Actually, after receiving this assignment, Bai Jin had no intention of handing over the captured material to the director at all. After all, Director Bu and Yan Chi were from the same company; how could they allow those compromising materials to be broadcasted? It might even expose to the production team that the two were in a relationship, intensifying their efforts to matchmake them.
From the last episode to this point, Bai Jin knew that Gu Qingtong had already established a connection with Yan Chi, but she believed it was just a simple transactional relationship between them. Especially since both of them were unwilling to reveal this relationship on the variety show.
Bai Jin correctly assumed that Yan Chi didn’t want her career to be affected, hence her reluctance to go public. Since she had no chance of approaching Gu Qingtong directly, she thought she could take advantage of this assignment and unexpectedly leak some explosive information to the media.
In order to quell these rumors, Yan Chi would also inevitably distance herself from Gu Qingtong, creating a rift between them, which would make things much easier to handle.
At this point, Gu Qingtong had only received some of Yan Chi’s attention, but she mistakenly believed that Yan Chi had genuinely developed feelings for her. Bai Jin’s intention was to wake her up and make her see the colder side of Yan Chi.
Speaking of Chu Yu, she wasn’t actually assigned any tasks for today. Her presence here was purely because she wasn’t very familiar with the other two members of her team. Chu Yu and Wen ZiYao were a “plastic-wrapped” CP1Couple Pairing, but repeated disappointments had long caused them to go their separate ways.
Chu Yu had lost interest in stirring up any CP drama on this show due to various incidents, and she was both astonished and curious about the unspoken interactions between Gu Qingtong and Yan Chi, even more so than the fans of the show’s CPs.
Meanwhile, since experiencing the popularity boost from being paired up with Bai Jin in the afternoon, Wen ZiYao became more aloof towards Chu Yu.
The three of them had chosen a room in the 500-level range, and as soon as they saw the bed, each one of them couldn’t help but roll their eyes in their hearts.
So, they went through the motions and finished filming the material during the hot spring period. Chu Yu no longer wanted to continue pretending with the other two.
She found an excuse to go out alone for some fresh air, intending to wait until the two of them were already asleep before finding a place to sleep on the floor.
If there was only one bed… wouldn’t it be even more convenient for Yan Chi and Gu Qingtong to do something?
Thinking of Yan Chi and Gu Qingtong being alone together at this moment, Chu Yu’s mind started to wander, and she recalled the incident from last time.
Lost in her thoughts, Chu Yu found herself unconsciously standing outside their room again. This realization left Chu Yu feeling quite helpless – her insatiable curiosity was getting the best of her!
Forget the past, and the pain is forgotten too – sooner or later, her curiosity would be the death of her, thanks to all this gossip!
Upon regaining her senses, although Chu Yu hadn’t heard anything suspicious, she almost immediately covered her ears and eyes, trying to move in a different direction. But before she could take a step, she noticed a shadow sneaking towards her.
This discovery prompted Chu Yu to quickly hush and conceal herself. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was Bai Jin.
Chu Yu immediately thought of the previous incident where Yan Chi and Bai Jin competed for Gu Qingtong’s attention, and numerous speculations about the drama instantly crossed her mind.
While she was lost in thought, Bai Jin had already circled the entire courtyard twice, appearing as if she was about to sneak in.
What was even more crucial was that Bai Jin was holding a camera in her hand, seemingly intending to…secretly film?
As Chu Yu thought about what Yan Chi and Gu Qingtong were likely doing now, she couldn’t hide any longer. She had one thought in mind: she couldn’t let Bai Jin stumble upon something!
At this moment, she was no longer in the state of minding her own business and intervening only to avoid getting implicated, as she used to be.
Ever since discovering the situation between Yan Chi and Gu Qingtong, despite Chu Yu’s initial panic and disgust, her curiosity gradually pushed her towards the side of the two. Unconsciously, she felt compelled to help them keep their secret.
That’s why Chu Yu suddenly stepped in to stop Bai Jin’s actions. Bai Jin clearly wasn’t buying into Chu Yu’s stance, and the two confronted each other directly.
