Substitute Lover [Entertainment Industry] - Chapter 67

Only one lamp was lit in the room.

The light was densely woven.

A soft, peaceful glow emanated from under the fabric lampshade, like fireflies.

Jiang Cha’s gentle kick didn’t use much force. Her toes only touched Ji Fan’s calf before retracting abruptly, the touch very light.

It was like a kitten swiping at someone, playfully teasing.

Just that fleeting glimpse of white made one’s heart itch.

Ji Fan, however, reached into the quilt and gently grasped Jiang Cha’s foot.

Her feet were small and soft, with a cool touch.

The person in the bed trembled noticeably.

Jiang Cha turned her head towards Ji Fan, her eyes blinking with a bit of confusion beneath her thick, soft hair.

Ji Fan’s palm was thin and slender, her long fingers gripping the foot with an undeniable force. Her skin was so cold and white, yet the temperature of her palm was very hot, just like the temperature of her lips.

Staring into those dark eyes, Jiang Cha felt like a captured bird, struggling for a moment before freezing still.

Her gaze was filled with alarm.

Jiang Cha’s cheeks flushed slightly, and she tried to pull back in ticklishness, but her ankle was squeezed tightly again, making her unable to move.

In the past, Ji Fan would have never dared to risk doing such things. She had promised: not to touch her. But these actions clearly crossed the line, even going far beyond the boundaries they had initially set.

In the past, Jiang Cha would have been angry.

She would definitely talk to her about divorce.

Ji Fan couldn’t bear to hear those words. Every time she heard them, her vision would go dark and her limbs would feel cold.

But now, she knew Jiang Cha was a little drunk.

And when she was drunk, she was very soft.

Ji Fan leaned in.

Jiang Cha closed her eyes comfortably.

She felt Ji Fan’s hair lightly brushing against her neck, over and over.

Through the quilt, the woman’s weight was surprisingly not very heavy.

Ji Fan kissed her forehead lightly.

But it wasn’t enough.

The soft kiss traveled down to her brow, the tip of her nose, and then stopped at her lips. The kiss was very light and soft, soothing and patient.

“Goodnight.”

Ji Fan looked at her quietly, only saying two words, then got up and left gently.

Afraid of disturbing her, she even closed the door gently.

••••

Next to the master bedroom was a medium-sized study.

It was filled with many things, all of Jiang Cha’s belongings. Small dolls and stuffed animals were piled on the bay window, while books and notebooks were stacked in piles on the bookshelf, most of which were used in recent years, almost all of which were film and television materials, fashion magazines, film reviews, and script analyses.

There were too many.

Ji Fan felt a complex mix of emotions.

She opened her laptop, checked her emails, confirmed that all her work was done, and then closed the screen.

She stood up, stretched, and her peripheral vision suddenly caught a thick photo album on the bookshelf.

Ji Fan’s eyelashes fluttered, and a shallow light shimmered in her dark eyes.

She picked up the album and flipped it open.

There was a layer of dust on the top, as if it hadn’t been opened for a long time. The first page had four photos, all of Jiang Cha as a child. She looked like a doll, wearing a little dress, sitting in a baby carriage, a soft, white bundle with big eyes.

Flipping through more, there was one more person.

The person was a girl, also a child, slightly taller than Jiang Cha. The two of them were standing around a dining table, with a cream cake on the table. Jiang Cha was wearing a small crown, and the person next to her was smiling at her, her gaze making Ji Fan feel inexplicably uncomfortable.

Further on.

Almost all the photos had that person in them. The two of them were side by side, that person holding Jiang Cha’s hand, with a smiling gaze.

Sometimes they were hugging each other’s waists, sometimes they were looking at each other, laughing happily.

Further on, they were older and had grown up a bit.

The person had clear brows and bright eyes, and although she was young, Ji Fan recognized her at a glance.

——Bai Yihan.

She slammed the album shut.

She desperately wanted Jiang Cha’s past to be all about her, with her in the photos and in her memories.

To completely occupy all of her memories.

••••

I don’t know what time it was, but it was pitch black outside. This house was in a bustling area, and there was always a bit of a lively atmosphere that never truly died down, no matter the time. The study window was wide open, and the sound of children playing and laughing downstairs was quite noisy, slowly drifting away with the wind.

