My Wealthy Ex-Girlfriend Knelt and Begged Me to Come Back [Entertainment Industry] - Chapter 76

“I really did go to Xicheng District that day,” Qiu Miaoran’s eyelashes drooped, and she curled her fingers, gently rubbing them together. “It’s understandable that you didn’t know me then and don’t remember seeing me.”

Ji Jiayu pursed her lips, lowering her gaze and contemplating the scene at the time.

It was a few years ago. She and Song Tingyu were still dating. After the graduation ceremony, they changed clothes and went to a simple restaurant near the school for a meal.

What exactly happened then…

She was silent for a moment, then looked up at Qiu Miaoran, her distinct eyelashes trembling slightly. “Who said I don’t remember you? I remember…”

“I walked past your table, deliberately slowing down, watching you out of the corner of my eye.”

“I even thought I was having an illusion…”

Qiu Miaoran’s voice suddenly turned cold, her intonation rising slightly at the end, and she asked softly, “You mistook me for someone else?”

Mistook her for Ji Chen?

“Hmm, at first glance, I was a little dazed and thought you looked a bit like her. Maybe it’s because… she’s your aunt,” Ji Jiayu shook her head slightly, then added,

“But later I realized… you’re not very alike.”

Qiu Miaoran showed no expression. Her phoenix eyes were dark, and the corners of her eyes subtly lifted as she stared intently at Ji Jiayu, giving a soft “Oh.” “You remember so clearly…”

She wanted to probe Ji Jiayu’s thoughts.

For Ji Jiayu, has she truly moved on from Ji Chen?

The previous time Ji Jiayu completely abandoned her was like a thorn permanently stuck in her heart.

Qiu Miaoran no longer dared to put herself out there for comparison.

Some feelings should not be easily compared.

Qiu Miaoran pursed her lips. Her fringe fell, casting shadows between her brows, and her handsome, cold features seemed to be tinged with melancholy.

In the end, she swallowed the words she wanted to say and did not bring up the matter again.

Ji Jiayu lightly cleared her throat, reminding her, “The second question, you still haven’t answered me?”

A moment ago, Ji Jiayu had asked her, “I asked you when… you started liking me?”

Qiu Miaoran paused, tapping her fingers lightly on her crossbody bag. “Earlier than college.”

“I hadn’t seen you before college… Be more specific. You couldn’t have…” Ji Jiayu’s voice trailed off, and she leaned her head to the side.

“—been secretly liking me for many years, have you?”

Qiu Miaoran, however, seemed much more relaxed due to the change in topic. She completely disregarded this “secret crush” emotion.

The woman quickened her pace, tilting her head to look at Ji Jiayu. Her dark pupils trembled, and the corners of her eyes narrowed slightly. “Secret.”

“Figure it out yourself.”

Her voice was slightly hoarse, and her tone was lazy and casual.

Ji Jiayu looked at the woman’s back, frowning slightly, trying to recall where she had seen Qiu Miaoran before college…

She still couldn’t remember.

The two had reached the end of the long corridor.

Ahead was a flight of steps.

She wasn’t paying attention and nearly missed a step.

“Be careful…” Qiu Miaoran stopped, gripping her shoulder firmly.

Ji Jiayu was wearing a chiffon shirt today, with a tiny bit of her shoulder exposed.

Through the fabric, Qiu Miaoran touched her smooth, round shoulder. The feeling on her fingertips was silky, like white porcelain…

Qiu Miaoran stabilized Ji Jiayu, wrapping an arm around her waist, giving her a brief, light hug, and then quickly and restrainedly let go. “Were you distracted?”

“What were you thinking about?”

Fortunately, she had leaned on Qiu Miaoran just now, or she would have missed the step.

The tip of the woman’s finger had unintentionally brushed her shoulder, and the lingering warmth felt hot.

Ji Jiayu straightened up. “Thinking about when I had seen you before…”

“That you’d be so charmed by me? Huh?”

