Lady By The Pillow - Chapter 66

Chapter 66: The Scent of Her Body (1)

◎”A-Qing, are you hot?”◎

“We can wash together.”

As soon as she said that, Shi Qing realized the ambiguity in her words, especially when she saw the possessive and undisguisedly surprised expression on Wei Jiuyu’s face. Her rhythm for explaining faltered slightly.

“I mean, I have a small bathroom in my master bedroom, I can wash in there, and you can use the guest bathroom.”

“Together” in terms of time, “separate” in terms of space.

Wei Jiuyu used all her acting skills to suppress the excitement that was about to burst from her chest. She only let a tiny bit of emotion show, which was immediately covered up by her strong command of dialogue.

“Okay, I’ll use the one outside.”

Shi Qing still wanted to explain, but then she felt that over-explaining would make her seem less credible, so she turned back to the bedroom to find clothes.

“I’ll go find you some clothes.”

She took out disposable underwear, briefs, and a towel from a drawer in the wardrobe. She slid the cabinet door open and went to another cabinet to find some clothes that a brand had sent her a few days ago.

It was the brand ALM. According to Dou Qinwen, they believed she would become popular with the script for Empress, so they were discussing a “brand friend” title with her.

It was the first major brand Shi Qing had been in contact with since her debut, and offering the “brand friend” title already showed a good deal of sincerity for a collaboration. But Dou Qinwen wanted to fight for her to be a “brand ambassador,” so they were still in negotiations. During this time, ALM had sent a batch of this summer’s new styles.

Three dresses, four suits, and five tops.

ALM’s style was more suited for professional settings and had a minimalist feel, which was why they were interested in Shi Qing. The head designer supposedly said that Shi Qing had a clean, pure temperament, and wearing ALM would make her look exceptionally austere.

Austere, a wonderful word.

Because they couldn’t imagine that the first white shirt Shi Qing ever wore was torn apart by Wei Jiuyu on a bed.

In the end, she chose a black shirt and black wide-leg pants. One reason was that Wei Jiuyu still had to drive back, and pants would be more convenient. The other reason was that Wei Jiuyu’s popularity was growing day by day, and wearing black at night would make her less noticeable.

Her skin, attacked by the rain and low temperature, was flushed with the kind of redness common in winter. She hastily took off her clothes, and the hot water poured down from her head. Her taut skin relaxed, her stiff body softened, and her breathing gradually became long and slow in the steam-filled air.

“Phew…”

Shi Qing tilted her head back, letting the hot water wash over her face. Her long hair clung to the shape of her skull, extending down her neck and spine. The abnormal redness on the surface of her skin faded, and a rosy blush seeped out from deep inside her body, like a peach wet by rain.

When she put on shampoo, she liked to rub her scalp and then gather her long hair in front of her to scrub the hair shaft like she was washing clothes. Although she had acted in ancient dramas before, her hair only reached her waist at the longest. For Empress, to accurately portray the imperial women of that era, her hair extensions went past her hips.

There was even a scene where she let her hair down and four palace maids would help to burn incense for it, fully displaying the beauty of long hair for women in that historical period.

Wei Jiuyu also had hair extensions, but considering that the character “Ji Lan” was only a 19-year-old princess, the length only went down to her waist.

As Shi Qing scrubbed her hair, she was also reminiscing about the plot of Empress, wondering if there was a scene that required Wei Jiuyu to wear her hair down.

It seemed there wasn’t.

That was a shame.

Because Wei Jiuyu looked so beautiful with her hair down, especially when it framed her face, making her eyes look exceptionally dark and bright. Paired with simple-colored clothes, she had a unique sense of relaxed and leisurely authority.

The bathroom was very quiet, with only the sound of Shi Qing scrubbing her hair.

The door to the master bedroom was open, and she could hear the splashing sound of water from the large bathroom beyond the door.

Even through two doors, Shi Qing could imagine Wei Jiuyu’s style, which was like she was rushing into battle. She would wash her hair quickly, rinsing it off before the shampoo had time to create more bubbles.

Still the same as before.

Shi Qing’s bathing routine was more leisurely. In the past, she would take her tablet in with her to listen to acting classes on how to recite lines.

