Li Chu had a pure and innocent look. Although she had become thinner and colder to fit the role of Qin Mu, her makeup for tonight’s scene gave her a healthy glow, making her look much like her usual self—very well-behaved.
No one would ever guess that inside resided an old pervert.
Li Chu went downstairs. Ning Manqing didn’t need to change; they had already filmed the previous scene a few days ago. Now, they were mainly shooting Li Chu’s indoor and chase scenes.
“Sister Ning, this is so cool!”
Alphas are naturally thrill-seekers, with a particular love for motorcycles, and Zhao Zhichun was a prime example. He touched Ning Manqing’s racer like it was his beloved omega. Before Ning Manqing even got off, he was longingly stroking the body of the bike.
“Director Ji, where did you borrow this from? It’s even custom-modified. That low growl just now was amazing. This has got to be worth at least four million, right?”
Upon hearing this, Ji Yun quickly took two steps back. “This is Lao Ning’s own bike. Only she rides it. If it gets damaged, we’re not responsible for compensation.”
Ji Yun made the disclaimer first. The production budget was tight!
“Sister Ning, this is yours?”
Li Chu heard Zhao Zhichun ask this excitedly as she approached.
“Sort of.” Ning Manqing replied, and upon seeing Li Chu, beckoned her over. “Xiao Chu, come here.”
Those close to Li Chu in the crew called her Li Zi, but Ning Manqing was different; she called her Xiao Chu.
Li Chu put aside her perverted thoughts and walked over. Seeing the black heavy motorcycle beneath Ning Manqing, her expression flashed with amazement. Up close, the bike was even more impressive.
“Get on. I’ll take you for a couple of laps so you can get familiar with it.”
The fight and chase scenes could be filmed in front of a green screen, but the beginning and end needed to be shot on location.
Ning Manqing tossed the helmet lightly into Li Chu’s hands. Li Chu caught it steadily, nodding with anticipation. “Okay!”
“Sister Ning, I want to be taken for a ride too!” Zhao Zhichun said shyly, a tough guy acting cute.
He was met with Ning Manqing putting on her helmet and the roar of the motorcycle engine.
“Director Ji, waaaah, she’s so heartless! Give me a scene like this too!” Zhao Zhichun turned to another 1.9-meter tall tough guy and wailed, his eyes full of longing.
Ji Yun glanced at him. “If you bring your own props, I can have San Qiu consider it.”
Zhao Zhichun choked up, telling Teacher San Qiu that the director’s coldness had destroyed a lot of his gentleness.
San Qiu pushed up his glasses. “Even if you bring your own props, I won’t add a scene. I’m not the type to be swayed by an Alpha.”
The only person in the crew who would be swayed by an Alpha was already sitting on the Alpha’s back seat.
This was Li Chu’s first time on a motorcycle. The helmet was a bit heavy but felt very secure. However, she couldn’t wear it during filming because she needed to show her character’s emotions through her expressions. But since this was a real ride, it was better to follow traffic rules.
Still within the city limits, Ning Manqing didn’t drive too fast. Li Chu held onto Ning Manqing’s waist, feeling the scenery rush by.
Once they were out of the city speed limit zone, Li Chu heard Ning Manqing seem to say something, but she couldn’t hear clearly because of the wind.
“Teacher Ning, what did you just say?”
Li Chu raised her voice to ask, waiting to catch the answer from the wind.
Ning Manqing didn’t answer her by raising her voice, but instead stopped the motorcycle.
Slightly cool hands covered Li Chu’s. Li Chu felt her hands being pulled forward.
“I said, hold on tight.”
That clear and gentle voice came through the helmet, carrying a hint of dizzying, deep affection.
“Oh, oh.”
Li Chu responded a little dazedly, and then she took off.
The sudden acceleration gave Li Chu a completely different feeling than before, making her heart race. The wind whipping past her face, the blurred scenery, the motorcycle’s hum seemed to vibrate in her chest.
Panic made Li Chu involuntarily tighten her grip around Ning Manqing’s waist. Ning Manqing’s body heat transferred to her continuously, suppressing the panic slightly and replacing it with an unusual thrill and excitement.
Adrenaline surged, making her nerves excited and blood rush.
Li Chu smelled the pheromones from Ning Manqing’s glands. The scent should have been dispersed by the wind, but perhaps because she was so close, she felt it pouring into her body continuously.
Li Chu clutched Ning Manqing’s clothes, swallowing the whimper in her throat.
Ning Manqing drove along the highway, unknowingly arriving at the seaside. They were still some distance from their destination, but below the highway railing was the beach, and beyond that, the dark blue seawater of the night.
Ning Manqing stopped the bike and softly said to Li Chu, “Xiao Chu, we’re at the seaside. Want to take a look?”
Li Chu didn’t respond. Ning Manqing immediately sensed something was wrong and, thinking Li Chu was frightened, quickly took off her helmet.
The removal of the helmet left Li Chu’s hair slightly disheveled, plastered against her fair cheeks. Paired with her slightly dazed, watery eyes and flushed face, she possessed a breathtaking allure.
“Teacher Ning, I’m fine.”
Li Chu’s voice still trembled slightly. She took a deep breath, her legs still a bit weak, making it difficult to get off the bike.
She lowered her head shyly and mumbled, “Teacher Ning, help me down.”
