Chapter 21: You Dare to Like Women?!
Ji Wushan’s eyes were red-rimmed; her voice was tight and trembling.
In that cramped corner by the wall, their breaths seemed to mingle and churn together.
It made Xue Erbai feel strangely unfamiliar, yet she couldn’t stop wanting more.
Between them, even the most intimate gestures were quiet.
Even when they kissed, even when they touched, it was always so quiet.
Not quiet in the sense of sound, but in the sense that desire itself never quite caught fire; it was quiet to an almost excessive degree.
Ji Wushan would grab her wrist or the collar of her shirt before a kiss, would stop a second before their lips met.
Though there hadn’t been much between them in that regard, Xue Erbai adjusted quickly. It was as if she could read the heavy, stubborn turbulence in Ji Wushan’s eyes, so each time, she was the one who took the initiative.
This time was no different. She wrapped her arms around that slender waist and pulled Ji Wushan closer, kissing her gently.
A light brush at the corner of her lips, then the slow, grinding pressure of them against each other; the rustling by her ear made her pause.
Even her pounding heartbeat gradually slowed.
Realizing what Ji Wushan was doing, she slipped both arms around Ji Wushan’s waist, pinned her against the wall, and took over with her hands, drawing the curtain closed.
The room instantly grew dim.
Their quickened breathing was impossible to ignore. Seeing a flicker of surprise in Ji Wushan’s eyes, Xue Erbai kissed her again and asked softly between kisses, “What... are you doing?”
“Mmngh...!” Ji Wushan was bitten on the lip and could only make that sort of sound. Xue Erbai had asked the question, but she gave her no chance to answer at all.
The kisses grew fiercer and fiercer; eventually even those muffled sounds from Ji Wushan faded away, leaving only broken little whimpers now and then.
Her waist was tangled up, her whole body slowly going soft, and she could only lean on the arm looped around Xue Erbai’s neck to keep herself steady.
The ambiguous sounds made Ji Wushan’s cheeks flush. When they finally parted, her eyes were slightly dazed, her breathing visibly uneven.
Xue Erbai pressed in a little, resting her chin on Ji Wushan’s shoulder as she panted lightly. “...How did you forget to breathe?”
Kissed until her face was flushed, Ji Wushan had been hit right where it hurt. Her cheeks heated even more at once, the redness spreading downward. Xue Erbai was close enough to see it clearly; she couldn’t resist giving the side of her neck a light peck, then said in a muffled voice, “This feels like one of those ABO novels. One bite, and Sister Shengsheng gets marked by me!”
“...What?” Ji Wushan asked blankly.
Xue Erbai let out a soft laugh and explained, “It’s a type of novel.”
“There are Alpha, Omega, and Beta; three sexes.”
“Oh, no, six sexes. And then you divide those sexes into male and female too.”
At home, she had already seen the novels Xue Erbai read, so she’d known for a long time that Xue Erbai liked that sort of thing.
It wasn’t that she found it especially novel; she was just a little impatient and muttered, “A mess... ”
But she still left Xue Erbai’s arms, only for Xue Erbai to catch her and refuse to let her go, asking, “Sister Shengsheng, did you just see Yi Fan talking to me and decide you... wanted to kiss me?”
Ji Wushan had clearly calmed down. Hearing that question, she stiffened, her expression sharpening as her voice turned a little cold. “No.”
“I just wanted to close the curtain.”
Ji Wushan’s gaze drifted aside. Xue Erbai stared at her without blinking, and after a few seconds said, “Really? I thought Sister Shengsheng was unhappy.”
“How could I be?”
“I just... I just think that even in the show, we’re still husband and wife. You should... ”
“Right, but Yi Fan came to me just to ask about you, and to tell me to give the bruise-and-sprain medicine to you.”
As she spoke, Xue Erbai rustled something out from behind her and set the medicine in front of Ji Wushan.
Her face puffed up as she said, “Look how much she cares about you!”
Xue Erbai’s tone carried a hint of emotion too.
After all, this accident had happened because of Ji Wushan and Yi Fan; Ji Wushan was the more seriously injured one. Either way, Yi Fan coming by with something was perfectly normal.
So...
Ji Wushan’s face showed a trace of embarrassment. She turned her head slightly and looked at the curtain, which had been drawn completely shut.
She was still a little slow to wake fully; only now did she realize what she had done.
Her emotions had gotten out of control.
She’d lost control of her emotions toward Xue Erbai.
Not only had she lost control of her emotions, she had also been shocked by how good Xue Erbai was at kissing, until her whole body went soft. That alone had been enough to stun her.
This wasn’t how she had imagined things.
In her sparse memories, she had never fallen for anyone.
As for Xue Erbai, at most she could only be considered an acquaintance, and even a favorable one at that.
So she had never imagined that she would like anyone. Even if she did...
She didn’t seem like the type to be kissed until she went weak.
Because of the show, before leaving she had specifically looked up information about positions.
That only made her even more muddled.
She had told Xue Erbai before that because of the injured finger bones, she couldn’t do those things...
But now that she thought about it carefully, every time the one being “teased” seemed to be her.
