Make Her Heart Flutter - Chapter 48

Unable to suppress her curiosity, Jiang Qi finally voiced her question.

“Since the program team dressed us like this, they must have their reasons. Think about it, when we go to an amusement park, our biggest fear is being recognized, right?” Chi Shuang said.

The motion sickness medicine had indeed worked wonders; she hadn’t experienced any adverse reactions so far.

Normally, riding in an air-conditioned car during summer would make motion sickness more likely, but she felt perfectly fine, not a single side effect.

This particular medicine was a special formula Jiang Qi had specifically asked Lin Wei to purchase is expensive, but highly effective with minimal side effects. Seeing Chi Shuang completely comfortable made it worth every penny.

“I’ve always thought it must be related to the mission. The program team still hasn’t announced the task, I suspect they’re planning to pull something on us.”

Whenever she was alone with Chi Shuang, Jiang Qi became noticeably more talkative. In group settings, she wasn’t unwilling to speak, but with everyone chattering away, she preferred to take on the role of listener.

Chi Shuang gave her a “you guessed it” look and said, “What if the mission is to avoid being recognized? And if I’m right, getting caught might mean punishment with some of the scarier amusement park rides.”

Though she’d never been on a show like this before, her experience in the entertainment industry had taught her all about such tricks.

In the front passenger seat, the director frantically searched around with his laptop. “Where’s my mission script? Did Xiao Shuang pick it up by any chance?”

Jiang Qi’s face visibly paled. Chi Shuang reassured her, “Of course, this is just my guess, it might not be accurate.”

Jiang Qi pressed her lips together and nodded, her gaze drifting out the window. The glass reflected her current appearance.

Chi Shuang picked up her phone and sent Jiang Qi a message.

Jiang Qi’s phone chimed, but she didn’t check it. Instead, she lowered her eyes, lost in thought.

One minute passed…

Two minutes…

Three minutes…

Jiang Qi showed no intention of looking at her phone, quietly staring out the window as if pondering something profound.

All Chi Shuang could see was the back of her head.

Jiang Qi rarely turned her back to her. Ever since the previous episode aired, online discussions had surfaced claiming, “Whenever she stands next to Chi Shuang, you never see Jiang Qi’s face.”

Unable to wait any longer, Chi Shuang cleared her throat lightly. “Xiao Qi, did your phone just ring?”

Jiang Qi snapped out of her daze. When she turned, a trace of unease lingered in her eyes.

What was she afraid of?

Chi Shuang wondered but didn’t voice the question. She was someone who respected others’ privacy, never prying into what others chose not to share or what might cause embarrassment.

Hearing Chi Shuang’s reminder, Jiang Qi finally picked up her phone. “Ah, sorry, I didn’t notice.”

[Chi Shuang]: Are you afraid of riding roller coasters?

Jiang Qi was surprised by the message. Why text when they were sitting so close? Besides, she’d heard that looking at phones could worsen motion sickness for those prone to it.

Touched by the gesture, Jiang Qi was willing to open up to Chi Shuang, but now wasn’t the right time. Sending a long reply might make Chi Shuang uncomfortable from staring at the screen.

So, she shook her head at Chi Shuang. “I’m fine.”

Chi Shuang nodded, understanding that the other person didn’t want to say more. She smiled faintly; although she had expected this outcome, she still felt a little sad.

It was the first time she had crossed her own boundaries to ask a somewhat private question of the person she was now closest to, and she had been refused.

As expected, she should have stuck to her principles.

Even though she could rationalize it, she still felt a bit disappointed, a little let down.

The rest of the journey passed in silence. Jiang Qi assumed Chi Shuang was upset because she was looking at her phone, so she quietly matched her silence without saying a word.

Outside the car, the scenery shifted from desolate to bustling, then back to desolate. Chi Shuang couldn’t help but replay Jiang Qi’s expression from earlier in her mind.

If Jiang Qi was truly afraid of those amusement park rides, and if Chi Shuang had guessed the show’s task but still stood by and did nothing, would Jiang Qi be scared? Would she feel panicked? Would she show… that same expression again?

Just thinking about it made her heart ache.

Chi Shuang touched the cosmetics in her bag, they should be enough.

“Xiao Qi,” Chi Shuang called out.

Hearing Chi Shuang’s voice, Jiang Qi felt a surge of happiness. The silence during the ride had left her itching to hear Chi Shuang speak. Even though they were sitting right next to each other, she hadn’t been able to talk to her.

“What’s up?” Though Jiang Qi tried her best to sound calm, the slight lift in her tone betrayed her delight.

Chi Shuang raised an eyebrow. She hadn’t told her anything earlier, yet now she was this happy just from being called? Could it really be some unspeakable secret? Or was she just too proud to admit her fear of heights?

A girl’s heart is sensitive and complex. Jiang Qi’s mind spun a whole drama of frustration, then just as quickly talked herself out of it, successfully resolving her own anger.

“I brought some makeup. Come here, let me do your face so it’ll be harder to recognize you later. If it’s really as I guessed, do you want to go on the roller coaster?”

Jiang Qi shook her head, of course she didn’t.

So, Jiang Qi obediently leaned her face closer. Chi Shuang watched her draw near, then gently pushed her face away. “What are you doing? I haven’t even taken out the makeup yet!”

Pouting, Jiang Qi complained, “But you told me to come over~”

Chi Shuang took out her supplies and pinched Jiang Qi’s cheek. “Oh? So, it’s my fault?”

“Mine.”

The response came lightning fast, fueled by a strong will to survive.

Only then did Chi Shuang let go, smiling as if to cover her earlier actions. “Well, your skin is just right, the makeup won’t cake at all.”

She had brought a fairly complete set of cosmetics, including a darker shade of foundation to use as contour, which was now coming in handy!

Given Jiang Qi’s fair complexion, she usually didn’t need foundation for makeup. But this time, the goal was to alter her appearance, and the simplest way was to start by changing her skin tone.

Chi Shuang mentally mapped out the entire look and prepared to begin.

But when she squeezed a pump of foundation and moved to apply it to Jiang Qi’s face, Jiang Qi resisted a little. “Won’t this be too dark?”

“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing,” Chi Shuang said, holding the back of Jiang Qi’s head with one hand and readying a sponge with the other.

“Wait, wait! If my face gets darker, what about my neck, wrists, and arms?” Having been fair-skinned for over twenty years, Jiang Qi couldn’t imagine herself with a darker complexion. Would she look ugly?

Hearing this, Chi Shuang paused. She was right, the neck was manageable, but what about the wrists and arms? Could she use foundation there too? It would probably smudge, wouldn’t it?

After a moment’s thought, Chi Shuang took out a pair of gloves from her bag. Made of white silk, they were originally meant to match the white butler uniform she was wearing.