Our Tender Harmony

“Ready everyone?” Feng Wei swept his eyes across the renovated set. They had taken the entire crew to a different floor, the one meant for miscellaneous scenes not in the two factions’ office buildings. “Lights, camera, action!”

---

The clink of glasses. Heart-thumping bass. Flashing violet lights that crisscross into an eye-blinding laser show. For the rich, nightlife came with debauchery. Women and men danced around tables as the faint haze of smoke filled the air.

Du Ruolin stepped into the club wearing a dress far shorter than she’d like. She had applied a full-face of makeup in a far more alluring style than her usual. A faint frown danced across her red lips as she searched the booths for a certain person.

Zeng Xiaojing.

Her fox-like eyes lit up as she found the long-legged woman sitting alone with a half-empty wine bottle. Hurrying along, she slid into the booth with a quiet tease. “Drinking alone, President Zeng? You’ve already finished half a bottle. Are you still capable of conscious thought?”

Zeng Xiaojing set down her wine glass with a clink. Her usual intensity in her stare had faded, replaced with a haze. Leaning over, she pressed Du Ruolin’s shoulder into the backrest and lowered her voice to a whisper. “Very capable, want to test that?”

“There’s no need,” Du Ruolin brushed Zeng Xiaojing’s hair back. She could smell the alcohol on Zeng Xiaojing’s breath. “I’m sorry that my information was incorrect. Isn’t it dangerous for us to meet up though?”

“That’s why I chose a club, no one will find us here,” Zeng Xiaojing sat back in her original spot. A faint frown tugged at her lips as the warmth from Du Ruolin’s body left her hands. After pouring out a second glass of wine, she pushed it over to Du Ruolin. “Drink. I wanted to see you, that's why.”

“How sweet,” Du Ruolin’s eyes danced with a knowing twinkle. “For a woman usually so fierce, you certainly have your mushy moments.”

“Shut it,” Zeng Xiaojing scowled, raising her own glass to meet Du Ruolin’s before taking a long swig.

Du Ruolin followed, downing most of the glass before setting it back down. “Jiang Jinlong suspects a mole, it might be hard to get you more information.”

Zeng Xiaojing frowned. She craned her neck to check the occupants of the nearby booths. Once satisfied, she turned back and refilled her and Du Ruolin’s glasses. “Can you try? It’s hard to know anything about his strategy these days.”

“I can try,” Du Ruolin stared at her dark wine. It rippled as she held it, as if reflecting the state of her life.

Unstable.

She took another long sip.

Every exhale carried the warmth of the wine. A faint blush tinged her cheeks. “I missed you too, Xiaojing.”

Zeng Xiaojing’s eyes snapped to Du Ruolin. Shock melted away the previous haziness brought on by the alcohol. Like a moth being given to a flame, she couldn’t resist the allure of fire.

What phoenix could avoid their lifeblood, anyway?

She leaned over, setting a hand on Du Ruolin’s thigh. “Finally come around?”

“I don’t know,” Du Ruolin rested an elbow on Zeng Xiaojing’s shoulder. As she stared into Zeng Xiaojing’s amber pupils, she wove her hand into the woman’s hair. A second later, she pulled, yanking Zeng Xiaojing back by a hand’s length. “Don’t get handsy, not here.”

Zeng Xiaojing let out a sharp gasp before breaking into a wide smile. Her eyes squinted as she stared at Du Ruolin. “Not here?”

Du Ruolin paused, then looked away.

Sliding her hand up Du Ruolin’s leg, Zeng Xiaojing laughed. Du Ruolin tightened her grip, but her reddening ears gave her away as she pursed her lips. Despite the club blasting music so loud it could be heard from a block away, the world seemed to quiet. Even the lasers, normally eye-piercing, seemed to melt away.

Zeng Xiaojing reached up, pinching the back of Du Ruolin’s neck. As Du Ruolin leaned forward and released her hair, she bit Du Ruolin’s ear for a second. Then, a faint lick, as if to address the wound before her voice came like the devil’s whisper. “Come home with me tonight, why don’t you? It’s been so long. Why don’t we… discuss some business? Personal business.”

---

Unbeknownst to them, just a couple seats away sat Kong Shihan, the newest intern of Jiang Jinlong’s finance firm. Having come with her friends for a weekend outing after a hellish week of work, she had frozen like a statue when she saw Du Ruolin walking into the club.

Senior looked so different!

Like a total hottie!

And Senior seemed to be intimate with another woman!!

Who would’ve thought…

As she gossiped with her friends though, she took another look and, once again, froze.

“Isn’t that Zeng Xiaojing?” One of her friends had gushed. “Oh my god, I didn’t know that President Zeng was so hot… ugh, why couldn’t it be me?”

