The Second Fall - Chapter 25

Chapter 25: She Is My Beloved

Lan Cixing didn’t even have time to react to the trending news before being dazed by Rong Yushu’s words. Rong Yushu wanted her to “accompany” her tonight? To “pay her back”? How was she supposed to pay her back?

“Do… do what?” Lan Cixing was still crouching on the ground, her bright gray-blue eyes blinking in bewilderment as she stared up at Rong Yushu, looking quite pitiful.

As much as Rong Yushu wanted to bully her, she only stared for half a second before reaching out to rub her head.

“You actually want to do it?” In an instant, she reverted to her previous demeanor. The vixen was back to grooming her tail, caring only for the luster of her own fur and ignoring the fates of irrelevant people. She retracted her gaze and her hand, simultaneously hooking Lan Cixing’s chin to signal her to stand up.

“It’s not out of the question,” she added in a low voice, a remark that steered the conversation firmly into “adult” territory.

It wasn’t until Rong Yushu walked to the door to open it that Lan Cixing finally realized which “do” she meant—confirming which “repayment” Rong Yushu was referring to.

“…” Heavens. Lan Cixing’s pupils constricted. She didn’t mean it like that! Why did Rong Yushu always misunderstand her? The key point was—Rong Yushu had actually agreed!

Lan Cixing’s eyes flickered toward Rong Yushu, but she hurriedly retracted her gaze the moment she caught sight of her figure. Her ears must be turning red. She covered her face and tried to hide in the corner.

He Lanli rushed into the dressing room with her phone. Behind her were two other assistants Lan Cixing didn’t recognize well. The three of them held three different devices, surrounding Rong Yushu and chattering like a flock of sparrows. Every single one of them was complaining about the marketing accounts that posted the video and the “proxy photographers” who had snuck in.

It’s like a mother bird with her chicks, Lan Cixing thought, spacing out in the corner. Hearing them talk about the trending topic, she decided to check it on her own phone. Judging by He Lanli’s reaction, the video probably hadn’t captured her face. Otherwise, the internet would have exploded, and Rong Yushu wouldn’t be this calm.

The topic was climbing the rankings naturally with normal data—it didn’t look like anyone was artificially pushing it. Lan Cixing clicked into the hashtag and watched the leaked video at 3x speed.

It was fine. The photographer was very far away, likely on a nearby mountain. The resolution was low; one could barely make out Rong Yushu’s face, and even that was intermittent. The set pieces they had built provided cover. Most of Lan Cixing’s wine-red hair was hidden. She happened to be facing away from the camera, so not even the tip of her nose was visible. The photographer was probably just a fan of Rong Yushu, as the subsequent shots focused entirely on her.

The comment section was currently normal… if you ignored the fact that it was flooded with fans.

“Shushu baby! What are you filming? This is so seductive ahhhh!”

“God, I’m going to dream about this tonight. Requesting a tutorial on how to soul-swap with Shushu’s acting partner.”

“Hi wife, kiss me. Did you hear me? Hi wife, didn’t you hear? I said kiss me!”

“Mommy, don’t cup her face! Cup MINE!!”

“It’s a kiss scene! Another visual feast! Mommy is in Director Nian’s crew right now, right? I remember it’s a story about Jiu Lisheng.”

“Jiu Lisheng? Looks like they added a romance line. Looking forward to it!”

Rong Yushu’s fan base was terrifying. Relying solely on a blurry video with no conflict or “leak” points, they had pushed it into the top ten through natural traffic. The heat was still slowly rising. As Lan Cixing scrolled down, different voices began to emerge.

“Does anyone know who that person acting with Rong Yushu is? Red hair?”

“The video is blurry, but you can see the red hair. I don’t remember the prototype having red hair? Please don’t make another “Smart” (cringy) flop.”

“Who in the industry dyed their hair red recently? So arrogant—entering Director Nian’s crew and not following the styling, acting like a bigger star than Shushu.”

“Wait, if it’s that movie, isn’t the actress for Qin Huaishi supposed to be Mu Huai?”

