CHAPTER 50

"Sister, someone is bullying me."

The lingering tone of coquettishness in her voice on the phone was intentionally drawn out by someone with ulterior motives. It fell into Qin Yinong's ears, causing a silent and tranquil surge of electricity, an unusual itch that spread from her earlobe all the way to her fingertips, making her heart race.

Qin Yinong narrowly managed to catch the glass that almost fell off the edge of the table.

She braced herself against the table to steady her emotions.

"Who..." Qin Yinong's mouth felt dry, her voice unintentionally hoarse as she closed her eyes. "Who bullied you?"

On the other end, Tang Ruoyao took a deep breath and adjusted her emotions.

It wasn't as if she had never acted coquettish with Qin Yinong before. In the past three years, there were intimate moments when she would become incredibly soft and melt into Qin Yinong's embrace. But most of the time, she was composed, proud, and aloof. Even when she tried to please Qin Yinong, there was still a part of her that remained composed. Judging from Qin Yinong's reactions, she seemed to like her that way.

Today was an exception.

She shed all her defenses, revealing her vulnerable side, like a cat eagerly waiting for its owner's touch, hoping for Qin Yinong's response.

Fu Yujun told her to ask for help, and the first person she thought of was Qin Yinong. When Qin Yinong came to visit—actually, it was to discuss a film collaboration—Tang Ruoyao took it as her way of visiting her. She had asked about the situation with You Mingxuan and others before, and her answer at the time was that if she needed help, she could turn to Qin Yinong.

But Tang Ruoyao didn't want to rely too much on Qin Yinong. With the path Qin Yinong had paved for her, she was already doing well for the time being. Anything more would give her a sense of burden that she couldn't bear. However, she couldn't restrain herself from yearning for Qin Yinong in the quiet nights.

Fu Yujun gave her a legitimate reason to contact Qin Yinong.

In case Qin Yinong already knew about this matter and was just waiting for her to ask for help. Even without that possibility, it would be natural for her to seek help, aligning with the image she had established of herself in front of Qin Yinong—learning to be independent and learning to fight back as a newcomer.

Qin Yinong, who enjoyed playing nurturing games, should be pleased to see this.

As Tang Ruoyao listened to the slightly deep breaths of Qin Yinong on the other end of the phone, her lips curled upwards. Why did it feel like Qin Yinong's reaction was even more nuanced than she had imagined?

If only she could stand in front of Qin Yinong right now and see her with her own eyes. A hint of sadness flickered in Tang Ruoyao's eyes.

After a moment of contemplation, she spoke softly, "Do you remember You Mingxuan, the person I encountered on the set before?"

"I remember." When it came to serious matters, Qin Yinong's scattered rationality, which was on the verge of collapse due to Tang Ruoyao's enchantment, managed to regain its composure. She cleared her throat and asked knowingly, "What happened to him?"

Tang Ruoyao's lips curled upwards once again.

She clearly didn't tell Qin Yinong the names of those people last time, so how did Qin Yinong know that the person was named You Mingxuan? Did she secretly find out about it? Why did she bother to find out?

People in unrequited love tend to associate every action of their crush with themselves, unable to resist the temptation to think, 'Did she do all these things because of me?

But for now, she was destined to satisfy herself only in her imagination, unable to get answers from Qin Yinong.

It was both fortunate and cruel.

Tang Ruoyao's pause made Qin Yinong let out a questioning hum.

Tang Ruoyao gathered her emotions and succinctly summarized a few key points, saying, "You Mingxuan initially wanted to create a CP (couple pairing) with me, but my manager rejected it, and then..."

As Qin Yinong listened, her fingers lightly tapped on the surface of the bar counter, neither fast nor slow.

The warm orange light illuminated the bar counter, and a gentle and bright smile bloomed in Qin Yinong's dark eyes.

Why didn't she notice before that Tang Ruoyao's voice was so pleasant to listen to? Just listening to her, Qin Yinong felt intoxicated, and the drink in the glass instantly became tasteless.

