Chapter 55
Late at night, in a pitch-black room with no lights on, Xu Ling’s eyes were wide open, enough to scare all the ghosts in the house to death.
Couldn’t sleep, couldn’t sleep at all.
Xu Ling didn’t want to sleep either, afraid that if she fell asleep and woke up, she would find that all of this was just a dream. She lit up her phone, saw the last message from the other side, [Sleep soon], and quickly put her phone down again.
But she really couldn’t sleep. It was one thing not to be able to eat, but now, there was food, but she couldn’t eat it because of the physical distance. Xu Ling was about to die of hunger. She missed her so much, wanted to hold her and nibble on her.
Why did it have to be today! She was going to blow up the company tomorrow!
Xu Ling opened her phone again and searched for Qin Cong’an in real-time to see if anyone had run into her at the airport. Qin Cong’an didn’t allow airport pick-ups or drop-offs, and her schedule was never made public. But sometimes, people would run into her. Even though she always wore a hat and a mask and dressed in a low-key and simple manner, it didn’t stop fans from recognizing her at a glance.
Ah, there it was.
[I ran into Qin Cong’an at the airport, aahhh, so beautiful, so beautiful, and she even smiled at me! We’re on the same flight!]
Xu Ling’s face fell. She smiled at you? I don’t believe it. But after seeing the photo and the video, she had to believe it.
Qin Cong’an’s eyebrows were relaxed, and the corners of her lips were slightly raised. It was obvious that she was in a good mood, not a professional smile.
The fans in the comment section were also very surprised. They had rarely seen her so emotionally expressive outside of a drama. And another surprising thing was that she was actually holding a smartphone. Sister, haven’t you become a Buddhist? Aren’t you cutting out useless information?
The AnLing CP fans quickly started another thread in the Super Topic:
[Good, good, good. Over here, Ling Yu is on a night out with so-and-so, and over there, An An is in a great mood attending an event. You all have a bright future. Only us CP fans are left to crawl in the dark.]
[I feel like An is also in love (?) a gut feeling. And An is using her original phone again, and she’s always holding it, as if she’s ready to reply to messages at any time.]
[Forget it, forget it. It was an amicable parting. At least this didn’t happen during the promotional period. I’m already very happy to have spent a sweet time with everyone! In the future, I’ll just ship Little Yu and Little Xi! Our Yuxi will never have a bad ending!]
Before, when the two had no interaction, the Super Topic’s popularity had just gone down, but the number of members was still increasing. Now, this heavy blow had caused many CP fans to leave the Super Topic overnight.
It made Xu Ling’s heart ache to see it. Babies, you’ve shipped something real. But she couldn’t say it.
If she were to like Qin Cong’an’s post now, she would only get flamed. After all, Qin Cong’an was on a plane and couldn’t respond to her. Her one-sided output would only make it seem like she was dating someone else but couldn’t let go of the popularity of this big hot CP, so scummy it was outrageous.
Xu Ling hadn’t opened any fan-made videos of Qin Cong’an for a while. She could see but not touch, so it was better not to look. Now, she finally opened one again.
There was a lot of new material, and it was edited particularly well. This beauty, this figure, this indifferent yet sarcastic gaze, ah! Time passed so slowly!
Xu Ling hugged Qin Cong’an’s shirt and fell asleep with the video playing. The shirt had long lost Qin Cong’an’s scent, but it had become as inseparable as her A-Bei-Bei.
In the morning, she woke up in a cold sweat. Xu Ling quickly checked WeChat and was relieved to see the chat history from last night.
Both companies had clarified the dating rumors between Xu Ling and Ming Yao last night, but today, a variety show that Ming Yao was a regular on announced the guests for the new season, and Xu Ling was one of them.
For a time, there were all kinds of speculations online. Ming Yao was a former top-tier idol, and Xu Ling had been performing very well on variety shows recently, and she also had the new identity of a female lead with a box office of over 100 million. The discussion about both of them was not low, and tying them together was even more intriguing.
Xu Ling had no mind to pay attention to these bloodbaths and didn’t care at all if she would be flamed. She was busy sending messages to Qin Cong’an.
In the evening, she had to record a TV show. Xu Ling quickly finished her styling and was waiting backstage when she received a message from the other side: [Video?]
Xu Ling immediately looked in the mirror. She had just finished her makeup and was in a good state. But these two strands of hair, should she put them in the front or tuck them back? She wasn’t satisfied no matter how she arranged them.
The video call from the other side had already come in. Xu Ling cleared her throat and answered. As soon as it connected, her breath caught.
Qin Cong’an was only wearing a tube top, her waist slender, creating a strong contrast. Seeing this, Xu Ling immediately stood up and shrank into a corner of the room, afraid that someone would suddenly come into the backstage room and see her phone screen.
“Why are you like a mushroom?” Qin Cong’an said, looking at her. “What time do you have to be on standby?”
“In, half an hour.”
