t notice anything, Mi Hongdou thought, trying to ignore the sensations from her left arm.
What left arm? I don’t have a left arm!
The mental suggestion worked, or perhaps it was the darkness that offered cover. Mi Hongdou lay perfectly still, her breathing even, her heart gradually calming down.
She lay there like a plank, not daring to move, but the position was unbearable. After a while, seeing that Ji Junxin was still sound asleep, she carefully lifted Ji Junxin’s arm, put it back in its place, and then slowly, inch by inch, moved towards the edge of the bed, until there was no longer any contact between them, half her body hanging off the bed.
She was now a straight line again, lying on her side.
The heat in her body was still there, but exhaustion finally won, and Mi Hongdou, yawning softly, fell asleep, stiff as a board.
After a long while, in the darkness, Ji Junxin, lying on her stomach, slowly opened her eyes.
If the lights were on, and Mi Hongdou were awake, she would have been surprised by Ji Junxin’s clear, alert gaze.
Ji Junxin wasn’t asleep, she wasn’t even sleepy.
Unlike Mi Hongdou, whose mind was filled with thoughts of don’t touch her, don’t let her suspect anything, staying by her side is the priority, Ji Junxin tonight was like a patient hunter.
Waiting in the darkness for her prey to fall asleep, and then…
When Mi Hongdou woke up, the room was still dark. She fumbled for her phone, checked the time, and it was 9:30 AM.
She was momentarily confused, then remembered, “Imperial Secrets” had wrapped yesterday, no filming today.
So dark at 9:30, these blackout curtains are amazing, she thought, snuggling in bed and yawning. Ji Junxin must be tired, still sleeping at this hour? Then she suddenly realized something.
She had shared her bed with Ji Junxin last night! Why was she alone now! Had she kicked Ji Junxin off the bed in her sleep?
Mi Hongdou quickly sat up, turned on the bedside lamp, her eyes stinging from the sudden brightness, and looked down at the floor between the two beds.
No one.
She checked the floor by the wardrobe.
No one…
She rubbed her eyes, then looked at Ji Junxin’s neatly made bed. Had she slept in too late, and Ji Junxin had already left?
She felt a pang of anxiety, a sense of foreboding.
After a quick search of the suite, not finding Ji Junxin, only a small envelope on the coffee table, her anxiety turned into dread.
Why a note, she has a phone… Mi Hongdou thought, trying to mask her panic. But her trembling hands, as she clumsily tore open the envelope, betrayed her.
Inside, a single line: [I have some urgent work at the company, I’ve gone back to Jiang City. Ji Junxin] Mi Hongdou read it, checked the empty envelope, even turning it inside out to make sure there was no other message, then reread the note several times.
When you liked someone, you tended to overanalyze their every word. But Ji Junxin’s note was so simple, there was nothing more to decipher.
Mi Hongdou, who had woken up to a shock, stood there for a long time, then sank onto the sofa, defeated.
Waking up to find Ji Junxin gone, and then a note, she had initially thought it was a goodbye letter, ending their friendship.
The note’s content, however, was better than her initial fear.
But after the relief came a deep sense of loss…
She… just left.
In the empty room, Mi Hongdou clutched the note, feeling lost and helpless.
Meanwhile, Ji Junxin, holding a rice cooker pot, sat in the chauffeured car heading back to Jiang City, staring out the window.
Zhong Yin, sitting next to her, also looked out the window, then asked softly, “Miss Ji, it’s past nine, the shops are open, should we stop at a supermarket later, and…” she glanced at the rice cooker pot in Ji Junxin’s arms, “…I can buy some plastic wrap?”
Ji Junxin nodded silently.
Zhong Yin told the driver to look for a supermarket.
Zhong Yin was also a little confused. Ji Junxin had told her last night that they might be returning to Jiang City early today, to be prepared, yes.
But when she was woken up by a knock before seven, and opened the door to find Ji Junxin standing there with a small travel bag and a rice cooker pot, she was shocked.
Zhong Yin let Ji Junxin in and, unable to contain her curiosity, peeked inside the pot. Seeing the white porridge, she thought she must be dreaming…
A famous actress, returning home after filming, not with local specialties, but with a pot of porridge, in a rice cooker pot… Those who knew her would understand she was going home, those who didn’t would think she was fleeing a disaster! Zhong Yin began to understand why President Qiao had repeatedly emphasized the importance of taking care of Ji Junxin… she was… a bit strange… adorably clueless?
As Zhong Yin efficiently called the driver and got herself ready in five minutes, Ji Junxin said she wanted to wrap the porridge and take it with her.
Why take a pot of porridge? A seemingly simple question with probably a complex answer. The professional Zhong Yin didn’t ask. But… she didn’t have any plastic wrap.
Ji Junxin thought of the plastic wrap in the suite, but having left a note and snuck out, she didn’t dare to go back.
So, they would have to buy some on the way.
Zhong Yin had just graduated from university with a degree in Human Resources. Perhaps because of her plump figure, her job search had been difficult. Months after graduation, countless interviews, all ending with “we’ll let you know,” and then nothing. She knew that appearances mattered, especially in HR, a people-facing role. She understood, had even tried to lose weight, but couldn’t stick to it… unable to find a job in HR, she had been considering settling for a clerical or administrative position. Then Qiao Rubai had contacted her, offering a generous salary to be an assistant to a famous actress. It was a godsend!
But the entertainment industry was even more superficial than the corporate world. Zhong Yin, although grateful for the opportunity, had doubted herself. I’m too round for this industry. But Qiao Rubai had reassured her, saying that she wasn’t an actress, her weight didn’t matter, even praising her. So, Zhong Yin, determined to repay Qiao Rubai’s kindness, became Ji Junxin’s assistant, vowing to be excellent and not disappoint her!
A good assistant had to be discreet.
So, although she really wanted to ask why Ji Junxin was carrying a rice cooker pot without the rice cooker itself, she held back. A good assistant didn’t ask too many questions! Zhong Yin reminded herself, but she felt that working with Ji Junxin, she would eventually lose her professionalism. No, no, no! She had to maintain her professionalism! She had to be a good assistant!
Ji Junxin, lost in her own thoughts, was oblivious to her assistant’s internal struggles.
It wasn’t just today, she had been struggling with immersion for a while now. Yesterday’s filming had only made it worse.
She had gradually become affected by the character of Miao Qianye. The influence was subtle at first, and she hadn’t paid much attention. But during the pregnancy scenes, knowing that she was prone to deep immersion, she had still indulged in it, enjoying the feeling of being cared for by Mi Hongdou, even resenting the harsh reality of filming. Her state of mind then had been quite bad, but then Mi Hongdou had agreed to support her “pregnancy” act in real life, making reality less unpleasant, and her immersion less intense. Ji Junxin had thought she had overcome it.
But detaching from a role was always difficult for her. Even though the worst of it had passed thanks to Mi Hongdou’s support, the influence lingered.
The bond between Miao Qianye and the young Empress in the drama, and the friendship between Ji Junxin and Mi Hongdou in real life, their development and emotional nuances so similar, Ji Junxin had unconsciously become… Miao Qianye.
Until Mi Hongdou’s suicide scene the day before.
Mi Hongdou was talented, a skilled actress who could easily immerse herself and detach, Ji Junxin knew this after months of working with her. But she hadn’t realized that Mi Hongdou’s acting could also pull her into the scene.
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