Chapter 165: Wipe
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Ruan Yesheng and Shen Qingbie returned to the house where their team was, filmed another segment, and finally turned off the cameras in the room. After a busy day, work was finally done.
Ruan Yesheng took a shower and lay on her bed in her room, waiting for the time she could go out.
She thought of Xi Mo waiting to go back with her, feeling both excited and worried that Xi Mo might be tired from waiting. She didn’t even know where Xi Mo was waiting. It was so cold outside, and she worried Xi Mo might get frozen, so she sent a message: "Where are you waiting?"
Xi Mo replied quickly: "At a late-night snack place near you."
"Don’t get cold. Keep warm. Wear your scarf and gloves." Ruan Yesheng wished she could wrap Xi Mo up tightly through the phone.
"I’m not cold. They have the air conditioner on in the store," Xi Mo replied, a hint of dislike for the place in her words. "It’s just crowded and too noisy."
Ruan Yesheng quickly coaxed her. "Tonight is the sacrificial ceremony. There are a lot of people in town already. It’s been lively all night. Right now, the busiest places are definitely the late-night snack shops. But being crowded is actually safer. Don’t go to isolated places. Hang on a bit longer. I’ll be down soon."
Xi Mo didn’t like noisy places, yet she chose a late-night snack shop to wait. It was probably for the same reason Ruan Yesheng guessed: safety. Xi Mo had told her that Yang Zhen had also arrived in Heizhugou Town. Considering Yang Zhen’s previous strange behavior, they had to stay alert.
Because of Yang Zhen, Cui Jiayu and Lin Tingyu were now staying in town. Ruan Yesheng had only seen Lin Tingyu once because she was busy with filming, and that was because Lin Tingyu came over specifically to greet her.
As for Cui Jiayu, she had never seen her and didn’t know how far she had gone in tracking Yang Zhen, or whether she had found Yang Zhen’s hiding place in town. But since Cui Jiayu was a police officer, no matter how close they were, she wouldn’t reveal the details of her investigation.
Ruan Yesheng had no clues and could only carefully deal with the unknown currents around her. She and Xi Mo now talked about almost everything and shared many secrets. But the matters with Yang Zhen and Ding Qihong couldn’t be told to outsiders. She could only mention them to Yan Tinghuan, though they lacked some clues. If Cui Jiayu shared those clues, they would understand more. But Cui Jiayu didn’t seem to realize that and continued investigating on her own. After all, it was too dangerous. She wouldn’t let these investigations involve “unrelated people” like them.
Unless Cui Jiayu figured out that Yang Zhen was actually connected to them, she wouldn’t change her investigation direction.
Xi Mo didn’t eat herself but bought a portion of barbecue for Baolai. Baolai could have gone back with A’cuo Rize, but Xi Mo borrowed him to stay there, and she felt a bit guilty toward Baolai and even more thankful for him.
Ruan Yesheng received a photo of Baolai with his head down, eating the barbecue. She looked at her phone and smiled, feeling that Xi Mo was becoming more alive in her everyday life.
During a break chatting with Xi Mo, Feng Tangtang also sent Ruan Yesheng a message: "Ruanruan, are you asleep?"
“No,” Ruan Yesheng quickly replied.
Feng Tangtang asked how the variety show filming was going, if she was tired, and said she saw the hot searches.
But it was clear that wasn’t the main reason she messaged. She then sent Ruan Yesheng a photo of five sweaters laid out on a bed and nervously asked, “Ruanruan, Sister Xi asked me to take a photo of the sweaters you gave me and show it to her. I sent her this picture, but after she saw it, she didn’t look too happy. Can you check if I did something wrong? I’ve been thinking for a long time but still can’t figure it out. Sister Xi was acting a bit strange today.”
After seeing the photo Feng Tangtang sent, Ruan Yesheng almost burst out laughing. She didn’t even need to guess now; she was one hundred percent sure where Xi Mo’s idea of wanting a gift came from.
“You didn’t do anything wrong, don’t overthink,” Ruan Yesheng comforted her. “You know your Sister Xi, she’s unhappy thirty days a month, for no reason.”
After reading that, Feng Tangtang felt Ruanruan was right and instantly felt relieved.
Lying on the bed with her phone, the more Ruan Yesheng thought about it, the more she found Xi Mo adorable. She wondered what kind of sweater she should knit for Xi Mo and what style Xi Mo liked. She planned to ask her about it indirectly someday.
