Chapter 404 Xiao Xi, Pei Liang, Zhong Yan

404:

Ye Qingxi immediately made a phone call.

Pei Liang: !!!

Pei Liang looked at his suddenly ringing phone and felt that it was more like an alarm than a phone.

Of all his friends, Ye Qingxi was undoubtedly the smartest.

Once this connection is made, some things might no longer be able to be kept secret.

But if you don't answer, it's practically an admission of guilt.

When has he ever stopped answering Ye Qingxi's calls?

Especially since he had just replied to his WeChat message, he couldn't even say he hadn't heard it.

Pei Liang had no choice but to answer the call.

"What's wrong with you?" Ye Qingxi asked him. "Something's not right."

"What's wrong?" Pei Liang remained completely calm.

“Normally, you would announce your return in the group chat beforehand, but you didn’t this time.”

"Wasn't I thinking of giving you a surprise?" Pei Liang said. "I was originally planning to wake up tomorrow and tell you that I was back to give you a shock, but you asked me first, and I felt bad about hiding it from you, so I told you."

"real?"

"Otherwise what?"

Ye Qingxi listened, and for a moment she couldn't seem to find any problems.

Is he overthinking it?

Ye Qingxi pondered for a moment and said, "Alright then, I'll treat you to dinner after you've adjusted to the time difference."

“Hmm,” Pei Liang replied.

Ye Qingxi then hung up the phone.

Pei Liang breathed a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness, thank goodness he is eloquent.

He put down his phone and went to the bathroom.

After finishing her conversation with Qin Cheng, Ye Qingxi put her phone next to her pillow and lay down to sleep.

The next morning, Feng Que came to wake Ye Qingxi right on time and took him to the film set.

Ye Qingxi quickly finished the last bite and said to Grandpa Feng, "Great-Grandpa, I'm leaving now."

"Take this with you." Grandpa Feng handed Ye Qingxi a towel roll that his cook had specially made, and then instructed Feng Que, "Drive slowly, let him sleep a little longer in the car."

“Okay,” Feng Que replied.

But... "Where's my rolled-up towel?"

Grandpa Feng: ...Isn't this awkward?

He was so focused on his great-grandson that he forgot about his great-grandson and his dad.

"When did you start liking to eat towel rolls? How come I didn't know?" Old Master Feng pretended to be strong even though he was in the wrong.

Phoenix Palace: ? ? ?

"Even if I don't want to eat it, can you still prepare a portion for me?"

"What do you want if you don't eat?" Grandpa Feng glared at him. "What are you still standing there for? Hurry up and take Xiaoxi to school. You'll be responsible if you delay the child's work!"

Phoenix Palace: ? ? ?

Grandpa Feng gave him a push, "Hurry up and go."

Phoenix Palace: ...

Feng Que could only leave his grandfather's house with his son.

Ye Qingxi looked at her stepfather and said considerately, "This is for you."

He handed over the rolled-up towel.

"Why are you giving this to me?" Feng Que opened the car door and let him in. "It's good for you to take this; you can have it when you're hungry."

"Didn't you want it?" Ye Qingxi said.

Feng Que chuckled, "I was just teasing your great-grandfather."

He said, "It's just like when you were a kid, I was just teasing you. I didn't really want to eat it, I was just teasing you."

Ye Qingxi understood.

He looked at his stepfather and was surprised to find that he was quite mischievous.

After getting into the car, Ye Qingxi slept for a while. Upon arrival, Feng Que woke him up.

Ye Qingxi then entered the school and began another day of filming.

Sure enough, Pei Liang sent a message in the group after waking up to let everyone know that he was back.

Zhong Yan immediately replied, "Then let's have a meal together tomorrow."

Pei Liang: [Tomorrow won't work; I have some things to take care of at home.]

Zhong Yan: [The day after tomorrow?]

Pei Liang: [I have to go to my family's company the day after tomorrow.]

Zhong Yan: [???]

Zhong Yan: [When are you free?]

Pei Liang: [I'll announce it in the group chat later.]

Zhong Yan: [Okay.]

Seeing that he had returned, Kang Cong wailed, "Why haven't we finished our exams yet?!"

Ye Qingxi could only comfort him, saying, "It's okay, you'll finish the exam eventually. Good luck!"

After comforting Kang Cong, he called Du Xiang over, explained the scene to her, and then continued filming.

After four more days of filming, Zhong Yan arrived.

He didn't come empty-handed either; on this hot day, he ordered drinks for everyone, one for each actor and staff member, saying it was Ye Qingxi's treat.

