The Second Fall - Chapter 34

Chapter 34: Asking for a Blow

“Sister, does it hurt a lot?” Lan Cixing carefully applied ointment to the wounds on Rong Yushu’s back.

Rong Yushu had always possessed strong recovery abilities, and with top-tier ointments, the marks left from their previous intimacy had mostly faded. What remained now were mostly the pinches Lan Cixing had inflicted that afternoon—marks far more severe than the injuries from a few days ago.

Looking at them made Lan Cixing’s heart ache; she almost wished Rong Yushu would actually give her a few slaps.

“Heh,” Rong Yushu let out a cold laugh.

Lan Cixing flinched, kneeling on the floor and not daring to breathe too loudly.

“You were quite capable when you were hitting me,” a leisurely Hong Kong-accented voice drifted over through Rong Yushu’s golden hair.

Hearing the scolding, Lan Cixing stiffened into a ball. Her movements became increasingly gentle, fearing that being too firm with the medicine would cause Rong Yushu pain.

Rong Yushu continued her critique. Without using a single curse word, she still made Lan Cixing bow her head in deep shame. “You even pushed me so hard. You wouldn’t let me hold you, just kept chanting like some AI infected with a virus.”

Rong Yushu’s tone was casual and loose—nothing like the anxious urgency she had shown toward Lan Cixing earlier that afternoon.

Lan Cixing’s hair nearly brushed against Rong Yushu’s shoulder. She let out a tiny whimper and tugged at her own hair while apologizing. “I’m sorry, Sister Shushu. I… I never thought I would enter that state again.” It had been nearly four years. Lan Cixing thought she had long since walked out of it and wouldn’t relapse into those old symptoms.

Of course, four years ago it was much worse. She would vomit after a single bite of food and collapse after a single step. Yet she still had to hide from people, stumbling her way to the next location. When no one was around, she would hide in closets or under beds; places where she couldn’t be seen felt the safest. The memories of that period had mostly dissipated. Lan Cixing had only deduced what she had done and said based on later information. During those days, she hadn’t contacted a soul and didn’t dare go online.

In truth, if she had actually looked at the news back then, perhaps she wouldn’t have been left with such severe psychological scars. After all, those reports… had only existed for less than two days before being completely suppressed.

“Again?” Rong Yushu’s breath hitched, her physical reaction obvious.

“Mmhmm… I thought I was fine.” Lan Cixing assumed the reaction was one of dislike, so she used the gap while Rong Yushu was still to quickly finish applying the medicine. No matter what, she shouldn’t have hurt Rong Yushu like that. Lan Cixing truly didn’t have much memory of her reactions that afternoon, and her heart was now full of self-reproach.

“As long as I don’t look at the trending searches, it’ll be fine.” Since she wasn’t in the industry anyway, Lan Cixing tried to comfort herself.

Then she saw Rong Yushu take out her phone and open the trending list. Lan Cixing’s fingertips froze, and her breath stopped halfway. Feelings of disgust bubbled up from her heart, suppressed only by fear and guilt. It was only right for Rong Yushu to want to see her humiliated; after all, she had made such a mess of things…

“Little cub, look closely.” To her surprise, Rong Yushu passed the phone back. On the screen, Lan Cixing’s name was nowhere to be found. “Did you think Mu Huai had the power to bypass me and manipulate the trending searches?”

Rong Yushu had thought about Mu Huai and herself, but she had never considered that Lan Cixing’s breakdown was tied to the fear of trending searches. Had she known, she would have shown this “bad girl” the phone earlier. She wouldn’t have suffered that pinching for nothing. She wasn’t like Lan Cixing, who had a high pain tolerance; after leaving the room earlier, she had actually cried a bit from the pain.

“I told you, I’m here. Stop worrying blindly.” Rong Yushu tossed the phone aside.

Lan Cixing caught it in a panic, accidentally clicking into a post and then swiping back out. She saw the most popular post title under the hashtag: “A-list Alpha kicked out of film crew? Mu Huai may be the first to drop out of the 0x flowers!”

Dazed, Lan Cixing processed the information and clicked in to read further. The headlines below were even more merciless, showing absolutely no regard for Mu Huai’s industry connections.

“Acting like a diva backfires! Violation of rules invites ridicule; a summary of the recent drama.”

“What made Nian Guanqi scream ‘stop acting’? Video evidence inside.”

The comment section showed signs of manipulation, and Mu Huai’s fans were jumping in anger, but overall, it was mostly genuine “melon-eating” bystanders, and their comments were vicious.