Qiu Miaoran raised a hand and gently scraped the tip of Ji Jiayu’s nose with her finger. “I told you to guess.”

Ji Jiayu, having her nose scraped, gave an annoyed little “Hmph,” and pulled at the hem of her shirt.

Her shirt was made of apricot-pink chiffon, with a slight cold-shoulder design. The hem had a ruffled edge, and the fitted waist made her appear particularly slender.

She pouted. “I’m not guessing anymore.”

After speaking, Ji Jiayu glanced at where they were.

Coincidentally, they were standing in front of a haunted house.

“How did we end up here?” Ji Jiayu raised an eyebrow, her eyes bright. “You like thrills, huh…”

Qiu Miaoran lowered her eyebrows, her gaze placid as she glanced at the surroundings. “No.”

After a pause, she added,

“I don’t particularly like it either.”

“Why…” Ji Jiayu curled her lips. She looked up at the person next to her, a strand of hair by her ear swaying. Her face was delicate and clean, and her light-chestnut eyes widened for a moment, carrying a hint of playful provocation.

“Are you scared? Scared of ghosts?”

Qiu Miaoran slightly lifted her chin and raised her eyebrows. Her gaze slowly swept over the advertisement board in front of the haunted house, and she said casually,

“I’ve never been afraid of anything.”

Ji Jiayu smiled. “Oh, you’re that impressive?”

The two joked their way to the ticket booth to buy tickets.

Then, they entered the haunted house.

This haunted house had an ancient theme, with most of the decor mimicking antique architecture. The light inside was very dim, only allowing them to see the rough outlines of the surrounding scenery. They could hear the sound of running water.

Ji Jiayu turned her head left and right, asking in surprise, “There’s water here?”

A stream flowed beneath a small wooden bridge, and there were wooden beams, giving it a very classical charm.

“Hmm…” Qiu Miaoran reminded her, “Be careful, there’s something ahead… Don’t bump your head.”

The low-pitched string music in the background was particularly unsettling. It even mixed with the quiet, faint sound of a woman crying, which intertwined with the background music.

It was better not to think about it; the more she thought, the more her scalp tingled.

Ji Jiayu suddenly stopped.

“What’s wrong?” Qiu Miaoran asked her.

Her vision gradually adjusted to the dim light.

Now, she was closer to that ‘thing.’

Not far ahead, a ‘person’ was hanging.

“…” Ji Jiayu, who had just been boasting, froze. She felt completely unnerved.

She stood there rigidly, her scalp tingling.

“What is it?”

“Ahead…” Ji Jiayu subconsciously moved her foot closer to Qiu Miaoran. She whispered, “There’s someone.”

Qiu Miaoran narrowed her eyes, scanning the ‘person.’ She could vaguely tell it was likely just a dummy. “Are you scared?”

Ji Jiayu quietly swallowed, but still insisted: I’m not scared, you’re scared…

Qiu Miaoran wasn’t really scared, but seeing the strange look on Ji Jiayu’s face… she lowered her eyelashes and dropped her voice, “Yes, I’m scared.”

She naturally reached out and took Ji Jiayu’s hand.

“Can you hold my hand?”

It was dark here; no one would see them.

There was no need to worry about being photographed by others.

Ji Jiayu didn’t pull away, letting the woman hold her hand obediently.

Her hand was smaller. Qiu Miaoran’s fingers were long, and her palm was slightly wider, tightly enveloping Ji Jiayu’s.

Her palm was warm. The rough lines of her palm rubbed against the back of Ji Jiayu’s hand, making it slightly itchy.

But it made her heart feel a little more settled.

It was good; she was indeed less afraid now. It was just that her ear felt a little hot…

The ear closer to Qiu Miaoran’s direction was gradually heating up, starting to turn red and warm from the root of her ear.

Ji Jiayu’s mind momentarily wandered. The tightly held fingers also moved slightly.

“…”

Qiu Miaoran suddenly asked, “Are you still scared?”

