The Second Fall - Chapter 29

Chapter 29: I Beg You

The bedroom was pitch black.

Lan Cixing practically lunged, stumbling into the room. She was already unsteady, and the shock from An Yu’s words was so great that it took all her effort to ensure she didn’t actually fall and wake Rong Yushu.

However, her feet were now fully inside Rong Yushu’s room. Once she was in, the door closed behind her with a faint creak. It seemed the door was weighted to close automatically; it was a noise-canceling model, so it didn’t make much sound. No wonder Lan Cixing had been able to push it open just by leaning her weight against it.

Lan Cixing stood still for a moment. She should have started thinking, but the sweetness of white tea mixed with sandalwood was too intense. The most familiar and craved scent saturated her body the moment she inhaled, snapping the strings of her thoughts.

Inhale, exhale.

The only thing left in her mind was Rong Yushu’s smiling eyes—the curve of those squinted fox-eyes was a vivid, sensual temptation, yet utterly dangerous. Lan Cixing inhaled until she was filled with the scent of the Omega’s pheromones, swelling like a parched sprout receiving a long-awaited rain. Only then did she jolt back to consciousness.

She lowered her breathing as much as possible and looked toward the bed in the darkness. Actually, there was no need to confirm anything. The moment she fell into the room, she knew An Yu was simply bluffing, or teasing her, or talking nonsense while drunk. It was because she had a guilty conscience that she suspected An Yu was Rong Yushu.

That’s why… she had listened to An Yu’s slanderous advice and pushed open the door to enter Rong Yushu’s private chamber without hesitation.

Rong Yushu wasn’t playing on her phone at all; it was impossible for her to be An Yu. She was sleeping deeply, her breathing perfectly even. By a sliver of moonlight, Lan Cixing could faintly see the rise and fall of Rong Yushu’s body. It was steady and long—the hallmark of deep sleep.

She couldn’t see Rong Yushu’s face clearly. Rong Yushu was sleeping on her side in a somewhat messy posture. Only a strand of blonde hair was exposed to the moonlight, turned into a cold, thin color by the frost-like glow.

Lan Cixing didn’t know how long she watched. Rong Yushu had poor sleeping posture, but she was very quiet while asleep—no sound, no movement. Like a well-behaved doll. It made one… covet her.

Lan Cixing slowly exhaled the breath she had held for too long. The air circled three times inside her, becoming painted with the scent of white tea. As it flowed from her nose and mouth, it felt as if Lan Cixing herself had turned into that scent—so peaceful, so tranquil.

She should have turned and left, returning to her “post.” But in the faint fragrance of pheromones, she only wanted to follow her instincts.

She took a step on her tiptoes. Lan Cixing moved cautiously until she reached the side of the bed. She just wanted to confirm if Rong Yushu was truly asleep. Rong Yushu was such a good actress that it would be quite easy to trick her. But Lan Cixing stared at her face until the moonlight quietly shifted positions, and Rong Yushu did not wake. She only moved slightly during that time, appearing truly asleep.

There was no phone on the nightstand or near the pillow. It was likely locked in the drawer according to Rong Yushu’s habit. Lan Cixing couldn’t tell for sure, so she stopped thinking about it. She sat down by the bed as quietly as possible. The floor was cold and hard, but she didn’t care. She just wanted to lean there, listening to Rong Yushu’s breathing and smelling her fragrance while standing guard for her through the night.

At some point, she closed her eyes. And the person on the bed finally opened the eyes that had been pretending to sleep for far too long.

Perhaps because the white tea was too faint and the sandalwood too strong, Lan Cixing dreamed of the past.

The year she was eighteen, Lan Cixing was chosen as Rong Yushu’s martial arts double for a period of three months. She was a double, but she was more like a puppy kept by Rong Yushu. She lived in her house for those three months, entering and leaving with her every day. Rong Yushu insisted on her following; even when she wasn’t needed on set, she wasn’t allowed to leave. With nothing to do at the studio, Lan Cixing loved observing the actors.

She especially loved staring at Rong Yushu.

Actually, they didn’t have much interaction. Lan Cixing looked at Rong Yushu more like a long-revered idol. The young girl’s eyes were so pure that Rong Yushu never dared to meet them directly. The light there was bright enough to burn a gray soul.

Lan Cixing didn’t dare speak much to Rong Yushu. Rong Yushu didn’t know her well and had no intention of a deep development; she simply provided a better environment for her to live in, sparing her the hardships of the instructors’ bullying. When they weren’t filming, Rong Yushu would casually play with documents on the sofa, and Lan Cixing would sit by the window reading the books Rong Yushu found for her.

