Substitute Lover (GL) - Chapter 5

Ji Fan turned her head and gently kissed Jiang Cha’s ear. The hot breath sprayed on the eardrum, making one’s heart tremble.

“Go take a shower. Wear that green nightgown.”

Ji Fan lowered her head slightly, her chin resting on her shoulder, and commanded softly.

Green nightgown?

Jiang Cha came out wrapped in a bath towel and recalled that Ji Fan had sent it a few days ago. She went to the wardrobe and found it, as expected.

A light green nightgown, made of mulberry silk, with a very soft touch.

Ji Fan had bought it for her a few days ago, and she had only washed it once but hadn’t worn it. Jiang Cha folded it up and put it back in the wardrobe, not paying attention to its style, just thinking it was a fresh little suspender dress.

Only now did she realize that it was designed with a deep V-neck, and the upper body was a thin layer of gauze, a translucent light green.

Jiang Cha held the thin shoulder straps and faced the light. The gauze material was hazy and overly transparent.

Jiang Cha clutched the nightgown, and her ears immediately turned red.

“Are you done?”

Jiang Cha hesitated for a moment and opened the door.

The curtains in the bedroom were drawn, and only the soft light at the head of the bed, a light orange color, dimly illuminated Jiang Cha’s figure.

She divided her soft, waist-length hair into two strands, tied them into two low ponytails, and let them hang down over her chest. The ribbon hung loosely on her thin shoulders and was tied into a bow at the back of her swan neck, loose and not tight. The translucent gauze covered the snow-white and upturned, and with a slight breeze, it was about to slip off.

Jiang Cha looked like a naive little deer in the forest, with a hint of red at the corners of her eyes, looking at her timidly, so pure that it made one reluctant to defile her.

Ji Fan was dressed neatly, and the white sapphire earrings on her white earlobe sparkled. She raised her long eyebrows and her eyes were deep.

Slowly approaching, she pressed Jiang Cha against the wall, lowered her head, and kisses as urgent as raindrops fell on her brow, then on her nose, and finally on her lips.

The cool silver-white earrings gently scraped against Jiang Cha’s collarbone, and the hot breath sprayed on her ear, slightly unsteady, with a slightly urgent rhythm.

Ji Fan kissed her tender neck, one kiss after another, and then there was a sudden soft and wet sensation on her collarbone, sliding down.

Jiang Cha trembled sensitively, clearly moved.

“…Don’t.” Jiang Cha pushed her, but the force was too light, making it seem insincere.

But the kiss continued.

The snow-capped mountain was draped in a soft, delicate green veil, but suddenly a wave of heat slid up from the valley to the peak, pausing there, teasing with insistent, rhythmic strokes.

Jiang Cha’s fingers, which had been clinging to her shoulder, suddenly curled up and trembled.

“Don’t make a sound.”

Ji Fan’s voice was husky, and her fingers slipped around her shoulder, pulling gently.

The tie around her neck loosened.

Her breath was hot and ragged, yet controlled, as it pulsed against her ear, like a deep, rhythmic beat.

Ji Fan’s fingers were long and slender, her nails neatly trimmed. With the slightest movement, the tendons in her hand stood out, strong and supple.

Outside, a fine rain began to fall, the gentle water sliding down the terraced valleys in a rhythmic patter. The petals were drenched, looking weak and pitiful as the crystal droplets slowly slid and fell.

Jiang Cha’s lips parted silently as she lay on the bed, her toes curled up.

••••

Jiang Cha had fallen asleep, her sheets crumpled from her grip. A few strands of long hair were scattered on the pillow. Ji Fan patiently picked them up and smoothed them out before lying down beside her.

The girl beside her had fine, soft hair that was spread out, giving her a pure, youthful aura. She was peacefully asleep, her forehead slightly damp with sweat, and the blush on her cheeks had yet to fade.

Ji Fan felt a slight irritation.

This was all so different from what she had wanted.

If Jiang Cha were a little more mature, if she had a bit more of a mature woman’s charm instead of being so childish, perhaps Ji Fan could spoil her a little more.

But Ji Fan considered herself willing to compromise in this regard. It was good enough. Besides, there was probably no one in the world who looked more like Luo Yan than Jiang Cha.

She could just treat her as the Luo Yan of her childhood. What was wrong with that? (t/n: b*tch! beast!)

••••

After an unknown amount of time, Jiang Cha slowly woke up.

Ji Fan was sitting at the nearby desk, flipping through a stack of documents. Her thick, wavy hair was pulled to one side, revealing a long, slender, white neck.

Jiang Cha approached from behind, tilting her head slightly to touch Ji Fan’s lips.

Ji Fan’s lips were thin, elegant in shape, and usually slightly upturned at the corners, but now they were pursed, as if she were enduring something. The slanted light cast a shadow on Ji Fan’s strong, ink-like features, and her long, thick eyelashes were obscured, making her expression unclear.

Jiang Cha leaned in slowly, their breaths mingling.

Just when they were very close, Ji Fan suddenly turned her head away, the cool sapphire earrings dangling, sending a chill down Jiang Cha’s spine.

