The Black Lotus Omega Always Wraps His Tail Around Me - Chapter 35

Fu Suihe looked at Zhao Mumu’s smile, her eyes briefly drifting between Zhao Mumu and Ji Yanwan.

She smiled gently. “Alright, I’m looking forward to it.”

Even someone as slow as Ji Yanwan could sense that something was off between the two.

She just couldn’t tell where the tension was coming from.

One was her unreachable first love, the white moonlight of her youth who had rejected her over and over. The other was the surprise twist of fate who had gone from quarrelsome rival to wife.

Two people from completely different worlds had now crossed paths.

Ji Yanwan cleared her throat softly and stepped closer to Fu Suihe. “No worries. There’s still plenty of time. Suihe and I will be counting on your guidance, Writer Zhao.”

With just that one sentence, she clearly drew a line between the three of them.

Zhao Mumu’s expression shifted slightly. The smile at her lips became visibly stiff.

Fu Suihe simply chuckled and said, “We’ll definitely rely on you for the script, Zhao. As for acting… well, if you put in the effort and ask nicely, I might offer you some one-on-one coaching.”

“Put in the effort?” Ji Yanwan glanced sideways at her with a teasing smile, lowering her voice. “And where exactly does the award-winning actress expect me to put in that effort?”

Fu Suihe tilted her head, met her eyes, and smiled without saying a word.

The flirtatious atmosphere between the two was almost overflowing. Zhao Mumu clenched her teeth, her expression finally freezing over completely.

Luckily, the director called out for the ceremony to begin. With the sound of firecrackers, the main cast stepped forward to offer incense and bow toward the auspicious direction calculated in advance.

Every production would pick a lucky date and location for the opening ceremony. After the ribbon cutting, firecrackers, incense, and group photos, the ceremony was nearly complete.

Ji Yanwan followed along in a daze. The director called over the screenwriter, the producers, and a few of the main cast members, inviting them to dinner later that evening.

That opening ceremony had already drained nearly all of Ji Yanwan’s energy and smiles for the day.

She rubbed her face and stood off to the side, waiting for Fu Suihe.

Right after the ribbon cutting ended, Fu Suihe was pulled aside by the director. This time, Ji Yanwan had learned her lesson and stepped away from the main group to avoid taking anyone’s spot again.

But just as she moved aside, the director started walking straight toward her.

Ji Yanwan looked behind herself, then took another step aside.

Still, the director continued walking toward her.

She kept stepping away, and the director kept following, like a game of cat and mouse.

Finally, Fu Suihe couldn’t help but speak up. “Awan, stop stepping back.”

Only then did Ji Yanwan freeze.

When the director got close, he was already slightly out of breath.

Director Chen Fei was nearing seventy. The elaborate ceremony had left him visibly tired.

“Young lady, what are you running from?” he asked.

Chen Fei was known among film critics as a living fossil of the industry. Ever since he started directing in his twenties, he had seen countless actors and investors. He had met many rich kids who bought their way into the business, looking for attention and applause.

But Ji Yanwan was different.

If Fu Suihe hadn’t called her name earlier, Chen Fei would have forgotten entirely that she was one of the leads, let alone the Ji family’s treasured third daughter.

While everyone else had been trying to network and make connections, Ji Yanwan had quietly stayed at the edge of the stage. If she wasn’t here to socialize, then why had the Ji family paid so much to get her into the cast?

Could it be that she genuinely liked acting?

Chen Fei steadied his breathing and said, “We’re having dinner tonight. Let’s talk more about the script then.”

The dinner in Wuzhen featured classic Jiangnan river-town flavors.

There weren’t many high-end restaurants near the set, so the director chose a local spot with charm.

Lanterns in warm tones hung from a narrow wooden boat that drifted across a small lake.

Ji Yanwan leaned curiously out the window. The boat was narrow, with a low canopy. It was the rainy season, and the evening drizzle slipped gently through the air outside.

The gray tiled walls and whitewashed bricks lined the lakeside, and the misty rain threaded down into the lake like jade silk. The water rippled with the oar’s movement before returning to stillness.

Because the boat was small, there were no chairs inside. Instead, it was lined with handwoven straw cushions.

Ji Yanwan stretched out her hand to catch the falling raindrops. Her palm quickly became damp.

Two dark shapes fluttered across the surface of the water.

“Suihe, look!” Ji Yanwan whispered excitedly. “There are ducks on the lake.”

Fu Suihe, seated beside her, was busy fixing her makeup in a small mirror. She responded half-heartedly, “Mm.”

Not getting a proper response didn’t bother Ji Yanwan. Her eyes soon caught sight of a small bird perched on an electric pole.

“Suihe, Suihe, what kind of bird is that?” she asked again.

“It’s just a little bird,” Fu Suihe replied casually.

“You must have been to Wuzhen a lot,” Ji Yanwan sighed, resting her chin on the window ledge. “You don’t seem surprised by anything here.”

After applying her lipstick, Fu Suihe glanced at the quiet girl beside her. Her sulky eyes and droopy expression looked exactly like a little pup that had been wronged.

With a helpless sigh, Fu Suihe reached out, took Ji Yanwan’s face in her hands, and gently turned her head.

She leaned in and kissed her.

Her freshly applied lipstick smeared, leaving a big mark beside Ji Yanwan’s mouth.

Fu Suihe coaxed softly, “Be good. There’s still a lot of Wuzhen I haven’t seen. Next time we get a break, I’ll go exploring with you.”

Her tone was like speaking to a child, and it made Ji Yanwan feel instantly better.