She wanted to hear her speak a little more. Qin Yinong thought, 'Maybe I'm drunk'

Supporting her forehead with one hand, Qin Yinong lazily lowered her eyelids, deliberately finding an opportunity to interrupt her softly, "What's your manager's name again, Mu something?"

"Mu Qingwu," Tang Ruoyao answered."The Qingwu from 'The cicada loves the green grass, the phoenix perches on the Qingwu'?" Qin Yinong's tone was casual.

"Sister," Tang Ruoyao felt a bit embarrassed and awkwardly said, "I haven't memorized that poem."

"I haven't memorized it either. I just looked it up randomly." Qin Yinong hummed and pretended to be looking at something. After a two-second pause, she said, "It's Li Bai's 'On the Mulberry Fields'."

"Mhm." Tang Ruoyao felt something was off but couldn't quite put her finger on it. "Where was I just now?"

"I don't remember either." Qin Yinong deliberately said.

Tang Ruoyao choked for a moment and said, "Let me think."

Qin Yinong clenched her fist, pressing it against her lips to suppress her laughter, her eyes curved.

Tang Ruoyao suppressed the strange feeling rising in her heart and picked up where she had been interrupted, narrating her story.

With Qin Yinong intentionally interrupting frequently, the phone call that would have originally taken five minutes dragged on for half an hour.

Guan Han looked at the closed door with a hint of surprise in her eyebrows. She bent down and pounded her legs, which had gone numb from standing, and did some stretching exercises in the corridor outside the door.

She couldn't leave because Qin Yinong could call her at any moment.

Guan Han raised her hand and glanced at her wristwatch, furrowing her brows lightly. It had been thirty-five minutes already, why hadn't it ended yet?

She paced in place for a while, her eyes widening slightly.

Had Qin Yinong fainted inside?

Guan Han took a step forward, her face showing concern, her knuckles bent as she gently knocked on the door.

"Qin Jie?"

.....

"I've already asked An Ling to take care of it for you." 

Qin Yinong curved her eyebrows and spoke tenderly to Tang Ruoyao, "I'm glad you thought of coming to me for help."

Tang Ruoyao said something softly on the other end of the phone, but it was abruptly drowned out by a sudden knocking sound. Qin Yinong couldn't hear clearly.

"What did you say?" Annoyed, she stood up and walked towards the door, asking as she went.

"Nothing, I just called out to you."

With a swish, Qin Yinong opened the door. As soon as Guan Han saw her expressionless face and the hand still holding the phone, she immediately took a step back, trying to close the door again.

Qin Yinong glanced at her with a neutral expression, stepping aside to create a path for her to enter, gesturing for her to come in.

"It's getting late, go to sleep. Goodnight." Qin Yinong said.

"...Goodnight, sister," Tang Ruoyao suppressed her strong reluctance.

Just before the call ended, Tang Ruoyao heard Guan Han's voice. The good mood that had been built up during her long conversation with Qin Yinong was suddenly overshadowed. Guan Han was like a thorn stuck in her heart, always present until Tang Ruoyao could figure out whether the relationship between Guan Han and Qin Yinong was simply that of a boss and assistant.

.....

Qin Yinong returned the still-warm phone to Guan Han. Guan Han glanced at the battery percentage in the top right corner, which showed only ten percent remaining. Her eyebrows subtly raised, and she calmly put it back in her pocket.

"Is there anything I need to take care of?" Guan Han asked.

It was already late at night, and if there was nothing urgent, she would go home. After all, there was work to be done tomorrow.

Qin Yinong shook her head, routinely trying to keep her there. "How about you stay here? There are clean guest rooms downstairs."

"No need, I know my way around the bed." Guan Han declined without surprise.

"Such a hassle." Qin Yinong muttered, turning back to the bedside table. She took something out of the drawer and concealed it in her palm. She walked over and placed it in Guan Han's hand. It felt cold to the touch. Guan Han looked down and saw a set of car keys.