“No…”

Before Ji Jiayu could finish her sentence,

The ‘person’ that was just hanging from the beam suddenly floated over, almost ‘pouncing’ to nearly press face-to-face with Ji Jiayu.

“Ahhh!!!”

Ji Jiayu’s legs went weak. She turned around and abruptly flung herself into Qiu Miaoran’s direction.

Qiu Miaoran stood still, her gaze sharply passing over Ji Jiayu’s shoulder to give the ‘ghost’ a cold glance. Her sight quickly returned to focus on the girl in her arms.

Ji Jiayu was hunched over, her shoulders trembling, looking pitiful like a small quail whose feathers had gotten wet.

Qiu Miaoran reached out an arm and clasped the girl’s waist. Her hand gently rubbed Ji Jiayu’s lower back, not in a lustful way, but with a comforting intention.

A faint smile curled on her lips. She lowered her head and leaned close to Ji Jiayu’s ear, her voice low and husky, “Mmm… I’m very scared, too.”

Qiu Miaoran’s face was calm, her eyes still like water. She said, “I’m very scared,” but her hand was resting on the girl’s slender waist, and her arm was steadily holding her.

Qiu Miaoran tightly… pulled Ji Jiayu into her embrace.

This time, it wasn’t a loose, empty hug, but a solid embrace… Their chests met. Their soft, yielding breasts lightly brushed against each other.

Chest against chest, they could almost feel each other’s heartbeats through their clothes.

Especially in this terrifying setting, with adrenaline pumping, a person’s heartbeat would only speed up.

Ji Jiayu suddenly felt her legs soften, like a pool of water, melting softly in the woman’s arms.

“Thump-thump—”

The sound of her heartbeat was very loud.

It turned out her heart could beat this fast.

This might be what ‘falling in love’ truly felt like.

In the dim environment, ambiguity silently spread.

The one who had just boasted was now weak-limbed.

The one who claimed to be ‘scared’ was now completely unmoving.

The actor playing the ‘ghost’ was completely stunned.

—These two, in front of it, actually started hugging?!

The ‘ghost’ was speechless for a moment. It reached out a hand, wanting to pull Ji Jiayu’s arm.

It wanted to remind them, “Don’t ignore my presence! Hey?”

But as its pale, flour-covered arm stretched into the air,

Qiu Miaoran raised her arm and used her elbow to block the hand that was about to touch the girl.

She looked up slightly, her thin lips tightly pressed. Her gaze once again crossed over Ji Jiayu’s shoulder, chillingly sweeping past the ‘ghost’s’ pale face.

That look was bone-chillingly cold, making even the resentful ghost shake its head…

Ghost: “…” Should I leave then?

It shouldn’t be here; it should be under a car.

…

The actor playing the ‘ghost’ floated away.

Ji Jiayu hid in the woman’s arms for a few minutes.

She had long since recovered from the fear of the sudden face-to-face ghost encounter.

She just suddenly really liked this feeling…

This feeling of being tightly embraced in a dark, dangerous environment.

“It’s gone,” Qiu Miaoran’s voice rang out by her ear.

“Is it really gone?”

“It’s gone,” Qiu Miaoran nodded. She suddenly remembered how Ji Jiayu had huddled in her arms just now, and that the girl was such a stubborn person…

Her eyebrows twitched. Her dark eyes focused on Ji Jiayu.

“That actor just now was quite scary…”

Ji Jiayu straightened up, moved her feet to the side, and slowly pulled away from Qiu Miaoran’s embrace.

She gave a soft “Mm,” “It was pretty scary, but thinking about it now, it’s not so bad…”

For the rest of the way, although occasionally one or two ghosts appeared and briefly met their eyes, it was much easier to accept than the face-to-face scare just now.

Perhaps because Ji Jiayu had acted so afraid, the NPCs in the haunted house had all agreed not to approach her and to be a bit more reserved so as not to scare her too much.

The dilapidated, antique-style palace, the dim lighting, and the unsettling props all around: ‘severed limbs and broken bodies,’ ‘human skin lanterns’……

Ji Jiayu walked very carefully, afraid that some ‘ghost’ would jump out beside her.

