After the Black Moonlight’s "Death Escape" Failed [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 56

Chapter 56: Kiss Scene

◎ Wen Fengyue was almost driven to tears ◎

Wen Fengyue ate this meal without tasting a thing.

The mere thought of which scenes she had to rehearse with Jiao Qingyin after eating made her palms break into a cold sweat. Her nervousness was so intense that she could barely hold her soup spoon steady.

Furthermore, the investor for Satellite was their own Starforge Entertainment. As the daughter of a company shareholder, Jiao Qingyin could have had the screenwriter delete any scene she didn’t want to film with a single word—but she hadn’t.

Was it because she didn’t mind filming intimate scenes, or… was it because she didn’t mind filming them with her?

Though it was only a few words’ difference, Wen Fengyue felt the distinction was vital.

“Is it not to your taste?” Jiao Qingyin asked, noticing Wen Fengyue’s complexion growing paler as she ate.

Dazed over her bowl of porridge, Wen Fengyue snapped back to her senses and immediately denied it: “No, it’s delicious.”

As she shook her head, Jiao Qingyin’s gaze was drawn to a single tuft of hair swaying slightly atop her head.

Regardless of her actual psychological state, Wen Fengyue usually maintained a cold and calm exterior. The more she put on airs, the more Jiao Qingyin loved the hidden, authentic side of her. For instance, right now, that unkempt “ahoge” (stray lock of hair) made Jiao Qingyin’s hands itch to reach out.

Wen Fengyue didn’t know her stray hair was being targeted, but the fact that Jiao took the initiative to speak did ease her anxiety.

Once she settled down, she rediscovered the joy of eating with Jiao Qingyin—so much so that when she saw the bottom of her bowl, she felt an involuntary sense of regret.

Jiao Qingyin happened to finish at the same time, but before she could say anything, Wen Fengyue proactively operated the domestic robot to start clearing the table. Subconsciously, she didn’t view herself as a guest; her natural movements suggested they had lived together for a long time.

Jiao Qingyin, having nothing to do, leaned against the table and chatted idly:

“Teacher Wen, your stomach isn’t great, so I’ve made easily digestible things these past two days. If there’s something else you want to eat, tell me, and I’ll make it for you in a few days.”

Hearing this, Wen Fengyue stopped her hand on the robot and turned to answer: “As long as you make it, I like it.”

Coming from someone else, this might sound dismissive, but Wen Fengyue’s tone was serious and her gaze steady; it was clear she meant it from the bottom of her heart.

After a pause, she spoke again: “What about you? What do you like to eat?”

Despite staying up late to read most of the public information about Jiao Qingyin, Wen Fengyue still felt she didn’t know the other woman well enough. Just like the official claim that Jiao’s hobby was tennis, the information on the Star-Net was likely fabricated. Wen Fengyue wanted the real answers from the person herself.

“Me?” Jiao Qingyin hadn’t expected the question. She thought for a moment; she didn’t seem to have anything she particularly loved. Survival in the apocalypse hadn’t been easy; she usually ate whatever was available.

However… “I don’t like things that are too sweet,” Jiao Qingyin said. This was purely a shadow left over from the last world. Just recalling how much sugar-overloaded food she had consumed made her stomach feel faint discomfort.

Wen Fengyue nodded solemnly, noting Jiao’s words.

Only…

“Why… did you go back to calling me ‘Teacher Wen’?”

At this, Jiao Qingyin couldn’t help but chuckle. She winked at the slightly uncomfortable woman. “Because I found that you actually quite like it when I call you ‘Teacher,’ don’t you?”

The tips of Wen Fengyue’s ears instantly flushed. She hadn’t expected her secret little preference to be discovered. It was mostly because every time Jiao Qingyin called her “Teacher,” her tone was different from everyone else’s. Others said it out of respect; Jiao Qingyin… her pronunciation and inflections were like little hooks, always making Wen Fengyue feel a sense of ambiguity for no reason.

She felt it was because her own mind wasn’t “clean” that everything Jiao did felt like a seduction, but no matter how many times she reflected, she couldn’t break the habit. For example, right now, hearing Jiao call her “Teacher” with a laugh, Wen Fengyue’s heart honestly quickened its pace.

After the meal, Jiao Qingyin pulled Wen Fengyue along for a full tour of the villa and spent some time in the garden. Once their food had settled, she brought up the rehearsal.

