Two Faced Lover - Chapter 25

25: Exercise

“HAHAHAHAHA! Oh my god, am I hearing this right?”

Gu Miao couldn’t hold back anymore, bursting into uncontrollable laughter until she collapsed onto the sofa. Ever since she first met Meng Xuran in middle school, she knew there was someone in Meng Xuran’s heart—someone she adored to the point of obsession, leaving no room for anyone else.

So in Gu Miao’s mind, aside from that one time Meng Xuran got rejected in an online confession and cried her eyes out, she had always seemed more like a nun in secular clothing—serene, detached, aloof and untouchable. She had never seen Meng Xuran display such a girlish, flustered expression before.

And she certainly never expected that one day, Meng the Nun Xuran would be sitting here, all shy and awkward, asking her about practical experience!

All that pride and icy elegance? Gone.

“Shut up, stop laughing.” Meng Xuran snapped, her face burning red as she glared at her with a stiff expression. “Just talk already.”

Under the weight of Meng Xuran’s threatening stare, Gu Miao straightened up, cleared her throat, and tried to rein in her amusement. She rubbed her nose and started improvising: “Well, you just… y’know… go for it and stick it in.”

The truth was, Gu Miao’s so-called “extensive practical experience” was pure bravado. She only had that one time, and even then, she had just laid back and let the other person do all the work—her focus had been entirely on the sensations, not the technique. She had no clue how any of it actually worked.

“Just… stick it in?” Meng Xuran frowned slightly. “And then?”

“Then… you just, y’know, move it around like this.” Gu Miao raised her arms and gestured vaguely with both hands, putting on a crude demonstration.

This is so embarrassing! Meng Xuran glanced briefly before looking away—but almost immediately regretted it. Her lashes fluttered as she forced out the words: “You… show me again.”

Watching Meng Xuran’s flushed face as she earnestly sought knowledge with burning curiosity, Gu Miao had to tense every nerve to keep herself from laughing.

It wasn’t until their conversation ended and she was leaving the office that Gu Miao finally relaxed, a mischievous grin spreading across her lips. As soon as she pulled the door open, she happened to spot Bo Mingyan standing outside, holding design drafts and fabric samples to confirm with Meng Xuran. Gu Miao’s eyes instantly sparkled with delight.

Bo Mingyan wore a flowing, vintage-style white blouse paired with sleek black wide-leg trousers. The high-waisted design, with its pleated petal-like waistband, perfectly accentuated her slender figure. The fabric draped elegantly, elongating her legs and making them appear endlessly long and straight—sharp and sophisticated.

Especially with her striking mixed-race features: a tall, straight nose bridge adorned with gold-rimmed glasses that reflected a cool, pale gleam. Behind the lenses, her beautiful smoke-gray eyes were as calm as an ancient well, and up close, one could catch the mature, composed scent of her cool fragrance.

The sheer alpha energy radiating off her was overwhelming—both dashing and irresistibly alluring!

With looks like that, who wouldn’t blurt out, “Sis, I’m yours!”

Gu Miao’s grin widened the longer she stared at Bo Mingyan’s face.

Judging by appearance, height, and aura alone, this woman was clearly the top in any scenario. She couldn’t help but wonder—with her own half-baked guidance, would Meng Xuran even manage to dominate this woman once she succeeded in winning her over?

Bo Mingyan stared silently at Gu Miao blocking her path with that idiotically gleeful smile and took a step back.

“Long time no see, Miss Bo~ Since we’ll be colleagues from now on, do take care of me~” Gu Miao reached out a hand, then suddenly felt an eerie prickling at her back. Mid-motion, she raised her arm to smooth her hair instead and chuckled, “Well, I’ve got things to do—gotta run! Take care, alright~”

With that, she bolted without looking back.

“……”

The abrupt shift left Bo Mingyan bewildered.

Was it her imagination, or had Gu Miao’s “take care” carried some hidden meaning?

Distracted, Bo Mingyan turned to watch Gu Miao’s retreating figure while stepping backward, hand reaching blindly for the door handle. Instead of solid wood, her fingers met empty air—she nearly stumbled.

Then, warmth settled at her waist, and the citrusy perfume she’d smelled just this morning curled around her senses.

“Was she that good-looking?” Meng Xuran’s flat voice drifted into her ears.