The more she thought about it, the more her lips curled up. Her eyes fell on the bouquet placed on the table.
She treated it as the flowers Xi Mo gave her, though she had tricked her into it and Xi Mo didn’t even know the meaning behind it. But they were fresh flowers, and they would soon wilt. She was leaving tomorrow, and it wouldn’t be convenient to carry such a big bouquet on the road.
If only she could keep the flowers as a memory.
Ruan Yesheng thought as she looked at the tender overlapping petals.
While she was waiting for the time to head out, Shen Qingbie wasn’t as cautious. After the cameras were turned off, she slipped out without even taking a shower.
She had sent many messages to Yu An, but none were answered. Yu An didn’t even pick up her calls. Back in her room, Shen Qingbie tried calling her several more times and found her phone was turned off.
At first, Shen Qingbie was angry. A’Yu had never ignored her for this long before. Even when A’Yu got mad at her in the past and blocked her, she would always unblock her soon after. But after thinking about it, Shen Qingbie felt something wasn’t right. Worried something might’ve happened to Yu An, she decided to go to the house where Yu An was staying.
She ran all the way there and was panting hard when she arrived.
The lights were still on downstairs. The homeowner’s family hadn’t gone to bed yet. Shen Qingbie had been there before with Yu An, so they knew her. When they saw her, they greeted her warmly.
“Did A’Yu go out tonight?” Shen Qingbie asked.
“We went to the sacrificial ceremony tonight, so we’re not sure if Miss Yu went out,” the homeowner said. “But after dinner, she didn’t look well. She barely ate and said she wanted to get some rest. Maybe she’s still asleep, probably didn’t go out.”
“I’ll go up and check on her,” Shen Qingbie said quickly and ran upstairs.
She had the key to Yu An’s room. When she turned the lock and pushed the door open, the room was pitch-dark. She could hear Yu An coughing hard, the coughs coming one after another before dying down, only to start again after a moment.
But Yu An had no reaction to her arrival, like she was still half-asleep.
Hearing the coughing, Shen Qingbie was startled and quickly turned on the light. She saw Yu An lying on her side in bed, curled up in the blanket. The room was filled with light, yet Yu An still didn’t open her eyes. She just kept coughing in her sleep.
Shen Qingbie hurriedly moved closer. Yu An’s brows were tightly furrowed, her face pale, and her hair was damp with sweat, sticking to her skin. Every time she coughed, her body trembled.
Usually, Shen Qingbie always saw Yu An as smart and capable. Seeing her so weak like she could break at any time, this was the first. They had known each other for a long time, but Shen Qingbie couldn’t recall Yu An ever being sick.
“A’Yu.” Shen Qingbie called anxiously several times, but Yu An didn’t wake.
She reached out and felt Yu An’s forehead. It was burning hot. When she touched her neck, her hand was covered in sticky sweat. Shen Qingbie glanced at the nightstand. On it sat a half-finished glass of water, already cold, and beside it a bag with some opened medicine boxes. Looks like Yu An had gone to the doctor and bought medicine herself. Shen Qingbie checked them and saw signs Yu An had already taken some.
Yu An’s phone was also on the nightstand. Shen Qingbie picked it up and pressed the button, it was black screen. It must’ve run out of battery, and since Yu An was too sick and groggy to charge it, the phone had powered off. That explained why when Shen Qingbie last called, it said unreachable.
Since Yu An already took her medicine, Shen Qingbie plugged in her phone to charge, then went to the bathroom to get some hot water.
With all that sweat, how could she sleep like this? That must feel awful.
Shen Qingbie rummaged through Yu An’s suitcase, took out a set of her pajamas, and laid them on the bed. She also took out a pair of Yu An’s underwear. In Shen Qingbie’s opinion, in this situation, she had to change everything from head to toe.
She turned the air conditioner up higher, lifted part of the quilt covering Yu An, and leaned down to unbutton her shirt. Yu An hadn’t even changed into her sleepwear and was still in her shirt. Shen Qingbie guessed she hadn’t bathed either. She leaned in and took a sniff, a faint smell of sweat mixed with the heat from Yu An’s body, drifting into her nose.
Maybe Yu An had put on perfume, the sweat smell was light, and Shen Qingbie oddly didn’t feel any discomfort from it.
So strange.
A’Yu hadn’t bathed, yet she still smelled nice. Anyway, she liked the scent.
