The voices of the actors resting nearby were neither too loud nor too quiet, yet Meng Jingwei could clearly hear their conversation.
With a sidelong glance, she caught the fleeting look of triumph on Tang Wanxing's face, seeing through her hypocrisy.
"Alright."
Meng Jingwei nodded, agreeing to Tang Wanxing's invitation.
As soon as the words left her mouth, Tang Wanxing grabbed her hand. "Jingwei, you're so kind."
The excessive enthusiasm, even with Tang Wanxing holding her hand, made Meng Jingwei feel uncomfortable.
She forced a stiff smile and subtly withdrew her hand, returning to her script.
"Then you go ahead and work, we'll leave together at half-past six," Tang Wanxing said, standing up and leaving.
Meng Jingwei had been looking at her script, but her mind was elsewhere. Only after Tang Wanxing had walked away did she turn her head, her gaze fixed meaningfully on Tang Wanxing's retreating back.
What exactly does she want?
No sooner had Tang Wanxing left than Qiao Ziqian arrived, sitting directly beside Meng Jingwei. He wore a look of displeasure and leaned closer, whispering, "You're divorced from Qing Muye, and now Tang Wanxing wants to take you and your ex-husband out for a meal. This is clearly a trap. Are you stupid to agree to go with her?"
In the vast film crew, almost everyone disliked Meng Jingwei, except for Qiao Ziqian, who treated her as a friend.
Meng Jingwei tilted her head to look at Qiao Ziqian. "There's something wrong with you. Everyone in the crew hates me, yet you're still so close to me?"
At this moment, Qiao Ziqian's face stiffened, his phoenix-like eyes flickering slightly, as he wondered if Meng Jingwei had noticed something.
"People are easily swayed by appearances. If that car accident hadn't happened, I probably would have disliked you like everyone else," Qiao Ziqian said, a faint smile curving the corner of his lips.
He had fair skin, eyebrows that slanted upwards, single eyelids that formed phoenix eyes, a well-defined nose, and moderately full lips. He was a sunny young man of the "little fresh meat" type, with the aura of a Korean actor – handsome, enduring, and growing more likable the longer one looked at him.
"Is that so?" Meng Jingwei said with a smile, returning her gaze to the script.
Qiao Ziqian, however, clicked his tongue. "You're just a minor character in the drama, no need to be so diligent. Facing off against Queen Tang, let alone you, even our Brother Shang and Su Meiyi would have retakes. Don't put too much pressure on yourself."
"Would you dare say that to Li Shang?" Meng Jingwei asked with some curiosity.
Qiao Ziqian shook his head like a rattle drum. "With Brother Shang's temper, I'm afraid he'd fire me. If I lost this job, I wouldn't have money to pay for my girlfriend's medical treatment..."
He stopped mid-sentence and immediately changed his tune. "Heh, I'm just venting."
Meng Jingwei heard his earlier words. "Your girlfriend is sick?"
Mentioning 'girlfriend,' a hint of sadness appeared on Qiao Ziqian's fair face. He lowered his head and sighed softly. "Yes. On the day of the car accident, my girlfriend wanted to break up with me because she knew she was ill. I was rushing to chase after her and wasn't looking at the road, which is how I got hit."
Qiao Ziqian conveyed his sorrow so vividly that Meng Jingwei believed him implicitly.
Given how he put it, it must not be a minor illness. Meng Jingwei sighed, "True love is tested in adversity. If your girlfriend hasn't abandoned you during this time, it means you're a good person."
Qiao Ziqian gave a bitter smile and said no more.
After sitting in silence for a long while, Qiao Ziqian stood up and left forlornly.
Meng Jingwei watched Qiao Ziqian's dejected back, shook her head, and lamented his unfortunate fate, feeling a touch more sympathy for him.
Compared to Tang Wanxing, Qiao Ziqian was clearly more skilled, understanding how to manipulate people's hearts and how to exploit their sympathy.