“That should be enough. Help me choose some accessories. I had a set all planned out, but there was a last-minute problem, so I have to change.” As Qin Cong’an spoke, her fingers brushed over her collarbones. Seeing Xu Ling’s dazed expression, she found it a little funny. “Can you? Help me choose.”
Xu Ling came back to her senses. “Okay, okay. What about the clothes? What do they look like?”
Qin Cong’an took the phone that was on the table, and the camera was suddenly even closer to her chest.
Xu Ling’s head was a little dizzy. She seriously suspected that she was doing it on purpose. They hadn’t done it in a year, but she knew too well what she couldn’t resist.
Qin Cong’an switched to the rear camera and showed Xu Ling the gown hanging on the side. It was a wine-red long dress, bright with a hint of heartlessness, as if it were flamboyantly attracting all creatures but not staying for any of them.
Just imagining how beautiful she would be in it made Xu Ling unable to help but swallow. After looking at it carefully, she had her take a picture of the alternative jewelry. Xu Ling had studied design, had been a fashion model, and most importantly, she knew Qin Cong’an’s figure. She quickly made a decision.
“Should I try on the full set for you to see?” Qin Cong’an switched back to the front camera, holding the phone a little higher, looking up, her eyes not quite clear, luring something.
Xu Ling felt like she was going to die. She was definitely doing it on purpose! This angle was too alluring. She wished she could tear open the screen and rush in, to burrow into her body like a little snake.
However, in reality, she could only blush and nod. “Mhm, mhm.”
“Then I’ll hang up first. I’ll call you back later.” After saying that, Qin Cong’an hung up the call.
Xu Ling squeezed her phone, her heart pounding. The waiting was so hard. She couldn’t help but imagine every one of Qin Cong’an’s movements as she put on the gown: lifting her leg, lifting her hand, tilting back her fair, slender neck, waiting for someone to pull up the zipper behind her, putting on the necklace and earrings she had chosen for her…
Why wasn’t she the one putting the dress on her!
Xu Ling had previously thought about continuing to study design after she retired. Now, this goal had become more detailed. She wanted to design gowns for Qin Cong’an to wear, tailor-made for her, with every detail handled by her, and then personally put them on for her.
Just thinking about it made her feel so happy.
The call came again. Xu Ling quickly answered. The Qin Cong’an on the other end of the camera was even more beautiful than she had imagined. This dress couldn’t have been more perfect for her. No, it should be said that she could perfectly pull off this style, and the sense of extension brought by the accessories was also very appropriate.
“Is it beautiful?” Qin Cong’an’s fingers hooked the necklace she had chosen. Seeing her blush and nod, what was there to be shy about? So good. She couldn’t help but want to tease her more. Her fingers slid over her chest, then slid away. “Where are you looking?”
“…” Xu Ling immediately lowered her eyes, not daring to look, not daring to look anywhere.
“Xu Ling,” Qin Cong’an called her. Seeing her look up, she flicked her hair and then let it down. “Does it look better with my hair up or down?”
“Both look good,” Xu Ling said, telling the truth. “But this earring is more suitable for an updo, the kind where it’s all tied up without any strands left.”
“Okay, I’ll listen to you.”
Xu Ling was so shy she didn’t dare to look or speak anymore, her heart pounding.
“Why are you so shy, Xu Ling?” Qin Cong’an was actually also getting a little hot, but she was still teasing her. “Have you forgotten, or do you remember too clearly?”
This was a deadly question.
“What are you talking about? I don’t understand,” Xu Ling said, activating the lowest-level skill, playing dumb.
Qin Cong’an sighed. “Not cute at all. I kind of miss the you from a year ago.”
“…” Xu Ling’s face was completely red. She didn’t know why she was so shy. It wasn’t like she hadn’t seen it before, had touched and kissed every part of her. But it just felt very different.
But since Qin Cong’an had said she missed it, Xu Ling also steeled herself and swallowed. “We’ll talk when you get back. We’ll see if I’m cute or not.”
The door to the room was pushed open at this moment, startling Xu Ling into a couple of squeaks. Her phone even fell to the floor, face down.
Yi Huai looked at her, speechless. What was she up to now? Then she heard a female voice from the phone on the floor, “Okay.”
A somewhat familiar voice, but just two syllables, and a little distorted, so she didn’t recognize it.
When Xu Ling picked up her phone, she saw that the call had already ended. She guiltily swiped it a couple of times.
“What are you doing squatting there?” Yi Huai asked.
“I feel safe here.”
“What’s wrong? You need to feel safe now? Did you see the comments online flaming you?”
“…” Can you just not mention it? Xu Ling didn’t want to know. She had been in a good mood just now. Why bring this up to spoil it? “Let them flame. It doesn’t matter. As long as there’s buzz, it’s not a loss.”
Hearing her quote her own words, Yi Huai was very satisfied. “That’s the attitude you should have. Okay, hurry up and get up. You’ve been squatting so long your face is red. The recording is about to start.”
***
The next morning, as soon as Xu Ling opened her eyes, she frantically refreshed Qin Cong’an’s red carpet photos. My god, she was so beautiful. She had really listened to her. Her hair was all tied up, making her look noble and cool. The large earrings swayed every time she moved, swaying into her heart.
