Chapter 56: It’s You Part 2

She knocked again. “Liuguang, are you washing clothes? Let me do it. Go sleep first, okay? Aren’t you tired?”

The rubbing paused briefly. Gu Liuguang hesitated too—she was exhausted, jolted awake momentarily by the stimulation but now fighting heavy eyelids.

Lin Shixia was her girlfriend, after all. Washing her clothes was no big deal. But the marks on them…

She’d already rinsed once, but she still worried they’d be noticeable, feeling slick to the touch. She was too embarrassed to let Lin Shixia help.

She turned on the faucet, scrubbing glumly without lifting her head. “No need. You have filming tomorrow. Go sleep first. I’ll keep the noise down.”

Lin Shixia insisted once more. Growing a bit impatient, Gu Liuguang spoke sharply, and Lin Shixia finally left the door.

The hotel room had nowhere to hang clothes, no dryer either.

After washing, Gu Liuguang stealthily hung her underwear on a hanger, planning to drape it over the chair back facing the AC vent. In a few hours, most would dry.

She glanced at Lin Shixia as she emerged. Lin Shixia sat up the moment the door opened.

Gu Liuguang didn’t want her to see what she held. She awkwardly hid it behind her, trying to sound normal. “Not asleep yet? Was I too loud?”

Lin Shixia got off the bed after sitting up and headed toward her, eager for a hug.

Her body moved while her eyes observed. She’d already guessed what Gu Liuguang was doing in there, so the moment she came out, she watched closely.

She’d changed clothes, and though she couldn’t see everything in her hand, Lin Shixia guessed what it was.

Lin Shixia said, “Can’t sleep.”

She walked calmly to Gu Liuguang’s side, reaching to hug her. Gu Liuguang didn’t know why she felt so shy, but seeing Lin Shixia made her feel rare shame. Instinctively, she resisted her seeing.

She quietly moved the item farther away to block the view while holding out a hand between them. “Don’t come over. Go to bed already.”

Lin Shixia didn’t want Gu Liuguang to feel embarrassed, nor did she want Gu Liuguang to mind her seeing it. Weren’t they supposed to be open and honest with each other soon?

She tried to help Gu Liuguang get used to their intimacy. “Didn’t you often wear my clothes before? This is nothing. I just like doing these things for you, Liuguang. Let me help you.”

Gu Liuguang was almost convinced, but she still hesitated. Lin Shixia had already reached out and grasped the hand Gu Liuguang was using to keep their bodies apart.

The moment her hand made contact, Gu Liuguang’s entire body trembled. Her mind instantly flashed back to that earlier touch that had left her numb and her very soul quivering. Her legs went so soft she could barely stand.

Like an electric shock, she yanked her hand back. Her eyes reddened at the corners as she glared at Lin Shixia, a hint of annoyance in her voice. “Don’t come any closer! Get back in bed.”

Her face flushed as if she were deeply moved, her voice soft and trembling. Lin Shixia stood rooted to the spot, staring at Gu Liuguang.

It took a few more sentences from Gu Liuguang before Lin Shixia reluctantly returned to the bedside. She didn’t sit but stood by the headboard, watching Gu Liuguang.

As long as Lin Shixia didn’t get close, it didn’t matter where she stood. Gu Liuguang stopped arguing and turned her back to Lin Shixia. She pulled out the wooden chair and positioned it toward the air conditioner vent.

She hooked the hanger over the chair back and fiddled with that tiny piece of fabric for a long time. Only now did she understand what it meant to feel pins and needles at her back, what it meant to feel a gaze as substantial as reality.

Lin Shixia stared at her back as if trying to burn two holes through it, the heat intense enough to scorch right through her clothes.

She fussed there for ages before slowly turning around. Even then, she tried to shield the clothes she was hanging dry with her body.

“Um… All set. Time for bed.”

She hurried over to block Lin Shixia’s line of sight. But Lin Shixia didn’t even glance at the clothes—her eyes stayed fixed on Gu Liuguang herself.

As Gu Liuguang drew near, Lin Shixia reached out, took her hand, and smoothly pulled her into an embrace. She sat on the edge of the bed, swung her legs up, and lay back down holding her.

She nipped lightly at Gu Liuguang’s earlobe. “Can you sleep now?”

Gu Liuguang let out a hum. She had been exhausted to begin with, and after all the fuss, lying back in bed made her even sleepier.

Cradled in Lin Shixia’s arms, she simply nestled against her and closed her eyes with another hum. “So sleepy.”

Lin Shixia planted a soft kiss on her forehead. “Sleep, then.”

Liuguang must have been truly wiped out—she didn’t even notice the new transfer message Lin Shixia had just sent. But none of that mattered. The key was Gu Liuguang’s mention of Plato; she clearly didn’t care about it. Maybe her earlier words had just been out of shyness.

