Chapter 44 p2
Lu’s mother’s illness was both serious and not serious.
Serious because she was frail and sickly, her health delicate, her recovery slow and uncertain.
Traditional Chinese medicine was more effective in such cases, and even Wen Sigu’s Western medical training couldn’t offer a quick fix.
But it wasn’t life-threatening, just a common cold that could be easily treated with a few pills.
So, after a brief examination, Wen Sigu prescribed some medicine and prepared to leave.
She was a free spirit, and declining the servant’s offer of an escort, she decided to stroll through the gardens, enjoying the quiet rain.
As she walked beneath the eaves of a covered walkway, she paused.
The Lu family was wealthy, their garden a beautifully landscaped oasis.
From her vantage point, she could see a small, artificial mountain, its rocky surface glistening with raindrops, the scene serene and peaceful.
But what caught her attention was the figure standing in the garden.
A young woman, dressed in a green dress, holding a white umbrella, was searching for something.
Hearing Wen Sigu’s approach, she looked up, the umbrella tilting slightly, revealing her delicate features in the soft light, her gaze gentle and warm.
Wen Sigu stared, momentarily captivated, then, realizing her rudeness, she quickly looked away.
She stepped out into the rain, her own umbrella unopened, and walked towards the young woman.
“Miss Lu, are you looking for something?”
Lu Duanjing, startled by her sudden appearance, wondered why she wasn’t using her umbrella.
She replied, her voice soft, “I lost my hairpin.”
It had been a birthday gift from her grandmother, not particularly valuable, but a cherished memento.
Lu Duanjing was annoyed with herself for being so careless.
Wen Sigu, always kind and helpful, offered, “I’ll help you look for it.”
After searching for a while, the rain almost stopped, they finally found the jade hairpin, lying at the bottom of the small pond beside the artificial mountain.
Lu Duanjing remembered being bumped into earlier, near the pond. That’s when she must have dropped it.
“But how are we going to get it?”
Lu’s father had extravagant tastes, and even this artificial pond was quite large, its depth almost reaching their waists.
And with the rain still falling, the fish darting around, retrieving the hairpin would be difficult.
Lu Duanjing’s fingers fidgeted nervously. “I’ll get a net.”
Wen Sigu, looking at her anxious expression, smiled and began to unclasp her watch.
Her hands were even more beautiful in the soft light.
She handed the watch to Lu Duanjing. “Hold this.”
Lu Duanjing took it, her eyes still filled with confusion.
The next moment, Wen Sigu, bracing herself against the edge of the pond, swung her leg over and jumped in.
Her skirt billowed around her, her movements graceful and decisive, as she landed in the water with a splash.
“Ms. Wen!” Lu Duanjing gasped, rushing to the edge of the pond.
Wen Sigu, the water reaching her thighs, the fish scattering as she moved, bent down to retrieve the hairpin, her sleeves getting wet.
Lu Duanjing, holding the umbrella, watched her, her gaze lingering on her wet hair, her flowing skirt, her pale hand reaching for the jade hairpin.
In that moment, her unconventional actions, her disregard for propriety, her effortless grace, challenged the rigid, conservative atmosphere of the Lu household, leaving a lasting impression on Lu Duanjing.
Wen Sigu stood up, the water cascading down her body as she emerged from the pond, like a fish returning to the surface.
She handed the hairpin to Lu Duanjing.
“Here.”
Lu Duanjing stared at her, momentarily speechless, then reached out, her fingers brushing against Wen Sigu’s cool, wet palm as she took the hairpin.
A tingling sensation spread from her fingertips, warming her heart.
That night, Lu Duanjing lay in bed, the jade hairpin clutched in her hand.
Her eyes were closed, but her mind replayed the scene of Wen Sigu jumping into the pond, her hair swirling around her, her profile elegant and carefree.
Then, she opened her eyes, as if suddenly realizing the significance of the gesture.
She had jumped into the pond without hesitation!
