Substitute Lover [Entertainment Industry] - Chapter 37

The atmosphere in the car was fairly relaxed. After about an hour, they arrived at Jiang Cha’s residence.

“Since the filming location is nearby, I’ll be staying here first.”

Jiang Cha explained awkwardly, “I’ll move back after filming.”

Jiang Yuanwen nodded lightly without saying anything else.

“I’ll take Mom and Dad to buy some daily necessities.”

The cobalt blue Porsche’s taillights flickered as it parked steadily in front of the shopping mall opposite the residential area.

Jiang Cha closed the car door and leaned closer to the driver’s seat, lowering her voice, “Ms. Ji, while you’re at it, move your usual things over.”

Jiang Cha held a key in her hand, handed it to her, and told her which one was to open the door, then turned and left.

Ji Fan stared at her back, tapping the steering wheel impatiently with her white fingers.

Jiang Cha had just called her “Ms. Ji” and used a formal address.

It was extremely unfamiliar.

As if it was intentional.

She was subtly drawing a line between them and keeping her distance.

She sighed, turned the car around at the end of the asphalt road, and drove into Jiang Cha’s community.

Night fell, and the tall buildings lit up with scattered lights.

Ji Fan opened the door with the key and looked at Jiang Cha’s empty new home, a strange feeling in her heart. She had come here to knock on the door so many times, and this was the first time she had actually come inside and been able to see Jiang Cha’s recent situation.

Even though Jiang Cha lived alone, she didn’t feel depressed at all.

There was a stack of books on the pure white coffee table, and the one on top seemed familiar, as if it was the one Song Baiwei had given her.

Ji Fan picked it up casually and read a few pages, and found that Jiang Cha had actually taken a lot of notes seriously. On the title page, there was a line of neat handwriting: A gift from Teacher Song.

She put down the book and sneered.

Her heart felt a little blocked.

The house was very spacious, a duplex. The first floor was the living room, dining room, and kitchen, with a guest room and bathroom around the corner.

The second floor was the bedroom.

Ji Fan had already started planning how the few of them would allocate the rooms.

Jiang Cha’s parents would live on the first floor, and the two of them would live on the second floor.

It wasn’t bad.

She wandered around for a while and found the flowers she had previously sent on the balcony.

They were casually thrown in a corner, as if they had been left there for several days, and there was a layer of dust on the petals.

Next to the roses was a pot of roses, which had just been watered, and the soil was still moist. The small card attached to the base of the everlasting flower was wet by the water seeping from the rose pot next to it, and the ballpoint pen handwriting was smeared with mud and had long been blurred.

Ji Fan lowered her eyes and looked at it quietly for a moment.

Then she stood up.

Her back was a little stiff.

She changed into her high heels, closed the door, and drove to move her things.

••••

Jiang Cha led her parents inside and settled them on the first floor. Exhausted from the journey, they washed up and went to bed early.

Ji Fan was sitting on the sofa, quietly peeling an apple, her gaze lowered.

In the glass bowl on the coffee table were several fruits: kiwis, guava, and passionfruit. They were all washed and glistening with dew. On another white porcelain plate were several pieces of fruit, stacked in piles.

There was also a jar of salad dressing.

Ji Fan’s knife skills seemed to have improved. The apple’s skin was finally smooth, no longer pitted and bumpy like the surface of the moon. She patiently lowered her head, peeling each fruit one by one, then cutting them into pieces, and placing them in the white porcelain dish.

She seemed to be trying to learn to make a salad.

Ji Fan had thought that whatever Jiang Cha did to her, she would follow suit.

No matter how inexperienced she was, she wouldn’t mess up.

“Want some?”

Ji Fan squeezed on the salad dressing, brought it over to her, and held a piece of kiwi with a toothpick, putting it to her lips.

“No.”

Jiang Cha dodged, shaking her head coldly, “You eat it yourself.”

Ji Fan wasn’t annoyed, so she fed it to herself.

Jiang Cha looked at Ji Fan and said softly, “Upstairs.”

All was quiet. She stepped over the wooden steps, and the faint vibration was a little startling. Turning left, there was a master bedroom.

Jiang Cha took off her shoes and stepped barefoot on the shiny wooden floor.

Ji Fan turned her head, half of her face hidden in the deep darkness, her expression unreadable.

