Make Her Heart Flutter - Chapter 2

A faint, inexplicable familiarity. A pleasant scent. That was Jiang Qi’s first thought. Then, she gently pushed away the girl in her arms, who was slightly shorter than her. “I’m sorry…”

Before she could finish her sentence, Jiang Qi was utterly stunned the moment she laid eyes on the girl. The girl wore a black baseball cap, with a mask covering most of her face. Even though summer was approaching, she was bundled up tightly in a jacket.

The only visible features were her beautiful amber eyes, slightly upturned at the corners, yet not sharp, instead, they carried a gentle, innocent charm.

Though they had only met once, Jiang Qi recognized her instantly. It was none other than the female lead of the book, Chi Shuang.

“It’s fine,” Chi Shuang replied with a smile, her voice clear and melodious.

After a brief, polite exchange, they passed each other. Jiang Qi couldn’t help but marvel: as expected of the female lead, not only was she beautiful, but her voice was pleasant and her demeanor gentle.

But after walking a few steps, doubt crept into Jiang Qi’s mind. Chi Shuang didn’t live here, nor did she have any reason to pass through this area. So why was she here?

Lost in her thoughts, Jiang Qi didn’t notice that the girl she had just encountered was still standing in the same spot, her gaze deep and thoughtful as she watched Jiang Qi’s retreating figure.

So, Jiang Qi… are you playing hard to get this time?

An inexplicable unease spread within her. When Jiang Qi returned home, she glanced out the floor-to-ceiling window in the living room. The spot where she had run into Chi Shuang was now empty. She breathed a sigh of relief, inwardly laughing at herself for being overly paranoid.

The smart bathtub in the bathroom had already filled with water at the perfect temperature. After washing away the day’s exhaustion, Jiang Qi sprawled out on her bed in a starfish shape, picked up her phone, and sent a message to her assistant.

[Jiang Qi]: I’m leaving the company to you.
[Lin Wei]: OK.jpg

The next two days were the weekend, and the variety show recording would begin on Monday. Jiang Qi recalled her chance encounter with Chi Shuang earlier, gentle and beautiful. If the Chi Shuang in the book hadn’t been targeted by Jiang Qi, she probably would have lived a happy and fulfilling life.

With that thought, Jiang Qi felt an inexplicable pang of guilt. Lost in her wandering thoughts, she drifted off to sleep on the bed. The early summer weather wasn’t cold, but the breeze carried a slight chill.

Unfortunately, Jiang Qi caught a cold just before the show started. After two days of medication, she finally felt a bit better. She couldn’t help but lament how her last two days of vacation had been wasted in a daze at home.

Now, she had to face the female lead in the variety show, a true trial by fire. Jiang Qi sighed inwardly, thinking it was just too difficult. But when she thought of Chi Shuang, she was startled to realize that a hidden sense of anticipation had risen within her.

Don’t be love-struck, don’t be love-struck. Being love-struck only brings misfortune.

Jiang Qi shook her head, silently repeating the mantra in her mind, as if trying to shake Chi Shuang out of her thoughts.

The day before, Jiang Qi had received the script outline from the variety show’s production team. It was a farming-themed survival show called Survival Rules. There was no fixed script, Jiang Qi only needed to familiarize herself with the general flow.

The premise was simple: the guests would be dropped off in a remote mountain village to live together for three months. This type of show had become quite popular recently. Most netizens were already immune to the glamorous, polished images of celebrities on screen, so this sudden shift to a more down-to-earth setting brought a fresh sense of novelty.

Jiang Qi understood perfectly. All she wanted was to survive these three months without meeting a tragic end. As for fame and popularity, she’d leave that to others.

For some reason, before the variety show even began, Jiang Qi encountered Chi Shuang once again. Before her awakening, Jiang Qi had searched everywhere for Chi Shuang without success.

But now, just when she wanted to avoid her, Chi Shuang kept appearing before her repeatedly. If the first time was a coincidence, what about the second time?

Jiang Qi subtly glanced at Chi Shuang, who was sitting on the sofa beside her, wrapped in a thin fleece blanket with her eyes closed, feigning sleep. Her eyelids drooped slightly, and she looked utterly exhausted. Had she pulled an all-nighter? Gone out to have fun? Or was she working?

Unable to suppress her curiosity, Jiang Qi’s thoughts were interrupted by a deliberately hushed voice.

“This can’t go on, your health will collapse.” It was likely her assistant, a young girl whose concern seemed genuine.

“This variety show will be a good chance for me to relax,” Chi Shuang sighed, trying to reassure her.

The girl, called Xiao Yu, grumbled indignantly, “The company is exploiting you. They only sent you to this show because the pay is high.”

“Alright, that’s enough. Let me rest for a bit.”

Chi Shuang finally opened her eyes, startling Jiang Qi, who immediately turned her head away and closed her eyes, looking as guilty as a thief.

“I’m just speaking up for you!” Xiao Yu pouted, her voice gradually fading.

Jiang Qi thought to herself: She must really be exhausted. She had read before that the female lead grew up in an orphanage, so her life couldn’t have been easy. Now, she was being mistreated by her agency, and later, she would be bullied by Jiang Qi herself.

Really… A flicker of sympathy crossed Jiang Qi’s heart. How tragic.

With that thought, she sent a message to Lin Wei.

[Jiang Qi]: Help me look into Chi Shuang’s agency.

[Lin Wei]: OK.jpg

Fortunately, they weren’t far from their destination. Two messages came back instantly, and when Jiang Qi looked up again, Xiao Yu, Chi Shuang’s assistant, was gone.

Chi Shuang was still resting with her eyes closed on the sofa. This time, she wasn’t wearing a mask, and Jiang Qi noticed she wasn’t wearing any makeup. Her skin was incredibly fair, and upon closer inspection, not a single pore was visible. However, the dark circles under her eyes stood out starkly.

Jiang Qi couldn’t help but think: This is the female lead. Why is it that a villainess like her has a happy, loving family, while the female lead grew up alone in an orphanage, enduring hardship and sorrow? Even as an adult, her life remains difficult, and she would later be deceived into a marriage.

Although she eventually gets her revenge, can justice that comes late still be called justice? Can the pain and humiliation she suffered ever be erased?

The answer, of course, is no.

Suddenly, Jiang Qi swiftly caught the blanket that had slipped off Chi Shuang and casually draped it back over her.

Xiao Yu, returning from outside, happened to witness this scene. She froze for a moment before realizing Jiang Qi had merely covered her artist with the blanket.

Relieved, Xiao Yu whispered, “Sorry, I can take care of it.”

Jiang Qi’s hand trembled slightly, and she inexplicably felt as if she had been caught in the act. She forced a faint smile at Xiao Yu before returning to her seat.

The moment Xiao Yu saw Jiang Qi, she was captivated by her stunning beauty. As a celebrity assistant, she had seen countless beauties, but none had such an overwhelming aura that made her dare not look a second time.

Outwardly calm, Jiang Qi inwardly panicked: This is bad. Wasn’t I supposed to stay away from the female lead?

Lost in these chaotic thoughts for half an hour, and sensing Xiao Yu’s occasional glances drifting her way, Jiang Qi wondered: Am I being mistaken for a creep?

She checked the time on her phone and breathed a sigh of relief. It was almost boarding time, soon she wouldn’t have to face…

As the announcement slowly echoed through the VIP lounge, Jiang Qi watched Chi Shuang beside her put on her mask and sunglasses before leisurely standing up. Jiang Qi’s eyes followed them out the door, thinking to herself: Damn, we really are on the same flight.