Chapter 18: Is Ji Wushan... Jealous?

The script for Her Romantic Encounter had been handed to Ji Wushan first. As for swimsuits, Xue Erbai had spent the entire night before departure carefully choosing a conservative one-piece.

By contrast, Qiao You had prepared Xue Erbai’s swimsuit after getting the news the day before.

Xue Erbai was a strong swimmer. From high school to university, and even after she started working, swimming had been her way of relieving stress.

It was just that after work, she had far less time for it, and with her naturally flamboyant taste, she owned all kinds of swimsuits, with bikinis making up most of them.

This time was no different. Qiao You picked two options for her: one pure black, one pure white.

Relatively speaking, both were considered modest.

But on Xue Erbai, they didn’t stay modest for long.

Her chest was too large; she came out of the changing room with waves surging and crashing, looking so gloomy she seemed like someone owed her money. That stunned Zhong Dai, who was just about to go change.

“You... what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

Xue Erbai tried to answer normally, but the scene of Ji Wushan and Fu Lingnan leaving together kept replaying in her head, and her tone turned a little cool.

Fortunately, Zhong Dai didn’t mind. She nodded and went in to change.

Xue Erbai sat on the chair outside the changing room and, feeling irritated, opened WeChat and sent a bunch of gibberish to the presumptuous woman.

[fkj29#￥lsnfg！！！]

Ding-dong.

Her phone, lying on another chair, rang once.

Xue Erbai tilted her head and looked over.

It was Zhong Dai’s phone.

She blinked, then lowered her head and sent another WeChat message.

[Presumptuous Woman, when are you coming back.]

Ding-dong.

Another notification.

A certain idea took root and sprouted in Xue Erbai’s mind.

Could it be... Zhong Dai was the presumptuous woman?

She thought back to how the two of them had connected before, and all those scattered clues.

Presumptuous woman, local.

Zhong Dai, local.

The presumptuous woman had been a celebrity stan since childhood, had a woman she’d had a crush on but could never get, and that woman was her sister-in-law’s ex-girlfriend.

At present, she said she liked some actress, but she hadn’t told Xue Erbai exactly who it was. Anyway, that person was on this show.

An actress; in any case, it could only be Fu Lingnan or Yi Fan.

Xue Erbai leaned more toward the former, but that didn’t seem to have much to do with her. Who the presumptuous woman liked wasn’t important.

What mattered was whether Zhong Dai really was her or not!!!

That instantly grabbed Xue Erbai’s full attention, and she temporarily set aside the issue of Ji Wushan and Fu Lingnan walking off arm in arm.

Even after Zhong Dai changed and came back out to face Xue Erbai’s scorching stare, she felt a little unnerved.

She put her phone straight into her crossbody bag without even looking at it.

But all the way to the seaside bathing area, Xue Erbai’s eyes kept drifting between her face and the bag slung over her shoulder.

Not that she looked often; it was just that everyone was a little more sensitive to other people’s gazes. And Xue Erbai! That was Xue Erbai! There was no way she was looking at Zhong Dai.

What happened last night had allowed her to vaguely sense that Xue Erbai had feelings for Ji Wushan.

By the time they reached the changing room door, Zhong Dai had more or less guessed why Xue Erbai was upset. Then, when they got to the beach and saw Ji Wushan and Fu Lingnan sitting together applying sunscreen...

She seemed to have found the answer.

Most likely, Xue Erbai had acted out because those two had gotten close.

And now...

Had Xue Erbai taken a major blow and shifted her attention elsewhere?

Completely unaware that she’d already been half right, Xue Erbai was still watching Zhong Dai’s phone.

From start to finish, Zhong Dai hadn’t touched it once.

She also hadn’t received any replies.

At this point...

Xue Erbai sent another sticker.

On the beach, they had formed pairs of two by two. She and Zhong Dai were in the same room, automatically grouped together, and because they were close, she heard another notification sound from Zhong Dai again.

But Zhong Dai still paid her no mind; her gaze remained on Ji Wushan and Fu Lingnan.

"Haah."

"So hot."

While Xue Erbai was looking at Zhong Dai, she suddenly heard a sigh and complaint from behind her. She turned around and saw Yi Fan in a pink bikini.

And in Yi Fan’s eyes, Xue Erbai very clearly saw a flash of amazement; that gaze was also on her.

Xue Erbai subconsciously tightened the towel around herself, covering half of the chest that the black bikini made look even whiter.

How could this be!

Her body could only be shown to Ji Wushan! Only to her wife!

She had to keep her chastity!

Although... Ji Wushan was already applying sunscreen on someone else’s back.

"Yi..."

"Xiaobai, you can call me Little Yi or Xiaofan, anything is fine!" Yi Fan said with a bright grin.

Her expression management was perfect; she was very sweet.

So this was what actresses who dealt with cameras every day were like?

Xue Erbai couldn’t help thinking of Fu Lingnan. Fu Lingnan wasn’t bad either; she just carried herself a little more, unlike Yi Fan, who smiled so often.

