Chapter 39 "Husband, let's find a place to kiss..."

After resting in bed for a day, Liang Kongxiang was able to put weight on her feet the following afternoon. She got out of bed and walked around with the help of the handrail. The stinging pain in her knee was still very noticeable, and the scar had turned into a pinkish line, wrapped in gauze. However, she wasn't completely unable to walk. The doctor instructed that as long as she avoided strenuous exercise, there shouldn't be any major problems.

The schedule was already tight, and after filming wrapped, she would only have two days of rest before rushing to commercial events. If she really stayed in bed for a few more days as Jiang Jiaoming suggested, her work schedule would be disrupted. Moreover, she would feel bad about delaying the filming schedule, so she ultimately decided to leave the hospital early to continue filming.

The car stopped outside the apartment building, and Chang Xin helped Liang Kongxiang walk into the main gate. The two of them were stunned as soon as they stepped into the stairwell.

Each step was fitted with a crash barrier, and the metal handrails were covered with foam.

It goes without saying who was behind this.

Chang Xin's mind raced. While supporting Liang Kongxiang, she peered upstairs, her mouth agape in amazement, and exclaimed, "Wow... how thoughtful!"

Even the doorknobs were covered with foam, which made Liang Kongxiang both amused and exasperated. She opened the door and found that the room itself was the most outrageous place, with thick soft carpets on the floor and everything hard in the room covered with soft padding.

After quickly washing up in the bathroom, Liang Kongxiang went to the film set.

Kong Jingying and Xiang Hang rushed over when they saw that her bandages were still on, and jokingly gave her a thumbs up.

Kong Jingying: "I think these awards should be more humane," she winked at Cao Lengyu, "right, like adding an award for perseverance and dedication despite physical disability or something."

"It's just a scraped knee, nothing serious." Liang Kongxiang smiled, helped Chang Xin sit down on the folding chair, and a large blower was blowing loudly at them by the shed. She tucked her hair behind her ear, and after Kong Jingying left, she leaned over and asked Cao Lengyu, "Have they left?"

Zhuo Qiyun hadn't sent her any messages since leaving the hospital, but she still remembered the guilty look and hesitant expression in her eyes before she left. She could tell that Zhuo Qiyun had something to say but didn't dare to.

"Hmm?" Cao Lengyu raised her hand to check the monitor's contents, then realized who they were referring to and whispered, "They all tacitly didn't come over. You really are..." She turned to Liang Kongxiang and teased, "Did you really feed them to the dogs?"

"Not necessarily," Liang Kongxiang said ambiguously, took a sip of water, and went to rehearse.

Jiang Jiaoming rushed back to Gongtai City last night and returned again this afternoon. Just as Liang Kongxiang finished filming and returned to her room, about to lie down, Jiang Jiaoming knocked on the door.

Before she even got out of bed, her phone lit up.

Jiang Jiaoming: [Don't get out of bed, what's the password?]

Telling him directly is no different from inviting a wolf into the house. Liang Kongxiang hesitated for a few seconds, but still sent the message.

【123888】

As soon as my thumb touched the screen, the electronic lock beeped a few times, and then the door opened.

Gongtai City was still in the dead of winter. Jiang Jiaoming walked in naturally, carrying a black overcoat in one hand and a small suitcase in the other. He was holding two red roses in his arms, which were wrapped in a black rectangular box with a glass cover on the front.

He placed the roses on the table and stared intently at Liang Kongxiang ever since he came in.

Liang Kongxiang roughly guessed what he wanted to do.

When they first got together, he sent her similar flowers.

Yesterday morning at the hospital, Liang Kongxiang pressed her forehead against his and gently touched it. Jiang Jiaoming's breathing became rapid, and the hand that was covering her mouth gradually moved to her cheeks, cupping them and forcing her to lift her face slightly. He leaned closer and closer, his breath brushing against her lips as he spoke, asking her, "What do you mean?"

"How come you're getting worse as you get older?" Liang Kongxiang held up a finger between their lips, rubbing it against her own lips while touching Jiang Jiaoming's warm, thin lips with the other, and said with a smile, "You used to at least bring a bouquet of flowers, but now you just want to leave with nothing but a kiss?"

Jiang Jiaoming's gaze remained intense. After enduring for two seconds, he sighed, lowered his head, buried it in her shoulder, and said in a muffled voice, "Stop torturing me."

