Substitute Lover [Entertainment Industry] - Chapter 64

So late, who is she texting?

Ji Fan glanced at the time in the upper right corner, it was already past eleven.

Ji Fan wanted to ask her directly who she had made an appointment with, and at this time of night, chatting was a bit ambiguous. But she couldn’t ask. She was afraid that the answer was something she didn’t want to hear, and she didn’t want Jiang Cha to lie to her to cover up something she couldn’t accept.

That would make her embarrassed and awkward.

Fortunately, after retracting the message, Jiang Cha replied to her after a while.

——”Not asleep yet.”

She was honest.

Ji Fan stared at the screen for a while, many questions blocked in her mind, but she couldn’t ask a single one. Her face turned pale, and her slender fingers trembled slightly. She sent her a message:

——”Then, can I come to your room?”

——”I can’t sleep.”

After sending the message, she waited quietly.

Anxious but patient.

One minute.

Two minutes.

••••

There was no reply for a long time.

The hotel room was a bit stuffy without opening the window, Ji Fan got up, frowned, put on the snow-white velvet bathrobe, put on her slippers and opened the window. The night breeze was cool, and from the high-rise building, the cars whizzing past the hotel from time to time brought a gust of wind that seemed to come from a distant place.

She narrowed her eyes, her long eyelashes fluttered down, and then she made a phone call.

“Hello.”

“Ms. Ji?”

Ji Fan leaned on the wooden windowsill, her eyes looking at the distant night sky, and the mountains at the edge of the city outlined a light indigo silhouette, with a faint white edge.

She gathered her long hair and said softly:

“Help me check someone.”

“Who?”

Ji Fan paused and said, “Bai Yihan.”

Ji Fan continued, “I’ll send you her name, you send me everything you can find.”

“Okay, don’t worry.”

Ji Fan hung up the phone.

She had met Bai Yihan once at dinner that day. She seemed to be a short-haired woman in a white shirt, young, fair-skinned, tall, and slender. The deeper impression was probably that—

She had a rather ambiguous relationship with Jiang Cha.

Ji Fan’s expression turned slightly cold, she glanced at the screen indifferently, and went out directly with her room card.

It was very quiet at night, and even the slightest sound could be heard. First, there were slow footsteps outside, followed by a knock on the door.

Ji Fan’s voice said outside, “I have a headache, I can’t sleep alone.”

Jiang Cha’s expression was indifferent.

A headache, so two people can fall asleep?

She’s not a painkiller.

The person outside kept knocking persistently.

Jiang Cha turned over, just about to get up, and suddenly caught sight of something lying on the floor.

It was a white box, like a medicine box, with an unknown language on the packaging that she couldn’t understand.

Ji Fan’s medicine?

It probably fell out of her bag when the two of them were messing around here just now.

Since she was here, she might as well return it to her.

Jiang Cha picked up the box and her expression hesitated for a moment.

Something was wrong.

Why does Ji Fan need to take so many medicines for a cold? Those white and green pills before, plus this box, how many were there? What’s wrong with Ji Fan.

As she twisted open the door, she held the medicine box and asked, “What is this?”

Ji Fan’s pupils shrank.

She quickly calmed down and simply replied, “Cold medicine.”

Jiang Cha frowned, looking at the unknown language, “The medicine you take is so…” She chose her words carefully, “complicated?”

Ji Fan snatched the box and put it in her pocket.

“It’s always been like this since I was a child. I’m used to it.”

Always been like this since childhood?

Jiang Cha remembered that she had once said that she had an SCN9A gene mutation, which caused her to amplify even the slightest pain countless times. It’s understandable to be afraid of pain and keep taking medicine, but the problem is, medicine is three parts poison. If you have a cold, you should rely on your own immunity to get better. If you keep taking it like this, your immune system function will deteriorate.

Jiang Cha raised her eyes and couldn’t help but want to say something to her, but she suddenly met her eyes.

In her black and white eyes, a hesitant look flashed by.

Ji Fan turned away awkwardly.

Late at night, there were few people in the corridor, only a cleaner passed by with a black bag.

