Chapter 24

“I heard,” Gu Jingjing’s topic suddenly changed, “that Fu Yilan’s sudden popularity was all planned by you.”

Fu Haitang’s heart sank, and she broke out in a cold sweat!

The car stopped at an intersection. The red light turned green. The surrounding cars kept honking. Gu Jingjing asked coldly, “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Fu Haitang gripped the steering wheel, lightly stepped on the gas, and looked up into the rearview mirror, meeting Gu Jingjing’s vicious stare.

Gu Jingjing raised a finger to admire her nails, and then said leisurely, “Fu Haitang, you two have the same last name. Are you related?”

“Cough! Cough, cough!” Fu Haitang coughed violently. The tires screeched, and the car drifted for two meters at the next intersection.

“Ah—” Gu Jingjing shrieked, her expression losing control. “What are you doing?!”

Fu Haitang: “I… don’t worry. I’m a very good driver. That was just a drift around the bend.”

Gu Jingjing yelled: “There are no cars on this road! What are you drifting for?!”

For the rest of the drive back to the Gu family residence, Gu Jingjing was just angry. It wasn’t until the gate of the Gu family’s villa opened in front of them and Gu Jingjing got out of the car with a look of exhaustion that Fu Haitang suddenly called out to her.

“Miss, Fu Yilan was just the perfect person to hype up for the first episode. The leader approved it, and I executed it. My authority is very limited…”

Gu Jingjing turned around and looked Fu Haitang up and down. “Are you really not related to Fu Yilan?”

“No. We’re pure and innocent,” Fu Haitang said.

Gu Jingjing raised her chin and said: “How will you prove your loyalty?”

Fu Haitang took a deep breath. “I will withdraw from the planning for the second episode, even if the TV station fires me!”

Gu Jingjing: “Are you sick? Who pays your salary?”

“I will never participate in the planning for the second episode,” Fu Haitang said, raising four fingers to swear. “Otherwise, I’ll get out of the Gu family!”

The butler came to open the door, held a black umbrella over Gu Jingjing, and after a few suspicious glances at Fu Haitang, Gu Jingjing walked into the villa.

The crisis was averted. Fu Haitang finally breathed a sigh of relief.

…

The sky was dark. Fu Haitang returned to her apartment at midnight. “I’m so tired!”

Ji Xiaotong: “What did you go do again?”

“Showed loyalty,” Fu Haitang said, burying her face in a pillow, her voice muffled. “I’m not being taken seriously at the TV station, so I can’t be fired by the young lady.”

Ji Xiaotong: “Didn’t you want to sell your house and go back to your hometown to retire?”

“Just fantasizing about living a simple life.” Fu Haitang turned over. Her messy, black curly hair was spread all over her body, making her skin look as dark as lacquer. “If possible, I can also go to a manor in the UK to live a simple life.”

Ji Xiaotong: “So greedy!”

Her phone rang. It was Sini. The first thing she said was: “The plan for the second episode is out. Do you want to hear it?”

“Wait a second!” Fu Haitang quickly got up, took a can of beer from the fridge, and walked quickly to the balcony. “I’ve got the melon seeds and peanuts ready.”

Sini told her about the plan that the planning team had come up with after a two-hour brainstorming session.

Fu Haitang: “Shooting an afternoon tea tomorrow? The preview for the second episode is about a girl’s afternoon tea?”

“Yeah,” Sini said. “Everyone thinks it’s necessary to maintain the production team’s image.”

Fu Haitang: “Hasn’t A-Station done a lot of things like plagiarism, hype, and stealing resources? And now they’re starting to maintain their image?”

“What’s wrong? Did my plan go against public morals?” Fu Haitang was in disbelief. She had created the show’s outline. After Ren Qing approved it, it also passed the senior management. She was no longer involved in the shooting details, but she didn’t expect her plan to be drastically changed?

Fu Haitang suddenly said: “Is there a dress code for the afternoon tea tomorrow night?”

Sini said: “Of course, everyone will wear their training uniforms.”

Fu Haitang suddenly smiled: “You forgot. Fu Yilan’s training uniform was lost a long time ago. She only has her personal clothes.”

“Afternoon tea” and “personal clothes” were two key pieces of information that hinted at the battle of who could outshine whom.

Sini: “You’re trying to cause trouble!”

