Tan Muxi was startled—not emotionally, but out of physical habit. She knew Liu Shuyun was displeased and was well aware of what she would do when upset. Lowering her gaze, Tan Muxi asked, “What brings you here?”
Liu Shuyun stood up. In her high heels, she was slightly taller than Tan Muxi, who remembered that the outfit and shoes Liu Shuyun wore now were different from what she had on when she arrived at the set that morning.
Where had she changed?
And why?
Tan Muxi lifted her eyes to meet Liu Shuyun’s gaze. Liu Shuyun tightened her grip on Tan Muxi’s wrist. Tan Muxi took a step back, her bare feet pressing against the cold marble floor. The chill sent a shiver through her body.
Noticing the reaction, Liu Shuyun was about to look down when Tan Muxi wrapped her arms around Liu Shuyun’s neck. Instead of offering comforting words as she usually did, she took direct action. Caught off guard by the embrace, Liu Shuyun tried to pull Tan Muxi’s wrist away, but Tan Muxi whispered, “How did you know I missed you?”
The grip on her wrist loosened slightly.
Resting her chin on Liu Shuyun’s shoulder, Tan Muxi tilted her head, her breath warming Liu Shuyun’s neck and collarbone. Softly, she murmured, “Shuyun, I missed you.”
Liu Shuyun remained silent.
For a few seconds, they stood like that, unmoving. Then Liu Shuyun’s voice, tinged with displeasure, deepened. “You missed me, yet you went to see someone else? Tan Muxi, do you really think I’m that easy to fool?”
Whether she was easy to fool or not, she was certainly easy to placate.
Tan Muxi explained, “There was an incident on set.”
Liu Shuyun allowed herself to be held, neither pushing Tan Muxi away nor returning the embrace. Her tone was cool. “What kind of incident?”
Tan Muxi couldn’t very well mention Meng Xingci’s sister, so she pinned it on Meng Xingci. “One of the actors had an issue. I just got back from the hospital.”
Liu Shuyun looked down at her. “If it was an actor, why not just say it was Meng Xingci?”
So, she already knew everything.
Then why even ask?
Tan Muxi suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. “Yes, it was Meng Xingci.”
Her wrist was squeezed again, in the exact same spot. Fingers dug into her skin, but Tan Muxi showed no sign of pain. Instead, she pulled back slightly and met Liu Shuyun’s gaze. The calm from when Liu Shuyun first entered was gone, replaced by a suppressed emotion Tan Muxi knew all too well.
Anger.
She was displeased at the mention of Meng Xingci’s name.
Tan Muxi added fuel to the fire. “I plan to visit her again tomorrow.”
Her wrist felt as if it might break, the skin stinging sharply. The more Liu Shuyun suppressed her displeasure, the more indifferent Tan Muxi appeared. This nonchalance only fueled Liu Shuyun’s irritation. Tan Muxi relished the sparks of fury in her eyes, as if anything—a person, a gesture—could ignite her. Leaning back against the living room light switch, Tan Muxi turned off the lights with a slight shift. The room plunged into darkness, where emotions, senses, and rage were magnified.
In the dark, their breaths intertwined, the air around them thick with tension. Tan Muxi moved back, creating distance, but Liu Shuyun advanced step by step until Tan Muxi’s legs hit the arm of the sofa. She tumbled backward, landing heavily on the soft cushions, her body bouncing slightly. As she tried to sit up, Liu Shuyun pressed down on her waist, pinning her firmly to the sofa.
Tan Muxi’s hands instantly lost their strength, her waist pressed against the sofa as Liu Shuyun’s figure loomed over her in the darkness. Lowering her head, Liu Shuyun captured Tan Muxi’s lips, her tongue sweeping away all of Tan Muxi’s breath.
