Distance Formula - Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Su Yanshi’s morning scene required her to play badminton. She was moderately athletic and played quite well. After a couple of casual practice shots with the other actors, they were ready for the official shoot.

Her makeup today made her look a bit more stern. The moment Director Liu called “Action,” Su Yanshi’s expression fully sank into the role.

“Bai Yunyan!”

Jiang Yin walked up to her, limping slightly. It was nine in the morning. She had waited for a long time to spot Bai Yunyan, and the moment she saw her, she bowed deeply.

“I’m sorry, I was rude yesterday. Please forgive me.”

Jiang Yin’s gaze was extremely sincere. Bai Yunyan simply nodded faintly. “It’s fine.”

She started to walk away, but Jiang Yin quickly blocked her, smiling. “Want to play badminton together? I hurt my leg and can’t play. Can you take my place?”

Bai Yunyan looked impatient. She was about to say, “Find someone else,” when Jiang Yin hooked her arm. The other person whispered, “I’m shameless, and I’ll do it again next time.”

Bai Yunyan didn’t speak. She used a little force on her arm, trying to pull it out, but before it worked, Jiang Yin let go. Bai Yunyan lowered her eyes, unable to decipher this person’s emotions. She pursed her lips and, she didn’t know why, agreed.

“Alright.”

Jiang Yin suddenly looked up, her eyes sparkling as she looked at her.

These few people, who often hiked and swam, had good stamina, and Bai Yunyan actually kept up with them. Jiang Yin was on the side, enthusiastically cheering for Bai Yunyan. Someone teased her for siding with Bai Yunyan before anything had even happened, but Jiang Yin pretended not to hear.

Bai Yunyan ignored it even more.

She only felt that her current situation was very abnormal. In fact, she had been in a state of mental emptiness. Long periods without intimate interaction had allowed her to be perfectly solitary, maintaining a detached attitude toward most people and events. But now it was different. Jiang Yin was like a sharp blade, making it impossible for her to resist falling.

Yet, they had only met a few times. This uncontrollable passivity made her flustered, uneasy, and afraid.

Bai Yunyan failed to return the shuttlecock.

Her arm dropped. She handed the racket to someone else and was about to leave the court when she heard Jiang Yin shout from behind: “Bai Yunyan, you’re amazing!”

Bai Yunyan froze for a few seconds, turning back to look at her.

Perhaps when she saw this scene again years later, they were both standing on the edge. Countless light and shadows perfectly formed a silent explosion, scattering fine detail in Jiang Yin’s eyes. This person suddenly became softer.

She was no longer a dagger, but more like a polite gift of sweetness. Yet, her purpose was so obvious: she wanted praise, she wanted affirmation.

“Really, I’m not lying to you.” Jiang Yin’s eyes were clear, and the sharp canines she revealed were brightly visible to Bai Yunyan, held back by nothing.

“Cut!”

This scene took a long time to perfect. Su Yanshi’s clothes were soaked. Bai Biqing handed her water and a towel, saying, “You worked hard.”

The Alpha shook her head. She was in an especially good mood, though she didn’t know why. “Teacher Bai, this scene is a turning point for the two characters. I think there are a few scattered scenes left, plus a major one, and the first half will be over soon.”

Bai Biqing just smiled. She rarely offered opinions. “They’ll confirm their relationship that quickly?”

Su Yanshi nodded. “Yes, the two were meant to be love at first sight anyway. Sometimes love doesn’t follow a timeline. The focus is on their life after confirming the relationship.”

“Mhm.” Bai Biqing checked the time, realizing it was almost noon. The crew meal was a bit too oily, so she had ordered something else. “The takeout is arriving. Want to go eat?”

Su Yanshi responded with a heavy affirmation. She cleared her throat. “Teacher Bai, have you eaten?”

“I have.”

Bai Biqing’s complexion looked much better, and her expression wasn’t fake. Su Yanshi wasn’t upset that she had eaten first, and she followed contentedly to eat her takeout.

The Beta had not eaten. Her head had been throbbing intermittently all morning, and her appetite was completely gone. After forcing herself to eat something in the morning, her stomach still felt uncomfortable. She was too clear about this side effect. Thankfully, Su Shang had a last-minute commitment and couldn’t witness any of this.

A flicker of unbearable pain crossed Bai Biqing’s eyes. She covered her mouth subtly, as if to conceal her distress, then followed Su Yanshi as if nothing was wrong.

“Yanshi, walk a little slower.”

As Su Yanshi predicted, the first half of the script for Three Times was nearing completion within a week.

Jiang Yin and Bai Yunyan seemed to have grown much closer that day. Bai Yunyan was unwilling to leave the homestay, so Jiang Yin stayed with her, having friends bring her necessities. In a flash, more than half a month had passed, and the group was finally ready to leave.

The scene of Jiang Yin forcefully kissing Bai Yunyan had been filmed one day. Next came Bai Yunyan’s internal struggle, one of the few monologue plots in the film.

The day after the kiss, Bai Yunyan looked calmly at Jiang Yin and told her, “Jiang Yin, I’m divorced.”

Jiang Yin was stunned. Just as she was about to say she didn’t mind, Bai Yunyan continued, “I don’t think I can let go in a short time. Or rather, I’m too scared—too afraid of repeating the same mistakes. For someone like me, I can’t gamble on a new start.”

