Chapter 56 p1
Xu Jinnan leaned closer, her soft fingers brushing against the fabric of Shen Shu’s dress. The moment her knuckles grazed Shen Shu’s skin, Shen Shu’s back stiffened, her delicate shoulder blades twitching like the wings of a startled butterfly.
A playful smile touched Xu Jinnan’s lips as she whispered in Shen Shu’s ear, her voice slow and deliberate, “Hold still, Shu Shu. I’m unzipping it now.”
The dress was form-fitting, and loosening the zipper at the back would also loosen the fabric at the front, risking exposure, even with the straps still in place.
Shen Shu’s breath hitched as she felt the warmth of Xu Jinnan’s hand and the light brush of her knuckles against her skin, a shiver running down her arms and neck.
Xu Jinnan’s presence was almost overwhelming.
Shen Shu, refusing to show weakness, placed a hand on her chest and murmured, “Okay.”
Xu Jinnan slowly lowered the zipper, her gaze half-lidded, stopping at about ten centimeters. The delicate chain of the zipper was like a lure, tempting her to reveal the treasure hidden beneath…
She was the hunter now, her heart pounding with anticipation, her fingers itching to continue, yet she forced herself to stop, her imagination running wild, picturing the breathtaking beauty she was about to unveil.
With a supreme effort of will, she pulled her hand away, turning to look at Shen Shu in the mirror. “Is that enough?” she asked, her voice slightly husky.
They were still close, and the sweet fragrance of Shen Shu’s pheromones filled her senses.
She felt the warmth of Shen Shu’s skin against her hand, a bead of sweat forming on her knuckle.
Shen Shu’s breathing was uneven, and with each inhale and exhale, the desire in Xu Jinnan’s eyes intensified.
“That’s enough,” Shen Shu replied, her gaze meeting Xu Jinnan’s in the mirror for a brief moment, then quickly looking away. Her face was lightly powdered, hiding the true color of her cheeks, but the tips of her ears were undeniably pink.
Just as she stood up, carefully holding the neckline of her dress, the door suddenly swung open.
She instinctively clutched the fabric tighter, her balance shifting, and she sat back down, the thin strap of her dress slipping from her shoulder.
At the same moment, something warm and soft brushed against her ear.
She felt the other person’s breath hitch.
It all happened in a flash.
Xu Jinnan reacted instantly, her arm circling Shen Shu’s neck, pulling her closer.
“Don’t you know how to knock?” she asked coldly.
The woman at the door, about thirty years old, wearing glasses, seeing them, smiled awkwardly but didn’t apologize, quickly retreating.
After she left, Xu Jinnan’s fingers lingered on Shen Shu’s neck, her thumb gently caressing the sensitive skin behind her ear.
Feeling the dampness of Shen Shu’s skin, she lowered her gaze. “Are you hot? You’re sweating.”
Shen Shu, unable to bear the intimacy any longer, was about to pull Xu Jinnan’s hand away when Xu Jinnan released her.
Shen Shu went into the changing room.
Xu Jinnan stood in front of the mirror, staring at her own lips, then, after a moment, touched them lightly with her fingertips.
Her ear was so warm.
—
They drove back to Xingcheng International.
Shen Shu, changed into a simple T-shirt and jeans, sat in the passenger seat, scrolling through messages on her phone.
“Any plans for tomorrow?” Xu Jinnan asked.
“Another costume fitting,” Shen Shu replied calmly.
“Another one? I thought today was the last day.”
“Today was for promotional photos.”
“Oh.” Xu Jinnan continued, “What time are you leaving? I can drive you. I’ll have Viola pick me up earlier.”
Shen Shu paused, her gaze fixed on her phone. “I haven’t seen Assistant Zhou in a few days.”
“She’s busy with other things. Having her constantly driving you around would be too much. And she’s been in close contact with my mother, so I don’t feel as comfortable using her as before. That’s why I hired Viola. She’s very capable, and so far, she’s been great,” Xu Jinnan explained.
“And quite pretty,” Shen Shu added.
“Pretty?” Xu Jinnan asked instinctively.
Her standards were higher now. She thought Viola was simply pleasant-looking, her focus on competence and efficiency.
