Chapter 52: "I see you're having a good time too."

Qin Lan narrowed his eyes, leaned in and bit her lip hard. He then grabbed the leather belt, hastily wrapped it around Jiang Yan's wrist twice, and pushed her against the wall.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a coat hook.

Qin Lan wrapped the belt around his neck with satisfaction.

Jiang Yan realized her intention, and her playful gaze finally betrayed terror: "What are you doing? Let me go—"

"You provided this yourself."

Qin Lan smugly tied a knot, enjoying Jiang Yan's helpless appearance. Her hands were raised high above her head, bound to the wall with a leather belt, her clothes were disheveled, her collar was wide open, and her expression was panicked.

Perfection fueled the wicked thoughts in her mind.

She removed the two small squares, carefully put them on, and held them close to Jiang Yan's ear, blowing air into them as Jiang Yan always did when she teased her: "Teacher Jiang doesn't understand my competitive spirit very well yet, but you'll get to know it better in a bit."

When she mentioned "deep people," her hand slipped inside her clothes and slowly twirled around.

"Let me go first."

Jiang Yan's breathing was unsteady. She felt a mixture of anticipation and fear. When she got excited, she became exceptionally fierce and wouldn't listen to anyone's pleas for mercy.

She started worrying about how she was going to get out. She was the one who led this person in by the neck, but when she left, her legs felt weak. Anyone with a bit of experience would know something was wrong!

Qin Lan raised an eyebrow, then suddenly pressed her hand harder: "Teacher Jiang doesn't like it?"

Jiang Yan groaned, her whole body trembling.

She tried to push Qin Lan away, but her wrists were still tied to the wall.

"No, I can't stand it if you do that." She softened her tone: "People will suspect us when we go out."

"Oh." Qin Lan lowered her head rudely. "What does that have to do with me? We're mortal enemies."

Jiang Yan was about to cry: "Teacher Qin, please don't do this."

Qin Lan grinned from ear to ear: "Beg me!"

Jiang Yan gritted her teeth and turned her head away.

Qin Lan squinted at her, then suddenly pinched her.

Tears welled up in Jiang Yan's eyes, and she accused her with an extremely aggrieved look.

Qin Lan threatened her: "If you don't say anything, I'll keep doing this."

At first, Jiang Yan tried to hold on, but she soon couldn't take it anymore. Unfortunately, she was completely bound to the wall, with very limited room to move.

Jiang Yan twisted and turned for a while, but found she couldn't break free, so she could only plead softly, "Please."

"Whom should I ask?"

"Please."

"What is our relationship?"

"...lip friendship."

Qin Lan laughed, whispering in his ear, "Do you want to die?"

Jiang Yan's eyes were red: "Doesn't Teacher Qin know me well? She knows I always like to court death."

"You're not just looking for death, you're looking for sex." Qin Lan swore, which made Jiang Yan feel like her life was over.

"A lip-to-lip friendship, huh?"

Jiang Yanren was driven crazy, her eyes filled with extreme grievance: "Hurry up!"

Qin Lan went even further: "Then bark like a dog."

"?"

Qin Lan: "If you hurry up, I'll hurry up."

Jiang Yan was incredibly patient; she endured for another five minutes before finally letting out a soft "Woof woof."

Qin Lan was overjoyed and happily kissed her.

Jiang Yan cried uncontrollably, repeatedly pleading in her ear, "Please take her out, please take her out, I really can't take it anymore, Qin Lan."

Qin Lan shrugged: "What does that have to do with me?"

"I'm exhausted after filming all day," Jiang Yan pleaded with her, "I can't stand anymore."

Qin Lan looked completely innocent: "I was just supporting you."

...

When Qin Lan returned, Jiang Yan sat listlessly in a chair, her hands on her lap, her knees together, and her wrists covered in red marks that looked like they were about to break.

Qin Lan, feeling a pang of conscience, pulled out a wet wipe: "Open your legs."

Jiang Yan shook her head desperately.

Qin Lan: "..."

She laughed in exasperation: "I'll wipe it for you."

Jiang Yan pressed her legs together even tighter, her eyes filled with terror: "You're lying to me."

Qin Lan thought to herself, "Oh no, it seems like I've been tortured into developing PTSD."

She had no choice but to hand the wet wipes to Jiang Yan: "Then you do it yourself."

Jiang Yan stubbornly shook her head: "Stay away from me."

"?"

"Then I'll leave?"

She actually turned and walked out, but after two seconds she turned back and looked helplessly at Jiang Yan, who looked terrified: "I'm really fed up with you. Put it down and I'll wipe it."

