The Person I Love Who Has Been Missing For Three Years - Chapter 50

Chapter 50: She Couldn’t Bear It (4k words collected…)

During the first public performance, the backstage area was filled with glamor. Female celebrities clustered together, dazzling and attention-grabbing.

The air was thick with the mixed scents of cosmetics and perfume, which, warmed by body heat, turned into a dense cloud of fragrance.

Song Xiangwan sat in a corner, sipping honey water from a thermos cup through a straw, resembling a soft cat with her cheeks puffed out.

She was slightly distracted because Ming Jin’s condition wasn’t good when she left.

It had been raining in H City for the past two days, and the temperature had suddenly dropped due to a typhoon over the sea.

Ming Jin’s old injuries were difficult to bear when it rained.

Furthermore, the temperature had fluctuated these past two days, and Ming Jin’s immunity was low, causing her to catch a slight cold.

For a normal person, a cold that could be suppressed with hot water and sleep was a serious matter that Ming Jin had to treat with utmost caution.

Song Xiangwan couldn’t help but wonder if she had unconsciously stolen Ming Jin’s blanket while they slept together these past two nights.

Logically speaking, she massaged Ming Jin every night, so she should have been sleeping well, but why was her complexion getting worse?

“Sister Wan,” Zhou Xintong approached with a beaming smile and sat beside her. “Are you nervous?”

A live broadcast of a public performance was a rare occurrence in the entertainment industry.

It was normal to be nervous.

Song Xiangwan nodded blankly: “Mhm mhm…”

It was somewhat perfunctory. She didn’t have her phone, and Ming Jin had been sleeping when she left in the afternoon. She wondered if she was awake now.

These past two days, they had been living like a normal couple: eating, sleeping, and going out together, holding hands, hugging, and engaging in subtle intimacy.

But for some reason, Song Xiangwan always felt that her world and Ming Jin’s were separated by a layer of frosted glass, close yet difficult to truly touch.

“Wow… so beautiful…” Zhou Xintong suddenly gasped.

Following her gaze, a woman in a white gauze dress appeared. Green vine decorations were entwined around her arms and waist. Her lightly powdered face was clean and cool. A bright gold foil flower adornment marked her brow. With exaggerated wings on her back, she looked like a nature goddess who had just stepped barefoot from a lake.

Su Chenxing’s group’s styling was undoubtedly eye-catching, especially Su Chenxing’s face, which was breathtakingly beautiful.

It was no wonder she had become a sought-after figure in the entertainment industry over the past two years.

Her gaze swept over, her eyes lifting slightly in a momentary challenge as she passed Song Xiangwan.

Song Xiangwan was in no mood to get into a catfight with this woman now. She had rehearsal, performance, and then had to rush home to accompany Ming Jin. She had no time for such trivial matters.

But since a challenge had been issued, swallowing her pride was not in Song Xiangwan’s character.

Song Xiangwan was fearless. Her phoenix eyes lifted slightly, the small reddish mole at the corner of her eye looking defiant. She gave a dazzling, arrogant smile.

“Sister Wan… you guys…” Zhou Xintong was close and sensed the tension between the two.

“Teacher Song, do you have an issue with me?” Su Chenxing stepped forward first, her tone flat but with a hint of suppressed hostility.

“Why are you calling me that?” Song Xiangwan frowned, nonchalantly putting the lid on her thermos cup, clearly not taking the person in front of her seriously.

“Are you insulting me?” Su Chenxing immediately became alert.

“Am I?” Song Xiangwan smiled slightly. “Don’t falsely accuse me.”

“I merely said not to casually call me ‘teacher’. I haven’t taught a student like you,” Song Xiangwan changed her tone. “Did you misunderstand something?”

“If you insist on taking offense, what can I do?”

“Don’t get angry. Losing your temper affects your public image.”

“Everyone knows my Song Xiangwan has a bad temper, but you’re the entertainment industry’s pristine white flower.”

Song Xiangwan stood up: “Xintong, let’s go. Don’t get bitten.”

