The Stand-in is Exceptionally Clingy [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 21

Chapter 21: The CEO and Her Canary

◎Mess Me Up When We Get Home◎

Jian Ke turned her head. The woman was wearing Bi Lili’s latest autumn collection, a long high-slit dress. Her deep-V neckline revealed a “surging curve.” Noticing Jian Ke’s gaze, the woman seemed to intentionally puff out her chest.

Who is this?

Jian Ke’s face was a question mark. In her sight, everything from the woman’s chest up seemed to be pixelated. Her face was blurry, and the layers upon layers of heavy makeup made her completely unrecognizable. Staring for too long made her eyes hurt. She rubbed her eyes, looked at the tiled wall for a moment, and felt a little better.

“Excuse me, who are you?”

The woman crossed her arms, walked closer, and said eagerly, “It’s me!”

This time, it wasn’t just Jian Ke’s eyes that hurt. The woman’s “overpoweringly rich” perfume, mixed with the various meat smells from the hotpot restaurant, created an even more complex and intense scent, which also triggered some of Jian Ke’s memories.

“You’re… Qian Jiao?” Jian Ke’s voice wavered as she scrutinized the pixelated face. Perhaps it was the overly thick makeup, but the Qian Jiao in front of her looked completely different from before.

Qian Jiao smiled, enthusiastically hooking her arm into Jian Ke’s. “That’s right. What a coincidence! What are you doing here?”

Jian Ke ignored her, calmly pulled her arm away, and walked to the restroom sink. Qian Jiao’s face stiffened. A flicker of resentment flashed in her eyes, but she gritted her teeth and followed.

Cold water splashed on Jian Ke’s flushed cheeks. Droplets wet the wisps of hair on her forehead, then slid down her straight nose and dripped onto her full, red lips. Her skin glowed with a dewy luster that was beautiful enough to inspire jealousy.

Jian Ke felt her head clear up a bit. She casually wiped her face and saw a tissue being offered to her.

“Why are you so distant? You can’t still be mad about last time, can you? We were roommates for four years. You know my temper. I’m always saying the wrong things. Please don’t hold it against me.” Qian Jiao’s tone was fawning, but she felt mortified inside.

After successfully signing with Huanqi Entertainment, she found that things were not as smooth as she had hoped. Small entertainment companies had limited resources. As a low-tier artist, she couldn’t get any good or bad opportunities. Her manager handled ten artists at once and had no time for her at all. When she realized she had fallen into a trap, she tried to terminate her contract, but was told she would have to pay a massive fine. Qian Jiao then went to beg Director Huang, but he already had a new muse and didn’t remember her at all. With no other options, she suddenly saw Jian Ke on Mission: Relaunch—

They were both new artists, but Jian Ke had not only been on a popular reality show, she had also made a guest appearance in a web drama and interacted with the female lead, Qiao Jingjing, on Weibo. Now, she was in Director Chen’s low-budget web drama. Although the topic was sensitive, the public opinion online was very positive. What was Jian Ke’s secret? Of course, it was the powerful sugar daddy behind her! If she could get on Jian Ke’s good side, she would have no problem getting resources, and she could even try to sound out the sugar daddy behind her…

Jian Ke saw through her “arrogant at first, respectful later” attitude and knew exactly what she was trying to do. She had no intention of entertaining her. But Qian Jiao kept following, engaging in a one-sided conversation.

“I saw Director Chen’s Weibo this afternoon. It seems Sea of Fog has wrapped up. He invited the whole cast and crew to dinner. Director Chen is so talented, young but already famous. I’ve admired him for a long time.”

Jian Ke stopped and said in a few words, “We’re not close. Please stop following me, or I’ll ask a waiter to escort you out.”

Seeing that Jian Ke was determined not to listen, Qian Jiao stamped her foot in anger and tried a different approach. “Jian Ke, we both know you’re getting these resources because of the sugar daddy behind you.”

“But how can you be sure you’ll always be so favored? Men are all fickle and grow tired of old things. Having more people help you is also a good plan for the future.” Qian Jiao’s words were vague, but her meaning was clear.

Jian Ke laughed. So the ultimate goal was Lou Bianxia. She narrowed her eyes, pinched her chin, and looked at Qian Jiao. Then she shook her head. “Everything about your looks is wrong. My sugar daddy wouldn’t be interested in you even if he were blind.”

Jian Ke left the mortified Qian Jiao behind and gave a few instructions to the waiter at the door before walking into the private room. Qian Jiao tried to follow but was stopped by the waiter.

“I’m with that person.”

The waiter smiled, but his blocking gesture was firm. “This is a private room. Unauthorized people are not allowed in. If you continue to harass our customers, I will call security directly.” Qian Jiao could only turn and leave in anger, staring at the closed door of the private room.