Faced with Bai Jin’s counter-question, Chu Yu was caught off guard. She suddenly realized that her presence here did indeed seem quite suspicious. She quickly improvised: “….What else can I do? Naturally, I’m here for a task.”
“So, is your task to prevent me from entering this room?”
Bai Jin didn’t doubt it, assuming that the production team had genuinely assigned her a contradictory task. She straightforwardly confronted the situation.
“Since our tasks are opposing, you definitely can’t stop me.”
Apart from frequently losing to Yan Chi, Bai Jin clearly hadn’t taken Chu Yu seriously.
Not only that, but she completely ignored Chu Yu’s attempts to stop her, continuing as if she were the only one there, searching for that legendary hidden door.
Chu Yu was getting anxious, of course. She knew that she couldn’t actually stop Bai Jin, so she suddenly raised her voice: “Bai Jin! Are you trying to find some kind of secret door, sneaking in to film secretly?!”
She hoped that her voice could be heard by the people inside.
However, the soundproofing of this house couldn’t compare to the last one. At least from outside, the two of them couldn’t hear any movements from within.
Exactly because of this, Chu Yu wasn’t sure if she could be effective, so she raised her voice as much as she could.
This voice made Bai Jin even more certain of Chu Yu’s unease and anxiety. She believed that there must be some secret that she couldn’t film inside, causing her to search for the hidden door even more quickly.
Meanwhile, inside the room, the two had already heard the commotion from outside.
Tears welled up in the eyes of Gu Qingtong, and she was so frightened that her heartbeat slowed for a moment. In her momentarily blank mind, a hint of clarity emerged.
“Yan Chi… Um, someone, someone is trying to enter the room…”
Her voice hadn’t fully recovered from the earlier state, it was soft and feeble, mixed with nervousness and crying.
Especially when Yan Chi heard the voice, she didn’t stop. On the contrary, she intentionally intensified her actions, using her fingertip to press lightly, causing Gu Qingtong to continue losing control in this tense state.
As expected, before Gu Qingtong could finish her sentence, another shattered cry escaped her lips. But she suddenly realized that if the sounds from outside could be heard in this room, her cries might have already reached the ears of outsiders.
This realization made her disregard everything else, and she clenched her upper lip with her lower teeth, preventing any sound from escaping.
After the room fell silent, she looked at Yan Chi with a confused and fearful look, shaking her head vigorously.
She wanted her to stop first, not to let anyone else discover what was happening.
But Yan Chi smiled: “Tongtong, don’t you think this is even more thrilling? I knew it, from the beginning, you’ve become even sweeter.”
As she spoke, she did stop her actions, but she then leaned forward again, gently pulling back the last layer that was already fragile, and lowered her lips to it.
Gu Qingtong immediately caught onto her intention, but it was too late to stop her. Yan Chi had already initiated the kiss.
Without any hindrance, their lips met directly, the moment of soft warmth covering her completely.
An even more intense surge of sensations than before overwhelmed her, causing her to tremble in response. She nearly bit her lower lip until it bled, just to hold back those gasps.
The hand that was supposed to push her away only gently grabbed a strand of Yan Chi’s hair, not in rejection, but rather as if inviting her in.
Through the exploration of the thin barrier a moment ago, Yan Chi had already understood. At this moment, she specifically directed her attention to those sensitive spots, leaving Gu Qingtong utterly defenseless.
Pleasure and difficulty intertwined, Gu Qingtong’s dilated pupils, which had been shrouded in mist, became even more dazed.
A moment later, this time without the obstructing fabric, it adhered firmly to Yan Chi’s usually cold countenance, bringing her down from her pedestal.
Right in front of Gu Qingtong’s eyes, Yan Chi even elegantly wiped her fingers, savoring the remnants with her lips.
Gu Qingtong was so embarrassed that she could hardly bear to watch. She could only close her eyes momentarily.
The voices from outside were getting louder and more urgent, as if an argument was erupting.
