After A Secret Marriage Agreement With A Rival Omega - Chapter 88

Chapter 88

◎ She indignantly grabbed Jian Jixing’s clothes, “You’re a bully.” ◎

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The moment the light flickered on, Sheng Ruxi’s mind went blank. Her first reaction wasn’t to fear a burglar, but a surge of guilt. She instantly killed her own small night light, shoved the script haphazardly under her pillow, clutched the quilt, and remained motionless.

She played dead.

Even if she were caught by a thief, she absolutely could not be caught seeing what she was seeing! She truly couldn’t afford to lose that kind of face.

Jian Jixing looked at the scene, stuck between laughter and tears. “Sheng Ruxi.”

Who? Ah??

Sheng Ruxi snapped out of her daze. Hearing Jian Jixing’s voice, she thought she must be hallucinating. How else could it be that she was just thinking of Jian Jixing, and then Jian Jixing appeared?

Without much effort, Jian Jixing rescued Sheng Ruxi from the quilt. As the thin cover was pulled back, the light illuminated everything. Sheng Ruxi was still in a daze until Jian Jixing leaned down and pulled out the crumpled, well-thumbed script from the edge of the pillow where it hadn’t been hidden properly.

“Ah! You can’t!” Sheng Ruxi sat up abruptly. Before she could even ask why Jian Jixing was back, she tried to snatch the script.

Flip-flip-flip. The pages fanned out before Jian Jixing, the content becoming instantly clear.

Very good. Not bad. It was indeed Lu Mingye’s style. As for the folded corners on certain pages—that was very much Sheng Ruxi’s style.

Was she secretly researching this, or did she actually want to clear her schedule for Lu Mingye’s script? Lu Mingye was young and bold. Jian Jixing had known him for years; his family had once even begged her to persuade the boy to stop filming these “indecent” things all day. Back then, Jian Jixing had even defended him, saying, “Every director has the art they wish to pursue.”

Now, Jian Jixing felt she really shouldn’t have said that.

“Why are you back?!”

Sheng Ruxi finally woke up, convinced this wasn’t an exhaustion-induced hallucination. Realizing this, she covered her cheeks, trying to hide the rising flush. But how much could she really hide?

Jian Jixing looked pointedly at the psychologically and physically disheveled Sheng Ruxi. “If I didn’t come back, I was afraid you’d say I’m a man of no word and don’t miss you at all.”

“I don’t want work to actually become my wife.” Jian Jixing raised an eyebrow slightly. “Luckily, I can still get through the door.”

Sheng Ruxi couldn’t help but squeeze her own face, noticing the faint travel-worn look on Jian Jixing. She had rushed back without a moment’s rest.

“Sit down, quickly.” Sheng Ruxi blinked. As she prepared to get up, Jian Jixing gave her shoulder a gentle pat. “I haven’t changed yet. Wait for me.”

Jian Jixing began to loosen her top and pants. Normally, Sheng Ruxi would stare, but now she guiltily lowered her eyes, feeling her sense of thirst grow stronger. It’s just a bit of bedtime reading; why do I feel like I’ve been caught doing something wicked?

“Is Lu Mingye’s script so captivating that you have to hide under the covers in the middle of the night to read it?” Having changed into comfortable loungewear, Jian Jixing placed the thick script on the side table, flipping through it idly with a calm face. “Did you understand it?”

Sheng Ruxi’s heart leaped. “What do you mean…”

“Didn’t you say the script was ‘good’? Naturally, I had to come back to observe, and perhaps offer guidance on any parts you don’t understand.” Jian Jixing sat down. “It seems rather average? Writing the same act a hundred times over to string together a movie.”

“Tell me, how should I discuss this with you?” Jian Jixing chuckled, her palm resting casually on Sheng Ruxi’s calf. “Or did I disturb your elegant interest in solo observation? Is your face red because you’re angry with me?”

