The Second Fall - Chapter 17

Chapter 17: A Fragrant Slap

Like Rong Yushu? Lan Cixing’s instinct was to deny it immediately.

Their fallout four years ago had been catastrophic. She had been badly hurt, and she had ruined Rong Yushu in the process. What right did she have to like Rong Yushu?

Moreover, and most importantly, it was impossible for Rong Yushu to like her. Lan Cixing had passed the age of offering feelings that yielded no return. The immature, unrequited yearnings of her youth had caused her enough suffering; now, approaching thirty, she had no desire to repeat those mistakes.

She would not like Rong Yushu, nor would she like anyone else.

Lan Cixing met Rong Yushu’s fox-like eyes. Words of rejection hovered at the tip of her tongue, ready to break free from her control. But those emerald green eyes flashed, like a trap deep in a forest designed to lure people in.

Lan Cixing’s voice went hoarse. Why was she being so serious? There was no way Rong Yushu was being serious. She was likely just playing a joke. If Lan Cixing agonized over it like this, wouldn’t she be falling right into her trap?

Lan Cixing bit her lip and returned an unflattering look—a deliberate expression of resentment, cold and stagnant.

Rong Yushu tilted her head. The mockery reflecting in her green eyes didn’t fade; instead, it intensified. Her eyelashes fluttered with the light. Every shift of light and shadow was a silent provocation.

Lan Cixing didn’t realize her face was flushed; she only felt an uncomfortable, sweltering heat throughout her body. The scent of white tea grew stronger.

This is bad.

Lan Cixing looked away, not daring to meet Rong Yushu’s eyes. Her rut was approaching in a few days; this abnormal heat… could it be that her rut had already arrived? She must not enter her rut in front of Rong Yushu. Lan Cixing bit her lip even harder, eventually biting her tongue as well.

She looked down in pain, a layer of misty tears covering her eyes. Yet her peripheral vision was still firmly captured by Rong Yushu, pinned to that mockery, unable to escape.

“It doesn’t matter,” Rong Yushu said with curving eyes, looking truly like a vixen descended to the mortal realm.

She raised her hand, and the black card propping up Lan Cixing’s chin exerted force, tilting Lan Cixing’s face back to center it toward her. Rong Yushu saw the blush and the tears clearly. The light hidden in her green eyes softened involuntarily.

“It’s not like I like you either.” Knowing Lan Cixing wouldn’t believe it, Rong Yushu said it anyway. She had honed her acting skills for four years, reaching a point where Lan Cixing couldn’t tell if she was performing or not. The emotions in her eyes were nine parts real and one part fake. Yet the truth felt too fake, and the fake felt too real. It blurred Lan Cixing’s perception.

Lan Cixing only heard five words: I don’t like you either.

She wasn’t surprised; in fact, she felt relieved. It was wonderful that Rong Yushu didn’t like her. Actually, she already knew Rong Yushu didn’t like her. She knew even better how much Rong Yushu loathed her. This was for the best. They would hate and avoid each other. This job would be treated as a mere accident.

Lan Cixing opened her mouth to respond. The sensation of the black card pressed against her chin became more pronounced. The card had been warmed by her touch; it remained smooth, greasily grazing her skin. It felt nothing like Rong Yushu’s fingers.

See? Rong Yushu isn’t even willing to touch me with her hand.

Lan Cixing forced herself to look up, away from the card that had sat in her pocket for a day. She held her breath to avoid the scent of white tea.

“Boss, please let me work.” She only had to endure one and a half more days. Once Rong Yushu settled her wages, they could go back to being strangers.

Rong Yushu withdrew her hand. The black card struck Lan Cixing’s cheek squarely. It wasn’t a hard hit, but it carried a gust of white tea fragrance. Lan Cixing didn’t dodge, and the “slap” didn’t hurt. When she turned her head back to look at Rong Yushu, she was met with a roll of the eyes.

Lan Cixing covered her face, the stone in her heart finally dropping. Rong Yushu really does hate me!

And as Rong Yushu brushed past her without looking back, she was also thinking: This person really is just after the money.

It’s fine, Lan Cixing encouraged herself. It was normal for an employer to hate her. But they could still like her work! Lan Cixing was determined to be a good bodyguard.

During the afternoon filming, she followed Rong Yushu wherever she went. She even reached out to block people who tried to brush past her. Rong Yushu mostly ignored her, truly treating her like a bodyguard. This set Lan Cixing at ease, and she maintained a cold face that scared off many people who wanted to approach Rong Yushu.

“Let’s call it a day,” Rong Yushu said, finally speaking to Lan Cixing after the afternoon session ended while holding a water bottle handed over by an assistant.

“Is there no night shoot?” Lan Cixing paused. Nighttime was the most dangerous period. As a bodyguard, she should escort Rong Yushu off the set until she was safely in her car. There were many fans gathered outside the set, and the crowd was a mix of different people. Who knew what might happen?

Rong Yushu took a sip of water. Without turning her face, she shifted her eyes toward Lan Cixing. From this angle, the vixen-like tilt of her eyes wasn’t visible; only the clear, translucent green of her pupils could be seen. That slightly cold gaze made Lan Cixing stand a bit straighter.

Rong Yushu remained in the pose of holding the water bottle, silently watching Lan Cixing for two seconds. Lan Cixing realized what was happening and stepped forward to take the bottle.

