Her Rose – Chapter 64

“Cut.” Yan Zhi’s voice echoed through the entire studio via the megaphone in his hand.

Everyone was jolted by this sudden sound, looking as if they had just woken from a dream, but Jiang Hanguang was the first to react.

The woman, who had been curled up in the chair like a sprite, instantly straightened her posture. The naivety and seduction she had been portraying vanished without a trace, and Jiang Hanguang’s own dignity and aloofness returned to her body.

Yan Zhi’s stern expression couldn’t hide the appreciation in his eyes. He nodded at Jiang Hanguang, who had come down from the set and walked over to him. “That was a good performance. Keep up this state. That’s all for today. Go back, get some good rest, and prepare for tomorrow’s shoot.”

Receiving affirmation from a director like Yan Zhi, even someone as taciturn as Jiang Hanguang couldn’t help but smile. She nodded politely at Yan Zhi, then turned to face Cheng Ying, who was walking over.

The Alpha was still smiling as usual, but Jiang Hanguang keenly sensed that she was somewhat distracted.

Those blue eyes, which always rippled with softness when looking at her, were now just looking at her, devoid of any extra emotion.

Cheng Ying smiled and ruffled her hair. “You acted very well. Our Hanguang will be a big star soon.”

Just like when they first met, beautiful and exquisite, but also overly cold and distant.

What happened in the short time she was filming?

Jiang Hanguang was a little confused, but Cheng Ying didn’t give her a chance to ask. She turned and walked towards the dressing room. Jiang Hanguang could only bid farewell to Yan Zhi and hurry to catch up with the Alpha’s steps.

Staff members were walking back and forth around them, and many people’s gazes were sizing them up. Naturally, Jiang Hanguang felt it was inappropriate to ask anything at this time.

Xiao Xiao and the makeup artist, as relevant personnel, hadn’t been sent out earlier and had the good fortune to witness Jiang Hanguang’s performance. Now, they unsurprisingly gathered around to congratulate her.

But Jiang Hanguang, in a rare display of impoliteness, couldn’t quite take in their sincere praise. She responded perfunctorily, her gaze fixed on Cheng Ying, who had entered the dressing room with her and was now sitting in a chair in the corner, unnaturally quiet.

The Alpha’s head was lowered, her bangs obscuring her eyes and hiding all her emotions, making them impossible to discern.

Her tall and slender frame, too large for the low chair, was curled up aggrievedly, looking like a child who had balled themselves up to avoid being hurt.

Jiang Hanguang was truly worried and wanted to ask her what was wrong, but she couldn’t say anything in front of the other two, so she could only feel anxious inside.

Fortunately, Xiao Xiao’s intern nerves, still taut from being new to the job, hadn’t completely relaxed. She now sensed the private atmosphere between her boss and her boss’s boss, one that outsiders couldn’t intrude upon.

So she pulled up the still-chattering makeup artist, her face wreathed in smiles, “Miss Cen, I have something to tell you. Could you come outside with me for a moment?”

Whether it was because she was full from witnessing their public display of affection or driven by a desire to show off her cleverness, Xiao Xiao now exuded an unquestionable aura, and the hand pulling the makeup artist was exceptionally strong.

So much so that the makeup artist, who was half a head taller and overly enthusiastic, didn’t even have time to ask, “What private matter could a personal assistant possibly have to discuss with a makeup artist?” before she was forcibly dragged away.

Before closing the door, Xiao Xiao winked at Jiang Hanguang with a conspiratorial expression that seemed to say, “You two do whatever you want, I’ll keep watch outside.”

Jiang Hanguang could only give her a helpless but grateful smile.

Normally, she might have felt a little guilty about her negligence causing someone’s good intentions to be rudely interrupted, but right now, her entire attention was captivated by the exceptionally dejected Alpha in the corner, leaving her unable to spare a thought for anyone else.

The dressing room door was closed from the outside, but Cheng Ying in the corner remained motionless, as if she had sealed herself off from the world, and no amount of commotion could elicit the slightest reaction from her.

Jiang Hanguang slowly walked to her side, gathered the hem of her dress, and squatted down to look at Cheng Ying’s expression. But Cheng Ying turned her head away at just the right moment, escaping her gaze. Her movement even carried a hint of sudden panic.