This time too; clearly she had been the one to corner Xue Erbai, yet she had ended up kissed until her legs went weak and her whole body burned.
She turned her head away and said in a tone that was hard to read, “...I want to rest.”
“The matter with Yi Fan should be the program’s arrangement. I’ll go thank her tomorrow.”
It was both a way of seeing her out and a form of reassurance.
Xue Erbai felt much better after hearing that. She hummed twice before leaving.
---
Her Romantic Encounter, as a CP-chaos travel variety show, also treated cooking as one of its major highlights.
Xue Erbai had gone to bed early and risen early, bringing the breakfast recipe she’d spent half the night researching to the dining room.
But when she arrived, she was a little dumbfounded.
Chang Zichen and Deng Lu were both busy in the kitchen, while Yi Fan sat at the dining table offering praise.
“Lulu, are you making an egg pancake?”
“Zichen’s porridge smells so good...”
This wasn’t the sort of overly suggestive setup that leaned toward fanservice; it was practically no different from a dating show.
Sure enough, this scene pleased Lv Wan as well. As soon as Xue Erbai stepped into the kitchen, she saw Lv Wan walking in with a smile.
She also announced a schedule adjustment.
The reason was, of course, that what happened the day before had shot up the trending searches...
The trending topic naturally brought both good and bad effects, but this was exactly the kind of attention the production wanted.
According to the original plan, next Saturday was the broadcast date, and this Saturday was when the preview would air. Now they were riding the momentum; the room assignment and beach volleyball segments had all been edited in.
There was also a temporary change, requiring them to reassign the rooms.
This was already written into the contract, and there was plenty of flexibility built in.
At the pre-filming meeting, Lv Wan had explained verbally that room reassignments would only happen after they changed cities.
But now that was changing.
Xue Erbai had no particular opinion about it. As long as she wasn’t sharing a room with Ji Wushan, whoever it was made no difference to her...
But Zhong Dai didn’t think that way. When she arrived, she had only heard the tail end of what Lv Wan said; she came over to ask Xue Erbai for details, and then her face looked a little off.
“What’s wrong...?”
“Can’t bear to part with me? Afraid of being separated from me?”
“But you know...”
“It’s not that. I just found out about you, and tonight I wanted to ask you to watch a concert livestream on the big screen...”
Xue Erbai: “...You deserve to be single forever!”
Zhong Dai shot back, “And aren’t you the same?”
“Uh... ”
How was she supposed to explain this?
Although Zhong Dai had figured out that the person Xue Erbai had secretly liked for years was Ji Wushan, she didn’t know that she was already married.
A concealed marriage based on an agreement; there was no way she could say it outright!
And besides the contract, Xue Erbai herself had never dated anyone else, so she didn’t know what dating felt like.
She only had a wife; she’d never had a girlfriend.
So she could only muddle through the topic and then start preparing breakfast.
With Zhong Dai added to the kitchen, it became even more crowded and noisy.
Still, fortunately, her cooking was decent; after making something simple, she went first to the dining table.
She knew Xue Erbai was preparing breakfast for Ji Wushan, so she didn’t disturb her, and ignored the others as well, eating her own breakfast quietly.
By the time Xue Erbai finished, there was a sheen of sweat on her forehead. While muttering that there were too many people and the room was too hot, and that the air-conditioning wasn’t even working well, she carried the breakfast upstairs.
Two avocado soft-boiled egg sandwiches and a sugar-free blueberry yogurt bowl; she walked up with a delighted little bounce.
But just as she reached the stairs, the smile on her lips stiffened.
Because she saw Yi Fan.
Yi Fan, who had still been downstairs not long ago, had somehow already gone upstairs and was standing at the door to Ji Wushan’s room. Her voice was still sweet and soft: “Sister Ji, does your wound still hurt? Was the bruise medicine useful yesterday?”
“It doesn’t hurt anymore.” Ji Wushan’s voice remained cool, carrying a trace of distance and courtesy. “Thank you for the medicine.”
“Then, Sister Ji, did you use it last night?” Yi Fan’s eyes curved with a smile. She pointed at Ji Wushan’s wound and said, “Did you apply it this morning? Let me help you put it on... After all, if it hadn’t been for me, Sister Ji wouldn’t have been hurt so badly.”
As she spoke, Yi Fan’s brows and eyes drooped little by little; she changed expressions extremely quickly. Seeing it from the side, Xue Erbai felt fire rising in her chest. She didn’t want to put up with it and walked straight over.
She stood between the two of them and said just as sweetly, “Sister Shengsheng, I brought you breakfast.”
There was a subtle difference between ‘Sister Shengsheng’ and ‘Sister Ji’ in terms of closeness. Xue Erbai watched Yi Fan’s expression crack a little with her own eyes; with a strained smile, Yi Fan said, “Xiaobai really is considerate. Last night you were afraid I’d disturb Sister Shengsheng, and this morning you even prepared breakfast for her.”
That really was how it had gone last night; Yi Fan had originally wanted to go upstairs herself to deliver the medicine to Ji Wushan, but Xue Erbai had blocked her on the grounds that Ji Wushan was asleep.
Since she had come on this show, she hadn’t intended to hide any feelings at all.