Yet, Yan Chi still refused to let go of Gu Qingtong, even picking up the box containing something that meant a lot to her.
Although Gu Qingtong didn’t fully understand these things, she still recognized them as condoms.
With her suppressed voice, Gu Qingtong’s eyes were filled with panic. Her breathing hadn’t even steadied yet, and she could only softly plead: “N-No, it can’t eat, anymore.”
After the previous intimate encounter, her lips were already swollen and tender. If those fingertips… it would surely be unbearable!
Previously, it had only been appetizers, but this was the final step that Gu Qingtong had always feared.
A step she had never dared to take before…
“Who said you can’t eat anymore? It was eating me earlier.”
The conversation between the two intertwined with the commotion outside, every word stimulating Gu Qingtong’s nerves, making her even more tense.
As Yan Chi spoke, she used her teeth to gently tear open the plastic packaging.
Knowing that Gu Qingtong was afraid of pain, she used only one finger.
The slender and perfect finger that Gu Qingtong had stolen glances at many times, who would have thought it would be used for this kind of thing.
As the circling motion approached, until it finally arrived, Gu Qingtong’s glistening tears fell at last. They slid down the corners of her eyes, forming droplets that resembled blooming teardrop flowers. The teardrop mole seemed as though it would ignite in the next second.
Indeed, it was painful, but the pain seemed to become the least significant factor.
The fragmented sobbing could no longer be suppressed, and as Yan Chi joined in, sobbing turned into crying.
Her eyes cried, and everything else cried too.
Yan Chi was utterly enamored, repeatedly kissing the teary eyes of the little crying bundle, showing compassion as she spoke, but her words only made her cry harder:
“Why so many tears?”
“If you keep crying like this, you’ll turn into a water plant.”
“I won’t be able to hold back anymore.”
Gu Qingtong was already not resistant to teasing. This was the first time like this, and she couldn’t endure even for a moment. Her whole body, which had been soft, suddenly tensed and lifted as she cried out amidst her sobs: “It’s, it’s coming…again…”
“Tongtong, call me.”
However, Yan Chi stopped at this moment, her voice noticeably restrained, and unusually hoarse.
Being in a state of not up or down was like tormenting Gu Qingtong. She almost instantly called out: “Big sister Yan, big sister….give me…wu wu…”
In the end, Yan Chi still made a move. In the last moment, she leaned down to Gu Qingtong’s ear and whispered softly:
“Next time, call me wife.”
❖❖❖❖❖
Chu Yu was certain that she had done her best. After all, the heated argument just now had even attracted the attention of the hot spring hotel’s security guard, delaying Bai Jin’s plans for a while. But when Bai Jin finally found a particularly inconspicuous mechanism on the wall, Chu Yu knew she couldn’t stop it.
Sure enough, after pressing the switch, the wall began to move. Warm light emanated from the room.
Bai Jin pushed Chu Yu aside and walked straight into the room, the camera in her hand already turned on. Reluctantly, Chu Yu had no choice but to follow her in.
This room was originally a corner of the storage room, and one had to enter it to reach the master bedroom. Bai Jin’s demeanor was as if she was chasing a thief, walking swiftly.
With her heart nearly in her throat, Chu Yu had to keep up in quick steps. It wasn’t until she saw the empty room that she finally let out a sigh of relief. The room’s lights were on, the covers on the bed were in disarray, scattered with the clothes of Gu Qingtong and Yan Chi. Even the air carried an inexplicable restlessness, but the two of them were nowhere to be seen.
Bai Jin’s gaze quickly swept the room and landed on a trash can by the table. Inside it lay a used condom.
Without any trace of evasion, it seemed like a deliberate provocation left just for her. She also knew that the reason why Yan Chi acted so arrogantly was that she knew this item had no names written on it. Even if Bai Jin captured it on camera, it wouldn’t mean anything. No one would believe it was them, let alone consider it some sensational evidence. At most, it would only serve to further encourage the production team to match the two of them!