Su Chenxing wasn’t as sharp-tongued as Song Xiangwan. She was so angry that her fingers, hanging at her sides, clenched tightly, her eyes gloomy.

She was absolutely furious, but it was true, as Song Xiangwan said, she couldn’t lose her temper.

With so many people watching, she had maintained a pure, ‘white flower’ image since her debut. Arguing here would inevitably lead to rumors.

Her head felt like it was about to explode with anger. How could this awful woman…

How could someone so malicious survive in the entertainment industry and still be popular?

Song Xiangwan took a step forward, suddenly feeling a strong push, stumbling violently. She had to grab Zhou Xintong to regain her balance.

The seam of her skirt instantly ripped, all the way up to her thigh, a ragged tear.

Zhou Xintong’s eyes narrowed. She quickly moved to cover Song Xiangwan’s skirt: “Sister Wan, are you alright? Did you fall?”

“I’m so sorry, Teacher Song, truly sorry. I just wanted to catch up to you and say something…” Su Chenxing’s eyes instantly reddened, looking terrified and apologetic.

Song Xiangwan’s phoenix eyes were cold. She confirmed it: this woman hadn’t come to argue; she had likely been aiming for her skirt from the start.

The performance was starting in fifteen minutes. The tear was too large. Even if they sewed it up, it would look crooked and very ugly.

The triumph in Su Chenxing’s eyes flashed and disappeared.

She was intentionally doing this today. She still felt angry remembering the news she got from Sister Jing yesterday.

The watch endorsement they were finalizing suddenly terminated the contract. When she inquired, she learned they thought Song Xiangwan better fit their brand’s aesthetic.

This woman, who she had once suppressed and made her play second fiddle to, had suddenly risen again, overshadowing her.

She couldn’t stand it.

And she had lost the verbal sparring just now.

But now, in public, she had claimed it was accidental. Song Xiangwan surely couldn’t…

“It wasn’t intentional, huh?” Song Xiangwan chuckled softly, moving a step closer.

For some reason, Su Chenxing felt overwhelmed by the dominance in her eyes and took a step back.

Song Xiangwan took another step forward. Su Chenxing held her breath, didn’t retreat, and stood her ground, her eyes innocent: “Teacher Song, I’ve already apologized.”

“I’m sorry,” Song Xiangwan said slowly, word by word. “I apologized too.”

Then, she stepped squarely onto Su Chenxing’s foot, walking past her, arrogantly putting all her weight on that foot.

Su Chenxing was supposed to be barefoot for her stage performance later. She was only wearing slippers now, and that stomp landed firmly.

Song Xiangwan walked past her without looking back, her chin slightly raised, like an arrogant cat that believed it was perfectly justified in stepping over someone’s leg.

Song Xiangwan lifted her eyelashes, seeing the rushing director.

“I don’t want this matter getting out,” Song Xiangwan said flatly.

“Teacher Song…” The director looked troubled.

“Or should I let the investors talk to you personally?” Song Xiangwan raised an eyebrow, her tone dismissive.

The production team generally knew about Song Xiangwan’s investor connections.

They had seen many people with connections, but rarely anyone as self-assured, entitled, and openly leveraging their power as Song Xiangwan.

Zhou Xintong watched, wide-eyed. In the few days she had known Song Xiangwan, she thought Teacher Song was good-tempered and easygoing.

She thought the online rumors about her being difficult were false…

She really does have a spoiled rich girl’s temper.

They could try to sew it up now, but the result wouldn’t be good. It was originally a continuous landscape painting. If stitched together now, it would look very awkward.

Alternatively, they could just leave it as is and trim the frayed edges.

Song Xiangwan chose the second option. Their performance was the fourth one. Amidst swirling smoke, the lift slowly descended from above.

The stage fan instantly turned on, and her skirt floated up, making her look like a fairy descending from a waterfall or the moon.

A thin veil covered the lower half of her face. A close-up focused on Song Xiangwan’s face. Her phoenix eyes were full of emotion. The reddish mole, a captivating beauty mark.

Song Xiangwan’s Dog: Wuwuwu, this face, this vibe, I could worship it forever.

