Distance Formula - Chapter 6

Chapter 6

It was eleven at night.

Bai Biqing and Su Shang  had chatted for a long time. By the time she came out after showering, it was very late. She didn’t have the habit of checking her phone before bed. She had already pulled up the covers to sleep, but inexplicably felt like she should take a look, just in case there was a message.

Sure enough, Su Yanshi had sent her a message. After dinner, she didn’t want to disturb Bai Biqing. She first tidied up her own place, then showered and lay on the sofa. The TV was on, showing a program she hardly ever watched. She stared blankly at the ceiling, the light reflecting in her eyes, as if granting her a ray of light, which she slowly absorbed.

In the middle of that, she received a call from Li Zhuonan. He first scolded her for a few moments, saying she worried people by not answering the phone. Su Yanshi apologized sullenly.

Such a temperament made it hard for Li Zhuonan to say more. He sighed, “Your interview with Bai Biqing is coming out in a couple of days. Ask her if you can hype a CP (couple pairing). If you can, the popularity will be huge, but there will also be trouble later. If you’re tied together too tightly, it’ll be hard to unbind. But my idea is still to raise your profile first, Yanshi. Your national popularity is still not high enough, and you’re too easily pushed down.

After your rut is over, you’ll be seamlessly joining the next film crew. The filming location this time is quite remote, in Shenhai City, you know the exact location, but I won’t be able to follow you. I still have people on my hands to manage. I’ve arranged an assistant for you. Meet them, and if you think they’re okay, keep them. If not, we’ll switch again. There’s no need to force yourself to accept it.”

Su Yanshi blinked slowly, processing the news Li Zhuonan gave her. After a moment, she gently hummed, her voice somehow going hoarse, “I know, Ge. I’ll ask her tomorrow and give you an update right away. Today was my mistake. It won’t happen again.”

“It’s not your fault. I’m an Alpha; I can understand. But Bai Biqing told me today that you’re rough with the suppressants. I know it’s hard for you, but you absolutely can’t play with your health. If you can’t hold on, go to the hospital. Even if my legs give out, I’ll be there with you.”

Li Zhuonan’s words made Su Yanshi unable to help but laugh out loud. Her eyes and brows were filled with joy: “I know, thank you, Ge.”

“No, I thank you. Without you, I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am today.”

Su Yanshi turned on her side and put the call on speakerphone. She listened to Li Zhuonan speak with half-closed eyes, looking half-asleep but, in fact, her brain was very clear, repeating what she needed to do tomorrow over and over again.

“Alright, Ge, I’m a little tired,” Su Yanshi interrupted Li Zhuonan’s impending long speech. Her voice was much softer now. One arm hung loosely over the edge of the sofa.

Li Zhuonan checked the time and realized it was indeed late. He stopped talking. “Okay, then I’ll come see you when you’re better. If it’s inconvenient for Bai Biqing, remember to open the door to get your meal.”

“I know, Ge. Talk next time.”

The dial tone sounded, and the sound by her ear immediately became quiet. A dreadful dark cloud seemed to shroud Su Yanshi’s eyes. She tilted her head up slightly, clutching her clothes tightly, the veins on her hands bulging. She tried her best to relax and lean back on the sofa, breathing heavily.

It’s happening again.

Su Yanshi let out a few low moans, instinctively wanting to find a suppressant, but then remembered Bai Biqing’s repeated warnings. Her body also couldn’t handle such frequent injections of suppressants. She still had work; she couldn’t collapse.

She completely forgot how she got back to the sofa, but she opened her phone in a daze, found Bai Biqing’s chat box. At this moment, she had only one thought: she needed to rest, but she didn’t want to go back to the bedroom.

The bedroom door had been tightly shut all along, and the scent lingering in the living room was much stronger.

She thought of making do in the living room for one night, and her fingers involuntarily typed out a message. She seemed to shudder, and her fingertip landed on the ‘Send’ button.

Goodnight.

Su Yanshi threw her phone away. She swallowed hard, her fingers instinctively gripping the edge of the sofa. She arched her body like a possessive hunter spotting its prey, staring intently at the painting in front of her.

Bai Biqing had stayed here all afternoon.

Painting.

The finished work was where Bai Biqing’s pheromones lingered most strongly.

Su Yanshi struggled to sit up, her head slowly leaning to the side. She vaguely wondered why she had become like this, yet her body had already reacted. In another moment of distraction, she was almost pressed against the canvas. She was so close that she could clearly see the curses written within the painting.

Go to hell, what terrible acting.

Her? Who knows who she slept with to get such good resources? Who would believe it?

Seeing you is bad luck, get out of the entertainment industry quickly.

One curse after another, even more unseemly, hidden beneath faces. Su Yanshi felt a sense of familiarity, but couldn’t quite remember. She moved back a little and squinted her eyes, only then noticing that tiny, fragmented areas throughout the painting, when put together, formed the character (Bǎi – the surname of Bai Biqing).

Her first reaction was that it was a mistake, she had misread it, it should be (Bǎi – meaning ‘hundred’).

Su Yanshi didn’t have time to ponder it further when her phone chimed. Her spine tensed, and a relieved smile appeared on her face.

Forget it, don’t worry about anything.

She slowly moved closer, stopping a few centimeters from the painting. She deeply exhaled. She reached out her hand and then forcibly lowered it. In the end, she only leaned her head against the canvas.

And the screen light remained on, lingering.

It was all from Bai Biqing—

See you tomorrow.

Goodnight.

A shared night’s sleep.

Bai Biqing was an early riser. She had a habit of morning runs. Just as she was finishing her run, she saw Li Zhuonan arriving to drop off the meal. She thought their relationship was truly good, insisting on coming himself to deliver it.

