Translator’s Note:
Thank you so much “wujubmybbt” and “Rap” for supporting me on Kofi. The extra chapters will be updated tomorrow.
Last night was supposed to be a happy occasion but unexpectedly my uncle suddenly passed away huhuhu. Everything is just too sudden and it’s so sad. I don’t even know what else to say or do right now.
….
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[Ebyv vbl blnj, kd vbl xkeezl sq vbl dktbv, nyd’v usw zlv rlsrzl pzllr?]
&dcpr;
[Ebyv?! Tybyby, R osd’v cl pzllrkdt vsdktbv!]
&dcpr;
……
&dcpr;
At one o’clock in the middle of the night, a conspicuous entry suddenly surged to the top of the trending search list, shooting straight to number one with explosive momentum.
It was labeled #XuBingXinYajia#.
Fans of these two individuals initially believed that their idols had gained popularity through a variety show. However, to their surprise, when they clicked on the entry, it was revealed to be an unknown blogger who had posted a recording. Accompanying the recording was a message stating:
“Do not concern yourselves with the origin of this recording. Instead, focus on the facts. The ongoing lawsuit against Hongsen Entertainment, agent Qi Ming, and Xu Bing involves allegations of slander and the spreading of rumors about our artist. The purpose of releasing this recording is to unveil the truth to everyone. Fortunately, our artist has emerged relatively unscathed, and we express our gratitude to the fans for their unwavering support. We will continue to deliver exceptional works in the future, living up to your expectations.”
Upon listening to the recording, Xu Bing’s voice is unmistakable as he declares, “Do not fear, there are no NPCs here. Let me just kiss you…”
Following his statement, a female voice interjects, exclaiming, “Ah, no…”
“Mmm…”
The woman’s voice continues, intermittently interrupted by breaths, “Brother Xu, what we engage in is simply fulfilling each other’s physical needs… Please do not betray me, and do not allow this to be exposed…”
The shocking revelation shocked not only the fans but also anyone who enjoyed gossip.
[I can’t believe this! This is so shocking!]
[The truth has been exposed! How can Xin Yajia be such a person? She acts like a sweet girl in public, but she is having an affair with a married man in private! And they are doing this on a variety show!]
[They share a house on the show, who knows what they have done behind the scenes?]
[I used to worry that Xu Bing might take advantage of her, but it turns out they are both shameless! They think it’s normal to satisfy each other’s needs because they have been working together for a long time on the show, how outrageous!]
[Is this the reality of the entertainment industry? But getting involved with a married man like this is unacceptable.]
[I used to criticize Shen Qiaoyu, but now I owe her an apology! Judging by her performance on the show, she has nothing to do with Xu Bing, she can resist him easily!]
[It’s so disgusting, after seeing those photos and hearing those recordings, I’m sure Shen Qiaoyu was framed, this recording is solid evidence!]
[Get these scumbags out of the entertainment industry!]
….
Hongsen Entertainment Company was in a state of chaos, scrambling to handle a PR crisis, but it was too late. The news had gone viral on the internet and was unstoppable.
The agent Qi Ming was under fire from all sides and felt exhausted. He cursed in his heart those who had caused him this trouble.
Who would have expected that the so-called junior sister had schemed everything from the start? She lured Shen Qiaoyu away, and betrayed them without hesitation, and then Xu Bing and that female artist made such a huge mistake, giving the other side a perfect chance to strike them hard.
He couldn’t handle this mess!!!
He made a call right away, ordering Xu Bing and Xin Yajia to return. The variety show was not important, the urgent matter was to clear their reputation and get over this ordeal as soon as possible, or their careers would be over!
…
Xin Yajia collapsed when she heard the news, while Xu Bing was so angry that his eyes became red.
“Shen Qiaoyu! Shen Qiaoyu! That woman actually recorded it!
It’s over, everything is over!
He slumped down in despair, not understanding how he could be so foolish as to have his whole life ruined by a recording!!!
…
That night, some were joyful, some were sorrowful, while others frantically searched for clues in the variety show replay, eagerly gossiping.
Yet none of this affected Shen Qiaoyu and her companion, who had already fallen into a deep sleep.
In the dead of night, the two, unaware, ended up embracing each other, their legs entwined. Yan Shiqing was held in her arms, surrounded by warm comfort under the blanket, and the scent of her breath was sweet as if their dreams were filled with sweetness.
