MQSP - Chapter 41
Chapter 41
When she woke up in the morning, Baiye found that she was straddling Auntie Lin again, her head pillowed on her arm. The bolster pillow Auntie Lin had specifically given her as a substitute yesterday seemed to have fallen on the floor…
Baiye's heart skipped a beat. I'm so done for.
Very lightly and carefully, she moved her leg, secretly observing Auntie Lin's expression, terrified she would wake up.
But, as fate would have it, her worst fear came true. She glanced away for a second, and when she looked up again, Auntie Lin's eyes were open, staring at her expressionlessly.
"…Auntie Lin, I'm sorry! I didn't do it on purpose! I'll tie myself up next time, please don't be angry!" Terrified, she immediately got up and knelt beside Lin Yuqing, apologizing profusely.
Lin Yuqing was exasperated. "Crushing and kicking me—are you using me as a punching bag?!"
"I…" Baiye wanted to cry but had no tears. Was she really such a restless sleeper?
"I'm sorry. Where did I kick you? Let me rub it for you?" She raised her hands, not knowing where to put them, and looked at Auntie Lin pitifully, waiting for her command.
Lin Yuqing was at her wit's end. What infuriated her most was that this girl had climbed on top of her several times during the night, pressing her entire weight down. It made Lin Yuqing want to smack her! How could anyone be such a bully? Wasn't this huge bed big enough for her to toss and turn in? Why did she insist on throwing herself on top of me!
"Auntie Lin~" Seeing Lin Yuqing glaring fiercely at her, Xiao Ye put on a wronged expression and gently tugged at Lin Yuqing's sleeve.
At the sight, Lin Yuqing immediately turned her back, yanked her sleeve free, and refused to even look at her.
The little brat is acting cute again. Doesn't she know I'm a total sucker for this?! It looks like Xia Xiaozi was right—I've spoiled her rotten!
Seeing that Auntie Lin seemed genuinely angry, Baiye started to panic. "Auntie Lin~ I know I was wrong. I'll tie myself up tonight, so please don't be mad at me, okay?"
"Auntie Lin…" She tugged at the corner of Lin Yuqing's shirt again, her voice full of coquettish charm.
However, after a long time of trying to act cute, Auntie Lin showed no reaction. Strange, had it stopped working? It had been so effective before!
How could she know that her Auntie Lin was currently pinching her own thigh, forcing herself to ignore her? That milky voice was so soft it could melt your bones! Ahhh!
But! I can't give in to her! If this becomes a habit, she'll walk all over me!
Resist! Resist!!!
Seeing Auntie Lin completely unmoved, Baiye lowered her head, her mind racing.
After a long silence from behind her, Lin Yuqing was the first to lose her patience. Just as she was wondering what was going on, she heard the little one rustling about. It sounded like she'd gotten off the bed, then climbed back on a moment later, followed by the sound of tape being torn.
Lin Yuqing turned her head in confusion and saw the little one with her knees bent and held together, seriously wrapping tape around her own ankles.
"What are you doing?" Lin Yuqing was stunned for a moment. Was she really going to tie herself up?!
"These legs are too naughty. They actually kicked my Auntie Lin. I have to punish them and tape them up so they can't move around anymore!" she said with a straight face.
"Are you an idiot?!" Lin Yuqing didn't know whether to laugh or be angry. Taping her legs like that—it would hurt so much to peel it off!
"I… guess so."
Lin Yuqing shot her a dirty look, slapped her hands away, and very carefully peeled the tape off.
"Hiss…"
"Serves you right. Endure it!" she snapped, but her movements were already as gentle as could be.
"Hehe, so does that mean Auntie Lin has forgiven these disobedient legs?" she asked, winking playfully.
"You're quite good at shifting blame," Lin Yuqing said, forcing a stern expression.
"Mmm, then Auntie Lin, could you just, you know, forgive me along with them~"
Lin Yuqing's face turned serious, completely immune to the little one's cute offensive. "I'd almost forgotten if you hadn't brought it up. You do deserve to be punished."
"Eh?"
