After successfully wrapping up filming, Gu Qingqiu immediately bought a plane ticket.

To surprise Xiao Yiming, Gu Qingqiu deliberately didn't tell him she was coming. Instead, she secretly contacted Xiao Yang and asked him to arrange for someone to pick her up at the airport.

However, it seemed that Xiao Yiming had a night shoot that day, and jet lag and exhaustion caused Gu Qingqiu to fall asleep on the sofa in Xiao Yiming's apartment.

When she woke up, she saw Xiao Yiming covering her with a blanket.

"Hmm..." Gu Qingqiu stretched groggily, "You're back."

Xiao Yiming sat down on the sofa. "Sorry, did I wake you up?"

"No... I had a nerve left in my body, so I didn't fall into a deep sleep." Gu Qingqiu slowly sat up. "I was going to give you a surprise, but I fell asleep first."

Xiao Yiming smiled and said, "After a long day of work, coming home to find someone waiting for me is already a big surprise."

Gu Qingqiu opened her arms coquettishly, "Don't you miss me? Why won't you hug me?"

Xiao Yiming simply picked Gu Qingqiu up and carried her to the bedroom. "Go to bed and sleep. Get some rest today. You must be tired."

Exhausted from the long journey, Gu Qingqiu fell asleep within minutes of lying down on the bed.

In the morning, Gu Qingqiu was awakened by the weight on her body. She opened her eyes groggily and saw Xiao Yiming's handsome face magnified.

"What time are you going to the film set?" Gu Qingqiu asked vaguely, still half asleep.

Xiao Yiming replied, "Two more hours." His hot breath sprayed on Gu Qingqiu's neck and shoulders, causing her to unconsciously shrink her neck, but Xiao Yiming forcefully held her in place, preventing her from moving freely.

Gu Qingqiu finally realized what was causing Xiao Yiming's heat, and her face flushed slightly. "Aren't you sleepy? Aren't you tired? Don't you have to film a scene later?"

“I sleep very well with you by my side.” Xiao Yiming’s hand had already slipped under Gu Qingqiu’s pajamas. “If you’re sleepy, you can sleep a little longer, or you can take your time to sleep after I leave.”

If you can still fall asleep in this situation, it would be disrespectful to the male lead's abilities.

Gu Qingqiu was indeed so exhausted that she woke up from her drowsiness. She didn't recover even two hours after Xiao Yiming left. In the end, it was the protest of her hungry stomach that finally made her get out of bed.

Fortunately, Xiao Yiming's kitchen refrigerator was well-stocked, so Gu Qingqiu cooked herself a bowl of noodles and fried some eggs to make do with her meal.

Xiao Yiming did not hire a nanny, and Xiao Yang's main responsibility was to pick up and drop off Xiao Yiming. Seeing a refrigerator full of frozen food, Gu Qingqiu had already guessed how Xiao Yiming had been dealing with his meals lately, and immediately decided to give him some home-style food.

Sure enough, when Xiao Yiming returned home and saw a table full of delicious food, his expression was deeply moved. "You're so kind," he said, unsure how to express his feelings.

Actually, he wanted to say, "You seem like my wife," but he was afraid that Gu Qingqiu would be unhappy if he said that, since they had never used such an intimate term of endearment before.

Even after being together for so long, Gu Qingqiu still calls him "Brother Ming" just like when they first met.

After dinner, Xiao Yiming volunteered to wash the dishes. Gu Qingqiu leaned against him with a smile and said, "Brother Ming, I think men who can do housework are the most charming."

Xiao Yiming paused in washing the dishes. "How about you consider changing how you address me?"

"Huh? Isn't Ming-ge good enough? You don't like him?" Gu Qingqiu asked curiously, "Then why does everyone call you that?"

“I mean,” Xiao Yiming said, “something special, something we call each other.”

"Oh..." Gu Qingqiu suddenly realized, "Let me think about it."

"Mm," Xiao Yiming replied.

"That's not right," Gu Qingqiu said, hands on her hips. "You don't even have a special nickname for me!"

Xiao Yiming turned to look at Gu Qingqiu with affection, "Then what do you want me to call you?"

Gu Qingqiu stared at him intently, a thought flashing through her mind, her expression suddenly becoming somewhat complicated. "Baby, is that okay?"

“Of course…” Xiao Yiming never thought he would use such a sweet nickname, but if the person was Gu Qingqiu, it seemed natural to say it, “Baby…you are my baby.”

It had been a long time since anyone had called her that, and Gu Qingqiu felt her heart racing. "If Ming-ge isn't okay, then... how about I call you brother?"

"Whatever." Xiao Yiming turned his head away, bent down, and continued washing the dishes.

"Huh?" Gu Qingqiu thought Xiao Yiming didn't like it and was about to change her address when she noticed that Xiao Yiming's ears were slightly red.

Oh, so you were just embarrassed!

Gu Qingqiu smiled and hugged Xiao Yiming from behind, "Brother."

Xiao Yiming's body felt slightly hot. "Mmm."

Gu Qingqiu called out even more enthusiastically, "Brother, brother."

Xiao Yiming finally lost his temper, rinsed the foam off his hands, picked up Gu Qingqiu, and carried her to the bedroom.

Gu Qingqiu was shocked. "No...aren't you tired?"

Xiao Yiming said firmly, "You've already called me 'brother,' so shouldn't your brother take good care of you?"

Gu Qingqiu: ...This man is really easy to tease.

The time spent with Xiao Yiming was so pleasant that Gu Qingqiu was still a little dazed when she received Ling Jie's call.

"Are you even listening to me?" Sister Ling roared on the other end of the phone.

"Um... could you say it again?" Gu Qingqiu had actually heard it, but she couldn't quite believe it and urgently needed Sister Ling to repeat it.

"I said you passed the audition!" Sister Ling said loudly, enunciating each word clearly, her voice filled with barely suppressed joy. "You're amazing! You actually landed the lead role in a big-budget production! With this script and team, it's hard for it not to be a huge hit!"

"Ah..." Gu Qingqiu couldn't contain her excitement after realizing what was happening, and she bombarded him with questions one after another, "Has anyone said when filming will start? Has the full script been sent? Who's been cast as the male lead? What about the other supporting actors?"

"Alright, alright." Sister Ling was getting a headache from all the questions. "Just enjoy your vacation! Don't worry about all this now! Filming doesn't start until next month! The script is still in its final revisions. I'll send it to you as soon as it's ready. The roles aren't all finalized yet, but your female lead is pretty much confirmed. The production team's contract is already being drafted."

"Hehe, okay, thank you for your hard work, Sister Ling." Gu Qingqiu was so excited that she immediately sent a message to Xiao Yiming to share the good news.

"Brother! I passed the audition! I got my first leading role!"

However, Xiao Yiming is filming and cannot reply so quickly.

Gu Qingqiu's excitement gradually subsided. After filming this drama, she would definitely be able to gain a foothold in the domestic TV drama industry. Wouldn't that make her qualified to stand with Xiao Yiming?

Xiao Yiming replied to the message at the same time: "Congratulations, but you've always been the leading lady in my life."