CH 40

Shao Cixin was shocked that her joke was taken seriously.

My god, she was just kidding!

If she really moved into Wen Zhihan’s house to repay the debt more quickly and then repaid it every day…would she still be alive?

“Wen Zhihan, we can’t do this,” Shao Cixin spoke with deep sincerity, “We need to take it slow. Rushing would harm us, so we should walk down the path of sustainable development and repay slowly…”

Wen Zhihan knew what she was thinking, and though she found it amusing, she didn’t say anything.

Both of them had a taste for the finer things in life, there was nothing to be ashamed of.[1]

But cohabitation was not just about that.

Wen Zhihan smiled, holding her hand, touching her fingertips, warming them up, and said softly, “Cixin, we are wives to each other, we are a family, and a family should live together.”

Shao Cixin “hmm”‘d in acknowledgment.

It seemed…somewhat reasonable.

Wen Zhihan continued to reason with her, her voice was soft, gentle, audible to both of them, “Cixin, if the paparazzi photographed us not living together, and our parents found out, our previous efforts would have been in vain.”

Shao Cixin: “Hmm…”

Makes sense.

Wen Zhihan stroked her fingertips, wanting to give her the faint warmth in her palm: “So, Cixin, we can cohabit temporarily, wait until the outside world stabilizes, and then slowly separate and return to the current single life.

“What do you think?”

The last four words were like a gentle breeze, blowing into Shao Cixin’s ears, melting away all her doubts.

It really made sense.

If her parents knew that they weren’t living together now…they might start to suspect their relationship had broken down!

Adding to her special profession, she was already living under the spotlight, every word and action were being watched, there could be no mistakes — at least not before a divorce.

“You’re right, I almost forgot about these things. Let’s do as you said,” she clasped Wen Zhihan’s hand, looking serious, “We’re going to be living together, senior sister, please guide me.”

Wen Yu already knew that she hadn’t moved out of her original place, now she could move into Wen Zhihan’s house and conveniently solve this problem.

Two birds with one stone, perfect!

The over-roasted hand was full of warmth, very warm.

Wen Zhihan looked at their clasped hands, didn’t break free, and gently smiled.

“Wait a moment.”

Shao Cixin came to her senses.

“But my work hours are irregular, I might come back very late, what if I disturb your rest?

“How about I buy a house above or below your apartment complex to live in?”

“No need to go through that trouble, just live in my house,” Wen Zhihan said with a smile, “I don’t mind the disturbance.”

Shao Cixin suddenly didn’t know what to say.

She suddenly realized that Wen Zhihan was very tolerant of her, her bottom line for her was very low, how low, she didn’t know yet.

But Wen Zhihan’s temperament seemed to always be like this, able to accommodate all things under heaven, all rivers run into the sea, after all, she could even tolerate a sister like Wen Yu without lifting a hand…

She really was a bodhisattva…

Shao Cixin quietly marveled in her heart.

The staff outside occasionally glanced into the room.

Seeing the two of them talking while tightly holding hands, they couldn’t help but sigh in their hearts: the honeymoon period for young couples was so sweet…

In the evening, at the hotel.

Shao Cixin sat on the table, wrapped her arms around Wen Zhihan’s neck, wholeheartedly accepting her “praise”.

Wen Zhihan showed her through actions how beautiful the role she played was.

A beauty that made one yearn to possess it, a beauty that made one desperate to become one with her.

If she were a flame, everyone else would be moths willingly throwing themselves into the fire.

Lost in love and confusion.

Shao Cixin heard Wen Zhihan’s voice brushing past her ear, carrying a warm and enticing breath: “You’re more beautiful than anyone I’ve ever seen.”

“Really?” Shao Cixin tilted her head back, her beautiful eyes half-closed, sighing, “Then you definitely aren’t obsessed with appearances.”

The words fell out of her mouth.

Shao Cixin sensed the kiss on her neck pause briefly, before it landed on her jawline and lips, followed by a chuckle with unclear implications.

Wen Zhihan asked, “Why do you say that?”

Shao Cixin bragged, “Because if you were obsessed with appearances, you’d have fallen for the stunning me a long time ago.”

Wen Zhihan chuckled, “But being obsessed with appearances doesn’t necessarily mean being easily moved. Liking a face and liking a person are two different things, otherwise, you should have fallen for me a long time ago, right?”

She loved beautiful things so much and always complimented her for being beautiful.

If being obsessed with appearances was enough to move the heart, she should have fallen for her countless times, instead of remaining so coolly indifferent to emotions.

Shao Cixin nodded, “Hmm, you do have a point, but I do like your face.”

She did not hide her preferences and was not stingy with praise. Holding Wen Zhihan’s face, she said, “Our President Wen is just so beautiful. With a face like this, you can get away with anything.”

“Is that so?” Wen Zhihan asked with a smile, “Could the beautiful Miss Shao teach me how I might get away with anything?”

Shao Cixin immediately caught her implicit meaning.

Lifting her leg, she wrapped it around her slender waist, and smiled sweetly, “It’s your birthday today, so of course you call the shots.”

