Chapter 99: You Know When Else People Would Cover Their Cheeks?
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
On the surface, Shen Qingbie was busy taking selfies, but in reality, she subtly adjusted the camera angle, making more room for the two people smiling at each other in the distance.
Yu An was sharp. She glanced at the phone screen Shen Qingbie was holding up and noticed that although Ruan Yesheng and Xi Mo were far away, their figures appeared particularly clear in the frame, occupying a significant portion of the image. It didn’t seem like they had accidentally been caught in the shot—it was as if Shen Qingbie was deliberately taking photos of them.
Yu An sensed that something was off.
Lately, Shen Qingbie had been acting strangely—too often, and always in relation to Ruan Yesheng and Xi Mo. Yu An couldn’t ignore it.
She pondered for a moment, then leaned in, pressing her face against Shen Qingbie’s. At the same time, she carefully adjusted the position of the selfie interface, nudging Shen Qingbie toward the center of the frame.
If Shen Qingbie shifted toward the center, it would mean she had no other motives. But if she stubbornly refused to move, then she was likely trying to capture Ruan Yesheng and Xi Mo on purpose.
This little test would more or less reveal the truth.
But maybe she was afraid Shen Qingbie would feel uncomfortable, so she squeezed very gently and with control.
So much so that this squeezing wasn’t much different from rubbing.
Shen Qingbie felt Yu An’s face pressed against hers. At first, she was surprised and happy. After all, A'Yu was always helpless against her and rarely got this close.
But then she felt Yu An’s face getting closer and even rubbing against the side of her cheek, which made her feel a little strange.
What’s wrong with A'Yu?
Shen Qingbie was full of doubts, but she didn’t forget to return the favor and rubbed her face against Yu An’s.
Shen Qingbie’s skin was soft and smooth, like a peeled egg white.
Yu An: "..."
While rubbing, Shen Qingbie even asked excitedly, "A'Yu, what’re you doing? Is this a new way to take photos?"
Yu An silently swallowed a mouthful of blood. She couldn’t tell the truth, so she could only answer, "You told me to press my face against yours."
Shen Qingbie never thought too deeply about things, and she’d always trusted her. She suddenly realized, "You’re really cooperating today. I told you to press against me, and you actually did it. I’m not even used to it. But I’m so happy. After all, this is the first time you’ve ever taken the initiative to get this close to me. Before, when I wanted to be close to you, you always looked unwilling. Do you find me annoying? Then I’ll be good and not bother you so much in the future. Will you cooperate with me more? But A’Yu, we’re just taking a selfie. You don’t have to press so close. This will make your selfie look unnatural later. Taking selfies is very particular. You rarely take selfies, so this is a good chance for me to teach you..."
"Shut up." Yu An interrupted her rapid-fire nonsense.
Shen Qingbie really shut her mouth, but she felt a little wronged.
"Hurry up and take the picture." Yu An, completely exhausted by her antics, gave up on figuring out the truth and said tiredly, "At least there's no one else around."
But her face was still pressed against Shen Qingbie’s.
Shen Qingbie snapped several selfies with Yu An, making sure to include Ruan Yesheng and Xi Mo in every shot.
"Let’s try something different." Shen Qingbie, the selfie maniac, suggested, "Always pressing our faces together is too boring."
Yu An shot her a sideways glance, wondering what kind of trouble she was going to stir up next.
"How about I give you a kiss?" Shen Qingbie excitedly proposed, "That way, we’ll look extra close."
Yu An froze. "…?"
Shen Qingbie always did what she said. The moment Yu An was caught off guard, Shen Qingbie puckered her lips and kissed her left cheek while pressing the shutter button.
The scene was quickly captured and saved.
After the kiss, Shen Qingbie’s eyes and brows were filled with joy. She stood beside Yu An, looking down at the picture she had just taken, feeling very satisfied.
Yu An, however, remained motionless.
