Chapter 41: "Sister, that's a really domineering CEO thing to say."
Illness comes like a landslide, but recovery is slow and gradual. Even if a doctor comes, that's all they can do. The only fortunate thing is that Jiang Yi's fever subsided very quickly.
These past few days, Jiang Yi has mostly stayed indoors, sometimes attending online meetings or replying to emails, but mostly reading and resting. Within days, even the film crew had gotten used to Director Gu leaving work on time and being picked up by someone, and began to express their envy, either openly or subtly.
When Jiang Yi arrived at the film set in the evening with a steaming cup of oil tea, Gu Lai was talking to Kang Suru. Before she even noticed, someone eagerly started to chat: "Hey, Sister Jiang is here! Have you tried their local food?"
"Yes, I went for a walk today."
"How does it taste? I think it's alright."
"I feel like it's pretty much the same as other places. It seems like you can find most of the same food elsewhere."
"Hey! That's how it is now."
Gu Lai and Kang Suru quickly finished their work-related conversation and turned to look at the source of the sound. The staff member, who had been paying attention, immediately said happily, "Hey, Director! I brought you some oil tea."
I can see it.
You've really gotten to know each other well, huh? Who's your sister? Why are you calling her so intimately?
Gu Lai gave a barely perceptible purse of her lips, nodded at the person while sitting there, and watched as she turned to chat with someone else while laughing and talking. Then her view was blocked by someone.
"Would you like some oil tea? I brought some barbecue back with me, but I was worried it would get cold, so I asked Xiao Liu to heat it up."
Jiang Yi pulled up a chair, sat down opposite her with an air of nonchalance, then opened the bag on his own, scooped up a spoonful, and left a suspicious rouge color on the small plastic spoon.
"Well, not bad."
Gu Lai took the drink but didn't rush to drink it. Her gaze slid from Jiang Yi's wide-brimmed hat, pearl accessories, and layered trench coat and knit dress all the way down to her ankle boots.
Gu Lai asked curiously, "Where did you get these clothes? I don't remember you bringing them."
Jiang Yi remained calm: "I had it just delivered."
Gu Lai looked down at her obviously high heels: "You just walk around in these shoes?"
Jiang Yi looked down and said, "It's alright, isn't it? If you don't wear high heels when you're young, you won't be able to wear them when you're old."
"Young?" Gu Lai tilted her head towards the new lead actor: "Look, college students, that's real youth."
“You’re young, that’s all. To me, I’m young now. You can’t say I’m old.” Jiang Yi glanced at the actress who still had her makeup and hair done from the play, and lazily propped his chin up as he looked at Gu Lai. “I’ve always been older than you.”
Gu Lai lowered her head and scooped up a large spoonful, then let out a soft breath from the heat, her words slightly mumbled: "I know, sister."
Jiang Yi's gaze wandered for a moment.
Things are different now than they were back then. Gu Lai is now used to calling her by her full name properly, and only she does it that way. Jiang Yi really likes the way she gently calls her by her full name, as if she's calling her the whole person.
When the full name is imbued with a tender and gentle connotation, the word "sister" inevitably carries a filter of nostalgia. Every time it is mentioned in a particularly special context, it takes on an ambiguous connotation over time.
Jiang Yi leaned forward and kissed Gu Lai on the forehead. Gu Lai was struggling with the steaming hot oil tea with her head down. She instinctively looked up and glanced at Jiang Yi before continuing to scoop up the glutinous rice.
Jiang Yi suddenly found Gu Lai's little reaction quite adorable, like a ragdoll cat. Just as the thought crossed his mind, a very distinct "tsk tsk tsk tsk!" came from above.
"..." Jiang Yi looked up at the grinning He Xiaoqing, "Are you bored and in a good mood?"
As I followed He Xiaoqing's assistant to prepare a chair for her, she refused to sit down, seemingly intending to say a few words and leave: "Yeah, isn't the hardest part almost over? Soon I'll be saying goodbye to people like you who have partners!"
She was worried for a while after learning that Jiang Yi was coming to stay here for an extended period, but after observing for a few days, she realized that the two of them had now reached the point where arguing was a form of playful banter.
He Xiaoqing didn't know anything about agreements or anything like that; she had already smoothly accepted the fact that she had created opportunities for herself, but in reality, she was just providing herself with dog food (a metaphor for romantic opportunities).
“Tian Miao just called me, asking why you weren’t answering the phone if you weren’t on set, and also asking when I was going to release you,” He Xiaoqing laughed. “Where have you been, Jiang San? You and your secretary aren’t answering your phones.”
Gu Lai also looked up at the sound, her cheeks, slightly flushed from the heat, twitching with each chew, her gaze filled with reproach.
