Chapter 30: The Fading Mist In Her Eyes Told Her That Her Sanity Was Recovering
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
2023 Ver.
When Qu Xizhi arrived at the entrance of the theater, the movie had already started, but Gu Xizhi, who had always been late to watch movies in order to conceal her identity, didn't seem to mind at all. When Qu Xizhi walked to the entrance of the cinema, several young people kept pointing at her with their hands. Gu Xizhi was afraid of being recognized, so she quickly took Qu Xizhi's hand and walked into the cinema.
The movie and the envisioned aspects appear excessively artistic and aloof. Similarly, Yunnan's films lack creativity, and their thematic depth seems ambiguous. After watching the entire movie, Qu Xizhi didn't feel anything, and Gu Xizhi's perspective aligns with hers. At the end of the film, Gu Xizhi became somewhat curious about Qu Xizhi, asking, "How do you manage to accurately predict whether a film will be good before it starts shooting?"
Qu Xizhi turned her head and looked at her with a half-smile, "Do you want to know?"
Gu Xizhi said, "... What kind of look is that?"
"If you want to know, then accept the RV I gave you first," Qu Xizhi said as she pressed the elevator button.
Gu Xizhi felt a bit frustrated, "Do you have so much money that you can't get rid of it?"
"It's fine if you see it that way."
"Alright, I can consider agreeing, but please don't give me such expensive gifts in the future. Now, tell me the secret of how you choose scripts."
"That's a long story. I'll explain it to you slowly when we get back in the evening. But first, tell me why you went to meet Tang Yu and suddenly came back?"
"Well, about that," Gu Xizhi said with a slight headache, "I did meet Tang Yu earlier, but then I suddenly felt that I'd rather watch a movie with you than be with him. So, I told him I had something to do and left."
Qu Xizhi glanced at her, her eyes shimmering with enchanting radiance, "Is that so?"
Gu Xizhi, looking at her enchanting appearance, felt even more frustrated, "What kind of look is that?" Qu Xizhi smiled and averted her gaze. The elevator had just arrived, and Qu Xizhi was about to step in when a series of footsteps sounded behind her. She turned around, and a middle-aged woman pointed at Gu Xizhi and said to the elderly woman beside her, "It's her, she's the one, Gu Xizhi, who saw the old person fall and didn't help!"
The elderly person with snowy white hair first fixed her gaze on Gu Xizhi, then quickly opened the lid of the paint can she was holding and, with a brush, splashed the half-bucket of red paint all over Gu Xizhi.
While Qu Xizhi's movements were swift, Gu Xizhi had no awareness of what was happening and didn't move away at all. The elderly woman wasn't very tall, so the paint didn't splash onto her face; it slid down from her chest, saturating her entire dress. Whether stunned by the sudden turn of events or overwhelmed by the strong smell of paint, Gu Xizhi stood frozen in place, gaping at the elderly woman before her. The elderly woman, seemingly dissatisfied with the amount she had splashed, immediately turned to the middle-aged woman beside her and said, "Bring another bucket!"
All the people on the floor gathered around due to this massive incident, and an increasing number of people noticed that the two sunglass-wearing girls looked a lot like Qu Xizhi and Gu Xizhi. Given the circumstances, not to mention people possibly waiting to splash paint on them, even those waiting for lucky gold coins had to leave. Qu Xizhi immediately grabbed the still-dazed Gu Xizhi, who was covered in paint, and walked through the hallway. The rhythm resembled that of an escape, and it was clearly not to be underestimated. By the time Qu Xizhi and Gu Xizhi reached the basement, the people following them had been left far behind. Although Gu Xizhi was covered in paint, Qu Xizhi didn't waste any time and stuffed her into the car, and drove away.
Upon returning to the hotel, Gu Xizhi practically stained the red carpet throughout the premises. The red marks wherever she went prompted Gu Xizhi to, without hesitation, remove her dress once she got back to the room. The situation of paint splatters all over her skin left Gu Xizhi in a bemused state. After locking the door, Qu Xizhi turned around and saw Gu Xizhi, her entire body reddened. She instructed, "Take a shower quickly. We need to deal with today's events. I'll make some phone calls."
Gu Xizhi nodded and headed to the bathroom. Qu Xizhi walked to the sofa, picked up her phone, and started searching for phone numbers. However, before she could find the number she was looking for, she heard Gu Xizhi's voice coming from the bathroom, "Qu Xizhi, come take a look. This paint doesn't come off no matter what country it's from!" Watching someone take a shower is something that becomes familiar over time, so Qu Xizhi grabbed several bottles of olive oil and casually walked into the bathroom. Seeing Gu Xizhi struggling with paint-stained hair while leaning against the bathtub, Qu Xizhi approached and said, "Try using olive oil."
Taking the olive oil while feeling frustrated, Gu Xizhi said, "This is the unluckiest day I've had in my entire life."
Qu Xizhi stood aside, watching her struggle, and patiently advised, "Be more careful and cautious in the future. Paint can irritate your skin and cause injury. Tomorrow, go for some skincare treatment."
"Whatever, this smell is too overwhelming. You can leave first."