Shen Qingbie had put on a glossy lipstick today. When she kissed Yu An’s cheek, the touch was warm and soft, as if melting moisture into her skin.
Yu An raised her hand to her left cheek and stood there, dazed for a long time.
As one of the top managers in the industry, she was on equal footing with elite managers like Lu Qingming. Not only was she dazzling in appearance and temperament, but her methods were unmatched. There wasn’t a single artist she couldn’t handle.
Except Shen Qingbie.
And now, she had just been kissed by Shen Qingbie, leaving her completely stunned.
At that moment, Yan Mu had just finished filming for now. Seeing Shen Qingbie and Yu An seemingly taking pictures, he quickly walked over with a smile. "Sister Qingqing, Sister Yu An."
Hearing him, Shen Qingbie immediately pulled Yan Mu over and said, "Perfect timing! I’m about to leave. Let’s take a selfie together as a keepsake."
"Sure!" Yan Mu agreed cheerfully.
In the distance, Ruan Yesheng was talking with Xi Mo. She happened to lift her gaze and glanced over in their direction. Xi Mo, noticing her shift in focus, also followed her line of sight.
Shen Qingbie and Yan Mu faced the camera and took another selfie. As always, Shen Qingbie left space in the shot, capturing Ruan Yesheng and Xi Mo standing shoulder to shoulder, looking over at them.
"Looks like Shen Qingbie’s having a lot of fun over there," Ruan Yesheng casually remarked. "But why does Yu An seem frozen?"
"I’m not sure," Xi Mo replied, unable to make out the details from this distance. "Maybe she’s deep in thought."
"Then why is Yu An holding her left cheek the whole time?" Ruan Yesheng asked again.
"I don't know," Xi Mo said. "Maybe she has a toothache?"
Ruan Yesheng chuckled, her gaze locking onto Xi Mo. "Besides a toothache, do you know when else people hold their cheeks?"
"When?" Xi Mo frowned.
Ruan Yesheng leaned in closer, looking straight at Xi Mo’s cheek. Her lips parted slightly, then closed again.
Xi Mo noticed the subtle movement of Ruan Yesheng’s lips and immediately understood. Her expression stiffened slightly. Perhaps afraid that Ruan Yesheng would actually get closer, she raised her hand and placed it on Ruan Yesheng’s shoulder, stopping her from moving in further.
From a distance, their back-and-forth looked more like playful tugging—an intimate push and pull, a mix of resistance and acquiescence.
Meanwhile, Shen Qingbie and Yan Mu were still caught up in their selfie spree. Since Shen Qingbie deliberately shifted the camera toward them, she naturally captured this moment as well.
After taking the photo, Shen Qingbie turned to Yan Mu. "Let’s try another pose. I’ll make a kissing expression, but I won’t actually touch your face. Just go along with it."
Yan Mu was no stranger to this. When taking selfies with close friends—regardless of gender—he had often done this kind of playful air-kiss pose. It was nothing serious, just a joke between friends. The distance was always maintained, never crossing any boundaries. Many celebrities did the same, and social media was full of similar playful selfies.
"Sounds good," Yan Mu agreed with a smile.
"Alright, look at the camera. Make your expression a little livelier," Shen Qingbie instructed, puckering her lips in preparation.
But just as she did, her lips suddenly pressed against something warm and soft.
A hand had reached out, covering her mouth before she could complete the pose.
She could no longer pucker her lips.
"Mmmpf?" Shen Qingbie stared at the hand blocking her, unable to speak, letting out a few muffled sounds instead.
Yu An’s gaze was dark as she locked eyes with Shen Qingbie.
Beside them, Yan Mu was startled. "Sister Yu An?"
Yu An covered Shen Qingbie’s mouth with one hand while looking at Yan Mu with a polite smile. “Yan Mu, I know you and Qingqing are close, but you should be more mindful when taking photos. You two may see yourselves as just friends, but others might not. The media and fans scrutinize celebrities under a microscope—try not to give them anything to use against you. It will also be better for your current career path.”