“To be honest, I thought her acting was good before, but she was exposed as soon as she joined a serious drama. Using doubles and delaying progress—this new generation ‘traffic flower’ is finished.”

“Emmm, I know Shushu’s acting is terrifying, but Mu Huai shouldn’t be so bad that she can’t even return a line, right?”

“First time seeing Director Nian this angry. Friends in the industry say she has a good temper on set and doesn’t usually scold people.”

Lan Cixing then saw that marketing accounts had leaked the clips of Mu Huai being unable to keep up with Rong Yushu’s kiss scene, sitting blankly on the spot. They even mentioned her search for a double, posting blurred screenshots of the requests.

“Sister?” Lan Cixing was truly confused. She thought she would see a repeat of four years ago—endless insults and misconceptions aimed at her. Instead, the trending list was clean; not even a mention of “Lan Cixing” appeared. The Mu Huai hashtag was only moderately popular, hovering in the middle of the list, looking like not much money had been spent to boost it—perhaps to prevent people from digging too deep and finding Lan Cixing.

“Not going to thank me?” Rong Yushu raised an eyebrow, tilting her head slightly to take credit for it all. She had discussed it with Nian Guanqi, and as the production’s biggest investor, she could naturally take clips from the dailies and send them to marketing accounts as she pleased.

“Ah… thank you, Sister!” Lan Cixing bit back a tear at the corner of her eye. Her nose felt truly sore, but she refused to let Rong Yushu see it. “Did… did you do this for me?” Wanting to be closer to Rong Yushu, she leaned down, half-pressing against her shoulder, keeping a few centimeters of space as a courtesy while her breath spilled recklessly near Rong Yushu’s ear.

Rong Yushu’s ear tip twitched slightly. “Otherwise? It didn’t cost much, though. Besides taking responsibility for you, I have to support you. You’re quite expensive.”

She reached out and tugged at a strand of hair Lan Cixing had left near her face. The burgundy hair wrapped around her apricot-pink finger, making her skin look even whiter, glowing slightly. Her tone and posture were playful. After the tug, she poked Lan Cixing’s cheek, which was far too close, thoroughly bullying the “dumb dog” who had been biting people earlier.

Lan Cixing’s head felt hot. For some reason, she felt Rong Yushu was being very serious—as if she really were so expensive that Rong Yushu couldn’t afford to spend more. But Lan Cixing was only worth one yuan a month. Rong Yushu was incredibly wealthy; how could she not afford to keep her?

While Lan Cixing was still fixating on those words, her cheek was patted by Rong Yushu again. Lan Cixing snapped out of it. Misunderstanding that Rong Yushu wanted her to continue applying the medicine, she put down the ointment and knelt obediently in front of her. She was both upright and humble, yet her eyes flowed with anticipation, glowing with a bright radiance.

“What is it?” Rong Yushu didn’t remember saying she would reward Lan Cixing. “You should be the one compensating me, shouldn’t you?” This dog was getting greedier.

Lan Cixing blinked and offered her face. “This is my compensation for Sister… whatever I did to you this afternoon, you can do to me now.” She was practically begging for a blow, throwing her dignity completely out of Rong Yushu’s mansion. It was as if she were too excited and had forgotten her own name. She only wanted to make Rong Yushu happy. Even more, she wanted to pay back her kindness.

At this moment, Rong Yushu sat higher than her, looking down with a fox-like gaze that carried an aura of disdain for the world. Yet it couldn’t suppress this bold girl. An invisible furry tail wagged more and more happily behind Lan Cixing.

Rong Yushu raised her hand. Lan Cixing grabbed her wrist and pressed it against her own face. It was full of… temptation. She was asking for a blow.

Once Rong Yushu clearly realized this, her eyes curved. A laugh got caught halfway, not quite reaching her heart. Even this didn’t scare Lan Cixing off. The coward of the past had vanished; the current Lan Cixing seemed almost too excited.

Fine. Rong Yushu actually raised her wrist. Lan Cixing closed her eyes.

The slap didn’t hit her face; it landed on top of her head. A gentle rub. The atmosphere turned ambiguous. Lan Cixing’s heart contracted; some feelings were becoming impossible to hide, and she nearly opened her eyes. But Rong Yushu casually covered her eyelids, forbidding her from looking. The rubbing on her head grew a bit firmer.

“So stupid.” She didn’t even know how to compensate properly. Why would Rong Yushu want to hit her? She only wanted to hold her, kiss her, want to…

“Really not going to hit me?” Lan Cixing obediently kept her eyes closed, her lashes brushing against Rong Yushu’s palm, creating some physiological moisture.