Ji Fan was only wearing a pure cotton white lapel pajamas, her collarbone was clean, and she had removed all her jewelry, which indeed looked like she had just climbed out of bed and couldn’t sleep. She stood quietly outside the door, trying to speak several times without saying anything, as if she wanted to ask something.

“What are you doing here?”

Jiang Cha asked.

Ji Fan looked at her quietly, trying to find some signs of guilt in her eyes.

But no.

Jiang Cha’s eyes were clear and bright, looking directly into her eyes.

“Who were you chatting with just now?”

Ji Fan put her hands in the pockets of her bathrobe and said casually, “All the replies were sent to me.”

“A friend.”

Jiang Cha turned around, her voice drowsy, “It’s so late, let’s go to sleep.”

Ji Fan felt a lump in her throat, her expression gloomy, so she simply sat down on the edge of her bed, “I’ll sleep here tonight.”

Jiang Cha glanced at her, put on a bath cap to wash her face, and agreed.

Actually, there was no need to be pretentious.

Didn’t they sleep together at home?

When she finished washing up and was about to climb into bed, she suddenly came to her senses.

There was only one quilt.

Ji Fan curled up there, her long hair covering half of her face, it was unclear whether she was really asleep or just pretending. When Jiang Cha walked over, she didn’t move at all, as if she had already fallen asleep. Jiang Cha bent down and leaned closer, her nose filled with her cold fragrance. Ji Fan, on the other hand, was unaware, her breathing was even, and her long eyelashes fell quietly, as peaceful as a child.

Jiang Cha glanced at her, reached out to wake her up, but when she touched her warm shoulder under the quilt, she stopped.

Forget it.

She blinked, then walked to the other side, lifted the corner of the quilt, and climbed in lightly, curling up to sleep. The quilt was very wide, and there was a safe distance between the two of them. Jiang Cha glanced at her again, and the other person still didn’t react, she was fast asleep. So she reached out and turned off the light. The room was dark, and Jiang Cha curled up under the quilt and closed her eyes quietly.

The night was quiet, and with the window closed, no sound could be heard. Only the sound of breathing beside her, one after another, was extremely quiet.

Half asleep and half awake, she felt a warmth around her waist.

Jiang Cha’s eyelids trembled, and in her dream, her body was wrapped around by a snake, but the snake was very hot, making her breathless, she could only open her lips and breathe hard, as if drowning.

Jiang Cha trembled and opened her eyes drowsily.

“Don’t move.”

Ji Fan’s arm was around her waist, close to her ear, and she said softly, “Let me hold you for a while, nothing else.”

The person behind her buried her head in her neck, her breath was slightly hot, and she sprayed it on her neck one after another. Her body was warm and hot, wrapped in the quilt, she soon broke out in a thin sweat.

For many years, Jiang Cha had long been accustomed to this posture. In the past, they were like this, Ji Fan gently hugged her waist from behind, very close, like two spoons placed together, nestled together, just right.

Consciousness gradually weakened.

Her eyelids were heavy, and she fell asleep after a while.

She had a dreamless night.

••••

The next morning after the filming, everyone left the hotel and went their separate ways.

Ji Fan kept thinking about the message that was suddenly retracted the night before –

Jiang Cha’s date.

Several times she wanted to ask, but she couldn’t say the words. She didn’t understand where this feeling of annoyance and entanglement came from. The answer was so clear and obvious, but she chose to pretend to be blind, to choose not to know.

As if as long as she didn’t ask, nothing would happen.

In the evening, Jiang Cha came out of the room and glanced at Ji Fan, saying:

“I’m going to meet a friend.”

Jiang Cha was wearing a light-colored suspender dress, the thin shoulder straps made her white and jade-like shoulders look thin and delicate, and her long hair was tied in a ponytail, with a strand of black hair hanging down from her temples, her chin was small and white, and her eyes were clear and transparent.

She seemed to be paying attention to her appearance.

Ji Fan just glanced at her coldly and said, “Go ahead.”

Jiang Cha thought her attitude was a bit strange, but she didn’t know what was wrong.

