Chapter 46 Number 46 He couldn't smudge her lipstick...
"Are you cold?"
The unexpected words of concern pulled Xu Wu back to reality. She sat in front of the vanity mirror and looked at herself. Her clothes and hair were done, and the makeup artist was now drawing her eyebrows.
The dressing rooms behind the stage on New Year's Day were all shared. Besides the performers, there were many other people walking around, either touching up their makeup or changing clothes.
The affiliated high school is usually quite generous with such important public holidays, never cutting back or making up for missed days; they just let the holidays go as planned. Adding to the tension is the presence of numerous photographers in the audience tonight, ready to snap photos at any moment.
"It's alright," Xu Wu replied, glancing at the figure sitting on the sofa behind her in the lower right corner of the mirror. She quickly looked away after a couple of seconds and silently wrapped her down jacket tighter around herself.
She bought this princess dress specifically for summer off-the-shoulder styles. Although there was heating on stage, it was still unavoidable to feel cold.
The door to the dressing room opened and closed repeatedly, and later it was left wide open for easy access, so it didn't matter whether there was heating or not.
"I mean, I have a small blanket here if you're cold." Fu Xi saw that her makeup was almost done, and taking advantage of the moment when the makeup artist turned around to find makeup supplies, he leaned over, put his hands on Xu Wu's shoulders, and didn't forget to rub her clothes a couple of times: "These clothes feel quite comfortable, why haven't I seen you wearing them before?"
"It's too bulky, I don't want to bring it," Xu Wu said succinctly.
Seeing that Fu Xi did not show any doubt about her words, she breathed a slight sigh of relief. Before she could think of an excuse to send Fu Xi away, Chu Lian called out to Fu Xi from afar.
After everyone left, Xu Wu turned her gaze back to her reflection in the mirror. The dress was rather large for her, completely enveloping her. Her bare arms clung to the fabric, feeling smooth and warm against her skin. The scent of sea salt filled her nostrils and her entire body, with an unmistakable hint of orange.
Just as she was about to lower her head, the figure suddenly raised his head. The eyes under his bangs were staring straight at her. His beautifully shaped thin lips were slightly pursed, and his beautiful amber eyes reflected her face.
Jie Ying wore a classic black and white knight's outfit, embroidered with gold and silver threads, intricate patterns, and expensive jewels. She also had a small cape on her right shoulder, which fell right on her shoulder blade. She wore a gold brooch on her chest and had a long sword hanging at her waist.
But what caught Xu Wu's attention even more was the black leather belt around his waist, which accentuated his lean and muscular figure, while his long legs were encased in white trousers and tall leather boots.
As he crossed his legs, his right foot also rose slightly with the movement, revealing the red sole of his shoe, while the black and shiny toe reflected the bright light overhead.
Xu Wu lowered her long false eyelashes, which trembled slightly. Her two hands, which were tucked into her sleeves, unconsciously clasped her arms together.
The extreme cold brought a moment of clarity to her mind, but she was quickly jolted awake by the gaze fixed on the back of her neck, leaving her unsure where to look and feeling as if she were being pricked by needles.
That gaze didn't give up; instead, it continued downwards, from the neck to the shoulder blades, and then to the slender waist bound by the crinoline.
It was blatant and blatant, as if it had no idea what restraint meant. Fortunately, people were coming and going, and no one paid any attention to it.
Xu Wu remembered the reason why she was wearing that down jacket.
It's been almost a month since I first wore it until today, New Year's Day.
There wasn't really any complicated reason; it was just that one evening after a rehearsal at the beginning of the month, the two of them were walking alone at the back of the group, as usual.
That day was a low temperature warning, but Xu Wu never had the habit of checking the weather forecast on her phone, and even if she did, she would forget about it.
Therefore, the moment she stepped downstairs and into the outside air, she shivered from the cold. The icy wind that rushed towards her face was merciless, and even seemed to be trying to sneak into her neck.
Xu Wu shrank his neck, put his hands in his pockets and clenched his fists, trying to use this small movement to block the invasion of cold air.
Unexpectedly, before she could react, a thick coat, still warm from its owner, was draped over her shoulders from behind.
Xu Wu was startled, noticing the lingering warmth from the clothes slowly seeping into every crevice of her body, the bulging long sleeves hanging down her sides.
“Wait…” Xu Wu frowned, just as she pulled her hand out of her pocket to grab the coat and throw it back, but was hugged from behind along with the down jacket.
The person's arms were wrapped tightly around her waist, forcing the down jacket between them, preventing it from falling off.
Xu Wu froze, unsure where to put her hands, while on the other side she felt a continuous stream of heat coming at her from behind, mixed with the person's already high body temperature.
She lowered her eyes slightly, taking in the full view of Jie Ying's arms encircling her. Those slender, clean hands appeared even paler in the biting cold wind, yet they held her with a silent strength.
Jie Ying's breath sprayed onto her left side, gentle and fleeting. But Xu Wu couldn't help feeling an itch, as if insects were lurking beneath her skin and gnawing at her. She instinctively wanted to scratch, but the person behind her was too strong for her to break free from.
