Chapter 51: Day 51 as an Object Part 1

Jiang Shiyang simply could not stand up. She sprawled over the chair, half-dead, and since no one was in the makeup room, she could finally let go and stop suppressing herself so much. Though it honestly didn’t do much good—the sensations were what they were—groaning a little at least made her feel marginally better.

That dog-sunned Shen Wenyi was indeed her mortal enemy. So what if she confessed and said she liked her? Wasn’t she still finding ways to torment her?

Sympathizing with the enemy was truly cruelty to oneself. Shen Wenyi had never sympathized with her for a single second. Look at how vigorously she was pumping that body lotion—even using it as hand cream, you wouldn’t need this much, right? This amount wouldn’t even be used up if you slathered it all over your body, would it?

She was so conflicted now. On one hand, she wished Shen Wenyi would just keep pressing until it was done, so her task would be complete. On the other hand, she desperately hoped Shen Wenyi would stop immediately; she couldn’t take it anymore!

Shen Wenyi, that’s enough!

Cry.

At least let her catch her breath, okay? Gods and Buddhas above, please!

Just as she thought this, her body suddenly felt light.

Eh? Praying worked? Praying actually worked?!

She finally managed to catch that breath, resting for a long while before pushing herself up using the chair and sitting down with difficulty.

She pulled open a drawer, took out a tissue, and carefully dabbed at the physiological tears at the corners of her eyes. She checked herself in the mirror; her makeup was fine, not smudged. She’d need a touch-up later, so it wasn’t a big deal, but her eyes were too red. She needed to close them and rest for a bit.

After wiping her tears, she lay back down. Not only did her eyes need rest, but her weak, limp body did too.

No, she had to set an alarm first. She couldn’t oversleep.

She fumbled for her phone, set an alarm for fifteen minutes, and quickly closed her eyes and lay down.

Time was too limited; she had to seize every second to recover her strength.

Just as she closed her eyes, knock knock knock—the makeup room door was knocked on.

Who? Little Xie?

She couldn’t think of anyone else but Little Xie. It was probably Little Xie, worried and having followed her after all.

She actually didn’t want to get up and open the door, but Little Xie persisted, knocking non-stop. If she didn’t open it, Little Xie would likely make a fuss until the whole world knew.

She could only brace herself against the table and stand, walking to the door in a daze, unsure how she stumbled through, and opened it.

The door only opened halfway. Bang! She slammed it shut again, her hand still gripping the door handle, sweat instantly beading on her forehead.

Shen… Shen Wenyi?!

Lock it! Quick, lock the door!

It was pure instinct, a PTSD reaction!

Before she could press the lock, the door was suddenly pushed open from outside. Before today, how could Shen Wenyi have possibly pushed her? That pampered rich girl was as light as a feather. But today was a special situation; she could barely stand, let alone resist Shen Wenyi. Even a dog could have nudged the door open on her.

She was pushed directly behind the door by Shen Wenyi, her hand still clutching the handle, her back already against the wall.

Shen Wenyi stepped in, tried to close the door, and paused when she noticed her still gripping the handle. With one hand holding the body lotion and the other pressing against the door edge, Shen Wenyi watched her with narrowed eyes.

What expression does a mouse have when it sees a cat? Probably exactly what she looked like right now. She subconsciously gave Shen Wenyi a couple of dry, “heh heh” laughs—so awkward it was fake, so fake her own scalp tingled.

Shen Wenyi glanced at her two hands still desperately clutching the door handle. She quickly let go and leaned back against the wall, saying, “Teacher Shen, is something the matter?”

Thankfully, her basic composure was still intact. Though her expression was a bit awkward, her voice was steady.

Shen Wenyi said, “There is a small matter.”

She replied, “Is it work-related? I’m on my lunch break. Let’s talk when we start again.”

Shen Wenyi shook her head. “Not business, personal.”

She frowned. “Personal? Personal business?”

She really wanted to throw a line at Shen Wenyi: Did you just swallow everything you said that night yourself?! You said from tomorrow onward, we’d have a purely professional relationship! Now it’s not just tomorrow, it’s practically the day after tomorrow! And you’re coming to me now to talk about personal matters? Do you think that’s appropriate?

She desperately wanted to say it but didn’t dare.

Why was she so cowardly? She despised herself.

It wasn’t that she was afraid of Shen Wenyi, exactly; she was afraid of bugs crawling all over her body underground.

Shen Wenyi really had her by the scruff of her fate’s neck!

What to do? How to answer now? Shen Wenyi was clearly up to no good.

She forced a professional smile, considerably more natural than before.

