Chapter 16

“Teacher Wen, don’t be scared.” Ke Yixuan stood up to comfort her.

Mist rose in Wen Zhixu’s pitch-black eyes, and she stood frozen in place, clearly frightened.

She kept staring at the wardrobe, and at that moment, the wardrobe door slowly creaked open. The chill running down her spine still didn’t ease.

Wen Zhixu only dared to look toward the wardrobe. There were no shelves inside it. Su Yun stepped out from the wardrobe, her face flushed as she gazed at Wen Zhixu.

Wen Zhixu slowly exhaled, her eyes dimming slightly as her racing heartbeat gradually calmed.

She looked at Ke Yixuan, her brows twitching as she silently asked for an explanation with her eyes.

Ke Yixuan glanced at Su Yun before saying, “The paparazzi are outside. I had no choice but to call you over.”

“Teacher Wen, I’m sorry for scaring you.” Su Yun, dressed in a short skirt, walked around the bed toward Wen Zhixu and bowed her head in apology.

Wen Zhixu pursed her lips. After her lashes fluttered, she started to ask something but held back. She let out another heavy breath and sat down.

Su Yun was the other actress paired with Tang Qin for the yuri storyline. Wen Zhixu had seen her on set yesterday.

Su Yun had gone viral online right after college graduation and then got signed by an agency.

She wasn’t in the same league as Ke Yixuan at all. Wen Zhixu also remembered that they basically had no scenes together—two unrelated characters suddenly thrown in proximity, and still afraid of being photographed? Something was off here.

Ke Yixuan sat down as well. “Teacher Wen, have some water.”

“I didn’t mean to hide. Don’t be scared.” Su Yun hurriedly explained, sitting down nearby too. Her short skirt rode up as she sat.

“You know how it is—the paparazzi are camped downstairs and won’t leave without a shot. My rival’s waiting to catch dirt on me, and I didn’t dare tell my aunt.” Ke Yixuan said.

Ke Yixuan’s work was all arranged by her family. Her dad called the shots, while her aunt handled PR. The whole family revolved around her stardom.

Young as she was, she’d climbed to this position in the industry thanks to solid family connections, avoiding many detours. Girls like Ke Yixuan weren’t complicated.

But having risen to fame young, she carried some arrogance—standard for a four-tier actress. She never skimped even on commercials, so veterans in the circle jokingly called her Eldest Miss Ke.

Wen Zhixu stayed silent throughout. She took the water and chugged a big gulp, cheeks puffing out as she struggled to swallow. The plastic bottle crinkled in her grip.

Once she’d recovered, she looked at the two of them and asked, “So, what did you call me here for?”

Su Yun was a bit younger and didn’t speak up first. She glanced at Ke Yixuan, her hand unconsciously gripping Ke Yixuan’s arm.

Only after Ke Yixuan spoke did the room take on a belated air of ambiguity.

Wen Zhixu wasn’t quick to pick up on it, but within a minute of observing, she got it. Who fears paparazzi just for checking into a hotel normally?

Ke Yixuan had rumors with a female CEO before, who was now Su Yun’s boss. In the entertainment world, these things were all navigated carefully.

She’d heard during casting that Ke Yixuan was bringing a newbie along—and it looked like the newbie was Su Yun. Bringing her along had apparently led straight to bed.

“What do you want me to do?” Wen Zhixu asked before they could answer.

The moment she’d entered this room, she was in the same boat as them—hopping on the same rope, forced to help.

Ke Yixuan looked at Su Yun, and the atmosphere in the room grew tense. The dim light seemed to flicker, piercing the quiet night.

—

Jian Shichu stared at her phone screen for a long time. It had been an hour since she’d sent her last message, and Wen Zhixu hadn’t replied to a single one.

The courtyard had gotten new gravel recently. The guests had left early today, so some of the light strips were turned off. She sat in the rocking chair, fingers silently tapping the armrest.

The cleaning auntie had slipped in the bathroom and been taken to the hospital. No one knew her condition yet—they said she’d been screaming in pain when they carried her out.

She’d just finished a meeting asking about the situation. No one knew where the water in the bathroom had come from. Out of the four cleaners, the other three clammed up, leaving the full story unclear.

Jian Shichu let out a heavy sigh. Just then, her phone vibrated. She picked it up—the screen showed a call from Wen Zhixu.

【Good night, rest early】

Just seeing that lifted Jian Shichu’s mood inexplicably. It stemmed from a photo, followed by Wen Zhixu pulling her away from the table.

But the feeling was fleeting. She didn’t even dare think about the past. The five years Wen Zhixu had brushed off in a few words were the ones that had kept her tossing and turning, unable to let go.

Car headlights swept across the glass door before settling on the iron railing. Only then did Jian Shichu pocket her phone and turn toward the entrance.

Xiao Yang ran in without turning off the headlights, drenched in sweat as he shouted, “Doudou-jie, the checkup’s done.”

“You’re panicking, and now I’m tense too.” Jian Shichu rested her elbow on her knee. “What’s the situation now?”

Xiao Yang panted, “Fractured bone, sprained wrist. Her son wasn’t off work yet—his wife came.”

Jian Shichu stood slowly. “Take me there.”

Employees had insurance, but an accident in the store still made her uneasy. Whatever compensation was due would be paid, and attitude had to be on point beyond the money.

