After Rebirth, the Cold and Aloof Film Queen Always Wants to Cuddle with Me - Chapter 14

Chapter 14 

The round, disc-like moon hung high in the night sky, draped in a layer of pale yellow gauze, emitting a gentle, soft glow.

Ye Ruihuan subconsciously quickened her steps as she got out of the car and headed toward the villa. But when she pushed open the door and stepped inside, the room was completely dark—no sign of anyone, and certainly not the Lin Ruijiao from her dreams.

Clutching her suddenly empty-feeling heart, she murmured to herself, “Seems like I’ve been too affected by that dream.”

At that moment, Lin Ruijiao was still at the company dorm with Sister Wang. Because of her, Sister Wang had already moved house twice during this period. As a longtime colleague and friend, of course she came to help.

As for the acting class Ye Ruihuan mentioned—Lin Ruijiao hadn’t shown up. Most likely, it was just as Assistant Li had said: she was attending the evening gala and wouldn’t be coming. That worked out, since Ye Ruihuan had grown deeply disgusted with her.

“Ruijiao, I can handle this on my own. You should go back. Who knows, President Ye might go to the Yu Wan Villa looking for you,” said Sister Wang as she organized the clothes in the wardrobe.

“It’s fine, Sister Wang,” Lin Ruijiao replied with a smile.

“Well, thank you anyway.”

“Oh come on, no need for thanks between us. We’ve been working together for years. I should be the one thanking you for all your care and support,” Lin Ruijiao said with emotion.

“Mhm, Ruijiao, don’t worry. Things will only get better for both of us. I believe in you.” Sister Wang had watched her walk this path with a passionate and sincere heart. Someone like her just needed a chance. And now, Ruijiao carried a new kind of confidence. With solid acting skills and no interference from the company’s sketchy maneuvers, she was bound to become a star—reaching the heights they once dreamed of. Sister Wang firmly believed it.

The two shared a smile. After helping Sister Wang finish organizing everything, Lin Ruijiao slowly made her way back to Yu Wan Villa.

But before she could even enter, she spotted Ye Ruihuan’s car, and an urge to turn around and leave surged within her. She paused, clenched her fists, and forced herself to walk straight inside, her eyes brimming with disdain and mockery.

Inside, Ye Ruihuan sat alone on the sofa, her expression indifferent, unreadable.

Xiao Li and Aunt Liu had long since hidden away. Ye Ruihuan hadn’t allowed them to message Miss Lin to give her a heads-up. Unable to guess what she was thinking, they figured it was safer to stay out of sight.

As soon as Lin Ruijiao walked in, she immediately noticed Ye Ruihuan sitting in the center. Dressed in an exquisite gown with perfectly done makeup, she looked like a fallen fairy from heaven—her blue-violet ombré dress added a dreamlike glow, dazzling and beautiful.

A flicker of amazement crossed Lin Ruijiao’s eyes. The elegance erased any trace of arrogance, leaving only icy beauty behind. She quickly schooled her expression and offered a soft smile. Of course she dressed up—she was going to see the one she loved, after all.

But as she drew closer, she realized Ye Ruihuan hadn’t even noticed her yet, wearing a complex expression, brows furrowed as if troubled. Maybe she had made a fool of herself in front of her beloved and came to this “stand-in” for comfort. Lin Ruijiao pressed her lips together.

Ye Ruihuan slowly lifted her eyes. Though the complex emotions within hadn’t faded—confusion, longing, frustration—when she looked again, only a faint joy remained.

“You’re back?”

“Mhm, Ruihuan,” Lin Ruijiao sat down obediently beside her. Right now, she only needed to play the role of a substitute.

“Where did you go? Didn’t we agree to have acting class today?” Ye Ruihuan questioned sharply.

“I was with Sister Wang. And yes, we did, but… I heard you had an evening event. I thought you wouldn’t come.” She responded gently, her round eyes meeting Ye Ruihuan’s gaze directly.

