The Second Fall - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Persona is Rong Yushu’s Girlfriend Fan

The video call ended.

Hao Liuhua’s hand was still gripping Tan Xiangming’s. The force wasn’t heavy, but it carried a hint of decisive dominance. Half of her body was still suspended in the air, her shadow blanketing the reclining Tan Xiangming. Their eyes met, and Tan Xiangming blinked.

With the light blocked, she could clearly see Hao Liuhua’s jawline and the faint curves visible through the fabric of her shirt. She could also smell the light fragrance of Hao Liuhua’s perfume. Suddenly, a stray lock of hair fell, nearly brushing Tan Xiangming’s face. It tickled her, making her eyes instinctively close as her body temperature surged.

“What are you doing?” Tan Xiangming raised her hand to push Hao Liuhua away, springing up nimbly and flipping back into a seated position.

Hao Liuhua’s arm trembled slightly. She decided to go with the flow and simply collapsed onto Tan Xiangming’s lap.

“Hey, get up!” Tan Xiangming nearly jumped. She had never been this close to her before. She nervously grabbed Hao Liuhua’s collar and hoisted her up to sit beside her.

A faint warmth remained on her lap. Hao Liuhua had left a trace of her hair’s scent behind, and a slight crease remained on the skirt. It was like a tattoo. Out of the corner of her eye, Hao Liuhua caught a glimpse of it and felt a sense of satisfaction.

“Sorry, I lost my balance.” Hao Liuhua calmly adjusted her collar, sitting barely an inch away from Tan Xiangming, her long eyelashes fluttering lightly. Her posture was so elegant that it was as if she weren’t holding clothing, but a glass of red wine. It was as if the person who had deliberately fallen just now wasn’t her at all.

“…I have a bone to pick with you!” Tan Xiangming lost her momentum for a moment, puffed out her cheeks, and spoke faster.

“Hmm?” Hao Liuhua finally finished buttoning the collar that had been “defiled” by Tan Xiangming, restoring the shirt to its original, strictly formal appearance.

“You helped me hang up the phone.” Tan Xiangming couldn’t stand how calm this person was. She huffed and pinched Hao Liuhua’s leg, lingering for an extra second because the texture was so nice. She didn’t notice the pause in Hao Liuhua’s breathing.

“And you called me Jasmine. You hugged me.” She crossed her arms now, as if launching an accusation.

“But you hugged me back. I like your nickname—am I the only one who isn’t allowed to call you that?” For some reason, Hao Liuhua looked like the victim. She looked so pitiful that Tan Xiangming’s retort got stuck in her throat; she wanted to speak, but felt bad for her.

Hao Liuhua had called her the name, and she had hugged her. And if they really did the math, it was indeed Tan Xiangming who had taken advantage of Hao Liuhua, hugging her for so long that her palms still felt… like cotton. Tan Xiangming’s mind wandered, her palms recalling a pillow-like softness. But Hao Liuhua was impressive; even the most expensive pillow Tan Xiangming had ever used couldn’t compare to her in the slightest.

“You… you also said I was very satisfied with you!” Tan Xiangming had to switch directions.

“Are you not?” Hao Liuhua cooperated, sitting upright and obediently.

“Definitely not! I only reluctantly accepted you. You’re just a passing grade.” Tan Xiangming would absolutely not admit that she was actually quite satisfied.

It was just as her sister had advised: Hao Liuhua was good in every aspect. Since her family was going to use an alliance to gain maximum interest anyway, she might as well pick someone with good conditions. There were only a few families at the top of the pyramid. Five years ago, Shang Lin’an had sent Tan Xiangming photos, and she had rejected the others one by one. One family was powerful, but the candidate was missing two fingers and had some intellectual issues. Tan Xiangming had wanted to run away immediately after hearing that.

Tan Xiangming wouldn’t tell Hao Liuhua that five years ago, she had already taken a fancy to Hao Liuhua’s… face. She never expected that they would meet and share such tension five years later. Tan Xiangming actually thought Hao Liuhua would have been married by now. If it wasn’t for her… actually, she probably wouldn’t have chosen this point in time to return home. Tan Xiangming dazed out for a moment, staring blankly at Hao Liuhua.