Tan Muxi’s legs bent tightly, but Liu Shuyun placed a hand on her knee and pressed down firmly, flattening one leg. With one hand, she parted the distance between the two legs, her fingers hooking onto Tan Muxi’s stockings and sliding upward to the edge. A slight tug, combined with Tan Muxi’s constant writhing, quickly pulled the stockings down. Liu Shuyun glanced at the stockings in her hand, then looked back at Tan Muxi’s still-squirming body. She restrained Tan Muxi’s hands with one hand, wrapping the stockings around Tan Muxi’s slender wrists again and again until she could no longer move.
Liu Shuyun’s movements were meticulous and deliberate. After wrapping them, she didn’t tie a knot but instead tucked the edge into the gap between the two hands. Tan Muxi cried out, “Liu Shuyun!”
Immediately, a hand covered her mouth. Seeing that she had fallen silent, Liu Shuyun moved her hand from Tan Muxi’s cheek to the back of her head, supporting it. Then, a hair tie bound Tan Muxi’s beautiful locks. The enchanting long hair seemed to come alive in Liu Shuyun’s hands, obeying her commands as each strand lay smooth and compliant. Tan Muxi lay on her back, gazing up at the crystal chandelier overhead. Though the light was gone, the edges of the chandelier still shimmered with faint glimmers, swaying with a lustrous glow.
Liu Shuyun was carefully arranging her bangs, over and over, with painstaking attention.
Tan Muxi’s eyelashes drooped slightly, and in her peripheral vision, she caught sight of Liu Shuyun’s profile. The anger in her eyes had not subsided much; instead, it seemed ready to erupt at any moment because of all these trivial tasks.
Tan Muxi suddenly laughed.
Her hands were bound, her entire body being manipulated like a porcelain doll, yet she laughed with genuine delight.
After finally satisfying herself with the arrangement of the bangs, Liu Shuyun asked in a suppressed voice, “What are you laughing at?”
It sounded like a casual question, as if she didn’t care about Tan Muxi’s answer.
But Tan Muxi replied anyway, “I’m happy.”
She looked at Liu Shuyun and said, “I’m happy.”
Her expression held a certain brilliance—defiant, stubborn. Liu Shuyun pinched the strands of hair at Tan Muxi’s chest, met her gaze, lowered her head to kiss the tips of the hair between her fingers, and then, bending down again, captured Tan Muxi’s lips in a wild and intense kiss.
The tension that had built up for so long finally found release.
Tan Muxi closed her eyes and surrendered to the pleasure, soft, delighted moans escaping her lips.
She hadn’t been wrong.
Right now.
She truly was very happy.
An indescribable, exhilarating relief washed over her. The stifling emotions that had plagued her since Liu Yunsheng’s appearance were torn open by Liu Shuyun’s forceful attitude. Liu Shuyun stirred up storms within her until both of them lay exhausted on the bed. The stockings binding Tan Muxi’s wrists had long since loosened, but she maintained the restrained posture.
Afterward, Liu Shuyun lay beside her, her beautiful hair entwined with Tan Muxi’s body. She tossed the stockings from Tan Muxi’s wrists onto the floor. Tan Muxi asked her, “When did you get here?”
Why hadn’t she called ahead?
Liu Shuyun rearranged Tan Muxi’s hair, smoothing the strands at her temples against her cheeks. Her face was damp with sweat, but Liu Shuyun wiped it clean, though the lingering warmth remained. Tan Muxi’s cheeks were flushed like blooming roses, exquisitely radiant.
Her body exuded a languid exhaustion, yet every movement was irresistibly alluring.
Liu Shuyun’s voice was low, the anger gone, replaced by calm. “I came after work.”
Obviously.
Did she think she’d skip work to come here?
Seeing that she couldn’t get anything out of her, Tan Muxi stopped asking. Instead, Liu Shuyun asked, “Are you hungry?”
Tan Muxi had eaten very little for dinner. After filming and going to the hospital, the back-and-forth had worn her out. Most importantly, the earlier physical exertion had drained her energy. She replied, “A little.”
Liu Shuyun said, “I’ll ask Sister Wu to bring two dinners over.”
Tan Muxi: “…”
Seriously!