The intimacy of those three months was like a dream. It felt as if Lan Cixing had simply been taken away by Rong Yushu to spend a summer in the city. When summer ended, she still had to return to the military academy to continue her training.

The year she graduated, Rong Yushu found her again. Again, as a martial arts double. Lan Cixing stepped forward first among the graduates. Once Rong Yushu saw her, she wouldn’t choose anyone else.

“Sister, do you still remember me?” It had been two years. Lan Cixing feared Rong Yushu had forgotten her. She often saw Rong Yushu’s activities on trending topics, and had actively joined the Super Topic and fan groups. She collected many of Rong Yushu’s materials; her phone gallery was packed with her pictures. She hadn’t expected to meet her again.

That day, Rong Yushu hooked her finger under Lan Cixing’s military cap, the smile on her lips faint but gentle. She softly placed the serious cap back on Lan Cixing’s head. The scent of white tea on her wrist always made the atmosphere feel less than serious.

Lan Cixing lowered her head, but felt the cap was very heavy—as if it had been pressed down by Rong Yushu over and over again. The hand that once led her away was now resting on her head.

“How could I not remember?” she heard a light scoff. “Two years, and you’ve grown so tall.” Rong Yushu indeed used some strength, but only to make Lan Cixing lower her head.

That was the first time Lan Cixing bent her waist. She raised her spotless, clear eyes and looked up at Rong Yushu, just like their first meeting.

From then on, Lan Cixing followed behind Rong Yushu. During that period, Rong Yushu probably wanted to challenge herself, taking on many action-heavy roles. She didn’t want a double; she just wanted Lan Cixing to teach her. If she truly couldn’t do it, at most she’d let Lan Cixing stand in for a back shot.

After all, they didn’t really look alike anymore. Lan Cixing had grown past 180cm, much taller than Rong Yushu. Being her double would cause continuity errors. It was the first time Lan Cixing regretted being so tall. She used to think being tall was good; when her mother was still around, she would lift her up to look far away, saying being tall meant seeing far. Now, Lan Cixing felt a greedy desire she didn’t understand.

If only she were the same height as Rong Yushu. Then she could be her little tail forever. A profession as a double, which others might find shameful, was the only thing Lan Cixing was happy to do—she only hated that she couldn’t do it better.

Later, Lan Cixing was discovered by the director filming Rong Yushu’s movie and was scouted as a new actress. It would be a long time before Lan Cixing found out: her first role came from Rong Yushu’s recommendation.

Lan Cixing slowly opened her eyes. How light the dreams were; how heavy reality was. She was nothing more than a water-absorbent blanket. In the ocean named Rong Yushu, she had soaked up all the water, sunk to the bottom, and could no longer rise.

Lan Cixing remained silent, blinking blankly for two minutes. Then, she suddenly reacted. She was clearly sitting on the floor, intending to watch over Rong Yushu for the night. Falling asleep was one thing, but how did she end up lying in Rong Yushu’s bed?

Startled, Lan Cixing tried to roll out of bed. Her hands and feet were bound, leaving her unable to move. She blinked again, and Rong Yushu’s face was suddenly low before her. The eyes looking at her were full of mockery, quite leisurely.

Lan Cixing practically boinged away. Her limbs were still tied! Although the binding wasn’t tight and had loosened during her jump, Lan Cixing could have broken free with another struggle. She didn’t know how she did it; she might truly be a fish, her muscle memory allowing her to fly off the bed with one struggle.

She fell off the bed. Her waist and back hit the floor painfully. Lan Cixing gritted her teeth, enduring the pain. Rong Yushu didn’t pull her up, her narrowed eyes shifting with light. Right now, she was wearing pajamas. The summer gown was thin and form-fitting, glowing slightly and tracing the edges of her body. Yet it wasn’t clear; the outline was blurry, like a flower in a fog, sparking curiosity.

In such an outfit, she seemed to have no self-awareness at all, crawling toward Lan Cixing like a fox.

One step. Lan Cixing retreated violently. Two steps. Lan Cixing’s back hit the wardrobe; she couldn’t retreat further and swallowed hard. Three steps. Lan Cixing began to tremble, tears welling in her eyes.

It was as if she were the prey of a carnivore, locked in and unable to escape. A silent confrontation. Rong Yushu was undoubtedly in the dominant position, her gaze dangerous—the emerald color now as deep as a sharp blade. Even a casual glance at Lan Cixing carried an overwhelming deterrent power.

Lan Cixing didn’t dare look down, her eyes captured by Rong Yushu, unable to move. Only her whole body trembled. With a laugh, Rong Yushu suddenly released the poor prey.

