Not as fragrant as you
Back home, Nanqi took a hot shower first, then curled up in bed wrapped in a blanket, quietly waiting for Song Zhao to wash up.
When Song Zhao came out of the bathroom, drying her wet hair, she immediately noticed the little bundle on the bed and a section of her fair foot sticking out of the blanket. She quietly climbed onto the bed, lay down next to Nan Qi, and gently tucked the foot into her palm. She then gently pulled Nan Qi's knees into her arms and rubbed her slightly cool skin. "Are you cold?"
Nanqi said smugly, "I did it on purpose, just to make you care about me."
Song Zhao chuckled helplessly and then asked softly, "What did you say to my dad?"
"Hmm... I kept asking him if he loved you."
Seeing Song Zhao's gaze falter slightly, Nan Qi pretended to be relaxed and spoke in Song Hui's tone, saying in a serious manner: "He said: When I was young, I didn't know how to love my children. Now that I'm older, I do. It's a pity that you've grown up too."
That's it?
Nanqi pretended to ponder for a moment and then said, "Oh right, he also called me a liar, saying that I cheat people, cheat people's hearts, and cheat people's money."
Song Zhaowei was slightly angry and said indignantly, "He just talks nonsense. You shouldn't have talked to him and suffered his temper for nothing."
“You underestimate me. I’m not the kind of person who takes a beating. I told him that you love me and are willing to do anything for me. I don’t need to lie to you at all.” Nanqi chuckled and laughed, “Your dad was so angry that his face turned green, hahaha.”
Song Zhao also smiled, a slight smirk playing on his lips. "Only someone like you could say something like that."
"Your dad couldn't beat me because of my thick skin, so in the end he threatened me, saying that if I ever let you down, he would send me to my death with his iron fist!"
Song Zhao laughed out loud and said, "Did he say that?"
"Oh, that's the gist of it. I'm glad you understood. You want to replicate it exactly? If I had that kind of memory, I wouldn't have needed you to tutor me back then. In the end, I only got into a junior college."
Song Zhao's smile deepened. He gently rubbed her earlobe and said, "Speaking of which, how about you get another bachelor's degree? I'll tutor you again."
Upon hearing this, Nanqi quickly buried her head in the blanket and said, "I'm sleepy, goodnight."
Song Zhao raised his hand and patted her bottom, chuckling as he teased her, "Really asleep?"
"Um……"
"So you don't want kisses anymore?"
Nanqi immediately poked her head out, her eyes sparkling, and said, "I want it!"
"I knew you couldn't resist temptation." Song Zhao chuckled and lowered his head to plant a gentle kiss on her forehead, the tip of her nose, and her chin.
Nanqi closed her eyes, pouted and asked for a kiss, saying, "Here, here, and here I didn't get a kiss."
"Oh, oh, oh, coming right now." Song Zhao deliberately pecked her nose again.
Nanqi turned around angrily, her back to her: "Hmph, I'm ignoring you!"
"Come here." Song Zhao tugged at her sleeve.
"I'm not coming!"
"Come here and I'll let you kiss me back."
"No!" Nanqi said stubbornly, but her shoulders shrugged slightly as she couldn't suppress her laughter.
Song Zhao took a step forward and whispered in her ear, "Really don't want to? Then I'll go to sleep?"
Nanqi paused, turned around, and raised her chin high: "Fine, I'll give you a chance. Beg me, and I'll reluctantly forgive you."
"Okay," Song Zhao suppressed a laugh and coaxed her, "I beg you, let me kiss my darling, okay?"
Nanqi smiled contentedly, tilted her head back, and met her sweet, soft kiss. "Mmm."
Tomorrow afternoon, Song Zhao will be flying back. That day, Nan Qi reluctantly switched to the evening shift to help Song Zhao pack. Li Li, having seen Song Zhao yesterday, urged Nan Qi to have Song Zhao record a video for her son. Nan Qi explained on the phone that their artists' schedules are confidential, and recording a video might reveal their location.