That kind of smile also made Xue Erbai unconsciously want to put on a mask.

But after her lips twitched slightly, she stopped.

Yi Fan couldn’t bring her any benefit anyway; why bother?

Why force a smile?

So her smile disappeared.

Yet Yi Fan leaned closer again and stared at Xue Erbai. "Xiaobai, you look so cool when you smile!"

Xue Erbai kept her expression unchanged, but inside she was shocked and annoyed.

She was flirting!

This straight woman was flirting with a lesbian!

If Xue Erbai hadn’t received prior information, she really wouldn’t have known that Yi Fan was actually straight and had come on the show purely to stir up a ship.

Looks like her attention was now on her.

Xue Erbai didn’t want to stir up a ship. If she had to, she wanted to do it with Ji Wushan; at most, if it was confirmed that Zhong Dai was the presumptuous woman, she could cover for her as a good friend.

But Yi Fan wouldn’t do!

She resisted it strongly and turned to Zhong Dai with a fake smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

Zhong Dai was wearing a swimsuit that covered her almost completely; her wet hair hung down her back, and from the side she looked even cooler.

So she caught Yi Fan’s attention and praised Zhong Dai instead. "Look, that’s what’s really cool!"

Zhong Dai really was cool. Yi Fan, who had clearly been trying to flirt with Xue Erbai, froze for a moment and could only tell the truth. "She really is cool."

And the heat in her eyes only deepened.

If the two of them were competing over her...

"Xiaobai, Dai-Dai~ Come apply sunscreen with me, okay?~"

Her voice grew unconsciously sweeter and softer. So sweet that Xue Erbai covered her mouth, afraid her discomfort would show.

She wasn’t some actress or star; she couldn’t manage her expression properly, so she could only manage it manually!

Yi Fan had already moved past her and was facing Zhong Dai, so she didn’t see this. But Zhong Dai was right in front of Xue Erbai and saw everything clearly.

Xue Erbai felt a little embarrassed, but instinctively blinked at her.

Zhong Dai seemed to understand and lifted her chin slightly, pretending she knew nothing.

Yi Fan extended an enthusiastic invitation, and with the FPD following along, the two of them had no choice but to start putting on an act. As they kept acting, Xue Erbai suddenly let out a silent laugh.

Zhong Dai looked at her suspiciously. "?"

"You help Little Yi. I’m a little dizzy!"

Xue Erbai shifted the blame, acting as though the whole world was spinning, and leaned toward Zhong Dai.

Zhong Dai: "!"

"Little Presumptuous."

Brushing past Zhong Dai’s ear, Xue Erbai called her softly.

Anyway, if Zhong Dai wasn’t her, then she could pretend she hadn’t said anything. If Zhong Dai was...

"!!!!!!!!"

Before she could finish thinking, Zhong Dai’s eyes went wide, staring at her fixedly.

When Xue Erbai finished pretending to faint and leaned against Zhong Dai, she suddenly got a jolt of excitement and sat back up. The two of them stared at each other.

Confirmed.

It really was the presumptuous woman.

---

The atmosphere was a little awkward and heavy.

Because Yi Fan was there, because there were so many cameras, their reunion was the kind of silence that deafened.

"Xiaobai, Dai-Dai~ help me put some on my back."

Both of them disliked that name very much. Zhong Dai took a deep breath; Xue Erbai, meanwhile, dodged the camera and completely let loose in front of Zhong Dai, making an exaggerated show of forming the words with her lips: "Dai-Dai~~"

Then she promptly collapsed back into her arms. "No, no, I’m really dizzy. Dai-Dai, go on!"

She was clearly someone very familiar; even the way Xue Erbai spoke carried that familiarity. That made Yi Fan, caught between the two of them, somewhat surprised. She turned to look, and Zhong Dai met her gaze with a smile.

Protecting the little turtle was her duty!

"I’ll do it. It’s just that my hands are a bit rough."

Zhong Dai stepped up.

She spent most of her time outdoors. Though she also took care of her skin on purpose, it was still not as delicate as Xue Erbai’s or that of an actress. Just as her fingers touched Yi Fan’s shoulder, Yi Fan frowned.

At that moment, Deng Lu and Chang Zichen happened to pass by. Yi Fan called out to them, "You’ve already put yours on?"

Zhong Dai took the opportunity to stop and greeted the two as well.

Xue Erbai, hiding to one side, enjoyed the feeling of being ignored and boldly looked toward Fu Lingnan.

And when no one was paying attention, she poked Zhong Dai and asked, "You like Fu Lingnan?"

"Cough, cough cough..."

Zhong Dai’s face flushed red with alarm, and she coughed for a long while before stopping. Then she looked at Xue Erbai in exasperation. "You...! You, you, you!"

"I guessed it, but I think the one you like has to be older than you."

"If it really doesn’t work, just switch targets. Lingnan-jie is beautiful and cool; whether you’re the top or the bottom, you won’t lose out."

"Do you even know there are cameras???"

Zhong Dai’s voice was low and urgent, her cheeks slightly red.