"This...?"

"It's a commuter vehicle I bought on a whim before. It ended up sitting at home collecting dust. It's not safe for you to take a taxi so late at night. Take mine for now." Guan Han had an indescribable expression on her face, and Qin Yinong raised an eyebrow. "What's with that expression?"

Guan Han pursed her lips, a barely noticeable smile flickering in her eyes. "I thought it was a gift for me."

"Dream on," Qin Yinong glanced at her sideways. "Did you just realize your boss is stingy?"

Guan Han sighed dramatically, putting away the keys. "If only I had known." She couldn't help but admit that she was the stingy one, not at all like a big star.

Qin Yinong laughed.

"Goodnight." she accompanied Guan Han to the garage, watching her start the engine and drive away.

"See you tomorrow." Guan Han waved at her through the lowered car window and left without looking back.

Qin Yinong watched as the car disappeared into the deep night. She walked back to the house, turned off the lights in the living room on the first floor, and went upstairs. She took another shower, picked up the tablet from the side, and quietly pondered for a while. She opened the official websites of luxury cars like Maserati and Lamborghini, attentively selecting.

If she remembered correctly, Tang Ruoyao still didn't have her own car.

......

The next morning, Tang Ruoyao had her usual day off. She sat on the edge of the bed after taking a shower, using a large towel to dry her hair. She let her thoughts wander, reminiscing about the content of her half-hour phone conversation with Qin Yinong, and found herself smiling unconsciously. She momentarily regretted not recording it in advance. She didn't expect Qin Yinong to be in such a good mood last night and talk so much with her.

Qin Yinong's gentle and patient tone of voice made Tang Ruoyao feel completely immersed. She almost had the illusion that she wasn't just Qin Yinong's lover but her beloved.

Tang Ruoyao, lost in her thoughts, covered her entire face with the towel and shook her shoulders as she tumbled into bed.

@My Daily Life with Miss Q:

[Last night, 10:01 PM, I had a phone call with Miss Q. She complimented me for being cute and said that she would reserve the day when I finish filming to spend time with me. Hahaha.]

She couldn't resist and sent several messages in a row.

[I think she's also adorable, but I don't dare to tell her.]

[I want to ** with her, wildly **. Right now, I especially want to hear her voice calling my name in a hoarse tone.]

"Qin Yinong, Qin Yinong, Qin Yinong..."

She pronounced each word clearly, as if wanting to deepen the name that had already been engraved in her heart, filling the input field with Qin Yinong's name. Tang Ruoyao slowed down at the end, typing with solemnity: [I like you.]

Then she deleted the entire drafted Weibo post, word by word.

She scrolled back to her profile page and deleted the embarrassing post there as well. She leaned back on the bed, looking up at the ceiling, and let out a heavy sigh.

She lowered the air conditioning temperature by two degrees, ran her fingers through her semi-damp hair, feeling parched and thirsty. She got up and poured herself a large glass of water, standing in front of the cool breeze from the air conditioning. The refreshing cold air blew against her cheeks and neck, partially extinguishing the raging fire that had been burning from her heart to her limbs.

Her phone, which was placed upside down on the counter, buzzed.

After drinking her third glass of water, Tang Ruoyao walked over and unlocked the screen.

It was a group chat from the 405 dormitory.

Wen Shuxian: [Big sis, want to play PUBG? @YaoAhYao]

Tang Ruoyao: [...Aren't you supposed to be filming?]

Wen Shuxian: [I'm done for the day, getting ready to sleep. Let's play a round before bed.]

Tang Ruoyao wasn't really in the mood to play, but her mind was currently occupied with frivolous thoughts. She needed something to distract herself, so she responded, "Alright, anyone else joining?"

Wen Shuxian: "Hehehe, our beloved Lao Fu is also here. Let's make a bet. Come on, @Fu Yujun."

