superior
Qi Yaoguang stayed in the rented room for several days. Gu Mengzhu asked him why he didn't go to work, and he said he was taking a break to recuperate.
"Besides, with you looking so sickly, who would dare to go out?"
"Hey, I'm much better now. I'm not standing here anymore. Do you want to sit around and eat your own flesh?"
"Are you really alright?"
"It's really nothing. Besides, I've already signed up, and I have a scene to film tomorrow."
Upon hearing these words, he lay back down:
"Perfect timing, I'm also going to work tomorrow."
"You're trying to scam people. I haven't seen you sign up in the group."
"Silly girl, I have several flocks."
She turned to look at him, and instantly understood:
"It seems someone is about to achieve great success."
"Yes, the costumes are even more beautiful, and the treatment is much better."
"Oh, that's amazing. I haven't seen you go back inside yet."
He reached across the bed and pressed down on her head. Gu Mengzhu covered her head and glared at him.
"Don't touch my head!"
"What? You're worried you won't grow taller? You're too old for that!"
"Mind your own business!"
The next day, both of them left early. Stepping through the vertical door, it was like two roads diverging at a fork in the road, one going left and the other right, both heading towards their destination without looking back. Since it was a modern film, there was no need for makeup or putting away phones, so Gu Mengzhu, as usual, squatted in a corner waiting. She checked the train ticket information for the next few days, comparing prices and calculating. Shi Gang, having set up his camera, also had nothing to do. Seeing the familiar short man, he squinted and plopped down next to her, startling her.
"What are you doing?"
She quickly held her phone to her chest, and after seeing who it was, she closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Excuse me, sir, could you please say hello before sitting down next time?"
"I saw you were so focused, I didn't want to bother you."
They're too shy to bother with their mouths, but their butts are quite willing to.
She shifted to the side, inwardly grumbling. He scratched his head, about to tell her another lame joke. Gu Mengzhu couldn't help but stop him after a few "Hey, hey!" sounds, then asked him why he liked Xu Zhilu. The big man immediately blushed, stammering and hesitating for a long time. She thought he didn't want to talk about it and was about to change the subject, but the next second he opened his mouth:
"I remember that day, Lao Zhang from the props team and I went to the furniture store to buy some things. We were roommates, you know."
Sorry, I didn't know.
She wondered if the person had a bad memory, and also worried about the credibility of the story.
"His pillow was worn out, and he ran to pick out a new one as soon as he came in. I thought to myself, it's getting cold, so I might as well buy a better blanket. You know, I'm most afraid of the cold, so I was looking and looking. Then I saw a short guy."
As if recalling something wonderful, Shi Gang smiled unconsciously:
"She was wearing a white, fuzzy sweatshirt, and she was playing with the cat tree on the side. I was thinking, what's so fun about that? She's so small and just stares at it. She's not a cat. You know how cat trees are, right? They usually have a ball hanging from them, and she was reaching out to scratch it, not only scratching but also slapping it, and the ball kept hitting the mushroom. What's so fun about that? She just kept playing with it."
After he finished speaking, he chuckled twice. Gu Mengzhu turned her face, which was covered by her arms, and asked him:
"Isn't Xiaozhi cute?"
"So cute, so cute."
"Tsk tsk tsk, that's really perverted."
"Hey, hey, hey!" he cried out, feeling wronged. "Don't talk nonsense! I didn't do anything!"
"What else do you want to do?"
She squinted at him, and he felt a chill run down his spine. He lowered his head and said, looking aggrieved:
"I won't do anything, and I wouldn't dare."
"But I don't think Xiaozhi is interested in you. You're always hanging around her. Aren't you afraid she'll find you annoying?"
"Then what should I do? I really like her, why don't you teach me?"
Gu Mengzhu snorted:
"If I had any tricks up my sleeve, I wouldn't be standing here in the cold wind; I'd be at the pinnacle of life by now, okay?"
"That's true."
The tall woman, who had just raised her head, lowered it again, while she looked up at the clouds drifting slowly across the sky.
Liking someone always seems to have a reason, yet it also seems to have no reason. So, what reason does she have left?
After this incident, Gu Mengzhu and Qi Yaoguang stayed up for several more nights. When they finally couldn't stay awake any longer, they discussed taking a day off. She slept for a long time, and when she opened her eyes, she found it was already past three in the afternoon. She got up, put on her shoes, and habitually turned around to straighten the blankets. Someone behind the screen seemed to have woken up as well, stretched, and jumped out of bed, which startled her.
"It's really not easy for this bed to last this long."
Gu Mengzhu's lips twitched. He looked down at her, yawned with narrowed eyes, and smiled as he spoke to her:
Good morning.
"It's already three in the afternoon, is that still early?"