As they were sleeping so soundly, neither of them could wake up until the next day when the sunlight streaming through the window finally roused Shen Qiaoyu.
The first thing she felt was soreness, her whole body ached tremendously.
This is bad, she thought, after two years of no training at home, this sudden overexertion really hurt.
Then she suddenly became aware of the person in her arms, soft and cuddly; her cheeks were against her chest, and her legs were clamped by hers, almost entirely embraced tightly in her arms.
Especially since Yan Shiqing is only wearing shorts, the thin shirt had been slightly lifted, revealing a slender waist, and her hand was just on her waist.
Shen Qiaoyu was so startled that her whole body immediately sprang apart, her ears burning red, and she said to Yan Shiqing, who had woken up, “You, you, you!”
“Why is your sleeping posture so terrible? You even rolled into my arms without wearing pants!”
Yan Shiqing: “…”
Is this move called a preemptive strike?
She yawned lazily, turned her body, and her light brown long hair messily spread over the pillow. Her cheeks were still flushed with the warmth of sleep. She squinted her eyes and replied, “Pants are uncomfortable to sleep in.”
“Besides, it’s not certain who has the bad sleeping posture. Who knows if you were the one who hugged me first? We should set up a camera tomorrow to record it~”
Shen Qiaoyu: “…”
That actually sounds quite reasonable.
She had no retort, only saying, “It’s not just you sleeping here, it’s both of us. Be mindful and wear pants.”
“Also, get up. They’re probably about to start recording the program.”
“I know, I’ll definitely do it next time~” Yan Shiqing seemed to find her nagging annoying. She closed her eyes again, buried her cheek into the pillow, arched her body, and wrapped herself in the blanket. Like a cat stretching, her slender, fair legs straightened and trembled slightly as she murmured, “Mmm… not enough sleep…”
“Mmm… haven’t slept well yet~”
She buried herself in the blanket to continue sleeping and lazily called out, “Can you take care of breakfast, please~”
“It would be best if you could feed me…”
Feed her? She hadn’t even fed her own girlfriend.
Standing beside the bed, Shen Qiaoyu looked at Yan Shiqing somewhat helplessly and asked in a low voice, “What did you do last night? Why are you so tired?”
“I just help you with the audio. Staring at the computer screen really hurts my eyes, I’m exhausted~” Yan Shiqing’s voice was thick with drowsiness, soft and mellow. She suddenly changed the subject and sighed lightly, “Hmm… moisturized again…”
“What?” Shen Qiaoyu wondered if she had misheard.
But she hadn’t, Yan Shiqing had slightly turned her head again. Her lazy, charming peach-blossom eyes opened a bit, her long eyelashes fluttering lightly, as she smiled at her, “Don’t you moisturize in the morning? Isn’t that normal?”
“I often dream of my significant other, and that’s what happens…”
Shen Qiaoyu could hardly believe her ears. Was this something one could say?
Her neck reddened, and she frowned, retorting to the other party, “Who is like you?”
But she felt that she might be somewhat similar.
Hmm… it must be because she dreamt of Qingning.
She glanced at Yan Shiqing again, only to see her chuckle softly before closing her eyes and burying her head to sleep. She also climbed into bed.
She climbed into bed not for any other reason but to massage her legs.
Her legs were so sore, and she was afraid it would affect today’s competition, so she took off her sleep pants and rubbed some medicated oil on them.
Just then, Yan Shiqing noticed the movement beside her and couldn’t help but lift her head to look.
Shen Qiaoyu instinctively pulled up the quilt to cover her legs.
“Please, it’s not like I haven’t seen it before, what are you doing, rubbing medicated oil?” Yan Shiqing sounded almost annoyed, trying to pull away the quilt, but it was firmly tucked under it Shen Qiaoyu’s grasp, and she heard her pretend to be firm, “No.”
“I’ve seen everything there is to see!” Yan Shiqing struggled to throw off the blankets, fully waking from her drowsiness. She shot Shen Qiaoyu an annoyed glance and huffed, “I’ll help you, then. You can’t thoroughly massage it in on your own.”
“You were told it would hurt, but you wouldn’t believe it.”
Upon hearing this, Shen Qiaoyu immediately retracted her leg and said, “It doesn’t hurt at all. I’m just being cautious. If you’re going to act like that, go back to sleep. I’ll do it myself.”
