Chapter 31: Dear A’Cis Flushed Ears
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=7288969
Lu Xici set aside the fork, reaching out to embrace Jun Youyue happily, only to be held down by Jun Youyue.
"Eat first."
Lu Xici resigned.
She was eager to get rid of the guilt in her heart, but Jun Youyue didn't seem to care at all and didn't give her this chance at all.
“Besides, my sister said you've liked me since high school. It must have been tough for so many years, right?"
Jun Youyue waited for Lu Xici to finish her meal, and continued the conversation.
Too straightforward... Lu Xici lowered her head, trying to hide her shyness.
She blushed a lot today, which made her very embarrassed.
She thought only her mom and Song Liufeng knew about this. Ning-jie is quite formidable.
"How about I make up for your secret love for so many years and pursue you?" Jun Youyue hugged Lu Xici, absorbed energy, and nuzzled her ear.
The exhaled breath hit Lu Xici's ear, burning the ticklish spot until it turned so red it could bleed.
Being so close brought a comforting solace to her emotions, but there was a subtle unease in her rationality transitioning from embarrassment to timidity.
Lu Xici wasn't used to such intimate hugs, let alone having her ears caressed along with such words.
Feeling embarrassed, she wanted to escape and struggled a little.
Jun Youyue released her hand the moment she sensed her movement, and looked at her with confusion.
Her ear turned even redder, and the crimson extended to her neck, accentuating her delicate skin.
"Don't, don't play with my ears like this!" Lu Xici, a bit annoyed and blushing, scolded.
Straightforward Jun completely missed her mixed signals and immediately apologized. "Sorry. I didn't know you didn't like it."
"I didn't mean that! You... you can play, no need to apologize."
Lu Xici forgot she was dealing with the ultimate straightforward girl; talking to her required no beating around the bush, no coyness—only directness for her to understand.
She almost bit her lip until it bled, managing to force out half a sentence.
This operation confused Jun Youyue.
"No need to force yourself," even though she faintly sensed that Lu Xici wasn't resistant to what just happened.
Is this duality?
"No... I wasn't forcing it. I, I like it."
Lu Xici's entire face is now flushed, feeling like she's burning up. To prevent any misunderstanding from Jun Youyue, she takes the initiative, moves closer, tilts her head, and offers her ear.
The girl in front of her had her eyelashes lowered, her eyes were wandering, but full of affection. If their eyes briefly meet, she blushes and quickly averts her gaze, unwilling to linger on her.
She's still clutching her clothes, pulling them down slightly, revealing a hint of fragrant shoulders.
The collarbone is tinged with a bit of pink, elegantly outlining the graceful lines with the most appropriate color, alluring and seemingly unaware.
Jun Youyue couldn't help but recall the secrets of last night, the affectionate moments that Lu Xici seemed to have forgotten.
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=7288969
She lowered her head, lightly biting onto the presented red ear, her hand encircling Lu Xici's shoulder, helping her pull the clothes back in place.
Extending her tongue, she licked the earlobe, allowing that touch of fiery red to be coated with a glistening liquid.
Before Lu Xici could escape, she nibbled on the earlobe again.
Her breath, carrying moisture, evaporated, yet it failed to cool down Lu Xici.
Because Jun Youyue added, "I like you, A’Ci*."
*The "A'" in names is an affectionate prefix, indicating familiarity or intimacy. It's a way of expressing closeness or endearment.
The two of them maintained the embrace for at least two minutes.
After Jun Youyue finished that sentence and used that term, Lu Xici stood there as if petrified, not even blinking.
Jun Youyue had read online dating guides that suggested couples should have nicknames for each other.
For the time being, she is too embarrassed to use terms such as "baby" or "sweetheart", so she compromised and thought of the name A'Ci.
But she didn't expect Lu Xici's reaction.
Does she like it or not? Just as Jun Youyue was about to awaken the petrified little deer, Lu Xici made a move.
She broke free from Jun Youyue's embrace, then covered her face and crouched in the corner, wanting to hide herself.
It seems like she likes it.