At the mention of Mu Huai’s name, her fans and anti-fans joined the fray. The thread was completely derailed as everyone assumed the person being kissed was Mu Huai. Fans and haters began brawling.

Lan Cixing breathed a sigh of relief. She suppressed the unease in her heart, comforting herself: as long as her face wasn’t revealed to the public, it was okay. If she appeared on the trending list for a kiss scene with Rong Yushu after four years of absence, she was truly afraid of being hunted down and torn apart by Rong Yushu’s fans.

Four years ago, during the two days she was at the top of the trending list, she had to switch hotels three times a day and even fled to another province just to hide from the people cursing her and wanting to throw eggs at her. Fortunately, she had never revealed her family connections in public, so the outside world didn’t know about Lan Baian or her aunt, and they weren’t harassed.

Just as Lan Cixing was about to close her phone, a message from An Yu arrived. Lan Cixing looked up at He Lanli, who was showing her phone to Rong Yushu. Could it be her? Lan Cixing decisively clicked into the chat, reading the message instantly for once.

An Yu had sent the leaked video. “Your “Main.” If you can’t kiss Shushu, why not consider Sister?”

“Thanks for the invite, I just finished kissing Rong Yushu,” Lan Cixing grumbled internally. “A double is just a double. Don’t always think about replacing Shushu. I wouldn’t kiss you even in my dreams.”

Thinking that An Yu might be He Lanli, Lan Cixing’s words were sharper and more blunt. He Lanli was hot-tempered and had a foul mouth—she probably wouldn’t be able to stand being spoken to like this. Then again, they were in the “ambiguous” stage; what if He Lanli was just acting very differently in private?

Lan Cixing’s hand pressed against the screen, and she accidentally “poked” An Yu’s avatar. An Yu had changed her “Poke” status again. Today it was: “You poked An Yu and cupped her face to kiss her for two hours.”

Lan Cixing’s mouth twitched. This persona was too different from He Lanli. It was more like Rong Yushu herself. Lan Cixing shifted her gaze to Rong Yushu. Rong Yushu was holding a phone, but she seemed to be checking the trending topics, her pine-green nails constantly swiping the screen.

Let’s assume An Yu is nobody for now, Lan Cixing thought. Otherwise, I won’t be able to keep up this act.

An Yu’s message arrived right on time: “Then Sister can only kiss you in her dreams.”

“Hmm? So Master wants to kiss Sister too?” She had clearly seen the “Poke” status.

“Honorifics.” Lan Cixing, at her limit, sent back those two cold words. An Yu retracted her message in a second. “Sister-baby wants to kiss Sister so badly, just say so. No need to use Shushu as an excuse.”

“…How could I kiss you? You’re out of sight and out of reach.” Lan Cixing was starting to get fed up. They were internet friends, not having an offline fling. An Yu spoke as if they truly could kiss.

An Yu sent a link. “The other party has invited you to join the “Dual Cultivation Space.” This is the second invite today. Is the guest truly so heartless as to refuse this little lady?”

Lan Cixing refused heartlessly, sending back six dots (……). If she really entered that space, based on the avatars they had customized, wouldn’t it be Rong Yushu kissing herself?

Lan Cixing decided to ignore An Yu. Her attempts to test her hadn’t worked; both He Lanli and Rong Yushu were suspects, but neither quite fit. An Yu probably really was just a stranger. But An Yu’s next message made Lan Cixing nearly drop her phone.

“But Sister-baby, Sister discovered something. You said your boss is very rich and is kissing someone. Rong Yushu happens to be a star who employs many people, and the timing of your messages matches… May I venture to ask, are you in Rong Yushu’s team? An assistant? A makeup artist?”

Lan Cixing gasped. How was this An Yu so sharp? To catch a slip-up from such tiny bits of information? Or was she just bluffing? Lan Cixing’s mind raced. Replying too slowly could be interpreted in many ways; she had to think of a counter-strategy in seconds. Keeping her status as “typing,” she typed and deleted a few words before throwing the question back.

“My boss is from a wealthy family. You are probably the one by Shushu’s side, right? Last time she posted a selfie you saw it within seconds, and this time you sent me the trending video almost immediately.”

