Chapter 70: How Could You Kiss Me?
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Ruan Yesheng suddenly thought of something, exclaimed, and said, "Wait, I was taken advantage of."
Xi Mo's face darkened, she immediately stopped her actions, and said, "How did I take advantage of you?"
Ruan Yesheng slowly turned around, smiling at her, "I only said I was taken advantage of. I didn't say it was you who did it. Why are you so eager to clarify?"
Xi Mo: "..."
Xi Mo's voice carried a hint of suppressed displeasure. She frowned and said, "Then tell me, who took advantage of you?"
"If I tell you who it is." Ruan Yesheng lightly bit her lip, as if hiding some almost overwhelming joy, and said, "Will you help me teach her a lesson?"
Xi Mo stared at her for a moment, probably realizing she was joking, so she didn't respond directly, but simply said, “Tell me first, who is it?"
Ruan Yesheng pointed to the black mask hanging around her neck, "It's this mask."
Xi Mo: "..."
Ruan Yesheng's voice carried a subtle pleasure, and she carefully analyzed, "Look, you first wore the mask with my identity, then I wore the same mask with your identity. When wearing the mask, it touches the lips, which means my lips touched the mask once, and your lips also touched the mask once. Through the transfer of the mask, it's equivalent to you kissing me."
Xi Mo: "..."
Ruan Yesheng did not finish speaking. She observed Xi Mo's almost frozen expression and continued, "But we both know, how could you kiss me? It must be the mask's fault. It's all because of the mask transfer. So, I know it wasn't you taking advantage of me, it was the mask taking advantage of me. I understand."
As she said she understood, her eyes shone with an indescribable light.
It seemed playful, but it was serious.
And her deliberate subtlety in this joke was certainly understood by Xi Mo.
Xi Mo said nothing more but instructed, "Turn around, I haven't finished untying it. Don't move."
Ruan Yesheng obediently turned around again and stood straight.
After a while, the simple mask still wasn't removed. Ruan Yesheng couldn't help but ask, "Is it not done yet?"
"I tied a dead knot," Xi Mo's low voice came from behind.
Ruan Yesheng: "..."
Xi Mo said, "You said the mask took advantage of you. I helped teach it a lesson by tying a dead knot, so it will remember."
Ruan Yesheng lowered her head and laughed, "Then I must really thank you. But you tied a dead knot, how can I take it off?"
"I can help you untie it."
Whether there was actually a dead knot, Ruan Yesheng couldn't see, so it was hard to tell. Only Xi Mo knew for sure. Ruan Yesheng heard Xi Mo's voice much softer than before. Perhaps it was because Xi Mo was standing right behind her, and she could even feel her breath brush against the mask, lifting the hair on her neck, and touching her skin.
Finally, Xi Mo took off the mask, holding it in her hand, and said, "It's done."
"It really took a long time. My legs are numb from standing." Ruan Yesheng glanced at her from the corner of her eye, her smile still present.
"Then let's go. Walking will make it better." Xi Mo folded the mask into a strip, wrapped it around her wrist a few times, and casually tied the black mask to her wrist.
The two of them slowly walked back to the filming site, treating it like a stroll. Tonight's night scene had mostly wrapped up. Lin Qitang made some final arrangements, and the filming ended. Everyone packed up and went home.
....
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Shen Qingbie and Yu An had already returned to the hotel to rest. For convenience, their hotel was not far from the crew's hotel.
Yu An sat on a chair in the room, watching Shen Qingbie pace back and forth in front of her. She had been listening to Shen Qingbie's ramblings for a while and felt a headache coming on.
"A’Yu, although it mostly matches, there is still one problem that doesn't add up," Shen Qingbie said, raising a finger. "That is when we met her on the road earlier, she said she didn't have an assistant, but at the film set, she said she did have an assistant. These two statements conflict."
Since there were no outsiders, Yu An didn't need to hide anything. She simply rolled her eyes and asked, "If you wanted to hide something, would you lie?"
"Of course, you know that best," Shen Qingbie answered without hesitation. She often had to put on an act in front of the media; it was routine for her.
"Since it's all acting and lying, what's the problem with inconsistent statements about having an assistant or not? After all, she was masked the whole time. No one knows if the person they met before and after was the same. The freedom to lie while masked is definitely much higher than when unmasked." Yu An poured herself a glass of water and glanced at Shen Qingbie. "Only you would be so bored to ask about this. No one else would care that much."
Shen Qingbie stopped pacing and pulled a chair to sit in front of Yu An. "You make a lot of sense. If she's lying, then some statements lose their reference value, so there's no need to compare them."
"When have I ever made no sense?"
Shen Qingbie earnestly praised her, "I knew it, A’Yu is the smartest."
Yu An snorted.
"Now that this doubt is resolved," Shen Qingbie paused and then cautiously asked, "can we confirm that the masked person is really Xi Mo?"
