The Martial Arts Stunt Double of the Entertainment Circle – Chapter 31
by Little PandaAfter finishing that pink, adorable little macaron, Tuoba Yan drank an entire bottle of water just to cut the sweetness on her tongue.
Chen Wanwan had long since demolished her egg tart and was staring fixedly at Tuoba Yan’s pastry gift box, eyes glistening like a starving little puppy. Tuoba Yan didn’t mind borrowing these flowers to offer the Buddha. “Wanwan, could you help me eat some of this? I had four boxed lunches at noon — there’s no way I can manage all of it.”
“Yes, yes, yes!” Chen Wanwan was moved to streaming tears, on the verge of throwing her arms around Tuoba Yan and calling her jiejie. She’d spent the whole noon busy playing matchmaker between her Eldest Cousin and the little mop, and after taking a scolding from Li Yanrao, watching the woman still have the appetite to eat had left her so frustrated she couldn’t swallow a bite. Now her stomach was hollow and urgently required sugar.
Chen Wanwan reveled in her pastry feast while Tuoba Yan threw herself back into the tense business of filming.
Still, the Guijia afternoon tea gift box was no light affair — by wrap time Chen Wanwan had only managed to annihilate half of it. Sweet-toothed to the very core, she picked out the richest, most cloying pieces and devoured them first, eyes narrowed in rapture, feeling absolutely sweet all over.
Tuoba Yan had no frontal shots, so there was no makeup to apply or remove — she simply took off the wig, changed out of her costume, and pulled on the hoodie she’d worn in that morning, then walked out side by side with Chen Wanwan, gift box in hand.
The two parted ways at the gate. Chen Wanwan called Zhao Mi to come pick her up; Tuoba Yan had gotten herself a bus card, so she declined Chen Wanwan’s kind offer of a ride home. After all, even the most kindred of friendships has a shelf life — affection at its thickest eventually thins — and keeping a proper distance was no bad thing.
Tuoba Yan took the bus home. In late-October Yuchuan, night fell earlier with each passing day, and by the time she reached her stop, the sky was already pricked with points of starlight.
From down on the street she could see the lights on in the second-floor apartment. Though the curtains were drawn tight, Tuoba Yan could easily imagine what Qiao Chunyi and the others were doing — perhaps the meal was already cooked, bowls and chopsticks and chairs set out, everything simply waiting for her to come home…
Tuoba Yan let out a long breath, pushed back her hood, and climbed the stairs with her spirits high. Before she could even get her key out, the door swung open from inside, revealing Tuoba Jiao’s delighted smile:
“Jiejie!”
Tuoba Yan couldn’t help smiling too. Her heart brimmed with a warmth and contentment beyond words — what Heaven had owed her from her last life was finally being repaid.
Leaning on her height advantage, she fondly ruffled the soft crown of Tuoba Jiao’s head. “I’m home.”
Gu Min was just coming out of the kitchen with the rice pot while Qiao Chunyi was still pounding garlic for a cold dish; the two hurried to quicken their pace, rapidly setting out dish after dish. Tuoba Yan set down her backpack and the pastry box, and Tuoba Jiao caught sight of the logo on the wooden box, exclaiming in surprise:
“Is that… a Guijia gift box?”
Qiao Chunyi and Gu Min gathered round to look. Tuoba Yan twisted open the box, revealing pastries so exquisite they might have been works of art, drawing gasps from all three — even Tuoba Jiao clicked her tongue in wonder. “Guijia’s goods — without connections, you couldn’t buy them even if you had the money.”
Tuoba Yan genuinely hadn’t realized the thing was so rare. She scratched her head. “Wanwan’s cousin gave it to me.” Slyly, she omitted Li Yanrao’s other identity: Tuoba Yan’s suitor.
Tuoba Jiao glanced at her sister and said nothing.
The four put the gift box away and gathered around the living-room table to eat. Tuoba Yan told them some amusing tales and odd happenings from the set, and the meal passed in warmth and laughter.
After dinner, as always, it was the Jiao-Yan sisterly pair on dish duty, while Mama Qiao and Mother Gu split the table-wiping and floor-mopping.
Tuoba Jiao sidled up next to Tuoba Yan. “Jiejie… are you seeing someone?”
Tuoba Yan gaped. “Huh?”
Tuoba Jiao recited a line of foreign words in an odd, singsong accent, then said, “I recognize that French on the pastry box: ‘Even when you are by my side, I miss you.'”
For a long moment Tuoba Yan said nothing, stunned by her little sister’s breadth of learning.
“This Guijia box is called the Love Letter. I’ve heard classmates at school discussing it before — a lot of them said that if anyone were willing to give them this Love Letter gift box, they’d say yes to dating him on the spot.” Glumly, Tuoba Jiao then produced a figure that shocked Tuoba Yan even more: the retail price of the Love Letter gift box.
