Jiang Mian's thick eyelashes, like a brush, fluttered twice, each blink landing on Ji Zhixiu's heart.
Ji Zhixiu picked up his phone and pointed it at the lens. "I'll have to hang up if you take a bath, otherwise, the phone will get wet."
Jiang Mian pouted, latching onto the key point. "You want to hang up on me?"
Ji Zhixiu rubbed his forehead. "I'll call you back after you're done bathing."
"But I don't want to hang up on you." She stared at the camera pitifully, looking incredibly fragile.
"I can put it in a bag, then it won't get wet!" She tilted her head in thought.
Ji Zhixiu let out a wry smile. He enjoyed her coquettishness, but he really didn't want to be teased when he couldn't have her.
Seeing that he remained silent, Jiang Mian feigned annoyance. "Fine, ignore me then! Hmph!"
With that, she decisively hung up.
Jiang Mian smirked slyly at her reflection in the mirror. She wasn't drunk at all!
Ji Zhixiu held his phone, staring at the disconnected call screen, and sighed.
He continued working.
...
Zhao Xinxin came to visit the set a week after they started filming.
She brought milk tea for the crew and sat on a lounge chair, handing one to Jiang Mian. "Here, Master, your favorite Mango Pomelo Sago!"
Jiang Mian took it and inserted the straw. "Thanks. Aren't you going to see Ling He first?"
Zhao Xinxin huffed softly. She had come all this way, and now she was expected to go find Ling He? What an ego.
She wasn't going. She would wait for Ling He to come find her!
When she didn't speak, Jiang Mian instantly understood.
Zhao Xinxin's mood immediately perked up. "Master, I'm also watching 'Heart Lock,' it's so good, sob sob sob. I hope we can collaborate again next time."
Jiang Mian nodded. "We will."
Zhao Xinxin took a sip of her milk tea, her mouth full of pearls, and mumbled indistinctly, "I have high hopes for Jiuli too. Master, keep it up!"
"Keep it up. How long are you staying this time?"
"Haven't decided yet."
Anyway, her schedule was free now. How long she stayed in Hengdian depended entirely on Ling He's performance.
They chatted for a short while when Ling He's assistant came over and said, "Sister Xin, Brother Ling asked me to invite you over."
Zhao Xinxin's lips curved into an uncontrollable smile as she looked at Jiang Mian. "Then I'll head over now, Master. I'll be back soon!"
"Okay, hurry and go."
Zhao Xinxin hopped up, skipping as she walked, and said, "Why didn't he come to invite me himself?"
"The director is rehearsing lines with Brother Ling right now. Brother Ling misses you, so he sent me to fetch you."
Zhao Xinxin beamed. "Then he must be working hard."
"You being here makes Brother Ling less tired, he's full of energy every day!"
Jiang Mian watched her leave.
She lay back down on the lounge chair and continued memorizing her lines.
A moment later, a large shadow fell before her eyes.
Jiang Mian looked up, her brows furrowed slightly. "Jing Zhou?"
Jing Zhou coughed, looking embarrassed.
Jiang Mian glanced at the busy staff members around them and straightened up. "Do you need something?"
Jing Zhou hesitated for a moment. "I have something to tell you."
"What is it, you can say it here."
Jiang Mian was curious about what he could possibly want to tell her.
Jing Zhou glanced around to make sure no one could overhear, and then lowered his voice. "Regarding Jiuli, I'm very sorry."
He couldn't help it.
While Fanhua's sincerity was certainly enough,
Luo's offer was simply too much.
After speaking, he stared at Jiang Mian, feeling a bit nervous.
Jiang Mian responded slowly, "Oh—"
"Can... can you forgive me?"
He was a little anxious. He had come out alone, and if the Kyushu Records crew couldn't find him later,
It would be troublesome.
Jiang Mian looked up and smiled. "I need to memorize my lines. Don't block my light."
"Jiang Mian, the assistant director is looking for you!"
Just then, someone called out to Jiang Mian.
She got up. "Someone's looking for me, I'll go over now."
Without paying attention to Jing Zhou, Jiang Mian went to find the assistant director.
She couldn't help but wonder, just a few days ago he was swaggering around their set.
