Chapter 44 p1
The autumn rain was cool and gentle, its fine threads falling like a soft caress, carrying the fresh scent of trees and flowers.
It washed away the lingering heat of summer, bringing a welcome coolness to the air.
It should have been a refreshing, tranquil day, but Xin Yao felt a warmth spreading through her body.
The hand clasped in hers was burning hot.
The heat intensified, spreading from her fingertips up her arm, making her limbs tingle, her entire body flushed.
Surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the film set, they stood there, their hands intertwined, a secret intimacy hidden in plain sight.
It was dangerous, yet thrilling.
As if they were secretly in love, their connection a hidden flame.
Just as Xin Yao’s heart began to race, something even more unsettling happened.
The director, her gaze scanning the crowd, spotted them and walked towards them, script in hand.
Xin Yao’s heart leaped into her throat. She instinctively tried to pull her hand away, her fingers tightening around Xu Jingyu’s.
But Xu Jingyu refused to let go. The more Xin Yao tried to escape, the tighter her grip became.
The director drew closer, her footsteps echoing on the pavement.
Xin Yao’s heart pounded in her chest.
Just as the director reached them, just as Xin Yao felt like her heart would burst from her chest, Xu Jingyu finally released her hand.
Xin Yao quickly pulled her hand away, her fingernails accidentally scratching Xu Jingyu’s palm.
It was a small scratch, but it stung, and the unexpected contact, the brief touch of Xin Yao’s skin against hers, sent a shiver down Xu Jingyu’s spine, her fingers twitching as she clenched her hand into a fist, her gaze fixed on Xin Yao.
Xin Yao, however, didn’t look at her. She turned to the director, listening attentively to her instructions, nodding politely.
Only after the director left did she turn and glare at Xu Jingyu, pinching her waist playfully.
So eager to play with fire, weren’t you?
Xin Yao hadn’t held back, and the pinch actually hurt.
Xu Jingyu, surprised by her mate’s sudden assertiveness, was amused.
But her craving for touch was so intense that even pain, especially pain inflicted by Xin Yao, was a source of pleasure, her eyes shining with a strange excitement.
Xin Yao, seeing the look in her eyes, knew what she was thinking.
She was about to say something when the director called them over, the lighting finally adjusted, eager to finish the scene before the rain stopped.
Urged by the director, they reluctantly parted ways, returning to their positions, getting into character.
They became Lu Duanjing and Wen Sigu once more.
Wen Sigu, having arrived at the Lu residence to treat Lu’s mother, had been led through the sprawling gardens by a servant, the rain falling softly around them.
She reached the door and was about to knock when it opened from the inside.
She was surprised, and the person inside, also startled, looked up, their gaze meeting Wen Sigu’s.
Wen Sigu’s first thought was: Those eyes are so big and beautiful, like shimmering pools of water.
And in the soft rain, their gaze seemed to capture the gentle melancholy of the day, soft and luminous.
Wen Sigu stared, momentarily captivated, then, realizing her rudeness, she quickly looked away.
But she couldn’t help but notice the other person’s pale skin, the delicate jade earrings swaying gently as she moved, their green hue accentuating her delicate features.
Like a porcelain doll, delicate and beautiful.
She wanted to reach out and touch her, but she hesitated, afraid of breaking her.
The rain intensified, the wind rustling through the trees, the sky darkening.
The young woman before her, dressed in shades of green and white, her skin like jade, her scent soft and warm, was a beacon of light in the gloomy garden.
The servant beside her introduced her.
And Wen Sigu learned her name: Lu Duanjing, the eldest daughter of the Lu family.
It was the beginning of their brief, tumultuous love story.
The close-up scene went smoothly.
While the director, fussing over a couple of shots, had delayed them slightly, they had completed the scene in just a few takes.
Overall, it had been a productive day.
In the days that followed, Xin Yao and Xu Jingyu’s scenes weren’t too demanding.
The entire production was still in its early stages, the cast and crew finding their rhythm, and Director Gao, a perfectionist, preferred a slower, more deliberate pace.
This gave Xin Yao more time to focus on her mission.
And Liu Nuan Nuan, having infiltrated the enemy ranks, was also making progress.