This made Jiang Hanguang even more certain that something was wrong with Cheng Ying’s mood. It was obvious Cheng Ying had realized it too, but she no longer had the strength to hide it, so she could only avoid her in this self-defeating way.

Jiang Hanguang didn’t force the Alpha to look at her, simply asking gently, “Did something happen?”

Cheng Ying couldn’t answer that question. She couldn’t possibly say, “You acted so well that the way those people looked at you drove me mad with jealousy. I don’t want anyone else to see you like that.”

Only a child would, out of selfish possessiveness, stop their loved one from being loved by others for their professional success.

Cheng Ying had always believed her self-control was stronger than most people’s, but Jiang Hanguang’s appearance had shown her time and again that before, it was simply because she didn’t care.

And once she started to care, it seemed she was no better than that bastard Cheng Mo, who believed she was the center of the universe and the whole world should bend to her will.

This made her feel both dejected and powerless.

She couldn’t stop those negative emotions that felt like they would burst out from every pore to roar and bite at any moment. She could only frantically pull out the “skin” she had worn for over a decade and hastily put it on, hoping to cover it all up.

It would be fine after a while. She just wasn’t used to it yet.

She didn’t dare let Jiang Hanguang know her thoughts; she was afraid she would frighten Jiang Hanguang.

“It’s nothing. I didn’t sleep well last night, so I’m a little tired.” The Alpha painstakingly diverted a bit of energy from maintaining her facade to weave a clumsy excuse, trying to bluff her way through.

But Jiang Hanguang wasn’t some bystander who could be fooled by her. The woman who shared her bed knew she had slept very well last night and also had enough patience.

If it were anyone else, having reached this point and sensing their resistance, Jiang Hanguang would have appropriately stopped pressing and maintained a comfortable distance.

Everyone has things they don’t want others to know. Prying until the very end is often a kind of overly enthusiastic offense.

But the person in front of her was Cheng Ying. Everything that had happened before had already proven that the Alpha had infinite indulgence for her, so this faint refusal was not enough to make Jiang Hanguang back down.

Her worry for Cheng Ying easily overcame the dejection of being refused a deeper connection. The gentle yet incredibly resilient Omega stood up slightly, pulled the slightly taller Alpha into her arms, and gently stroked her hair.

“But you don’t look tired, just unhappy. Can you tell me why?”

The woman’s gentle voice was like the sharpest sword in the world, easily piercing a gash in Cheng Ying’s thick facade and exposing the inner self the pretender was desperately trying to hide.

Cheng Ying had never been so… helpless against Jiang Hanguang’s unique tenderness and indulgence towards her.

The woman’s fragrant body was so close, and the scenes from the studio just now flashed before her eyes.

How she wanted to just grab the woman’s supple waist and fiercely make her understand her feelings.

But in the end, she just clenched her jaw and issued a final warning, “You wouldn’t want to know.”

It was a warning to the other person, but even more so, a warning to herself.

Don’t continue. Don’t undo the layers of restraints binding my heart. I don’t want to make you fear me.

But this person, who was usually so understanding, seemed determined to oppose her today. She didn’t accept her good intentions; instead, she pushed her luck and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

“Everything about you, I want to know.”

You asked for this.

The Alpha, not knowing if it was more out of anger or relief, wrapped an arm around the woman’s waist and lifted her up.

Jiang Hanguang let out a low cry of surprise as the Alpha effortlessly swept her up into a princess carry, taking a few strides into the dressing room’s only blind spot: the fitting room concealed by a cloth curtain.

Cheng Ying pushed her hard against the wall with irresistible force. Jiang Hanguang instinctively closed her eyes but didn’t meet the heavy impact she expected.

Her back was firmly protected by a strong forearm. Before she could even see the Alpha’s expression, she was held tightly, with no room to spare.

The other’s scorching body heat transferred through their thin clothes, and Jiang Hanguang felt as if she could hear Cheng Ying’s rapid heartbeat.

That must have been a hallucination, because her ears were filled with Cheng Ying’s heavy breathing. The Alpha’s kisses, light yet undeniable, fell on every exposed part of her nightgown.