"I haven't settled the score with you because of your injuries, but you've been getting more and more out of hand these past two days. If you can't act out the pain, you just hit yourself for real? Do you think you're making a sacrifice for art? That's just taking a cheap shortcut! It shows a complete lack of acting skill. Is that what your teachers taught you?"
"With that kind of behavior, even if you were beaten to death, I wouldn't feel the slightest bit of pity."
As soon as Lin Yuqing brought it up, the anger she had suppressed flared up again. Her tone was severe, and her face held a trace of fury.
Baiye secretly glanced up at her before quickly lowering her head again. It was over. Auntie Lin… was angry!
"Auntie Lin, I'll remember. I'll change. I won't do it again." Baiye immediately dropped her playful attitude and admitted her mistake with utmost seriousness.
Lin Yuqing didn't move. Left hanging, Baiye grew a little flustered. She couldn't help but recall how Auntie Lin had punished her before and subconsciously pulled the blanket to cover her behind.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to hit you." Lin Yuqing was amused by this small gesture, but also felt helpless. Seeing the little one's timid appearance, she couldn't bring herself to keep a cold face any longer. She had finally gotten the girl to be much more affectionate with her; she couldn't scare her back into her previous state of constant trepidation.
Hearing this, Baiye had just breathed a sigh of relief.
"But for the next two days, you will stay home obediently. You're not allowed to go anywhere."
"Ah?" She wasn't allowed to go to the set? Didn't that mean she wouldn't be able to see Auntie Lin? She had grown so used to seeing her Auntie Lin anytime, anywhere. And Auntie Lin in armor was just too captivating. To suddenly be forbidden from the set, to not see Auntie Lin for two days—she would suffocate! Wasn't this punishment a bit too harsh?
"Auntie Lin, please let me go to the set. I'll be very good, I promise!" she pleaded, blinking her big eyes and looking at Lin Yuqing pitifully.
Seeing the girl launch her big-eyed cute offensive again, Lin Yuqing frowned. "Either stay home or get a spanking. You choose," she said impatiently. Isn't making you stay home to recover for your own good? Why are you being so difficult!
Baiye was in a bind. A spanking would hurt, and it would be incredibly embarrassing. But not seeing the cool Auntie Lin for two days would make her heart itch with longing… What should she do…
After thinking it over, the little one steeled herself. "Then… then you can hit me."
Lin Yuqing was surprised, and a little annoyed. Fine, you chose this yourself. She rolled up her sleeves. "Lie down. Pants off."
"…! Absolutely not!!!" The little one's cheeks flushed crimson in an instant as she stared at Lin Yuqing in a panic.
This reaction was within Lin Yuqing's expectations. But still, she'd scared her so much she'd slipped into a dialect… Hmm… how cute~
In the end, Baiye succumbed to Auntie Lin's tyranny, obediently conceded, and stayed home to rest.
Baiye spent two days recuperating at home. Since Lin Yuqing and Xia Xiaozi were at the film set during the day, Fang Yi had plenty of free time. She basically spent her days at Lin Yuqing's house keeping the little one company, doting on her and catering to her every whim, practically wanting to cradle her in the palm of her hand. Xiao Ye was both flattered and panicked, completely unable to figure out what Fang Yi was up to.
On this day, Baiye woke up early and prepared breakfast in the kitchen. She could finally go to the set today, so she was naturally in high spirits.
After two days of rest, she felt much better. The pain had subsided, and while the bruises were still a ghastly purple, the swelling had gone down. A full recovery was only a matter of time.
Baiye prepared boiled eggs, plain boiled chicken breast, and a vegetable salad for Lin Yuqing. She arranged it all beautifully on the plate, and by the time she brought it to the table, Lin Yuqing and Xia Xiaozi were already waiting.
Seeing Lin Yuqing's nutritional meal, Xia Xiaozi smacked her lips. "Good thing I don't have to diet!" She waited expectantly for the breakfast the little one had prepared for her.
Xiao Ye smiled sweetly and brought a plate from the kitchen that looked even bigger than Lin Yuqing's.
"Hehe~" Xia Xiaozi shot Lin Yuqing a smug look, but when she saw the food on the plate, her smile froze on her face.