Lan Cixing got a light thunk on the head. Rubbing her head, she was finally permitted to open her eyes. She only caught a glimpse of Rong Yushu’s bitten, red lips. Glistening and seductive.

Lan Cixing knelt back down to apply the medicine before she remembered her original intent. She had started to speak earlier because she wanted to ask about the replied messages.

“Your phone? Wasn’t the password 190708?” Rong Yushu replied casually. She was swiping at a tablet, which looked like a game interface, but her hands were fast, and she didn’t let Lan Cixing see exactly what she was playing.

“How did you know?” Lan Cixing had never told her. After she turned 18, all her passwords had been changed to that string of numbers. Sometimes she added Rong Yushu’s pinyin or English name. Over the past four years, she had often mocked herself while typing it. Adolescent love was just that fervent and naive—thinking that changing a password could keep someone in her heart forever or bring her a bit closer. She never thought there would come a day when they were completely separated.

Lan Cixing told herself she just hadn’t changed it because she was too lazy to think of a new one. But Rong Yushu shouldn’t have known, right?

Rong Yushu let out a light scoff. How could she not remember? That password was the date they first met. Once, having taken the wrong phone, she had unlocked it using her own password and only then realized they were the same. That day, Rong Yushu’s heart beat ten percent faster than usual; seeing Lan Cixing made her want to lean in, yet she didn’t know how to start. They had set the same password with different feelings. To the Rong Yushu of that time, Lan Cixing was just a puppy she had picked up and brought home. Special and intimate, yes, but a puppy was just a puppy; it hadn’t risen to the level of love. Looking into Lan Cixing’s pure and passionate eyes back then, she had felt a slight sense of shame.

After that, there was never a chance to mention it, so the matter was dropped. Bringing it up now was just a way to bluff Lan Cixing. She didn’t expect… after being apart for four years, after Lan Cixing had avoided her for four years, she still hadn’t changed that password.

As such, the “hate” from the afternoon seemed insignificant. Rong Yushu’s eyes were shimmering, her lashes lifting slightly. The sight made Lan Cixing’s face turn completely red; she didn’t know why, but her physical reaction was intense.

“Did you really look? What did you see? And you replied?” Whether out of shame or embarrassment—perhaps with a hint of indignation—Lan Cixing’s speech quickened, though there was little actual reproach.

“How could I? I just saw you type it once.” Rong Yushu pointed at Lan Cixing’s bag. “Your phone is in your bag. I couldn’t get near you all afternoon; I haven’t touched it.”

Lan Cixing, with her brain still hot, only then realized she had been teased by Rong Yushu again.

“Now I really know your password. How about tomorrow if I’m bored, I’ll unlock your phone and play with it?” Rong Yushu gripped Lan Cixing’s arm, using it as a pillow to lean against. Her eyes narrowed to slits, her breath carrying white tea fragrance as it coiled around Lan Cixing’s arm.

Lan Cixing couldn’t move. Angry and embarrassed, she was speechless, nearly on the verge of tears from the frustration. She couldn’t put down the ointment; if she paused for even a few seconds, she would be bitten by Rong Yushu as a reminder. Lan Cixing felt this was the real punishment—having to submit and serve this woman who kept bullying her while ignoring her requests for actual punishment.

When Lan Cixing knelt before Rong Yushu and reached the injuries on her shoulder, her earlobe was gently blown on. “Just teasing you.”

The jolt made Lan Cixing lean back, but her waist was caught by Rong Yushu. Rong Yushu pulled her back quite calmly and bit her earlobe to whisper, “How could I move your things without your permission? However…”

“Seeing you so nervous, is there really something shameful in your phone? It was like that before too, texting someone all day—definitely not texting Xiao Ran.”

Seeing Rong Yushu closing in on the correct answer, Lan Cixing’s heart jumped into her throat. This pressure was so familiar; she had felt the same way when An Yushi ruthlessly exposed her a few days ago. Was it a coincidence? Lan Cixing managed some rational thought. Or was Rong Yushu connected to An Yushi? Otherwise, why would Rong Yushu care so much about her phone?

“Could it be that after our darling’s blind date failed, she started an online romance?” Rong Yushu finally let go. Lan Cixing fell back two steps, barely steadying herself. Her panicked expression had already betrayed her.

Rong Yushu narrowed her eyes. “Little cub. People online are so unreliable; how could you do that? You don’t even know what the other person looks like or what they want from you. What if they want to scam you for money or cut out your gland?”