The other’s voice carried a kind of frustrated, teeth-gritting tone. “Didn’t Hanguang want to know what I was thinking? I’ll tell you.”

Jiang Hanguang’s gaze fell on the still-swaying cloth curtain of the fitting room, but her mind was completely captivated by the caresses of the person beside her.

The other’s calloused fingers gently lifted the weightless nightgown, leaving a faint but tingling sensation on the side of her leg.

She bared her fangs like a provoked beast. “I don’t want anyone to see you like that. The way they looked at you made me sick with anger. I wanted to rush onto that stage and mark you right then and there, to let everyone know you’re mine!”

Her actions grew fiercer as her tone intensified. The hand gripping Jiang Hanguang’s waist even caused her a slight pain.

But she didn’t feel scared, or rather, she didn’t have time to feel scared.

Because the Alpha’s voice then dropped, like a child who had finally confessed all their wrongdoings, speaking in a bitter tone of relief yet awaiting judgment, “I want to lock you up. I want to kiss you, bite you, do all the things you hate… Are you scared?”

The last words were almost a plea, it was unclear if she was begging her not to hate this side of her or repenting for having such thoughts.

Jiang Hanguang had been a little afraid just now. She had never seen this side of Cheng Ying, and she instinctively felt uneasy in a situation she couldn’t control.

But the moment Cheng Ying showed that pitiful look, her fear vanished like smoke, leaving only heartache and love.

Jiang Hanguang raised her hands to wrap them around the Alpha’s sturdy back, closing her eyes as if she had made a momentous decision.

“I was yours to begin with.”

She felt the Alpha’s body, which she was holding, tremble. The other seemed so shocked that even the venting caresses stopped, and the breath by her ear hitched.

Jiang Hanguang’s eyelashes fluttered lightly. She used her love for Cheng Ying to fight against the unease and shyness in her heart, forcing herself to continue speaking.

“I am a little afraid of being marked, but if it will put you at ease, then go ahead and mark me.”

After speaking, she gave Cheng Ying a light push. The Alpha, who had seemed impossible to break free from, was pushed away like a weightless paper doll.

Cheng Ying saw Jiang Hanguang’s flushed face and gentle eyes. The woman who had been so soul-stirring on the set just moments ago now shyly pressed her lips together, slowly turned around, and used her slender fingers to push aside the dark hair hanging by her neck, revealing the slightly protruding gland where her shoulder met her neck.

Her figure was still graceful; even just her back was enough to inspire countless wild fantasies.

She stood there so obediently, waiting for her to bite, to mark.

Cheng Ying moved closer like a marionette, her lips brushing over that sweet spot that emanated the scent of roses.

Jiang Hanguang braced one hand against the solid wall. The moment she kissed down, the woman’s rounded shoulders flinched, and she let out a gasp that sounded like a sigh.

Cheng Ying couldn’t help but tighten her grip on her waist. The nightgown, which had been a decent fit, was now squeezed, causing a strap to fall loosely and reveal the snow-white back hidden beneath.

Instinct cheered, urging Cheng Ying to bite down, but she knew clearly that she didn’t have the right to do so now.

The immense guilt born from her possessiveness stemmed not only from self-loathing but, more so, from guilt over an uncertain future.

Did someone who didn’t even know if they could accompany her for a lifetime deserve such trust and indulgence?

But… I can still leave a little mark, can’t I?

Cheng Ying controlled herself, moving away from that spot. Reason and instinct pulled at each other, and finally, her gaze landed on the woman’s shoulder blades, as beautiful as a butterfly’s wings.

The light pink nightgown was pulled aggrievedly to one side, revealing an expanse of white, making one want to leave something on it.

Cheng Ying paused for a moment on that spot, a place no one but her would ever see, and opened her mouth to bite.

Jiang Hanguang squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the pain to come.

The expected stinging pain came from an unexpected place.

Jiang Hanguang let out a muffled grunt, her slender fingers clenching tightly.

Before she had time to be confused, she was once again held tightly by the Alpha, who had straightened up.

The other’s voice held a satisfied smile. “You always spoil me like this. It’s easy to make me push my luck, Sister.”