Gu Liuguang woke in the afternoon. Lin Shixia had long since left the room. She lay in bed for a good while before sitting up, only to feel utterly drained the moment she did.

She asked the System weakly. 【This body you arranged for me doesn’t have some terminal illness, does it?】

The System whispered back. 【Impossible. It’s modeled exactly on the host’s body parameters.】

Gu Liuguang thought to herself that she was nothing but a stray ghost soul—where would she even have body parameters? But she lacked the energy to argue with the System right now, so she let it drop.

The System, seeing she wasn’t pressing, felt unfairly accused and muttered sneakily in her mind. 【One drop of essence costs ten drops of blood. Did you get up to something with Lin Shixia last night? I was blocked for ages…】

Gu Liuguang had nearly forgotten the System shared her perspective. Hearing it mention the block put her at ease. She had no intention of spilling what happened yesterday and mumbled vaguely. “We just made a little emotional progress. Mind your own business, kid.”

The System whined and grumbled in grievance. Seeing Gu Liuguang truly ignoring it, it finally fell silent, still sulking.

Gu Liuguang rested in the room a bit longer. When she finally got out of bed, she spotted the panties draped over the chair back. She stared at the chair for a long moment, confirming someone had moved it.

If it had been moved, that meant Lin Shixia had seen them.

…Not a big deal. Come dawn, unless Lin Shixia was blind, she’d have spotted them anyway. She herself had been asleep at the time—as long as Lin Shixia hadn’t caught her red-handed, no embarrassment.

She quickly stowed them away and felt the fabric by hand. With the recent muggy weather and the room’s AC not pulling its weight, they were still a little damp. She’d hit them with the hairdryer later.

Once her things were sorted, she grabbed her phone to check messages, starting with the pinned chat from Lin Shixia.

Lin Shixia had said she’d brought in a mini-fridge stocked with snacks—if she was hungry, she could grab some to tide herself over. She also asked what Gu Liuguang wanted for breakfast.

Sent just after 8:40, right around when Lin Shixia must have gotten up and headed to set.

Gu Liuguang did the math: By the time Lin Shixia wrapped shooting and got back, it’d be late. She couldn’t have gotten more than three hours of sleep total, yet here she was, up bright and early for work.

Was this what it meant to be the protagonist?

The System chimed in lightly. 【Lin Shixia has such great stamina. You’re truly blessed.】

Gu Liuguang: ……

Clearly, the System was still salty about being blocked yesterday. Gu Liuguang didn’t want it prying into her private life or spinning wild guesses, so she clarified. 【We really didn’t do anything yesterday.】

The moment she engaged, the System perked up. 【Really? Then what did you two do to block me for so long?】

Gu Liuguang’s gaze darted evasively. She had zero plans to tell it. 【Why would I lie? Maybe your shielding function bugged out…】

To shut down further questions, she added. 【Besides, didn’t you say it yourselves? Both female leads have to keep their body and mind ‘pure’ for each other. If something happened with Lin Shixia, the plot would’ve collapsed ages ago.】

A flicker of guilt crossed Gu Liuguang’s eyes. Fortunately, the System seemed to recall something and dropped the subject.

Free from the System’s nagging about last night, Gu Liuguang finally focused on her messages. Around noon—probably during lunch—Lin Shixia had sent another, asking if she was up yet, complete with a selfie.

Lin Shixia’s photography skills left much to be desired, but that face made it a delight anyway. Gu Liuguang messaged back that she was awake.

Likely in the middle of shooting, Lin Shixia didn’t reply right away.

Gu Liuguang admired the photo a moment longer, then saved it decisively. She confirmed receipt of the transfer and texted Lin Shixia that she’d come find her later.

She refreshed—no reply. With a sigh, Gu Liuguang closed the chat.

The rest of the chat list irritated her, but she forced herself to respond patiently.

Zhang Xibai, neglected for ages, had messaged.

It had been so long Gu Liuguang had almost forgotten about her. The message jogged her memory: In the Original Plot, Zhang Xibai was smitten with Lin Shixia from start to finish.

And for various reasons, she dealt her a harsh hand.

If Zhang Xibai learned she and Lin Shixia were together now, would she go dark immediately? Zhang Xibai’s family could flip from antagonists to allies and even get out of the country later.

Frowning, Gu Liuguang opened the chat. It was still sitting at their last exchange.

She hadn’t replied, and Zhang Xibai hadn’t spammed follow-ups—otherwise, she wouldn’t have forgotten.

-Xi: Zhang Ze said you extended your leave with the company?

-Xi: You aren’t coming back?

-Xi: Was that really you with Shixia that day?

-Xi: [photo.jpg]

Not many messages—Gu Liuguang skimmed them fast. Out of habit, she tapped to enlarge the photo. It showed the passenger’s name, departure time, and destination: C City.