After admiring them excitedly while hugging her blanket, Xu Ling opened the comments. As expected, there were many praising her look. She was so proud. It was her idea!
Below, there was also a stream of “Mommy, step on me” and “Master, slap me,” which filled Xu Ling’s head with R-rated thoughts first thing in the morning.
Xu Ling wandered online for a while and saw the AnLing CP fans who hadn’t left yet. They had photoshopped Qin Cong’an’s red carpet photo with her photo from Starry Night in the orange-red gown, with the caption: [So compatible /starry eyes]
Because the color schemes of the clothes were similar, the CP fans had had a flash of inspiration and made the connection. But after posting “so compatible,” they had gotten emo again because of the fact that they had broken up and were crying in the comment section.
Xu Ling silently liked it as a sign of comfort. Of course, this time, she used her side account.
It was her side account, right? Xu Ling only confirmed it after liking it. Good thing she had switched last night. Next time, she had to confirm before liking, so she wouldn’t cause any more trouble.
A message popped up at the top. It was from Qin Cong’an. It was eleven o’clock at night over there: [Are you awake?]
Xu Ling replied: [Just saw your candid photos.]
Orange: [How are they?]
Xu Ling struggled for a long time. She felt that any language would be pale. She opened the emoji keyboard and chose for a long time. Finally, she gritted her teeth, closed her eyes, and sent a tongue emoji.
Orange: [?]
Orange: [Lewd.]
Xu Ling quickly retracted it, sweat seeping out from her back. Aahhh, she regretted it. She shouldn’t have sent that. A heart would have been fine!
Her phone vibrated and rang, a video call invitation.
Xu Ling hugged a pillow, covering half her face, and answered. She saw that the Qin Cong’an on the other end had already changed out of her red carpet look and was back at the hotel, wearing only a… bathrobe. The background was… the bathroom.
Qin Cong’an was removing her makeup. She propped her phone up on the side and looked at Xu Ling’s clearly just-woken-up face, as cute as a baby leopard. “Did you sleep well?”
“So-so,” Xu Ling’s voice was mostly muffled by the pillow, making her sound like she was mumbling.
Qin Cong’an smiled, squeezed out some cleansing oil and applied it to her face, while asking, “Why?”
“What do you think?”
“Let me think. Did you go to bed hungry?”
Xu Ling looked at her face, which was becoming clear as the colors were removed, and licked her lips. “I was a little peckish.”
“Oh, is that so.” Qin Cong’an quickly washed her face, reached out, and slowly untied the belt of her bathrobe, asking Xu Ling, “Then, I’m going to take a shower. Want to join?”
“…” So stimulating first thing in the morning. How was she supposed to get through the day? Xu Ling pulled the blanket tighter, a little coy.
Qin Cong’an noticed the corner of dark gray that had been rubbed into the frame by Xu Ling. Wasn’t that her shirt? She had been prepared for it to have been thrown away by Xu Ling long ago. And now it was on her bed?
“Xu Ling, what’s that?” Qin Cong’an pointed.
Xu Ling was stunned for a moment, then realized that Qin Cong’an’s shirt was in the shot. She was on the verge of a breakdown. She was still pretending to be pure and shy, and then Qin Cong’an had discovered that she was sleeping with her shirt. She was going to die, going to die!
“Nothing, nothing. It’s just a piece of cloth,” Xu Ling said quickly, throwing it to the other side.
“That’s my shirt, right?”
“Huh? How would I have your shirt?”
“My things are mine. I can recognize them.” Qin Cong’an didn’t lose things. She knew every single one by heart and could recognize it at a glance.
Xu Ling was defeated. She pulled the shirt back over, covered her head with it, and confessed, “Yes, I stole your shirt.”
“You’re such a pervert,” Qin Cong’an cursed.
Xu Ling was thrilled to be cursed. At this moment, she was covered in Qin Cong’an’s shirt, the most perverted she could be. She didn’t say anything, tacitly agreeing.
Qin Cong’an was a little puzzled. Why hadn’t Xu Ling mentioned the one she had left for her? Had she forgotten? Qin Cong’an didn’t mention it either, planning to give her a surprise later.
“So, do you want to shower with me?”
“…” Hearing her extremely seductive voice, Xu Ling slowly pulled the shirt down. She saw that on the other end of the camera, Qin Cong’an had already exposed half of her shoulder. She let out a scream and immediately hung up the phone.
No, no, this was not good. She still had to go to work. Beauty was a disaster!
Xu Ling climbed out of bed, ran into the bathroom to wash up, and repeatedly dipped her face in cold water to calm herself down.
However, as soon as she came out, she saw that Qin Cong’an had sent her a selfie of herself soaking in the bathtub. The photo was incomplete, cropped by her. You could only see her wet hair hanging over her collarbones.
For some reason, Xu Ling also felt her collarbones itch as if pricked by hair. She scratched them, but the itch wouldn’t go away.
