Chapter 30: No Kissing Me!

Xue Erbai’s palm still tingled where their fingers had hooked together.

Her heart was tingling too.

Tonight was the last night they would be staying on Yunzhi Island.

Before filming, she had been cursing inwardly. What kind of nonsense was this, making them rush over from Xijing only to head to the mountains tomorrow?

But after that brief touch, Xue Erbai no longer felt like complaining. Even Zhong Dai’s usual chatter by her ear now sounded a little too noisy.

She wanted to go find her wife!

So she acted immediately.

Still, because there were cameras around, Xue Erbai put on a show of innocence. “I’m going to ask Sister Bingbing what we’re having for dinner tonight!”

By now, Xue Erbai had quite a few Encounter Coins on hand, and she didn’t have to go work at the Wonder House tonight either. It was practically perfect!

She went upstairs very quickly, and even her knock was a little perfunctory.

It was their room anyway; honestly, she could have skipped knocking. But she still wanted to save a little face, so Xue Erbai knocked before going in.

Ji Wushan was sitting in a chair reading. When she saw Xue Erbai come in, she set the book down and asked lightly, “Why are you up here?”

“…What do you want for dinner tonight?”

In a program like this, it was always some such matter, so Xue Erbai was naturally used to using it as a shield.

But actually…

Before coming upstairs, she had already sent Ji Wushan a WeChat message: [Why did my wife hook my palm? Were you jealous?]

Ji Wushan hadn’t replied. Xue Erbai didn’t know whether she had seen it or not.

In any case, with her expression unchanged and her tone calm, Ji Wushan said, “I’m not hungry yet.”

Xue Erbai grew anxious. “Then look at your phone?”

Ji Wushan looked a little suspicious, but still obediently took out her phone and lowered her head to look at it for a few seconds.

Then, instead of looking at Xue Erbai’s name on WeChat, she reflexively glanced toward the camera.

After that, she lowered her head again.

Her cheeks were getting hotter and hotter; she didn’t even need to think to know they were red.

Her phone quickly sent a reply back to Xue Erbai.

[We’re still on the show!]

The moment Xue Erbai saw her move, she had been staring at the chat window. When she saw that message, she replied calmly.

[No one can see our chat logs, wife.]

The more she called her wife, the smoother it came out.

She couldn’t call her that so openly on the show, but it was very nice on WeChat.

That had all been impossible in the past.

The Ji Wushan of before had been far more guarded than she was now. She would never have leaned on Xue Erbai during a thunderstorm, and she would never have let her see that side of her family life.

Even though Xue Erbai had long known bits and pieces.

But that was also something that couldn’t be discussed openly.

Now it could be; she could even see Ji Wushan getting embarrassed just because she had been called wife.

Even more so… they could secretly flirt like this on the show?

They didn’t keep it up for many messages before Ji Wushan called a stop to it: [Stop sending them!]

Xue Erbai gave her an aggrieved look, put away her phone, and walked over to hover by her side.

Ji Wushan’s gaze shifted away a little, but the sensation was very obvious.

Xue Erbai was copying her.

Except what she was hooking was Ji Wushan’s waist…

Ji Wushan was wearing a dress, the fabric thin enough to make everything very clear.

What Ji Wushan hadn’t expected even more was how sensitive her waist was; the heat in her face was spreading again…

Sitting upright, she shifted slightly and then caught Xue Erbai’s hand to stop her from moving. Xue Erbai, however, wore a perfectly innocent expression as she silently asked, “What’s wrong?”

As if she didn’t know full well.

A flash of embarrassment and irritation crossed Ji Wushan’s eyes. She bit her lower lip and turned her head away, refusing to look at her.

Xue Erbai then leaned closer again, crouching on the floor with both hands cupping her face, continuing to tease her silently.

Ji Wushan’s helplessness slowly turned into a low laugh, until something was stuffed into her palm. She collected herself and opened her hand to look.