Wasn’t this a CP-chaos show?
Then she’d just stew Ji Wushan and herself in it.
No one else should think about stirring the pot with them. If she could stop it, she would!
Who would have thought that Ji Wushan would simply show a hint of surprise and say to Yi Fan, “It was just a work accident. You don’t need to take it to heart.”
“Besides, you were hurt too. Rest well.”
“I still have work. See you after breakfast.”
Xue Erbai had been a little unhappy at first when Ji Wushan started talking. She’d originally wanted to change the subject by mentioning breakfast, but who knew Ji Wushan would actually speak to Yi Fan!
But hearing that she was going to eat her breakfast, Xue Erbai wasn’t unhappy anymore.
She could even smile as she said to Yi Fan, “Once Sister Shengsheng finishes breakfast, I’ll make sure she applies the medicine.”
“Yi Fan, you haven’t eaten yet, right? I think Zichen and Lulu were looking for you just now.”
“Huh? Really?” Yi Fan seemed to come to herself. She patted her forehead lightly. “Look at my memory. Then I’ll head downstairs first.”
“Okay, bye-bye!”
Xue Erbai answered quickly, her smile perfectly standard. Only after watching Yi Fan go downstairs did she turn to look at Ji Wushan. Seeing that Ji Wushan wasn’t smiling and even looked a little tense, she reined in her own smile and blinked. “Will you invite me in to eat breakfast?”
Ji Wushan froze slightly; she hadn’t expected Xue Erbai to say that.
After all, the breakfast had been made by Xue Erbai. How could she say it was her inviting Xue Erbai?
But she didn’t say it aloud. Instead, she stepped aside to make room.
Yet the doorway was only so wide. When Xue Erbai moved past with the tray in her hands, her arm accidentally brushed against Ji Wushan...
Both of them froze. Ji Wushan quickly turned her face away and stood straighter, pressing herself tightly against the door.
But her cheeks were still burning red.
She thought of last night’s kiss, of being pinned in the corner and kissed by Xue Erbai.
Xue Erbai wasn’t much better off, only less obvious because her skin wasn’t as fair as Ji Wushan’s.
But her cheeks were hot too.
She could feel that the soft curve beneath Ji Wushan’s shoulder, where her shirt had shifted, was clearer than ever.
Though it wasn’t as full as hers, it was so much softer, softer and softer and softer...!
Images from her memory flashed through her mind. Her cheeks weren’t just a little hot anymore; they were burning almost outrageously!
Xue Erbai silently despised herself. She bit her lip hard and forced herself to calm down, then quickly walked into the room and set the breakfast on the small table by the window.
When she turned back, she glanced at Ji Wushan and said casually, “We’re reassigning rooms today. The rules’ll be announced at ten. The people assigned to the same room will prepare lunch together, and single rooms can pair up freely.”
She explained the program change to Ji Wushan.
But after speaking, she saw Ji Wushan give a blank nod. “I know. Sister Lv already told me the rules this morning.”
Only then did Xue Erbai notice the script on the bedside table; it had clearly been flipped through.
That was when she remembered that Ji Wushan and Lv Wan were both ‘internal staff’; they were colleagues.
So she stopped deliberately bringing up show-related things just to talk to her, and instead waved her over. “Come taste what I made!”
Only then did Ji Wushan move, peeling herself away from the door panel.
But during the meal, she was a little quiet.
Xue Erbai ate, then paused, then couldn’t help asking, “Is it good?”
“Is it better than what I make at home?”
“...It’s very good.” Ji Wushan paused before answering. Xue Erbai immediately caught the hesitation and tilted her head with a slightly spoiled little complaint, “So reluctant~?”
Ji Wushan wanted to say no, but just as she opened her mouth and before she could answer, Xue Erbai was already leaning over and muttering, “What’s wrong, there’s something at the corner of your mouth...”
A warm touch pressed against her lip.
Ji Wushan didn’t quite react in time and lifted her chin slightly, only to feel clearly that Xue Erbai’s hand was using some force.
It wasn’t exactly rubbing, but it did take a bit of strength to remove the bread crumbs.
For a moment, Ji Wushan felt embarrassed. She lowered her gaze, taking small bites of the sandwich as she softly said, “...Thank you.”
“I’m not reluctant. It really is much better than what I make at home.”
Avocado and blueberries were both foods Ji Wushan especially liked, and it really was much better than what she made at home.
But when she saw Xue Erbai’s bright, sparkling eyes, she briefly thought too much and worried that if she admitted it, it would be like saying what Xue Erbai had made before tasted terrible.
Though... that was probably true, too.
Still, she had overlooked the answer Xue Erbai wanted right then.
And after getting the answer, Xue Erbai became a little bolder.
“That’s great! Then for the room assignment later, I’m definitely going to stay with you.”
“I’m going to show off my skills at lunch!”
Ji Wushan: “......”
She really didn’t understand why Xue Erbai was so fixated on cooking.
----
After breakfast, Xue Erbai cleared away the dishes, then held the tray in one hand and supported Ji Wushan with the other as they slowly went down to the courtyard.
