“Sit still,” Yan Muyu instructed.
Deep down, her heart was still soft—soft like her lips, soft like the way Qiu Chao would gently take the lead if she didn’t ask.
Yan Muyu was indeed an excellent bed partner, but Qiu Chao believed she deserved to be her lifelong companion.
They could share countless nights like this.
Not with someone else reaping that privilege.
Qiu Chao wrapped her arms around Yan Muyu’s neck. “Tomorrow, how about I come with you to pick up Xuan Zhelu?”
Yan Muyu pulled out the item, her technique deft and practiced. Qiu Chao twitched, only for Yan Muyu to pinch her waist.
Qiu Chao’s voice carried a lazy drawl, each syllable like sticky threads that matched the slickness now coating Yan Muyu’s hands.
“I’m riding the motorcycle,” Yan Muyu said.
Her refusal was polite enough.
But Qiu Chao had no intention of giving up entirely—at least, not by pressing the issue right now.
Her lips brushed Yan Muyu’s ear, trailed to her cheek, and finally pressed to the corner of her mouth.
“Can you hold me while we sleep, then?”
~~~
The next evening, Yan Muyu and Liu Song returned from gathering pine needles from the cedar trees when the staff notified her to go pick up Xuan Zhelu.
Both she and Liu Song carried large sacks. Liu Song took off her hat and asked, “Young Boss Yan, how are you planning to pick her up?”
“Of course, on my motor… Holy crap! Where’s my ride? Where’s my big red motorcycle?”
Yan Muyu’s face crumpled in dismay. She didn’t bother masking her shock—it was plain as day. “That was the one I borrowed from Boss Hong!”
Liu Song scratched her head. “Just… a minute ago, Sister Xi said she was taking the motorcycle to buy some booze.”
Yan Muyu let out a wail. “Booze? Where the hell is she buying it? I need to go pick someone up right now!”
“There’s the three-wheeler,” Liu Song said. “It’s fully charged.”
“Is Sister Xi doing this on purpose? She’s had her eye on my big red motorcycle forever.”
Liu Song pretended not to hear. Instead, she waved cheerfully at Qiu Chao, who had just emerged. “Sister Qiu!!”
【The moment I saw Sister Xi drive off with Yan Muyu’s ride, I started imagining her face.】
【Hahahaha, Yan Muyu is hilarious. We could totally make a blooper reel.】
【But Qiu Chao looks pretty pleased about it.】
【Liu Song, you’re such a pro at playing dumb.】
The staff were urging her on, so Yan Muyu had no choice but to grab the three-wheeler.
“I’ll come too,” Qiu Chao said.
Yan Muyu started to object, but Qiu Chao cut in. “Doesn’t it have room?”
She settled naturally beside Yan Muyu. “Then where’s Xuan Zhelu supposed to sit?” Yan Muyu asked.
Qiu Chao glanced at the spacious cargo bed in the back, padded with the sacks. “Isn’t the back plenty roomy?”
【So naughty.】
【My CP brain says this is Qiu Chao’s scheme, lol.】
【Can’t wait for Xuan Zhelu’s reaction…】
【Why is every day so dramatic around here?】
【Meanwhile, a crab is pinching Ding Yingxue.】
【Sister Xi bought a whole jug of booze. Is this woman nuts?】
Yan Muyu was speechless. With the director prodding her, she set off.
The sun hadn’t fully set yet, and the winding mountain road was dotted with vehicles heading downhill—mostly tea farmers from the villages at the base, heading home for dinner.
Plenty of dogs trotted alongside their owners too. Yan Muyu could’ve sworn she spotted a familiar yellow one.
“Isn’t that Boss Hong’s dog?” she asked.
The three-wheeler rounded a bend—no seatbelts, so Qiu Chao clung to the side railing beside Yan Muyu.
The jolts left her dizzy. She yelped.
“Grab the right side,” Yan Muyu said.
