Chapter 20: The Wish

After the words fell, the living room was silent for a long time.

Gu Yu felt a little embarrassed. How had her true feelings just slipped out? The words to refuse had already been on the tip of her tongue!

She didn’t quite dare to look at Jiang Bomu’s expression. She had seen some behind-the-scenes clips and on-set photos; Jiang Bomu was very serious when filming. Her messing up the lines like this… Before she could finish her wild thoughts, a light laugh suddenly came from beside her.

Gu Yu instinctively looked up and saw her smiling warmly, a hint of allure still lingering at the corners of her eyes and brows, like a courtesan who had seen something amusing, a smile so beautiful it could steal one’s soul.

Gu Yu stared, dumbstruck. How could there be such a beautiful person in this world?

“If you make three more mistakes, I won’t tell you my wish,” Jiang Bomu said, in a good mood. “Xunxun, let’s try to get it in one take, okay?”

Gu Yu snapped back to reality and asked, “Does this one count?”

If it did, she was losing out big time!

Jiang Bomu raised an eyebrow. “Of course not. Let’s continue.”

Gu Yu let out a sigh of relief, rallied all her energy, and looked at the script, her voice full of grief: “I still have important matters to attend to. Miss, please be brief.”

That blasted male lead! Completely devoid of emotion and desire!

“But this humble one has a poor memory and needs a moment to think,” the Courtesan Belle feigned difficulty. “Sir, what shall we do?”

The voice alone could melt bones. Glancing at the script again, the stage direction here was for the Courtesan to touch the male lead’s shoulder, her hand slowly sliding from his broad shoulder to his chest, silent yet seductive.

Gu Yu, however, had to coldly recite her line: “Miss, please conduct yourself with propriety.”

She even took two steps back as if avoiding contamination!

Gu Yu practically gritted her teeth through this part of the dialogue before finally breathing a sigh of relief.

Rejecting a beauty was way too hard!

She watched Jiang Bomu, who was seriously writing something on the script, somewhat lost in thought. When the time came, fully made-up and exquisitely dressed in the Courtesan costume, standing amidst the nightly revelry of the courtesan houses, she would surely be even more beautiful than now, right?

Jiang Bomu put down the script and looked up to find Gu Yu staring at her intently, puzzled.

Gu Yu blinked and told the truth: “I was just imagining what you’ll look like in the Courtesan costume, Sister.”

“You’ll see when this drama airs,” Jiang Bomu said casually, “Or I can have Tao Tao take a photo for you when we’re filming and send it over.”

But she wanted to see it in person.

See it in person…

The thought once formed began to grow wildly. She could accompany Jiang Bomu to the set!

She was mentally drafting what to say, but before she could finish composing her words, Jiang Bomu said, “Let’s continue.”

This time Gu Yu played the female lead. She recited the lines absent-mindedly, her mind pondering how to get Jiang Bomu to agree. She kept getting distracted, yet was always drawn back by the exquisitely alluring Courtesan. Her mind was pulled in three directions, successfully using up two chances.

But not a third time. Gu Yu stopped thinking about it. Things would work out when the time came; there would definitely be a way!

Having finally finished today’s line-reading task, she let out a huge breath of relief and looked at Jiang Bomu expectantly. What exactly was the wish?

“After much thought, you lack for nothing. The only thing you’re concerned about is this one matter.”

Gu Yu was dying of impatience. What was she concerned about? How come she didn’t know herself?

Yet Jiang Bomu didn’t notice her anxiety. Unhurriedly, she took a sip of water to moisten her throat, then spoke with gentle eyes: “I hope that Xunxun will be with the person she likes in the future.”

Thump—

Her heart rate flatlined.

Then it started pounding wildly again, making Gu Yu’s breathing unsteady. What did she say? Be with the person she likes?

The person she liked… wasn’t that her?

Gu Yu tried her best to remain calm, but the smile at the corner of her lips couldn’t be stopped. She declared loudly, “Yes! We will!”

We.

You and me.

Gu Yu fixed her gaze tightly on Jiang Bomu’s eyes.

Jiang Bomu chuckled. “You like that person that much?”

