Xiao Yiming said that the person who was treating should make the decisions. Gu Qingqiu didn't know Xiao Yiming's taste, so she could only go to a hot pot restaurant with private rooms according to her own preferences. She was also worried that Xiao Yiming couldn't handle spicy food, so she thoughtfully ordered a half-and-half hot pot.
During lunch, Xiao Yiming took the initiative to start a conversation about his friend's recently released movie. Unexpectedly, Gu Qingqiu quickly picked up the conversation and talked about it quite eloquently.
Xiao Yiming rarely encountered someone he could talk to, so he got into the mood and talked a lot. Before he knew it, he had been chatting for almost half an hour.
Seeing the barely touched dishes on the table and Gu Qingqiu listening attentively, Xiao Yiming felt a little embarrassed, "Am I talking too much...?" He had never been like this before.
"It's alright," Gu Qingqiu smiled, not minding at all. "What you said is very interesting, and I'm also very interested in it. It has given me a lot of inspiration."
"Let's eat first." Xiao Yiming glanced at the time and realized it was almost one o'clock. He needed to finish his meal quickly and return to the film set to prepare for the afternoon's shooting.
"Okay." Gu Qingqiu nodded, asked the waiter to change the soup base, and then started cooking the vegetables.
After that, neither of them said a word. Although they were eating hot pot, Xiao Yiming's movements were very elegant, like a nobleman eating Western food, while Gu Qingqiu was much more casual and ate with great relish.
Xiao Yiming thought Gu Qingqiu's chubby cheeks were kind of cute, like a little hamster. The women he used to dine with were always elegant and reserved, and even their appetites were small.
In comparison, Gu Qingqiu seemed much more down-to-earth, but... she really treated him like an ordinary friend, and didn't care about her image at all.
Thinking about it this way, Xiao Yiming actually became a little unhappy.
I had some misunderstandings about Gu Qingqiu before, so I was unwilling to get to know her. But after observing her for a while, I realized that Gu Qingqiu was serious about her work and had strong professional skills on set. She was also genuine, cute, and polite in private. I wondered if I had gone too far before... So now Gu Qingqiu only sees me as an ordinary senior colleague.
Unconsciously, Xiao Yiming blurted out his innermost question, "Do you consider me a friend now?"
Gu Qingqiu paused in her hand, which was holding a shrimp paste, and her expression showed a hint of confusion and hesitation. After a long while, she replied, "Brother Ming has always been a senior I respect."
A fleeting hint of disappointment crossed Xiao Yiming's expression, and he said calmly, "Well, let's continue eating."
This completely baffled Gu Qingqiu. She often couldn't understand Xiao Dayingdi's thoughts, and today was no exception. Why was he suddenly asking such a question?
Friend… Gu Qingqiu thought of Xiao Yiming’s previous resistant attitude towards her, and the fleeting hesitation on his face when she invited him out to dinner today. She felt that she was not up to the standard of being a friend of the great movie star. In addition, she had a dark history of “clinging” to the great movie star in the past, so she could only compromise and choose an answer that seemed to be safe – “a respected senior”.
However, judging from Xiao Yiming's expression, Gu Qingqiu seemed to have avoided the best answer, and she was really confused.
Xiao Yiming had already stopped eating. To maintain his figure, he usually only ate until he was six or seven tenths full. However, Gu Qingqiu was not so particular. Fortunately, she never gained weight.
Seeing the atmosphere at the table gradually becoming strange, Xiao Yiming cleared his throat, "Um... I have a screenwriter friend who recently finished writing a new script and is looking for investment. I read the script, and it's not bad. There's a supporting actress role that I think would be perfect for you."
Gu Qingqiu was somewhat surprised, "Brother Ming, are you going to introduce me to a job?"
"Hmm." Seeing that Gu Qingqiu seemed interested, Xiao Yiming sat up slightly. "If you trust me, I can help you get an audition. If all goes well, filming can start next month, which will be shortly after you finish filming this drama."
"Ah?" Gu Qingqiu declined somewhat embarrassedly, "Thank you for your kindness, Brother Ming, but I've already accepted another role and I'm afraid I won't have the time to film your friend's drama."
Unexpectedly rejected, Xiao Yiming looked anxious and even raised his voice, "How much longer are you going to keep going on and on with those lousy web dramas? A female actress's youth is precious! Playing these roles won't help your career at all; on the contrary, it's an obstacle. Don't you understand?"
Startled by Xiao Yiming's sudden agitation, Gu Qingqiu instinctively retorted, "How do you know the role I took won't help my career? I've already signed the contract! Am I supposed to breach it? Who's going to pay the penalty for breach of contract?"
Xiao Yiming's expression was not good, feeling like his good intentions had been taken for granted. "Whatever! If you don't take your career seriously, no one can help you! Go back to filming your lousy roles!"
Thinking about how he had subtly inquired with his friends in the industry about any upcoming scripts that were short of female supporting roles, he felt ridiculously foolish. Gu Qingqiu didn't need his kindness at all.
Gu Qingqiu was speechless. She had read the script for the new role, and it was clearly excellent! Why did Xiao Yiming assume she had taken on another bad role without even understanding the situation? He was obviously biased against her!
The two parted on bad terms at their last meal, and even on their way back to the film set, they ignored each other.
Xiao Yiming felt that Gu Qingqiu was ungrateful and that his good intentions had not been appreciated.
Gu Qingqiu thought Xiao Yiming was making a mountain out of a molehill. She had kindly invited him to dinner, and it was her birthday today, yet he still gave her a cold shoulder.
As a result, the relationship between the two, which had finally begun to thaw, returned to square one.
Gu Qingqiu felt a little sad. She knew Xiao Yiming didn't like her, but she didn't expect him to be so difficult to get along with. Moreover, after a meal, she hadn't gained any experience points at all. The two of them had been in a private room together for two hours! And she hadn't gained any experience points at all!
In theory, the initial experience bar does not require any special physical contact; it can increase as long as you stay in a relatively private space!
Gu Qingqiu's experience bar increased simply by spending time in the same room with Yan Shengxiao!
If Xiao Yiming had a rating system for his feelings towards him, it might be negative right now.
This would be worse than sending her to a B-grade world! How is it even possible for a male lead who already has a negative impression of her to win her over?
Gu Qingqiu couldn't help but start to miss Yan Shengxiao and Jiang Chenxin.
Yan Shengxiao is mature, gentle, and reliable; Jiang Chenxin, though she likes to banter, is also witty. Gu Qingqiu finds it extremely easy to get along with them. But this Xiao Yiming! He's so awkward, sharp-tongued, and has a bad temper!
Gu Qingqiu thought angrily, "All the reviews of Xiao Yiming online must be fake! Where is he a gentleman? He's clearly just a self-centered person!"
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