21 – Xu Ni, It’s Not Easy Being a Bad Woman
Perhaps it was the influence of that phone call that caused Xu Ni to be momentarily dazed. After asking such a question herself, she felt she was being unreasonable and even absurd.
She waved her hand and shrugged indifferently, “Just a joke. It’s getting late, Mr. Fu should head back.”
Fu Guidu stood up, not lingering as he always maintained control over everything in his own pace. “Remember to apply the medicine on time.”
Xu Ni didn’t want to admit it, but she had indeed lost her enthusiasm.
The phone call from Xu Mu had left her thoughts in turmoil.
And so, she felt a subtle distance from Fu Guidu.
See, she was that kind of woman—cold and detached at her core.
Originally, she had been prepared to invite him into her tender embrace.
Xu Ni nodded.
Fu Guidu grabbed his coat from the hanger. With his movements, the room fell into such silence that the rustling of his shirt fabric felt particularly unsettling.
Xu Ni watched as he adjusted his wristwatch, his dark hair hanging low, his beautiful eyes reflecting the light in the room. Then, he looked at her.
Xu Ni raised an eyebrow.
But the next moment, the man had already stepped closer. Xu Ni had almost no time to react before her chin was seized by a cold, sharp hand. His long thumb brushed over her ear, and the fine hairs on her cheek tingled with an unbearable itch, sending shivers down her spine.
She fell backward uncontrollably, her back landing in the pile of unfolded blankets from when she woke up that morning.
The man was now inches away. The subtle movements near her ear felt like the intimate entanglement between lovers, but his eyes held a danger as deep as a black sea, capable of effortlessly devouring her delicate flower. Fu Guidu’s fingertips traced the corner of her lips, the soft touch tempting him to apply a bit more pressure. He said, “Between adults, there’s often attraction at first sight and passionate encounters where they don’t even know each other’s names—raw, unrestrained, unrestricted, everyone taking what they need, unapologetically wicked.”
Xu Ni tried to steady her breathing. “What?”
He lifted his gaze to look at her, speaking lightly, “Miss Xu, this isn’t how you pursue a man.”
Xu Ni’s pupils inevitably contracted, somewhat intimidated by him.
“Mr. Fu…” She felt as though the skin he had touched had been set ablaze, burning her with unease. “It hurts…”
Fu Guidu lowered his gaze to look at her. His expression was unreadable, as if he were admiring a perfect collectible—devoid of desire, detached from the world.
“If you’re not prepared, don’t provoke. Being a bad woman isn’t that easy,” Fu Guidu finally said.
As if punishing her, his fingertips brushed the back of her head. His cold fingers faintly threaded through her hair, touching her scalp. The sensation made Xu Ni tremble all over, as if she had already experienced a passionate release, her body breaking into a sweat. Yet, he had only touched her for a moment before withdrawing.
She lay on the bed like a fish out of water, watching as he draped his coat over his arm and left the room.
Xu Ni was stunned, her heartbeat refusing to calm.
Her body felt weak, as if she had been carelessly toyed with by him. She was no match for him, whether in scheming or in these subtle maneuvers—everything was laid bare before his eyes.
He didn’t indulge her.
He didn’t indulge her sudden mood swings, her withdrawal from the game, or her tendency to turn her back on others.
He would even casually reclaim his ground, leaving her off-balance.
Xu Ni sat up. There was a mirror right across from the bed, and at this moment, her complexion was hard to describe—whether it was flushed or just plain awful. What Fu Guidu had left her with wasn’t just these marks; he was invading her emotional defenses.
A long time passed.
“Fuck…”
Xu Ni finally snapped back to reality and cursed under her breath, still somewhat in disbelief.
This time, Fu Guidu had taken on a new form in her eyes.
He wasn’t the kind of untouchable, saintly figure completely detached from worldly affairs. Instead, beneath that naturally flawless exterior, his bones were filled with recklessness, arrogance, a disdain for everything, and even the ability to navigate the world with ease—it all depended on whether he was willing.
Was she a bad woman?
She probably wasn’tt as bad as this man.
She had actually been played by him.
A wave of frustration surged within Xu Ni.
Could she handle a man like Fu Guidu?
The next day.
Xu Ni slept restlessly.
When she woke up, she felt groggy and disoriented.
But work had to go on.
As for Fu Guidu…
She needed to calm down first.
She arrived at the set at eight in the morning.
When Xu Ni got there, she found that Xu Youyi had already arrived, and the atmosphere was quite lively.
Xu Youyi had paid out of her own pocket to buy drinks for the entire crew and apologized to the staff and actors for not showing up the day before. She knew exactly how to handle things.
Instantly, their dissatisfaction with her vanished, and there was even a hint of being won over.
Xu Ni glanced over indifferently and took her seat to prepare for work.
Soon enough.
Xu Youyi walked over and handed her a latte.
“I kept you waiting for so long yesterday. I didn’t mean to, but you know how Mom is—she cares a lot about health and was worried I’d feel worse if I came yesterday, so she insisted I stay at the hospital. You’re not mad, are you?” Xu Youyi asked.
Xu Ni fiddled with her walkie-talkie and replied lightly, “How could I be?”
Xu Youyi narrowed her eyes. “Mom was really upset. Your attitude wasn’t great yesterday.”
Xu Ni looked at her and smiled. “But you were there to comfort her, weren’t you?”
Xu Youyi said, “I know you have a lot of resentment toward me because I’m the real daughter of the Xu family. Everything you have will eventually be mine. You might even hate me for it. But from the very beginning, you were just my stand-in. You should have understood that since you were little, right?”
Every word was like a knife.
Every word was laced with poison.
Xu Ni propped her chin on her hand, watching this woman repeatedly warn and provoke her.
She understood—Xu Youyi was now desperately trying to ruin her relationship with the Xu family. How interesting.
Listening to it all.
Xu Ni suddenly burst out laughing.
Xu Youyi frowned. “What are you laughing at?”
Xu Ni looked at her, her tone leisurely. “Are you that insecure? Worried they care about me more than you?”
Xu Youyi’s expression changed. “What nonsense are you talking about?”
Xu Ni chuckled, her eyes filled with calm disdain. “What can you do? I’m still on the Xu family’s household register. In the future, I can split everything the Xu family has with you. Unless, of course, you manage to kick me out?”
Xu Youyi clenched her fists, her previously friendly and approachable expression twisting slightly.
She was, of course, worried about this.
And Xu Ni was so damn annoying! She wasn’t easy to control at all. How could she not be on guard?
“Xu Ni, I don’t think your stubbornness is doing you any favors,” Xu Youyi said, calming down.
Xu Ni raised an eyebrow. “Thanks for the advice, but…”
She slapped the script down in front of her. “Have you fully grasped the character of the female lead? This stage is exactly when she faces a major upheaval in her life, burdened with millions in debt and constantly on the run. How are you supposed to portray that?”
Xu You Yi glanced at the script. “I know what I’m doing.”
“You know nothing,” Xu Ni said, crossing her legs. “Starting today, you can only eat one vegetable salad a day. You’ll be on a diet for half a month. I want you to look utterly starved, worn down by hardship.”
Xu You Yi shot to her feet. “Xu Ni!”