56. Is your heart made of stone?

Do you think I'm crazy?

Yan Sui's pupils constricted; she hadn't expected Lu Shutian to be so crazy.

Perhaps because Yan Sui's expression was too shocked, Lu Shutian smiled, released her grip on the other's neck, and began to slide downwards.

"You think I'm crazy? But sister, you're the real madwoman."

The further down you go, the more sensitive it becomes.

Yan Sui couldn't take it anymore, so she took two steps back and said, "I'm already trying my best to meet your needs."

Yan Sui didn't know what she needed to do to completely satisfy Lu Shutian.

With the person she liked now far away, Lu Shutian lowered her eyes and finally took the bottle of shampoo that Yan Sui wanted.

"come over."

Lu Shutian slowly looked at Yan Sui, who was a good three steps away from her.

Yan Sui made up her mind. Rather than getting entangled here, she decided to end it sooner rather than later. She stepped forward and extended her hands.

As Lu Shutian squeezed the purple shampoo into the other person's palm, she finally noticed something was wrong out of the corner of her eye.

"Um?"

Her attention was completely focused on Yan Sui, and she hadn't noticed her own change at all—

The scar on her chest had actually disappeared.

Yan Sui noticed it too. She rubbed her hair with her fingertips and said, "It slowly healed when we were running away."

Lu Shutian frowned: "How could this be..."

She stopped mid-sentence, but as clever as Lu Shutian was, she quickly figured out the reason for the scar healing.

Without a hint of a smile in her eyes, Lu Shutian still chuckled softly.

She said casually, "So it's because of the suspension bridge effect."

In that situation, anyone could have achieved the same level of connection with Yan Sui as she had just been with Yan Sui.

Lu Shutian's idea was the same as .001's, but Yan Sui didn't actually think so.

Even if it were truly a suspension bridge effect, it would be impossible to achieve the state just described.

But she didn't refute it; instead, she remained silent.

The two quickly finished showering, and Yan Sui, looking at her wet and dirty clothes, knew there was no way she would wear them again.

Fortunately, Lu Shutian handed her a nightgown: "Put it on."

Lu Shutian's speaking style today had become extremely concise, and Yan Sui, with her own strategies, also adhered to the principle of not saying much, simply saying, "Okay."

She dried herself off and changed into a nightgown. She had originally intended to say that she was going back to Jian Liyun's house first, but seeing Lu Shutian's expression, she chose to keep quiet.

Water droplets dripped continuously from the wet ends of her hair, spreading across the pure white fabric.

Lu Shutian clicked her tongue again, "Standing there motionless, are you planning to be a statue? Come here."

Yan Sui obediently walked over, and Lu Shutian took out a hairdryer from the cabinet above the sink and started drying her hair.

Her hair was dried quickly. Just as Yan Sui was hesitating whether she should also dry Lu Shutian's hair, Lu Shutian had already shoved the hairdryer into her hand.

"I……"

Yan Sui hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped.

What if she helps Lu Shutian blow-dry her hair and causes the other person to misunderstand and feel hurt?

Lu Shutian glanced at her, "You have to sing my praises whether you want to or not."

Yan Sui had no choice but to resign herself to starting to blow-dry the other person's hair.

[Host, I'm back! My boss initially refused to lend me points, but after I beat him up, he gave me them! Hey, host, what are you doing at the female lead's house?]

The system's chattering voice rang in Yan Sui's mind, and .001 also made sarcastic remarks.

If you had come back any later, your host would have been able to complete their mission.

Yan Sui was both amused and exasperated. "System, why did you beat up your boss? Will there be any punishment?"

"No, it shouldn't be. It's okay, it beat me up too. If we were to sue, we could be considered to have fought each other."

.001 was utterly speechless, wondering what the system was so smug about. [Low-level system, you can now return your points.]

The system looked pitiful. [Host, .001 is complaining about me again. Are you going to complain about me too? I seem really useless, sob sob.]

.001 hits the nail on the head: [Transmigrator Yan Sui, there's a 99% chance the low-level system is deliberately playing the victim.]

The bickering between the two systems improved Yan Sui's mood, and a smile unconsciously appeared on her lips. "Alright, you two stop arguing. 001, tell the system what just happened. I'll talk to Lu Shutian over here."