"Eat it while it's hot. I went out specially to buy these for you. Pork buns, aren't they your favorite?"
Xia Xiaozi pouted, her anticipation vanishing in an instant. The gap between people can be vast, truly vast.
Lin Yuqing, however, was very happy and ate with great relish.
When Baiye went out, she saw Fang Yi's red car as soon as she got downstairs.
"Auntie Fang, why are you waiting for me here today?"
"Isn't it nice to save you a few steps?" The moment Fang Yi saw her, she broke into a kind smile and opened the car door for her.
"It is~ Thank you, Auntie Fang~" she said playfully.
Auntie Lin had told her that Auntie Fang wouldn't hurt her and that she shouldn't distance herself, or it would make her sad.
So, after some initial discomfort, Baiye was slowly getting used to Fang Yi's attention. However, she still hoped this care would be focused more on work. As for her personal life, having Auntie Lin was more than enough!
The two arrived at the set early and happened to run into Su Yu at the entrance of the film studio.
"Well, well, you're here so early today. You must know you're filming a kiss scene. Quite eager, aren't you!" Su Yu joked loudly. Hearing this, Xiao Ye looked mortified. Right, she had forgotten. Today, there was a… a kiss scene! Ahhh!!!
A kiss scene with Auntie Lin!!!
Oh my god, was she… going to kiss Auntie Lin? Wait, was it going to be in front of so many people? She would die of embarrassment!!!
"Hey, have you ever kissed anyone before?" Su Yu asked curiously.
At her words, Baiye lowered her head and turned away. Well, now she had the words 'guilty conscience' written all over her face.
"Eh? From the looks of it, you have? I wouldn't have guessed!" Su Yu pushed up a pair of non-existent glasses with a serious expression. With this little one's timid nature, she dared to kiss someone else? The other person probably wouldn't even have time to react before she herself turned colors from shyness!
"Hey, tell me about it," Su Yu said with a wicked grin, nudging her with her elbow.
"Of… of course not… You… stop talking nonsense!"
"I've never kissed anyone… never…" The little one managed to make herself blush just by saying it, making her words completely unconvincing.
While getting her makeup done, the little one was still on edge, her mind filled with fantasies of kissing Auntie Lin.
When Fang Yi came in, she saw she was in makeup and didn't disturb her. She stared at her pretty face for a moment, then frowned and turned to the makeup artist. "Is that too much blush?"
"Huh? I haven't even applied the blush yet."
Hearing this, Baiye opened her eyes and saw her reflection in the mirror. Annoyed with herself, she mentally scolded herself to stop daydreaming!!!
Fang Yi found it highly amusing, but then she frowned again. The way the child was blushing was a bit strange…
She turned and went out to find Su Yu.
"Clear the set for the kiss scene later."
"Clear the set for a kiss scene?!" Su Yu was dumbfounded. You wanted the set cleared for a bare back scene before, and fine, we did it. She's thin-skinned, we can accommodate. But why do we need to clear the set for a simple kiss scene?? Besides, a lot of people were already complaining that they missed the steamy scene last time. If we clear the set again, they're going to go on strike!
"We can't watch anything. Is she a nationally protected species or something?!"
"She… actually is," Fang Yi said bluntly.
While the two were arguing, Lin Yuqing arrived. Just as Su Yu was about to ask for her opinion, she heard the woman say faintly, "It's my first on-screen kiss. I'm shy. Clear the set."
…!!! What the hell do you have to be shy about at your age!!
After her makeup was done, Baiye went to peek into Auntie Lin's dressing room. Auntie Lin was getting her makeup done. Her hair was deliberately messy, and her face was made up to be extremely pale, giving her an unhealthy, sickly appearance. Auntie Lin's natural lips were already a tender pink, so the makeup artist applied a layer of light-colored lipstick to cover them. The thought of pressing her own lips against those soft ones in a little while made Baiye's heart race, and she unconsciously licked her lips.
Lin Yuqing opened her eyes and happened to see Baiye's small action in the mirror, as well as those lustful doe eyes staring at her. She shot her a wide-eyed glare, scaring the little one away.