"Old Feng drove to another county this morning. A-Lai had been there before and mentioned the schools there, so I'm going to take a look around." Jiang Yi glanced at Gu Lai meaningfully before turning to He Xiaoqing. "What's going on with Tian Miao?"
He Xiaoqing said irritably, "Go ask your assistant." But she still explained everything, and then casually took a skewer of roasted pork that her assistant had brought to Jiang Yi and strolled away.
Gu Lai, who had been quiet the whole time, looked up and asked, "What did she mean by the 'Slow Bull Group'? The one that faked box office figures? Oh! Tian Miao's Rongtian also does real estate and finance... Are these related to you too?"
Jiang Yi reflected for a second, wondering why he hadn't realized it might be related to Tian Miao when He Xiaoqing mentioned her. He figured he'd been so engrossed in his own enjoyment that he'd let his guard down.
But her reflection ended there. The next second she nodded: "Yes. To some extent, I might have even played matchmaker?" She paused, "Do you want to hear it?"
Gu Lai pointed to the fragrant barbecue in front of her: "Let's listen to it later, it's easy to lose your appetite if we listen to it now."
Jiang Yi laughed and leaned back in his chair: "Are these things disgusting? Someone once said that she had a great appetite when she looked at stock price charts, and if the charts were pretty, she could eat several more bowls of rice."
"who?"
“Ms. O’Connor, the banker we had dinner with before.”
"Does she still need to look at candlestick charts herself?"
"Just a little quirk."
Gu Lai lowered her eyelashes and said, "Oh, so you know so much about her little quirks."
Jiang Yi's response to her jealousy was also quite unique: "I'll forget about her the day she's no longer of any use to me."
Gu Lai laughed as she bit into a meat skewer: "That sounds too villainous."
Jiang Yi clicked his tongue and gestured with his eyes towards the barbecue she was eating: "You are my accomplice."
Gu Lai finished eating a skewer with her head down, then quietly put the empty skewer aside. Jiang Yi watched as a blush slowly spread from her ears to her cheeks, like the glow of dawn.
Jiang Yi picked up a skewer of barbecue with a puzzled look and asked, "Huh? The one I tried earlier wasn't spicy?"
Gu Lai remained silent and gently kicked her.
Jiang Yi didn't dodge. While laughing, she reached out and cupped Gu Lai's cheeks to cool them down. She didn't know if it was because her own hands were too cold, but it felt like she was holding a warm, soft cloud of sunset.
Jiang Yi whispered, "After all these years, why are you still the same old high-attack, low-defense guy?"
"...Have I not changed at all?"
“There are still some.” Jiang Yi thought seriously for a while and said, “You used to never say ‘I’ll listen later,’ you just ignored these things.”
Gu Lai carefully observed her expression and saw that there was nothing in her eyes except for a smile, so she said with relief, "That way I know what you're doing... I'm also trying to listen to your opinion."
I want to prove to you that our arguments weren't in vain, and that I'm not just waiting for you to change; I'm also heading towards you.
Jiang Yi didn't say anything, but simply changed his attitude from praising to embracing.
The two were already sitting close together, and Jiang Yi shifted her position, naturally encircling Gu Lai and resting her chin on her shoulder. Gu Lai instinctively tilted her head slightly to make room for her.
People change; things are not the same ten years ago. Picking up the pieces and putting them back together is not one person's responsibility, and silent tolerance and concessions will only explode one day in the future. Marriage is not just about the spark of love, but also about the friction of daily life.
Jiang Yi is slowly accepting these things, and so is Gu Lai.
Gu Lai sensed that Jiang Yi was also looking at the skewer in her hand, so she bit off a piece of the pale fat, handed it to the side, and watched Jiang Yi eat it before continuing to eat the rest of the skewer while asking, "Did you go to other counties today... to see the middle school under construction?"
"Yes, of course I have to see my gift in person. After walking around, I feel like my merits are increasing one by one."
"Don't talk nonsense. Besides, wasn't it you who helped me with charity work in the first place? Various foundation projects for seriously ill children and children with congenital disabilities, etc., I didn't even understand them clearly."
"Well... to be honest, a lot of them are also tax evasion, and some are just trying to 'build a golden image'."
“There’s no such thing as an invincible figure; anyone can bring someone down from their pedestal. I know that real people have been helped, and isn’t that the original intention of the tax reduction policy?”
As Jiang Yi held her, he thought to himself, "It's because I want you to be absolutely sure of yourself. I'd better not use any fancy tax avoidance tricks, lest you get tainted one day."
But she still felt a sense of joy, as if her soul was floating away.
She said, "To be honest... I always felt that it was not good to talk to you about things like this before, and I always felt that you would not be able to accept it."
