"What do you mean?" Lin Ruijiao asked, turning toward her with genuine confusion.
"Shen Xingxing is considered one of the rising starlets, and she apparently has some... connection with one of our producers," Liu Qingqing explained delicately, choosing her words with care.
"I see." Lin Ruijiao gave her friend's arm a reassuring pat. "Don't worry about it. We're just here observing—we haven't bothered anyone, so there's no reason to get worked up over baseless provocations."
"But... she's passed by us five times, three times making roundabout insults at you, once rolled her eyes at you, and another time 'accidentally' spilled water on you." Liu Qingqing said worriedly, counting on her fingers very seriously.
"Has it really been that many times?" Lin Ruijiao blinked in surprise. She'd been so focused on absorbing everything around her that the petty harassment had barely registered. In her previous life, she'd never even heard of this Shen Xingxing person, and from what she could recall of "Phoenix," the woman didn't appear in the final cut at all. Someone had clearly arranged her removal from the production. People like that tended to self-destruct—better to let them implode on their own than waste energy engaging.
What she hadn't anticipated was that Ye Ruihuan would be the one to personally handle the situation.
That evening, Ye Ruihuan unexpectedly returned to set and summoned Lin Ruijiao to her suite. Following Assistant Li through the hotel's corridors to the penthouse level, Lin Ruijiao couldn't help but note the woman's consistently expensive taste—always the presidential suite, always the best of everything.
Once they reached the opulent space, Assistant Li vanished discretely, leaving them alone in the sprawling room with its floor-to-ceiling windows and city lights twinkling below.
"Come sit, Jiaojiao." Ye Ruihuan glanced up from her tablet, gesturing toward the plush seating area.
The nickname sent an uncomfortable shiver down Lin Ruijiao's spine. When had they become intimate enough for pet names? The presumption felt both invasive and oddly possessive.
"How have things been on set recently?" she asked casually, looking quite unconcerned, not even shifting her gaze toward her.
"Pretty good, learned a lot." Lin Ruijiao answered with a smile, the smile in her eyes hollow and empty, her lips only curving up in a trademark manner.
"Mm, figured it would be good." Her hands didn't stop moving. "That Shen Xingxing has already left, so now it'll only get better." She said lightly, as if discussing some insignificant matter. "Are people from our Huarui Entertainment the type who can be bullied at will?" Her rising tone had no warmth but was very decisive, carrying an undeniable sense of power.
"Mm, thank you, Ruihuan." Lin Ruijiao thanked her with a bright smile.
"..." Only then did Ye Ruihuan shift her gaze from the tablet to stare directly at Lin Ruijiao.
Lin Ruijiao felt her scalp tingle under the stare, and even her facial expression became much stiffer.
After what felt like an eternity, Ye Ruihuan's expression softened. "Don't mention it," she said simply, offering a smile that transformed her entire face—radiant, almost tender, completely at odds with her usual commanding presence.
Gone was the imperious CEO who ruled boardrooms with icy precision. In her place sat someone almost... vulnerable? The expensive clothing and perfect posture remained, creating a barrier that warned against casual approach, but underneath lay something Lin Ruijiao had never glimpsed before. Unfortunately, it did nothing to change her fundamental opinion—Ye Ruihuan remained the complicated, overwhelming superior who seemed determined to insert herself into every aspect of Lin Ruijiao's professional life.
Returning to her work, Ye Ruihuan became absorbed in whatever business demanded her attention, leaving Lin Ruijiao to sit in increasingly awkward silence. Minutes stretched into what felt like hours, punctuated only by the soft tapping of fingers on glass and the distant hum of city traffic far below.
Lin Ruijiao found herself studying the ceiling, counting light fixtures, examining the intricate molding—anything to occupy her mind while serving as what felt like an ornamental presence. How long was this going to continue? She felt ridiculous sitting here like some kind of decorative object.
Eventually, Ye Ruihuan released a soft sigh and glanced up, taking in Lin Ruijiao's glazed expression with what might have been amusement. Fatigue shadowed her features as she set the tablet aside and, without warning, leaned sideways to rest her head against Lin Ruijiao's shoulder.
"Sit up straighter," she murmured, the command softened by exhaustion. "You're too short like this."
