After A Secret Marriage Agreement With A Rival Omega - Chapter 24

Chapter 24

◎“You’d better always hate me this much.”◎

Xie Ruizhang, standing nearby, saw Sheng Ruxi about to fall and kindly moved to support her. She was afraid that if this little princess really fell into the mud, everyone there would go crazy.

Sheng Ruxi’s body swayed as her feet sank deep into the mud. Before she even realized she was leaning against Xie Ruizhang, her attention was already drawn to the distance.

She wasn’t the only one who was captivated.

The bell rang urgently. Xie Ruizhang was excited and ran toward where Jian Jixing was coming from, shouting, “Director Jian! Director Jian!”

She completely forgot that she was acting as Sheng Ruxi’s support. Sheng Ruxi fell sideways into the muddy water. Her fair face and chin were stained with mud.

The wet, sticky feeling made Sheng Ruxi’s mind go blank for a moment. She held her breath and pressed her palms against the ground, her eyes full of disbelief.

Why did she come here to suffer like this?

Jian Jixing was already in front of her. She pulled the horse to a sharp stop. As the horse’s hooves lifted, a few large chunks of mud splattered onto Xie Ruizhang’s upper body. Xie Ruizhang didn’t even notice. Jian Jixing’s face was cold. “Are you crazy?”

She jumped off the horse. Xie Ruizhang’s face was filled with joy. “No, I’m just so happy to see you. Why did you come? Did you come to pick us up?”

Jian Jixing only pushed her aside. The cattle and sheep in front also squeezed in, surrounding Xie Ruizhang. At this moment, Xie Ruizhang heard Jian Jixing’s words drift past her ear.

“I wasn’t asking you.”

She was surprised to see Jian Jixing walk toward Sheng Ruxi, her expression not looking good at all.

A muffled thunderclap exploded above the black clouds. The temperature had already dropped below freezing, but Xie Ruizhang only felt a chill at this moment—Jian Jixing and Sheng Ruxi were on such bad terms. Would they start arguing again here?

Although she really didn’t like Sheng Ruxi’s princess-like temper, she had promised Cen Jing that she would bring her back to the pasture safely. She couldn’t just stand there. But when she tried to stop them, those thick, wet animals nudged her, blocking her way.

It was the first time Jian Jixing had seen Sheng Ruxi look so disheveled.

The weather was terrible. Luckily, Sheng Ruxi wasn’t too stupid and remembered to send her location at the last moment.

She was helping Wang Renqing find the sheep. Without a lead sheep, they had to find each one that had fallen behind. The main group was already being herded by Wang Renqing and would meet at the mountain pass.

She didn’t feel cold, but when she saw Sheng Ruxi lying so weakly in the muddy water, she saw puffs of white steam coming from Sheng Ruxi’s hurried breaths.

She was clearly very uncomfortable, yet she was still holding back and not saying anything. Jian Jixing didn’t help her up, and she saw the look of disgust on Sheng Ruxi’s face. But this was what she had chosen, and it was something she had to experience to be here.

She had told Sheng Ruxi to give up this shoot, but this rebellious little fox just wouldn’t listen.

The wind and rain raged. The uneasy atmosphere from before had quietly changed after Jian Jixing brought the animals.

Sheng Ruxi finally looked up.

The hail had gotten bigger and was hitting her face.

Jian Jixing was just playing a game of chicken with her, but when she saw Sheng Ruxi’s eyes, she took another step forward and pulled her out of the mud.

Sheng Ruxi: “…” She could even feel her clothes dripping as she got up. She had probably gotten used to it a little. Although Jian Jixing had also come from among those animals, she didn’t smell any unpleasant odors on her.

The only scent was… comfort?

Despite her anger, she couldn’t deny that the moment Jian Jixing appeared, her heart, which had been tormented by the extreme weather and strange situation, calmed down.

“You’re here to see me suffer,” Sheng Ruxi said, disliking that it took her so long to help her. Jian Jixing said, “If I wanted to see you suffer, would I have waited until now? Go, get in the car.”

Sheng Ruxi said anxiously, “I’m not going! It’s so dirty!”

“Don’t say that at a time like this, my God. I’m calling you my dear… why are you being so stubborn with Director Jian?” Xie Ruizhang was in pain from the hail, and she didn’t understand why Sheng Ruxi was still being so stubborn.

She felt that Jian Jixing should also be annoyed now. Sheng Ruxi’s temper was too bad. Who could handle it?

