Forced to Act out a Strange Script with a Rival - Chapter 104

Li Ting neither nodded in immediate agreement nor gave a categorical refusal. Facing Wen Xiuzhen’s seemingly sincere yet strategically calculated invitation, she simply replied in an even, emotionless voice: “I will give this matter serious consideration.”

The response was airtight—leaving room for maneuver without offering any commitment. It was her customary stance of self-protection when navigating complex situations.

A woman as shrewd as Wen Xiuzhen naturally picked up on the reservation and scrutiny behind Li Ting’s words. She showed no sign of displeasure at being brushed off; instead, she displayed high emotional intelligence by gracefully yielding, projecting an air of understanding. “Of course, I understand. A collaboration is a major decision and requires careful thought. Let me arrange for someone to see you both out.”

Li Ting shook her head. “We drove here ourselves.”

With that, the preliminary negotiations drew to a close. Under the guidance of the staff, the two drove away, managing to avoid disturbing the fans waiting outside the amusement park.

Unlike Li Ting, who was lost in thought, Si Xiaoxiao was a naive, simple-minded optimist—and an incredibly thick-skinned one at that.

Wen Xiuzhen hadn’t dampened her mood at all. In her eyes, today had been quite successful: they had a great time at the park, and she had successfully confessed to her “Sister.” It was nothing short of a miracle.

However, she was clearly agonizing over a different matter.

She and Sister… should be considered successfully “confessed,” right? Although those three specific words weren’t spoken, they did kiss… but, but still…

Thinking about it this way, Si Xiaoxiao felt a wave of insecurity again.

Inside the car, the dim light traced the contours of Li Ting’s thin yet elegant profile. She stared straight ahead with a calm expression, as if the person who had initiated the kiss on the Ferris wheel wasn’t her at all.

This feeling of being “near yet far” felt like a kitten’s claws lightly scratching at Si Xiaoxiao’s heart—itchy, yet tinged with an uncertain ache.

Ultimately, she couldn’t resist a “straight-ball” follow-up question: “Sister, what would you say our relationship is now?”

Li Ting’s fingers on the steering wheel tightened imperceptibly for a moment. Her gaze remained steady on the road ahead, but a touch of extremely tender warmth slowly rippled at the corners of her mouth—a smile like moonlight falling into the center of a lake, shallow yet moving. She didn’t look at Si Xiaoxiao, but answered in a voice full of indulgence and a certain hidden depth: “Whatever relationship you think it is, that is what we are.”

Sister didn’t give a straight answer.

A faint sense of disappointment washed over her like a tide. Si Xiaoxiao leaned back against the seat, feeling discouraged, but her inherent stubbornness soon resurfaced. The one who confessed was Sister, yet it also wasn’t Sister; the one who took the lead was Sister, yet Sister didn’t seem very proactive now.

It was too contradictory.

And this contradictory version of Li Ting was rubbing off on Si Xiaoxiao, making her feel equally conflicted.

Since she couldn’t get a clear answer to that question, Si Xiaoxiao decided to change the subject. She sat up straight again, her tone carrying a cautious probe: “Then, will Sister accept that script?”

Li Ting didn’t give a direct answer to this either. She merely tilted her head to cast a quick, deep look at Si Xiaoxiao and asked back, “Does Xiaoxiao want to act in it?”

“…” Si Xiaoxiao first looked confused, then her expression gradually turned firm. “If Sister acts, I’ll act. I don’t want to be apart from Sister.”

Before the confession, Si Xiaoxiao had been constantly enduring. She hated working, but because she was afraid of being disliked by Li Ting, she pushed herself to adapt.

She knew she was “sick”—every day felt like a new version of herself—and she felt an unprecedented sense of insecurity. Li Ting was her only anchor.

Later, getting the chance to go on the variety show together and successfully advancing thanks to the song Li Ting taught her had allowed her to slowly adjust to her memory loss.

She only wanted to create more memories with Sister before the “other self” returned.

Except—

“You should go act. It’s a very good script; doing well in it will help you.”

Inside the car, Li Ting’s words—sounding rational and considerate—were like a small pebble tossed into the heart of Si Xiaoxiao’s lake, which had been rippling with sweetness. But instead of resonance, it stirred up icy confusion.

“To me, you are the most important,” Li Ting’s voice remained gentle, but in Si Xiaoxiao’s ears, the words felt cold and piercing. She had only caught the core message—the one she found impossible to accept: Sister wasn’t going.

Sister wanted her to go alone.

“But, I don’t want to…” The plea escaped her lips almost instantly, her beautiful cat-like eyes filled with incomprehension and a trace of undetectable panic.

She didn’t understand. Why could the person who had just kissed her so intimately on the Ferris wheel push her away so calmly the next moment? Why wasn’t she willing to be with her?

