After Breaking Up With the Scheming Bad Woman 15

Chapter 15: Come Here, Take a Nap with Me.

Back at home, Huai Xing felt a little apprehensive about the upcoming “reward.”

She was still afraid of exposing her racing heart, because Chu Wantang had seemed so composed when she stated the specific reward—

“You know as well as I do that you are the link between me and Wen Shiwei. Without you, we wouldn’t know each other, let alone go look at apartments together.”

“But… maybe it was because of what I said in the car the other day that I realized hugging you can give me strength. Xiao Xing, do you feel that way too?”

“But I’ll be going on business trips again. What should I do when I need you but can’t see you? So, can we take a photo of us hugging? That way, I won’t feel so restless at times like that.”

Chu Wantang’s reasons were so compelling that Huai Xing didn’t even think of refusing, even though… she wouldn’t have refused anyway.

Wasn’t finding all sorts of excuses to be close to Chu Wantang what she had been doing all along? Now that Chu Wantang had presented the opportunity to her, she would only cling to it tightly.

But when the moment was about to arrive, she couldn’t help but find it difficult.

Where should the background be? What kind of pose should they do? Standing? Or sitting on the sofa? What kind of smile should she have? Where should she look?

One question after another popped up, throwing her thoughts into chaos.

Chu Wantang raised her hand and pinched her cheek, pulling her out of her daze. She asked with a smile, “What are you thinking about?”

“Jiejie.” Huai Xing blinked, a look of confusion on her fair face. “How are we going to take the photo later?”

Chu Wantang’s fingertips traced her cheek and then tucked her hair back. After pondering for two seconds, she answered, “A mirror selfie?”

“…” The scene from the cubicle entered Huai Xing’s mind. She froze, slightly averting her gaze, and no longer stood in front of Chu Wantang. “Okay.”

“Go take a shower first, Xiao Xing.”

Chu Wantang yawned and walked towards the bedroom. “After a long day of work, you smell like the office. Let’s take the photo after we’ve relaxed a bit.”

Huai Xing didn’t linger in the living room either. She returned to her room and sat down in her chair.

She lowered her head, placed a hand over her heart, pressed her lips together tightly, and closed her eyes, her mind flashing back to recent related memories.

This is killing me…

Living under the same roof with Chu Wantang like this, she would be exposed sooner or later, right?

The scene at her mother’s grave also appeared before her eyes, making her feel as if she were standing in a world of ice and snow in an instant.

A few minutes later, she took a deep breath and prepared to search for tutorials on mirror selfies on an app: [Sisters mirror selfie]

She felt it wasn’t direct enough, edited it, and searched again: [Sisters mirror hug selfie]

The first few results on the app were pictures of lesbian couples taking mirror selfies—bold, beautiful, and enviable.

Huai Xing clicked on them and looked, but she didn’t dare to use them as a reference. She could only scroll down, continuing to browse. In the end, she listed three that seemed more suitable for her and Chu Wantang.

1. Facing each other and hugging, one showing their back, the other taking the photo with their phone.

2. One standing to the side, wrapping their arms around the other who is facing the mirror.

3. Both standing sideways and hugging.

…Looking at the three poses she had written down, Huai Xing’s ears began to burn. Just thinking about the scene made her feel like she was putting herself in a difficult position.

In reality, she knew where the problem lay.

It was her own guilty conscience.

She ran a hand through her hair and let out a long sigh.

But the camera they used was not a phone.

Chu Wantang had bought a DSLR a few years ago, but she hadn’t used it much after buying it, so it was practically idle.

Now, she was scrolling through the photos on the memory card. They were all landscape photos she had taken when she first bought it. She then looked up at Huai Xing, who was standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, and said with a hint of regret, “Looking at it this way, we have very few photos together, Xiao Xing.” The dimples appeared by her lips again. “Tonight’s photos are even more necessary.”

Huai Xing hid her awkwardness and nodded in agreement. “Then let’s take a lot.”

Someone had easily fallen for it.

Hearing this, Chu Wantang’s brows shot up, and she replied crisply, “Okay.”

She adjusted the parameters, finally setting the camera on a tripod, and then came to stand beside Huai Xing.

There was a full-length mirror in the house, in the entryway. Considering the background of the photo, Huai Xing had moved it a few meters in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.

This way, the bustling night view of Jingcheng would be behind them. At this hour, many tall buildings were still lit up.

The camera was set up to the side. Chu Wantang had one hand on it and the other holding the list of poses Huai Xing had written.

She looked at the elegant handwriting on it and said in a very serious manner, “Okay, shall we start with the first one?” She sought the girl’s opinion. “The first time, you show your back. The second time, I show mine. Very fair, right?”

“…” That was true.

Chu Wantang set the camera’s timer, placed the paper on the sofa, and stood in front of the mirror.

Huai Xing’s knuckles curled. Seeing the woman lazily raise her arms first, she no longer hesitated. She went over and wrapped her arms around Chu Wantang’s back, her face naturally burying itself in Chu Wantang’s shoulder and neck.

She closed her eyes tightly, feeling the arms around her gradually tighten.

It was a very firm hug; there was no gap between them.

They used the same shampoo and shower gel, but she could still distinguish Chu Wantang’s unique scent.

The scent that made her heart race.

Chu Wantang wrapped her arms around the person in her embrace. She stared at their reflection in the mirror. A few seconds before the camera took the picture, she slowly curled her lips and couldn’t help but emphasize, “Only with me, Xiao Xing. Understand?”

“I understand, Jiejie.”