Ye Qingxi looked at the milk tea in her hand. "How come I didn't know I ordered milk tea?"

“You can drink it,” Zhong Yan said. “I’m not acting, and I don’t plan to act. I don’t need this good reputation. It’s better to put it under your name. When they talk about you in the future, they will say that you not only acted well and filmed well, but you are also generous and magnanimous.”

"So sensible!" Ye Qingxi exclaimed. "Our Xiaoyan can be this sensible sometimes!"

Zhong Yan: ? ? ?

Enraged, Zhong Yan raised her foot to stomp on him.

Ye Qingxi quickly dodged, "That's very immature of you."

Zhong Yan snorted and took a sip of her milk tea.

"Why did you come all of a sudden?" Ye Qingxi asked him.

"I was just bored," Zhong Yan said.

"Didn't you go to see Pei Liang?"

He would have been better off not mentioning this, because he gets angry as soon as he brings up Zhong Yan.

"There's something wrong with this guy!" Zhong Yan said to her friend. "I've asked him out three times, and he's always busy. I haven't seen him since he got back!"

Ye Qingxi: !!

Ye Qingxi felt that there was indeed a problem.

In previous years, he and Zhong Yan would pick up Pei Liang at the airport on the day he landed and meet him.

After that, there would be small gatherings every three days and large gatherings every five days.

Of course, there were busy times during this period, but there was never a situation where Pei Liang returned to the country but could not be seen.

Ye Qingxi belatedly realized that almost a week had passed since Pei Liang returned to the country.

It's been a week, and the three of them haven't even eaten a meal together. That's definitely not right.

It's just that he was busy filming and his attention was diverted; otherwise, he would have realized it much earlier.

However, saying such things at this time would only add fuel to the fire, so Ye Qingxi said, "He must be really busy. My brother has been very busy this year. Right now, he is still dealing with the internship that Grandpa Feng arranged for him, so he hasn't come back yet."

Zhong Yan pursed her lips. "Anyway, I feel like something's not right."

"What could be wrong?" Ye Qingxi comforted him. "Kang Cong hasn't come back yet. In previous years, he would have been eating with us by now. It's just that he's busy this year. He has a lot of classes and his exams are late, so he's still preparing for them."

"And me too. Look, I've wanted to have dinner with you and Pei Liang several times, but I haven't been able to find the time. You have to come and see me." Ye Qingxi put her arm around his shoulder. "Sigh, work is so busy that you can't help yourself."

Zhong Yan looked at him and listened to what he said, and gradually her doubts were dispelled.

He had watched Ye Qingxi go from preparation to the official filming of the movie. Others might not know the hardships and busyness involved, but Zhong Yan knew it very well.

Therefore, when Ye Qingxi started filming, he knew he couldn't be of much help, so he didn't come over to cause trouble.

Ye Qingxi has been filming for almost a week, and everything is on track. Zhong Yan couldn't wait to bring him milk tea and ice cream so that he could be a little more comfortable while working in the sweltering summer heat.

Perhaps Pei Liang is the same, Zhong Yan thought. Not everyone is as busy as him, so Pei Liang might really not be able to find the time.

"It'll be fine once Kang Cong comes back," Ye Qingxi said. "If he's still busy then, we'll go to his company."

Zhong Yan smiled and said, "Mm."

Ye Qingxi calmed the person down, had dinner with Zhong Yan that evening, and then called Pei Liang after returning home.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked Pei Liang.

"What? What happened?" Pei Liang asked, feigning ignorance.

"Are you avoiding Zhong Yan?" Ye Qingxi asked him directly. "Why? Did you two have a fight? I don't think so. If you two had a fight, wouldn't I know? So why are you doing this?"

"You didn't tell us you were coming back, and you wouldn't let us pick you up at the airport. Now that Zhong Yan has asked you out, you're saying you're busy. Mr. Pei, I'm really curious, what exactly are you busy with? How come you're so busy that you can't even find time to meet and have a meal? Tell me, what business have you been busy with lately? Maybe I can help you out."

Pei Liang: ...

Pei Liang fell silent.

"Say something," Ye Qingxi said. "Aren't you usually quite talkative?"

What do you want me to say?

"Tell me what you're really thinking right now?"

Pei Liang: ...

Ye Qingxi was speechless. "Then, you should call Zhong Yan tomorrow and ask him to have dinner with you."

“…Okay,” Pei Liang replied. “Will you come?”

"Do you need me to come?" Ye Qingxi asked him.

Pei Liang thought about it and felt that it was still quite necessary.

"Okay, I'll go too," Ye Qingxi agreed. "But what's wrong with you?"

