Chapter 82

“Am I going to sleep now?” Gu Yanqiu tilted her head and glanced at Lin Yuewei, who was studying with her headphones on. It was almost midnight.

“Hm?” Lin Yuewei took out one earbud.

“I’m going to sleep first?” Gu Yanqiu repeated, still sounding uncertain.

Lin Yuewei said, “Oh. Go ahead. Good night.”

“...Good night.”

Gu Yanqiu looked at her deeply.

Lin Yuewei blinked in confusion.

Gu Yanqiu lay down. One corner of the blanket had flipped up, leaving her shoulder exposed. She reached back to tuck it in, but for some reason she couldn’t get it to lie flat. Seeming to grumble to herself, she muttered, “What’s going on?”

A shadow fell over her. Lin Yuewei turned over and leaned down, reaching past her shoulder to wrap the blanket around her neck, then patted it into place and said gently, “There. Sleep.”

Gu Yanqiu pressed her lips together.

Lin Yuewei understood at once. She lowered her head and lovingly pecked her on the lips.

Gu Yanqiu was satisfied. She smiled faintly and asked, “You didn’t sleep at all last night. Aren’t you tired?”

“Not too bad. I didn’t really feel sleepy. I got drowsy for a while this afternoon, but I was busy then and didn’t have time to sleep. After that, it passed.”

“Then... good night.” The corners of Gu Yanqiu’s lips lifted.

“Good night.” Lin Yuewei kissed her again, just about to sit up, when Gu Yanqiu reached back and looped an arm around her neck.

At this moment Lin Yuewei was above Gu Yanqiu, in the more advantageous position. Having just been freshly influenced by the veteran actors earlier, her heart began to stir again.

Their lips met. Gu Yanqiu was about to deepen the kiss when Lin Yuewei suddenly pulled back, pressing one finger against her lips to stop her from going any further.

Gu Yanqiu opened her misty eyes, and confusion filled them.

Lin Yuewei recalled the instruction from the video as she held one side of Gu Yanqiu’s face with one hand, using her fingers to slowly trace her exquisite brows and eyes under the lamp. Lin Yuewei had been spoiled from childhood and had never done a speck of rough work. Her fingertips were smooth and clean, and when they drifted over with that unfamiliar, itching warmth, it felt oddly stirring.

Lin Yuewei looked focused, her fingertip moving from Gu Yanqiu’s forehead to her brows, her eyes, the bridge of her nose, and then downward.

When her finger slid to the tiny bead at the center of Gu Yanqiu’s upper lip and lightly pressed at its edge, Gu Yanqiu couldn’t help swallowing and lifted her chin a fraction.

Lin Yuewei secretly felt pleased with herself: as expected, by this point the other side would be unable to resist giving an active signal.

What was next again?

Oh, right. Kiss her.

Lin Yuewei lowered her head, and Gu Yanqiu tilted up her neck directly, ready to meet her. But Lin Yuewei turned her face, and the kiss landed on Gu Yanqiu’s cheek instead.

Gu Yanqiu: “...”

Her movement was far too obvious. Gu Yanqiu’s wandering senses abruptly returned a little; her eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly as she saw the stiffness and hesitation hidden not very skillfully on Lin Yuewei’s cool, beautiful face... or should she say, her deliberation?

The corners of Gu Yanqiu’s mouth lifted slightly, then she quickly hid the smile.

The tutorial had said that one should kiss the cheek in intermittent but rhythmic bursts while also giving a teasing smile; the two worked together, hitting from both sides. But Lin Yuewei was simply too nervous, and she didn’t know what kind of adjective “teasing” was supposed to be. If it were aimed at fans and cameras, she might still be able to think it through and pull it off, but facing Gu Yanqiu... it was better to do less and make fewer mistakes. If she overdid it and ruined the atmosphere, it would be wasted effort.

So Lin Yuewei tried her best to keep her expression soft. In truth, she didn’t even need to force it; the tenderness naturally filling her heart was enough to keep her looking almost genuinely “gentle.”

Lin Yuewei tenderly pecked at Gu Yanqiu’s lips, one kiss after another. At first she still tried to control the timing; later, she forgot all about it and let instinct take over.

