MORIC - Chapter 65
Chapter 65: She Cries Too
Chi Yueshan had rehearsed privately with Shi Yangshu and Jiang Xian before, but Sheng Yangkui was harder to schedule. Plus, her status was on a completely different level, which made her seem even more unapproachable.
These two Betas were pretty nice; at least, Chi Yueshan felt perfectly comfortable around them.
Just then, Jiang Xian took out a mirror and had Chi Yueshan take a look at herself.
"The exam is the day after tomorrow. Are you sure this will be okay? They were too rough…"
Chi Yueshan said, "It's fine. I heal quickly."
She wasn't as delicate as a typical Omega, perhaps because she was used to a rougher life in the Lower World. Her laugh was even exceptionally hearty.
When Xi Zhoumeng arrived, she saw the three of them chatting and laughing. The moment they saw her, they fell silent.
"Senior Wen and Student Sheng aren't here yet."
Xi Zhoumeng nodded. "Wen Xinghuo said she'd be a little late."
"Her part isn't that important anyway. Let's run through the important scenes first."
Even though they were all women, Jiang Xian couldn't deny how particular Xi Zhoumeng was about her appearance. Xi Zhoumeng had finalized all their costumes, but they wouldn't be worn until the official performance.
Compared to Chi Yueshan's casual demeanor, Xi Zhoumeng's attitude was clearly more befitting of someone about to take an exam.
Jiang Xian said, "I'll contact Student Sheng, then."
Xi Zhoumeng nodded and looked at Chi Yueshan. "Come up here and run lines."
The theater's lighting equipment was now all AI-controlled, and since the plans had been finalized, everything was automated.
The only thing an AI couldn't completely replicate was the performance itself.
Xi Zhoumeng stepped onto the stage and used her light-brain to control the theater's lights. She set the AI program, and the lights began to shift, creating a dreamlike and fantastical atmosphere.
Only then did Chi Yueshan realize she was a bit too disheveled and hadn't changed her clothes.
But since she was already here, she braced herself and went up anyway.
As expected, Xi Zhoumeng was bothered by her clothes. Before Xi Zhoumeng could speak, Chi Yueshan cut in, "Alright, I know. I just forgot."
Xi Zhoumeng scoffed. "Does the wound hurt?"
She was referring to the injury Chi Yueshan had gotten from the electronic dog.
Chi Yueshan shook her head.
She held out her hand. "Look, it's all healed."
Xi Zhoumeng pointed to the pinprick. "Weren't you almost bitten at the beginning of the school year, too?"
Chi Yueshan hesitated. "That electronic dog's teeth were hard."
Xi Zhoumeng asked, "Why did it happen that time?"
Chi Yueshan replied, "I was probably leaning too close to the railing. The dawn redwoods there are really beautiful."
She felt a little embarrassed. Under the lights, Xi Zhoumeng's beauty seemed enhanced, making it hard to look at her directly.
She'd never felt this way before.
Xi Zhoumeng said "oh." "Was it Wen Xinghuo who saved you that day, too?"
Chi Yueshan nodded and pulled up her script to review. Xi Zhoumeng said faintly, "So you're head over heels for her?"
Chi Yueshan froze for a moment. "Huh?"
Xi Zhoumeng switched the background to script mode. Looking directly at the screen, she said quite calmly, "Aren't you?"
Chi Yueshan stammered, "Yes! No, that's not it!"
Xi Zhoumeng said, "Mm, let's begin."
She wasn't listening at all, seemingly convinced that Chi Yueshan's wish to be with Wen Xinghuo had come true. This flustered Chi Yueshan, who hurriedly tried to explain, "It's really not like that."
An AI robot brought props over from the side. In the play, the two of them were a stepmother and stepdaughter, co-conspirators.
A dressing table, a doorframe, and a rose.
Xi Zhoumeng said, "Congratulations."
Chi Yueshan let out a sound of confusion.
Xi Zhoumeng sat down at the dressing table, her long hair draped over her shoulders. Miming the act of putting on makeup, she said, "Congratulations. I heard from your father that you've recently found someone you fancy?"
Only then did Chi Yueshan realize that she had already started acting.
But why was she being so passive-aggressive? It was as if something had already happened between me and Senior Wen!
Are you jealous?
Are you jealous of me, or of Senior Wen?
Neither of those makes sense, right???!!
