“Ah, it’s Sister Huai. Why are you calling?”
Yun Duoduo was still in a daze, her eyes so heavy she could barely open them. Her voice came in broken, ragged breaths, sounding as if she were sobbing uncontrollably. This sent a surge of worry through Huai Jian.
“Where are you now?” Huai Jian hadn’t even put down her car keys. She pushed open her door and headed downstairs, prepared to drive over and check on her.
Yun Duoduo exhaled, feeling uncomfortably sleepy. “I… I’m at home. Is something wrong? I’m so sleepy right now!”
Usually, during their chats, Yun Duoduo always had so much to say. It was only seven or eight in the evening; Huai Jian didn’t quite believe she was just “sleepy.” Her concern deepened. “I’m coming to find you. Don’t go anywhere, okay?”
Yun Duoduo hugged her pillow. “I’m fine… it’s too late… don’t come over. I, I really… hic… am fine…”
Huai Jian’s hand paused. This was far from “fine”—she was hiccuping from crying so hard. She checked the contract they had signed previously, located Yun Duoduo’s position on her phone, grabbed a jacket, and hurried to the garage to get her car.
Yun Duoduo lived quite far from Huai Jian. After a thirty-minute drive, Huai Jian arrived at the rental apartment. Having grown up in affluent conditions, her only understanding of poverty came from films. Seeing the rows of crowded, narrow residential buildings with damp clothes hanging everywhere, she felt a momentary sense of shock knowing this was where Yun Duoduo lived.
However, she quickly found the room. Finding no doorbell, she knocked on the door. “Duoduo, are you inside?”
Yun Duoduo had already drifted off on her bed. Hearing the noise, she forced herself awake. “Who is it? It’s the middle of the night…”
Huai Jian knocked twice more. “It’s me. Open the door.”
“Sister Huai?” Yun Duoduo froze. “How did you get here?”
“I wanted to talk to you about something,” Huai Jian said.
Yun Duoduo hummed an ‘oh’ and, with a high sense of caution, peered through the crack in the door. Though her vision was doubled, she could tell it was Huai Jian. She opened the door and tried to stand up straight, but she was lightheaded; her vision went dark, and she pitched forward.
Fortunately, Huai Jian was quick enough to catch her, otherwise she would have surely ended up bruised. Supporting her, Huai Jian led her into the room.
The space was extremely cramped; one could hit something after just two steps. Huai Jian held her by the waist, moving her slowly to ensure she didn’t bump into anything.
Yun Duoduo was a bit more lucid now. Smelling the fresh scent of mint on Huai Jian, she couldn’t help but sniff a few times. “Wow, Sister Huai, you smell so good. What brand of body wash do you use? I want to buy one too.”
Perhaps because of the alcohol, Huai Jian found her current state incredibly cute—her face was flushed, her body was soft, and she let out little murmurs as she leaned against her.
“I made it myself. If you like it, I’ll give you a bottle.”
“You made it yourself? That’s amazing!” Yun Duoduo flopped onto the nearby sofa. Feeling sleepy again, she grabbed a cup of water from the coffee table and took several gulps of cold water, which cleared her head a bit.
“There’s food in the fridge…” she said.
Huai Jian wasn’t hungry, but she opened the fridge anyway and asked, “Are you hungry?” If Duoduo said yes, she would cook for her.
But Yun Duoduo shook her head. “Not hungry. I ate a lot.”
Huai Jian hummed an acknowledgement. Using the light from the fridge, she fumbled along the wall. She truly didn’t understand the design of this room—she couldn’t find the light switch anywhere.
A few minutes later, she finally found the switch. When the lights came on, she saw the room clearly. It was truly tiny; it felt crowded with just two people. The bedroom, living room, and kitchen were all connected. The only saving grace was the private bathroom.
“How long have you lived here?” Huai Jian felt the dampness in the room. Staying here long-term wouldn’t be good for one’s health; she needed to move out as soon as possible.
“Three or four years,” Yun Duoduo counted on her fingers. “Around then. I’ve lived here since graduation. This is actually one of the better ones; Ren Tian’s room is even worse. I just have to endure a bit longer.”
“You’ll move to a new place soon. I’ll help you apply through the company; they will provide housing for you,” Huai Jian said.
“Is that allowed?” Yun Duoduo remembered that only trainees had that kind of treatment, and only the very promising ones at that.
She was a newcomer with no achievements—wasn’t this a bit much?
Huai Jian didn’t care about any of that. She was the boss; if she said it was okay, it was okay.
Yun Duoduo, unaware of this connection, mumbled many thanks while propping her chin up with one hand, her eyelids drooping.
Huai Jian didn’t have the heart to ask too many questions. Her gaze landed on the photos pinned to the wall. Noticing the girl in the photos with her was likely the one from the scandal, she asked, “Are you very close with Ren Tian?”
