Forced to Love (GL) - Chapter 72

“President Wei, this project needs your signature.”

“President Wei, this contract requires your review…”

The assistant stood beside Lingxi, holding a stack of documents. Lingxi glanced at the pile of folders on the desk and sighed softly.

As her eyes moved down the rows of text, she wondered how she had ended up buried in work.

When the morning light filtered in, Lingxi vaguely heard the rustling sounds beside her. She frowned slightly, trying to open her eyes, but her eyelids felt so heavy that she couldn’t move.

After a while, a hand brushed aside her stray strands of hair. A warm palm gently covered her eyes, coaxing her in a soft voice to sleep a little longer.

The familiar scent lingered around her and didn’t fade away.

The determination she had just moments ago melted away in an instant.

Lingxi didn’t open her eyes again, nor did she hear anything else. She simply drifted back into deep sleep.

When she woke up again, she stared blankly at a corner of the room for a long time before slowly regaining her senses.

Squinting against the harsh light from her phone, she finally managed to see the time. But before she could process it, countless work notifications flooded in, with a message from Yu Tao buried among them.

Lingxi propped herself up slightly, her gaze quickly skimming over the messages before tapping into Qin Sui’s chat.

[I’m at the film set now. I didn’t have the heart to wake you.]

[Let me know when you’re awake. I’ll have someone send you food.]

[You’re so cute.]

The messages popped up one after another, competing for her attention.

For some reason, Lingxi felt her face heat up when she saw the word “cute” in the last message.

Even though last night had only been a fleeting moment, it seemed to have etched itself into her mind, impossible to forget.

Qin Sui had said, “You…”

No.

Lingxi cut off the emerging memory and exhaled softly.

[I’m awake.]

[It’s a bit late, but I’m not very hungry.]

[Are you still filming?]

The moment she sent her last message, Qin Sui called her.

Lingxi answered, “Hello?”

Qin Sui chuckled lightly. “I’ll have someone send you food.”

Lingxi shook her head, then realized Qin Sui couldn’t see her. “I don’t feel like getting up yet.”

“Are you very tired?”

“Not really,” Lingxi thought for a moment before asking, “Why are you so good at this?”

Qin Sui laughed again, her tone playful. “Because I’m your little canary, always at your service.”

How could someone say that about themselves so naturally? Lingxi chuckled and played along, “A canary should be lying down, shouldn’t it?”

“Oh? Are you saying I’m not good enough?”

Lingxi sighed helplessly, pressing a hand to her temple as she smiled. “Sui Sui, you’re still on set.”

“So? I can’t praise my skills while I’m on set?”

Lingxi shrugged with a laugh. “But you’re the highly respected Teacher Qin.”

Qin Sui repeated, “The highly respected Teacher Qin?”

“Yes.”

“Then why didn’t you call me that in bed last night?”

Lingxi was speechless. She opened her mouth but found herself unable to respond.

This time, it was Qin Sui who laughed first, her voice soft, like a feather brushing against Lingxi’s heartstrings.

Qin Sui said, “Baby, why are you so quiet? If you don’t say anything, I’ll have to go back to filming.”

Lingxi took a while before replying, “Next time, I’ll call you that.”

Qin Sui chuckled lowly. “Good girl.”

Then she hung up, and immediately after, Lingxi received a call from her assistant, who had been waiting in the hotel lobby for two hours.

So Lingxi was forced to get out of bed and return to her room to work. Now, only the coffee by her hand was keeping her awake.

After finally finishing her work and waving her assistant away, she pulled back the curtains and realized the sky outside was pitch black.

Not long after, there was a knock at the door. Lingxi dried her hair, letting the ends fall loosely over her shoulders, and opened the door.

Qin Sui was leaning lazily against the doorframe, wearing a loosely draped coat. She smiled. “Why did you take so long?”

Lingxi stepped aside to let her in. “Drying my hair.”

As Qin Sui walked in, Lingxi heard the quiet rolling of wheels. Behind Qin Sui was a small food cart, piled high with various dishes.

Lingxi laughed. “Isn’t this too much?”

Qin Sui waited for her to close the door before saying, “I was afraid you’d pass out in your pile of documents before making it to bed.”

Lingxi sighed. “Sui Sui, you…”

Qin Sui cut her off a second earlier. “We’re not on set now.”

Lingxi conceded, “Fine.”

Qin Sui smiled, took the plate from Lingxi’s hand, arranged the dishes on the table, and pulled Lingxi over, placing food onto her plate. She nearly went as far as feeding her directly.

Qin Sui teased, “Ah, open your mouth.”

Lingxi blinked at her. “You’re making me feel like a child.”

“You are a child.”

“Teacher Qin, we’re only a year apart.”

Qin Sui replied, “A year is still a child.” After a pause, she added, “A cold little child.”

“Cold? Did something happen?”

Qin Sui smiled faintly. “Nothing much.”

Lingxi thought for a moment and asked, “Does it have something to do with you being my canary?”

