Chapter 55 p1
Shen Shu met her gaze for a brief moment, then calmly looked away.
Xu Jinnan raised an eyebrow. Shen Shu’s expression said, I knew you wouldn’t.
A playful glint entered Xu Jinnan’s eyes, and she leaned closer, her lips brushing against Shen Shu’s reddened earlobe, her warm breath a gentle caress.
A shiver ran down Shen Shu’s spine, the heat of Xu Jinnan’s breath, like the warmth of the sun, radiating outwards.
The privacy divider in the car slowly rose, enclosing them in a small, intimate space.
Xu Jinnan didn’t seem to notice, her head still bowed, her lips close to Shen Shu’s ear.
“Shu Shu,” she murmured, her voice husky, “does it still hurt? Should I blow on it again?”
Shen Shu’s breath hitched, a blush spreading across her cheeks and earlobes. She turned her head slightly, wanting to see Xu Jinnan’s expression.
The sudden proximity and the intoxicating scent of Shen Shu’s pheromones made Xu Jinnan instinctively pull back a few centimeters, her gaze shifting from Shen Shu’s flushed cheek to her lips, then to her eyes.
Their eyes met again, the air in the enclosed space suddenly charged with tension.
Just then, their phones vibrated simultaneously.
Xu Jinnan smiled faintly. “Guess who that is? I think it might be your little friend.”
“You’re in my work group chat too,” Shen Shu retorted.
“Want to make a bet?”
“On what?”
“A favor,” Xu Jinnan suggested.
“Alright,” Shen Shu agreed.
She took out her phone, and a notification from Cai Ying popped up in the “No PDA Allowed” group chat.
“I lose,” Xu Jinnan said. “What do you want?”
“I wouldn’t waste a favor from Miss Shen on something trivial,” Xu Jinnan replied, a smile playing on her lips as she opened the group chat. “I’ll hold onto it for now.”
Cai Ying: [Screaming incoherently]
Cai Ying: [@Xu Jinnan @Shen Shu Are you done yet? Are you free? Can you join the voice chat?!!!]
Cai Ying: [Why didn’t you invite me?!]
Cai Ying: [I missed part of it. Shu Shu, did that bitch hit you? I heard your agent say something about protecting you??? Tell me what happened!!!]
Cai Ying: [@Xu Jinnan I saw that kick! So cool! Xu Jinnan, tell me, after you turned off the live stream, did you beat her up?! If you say no, I’ll lose all respect for you!!!!!]
Xu Jinnan: [You’re hurting my eyes.]
Cai Ying sent a voice message. “Where’s Shu Shu? Did that bitch hurt her? The internet is going crazy! Can you join the voice chat?”
Xu Jinnan and Shen Shu exchanged a look, then called Cai Ying.
Cai Ying hung up and immediately initiated a video call.
Xu Jinnan handed the phone to Shen Shu.
“Shu Shu, let me see! Are you hurt?” Cai Ying’s earlier excitement had vanished, replaced by concern, having received no response to her frantic messages.
It was almost 8 p.m., the city lights visible through the car windows, but the back seat was still dimly lit.
Shen Shu angled her head slightly, showing Cai Ying her ear. “It’s fine.”
“It looks a little red in this light. How can it be fine? Xu Jinnan, how could you let her get hurt?! This is your fault!”
“Yes, it’s my fault,” Xu Jinnan said, her voice serious.
Shen Shu, without looking up, murmured, “It wasn’t her fault.”
“Oh, defending her already? It’s so red! It must hurt! Did she hit your face too? Your face looks a little red too,” Cai Ying said, her concern evident.
“No, it’s just the lighting,” Shen Shu replied.
Xu Jinnan looked at Shen Shu’s ear again.
It was definitely redder than before, but the dim lighting in the car made it difficult to tell how bad it was.
After a few more questions about the incident, and learning that Xu Jinnan had indeed “beaten up” Qiao Rui, Cai Ying’s mood improved considerably.
