Anticipating the night
Cheng Corporation Building, CEO’s Office.
“I’ve asked. Little CEO Cheng hasn’t returned to Nanjing these past few days.”
Secretary Liu paused, then asked in a low voice, “Should we investigate?”
The black fountain pen in Cheng Jing’s hand, which she was using to sign documents, stopped. She remained silent for a moment, then said lightly, “Forget it.”
She somewhat agreed with what she had discussed with Cheng Jiqing the last few times. Cheng Jiqing wasn’t a child anymore; she couldn’t keep her constrained forever. If Cheng Jiqing wanted a peaceful life, she could grant that.
All she wanted was for Cheng Jiqing to be well and unharmed.
As long as she didn’t resist her so much, as long as she was still in the Cheng family, and they could see each other occasionally.
Anything more… Perhaps too much time had passed. After all these years, her obsession was actually showing signs of loosening. She no longer had that much courage, or that much obsession, to try and get more from Cheng Jiqing.
What happened back then had nearly severed her relationship with Cheng Jiqing.
“CEO Cheng…”
Noticing Secretary Liu hesitating, Cheng Jing focused her gaze and looked up. “If you have something to say, say it.”
“We’ve been keeping an eye on the Bai Corporation and Nanyang. We found that Bai Xin… also hasn’t appeared these past few days.”
Hearing this, Cheng Jing’s brow furrowed.
“Starting which day?”
“Thursday.”
Cheng Jing’s expression turned grim.
Cheng Jiqing had also returned to Beicheng on Thursday.
The fountain pen, placed on the lacquered desk, made a faint sound.
She didn’t speak for half a minute. Secretary Liu, observing her expression, could only wait anxiously.
After a long moment.
Cheng Jing picked up her phone from the desk and opened her chat with Cheng Jiqing.
She didn’t believe Cheng Jiqing could tolerate the kind of intimate relationship Bai Xin and Zhou Yushu had, unless Bai Xin had used some other method to deceive Cheng Jiqing.
Especially a woman like Bai Xin, who was adept at using schemes.
The phone in her hand vibrated before long. Cheng Jing looked down. Cheng Jiqing: 【At Songling Hotel.】
Seeing this, Cheng Jing’s expression softened slightly.
Cheng Jiqing had no reason to lie, and probably wouldn’t, because if she went over now, the lie would be easily exposed.
But it wasn’t impossible that she was with Bai Xin. There weren’t that many coincidences in the world.
It was just that she couldn’t go over to verify it now, to do something that would push Cheng Jiqing further away from her.
Cheng Jing tossed the phone onto the desk. Dressed in her suit jacket, she leaned back into her chair and suddenly asked, “Any new developments with the Bai Corporation?”
Although the topic changed quickly, Secretary Liu responded promptly, “They started layoffs today. Oh, right, Bai Zhaoliang came looking for you this afternoon and waited for over an hour.”
For the Bai Corporation to reach the point of layoffs meant it wasn’t far from collapse.
“I’m just worried if we’re pushing them too hard. If you don’t see him again, what if he lets something slip…”
Cheng Jing: “He wouldn’t dare.”
The Cheng Corporation was Bai Zhaoliang’s last hope for survival. If Bai Zhaoliang could keep his mouth shut, he still had a chance to make a comeback. If he spoke, he could forget about ever getting back on his feet in this lifetime.
“But you’re right. A cornered dog will jump over the wall1. Let him in next time.”
Her tone was indifferent, not like she was talking about a person.
Secretary Liu: “Understood. Then, should we still investigate Bai Xin?”
Although they hadn’t stopped investigating Bai Xin recently, there hadn’t been any new discoveries. They couldn’t even find out much about Bai Xin’s childhood, as if it had been deliberately covered up.
Secretary Liu thought that beyond the matters concerning Zhou Yushu and Y2, further investigation would likely yield nothing.
