Bed scenes have always been very different, and the country's strict review procedures also limit the scale of their performances. When the filming started, Qu Xizhi knelt on both sides of Gu Xizhi's body, gently held her cheeks with her hands, and kissed her.

In a movie, a kissing scene usually lasts only about ten seconds, but in actual filming, many actors often spend several minutes or even more than ten minutes capturing the best footage for the director's editing.

It's still a kiss, but this kiss now carries less of the innocence it had before.

Qu Xizhi held Gu Xizhi's cheeks with both hands and played with her lips with the tip of her tongue. Her skillful technique made it easy to recall some old things.

Gu Xizhi had never felt this way before, but at this moment when Qu Xizhi kissed her, she suddenly blurred the boundary between reality and drama.

Qin Shiyu's enthusiasm seemed to ignite some dormant emotions. Qu Xizhi's tongue easily parted her teeth and danced with her tongue, delicately caressing and playing. At first, Gu Xizhi portrayed a slightly passive sensation, but as their kiss deepened, she truly became completely controlled by her.

The naked back and the girl's slender and fair limbs in the distant view are very beautiful against the pure white background. Under the light, Qu Xizhi's long, satin-like hair falls on Gu Xizhi's body, glowing with brightness.

As the two love each other, the camera gradually fades out at this moment. They continued to kiss closely, and the process from clarity to blur was exceptionally slow. A long time later, on the monitor, only the fuzzy image of the two women kissing remained. The simple scene appeared as if it could last forever.

Scarlett Li was very satisfied with this scene.

"Cut!" She called out slowly.

The moment Gu Xizhi heard the stop, she pushed away Qu Xizhi. The assistant handed the clothes to the two actresses and closed the partition curtain. Soon, Gu Xizhi put on her dress. Though her cheeks were terribly red, she didn't say a word, just hung her head low and got off the bed.

The moment she walked out of the bedroom, Lili draped a long coat over her and helped her to the changing room. At that time, Qu Xizhi was still sitting on the bed. The spring breeze, carrying the moisture of the rain, drifted in from the window. Just one curtain away, the lighting remained bright. She raised her right hand and looked at her fingertips through the light.

The city's roads were congested due to flooding, but because Gu Xizhi had an appointment with Tian Youlan in advance, even though the journey was long and difficult, she still went back to her talent agency and signed a contract.

It was already eleven o'clock when she returned to the hotel. After Gu Xizhi put down her bag, she went to the bathroom to take a shower and then returned to the bedroom after washing her clothes.

The large and soft bed seemed like it could alleviate all weariness. Gu Xizhi had just turned off the light and lay down for a short while when there was a knock on the door again. She had to put her shoes back on and walked to open the door.

Opening the bedroom door, Qu Xizhi stood outside the door wearing a long nightgown. Her black hair was tied up, making her facial features look more delicate and charming under the light of the living room.

She looked at her, "You didn't review the scenes we shot tonight. Is it because you're satisfied with your performance?" 

Gu Xizhi didn't understand why she deliberately knocked on the door to ask about this matter, and she felt a bit nervous for no reason. "As long as Sister Jia is satisfied."

"You used to review the scenes multiple times. You'd even demand reshoots when you weren't satisfied."

"That was before. I don't want to talk about today's scenes anymore." Gu Xizhi looked very reluctant to bring it up.

Qu Xizhi nodded gently, "I have a question."

Gu Xizhi thought for a moment before raising her head to meet her gaze.

Qu Xizhi looked into her eyes and asked, "Have you been with someone else after the breakup?"

Gu Xizhi was stunned and then remembered that she had asked the same question that morning.

She felt a bit alarmed and quickly turned her head, saying, "This question is irrelevant and I refuse to answer." 

Qu Xizhi gripped her wrist, forcing her to look directly at her.

"No, right?"

Her wrist slightly hurt from the pull, and Gu Xizhi struggled, saying, "I told you, it's irrelevant."

Qu Xizhi looked into her eyes and asked, "Tell me, why did you come back to China?"

Her questioning was very oppressive and Gu Xizhi didn't dare to look at those bright black eyes. Her voice trembled as she replied, "To act in this movie."

"If there wasn't this movie, would you never have come back?"

"I knew there would always be a suitable movie."

"Besides career, is there no place left for feelings in your heart?"