“You go, girl! That bitch deserves it! She hit my Shu Shu! I hope she gets beaten up in prison every day!”
Xu Jinnan said that certain types of criminals weren’t well-received in prison, especially those convicted of sex crimes, particularly those involving minors. Qiao Rui’s life wouldn’t be easy.
Cai Ying suggested having dinner together the next day, but Xu Jinnan had work, so they agreed to meet for lunch with Shen Shu.
After discussing the online frenzy, Cai Ying briefly mentioned Han Ling, saying things were progressing well, but they weren’t officially dating yet. She would let them know when they were.
Shen Shu didn’t comment. As Xu Jinnan had said, Cai Ying was an adult and could make her own decisions. She couldn’t treat her like a child, even if she was worried.
—
They arrived at Xingcheng International, and Xu Jinnan asked Viola to take the car back.
“CEO Xu, what time should I pick you up tomorrow morning?”
Xu Jinnan thought for a moment, then turned to Shen Shu. “What time are you leaving?”
“10:30 a.m. I’ll drive myself,” Shen Shu replied. She was planning to read scripts in the morning and meet Cai Ying at 11 a.m.
She subtly observed Viola, who had long, wavy auburn hair and pleasant, though not conventionally beautiful, features, the kind that grew on you.
“I have a meeting at 9 a.m. Come at 8:30 a.m.,” Xu Jinnan said to Viola.
“Certainly.”
—
Back at the apartment, Xu Jinnan turned on the lights and walked over to Shen Shu, bending down to examine her ear.
“This side is definitely redder,” she said, her hand gently brushing against Shen Shu’s earlobe, which felt hot to the touch.
“It’s a little warm,” she commented.
Shen Shu’s heart skipped a beat. Her first instinct wasn’t to pull away; Xu Jinnan’s hand was soft, her skin smooth.
Xu Jinnan went to the freezer, retrieved an ice pack, wrapped it in a washcloth, and handed it to Shen Shu. “Take a shower first, then use this,” she said.
Shen Shu stood there for a moment, listening to the faint chirping of cicadas, or perhaps it was something else. Her thoughts were scattered.
She watched as Xu Jinnan took a washcloth from the bathroom and wrapped it around the ice pack.
Even with such a simple task, Xu Jinnan was careful and attentive.
It made her feel strangely cherished, as if she was truly important, her heart warming at the gesture.
Then, a thought crossed her mind, and the warmth faded slightly.
Don’t be like Esmeralda, she reminded herself. Don’t be blinded by fleeting emotions.
But as Xu Jinnan returned with the ice pack, testing it against her own cheek before handing it to Shen Shu, Shen Shu thought, Perhaps even Esmeralda couldn’t have helped herself.
—
After her shower, Xu Jinnan sat in the living room for a while, as usual, then finally had time to check Weibo.
Several trending topics caught her eye.
#CheatingBitchExposedLive
#ShenShuWeibo
#ShenShuAgentGetsRevenge
Two of them were still trending high.
The live stream had been posted on Shen Shu’s Weibo account, the caption, “A cheater’s just desserts,” suggested by Tong Jia.
She noticed Xia Chun had reposted it, but didn’t think much of it.
The replay was still available, with over a hundred thousand views and countless comments.
My wife is so badass! I love her!
Yes! Rot in jail! Shu Shu is amazing! Poor agent, but I admire her courage! Expose all the cheaters!
Is that my wife’s wife who kicked her? So cool! I’m shipping them now!
Supporting Shu Shu! Hugs for the agent! Everything will be alright. Justice will prevail!
Thank you for exposing this! Thank you for showing everyone the true face of evil! While this isn’t ideal, it takes courage to stand up like this! I hope this serves as a warning to all cheaters! Those sixty-something women must be shaking in their boots right now! This is karma!
These were the top comments, with thousands of likes.
Many of them were about the social significance of the incident.