Lin Ruijiao straightened reflexively, though every instinct screamed at her to create distance. The position felt far too intimate, too presumptuous, but rejecting the gesture seemed equally impossible under the circumstances. She was here as Ye Ruihuan's guest—employee, really—and maintaining professional courtesy meant accepting whatever strange dynamic this had become.
Consider it payment for her protection, Lin Ruijiao told herself, trying to rationalize the uncomfortable closeness. She handled the Shen Xingxing problem. This is just... business reciprocity.
She didn't know if it was her imagination, but she always felt that recently Ye Ruihuan wasn't as bad-tempered as before. Her whole person seemed to have become softer, a softness she had never seen before.
Well, she was after all Senior Dong Yulan's substitute. Of course Ye Ruihuan would be softer in front of someone she liked. Her current role was just a substitute for her beloved. Perhaps in front of her, Ye Ruihuan would be like this, with her arrogance dissipating, leaving only tenderness and coolness.
During the boring interval, Lin Ruijiao's thoughts changed and changed. But no matter what, this life Ye Ruihuan's changes were too great, at least in front of her she was so different. The thought should have been liberating—it explained everything and reduced her own significance to manageable proportions. Instead, it left her feeling strangely hollow.
"Finally finished." Ye Ruihuan stretched as she straightened, rolling tension from her shoulders. "Can I offer you something to drink?"
The abrupt shift in mood caught Lin Ruijiao off guard. "I... anything is fine, really."
"Whiskey?" Without waiting for a proper response, Ye Ruihuan moved to an elegant bar cart, retrieving a bottle of premium liquor and two crystal glasses. Her movements were efficient, practiced—clearly this wasn't her first time playing hostess in this particular suite.
"Cheers." Ye Ruihuan settled beside her again, closer than strictly necessary, and lifted her glass with what appeared to be genuine celebration. "To completed projects and new beginnings."
"Cheers," Lin Ruijiao echoed softly, taking only the smallest sip. The whiskey burned pleasantly, warming her from the inside.
Ye Ruihuan, however, drained her glass in one smooth motion, her entire posture radiating satisfaction. Even her hair seemed to catch the light differently, as if success had made everything about her more vibrant.
Lin Ruijiao could only watch in bewildered fascination, uncertain what exactly they were celebrating.
"Do you truly love acting as much as you claim?" The question emerged unexpectedly, Ye Ruihuan's lips barely moving as if she'd intended to ask something else entirely but lost her nerve at the last moment.
"Mm-hmm." Lin Ruijiao nodded in response, her watery eyes looking at the other. Though her heart was full of confusion.
Lin Ruijiao's bare face was pure and lively, her misty eyes were like warm springs, refreshing to the heart. Those full pink lips were stained with some clear alcohol, wet and glistening, looking incredibly tender.
Meeting her gaze, Ye Ruihuan couldn't help but swallow, then got up and poured herself another glass of wine, leaning against the sofa edge.
Lin Ruijiao looked at her with confusion. The other's actions tonight were really too strange. She had only drunk one glass - she couldn't be drunk already, could she?
then abruptly rose to refill her glass, positioning herself against the sofa's arm as if she needed the distance.
"When you told me I was your idol," Ye Ruihuan continued, her back partially turned, shoulders creating elegant lines beneath her silk blouse, "did you mean it?"
"Yes." The answer came without hesitation, though Lin Ruijiao wasn't entirely certain why the question mattered so much.
Turning back, Ye Ruihuan smiled—not the polished, professional expression she wore in meetings, but something genuine and slightly unfocused. The alcohol had begun to work its magic, softening her features and adding a dreamlike quality to her dark eyes. Under the room's warm lighting, she seemed to glow from within.
She rose gracefully, moving to stand directly before Lin Ruijiao, bathed in golden light that created an almost otherworldly aura around her silhouette. The smile playing at her lips held secrets, promises, dangerous possibilities.
Lin Ruijiao found herself staring, transfixed despite her better judgment. Something about the scene felt surreal, as if she'd stumbled into someone else's dream. "Are you feeling alright?"
"Would you like another?" Ye Ruihuan gestured with her glass, a becoming flush spreading across her cheekbones.
"I think I should stop here," Lin Ruijiao admitted, already feeling the alcohol's effects creeping through her system. Her own cheeks felt warm, and clear thinking was becoming increasingly difficult.