The top button of Yu An’s shirt was fastened properly, covering part of her neck. When Shen Qingbie unbuttoned one by one, her collarbone came into view. The line was fine and straight, and as she went down, more fair skin showed. Yu An was still wearing her bra inside, the soft shape tightly wrapped by fabric, a deep hollow faintly seen.
It was the first time Shen Qingbie saw Yu An’s curves. She thought A’Yu’s were deeper than hers and oddly felt like she had found out some secret.
Shen Qingbie put her hand on Yu An’s skin and felt it was hot, slightly damp with sweat.
Yu An seemed to sense someone touching her in her sleep, let out a soft hum, and her body stirred slightly.
Shen Qingbie stopped at once. After Yu An quieted down again, she carefully lowered herself, leaning over Yu An. Her hands slid around to her back to undo her bra clasp.
Yu An’s body was held in Shen Qingbie’s arms. Shen Qingbie, afraid she might wake, wanted to hurry, but somehow she felt nervous. Her fingers took a while before she finally unfastened it.
Yu An’s bra loosened, hanging loosely on her body. Shen Qingbie gently laid her back down and continued to remove her clothes.
That piece of clothing had a shaping effect, and the form it held was suddenly freed from its constraints, fully revealed before Shen Qingbie’s eyes without any cover.
It even trembled slightly with Yu An’s somewhat rapid breathing.
A touch of red atop the snow-white drew her gaze.
Shen Qingbie froze at the sight.
It was her first time seeing Yu An like this, and it felt unfamiliar, yet her eyes couldn’t stop staring at the softness that spilled out from the fabric.
Yu An had no cover below, though she still wore a shirt. The shirt was completely parted, spread to either side of her body, creating a striking contrast between restrained propriety and captivating disarray. Shen Qingbie’s gaze drifted downward, catching Yu An’s navel and the curve of her waist.
Shen Qingbie: “…”
Why is A’Yu a manager?
Why not a model?
Yu An is beautiful, but she usually knew how to hide it just right, like a dazzling rose tucked behind a wall, surrounded by quiet, tangled branches.
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Today, Shen Qingbie had walked past that wall, stood before the rose, and closely examined it, uncovering the secret of her figure.
Yu An’s eyes were closed, her breathing heavy. Perhaps sensing her clothes being removed in her sleep, her hand moved up, resting on her chest. Subconsciously feeling something was off, she touched the softness there.
Shen Qingbie: “…”
This action nearly made Shen Qingbie’s face flush red.
What is A’Yu doing?
Is she… touching herself?
Shen Qingbie was stunned. She had never seen Yu An like this. She quickly lowered her head, wanting to change Yu An’s clothes and wipe her down. But her hands fumbled in a flurry. She struggled to undo Yu An’s pants, pulled them off, and removed the last bit of cover.
Yu An’s body curled slightly, her toes twitching.
Shen Qingbie soaked a towel in hot water, wrung it out, and used its lingering warmth to wipe Yu An’s body. Starting from her cheeks, down to her neck, and further down to her chest.
Shen Qingbie wanted to clean her thoroughly, even wiping that spot carefully.
This seemed to startle Yu An, her body trembling sharply as she slightly opened her eyes. She was ill, her vision blurry upon waking, and realizing she was completely uncovered with a figure leaning close, the scene felt to Yu An like an invasion. Almost instinctively, she covered herself and slapped out.
Pa!
Shen Qingbie took the hit across her face, stunned.
Yu An’s eyes opened wider, and when she saw it was Shen Qingbie in front of her, she was equally stunned.
Shen Qingbie held her face: “…”
Yu An clutched her chest: “…”
“…A’Yu,” after a moment, Shen Qingbie pursed her lips, feeling aggrieved. “Why did you hit me?”
Yu An: “…”
Yu An had never treated Shen Qingbie like this before. Realizing she had struck Shen Qingbie in her dazed state, her heart ached. She quickly leaned closer, rubbing Shen Qingbie’s cheek and blowing on it gently, apologizing, “I… I didn’t know it was you. I thought someone was trying to harm me. It scared me.”
“I’m the one who got scared, a lot,” Shen Qingbie said, feeling more wronged the more she thought about it.
She was just changing Yu An’s clothes and wiping her down, and A’Yu had hit her. Though A’Yu was sick and confused, Shen Qingbie forgave her, but she still felt aggrieved.
Yu An knelt on the bed, busy rubbing Shen Qingbie’s cheek. In her urgency, she forgot she was completely bare. Then she noticed Shen Qingbie’s gaze drifting downward, lingering on her body. She looked down at herself.
