138: Chapter 138 Your beard is poking my leg.

After dinner, both of them had been drinking, so they didn't drive.

Jiang Fan and Su Yuyan walked side by side along the riverside promenade.

The September night breeze blew off the Huangpu River, carrying a hint of chill.

Su Yuyan linked her arm through his, the rhythmic click of her high heels echoing on the stone path.

After walking for about ten minutes, they arrived downstairs at the apartment building where Su Yuyan lived.

The elevator went up to the twenty-third floor, and Su Yuyan swiped her card to open the door, the entryway lights turning on automatically.

She kicked off her high heels and walked inside barefoot, her toes making no sound on the floor.

"Want a little more?"

"Sure."

Jiang Fan sat down on the sofa; he had been to this apartment a few times, and the decor hadn't changed much.

Su Yuyan took a bottle of red wine from the wine cabinet, unscrewed the cap, and poured two glasses.

She handed one glass to Jiang Fan, sat down beside him, and curled her legs up on the sofa, her skirt riding up a bit.

"When do you plan to contact Director Ning Yuan?" Su Yuyan asked, swirling her glass.

"Tomorrow, I suppose."

"I'll go with you tomorrow." She took a sip of red wine.

"With him, don't be too polite when you talk to him. The more polite you are, the more airs he puts on. Just throw the script at him directly—if it works, it works; if not, forget it. He actually responds better to that."

"You know him quite well."

"His wife and I have known each other for over a decade." Su Yuyan took a sip of wine. "He's just got a foul mouth but a good heart. He has talent, but his temper ruined his own prospects."

Jiang Fan nodded, making a mental note.

After two more glasses, a third of the bottle was gone.

Su Yuyan became more talkative, chatting about everything from Director Ning Yuan to the entire film industry, and from the industry to gossip.

Which director was recently having an affair with whose wife, which producer invested 300 million and lost it all—she recounted it all vividly.

Jiang Fan listened, occasionally chiming in.

Su Yuyan's face was flushed a light red from the alcohol, her eyes glistening slightly.

Her posture shifted from leaning sideways to half-reclining against Jiang Fan's shoulder, her fingers unconsciously swirling her wine glass.

"Let me dance for you."

Jiang Fan looked at her. "What kind of dance?"

Su Yuyan didn't answer; she placed her glass on the coffee table, stood up, walked over to the speaker, and tapped the screen a few times.

The prelude began to play.

The plucking of a guzheng, the tone clear and bright, layered with a very light electronic drum beat at the bottom.

It was "Sigh."

Jiang Fan leaned back in the sofa, holding his glass, becoming interested.

Su Yuyan stood with her back to him, her body swaying to the melody.

Her hips moved first, the movement subtle, just enough to lead her waist to follow the beat.

Her shoulders swayed along, the lines of her back faintly visible beneath her beige silk shirt.

Under the light, the contours underneath could be seen.

With the twisting of her body, the first button of her silk shirt came undone.

Then the second.

The chorus kicked in.

"Forget, forget, forget it all, sway to my rhythm—"

Su Yuyan hummed the lyrics and turned around.

Facing him.

The shirt had already slipped down to her elbows, revealing black lace underneath.

The material wrapped tightly, outlining all the curves.

Her long hair was loose, one side sweeping across her shoulder, revealing her entire collarbone and a stretch of snow-white neck.

Su Yuyan's waist was still moving.

This was a professionally trained body; the innate sense of rhythm and flexibility was something not everyone possessed.

During the interlude, she raised her hands, fingertips tracing slowly from her collarbone down to her waist.

The final note fell.

The guzheng strings were stilled, the drum beats faded.

The living room was silent for two or three seconds.

Su Yuyan stopped, her chest heaving, her cheeks flushed.

Fine beads of sweat on her temples glistened under the light.

She walked back step by step, barefoot.

Standing in front of Jiang Fan.

She lifted one foot, her toes resting on Jiang Fan's knee, then slowly slid them up, finally hooking onto his belt buckle.

