Chapter 11, Section 11: "Don't tell me it's some new bickering couple play, or I'll be forced to eat this dog food."

"Full House of Spring" tells the story of Ye Wu, a resident of a small town, who meets Dong Ye, an ecologist conducting field research in the area, after a dance troupe performance. Their first encounter is because Ye Wu notices a striking resemblance between herself and Dong Ye, prompting her to call out to him.

He Xiaoqing wanted to capture a similar yet unrealistic feel, a point she had already discussed with Gu Lai. With makeup techniques so advanced these days, beauties with similar styles often share some common features in their eyebrows, eyes, and bone structure; therefore, she hadn't paid special attention to this aspect when casting actors.

Now that Fan Zi is in front of her, He Xiaoqing actually feels that this is the person she should choose to act with Gu Lai.

He Xiaoqing was initially delighted, but then suddenly panicked—as her childhood friend, she really knew her best friend Jiang Yi's bad temper.

While He Xiaoqing was lost in thought, Gu Lai had already finished exchanging pleasantries with Agent Xiang. Turning her head, she saw the director looking lost in thought. Gu Lai assumed she was shocked and explained on behalf of her employee, "My agent has already spoken with Sister Xiang, so Xiao Fan has just done a simple makeover according to the role. If it suits the scene, we'll have the makeup artist adjust it during the fitting. Today is just a demonstration."

He Xiaoqing snapped out of her daze: "Oh, the makeup is really good, much better looking than the photos you just gave me." Of course, it looks better because it makes her look more like Gu Lai.

Gu Lai understood this kind of flattery, smiled it off, and turned to Fan Zi, who had been standing there quietly being observed, and asked, "Have you read the script I just sent you? Do you need time to familiarize yourself with it?"

Fan Zi generously replied, "I've seen it, you can do it now."

Gu Lai nodded, and He Xiaoqing chimed in with a smile, "Then you can start now. Pick any scene from Ye Wu and Dong Ye's script, and your boss will act alongside you."

Fan Zi stood there for about three seconds, then began in front of everyone.

She turned to Gu Lai, her demeanor shifting from calm and obedient to casual and relaxed. She pulled up a chair, sat down, crossed her legs, and said nonchalantly, "Awu, stop fooling around, okay?"

Everyone present realized that Fan Zi had chosen Dong Ye and Ye Wu's first argument.

For the first time, Ye Wu realized the gap between herself and Dong Ye amidst the intoxicating passion and desire of summer.

Gu Lai's voice hadn't changed much, but with each word and pause, she transformed into Ye Wu, a sweet and charming small-town girl who had been learning opera since childhood.

With shallow breaths, she spoke humbly, "I'm willing to do so many things for you... sister... so many things."

Following the script's depiction of Dong Ye, Fan Zi slowly circled her fingers, then raised them towards the light and said, "Your hair really does look light brown in the light... Hmm, A-Wu, what did you say?"

“I said,” the voice paused, as if caught off guard by pain, then suppressed it, “I want you, more of you.”

I want you, not just physically, but also emotionally and with commitment.

"I'd be happy to, if I could." Dong Ye, played by Fan Zi, loosened his grip, let his head fall, and looked down. Their similar eyebrows and eyes revealed completely opposite expressions.

Dong Ye went from feeling comfortable to feeling annoyed.

She pushed aside the other person, stood up abruptly, took a step or two to the side, then walked back, looked down at them, and said, "If I could, A-Wu, but I don't want to be restrained. I still have things to do."

Gu Lai, who was being stared at, didn't look at the script. She relaxed, crossed her arms, and leaned back in her chair, with the same cautious expression that He Xiaoqing next to her couldn't discern whether she was happy or angry.

But when she spoke, it was a completely different story. Her tone was tender, even her reproach sounded gentle, yet it was mixed with unspeakable pain: "What about me? What about me... Am I asking for too much?"

It's like being split apart.

Dong Ye, who should have delivered his verdict with a dismissive tone, suddenly stopped—

Fan Zi didn't respond immediately.

Actually, it only took two or three seconds for Fan Zi to speak again, but it felt like an eternity, and she was a little flustered when she uttered her first word.

He Xiaoqing didn't give her time to say the second word.

"That's fine." He Xiaoqing smiled at her. "Go back and wait for our notification."

Fan Zi nodded, then quickly gave a somewhat shy and apologetic smile, glancing at her agent and then at Gu Lai.

Such caution doesn't seem like Gu Lai's style.

Gu Lai met her gaze and nodded gently and forgivingly: "You've worked hard, go ahead."

He Xiaoqing glanced at Gu Lai, then turned around and chased the others away before driving Gu Lai home.

"Just got a new car, I'm driving it myself." He Xiaoqing proudly swung her keys. "Where to go, sis?"

Gu Lai got into the passenger seat without ceremony: "Huating No. 1".