Jian Jixing’s gaze fell lightly on Xie Ruizhang. “You get in the car first.”

How could Xie Ruizhang dare to? Who didn’t know that Jian Jixing and Sheng Ruxi were arch-enemies? What if they started fighting if she got in the car? She couldn’t afford to offend either of them.

Jian Jixing didn’t say anything else. She grabbed Xie Ruizhang’s shoulder again, shook the water off her with some annoyance, and then threw her into the passenger seat.

Xie Ruizhang: “?”

“Hey, no, why are we still lingering here? It’s getting dark!” Xie Ruizhang was anxious. Old Zhang chuckled and took a sip from his wine bottle. “Don’t panic. We can still drive in the dark.”

“???” Xie Ruizhang finally saw what Old Zhang was holding. “Brother, can you stop drinking?”

Old Zhang: “This is water.”

In extreme weather, local herders also had to adapt. It was indeed very dangerous for these “city people” who came to film.

But Jian Jixing had lived here more than once or twice, and with Old Zhang leading the way, the danger had been greatly reduced.

“Stand still. I’ll wipe you off in a moment.” Jian Jixing helplessly walked back to Sheng Ruxi. After whispering, she told the driver of Xie Ruizhang’s car not to get out.

She took the tow rope and tied it neatly. She placed a wooden board under the stuck wheel and commanded the car to be pulled out in an orderly manner.

When the minivan drove out, Jian Jixing stood in front of Sheng Ruxi and was splashed with mud. But she stood up straight and didn’t dodge, showing no sign of being disheveled.

Afterward, she took a towel and wiped Sheng Ruxi’s face clean. “I can only do this much. Don’t waste any more time. Get in the car. Old Zhang in the car is a friend. He didn’t drink. He just got used to putting water in a wine bottle.”

Her tone was indeed unpleasant, whether it was because of the weather or something else. It was cold, and Sheng Ruxi didn’t like it. But when Jian Jixing wiped her face, her movements were gentle. Sheng Ruxi finally couldn’t smell the foul odor of mud anymore.

The grievance of being yelled at by Xie Ruizhang welled up at this moment. Sheng Ruxi turned her head away from Jian Jixing. “Why are you so late? Xie Ruizhang yelled at me! She even said things to me. My body is too dirty, and I don’t want to sit in the same car as her.”

Hearing that, Jian Jixing glanced at Xie Ruizhang. Xie Ruizhang inexplicably shivered. She didn’t know what Jian Jixing meant by that look. Sheng Ruxi’s voice was so low as she lowered her head and spoke that with the pattering of the rain, she couldn’t hear what the two of them were saying.

Xie Ruizhang only saw that Sheng Ruxi was unwilling to get in the car.

Is it necessary to be this stubborn just to spite Jian Jixing?

She yelled, “Ruxi, don’t throw a tantrum, please! Even if you want to throw a tantrum, you have to look at the weather! Director Jian, don’t you agree?”

Xie Ruizhang had already seen last night that Jian Jixing was not a patient person.

But in the next moment, she saw Jian Jixing bend down in the rain and wipe the mud off Sheng Ruxi’s raincoat.

After wiping, she also grabbed Sheng Ruxi’s wrist.

This time, Sheng Ruxi finally moved. Jian Jixing led her and opened the back door, letting her get inside. Xie Ruizhang also heard Jian Jixing scoff and say, “What a princess.”

Exactly!

But this time, Sheng Ruxi didn’t curse back. She just let out a soft hum and moved further inside.

Jian Jixing slammed the door shut.

Sheng Ruxi: “…”

“Old Zhang, drive. Take them away,” Jian Jixing said, her tone showing no emotion.

Xie Ruizhang was uneasy. See? She made Director Jian angry. Only Sheng Ruxi would dare to make Jian Jixing wipe her raincoat in the rain.

The pickup truck started to move, but Sheng Ruxi stared at the window. Why wasn’t Jian Jixing getting in?

The grass was slippery, so the car wasn’t going fast.

Soon, in the pouring rain, the figure on the horseback streaked past like a red line. Jian Jixing’s whip flicked away beads of water. As she passed Sheng Ruxi’s back window, she turned and cracked her whip, her eyes meeting Sheng Ruxi’s from a distance.

Sheng Ruxi was stunned.

