I Wish To Never Leave Your Side - Chapter 23

The apartment Qiu Yan rented for Yuanyuan wasn’t far from Qingshui Bay. Since she had recently joined a new film crew and passed by the area after work, she would often buy some treats for Yuanyuan and drop them off on her way home.

This made Yuanyuan overjoyed. Every day, she would cling to Qiu Yan for a long time, reluctant to let her go. Qiu Yan kept track of the time, Mo Lishen usually arrived around six or seven in the evening, so she made sure to return home by 5:30 every day to prepare dinner.

Ever since their meal with Yu Xiamu, Mo Lishen had been coming to Qingshui Bay every night. On several occasions, she happened to arrive while Qiu Yan was eating, so the two of them ended up dining together.

As time went on, Qiu Yan began intentionally waiting for her before having dinner.

Mo Lishen was a woman of few words, but Qiu Yan would share stories from her day on set, like how someone got stuck while suspended on a wire, or an argument that broke out between a passenger and a bus driver, or even what the lunch box from the crew contained and which restaurant’s boxed meals tasted the best.

Mo Lishen never responded to any of it, quietly eating her meal, occasionally smiling along with Qiu Yan’s stories.

After dinner, Mo Lishen would take her laptop and work on the sofa. Qiu Yan never disturbed her, instead pouring her a glass of water before settling on the other end of the sofa to read her script.

The air was quiet, punctuated only by the occasional sound of keyboard taps and pages turning.

Sometimes, after flipping a page of her script, Qiu Yan would steal a glance at Mo Lishen under the pretense of taking a sip of water.

Her expression was calm, occasionally resting her chin in her hand or crossing her arms as she leaned back on the sofa, completely absorbed in her work.

It was true, focused people always exuded a certain charm. Mo Lishen was growing more and more captivating.

A strange sense of tranquil contentment suddenly rose in Qiu Yan’s heart. In many moments, she almost forgot her role as a mistress and instead felt more like a partner waiting for her lover to return home.

Each time Mo Lishen finished working, she would pull Qiu Yan into her arms, occasionally letting her hands wander, teasing Qiu Yan until her ears flushed before releasing her with a soft chuckle. Most of the time, though, she would simply rest quietly on Qiu Yan’s shoulder, gently inhaling her scent.

Qiu Yan gradually grew accustomed to this somewhat mundane way of life, savoring Mo Lishen’s embraces. But tranquility is always easily shattered.

…

One day, just after Qiu Yan finished filming a scene and was about to change into her next costume to play a supermarket cashier, the assistant director called out to her.

“Qiu Yan, right? The director wants you to switch roles. Go to the dressing room and change into this outfit first. We’ll give you the script once you’re out.”

“Oh, okay.” Qiu Yan wiped the sweat from her face and took the costume.

She looked at the clothes in her hands, a pure white fitted blouse and a body-hugging skirt. The skirt was so short it probably wouldn’t even cover her knees.

Qiu Yan felt uneasy. For her, this kind of outfit was far too revealing.

The assistant director grew impatient and urged, “What’s the matter? If you want to act, you can’t afford to be shy. If you’re not up for it, just quit. Five hundred per scene, I can find someone else.”

“Wait, no, no, no.” Qiu Yan quickly grabbed the assistant director’s arm to confirm, “There won’t be any intimate scenes, right? I don’t do intimate scenes.”

“You’re just an extra, what intimate scenes would you have? So, are you doing it or not?” The assistant director glared at her, clearly annoyed.

“I’ll do it. Give me five minutes.”

In the dressing room, Qiu Yan stared at the clothes in her hands, gritted her teeth, and quickly changed into them.

She felt too embarrassed to look at her reflection in the mirror, so she could only repeat silently in her heart: This is acting, this is work. This is acting, this is work. Qiu Yan had to mentally prepare herself several times before she finally dared to lift her head and face the mirror.

In the reflection, almost her entire legs were exposed, and the shirt felt a bit too tight, constricting her. From her perspective, it looked overly suggestive.

She buttoned the shirt all the way to the top and tugged her skirt downward, taking a deep breath before stepping out of the fitting room in her black, red-soled high heels.

She had only taken a few steps when someone wrapped an arm around her neck from behind and pressed a damp towel over her mouth and nose. Qiu Yan struggled but couldn’t break free, and soon, she lost consciousness.

…

Mo Lishen had finished work early that day. She had Bai Hua buy the boiled fish from the restaurant downstairs and also picked up a small cake to take home. She had noticed that Qiu Yan seemed quite fond of such little treats.

