I Don't Want To Fall In Love With The Heroine [Quick Wear] - Chapter 8

A corner of the photograph she had overlooked pierced through her memory like a shard of white light. Bai Qian’s expression darkened instantly as she realized exactly what she had missed.

She slammed on the brakes, pulling the car abruptly to the curb.

Bai Qian grabbed the other woman’s restless hand, which was trying to burrow closer to her, and turned to stare at the flushed Shao Zizhi. “That slice of cake on your table—who gave it to you?”

The photo had been a quick selfie Shao Zizhi sent earlier in the evening. Bai Qian had been so consumed by anxiety, checking only to ensure there wasn’t a wine glass in sight, that she hadn’t paid enough attention.

Because of that oversight, she had missed the Black Forest cake on the table behind the woman—the one with a single bite missing.

The girl still retained a flicker of logic; it seemed this batch of “stuff” wasn’t as potent as the last.

As Bai Qian processed this, she slowly unbuckled her seatbelt.

“Mmh… Zhang Chao gave it to me. Earlier… mmh… earlier he offered me orange juice, but I listened to you and… mmh… and refused. Then later he… mmh… he gave me that cake. I was… mmh… I was starving, so I… mmh… I ate it. Waaa… Bai Qian, it hurts. I’m so hot… it’s so uncomfortable.”

Zhang Chao was the scumbag male lead of this world.

Bai Qian wanted to ask more, but Shao Zizhi had already successfully unfastened her own belt. Before Bai Qian could react, the girl moved like a slippery fish, clambering over from the passenger side and straddling Bai Qian’s lap in the blink of an eye.

She clung to Bai Qian without restraint, her seaweed-like long hair tangling with the other woman’s. With every breath, the air was filled with the girl’s sweet, intoxicating fragrance.

Reason dissolved under the heat of the flame. Shao Zizhi was so distressed she could barely keep her eyes open. She began instinctively pressing her face against Bai Qian’s; her scorching cheeks met the cool skin of the other woman like rain meeting the sea or a falling leaf returning to its roots. She refused to pull away.

Her spoiled, soft whimpers made Bai Qian’s pupils contract.

“Sister… help me. I feel so bad, Sister.”

As she spoke, she sought her out with feverish red lips. The kiss, intended for Bai Qian’s mouth, landed on the corner of her lips as Bai Qian tilted her head at the last second.

The unfulfilled girl wouldn’t give up. Pouting, she tried to nip at her again, murmuring like a trapped, panicked animal: “Sister, please… I’m begging you, Sister. Kiss me… kiss me, okay? Sister…”

Bai Qian calmly caught the girl’s exquisite jaw and pinned the now irrational woman against the center console.

Like a young rabbit caught in the talons of a fierce eagle, Shao Zizhi struggled restlessly. She was wearing a strapless evening gown tonight; the deep red silk, which was meant to securely wrap its owner’s beauty, began to slide slowly down her slender waist under her increasingly frantic movements.

The beautiful curves were already enough to make one unable to look away, and now the sight was so provocative it made one want to leave marks of ruin upon her skin.

Bai Qian’s voice began to tremble. “Sit back properly. I’m taking you to the hospital.”

“No… I won’t go to the hospital. I want Sister. I only want Sister.”

Usually, the woman addressed her as “Bai Qian,” but now she used this incredibly soft, melting tone to call her “Sister” over and over again—a test of patience like no other.

Bai Qian’s breathing grew ragged. She let go, trying to strap the disobedient sprite back into the territory that could temporarily restrain her. “Shao Zizhi, be good. The hospital is close. I—mmph.”

The moment the pressure on her jaw vanished, Shao Zizhi regained her vitality. She lunged forward, pressing herself back into Bai Qian’s embrace. This time, she was smart enough not to waste breath on words; she went straight for the lips she had been dreaming of and kissed her forcefully.

Having succeeded in her ambush, Shao Zizhi wreaked havoc with zero technique, like a wild wind sweeping through a landscape, leaving only scattered droplets of moisture falling through the air.

“Sister is so sweet…” The satisfied girl finally let go.

She made a move to get up, but a hand clamped firmly around her waist and pulled her back down. The woman’s skin was delicate, and Bai Qian’s hands—no longer willing to endure—soon left several enticing marks upon it.

“Where are you going?”

Shao Zizhi, who had started the fire without realizing the danger approaching, answered obediently: “Let’s go home. I think… I can hold on a bit longer.”

Slender hands slid past her waist, finding the beautiful shoulder blades that the evening gown failed to hide.

Bai Qian whispered, “But I can’t.”

In those usually pure black eyes, not a trace of her former calm remained. They were like dark clouds pressing down on a city, a vast depth that sent a shiver down one’s spine.

Shao Zizhi was pushed back against the narrow console. Her struggling, protesting hands were caught in one of the woman’s hands and pinned upward.

She whimpered, “It’s too cramped here… I don’t like it.”

The woman kissed her brow as if to encourage her. “I like it. I told you… don’t tempt me.”

“Waaa… Sister, let’s go home, okay? I won’t kiss you again.”

The sound of a zipper being slowly drawn down was hidden beneath the woman’s demonic whisper.

“Little girl… it’s too late.”

*****

When Shao Zizhi woke up, she was lying in her own bed.

Alcohol causes blackouts, and the previous drug had caused one too, but this time, she could clearly remember everything. She remembered how her drug-addled self had begged for kisses, how she had been controlled in that cramped car, and finally, how she had bitten the other woman’s shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably as she begged her to stop.

Shao Zizhi didn’t dare think back any further. She let out a deep breath, telling herself: It’s fine. Just like before, this was just Bai Qian helping me out of the goodness of her heart.

