Upon receiving Yu Zhiwan's invitation, Pei Yujang didn't hesitate and quickly crouched down in front of her.
The Omega's soft fingers grasped her chin with little force, tracing her lips with a gentle touch, sending tingling sensations through her. Although Pei Yujang felt a bit uncomfortable, out of politeness, she didn't pull away.
She didn't dislike Yu Zhiwan's touch and wasn't particularly concerned with cleanliness, especially since Yu Zhiwan had used hand sanitizer upon sitting down, her fingers now carrying a fresh lemon scent.
However, she felt that this behavior was a bit inappropriate, especially in front of others, as if implying something between them. Although Pei Yujang had never been in a relationship, she understood what couples were like, and Yu Zhiwan's behavior towards her seemed a bit out of line.
This thought quickly passed through Pei Yujang's mind. She figured that Yu Zhiwan, being blind, might be more dependent on people. If she, as a good friend, pushed her away, it would undoubtedly make the fragile Omega feel even worse.
After all, Pei Yujang didn't feel uncomfortable with Yu Zhiwan being close to her and didn't care about any rumors.
With this in mind, Pei Yujang simply held Yu Zhiwan's hand, letting her explore her lips. Since Yu Zhiwan couldn't see the lipstick on her lips, she could only judge through touch.
Yu Zhiwan carefully traced Pei Yujang's lips, while Pei Yujang instinctively closed her eyes, allowing the delicate sensation of the woman's fingers to linger on her lips. After a while, Yu Zhiwan slowly took out her own lipstick to help her reapply.
The lipstick brushed meticulously over her lips, more skillfully than when Pei Yujang did it herself.
In truth, Pei Yujang couldn't distinguish the colors of lipsticks very well. If two similar shades were placed in front of her, she wouldn't be able to tell them apart, unlike some women who are naturally sensitive to colors.
In other words, she wasn't well-suited for the beauty industry. She had the basic aesthetic sense but couldn't make any significant contributions.
As they applied the lipstick, Chen Lulu, who was watching from the side, was taken aback, her thoughts swirling.
Chen Lulu's first reaction was that they were a couple, but Pei Yujang had just told her she was single, and it seemed unlikely that she would tell such an easily debunked lie.
Could they be potential lovers?
That didn't seem likely either. If their relationship had developed to this point, they might as well be together already. Why bother with the push and pull?
Chen Lulu couldn't make sense of it, and her gaze toward Pei Yujang grew increasingly complex. But Pei Yujang didn't notice her, only worried about her lipstick smudging and being laughed at, so she obediently crouched in front of Yu Zhiwan, waiting for her to finish.
By the time Pei Yujang's makeup was finished, Chen Lulu had already disappeared.
Pei Yujang felt it was rude to leave without saying goodbye, but Yu Zhiwan stopped her.
"She might be hungry and went back to eat. If you go now, won't you be disturbing her?"
Pei Yujang, who was about to leave, was pulled back by Yu Zhiwan's words.
She really hated being disturbed while eating, especially when she was starving, and someone kept talking nearby. Out of politeness, she couldn't ignore them, which was particularly annoying.
Hearing her sit back down, Yu Zhiwan smiled more gently.
"Would you like to try the chicken wings here? They're different from the ones sold outside. They're egg yolk-flavored; I just tried one, and it's delicious."
Chen Lulu stabbed the chicken wing on her plate with a fork, full of resentment.
The small chicken wing was pierced through and through by her fork but hadn't reached her mouth yet. Fang Nianjing, sitting opposite her, couldn't bear to watch anymore and tapped her plate with chopsticks.
"Are you done? If you're not happy, go find them. What's the point of hesitating here?"
Chen Lulu felt a bit aggrieved.
"It's easy for you to say. You're happily in love with your girlfriend. You can't understand the pain of a single dog like me, can you?"
The thought of Pei Yujang and Yu Zhiwan's intimate interaction made her feel even more frustrated, like something she had her eye on was being snatched away. If Yu Zhiwan were Pei Yujang's legitimate girlfriend, she would accept it and offer her blessings. But Pei Yujang had said they were just superior and subordinate. She might still have a chance. Should she give up so easily?
Chen Lulu hesitated repeatedly, and the chicken wing in her hand no longer tasted good.
She felt she couldn't just give up like this. Looking at Fang Nianjing's teasing expression, she finally made up her mind and got up to leave.
