Li Jincheng had a long list of titles, many of them compliments from the outside world. But to Hua Xian, he was merely Chi Meng’s former fiancé, nothing more.
She stepped forward, shielding Chi Meng, and addressed the slightly flamboyant man: “Mengmeng is ill. If you have anything to discuss, wait until she has recovered. Furthermore, I don’t believe there’s any need for you to talk; she has nothing to say to you.”
After speaking, Hua Xian slightly lifted her chin, turning to Chi Meng for praise, but Chi Meng didn’t seem to notice. Lost in her own thoughts, her eyelids were lowered, her thick, slender eyelashes concealing her emotions.
Hua Xian felt an unidentifiable sensation. She suspected that she might have guessed Chi Meng’s thoughts incorrectly this time.
She quietly called Chi Meng’s name. The other woman responded abruptly, as if startled, and when she looked towards Hua Xian, all emotion in her eyes was completely withdrawn.
She is definitely hiding something from me, Hua Xian thought.
Both of them were actors, so their observation of micro-expressions was particularly sharp and meticulous. Chi Meng believed she had performed flawlessly, unaware that Hua Xian had long seen through her small mannerisms.
However, since Chi Meng didn’t want her to know, Hua Xian decided to play dumb.
Hua Xian took Chi Meng’s hand, pulled her mask up a little higher, and said softly, “I guess you have nothing you want to say to Mr. Li, right?”
“Mhm, that’s right,” Chi Meng turned to Li Jincheng, her tone becoming cold. “Mr. Li, please go home. Today is not a suitable time.”
A suitable time…
Hua Xian savored those words and found them quite interesting.
Although Li Jincheng projected the air of a libertine, he wasn’t so dense as to truly miss the underlying meaning. He put his sunglasses back on, turned his car around, and slowly vanished into the flow of people.
Hua Xian held Chi Meng’s hand tightly and asked, “Should we go home now? Or is there somewhere else you want to go?”
“Let’s go to the company. Sister Ai said she needs to discuss something with me,” Chi Meng said flatly.
The two went to the company. Li Ai glanced at Hua Xian and then led Chi Meng into her office. Hua Xian sat in the reception area, bored and nursing a cup of water.
The company had an “art wall” used specifically for displaying artists’ posters. Originally, Chi Meng was first and Hua Xian was second, but now the second spot had been replaced by someone else. Hua Xian looked through the glass at the posters, finding them unattractive no matter how she looked.
Mengmeng and I look better together.
Chi Meng and Li Ai seemed to be discussing something important, as they didn’t come out for a long time. Hua Xian had no choice but to take out her phone to play a matching game. She had cleared an unknown number of levels when there was a disturbance at the door. She looked up. It was neither Chi Meng nor Li Ai, but a staff member wearing a work badge, holding a plastic bag of takeout.
“Miss Hua, Director Li said she and Miss Chi still have a bit to chat about, and she asked that you eat.”
Hua Xian nodded. After the staff member left, she opened the plastic bag. Inside was a bowl of rice noodles plus a bottle of coke, truly shabby and hardly worthy of the word “meal.”
The rice noodles were bland, low on oil, salt, and seasoning—standard artist fare. Hua Xian struggled to eat it, finishing most of the bottle of coke, essentially drinking herself full.
It was only after drinking it that she realized the meal pairing didn’t seem very sensible.
“They feed the artists such unappetizing food, so why would they pair it with coke? Could it be… intentional?”
Inside the office, Li Ai looked through a gap in the blinds, saw the displeased look on Hua Xian’s face, and turned away satisfied.
“Eat up. I’ve already arranged for someone to send food to Hua Xian; she won’t starve.”
Before them was a sumptuous meal with fish, shrimp, and a balanced mix of meat and vegetables—it looked truly appetizing.
Li Ai was a person who paid extreme attention to detail, almost to the point of being fastidious. Normally, she would never allow strong-smelling food to appear in her office, but at this moment, these dishes were blatantly displayed on the table for no other reason than to deliberately exclude Hua Xian.
How could she let Hua Xian enjoy such delicious food with them? Did she deserve it? No.
As the manager for both women, Li Ai was the first to know they were together and witnessed both of their rises to fame. She hadn’t expected that the two who supported each other in their humble beginnings would end with such an undignified outcome.
During that period, Chi Meng was in a daze, and her condition became so uncontrollable that Li Ai feared this newly blooming flower would wither if she wasn’t careful. So, she halted all of Chi Meng’s work and specifically asked Xiao Ran to help with treatment. Despite all this, she still lived every day on tenterhooks.
Although both were her artists, she preferred Chi Meng over Hua Xian. Primarily, this child was just too heartbreaking; she unconsciously felt a little more pity for her.
Therefore, when Hua Xian called her half a year later asking for her help, she was 100% unwilling, but because it concerned Chi Meng, she felt compelled to assist.
