Forced to Love (GL) - Chapter 73

After Yin Tao finished filming his movie, the promotions and other work also came to an end. By then, it was already late spring of the following year. Qin Sui took a break for a while and, without fail, would drive to the company at 5:30 PM every day, wearing sunglasses and a hat, to pick up Lingxi and take her home.

During that time, Lingxi would leave on time and sometimes even head home earlier.

After unlocking the door with her fingerprint, Lingxi would push the door open. If Qin Sui was leaning on the sofa, she would look up at her, smile, and then gently wave her over.

Lingxi would smile back, slip on her slippers, first head to the bathroom to carefully wash her hands, and then walk over to her, crouching by the sofa so their eyes met.

Qin Sui would reach out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind Lingxi’s ear, waiting for her to say that she missed her. Then, Qin Sui would sigh softly and say in a quiet voice that the sofa wasn’t soft enough and felt uncomfortable.

Lingxi would lean in and kiss her lips, tell her to wait a moment, then get up to grab her pajamas and head to the bathroom. When she came out, she would wrap her arms around Qin Sui, and they would snuggle together on the sofa. Qin Sui would curl up in her arms, finding a more comfortable position.

At that moment, Lingxi would ask, “Are you comfortable now?” Qin Sui would smile and say, “I missed you.”

If Qin Sui was lying barefoot on the recliner by the floor-to-ceiling window, gently rocking while holding a thick script, she wouldn’t notice Lingxi’s return.

Lingxi would wash her hands, quietly approach, stand behind her, and then lower her head to kiss her forehead—not too lightly.

If Qin Sui’s eyes flickered slightly, she would take the opportunity to hook her arms around Lingxi’s neck, pull her down, and kiss her, gently biting her lips between her teeth.

At times like this, the kisses would last long, and they would hold that position for a while. Qin Sui would even trail soft bites along Lingxi’s jawline.

Lying down like that was both relaxing and effortless. The recliner’s backrest perfectly supported her head, and with just a little force from her hands, the person behind her would be pulled down, following her movements.

Until the recliner tilted slightly to one side, and Lingxi’s increasingly heavy breaths fell upon her. Her cheeks would flush from the downward angle of her head.

That’s when Qin Sui would let go, giving Lingxi a chance to catch her breath. Lingxi would instinctively take half a step back, but Qin Sui would still be holding her hand, pulling her to her side.

Lingxi wouldn’t care about anything else and would sit on the plush carpet, leaning softly against her legs. Her long hair would get pressed against her face, slightly messy and in the way, but Qin Sui would smile, gently pushing it aside and pulling the strands out from beneath her cheek.

Then, Qin Sui’s fingers would sink into Lingxi’s hair, combing through it carefully.

If Lingxi kissed her from behind while she was focused on the script, and it took Qin Sui a while to react, it meant she was deeply immersed in the story’s climax.

At those times, her reactions were much slower. Lingxi would slowly kiss her way down from her temple. As soon as her soft lips touched Qin Sui’s eyelids, the ticklish sensation would make her close her eyes.

Everything around them was quiet, and they would stay in that position for a moment.

After a short while, Qin Sui’s delicate eyelashes would tremble slightly. When Lingxi pulled back just a little, Qin Sui would open her eyes and look at her, the clarity in her gaze slowly returning. That was when Lingxi knew she had snapped out of the script.

Qin Sui would smile at her and say, “You’re back.” Lingxi would smile back and say, “I’m back.” Then, Qin Sui would hand her the script, saying, “My eyes feel so sore.”

Lingxi would smile but wouldn’t take the script immediately. Instead, she would slide her arms under Qin Sui’s neck and knees, lifting her up and carrying her to the large chaise lounge, holding her close as they sank into it together.

Then, Lingxi would take Qin Sui’s hand, guiding it to hold the script to her chest. One hand would take the script, while the other would hold Qin Sui’s hand, kissing it lightly on the lips.

Qin Sui would gaze at her without blinking. When Lingxi told her to close her eyes, she would obediently do so. Then, Lingxi would continue reading the script out loud, following the passages Qin Sui had marked.