Jun Youyue caught up and poked this shy little dumpling.
The dumpling moved forward a step, almost embedding itself into the wall.
"Lu meimei? A’Ci?" Failing in her actions, Jun Youyue resorted to attack with words.
Lu Xici simply wanted to escape from this place.
Once was enough, why did this person have to call out again? Doesn't she realize her voice is quite charming?!
If she keeps calling like this, Lu Xici will really lose control.
"Don't call me that!" Lu Xici felt extremely embarrassed, trying to stop Jun Youyue with a hoarse voice. However, her lack of confidence revealed her true feelings to Jun Youyue.
"From now on, I'm going to call you that way." Jun Youyue crouched beside Lu Xici, holding onto the little crab that wanted to escape.
"A’Ci."
Lu Xici took a deep breath, almost flipping over from excessive excitement.
"I'm going to wash my face!" she exclaimed, then rushed away.
Jun Youyue laughed as she watched Lu Xici dash away.
There is indeed a difference between Lu Xici during the day and when she is drunk. The first was more shy, but both were equally adorable.
Thinking about how the bold Lu Xici in her drunken state had made her blush and heart race, Jun Youyue couldn't help but smile. Truly, fortunes change.
"Aren't you going to work?" Lu Xici asked, looking calmer after washing her face.
Just the water droplets on her hair and face made her look like a lotus—charming and lovely, making Jun Youyue want to kiss her.
At least Jun Youyue resisted the urge.
"The project got put on hold." This was business, she needed to be serious and not fill her mind with junk.
Lu Xici frowned, and her expression turned serious. She suddenly looked up and stared at Jun Youyue. "Did that group of people from before make some noise again?"
Jun Youyue shook her head.
The timing of her project being put on hold and Lu Xici's variety show airing was such that it was hard for her not to suspect a connection between the two.
Four years ago, the reason they could retain her was because of the Lu family behind Lu Xici. Now, Jun Youyue has also achieved results and has successfully been promoted.
She thought she had gained a foothold but unexpectedly, as soon as there was a disturbance in her relationship with the Lu family, those watching her seized the opportunity and wouldn't let go.
Lu Xici also started pondering.
In fact, the reason she was recently conflicted about whether to wear the ring was her concern that the fact about her relationship with Jun Youyue breaking down would be exploited by the hidden enemies of the Jun family.
However, her thoughts aligned with those of Jun Youyue.
Jun Youyue has already been promoted to third-level researcher, and her previous project was also successful. Logically and emotionally, she should not be touched so recklessly.
Speaking of which, Lu Xici's variety show only aired last week.
Based on the online chat with Jun Youyue, it seems she was busy with work until three days ago.
The timing is somewhat coincidental.
"Something's wrong." Lu Xici felt like she had caught some clue, and was lost in thought for a while, not noticing the way Jun Youyue looked at her.
Jun Youyue's "Don't think about it" was suppressed in her heart.
She knew disrupting someone's thoughts was taboo, so she stayed in place, hesitant to make any rash moves.
The ring, divorce, and the catalyst involving Jun Youyue and Tao Sheng.
Lu Xici felt she was close to finding an answer. She took out her phone and urgently started searching for something.
After a minute, she found a chat history with a friend.
This person's name is Wu Yishu, Lu Xici’s friend from her university days. They weren't particularly close, but Wu Yishu unexpectedly learned about Lu Xici's marriage to Jun Youyue and the inside story of it.
As a friend from their student days and not part of the affluent circle, Lu Xici didn't guard herself much against her. That's why she shared the information that she and Jun Youyue don't have an emotional foundation.
Lu Xici scrolled up and down, quickly examining her chat history with Wu Yishu.
Aside from occasional holiday greetings and intermittent inquiries about each other's recent situations, their conversations were surprisingly filled with Wu Yishu reporting to her. Specifically, reporting about Jun Youyue's status.
Including the incident at Jinzhao Hotel, she was the one who informed her that Jun Youyue was in trouble, but also emphasized that Tao Sheng was also there.