"I..." Gu Xizhi's voice suddenly carried a hint of indescribable sadness. "I love my parents, relatives, and friends. I want to make my love more meaningful and hope I will be more worthy of being loved."

"So." Her voice is somewhat self-deprecating. "My name has never appeared in your purpose of returning to the country, you never thought of getting back together, was there?"

The sound of rain hitting the south window became clearer due to the long silence. Qu Xizhi closed her eyes and was quiet for a while. Suddenly she said: "There's one thing I've always forgotten to tell you." 

"The time you lost to Yin Ci, the judges gave a score of seven to six. Yin Ci's seventh vote came from Danish director Thomas Nielsen. He insisted on voting for you before the awards ceremony, but he left for a long time during the event, and when he came back, he denied his vote."

She turned to look at the richly colored carpet in the living room, paused for a moment, and then said, "What you wanted, you actually had it a long time ago, but what I truly desired might have been crushed by us together."

The weather forecast said it would rain for a week, but the rain for two days and two nights had paralyzed the city's traffic several times.

After closing the window, the room was noticeably quieter. Gu Xizhi lay down on the bed, tossing and turning for a long time, but she seemed to be unable to sleep peacefully.

When your mind is preoccupied with something, it can become difficult to sleep. Despite trying various methods to induce drowsiness, it proved futile. Gu Xizhi eventually turned off the light and listened quietly to the sound of rain outside.

The next morning, Gu Xizhi got up early and had breakfast with Liang Ying on the balcony. 

Qu Xizhi woke up a bit later, and Gu Xizhi saw her sitting on the balcony quietly, lost in thought after coming out of the bathroom. In this moment of conflict, Liang Ying whispered to Gu Xizhi, "Did you hear that? Xiao A'Qu seems to be vomiting."

Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=1849307

This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.

Gu Xizhi was startled and quickly recalled any signs that might suggest she was ill.

At this moment, Liang Ying continued to mutter to herself, "It doesn't seem like she is sick, just like the last time." The bathroom door was opened at that moment, and Gu Xizhi hurriedly approached, asking, "You don't seem to be feeling well... Do you need any help?"

Qu Xizhi glanced at her with a calm expression that no longer showed any discomfort. "It's nothing, I'm in a hurry, so I'll leave now."

A few days later, at a coffee shop on the first floor of Times Square.

"So, that's why you've been so distracted these days?" Lili sat across from Gu Xizhi at the dining table and said, "I need to remind you, that this movie is very important, and there can't be any mistakes. You must quickly adjust your mentality, or you'll regret it if it affects the filming."

"I know," Gu Xizhi absentmindedly played with the coffee spoon. "I've been actively adjusting my mentality, but sometimes I still feel sad inside."

"So, how do you feel now?" Lili asked. "Xiao Jing, I think Miss Qu's actions are not wrong. After all these years, I can empathize with her sadness."

"I didn't mean to question her intentions," Gu Xizhi said. "Of course, I can understand her. I just don't know how to make her happy."

"Do you want to make her happy?" Lili looked at her with a disapproving expression. "Xiao Jing, Miss Qu's feelings are quite simple, and with your understanding of her, you can't possibly not know what to do. You're just not sure yet, aren't you?"

Gu Xizhi suddenly stared at her without moving.

All the inner turmoil and confusion of these past days were suddenly laid bare, and her hidden thoughts were completely exposed by Lili. Her gaze towards Lili was somewhat bewildered and caught off guard.

Lili sighed as she saw Gu Xizhi's reaction. "Back when you chose to leave, I could understand your feelings. I know Miss Qu has been good to you, but there's always been an unbridgeable gap between you two. If being with her only brings you pain and sorrow, then I also don't support you staying."

"But..." Lili continued, "What about now? The current situation isn't much different from over two years ago. In the eyes of the public, you still seem separated from Qu Xizhi by an insurmountable chasm. Can you accept this? Your career has just started to pick up again, and in the future, you might face many professional conflicts with her. Can you handle that? If this movie also fails, can you bear the blow?"

She asked numerous questions in succession, leaving Gu Xizhi feeling overwhelmed. She couldn't meet Lili's gaze, and with a heavy heart, she turned her head to look out of the floor-to-ceiling window at the people passing by.

Lili watched her and sighed once more. "Xiao Jing, I know you're torn, and no matter what decision you ultimately make, I'll support you. But you must understand that repeating the same mistakes causes even greater harm. You need to ensure your choice is resolute."