After several rounds of drinks, the wrap party finally ended when Director Chen became incoherent. Assistant Xiaoyang had helped Jian Ke block a lot of drinks and was now also very drunk. Jian Ke told the driver to take him home first. The hotpot restaurant was very close to Jingxiu Garden; it would only take her about ten minutes to get back in a taxi.

Jian Ke, wrapped in a woolen sweater, stood at the entrance of the hotpot restaurant. She found it interesting that the streetlights were flickering as if they had astigmatism. After watching for a while, she felt her legs getting tired, so she slowly squatted down. A moment later, she felt tired of squatting and tilted her body to lie down—

Before her body could touch the ground, she was pulled up and helped to her feet. Lou Bianxia looked at the girl in front of her, who smelled of alcohol, and pinched her hot cheek. “How much did you drink to get this dizzy?”

Jian Ke’s vision focused, and she saw Lou Bianxia’s face. She happily wrapped her arms around Lou Bianxia’s shoulders. “Sister… hmm… you came to pick me up?” She hugged her tightly, clinging to Lou Bianxia with all her limbs, like a giant, clingy dog. Lou Bianxia, worried she might fall, could only accept her fate and hold her waist.

“Sister, Sea of Fog has wrapped up. I’ve found out that acting is really fun~”

Jian Ke’s tone was soft and melodic. As if she wasn’t close enough, she closed her eyes and rested her head on Lou Bianxia’s shoulder. “Director Chen said I acted well, hmm… I think I acted pretty well too, hehe.” There was a hint of pride in her voice. “You have to watch it, Sister. I was so good.”

Her warm breath misted against the back of Lou Bianxia’s neck. Then, she felt a tug on her ear. Jian Ke had opened her mouth and lightly bitten her earlobe. It wasn’t really a bite, more like a wet, soft tongue wrapping around it. It was incredibly ticklish. As the girl bit her, she grumbled, “Someone wants to steal my spot~ Aren’t you going to do something about it…”

Lou Bianxia was confused. She struggled to walk to the car, sighing inwardly. Last time she got drunk, she had a big fight with her in the car. This time, she was clinging to her and acting spoiled. This “little trouble” always managed to find new ways to torment her.

Lou Bianxia was half-hugging, half-helping Jian Ke into the car, when she felt a sharp, uncomfortable gaze. She looked around, but the street was dark and quiet, and there was no one there. At that moment, Jian Ke in her arms started to get rowdy again, and she had to turn her attention back to her. Lou Bianxia held Jian Ke’s wriggling, slender waist and said seriously, “Stop messing around. Mess me up when we get home!”

When Jian Ke heard that, she immediately stopped moving and mumbled. “Home, home… to do naughty things with Sister.”

Lou Bianxia’s ears flushed instantly. She pinched the girl’s soft, warm cheek and gritted her teeth. Jian Ke frowned in pain. “Hmm… won’t you?”

Tonight seemed destined to be anything but peaceful. Tears streamed down Lou Bianxia’s face, and her fingers unconsciously clawed at the porcelain-white skin, leaving behind mottled red marks. Jian Ke’s movements were rough, yet she didn’t listen to the urgent pleas for mercy. Grabbing her wrists and pushing her down, she refused to let go. Lou Bianxia’s body was a mottled canvas of marks, yet she could only let herself sink into the moment. As the rain of passion subsided, the small mole under Jian Ke’s eye seemed more seductive and enchanting than ever. She kissed the mole, her touch as devout and sacred as a pure saint treading through the muddy rain, lowering her head to gently kiss a raindrop on a petal.

The next morning, Jian Ke was woken up by a phone call. A hangover was accompanied by a wave of dizziness. She opened her phone and was surprised to see over 99+ messages, and they were still coming in. When she answered the call, she heard Wang Qiu ask, “That day you answered my phone… The cousin you said you were staying with… was that… Ms. Lou?”

“…Yes.”

On the other end of the line, Wang Qiu took a deep breath. After a moment, she said in a calm tone, “Try not to go out for the next few days. The public relations… no, Ms. Lou’s side will handle it properly.”

“The security at Jingxiu Garden is very tight, so no paparazzi would dare to sneak in. But if… if Ms. Lou asks you to move out, the company will find you a safe place to live.”

Jian Ke’s voice was hoarse. “Sister Qiu, what happened?”

Wang Qiu sighed. “You and Ms. Lou were secretly photographed.”

“The public opinion online is very strong right now. Suimu is already working on an emergency public relations plan. No matter what the final result is, you should lay low for a while.” Wang Qiu was trying to comfort Jian Ke, but she wasn’t confident herself. Lying low was one thing, but being “frozen out” of the industry was a bigger problem. While society’s views on homosexuality were not as sensitive as they used to be and many people were even supportive, the other party was not an ordinary person. The person involved was the extremely powerful and influential Lou Bianxia.

—This made the relationship a subject of much speculation.

After the call ended, Jian Ke reflexively reached for the spot next to her, which was already cold. A feeling of dread gradually settled in her heart.

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