But she had forgotten her tablet today.

After coming back from finding clothes for Wei Jiuyu, she just took her bath towel and went into the bathroom.

And she also forgot to bring her own clothes.

It took Shi Qing a full five seconds to realize this. Her body’s muscle memory told her that she had already grabbed the clothes, but her brain quickly revealed the final truth—she had grabbed Wei Jiuyu’s clothes.

She used a large dry hair cap to wrap her hair and secure it on her head, dried the water from her body, and pricked up her ears to listen for any movement outside the door.

The sound of water in the large bathroom had stopped, but Wei Jiuyu didn’t seem to have come out yet. She was tinkering with something.

She probably found the hair dryer and was getting ready to blow-dry her hair.

Shi Qing breathed a sigh of relief. She wrapped the towel around her from her chest to just above her knees and gently opened the bathroom door.

As she stepped out, she ran right into Wei Jiuyu, who was standing in front of the master bedroom door.

The door to the master bedroom was open.

Of course, since she was showering inside, closing the bathroom door was enough.

But why wasn’t Wei Jiuyu blow-drying her hair in the big bathroom? Why was she out in the living room with the hair dryer?

Shi Qing stared at Wei Jiuyu, her body frozen as she looked into those eyes, losing her ability to think and move.

And Wei Jiuyu, though seemingly frozen, let her eyes slide from Shi Qing’s pink collarbone to the jade-like legs peeking out from under the towel.

After a two-second pause, she abruptly turned her head and held up the hair dryer.

“That… I’m not sure how to use it. I was going to ask you.”

Shi Qing pulled the master bedroom door closer, hiding half her body behind it, and poked her head out to speak to her.

“Just long-press the red button to turn it on, then press the blue button to adjust the mode. Set it to the first mode, it won’t damage your hair.”

Even in her flustered state, she didn’t forget to clearly explain how to use it.

“Okay, I’ll go blow-dry my hair then.”

Wei Jiuyu was immediately tactful and turned back to the bathroom, avoiding her gaze to prevent Shi Qing from becoming more flustered.

They each went back to their own rooms, one to blow-dry her hair and the other to find pajamas. The moment Shi Qing put them on, a tiny but wicked voice deep inside her said—

Change into the dress. Change into the dress. The dress looks better than the pants.

Shi Qing froze for a moment, looking at her flushed face in the vanity mirror. She had only been looked at by Wei Jiuyu just now, and her body was still covered by a towel, with no private parts exposed, but her ears were already red again.

The pajama pants were thrown back on the bed. The cabinet door was pushed from right to left, and she found a purple long dress hanging in the hanging section.

The fabric was incredibly soft. The inner slip dress looked exactly like a nightgown, but with the outer cardigan on, it became a casual, everyday style. It was a perfect blend of a house dress and something you would wear to meet a guest, just right for being alone with Wei Jiuyu.

When she came out again, Wei Jiuyu was still blow-drying her hair.

Shi Qing felt she had to do something to divert the awkwardness from a moment ago.

So she went to the kitchen and took out a glass for the medicated wine that Zhang Yulan had given her.

She drank the medicated wine every day.

According to Zhang Yulan’s advice, she should shower first, then drink the medicated wine, and use the massage machine while her body was getting warm. This way, both the wine and the machine could have their maximum effect.

Wei Jiuyu came out of the bathroom again, still holding the hair dryer in her hand, but this time it had the warmth from being used.

“I’m done.”

She glanced at Shi Qing’s silhouette, then turned off the bathroom light and brought the hair dryer out.

As she walked closer, she realized her heart was racing with every step.

The taro-purple color complemented Shi Qing’s fair skin so well that her skin’s surface seemed to be coated with a thin layer of moonlight. Even the flush that had seeped out after her shower became a hazy, light veil under the moonlight.

Elegant, pristine… alluring.

Wei Jiuyu suddenly had an inappropriate thought, even though she knew that such a thought was vile, even despicable.

Shi Qing looked up. A lock of wet hair that had not been tucked into the dry hair cap clung to her cheek, and a drop of water from its tip formed a pearl on her chin, burning a hole in Wei Jiuyu’s sealed-off heart.