Jiang Cha froze.

Ji Fan’s sudden avoidance was hurtful.

But Jiang Cha also knew that she could only appear when Ji Fan needed her. If Ji Fan didn’t want it, even holding her hand would be overstepping. It was her fault, she had broken the rules.

The heated atmosphere gradually cooled down.

Both of them were silent.

Jiang Cha immediately felt that something was wrong with Ji Fan’s mood.

She was so sensitive.

But after all, she was just a “canary” kept by someone. What could she say?

Suddenly, her phone rang.

The ringtone was one Jiang Cha had never heard before, like a piano piece.

She was puzzled for a moment and looked at Ji Fan. That was indeed her phone. Had she changed the ringtone?

Ji Fan looked at the unlabeled number on the screen, her expression changed, and she was silent for a moment, as if she was hesitating. Finally, she answered the call.

“Hello,” her voice softened, a stark contrast to her previous coldness.

Whatever was said on the other end, Ji Fan smiled lightly, her tone suddenly gentle. “Thinking of me now?”

The phone buzzed again, too far away for Jiang Cha to hear clearly.

Ji Fan’s expression turned cold for a moment, her thin lips pursed slightly. She remained silent, then hung up the phone.

When Jiang Cha looked at her, Ji Fan sat there silently, the atmosphere heavy, as if she was deep in thought. She didn’t look at Jiang Cha at all, as if completely unaware of the concern in her eyes, her demeanor extremely cold.

In the kitchen, the flames flickered, and the soup continued to simmer quietly.

The crockpot of pork bone soup bubbled gently, its translucent, pale green color and faint aroma creating a hazy, white mist.

Who was that call from?

It sounded like a woman, and a chill ran down Jiang Cha’s spine.

She wanted to ask so much. But she didn’t have the right. She didn’t want to recall the last time she had blurted out a question about Ji Fan’s private affairs.

So she leaned over and, pretending to be oblivious, gently kissed Ji Fan’s cheek.

Jiang Cha asked softly, “Is work not going well?”

Her eyes seemed slightly moist, like a startled deer’s, filled with both seriousness and confusion, as if she didn’t understand what was happening.

Ji Fan closed her eyes, then picked up the platinum bag nearby. “I’m leaving. Something came up at the company.”

“Won’t you have some soup?”

Jiang Cha looked at her with dark eyes, testing her cautiously.

“We’ll talk about it later.”

Her tone was impatient, and Ji Fan lowered her head, putting on her high heels without looking at Jiang Cha.

There was no emotion to be read in her dark eyes.

The gentle woman from just a moment ago seemed like an illusion to Jiang Cha.

Jiang Cha watched her leave, standing there for a long time, her limbs stiff. After a while, she realized that her fingertips were ice-cold and slightly numb.

••••

The blue Porsche sped down the road. Ji Fan felt a tightness in her chest, so she opened the window and took a deep breath.

The April wind carried a faint floral fragrance.

The roadside golden trumpet trees were in full bloom, covered entirely in flowers without a single leaf in sight, a truly spectacular sight. It was as if a sea of floating clouds had set the sky ablaze.

The person who had just called to make an appointment with her was Luo Yan.

Closing her eyes, she recalled a long time ago, so long that she was still wearing a white school uniform. It was a twilight moment, perhaps after the last class of the afternoon, during the break before dinner. A girl had pulled her to sit at the back of the classroom and, leaning over, had gently kissed her cheek.

Such a soft touch, coupled with a heart-fluttering sensation.

Her desire for Luo Yan had lasted for far too long. With the passage of time, what had once been a secret crush had turned into an obsession.

Obsessions could only be resolved through possession, and it was absolutely impossible to let go easily.

Moreover, Luo Yan had become increasingly dazzling, with a beauty and temperament that were simply breathtaking. She had now become a big star, appearing everywhere on screen.

Yet, she was still unable to truly possess her.

Because Luo Yan was getting married.

Ji Fan frowned and flipped through her phone. The photo album and chat history were all filled with the image of another person: Jiang Cha.

Jiang Cha smiling, sleeping, and even…

The images that made her heart race.

Ji Fan abruptly exited the interface, her heart pounding for a moment. She looked out the window, thinking rather puzzledly, “What am I doing taking these photos?”

Jiang Cha was not Luo Yan.

Jiang Cha was a completely different person.

Apart from looking like Luo Yan, Jiang Cha had nothing in common with the type she liked. She preferred more mature women, as mature women had a certain charm, but Jiang Cha, in terms of temperament and behavior, was too childish.

Yet, she had been spending all her days with Jiang Cha for all these years.

So, what exactly was Jiang Cha to her? A kept woman?

Ji Fan had never heard of anyone spending a large sum of money to keep a mistress consistently, accompanying each other for several years.

What did this kind of dedicated companionship mean?

Ji Fan rubbed her temples with her slender fingers, feeling a little troubled.

She couldn’t figure out the answer, and she didn’t want to think about it for the time being.

There was no need.

••••

Ji Fan’s mood has been unstable, and this isn’t the first time.

