Self-Perception - Chapter 12

“Teacher Gu, your relationship is really good. You must have been together for a long time, right?” a person gossiped.

Gu Wansheng smiled without a word.

The time they had been together, broadly speaking including the marriage, was only half a month; narrowly speaking, it was only a few days.

Su Muqing noticed what the staff member was thinking and quickly changed the subject, “Come on, come on, eat the dishes. Do you need anything else added?”

The others quickly picked up the conversation, chatting about this and that.

“Gu Wansheng.” This was the second time Wen Jinyan had called her by her full name today.

Every time Gu Wansheng heard her call her name, she felt a special sensation. Wen Jinyan’s voice was very unique, the timbre was cool toned, but when she called her name, it always carried a clean, clear, and gentle feeling, like water.

“What is it?” Gu Wansheng stopped her chopsticks.

Wen Jinyan looked at the endless stream of food in her bowl, “I can’t eat anymore.”

Her intention was for Gu Wansheng to stop putting food in her bowl. She had noticed from earlier that Gu Wansheng hadn’t eaten much herself, giving all the food to her.

Gu Wansheng looked at the food in Wen Jinyan’s bowl and used the communal chopsticks to transfer the contents of the bowl to her own.

Wen Jinyan opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing.

One person spoke innocently, but others took meaning from it.

After they finished the hot pot, as it was still early, a few people wanted to move on to KTV.

Xu Yuanyuan also wanted to hear Gu Wansheng sing. After all, Gu Wansheng had previously performed the OST for one of her characters, and it was incredibly good. But she didn’t dare to ask directly, so she asked Wen Jinyan.

“Jinyan, it’s still early. Do you want to go singing?”

“Forget it, I’m a little tired. You guys go have fun,” Wen Jinyan gently refused.

Seeing her plan fail, Xu Yuanyuan didn’t press the issue.

Gu Wansheng drove the car over. Wen Jinyan exchanged greetings with the others before getting in.

As soon as they entered the door, Gu Wansheng kissed Wen Jinyan, and the two kissed all the way to the sofa.

Gu Wansheng didn’t know why, but after the events of the day, she particularly wanted to kiss Wen Jinyan, especially when she heard the words “You love your wife so much” at the venue she started thinking about it then.

“Tonight, can we have deep communication?” Gu Wansheng looked at the person beneath her eyes. The corners of her eyes were red, her eyes glistened, and her face was flushed after the deep kiss, having shed its cool and distant look.

Wen Jinyan, however, had no change in expression after hearing this. She let out a slight sound of approval from her throat.

“I’m going to take a shower.” Gu Wansheng got permission, stood up, and pulled Wen Jinyan up with her.

They showered in separate bathrooms and met again in the same bed.

Only a small nightlight was on in the room, casting a faint glow. Shadows overlapped, and the air was filled with a restless and ambiguous warmth.

“Don’t be nervous.” Gu Wansheng’s tiny kisses fell onto Wen Jinyan’s earlobe, tracing a path downward.

Wen Jinyan’s hands, which were hanging at her sides, clenched tightly, and her face was buried in the pillow.

Her breathing rose and fell, and the soft kisses sprinkled down like raindrops.

“You actually have a small mole on your sacral dimple.” A touch of feverish hands reached her skin, and Wen Jinyan shivered almost imperceptibly.

“Are there any other places?” Gu Wansheng leaned in, breathing hard, and asked her.

“No,” Wen Jinyan’s breathing was erratic, and she bit her lower lip, trying not to let out a low gasp.

Gu Wansheng gently brushed aside the stray hair in front of her eyes.

The eyes of the person before her were still those amber eyes, but they were no longer cool and calm; they were restrained and enduring.

They were also laced with a watery sheen, threatening to spill from her eye sockets.

“Then I’ll help you check.” Gu Wansheng’s voice was soft as water, and her movements were too.

Wen Jinyan’s eyelashes fluttered like a butterfly in the rain, broken and delicate.