Using a combination of gentle persuasion and force, she half-forced Jiang Yan into her arms, cleaned her up, dressed her, and then applied ointment to her wrists: "Does it hurt?"

Jiang Yan pouted: "It hurts."

Qin Lan coaxed her, "Next time I'll change it to a ribbon."

Jiang Yan said weakly, "There will be a next time?"

Qin Lan: "I think you're having a good time too."

Jiang Yan reached out shakily to push her away, but Qin Lan caught her and couldn't help but kiss her again: "Rest here for a while, then take my car back to the hotel."

"I don't want to get in your car." Jiang Yan's eyes glistened with tears.

Qin Lan: "I'm not that much of a beast, am I? You've already gone this far, I definitely won't touch you."

Jiang Yan shook her head in fear: "You're lying."

Qin Lan: "..."

"Get a good rest tonight, we'll go on a date tomorrow."

Jiang Yan: "Who goes on a date with their ex-girlfriend?"

Qin Lan: "So what? I just talked to my ex-girlfriend—"

Jiang Yan stuffed a wad of clothing into her mouth: "Shut up."

＊

The next day, Qin Lan got up earlier than usual to go to the film set.

After spending two hours getting ready, she emerged from the suite looking radiant and went downstairs to find Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan looked like she hadn't woken up yet, but at least she was tidied up. She was dragged into the car and sat in the back seat with a milk in her mouth.

"Where are we going?" she asked lazily.

"Fighting gym".

Jiang Yan sat up straight: "?"

Qin Lan pointed to Ye Wei in the passenger seat: "Become her apprentice."

Jiang Yan: "???"

Ye Wei politely turned her head: "No, no, I wouldn't dare."

Qin Lan: "I learned Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and I will teach you later. For beginners, Ye Wei will teach you. She is a former armed police officer and is more professional."

Jiang Yan wailed, "You're inhuman! You want me to drag my broken body to learn martial arts—"

Qin Lan guiltily covered her mouth: "It's a rare day off, so I'll make the most of it and give you some training."

Ye Wei: "Miss, if Miss Jiang is not feeling well, it would be best if she didn't..."

Qin Lan quickly interrupted her: "I know what's going on. She's just a little tired. Be gentle and teach her some basic, practical stuff first. We don't need her to become a boxing champion; we just need her to be able to run away if there's danger."

Ye Wei nodded: "I understand."

Qin Lan: "If you behave well, you won't be allowed to practice this afternoon."

I doubt I'll have the strength left by then.

Jiang Yansheng looked out the window with a sense of despair.

At noon, Qin Lan drove his sports car to the entrance of the fighting gym and went inside to find Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan lay on the ground, looking like she no longer wanted to live.

Ye Wei stood innocently to the side: "Miss, Miss Jiang is more suited to be a rich heiress than you."

Qin Lan: "You've worked hard. From now on, train her for an hour every other night."

Ye Wei nodded and left.

"Hey," Qin Lan called out to her, "Can you still move?"

"You're so inhumane," Jiang Yan said weakly. "Even in this state, you still expect me to walk on my own?"

Qin Lan had no choice but to say, "There are so many people outside. If you're not afraid of being seen, I'll carry you out."

"Don't worry, carry me." Jiang Yan wrapped her arms around her neck shamelessly: "I like it when Teacher Qin carries me."

She whispered again, "When I was little, my grandparents often carried me on their backs."

Qin Lan's heart softened completely. He put a hat and mask on her and carried her outside.

She asked gently, "What kind of people were your grandparents?"

Jiang Yan's tired voice gradually turned into a smile: "Grandpa and Grandma are the best people in the world to me. They gave unconditionally and raised me without asking for anything in return. We had a very hard time back then. Every stitch in the house was made by Grandma's skillful hands, and all my toys were carved by Grandpa, one cut at a time."

"Grandpa was a very tall man, but no matter how old I got, he was always willing to lie down on the ground and let me ride on his back to make me happy."

“My grandmother used to be an intellectual. Later, she went to the countryside and met my grandfather, and settled down there. She gave me my name, and she was also my first teacher.”

She said confidently, "They are the best people in the world, and you will definitely like them."

Qin Lan's ears turned red, and she asked somewhat awkwardly, "Then won't they dislike someone like me?"

She felt she wasn't as likable as Jiang Yan. Elders generally preferred gentle and obedient women, and she was a woman, especially a spoiled one. Would Jiang Yan's grandparents dislike or reject her?

"Don't think like that." Jiang Yan's calm and composed voice rang in her ears: "Teacher Qin, you are the best person I have ever met."