The slow rhythm, the familiar voice, and the person she loved—these things would make Qin Sui nestle even deeper into her embrace.

Until they reached a calmer part of the story, where Lingxi would suddenly stop reading. The silence around them was so deep they could hear each other’s heartbeats. That was when Lingxi would reach out to cover Qin Sui’s eyes and lower her head to kiss her.

Softly, carefully, missing nothing.

The quiet rustling of fabric sounded in their ears. Under Lingxi’s palm, Qin Sui’s eyes curved slightly, a hint of redness appearing at the corners.

That was when Lingxi would whisper many things into Qin Sui’s ear, calling her name over and over—Sui Sui, Teacher Qin, Qin Sui—in a soft and low voice.

Qin Sui wouldn’t respond, only letting out broken, uncontrolled sounds in Lingxi’s ear.

In moments like these, Qin Sui was soft and sweet.

When all their energy was spent, Qin Sui would rest in Lingxi’s arms, her eyes half-closed. Neither of them would move. Lingxi took care of everything afterward.

Qin Sui’s hand, resting on her shoulder, would slowly slide up to pinch Lingxi’s cheek. In a husky voice, she would say, “Water.” Lingxi would straighten up slightly to get the water from the side.

Qin Sui wouldn’t open her eyes immediately; she would take a moment to react. Lingxi’s gentle kisses would land on her again, and only then would she lazily open her eyes to look at her.

Lingxi would smile, bringing the cup to Qin Sui’s lips, tilting it slightly. Qin Sui only needed to stay in that position and drink from her hand.

Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, they could see the river in the distance. The sunset cast a soft glow over the water.

At night, the streetlights by the river would flicker faintly, like stars in the dark night.

Lingxi would cook and bring the food out, crouching beside the chaise lounge to watch her. At that moment, Lingxi would always hesitate—should she wake her up or let her sleep a little longer?

But for some reason, Qin Sui always sensed her presence. Soon, she would reach out, hook her arm around Lingxi’s neck, and Lingxi’s center of gravity would shift forward.

Lingxi would rise slightly onto her toes, her heel hanging in the air. Qin Sui would open her eyes, smile, and ask, “What did you cook this time?”

Lingxi would answer, and Qin Sui would chuckle softly before kissing her again.

Lingxi would lean in, lose her balance, and kneel on the floor, unable to escape her kiss, letting it linger and deepen.

During meals, they would discuss what to do afterward at the table and decide together. After that, Qin Sui would go wash the dishes.

If they wanted to watch a movie, Lingxi would go to the media room to pick a film, turn on the equipment, and adjust the lights and sound until they were satisfied.

If they wanted to go out to a late-night supermarket, or just go for a walk with no destination, Lingxi would first go back to the bedroom to change into something simple for going out, then prepare a mask and hat for Qin Sui.

After that, when Qin Sui came out of the kitchen, Lingxi would follow behind her back into the bedroom.

If Teacher Qin told her to pick out clothes, Lingxi would pick out clothes. If Teacher Qin told her to pick a lipstick color, Lingxi would do that too.

Once the lipstick color was chosen, Qin Sui would ask her to apply it. But Lingxi didn’t always manage to finish applying it completely.

After all, who could resist their girlfriend’s lips being so close?

Then Teacher Qin would take off her pajamas right in front of Lingxi and put on the outfit Lingxi chose. Sometimes it was a long dress, sometimes a loose T-shirt, and sometimes something else.

But not every time did Teacher Qin manage to finish changing clothes.

The back of the dress would reveal a large area of pale skin. Qin Sui would gather her hair with one hand and ask Lingxi to zip or button it up for her.

Lingxi would listen and intend to do it, but often, halfway through, she would kiss Qin Sui’s neck and hold her close.

Then the dress would slide back down again.

It would slip from her shoulders to her waist, and finally to her feet.

Qin Sui would smile helplessly, pinch Lingxi’s earlobe, and ask if she still wanted to go out.

At that moment, Lingxi wouldn’t want to leave anymore.

