A OO Love After Officially Announcing with the Best Actress - Chapter 25

There was the sound of water from the bathroom. Lin Bingran had gone to shower.

Lin Ke wrapped herself in the wrinkled bedsheet and slipped off the bed. There were obvious marks on her neck, shoulders, and nape—blue ones, red ones, teeth marks, scratch marks.

Lin Ke carried her slippers to the entryway. In the floor-to-ceiling window there, she caught sight of herself and, with a smack, raised her hand to cover the hickey on her neck. But covering this side did not cover that side. In an instant, Lin Ke went from pink to deep red all over.

Lin Ke did not dare think too much. Hooking two fingers around the slippers placed by the entryway, she tiptoed over and reached for the door handle.

She twisted hard.

It would not turn?

Lin Ke tried twice more. The door handle was like it had a thousand-jin weight hanging from it, utterly unmoving.

Lin Ke: “…”

The sound of water in the bathroom stopped. Lin Ke panicked, threw away her slippers, and rushed back into the bedroom at top speed. She lifted the blanket and curled up on the bed.

The footsteps outside the door were messy and scattered.

Lin Bingran paused in the middle of drying her hair. She pressed her lips together and looked at herself in the mirror. Her thin red ears, her swollen lips—it was hard not to remember that unfamiliar, novel, heart-shaking feeling of being thrown high into the clouds, then falling heavily down until her soul nearly left her body.

The gland at the back of her neck was still swollen and uncomfortable. For an omega, the simplest and most effective way to get through heat was an alpha’s mark to help soothe it. One bite, and everything would be solved.

But she had never heard how two omegas were supposed to get through it together. Lin Bingran only felt as if her body had become a bottomless pit. No matter what, it could not be filled. The moment one round ended, she was already looking forward to the next.

The slightest recollection brought images to her mind. Her nerves stirred restlessly, constantly provoking her reason. Lin Bingran rubbed the center of her brow and her temple, changed into a set of pajamas, and walked out.

At one in the morning, the moonlight over Water Town was just right. Lin Bingran pushed open the bedroom window to air the room out.

There were two boxes of women’s cigarettes on the bay window. She took one out, lit it, and leaned against the floor-to-ceiling window to admire the moon.

The blanket rustled. Lin Ke stretched out her head, which had gone red from being stifled. Looking at Lin Bingran through the curling smoke, Lin Ke inexplicably thought of the phrase: a cigarette afterward, bliss like an immortal.

Lin Ke: “…”

Compared with Lin Bingran’s leisure, Lin Ke lay limp on the bed like a wrinkled, damp rag.

“Hey—”

Lin Bingran turned back, her brows quickly drawing together. “You didn’t leave?”

Lin Ke sat up and muttered, “…The door was locked.”

Lin Bingran pressed her lips together, put out the cigarette, and said, “I locked it from the inside. Didn’t you turn the lock?”

Lin Ke cursed, wrapped herself in the bedsheet, and got off the bed. “I’m leaving right now.”

Lin Bingran said, “…Do you want to wash first and put on some clothes?”

Lin Ke smelled all over—musk, green tea, green plum. It was difficult not to care.

Lin Ke wrapped the sheet tighter around herself, like a little wife who had been teased. “You’re not… trying to shower with me, are you?”

Lin Bingran: “?”

Lin Ke: “?”

“Have you acted in too many domineering-CEO idol dramas?” Lin Bingran teased, tightening her bathrobe as she walked toward Lin Ke.

At one meter sixty-eight, Lin Bingran naturally did not have the imposing height of an alpha. But her proportions were perfect, and her temperament was ever-changing. When she wanted to, her graceful approach could be like willow branches swaying in the wind, or she could turn back and focus her gaze with a presence more intimidating than an alpha’s.

This was the confidence cultivated over years by her strength, and it was also because good actors were naturally capable of changing their aura.

And now, after washing herself clean, Lin Bingran had returned to her most natural state. Her hair was wet, and she wore pure cotton pajamas. She looked like a university student. Her whole body gave off a fresh green-tea scent, and she looked fragrant, soft, and very nice to hug.

She really was nice to hug. But after hugging too much, Lin Ke felt afraid inside, and her hands were sore.

Lin Ke kicked her legs and lowered her head, saying dejectedly, “I’ve only acted in two or three dramas. I haven’t acted in that kind of thing yet. No one’s asked me to.”

Lin Bingran had unintentionally poked at the other person’s sore spot, so she closed her mouth and stopped speaking.

