Chapter 54

Chapter 54 Apology "Do you have any side effects from taking birth control pills?"

..

Han Rao was naturally a head taller than Su Wan.

At this moment, Han Rao was standing while Su Wan was sitting, and Su Wan felt a suffocating sense of pressure in her heart.

Han Rao's lips curved slightly upward, smiling warmly as she looked at Su Wan.

The latter's face looked terrible, clearly as if a sensitive spot had been poked. Her hands were twisted together, and she deliberately lifted her chin, speaking arrogantly, "What nonsense are you talking about? Who is Lin Silang?"

This reaction…

Han Rao smiled. When she smiled, her eyes curved gently, making Su Wan’s heart skip a beat.

Suddenly, Su Wan remembered that Lin Silang had warned her not to announce their relationship. Even though photos of them had been secretly taken and posted online, Lin Silang remained indifferent, casually suggesting that her studio release a single status statement and send a lawyer’s letter to scare Chen Dawa and the gossiping netizens.

Su Wan didn't understand, how could Han Rao possibly know?

Han Rao studied Su Wan's facial expression with interest, raising her eyebrows, then slowly stepped back two steps, kindly giving her some breathing room.

Su Wan immediately stood up, trying to boost her presence a little.

At this moment, Su Wan's assistant quickly came over and linked arms with her, saying to Han Rao, "Sorry, Teacher Han, we're in a hurry to catch a flight."

Han Rao did not step aside and stood right in front of them. Today, she wore an army green trench coat, hands in her pockets, quietly watching Su Wan like that.

After a few seconds, the woman lazily took out her phone, opened Weibo, and said with a forced smile, "Your scandalous boyfriend."

She was answering the question she had just asked.

"And besides, last time on the set, it was your birthday, and he even came. Have you forgotten?" Han Rao said with a forced smile.

Su Wan clenched her fists tightly, glanced around, and finally couldn't hold back her emotions any longer.

"What exactly do you want to do?"

Han Rao leaned in closer, "It's not that I want to do anything, I just have some idle talk I want to share with Teacher Su."

She raised her hand to brush Su Wan's collar.

"Let me guess, the last time you hit me, was it because on your birthday, Lin Silang handed the first piece of cake to me?"

Su Wan's eyes were a little red, staring fixedly at Han Rao.

Actually, giving the cake can only be considered a trigger.

Su Wan recalled that around her birthday last year, her anger still came in waves.

Since her debut, Su Wan, through the introduction of her agent Li Mengyang, met Lin Siliang. It can be said that she gave the most precious years of her youth to this charming and dashing man.

Lin Silang's family was wealthy, and he was willing to spend money on women. He affectionately called her his darling, treated her exceptionally well, and was willing to provide her with film and television opportunities. Being with him, Su Wan gained a lot of experience.

But the only flaw of this man was that he was unfaithful, lustful, fickle, and endlessly promiscuous.

Su Wan remembered that two days before her birthday, Lin Siliang came to the film crew to accompany her, saying that he rarely had free time and wanted to spend her birthday properly with her.

At first, Su Wan was very happy—truly happy. But she suddenly noticed that when Lin Silang came to the set to pick her up, his gaze kept drifting, from time to time, to Han Rao, who was intently focused on filming and studying the script.

Su Wan linked her arm with his and teased, "What's wrong, do you know her?"

Lin Silang's usual first reaction would definitely be denial, but this time was different. He actually followed the lead and started asking questions—

“What’s the name of that actor? Why do they look somewhat familiar?”

“Is this the first time you two are filming together?”

“You spent your birthday on set, right? You should invite everyone over to celebrate and have some fun.”

"By the way, call that Han Rao over as well."

Su Wan was, of course, sensitive.

Even if Lin Silang wanted to play with a woman before, he would at least coax her, keep it from her, lie, and deceive her. But this time, he was truly blatant, even wanting to use Su Wan as a stepping stone to connect with the other party through her.

Of course, Su Wan was angry.

Her perfectly good boyfriend was thinking about a woman who looked even more beautiful than she was.

Even on her birthday, right after Han Rao hurriedly left, Lin Siliang found an excuse to follow her.

No matter how foolish Su Wan was, she could guess that he was going after Han Rao.

As for whether he found her and what they said to each other, that remained unknown.

Su Wan hinted around to ask, but Lin Silang just laughed it off, only commenting that Han Rao was an interesting woman.

It was this pent-up frustration that drove Su Wan to act impulsively, deliberately messing up the take and slapping Han Rao a few times out of spite before calming down.