Qin Lan blushed again: "But I'm not very good at winning over elders..."

Jiang Yan gently rubbed her earlobe and pursed her lips quietly: "You're especially likable the way you are right now."

"Jiang Yan!" Qin Lan shuddered, almost throwing her off: "You better behave yourself!"

Jiang Yan smiled and shrank back.

Qin Lan thought for a long time before finally making up her mind: "After this movie is finished filming, take me to meet them."

Jiang Yan was silent for two seconds, then buried her face in her neck, her voice muffled and soft: "They've already gone to another world."

Qin Lan's heart sank heavily.

She stood there for a moment, bewildered, then quickly walked to the car and put Jiang Yan in the passenger seat.

Qin Lan closed the door, walked around to the driver's seat, and leaned over to hug her: "So that's why you were so sad on the plane last time?"

"Actually, it was a beautiful dream," Jiang Yan said softly. "I dreamt of the past."

Qin Lan felt a pang of heartache: "Was that the happiest time of your life?"

“Yes.” Jiang Yan smiled: “I had no worries. Although we were poor, I was happy. At that time, I had never seen the outside world and didn’t know that there was so much suffering in the world because my grandparents protected me very well. Since they left, I have never been so carefree.”

Qin Lanxin's heart clenched: "Liking me must have made you very sad, right?"

Jiang Yan smiled and kissed her: "Don't say that."

"That's how love is; there's always sweetness and pain. When I chose to follow in your footsteps, I was prepared to accept the consequences. It's because of you that I've been able to keep growing and become who I am today."

Qin Lan felt suffocated at the thought of how many tears Jiang Yan had shed and how many times she had been heartbroken because of her feelings for her. Now, she liked Jiang Yan very much, so every time she saw Jiang Yan sad, her heart ached.

Jiang Yan played with her fingers: "Qin Lan, I want to be able to hold your hand no matter where we are in the future."

"good."

"So, can you please not leave me?" She nestled into Qin Lan's arms longingly, murmuring absently, "You're all I have left."

Jiang Yan rarely expressed her fear of the uncertain future. She always tried her best to tell Qin Lan that he was free, and also to prove that she could accept any outcome.

When she expresses her reluctance to part, it is often when she is at her most vulnerable.

Qin Lan hugged her tightly: "Let's go eat."

She turned Jiang Yan's face towards her: "I can't promise the future right now, so I hope you can enjoy the present."

Jiang Yan nodded as expected: "So, what are you going to take me to eat next, Teacher Qin?"

Qin Lan helped her fasten her seatbelt, stepped on the gas, and the sports car roared off: "Let's eat at the top-notch Chinese restaurant here."

Upon entering, you'll first see a traditional-style stage where ladies perform songs and dances. After crossing a water-crossing bridge, you'll arrive at a celestial mountain pavilion, shrouded in mist and filled with the songs of hundreds of birds.

After they were seated, waiters filed in, revealing a table laden with a dazzling array of delicacies. Jiang Yan looked at them for a while, and the more she looked, the more familiar they seemed: "Is this the Burning Tail Banquet?"

The "Burning Tail Banquet" originated in the Tang Dynasty and flourished during the reign of Emperor Zhongzong Li Xian, which is the part they are currently filming. At that time, when officials were appointed to official positions, they would present food to the emperor.

Qin Lan took the towel and wiped her hands: "Yu Guaiguai, the scene you copied last week was the same, but it was all props. Now I'm bringing you the real thing."

Jiang Yan rested her chin on her hand, glancing absently at the way she wiped her hands: "I need to be careful about managing my figure."

"You're too thin. You just finished training this morning, so you should replenish some carbohydrates," Qin Lan said. "You can eat a little."

"Okay, what's this dish called?" Jiang Yan picked up her chopsticks and pointed to a plate of fish slices.

The waiter replied, "This dish is called 'White Dragon Fish,' made from fresh mandarin fish, sliced ​​and cooked into a soup. It's delicious, madam, you may try it."

Qin Lan gave a signal, and the waiter took the soup bowl from Jiang Yan's hand and ladled half a bowl for her.

"Mmm, so fresh." Jiang Yan lowered her head and took a bite, her brows relaxing. "What about that one?"

"That's the Eight Immortals Platter, which is eight boneless geese." The waiter cut one open and served a little to her and Qin Lan respectively.

"Hmm, so this is the service that Teacher Qin enjoys." Jiang Yan exclaimed, "When I was little, I thought my grandma's cooking was the most delicious food in the world."

"These dishes lack heart and can't compare to your grandmother's cooking," Qin Lan said listlessly, sipping her soup.

