Chapter 77: Niu Hulu Shen Qingzhi 

This translation was originally posted on

https://love4baihe.blogspot.com

Since Shen Qingzhi returned to H City, life has become quite pleasant.

Although she usually had many appointments during the day, each job went smoothly. Those who used to cause trouble for her in the entertainment circle seemed to have vanished inexplicably.

Upon returning home in the evenings, nine out of ten times she would find her wife had meticulously prepared a delicious meal, waiting for her to dine together.

At first, Shen Qingzhi was quite puzzled. It was almost the end of the year, why was an international movie queen so free?

"Because my time belongs entirely to myself," Gu Jinrong said with a clear and light expression, in a tone as casual as asking "What's for dinner tonight?"

After getting the answer, Shen Qingzhi suddenly felt a sense of being enlightened.

This was the difference between working for others and working for oneself.

Initially, Shen Qingzhi felt a bit unsettled, but that tiny bit of unease vanished quickly under her dear wife's elaborate care and feeding.

Wen Qi, who returned to the country at the same time as Shen Qingzhi, had been quite persistent after being rejected when trying to reminisce about the past in F Country. She had called Shen Qingzhi twice but was met with rejection both times.

However, she seemed to be in a very stable mental state lately. In the two months since returning to the country, she had been very active on various social media platforms and her popularity had been rising rapidly.

Shen Qingzhi didn't have much fondness for this woman who had occupied her wife for nine years. Yet, occasionally coming across updates about her online, she sincerely hoped she could live a good life, so she wouldn't have time to disturb her own life anymore.

The blissfully ordinary times passed by swiftly. The leaves of the old tree outside turned yellow and fell, leaving behind bare branches.

The birds that used to chirp continuously had flown south, and those who liked to lie in bed during the day would no longer be awakened by bird calls.

Shen Qingzhi was curled up on the spacious bed at this moment, thick quilts wrapping her up like a small mountain. Though she was clearly awake, she didn't want to move at all.

Gu Jinrong, neat and tidy, wearing a dark blue silk pajama, approached the side of the bed and reached out to adjust the head wrapped in light golden long hair that had fallen onto the pillow.

"Qingqing, wake up, the sun's already shining on your butt." Her tone carried a warm smile.

"You're lying. In the middle of winter, where's the sun coming from?"

Shen Qingzhi muttered, rolled over, and aimed the back of her head at some annoying intruder to her peaceful sleep.

Anyway, she has no schedule today. She'll sleep as long as she pleases.

"You've only had this one day off in the past half a month. Are you sure you want to sleep it away like this?"

Gu Jinrong warmed her palm and reached under the covers to tickle the neck, making her itch.

"You're so annoying! If not for you, would I be this tired!"

Shen Qingzhi dodged a few times, unable to avoid it, so she abruptly sat up, rubbing her eyes, her body emitting heat.

This woman was truly infuriating. She had been tossed around by her last night and now, in broad daylight, she wouldn't let her sleep. Was she sent by the heavens to test her?

Gu Jinrong encircled the small mountain that had sat up, preventing her from lying down again. With one hand, she lightly scratched the tip of her own nose, trying to conceal her guilt.

"But Qingqing, didn't I follow your preferences last night?"

My preferences?

Shen Qingzhi squinted at this moment, her mind still a bit hazy, countless fragments of consciousness rushing into her thoughts:

Gu Jinrong leaned back on the sofa, swiping through the tablet with one hand. "Qingqing, Alaskan Lollipops has released many new products recently. Which ones do you like the most?"

"Let me see." Shen Qingzhi leaned in, her gaze following the fingertips moving on the tablet.

Among the new products at the Alaskan specialty store, there was an array of lollipop styles, not only rich in flavors but also featuring unique shapes, including animals, plants, and even buildings.

However, Shen Qingzhi didn't prefer overly fancy ones; she was more focused on the taste. "This one, biting into it should feel good."

She pointed to a more traditionally styled cylindrical lollipop, the only unique thing about it being the neatly arranged small round bumps on top, providing a slight oral massage while licking and eating it.

"Oh, so you like this kind. I see now."

Gu Jinrong smiled somewhat meaningfully at last, something Shen Qingzhi didn't pay much attention to at the time.

Nine years ago, Gu Jinrong loved giving her lollipops, and now, she still did it with enthusiasm, forming an unspoken understanding between them.

Two days later, Shen Qingzhi, having just finished showering, sat on the bed, playing with her phone with one hand while her other hand naturally reached for the candy box placed on the bedside table.

She had almost emptied this box at some unknown time, leaving only one lollipop inside, the exact one she had set her eyes on the day before.

She hadn't bought this style of candy before and noticed that its size was longer than shown in the photo.

Shen Qingzhi unwrapped the candy and licked it, but it had no sweetness at all. She suspected that Gu Jinrong had bought a counterfeit.

Coincidentally, Gu Jinrong appeared in her pajamas from the bathroom at this moment, noticing Shen Qingzhi holding the half-licked lollipop with a serious expression.

"There's something wrong with this candy."

Gu Jinrong took the lollipop and pressed the switch on the stick, and the rainbow lollipop, covered in bumps, started glowing and spinning.

Shen Qingzhi's eyes lit up, thinking: Do lollipops need this high-tech now?

Just as she was about to take it and taste it again, Gu Jinrong held her hand.

This translation was originally posted on

https://love4baihe.blogspot.com

With a warm voice lingering in her ears, "There's nothing wrong with the candy, but just now... Qingqing didn't lick at the right place."