Hearing this, Yan Mu quickly nodded. “You are right, Sister Yu An. That was careless of me.”
“Mm mm mm?” Shen Qingbie, still muffled by Yu An’s hand, struggled anxiously.
Yu An continued, “Next time Qingqing asks you to take a selfie like that again, just ignore her.”
Yan Mu, sweating slightly, replied, “I understand, Sister Yu An.”
Only then did Yu An release Shen Qingbie’s mouth. Just as Shen Qingbie was about to speak, Yu An grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her toward a quieter spot. Shen Qingbie knew she was about to get lectured, so she obediently followed without protest.
“Why did Yu An just drag Shen Qingbie away?” Ruan Yesheng asked, amused by the scene.
“I noticed that ever since Shen Qingbie joined the crew, you mention her quite often.” Xi Mo’s tone was unreadable.
“I don’t,” Ruan Yesheng replied innocently. “I just enjoy watching the drama.”
They both looked away and resumed their conversation.
Xi Mo lowered her voice slightly, as if wary of being overheard. She leaned in, her face near Ruan Yesheng’s cheek, her expression serious as she almost whispered, “In six days, it will be the date I mentioned before. Are you ready?”
"I'm ready." This time, Ruan Yesheng looked serious. She said, "Lu Qingming knows about this. He booked my plane ticket early. Don't worry, I'll go back a day early. As for Director Lin, Lu Qingming will take care of it."
"I'll go back with you," Xi Mo said.
"I knew you would." Ruan Yesheng looked at her softly. "I already booked your ticket too. We're on the same flight."
"Thanks. Did Lu Qingming ask anything?"
"He was a bit confused. He didn't know why you needed to go back." Ruan Yesheng told her, "But I said you had something to do at home, and we'd fly together. He didn't ask more."
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Xi Mo lowered her eyes. "I haven't told Director Lin yet. It's not as easy for me to ask for leave. He already gave me sick leave, and if I ask for more in a few days, he might not like it. So I want to move my sick leave to six days later and start working again this afternoon."
"Can your body take it?" Ruan Yesheng asked, worried.
"I'm fine. My chest stopped hurting a long time ago." Xi Mo asked, "What about you?"
"I'm fine too." But Ruan Yesheng thought this chest pain might be a side effect of their body swap. Her mood became heavy again. How could they switch back? She had no idea.
"I called your dad and told him when my flight will land," Ruan Yesheng said. "He said he'll come pick me up at the airport."
"He… is picking you up?" Xi Mo was shocked.
No matter how many times she flew, Xi Ji had never come to the airport for her.
Ruan Yesheng nodded. "Yes, and he said it himself."
Xi Mo was even more surprised and didn't know what to say.
Ruan Yesheng smiled softly. "Your dad picking me up is basically the same as picking you up. See? He really cares about you. He even read ‘How to Become a Compassionate Father' for you."
Xi Mo: "..."
Could you not bring that up?
Ruan Yesheng looked into Xi Mo's eyes. "Since your dad is coming to the airport, do you want to see him?"
"No." Xi Mo lowered her gaze. "He's coming to pick you up, after all. In my situation, I have no reason to see him. It'd be weird."
"Just see him for a bit." Ruan Yesheng held her arm and shook it gently. "Think of it as doing me a favor. Just stay beside me and meet him in my place. Help me leave a deeper impression on him, okay?"
Xi Mo: "..."
"Okay or not?" Ruan Yesheng batted her eyes and kept shaking her arm.
Xi Mo felt a chill in her heart under that gaze but also became wary. She glanced around. Luckily, no one was watching.
She had no choice. Lowering her voice, she grabbed Ruan Yesheng’s wrist to stop her from shaking and said, "Okay, okay. But you're using my face, so watch yourself."
Author's Note:
People who eat candy and smile
so much that their cheeks hurt would also hold their cheeks, right?
Whoever says it is the cutest.
