After Rebirth, the Cold and Aloof Film Queen Always Wants to Cuddle with Me - Chapter 47
Chapter 47
Faced with the gentle gaze of Ye Ruihuan, Lin Ruijiao found herself confused and unable to guess what the other person was thinking.
That gaze, full of affection, surely wasn’t directed at her but rather at senior Dong Yulan. Lin Ruijiao instinctively turned to look into the distance.
“Jiaojiao, don’t you want to know at all?” Ye Ruihuan’s eyes flickered with helplessness.
“Know what?” Unable to make sense of anything, Lin Ruijiao decided to play dumb. That look in her eyes was filled with too many meanings, and intuitively, she didn’t want to figure it out.
“…Nothing.” Ye Ruihuan let out a bitter smile, finally shifting her gaze from Lin Ruijiao to the azure sky.
The sun grew increasingly glaring, soon rising overhead. The temperature climbed, making it feel a bit hot.
Their cups of tea had long been emptied. Lin Ruijiao’s cheeks were flushed, her round eyes hazy. She yawned unconsciously. “It’s so hot. I’m going downstairs.”
“Mm, I’ll go too.” A smile deepened on Ye Ruihuan’s face. The little bunny looked so sweet and silly—absolutely adorable.
Time flew by quickly, and before they knew it, it was lunchtime. Lin Ruijiao stretched while looking at the clock and rummaged through the fridge. “Can you cook?” she asked Ye Ruihuan, her eyes full of hope.
“…No.” Ye Ruihuan was momentarily stunned, then quickly added, “But I can help.”
“…Alright. I’m not that great at it either. Don’t blame me if it’s bad,” Lin Ruijiao said softly, calmly taking ingredients out of the fridge one by one.
“It’ll be delicious—anything Jiaojiao makes will be delicious…” Ye Ruihuan leaned in with a bright smile. She couldn’t believe she’d get to taste Jiaojiao’s homemade food.
Standing next to Lin Ruijiao, Ye Ruihuan looked clueless as she stared at the ingredients on the counter.
“Aren’t you helping? Why are you just standing there…?” Lin Ruijiao glanced at her in surprise.
“…How do you do this?” Ye Ruihuan picked up a leafy vegetable and examined it as if it were an alien.
“…Just pick and wash the leaves…” Lin Ruijiao sighed as she demonstrated how, then looked back at her.
Their eyes met. In an instant, the air seemed to quiet. Big eyes met innocent ones. Ye Ruihuan looked lost and helpless. Lin Ruijiao sighed again, “Forget it, you should just go rest.”
“Huh? I’ll help! I can do it,” Ye Ruihuan quickly said, trying to prove herself by copying Lin Ruijiao’s actions.
“…Okay, not bad,” Lin Ruijiao said, turning to prepare the rest of the food. “I’ll leave that part to you then.”
Ye Ruihuan suddenly recalled the candlelit dinner from her dreams—it must’ve been cooked by Jiaojiao herself. What a pity…
She looked up at Lin Ruijiao, who was focused and radiant, bathed in a soft glow that made her fair skin even more luminous. Jiaojiao was so soft and charming. A focused woman really was beautiful.
Ye Ruihuan finished her task and quietly watched Lin Ruijiao.
At some point, the distance between them closed. When Lin Ruijiao noticed, Ye Ruihuan was hugging her from behind. She turned her head and met Ye Ruihuan’s gentle eyes—phoenix-shaped and full of warmth. Their breaths intertwined—so close, so intimate.
“…Why are you so close? Go rest!” Lin Ruijiao said instinctively.
“I’m just trying to learn,” Ye Ruihuan replied softly, almost like she was acting cute.
“…Learn what? You don’t need to learn this. Go play, don’t get in the way.” Lin Ruijiao placed the steak in the pan. The sizzling sound exploded like firecrackers, and the delicious aroma soon filled the room.
“…Okay, but call me if you need anything.” Ye Ruihuan smiled as she noticed the redness in Lin Ruijiao’s ears. She didn’t miss how flustered Jiaojiao had looked. So… maybe she didn’t dislike her that much after all?
Soon, Lin Ruijiao brought the dishes over. Thankfully, there was still steak—about the only dish she could cook. She had specially learned it for an anniversary dinner in her past life. But now… it seemed like her cooking skills had vanished.
“It smells amazing, Jiaojiao,” Ye Ruihuan praised with genuine admiration.
“Mm, here you go,” Lin Ruijiao said, sitting across from her.
“It’s delicious,” Ye Ruihuan beamed after tasting it.
“…Mm.” Lin Ruijiao stared at the slightly burnt steak on her plate, feeling doubtful—it didn’t look delicious at all.
Yet Ye Ruihuan kept eating happily, bite after bite, her smile gentle as ever.
After lunch, the warmth of the weather made them both drowsy.
“Ruihuan, I’m going to take a nap,” Lin Ruijiao said after putting down her phone.
“…Okay, I’m sleepy too. Let’s nap together,” Ye Ruihuan smiled.
“…Sure. You go ahead. I’ll rest on the couch.” Lin Ruijiao hesitated before waving her hand firmly.
“…Just kidding. You go. I’m not sleepy,” Ye Ruihuan replied, though her eyes dimmed a little.
“Alright then. I’m going,” Lin Ruijiao said bluntly as she went upstairs and locked the door behind her. A day without filming was such a relief—finally a break from all the emotional exhaustion.
Ye Ruihuan quietly waited downstairs. After about half an hour, she moved, heading upstairs with a spare key in hand—one that had been prepared in advance. Every room in the villa had backup keys, as Assistant Li had explained thoroughly beforehand.
She carefully opened the door and slipped into bed beside Lin Ruijiao. Even her breathing became lighter as she gazed at Jiaojiao’s face, memorizing every delicate feature. Eventually, her breathing matched Lin Ruijiao’s rhythm.
With a heart full of love, Ye Ruihuan slowly closed her eyes, holding Jiaojiao’s wrist gently as she drifted into sleep, a faint smile on her lips.