The master bedroom had a large bed, two meters wide, more than enough for two people.

The wall clock pointed to around 11 o’clock.

It was raining lightly outside the window.

The slightly cool moisture filled the air. Jiang Cha leaned half against the bay window, her gaze fixed on the window. The bamboo was constantly swaying in the rain and evening wind, making a rustling sound, which was very pleasant.

In the bedroom, there were only the two of them.

There was no reason for them to go to the bathroom on the first floor; it would be too suspicious.

But there was only one bathroom on the second floor.

They could only use the bathroom inside the bedroom.

Because it was a model room, the indoor bathroom was self-contained. Jiang Cha had originally planned to live alone and didn’t have so many worries, but now she felt a little embarrassed. The bathroom and the master bedroom were separated only by a glass door, and the frosted glass didn’t allow everything to be seen clearly, but the light-colored shadow reflected on the door, swaying back and forth with the bathing movements, which was somewhat ambiguous.

Jiang Cha only glanced at the bathroom and then looked away.

She looked out the window indifferently.

The sound of water stopped. Ji Fan changed into her pajamas and came out of the bathroom.

“I’m done,” she said softly, “It’s your turn.”

Jiang Cha sighed silently, fumbled for her pajamas from the cabinet, and then, after glancing at the other person’s side profile in the moonlight, walked silently towards the bathroom.

Steam filled the bathroom. From Ji Fan’s perspective, her gray, slender silhouette was very beautiful.

She watched for a while on her own, then ate some fruit, her expression tinged with a smile.

With a splash, Jiang Cha finished washing up and pushed open the bathroom door, “It might get colder tonight, how thick of a blanket do you want?”

Ji Fan was slightly stunned.

Your eyelashes are so long. Your eyes are so beautiful, she thought. ‘I want to kiss her so badly.’

Jiang Cha blinked again, looking at her questioningly and gently, “Are you listening?”

Ji Fan looked at her red lips and was slightly dazed. The soft texture was like the peach blossoms in full bloom in spring, exuding a certain sweet fragrance.

“Yeah,” Ji Fan said softly, “What did you just say?”

Jiang Cha: “……”

Jiang Cha put on a soft cotton pajamas with a doll collar, long sleeves, and long pants. She buttoned up the small round buttons one by one, covering her collarbone, wrapping herself up tightly.

She tied her long hair into a ponytail, but the ends of her hair had gotten wet from showering and were twisted into strands, jet black and shiny, half-hanging down her slender white neck. Her skin was fair, and with the steam, her cheeks turned a faint pink, as if covered by a layer of rose-colored gauze.

Ji Fan leaned lazily on the fabric sofa by the floor-to-ceiling window, quietly watching her.

Jiang Cha went into the bedroom, turned around, and locked the door with a click.

What was she going to do?

Ji Fan looked at her incredulously, her mind racing with countless thoughts.

“Choose between the bed and the sofa,” Jiang Cha said, her slender fingers hooking the hair tie and gently pulling it, letting her long hair fall down over her shoulders. Her jet-black, silky long hair, like silk, made her snow-white skin and red lips even more striking and beautiful.

Ji Fan’s long eyelashes fluttered, and she narrowed her eyes slightly, “The bed.”

Jiang Cha hummed in agreement and opened the wardrobe, taking out a thin quilt from the top and spreading it out on the fabric sofa. The sofa was very narrow and could only be used for sitting and drinking tea, resting, and looking at the scenery outside the bay window. It was a bit crowded for an adult woman to sleep on.

If she fell asleep at night and turned over, she would be careful not to fall off.

“What are you doing?”

Ji Fan looked at her in surprise.

“I’ll sleep on the sofa,” Jiang Cha patted her shoulder lightly, “Get up. I’m going to sleep.”

Ji Fan raised an eyebrow, “We won’t sleep together?”

“…”

Jiang Cha glanced at her lightly and asked, “Is that appropriate?”

Ji Fan’s thin lips curled up, “Why not?”

Ji Fan was wearing a pure black silk pajamas embroidered with dark gold patterns, with thin straps. Her slender white shoulders were draped with a thin black silk cardigan, the fabric soft and shiny, as if a light breeze would make it slip off her shoulders.

