Chapter 28: World Two [1] Part 2

Reassured by Li Jianwei’s promise, Shu Heng slowly released her grip and curled back into her corner of the tub, hugging her knees.

Li Jianwei let out a soft breath. To give Shu Heng some security, she left the bathroom door ajar and strode to the room door, swiftly unlocking and opening it.

“Sis Li, here are the two outfits…” The assistant hadn’t finished before the empty bag was whisked from her hand.

“Got it. Thanks—you rest up. If I need the car tomorrow morning, I’ll let you know. Sweet dreams.” Li Jianwei rattled it off and dashed back to the bathroom, slamming the door shut.

The assistant stared at the closed door, blinking slowly.

Why was Sis Li in such a rush? What big deal had come up? Could it be…

Whatever she imagined, the assistant’s gaze turned complicated. She gave the room number a meaningful look before drifting away.

8419—what an intriguing number. Wonder if it’d prove fitting.

–

By the time Shu Heng fully regained her senses, it was already late into the night.

Regaining her wits, Shu Heng found herself dressed in loose clothing, curled up on a large bed. The unfamiliar room and warm yellow lighting made her tense up, and she instinctively checked her body for anything amiss.

Seemed fine—no discomfort, no suspicious marks.

Wait—she’d run into Teacher Li after getting dosed and asked for her help, right?

Shu Heng blinked rapidly as fragments of memory from a few hours ago flooded back, turning her face beet red. She buried it in her hands and shrank into a ball on the bed.

Aaaah, what had she done!

Teacher Li had even run the bath for her—why hadn’t she just soaked obediently? Why grab her clothes for hugs later, and whine and cling without letting go?

Due to the drug’s peculiarities, Shu Heng couldn’t recall everything that followed, but she remembered hugging Li Jianwei for a long time and even biting her clothing during the worst of it.

Wuuu, so embarrassing! So mortifying! Her first time meeting her idol, and she’d been such a mess!

Shu Heng couldn’t help rolling around on the bed. After throwing a set of combo punches at the air, she finally remembered the important matter.

Since Li Jianwei had brought her to this room and even helped her change clothes, where was Teacher Li now? She wouldn’t be on the living room sofa, would she?

Shu Heng threw off the covers and got out of bed. She didn’t find slippers in the room, so she simply padded barefoot across the floor, da-da-da, to the door.

When her hand grasped the doorknob, Shu Heng tactically paused for two seconds. Then she slowly turned the lock almost silently and cautiously cracked the door open a sliver.

The suite’s layout was one living room and one bedroom, so Shu Heng could see the entire living room through the door crack.

The living room lights were almost the same as in the bedroom. The bright overhead light was off, leaving only the warm yellow light from the ceiling fixtures.

Since the lights were on, Teacher Li should be in the living room.

Shu Heng slowly opened the door. Her pink toes curled slightly as she stepped one foot at a time toward the living room sofa.

Before Shu Heng could clearly see if the person lying on the sofa was Li Jianwei, the clothes piled on a stool nearby caught her eye first.

Shu Heng wasn’t so scatterbrained that she wouldn’t recognize her own clothes. Seeing her dress and other garments folded together, certain scenes flashed through her mind again, making her face flush.

Fortunately, Shu Heng was good at controlling her emotions. In no time, she suppressed the blush and walked over to the sofa armrest, finally getting a clear look at the person lying there.

It was Teacher Li, no doubt. But Teacher Li seemed to be asleep, covered with a jacket, her heroic eyebrows slightly furrowed as if she was dreaming of something unpleasant.

What should she do? Wait, or wake Teacher Li?

Perhaps Shu Heng’s gaze was too direct. Li Jianwei’s eyelids fluttered. Without giving her time to react, she slowly opened her eyes, their gazes meeting.

“Uh, Teacher Li, you’re awake…” Shu Heng stood awkwardly barefoot in place, unsure what to do.

“How do you feel? Has your body recovered?” Li Jianwei propped herself up, a perfectly timed smile on her face.

Great, the Eldest Miss had indeed woken up in the middle of the night. It hadn’t been a waste to keep her company through all that fussing. Now was the time to build goodwill and collect her reward.

Shu Heng nodded vigorously. “Mm-hmm, much better. Thank you, Teacher Li. If I hadn’t run into you, I wouldn’t have known what to do.”

“No problem. It’s just mutual help between female entertainers.” Li Jianwei got up from the sofa. “Your consciousness was a bit fuzzy at the end, so I took the liberty of changing your clothes for you. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all. I should be the one apologizing to you, Teacher Li. I caused you so much trouble.” Shu Heng’s little face turned slightly red.

“None of that’s important. As long as you’re okay.” Li Jianwei smiled, her sharp, deep features softer than usual. “Do you need me to contact your manager for you? My advice is to investigate what happened last night. At least figure out who’s behind it.”