They were the last two to arrive, and as soon as they walked over, they were met with everyone’s attention.
The gazes came in several flavors.
Zhong Dai suppressed a laugh and winked at her. Yi Fan looked calm and composed; Chang Zichen and Deng Lu were practically radiating gossip and ambiguity...
Only director Lv Wan stood in the middle holding the cue card, serious as she adjusted the equipment.
Even the reserved seats were interesting.
There was only one chair beside Zhong Dai, with Chang Zichen and Deng Lu next to her; farther right was Yi Fan, while on her side there were two empty seats.
In other words, once the two of them sat down, one of them would inevitably end up next to Yi Fan.
After a brief internal struggle, Xue Erbai helped Ji Wushan sit at the outer edge and took the seat beside Yi Fan herself.
Fortunately, the chairs weren’t close enough to touch.
She only gave Yi Fan a polite smile as she sat.
To some extent, she probably understood Yi Fan a little. They both had a bit of a performer’s instinct.
Xue Erbai played the obedient one because she was afraid of scaring people.
Yi Fan...
Probably to lower her own aggressiveness?
Xue Erbai wasn’t sure, but she was very clear that their performances were different.
After a thin smile, Xue Erbai turned to look at Ji Wushan, only to find that Ji Wushan wasn’t looking at her at all. Her gaze wandered elsewhere, fixed on the staff.
Xue Erbai felt a little puzzled. She reached out and tugged at Ji Wushan’s sleeve, but before Ji Wushan could turn around, Lv Wan’s voice rang out.
“Is everyone here?”
“Because of yesterday’s accident, filming was paused. Today, recording officially resumes, and we’ll start by reassigning the rooms.”
As soon as she finished, recording got underway.
The others also began to discuss quietly.
The first to speak was Deng Lu, her tone a little stiff: “Why are we suddenly redoing the room assignments? I actually quite liked yesterday’s room...”
Yi Fan was much more natural, pitching her voice into a soft, sweet tone. “I support reassigning them. Sleeping alone is too lonely!”
Zhong Dai didn’t take a side.
Xue Erbai looked left and right and felt like she had no role to play.
At that moment, Ji Wushan stood up.
She took the microphone from Lv Wan and began announcing the rules from the script.
“This room assignment won’t be decided by drawing lots; we’ll play a game and choose the rooms based on ranking.”
“The game is called ‘Joint Short-Sentence Chain.’ The rules are simple.”
Compared with a studio set, variety shows like this were much more relaxed. Although Ji Wushan only had her internship experience to go on, after a few rounds she was clearly becoming more familiar with it, her voice lower and gentler. She paused, then explained more in detail: “Groups of two; the pairings are decided by lottery, and you have ten seconds to answer...”
“The group with the highest score will get the final room-switching privilege, and the group members can discuss swapping rooms with anyone.”
After the rules were announced, the staff brought out the lottery tool.
Chang Zichen and Deng Lu drew first, and the two of them drew each other.
Then came Zhong Dai and Yi Fan; they drew different partners. After that was Xue Erbai and Ji Wushan.
Ji Wushan drew last and took out a pink card.
It happened to put her on the same team as Yi Fan.
“Wow! I’m on the same team as Sister Ji!” Yi Fan’s eyes lit up, and her gaze toward Ji Wushan became noticeably more fervent. Ji Wushan also smiled softly and warmly.
The filmed image looked beautiful.
In the corner, Xue Erbai lightly rested her head against Zhong Dai’s back and said in a low, downcast voice, “Why am I still with you...”
Zhong Dai didn’t care at all; she was completely in gossip mode.
Biting her lip to hide a smile, she said, “Then let’s work hard and win?”
“And then I’ll give the privilege to you, so you can be in a group with the person you like...”
Zhong Dai said the last part in a very small voice, so small that only the two of them could hear.
That immediately brought out Xue Erbai’s fighting spirit!
She was... a proper academic ace, okay!
Her situation with Zhong Dai was pretty similar; the two of them had exchanged a lot of information during university.
Aside from not naming the school, they knew each other’s scores inside and out.
Sure, after so long she may have forgotten a lot, but her foundation was still there.
She rolled up her sleeves and got eager, just waiting for the questions!
But once the six of them sat in pairs, Xue Erbai started getting sour bubbles in her chest.
Ji Wushan and Yi Fan were on the same team; during the game they were definitely going to interact. Just thinking about it made her frown.
Zhong Dai noticed her mood and leaned over to whisper, “Don’t look.”
“What happened yesterday was sudden, and it brought some attention. Whether it’s the production or Yi Fan herself, they want to keep riding the heat.”
“...I know.”
But knowing was one thing.
Just like she knew Ji Wushan was her wife, and that they were intimate with each other.
That still didn’t stop the unease in her heart.
A marriage of convenience, outward harmony but inward separation, then going their separate ways.
She had grown up seeing things like that.
Xue Yanhe and Xue Shan were the best example.
And they were childhood sweethearts, too; Xue Shan had been the Xue family’s adopted son, and he obeyed Xue Yanhe’s every word. As a child, the thing Xue Erbai saw most was Xue Yanhe forcefully arranging everything, while Xue Shan was always the one carrying out the orders.