Liang Kongxiang patted the back of his neck, her smile obvious: "Isn't this teaching you how to do it?"

She casually mentioned something, but to her surprise, Jiang Jiaoming immediately flew back, traveling tens of thousands of kilometers to personally bring back a rose exactly the same as the one from back then.

Jiang Jiaoming changed his shoes and slowly approached under Liang Kongxiang's gaze, the soft rustling of his leather shoes echoing in the quiet room.

He sat on the edge of the bed. The two looked at each other silently, neither of them uttering a sound.

Jiang Jiaoming suddenly raised his hand and placed it on Liang Kongxiang's shoulder, brushing her hair aside and placing it on her other shoulder. He pinched her ear with two fingers and rubbed it, staring at it for two seconds before his voice became slightly hoarse: "So red?"

Liang Kongxiang looked at him without saying anything or stopping him.

He pinched her enough, then moved his hand to the back of her neck, gently touched it, pressed it down, and then brought his face closer and closer...

Heartbeats and breaths intertwined.

They both looked down at each other's lips as they drew closer and closer.

A crisp knock on the door.

"Kong Xiang...?"

Someone called softly from outside the door.

Tsk.

Frustrated, Jiang Jiaoming closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled heavily. He changed the direction of his lips, tilted his head, and gave Liang Kongxiang a hard kiss on the cheek. Then, frowning, he opened the door and said in an unfriendly tone, "What's with the rush? It's late at night."

“I…” Grass.

Zhuo Qiyun stared blankly at Jiang Jiaoming, whose face was gloomy, as if she had seen a ghost.

Turning her gaze, she saw Geng Jiali standing next to her, looking unwilling and with a sour expression. Behind Geng Jiali, Zhuang Yexue was tilting her head and looking towards the other side of the corridor, seemingly not really there, indifferent to what was happening in the room, too lazy to even look.

Just as Jiang Jiaoming was about to slam the door shut, Zhuo Qiyun quickly braced the door with her foot and called out, "Hey, Mr. Jiang! Wait a moment, I need to speak with Kong Xiang!"

This man and Zhang Bingjie were a perfect match, and Jiang Jiaoming let go of his hand.

"What's wrong?" Liang Kongxiang frowned when she heard Zhuo Qiyun's voice. She threw back the covers and got out of bed. When she reached the door, she saw that there were actually three people there. She was stunned and looked at Zhuo Qiyun.

Zhuo Qiyun quickly glanced at Jiang Jiaoming, and Liang Kongxiang patted Jiang Jiaoming's side and whispered, "You go in and wait for me."

“No,” Jiang Jiaoming said matter-of-factly, looking at her coldly, “What is it that I can’t listen to?”

Liang Kongxiang didn't say anything more, and pointed to the corridor to Zhuo Qiyun, "Let's talk over there."

No sooner had she finished speaking than Jiang Jiaoming grabbed her wrist.

He covered his ears with both hands, looking at her helplessly, "Is it okay now?"

Zhuo Qiyun was so embarrassed she felt like jumping off the building, but when she looked back, Geng Jiali and Zhuang Yexue's expressions were even more like they'd just been fed a mouthful of shit before jumping. She gave a fake smile, not daring to glance at Jiang Jiaoming again, and quickly and quietly said to Liang Kongxiang, "I'm sorry."

After finishing speaking, he lowered his eyes and secretly glanced at Liang Kongxiang. He noticed that she seemed to smile, but he didn't dare to face her. He then lowered his eyes again. After a few seconds, his curiosity got the better of him, so he raised his head to look at her and smiled bitterly: "I'm sorry, I know it's very... but I really want to apologize to you."

She carefully softened her tone, looked at her, and tentatively asked, "Can you forgive me even a little bit? Not much."

Liang Kongxiang smiled. "Did you come just for this?"

It's just not like the three of them would put together an apology.

Zhuo Qiyun didn't get forgiveness, but she wasn't discouraged. She let out a soft "ah," glanced back at them, and hesitated before speaking, "We... I made some hot pot. I heard the scenery at the place where you're filming is really nice, and I'd like to invite you to come with us. We're going back tomorrow morning," she pursed her lips and added, "It's our last meal."

Although Jiang Jiaoming covered his ears, he could only fool Liang Kongxiang. He heard every word Zhuo Qiyun said and sneered, his laughter full of sarcasm.

