The Second Fall - Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Dating with Rong Yushu

Rong Yushu’s words were quite strange.

She sounded like a villainous boss, forbidding her employees from having any private activities—even in an emergency. But perhaps it was because her tone was unusual; it carried her signature lack of seriousness, sounding like flirting one moment and a playful complaint the next.

Lan Cixing really did lower her head, her ears turning red. She felt ashamed, her voice becoming as quiet as a mosquito’s buzz.

“It’s not that I want to go, but my aunt arranged it for me. She’s very assertive, and I find it hard to refuse her…”

Facing Rong Yushu, Lan Cixing couldn’t very well say that this was all because of the accidental marking four years ago—that her family was only this concerned about her relationship status because of that. Otherwise, given her aunt’s personality, she would never nag Lan Cixing about staying single for life. After all, her aunt had a history of on-and-off relationships with various partners; she had just broken up again recently and returned to the single life.

“You understand, right, Boss? When your elders treat you well but don’t fully understand your thoughts, and they insist on you doing something… If your sister told you to go on a blind date and said it was already scheduled, you’d find it hard to refuse too, right?”

Lan Cixing knew Rong Yushu had a very powerful sister. Or rather, in the circles of the wealthy and the business world, Rong Yushu was at most a “rich second-generation little miss,” while her sister, Rong Jinhuai, was the true titan. Rong Jinhuai was the heir to the Rong family and already occupied the position of Group Chairperson. Her methods were thunderous and her word was law; yet every decision she made seemed to come from a “god’s eye view,” possessing an almost supernatural accuracy.

Someone like that surely wouldn’t be easy to talk to when facing her younger sister. Lan Cixing was clutching at straws, bringing up Rong Jinhuai in hopes that Rong Yushu would empathize.

Rong Yushu gazed at her, her fox-like eyes dimming for a second, the emerald lake-color shimmering with ripples. However, Lan Cixing kept her head down like an elementary student being scolded by a principal, only daring to stare at the floor looking for ants, so she didn’t notice the change in Rong Yushu’s expression.

She only heard a light chuckle.

“You’re right.” This sentence was spoken in Cantonese.

Lan Cixing reacted for a moment and quietly lifted her head, as if her chin had been hooked by Rong Yushu. Upon meeting the sharpness in those green eyes, she immediately looked away and lowered her head again.

“If you must go on a blind date, fine. Date me then; the two of us will go on a date.”

Rong Yushu propped her chin on her hand. The seriousness and indifference vanished in an instant, replaced by her previous air of casualness. The invitation to a “date” came out of her mouth so sweetly, as if she were truly facing a lover.

“It’s a blind date anyway, so it’s the same with me. Coincidentally, my sister has been nagging me too. We can use each other to fulfill our duties.” This sentence shattered the previous ambiguity, sounding almost serious for a change.

“But, but…” Lan Cixing opened her mouth in protest.

She didn’t dare go on a date… or a blind date… with Rong Yushu! What if they were caught by fans or photographed by the media? The terror of four years ago crawled up Lan Cixing’s ankles, dragging her down. The feeling of falling pierced her heart and stifled her voice.

She saw Rong Yushu’s calm eyes. The emerald hue was naturally tranquil, as peaceful as a lake without ripples, yet bottomless. Looking into them was like facing an abyss; in a daze, one would be swallowed whole. Lan Cixing’s soul was momentarily captured, birthing a sense of awe that allowed her a rare escape from her fear.

She pushed the events of four years ago out of her mind. “My aunt has already made the appointment with the other person. It’s because I don’t want to break the promise that I wanted to ask for leave…”

Rong Yushu was silent for a moment. She stared unblinkingly into Lan Cixing’s eyes, her flickering gaze wandering over her features. Lan Cixing swallowed hard.

“Then take me with you.” Rong Yushu took her hand away from her face, her aura shifting instantly. Her words brooked no refusal, like those of a superior.