However… if they used the hotel’s condom, wouldn’t there be a record of it on the room’s bill? Maybe after this episode ends tomorrow, she could try to gather some evidence from the front desk.
Thinking about how Yan Chi’s arrogance might lead to oversight, Bai Jin’s eyes held a touch of mockery. To avoid arousing Chu Yu’s suspicion, she only glanced at it briefly before shifting her gaze away.
Huh? Could it be that this time they truly managed to resist their temptations?!
Chu Yu clearly didn’t notice the mystery of the trash bin. Seeing Bai Jin also didn’t find anyone and rushed towards the yard’s direction, curiosity began to stir within her as well. When she heard the sounds coming from the yard, Chu Yu naturally headed there too, only to find Yan Chi and Gu Qingtong soaking in the hot spring.
The water in the hot spring wasn’t calm; it seemed to be rippling due to a breeze, creating a sparkling effect.
Chu Yu’s gaze unavoidably landed on Gu Qingtong. She was leaning against the edge of the pool, her entire body immersed in the hot spring water below her neck. Amidst the swirling steam, only faint and elusive outlines could be seen.
Her cheeks were flushed, her breathing was shallow, as if she were intoxicated by the steam rising from the water.
Yan Chi was wrapped in a bathrobe, sitting on the steps behind Gu Qingtong, coldly observing the unexpected guest by the poolside.
Unnoticed by everyone, Gu Qingtong had long since exhausted herself. She could only pretend nothing had happened in the water with Yan Chi’s support. She closed her eyes, masking the emotions that hadn’t completely subsided, still trembling from the residual waves.
A while ago, Yan Chi had barely managed to buy her some time, changing her into a swimsuit and then carrying her into the pool.
At that time, Gu Qingtong had no strength at all. She could only let Yan Chi arrange her as she pleased, even thinking for a moment that they were definitely going to be discovered. After all, when the wall moved, Yan Chi was in the midst of tying the ribbon behind her dress.
Although she didn’t dare to show it now, Gu Qingtong was inwardly resenting Yan Chi, thinking they were so close to being exposed! She had warned her that they shouldn’t proceed with it!
However, it had to be said that the light sweat and stickiness that she had felt a moment ago were instantly washed away in the hot spring, allowing Gu Qingtong some relief.
Gu Qingtong discreetly opened her eyes a little to glance at the people in front of her. As she had guessed, it was Bai Jin and Chu Yu, who had come due to the noise they heard.
While she was slowly calming down, the atmosphere among the other three had already plummeted to freezing point because of her. With nothing substantial captured on film, Bai Jin finally shut off her camera.
She had a natural excuse, which was completing a task. So, with a nonchalant smile, she said: “Teacher Yan, you move quite fast. If one didn’t know better, they’d think you’ve been soaking in the hot spring the entire time.”
Chu Yu hadn’t expected that even with an outsider like her present, Bai Jin would directly confront Yan Chi.
At this moment, the four seemed to have been transported back to the scene from the previous episode, when Chu Yu held onto Gu Qingtong while eavesdropping at the corner of the wall.
But now, without a camera and microphone, the battle arena was clearly about to erupt. Perhaps afraid that Yan Chi might misunderstand, Chu Yu hastily explained: “I didn’t come here on purpose. It was all her idea to come film you guys! I saw her acting all secretive, so I intervened and followed her, not feeling at ease.”
Chu Yu didn’t mention her task as an excuse this time because, in front of Yan Chi, fabricating a lie so easily debunked wasn’t a wise choice.
Bai Jin instantly realized that Chu Yu had been lying to her earlier. She shrugged and said: “You were here before me, after all. I came because the production team assigned us a task to film a hot spring scene together. I think you’re the one who needs to explain.”
Chu Yu had always been the type to mind her own business and not meddle in others’ affairs. She hadn’t expected that her attempt to do a good deed would backfire and get her entangled in a mess.
Caught off guard, she felt a sense of regret. In the eyes of Gu Qingtong, who was completely lost in the current situation, although she didn’t understand why Chu Yu had come here, they ate melons together earlier.