Zhuo Qiyun could tell from the dim light in the corridor that her face was flushed with an eerie blush. She stammered, "It's okay if you don't come." She scratched her face and prepared to leave.

“Let’s go,” Liang Kongxiang suddenly agreed as Zhuo Qiyun turned around, “Wait for me a moment, I’ll change my T-shirt.”

Zhuo Qiyun's eyes lit up instantly as she gazed eagerly at Liang Kongxiang.

Geng Jiali and Zhuang Yexue also looked over in silence without offering any opinions, and then turned their backs and went downstairs first.

As Geng Jiali walked downstairs, she waved behind her without turning her head, her voice not loud: "I'll be waiting for you downstairs."

"Are you really going?" Jiang Jiaoming asked her after closing the door.

"Hmm." Liang Kongxiang went to find her clothes and walked towards the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Her voice was muffled as she said, "You can go to sleep first."

She changed her clothes quickly, coming out in her pajamas in less than a minute. "I'll be back in a bit."

At this stage, it was impossible for Jiang Jiaoming to leave Liang Kongxiang for even a second. He grabbed her wrist and demanded without hesitation, "I'll go too."

He had thought Liang Kongxiang would refuse, but to his surprise, she seemed to be in a good mood. She smiled and said, "Okay." She didn't pull away from Jiang Jiaoming's hand and opened the door to go out.

Jiang Jiaoming tentatively moved his fingers down little by little, glancing at her expression out of the corner of his eye. Seeing no resistance, he took advantage of the situation and wedged all five of his fingers into Liang Kongxiang's, making it a tightly interlocked arrangement. He openly looked at her face.

She really wanted him to hold her hand. Jiang Jiaoming thought to himself.

Downstairs, Zhuo Qiyun was kicking pebbles. There was a medium-sized shipping container at her feet, which looked quite heavy. Several folding chairs and a folding table were piled on top of the container.

She saw Liang Kongxiang come out from around the corner, waved excitedly, and patted Geng Jiali, "Coming, coming, let's go."

Geng Jiali dodged her hand and consciously lifted the other side of the box.

Making the two girls carry things while he reaped the benefits was shameless. Jiang Jiaoming interrupted them, "Let me do it." He then took the things from Zhuo Qiyun's hands, glancing at her, "Go help Liang Kongxiang, her leg injury hasn't healed yet."

Zhuo Qiyun was stunned for a few seconds at first, but then guessed that Jiang Jiaoming was probably creating space for them. After realizing what was happening, she quickly let go of her hand to thank him, tucked her hands behind her back and fidgeted with her fingers, and took small steps to Liang Kongxiang's side, giving her a quick glance.

Making conversation: "...The moon is so beautiful."

Geng Jiali chuckled at her foolishness and glanced at her sideways. Zhuo Qiyun, completely unaware of this, kept her head up. It wasn't until Zhuang Yexue and Liang Kongxiang also laughed that Zhuo Qiyun realized what was happening.

"What are you laughing at?" Zhuo Qiyun blushed again, not daring to get angry at Zhuang Yexue and Liang Kongxiang, so she pouted at Geng Jiali, "What did I say that you're laughing at? Did I say something wrong? The moon is just so beautiful."

The other three weren't talkative, and they didn't respond to her. The four of them fell silent again in unison.

The croaking of frogs rose and fell from the grass.

In fact, they all know that the moon has been the same moon since ancient times. To put it nicely, it's a floating corpse in the universe; to put it bluntly, it's just a bunch of dead things. How can it be beautiful?

But what exactly is beauty? Nobody wants to admit it anymore.

However, the moonlight tonight is truly stunning.

Bathed in moonlight, the cornfields in front looked as if their leaves were covered with a layer of silver frost, a vast expanse of green covered with a layer of silvery white.

Jiang Jiaoming was tall and strong, carrying the object effortlessly. He was much faster than them, carrying the heavy container deep into the cornfield by himself. When he went too far, he would turn back to check Liang Kongxiang's location, and after a while, he would continue walking forward.

The moonlight here is very bright, like ten thousand faint incandescent bulbs densely covering the grass, illuminating this green land. The grass roots gleam with silver light, as if a gust of wind could cause them to shimmer and flow with silvery liquid.