"What are you doing again?" Xu Wu scolded in a low voice, glancing at Fu Xi and the others walking ahead out of the corner of her eye, afraid that they might suddenly turn around and see her like this. She was even more on edge and dared not relax for a moment.
My friend is not far in front of me, and my annoying friend is behind me.
A mix of nervousness and inexplicable excitement made her feel ashamed and afraid of being discovered, yet she could only let Jieying hold her like that.
My heart felt like it was about to explode inside my chest.
Then, she felt a heavy weight on her left shoulder; Jie Ying's chin was digging into her bones, causing her pain, but she endured it.
Her wind-blown, disheveled hair brushed against her cheek and neck, tickling her so much that her heart trembled uncontrollably, almost driving her crazy.
"To keep warm." The deep voice sounded a little muffled because the lower half of his face was buried in his down jacket.
"No need." Xu Wu was anxious, and even forgot to lower her voice. Just as she was about to raise it, Xie Ying quickly covered her mouth.
The words "Let go of me" slipped back into my throat before I could even utter them.
The hot breath Xu Wu exhaled was trapped in his palm and could not dissipate, and the breath quickly dampened his palm.
"Shh, they will, they will see." Jie Ying whispered this in her ear.
Xu Wu hesitated for a long time, but in the end she didn't push him away. After all, she was afraid of the cold, and having a heat source on either side of her was... not bad.
This little incident led Jie Ying to wear this brand of down jacket almost every night afterward, although it would often appear on Xu Wu after school.
Xu Wu had resisted, but she had to admit that the clothes were expensive for a reason, and they were really comfortable. So she got tired of refusing them and didn't want to suffer.
It's good to be rich.
She realized this deeply once again.
Thinking of this, Xu Wu composed herself and waited until the makeup artist finished applying her lipstick before turning her gaze away from the mirror and getting up to find Fu Xi.
Their performance is scheduled for the middle of the show, and there are only two acts left so far, so it's still a while before it's their turn.
"Xu Wu." Shang Xu's voice came from afar.
Xu Wu noticed out of the corner of his eye that Jie Ying stopped in his tracks when he heard the sound, paused, turned around and looked toward the source of the sound, and nodded to him.
As the prince who will be her partner in tonight's stage play, Shang Xu's outfit was custom-made to match her perfectly, even the color scheme was the same.
Although he is not as tall as Jie Ying, he is still considered tall, so he can carry off the clothes well. Surprisingly, he and Xu Wu look quite compatible when they stand together.
This was the first thing Fu Xi blurted out when he came backstage.
Shang Xu smiled and agreed. On the other hand, before Xu Wu could even look at Jie Ying's expression, judging from the sinister and suppressed anger in his gaze, she guessed that he wasn't in a good mood either.
"Is there something you need?" Xu Wu's hands were still tucked into her sleeves, and she asked him in a perfunctory tone.
"I was worried you'd be nervous, so I came over to ask." Shang Xu wasn't surprised by her reaction, and then asked, "By the way, do you want to practice that dance step with me again later? I'm afraid I might make a mistake."
Upon hearing this, Xu Wu raised an eyebrow and glanced to see Jie Ying's reaction, only to find the sofa empty.
"Where did they go?" She suppressed her displeasure and nodded, "Okay."
Shang Xu noticed the changes in her micro-expressions, but he knew perfectly well and didn't say anything. Seeing that she agreed, the smile in his eyes deepened: "Then I'll wait for you in the empty classroom in Building 1."
Their teaching building faces Building No. 1, with the teachers' offices in the middle, and the platform is built on top of the offices.
Several classrooms on the first floor of Building 1 were empty and unused. Thanks to the liveliness tonight, no one would say anything even if people were rehearsing or doing something in there.
There are two routes to get to Building No. 1. One is to go down to the right of the stage, turn and go down the stairs. The other is to go through the grove of trees behind the dressing room and go straight there.
The former was too conspicuous, and it wouldn't be convenient since the audience consisted mainly of leaders, so Xu Wu naturally chose the latter.
But for some reason, as she tilted her head slightly and looked at the woods adorned with warm ambient lights, her heart kept pounding, making her uneasy yet irresistibly drawn to move forward.
Especially when she came into contact with the figure in the woods whose back was to her, Xu Wu suddenly stopped and almost instantly wanted to turn around and run away.
"Are you leaving?" A gentle voice sounded in my ear.
Xu Wu watched as he slowly turned around. The warm light made his face look no different from usual, and the gloom in his eyes had dissipated somewhat.
But something's not right. Something's not right.
"I have something to do." Xu Wu let out a heavy sigh and replied.
"I have something to do too." Jie Ying's eyes curved into a smile, but the corners of his mouth didn't rise much. He coaxed, "Come here, and I'll tell you."
We shouldn't listen to him. He's like a ghostly spirit whispering in the dark woods, tempting travelers and making them willingly step into a trap to be devoured.
Xu Wu hesitated for only a few seconds before choosing to do as instructed.
She thought he couldn't ruin her lipstick.
Author's Note: There will be more tomorrow (kneels down gently).
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