The next second, she abandoned her flirtatious demeanor, half-dressed, leaning on the cold table, she solemnly said, “But can we choose a warmer place? The tabletop in winter is really cold. Lying on it is too chilly, not just for me, but for you too.

“I, Shao Cixin, suggest that this part can wait until summer.”

At her words, Wen Zhihan laughed and opened her arms.

Shao Cixin understood, and obediently hugged her, clinging to her like a sloth.

As Wen Zhihan held Shao Cixin and walked towards the bed, she said, “So you’ve even thought about summer.”

Shao Cixin clung to her neck and patted her back.

“We have to be together for three years. Once a week for three years, we’ll have to experience spring, summer, autumn, and winter, right?”

“Right.”

Wen Zhihan gently laid her on the bed, leaned over and slowly intertwined their fingers, intimate and inseparable.

“We have to be together for a long time.”

Shao Cixin suddenly felt a bit strange.

Why did she feel that Wen Zhihan’s words meant something different from her own?

But when asked where the difference lay, she couldn’t pinpoint it.

Probably a misunderstanding… in any case, Wen Zhihan wouldn’t harm her.

With this thought, Shao Cixin stopped being bothered, took the initiative to embrace Wen Zhihan, responding to her every intimate gesture.

Tonight, besides the cold tabletop, every place they could lie, they had been on—perhaps even more than once.

The next day, the two woke up late due to sleeping late the night before, and lazed in bed for most of the day, only getting up for lunch.

After eating and digesting, Shao Cixin took her script and crawled back under the quilt.

She had to shoot a scene tomorrow, and she needed to memorize her lines during her free time, she couldn’t afford to slack off.

Wen Zhihan also picked up her laptop and joined her under the quilt to work.

One sitting at the head of the bed, the other lying at the foot, sharing one quilt, not disturbing each other.

After typing a few keystrokes, Wen Zhihan paused, “Cixin.”

Shao Cixin turned her head, “Hmm?”

Wen Zhihan asked, “Will the sound of my typing bother you?”

Shao Cixin hadn’t noticed this at all, so she said, “No, it won’t bother me. Don’t worry.”

Wen Zhihan nodded.

Then her gaze fell on the wrinkled script in front of her and asked again, “What scene are you shooting tomorrow?”

Shao Cixin turned back, flipping through her script, “A pivotal turning point for the plot.

“Oh, I’m still acting with Zhou Hong, do you want to come and watch?”

Zhou Hong…

Wen Zhihan withdrew her gaze, typing while saying, “I’ll be there to watch.”

After a day of rest, they resumed work.

This was the first time Shao Cixin acted together with Zhou Hong after New Year’s Day.

Because Wen Zhihan was present, Zhou Hong didn’t make sarcastic remarks about the couple’s love this time, but she was still quite arrogant.

“Shao Cixin,” she raised her chin proudly, “I’ll let you see what a dramatic improvement in acting is like today!”

Shao Cixin raised her eyebrows.

She got it. This person must have received one-on-one tutoring from a master teacher when she went home for the New Year.

Wen Zhihan sat next to Director Long Hui, quietly observing the two without revealing any emotions.

At the same time, she also learned about the general plot of the upcoming scenes from Long Hui.

Princess Zhou Hong gazed at the imperial throne.

General Shao Cixin, whom Shao Cixin was portraying, appeared to talk with her, revealing her ambitions and capabilities, and her desire to win her over in a few words.

A choice was presented to the general.

And it was also a major turning point in the plot.

Should she maintain the status quo, loyal to a king who indulges in pleasures and ignores state affairs, or should she support a talented, ambitious, and world-minded empress?

For the general, who had been taught loyalty to the king and love for the country since childhood, who was willing to die for the king, the people, and the country, it was an extremely tormenting question.

This scene was a great challenge for both of them. Their performances in all aspects had to meet expectations, if not be perfect.

Because Long Hui is a perfectionist, she wouldn’t let any scene pass easily.

As a layman, Wen Zhihan didn’t understand the inside workings. She was just looking forward to Shao Cixin’s performance.

When Long Hui gave the command, Shao Cixin immediately got into character, putting all other thoughts aside and immersing herself in the role.

At first, everything went smoothly. She and Zhou Hong were able to respond to each other’s performances very smoothly.

But gradually, as the plot and emotions progressed, she felt a bit overwhelmed by Zhou Hong’s acting.

In this scene, Zhou Hong’s acting skills were visibly improved.

Her abundant emotions were released just right at every point, making her character instantly three-dimensional.

— Shao Cixin couldn’t keep up with her performance.

Long Hui saw the problem in one glance and called for a stop.

This scene was complex with multiple layers and progressively escalated from a calm atmosphere to an evenly matched confrontation, and finally, the princess gave the decision-making power to the general, with the general taking the upper hand.

In this series of changes, the general’s role should not, and cannot, be suppressed.

While Zhou Hong’s performance had clearly reached an optimal level, Shao Cixin’s acting skills couldn’t keep up.

“Cixin, this won’t work,” Long Hui told her. “You’re the general, and you can’t be overshadowed by her.”