Gu Yanqiu’s makeup-free face didn’t differ much from when she wore light makeup. If there had to be a difference, it was that she looked younger; small and cute.

Gu Yanqiu already looked younger than her actual age. When she dressed normally, she deliberately leaned toward a more mature style. After all, she wasn’t a student anymore, and she still had to outthink people like Gu Feiquan at the company, so looking steady was important.

Lin Yuewei suddenly had a flash of inspiration and drifted off for a moment: why were there so many aloof, sexless CEOs in novels, each one deep and unfathomable? At the very least, they all had to be extremely composed, plotting everything from within and making sure everyone else was convinced.

Even so, outside of work Gu Yanqiu actually liked wearing trendy brands, making herself look like a college student or even a high schooler, youthful and full of energy.

When could she go out and play with energetic Gu Yanqiu? She would definitely be a wonderful companion.

With her makeup removed, the small and cute Gu Yanqiu had lips a pale pink and very elastic. Just the feel of pressing against them made Lin Yuewei’s heart quiver uncontrollably. Under those repeated pecks, she nearly forgot what she had been trying to do.

It was only a light kiss, yet Lin Yuewei’s breathing gradually quickened. Finally, after another time their lips touched, Gu Yanqiu reached from behind to support the back of her head and stopped her from leaving.

Gu Yanqiu took her lower lip into her mouth. Lin Yuewei’s lower lip was thinner than her upper lip, and the taste was especially distinctive.

Lin Yuewei floated for a moment, until Gu Yanqiu let go of her and said in a slightly hoarse voice, “Have you had enough?”

Lin Yuewei’s rationality snapped back instantly.

She, she, she... how did she know?

Lin Yuewei’s shocked expression didn’t escape Gu Yanqiu at all. Gu Yanqiu sighed and said, “What else did you secretly look up? Let me see.”

The Lin Yuewei who had so generously shared a kissing tutorial video that morning now decisively refused. “No.”

Gu Yanqiu: “...”

She said in surprise, “So stingy?”

Lin Yuewei declared confidently, “And how am I more stingy than you? You’re not only stingy, you hold grudges too. You said it yourself.”

Gu Yanqiu laughed despite herself.

Lin Yuewei said, “Continue.”

Gu Yanqiu closed her eyes and heard Lin Yuewei say above her, “I don’t feel anything anymore. It’s all your fault for ruining the mood.”

Gu Yanqiu smiled and said, “My mistake. I’m sorry.”

Lin Yuewei carefully savored that “sorry,” and on reflex, her brow furrowed. “Don’t say sorry next time. It sounds weird, like you’re being too formal.”

“Then... excuse me?”

“That’s a little better. Just use it as little as possible.”

The mood had been ruined, and it took quite a while to build it back up.

Their breathing gradually quickened. The warm, bright light in the master bedroom shone on their faces, and they could see each other’s eyes, lashes, the bridge of the nose, lips already kissed red and swollen, and even every faint expression on the other’s face with utter clarity.

Lin Yuewei closed her eyes and took Gu Yanqiu’s upper lip into her mouth, sucking gently and delicately.

Everything was the same as before, except that Lin Yuewei knew her hand had found the small patch of skin behind Gu Yanqiu’s ear. The tutorial had also mentioned many other places, but the two of them were still a little pure at heart, and Lin Yuewei was shy enough that she only dared touch things like her ear.

One hand cradled Gu Yanqiu’s chin, while her fingertips brushed lightly over the delicate skin behind her ear. Lin Yuewei was half sitting up, with her other hand braced beside Gu Yanqiu’s pillow. Gradually, she felt this position was far too exhausting, so she simply lay down. The hand propped on the pillow slipped under Gu Yanqiu’s neck and around it, drawing Gu Yanqiu into her arms.

Their breathing grew heavier and heavier; their cheeks gradually flushed red. Just when Lin Yuewei felt she was about to suffocate again and needed to breathe, she was the first to feel Gu Yanqiu trembling very lightly in her embrace.

She forced her eyes open a sliver and saw Gu Yanqiu’s dazed, intoxicated expression.