Pei Liang sighed, "I'll tell you later."

"You don't actually have some kind of conflict with Zhong Yan, do you?" Ye Qingxi asked worriedly.

“No,” Pei Liang said. “It’s my own problem, it has nothing to do with him, and there’s no conflict between us.”

Ye Qingxi: ? ? ?

Ye Qingxi didn't understand. "What's the problem?"

I'll tell you later.

Ye Qingxi: ...Why can't we talk about this now, instead of waiting until later?

Ye Qingxi had no choice but to say, "Then you should resolve this as soon as possible."

"Mm." Pei Liang nodded.

The next day, Pei Liang indeed sent Zhong Yan a message, inviting him to dinner.

Zhong Yan was delighted and immediately told Ye Qingxi about it, asking him if he wanted to join in.

Ye Qingxi naturally agreed, just as he had said the night before.

The three of them had dinner together.

During the meal, Ye Qingxi felt that Pei Liang seemed the same as before, with no difference.

Zhong Yan asked him, "What have you been so busy with? You're so busy!"

"It's just company business," Pei Liang said helplessly. "Don't you need to worry about your own company?"

Zhong Yan: ...

Zhong Yan had, of course, been urged by his father, but he remained unmoved, and his mother favored him, so his father had nothing to say.

"I don't want to take charge of my family company so early."

"So what do you want to do?"

Zhong Yan rested her chin on her hand and said, "I haven't decided yet."

The three chatted for a long time until Mu Shaowu came to pick up Ye Qingxi, at which point they stood up and prepared to go home.

Pei Liang drove over, but Zhong Yan didn't, so Zhong Yan naturally got into Pei Liang's car.

Ye Qingxi also got into Mu Shaowu's car.

"Kang Cong hasn't come back yet?" Mu Shaowu asked him.

Ye Qingxi nodded, "He needs two more days."

"Where's your brother? He should be back soon, right?"

“He’ll be back tomorrow,” Ye Qingxi said.

"Are you going to pick him up tomorrow?" Mu Shaowu asked him.

“Of course,” Ye Qingxi said.

He would pick Qin Cheng up every time he came back.

Looking at his matter-of-fact manner, Mu Shaowu could only think that he had a good relationship with Qin Cheng.

He himself had a good relationship with his siblings, so he was happy to see that his son had a good relationship with his brother, and he didn't say anything.

Ye Qingxi slept through the night and picked up Qin Cheng the following afternoon.

When Qin Cheng saw him, he felt all his fatigue vanish.

He approached Ye Qingxi.

Then Ye Qingxi hugged him.

A hug between two very close friends, without any ulterior motives.

Qin Cheng felt his embrace and slowly returned it.

"Have you eaten?" Ye Qingxi asked him.

"I ate some airplane food."

Do you still want to eat?

Qin Cheng guessed that he probably hadn't eaten, so he said, "Mm."

The two got into the car, ate something first, and then went back to Mu Zheng's house.

When Mu Zheng saw that he had arrived and it was getting late, he didn't let him leave. "Anyway, you have all your things here, so you can stay for the night. I'll have the driver take you to the filming location tomorrow morning."

Qin Luan also said, "That's right, it's perfect, you can sleep with your brother and talk to him."

Ye Qingxi agreed after hearing his words.

He took a shower, had Qin Cheng blow-dry his hair, and started talking to Qin Cheng.

“Pei Liang has been acting strangely lately,” he shared with his brother. “He’s actually avoiding Zhong Yan.”

Qin Cheng: ?

"Avoiding Zhong Yan?"

“Yes.” Ye Qingxi nodded. “Zhong Yan asked him several times but he didn’t agree, saying he was busy. Even this time when he came back, he didn’t ask us to pick him up at the airport.”

"Then why don't you think he's avoiding you?" Qin Cheng asked.

Ye Qingxi: ? ? ?

Ye Qingxi said matter-of-factly, "Of course it's because I was busy filming a movie after he came back, so I didn't ask him out. But Zhong Yan asked him out, and normally he would never refuse."

Qin Cheng: ...That is indeed a bit strange.

Didn't you ask him why?

"I asked, and he said he'd talk to me about it later." Ye Qingxi sighed. "It's really worrying."

"Luckily, he listened to me yesterday and had a meal with Zhong Yan. Otherwise, I was afraid that Zhong Yan would realize that Pei Liang was avoiding him and explode."

Qin Cheng: ...That's quite possible.

Given Zhong Yan's personality, how could she accept that her dear friend was avoiding her like the plague?

But why?

"When did he start avoiding Zhong Yan?"