Chen Lulu eventually managed to exchange contact information with Pei Yujang.
The reason was that Pei Yujang was quite interested in the disaster film Chen Lulu was shooting.
In her previous life, Ningxiang hadn't suffered much from the ravages of war. The city was crisscrossed with water networks, but not the vast expanses of large rivers, rather the typical water towns of the south, not suitable for military deployment. Even the zombie beasts rarely invaded here.
However, while Ningxiang escaped war, it didn't escape man-made disasters. At that time, the country was in disarray, with territories divided and ruled by different factions. Someone had purchased a drug and was secretly transporting it through here, but was discovered by another team, who secretly infiltrated and tried to destroy the drug.
As a result, the drug leaked, and those sent to carry out the mission were poisoned on the spot, dying in horrific ways. The unknown epidemic spread in Ningxiang, turning what was once a relatively peaceful place in troubled times into a place of fear and danger.
Ningxiang wasn't a major city, so they waited a long time without receiving any rescue. The once beautiful city turned into a living hell.
Pei Yujang had always been searching for ways to prevent the disaster that would occur 200 years later, and Chen Lulu's "disaster film" gave her a very useful idea, making her suddenly see the light.
She had thought of this during the floods in Yicheng a few days ago. Although it wasn't clear whether the Federation's rule was stable, the eventual collapse of the entire planet was certainly related to the ruling class.
The leaders of Yicheng, wanting to embezzle public funds, failed to take action, nearly causing the people of Yicheng to lose their homes in the flood. She remembered that the leaders of the state where Ningxiang was located later introduced new laws to build factories there, under the guise of improving the economy. But in reality, the massive industrial pollution had nearly destroyed the city.
The planet's eventual downfall was partly due to human factors, but it was also closely linked to nature.
If these tumors weren't removed and humanity continued to recklessly exploit and destroy the environment, it would be difficult to ensure that the disasters of 200 years later wouldn't repeat themselves.
Pei Yujang thought a lot about that disaster film, eager to fly to Chen Lulu's film crew to see it immediately.
After getting into the car and setting the autopilot, she called Chen Lulu. Chen Lulu was overjoyed to receive her call. Although they were talking about the disaster film, Chen Lulu naturally shifted the conversation to other topics.
"Yujang-jie, how long will you stay in Ningxiang?"
"No more than five days, probably leaving the day after tomorrow."
Extracting the raw materials wasn't difficult and wouldn't take much time. Yu Zhiwan and Pei Yujang weren't here just for fun. Since the person had arrived, they could start working tonight. Yu Zhiwan wasn't the type of spoiled Omega who liked to slack off, so she planned to work with the person tonight to extract and observe the flower juice concentrate.
Chen Lulu asked sweetly:
"So when will you come to see me?"
Like Yu Zhiwan, Chen Lulu was also an Omega, and younger than Pei Yujang. Her voice was sweet but not cloying, belonging to the lively sweet girl type. When a sweet girl acted coy, she was irresistibly cute and soft. Pei Yujang glanced at her phone's calendar and replied:
"How about tomorrow? Are you busy tomorrow? Can I come by?"
Tomorrow, Yu Zhiwan would be doing the extraction and observation with that person. It was quite boring, and Pei Yujang didn't understand it anyway, so she didn't plan to waste time. She intended to visit Chen Lulu's film crew, mainly to check out the disaster film's plot.
If the script was good, she planned to borrow some money from Pei Jinhui to invest. Not too much, just enough to get familiar with the crew and learn more.
Pei Yujang had always been the type to think big and act boldly. After this period, she realized she wasn't suited for the beauty industry, but she was eager to try self-media and scriptwriting, things she hadn't attempted before.
Yu Zhiwan remained silent beside her. Pei Yujang thought she had fallen asleep and, not wanting to disturb her, hung up the phone and continued the conversation with Chen Lulu on Talk APP.
[Chen Lulu]: [Voice message] You can come to our crew! I'll let the director know now. When you arrive, let me know in advance. If I don't have scenes, I'll come to pick you up. If I do, my assistant will pick you up! After filming in the afternoon, I'll treat you to fish maw hotpot!
Fish maw hotpot sounded delicious.
Although Pei Yujang had just eaten a buffet and wasn't hungry, she silently added fish maw hotpot to her food plan. She hadn't visited Ningxiang much in her previous life and now just wanted to explore and eat. But that would have to wait until Yu Zhiwan finished her work.