Instead of heeding the same wisdom, Ye Ruihuan poured herself another generous portion and settled back onto the sofa, this time close enough that their thighs almost touched. She said nothing, but her presence filled the space between them with electric tension.
Lin Ruijiao looked at the other's slightly parted red lips, dreamy eyes, and that elusive smile, and couldn't help but sound an alarm in her heart. The air was filled with rich wine fragrance that made her feel dizzy just from smelling it. She pinched her thigh to force herself to calm down.
But the person beside her rested her head on her shoulder again. Lin Ruijiao had no choice but to serve as her human pillow. A fragrant scent mixed with rich wine aroma entered her nostrils, seeming to envelop all thoughts in her head with this pleasant smell. Slowly, her clear thoughts became blurred.
After an unknown amount of time, her thoughts gradually dispersed. Lin Ruijiao only felt her eyelids getting heavier and heavier, almost sticking together unable to open, her head becoming increasingly heavy. Drowsy sleepiness attacked, and in her haze, Lin Ruijiao silently warned herself in her heart that she couldn't drink alcohol again next time. Finally, she compromised and closed her eyes, immersing herself in dreams.
As night fell and it was already twelve o'clock, Sister Lin had left more than two hours ago, but she still hadn't returned. Jing Jing couldn't help but start worrying. Half an hour ago, the message she sent still had no reply. Helplessly, she sent a message to Assistant Li. The reply was that Lin Ruijiao had fallen asleep there and she didn't need to worry.
Back in the penthouse suite, silence had settled over the room like a blanket. Only the sound of synchronized breathing marked the passage of time. When Ye Ruihuan finally stirred and looked down at her sleeping companion, her expression transformed completely—softness replacing the sharp edges, genuine affection melting away the professional mask she wore so consistently.
"Such a lightweight," she murmured with fond exasperation, carefully extracting the empty glass from Lin Ruijiao's relaxed fingers.
She adjusted Lin Ruijiao's position on the sofa, ensuring her comfort, but found herself lingering as their faces drew closer together. In sleep, Lin Ruijiao looked impossibly young and innocent, her features relaxed into an expression of such sweet vulnerability. Looking at such a well-behaved and cute Lin Ruijiao, Ye Ruihuan couldn't help but swallow, her mind flooding with spring scenes of the other in dreams. She couldn't resist this charm and sank into it.
Her gaze slid downward, passing the delicate small nose to the moist peach lips. Ye Ruihuan leaned forward and brushed the lightest possible kiss against those tempting lips—barely more than a whisper of contact, but enough to send electricity racing through her entire body.
She slowly lifted her head. The beauty before her looked completely at her mercy, well-behaved and cute. The soft touch on her lips still lingered at her heart. She couldn't help but lean down and kiss again. So sweet.
"Just like I imagined," she thought with dangerous satisfaction.
When Lin Ruijiao stirred awake the following morning, her internal clock functioning despite the previous night's indulgences, the first thing she registered was the warm presence beside her. Ye Ruihuan lay facing her, features peaceful in sleep, her usually perfect hair tousled in a way that made her seem almost approachable.
Panic fluttered in Lin Ruijiao's chest as she tried to piece together the evening's events. A quick, surreptitious check of her clothing brought relief—everything remained exactly as it should be, robe still properly tied, no evidence of anything inappropriate.
"Never again," she swore silently. "No more alcohol, no more late-night conversations, no more playing along with whatever game this is."
She began to ease herself from the bed with careful, practiced silence, but her efforts proved futile.
"Going somewhere?" Ye Ruihuan's voice held a husky quality from sleep, and when she turned her head, her hair created an adorable halo of disarray that made her look far too appealing for Lin Ruijiao's peace of mind.
"I should head back to my room," Lin Ruijiao replied, summoning her most professional smile.
"Not quite yet." Ye Ruihuan's lips curved in a smile that managed to be both innocent and predatory. "We have some unfinished business to discuss first."
"What kind of business?" Lin Ruijiao's eyes widened with genuine alarm, her mind racing through possibilities, none of them reassuring. As far as her memory served, she'd done nothing more scandalous than fall asleep on someone else's couch—embarrassing, certainly, but hardly grounds for whatever that smile was promising.