The Stand-in is Exceptionally Clingy [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 38

Chapter 38: The Film Empress and Her Little Assistant

◎I have someone I like.◎

In an instant, an unspeakable awkwardness spread to every corner of Jian Ke’s body. Her hands rested stiffly on the woman’s shoulders, and she had no idea what to say.

No wonder the other person had endured the awkwardness and discomfort to carry her back to her hospital room.

—So she was the chosen “unlucky person.”

On the surface, the marriage for good luck was a mutual agreement, but everyone knew that the Jian family was the one who was indebted.

To be married to a vegetable for no reason, and to be married for three years at that.

Anyone would probably curse and say, “That’s insane!”

But it seemed… the woman’s attitude towards her was not bad?

Thinking about what the other person had to go through—

Jian Ke: Ugh, my guilt seems to be getting even heavier…

The woman, unaware of Jian Ke’s complex inner feelings, felt a “fidgeting” on her back, and her eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Her legs hurt so much she couldn’t stand, so why is she so restless while on my back?

Lou Bianxia’s cold demeanor now held a hint of helplessness. The Jian Ke who had woken up seemed to be very different in personality from the Miss Jian she remembered.

She was a little too bouncy and lively.

The hands on her shoulders tightened slightly, and Jian Ke restlessly rubbed against her back. Lou Bianxia couldn’t help but say, “Stop moving. Behave yourself.”

Jian Ke’s body went stiff. The more awkward the situation, the more she liked to make small movements, and she thought her movements were very subtle.

Jian Ke shrank her hands, wanting to apologize, but suddenly saw a hint of redness in the black hair at the back of the woman’s neck.

Her ear is red?

Jian Ke’s lips curved upward. That didn’t match the other person’s cold personality at all.

—A little cute.

She was carried all the way back to her room, and the woman gently half-hugged and half-supported her onto the hospital bed.

Her movements were clumsy and stiff, as if she was handling a fragile glass doll.

But her every action was filled with unparalleled seriousness and care.

Jian Ke found it a little funny to see the other person frown intently while putting her down, and then quickly return to her cold expression. But she pressed her lips down before they could curl up.

If she actually laughed out loud, she would probably… get an eye-roll.

Lou Bianxia, having finally gotten rid of the difficult “hot potato,” was about to leave, but the “potato” suddenly spoke seriously. “Miss Guan, can we talk?”

Lou Bianxia: …

She had no choice but to sit down in the chair by the bed.

“My mom told me about the marriage for good luck. Miss Guan, I’m really sorry.”

Facing Jian Ke’s apology, the woman’s voice, muffled by the mask, was a little more subdued. “It’s nothing. The Jian family also helped me a great deal.”

From her tone, Jian Ke couldn’t figure out any emotion. “…You must be pretty angry, having to marry someone you don’t like for no reason.”

Lou Bianxia: “It’s fine.”

Jian Ke: “It’s okay, you can tell me the truth. When I woke up and heard about this, I almost fainted.”

Hearing this, the woman lifted her eyelids. “That’s the truth. My mental fortitude is very strong.”

Jian Ke: “…Oh.”

She was a little annoyed at herself for saying she almost fainted, as it was indirectly saying that she was very unhappy with the other person.

“I didn’t mean anything by it. I just have a general aversion to marriage.”

The woman spoke sparingly. “Oh.”

This was the kind of conversation that would kill any topic. No matter how good Jian Ke was at talking, she was a little stumped by the constant “oh.”

The hospital room suddenly fell into silence. The two of them looked at each other without saying a word, and the atmosphere became a little awkward.

But the person with good mental fortitude didn’t seem to notice. After thinking for a moment, Lou Bianxia picked up an apple from the fruit plate and began to peel it.

Jian Ke turned her face and watched the woman’s methodical movements. Her lowered eyes had a hint of nonchalance, as if no one or anything could catch her attention.

Her distant and unapproachable demeanor was incredibly intriguing.

She pursed her lips, a little confused.