He carefully unloaded the box from his hands, the square bottom flattening the straw. He stretched his arms for a moment, then turned around. Liang Kongxiang and the others were about two hundred meters away. Zhuo Qiyun was supporting Liang Kongxiang, the two very close together. Zhuo Qiyun was speaking, her mouth open, and Liang Kongxiang seemed to nod. Geng Jiali and Zhuang Yexue walked quietly beside Zhuo Qiyun, their gazes fixed on the distance.

It would take them several more minutes to get here, so Jiang Jiaoming simply opened the box and unpacked all the tools and ingredients. He had prepared quite a lot, clearly taking care of Liang Kongxiang; although it was supposed to be hot pot, he had also prepared some low-fat fruits and vegetables.

He had just finished tidying up when he faintly heard voices around him. He turned his head and saw Liang Kongxiang looking at him with a slight smile on her face.

"Ah... I'll take care of it!" Zhuo Qiyun saw Jiang Jiaoming tidying up and quickly ran over, put the pot on the portable stove, and said politely, "Mr. Jiang, you've really gone to a lot of trouble. These things are quite heavy."

"It's alright," Liang Kongxiang said with a smile, seeing that Zhuo Qiyun was flustered and knew that she was not relaxed. "Let Jiang Jiaoming do it. He is good at cooking."

"...Really?" Zhuo Qiyun stopped what she was doing with the pot, greatly shocked. She stared wide-eyed at Jiang Jiaoming's work, not daring to step forward and make things worse. She stepped back and whispered gossip to Liang Kongxiang: "You, uh, you two," she forced a dry laugh, put the back of her hand to her lips and asked quietly, "Are you dating?"

Liang Kongxiang and Jiang Jiaoming, who had turned around, exchanged a glance. "Not yet."

"I see." Although Zhuo Qiyun had some questions she wanted to ask, Jiang Jiaoming's presence was too strong, and she knew that some jokes were not appropriate to make with him, so she gave up the idea of ​​delving into the gossip.

Liang Kongxiang led them to the back of the cabin, through the bushes, and stopped at the tidal flat. A gust of wind swept across the shallow water.

The four people stood side by side. Liang Kongxiang's leg injury had not yet healed, and Zhuo Qiyun was supporting her tightly. Geng Jiali crossed her arms and stared into the distance in a daze. Zhuang Yexue squatted down and fiddled with the slender grass, seemingly lost in thought.

These giants, who were seen as irreconcilable enemies by outsiders, were now standing together peacefully.

It was actually an unnecessary meeting. They both knew perfectly well that the other would never show mercy or reconcile with them. They were already used to the back-and-forth of mutual harm, but perhaps because such strange moments were so rare, no one dared to break the tacit understanding between them.

The sparse trees opposite the tidal flat let in a scattering of pale moonlight. They gazed quietly into the distance, breathing, their loose clothes billowing in the wind, the corners of their garments gently brushing against each other. Apart from the gentle breeze, no one uttered a sound.

Geng Jiali glanced at Liang Kongxiang to the left and Zhuang Yexue to the right without showing any emotion. She then looked up at the moon.

Although Zhuo Qiyun was foolish, what she said tonight wasn't wrong. The moon… Geng Jiali was surprised to find that the moon was so beautiful.

When they returned from Chaoping, Jiang Jiaoming had already set out five bowls and scooped some cooked food onto plates.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Jiang." Zhuo Qiyun hadn't had an appetite for the past two days, and now her mouth was practically watering. She swallowed, but was too embarrassed to start eating first, so she just held her chopsticks and waited for Jiang Jiaoming or someone else to eat first.

"Don't be so polite," Liang Kongxiang said with a smile, noticing Zhuo Qiyun's several moments of unease. "Tonight's dinner is private; don't treat him like a investor."

"I'm used to it." Zhuo Qiyun really didn't stand on ceremony. She blew on the food twice and then swallowed it with a slurping sound. She didn't have time to care about Jiang Jiaoming anymore. Now, even if the King of Hell came, he would have to wait until she finished eating before taking her life.

Jiang Jiaoming wasn't hungry. He was preparing seasonings for Liang Kongxiang, rinsing the cooked yam in water, then putting it in her bowl, and began to boast, "Want to try some?"

Liang Kongxiang picked up her chopsticks and poked at the soft, tender yam, which was filled with fragrance. She blew on it, then lowered her head and took a bite.

"Is it good?" Jiang Jiaoming leaned closer and asked.

"It's alright." Liang Kongxiang took another bite.