Yu An: “…”
Her face changed instantly. She hurriedly pulled the blanket over herself, wrapping it tightly, and said almost shouting, “Why did you take all my clothes off?!”
“You… you are sick, sweating a lot, and you hadn’t bathed before lying down,” Shen Qingbie explained, shrinking like a startled quail. “I wanted to change your clothes and wipe you down so you would sleep more comfortably."
Yu An froze.
She looked down at herself, then at Shen Qingbie. Her senses finally returned, and she understood Shen Qingbie’s intentions, but her heart pounded uncontrollably, thumping in her ears.
“…Thank you,” Yu An said, trying to hide her nervousness with a few coughs.
Hearing her cough, Shen Qingbie immediately grew concerned. “You took your medicine before sleeping, right?”
“…I did,” Yu An replied, keeping her eyes on the blanket. “Get me a mask.”
“Oh.” Shen Qingbie rummaged around and found a medical mask. Yu An put it on before saying to Shen Qingbie, “I have a cold. Don’t get too close, or you might catch it.”
“Is that why you didn’t eat with me?” Shen Qingbie felt a pang of sadness. “Why didn’t you tell me you were sick?”
“I thought it was nothing, just take some medicine and I’d be fine,” Yu An said, growing more flustered.
Earlier, she and Shen Qingbie had been on the balcony making a call. She was dressed lightly and stood in the cold breeze for a while. She hadn’t been feeling well for days, with little appetite, but thought she would get better. She didn’t expect to develop a fever today. After taking medicine, she lay down, planning to find Shen Qingbie after waking up, but slept until now.
“How was the recording tonight?” Yu An, regretting oversleeping and missing Shen Qingbie’s ceremony, clutched the blanket, full of concern. “Did it go smoothly?”
“Very smoothly,” Shen Qingbie said.
Yu An remembered something and picked up her phone. She saw several missed calls and messages from Shen Qingbie that she hadn’t noticed, making her regret even more. “Sorry, Qingqing, I was asleep earlier and didn’t see them.”
“I know,” Shen Qingbie said, covering her face with a smile. “I knew you wouldn’t ignore me.”
“Does it hurt?” Yu An, holding the blanket, leaned closer, her smooth bare shoulder peeking out.
“…It really hurt when you hit me,” Shen Qingbie pouted. “It’s better now, but you hit so hard.”
Yu An felt very embarrassed. “…I thought it was a bad person, so I hit hard.”
“Is my face swollen?” Shen Qingbie asked, worried about her appearance.
“No,” Yu An said, gently moving Shen Qingbie’s hand to check her face closely. “It’s cold now, and the water’s icy. Pour some out, and I’ll help you apply it.”
Shen Qingbie waved her hands quickly. “You’re sick and still thinking of icing my face? I can do it myself.”
She stood up, walked to Yu An’s bedside, and wrung out a towel. “Lift the quilt. I’ll keep wiping you down; we’re not done yet.”
Yu An hurriedly grabbed the towel, saying softly, “…I’ll do it myself.”
“You don’t even have the energy. Can you manage?” Shen Qingbie asked, concerned.
“It’s a small thing,” Yu An said, her cheeks burning. “Turn around. I’m wiping my body.”
“Why do I need to turn around?” Shen Qingbie asked, confused. “I already saw everything earlier.”
Yu An: “…”
She was both angry and embarrassed, practically grinding her teeth.
“Are you turning or not?” Yu An coughed a few times and said.
Fearing she would get upset, Shen Qingbie reluctantly turned around.
Only then did Yu An lift the blanket and start wiping herself. As she wiped her body, she thought about how Shen Qingbie had seen her entirely bare, and her emotions grew turbulent again.
But Shen Qingbie seemed unfazed, treating it as something normal, not thinking anything more of it.
The more Yu An thought about it, the angrier she became.
Shen Qingbie, facing away, sensed the awkward atmosphere and tried to break the silence. “A’Yu, your underwear is so… sexy. I like it. Can you buy some for me too?”
Yu An: “…”
She was furious, saying, “I’m your manager, not your babysitter. You expect me to buy your underwear too?”
“I… didn’t mean it like that,” Shen Qingbie said, scratching her head. “I just think your underwear… looks nice. And, well, your body’s like a model’s. It’s nice too.”
Yu An: “…”
For a moment, she couldn’t tell what Shen Qingbie meant.
Author's Note:
Qingqing, did you know that Yu An almost died of anger?
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