Carrying the items, she asked Bai Hua to open the door. In her mind, she was already picturing the delighted expression the young woman would wear upon her return, and the corners of her lips lifted slightly.

But when the security door swung open, the entire apartment was pitch dark. Mo Lishen’s smile faded, her eyes narrowing. After swiftly changing her shoes, she twisted the handle to the bedroom door.

No one.

Not in the kitchen or the bathroom either.

The air around Mo Lishen grew heavy. “What time is it?”

“Six-ten,” Bai Hua replied, glancing at her watch.

Mo Lishen sat stiffly on the sofa, eyes closed as if steadying her emotions.

“What time is it?”

“Six-twenty.”

Mo Lishen said nothing, but her breathing grew heavier.

“What time is it?”

Her tone was especially icy this time.

“Six-thirty,” Bai Hua answered, her voice growing less confident.

“Should I check with her current film crew and ask if Miss Qiu has wrapped up for the day?” Bai Hua ventured cautiously.

Mo Lishen didn’t respond, only stared at him.

Bai Hua immediately understood. “I’ll take care of it right away.”

A short while later, Bai Hua returned with her phone. “President Mo, the crew said only the main actors are filming the night scenes. The extras wrapped up early.”

Mo Lishen remained silent, her expression growing even darker.

“Miss Qiu might have been held up on the way…” As Bai Hua started to continue, Mo Lishen abruptly stood and strode out of the apartment.

Bai Hua quickly followed. Once they were back in the car, Mo Lishen’s voice was low but forceful, carrying an undercurrent of intensity. “Drive the route she usually takes to work. Call the team and have them follow us to search. Check the buses too.”

The business car moved slowly through the night. Both Mo Lishen and Bai Hua scanned the streets outside. At bus stops along the way, black vehicles pulled over, and when a bus arrived, two men in suits would board to search.

By the time Mo Lishen’s car reached the film set, there was still no trace of Qiu Yan.

Several vehicles converged, blocking the entrance to the set.

Inside, the director was reviewing footage on the monitor when more than a dozen people suddenly burst in. The woman at the forefront looked terrifying, and she seemed to be heading straight for him.

He quickly stood up, shielding the equipment behind him, afraid they might cause trouble and damage it.

“Where is Qiu Yan?” Mo Lishen stood before the director, her voice cold.

“Who? Qiu-what? I don’t know,” the director stammered, confused.

Mo Lishen grabbed him by the collar and yanked him forward, her words gritted out between her teeth. “Aren’t you the director? She came here to film, and you don’t even know her name?”

Gasps of shock rippled through the onlookers as they saw the director being treated this way.

“How dare you resort to violence? We’ll call the police if this continues!” someone in the crowd shouted.

Mo Lishen paid no heed, her eyes fixed intently on the director before her as she tightened her grip.

The director’s face flushed crimson from the pressure. “Are you talking about an extra? The extras here… they’re all managed by the assistant directors.”

Mo Lishen released him, running a hand roughly through her hair as she suppressed the urge to draw blood.

“Who are the assistant directors?” She stood her ground, shouting toward the surrounding crowd.

Bai Hua led a search, and fortunately, everyone wore work badges. Soon, four or five assistant directors were identified from the crowd and brought before Mo Lishen.

“Where is Qiu Yan?” she demanded, standing before them and repeating the question.

Mo Lishen noticed something off about one of them through his micro expressions. She swiftly closed the distance and clamped her hand around his carotid artery.

“Where is Qiu Yan?”

“I don’t know who Qiu Yan is,” the man gasped, struggling to pry her hand away in an attempt to escape.

Suddenly, a cold gust brushed past his ear. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a slender blade pressed against it.

“I’ll ask you one more time, where is Qiu Yan?” Mo Lishen’s blade began to pierce his flesh.

Terrified, the man wailed, “It’s not my fault! She was taken away by someone else. It has nothing to do with me!”

“Taken where?” Mo Lishen’s eyes burned with fury, her voice hoarse and strained as she applied more pressure.

“Ahhh, help! It’s not my fault! I was just following orders under threat. It wasn’t me! Please, don’t cut my ear!” he shrieked, thrashing wildly with his eyes squeezed shut.

Mo Lishen’s patience had reached its limit. She withdrew the blade and struck him with a punch.

She measured her strength carefully, enough to subdue him without knocking him unconscious.

“Last chance, where did they take her?” Mo Lishen crouched down, her gaze murderous.

“East… East City KTV,” the man sobbed, relieved to find his ear still intact as he lay crumpled on the ground.

Mo Lishen hurried back to her car, and within moments, several vehicles sped off toward East City KTV.