CHAPTER 123

 Xiaoyuan spent two and a half days in Venice. After "The Long Night" concluded, she filmed several versions of L'Oréal commercials, gave interviews, and attended a banquet.

The premiere received excellent reviews. Long after the film ended, she remained emotionally overwhelmed, even receiving the legendary "five-minute standing ovation."

She had heard industry insiders mention it and seen media reports—if the journalists, media, and audience stood up to applaud after the screening, it meant the film was a success.

The creators would then rise to acknowledge the applause. Huo Bijun was the first to stand and accept the cheers, then extended a hand to invite Zeng Li, and finally Xiaoyuan. The applause was thunderous, with cheers and shouts of Xiaoyuan's name.

Xiaoyuan smiled, her eyes slightly moist.

In the following two busy days, she had no time to check Weibo.

Domestic media had already updated their Weibo feedback in real-time, and the film's promotional materials were also released.

[Director Huo Bijun was moved to tears at the film festival, stating that 'The Long Night' embodies his heart and soul, and will be the final installment of the Huo Tan series.]

[Xiang Xiaoyuan and Zeng Li's performances were highly praised in Venice, with media predicting they'll be strong contenders for Best Actor and Actress at domestic awards.]

['The Long Night' is set for release on September 8th...]

[The film has already signed distribution contracts with multiple overseas partners...]

Amidst this promotional campaign, the final trailer for "The Long Night" was released, sparking heated discussions online with continuously rising buzz.

Xiaoyuan knew nothing of this. She hadn't slept well on the return flight and was still dazed when she boarded the company car at the airport, immediately burying her head in sleep.

During the ride, Ruan Qing received a phone call. Her expression turned to surprise after hearing just one sentence, and she sat up straight. "Ah, you..."

She glanced back at Xiaoyuan, who was sleeping against Tiantian in the back seat. "She's exhausted and asleep now. We'll... probably arrive in about half an hour."

After hanging up, Ruan Qing looked at Xiaoyuan again.

Cai Juan whispered, "Sister? Who was that?" Though he already had his suspicions.

Ruan Qing looked at him and said softly, "Be quick-witted later."

"Got it." Cai Juan immediately understood.

When they reached the basement parking, the car's stop woke Xiaoyuan. She stretched and said goodbye to Ruan Qing.

"Ahem, Xiaoyuan, you have tomorrow and the next day off. Rest well these two days. After that..." Ruan Qing said.

"After that comes more promotions, I know, I know." Xiaoyuan yawned slightly, her face full of fatigue. "I'll head up now then. Goodnight, sister."

She stepped out of the car first, with Cai Juan and Tiantian following behind with the luggage. Ruan Qing watched her go and sighed helplessly.

'So promising, yet so worrying.'

The elevator quickly reached their floor. Xiaoyuan turned to Cai Juan and Tiantian, "Let's deal with the luggage tomorrow. You two get some rest early."

With that, she stepped out, turned the corner, and froze at what she saw.

Standing at the doorway was a tall, graceful figure of a woman, with cool features and eyes that only rippled slightly when they saw her.

Xiaoyuan blinked in disbelief, her fatigue instantly vanished. "You..."

Cai Juan, a step behind, saw Wei Zhuang and widened his eyes. Reacting quickly, he blocked Tiantian's view and stepped back. "I'm suddenly hungry, let's go get some late-night snack!"

Tiantian: "Huh? What about the luggage—"

"Just leave it here. This floor is ours anyway, no one else comes up. Come on, let's go..."

Cai Juan pulled her away.

"How... how did you get here?" Xiaoyuan asked, her emotions like ice cubes dropped into slightly sweet soda, fizzing with bubbles.

"I came to see you." Wei Zhuang said, looking at her, with a faint smile in her eyes.

Snapping back to reality, Xiaoyuan hurriedly entered the passcode and opened the door, stepping inside first to hold it open.

She couldn't possibly let the President stand at the door all this time; that would be too impolite.

She quickly removed the smile from the corner of her lips, not daring to reveal her true feelings.

The apartment she rented was a two-bedroom, one-living room unit, not large at 70 square meters. The living room and dining area were combined. When she rented it, the apartment was completely empty, with only plain white walls and wooden floors.