The grip on her waist was unmistakable—someone had just given her a deliberate pinch. Bo Mingyan stiffened, but before she could pull away, Meng Xuran had already released her, casually shutting the office door in one smooth motion.

Quick. Natural. As if it had merely been a passing touch.

For a moment, Bo Mingyan couldn’t tell if the lingering pressure on her waist had been real.

Tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, she steadied herself and answered, “She was quite attractive.”

Meng Xuran let out a quiet tsk. She drifted to her desk and asked, tone deliberately offhand, “So, who’s prettier? Her or me?”

Had anyone overheard their usually icy Director Meng engaging in such a childish beauty contest, jaws would’ve hit the floor.

Uncertain of Meng Xuran’s angle, Bo Mingyan opted for diplomacy: “Different styles. There’s no comparison.”

The unsatisfying reply made Meng Xuran puff her cheeks, lips jutting in a pout. “Fence-sitter” she muttered under her breath, looking every bit like an aggrieved pufferfish.

Bo Mingyan leaned in slightly. “Hmm? What was that?”

“I said,” Meng Xuran lifted her gaze, meeting Bo Mingyan’s eyes with a slow, deliberate tilt of her chin, “I’m giving you one chance to rephrase that.”

The threat couldn’t have been clearer.

But Bo Mingyan had always been immune to coercion, “Ten chances wouldn’t change a thing.”

Meng Xuran fell silent.

Bo Mingyan’s indifferent gaze flickered toward her from the corner of her eye, taking in Meng Xuran’s dejected expression—her lowered brows and downcast eyes filled with disappointment—before quickly looking away.

In the past, Bo Mingyan had heard from Fu Junxue that she and Meng Xuran were often compared, from their looks to their academic achievements. Fu Junxue, with her striking features resembling their father, stood in contrast to Meng Xuran, whose delicate beauty mirrored their mother. Light-colored beauty often paled in comparison to bold, striking looks at first glance, and the brilliance of the elder sister, who was exceptionally outstanding, inevitably overshadowed the younger one.

Comments like, “The older sister is prettier than the younger one,” “Your sister is amazing—you should try to be as good as her,” or “Your sister won this award too; you should strive to be as outstanding as her.” were endless.

As a result, despite being undeniably beautiful, Meng Xuran lacked deep-seated confidence. Despite her remarkable abilities, she often doubted herself under the shadow of her father and sister’s accomplishments.

Her outward arrogance and tsundere demeanor were nothing more than a facade to mask her insecurities.

In the end, Bo Mingyan couldn’t help but soften at the sight of Meng Xuran’s pitiful expression. A faint ripple of emotion stirred in her eyes as she added, “If I really had to choose… then you, I guess.”

“Tch, how reluctant.” Meng Xuran didn’t seem the least bit grateful, but the moment she turned her head, the corners of her lips curled upward.

Bo Mingyan chose not to argue with her. Sitting across the desk, she pushed the design drafts and fabric swatches toward Meng Xuran, steering the conversation back to work.

The overall design was mostly finalized, with only minor details needing adjustments. As Meng Xuran pointed them out, Bo Mingyan kept her head lowered, jotting them down one by one in her sketchbook. Her eyes, half-lidded behind her glasses, were framed by thick, long lashes, beneath which glimmered diamond-like pupils. The delicate chain on her gold-rimmed glasses swayed slightly with her writing, like ripples disturbing the calm surface of Meng Xuran’s heart.

“If there are no other issues, I’ll… head back now.” Bo Mingyan looked up after finishing her notes, only to unexpectedly meet Meng Xuran’s gaze.

For just a moment, her words faltered almost imperceptibly. She adjusted her glasses upward and smoothly averted her eyes.

“There is one more thing.” Meng Xuran hesitated for a couple of seconds, tapping her fingertips together before asking, “Do you have any plans for National Day?”

“Not at the moment,” Bo Mingyan replied, still looking at her notebook. “Why?”

Could it be another business trip?

Meng Xuran’s eyelashes lifted lightly, her brown pupils glistening like water.

Hearing no response, Bo Mingyan tucked her pen into the notebook’s cover and looked up in puzzlement, only to see Meng Xuran leaning forward against the desk, her cheeks resting on her palms, a faint smile playing at the corners of her brows and lips.

“We’re pretty much good friends now, right? It’d be so boring to leave a good friend alone at home,” Meng Xuran pursed her lips slightly, the curve of her eyes deepening. “If you don’t have plans and are just staying in, I’ll keep you company—and maybe mooch a meal or two.”