Jiang Cha had once seriously searched online for why lovers would be hot and cold towards each other. The answers were varied, some saying it was because they didn’t love you, while others said it was because they were in a bad mood.

“Not love?”

Jiang Cha smiled, her expression somewhat self-mocking.

The soup in the small crockpot was almost ready, its aroma wafting through the air. Jiang Cha trotted over to check on it when her phone suddenly rang.

“Hello? Someone has helped you suppress the hot search, and there’s a reversal!” her agent, Yang Yan, asked her, “Was it that someone of yours? That was pretty fast.”

Jiang Cha’s heart skipped a beat. Was it Ji Fan?

Thinking about it, she found it a bit strange.

Hadn’t she just left?

Jiang Cha hung up the phone, her index finger trembling as she clicked on the latest Weibo hot search.

#RedCarpetIncidentSurveillanceVideo#

[Reversal! The red carpet fall incident has another reason, the entertainment industry is too deep!]

Below the headline, there was a long paragraph of narrative text and two short videos.

One was gray and blurry, the other was colorful and high-definition.

The grayscale one was from the surveillance camera’s perspective. In the video, you could see a middle-aged man in a gray tracksuit, slightly overweight, and wearing a mask, hurriedly entering her dressing room, sneaking a look around, and then squatting down. Due to the angle, you could only see his back, and it seemed like he was busy with something.

Judging by the position where he squatted, it was where she kept her shoes.

The colorful, high-definition video was recorded by a photographer at the scene, capturing the process of her walking the red carpet. The pixels were so high that even the ankle area, down to the heel of her shoe, was clearly visible.

It was quite comical, but the real reason she fell was:

Her heel had inexplicably snapped.

This was embarrassing. It turned out she had wrongly accused the wrong person!

So, public opinion began to shift:

Jiang Cha hadn’t faked the fall; someone had deliberately tampered with her shoes.

Those who had previously accused her of faking it were slapped in the face, but online comments are like that, they come and go quickly, and people don’t have to take much responsibility. A large group of people quickly pretended to have forgotten, and even those who had joined in the attacks on her began to sympathize with her.

“Jiang Cha is so pitiful.”

“Stop arguing, haters, hasn’t she been smeared enough over the years?”

“This was clearly a setup!”

“It feels like watching a palace intrigue drama, one thing leads to another. [Eating melon].”

Those who said she faked it and those who defended her were at odds with each other, and old rumors were dug up again, becoming the topic of idle chatter. However, the negative comments about her were buried under the overwhelming praise. Among the true and false comments, there was a small group of people whose focus had shifted, and it was still a highly upvoted comment.

“Just a side note, doesn’t anyone think Jiang Cha is really beautiful in the red carpet video?”

“Her skin looks so white, she has such a good temperament.”

“Ahhh, she’s so beautiful! [Heart eyes]”

“I’m so into this look!”

So, another wave of comments discussing her beauty level emerged, with countless reposts, and even a new topic was created.

#JiangChaRedCarpetPhotoIsStunning#

Below the photo, the comments were exploding, reaching over eight thousand in a short while.

In the red carpet photo, she was wearing a fishtail gown in a dark hue, which made her skin appear even whiter and more delicate. A hint of blush colored her snowy skin, giving her a fresh and charming aura. The smoky gauze dress outlined her graceful figure, and under the gentle breeze, she looked ethereal and stunningly beautiful.

She looked at the camera calmly, her eyes filled with a faint smile, the corners of her eyes slightly red, and a hint of water shimmering in them. Her lips were a tender pink, slightly pursed, with a hint of shyness amidst her coldness.

She was incredibly endearing.

The photo taken by the foreign photographer was always high-definition and unedited. Even when zoomed in, the slightest imperfection on her skin could be clearly seen. But no matter how you looked at this photo of Jiang Cha, her cheeks were as white and delicate as snow, her nose was as smooth as porcelain, and there was no flaw. Under the light, she had a translucent quality, and even her faint blue veins were visible.

Her whole person was as clean as if she were sculpted from snow.

As soon as the light hit her, she seemed like she was about to melt.

Jiang Cha blinked, a little embarrassed as she read the flattering comments.

These positive comments made her feel a little uneasy.

It was clear that there was a deliberate direction to both the hot search and the comments. Especially in the comment section, the comments with the most likes and pinned to the top were all praising her beauty and saying she had been slandered for too many years.

It was obvious that someone was trying to whitewash her image, and it was likely that they had hired water armies to create this one-sided positive sentiment.

But who could have helped her?

Was it Ji Fan?

Jiang Cha hesitated about whether to ask her agent, but before she could dial the number, her phone dinged.

It turned out that someone she followed on Weibo had posted something.

Jiang Cha casually clicked on it and immediately widened her eyes in disbelief.

A certain big celebrity who rarely posted original content, mostly just endorsements and advertisements, had suddenly added a new post.

And that post was—

A repost of the #JiangChaRedCarpetPhotoIsStunning# Weibo post, with the caption:

“Jiang Cha is really beautiful. [Rose]”

A/N: The first rival in love is not the movie queen. The movie queen only started playing the role of a rival in love during the “chasing wife crematorium” period.