This time, thanks to the other party’s reminder, Gu Qingtong narrowly avoided being caught by Bai Jin’s camera. Of course, she felt a sense of camaraderie with Chu Yu and stood by her side.
With this thought, Gu Qingtong suddenly wondered if Chu Yu might be following Bai Jin out of curiosity about the identity of the pretty boy that Bai Jin and Yan Chi were arguing about?
Because she couldn’t afford to provoke these two, especially fearing Yan Chi, she didn’t dare to say why she came. Gu Qingtong suddenly realized this and, ignoring the fact that she had just been pretending to sleep, weakly spoke up to explain on her behalf: “I know. She came to eat melon2Refers to the act of following and discussing gossip or drama.”
As soon as she spoke, Gu Qingtong realized that her voice had turned hoarse from her earlier crying, and she involuntarily shrank back in a timid manner.
Taken aback by how accurately Gu Qingtong had described the situation, Chu Yu was startled, and her hands trembled. She stuttered: “D-Don’t…don’t make up things, okay?”
Regret flooded her heart. She shouldn’t have helped this dense-minded person. Why had she repaid kindness with enmity? In the next moment, her gaze met with Gu Qingtong’s eyes, still a bit moist and radiant.
Although Gu Qingtong felt embarrassed, she decided to brave it for the sake of her fellow “melon-eating” friend. She said: “The last time you two were having a showdown, Chu Yu and I were outside the door. We accidentally heard your commotion… Chu Yu was curious about the person you were talking about, so she followed along to continue ‘eating melons.’ Chu Yu, even though it was embarrassing to lie to you last time, the ‘melon’ we were eating last time fell on my head. It was my own ‘melon,’ and I felt too awkward to explain at the time, which left you wondering until today.”
“Ah?… Well, that explanation does make sense.”
Chu Yu never expected Gu Qingtong’s thought process to be like this, but following Gu Qingtong’s explanation, did her hearing of Yan Chi and Gu Qingtong’s voices completely overshadow everything else? Explained in this way, it wasn’t impossible!
So, after a moment of confusion, Chu Yu immediately went along with it. Yan Chi looked at Gu Qingtong, a touch of helplessness in her eyes. How…silly, yet adorable.
She already knew it was her. Despite being caught red-handed, she was still trying to cover up for others.
After pondering for a moment, Bai Jin finally recalled that the confrontation Gu Qingtong mentioned took place by the swimming pool.
Back then, she was both anxious and angry, completely unaware that someone was outside.
“Chu Yu, you’re right. We should eat fewer ‘melons’ in the future. This time, it hit me on the head. Otherwise, I wouldn’t even know how to explain if I were caught.”
Gu Qingtong comforted Chu Yu and looked at her sincerely, clearly remembering the day when she had taught her the rule of survival in the entertainment industry: “Don’t ask what you shouldn’t ask.”
Listening to this, Chu Yu fell into a moment of silence. It felt like a boomerang had hit her face, making her realize the pain! Even though the situation was completely different, Chu Yu could only nod in agreement.
Due to the back-and-forth between the two, Bai Jin felt that no one cared about her being there to film anymore. She strangely wanted to make her presence felt and asked loudly: “Aren’t you curious about me…”
Before she could finish, Yan Chi, who had been silent all this time, stood up. Her voice was as cold as frost on a winter night: “If you have nothing else, you can leave.”
Both in her words and her tone, it was clear that she didn’t care about Bai Jin at all.
With that, Yan Chi turned her gaze to Chu Yu, a faint smile on her lips: “Just as Qingtong said, Miss Chu doesn’t need to panic. Since you’ve got the answer, let’s not bring up the past. Next time, try not to be curious.”
Chu Yu was taken aback, only now realizing that Yan Chi didn’t mind her knowing about their relationship. The stone that had been weighing on her heart for days finally dropped.
For some reason, she inexplicably felt that Yan Chi’s mood seemed good today.