Fu Haitang turned her head. Ji Xiaotong had actually taken her dress out. She was holding the dazzling royal blue dress in her hand, comparing it to her reflection in the mirror.

Fu Haitang raised an eyebrow. She already had an idea in her mind: “I know what to do.”

…

“Welcome—” Fu Yilan looked up and smiled lightly when she saw the person. “Good evening.”

Fu Haitang walked in with her bag and greeted her casually: “Why aren’t you working part-time at the bar?”

Fu Yilan: “That’s for my days off. It’s 2K a day. On weekdays, I come back here to look after the shop.”

Fu Haitang put her bag aside. After ordering a coffee, she took out a check from her wallet. “This is 200,000 yuan. You can go cash it when you have time. I’m worried the young lady will find out, so a check is more discreet.”

“A check, huh~” Fu Yilan took it and carefully examined the thin piece of paper against the light.

Fu Haitang explained: “The agent who handled the transfer for me also contacted a bank for me and opened an account. I just casually asked if I could write checks, and he said it was fine.”

“No need to explain,” Fu Yilan smiled. “You wouldn’t give me a fake one.”

Fu Haitang smiled back.

“By the way,” Fu Yilan pushed a cola toward her, with a hidden blade in her smile. “Only 200,000?”

Fu Haitang really didn’t want to sell her house. She could only stammer, “Uh… I’ll try my best to get the rest for you.”

“OK.” Fu Yilan nodded.

Fu Haitang pinched a strand of hair and played with it. “Ms. Fu Yilan, what time do you close the shop?”

She had taken out her phone. Because of Gu Jingjing, she had the phone numbers of many local makeup artists saved.

Fu Yilan tilted her head and smiled: “Aren’t you going back to rest?”

Fu Haitang turned to the side, took Fu Yilan’s purple dress out of a wooden basket. “This is a dress a clothing company mailed to you. I hope you like it.”

“Free?” Fu Yilan’s eyes curved slightly, like a spring breeze. “Am I not charging them?”

Two strands of hair fell down by the woman’s temples. Fu Haitang put her bag aside and simply propped her chin up with one hand, looking at Fu Yilan lazily: “Miss, a mid-to-high-end clothing company giving you a dress means they have a good impression of you, but they wouldn’t go out of their way for a newcomer in the industry.”

Fu Yilan: “Then help me take a look to see if it fits.”

Fu Haitang gave her an OK sign.

Fu Yilan went to change clothes. Fu Haitang couldn’t help but lick her lips a few times. She got off the high stool and locked the coffee shop for Fu Yilan.

(I’ll be home a little late tonight.) Fu Haitang typed, lowering her head.

Fu Yilan’s voice came from inside: “Fu Haitang, I can’t zip up the dress—”

The message was sent. Fu Haitang turned off her screen.

Where is she? Fu Yilan was fighting with the zipper on her back, but she didn’t get a response from Fu Haitang. She grabbed the hem, about to take it off, when a hand suddenly came from behind her and helped her. She instantly straightened up, feeling nothing but a burning sensation at that spot.

Fu Haitang smiled gently: “I’ll zip it up for you.”

Below the lower back of the mermaid dress, besides the almost invisible zipper, there was a section of soft white fabric. It was pure cotton, soft to the touch. Fu Haitang teased: “You like white?”

That was the color of her panties. Fu Yilan looked at Fu Haitang in the mirror, brushed her black hair to her right shoulder, and didn’t blush at all. She even mocked Fu Haitang, “That’s rude.”

Fu Haitang’s dark eyes were filled with a playful light: “Then I apologize.”

“No,” Fu Yilan said, taking out a lipstick and applying it. Then she turned around and faced Fu Haitang. “You should return the favor.”

Fu Haitang stared at her lips, suddenly gripping the silk hem of the dress. “What?”

Fu Yilan: “Playing dumb?”

“Hmph…” Fu Haitang breathed softly. “I wear purple.”

Purple? Fu Yilan raised an eyebrow slightly. Her finger on the washbasin gently rubbed her index finger. “I didn’t expect…”

“Only kids wear pure white cotton,” Fu Haitang said, cutting her off to mock her first.

Fu Yilan pursed her lips: “Say that again.”

“Kid… ngh!”