Qin Sui responded, “You could say that.”

Lingxi sat up straighter. “Then tell me.”

Qin Sui gazed at her seriously for a long time before speaking. “Three years ago, I played a character with psychological issues. To get into the role, I spent three months in a hospital with patients like them.”

“The film was a success,” Qin Sui paused. “But it took me a while to come out of character.”

Lingxi frowned slightly and held her hand.

Qin Sui smiled reassuringly and patted her hand. “It’s okay, it’s in the past. Besides, it wasn’t all bad—I met you.”

Lingxi repeated, “You met me?”

Qin Sui nodded. “Back then, a friend worried about me and invited me to a private gathering to distract me.”

“I refused at first. Private gatherings are just networking and drinking.”

“But,” Qin Sui smiled wryly, “who told them to send you to pick me up?”

Lingxi was stunned. “Me?”

“Yes.” Qin Sui pinched her cheek. “You were so cold back then. You knocked on my door, expressionless, stated your purpose, and left.”

Lingxi asked, “And then?”

Qin Sui laughed. “Then you, busy with work, asked to use my living room as an office.”

Ling Xi stayed silent.

“Endless calls, endless documents, busy but fulfilling. In that moment, I looked at you and really felt something different in myself.”

“In the past, whenever my manager, assistant, or friends visited me, they were always careful and cautious. But you weren’t.”

“Maybe it’s because I’ve been alone too long, or maybe I’ve been in my own world for too long… but then you suddenly came and broke the silence.”

“You stayed busy until halfway through the party, then got up to apologize to me and reached out your hand to invite me.”

“I went. You brought me to the party. Your friends surrounded me and chatted, but you quietly stepped away again.”

“I wondered—if you don’t even like socializing, why did you come?”

Ling Xi didn’t know why, but as Qin Sui slowly spoke, the scenes appeared vividly before her eyes.

Qin Sui’s lips curved slightly. “But you told me, ‘Because you wanted to come. You didn’t say it, but your eyes told me.’”

“That feeling is strange, like falling, but someone still sees even the smallest part of your struggle.”

Qin Sui looked at Ling Xi for a long time and kissed her on the eyes.

“Later, I chased you for a long time. I sent you flowers, ‘accidentally’ ran into you… but President Wei didn’t let me see even a hint of emotion.”

“All you did was throw yourself into work,” Qin Sui said, gently tightening her hand. “What’s going on, President Wei? Is work more attractive than me?”

“If not for what happened later…” Qin Sui paused, then shook her head. “Thankfully, you were okay after that car accident that night.”

“When you woke up, you asked me if I was your canary. I found it funny but helpless, so I agreed. Who knew you wouldn’t doubt it at all?”

Ling Xi opened her mouth, trying to say something.

Qin Sui seemed to know what she was going to say and explained, “The transfers were from before you lost your memory. It was for a project we were working on. The reason it came from your personal account was because it was one of the conditions I asked for when we signed the contract.”

Qin Sui thought for a moment. “For example—another condition was, don’t treat me coldly. And you had to reply to my messages.”

Ling Xi looked at her but didn’t say anything. Qin Sui just smiled and gently stroked her hair.

Ling Xi caught her other hand and kissed the back of it with her cool lips. “So the reason you didn’t let me drive at night yesterday… was it also because of the accident?”

Qin Sui smiled softly. “You found me out.”

*—Buzz buzz buzz*

The phone next to them rang. Ling Xi glanced at it but didn’t move. It was a work call.

Qin Sui nudged her hand. “Go ahead. I approve.”

Ling Xi didn’t move. Qin Sui reached out her hand.

Ling Xi understood and handed her the phone.

Qin Sui said, “Be good. Work hard.”

Then she answered the call for her and leaned closer to her ear.

Ling Xi had no choice but to take the phone from her.

Qin Sui leaned back on the chair, resting her chin on one hand, and watched Ling Xi’s profile.

But the call dragged on. Qin Sui even got up and walked around the room once—when she came back, Ling Xi was still on the phone.

Qin Sui went to her room, grabbed the script, reviewed all of tomorrow’s scenes carefully, and came back—Ling Xi was still on the phone.

So Qin Sui pushed the door and returned to her room again. This time she came back holding a toiletry bag.

It looked full, though Ling Xi didn’t know what was in it. Her eyes flicked toward it instinctively.

Qin Sui seemed to notice and smiled softly.

“President Wei, what do you think of this plan?”

“President Wei?”

The voice on the phone pulled Ling Xi’s attention back.

Ling Xi said, “Mm. Say that again.”

Qin Sui smiled and set down Ling Xi’s half-packed suitcase.

Inside, everything was organized—clothes for changing on the left, and an empty right side, probably used for her laptop and tablet.

Qin Sui casually flipped through it and picked something out.

Ling Xi said, “Mm, just stay close to the situation. If anything changes, we’ll adjust the plan.”

A figure passed behind her. Ling Xi caught the familiar scent as it drifted away. She turned her head—Qin Sui had already closed the door and gone inside.