She said, “Personal matters can wait until later too. I’m really a bit sleepy right now; I want to nap.”

Shen Wenyi nodded. “Indeed, the lunch break is very short; I shouldn’t disturb you. Go ahead and sleep then.”

She glanced towards the door. “Then Teacher Shen, please go ahead and…”

Before her “leave” could come out, Shen Wenyi turned and closed the door, even locking it, then walked back to the makeup table, pulled a chair over, and sat down.

Shen Wenyi looked at her gently, completely unlike the cold demeanor from before, as if their previous unpleasantness had been an illusion.

Shen Wenyi said, “You sleep. I’ll wake you, so you don’t oversleep.”

She said, “I set an alarm.”

Shen Wenyi said, “Alarms can be missed, but I’ll definitely be able to wake you.”

And you call me shameless? Shen Wenyi, you double-standard dog!

Still leaning against the wall behind the door, she looked at Shen Wenyi, then at the body lotion in Shen Wenyi’s hand, feeling like her soul was about to leave her body.

All she could curse was the way Shen Wenyi had held the bottle on the way over, her hand position perfectly blocking the body lotion’s “eyes,” preventing her from noticing Shen Wenyi had arrived at the makeup room door. Otherwise, she’d have died before opening it.

Gripes aside, Shen Wenyi truly had a great figure. Even casually sitting on a chair, her shoulders were graceful, waist supple, her lines fluid and only describable as perfect. This was even while wearing heavy royal palace attire—if she changed into casual clothes, her figure would be even more striking.

Shen Wenyi said, “What are you looking at? Not sleepy anymore?”

Looking at you. Looking at how someone so seemingly delicate and helpless can have such an overwhelming aura? You’ve pushed me right to the edge of the cliff; I’m even less daring to confess now, okay?

I’m genuinely afraid that after I confess, I won’t even be able to leave this makeup room. Why did you have to lock the door? You’ve precisely pinpointed the very source of my cowardice.

She felt a powerful urge to flee.

She smiled. “Sleepy? Of course I’m sleepy. It’s just… I can’t sleep with someone else in the room.”

Shen Wenyi said, “If you can’t sleep, then it’s the perfect time to discuss personal matters.”

She wasn’t in the headspace to discuss anything else right now. Her legs hadn’t regained strength yet. She really just wanted to lie down and rest.

She quickly said, “It’s not that I absolutely can’t sleep, just… not used to it. Anyway, it’s only a few minutes left. I’ll just make do and lie down for a bit.”

She walked to the makeup table, tactically pulling her chair a little further from Shen Wenyi, sat down, and lay her head down.

Shen Wenyi, be a decent human being for once. Please, absolutely, do NOT press that body lotion again while I’m trying to sleep!

The thought had barely crossed her mind when her lower abdomen suddenly exploded!

That damned familiar sensation that drove her insane.

She heard the squishing sounds of Shen Wenyi pressing the bottle. She understood now—Shen Wenyi was deliberately testing her, trying to get her to confess.

No, she wouldn’t give in!

Being hit by Shen Wenyi through a mountain was one thing, but facing the real thing head-on? She’d die.

She suddenly thought of that audio drama “Abnormal Heartbeat.” Wuwu, I’m sorry, Shen CV. Back then, I shouldn’t have thought it was exciting and thrilling. You suffered in that drama, and now I empathize completely. If I were you, I’d jump into the sea and run away too. With the insane intensity Shen Wenyi is pressing, who could withstand it?

She certainly couldn’t anymore. She… she…

She struggled to lift her head from her arms and looked at Shen Wenyi, trying her best not to let her panting be too obvious.

She said, “Teacher Shen.”

Shen Wenyi looked at her leisurely. “Hm?”

She glanced at the plastic bag Shen Wenyi had placed over the pump nozzle, and the white, creamy, sticky body lotion inside, and said, “Waste is shameful. You know that, right?”

Shen Wenyi said, “But I don’t like using body lotion.”

She said, “Then why did you buy it?”

Shen Wenyi said, “Free gift.”

Urgh… don’t talk and press at the same time! Are you even human, Shen Wenyi?!

Shen Wenyi said, “Are you unwell? Why is your face so red?”

You sinister villain! You even have the nerve to ask? Sure enough, secret crushes and all that are bull. Even a secret crush doesn’t change your sinister nature!

Her eyelashes trembled, and she managed to say, “I think I might have a slight fever. I’m not feeling well. Could I trouble Teacher Shen to find Little Xie for me? Have her come over.”

Hurry up and leave, just leave!

