Chapter 49: I Like You, But I Can't Catch You
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5821232
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com
Lin Qingyi’s scenes finished smoothly.
That night, Lin Qingyi went with Bai Wenxi to attend the wrap party.
Without scenes to rehearse, Qin Shiyue felt too idle tonight, so idle that her heart felt empty. Only one week was left. After that, her own scenes would also finish. The feeling of melancholy in her heart grew stronger. Food tasted bland, and nothing felt interesting.
“Movie Queen Lin’s scenes are done. Is she checking out and leaving tomorrow?” Fang Xinhua saw her Baby looking listless, almost like someone about to experience a breakup.
“She said she’ll stay to practice scenes with me until the end,” Qin Shiyue said.
Fang Xinhua couldn’t understand Lin Qingyi. Baby’s feelings for her were so obvious that she couldn’t possibly be unaware. But Lin Qingyi’s attitude was clearly more restrained than before, as if she didn’t want to break the last thin layer between them and wanted to keep things as they were, as if she only enjoyed this ambiguous state.
Lin Qingyi’s vague yet uncommitted attitude annoyed Fang Xinhua. Couldn’t her Baby stop feeling so insecure? If Bai Wenxi hadn’t repeatedly emphasized that Lin Qingyi’s character was fine and that she truly liked Baby, Fang Xinhua would have suspected that Lin Qingyi was just playing with Baby’s feelings.
Even after finishing filming, Lin Qingyi was still willing to stay and continue rehearsing with Baby. She seemed special and kind to Baby, which did look sincere. But no one knew how long Lin Qingyi planned to keep playing this cat‑and‑mouse game.
“She’s willing to stay. That’s pretty good for you.” Fang Xinhua normally didn’t like to interfere in matters of the heart, but seeing Baby so down, she couldn’t help speaking up to comfort her.
“Do you think she’s good to me?” Qin Shiyue perked up. She felt Lin Qingyi was somewhat special to her, but she worried this might just be her own wishful thinking, so she wanted Sister Fang to analyze it as an outsider.
“She’s somewhat special to you, and there’s some ambiguity too. But Movie Queen Lin is a deep thinker. How much she actually likes you is hard to say. Liking someone a lot is liking, and liking someone just a little is also liking. That difference matters. You get what I mean, right?” Fang Xinhua said.
Qin Shiyue understood. Sister Fang meant Lin Qingyi did have some ambiguity toward her but didn’t like her deeply. The more Qin Shiyue thought about it, the more it made sense. Maybe Lin Qingyi only liked her a little. If she really liked her a lot, she wouldn’t act like this now, keeping her hanging, sometimes close and sometimes distant.
But at least she did like her, even if it was just a little.
After confirming that Lin Qingyi’s ambiguous and affectionate behavior wasn’t just something she imagined, Qin Shiyue felt much more at ease. She decided that after her own scenes wrapped next week, she would tell Lin Qingyi directly.
During that final week, Qin Shiyue’s mood kept swinging up and down, excited but afraid of disappointment.
Finally, Qin Shiyue’s filming was also done. As the female lead, she naturally had to attend the wrap party. But she wasn’t in the mood. Her mind was full of the question she had been preparing for two weeks, not a confession, but asking Lin Qingyi if she liked her.
Back when she confessed to Kong Huizhi, she had been bold and fearless. Now, just thinking about asking Lin Qingyi if she liked her made her nervous. So when others came to toast her, she drank a few more glasses, hoping to gain courage from the alcohol.
“Lin Qingyi, after the wrap party, I’ll come find you. Don’t go to bed too early.” After finishing another drink, Qin Shiyue sent Lin Qingyi a voice message.
Lin Qingyi, who was applying a face mask, played the message out loud. Hearing Qin Shiyue’s slightly unsteady voice, she immediately knew Qin Shiyue must have been drinking.
“Drink less,” Lin Qingyi said, still feeling uneasy even though she knew Fang Xinhua was with Vase Qin and nothing bad would happen.