Looking at Lin Ruijiao’s smiling face, Ye Ruihuan suddenly felt her heart thump uncontrollably. But… there wasn’t anything particularly attractive about her, was there?

Lin Ruijiao couldn’t help turning to get a better look. At such close distance, she could see Ye Ruihuan’s flawless features, eyes misty and filled with longing, and those bright red lips. This formal look made her even more beautiful. Lin Ruijiao silently admired her.

But thinking of how poorly she’d been treated, she couldn’t hold back her emotions and quickly turned her head away.

Ye Ruihuan kept staring at her, motionless, as if analyzing her own heart. After a long pause, she finally looked away and said, “Let’s watch a movie.”

“Okay,” Lin Ruijiao quickly agreed and turned on the TV.

With no specific request from Ye Ruihuan, she randomly selected a highly-rated film and focused intently on the screen. But Ye Ruihuan wasn’t really watching. Lin Ruijiao could feel her occasional glances. Still, she ignored them—probably just thinking about her white moonlight again.

Ye Ruihuan licked her lips, emotions churning in her eyes. After a long silence, she finally said, “Jiaojiao…” Her voice was gentle, filled with something indescribable.

“Hmm?” Lin Ruijiao played along, turning to look at her. The other woman’s eyes were misty with love and longing. She froze.

So Ye Ruihuan was seeing Dong Yulan in her again.

That must be it.

But then, Ye Ruihuan leaned in slowly, her eyes hazy. Lin Ruijiao instinctively pulled back.

Ye Ruihuan froze, furrowing her brows and grabbing Lin Ruijiao’s chin. “What are you avoiding?” Her words were icy, instantly freezing the air around them.

Lin Ruijiao bit her lip and looked away without answering. It was one thing to pretend, but she couldn’t let herself truly be a stand-in. Still, she was trapped—there was no easy way out right now.

“Are you afraid of me?” Ye Ruihuan’s voice was light, but the underlying threat was unmistakable.

Lin Ruijiao swallowed and shook her head.

“Then you must hate me?” Ye Ruihuan narrowed her eyes, voice laced with danger.

Still shaking her head, Lin Ruijiao avoided her gaze and stayed silent.

But this passive attitude only irritated Ye Ruihuan more. Her emotions surged wildly, threatening to spill out. Even the air felt like it was holding its breath.

“Hate me or love me—it doesn’t matter. Jiaojiao, just don’t ever think about running away from me.” Ye Ruihuan leaned in, staring at her closely, her voice husky and dangerous.

Lin Ruijiao looked up into her eyes but couldn’t decipher them. There was a foggy veil hiding her true thoughts. She couldn’t react. What was Ye Ruihuan doing now—losing her mind?

“You hear me?” Ye Ruihuan whispered in her ear, voice low and slurred.

Then came a warm sensation—one that made Lin Ruijiao’s scalp tingle.

Ye Ruihuan bit her ear.

The slight pain was quickly overtaken by a wet, tingling numbness. Lin Ruijiao fought the urge to push her away. Calm down. Calm down. She couldn’t afford to break things off with her just yet.

She lowered her head, letting her long black hair fall and conceal her complex expression.

Ye Ruihuan happily stroked her hair. Such a docile little bunny—she liked that. The chaos in her heart was ultimately buried by joy. Ye Ruihuan told herself she definitely wasn’t falling for Lin Ruijiao. That was her conclusion.

But she completely forgot—when it came to Dong Yulan, hadn’t she once acted just as irrationally?

After Ye Ruihuan left the room, Lin Ruijiao finally exhaled. Expressionless, she stood up. Her round eyes now held only chill and detachment. She walked back to her room, the corners of her lips curling into a faint, mocking smile.

She didn’t turn on the light. Her thin silhouette melted into the darkness. The moonlight outside cast a glow through the window, and her pretty apricot-shaped eyes reflected a fierce and determined light.