"...Nothing..." Ye Ruihuan snapped back to reality. What on earth was she thinking at a time like this? Her thoughts were all over the place.
Speaking of which, had Lin Ruijiao become more beautiful lately? Ye Ruihuan inexplicably found her somewhat captivating. She unconsciously stole several more glances—indeed, she had lost weight, looked better, and carried herself with more grace. Her brow furrowed slightly. Around Lin Ruijiao, she always felt a vague sense of losing control, a feeling that was deeply unsettling. It controlled her emotions, her decisions, and her thoughts.
Lin Ruijiao's smile remained unchanged, though her eyes held a hint of speechlessness. Ye Ruihuan's gaze felt like needles piercing her skin, making her restless and uncomfortable. She wondered how long the other woman had been staring at her like this—so strange, as if searching for traces of Dong Yulan on her body, or trying to see right through her. It was thoroughly unpleasant.
"It's nothing. Just wait quietly for news from the production team these next few days," Ye Ruihuan finally said, her tone soothing.
"Mm-hmm, thank you, Ruihuan." Lin Ruijiao nodded with a brilliant smile.
Soon they arrived at Yuwan Villa, where Lin Ruijiao got out alone. She really needed to speed up the assistant situation. If she continued spending time with Ye Ruihuan like this, she might not be able to restrain herself.
Within just a few days, Secretary Ye Zhi sent a message asking her to choose from several candidates, each accompanied by a self-introduction video. After careful consideration, Lin Ruijiao selected a junior from her university who looked sharp and capable. The girl had stated plainly that her goal was to become a top-tier agent—simple, direct, and ambitious. Lin Ruijiao liked this type of person who shared her drive; they should get along well.
"Hello, I'm Jing Jing." A young woman stood at the door with her suitcase, greeting politely.
Lin Ruijiao, who had come downstairs upon receiving the message, immediately approached her. "Jing Jing, hello! I'm Lin Ruijiao. Please take care of me from now on!"
"Please guide me well, Sister Lin." Jing Jing adjusted her glasses and smiled back.
"Aunt Liu, please help Jing Jing get familiar with the place."
Lin Ruijiao then returned to her room to do aerobic exercises according to her planned schedule. When she emerged, her assistant Jing Jing was waiting in the living room, tablet in hand, ready for action.
"Sister Lin, aside from the schedule Sister Wang gave us, do we have anything else coming up?" she asked earnestly.
"...No..." Looking at the completely empty schedule, Lin Ruijiao felt somewhat guilty toward such a diligent assistant.
"Oh, okay."
"I'm basically a nobody right now with no work. Rest well these next few days—we might be going to a film set together soon."
"Understood."
"By the way, Ye Ruihuan sometimes comes here."
"President Ye? I've heard of her. I'll prepare accordingly."
"It's fine, don't be so nervous. Just treat her normally."
"Got it."
Speak of the devil—as soon as darkness fell, Ye Ruihuan arrived.
Upon entering and not seeing Lin Ruijiao, she encountered an unfamiliar person instead. Ye Ruihuan immediately looked toward Assistant Li.
"President Ye, hello. I'm Jing Jing, Sister Lin's assistant." Jing Jing quickly stood and greeted her.
"Mm. Where's Lin Ruijiao?"
"Sister Lin is upstairs."
"Fine." With that, Ye Ruihuan headed straight upstairs.
In all this time, she had never gone upstairs to look around, never seen the little rabbit's room. Assistant Li and Jing Jing remained below, exchanging bewildered glances. Standing at the door, Ye Ruihuan began to regret her decision.
What did her room look like anyway? She wasn't interested at all. But having come this far, she could hardly turn back now. After a moment's hesitation, Ye Ruihuan knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" Lin Ruijiao, who was showering, hadn't expected anyone to look for her at this hour. It had to be either Jing Jing or Aunt Liu. She heard someone say something outside but couldn't make it out clearly.
"Come in," Lin Ruijiao called out without much thought, finishing her wash and changing into pajamas before emerging.
Ye Ruihuan, who had been surveying the room, found herself face-to-face with Lin Ruijiao, who was drying her hair. Both froze in place.
After a long moment, Lin Ruijiao finally reacted. "Ruihuan," she called softly.
Ye Ruihuan's thoughts scattered to unknown places, her eyes fixed on Lin Ruijiao without moving away for several moments. The dream imagery overlapped with reality, creating double vision.