Fu Yujun: "Ah ah ah ah ah! [Frustrated emoji]"

Tang Ruoyao: [???]

Wen Shuxian: "Here's the thing, Fu Yujun didn't want to play with me, but I kept pestering her. She said she would agree if you agree. Now that you've agreed, hahaha.]

Fu Yujun: [Face full of happiness.jpg] I have a magazine shoot tomorrow, so let's play just one round, okay?]

Wen Shuxian: [Alright, let's all go online. The three of us will team up. Cui Jiaran had a successful performance today, and the theater is having a celebration banquet, so she can't join us.]

Wen Shuxian created a game room, invited Fu Yujun and Tang Ruoyao, and said directly in the voice chat, "I've started."

"Hold on a moment." Tang Ruoyao casually opened her friend list and noticed a familiar ID: Guan Maofa. It showed that she was available.

Almost impulsively, she sent her an invitation.

Guan Han, looking at Qin Yinong's schedule on his tablet, with his phone placed beside it, suddenly saw an invitation pop up.

[Y Queen Y] invites you to join her team. Accept or decline?

It was already quite late, yet Tang Ruoyao was still playing games? Thinking about Tang Ruoyao's skill in carrying the entire team, Guan Han hesitated for a moment before accepting the invitation.

Wen Shuxian agreed to join the team and casually asked, "Who is this?"

Fu Yujun stared at the ID "Guan Maofa" and showed a pensive expression. She tried to recall her memories of people with the surname Guan but couldn't find any. Based on Wen Shuxian's reaction, she realized that she didn't know this person, which meant it was Tang Ruoyao who had sent the invitation.

With the surname Guan, connected to Tang Ruoyao, could it be...

Fu Yujun took a sharp breath and hurriedly opened her WeChat interface, searching for a name in her contacts—Guan Han, Qin Yinong's assistant.

Guan Han was hesitating whether to speak up or not when Tang Ruoyao sent her a private message.

[Y Queen Y]: [Don't reveal your identity, or they'll get scared. The other two are my roommates.]

Tang Ruoyao lightly bit her lip, anxiously waiting for a reply.

She was in a difficult situation now. Without thinking it through, she sent the invitation, and who knew that Guan Han would agree so readily. It wouldn't be appropriate to kick her out now.

[Guan Maofa]: [OK.]

Guan Han typed, [I am Tang Ruoyao's friend, and my surname is Guan.]

Wen Shuxian had no realization that something was off and laughed, "Since you're Tang Tang's friend, you're our friend too. How's your gaming skills?"

Guan Han lowered her eyelids and lightly touched the tip of her nose with her finger.

Skills... well, they were definitely very poor.

Guan Han started the game poorly, put her phone aside, and her fingers reached for her earphones. She hesitated for a moment but didn't take them off. Listening to the chatter in her earphones from Wenshu Xian and the occasional cold and calm voice of Tang Ruoyao, her features unconsciously relaxed.

She almost couldn't remember what her student days were like. She had always been somewhat independent, not the kind who preferred solitude, but she could play with people and had good relationships during her school days. However, after graduation, everyone went their separate ways, and there was no hint of reluctance.

Seeing the 405 dormitory, who still had such a good relationship even after graduation, especially in the entertainment industry where it's hard to stay true to oneself, it touched her in some way.They were really noisy, especially the one surnamed Wen, who could do a one-person comedy show.

Guan Han shook her head and chuckled, preparing to take off her earphones, but then she heard a completely different voice saying, "Xiao Wen, you're driving me crazy with your talking. If you say another word, someone's going to kill me."

That voice was warm and pleasant, with a hint of a smile. It wasn't as sharp as Wen Shuxian's voice, nor as cold as Tang Ruoyao's. At first, it didn't grab one's attention, but upon closer reflection, it carried a lingering charm.

Her ears experienced a moment of tranquility.

Guan Han withdrew her hand, expecting the person to say a second sentence, but she didn't hear anything until the end of the game. She didn't even hear the winning moment and felt slightly disappointed.