It was the middle of the night, and they weren’t even at home. Even if Sister Wu didn’t mind the trouble, she certainly did!
Tan Muxi said, “I want to eat something you make.”
Liu Shuyun paused while dialing the phone and looked down at Tan Muxi. Tan Muxi was lying on the bed, leaning against her, with strands of hair partially covering her eyebrows, revealing her beautiful eyes. Under the light, they sparkled like pools of water.
This reminded Liu Shuyun of the first time she met Tan Muxi. At a dinner table, the director introduced her, saying, “This is our lead actress, Miss Tan.”
Tan Muxi extended her hand politely and said, “Hello, President Liu. I’ve long admired you.”
Her eyes had been calm and composed back then, devoid of any other emotion—completely different from the way they were now, filled with nothing but Liu Shuyun. Liu Shuyun asked, “What do you want to eat?”
She stood up, and Tan Muxi wrapped her arms around her from behind, resting her chin on Liu Shuyun’s shoulder. “Check what’s in the fridge. Dumplings, maybe?”
It was likely only instant food, as she hadn’t asked Shan Yingfeng to prepare any groceries yet.
Liu Shuyun walked to the fridge and opened it. Tan Muxi, draped in her pajamas, got up and was surprised to see the fridge fully stocked. She then asked Liu Shuyun, “Did you arrange this?”
Liu Shuyun replied, “Mm. What do you want to eat?”
Tan Muxi pointed to the handmade dumplings in the freezer. “What filling are they?”
Liu Shuyun said, “Shrimp.”
Tan Muxi said, “I’ll have these.”
Liu Shuyun’s cooking skills were actually average—not as good as Tan Muxi’s—but she didn’t like Tan Muxi entering the kitchen. Whenever Sister Wu was off, Liu Shuyun would cook herself. For this reason, she had even specifically learned some techniques from Sister Wu. Tan Muxi, wrapped in her pajamas, sat by the kitchen counter, watching Liu Shuyun busy herself. Soon, the faint sounds of domestic life filled the air.
Tan Muxi rested her cheek sideways on the counter, her gaze horizontal. From this angle, she could see Liu Shuyun’s face at eye level as she bent her head, allowing Tan Muxi to observe her features more clearly: her voluminous hair, delicate brows and eyes that appeared somewhat aloof due to her serious expression, thin lips, and a distinct jawline. Tan Muxi’s gaze drifted downward, landing on the bite marks on Liu Shuyun’s collarbone.
Some were deep, some shallow—all left by her earlier bites.
After watching for a few minutes, Tan Muxi averted her eyes. While reaching for the seasonings, she caught sight of her own wrist. On her fair skin were marks from being restrained, the skin-tinged red. Tan Muxi pressed her fingertip against the spot; it still stung slightly.
She immediately took out her phone, snapped a photo, and sent it to Qi Yu.
A moment later, Qi Yu replied: 【What is this? Domestic violence?】
Tan Muxi: 【…】
She replied: 【No, she just tied my hands.】
Qi Yu: 【？？？？？】
Qi Yu: 【You guys are into such wild stuff?】
Understanding what Qi Yu meant, Tan Muxi replied: 【It’s not what you think.】
Qi Yu: 【Bondage play, and it’s not what I think? I never knew you had such a kink before!】
Tan Muxi almost laughed at her shocked reaction and leisurely typed back: 【I don’t have that kind of kink.】
Qi Yu: 【Then what are these marks on your wrist? Did she force you?】
Tan Muxi: 【Not exactly.】
Qi Yu: 【…I don’t get it.】
Tan Muxi: 【You’ll understand someday.】
Qi Yu: “No, no, no, I hope I never understand. Wait a minute—why does your tone sound so pleased? And you still claim you don’t have that kind of preference?”
Tan Muxi curled her lips and replied to Qi Yu: “Really, I don’t.”
She was simply indulging—indulging in Liu Shuyun’s fiery, burning need, even if it meant pretending to be someone else.
It made her feel…
That she was still alive.