He Xiaoqing was stunned.

He Xiaoqing: "They haven't made up yet? Didn't Jiang San come back?"

Gu Lai paused in fastening her seatbelt and glanced at her. He Xiaoqing raised both hands and said, "Sister, it's not that I'm asking, it's because someone wants to ask Jiang San about Ganni's matter, so they asked me to come here. I asked her assistant and found out that she's been back for quite a while, but we didn't talk about anything else."

Gu Lai remained noncommittal, her gaze briefly sweeping over the unattended steering wheel: "How about we call the driver?"

He Xiaoqing smiled as she shifted gears and started the engine, which roared low. She recalled Fan Zi's expression when she was interrupted earlier; Producer Wang, who was next to her, had seen it and clicked his tongue in regret.

Amid the roar of the engine, she thought with particular sarcasm, "Producer Wang's character is probably just regretting that Ms. Fan didn't portray Gu Lai as a perfect 100%."

But why? Why does someone surnamed Fan dare to be as magnanimous as Sister Gu?

What is it that enables a person to be poised and confident, and to handle things with ease?

He Xiaoqing clicked her tongue and looked at the traffic ahead, saying, "Sis, I feel Xiao Fan is a good candidate; she should be the one in the end."

Gu Lai hesitated a bit about Fan Zi's performance: "Why don't you take another look?"

He Xiaoqing shook her head, sighed, and then shook it almost imperceptibly.

Fan Zi was indeed mediocre; she didn't even make it to the climax of the argument. But it's like choosing between sharing 100 yuan with a friend for 60 points, or betting with others to split 80 or 120 yuan.

He Xiaoqing is a wealthy second-generation director who dabbles in directing. She doesn't have the gambling spirit to make big money, and she's too lazy to bother finding hidden gems. She's simply looking for the best value for money, something that would be ideal for her to have a win-win situation with her friends while enjoying soup together.

He Xiaoqing was just a little sentimental.

Gu Lai is still so innocent; she doesn't seem like someone in her thirties at all. But her actions just now were very mature, unlike the obedient vase she was when Jiang Yi first took a liking to her.

Was she sophisticated yet naive, or did she dedicate her only pure quality to her artistic career?

Is this why she has retained her celebrity status, which doesn't actually offer her much benefit?

He Xiaoqing's expression was somewhat indifferent: "Teaching is all about appearance. The most important thing is that they are good-looking, quick-witted, and obedient." She paused, then laughed, "But let's take another look and choose. We'll talk about it when we really find a gem, so that no one will think that all the previous efforts were just to accompany the prince in his studies."

Isn't that so?

Gu Lai recalled the scene of Fan Zi standing there in a daze. To be honest, she even felt a little disgusted for a moment.

She had indeed heard that Fan Zi was professionally trained and quite capable, and she felt that he had been wronged in the previous messy incidents. Since his appearance matched the description, why couldn't she give him a chance?

But when her performance fell short of expectations, Gu Lai realized what she truly wanted—

It wasn't about offering her resources or comfort, but about letting Fan Zi convince herself to let go of her and keep her.

Gu Lai thought to herself with a self-deprecating smile that she was actually far more prone to holding grudges and taking offense than she thought.

"Sigh, let's talk about Sister Jiang San. She's been acting really strange lately."

He Xiaoqing's face was full of interest, while Gu Lai remained unmoved: "For example?"

"For example? Let me think. For example, Jiang San is a workaholic, right? What has she been doing lately? Having money and power means you can do whatever you want, take annual leave whenever you want, and take as many days of annual leave as you want. But Jiang San is not like that. Wanli, who has not yet taken full power, cannot simply stop court."

He Xiaoqing, having lost her initial curiosity, sighed and continued, "While it's true that saying that is quite... well, compared to someone like me, it's really not easy. Aunt Jiang is a reckless playboy, and Chairman Jiang... Grandma Jiang is practically raising poisonous insects, she..."

The car slowly came to a stop behind the white line. He Xiaoqing pulled the gear up and turned her head to meet Gu Lai's gaze.

Outside the car window, the sky was a dark, indigo blue, mixed with a gloomy, damp, and chilly gray-yellow that seemed to be hanging by a thread, like industrial wastewater flowing in an abandoned ditch beside a dilapidated bridge. Gu Lai was the only pure color, but from He Xiaoqing's perspective, it seemed as if she was struggling and separating herself from the filthy background.

It even seemed to carry the weariness of struggle, a dull, dusty pearl.

—Gu Lai is still that impeccably made-up superstar.

In an instant, countless scenes and movie ideas flashed through He Xiaoqing's mind, finally settling on one sentence: Strange, Jiang San is so perceptive, didn't he sense it?

He Xiaoqing forgot what she was going to say and repeated it dryly: "She has it tough too."

