Chapter 16: Shiya, you pretended to be asleep first

Shiya was stunned for a moment, then quickly withdrew her hand, shielding Elena in front of her as she peered at this strange man.

Elena, who was in a good mood, finally spoke up, pointing at the melancholy middle-aged man before them.

“Don’t be afraid, Shiya. This is Mr. Feen, a famous director in the Imperial Capital.”

Then she took the Flower Branch Ring off her ring finger and placed it back into Shiya’s palm.

“Also, that gold ring just now was just a prop. You don’t have to pay for it.”

Shiya scratched her snow-white hair somewhat sheepishly and gave a slight bow, apologizing to the famous director.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Actually, Miss Shiya, would you be interested in playing the core villain in this play?”

Feen waved his hand dismissively, getting straight to the point.

“Ah, me?”

Shiya tilted her head, pointing at her own face with her finger.

Though it was a question, she felt a slight sense of pride inside.

It seemed she really did have the aura of a villainess.

“Yes, yes.”

Feen gripped the script tightly, even gesturing forcefully into the air.

“Only now do I understand why this play, full of artistic flair, felt so dull and tedious. It was missing a villainess like you—a comedic one.”

Shiya’s little face immediately fell.

She shook her head like a rattle-drum.

“I don’t want to.”

“Huh?” The famous director of the Imperial Capital clearly hadn’t expected anyone to refuse his earnest invitation.

He wanted to try and persuade her further.

Glancing aside, he gave a heavy slap to the shoulder of Karlen, who stood beside him looking utterly done.

“Miss Shiya, perhaps I haven’t made myself clear. In the script, as the admirer of our male lead here,” he gestured to Karlen, “you’ll have scenes with the most handsome senior in the academy, Karlen.”

“If you’re still not satisfied, I can even add a kissing scene.”

Elena gave Feen a deep look, then turned and patted the back of Shiya’s hand, patiently explaining.

“Intimate physical contact won’t be necessary. This is a proper play, after all.”

“Shiya, I also hope you’ll participate. The cleaning work can be assigned to someone else. During rehearsals, your pay will be doubled. How about that?”

Facing Elena’s expectant gaze, Shiya took a step back instead, lowering her head.

“If there’s nothing else, Sister Elena, Mr. Feen, I need to get back to my cleaning duties.”

That was a refusal.

Shiya had her own scale to measure things by.

As an ordinary person without supernatural abilities, she could find ways to complete the young lady’s tasks.

But the prerequisite for that was to stay absolutely far away from Karlen, that source of danger.

And no matter how high the salary Elena offered for participating, she had to be alive to spend it.

As for Elena being deeply entangled in this vortex without realizing it… sorry, the original owner couldn’t save her and ended up mentally broken, committing suicide.

The current Shiya, aside from the necessary act of obsession, didn’t want to wade into this muddy water.

Seeing Shiya stubbornly refuse, Mr. Feen’s face finally darkened.

Though he still wore a smile, his tone was utterly cold.

“Since you won’t do me this favor, I have no choice but to take extreme measures.”

With a flick of his sleeve, he dropped to his knees right there with a thump, wrapping his arms tightly around Shiya’s legs.

“Please, I beg you, Miss Shiya! Agree to it! Otherwise, I’ll shamelessly stay right here and not leave!”

This great director’s perfect pursuit of art and his sheer audacity instantly stunned everyone present.

In the end, Shiya was the first to react.

Clutching her head, she cried out in utter hurt and despair..

“Let go, you perverted uncle! Or I’ll report you for molesting a minor!”

A short while later, the student council members finally managed to politely escort the great director away.

Shiya was also able to continue her work, diligently cleaning every floor of the student council building.

During this time, Elena found her and asked Shiya to help set up the venue for the upcoming play rehearsals.

And this task kept them busy almost until midnight.

The moon was hidden, stars were sparse, and dark, gloomy clouds filled the entire sky.

Shiya wiped the glistening sweat from her forehead and hung the final curtain.

Elena, who was holding the ladder steady below, watched as Shiya climbed down bit by bit.

On the last few bamboo rungs, her figure seemed to sway a little unsteadily.

The imperial princess simply lifted the slightly smaller Shiya down directly.

“Thank you.”

Feeling a soft, pressing sensation against her back, Shiya blushed slightly and took the water Elena handed her.

Elena’s light blue eyes were exceptionally gentle as she looked at the girl who was gulping down water and had helped her a lot today.

She casually reminded her,

“Shiya, when you were climbing the ladder just now, you were completely exposed. You should be more careful in the future.”

She pointed at Shiya’s skirt hem.

Shiya, who was drinking water, choked violently, splashing a large amount of water onto her chest.

Well, that was just great.

The girl was already wearing a white dress.

Now, soaked, her considerable curves, and even the style and color of what was underneath, were faintly visible to the imperial princess.

Shiya hurriedly covered her chest, instinctively giving Elena a suspicious glance.

Seeing the other’s concerned expression and her busy efforts to pull out tissues, Shiya let her guard down, thinking she was just overthinking it.

Seeing that Shiya had tidied herself up more or less, Elena took out her pocket watch and glanced at it.

“It’s getting late, Shiya. I’ll walk you back.”

But then she shook her head.

“Actually, forget it. You can stay overnight in my office today.”

Shiya looked at the deep night outside the window and saw no issue with that.

She gave a soft “Mhm.”

At the very back of the president’s office, there was actually a small rest area separated by a curtain.

Shiya lay on the soft bed, looking around.

Aside from three blank walls, there were no other decorations here.