Gu Lai gave a puzzled "hmm": "What? Scheming and backstabbing? I know there are bad people in this world."
Jiang Yi laughed and leaned against Gu Lai, swaying back and forth. After a long while, he finally spoke: "I don't treat you like a kindergarten kid... I mean, I always feel that you see things in black and white, that you're very idealistic, just like a student in an ivory tower."
Gu Lai remained silent for a long time. For a while, Jiang Yi could only hear her making soft chewing sounds. After a while, he heard her say, "Were you misled by your first impression? Is your feeling about me still stuck on the time I threw a beer at Auntie's head?"
Jiang Yi said "no," and Gu Lai said again, "Then that's very strange. Did I act very innocent at the beginning? I thought my intention to use you to advance my career was very obvious."
Jiang Yi said softly, "That's the reason you're so conflicted."
She couldn't remain snobbish to the end, nor did she have the starting point for idealism. The world taught her to be worldly and worldly, but it didn't give her the natural talent to independently uphold her idealism.
Gu Lai wasn't particularly sad at this moment; she had already made peace with reality. After a moment of silence, she suddenly said, "Are you afraid I'll be disappointed? Like you said before when you recognized the Dong folk song, you want me to see the beautiful side?"
Jiang Yi didn't directly answer whether it was right or wrong, but instead gave Gu Lai a look and said, "You should polish your words a little."
She sounds like she really is a villain, with an evil side.
Gu Lai swayed gently with her movements, like soft seaweed, and let out a long "Okay—" "I know, I know, I'm really bad with words."
Jiang Yi shook her slightly again, it was hard to tell whether he was being coquettish or begging for mercy.
Gu Lai tilted her head and nuzzled against her, a sudden sense of doubt rising in her heart.
Was Jiang Yi always this delicate? Or is this just her way of showing vulnerability?
Even the fiercest big cat becomes endearing and lovable when it shows its soft belly.
It's unclear whether she first labeled Jiang Yi, or Jiang Yi first defined herself, but in any case, they ended up trapped in this cycle.
Jiang Yi said she wanted to make herself feel more secure, but her suspicious nature also made her seem insecure.
Thinking of this, Gu Lai suddenly remembered their previous conversation and asked with interest, "Jiang Yi, what do you think of my directing?"
Without hesitation, Jiang Yi exclaimed, "Fantastic!"
Gu Lai: "Only three words?"
“I think He Xiaoqing and I complement each other. She focuses too much on grand narratives, such as the universality of human traits and emotional appeals, which makes the camera work feel a bit romantic to the point of being unreal. You mixed in a sense of realism, and the filming of this movie did not become a romantic prelude. As for the rest, you have to see the final film. As a layman, I can't tell.”
Jiang Yi originally wanted to stop here, but when she turned her head to meet Gu Lai's gaze, she couldn't help but add more praise: "The on-site coordination was excellent, well-organized, and highly efficient. The cost control was also very good. He Xiaoqing sometimes seems to be spending money recklessly because she has a lot of money."
Gu Lai smiled and pursed her lips: "So, do you think it's a good idea for me to switch careers and become a director?"
Jiang Yi didn't hesitate and got straight to the point: "If you want to do it, then do it. The reason is enough: 'You like it' or 'You have inspiration'."
This time she spoke very naturally, and her expression reminded Gu Lai of a past she had almost forgotten.
Back then, she still had a strong idol image, singing and dancing, and many of her dramas flopped. The good parts of her songs were only visible to fans. Jiang Yi gave her high-quality resources on both the big and small screens, but she couldn't resist wanting to release a new song. Unlike others who tried to persuade her from various angles, Jiang Yi simply said to give it a try, and if she had inspiration, she should do it so she wouldn't regret it later.
Even if it affects her acting career, so what? She can slowly make a comeback. She can see Jiang Yi as her backup plan.
Over the years, album after album has been released, and Gu Lai has persevered.
Gu Lai said, "Are there any other concerns?"
Jiang Yi knew she was referring to what he had mentioned on the day he arrived: "The doubts from last time were just a byproduct."
"What if I fail and get laughed at? It's okay. Maybe tens or hundreds of millions will go down the drain."
"What's this?"
Gu Lai tilted her head and stared at her for a long time before suddenly laughing, "Sister, that's a really domineering CEO thing to say."
A familiar phrase seemed to have traveled through time and space, and Jiang Yi felt as if he had heard similar words more than once.
What was the answer before? A smile, a promise, or a kiss?
Jiang Yi spoke gently, as calmly as if stating a fact: "That's who I am now."
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Good night, I'll correct any typos during the day.
Thank you for the nutrient solution: M, +1 nutrient solution for watering
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