Xiaoyuan preferred a comfortable and elegant style. The furniture she chose was light in color, accented with brightly colored small ornaments, throw pillows, and potted plants.

At this moment, Wei Zhuang sat on her living room's hazy blue curved sofa, looking at her.

Xiaoyuan poured her a glass of water, placed it on the white round side table next to the sofa, and sat down on the single armchair beside it.

"Have you been waiting long?"

The glass was made of glass, with a beautiful olive green handle and a small black cat on the side. Wei Zhuang looked at it, her eyes shimmering slightly.

"No, just a few minutes." Wei Zhuang replied, taking a sip.

The atmosphere grew quiet.

It was obvious they shouldn't bring up their earlier unpleasantness—especially since it didn't even feel like a big deal anymore.

Xiaoyuan wasn't sure what to say either. Somewhere in her subconscious, she wanted to speak first, but she was also waiting for Wei Zhuang to say something—anything—just one more word...

She lowered her gaze, her heart pounding.

The silence stretched for several seconds, Xiaoyuan's heartbeat growing faster and faster, yet Wei Zhuang remained wordless.

'What is she doing?'

Unable to resist, Xiaoyuan peeked up at the woman—only to find her already looking back.

Xiaoyuan quickly averted her eyes. 'Does she expect me to make the first move again? That's not—'

Just as she was grumbling inwardly, she heard Wei Zhuang's magnetic voice. "Come here?"

The end of the sentence slightly curved upwards, not like a command, but like a question seeking her opinion, with a hint of a smile.

Xiaoyuan turned her gaze to her, then turned away again.

'What do I do? Should I just take the opportunity? Or...'

Before she could decide, she caught movement in her peripheral vision—Wei Zhuang had stood up. Startled, Xiaoyuan thought she was leaving, but then the woman stepped forward, pulled her up, and lifted her into her arms.

Dazed, Xiaoyuan found herself perched on Wei Zhuang's lap, nestled against her chest, her cheeks burning. They stayed like that for a while.

"You must be tired today." Wei Zhuang murmured.

"Ah... mm," Xiaoyuan answered distractedly. The woman's scent was intoxicating—a faint trace of citrus lingered on her clothes, while the skin at the collar of her blouse carried the cool fragrance of water lilies.

Then it hit her—she had spent over ten hours on a plane today and hadn't even showered yet. She must smell awful. Flustered, she tried to pull away.

Wei Zhuang's hand rested on her shoulder. "Then get some good rest tonight. Shall we meet tomorrow?"

As she spoke, she loosened her grip, letting Xiaoyuan slide back onto the sofa. She gently ruffled her hair before turning to leave—but Xiaoyuan caught her wrist.

Wei Zhuang's eyes flickered.

Xiaoyuan's throat felt tight, but she held back. "...I'll walk you out."

They walked silently to the entrance. The motion-sensor light came on. Wei Zhuang turned around, fragmented light and shadow falling into her eyes. "Will you see me tomorrow?"

'Why does such a simple question sound so irresistible coming from her?'

"I want to sleep at home. I don't want to go out..." Even though she really wanted to see her, for some reason, the words just slipped out.

"Are you still angry?" Wei Zhuang asked softly.

"...Not really." Xiaoyuan lowered her face.

"You don't want to see me?" Wei Zhuang asked again, the emotion in her eyes becoming slightly heavy and confused.

Alex had told her— 'Other girls might like gifts, but Miss Xiang would rather you talk to her more. And, ahem... hug her.'

"..." Xiaoyuan lowered her face and took a step towards her. Her tied ponytail was a bit messy, a few strands of hair falling from behind her ear, brushing against her clothes as she moved.

Wei Zhuang gazed deeply at her. "Okay."

She turned to leave when Xiaoyuan suddenly embraced her, standing slightly on tiptoe to capture her lips with a kiss.

'How infuriating!'

'Couldn't she just say she missed her first?'

'Couldn't she take the initiative to kiss her?'

'Every time, I have to be the one to initiate the kiss.'