Wen Fengyue, who had relaxed quite a bit, stiffened again at the mention of the word “rehearsal.”

They returned to the living room. While Wen Fengyue sat there restlessly, Jiao Qingyin looked up from her device. “Teacher Wen, how many camera angles are usually used for a kiss scene?”

Wen Fengyue instinctively gave a professional answer: “Three. One is the camera directed by the director, and the other two are optical computers with automatic tracking enabled.”

“Perfect then.” Jiao Qingyin picked up the sphere robot Wen Fengyue had seen earlier. “This will be the main angle, and our own devices can be the sub-angles.”

Wen Fengyue dazed. “We’re going to record the trial?”

“Mm. I think it’ll be easier for us to summarize our experience from the footage,” Jiao Qingyin set up the robot and then made a face as if remembering something. “If you mind, I won’t record it.”

Wen Fengyue immediately shook her head. “I don’t mind.”

A few seconds later, she suggested with apparent composure: “After filming, send a copy of the main angle and the recording from your device to me as well… Multi-angle references and reviews are more conducive to improving our acting.”

Jiao Qingyin agreed with a smile. Wen Fengyue lowered her head, too guilty to look her in the eye.

Jiao Qingyin soon set up the three angles and walked back to Wen Fengyue. The first scene they were to rehearse was a kiss on the sofa between the two leads.

Before the automatic filming started, there was a one-minute countdown. Amidst the sound of the timer, Jiao Qingyin turned her head to look at Wen Fengyue. “Al.”

Wen Fengyue was nervously and rapidly memorizing her lines. Hearing Jiao call her by that name, she was startled, and the tuft of hair on her head wobbled. She was clearly still not used to being called that. Suppressing the heat in her heart, she also turned her head. “…What is it?”

“Have you filmed a kiss scene before?” Jiao Qingyin asked with curiosity.

“No. I mostly film historical dramas and mecha films; there are basically no intimate scenes,” Wen Fengyue answered honestly. Her unique appearance dictated that her range was much narrower than the average actor’s.

Wen Fengyue didn’t notice that her answer greatly satisfied a certain person’s possessiveness. Jiao Qingyin happily withdrew her gaze, looking like a cat that had snatched a piece of dried fish.

[5, 4, 3, 2, 1…]

The sound of the robot’s countdown made them focus, and they quickly entered character. This kiss scene occurred after an argument between the leads, so it started off exceptionally intense. Later, once the leads’ anger dissipated, it would transition into a warm, lingering embrace.

Wei Ling looked at her student; this was the third time her confession had been rejected.

She didn’t understand. It was clear that Cheng Xing liked her too; her eyes, expressions, and movements all spoke of the same feelings. But the words that came out of her mouth were always words of refusal.

“Teacher, we can’t do this,” Cheng Xing whispered with her head bowed.

Wei Ling suppressed her nearly uncontrollable desire and anger, pinning the person beside her against the back of the sofa. “Is it because you don’t like me, or because I am your teacher?”

Cheng Xing wanted to say she didn’t like her, but in the next second, Wei Ling’s emotions fell upon her lips like violent raindrops.

“Wait.” Just as they were about to kiss, Wen Fengyue suddenly called a halt.

Wait? Jiao Qingyin, who was already in character, was abruptly interrupted. She opened her eyes, a dangerous aura flickering in her gaze. Calling a halt at a time like this—had Wen Fengyue regretted it?

“I…” Wen Fengyue, who just a moment ago had been full of presence and dominance, turned into a puppy that had done something wrong. Her gaze toward Jiao Qingyin was pitiful.

Jiao Qingyin’s heart softened for a second, but only for a second. She stared at Wen Fengyue, waiting to see what she would say.

“I-I’m a bit nervous… How should I… No… I…”

Wen Fengyue was incoherent, her feelings written all over her face. It wasn’t that she didn’t know what a kiss was, but she truly didn’t know how to kiss Jiao Qingyin. If the other woman’s skin left a red mark just from a light pinch on the cheek, then if she kissed too hard or accidentally bit her… she felt Jiao Qingyin was like an exquisite porcelain doll, and she was afraid of breaking her.

Seeing her look of anxiety—as if she were about to faint—Jiao Qingyin’s agitated emotions actually calmed down quite a bit. She placed a hand on Wen Fengyue’s shoulder.