Her eyes were long but not narrow, her upper eyelids softly curved, the outer corners slightly upturned. When she cried, paired with that teardrop mole, she looked like a delicate, weeping pear blossom, pitiful and tender. When she wasn’t smiling, her gaze held a peach-blossom allure, brimming with unspoken affection.

But when she smiled, her eyes curved into crescents, shimmering with a bright, soul-stirring light.

“Good… friends?” Bo Mingyan repeated slowly.

“You don’t think we count as good friends yet?” Meng Xuran shot back.

Perhaps the “friendship” was just a pretense, and the real goal was mooching meals.

But as Meng Xuran’s clear, bright voice slipped into her ears, Bo Mingyan froze for a moment.

She remembered those afternoons in England, alone at home, golden sunlight spilling across the yard. Lightning and Little Fox would finish their meals, one burrowing into her arms, the other sprawled at her feet, its bushy tail swaying lazily.

Whether it was the soft fur brushing against her skin or the sunlight warming her body—

It was all cozy, all radiant.

After so many years, a scene she had nearly forgotten resurfaced in her mind.

Bo Mingyan parted her lips and said, “We do.”

Yet, in reality, the National Day holiday didn’t unfold as warmly and harmoniously as Bo Mingyan had imagined. Meng Xuran was neither Lightning nor Little Fox.

She was even more of a nuisance than that sly little fox.

On the first day of the holiday, Bo Mingyan woke up at seven. She got up to wash up and glanced at the master bedroom—the door was tightly shut. She assumed Meng Xuran was still asleep, until she stepped out of the bathroom and ran into her just returning.

Meng Xuran was dressed in blue-and-white casual sportswear, the tips of her bangs slightly damp, her face tinged with a faint blush, and her fair swan-like neck glistening with traces of sweat.

“Morning,” Bo Mingyan greeted her. “Did you go for a morning run?”

“Mhm.” Meng Xuran glanced at her watch. “You’re up this early? I thought you’d sleep till noon.”

Bo Mingyan: “Why would you think that?”

“Didn’t you say it yourself? You’re physically weak.” Meng Xuran bent down to change her shoes. “I bought breakfast. Want to eat together?”

“Sure.” Bo Mingyan rubbed her stiff neck. “I am weak.” Just sleep-deprived.

The two sat down at the dining table, and Meng Xuran slid one portion toward Bo Mingyan. “Do you want your soy milk sweetened or unsweetened?”

Bo Mingyan: “Sweetened.”

Meng Xuran took a sip of her unsweetened soy milk, a glint of mischief flashing in her eyes.

After setting the cup down, Meng Xuran said, “You’re so out of shape—that won’t do. How about joining me for some exercise?”

Asking someone who barely got enough sleep to wake up early for a workout was practically a death sentence. Bo Mingyan had just taken a bite of a fried dough stick when she choked on it. She patted her chest, urgently needing water. In her haste, she didn’t pay attention and grabbed the very cup Meng Xuran had just drunk from.

“That one—” Meng Xuran’s gaze flicked to the rim of the cup, her long lashes fluttering. Just as Bo Mingyan looked over, she changed her words: “Drink slowly. It’s hot.”

Bo Mingyan took a small sip and found it wasn’t that hot, so she quickly gulped down two more mouthfuls.

At the same time, Meng Xuran asked, “What kind of exercise do you like?”

“I like exercises that can be done lying in bed.”

Bo Mingyan finally managed to swallow the bite of fried dough stick. She leisurely drank the rest of the soy milk, only belatedly realizing this cup tasted a bit bland. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a white paper cup beside her with the word “sugar” written on the sleeve.

Her gaze returned to the cup in her hand, and she unconsciously swallowed.

This was Meng Xuran’s cup.

After she finished speaking, Meng Xuran had gone quiet. Bo Mingyan set the cup down and looked up.

Meng Xuran glanced at her from the corner of her eye, one eyebrow arched as she repeated slowly, word by word: “You like… bedroom exercises?”

Author’s Note:

Meng Xuran: Whatever exercise you like, I’ll do it with you~

Bo Mingyan: Using the skills you learned from a bottom to accompany me?

Help, after writing so many stories, I just adore this version of Meng Jiaojiao the most.