“Oh, Teacher Bai!” Li Zhuonan saw Bai Biqing immediately and waved. Yesterday, Su Yanshi had mentioned that Bai Biqing would be accompanying her today.

Although he wondered why Bai Biqing needed to accompany her, he figured artists need inspiration, and he didn’t understand those things. As long as there was no harm, it was fine.

Bai Biqing gradually stopped and naturally reached out to take the meal boxes. “You’re early.”

Li Zhuonan scratched his head. “Yes, I was afraid there would be too many people and a long wait.”

“Uh… Teacher Bai, are you still going to help look after Yanshi today?”

He was still a bit uneasy and secretly asked again.

Bai Biqing saw through his thoughts and said without hesitation, “Yes, being with Yanshi is quite suitable for my active mind, I feel. I painted a picture yesterday, and I feel quite good about it. Moreover, getting to know and befriend Yanshi is my luck.”

She called her Yanshi!

Li Zhuonan thought their relationship was quite good; this was probably instant camaraderie.

He relaxed. “Not at all, not at all. It’s our blessing to know you.”

Bai Biqing waved her hand good-naturedly. “Enough of that. I’m heading up now. Would you like to come up and sit for a while?”

Li Zhuonan immediately shook his head. “No, I still have people to manage. I truly appreciate you looking after her.”

“—No trouble at all.”

Bai Biqing carried the meal boxes back. The boxes were insulated. She quickly took a shower, put on a white wool sweater that made her look gentle, tied her hair into a small bun, checked the mirror to make sure everything was fine, and then went to knock on the door across the hall.

This time, a door card wasn’t needed. Su Yanshi quickly opened the door. Today, she looked much more spirited than yesterday. She wasn’t wearing makeup, but at least she wasn’t in her pajamas. She wore a light blue hoodie, and her hair was tied up, making her aura much softer compared to before.

Bai Biqing raised an eyebrow in surprise. “You look like you slept well.”

Su Yanshi nodded. “I did. I feel like my rut might be over tomorrow.”

She moved aside. “Please come in, Teacher Bai. Have you had breakfast?”

Bai Biqing answered honestly, “Not yet.”

Li Zhuonan always packed a lot of food. Bai Biqing placed the meal boxes on the table. She didn’t let her eyes wander; Su Yanshi had tidied up the apartment.

Su Yanshi opened the packaging bags and turned her head to ask, “Teacher Bai, would you like to eat together? I’m afraid I can’t finish it alone.”

“Mm, thank you.”

Su Yanshi pursed her lips and smiled. She quickly walked into the kitchen. She had kept the bowls from yesterday, and they came in handy.

Behind her, Bai Biqing sat on a chair, leaning forward with her elbows on the table. This posture had a certain aggressiveness. She looked at the person who seemed somewhat flustered and suddenly thought of a word.

Wife.

Su Yanshi was quite fitting for the description now, only she wasn’t anyone’s wife yet, and it was obvious she rarely cooked.

The Alpha brought out her own bowl and pushed the original meal box toward Bai Biqing, looking a little embarrassed. “I don’t have enough bowls, so you’ll have to use the container for now. Teacher Bai, please don’t mind it.”

“I won’t.”

Bai Biqing unwrapped her chopsticks. She looked down and saw there was porridge and a few dumplings, enough for a filling meal. She then looked at Su Yanshi’s bowl, which also had enough.

That meant Li Zhuonan had known she would be coming in advance.

Tsk.

Bai Biqing didn’t show anything on her face and quietly began to eat. Su Yanshi also remained silent. When both were done, she diligently went to wash the bowls. The bowls Li Zhuonan got from the takeout place were all household-style and brand new; he stocked up on quite a few for every rut.

The Beta didn’t speak. She walked over to her painting, sniffed, and it was filled with the Alpha’s pheromones, noticeably stronger than elsewhere. Did she sleep on the sofa last night?

“Teacher Bai.”

Bai Biqing snapped back to reality and looked up at Su Yanshi, who was poking her head out from the kitchen. “Just now, Nan Ge told me that our interview would be edited in a few days. He wanted to ask if we could hype a CP for a while, a temporary pairing.”

“For popularity?”

“Yes.” Su Yanshi’s tone wasn’t high. “If you don’t agree, our side absolutely won’t—”

“Sure.”

“What?” Su Yanshi didn’t hear clearly.

Bai Biqing’s expression was a little cold. She repeated, “I said, sure.”

“I have no problem with it. Do I need to cooperate with some of your work? However, my accounts rarely post; they’re basically just about my paintings. Suddenly being active would arouse suspicion. I’ll control the frequency of my shares later.”

Su Yanshi was stunned. She didn’t understand what was going on with Bai Biqing’s emotions, but she didn’t dare say more. This inscrutable thinking made her feel awful. The irritation she had just managed to suppress surged up again.

She clasped her hands behind her back, tremblingly touching the scratches on her back. This area wouldn’t be seen much in public, so the chance of being discovered was small.

Su Yanshi touched her throat. She looked at Bai Biqing and finally said, “Let’s not hype it. It’s too much trouble. It will be hard to break off cleanly later if something happens to you.”

The Alpha was suppressing something. Bai Biqing wasn’t stupid; she could see right through Su Yanshi. She slightly turned her body, thinking that Su Yanshi’s emotions were still unstable, and she shouldn’t pressure her.

“Yanshi.”

“Come here and sit.”

When Bai Biqing called her, she obeyed.

Bai Biqing was at the exact same height difference again. She looked down. “Hype it. It’s a win-win situation. I also need exposure. I have a personal art exhibition coming up. Although I don’t know when it will be held, early buzz is good.”

“Besides, aren’t we friends? Don’t be afraid.”

It’s best if we can’t break off cleanly. She would tighten the net little by little; there was no need to worry about not getting an opportunity.

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