Cheng Jing said, “Investigate. If you can’t find anything current, investigate her past. If you can’t find anything on her, investigate Zhou Yushu, investigate the people around her.”
“I want to know every detail about this person.”
Before that, she wouldn’t make a move rashly. It was also because she had promised Cheng Jiqing.
Secretary Liu acknowledged. Her question had been redundant.
Cheng Jing regarded this younger sister as far too important. Now that Cheng Jiqing and Bai Xin were still entangled, coupled with these matters involving Bai Xin and Zhou Yushu, Cheng Jing probably wished she could investigate even their eight generations of ancestors2.
Seeing Cheng Jing had no other instructions, Secretary Liu reminded her, “It’s getting late. Aren’t you planning to go home yet?”
Cheng Jing waved her hand. “You can get off work first.”
Secretary Liu nodded. “Then, please be careful on your way.”
Cheng Jing didn’t speak. Her gaze fell on the desk, the black fountain pen glinting metallically. Just before Secretary Liu opened the door, she suddenly asked, “Has Tu Xiuxiu called recently?”
Secretary Liu was taken aback. Ever since Tu Xiuxiu left over half a month ago, she hadn’t contacted them.
She said, “No.”
After a few seconds.
Cheng Jing asked, “Where is she?”
“Miss Tu is still in Denmark.” Secretary Liu felt a bit fortunate that she had just asked about this during the day.
Although Cheng Jing hadn’t asked anything about Tu Xiuxiu since the day she left, Secretary Liu still made it a habit to check every few days, just in case her boss suddenly decided to ask.
She had been by Cheng Jing’s side for many years and understood her to some extent; she could tell if Cheng Jing was truly annoyed with her.
At least for now, Cheng Jing wasn’t.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have suddenly taken out that fountain pen to use today—it had been delivered by an assistant after Tu Xiuxiu left, said to be this year’s birthday gift.
Secretary Liu sighed internally. When Tu Xiuxiu left, she truly hadn’t taken anything with her. Secretary Liu admired that, but also thought it was a bit foolish. Three years, and it seemed she had gained nothing. Why bother?
She wondered if Cheng Jing would take the initiative to contact her this time.
But after waiting a short while, Cheng Jing just hummed an “Mm.”
“You can go.”
Cheng Jing capped the fountain pen and put it back in the drawer. It was quite good to use, but she suddenly wasn’t in the mood.
Secretary Liu then opened the door and walked out.
Apart from Cheng Jiqing, Cheng Jing was quite cold-hearted towards everyone else. Tu Xiuxiu was a rare one who had stayed with her for so long and been so considerate.
What a pity, she still couldn’t endure Cheng Jing’s coldness.
To melt ice and snow, who knew how much warmth was needed, let alone for an iceberg like Cheng Jing.
“If I tell Cheng Jing directly, she’s less likely to come over.”
Cheng Jiqing put down her phone and said softly.
It was clear that Cheng Jing had been trying her best to mend their relationship recently. Cheng Jing was unlikely to do things that would displease her.
Bai Xin stared at Cheng Jiqing’s expression, as if trying to find something in her calm demeanor.
She couldn’t privately verify Cheng Jiqing’s and Cheng Jing’s DNA, so she could only tell Cheng Jiqing what she knew and let Cheng Jiqing choose for herself.
But she knew, from Cheng Jing’s series of actions, including her own perception—regardless of whether they were blood-related or not—Cheng Jing had certain thoughts about Cheng Jiqing.
Her only worry was that Cheng Jiqing, regarding Cheng Jing as her sister, had some feelings for her deep down, and would feel upset after hearing all this…
This was something she didn’t want.
“Are you really not upset?” Bai Xin asked.
Cheng Jiqing shook her head. More like shocked.
“I’ve sensed it before, but I never thought in this direction.”
It was one thing if Cheng Jing and the original owner of this body weren’t blood-related, but for Cheng Jing to actually have feelings for the original owner that went beyond sisterly affection… She really hadn’t processed that yet.
