Two Faced Lover - Chapter 77

77: The Decision

The dish Meng Xuran had prepared turned into a dark, unappetizing lump on the plate because she’d added too much dark soy sauce for coloring. In terms of appearance, it was undeniably a “dark cuisine.”

It was also extremely salty.

But Bo Mingyan wasn’t particularly picky about food—as long as it was edible, it was fine. So when she met Meng Xuran’s nervous, uneasy gaze, she nodded and said, “It’s alright.”

Hearing Bo Mingyan’s approval, Meng Xuran immediately perked up from her wilted state. She piled all the blackened chicken wings onto Bo Mingyan’s plate. “If it’s alright, then eat more.”

Then, she couldn’t resist affirming herself. “I knew I had talent. Just a minor mistake—flaws can’t obscure the gem.”

“…”

Bo Mingyan propped her cheek on her hand, watching Meng Xuran with a mix of amusement and adoration for a while before finally asking, “Meng Jiaojiao, have you always been this… confident since childhood?” She paused, searching for a word that suited Meng Xuran.

Meng Xuran sucked the lingering sauce off her chopsticks, found it too salty, and slowly sipped some soup to wash it down. At the same time, she carefully masked her emotions and replied indifferently, “No. When I was little and my grandmother raised me, I always felt different from other kids. I was actually quite insecure back then.”

Bo Mingyan thought of what Meng Yao had told her, and her heart twisted painfully.

After a moment, Bo Mingyan asked, “If it’s okay with you, could you take me to see where you used to live? And your elementary, middle, and high schools?”

Meng Xuran’s hand, holding the soup spoon, froze. The broth stuck in her throat, neither going up nor down. She swallowed hard before finally forcing it down. “Why do you want to see those places? They’re not fun.”

“I want to understand you better,” Bo Mingyan teased, provoking her. “Or are you afraid I’ll find out some embarrassing secrets?”

Meng Xuran scoffed. “As if. Fine, we can go. But in exchange, I want to see your past too.”

Bo Mingyan hesitated for a few seconds before agreeing. “Deal.”

After dinner, Meng Xuran threw herself into planning their upcoming trip.

At first, she agonized over what makeup to wear the next day, what hairstyle to choose, and which press-on nails to use. Then she started fretting over outfits. Bo Mingyan was made to sit on the bench at the foot of the bed, helping her pick through options like it was a fashion show.

“How about this one?” Meng Xuran held up a lace-and-velvet dress paired with a tweed coat. “Do you like it?”

“It’s pretty,” Bo Mingyan replied. “I like it.”

Meng Xuran switched to another set—a mesh inner layer with a V-neck camisole, high-waisted pants, and a fur coat. “What about this one? Do you like it?”

Bo Mingyan nodded. “Pretty. I like it.”

Meng Xuran’s puffed-up cheeks immediately deflated. She then grabbed a jacquard silk velvet dress and a coat with woven gold tapestry patterns, waving them in front of Bo Mingyan.

Bo Mingyan nodded again. “Also pretty. I like it.”

Meng Xuran put the clothes away, her eyes curving into crescents. “Great. These will be your outfits for tomorrow, the day after, and the day after that.”

Bo Mingyan was stunned.

Afraid she’d refuse, Meng Xuran preempted her. “You said they were pretty and that you liked them~”

Only then did Bo Mingyan realize she’d fallen into Meng Xuran’s trap. No wonder Meng Xuran had started with accessories before moving on to outfits—she’d been picking clothes for her all along.

The mastermind behind the scheme hummed cheerfully as she headed off to shower.

Normally, Meng Xuran would spend one or two hours in the shower, meticulously applying lotions and potions. But tonight, she was unusually quick, emerging soon after with a face mask on. She sat on the bed, stretching her legs while working on a travel itinerary on her tablet.

After Bo Mingyan finished her shower, Meng Xuran was still scribbling away on her tablet. Bo Mingyan climbed onto the bed and, as usual, naturally reached out to pull Meng Xuran into her arms. But before she could, Meng Xuran waved her off.

“Hey, don’t distract me. I’m seriously ‘working’ today,” Meng Xuran said. Feeling that wasn’t enough—Bo Mingyan’s presence was too distracting—she scooted closer to the edge of the bed, strictly forbidding Bo Mingyan from approaching. “If the itinerary isn’t done well, we’ll just be two fools wandering around tomorrow. Last time I went out with Gu Miao, it was chaos—everything went wrong. Just thinking about it gives me a headache.”

Her chattering was unbearably cute.

Bo Mingyan shot her an amused glance. She also preferred planned trips and asked, “Need any help?”

“Nope,” Meng Xuran said. “You just go to sleep early, rest well, wake up early tomorrow, dress up beautifully, and follow my lead.”

Bo Mingyan drew out a long “Mmm,” obediently sliding under the covers and sleeping as far from Meng Xuran as possible, curled up on her side. “Goodnight.”

Meng Xuran, who had just been preaching about going to bed early, blinked in disbelief at Bo Mingyan’s back. “You—you’re really going to sleep now?”

Bo Mingyan didn’t respond.

When Bo Mingyan didn’t react, Meng Xuran muttered under her breath, “No need to be that efficient.”

She couldn’t quite believe Bo Mingyan had fallen asleep so quickly. Quietly, she shifted closer—first moving her legs, then her hips—until she was right beside Bo Mingyan. Leaning over, she peered at Bo Mingyan’s exquisitely beautiful profile from above her shoulder, first tracing every detail with her eyes, then unable to resist poking Bo Mingyan’s fair, tender cheek.