Glimpsing the disappointment in Hao Liuhua’s eyes, Tan Xiangming’s face flushed with heat, and her voice caught. It was as if she had just hurt Hao Liuhua, shattering her. The light in Hao Liuhua’s eyes flickered like a candle in a gale, as if it might go out in the next second.

Tan Xiangming shrank her neck back, feeling a bit guilty. She loved to use harsh words when negotiating with her family; they understood her and knew what she really meant. But Hao Liuhua had only known her for a short time; she shouldn’t be so dramatic.

“I… what I meant was…”

Before Tan Xiangming could finish, Hao Liuhua suddenly looked up, tucking away the tears that were about to fall. “I know I was wrong, Jasmine. I can make it up to you, just don’t be angry with me.” Her tone was so sincere that it seemed like she really was the one at fault.

Tan Xiangming’s eyes shifted, and her apology was swallowed back down. “Then, Sister Hao, I want the clothes you ordered this month~” She took her acting to the extreme, putting her hands together and looking at Hao Liuhua with sparkling eyes. “Specifically the new arrivals from Meisong and Black Earl. I was busy with the entertainment industry… I mean, busy getting married to you, so I didn’t have time. Please, please? You must have them, right?”

Top luxury brands like those only open a few slots a month; you have to fight for them and even buy other goods to qualify. Tan Xiangming had truly forgotten this month, but she happened to like two of the pieces.

Hao Liuhua didn’t seem to react.

Tan Xiangming grit her teeth. She had already squeezed a yacht out of her sister—her very first yacht. It wouldn’t be convenient to make another move so soon. As for her mother and mom, neither of them were interested in fashion brands; they thought all the dresses in her closet looked exactly the same and wouldn’t help her. If she could avoid buying it herself, she would. Tan Xiangming prepared to try harder, reaching out to grab Hao Liuhua’s hand to plead.

Hao Liuhua moved. The smile vanished from her eyes; without her gentleness, she looked quite stern. She took out her phone and dialed. “Reserve all of this month’s Selova runway collection. Don’t put them up for auction. My… fiancée wants them.”

Tan Xiangming stared blankly as Hao Liuhua finished the call. She had only wanted a few of the new items; she didn’t expect Hao Liuhua to just buy out the entire collection… This was the first time someone had satisfied her demands indiscriminately, even when she was being a bit unreasonable. She was definitely going to marry this woman!

“Your room. How is it~” It was late, so Tan Xiangming took Hao Liuhua to the second floor. She had naturally picked the largest room for herself. The bed was huge, the facilities were complete, and it even had a small outdoor pool that could be heated into a hot spring. She picked a slightly inferior one for Hao Liuhua, hoping she wouldn’t notice.

Hao Liuhua stared at the room for a second. “Aren’t we sleeping together?” Is this really just a business alliance?

“Why? We aren’t close yet, right?” Tan Xiangming had clearly not listened to what Hao Liuhua said earlier.

“The room is fine.” It’s just missing a person. Hao Liuhua didn’t dare be impatient, fearing Tan Xiangming would misunderstand again. “Thank you, Jasmine.” She bid Tan Xiangming goodnight and watched her return to her room.

At least the rooms were facing each other.

Hao Liuhua took off her shoes and stood on her tiptoes. She truly didn’t make a sound when she walked. She leaned against Tan Xiangming’s door, pressing her ear against it. …The soundproofing was very good. Hao Liuhua couldn’t even hear Tan Xiangming playing music in the room, so she left awkwardly.

Sunday afternoon.

Tan Xiangming led Hao Liuhua to the car. They had been living in the same villa for a few days; although they slept in different rooms and didn’t see much of each other most of the time, Hao Liuhua would wake Tan Xiangming up, eat with her, and so on, so they were slightly more familiar.

Tan Xiangming didn’t know that Hao Liuhua stood outside her door for five minutes every night like a loyal knight, though she was doing the “dirty” work of eavesdropping.