Then there would be two outcomes: one, Qin Sui would let Lingxi follow her changing feelings, lift her clothes halfway, and just not go out.

Or two, Qin Sui would narrow her eyes, say nothing, and smile at her. The smile would be faint but a little mysterious.

The atmosphere would change quietly, like a net slowly opening.

At that moment, Lingxi would freeze, her back going stiff. She would give her a dry smile and rub her nose, trying to be cute and guilty at the same time.

Lingxi would want to step back, but couldn’t bring herself to.

Qin Sui would stare at her for a while, waiting for Lingxi to give in and admit her mistake.

Then Qin Sui would ask Lingxi to get up and help her stand. When they stood face-to-face, Qin Sui’s graceful figure became even clearer, and the red color on Lingxi’s neck would slowly spread to her ears, her body heating up.

Lingxi couldn’t help but want to get closer to her. But Qin Sui always chose the perfect moment—she would let out a quiet laugh, just enough for Lingxi to hear, then calmly and lightly ask, “What do you want to do?”

At that point, Lingxi wouldn’t dare move.

Then Qin Sui would ask her to pick up the dress that had fallen to her feet, help her put it back on, and fasten it properly.

After everything was done, when they were at the entrance and about to open the door, Qin Sui would suddenly lean in, kiss the tip of Lingxi’s ear, give it a small playful bite, and whisper softly in her ear, “Good girl.”

Then she would open the door and step outside right as the bright light from outside spilled in—just in time for Lingxi’s hand to reach out and catch nothing.

At that moment, Lingxi would be tormented.

Her heart would itch like crazy, trembling at the tip, and her whole body would feel like it had been struck by electricity.

She would run after her, close to tears, and say, “Suisui, I was wrong.” Qin Sui would turn around, smile, and say, “You weren’t wrong.”

So, if from the beginning they chose to stay home and watch a movie, there was actually a reason for it.

At the start of their relationship, Lingxi would book late-night movie tickets, on purpose choosing cinemas with fewer people and quieter screening rooms.

They would go in just before the movie started, walking up the steps to the center of the back row. As soon as they sat down, the theater lights would go out.

The first time Lingxi watched a movie with Qin Sui, it was a film where Qin Sui had done a cameo during her vacation, so her screen time was very short.

Qin Sui leaned lazily on Lingxi, who wrapped her arm around her to support her.

Since her scene was so short and Lingxi didn’t know when she would appear, she watched very seriously from the beginning.

She looked closely at every face that showed up on the screen, checking each one before moving her eyes away when she realized it wasn’t her.

Because of that, she completely missed the beautiful woman next to her, who kept glancing at her again and again.

Finally, Qin Sui appeared in the movie. She helped the female lead, and the scene flashed by quickly.

That part of the story was the emotional climax between the female and male lead—the final spark that lit the fire.

After the male lead confessed, the director gave a close-up of the female lead. The scene was shot beautifully, and the actress performed well, so naturally the audience saw her through rose-colored glasses.

Lingxi looked at the female lead, but was really thinking about how great Qin Sui looked earlier—wearing a crop top and sheer cover-up, cool and elegant, but also subtly sexy.

Lingxi smiled a little, a very faint smile. But Qin Sui was so close—how could she not notice?

Still, Qin Sui didn’t say anything. Not until they got home and closed the door behind them.

Then Qin Sui asked her, “What did you think of the movie?”

Lingxi nodded and said it was pretty good. She added that since Qin Sui had done a cameo, of course it wouldn’t be bad. Then she added, “It was really good.”

Qin Sui nodded and told Lingxi to go take a shower first.

When Lingxi came out, Qin Sui had changed into the exact outfit she wore in the movie. Cool and elegant, subtly sexy, she pressed Lingxi onto the bed.

Only then did Lingxi realize that it was Qin Sui’s own outfit—and understood what Qin Sui’s question had really meant.

Lingxi explained to her, “It wasn’t the actress who looked good, it was you. I smiled because of you.”

Lingxi kissed her and said, “Suisui, what do I do? I feel a little jealous.”

Qin Sui looked at her, smiled a little, and said, “It can get even worse.”