“Jiejie’s temper is really good…”

“This marriage was never by our own will. We don’t know each other and have no emotional foundation. There’s no reason to keep being tied together.”

Jian Ke looked at the hand gripping the knife handle. It was as slender and pale as jade, with smooth, pink nails that must have been well-cared for, and it had a delicate sheen.

The sharp blade sliced through the fruit, and a rich, fruity aroma filled the air.

The woman remained silent but had an invisible presence.

Jian Ke suddenly felt an inexplicable nervousness. She swallowed. “So, don’t you think we should…”

“Get a divorce first?”

The hand holding the knife stopped, and the tip of the knife immediately sliced diagonally into the apple flesh.

Jian Ke keenly felt the woman’s surrounding pressure drop, and she couldn’t help but shrink her neck.

Did I say the wrong thing?

The woman looked up at Jian Ke with a meaningful glance, then continued peeling the apple unhurriedly.

“Have you discussed this with Aunt Jian?”

Jian Ke pouted. “I did. My mom and the others don’t agree. But as long as you agree—”

“I don’t agree either.”

The woman’s attitude was very clear. “Since I’ve already agreed to the marriage, I will keep my promise. The agreed time hasn’t passed yet, so I won’t agree to a divorce.”

Jian Ke was stunned. “I didn’t expect… you to have such a strong sense of contract.”

“But now that I’m awake, you’ve already fulfilled your promise. Even if it’s for the sake of gratitude, you’ve done enough.”

Jian Ke: “Isn’t it a good thing for us to divorce now and go back to our normal lives?”

But no matter how hard Jian Ke tried to persuade her, the woman was unyielding.

All her words were a waste of effort. Jian Ke sighed dejectedly, looking up at the ceiling. Just as she felt a little thirsty, a cool piece of fruit appeared at her lips.

Lou Bianxia used a toothpick to hold up a piece of the sliced apple, bringing it to Jian Ke’s mouth.

“Eat something if you’re tired of talking.”

Jian Ke: ?!

She was so angry that her cheeks flushed red. There seemed to be fire flickering in her bright, nimble eyes.

Are you practicing some kind of “unshakable as a mountain” demeanor on me? You’re not giving me any reaction. We’re talking about serious stuff. Who wants to eat an apple?!

Jian Ke ranted internally.

Her rosy lips were touched with juice, and a sweet, fruity fragrance wafted over. She subconsciously licked her lips, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Well, she already cut it and gave it to me. I might as well eat it.

Lou Bianxia dutifully continued to feed her, while also carefully observing the girl in front of her.

Gone was the sickly, lifeless air of when she was silently sleeping, where her breath was as thin as a thread, as if it could break at any moment.

Aside from her weak breathing, the silent hospital room was always accompanied by the eternal, seemingly endless ticking sound, like a curse.

In the time since she woke up, with diligent recovery, Jian Ke’s cheeks had become a little plumper, but she was still very thin.

Among her beautiful features, her pair of glassy eyes were the most vivid and lively, so dazzling that it was hard to look away.

Perhaps because she had been asleep for so long, her face still had a bit of a pale, bloodless look.

…She seemed to bear a slight resemblance, but also looked very different.

Lou Bianxia’s mind started to wander. The similar faces flickered before her eyes, stirring up a turbulent emotion.

The green water in her memory flowed quietly like a gentle wave, passing over her ankles, warm and smooth, like a lover’s caress, and then flowing forward without a hint of attachment.

The rippling green water cast a blurry reflection.

A pink oiled-paper umbrella was held up in the streets of fireworks, separating the mist and water vapor into a curtain of gauze.

A woman in a green dress, with a white jade pendant hanging from her waist, stepped gracefully over the bluestone pavement. Her delicate face had a smile as soft as the wind.

It was reflected in the pond, on the white wall, in the ancient town misty with rain, and in the eyes of someone gazing from a distance.

The light rain stopped abruptly, and the oiled-paper umbrella tilted, letting a trickle of water fall.

The woman raised her head, and the golden light that had broken through the clouds shone on her gentle profile. The golden hairpin in her hair became even more dazzling.