He carried them out until Xue Erbai was eighteen, and that outwardly harmonious marriage finally fell apart completely.
As for her and Ji Wushan...
They had no childhood bond, no responsibility for raising children.
Only a transactional marriage.
Paper was thinner than anything.
If things really turned out like in a dream, and they signed divorce papers, she would never be able to find Ji Wushan again.
The thought made Xue Erbai go cold inside.
And the family life she had known before had simply never taught her how to love someone.
Or rather, how to move someone who had been placed firmly inside the rules.
Ji Wushan had lost her memories, but some things were like they’d been carved into her bones.
After coming onto this show, Ji Wushan had increasingly shown her professionalism; she adapted extremely well, and even became more and more cool and distant.
Even though they had been physically close, Xue Erbai could still feel Ji Wushan’s indifference.
And that coldness wasn’t aimed at her alone; it extended to the entire environment.
It wasn’t deliberate.
Just like that flipped script.
Obviously, she’d fallen and needed to rest, but she didn’t know when she’d started working again, carefully proofreading.
Carefully answering questions.
“What comes after ‘The sea rises and the bright moon’? Ten seconds, begin.”
The AI voice came through the tablet. In about one second, Ji Wushan answered, “The ends of the earth share this moment.”
These questions weren’t difficult; they mainly tested concentration and reaction speed.
And Ji Wushan sat upright, utterly focused, so she answered the fastest.
Then, in the gap before the next question, as if sensing Xue Erbai’s gaze, she glanced over from the corner of her eye.
Their eyes met. Ji Wushan felt a trace of curiosity, but when she caught the tiny hint of grievance in Xue Erbai’s expression, her ears inexplicably began to turn red.
“What comes after ‘Spring sleep does not know dawn’... ”
But as the next question came in, Ji Wushan turned back and said clearly, “Everywhere one hears birds singing.”
After answering two in a row, she relaxed a little. Only after Chang Zichen and Deng Lu’s team got one right did Ji Wushan become serious again.
Xue Erbai finally took her eyes off Ji Wushan and started answering earnestly too.
“The next question is harder. What comes after ‘Drunk, one does not know to be in the water’...?”
This one was more obscure, and the set went a little quiet. Chang Zichen and Deng Lu exchanged a look; neither had heard it before.
Zhong Dai thought for a moment and looked at Ji Wushan, while Ji Wushan unconsciously pressed her lips together, a trace of hesitation in her eyes.
Xue Erbai, meanwhile, didn’t notice at all. She was a little anxious. Zhong Dai was also completely blank and asked Xue Erbai, “You know...”
“A boatful of dreamy moonlight presses down on the Milky Way!” Xue Erbai blurted out suddenly, her voice crisp.
When Zhong Dai heard the answer, she got a little excited, bumping Xue Erbai with her elbow and lowering her voice. “Damn, Bai Bai, you’re really good at this!”
Zhong Dai called Xue Erbai ‘Bai Bai’ not because of her name.
It was because of her screen name, ‘Daydreaming in Broad Daylight.’ At first she had even called Xue Erbai ‘Dreaming,’ and only after Xue Erbai repeatedly said it sounded terrible and she didn’t like it did Zhong Dai change it.
Once she’d changed it, she kept calling her that for years; it had become a habit. To help her win a point, even the corners of her eyes were smiling.
Xue Erbai smiled too, smiling because she deserved the victory.
And Ji Wushan, watching from a distance, slumped even more, her eyes seeming to be covered by a layer of mist.
The following questions were all rather difficult. Chang Zichen and Deng Lu only got one right, Xue Erbai and Zhong Dai each got one right, and after two in a row, Yi Fan also took another point.
The competition had reached a fever pitch, and the two teams were tied.
“Final question: what comes before ‘One inch of longing, one inch of ash’? Ten seconds to answer!”
“Spring heart, do not compete with flowers to bloom!”
Xue Erbai stood up to answer, taking the final point.
And she earned the privilege of choosing the room first.
“That’s great!” Zhong Dai was a little excited, smiling in a rather suggestive way at Xue Erbai.
After getting the privilege card, Xue Erbai looked over the available rooms.
Aside from the three standard double rooms and one single room that had already been revealed, there was also a sea-view king room and a suite.
Without question, the sea-view king room was the most tempting. Xue Erbai gently tapped the tablet and clicked it.
Then she looked at everyone and said in a slightly shy voice, “Sister Shengsheng, the sea-view king room should be very soft. I’m choosing you to stay with me.”
No one had said this invitation could be refused.
Ji Wushan naturally nodded, though her mind was a little elsewhere.
After she no longer needed to answer questions, her attention had scattered completely.
The other room choices ended quickly as well. Zhong Dai, on the same team as Xue Erbai, chose second.
When choosing, she hesitated a little, wavering between the single room and the suite. Lv Wan looked at her again and again, signaling her to choose the single room.
In the end, Zhong Dai chose the single room.
And with a smile, she said, “Living alone is just too comfortable!”
Xue Erbai noticed these little movements, found them odd, but quickly pushed the thought aside.
This was hard to explain.
