Chapter 35: Faking the Quitter Act Part 2

Yan Muyu shook her head. “She left me a suicide note.”

The wine swirled round and round in the glass, and even now, Yan Muyu could recall its contents perfectly.

“She said I didn’t love her, yet she hoped I’d remember her. In the end, she wished me happiness.”

Lin Chi said, “So you still resent Sister Qiu Chao because of what she said?”

Yan Muyu replied, “It’s too messy. I don’t even want to dwell on it. Amber said Sister Qiu Chao was the closest to her in those final moments. She could have dodged, but Sister Qiu Chao pushed her.”

The explosion boomed. Flames shot into the sky.

It was only after Amber woke from surgery that Yan Muyu learned Sister Qiu Chao was involved in the film somehow.

Amber’s face was ashen pale. She struggled to accept that she could no longer stand. Tears welled in her eyes as she recounted what had happened, her breaths coming faint and shallow. The steady beeps from the room’s monitors always reminded Yan Muyu of Lin Yumian, her own frail mother.

Yet Amber was tougher than Lin Yumian. She was like a stubborn weed, radiant in a way that Yan Muyu almost couldn’t bear to witness.

It wasn’t just because of her naturally golden hair.

“Not resentment,” Yan Muyu said.

Her hand clenched the wineglass. In Lin Chi’s eyes, this woman was squandering her talent by not modeling hands.

Amber’s face kept resurfacing in Yan Muyu’s mind. She had even pored over that day’s security footage repeatedly.

Sister Qiu Chao had indeed been very close to Amber, but with smoke and dust billowing everywhere, it was impossible to discern exactly what had transpired.

“I just think she’s a little too callous,” Yan Muyu said.

Lin Chi retorted, “You have the audacity to call someone else callous?”

She uncorked another bottle for Yan Muyu. “Do you like her?”

Yan Muyu said, “Impossible.”

Lin Chi pressed, “If she hadn’t been tangled up with your brother, would you like her?”

Yan Muyu replied, “I don’t know.”

Sister Qiu Chao was undeniably endearing. Yan Muyu still recalled that summer night when she watched a horror movie, clutching a pillow and sobbing.

But overriding that was the utter disbelief from the night that followed.

No matter the angle, Sister Qiu Chao seemed utterly straight. So why had she done something like that?

She claimed it was revenge because Yan Kai wanted to break up, so she got Yan Muyu drunk.

The excuse rang utterly false, but Yan Muyu didn’t dare probe further.

Lin Chi said, “Then have a proper talk with her.”

Yan Muyu refused. “No.”

That year, Yan Muyu had finally wrapped up her long-procrastinated studies, while Sister Qiu Chao’s star was rising abroad. They had seemed destined never to cross paths again.