"So demanding, Teacher Liang," Jiang Jiaoming watched her eat with her head down, her lips opening and closing, her cheeks slightly puffed out. He couldn't resist poking her cheek with his finger, teasing her as if he were addicted to it. Then he brought up an old grudge: "Is it tastier than bread?"

Liang Kongxiang shook her head with a helpless smile, really not wanting to pay attention to him, and reached out to take a cherry tomato.

"Hmm?" Jiang Jiaoming narrowed his eyes, seemingly oblivious to everyone else, and pinched her chin, forcing her to nod. "Me, or him?"

"Let go." Liang Kongxiang glanced at him.

Her lips still had cherry tomato juice on them, glistening in the moonlight.

Jiang Jiaoming rubbed his fingers together, sucked on them, and whispered in her ear, "Why is the water coming out of your mouth always sweet?"

After saying that, he looked at her provocatively, mouthed three words, and stared intently at her.

Liang Kongxiang helplessly raised her hand and pointed at him, ignoring him. Her ears, hidden by her hair, were already a deep, dark red.

Zhuo Qiyun, that silly girl, was still holding her bowl, her lips stained with red oil from eating. With her swollen lips, she asked her, "Kong Xiang, why is your face so red? Is it too hot? Maybe I can switch places with you... you're too close to the pot."

"Okay." Liang Kongxiang picked up her bowl and sat much further away from Jiang Jiaoming.

Jiang Jiaoming: "..."

He'd shot himself in the foot again. He laughed in exasperation.

He watched Liang Kongxiang sitting next to Zhuo Qiyun, chatting and laughing with her, and gradually became engrossed in watching her.

In fact, Liang Kongxiang had very few true friends. Not all friends were like Ruan Jiayan, who unconditionally tolerated Liang Kongxiang's indifference and continued to approach her even after receiving her meager responses. Nor were all people as purely loving as Ruan Jiayan, who almost unconditionally protected Liang Kongxiang no matter what happened.

Jiang Jiaoming still remembers that when she was in the first year of high school, Ruan Jiayan read a self-criticism to the whole school. Zhang San said it was because she got into a fight with a boy. The boy made a vulgar joke to Liang Kongxiang, and Ruan Jiayan couldn't stand it and hit him directly. She was beaten until her hair was messy, and she had several scratches on her arms. Even when she was in pain and tears were streaming down her face, she still stubbornly said, "Apologize to Liang Kongxiang."

Ruan Jiayan was probably one of her few true friends, but with his reckless impulsiveness that time, that friendship was also broken up.

He was Liang Kongxiang's best friend, without exception, but because of him, they gradually drifted apart and became like strangers.

He knew perfectly well that she was just quiet, not that she didn't need close friends or that she had to revolve around him. She seemed so happy and relaxed when she was with her friends.

Jiang Jiaoming suddenly felt ice water pouring into his brain and sinking down his body, chilling him to the bone. He belatedly realized what Liang Kongxiang meant by suffocation.

The people or things she cherished were destroyed by his own hands.

Jiang Jiaoming sat firmly in the chair, as if he were covered in cement from head to toe, and the wind made him stiff.

Liang Kongxiang wiped her mouth, glanced at Jiang Jiaoming across the steaming table, frowned slightly, and got up to sit back down next to him. "What's wrong?"

Jiang Jiaoming stared at her for a few seconds, then suddenly raised his hand and rubbed his thumb against the skin on the side of her face without saying a word.

Liang Kongxiang: "What are you thinking about now?"

"Are you still in contact with Ruan Jiayan?" Jiang Jiaoming asked.

"Huh?" This really puzzled her; how did things suddenly veer off to this point? After thinking for a few seconds, she realized. He had seen her chatting with Zhuo Qiyun and was reminded of Ruan Jiayan, who had a similar personality.

But Jia Yan is Jia Yan, and Jia Yan is irreplaceable.

“I no longer have her contact information,” Liang Kongxiang said in a flat tone, without any hint of sadness or emotion, as if she were simply stating an objective fact. “However, I ran into her at the cinema the day before the movie ‘Yellow Flower’ was taken off the screens the year it was released.”

At that time, Liang Kongxiang had already become a sensation and was the most talked-about female celebrity during the Spring Festival. Wherever she went, she was followed and photographed by a bunch of people, so she could only go to the movie theater in the early morning wearing a hat and mask.