Wanwan’s Visual Fan: Truly stunning. Whose idea was this? Those legs, sizzle, sizzle.

The Bright Moon Towards Evening: Questioning the tyrant, understanding the tyrant, becoming the tyrant.

A Piece of Candy: Give us more screen time, wuwuwu, it’s not enough.

Wanwan’s Visual Fan: Yes, why are the shots so few? Is capital manipulating this?

A Piece of Candy: They are very few. Apart from a few close-ups, it’s mostly wide shots.

Space Walker: They’ll release individual fancams after the show. Fancams for the earlier acts have already been released.

Song Xiangwan’s Dog: Good, good, I’m going to replay it a thousand times.

The on-site audience of a thousand people voted. There were eight performances in total. Scores and rankings started being announced from the third group.

The audience below chanted uniformly. Song Xiangwan had the highest popularity in her group, but without a major traffic star, their votes weren’t dominant.

The result already exceeded expectations.

The four of them smiled and waved to the audience, exiting through the tunnel to the viewing area.

Before they could sit down, a staff member rushed over with a thin blanket and handed it to Song Xiangwan: “Teacher Song, cover up…”

For some reason, Song Xiangwan felt this staff member seemed terrified, like a frightened bird.

The entire show was live-streamed, and cameras cut to the viewing area, so those who had performed couldn’t leave. Their phones were also confiscated, forcing them to watch the rest of the show.

The next group was Su Chenxing’s.

On the high golden steps, like a nature goddess, she walked down layer by layer, barefoot, following the rhythm of the music.

A stage like a fairyland.

However, Song Xiangwan clearly noticed that Su Chenxing’s posture was somewhat unnatural as she walked.

Serves her right.

The cat cursed inwardly.

Her weight wasn’t enough. I stepped too lightly. I should have pressed harder and sent her straight to the hospital.

Song Xiangwan showed no expression on her face, maintaining a serious demeanor as if genuinely appreciating the performance.

#SongXiangwanBewitchesMe#

Netizens’ posts were varied:

Holy cow, my sister’s legs aren’t legs, they’re the spring water of the Seine River.

Song Xiangwan is truly the modern Daji. Mom, I’m actually eating this well.

Such a schemer. She’s the only one showing her legs. She must have ‘wanting to be famous’ written all over her face, right?

Desperate for a comeback. Could she have torn it herself before going on stage?

So little screen time. She had little screen time even in the compilation episode. Is capital manipulating this?

Serves her right. She deserves less screen time for exposing herself like that.

Hurry, hurry! I’m King Jiji. Why hasn’t Song Xiangwan’s fancam been released yet?

Yeah, the fancams for the other contestants in her group are out, but hers isn’t.

For a live broadcast, fancams aren’t edited. They’re simply processed and released. Lu Peiling and the other three’s were out, but only Song Xiangwan’s was missing.

And while they were discussing it, the Weibo topic was actually censored, showing a blank page.

Song Xiangwan was unaware of the storm she had created. She was a little sleepy. She had seen these performances during the rehearsal and was aesthetically fatigued.

Su Chenxing’s group scored very high, immediately soaring to first place, pushing Song Xiangwan’s group down to third.

When she returned to the viewing area, Su Chenxing looked at Song Xiangwan with an obvious air of superiority.

Song Xiangwan glared back fiercely. The kitten was very vengeful, and one stomp wasn’t enough to satisfy her.

Just then, Cheng Cheng jogged in, leaning close to Song Xiangwan’s ear, whispering: “Sister Wan, CEO Ming is here.”

The cat’s fierce anger instantly vanished. Her face immediately lit up with joy, and she stood up to leave.

Su Chenxing couldn’t run away. There would be plenty of opportunities to beat her up later. Right now, her wife was the most important.

Backstage, staff members were moving back and forth. Song Xiangwan followed Cheng Cheng through the crowd to the innermost room, the director’s lounge.

Pushing the door open, she saw the person in the wheelchair shrouded in darkness.

She reached out and turned on the light, then squatted down in front of Ming Jin: “Why did you come? Did you sleep well this afternoon?”