“Mm.” Qin Shiyue agreed verbally, but she didn’t actually drink any less.
Fang Xinhua wanted to persuade Baby Qin to drink less, but Baby Qin'er seemed unusually excited today. Whoever came to toast, she drank with them, and Fang Xinhua couldn’t stop her at all.
So, Qin Shiyue, who had only planned to drink for courage, accidentally got drunk.
Fang Xinhua brought the drunken Qin Shiyue back to the hotel, but Qin Shiyue wouldn’t settle down. She kept insisting on seeing Lin Qingyi. Qin Shiyue was making such a fuss that Fang Xinhua had no choice but to take her to Lin Qingyi’s hotel.
Lin Qingyi saw that it was almost midnight, her usual bedtime, and the Vase who said she would come hadn’t shown up yet. Just as she was about to message Qin Shiyue to ask if she was still coming, the doorbell rang.
When she opened the door, she saw Qin Shiyue leaning unsteadily in Fang Xinhua’s arms. As soon as Qin Shiyue saw her, she started smiling foolishly.
She was very drunk.
Lin Qingyi frowned slightly at the sight, clearly unhappy about her drunken state.
“She insisted on seeing you. I hope she’s not bothering you, Teacher Lin?” Fang Xinhua asked politely. If Lin Qingyi was willing to take her in, it might mean something. If she refused, maybe Baby Qin'er would give up. After all, they were two women alone, and one was drunk. If Lin Qingyi truly had no interest, she should avoid suspicion.
“Annoying ghost…” Qin Shiyue, seeing the person she had wanted to see all night, was first happy and couldn’t help but grin. But then she remembered Lin Qingyi’s hot-and-cold attitude, and she felt annoyed. This woman held her heart in her hand, one gentle touch made her happy, but one squeeze made her hurt.
Annoying ghost? Fine. The vase was clearly asking for trouble.
“It’s fine. Give her to me,” Lin Qingyi said. She clearly didn’t mind taking in a troublesome drunk.
Fang Xinhua handed Qin Shiyue over, and Lin Qingyi helped the swaying Qin Shiyue into the room.
Once the door closed, Lin Qingyi had only taken a few steps with Qin Shiyue when Qin Shiyue clung to her like a koala. Lin Qingyi was held so tightly that she couldn’t move and had to let the drunk woman hug her firmly at the doorway.
It didn’t matter whether others drank or not, but she was sure she didn’t like seeing this woman drunk. The strong smell of alcohol rushed into Lin Qingyi’s nose, making her frown even deeper. If she ever saw her this drunk again, she would definitely spank her hard.
“I know you’re really annoying, but I just can’t stop thinking about you. I’ve been thinking about you all night…” Qin Shiyue’s tone sounded like she was talking to herself, yet also like she was acting spoiled.
Lin Qingyi had planned to teach Qin Shiyue a lesson, but when she heard that soft, almost coquettish sentence, all the irritation from Qin Shiyue’s drunkenness vanished completely.
“All night, you’ve been thinking about who?” Lin Qingyi liked what the other had just said and coaxed her to repeat it for her.
“Just like that… the way you curl your lips, like you’re proud, but also like you’re mocking me. That look is the most annoying…” Qin Shiyue said as she gently touched Lin Qingyi’s lips with her fingers, as if to smooth the curve of her mouth. But as she stared at Lin Qingyi’s soft, beautiful lips, she felt an even stronger urge to kiss her. She had lost count of how many times she had wanted to kiss her, wanted to in the drama, wanted to even more outside the drama, wanted to in dreams, and wanted to even when awake.
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5821232
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com
“Really that annoying?” The smile at the corner of Lin Qingyi’s eyes deepened.