Yan Muyu’s response was resolute. Lin Chi chuckled. “Who can say what the future holds?”

~~~

Indeed, it was impossible to say.

Just like after the livestream ended, Yan Muyu showered but had no desire to head to bed. The night was deep and still. She fanned herself lazily with a palm leaf fan, reclining in a chair and swaying idly as she stared into space.

Liu Song had just finished soaking her feet. She carried the basin past Yan Muyu, emptied it, and passed by again. “Young Boss Yan, you aren’t sleeping yet?”

It wasn’t even eleven, but for guests who had toiled all day, it was probably the most exhausted they’d ever felt.

Ding Yingxue had turned in early.

Pei Wan had discussed tomorrow’s groceries with Xi Xi and gone inside. No one knew what the two sisters were chatting about.

Liu Song had been composing music while soaking her feet—or so the rumors went. She supposedly had a tour lined up by year’s end.

At this hour, the singer in her pajamas asked out of genuine curiosity. She watched the swaying Yan Muyu and sensed an ineffable air of nonchalance about her.

It felt detached, yet somehow perfectly in harmony with their surroundings.

Yan Muyu’s fan obscured half her face. She sighed. “I don’t wanna work.”

The livestream was still running, but everyone on camera appeared primed for sleep. The viewers, however, savored the scene, hunting for any morsel of explosive gossip.

“Come on, you’re already here,” Liu Song said.

【This line is so versatile. Wasn’t that exactly what she just told Xi Xi to console her about picking cow dung tomorrow?】

【Xi Xi looked ready to deck her.】

“True enough,” Yan Muyu admitted.

Liu Song paused, then added to Yan Muyu, “Sister Qiu Chao is still in there making stuff. Aren’t you going to help?”

Sister Qiu Chao hadn’t rested all evening. After preparing sour plum soup and taking a shower, she had returned to the kitchen to make rice noodles.

The official Weibo had even launched a dedicated food column featuring clips of Pei Wan and Sister Qiu Chao cooking.

“Why don’t you go?” Yan Muyu asked.

Liu Song replied, “I need to read Sister Xi a bedtime story.”

Yan Muyu let out a shocked “Ah,” mirroring the livestream chat. “How old is she?”

Liu Song was utterly matter-of-fact. “She wants to protect her eyes, so I’m reading her the latest chapter of that novel.”

Yan Muyu hadn’t anticipated such an innocently whimsical excuse. “Can’t she just use an audiobook?”

Liu Song said, “But the AI voice isn’t as nice as mine.”

Yan Muyu had no comeback for that.

【That’s so logical.】

【Who even is the manager here? How many times do I gotta say it!】

【Say it a million times—Liu Song just seems like such a sweet baby.】

Liu Song glanced toward Sister Qiu Chao’s silhouette in the kitchen. “Young Boss Yan, if you’re not busy, go help out.”

“I am busy,” Yan Muyu insisted.

Dressed in loose pajamas, she clearly wasn’t cut out for floral skirts. Slumped in the recliner, she looked utterly spent.

Liu Song didn’t budge. “Busy with what?”

“Contemplating the meaning of life,” Yan Muyu said.

“Oh,” Liu Song replied. “So basically nothing. Sister Qiu said she made the noodles for you. Get up already.”

With that, she reached out to tug Yan Muyu along.

Yan Muyu had no choice. Liu Song reminded her of her niece back home—energetic and a handful, but impossible to stay mad at.

And so, she let Liu Song drag her all the way to the kitchen.

Sister Qiu Chao, cradling a wooden basin, stared at Yan Muyu in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

Liu Song poked her head out from behind. “I brought her along. Young Boss Yan seems really on edge. A bit of work might help her unwind.”

【I’m done with you, you little schemer.】

【Yan Muyu’s probably never been this speechless in her life.】

【How do these super tacky show outfits look so good on them?】

【Liu Song, you’re straight-up the kid scheming to get your divorced parents back together.】

【I picked up Liu Song at the airport once—she’s actually pretty tall. So just how tall is Yan Muyu?】

【On that note, Meng Heng from the last variety show was tall too. Does Director Shen Tianqing just make everyone else look short?】

【Sister Qiu Chao… how is she good at literally everything?!】

【She’s even making noodles for Yan Muyu! I’m fuming!】

Sister Qiu Chao shot Yan Muyu a suspicious glance, but Yan Muyu avoided her gaze.

Yan Muyu turned and shooed Liu Song away. “Go keep your Xi Xi company in bed. Mind your own business.”

Liu Song’s hair was outrageously stylish—like a blooming jellyfish—but paired with her naturally innocent face, it was hard to stay upset with her.

She shot back earnestly, “I’m not sleeping with Sister Xi.”

“Fine, then go read the novel to her yourself,” Yan Muyu said.

Liu Song departed.

Yan Muyu watched her retreating figure and muttered under her breath, “Just like a blue mushroom.”

【Hahahahaha, savage.】