As Lan Cixing sent this, her eyes kept darting toward He Lanli. She didn’t let the other two assistants who had followed her in off the hook either. She stared until He Lanli looked up. Their eyes met. Lan Cixing’s gaze darkened, her aura pressing down.

He Lanli couldn’t take it and immediately grabbed Rong Yushu’s hand. “Cousin~ your bodyguard is so scary. She’s glaring at me again; it’s happened so many times today. She even interrupted my gaming earlier.” He Lanli hugged Rong Yushu’s arm and tried to shake it.

Rong Yushu remained in her “boneless” state, looking as if she would melt into a puddle of evening jade white tea at a single tug. He Lanli only gripped her for a moment before letting go, afraid of breaking her; Rong Yushu had always been in poor health. She stood obediently by Rong Yushu’s side, using her protection to glare back at Lan Cixing, even trying to make a face at her.

How old is this person? So childish. Lan Cixing really couldn’t imagine her being An Yu. Theoretically, for An Yu to call Baian “Sister-baby,” she had to be at least twenty-one. He Lanli looked like a high schooler who had just graduated. Maybe she hadn’t even finished high school. Lan Cixing glanced at He Lanli’s 161cm height and sighed inwardly.

“If a bodyguard isn’t a bit fierce, can they even be called a bodyguard?” Rong Yushu exited her chat and closed her phone, her tone carrying a hint of a sigh. “If you really care that much, let A-Ci play a few rounds for you. Her skills have always been excellent.” Rong Yushu’s attitude toward He Lanli was purely that of coaxing a child.

However, when Lan Cixing heard “A-Ci,” her ears twitched. She used to love it when Rong Yushu called her A-Ci. In reality, it was just a coincidence from a drama they had filmed. Lan Cixing’s character in that drama was named A-Ci. During the two months they worked together, every night Rong Yushu would stand on her balcony and call “A-Ci” toward Lan Cixing’s room. It was a signal for her to lightly hop over the balcony, jump into Rong Yushu’s room, and fall into her embrace.

The sensation of teeth grazing her ear followed the memory, stirring a thousand waves. Lan Cixing lowered her eyes and pinched her palm, waiting for the ambiguous feeling to slowly dissipate. Rong Yushu wasn’t by her side. She wouldn’t hold her or bite her ear while calling her A-Ci. In fact, since that ambiguous “do” earlier, Rong Yushu hadn’t looked at her again. Many years had passed. Even memories were blurred, easily interrupted.

Lan Cixing shook off the unwanted thoughts and walked toward Rong Yushu. Rong Yushu wasn’t looking at her, but she didn’t want to look at anyone else, so she faced Rong Yushu’s eyes directly to prevent He Lanli from complaining again.

“I didn’t bully her,” Lan Cixing thought it over and decided to counter-complain. He Lanli’s eyes widened.

“Hear that? A-Ci didn’t bully you.” Rong Yushu was like a blade of grass on a wall, leaning toward whoever was speaking.

“But I can help her play the game.” Lan Cixing wanted to confirm He Lanli’s game account. She paused and added an explanation, “After all, she’s your assistant; she must have a lot to do.”

Rong Yushu chuckled, finally deigning to give Lan Cixing a moment of her peripheral vision. “She only came here because she had nothing to do during summer break. How would I dare assign her so much work? Lizi, give your account to my A-Ci. You were just worrying about how slowly you’re ranking up.” With one sentence, Rong Yushu snatched He Lanli’s account again. It also confirmed that this foul-mouthed assistant was indeed a student.

Nowadays, students seemed to like cursing people, doing online dating, and playing games. Thinking of her own “brat” at home, Lan Cixing felt a moment of shared suffering with Rong Yushu.

“Boss, I have to be your bodyguard this afternoon. Can I play now?” The two of them decided the fate of He Lanli’s entertainment in a back-and-forth, completely ignoring He Lanli’s eyes, which were wide with shock.