Soon, the sound of running water came from the bathroom. For some reason, it made Ling Xi’s heart itch again.

The voice on the phone kept going. Ling Xi lowered her eyes, took a sip of the hot water Qin Sui had placed in her hand. “Okay, send it to me.”

She returned to her desk by the window, opened her laptop with one hand. The screen showed clean, clear text, organized and easy to follow.

She read line by line, scanning quickly, occasionally stopping to make notes.

But all her focus disappeared when a soft “click” suddenly echoed near her ear.

It was a very light sound—barely audible.

But Ling Xi, with her ear pressed to the phone and her mouth still talking, couldn’t help but glance over.

Qin Sui met her eyes at just the right moment and smiled. Then she tilted her head slightly and swept her long hair over her shoulder. The movement pulled open the loose neckline of her white shirt, revealing a glimpse of pale skin underneath.

Ling Xi sucked in a breath. Her reaction came a beat too late.

“President Wei, is this plan doable?”

“Hm? Is it doable?” she repeated awkwardly.

Her voice was stiff and dry.

Her colleague thought she wasn’t satisfied and cautiously said, “Maybe I didn’t handle that detail well. I’ll revise it.”

Ling Xi said, “Oh… revise it.”

Qin Sui walked toward her step by step. That smile on her face—Ling Xi knew it too well. And the white shirt she was wearing—Ling Xi knew that too.

Qin Sui got closer, the light scent of her perfume teasing Ling Xi’s nose.

Ling Xi looked up at her, her mind blank.

But Qin Sui only walked to her desk, gave a soft laugh, turned, and walked right past her.

She walked out of sight.

Something pulled at Ling Xi’s nerves.

Almost without thinking, Ling Xi cut off her subordinate: “Let’s leave it there. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

The person on the phone was confused, but Ling Xi had already hung up and rushed out.

As soon as she turned the corner, someone grabbed her.

Qin Sui leaned against the wall, smiling at her. “What is it, President Wei?”

“You left.”

Qin Sui pulled her close. “And?”

“I couldn’t see you.” Ling Xi looked at her and asked, “Why are you wearing my shirt?”

Qin Sui half-wrapped her arms around her waist. “Can’t I?”

The shirt’s buttons were barely done up, loose and casual.

Ling Xi looked away slightly and mumbled, “Qin Sui, why are you like this?”

Qin Sui smiled. “Like what?”

Heat spread from Ling Xi’s neck to her cheeks. She said, “If you keep this up, I’ll really want to kiss you.”

Qin Sui chuckled, and the hand around her waist moved gently—it tickled.

She softly said, “Then won’t you…”

But she didn’t finish. Ling Xi tilted her head and kissed her.

One kiss after another—from her upper lip to her lower lip, then to the corner of her smiling mouth, slowly grazing it with her teeth.

Ling Xi stepped forward, pushing Qin Sui back, cupping the back of her head and kissing her until she hit the wall.

Their breaths grew hot, their cheeks flushed. Ling Xi kissed lower, and Qin Sui slightly lifted her head. A soft sound escaped from her nose.

By the time it reached Ling Xi’s ears, it was like sparks swept up by wind—instantly setting them both on fire.

Ling Xi kissed her deeper, down to her collarbone, and lower—until she was stopped by a button.

She paused, then looked up at Qin Sui.

The memory of last night came rushing back. Just like now, Qin Sui had pressed her close and made her unbutton the shirt herself.

Qin Sui looked at her, half-leaning on her shoulder, breathing heavily. “Don’t expect me to do it. It’s your shirt.”

Ling Xi suddenly laughed. “Qin Sui, why are you like this?”

Qin Sui smiled. “Like what?”

The hand behind Qin Sui suddenly slipped away, then came down again, full of heat, and held her tightly.

Qin Sui let out a soft “mm,” responding to her touch.

Ling Xi pressed her in tighter. Her soft lips brushed Qin Sui’s cheek, then kissed around her ear, drawing little circles.

Qin Sui trembled slightly, but tilted her neck upward. Her pale cheeks were slowly dyed with blush.

Her arm around Ling Xi’s waist loosened. Ling Xi felt the change and pulled her hand down, kissing it little by little.

Starting from the veins on the back of her hand, moving to the slightly raised bone, the slim knuckles, and finally the smooth fingertips.

Her tongue gently brushed them. Then her lips pressed down, her teeth lightly grinding along the soft skin.

Qin Sui curled her fingers, rubbing against Ling Xi’s lips.

Ling Xi moved slowly, each second sparking like fire.

One by one, they bloomed into fireworks.

Ling Xi looked up and smiled again. “Qin Sui, why are you like this?”

This time, Qin Sui didn’t answer. Ling Xi kissed her.

Ling Xi said, “Teacher Qin, you’re so soft.”

She kissed her ear and added, “Teacher Qin, your voice is really nice.”

Finally, Ling Xi whispered, “I love you so much.”