Qin Shiyue first nodded, then quickly shook her head. She really hated Lin Qingyi, yet she liked her so much. Her gaze focused on those tempting lips, growing hotter and hotter. Especially when Lin Qingyi spoke, her lips slightly opened and closed, making them look even more alluring, as if inviting her to taste them. At that moment, Qin Shiyue couldn’t remember why she had been holding back before. She only knew they were already so close, just a little closer and she could kiss her.
Lin Qingyi felt Qin Shiyue’s gaze burn more intensely than ever. That overly beautiful face moved closer and closer. Lin Qingyi realized what Qin Shiyue was about to do, and her heartbeat became uncontrollably chaotic.
The blush on Qin Shiyue’s face from the alcohol made her look stunningly delicate. Even her lips seemed softer and redder than usual. The mix of alcohol and the faint scent of her perfume turned into an intoxicating fragrance.
Qin Shiyue’s soft lips pressed against hers, and Lin Qingyi unconsciously held Qin Shiyue tighter in her arms, closing her eyes to respond.
Qin Shiyue’s kiss was unexpectedly inexperienced, nothing like that of a woman who had been married for three years. It felt more like that of a clueless young girl, her tongue, carrying the taste of alcohol, moved around awkwardly and aimlessly.
Even though Lin Qingyi didn’t have much kissing experience herself, she still knew that Qin Shiyue’s way was definitely not the right one. So Lin Qingyi took the lead and kissed her back, using what she understood about kissing to guide her.
Lin Qingyi seemed to have a natural talent. Qin Shiyue quickly began to enjoy Lin Qingyi’s kiss. Under Lin Qingyi’s patient guidance, their lips and movements grew more and more in sync.
Qin Shiyue felt that the lips were soft and sweet, and the kiss was pleasant.
Her body was burning, and so was her heart.
"Lin Qingyi… do you like me or not?" Qin Shiyue asked after the kiss, barely remembering why she had come to find Lin Qingyi.
"What about you?" Lin Qingyi already knew Qin Shiyue’s feelings were obvious, but she still wanted to hear her say it out loud.
"I don’t want to like you…" Qin Shiyue said, feeling wronged.
"Why not?" Lin Qingyi thought, Does she really like me so unwillingly?
"I like you… but I can’t catch you…" The more she liked her, the more afraid she was of losing her grip. She couldn’t hold on to Kong Huizhi either. Kong Huizhi had made it clear there was no hope, so she had given up early, though a trace of unwillingness had remained. But Lin Qingyi kept giving her an illusion, making her feel she was about to catch her, only for her to drift away the next second, teasing her heart until it ached, pulling her deeper and deeper. She could still pull herself out from the pit called Kong Huizhi, but she had a feeling that once she fell into Lin Qingyi’s, it wouldn’t be easy to escape. Fear and unease filled her heart. She didn’t want to sink further into one-sided love, yet she couldn’t control her feelings.
Lin Qingyi could feel Qin Shiyue’s uneasiness. Clearly, this was the aftermath left by Kong Huizhi, and just thinking about it stirred jealousy in Lin Qingyi. Of course, now wasn’t the time to be jealous.
"Aren’t you holding me right now?" Lin Qingyi thought that if she didn’t want to be caught, no one could catch her. But at this moment, she was willingly letting Qin Shiyue hold her. It was like a game of hide-and-seek where she cheated by stepping out and letting herself be found.
The net I cast out… it’s about time to pull it back.
"Am I dreaming, or are we still acting? Even if it’s a scene, I want to stay in it forever and never come out. In the scene, you don’t go hot and cold. You’re so gentle to me, so good to me. No… the scene seems to have ended. When it ended, I felt so sad, like our world completely disappeared…" Qin Shiyue muttered drunkenly, unable to tell if this was reality or still part of a dream. Feeling uneasy, she hugged Lin Qingyi even tighter, her eyes couldn't help but turn red.
Lin Qingyi couldn’t help letting out a long sigh. Qin Shiyue was truly too deep in the role. She probably couldn’t even tell whether she liked the version of Lin Qingyi in the drama or the one in real life.