Qu Xizhi smiled with her arms folded, "Don't you need any help?"
Gu Xizhi looked up at her and said with a shrewd tone, "Miss Qu, I'm not wearing anything while you're all dressed up. Unless you're in the same situation as me, it's not worth your while to stay here."
Qu Xizhi smiled even more mysteriously, "Of course, I'd be happy to be in the same situation as you."
"Never mind." Gu Xizhi looked down at herself and then added with a touch of self-assuredness, "Although you are better than me in many things, isn't there one area you don't feel inferior about?"
"..." Qu Xizhi was rarely speechless and left the bathroom without saying a word.
After painstakingly removing the paint from her skin and almost masking the paint smell with the scent of shower gel, Gu Xizhi emerged from the bathroom wearing the pajamas Qu Xizhi had brought, and she lay on the bed, refusing to move.
Although Gu Xizhi had initially come to Qu Xizhi's room due to the urgency of the situation, Qu Xizhi was still somewhat surprised to see her voluntarily stay on her bed. However, Gu Xizhi seemed unaware of this surprise. She adjusted her position after Qu Xizhi finished showering and contentedly watched TV on the bed.
The TV was playing Qu Xizhi's portrayal of Daji from the "Fengshen Yanyi" series a few years ago. Due to the lavish costume style of the entire TV drama and Qu Xizhi's role as Daji being one of the most alluring in history, the visual effects of the show were captivating. The segment Gu Xizhi saw happened to depict Daji lying next to King Zhou and whispering sweet words to him, with Qu Xizhi wearing slightly revealing yet enchanting attire. Unable to contain herself, Gu Xizhi said, "Are you secretly a fox spirit reincarnated?"
Qu Xizhi countered, "Do you like fox spirits?"
"Of course not."
"Then I am not."
Though finding the conversation somewhat odd, the ringing of a phone interrupted the TV show. Gu Xizhi didn't have time to dwell on it, so she lowered the TV volume and told Qu Xizhi, "It's your phone."
Qu Xizhi turned to glance at her phone on the cabinet, then got off the bed to answer the call.
In reality, Qu Xizhi had moved a distance away, but probably due to the loud volume of the phone, Gu Xizhi sitting on the bed still heard the voice of the man on the other end of the call. It was also because Ning Qiu's chilly voice was quite distinctive, so even with just a few words, Gu Xizhi immediately recognized it.
Qu Xizhi had already left the bedroom, and Gu Xizhi was lounging on the bed, bored, while watching TV. After about five minutes, Qu Xizhi returned to the bedroom. Gu Xizhi, who hadn't heard any TV sound from start to finish, looked at Qu Xizhi curiously and asked, "What's the actual relationship between you and Ning Qiu?"
Qu Xizhi seemed somewhat surprised that she knew the call was from Ning Qiu. After a brief pause, she replied, "He's one of my mentors."
Qu Xizhi's pause carried a significant weight for Gu Xizhi. After pondering for a moment, Gu Xizhi asked, "Are you two what the outside world calls a boyfriend and girlfriend?"
"Of course not," Qu Xizhi dismissed her doubts naturally. "Ning Qiu and I aren't each other's type."
"That's more like it," Gu Xizhi said matter-of-factly. "He does seem a bit fierce, with a cold and distant demeanor as if the whole world owes him something. Spending too much time with someone like that could disrupt your facial nerve function."
Qu Xizhi held back a smile and said, "Then what kind of person do you think I should be with?
Gu Xizhi pondered seriously for a moment, and then after a while, she said, "Why must you fall in love? I think you're fine the way you are now. After all, you're in a phase of career growth, and having a romantic scandal isn't good."
"Is that so?" Qu Xizhi asked, her tone uncertain.
"Mm, if you're just feeling bored, I'm right here, aren't I?"
Qu Xizhi paused for a moment and fell silent.
The TV show's plot continued, and Gu Xizhi realized she had forgotten to turn up the volume. At this point in the show, Qu Xizhi's character, Daji, was resting her head on King Zhou's chest and acting coquettishly. King Zhou, played by a well-known "uncle" actor who gained popularity due to his beard, responded by turning to kiss her. Although the actor portraying King Zhou had become quite famous, the age gap made Gu Xizhi feel a bit uncomfortable. "You two seem to have great chemistry. Did you communicate before filming?" Gu Xizhi asked.
"Of course," Qu Xizhi replied without hesitation.
Gu Xizhi thought for a while and said, "Actually, with your current status, you can completely refuse any intimate scenes including kissing scenes."
"Mm, when I took on 'Wangchuan River' I didn't reject intimate scenes with my co-star, who was of the same gender, simply because between the same genders, being intimate in terms of art doesn't really matter."
Gu Xizhi tilted her head and looked at her, "Is that so?"
Qu Xizhi nodded and, seeing Gu Xizhi looking at her with bright eyes, added, "It did put you in a difficult position. If the male lead were still Tang Yu, filming a kissing scene might not have been as graceful."
After being told this way, Gu Xizhi actually felt a bit embarrassed. "Actually, it's not... I've always had a mental barrier when it comes to intimate scenes. Maybe it's because I couldn't be fully professional and committed in those moments that's why I haven't won any awards."