After tearing up the ticket stub, I went to find Theater 2. Although it was the middle of the night, there were still a few viewers coming out of another theater after watching the previous movie.

She pushed open the door to Hall 2, and a familiar fragrance wafted towards her—it was Armani My Way, the brand Ruan Jiayan loved to use.

Liang Kongxiang's breath hitched, she paused, and turned around to meet Ruan Jiayan's equally stunned gaze in the darkness.

In just one second, they recognized each other.

Ruan Jiayan quickly looked away, pushed open the door and went out. Liang Kongxiang didn't even have time to call out her name before clutching the ticket and turning on her phone's flashlight to find her seat.

When the dragon emblem appeared, her eyes were still unfocused. A few seconds later, she lowered her eyes and sighed.

The previous performance in Hall 2 was also "Yellow Flower".

A long time has passed. Liang Kongxiang went to this cinema a few more times, but she never managed to run into Ruan Jiayan again.

Halfway through the recollection, a scream suddenly exploded in my ears.

"Ahhhhhh!! Don't come any closer!" Zhuo Qiyun suddenly screamed, crying as she called out to Geng Jiali and the others, "Snake! There's a snake next to me! What should I do!" As she spoke, she looked distressed and reached for the porcelain plate on the table, trembling as if she wanted to smash it.

The snake slithered slowly across the grass, its blood-red eyes gleaming. It flicked its tongue at Zhuo Qiyun, who was horrified, feeling as if it were laughing. Her legs went weak and she could no longer stand. She braced herself on the small table with her elbows, closed her eyes, and wept desperately, her voice choked with sobs: "Geng Jiali...please help me!"

"Don't move," Jiang Jiaoming quickly stood up. He saw that Geng Jiali seemed to want to go forward to catch the snake, so he called out to her, "Stay away from it."

Geng Jiali was unusually anxious and said to Jiang Jiaoming in a harsh tone, "What can we do? She's crying like this." Should they just stand by and do nothing?

Zhuo Qiyun was already in tears, her bangs were all wet and stuck together, and she didn't dare to raise her hand to wipe them. She just stared at the golden snake. Every time the snake flicked its tongue, two lines of tears would flow from her eyes, and she would let out a whimper as if by reflex.

What was originally a terrifying scene has now been turned into something both funny and sad by Zhuo Qiyun.

Zhuang Yexue grabbed Geng Jiali's wrist to calm her down, "Jiang Jiaoming should have a solution."

What could she do? Geng Jiali thought irritably, but she didn't shake off Zhuang Yexue's hand, only keeping a close eye on the snake's movements.

“Don’t be afraid, I have experience,” Liang Kongxiang said, putting on disposable gloves and already moving to the side of the snake. She reminded Zhuo Qiyun, “Move slowly, don’t attack it. Move backward slowly, don’t make any big movements.”

The snake wasn't scary; it wasn't a giant python, just a thin, long snake. The real danger was that it might be poisonous. Liang Kongxiang didn't dare to catch the snake with his bare hands and could only approach it slowly.

Jiang Jiaoming grabbed her, "I'll get it done."

Liang Kongxiang chuckled, gently twisted her wrist, and patted the back of his hand. "Underestimating me?"

She was indeed more experienced, having encountered snakes several times when she spent the night in valleys or forests. Before he could even begin to show his boyfriend prowess, Liang Kongxiang had already put on thick gloves, holding a green snake in each hand, pinching them by their seven-inch marks and raising them to her chest, asking him, "Contact the forestry department or release them?"

Jiang Jiaoming: "..." WTF?

But at this moment she didn't have any professional tools, so she was practically catching the snake with her bare hands. How could Jiang Jiaoming possibly agree to that? Just as he was about to pull her up again, Liang Kongxiang had already bent down and leaned in, her forearm slipping away from his palm like an eel.

She moved slowly, reaching her right hand slightly below the snake's head, then pointing a finger to Zhuo Qiyun's lips to comfort her and tell her not to cry, before continuing to observe the snake's movements.

The little snake's tail tightened, as if it wanted to escape...

Liang Kongxiang stopped, and sure enough, the snake quickly slithered away. Geng Jiali and Zhuang Yexue instinctively huddled together, legs touching and waists pressed together, before awkwardly separating after realizing what had happened.