Qin Sui was very satisfied—so satisfied she made Lingxi say it over and over. So cool, so tempting, Lingxi’s legs went weak from it, and her jealousy only got worse.

So, the second time they watched a movie, it was just in time for the release of *Autumn Rain*.

And picking a movie starring Qin Sui? Well, that mistake wouldn’t happen again.

Lingxi gave movie tickets for *Autumn Rain* to the whole company, booking out the theater for a group screening.

Later, Lingxi waited a long time, and finally one night she bought tickets for a late-night show with very few people.

When the two of them sat in the theater, Qinsui looked a bit helpless. After all, she already knew the whole plot, but since her girlfriend wanted to watch it, she just went along.

The story, though rare for having a strong female lead, introduced one supporting character after another who were all impressed by the main character’s charm.

Slowly, Lingxi started to feel what Qinsui had felt last time.

Even though she knew it was just a movie, and even though she logically felt it was nothing, both of them still acted childish and couldn’t control their feelings.

This time, Lingxi didn’t say anything. She didn’t say anything when they got home either. Even when they lay in bed getting ready to sleep, she still said nothing.

Until Qinsui turned off the lights, leaned into her arms, wrapped her arms around her waist, and asked if she could smell something. Lingxi said no. Then Qinsui said, “You’re so sour, little Director Wei.”

In that moment, the same thing as last time happened again—except their roles were reversed. One was sour, the other was being teased.

Later, Lingxi said that the movie theater just wasn’t the right place for them—because whatever they felt, they couldn’t say it right away.

After the movie left theaters and went online, Lingxi bought and downloaded it. The two of them watched both movies again in the home theater.

This time, they snuggled comfortably on the sofa, the cool air conditioning on, a small blanket wrapped around them. The lighting was dim and soft but still let them see each other’s eyes clearly.

While watching, Lingxi would say, “Teacher Qin, why haven’t you appeared yet?” or “This male lead is no good at chasing people,” and also, “Teacher Qin, that outfit of yours is so dominant and sexy at the same time.”

Qinsui would smile and kiss her. She’d discuss the story with her and tell funny stories from the film set.

In the end, Qinsui would catch the key point and say, “So you like me dressed like that?” Lingxi would smile and say, “I like you—no matter how you’re dressed.”

Watching *Autumn Rain*, Lingxi would praise her look, her eyes, even the way she raised her eyebrows slightly—complimenting her from head to toe.

In the end, Lingxi would say with emotion, “All the supporting characters should like you. You’re just that good.”

When the movie finished, Qinsui would turn it off, kiss her, and say, “But I belong to you.”

The way they watched movies changed, and so did the experience.

But the one thing that didn’t change was how they snuggled close together, free to do more things.

Like…

Later, the two of them agreed to only watch movies in their home theater from then on.

Just like that, summer passed into winter, then spring passed into autumn. After a few years together, Qinsui accepted a new script and joined a new crew.

Lingxi still flew to see her whenever she had time. Qinsui also made time to come back and surprise her.

Before the Spring Festival, Qinsui told her she was almost done filming. Lingxi pushed herself to finish all her work, flew first to their vacation spot to get things ready, and then flew to the set.

**[Qin Huan shows off her engagement ring on a reality show.]**

Qinsui was still filming when Lingxi glanced at her phone and saw the trending topic pop up on Weibo.

Ah—an engagement ring.

Lingxi tapped into the trending list, and sure enough, it was ranked number one. To attract more attention, some entertainment accounts even posted several high-resolution photos of the ring.

The ring was indeed very shiny. Lingxi smiled and gave it a like.

A proposal at the same time—luckily, it wasn’t the same ring.

“What are you looking at so happily?”

Qinsui appeared next to Lingxi at some point, tilting her head slightly to look.

Lingxi turned the phone in her hand so the screen faced Qinsui and handed it to her.

Lingxi said, “Nothing much, just a trending topic.”

Qinsui glanced at it, swiped her finger across the screen, zoomed in on the picture of the ring, and after a while said, “It’s really nice.”