Xu Jinnan’s gaze lingered on the word “wife.”
Wife? she thought, a silent smile playing on her lips. Do they have a marriage certificate?
She clicked on the third trending topic and saw the top reply: The NanShu CP super topic is open! Join us!
Nan… Shu? What kind of name is that?
Curious, she clicked on the link.
There were already over thirty posts.
The first one, a giveaway post, was from a user named “WhoDaresBreakUpMyCP.”
NanShu CP Super Topic (Xu Jinnan x Shen Shu). Check in for a month + like, comment, and repost, and ten lucky winners will receive a 50,000 yuan red envelope. Monthly giveaway, no expiration date.
The accompanying image was… their marriage certificate.
Xu Jinnan: “…” 500,000 yuan per month, with no expiration date.
Were fans this rich nowadays?
She reread the post, a smile playing on her lips. It was rather amusing.
She followed the super topic and the user “WhoDaresBreakUpMyCP,” then checked in, reposting the giveaway post and adding a comment, mimicking the others: Long live the CP! Hoping to win!
She chuckled at her own comment.
Remembering her earlier troubles, she set her privacy settings to only allow messages from followers.
She immediately received a private message from ShuShu’sNumberOneFan.
ShuShu’sNumberOneFan: [Crying emoji Boss Lady, you’re a CP fan?!]
ShuShu’sNumberOneFan: [I’m Shu Shu’s solo stan!]
RichSisterWithStamina: [?]
Oh, right.
Just then, a notification from her work group chat popped up.
They were discussing the “Show” live streaming app, which had been developed using modified open-source code. It wasn’t the final product yet and still had some glitches, occasionally lagging when there were too many users.
But Xu Jinnan was satisfied with its popularity, even though it had been released earlier than planned.
The download count had exceeded one hundred thousand, and donations had reached over one hundred fifty thousand yuan in just one hour.
The initial success had boosted everyone’s morale.
Short videos and live streaming would become the dominant form of entertainment in the future, and she had been focusing most of her energy on this project, even designing the app’s icon herself – a white “Show” logo on a black background, surrounded by a translucent rainbow halo.
Their next step was to recruit streamers, which would be a significant expense.
Xu Jinnan did some quick calculations, then concluded – she was rich.
After discussing the next steps with her team, someone suggested: [After this is over, should we have a team-building event?]
Xu Jinnan: [Sure.]
Some suggested a camping trip with barbecue, others a day trip to a nearby scenic spot, and some suggested a farm stay.
Xu Jinnan: [Camping sounds good.] A change of scenery would be nice.
Designer Qi: [I know a great camping spot with hot springs! Looking forward to it!]
Finance Director Nana: [CEO Xu, can we bring our families?]
Xu Jinnan: [Of course.]
HR: [So, CEO Xu will be bringing her wife~]
Finance Director Nana: [We can meet the superstar then! Starry-eyed emoji]
Xu Jinnan paused. Bringing Shen Shu to a camping trip with her employees wasn’t ideal, but it was too late to backtrack now.
[We’ll discuss it later.]
Speaking of Shen Shu, she suddenly remembered Shen Shu was starting filming her new drama next week, and she hadn’t asked about the fan support yet.
She opened Weibo.
ShuShu’sNumberOneFan was tagging her in the group chat.
ShuShu’sNumberOneFan: [@RichSisterWithStamina Boss Lady!!! I wasn’t finished!!!]
ShuShu’sNumberOneFan: [Boss Lady, please don’t block me! Hear me out!]
ShuShu’sPuppy: [Hahaha, what did you do, Number One?]
ShuShu’sNumberOneFan: [@RichSisterWithStamina For the sake of your CP, I’m willing to ship it!!!]
MyNameIsKing: [lol]
ShuFan: [Hahaha, I thought you were a solo stan?]
ShuShu’sNumberOneFan: [That was before I saw the live stream! CEO Xu is such a badass! I’m totally shipping them now!]