【So is the ship real? I still remember those two pillows from this morning.】

The kitchen felt a touch warm, but the window stood open. A cool breeze wafted in, carrying the fragrant steam from the rice noodles.

“I didn’t say I wanted any noodles,” Yan Muyu remarked.

Sister Qiu Chao had no attention to spare for her. She had coiled her long hair into a messy bun at the back of her head—likely borrowing a hairpin from Pei Wan, given the style.

But it was haphazardly done, with a few strands dangling loose.

“To thank you for not stranding me here at noon,” Sister Qiu Chao explained.

Yan Muyu touched her nose self-consciously. She truly wasn’t sleepy—her internal clock couldn’t adjust that quickly. Bored out of her mind anyway, she offered, “Need a hand?”

“When did you soak the rice?”

Sister Qiu Chao replied, “This morning.”

She handled it all with practiced ease, leaving the livestream chat flooded with question marks.

Off-screen, a staff member flashed a cue card, prompting Yan Muyu to ask more questions.

Yan Muyu closed her eyes for a moment. “Why would you make this?”

Qiu Chao hadn’t noticed the people outside. She focused intently on placing the iron tray full of rice paste into the boiling pot, replying offhandedly, “Don’t you already know?”

【Here we go with the curiosity segment again.】

【These two have such heavy vibes from their shared past…】

Yan Muyu saw how much effort it took for Qiu Chao to manage alone. She reached over to watch the pot, telling her to scoop some cold water.

Qiu Chao accepted the help quite naturally. The two of them coordinated seamlessly without even realizing it, showing no trace of their earlier tension.

It was just like the days when they had known each other before.

Yan Muyu watched the rice paste in the pot, waiting for the bubbles to form. At the same time, she said, “I do know, but the viewers want to hear it from you. Go on, tell them yourself.”

【Laid-back fan service…】

【So blunt!】

【As expected of the boss—so willful.】

【Qiu Chao’s figure is amazing… I slobber every time.】

Qiu Chao added the cold water and stood beside Yan Muyu, waiting for the rice paste to fully cook.

Her eyes lowered, fixed on the boiling water. “My mom used to make this all the time when I was little, so I learned how.”

Yan Muyu said, “That’s what you said last time, too.”

Qiu Chao blinked. “Last time?”

That “last time” dated back ten years, to when Qiu Chao had been Yan Muyu’s almost-sister-in-law.

But the gulf of time between them was so vast. In that moment, the barrier seemed to shatter with a boom. Yan Muyu hummed in agreement. “You said you and your sister both loved it.”

Casually, Yan Muyu asked, “How’s your sister doing these days?”

Qiu Chao couldn’t figure out why Yan Muyu’s attitude had shifted, but then she spotted Qiu Siyuan outside the window. She figured her friend must have talked some sense into her.

Yan Muyu could put on a performance too, it seemed.

Qiu Chao let out an “oh.” “She’s doing great now.”

Yan Muyu asked, “Do we need to make a lot of this?”

Qiu Chao glanced at the rice paste she’d prepared. “At least enough for two bowls. Is that sufficient for you?”

Yan Muyu’s eyes lit up. “You still remember?”

Perhaps thinking back to her earlier conversation with Lin Chi—and to Amber—a veil of hazy sorrow clouded Yan Muyu’s features, at odds with her usual radiant demeanor.

She knew she didn’t hate Qiu Chao, but she couldn’t quite name the feeling. Ten years ago, it had already been a blur of confusion and fog. Instinctively, Yan Muyu wanted to run from it.

Yet Qiu Chao remained that thorn in her side, preventing any deeper emotions from taking root.

For one thing, there was her past with Yan Kai.

For another, there was Amber.

It was time to clear the air.

Qiu Chao lifted the lid off the pot. Steam enveloped her face, softening her voice.

It came out muffled enough that to the viewers, it only sounded like a single “mm.”

But Yan Muyu caught the first half—the affirmative part.

At that moment, though, Yan Muyu didn’t press her. Instead, she helped lift out the scalding iron tray. Right on cue, at eleven o’clock, a staff member in the courtyard called out that they were wrapping up.

The live stream viewers caught only a final glimpse of the two women standing close together.

But Yan Muyu hissed in pain. As she reached to pinch her own earlobe, Qiu Chao suddenly grabbed her hand.

Qiu Chao offered her own earlobe for Yan Muyu to pinch instead.

Qiu Chao gazed calmly at Yan Muyu while staff members bustled past outside the window. With her free hand, she casually pushed aside the bamboo pole propping the window open.

The wooden shutter slammed shut with a bang, and the door curtain covered half the entrance.

The hall stood empty. The kitchen was stiflingly hot.

Qiu Chao rose on her tiptoes and kissed Yan Muyu’s lips with unrestrained passion.