Chapter 78
After their conversation, Song Ling and Mark stayed in Shanghai. They spent the next few days trying to unravel the mystery of Li Mo’s amnesia, but despite their efforts, they couldn’t find any answers.
They decided to shift their focus, hoping to trigger Li Mo’s lost memories instead of searching for the cause of her amnesia. Perhaps a familiar place, a familiar object, or a familiar experience could unlock the secrets of her past.
Song Ling behaved herself, mostly. She would visit the set occasionally, but she spent most of her time with Mark, discussing strategies and waiting for Li Mo to return to the hotel, so they could take her on memory-triggering outings.
Li Mo cooperated, spending all her free time with Song Ling. She gradually grew accustomed to Song Ling’s presence, finding comfort in their shared time together.
She had been attracted to Song Ling from the start, which was why she had so easily slept with her. However, after analyzing the situation, she concluded that Song Ling was only interested in her because she believed Li Mo to be Li Xinjun.
Li Mo didn’t want to be anyone’s replacement, nor did she want to be entangled in such a complicated relationship. Despite her initial attraction to Song Ling, the potential problems outweighed the benefits, so she had resisted getting too close.
However, having agreed to give Song Ling a year to find answers, she had no choice but to spend time with her. Having accepted that condition, she decided to stop worrying about the complexities of their situation and simply enjoy their time together.
She wholeheartedly cooperated with Song Ling, allowing her to lead the way, gradually letting down her guard. Song Ling, sensing her growing comfort, became more demanding, pushing the boundaries of their relationship. Apart from physical intimacy, they were practically a couple.
One day, Song Ling arrived at the set with a thermos of blood, only to find it unusually quiet. The usual hustle and bustle was absent. She asked a passing crew member about Li Mo’s filming location and learned that Li Mo and Fan Weiqi were filming in Studio B.
She went to Studio B and found the door locked. Using her enhanced senses, she confirmed that Li Mo was inside. Seeing no one around, she leaped onto the roof, entered through a skylight, and found a spot on the second-floor catwalk, overlooking the set.
The set was a bedroom. She saw Director Wang, screenwriter Yang Yichen, Li Mo, and Fan Weiqi inside. Even the lighting crew was absent. She sat down, curious, and watched the filming.
She watched as Director Wang spoke to Li Mo and Fan Weiqi. She knew that he always explained the scene and the characters’ emotions to the actors beforehand, ensuring they understood his vision.
She waited patiently, planning to give Li Mo the thermos after they finished filming. A few moments later, filming began.
Su Su, holding Yang Xiaoru’s hand, opened the bedroom door and led her inside. Yang Xiaoru sat down on a chair by the table, and Su Su closed the door behind them. She then approached Yang Xiaoru from behind and embraced her, burying her face in her neck.
Xiaoru didn’t resist, accepting Su Su’s embrace. She turned around to face her, and Su Su knelt down, their eyes meeting. Yang Xiaoru reached out and caressed Su Su’s face.
“What’s wrong?”
“Xiaoru, I’m scared…”
“Scared of what?”
“It’s chaos out there. We can’t open our stall every day. And if we don’t open our stall, we won’t have money for food. I heard the Japanese are getting closer. I’m worried about you. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“Don’t worry. As long as we’re together, I’m not afraid, even if the Japanese come here. We can hide and stop opening our stall. We can live on sweet potatoes. We’ll be fine.”
“But I heard that when Tianjin fell, the Japanese massacred the civilians. And they took many women as comfort women. Xiaoru, let’s escape!”
“But where can we go?”
“I don’t know… Xiaoru, I’m not afraid of dying. I’m only afraid of losing you.”
“Susu…”
Su Su gazed at Yang Xiaoru, her heart filled with emotion. She couldn’t describe her feelings for Yang Xiaoru. She only knew that Xiaoru was more important to her than her own life.
She looked into Yang Xiaoru’s eyes, her heart fluttering. She didn’t understand this feeling, this overwhelming desire to be with Xiaoru forever, never to be separated. Her gaze drifted down to Yang Xiaoru’s lips, full and inviting.
Unable to resist, she leaned in and kissed her. Yang Xiaoru was surprised. As women, they shouldn’t be doing this. But she didn’t feel any resistance, only a growing desire.
Su Su, sensing her response, deepened the kiss, their bodies pressing closer together. They explored each other’s bodies, their passion consuming them. They stumbled towards the bed, Su Su pushing Yang Xiaoru down, their hands fumbling with their clothes.
Yang Xiaoru pulled at Su Su’s clothes, eager to touch her, to feel her skin against hers. In the heat of the moment, instincts took over, guiding them even without experience.
As they were getting carried away, Li Mo suddenly felt a surge of murderous intent from somewhere nearby. She froze, startled, and in that moment of hesitation, Director Wang yelled,
“Cut!”
At the same time, several lights exploded with a loud bang, startling them both. They snapped out of character, their eyes wide with shock, looking at the shattered lights.
Director Wang and Yang Yichen were also shaken. Yang Yichen grabbed her walkie-talkie and contacted the crew waiting outside, while Director Wang, recovering from the shock, looked at Li Mo and Fan Weiqi.
“Li Mo! Why did you lose focus? You were doing so well! We were almost there! What happened?”
“I’m sorry, Director Wang. I was distracted. Let’s do it again.”
“Forget it! The lights exploded! We have to wait for the crew to replace them. Take a break! I’ll let you know when the lights are fixed.”
“Okay.”
Li Mo and Fan Weiqi got out of bed, Li Mo straightening her clothes. She looked up at the second floor, where she had sensed the murderous intent.
Sure enough, she saw Song Ling standing there, her eyes glowing blue, her aura still radiating anger. Li Mo froze, staring at her, a wave of fear washing over her.
She hadn’t done anything wrong, yet she couldn’t shake the feeling of dread. Fan Weiqi, seeing Li Mo standing there, frozen, walked over and tapped her on the shoulder.
Li Mo jumped, startled. Fan Weiqi, surprised by her reaction, withdrew her hand and looked at her, concerned.
“Are you… okay?”
“Oh… Yes, I’m fine. I was just startled by the explosion. I’m still a bit shaken.”
“Yeah, me too. I’ve never seen anything like that before. Light bulbs usually don’t explode like that. I wonder what happened. It’s a good thing those lights were far away from us. Otherwise, we would have been hit by the glass shards. That was dangerous.”
“Yes… it was.”
“You still seem shaken. You must have been really scared. Why don’t you go to the makeup room and rest for a bit? I’ll come get you when the director is ready. And if you’re still not feeling well, just tell him that you can’t film today and we’ll reschedule.”
“Okay, I’ll go rest for a bit.”
“Okay, go ahead.”
Fan Weiqi, of course, didn’t know that Li Mo wasn’t scared of the exploding lights but of Song Ling’s murderous aura. Li Mo, watching as Song Ling turned and walked away, guessed that she would be waiting for her in her dressing room. She hurried towards her dressing room.
As expected, she found Song Ling inside. Li Mo locked the door and then turned to face Song Ling, who had her back to her. She hesitated, unsure how to approach her, watching as Song Ling paced back and forth, her anger palpable.
After a moment, seeing that Song Ling wasn’t going to speak, Li Mo mustered her courage and reached out, taking Song Ling’s wrist. Song Ling remained silent, her face still a mask of anger. Li Mo gently shook her wrist, trying to get her attention.
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