Not long after, the hotel delivery arrived. Catching the drifting aroma, Jin Mingyuan hurried downstairs.
“Ah, it smells divine!” she chirped, her pace quickening. “Yueyue, good morning! How did you know I was starving?” Having slept off her hangover, she was radiant and energetic, the previous night’s headache a distant memory.
Sitting beside Xu Xue—who looked noticeably stiff and awkward—Jin Mingyuan leaned in. “Xiao Xue, did you watch over me all night? Thank you for your hard work. I didn’t turn into a drunken mess, did I?”
Xu Xue, her mind clearly elsewhere, gave a distracted reply. “Yes, you were quite the handful. I barely caught a wink of sleep. Mingyuan, please don’t drink like that again. A little is fine, but overdoing it is terrible for your health.”
Xu Xue’s sallow complexion backed up her claim. Not sensing the tension, Jin Mingyuan apologized sheepishly. “Alright, alright, I’ll listen to you. Our Xiao Xue is so virtuous [Traditional praise for a ‘good woman’ who is motherly and diligent]. I wonder who will be lucky enough to marry you? They’ll be living the dream.”
Xu Xue blushed, her lips pursing. Out of the corner of her eye, she stole a glance at Jiang Ci. He was currently focused on coaxing Su Yue to finish half a bowl of chicken soup. Seeing this, Xu Xue’s brow furrowed. Su Yue was becoming far too spoiled. Jiang Ci had personally prepared that soup, yet she sipped it with such reluctant, slow indifference, forcing him to plead with her. If it were Xu Xue, she would have been overcome with joy and drained the bowl in an instant.
“Yueyue, what’s that you’re drinking?” Jin Mingyuan asked, her stomach rumbling. The soup had a peculiar, deep hue.
“Chicken soup… Jiang Ci made it.” Su Yue had managed most of it, but the taste was heavy. It was clearly packed with bu xue [Blood-nourishing TCM herbs like goji berries or red dates], giving it a medicinal tang that made it hard to swallow in large gulps.
Hearing that the cold, formidable Jiang Ci had made it himself, Jin Mingyuan immediately shrank back, silencing her curiosity. She couldn’t afford to be that bold.
“Ao Ao [An affectionate, pet-like nickname], I’ll finish it after I eat, okay?” Under the table, Su Yue’s fingers secretly tugged at the hem of Jiang Ci’s shirt. Her dark eyes were shimmering and watery, a silent plea for mercy.
Jiang Ci raised an eyebrow. He felt the pull of her slender, delicate fingers against the black fabric of his shirt. “Fine,” he conceded. He didn’t want her filling up on soup before the main course either.
The table was spread with seven or eight dishes from a five-star hotel—a feast that was as visually stunning as it was appetizing. Being famished, Jin Mingyuan devoured the meal. Only after she was full did she find the breath to chat. “Yueyue, is filming almost done?”
“Nearly. We should be wrapping up the final scenes soon.”
“Then I’m booking an entire theater for the premiere!” Jin Mingyuan wanted to ask if the Male Lead was as handsome in person as he was on posters, but with that “Devil” Jiang Ci sitting right there, she didn’t dare utter a word.
“Yueyue, are you busy with the shoot today as well?” Xu Xue spoke up, her voice low and gentle with a slight nasal quality—a sajiao [A soft, coquettish way of speaking often used to sound cute or feminine] tone that made her seem particularly delicate.
“Yes.”
Even though she had taken a leave today she didn’t find the need to discuss it with her , but with the production ending soon, she couldn’t afford to fall behind anymore.
Xu Xue’s eyes flickered with a hidden joy. Fearing she might show it, she lowered her gaze. “It’s turned cold again. Don’t forget to stay warm while you’re on set.”
“I will, thanks.” Su Yue smiled, momentarily pushing aside the nagging suspicions she had about her friend.
The atmosphere remained pleasant, largely because Jiang Ci was in an unusually good mood. His sharp, lethal features had softened today, losing their usual icy edge, which in turn made Jin Mingyuan feel brave enough to keep talking.
As they prepared to leave, Xu Xue suggested going back up to the guest room to retrieve her phone. Once inside, her eyes swept over the rumpled blankets before settling on the bedside table. With a calculated look, she unfastened one of her earrings and squatted down, forcefully flicking it deep into the shadows beneath the furniture.
“Xiao Xue? Are you ready? My driver is waiting.” Jin Mingyuan pushed the door open, surprised to find Xu Xue on the floor. “What happened?”