Lu Shutian's hair wasn't long, and Yan Sui dried it quickly. The hairdryer made Yan Sui's hands slightly warm as well. She turned it off and said, "Thank you for today."

Lu Shutian took a deep breath. "Even if you don't consider me, haven't you thought about Jian Liyun at all?"

Why did the topic change so suddenly, and what does this have to do with Jian Liyun?

Yan Sui was puzzled. "I don't understand what you mean."

Lu Shutian bit her lower lip, clearly trying her best to suppress her emotions.

No, I can't take it anymore.

Lu Shutian suddenly bent down, supported Yan Sui's thighs, and picked her up.

The feeling of suddenly being suspended in mid-air was unpleasant. Yan Sui exclaimed in surprise and instinctively put her hands on the other person's shoulders to maintain her balance, then leaned her upper body into the other person's arms.

Lu Shutian placed Yan Sui on the sink. Even through the fabric of her nightgown, Yan Sui shivered from the cold surface. She tried to remain calm, "What are you doing?"

Lu Shutian braced herself on the table with one hand, while the other hand encircled Yan Sui's slender waist. "When you do these dangerous things, do you never think about us? What if something really happens to you..."

Lu Shutian couldn't continue speaking; she didn't even dare to think about it anymore.

Yan Sui felt that their current posture was too intimate. She kept in mind what Lu Shutian had said, so she tried to push him away.

"Let's go to the living room and talk properly, not here."

Lu Shutian tightened her grip even more. "Answer my question, sister."

Yan Sui sighed helplessly and turned her head away, trying her best not to look at Lu Shutian's face.

"Of course I've thought about it carefully."

Moreover, this is good for both Jian Liyun and Lu Shutian.

Yan Sui didn't think she had done anything wrong.

As a transmigrator, Yan Sui hopes to complete the mission of saving the female supporting character; but as Yan Sui herself, she also sincerely hopes that Jian Liyun and Lu Shutian can be free and happy.

As the two drew closer, Lu Shutian leaned her cheek against Yan Sui's ear and gently licked Yan Sui's earlobe.

Yan Sui was startled by the other person's action and exclaimed, "What are you doing?!"

Lu Shutian chuckled softly a few times, "Sister, your body is so warm, but your heart—"

"It really is made of stone."

Yan Sui pursed her lips tightly. She didn't want to continue entangled with Lu Shutian and wanted to reach out and push her away.

Yan Sui's actions fueled Lu Shutian's anger, her eyes flashing with icy coldness. "I've practically ripped my heart out for you to see, isn't that enough? Sister, do you still think I don't truly love you? Why are you rejecting me?"

Yan Sui took a deep breath. "I've never denied your feelings for me, or your sincerity. But I've also told you that I can't reciprocate anyone's feelings right now... Ugh!"

Her body was suspended in mid-air again, and Lu Shutian picked her up and carried her to the bedroom.

Yan Sui was thrown heavily onto the bed. Before she could react, a figure pressed down on her.

Lu Shutian sat on her waist and pinched her chin. "I think my sister responded to that wild woman quite well."

Yan Sui's chin hurt a little from being pinched, and she frowned as she retorted, "I just interact with her normally."

"Normal relationship?!" Lu Shutian's voice suddenly rose. "Would artists and managers with a normal relationship live together, sleep in the same bed, and even take a bath together? Would a manager with a normal relationship cry in an artist's arms? Sister, I'm not stupid."

Yan Sui was unable to refute it; Lu Shutian was actually right.

She also realized that she and Jian Liyun seemed to be getting too close.

“But…” Yan Sui struggled to find a reason, “I explained my situation to her, and she accepted it.”

Jian Liyun could accept it, so Yan Sui chose to continue interacting with her as usual; but Lu Shutian could not accept it, so Yan Sui chose to stay away from her to avoid causing her any new trouble.

Lu Shutian paused for a moment, then chuckled.

"absurd."

She almost gritted her teeth, "Sister, can't you see she's lying to you? That wild woman sees that you won't accept her right away, so she's planning to slowly boil you like a frog. If you continue to treat her like this, sooner or later she'll eat you up until there's not even a bone left."

[But host, the female lead said you're a frog.]

The system suddenly spoke up, .001 scolding: [Low-level system, can you please not interrupt when a young couple is arguing?]

Why is the host married to the female lead? Did the female supporting character agree to this?