Ji Fan sat quietly on the sofa, her white legs crossed, leaning back slightly, looking sexy and lazy. Her thick long eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she narrowed her eyes to look at Jiang Cha, her eyes moving, as if she was pondering something.

“Don’t forget our agreement,” Jiang Cha reminded her softly, her expression calm.

“I know,” Ji Fan smiled softly and said in a low voice, “We’ll just sleep together, nothing else.”

“Why should I believe you?”

Jiang Cha didn’t look at her, but just pushed her, “I’m going to sleep.”

Ji Fan sighed and lay down, pulled over the thin cotton quilt that Jiang Cha had given her, and said, “You go to bed. I’ll sleep here.”

Jiang Cha was stunned, not expecting her to be so accommodating.

“Hesitating?” Ji Fan smiled slightly, “Or should we sleep together?”

Jiang Cha ignored her, turned around and climbed onto the bed, reached out, turned off the light, and prepared to go to sleep.

The night was incredibly quiet. After the rain, the insects and birds downstairs were especially lively, chirping incessantly. A moist, slightly cold night breeze blew in from the window, and Ji Fan closed her eyes contentedly, then took out her phone to share her recent “rapid progress” with Xu Qingzhu.

Ji Fan: I slept with her.

Xu Qingzhu: ???!!!

Ji Fan: Although not in the same bed.

Xu Qingzhu: “…..”

Ji Fan: Her parents came, and they’ll probably stay for a while. I’m not in a hurry, I’ll take my time.

Xu Qingzhu: You’re too lucky, aren’t you? Her parents don’t dislike you?

Ji Fan: Her dad hates me a little, but her mom is really nice.

They chatted for a while, and Ji Fan inadvertently raised her eyes and noticed Jiang Cha quietly looking at her in the night.

Their eyes met.

Less than a second later, they both looked away.

“Ahem,” Ji Fan said, “I’m chatting with a friend.”

Jiang Cha closed her eyes.

Fearing that she might misunderstand, Ji Fan continued, “A ordinary friend, Xu Qingzhu, you know her.”

Jiang Cha frowned.

Just as she was about to explain something, she saw Jiang Cha also take out her phone from beside the pillow.

The white screen lit up.

“Turn on the light,” Ji Fan said softly, “It’s bad for your eyes.”

Jiang Cha ignored her.

Her fingers moved quickly, typing.

Ji Fan had no choice but to turn on the wall lamp herself.

“Who are you chatting with?” Ji Fan tried asking.

Jiang Cha still didn’t make a sound.

Just then, she seemed to accidentally click on the voice message, and a voice suddenly came from the phone, “Good night.”

The voice was very pleasant, and besides being pleasant, it was also a bit familiar. It sounded like a young girl’s voice, soft and warm, and the goodnight greeting was especially ambiguous, like a lover’s sweet words.

Ji Fan’s eyes darkened slightly.

She lifted the covers and got up, leaning over to look at her screen.

Although it was just for a moment, she saw it too. On the WeChat interface, the other person’s avatar was also a rabbit.

“Who is it?” she asked nonchalantly.

“You met her that day,” Jiang Cha said softly, “Bai Yihan.”

Ji Fan’s heart skipped a beat.

“Which Bai Yihan?” she smiled indifferently, asking softly, “I don’t remember.”

“The one who lent me clothes,” Jiang Cha said without hesitation.

Ji Fan was silent.

“Oh,” she said lightly, “An old lover?”

Jiang Cha softly hummed, turned over, and closed her eyes to sleep.

The moonlight was slanting, outlining the figure curled up on the bed in the dimness.

With her back turned to her, she adopted a rejecting posture.

“Do we have no chance at all?”

Ji Fan asked quietly.

The light was dim, a wall lamp hung with sparkling diamonds, each casting a cold, quiet light on Ji Fan’s face.

When her eyes were focused on someone, they had a quiet and deep feeling. Her deep brown pupils, reflected by her slightly drooping long eyelashes, were very beautiful.

Jiang Cha’s long eyelashes were tightly closed, but there was no smile on her face, still cold.

“Ms. Ji has so many options, why does it have to be me?” Jiang Cha smiled lightly, “Is it because I’m like her?”

Ji Fan said softly, “You are you, she is she.”

Jiang Cha closed her eyes and said softly, “But I’m tired. I don’t want to continue, not at all.”