Since they had decided to take a lot of photos, there were more than just three poses.

Huai Xing didn’t dare to search on the app in front of Chu Wantang, lest Chu Wantang see something she shouldn’t. So, the two of them had to improvise on the spot. Everything seemed to be done with mutual consent.

Later, they weren’t limited to mirror selfies. The camera was pointed directly at them. For example, on the sofa, Huai Xing sat in Chu Wantang’s lap, Chu Wantang’s arms around her waist, their legs overlapping, their heads close together, their hair entangled. They both looked at the camera with just the right smiles.

In the end, they took no less than twenty photos.

After deleting most of the outtakes, Chu Wantang exported the photos and sent a copy of the saved originals to Huai Xing.

Back in her room, Huai Xing scrolled through the photos, her grip on the jade comb tightening.

The more she looked, the more she felt… it was too intimate.

But at the same time, she knew that such photos between two women were perfectly appropriate. When she had searched for tutorials online, she had seen even more intimate ones. What did theirs count for? Wasn’t this just like when Chu Wantang had kissed her cheek last week? She shouldn’t overthink it.

But Chu Wantang’s warm breath seemed to still be by her ear, the pressure of Chu Wantang’s arms still on her waist, and the softness of the woman’s body seemed to still linger on her back.

These feelings were like a tsunami, and she was completely submerged.

In the master bedroom, Chu Wantang turned off the lights. She sat up in bed, the light from her phone screen forming a halo in her eyes.

She scrolled through the photos, ignoring the lingering warmth and sensation in her arms, her expression calm and unruffled as she twitched her lips.

…

The next day was an official workday.

Amidst great anticipation, it was time for the first full rehearsal of the “LANLING LIFE” show. The number of people in the venue had doubled since yesterday.

The stage design, lighting, and sound were all to be fully operational today. The models were all in place.

Huai Xing and the other temporary workers were not called on stage immediately. Instead, they were told to sit in the audience and watch the professional models’ runway walks first.

She sat in the audience, listening to the background music, her gaze fixed on the stage.

Wan Yi was also here today. Even though she was a big star, she was extremely serious about her runway walk, so she naturally wouldn’t miss the rehearsal.

Her appearance caused a burst of screams. When it was her turn, many people in the audience took out their phones to take photos and videos. On the runway, Wan Yi had a more “unapproachable” aura than usual. Her cool expression made her look like a fairy who didn’t partake in the mortal world. This was her home ground.

“Oh my god…” He He was next to Huai Xing. They were walking towards the backstage, her expression filled with excitement. “I almost screamed just now. That was exactly what I used to imagine my own runway walk would be like when I was in school.”

Huai Xing smiled. “You have a good imagination then.”

“Didn’t you ever imagine yourself as an emperor when you watched TV shows?”

“I rarely watched TV shows when I was younger,” Huai Xing recalled. “My mom didn’t let me watch much, but she would spend that time playing with me, saying she didn’t want to miss out on my growth.”

He He: “I’m so envious. I suspect my brain was ruined by watching too much TV back then.”

“Not necessarily.”

Huai Xing’s almond eyes held a smile, the end of her words lifting. “Isn’t there a possibility that you were born this way?”

“I’m going to kill you, ahhh!”

He He reached out to grab Huai Xing’s neck. Just as she wrapped her hands around it, their bickering stopped.

Because Chu Wantang and Wan Yi were walking towards them from the front, and the entire group’s attention was on them.

Everyone immediately adjusted their posture, and He He quickly retracted her hands.

A bold colleague greeted them, and they both nodded in response.

Huai Xing, mixed in the crowd, also called out, “Director Chu, Teacher Wan.”

Pretending to be unfamiliar with Chu Wantang in such a setting was something Huai Xing had long grown accustomed to.

Wan Yi maintained her public persona, smiling and nodding.

The light in the corridor was dim, and the emergency lights on the walls on both sides cast a faint green glow. Chu Wantang’s gaze swept over Huai Xing’s neck, and she nonchalantly hid the displeasure in her eyes.

No one noticed.

…

There was a two-hour break for lunch.

The company had a meal subsidy. After lunch, Huai Xing and her colleagues returned to the venue to rest.

She sat in her seat. Because she had had too much contact with Chu Wantang last night, she couldn’t fall asleep. Now, she was drowsy, but the conditions for a nap were a bit difficult.

She thought for a moment and sent a message to Chu Wantang: [Jiejie, can I go sleep in your car?]

She said: [The sun is out today. I’m so sleepy.]

[I’ve booked a room at the Junling Hotel next door.] Within a minute, Chu Wantang replied.

Huai Xing: [Huh?]

Jiejie: [You’re not the only one who’s sleepy.]

Huai Xing stared at the message for about ten seconds, digesting it, before getting up without hesitation and jogging off.

The venue was in the city center, so in addition to convenient transportation, there were also many hotels.

Less than ten minutes later, Huai Xing had checked in at the hotel.

As the elevator went up, she looked at the floor numbers and let out a breath. On one hand, she felt that she had made Chu Wantang spend money unnecessarily. On the other hand, she felt that this was very much Chu Wantang’s style.

Before long, Huai Xing entered the room.

Chu Wantang had already changed into the hotel’s bathrobe and was lying on the only large bed, revealing a stretch of smooth, white shoulder and neck.

Huai Xing’s breath caught. She had thought it was a suite with a guest bedroom.

Chu Wantang patted the spot next to her, as if she didn’t know why she was hesitating. Her voice was drowsy as she said, “Go change your clothes. Come here, take a nap with me.”