..001 got angry and decided to ban the system directly.

The two systems finally stopped.

Yan Sui's thinking was also inexplicably distorted. She pointed her index finger at her nose and said, "So you mean I'm a frog?"

The tense atmosphere instantly dissipated.

Lu Shutian tried to maintain her previous tone, but she couldn't keep it up. She gave up and said, "Yes, you're a little frog, all you do is croak all day."

Yan Sui pouted, "I'm not like that, I know what I'm doing."

Lu Shutian clearly didn't believe her. "You were fooled by the way Jian Liyun acted."

Seeing that Yan Sui remained unmoved, Lu Shutian decided not to waste any more words. "I'll let you know when the time comes."

"Oh," Yan Sui blinked, "So can you let me up now?"

Lu Shutian smiled sinisterly.

"Can't."

"Why...why would I do this!"

Before Yan Sui could finish her question, she saw Lu Shutian lean down, pinch her waist, and force her to turn over.

“My sister was naughty today, which worried me a lot, so,” Lu Shutian raised her hand, “I’m going to punish her.”

Snap!

Yan Sui really wanted to make a sharp, explosive sound like the system, but she tried her best to remain calm. "You, why did you spank me again?"

Lu Shutian remained calm despite being questioned. While thinking how nice the touch was, she took another sip.

"I already said it's a punishment."

Meanwhile, the system, now muted and unable to speak in front of Yan Sui, replied: 【.001 Quickly remove my permissions! I just happened to borrow some points from my superior, which can be used to enable pain shielding for the host.】

.001 scoffed, "Foolish, low-level system. What do you know? This is just playful banter between human lovers."

[What couple?! Did the host even agree to this?!] The system yelled angrily, [I'll fight you, you stinking high-level system!]

Two orbs of light grappled in a certain space, and .001's voice became panicked: [Why are you getting serious... My god, aren't you a low-level system? How come you're hitting me so hard?!]

The system was enraged beyond measure: [I may not be good at anything else, but I'm top-notch at beating up systems! You stinking high-level system, I'll teach you to ship random couples! I'm going to beat you up!]

Once the two systems finished their tug-of-war, Yan Sui's punishment also ended.

Lu Shutian kindly rubbed her bottom, "Does it hurt, sister?"

Yan Sui was both embarrassed and annoyed: "Can you please not do this next time? I'm an adult!"

"No." Lu Shutian answered quickly, her tone much lighter. "However, it's okay if you're temporarily fooled, I'll be back soon..."

Lu Shutian didn't finish her sentence. She pinched Yan Sui's waist and breathed warmly into her ear, "Sister, I have a surprise for you at tomorrow's concert."

Yan Sui didn't think it could be a surprise. She pursed her lips and said stiffly, "Can I leave now?"

Lu Shutian hugged her, and the two of them rolled over on the bed together, and now Yan Sui was on top of her.

Yan Sui's arms were held by Lu Shutian, making it impossible for her to support herself on the bed. She frowned and said, "Let go of me. If I keep pressing down on you like this, you won't be able to breathe properly."

Lu Shutian immediately refused, "No, sister doesn't understand, this is called a sweet burden."

Yan Sui coughed lightly, "I really have to go back."

"The wild woman isn't home, why would you go back?" Lu Shutian asked casually.

Yan Sui hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped.

"Could you please not say that in such a strange way..."

Yan Sui finally said weakly.

Lu Shutian didn't think she had said anything strange, but she still let go of the other person. "Okay, if someone can't be kept, then don't force them to stay."

Yeah, right.

Thinking this to herself, Lu Shutian lay on the bed and looked at Yan Sui, who quickly got up from the bed, and said with a smile, "But sister, don't go out tonight, it's too dangerous. I will send people to guard the area, so at least you are safe at my house and at that wild woman's house."

Yan Sui hummed in agreement. "Good luck with your concert tomorrow."

Lu Shutian changed her position, resting her chin on her hand and reclining. The soft beige nightgown fabric perfectly hugged the curves of her body, exuding a languid yet alluring charm.

"My sister's presence is the greatest encouragement to me," Lu Shutian vowed, speaking to Yan Sui with the sweetest voice she had ever used.

However, Yan Sui simply nodded slightly, "Okay, then I'll be going now."