But thinking about it carefully, it seemed like everything made sense.
Cheng Jing’s extraordinary possessiveness.
Cheng Jing’s excessive concern, and her occasional words that struck her as odd.
Then everything fell into place.
It was too absurd. If Cheng Jing were the protagonist, wouldn’t this be a family dog-blood3 ethics romance drama?
“What are you thinking about?”
Cheng Jiqing heard the worry in Bai Xin’s voice. She looked up, saw the slight frown on Bai Xin’s fair brow, and said, “It’s nothing. To tell you the truth, I also suspect that Fu Rongjun isn’t related to me either.”
Bai Xin: “…”
Bai Xin had actually thought about it too. Based on Fu Rongjun’s previous behavior towards Cheng Jiqing, it really didn’t seem like something a biological mother would do.
But hearing Cheng Jiqing say it herself, her heart felt a little heavy.
If Cheng Jing wasn’t her biological relative, and Fu Rongjun wasn’t either, then thinking about it carefully was terrifying.
Did the deceased Cheng Lan know?
Were Cheng Jiqing and Cheng Lan blood-related? She leaned towards yes, because she had seen Cheng Lan’s photo, and her features were very similar to Cheng Jiqing’s.
This made it even harder to understand. It was one thing for Cheng Lan to leave most of her assets to an outsider like Cheng Jing, but how could she only let Cheng Jiqing, her biological daughter, get that 5% of the shares?
“Come.”
Seeing the other person’s expression darken, Cheng Jiqing pulled her into an embrace. “Don’t overthink it. I’ll find a chance to get a DNA test, and then everything will be clear. But I’m not doing it for any other reason, just to know for sure.”
“Don’t you find it strange?”
In her mind, the inheritance in Cheng Jing’s and Fu Rongjun’s hands was probably not obtained cleanly. This meant that Cheng Jiqing had likely been deceived by these two working together.
At this thought, a gloominess seeped from her bones.
Cheng Jiqing couldn’t help but poke Bai Xin’s cheek. When she was angry, her dimples didn’t show, so she just poked the approximate spot.
Very soft.
Cheng Jiqing thought, if she were to really scrutinize it, those things weren’t hers to begin with.
So she wasn’t greedy.
Besides, she had Lan Qi. Even if she didn’t act, she could live comfortably for the rest of her life. In her previous world, she had always struggled for money. Now, money wasn’t that important to her.
“If I told you I’m not the Cheng Jiqing from before, would you believe me?” Cheng Jiqing suddenly asked.
“I’m being serious with you.”
Cheng Jiqing thought, true, if it were her, she wouldn’t believe it either.
So she said seriously, “What I mean is, I don’t care about those things. But I will find out my relationship with Cheng Jing and Fu Rongjun, so that if anything changes in the future, I’ll at least have a bargaining chip.”
Fu Rongjun wouldn’t want this matter to become public, would she?
She just hoped this person would stay far away from her and not bother her in this lifetime.
Cheng Jiqing paused, looked down at Bai Xin’s still cold expression, and chuckled. “What are you angry about? None of this is certain yet.”
Bai Xin said, “What if it is true? And Cheng Jing still dares to have designs on you…”
She sneered.
Bai Xin was protecting her. Warmth spread through Cheng Jiqing’s heart, like being bathed in a spring breeze.
When she heard about Bai Xin’s situation in the Bai family during her youth, wasn’t she also grinding her teeth in anger? She wished Bai Zhaoliang would ascend to heaven on the spot.
She thought for a moment and said, “Mm, what Cheng Jing is doing is indeed not good behavior.”
“…” As if coaxing a child.
Before Bai Xin could pinch her, Cheng Jiqing caught her hand, a smile in her eyes. “Since I know about Cheng Jing’s matter, I’ll just avoid her in the future. As long as Fu Rongjun behaves herself, I won’t declare war. As long as they don’t interfere with me, I don’t care about those things at all.”