Ji Fan twisted open the bedroom door. It was dark inside. The air conditioner was on, and Jiang Cha was wrapped in a quilt, probably asleep.

She carefully softened her footsteps.

She sat sideways at the head of the bed, watching Jiang Cha sleep.

There was almost no light in the room, only the moonlight from the window. Tonight was the fifteenth, a full moon, and the moonlight was especially bright. The room was dimly lit, and the soft, fragmented moonlight fell on the wall at the head of the bed, casting bright and soft light spots, as if in a dream.

Jiang Cha was asleep.

Her even and long breaths were very gentle.

Jiang Cha was lying on her side, with one hand exposed, her fingertips very soft, naturally curving inward, and the other hand hidden under the blanket. The moonlight, or perhaps the lamplight, cast a gray shadow of the window frame, lightly falling on Jiang Cha’s neck.

There was a little sweat on her white neck.

Her long hair was slightly damp.

For some reason, Ji Fan remembered a paper she had read somewhere, saying that the full moon could stimulate people’s desire for love.

In the soft glow, Jiang Cha was still asleep.

The corners of her lips curled up naturally, red and lustrous.

Ji Fan touched her lips, which were warm, the place where thick blood converged. Her lips were smooth, and no fine lines could be seen.

She lowered her head and pressed her lips against hers, a gentle kiss.

In the darkness, Jiang Cha seemed to be startled by her, her long eyelashes fluttered, and she opened her misty eyes to look at her.

“Hot…”

Jiang Cha murmured, lifting the quilt, and at the same time picked up the remote control from the nightstand and glanced at it.

The green light showed: 36 degrees.

She frowned, looking at Ji Fan dissatisfiedly: “Did you set the temperature?”

Ji Fan shook her head.

Jiang Cha fanned herself with her hand, then lowered the temperature to 26 degrees.

She was sweating, and her clothes were stuck to her body, feeling uncomfortable.

She turned over and went back to sleep, pulling the quilt over her again.

But she was still frowning, seeming very uncomfortable.

An hour after drinking alcohol, the concentration of ethanol in the blood reaches its peak.

She don’t know how long it had been since she left the restaurant.

“You can’t be so lazy,” Ji Fan hooked a strand of her long hair with her little finger and tucked it behind her ear, revealing the silver and white diamond on her white earlobe: “Get up and wash up, you’ll feel more comfortable.”

The eyes that were bathed in moonlight were dark and bright. Ji Fan’s eyes blinked without blinking, quietly watching the person on the pillow. Up close, Jiang Cha could clearly see her eyelashes, each one slender and astonishingly long.

Ji Fan’s eyes held a hint of a smile.

Her gaze was overly direct.

Jiang Cha met her gaze for a long time, and for some reason, she suddenly turned her head and coughed lightly.

“Get up.”

Jiang Cha turned her head and buried her face in the pillow. She accused, “You kissed me secretly just now.”

Ji Fan blinked.

Did she say that?

On the pillow, filled with the scent of grass, a small, delicate earlobe emerged from the soft black hair, very red. Ji Fan reached out and pinched it. The ear was soft and a little hot.

Jiang Cha trembled sensitively, said nothing, but pushed her hard with her hands, as if trying to push her away.

But Ji Fan held her tightly, lowered her head, and a kiss fell lightly and softly on her earlobe:

“Little rabbit.”

This murmur strangely calmed her, and Jiang Cha stopped resisting, and then obediently let her hold her, quiet and still.

Ji Fan said softly, “Do you want to take a shower?”

Jiang Cha shook her head.

Through the quilt, Ji Fan hugged Jiang Cha, feeling the small, soft body struggling restlessly inside. Ji Fan kissed her ear while saying softly, “You haven’t slept well anyway, get up, I’ll help you wash.”

“No.”

Jiang Cha sat up, slowly lifting the quilt, and said, “I’ll do it myself.”

She lowered her head to look for her slippers, slipped her toes in and put them on, her thick hair scattered, she walked into the bathroom in a leisurely manner.