Gu Lai nodded, her gaze fixed on the red light. Thirty, twenty-nine, ... two, one, the red light turned green, and the car started moving again with the flow of traffic, but her eyes remained fixed on the direction of the windshield.

She was a little unsure what to say.

Jiang Yi actually has quite a few friends, but Gu Lai is the one who doesn't have many. Her old friends are too out of touch with her current life, and the people she meets now are hard for her to consider as friends. Instead, she's been brought into her social circle by Jiang Yi.

Jiang Yi's friend likes to do two things: first, gossip about Jiang Yi's dirty secrets and mock her, and then tell her how great Jiang Yi is and that she should treat her well.

Gu Lai had previously agreed, but then wondered, "Is Jiang Yi some fragile porcelain doll? Besides, she's my lover, of course I treat her better than you all do."

Now, however, she suddenly felt a pang of anxiety.

Gu Lai asked her, "Mom—I mean Aunt Jiang, has anything happened lately?"

"No, it's still the same as always. I heard they recently got a new model on their radar, she's as skinny as a rake." He Xiaoqing clicked her tongue. "I think they gave him a spot in Dailan's Spring/Summer show, right? I haven't heard anything about his work since then, but they're making quite a splash. I'm totally into him."

While the daughter is busy conquering six kingdoms, the mother is anxiously searching for Lao Ai.

Gu Lai frowned after hearing this, and He Xiaoqing asked, "Is it alright?"

"It's nothing," Gu Lai paused and explained, "I've never heard of it, it should be fine."

Even she was used to it, so Jiang Yi would only become more numb to it.

He Xiaoqing looked at her again and said, "Actually, what I just said was just unnecessary concern."

Gu Lai: "What?"

"To be honest, we just laugh it off now. Auntie has been like this for a while now. Before, Jiang San himself said, 'Whatever.' Only you would frown when you heard that."

Gu Lai remained silent, while He Xiaoqing said with deep emotion, "Friendship is genuine, but a lover is just a lover."

As the car drove into Huating No. 1, familiar scenery slowly flowed onto the car window like ink.

Gu Lai laughed instead, nodding and shaking her head, saying with a hint of helplessness, "They really did have a fight. After the fight, she went abroad and we were cold to each other for at least half a month. They fought again the day after she came back."

He Xiaoqing slammed on the brakes, thankfully there was no one or any cars around.

"Seriously?" He Xiaoqing turned to look at her. "I was just casually trying to mediate, what's going on?"

Gu Lai didn't want to go into details, and didn't know how to put it: "I can't really explain it, it's just... a complete mess."

He Xiaoqing looked suspicious: "I really don't believe you guys. Are you playing me? Is this some new bickering couple play, forcing me to eat dog food?"

Gu Lai couldn't help but laugh.

“I’m just making this up because I’m bored. Director He is good at directing the plot. Hurry up and park the car. Please come up and sit down. Or I’ll get out and you can go back.” Gu Lai said, reaching for the car door handle, but He Xiaoqing stopped her.

"No, no, no, no..." He Xiaoqing said, pushing him aside. She took out her phone from her pocket and went straight to her contacts to find Jiang Yi. But when she pressed the green call button, Gu Lai grabbed her finger.

It's surprisingly strong; you wouldn't guess from its appearance.

He Xiaoqing's heart skipped a beat as she looked at Gu Lai.

Gu Lai let go, smiled, and unlocked the car door: "I'm getting out, Lao He. Just call me anytime if there's anything else in the movie."

This unquestionable tone is just like that of her childhood friend.

He Xiaoqing didn't speak, but took a deep breath, nodded, and watched Gu Lai open the car door, step out of the car lightly like a swallow, and then bend down to hold the car door and asked with a smile, "Aren't you sure you don't want to come up and sit for a while? I still have some new winery stock that just arrived this month."

"No, it was just a favor to give you a ride on my way," He Xiaoqing couldn't help but add, "But now that you've reminded me, I can just ask Jiang San for the wine later."

Gu Lai didn't respond to her words and gently closed the car door. He Xiaoqing watched through the windshield as her childhood friend's lover walked away unhurriedly, his long hair cascading down her back like waves, gently patting her shoulders and back before finally disappearing into the dim, industrial wastewater-like sky.

He Xiaoqing shifted gears and started the car, turning it around. Before the voice prompts inside the car could give her directions, she called out to her phone's AI.

"Call Jiang San's contact person..."

"Call Jiang San's contact person..."

"...Connected..."

"Hey Xiaoqing."

He Xiaoqing gripped the steering wheel with one hand and turned off the car music with the other, speaking calmly, "I've dropped your partner off at Huating No. 1. He's calm and healthy. When are you planning to pick him up?"

"..." Jiang Yi remained silent for a few moments before slowly saying, "I don't know either."

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Thank you for the comment and nutrient solution from Xiao i, and thank you for the nutrient solution from byul. Goodnight, sweethearts! [heart emoji]