Chapter 27. The assistant was also captivated by her. "Are you a masochist? You seem to enjoy me pulling your hair so much."

Qin Lan was dumbfounded.

Jiang Yan's nonchalant shamelessness always left her speechless.

She silently released the person, and spoke a few times, as if she wanted to say something.

Jiang Yan smiled and leaned closer, gently rubbing her face against her leg: "Okay, I won't tease you anymore. Can we go get something to eat after filming today?"

"Sure."

I'm just idling around anyway.

The date seemed to go quite well.

It would be even better if Jiang Yan didn't constantly seduce her and shake her resolve.

At the end of the fourth year of the Chuigong era, Wu Zetian ordered her favorite male concubine Xue Huaiyi to build the Mingtang—Wanxiang Shengong—which was completed in Luoyang.

People from Luoyang flocked to see it, marveling at its magnificence. Most astonishingly, the building's political significance was evident in the nine dragons—symbols of male imperial power—placed on the second floor, supporting a phoenix painted entirely in gold!

Even before they entered, the common people were already pointing and commenting on the golden phoenix on the Mingtang Hall. But once inside, all that remained was a series of exclamations of amazement. It was magnificent, solemn, and sacred, enveloped in the aura of Empress Wu's mysterious smile, which instilled a sense of awe in all the ordinary people who strayed into its depths.

Princess Taiping was dressed very simply today, but in the eyes of the people of Luoyang, she was still exceptionally elegant. This noble lady of the imperial family entered the hall with the help of her maid, looked up at the ornately decorated dome, closed her eyes, and seemed to see the phoenix through the layers of veils.

There were many people secretly observing her, but she only cared about one person. She knew Shangguan Wan'er would come. As Empress Wu's most loyal admirer, how could she not come and see this building that symbolized the Empress's power?

She opened her eyes and met Shangguan's gaze. Compared to her, Shangguan Wan'er was truly plainly dressed, her clothes as ordinary as those of a commoner. But her Wan'er possessed a bamboo-like grace, clear, strong, supple, and exquisitely beautiful.

Shangguan Wan'er met her gaze from afar, then walked over and bowed.

"Princess, what a coincidence."

"Lord Shangguan is so idle these days, he can even wander around in broad daylight," Princess Taiping said sarcastically as usual.

"The Empress Dowager is in high spirits today." Shangguan Wan'er's words made Princess Taiping's face turn red with anger, and she looked like she wanted to leave immediately.

But Shangguan Wan'er's question kept her there: "When the Empress Dowager summoned the princess a few days ago, did she mention the matter of remarriage?"

"Yes," Princess Taiping said irritably, "Even when Lord Shangguan wasn't present, he knew everything perfectly well. It seems he understands Mother's thoughts very well."

"Did the princess refuse?" Shangguan Wan'er asked again.

"Yes, Wu Chengsi is ill." Taiping said this, but her expression was not very happy. Shangguan Wan'er remained silent.

Shangguan Wan'er understood Empress Wu well, knowing her ambition and ruthlessness. Before the throne, even her most favored daughter was merely a pawn to be sacrificed. Through the marriage alliance between Wu and Li, the Taiping Society would transform from descendants of the Li family to members of the Wu family. This would both protect her and further consolidate Empress Wu's rule.

She turned her head and glanced at Taiping. Perhaps she had sensed it, or perhaps she was still deceiving herself and comforting herself that her mother treated her the best. Look, she said she didn't like Wu Chengsi, and Wu Chengsi immediately "fell ill".

"Master Xue, it's Master Xue! It's Lord Xue who single-handedly built this Myriad Manifestations Divine Palace!" The crowd not far away suddenly stirred, craning their necks to look towards the palace gate.

"Is he the new abbot of the White Horse Temple?"

"Pah! She's just a quack doctor who climbed up to the Empress Dowager by using her looks..."

Those nearby quickly covered the man's mouth, forced him to kneel, and bowed to the approaching group from a distance: "Silence! That's a favorite of the Empress Dowager!"

The group strode into the main hall, led by a burly man with an arrogant expression. Behind him followed a band of bald henchmen, who claimed to be monks from the White Horse Temple but were actually Xue Huaiyi's underlings. This group ran rampant in Luoyang, causing chaos and violence, and was considered a scourge of the city.

"This humble subject pays respects to Master Xue..." The crowd responded with obsequious nods.