What an ‘elegant interest’… Every word sounded to Sheng Ruxi like Jian Jixing was mocking her for sneaking a peek at an X-rated script. She retracted her leg, but couldn’t pull it away from Jian Jixing’s palm. She looked away from the script. “How was I supposed to know you’d suddenly come back like this?”

“Because I missed you.” Seeing that Sheng Ruxi truly couldn’t handle the teasing, Jian Jixing shifted the topic away from the script.

Sheng Ruxi’s heart was already racing; now, stirred by Jian Jixing’s blunt words, she felt her whole body go soft. She reached out toward Jian Jixing, who naturally pulled her into her arms. Sheng Ruxi closed her eyes and took the initiative to kiss her.

Jian Jixing supported her, pulling her closer and pressing against her slender waist. They kissed deeply until their breath was lost. In the pause to recover, Jian Jixing gently rubbed the side of Sheng Ruxi’s neck. “And you? Did you miss me much?”

“…Yes.” Sheng Ruxi’s sleepiness had vanished. She nestled in Jian Jixing’s arms, unwilling to move. Once they kissed, the urges she had been suppressing in her head became impossible to contain.

This time, aside from the kissing, Jian Jixing’s hands remained well-behaved, without any out-of-line movements. However, Sheng Ruxi’s heart was restless, kissing Jian Jixing more intensely than ever before. After a week apart, her pheromones were more honest than her reactions, having been drawn out long ago. The room felt blanketed by sweet and sour berries, releasing themselves freely within the cold, woody fragrance.

“Why so impatient today? Because of the script?” Jian Jixing teased her knowingly. Sheng Ruxi mumbled for a long time, the temperature around her neck becoming scorching. She couldn’t even answer properly; she squirmed, her eyes dropping, unable to withstand Jian Jixing’s gaze.

Instead, Sheng Ruxi wished Jian Jixing would be a bit more “wicked” to her right now. She bit her lip and said, “Did you come back just to tease me?”

“Of course not just for that.” Jian Jixing smiled, her palm gently brushing away Sheng Ruxi’s hair. “I heard from Huaixi that you want to try romance scenes.”

Sheng Ruxi’s heart throbbed violently, preventing her from settling her mind. Her eyes flickered. “That’s just because I didn’t want Huaixi to see this script.”

“Is that so? I thought you truly wanted to try romance. I was afraid there were things you didn’t understand, so I came back to give you some pointers.”

“I want to film them too!” she said urgently, grabbing the hem of Jian Jixing’s shirt.

Jian Jixing looped Sheng Ruxi’s hands back around her neck, her voice slow: “A romance like Lu Mingye’s?”

Sheng Ruxi’s face was as red as it could possibly be. “I just wanted to read it like a book.”

“Oh? I didn’t know you liked this genre. What did you learn?” Jian Jixing asked, her expression becoming increasingly serious.

Sheng Ruxi was almost in tears from the questioning. She whispered, “Turn off the lights, okay?” The light was too bright; she felt that if she were asked a few more questions, she wouldn’t even be able to speak.

Jian Jixing didn’t move. Sheng Ruxi bit her lip, deciding to get off Jian Jixing to turn them off herself. But just as she reached out, a long, slender hand pressed the switch.

“You need to do such a small thing yourself?”

Wasn’t it you who was teasing me and not letting me turn them off? Sheng Ruxi felt Jian Jixing was being too much, yet she couldn’t find the words to blame her. “I’m never reading it again.”

As soon as she finished that petulant sentence, Jian Jixing laughed and pulled her back. “Then don’t read it.”

Sheng Ruxi’s tears fell. She indignantly grabbed Jian Jixing’s clothes. “You’re a bully.”

“I just don’t want you to be restless in your sleep and have strange dreams.”

Sheng Ruxi’s breathing tightened. Her sounds were muffled by Jian Jixing’s kisses; she whimpered like a kitten in her ear. She understood what Jian Jixing wanted to say to her. She wanted to resist, but she had no strength to push her away.