Song Zhao didn't seem to care much. She took Nan Qi's phone and dialed Li Li's number. After hanging up, she told Nan Qi that she had agreed to the video call.
Nanqi frowned, leaned closer and muttered, "Aren't you afraid that if you start this trend, all the kids from her extended family will come to you to record videos for their birthdays, full-month celebrations, and coming-of-age ceremonies?"
Song Zhao pinched her cheek and said, "Don't be afraid. He's still your boss, so you should give him some face."
"What's wrong with the boss now?" Nanqi snorted indignantly. "We're not even related, and he doesn't pay us. Why should a big star like you get free videos?"
Song Zhao slowly uttered, "She can approve your leave."
"I don't have any leave, I'll be working overtime if I don't..." Nanqi suddenly realized, "You asked her to give me leave?!"
“Seven days,” Song Zhao held up a finger, his smile deepening, “Two videos for seven days of vacation, is that a good deal?”
Nanqi was overjoyed and hugged Song Zhao tightly, planting a big kiss on her cheek: "Wow, you're amazing! I love you so much!"
"Hurry up and pack your things."
Nanqi immediately let go of her and ran lightly towards the bedroom: "Yes, yes, I have to hurry and bring more things!"
Song Zhao smiled and shook his head, took out his phone, and quickly booked round-trip tickets for Nan Qi.
Nanqi was running in and out of the house like a whirlwind, and soon she had packed a heavy, large box. Song Zhao looked at the bulging box in surprise: "Did you empty the whole house?"
Nanqi is someone who doesn't usually carry a bag to work. Song Zhao originally thought that she should just bring her daily necessities, but he didn't expect her to bring such a full suitcase.
Nanqi grumbled matter-of-factly, "These are all necessities! Food and supplies, we can't do without any of them."
After thinking about it for a moment, Song Zhao realized that it made some sense. "That's true. The conditions over there are indeed a bit worse. It's good to bring more things."
The place was indeed remote. After getting off the plane, the two of them drove for another three hours before finally arriving at the film set. Outside the car window, the green mountains stretched endlessly and the green waters meandered, the natural scenery was unbelievably beautiful, but the infrastructure looked really rudimentary.
Nanqi peered out the window the whole way, thinking to herself that when Song Zhao was filming, she would go hiking and maybe even find a sturdy tree to climb, so she wouldn't be bored.
The actors were staying at a guesthouse, which was half an hour's drive from the film set. Song Zhao was supposed to start work as soon as they arrived, and originally wanted Nan Qi to go back to the guesthouse to rest first, but Nan Qi stubbornly shook her head and insisted on coming along: "I haven't been to the film set yet, let me go and join in the fun."
The film set was set up in a mountain valley, with several green tents erected, and all the necessary equipment inside. The staff had arrived early and were already bustling about. As soon as Nanqi got out of the car, she saw the props team squatting on the bluestone slabs, carefully wiping a row of gleaming swords.
Song Zhao greeted everyone present familiarly and politely. A short while later, an actress approached her.
"Sister Siwei!!"
Upon seeing her, Nanqi's fingers tensed, and she quickly grabbed Song Zhao's arm.
Song Zhao was amused by her nervous appearance and smiled, turning to introduce her: "This is our company's actress, Luo Yi."
"The name is quite anime-like."
"Stage name; her real name is Zhou Xia."
"I see."
Zhou Xia showed no signs of awkwardness and quickly moved closer, her eyes sparkling as she looked Nan Qi up and down: "You must be Siwei's sweetheart, right? Wow, your skin is so good, it's so tender you could squeeze water out of it, I can't help but want to touch it."
Startled, Nanqi stepped back and blurted out, "What are you doing?"
"Luo Yi, stop joking around," Song Zhao said seriously.
"Yes, boss!" Zhou Xia stuck out her tongue, turned around, and skipped into the camera crew's studio.
The assistant director then walked over and shook hands with Song Zhao: "Xiao Wei, go to the studio and rest for a while. Bai Yang is stuck in traffic, and I reckon we'll have to wait another hour."
