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墨書 Inktalez
The sunlight poured in like golden gauze, gently cascading over the white sheets of Jiang Rou's apartment. It had been three days since Jiang Rou was discharged from the hospital. Although her complexion had returned to its usual rosy hue, she still resembled a dandelion, fragile and easily blown away by the wind, needing constant care.
Lin Yue's heart softened. To better take care of Jiang Rou, she moved into Jiang Rou's home. Every day, she shuttled between the office and Jiang Rou's place. The two were nearly inseparable, except for sleeping and using the bathroom.
One day after Lin Yue had gone to work, Jiang Rou leisurely sat on the living room sofa, took out her phone, and dialed a number.
“Zhang Zihao,” she said with a cold tone.
“Miss Jiang? What can I do for you?” Zhang Zihao teased.
“I just wanted to let you know that Lin Yue won't be going to the set anytime soon. You now have plenty of time to pursue Su Yao,” Jiang Rou got straight to the point.
Zhang Zihao paused for a moment before responding lightly, “Oh? That’s great news! I’ll have to treat you to a meal.”
“Cut the nonsense,” Jiang Rou interrupted impatiently. “I’m just reminding you not to miss this rare opportunity.”
“Don’t worry,” Zhang Zihao replied confidently. “I’ll make sure to seize the chance.”
She hung up the phone with a satisfied smile on her lips. Ever since she recovered from her illness, Jiang Rou had been busy arranging various film projects for Lin Yue under the guise of wanting to diversify the company’s entertainment sector.
In reality, Lin Yue understood all too well that Jiang Rou was using work to keep her firmly tethered, leaving her no time to think about anyone else.
Now, the conference room at Yuexing Capital and Lin Yue’s office had become bustling marketplaces. People from various film companies, directors, and screenwriters came in waves; the sounds of rustling papers and clattering keyboards intertwined like a chaotic symphony echoing throughout the company.
Lin Yue felt like a wound-up machine every day, barely finding time even to drink water. During lunch breaks, she collapsed onto the sofa, her temples throbbing as she tried to catch a few moments of rest.
In the evening, Lin Yue returned to Jiang Rou’s apartment. Jiang Rou was sitting on the sofa, flipping through a document. Upon seeing Lin Yue come back, she immediately smiled and stood up to greet her, taking Lin Yue’s bag and preparing slippers as if she were a virtuous housewife. Clearly, Jiang Rou enjoyed playing the role of "Mrs. Lin."
“Lin Yue, tomorrow at ten in the morning, people from Blue Ocean Pictures will come to discuss collaboration,” Jiang Rou said while helping Lin Yue out of her outerwear.
Lin Yue didn’t look up but merely nodded slightly. She knew Jiang Rou too well. She understood the hidden intentions behind this “thoughtfulness,” which felt like an invisible bond tightly tying her down, forcing her to silently accept Jiang Rou's arrangements.
“Are you hungry? I’ll get you some soup,” Jiang Rou asked softly.
Sitting at the dining table surrounded by all her favorite dishes, Lin Yue rubbed her temples and said, “Xiao Rou, next time let’s have Auntie come over to cook. You’re still recovering; there’s no need for you to cook every day.” Her tone carried a hint of exhaustion.
Jiang Rou emerged from the kitchen with a bowl of soup and placed it in front of Lin Yue before walking behind her and gently massaging her shoulders with delicate fingers. “I’m afraid you wouldn’t want to eat what Auntie makes.”
Her voice was soft as feathers—warm and considerate.
Lin Yue hadn’t been to the set for several weeks now. Every night when silence enveloped her as she lay in bed, Su Yao’s face would involuntarily flash through her mind, stirring up waves of bitterness within her heart. Since that night when Jiang Rou was hospitalized, Lin Yue had not responded to any of Su Yao’s calls or messages. By the time Jiang Rou's condition stabilized several days later, she found herself at a loss for how to explain this sudden disappearance to Su Yao.
Was it an apology? An explanation? Or merely pretending nothing had happened? In the end, Lin Yue chose to evade. She could only hear snippets of news about Lu Chen from others, those fragments like a drop of water in the desert, utterly incapable of quenching the fiery longing in her heart.
Sometimes at night, Lin Yue lay in bed, pulling out her phone to open the chat with Su Yao. The few messages they had exchanged became their only connection. Meanwhile, Su Yao could only piece together information about Lin Yue from Lu Chen in intermittent bursts. Feeling lost, she poured all her energy into acting, using the intensity of work to numb herself.
On set, the director's shouts, the actors' lines, and the clattering of props created a cacophony. Yet during breaks, she often stole glances into the distance, her eyes filled with yearning.
Although Lin Yue had moved in with Jiang Rou, Jiang Rou still worried about their private contact. One night, Jiang Rou walked into Lin Yue's room with a pitiful expression and gently woke her from sleep.
"Lin Yue, I've been having nightmares lately and keep waking up scared. Can you sleep with me? I'm so afraid alone."
