Chapter 80: I Enjoy Watching Horror Movies

When Xu An’an woke up, her face no longer itched, so she assumed it must have improved. But instead, the red dots had merged into blotches the size of her fingernail! Terrified, she stumbled back two steps, covering her face with her hands, unable to bear a second glance.

She staggered out of the bathroom, utterly at a loss, sitting on the bed with both hands clutching the sheets tightly. Over the past two days of filming, the makeup artist had pinned her to the chair to do her makeup, and she’d been drowsy from the allergy medication, assuming she was nearly recovered.

But she had never imagined—

Had her face really been ruined?

A sudden, urgent knocking at the door startled Xu An’an upright. Instinctively, she searched for a place to hide, only relaxing when she recognized Jiang Li’s voice from outside.

He had come in person!

Xu An’an was both surprised and delighted. She initially wanted to answer the door, but remembering her current appearance, she stayed silent, hoping Jiang Li would think she wasn’t there and leave.

So Xu An’an shrank into a corner, burying her face in her knees.

She didn’t know how long had passed before everything grew quiet outside.

Had Jiang Li left?

Xu An’an hesitated, lifting her head. Part of her wanted him to have stayed, part of her hoped he had gone; her feelings were so tangled she no longer knew what she truly wanted.

After waiting a while longer, Xu An’an, certain the noise had ceased, got to her feet. She was starving and needed to find something to eat.

With that resolve, she leaned against the wall to stand and shuffled slowly toward the door. In this huge villa, she was all alone, which felt a bit eerie.

No lights were on outside.

But after two days here, Xu An’an could find her way to the kitchen.

Click.

The instant the light flicked on, a figure stood there.

"Ah!!"

Xu An’an shrieked in terror, grabbing a cup from the side and hurling it.

The person dodged nimbly.

"Xu An’an, were you deaf just now?"

Realizing it was Jiang Li, Xu An’an froze, then hurriedly covered her face with her hands, peeking through her fingers at him. "You… I’m fine, really. Please, you should go."

Jiang Li frowned and tapped his phone.

"In ten minutes, someone will bring you dinner."

"Come here first," Jiang Li said, sitting on the sofa and patting the seat beside him, indicating for Xu An’an to join him.

Xu An’an shook her head repeatedly, her whole body resisting, even taking a step back in case she needed to run. "Just say what you need to say, I can hear you from here."

Jiang Li could only coax her as if she were a child. "I know your face is having an allergic reaction. I brought a special ointment, made from expensive herbs but very effective. If you keep delaying, it’ll only get worse."

"Really? What medicine?" Xu An’an was skeptical.

"You’ve heard of Quanhai Pharmaceuticals, haven’t you? That’s my company." Jiang Li stood up, took an ointment from his pocket, and waved it in front of Xu An’an as if luring a stray cat with a treat.

Xu An’an was stunned. "Quanhai Pharmaceuticals is yours?"

Half the medicines in her family’s medicine box came from Quanhai.

Jiang Li raised an eyebrow. "That’s right."

Xu An’an covered her face with one hand and extended the other toward Jiang Li. "I’m not a child. Just toss me the ointment, I can apply it myself."

"No, it must be used with a special massage technique to be absorbed. Otherwise, no amount will help."

"But I look like something out of a horror movie right now. If you see me, you’ll have nightmares."

"I like horror movies."

"..."

Xu An’an’s lips twitched. If you can’t comfort people, maybe say nothing at all.

Ding dong!

The dinner delivery must have arrived.

Jiang Li set the ointment on the table and went to answer the door.

Xu An’an hurried over, snatched the ointment, and hid in her room. She didn’t dare look in the mirror, just bent over and applied the cream by feel, smearing on a thick layer.

She hoped that by morning, the marks on her face would at least fade a bit.

Knock knock.

"I’m leaving now. Dinner’s on the table."

Jiang Li’s voice came through the door.

Xu An’an rubbed her stomach. She couldn’t keep punishing herself, so she called out through the door, "You… well, get some rest when you get back. Thanks for making the trip."

"I’ll definitely find a way to repay you!"

Xu An’an strained to listen, and thought she heard a soft laugh, then footsteps receding, followed by the sound of a car starting.

Once she was sure Jiang Li had really left, Xu An’an didn’t feel any better.

She opened the door and emerged from her room.

On the living room table, dinner was already laid out, steaming hot—almost everything she liked, and clearly enough for two.

Xu An’an’s eyes widened. Had he not eaten either?

If that were true, she’d feel terribly guilty! Imagine coming all this way late at night, being met with a cold shoulder, bringing ointment, arranging dinner, and then leaving hungry!

The more Xu An’an thought about it, the worse she felt. She quickly called Jiang Li.

Ring, ring, ring...

The call never connected.

If Jiang Li was angry, Xu An’an felt it would be understandable. She sent him a message instead: Sorry, I didn’t know you hadn’t eaten either. If you’re still nearby, come back and eat together. Just be prepared—my face really is ruined.

But after waiting a long while, her phone remained silent.

Xu An’an sighed softly.

Forget it. She’d apologize in person next time—assuming the medicine worked.

After eating her fill, Xu An’an wasn’t sleepy. She decided to go for a walk. Since she’d arrived, the medication had left her dazed every day.

She wasn’t even sure what kind of allergy medicine it was.

As the area was temporarily rented out for filming, there were no tourists around, and it was especially quiet, broken only by the chirping of insects after the rain.

Xu An’an found a clean spot to sit, cupping her chin and quietly admiring the moonlit scenery.

Fireflies darted through the grass.

Now and then she checked her phone.

Still no reply from Jiang Li.

Xu An’an grew tired of waiting, set her phone to silent, slipped it in her pocket, and continued walking. She remembered that during the show’s recording, there had been a beautiful garden ahead.

They’d played a treasure hunt game there.

The crew had hidden plenty of things, but they’d only found a few.

Now she could kill some time searching.

Just then, Xu An’an noticed a car parked not far away, a red light blinking inside—someone was in the car.

She had only intended to walk by.

But as she glanced at the license plate, she froze in her tracks, then slowly retreated and peered through the car window.

Inside, Jiang Li had fallen asleep, a lunchbox placed at his side.