Bicycles and scooters whizzed past along the cliffside path. The yellow dog was squaring off with a black one. Yan Muyu sighed. “I kinda wanna see who wins.”
【No clue where to even start with this.】
【Qiu Chao’s gotta be speechless too. She’ll talk her out of it, right?】
“That being said, let’s watch,” Qiu Chao replied.
【What??】
【Told you something’s up with Qiu Chao.】
【It all makes sense if you factor in Qiu Chao’s crush on Yan Muyu.】
【Put yourself in her shoes—would you trust your girlfriend’s ex?】
【They’re not girlfriends!】
【No normal sister-in-law duo acts like this.】
【They’re not even related by marriage anymore.】
【I’d wanna watch the dogfight too… And isn’t that the meat-stealing mutt?】
The production team kept hounding her, though, so Yan Muyu reluctantly pressed on down the mountain.
Xuan Zhelu waited at the bus stop at the mountain’s base.
The crew had dropped her off there—this was pretty remote countryside, but she didn’t seem upset.
She kept asking her camerawoman, “Has Yan Muyu arrived yet?”
Flying guests didn’t have full live coverage; Xuan Zhelu’s footage only started upon arrival.
Curious viewers had still gathered to watch the spectacle.
Xuan Zhelu and Yan Muyu shared that quality where their smiles transformed their faces entirely.
But Xuan Zhelu’s features were softer, her brightness more vibrant and sunny, her aura less ethereal than Yan Muyu’s.
She sat on the bench at the stop, craning her neck one way.
A staff member nearby asked, “What was your mood when you got the invite?”
“Thrilled,” Xuan Zhelu said.
“Care to elaborate?”
“I came for Yan Muyu, obviously.”
She said it so candidly. “Plus, I’ve been on break lately.”
【That direct, huh!】
【Never imagined our steady girl-group leader turning into a total clinger… SOS.】
【Yan Muyu’s gotta be close now.】
The three-wheeler topped out at a modest speed, but by golden hour, Yan Muyu finally made it down.
Following the GPS, she drove up, while Qiu Chao studied Yan Muyu’s face, searching for any hint of excitement. She found none.
“There she is,” Yan Muyu said.
Qiu Chao looked up instinctively and spotted the figure on the bench.
Xuan Zhelu had a small suitcase beside her, idly shoving it back and forth out of boredom.
Yan Muyu honked the horn.
Xuan Zhelu’s head snapped up. She jumped to her feet and bolted toward them.
The crew barely kept up; the camera lagged for a second.
Yan Muyu hopped off to grab the suitcase, but Xuan Zhelu was already in front of her.
Emboldened by the live stream—knowing Yan Muyu wouldn’t snub her on camera—she threw open her arms for a hug. But the suitcase rolled right between them.
Qiu Chao had already swooped in to hoist it toward the cargo bed.
The interruption seemed entirely accidental. Yan Muyu turned and lifted the case with a grunt. “Did you pack explosives? This thing’s heavy.”
“I brought all your favorite snacks,” Xuan Zhelu said. “You’ve gotten so skinny. It breaks my heart.”
【I can’t take this…】
【How is she this cheesy?】
【She’s acting, right?】
【Qiu Chao’s met her match.】
Yan Muyu didn’t bite. “Save it. If you really cared, you wouldn’t have come.”
She gave zero face, blunt as ever.
“If you won’t let me fuss over you, then fuss over me instead,” Xuan Zhelu shot back.
She started to climb into the front seat, but Qiu Chao had already taken it.
Only then did Xuan Zhelu turn her gaze to Qiu Chao.
Truth be told, she was a little scared of her. That incident years ago had left a deep scar.
Backlit in her costume, Qiu Chao had flung open the door, her long skirt trailing as assistants scrambled to hold it up behind her.
Her face was stormy, her demeanor icy.
She’d said she was there to find something.
Xuan Zhelu had solid backing in the industry, but she was still a newbie transitioning from idol to actress—a risky move that few bet on.