She wasn’t tall enough to get off the bike as gracefully as Ning Manqing, whose long legs could easily reach the ground.
Ning Manqing hung the helmet on the handlebar and half-carried Li Chu down.
Li Chu stumbled, almost falling into Ning Manqing’s arms. She steadied herself and looked up.
Ning Manqing’s long hair was tied back, her phoenix eyes clear and unobstructed. Li Chu was startled as her gaze met those eyes.
“Were you scared?”
Ning Manqing tucked the hair from Li Chu’s cheek behind her ear, her fingertips brushing against the faint redness at the corner of Li Chu’s eyes.
“A little at first, but it was very exciting after!” Li Chu had recovered by the time she got off the bike, her eyes sparkling as she spoke.
It was truly exciting, not just because of the heart-pounding thrill of the ride, but also because of the unintentional “motorcycle action” with the other party unaware.
Li Chu didn’t mean to; her pure soul had been tainted.
Of course, the excitement she expressed to Ning Manqing was still the pure, first-layer meaning!
Li Chu subconsciously felt that telling Ning Manqing that her pheromones were very alluring might lead to things becoming even more alluring, so she decided not to say anything.
Much later, Li Chu would give herself a big thumbs-up for her current premonition.
Looking at the beautiful face so close to her, Li Chu stepped back a little, changing the subject. “Teacher Ning, did you know how to ride motorcycles before?”
She was afraid that if she didn’t change the subject, Ning Manqing might kiss her.
Although Ning Manqing hadn’t said a word, she didn’t need to. The flirtatious atmosphere seemed to be enough.
She could kill with the affection in her eyes, those dark eyes like the vast ocean with its surging waves not far away.
Although she was changing the subject, Li Chu was still quite curious about this question.
Although she had never ridden a motorcycle herself, nor had she been a passenger, she could sense that Ning Manqing’s skills were not those of a novice.
“I used to ride, but then I got busy and put it aside.”
Ning Manqing looked at her own reflection in Li Chu’s clear eyes, adjusting her slightly erratic breathing, and also took a step back, standing side-by-side with Li Chu, looking at the sea beyond the railing.
Just now, she really wanted to kiss her, but she hesitated. Although it seemed like they were alone, it still might not be safe.
There’s no rush, Ning Manqing told herself.
They would get along slowly, move forward slowly. She understood Li Chu’s thoughts on love and agreed with them very much.
Love wasn’t something to be started lightly and casually, and ended hastily and carelessly.
She would have enough patience because this wasn’t a wrong path without light, but a beautiful process waiting for its outcome.
She had to ensure that during this process, the little peach she was protecting wouldn’t be hurt because of her.
“Teacher Ning, you’re so amazing! You seem to know how to do everything!”
Li Chu didn’t hide her admiration, her understanding of Ning Manqing deepening a little more.
She couldn’t help but imagine what the girl who used to ride motorcycles looked like. She definitely wouldn’t have been as composed as she was now, but she must have been radiant.
Once again, she felt a pang of regret for not being able to see those times. The beginning of this novel also started with the female lead’s differentiation, never mentioning her youth.
“How could I know how to do everything? It’s just that I do things I’m interested in.”
Ning Manqing leaned against the railing, replying with a faint smile, and looked sideways at Li Chu, whose hair was being ruffled by the sea breeze.
There were some things she didn’t say, such as the reason for putting aside motorcycle riding. After her adult gender differentiation and choosing her career path, her family took back all the motorcycles, forbidding her from touching them again unless she compromised and followed the path they had planned for her.
Ning Manqing refused and lost the support of her family’s status. To suppress her, and for those who had once been overshadowed by her brilliance to vent their anger, they deliberately suppressed many of her resources.
Ning Manqing didn’t care about any of this. As long as her bottom line wasn’t crossed, she would play any role well and continuously learn and improve herself.
Ning Manqing saw the same determined light in Li Chu that she had in herself. This was the reason why, after the initial awkwardness, she still reached out to take care of her.
But the closer she got, the more she discovered her cuteness. She even felt that the Li Chu standing in front of her now wasn’t the same person as the Li Chu she had known before. The feeling emanating from her soul was completely different.
“Even if it’s just out of interest, Teacher Ning, you do it very well!”
“You always flatter me so, your words are always so sweet.”
Ning Manqing chuckled and lowered her head to meet Li Chu’s gaze.
“This isn’t flattery! In my heart, Teacher Ning is the best person.”
Li Chu answered seriously, feeling that Ning Manqing deserved all the praise in the world.
Ning Manqing felt that everything in the world could be rejected—beauty, money, power, reputation—but a pure heart was irresistible.
For example, at this moment, she felt her heart skip a beat.
Every time Li Chu looked at her like this, it made her feel like she was the most beautiful existence in the world.
Even though she herself didn’t think so.
Ning Manqing felt a little deer happily bouncing around in her heart, shouting, She’s so cute!
She really was cute, so she would have her all to herself.
Ning Manqing’s eyes curved into a smile as she tapped the tip of Li Chu’s nose, taking this as a response to Li Chu’s words.
Please keep looking at me like this, forever, my Xiao Chu.
Shoutout and huge thanks to Mells for picking up the complete EPUB book on the Ko-fi shop! Really appreciate the support!
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