In the car, Tan Xiangming was chattering away, telling Hao Liuhua about the trending topics from the past two days. One moment it was: “They actually unfollowed me after following for just one day. Even my haters stopped reposting my giveaways. I’m truly a ‘nugu’ (nobody).” The next moment it was: “How do they have the nerve to scold me? Did I do anything illegal? Those were just malicious edits, how can they not see that?”

Hao Liuhua listened with a furrowed brow, not daring to tell Tan Xiangming that this was actually the result of her cleaning things up. If she hadn’t controlled it, the news of Tan Xiangming’s marriage would have shot to number one in entertainment. That day was actually the Birch Awards ceremony, and news of Tan Xiangming’s affair had overshadowed the news of all the Best Actress winners.

Hao Liuhua didn’t understand why Tan Xiangming was still so hated after being irrelevant for years, nor did she understand why Tan’s family didn’t manage the comments and had to leave it to her. She didn’t dare pull the trending topics down—that would be too obvious—so she could only lower the engagement and use a few paid accounts to control the narrative. She didn’t tell Tan Xiangming about this either.

According to her sources, Tan Xiangming usually had a high-profile personality and had even spent money to push her own negative trending topics to the front to achieve a reverse effect. If she told Tan Xiangming, she might direct her to do something strange.

“Is your mom coming or is your mother coming?” Tan Xiangming had complained enough and casually added ten sets of Labrie to a hater’s giveaway post. She turned off the tablet and leaned against Hao Liuhua’s shoulder.

Hao Liuhua tilted her head imperceptibly to press her face against her. Tan Xiangming’s shampoo smelled very good. Hao Liuhua had used it herself over the last few days.

“Both. Marriage is such a big deal; they definitely have to discuss it properly with your family.” She had already picked the time and place—it was the nearest auspicious day. The venue, ceremony performers, and so on had been prepared years ago, and the invitations were written by Hao Liuhua herself. She was just waiting for Tan Xiangming’s consent.

“What about your sister?” Tan Xiangming asked, making things difficult on purpose.

“She’s coming. If it weren’t for the elders having difficulty moving around, they would come too.” Hao Liuhua’s eyes crinkled with a smile; she saw the attempt to be difficult and seemed to enjoy it.

“Then there will be too many people.” Tan Xiangming turned her head away, thinking that this person was quite thorough.

They arrived at the Tan family’s old residence. Tan Xiangming hopped out of the car and was about to run inside, but after taking one step, she remembered she was bringing her fiancée home to discuss the wedding. She had to slam on the brakes, stop, and turn back to gesture to Hao Liuhua. Hao Liuhua familiarized herself by taking her arm, acting intimate and submissive, which made Tan Xiangming look satisfied.

They arrived early, and Hao Liuhua’s family was still on the way. Tan Xiangming’s family hosted Hao Liuhua first, engaging in a bit of corporate small talk. Tan Xiangming naturally slipped away, leaving the pleasantries to Hao Liuhua while she went to play with the family cat. She hadn’t been petting it for even two minutes before Hao Liuhua’s family arrived.

Tan Xiangming returned reluctantly and was scolded by her sister’s gaze. “About to get married and still acting like a child.” Shang Lin’an tilted her chin, making Tan Xiangming shrink her neck.

Hao Liuhua didn’t help block Shang Lin’an’s attack, but merely asked in a low voice, “What were you playing with?” Once she spoke, it was inconvenient for Shang Lin’an to keep criticizing her sister, so she stopped.

Tan Xiangming’s mood lifted slightly. “Coffee—the cat I told you about earlier. I’ll take you there later if we have time.” She winked at Hao Liuhua. Hao Liuhua shifted her body to block this interaction, preventing Tan’s family from saying she was being impolite. The Tan family was a symbol of power; as the youngest daughter, Tan Xiangming didn’t need to worry about etiquette. Hao Liuhua didn’t mind; she just found her vivid and cute.

“Finally meeting you! Little Xiangming, do you still remember me?” Three people walked over amidst laughter. The woman leading them was Hao Liuhua’s mother, Hao Xianfeng. The two families were old acquaintances; Hao Xianfeng had visited when Tan Xiangming was born.