Lin Ruijiao's fair face was flushed with pink, her peach lips and white teeth complementing crescent-shaped eyes that held spring water, rippling with gentle waves. She wore a thin camisole nightdress that revealed her porcelain skin.
Water droplets from her hair traced down along her skin's contours, passing her slender neck and delicate collarbones before disappearing into the translucent fabric at her chest. Ye Ruihuan couldn't help but lick her lips, her throat bobbing.
Seeing the other woman's dazed expression, Lin Ruijiao widened her round eyes in confusion. "Ruihuan?"
"Mm, you go ahead with what you were doing." Ye Ruihuan snapped back to awareness, glanced around the room, and finally sat down on the small sofa. Her averted face was tinged with pink, her ears burning red.
Lin Ruijiao's smile gradually crumbled, her lips pressed into a tight line, her eyes holding indecipherable emotions. What was Ye Ruihuan trying to do by coming here at this hour?
After a moment of contemplation, she returned to the bathroom without a backward glance, slowly blow-drying her hair and doing an elaborate skincare routine. She hoped that by the time she emerged, Ye Ruihuan would have left.
When she came out wrapped tightly in a bathrobe, Ye Ruihuan was still there. She lowered her gaze, collected her emotions, and softened her expression, her lips curving into that familiar false smile.
"Ruihuan." She walked directly over and sat beside her. "Why did you come upstairs?" she asked with a bright smile.
"They said you were upstairs." Ye Ruihuan's delicate face was flushed red, as if she were drunk.
Lin Ruijiao couldn't help but sniff lightly—no alcohol scent. She wondered if it was her imagination, but Ye Ruihuan's tone seemed much softer, lacking its usual firmness and authority. She maintained her smiling expression, but the other woman showed no reaction.
Ye Ruihuan couldn't resist stealing a few more glances, but the other's beautiful form was now wrapped up tightly. Disappointment flickered in her lowered gaze.
"The script for 'Phoenix' arrived. I was passing by and thought I'd bring it to you," Ye Ruihuan finally got to the point.
"I got the part? Thank you, Ruihuan!" Lin Ruijiao's smile became even more radiant, her face like a peach blossom, paired with her crescent-shaped sparkling eyes—absolutely stunning.
Ye Ruihuan swallowed hard. "Mm, I'm leaving." She unconsciously licked her lips again. This place inexplicably made her feel parched and restless.
"Mm." Lin Ruijiao obediently followed behind her.
Ye Ruihuan's steps were too hurried—she practically fled through the front door, with Assistant Li rushing to follow.
"Sister Lin, here's the script. Congratulations on passing the audition." Jing Jing handed over the script.
"Mm. From now on, let me know when Ye Ruihuan comes," Lin Ruijiao said coldly, her smile fading.
The assistant startled and immediately agreed. "Understood."
Soon it was time for the production to begin filming. Numerous actors gathered—veteran performers and newcomers alike—and surprisingly, Ye Ruihuan was there too.
Lin Ruijiao couldn't fathom her reasoning. Based on her previous life's understanding of Ye Ruihuan, she typically wouldn't attend such events, especially when she had no scenes to film yet.
She had hoped to avoid seeing Ye Ruihuan at Yuwan Villa, but here she was encountering her on set instead. This was really... How had she changed so much? No matter what, a person's fundamental nature shouldn't change, right? Perhaps it was because "Phoenix" was such a big production that her presence was necessary. Lin Ruijiao tried to dismiss her doubts and unease with these explanations.
The set was chaotic with personnel, and Ye Ruihuan stood with the director—somewhere Lin Ruijiao knew she had no right to be. She had long since taken her small stool to hide in a corner.
"Ruijiao?" Liu Qingqing's round face appeared as she called out and ran over with a cheerful smile, looking absolutely delighted.
"Qingqing." She waved back.
"I knew you'd be here too! Perfect—we can look out for each other."
"Mm-hmm. You came early too?" Lin Ruijiao smiled back.
"Yes, I'm here to learn! It's such a rare opportunity to land such a major role." Liu Qingqing beamed.
"Same here."
On the first day of filming, some aspects inevitably went awry, with crew members rushing about frantically. But the director sat unmoved in the studio, controlling everything.
Beside him, Ye Ruihuan's gaze wandered around the set before locking onto a small corner, her eyes radiating cold intensity.
How was it that this little rabbit was always chatting and laughing with others wherever she went, but acted like a mute around her, full of pretense?
Lin Ruijiao's gaze wandered aimlessly before suddenly meeting Ye Ruihuan's eyes. She couldn't help but startle.