Having finished her mental preparation, she got out of bed and washed her face, finally feeling truly calm.

A knock came at the door, followed by Bai Qian’s perfectly normal greeting: “Are you awake? It’s too late for breakfast. I’m going to buy groceries now. What do you want for lunch?”

“I want Sweet and Sour Pork, and steamed hairy crabs.”

“Fine, I’ll get them.”

Only when the footsteps faded did Shao Zizhi’s clenched fists slowly relax.

That’s it. Bai Qian doesn’t care at all, so you can’t care either. Otherwise, what if she won’t even be your friend anymore?

******

Bai Qian left the supermarket and took a detour to a pharmacy. Her shoulder had been bitten so hard by the girl that it was a mess of blood and bruises; she had treated it simply in the early hours, but she still needed to apply some proper ointment.

Thinking back to her uncontrollable impulses last night, Bai Qian wanted to sigh.

I laid hands on the female lead again!

At least in the original plot, the male lead didn’t use such underhanded tactics again after this. After last night’s ordeal, she wasn’t too worried about the scumbag anymore. Since Zhang Chao gave her the cake, Shao Zizhi now knew his true nature and would naturally be on her guard.

When it came to the protagonist’s self-preservation, Bai Qian wasn’t too concerned—as long as she wasn’t a “love-brain,” her female lead was reliable.

In the original plot, the production the female lead was supposed to join next month featured a cast of veteran, powerhouse actors. Working with them would have been a great learning experience. However, because of the male lead’s “sugar-coated bullets,” the female lead had ignored everyone’s advice and given up that rare opportunity to join a trashy, cliché “Mary Sue” idol drama that didn’t match her status at all.

That was the first mistake she made once her “love-brain” was activated. As a classic song from the last century goes, “One wrong step leads to a lifetime of mistakes.”

The female lead didn’t know what that seemingly normal idol drama represented. Bai Qian, who knew the entire plot, knew exactly what it was: it was the male lead’s “entry fee” to become the favorite of a certain powerful businesswoman.

Businesswomen aren’t stupid. She could give the male lead what he wanted, but in return, the male lead had to give her something he deemed worth the trade.

Talking about just “flesh” is too cheap, especially in an entertainment industry where you can find “fresh meat” at every turn. Simply relying on looks is too naive.

So, the male lead used the female lead’s fame and traffic to turn a low-budget web drama he invested in into a massive profit. The female lead lost a lot of her public appeal because of that drama; every time an influencer did a “worst drama” countdown, it was always at the top of the list.

The consequence of her self-degradation was that the scripts offered to her afterward became worse and worse in quality. Even the famous movie she was supposed to star in next year—a project highly anticipated both at home and abroad—notified her that “cooperation arrangements had changed.”

The director had her own standards; she had valued the female lead’s previous drive to learn and work hard for various roles. Now that the female lead had lowered her own standards, the director disdained to work with her.

Meanwhile, having handed in a satisfactory “report card” to the businesswoman, the male lead successfully established a connection. To him, the female lead still had utility, so he didn’t plan to discard her yet. Using the same old tricks and sweet talk, he convinced the “love-brain” female lead to star in several more dramas that didn’t even score a 3.0 from netizens.

No matter how good a reputation is, it cannot withstand repeated self-sabotage. The female lead’s smile grew sweeter because of the male lead’s “gentle treatment,” but her career hit rock bottom, making it impossible to return to her former glory. Finally, having drained the female lead dry, the scumbag kicked her aside without hesitation to throw himself into the businesswoman’s embrace.

Knowing the future development of the plot, Bai Qian understood that if Shao Zizhi could successfully join the set next month and avoid the “love-brain” path, her ill-fated connection with the scumbag would likely be truly severed.

—An ambitious scumbag who had failed repeatedly would surely look for other fish to hook in order to catch the businesswoman.

******

This time, although the two of them didn’t talk about it openly, they tacitly “forgot” the events of the previous night and never mentioned them again. Life returned to normal.

Filming for The Two Sisters’ Cases hadn’t ended yet. Bai Qian would leave in the morning and return in the afternoon; sometimes, if filming didn’t go smoothly, she would be delayed. Shao Zizhi, on the other hand, was preparing for Autumn Chill on the Han River, which was set to start filming next month.

Bai Qian brought home a few pounds of crawfish. Opening the door, she saw the woman sitting cross-legged on the sofa reading her script, just as expected.

“You’ve read that script back and forth nearly ten times now. Haven’t you had enough?”

Shao Zizhi shifted to the side to make room for her. When it came to acting, she was easily excited. “This script is written so well! Every time I read it, I have a new understanding of the Empress. Seriously, I’m so glad I took this role!”

Bai Qian peeled a crawfish and popped the plump meat into the other woman’s mouth before starting on the next one.

“Then film it well. This is your last drama before the end of the year. Next spring, you’ll be joining the set for The Evil.”

“To be honest, I’m a little nervous. My previous roles have been good, but for the one next year… not only are the supporting roles played by Best Actors and Actresses, but even the minor ‘Person A’ roles are taken by several national-level actors. Bai Qian, what if I can’t hold my own? I’m afraid I’ll disappoint myself.”

Bai Qian was wearing gloves stained with chili oil, so she couldn’t reach out to ruffle the girl’s hair. She smiled warmly, conveying her deepest expectations with the simplest words.

“Shao Zizhi, I believe in you. You will surely be one of those brilliant stars, shining just as brightly as the rest.”

The woman was stunned by her words. Then, she put down her script and leaned toward Bai Qian. Finally, she pinned her against the arm of the sofa and asked seriously:

“Bai Qian, you’re especially beautiful when you talk to me like that. So… I kind of want to kiss you right now. Is that okay?”

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