“It’s just because you’re used to it,” Jiang Yan said. “This is the life that so many people dream of. Most people in this industry don’t have the background that you and your friends have. They enter this industry to stand out and rise from the bottom, just like the meaning of this banquet.”

Qin Lan said, "Long may not necessarily think that his life is so noble. After experiencing all the services, he will only feel empty and bored, and desperately need something to fill his spiritual world. Many rich second-generation kids desperately seek excitement, to the point of going down a path of no return. Our elders know this well, so they have cultivated us to find our own interests and hobbies since we were young, which is why the five of us have not gone astray."

“Your parents are also very good parents,” Jiang Yan said, looking at her.

"And what about your parents?"

Qin Lan suddenly became very curious. She had never heard her mention her parents before, and she had only just learned about her grandparents' story.

Judging from Jiang Yan's appearance, her family may not have treated her very well.

Jiang Yan was silent for a moment, then said, "I'll tell you next time. Today is a bit inappropriate."

In the afternoon, they didn't go anywhere. Qin Lan took Jiang Yan to a residential area in the city center, where a large single-level apartment was right outside the door.

"Wow, Teacher Qin must own properties in every major city, right?" Jiang Yan exclaimed slightly, her tone slightly exaggerated.

Qin Lan looked at her with a puzzled expression: "My family is in this business. Is it strange that I own several properties?"

How many sets?

"I forgot, less than thirty sets, I think."

Jiang Yan silently repeated, "Not yet."

"I wouldn't come to stay unless I had to." Qin Lan changed into slippers. "If you're tired this afternoon, you can rest here. If you're not tired, I can arrange some activities."

Jiang Yan took a step back: "I refuse to engage in sexual activity."

Qin Lan: "What kind of person do you take me for!"

Jiang Yan: "Your credit isn't very good right now."

"...It's just drawing."

Qin Lan turned on the record player and walked into the living room directly opposite. A large wall of floor-to-ceiling windows let in a lot of bright sunlight, illuminating the brightly colored canvases displayed against the wall: "Do you know how? If not, I'll teach you."

Jiang Yan took a breath: "I've studied sketching and gouache, but I don't know anything about oil painting."

“Then you should find it easy to pick up.” Qin Lan pulled over two easels: “The main difference is actually in the paint. Oil paint is stickier, so you can apply multiple layers without leaving a trace, creating texture without cracking. Gouache brushstrokes are difficult to blend, and you can’t make corrections after you’ve finished painting. There are also more dry brush strokes.”

Jiang Yan sat down with great interest, picked up the palette and exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, the paint is so thick!"

She studied it for a while, picked up a pencil and made a few simple strokes on the paper, then threw away the pencil and directly dipped it in paint to apply it.

“I like this paint,” she commented. “Gouache is too low-class.”

She drew until 3 p.m., then got so sleepy that she put down her brush and went into the master bedroom without even washing her hands.

Qin Lan walked in and said to the smart home system, "Close the curtains."

Jiang Yan lay on the bed and slept soundly.

Qin Lan nudged her: "Get up and wash your hands."

Jiang Yan turned her head to the other side and buried her face in the pillow.

Qin Lan had no way to deal with her, so she found a wet wipe, dipped it in turpentine, and wiped her hands. She also turned the air conditioner up to a comfortable temperature.

She left the master bedroom, idly adjusted the record needle, took a bottle of water, and returned to the studio, where she drank while looking at Jiang's masterpiece.

Large swaths of gold and green paint on the canvas, with wild brushstrokes, have already begun to take shape, depicting a seamless blend of sea and sky.

"You're quite bold with your brushstrokes," Qin Lan commented, then reached out to help her refine the painting.

At five o'clock, Jiang Yan stretched and walked in: "Have you been drawing here the whole time?"

Then he saw his completed work and was a little stunned: "The rest you drew?"

Qin Lan raised her chin: "Is there a third person in the room? Someone is sleeping like a pig."

Jiang Yan didn't reply. She stood there for a long time, then took out her phone and started taking pictures.

"I'm sitting right here, and you're not taking pictures..."

Qin Lan watched as she alternated between kneeling on one knee and raising the camera, and couldn't help but mutter something.

“A living person can come out on their own if they want to see you; these things can’t be kept with you all the time,” Jiang Yan replied casually.

She took many photos carefully, zooming out further and further until Qin Lan's back was also included in the frame.

Jiang Yan quietly pressed the screen, freezing Qin Lan and their paintings in the frame.

The woman wielded the brush with great force, each movement exuding unrestrained exuberance.

It always reminded Jiang Yan of the scorching summer that began after she fell in love with her.