During her last visit to the school with Qin Yinong, Guan Han had a deep impression of the banter among the other three members of the 405 dormitory. Two of them were very noisy, so the only one who wasn't noisy should be the one surnamed Fu, who had quietly stayed in her contact list for several months.

Wen Shuxian forgot that she intended to play only one game and ended up playing two in a row. For their own reasons, all three of them accompanied her.

After the game ended, Guan Han typed an apology in her room: [I'm sorry, I'm a newbie, and I probably dragged you down.]

Wen Shuxian responded, "It's alright. Come and play often when you have time. I like guiding newbies. Are you a girl or a guy?"

Guan Han: [I'm a girl.]

Wen Shuxian burst into laughter, causing Guan Han's ears to ache. She quickly took off her earphones and shook her head.

Fu Yujun sent a laughing emoji in the chat box.

Tang Ruoyao also had a smiling face.

The room disbanded.

Guan Han returned to WeChat and clicked on Tang Ruoyao's profile picture. She politely typed, [Thank you.]

Tang Ruoyao: [You're welcome.]

Guan Han glanced at the screen, preparing to move her phone aside, but then she saw Tang Ruoyao's status changing to "typing." She waited for a few seconds, and Tang Ruoyao's message appeared on the screen: [Sister Guan Han, can I ask you a question?]

[Ask], Guan Han responded concisely.

This time, the "typing" lasted a bit longer than before, but overall, the timing seemed more reasonable, without giving the impression of hesitation. Tang Ruoyao quickly typed and sent the message, making it seem very natural: [Do you have a partner?]

Originally, she didn't dare to ask Guan Han so directly. All along, Guan Han had left the impression of being serious and earnest. Playing games together twice in a row allowed her to see another side of Guan Han. In a way, they had developed some level of camaraderie. So she gathered her courage and mustered up the bravery to ask.

Guan Han: "..."

This couple was really interesting, constantly treating her as a love rival. Were she and Qin Yinong that idle? Or were they specifically targeting her?

Guan Han suppressed the anger that had been building up inside her for a while, her annoyance rising. She let out a cold laugh and tapped the screen with her fingertips, typing: [Yes.]

Tang Ruoyao nearly jumped off the bed. Guan Han had a partner! If it was Qin Yinong, she probably wouldn't refer to them as a "partner," right?

She composed herself and continued to confirm: [What does your partner do?]

Guan Han casually made up a story: [They're an artist.] Anything other than an actor would do.

Tang Ruoyao couldn't contain her excitement. She rolled around on the bed, cheeks flushed, and typed eagerly while lying on the pillow: [Then I wish you both a lifetime of happiness!]

Guan Han's lips curled into a cold smirk.

Adding "ya" at the end, trying to appear cute. How adorable. But she wasn't Qin Yinong, and she wasn't falling for it.

[Thanks.] Guan Han, the cold and heartless assistant, came online and replied, [I'm going to sleep.]

[Alright, goodnight.] Tang Ruoyao replied, even more adorable.

Guan Han didn't respond further. She stared at the messages sent by Tang Ruoyao, her brows furrowed. If Qin Yinong saw Tang Ruoyao talking to her in such a friendly manner, she would definitely be jealous and give her a hard time, accompanied by numerous cold glares.

But she couldn't delete the messages. Whether it was due to her professional conduct as an assistant or her role as the only intermediary between Qin Yinong and Tang Ruoyao, she had a responsibility to preserve all the conversations in their original form.

Tang Ruoyao had the best sleep since joining the group. She had a dreamless night. Guan Han, on the other hand, was troubled by the intense challenges she would face the next day. She worried so much that she only fell asleep in the late hours of the night. When she woke up in the morning, she found several strands of black hair on her pillow.

She shouldn't have played games with Tang Ruoyao in the first place!

Guan Han carefully picked up the hair and threw it in the trash bin. After freshening up, she headed to Qin Yinong's house to report in.

