Chapter 50: Dull

After sending out her message, filled with ambiguity and hints, Jiang Lai only felt like she must have lost her mind.

But the truth was, she had thought it over carefully before pressing send.

Jiang Lai wanted to have a drink, to relax her tired body and mind.

With a glass of wine down, her whole self would feel light and floating; if she drank a bit more, her mind would even grow hazy, drifting and unsteady.

Although that kind of unfocused feeling wasn’t reliable at all, for Jiang Lai, who was under immense pressure at the moment, drinking was still the most relaxing thing she could do.

That was how it used to be for her, at least.

Now, however, there was an immense temptation right before her eyes.

Jiang Lai knew she had become quite beautiful after turning into a woman, but compared to Xu Ruobing, there was still a gap.

Xu Ruobing’s looks were nearly perfect.

The greatest difference between a celebrity and an ordinary person lay in someone like Xu Ruobing—a top star whose beauty could stun you for a year with just one glance.

That striking sensation, lingering long in your mind, was something ordinary people could hardly possess.

It wasn’t just about having an exquisite face; it also required a unique aura.

Jiang Lai felt she’d been utterly bewitched by beauty.

In her weakest moment, it was Xu Ruobing, this breathtaking beauty, who had rushed to her side without hesitation.

Jiang Lai even felt that the person she played with in her dreams was modeled after Xu Ruobing.

These past few days, every time she thought about it, Xu Ruobing’s face would appear in her mind.

If Chi Yingyu, who worked alongside her, knew that after serving her brother-in-law so diligently for a whole night, the person in his dreams turned out to be another woman—

Chi Yingyu would definitely go mad, maybe even pin Jiang Lai down on the sofa without caring about anything else, forcing her brother-in-law to open his eyes and see clearly who was really comforting her, who was really bringing her pleasure.

Jiang Lai managed to hide everything she was thinking deep inside, but there were still little signs that kept revealing how much her attention was fixed on Xu Ruobing.

When Jiang Lai did housework, she would play TV dramas starring Xu Ruobing on the television, watching as she sighed inwardly at how stunning Xu Ruobing’s makeup and styling were, how dedicated her acting felt.

She was so beautiful, yet her path was entirely based on skill.

Jiang Lai had to admit, Xu Ruobing really was a perfect person—apart from the fact that she would sometimes tease her.

But thinking back on those pranks, Jiang Lai didn’t dislike them at all.

That faint fondness gradually helped her see her true self: deep down, she was so hungry and thirsty.

Jiang Lai had experienced that burning, uncontrollable desire before, and now she understood her own wants.

If she didn’t handle them, they would pile up and make her miserable.

These normal physical needs deserved proper attention.

But Jiang Lai only felt her appetite growing larger.

After tasting the real thing with Xi Kang, she felt that if she tried to DIY, her skills just weren’t up to par.

Even though she’d once touched her wife before, that was more than ten years ago; whatever skills she had back then were now long forgotten.

Even though it was her own body now, she wasn’t familiar with it at all.

She had tried touching herself a little, but it was nothing like when Xu Ruobing did it, not even close to the sensations in her spring dreams.

Jiang Lai truly hadn’t expected her technique to be so poor.

Having experienced such pleasure, she found her own attempts bland and boring.

Her skin, untouched by anyone else, was so sensitive that even the few times her sister-in-law had been intimate with her left her tingling with a faint electric shock—a sensation her own touch could never evoke.

Jiang Lai could only conclude that there was something seriously wrong with her body: it just didn’t feel as good when she touched herself as when someone else did.

Sometimes, Jiang Lai couldn’t help but sigh.

Was her body really meant for her own use?

Jiang Lai let out a sigh.

The moment she sent her message, Xu Ruobing replied almost instantly.

[I’m free today. Where are you now? I can come pick you up directly.]

[Not today, don’t be too hasty. I just wanted to make an appointment.]

Jiang Lai was really startled by Xu Ruobing’s speed.

A celebrity shouldn’t be so free, right?

How could she respond so quickly—and even say she could come over today?

Didn’t she have any work at all?

In Jiang Lai’s mind, celebrities were supposed to be incredibly busy, their schedules packed to the brim, sometimes spending years on a single drama set.

But the Xu Ruobing she knew didn’t seem that busy, which was totally different from what she’d imagined.

Of course, Xu Ruobing was the only celebrity she knew—maybe all celebrities were like this.

What Jiang Lai didn’t know was that Xu Ruobing had actually been busier than ever lately, juggling multiple roles in her own studio.

Otherwise, nothing would have gotten done.

At first, only her agent knew her whereabouts, but judging by the events of that day, it seemed as if the whole world knew.

And those fans who had gathered were clearly there to cover for the person who attacked her.

After sending Jiang Lai home safely, Xu Ruobing had rushed off to deal with the little rats around her.

Investigating solid evidence was troublesome and time-consuming, but Xu Ruobing didn’t want to keep anyone untrustworthy by her side.

So, she fired everyone with even a hint of suspicion—this included her agent of many years.

Whether her agent had done it on purpose or not, Xu Ruobing held her responsible.

Besides weeding out those with ill intentions, she was also quietly collecting evidence of all sorts of small betrayals around her.

For now, she had only fired them.

But once she had all the evidence, what awaited them would be prison.

Xu Ruobing was no pushover and would never let herself be manipulated by anyone.

What’s more, this time Jiang Lai had nearly gotten hurt because of her.

To Xu Ruobing, there were two victims, and no matter what, she would never forgive those who played dirty behind her back.

Originally, Xu Ruobing had planned to take a short nap at her desk.

But after seeing Jiang Lai’s message, her exhaustion and sleepiness vanished without a trace.

[As long as you have time, I can come pick you up. I’ll be staying in this city for a while anyway.]

To make sure her studio could run smoothly without her direct supervision, she needed to have the right people in key positions.

But interviewing everyone herself was too slow.

Right now, what Xu Ruobing lacked most was an HR she could trust completely.