And now, he'd changed so drastically?
Jiang Mian shook her head and focused on her lines. Kuai Shu Ge.
Jing Zhou watched her retreating back, his brows furrowed.
When he returned, Nan Wei was checking her makeup in the mirror and casually asked, "Where were you?"
A flicker of disgust crossed Jing Zhou's eyes. He replied blandly, "Just went out for some air."
"Don't just run off without saying anything next time. The director was looking for you just now. He couldn't find you and had to ask me, and I didn't know where you'd gone."
Jing Zhou paused in his action of pouring water. "I know."
"Alright, come help me zip up the back," Nan Wei instructed him.
Jing Zhou glanced at the assistant fanning her and stepped over.
Nan Wei turned her back to him, lifting her long hair. "Help me zip it up."
The place Nan Wei pointed to was a small inner garment under her dress.
Jing Zhou zipped it up expressionlessly. "Why don't you have your assistant do it?"
This was clearly a very intimate gesture.
Nan Wei giggled coquettishly twice. "You're my male lead, aren't you? How can you not even do this small thing properly?"
"Of course not."
"Then it's fine. Nan Wei turned around and hooked her arms around his neck. The two met eyes. "Isn't it good for us to get to know each other better in advance?"
Jing Zhou let out a low laugh. "Good, extremely good."
The assistant wisely lowered her head.
...
Jiang Mian was nestled in the lounge chair, reading her script. The director had just come to ask her for a prop.
She was allowed to return very quickly.
Before long, Zhao Xinxin also returned to find her.
"Master!"
Her voice arrived before she did.
Jiang Mian put down her script and looked up. "You're back?"
Zhao Xinxin stammered, a suspicious blush on her face. "The director is talking to him, so I came back to keep you company."
Jiang Mian raised an eyebrow. "Where did your lipstick go?"
"What! I didn't kiss anyone!" She hurriedly lowered her head to get her mirror, then quickly realized.
She looked up, her small face puffed out in mock anger. "Master! You tricked me!"
Jiang Mian pursed her lips. Alright, she admitted, she had a bit of a mischievous streak.
Zhao Xinxin lunged over and tickled her. "Bad Master! I'll punish you by making you treat me to dinner tonight!"
Jiang Mian's armpits were like acupuncture points, and she couldn't stop laughing. "Okay... okay... I'll treat you... do you want to bring Ling He?"
"Sure! Master, you're teasing me again!"
Jiang Mian dodged left and right, gasping for breath. "I... I was wrong... I'm going to die laughing..."
The two of them laughed and joked around, creating a lively scene.
In the evening, Jiang Mian treated the two of them to dinner.
As they sat down, she rolled up the sleeves of her wood ear collar, looking ready for a grand feast.
Zhao Xinxin picked up the menu. "This, this, this, I want everything on this page!"
Ling He, sitting beside her, frowned slightly at her words. "Can you finish all that?"
Zhao Xinxin declared righteously, "If I can't finish it, won't I still have you?"
Ling He was momentarily speechless. Ever since they were little, he had been Zhao Xinxin's "slop bucket."
Whatever she couldn't finish or didn't want, she'd throw to him.
When the two of them were together, the air was always vibrant.
Jiang Mian couldn't help but chuckle. "Order whatever you like, I'm treating."
"Master is the best!"
She raised her small face, beaming, and handed the menu over. "I've ordered. Master, you order now."
Jiang Mian added two more dishes and handed it to the waiter.
While waiting for the food, the two of them chatted.
Zhao Xinxin took out her phone and showed it to her. "This one, a newly opened hot spring hotel in Kyoto. When you're done filming, how about we go back and check it out for a soak?"
Jiang Mian nodded. "Okay, can I bring a few more people? Girls."
Ji Lanruo also liked hot springs.
Zhao Xinxin nodded. "Sure, sure! I love pretty sisters the most! You can call me then, or I'll call you!"
"Okay, it's settled then."
When girls get together, there are always endless topics of conversation.
Ling He couldn't interject at all, and of course, he didn't really want to.
He lowered his head, deboned the fish for her, and then placed it in her bowl, his tone a little sharp. "Eat."