Yan Chi had given the order to leave, and Bai Jin had been blocked again, so she could only depart. Although Chu Yu was causing trouble by her side, Bai Jin hadn’t gone away empty-handed. As long as she managed to obtain the hotel bill for tomorrow, it would be like having concrete evidence.
She speculated that many media outlets would be eager to break this news once it was out.
Thinking this way, Bai Jin felt that her departure was somewhat dignified.
However, Chu Yu’s voice rang out from behind her: “Stop arguing with Yan Chi. Their relationship… probably isn’t what you think.”
Bai Jin didn’t look back but retorted sarcastically, “Isn’t it just a sugar mama relationship? What’s so impressive about that?”
Chu Yu knew that no matter how much she said, it wouldn’t change anything. She understood that Yan Chi had obviously pampered Gu Qingtong to the core.
And Gu Qingtong, in her every move, was showing her affection for Yan Chi.
The two of them had met outside the show, and it was quite possible that Yan Chi’s participation in this mismatched dating show was due to Gu Qingtong. After Chu Yu and Bai Jin left, Gu Qingtong finally heaved a sigh of relief. She stretched her stiff limbs in the water, especially after Yan Chi’s antics, which had left a tingling sensation lingering.
Yan Chi on the shore took off her bathrobe, revealing her swimwear. Gu Qingtong, who had almost fainted earlier, hadn’t noticed that Yan Chi had also changed her outfit.
Seeing Yan Chi in such a refreshing attire for the first time, Gu Qingtong froze in place. Clearly, the phrase “don’t look there challenge ” had manifested in reality for the first time. Defeated, Gu Qingtong hurriedly averted her gaze.
Yan Chi usually dressed conservatively, not fond of showing off her figure. It was just that she didn’t want anyone else apart from Gu Qingtong to see. However, when facing Gu Qingtong, she always managed to inadvertently provoke her, contrasting starkly with her usual cool and reserved demeanor. No wonder Gu Qingtong couldn’t resist at all.
Yan Chi stepped into the hot spring, wrapping her arms around Gu Qingtong’s trembling waist as she leaned against the edge of the pool, securing her in her embrace. At first, Gu Qingtong thought it was just a gentle touch, but unexpectedly, in the next moment, a hand mixed with hot spring water reached out.
“Ah! What are you doing…” Gu Qingtong exclaimed in surprise, attempting to dodge.
“Aren’t you feeling numb? I’m just massaging it a bit.” Yan Chi’s voice had no hint of anything unusual.
Although Gu Qingtong was a bit skeptical, she gradually relaxed under Yan Chi’s touch and stopped trying to dodge.
Suddenly, she remembered something. She hummed a bit and asked Yan Chi: “What about that condom you used earlier?”
“I threw it away.” Yan Chi recalled that item, a faint smile flashing in her eyes.
“Did you hide it properly?” Gu Qingtong’s voice showed urgency, hearing the nonchalant tone. She started floundering in the hot spring, only to accidentally hit a certain spot on Yan Chi, and her face turned red instantly, losing her composure.
Yan Chi restrained her restless movements, teasing Gu Qingtong’s delayed reaction: “Now you’re anxious? What are you afraid of? What’s wrong with adults using such things?”
“Wait a minute! If we used the hotel’s item, wouldn’t the production team see it on the bill?” Gu Qingtong froze in place, truly panicking and feeling more helpless than ever.
Yan Chi spoke slowly: “Who told you I used the hotel’s item?”
“You… you!” She suddenly understood the meaning behind Yan Chi’s words. Could it be that Yan Chi had brought it herself?! Had she been prepared from the beginning?
“What’s the matter? Are you implying I’ve been planning this for a long time?” Yan Chi leaned in closer to Gu Qingtong’s face, locking onto the look of surprise and embarrassment in her eyes. “So, does Tongtong know how difficult it was for me to endure?”
As she spoke, her fingertips, dripping with water, moved gently with a slight push.
Gu Qingtong knew that Yan Chi wouldn’t just let it go after that brief moment earlier.
“No! I’m still sore…” Regaining some strength at this moment, Gu Qingtong’s hand landed on Yan Chi’s shoulder, protesting.