“Of course I do. She’s my crush.”

“Crush?”

“It means a brief but intense infatuation. Kind of like how people used to say ‘goddess’ or ‘dream guy’.”

Jiang Bomu digested this strange new vocabulary from today’s college students and laughed again. “Four years isn’t exactly brief.”

“That’s true,” Gu Yu secretly exhaled, acting casual. “Then she’s my goddess.”

Jiang Bomu looked at her and asked, “Goddess?”

Gu Yu carefully observed her expression, not missing the slightest change. Unfortunately, she only raised an eyebrow slightly, showing no significant reaction. So she decided to go for a direct strike: “Sister, your sexual orientation is also… women, right?”

Jiang Bomu didn’t answer directly but asked instead, “What makes you say that?”

Gu Yu boasted, “The moment I saw you, my gaydar went off. I’m very accurate at reading people.”

Jiang Bomu quietly watched her. She had considered hiding it, but facing Gu Yu, who had opened her heart, she also wanted to tell the truth. She said calmly, “Quite accurate indeed. Anything else?”

She just admitted it! Gu Yu struck while the iron was hot, speaking mysteriously, “I’m guessing you don’t have a girlfriend right now.”

You don’t, do you? Please say you don’t. Surely you don’t?

“Indeed, I don’t.”

Gu Yu almost jumped up with excitement but forcefully held it in. However, the smile on her face couldn’t be hidden. She blinked, saying slyly, “See, I was right.”

“Alright, you’ve got dirt on me now. Planning to sell it to which paparazzi?” Jiang Bomu made a small joke. “Info on your sister here pays pretty well. Could make you a small fortune.”

Gu Yu, however, sat upright and serious. “Effective immediately, Jiang Bomu’s Exclusive Confidante Service is officially open. One secret has been deposited. The service is now closed, awaiting Ms. Jiang Bomu’s next activation.”

Jiang Bomu looked at her with eyes full of gentle warmth. Making friends with interesting people… it truly was interesting.

The originally planned five days of line-reading took only four days to complete. Putting down the script, Gu Yu felt a sense of reluctance. She still didn’t know if she could go to the set. Who knew when she would see the Courtesan Belle again?

Jiang Bomu glanced at her lightly and asked, “Why the long face?”

Still partly immersed in the play, her speech carried a hint of ancient flavor, the corners of her eyes and brows full of springtime allure. Every gesture linked her indelibly with the Courtesan Belle.

Gu Yu was utterly captivated by this single glance and said subconsciously, “I want to see you act as the Courtesan Belle, Sister.”

All her prepared speeches were useless. She just wanted to speak her true feelings. Accompanying Jiang Bomu to the set wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision; it was the result of serious thought over several days.

Jiang Bomu smiled beautifully. “I was just thinking the same thing.”

Gu Yu’s eyes widened. So she really could go to the set?

Immersed in joy, she couldn’t help but say repeatedly, “I’ll go get my things ready right now!”

“No rush. Tomorrow is soon enough.”

True, they weren’t leaving for another three days. She was being a bit too eager. So Gu Yu relaxed and did nothing.

She found out the next day that what they had been talking about were two completely different things!

Early in the morning, Tao Tao arrived with three people carrying large and small bags. Jiang Bomu introduced them as the artist’s styling team, and then they got busy in the living room.

Gu Yu was confused. They were about to go to the set soon; was there some event in the next few days?

But she didn’t want to disturb them, so she quietly went back to her room to paint.

Two or three hours later, Tao Tao knocked on the door and asked her to come out.

Gu Yu walked out of the room and asked, “What…”

The last word hadn’t even left her mouth before she froze in place.

In the living room, Jiang Bomu was dressed in magnificent red antique costume. Her delicate jade-like fingers were folded over her lower abdomen. Above that, a stretch of fair swan-like neck was revealed, her collarbone stunning. Further up, her makeup was exquisite, a beauty surpassing even flowers.

She stood quietly in the bright light, but all the light merely became her backdrop.

Everywhere her eyes could reach, there was only Jiang Bomu.

“Xunxun, come fulfill your promise,” she smiled with matchless allure. “What pose do you want me to strike?”