"That's really early! I thought it was 8 PM. Wow, it's been so long since I've had such a good night's sleep."
He got out of bed, putting on his slippers as he asked her:
"Let's go out for a meal, my treat."
"OK."
Qi Yaoguang raised an eyebrow twice, looking at her in surprise:
"Wow, you agreed so quickly, that's not like you. What's wrong, are you possessed?"
"Well, I've just recovered from a long illness and my appetite is really good." Not daring to look at him, she moved away and walked towards the bathroom. "Besides, I've slept for so long, I'm too hungry to cook."
He caught up with her in two steps and asked her what she planned to eat.
"Yes, but it doesn't matter."
After washing up, the two went out. Having eaten and drunk their fill, Gu Mengzhu suggested they go for a walk to digest. They took the subway for several stops, and he stared intently at her, holding onto the handrail, making her uneasy. She turned away from his gaze and asked him what he wanted. Qi Yaoguang slowly blinked, mimicking someone else's performance, and replied in a slower, deliberate manner:
“I think you’re acting strange today. No, I should say you’re acting particularly strange.”
"It's just going out to have fun. Eating and drinking well is a wonderful thing in life. What's so strange about it?"
He turned his head to look at the billboards flashing past the window; the orange, white, and black colors blurred before his eyes like color bars on an old-fashioned television. Then, he casually replied:
"Who knows?"
Upon arriving at the station and seeing the enormous Ferris wheel, Qi Yaoguang couldn't help but laugh out loud:
"You still like this stuff so much."
Gu Mengzhu looked up at the enormous object before her, grinning as she replied:
"I've heard the scenery up there is beautiful; people say you can see the mountains. Now that the spring flowers are in bloom, I definitely have to come and see it! I'll see the wildflowers blooming everywhere and the vibrant spring scenery."
"Wouldn't it be better to go hiking?"
"It's too far, over 20 kilometers. It takes more than an hour to take the subway and you also have to go hiking. Do you want to come back for Ghost Festival? Okay, it's on me."
"The tickets are so expensive! You're such a stingy person, how can you be so willing to spend so much?"
She was being sarcastic and unfriendly. She glanced at him furtively and, noticing his displeasure, nudged his arm.
"Hey, do you have to look so sad? I don't owe you any money. Besides, everything happens once in a while, I'm happy!"
"Okay!" He grinned, trying to sound relaxed, then pulled the person into his arms and walked towards the ticket window. "If you're happy, you can treat me. I'll just enjoy myself a bit."
"etc."
Before she could react, he had already withdrawn his hand, stood still, and taken out his phone from his pocket to answer the call.
"Hey, Director Li—"
Qi Yaoguang was interrupted by the man before he could finish speaking.
Where are you now?
Although he was puzzled, he still gave his location.
"Are you still coming to that play I told you about last time?"
"Didn't you say you had found the person?"
"The investors said they're not satisfied and want to replace you. I think you're alright, so give it a try. You might get selected. Just stay in this area and don't move around too much; someone will come to pick you up later."
He was flattered and surprised, exchanging a surprised glance with her before repeatedly thanking the person on the other end of the phone. After hanging up, he couldn't even suppress a smile, turning around to hug the person beside him tightly. His embrace was so strong that Gu Mengzhu could barely breathe, gritting her teeth as she managed to squeeze out a sentence:
"What are you doing?"
He released her, telling her that a director had asked him to audition for a supporting role, and then hugged her again, burying his face completely in the crook of her shoulder. She was stunned for a moment before finally reacting, hugging him back and jumping a few times. After calming down, Qi Yaoguang looked at her apologetically:
"I'm sorry, I have to go to an audition later, so I can't go in with you."
"It's alright. I can have a great time on my own. It's still early, I'll stay with you until we get off the bus."
"However," she frowned and looked at him questioningly, "there are so many good actors in the country, why did the director specifically choose you and ask you to audition?"
"Probably because I'm very talented and handsome."
Gu Mengzhu was amused by his extremely shameless words, and clasped her hands in a gesture of respect to the upper right twice:
"I never expected you to be so shrewd. I admire you greatly."
"You don't believe me? Wow, I'm so talented and popular. I'm thriving in this industry, loved by everyone, and resources are readily available. You've been a fan for so long, and you don't know? You don't even read the news?"
"How would I know? The news only says you're arrogant and domineering, changing girlfriends one after another. As a singer, you sing terribly; as an idol, your looks are average; as an actor, you haven't acted well in any TV dramas or movies, even your music videos are terrible. You not only argued with directors but also angered powerful figures, and even your sugar daddy couldn't protect you. Even after being blacklisted, you still had the audacity to boast—"
She counted on her fingers as she listed his countless crimes, and he quickly stopped her:
"Alright, alright, have you said enough?"
