Provoking Fire [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 38

As if on cue, the moment Su Yan finished speaking, lightning flashed and thunder roared outside the window, followed by the torrential downpour that completely drowned out their voices.

Su Yan’s words about being scared were almost indistinguishable from the sound of the rain. Chu Xiyue was momentarily stunned, only gradually realizing that Su Yan had been speaking to her in a tone that sounded like she was being coy.

Though such behavior was practically unheard of in Su Yan’s world, she had suddenly acted so naturally. Su Yan herself was taken aback, but she couldn’t help but laugh, realizing how easily she became foolish around Chu Xiyue—it was completely involuntary.

With that laugh, like ice melting, Chu Xiyue stared at her for a long moment before instinctively joining in, laughing along with Su Yan. After a while, she suddenly realized Su Yan had been teasing her. The rain hadn’t even started yet when she’d claimed to be scared. Chu Xiyue immediately reached out to tickle her:

“Liar!”

Su Yan didn’t retaliate, simply closing her eyes and letting Chu Xiyue playfully shove her twice. Chu Xiyue, mindful of Su Yan’s injuries, refrained from pushing too far, and the playful tussle quickly subsided. Unconsciously, their bodies had drawn closer. The bed wasn’t particularly large, and they could feel the warmth radiating from each other’s arms, even through their thin pajamas. Though the autumn sleepwear wasn’t thick, the heat of their skin was unmistakable.

This was Chu Xiyue’s first time sharing a bed with someone who wasn’t her cousin or childhood friend. As someone fiercely territorial, this act felt remarkably intimate. Moreover, there was the significant fact that she and Su Yan had played lovers on a reality dating show, even signing a contract to that effect.

Now, the woman lying beside her was no longer as prickly as before. After a brief bout of playfulness, Chu Xiyue felt a little tired and closed her eyes to rest quietly. Su Yan, never one for idle chatter, soon fell into a steady rhythm of breathing.

But Chu Xiyue couldn’t sleep. The image of Su Yan rescuing her kept replaying in her mind.

Chu Xiyue knew that if she had simply observed the situation and at most called for someone from the Director’s team, she would have fulfilled her duty. Yet Su Yan had fearlessly rushed forward. If not for saving her, Su Yan wouldn’t have been injured so severely.

Though Chu Xiyue hadn’t directly caused the injury, she couldn’t shake the feeling that it was her fault. Even if the Director’s team found no evidence of the man tampering with the wire, Chu Xiyue had already sentenced him to death in her heart.

After all, sometimes justice doesn’t require meticulously gathered evidence. What were the odds of such a coincidence? It was clear she had been targeted for revenge, and Su Yan had been caught in the crossfire.

Chu Xiyue wasn’t usually one to hold grudges, but when it came to Su Yan, who had been injured protecting her, she couldn’t let this go. Lying in bed, she didn’t toss and turn as she had before, but in her mind, she had already torn the man to shreds a thousand times. She wished dawn would break immediately so she could get up and hunt him down.

After a long while of restless thoughts, feeling the warmth of the person beside her, Chu Xiyue gradually drifted off to sleep.

Chu Xiyue’s sleep wasn’t particularly restful. She woke up twice during the night, only to find it was barely past six in the morning. Normally, someone would have already come to wake them up for makeup and preparations by this time. But given their injuries from the previous day, the production crew likely wouldn’t call them in so early. Chu Xiyue simply settled back down to sleep without guilt.

Her second nap stretched on far too long. By the time she groggily woke up again, the sun was high in the sky, its brilliant rays streaming through the curtains to illuminate a narrow patch of floor. Chu Xiyue stretched languidly, instinctively reaching for her phone on the bedside table. It was already past ten.

Glancing at the neatly folded pillow and duvet beside her, she recalled Su Yan’s habit of never sleeping in. Chu Xiyue frowned slightly, wondering if Su Yan was still out for her morning run.

As if summoned by her thoughts, Su Yan appeared at that very moment. The mosquito net screen door swung open with the main door, and Chu Xiyue caught a glimpse of a tall, slender figure. Su Yan wasn’t wearing her usual workout clothes but rather loose, casual attire that still accentuated her graceful figure.

Chu Xiyue knew Su Yan had a habit of showering after exercising. Though Su Yan had slept deeply today, she couldn’t have missed the sounds of someone moving around, changing clothes, and showering. Assuming Su Yan hadn’t stirred, Chu Xiyue finally exhaled in relief and sat up, still groggy.

“Are you hungry? Director Yang said we’re taking a break from filming today and asked what you’d like to eat. They can have the villagers cook something or go to town to buy supplies.”

Chu Xiyue, still shaking off the last vestiges of sleep, momentarily felt like she was the one who was injured. She glanced at Su Yan’s limp hand, her emotions a tangled mix.

“Just have the villagers make something simple. What do you want to eat?”

After fully waking up, Chu Xiyue began preparing to get out of bed and wash up. Having arrived late the previous night, she hadn’t had a chance to properly examine the room. Now, she was awkwardly searching for a place to wash her face. Su Yan, noticing her slight embarrassment, pointed outside.