Only two people remained standing in the vast hall. When Xue Huaiyi approached, Shangguan Wan'er also knelt down to pay her respects.

"Auntie is here too." Xue Huaiyi looked at Taiping with a beaming smile, his tone ingratiating.

"Hmm." Taiping didn't really want to talk to him, her tone rather perfunctory. Xue Huaiyi, however, pointed at the Myriad Manifestations Divine Palace and began to talk at length, boasting about his achievements...

Hearing this, Taiping looked impatient, and Shangguan secretly suppressed a laugh.

Princess Taiping finally lost her temper and was about to explode when Shangguan Wan'er stepped forward calmly: "Princess, what's wrong?"

As she spoke, she reached out to support Taiping, her face filled with anxiety: "Your face looks a little pale, is your headache acting up again?"

They had been kindred spirits since their youth, and now a single glance was enough for them to understand each other's thoughts. A secret joy welled up within Taiping, content with this little secret known only to the two of them.

She then bit her lip, feigning weakness as she held her forehead: "There are too many people in this room, it's making me feel suffocated. Please help me back to my residence."

Seeing this, Xue Huaiyi had no choice but to stop talking and see them out.

Taiping boarded the carriage, but couldn't help but smile slightly.

Little did she know, a secret pleasure was rising in Shangguan Wan'er's heart as well.

She had always thought that this would be the end for her and Princess Taiping, that they would likely never see each other again. Before this, she often felt speechless when she thought of the princess; how had they ended up like this?

When she learned that Empress Wu intended to betroth Wu Chengsi to Taiping, this person, who was used to retreating and restraining herself, quietly changed her clothes and left the palace, quietly boarded the carriage, and quietly stopped at the gate of Taiping's residence. In the end, she didn't know how she ended up sitting down and drinking tea.

Taiping indeed resented her.

She felt uncomfortable.

She admired Empress Wu, but she didn't want to see Princess Taiping marry the wrong person. She was afraid that Princess Taiping would marry again hastily out of spite, so she tacitly approved the breaking of the ice between herself and the princess.

To be able to mend a relationship with a former best friend is a great blessing. What pleases her even more is that their tacit understanding remains unchanged; they can still understand each other with just a glance. Empress Wu is someone she needs to look up to and ponder, but when she is with Princess Taiping, Shangguan Wan'er feels more relaxed and carefree than ever before.

After filming a scene, Xiaoqing came in carrying afternoon tea for the crew and invited everyone to come and take it. Qin Lan went back to the RV to rest, and a few minutes later Jiang Yan also climbed up, pretending to be interested in a script: "I've come to ask Teacher Qin for advice on my scenes with her."

Qin Lan snorted: "Close the door, or someone will see us again."

Jiang Yan readily closed the car door: "But half the film crew saw me get in just now."

Qin Lan sat up straight in anger: "You, you, you..."

Jiang Yan sat on her lap, and the sudden closeness of her fragrant breath left Qin Lan speechless: "What's wrong with me, Teacher Qin?"

Her beautiful eyes glanced around, stirring Qin Lan's heart.

"...You and Taiping are quite alike." Qin Lan leaned back without much feeling: "You get so happy over the smallest things, and you even say you've found yourself. I think you're still love-struck."

“There’s nothing I can do, that’s just how it is when you like someone.” Jiang Yan wrapped her arms around her neck: “I’m happy when she talks to me, and I’m happy when I have the chance to see her. Taiping is happy because Shangguan is willing to break the ice with her, and I’m happy because I can hold hands with Teacher Qin right now.”

"Who wants to hold your hand..." Qin Lan muttered, but she didn't move when Jiang Yan's fingers groped and slipped between hers. Xiao Qing casually opened the car door and climbed in: "Sister Qin, have some fruit..."

The two people who were hugging turned around to look at her at the same time, as if she shouldn't have been there.

"..."

Xiaoqing lost her footing and fell from a height of 20 centimeters, smashing fruit and small cakes in the process.

The crowd began to murmur, "How did Teacher Qin's assistant fall?"

"I don't know, it just suddenly went numb." The person who spoke watched as Xiaoqing got up and closed the door with a look of utter despair, and clicked his tongue: "What a pity about that little cake."

The extras pointed and whispered, "What did Xiaoqing's assistant see that scared her so much? Did they start a fight?"

"Maybe, maybe! Right now they're probably tearing each other apart inside. I hope no one comes out with injuries..."