Just like how Yi Fan seemed to be using yesterday’s accident to create some heat, and implicitly wanted to push Ji Wushan into the spotlight; she could understand that.
But she also had the ability to have Qiao You suppress public opinion, and even decided to have her contact New Sea Entertainment.
People with power could intervene in certain decisions.
She and Zhong Dai were friends, but she didn’t know the exact terms of Zhong Dai’s contract, and the two of them had only just met. There were many specific details they couldn’t bring up on the show.
The room selection continued. Yi Fan chose the suite, and Chang Zichen and Deng Lu kept their original arrangement, still sharing a double room.
Lunch ingredients were chosen the same way.
Xue Erbai and Zhong Dai had priority, and Xue Erbai spotted the steak set at a glance and went to grab it.
Zhong Dai chose the fat-loss set meal; everyone else picked balanced options.
Xue Erbai chose this largely because of Ji Wushan.
Their limited experience living together told her that Ji Wushan liked meat very much, and was a little picky, not especially fond of vegetables.
She wanted to satisfy Ji Wushan’s appetite first, and then show off her skills!
Still, although she thought that way, Ji Wushan had a better understanding of how to cook steak, so the two of them would count as collaborating. The important job of searing the steak fell to Xue Erbai.
There were too many people in the kitchen; it was a little cramped. She squeezed Ji Wushan into a corner and said in a negotiating tone, “Sister Shengsheng, let me handle the rest, okay?”
Ji Wushan didn’t agree right away. Instead, she looked toward Zhong Dai, who was at the very edge.
There were kitchens on both the first and second floors of the villa, but the one on the first floor was more spacious, and there were four people in it.
Aside from her and Xue Erbai, there were also Yi Fan and Zhong Dai; Chang Zichen and Deng Lu had gone to the small kitchen upstairs.
If she left, then there would only be three people left.
A feeling of discomfort welled up in her chest, but if she forced herself to stay, she’d be equally unwilling.
So after a few seconds she said, “Then I want to go back to the room first to tidy my luggage. Remember to turn the heat down to low, then add butter and rosemary...” and gently pushed Xue Erbai aside before leaving the kitchen.
She didn’t push hard; Xue Erbai swayed a little from the shove, watching her leave in a daze.
A few seconds later, Ji Wushan’s figure disappeared around the corner. The kitchen smelled a little mixed and chaotic. Zhong Dai looked over and called out, “Steak, steak!”
The steak had just been put into the pan by Ji Wushan. While she was speaking, Ji Wushan had already walked away...
No one had moved it.
Xue Erbai jolted and hurriedly turned the heat to low.
Cooking always made her feel frustrated.
But the smoke-and-fire warmth she had longed for since childhood made her keep failing and trying again.
In the end, the steak, with a presentation that was at least acceptable, was finished almost exactly according to Ji Wushan’s instructions, with butter and rosemary added for flavor.
After letting it rest for five minutes, Xue Erbai picked up the steak and was about to leave when Zhong Dai, who had just finished lunch and washed strawberries, came over. She put the strawberries onto Xue Erbai’s plate and smiled. “Perfect, I can add some after-meal fruit for you two!”
In truth, it wasn’t just Xue Erbai; Zhong Dai had given everyone a share.
She had been invited onto the show, and her biggest role was to be a compliant tool, moving wherever she was needed, including but not limited to this chaotic CP stew. So when she came over with the strawberries, she also covered her mic and whispered very softly to Xue Erbai, “They want me to ask you out today or tomorrow...”
Xue Erbai widened her eyes slightly. Looking at the steak, then at Zhong Dai, she shook her head lightly.
It wasn’t that she couldn’t go; it was that while she was with Ji Wushan, it wouldn’t work!
Zhong Dai understood and nodded, then pointed at the strawberries with a shrug. “The strawberries are really sweet. Eat more with Sister Ji!”
“Okay, okay... thanks, Xiaodi!”
After saying goodbye to Zhong Dai, Xue Erbai finally made it upstairs.
Ji Wushan’s luggage had already been moved in. Seeing Xue Erbai come up, she asked, “Why aren’t you eating downstairs?”
There was a small table in the room, but it was still nowhere near as large as the one downstairs. Breakfast was fine, since there wasn’t much to it, but these two big plates would probably make things cramped if they ate together.
What she didn’t know was that this was exactly what Xue Erbai wanted.
“There are too many people downstairs! We can rest a little too!”
Being able to share a room with Ji Wushan put Xue Erbai in an excellent mood. She hummed softly as she walked into the room.
The neat king room made her grin uncontrollably, and when she turned around and saw Ji Wushan, she realized that Ji Wushan also looked more relaxed than she had at any other time.
Though they were both in front of the camera, her movements were a little lighter.
She tidied the tabletop, and the two of them sat facing each other to eat.
The morning scene repeated itself. Xue Erbai hadn’t even started eating before she leaned over and asked, “Is it good?”
“It’s okay.”
“Is there a little improvement?”
“...Yes.”
Ji Wushan swallowed as she answered. In truth, she didn’t understand why Xue Erbai was so persistent.