“Auntie is so dashing, of course I remember.” Tan Xiangming put on a smile, letting out a stream of compliments. She looked behind Hao Xianfeng. The woman who looked like Hao Xianfeng’s wife was naturally Hao Liuhua’s mom, Lu Guanlan; with her high nose bridge, thick eyebrows, and large eyes, she was the source of Hao Liuhua’s mixed-race looks. The other young person was Hao Liuhua’s sister. This sister… seemed much prettier than the photo Hao Liuhua had shown. Photos can be misleading. Tan Xiangming didn’t think much of it and greeted the group.

They also greeted Tan Xiangming’s elders, and the two families officially sat down for a face-to-face meeting. Tan Xiangming wanted to sit with Shang Lin’an but was pulled by Hao Liuhua. The two of them definitely had to sit on the other side by themselves, since they were forming a small family of their own. Tan Xiangming pouted but sat pressed against Hao Liuhua.

Today’s discussion was primarily the two families’ final round of negotiating interests with hidden daggers behind smiles. Tan Xiangming couldn’t understand it, and five minutes in, her eyelids began to fight, and her posture collapsed as expected. Her head began to nod, about to drop.

Her mother, Shang Zhuoque, furrowed her brow and looked at Shang Lin’an. Shang Lin’an had also forgotten to tell Tan Xiangming to sleep early yesterday and was slightly anxious. She couldn’t make any big moves in front of others. No matter how much they were the dominant party, Tan Xiangming shouldn’t fall asleep in front of the in-laws.

Before Shang Lin’an could act, Hao Liuhua did. She slightly raised her shoulder to catch the sliding Tan Xiangming, wrapping one arm around her shoulder. Out of view of the Tan family, she pinched Tan Xiangming.

Tan Xiangming woke up instantly, looking at Hao Liuhua in a daze. “Your sister wants to scold you,” Hao Liuhua whispered, pushing the conflict outward. This move was successful and didn’t arouse any suspicion from Tan Xiangming. Tan Xiangming completely forgot she had been pinched by Hao Liuhua and glared at Shang Lin’an. Receiving a glare from Shang Lin’an that was practically a throat-slit gesture, Tan Xiangming behaved.

As soon as Tan Xiangming turned back, her palm suddenly felt an itch. Hao Liuhua’s finger was in her palm, tracing characters stroke by stroke. Tan Xiangming opened her hand and was about to wrap her palm around Hao Liuhua’s. Her palm was long and powerful; as she gripped, Hao Liuhua was already ensnared, her fingertips shrinking and trembling slightly.

Tan Xiangming felt like she had found a new toy and rubbed Hao Liuhua’s fingers. She treated Hao Liuhua’s index finger like a toy strip, stroking over the joints and leading it to hook, poke, and fold. She then led this single finger in a handshake, swinging it back and forth. She was so engrossed in her play that Hao Liuhua grit her teeth, enduring the intense itch and the urge to cry.

Consequently, when the elders of both families asked what they thought about the registration date, neither of them reacted. The four adults, plus the sister and the younger sister, finally noticed the two of them had their heads down the whole time. It looked as if they were having an affair under the table.

“Cough.” Shang Zhuoque’s ears felt a bit hot. Her youngest daughter was difficult to discipline, naturally unrestrained, rebellious, and free—exactly like her partner Tan Xinrui when they were young. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have run off to suffer in the entertainment industry for five years and endure all that criticism just because of a set alliance. But it was fine. Although they lacked politeness, at least the two children were very intimate.

Hao Xianfeng, on the other hand, covered her mouth and chuckled. “Liuhua, since you and little Jasmine have such a good relationship, why are you keeping it from us?”

Hao Liuhua looked up in a daze, her eyes full of pure color. Tan Xiangming threw her hand away and, embarrassed, reached for the tea on the table, silently moving an inch away from Hao Liuhua. However, everyone present saw her move. So she was playing with Hao Liuhua’s hand… Fingers carry a certain meaning; the adults all had different thoughts.

Hao Liuhua, whose hand had been thrown away by Tan Xiangming, ignored her mother who loved to cause trouble. She propped herself up and leaned toward Tan Xiangming. “Don’t be angry with me…” Her voice was very soft, almost a whimper. It made Tan Xiangming’s thoughts a mess.