Zhao Xinxin was about to say something when he interrupted her. Just as she was about to get angry, she saw the fish in her bowl.
She turned her head and snickered twice, then turned back and pointed to the center of the table. "I want that fish too! And shrimp too!"
Ling He's temple twitched. "Zhao, Xin, Xin!"
"What!" Her voice was louder than his. "It's not the first time!"
Ling He conceded, scooped two shrimp into his bowl, and began to peel them slowly.
Zhao Xinxin was content. "Where were we?"
"You were saying, Nan Wei and Luo Fei..."
"Yes, yes, yes. Let me tell you. Nan Wei used to be in my company, and then Luo Fei poached her. She's even my junior, but I don't like her..."
By the end of the meal, Zhao Xinxin had told her a lot of gossip from the entertainment industry.
Jiang Mian listened, amazed.
Then she sincerely asked, "Does Emperor Song have any gossip?"
"How could Emperor Song have any gossip! That's an insult to my Emperor Song!" Zhao Xinxin's eyes widened, then she realized she misspoke and corrected herself, "Our Emperor Song."
Song Xing Jia's title as National Emperor was no joke.
From three-year-old children to eighty-year-old grandmothers, everyone liked him.
If you stopped anyone on the street, they would know Emperor Song.
From his debut until now, he had won over everyone with his talent.
Jiang Mian agreed wholeheartedly. "Exactly."
Zhao Xinxin chuckled twice and finished her Mojito. "I'm full."
Jiang Mian got up. "I need to buy some things, so I won't go back with you all."
"Buy what? We can go together?" Zhao Xinxin blinked.
Ling He found her behavior exasperating.
It was clear that Jiang Mian wanted to give them some alone time, and yet this girl insisted on tagging along.
Was she even here to see him?
He couldn't help but speak up. "No."
Zhao Xinxin turned. "Why not?"
"Don't you miss Bella?"
"Oh, right." She had promised Bella that she would video call its owner when she arrived in Hengdian.
Zhao Xinxin said "oh" and then. "Then I won't go. Master! I have to video call Bella later. I'll find you tomorrow!"
Fearing she might not know, Zhao Xinxin explained, "Bella is a super cute Samoyed that Ling He keeps!"
Jiang Mian nodded. "I understand. See you tomorrow."
"Mhm!"
Once they were gone.
Zhao Xinxin patted her round stomach and leaned back. "I'm stuffed. It's all your fault for feeding me so much."
Ling He scoffed. "You eat when I feed you?"
"I eat! Is that a problem?"
"No!"
"Then why are you complaining about me!"
"Dare not."
This young lady, how could he dare to offend her.
Zhao Xinxin snorted softly.
Suddenly, the man leaned over, pulling her into his arms, his voice tantalizing. "Come to my room tonight?"
Zhao Xinxin's face flushed, and she acted coyly. "This, this isn't good, is it?"
They weren't officially together yet, wouldn't sleeping together be too fast?
Ling He let out a rare chuckle. "Didn't you want to watch 'Final Destination'? I'm just accompanying you."
Zhao Xinxin was typically overconfident but easily scared.
She loved horror movies but couldn't bear to watch them. She always had to pester Ling He to watch them with her.
Realizing she had misunderstood, Zhao Xinxin huffed heavily.
Ling He moved around her and stood up. "Since you're so full, let's go for a walk to aid digestion."
Zhao Xinxin agreed and took his hand as she stood up.
That night, the two of them were photographed by paparazzi.
Zhao Xinxin returned to the hotel and sat cross-legged on Ling He's bed, her expression grave as she looked at her phone.
Ling He poked his head over to take a look.
The unprofessional paparazzi v: [##Zhao Xinxin visits Ling He## ##XinHe CP suspected to have more solid proof## Recently, Jiuli started filming, and the male lead Ling He joined the crew seamlessly.
A week later, Zhao Xinxin went to visit him.
Tonight, they were photographed walking hand-in-hand after dinner. CP fans, rest assured, this CP can be shipped, it's real.]
Ling He thought she was unhappy about being trending with him.
He snatched the phone and said displeasedly, "If you don't like it, then don't look."