“I’ll play Wei Ling, you play Cheng Xing, and then you try again, okay?”

Before Wen Fengyue could even nod or shake her head, Jiao Qingyin gave her a push. It seemed like a light movement, but it pinned the other woman directly onto the sofa.

With the positions reversed and being looked down upon by Jiao Qingyin, Wen Fengyue instinctively wanted to move, but Jiao Qingyin possessed a strange strength that left her unable to budge.

Sensing that the person beneath her wanted to run, Jiao Qingyin raised an eyebrow. She knelt half-way onto the sofa, forcibly parting Wen Fengyue’s legs.

Wen Fengyue finally sensed danger, but it was too late. Jiao Qingyin still wore a gentle and bright smile, but her actions were full of an undeniable authority.

She pinched Wen Fengyue’s chin and whispered: “Teacher Wen, my acting isn’t very good. If I do something wrong… remember to correct me.”

Under the light, Jiao Qingyin’s shadow cast a shroud over Wen Fengyue. Feeling the sensation on her lips, the latter’s pupils dilated, and her consciousness scattered for a moment.

But soon, a sharp sting brought her back—Jiao Qingyin had bitten her.

“Focus,” Jiao whispered as their lips parted slightly. “The cameras are still rolling.”

Hearing this, Wen Fengyue’s sanity mostly dissolved. The cameras were recording them—everything happening on the sofa today would be documented…!

Wen Fengyue was used to maintaining a dignified and cold posture in front of the camera, but never like this—her nerves were stretched to the limit; every one of Jiao Qingyin’s movements elicited a fascinating reaction from her.

This caused Jiao Qingyin, who had originally just wanted to vent a little, to have her wicked nature thoroughly aroused. She kicked up a massive wave, watching a certain seagull dart through the crests, occasionally blowing a deliberate gust of wind to wet its wings, watching it cry out for help in distress. She wanted to see the seagull fall into the deep dark sea—this was her embrace, and she would comfort this poor little bird, feed her, build her a nest, groom her feathers, and finally…

Eat her.

“Do you like this?” Jiao Qingyin stood up, a slight smile on her lips.

“I… like it…” Wen Fengyue panted, her eyes glazed and unfocused.

“Wrong,” Jiao Qingyin suppressed her smile and pinched Wen’s neck as a “punishment,” forcing the latter to tilt her chin up. “Teacher Wen, you’re supposed to say ‘I don’t like it.’ Did you forget your lines?”

—They were rehearsing.

This thought was like a bucket of ice water, dousing all the romantic fantasies Wen Fengyue had entertained. They weren’t a couple; Jiao Qingyin wasn’t kissing her because she liked her. They… they were just friends.

Wen Fengyue trembled, the corners of her eyes turning even redder than before.

Yet Jiao Qingyin was still asking her: “So I’ll ask again—do you like this?”

Wen Fengyue decided to hate Jiao Qingyin for one minute. How… how could she act so nonchalantly after such a kiss? Her own mind was a total mess, but Jiao Qingyin? Did Jiao Qingyin not feel a single tremor?

Jiao Qingyin moved her knee up, whether intentionally or not, brushing against Wen Fengyue’s thigh, forcing the latter to barely regain focus.

“…I don’t like it.”

“You don’t like it?” Jiao Qingyin’s slender, beautiful hand began to move upward, her fingertips tracing Wen Fengyue’s skin inch by inch, finally stopping on her lips. Applying slight pressure with her thumb, she easily molded Wen Fengyue’s lips into the shape she wanted.

Wen Fengyue couldn’t control a low moan.

“If you don’t like it…” Jiao Qingyin opened her other hand and slowly moved it, finally placing it against Wen Fengyue’s chest. She chuckled lowly, as if discovering something interesting. “Then why is your heart beating so fast?”

Thump, thump. It felt like it was about to jump right into Jiao Qingyin’s palm.

Wen Fengyue was almost driven to tears. She stared fixedly at Jiao Qingyin, her red eyes glistening like they were submerged in water.

Seeing her like this, Jiao Qingyin timely stopped bullying the big dog. She changed her posture, bracing her arms beside the other’s head. Within a few seconds, she reverted to that simple, sunny, and easily-deceived little star.