RichSisterWithStamina: [CEO Xu is definitely a badass.]
RichSisterWithStamina: [How are the preparations for the fan support going?]
ShuShu’sNumberOneFan: [!! Everything is perfect! It’s all coming together! Shu Shu will be so happy!]
She posted a detailed list of their preparations, clearly well-organized and meticulously planned.
These fans were truly dedicated, spending their time and effort, even their own money, to support Shen Shu, some of them even working full-time jobs and staying up late to counter negative comments.
Xu Jinnan, touched by their dedication, unblocked ShuShu’sNumberOneFan and sent a message.
RichSisterWithStamina: [Thank you for your hard work.]
RichSisterWithStamina: [Red envelope]
Weibo red envelopes had limits on the amount and number of recipients, so she maxed them both out.
ShuShu’sPuppy: [Holy shit!!!]
ShuShu’sPuppy: [Boss Lady!!! Can I be your fan too?!]
ShuBaoYYDS: [It’s not about the money, it’s about your stamina. Blushing emoji]
MyNameIsKing: [How are you guys so fast? Can your routers handle this much traffic?]
Xu Jinnan raised an eyebrow. It was just a burner account; she could say whatever she wanted.
RichSisterWithStamina: [Sorry, you can’t handle my stamina.]
ShuShu’sNumberOneFan: [Hahaha!]
ShuShu’sPuppy: [Hahaha!]
…
A chorus of laughter followed.
Shen Shu’s work group chat was also celebrating her rising popularity, her follower count approaching three million, but they were also offering words of comfort and support for Tong Jia.
Tong Jia had sent a red envelope in the chat, suggesting a celebratory dinner tomorrow.
While the Qiao Rui incident seemed to have been resolved perfectly, with Shen Shu, Sacred Heart Pictures, Tong Jia, and even Xu Jinnan benefiting from it, it had come at Tong Jia’s expense.
Justice had been served, but it had also left a deep wound, a scar from a seven-year relationship.
It would take time to heal.
A long time.
—
Xu Jinnan reviewed the day’s events. It was almost midnight. She had only had some noodles with Shen Shu for dinner and was feeling hungry.
She got up and went to the kitchen, taking a package of sweet cream bread from the cupboard.
As she took a bite, her phone slipped from her hand and fell to the floor, sliding under the sofa.
Xu Jinnan: “…”
She put down the bread, crouched down, and reached under the sofa, her fingers brushing against the edge of her phone. She pushed it further with her fingertips, then lowered her body, finally kneeling on the floor.
The cold tiles sent a shiver down her spine.
Just then, Shen Shu opened the bedroom door and saw Xu Jinnan kneeling on the floor, her black T-shirt riding up, her legs exposed.
Shen Shu’s gaze lingered on the smooth skin of her thighs.
“Xu Jinnan…” she said, her voice tight.
Xu Jinnan, retrieving her phone, blew on it to remove the dust. “It fell,” she explained, standing up and meeting Shen Shu’s disapproving gaze. “Did I wake you?”
Shen Shu didn’t reply, her gaze drawn to the smear of cream on the corner of Xu Jinnan’s lips, her lips a soft, peachy pink, the color of a ripening fruit.
The sight made her want to reach out and touch them.
“Come here,” she said.
Xu Jinnan raised an eyebrow, puzzled, but walked over. “What’s—”
Shen Shu gently wiped the cream from her lips. Xu Jinnan’s lips parted slightly as she spoke, and Shen Shu’s fingertip brushed against her lower lip.
Xu Jinnan looked down at her, noticing the lingering redness on Shen Shu’s earlobes.
“Cream,” Shen Shu said calmly, looking away and wiping her finger with a tissue.
“Oh,” Xu Jinnan replied.
She had been about to say she could wash it off herself.
She watched as Shen Shu returned to her room, her thoughts wandering.
After a moment, she went to wash her hands, then picked up the pastry again, a smile playing on her lips as she ate.
—
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