Lan Cixing’s face flushed deep red. Why did Rong Yushu truly sound like her mother? Those words were incredibly familiar. “I, I didn’t!” she protested desperately. “I’m really not in an online romance. It’s just… I saw Xiao Ran was in one before, and the other person was clearly a trash Alpha trying to scam her. I went to teach her a lesson.”

After only a few questions, Lan Cixing had spilled the whole story. It was met with a moment of silence from Rong Yushu.

“Trash… Alpha?” So that was why Lan Cixing’s attitude toward An Yushu was so strange.

“Definitely! My sister is a young Omega; anyone trying to hurt her is absolutely a trash Alpha.” Having a reason, Lan Cixing’s confidence grew, and she didn’t notice Rong Yushu’s subtle expression.

“So you’re… pretending to be an Omega with her?” No wonder the voice messages Lan Cixing sent were so high-pitched and “cute.” Rong Yushu felt like she was about to snap.

“Uh, yeah… to teach her a lesson, I had to pretend to be my sister. Oh right, my sister differentiated into an Omega two years ago; you didn’t know yet.” After saying that, Lan Cixing took a quick glance at Rong Yushu. Her eyes flickered with a guilt so obvious even a puppy could see it.

“How… how are you so sure the other person is a trash Alpha? You’ve never met.” Rong Yushu was having a bit of an existential crisis. If Lan Cixing had looked closely, she could have read the blankness and confusion in her eyes. Following that lead, she might have caught Rong Yushu. Unfortunately, Lan Cixing was even more guilty and didn’t dare look twice.

“I haven’t had the chance…” Lan Cixing choked. Rong Yushu’s words made sense. In her dreams, the plot and the people could be verified as true or false with one look in reality. …But then again! Anyone who dared to lure her sophomore-year sister into an online romance and talk so ambiguously to her—tricking her sister so thoroughly—even if they weren’t an Alpha, how could they not be trash!

“Never mind.” Rong Yushu gave up thinking, threw on her coat, and left the blushing Lan Cixing where she stood.

“Sister, don’t you believe me? I’m really not in an online romance.” Lan Cixing rose quickly to chase her, but fearing she was being too abrupt, she simply grabbed the edge of Rong Yushu’s coat.

Rong Yushu’s nails were cold and sharp as they covered Lan Cixing’s hand. “I believe you. I’m going to take a shower. Do you… want to come with me that badly?” She pulled Lan Cixing’s hand toward her, catching the stumbling girl in her arms. “True. Since you want to take responsibility for me, we should just settle it in one go, shouldn’t we?” Rong Yushu didn’t want to wait anymore. Tonight felt more urgent than ever.

“No, no, no, no, no…” Lan Cixing hurriedly waved her hands and backed out of the embrace. It wasn’t easy, especially since Rong Yushu was as flexible as a snake, her hands tugging at Lan Cixing’s fingertips and then her arm. She tried to pull her back repeatedly, seemingly determined to have her help scrub her back. Perhaps there was another meaning as well.

“I’m s-s-sorry! Sister, I… I was out of line. I’ll wait for you at the door!” Lan Cixing finally broke free, her whole body glowing red, her eyes misting over with pink. She backed away repeatedly to escape Rong Yushu’s reach.

Rong Yushu didn’t try to stop her again, turning her head and leaving a few strands of hair-scent behind. The white tea fragrance was sweet and crisp, making Lan Cixing want to step forward in spite of herself. She stopped after half a step. She said she would wait for Rong Yushu. She should be good. Lan Cixing knelt on the spot, turning back into a watchdog.

Rong Yushu, moving with the draft, casually left one sentence for her. “I’m going on a dating show in two days. I’ve sent the participant list to you; prepare well.” Then the bathroom door closed.

Lan Cixing dithered for a moment before taking out her phone and sitting back down. Her brain was still burning, but her thoughts were clearing slightly. If Rong Yushu was going on a dating show… she couldn’t possibly like her. Right. As long as Rong Yushu didn’t hate her, she was happy enough.

Lan Cixing entered the date of their meeting and unlocked her phone. She meant to open Rong Yushu’s chat, but accidentally clicked on An Yushi’s. She saw that An Yushi had sent 99+ messages during the few hours she hadn’t replied. The last message had come in just a second ago—a photo.

A private photo of An Yushi taking a bath. Her collarbone floated above the water, her skin translucent and plump. She was wearing nothing at all, though the critical parts were blurred by steam, it was still highly suggestive.

But Lan Cixing immediately saw the mole on her shoulder.

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