Jian Jixing let her go from time to time, chatting casually, as if everything under the cover of night was innocent and normal.

“If you want to try different scenes, why not look at me?”

Actually, she should have asked this long ago. When she discussed it with Qian Chunhe, they said it had to be done face-to-face out of respect. They were indeed face-to-face, but the distance had become negative.

She was persistent, giving off the vibe that if Sheng Ruxi didn’t agree, she would keep teasing her.

“You… you…” Sheng Ruxi responded, nearly unable to form a complete sentence under Jian Jixing’s offensive. She sensed Jian Jixing’s intent, the swelling sensation making it impossible for her breath to stabilize.

“Not agreeing?” Jian Jixing’s voice carried a hint of casual banter by her ear. “Is it because my service isn’t enough? Or are you afraid my ‘pointers’ won’t be good enough?”

She feared that if she didn’t say the answer out loud, Jian Jixing’s hand wouldn’t stop. Sheng Ruxi was restless, yet she uncontrollably felt a subtle spark of defiance. She let her tears flow, thankful that Jian Jixing couldn’t see her expression in the dark.

But Jian Jixing’s other hand precisely found her cheek and the wet corners of her eyes. She leaned down, kissing the corners of Sheng Ruxi’s eyes, her warm breath near her ear. “Why is everything so wet?”

Sheng Ruxi was defenseless. When she couldn’t do anything, she wanted to scold her like she used to. But when she opened her mouth, it came out as a cry and a plea: “Stop…”

Sheng Ruxi had said this often lately, but Jian Jixing found she was completely unable to remain immune to those words, especially the tone in which she said them. It nearly broke her calm exterior.

Sheng Ruxi had no idea of Jian Jixing’s inner thoughts. She only felt that Jian Jixing had stopped moving and squeezed her legs together. “Wife, really, stop—”

“…Good girl.” After a moment of silence, Jian Jixing’s breath grew heavy. She squeezed out one word as if through her teeth: “You’re gripping so tight, how can I move? Be good, let go.”

Sheng Ruxi didn’t answer. Jian Jixing didn’t hold back, kissing Sheng Ruxi’s neck deeply. The moment she entered the gland, Sheng Ruxi lost herself, and her strength seemed to drain away instantly.

“You haven’t answered me yet,” Jian Jixing reminded her, her voice raspy from the pheromones she had just injected. It felt like a feather brushing her ear—hot, like the ambiguous tongue of a lover.

“I don’t know what to answer…” Sheng Ruxi’s voice was tearful, stubbornly withholding the final answer.

“Say you’re willing.”

In her daze, Sheng Ruxi almost thought she had appeared disheveled in her fantasy of Jian Jixing proposing to her.

Willing? How could she not be willing?

When she was caught in a state of limbo, Jian Jixing stopped her hand, only rubbing gently. “Are you really not going to film it?”

“I’ll film it…” Sheng Ruxi squirmed slightly, feeling uncomfortable. “Jian Jixing, don’t stop like this.”

How could there be a person like her?

“What are you filming? Whose movie?” Jian Jixing had already tasted the sweetness of this method. Using her immense self-control to stop herself from continuing, she slowly tormented Sheng Ruxi to get the result she wanted most.

Sheng Ruxi raised her chin high, not wanting her cries to be heard, but her tears kept falling. She felt the numbness from her waist to her legs, like a night tide, washing over her body again and again.

“I’ll film your movie. I want to be your female lead.”

Only after Sheng Ruxi finished the sentence did Jian Jixing silently place her on the pillow, adjust her own position, and lean down. It was too sudden; Sheng Ruxi hadn’t expected it, and her feet tensed up, unable to make a sound.

Jian Jixing could see from her reaction that her efforts hadn’t been in vain. She got up, wiped her face and lips with a wet tissue, and prepared to hold Sheng Ruxi.

