Yan Muyu didn’t kiss Qiu Chao for too long.
After all, Qiu Chao was a decent kisser, and the two of them had gotten intimate several times already. They knew exactly each other’s sensitive spots.
In just that short moment, Qiu Chao had gone all soft, and Yan Muyu tucked her back under the covers.
Yan Muyu said, “Sleep a bit more.”
She tucked the edge of the blanket around Qiu Chao. “For lunch, do you want the program’s catering or the crew meal?”
Qiu Chao was still licking her lips, clearly savoring the aftertaste.
She grabbed Yan Muyu’s hand—the one that had just tucked her in—and brought her lips to it, rubbing against the skin.
She felt a little regretful that she wasn’t wearing lipstick right now. Otherwise, Yan Muyu’s hand would be covered in her marks.
Yan Muyu said, “Don’t slobber on my hand.”
She grabbed Qiu Chao’s hand and stuffed it back under the thin blanket. It was raining in the mountains, making it chilly. Even though it was summer, it felt like autumn had already set in.
Not to mention Director Qiu, who had come back from fortune-telling in the middle of the night. This morning, she was wearing a woolen vest, and Yan Muyu had teased her several times about being so young yet already having weak kidneys.
Qiu Siyuan didn’t seem to mind. She had said it was fine for her to just lie there, unlike some people.
Yan Muyu felt the lingering touch of Qiu Chao’s lips on the back of her hand and thought, yeah, she’s right.
Who wouldn’t be drained from fooling around with Qiu Chao every day?
She didn’t seem like the type who was addicted to it either. She looked way more normal than a nutcase like Shen Tianqing.
Yan Muyu said, “It’s getting cooler—don’t catch a chill. If you get a fever again, I’ll have you sent to the hospital whether you like it or not.”
Qiu Chao’s eyes curved into a smile. “You’re so caring. Our Little Yan is such a gentle soul.”
Yan Muyu said, “Cut the sarcasm.”
Qiu Chao replied, “No sarcasm here—it’s from the heart. Why don’t you feel my heartbeat?”
The hand Yan Muyu had just shoved under the thin blanket wriggled free again. This wasn’t about touching her heart at all—it was clearly aiming elsewhere.
Yan Muyu said, “Not touching. No interest.”
She shoved Qiu Chao back under the covers once more.
Qiu Chao asked, “Am I not pretty enough down there? Getting a trim is such a hassle, though. Does your salon offer that service?”
Yan Muyu snapped, “No!”
Qiu Chao said, “Then should I get an IUD?”
Yan Muyu had reached her limit. “That’s enough! Maybe I should just sew your mouth shut. How did I never notice how mouthy you are?”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she half-wished she could cover Qiu Chao’s face too.
Qiu Chao tugged the blanket down, revealing her smirking face. “Sure, you can sew it shut with your mouth. I’d be more than happy.”
For the first time, Yan Muyu felt like her way with words was just average.
She sighed and placed her palm over Qiu Chao’s eyes. “Go to sleep. I’ll call you for food.”
Qiu Chao said, “I want to help with the fish lamps too.”
Yan Muyu replied, “You just need to add the color and finish the tail. Haven’t you already embroidered it?”
Qiu Chao insisted, “I need to watch you.”
Maybe it was because there were no live cameras in this room, but Yan Muyu felt like Qiu Chao was being unusually wild.
Though in private before, Qiu Chao’s wild side had never been quite like this.
It was wildness laced with a young girl’s childish innocence, a sincerity so pure it pinned even the most restless winds in place.
Yan Muyu said, “I’m not going anywhere.”
She sighed, touched Qiu Chao’s forehead, then pressed her own against it, muttering, “It still feels a little warm.”
“Get more rest.”
Qiu Chao just watched her like that, her gaze full of fervent warmth. It reminded Yan Muyu of that delirious moment when she had called her “mommy” in a teary voice.
Yan Muyu said, “Be good. I’m heading downstairs to work.”
She seemed unable to withstand Qiu Chao’s stare any longer and left with a hint of fleeing.
Qiu Chao lay in bed, staring blankly at the door for a few minutes. Then, suddenly, she snatched up her phone and messaged Mai Chen—
-Sister Mai! She told me to be good!
-She coaxed me!
-[Animated emoji]
~~~
Because of the weather, no one went out to work. Instead, the Little Mud House was the busiest it had ever been.
The fish lamps that Yan Muyu and Li Xi had brought back that morning were set out in the main hall, taking up a huge space. Liu Song marveled, “I can’t believe I helped with this. I’m amazing.”
Li Xi sat to one side shelling edamame beans. In the close-up shot, her hands looked elegantly slender, and she didn’t seem to paint her nails either.
Earlier, Ding Yingxue had asked about it, and Li Xi said it was from playing the pipa before.
Li Xi said, “You’re already amazing.”
Liu Song had been helping out in the kitchen earlier but had been called away by Xi Xi to fold clothes. The young lady was perfectly embodying what it meant to be useless at daily life in this show.
Not entirely useless, just ridiculously picky about chores.
At home, she had a nanny who folded and ironed her clothes perfectly. In this new environment, it was a total disaster.
Without an iron, Liu Song had once filled a plastic bottle with hot water to steam them for her.
Now Liu Song sat beside Li Xi, shelling edamame too. Li Xi’s voice wasn’t overly excited, more like she was stating a simple fact.
But it was still an unparalleled compliment, enough to make Liu Song, who had been receiving plenty of praise lately, blush a little.
Liu Song said, “Why the sudden flattery? It’s embarrassing.”
[Hahahaha, why isn’t she calling her Sister Xi anymore!! I didn’t even hear it.]
[Xi Xi really bosses Liu Song around for no reason. That ironing hack with the plastic bottle? Mind blown.]