But the cameras were rolling; she could only swallow her own confusion and sit properly while eating the steak, giving Xue Erbai a warning glance to make her eat too.
Xue Erbai didn’t know where all her casualness came from. Ji Wushan found it hard to do that.
Life was life.
Work was work.
That was something Ji Wushan had learned very, very early.
So after the meal, she stopped Xue Erbai from trying to clear the dishes and said with a light smile, “Your luggage hasn’t been moved over yet, right?”
“I’ll clean up. You go back to the room.”
Xue Erbai had challenged herself to make lunch alone, so Ji Wushan had moved her luggage here first. But when Xue Erbai moved her things, Zhong Dai and Yi Fan were moving theirs too; Chang Zichen and Deng Lu each helped one person, and everyone was busy as could be.
Fortunately, Xue Erbai didn’t have much luggage. Before anyone could free up to help her, she had already moved everything over.
This was a travel variety show; the intensity wasn’t high.
After the rooms had been reassigned, Lv Wan waved a hand and the machines were shut down for collective afternoon rest.
Xue Erbai had been busy and sweaty; after returning to the room, she turned the air-conditioning down by two degrees. Just as she collapsed onto the sofa, she noticed Ji Wushan was showering.
Water sounds pattered softly.
She glanced at the bathroom, then curled back into the sofa and took out her work phone.
There were quite a few messages.
The latest was from Qiao You; the matter she had instructed last night had basically been handled. She replied with an ‘Mm.’
Next was Tian Qiyue, about a work summary for Province Y...
She read it carefully and gave detailed suggestions.
After the heat had died down a bit, she turned to look through WeChat messages from Xue Yanhe and Xue Shan.
The two messages were basically the same.
Next week, her maternal grandfather, Xue Zhanpeng, the founder of Miao Miaomiao, would be celebrating his seventieth birthday, and her second aunt, third uncle, and their spouses and children would all be there.
So both of them were asking whether she would bring Ji Wushan.
Xue Erbai thought it over and lowered her head to type.
[If the timing doesn’t conflict, of course I will...]
But before she could finish, Ji Wushan walked out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel and surrounded by steam.
Xue Erbai straightened up immediately.
Her gaze swept across Ji Wushan’s bare shoulders. Watching her wipe her hair, she said, “My grandpa is holding his birthday banquet next week; my mom asked if we’re going.”
“Do you have time?”
According to the contract, for something like this, the two of them would definitely have to coordinate and give a proper answer. And Ji Wushan had always been the type to treat business as business.
Losing her memory probably wouldn’t affect a person’s habits too much, which was why Xue Erbai had prepared to give her mother and father an uncertain reply.
But now that Ji Wushan was out, she might as well ask directly.
It went about as she expected. Ji Wushan first said wait a moment; after drying her hair until it was half-dry, she picked up her phone and asked Mao Ying about next week’s filming schedule, then looked up and asked Xue Erbai, “What day is the banquet?”
“Friday.”
“Then the timing works out. I’m free on Friday and Saturday.”
“...Okay.” Xue Erbai answered, then continued giving Xue Yanhe and Xue Shan a clear reply. After a few simple messages, she looked up again, but Ji Wushan still hadn’t finished drying her hair.
Water droplets fell onto her shoulder and slid downward; delicate ripples of moisture slowly spread across the towel.
Ji Wushan was waiting for her.
Her cheeks were faintly flushed as she stood by the bed and waited.
Xue Erbai opened her mouth, and Ji Wushan asked, “Did you finish talking with Mom?”
“Mm, I did.”
“Good; I’m going to blow-dry my hair.”
Ji Wushan had stood there for several minutes just waiting for that answer. Xue Erbai felt something she couldn’t quite name.
The two of them had spent too little time together over the past two months.
She had no idea that Ji Wushan’s bones were this... old-fashioned?
Probably old-fashioned?
Xue Erbai mentally put a question mark there, and then the chain reaction began.
Her two different faces on the show seemed to have an answer now, too.
She was thinking so hard that she didn’t know when Ji Wushan had finished blow-drying her hair. It was only when she heard Ji Wushan ask again, “Aren’t you going to shower and nap?” that she came back to herself.
She answered, “I’m going to shower.” Then she took her nightdress and slowly walked toward the bathroom. But just as she was about to reach the door, she turned back and said to Ji Wushan, “Um, Yi Fan seems to be trying to...”
“I know.”
“I had Qiao You handle it.”
“I also... guessed that.”
“I have the show’s arrangement; you probably do too.”
Ji Wushan was sitting by the bed, her expression clear and cool as she said this.
Xue Erbai’s words after that were cut off. She nodded lightly and went into the bathroom.
When she came out, Ji Wushan had already changed into her nightdress and was lying on her side.
Their habits were not quite the same. Xue Erbai only ever dried off in the bathroom and came out wearing her nightdress; Ji Wushan...
Ji Wushan always came out wrapped in a bath towel.
The few times they had slept together before; before she lost her memory, Ji Wushan had been unbelievably open, opening the towel and hooking her in for a kiss. After the memory loss, their pace had slowed down, which was why Xue Erbai had found all sorts of excuses to come onto the show.
It wasn’t that she had no purpose, but it wasn’t especially intense either.
