Make Her Heart Flutter - Chapter 11

The production team had likely cleaned in advance, as the place wasn’t particularly dirty or messy, just a bit more fallen leaves than usual.

Jiang Qi, Tang Qiluo, Yan Xu, and Shang Chumu, along with Jiang Ran’s courtyard, had only been given a quick sweep by Chi Shuang. As for how they would eventually arrange and decorate it, that was left for them to discuss and decide among themselves.

As dusk fell, the group of four returned just as the last rays of sunlight vanished.

Chi Shuang, ever thoughtful, had prepared cool boiled water in advance. The four of them gulped it down in large, thirsty swallows, feeling overwhelmingly touched after finishing.

Jiang Ran, unable to stand the sticky feeling on her skin, unusually didn’t linger behind Chi Shuang and instead went back to take a shower.

Once Jiang Ran left, the other three also excused themselves to freshen up.

For dinner, they had chilled congee and two cold dishes.

Chi Shuang had paid attention to everyone’s appetite and cooked just the right amount of congee, enough to satisfy everyone without any leftovers.

Everyone was genuinely looking forward to the movie night. After quickly finishing their meal and clearing the table, when Jiang Qi brought out the large pot of marinated duck delicacies from the kitchen, she could practically hear someone swallowing hard.

“What movie should we watch? What movie?” Shang Chumu asked as he adjusted the projector.

Yan Xu brought over the oranges Tang Qiluo had peeled and placed colorful little forks beside them. “How about a comedy?”

Jiang Ran blinked, putting on an adorable act. “Brother Yan Xu, what about a horror movie? It’d be so atmospheric with everyone gathered together!”

Yan Xu sighed helplessly. “I’m fine with anything. Let’s ask the others for their opinions?”

Jiang Qi shrugged, Chi Shuang smiled, Tang Qiluo said he was fine with anything, and Shang Chumu timidly raised his hand, admitting he was afraid of ghosts, only to be immediately shut down by Jiang Ran.

“Yay! Unanimous approval!” Jiang Ran happily announced, then shot Shang Chumu a look that screamed, “Hurry up and play the horror movie!”

Shang Chumu: “…”

I can’t do this. I really can’t!

In the end, under Jiang Ran’s “threat,” they played a recently released horror film that had been receiving rave reviews.

The lights dimmed, and the opening scene showed a beautiful girl running through a narrow alley at night, frequently glancing back over her shoulder with a terrified expression.

As she slipped and fell out of the frame, a scream echoed, and a ghostly figure drifted past. The screen then displayed the title of the horror film, along with the names of the lead actors and the director.

To put it mildly, this was Jiang Qi’s first time watching a movie with so many actors and singers. All she could hear was their commentary.

“I know the female lead, we were in the same crew before. We had a few meals together, and she’s quite easy to get along with.”

“That guy used to be a singer too. No wonder I haven’t seen him release any songs lately, turns out he went to make a cameo in a movie.”

“This crew actually invited me for a cameo before, but I didn’t go.”

Honestly, it could be summed up in four words: “completely devoid of atmosphere.” Only Chi Shuang, sitting beside her, watched with a serious expression.

Suddenly, Jiang Qi felt a tug on her sleeve. Turning her head, she saw Chi Shuang gesturing for her to lean in.

Jiang Qi obediently leaned closer and lowered her head. “What’s wrong?”

Once again, she caught a whiff of that familiar chocolate milk scent. Glancing sideways, she caught sight of Chi Shuang’s delicate, snow-white neck and immediately blushed, quickly averting her gaze.

“Look…” Chi Shuang gestured toward the screen again. “Usually, nothing scary happens at this part.”

On the screen, the female lead was cautiously walking along a narrow path when she suddenly sensed something behind her and turned to look.

Chi Shuang continued, “When she turns around again, it will appear.”

Sure enough, the moment the female lead looked back…

“Ah!”

Jiang Ran’s scream echoed through the room.

Jiang Qi had been warned beforehand and was mentally prepared. Silently, she thought to herself, Typical Jiang Ran, easily scared but still insists on watching.

After the scare, Jiang Ran grew too frightened to continue. Since the movie wasn’t particularly compelling anyway, the group abandoned it and began chatting casually over some spicy duck snacks.

Tang Qiluo was the first to speak. His gentle, jade-like voice lent an immersive quality to the ghost story he began to tell: “Have any of you heard of the Great Immortal Huang? I’m from Dong Province, and decades ago in my hometown…”

Jiang Qi, who hadn’t been scared by the horror movie, found her heart racing at the dramatic inflections in Tang Qiluo’s voice. She subtly drew her feet closer to herself.

It was then that Jiang Qi noticed Chi Shuang sitting beside her, listening with a faint smile, not a trace of fear in her eyes or expression. Lowering her voice, Jiang Qi couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Aren’t you scared?”

Chi Shuang shook her head, also speaking softly, “When I was little… I was often home alone. Whenever I felt really scared, I’d watch horror movies. After watching enough of them, I stopped being afraid.”

She said this with a smile, but to Jiang Qi, the words felt like a sharp pang in her heart.

Jiang Qi had read in a book that Chi Shuang was an orphan, raised in a welfare institution. The “home” she referred to must have been the orphanage. But why would she watch horror films then?

Seeing the sorrow in Jiang Qi’s eyes, Chi Shuang paused briefly, then her smile brightened even more. “Actually, you could try becoming an actress.”

It was an unexpected remark, but Jiang Qi’s mind was too preoccupied to process it. Her thoughts drifted aimlessly, eventually settling on the image of a little girl crouched in a dark corner. The bustling amusement park around her felt utterly alien, it was also the moment in her life when she had felt the most terrified and desperate.

Lost in her thoughts, Jiang Qi failed to notice the shift in Chi Shuang’s expression, the smile had vanished, replaced by an unfamiliar look of hatred.

Chi Shuang had once loved Jiang Qi deeply, which was why she ended up hating her so intensely. In her first life, after exacting her revenge, she found herself back at the beginning, believing it was a chance given by fate to start over.

She resolutely chose not to join this variety show, even if it meant paying an exorbitant penalty for breach of contract.

Yet, in the end, she still couldn’t escape “Jiang Qi.” The only difference was that she didn’t fall in love with “Jiang Qi” this time, nor did she succeed in her revenge. Under “Jiang Qi’s” coercion, she leaped from the 22nd floor.

In her third life, she schemed meticulously, planning every step. Finally, she made “Jiang Qi” meet the same fate as in the first life, abandoned by all and dying a miserable death on the streets.

But then, in a flash, she found herself reborn once again.

Since that was the case, this time she was determined to uncover the reason behind her repeated cycles within this timeframe and identify the medium of her rebirth.

Each time, the timeline reset either upon Jiang Qi’s death or her own, so the cause must be connected to both of them.

As Chi Shuang pondered this, she frowned slightly.

“…Then, a girl said in a trembling voice, ‘I remember there were six of us, right?’ So, someone started counting…”

Shang Chumu’s voice trembled as well.

“One, two, three, four, five, six, seven…” Jiang Qi counted, pointing to herself last.

Everyone (except Chi Shuang): “Ahhhhhhh!!!”

Jiang Qi: “…” These unlucky kids!

The sound soared into the sky. Only then did Jiang Qi feel relieved that this was a two-story house in the countryside, and the neighboring houses on both sides belonged to them as well.

Chi Shuang chuckled, “You guys forgot, there’s also the camera crew.”

The cameraman scratched his head sheepishly and gave an embarrassed grin.

Jiang Ran patted her chest and exclaimed, “That scared me to death!”