The sound of hooves and car wheels mingled together. The world sank into darkness. Sheng Ruxi rolled down the window halfway. The cold wind brought in a dry, grassy smell. The car they were in bumped over the potholes, but Jian Jixing rode the horse up and down like a wave. Even the sheep were chasing her figure, like a continuous line of ink, more like the only point of light in the world.

All the cars, everyone’s eyes, and even the hail seemed to be chasing her, watching her gallop freely toward the horizon.

Sheng Ruxi stared blankly ahead. Jian Jixing wasn’t in the car with them but was riding alongside them. The hail and black clouds had become nothing but a backdrop behind her.

She seemed to be able to conquer anything.

The coldness gradually intensified. Old Zhang took it upon himself to roll up the car window. “Riding a horse hurts your butt, you know. Little Jian suffered a lot back then. Don’t look, don’t look. Get ready. We have to help herd the sheep.”

Sheng Ruxi then realized that the pickup truck only looked dilapidated. It was actually quite comfortable inside. The car’s roof had a layer of soft padding, and there was a cushion under her butt. Even when her head hit the roof during a bump, it didn’t hurt at all.

She belatedly looked at the passenger seat and found that only the back seat had been set up. Old Zhang waved his hand back. “Miss Sheng, there’s a blanket next to you.” Old Zhang added, “It’s clean.”

Sheng Ruxi pulled it out and wrapped herself in it. It was wool. It wasn’t very soft but was very warm. Sheng Ruxi didn’t say a word and kept her eyes on the small point in front.

Xie Ruizhang looked over. Besides Sheng Ruxi being scolded by Jian Jixing just now, she couldn’t think of any reason why Sheng Ruxi would be so quiet and obedient now.

Everyone said Sheng Ruxi had a princess-like temper, so how was Jian Jixing able to move this big Buddha while she couldn’t move her at all?

Xie Ruizhang took another thin blanket that Old Zhang handed her. She wrapped herself in it and felt that it smelled terrible, but it was really cold. She held back her anger and used it, truly unable to understand.

Before long, it was completely dark. The two cars’ headlights were the only light. Sheng Ruxi was no longer cold, but she thought Jian Jixing must be very cold from being out in the rain all this time.

She couldn’t even understand why Jian Jixing was herding sheep. She didn’t seem like someone who would do that kind of work.

In the car, Sheng Ruxi didn’t notice the passage of time. She was only focused on watching Jian Jixing. When she saw that Xie Ruizhang was also watching intently, she lowered her head and stopped looking.

At the mountain pass, Wang Renqing was waiting with a large flock of sheep and two horses.

The car also stopped.

Everyone got out of the car. Jian Jixing glanced at Sheng Ruxi. Wang Renqing said, “Director Xie, get on the horse. I’ll take you. Old Zhang, you take the other driver. We have to hurry back to the camp. The road ahead is not good. Your car can’t pass. Leave it here. The mounted police team will come.”

Old Zhang quickly did as he was told. Xie Ruizhang was a little hesitant. She wanted to ride with Jian Jixing. At this moment, Jian Jixing rode over, bent down, and wrapped her arm around Sheng Ruxi’s waist. She used her knee to push, pulling Sheng Ruxi off the ground and settling her firmly in the saddle in front of her.

Wang Renqing smiled and held out her hand to Xie Ruizhang. “Director Xie, come on.”

“Sit tight. Don’t move around,” Jian Jixing said, holding Sheng Ruxi and helping her grip the reins. The coldness from her raincoat came rushing in. Sheng Ruxi’s body was stiff. She was so drenched that she didn’t want to say a word.

The half-hour ride on the horse made Sheng Ruxi feel restless. Her legs were so sore! Jian Jixing didn’t slow down at all because of the bad weather.

Sheng Ruxi had filmed very few historical dramas, and she had almost no scenes like this. Although she had learned a little bit of horse riding before, none of it could compare to a real gallop like this.

But Jian Jixing seemed unaffected, focused on getting to their destination. Sheng Ruxi’s peripheral vision occasionally caught Jian Jixing’s profile. She couldn’t help but wonder what Jian Jixing was like when she was doing extreme sports.

Was she just as at ease?

After they arrived at the camp, Gu Chengyi and the staff Jian Jixing had left behind immediately came to meet them. Some helped herd and count the sheep, some handed them warm clothes, and some quickly led them indoors.

Seeing Jian Jixing help Sheng Ruxi off the horse, Gu Chengyi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

“You’re finally back, you’re finally back. Sister Mei and Jingjing’s calls were about to blow up my phone.” Gu Chengyi grabbed Sheng Ruxi. “Ruxi, you just got here. Go take a shower. The hot water is ready. Come out and have some milk tea after your shower.”