Sheng Ruxi’s voice was gone. Angry, she tried to push her, but she had no strength. Jian Jixing held her and moved her to the dry side of the bed, removing the soaked pillow. She didn’t know if it was just tears or something else.

“You’re made of water.” Jian Jixing pulled Sheng Ruxi into her arms, kissing her neck softly. “Sheng Ruxi, believe me, I’m a director who knows how to ‘train’ an actress.”

Sheng Ruxi hadn’t recovered her strength, and her voice was faint. She leaned her head softly against Jian Jixing, feeling dizzy from those words. “How much ‘experience’ did it take to train such an actress? The predecessors plant the trees, and the successors enjoy the shade.”

The moment those words left her mouth, both of their breathing stopped. The room became so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The night air was cool; there was no need for air conditioning. A gust of wind passed through, making their bodies grow cold.

Jian Jixing said nothing, and all her movements on Sheng Ruxi stopped. Her gaze dropped, sliding across Sheng Ruxi’s body without stopping, landing on the bedside.

Sheng Ruxi frowned, sensing the atmosphere between them had changed in an instant. She pursed her lips and said nothing, but let go of her hands that were originally around Jian Jixing’s neck. This release created a gap in their closeness, making the coldness even more intense.

Jian Jixing propped herself up with one hand and reached for her clothes. “Sheng Ruxi, when have I ever ‘trained’ another actress?”

Putting aside the “predecessors planting trees,” Jian Jixing heard the implication in Sheng Ruxi’s words. Did Sheng Ruxi think she would use the techniques and filming styles learned during this movie on someone else? She knew Sheng Ruxi was special.

How could she give things meant for Sheng Ruxi to others? Similarly, things she had given to others could never be placed on Sheng Ruxi.

Sheng Ruxi lowered her eyes aggrievedly, realizing she had said the wrong thing, but the thought was fleeting. Working in the same environment was difficult. Seeing that Jian Jixing’s body had separated from hers, she said, “If not now, there will be.” Her voice was light, the tearful pleasure from before hidden away.

The nerves that had been excited the whole way seemed to take a heavy hit. Jian Jixing felt an unspeakable exhaustion. She let go of Sheng Ruxi but still helped her cover up with the quilt. “If I say I won’t, do you believe me?”

Sheng Ruxi didn’t answer. In the dim light, Jian Jixing could only see her eyelashes blinking; no emotion was visible. After a moment of silence, Jian Jixing lay down next to her without holding her or changing the sheets. She didn’t seem to care about the damp patch. “It’s late. Sleep.”

She didn’t seem to fear the cold at all, not even using the quilt. At the same time, a stronger sense of sorrow flooded Sheng Ruxi’s heart. Her mind was a mess. She knew that if it weren’t for rational restraint, Jian Jixing might have chosen to sleep in another bed tonight. She didn’t even pull her into her arms like she used to.

As if making a decision, Sheng Ruxi turned around, lifted the corner of the quilt, and insisted on covering both herself and Jian Jixing. It was a small gesture, like a step back. Jian Jixing snapped out of it, facing Sheng Ruxi, waiting for her to say something.

It was just an unintentional comment. If she just said it was because she cared too much—so much that she only wanted her to be her director—and said she believed her… If she just said she believed, Jian Jixing’s frustration would vanish.

When Jian Jixing had bared her heart to Sheng Ruxi, she had said that once they started, there was no ending halfway. No ending meant no ending.

Jian Jixing didn’t know how to make Sheng Ruxi believe that her words had taken a lot of courage to say and were very sincere. Such courage only needed to happen once in a lifetime, so how could there be a “successor enjoying the shade”?

Sheng Ruxi’s words made her see the hidden dangers beneath happiness. Their marriage was a collaboration, and that contract still existed. Now that the one-year term was half over, time was becoming tighter, and both their bodies had recovered. It seemed that as long as Sheng Ruxi called for a stop, it would stop.