She heard a chuckle. Her head felt a weight. Unexpectedly, Rong Yushu’s hand rested on top of her head, giving it two light pats.

“There’s someone else for the night shift.” The words spoken weren’t as warm as the action. They were even colder than her eyes.

“That’s right, I don’t need you anymore.” Rong Yushu withdrew her hand and walked away, leaving a stunned Lan Cixing behind.

“Hey.” It wasn’t until a strange and unfriendly voice interrupted her that Lan Cixing shivered and woke up. A slow, dull pain throbbed in her chest, making it difficult to breathe.

“Sister Rong left this specifically for you. Take it and get lost.” It was Rong Yushu’s most sharp-tongued assistant. She pushed a plastic bag toward Lan Cixing haphazardly, acting as if she disliked Lan Cixing immensely, and walked away immediately after finishing.

Lan Cixing could still hear her displeased muttering. “She already gave the order and the girl is still standing there like a statue, how shameless. If it were me…”

Now Lan Cixing truly didn’t dare stay. No matter how curious she was about who the “someone else” for the night shift was, she could only finish her work and go home. This was the first time an employer had personally reduced her workload without docking her pay.

Lan Cixing stood on the subway with her head down. It was clearly a good thing. So why was she feeling so low?

It was peak hour on the subway and the train was packed. Lan Cixing carefully shielded the plastic bag, squeezing herself into a corner. She opened the bag to check if the contents were being crushed. Inside, she saw a cup of milk tea and a bento box.

It was the milk tea she hadn’t been able to receive in the morning, but it wasn’t the standard pearl pudding milk tea everyone else got; it was jasmine green milk tea, which suited her taste much better. As for the bento, Lan Cixing carefully opened the lid to glance at the dishes and portions. It was her favorite food, and there was enough for both her and her sister.

Lan Cixing snapped the bag shut, walked out of the subway, and hailed a taxi. She was afraid the things Rong Yushu gave her would be crushed. Even though the milk tea was in a thermos and the bento box was gilded.

In the last few days, An Yu’s response times had decreased. Lan Cixing opened her phone and looked again; the last time An Yu replied was in the morning. Yesterday was the same; An Yu only replied to her “Good morning” after work. Was it because she had been too enthusiastic lately, making the other woman think she could start playing hot and cold?

Lan Cixing thought it over and simply sent a perfunctory emoji to An Yu.

She walked into Rong Yushu’s office. Today was the final day of the contract. As soon as the account was settled, she wouldn’t have to face Rong Yushu again. Presumably, Rong Yushu wouldn’t want to see her either. Otherwise, why change people for the night shoot?

Lan Cixing exhaled and knocked on the door of Rong Yushu’s office.

“The money has been transferred to your account.” Rong Yushu led her in and leaned back on the sofa, pouring her a cup of tea.

“Ah… thank you.” Lan Cixing was somewhat overwhelmed by the favor and took a very quick sip. The temperature of the tea was just right, and combined with the slightly cool air conditioning of the office, it gave Lan Cixing some warmth.

“If there’s nothing else, goodbye?” Rong Yushu didn’t try to keep her.

“Return these to you. They’ve been washed. Thank you, Boss.” Lan Cixing took out a cloth bag; the bento box and thermos were inside. Rong Yushu could use a plastic bag for her, but she had to use a proper bag in return.

Rong Yushu stared at the bag for a moment, her face expressionless, which made Lan Cixing break into a cold sweat. Suddenly, Rong Yushu curled her lips. “And where is the other one?”

Yesterday after she finished the water, the bottle had been taken by Lan Cixing. Yes, her frequently used water bottle.

“Huh?” Lan Cixing looked down to check. Hadn’t the plastic bag Rong Yushu gave her only contained these two items?

“Forget it. It’s better if you keep it.” The bag was hooked away. Lan Cixing followed Rong Yushu’s movement and looked up, only seeing her face against the light. She couldn’t see the features clearly, but she could sense a hint of a smile.

There was never anything good about Rong Yushu’s smile. It usually wasn’t sincere and carried a bit of mischief. Lan Cixing didn’t dare stay longer; her eyes were practically shouting that she wanted to leave.

“Goodbye.” Rong Yushu obliged her, truly seeing her out this time. Lan Cixing checked her account and left obediently.

It’s best if we don’t meet again. She exhaled and organized her schedule. This gig was a private one, but it was enough to cover the living expenses for her and her sister for nearly half a year. She could rest tomorrow. Wednesday she had to rehearse for a fashion show, and Thursday she would officially go on stage. After that, she would just stay home for a while and watch over Lan Baian’s studies.

Wednesday afternoon. Lan Cixing opened the job details to confirm the location and headed there. When she arrived at the show venue, she realized with a shock that the scale was wrong; it was much more grand than the ones she had taken before. Had she accidentally entered some high-end fashion venue? She wasn’t a professional model. Furthermore, high-end fashion shows usually had long-term partnerships with models; why would they post a recruitment ad on that app?

Lan Cixing carefully shuffled backstage to find the friend who had given her the gig.

“Perfect timing, we were just talking about you.” The friend happened to be at the door of the dressing room. Seeing Lan Cixing arrive, she beckoned toward the shadows.

“The sponsor mom says she wants to see you.” The friend stepped back, and a woman with a slender figure and long, golden-brown curly hair walked out from behind her.

Lan Cixing swallowed hard. It was Rong Yushu. They really had met again.

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