Lingxi placed the down jacket draped over her arm on Qinsui’s shoulders, wrapping her in it.

A fleeting smile flashed through Lingxi’s eyes but quickly disappeared.

She placed a warm water bag in Qinsui’s hands and pulled her toward the lounge.

From a distance, someone was watching—it looked like a fan. When they saw the two holding hands, they looked happier than anyone and couldn’t help shaking their companion’s shoulder.

Lingxi glanced over from the corner of her eye and said, “Why isn’t the place cleared?”

Qinsui followed her gaze and smiled. “Cleared for what? Little Director Wei, did you forget?”

Lingxi pushed open the door to the lounge for Qinsui and turned back. “Forget what?”

Qinsui looked at her but didn’t answer, and went into the lounge first.

The air conditioner in the lounge was on full. As soon as they walked in, the warm air brushed gently against their faces.

The assistant waited at the door. Lingxi closed the door.

Qinsui leaned against the sofa. Lingxi turned on the space heater nearby, then went to get her a thermos cup.

As soon as Lingxi sat down, Qinsui shifted and placed both her legs on Lingxi’s lap.

The movement was smooth and natural.

Lingxi unzipped Qinsui’s black boots, took out the now-cool heating pads inside, and started rubbing her calves.

The tiredness from standing for so long suddenly hit Qinsui, but Lingxi’s massage eased it quickly.

Qinsui leaned back more comfortably and, with her eyes half closed, said, “She talked to you last time.”

Lingxi kept moving her hands and thought for a moment. “Which time? Who?”

Qinsui chuckled lightly. “And you said she was weird.”

Lingxi thought for a long time before slowly replying, “The one who said she was your fan?”

Lingxi remembered—last September, Qinsui was shooting a magazine cover, and Lingxi happened to be on a business trip nearby. She had pushed her schedule back to be with her.

Later, when Qinsui went to shoot, Lingxi stepped out to take a work call. On the way back in the hallway, a woman suddenly blocked her path, looking both excited and nervous. She said she was Lingxi’s fan, then shook her head and said no, she was Qinsui’s fan. Then she said she was a fan of both of them.

Lingxi thought the woman was strange. She gave her a calm glance and walked around her.

After the shoot, in the makeup room while resting, Lingxi told Qinsui about the strange woman.

After hearing it, Qinsui smiled with her eyes curved. “So you just walked away like that?”

Lingxi said in a confused tone, “Yeah? She didn’t even know whose fan she was. Isn’t that strange?”

Qinsui smiled with a bit of helplessness. She said, “Where’s my lipstick?”

“In your bag,” Lingxi got the bag and handed her the lipstick. “What’s wrong?”

Qinsui didn’t answer. She turned toward the full-length mirror and touched up her lipstick.

Then she turned back and asked, “Does this color look good?”

Lingxi was about to answer when Qinsui said, “Come closer.”

Lingxi walked over. It was a matte red, and Lingxi had no resistance to it.

Lingxi said, “It looks great.”

Qinsui smiled, pulled Lingxi closer with one hand, lowered her collar slightly, and kissed her on the collarbone.

She held the pose for a few seconds, then stood up and straightened Lingxi’s collar with a smile. “Yeah, it does look pretty good.”

Later, as they were leaving, Lingxi looked at herself in the mirror. The red lipstick under her round-neck T-shirt peeked out just a little, only showing the edge. If you didn’t look closely, you wouldn’t notice it.

But then, at the corner of the hallway, Lingxi ran into that same strange woman again.

The woman froze when she saw Lingxi, then widened her eyes when she saw Qinsui next to her, holding Lingxi’s arm. Her hands suddenly clenched and folded together.

She smiled and walked over. “Hello, Teacher Qin. Hello, Director Wei.”

Qinsui also smiled. “Hello.”

Lingxi nodded slightly in return.

The woman said, “Teacher Qin, I’ve liked you for a long time…”

Before the voice could finish, Lingxi narrowed her eyes and looked at her. The woman suddenly stopped, opened her mouth, and quickly corrected herself, “No, no, no, I mean, Teacher Qin, I’m your fan.”