With her capabilities, it would be easy to ruin a person’s reputation, but she couldn’t do that, because Chi Meng loved Hua Xian. If something happened to Hua Xian, the most heartbroken person would undoubtedly be this silly girl.
Hence, she could only resort to something as childish as “eating alone” with Chi Meng, an action that even made her laugh at herself.
Li Ai’s faint smile did not escape Chi Meng’s eyes. She asked, “Is something making you happy?”
Li Ai looked up at her and replied, “You’re coming back to work. That’s a good reason to be happy.”
Chi Meng narrowed her eyes and smiled. Li Ai was ten years older than her and was the person who introduced her to the entertainment industry. Chi Meng’s personality was aloof and unlikable; without Li Ai over the years, she wouldn’t have achieved what she had today.
In her heart, Li Ai was like an older sister; having her around always gave one a special sense of security.
The meal was very pleasant, and it was already afternoon when they finished.
Before Chi Meng left, Li Ai called out to her. Chi Meng turned back and asked, “What is it, Sister Ai?”
Li Ai’s lips moved, but in the end, she said nothing.
“It’s nothing. I’ll contact you after I’ve finalized things with the director. For now, the start date will be according to the crew’s notice. Use these next few days to rest and recover, read the script, and study the character.”
“Okay,” Chi Meng replied softly.
Hua Xian was drowsy, but the movement outside startled her awake. Finally, they’re leaving, she thought.
She had been playing games to pass the time, but after getting stuck, she switched games, only to be called a “grade-schooler.” Although she was younger now, she was inexplicably annoyed.
If she didn’t check the time, Hua Xian felt like she had waited for a century.
Li Ai escorted them downstairs and bid Chi Meng farewell with a beaming smile. Hua Xian was about to chime in, but she saw a frosty face. The words caught in her throat, and she wisely pursed her lips, getting into the roadside taxi with Chi Meng.
“Sister Ai seems to dislike me,” Hua Xian said, then felt the word “seems” was unnecessary; Li Ai definitely disliked her.
Chi Meng glanced at the still-standing Li Ai and said, “Is that so? I don’t think so. I feel like her attitude toward us both is the same.”
Hua Xian sighed silently. Young one, you are too naive. An old fox like Li Ai would never let you see through her.
Chi Meng leaned gently on Hua Xian’s shoulder, her voice drowsy. “I’m tired. I’ll just close my eyes for a bit. Wake me when we get home.”
“Mhm, you sleep,” Hua Xian adjusted her posture to make her more comfortable.
After arriving home, Hua Xian didn’t wake Chi Meng but carried her inside. The little kitten in her arms wasn’t sleeping very soundly; she opened her eyes briefly along the way, then closed them again, burying her face in Hua Xian’s chest and rubbing against her lightly.
Hua Xian’s heart melted completely. After placing the person on the bed, she lay down next to her.
Lying beside Chi Meng in her clothes, listening to her steady, shallow breathing, drowsiness overtook her.
In a daze, she seemed to hear someone speaking.
“Don’t appear in front of her… I will come find you…”
Hua Xian thought she was dreaming. She reached out to embrace Chi Meng beside her but grabbed only empty air. She became slightly more alert, opening her eyes to see Chi Meng, who had been standing by the window, turn around. She was holding her phone, seeming to have just finished a call.
The moment she saw Hua Xian, Chi Meng was slightly startled, but she quickly adjusted her expression.
“Did I wake you?”
“No, I woke naturally. Who were you on the phone with?”
Chi Meng’s eyes flickered. She replied, “It was a crew member, finalizing the start date with me.”
Hearing this, Hua Xian felt inexplicably empty. She flipped over, got out of bed, walked over to Chi Meng, and pulled her into an embrace.
“The thought of you going off to film already makes me so sad. Can’t you just not go?”
“This is official business. Besides, I’ve already signed the contract. How can I just say I’m not going?”
Hua Xian pouted. “But official business interferes with us cuddling. I want to stick to you every day.”
Chi Meng chuckled, took a step forward, pushed Hua Xian onto the sofa, and straddled her lap.
“Then let’s take advantage of the time before I leave to film and cuddle all we can.”
The height was a little awkward; Chi Meng’s soft curves were exactly at Hua Xian’s lips. A slight lean forward and she could touch her effortlessly.
Hua Xian’s ears felt warm, but she didn’t refuse the benefit delivered right to her mouth. Submerged in her desire, she thought, In the end, I still couldn’t persuade Chi Meng to abandon the idea of returning to work.
What she was truly worried about was whether Chi Meng’s current condition was suitable for work. Everything Xiao Ran had said was still echoing in her ears, making her vaguely uneasy.
But… now didn’t seem like the time to consider such things. Mostly, she was already incapable of thinking.
Forget it. This issue can’t be resolved overnight. I’ll just enjoy the present.
Chi Meng let out a soft moan. Hua Xian looked up and saw her eyes were slightly red, misty with tears. A seductive charm emanated from within, intensely captivating.
“Mengmeng, your body hasn’t fully recovered…” Hua Xian’s throat tightened, her voice slightly husky.