Qiu Chao, meanwhile, had reached the pinnacle of television. This role was just a favor; she’d long since moved to bigger arenas.
Xuan Zhelu had been all politeness, but Qiu Chao had been frosty.
Everyone scoured the set for her missing button.
White. Plain.
When they found it, Xuan Zhelu couldn’t help stealing a glance.
It looked polished smooth, as if thumbed constantly over years.
Nearby staff whispered.
“I thought it was from the costume…”
“Why make such a fuss over this?”
“She’s such a diva. When will I hit that level?”
“You’d need her kind of clout first…”
But all of Qiu Chao’s iciness melted the moment the button settled in her palm.
In that instant, Xuan Zhelu noticed her reddened eyes.
As if that simple button were a priceless treasure, its loss stripping her soul bare.
Qiu Chao ultimately said nothing. She just left.
Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief.
“Why’d she even guest star…?”
“I feel like things changed after she broke up with Yan Kai…”
Because Xuan Zhelu had just been talking about Yan Muyu, everyone couldn’t help glancing at the person in front of the makeup mirror.
Xuan Zhelu’s assistant chimed in. “If Little Xuan, you end up settling down with Teacher Yan, and Qiu Chao hasn’t broken up yet, we’d probably still have to share a dinner table.”
Everyone knew about Qiu Chao’s ties to the Yan Family.
Her career was simply unstoppable—many had tried to copy her success, but few could pull it off.
Xuan Zhelu had admired that kind of powerhouse status and connections too. While dating Yan Muyu, she’d even asked about Qiu Chao.
But Yan Muyu, deep in the throes of their romance, had shed her usual gentle attentiveness in an instant. Fury had surged across her features, impossible to contain.
That day, Xuan Zhelu had suddenly realized Yan Muyu was far more complex than she’d seemed.
Her curiosity only grew.
Yet their relationship couldn’t escape the four-month curse.
In the end, Xuan Zhelu and Yan Muyu broke up.
Still, she harbored feelings for her.
Now, at this reunion, Yan Muyu’s odd reaction whenever Qiu Chao came up made things awkward—but they were getting along decently enough.
Xuan Zhelu had pored over the variety show reruns and noticed Yan Muyu’s initial attitude toward Qiu Chao.
Netizens called it cold.
But it wasn’t.
If Yan Muyu truly wanted to be cold, she’d treat you like air—truly parting on good terms, no strings attached.
Even in the same city, the same circles, surrounded by mutual friends, there’d be no rekindling.
Xuan Zhelu hadn’t believed it at first.
Eventually, she did.
Don’t fall for Yan Muyu.
Her love had an expiration date. Once those four months passed, all the tenderness turned to mirage.
But you’d never taste that flavor of romance again.
Which only made the memories more intoxicating, more soul-deep, fueling the urge to rekindle the flame.
Right now, the sun dipped low, streets clogged with cars, distant fields a vivid green.
Xuan Zhelu’s words were half-joking, but on camera, her gaze was dead serious—like a line straight out of a romance drama.
【This is a dating show, right…】
【So thrilling.】
【This is her real ex! Fans can’t deny it—this is as real as it gets.】
【Congrats, CP fans. You’ve got the genuine article to ship.】
【Yan Muyu’s the real poison here. I didn’t like her at first, but damn, she’s fun.】
【These managers all feel so reliable (except Xi Xi).】
Yan Muyu opened her mouth to speak, but Qiu Chao cut in. “Come on, let’s get in the car. Pei Wan’s waiting for Yan Muyu to head back and cook.”
She shattered the lingering eye contact. Off-camera, her nails dug into her palm, jealousy flaring wild, though her face held a warm smile laced with concern.
Xuan Zhelu let out an “oh.” “I’ll sit in the back?”
Yan Muyu: “Safer.”
Xuan Zhelu: “You’ll cook for me?”
Yan Muyu started to nod, but Qiu Chao jumped in again. “Her cooking’s so bad even dogs won’t touch it, so I’ll handle it.”