The bathroom lights turned on, and a blurry shadow swayed behind the frosted glass.

Ji Fan was still leaning on the bed, holding her waist with one hand and propping her chin with the other. In her thick hair, the silver-lined white diamond shimmered slightly in the night.

Her dark eyes stared at the thin shadow on the door, watching quietly for a while.

She was thinking a little too much.

It wasn’t good to just sit here, she might get impulsive if she looked too long. Just as Ji Fan was about to go out, she suddenly heard the sound of the bathroom door being pushed open.

Jiang Cha leaned against the sliding door, revealing a small face, and asked her in a muffled voice, “Where are you going?”

Ji Fan: “…”

“Didn’t you say you’d help me wash?”

Jiang Cha clutched the hem of her clothes and asked softly.

“Cough.”

Ji Fan suddenly turned her eyes away.

She thought to herself, I’ll just help her wash her face, nothing else.

••••

The bathroom is spacious.

Light gray wall tiles and a long row of wooden cabinets. A single pendant lamp hung down, illuminating the white porcelain square bathtub beneath the wide mirror. A small pot next to the bathtub held a pot of white hyacinths, the flowers were blooming densely, and the fragrance was faint.

Jiang Cha’s bath products were arranged on a small table in the middle of the long wooden cabinet, and white checkered towels hung on a rack on one side.

Next to the washbasin was a wide white bathtub.

Ji Fan glanced at the bathtub lightly.

This size was too wide for one person to lie in, but it was just right for two people.

Ji Fan had already taken off her coat, leaving only a thin shirt.

The shirt was well-fitted, with a simple black stripe on the snow-white collar, seven-quarter sleeves, and a slightly drooping chiffon fabric that was slightly loose. When worn by Ji Fan, it made her waist look even thinner and more resilient.

To wear a shirt this well, one’s skin had to be white, one had to be tall, and one’s body proportions had to be good –

A slender waist, long legs, and an upper body to lower body ratio of almost three to seven.

Ji Fan pulled her long hair up and secured it with a clip, then took a white towel from the rack, dampened it with hot water, wrung it half-dry, and wiped Jiang Cha’s face.

“Comfortable?” she asked.

Jiang Cha closed her eyes and shook her head.

Uncomfortable?

Ji Fan felt a little awkward. She had never done this kind of thing before, and she didn’t know how to control the force. “Is the towel too wet?”

Jiang Cha shook her head again, then took out a facial cleanser from the light-colored cabinet:

“Use this.”

Her cheeks were wet, her skin was smooth and white, Ji Fan squeezed out a ball of white foam, dipped her index finger and middle finger in it, and gently applied it to her skin. Jiang Cha’s skin was very good, just like the ones in cosmetic advertisements, white and soft, like petals, soft and delicate to the touch.

As she applied the foam upwards little by little, Jiang Cha closed her eyes again when she reached the corner of her eyes.

Quiet and obedient.

Ji Fan watched her constantly trembling eyelashes and asked softly, “Besides me, who else has washed your face?”

Jiang Cha closed her eyes and replied, “My mom.”

“Anyone else?”

Jiang Cha shook her head.

The corners of Ji Fan’s lips curved slightly in a small smile, unable to hold back. She continued to ask, “That person surnamed Bai, she hasn’t, right?”

“…..”

Jiang Cha didn’t answer.

Ji Fan stared at her and pressed, “Yes or no?”

Jiang Cha nodded.

Yes?

Ji Fan suddenly felt a lump in her throat. She looked at Jiang Cha and continued to ask, “When?”

“A long time ago.”

“Where?”

“At her house.”

“What else did you do?”

“We played house.”

Ji Fan: “…”

Ji Fan leaned closer, but only pecked her lips lightly: “Just like this, be good. You answer whatever I ask, okay?”

Jiang Cha didn’t say anything.

“Alright,” Ji Fan said, “Lower your head and rinse yourself.”

Jiang Cha turned on the water, rinsed her face clean, and then took a paper towel to dry it.

After washing her face, it was time to take a shower.

Her ink-black hair was as thick as a waterfall, cascading down her snow-white shoulders. Jiang Cha skillfully tied her long hair up with her fingers, making her whole person look clean and fresh.

