Chapter 55 Part 1

Gu Liuguang received transfers every month that exceeded fifty thousand, and just the blue sapphire necklace alone was worth far more than eight million.

Bags, perfumes, and the like were piled up in her rental apartment.

Gu Liuguang was speechless to the point that even rolling her eyes felt like a waste of time. She had plenty of ways to respond, but in the end, she chose the one that best fit her current persona.

She glanced disdainfully and mockingly at Lin Hang. “With this bit of money, you have the nerve to talk about keeping me? No looks to speak of, and you can only fork over fifty thousand.”

Facing the furiously blushing Lin Hang, Gu Liuguang continued unhurriedly, “Oh, and who knows how much you’ll be able to offer once your career tanks soon enough.”

Lin Hang’s face turned ashen. He had deliberately checked that Gu Liuguang wasn’t recording on her phone or anything like that. No matter how harsh her words were, he held back from flipping out on the spot—making a scene wouldn’t do him any good.

He adjusted his expression and held out his phone to show Gu Liuguang the QR code. “Add me as a friend first. The terms are still negotiable. Think it over, and message me when you’ve decided.”

Gu Liuguang didn’t move. She scanned the QR code on Lin Hang’s phone, then shifted her gaze back to his face. “You’ve got some thick skin.”

This left Lin Hang’s face alternating between flushing and paling.

Gu Liuguang had no interest in wasting more words on him. She turned and walked away, only to hear Lin Hang mutter from behind her at a volume just loud enough to carry, “Fine, don’t add me. You think I even want to add you?”

Gu Liuguang had already taken a couple of steps away, but hearing that made her unhappy. She turned back around and said, “If you’re really that upset, why don’t you go tell the entire crew? See if anyone sides with you.”

Lin Hang’s background wasn’t strong enough yet to throw his weight around on set. Gu Liuguang would be fine, but if things blew up, he’d be the one in trouble.

Worried that the more they said, the worse it’d get, Lin Hang frowned with clear impatience, wanting to end it quickly. He pocketed his phone. “Fine, fine, my bad. Let’s call it even. I won’t bother you anymore.”

As if afraid Gu Liuguang would press the issue, Lin Hang spun around and hurried off after saying that.

Jia Wu had high standards for this drama—even the lighting at a fixed time each night had specific requirements. There was a scene scheduled around five in the morning, and missing it meant delaying until the next day.

The crew members hurried along with grave expressions. Gu Liuguang didn’t want to wander around causing trouble for them at a time like this.

When she really couldn’t hold out any longer, she ducked into a break room and curled up there.

Just before dawn, Lin Shixia found her. In a daze, she was led back to the hotel, vaguely hearing Lin Shixia ask if she was hungry and if she wanted to eat something. Then her phone rang.

Gu Liuguang believed that now that she finally had a physical body, she needed to seize the day even more—rest when tired, eat when hungry. She had never really pulled an all-nighter before.

This rare sleepless night left her head pounding. Even forcing her eyes wide open, she still felt hazy and just wanted to lean into someone’s embrace.

Lin Shixia held her the whole way, from the film set to the hotel, softly asking near her ear if she was hungry or thirsty.

The trip in Lin Shixia’s arms wasn’t long—just to the car, then out of it and into the hotel. Gu Liuguang figured she could have walked herself, but being held by Lin Shixia felt too comfortable.

Only after they sat down in the hotel room did Gu Liuguang belatedly realize how strong Lin Shixia was.

The whole way, Lin Shixia had whispered in her ear without even getting winded.

She sat on a stool, her eyelids fighting to stay open. She took a sip of water to try and wake herself up while talking to Lin Shixia. “I don’t want to eat. I just want to sleep.”

Lin Shixia had shot an all-nighter but still had the energy to tidy the room and ask what she wanted for breakfast. She didn’t look tired at all.

Gu Liuguang curled up on the sofa, frowning a bit in distress. “I haven’t showered.” Lying straight into bed like this felt grimy, and besides, these were the bedsheets Lin Shixia and the others had brought themselves.

Lin Shixia was texting on her phone, occasionally checking on Gu Liuguang. She smiled, typed and sent a message with lowered eyes, then turned to Gu Liuguang. “A shower won’t take long.”

No choice, then. Gu Liuguang’s face still showed fatigue. She simply flopped onto the table, planning to rest a bit before showering and letting Lin Shixia go first.

Before she could say it, Lin Shixia suggested, “If you’re really tired, how about I wipe you down? Just use a damp towel to clean your body. You can lie there.”

Gu Liuguang’s mind went blank for a moment, followed by an inexplicable wave of embarrassment. Her cheeks flushed pink. She uncomfortably reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear, her sleepiness vanishing in an instant. She refused tactfully, “No need… I can do it myself. You go first.”

Lin Shixia laughed. She had a natural smile anyway, and most of the photos of her that went viral online showed her with a sweet smile. People described her as a bubbly girl—very sweet and approachable when she smiled.