Zhuo Qiyun's legs went weak and she collapsed to the ground. Geng Jiali and Liang Kongxiang rushed over to help her up. She seemed to be stunned and lay blankly in Liang Kongxiang's arms before crying silently.

A few minutes later, she finally calmed down and kept repeating "thank you," and said, "Why didn't you bite Geng Jiali? It's all her fault, why should she bite me? Waaaaah..."

Geng Jiali: "..." She snorted and pushed her away.

Liang Kongxiang was amused by her and patted her head, "Alright, the snake is gone, don't cry."

The empty grassland was filled only with Zhuo Qiyun's intermittent sobs, which were stuck in her throat. Jiang Jiaoming consciously walked away and covered his ears. Sure enough, he could faintly hear her heart-wrenching wails.

Zhuo Qiyun cried and wailed, stuffing slices of meat into her mouth while sobbing and hiccuping, "This... hiccup, this is so... delicious. Hiccup."

Zhuang Yexue was also helpless. She cooked meat for her and asked Liang Kongxiang, "Aren't you afraid of snakes?"

Liang Kongxiang shook her head. "I used to love going to natural villages and mountains. After encountering them many times, I wasn't afraid anymore."

"Are we going to film?" Zhuang Yexue suddenly asked.

"Yes, the forest at sunrise is beautiful."

Zhuang Yexue put down her chopsticks. "I'm quite envious of you." She took a deep breath, stretched, and said bluntly, "If we weren't competitors, we might even be friends."

Liang Kongxiang smiled but didn't reply. Taking advantage of this moment, Zhuo Qiyun said, "Kongxiang, I really didn't mean to not tell you. I didn't know that Geng Jiali was in contact with Gao Ling and Tian Lei. She's such a bad person..."

"That's how it's always been in the entertainment industry, everyone's fighting and competing. If someone buys you dirt on you today, they'll buy it for her tomorrow. What's there to feel bad about?" Geng Jiali hesitated for a moment, then said confidently, "It's not just me."

“But you can’t hurt her.” Zhuo Qiyun rarely criticized Geng Jiali before, because her team would also smear their rivals. There’s no way to solve this; no artist has ever become famous without stepping on others. The entertainment industry isn’t lacking in beauties or talented people with high EQ and IQ. To climb higher, you have to step on other people’s shoulders. But Liang Kongxiang is a really good person. She doesn’t want to lose this friend, nor does she want Geng Jiali to go further down the wrong path.

"It would have been better if we hadn't met in the entertainment industry..."

The surroundings were quiet when Zhuo Qiyun suddenly sighed.

No one responded, because they didn't know how to respond to this unattainable romantic fantasy.

Assuming that the teams behind them are all tigers in terms of ideology, then they have bitten each other so badly in many battles that they have lost limbs, fought until they were bloodied and their tiger skins were completely shed.

These four girls had a brief period of close contact with each other.

No matter where they go after dawn.

At least in this hot, boiling moment, a mixture of earth and moonlight.

They gave each other fleeting moments of genuine affection.

They ate hotpot until after 3 a.m. While helping to pack up, Liang Kongxiang noticed a camera next to the shipping container, placed at Zhuang Yexue's feet. She remembered what Jiang Jiaoming had said earlier; Zhuang Yexue seemed to appreciate her style.

"You actually brought a camera?" Zhuo Qiyun saw it too and said loudly, "What brand is it... Let me tell you, the XX I bought before always makes the photos look washed out, it's really hard to use." She bent down to pick it up and looked at it, and after seeing the logo, she said "Oh," "Fujifilm."

"Hmm," Zhuang Yexue closed the container and bent down to tidy up the chairs. Zhuo Qiyun fiddled with it for a while, turned on the machine, and snapped a picture of Zhuang Yexue with the flash. "Wow... she's so beautiful even without makeup."

Liang Kongxiang took off her disposable gloves and asked Zhuang Yexue, "Is this okay?"

“Use it,” Zhuang Yexue said, opening another thick black garbage bag and filling it with two empty, deflated soda cans. A flash of white light hit her face, but fortunately, she was used to the flash and didn’t close her eyes.

When her vision cleared, she saw Liang Kongxiang raise her camera and take a picture of her, smiling faintly as she said, "Beautiful."

Before Zhuang Yexue could figure out what to say, Liang Kongxiang had already gone to take pictures of Geng Jiali. She silently swept the things on the table into a bag, and out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Jiang Jiaoming's gaze was following Liang Kongxiang. He seemed completely unaware of how infatuated he was with her, as if he wanted to give her all his heart, soul, time, energy, love, and hate.