Her intention was twofold: to warn Han Rao to hide her sly nature and to test Lin Silang’s reaction.

But unexpectedly, Lin Silang showed no anger whatsoever, not even a hint of concern for Han Rao. That night, the incident trended on social media, leaving Su Wan feeling suffocated and upset, yet Lin Silang held her close and praised her as a truly lovable sweetheart.

Su Wan bit her lip and looked at Han Rao. Since they had already brought the conversation to this point, she felt there was nothing left to hide, so she lightly scolded, "Why did my boyfriend give you the first piece of my birthday cake?"

Han Rao frowned, feeling a bit sorry for the innocent woman in front of her.

"When something like this happens, shouldn't you be questioning your boyfriend? Asking him why he specifically gave the cake to me? Do you think I wanted that piece of cake?"

Han Rao hated Su Wan’s precious man to the core; how could she possibly want to have anything to do with him?

Han Rao hated people like Su Wan the most. When her boyfriend went out flirting around, she didn’t scold him but instead blindly targeted the innocent girl.

Su Wan was left speechless, quietly looking at Han Rao, as if she thought there was some truth in her words.

But it seemed she didn’t dare to make a scene with Lin Silang. They were caught going home together, and Lin Silang even asked her to deny the relationship. If she caused a fuss, they might break up.

Han Rao’s gaze met Su Wan’s, and she suddenly lost her spirit, feeling a weary sense of hopelessness as if trying to lift mud that would never stick.

"Aren't you curious about what kind of relationship Lin Silang and I actually have?" Han Rao suddenly asked.

She said, "The two of us actually do have some old grudges, but not the kind of relationship you think. If you really want to say there’s a connection…"

Han Rao took a step forward, leaned close to Su Wan, and teasing her with a hint of pride said, "Then I’m probably the woman he can’t have."

After saying that, Han Rao turned and walked away, leaving Su Wan standing there in a daze.

Just then, the boarding announcement came from the waiting lounge.

Han Rao dragged her suitcase and left with flair.

After boarding, she looked out through the small window, a complex feeling rising in her heart.

She was not a good person, never claimed to be one. She held grudges, retaliated fiercely, and seeing Su Wan like this made her feel satisfied. She even thought that after her little "sowing discord,"

it would take no effort at all to at least trouble Lin Silang.

That wasn’t bad either.

But after the thrill of revenge faded, Han Rao only felt exhausted, an endless fatigue, as if her mouth and nose were submerged under seawater.

The grudges from when she was nineteen were truly like a boomerang, still able to trouble her when she was twenty-four or twenty-five.

Han Rao closed her eyes, listening to the mechanical female voice in the cabin, and let out a sigh of relief.

She thought: When will that bastard Lin Siliang just die already!

　　-

After Han Rao returned to the crew, she worked intensively for nearly twenty days, and the female-led drama "Qian Yun Biography"

finally wrapped up filming.

On the night of the wrap party, Han Rao and Vivi first went back to Suzhou nearby to visit Su Zhiyu.

Su Zhiyu had fully recovered, and the old lady was especially spirited, showing no sign at all of nearly losing her life over twenty days ago. Every morning, she would go to the park with her silver hair to practice Baduanjin.

This was the first time Han Rao brought Vivi back to her own home to meet her family.

Vivi had an outgoing and cheerful personality. When she spoke, her words flowed one after another, carrying the innate humor of a Northeasterner, making Su Zhiyu laugh heartily.

Vivi stayed in Suzhou with Han Rao for two days. When they were flying back to Beicheng, in the airport waiting lounge, she linked arms with Han Rao and said, "Sis, may Grandma live a long and healthy life."

Don't you always say you..

This mouth has been blessed.

Vivi rested her head on her shoulder.

"Of course. Didn’t I say before that you would definitely play the lead female role? Look, you’ve already finished filming it. You’ll only get better and better from now on, and I’ll just follow you to enjoy the good life."

Han Rao burst out laughing, "Then I better work hard. If I want you to enjoy the best food and drink, I have to put in the effort too."

Vivi didn’t know what kind of relationship the other actors had with their assistants, but she and Han Rao got along like real sisters.

Vivi felt that Han Rao was truly exceptional, someone worth confiding in. Moreover, Han Rao's kindness was never superficial; she wasn’t the type to just use sweet words to deceive others. Her kindness came from genuine care and the ability to consider things from other people's perspectives.

