CHAPTER 84

Qin Yinong raised an eyebrow, her gaze playfully sliding over her beautiful face.

She appeared to be an upright person, but why did she have so many twisted thoughts?

Tang Ruoyao didn't wait for her response, nor was she in a hurry. She stood at the door, smiling slightly. The fact that Qin Yinong didn't immediately refuse was considered progress.

"Sure." After a while, Qin Yinong opened her mouth with a smile that seemed like a smirk and made way, saying, "Come in."

Tang Ruoyao's head spun.

Qin Yinong's agreement was beyond her expectations. She had only come to test the waters, and she had prepared her lines to say in case Qin Yinong refused. She hadn't expected that she would actually be allowed to come in and take a shower.

What should she do later?

The slight panic that appeared in her eyes did not escape Qin Yinong's notice. The smile on Qin Yinong's lips deepened, and she spoke softly, "What are you standing there for? Come in."

This little brat, daring to scheme against her.

Tang Ruoyao held her breath, trying hard not to stammer, and pretended to be calm, saying, "I'll go get my pajamas."

"Go ahead." Qin Yinong looked at her affectionately. She softened her voice on the second word, as if she was whispering in her ear, as if she would kiss her earlobe in the next second.

Tang Ruoyao's ears tingled, and she almost scrambled back to her own room.

Qin Yinong took two steps back and lightly chuckled as she glimpsed Tang Ruoyao's motionless figure through the slightly ajar neighboring room's door.

When she turned around, just like Tang Ruoyao earlier, she met Guan Han's eyes, who had been secretly observing her.

Qin Yinong suddenly stepped back in shock, "!!!"

This time, Guan Han didn't hide. She opened the door openly, allowing Qin Yinong to see her and indicating that she was seriously playing the role of a surveillance camera, always paying attention to the outside movements.

Qin Yinong waved her hand.

Guan Han nodded, closed the door, and disappeared without a sound.

Afterwards, Qin Yinong returned to her room and waited patiently.

The scheming little rabbit was caught off guard by Qin Yinong's move, feeling lost and unsure in the room. After a while, she calmed down and realized that this was a rare opportunity that she had to seize.

Since she was here for filming, Tang Ruoyao had brought conservative pajamas. Not to mention the semi-transparent, black lace garments she wore earlier when she had that kind of relationship with Qin Yinong, she didn't even have a small camisole. The filming would wrap up by the end of May, before the height of summer, so she hadn't prepared in advance.

Tang Ruoyao stared at the wardrobe, at a loss. In the end, she chose a long T-shirt, reluctantly satisfied. It lacked sexiness but had a pure and innocent vibe.

That would do.

Tang Ruoyao carried the clothing and knocked on the door of the adjacent room again.

Qin Yinong opened the door for her, without pausing, swaying her slender waist, and turning around to go back. Qin Yinong was not like Tang Ruoyao. She was wearing a cool silk slip dress, and her well-defined figure remained full even without a bra. Her slim waist and long legs had alluring curves.

In the eyes of the public, Qin Yinong was synonymous with "sexy." As a sexy actress, she couldn't rely solely on her face. Having a well-proportioned and captivating figure was of utmost importance.

And indeed, her figure lived up to that expectation. Not to mention that she was seven years older than Tang Ruoyao, approaching her thirties. Every move she made exuded the allure of a mature woman, much more natural than Tang Ruoyao's forced sexiness.

However, Tang Ruoyao didn't underestimate herself. Being in her thirties had its own lazy charm, while being in her twenties had its enchanting spirit. They complemented each other perfectly.

Tang Ruoyao gathered her thoughts and greeted Qin Yinong, saying, "I'm going to take a shower."

Qin Yinong leaned against the head of the bed, lifted her eyelids, and looked back at her, "Hmm."

The internal structure of the two rooms was the same, just with different orientations. Tang Ruoyao entered the bathroom with familiarity, stood in front of the sink for a moment, wiped her face, and entered the shower room.

The sound of the shower water could be heard through the door, and Qin Yinong put down the book she was pretending to read.

Was she inviting the wolf into the house?