"I think I saw the car shake..." someone exclaimed in horror, "They've really started fighting!"

Only three fans with unusual backgrounds noticed something was wrong.

"Something's not right," said the palace maid. "Did you notice? Assistant Xiaoqing didn't rush in to break up the fight; instead, she closed the door."

"What does this mean?" Palace Maid Number Two asked with a serious expression.

"This means there was definitely no fighting going on inside, and what happened couldn't be shown to anyone."

"It can make the car vibrate..." the palace maid whispered, emphasizing each word.

"I can't put it into words; what I imagine won't pass censorship." Palace Maid No. 3 lowered her head and began frantically writing a short skit.

Qin Lan's RV did indeed shake, and the person inside was indeed pulling their hair. Qin Lan was holding Jiang Yan's hair and kissing her passionately, and in the midst of their infatuation, her elbow accidentally hit the glass with a dull thud.

"Ugh—" Qin Lan winced in pain. Jiang Yan opened her eyes from her daze, trying to pull away to check: "Does it hurt...?"

"Never mind all that nonsense," Qin Lan said, giving her hair a tug of frustration.

She didn't use much force, but it made Jiang Yan feel very good because the woman whimpered and went limp, rubbing the back of her head against Jiang Yan's palm, her eyes almost watering.

"Are you a masochist? You like me pulling your hair so much." Qin Lan panted, a glint of light in her eyes.

"Teacher Qin likes me no matter how she treats me." Jiang Yan clung to her, the script long since lost, and the things in the car were all jumbled up by them.

Qin Lan barely managed to suppress the urge to bite Jiang Yan's neck, but her eyes were still fixed on Jiang Yan's throat: "Alright, you go back first, I'll be there in a bit."

Jiang Yan stood up, and Qin Lan tossed her a pack of wet wipes: "Wipe your mouth."

"Teacher Qin is so cold, making others wipe it themselves." Jiang Yan lowered her eyes dejectedly.

Qin Lan couldn't stand her like this, and kept clicking her tongue as she pulled her over: "Who did you learn your tea ceremony from?"

"Teacher Qin doesn't like it?" Jiang Yan obediently pursed her lips, making it easier for her to wipe.

Qin Lan spoke fiercely, but her actions were gentle: "It's so-so, you're so annoying."

"That's really unfair to Teacher Qin, having to suppress yourself and put up with such an annoying me." Jiang Yan leaned in mischievously and kissed her again.

Just as Qin Lan was enjoying herself, the persistent question came again: "So what exactly is Xiao Ma?"

Qin Lan: "......"

Is this person's mind completely blank?

"You'll never know the answer to that question in your entire life," she said bitterly, glaring at Little Horse.

Jiang Yan gave a disappointed "oh" and turned to open the car door.

Xiao Qing numbly turned around, and when she saw Jiang Yan climbing down, her lips twitched. She timidly squeezed out an interjection from her throat: "Um, take care, Teacher Jiang."

"See you next time." Jiang Yan's words made her expression change drastically.

Jiang waved to her with an air of charm and swaggered away.

Jiang Yan noticed Xiao Qing's evasive gaze, so she added bribing Xiao Qing's assistant to her to-do list, planning to find an opportunity to have a gentle chat with Xiao Qing's assistant.

Xiaoqing climbed onto the RV like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey.

Keen-eyed onlookers noticed that Jiang Yan's hands were empty.

"Wait a minute, where's the script?"

"Did he leave it on the train?"

"That's definitely the case. After all, the two of them were fighting. Who would care about a few sheets of paper? They might be the first ones to be torn up as a punching bag."

Only three CP fans had a strange glint in their eyes: "Look closely, Teacher Jiang isn't holding a script."

"What did they do? It's so hard to guess."

Inside the RV, Xiaoqing anxiously pulled Qin Lan around, looking her up and down: "Sister Qin, she didn't do anything to you, did she?"

"What could possibly happen?" Qin Lan looked at her with a half-smile. "What do you think has happened?"

"The car was shaking just now," Xiaoqing said with concern. "Should I ask Director Yu for leave? Are you tired? Eat something to replenish your energy."

"Get lost." Qin Lan laughed and scolded, "Get me a bottle of sweet water, I'm dying of thirst."

Xiaoqing looked down and dragged out a box of grape juice, then exclaimed and pulled out a stack of papers: "Sister Qin, you dropped your script... Wait, Jiang... Yan?"