Sheng Ruxi’s legs were sore and numb. She didn’t say a word. Her lips were trembling from the cold. She glanced at Jian Jixing. Jian Jixing understood. “I’ll bring your luggage up tomorrow.”

Wang Renqing smiled and said, “Don’t worry. This morning, Jian Jixing said there was a set of clothes she couldn’t wear and hadn’t been worn. She put them in your tent bathroom.”

Wang Renqing wasn’t a pure local and often had business here. Although her camp was deep in the mountains, it had basic modern facilities.

Sheng Ruxi took off her raincoat and entered the tent, finally being enveloped in warmth.

After she finished tidying up and lifted the curtain, she saw that Jian Jixing was still in the same clothes, talking to a few mounted police officers. She seemed to know them well.

Jian Jixing stood in front of the group of military men, not losing at all.

Now that the environment had improved, Sheng Ruxi felt uncomfortable everywhere. She didn’t like the air, she didn’t like the mud, and she didn’t like this messy environment.

She didn’t want to go out at all. She didn’t even want to lie on the bedding. She felt a strange mutton smell. At this moment, she regretted it. Just to spite Jian Jixing and really film an authentic promotional video, she hadn’t even brought an assistant.

The tent had a wooden floor, thick carpets, and sheepskin mats. In the middle, there was a stove with a pile of dry firewood and some black things next to it. Against the wall, there was a wooden sleeping area. On the opposite side, wooden storage boxes were neatly placed. The table had a tea set, dried food, and a thermos.

There were many local-style tapestries hanging on the wall. The bathing area was also separated by these curtains.

This was too bad. Was she going to have to live in these conditions for the next two weeks?

Sheng Ruxi walked toward the stove and stared at the pile of dry firewood. Her face suddenly changed.

She immediately backed away, took out her phone, and first sent a message to Zhou Mei saying she was okay. Then she saw that Jian Jixing had sent her a message after receiving her location.

Just three words.

[I know.]

Sheng Ruxi scoffed and sat down. Her legs were faintly aching. She had seen that those areas were red from being rubbed when she was showering.

She was annoyed for a long time. Finally, she carefully sat down on the folding chair. Sheng Ruxi was really not used to this place, and she didn’t know how to adapt.

She thought of Jian Jixing on the horse. When she opened her phone and casually refreshed it, her thoughts were somehow captured, and the first thing that came up was a video of Jian Jixing.

The title was [Enjoying life like Jian Jixing. Please let me experience Director Jian’s life in my next life/hand over mouth]

She clicked on it, and it was a compilation of Jian Jixing’s sports videos. The first shot was of her speeding on a heavy motorcycle, followed by rock climbing on a cliff, a high-altitude jump, surfing on the raging sea, smooth diving movements, and finally, lifting weights.

Lifting weights was the last shot. She could clearly see her defined back muscles. Sheng Ruxi watched it twice without realizing it.

She had no idea that Jian Jixing was capable of so many things. Just as Xie Ruizhang had said, Jian Jixing loved extreme sports more.

Unfortunately, the scene of Jian Jixing galloping in the heavy rain wasn’t captured. It was even more dashing.

Sheng Ruxi was engrossed and wanted to know what the comments below said.

They were probably all praising Jian Jixing, making her look even more arrogant.

[Please let me live like this in my next life! Please, please!]

[Hello, please give me a surprise Alpha. Be like this one, got it? Surprise Alpha.]

[Hello, Director Jian. I’m an Omega.]

[I won’t be able to play so much in this life, but can’t I at least get an Alpha who’s done so many things? Wuwuwuwu.]

Every time Sheng Ruxi saw these comments, she felt schadenfreude. Poor Jian Jixing, she would vomit if she smelled another Omega’s pheromones.

[Director Jian, do you know? I really want to buy you more clothes, but I don’t have the money, so I can only…]

When she saw this, the comment collapsed.

Sheng Ruxi was very curious about what came next, so she clicked on it.

It said: […so I can only buy a few finger cots/crying face.]

Sheng Ruxi: “…”

That’s a bit too much.

Sister, is there no one you care about on the internet anymore?

When Jian Jixing came in with a drink, she saw Sheng Ruxi sitting there motionless, looking at her phone.