Sheng Ruxi touched Jian Jixing’s fingers, which were slightly cool. She recklessly put her fingers in and held Jian Jixing’s hand tightly.

“Jian Jixing, coming back and forth is so tiring. Next time… don’t exhaust yourself like this.” Sheng Ruxi said slowly. The fingers she had just put in were suddenly squeezed tight, then released a moment later. Like a beast without resistance, she only heard Jian Jixing’s breathing.

“Remember to think more of yourself,” Sheng Ruxi said, suppressing the bitterness in her throat.

Jian Jixing closed her eyes, wanting to smile. But when she tried to move the corners of her mouth, she realized her facial expression was frozen. “Sheng Ruxi, if you forget that sentence… then I will.”

After this, neither spoke. Sheng Ruxi should have been exhausted, but her mind was incredibly clear. After saying goodnight, she didn’t curl into Jian Jixing’s arms as usual. After a while, she heard Jian Jixing’s long, even breathing.

Sheng Ruxi knew Jian Jixing was very tired from the trip. Upon her return, she had even rushed to satisfy her, yet she hadn’t even apologized for saying the wrong thing. Her heart felt squeezed tight, sour as if countless plums had been crushed. She suppressed the urge to wake Jian Jixing, not daring to let her tears flow, not understanding why she was so conflicted.

How could she forget that sentence? She had said it: if Jian Jixing didn’t know how to be good to herself, then she would be good to her. She would be good to Jian Jixing. Every word was engraved in her heart, never forgotten.

The words she spoke tonight were driven by temporary jealousy; she hadn’t even known she would say such a thing. And when Jian Jixing’s tone turned cold, she hadn’t apologized because of her own stubbornness. She knew Jian Jixing would train actresses, but how could she ever say she wanted Jian Jixing to only be tied to her?

So far, she had never seen Jian Jixing collaborate with a female lead a second time. So when she first said they would cast Yi Yueyang, Sheng Ruxi wasn’t worried at all, because she knew Jian Jixing needed a sense of freshness.

But when it came to herself, her mindset changed. She knew Jian Jixing’s future movies would get better and better, with more styles and collaborations with more excellent actors. How could she be confined to just one person?

On the surface, she could collaborate with Jian Jixing on a movie; privately, she was her wife. Sheng Ruxi knew this was something many people could only dream of.

Jian Jixing’s heart was sensitive and proud. She had hurt her first, which made Jian Jixing unwilling to yield, refusing to say a single word of comfort.

Tomorrow morning. As soon as Jian Jixing wakes up— Sheng Ruxi made a secret resolution. The apology she couldn’t say must be made clear after she kissed Jian Jixing.

It didn’t matter, Sheng Ruxi told herself. If Jian Jixing didn’t coax her, she could learn how to coax people herself.

Sheng Ruxi’s mind was heavy with thoughts, so she didn’t fall asleep until dawn was about to break. Once she fell asleep, it was deep. Not long after she fell into a deep sleep, Jian Jixing got up and left. She didn’t wake anyone; without any luggage, she left the house exactly as she had arrived.

The moment she stepped off the plane, Jian Jixing felt a brief sense of suffocation. She smiled indifferently. She had been here many times without issue; did her altitude sickness finally arrive, delayed?

She returned much earlier than expected. When she opened the conference room door, a room full of people looked at her in surprise. It seemed they hadn’t expected her to be the one pushing the door open.

Jian Jixing tiredly rubbed her furrowed brow. With no intention of resting, she sat down and said, “The script. I have new ideas.”

Qian Chunhe looked behind her and found no one else. She blinked and exchanged a glance with Gu Shengci, feeling the pressure suddenly increase.

Lin Qie was the one to ask: “Wasn’t the final draft almost done? Why continue changing it?”

“Some things are no longer suitable,” Jian Jixing said flatly. “We might need to change the actors.”