Xue Erbai had no choice but to realize she might have hit the mark, and that the presumptuous woman—no, Zhong Dai—couldn’t take it.

"Let’s go swim. I think I’m not dizzy anymore."

Xue Erbai actually still hadn’t finished applying sunscreen, and as soon as she tried to get up, Zhong Dai pulled her back.

The two of them were both pretending, but after the truth was exposed, they clearly couldn’t keep pretending.

Zhong Dai replied to messages slowly, but once she did reply, she never stopped. Now that she had seen Xue Erbai in person, that habit hadn’t changed either; her grip on the thin strap around Xue Erbai’s neck was not light, and her tone was unfriendly. "You haven’t put sunscreen on your back!"

She had a strong grip and rougher hands; after a couple of rubs, the back of Xue Erbai’s neck, pale beneath the swimsuit, had already turned red. In the midst of their tugging and pulling, Xue Erbai’s face went white all at once.

When Ji Wushan and Fu Lingnan arrived at the shore hand in hand, they separated. Ji Wushan faced the camera and said in a gentle voice with excellent projection, "Next, we’ll be playing beach volleyball..."

The activity was ordinary; the people were fresh.

Xue Erbai didn’t even think before wrenching free from Zhong Dai’s restraint. Zhong Dai froze, then saw the very red-faced Xue Erbai ask, "Did I hurt you?"

"No...!"

"What kind of nonsense is that!"

"I’m going to— I’m going to join the competition!"

Xue Erbai completely broke free and walked step by step toward Ji Wushan.

In truth, it wasn’t just her; the others were also moving toward Ji Wushan.

The breeze and the sunset made Ji Wushan look a little gentler than usual. Xue Erbai stared at her, so absorbed that she didn’t even notice when the event actually started.

Only when she got close to Ji Wushan did she nervously lick her lips and ask, "We’re on the same team?"

They had been at the beach for so long, and this was the first sentence Xue Erbai had spoken to Ji Wushan.

The response she got was indifferent; Ji Wushan even looked past her shoulder. Xue Erbai followed her gaze, which landed on Zhong Dai and Yi Fan.

When Ji Wushan turned back, she heard her ask, "Didn’t you all arrange teams beforehand?"

That made Xue Erbai involuntarily catch her breath.

Ji Wushan... was jealous?

Had she started being jealous just from walking over with Fu Lingnan earlier?

But she didn’t dare ask, just as she didn’t dare say that seeing Fu Lingnan touch Ji Wushan’s shoulder had made her unhappy.

She shook her head. "I wanted to be on a team with you."

"Is that so?"

"But it seems like that won’t work; the teams were decided by drawing lots."

"And I drew Lingnan-jie, Deng Lu, and Chang Zichen is the referee."

So, by such an exquisite coincidence...

Xue Erbai, Zhong Dai, and Yi Fan ended up on a team.

Xue Erbai’s smile turned awkward, and she had no choice but to accept fate’s arrangement.

Ji Wushan, now farther away from her, dodged the cameras and her expression completely cooled down.

Even she herself couldn’t think of a reason for it.

She was just upset.

---

The match officially began.

Because of the guest lineup, it was three people per team.

Among them, Fu Lingnan and Zhong Dai were the best players in the group; they were both main attackers, and their skills were even on par. The curve of their waist and abdomen when spiking the ball was strikingly similar, and their reactions when diving for the ball were equally sharp.

Xue Erbai held down the setter position steadily, and the score remained extremely tight.

At match point, Xue Erbai served; the ball clipped the net.

Ji Wushan lightly bumped the ball up from the back row, and Fu Lingnan rushed forward to set up a fast attack, only to be blocked at an angle by Zhong Dai. Yi Fan was closest to the ball; she stepped out in a long stride and launched herself into a desperate save, while Ji Wushan also dove in from the side. Both of them had their eyes on the floating ball, neither noticing how close they were to each other.

The next second, Yi Fan’s shoulder slammed hard into Ji Wushan’s right ribs. Ji Wushan gave a muffled groan and lost her balance, crashing heavily onto the sand. As she braced herself with her right hand, she staggered, and the coarse sand rubbed red marks into her palm. Her leg and ankle also suffered varying degrees of abrasion.

The court went silent for a moment.

Deng Lu and Chang Zichen went over to Yi Fan. Fu Lingnan was the closest to Ji Wushan; she had just taken a few steps forward when someone bumped her aside.

Xue Erbai ran toward Ji Wushan like a gust of wind from the farthest distance.

It felt as if her heartbeat had stopped for a few seconds; almost before Ji Wushan had even reacted, she had already gathered her into her arms.

Their hair tangled together; the scents of fruit and tea, along with the unfamiliar smell that belonged to each of them, mixed together. Ji Wushan looked at her blankly and saw light glimmering in her eyes.

"Xue..."

Xue Erbai was anxious, the restraint in her throat turning into a low growl. "Don’t speak yet. We’re going to see a doctor."

Author’s Note:

--

I’m here, I’m here!!!!!