She slung a light green leather bag over her shoulder, changed into a pair of small high heels, and twisted the doorknob.

Click.

Ji Fan suddenly stood up, “I’ll go with you.”

Jiang Cha turned her head and frowned, “You don’t know her.”

Ji Fan smiled, a little forced, “It doesn’t matter, we can get to know each other slowly.”

Jiang Cha looked at her strangely and said, “Okay.”

Ji Fan was stunned.

She didn’t expect Jiang Cha to agree so easily. Shouldn’t she feel guilty and refuse her hesitantly? Ji Fan just felt incredible.

What was she doing, being so unguarded?

Ji Fan felt both puzzled and put on a long windbreaker, and took a silver-gray leather bag from the coat rack. The windbreaker reached her ankles, deep blue, paired with a white base shirt and black slacks, making her legs look long and thin.

It was still the same Western buffet restaurant they met for the first time.

In the evening, the sky was still slightly bright, but the light was a little dim. A few small lights were turned on in the restaurant, hanging down sparsely, emitting a starry halo, scattered in an orderly manner.

The pianist was in the center, his fingertips jumping flexibly, playing one piece after another.

The music flowed smoothly.

Jiang Cha took a seat, and Ji Fan sat next to her.

Ji Fan held the glass with her thin white fingers, took a sip of lemon water with her red lips slightly pursed, and then frowned and put down the cup.

There was too much lemon, it was a bit sour.

On the one hand, she looked out of the floor-to-ceiling window at the buildings below. The lights were scattered and the figures were heavy, but she didn’t see the person surnamed Bai, and she didn’t know when she would come; on the other hand, she kept an eye on Ms. Jiang next to her, who seemed to be very busy and hadn’t paid any attention to her. She didn’t know who she was chatting with, and she kept typing something on the screen with her fingers.

Ji Fan glanced at the screen and couldn’t see clearly who it was.

Heh, anyway, she’ll be here soon.

She assumed a posture of being ready.

The pianist changed one piece after another.

Ji Fan went to the restroom to touch up her makeup.

When she went back, Jiang Cha was still sitting alone.

“Is she here?”

Ji Fan glanced at Jiang Cha and asked.

“She’ll be here soon, she said there was a traffic jam on the road.”

Jiang Cha didn’t look up, she was chatting happily.

Ji Fan held the cup, gently swayed it, looked at the water marks hanging on the cup wall, and asked casually, “How is your relationship with her?”

“Very good, we’ve been playing together since we were kids.” Jiang Cha smiled lightly.

Ji Fan lifted her thin eyelids and glanced at Jiang Cha.

Jiang Cha didn’t look at her, suddenly stood up and said, “She’s here. I’ll go pick her up.”

Ji Fan suddenly lowered her eyes, a mocking smile curling at the corner of her lips.

Go pick her up?

Jiang Cha went downstairs after a while. Sitting by the window, she had a clear view of the street scene. Ji Fan propped her chin and turned her head to look downstairs, but she didn’t see the two of them.

After a while, the waiter led two people towards them.

Ji Fan turned her gaze and saw Jiang Cha walking over arm in arm with a woman with long, dark brown hair, smiling.

The woman waved to Ji Fan as soon as she saw her, familiarly saying, “Ms. Ji.”

After waiting for so long, the person who came was Ye Man.

Ji Fan: “……”

Ji Fan sat quietly by the window, wearing a long windbreaker, deep blue. The color was deep, between black and blue, calm but not overly serious. Inside the windcoat was a big V-neck chiffon shirt, the neckline was wide open, revealing her cold white and slender collarbone, with a square black diamond pendant.

The black diamond refracted a beautiful and restrained light, not too dazzling, with a just right sense of distance.

Ji Fan turned her head and smiled at her politely.

Then she looked behind her.

She looked several times.

“Isn’t there one more person who hasn’t come?”

Ji Fan held her cup and asked softly.

“No.”

Ye Man smiled and said, “Just the three of us.”

Ji Fan lowered her head, her long eyelashes drooped, and a slightly curled strand of hair slipped from behind her white and slender ear, resting on her shoulder.