Looking at Yan Sui's merciless retreating figure, Lu Shutian thought to herself:

very good.

Routine seduction.

Routine failure.

She sighed, then rolled over and lay face down on the bed. "Well, today was already pretty good."

At least Yan Sui was rescued.

What Lu Shutian wouldn't tell Yan Sui was what she was thinking when she saw the red marks on Yan Sui's legs—

She wanted to cut off He Chenyu's limbs, turn him into a human pig, and throw him into a snake pit, so that he could watch helplessly as he was devoured.

He actually caused his sister's injury; He Chenyu deserves to die a thousand times over.

Lu Shutian closed her eyes, effectively concealing the madness and ferocity within them.

Only her thick eyelashes, still trembling slightly, hinted at the turmoil in her heart.

Yan Sui had just returned to Jian Liyun's house when the fatigue from her adrenaline surge washed over her.

She dragged her heavy steps to the bedroom, opened the wardrobe, and even though her own clothes were right in front of her, she inexplicably reached to the left and grabbed Jian Liyun's coat, putting it on.

Yes, it's really warm.

Yan Sui slowly moved to the living room, curled up in a corner of the sofa like a kitten, and slowly closed her eyes.

Sleepiness came over me, but my stomach also started growling.

Yan Sui then realized that she hadn't had dinner yet.

She touched her stomach, looked out the window at the still-pouring rain, and decided to cook something for herself at home.

Because Jian Liyun was filming on set during this period, her refrigerator was almost empty.

Finding the only ingredients available, Yan Sui made herself a bowl of egg noodles.

She had just picked up her chopsticks when Jian Liyun called her via video.

Yan Sui put down her chopsticks and answered the phone, this time turning on her camera as well. "Li Yun."

Yan Sui's face was a little blurry. Just as Jian Liyun was wondering about it, she saw Yan Sui adjust the camera angle, allowing Jian Liyun to see the steaming bowl of egg noodles.

"I was just about to have dinner, Li Yun, have you had dinner yet?"

Jian Liyun had a faint smile on her lips. "Not yet, I just finished filming and got back to the hotel."

Yan Sui asked casually, "So, what are you having for dinner?"

Jian Liyun raised an eyebrow and said, "It's still the light meal you hate the most."

Yan Sui pursed her lips; she did indeed avoid this kind of food.

Jian Liyun looked at the woman staring intently at her on the screen and chuckled, "You eat first, we can chat while we eat."

Yan Sui held her phone upright, pointing the camera at herself, and used her freed hands to pick up chopsticks with one hand and hold the bowl of noodles with the other.

Seeing Yan Sui eating her noodles in small bites, Jian Liyun's expression relaxed considerably.

Yan Sui felt a little embarrassed by the stare. "Why are you looking at me with a smile? Is it funny that I'm eating noodles?"

Jian Liyun shook her head: "Seeing you eating well makes me feel happy too."

Is that all it takes to feel happy?

Yan Sui couldn't understand, but she still smiled.

After Yan Sui finished eating her noodles, Jian Liyun asked, "Why did you ask me for He Chenyu's contact information today?"

Yan Sui wiped her lips with a tissue. She looked at the woman on the screen and quickly organized what she was about to say.

"Writer Luo contacted me suddenly today to talk about your role in her novel. After we finished talking, she asked me to help deliver something to He Chenyu's second sister."

Jian Liyun paused, her expression remaining calm, "And then?"

Yan Sui breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that the other party seemed to have no suspicions.

She shrugged. "You know about Brother He Chenyu's passing. The funeral was this afternoon. I went to the funeral, delivered some gifts, and was about to leave, but it was raining so hard today. The cemetery is in the suburbs and on a mountain, so it's hard to get a taxi. He Chenyu originally planned to have his subordinate take me back."

Jian Liyun's gentle expression vanished, and she said seriously, "Is it the man who locked the two of us inside that time?"

Yan Sui was surprised that the other party guessed correctly on the first try. She was about to lie, but seeing the other party's expression, she knew that if she didn't tell the truth, she would definitely be seen through at a glance.

"Yes. So I made an excuse to leave, but I had to tell He Chenyu, which is why I asked you for his contact information."

Jian Liyun pressed on, "You left by yourself? Suisui, it's raining so hard today, and there are no taxis where you are. How did you leave?"