Why did it feel surprisingly good?

She was all too familiar with this sound. Usually, when Tang Ruoyao finished showering, the next thing to follow would be... Qin Yinong's heart began to surge with waves, and the air in the room became hot and dry.

She raised her hand and turned on the air conditioning, maintaining a constant temperature of 20 degrees Celsius.

Qin Yinong resumed reading the book.

The sound of water stopped.

Qin Yinong's ears twitched. After about two and a half minutes, Tang Ruoyao, with moisture all over her body, stood barefoot at the entrance of the bathroom. Her snowy white toes curled on the bath mat, and her voice was soft, "Senior Qin, do you have slippers?"

Qin Yinong raised her eyes and glanced, a touch of astonishment flashed in her gaze.

Tang Ruoyao's young and translucent skin had a faint pinkish hue. Her eyes were misty, and her damp, jet-black long hair cascaded down to her waist. She exuded an innocent and irresistible charm, like a water nymph who had just emerged from a bath.

She knew how to make the most of her advantages, in the past and even more so now.

Qin Yinong's heart skipped a beat, and she almost dared not look directly at her. She forced her gaze to pass over her face with a calm and indifferent expression, saying softly, "Yes, wait a moment, I'll get them for you."

"Thank you."

Qin Yinong approached her and caught a whiff of the alluring fragrance emanating from her body. It was the shower gel she used, and Qin Yinong immediately recognized it. Her heartbeat became unusually erratic.

The two similar scents intertwined in front of each other, as if they could tightly adhere at any moment.

Tang Ruoyao and Qin Yinong were almost the same height, just a two-centimeter difference, so they could easily maintain eye contact even at a slight distance.

The night outside was enveloped in darkness.

Inside the room, it was quiet.

After Qin Yinong handed her the slippers, they faced each other and exchanged a few seconds of gaze. Qin Yinong's eyes were faint as she asked, "Are you done showering?" Implicitly, she was asking if Tang Ruoyao could leave now.

"I'm done." Tang Ruoyao, with a thick skin, only answered the literal question, her eyes firmly locked onto Qin Yinong.

If Qin Yinong could reveal her true emotions even when she knew Tang Ruoyao was looking into her eyes, then all the trophies on the wall of her house would be in vain.

But Tang Ruoyao had already received a satisfying look from Qin Yinong the moment she emerged from the bathroom, so she wasn't in such a hurry now. Qin Yinong's expression remained calm, and Tang Ruoyao decided to push her luck a bit. If she succeeded, she would consider it a win, if she didn't, she wouldn't lose anything either.

"I want to blow-dry my hair here. Is that okay?" she asked.

"It's fine." Qin Yinong agreed again.

Tang Ruoyao was somewhat surprised.

Qin Yinong sat back on the bed and watched Tang Ruoyao busy herself with her back turned towards her. Tang Ruoyao could have gone into the bathroom to blow-dry her hair, but she chose to stand outside, where Qin Yinong had the best view.

The sound of the hairdryer buzzed, and in the quiet room, it was the only rhythmic sound. Tang Ruoyao's slender fingers moved skillfully through her hair, the contrast between black and white vividly apparent. The roots of her wet hair and the water droplets at the tips slowly evaporated.

Qin Yinong had never known that watching a woman blow-dry her hair could be such a delightful sight.

She was captivated.

"Thank you, Senior Qin." Tang Ruoyao returned the hairdryer to its original position.

Qin Yinong snapped back to reality, slightly dazed. "You're welcome."

"Can I go now?"

"Hmm?" Qin Yinong surprisingly didn't react immediately.

"I'm going back to my room." Tang Ruoyao clarified in clearer words.

"...Okay." Qin Yinong pursed her lips.

She was about to leave.

Opportunity knocks but once. Tang Ruoyao curved her eyes and smiled at her. "Senior Qin, are you reluctant to let me go?"

A hint of embarrassment flickered across Qin Yinong's brows and eyes, and she scoffed, "Who said I'm reluctant to let you go?"

I'm reluctant to let you go.

Tang Ruoyao said in her heart.