But Lan Cixing was powerless to escape, sitting obediently in place. Rong Yushu sat before her as well, using the bed as a seat and crossing her legs.

“Some people… they say they can’t come in, yet in the end, they can’t help themselves. They even take the initiative to offend me by lying in bed with me.” She shed her aggressiveness, looking at Lan Cixing like a child playing, swinging her foot as if it were nothing.

Listening to her words, Lan Cixing’s head lowered further with every sentence. If Rong Yushu’s foot weren’t lifting her chin, she would probably have fallen to the floor to kowtow. Rong Yushu showed a bit of kindness. As her foot hooked and lifted Lan Cixing’s chin, she retracted it, no longer crossing her legs, as if that move was specifically to wait for Lan Cixing to lower her head.

“A-Ci, so you’re this duplicitous.” She had so many ways to humiliate Lan Cixing, so many nicknames: stupid dog, blockhead, dumb bodyguard, even that dialect Lan Cixing didn’t understand… yet at this moment, she chose their most familiar, most intimate nickname. And she didn’t scold her once.

Lan Cixing hurriedly looked up to meet Rong Yushu’s eyes, explaining in a rush. “I didn’t… I just yesterday…” Halfway through, she couldn’t continue. Was she going to tell Rong Yushu she had pushed open the door after listening to the nonsense of an online friend, and then was kept by the scent of pheromones, sitting on the floor to guard her because she didn’t want to leave?

That was no different from a dog with no self-control. Lan Cixing bit her lip, now more willing to have Rong Yushu call her a dog. Like their occasional “play” in the past.

“I… I was sitting on the floor after I entered…” Lan Cixing nearly bit through her lip. Her cheek was stroked by a sharp nail, and only then did she release it to explain again. “I… I did it all to stand guard better, I was worried about you.” Her eyes darted around, her lying posture obvious.

Rong Yushu scraped her cheek, maintaining a forward-leaning posture, listening patiently with a hint of a smile in her eyes. Lan Cixing couldn’t read her emotions and pursed her lips, waiting for her sentence.

“But, little bodyguard,” Rong Yushu’s tone was confused yet incredibly sincere. “I don’t have the strength to carry you up here, do I?”

Rong Yushu’s question was perfectly candid. But Lan Cixing had a guilty conscience and couldn’t see through it. She actually felt Rong Yushu’s words made sense. Rong Yushu didn’t exercise much; back in her twenties, she’d go to the gym weekly, but now at thirty, her nature was lazy. Normally, she moved as little as possible—where would she get the muscle to lift someone as heavy as Lan Cixing onto the bed?

Due to her special profession, Lan Cixing had a certain amount of muscle. She looked well-proportioned, but she wasn’t light. Lan Cixing glanced at Rong Yushu’s arms, hardened her heart, and lowered her head decisively.

“Please punish me.” She had no words left to explain. Perhaps her sleepwalking had indeed acted up last night, or she missed the soft fragrance of white tea so much she climbed onto Rong Yushu’s bed herself.

Rong Yushu’s eyes darkened as she resumed her high-and-mighty posture, not only crossing her legs but also folding her arms. She looked like an inviolable superior. Lan Cixing moved her feet. She was still tied up, her hair messy and looking quite pathetic, sitting on her knees just inches away from Rong Yushu’s toes.

Rong Yushu only had to lift her foot slightly to kick her painfully. Lan Cixing was waiting. Maybe… she was even looking forward to it. Her heartbeat accelerated.

“You must say: ‘I beg you’.” Rong Yushu relaxed her posture, resting her face in her hand.

“…I beg you, punish me.” Lan Cixing trembled. It didn’t seem to be dislike; it felt more like the throbbing after breaking through a certain boundary.

“Take off your clothes.” Rong Yushu didn’t need to strike a superior pose to demand it forcefully. She was already the sole master of this game. With a casual word, Lan Cixing could not disobey.

Lan Cixing remained silent, her fingers already pinching the hem of her clothes. It wasn’t like she hadn’t seen… whether it was their first meeting at eighteen, their reunion at twenty, or four years ago… Rong Yushu was the person most familiar with Lan Cixing’s body, second only to Lan Cixing herself and her mother.

But the meaning was so different now. Lan Cixing tried hard to convince herself it was no different from before. Rong Yushu waited for Lan Cixing to act. She didn’t even need to make a sound.

Ultimately, Lan Cixing took off her shirt. The tattoo on her collarbone was revealed. A white tea flower outlined in red, with pure white lightly filling the petals. The layered clusters of flowers bloomed around a scar—a rebirth upon the ruins.