Then, glancing at Shen Shu, she said sincerely, “You’re much prettier.”
She quickly looked away, and Shen Shu glanced at her, her expression soft and gentle. She almost thought the intensity she had felt in the dressing room had been her imagination.
The streetlights outside cast a warm glow through the car windows.
After a moment, Xu Jinnan said, “Miss Shen, can we make a deal?”
“About what?” Shen Shu asked calmly.
“Stop saying those things.”
Shen Shu paused, remembering Xu Jinnan’s reaction earlier, which had started with the “not big” comment. “Aren’t you an Omega? Why do you care so much?”
Xu Jinnan chuckled. “Just because I can’t be marked doesn’t mean I’m not good at other things.” She was perfectly capable in other areas, especially when it came to work and intelligence.
Then, realizing how that sounded, she added, “I mean, save some face for me in public.”
After a few seconds, Shen Shu replied softly, “Okay.”
Her tone wasn’t as cold as it had been in the dressing room.
Xu Jinnan smiled faintly. “What do you want for dinner?”
“Noodles. The fridge is empty. I need to go grocery shopping tomorrow,” Shen Shu replied.
“Let’s go tonight. Together.”
“Okay…”
Shen Shu looked out the window at the passing trees, thinking, She’s been quite susceptible to reverse psychology lately…
—
As they got out of the car, Xu Jinnan told Shen Shu to wait while she retrieved two masks from the car.
She opened the packages and carefully placed the black masks over Shen Shu’s face, hooking the straps around her ears.
The mask covered most of Shen Shu’s face, making her already delicate features seem even smaller, her eyes, framed by her long, wavy hair, softer than usual.
And with the mask covering her lower face, her expressive eyes, as they met Xu Jinnan’s, had a captivating quality.
Normally, Shen Shu would have taken the mask and put it on herself, telling Xu Jinnan she could manage.
But now, the thought was fleeting.
She couldn’t deny she had grown accustomed to Xu Jinnan’s kindness, even starting to rely on it, enjoying the warmth and care.
And her usual vigilance and independence faded into the background.
—
They bought some vegetables, beef, and shrimp at the supermarket.
Xu Jinnan planned to make salt and pepper shrimp, stir-fried beef with bell peppers, and egg drop soup with greens.
She also bought some potatoes and carrots for later.
They also looked at slippers, as Xu Jinnan had forgotten to buy them last time, and Shen Shu wanted a new pair as well.
After browsing the aisle, Xu Jinnan stopped in front of a display.
Two pairs of slippers, one light blue and one light pink, with a simple daisy embroidered on the front, were hanging together. They were the prettiest ones there.
Buy one, get one free.
Of course, it wasn’t about the discount; she simply hadn’t liked any of the others.
“These are nice,” she said, touching the soft fabric.
She figured if Shen Shu didn’t like them, she could keep the extra pair.
“Okay, let’s get them,” Shen Shu agreed.
“Are you sure? Don’t you want to look at the others?”
“You bought two pairs,” Shen Shu pointed out.
Xu Jinnan smiled. “Okay, one for each of us then.”
Shen Shu didn’t reply, walking towards another aisle. “Do you want a pair of warmer slippers?”
“Huh?”
She paused, realizing she had instinctively assumed Xu Jinnan would be staying for a while, through summer, autumn, winter… she would need warmer slippers when the weather got colder.
“We can get them later,” she said, changing her mind.
Just then, Xu Jinnan tossed a pair of black, fluffy slippers into the shopping cart.
—
They didn’t realize how heavy the bags were until they carried them out of the supermarket.
Especially the potatoes, carrots, and the other groceries, along with the meat and seafood.
“Next time you go grocery shopping, don’t go alone. This is heavy,” Xu Jinnan said, struggling with the bags.
Shen Shu’s lips curved upwards slightly. “When do you ever have time?”
“If you have time, so do I.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Then be careful—”
Just as they stepped out of the supermarket, a heavily laden shopping cart almost collided with them. Shen Shu instinctively pulled Xu Jinnan closer, shielding her.
The person pushing the cart apologized profusely.
Xu Jinnan, recovering from the near collision, told the person to be careful. She had been about to move out of the way, but Shen Shu had reacted even faster.