[Liu Song’s like a house elf.]
Li Xi said, “That counts as flattery? Looks like Xi Xi doesn’t praise you much.”
[Oh snap! Here it comes!]
[That heavy gunpowder scent.]
Liu Song said, “No way, Sister Xi’s great to me.”
Li Xi asked, “How great? Tell me about it.”
She chuckled. “Your definition of ‘great’ is a bit too broad. I remember someone gave you a bottle of lychee soda once, and you said she was a great person.”
Li Xi paused. “Someone who didn’t know better might think she’d given you a guitar.”
[Shots fired, definitely shade.]
[Who’s this about…]
[The one from that music variety show selection who roomed with Liu Song, then got replaced by Li Xi.]
Liu Song said, “How do you still remember that?”
She shelled the fresh edamame beans, sitting on a long bench with Li Xi, and sighed as she spoke. “She was great, whether it was the soda or lending me the guitar.”
Liu Song added, “I still have the guitar you gave me.”
[This scene is too beautiful.]
[Xi Xi just unfolded all the clothes Liu Song folded.]
[So the hall can hear the rooms too?]
[I remember that guitar—Liu Song had Li Xi accompany her during the champion round.]
The shot was perfectly framed. Li Xi glanced at Liu Song while working, her eyes holding a distant nostalgia. “Wasn’t that so I’d win champion for you? You wouldn’t even let me.”
The words were overly intimate. Viewers who hadn’t seen that old variety show could still feel the familiarity.
Not to mention Li Xi’s fans, who were stunned after years of her staying out of the spotlight. The chat exploded—screens slaughtered, guests’ faces completely obscured.
Liu Song said, “You never said that. You told me to spread my wings and fly.”
Li Xi replied, “You remember so clearly. Then why didn’t you come find me to hang out?”
[!!!]
[Aaaahhh!!!]
[Yang-Liu from back in the day is feeding us good. Something definitely happened.]
Liu Song hadn’t expected Li Xi to say that.
When signing for this variety show, Xi Xi had reviewed the contract many times. She was cautious about work and knew there were extra clauses.
One was that they’d invite flying guests later on.
Xi Xi hadn’t thought it was a big deal, but the production team had been razor-sharp, picking the person with the most buzz with Liu Song.
And not even a celebrity.
A half-retired civilian.
Liu Song let out an “ah,” shelling the edamame in her hand like peeling back the shell of old memories, thinking back to how good Li Xi had been to her that year.
But that year, Li Xi had a girlfriend. No matter how good, she belonged to someone else.
Liu Song said, “You didn’t reach out to me either.”
The green beans were all piled into the bowl. Raw, they had no real flavor—much like how Li Xi had felt to Liu Song at first.
The first time she’d met Li Xi, she hadn’t thought the girl stood out much.
Li Xi’s standout features were the pipa on her back and the tape wrapped around her fingers.
For a stretch before the competition, Liu Song couldn’t even recall what Li Xi looked like.
If she bumped into Li Xi in the cafeteria without the instrument or the taped fingers, even if she greeted her, Liu Song wouldn’t have recognized her.
Clips of those moments were still online, cited as proof of Liu Song’s face blindness.
Li Xi said, “I messaged you on Weibo.”
[No phone numbers?]
[Sensing something unusual.]
[No one’s noticing Yan Muyu munching popcorn in the corner lmao]
[Where’d Yan Muyu get popcorn?]
[Ding Yingxue gave it to her just now.]
[Ding Yingxue’s everywhere.]
Liu Song said, “Weibo?”
Li Xi finished shelling her pile and took Liu Song’s in front of her. “Yeah, you changed your phone number, blocked me on WeChat—how was I supposed to reach you?”
[Did they actually date?]
[Liu Song looks so confused… same.]
[Staged, right? Even retired, she’s in music—how no contact?]
Liu Song said, “I followed you on Weibo.”
Li Xi replied, “I switched accounts.”
[What is this BE lit?]
Liu Song said, “I didn’t block you.”
She pulled out her phone, opened WeChat in front of Li Xi, went to her block list—and sure enough, there was someone there.
The atmosphere turned painfully awkward.
Li Xi fell silent, then smiled faintly. “Maybe I shouldn’t have joined this show. I knew you hated me.”
[This variety show’s insane—all lunatics.]
【Help! Why are they still talking about friendship at this stage? Is this even friendship?】
【My mind is full of “But we’re friends…”…】
【My secondhand embarrassment is kicking in again.】
Liu Song hurriedly shook her head. “No, no.”
She was a little anxious, and just then her peripheral vision caught Yan Muyu leaning against the wall in the corner. She shouted, “Young Boss Yan!”
Yan Muyu had been thoroughly enjoying the spectacle until that moment, when she was suddenly called out. The melon seeds in her hand scattered all over the floor.
When the camera cut to her, Yan Muyu’s face was full of question marks.
【That’s totally me right now.】
【Liu Song’s voice cracked? Didn’t see that coming.】
【She’s freaking out, big time.】
Yan Muyu stared at the seeds on the ground, her face full of regret.
Ding Yingxue, whom Pei Wan had sent out on an errand, was even more at loose ends than she was. She pushed Yan Muyu forward and said, “I’ll sweep them up.”
Liu Song asked, “Have you ever had someone mysteriously block you out of nowhere?”
The topic shifted at breakneck speed. Yan Muyu let out an “Ah?” She glanced at Li Xi, then at Liu Song, whose eyes were turning red from frustration. She was clearly distraught.
What was going on here?
Even a blind Yan Muyu could tell something was wrong.
Maybe this bar-owning friend of Liu Song really did have some history with her.
What a genius Qiu Siyuan was. She wasn’t even in the country, and she could still run background checks on everyone?