She was a little embarrassed.

It turned out to be Ye Man.

She had overthought and misunderstood.

Ye Man, as a human light bulb, sat in her seat and didn’t know what to chat with them, so she showed off and sent a message to Bai Yihan.

Ye: Guess who I’m having dinner with.

Bai: Jiang Cha?

Ye: How did you know.

Bai: I guessed. Send me the location, I’ll come over too.

Ye Man immediately looked up, feeling a little guilty.

Ji Fan was putting a piece of salmon in Jiang Cha’s plate and didn’t notice her.

She lowered her head and continued chatting.

Ye: No, Jiang Cha’s legal spouse is also there.

Bai: It doesn’t matter. I don’t mind.

Ye: [Black question mark]

Ye: You don’t mind if the other person minds, okay.

Bai: Then send me a photo, let me see how beautiful her legal spouse is.

This request was not excessive.

Ye Man, sitting opposite them, raised her phone and secretly took a picture of Ji Fan.

Ye: [Image]

On the other side, Bai Yihan clicked on the photo, her dark pupils shrank.

The photo was taken in a restaurant. The woman had her back against a light-colored wooden platform, her figure was slightly thin, the corners of her lips curved slightly, her curly hair was styled in an elegant arc, her side profile was smooth and beautiful, and she was putting a piece of salmon into Jiang Cha’s plate with a faint smile in her eyes.

Jiang Cha lowered her head, a slight blush appeared on her snow-white side face, her long curled eyelashes drooped, looking quiet and well-behaved.

The picture looked quite warm.

Bai Yihan looked at it for a moment, her expression indifferent as she picked up her car keys from the coffee table.

Ye Man was still waiting for Bai Yihan’s reply.

But she waited and waited, and suddenly Bai Yihan didn’t reply to her.

What’s wrong?

Is it because the rival is too beautiful, so she chickened out?

She quickly figured it out.

Because—

“What a coincidence.”

Less than 10 minutes later, a familiar voice sounded, clear and penetrating: “Are you here too?”

Ye Man turned her head and her eyebrows jumped.

She understood why Bai Yihan didn’t reply: because this guy was tricking her!

She didn’t want to see what Ji Fan looked like when she asked for the photo, but to see what the restaurant looked like. This person was very quick, and she immediately recognized the background in the photo as the same Western buffet restaurant where they had gathered last time.

Her residence was very close.

It took only ten minutes to find a parking space even while driving.

Ji Fan heard the voice and looked back, her eyebrows jumping.

It was the one surnamed Bai.

Uninvited?

The person not far away was quite tall, wearing a white T-shirt, a bit loose, and water-washed blue jeans on her long legs, in light colors, with smooth and beautiful leg lines, straight and slender.

She was dressed casually, but she looked thin and white. She was a little over 1.7 meters tall, and from a distance, she actually looked a bit like Ji Fan when she was studying.

Jiang Cha was slightly surprised.

How did she get here.

Bai Yihan looked relaxed and natural, walking over while smiling.

She sat next to Ye Man and said, “I was just feeling a bit lonely eating alone, but I didn’t expect to meet you two.” She asked Jiang Cha for her opinion, “Would it disturb you if I joined you?”

Jiang Cha didn’t say anything, her eyes were full of surprise, with a bit of hesitation and confusion, as if she hadn’t expected or wanted Bai Yihan to appear here.

Ji Fan looked at Jiang Cha and thought, she’s guilty.

So Ji Fan spoke, her voice indifferent:

“It won’t disturb you.”

She looked at the person in front of her with a scrutinizing gaze.

She suddenly felt very uncomfortable.

This person looked very young, with soft and shiny black hair that fell softly on her collarbone. Her eyes were black and white, her gaze was clear, and when she looked at people, the fine light in her eyes was slightly cold, yet bright and dazzling.

“Hello, my name is Bai Yihan.”

Bai Yihan smiled lightly, looking at Jiang Cha with bright eyes, “I’m a friend of Jiang Cha’s, well…”

She lowered her head and took a sip of Qingke tea, then raised her eyes, “A ordinary friend.”