"Silly girl, when the drama ends, it just ends. I’m still here, aren’t I?" Lin Qingyi reached out to touch Qin Shiyue’s head, gently running her fingers through her long hair as she spoke softly.
"Then do you like me?" Qin Shiyue looked at Lin Qingyi with hope in her eyes.
"I’ll tell you after three months," Lin Qingyi said. She wanted to give Qin Shiyue time to step out of the drama.
"Why wait three months?" Qin Shiyue asked, confused.
"Let’s go inside first. Lie down on the bed, and I’ll explain it to you slowly," Lin Qingyi coaxed. Standing in the doorway wasn’t helping anything.
At that moment, Qin Shiyue nodded obediently, behaving like a little baby. With Lin Qingyi’s help, she was guided to the bed.
"Lie here quietly. I’ll get some makeup remover to help you take off your makeup." Qin Shiyue was so drunk she couldn’t take care of herself, leaving Lin Qingyi no choice but to take responsibility for her.
Qin Shiyue stayed still on the bed, trying to remember something important, but her alcohol-clouded mind couldn’t recall it.
Lin Qingyi returned with makeup remover, cotton pads, and other tools to clean Qin Shiyue’s face. She thought that the girl in front of her might be her little ancestor, She had always been the one being served.When had she ever done this for someone else?
By the time she had gently and carefully finished removing Qin Shiyue’s makeup, the other woman had already fallen asleep.
Lin Qingyi looked at Qin Shiyue’s sleeping face. Seeing her brows slightly furrowed as if she wasn’t sleeping comfortably, Lin Qingyi sighed again, got up, and fetched one of her own nightgowns to help Qin Shiyue change into it.
Lin Qingyi tried hard to act like a proper lady while changing Qin Shiyue’s clothes. She managed about sixty percent of that goal. She didn’t touch where she shouldn’t, but her eyes didn’t exactly stay away either.
"Such a little troublemaker," she muttered softly after finally finishing, lightly pinching Qin Shiyue’s soft cheek. It was already past one o’clock, far later than her usual bedtime.
The Vase was a real vase, beautiful everywhere.
After settling Qin Shiyue in bed, Lin Qingyi didn’t stay to sleep beside her. She changed clothes and stepped out of the room.
In the hallway, she ran into Fang Xinhua, who had also booked a room in the same hotel.
Fang Xinhua knew that Baby Qin'er would likely spend the night in Lin Qingyi’s room, but as a responsible manager, she didn’t simply hand Qin Shiyue over and leave. She had returned to their previous hotel to grab her personal belongings, then came back to this hotel to keep watch.
Seeing each other, both women were a little surprised.
Noticing Lin Qingyi neatly dressed as if she were leaving, Fang Xinhua immediately understood, Lin Qingyi wanted to avoid rumors about spending the night with Qin Shiyue.
Lin Qingyi thought that Fang Xinhua was indeed a very reliable manager.
"I’ve settled her down. She’s already asleep. I have something to do, so I’ll go now," Lin Qingyi said to Fang Xinhua.
At that moment, Bai Wenxi also stepped out of her room. She needed to take a quick photo or short video of Lin Qingyi leaving the hotel, just in case.
"Do you really like Shiyue?" Fang Xinhua couldn’t help asking before Lin Qingyi left. If she truly liked her, sooner or later they’d have to face headlines together. Fang Xinhua didn’t quite understand Lin Qingyi, she had just spent over an hour taking care of Qin Shiyue, which clearly showed interest, yet now she wanted to avoid attention. Was her reputation really that important?
"It’s not the time for the hot searches yet," Lin Qingyi replied before walking away.
Author’s Note:
Finally kissed.
Spoiler: Lin Qingyi wanted to cool down for three months and let Qin Shiyue step out of the drama. But she herself did not hold back for three months.
Qin Shiyue: At the time of doing something big, I got drunk. Alcohol ruined me.