Lin Yuewei didn’t know which meridian had suddenly opened for her, but she inexplicably learned how to breathe in and out. As expected, the power of will was immense, she thought with emotion.

...

When their lips parted, their foreheads were pressed together, both gasping heavily. Gu Yanqiu even turned her head aside and coughed a few times. Lin Yuewei picked up her own water cup and took two big gulps, then handed the cup to Gu Yanqiu.

“Don’t mind it?”

“Cough, cough... You’ve already fed me, why are you still asking whether I mind?” Gu Yanqiu suppressed her coughing, drank the water, and let out a long breath.

Lin Yuewei raised a brow. “What is it?”

Gu Yanqiu pressed her fingertips to her brow and said, “I’m a little dazed.”

Lin Yuewei laughed. “Stimulating?”

Gu Yanqiu laughed too. “Mm. Stimulating.”

Lin Yuewei gave a mysterious little “ah” and said, “You just now... mm-hm, did you notice?”

“Mm?” At first Gu Yanqiu didn’t understand. Only after a moment did she realize what she meant, and she laughed softly. “Isn’t that normal?”

It meant she was a very healthy adult woman, both physically and mentally.

“Mm-hm, normal, normal.” Lin Yuewei leaned against the headboard and laughed to herself, feeling happier than if she’d won a hundred million.

Gu Yanqiu suddenly narrowed her eyes.

Lin Yuewei said, “What?”

Gu Yanqiu asked, “What did you search tonight?”

Lin Yuewei’s heart stirred at that. “I didn’t search anything.”

Gu Yanqiu said, “I saw it.”

Lin Yuewei was certain Gu Yanqiu was bluffing. The bed was so large, and they were separated by nearly a meter. She had even deliberately angled the tablet and blocked it with the notebook; there was no way Gu Yanqiu could see.

“Oh, I just looked up a few movie clips.”

Gu Yanqiu smiled meaningfully and didn’t argue with her anymore. “This time, I really am sleeping.”

“Sleep, sleep.” Lin Yuewei, thoroughly sated, licked her lips and felt her heartbeat was still racing.

Gu Yanqiu switched off the light on her side and closed her eyes. Maybe because the earlier activity had also used up some energy, she fell asleep very quickly. Lin Yuewei finished the task she hadn’t completed earlier that day—she’d spent part of the evening busy with miscellaneous matters and had been delayed, so it wasn’t until the numbers on the bedside clock jumped to 2:35 that Lin Yuewei yawned, lay down, and immediately fell asleep.

Not long after arriving at the company the next morning, Gu Yanqiu received another share from Lin Yuewei, just as she had the day before:

[Two Trees: [video link]]

[Two Trees: I watched this this morning; sending it to you]

A faint smile curved her lips. She put on her headphones and opened it; sure enough, it was about how to make your girlfriend make sounds while kissing.

This person... Gu Yanqiu shook her head helplessly and amusedly, then saved the video.

Ever since last night’s excellent beginning, the Lin-Gu pair had relied less and less on online resources. The techniques were all more or less the same; what mattered most was the cultivation of feelings.

The two of them could vaguely feel that something was still missing between them, something similar to passion but not merely passion. They could only attribute it to not being deep enough emotionally, but there was still plenty of time to grow that. They weren’t in a hurry, and were adapting to this slow but tender pace.

Gu Yanqiu’s company was busy at times and not at others. Every Monday, she had to get into a shouting match with Gu Feiquan in meetings. Gu Huai’s health was declining by the day; Gu Yanqiu had asked about it privately, and Gu Huai always said he was faking it. Naturally, his own son Gu Feiquan fully represented his will, while the opposing faction led by the big and little Wu family faintly seemed to be gravitating toward Gu Yanqiu as their center. Of course, that didn’t mean they were willing to let Gu Yanqiu lead them; it was simply that enemies with a common foe were friends. Their opponent was Gu Huai, and his biological daughter Gu Yanqiu was a blade sharp enough to be driven into the heart.

When prey and predator fought, the fisherman benefited; everyone had their own calculations, and the abacus beads in their minds were clattering nonstop.