Lin Yuqing changed into her costume, which was just a simple cloth robe. The style was reasonably exquisite, but it wasn't as dashing as the armor. Then she headed straight for the military tent, as this scene was also to be filmed there.
When she lifted the flap to enter, Su Yu was explaining the scene to everyone.
As the story went, after the King of Yi tricked An Luocheng into returning to the capital, she immediately placed her under house arrest and even presented her with poisoned wine, ordering her to commit suicide.
An Xi had long sensed that something was wrong and had An Luocheng's vice general follow her and keep watch in secret. Upon seeing An Luocheng placed under house arrest, the vice general immediately rushed back to report. The group rode back at top speed to save her, but they were a step too late. In her own ancestral hall, facing the generations of loyal members of the An family, a disheartened An Luocheng drank the poisoned wine.
The group risked their lives to rescue An Luocheng, but they had nowhere to go, as the King of Yi's soldiers were everywhere.
With no other options, An Xi suggested taking An Luocheng to the Yu Kingdom for temporary refuge. The King of Yu, Luo Qingyuan, was a master strategist like An Luocheng. They had fought for years, and though they were enemies, they shared a mutual respect. Going to the Yu Kingdom might be the only way to save An Luocheng's life.
Under these circumstances, the group arrived at the Yu Kingdom's camp.
As for An Luocheng, she had ingested a slow-acting poison, but strangely, she remained in a comatose state, her consciousness muddled. She would occasionally wake for a short while before quickly falling asleep again.
The scene they were about to film was after the group arrived at the Yu army's camp. An Xi had negotiated with the King of Yu, who then summoned a doctor to treat An Luocheng. An Luocheng wakes up, and upon learning she is in the Yu Kingdom, her inherent loyalty causes her to draw her sword on An Xi, leading to a fierce argument between the two.
Baiye and the actor playing Luo Qingyuan stood outside the tent. At Su Yu's command, the scene began.
The two walked to the front of the tent together, but before they could even lift the flap, one of the adopted daughters came flying out, clutching her chest and collapsing on the ground. The sight made them both stop in their tracks.
"What's wrong?!"
"Mother… Mother, she…"
Startled, An Xi rushed forward and lifted the tent flap. Her hand paused as she saw An Luocheng inside, her eyes filled with a fierce light, glaring hatefully at the adopted daughters standing around her.
Seeing An Xi enter, An Luocheng turned her head. Her piercing gaze made An Xi tremble. A powerful, invisible aura emanated from her, freezing An Xi in place.
"A… A-Niang," An Xi swallowed hard.
An Luocheng pointed a finger at her. "You…" Her eyes were wide with fury, her body trembling, her face ashen with rage.
Suddenly, her expression changed. She clutched her chest and staggered back two steps, bumping into the corner of a table.
"A-Niang!" An Xi moved forward to support her.
"Get away!" An Luocheng roared, shoving her aside. She looked around, then pulled the sword from An Liang's waist and pressed the tip directly against An Xi's throat.
"You… why would you brand me as disloyal and unrighteous!" she demanded through gritted teeth.
"Mother!" An Liang and the others rushed to her side and knelt.
"Stand up!" An Xi grabbed An Liang's shoulder and pulled her to her feet. Her gaze fixed firmly on An Luocheng, she took a deep breath and slowly walked toward her.
"Disloyal and unrighteous?"
"Then please, A-Niang, teach me. What is loyalty, and what is righteousness?" Her neck grazed the blade as she walked forward without hesitation.
"'If the ruler wants his subject to die, the subject must die.' Is that the loyalty you follow? Even a three-year-old can see that the King of Yi is a fatuous ruler who listens to treacherous sycophants and wrongfully kills the loyal. Yet you still follow her wholeheartedly and serve her as your master. Do you think dying will prove your innocence? Do you think she truly cares whether you are loyal or have committed treason? The only thing she cares about is her throne! She will eliminate anyone who poses the slightest threat to it! You've followed her for so many years, can you really not see that?"
An Xi lowered her gaze to the sword. The blade was trembling.
"Do you know, A-Niang, that your two vice generals risked everything to escort you here, and have now secretly returned to the Yi Kingdom to rally the former An family army? They are risking their lives just to help you achieve your great ambitions, yet here you are, seeking only death to prove your innocence. Is this also the 'righteousness' you speak of?"