Yan Shiqing couldn’t help but laugh at her stern tough-girl facade. She really wanted to pinch her face but restrained herself. Kneeling beside her, she conceded, “Okay, okay, I get it. You’re not in pain, it’s all for our victory today.”
“You seem rather insincere,” observed Shen Qiaoyu, staring at her. “I could do a hundred push-ups right now.”
Yan Shiqing stifled a laugh, poured some medicinal oil into her hand, and slapped it onto Shen Qiaoyu’s leg, saying, “Save your push-ups for later. Keep your energy for now. Who knows what crazy ideas the program team will come up with today.”
As she spoke, she massaged Shen Qiaoyu’s slightly stiff leg vigorously, working the medicinal oil in with firm hands.
Shen Qiaoyu almost let out a whimper, clenching her teeth so hard that she nearly succumbed to the agony.
“This is torture! I’d better get a proper massage tonight. Otherwise, it’s going to hurt even more when I wake up tomorrow!”
Thinking about this, Shen Qiaoyu saw Yan Shiqing look up at her. Immediately, she adopted an expression as if unfazed, her face impassive. Yet, her ears were red and the teardrop mole at the corner of her eye added a hint of seductive charm.
Yan Shiqing studied Shen Qiaoyu intently, noticing her tightly pressed red lips and the faint sheen of sweat on her forehead. The sight brought an uncontrollable smile to her face as she continued to massage with purposeful pressure.
Despite lacking great strength, her kneeling position enabled her to apply forceful pressure with both hands, enhancing the massage experience.
She donned red shorts, a gift from Shen Qiaoyu, which clung snugly to her curves. Below the shorts, her legs were slender and fair. Vigorously rubbing medicinal oil with her hands, she swayed her waist and exerted force, causing her legs to tremble slightly. Without realizing it, she found herself fixated on Shen Qiaoyu’s knees.
Biting her lip, her gaze intensified with a strong desire to sit on Shen Qiaoyu’s legs, yearning for the comfort of being lifted by Shen Qiaoyu again and again, as it had happened before.
Subconsciously, Yan Shiqing pressed her legs together, her cheeks tinged with a blush, as she persisted with the massage.
Her hands, adept with skill, seemed to instinctively find the sorriest points on Shen Qiaoyu’s legs. The medicinal oil’s initial fiery pain slowly subsided into a relaxing warmth.
Looking down at Yan Shiqing, Shen Qiaoyu observed the sweat on her brow and felt a flicker of embarrassment.
It was early morning, and here she was, helping her with a leg massage.
She was about to speak, to propose they take a break, when a knock at the door abruptly interrupted them, followed by Shen Yuchuan’s booming voice, “Qiao Qiao, are you awake yet?! I sneaked out for some food! Shiqing, your cooking is to die for~ I was too bashful to come by last night, but I couldn’t hold back today. I’m here to scrounge a meal!”
The sudden knock startles Yan Shiqing, her body trembling and losing balance. Kneeling by the bed, she unintentionally slipped, pitching forward toward the floor.
Shen Qiaoyu reacted swiftly, reaching out to catch her. However, with her legs still numb and tingling, she managed only to grasp her arm, unable to prevent her fall.
While sitting on the floor, Yan Shiqing propped herself up with one hand and gently covered her sore hip with the other. The fall caused her legs that’s slender and fair, to spread wide…
Shen Qiaoyu was lying on the edge of the bed, still clutching Yan Shiqing’s arm, her gaze fixed on the open posture of Yan Shiqing’s legs, momentarily captivated.
Hold on. These legs, that area, these familiar curves?
It resembles the swimsuit photo…
Shen Qiaoyu’s intent, inquisitive stare, however, caused Yan Shiqing’s cheeks to flush with embarrassment, prompting her involuntarily to trace Shen Qiaoyu’s line of sight downward.
Then, she noticed the large, dark stains on the red fabric and the distinct curves beneath.
Instinctively, Yan Shiqing snapped her legs closed and covered them with her hands, tears welling up in her eyes as she exclaimed, “Shen Qiaoyu! Stop staring!”
“Huh?” Only then did Shen Qiaoyu come to her senses, her own cheeks flushing as she let go of Yan Shiqing’s arm and retreated, saying, “It wasn’t on purpose! I was just zoning out — I wasn’t intentionally staring at you.”
She couldn’t admit that she had scrutinized that area because it reminded her of the photos Qingning had sent.
Shaking her head vehemently, Shen Qiaoyu wished she could berate herself for such perverted thoughts.