Of course, Yan Chi was only teasing her; she had other things in mind.
So, she leaned in close to Gu Qingtong’s ear, whispering intimately: “Then, Tongtong, use a different spot.”
With that, she lifted Gu Qingtong’s entire body and placed her on the same step where she had been sitting earlier, while she remained in the hot spring.
Almost instantly, Gu Qingtong understood what she intended to do, and surprisingly, it was the same thing they had discussed in the changing room. And now, she finally mustered the courage to do it…
Late at night.
Gu Qingtong nestled in Yan Chi’s embrace, a slightly unusual color on her cheeks.
At this moment, she found herself trapped in a dream, an incredibly vivid one.
Surrounded by darkness, the bed underneath her was soft and comfortable. The faint scent in the air was familiar, reminiscent of what she had just experienced with Yan Chi.
This air instantly triggered Gu Qingtong’s memory. She recalled that she was just filming a variety show with Yan Chi a moment ago, wasn’t she? But at this moment, a blinding light suddenly illuminated the surroundings, causing Gu Qingtong to instinctively shield her eyes.
When she opened her eyes again, she saw someone she was particularly familiar with standing before her.
It was Yan Chi.
She was wearing pajamas, standing by the window with her back turned, seemingly on the phone. Gu Qingtong noticed marks on her neck, which instantly triggered a memory. Wasn’t this the scene from the morning after she got drunk and was taken home by Yan Chi? But this doesn’t seem quite like that day.
“Yes, I brought a woman home. She’s my younger brother’s fiancée.”
“Got caught on camera? Handling PR photos that don’t show your face should be easy for you.”
❖❖❖❖❖
“Yeah, she was drugged. Not only did she hug my neck and kiss me, but I couldn’t resist and slept with her.”
Gu Qingtong hadn’t had a chance to hear the rest when she suddenly heard an urgent call: “Tongtong! Wake up.”
This voice immediately pulled Gu Qingtong out of the dream. She opened her heavy eyes and saw Yan Chi looking at her, with a panicked expression she had never seen before.
“Yan… Yan Chi?”
She tried to speak, but her voice seemed to have gone hoarse and couldn’t produce words.
At this moment, Gu Qingtong, disregarding her own recurring cold symptoms, finally regained her senses. She suddenly realized that the dream she just had seemed to be related to the original novel’s storyline!
On the day she got drunk and saw the female lead’s back at the event, fragments of the previous plot had surged into her mind. There was a particular memory that had concerned her deeply back then: intimate photos of Yan Chi with other female stars were taken by paparazzi, and the next day, rumors about Yan Chi’s same-sex relationship spread rapidly on the internet.
Gu Qingtong had even secretly gone to see Yan Chi at the time and encountered Yun Mingxuan. At that moment, she had thought that the female star clinging to Yan Chi was Yun Mingxuan.
This dream at this moment was clearly the specific scene from the fragments of her memories earlier. Gu Qingtong had never expected it to be like this. What did it mean? How could it be so different from the first time she dreamed about the original novel’s plot?
Recalling this scene, which felt as real as a personal experience, and thinking about the marks that corresponded perfectly to her hangover from the day before, Gu Qingtong, though not entirely comprehending, was thoroughly stunned.
“You have a fever. We won’t be recording the show. I’ll take you to the hospital.”
Yan Chi’s hand touched Gu Qingtong’s burning forehead, her voice sounding like she was trying to force herself to stay calm. Gu Qingtong hadn’t anticipated that she was running a fever again. Once again taken aback, could it really be that, just like she suspected, whenever she engaged in that kind of activity with Yan Chi…she would run a fever?
Perhaps seeing Gu Qingtong’s bewildered expression, Yan Chi assumed she was feeling uncomfortable. Without waiting any longer, she directly helped Gu Qingtong get dressed.
“I, I don’t want to go to the hospital…”
Gu Qingtong grabbed onto Yan Chi’s arm, not wanting to go, her reflexive response despite not having fully processed the dream from earlier.