Lan Cixing’s eyes went blank with confusion. At that moment, Rong Yushu stood up and reached out to tap the tip of Lan Cixing’s nose, withdrawing that aggressive sense of command. It was as if she were teasing Lan Cixing again.

“Little Bodyguard. Shouldn’t you protect me? If I’m missing you for an afternoon, I wouldn’t dare go to the film set. What if something happens?”

There was a smile in her voice, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. Lan Cixing’s nose was pressed down, creating a slight stinging sensation. She stepped back and touched her poor nose.

She actually felt that Rong Yushu’s words made some sense. Rong Yushu was too famous, her glory boundless. There were plenty of people in the entertainment industry with dirty minds who couldn’t stand her fame or hated her for taking resources. Not to mention the Rong family had enemies of its own. Those who couldn’t get to Rong Jinhuai would want to target Rong Yushu to coerce the Rong family into concessions.

In her early years, Rong Yushu had experienced several instances of being harmed for no reason; after suffering those losses, she always kept one or two bodyguards by her side. Now that Lan Cixing was her bodyguard, it was only right that she followed at all times.

Still, having the employer follow the bodyguard was just too strange.

“I can ask my colleague to…” Lan Cixing just thought of a good solution. Although her relationship with her colleagues at the security firm was ordinary, she was sure many would be happy to take over as Rong Yushu’s bodyguard for an afternoon.

“It’s settled.” Rong Yushu interrupted her. It was unclear whether she had anticipated what Lan Cixing would say or if she simply lacked the patience to listen.

Her finger actually reached into Lan Cixing’s mask, grandiosely lifting that thin barrier to poke Lan Cixing’s cheek. Seeing Lan Cixing’s hesitating expression, she changed the poke into a pinch. Her grip was quite strong.

She really does hate me. Lan Cixing was finally let go, covering her aching cheek and wiping away a tear from the corner of her eye.

Rong Yushu skipped the shoot.

The movie had officially begun filming, but Rong Yushu played the big star card, letting Director Nian film others first and promising to make up her scenes later. She always filmed very quickly, and Director Nian was efficient; they had previously set a record of finishing a movie in a month, and that movie had even won awards. Director Nian waved his hand and approved Rong Yushu’s leave for the evening as well.

Currently, Rong Yushu was sitting in the car on the way to the restaurant for the blind date. The nails of her left hand were hooked into the back of the car seat, playing with it like a child. Her right arm was around Lan Cixing.

Lan Cixing was stiff, like a piece of dried flatbread that would shatter into pieces if bumped.

“B-Boss…” Nearly pressed against Rong Yushu’s shoulder, Lan Cixing finally couldn’t help but speak. Why was Rong Yushu holding her? Was it just for fun?

“If you have something to say, say it.” Rong Yushu seemed completely oblivious as she used her left index finger to scrape across Lan Cixing’s neck.

A jolt of electricity spread from her neck, following the artery she had grazed and flowing through her whole body. Lan Cixing came back to life, struggling to escape. “Aren’t we going to a blind date?”

Rong Yushu let go, giving Lan Cixing the freedom to breathe, but her raised hand was still ready to strike, and her words were only half an explanation.

“…I am going to the blind date, Boss. You can’t show your face.”

Lan Cixing covered her neck, her entire upper body feeling out of sorts. If Rong Yushu wanted to follow, she could only do so fully disguised and following at a distance. She didn’t want to think about the chaos that would ensue if Rong Yushu, with her massive fan base, appeared in a public place.

Rong Yushu had never made such a mistake. But just last month, a near-A-list star was spotted by fans buying snacks at a roadside stall; within two minutes, the intersection was packed with fans, and a stampede nearly occurred. Lan Cixing didn’t want to work overtime because of that. She could easily deal with a dozen colleagues from the security firm, but she had no solution for crazed fans.

“What’s the difference? You have to take me with you anyway.” Rong Yushu had truly only given Lan Cixing a chance to breathe; after saying that, she hugged her again.