Today's test has been completed, and there's no need to push it further. Tang Ruoyao seized the moment, merely smiled without replying, opened the door, and walked out. She deliberately slowed down her footsteps, giving Qin Yinong the chance to call her back.

Qin Yinong parted her lips but didn't utter a word until Tang Ruoyao closed the door outside.

Tang Ruoyao leaned against the door, wary of Guan Han's presence. As soon as she passed through that door, she immediately entered the next one. Leaning against the door, she lightly clenched her fist and let out a deep breath.

Was she nervous?

Of course, she was nervous. She was so nervous that her heart was about to jump out, not as composed as she appeared on the surface. Especially under Qin Yinong's scorching gaze while blow-drying her hair, she almost couldn't resist turning around, jumping onto the bed, and passionately indulging herself in their entanglement.

But she couldn't.

She could only confirm now that Qin Yinong liked her, but she wouldn't forget how Qin Yinong repeatedly rejected her affections in the past. Qin Yinong clearly had feelings for her but refused to express them, instead pushing herself further away. If it weren't for this opportunity to work together on the same set, Tang Ruoyao would have probably missed out on her for the rest of her life.

There must be a reason why Qin Yinong acted that way, and Tang Ruoyao didn't know the cause. However, she wouldn't force her too aggressively, and she had a feeling that Qin Yinong responded better to a soft approach rather than a forceful one. She would give Qin Yinong the initiative to decide whether they would be together. All she could do was continuously make her presence felt and make Qin Yinong increasingly unable to leave her, gradually lowering her guard.

And her calculations were undoubtedly successful.

Tang Ruoyao had been gone for quite some time, and Qin Yinong still hadn't fully regained her senses.

She had shamelessly come over to borrow the bathroom for a shower, and she really did just take a shower and blow-dry her hair before leaving, without any attempt to seduce Qin Yinong. At that moment, she would never engage in any substantial relationship with Tang Ruoyao, but if Tang Ruoyao had truly harbored seductive intentions, she would have needed a great deal of effort to resist it.

While Qin Yinong felt fortunate, a hint of subtle disappointment surged within her.

She got up and poured a glass of water, moistening her dry throat.

Tang Ruoyao was in the next room, and even though the soundproofing was good, Qin Yinong was afraid she might hear any movement from this side. She temporarily set aside her self-sufficiency and tossed and turned before falling asleep.

Because Tang Ruoyao had come and caused a disturbance, capturing all of her attention, Qin Yinong forgot to pour herself a glass of red wine for the evening. She ended up falling asleep in a daze, having a dreamless night.

The knocking sound from Guan Han and the alarm on her phone rang simultaneously, startling Qin Yinong awake. The light shining through the curtains was bright.

Qin Yinong turned off the alarm and huddled under the covers. "Come in."

Guan Han entered the room with a key, slightly surprised.

Did she just wake up?

She glanced intentionally or unintentionally through a wall towards the opposite side. Could it be that she was tired from last night?

Guan Han suppressed her inner shock and carefully picked out an outfit for Qin Yinong, placing it on the bedside. She was very curious, but unfortunately, she couldn't ask!

Guan Han spoke in a calm tone, "Did Qin Jie have a nightmare last night?"

Qin Yinong's face flushed, and she replied absentmindedly, "No, I slept through the night."

Guan Han lowered her eyelids and said, "I'll go out. You can freshen up first."

Definitely had one!

Tang Ruoyao woke up around the same time as Qin Yinong, quickly freshened up, and left the room with the door slightly ajar, listening to the sounds from the next room. She made sure to come out together when she heard the other person leaving.

"Good morning, Senior Qin." Tang Ruoyao greeted, her gaze fixed on Qin Yinong's face.

She... seems to be in a good mood.

"Good morning." Qin Yinong complimented her with a smile, "Miss Tang looks lovely today."

"So do you."

The two of them went downstairs together, and the staircase happened to be wide enough for them to walk side by side. Guan Han stepped back.

Coincidentally, Tang Ruoyao was wearing a high-collar outfit today, covering her neck and below, which in Guan Han's eyes was undeniable evidence.