She wasn’t noble enough to empathize with the original owner to such an extent that she would throw herself into ‘household strife’4 just to seek justice for the original owner’s inheritance.
She didn’t like all this flashy, overt and covert strife. If you called her selfish, she’d admit it.
“I’m living very well now.” After Cheng Jiqing finished speaking, her fingers found Bai Xin’s chin and lifted her face. “In the future, I just want to live my own life well.”
She didn’t say it very explicitly, but Bai Xin understood.
Bai Xin’s eyelashes fluttered. Her gaze fell to Cheng Jiqing’s lips. She saw the corners of those lips curve up slightly, and the next second, her own lips were covered by Cheng Jiqing’s.
Soft, dry.
A light, fleeting kiss, like a dragonfly skimming the water.
“Chengcheng.”
“Mm.”
“For me, it’s also more than like.”
That day in the dance studio, she and Cheng Jiqing were drenched in sweat.
She was holding the barre, listening to Cheng Jiqing ask—Do you like me?
Back then, she had answered ‘like’.
Now she changed her answer, just a little bit. The ‘like’ had become much, much more.
It started raining outside again, not heavily, but a soft patter from which one could almost discern a hint of decadent sound.
Cheng Jiqing said, “I’m going to the film set tomorrow. I might be very busy for a while after that, so I might not be able to reply to messages promptly. Make sure you eat on time.”
“I’ll come see you.”
Cheng Jiqing suddenly remembered, the force of her hand holding Bai Xin’s chin increasing slightly. “I almost forgot, Ada agreeing to all those conditions back then was also thanks to Miss Bai’s efforts.”
Bai Xin heard that she was about to settle accounts, pretended to shrink back, and her voice softened. “Have you ever heard, don’t let good things fall into outsiders’ hands5?”
Cheng Jiqing was a little amused and exasperated. Could she not see through this little scheme?
When it was time to show weakness, Miss Bai rarely held back.
Bai Xin didn’t move. She knew Cheng Jiqing wasn’t bringing it up now because she was angry. XM was hers, so Yixin was naturally hers too. Cheng Jiqing had known this for a while.
Bai Xin said, “I didn’t interfere with your work. I just had Ada sign you.”
If Cheng Jiqing wanted, whether it was the Cheng Corporation or just throwing money around, with these two, what company couldn’t she sign with? But Cheng Jiqing hadn’t.
So naturally, she wouldn’t interfere either.
“Mm, quite proud of yourself, aren’t you.”
“…”
Cheng Jiqing placed one hand on Bai Xin’s lower back, and the hand holding her chin moved to her ear, giving it a light tug. “So, does this mean I’m still working under Bai-jie?”
Previously, she thought Yixin belonged to Zhou Yushu, and she had even drafted a contract termination agreement with Yixin. Now, that was no longer necessary.
It was just that the contract was still kept.
Bai Xin pressed down, relying on the fact that Cheng Jiqing wasn’t using any force, and bumped right into Cheng Jiqing’s softness. She lowered her head and took a breath, her lungs filling with a gentle fragrance, sweet and cloying.
“Yes, Bai-jie’s got you covered.”
Her voice was drawn out, coquettish.
She bit through the bathrobe.
Cheng Jiqing hissed, “Still got energy, huh?”
Bai Xin’s waist was a bit strained. It had been intense these past few days, and even sitting for a while made it ache badly.
In reality, she didn’t have the strength to support herself. After one bite, she slid down, her head resting on Cheng Jiqing’s lap again.
She lay flat, fiddling with the bathrobe tie, her eyes misty, a hint of allure spilling from the slightly upturned corners of her eyes. “Mm, Little CEO Cheng is too gentle…”
Hearing this, Cheng Jiqing’s eyes darkened. Why didn’t that sound like a compliment?