Shu Heng’s expression shifted slightly, then she nodded. “I’d like to borrow your phone, Teacher Li.”

Li Jianwei nodded, picked up the phone from the coffee table, confirmed there were no messages Shu Heng shouldn’t see, unlocked it, and handed it over.

While Shu Heng talked with her manager, Li Jianwei tactfully walked to the balcony, giving her some private space.

A pale hand pushed the balcony window open a crack. The early autumn breeze brushed her face, making Li Jianwei’s hands itch for a cigarette to relax.

She knew smoking was a bad habit.

But surviving in the entertainment industry required a strong mindset and a heart of steel, especially without any backing.

So when the pressure got too much, Li Jianwei had to find ways to vent.

Indulging in pleasure wasn’t her choice, and she deeply despised breaking the law.

As for drinking to unwind, none of those daily business dinners skipped alcohol. Li Jianwei didn’t find drinking relaxing at all; she even habitually put on a mask whenever she picked up a glass.

After thinking it over, smoking seemed like the only convenient and effective option for her.

But the Eldest Miss was still in the room. Until she figured out if she minded the smell of smoke, she’d hold off.

Li Jianwei stood on the balcony enjoying the breeze until Shu Heng finished her call and came over to return the phone. Only then did she smile and turn around.

“Teacher Li, I really, really can’t thank you enough this time. I don’t even know how to repay you.” Shu Heng took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Teacher Li, is there anything I can do for you?”

“Hmm?” Li Jianwei raised an eyebrow. “We’ve only just met, and you’re already trying to draw a clear line between us?”

“No, no, that’s not what I mean.” Shu Heng shook her head hurriedly. “I just feel like I troubled you too much this time, so I want to do something for you, Teacher Li.”

“Then treat me to a meal. If one isn’t enough, treat me to a few.” Li Jianwei smiled. “We’re pretty fated, actually. I just went to use the bathroom and ran right into you.”

“Maybe it was heaven’s arrangement, guiding me to help you out.” Li Jianwei pocketed her phone.

“I’m the lucky one.” Shu Heng patted her chest, showing a look of lingering fear. “Teacher Li, I talked it over with my manager. A lot of entertainers are staying at this hotel. Leaving now would make it easy for paparazzi to snap us.”

Li Jianwei nodded. “So?”

“So we’re planning to wait until most of the entertainers have left, then sneak out in disguise.” Shu Heng said, “Sister Qin will be here in at most half an hour. Once she gets a room ready, I’ll leave and won’t disturb your rest, Teacher Li.”

Li Jianwei didn’t try to keep her. She just smiled, nodded, and reminded her, “Remember to get a check-up when you have time, to make sure all the drugs are out of your system.”

Shu Heng nodded like a chick pecking rice. The look in her eyes held not just gratitude, but clear admiration and adoration too.

In terms of age, Shu Heng and Li Jianwei were the same year, with the latter only three months older.

But from the current situation, Shu Heng had already started seeing Li Jianwei as a highly reliable big sister.

–

After seeing Shu Heng off, Li Jianwei glanced at the time on her phone.

4:50 a.m. She could stay up a bit longer and catch the sunrise.

She rubbed her brow. With no sleepiness, Li Jianwei rummaged in her bag and pulled out a pack of women’s cigarettes. She deftly took one out and lit it.

Smoke slowly drifted from her mouth as Li Jianwei rested her arm on the balcony railing and let her mind go blank.

Only when the burning heat neared her fingers did she snap out of it and stub out the nearly spent cigarette.

Whatever. She’d seen this city’s sunrise countless times. Better to catch some sleep than waste time waiting.

Li Jianwei yawned, shrugged off her jacket, and flopped onto the bedroom bed with a thud.

In the second before drifting off, Li Jianwei vaguely caught a nice scent. Not body wash, but something warm and comforting.

–

“Mm, Sister Lu, what did you say? A variety show invitation for me?” Woken by her phone ring, Li Jianwei struggled to open her eyes, her voice slightly hoarse.

“Didn’t you say I should do fewer variety shows, Sister Lu? To avoid affecting my momentum.”

“What! How much pay?” Li Jianwei bolted upright, instantly alert. “Did I hear that right? A variety show that only takes three days to film is quoting me twenty million per episode?”

“Sister Lu, it’s not that the company accounting has issues and they’re sacrificing me to balance the books, right?”

“I’m not underselling myself, but even as a film empress, that quote isn’t normal. And it’s not my variety debut—live stream or not, it shouldn’t be that outrageous.”

“Hm? Introduced by Shu Heng’s manager?” Li Jianwei blinked.

Li Jianwei admitted that a big part of her efforts last night had been for the Eldest Miss’s valuable gratitude.

But this gratitude had come too fast, hadn’t it? She’d just woken up from a nap and it was already here?