That night, instead of returning to the guesthouse, the two went to the laboratory rented by the staff. Since the colleague was male, it was inconvenient for Yu Zhiwan, so Pei Yujang helped her put on her work clothes.
The Omega, dressed in white, with protective goggles and gloves, exuded a refined and ascetic aura. The work clothes didn't detract from Yu Zhiwan's appearance; instead, they highlighted it.
She looked like one of those "elegant and ascetic medical student sisters" described in novels.
Yu Zhiwan had her hair neatly pinned up, and seeing her bangs tucked under the hat, Pei Yujang regretted not seeing Yu Zhiwan brush her bangs aside.
Her forehead hair was quite thick. Yu Zhiwan said it was to cover a birthmark, but she didn't seem to be someone who cared that much. Pei Yujang didn't ask further.
After helping Yu Zhiwan get ready, Pei Yujang was about to leave but heard Yu Zhiwan ask indifferently:
"Do you want to learn how to make dried flowers?"
Pei Yujang was a Beta eager to learn.
Although she wasn't very interested in beauty, she was happy to learn a new skill. So when Yu Zhiwan offered, she immediately nodded.
Yu Zhiwan had her change into work clothes and brought her into the workspace.
It wasn't strictly according to protocol, but it didn't really matter. Pei Yujang wasn't a child and wouldn't mess things up. She had disinfected with alcohol before entering. Extracting the raw materials wasn't a difficult task; it could be done quickly, with the rest of the time left for observation.
Yu Zhiwan couldn't see, so she gave instructions to the operator, detailing every step clearly. The operator was quick to learn, and within about an hour, the extraction was completed.
The remaining flowers were of no use. Yu Zhiwan let the operator rest and beckoned Pei Yujang to join her.
The table wasn't high, and the items were on the lower level, making it difficult to move the bottles and jars of reagents above. Yu Zhiwan, sitting in a wheelchair, tried several times to bend down but found it inconvenient, her brows slightly furrowed.
"Why don't you come in front of me?" Yu Zhiwan asked after thinking for a moment.
Without hesitation, Pei Yujang took long strides and moved in front of her.
Her back pressed against Yu Zhiwan's legs, which had no sensation, and Yu Zhiwan leaned slightly forward, just enough to envelop her. The thick winter clothing avoided any awkward touches. Otherwise, in this position, Yu Zhiwan's softness would have pressed directly against her back.
Pei Yujang didn't think much of it and let Yu Zhiwan teach her how to make dried flowers from behind. She had strong hands-on abilities and quickly learned step by step. In the warm laboratory, the Omega's scent filled the air, a mix of roses that lingered, making it hard for Pei Yujang to distinguish which floral scent was the strongest.
In the intoxicating floral aroma, the Omega's gentle voice sounded, seemingly playfully asking:
"Do you find it more fun to make things yourself or watch the disaster film being shot?"
Pei Yujang opened her mouth to answer, but Yu Zhiwan's flower-juice-stained fingers suddenly pressed against her lips, sealing them. Her finger pads rubbed her full lips, the color immediately blossoming on Pei Yujang's lips. The Omega's tone, however, carried an undercurrent of danger, softly emphasizing:
"Tell the truth."
Pei Yujang nearly bit her as she opened her mouth, startled by Yu Zhiwan's sudden question. She didn't know if she should lie, but if her answer was contrary, would it trigger a warning of the female lead's blackening value increasing?
"I like disas..."
Caught between the two options, Pei Yujang finally decided to tell the truth. But just as she was about to speak, Yu Zhiwan's blackening value, which hadn't risen in a long time, suddenly jumped up by two points!
Two full points!
"The flower juice tastes good. I like drinking flower juice here!"
Pei Yujang's nerves were on edge. Seeing the Omega's fingers still stained with flower juice, she impulsively opened her mouth and sucked them in, her tongue wrapping around the woman's soft fingertips. The fragrance filled her mouth, the bitterness slowly enveloping her, making her take a deep breath.
If Yu Zhiwan could see now, she would witness Pei Yujang kneeling before her in a suggestive and dangerous posture, sucking on her fingertips as if drinking honey.
But even though she couldn't see, Yu Zhiwan's arm trembled, a blush quickly spreading across her face.
Yu Zhiwan: I asked you to answer the question, not to go directly for this!!!