Ming Jin didn’t speak. Her gaze dropped to Song Xiangwan’s smooth legs. Now that she was squatting, the ripped opening stretched wide, the fabric tight against her leg.

The suppressed blood vessels beneath the skin were congested, creating a faint redness on her skin.

Ming Jin’s slightly cool fingers pressed onto the faintly red skin. The light in her amber eyes churned restlessly.

It felt slightly ticklish, but Song Xiangwan didn’t pull away. Instead, she moved forward a step. Riiip. The tear instantly widened, exposing everything.

Ming Jin’s fingers gently tightened, clutching the soft, warm cloud in her palm, leaving red indentations on her skin.

“Come closer,” Ming Jin’s voice was slightly suppressed and hoarse.

Song Xiangwan had just leaned forward when her waist was seized and she was pulled into Ming Jin’s embrace.

Kneeling on one knee in front of the wheelchair, her upper body was enveloped in Ming Jin’s hug. She only had time to brace herself on the edge of the wheelchair so she wouldn’t fully lean on her.

A fierce kiss immediately sealed her lips. The hand encircling her waist gently stroked downward, landing again on the taut flesh of her thigh.

“What exactly do you want?” Ming Jin’s nose pressed against Song Xiangwan’s earlobe, her heavy breathing completely unrestrained.

“I’ll give you whatever you want. Please don’t be like this, Wanwan…” She spoke in a question, but her tone was intensely obsessive.

Ming Jin misunderstood, thinking Song Xiangwan tore the skirt herself.

Song Xiangwan hugged Ming Jin’s waist, fearing her emotions would become too volatile, and gently said: “No, I didn’t tear it. It was an accident.”

Song Xiangwan was enveloped in Ming Jin’s faint scent, as if wrapped in a thick cloud. While returning Ming Jin’s kiss, she couldn’t help but worry about her heart.

She was starting to lose strength and leaned into Ming Jin’s embrace, but she didn’t dare to put her full weight on her. She struggled to keep herself propped up, her eyelashes trembling.

“Ah-Jin…” In a momentary gap, she finally managed to speak: “Stop…”

The intense kiss abruptly paused, and the pressure on her thigh loosened.

A momentary look of hurt flashed in Ming Jin’s amber eyes. She retracted her hand, pressing her fingertips onto her knees, slowly clenching them.

Lowering her gaze to suppress her emotions, she whispered: “I’m sorry…”

“Are you alright? Do you feel uncomfortable?” Song Xiangwan looked at Ming Jin’s lowered head, worried sick.

“I’m sorry, I lost control a little.” Ming Jin pressed her fingertips gently against her forehead. Her mind was a chaotic, painful mess.

She truly couldn’t control her emotions.

She had been watching the live broadcast at home and saw that scene. She wanted to smash the TV and immediately cut off the broadcast feed.

“I was wrong. I won’t do it again.” Song Xiangwan knew where the problem was. She knelt on one knee in front of Ming Jin, reaching out to feel Ming Jin’s forehead temperature.

It felt slightly hot. She wasn’t sure if it was a temperature increase from the passionate moment or a slight fever.

Ming Jin subtly turned her head away, avoiding Song Xiangwan’s hand, and slowly said: “Help me pour a glass of water.”

She needed to calm down. She needed to suppress her emotions, lest she do something too extreme.

There was a water dispenser and disposable cups in the room. Song Xiangwan got up and poured a cup of warm water.

Unexpectedly, in the final step of returning, she stepped on the ruined skirt, stumbling. She didn’t fall, but the water cup in her hand flew out.

It spilled completely onto Ming Jin’s lap.

Song Xiangwan’s heart sank. Fortunately, it was warm water.

She quickly grabbed a napkin to help Ming Jin wipe it, but the thin shirt was already soaked.

Instinctively, she reached out to undo the shirt buttons, wanting to reach inside and wipe her.

Just as she undid one button, her wrist was grabbed. Ming Jin’s voice was tight: “Don’t…”

If it was undone, that glaring scar would be revealed.

It would scare her away.

