Before Going on a Variety Show, the Actress Lost Her Memory - Chapter 21

Even though Xiao Huili had taken advantage of her, Su Junwan couldn’t reveal her true feelings. Instead, she played it off as shyness.

After pushing Xiao Huili away, Su Junwan raised a hand to her lips, feigning surprise and shock. Her eyes glistened with a pitiful tenderness, her delicate brows furrowed slightly, and her fair cheeks flushed crimson from her ears to her jawline.

She glanced at Xiao Huili, feigning reproach. “A-Li, how could you do that?”

Her lips, still flushed from the kiss, looked particularly lush. Combined with her expression, even Xiao Huili couldn’t help but feel a tremor in her heart.

Stunned by the sudden temptation, Xiao Huili froze for a moment, unable to respond. It was only after the others teased her that she snapped back to reality. Thanks to Su Junwan’s performance, they barely managed to get away with it.

“Holy sh1t, holy sh1t, I can’t take it anymore! Xiao Huili’s been keeping all this goodness to herself!”

“That look… I’m dead. So delicate!”

“That look’s a bit ‘green tea,’ but not in a bad way. Remember when Huanhuan did the bl00d kinship test? It’s kinda like that—deliberately trying to seduce Xiao Huili.”

“Upstairs, you don’t need to point that out! Who else would she be trying to seduce? Can’t you see Xiao Huili’s completely lost her soul? (Dog head for protection)”

“……”

Although the second group didn’t draw Yu Wenyu and Xi Xiuyun, the third group did.

Yu Wenyu wasn’t sure whether to be happy or not. At least they weren’t the grand finale, she thought to herself, trying to find a silver lining.

Without even hesitating, Yu Wenyu knew what the fans wanted to see: the jealous bed scene between Fu Huai and the Empress from Imperial Heart.

There were countless bed scenes in Imperial Heart, but the one in Hua Xiu Palace was the most detailed and sexually charged.

Xi Xiuyun had also guessed they would perform this scene, but the only drawback was that they were both dressed in modern clothes.

In the original scene, the Empress wore a sheer gauze skirt that was both revealing and aesthetically pleasing when torn.

Back then, Xi Xiuyun had refused to settle for a single take, insisting on using every prop until the director got the exact shot he wanted. Yu Wenyu had been quite resentful at the time.

Now, however, Yu Wenyu was grateful she wasn’t wearing that sinful gauze skirt. She had just stolen a glance at Xi Xiuyun and could tell the woman was already reliving the memory.

Damn it! Why can Xi Xiuyun get away with being so shameless? Those ten gauze skirts had left a lasting trauma on her.

Worse still, Xi Xiuyun hadn’t let her off the hook that night. To this day, Yu Wenyu still lacked the courage to watch Imperial Heart.

“Hahahaha! Their expressions are killing me! One’s already getting excited, while the other looks like she’s about to die of fear!”

“Is this the scene where they tore ten dresses?”

“How did I not realize Xi Xiuyun was such a psycho back then?”

“It’s not that you didn’t realize—that little minx just never gave you the chance. She and Yu Wenyu barely did any promotional events or variety shows. Even joint interviews were rare. But now that you mention it, I’m going to rewatch their Imperial Heart premiere. My gut tells me there’s bound to be something hilarious there, ha ha ha!”

Just as Xi Xiuyun was pondering how to “tear the dress” later, she suddenly saw crew members carrying two outfits onto the set. A closer look revealed they were unmistakably those two dresses.

Yu Wenyu: “……”

Fine, fine. My life doesn’t matter, does it?

“Holy sh1t, the production team actually came prepared with props!”

“Help! Yu Wenyu’s suffering is too real!”

“Just act the scene, and we’ll all shut up.”

Yu Wenyu tried to protest, “But you said we didn’t know what scene we’d be doing! We were supposed to vote on it last minute! How did you have the props ready?”

The assistant director smiled smugly. “Yu Yinghou, you misunderstand. We had contingency plans. We prepared props for several scenes that were likely to be chosen. Besides, you’re well aware of how wildly popular Imperial Heart is, right?”

Yu Wenyu sneered, “Fine, fine, so this is how we’re playing it.”

Seeing Yu Wenyu bristle, Xi Xiuyun rushed over to fan the flames. “It’s okay, it’s okay. We’ve done this before, right? You should be quite practiced at it by now.”

Yu Wenyu’s eyes widened in disbelief at Xi Xiuyun’s words. With a huff, she turned her head, leaving Xi Xiuyun with only her puffed-up profile.

As Xi Xiuyun gazed at Yu Wenyu’s profile, a flicker of tenderness brushed her heart. Her dark eyes lowered slightly.

“Hmm? Is Best Actress Xi really this… provocative?”

“Haha, you don’t understand. As someone who watched the live stream the other day, let me tell you: around Yu Wenyu, you’ll see a Xi Xiuyun who’s cunning, possessive, and loves to tease her relentlessly—a far cry from the aloof, ethereal, and otherworldly fairy everyone imagines.”

“Calling Best Actress Xi a ‘fairy’ doesn’t quite fit, does it? Her public persona has always been that of a dominant, assertive woman. She could break your legs with her sheer presence. ‘Fairy’ sounds too delicate.”