She wrapped her arms around Fu Suihe and began planting kisses on both sides of her lips, left and right, until the lipstick was completely smudged.

Finally satisfied, Ji Yanwan giggled.

“Hehe. Alright.”

Ji Yanwan grinned like a fool, the red lipstick mark around her lips making her teeth and skin look even whiter and cleaner.

That childlike smile made Fu Suihe shake her head helplessly.

The rain outside grew heavier. Fu Suihe raised her hand and shut the window, then continued touching up her makeup.

Since she could no longer watch the view, Ji Yanwan rested her chin on her palm and focused all her attention on watching Fu Suihe fix her makeup.

The more she watched, the happier she felt inside.

“Why do you keep staring at me?” Fu Suihe asked with playful annoyance.

Ji Yanwan just giggled. “Because you’re beautiful. My wife is just so beautiful.”

Her innocent smile made her look like a giant puppy.

Fu Suihe turned her eyes away, feeling too awkward to meet her gaze any longer.

Once she finished her makeup, the door curtain of the boat was lifted again.

This boat looped around the Wuzhen film district, stopping at each location where the cast and crew were staying.

Since Fu Suihe and Ji Yanwan lived near the set, they had boarded first.

Now, based on the route, the next passengers would be the director and the screenwriter.

As expected, Chen Fei and Zhao Mumu boarded while politely making room for one another.

The moment the curtain lifted, Chen Fei broke into a smile.

“Suihe, did we come at the wrong time?” he teased.

Beneath the warm, hazy glow of the lanterns, a pair of beautiful people sat side by side. From their features to their presence, they looked strikingly well matched.

Chen Fei had always admired Fu Suihe. Among the younger generation of actors, few could match her combination of talent and appearance.

But he had long been disappointed that FU Entertainment kept her from taking on international projects.

When he heard she had retired after getting married, he had assumed the Ji family was to blame and felt it was a real loss.

Now that she had made a comeback and was acting in one of his films, it felt like a wish fulfilled before his retirement.

His teasing tone made the two who had been sitting close feel a little self-conscious.

Fu Suihe calmly shifted slightly to the side.

“Not at all, Director Chen,” she replied. “You’re right on time.”

Chen Fei laughed heartily and waved. “Mumu, come sit over here.”

Only then did Zhao Mumu fully lift the curtain and enter.

She nodded to the pair already seated and greeted them with a smile.

“Suihe. Wanwan.”

“Wanwan?” Chen Fei raised an eyebrow. “Mumu, do you already know Miss Ji?”

Zhao Mumu nodded with a smile. “We went to high school together.”

She glanced at the lipstick smudge still visible near Ji Yanwan’s lips, and something in her chest tightened slightly.

Thankfully, Chen Fei’s attention was focused on Fu Suihe, so he didn’t ask further about their past.

The boat glided smoothly forward, picking up a few more people, including some producers and two or three supporting actors.

Ji Yanwan noticed that the shy girl from earlier, Hu Luobei, was actually part of the main cast.

But from the moment she boarded, Hu Luobei kept her head down and didn’t glance once in their direction.

The cabin was full of laughter and lively conversation, mostly thanks to Fu Suihe and Director Chen Fei.

There was also an actress from the supporting cast named Yu Shuang, who seemed quite familiar with Fu Suihe. She kept raising her glass to her, offering drinks again and again.

Ji Yanwan, admittedly possessive, didn’t want Fu Suihe to drink too much. Each time Yu Shuang offered a toast, Ji Yanwan stood up and blocked it with a polite smile.

Protected by Ji Yanwan blocking her drinks, Fu Suihe boldly joined Chen Fei and Yu Shuang in a round of drinking games.

Meanwhile, Zhao Mumu sat quietly at the edge, not participating. Her gaze was fixed on Ji Yanwan, who was downing glass after glass as if her life depended on it. Her brows furrowed more tightly with every sip.

The small boat swayed gently as it moved forward, slowly drifting under the moonlight until it faded into a dark silhouette.

After several rounds of drinks, the boat finally began to slow, steering toward the dock.

Ji Yanwan had drunk far too much. Using the excuse of needing the restroom, she asked to get off.

The boat rocked softly as it pulled up to the edge. The warm yellow lanterns glowed quietly in the night.

The moment her feet touched land, Ji Yanwan couldn’t hold it in any longer. She stumbled toward a trash bin and started vomiting violently.

Even though Chen Fei was getting on in years, he drank like a man half his age. His skill in convincing others to drink was even more impressive.

Ji Yanwan had not only drunk her own share but had also helped take the toasts meant for Fu Suihe.

Round after round, she kept drinking. Several times she had felt the urge to throw up, but Fu Suihe never reacted or stepped in.

So Ji Yanwan gritted her teeth and waited until the boat finally stopped.

She emptied her stomach into the bin, but the nausea didn’t go away. All she could do was retch again and again.

Eventually, the contractions in her stomach became painful, and she started to feel completely drained.

Lifting her head weakly from the trash bin, her vision blurred with drunken haze, she noticed that the boat, which had docked earlier, was now slowly moving away again.

Fu Suihe was still on board, and so was that woman who wouldn’t stop offering drinks.

Ji Yanwan forced herself to take a few steps forward, but her legs gave out beneath her.

She had been standing right on the edge of the dock. One misstep, and she fell straight into the lake.

The water was icy cold, enough to jolt her foggy brain into sharp clarity. She thrashed, kicking and flailing, but the chill dragged her downward.

Just when she thought she might really drown, another splash echoed through the night.

Through her dazed vision, she vaguely saw a figure swimming toward her.

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