Chapter 652: Pretending to sprain their ankle, competing with each other in acting skills!
Second Senior Sister Liu Ruyan is going to Hangzhou Film and Television City to celebrate her birthday? When Zhong Lingyin heard this, she felt no pleasant surprise, only shock. 'If Sister Ruyan goes to the Film and Television City, she'll find out I'm not even there! She'll definitely sense that something is off,' Zhong Lingyin's mind raced, a cold knot of dread forming in her stomach. The suggestion, which should have been a warm gesture, felt like a perfectly laid trap. 'But I can't just tell her not to come. That would be even more suspicious. An excuse… what kind of excuse could I possibly come up with to make her change her plans without raising an alarm?' The gears in her mind turned furiously, but every potential solution seemed to lead to a dead end. Panic began to bubble beneath her carefully constructed facade.
"Anna, do you want to come with me to the Film and Television City? Filming is very interesting," Liu Ruyan said with a light, airy smile, her beautiful eyes sparkling with a mischievous glint that was almost invisible to the naked eye. She angled her body slightly, a casual gesture that was anything but, effectively cornering her junior sister.
"Ah, visiting Heavenly Queen Zhong at the Film and Television City? Anna is also very interested," Zhong Lingyin replied instantly, forcing a bright, enthusiastic tone. Her heart was pounding against her ribs like a war drum, but her expression as Anna remained one of wide-eyed curiosity.
"That's great. When we get there, I'll have my Junior Sister give you an autograph and take a photo with you." Liu Ruyan's smile widened, sweet as honey but laced with a subtle venom.
"Mhm, mhm, thank you, Sister Ruyan. Anna is a big fan of Heavenly Queen Zhong." Zhong Lingyin nodded eagerly, her performance flawless.
Internally, however, Zhong Lingyin was weathering a storm. She was forced to maintain the delicate charade of being Anna, the innocent foreign girl, while simultaneously engaging in a high-stakes verbal chess match with Liu Ruyan. Every word had to be carefully chosen, every expression meticulously controlled. The mental strain was immense.
She had no idea, of course, that the game was already over. Liu Ruyan had seen through the disguise long ago and was now simply enjoying the show. Seeing Zhong Lingyin's brows knit together in a knot of profound trouble, Liu Ruyan had to physically restrain herself from chuckling aloud. The corners of her long, charming eyes curved into graceful arcs, a wave of profound satisfaction washing over her.
'Oh, Zhong Lingyin, my dear little junior sister,' Liu Ruyan mused, her thoughts dripping with smug amusement. 'So disobedient. So bold as to steal your Second Senior Sister's man. Now the panic is setting in, isn't it? Hmph, hmph. I'd love to see what kind of brilliant excuse you can conjure up this time.'
Back at the Xihe Shopping Mall, Liu Ruyan had consciously chosen to let the matter slide, all in the spirit of celebrating Zhong Lingyin's birthday. But now, within the privacy of their home, the gloves were off. It was time to make the little 'cat who stole the fish' squirm. It was time to make her anxious, flustered, and utterly desperate. Liu Ruyan was in no hurry to expose the disguise outright; that would be too simple, too merciful. A cornered and panicked junior sister was far easier to control, far more entertaining to watch.
Meanwhile, as Liu Ruyan and Zhong Lingyin, this pair of senior and junior sisters, put on an Oscar-worthy performance of subterfuge and feigned ignorance, a different kind of drama was unfolding on the other side of the villa.
In Zhang Yaqian's room.
Shen Anyu gently lifted Zhang Yaqian by her slender waist, his movements precise and careful, and placed her softly onto the edge of a velvet chair. He then knelt down on one knee, his handsome face a perfect mask of deep concern. His voice was a low, gentle murmur as he asked, "Zhang Yaqian, which foot did you sprain?"
Zhang Yaqian looked down, her gaze falling upon Shen Anyu's face, so close to hers. She saw the genuine worry etched into his features, the focused intensity in his dark peach blossom eyes, and for a long moment, she was completely lost. The world seemed to melt away, leaving only the two of them in this warm, sweet, and intoxicating atmosphere. She felt that she could stay like this forever, for ten thousand years, and it still wouldn't be enough. Any lingering traces of jealousy she had felt earlier had evaporated like mist under the morning sun, replaced by a profound, heart-achingly tender feeling.
"Zhang Yaqian? Zhang Yaqian, never mind, I'll check myself."
Shen Anyu called her name a few times, but she remained lost in her daze, her eyes fixed on him. With a soft sigh that was more fond than frustrated, he took matters into his own hands. His large, warm hand moved with deliberate gentleness, enclosing her small foot. He carefully slipped off her black flat shoe, revealing a foot so perfect it seemed carved from the most precious ivory. It was small, delicate, and flawless, its skin as crystal clear and translucent as the finest mutton-fat jade. A smile touched Shen Anyu's lips, curving them upwards into a knowing arc.
"How can you be so careless? You managed to sprain your ankle even while wearing flat shoes?"
The sound of his voice, laced with gentle teasing, finally broke Zhang Yaqian's trance. A jolt of panic shot through her. She realized the game was up. Her expression immediately crumpled into one of pitiful distress, her beautiful eyes welling up with unshed tears.
"Wuwuwu, I'm so useless. I made Brother Shen worry."
"It's okay, just be careful next time. Which foot hurts?" Shen Anyu comforted her, his voice a soothing balm. Inwardly, however, he was thoroughly amused. Zhang Yaqian showed absolutely no signs of a sprained ankle. With his god-tier eyesight and his profound Divine Medical Skill, he could determine the state of her body down to the cellular level. There was no injury. Her two crystalline, fair feet showed no trace of swelling, no redness, not even the slightest hint of trauma.