“Sorry, Teacher Wen, I lost control of myself for a moment…” Jiao Qingyin apologized sincerely. “I didn’t mean it, I just… got too into character.”

Her dark eyes were full of apology and unease, but they lacked the uncontrollable passion Wen Fengyue wanted to see.

Wen Fengyue clenched her fists. It turned out she was the only one thinking about making the fake scene real.

“I don’t blame you,” Wen Fengyue closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she had retracted all traces of her vulnerable tears. “Being able to get into character so quickly shows you are very talented.”

Wen Fengyue’s words were grand and sounded normal, but Jiao Qingyin knew her too well. Just by listening, she could feel how truly annoyed the other woman was. She timely flashed a surprised smile, saying “That’s good then,” while thinking that Wen Fengyue had better stay a bit angrier—after all, her own irritation hadn’t fully dissipated yet.

Jiao Qingyin stood up and went to the fridge to get two bottles of water. She was about to twist one open for Wen Fengyue when she suddenly thought of something and paused.

“Teacher Wen, I can’t open it.” She cast a look for help toward Wen Fengyue.

Wen Fengyue stared silently at the person before her. This person had just pinned her to the sofa with unimaginable strength, yet now she was saying she couldn’t twist a bottle cap…

As if to refute Wen Fengyue’s thoughts, Jiao Qingyin twisted the cap forcefully in front of her. Sweat even broke out on her forehead, but she still didn’t succeed.

“…Give it to me.” Wen Fengyue, feeling stifled, couldn’t watch any longer and reached out.

Jiao Qingyin immediately gave her both bottles. When Wen Fengyue looked down, she found Jiao’s palm had been rubbed red by the cap. And it looked quite serious.

Wen Fengyue: “…”

She twisted both bottles open, handed one over, and only spoke after the other had taken a sip: “Let me see.”

Her voice was quiet, and Jiao Qingyin didn’t hear her.

“Your hand,” Wen Fengyue had to raise her volume. “Let me see it.”

“Ah,” Jiao Qingyin heard her this time, but she shook her head. “No need, the mark will be gone in a bit.”

Wen Fengyue stopped talking, but her gaze on Jiao Qingyin didn’t move an inch, like a silent urge. Seeing her persistence, Jiao Qingyin obediently held out her hand.

Wen Fengyue held her hand and found the marks hadn’t faded; they looked even worse than before. Especially since Jiao Qingyin’s skin was so pale, the red marks appeared even more terrifying. This made Wen Fengyue regret why she hadn’t just agreed earlier.

She wanted to say something, but she was still angry. The conflict of emotions left her thinking for a long time before only two words came out: “It’s red.”

As soon as those dry words were out, Wen Fengyue felt even more annoyed—mostly with herself. Annoyed that she fell in love so easily, developing inappropriate feelings for a friend of the same gender; and annoyed that knowing Jiao Qingyin didn’t feel that way about her, she still wanted to get closer.

Wen Fengyue knew what she should do now was cut her losses, keep her distance, and extract herself from this one-sided emotion as quickly as possible. But—but—

Jiao Qingyin was looking up at her, her cheeks slightly puffed. “I said it was fine. See, the marks are already fading.”

Wen Fengyue met her gaze. In those obsidian-like eyes, she saw things she had overlooked before. Like… a certain kind of desire she couldn’t quite understand.

Even as slow as she was, Wen Fengyue sensed that Jiao Qingyin wasn’t as kind and innocent as she appeared on the surface. Now that she was calm, she looked back at that kiss and discovered more clues. The other didn’t like her, but those deliberate actions of getting close were no accident.

She didn’t like her, yet took the initiative to create physical intimacy… Countless dark speculations flashed through Wen Fengyue’s brain, but in the end, she tossed them all aside.

Previously, Wen Fengyue had seen Jiao Qingyin as a star illuminating her life. Now she found that this star wasn’t as pure and flawless as she imagined, yet she didn’t feel disappointed or discouraged. On the contrary… glimpsing a more authentic side of Jiao Qingyin was like adding dry wood to her already blazing heart.

Even if Jiao Qingyin treated her as a friend, or worse, as a tool for hype, she didn’t care. Since she had seen this star, she was going to hold onto her tightly.

“I know how to rehearse now,” she said. When Jiao Qingyin tried to pull her hand back, she didn’t comply. Instead, she tightened her fingers, locking the other person in place. “Let’s try again.”

