Chapter 54: Pt.1

Xu Chuanchuan was also exhausted. After making a memo of some of the inspirations she got from today's trip, she tossed her phone aside and started chatting with Ange.

Each of them had a bed of their own in the room. However, Ange had deliberately climbed onto Xu Chuanchuan's bed and spread her limbs haphazardly. Then, tilting her head and looking at Xu Chuanchuan, Ange said, "So, there's this much of a difference between your natural face and your face with makeup on."

"Am I that ugly?" Xu Chuanchuan asked in embarrassment.

In response, Ange curled up her lips and said, "You're not ugly, but you don't look like you're 25. Your face looks so tender."

Xu Chuanchuan revealed a bright smile.

"You're the type that I like."

Xu Chuanchuan's smile froze, and her eyes widened slightly. Then, she subconsciously withdrew her body.

Seeing this, Ange laughed exaggeratedly and said, "I'm joking. If I'm honest, you aren't my type at all."

Xu Chuanchuan let out a long sigh of relief at these words. Though, she also couldn't help but wonder why the people close to her all liked to mess with her. Murong Shi was like that, and so was Ange.

Suddenly, Ange retracted her smile and stared straight at Xu Chuanchuan's face. Then, she solemnly said, "I like women who look beautiful, have a strong temperament, and are feminine."

"...Shoo, shoo, shoo. Go back to your bed."

Ange lazily climbed out of Xu Chuanchuan's bed and returned to her bed. Then, she let out a long sigh before saying, "But I really was too innocent back then. I ended up getting tricked by that face of hers."

Xu Chuanchuan instinctively wanted to retort to Ange, saying, "How are you innocent?" However, when she turned her head and saw the melancholy look on Ange's face, she paused for a moment before asking, "Did you only like her face?"

Revealing a bitter smile, Ange said, "How is that possible? She is my first love after all, so I still hold some feelings for her."

Shocked, Xu Chuanchuan asked, "She's your first love?"

"Is that strange?"

Clearing her throat, Xu Chuanchuan said, "I always thought you were an old driver. I thought you had plenty of experience regarding relationships..."

In a dandiacal manner, Ange said, "Even if you don't know something, you can pretend that you know it. I always thought that I could better protect myself so long as I keep acting like a scoundrel. But, in the end, I still got played for a fool."

Xu Chuanchuan sensed that Ange's tone didn't sound quite right. Hence, she carefully asked, "What exactly was the reason that made you break up with her?"

Ange pursed her lips at Xu Chuanchuan's question. Then, after pondering for some time, she gloomily said, "I initially thought our relationship was going well. She had come to Shanghai to visit me, and we had also agreed to live together in the future. Yet, before she had even moved in, I discovered her secret."

"What secret?"

"Writing is actually just her part-time job. She mainly works as a live streamer. I think you know this as well."

"I do."

"Some female streamers have a terrible reputation. I believe you must've heard of female streamers having sugar daddies or sleeping with wealthy fans."

Xu Chuanchuan quietly listened to Ange's story.

Then, Ange shrugged and said, "I never thought that the obedient personality she showed to me on the surface was only an act and that she was secretly having ambiguous relationships with many of her wealthy supporters. These people include both men and women. I even saw conversation histories where she acted coy with some of these tycoons..." Speaking up to this point, Ange suddenly showed an extremely disgusted expression. "Even now, I still feel disgusted whenever I think of these things."

Xu Chuanchuan couldn't help but recall Xu Xiangxiang's matters while the latter was still working as a streamer. Then, she thought of comforting Ange by saying, "You'll meet someone better in the future." However, she quickly dismissed the thought as she felt that these words sounded too shallow.

After hesitating for some time, Xu Chuanchuan asked, "You've blacklisted her several times already, so why is she still harassing you?"

"What was that saying again? The grass is always greener on the other side? Well, she probably just has nothing better to do."

"Uh..."

Then, Ange sent Xu Chuanchuan a glance and added, "It's probably also because she's a vain person. I am, after all, a well-known author worth tens of millions of yuan. Who wouldn't want to be my girlfriend?"

Holding her forehead, Xu Chuanchuan said, "While I know you're amazing, can you be a little more humble?"

Ange thumped her bed and laughed when she heard Xu Chuanchuan's words. Then, after catching her breath and wiping the tears from the corner of her eyes, she suddenly changed the conversation's direction and said, "Basically, what I'm trying to say is that your first relationship in life is extremely important. If handled poorly, you might end up receiving psychological trauma as I did. I know this is your first time dating someone, so I hope you can be cautious."

In response to Ange's warning, Xu Chuanchuan sat up while hugging her pillow. Then, she furrowed her brows and said, "I also understand this line of reasoning, which is also why I've been feeling conflicted."

"Although I'm not an actual old driver, I am still someone capable of clear logic and careful thinking. You can tell me about your concerns; maybe I can help you analyze them."

"What do you want me to say?"