But now was clearly not the time to say such things. An AI handed Chi Yueshan a yellow rose, and she leaned against the doorframe.
She was Fu Xin. This was an ordinary day in their conspiracy. Her portrayal of Fu Xin was exceptionally successful, and she had embarked on a new life trajectory.
But her lover, who was now her stepmother, seemed to be angry.
The yellow rose was tender and alluring, with dewdrops still clinging to its petals.
Fu Xin watched the woman inside applying skincare and replied jokingly, "I have."
Qiu Mei's movements paused. "Should I be happy for you?"
Even Xi Zhoumeng's voice was different. Her tone carried a bewitching quality, a hint of seduction.
On the large screen behind them, the script updated continuously. Below the stage, Jiang Xian and Shi Yangshu watched the two of them.
Jiang Xian whispered, "Senior gets into character so fast."
Shi Yangshu added, "Don't you think Chi Yueshan is much more inspired than before?"
They weren't blind; they could naturally see that Xi Zhoumeng treated Chi Yueshan differently.
At first, they thought it was the special "attention" one gives a love rival, but as time went on, it started to feel off.
Rather than treating her like a rival, Xi Zhoumeng's concern for Chi Yueshan seemed more like the affection an elder would show.
But they were only one year apart!!
Chi Yueshan was still dressed sloppily, as if she had just climbed out of a mecha. Her shirt was even a little dusty.
And yet, her eyes were clear. Once in character, she embodied Fu Xin's effortless confidence, exuding the composure and playful intimacy of lovers who had known each other for years.
They had a group chat, so Xi Zhoumeng knew that Chi Yueshan, Jiang Xian, and Shi Yangshu practiced outside of class.
But she didn't know how much Chi Yueshan had practiced.
After all, the girl didn't seem interested in this sort of thing, not at all like a typical Omega.
And yet, she worked incredibly hard, refusing to slack off in anything.
Even if she didn't like something, she would give it her all.
The character she presented to Xi Zhoumeng was nothing like the green, boisterous Chi Yueshan; it was the pure essence of Fu Xin.
Fu Xin said, "But of course."
She walked inside, casually twirling the rose, her steps light and cheerful.
Qiu Mei and Fu Xin were the same age. They had known each other for years, loved each other for years, and committed evil for years. Only their feelings for each other remained pure, untouched by the filth of the world.
Qiu Mei ignored her.
Fu Xin let out a soft "Aiya," placing a hand on Qiu Mei's shoulder. "The only one I fancy is you."
So cheesy.
Chi Yueshan had practiced this part on her own, adjusting her expression in front of a mirror.
It wasn't that she hadn't seen famous dramas or loving couples, but the sweet nothings they exchanged were clearly different from the ones she uttered.
Practicing in front of a mirror was a one-way street.
In that moment, it was as if she were truly possessed by Fu Xin, completely at ease.
Chi Yueshan was very familiar with Xi Zhoumeng's scent. Before, she had just thought the girl was vain and always changing her perfume.
But after smelling Xi Zhoumeng's pheromones, she could never forget it. It was too hazy, too unforgettable. It could take any form.
It could be colorless and odorless; the coldness was merely synesthesia.
It was a thin, cool morning mist, tinged with gloom.
It sliced at the lungs, like the first gasp of air after a near-death experience.
She was everywhere.
Two figures appeared in the mirror, one's chin resting on the other's shoulder.
One was single-mindedly applying lotion to her hands.
"I'm just going along with your husband's arrangements."
Fu Xin pressed down a little more, as if to shift her weight onto the other woman.
She nuzzled her cheek against Qiu Mei's neck, her tone carrying an aggrieved complaint.
Qiu Mei turned her head, her lips brushing against Fu Xin's cheek.
Chi Yueshan's heart thundered. They had definitely avoided this during rehearsals!
But she was completely under Xi Zhoumeng's control, crashing into those eyes and being unavoidably drawn into her world.
Entangled, enveloped, invaded.
"My husband? You mean your father?"
Qiu Mei turned, pinching Fu Xin's chin. With her other hand, she picked up the yellow rose and bit off a petal.
"Who else?"
Fu Xin met her gaze.
Xi Zhoumeng's lips were perfectly thin. Every time Chi Yueshan saw her, she was in full makeup. Even when they slept together, she seemed to be the same.
When Chi Yueshan woke up, Xi Zhoumeng was still radiant.