“Then help me find a set of pajamas,” Lin Ke said.

Lin Bingran hummed and looked away.

Once Lin Ke got out of bed, the two of them treated each other with respectful distance, consciously drawing a clear Chu River and Han border between themselves.

All the windows were open to ventilate the room, disperse the heat, and drive away the pheromones.

Lin Bingran sat by the sofa and opened snacks, then took fried chicken and pizza from the delivery bag and put them into the microwave.

Lin Ke hid in the bathroom, turned on the water, pressed her ear to the door and listened for a while, then took out her phone to contact Lu Tu.

Lu Tu: I finally waited for you. Good thing I didn’t give up.

Lin Ke licked her lips. She did not know what to say.

She had slept with the film queen… She, an anti-fan, had slept with the idol herself… She, an anti-fan…

Lin Ke shook her head, shaking off Lin Bingran. First, she apologized to Lu Tu: Lulu, I was wrong.

The line of text had barely been sent before Lin Ke received Lu Tu’s reply almost the next second.

Lu Tu: No! You did nothing wrong!

Lin Ke splashed a handful of water on her face. She searched through the drawers but could not find any suppressant. When she glanced at the phone screen, her face filled with confusion.

Lu Tu: Xiao Lin! You’ve latched onto a powerful thigh!!!!

Lu Tu sent rows of congratulations and fireworks. Lin Ke froze slightly, still not understanding what Lu Tu meant.

Think about it. You two already slept together! If you hug Lin Bingran’s thigh tightly, won’t you take off on the spot?

Right! What’s going on with Fang Wuyu? Film Queen Lin was in heat, yet as her girlfriend, she just left like that?

Lin Ke came back to herself and typed.

She and Fang Wuyu don’t have that kind of relationship. Looks like we misunderstood.

Lu Tu became even more excited: Isn’t that even better? Then you’re the film queen’s one-and-only new favorite! Whisper a few pillow words and won’t resources, endorsements, and magazines all come your way? You’re going to be famous!

Lin Ke looked at those lines, anger rushing to her head. She bit her lower lip and pressed the screen harder with every tap.

I like acting, and I want to be famous too, but not in this way!

Lin Ke: What happened tonight was an accident! Tomorrow, Lin Bingran and I will go back to being bridge to bridge, road to road!

Lu Tu froze, flipped up from the sofa, and grabbed at her hair.

Xiao Lin, don’t be anxious. That’s not what I meant.

—Message sent, but rejected by the recipient.—

Lu Tu: “…”

The water rushed noisily, then stopped. The door was yanked open from inside, and Lin Ke rushed out. She strode quickly in front of Lin Bingran, took a deep breath, then exhaled.

Lin Bingran was opening a bag of chips. “What is it?”

“Just treat what happened today as an accident.” Lin Ke turned toward Lin Bingran. “Forget it!” Then she turned toward herself. “I won’t take it to heart either.”

Lin Bingran did not speak. She held a chip between her lips and watched Lin Ke storm away in a rush. Lin Ke stood at the entryway and poked around at the door.

She reached out and turned the lock. With a click, her hand pressed onto the door handle. With rainbow-like momentum, she twisted it!

“Damn!”

Lin Bingran poked her head out to look, eating chips, her cheeks puffed out like a hamster.

Lin Ke turned around foolishly. Her expression had a few large words written all over it: How could this happen!

Lin Bingran pretended to be confused and turned her face away, looking at the ceiling, looking at the air, looking at the flavor of the chips. She ate two more, set them aside, then took the fried chicken out of the microwave.

The fragrance spread. Lin Ke stood at the door, and her stomach growled loudly.

Lin Bingran coughed. “After working half the night, are you hungry?”

Lin Ke walked back. Her eyes were a little red. She sat on the high stool, took a pair of disposable chopsticks, and opened them. Unable to stop herself, she retorted, “The one who worked hard was me.”

Lin Bingran raised an eyebrow. “I wanted to help you too.”

Lin Ke choked. “As if I’d believe your nonsense.”

Lin Bingran smiled and could not resist being wicked. “I hadn’t even had time yet, and you already…”

Lin Ke suddenly stood up and shoved a chicken drumstick straight to Lin Bingran’s mouth. “Stop talking!”

Lin Bingran froze because of the face suddenly closing in on her—the pair of black-grape-like eyes, those reddened eye rims. If she said two more words, Lin Ke looked like she would cry.