On the set.

Han Yuping glanced at the two energetic individuals, and his furrowed brows relaxed slightly. He nodded and said, "Keep it up, don't indulge yourselves."

Qin Yinong felt like tearing this old man's mouth apart.

Tang Ruoyao squinted her eyes.

Yesterday, she was too preoccupied with plotting how to subtly seduce Qin Yinong that she ignored Han Yuping's strange comments.

"Senior Qin." Taking advantage of the gap before makeup, Tang Ruoyao approached and lightly nudged Qin Yinong's arm.

In the past, she would never have dared to do this, but now, besides openly kissing her, she dared to do anything. Qin Yinong clearly didn't pay much attention to this slight physical contact and made a sound of disdain, "Hmm?"

"Yesterday evening, Director Han said something about us..."

"What did he say?" Qin Yinong suddenly had a bad feeling rising in her heart.

Tang Ruoyao bit her lip, glanced at her, and whispered, "He said it's not appropriate for us to be intimate whenever we want, that there are too many people on set. He also said we should go back and be intimate there, not in front of him."

Qin Yinong: "..."

She clenched her teeth silently, her eyes momentarily fierce.

A hint of amusement flashed in Tang Ruoyao's eyes. She continued with an innocent and ignorant tone, "What does he mean by that?"

"He... he..." Qin Yinong stammered.

Tang Ruoyao blinked her eyes and looked at Qin Yinong with trusting eyes.

Qin Yinong suddenly had a clever idea and said seriously, "He means acting. Recently, there have been many intimate scenes, right? Let's go back..." Qin Yinong let out a soft groan in her mind. It seemed like she had just dropped a stone on her own foot.

Tang Ruoyao continued to blink her eyes, "Let's do what? Go back and act?"

This hit the bullseye for Tang Ruoyao.

Qin Yinong: "..."

Tang Ruoyao asked curiously, "If it's just acting, why did he say not to do it in front of him?"

Qin Yinong couldn't come up with a response.

Tang Ruoyao's eyes suddenly brightened, and she lightly clapped her hands, as if she had just realized something, "Oh, I understand now!"

Qin Yinong nervously asked, "What do you understand?"

Tang Ruoyao's eyes dimmed suddenly, and she lowered her head in a dejected manner, "I forgot. I had just thought of it, but alas, my memory isn't good as I get older."

Qin Yinong couldn't stand her excuse and rubbed her head, saying unkindly, "Calling yourself old in front of me?"

Tang Ruoyao flattered her, "Senior Qin, you have natural beauty. You look much younger than me."

"Smooth talker." Qin Yinong laughed.

Both of them froze for a moment, their gazes brushing past each other's red lips.

On the side, Guan Han sighed disapprovingly several times in her heart.

Indeed, they are a couple in love. They must have indulged in sweet talk last night, as even a single word can evoke memories.

Qin Yinong regained her composure first and cleared her throat uncomfortably, "Alright, go do your makeup."

"See you later, Senior Qin."

"Hmm, see you later."

At the filming center.

Qin Yinong, who had finished her makeup, scanned the surroundings but didn't see Tang Ruoyao. She walked over to Han Yuping, who was sitting on a chair, and looked down at him, "Director Han."

Han Yuping didn't even raise his head, "Speak."

With no one else around Han Yuping, Qin Yinong lowered her voice and spoke with a slightly annoyed tone, "Can you stop talking nonsense?"

Han Yuping was absent-minded, "What nonsense?"

Guan Han brought a chair for Qin Yinong, who sat down accordingly and muttered, "It's about what you said to Tang Ruoyao, all that intimacy or lack thereof. Do you think it's appropriate to say such things?"

Han Yuping finally turned his face, his eyes full of confusion. "I didn't let anyone hear."

"You—" Qin Yinong closed her eyes and whispered, "I specifically told you not to talk nonsense with her."

"Was I wrong in what I said?"