Song Zhao agreed.
Nanqi leaned closer to her ear: "Is Bai Yang the male lead?"
"Yes, he's sick and can't come."
"Oh." Nanqi's eyes darted around, and she raised her voice to ask the assistant director, "Anyway, we're just waiting. Are you hungry? I'll cook you some potato noodles."
The assistant director was taken aback: "Cook it here?"
"I brought my gear!" Nanqi opened her suitcase, revealing a neatly stacked box of small pots, sauces, and side dishes.
Song Zhao sighed softly and reached out to tidy her bangs that had been ruffled by the wind: "Aren't you tired after sitting in the car all day?"
"You need to eat something good when you're tired." Nanqi winked at her. "Besides, this is the first time I've met your colleague, so I have to show my appreciation."
"Then I'll help you."
"No need, you just need to invite everyone over to eat." She then turned to a staff member and asked with a smile, "Could you please tell me where the power source is? It will be ready in no time."
Nanqi was incredibly efficient; the sauces were all prepared in advance and sealed in jars. All she had to do was cook the noodles and then blanch the store-bought instant meat in them. Before long, a rich aroma filled the entire set, drawing out the director, makeup artists, and script supervisors who were resting in the studio.
"Sister Wei, our boss's cooking is absolutely amazing!" Luo Yi squeezed to the front and exaggeratedly sniffed.
"This smells so good, it's making my mouth water. I'm also really hungry." The production assistant rubbed his hands together and moved closer to the pot.
"Didn't you just eat a piece of bread?" the photographer teased.
"You're talking nonsense!" the script supervisor retorted, his face flushed.
Song Zhao had already set out the bowls and chopsticks, and stood by the pot, smiling as he called out, "Everyone, take only what you need. Our group has rules; no waste allowed."
"Don't worry! Give me the rest!" a male cameraman shouted, patting his chest.
Nanqi filled two bowls and pulled Song Zhao to sit at a small table in the corner. She picked up a mouthful of noodles, held it to Song Zhao's lips, and blinked, asking, "Does it smell good?"
Song Zhao took a bite of the powder, her voice as soft as a feather: "It doesn't smell as good as yours."
"Ugh, there are so many people!" Nanqi blushed and scolded her.
Song Zhao chuckled softly, took another big breath, and his eyes were full of enjoyment.
Nanqi, clinging to the edge of her bowl, kept rambling on: "Tomorrow I'll make you meat sauce noodles, and the day after tomorrow I'll make Yangzhou fried rice..."
Song Zhao sighed and rubbed his forehead: "I invited you here to have fun, but now you're working for free?"
“We need to eat too.” Nanqi scooped up a spoonful of soup and blew on it gently. “Besides, I’m helping you win people over. It’s all over the internet saying that film crews in the mountains have trouble getting food and drink, and there are even bugs in their boxed lunches.”
She leaned closer to Song Zhao, speaking mysteriously, "I'm not bringing them food, I'm bringing them warmth. If you feed them well, they'll definitely remember your kindness and take beautiful pictures of you."
Looking at the mischievousness in her eyes, Song Zhao couldn't help but ruffle her hair, his tone full of doting: "Oh, my darling, you've really gone to great lengths for me."
Nanqi held the cooled soup to her lips: "Here, have some soup to warm your stomach."
After finishing his drink, Song Zhao put down his bowl and said, "I'm full."
"You only ate this little?"
"I ate too much, and my stomach will feel uncomfortable when I do big movements during filming later."
"Oh, then I'll take the rest." Nanqi took her bowl and slurped it all up.
After a satisfying meal, the crew got busy again. Song Zhao sat in front of the makeup mirror reading the script, while Nan Qi sat on a small stool next to her, propping her chin up with one hand and staring intently at her. Just watching her quietly filled her with happiness.
As the makeup artist applied foundation to Song Zhao, she suddenly smiled and said, "You two have been together since your student days, haven't you?"