Lin Yue sat up groggily and looked at her pitiful appearance. Unable to refuse, she lifted the blanket and shifted over to make space for her.
Jiang Rou wore a light pink sheer nightgown that was almost translucent against her skin. The neckline was low and hung loosely off her shoulders, exposing a large expanse of fair skin and the graceful curve of her front.
In the moonlight, that subtly visible silhouette sparked wild thoughts.
She slowly sat on the edge of the bed, slightly turning to let the strap of her nightgown "accidentally" slip off her shoulder. One side of the gown nearly slid down to reveal her soft curves almost completely exposed to the air.
Jiang Rou seemed oblivious to it all and simply smiled sweetly at Lin Yue.
"Lin Yue, do you like the perfume I wore today?" Jiang Rou whispered softly as she leaned closer to Lin Yue. "Does it smell good?"
Her warm breath brushed against Lin Yue's ear, a moist whisper laced with intentional seduction.
The scent was unique, carrying an oddly rich sweetness that made Lin Yue's heart race and her body temperature rise uncontrollably.
This reaction bewildered her; she had never felt this way towards Jiang Rou before.
Lin Yue furrowed her brow slightly. "Um, it’s nice. Let’s go to sleep; we have an early start tomorrow."
She tried to keep her tone neutral, but her breathing had already become somewhat erratic.
Noticing Lin Yue's unusual response, Jiang Rou pressed further. She gently rolled over until she was nearly on top of Lin Yue, her soft curves brushing against Lin Yue's arm.
Her slender fingers slowly traced along Lin Yue's collarbone and then down her chest, eventually slipping under Lin Yue's nightgown. Her fingertips began to circle on Lin Yue's flat abdomen, teasingly exploring toward more dangerous territories.
"Lin Yue..." Jiang Rou's voice trembled softly as her lips brushed against Lin Yue's ear; she lightly licked Lin Yue's earlobe.
A rush of heat surged through Lin Yue's lower abdomen as sensitivity coursed through her body.
Though she had always been cool and reserved by nature, she was still human; faced with such blatant temptation, desires within her stirred restlessly.
But she knew this feeling was wrong; it was merely a physical response—not what she truly wanted. She quickly regained some clarity.
With a gentle sigh, she caught Jiang Rou's restless hand to halt its advance: "Rou Rou, we have a meeting tomorrow; let’s get some sleep."
Her touch was soft but firm enough to pull Jiang Rou’s hand out from under her clothing.
Suddenly sitting up straight as if escaping, Lin Yue dashed out of the bedroom.
She went to the kitchen, opened the fridge, and grabbed a bottle of cold water, tilting it back to drink until the icy liquid flowed down her throat. Only then did she feel that burning sensation within her subside slightly.
Leaning against the kitchen counter, she took several deep breaths to calm her racing heart.
"What are you doing?" Jiang Rou's voice came from the kitchen doorway. Lin Yue turned around and saw Jiang Rou leaning against the doorframe, her nightgown's neckline loosened to the point of almost slipping off.
"Just having some water." Lin Yue waved the water bottle in her hand, trying to keep her tone light. "I suddenly got thirsty."
"Well, once you're done, let's go back to bed." Jiang Rou said playfully, reaching out her hand to Lin Yue.
Back in bed, Jiang Rou seemed eager for another round, but Lin Yue was already mentally prepared. She reached out to stop Jiang Rou's advances. "Rou Rou, I'm tired. Let's get some sleep."
Seeing that Lin Yue was ignoring her teasing, Jiang Rou bit her lower lip and reluctantly withdrew her fingers. "Can you hold me? Please?" Her voice carried a hint of a pout, "Just like before."
With a sigh, Lin Yue slightly raised her arm, allowing Jiang Rou to nestle into her embrace.
Jiang Rou immediately curled up in Lin Yue's arms, resting her head on her shoulder and wrapping her arms around her waist, tightening her grip gently. The silk fabric of Jiang Rou's nightgown had become disheveled as she turned, clinging smoothly between them. Her eyelashes brushed against Lin Yue's neck as she breathed evenly and softly.
Before long, she fell asleep.
Lin Yue felt a headache coming on as she helplessly looked down at Jiang Rou. Then she stared blankly at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep, her mind filled with images of Su Yao.
The next morning, Lin Yue and Jiang Rou went to the office for a meeting. While Jiang Rou scrolled through her phone in Lin Yue's office, she suddenly looked up and said, "Dark River is really popular now, and Su Yao is getting attention too."
She emphasized her words deliberately. "The elite circle is buzzing about her and Zhang Zihao; I've heard he visits the set every day."
Jiang Rou then pulled up an entertainment article and handed it to Lin Yue. The content detailed how Zhang Zihao had repeatedly shown up at the filming location with flowers and lavish gifts, even treating the crew to extravagant dinners while showing great concern for Su Yao.
