Forced to Act out a Strange Script with a Rival - Chapter 106

Are you really not willing to patiently ask just two more questions?” Li Ting closed her eyes somewhat helplessly and let out a long sigh. Her tone carried a hint of a “complain”—one mixed with both indulgence and exhaustion—that she hadn’t even noticed herself.

She had originally thought there would at least be a few more sentences of “foreshadowing,” perhaps about whether they would have porridge or bread for breakfast.

Si Xiaoxiao blinked. She was quick to follow suit, “obediently” accepting the criticism.

She immediately straightened her small face and asked with a solemn, symbolic air: “Oh, then what does Sister want to eat for lunch?”

Her posture looked as if she were merely going through a mandatory motion.

Looking at her feigned seriousness, Li Ting was almost moved to a frustrated laugh. She could only offer a similarly perfunctory answer: “Um… food?”

Naturally, Si Xiaoxiao didn’t care about the answer. She circled back instantly, the fake seriousness on her face vanishing as she returned to the state of a persistent puppy. She stared at Li Ting with wide eyes: “So, why isn’t Sister willing to act?”

She had an air of righteous confidence that said, ‘The procedures are finished, now it’s time for the real answer.’

In this state, faced with Si Xiaoxiao’s relentless and probing line of questioning, Li Ting felt all her exits blocked. She felt like she had been cornered by a seemingly harmless yet determined little animal; other than coming clean, there seemed to be no other way.

Then I’ll tell her. I’ll speak of my vulnerability and my pain…

Li Ting thought back to her strategy of “retreating to advance” in the haunted house. Perhaps she didn’t need to act tough in front of Xiaoxiao. Could she, occasionally, act a little spoiled?

She looked into Si Xiaoxiao’s pure eyes, which were devoid of any gloom due to her amnesia.

There was no judgment there, no loathing—only pure curiosity and total trust in her answer.

It was precisely because Xiaoxiao had lost her memory that she could ask such earnest questions, and it was this that gave Li Ting the opportunity to speak.

Those past events pressed deep in her heart—things she didn’t even want to touch herself—seemed less difficult to talk about in this quiet night shared only by the two of them, standing before a girl with such an accepting gaze.

“Because I am afraid of falling into character,” Li Ting took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, as if trying to carry away the weight accumulated in her chest. She reopened her eyes, her gaze no longer flickering but instead carrying a settled calm as she looked into the depths of Si Xiaoxiao’s expectant eyes.

“Afraid of falling into character?” Confused, Si Xiaoxiao tilted her head, her long lashes fluttering like butterfly wings. “Why? For a good actor, isn’t falling into character a great thing?”

Her question was so innocent, so matter-of-fact. In her current understanding, being able to immerse oneself in a role, feeling what the character feels and thinking what they think, was the most charming part of being an actor. She couldn’t understand how this could be a source of fear.

Si Xiaoxiao had seen Li Ting act.

When her consciousness was still hazy, Si Xiaoxiao had been taken to the film set by Li Ting. She saw the fans spontaneously surrounding Li Ting, supporting her cautiously; she saw Li Ting transform completely into another person on set.

It was then that a seed of expectation was planted in Si Xiaoxiao’s heart.

Later, on that one night, they had snuggled together on the sofa to appreciate the classic masterpiece “Copper Sparrow Infernal.” Although it was awkward at first to see her own face on the screen, she was eventually drawn into that world by the excellent plot.

No one could escape the charm of “Copper Sparrow Infernal.” By the end of the story, Si Xiaoxiao was in tears. Her ability to express herself was limited, so she could only offer constant praise.

“I really like this story.”

But the unspoken words were: she wanted to act in another story like this with Li Ting.

Li Ting had held her tenderly, and in that moment, Si Xiaoxiao’s heart felt incredibly full.

“Because after falling into character, another ‘me’ appears, and I will no longer be myself,” Li Ting explained her condition in the simplest terms possible.

Due to years of medication and psychological intervention, Li Ting had actually improved significantly. The first sub-personality to be born, Xun Ye, had already fallen into a deep sleep. Although the “Warden” personality born through the system missions was a bit noisy, she hadn’t actively tried to take over the body.

Furthermore, because that personality had some connection to Si Xiaoxiao, she seemed only interested in Xiaoxiao and didn’t affect Li Ting’s daily life.

The character she portrayed in the recent reshoots did show a slight tendency to form a personality, but because the filming duration was so short, Li Ting and the Warden killed “her” before she could fully manifest.

“I am afraid of repeating past mistakes.”

The birth of other personalities was actually manageable, but this was the most important part.

Li Ting did not want to recall that past.

Cao Xueliao was once Xun Ye’s most important partner, and Si Xiaoxiao “killed” Cao Xueliao; thus, Xun Ye harbored hatred toward Si Xiaoxiao.

Under the instigation of her former manager, Xu Fang, “Xun Ye” had replaced her, said many terrible things to Si Xiaoxiao, and expressed a hurtful hatred toward her.

Li Ting was terrified that their hard-won, repaired relationship would lose control again for the same reason. That was why she felt so lost.