Before Shen Qingzhi could discern the meaning in these words, something soft pressed against her lips, moist and fragrant with gardenia, tasting even better than the lollipop.

While she was lost in the intimacy of their lips, she suddenly felt a chill beneath her, the glowing lollipop finding its way home, generating heat again that had only just subsided.

Shen Qingzhi's mind went numb, feeling countless tiny electric currents surging through her. She gripped Gu Jinrong's arms, leaving deep marks on the silk sleeves.

They tasted this new lollipop for several hours, and in the end, both of them were sweating profusely in the middle of winter.

Shen Qingzhi's lashes were damp with tears, everyone around her seemed to have a shadow, and in her confusion, she convulsed on the bed, thinking: I can't ever look at this kind of lollipop again in the future.

As she concluded her recollection, Shen Qingzhi grasped Gu Jinrong's hand and took a bite on the back, "I simply said I liked that particular lollipop. Why did you have to make it so elaborate!"

Although... well, actually, it was quite comfortable afterward. But to confidently linger in bed a little longer now, she had to shift this blame elsewhere.

Looking at Shen Qingzhi's flushed face, Gu Jinrong was genuinely puzzled, "Don't you like it? But I saw your last liked post, it was just like this."

A liked post?

Shen Qingzhi squinted in confusion for a while, thinking she never really hit the like button on posts she read.

After about fifteen seconds, suddenly enlightenment struck, "You checked my alternate Weibo account?"

"I didn't check. You used my phone to log in before."

Shen Qingzhi bit her lip, recalling that it might indeed have happened.

Actually, she didn't mind if someone close knew her alternate Weibo account; there wasn't anything inappropriate there.

However, that cursed pornographic literature, she later realized she accidentally hit the like button and had specifically gone back to undo it.

How could this be?! 

This whole thing wasn't entirely Gu Jinrong's fault, but the person, now infuriated and ashamed, wasn't in the mood to be reasonable.

She thrust the phone from the bedside into Gu Jinrong's hand, pulled the covers over her head tightly, and with a sudden arch, pushed her out of bed, shouting in a muffled voice,

"Get out, take your phone and go out. I don't want to see you right now!"

Seeing her little girl exploding with anger, Gu Jinrong took a couple of steps toward the door, then hesitated and turned back.

"Qingqing, this seems to be your phone."

Their phone cases were changed to a less conspicuous couple style, easily mistaken at first glance.

Gu Jinrong raised her hand holding the phone, but the one covered by the blanket couldn't see it.

"I don't want it!" Shen Qingzhi's heart was racing at this moment, hardly caring about the phone.

"Someone's calling, it's your manager, I'll hang up for you." Gu Jinrong, noticing that Shen Qingzhi wasn't inclined to talk to her, muttered to herself as she walked out.

"Wait!" Shen Qingzhi lifted the covers, revealing a head resembling a bird's nest, and extended her slender white arm. "Give it to me."

Being pampered to such an extent, she dared not hang up on her manager’s call.

Gu Jinrong chuckled and placed the phone back into Shen Qingzhi's hand, enjoying the close-up performance of her wife's Sichuan opera-style facial changes.

"Hello, Ling-jie... What? I've been up early, just exercising at home."

"That variety show you mentioned before? I remember. Tomorrow, so soon?!"

"No problem, I'll get ready in a bit."

"Don't worry, I'm not the same Shen Qingzhi as before. Now, in front of you, is Niu Hulu* Shen Qingzhi. I've grown."

*Niu Hulu or Niohuru is originally one of the eight major Manchu surnames. Because of the TV Series "Harem: The Legend of Zhen Huan" and "Harem: Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace",  when someone is called "Niu Hulu", it means that she is no longer innocent and has become very scheming, just like the protagonist in the drama.

"Alright then, Ling-jie, bye."

Shen Qingzhi hung up the phone, glancing at Gu Jinrong, who was acting nonchalant.

"Ling-jie just told me that the recording for the variety show 'A Wonderful Life' got rescheduled to tomorrow, and several key members from ‘Heavenly Beings’ need to attend. Did you know about this?"

“Mm, I was planning to prepare together today, but you've been refusing to get up."

Shen Qingzhi checked her phone; it showed it was eleven in the afternoon.

Anxious, she quickly threw off the covers, shivering from the cold.

Gu Jinrong helped find her clothes, encircling her in an embrace, calming her with leisurely reassurance, "No need to rush, it's nearly twenty hours until we leave tomorrow."

If it were a few months ago, being held and helped to change clothes afterward would have been entirely unacceptable to Shen Qingzhi.

It's only been a few months, but her adaptability has grown to the point of amazing herself.

The main thing is, she's really in a rush now. The variety show recording got moved up; it's not just a matter of packing a suitcase, as simple as that.

Memorizing the faces of the hosts and guests, recalling the program flow, understanding the background of the variety show – none of these things happen instantly.

In the past few months, she's finally seen some improvement in her reputation. There have been fewer people criticizing her, and she needs to maintain this positive trend.

She hurriedly got dressed and got ready for grooming, while Gu Jinrong remained calm beside her.

In just the time it took to change into pajamas, those malicious fingers traced several spots on her body, warm breath rhythmically hitting her skin, making her feel ticklish.

It made her shiver, almost getting her head stuck in the sleeve of her clothes.

Was this person really here to help, or just here to cause mischief?

Black-hearted!