It was as smooth as a peeled egg, soft and bouncy. Only when she got extremely close could she see the fine peach fuzz. Her fingertip slowly trailed downward, landing on the corner of Bo Mingyan’s lips.

Bo Mingyan’s lips were naturally rosy, perfectly shaped, and soft—the kind of softness that made you want to linger once you touched them.

This had led Meng Xuran to develop a habit recently: whenever she kissed Bo Mingyan, she’d suck Bo Mingyan’s lower lip into her mouth with excessive force, even wanting to bite down hard.

So much so that Bo Mingyan would gently remind her before every kiss, “Don’t bite me…”

Meng Xuran didn’t do it on purpose—she just couldn’t help it. Sucking Bo Mingyan’s lip into her mouth and biting down gave her a sense of reality in the moment.

The same went for their frequent intimacy.

Something she’d longed for had finally come true, and in such a beautiful way, it felt like being in a dream filled with bubbles. Meng Xuran couldn’t help but feel insecure.

She was afraid that one day, Bo Mingyan would cut ties with her as decisively and resolutely as before.

She was also afraid of Bo Mingyan delving too deeply into her past.

She knew everything about Bo Mingyan, so she was certain she could accept every side of her. But Bo Mingyan didn’t know her.

Bo Mingyan liked the present Meng Xuran—passionate, bold, confident.

Bo Mingyan didn’t know the past Meng Xuran—insecure, timid, dark.

She didn’t know that at a young age, she’d already harbored many, many ugly thoughts, so much so that even her grandmother had called her disgusting.

She was afraid that once Bo Mingyan learned about it, she’d realize that Meng Xuran wasn’t anything special—just mediocre.

On one hand, Meng Xuran feared the day the bubbles would burst and the dream would end. On the other, she reveled in the present, scheming to make Bo Mingyan like her even more.

The more Bo Mingyan liked her, the harder it would be to leave.

Meng Xuran’s fingertip had reached the seam of Bo Mingyan’s lips when suddenly, Bo Mingyan parted them and pretended to bite down with an “Om nom.” Meng Xuran yelped, yanking her hand back. “You were faking!”

Bo Mingyan laughed. “How could I sleep when you’re still awake?”

Meng Xuran pouted, trying to look indifferent, but the corners of her lips stubbornly curled upward.

Bo Mingyan saw it but didn’t call her out, only asking, “Finished the itinerary?”

“Almost.”

“Finish it quickly, then go to sleep.”

“Okay~”

Meng Xuran picked up her tablet and resumed her planning, while Bo Mingyan sat up and grabbed her own tablet to refine the details of the gown she was designing for Gu Yuwei.

Before bed, Meng Xuran pestered Bo Mingyan for another round of intimacy. This time, she wasn’t as relentless as the past two days, and they went to sleep relatively early.

Perhaps the sunshine doll had worked its magic—the next day, the weather cleared up.

After washing up and having breakfast, Bo Mingyan succumbed to Meng Xuran’s wheedling and changed into the outfit she’d picked the day before. It had been so long since she’d worn a dress that it felt a little unfamiliar.

But Meng Xuran’s delight was even greater than if she’d been the one wearing it, so Bo Mingyan dismissed the thought of changing.

Meng Xuran loved these outfits, but without heavy makeup, her delicate features made it hard to pull off the desired effect.

Bo Mingyan, with her striking features, was perfect for them.

Most people relied on clothes to enhance their appearance, but Bo Mingyan enhanced the clothes.

As Meng Xuran adjusted Bo Mingyan’s collar, she suddenly said, “You should put extra effort into designing that gown for Gu Yuwei.”

Bo Mingyan hummed. “Why bring that up now?”

“If you do a good job, Gu Yuwei will promote you well, and you’ll get tons of orders. With orders comes money, and with money, I can buy you tons of clothes.” The more Meng Xuran thought about it, the happier she became, inexplicably reminiscent of playing dress-up with dolls as a child. “I’ll do your makeup too~”

Bo Mingyan let Meng Xuran lead her to the vanity chair, her thoughts still stuck on the first part. “Or… you could design some for me yourself.”

Meng Xuran’s hands, busy applying makeup, paused.

Silence stretched between them for a long moment.

Bo Mingyan lowered her eyes, fingers playing with the lint on Meng Xuran’s waist, patiently waiting.

After what felt like ages, Meng Xuran asked, “What do you think of a Twenty-Four Solar Terms series?”

This time, it was Bo Mingyan’s turn to stay silent.

Moment’s annual new designs hadn’t originally been planned around this theme. The Twenty-Four Solar Terms spanned all seasons, requiring extensive thought on styles and elements. Presenting the entire series at once would have the best impact, whether for a launch or a runway show, but it would also stretch the design timeline significantly.

Before Bo Mingyan could respond, Meng Xuran straddled her lap, twisting open a tube of lipstick. She lifted Bo Mingyan’s chin with a finger and carefully applied the lipstick, saying, “I’ll take Grain Buds (Xiaoman). You take Great Heat (Dashu).”

Bo Mingyan still didn’t speak.

Meng Xuran’s warm fragrance enveloped her. Bo Mingyan’s gaze fell on the fingers holding the lipstick, then slowly lifted to meet Meng Xuran’s eyes. In those brown irises, her own turquoise ones were reflected—like leaves cradled by tree branches. Just like the owner of those eyes, who, with a single sentence, had decided to steadfastly and solidly uphold her dreams.

Meng Xuran watched as Bo Mingyan’s long, curled lashes fluttered like butterfly wings,

stirring up a butterfly effect within her.

All hesitation vanished. Every obstacle could be overcome.

“Then it’s settled.”