Chapter 24 p3
Shen Shu quickly regained her balance, pulling away from Xia Chun. As she straightened up, she saw Xu Jinnan and the woman beside her.
Song Ronghui had offered her a drink earlier. Shen Shu had seen her with Xu Jinnan before.
Their eyes met.
Xu Jinnan walked over, smiling casually. “You’re here too. I just came for dinner.”
They hadn’t spoken in two days, but Xu Jinnan acted as if nothing had happened.
She’s surprisingly good at this, Shen Shu thought, feeling a twinge of guilt.
Before she could speak, the door to room 309 opened, and a slightly drunk man stumbled out.
“Xia Chun, what are you doing out here? You can’t avoid us. Come have a drink!”
“Coming,” Xia Chun replied. She turned to Shen Shu. “Is this your friend?”
She knows who I am, Xu Jinnan thought.
Shen Shu didn’t answer.
The room was filled with people from the production crew. She would wait for Shen Shu’s response and then play along.
She wouldn’t embarrass her.
After a brief pause, Xia Chun said warmly, “Since you’re friends, why don’t you join us?”
“She’s waiting for her friend,” Shen Shu replied.
Xia Chun, noticing the beautiful woman standing a few meters away, nodded understandingly. “Ah, I see. Well, we’ll go in…”
“It’s fine,” Xu Jinnan interrupted, picking at her teeth with her tongue. She hadn’t intended to intrude.
But she’d changed her mind.
Chen Bo, his arm around a flushed, dazed Omega, emerged from a room and saw Song Ronghui standing in the corridor, a thoughtful expression on her face.
“What are you doing?” he asked, squeezing the Omega’s waist.
Song Ronghui extinguished her cigarette. “Where are the other two?”
“Still going at it. Damn, that Alpha Han Fu found is intense. Even better than me.”
“Xu Jinnan asked me to tell you to be careful. Don’t want to catch anything.”
“Huh?” Chen Bo scoffed. “Is she serious? She’s worse than me.”
“Maybe, but she only uses her hands. How’s she going to catch anything? Unlike you…” Song Ronghui’s gaze lingered below his belt, a knowing smile playing on her lips.
“What the hell are you talking about? Xu Jinnan? Doesn’t she… you know?” Chen Bo laughed. “Are you saying she can’t perform? Be careful, she might hear you.” He didn’t take it seriously. Everyone knew anyone who’d been with Xu Jinnan couldn’t walk for three days.
Song Ronghui chuckled. “No, I didn’t say anything. I’m terrified of her.”
“Hey, were you serious just now? Yin Xue told you, right? You’re close.”
“I was joking,” Song Ronghui replied. “I haven’t tried it myself. How would I know?”
Chen Bo deposited the Omega onto a chair and leaned closer to Song Ronghui. “How is Yin Xue lately?”
Song Ronghui’s smile faded as she glanced towards room 309. “Miserable.”
Someone at the table made space for Xu Jinnan to sit beside Shen Shu.
Xia Chun was on Shen Shu’s other side.
One was a friend, the other a respected senior. Logically, there shouldn’t be any tension. But the three of them sitting together created a strange, almost confrontational atmosphere.
Especially with their striking beauty.
All eyes were on them.
“Shu-jie, you’ve only had one sip,” Ren Xiaoqi said. “You need to show Director Zhang some respect. It’s his farewell dinner.”
Director Zhang was the casting director. He was the one who’d given Shen Shu this opportunity. He was leaving for personal reasons, and Xia Chun had organized this dinner for him.
Director Zhang tried to smooth things over, reminding them they had filming the next day.
“Don’t worry, Director Zhang, it’s just a few drinks. We’ll be fine tomorrow,” Ren Xiaoqi said, raising her glass to Shen Shu. “Shu-jie, to you.”
Xu Jinnan smelled the alcohol on Shen Shu. She’d thought Shen Shu didn’t drink, so hearing she’d had “a few drinks” surprised her.
No wonder her face was flushed.
“She can’t handle alcohol,” Xu Jinnan said, looking at Ren Xiaoqi and smiling faintly. “I’ll drink with you.”
Ren Xiaoqi hesitated.
It was clear Xu Jinnan was trying to protect Shen Shu, but she couldn’t find it in herself to be offended.
Xu Jinnan’s smile softened her sharp features, her dark brown eyes creating an illusion of warmth and affection.
Ren Xiaoqi’s face flushed slightly. “Sure.”
Xu Jinnan downed her drink in one gulp.
Shen Shu glanced at the empty glass in Xu Jinnan’s hand and murmured, “You don’t have to do that.”
They were close, and Xu Jinnan’s gaze lingered on her pink earlobes. “Can’t even protect you from a drink?” she said softly.