It was a few lemon-flavored candies.

Xue Erbai liked this flavor so much that even her body wash smelled like it.

Ji Wushan’s heart stirred. She looked up and met Xue Erbai’s clear eyes.

Just like when they first met all those years ago.

She had also put candy into her hand then.

Her palm moved slightly as Ji Wushan listened to the rustle of candy wrappers and asked, “These… are good?”

Xue Erbai nodded hard. “Very good!” Then she pointed at the candy in Ji Wushan’s hand and said, “I’ve been eating these since I was little. According to my mom, these candies were born the same year I was.”

“The same year?”

“Yeah! They’re from Qimiaomiao. Sister Bingbing, did you ever eat them when you were little?”

Besides genuinely liking the candy and really wanting to give it to Ji Wushan, Xue Erbai also had a little probing intent.

She remembered their first meeting, though she didn’t know whether Ji Wushan still did.

And even though she hadn’t asked, she actually cared a little about that girl Ji Wushan had once liked before the memory loss.

Though from the looks of it, the two of them probably never had any real ending.

But she had only ever liked Ji Wushan from childhood to now!

Ji Wushan didn’t know what she was thinking. It was only after she put the candy in her mouth and tasted the sourness that she said, “…I have.”

“!”

Expecting an answer and actually hearing it were still different. Xue Erbai’s eyes widened slightly, and she swallowed down that twinge of jealousy.

“Then do you remember…”

“I do. You gave it to me.”

At that, Xue Erbai’s smile grew even brighter; even her voice turned sweet. “So Sister Bingbing still remembers~~~”

But Ji Wushan remained very calm as she stated a fact. “It’s hard not to remember. You were filthy back then.”

“?”

Hey! Wait!

Was Ji Wushan really that kind of person?

Xue Erbai shook her knee a little in dissatisfaction, but Ji Wushan changed the subject. “I have a short meeting later.”

“Oh.”

Xue Erbai let go of her hand, but didn’t move away; she still blocked Ji Wushan in front of where she was about to stand.

How could Ji Wushan not understand what she wanted to do? She took out her phone and glanced at it.

There were actually still more than ten minutes before the meeting; she wasn’t in a rush. So she just looked at Xue Erbai seriously.

Xue Erbai wasn’t one to make trouble for no reason. Seeing that she really wasn’t going to get an answer, she pouted, moved aside a little, and said unwillingly, “I have work too; I need to go get ready for the interview.”

“Alright!”

“We’ll see each other later.”

Ji Wushan rose briskly, picked up her notebook, and went straight out the door.

She left Xue Erbai sitting there, hugging her knees.

Without Ji Wushan around, the meaning of this program was reduced by more than half. Xue Erbai boredly opened the work chat group.

The snack shop project in Province Y was going very smoothly; before long, the first store would open. Tian Qiyue asked whether she could spare time on the 16th of next month.

She wasn’t sure, so she pulled up the schedule Cong Yuan had sent her…

Coincidentally, the recording for the Y Province segment was between the 11th and 17th of next month.

She could request leave.

She just didn’t know whether Ji Wushan could.

And the most, most, most important thing was that day was the fifth-month anniversary of her and Ji Wushan.

Well, since their feelings had been heating up day by day, they should be spending even more time together!

Xue Erbai made up her mind. She was going to drag Ji Wushan into skipping work that day!

----

The last night’s workload was a little heavy. After the meeting and the interview, they returned to the room close to eleven. Ji Wushan showered first, and Xue Erbai only went after handling some work.

By the time she came out, Ji Wushan was already asleep on her side.

She slowed her steps, moving quietly closer to her, lowering her head to look at her sleeping face for a while before going back toward her own side of the bed.

But after only a few steps, Ji Wushan opened her drowsy eyes and glanced at Xue Erbai.

Her gaze was soft and sticky, and she unconsciously reached for Xue Erbai’s wrist.