“Mr. Wu, let me toast you.” There was a slight flush of drunkenness on Gu Yanqiu’s face, but the hand holding the glass was steady.

Little Wu clinked glasses with her, clicking his tongue in comfort as his brows and eyes briefly scrunched together before relaxing. After a moment, he smiled and said, “I should be the one to toast you. You’ve had it rough.”

“What’s so rough about it? If he’s not righteous, then he can’t blame me for not being righteous.” A trace of ruthlessness flashed in Gu Yanqiu’s eyes.

“Exactly. I’ve been saying the same thing. In terms of education, bloodline, or ability, which one can Gu Feiquan compare to you? Yet your father insists on propping him up.” Little Wu shook his head and sighed. “He’s really gone senile.”

“Back when the few of us were developing the company together...” Little Wu’s eyes even turned slightly red as he spoke. He waved a hand. “Ah, forget it. Forget it. At least we were brothers once.”

“Wasn’t that the case?” Gu Yanqiu sat down, one hand propping up her forehead, her wine glass tapping hard against the table several times. “My father, huh? Not only senile, but outdated too. What era is it now? Once we go public, Tianrui’s market value is going to multiply several times over.”

Little Wu said, “Exactly, think about it...”

“I don’t want to talk about him,” Gu Yanqiu interrupted irritably, extending her hand forward. “Another one.”

The two glasses collided in the air; behind them were two people’s tacit, unspoken looks.

Gu Yanqiu sat in the back seat and put on an eye mask for herself. Lin Zhi was driving. He knew about the infighting in the company, and he also knew Gu Yanqiu was aligned with the big and little Wu faction. He trusted Gu Yanqiu unconditionally, but recently she’d been going out to social engagements more and more often, carrying a faint sense that storm clouds were gathering.

Lin Zhi dropped her off at the villa. What was different from last time was that the lights inside were on.

Someone was there?

Gu Yanqiu got out and waved to Lin Zhi.

Lin Zhi drove away. Habitually glancing at the rearview mirror, he thought he saw Gu Yanqiu standing together with someone at the villa entrance. He turned the wheel, and that figure flashed past; he couldn’t even tell whether it was a man or a woman.

Lin Zhi clicked his tongue twice.

He hadn’t expected Little Gu to be keeping a lover hidden away, and making such rapid progress too. As expected of his boss.

At the villa entrance, Gu Yanqiu slipped one arm around Lin Yuewei’s shoulder and went inside. “Why did you come out?”

“I heard the car, so I came out to take a look. I was bored anyway.” Lin Yuewei leaned closer and sniffed at her, wrinkling her nose. “You smell strongly of alcohol.”

“I’m going to shower.” Gu Yanqiu took a few steps, her gaze fixed straight ahead, but she walked out a diagonal line.

Lin Yuewei said helplessly, “Let me help you upstairs.”

Gu Yanqiu said, “Thanks.”

Lin Yuewei pretended not to hear clearly. “What did you just say?”

Gu Yanqiu smiled. “I said, okay.”

Lin Yuewei helped her upstairs, picked out her pajamas, and asked, “Can you shower by yourself?”

Gu Yanqiu laughed for a while. She had only had some alcohol; she wasn’t drunk or disabled, so how could she not shower on her own? Her eyes turned, and she smiled. “I can’t. Will you help me wash?”

Lin Yuewei lifted her chin. “Sure. Take off your clothes.”

The next second, the bathroom door snapped shut in front of Lin Yuewei.

This time, it was Lin Yuewei’s turn to laugh.

After showering, Gu Yanqiu was still a little dizzy. She sat straight on the bed, hugging her knees and watching Lin Yuewei pack her luggage. After frowning for a while, she suddenly realized, “You’re going into the cast tomorrow?”

“Yeah.”

“So soon?”

“Soon?” Lin Yuewei had her back to her. “I still think it’s slow. Only work makes me feel steady. I’m at home every day studying the script, and I still feel a little uneasy. With Fang Xiaoxiao’s example in front of me, what if they pull the role from me at the last minute and take away my second female lead part?”

“Fang Xiaoxiao has dirt on her. You don’t.”