They parted on bad terms that day. Jiang Yin also sent Bai Yunyan a text message that night, informing her that they would leave the next day. If Bai Yunyan regretted it, she was willing to stay in Shenhai City.

Jiang Yin had long planned to settle down. Photography was indeed a dream, but she had also seen real-life examples of failure. No one could resist the obstacle that money presented, and her savings were dwindling.

The feeling of not being able to splurge made Jiang Yin anxious. She discussed it with her friends and decided she had to find a job. If possible, she hoped to take Bai Yunyan with her.

This person clearly liked her, but just wouldn’t say it.

Su Yanshi closed the script. Today was a major scene. Her mood had been off since last night. She looked listless, and her eyes showed that she was suppressing something.

Bai Biqing carefully placed lunch in front of her. Seeing that Su Yanshi wasn’t speaking, she remained still as well.

Their relationship had grown much closer over the past few days. Su Yanshi was like an obedient puppy, diligently sending her goodnight and good morning messages every day, even when they were face-to-face.

Bai Biqing cooperated fully.

She was aware this was a major scene. A few days ago, Li Zhuonan had messaged her saying the interview would be delayed. She clearly sensed Su Yanshi’s mood dip.

Bai Biqing had asked about it. Su Yanshi sadly rested her forehead on her shoulder and said, “Because I was already prepared, I feel like a long-anticipated plan has been interrupted.”

At the time, Bai Biqing smiled and stroked her hair reassuringly. “It will happen, it will happen.”

Now, Bai Biqing felt Su Yanshi needed comforting. The Alpha hadn’t eaten anything all day. She wasn’t just in character; she seemed to be genuinely anxious.

“Yanshi, what’s wrong?”

Bai Biqing gently turned Su Yanshi’s face toward her. She lightly touched her nose and asked softly, “What is it? Can you tell me?”

Su Yanshi stared straight at her, took a few deep breaths, and let Bai Biqing cradle her face. When she spoke, the flesh of her cheeks bunched up in Bai Biqing’s hands.

The Beta’s eyes deepened, but she calmly listened to her narration.

“Today, there’s a flashback scene. The actress playing my ex-wife is Cui Xiaojiu, a female Alpha. But I have some history with her. Since we are both Alphas, although our acting paths are different, some resources overlap. We were both competing for the female lead’s third role in a drama. This role was a great opportunity for career change for either of us, and I eventually got it. This should have been a normal thing, but the problem is, she was actually the predetermined choice, but the director ultimately rejected her.”

Su Yanshi’s voice grew softer. “That film became a hit later, and I became quite popular. Since then, she’s been targeting me, constantly setting traps. I really don’t want to see her.”

“Brother Li told me to endure it. If I provoke the person behind Cui Xiaojiu, I’ll face being blacklisted. Even before filming, I knew there might be trouble.”

Bai Biqing was silent for a few seconds after listening. She had a slight impression of this Cui Xiaojiu. Her appearance didn’t look like an Alpha; she looked more like an Omega, so she often played reverse-gender Omega roles. But as for who the backer behind her was—she couldn’t recall.

But what did it matter?

She rubbed Su Yanshi’s face and said seriously, “Are you afraid? Afraid of retaliation if you confront Cui Xiaojiu?”

Su Yanshi usually endured things, but with Bai Biqing looking at her so gently, asking her so softly, she inexplicably felt sad, emitting a soft “Mhm” in a breathy sound.

Bai Biqing exhaled, gently patting her face. She said softly, “Don’t be afraid, my little boss. Your assistant has everything covered for you. Just focus on your work.”

Although her voice was gentle, Su Yanshi still detected a hidden intensity in Bai Biqing’s tone.

She was initially stunned by the statement, but then quickly remembered what Li Zhuonan had said. Given Bai Biqing’s attitude, her background must be significant.

Su Yanshi bit the soft flesh inside her lower lip, remaining silent for a few seconds. Finally, she asked, “Teacher Bai, is your family very wealthy?”

Bai Biqing didn’t understand at first, but realizing Su Yanshi’s directness made her smile wryly. Still, she answered, “Yes, my family is very wealthy.”

“Will it cause trouble?”

Bai Biqing wiped the corner of her eye. Her voice was slightly low. “Of course not.”

Her eyes held an intense, unyielding darkness, yet her words were strangely ruthless. “Yanshi, you have to believe me. If I wanted to, I could even take down the backer behind Cui Xiaojiu, let alone just her. If we don’t have to endure it, we won’t. I want you to know that the phrase ‘use power to bully others’—we can do that too.”

Su Yanshi blinked, staring unblinkingly at Bai Biqing.

The Beta continued, “So now we should eat. Don’t think about anything else.”

“Oh.” Su Yanshi obediently picked up her bowl. She was about to start eating when she stopped. She looked sideways at Bai Biqing, her eyes full of happiness, yet still with a hint of confusion. “Teacher Bai, you are so good.”

She smiled after saying that, but quickly sobered. “But you’ve lost weight, and your complexion isn’t good. Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

Bai Biqing’s expression remained unchanged. She secretly covered her aching gland, only saying, “I’m fine. Don’t worry.”

Support Distance Formula