Shen Shu: “…?”
“Miss Xu,” Ren Xiaoqi said, “you and Shu-jie seem close.”
Xu Jinnan looked at Shen Shu. “Do we?”
She thought they were… acquaintances, at best.
Shen Shu met her gaze. Xu Jinnan’s tone hadn’t been directed at Ren Xiaoqi; she’d been asking Shen Shu.
“Since you’re Shen Shu’s friend, I should toast you as well,” Xia Chun said, placing her glass on the table and smiling at Xu Jinnan.
Xu Jinnan: “And you are…?”
Xia Chun: “…”
Someone finally remembered that they’d only introduced themselves by name, but Xia Chun was a famous actress, a household name. How could anyone not know her?
Ren Xiaoqi filled Xu Jinnan in.
Watching Xu Jinnan’s feigned surprise, Shen Shu thought, She should be the one acting.
“I’m just a newcomer. You don’t have to be so polite, Xia Chun,” she said.
“We had a pleasant collaboration. I just wanted to toast your friend. Unless… Miss Xu can’t handle another drink?”
Xu Jinnan smiled faintly. This woman was interesting. As far as she knew, Xia Chun and Shen Shu had just met, and yet, she seemed to know who Xu Jinnan was, her tone laced with a subtle hostility.
“How about we switch to baijiu?” Xu Jinnan suggested.
Xia Chun could hold her liquor.
As for Xu Jinnan, Shen Shu wasn’t worried.
She’d seen Xu Jinnan drink before. Back then, when Xu Jinnan had been threatening her family, Shen Shu had found her in a private room, downing a bottle of Remy Martin.
Multiple personalities or not, her alcohol tolerance wouldn’t change.
It wasn’t a serious drinking contest; they only had two glasses of baijiu.
But Shen Shu kept glancing at Xu Jinnan, who seemed unwell.
Half an hour later, the dinner ended.
As they were leaving, Ren Xiaoqi asked Xu Jinnan, “Where are you staying? Need a ride?”
Xu Jinnan smiled and waved her hand dismissively.
Soon, only Xu Jinnan and Shen Shu remained in the room.
“Are you alright?” Shen Shu asked.
“Mm,” Xu Jinnan replied, her head suddenly hitting the table with a thud.
“…” Shen Shu sighed. “Come on, let’s go.”
She waited a few seconds, but Xu Jinnan didn’t move. She tapped her on the shoulder. Xu Jinnan was clearly intoxicated.
“Can you walk?” Shen Shu asked.
Xu Jinnan mumbled something about being hot.
Shen Shu glanced at her watch and went to get a wet towel for her.
As she opened the door, Xu Jinnan stumbled into her, pinning her against the wall.
She called out Xu Jinnan’s name, but Xu Jinnan wrapped her arms around her waist, pulling her closer and burying her face in her neck.
Shen Shu froze, the warmth of Xu Jinnan’s body against hers sending a jolt through her.
Xu Jinnan murmured something, her hot breath against Shen Shu’s neck.
A shiver ran down Shen Shu’s spine.
“I can’t walk,” Xu Jinnan mumbled.
Shen Shu: “…”
Just then, the door opened, and Xia Chun froze, her eyes widening. “…You…”
Shen Shu, flustered, didn’t push Xu Jinnan away. “Behave yourself,” she muttered, turning to support her.
As if sensing her disapproval, Xu Jinnan quieted down.
Xia Chun, completely ignored, stood there, her face pale, her nails digging into her palms, her eyes filled with shock and confusion.
…
Xu Jinnan was taller than Shen Shu, making it difficult to support her, especially in her current state.
Shen Shu hadn’t realized how drunk she was until they were in the car, Xu Jinnan practically unconscious, her head resting on Shen Shu’s lap. Her light blue dress, which reached her knees, had ridden up slightly as she moved.
“Xingcheng International,” Shen Shu told the driver.
Xu Jinnan suddenly slapped her leg. “I’m not going there.”
Shen Shu: …I should just leave you here.
Xu Jinnan’s hand had moved instinctively.
But Shen Shu was wearing a short skirt. She grabbed Xu Jinnan’s hand and pulled it away. Xu Jinnan reached for her hand again, this time holding on tight.
As if seeking comfort.
Shen Shu looked down. Without her usual arrogance, Xu Jinnan seemed almost… vulnerable.
But Shen Shu didn’t relax. Xu Jinnan’s face was pressed against her knee, her skin damp with sweat.
She’d had a few drinks herself, not enough to be drunk, but enough to make her head spin.
Perhaps that was why she didn’t push Xu Jinnan away.