“I just moved too fast and twisted my ankle,” Xu Xue said, quickly dusting off her hands. “I’m fine, let’s go.” She let her hair fall forward, hiding the ear that was now missing its jewel.
Once the two “third wheels” finally vanished, Jiang Ci didn’t waste another second. He reached out, his large hand sweeping Su Yue onto his lap. “Tear this annoying thing off my face.” If those outsiders hadn’t been there, he never would have worn the medical bandage.
“Is it uncomfortable?” Su Yue cupped his face, her fingertips gently peeling back the adhesive. Looking at the striking man before her, she couldn’t help but press a kiss to the spot where his scar used to be. “So handsome.”
Jiang Ci’s lips curled. His hand settled firmly on her slender waist. He had once heard that dancers possessed the most supple waists and alluring figures. He hadn’t cared then, but holding Su Yue now, the thought consumed him.
She wasn’t just alluring; she was captivating. That waist was so delicate it felt like it might snap under a single hand—a sight worth throwing one’s life away for.
His gaze darkened, his voice dropping into a magnetic, low growl. “Does your back still hurt? Shall I massage it for you?”
Su Yue was well-accustomed to his pampering. “It hurts here… right here.” She guided his large hand to her side. He massaged her with expert precision, his long fingers knowing exactly where to apply pressure.
“Is that better?” he murmured.
Su Yue, basking in the attention, showered him with sweet words. “Ao Ao is the best. You’re amazing.”
Jiang Ci adored her softness. His fingertips gradually strayed upward, grazing a more prominent area. “Little Yue’er, does it hurt here too? Should I massage this?” He asked it with such a straight face, as if his intentions were purely medicinal.
“It doesn’t hurt!” Su Yue jolted upright, pulling his hand away. “I’m fine now, really.”
“Then let me see.” Jiang Ci was still reeling from the sight he’d caught the night before. He had always been curious about her “treasures,” and having seen them, he found them almost too beautiful to touch—white, tender, and exquisite.
“No! Shut up!” Su Yue’s face was a flaming red. She wanted to cover his mouth—and those eyes that were staring so intently. She was lying; she was sore all over. A woman’s “delicate parts” are sensitive; even a small bruise brings tears, let alone the “rough” intensity Jiang Ci had displayed last night.
Jiang Ci smirked. “Fine, I won’t look. You should rest for now. I’ll carry you back to the room.” He could wait. He’d get a much closer look once she’d recovered in a day or two.
On the drive back, Jin Mingyuan noticed the missing jewelry. “Xiao Xue, your earring!”
“Oh! It must fell in the guest room,” Xu Xue cried, feigning shock.
“We’ll turn around!” Jin Mingyuan knew those earrings were a precious birthday gift from Xu Xue’s mother.
“No, don’t,” Xu Xue stopped her, her voice a picture of “thoughtful” restraint. “We’ve bothered them enough. I’ll just go back tomorrow or the day after to pick it up.”
“True. Jiang Ci looked like he wanted us gone any moment. I bet he thinks we’re in the way.”
Xu Xue lowered her eyes, silent. She had carefully planned this. She had even convinced Jin Mingyuan to skip a big party and visit Su Yue’s house instead, knowing it would be more intimate for her .
The next day, Su Yue was back on set.
“Yueyue, your skin is incredible! What’s your secret? It looks better than a clinical hydration treatment,” the makeup artist gushed. Su Yue’s skin was indeed glowing today with supple, radiant, and possessed of a new, captivating charm.
“Just my usual routine,” Su Yue replied. She noticed it too; she barely needed cream anymore, just a bit of toner.
As she was discussing this her phone rang. It was Xu Xue. “Yueyue… I’m so sorry to bother you while you’re filming,” she said, her voice dripping with timid apology. “I left my earring in your guest room. It’s the one from my mother… I was hoping to stop by and get it later?”
“Of course,” Su Yue said. She knew how much that earring meant to her. “But the maid isn’t there and I’m stuck on set. Why don’t you go later?”
Xu Xue didn’t want Su Yue there. She wanted the house empty. “Is… is Jiang Ci there?”
Su Yue’s brow knit together. Her voice cooled. “He’s home. I’ll have him open the door for you.”
“Thank you! I’ll just grab it and leave right away, I won’t disturb him.” Xu Xue couldn’t hide the lilt of joy in her voice after hearing the answer she need .
Su Yue hung up, her eyes darkening.