“I won’t let you hurt.”

Wen Jinyan arched her neck slightly, and a faint sound finally escaped from the small gap between her lips.

The ultimate pleasure rushed from below straight to her skull. Everything in front of her became illusory, but the body temperature of the person above her was burning hot, scorching her heart.

“Jinyan,” Gu Wansheng called her, kissing her urgently.

Wen Jinyan was utterly defeated.

Afterward, Gu Wansheng carried her into the bathroom and washed her thoroughly. Wen Jinyan was both sleepy and exhausted, and her eyelids soon closed.

After changing the sheets, Gu Wansheng put the used ones into the laundry basket, then hugged Wen Jinyan from behind and slowly fell asleep.

The next day, when Wen Jinyan woke up, the spot next to her in bed was already cold.

She changed her clothes and, seeing the marks on her neck, applied concealer without a change in expression. A note was left on the table.

It was left by Gu Wansheng, written with elegant and flowing handwriting.

[I have an ad shoot this morning, and you were sleeping soundly, so I didn’t wake you. There’s hot breakfast in the kitchen, remember to eat.]

Wen Jinyan re-taped the note back to its original position and walked into the kitchen.

She served herself a bowl of millet porridge, washed the bowl after eating, and returned to the study. She spent the entire morning rushing the script draft and sent it to Su Muqing.

A week passed like this. On Tuesday night, the filming of the crew for Utilization began.

That night, amidst the neon lights, at the commencement banquet:

The director, producer, and lead actors were seated at one table. Gu Wansheng generously introduced Wen Jinyan, drawing continuous admiration and surprise from the crowd.

Gu Wansheng bringing her spouse caused everyone to secretly observe Wen Jinyan.

They were all speculating about who this wife of Gu Wansheng was.

“Are you really not considering entering the entertainment industry?” Bai Jin nudged Gu Wansheng with his elbow.

“No,” Gu Wansheng sterilized the bowls and chopsticks for Wen Jinyan and handed them over.

Bai Jin clicked his tongue upon seeing this, “How come I never saw you sterilize my bowls and chopsticks before?”

“Stop being frivolous.”

Seeing that Gu Wansheng wouldn’t even spare him a glance, Bai Jin mumbled, “A guy who prioritizes romance over friendship.”

“Miss Wen, can I call you that?” Bai Jin asked sideways.

“Mhm, you can.”

“Do you have any interest in entering the entertainment industry?” Gu Wansheng shot Bai Jin a look, which he completely ignored.

“With your conditions… Ah!” Bai Jin’s volume suddenly increased. Wen Jinyan looked over in confusion.

Bai Jin rubbed his thigh.

Was it necessary? To pinch me?

“Director Bai, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?” Gu Wansheng asked with “concern.”

“I’m fine, I’m fine.”

“Sorry, I won’t enter the entertainment industry.”

The two voices rang out simultaneously. Bai Jin gave a dry laugh and found a way out, “I was just joking. It’s just that Miss Wen is really too beautiful… Ah!”

His thigh was pinched again. The lead actor next to Bai Jin asked with concern, “Director Bai, are you alright?”

“I’m fine, I’m fine. Come on, let’s all raise a toast.”

If looks could kill, Bai Jin would have been torn to shreds by Gu Wansheng by now.

Fine, fine, I won’t talk about your wife anymore.

When the director spoke, everyone stood up. Gu Wansheng stopped Wen Jinyan from raising her hand, swapped the wine glass in her hand for juice, and said in a voice for just the two of them, “You drink this.”

“Okay,” Wen Jinyan obediently accepted.

“Teacher Gu, don’t show off your affection to us!”

“I didn’t bring an assistant. If she drinks alcohol, the two of us won’t be able to get back. We’re both good citizens. I’ll drink her share.”

“Come on, cheers.”

“Cheers.”

Following that, there was a lot of toasting and clinking of glasses.

“Teacher Gu, I’d like to toast you. I’ll finish mine, you can take it easy.”