More than anything, she wanted to spend every day and every night together.
She lifted the blanket corner, knelt with one leg on the bed, and was about to climb in when her eyes dropped—and she saw the fried-egg slippers by the bedside.
She had never seen this style at home.
Not these past few days either.
She couldn’t help laughing out loud. Ji Wushan, who had originally been facing away from her, heard the sound and turned around. When she realized what Xue Erbai was looking at, she propped up half her body, her cheeks a little red, and urged her, “Go to sleep.”
“We still have to film this evening.”
“...Okay.”
Xue Erbai couldn’t help laughing, but her gaze still followed Ji Wushan as she turned away again.
She lay down too, her hand resting lightly on Ji Wushan’s waist.
Ji Wushan paused, then relaxed.
Only when her breathing gradually deepened did Xue Erbai start to feel even a trace of sleepiness...
She was used to napping too, but only for ten or twenty minutes at most, half an hour at the longest.
So she was the first to wake.
Ji Wushan was still asleep.
The air-conditioning was a little too cold.
She turned it up by three degrees. When she turned back and looked at Ji Wushan, she found that Ji Wushan had kicked the blanket off, revealing a pair of smooth, pale legs.
Xue Erbai helped pull the blanket back over her, but Ji Wushan slowly blinked awake.
They looked at each other. Ji Wushan’s eyes were growing clearer and clearer...
On the bed, the pillows, and the blanket were all mixed with the scent of both their shower gels.
The atmosphere was thick and intimate.
Ji Wushan’s face flushed red all at once. She tugged the blanket higher and, with a hoarse voice, asked, “...What were you just going to do?”
When she spoke, even her heartbeat involuntarily sped up.
“You kicked the blanket off just now, and I was afraid you’d catch a chill.”
Xue Erbai’s voice was crisp and direct.
That made Ji Wushan’s racing heartbeat slow back down, but her ears quietly turned red.
At first, Xue Erbai didn’t think much of it. Then, when she saw that, she froze.
She opened her mouth to say something, but Ji Wushan lifted the blanket and covered her mouth with both hands.
It wasn’t just her ears.
Her neck and the front of her chest were red too.
Ji Wushan had hidden it well, so Xue Erbai hadn’t seen any of it just now.
Now that she did, her eyes curved, and she tried to mumble something through Ji Wushan’s hands.
Ji Wushan shot her a glare, then lowered her head a little guiltily.
She... before taking the nap, had thought of what Xue Erbai had asked yesterday. When Xue Erbai had put a hand on her, she had assumed Xue Erbai would want to...
But no; she had simply fallen asleep from exhaustion, and who knew that just as she was about to wake, she would feel Xue Erbai lift the blanket and the soft brush of a leg against her skin...
But it all seemed to be a misunderstanding.
A misunderstanding that Xue Erbai wanted to kiss her, or even something more...
In the dim room, many emotions grew even sharper. Ji Wushan’s deliberately hidden undercurrents of fluttering feeling all surged up at once.
So when Xue Erbai stopped making noise, Ji Wushan slowly lowered her hands, somewhat defeated.
Xue Erbai stared at her for a few seconds, then wanted to laugh at how shy she looked.
But thinking of the first time they’d slept together after their marriage of convenience, Ji Wushan had shown absolutely no trace of shyness at all.
She had been calm, proactive, suppressing her emotions; the only reason her face had gone red then was because of the heat of desire...
Thinking of that compared to now, Xue Erbai felt a chill run through her whole body. An immature but long-held thought circled in her head, and she let go of Ji Wushan’s hand to ask, “Sister Shengsheng, have you ever been in love?”
Ji Wushan heard this and suddenly looked up. Seeing that Xue Erbai’s expression had turned somewhat distant, her whole body trembled.
She opened her mouth to answer, but her head suddenly throbbed as if pricked by needles.
A fragmentary, distant memory surfaced.
“That girl is your little aunt’s student; she’s several years younger than you!”
“Ji Wushan, you dare like her?! You dare like women, try it and see!”
A cold, venomous voice kept repeating in her mind.
As for that girl, she had no impression of her at all; it was probably a missing portion of memory.
But another face, she recognized.
It was a familiar, enraged face.
Her mother, Song Quwen’s face.
---
Author’s Note: The novel has entered VIP! There’ll be small red packet rewards in the comments～
TL Note:
CP-chaos (CP大乱炖) = a format that throws many possible romantic pairings together at once.
The sea rises and the bright moon / The ends of the earth share this moment (海上生明月，天涯共此时) = a famous Tang poem couplet about sharing the same moon despite being far apart.
Spring sleep does not know dawn / Everywhere one hears birds singing (春眠不觉晓，处处闻啼鸟) = the opening couplet of Meng Haoran’s spring poem.
Drunk, one does not know to be in the water / A boatful of dreamy moonlight presses down on the Milky Way (醉后不知应在水，满船清梦压星河) = a poetic line about moonlit water and a dreamlike night scene.
One inch of longing, one inch of ash / Spring heart, do not compete with flowers to bloom (一寸相思一寸灰，春心莫共花争发), not sure where this comes from