Lin Bingran bit into the drumstick with a sizzling crunch. The skin was crispy, the chili sauce rich and fragrant. She raised an eyebrow at Lin Ke.

Lin Ke turned her face away, the roots of her ears red. Lin Bingran looked at her, and the meaning of her smile gradually changed.

Neither of them spoke anymore. An unnatural atmosphere lingered around them, urging them to quickly leave the dining table.

Lin Ke ate two pieces of fried chicken to fill her stomach. The rest of the fried chicken, the cola, and a box of pizza all went into Lin Bingran’s stomach.

Was Lin Bingran really a female celebrity?

She could eat so much and was childish too. She was simply not the same person she was in bed.

Lin Ke complained inwardly. She was wearing Lin Bingran’s pajamas and pajama pants, pure cotton, with a huge chicken drumstick printed on the chest. Golden, crispy, yellow and long—it looked very unhealthy at a glance!

Lin Ke: “…”

Lin Bingran returned to the bedroom. The two of them consciously divided the living room and bedroom, separate rooms and separate beds, drawing their clothes closed and digesting their earlier madness alone.

Lin Ke raised her head and glanced at the bedroom. A thin sliver of light leaked from beneath the door.

Lin Bingran sat at the head of the bed, holding her phone.

Guo Rongrong: “Jie… are you done with that?”

Lin Bingran pressed her lips together. Almost immediately, she raised her eyes and looked toward the door. After pausing for two seconds, she withdrew her gaze and rubbed her brow.

People’s hearts were separated by the skin of their bellies. It was difficult for her to guess what was in another person’s heart.

Lin Bingran said, “The door seems broken. Find someone to repair it tomorrow.”

Guo Rongrong said, “Let’s wait until most of the crew has left tomorrow before finding someone. Only you and Lin Ke live on the sixth floor. What if someone runs into it?”

“Fine,” Lin Bingran said. “You arrange it.”

Guo Rongrong coughed. “Jie… how are you planning to get along with Lin Ke?”

Lin Bingran thought for a moment. Her hand pressed against the bedsheet and touched a dried patch. She stood up, placed the phone at the head of the bed, turned on speaker, and went to the wardrobe to look for fresh sheets.

“At first…” Lin Bingran smiled and said, “Lin Ke said she hoped we would both forget it.”

Guo Rongrong froze. “Ah… Then she’s quite…”

After thinking for a long time and failing to come up with a good word, Guo Rongrong laughed awkwardly twice, then went over tomorrow’s call sheet with Lin Bingran.

After the power came back, the script supervisor had issued a new call sheet. In the new sheet, Lin Ke’s scenes for the next two days had all been moved back. Lin Bingran had two scenes, and for the remaining time, Shen Feng would focus on filming two supporting-character scenes.

Lin Bingran asked, “The call sheet has already been sent?”

Guo Rongrong said, “Mm. Director Shen arranged it early on. After the power came back, it was sent over. The coordinator and script supervisor moved very quickly.”

Lin Bingran thought of Lin Ke crying.

Guo Rongrong noticed and asked, “Jie, do you want to help Lin Ke change the call sheet?”

“No.” Lin Bingran smoothed out the bedsheet. “That’s a separate matter. One thing is one thing.”

“Then if one thing is one thing, what is your relationship with Lin Ke now?”

Lin Bingran tucked the loose strands of hair by her ear and said, “A one-night stand. We owe each other nothing.”

Guo Rongrong breathed a sigh of relief. “Exactly. You’re both omegas, and you can’t openly date. If you want to do that privately, you might as well each find an alpha.”

Lin Bingran knew what Guo Rongrong was worried about. “No. I’m not gay.”

Guo Rongrong said, “Then… heat lasts a week. Was that enough for you two?”

Lin Bingran was helpless. “Heat isn’t beast transformation. Don’t worry, I know my limits.”

Guo Rongrong kept nagging, full of worries. “Then, should we tell Yi-ge?”

“It’s private. Don’t tell him.”

Guo Rongrong agreed, then asked, “Jie, you and Lin Ke aren’t still…”

“She’s sleeping on the sofa,” Lin Bingran said. Then she irritably tugged at her pajamas, for the first time feeling that pure cotton fabric was heavy and suffocating.

In the room, there were still suppressants prepared by Guo Rongrong.

Lin Bingran found one under the vanity mirror, unsealed it, took out the medicine, and pushed her hair to one side. Her movements were smooth and practiced. But just as the needle was about to enter her gland, she suddenly paused.