“Mhm. It’s been a long time since I watched you play.” Having said that, Rong Yushu unfolded the tablet she was holding into a laptop and entered the account and password. Lan Cixing didn’t see the credentials clearly, but she noticed traces of multiple accounts on the login page.

“Go ahead.” After logging in, Rong Yushu “thoughtfully” started a match for Lan Cixing and then, regardless of anything, leaned her weight against Lan Cixing’s shoulder. Lan Cixing was starting to get used to it. Her left shoulder didn’t react much; the goosebumps weren’t nearly as intense as when she heard “A-Ci.” Even with just her right hand, Lan Cixing could rank up quickly.

As she played, she observed He Lanli’s account. Friends kept sending invites to He Lanli, wanting to team up. “A-Ci-jie, I… you… click ‘Agree’…” In front of Rong Yushu, He Lanli was incredibly well-behaved, no longer swearing, even calling Lan Cixing “Jie.”

“Is this your online dating partner?” Lan Cixing’s goal was to test her, so she was very direct.

“No way! Little Momo doesn’t count yet.” He Lanli was full of justifications, seemingly having categorized the “fish” she was raising.

“…Then what about this one nicknamed ‘7.4’?” After agreeing to Little Momo’s request, another appeared in the corner.

“Just met that one, don’t really like them.” Lan Cixing clicked refuse.

“This Healer?”

“Planning to develop that one.” Lan Cixing clicked agree. “What about ‘Stir-fried Rock’?”

“That’s an ex-ex. We failed the offline meetup and they still have me added? Didn’t I delete them?” He Lanli nearly squeezed in front of the screen to grab the mouse.

She watched as Lan Cixing pulled everyone He Lanli said she “wanted to try” into the team and temporarily blocked the ones she “didn’t like.”

“…” Watching the six members of her “harem” suddenly start greeting each other in the team chat, He Lanli froze in place, nearly breaking down before erupting in a scream. It was at almost the same decibel as Lan Baian.

Lan Cixing was unfazed; she had already clicked start and began playing with He Lanli’s six harem members. Rong Yushu watched from the side, clicking her tongue in wonder. If this scene were recorded and shown to her aunt, He Lanli’s pleasant summer break would be over.

He Lanli, now truly in tears, leaned toward Rong Yushu, trying to bribe her cousin. “Sister… for the sake of me giving my main account to…” Her voice was quite loud; Lan Cixing listened while playing.

Rong Yushu was quick, stuffing a lollipop into her mouth. She regretted it immediately, but luckily she hadn’t unwrapped the paper yet. He Lanli was choked by the spicy scent seeping through the wrapper and couldn’t straighten her back.

“If you won’t eat it, give it to me.” Rong Yushu took the candy back. She had failed a few days ago and hadn’t been able to taste Lan Cixing’s pheromones; this candy was precious, she couldn’t let He Lanli eat it.

Lan Cixing didn’t pay attention to the sisters’ further interaction; she only heard the word “main account.” He Lanli definitely had more than one. This account was only a few days old, brand new and clean, with nothing to find. She couldn’t rule out the possibility that He Lanli was An Yu. But the “scum Alpha” in her dreams seemed mature and steady—perhaps it was someone He Lanli knew, maybe even a relative.

Lan Cixing spent four matches successfully reaching the “Combined” rank for He Lanli before the end of the lunch break, perfectly completing her goal. As for whether He Lanli’s harem needed coaxing, that wasn’t Lan Cixing’s problem. She had carried them to the “Combined” rank too. She even deliberately used the same characters and techniques as her “Sky-Blue School-Hater” account. Yet, whether it was the people standing around or those coming in and out, no one reacted. The test was a temporary failure.

The afternoon filming didn’t involve Mu Huai and went very smoothly, so the night session was canceled. As per Rong Yushu’s request, Lan Cixing went to the lounge to find her. Seeing a message from An Yu on the way, Lan Cixing scoffed, feeling she had finally caught An Yu’s slip-up.

“Really won’t do dual cultivation with me? Ranking matches are okay too. Sister misses you so much.” Lan Cixing scoffed. It seemed the afternoon test had worked. Perhaps An Yu really was connected to He Lanli and got anxious seeing her log into He Lanli’s account. Lan Cixing clicked the voice message button.