Yu An frowned, thinking for a moment before replying, "Although many clues suggest that the person might be Xi Mo, nothing is absolute. There could be many possibilities we haven't considered, so I can't make a hasty conclusion. I can only say, you should assume that the masked person is Xi Mo and see if everything makes sense. But remember, this is just a hypothetical assumption."
Yu An looked at Shen Qingbie specifically to emphasize the point.
Shen Qingbie understood her meaning and nodded, "Alright, it's just a premise, I won't jump to conclusions."
Yu An felt reassured and continued, "This leads to an important question: why did Xi Mo cover her face twice? Clearly, someone hiding their appearance doesn't want to be recognized. She encountered us both times, and she knows us, so she might be acting to avoid us recognizing her."
Shen Qingbie became puzzled, "That doesn't make sense. We've met Xi Mo before, and she didn't hide her face to avoid us. Why this time?"
Yu An replied, "It's possible that Xi Mo overheard your conversation on the road. I've told you not to talk like that in public, but sometimes you just can't control your mouth. You know the situation between you and her in front of the media. If Xi Mo heard those words, she might have wanted to avoid an awkward situation by covering her face so we wouldn't know it was her."
"Alright, that could be," Shen Qingbie said. "But what about on set? Why did she cover her face there? If we didn't recognize her on the road, she wouldn't know about the conversation, and there wouldn't be an awkward situation. Why cover her face on set?"
Yu An hadn't expected this question, "..."
"So, A’Yu, your explanation still doesn't fully make sense."
Yu An's headache grew more severe. She usually had clear thoughts, but although Shen Qingbie's question stumped her, she still held onto her view. "The whole situation seems strange, but I can't pinpoint what's off. There must be something we're unaware of that's confusing us."
Shen Qingbie continued her relentless pursuit of the truth, saying, "I have an idea that makes a lot of sense. Xi Mo isn't afraid of us recognizing her; she's afraid of anyone recognizing her. She might be in some kind of trouble that she doesn't want others to know about."
Yu An, exhausted by her persistence, took another sip of water to soothe her throat and weakly played along, "What do you think that trouble is?"
Shen Qingbie's expression turned particularly serious, "I think Xi Mo might really have a problem with her eyes. She can't see clearly."
Yu An: "..."
Shen Qingbie said seriously as if acting in a detective drama, "Let me reconstruct the truth for you. Xi Mo was walking on the road for some reason, and her eyes had a problem. If she met someone head-on, they would quickly realize she couldn't see clearly. Being a public figure, it would be very troublesome if people knew she had eye problems. At that time, she couldn't see clearly and didn't recognize us. To prevent others from recognizing her, she quickly used a mask to cover her face and tried to avoid being noticed.”
“Then, at the folding chair, she was similarly afraid that if someone came close and spoke to her, they would notice her eye problem. So, she covered her face again to avoid direct close-up encounters. On a secluded road, no one knew it was her, so she could say she didn't have an assistant. But on set, with other staff possibly nearby, it would be awkward if her statements didn't match up. For instance, we later asked the staff, and she probably anticipated such a scenario. So, while she didn't reveal much to us, some of what she did say was true."
“So, her saying she didn't have an assistant on the road and then covering her face on set while saying she did have an assistant does make sense, as you said. Since no one knew it was the same person both times, inconsistencies in her statements wouldn't matter.”
“Most importantly, her later explanation of having blurry vision due to a cold and feeling dizzy and lightheaded is a common excuse. Even if people knew she was Xi Mo, they would just assume she had a simple cold, not suspecting any eye problems."
Detective Shen praised, "She really thought it through meticulously, it's almost flawless."
Yu An: "..."
...You’re probably overthinking it.
And soon, Yu An pointed out a loophole in Shen Qingbie's argument, "Okay, you said her eyes had a problem, but then she went back to filming. If her eyes were really a problem, how could she continue filming?"
However, Shen Qingbie countered, "You saw it yourself, she could walk away on her own at the time, indicating her vision wasn't impaired to the point of being unable to see freely. Some eye conditions only become noticeable up close, through facial observation and conversation. So, she covered her face to avoid direct contact with people. From the time she met us on the road to when we saw her on set, there was only enough time for her to film one scene, and the crew said it was a night assassination scene. You've seen how night scenes are filmed—usually crowded with dim lighting. Even if she had to interact with others, she would have the script as reference and be mentally prepared, unlike in real-life close conversations where there's no script to follow and it's easier to slip up. With her superb acting skills and excellent script memorization, she could easily complete the scene without being noticed."
Yu An: "..."
Finishing the last sip of water, Yu An took a deep breath.
She felt that this matter wasn't so simple; there were many suspicious aspects to it. While Shen Qingbie's explanation seemed reasonable at first glance, upon closer inspection, something felt off.