Fu Yilan kissed Fu Haitang hard, as if she wanted to kiss her until she suffocated. After the passionate kiss subsided, she panted and held Fu Haitang’s face, saying seriously: “This dress is not my size.”

Fu Haitang: “…”

Fu Yilan was too thin. Fu Haitang’s dress could have shown off her full, curvy figure, but on Fu Yilan, there was a finger’s width of extra space at her waist.

Fu Yilan stared into Fu Haitang’s eyes, countless thoughts flashing through her mind. She suddenly found the answer she was looking for. “SUR’s new summer collection, a dress worth up to 60,000 yuan. Are these your new clothes?”

Fu Yilan was first surprised, and then a pitiful sense of injustice rushed to her nose. “Aren’t you a cheapskate that everyone at A-Station knows about?”

Fu Haitang licked her lips: “I… Fu Yilan, there’s an afternoon tea party tomorrow afternoon. Everyone else will be wearing their training uniforms. I hope you can stand out from the crowd.”

Fu Yilan: “Don’t you have a confidentiality agreement?”

“…”

Fu Haitang: “You’ll know about tomorrow’s announcement in a few hours anyway. I’m not that rigid.”

Fu Yilan hummed in response.

Fu Haitang continued: “Thank you for what you did. It allowed me to stay in the show. But I’ve been removed from the planning team for the second episode. Tomorrow… I hope you’ll wear this dress and outshine everyone else.”

“Wouldn’t that make me a target for everyone?” Fu Yilan said.

Fu Haitang smiled and held Fu Yilan’s face. Their eyes met, and she said seriously: “Remember, your persona is the girl from humble beginnings. You can make all sorts of mistakes, so that everyone thinks you’re just an idiot who doesn’t know how to act around people.”

Fu Yilan puffed up her cheeks, lightly pushing Fu Haitang’s hand on her cheek with her tongue, showing her displeasure.

The soft flesh on the omega’s cheek felt so wonderful. Fu Haitang couldn’t help but soften her tone: “You just heard that afternoon tea parties in the big city are very formal, so you spent your ad money to buy a new dress and made an appointment with a makeup artist just to fit in with the group. Understand?”

Fu Yilan slightly squinted her eyes: “I understand.”

Fu Haitang laughed easily: “When you’re being interviewed, you can embellish the story. Remember to act realistically. I’m being good to you because we’re allies. Don’t be so moved. You’re even tearing up.”

Fu Yilan subconsciously reached up and touched her face.

“…”

Fu Haitang: “Hahaha.”

Fu Yilan: “…” Fu Yilan raised her hand to cover her eyes. She turned her back, her shoulders twitching, and a soft sob could be heard.

“I, I…” Fu Haitang didn’t mean to make her cry. “Uh… I was just kidding.”

Fu Yilan: “You pity me.”

“Me? Pity you?” Fu Haitang frowned in disbelief, then denied it. “How is that possible?”

Fu Yilan quietly opened her eyes, glanced at Fu Haitang in the mirror, and quietly dabbed two drops of water from the faucet. Then she dabbed it under her eyes and turned to look at Fu Haitang.

Fu Haitang: “…” She’s really crying?

Fu Yilan curved her fingers, wanting to wipe away the wetness under her eyes, but her wrist was suddenly grabbed. She couldn’t move.

“Hey, you—” Fu Yilan looked up, revealing a face that was red with embarrassment and fury after realizing her mistake. Fu Haitang looked at her, meeting those glistening eyes, and as if possessed, she kissed her and sucked away Fu Yilan’s tears.

Her kiss carried a hint of tenderness.

Then she couldn’t help herself and kissed Fu Yilan’s lips again. Over and over again for a few minutes, she grinded on the plump part of Fu Yilan’s lips. She was mischievous. She was clearly attracted by the latter’s pitiful appearance, but she couldn’t help herself, wanting to make her hurt a little more.

“Ouch!” Fu Yilan pushed Fu Haitang away and touched her lips. The plump part of her lips was raw from being sucked on. Anger mixed with shame, and she clenched her fist, threatening Fu Haitang: “If you kiss me like that again, I’ll smash your mouth to a pulp!”

Fu Haitang was in a hurry and held her, like a horny devil who had lost her mind: “Then smash me!”

Fu Yilan was stunned: “Wait—ngh!”

A passionate kiss fell, and her tongue and lips were tangled, letting Fu Haitang tease her.