“……”

“Ladies, you’ll need to change into your costumes. To ensure the best performance for the audience, we’ve prepared a set and will clear the area shortly.”

Yu Wenyu, now too exasperated to argue, forced a strained smile. “You’re very professional.” Xi Xiuyun simply smiled without comment.

Ever since the former Emperor was assassinated and Crown Princess Fu Huai ascended the throne, the court had been in turmoil.

Though Prime Minister Ji Xin supported Fu Huai, the Empress still issued an imperial decree ordering Ji Xin to reside in Hua Xiu Palace to consolidate her power.

As night fell, Hua Xiu Palace, the residence of the Empress’s most trusted minister, remained unguarded.

Apart from the hidden imperial guards, all palace maids and eunuchs were dismissed from Hua Xiu Palace each evening.

This arrangement allowed the Empress to openly spend the night in Hua Xiu Palace.

Fu Huai would arrive at night and depart from Hua Xiu Palace in the morning to attend court, all for the sake of her intimate relationship with her aunt, the current Prime Minister.

But unlike their usual calm encounters, Fu Huai’s steps were unusually hurried tonight.

Ji Xin lay on the bed, draped in a crimson gauze gown. Her pale skin contrasted strikingly with the red fabric, creating an alluring sight.

The moment Fu Huai opened the door, her pupils constricted sharply, as if she hadn’t expected to witness such a scene.

On previous visits, Fu Huai had either found Ji Xin asleep or still reading, never like this.

“What, are you going to stand there guarding the door for me?” Ji Xin drawled, slowly sitting up.

The thin gauze draped over her shoulder slowly slipped down, revealing a flash of blindingly white skin.

By day, in the presence of others, she was the subject, Fu Huai the sovereign. But by night, Fu Huai became her subject—her vassal beneath the skirt.

Fu Huai recalled Yan Keqing’s obsequious behavior toward Ji Xin earlier that day, cursing inwardly before approaching Ji Xin.

Ji Xin gazed at Fu Huai’s ethereal, ice-cold beauty, her heart racing, though her expression remained composed. Concealing her inner turmoil, Ji Xin maintained her usual air of effortless control.

“Come here. Kneel.”

It had always been this way. At first, Fu Huai felt humiliated, yearning to kill Ji Xin. But as time passed, having shared intimacy only with Ji Xin, she inevitably grew accustomed to this dynamic.

Fu Huai knelt at Ji Xin’s feet, her eyes fixed on Ji Xin’s jade-like skin and delicate bones. A sliver of calf remained exposed beneath the hem of her skirt, and a sudden, rebellious thought surged through Fu Huai.

Tonight, she refused to submit.

A warm hand brushed against Ji Xin’s cool ankle, startling her with the unexpected touch.

Sensing a distinct change in Fu Huai tonight, Ji Xin noticed an unfamiliar intensity in her dark eyes.

Ji Xin’s heart raced, a flicker of anticipation rising within her, yet the feeling of losing control made her uneasy.

She tried to withdraw her foot, but Fu Huai’s grip tightened forcefully.

For the first time in such a moment, those dark eyes met hers directly, their emotions laid bare.

“Aunt, you’d be even more excited if I knelt, wouldn’t you?”

Fu Huai’s gaze locked onto Ji Xin, missing none of the shock in her eyes.

A cold smile curled her lips as something cool pressed against Ji Xin’s ankle.

When a snake captures its beloved prey, it stares intently into its eyes.

The prey, mesmerized, forgets to escape, and the snake slowly coils upward along its ankle.

The snake’s cool, forked tongue flickers, probing for warmth. With poor vision, snakes rely on their tongues to locate their prey.

The prey feels the tongue brush against its skin, as if foreshadowing the moment those sharp fangs will pierce its flesh, injecting venom into its body.

Finally, the prey snaps out of its trance, recoiling violently and scrambling backward. But it’s too late—the snake’s body has already coiled around its waist.

With a swift coil, the snake had its prey firmly trapped. The moment had come. The snake opened its jaws, sinking its fangs into the prey’s most vulnerable spot and injecting venom.

The venom would suffocate the prey, rendering it unable to resist. The snake then coiled upward, constricting its victim.

Under the cloak of night, the high walls of Hua Xiu Palace loomed, their crimson hue trapping all within.

A pitch-black crow, blending into the darkness, perched atop the wall and cawed. In the next instant, a dart pierced the air, pinning the bird to a nearby tree.

Bl00d trickled down the tree trunk, mingling with the palace wall.

Rip! Ji Xin’s robe tore beyond repair.

The prey braced herself on her arms, hoping to push free, but this only made it easier for the tightly coiled snake.

“Fu Huai, you… you’re defying your superior! I’m your aunt!”

“Heh… defying my superior? Then is my performance satisfying, Aunt?” Fu Huai’s voice rasped, but her grip remained merciless.

Recalling the day’s events, she clicked her tongue in annoyance.

Turning Fu Huai’s face, she gently bit the woman’s cheek, then licked it tenderly.

Then she sealed their lips together, her tongue sliding inside, prying open Fu Huai’s teeth, and ravaging her mouth.