The flash of light from the camera momentarily stung my eyes.

At 3:28 a.m., in front of a dilapidated wooden house in the small town of Xisa Port, Zhuang Yexue decided to stop caring about Jiang Jiaoming.

When they finally restored the place to its original state, everyone was drenched in sweat and planned to rest in an open space for a while before leaving.

Jiang Jiaoming stood behind Liang Kongxiang, fanning Liang Kongxiang's head with both hands, one on each side. His hands were large, and the fanning actually looked quite professional. Liang Kongxiang chuckled and wiped her forehead with a tissue.

"You took pictures of them, but why didn't you think of taking one of me?" Jiang Jiaoming poked her forehead with his palm, making her fall backward. "What, am I someone you can't show your face to anyone again?"

"Do we even need to compare this?" Liang Kongxiang waved his hand away and said with a smile, "The photos I took of you could fill a 32GB memory card."

“Fine,” Jiang Jiaoming said reluctantly, though he was difficult to please. “I accept this answer.” He stared at Liang Kongxiang for a few seconds, then suddenly asked, “Would you like to take a picture with them?”

She didn't say anything at first, then turned around and glanced at the three people gathered around looking at the photo album, and shook her head: "Never mind."

The words had barely left his mouth.

Zhuo Qiyun first excitedly exclaimed, "Ah! Is that alright? Then I'll trouble you, President Jiang."

Liang Kongxiang: "I wasn't shy."

"Come on," Jiang Jiaoming said, not believing it at all.

Four people stood in a row on the open grass, with a wooden house and a grove of trees behind them.

Standing to Liang Kongxiang's left were Geng Jiali and Zhuang Yexue, and to her right was Zhuo Qiyun. Jiang Jiaoming called out the countdown, and as he did, even Geng Jiali, who was usually the most reluctant to smile, became a girl with smiling eyes.

Apart from Zhuo Qiyun, no one checked how well the photos were taken.

The group originally wanted to stay a little longer, but Zhuo Qiyun was so sleepy that her eyelids were drooping, and considering that Liang Kongxiang had to film the next afternoon, they took a taxi back.

The driver would take some time to arrive, so Liang Kongxiang planned to go to the restroom first and then come down to wait with them. Jiang Jiaoming told her not to bother and patted her head, saying, "I'll just wait downstairs at the apartment building until they get in the car before going back to my room."

Liang Kongxiang hummed in agreement and nodded.

"See you at Gongtai, Kongxiang." Zhuo Qiyun waved to her. "Thank you."

Although Liang Kongxiang did not reply, she waved her hand.

She went back to her room, sat on the bed for a while, tapped her calves, and her phone screen lit up.

Jiang Jiaoming: [Have you arrived at your room?]

Liang Kongxiang chuckled. It had only been two minutes, and he was downstairs. Why did he still need to send a message?

【arrive】

Jiang Jiaoming: [Did you see the flowers?]

When this topic was brought up, Liang Kongxiang had a vague feeling that something was amiss.

She glanced at the table and typed: "Hmm, wasn't it on the table when I came in?"

Jiang Jiaoming: [Does anything come to mind?]

Liang Kongxiang pretended to be stupid. [No]

Almost immediately, a message popped up on my phone.

Jiang Jiaoming: [Hmm?]

As if imagining his deliberately exaggerated tone, Liang Kongxiang smiled and asked knowingly, "What do you want to do?"

Jiang Jiaoming [On unfinished business]

Before Liang Kongxiang could send the word "next time," the sound of pebbles hitting the wall suddenly came from the glass window.

She put down her phone, drew back the curtains, opened the window, and leaned out.

Under the moonlight, Jiang Jiaoming looked as if he were covered in a layer of light silver water, his whole body immersed in a misty haze.

He stood by the window, his hand holding the phone casually hanging by his side, making his broad shoulders and long legs appear even more prominent. His other hand was loosely placed on his hip, his head tilted back, and his tone flippant.

"The moonlight is so beautiful, let's find a place to kiss."

-----------------------

Author's Note: I'm still giving out red envelopes in the comments section these past two days. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? Hehe, you guys know what I mean.

Please give ZZ some nutrient solution and a comment, I'm begging you. It's so lonely when nobody talks to me :(