“I don’t know either,” Ye Qingxi said. “But I thought about it that day, and I felt that there were actually signs of this all along.”

Ye Qingxi analyzed with her brother like Sherlock Holmes, "After we came back from your place during the May Day holiday, Pei Liang suddenly seemed to get busy. He used to chat with Zhong Yan almost every night, either on WeChat or via video or voice. But starting in May, he gradually stopped chatting, especially video. Zhong Yan said that he used to video call him, but later he was so busy that he could only send WeChat messages."

Qin Cheng: ...

"I was wondering if it had anything to do with that junior student?" Ye Qingxi guessed. "Everything was fine before, but after I went to see him, things went wrong. But Zhong Yan is still the same Zhong Yan, so it must be someone else who did something."

"It's not that I'm being petty, but that junior clearly likes Pei Liang and has a problem with Zhong Yan. Maybe he said something to Pei Liang after we left, trying to sow discord between them?"

“But then again, I don’t think that makes sense.” Ye Qingxi continued, “Zhong Yan and Pei Liang have been friends for twenty years. Pei Liang has known Zhong Yan since he was born. Plus, he’s so smart, how could he be so easily provoked? So I just can’t figure it out.”

Ye Qingxi had a headache. "What do you think?"

Qin Cheng: ...

Qin Cheng felt that this matter was indeed somewhat strange.

He watched Ye Qingxi and Pei Liang grow up together since he was a child.

Even someone like him had to admit that Pei Liang was one of the few intelligent people his age, apart from his younger brother.

Plus, there's the bond we've built over so many years.

Even if the other party tries to provoke them, it will only backfire and won't affect Zhong Yan in the slightest.

Why is he avoiding Zhong Yan like this?

Ye Qingxi asked him to make an appointment with Zhong Yan, and he did so quickly, which shows that it wasn't impossible for him to meet her.

What is that?

Don't want to see me?

Why don't you want to see him?

Qin Cheng couldn't understand it.

However, he never liked to waste his energy on other people's affairs, so he said, "Forget it, don't think about it anymore. Since he said he would tell you later, instead of overthinking, it's better to wait for him to tell you later."

“Moreover,” Qin Cheng said, “there must be a reason why he can’t say it now, so let’s give him some time.”

"I'm just afraid Zhong Yan will realize it and get angry," Ye Qingxi said. "These three are my only childhood friends. If they fight, I'll be the one who has to mediate."

Ye Qingxi sighed, tilted her head, and leaned on his shoulder. "I really hope Pei Liang can recover quickly."

Qin Cheng: ...

Qin Cheng's shoulders unconsciously stiffened.

He felt the weight of Ye Qingxi's head, and his originally calm heart was unconsciously stirred up.

"I hope so," he said softly.

The shoulders remained in the same position as before.

That night, Ye Qingxi stayed at Qin Cheng's house.

He lay on Qin Cheng's bed, sleeping soundly.

She didn't roll into Qin Cheng's arms, nor did she punch or kick him.

What you look like when you lie down is what you look like when you wake up.

Ye Qingxi was a little surprised. He turned around and looked at Qin Cheng, who was still asleep beside him. It was rare that he had gotten up earlier than Qin Cheng.

But his brother looks really good when he's asleep.

Ye Qingxi took a picture with her phone before quietly getting out of bed to go to work.

Seeing that he had gotten up, Qin Luan quickly asked, "Did you sleep well?"

"Mm." Ye Qingxi nodded.

"What would you like to eat?"

"Either is fine," Ye Qingxi said.

Qin Luan then asked Sister Li to bring today's breakfast from the kitchen.

"Thank you," Ye Qingxi said.

After finishing her meal, Ye Qingxi prepared to leave.

Qin Luan arranged for a driver to take him, and also brought him some ladyfingers she had baked herself, telling him to take good care of himself and get some rest.

"You're still young, don't overwork yourself."

"Okay," Ye Qingxi said.

He slept in the car for a while before arriving at the film set, woken up by the driver.

Although the director hadn't arrived yet, the actors had.

Huo Zinan was rehearsing a scene with Du Xiang, while the second male and female leads were still getting their makeup done.

Chen Xiang was exchanging ideas with the set designers, and everything seemed to be in good order.

Ye Qingxi sat behind the monitor, and Chen Xiang quickly ran over to report on the progress of the actors and staff.

Once everything was ready, Ye Qingxi had Huo Zinan and Du Xiang test out the positioning and lighting before starting today's filming.

Ye Qingxi knew the saying "Film is the art of the director" before, but now that she's making films, she understands its true meaning even more.