"If your mental barrier is indeed significant, I think you should adjust your mindset and practice more."
"I know that, but can practicing really change the status quo?"
"China has many idioms that prove once you become familiar with something, you can handle it with ease. I think you should give it a try."
Gu Xizhi nodded, picked up the milk beside the bed and drank it leisurely while watching TV.
Having just washed her hair and blown it dry, she had a middle parting, with her long black hair cascading over her shoulders, covering the exposed skin. This hairstyle suited her well, as her high nose and small flawless facial features looked particularly delicate. The gentle breeze from the air conditioning carried the fragrance from her hair. When Qu Xizhi glanced at her, she noticed that her face was slightly flushed due to staying in the bath for too long. Qu Xizhi's thoughts shifted, and she immediately said, "So, you don't need to practice, then?"
Gu Xizhi took a sip of milk, then raised het head to look at her, "Now?"
"If you think I'm not suitable, you can refuse.
"Of course you're suitable, but I'm not ready yet."
"Actors are meant to be ready for action, aren't they?"
Gu Xizhi blinked her eyes, looking at her dazed, as if deep in thought. Qu Xizhi took the milk cup from her hand and set it aside. When she turned back, she didn't give Gu Xizhi a chance to think. Instead, she placed her hands on Gu Xizhi's shoulders and said, "Now." While Gu Xizhi was still lost in thought, Qu Xizhi leaned in and kissed her on the lips.
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
The faint scent of perfume filled Gu Xizhi's senses as Qu Xizhi's kiss lingered, and as she gazed into the impossibly long and thick eyelashes so close to her, Gu Xizhi inexplicably felt a flutter in her heart. She immediately took a step back, not a vehement rejection, but this only spurred Qu Xizhi to persist rather than give up. It seemed that her captivating lashes had a mesmerizing effect, as Gu Xizhi's initial evasion was transformed into a trance-like gaze, locked onto Qu Xizhi's eyes, with no further resistance.
The room was dimly lit, with only the sound emanating from the TV. Qu Xizhi lightly brushed her lips against Gu Xizhi's lip line, and upon sensing her stagnant and hesitant emotions, slowly, her tongue delicately explored.
Their lips grazed each other softly, devoid of any scripted direction and completely spontaneous. Qu Xizhi's tongue skillfully swept across her lips and teeth, delicately capturing the hint of milk lingering on her tongue. The kiss was a blend of tenderness and fervent assault, her lips and tongue invading every inch of space as if no area should be missed at all.
Qu Xizhi's tongue sought out Gu Xizhi's, entwining and chasing it. Every time Gu Xizhi thought her retreat signaled surrender, Qu Xizhi would loop back when she least expected it, catching her off guard. At times, it seemed she was about to capture her, but with masterful tactics, Qu Xizhi would suddenly maneuver to another unguarded territory. It wasn't that Gu Xizhi didn't want to evade, but there was no escape. The prolonged vulnerability led her to eventually abandon resistance, allowing herself to be swept away by the moment. Her lack of resistance made Qu Xizhi more uninhibited, yet it seemed that even this wasn't enough to satisfy her mischief. Her kisses were tantalizing, each time teasingly tangling and chasing until stirring the depths of emotions before retreating. This pattern repeated several times, causing ripples to form on the previously calm heart, stirred by Qu Xizhi's playful teasing and the withholding of her affections.
The number of opponents' moves is too high, and there is no room for her to fight back.
Even the slightest lapse in her attention could be seized upon by Qu Xizhi. Her teeth would then deliver a gentle yet punitive nibble to Gu Xizhi's lower lip. A strange sensation crept through Gu Xizhi's resolve with each movement, as if something was gradually changing. Her heart raced, dizziness set in, and her mouth grew dry. Gu Xizhi was ensnared by a mysterious gravity, pulled in deeply by the force of it.
There must be something wrong, but Gu Xizhi has no time to think except to bear the excessive enthusiasm.
Something seems to be patiently diminishing, while, in contrast, an unfamiliar sensation grows rapidly like creeping vines.
Occasionally, a burst of cold air drifted in but was immediately assimilated, as if scorching heat could consume everything. She didn't even know when she had lain down, as the humid warmth and pleasing scent enveloped her senses. Gu Xizhi's will floated in the clouds…
The doorbell suddenly rang, and Qu Xizhi tried to block the outside world, However, the fading mist in her eyes told her that her sanity was recovering and it was stronger than ever before.
All the pleasure and happiness were abruptly interrupted by a jarring reality. The haze in her eyes dispersed, and the chaotic thoughts were gradually cleared away. Never before had there been a moment, an instant, that made Gu Xizhi feel as if all her efforts to stay focused were in vain, more so than at this very moment. Though she was reluctant to believe it, the doorbell continued to ring. Qu Xizhi reluctantly halted everything and draped the blanket over Gu Xizhi. "I'll go see who it is."
But it seemed as if Gu Xizhi hadn't heard her words at all. As she lowered her head, her cheek was cast in shadow, and the obscured expression was unreadable.