“Yeah, we’re childhood best friends, we grew up together. She’s a manager,” Yun Duoduo replied. “Why do you ask?”
Huai Jian gathered that she probably didn’t know about the online drama yet. It was better that way, so she wouldn’t have to worry. “Just asking. Are you tired?”
“So tired.” Yun Duoduo yawned and turned to ask, “It’s so late, Sister, why don’t you sleep in my bed? I’ll sleep on the sofa tonight.”
The sofa was narrow and small; there was no way it would be comfortable. Huai Jian walked over and reached out her hand to her. “Don’t drink so much in the future, okay?”
Yun Duoduo took her hand and let herself be led away. She remarked, “Your hands are so soft… your body is soft too.”
The words were familiar, reminding Huai Jian of the day they were “drugged.” Yun Duoduo had held her tightly then too, constantly wanting to touch her and “take liberties.” Looking back, she hadn’t actually been that repulsed by it.
It was very strange.
After settling Yun Duoduo in, Huai Jian left the rental. Sitting in her car, she closed her eyes and leaned back. Anna’s words echoed in her ears.
You like her… like her? Is it love?
…
The next day, Yun Duoduo woke up quite early. Actually, she hadn’t drunk that much yesterday, but she was just prone to getting tipsy. She thought for a while and felt as though Huai Jian had been there, but after looking around and finding no one, she assumed it was a dream.
Even though Huai Jian kept telling her on WeChat that it was just a formality and not to be nervous, she didn’t want to embarrass Huai Jian. She smiled at herself in the mirror. For an actress, the face was the most important thing.
Fortunately, there was no swelling. She took out her rarely used makeup and applied a simple look.
A person should always look clean and tidy, no matter where they go. Even if one isn’t the most beautiful, one must have confidence. Who knows who you might run into?
Moreover, Yun Duoduo wanted to meet “Sister Anna.” After getting ready, she took a taxi to the company. She carefully took the elevator, asked for the interview location, and followed several other young women.
After enduring the agonizing wait, the doors opened. Yun Duoduo slipped out of the elevator and headed straight for the designated office. Outside the door, she took a deep breath to steady herself and knocked.
“Come in,” a woman’s voice answered from inside.
Yun Duoduo opened the door and entered. She smiled, trying to maintain a good image, though her voice still trembled slightly when she spoke. “Hello, I’m here to…”
Before she could finish, she was interrupted.
“Yun Duoduo, right?”
Anna asked loudly from behind the desk, her voice commanding. Startled, Yun Duoduo quickly replied, “Yes, I am Yun Duoduo.”
“Good. Lift your head and let me look at you.” Taking advantage of the fact that Huai Jian hadn’t arrived yet, Anna decided to abuse her authority a little for her own curiosity. She had been wanting to meet this girl Huai Jian had her eye on; she figured she wouldn’t be half bad.
Yun Duoduo lifted her head as told. She hadn’t expected the person to not only have a commanding voice but also a very striking, “older sister” (yu-jie) style of beauty.
Crucially, the woman didn’t seem to be an actress, which meant she was likely a manager… An…
Knock knock. “Sister Anna, President Huai is coming soon, hurry up.”
The person outside spoke rapidly. Anna called back with an acknowledgment. Today was supposed to be Huai Jian’s turn to handle the formalities, but Anna was so curious about Yun Duoduo that she had snuck in while Huai Jian was busy.
She then pretended to follow procedure and continued her conversation with Yun Duoduo. However, when she looked over, she noticed something was wrong. Yun Duoduo was staring at her intently, her eyes filled with a strange fervor.
“Is there something on my face?” Anna asked, touching her cheek.
“Are… are you Anna?”
Yun Duoduo was so nervous her speech faltered. Her small face turned bright red, and her eyes were full of admiration. Anna was taken aback by the intense heat in her gaze.
My god, why do I suddenly feel a chill down my spine?
“That’s me… you know me?” Anna thought to herself. They shouldn’t know each other; at most, she had driven her once.
Yun Duoduo was stunned. They had chatted online just yesterday, and Sister Anna had even encouraged her. Why was she acting like a stranger now?
“I do…” Yun Duoduo thought: Is she testing my acting skills, or does Anna really not recognize me? If it was an acting test, that was one thing, but if she truly didn’t recognize her, then who was the gentle lady who encouraged her every day?
Anna was confused by the staring. She looked over the documents again and again. Just as she was about to ask something, Yun Duoduo spoke again. “Previously, we were on…”
She was cut off by a cool, crisp female voice.
“Anna, who gave you permission to come in here?”
The two inside looked toward the door to see Huai Jian entering, her brows furrowed. She swept her gaze over Anna. Anna had no doubt that if she didn’t leave quickly, Huai Jian might actually strangle her.