Lan Cixing was a bit more used to it than last time and managed to survive. To Rong Yushu, did this not count as being a “personal bodyguard”? Then what exactly was a personal bodyguard supposed to be like? Lan Cixing was momentarily lost in thought, actually becoming curious about Rong Yushu’s previous personal bodyguards. Maybe Rong Yushu teased them like this too.

Lan Cixing managed to calm her breathing. Suddenly, the tip of her ear was pinched. She turned her head and met those smiling fox-like eyes.

“That blind date of yours—what are they like?” Rong Yushu’s tone was flat, sounding like casual conversation without a hint of jealousy.

Lan Cixing didn’t find it strange either and truly started to think about it. “Let me see… I probably haven’t met them…” Lan Cixing didn’t even know what kind of person her aunt had found for her. According to the description, they were perfect: a company executive, beautiful with a nice voice, and didn’t care about the entertainment industry.

Lan Cixing opened her phone, saw that the blind date had accepted her friend request, and clicked into their social feed. Rong Yushu gazed gloomily at Lan Cixing’s phone. She saw herself in the contact list. To be precise, she saw An Yu. None of the other chat boxes had red dots; all were read and replied to. Only her An Yu chat box was unread and unreplied to.

Rong Yushu closed her eyes for a moment, then focused on observing Lan Cixing’s blind date. Unfortunately, the blind date’s feed was empty, set to only show the last three days, and there wasn’t even a single photo. The background and profile picture were just ordinary cat emojis; she couldn’t make out anything.

“Anyway, it’s probably someone I don’t know. I’ll have a meal, take a photo for my aunt, and then leave.” Lan Cixing let out a breath.

Rong Yushu had nothing to say. Three seconds later, Lan Cixing let out a cry of pain. Her ear had been pinched again; Rong Yushu’s nails were so sharp.

She really does hate me!

The restaurant chosen for the blind date was high-end, with exquisite and luxurious decor. Lan Cixing didn’t want to think about how much a meal here would cost; she even had to treat the employer who had followed her. Half a day’s salary gone, and she’d have to pay hundreds or thousands more out of pocket. Lan Cixing was doing the math, her heart aching with the cost.

Fortunately, the other person hadn’t booked a private room. Lan Cixing led Rong Yushu toward a window seat. Currently, Rong Yushu was wearing a floral mask, a gauze eye-veil tied around her head, and a hat. Her outfit included a bulky coat that changed her body shape to ensure no one recognized her.

Lan Cixing’s plan was to have Rong Yushu wait at a nearby table. Rong Yushu didn’t voice an opinion, treating it as a tacit agreement.

“Ah Ci.” Just as she was about to sit down, Lan Cixing heard Rong Yushu call her. The name was unexpectedly intimate, and the tone was unusual, sounding truly like a lover’s call.

“My hat seems to have slipped. I can’t see; help me?” The next second, Rong Yushu issued another command. The familiar tone made Lan Cixing forget the previous form of address.

She turned around and saw that Rong Yushu’s eye-veil was about to slide off and her hat was tilting to one side. Lan Cixing turned and leaned in closer to adjust them for her. Her wrist was brushed by Rong Yushu’s breath. The white tea scent attacked once more, ambiguously surrounding Lan Cixing.

Lan Cixing slowly slowed her breathing, not wanting to disturb her, her movements becoming gentle. Rong Yushu was unusually well-behaved. She stood perfectly straight, her eyes lowered and submissive, like a gentle cat. While retying the eye-veil, Lan Cixing could even feel her eyelashes fluttering. It made her wrist feel so itchy.

Involuntarily, Lan Cixing moved even closer. From a distance, they looked like an intimate couple, their movements in adjusting the clothing ambiguous and tender, as if they were about to embrace the next moment. Lan Cixing wanted to finish quickly, but she couldn’t seem to make her movements faster. It was as if Rong Yushu was using some fox-spirit magic to freeze her in place, making her unable to escape.

Finally, she was about to finish fixing Rong Yushu’s hat. Suddenly, Lan Cixing’s wrist was grabbed by Rong Yushu. Before she could react, a familiar voice came from behind her.

“Cixing?”

It was the blind date.

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