Si Xiaoxiao reached out through the water and gently grasped Li Ting’s cool fingers. Her palm was hot, carrying an indisputable firmness.

“Sister.”

Her voice was exceptionally clear and soft amidst the sound of splashing water, yet it carried a strange, soul-soothing power: “You won’t. You won’t.”

“Don’t be afraid. You only need to answer: do you like acting?”

She gripped Li Ting’s hand tightly, as if trying to transmit infinite courage through this contact.

Li Ting was momentarily dazed. Following Si Xiaoxiao’s simple and direct logic, she thought about it and answered seriously: “I do like it.”

It was precisely because, subconsciously, she loved it…

That was why she had accepted the arrangement to turn the music variety show into an acting one, and why she was trying to take on new roles.

All along, all she ever needed was a reason to convince herself.

And Si Xiaoxiao gave her that reason once more: “Besides, in the real world, you have me!”

Si Xiaoxiao’s voice was soft, word by word, yet they struck Li Ting’s heart like a hammer.

“It’s okay, I will find you. I’ll keep calling your name, holding onto you, reminding you, and telling you who you are.”

“I’ll tell you that you are Li Ting, and you are my favorite person.”

“No matter how real the world in a play feels, it’s fake. But I am here. I am real.”

There were no flowery words, no profound philosophies—only the most simple, direct, yet soul-shaking promise.

Li Ting stared blankly at Si Xiaoxiao, looking at her small face, flushed from the steam yet written with absolute sincerity, and at the unwavering light of determination in her eyes.

A surge of scalding heat suddenly rushed to her eyes, and her vision blurred instantly.

Yes, this time, it was different.

【If a fellow who hates Xiaoxiao really is born… wouldn’t it be enough to just kill them?

The other “tenant” in her body mocked her cowardice.

To not even understand such a simple problem, you really are stupid.

What you should be doing now is seizing her. While she has amnesia, make her unable to leave you, make her completely obsessed with you… then blow hot and cold, and force her to give all her attention to you…

The voice began its incessant chattering.

Li Ting was already used to it, treating those words as mere noise.

The thick steam permeated the spacious bathroom like a veil, blurring the polished tile walls and the massive mirror. It also blurred the distance between them. Li Ting moved toward Si Xiaoxiao, getting as close as possible. The water ripples pushed out gently with her movement, touching Si Xiaoxiao’s skin and bringing a slight, itchy shiver.

“Xiaoxiao, you are not allowed to leave me.” Although Li Ting’s voice was soft, it carried an indisputable forcefulness. She reached out her arms, circling Si Xiaoxiao’s waist, and pulled her tightly into her embrace.

Wrapped in the gentle flow of water, this hug carried a sense of desperate resolve, as if she were trying to melt Xiaoxiao into her own marrow, making them one.

Li Ting was immersed in her own world. The skin-to-skin contact brought her warmth and comfort—it was the life-saving straw a drowning person clings to. Her cheek rested gently in the crook of Si Xiaoxiao’s neck; every breath was filled with the other’s clean, sweet fragrance mixed with steam.

But Si Xiaoxiao was, after all, a simple “green youth.” She had never experienced such an intimate, seamless embrace. Everything her sense of touch perceived was driving her crazy. Li Ting’s smooth skin was pressed flush against her; the water temperature seemed to skyrocket in that instant, scalding her into a flustered state of mind.

The soft curves, the delicate texture, and Li Ting’s slight coolness—just below the water temperature—transmitted through the current, stood in stark contrast to her own rising heat. The intersection of ice and fire left her dizzy.

How could anyone hold out against such a “honey trap”!!

“Mm-hmm, I will, I definitely will,” Si Xiaoxiao could only agree haphazardly, her voice trembling slightly from nervousness.

She felt the blood in her entire body rushing upward. Her cheeks, ears, and even her neck were stained crimson; luckily, the layers of steam served as a cover. Her body was stiff, and her hands hung in mid-air, not knowing where to go. Finally, she could only cautiously and gently return Li Ting’s hug. Her palms touched Li Ting’s smooth back; that delicate sensation made her fingertips go numb and her heart beat like a drum, thumping loudly and clearly in the quiet bathroom.

Control it! I absolutely cannot have a nosebleed at a warm moment like this!

Otherwise, what would Sister think of me!!! Would she think my head is full of nothing but trash!!

Must. Control. It!

Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. Si Xiaoxiao felt an itch at the tip of her nose. Realizing things were taking a turn for the worse, she hurriedly broke free from Li Ting’s embrace and lunged out of the water. Taking a giant stride out of the bathtub, she didn’t dare look Li Ting in the eye.

“Hahaha, it’s so hot in the bathroom! We’ve soaked long enough, let’s get out quickly.”

The one who had initiated the bath and played the “straight ball” ended up fleeing in a panic because her “defense” was as thin as paper.

She turned around hastily, grabbing her pajamas and throwing them on.

Behind her, Li Ting revealed a successful, cunning smile. Her gaze wandered over Si Xiaoxiao’s smooth back like a predator eyeing its prey, wishing she could tear her apart and consume her whole.

Wanton and greedy.

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