Jiang Cha glanced at her, her snow-white cheeks turned a slight shade of pink. She pursed her lips and said, “I’m going to take a shower.”

Ji Fan hummed in response, opened the door, and consciously walked out.

She had no idea how much self-control she had. What if she really did something excessive? How would she deal with the consequences? Jiang Cha was still half-drunk tonight. Whatever she did now, she wouldn’t hold it against her, but what if she woke up and remembered what happened last night?

Adults have to consider the consequences of everything they do.

Ji Fan knew she couldn’t bear it.

That’s it, she couldn’t go on.

••••

The frosted sliding door reflected Jiang Cha’s shadow. Ji Fan sat on the bed, watching quietly. She knew when Jiang Cha turned on the hot water tap, when she let out the hot water, and when she bent down to grab a few bottles and jars from the cabinet.

Ji Fan sat on the bed, her white fingertips propping up her chin, motionless.

But her heart was racing a little.

Just then, the person in the bathroom let out a yelp.

Jiang Cha slipped and fell to the ground, her head hitting the bathtub.

Ji Fan’s heart tightened.

She opened the door to look.

A lamp hanging very low illuminated the bathroom. Jiang Cha was still sitting on the cold floor, rubbing the back of her head with one hand, her brows furrowed in pain, her long hair wet and hanging over her shoulders.

“Does it hurt?”

Jiang Cha frowned, “It hurts. Help me get the red flower oil. It’s in the drawer of the nightstand.”

Ji Fan asked, “Where did you hit it?”

She turned around and handed the glass bottle to Jiang Cha.

“I hit my back.” Jiang Cha thought for a moment and said, “Help me rub it, I can’t reach it.”

Her fingers trembled slightly, she lowered her head, and unbuttoned the buttons of her outer garment one by one, took it off, and hung it on a hook on the light gray wall. She was wearing a pure white cotton camisole underneath, to prevent exposure, the fabric was thin and soft, and a bit transparent.

The hem of the camisole was folded over her slender waist, and the curves were obvious, showing off her figure.

Her slender fingers continued downward, landing on the metal buckle of her shorts.

Ji Fan gently grabbed Jiang Cha’s wrist, stopping her next move.

She looked at Jiang Cha quietly, “Are you sober now?”

Jiang Cha nodded and then shook her head.

Those eyes were as clean as a clear spring, her eyelids were white and thin, and when she looked at people, there was three parts coolness and seven parts innocence.

Ji Fan asked her softly, “Who am I?”

Jiang Cha leaned close to her ear and whispered, “Senior.”

With a snap, the button came undone.

Jiang Cha took off her skirt, revealing two long, white legs.

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll—”

Jiang Cha approached her step by step, reached out her arm, and hooked around Ji Fan’s neck.

Her red lips were close to Ji Fan’s ear, and her breath carried a moist heat. Jiang Cha smiled lightly and said word by word, “You dare not.” She smiled and said, “You don’t even dare to look at me.”

“You said you’d help me rub it?”

Ji Fan glanced at her indifferently and said, “Okay.”

Jiang Cha lay face down in the bathtub with her back to her, lifting up her suspender. Her back was thin, white, and smooth, and her long hair was gathered to one side, like a mermaid lying on a reef.

The fabric covered her lower abdomen and chest, leaving her back completely exposed.

Ji Fan dipped a little red flower oil and ran her fingertips over it, and it was done in no time.

“It’s done.”

Jiang Cha lazily stretched, turned on the switch on the bathtub, and the water sprayed down from the top in a fine stream. She tested the water temperature and it was just right.

Jiang Cha pushed Ji Fan and pushed her to the door, “I’m going to take a shower.”

As she pushed open the door, she slowly wrung out the tips of her long hair, then put the shower gel on the edge of the bathtub, and also got ready the long towel.

Swish—

The door opened.

Suddenly, Jiang Cha was tightly hugged from behind, one hand circled her slender waist, then the other person turned their face and sucked on her earlobe, hot breath sprayed on her neck, and her arms tightened suddenly, deepening the kiss slowly.