Nanqi nodded, a smile spreading across her face: "Yes."
"So you often daydreamed about her during class, didn't you?"
Nanqi blushed and hurriedly defended herself: "No! I pay close attention in class, and she's always keeping an eye on me."
“She’s telling the truth. Back then, the teacher specifically asked me to keep an eye on her and not let her daydream,” Song Zhao chimed in.
"Oh—" the makeup artist drawled, giving Nanqi a meaningful glance.
"No!" Nanqi exclaimed anxiously, her voice suddenly rising, "She meant, she was watching me study, not watching me..."
As soon as she finished speaking, several probing gazes fell upon her. Nanqi was so embarrassed that she wanted to disappear into the ground, and hurriedly covered her mouth.
Song Zhao suppressed a laugh and handed over the script in her hand: "Help me turn the page."
Nanqi understood immediately, took the script and covered her face with it, her ears turning bright red.
After Song Zhao started filming, Nan Qi automatically transformed into her assistant, always holding a water bottle, tissues, and a coat. Watching Song Zhao face the same camera, filming close-ups, full-body shots, and extreme close-ups, repeating the same actions and lines over and over again, Nan Qi felt tired just watching her.
She secretly thought that she must give Song Zhao a good massage that night, and make sure not to wear out her wife's slender waist, since they don't need to use their waists when they're being intimate.
It was almost midnight when Song Zhao finished work. The crew's car took them back to the guesthouse. Nan Qi noticed that the convenience store next door was still lit up, so she threw her luggage into the room and ran out to buy two bottles of mineral water. While paying, her eyes were drawn to the fireworks barrels next to the shelf.
"Do you sell these too?" Nanqi's eyes lit up as she pointed at the fireworks and asked.
The shopkeeper nodded: "Sell."
Nanqi immediately bought a bucket, and carrying the bucket and fireworks, she ran excitedly back to her room.
"Zhaozhao! Look what I bought!"
Song Zhao looked up, saw what was in her hand, and his eyes lit up instantly: "Fireworks?"
"Okay! When you finish work early one day, let's go set off fireworks together." Nanqi hugged the fireworks to her chest and smiled like a child.
"Let's do it now." Song Zhao picked up his coat and pulled her outside. "In a few days, we'll be finishing work even later."
Nanqi hesitated: "Aren't you tired today?"
“What’s so tiring about watching fireworks?” Song Zhao took her hand, her eyes crinkling with a smile. “Come on.”
"good!"
Hand in hand, the two ran to an open space in the suburbs. The night sky there was exceptionally clear, with countless stars dotting the inky black canvas. All around was quiet except for the chirping of insects—a perfect romantic date spot.
Nanqi took out a lighter, her fingertips just touching the fuse, when she suddenly turned to look at Song Zhao, a glint of light in her eyes: "Do you remember the first time we set off fireworks?"
Song Zhao hummed in agreement, stepped forward, and grasped her hand tightly. Their palms pressed together, the warm touch soothing their racing hearts.
Nanqi raised an eyebrow at her: "Come on, let's count to three, two, one together."
"Okay." Song Zhao's voice was so gentle it could melt your heart.
"three"
"two"
"one"
"run!"
The two women held hands and took several steps back, watching as the fuse burned out and a dazzling firework shot into the night sky, exploding against the inky black backdrop. The countless sparks and brilliant fireworks intertwined, creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene. They covered their ears with one hand and each other's with the other, looking up at the magnificent spectacle before them, their eyes crinkling with laughter.
As Nanqi gazed at the fireworks filling the sky, she suddenly shouted into the valley, "Song Zhao! I love you—!"
The sound was carried far by the wind. Song Zhao shouted after her, her voice clear and firm: "Nanqi! I love you—!"
Love echoed through the valley, lingering for a long time.
Nanqi turned to look at Song Zhao, who happened to turn his head as well. Their eyes met, and without a word, they leaned down and kissed passionately and tenderly amidst the fireworks.
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