“Who knows?”

“...” Gu Yanqiu said speechlessly, “Whether you have dirt on you or not, don’t you know yourself?”

“That’s not what I mean.” Lin Yuewei sighed. “It’s just that you don’t know how many accidents can happen in this circle. Even if you’ve done nothing wrong, having a role snatched away halfway through is normal. Only after you’ve actually filmed the show, aired it, and gotten a great response can you set that worry down. But once you set one worry down, there’ll be another one waiting to torment you. Maybe several at once; there’s no end to it.”

She put the folded clothes into a storage bag and flattened them inside the suitcase, then paused and said in a particularly miserable tone, “I’ve been having nightmares these past two nights. Sometimes I dream I’ve become a mistress, sometimes that I’m taking drugs, sometimes that I’ve evaded taxes for several billion, or that some powerful person has replaced me. I wake up drenched in cold sweat.”

Gu Yanqiu felt sour inside. She hadn’t known that Lin Yuewei, who always seemed so strong, was actually this uneasy.

“Come here. Let me hug you.”

Lin Yuewei looked back at Gu Yanqiu’s open arms, ran over, and hugged her. Gu Yanqiu buried herself in her embrace. Lin Yuewei looked down at the top of her head and said with amusement, “Who exactly needs comforting here, you or me?”

“Me.” Gu Yanqiu’s answer was shocking.

“What?”

“I said me. I’m dizzy.”

“You’re dizzy and you still won’t sleep?”

“It’s the last night. The next time we meet will be months from now. I want to look at you a little longer.” After drinking, Gu Yanqiu was unexpectedly soft and pliant, her voice carrying a nasal quality and sounding muffled.

“Then look,” Lin Yuewei said, rubbing her hair hard. Just as she was about to let go and continue packing, she suddenly abandoned that idea. “I’ll wait until you fall asleep first. You always sleep earlier than me.”

“Mm.”

Lin Yuewei held her for a while, then felt that in this position Gu Yanqiu probably wouldn’t be able to sleep easily, so she set her down. Her gaze landed on Gu Yanqiu’s face, and the corners of her lips couldn’t help lifting.

Gu Yanqiu was already asleep. How long had it been? Two minutes, or three?

Lin Yuewei lowered her voice and continued packing. She had a lot of clothes, but the crew probably wouldn’t give her much room to show them off, so she didn’t bring many. Most of what she packed was skincare. One set wasn’t enough; she brought two. Training with the special police wasn’t a joke, and after filming, her delicate skin would probably need a long while to recover.

There wasn’t much else. Lin Yuewei thought it over and packed the rabbit Gu Yanqiu had given her, tucking it into the bottom of the suitcase. She’d also wanted to bring the prayer beads, but those were too expensive, and if she dirtied them she wouldn’t even know how to care for them, so in the end she left them at home.

Speaking of that string of prayer beads, Gu Yanqiu had given them to her, but they were still with Gu Yanqiu now. Lin Yuewei was afraid she might do something wrong, so she simply put them together with Gu Yanqiu’s other treasured keepsakes and would take them when she needed them.

Lin Yuewei looked around the bedroom one last time before letting her gaze settle on Gu Yanqiu, sleeping soundly on the bed. In fact, what she most wanted to bring was Gu Yanqiu. It would be wonderful if she had a portal door; by day she could film on set, and at night she could just come home through the portal.

Even Lin Yuewei felt she was thinking too beautifully. She flicked her own forehead, then went to shower and sleep.

Lin Yuewei had Wang Yuanyuan arrange a car to wait outside the neighborhood. Standing at the front gate, she waved at Gu Yanqiu inside. “No need to see me off. They might see us again in a bit.”

Gu Yanqiu nodded and remained where she was.

After walking a few steps, Lin Yuewei suddenly looked back. Gu Yanqiu was still there, the lips she had been pressing together not yet loosened.

Lin Yuewei ran back and pinned Gu Yanqiu against the entryway, kissing her deeply, deeply, deeply.

Their lips parted.

Lin Yuewei left without looking back.

Gu Yanqiu closed the door.