Long Hui stood up, walked onto the set, looking worriedly and seriously at Shao Cixin, and pointed out her problem in front of everyone.

“Zhou’s acting is fine. The problem now is with you. You can’t keep up with her, but you have to.”

Wen Zhihan also got up.

She saw Shao Cixin purse her lips and frown, not saying a word.

She seldom saw Shao Cixin show such an expression. The last time was when Wen Yu was drunk.

This was a significant blow to Shao Cixin. The fact was telling her that her current acting skills were not sufficient.

She needed to learn more, she needed to make breakthroughs, otherwise, next time, she wouldn’t be able to keep up with more than just Zhou Hong’s acting.

However, making such breakthroughs is not as easy as getting candy.

All she could do was listen more carefully to Long Hui’s direction, try harder to digest it, and hope to step up a level herself.

But it was too urgent.

Long Hui was in a hurry, and so was she. Hurrying often leads to chaos, and the performance she was showing was getting worse.

“Never mind, I was too impatient,” Long Hui said, rubbing her forehead to calm down. “Cixin, take a rest first and sort out your thoughts. Try to absorb everything I just said. When you’re ready, we’ll continue shooting this scene.”

She didn’t want to make a just-good-enough film with just-good-enough acting. That would be an insult to the audience and to her.

If they were to shoot, they had to do it properly. No part of it could be lackluster!

Shao Cixin understood what she meant and responded softly. She turned her head down and walked out of the set.

Long Hui turned to the crew and said, “Prepare for the next scene. We’ll shoot that first.

“Little Zhou, you should also rest first. You did very well just now, keep it up.”

Zhou Hong smiled and replied, then turned to look at Shao Cixin’s retreating figure.

She looked a little down, which was something she had never seen before.

It was strange. She should have been happy to see Shao Cixin being hit, but seeing her so downcast, she didn’t feel happy at all.

She remembered the past.

Back then, she also had experiences like Shao Cixin, being criticized by the director in front of everyone…

After remembering it, she decided not to think about it.

That was Shao Cixin, her archenemy. She should be happy if Shao Cixin was doing better than her.

She was going to call her husband.

Zhou Yi had developed a set of teaching methods specifically for her acting style, which she found very effective.

Now it seemed to be working very well. She was going to report her progress!

Shao Cixin found a secluded spot and stood in the wind.

The biting cold wind blew onto her face, the coldness had a good calming effect.

She was indeed devastated.

It wasn’t because Director Long Hui criticized her in front of everyone, but because in this short amount of time, the gap between her and Zhou Hong had widened so much.

Could it be that she was less capable than others…

“Cixin,”

The voice of Wen Zhihan came from behind, carrying a trace of worry.

She turned her head to glance at her, then withdrew her gaze, her eyes revealing her gloominess, but she didn’t respond.

She needed a friend to whom she could confide.

But Wen Zhihan was not even a friend to her.

She had never confided in Wen Zhihan, any demand between them was an exchange of goods, obtained under equal terms. There couldn’t be a colder relationship than this.

She was feeling quite down now, she was not in the mood to exchange anything with Wen Zhihan, and she had nothing left to exchange…

Wen Zhihan didn’t leave, but instead, she took the initiative to come to her side to stand in the cold wind.

“What are you thinking about?” Wen Zhihan asked.

She hadn’t spent much time with Shao Cixin, nor had she had much time to understand her. Moreover, she had seen her looking depressed only a few times.

So she didn’t know why Shao Cixin was unhappy at this moment.

Was it because of Long Hui’s harsh criticism, or was it the unwillingness of being outperformed by Zhou Hong, or some other reason?

— She wanted to know this reason.

“I… it’s nothing.”

She heard Shao Cixin answer like this.

Just like the last time.

Shao Cixin was still refusing to open her heart to her.

But this time, there was a hint of wanting to speak out — she had a desire to confide, but she had no reason to speak.

“Cixin,” Wen Zhihan’s tone was gentle, “If you have anything bothering you, you can tell me.”

Shao Cixin couldn’t help but turn her head to look at her.

Her eyes, her expression, were still so gentle, it was hard to resist.

Wen Zhihan took a step closer to her: “Don’t forget, I’m your wife.

“I have a duty to care about you.”

When her words fell, it was like a stone falling into water, stirring the calm pond.

Shao Cixin was taken aback, unconsciously taking a small step back.

She had to admit, these were very moving words, only that…

“We are a fake couple.”

She frowned, her eyes filled with a hint of reluctance.

She was reminding her, and also herself.

Wen Zhihan took in her every move, reached out her hand and pulled her into her embrace, speaking softly: “I know, I’ve always known.”

For some reason, Shao Cixin felt a pang of heartache when she heard these words.

“But even a fake wife can care about you,” Wen Zhihan said, “Cixin, if you don’t mind, you can consider me as a friend.”

“A friend you can confide in about any unhappiness, who can stand up for you, can talk about anything, a friend who is different from everyone else.”

The author has something to say: Step by step.

Mrs. Wen is also refusing to become Mrs. Wen today.