She closed the umbrella and turned around, looking softly at Lou Bianxia, a light pink blush on her cheeks like peach blossoms.

—”Senior sister, the rain has stopped.”

People always have unfulfilled obsessions, whether they are greedy or yearning. Trying to cut water with a knife or putting out a fire with firewood will only make the desire burn brighter.

But withdrawal symptoms are so hard to bear.

“Why are you spacing out? I want more.” A dissatisfied voice woke Lou Bianxia from the rippling green waves.

Jian Ke glanced at the woman. Her soft, red tongue licked her moist lips, an unconsciously seductive and alluring gesture, but her eyes were filled with a great resentment.

“Are you thinking about divorcing me?”

Lou Bianxia cleared her throat and continued to feed her. “Don’t bother trying to persuade me. It won’t work.”

“Aunt Jian’s wishes are my wishes. I won’t agree to a divorce unless she gives her consent.”

Her words left no room for negotiation.

Jian Ke’s heart seized up.

“Divorce is between you and me. It has nothing to do with anyone else.”

She had an expression that said, “Can’t you think for yourself?” and looked quite fierce.

Lou Bianxia raised an eyebrow. “Our marriage was never by our own will, let alone divorce.”

“And the divorce is my wish. I don’t need to consider it any further. If you really find it difficult, you only have to bear with it for the remaining six months.”

“In these six months, everything will remain the same. The way it was before is the way it is now. We won’t disturb each other.”

The woman was calm and composed, but her voice held an unrefusable firmness.

“Do you really believe in that three-year good luck marriage thing? It’s all feudal superstition; it doesn’t do anything.”

Jian Ke bit her lip anxiously. If she couldn’t get a divorce, how could she become the female lead’s stand-in lover?

“I don’t believe it, but someone else does.” Lou Bianxia’s finger tapped lightly on her knee.

“Do you know how worried Aunt Jian is about you? Ever since you woke up, she’s been walking on eggshells, afraid that something might go wrong with your health.”

“She can’t handle losing you again. So, just to ease her mind, this marriage can’t end now.”

Jian Ke pursed her lips, her throat feeling tight. The other person’s composure was a stark contrast to her own tangled mess of a heart.

She remembered the smile that was always on her mother’s lips, and she remembered how her mother still held her hand tightly with a look of unease after she woke up.

She was worried that Jian Ke would fall into an endless sleep again.

“I understand.”

In that moment, Jian Ke was defeated. She had to admit that the woman was right.

When it concerned her mother, she couldn’t be too willful.

Under the other person’s verbal assault, Jian Ke’s compromise seemed to be a matter of course.

A sense of frustration welled up in her heart, followed by a curious desire to probe.

—The other person still hadn’t taken off her mask. Her face was completely covered, her long hair fell to her waist, revealing only those distant, cold eyes.

From the moment they met, her demeanor seemed to be full of wariness and distance.

She was unpredictable and hard to deal with. It was best to keep a respectful distance.

But the woman had a pair of eyes that could see into people’s hearts. With just a few words, she had hit Jian Ke’s weak spot.

Recalling their few conversations, Jian Ke felt like she had been repeatedly stonewalled.

Sighing a little dejectedly, Jian Ke’s mind stirred. “You don’t want a divorce. Could it be that in all these years, Miss Guan, you haven’t met anyone you like?”

Lou Bianxia didn’t take the bait. She asked back with a straight face, “And Miss Jian, are you so eager for a divorce because you have someone you like?”

What kind of question is that? What could a person who was a vegetable for seven years like?

Jian Ke pouted unhappily. Suddenly, an idea struck her. The water in her eyes blinked with tiny stars, and the smile on her lips deepened.

“Yes, I do have someone I like. I should be married to her.”

If Lou Bianxia had spent more time with Jian Ke, she would have noticed that her expression was clearly mischievous.

The rest of her words would be unreliable.

But this was only their first day of meeting.

Lou Bianxia was stunned for a moment, as if she hadn’t heard clearly, and repeated, “You have someone you like?”