Shen Wenyi said, “Wouldn’t a phone call do? Why make someone run all the way? Here, I’ll help you call.”

Saying this, she reached for her phone.

She quickly pressed it down, “Forget it, no need. Little Xie’s personality is so flighty; if someone else overheard, they’d think I had some terrible illness. I’ve just joined the crew and already had incidents one after another. I don’t want others gossiping. How about…”

She paused, almost unable to hold back a moan, genuinely wanting to strangle Shen Wenyi right then.

Swallowing a breath, she said, “How about Teacher Shen helps me buy some cold medicine? One pill and I should be fine.”

“Me? Buy it for you?”

Shen Wenyi’s eyes were half-lidded, watching her, fingertips lightly sliding along the bottle before suddenly pressing the body lotion forcefully.

Her physiological tears burst out instantly. Her fists clenched. The makeup mirror reflected her reddened, teary eyes.

Dog-sunned Shen Wenyi!

Shen Wenyi continued, “I’d be quite happy to help buy it, but I don’t think cold medicine will do any good. What do you think, Teacher Jiang?”

Shen Wenyi’s slender, pale fingers pressed on the body lotion bottle as she leaned in towards her. The bright red royal palace attire was heavy and intricate, yet dignified and majestic, carrying an oppressive aura. The phoenix-holding-a-pearl hairpin tinkled and swayed. Her beautiful face was inches away, her eyes swirling with emotions she couldn’t quite read, long lashes shimmering faintly, drunkenly like starlight.

She could have endured before, but with this close-up, her heart pounded uncontrollably. The breath spraying onto her lips was scorching like fire. In an instant, she was utterly defeated.

She lost all strength completely. Instinctively, she clutched at Shen Wenyi’s lapel, her gaze bewildered, eyes as seductive as silk-thin tendrils, breath fragrant like an orchid.

“Shen… Shen Wenyi.”

Shen Wenyi’s hand was behind her back, still pressing the body lotion. She knew. She could even see Shen Wenyi’s back, the head full of pearls and jewels, the enticing curve of her back arched beneath the red robe.

Shen Wenyi’s voice was slightly hoarse: “Do you have something you want to say to me?”

She moved her lips, her gaze slowly landing on Shen Wenyi’s lips. Those two red lips, classic and passionate, were so close. If she just leaned a little closer, just a tiny bit, she could…

“I… do have something I want to say.”

Shen Wenyi’s lowered voice was nearly a whisper, almost seductive: “Go on, I’m listening.”

She panted, saying, “I… actually, I…”

Shen Wenyi encouraged: “Actually, what?”

She said, “Actually, I… I… I really don’t recommend wasting so much!”

Shen Wenyi’s eyes widened slightly. She froze. She pushed Shen Wenyi away, took the body lotion from her, and said, “Look at you, even if you don’t use it, you can’t waste it like this, right? If you don’t want it, give it to someone else. Someone else can use it, right?”

She pressed the body lotion pump several times, saying, “It’s such a pity to watch. Why don’t you just give it to me? I’ll use it.”

She removed the plastic bag from the bottle opening, tied a knot in it, and hefted it. Heavy.

“This much? Enough for me for half a month, even using it generously. Thanks, Teacher Shen.”

Shen Wenyi scrutinized her, then reached out and picked up the body lotion bottle from the table, pressing it. No lotion came out—the bottle was empty.

Shen Wenyi’s gaze dropped, her eyes moving slightly before she looked up at her. “If you’d told me earlier you wanted it, I wouldn’t have squeezed it out. It’s not good to use in a plastic bag. Pour it back in; it’ll be more convenient for you to use.”

She nodded. “Sure.”

She agreed so readily that Shen Wenyi hesitated for a moment, but said nothing. She unscrewed the cap, tore a small opening in the plastic bag, and the lotion, drop by drop, not a single one missed, all went into the bottle opening.

Shen Wenyi screwed the cap back on and pressed it several times, her gaze shifting to her. She looked back at Shen Wenyi innocently, smiling. “What’s wrong, Teacher Shen? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Shen Wenyi frowned slightly and pressed a few more times.

She said, “What are you doing, Teacher Shen? It was so hard to get it back in, and now you’re pumping it out again. What a waste.”

Shen Wenyi spoke: “You’re fine?”

She smiled. “What could be wrong with me?”

Just as her words fell, the alarm rang. She grabbed her phone and silenced it. “Time’s up. Shall we go?”

Shen Wenyi stood up. With nowhere to put the lotion on her hands, she simply rolled up her sleeve and rubbed it on her arm.