But if she did see a ‘white shadow’ float past a corner, she would follow it, cautiously peeking around the corner to secretly glance at it.

Then, Ji Jiayu would be scared stiff by that sneaky peek.

The white shadow would turn back and give her another face-to-face scare.

Ji Jiayu would let out a small cry and throw herself into Qiu Miaoran’s arms.

A classic case of someone being timid but having a big craving, both cowardly and wanting to see.

But she suddenly loved this feeling.

Her chest rose and fell sharply, pressed tightly against Qiu Miaoran, enveloped by Qiu Miaoran’s scent.

A pervasive, faint fragrance of cold sandalwood.

A comforting scent.

Because of this, the two slowly walked out, fumbling through the dark haunted house.

Walking through a haunted house with the person you like felt very subtle.

Their hands were naturally intertwined, their shoulders occasionally brushed against each other. The places where they were lightly touched felt slightly itchy. The temperature, because of her closeness, gradually rose, making the skin near her feel hot.

Her heart rate would speed up.

Partially due to the dark environment of the haunted house and the unsettling props.

The other part was because of her.

The last scene was about to lead to the exit.

Ji Jiayu was being led by the hand. Her hand was fair and small, and now it was tightly held. Their fingers were interlocked, and she felt a faint dampness; her palm was sweaty.

They were almost out…

The tightly clasped hands were about to separate.

Ji Jiayu’s steps grew slower and slower. She paused at every prop to examine it closely. A feeling suddenly arose in her heart…

She didn’t quite want to leave the haunted house. She wished the path inside could be longer.

She wanted to hold her hand for a little longer.

But every path eventually ends. They walked out of the haunted house exit.

Qiu Miaoran released her hand, took a mask from her pocket, and gestured for her to put it on. “Mask,”

Ji Jiayu obediently put on the black mask.

Qiu Miaoran raised her arm and put a cap on Ji Jiayu’s head. “Keep it on.”

Finally, before leaving the haunted house,

Qiu Miaoran put on her own sunglasses and slightly raised her eyebrows. “Why are you zoning out?”

“…” Ji Jiayu curled her fingers but didn’t speak.

“Where do you want to go next?”

“Just wander around?” Ji Jiayu gently shook her head. “I don’t know where to go…”

Qiu Miaoran walked over. “Let’s go.”

The two walked out along the other exit of the haunted house, side by side on a small path.

This area was much livelier than the previous path, with many other tourists on both sides.

After walking along the path for about ten minutes, they quickly reached a crossroad.

At the intersection, a sightseeing train happened to drive by. The train was very cute, with a long string of carriages. Its exterior looked a bit like Thomas the Tank Engine.

A child by the roadside stared in wonder.

“Time to cross the street,” the child’s mother bent down and took the little girl’s hand. “Come, hold Mommy’s hand.”

The little girl obediently took her mother’s hand, waiting to cross the street.

The sightseeing train drove past them, obscuring the view of the opposite side of the road.

To cross the street, should they hold hands…

Ji Jiayu suddenly thought.

“Give me your hand…” The woman’s voice came from beside her ear.

Ji Jiayu slightly turned her head. Wearing a black mask, her face was small, and the mask seemed a little wide on her, only revealing a pair of bright, light-colored eyes.

She curved the corners of her eyes, and her actions were very natural. She reached out and took Qiu Miaoran’s hand.

“Little kid? I’ll hold you, okay…”

Her fingers were fair and long, and her fingertips were soft, slowly intertwining with the woman’s hand.

“Such impertinence…” Qiu Miaoran clicked her tongue lightly.

“Who are you calling a little kid?”

Just then, the last carriage of the sightseeing train drove away from the intersection.

The electronic music of the sightseeing train mingled softly with her voice.

Ji Jiayu led her across the zebra crossing, looking back at her. “Calling you~”

“I’m older than you…” Qiu Miaoran used her other hand, spreading her long fingers to make a “five” sign. “Five years.”