"It's not just wrong, it's completely and utterly wrong!" Qin Yinong was about to explode. Han Yuping's consecutive suggestive remarks, if Tang Ruoyao, with her clever little mind, didn't understand, then she wouldn't be Tang Ruoyao. She couldn't pretend to be ignorant, thinking that Qin Yinong couldn't see through it.

Qin Yinong clarified with emphasis, "I'm not in a romantic relationship with her, I swear. Your words can lead to misunderstandings."

"Heh." Han Yuping revealed a meaningful smile.

Han Yuping rarely smiled, but when he did, it had an eerie quality to it.

Qin Yinong subconsciously felt guilty, but she quickly shook off that feeling and looked directly into Han Yuping's eyes. "I'm telling you this matter seriously."

Han Yuping set aside the storyboard in his hand and said softly, "Do you know?"

He suddenly spoke in a soft and gentle tone, as if Ren Woxing had picked up Dongfang Bubai's embroidery needle, even more eerie than a smile.

[Dongfang Bubai is a fictional character is a fictional character in the novel by Jin Yong. Needles are his main weapons. He is critically wounded and eventually killed by Ren Woxing. Just before his death, he manages to blind Ren Woxing in one eye with his needles.]

Qin Yinong's knees weakened, and if she didn't have a chair to sit on, she would have knelt down right then and there. She swallowed and asked, "Know what?"

Han Yuping still used that whispering tone, "I had a phone call with Lao Lin last night."

Qin Yinong was stunned. "So?"

"Guess what Lao Lin told me?" Han Yuping said gently.

"..." Qin Yinong already knew what was coming next and wanted to run away.

"Stop right there!" Han Yuping revealed his true nature, and with that sentence, she dared not move an inch.

Han Yuping and Lin Guoan are good buddies. They would send messages and make phone calls to each other when they had nothing to do. Even old men gossip among themselves. Han Yuping had just learned this shocking news and casually mentioned it to his good friend. Little did he know, Lin Guoan slapped the table on the other side and exclaimed, "You finally know! It was killing me keeping it a secret!"

Confused, Han Yuping asked, "What's been bothering you, Lao Lin?"

And then Lin Guoan spilled all the beans. "You see, during the filming of "Under the Southern Mountain," they were already a couple. Qin Yinong even visited the set! I reckon they've been together for a long time. They are so affectionate with each other. Qin Yinong always asks me for updates on Tang Ruoyao on set, and I send her lots of photos. They are super sweet together." and so on and so forth.

Han Yuping was shocked all night, and this morning he was already doing well by keeping his professional conduct on set without confronting Qin Yinong. But now this old dog Qin Yinong had the audacity to clarify things with him? Was she trying to fool himself? Was he no longer treated as an uncle?

Han Yuping was furious.

Qin Yinong, despite all her calculations, had never anticipated that Lin Guoan would expose her so early. Even if she had a hundred mouths, she wouldn't be able to explain it clearly now. Her girlfriend status was something she personally admitted to Lin Guoan.

Qin Yinong lost both her reputation and her troops. She had to swallow her pride and endure the scolding, feeling like a scolded grandchild, as Han Yuping poured out his anger on her.

Of course, Han Yuping wouldn't scold her publicly. Instead, he found different ways to shout at her, his voice thundering like a bell, audible throughout half the set.

Tang Ruoyao, startled by the commotion, rushed over in a panic. She firmly grabbed Qin Yinong's hand and stood protectively in front of her. The assistant director who came over took the opportunity to intervene and said, "Director Han, please calm down."

Han Yuping snorted coldly and left in a huff.

Tang Ruoyao turned around and asked with concern, "What happened? Why did Han Yuping get so angry all of a sudden?"

Qin Yinong lowered her head.

Tang Ruoyao followed her gaze downward, feeling awkward. She released the grip on the two hands she was holding.

Qin Yinong used one hand to pinch her brow, trying to conceal her fatigue between her eyebrows, "It's nothing." Although she was used to Han Yuping scolding her, enduring such a burst of anger still left her feeling depressed.

But her other hand, at this moment, wrapped around Tang Ruoyao's shoulder. Then her entire body leaned against Tang Ruoyao, with the weight of her body pressing against her. Her nose skillfully nuzzled against the side of Tang Ruoyao's neck, like an affectionate cat, as she hummed in her ear, "Miss Tang, let me hug you."