The water had been so deep, the fall so far, yet she hadn’t hesitated, her actions bold and unconventional.
And she had done it for Lu Duanjing.
She was so kind.
Lu Duanjing closed her eyes again, her eyelashes fluttering, her fingers tightening around the jade hairpin.
Ms. Wen…
The rain scene had been more difficult to film than Xin Yao had anticipated.
Even walking in the rain without an umbrella was unpleasant, let alone spending hours filming in it.
While Xin Yao at least had an umbrella, Xu Jingyu had to be exposed to the rain, even jumping into the pond.
And Director Gao, a perfectionist, had high standards for lighting, atmosphere, and details, demanding multiple takes for even the smallest mistake.
Especially the scene where Xin Yao looked up at Xu Jingyu in the rain. They had filmed it countless times, Xin Yao’s arm aching from holding the umbrella, until they finally captured the perfect shot, the soft, gentle light illuminating her face, her gaze filled with a quiet longing.
By the end of the scene, Xin Yao, soaked to the bone, was shivering.
She hurried back to her dressing room, eager to change into dry clothes and return to the hotel for a hot shower and a warm meal.
She still had another scene to film that night: Lu Duanjing lying in bed, lost in thought.
As she was changing, however, her fingers, numb from the cold and the rain, fumbled with the zipper of her dress, unable to fasten it.
Just then, she heard a knock on the door. Assuming it was her assistant, she called out, without looking, “Xiao Chen, can you help me with my zipper…?”
She trailed off, her voice fading as she saw the person standing outside.
It wasn’t Xiao Chen.
It was Xu Jingyu, who had apparently changed into dry clothes but hadn’t even bothered to dry her hair, a few droplets of water still clinging to her strands.
She held a thermos, and seeing Xin Yao, she held it up, her voice a soft murmur.
“I was worried you might catch a cold after being in the rain for so long. I brought you some medicine.”
Her thoughtfulness warmed Xin Yao’s heart, even before she had taken a sip of the warm liquid.
So, she decided to reward her.
Leaning against the doorframe of the dressing room, her half-undressed body exposed, she smiled at Xu Jingyu, beckoning her closer with a playful gesture.
“Xiao Xu, come help your older sister with her zipper.”
Even though Xu Jingyu was older, this felt right.
Xu Jingyu, momentarily stunned by being addressed as “Xiao Xu,” smiled, her gaze lingering on Xin Yao’s exposed skin.
She set down the thermos and walked towards her, as if under a spell.
But once inside the small dressing room, her smile faded.
Xin Yao’s zipper was stuck at the back, just above her hips.
So, as Xin Yao turned around, her back was completely exposed.
Her skin, incredibly pale, glowed in the bright light, like moonlight on snow, or a smooth piece of jade, its delicate fragrance filling the small space.
A drop of water, still clinging to her hair from the rain scene, slid down her shoulder, tracing a path down her back.
Xu Jingyu’s hand reached out, as if wanting to touch the water droplet.
But just as her fingers were about to brush against Xin Yao’s skin, she hesitated, pulling her hand back.
Then, she reached for the zipper.
But her hand hovered there for a moment before falling away.
Her eyelashes fluttered, her breath coming in short gasps, her dark eyes filled with a sudden, intense desire.
Her voice, slightly hoarse, was a husky whisper.
“Jiejie.” [Older Sister]
“I can’t.”
Xin Yao, waiting for her to finish so she could go eat, was confused. It was just a zipper. What was so difficult about it?
She turned around, her eyes widening in surprise.
She was caught in Xu Jingyu’s intense gaze, her dark eyes burning with a predatory light, as if she would devour Xin Yao whole, or capture her and hold her captive, their bodies intertwined.
How could she have forgotten Xu Jingyu’s dangerous nature, just because she had been gentle earlier?
When she said she couldn’t, it wasn’t because she was physically incapable.
It was because if she touched Xin Yao, if she gave in to her desire, she wouldn’t be able to stop.
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