The color tone, lighting, theme, and even how the characters are portrayed, how much they are portrayed, and with what expressions they use—all these depend on the director's decisions and the final effect presented to the audience.

Therefore, directors are very important, and it is very difficult to be a good director.

Ye Qingxi has always taken this very seriously.

Therefore, after picking up Qin Cheng and having dinner with Kang Cong, who had finally returned from his exams, he stayed on set again, not leaving unless absolutely necessary.

That day, as he was taking pictures, Zhong Yan came over again.

His expression was subtle, seemingly annoyed, helpless, and somewhat angry.

"What's wrong with you?" Ye Qingxi asked him.

"When do you get off work?" Zhong Yan asked him.

Ye Qingxi glanced at her watch; it was a little past five. "I'm going to be filming until after ten today."

Zhong Yan nodded. "Then I'll wait for you."

"Then you go eat first, I can only eat after I finish filming."

Zhong Yan: ? ? ?

"So tiring?"

“That’s right,” Ye Qingxi said.

Zhong Yan looked at him, ultimately unable to bear leaving her childhood friend to go eat.

With a wave of his hand, he treated the entire crew to pizza, and also allowed his childhood friend to have something to eat without interfering with filming.

Of course, it was still under Ye Qingxi's name.

Ye Qingxi was both amused and exasperated. "Then thank you, Young Master Zhong."

"You're welcome," Zhong Yan said weakly.

"What's wrong with you?" Ye Qingxi asked with concern.

Zhong Yan looked at him, hesitant to speak, "Never mind, I'll talk to you after you finish filming."

He said, "I'll stay at your place tonight."

Ye Qingxi: !!

Ye Qingxi immediately sat up straight. What was so important that Zhong Yan and he had to stay up all night for it?

Ye Qingxi couldn't understand it at all. "You...are you having a problem?"

Zhong Yan nodded.

He sighed, becoming increasingly listless, like a wilted cabbage.

Ye Qingxi: ...

Ye Qingxi immediately stopped talking and made the most of the time, eating pizza while taking pictures.

Zhong Yan sat next to him, eating her pizza in a depressed mood.

After Ye Qingxi finally finished filming, Zhong Yan got into the car with him and returned to Mu Shaowu's house.

Mu Shaowu and Feng Que were very welcoming when he came to their home.

"Would you like something to eat?" Mu Shaowu asked. "Xiao Xi's great-grandfather just brought him a small cake."

Zhong Yan shook her head, "Thank you, Uncle Mu, but no need."

Ye Qingxi then said, "Forget it, I'll eat it tomorrow."

After they finished speaking, the two went upstairs and entered Ye Qingxi's room.

Ye Qingxi closed the door and looked at him curiously, "What's wrong? What's troubling you like this?"

He should have kept quiet, because once he did, Zhong Yan became even more worried.

He collapsed onto Ye Qingxi's sofa, saying in despair, "You'll never guess."

Ye Qingxi sat down beside him, puzzled. "What's wrong?"

Zhong Yan looked at him, not knowing what to say.

"Is it that hard to bring up?" Ye Qingxi asked, puzzled. "What aspect are you referring to? Life or work? Your personal life, or your family's?"

"Between us."

"Us?" Ye Qingxi pondered, "The four of us?"

Zhong Yan nodded.

Ye Qingxi was even more confused now, "What's wrong with the four of us?"

Even if Pei Liang is avoiding Zhong Yan, it certainly doesn't mean he wants to break off his friendship with Zhong Yan!

It must have been a temporary emotional issue; it shouldn't have affected their twenty-year friendship. How did it become the case of the four of them?!

It couldn't be Pei Liang, nor could it be Kang Cong who just returned, and it certainly couldn't be the person sitting right in front of Zhong Yan right now!

Ye Qingxi looked at Zhong Yan, feeling completely bewildered.

Looking at his friend's bewildered expression, Zhong Yan realized that not only his friend, but he himself was also completely confused.

You probably won't believe it.

Ye Qingxi couldn't believe it. How could Pei Liang possibly want to break off his friendship with Zhong Yan?

Will his grandfather be able to accept this?!

Doesn't he care about Zhong Yan or his own grandfather?

What will happen to the friendship between his grandfather and Zhong Yan's grandfather that they've maintained for so many years?!

"Pei Liang actually said he likes me!" Zhong Yan exclaimed incredulously. "Not the kind of liking we have, but the liking your father and your stepfather have!"

Ye Qingxi: ? ? ?

Ye Qingxi: !!

Ye Qingxi looked at her best friend and exclaimed, "What did you say?!"