She looked down at the restless hand. Slender, well-defined, and fair fingers were gently tugging at her bathrobe tie, the force almost imperceptible, yet it carried an undeniable sense of threat—as if she was about to be exposed at any moment.
“Does Miss Bai prefer it rougher?”
Cheng Jiqing intentionally or unintentionally released some pheromones. They weren’t overpowering, but enough to ‘deal with’ Bai Xin.
Her heat was still affecting her. Once her thoughts were stirred, and then stimulated by that wisp of peach blossom wine scent, Bai Xin’s breathing quickened.
Without a word, she pulled the tie undone, her hand expertly slipping inside.
Slightly bending her legs, the bathrobe slid down from the sides of her thighs. Cheng Jiqing looked up from those fair, lotus-root-like limbs; her brown eyes turned pitch black. Bai Xin’s myriad expressions of spring passion burned her like a scorching fire.
The bright lights overhead were dazzling. The white noise of the rainy night entered her ears, carrying a sense of romance.
The temperature had dropped significantly today. They had turned on the heat, but it wasn’t set too high, which was just right for their body temperatures these past few days.
Until Cheng Jiqing covered her.
Bai Xin hugged her back tightly, trembling. “Ngh…”
Cheng Jiqing’s eyes captured Bai Xin’s. Her thumb wiped away the flush at the corner of Bai Xin’s eye. Her voice was husky and filled with a hidden danger, “I haven’t even gotten rough yet.”
Every time, Bai Xin seemed to feel as if this entanglement had passed, yet hadn’t completely passed.
It was like Cheng Jiqing was still the same as before, yet also different.
Cheng Jiqing indulged her, but her occasional somber demeanor also constantly reminded Bai Xin that she hadn’t forgotten.
She showed weakness, yet she was also constantly worried about other hidden dangers.
All these feelings were like a balloon, floating superficially, difficult to sink. If it truly sank, it wouldn’t necessarily be a good thing.
But at this moment, it was temporarily covered by layers of sweat.
Allowing them to temporarily avoid deep thoughts, to temporarily get through this revelry.
The next day.
The filming of 《Cat and Mint》, apart from the initial preparations, was otherwise very casual and simple.
Including the start-of-filming ceremony6, they didn’t go to a temple to burn incense7 like most film crews. Tong Yanxi just gave everyone a lollipop on the first day of shooting.
Then they took a group photo together.
Because of this outrageous incident, it briefly trended on the hot search.
Cheng Jiqing also reposted it on Weibo. There were occasional trolls in the comments, which she read for amusement.
It was a clear and bright day, with the autumn-winter temperature making the air dry and cold.
The first scene to be filmed was one where the teacher discovers the student’s true reason for approaching her and breaks up with the student. It was at a street intersection, with the deep autumn rolling in, the wind cold and biting, stirring up a ground full of sorrow.
Cheng Jiqing looked at this scenery for a while. She could feel the fluctuating emotions within it, yet she also found it beautiful.
Autumn was about to pass completely.
But life would continue.
Until the next autumn arrived.
During this time, they both needed to be mindful. Because some things couldn’t withstand much.
Fifteen minutes before filming began, Cheng Jiqing sent Bai Xin a WeChat message.
【About to start filming.】
She thought for a moment, then bent down and took a photo of fallen leaves to send over.
Twelve minutes before filming.
She received Bai Xin’s reply: a photo taken in front of an office desk, with an added sentence.
【Miss me?】
Ten minutes before filming.
Cheng Jiqing stood on the sidewalk of Wutong Street in Beicheng and posted a new Moments update, visible to only one person.
【I look forward to the night, only because the stars are like you.】
The author has something to say:
Chengcheng: I’m supposed to be filming a tragic drama, I can’t be any sweeter!
Bai-jie: Have another taste, is it sweet?
Chengcheng: ? Are we talking about the same thing?
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