"Is it pretty?"

Jiang Fan placed his wine glass on the coffee table.

"No wonder kings didn't want to attend morning court."

Su Yuyan curved her lips into a smile.

Her toes were still hooked there, not pulled back.

Jiang Fan lowered his head and glanced at that foot.

The ankle was slender, the joints distinct, a vein on the instep hidden beneath the skin.

Her nails were painted black, shimmering slightly in the light.

He reached out and grasped that restless foot.

It felt slightly cool to the touch, the skin very smooth.

His thumb pressed against her arch.

Su Yuyan's toes curled instantly.

"Stop it—" she laughed, trying to pull her foot back.

Jiang Fan didn't let go, gripping her ankle and pulling her towards him.

Su Yuyan lost her balance, her knees buckling forward, and she tumbled directly into the sofa.

She braced her hands on either side of Jiang Fan's shoulders, her long hair falling down and sweeping across his face.

Su Yuyan's breath, carrying the warm scent of alcohol, hit the tip of his nose.

She glared at him. It wasn't a very intimidating glare.

Jiang Fan's hand moved from her ankle to her calf, then slid further up.

Su Yuyan's knees were on the sofa cushion; at his touch, her legs went weak.

Jiang Fan's hand traveled up along her spine.

He effortlessly stripped off the already open shirt.

Su Yuyan straddled his lap, her arms wrapped around his neck.

"Did you gain weight again?"

Su Yuyan bit his earlobe. "Say that again."

Jiang Fan chuckled and reached behind her with one hand.

One click.

The clasp opened.

Getting more and more proficient.

Before Su Yuyan could say anything, Jiang Fan had already leaned down and pinned her.

The sound of the belt buckle unfastening was exceptionally clear in the quiet room.

Su Yuyan reached out to pull at his shirt hem, rolling it up.

Her palms pressed against his chest; the muscle lines were solid, the contours of his abs palpable against her palms.

"When did you start working out?"

"I don't work out."

"Liar."

Jiang Fan didn't explain; he lowered his head, his lips landing on Su Yuyan's collarbone.

Midway through.

"Your beard is pricking my thigh."

"Bear with it."

"Ah... stop it."

"Don't clamp your legs on my head."

—

Don't know how much time had passed.

Su Yuyan lay prone on the bed, her face buried in the pillow, a thin layer of sweat on her back.

The quilt only covered her waist, exposing her entire shoulder blades.

"...How do you have so much energy today?"

Jiang Fan lay beside her, one hand behind his head, his breathing steady, unlike someone who had just finished exercising.

"Didn't you order me a table full of nourishing food?"

Su Yuyan lifted her face from the pillow, her hair messily stuck to her neck.

She reached out and punched him, but it was weak, more like a tickle against his ribs.

"I won't let you eat it next time."

"Everything you say never counts."

Su Yuyan rolled her eyes and buried her face back into the pillow.

After a while.

"The script you wrote," her voice came from the pillow, "did you really not save a role for me?"

"Really, I didn't."

"What about Xu Qingya?"

"Neither."

Silence for a few seconds.

"I don't believe it." Su Yuyan turned her head, one eye peeking out to look at him. "If there's a suitable script, you must give it to me."

"Fine."

"Keep your word."

"I will."

Su Yuyan was satisfied and buried her face back down.

Half a minute later, the sound of steady breathing came.

She was asleep.

Jiang Fan turned his head to look at her.

Under the light, the lines of Su Yuyan's profile were very soft, a completely different person from the decisive and efficient President Su at the company during the day.

He withdrew his gaze and looked at the ceiling.

At the edge of his retina, the system panel appeared silently.

[Deep Compatibility × 3, Lifespan Value + 3000]

[Current Lifespan Value: 42900 points]

[Remaining Lifespan: 105 days]

The numbers jumped once, then returned to calm.

Jiang Fan closed his eyes.

Tomorrow he still had to contact Director Ning Yuan.

The script was ready, and the director was also the most critical link.