Caught off guard, Tang Ruoyao froze, not knowing where to place her hands. After a moment of helplessness, she cautiously placed one hand around Qin Yinong's waist, while the other hand remained suspended for a moment before gently landing on Qin Yinong's back and patting it softly.

Their bodies were pressed tightly together, and the sound of their heartbeats merged into one.

It wasn't the kind of intense palpitation that would make their chests ache at any moment, but a steady and powerful thumping that still caused a tremor.

As Tang Ruoyao carefully recalled, in all the time she had known Qin Yinong, they had never embraced each other in a meaningful way, unrelated to the script.

After confirming this, Tang Ruoyao almost held her breath and cautiously savored this hard-won embrace.

Qin Yinong was also immersed in the moment.

Her fingers touched the cool and smooth strands of hair that were loosely draped behind Tang Ruoyao, gliding through them like flowing water, slipping through her fingers. It felt different from before, Qin Yinong thought, and so curiously, she repeatedly ran her fingers through the long hair.

However, they couldn't stay in the embrace forever. Tang Ruoyao's head had been played with for too long, and with each touch, her scalp was pulled and slightly tingling. Something was not quite right. Their breathing became more and more irregular.

Qin Yinong, familiar with every detail of Tang Ruoyao, immediately stopped.

Tang Ruoyao felt empty when the woman left in her embrace, and her heart followed suit.

But Qin Yinong hadn't moved far away, she was still standing in front of her, maintaining a distance of one step, exactly the step she had just taken. Not too close, not too far. Tang Ruoyao's heart gradually returned to reality.

She stammered for a while, unable to speak. She lifted her gaze to look at the other person, then lowered her head again, her ears still tinged with a lingering blush.

Qin Yinong's heart softened completely as she focused on her lowered eyelashes and slowly said, "Thank you."

Tang Ruoyao didn't respond.

Qin Yinong tried to find the right words, her tongue touching her teeth, and she awkwardly squeezed out, "It's warm in your embrace, and I happen to be a bit cold."

Tang Ruoyao's lips began to curve upward as she had hoped.

Qin Yinong's ears gradually grew warm, and she abruptly changed the subject, pretending to be puzzled, "Is it that young people have more vitality?"

"..." Tang Ruoyao raised her gaze and calmly replied, "It could also be that your body is too weak."

Qin Yinong: "..."

This little brat! She gets cocky at just a few compliments!

Guan Han promptly suppressed her laughter, choking on it, as if a chicken feather was stuck in her throat, turning into a series of thunderous coughs.

Qin Yinong really wanted to retort, "Do you not know whether I'm weak or not? Who's always the one complaining?" But when she met Tang Ruoyao's teasing gaze, she knew that she was deliberately waiting for this response.

Qin Yinong smiled faintly and placed her right hand on Tang Ruoyao's shoulder.

Tang Ruoyao felt inexplicable, and then she felt a tremendous force pressing down from above, as if it wanted to push her down three inches shorter. Tang Ruoyao let out a muffled groan and almost fell to the ground unprepared.

Qin Yinong clapped her hands lightly and casually said, "Still weak?"

Tang Ruoyao lowered her brows and respectfully said, "No longer weak, no longer weak."

She found it amusing in her heart. What a childish trick. I stopped playing these games after I turned eight.

The staff came over to call the actors to their positions.

Qin Yinong took the lead and took two steps forward. She turned back to look at Tang Ruoyao and frowned, urging her, "Hurry up, Director Han is about to scold someone."

Tang Ruoyao hurriedly caught up, "I'm coming."

The next scene was set in the kitchen. Shen Muqing wanted Han Zifei to eat the breakfast she had made with her own hands. She had been busy in the kitchen since early morning. Han Zifei went over and hugged her from behind, taking advantage of the situation, nibbling on her ear and kissing her cheek while talking.

Author's Note:

Qin Jiejie: I really am the dominant one, but why does the script always make me the submissive one? 

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