“Good. Have a seat first.”

She said softly, unlike every time they were on set, but just like she had been back then.

The air in the enclosed space could only circulate internally. The current that had touched Shi Qing’s skin drifted into Wei Jiuyu’s nostrils, igniting an unknown spark.

She walked over, placed the hair dryer on the coffee table, and sat on the couch next to Shi Qing—a person’s width away.

The leather surface of the sofa was tauter than a fabric one, and the weight of her sitting down was relayed to Shi Qing without any loss. For some reason, she recalled a time when they were passionately kissing, and she had unknowingly sat on Wei Jiuyu’s waist (it was simply her draping herself over Wei Jiuyu, fully clothed, without doing anything else, heaven knows she was pure of heart). After they had kissed enough, she let go, and Wei Jiuyu arched her back, giving her a little bump to get her to stand up.

The feeling of being lifted by her abs seemed softer than the leather sofa felt now.

“Aren’t you going to blow-dry your hair?” Wei Jiuyu broke the silence.

“Oh, I’ll do it later.”

“It’s not good for your hair to be wet and wrapped up for too long, it can cause rheumatism.”

“It takes me a long time to blow-dry my hair.”

And you’ll be gone once I’m done.

Wei Jiuyu shifted slightly, and tentatively asked:

“Want me to do it for you?”

“Hmm?” Shi Qing looked blankly at her.

“Your hair is so long, it’s hard to do yourself,” Wei Jiuyu said. “And I know how to use this hair dryer now.”

Shi Qing’s eyelids lowered halfway, her thick lashes obscuring the emotions in her eyes. Her gaze fell upon the exposed white forearm from the rolled-up black shirt sleeve, and at the end of her fingers, the thick callus on the side of her middle finger.

“Okay.”

The dark blue dry hair cap was untied, and her long hair was already in a curly shape. Wei Jiuyu blew the back of her head dry and patted the spot next to her on the couch.

“Lie down.”

Shi Qing did as she was told, lying face up on the sofa. The front of her robe slipped down to both sides with gravity, revealing the delicate straps of her slip dress. From Wei Jiuyu’s perspective, she could even see the beautiful curve of her cleavage below the neckline.

Wei Jiuyu’s back molars clenched a little. She turned on the hair dryer to cover her uneven breathing, focusing all her attention on the long, spread-out hair.

She used to blow-dry Shi Qing’s hair for her. Back then, Shi Qing wouldn’t lie on the sofa; she would lie on Wei Jiuyu’s lap. They would usually wash a plate of fruit beforehand. Grapes, cherries, or cherry tomatoes—anything that didn’t need to be peeled and could be eaten in one bite.

Wei Jiuyu would be responsible for blow-drying her hair, and Shi Qing would occasionally reward her with a piece of fruit.

One time, she got a mischievous idea and wanted to share a long grape with Shi Qing. She bit one end of the elongated fruit and leaned in close to Shi Qing, who pushed her away with her index finger against her forehead and called her “improper.”

Then she would act spoiled, dragging out a long “Mmmmmm” until Shi Qing laughed at her for being “spineless,” and then she would lean in again, and Shi Qing would cooperatively bite off the other end of the grape.

By all accounts, humans are advanced animals, and their conscience and control should be able to manage their animalistic instincts.

So why was it that every time they were alone, all she could think about was those things?

Her hair was slowly drying. Shi Qing lay there, looking at her phone, and Wei Jiuyu focused intently on blow-drying her hair.

It wasn’t until her hair was almost completely dry that Wei Jiuyu suddenly realized that the rosy blush on Shi Qing’s body after her shower had never faded.

Not only had it not faded, but it was even redder than it was when she first started blow-drying her hair.

“A-Qing, are you hot?” Wei Jiuyu turned off the hair dryer.

“No.”

Shi Qing looked up, her eyes filled with ripples.

“I drank the medicated wine.”

She usually only drank one-third of a cup, but today she had drunk a full cup.

The remaining liquid at the bottom of the glass broke into twelve pieces of moonlight. The warm air from the hair dryer stirred up a ripple on her lips. Red lips and orchid-like tongue, everything carried the scent of wine.