The day before Xin Yao’s schedule became more demanding, Liu Nuan Nuan’s unsettling laughter echoed in her mind again.
Xin Yao, sitting at her desk, reviewing the mission details, jumped, startled by the sudden sound. She rubbed her temples.
“Can you please not do that? It’s terrifying.”
[Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Who am I doing this for?]
“So, any news about the fan club president?”
[Finding her has been surprisingly difficult.]
[She used to be very active in the group chat, but she suddenly disappeared. Even her close friends haven’t heard from her.]
Xin Yao frowned, catching the key word in the system’s report. “Suddenly? When?”
[Coincidentally, right after the news about Li Xu and you broke, and he officially announced his relationship with the heiress.]
The fan club president’s disappearance coincided with the scandal.
Was it a coincidence?
Xin Yao didn’t think so. Her intuition told her there was more to this story.
“And?”
[She stopped managing the fan club, gradually handing over her responsibilities to others. It seems she’s planning to resign as president.]
[But her past obsession with Li Xu revealed some interesting details.]
[Her fan account’s profile picture always matched Li Xu’s, like they were using couple profile pictures. That’s not unusual for fans.]
[But I noticed that a couple of times, she changed her profile picture first, and then Li Xu changed his to match hers.]
As if he was responding to her.
It didn’t seem like a big deal.
But considering Li Xu’s character, his exploitation of his fans, and the importance of the fan club president, Xin Yao sat up straight, a sudden realization dawning on her.
“Are you suggesting that Li Xu and the fan club president had a… special relationship?”
It was entirely possible!
“Do you know her name?”
[Yes, she used to be very active. Many people have met her at fan events. She’s a university student. Her name is Ying Xi.]
“Ying Xi?” Xin Yao repeated the name, her brow furrowing. “Why does that sound familiar?”
She had definitely heard the name before.
She searched her memories, trying to place it.
As the sky outside darkened, she finally found it, a small news report tucked away in a forgotten corner of the original owner’s memories, from just before her suicide attempt.
The original owner, heartbroken and distraught, had been sitting in her dark apartment, her hair a mess, her body slumped in defeat.
The television, its volume turned up high, filled the silence with background noise.
She had been lost in thought, then, as she came back to reality, she had heard a news report about a tragic incident—
A young university student, walking home at night, had been attacked and killed by a homeless man in a dark alley, where the streetlights and security cameras had been broken.
The original owner had been saddened by the news, a young life cut short so tragically.
She hadn’t thought much of it.
Until a few days later, when she had learned more about the victim, realizing she had a connection to her.
It was the president of her ex-boyfriend’s fan club, Ying Xi.
And even more tragically, Ying Xi had been pregnant, her unborn child also lost in the senseless violence.
“Ying Xi…”
Xin Yao leaned back in her chair, repeating the name, a chill running down her spine.
In her previous life, Ying Xi had died even before the original owner.
Two women, both connected to Li Xu, both victims of tragic, untimely deaths. Was it a coincidence?
Impossible.
Who was the father of Ying Xi’s child?
And who had killed her so brutally?
Could it have been… Li Xu?
Xin Yao looked out the window at the darkening sky, a flock of birds soaring through the air, their flight a symbol of freedom.
“Nuan Nuan, I need to see Ying Xi. Find a way to contact her. As soon as possible.”
[Okay, I’ll find a way.]
The more Xin Yao delved into this mission, the more disturbed she became.
She realized that the original owner had never truly known Li Xu.
He had become so twisted by his greed for wealth and status that he was no longer the poor boy who had once defended her, who had scavenged for scraps to survive.
He was capable of anything to get what he wanted.
Initially, Xin Yao had thought she understood him, that she could see through his facade.
But now, she realized that even she had underestimated his depravity.
She was glad she had chosen to remain hidden, to observe from the shadows.
If she had confronted him directly, she might have become his next victim.
While the system would have protected her, it would have been a dangerous gamble.
The thought, the realization of how close she had come to danger, made her feel both uneasy and grateful.
As she sat in the makeup chair, lost in thought, waiting for the evening’s filming to begin, the door opened.