“This time is different from last time. We’re on the mountain, and the infirmary at Mist Mountain doesn’t operate at night. We have to go to the hospital at the foot of the mountain.”
Yan Chi quickly put on her coat, instructed Gu Qingtong to wait there, and said she would come back with the car.
Watching Yan Chi’s departing figure, Gu Qingtong felt like she had returned to the moment in her dream, only able to look at Yan Chi from a distance.
❖❖❖❖❖
Her head felt heavy, her thoughts were tangled, but she had a strong intuition that if she didn’t understand the dream she had just experienced, it would continue to affect her. So, gritting her teeth, Gu Qingtong began to recall various things from before.
Until this moment, she started to have some doubts about the world she was in. Gu Qingtong had always been open-minded. Even when she realized she was a character from an original novel, she simply lived her life as usual, eating and drinking as she pleased. The prophetic dream seemed to be the key to understanding the true nature of the scum male and successfully escaping from him.
In the subsequent fragmented memories that appeared, Gu Qingtong gradually recognized certain patterns. Whenever she faced scenes or events involving characters that matched those fragments, they would manifest as dreams or forcibly inserted memories.
It was obvious that Gu Qingtong had dreamed about Yan Chi precisely because in reality, she and Yan Chi had finally experienced their first intimate encounter. Corresponding to that dream…
Suddenly, Gu Qingtong had a daring thought. Perhaps the outline of the original plot that she dreamed about after her first car accident wasn’t the true original story at all. Or maybe it had been altered by someone.
The specific scenarios she dreamed about later were true events that had occurred.
This idea prompted Gu Qingtong to instantly begin retracing the three specific memory dreams.
The first one occurred at the social gathering, matching the environment and characters. That’s when she had the sudden flash of insight about the plot, even though she hadn’t been asleep. In that scenario, she acted as the male lead’s fiancée, and she played tricks on the female lead during the event. As a result, the male lead heroically saved the female lead, followed by a sequence involving Yan Chi that she didn’t quite understand at the time…
Now it was clear that the segment involving Yan Chi was also related to herself!
The second memory was from the night before Yan Song’s engagement banquet. She dreamt of the derogatory and malicious comments that the characters in the original novel made about Yan Chi. She remembered that in the original story, she got engaged to Yan Song, but Yan Chi appeared before her and said: “You shouldn’t be with him.”
The third memory was from tonight, and it was the clearest one of all. These three memories seemed to follow a chronological timeline and could potentially be linked to form a complete plot development.
In the original novel, Gu Qingtong was engaged to the male lead, Yan Song. However, on the evening of the social gathering, she was drugged and encountered Yan Song’s sister, Yan Chi. Yan Chi took her home, and the two ended up sleeping together. Their intimate photos were taken by paparazzi, sparking rumors of a same-sex relationship involving Yan Chi.
Not long after that, on the day of Gu Qingtong’s formal engagement banquet with Yan Song, no one expected Yan Chi to appear at the event. It was clear that she came for Gu Qingtong. Her statement unmistakably showed her intention to steal the fiancée.
Because of their relationship…?
As Gu Qingtong recollected those plot lines, it felt as if she had personally experienced them. The memories were remarkably clear, and she could even sense the emotions hidden within them.
She realized that she was gradually approaching the truth.
Unfortunately, at this moment, Gu Qingtong only had these three segments of memory, and the information she gained was quite limited. The only thing she could confirm was that Yan Chi, a character with vague significance in the original plot outline, played a crucial role in the actual storyline. In fact, any plotline involving Yan Chi had been altered.
Just then, the sound of a car outside interrupted Gu Qingtong’s thoughts. Yan Chi hurried in, lifting Gu Qingtong who was sitting on the bed.
At this point, Gu Qingtong had no strength left, leaning weakly against Yan Chi’s shoulder, her gaze fixed on Yan Chi’s profile. Yan Chi carried her to the car, comforting her: “Tongtong, listen, you don’t necessarily have to get injections at the hospital.”