Jokingly, Ange said, "I've heard you mention her before, but so far, you've only told me that she is a domineering person who likes to toy with people. She doesn't sound like a likable person, no matter how I think about it. If she really is this kind of person, how, exactly, did she manage to bend you? Are you perhaps a masochist?"

"..." Xu Chuanchuan buried half her face into her pillow upon hearing Ange's words. Then, she said in a muffled voice, "She is indeed a hateful person at work, but I found that she has a lot of good points after interacting with her in private."

"Such as?"

"Cough. I can't recall."

Narrowing her eyes, Ange exclaimed, "You can't even say one good thing about her?!"

After racking her mind for a while, Xu Chuanchuan said in an uncertain tone, "Does being beautiful count?"

Ange's face twitched when she heard Xu Chuanchuan's answer. Then, she said, "I didn't think you were such a superficial person."

Xu Chuanchuan awkwardly smiled before burying her entire face into her pillow.

Their conversation on relationships eventually ended without a conclusion.

Before going to bed, Ange yawned and ruefully said, "She made you submit in just three kisses. It seems this Murong is quite the old driver."

Blushing, Xu Chuanchuan softly refuted, "Actually, that was also her first kiss."

Putting on an expression of doubt, Ange said, "She already knows how to French kiss on her first experience? Tang'er, did you get tricked?"

Xu Chuanchuan's expression stiffened as she said, "How can that be? She told me this herself."

"And you believe everything she says?"

Xu Chuanchuan nodded but then quickly shook her head.

In reality, Xu Chuanchuan had her suspicions when Murong Shi had kissed her for the first time. Although Xu Chuanchuan had never kissed anyone before prior to that incident, she still knew that it wouldn't be possible for someone to stick their tongue into another person's mouth so naturally on their first kiss. However, as she had been afraid and nervous at the time, she couldn't remember what exactly Murong Shi had done to her that night.

As for the two subsequent kisses, Murong Shi's performance had surprised Xu Chuanchuan one time after another. Murong Shi had dived straight into the topic both times, stirring her heart into a mess... Like Ange had said, Murong Shi's actions really made her seem like an old driver.

If she has only kissed three times in her life, could she be so proficient at it? Could she have been lying to me?

But it doesn't make sense. Even if Murong Shi deliberately lied to me to win my favor, what about Fang Qin? Did Fang Qin say those things to me to help Murong Shi?

Although the logic made sense, Xu Chuanchuan still felt that it was unreasonable. After all, there was no way Murong Shi would hold so much affection toward her to the point of putting so much effort into tricking her.

Yet, Murong Shi's proficiency in kissing is indeed a mystery…

…

The next time Xu Chuanchuan received a call from Murong Shi was during lunchtime the next day. After Xu Chuanchuan had left the hotel with Ange and was about to ride a taxi to the train station, her phone suddenly started ringing.

When Xu Chuanchuan saw that it was Murong Shi calling, she inadvertently thought of the question that puzzled her. Then, she picked up the call with a delicate mood.

After the call connected, Murong Shi went straight into the topic and asked, "Are you coming back today?"

While passing her suitcase to Ange and watching the latter load it into the trunk of the taxi, Xu Chuanchuan responded with a casual "mhm."

"What time will you be arriving?"

"Around five o'clock. What's the matter?"

Without even thinking, Murong Shi said, "I'll pick you up. We'll have dinner together."

Xu Chuanchuan was stunned. Then, she hurriedly said, "There's no need for so much trouble. We'll be heading back to the dormitory after we reach the station."

"We? Your friend is coming back with you?"

Xu Chuanchuan glanced at Ange for a moment. Then, she guiltily responded in a quiet voice, "Yes. We've finally met after so many years, so she plans on playing around in S City for a while."

When Xu Chuanchuan finished speaking, she suddenly grew worried that Murong Shi would abruptly end their call like she did last night. However, contrary to Xu Chuanchuan's expectations, Murong Shi said, "Since she's your friend, then all the more reason for me to properly receive her. Forward your itinerary to me. I'll bring my car over to pick you up."

After disconnecting the call, Xu Chuanchuan got into the taxi and said to Ange, "She says she wants to treat you to dinner."

Pretending to be surprised, Ange said, "Oh my god! So she's coming straight at me? How ruthless!"

"..." Xu Chuanchuan's eyelids jerked a little, and she couldn't help but have a bad premonition.

Meanwhile, Ange rolled up her sleeves, opened her handbag, and said, "Although I've already lost the first move, I can't let her belittle me. I need to put on some makeup first."

Xu Chuanchuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry when she received the compact mirror Ange shoved to her. Then, she said, "Aren't we just having a meal? What are you two planning to do?"

While wiping the excess oil on her face with a wet tissue, Ange mysteriously said, "Meetings between love rivals are bound to be bloody. You'll find out afterward."

Xu Chuanchuan: "..." I don't want to find out.