As one of the female leads, Xin Yao had her own private dressing room.
But her only assistant was Chen Jia, so it was usually empty.
The makeup artist and the costume designer had just left, leaving Xin Yao alone in the quiet room.
But not for long.
The door opened, and someone entered.
Xin Yao, without turning around, saw Xu Jingyu’s reflection in the mirror. She was wearing a simple black dress, a cup of milk tea in her hand, the sweet drink a strange contrast to her usual aloof demeanor.
It was a rainy day, thanks to Director Gao’s prayers, the fine drizzle cooling the air.
Xu Jingyu closed the door behind her, then walked over to Xin Yao and placed the warm cup against her cheek, sitting down in the chair beside her.
“What’s wrong? You seem down.”
Xin Yao took the milk tea, her hands warming slightly as she held the cup. She looked at Xu Jingyu, not answering directly, but asking instead, “Do you like milk tea?”
Xu Jingyu shook her head. “I just thought you might like it. If you like it, then I like it.”
Xin Yao smiled, taking a sip of the milk tea.
It was sweet and creamy, with bits of pudding and other toppings, the flavor filling her mouth.
The sweetness seemed to revive her, and she turned to Xu Jingyu.
Then, impulsively, she leaned forward and kissed her, her lips soft and sweet from the milk tea.
Compared to Xu Jingyu’s fierce, demanding kisses, Xin Yao’s were always gentle.
Even this unexpected kiss was light and fleeting, like a soft brush of flower petals against Xu Jingyu’s lips.
Like a delicate flower blooming in the rain, its beauty fleeting, its touch gentle yet unforgettable.
She pulled away, her face inches from Xu Jingyu’s, her voice soft, like the gentle rain outside.
“I’m fine. I just… missed you.”
It wasn’t acting. It was perhaps the first time Xu Jingyu had been kissed so tenderly, so spontaneously.
She had always been numb, indifferent to the world around her, her senses dulled, her emotions muted.
But Xin Yao’s kiss, sweet and warm, had sent a jolt through her, her heart pounding, her body tingling with pleasure.
She suddenly realized that sweetness wasn’t so bad.
It wasn’t just the intense, possessive kind of intimacy that could bring her satisfaction. Even a gentle touch from Xin Yao was enough to make her heart soar.
And Xin Yao had said she missed her.
The simple words, like sunlight piercing through the darkness, had warmed her heart.
And she had missed Xin Yao too.
Every moment.
Seeing Xu Jingyu’s slightly dazed expression, Xin Yao smiled, turning away to take another sip of her milk tea.
“That kiss doesn’t count towards the three, by the way.”
Xu Jingyu, snapping out of her reverie, her eyes sparkling with amusement, replied, “Thank you for your generosity, Ms. Xin.”
Xin Yao blinked. “Then do I have the privilege of being a little spoiled and demanding, Ms. Xu?”
“Of course,” Xu Jingyu looked at her, her gaze soft. “You can do whatever you want with me.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Xu Jingyu had always been in control, a predator accustomed to dominating, to possessing.
But with Xin Yao, she found herself willingly surrendering, her heart a captive to Xin Yao’s gentle touch and warm smile.
Her words, however, were both true and false.
Xin Yao could do anything she wanted, as long as she never left.
If one day, Xin Yao decided to leave her…
Xu Jingyu’s eyes darkened slightly. She knew that someone like Xin Yao, so cheerful and kind, wouldn’t want to be with a monster.
As they sat there, lost in their own thoughts, a knock echoed through the room.
Chen Jia’s head poked through the doorway.
“Sister Xin Yao, oh, Ms. Xu, hello!”
“The director’s calling for you. They’re ready to start filming.”
“Okay,” Xin Yao nodded, taking a sip of her milk tea, then patting Xu Jingyu’s hand. “Time for work, Ms. Xu.”
As they walked out of the dressing room, the evening sky was a soft, hazy gray, a light drizzle falling.
They returned to the traditional garden where they had filmed the previous scene.
Xin Yao, dressed in a green dress and matching jade earrings, stood beneath the eaves, watching the rain falling on the stone pathway.
Then, as she got into character, the next scene began.
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