Gu Liuguang liked photos of Lin Shixia smiling too. It wasn’t just that she looked good when smiling; Lin Shixia’s smile fit the innocent girl-next-door type perfectly.

Lin Shixia’s debut role as Yao Xia in her first major part wasn’t just some simple character. The blackening confrontation scene exploded across platforms and sparked a wave of imitations.

It drew more attention from industry insiders to her acting skills, and offers came flying in like snowflakes.

“Are you feeling shy?” Lin Shixia smiled, looking utterly adorable without coming off as intrusive. She crouched in front of Gu Liuguang, the upward angle making it even easier to let one’s guard down.

“We’re girlfriends now. If you’re tired, it’s no big deal for me to wipe you down.” As she spoke, Lin Shixia tentatively reached out and took hold of Gu Liuguang’s fingertips, gently rubbing them as if soothing her unease. “And if you want to watch me, I’d only be happy about it.”

Gu Liuguang was thoroughly jolted awake. She and Lin Shixia had only confirmed their relationship two days ago. Was it time to get that intimate already? She wasn’t mentally prepared…

She stared blankly at Lin Shixia. Lin Shixia had changed back into her casual clothes, which differed from her public bubbly sweetheart image. In private, Lin Shixia dressed boldly, with distinctive style.

Perhaps a personal preference, but she often wore tank tops—more neutral and edgy.

From Gu Liuguang’s viewpoint, Lin Shixia filled her entire field of vision, giving the illusion of a wild wolf dog pretending to be a docile puppy.

Gu Liuguang couldn’t help but wonder if Lin Shixia’s sweetheart image was just a persona arranged by her company. Her looks did fit it well, though.

She hadn’t spoken, so the sweetheart Lin Shixia let go of her hand and took the initiative. She first removed her accessories and necklace, then pinched the hem of her tank top and took off the outer knitted crocheted sleeveless vest, saying with a smile, “Liuguang, no need to be shy if you want to look. Honestly, having you stare at my body like this… it kinda excites me.”

Gu Liuguang instinctively reached out to grab the hem of her tank top. She had just started to say “no” when Lin Shixia had already stripped down to just an apricot-colored bandeau.

For convenience, Lin Shixia had stood up while removing the knitted vest.

This put Gu Liuguang face-to-face with Lin Shixia’s abs.

Wait… why did Lin Shixia have abs?

And they looked pretty good.

Girls usually talked about vest lines, but it was rare to see such defined lines on a woman’s abdomen. They were excessively attractive.

Gu Liuguang’s face heated up as she reached for the vest Lin Shixia had tossed aside. She grabbed Lin Shixia’s hand too, trying to stop her from going further. A mix of wanting to look and annoyance, she said, “I don’t want to look! Don’t act like I’m some pervert!”

Lin Shixia obediently let herself be held, her smile never fading. She even swung their joined hands playfully, in great spirits. “I know Liuguang isn’t a pervert.”

After a pause, she gripped Gu Liuguang’s hand in return and guided it toward her abdomen. “Want to feel them?”

…

Gu Liuguang summoned all her self-control to hold back. Afraid she’d ignite something if she touched, she urged Lin Shixia to hurry up and shower—she was exhausted and wanted to sleep right after.

Lin Shixia headed into the bathroom with a regretful look.

Gu Liuguang took a deep breath and quickly asked the System: 【What’s going on here exactly?】

She was certain that if she’d actually reached out to touch earlier, they would’ve ended up in bed before long—today or the next time for sure.

If not for the System telling her early on that both female leads were each other’s first in body and heart, she might have gone with the flow.

Either the System’s info was wrong, and the original plot deviated from reality, or… Looking at Lin Shixia, it was hard to tell if she even had experience.

If Lin Shixia truly lacked experience and Gu Liuguang slept with her, would it derail the later plot and affect her mission?

She and the System analyzed it. The System said it could only report to the Main System and wait for feedback.

Gu Liuguang: 【Don’t you think Lin Hang is off too?】

The System pondered: 【Yeah, pretty abnormal.】 In truth, it had long felt that the entire world was off.

Gu Liuguang mused to herself: 【Lin Hang’s a late-appearing cannon fodder. He definitely exists in this world, but timing doesn’t matter much. The issue is, per the plot you described, he should only harass Lin Shixia, with Ye Qingying handling him.】

【But today, why would he think of keeping me?】

System: 【Can only report to the Main System for now.】

Gu Liuguang could tell the System couldn’t pinpoint the issue either. This mission was hanging by a thread.

The System noticed the problem too and, worried its host might distrust it, quickly reassured: 【Don’t worry, host. If it’s too serious, the Main System will send a mission termination notice.】

【No notice yet means the world is still running normally.】

Gu Liuguang still didn’t fully trust the System. She decided to just complete her mission as planned for now—let the others implode as they would.