Xu Xue spent hours on her “look.” She chose a white dress with a khaki wool coat, revealing her legs above stylish ankle boots. She looked sophisticated, her makeup meticulously heavy to hide her dull complexion—and to compete with the memory of Su Yue’s perfect skin.
She bypassed her family driver and took a taxi there. Standing at the iron gates, her heart hammered against her ribs. Soon, a tall figure appeared.
Jiang Ci opened the gate, his expression unreadable.
“I’m so sorry, Yueyue mentioned I could come by…” Xu Xue started, her face flushed. Jiang Ci didn’t even grunt in response. He turned and walked back inside, one hand in his pocket, focused on his documents.
Inside, he sat on the sofa, ignoring her. Xu Xue stood there, biting her lip. She had never dealt with a man this cold. “You’re blocking my light,” he snapped suddenly.
“Oh! Sorry!” She scrambled back.
“Weren’t you looking for something?” he asked impatiently. “Go find it.”
Embarrassed, she hurried upstairs. In the guest room, she found the earring but didn’t pick it up yet. She shed her heavy coat, shivering in her thin dress, then went back down.
“I found it,” she said, smiling hopefully.
Jiang Ci didn’t look up. “Great. Close the door when you leave.”
Xu Xue’s face fell. “It’s… it’s stuck under the bedside table. I can’t reach it. Could you help me move the furniture?”
Jiang Ci let out a cold snort. If she weren’t “friends” with his wife, he’d have called her a moron. “There are tongs in the kitchen. Use one to poke it out. Do I look like your servant?”
Xu Xue flushed. Her plan—the classic “trip and fall into his arms” while moving furniture—was dying. She went to the kitchen, grabbed a pair of tongs, and eventually came down with her coat and the earring.
“Got it. Thank you, Jiang Ci.”
“Door. Close it.”
Xu Xue took a breath. As she walked past him, she “stumbled.” and cried “Ah!”, lunging toward him.
Instead of a pair of strong arms catching her, she felt the hard corner of a plastic folder shove her away. She went flying, her hip slamming into the edge of the marble coffee table.
“OW!” This cry was genuine. She crumpled to the floor, tears of real pain springing to her eyes. He hadn’t just let her fall—he had actively deflected her like she was a piece of trash.
“What’s going on?”Su Yue was standing in the doorway.When she witness this scene.”Why are you back early?” Jiang Ci stood up, his gaze immediately softening for his wife.
Su Yue looked at Xu Xue on the floor. “Filming wrapped early. Xiao Xue, why are you down there?”
Jiang Ci sneered. “She can’t walk. She nearly fell on me.”Su Yue’s eyes were like ice. “Did you find your earring?” She made no move to help her “friend” up.
Xu Xue limped to her feet, clutching her waist. The pain was agonizing, but the humiliation was worse. “I… I found it.”
“Where was it exactly?”
“Under the cabinet…”
“Funny how that earring grew legs,” Su Yue remarked dryly. “Since you’ve got it, I’ll show you out.”
Outside the mansion , the snow was falling. Su Yue watched Xu Xue shiver. “You’re dressed quite lightly for a winter hunt, aren’t you?”
Xu Xue froze. “I… I forgot my coat while I was reaching for the earring.”
Su Yue walked her to the gate. “I’ll stop here. Have you forgotten anything else? A phone? A hairpin? A heart?”
Xu Xue blinked, sensing the razor-sharp edge in Su Yue’s tone. “No… thank you, Yueyue.”
“Good. Because I’d hate for you to have an excuse to come back in a few days.” Su Yue’s face was as cold as the frost. “Don’t ever come back here. You understand that, right?”
“Yueyue? Did I do something?”
“Xu Xue, you’re eyeing my husband,” Su Yue said, her bluntness hitting like a slap. “You’re trying to steal him. Don’t bother lying; I trust my eyes, not your acting.”
Xu Xue turned pale, then angry. “You’re being irrational. We should talk when you’re calm.”
“There is no ‘we’ here. Get out.”
Back inside, Su Yue climbed onto Jiang Ci’s lap, huddling into his chest. “Xu Xue really had designs on you,” she grumbled into his neck.
“I didn’t even notice her,” Jiang Ci murmured, twirling a lock of Su Yue’s hair around his finger.
“I know,” Su Yue sighed, “but it’s disgusting. Being betrayed like that.”
“Disgusted?” Jiang Ci tilted her chin up, his thumb brushing her lip. “Let me kiss you then. I’ll suck all that disgust away until there’s nothing left but me.”
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