“Ah-Jin…” Song Xiangwan was confused, thinking she had hurt her.

With her emotions surging, the strong sense of violence nearly overwhelmed Ming Jin. Her hand pressed onto her knees, clenching so hard that her veins visibly bulged.

“Don’t do that…” Song Xiangwan gently stroked the back of her hand, softly and lightly, over and over, soothingly: “Don’t squeeze yourself like that, Ah-Jin, Ah-Jin…”

She thought she had hurt Ming Jin. Subconsciously checking herself for a phone and finding none, she softly said: “Here’s your phone. I’ll call Dr. Lin.”

“Don’t do this. You’ll hurt yourself.”

“Hold my hand, like this, like this. Will that help?”

Song Xiangwan tried to pry Ming Jin’s fingers open, but she didn’t dare to use force, holding the stalemate.

She was terribly worried. Even though Ming Jin’s legs lacked sensation, gripping them like this could still cause injury.

Precisely because she lacked sensation, she might not realize how severe an injury was.

She finally managed to pry Ming Jin’s hand open and slid her own hand in, but she felt no gripping force. Ming Jin’s strength had completely gone slack.

“Change your clothes,” Ming Jin’s gaze fell on the tattered skirt. Red finger marks covered her pale skin.

She was the most delicate, easily bruised person. A light touch would leave a bruise.

Those finger marks were so clear they looked like the aftermath of a passionate encounter, adding a color of desire.

“You…” Song Xiangwan couldn’t leave her.

“I’m fine,” Ming Jin’s tone was flat. She whispered: “I’m sorry. Next time, I won’t force you.”

Song Xiangwan was slightly stunned. Force? What force?

The kiss just now?

She had called for a stop… but not because of that…

She leaned closer, looking into Ming Jin’s eyes, and whispered: “Ah-Jin, there was no force. I wanted it.”

Grabbing Ming Jin’s wrist, she pressed her cool fingertips against her own cheek, rubbing lightly, like a cat.

The cool fingertips seemed to tense slightly but didn’t pull away.

Song Xiangwan lifted her eyelashes, her eyes looking like they held a pool of spring water, gently rippling: “Wife…”

“Ah-Jin…”

“Jiejie…”

“My love…”

“No force. I wanted it.” She lifted her head and kissed the lips that carried a chill.

Like a piece of cold ice, she captured it. Then, amidst the warmth, the cold ice slowly melted, a faint moistness spreading between their lips and teeth.

She completely sank into Ming Jin’s embrace, laced her fingers through Ming Jin’s, surrendering herself entirely.

She wanted to melt this ice. She wanted to use the fiercest fire, a clinging response, to heat and ferment the passion.

She kissed Ming Jin’s lips open. Their tongues tangled, their breathing exceptionally clear.

The backstage room had poor soundproofing. They could hear the conversations of staff members walking back and forth outside and the muffled music from the stage.

Amidst the noise, all their attention was absorbed by this passionate kiss.

Lost in the kiss, her fingertips brushed Ming Jin’s neck, landed on the button at her collar, and subtly unfastened it.

The kiss trailed down her cheek and across her neck. Her tongue gently licked, like a clingy cat.

She reached for the buttons on the side of her own skirt and undid them. The shattered skirt fell instantly, crushed under the wheelchair’s wheels.

The female star’s skin was exquisitely pale, yet flushed with a faint redness, like a delicate work of art. Her touch was warm and smooth like jade.

She reached out to undo the second button on Ming Jin’s shirt, then the third…

Her wrist was caught. It was Ming Jin’s voice, unsteady, slightly trembling: “Stop…”

Black spots swam before her eyes. Ming Jin’s chest heaved violently. She held Song Xiangwan’s wrist like that, pressing her forehead against Song Xiangwan’s shoulder.

Slowly steadying her breath, and fighting the waves of dizziness, she whispered: “Stop… not like this…”

She couldn’t bear it, neither psychologically nor physically.

The scent of Song Xiangwan’s perfume enveloped her completely. Ming Jin lowered her gaze, suppressing the darkness in her eyes.