Jian Ke: “Mhm… I guess so… I just haven’t won her over yet.”

Lou Bianxia’s brows furrowed. Her calm emotions finally had some fluctuation, and the “don’t come near me” aura around her weakened a little.

Seeing that the other person was half-believing her, Jian Ke continued. “Actually… I liked her seven years ago, but I never had the courage to pursue her.”

“But what you think about in the day, you dream about at night. In the seven years that I was asleep, I often dreamed about her…”

Lou Bianxia thought she had misheard. “You, dreamed?”

Jian Ke’s eyes widened, her face full of sincerity. “Yeah, I dreamed.”

The woman’s cold, deep eyes showed a rare look of confusion. She looked at Jian Ke as if she were facing an unsolvable problem. “…What did you dream about?”

Jian Ke wore a love-struck smile, but she was heartlessly dropping bombshells. “I dreamed that I pursued her, and we dated and got married. After we got married, we were inseparable and deeply in love. We fell asleep in each other’s arms every day and enjoyed the pleasures of love.”

A true dream lover.

Lou Bianxia’s eyebrow twitched. Little one, do you have any idea that you’re being… a little perverted?

“So when I woke up from my dream, and found that everything was just a dream…”

Jian Ke lowered her eyes, and her voice became softer and softer. The emotions of loss and sadness seemed to be overflowing from her body.

—It seems she has no idea.

Lou Bianxia looked at Jian Ke’s expression and couldn’t help but lose herself for a moment. She knew there was an element of exaggeration in the other person’s description, but she couldn’t tell what was true and what was false.

Her voice came out as if it were not meant to land. “…Who is that person? Can you tell me?”

Being dreamed about for seven years must be pretty tragic.

Jian Ke lifted her eyes and glanced at her. “If I tell you, will you agree to divorce me?”

Lou Bianxia: “No.”

“Then I can’t say.”

It was as if a cat was scratching at her heart. Lou Bianxia’s rational mind told her there was no need to keep asking. Whether Jian Ke had someone she liked had nothing to do with her.

But curiosity drove her on.

“Tell me, and maybe I can help you persuade Aunt Jian.”

Jian Ke’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if she was weighing the options.

“Fine. Remember what you said.”

“The person I like is Lou Bianxia.”

She said the female lead’s name as if it were the most natural thing in the world, never expecting to stir up a huge wave in the heart of the person in front of her.

Lou Bianxia was shocked. She subconsciously reached up and touched her mask and hat, then asked in a voice filled with surprise and uncertainty.

“Which Lou Bianxia?”

Jian Ke: “Which Lou Bianxia could it be? Of course, it’s the Film Empress Lou Bianxia, the National Goddess, the Box Office Queen…”

“I see. You’re her fan.”

Jian Ke shook her head and blinked her eyes. “It’s not the kind of love you have for an idol. It’s the kind of love you have for a partner, the kind of love where you want to spend the rest of your life with her.”

The girl on the hospital bed bloomed with a bright and beautiful smile like a rose.

Her affection was bold and alluring, like the warm sunlight of spring slanting through a doorway, gentle and beautiful, softly curling into one’s heart.

The blush of infatuation colored the corners of her eyes and brows, making the small beauty mark seem especially charming.

Looking at her like this—Lou Bianxia was starting to believe it.

“Did you… meet somewhere?” Lou Bianxia tried hard to search her memory, but if she had met Jian Ke before, it was impossible that she had no impression of her at all.

“Back when she was filming Girl in Her Prime, she was leaning against a bridge holding a paper umbrella. In the fine rain and gentle breeze, I was standing under the bridge and fell in love with her at first sight.”

Love at first sight?

“And in my dreams these past few years, her every expression…”

Lou Bianxia: “…You don’t have to talk so much about the dreams.”

“I just love her.” Jian Ke’s face was flushed. Her pale fingers clutched the blanket, her tone sincere and firm. “You wouldn’t understand.”

Lou Bianxia pinched the bridge of her nose. The person whose heart was a tangled mess was now her.

“I don’t understand… So you think you know her well?”

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