Lin Yue didn't want to dwell on such matters but couldn't help glancing at the photos. In them, Su Yao maintained a polite smile while keeping a safe distance from Zhang Zihao.
At that moment, Lu Chen walked in with coffee and sat across from Lin Yue and Jiang Rou, his brow furrowed. "That Zhang Zihao even specifically asked me out for dinner to help him pursue Su Yao."
Lin Yue shot up her head and glared at Lu Chen, her eyes filled with reproach as if blaming him for indulging in gossip.
Jiang Rou perked up at Lu Chen's comment and excitedly asked, "What did you say?"
"I told him I’m not close with Su Yao and can’t help." Lu Chen smiled slightly at Lin Yue. "I’m not stupid; we can’t let some fool ruin our first film investment."
He then added reassuringly, "Lin Yue, don’t worry; I’ve already had someone suppress those rumors. They won’t surface again."
Lin Yue smiled in satisfaction.
Jiang Rou scoffed slightly. "The Zhang family has considerable influence in the industry, and Zhang Zihao isn't just some useless rich kid; he has achieved quite a bit in the tech field on his own merit. Besides..." She shot a glare at Lu Chen. "How do you know Su Yao isn’t aiming higher?"
"From what I understand, Su Yao is very professional; she has been handling Zhang Zihao’s advances politely but clearly shows no interest in him." Lu Chen said while observing Lin Yue’s reaction.
Lin Yue remained focused on her computer screen, but the slight upward curve of her lips did not escape Lu Chen and Jiang Rou's notice.
Jiang Rou’s expression immediately soured as she thought that this Zhang Zihao was truly useless.
"By the way," Lu Chen continued, "I saw Su Yao’s mother, Su Yuyan, visiting the set yesterday."
Lin Yue abruptly looked up at Lu Chen. "Fang Yuyan? Su Yao’s mother?"
"Yes, Su Yao's mother was a moderately successful actress in the 1990s, but now she hardly takes any roles and mainly focuses on her management company. Su Yao is one of the artists under her management, and Su Yuyan personally acts as Su Yao's agent to nurture her."
"Why are you only thinking about visiting the set now?" Jiang Rou asked dismissively.
"I heard from Su Yao that her mother has been unwell and just got out of the hospital," Lu Chen explained. "Previously, Su Yao's affairs were managed by her assistant, but since Dark River is Su Yao's first lead role, Su Yuyan rushed to the set as soon as she was discharged."
He continued, "Speaking of which, Zhang Zihao has been quite attentive to Su Yuyan, sending gifts and flowers. I've never seen anyone so good at flattering; he had Su Yuyan smiling from ear to ear."
"Really?" Jiang Rou raised an eyebrow, looking intrigued. "Seems like he's trying to win over his future mother-in-law?"
Su Yuyan even said she wanted to treat us to a meal to thank Yuexing Capital for giving Su Yao such a great opportunity." He paused and glanced at Lin Yue. "But when Zhang Zihao heard about it, he immediately said 'count me in' and offered to treat everyone instead."
Upon hearing this, Lin Yue suddenly stopped typing on her keyboard. She looked up at Lu Chen with a clear expression of displeasure.
Noticing Lin Yue's reaction, Lu Chen quickly clarified, "I didn't agree."
Jiang Rou noticed Lin Yue's response and immediately said, "That's great! You should go."
Lin Yue slammed her laptop shut with a loud thud, her expression darkening. "I don't have time."
She stood up, grabbed her notebook, and walked out. "If you want to go, go ahead."
Without looking back, she left the office and headed toward the conference room.
A flicker of understanding and satisfaction crossed Jiang Rou's eyes while Lu Chen shook his head and sighed softly.
A week later, after finally making progress on several projects, Lin Yue collapsed onto the sofa in exhaustion. Her body felt like a disassembled set of building blocks; even the soft touch of the sofa couldn't ease her aches.
Seeing Lin Yue's haggard appearance made Jiang Rou feel both heartbroken and conflicted. She walked over, gently sat beside Lin Yue, and reached out to stroke her face.
However, since that useless Zhang Zihao couldn't catch up with Su Yao anytime soon, Jiang Rou feared that if Lin Yue had too much free time, she'd start thinking about Su Yao again.
Determined, she bit her lip and was about to arrange a few more projects for Lin Yue when Lu Chen arrived just in time to stop her.
He called Jiang Rou into the conference room and burst out angrily as soon as they entered. "Miss Jiang, are you crazy or do you want to work Lin Yue to death?"
He accused her without holding back, his tone filled with fury. "Do you know that her depression has worsened recently? You've been with her every day; haven't you noticed she's increased her medication? I spoke with Doctor Zhang—she's already developing a tolerance to the drugs she's taking!"
Jiang Rou felt a buzzing in her ears as if countless bees were swirling around them. Her face turned pale instantly, and her lips began to tremble uncontrollably.
Guilt surged within her like a tidal wave as she realized she might have pushed things too far.
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