Chu Xiyue’s ears flushed faintly.

She hurried outside and found an old-fashioned washbasin stand. Though newly made, it was the kind she hadn’t seen since she was a child. A clean mirror stood upright on the stand, and Chu Xiyue quickly leaned in to examine her reflection.

The woman in the mirror, though her face was bare, was only slightly disheveled, her eyes a little hazy. This did nothing to diminish the innate beauty of her features. Her bone structure was exceptional, with a high, straight nose and a full, prominent bridge that supported the entire architecture of her face. As the saying goes, “True beauty lies in the bones, not the skin.” Chu Xiyue possessed both superior bone structure and flawless skin, making her a genuine beauty even without makeup.

The disheveled beauty scrutinized her reflection, ensuring she wouldn’t embarrass herself in front of Su Yan. She then completed her morning routine in one smooth motion, even fetching hot water to wash herself down. Returning to the room, she found the meal already laid out—just enough for the two of them. It was clear Director Yang felt genuine remorse; he would never have provided such lavish fare otherwise.

Chu Xiyue accepted the meal without a shred of guilt.

Having woken up late, she finished getting ready just before eleven, lunchtime. Since she had skipped breakfast, the cook had thoughtfully replaced the rice with a thin, watery congee.

The local cuisine here was also known for its sour and spicy flavors. The villagers’ cold-dressed preserved eggs were particularly appetizing, their smooth, spicy kick instantly awakening the taste buds.

However, Chu Xiyue didn’t just focus on her own meal. She hadn’t forgotten her mission: to stay with Su Yan. With Su Yan’s injured wrist making eating difficult, Chu Xiyue took charge, arranging the dishes for her. After a moment’s consideration, she felt it wasn’t enough and simply moved her stool to sit directly across from Su Yan, bringing them even closer.

Su Yan’s right hand was injured, so she was carefully holding her bowl of rice porridge with her left hand. Seeing Chu Xiyue’s flurry of movements, she looked up at her with a puzzled expression.

Chu Xiyue immediately picked up a piece of food with the serving chopsticks and held it to Su Yan’s lips.

Of course, she hadn’t forgotten Su Yan’s fastidiousness and used the serving chopsticks.

The dish was a flavorful steamed chicken in a clay pot, a perfect pairing of matsutake mushrooms and diced chicken. Through her observations over the past few days, Chu Xiyue had noticed Su Yan was a picky eater, generally avoiding skin, organ meats, and fatty cuts. She also disliked fish but readily accepted all vegetables.

Thus, Chu Xiyue carefully selected a large piece of thigh meat, meticulously removing the skin beforehand, convinced she was being exceptionally considerate.

Su Yan’s thin eyelids fluttered slightly, as if she wasn’t accustomed to being cared for in this way. But Chu Xiyue’s gaze was so intense that Su Yan suspected if she didn’t let her do something, Miss Chu might try to do even more for her later.

Though Chu Xiyue acted delicate, she actually disliked taking advantage of others. If she received something, she insisted on repaying it immediately, or she couldn’t rest easy.

After a moment of hesitation, Su Yan finally opened her mouth and ate the first bite of food Chu Xiyue fed her. Whether it was the villagers’ exceptional cooking skills or not, the steam-pot chicken tasted particularly delicious today. The matsutake mushrooms seemed to have infused their earthy aroma into the chicken, enhancing its natural flavor and making it even more tender and savory.

The pickled cabbage stir-fry was equally tempting, its vibrant red and green peppers releasing an irresistible fragrance. Since there was no rice, they simply sprinkled some over the rice noodles, the fiery color further whetting the appetite. Chu Xiyue scooped the noodles into a large spoon, blew on them to cool them, and then fed Su Yan. Her movements, initially clumsy, gradually became more practiced. As time passed, Su Yan relaxed slightly, no longer resisting as she had earlier.

Su Yan was accustomed to eating slowly and deliberately, chewing each bite thoroughly. Chu Xiyue took advantage of these pauses to eat herself, and the two unexpectedly fell into a surprisingly smooth rhythm.

The meal was portioned just right, leaving only a small amount of broth at the end. Chu Xiyue couldn’t help but chuckle.

“What’s so funny?” Su Yan asked.

“Nothing…” Chu Xiyue struggled to suppress her amusement. “I just didn’t expect you to be so… well-behaved.”

As she spoke, her beautiful eyes sparkled. Su Yan never imagined the word “well-behaved” could ever apply to her, but Chu Xiyue’s expression didn’t seem intentionally sarcastic.

A strange emotion welled up in Su Yan’s heart. Just as she was about to speak, a knock sounded at the door. Assistant Cheng Ya and Fang Cunle entered, chatting and laughing, playfully shoving each other—they seemed to get along remarkably well.

For some reason, Chu Xiyue felt a pang of guilt and abruptly pushed her bowl and chopsticks aside.