Qin Yinong had a rosy complexion and looked refreshed. After having breakfast, she brought down the open laptop from upstairs and placed it on the coffee table in the living room. Her fingers tapped on the screen as she asked, "This one, this one, or this one? Which do you think is better?"

Guan Han focused her gaze and saw that they were all luxury cars that cost a fortune. She exclaimed in surprise, "Are you buying a car?" Her reflexive response was to glance towards the balcony. Did the sun rise from the west today?

Qin Yinong smiled, "It's not for me, it's for Yao Yao. What kind of car do young girls like these days? Pink? Something fresh and vibrant."

"That's too flashy." Guan Han disagreed. "Miss Yao Yao would probably prefer something more low-key."

"Is that so?" Qin Yinong rubbed her chin, her opinion was the opposite.

Seeing her enthusiasm for this pink color, Guan Han suggested, "Why don't you ask Miss Yao directly?" It was just buying a car, not driving it. There was no need to be so hesitant.

"You make a good point." Qin Yinong smiled and lowered her head. She started taking screenshots of different car models on the computer. After a while, she suddenly stopped and made room in front of the laptop. She said, "You take over. Open the web version of your WeChat and send it directly to her."

Guan Han nodded reluctantly, feeling a sudden rush of anxiety.

"Qin Jie," Guan Han logged into the computer slowly, hesitated, and began speaking, "Last night, Miss Yao sent me a message."

"Hmm? What did she say?"

Guan Han lifted her eyelids and saw the smile playing on Qin Yinong's lips. Her scalp tingled. "She... asked me if I have a partner."

Qin Yinong blinked slightly, though her expression remained unchanged, with a smile in her eyes. She asked, "How did you respond?"

"I said yes." Guan Han whispered, "but I lied. I just didn't want to be caught in the middle between the two of you."

Qin Yinong pursed her lips and remained silent for a while before uttering a soft "Hmm."

"Alright then." She said.

After all, Guan Han was just an assistant. She should focus on her job and not bear unnecessary burdens.

Guan Han felt a huge weight lifted off her shoulders. She had finally completely removed herself from between the two of them. She opened the web version of WeChat, copied and pasted the captured images, and sent them. The chat messages from last night on her phone synced into the window.

"Alright, goodnight?" Qin Yinong spoke slowly, reading the words on the screen one by one.

Guan Han's knees weakened, almost kneeling on the spot. She discreetly swallowed before speaking, "Qin Jie..."

Qin Yinong interrupted her expressionlessly, saying, "Scroll up, I want to see what else you two talked about."

Guan Han's heart sank like ashes.

Qin Yinong crossed her arms and sat on the sofa, while Guan Han sat across from her with a straight posture. After the initial panic, Guan Han had regained her calm and composed state.

Qin Yinong narrowed her eyes. "Start from the beginning. Tell me everything."

With Qin Yinong's keen senses, how could she not have noticed the sudden change in tone between Tang Ruoyao and Guan Han? Something must have happened.

Guan Han adjusted her glasses and spoke in a plain and honest tone, "Last night, around midnight, Miss Yao invited me into a game room. There were two other roommates with her, and we played three rounds together."

"Was it prearranged, or just a coincidence?"

"It was a coincidence." Guan Han replied. "Since the time you had a fever, we haven't played together again."

"Oh," Qin Yinong looked at her meaningfully.

Suddenly, Guan Han took out her phone and quickly typed on the keyboard. Qin Yinong was puzzled until her own phone on the coffee table vibrated.

Guan Han respectfully said, "This is my game account and password. From today onwards, it belongs to you. There are Miss Yaoyao's friends inside."

Author's Note:

Congratulations to Yaoyao for getting Qin Jiejie's contact information, even though it's just gaming friends. ﹁_﹁

Qin Jiejie: Even though I bought her a car, schemed to make her chat with me, went to find her right after filming, and secretly looked for her in the game, we are not dating. ╰(*°▽°*)╯

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