For example, during the Lantern Festival, Han Rao would specially give her time off to go home for a visit. Or, a few days ago when it was her birthday, she didn’t tell anyone and secretly bought a small cake for herself, only to receive two gold bracelets from Han Rao the next day.

Han Rao said she was not the type of person who liked to celebrate birthdays or such rituals.

But Vivi felt that her goodness lay in the fact that she wasn't originally that kind of person, yet she was willing to change herself to accommodate you.

Vivi continued, "Sis, you and brother-in-law will definitely have a harmonious and lasting marriage."

In fact, Vivi was the first person to notice the change in the relationship between Han Rao and Zhao Jichuan.

Because she was with Han Rao every day, she unexpectedly discovered that Han Rao and Zhao Jichuan video-called each other almost every other day. Sometimes they didn’t talk much; perhaps Han Rao was removing her makeup in front of the mirror while Zhao Jichuan was busy with his work. Whenever something came to mind, they would casually chat for a bit.

Have you ever seen anything like this before?

Moreover, Vivi noticed that Zhao Jichuan seemed to have become gentler.

This description might not be very accurate either; it's just not as cold as it used to be.

Vivi remembered the first time she met Zhao Jichuan, she was so scared that her palms were sweating. But now, if Zhao Jichuan called sometimes and Han Rao was busy filming and couldn't answer, Vivi would pick up for her and patiently tell Zhao Jichuan that she was busy. Zhao Jichuan would politely say to her, "Then wait until your sister finishes filming, and have her call me back."

One day, Vivi finally couldn't hold back and said to Han Rao, "Sis, you and brother-in-law really remind me of my college boyfriend and me. We wanted to be stuck together all day long and shared even the smallest things. But you and brother-in-law are more emotionally stable; you don't even argue."

Han Rao smiled secretly, thinking to herself that Vivi had never seen her argue with Zhao Jichuan and had no idea that every time they quarreled, it would stir up a storm of blood and fury.

At this moment, Han Rao lowered her eyes, looked at Vivi, and teased her, "Say that sentence again, then record it and send it to him later to see if you can get a little red envelope."

Vivi stiffened her neck and said, "Then I definitely wouldn't dare."

The plane smoothly left the runway, and Han Rao looked out the window at the scenery, suddenly bursting into laughter.

She carefully savored the phrase "a hundred years of harmony,"

which sounded somewhat cliché, yet she dared not make any rash assumptions.

When his parents got married, they also hoped for a lifetime of happiness, but in the end, they quarreled endlessly over trivial matters and eventually separated.

She was nothing but a thorough gambler; she just wanted to follow her heart and seize a momentary happiness.

As for the rest, take it one step at a time.

Long after, Han Rao and Zhao Jichuan ended up hurting each other badly. She was busy with appearances, flying back and forth every day, and the one who stayed by her side all along was still Vivi.

Having gone through some hardships, Vivi gradually matured. At that time, Vivi told her, "A hundred years of harmony"

can only be considered an outcome, and the outcome is not important.

　　-

Han Rao arrived at the airport and was picked up by Zhao Jichuan.

This was his first time coming to the airport to pick her up.

Since the drama "Under the High Platform"

aired, Han Rao has gained some fame.

Hu Shengnan had specifically warned her to handle the relationship between her and Zhao Jichuan carefully, and not to let the paparazzi catch anything, otherwise it would definitely be detrimental to her.

So this time, Han Rao learned her lesson and didn’t dare to be as blatant as last time when they parted ways, so she had Zhao Jichuan wait for her in the parking lot.

Han Rao and Vivi dragged their suitcases to the parking lot, but when they saw the sea of cars, they found themselves at a loss.

Opening her phone and looking at the messages Zhao Jichuan sent one after another, Han Rao smiled helplessly.

Zhao Jichuan was a very meticulous and organized person; he gave the location details very precisely. But Han Rao was somewhat directionally challenged—looking around, everything seemed the same. She and Vivi stared at their phones for a long time, still clueless.

Vivi was especially helpless, frowning as she complained, "This parking lot is really not a good place; even the shared spots don't work well."

Han Rao shrugged and took the phone, intending to call Zhao Jichuan.

The moment she raised the phone to her ear, as if by telepathy, Han Rao suddenly looked up and caught sight of Zhao Jichuan in the crowd.

He stood beside a black Audi, one hand in the trench coat pocket, the other holding a phone, but his gaze was firmly fixed in her direction.

His tall and upright figure stood out even in the crowd; his sharply defined features appeared particularly stern under the soft lighting, yet they also revealed a hint of gentleness.