Tuoba Yan couldn’t quite sort out her own feelings on the matter. From the exquisite packaging and Chen Wanwan’s reaction, she’d guessed the box must be worth a fair sum — but she’d never imagined the extravagance would reach such heights. Her dish-scrubbing hands went still as she found herself recalling her daytime conversation with Li Yanrao.
I believe feelings can be grown through time spent together.
When Li Yanrao had said those words, her expression had been subtle and hard to read, yet Tuoba Yan could tell it was her true heart speaking. That woman, cunning as a fox, had even worn a barely perceptible flush of awkward shyness — one of the reasons Tuoba Yan had answered, as if some ghost or god had guided her tongue, “It wouldn’t be bad to enjoy the feeling of being pursued for once.”
Tuoba Jiao’s voice pulled her back from her thoughts. “Jiejie? What’s wrong?”
“Ah — nothing.” Tuoba Yan shook her head.
Tuoba Jiao asked carefully, “Is there someone you like, Jiejie?”
Tuoba Yan went on scrubbing dishes at top speed. “I wouldn’t say ‘like.’ I’m being pursued.”
Tuoba Jiao puffed out her cheeks. “Then when you said just now that the box came from a friend’s cousin — was that a lie?”
“Not exactly a lie.” Tuoba Yan stacked the washed bowls. “She really is my friend’s cousin.”
“Oh… huh?!” It took Tuoba Jiao a moment to catch up; then, nearly yelping in shock, she clapped a hand over her mouth, eyes going round as she whispered, “Your friend’s… cousin? That person is a woman?”
Tuoba Yan nodded with perfect composure. She had died once already; getting to live again this happily and freely was pure profit — why burden herself with so many scruples? She had seen plenty of palace maids in the imperial harem who paired off as duishi and mojing1 companions, and their lives were not necessarily any less happy than those of male-female couples. Hadn’t she and that Emperor of hers been a living, breathing tragedy in exactly that mold?
In any case, she would follow her own heart in all things and cared not a whit whether the object of her affection was a man or a woman. General Tuoba’s thinking was more open than many a modern person’s.
Tuoba Jiao asked, “Aunt Qiao doesn’t know about this, right?”
Tuoba Yan toweled off her hands and tapped Tuoba Jiao on the tip of the nose. “She and I aren’t together yet — it’s a purely one-sided pursuit on her part. But her temperament suits my tastes rather well. Are you prejudiced against same-sex love?” she added.
Tuoba Jiao shook her head furiously. Tuoba Yan split into a grin and sauntered out of the kitchen at her leisure, leaving little Jiao-mei to wrestle with her tangled thoughts.
After her shower, Tuoba Yan opened the laptop to study the acting-class video materials Chen Wanwan had given her. Tuoba Jiao came charging in like a cannonball, cheeks flushed pink, and gripped her shoulders with utmost seriousness:
“Jiejie, I’ve thought it through. Whatever choice you make, I’ll support you!”
Tuoba Jiao had caught a slight cold; before long she’d taken her medicine and gone to sleep.
Tuoba Yan tiptoed out of the room, switched off the light, and pulled the door to, then went to the living room to discuss tomorrow’s trip to the Tuoba residence with Mama Qiao and Mother Gu.
At the very mention of it, Gu Min turned faintly fearful. Qiao Chunyi wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders:
“Even to file for divorce unilaterally, you need documents like your ID card and marriage certificate — and right now all of those are at the Tuoba house. We have to get them back. Don’t worry. With me and Yanyan there with you, they won’t dare do anything to you.”
Tuoba Yan added, “That’s right. This is a society ruled by law. Even if the Tuoba family’s reach extends all the way to the heavens, you think they can detain the three of us in broad daylight? Tuoba Xiu committed violence against his wife and daughter — he’s the party at fault. They’re the ones who should be afraid and panicking!”
Qiao Chunyi reached out and drew Gu Min and Tuoba Yan in, the three heads together, and settled it:
“We arrive at the Tuoba residence before 8:00. Jiaojiao stays home for now. She’s too young — she shouldn’t witness this kind of thing, or it could leave a shadow over her later on. And that’s the sort of thing that can cost a person her whole life.”
With that, she patted Gu Min’s shoulder and nudged her off to wash up first.
The sound of running water rose from the bathroom. Tuoba Yan said to Qiao Chunyi, “Mom, don’t be scared. You’ve got me — I’m really something, you know. I’ll protect you and Aunt Gu.”
Qiao Chunyi sighed. “Better a short pain than a long one. Off to bed with you too — tomorrow’s going to be a battle.”
The author has something to say:
The second update is a bit late — even the warehouse guard cat has flopped down on my feet and fallen asleep… It’s so hot!
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