Everyone knows what fingers signify. Why would she play with her fiancée’s fingers? Was she under a spell today?

“You scratched me; it’s very itchy,” Hao Liuhua’s voice continued to draw closer. It was gentle like spring rain, a drizzle that one couldn’t escape, slowly soaking into the organs. “If you still want to play, I can give it to you when we go home.” Hao Liuhua continued to speak, wrapping around Tan Xiangming like seaweed, as if demanding her forgiveness.

Tan Xiangming wasn’t angry at all; she had just instinctively drawn a line. After calming down, she felt it was unnecessary; they were already fiancées. Just as she was about to sit back, she was lost as to what to do with Hao Liuhua being so close.

“Play with me… when we go home, okay?” Each of Hao Liuhua’s sentences was more excessive than the last. Extremely hot, unbearable. The adult but inexperienced Tan Xiangming was about to explode. Did her fiancée really have a fiancée for the first time? Why was she so bold?

In her desperation, she grabbed Hao Liuhua’s hand and pinned it to her waist, wanting this audacious fiancée to settle down. With one touch, both of them shuddered.

Tan Xiangming trembled and blurted out, “I, I, I think… just today!” She hadn’t heard what the elders were discussing at all; it was a subconsious response from her brain.

Shang Zhuoque, who was prepared to discuss further: “…” Hao Xianfeng, who had quietly helped her daughter, was snickering.

Hao Liuhua quickly followed with a nod. Just today; today was the best day for registration in the near future. Everyone had heard what she said just now; although it wasn’t clear, they could sense something was wrong. She didn’t need to pretend anymore. Anyway, it was fine as long as Tan Xiangming didn’t realize it.

When signing the share transfer agreement, Hao Liuhua glanced at the time. By the time they called over the people from the Civil Affairs Bureau whom she had notified early that morning to register and issue the certificates, it would be the auspicious time she had picked. They were going to be married on an auspicious day at an auspicious time.

“That was fast.” On the way home, Tan Xiangming waved the marriage certificate in the air. She hadn’t expected to register today at all, but for a set alliance, it didn’t matter which day they registered. The wedding was set for a month later; the next month would be very busy.

Tan Xiangming was in a fairly good mood and took out her phone to take a photo. “Aren’t you taking one of mine?” Hao Liuhua offered hers. This might be the only time her little red book would ever leave her side.

“Hmm… let’s take one of yours too.” Tan Xiangming wanted to post on Weibo and her Moments; after thinking it over, she took two photos. One was of the certificates side-by-side to show off privately on Moments. The other had her certificate on top, covering Hao Liuhua’s personal info, especially the photo.

“Posting on Weibo?” Hao Liuhua took back the certificate, acting casual.

“I’ll send it to you too.” Tan Xiangming sent it to Hao Liuhua first, then logged into Weibo. Hao Liuhua was reassured; shielding her phone, she received the photo from “Dear Jasmine” and sent out messages to several people to handle work. She also smoothly released the Moments text she had drafted long ago, adding the photo. Then she turned off her phone, waiting for her Moments to be bombarded with notifications.

After arriving home, Tan Xiangming checked Weibo and saw her few fans leaving blessings in the comments, much to her disappointment. Not a single person was scolding her; she was in a good mood and her hands were itching to argue with someone.

Hao Liuhua’s gaze remained on her, thoughtful. She was very curious about who was targeting Tan Xiangming. She had investigated for a long time but couldn’t find out. In these two years, she had only narrowed down the range. However, seeing that Tan Xiangming enjoyed being scolded by haters—replying to every comment to vent her stress—Hao Liuhua didn’t strictly control it.

Two minutes later, Tan Xiangming finally found a hater’s post as she wished: “Short-tempered green tea 18th-tier actress actually got married. I bet they’ll divorce in less than a month. Then she’ll sell a sob story to return to the peak of her popularity. Negative fame is still fame.”

She used her main account to fire back: “Thank you for your concern. My partner is beautiful, rich, and has a great body. One of her fingers is worth eight of your lifetimes. You can’t compare, no wonder you’re bitter.”