Kong Shihan, remembering the murmurs she had heard about a mole in the company—and the offer of a full year’s worth of salary as a bonus for any information—raised her phone and snapped a quick photo.

Surely, it’s not Secretary Du…

But still, worth a try.

Turning back to her friends, she wiped a bead of sweat off her temple before cracking open a beer and raising it to offer a toast to her friends. “Come on, let’s drink!”

“Yeahhhhhh LET’S DRINK!”

“HELL YEAH!”

---

Wu Linjie, not wanting to miss out, had come to the set with Li Feiling and Xia Ruyun. He stood off to the side, watching from a far with a few other cast members. After introducing himself to whoever had come, he had gotten comfortable enough to strike up a casual conversation with most of the actors and actresses around. In particular, he had gotten closer to Han Jingyi after having a protracted conversation about Xia Ruyun and Li Feiling.

They, however, hadn’t expected the scene for the morning to be so…

Explosive.

“What the…” Wu Linjie whispered. His mouth hung open.

“This is crazy…” Han Jingyi covered her mouth. “Am I allowed to even watch this?”

“Sometimes, I really wonder if they really have nothing going on,” Wu Linjie leaned over and whispered to Han Jingyi.

Turning, Han Jingyi pointed at Xia Ruyun and Li Feiling with a few frantic nods. “No, you’re so right! Like… I was with them the other night and you cannot tell me there’s nothing going on. It feels so tangible sometimes.”

“I know right!” Wu Linjie’s eyes brightened. “A kindred spirit. I’m buying in early.”

“I’m already bought in, you’re too late,” Han Jingyi puffed her chest out before covering her mouth and leaning over to Wu Linjie. Her eyes, the entire time, stayed on Xia Ruyun and Li Feiling. “Did they have this much chemistry in the movie you shot with them?”

“Nothing this exaggerated,” Wu Linjie murmured, his own eyes also glued to the scene. “Like… hair pulling? The most they did was sleep in the same bed.”

“Sleep in the same bed?!” Han Jingyi's eyes widened. “What do you mean ‘the most they did was sleep in the same bed’ that’s like… fifth base!”

“It was innocent… probably, I’m pretty sure,” Wu Linjie scratched the back of his head.

Han Jingyi turned to face Wu Linjie with a deadpan stare. With years of fanfiction reading—though no relationship experience—under her belt from her days in university, her expression shouted one message with exceptional clarity.

What kind of sleeping in the same bed is innocent!

And when the episode finally aired, the internet agreed with her.

---

[Li Feiling’s Left Shoe: HOLY SHIT THEY’RE SO HOT TOGETHER]

[Five Sword Obliterator: my slop show has HOT LESBIANS IN IT??? LET’S GO! THIS IS SO PEAK! PEAK PEAK! Absolute cinema]

[Internet Shipwright: I’m rubbing my hands together. I’m drooling. I’m literally on my knees slamming my forehead against the floor. I SHIP ITTT!!! THE HAIR PULLING?!?!?! THE EAR BITE? LIKE UGH IT’S SO HOT OH MY GOD UGH]

[My Eyes Number 100: Just from some brief analysis I can tell that they didn’t use any angle tricks or any stunt doubles for this. You can see that there’s a faint bit of saliva left over after the lick. So, it’s confirmed, not an angle. Then, you can tell from the texture of the hair, and the unique wave-style that it’s definitely Xia Ruyun sitting there. Then, if you examine the teeth carefully, cross-referencing from Li Feiling’s eating scene from her gourmet variety show appearance, you can tell that it’s definitely her biting.]

[I Just Like Insulting People: Loser analysis came in, I knew it. Didn’t even have to read, only people who don’t talk to women have messages that long]

[What Does It Mean To Love?: Poster says their eyes number 100, given the analysis, I can’t deny it. Given the analysis, I can also analyze that the days since their last shower also numbers 100 though]

[Li Feiling’s Right Shoe: Bark bark]

[Xia Ruyun’s Loyal Knight: I’m so sad that Du Ruolin got exposed though… so sad that my tears are leaking from not just my eyes, but also my mouth…]

[Common Legionnaire for Li Feiling’s Army #80495: If I had to put a bomb up my backside to watch this scene in person knowing that it’d detonate right at the end, I’d shove two bombs up there instead.]

[The Heaven’s Call My Name: What the actual hell is the person posting above me]

[Why Love When You Could Hate?: Upstairs netizen needs to get checked into the mental hospital! Wants to put strange objects up their behind!]

[Why Hate When You Could Love?: I’m on it! Calling the authorities now!]