The more Xiaoyuan thought about it, the angrier she became, her kiss growing increasingly domineering. She sucked on Wei Zhuang's lips, pressing forward until Wei Zhuang staggered slightly, forced to retreat a step. Her slender hands gripped Xiaoyuan's arms—if she wanted, she could push her away at any moment.

But Xiaoyuan's soft, pliant body pressed against her, those scorching lips kissing her fiercely. Wei Zhuang's hands slid down to her narrow waist, pulling her closer instead.

Xiaoyuan cupped the woman's face, her tongue slipping past her lips, tangling with hers in a heated dance.

Nearly three weeks of their cold war melted away in this intense yet tender kiss.

When they finally parted, Xiaoyuan was breathless, her cheeks flushed as she gazed at the woman leaning against the entryway cabinet. Wei Zhuang's usually pale lips were now stained a vivid red, her cool complexion tinged with a delicate flush. The slender column of her neck trembled slightly with each quickened breath.

It was rare to see Wei Zhuang looking so fragile—and all because of her kiss...

Xiaoyuan's face burned. She licked her lips. "...Could you not leave so soon?"

......

Xiaoyuan's apartment was on the 22nd floor, in a complex chosen by Ruan Qing—safe and relatively quiet. Her bedroom had floor-to-ceiling windows, though the view outside was nothing special, just the scattered lights of neighboring buildings.

Stepping out of the master bathroom, Xiaoyuan saw Wei Zhuang standing by the window, lost in thought as she gazed outside.

She smiled. "The night view here isn't as good as yours."

The loungewear she had prepared for Wei Zhuang still lay untouched on the gray bench at the foot of the bed. Xiaoyuan understood—she must feel uncomfortable here.

Even though it was her own room, to Wei Zhuang, it was unfamiliar place. Xiaoyuan didn't want to force her.

"If you like it..." Wei Zhuang suddenly spoke, turning to look at her.

Xiaoyuan immediately knew what she meant and quickly waved her hands. "I don't want it."

She walked over, bringing with her a fresh, floral scent, and chuckled. "Who else would offer to buy someone a house so casually?"

Wei Zhuang paused slightly, then shook her head. "I don't give away houses often." She met Xiaoyuan's gaze, her expression calm and serious. "You're the first."

Xiaoyuan's cheeks warmed. "...Oh."

"I know I'm not an easy person to get along with," Wei Zhuang said suddenly. "A lot of things feel unfamiliar to me... I need time to adjust."

This was the first time she had proactively spoken such soft words.

Xiaoyuan's heart clenched. "I—I have my immature moments too. I didn't mean to pick fights with you."

A few seconds of silence passed.

Wei Zhuang's lips curved faintly. "I know."

Xiaoyuan smiled too, her heart lightening. She reached out to hug her, murmuring sweetly, "I don't want you to buy me a house. I just want you to stay with me. It's always me going to your place..."

Before she could finish, she already dismissed her own request. No, her place wasn't secure enough. With the media hounding her lately, paparazzi were probably lurking nearby.

She tugged Wei Zhuang toward the bed, climbing onto it first. "Never mind. Just lie down with me for a while."

Wei Zhuang paused for a moment as Xiaoyuan smiled with curved eyes, "No need to change clothes."

Only then did she lift the blanket and lie down. Xiaoyuan nestled into her embrace, wrapping her arms around Wei Zhuang's neck and kissing her cheek.

She was truly exhausted, and soon her eyelids grew heavy. "I just realized all my commitments seem to have piled up together..."

The promotion period for "The Long Night," endorsement commercials, magazine photoshoots and interviews, the premiere—after finishing all that, it would probably be time for the promotion period for "Deep in the Palace," leaving her no idle moment.

This packed schedule didn't bother her, in fact, she'd adjusted quickly. The real challenge was that both she and Wei Zhuang were extremely busy people—how were they supposed to synchronize their rhythms?

This was the problem she implicitly worried about in her heart.

Sleep soon overtook her. Holding Wei Zhuang's hand and snuggling close, Xiaoyuan drifted off. The woman's slender, pale fingers brushed through her hair, gently tracing the soft curve of her ear as the light in her eyes softened and settled. Then she pressed a light kiss to Xiaoyuan's forehead.

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