Chi Meng glared at her, sending a jolt through Hua Xian, who instinctively tightened the hand on her waist.
No one could withstand that look.
“You can examine me yourself to see if my body has recovered, can’t you?”
Hua Xian’s throat bobbed. Her gaze deepened. She wanted to restrain herself, but it was hard for anyone to remain rational looking at such a delicate and charming kitten.
“Then… Big Sis will help you examine yourself,” Hua Xian said, and pressed the back of Chi Meng’s head, kissing her.
Chi Meng wore a look of utter surrender. She and Hua Xian tangled their lips and teeth, kissing passionately and unwilling to part. The room was silent, save for their slightly rapid breathing.
The sofa was a little narrow, making it quite difficult to accommodate two people, but Hua Xian rather liked the closeness.
She hugged Chi Meng from behind, her hand idly caressing the beautiful shape of her scapulae. Occasionally, a light kiss would fall there, and each time, Chi Meng’s body would tremble slightly.
“Mengmeng, whatever you want to do, Big Sis will support you unconditionally, so you must tell me if anything is wrong.”
Hua Xian didn’t want to say such a thing at this moment, but a deep sense of unease kept surfacing, nagging at her.
Hearing her words, Chi Meng’s body stiffened slightly. Then, she turned in Hua Xian’s arms to face her.
“It seems I’ve lost my charm. Big Sis is thinking about irrelevant things at a moment like this.”
A soft, boneless hand wrapped around Hua Xian’s neck. Hua Xian couldn’t utter any more words. Chi Meng always knew how to manipulate her.
Hua Xian’s hand pressed onto Chi Meng’s waist, pulling her sharply into her embrace, and she nibbled and pecked at her lips. Then, her attention shifted to Chi Meng’s fair, slender neck, where she bit her on the beautifully shaped collarbone.
Chi Meng hadn’t expected her to suddenly reveal her fangs. She let out a short, sharp gasp. The red at the corners of her eyes deepened, and she looked like she was about to cry.
Hua Xian felt a little breathless, so she released Chi Meng’s collarbone and lightly rubbed against her neck. She heard Chi Meng’s faint gasps, followed by more suffocation as Chi Meng shoved Hua Xian’s head directly into her embrace.
“Mengmeng, let go a little,” Although this felt nice, she didn’t want her movements restricted. It would be a waste of this wonderful time if it was only spent sleeping in Chi Meng’s arms.
“Who told you to bully me? You deserve to be smothered!” Chi Meng felt she was being angry, unaware that her voice, to Hua Xian, sounded like flirting.
Hua Xian gave a mischievous smile. The one who had just spoken harshly immediately released her.
“You…!” Chi Meng was both shy and annoyed, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. Seeing this, Hua Xian gently kissed her, collecting all her tears with her lips.
Chi Meng’s gaze was both wronged and innocent, making Hua Xian feel like a sinner, but precisely because of this, she wanted to tease her even more.
This was likely a fundamental flaw of human nature—seeing beautiful things and wanting to destroy them. She wanted Chi Meng to fall completely with her.
The kisses slowly traveled down from the corner of her eye, stopping at the collarbone that had been bitten earlier. The blood on the two tiny wounds had already clotted, but the two neat rows of teeth marks were still visible.
Hua Xian was unhurried, like a very patient hunter, but Chi Meng couldn’t bear it anymore.
“If you can’t do it, let me!”
Hua Xian looked at the person who had melted into a soft heap in her arms and curled her lips. “So impatient?”
“I am not… impatient!” Chi Meng bit her on the chest.
Hua Xian didn’t feel pain, but rather a little excited. She shifted Chi Meng up and captured her lips.
“Lips are for kissing, not for biting people.”
Chi Meng couldn’t speak and slowly closed her eyes.
Hua Xian really wanted to keep playing, but since the little kitten was already eager, she naturally had to comply with her wishes.
As evening approached, the sky clouded over again. The curtains weren’t drawn, and the room was dimly lit, creating a perfect atmosphere.
Hua Xian held Chi Meng in her arms, kissing her neck. Chi Meng tried to pull away, but Hua Xian pulled her back, bringing their bodies even closer.
“Your escape failed. How should I punish you?” Hua Xian whispered, her lips close to Chi Meng’s ear. Her hot breath fanned Chi Meng’s nape, causing her to constantly shrink further into the embrace.
Chi Meng was utterly exhausted, and looking at the strewn packets on the floor, her eyes were red.
“Big Sis, I’m so tired~”
She turned to hug Hua Xian, acting spoiled, rubbing her nose against Hua Xian’s chin, and adding a pitiful expression. Hua Xian naturally couldn’t resist.
“Alright, alright. I’ll let you off the hook today. I’ll collect my payment when you’re fully recovered.”
Chi Meng hugged Hua Xian’s slender waist, rested her face on her shoulder, and said in a slightly hoarse voice, “Big Sis is so good! I love Big Sis the most!”