The cart had barely missed them.
“Are you okay?” Shen Shu asked.
“I’m fine. It didn’t hit me,” Xu Jinnan replied, smiling faintly, her gaze lingering on their clasped hands.
She felt Shen Shu’s fingers tighten around hers for a brief moment.
Then, Shen Shu hesitated, as if about to pull away.
Xu Jinnan’s heart skipped a beat.
Someone pushing a shopping cart behind them told them to move, and Xu Jinnan, tightening her grip on Shen Shu’s hand, pulled her along.
They crossed the street, walked through the apartment complex grounds, then down the path to their building, their hands still clasped together.
They walked in silence, their thoughts elsewhere, yet a comfortable silence, a shared understanding passing between them.
Like a gentle breeze dispelling the morning mist, a sliver of light breaking through, faint but perceptible.
Neither of them dared to rush, afraid of shattering the fragile peace.
Only when they reached the elevator, Xu Jinnan, reaching for her phone, released Shen Shu’s hand.
—
Back at the apartment, Shen Shu went to take a shower, and Xu Jinnan, holding her pajamas, sat on the sofa, watching TV and scrolling through her phone.
A few minutes later, the bathroom door opened, and Shen Shu emerged, wearing her blue-gray pajamas. “You can go now,” she said.
“Okay.”
Xu Jinnan stood up, then, as Shen Shu was about to go to the bedroom, she paused.
“Shu Shu.”
“Yes?”
“You looked really beautiful today,” she said.
—
Xu Jinnan’s plans to visit Qucheng were put on hold due to some issues with the live streaming app and the North District project. She had been too busy to think about anything else, her phone constantly ringing.
By the time she had some free time, it was already time for Shen Shu to start filming her new drama.
The last day of September.
The Full Dress production held its opening ceremony at Dafo Mountain.
With Xia Chun and Tan Jie involved, and Shen Shu’s recent surge in popularity, a single photo from the ceremony quickly trended online.
#XiaChun
#ShenShuOutfit
#FullDressOpeningCeremony
Xu Jinnan clicked on Shen Shu’s trending topic. The photo showed Shen Shu standing at the foot of the temple steps, wearing an avocado green dress and a beige trench coat, her long, dark hair flowing down her back, her lips a bright red, a gentle smile on her face.
The breeze ruffled her hair and the hem of her dress.
Link to the trench coat, please!
She’s so beautiful! Every photo is stunning!
Wife!
I love you, sis!
Her again? Seriously?
Beautiful my ass. She’s ugly.
Xu Jinnan scrolled through the comments, then tapped on her phone, replying to one of the trolls.
Are you beautiful?
To her surprise, the troll replied a few seconds later.
None of your business, idiot!
Xu Jinnan: “?”
It had been a while since she had been called an idiot. It was strangely invigorating.
The troll’s ID was ICan’tBeTamed.
RichSisterWithStamina replied: @ICan’tBeTamed Who are you calling an idiot?
ICan’tBeTamed: Get lost, Shen Shu fans! Stop trying to be relevant!
ICan’tBeTamed: She’s disgusting. How can someone like that be an actress?
Before Xu Jinnan could reply, other users jumped in.
Why are you so hateful? She’s pretty.
ICan’tBeTamed: Pretty? She’s had plastic surgery!
ShuBaoYeah: You’re the one who needs plastic surgery! Are you insane? What did she ever do to you?
ICan’tBeTamed: So what if she had plastic surgery? I can’t even say anything now? My friend works at a plastic surgery clinic. She said Shen Shu had a nose job, twice! Putting on that aloof act, I bet she can’t even smile properly. Her smile is so fake. She’s ugly!
RichSisterWithStamina: I don’t know if you can be tamed, but you’re definitely about to be deleted.
ICan’tBeTamed: Oh, I’m so scared! Idiot! Shen Shu is a plastic surgery freak! And you fans, stop messaging me! I’ll call her a plastic surgery freak every time I see her!
Just then, Zhou Pei and Viola entered the office with a stack of reports, and saw Xu Jinnan leaning against her hand, rapidly typing on her phone.
Xu Jinnan looked up at them, then continued typing. “Someone get me Legal,” she said.
—