So when Elena untied the sash of her outer coat, leaving only her inner garment, squeezed in beside Shiya, and pulled the curtain closed behind her…

In the narrow, quiet space, only the breathing of the two girls could be heard.

Time seemed to pause at this moment.

They just looked at each other, neither speaking first.

Shiya blinked, her earlobes slowly turning red.

She hadn’t expected Elena to share the same pillow with her.

But thinking about it, it made sense.

After all, there was only this one bed here, and the president had been busy all day, of course she needed rest too.

Shiya’s awkwardness was fully noticed by Elena.

Her calculations could be considered half-successful.

She simply moved closer.

At this distance, if either of them took just a little more initiative, their foreheads would touch intimately, or even go further…

But Elena’s next words instantly cut through all of the girl’s fluster and wandering thoughts.

“Shiya, why didn’t you agree to Mr. Feen’s invitation today?”

Her ragged breathing gradually calmed.

Shiya forced out a faint smile.

“I can’t, Sister Elena. My acting is too poor. I’d ruin the play.”

“You can learn, Shiya. I’ll be with you too.”

Elena pressed closer step by step, wanting to get even nearer to Shiya.

But then, the girl simply stopped looking at her, turning her head to stare up at the ceiling.

“Then I don’t want Karlen to be in this play. And from now on, Sister Elena, you can’t have any interaction with him either.”

Shiya spoke quietly, finally playing her trump card.

She knew that for that man, Elena wouldn’t back down.

This was something the original owner could never achieve, no matter how hard she tried to please this imperial princess.

Hearing this, Elena’s expression indeed turned more serious.

“Shiya, I wish you would be more mature. Mr. Karlen is a good person. He bears goodwill towards both you and me.”

“Moreover, let me be frank with you. This play is the most anticipated part of the Flower God Festival. My father, the Emperor, will personally attend. This is also a rare opportunity for us to show ourselves.”

But the more Elena spoke, the more Shiya felt an inexplicable, dull ache in her heart.

The original owner’s father had long been executed for treason, his title stripped.

Now, as the daughter of a disgraced official, was showing her face in front of the Emperor really a good thing?

The warm breath of the imperial princess gently brushed against Shiya’s cheek.

Her ears felt a little weak, but her heart felt even worse.

Shiya couldn’t understand.

Elena had clearly stated in front of the original owner that she disliked, even felt repulsion towards, romantic feelings between girls.

So why could she now be so adept at plucking at Shiya’s heartstrings?

With just her breath, she could esily make Shiya’s body grow warm and weak and pliant.

She said she didn’t understand, but perhaps it was also that Shiya was unwilling to think of Elena in a worse light.

Seeing Shiya maintaining such a cold, indifferent attitude towards her, Elena felt an inexplicable sourness in her heart.

Before, the old Shiya would have willingly done anything with just a wave of her hand or a few caring words.

So, was it because last time, when Shiya tried to commit suicide, she hadn’t stopped her, and now Shiya held a grudge?

The memory from last night’s market surfaced—Shiya smiling, saying it didn’t matter, but those cold, distant eyes sent chills down one’s spine.

Elena bit her lip.

She wasn’t willing to give up like this.

She simply used her hand to prop herself up on the bed, leaning over to look directly into Shiya’s beautiful pale golden eyes..

“Shiya…”

Just then, the office door was knocked on.

Karlen’s voice came from outside.

“Elena, I have a work report to submit to you.”

Hearing the sound, Elena immediately tensed up, sitting up straight and putting distance between herself and Shiya.

But meeting Shiya’s calm gaze, her body stiffened slightly again.

“Shiya, stay inside and don’t say anything.”

In the end, she pulled open the curtain, put her coat back on, tidied her disheveled golden hair, placed a finger to her lips, and made a shushing gesture to the girl inside.

Then she closed the curtain again and hurriedly went to open the door for Karlen.

Karlen, who had been standing in the hallway for a while, finally saw Elena.

But the flush on her face made him hesitate.

“Elena, are you sick? Or is the work too tiring?”

Karlen lifted a bag and shook it.

“I brought some ginseng slices for tea. If you don’t mind, I also know a bit about acupressure to relieve fatigue.”

But as soon as Karlen said this, Elena shook her head vigorously, her voice rising a few degrees.

“No need! I mean, it’s very late now, Mr. Karlen. You should go back and rest.”

‘Are you kidding me? Shiya is still hidden on the bed. If Karlen comes in and notices something off, it’ll be impossible to explain.’

Moreover, she was also very averse to intimate physical contact with men before confirming a relationship, or even before marriage.

Immediately, without waiting for Karlen to say anything more, she took the work report from him and firmly closed the door.

Karlen, left with a figurative door slammed in his face, felt somewhat annoyed.

But he sniffed the air,feeling that today Elena carried the faint scent of another flower.

After closing the door, Elena let out a sigh of relief and walked back to the bed.

“It’s okay now, Shiya.”

But when she lifted the curtain, she found Shiya had already pulled the covers over herself, turned away, and fallen asleep.

Elena lowered her gaze.

Since childhood, she had remembered every one of Shiya’s habits.

Of course, she could also tell that the girl was currently pretending to sleep, avoiding her.

But Elena didn’t expose her.

She lay back down on the bed, completely relaxing her whole body, slipping under the covers to share that warmth with the girl, then placed her hand on Shiya’s waist.

She didn’t care how tense the person she was half-embracing was at the moment.

Breathing in the faint orchid fragrance from the other’s snow-white hair, she closed her eyes and drifted into a light sleep.

It seemed that ever since Shiya first confessed her feelings to her, they hadn’t slept so peacefully in each other’s arms like this.