She had been busy since she got back. She only took off her raincoat, changed her clothes, and dried herself. She brought a cup of hot milk tea.

“Drink some. It’ll keep you warm.” As soon as Jian Jixing put the cup down, Sheng Ruxi was startled and immediately leaned back. When she almost fell, Jian Jixing held her steady.

Sheng Ruxi stuffed her phone into her lap and gasped, “Why did you come in without a sound?”

Jian Jixing let go of the chair back with a chuckle. “Do you have to fall face-first in the mud again to be able to talk properly?”

When she said that, Sheng Ruxi felt like she smelled the mud on her again.

Her clothes were unusable, and her luggage hadn’t been brought up yet, so she could only wear the clothes Jian Jixing had left her.

The milk tea on the table was steaming. She didn’t know what it tasted like. And there were a lot of things in the milk tea. Sheng Ruxi glanced at it and felt that the floating things looked like oil.

“What is this…” Sheng Ruxi was disgusted. She just leaned in to smell it. “It smells like ginger. I don’t drink things like that.”

Jian Jixing said, “Then you’ll get a cold.”

“Why are you cursing me like that?” Sheng Ruxi pointed at the things next to the stove. “What are these?”

Jian Jixing said calmly, “Cow dung.”

Her suspicion was confirmed. Sheng Ruxi immediately backed away a few steps, bending over as if to vomit.

“If you’re not used to this place, you shouldn’t have come in the first place.”

After a few dry heaves, Sheng Ruxi’s eyes turned red. “Jian Jixing, can you say anything nice besides when you’re in bed?” She paused, then said, “If you didn’t want me to come, why did you rush to come and pick me up?”

Jian Jixing kicked the dry firewood with her foot and placed something on the table. “Are you short-sighted? Remember to get your eyes checked when you go back. I was just helping Renqing find the sheep and happened to catch up with you on the way.”

Sheng Ruxi’s gaze shifted to the back of Jian Jixing’s neck. Jian Jixing smiled, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes.

“Don’t look there.”

Just like Sheng Ruxi’s attitude toward work, Jian Jixing was indeed different when it came to work. Sheng Ruxi had a delicate temper, and now everything was not to her liking. Maybe she hadn’t rested well last night and would just go on strike tomorrow? Jian Jixing suspected that Sheng Ruxi was not capable of doing this job and might even get sick tonight.

At this thought, Jian Jixing felt a restlessness that she couldn’t suppress.

So disobedient.

Sheng Ruxi just looked at Jian Jixing, her gaze moving away but not saying anything.

Two seconds later, her gaze moved back to Jian Jixing’s hand, and she scoffed with disdain.

Jian Jixing understood completely.

Sheng Ruxi was mocking her, suggesting that she was being so attentive for a reason, and that reason was to do what they did last night.

Last night, she never asked Sheng Ruxi to do anything. Everything came to them naturally. Jian Jixing was displeased that Sheng Ruxi only thought of her in this one context, and she said mockingly, “I’m so sorry for you. You came all this way, and all I’ve made you feel is that there’s only this one thing to do.”

The air had a faint, spicy smell of ginger, which made Sheng Ruxi’s nose and heart feel uneasy. She was a little confused. Was there anything else between her and Jian Jixing? They didn’t need to fall in love.

Jian Jixing said, “Don’t worry. You don’t have to be so guarded against me. I won’t touch you.”

Sheng Ruxi was choked by her words, and her tone was also unpleasant. “As long as you can hold back.”

Jian Jixing looked at her, the corners of her lips curling into a subtle arc.

The lights in the tent were not very bright, hanging softly above Jian Jixing’s head, giving her cold black outfit a soft glow.

She bent her finger and tapped the table. “If I can’t hold back, what can you do?”

“Just like last night, Sheng Ruxi, how can you refuse?”

Sheng Ruxi was so angry that she couldn’t find any words to refute Jian Jixing.

Regarding last night, everything Jian Jixing said was the truth.

But Sheng Ruxi couldn’t admit defeat just like that. She met Jian Jixing’s gaze, clenched her hands, and smiled. “That’s because my imagination is so good. I can imagine that it’s the person I like. Who loses then?”

Good.

Jian Jixing completely understood Sheng Ruxi’s unspoken meaning. She was just a tool.

“Sheng Ruxi, you’d better always hate me this much.”

She moved away from the stove. The mockery in her eyes disappeared without a trace. After saying that, she lifted the tent flap and covered it tightly before leaving.