That night, Jian Shichu barely slept. She went to the hospital to visit the injured worker—more importantly, to address the bathroom slipping hazard.

She wouldn’t dig deeper. With the incident happened, she’d solve it. Jian Shichu had only slept a few hours when dawn broke.

Just past seven.

Chongqing often got foggy after rain. She headed to the restaurant, where the warehouse had some rubber mats. The fog had cleared by the time she arrived.

The lighting crew was setting up scenes. Filming started at ten, and the actors hadn’t arrived for makeup yet—usually done before heading out.

The warehouse smelled dusty. It was too dim, so Xiao Yang turned on the light. “Doudou-jie, these pig-liver colored mats—do they look good?”

“Safety first. Use them for now.” Jian Shichu tied her hair back. As she spoke, her throat felt dusted, and she couldn’t help coughing twice.

Xiao Yang acknowledged and bent down to drag a rubber mat from the back of the warehouse, sending dust billowing through the whole room.

Jian Shichu coughed muffledly, waving the dust from her face. “Load it into the car and wash it properly.”

“Won’t this mat be too big?”

Jian Shichu tilted her head to look. “Cut it to size, then get custom ones made. These aren’t the best-looking.”

“Get it done before next Wednesday. Seal off the downstairs bathroom—have guests use the second floor. No more incidents.” Jian Shichu stepped back to the doorway.

Xiao Yang clapped the dust off his hands, eyeing the rolled-up cylindrical mat. “I’ll do my best, but mats like this are a pain to clean. The bathroom tiles are non-slip—shouldn’t slide even when wet. Shouldn’t we investigate more?”

“How?” Jian Shichu slowly placed her hands on her hips. She was a bit taller than Xiao Yang, looking down at him like she was glaring.

“The recent surveillance only covers the corridors. Drop it. Aunt Qiu’s getting on in years—a fall like that hurts. Pick up some supplements and send them over later.”

Xiao Yang protested, “I don’t think a few things will cut it with their attitude. You went last night, gave the money, but her daughter-in-law was all vague.”

Xiao Yang looked at her, lowering his voice. “Doudou-jie, Banshan is a high-end restaurant. That daughter-in-law doesn’t seem reasonable.”

“Alright, I know.” Jian Shichu said leisurely. “It’s not about investigating or not—we just can’t find anything. Take the stuff over first. We’ll handle the rest later.”

“Got it, Doudou-jie. Go back and rest well. Leave it to me.”

Xiao Yang had been with Jian Shichu for a while now—reliable with tasks and good with people, saving her a lot of hassle.

The crew was still prepping. Once Xiao Yang left, she locked the warehouse door. Heading upstairs, she spotted Wen Zhixu just in time on the narrow staircase. Jian Shichu turned aside to let the person behind pass.

Wen Zhixu had arrived unusually early today. Her laptop was open on the table as she busily revised the outline. While following the crew to check the script, she also had to handle starting her new book.

“Teacher Wen, this is fruit and coffee Yixuan-jie asked me to bring.” Ke Yixuan’s assistant pulled items from the kraft bag.

Wen Zhixu glanced over, fingers still tapping the keyboard. “No need, I’ve eaten.”

The assistant kept unpacking anyway. “Yixuan-jie washed them specially. Please take them, Teacher Wen.”

Jian Shichu stood behind her watching. Wen Zhixu went from refusal to acceptance in under five minutes.

The moment Wen Zhixu relented, the assistant smiled, packed up the bag, and passed by her a second time.

This time, even Wen Zhixu turned around. Their gazes met in the morning dusk—warm, yet not as scorching as back then.

Jian Shichu walked over to her and sat down. As she did, dust from her collar slipped into her throat, making her cough twice.

“Caught a cold?” Wen Zhixu turned her head to ask.

“I…” Jian Shichu’s words caught in her throat. Looking up to meet Wen Zhixu’s intense stare, she changed her tune. “Yeah, caught a cold.” Followed by two more coughs.

Wen Zhixu’s brows furrowed slightly. In the next second, the back of her hand was on Jian Shichu’s forehead. Jian Shichu had worn her jacket yesterday, which had gotten wet in a puddle.

Jian Shichu froze at the gesture. Compared to her own initiatives toward Wen Zhixu, this move from the other side made her heart race even more.

Just like that year, when she’d daydreamed endlessly hoping the other would sense her feelings. Once she finally had her by her side, she always wanted to protect her carefully.

“Go see a doctor.” Wen Zhixu noticed that Jian Shichu’s forehead was slightly hot. Just as her hand left Jian Shichu’s forehead, it was grabbed by the other at the wrist.

Jian Shichu looked at Wen Zhixu and froze for a moment. She smiled, didn’t let go, and tilted her head to check if there was anything on Wen Zhixu’s wrist.

There was nothing on the slender wrist. Jian Shichu’s gaze shifted to Wen Zhixu’s other hand, but she didn’t see any bracelet there either.

It seemed Wen Zhixu had deliberately taken it off before coming to the set.

Wen Zhixu pulled back, whispering darkly, “Let go, Director Wang is still down there.”

“I’ve come out of the closet.” Jian Shichu released her and said softly, “I don’t mind telling my mom that we’ve dated.”