Li Ting didn’t seem to want to dwell on the issue. She shook her head gently but with an undeniable firmness, using that simple gesture and a slightly weary look to signal Si Xiaoxiao not to press further.

The words at the tip of Si Xiaoxiao’s tongue were forced back down. The faint sense of loss that had been circling her heart was suddenly fed with nutrients, growing wildly into a thicket of thorns called “grievance,” wrapping around her heart and stinging with a dense, sharp pain.

She surrendered, like a small animal drenched in cold water, instantly wilting. She silently shrank back into the passenger seat and turned her face toward the window.

Outside the window, the city’s nightscape blurred into streaks of brilliant light, flashing past like her own chaotic and dejected mood. The colorful points of light stretched into long, hazy lines within her moist eyes.

She stopped speaking, wrapping herself in silence to shield her swelling sense of loss.

Why? Si Xiaoxiao couldn’t understand the deeper meaning behind Li Ting’s refusal. Her world was too small—so small it contained only Li Ting—and that narrowness bred insecurity.

The atmosphere in the car turned heavy and oppressive again, a stark contrast to the secret sweetness and excitement they had shared on the way there.

It wasn’t until the car slowly entered the underground garage, the tires making a faint scuffing sound against the pavement, that they finally came to a smooth stop in their private space. The engine cut out, and the world suddenly plunged into a stagnant silence.

Li Ting unbuckled her seatbelt with efficient movements and stepped out first. As she opened the door, the cool night air of the parking lot rushed in. Seeing Xiaoxiao follow her out, Li Ting instinctively reached for a light jacket on the back seat and draped it naturally over Xiaoxiao’s shoulders.

“It’s cold at night. Keep this on.” Her voice echoed clearly in the empty garage, carrying a habitual concern. After adjusting the jacket, her hand naturally slid down to grasp Xiaoxiao’s slightly chilled hand, leading her toward the elevator.

Tap, tap, tap—

The crisp click of high heels echoed through the silent underground space, striking a somewhat lonely rhythm. Li Ting walked half a step ahead, her stride steady, her back casting a long shadow under the lights.

Si Xiaoxiao kept her head down, her gaze blankly following their shadows as they intertwined and separated on the ground.

She still couldn’t figure it out.

The elevator rose slowly, the small space filled with a subtle silence.

Xiaoxiao stole a glance at Li Ting, only to see her looking up slightly at the flashing floor numbers. Her profile looked somewhat distant under the cool white light; her long lashes were lowered, obscuring whatever emotions might be hidden in her eyes.

Ding— With a soft chime, the elevator arrived.

Li Ting led Xiaoxiao out of the elevator and took out her keys. As she opened the door, the warm, familiar scent of home washed over them, chasing away the lingering outdoor chill.

“Sister…” The moment they stepped inside, Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but call out again. Her voice was thick with a nasal tone and an undetectable hint of a sulk; she suddenly felt a desperate urge to hug Li Ting.

Maybe if I get closer to Sister, I won’t have these wild thoughts.

With that, she reached out. But just as her fingertips were about to brush against the back of Li Ting’s hand, Li Ting’s arm moved imperceptibly. She raised it naturally to brush a stray hair from her forehead, neatly avoiding the contact.

The movement was so seamless it seemed unintentional, yet Xiaoxiao’s sensitive heart felt as if it had been pricked by a needle, recoiling sharply.

Li Ting didn’t look at her. While bending over to change her shoes, she said in a calm, neutral voice: “It’s late, and it’s been a long day. Go take a hot bath and relax.”

The words were still caring, yet they felt different from usual. Usually, Li Ting’s world revolved entirely around Si Xiaoxiao, but in this moment, she seemed immersed in a world of her own.

This sent a surge of inexplicable panic through Xiaoxiao.

What Xiaoxiao wants, Xiaoxiao gets!

She silently cheered herself on in her heart. That reckless, stubborn streak of hers flared up again. She remembered Sister urging her to bathe, and a bolder, more direct idea—one carrying a clear hint of “temptation”—sprouted like a vine, instantly taking over her thoughts.

After all, they were a couple now. And if they were a couple… shouldn’t they be able to do more intimate things? Couldn’t that break this frightening sense of distance? Wouldn’t that bring Sister’s attention back entirely to her?

The thought sent a burning flush to her cheeks, and her heart began to hammer like a drum.

Shyness warred with a desperate, “sink-or-swim” kind of courage.

She took a deep breath, lifting her bright eyes—now misted with moisture and anticipation—to look at Li Ting, who had finished changing into her slippers and was heading toward the living room. Her voice was low, trembling with nerves and a do-or-die hope:

“Sister, let’s… let’s…” she paused, as if gathering immense strength to say the next words, “let’s take a bath together.”

The sentence was like a massive boulder dropped into a still lake.

The moment the words fell, Xiaoxiao saw Li Ting’s step falter. Her entire back went rigid. Her knuckles turned white from the force of her grip on her water glass.

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