She wasn’t sure about Xu Jinnan’s condition. The walls in her apartment were thin; she didn’t want to disturb her neighbors.
She gave the driver the name of Xu Jinnan’s hotel.
At the hotel, the manager personally escorted them to the room, helping Shen Shu get Xu Jinnan onto the bed.
As he was leaving, he couldn’t help but glance at Xu Jinnan.
She was completely unconscious, her dress bunched up around her hips, the thin straps slipping off her shoulders, her pale skin flushed an unnatural red.
“Hot…” she murmured, pulling at her dress.
Shen Shu stepped forward, blocking the manager’s view, and closed the door.
She turned back to Xu Jinnan, whose dress, already made of silk, was now practically falling off.
Shen Shu’s heart skipped a beat. She exhaled, grabbing Xu Jinnan’s phone to call Professor Qin.
Something wasn’t right. From her previous hospital stays, it was clear Xu Jinnan’s health was fragile.
This didn’t seem like a simple fever or intoxication.
Just in case, it was best to call Professor Qin.
Seeing the fingerprint lock, Shen Shu reached for Xu Jinnan’s hand, but it was awkward. She was about to move when Xu Jinnan grabbed her wrist, pulling her down onto the bed and rolling on top of her.
Their positions were reversed.
Xu Jinnan was strong, as Shen Shu knew from experience.
But she was even stronger when she wasn’t in her right mind. The difference in strength was overwhelming; Shen Shu couldn’t move.
“Xu Jinnan, snap out of it,” she said, her voice remarkably calm.
For some reason, she wasn’t as afraid as she’d been before. She seemed to instinctively know that Xu Jinnan wouldn’t hurt her.
And in truth, Xu Jinnan had been protecting her all along.
Xu Jinnan’s mind was hazy, her body alternating between hot and cold, waves of sweat drenching her skin.
She looked down at the person beneath her, sensing a coolness emanating from them. Her breathing became erratic, a tingling sensation spreading through her body…
Her eyes were clouded with desire.
Shen Shu, feeling Xu Jinnan’s face inching closer, pressed her hand against her collarbone. “Xu Jinnan!”
Xu Jinnan didn’t seem to hear her. Just as her lips were about to touch Shen Shu’s skin, she suddenly pulled back, as if losing interest, then reached up and gently cupped Shen Shu’s neck.
Her touch was light, almost hesitant, yet it felt like she could snap Shen Shu’s neck at any moment.
But her touch was also… gentle, almost reverent…
Shen Shu’s heart pounded, her hands trembling.
She couldn’t control the tremors, whether from the alcohol or Xu Jinnan’s sudden change in demeanor, her usual aloofness replaced by something… raw and intense.
“Xu Jinnan, that’s enough!”
Xu Jinnan stopped.
Shen Shu, thinking she’d regained her senses, parted her lips to speak, but Xu Jinnan murmured, “Beautiful.”
Shen Shu realized she was talking about her neck, and her face flushed.
Then Xu Jinnan’s finger traced a path down her neck, and Shen Shu’s eyes widened.
Reacting instinctively, she pushed Xu Jinnan away. Xu Jinnan collapsed onto the bed, licked her lips, and closed her eyes.
She seemed to be asleep, but her breathing was heavier now, almost labored.
Shen Shu, her own breath coming in ragged gasps, quickly unlocked Xu Jinnan’s phone and called Professor Qin.
After a moment, Professor Qin’s sleepy voice answered.
After hearing the situation, he paused, then said, “I gave her two suppressants the other day. They’re in a green container. Miss Shen, if you can’t find them, or if her condition doesn’t improve after she takes them, call me immediately.”
“She’s not in heat. What’s wrong with her?” Shen Shu asked, testing the waters.
Professor Qin hesitated. “It might be… the alcohol. Miss Shen, why don’t you look for the suppressants first?”
Shen Shu knew he was being evasive, but she didn’t press further.
She couldn’t find the suppressants in Xu Jinnan’s bag. She searched the bedroom, her gaze finally settling on the suitcase.
She crouched down and opened it, then froze.
The suitcase was filled with revealing clothes, costumes for various… role-playing scenarios. And on top, a collection of… toys.
She recoiled instinctively, then felt a burning warmth against her back, a soft touch.
Shen Shu stiffened. Xu Jinnan had somehow appeared behind her, silently.
After what had just happened, Shen Shu was wary. She sensed Xu Jinnan reaching for her.
She tried to dodge, but two arms wrapped around her, pinning her in place. Xu Jinnan reached into the suitcase, her pale fingers lifting a thin chain.
She held it against Shen Shu’s cheek, her voice low and husky, a hint of amusement in her tone.
“Darling Omega, want to play?”
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