Lan Cixing remained in her kneeling position, preparing to undo her skirt. Rong Yushu sighed and, at some unknown moment, moved behind her. Lan Cixing didn’t dare move. She only felt a chill on her waist. The spicy scent of herbal medicine hit her nose, and the coolness spread instantly from where Rong Yushu’s fingertips touched.

Lan Cixing flinched, and Rong Yushu’s fingertips pressed down on her shoulder, holding her somewhat forcefully. She was applying medicine. Only then did Lan Cixing realize she had bruised her waist when she fell off the bed. And Rong Yushu had discovered this new injury before she even did.

The ointment was so cold. Lan Cixing’s lashes trembled, and her breathing slowed. Her body was supposed to be cooled by the ointment, yet she felt that the places Rong Yushu’s fingertips touched were heating up.

Rong Yushu had a special constitution. The blood-circulating and stasis-removing ointment was top-tier, showing effect in less than two minutes. A bottle of the ointment was quite expensive, but Rong Yushu wasn’t stingy.

“Sister…” Lan Cixing finally got used to the temperature difference and twisted her back. Rong Yushu didn’t scold her, rubbing from her waist up to her back, even tending to Lan Cixing’s old bruises.

“How did you know I was injured from the fall?” Lan Cixing’s heart itched. She no longer felt the unease of “intruding” into Rong Yushu’s room, and she tossed her hair back to look.

“There was such a loud thud.” Rong Yushu probably wanted to sneer; the disdain in her eyes had already formed, but she ultimately didn’t make a sound. “You’re still the same. When you’re hurt, you just keep it to yourself, saying nothing and doing nothing, waiting for it to fade on its own.”

After finishing, Rong Yushu’s gaze swept over the scar near Lan Cixing’s collarbone. The wound was long and narrow, the scar obvious; the tattoo could only barely cover it. If one went lower, it could connect to the one on the side of her lower abdomen. It was enough to show how severely Lan Cixing had been injured back then.

Feeling Rong Yushu’s gaze, Lan Cixing lowered her head gloomily, hoping her hair would block the scar. That was something from many years ago. Now that the wound had healed, she naturally didn’t remember the pain.

“I didn’t feel it…” She explained quietly, trying to divert Rong Yushu’s attention.

Rong Yushu’s nail scraped across the tattoo. It felt as if she scraped the scar, but it didn’t hurt; it was an itchy tickle.

“Air it out for two more minutes, and then you can get dressed. The new clothes I bought for you have arrived; remember to change.” After scraping, Rong Yushu rubbed Lan Cixing’s head. It was as if Lan Cixing were truly a puppy she was caring for. Or a little daughter.

Rong Yushu stood up, preparing to go wash. Within a couple of steps, she felt a little tail following behind her. The footsteps tap-tapped in the exact same rhythm as her own. Rong Yushu’s brow twitched. She stepped into the bathroom, turned around, and looked at the little cub following her.

Lan Cixing stood there dazed, her eyes looking at Rong Yushu, filled with light. Truly like a cub; she was simply following her mother. Rong Yushu raised her hand to press against the bridge of her nose, blocking the continuous attack of that gaze.

“Dumb girl. Halfway through your guard duty last night, you went to play on your phone. You even played an adult game. After playing, you missed me, so you broke into my room~ How do you think you should compensate?” Her tone shifted through many inflections, the ending hooked and the voice soft and coquettish.

But the words she spoke made Lan Cixing’s footsteps falter. This was Rong Yushu’s territory—how could the hallway not have surveillance? Now she really couldn’t explain. On the surveillance, it would look like she suddenly broke into Rong Yushu’s room because she missed her.

“I didn’t play an adult game…” Lan Cixing could only blush and voice the only thing she could defend.

“And now you want to follow me into the bathroom. Do you want to shower together?” Rong Yushu didn’t answer her, continuing her soft-toned interrogation.

Only then did Lan Cixing react. She took a step back, her neck red, her hands red—all overcooked—as she helped Rong Yushu close the bathroom door. Once inside, Rong Yushu took out her phone and messaged the servants, telling them to meet Lan Cixing at the bedroom door to give her clothes and daily necessities.

After a while, the servant said they hadn’t seen anyone. Rong Yushu raised an eyebrow and messaged Lan Cixing from An Yu’s account. No reply.

Rong Yushu pocketed her phone and quickly opened the door. She saw Lan Cixing sitting on her knees at the door. At this moment, she looked up at her. Her gray eyes were as clear as ever.

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