Provoking Fire [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 14

Chu Xiyue was slightly dazed by Su Yan’s gentle “Hmm?” By the time she regained her senses, Su Yan had already set her down and left the room, leaving her alone. Chu Xiyue felt an inexplicable sense of emptiness.

Of course, the sudden wave of pain forced her to bow her head, curl up, and press her hands against her lower abdomen, trying to alleviate the discomfort.

Before long, Su Yan returned, carrying a tray with a small bowl neatly arranged on it, emitting a rich aroma of red bean and barley soup.

At the restaurant, Chu Xiyue had barely touched the lavish spread. Aside from ordering the signature Peking duck, everything else had been chosen by Su Yan in small portions. By the time they returned to the filming location after the meal, nearly an hour had passed. Though still lacking appetite, Chu Xiyue found the warm, comforting scent of the red bean soup surprisingly appealing.

“Extend your hand. Sit still and don’t move.”

Su Yan placed the tray on a nearby side table without further ado. Chu Xiyue offered her wrist, and Su Yan pressed two fingers against her pulse. Chu Xiyue couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise:

“You know how to take a pulse?”

“I learned a little casually before,” Su Yan replied.

The word “casually,” when spoken by Su Yan, carried an inexplicable air of credibility. Chu Xiyue felt the warmth from their fingers touching, like a comforting current flowing through her.

Su Yan quickly took Chu Xiyue’s pulse before asking her to lie down. She retrieved a clean towel from the bathroom, scalded it with hot water, and cooled it to a comfortable temperature before gesturing for Chu Xiyue to lift her shirt.

Chu Xiyue, still dazed by menstrual cramps, reacted a beat too late. She instinctively obeyed, lifting the corner of her shirt before suddenly realizing what she was doing. She quickly pulled the fabric back down, her dark brown eyes fixed on Su Yan, who saw a hint of resentment in their depths.

Even the composed Su Yan couldn’t help but find Chu Xiyue’s behavior both exasperating and amusing. She gently flicked her forehead, wondering what on earth the woman was thinking about all day.

“Miss Chu, do you want my help or not? If not, I’ll leave,” Su Yan said, deliberately slowing her pace, her tone conveying a well-mannered exasperation. “My manager only sent me the script yesterday. I still need to go back, shower, rest, exercise, read the script…”

While other celebrities in the entertainment industry enjoyed vibrant personal lives, Su Yan, the “old cadre,” depicted her leisure time as remarkably dull, a true embodiment of the modern “high-energy, self-disciplined woman.”

Chu Xiyue couldn’t fathom how someone so young could endure such solitude, even learning the art of pulse diagnosis in traditional Chinese medicine—and she seemed quite competent at it. Perhaps driven by the torment of her menstrual cramps, Su Yan didn’t want Chu Xiyue to leave just yet. Without further hesitation, she decisively pulled up her shirt.

The movement was too forceful, revealing not only her slender waist and flat abdomen but also a glimpse of pure black lace peeking out from above. Chu Xiyue didn’t notice, but Su Yan’s hand paused slightly as she draped a towel over her, before calmly tugging the shirt down a bit, covering her lower abdomen.

Then, using one hand, she began massaging Chu Xiyue’s abdomen.

With the alternating chills and heat gone and the temperature now comfortable, Chu Xiyue’s energy gradually returned. After all, she had taken good care of her health for years, and her youth meant her constitution was naturally strong. The steady warmth radiating from her abdomen, combined with the perfect pressure of the massage, allowed Chu Xiyue to gradually relax into the gentle rhythm.

At that moment, the faint, cool fragrance emanating from the woman’s body filled Chu Xiyue with an unprecedented sense of security.

Su Yan said something else, her voice soft. Chu Xiyue’s consciousness was already hazy, and she didn’t quite catch the words, only murmuring a vague acknowledgment.

Then, the woman freed one hand, hooked her little finger around Chu Xiyue’s, and gently shook it. She pressed her thumb against Chu Xiyue’s as if stamping a seal, then patted her head, like soothing a sick puppy.

As drowsiness washed over her, Chu Xiyue, already half-asleep, found this comforting. Her soft voice unconsciously took on a coquettish tone as she called out Su Yan’s name.

The voice that replied from above sounded like clear spring water flowing through a mountain stream—seemingly unchanged, yet subtly trembling with emotion:

“Why aren’t you calling me ‘Sister’ now?”

Chu Xiyue, thoroughly enjoying the massage, rarely relented. She softened her tone, half-pleading, and murmured:

“Sister~”

Su Yan helped her sit up and urged her to drink the warm red bean and barley porridge from the small bowl. As the warmth spread from her stomach to her limbs, the aches gradually faded. Chu Xiyue fell asleep without realizing it, and she never knew when the other woman left.

Chu Xiyue slept soundly until dawn, a rare occurrence.

The production team, likely informed by Su Yan about her discomfort, didn’t disturb her. When she woke up, whether it was thanks to yesterday’s bowl of red bean soup and massage, Chu Xiyue felt completely pain-free.

After washing her face and brushing her teeth, she felt fully refreshed and revitalized.

Chu Xiyue had never experienced such meticulous care during her menstrual cycle before. Partly because she’d never had painful periods, and partly because she wasn’t particularly fragile. From childhood, she’d always undergone regular check-ups, and her results consistently showed excellent health.

But…

As she recalled Su Yan’s attentive care yesterday—the way they’d even made a pinky promise like schoolchildren—a wave of heat rushed to her head, and she felt an overwhelming urge to rewind time and start over.

Even if she was feeling a bit vulnerable now, she’d at least recovered. She wasn’t terminally ill, nor was she a delicate porcelain doll about to shatter at the slightest touch. It was one thing to be delirious from discomfort, but with no cameras in the room, Su Yan’s unwavering attentiveness seemed completely out of character.

In the entertainment industry, there’s a term called “getting into character.” It refers to actors fully immersing themselves in their roles during specific scenes to evoke genuine emotions in their interactions. However, once filming wraps, the intensity fades. A professional actor knows not to transfer their character’s affection onto their co-star.

Recalling the events of the previous night, Chu Xiyue could only attribute it to this phenomenon. After all, Su Yan was renowned for her dedication to her craft. Even if it was just for publicity, she would commit wholeheartedly—a trait perfectly aligned with Chu Xiyue’s impression of her.

Yeah, that’s probably the only explanation.

Someone save my poor CPU! It’s about to overheat!

Her head throbbing from overthinking, Chu Xiyue decided to stop dwelling on it. After tidying up, she pushed open the door and headed downstairs. There, she found Lu Rujin, looking utterly despondent, making breakfast.

The young girl rarely woke up this early when she wasn’t on a tight schedule, yawning incessantly from exhaustion. But the sound of someone coming down roused her slightly.

Seeing it was Chu Xiyue, Lu Rujin flashed her signature smile, abandoned her cooking, and scurried over like a promotional ambassador, eager to brag:

“Sister Chuchu, something really funny happened while you were sleeping last night!”