On the show!

Xue Erbai jolted, hurriedly looking toward the camera, and only after seeing that they were all off did she finally breathe out in relief and take Ji Wushan’s hand in return.

Then she saw Ji Wushan’s lips move, letting out a few faint sounds.

Looking at Ji Wushan asleep from so close, Xue Erbai immediately found her adorable and lay down beside her, staring at her seriously.

She looked for a few seconds before Ji Wushan opened her eyes again, then pressed on her head and murmured, “...Go to sleep.”

Xue Erbai was forcibly powered down and obediently lay back down this time.

Who knew that just as she lay down, Ji Wushan would move in the darkness and whisper by her ear, “No kissing me, on the show.”

Xue Erbai: “!”

She hadn’t wanted to kiss her at all!

Ridiculous!

But…

But since Ji Wushan had brought it up like this, Xue Erbai simply propped herself up and lightly kissed the corner of her lips.

This time Ji Wushan’s eyes were fully clear, and even a little stunned.

Xue Erbai grumbled as she wrapped her arms around her neck and pinned the blame on her. “You reminded me to kiss you!”

Ji Wushan looked even more astonished and tried to pull away from Xue Erbai’s hold, but with that fuss, their bodies ended up even closer; close enough that their breaths tangled together.

Somehow, their lips met.

Ji Wushan was pressed beneath her, and the unfamiliar sensation spread in the dim room. Her breathing turned unsteady; just before her sleepwear was tugged open, she grabbed that restless hand and said again, “On the show!”

“They’re all off.”

“That still won’t do.”

“Wife~~~”

Xue Erbai leaned close to her ear and called softly, knowing how sensitive it was.

Sure enough, Ji Wushan, half-reclining in her arms, trembled slightly.

But only for a moment. Then the distance between them stretched even farther, to the point where it looked like she was about to slide off the bed.

Ji Wushan didn’t quite understand.

Why had she and Xue Erbai become this reckless?

But looking at Xue Erbai’s pouting, aggrieved expression, she didn’t dislike it; in fact, she even felt faintly happy.

She caught Xue Erbai’s hand and blurted out, “At home, you don’t…!”

Halfway through, she thought something was off and stopped immediately.

Xue Erbai, however, caught onto the opening and pressed after her, “At home what?”

“Nothing.” Ji Wushan dodged.

But that dodge was too abrupt; she slipped down along the bed, and Xue Erbai hurriedly sat up and pulled her into her arms, bracing half of Ji Wushan’s body across her legs.

Her soft chest was half-exposed, and Ji Wushan’s expression turned a little unnatural.

Even more unnatural was that her face had landed right against Xue Erbai’s chest…

She froze completely; moving would be awkward, but not moving… was even worse.

After hesitating for a moment, Xue Erbai simply hugged her openly, pressing in a little closer before helping her sit fully upright.

Ji Wushan was startled and flustered; she let out a heavy breath, her eyes darting away as she said, “Sorry…”

Xue Erbai didn’t mind at all. She swayed her upper body and said, “I don’t mind.”

“If wife likes it… mmph!”

Ji Wushan covered her mouth, not wanting her to continue.

Xue Erbai blinked and nodded.

She wouldn’t say it anymore.

Since she was so shy…

The little bit of embarrassment she’d been rubbed into didn’t seem like much at all?

Besides, a shy Ji Wushan like this was really hard for her to imagine.

Although she was the one on top, it had always been Ji Wushan taking the lead…

From here on out, maybe, perhaps… she could change that situation.

At the thought, Xue Erbai’s gaze shifted.

But in Ji Wushan’s eyes, that meant something else entirely. Sensing danger, she lowered her hand, pulled the shoulder strap tight, and said coldly, “Xue Erbai, on the show, you’re not allowed to be like tonight…”

“Then what about not on the show?”

“Then…”

Ji Wushan blushed and fell silent.