Just how many layers did she have? I really wanted to peel them back and see.
"Then what are you doing to your stepmother right now?"
Her deep red lips held a pale yellow petal, which didn't fall as she spoke. Instead, the petal became stained with red, as if luring one to fall along with it.
Jiang Xian had seen Chi Yueshan perform this scene solo, with only a balloon for a prop.
Now that the balloon had become Xi Zhoumeng, the emotion was completely different.
"Wow, that's so... you know."
The female Beta blushed, yet she could still feel the undercurrent of sorrow in their performance.
After all, the story was set in a bleak era, and both characters were criminals.
One had killed her biological father, the other had poisoned her stepfather.
Shi Yangshu propped his chin on his hand and asked in a low voice, "There wasn't a kissing scene mentioned before, was there?"
Other groups had them, and a kiss between a Beta and an Omega couple was no big deal, but it was rare to see two Omegas kiss.
After all, it was a public performance; there was no need to make such sacrifices for the sake of art.
It was just an elective, after all.
No one knew that Chi Yueshan's heart was pounding wildly.
She couldn't stop thinking about the way Xi Zhoumeng had looked at her that night. A Xi Zhoumeng in heat was far too alluring.
She was the antithesis of purity. She would cup Chi Yueshan's face and gaze at her for the longest time.
As if trying to see into Chi Yueshan's entire life.
From past to future, she was a judge.
A judge is merciless, but in that moment, Xi Zhoumeng was filled with emotion for her.
As if Chi Yueshan was the only person she would ever have. That feeling was uniquely precious to Chi Yueshan.
Zhou Fengqin had taught her not to have a strong moral compass, to believe that success depends on human effort, and to embrace the ambition of being determined to win.
But Chi Yueshan's girlish heart had been sparked by Wen Xinghuo, and for ten years it had burned, turning into a wasteland of fantasy, awaiting a match made in heaven where they would stand side by side.
But dreams rarely come true. Wen Xinghuo's failure to recognize her had been a splash of cold water.
Instead, it had forced Chi Yueshan to calm down.
Xi Zhoumeng was the one outside her fantasies, the one who seemed almost within reach.
If not for that accidental heat, Chi Yueshan would have only found her aloof and still annoying.
But that one night, she felt she had glimpsed a different Xi Zhoumeng.
A Xi Zhoumeng that no one knew.
A Xi Zhoumeng who, deep in her soul, was a tangle of fragile, gentle emotions.
She was so beautiful when she cried.
She also wished for someone to hold her.
Just like me.
Wen Xinghuo was late.
She had rushed over after working an odd job for an hour, arriving just in time to see the yellow rose on the stage fall to the floor.
Xi Zhoumeng fell backward onto the soft prop bed.
She was held tightly by a small Omega, an embrace so fierce it seemed meant to merge them, bone and soul.
A single glance was enough to see the ocean-deep love, the unforgettable passion.
The character of Qiu Mei was sexy and wild, her smile captivating. She wrapped her legs around Fu Xin's waist, flipped over, and ended up straddling her.
"My good little daughter, let your stepmom dote on you properly."
It lacked the blush-inducing, carnal madness of the original work.
She simply took Fu Xin's hand, which had been pricked by a rose thorn, and gave it a gentle lick.
Wen Xinghuo's eyelid twitched. She realized that Xi Zhoumeng was licking the very same pinprick on Chi Yueshan's hand from the electronic dog.
And the little Omega who had hugged her just a few hours ago was now portraying Fu Xin with effortless confidence, her eyes filled with infatuation and possessiveness.
Someone silently came to stand beside Wen Xinghuo.
Her voice was soft and listless, as if she were recovering from an illness. "Sister Xinghuo," she asked, "when the Omega you like and an Omega who likes you do something like this, does it make you unhappy?"
Sheng Yangkui tilted her head up to look at Wen Xinghuo's profile, not realizing that her gaze was identical to that of Chi Yueshan on stage playing Fu Xin.
Except her infatuation was even more extreme—a lifelong obsession, churned by time into a contradictory fantasy.
It was a guilty conscience forged from remorse.
It was the despair of a hero's final stumbling block falling in love with the hero herself.
Wen Xinghuo didn't look at her. They stood in a corner of the vast, unlit theater.
"A'Kui, was our meeting truly the first time we met?"
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