Lu Xici thought of a possibility.
She closed her phone and took a deep breath, but still couldn't calm down.
"Do you know that there are rumors about you and Tao Sheng?" Lu Xici looked at Jun Youyue, feeling a bit embarrassed as she spoke.
Having read Jun Youyue's memoir, Lu Xici knew it was all a misunderstanding, her overthinking, leading her to believe that Jun Youyue and Tao Sheng had something.
It was clear that she had done everything with Jun Youyue, but she simply couldn't remember.
Jun Youyue obviously didn't know about this. She was momentarily stunned and was unable to respond.
"I don't have anything with her,'' Feeling misunderstood, Jun Youyue's heart twitched and wanted to raise her hands to prove her innocence.
"She's a straight woman, and she's your fan." Jun Youyue tried to explain, "She likes men with eight-pack abs... tan skin."
Sorry, Tao Sheng. Jun Youyue apologized to her friend in her heart. The latter part of the sentence was something she had read online; she didn't actually know what type of person Tao Sheng liked.
Lu Xici almost choked on her words. "Pfft, cough, cough, cough! No need to say it so, uh, explicitly."
"I don't doubt you now, but... before, someone was deliberately leading me in this direction."
She blames herself for believing it so easily. Why couldn't she have just asked Jun Youyue directly at that time?
However, the two of them were, after all, in a contract marriage, with so many information gaps.
Even if Lu Xici could start over, in that situation, she would still believe that Jun Youyue didn't like her and that she should give her back her freedom.
"You mean..." Jun Youyue turned the conversation.
Lu Xici nodded. "Someone wants us to divorce."
However, that person didn't anticipate that Lu Xici would persist in her own way for so long, to the point where Jun Youyue had achieved success and was about to stand firmly in her position at the research institute.
….
"Are you sure this is true?" The person with white hair and a hunched back, dressed in Tang clothing, stood by the window, a parrot perched on his shoulder. He appeared to be an extremely amiable old man.
"I'm sure. Miss Xici hasn't worn the ring on set for the past month, and her colleague is still pursuing her. She has also started blind dates on a certain website. It seems she has completely given up on Jun Youyue."
"Very good," the person chuckled, but his subordinate shivered.
"Without the Lu family's support, let's see how long she survives."
Speaking almost to himself, he then turned around, addressing his subordinate. However, his eyes seemed lifeless, not looking at the subordinate.
"Still no leads on that thing?"
Though not receiving direct eye contact, the subordinate straightened up.
"Yes. Based on intelligence analysis, the subordinate believes either Jun Linyi didn't succeed back then, and the drug is just a smokescreen, or Yang Wanqing has completely destroyed that thing."
Without receiving a response, the subordinate became somewhat nervous. Just before he was about to kneel to confess, the old man spoke again.
"A load of nonsense! I had people watching what they researched. How could there be nothing?! Keep searching for me! Something so crucial, so advanced! It couldn't have been destroyed!"
He fumbled on the table, finally finding an instrument that felt like glass, and slammed it in front of his subordinate. "Get out!"
The subordinate was almost scared out of his wits, and he didn't dare to stay a moment longer after receiving the command. He quickly left the study.
The old man closed his blind eyes, unable to control the bitterness within.
His body was deteriorating day by day, and the deterioration of his vision was even more severe. Now, he couldn't even see whether he had slammed a teacup or an ashtray.
He must find the medicine hidden by Jun Linyi quickly.
The parrot on his shoulder cawed, "Someone's coming, someone's coming."
He resumed the appearance of the benevolent old man, settling back into his seat. "Come in."
Author's Note:
Yes, I have a main plot (akimbo). There is a lot of information in the second half of this chapter. Jun Youyue’s two mothers finally have names.
The tan muscular man is a meme. It is probably something popular among the entertainment industry's "iron hoof"* on shows, claiming they like tan muscular men... no offense to readers with similar xp!
*not sure about this but it says ‘rule of force’ in chinese-tools.com, so maybe veterans or older people in the circle
**性癖 - xing pi - fetish