On reflection, she realized her fixation with Qingning was clouding her judgment, making her see resemblances where there were none.
That’s all nonsense!
Eager to dismiss the confusion, she quickly apologized, “I’m so sorry.”
Seeing Shen Qiaoyu’s sincere panic, Yan Shiqing reached out and offered, “It’s okay, I forgive you. Help me up.”
A relieved Shen Qiaoyu reached out to assist Yan Shiqing to her feet.
It was at this moment Shen Yuchuan called from outside the door, “Are you two finished yet? The wait is killing me!”
This comment enraged Shen Qiaoyu, who blamed Shen Yuchuan for Yan Shiqing’s fall and the ensuing awkwardness.
With agitation, she yelled toward the door, “Shen Yuchuan, would it kill you to call first? You scared us half to death!”
“If you yell again, I will come out there and sort you out!”
Shen Yuchuan was left speechless.
How could a simple knock cause such a reaction?
Pondering the situation, he inquired, “What were you two doing inside that frightened you so?”
Upon hearing his words, Shen Qiaoyu, feeling the heat rise in her head, impulsively rolled up her sleeves as if ready to rush out and set the other person straight.
However, before she could take even two steps, Yan Shiqing pulled her back.
Observing her, now with a cold yet faintly flushed face, Yan Shiqing suppressed a soft chuckle. She handed Shen Qiaoyu pants and whispered, “Put on your pants, you silly.”
Shen Qiaoyu, dumbstruck, looked down and noticed she was in her shorts, her neck quickly matching the flush of her face. Snatching the pants, she hastily dressed, her voice defiant, “I’m aware, no need to tell me! I would’ve noticed when I opened the door!”
Remembering past moments of heated rashness, Shen Qiaoyu acknowledged she often nearly acted foolishly, yet she always managed to catch herself in time.
She was simply a bit impulsive and not the quickest to react.
With her head hung and her cheeks burning, Shen Qiaoyu quickly finished dressing and made her way to the bathroom, muttering, “I’m off to the toilet. You get the door.”
Yan Shiqing watched her swift departure with a smile, struggling to contain her laughter.
How endearing she is.
With the sound of the bathroom door closing, Yan Shiqing’s smiling eyes carried a touch of wistfulness.
What a joy it would be to begin each day with Qiao Qiao.
As this thought crossed her mind, she donned her pants, knocked on the bathroom door to get a cup and toothbrush towel from Shen Qiaoyu, then slipped on her shirt. She brushes her teeth and opens the door.
Her unaffected nature shone through, the unadorned beauty captured by the live-streaming camera like a camellia in morning light, radiant and effortless. As she splashed water on her face, she greeted the live audience, “Good morning~”
The young cameraman, overcome with distinct shyness, nodded vigorously.
Meanwhile, Shen Yuchuan had already stood in the corner of the room, afraid that the audience would chide him.
He was just an ordinary passerby. How hard had it been for him?
However, as expected, the chatter had already started in the live-streaming room.
[The one standing in the corner! Seeing you just annoys me.]
[Boo hoo, don’t think that just because you’re handsome we’ll be pleased. Shiqing is out of everyone’s league!]
…
Just then, Shen Qiaoyu came out.
She was dressed in a black turtleneck sweater and white jacket today, with tight black jeans wrapping around her long straight legs, and flat black shoes on the ground. Her black hair was also tied up high, standing there tall and stunning in the live-streaming room – she was so compelling that one couldn’t take their eyes off her.
Her appearance was cool and aloof, with a teardrop mole at the corner of her eye exuding an indescribable charm. But the next second, when Yan Shiqing passed by her, she seemed to immediately chicken out, quickly avoiding her and keeping a good distance as if intentionally steering clear.
Yan Shiqing couldn’t help but let out a wry smile, holding a cup and toothbrush in one hand and making a microphone shape with the other, joking in a mock lip-sync: “Dummy~”
Shen Qiaoyu: “!!!”
Is this woman ever going to stop?!
Is it just because she forgot to wear pants for a moment? Will she laugh at her for a lifetime?
She was so angry that she ground her teeth, staring fixedly at her back, only to be surprised when Yan Shiqing turned her head again and instructed her, “Get the fire going for me, will you? I’ll cook when I get back~”
After saying that, she walked into the room.
Upon hearing this, Shen Yuchuan immediately perked up and headed to the stove, even dragging her along saying, “What are you doing? Get the fire started!”