She handed it to Qin Lan, but Qin Lan didn't take it: "Give it to her later."

"I...I...I...I...?" Xiaoqing stammered, terrified. "Sister Qin, how could you leave me to face that woman alone...?"

"Are you suggesting I give it to her? There are so many people watching." Qin Lan looked at her strangely: "Why are you so afraid of her? Is she going to eat you up?"

"But she'll eat you!" Xiaoqing cried, on the verge of tears.

In Xiaoqing's mind, Jiang Yan was no different from a man-eating monster, and what was most terrifying was that she also had a beautiful disguise. Qin Lan used to complain to her that Jiang Yan was cunning and wicked, on the surface she had a pure and resilient innocent flower persona in the entertainment industry, but in reality she was a scheming and manipulative woman who would steal resources.

"..." Qin Lan affectionately patted her head: "Good girl, go on your way. You'll be seeing each other often in the future, so this will help you get used to each other."

Xiaoqing took a step back in alarm: "Sister Qin, why do you look so much like Jiang Yan now?"

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Qin Lan said, but revealed the elegant smile that Jiang Yan often used: "Does it look that similar?"

Xiaoqing scrambled off the bus.

When Qin Lan saw Xiao Qing again, her assistant had been tamed by Jiang Yan and was practically treated like a different master. She was practically wiping Jiang Yan's sweat and handing her water.

Noticing Qin Lan's arrival, the behind-the-scenes team quickly followed, and the camera focused on the three of them.

Jiang Yan smiled and took her hand, her face full of warmth: "Little Qing, stop busy and sit down for a rest. Look at you, your lips are a bit chapped. It's hot now, but if you use this Y brand lipstick that I endorse, you won't have to worry about chapped lips anymore. This lipstick is a 'no-makeup' look, waterproof, long-lasting, and very natural, making your complexion look especially good. Here, I happen to have one in my bag, let me help you try it..."

Qin Lan's jaw nearly dropped: "How much did the brand pay you for advertising?"

"Sister Qin, how could you say that about Teacher Jiang?!" Xiaoqing turned around indignantly. "Teacher Jiang is beautiful, kind-hearted, and doesn't put on airs at all. She's practically a fairy descended from heaven!"

Qin Lan opened her mouth, and at that moment Jiang Yan gently turned Xiao Qing's head back and lightly applied lipstick to her lips: "Little Qing, don't dodge, or you'll smudge the lipstick."

Xiaoqing quickly sat up straight. Before her was a stunningly beautiful face, and something cool and smooth brushed against her lips. She stared blankly at that face. Jiang Yan's eyelashes were so long and curled, and the color of her pupils was so beautiful... Suddenly, the fairy smiled and smiled, her expression slightly shy, and the corners of her eyes turned a pure pink: "Little Qing... why are you looking at me like that? I'm so embarrassed."

Good heavens! The fairy said she was embarrassed by my staring!

Xiaoqing gasped, clutched her heart, and fainted.

Qin Lan swiftly caught the blow on the back of her head, grinding her teeth: "You heartless bastard, how could you lay a hand on my assistant?"

"What's wrong with her?" Jiang Yan asked Xiao Qing with concern.

Qin Lan sneered: "It's an old problem of mine. My heart races whenever I see a beautiful woman."

Jiang Yan smiled and asked, "Did Teacher Qin praise me?"

Qin Lan: "Withdraw."

Jiang Yan looked at her with a wronged expression: "Why is Teacher Qin so stubborn? Won't she even praise me once?"

Qin Lan glanced lazily at the camera, and the camera crew wisely turned off their microphones and left.

She then said, "You need to be clear about your place. We're not really in a romantic relationship right now. And don't just get into my RV anytime you want. There are so many people watching."

She felt that her relationship with Jiang Yan had become a bit too ambiguous these past few days, to the point that the man was getting carried away and trying to take advantage of her. She had only agreed to have further contact with Jiang Yan, but he was always pushing his luck.

Jiang Yan felt a chill run down her spine, her mind in turmoil.

————————!!————————

I bought so many snacks today! Milk sticks, hawthorn rolls, fish-shaped snacks, yogurt, jelly, and dried fish!

For the past six months, every time I go out, I feel like a caveman who's been dried out for ages, climbing into the sun to get rid of the mold... The last time I went out was almost two weeks ago.