Yan Sui silently pulled her coat tighter and whispered, "Someone's here to pick me up."

"It's Lu Shutian."

Jian Liyun spoke with certainty.

Yan Sui looked at the beauty on the screen in disbelief. "How did you guess?"

Jian Liyun smiled and shook her head, tilting her head slightly: "The clothes are showing."

Yan Sui looked herself over.

What clothes? This coat?

Jian Liyun "kindly" reminded her again: "When you were eating noodles just now, I saw the clothes you were wearing underneath. It should be the nightgown that Lu Shutian gave you, right?"

"Ah, no, this..."

Yan Sui was so nervous that she stammered. Despite all her planning, she still forgot to change her clothes before coming back.

I was so tired just now that I could barely cook noodles, let alone change my clothes.

Yan Sui's bewildered look amused Jian Liyun, whose face showed no sign of anger.

"Don't be nervous, Sui Sui."

Yan Sui's cheeks and even the roots of her ears quickly turned red. She stammered for a long time before finally apologizing guiltily.

"I'm sorry, Li Yun."

Jian Liyun asked gently, "Why are you apologizing? Because you think I'm angry?"

Yan Sui unconsciously bit her lower lip, fidgeting with her fingers, unsure of what to say.

What Lu Shutian said today had more or less affected her. Yan Sui felt that she should perhaps re-examine her relationship with Jian Liyun.

But……

What was this uncontrollable feeling of guilt? Yan Sui couldn't understand what she was thinking; she just felt afraid to face Jian Liyun.

She knew perfectly well how much Jian Liyun felt for her, yet she always managed to do things that caused the other person to misunderstand and feel hurt.

"Sui Sui, if you lower your head any further, are you planning to have a close encounter with the floor?"

Jian Liyun's teasing voice came from the phone. Yan Sui paused, her voice tightening: "No."

"Lift your head up."

Upon hearing this, Yan Sui finally raised her head hesitantly.

On the screen, Jian Liyun's expression remained gentle. She softened her tone, "Sui Sui, you are free to go wherever you want, who you want to do what you want. I have no right or qualification to restrict you."

Yan Sui murmured, "Don't say that about yourself..."

"Did I say something wrong?" Jian Liyun said gently, "We're not lovers, at most friends. I know you won't accept me, so I won't interfere in your private life."

The more Jian Liyun said this, the more guilty Yan Sui felt, her eyes filled with apology. "I won't do this again."

Jian Liyun sighed, "Don't look so sad. I'm not here with you right now, so I can't hug you."

Yan Sui could only manage a weak smile: "I'm not sad."

Instead of exposing Yan Sui's bravado, Jian Liyun changed the subject: "By the way, did you talk to He Chenyu about anything when you went to the funeral today?"

Although Jian Liyun was actually dissatisfied and jealous of the ambiguous relationship between Yan Sui and Lu Shutian, she wouldn't show it now.

Because she knew that Yan Sui responded better to gentleness than force; the more she showed concern, the more the other party would avoid her or even become more assertive.

But if we retreat in the first place, Yan Sui will definitely catch up.

But He Chenyu's situation is different.

Jian Liyun knew He Chenyu's style of doing things well. Just from Yan Sui's description today, she knew that He Chenyu must have wanted to kill Yan Sui.

Yan Sui's eyes darted around: "We talked about his second sister."

"Is that all?"

Yan Sui didn't want Jian Liyun to be dragged into the dangerous vortex, so she shook her head.

But then she saw that the woman on the screen had reddened at the corners of her eyes.

Jian Liyun's eyebrows drooped slightly, her sadness turning into a moist substance, becoming tears that seemed about to fall but couldn't.

Her red lips trembled slightly, as if she were pleading or questioning.

"Sui Sui, please stop lying to me, okay?"

[Author's Note]

By now, you should be able to see the biggest difference between Xiao Jian and Xiao Lu.

One uses a strategy of retreating to advance, while the other prefers to play straightforwardly.

(And there will be further changes later on, so please stay tuned.)

Xiao Yan actually falls for the "retreat to advance" tactic more, but Xiao Lu's direct attacks are too fierce, so even though Xiao Yan doesn't usually fall for it, she's now susceptible to it, haha.

But! May you all be steadily happy.

P.S.: Let me write some melodramatic plot points before I get to happiness (just kidding).