Shen Qiaoyu: “…”
She turned and retorted to Shen Yuchuan, “It’s all your fault!”
If he hadn’t come, she wouldn’t have ended up in such an embarrassing situation!
Shen Yuchuan was full of question marks.
What did he do? He just wanted to come over for a meal.
Thinking this way, he recalled the news he saw this morning and couldn’t help but strike up a conversation with Shen Qiaoyu while starting the fire, “Do you know what news I saw this morning?”
“What?” Shen Qiaoyu asked in confusion as she struck a match.
A thick plume of smoke surged out, making her cough continuously. Shen Yuchuan ignored her reaction and continued to speak, “It’s about that recording incident. You were the one who recorded it, right? You’re amazing – the news broke out just last night and it’s still topping the trending searches. It seems Xu Bing and Xin Yajia have to drop out of the variety show overnight. You’re truly worthy of being my younger sister~”
He rambled on about how Shen Qiaoyu had been unfairly maligned by them in the past and how she had finally gotten her revenge – a joyous and congratulatory occasion indeed.
Shen Qiaoyu would be lying if she said she wasn’t pleased by this news. But as she turned her head to glance at Shen Yuchuan, she suddenly reached out her hand, smeared something on his face, and quirked her lips, saying, “Thanks for the compliments.”
Shen Yuchuan was startled for a moment, but then he saw her soot-blackened fingers, he couldn’t help laughing, “Is this how you celebrate, huh? Then you’d better be careful!”
As he shouted, he smeared his hand with ash from the stove and lunged at Shen Qiaoyu. But she already run away, sprinting toward the house.
Shen Qiaoyu wanted to slam the door shut, but as she dashed inside, she ran straight into Yan Shiqing who was coming out and stumbled into her. She lost her balance, and it looked like she was going to knock her over.
“!!!”
Fortunately, Yan Shiqing quickly stepped back to avoid the fall and caught her.
Their bodies collided, and she quickly braked, but there was still some momentum. Yan Shiqing felt a numbness when she hit her, a soft spot; she almost cried out, and she subconsciously hugged her, smelling the fragrance on her, her ears swiftly turning red.
Meanwhile, Shen Yuchuan stopped in his tracks behind them, let out a sigh of relief, and said, “You scared me to death, I was afraid something bad might happen to Shiqing.”
The two quickly separated, and Yan Shiqing swiftly readjusted herself, upon seeing the smoking stove not far away, she couldn’t help but chuckle, “Is that the fire you were supposed to be tending? Were you too busy playing?”
Shen Qiaoyu: “…”
“Uh… No, I really did try hard.” She subconsciously pulled back her hand, realizing that Yan Shiqing was also wearing a white down jacket today, and her pitch-black fingers might have left fingerprints on her clothes just now.
“Alright, I’ll handle it myself. You two just watch and learn,” she said.
She saw a distinct handprint on the back of Yan Shiqing’s down jacket as she walked past as if to prove that she had just hugged her.
After hesitating for a while, Shen Qiaoyu still went over and said to her, “I’m sorry, I got your clothes dirty. I’ll help you wash them later…”
Yan Shiqing was lighting a fire when she heard this. She pulled at her own clothes and saw that they were indeed quite soiled.
But she laughed and suddenly grabbed Shen Qiaoyu’s wrist. While Shen Qiaoyu was stunned, she smeared her hand across her face, making her look like a cat with whiskers. She teased her, “Now we’re even~”
At that moment, Shen Qiaoyu didn’t know what came over her. She looked deeply at Yan Shiqing, at her long lashes, her quiet profile while tending the fire in front of the stove, so gentle. Then her face was suddenly illuminated by the firelight, breathtakingly beautiful.
She thought, perhaps she really had started to see Yan Shiqing in a new light, finding her personality sometimes quite to her liking, suitable for friendship.
Sadly, she had no choice but to see her as a rival in love, because her excellence made her wary of the possibility of Yan Shiqing snatching away Qingning.
She decided that she must propose an in-person meeting with Qingning soon. She really wanted to meet her, to see what she was truly like.
It was at this moment that the director, appearing out of nowhere, suddenly announced to everyone: “A team of guests left. Our production schedule has to be changed temporarily. We will pause filming for two days, during which everyone will have a day to either explore around or go home for a visit.”
Shen Qiaoyu’s eyes lit up when she heard these words.
Two days later! Would Qingning agree to meet with her?
……
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