Jiao Qingyin’s smile didn’t fade, but her heart started to race. What did Wen Fengyue want to do? She was looking forward to it.

The sun was high; this afternoon was hotter than any day so far this year.

The domestic robot diligently swept the floor, placing humidifying capsules in every corner of the villa. But when it approached the sofa in the living room, its central core received a command: Access Denied.

The robot turned its display and headed elsewhere. On its smooth metal casing, the reflection showed two figures tightly entwined.

“Teacher, is it… wrong for us to be like this?”

Under Jiao Qingyin’s teasing, Wen Fengyue had developed the habit of first judging whether a sentence was a line from the script—this one wasn’t. So, it was Jiao Qingyin calling her Teacher Wen, not “Cheng Xing” calling “Wei Ling.”

Thus, Wen Fengyue’s hand on the other’s slender waist tightened. Her other hand gently stroked Jiao’s cheek, and she asked in a slightly hoarse voice: “What is wrong about it?”

“Ugh…” Jiao Qingyin’s eyes were hazy, as if her ability to think had slowed down. It took a while before she answered, “This part… isn’t in the script.”

The two had just finished the first half of the kiss scene; it was now time for Wen Fengyue to say the line: “Be with me”. But she had already NG-ed (No Good) ten times at this specific point, forgetting the line every single time.

Jiao Qingyin knew she was doing it on purpose, yet she still pretended to be troubled: “We can’t have any more NGs. There are still many scenes to go over.”

Wen Fengyue didn’t speak, but her gaze darkened. She also wanted to rehearse other scenes—like “Wei Ling takes off Cheng Xing’s clothes” or “Wei Ling caresses Cheng Xing’s body”—but when she tentatively asked Jiao Qingyin, the answer was “We can use camera tricks for those.”

Both had contracts with the crew and wouldn’t actually expose large areas of their bodies on camera. Most provocative scenes would be handled using biorobots or camera angles. But for kiss scenes, because close-ups were required, they actually had to kiss.

“Sorry, it’s just that I can’t seem to get into character,” Wen Fengyue admitted her “fault.” Her lowered eyes truly looked quite dejected. “I’ll definitely remember next time.”

This was the third time she had said something similar, and she knew full well she wouldn’t remember next time either. Jiao Qingyin laughed silently in her heart. Wen Fengyue’s insatiable nature was indeed the person she was familiar with. She loved kissing her, so even with ten more NGs, she wouldn’t mind.

Just then, her optical computer rang at an inopportune moment. The device stopped recording and provided a voice broadcast: “Your contact [Sister Ji] says: Xiao Jiao, what’s going on with the photo you and Teacher Wen posted? Why is it just a photo with no words? The Star-Net—”

[Beep. Exceeded voice broadcast character limit. Please check messages manually, Master.]

The two on the sofa: “…”

They snapped out of it, finally remembering that after posting the photo this morning, they had forgotten to follow the plan and comment on each other’s posts for Satellite promotion.

With only a photo of Wen Fengyue kissing Jiao Qingyin’s hair posted until noon without a caption, it was hard for netizens not to let their imaginations run wild.

Feeling Jiao Qingyin push her, Wen Fengyue stood up reluctantly and opened her device with a gloomy face. Sure enough, a mountain of messages jumped out. The interrupted Wen Fengyue was furious. Thinking she didn’t know when she’d get another chance to do what they were just doing, she quickly closed all the messages.

She moved too fast, so when a video call invitation popped up, her finger slipped and she hit Accept.

The face of the Satellite director appeared on the screen.

“Wen Fengyue, what have you and Jiao Qingyin done!” The director was frantic. “Are you a real couple?”

The director had barely started speaking before her mouth fell wide open. She looked as if she were seeing something unbelievable.

Wen Fengyue turned her head following the director’s gaze. What she saw was Jiao Qingyin—hair a mess, shirt completely wrinkled, and lips red and swollen.

“Teacher Wen?” Jiao Qingyin looked as if she didn’t know what had happened. She turned and flashed a sweet smile at her. “Do you want to continue? Can you be a bit gentler this time?”

Wen Fengyue: “…”

She felt Jiao Qingyin was doing it on purpose, but that didn’t stop her heart from racing once again.

—Of course she wanted to continue. But she didn’t want to be gentler at all.