Lingxi’s eyes swept over her again.

The woman rubbed her hands and said awkwardly, “Teacher Qin, can I ask for your autograph or a photo together?”

Qinsui smiled and said, “Sure.”

She stood next to Qinsui and took a selfie with her. After taking the photo, Qinsui really did give her an autograph.

Lingxi felt like the woman’s smile was about to reach her ears.

Then Qinsui and Lingxi continued walking out. The woman held her phone to her chest and watched them leave.

Lingxi could feel her gaze. Just as they were about to turn the corner, she looked back.

The woman was staring at the photo again and again, swiping her fingers across the screen as if zooming in.

Then, as if she saw something, she suddenly let out an “Ah!” and quickly glanced over again. As they turned the corner, Lingxi lost sight of her, but behind them came louder screams of “Ah!” and “Help!”

So Lingxi seriously said to Qinsui, “Isn’t that strange?”

Qinsui chuckled softly, looked at her with gentle eyes, and said, “Strange.”

A knock on the door snapped Lingxi back to the present.

She took out new heating pads, stuck them back inside, zipped up the boots, and helped Qinsui up from the sofa.

In that moment, something suddenly came to Lingxi’s mind. She laughed slowly and said, “Qinsui, how could you?”

Qinsui asked, “How could I what?”

Lingxi pointed at her own collarbone and said, “That lipstick mark.”

Qinsui slightly raised an eyebrow. “Not pretty?”

“It is pretty.”

Qinsui asked again, “You don’t like it?”

“I do.”

Qinsui smiled. “Then what can we do? I didn’t even use that lipstick today.”

Lingxi suddenly laughed too and didn’t say anything more. She leaned in and kissed her.

After the last scene was done, Qinsui came out from behind the wrap-up cake on set, and Lingxi gave her the bouquet she had prepared.

Lingxi said, “Happy wrap-up, Teacher Qin.”

Qinsui took it, smelled the flowers, and replied, “Happy date, girlfriend.”

That night, the two of them flew to a vacation hotel. After showering, Qinsui came out. The room was dim, with only a soft yellow lamp glowing in a corner outside the bathroom.

There was another light around the corner. Qinsui walked over, then kept walking through the hallway, following the small lights.

When she reached the living room, all the lights went out at once, falling into darkness. Her eyes were adjusting when someone took her hand.

Lingxi said, “It’s me.”

Qinsui smiled softly but didn’t speak.

Lingxi led her to the center of the room and asked, “Are you ready?”

Qinsui tilted her head and asked, “What surprise?”

Lingxi said, “I don’t know. You’ll have to look to find out.”

Qinsui smiled and said, “I’m ready.”

Just as she finished speaking, the lights came on.

Soft mood lights, a dim starry sky projector, and light-scented candles.

The glow flickered across Qinsui’s eyes, then fell on her hair, under a bright galaxy and shining stars.

Lingxi smiled at her, then knelt down on one knee, holding a bright, sparkling ring in her palm.

Lingxi said, “Suìsuì, let’s get married, okay?”

Qinsui lowered her eyes slightly and smiled. “What else?”

Lingxi said, “I can’t live without you.”

Qinsui still asked, “What else?”

Lingxi said, “I love you.”

Qinsui laughed. “How much?”

Lingxi also smiled. “So much that if you don’t marry me, I might die.”

Qinsui bent down and pinched Lingxi’s face. “Don’t say ‘die.’ Pick another word.”

Lingxi’s voice softened: “I can’t live without you. It can only be you.” She paused, then called softly, “Suìsuì.”

Qinsui gave a quiet smile, stood up straight, and reached out her hand. “Okay.”

Lingxi took out the ring and put it on her finger. She lowered her head and kissed the hand with the ring. The warmth spread as Lingxi said, “Qinsui, I love you.”

But then Qinsui raised her other hand, spreading her fingers to reveal a matching sparkling ring in her palm.

Qinsui bent down and also knelt on one knee. She said, “What a coincidence.”

“I love you very much too.”

“Let’s get married, Wei Lingxi.”