“Lan Cixing? Isn’t that the ‘soft-rice Alpha’ who tried to climb onto Rong Yushu before?” Mu Huai scoffed as she looked at the intel from her subordinate. “I remember she had quite a few scandals. My family helped push them back then. Four years later she actually dares to return, and she’s hooked Rong Yushu again as a bodyguard. She really doesn’t think the mess back then was big enough.”

Mu Huai was just talking to herself, not expecting her subordinate to reply. “Did anyone record at the set? What about surveillance? It doesn’t matter if her face wasn’t caught; the eyes and body shape are enough.” Finally being in the same crew as Rong Yushu, Mu Huai had to seize the opportunity. She wasn’t like Lan Cixing; she had no real skill, and for the next two years, this might be her only chance to collaborate. The Rong family was powerful; it would be best if she could climb up. Mu Huai had backing and capital; she wouldn’t be as careless as Lan Cixing.

Surveillance had indeed captured Lan Cixing’s eyes. Combined with her red-dyed hair, Mu Huai now had plenty of material. “Go post this. Start by leading the trend toward… Lan Cixing’s acting is as good as ever, no regression, she can keep up with Rong Yushu. Make it look like she’s preparing for a comeback. Don’t post the kissing pictures yet, and no need to buy a hot search—save some money.” Having given her orders, Mu Huai finally felt better. She took out her phone to call her mother, planning to report this and act a bit spoiled.

At the same time.

Rong Yushu was handling matters regarding Wei Lan. After reading her assistant’s summary, she sent the next course of action. This was just a side task. At this stage, Wei Lan had almost no room to resist. The remaining work was easy.

Rong Yushu prepared to return to the lounge to wait for her little bodyguard to report. He Lanli was still by her side, sticking like a little tail. Rong Yushu ignored her, but she wouldn’t leave.

“Fine. What do you want? I didn’t tell Aunt about your ‘great achievements’.” Before opening the door, Rong Yushu sighed and turned to He Lanli. Time was short; she had to get rid of this beagle.

“It’s just… that A-Ci, who is she really? Why do you let her wear a mask all the time? It’s so impolite…” He Lanli wanted to gossip.

“You’re one to talk about politeness, cursing people outside every day.” Rong Yushu stood sideways, one hand behind her back as she messaged her aunt. She was very skilled at blind typing. She pressed a button, the screen expanded on her monocle, and as she scanned the content, she saw Lan Cixing was messaging her. She forgot about messaging her aunt for a moment and went to reply to Lan Cixing.

“Oh, Sister, just tell me. I won’t tell anyone else. I’m so curious—you don’t have any Alphas you’re this close to.” He Lanli reached out to grab Rong Yushu’s hand.

Rong Yushu offered her arm as if detaching it. Boneless and fleshless, it felt soft like water. He Lanli grabbed it once and didn’t dare do it again, standing there blinking at Rong Yushu.

“Her…” After finishing her message, Rong Yushu’s eyes suddenly narrowed with a smile. She looked like a fairy descended to earth—the look was dangerous yet completely enchanting, leaving He Lanli dazed for a moment.

“She is my beloved.” The smile in Rong Yushu’s eyes vanished as quickly as it appeared. She tapped He Lanli’s head, giving her a massive surprise. “Aunt is coming soon. Go to the door and meet her.”

Without giving He Lanli time to react, she closed the lounge door, leaving her poor cousin at the entrance. He Lanli ran away screaming, too late to question Rong Yushu for betraying their revolutionary friendship as she had to go meet her mother.

Less than two minutes later.

Rong Yushu leaned against the doorframe, hearing footsteps. Timing it perfectly, she opened the door. She saw Lan Cixing holding her phone, pressing the voice message button, and saying:

“I’m going to massage Shushu-mommy’s waist~ are you jealous?”

Lan Cixing realized something was wrong as soon as she finished and looked up. The lounge door was wide open. She was staring right into Rong Yushu’s eyes.

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