“Teacher Gu, I’ll toast you too.”

Gu Wansheng was famously well-liked in the industry, and she accepted every toast.

“Alright, alright, stop toasting Teacher Gu so much. If Teacher Gu can’t make it to bed tonight, you’ll be the biggest culprits,” Bai Jin spoke up, and the crowd restrained themselves quite a bit.

“Teacher Gu, I have a hangover pill here.”

“I have one too.”

Gu Wansheng, who was rubbing her forehead, was just about to accept one when a fair, smooth wrist swept past her.

“Thank you,” the voice was slightly cool.

Gu Wansheng lifted her eyelids. Having had some alcohol made her even more captivating, especially her peach blossom eyes, which were red at the corners and glistening with moisture.

She rested her hand on her chin, watching the distinct knuckles place food into her bowl with the communal chopsticks.

She slowly let out an “Mhm,” as if it came from the bottom of her throat, and the tone was drawn out.

“Eat some food, line your stomach,” Wen Jinyan explained.

Gu Wansheng curved her lips and began to eat with her chopsticks. Wen Jinyan watched her finish, then placed a hangover pill on a napkin and handed it to her.

So that was the reason…

Gu Wansheng leaned closer, carrying the scent of alcohol. Her warm breath was a few centimeters from Wen Jinyan’s ear, and the tone was drawn out, “I’m not drunk.”

She retreated a few centimeters. The overhead light shone down on her, enveloping her in a halo.

Wen Jinyan was close enough to clearly smell the blend of Jade Dragon tea fragrance and alcohol.

It was strange; the smell of alcohol should have been unpleasant.

The woman’s eyelashes were long and curled, casting a shadow over her lower lid, and the look she gave was full of tenderness.

Wen Jinyan’s expression did not change. Her gaze was calm and deep, but her tone was gentle and mild.

“Drunk people always say they’re not drunk.”

Hearing this, Gu Wansheng’s eyes curved into crescents. She didn’t continue the topic. She put the hangover pill in her mouth and swallowed it with water.

“You haven’t eaten any food…” It will hurt your stomach.

“It doesn’t matter,” Gu Wansheng lightly held her hand under the table, and with her other hand, she used the communal chopsticks to pick up some food for her.

“Come, eat.”

Wen Jinyan said nothing and began to eat.

After they finished, Gu Wansheng watched the director leave before getting into the car with Wen Jinyan. As soon as they got in, the partition went up.

Gu Wansheng immediately kissed her, passionately and without reservation.

Wen Jinyan was forced to straddle her. She lowered her head; her lips felt numb and tingly, and so did her heart.

Gu Wansheng smoothed out her clothes, wrapped her hands around Wen Jinyan’s waist, and rested her head on her shoulder, breathing.

“Didn’t you say you were going to drive?” Wen Jinyan arched her neck slightly as Gu Wansheng rubbed against her neck.

“I was just fooling them. Otherwise, what would you do if you got drunk?” Gu Wansheng laughed softly, twirling a lock of hair around her finger, playing with it.

Wen Jinyan pursed her lips, “Were you always like this at these events before?”

“I wasn’t before.” She didn’t have the leverage before, so she couldn’t refuse, and wouldn’t refuse.

Gu Wansheng took her hand, her eyes sparkling. “But I can now.”

Wen Jinyan was still trying to understand Gu Wansheng’s words.

They returned home, and after showering, Gu Wansheng pulled her in for another round.

It only stopped after they were completely exhausted.

“Gu Wansheng, can we only do it every two days?” Wen Jinyan was held in Gu Wansheng’s arms, whispering softly.

“Did I hurt you just now?” Gu Wansheng placed her on the sofa, reached out to change the sheets, and only picked up Wen Jinyan again after the bed was made, gently placing her on it.

“I can’t handle it. I’m very tired,” Wen Jinyan said before her consciousness faded.

Looking at the person asleep in the bed, the smooth shoulder blades covered with marks left by herself, Gu Wansheng felt a pang of heartache.