With a clang, An Luocheng's longsword fell from her hand. An Xi immediately took a step forward and struck the back of her neck with the edge of her hand. An Luocheng's body went limp and she collapsed into An Xi's arms.
An Xi knelt, half-crouching, holding An Luocheng's body. She remained motionless for a long time, gazing at her pale face, her eyes filled with heartache.
She took An Luocheng's hand and pressed a gentle kiss to it. "Loyalty and righteousness cannot both be served. This time, I'll choose for you!"
"Cut," Su Yu called out, but Baiye didn't move. She continued to hold Lin Yuqing tightly. Lin Yuqing opened her eyes and met Xiao Ye's slightly reddened gaze. Had the little one gotten that emotional while acting?
Seeing Auntie Lin's sickly complexion made Baiye's heart ache. Seeing her lying weakly in her arms made it even worse. She couldn't help but raise a hand to wipe Auntie Lin's cheek, not stopping until the layer of white foundation was gone, revealing Auntie Lin's slightly rosy complexion. Only then did she feel a little relieved.
However…
"Gu Baiye, have you got nothing better to do?!" Su Yu was furious. What was wrong with her, wiping off someone's makeup the second she wasn't looking!
"Lin Yuqing, what are you doing? Just letting her cause trouble? Where's that explosive temper of yours?" She turned to look at Lin Yuqing. The two were staring at each other with intense focus. Meow meow meow? Why do I feel like I'm missing something??
"Ah… I'm sorry, Teacher Lin! I… I didn't do it on purpose…" Baiye snapped back to reality. Looking at the makeup she had smudged on Auntie Lin's face, she gradually realized she had done it again!
"It's fine. I thought this makeup was too pale anyway." Lin Yuqing pulled her up and called the makeup artist over to touch up her makeup, specifically telling her not to make it too white; a little color was fine.
As she closed her eyes and waited for the touch-up, her mind replayed the image of the little one's reddened gaze from just moments ago. What kind of look was that? It made her heart feel warm, yet also a little bit sour.
Baiye secretly sighed in relief. At least Auntie Lin wasn't angry!
However, just because Auntie Lin wasn't angry didn't mean someone else wasn't.
Su Yu walked over and pinched her ear. "You're getting too mischievous, aren't you? How much time are you going to make me waste now!"
"Ouch, ouch… Director Su, I'm sorry…" Baiye whined, feeling utterly wronged.
"Su Yu, getting bold, are we? Just because you're a director, you've forgotten your place? Hmm?" Fang Yi appeared at the right moment, slapping Su Yu's hand away and pulling Xiao Ye behind her protectively.
"You! Wait, is this my fault…!" Su Yu felt wronged too.
Fang Yi glanced at her, then turned and led Baiye out of the tent, looking at her with a serious expression. "Xiao Ye."
"Hm? What is it, Auntie Fang?"
"Do you… like Lin Yuqing?"
The words struck Xiao Ye like a clap of thunder. Her heart seized as if it had been struck by a heavy fist. Auntie Fang… how could Auntie Fang know?!
That momentary lapse only confirmed Fang Yi's suspicions. Although she had always felt that the way Xiao Ye looked at Lin Yuqing was overly intense, it had only been a suspicion. But today, seeing Xiao Ye watch Lin Yuqing with such focus, to be so overly concerned about her sickly makeup, and to even get red-eyed with sadness at the sight of her falling—no matter how she looked at it, these feelings were far too strong.
"You're a terrible liar. Don't try to deceive me," Fang Yi said, her expression grave.
"I… yes… I like her…" For some reason, after the initial panic of having her secret exposed, there was a sense of relief.
"Do you have any idea…" Fang Yi said urgently.
"I know! I know everything!"
"I know we're both women, I know she's sixteen years older than me, I know she's a famous actress, and I know she won't accept me… I know. I know all of it…" Baiye's eyes couldn't help but turn red. She slowly squatted down, wrapping her arms around herself and squeezing tightly.
"But what can I do about it…"
"I just like her…"
"I just… like her…"
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