Further down: “Instead of improving your acting, you’re hype-chasing again. I knew a certain green tea wasn’t sincere about leaving the industry.”

Tan Xiangming wasn’t polite either: “Who was the winner of the Golden Plum Award in ’22? So hard to guess. And who was the Best Lead in ’24? Could it be me? I retired to go home and enjoy my wife serving me tea, water, food, and clothes, with personal service included. You don’t have that, do you?”

Naturally, her mysterious fiancée wasn’t spared: “She doesn’t even dare show her fiancée. She must be ugly and a loser. Honestly, with her conditions, what kind of person could she find?” This post had many comments: “She probably has money. She must be looking for a sugar mama to prepare for a comeback in a few years. Just you wait and see.”

Tan Xiangming laughed outright. she didn’t want to show off to these people how beautiful her fiancée—well, wife now—was. She also didn’t want to expose Hao Liuhua’s identity, which was why she didn’t post a photo. It had actually become a reason for these people to attack her; haters are so dull.

“Sister Hao, are you ugly?” While scrolling through comments, she caught Hao Liuhua, who was about to make tea for her. Hao Liuhua leaned over the back of the sofa and looked at the comment section.

“I don’t think so.” She considered herself to have a high appearance level; otherwise, Tan Xiangming wouldn’t have taken an interest in her.

“Are you a loser?”

“…If Jasmine thinks I’m not a loser, then I’m not.” Hao Liuhua scanned upward and saw Tan Xiangming’s reply. Fortunately, she had warned her employees in advance; otherwise, it would have blown up again.

“Exactly. My taste isn’t bad.” Tan Xiangming was satisfied and took the opportunity to stroke Hao Liuhua’s cheek, continuing to type lightning-fast with her hands.

Hao Liuhua covered the spot where she had been touched, watching Tan Xiangming’s reply: “She is quite rich, you guessed that right. Too bad everything else is wrong. It’s more like my wife is my canary. She’s beautiful, ‘good in bed,’ and loves serving me. Hee hee.”

‘Good in bed’… The spot Hao Liuhua was covering began to burn. She hadn’t expected Tan Xiangming to be so expectant… She would work hard; she would go and learn right now.

After Tan Xiangming finished her unfiltered insults, she blocked and reported all of them. She handed the account to her sister; those accounts would be gone by tomorrow. Hao Liuhua finally brought the tea over and sat beside Tan Xiangming.

“Jasmine, I will work hard.” she held the tea cup, presenting it to Tan Xiangming.

“Hmm?” Tan Xiangming took the cup, finally realizing how close they were sitting. Half of Hao Liuhua’s body was practically pressed against her arm. The warmth she radiated passed directly to her skin. Her exhaled breath brushed against her ear and hair without being diminished, and the shifting light in her eyes fell across Tan Xiangming’s shoulder.

Tan Xiangming instinctively swallowed. Her moving throat was exceptionally obvious in the quiet eye contact. Hao Liuhua lowered her head, hiding her own emotional arousal.

“Wife.” She adjusted her breathing and spoke again, looking up at Tan Xiangming from a lower position. Her forest-green eyes were shimmering like autumn water, her eyelashes drawing her in.

Tan Xiangming’s breathing hitched. She had called Hao Liuhua “wife” when arguing with people, but that was online. In reality, Hao Liuhua was a living person. Right now, she was beside her, very close, her eyes full of affection. She wasn’t just a simple label; she was complex enough that Tan Xiangming easily lost her composure around her. She struggled to find a way to counter her, having been caught off guard and dazed by her several times. She still hadn’t figured out her intentions. She wasn’t an object that could be summarized by a label like “wife,” let alone a pampered canary.

Hao Liuhua was the Chairman of the Tianheng Group—an elegant, distant, yet tolerant older sister. She was a partner she wasn’t yet familiar with, but with whom she would spend the rest of her life. …The word “partner” was too heavy. It was just a business alliance. Tan Xiangming relaxed her breathing and pulled back.

Hao Liuhua drew closer again, lowering herself like a puppy, and offered her hand. Her breath felt like a tail wagging behind her, tickling Tan Xiangming.

“Wife, you can play with… me now.”

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