Based on Yu An's knowledge, Xi Mo is someone who values her image and dislikes media speculation. She's cautious in her personal life, and the media rarely captures her. For someone like her, it's plausible to hide any eye problems to avoid media attention. In an entertainment era where even what an artist eats can make headlines, many news stories are boring and sensationalized. With Yu An's experience, she can imagine the kind of headlines that would arise if the media suspected Xi Mo had eye issues.
Currently, no definitive conclusion can be drawn, but if the person is indeed Xi Mo, Yu An feels relieved. Originally, she was concerned about the masked woman potentially leaking information, but if it's Xi Mo, she's not worried.
Yu An turned to Shen Qingbie, "You can say what you want, but I'll reserve judgment on the eye issue. However, if it is Xi Mo, even if she overheard, it's okay. She wouldn't tell the media."
Shen Qingbie's eyes lit up, "Do you really trust her that much?"
Yu An hummed, "Even though I'm your manager, it doesn't stop me from appreciating her character. I know she's not that kind of person. Besides, with her current resources and status, does she really need to resort to that? You can rest assured."
Shen Qingbie also seemed relieved, "Thank goodness."
Yu An sighed with frustration, "Look at her, then look at you. Next time you speak carelessly outside, I won't be able to save you so many times."
Shen Qingbie got up to pour Yu An a glass of water. After a moment, she said, "But if Xi Mo's eyes have a problem, how will she act in the future? Eyes are so important for an actor."
Yu An, feeling a bit better after Shen Qingbie poured her water, became irritated again at her comment. She glanced at her and said, "Did you forget what I just said? We can't jump to conclusions; all of this is based on the assumption that it's Xi Mo, and who says her eyes must have a problem?"
Shen Qingbie had no choice but to concede, "Alright, no jumping to conclusions. So, if her eyes really have a sudden issue, maybe she's stuck on set today because the show has already started and she can't leave temporarily. If she takes a leave tomorrow, does that mean her eyes indeed have a problem and she's seeking treatment?"
Yu An felt hopeless. It seemed like Shen Qingbie was fully convinced that the person was Xi Mo and that Xi Mo's eyes had suddenly developed a problem. But there was no need to waste more breath explaining to her. When Xi Mo showed up at the set as usual tomorrow without taking a leave, she could use that fact to smack Shen Qingbie with reality and wake her up.
After finishing her second glass of water, Yu An stood up, placed the glass on the table, and said helplessly, "I need to go back to sleep. Don't worry too much here. Let's deal with tomorrow's matters tomorrow."
"A’Yu," Shen Qingbie called out to her, "I want to have breakfast tomorrow morning at that restaurant we talked about last time."
Yu An was already about to leave but turned back slowly after hearing this. She said in a measured tone, "Qingqing, I'm your manager, not your assistant. How many times have I told you this over the years? Can't you tell the difference?"
If any other artist in the company dared to make such demands, she would have shut them down long ago.
Shen Qingbie looked aggrieved, "But I didn't bring my assistant this time."
Yu An rubbed her temples and said, "Fine, fine, fine. Just shut up and go to sleep already."
As Yu An left and closed the door, Shen Qingbie sat alone in her chair, taking out her phone to start messaging someone.
It was unknown whom she was messaging, but soon enough, the message notification chimed.
….
Xi Mo didn't know about Shen Qingbie's huge misunderstanding regarding her eyesight, which seemed to have sparked a lengthy debate, almost resembling a symposium. She returned to her hotel room feeling exhausted. After resting her eyes for a while, she lifted her hand and focused on the black cloth wrapped around her wrist.
She observed it for a moment before heading into the bathroom, turning on the tap to fill it with water. She then untied the cloth from her wrist and began to rinse it.
The snow-white foam formed densely around the black fabric as she meticulously kneaded and washed it multiple times. After wringing it dry, she brought it close to her nose and caught a whiff of the lingering scent of cleanliness.
Xi Mo hung the cloth to dry, and as the night breeze blew in, it gently swayed. Afterward, she finished her shower and lay down, drifting off to sleep. Somehow, she found herself having a dream.
In the dream, there was a vast expanse of blue sky, clear and pure, with many black cloths used for filming neatly hung on drying racks, swaying in the gentle breeze against the blue sky. Actually, this kind of dream should seem quite strange, even inexplicable, but the sunlight was too good, the breeze too soft, and the sky too blue, making the scene surprisingly romantic.
When Xi Mo woke up the next morning, she recalled the dream and couldn't help but feel like there might be something wrong with her.
As usual, she headed to the filming location, but she had also bought breakfast that Ruan Yesheng liked. However, after waiting at the set for a long time, Ruan Yesheng still hadn't shown up.
At this time, Ruan Yesheng should have already come for makeup.
After Xi Mo finished dressing and preparing, she saw the coordinator coming in and went over to ask, "Have you seen Xi Mo? I haven't seen her around."
The coordinator replied, "Sister Xi suddenly had something come up, so she asked Tangtang to come over to ask for leave. Didn't she tell you?"
Author’s Note:
Ah, the lovely me sweetly updated again【。