Haven't seen him for quite a while; Han Rao's first impression was that his hair seemed to have grown a bit longer.

The phone was still connected when Zhao Jichuan walked over, answered the call, raised it to his ear, and said, "Happy wrap-up."

His voice was deep and magnetic, with a hint of hoarseness that made it especially thrilling to hear.

A smile spread across Han Rao's lips, and her eyes instantly softened. She hurried forward, dragging her suitcase, wanting to hug him, but held back, teasing, "Did you see me coming long ago again?"

He always had that look of strategic command.

Although the mind is at ease, there is still a constant sense of panic.

Zhao Jichuan helped her and Vivi put their suitcases away.

"Hmm, I saw it at a glance."

Zhao Jichuan glanced at Vivi again. She forced a smile at the corner of her mouth, called out "brother-in-law,"

and then obediently stood quietly to the side.

Zhao Jichuan remained as serious as ever and said, "Get in the car first."

Vivi looked into his eyes and suddenly felt a bit regretful. She shouldn't have listened to Han Rao and taken Zhao Jichuan's ride just to save trouble.

She really is slow to realize; hasn’t she just become a third wheel?

Vivi was filled with regret and could only curl up as much as possible, sitting by the window and doing her best to minimize her presence.

Han Rao also dozed off and opened the front passenger door.

After Zhao Jichuan got into the car, he leaned over and helped Han Rao fasten her seatbelt.

The moment he leaned in close to her, he almost without any hesitation grabbed her chin and kissed her, completely ignoring the fact that there was someone else in the back seat.

The man lightly kissed the corner of her lips, then pinched her small face, watching her long hair casually draped over her shoulders, a few strands hanging by her cheek.

He helped tuck her stray hair behind her ear before standing up, reaching to the back seat to take out a handful of roses and hand them to her.

"Happy wrap-up."

This was the second time he said it today.

Han Rao took the rose, her eyes instantly lighting up. She leaned in to smell it, the rich fragrance filling the air, refreshing and soothing.

"How did you know I like red roses?" she asked.

He replied calmly, "I've seen it before."

Han Rao suddenly remembered that last Valentine's Day, she and Vivi went to see a movie, and each bought a bouquet of red roses.

She couldn't help but sigh that someone like Zhao Jichuan, when he loves, is truly overwhelming and intoxicating.

Dating him was actually quite an enjoyable experience.

The car was filled with a faint scent of sandalwood, making the mood exceptionally pleasant.

Han Rao sat in the passenger seat, placing the rose on her lap, and slightly turned her head to look at Zhao Jichuan, instinctively reaching out her right hand.

The man naturally grasped her hand and casually asked, "Have you been tired these past few days?"

"Not really, I've gotten used to it."

She had been sleeping only six hours a day lately, having to get up before dawn to do her makeup.

“Luckily, it’s all good.”

Because there was someone in the back seat, Zhao Jichuan remained quite calm, not showing much emotion even when giving the roses.

Han Rao gave a sly smile and held his hand a little tighter.

“It’s good, just that I miss you a bit.”

Zhao Jichuan squeezed her hand but said nothing.

The car was driving steadily on the road, and the two chatted intermittently.

Han Rao occasionally said a few words to Vivi, to which Vivi responded softly, never wasting a single unnecessary word.

They first dropped Vivi off at her home. The moment the car stopped, Vivi immediately pushed open the door, said, "Goodbye, sister and brother-in-law,"

and hurried off dragging her suitcase.

The car started up again, and Zhao Jichuan glanced at Vivi’s hurried figure through the rearview mirror, smiling helplessly.

"Next time, I’m not giving her a ride."

Han Rao blinked, "It's on the way, isn't it?"

Zhao Jichuan: "Even if it's on the way, I’m not giving her a ride. Wang Jie can come pick her up."

Han Rao shrugged and said, "Alright then,"

adding, "I guess you were scowling the whole way; next time Vivi won’t dare to ride with you."

Zhao Jichuan curled his lips slightly but said nothing.

Han Rao also felt tired, so she adjusted her seat and leaned back, closing her eyes for a moment.

Soon, the car

came to a stop.

Han Rao was drowsy and hadn’t truly fallen asleep. She sensed they had arrived and opened her eyes. As soon as she did, the handsome face of the man appeared before her.

Zhao Jichuan’s hand caressed her neck as he immediately kissed her, skillfully prying open the corners of her lips and hooking her tongue, kissing her until her scalp tingled and the root of her tongue ached.