“Call me ‘Jie-jie’ (older sister).”

Ji Jiayu slightly raised her eyelashes, giving her a listless glance, her voice tinged with a little disdain. “Don’t be so rigid, okay…”

“Only ‘little kids’ get pampered.”

“Don’t you want to be a ‘little kid’ for a day and be pampered?” Ji Jiayu paused, then stretched out her index finger and made a gesture. “Just for one day.”

The two were close, shoulder to shoulder, their hands tightly clasped.

The mother and son were walking just ahead of them.

Ji Jiayu wanted her to be a ‘little kid’ for a day and experience being spoiled.

It sounded… quite tempting.

“Mmm…” Qiu Miaoran raised her eyebrows, her tone leisurely, carrying a hint of indulgence. “If you want to try, go ahead.”

“Okay,” Ji Jiayu grinned. Only her light-chestnut eyes were visible outside the mask. She blinked lightly, and her gaze, as it shifted, looked mischievously at Qiu Miaoran.

She said one word at a time, “Call. Me. Mom. my…”

Qiu Miaoran: “…”

This is what you call… I want to be your older sister, and you want to be my mother?!

Qiu Miaoran was slightly surprised, her willow-shaped eyebrows lifting. She turned to the side, and her other arm reached out. Her hand rested on Ji Jiayu’s head. Her fair fingers threaded through the girl’s dark hair, gently rubbing her head.

“Why didn’t I notice before,”

“That you’re such a troublemaker…”

Ji Jiayu’s lips curved again. The thin mask concealed the small expression on her face.

【Of course, I was trying to hook you before~】

【Plus, you like the well-behaved type, and you don’t like me wearing makeup, you’re practically sick,

Anyone would think you were hiding some ‘white moonlight’ in your past…】

Ji Jiayu looked up at her. Outside the black mask, her eyebrows twitched slightly, and the corners of her eyes were crescent-shaped in a smile. “So?”

“The me from before, and the me now,”

“Which me do you like?”

It turned out that Ji Jiayu, having let everything go,

was so lovely, with a personality like a little child.

Qiu Miaoran tightly pressed her red lips, her eyelashes fluttering down. She was silent for a moment before answering.

“I like both.” Her eyelashes trembled, and her voice was slightly hoarse.

Ji Jiayu’s ears felt hot, and the curve of her lips lifted involuntarily. Her finger pressed into the other’s palm, gently scratching it. “Oh.”

She didn’t know where this affection came from, and Qiu Miaoran never explained…

“Do you like me that much?” Ji Jiayu mumbled in a low voice, hooking her arm around Qiu Miaoran’s and lightly bumping her elbow against the other’s waist. “Such strong survival instinct…”

She held Qiu Miaoran’s arm, seemingly completely unaware that the other’s arm lightly swayed and bumped against her chest, a soft, very elastic area.

Qiu Miaoran, being held by the arm, curled her fingers tightly. The veins on the back of her pale hand were now prominent, and the outline of her knuckles became visible.

Her heart seemed to be getting a little out of control…

She rubbed her fingertips, slowly releasing them, and gave a soft “Mm.”

Once again, she repeated Ji Jiayu’s words,

“My survival instinct is very strong…”

“From now on,” Qiu Miaoran paused, and the corners of her lips suddenly curved into a slight arc.

“I’ll listen to my girlfriend.”

That smile was faint, spreading across Qiu Miaoran’s eyebrows and eyes. Her originally cold and handsome features, consequently, lost some of their coldness and took on a beautiful, charming color.

It was close to evening now. In the northern autumn, the sky darkened early.

The streetlights turned on.

Qiu Miaoran stood against the light. The light outlined the woman’s figure: a long blazer, with a belt tightly cinched at the waist. The fabric was crisp, making her figure appear even taller and thinner, with long legs.

She stood tall and elegant. Strands of her hair, illuminated by the light, seemed to glow with a brilliant color.

“May I invite my little girlfriend,”

“To have dinner with me?”