But watching Zhang Yaqian commit so wholeheartedly to her performance was a hardship in its own right. Shen Anyu, ever the gentleman, could only play along. Emperor Shen was truly too dedicated. It would be a crime not to award him a medal for being a Model Worker. He was ready to act on cue, anytime, anywhere.
'Which foot?' The question echoed in Zhang Yaqian's mind. Her starry eyes flickered with a brief, almost imperceptible panic. She hadn't actually sprained her ankle, so neither of them hurt. She had faked the entire incident out of a small, selfish pang of jealousy. Seeing Shen Anyu, Liu Ruyan, and that 'Anna' woman shopping together without her had sparked a possessive fire within her, and this was her little scheme to have him all to herself.
At this moment, her small foot was still cradled in Shen Anyu's large, warm hand. The heat from his palm seeped into her skin, a comforting, cozy sensation that spread all the way to the very core of her heart. Meeting his concerned, gentle gaze, Zhang Yaqian felt a wave of sweetness wash over her. She couldn't bear the thought of being exposed. She quickly pointed, her voice a fragile whisper, "My right foot. Brother Shen, my right foot is sprained."
"Your right foot? Is it here?" Shen Anyu played his part to perfection, pretending to apply gentle pressure to her right ankle.
"Hiss… it's there, Brother Shen, it hurts so much," Zhang Yaqian gasped, drawing in a sharp breath. She feigned a wave of unbearable pain, her performance making her seem even more pitiable and utterly charming. Her pure and captivatingly delicate face, with her brows gently furrowed like Xizi holding her heart, combined with her soft whimpers of pain, would have made any man's heart melt with the desire to protect her. Even another woman would have been moved by such a display of fragile beauty.
[Akarin's Note: "Xizi holding her heart" (西子捧心) is a classic Chinese literary allusion. Xizi is another name for Xi Shi, one of the legendary Four Great Beauties of Ancient China. She was said to suffer from a heart condition, and the image of her clutching her chest in pain was considered so beautiful that it only enhanced her charm.]
On the surface, Shen Anyu's expression was a perfect mirror of concern and doting affection. Inwardly, he was fighting back a laugh, mentally awarding Zhang Yaqian's acting a solid ninety-nine points. He deducted one point only for fear of making her too proud. Her skills were superb, many times more convincing than those so-called popular young actresses he saw in television dramas.
"I'll be gentle. It will stop hurting soon." Shen Anyu's gaze was soft as he looked at her. While his hand appeared to be massaging her supposedly sprained right foot, he was mobilizing a minuscule thread of true essence from within his dantian. The pure, warm energy flowed from his palm, entered her body through the sole of her foot, and began to circulate gently through her meridians.
Instantly, Zhang Yaqian felt a wonderful warmth spread through her entire body. It was an incredibly comfortable sensation, as if she were soaking in a natural hot spring on a cool evening.
Only after the energy had completed a full cycle did Shen Anyu release her fair, crystal-clear foot. He chuckled softly. "Alright, it should be fine now. Be careful in the future. You should cultivate the Martial God Art more often. When you become stronger, you won't be so fragile. I'll help you strengthen your body, too."
"Mhm, mhm, Brother Shen is so good." Zhang Yaqian looked at Shen Anyu with eyes full of tender, passionate affection. The adoration was so intense it seemed to stretch out from her, a tangible, visible force. She knew, now, that with her man's incredible strength, he must have known she was faking it from the very beginning. That surge of true essence that had coursed through her body was obvious proof. It would have instantly revealed the absence of any injury.
And yet, he still played along with her little act. He doted on her this much.
'Brother Shen, why are you so good to me?' Zhang Yaqian thought, her heart swelling with an emotion so powerful it threatened to burst. 'Even if you are a tiny bit unfaithful, how could I ever bear to leave you?' A sweet, radiant smile bloomed on her face as she gazed at him. Shen Anyu returned the smile with a light nod. A silent, tacit understanding passed between them, a small, intimate secret that now belonged only to them.
Bang, bang, bang.
Just then, a sharp knock echoed from Zhang Yaqian's door.
"Zhang Yaqian, is your sprained ankle better? Do you want me to go buy you some medicine?" Zhong Lingyin's crisp, sweet voice—still disguised as Anna—came through the wooden panel.
Zhong Lingyin was practically at her wit's end under the watchful eye of her Second Senior Sister. She desperately needed a moment to call Shen Anyu, to figure out a strategy, but Liu Ruyan hadn't given her a single opportunity, sticking to her like glue. In her desperation, Zhong Lingyin could only seek out Shen Anyu directly to find a way to resolve this impending crisis. She absolutely could not let Liu Ruyan discover that she and Shen Anyu were together.
Liu Ruyan, who had followed her, felt a deep sense of amusement. She was more than happy to play along with Zhong Lingyin's little act, eager to see just how far her talented junior sister would take this performance.
"The door's not closed, just come in," Zhang Yaqian called out.
Zhong Lingyin pushed the door open, her pre-planned words already on her lips. But the sight that greeted her made her freeze, the sentence dying in her throat. She saw Shen Anyu, still crouching on the floor, tenderly holding Zhang Yaqian's small, bare foot in his hands, cradling it as if it were the most precious treasure in the world.
For a moment, Zhong Lingyin forgot everything she was going to say. Her beautiful eyes locked onto Shen Anyu, and a sharp, obvious resentment flared within them. Here she was, racking her brain, on the verge of a mental breakdown trying to prevent Liu Ruyan from discovering their relationship, and what was he doing? He was in here, being shamelessly intimate with another woman.
Standing just behind her in the doorway, Liu Ruyan rolled her charming eyes at the scene. She was already resigned to it. These two, one after the other, never gave her a moment of peace. It seemed if she let her guard down for even a second, her entire home would be stolen right out from under her.
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