Han Rao wrapped her arms around his waist, her nose brushing against his, sending a ticklish, tingling sensation through her. As they caught their breath, she let out a muffled laugh.

She kissed the corner of his lips, teasing him deliberately: "You haven't been holding back all this way, have you?"

The man kissed her again, gently nibbling her lips, his tone soft, like the gentle drizzle of early spring, saying, "I miss you too."

He was responding to her with the words, "I'm fine, just a little bit missing you."

Han Rao hooked her arm around his neck, kissing him with reluctance to part, the fabric of her blouse wrinkled under the pressure, unwilling to separate.

It is said that kissing too passionately can cause oxygen deprivation in the brain.

Han Rao was not only suffocating but also lost her memory.

She didn’t remember how the two of them got from the car back to the house, didn’t remember how the bouquet of roses was thrown by the entrance, didn’t remember how the clothes were taken off..

She only remembered how incredibly urgent he was during lovemaking, remembered the spine-tingling sound of him unbuckling his belt, remembered how he barged in dominantly yet suddenly apologized to her.

Han Rao wrapped her arms around his waist, her mind sluggishly trying to understand why he was apologizing to her.

She thought for a long time but still couldn't figure it out. Burying her head in the hollow of his shoulder, their necks touching, she asked him foolishly, "You wouldn't have done something to betray me while I was away, would you?"

Zhao Jichuan held her hands above her head, gently biting her earlobe, and asked her, "Do you experience any side effects from taking birth control pills?"

Han Rao was momentarily stunned, her eyes suddenly reddening.

If it had been before, she would definitely have suspected that he wanted to be intimate without protection. But now it was different; she had finally learned not to assume the worst about him.

She asked, "How do you know?"

How did you know I took the birth control pill last time?

Zhao Jichuan kissed her and said honestly, "I heard it."

That night, he sat in the car, waiting for her downstairs at her home.

Suddenly, he remembered hearing somewhere before that emergency contraceptive pills have significant side effects, so he looked it up.

Online sources say that emergency contraceptive pills can cause mild symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, and in severe cases, they may lead to menstrual irregularities, vaginal bleeding, and endocrine disorders.

Zhao Jichuan felt guilty about this matter for quite a long time. The last time he met her, he didn't have the chance to talk about it, but this time, he wanted to make his stance clear.

He was not the kind of scoundrel who would let the woman bear the risk just for his own momentary pleasure.

Han Rao touched his hair, "It's okay, maybe my body is stronger, so there are no side effects."

Zhao Jichuan kissed her collarbone and assured her, "This kind of thing won't happen again."

Han Rao's nose tingled, and she hugged him tightly, saying okay.

That night, Zhao Jichuan blew warm breath in her ear as he made love to her, apologizing.

After hearing it so many times, Han Rao genuinely felt that the words "I'm sorry"

could be so beautiful.

Every time she recalled that scene later, thinking of how closely they were connected, their ears brushing against each other, with the man guilt-ridden and leaning on her like a child, apologizing softly in her ear, her heart would soften.

Clearly, he was not someone who easily felt guilt, and she was not someone who easily softened her heart.

Later on, thinking about it, how could this not be love?

At the end of that day, Zhao Jichuan fiddled with her hair, chatting with her casually.

He asked her if she had time at the end of April.

"What’s wrong?"

He said, "Fan Qin is engaged. As promised, I'll take you along to have a look."

"Is this Li Wan?"

"Mm."

Han Rao suddenly thought of Li Wan, that aloof woman. Somehow, she really wanted to see what she looked like engaged to Fan Qin.

"Alright then." she agreed.

Zhao Jichuan pulled her into his arms, a smile in his voice as he said, "In the end, Fan Qin was still taken by someone."

Han Rao closed her eyes, said nothing, and inexplicably began to look forward to the day of Fan Qin's engagement.

Perhaps what she was looking forward to was not who got engaged to whom, but standing by his side as Zhao Jichuan's girlfriend.

That year, whether in career or love, was a year of revival for Han Rao, truly a time of boundless glory—

That year, after wrapping up her first lead female role, she quickly landed her second lead female role, then her third lead female role..

That year, she indeed got her wish, beginning to accompany Zhao Jichuan as his girlfriend to various occasions, wandering within his social circle, being called "sister-in-law"

either sincerely or insincerely.

Long after, when time has settled and memories surge like tides, Han Rao would often sigh with deep emotion, saying, "Sometimes, when life is too comfortable and too smooth, it's easy to be numbed by appearances."