Chapter 66: The Confrontation Part 1

In the world of voice acting, physical interaction between partners is a common technique used to ground the performance and evoke authentic emotion.

However, to the staff watching through the glass, the tension between Ji Yan and Xu Yinian was so palpable they nearly mistook it for reality, letting out soft gasps of surprise.

Even Xu Yinian froze for a moment. It wasn’t until those cold fingertips began to graze her chin—a gentle, rhythmic stroke like one might use to soothe a kitten—that she relaxed.

It was the same kind of comfort as the butterfly knot bandage.

She finally realized that Ji Yan was trying to help her get into character. This gesture was technically no different from how Ji Yan used to treat her like a mere plaything, but the look in those ink-black eyes had changed. The usual mockery and aggression had been replaced by something else.

Xu Yinian couldn’t quite decipher the sheer depth of longing in that gaze, but she felt a strange, rising heat. Under that stare, she felt exposed, as if she were standing there without a stitch of clothing. Flustered, she instinctively tried to look away.

Her burning gaze darted around the room until, quite suddenly, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure through the observation window.

She stared in shock. It was Bai Ran.

Sister Ran? Why… why is she here?

The usual warmth and softness had vanished from Bai Ran’s face. Even with a completely expressionless mask, the sheer pressure she radiated was overwhelming.

She was furious.

Xu Yinian realized the reason almost instantly. Feeling like a thief caught red-handed, she stole a glance at Ji Yan. She hadn’t told Bai Ran that her partner today was Ji Yan, mostly because she didn’t want her to worry—and even more so because she feared a confrontation between the two.

After all, back when Xu Yinian was truly at her wit’s end with Ji Yan’s behavior, she was the one who had gone to Sister Ran for help.

Xu Yinian was used to enduring and avoiding conflict. She had hoped that as long as Ji Yan stopped being unreasonable, they could simply exist in the same space without a “relationship”—that was the best outcome she could ask for.

She never expected Bai Ran to show up at the studio, only to witness Ji Yan gripping her chin in what looked like a display of bullying. No wonder she looked so livid…

Knowing that Ji Yan harbored no ill intent this time, Xu Yinian didn’t even dare to pull away. She was terrified that Bai Ran would misinterpret her discomfort as fear or hatred.

She gave Bai Ran a subtle shake of her head and forced her eyes to crinkle into a light, easy smile, trying to signal that there was nothing to worry about.

Then, she steeled herself and dived back into the script, acting as though she were perfectly accustomed to this kind of “professional” interaction.

Xu Yinian thought that showing Bai Ran that Ji Yan wasn’t being malicious would solve the problem. She never imagined that her actions were, in fact, pouring gasoline on a fire.

Following Xu Yinian’s gaze, Ji Yan also spotted Bai Ran.

After a brief, disgusted frown, Ji Yan’s first instinct was to have Bai Ran kicked out for violating the “no unauthorized personnel” rule of the recording studio.

However, the girl in front of her—the one who had been dodging her touch in embarrassment just moments ago—suddenly leaned into the interaction.

Xu Yinian’s eyes were flushed with a bashful, unbearable heat, yet she forced herself to keep staring at Ji Yan until her almond eyes were clouded with a watery mist.

Seeing the twisted, frantic madness spreading across Bai Ran’s face at this sudden shift, Ji Yan changed her mind in an instant.

Such a beautiful scene. How could I not let Bai Ran savor every second of it?

“I… I want it. Princess, please… mark me. I beg you.”

Xu Yinian’s voice was worlds away from her previous takes. She could no longer hide the restless, burning desire or the slight tremor that sounded like she was on the verge of tears.

It was entirely the fault of Ji Yan’s wandering fingers and her predatory, suggestive gaze.

The sound of Xu Yinian begging for another woman’s touch was like a blade driven straight into Bai Ran’s chest. It was a specific kind of agony that only Xu Yinian could inflict, and it swallowed her remaining sanity whole.

Bai Ran lost control. The world turned a visceral, bloody red; her vision was hazy with rage, yet her eyes remained hollow and deathly still.

Driven by pure instinct, she began walking toward the closed door of the recording booth, making no further effort to hide her presence. Her mind was a churning storm of shadows and violence, a singular, dark intent to tear Ji Yan apart.

The staff members looked at each other in confusion, wondering if this newcomer was a voice actress they hadn’t met yet.

Only Lin San knew better. She had never seen Bai Ran before; this was definitely an intruder.

Recalling the “friend” Xu Yinian had mentioned earlier, a terrible premonition gripped Lin San. Oh no, surely not…

She practically lunged in front of the door to block the way. “Who are you looking for? Outsiders aren’t allowed—”

She cut herself off, nearly biting her tongue as Bai Ran turned a soul-chilling, vacant gaze toward her.

The rest of the sentence died in her throat.

However, the interruption served as a momentary tether to reality, allowing Bai Ran’s logic to resurface slightly. Even if she had a thousand violent ways to stop Ji Yan from touching Xu Yinian, those actions required Niannian to be in need of rescue.

If she acted now, she would have no way to explain her sudden outburst or her inexplicable rage toward Ji Yan.

Bai Ran knew better than anyone that her greatest weakness—and her only restraint—was Xu Yinian. No matter how much she wanted to end Ji Yan, she had to wait for the recording to finish and settle it in private.

Finally, she spoke, her voice measured and cold. “I’m looking for Ji Yan. I’ll wait for her to come out.”

Hearing Ji Yan’s real name spoken so brazenly sent a fresh wave of cold sweat down Lin San’s back. She looked around frantically, hoping no one else had noticed the mention of the famous star’s name.

Fortunately, “Ji Yan” and “Jian Yan” sounded very similar, and the staff members were far enough away that they didn’t think twice about it.

But Lin San realized something else: this third person who had come for Xu Yinian clearly knew Ji Yan as well.

Unlike the fiery Shura Field involving Qin Jiashu, this felt different. It was a suffocating, instinctive sense of dread. The feeling was so intense that Lin San didn’t dare walk away; she remained stationed at the door, terrified of what might happen when that booth opened.

Inside, the recording continued. On the surface, it looked like Ji Yan was the only one teasing Xu Yinian.

No one suspected that Qin Jiashu, who was sitting quietly, was also stirring the pot.