Xu Ruobing gripped her phone, the screen light reflecting in her eyes, making the photo of the diamond ring even more dazzling. She had to admit, it was a really good photo. Her knuckles turned white as she held the phone.
She was just sitting here for a short rest. She’d originally picked up her phone to browse Moments, thinking to relax her mind a bit, or maybe to bother Jiang Lai again and see what she was up to. Xu Ruobing was still filming the night scenes, but instead she came across a bombshell.
She stared at the very simple word “Proposal” that Chi Yingyu had posted. Although it was simple, with no discernible tone, Xu Ruobing could already imagine how smug the other woman must be. Her fingertip unconsciously slid across the screen, nearly blurring the line of text.
The scene of talking to Jiang Lai on the phone yesterday was still as clear as if it had just happened. She remembered how she’d suggested the idea of a proposal. Now that she thought about it, she really had a big mouth.
‘What am I, some kind of big sister confidante?’
Jiang Lai moved so fast? So fast that she didn’t even have time to prepare?
She had originally thought that if the two of them fought, it would at least last nine days. In that case, she could continue playing the role of the big sister confidante, chatting every night, and even fall asleep happily watching Jiang Lai’s beautiful face before bed.
But what was this? They had only argued for one day. Was that even an argument?
“Ruobing, time to touch up your makeup. Once you finish the last scene, you can go back and rest.”
The assistant’s voice sounded beside her, laced with careful hesitation. She had already noticed Xu Ruobing’s grim expression but hadn’t said anything until the director was about to resume filming, when she finally dared to interrupt.
“Got it.”
Xu Ruobing suppressed her urge to go find Jiang Lai. She tucked her phone into her bag, slipped off her warm outer clothes, revealing a magnificent gown, and let the chill in the air barely suppress the bitterness in her heart.
She stood up. In the mirror, the corners of her eyes were red. The exquisite makeup that had been perfectly applied before the scene now looked somewhat messy.
The makeup artist approached with a powder puff. She instinctively tilted her head, her tone carrying an irritability she hadn’t noticed.
“Lightly.”
The assistant didn’t dare say a word. She could only quietly arrange everything around her, terrified that a single misstep would anger Xu Ruobing. In other words, almost all of Xu Ruobing’s good temper was reserved for Jiang Lai.
Put another way, Xu Ruobing’s emotions were completely tied to Jiang Lai. Whenever something happened to Jiang Lai, Xu Ruobing’s mood was prone to sour.
Just as the makeup artist’s powder puff touched Xu Ruobing’s cheek, she abruptly clenched her phone, her thumb pressing a white mark against the screen’s edge.
The light from the touch-up mirror was blindingly bright. Even the powder under the makeup artist’s hand couldn’t conceal the taut, strained emotion.
“Ruobing, your lashes are a bit messy. Should I fix them?”
The makeup artist’s voice was even softer now, the small tweezers hovering in mid-air, afraid to set her off.
Xu Ruobing didn’t answer. She just stared at her own reflection in the mirror, but her mind was full of the image of Chi Yingyu posting on Moments.
She probably adjusted the angle in front of the mirror over and over to get the ring to sparkle just right. When she typed the caption “Proposal,” the corners of her mouth were definitely raised high.
Xu Ruobing’s fingertip swiped across the phone screen. Without thinking, she tapped into the chat window with Chi Yingyu.
During the break between touch-ups and filming, she typed and deleted in the input box. First, she wrote,
“The ring is really pretty,”
but that felt too dismissive. She deleted it and wrote,
“Congratulations on the proposal.”
But the word “congratulations” felt so awkward, as if every stroke mocked her own misery.
The assistant stood nearby, holding a thermos, her heart sinking. She probably knew why Xu Ruobing’s mood had suddenly soured—it had to be because of Miss Jiang Lai.
Xu Ruobing fiddled for a long time before finally sending a simple compliment:
“The ring looks great.”
The moment the message sent, she flipped her phone face-down on the dressing table. The sound of metal hitting the tabletop rang out clearly in the quiet dressing room.
The makeup artist paused and asked cautiously,
“Ruobing, should I fix your lashes again?”
“No.”
Xu Ruobing closed her eyes. When she opened them again, the redness in her gaze had faded, replaced by a hard, cold shell.
“Just leave it.”
Just as Xu Ruobing closed her eyes to calm her racing thoughts, her phone suddenly vibrated.
Her body went rigid. Even her breathing slowed.
She stared at the phone face-down but didn’t pick it up. She didn’t want to let the other person affect her mood anymore. She would finish the day’s shooting first, then ask properly.
On the other end of the phone, Chi Yingyu looked at the chat window with Xu Ruobing. She saw the clearly stiff congratulations and couldn’t help the smile spreading across her face.
She hadn’t expected to get a message from her sister first—instead, it was Xu Ruobing.
While Chi Yingyu was typing a reply, Jiang Lai noticed how happy she looked and couldn’t help asking,
“Did something happen? Why are you so happy?”
Chi Yingyu’s fingertips were still on the screen. At the sound of Jiang Lai’s voice, she quickly hid her phone behind her back.
When she turned around, the slyness in her eyes had melted into a soft, warm smile, like a cat that had stolen candy.
She leaned in, wrapped her arms around Jiang Lai’s waist, and rubbed her cheek against her shoulder. Her voice carried the excitement of someone who had just sent a message.
“Nothing much. I just feel really happy right now.”
Jiang Lai looked down at the woman clinging to her. Her fingertips gently rubbed the top of her head, which still smelled of the warm fragrance from the hair dryer.
“Good that you’re happy. But what were you talking about just now?”
Her tone held a hint of curiosity. Her gaze swept over the corner of the phone peeking out from behind Chi Yingyu, but she didn’t press further.
She knew Chi Yingyu’s little quirks. If she wanted to say it, she would.
But Chi Yingyu deliberately played coy. She looked up at her, eyes bright.
“Not telling you. It’s just someone’s congratulations. Don’t worry about who it is. Anyone who wishes us well is a good person.”
Jiang Lai was amused by her. She reached out, clasped her wrist, and pulled her closer.
“Alright.”
Just a moment ago, when they were lying in bed, Jiang Lai had played on her phone for a while and naturally saw Chi Yingyu’s Moments post.
It seemed that besides their daughter, Xu Ruobing was also among those who liked it.
She remembered that it was Xu Ruobing who suggested the proposal in the first place.
Had Yingyu just been chatting with Xu Ruobing?
She hadn’t thanked her yet.
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