On her snow-white neck, blue and red marks crisscrossed. Hickeys covered it, traces from being sucked.

It gave Lin Bingran the illusion that when Lin Ke was crying and overwhelmed with desire, Lin Ke had wanted to mark her.

Heat rose inside her body. Lin Bingran shook her head, throwing away those stray thoughts. She exhaled a long breath and threw the suppressant into the trash.

She did not want to take it, Lin Bingran thought with effort. She leaned back in the chair, and the scent of pheromones still remained in the air.

In the living room, Lin Ke tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She was hot, uncomfortable, and even wanted to shout loudly to ease the frustration in her heart.

Ah, so annoying.

Lin Ke lay on her side with her arm as a pillow. The air conditioner hummed as it cooled the room, working diligently. Why open the windows? Did electricity cost nothing?

Lin Ke irritably climbed up and, with a smack, pushed the window shut and locked it.

Her phone dinged. It was a friend request from Lu Tu.

She had added her seven or eight times already. Lin Ke did not want to deal with her. In this situation, she had to stand firm.

Lin Ke sighed, rolled over onto her back, completely sleepless. She tapped at her phone several times and opened Weibo again.

Because her side account had browsed Lin Bingran and Fang Wuyu too much, the first thing that appeared was a CP video cut recommendation.

“Tch.”

Her side account had gained one follow and one message. Lin Ke tapped in. A Weibo user with the nickname “Ranran’s Baby” was excitedly asking whether she was a Linyu CP fan.

Linyu?

Lin Bingran and Fang Wuyu?

What the hell?

Lin Ke opened the chat box and replied like a demon.

The CP you ship is already BE!

Ranran-jie’s Little Baby: ?

Ranran-jie’s Little Baby: Are you sick?!

Lin Ke sent the other person a sword-fighting sticker. The message then showed that she had already been blocked.

“Oh, CP fans are so fragile,” Lin Ke said coldly, as if she had discovered a new continent.

She clicked into the Linyu super-topic and selected a few CP-oriented Weibo posts to comment under.

The CP you ship is in danger, danger, danger, danger—

A red dot popped up in private messages. Lu Tu Renmangmang: You’re really wicked.

Lin Ke looked closely: You’re actually stalking my side account!

Lu Tu Renmangmang: Xiao Ke! Don’t block me! No matter what decision you make, I’ll support you!

The rise and fall of Lin Ke’s chest slowly calmed. Her anger settled, and her nose nearly stung with emotion. I won’t do unspoken rules.

Lu Tu sighed. Then don’t. I was afraid you’d suffer a loss. If you don’t want to do it, then forget it. I’m just afraid the film queen wants to do you!

Lin Ke added Lu Tu back. Lu Tu casually said a couple of things, then sent a call sheet.

Lin Ke: I don’t have any scenes tomorrow?!

Lu Tu: Look carefully. You don’t have a call time the day after tomorrow either. Otherwise, why do you think I told you to whisper pillow words to the film queen? You made her so angry she stopped filming. Don’t tell me sleeping together made you forget that?

There was the sound of the bedroom door opening. Lin Ke watched Lin Bingran go in and out of the bathroom.

Lin Bingran was showering again?

The water rushed noisily. Lin Ke pressed her lips together, found the air conditioner remote, and lowered the room temperature again.

When Lin Bingran came out of the bathroom, the living room was brightly lit, and the cold air was too strong. Lin Bingran’s freshly washed skin instinctively shrank when it touched the cold, and goosebumps rose in a row.

“What temperature did you set the air conditioner to?” Lin Bingran was slightly shocked.

Lin Ke said, “Sixteen degrees.”

Lin Bingran said, “…Are you very hot?”

Lin Ke snorted coldly. “You’re the one who’s very hot, aren’t you?”

Lin Bingran’s ears quietly reddened, and she unnaturally looked away.

Lin Ke stood up, her hands clenched tightly at her sides, as if cheering herself on.

Lin Ke climbed onto the sofa. The chicken drumsticks on her chest were such a big pair—ah, no, it was one.

Lin Bingran’s gaze moved from below to her indignant expression.

Lin Ke said, “You’re the one who stopped filming! Why is my call sheet gone?”

Lin Bingran: “…”

After ten years sweeping through the entertainment industry, she actually felt a little guilty…

Author’s Note:

Big Lin: I have work tomorrow.

Little Lin: Let’s perish together!