“I’m here. Open the door.” Lin Yuewei pressed one finger against the Bluetooth earpiece at her ear.

As soon as Wang Yuanyuan opened the door, a figure darted up and sat steadily in the seat. Wang Yuanyuan jumped in surprise; only after seeing that it was Lin Yuewei did she set the bottle of mineral water she’d been holding down and hand it to her.

“You’re in a bad mood today?”

“Not really.” Lin Yuewei tipped her head back and took two gulps of water, then perked up and asked, “Where’s Sister Chen?”

“Still at the company. We’re heading there to pick her up from here.”

“Okay.” Lin Yuewei pulled out her phone, planning to send Gu Yanqiu a message, but caught Wang Yuanyuan’s odd look.

“What is it?”

Wang Yuanyuan took a mirror out of her bag, opened it, and Lin Yuewei leaned over to look. The face that had still been smiling just now immediately went cold.

Wang Yuanyuan handed her a tissue and said in a low voice, “I won’t tell Mr. Chen.”

Lin Yuewei calmly wiped away the lipstick mark on her lips that belonged to Gu Yanqiu, but her heart sank a little. She had left in a hurry today and also let herself be swept up in the moment; she hadn’t expected to be exposed so quickly.

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she studied Wang Yuanyuan. Wang Yuanyuan looked very ordinary, the kind of person who would disappear into a crowd at first glance. Yet in her eyes flickered an unusual light.

Trust her? Or brush her off?

Though it looked like she had a choice, in truth she had none. Lin Yuewei withdrew her gaze and said, “I trust you.”

Wang Yuanyuan smiled.

Only then did Lin Yuewei notice that when her assistant smiled softly, a sharp little canine tooth appeared on the right side, instantly making her seem much more approachable.

Wang Yuanyuan said, “Actually, you don’t need to be this guarded with me. I signed a confidentiality agreement with you; anything you don’t want me to say, I can’t say a single word about it, including to Manager Chen. And the company only pays me a base salary. You’re the one who decides how much I actually earn. What good would it do me to side with Manager Chen?”

She paused, then said with mock seriousness, “Wherever you go, traitors never end well.”

Lin Yuewei was nearly amused by her.

Wang Yuanyuan asked, “Can we go?”

Lin Yuewei nodded.

Wang Yuanyuan pressed the intercom to tell the driver up front to start the car.

The minibus picked up Chen Xuan from the company, and the three of them headed to the airport to catch the flight to the set. The filming location and training base were both in the same place, N City; it took two hours by plane from Yanning.

After getting out of the car, Chen Xuan led Lin Yuewei to find the director. Yang Xiao had a very deep impression of her, and during this period, while Lin Yuewei had been studying the script, she’d also discussed it with Yang Xiao, so the two of them had already exchanged some ideas. Yang Xiao gave her a light hug and finally patted her shoulder, looking deeply gratified, which only increased the pressure on Lin Yuewei.

Smiling, Chen Xuan shook hands with Yang Xiao and said, “Director Yang, please do take good care of Xiao Lin. She’s a newcomer, but when it’s time to shape her up, shape her up properly. Don’t go easy on her. The child really is earnest about learning.”

Yang Xiao smiled broadly. “Of course.”

A chill ran down Lin Yuewei’s neck, and she felt Yang Xiao’s smile wasn’t as harmless as it looked.

The male lead and female lead hadn’t arrived yet; Lin Yuewei was the earliest one there. Chen Xuan took her around to meet people and said, “The male lead is called Qin Li. He’s quite honest and steady, and his acting is very good. You can learn a lot from following him around. As for the one playing the female lead, Qu Xuesong, try to stay away from her if you can when you run into her.”

“Why?”

Chen Xuan frowned and looked at her. “She’s a ‘stamp collector.’”

Lin Yuewei didn’t understand, but Wang Yuanyuan’s expression changed at once, clearly getting it. Chen Xuan gave Wang Yuanyuan a meaningful look, and Wang Yuanyuan tugged Lin Yuewei aside and said in a low voice, “It means..."

She whispered an explanation in detail.

Lin Yuewei’s eyes suddenly widened, and her jaw nearly hit the floor.