“I’m just stating the facts, why are you getting so worked up?” she teased, tilting her head. “But they did get one thing right.”
"What?"
"You are not illiterate."
He clicked his tongue and shook his head.
"Quirky and clever".
"But then again, are those really the facts?"
Qi Yaoguang remained silent, staring at her for a full two minutes before speaking:
"Half true, half false."
"Forget it, it's all in the past. The most important thing now is to live your life well. You're going to be a big star, so what are you afraid of? Don't be afraid!"
"Um."
As if they had nothing to say, a silence fell between them. Suddenly, a car sped past Gu Mengzhu, startling her. Seeing this, he quickly pulled her to his right.
"Don't go outside."
"Hey!" she pointed at the red car indignantly, "I hate those cars the most! They scare people to death when they pass by!"
He froze for a second before speaking:
“I used to drive this kind of car.”
"Really? What a wonderful life! It's such a pity, everything is gone."
"Hey! I hate it when people speak English in front of me."
"Sorry, I'll say it my way. If you have a problem with it, go die."
She made a face at them, and Qi Yaoguang looked at her with a mixture of amusement and helplessness, his mouth moving but no sound coming out. The next second, a car screeched to a halt beside them. She glanced at it, somewhat surprised; it seemed to be the same car from before. That terrifyingly red color was hard to forget.
Not long after, a woman in a cheongsam got off the car. As if she was afraid of the cold, she had a mink collar around her neck, which still shimmered purple under the dark clouds.
“You didn’t come for a few days, and you didn’t even go to the audition you were supposed to go to. I thought you had quit.”
Upon seeing Qi Yaoguang, the man immediately launched into a tirade, his bright red lips moving with considerable force.
Who is this?
She tilted her head slightly, her eyes fixed on Gu Mengzhu. He quickly spoke:
"Excuse me, let me introduce you. This is Ms. Liu, the investor. Ms. Liu, this is Gu Mengzhu, my friend, who came here to work with me."
"Hello."
Intimidated by the woman's imposing presence, she slightly hunched her shoulders, nodded to Sister Liu, and greeted her with an awkward smile. Sister Liu glanced at her, then at Qi Yaoguang, crossed her arms, raised her head slightly, and gave a crooked, shallow smile.
"You should know by now that the director gave you the opportunity to audition because of my position as an investor. I'm giving you a choice now: come with me, and I'll make you the male lead in my next film."
He paused for a moment, then asked awkwardly:
"Why me?"
"clean."
Gu Mengzhu chuckled, quickly covered her mouth, poked his waist, and whispered:
“Hey, she said you’re clean.”
"You're well-maintained, and I happen to be lonely too. If you keep me company, I guarantee you'll never have to worry about food or clothing in your next life."
Qi Yaoguang glanced at the troublemakers, hesitated, then looked at the woman in the cheongsam in front of him:
"Sister Liu, let me think about it first."
"You think about it. Once you're done, get in the car, and I'll take you to the audition."
He pulled her aside, glanced at Sister Liu who was still waiting, and bent down to ask her:
What do you think?
His eyes were full of seriousness, but she shrugged twice and replied indifferently:
"That's great, you don't have to worry about the rest of your life or your lower body. To be honest, it's quite strange for a man to be described as clean."
Gu Mengzhu laughed foolishly, while Qi Yaoguang stared at her expressionlessly, looking extremely displeased. The louder she laughed, the darker his expression became.
He hated how casually she said those words, he hated her indifference, and he even hated her ambition to rise to great heights. Her nonchalant, unattached demeanor only fueled his anger, making him seem unworthy of being held back. She truly was indifferent, and his current temper only made him appear like a pathetic clown, wallowing in her misery.
"Hey." She stopped smiling and looked at him seriously. "Don't look at me like that. It puts a lot of pressure on me and makes me feel burdened. Promise me one thing: after you've achieved success, remember to pay me back the money. The interest will be one thousand, okay?"
He remained silent, and Gu Mengzhu grew anxious.
"Hey! You still owe me over 40,000, which is almost 50,000 if you round it up. I don't know when you'll be able to make it, so it's not unreasonable to charge you 1,000 if there's no time limit, right? You don't even want to pay that?"
"Okay, one thousand."
"Then, goodbye."
"goodbye."
He turned and left without hesitation, just as she walked towards the Ferris wheel without hesitation. He got into the investor's car; the wind was warm, the road was smooth, even the seats were comfortable, but his mind was blank. She bought a ticket and entered the amusement park, heading straight for the place she had always longed to visit. This person with a clear purpose, standing in the Ferris wheel carriage, had no time to appreciate the beautiful mountain scenery before him, constantly thinking about why the flowers in the mountains weren't blooming, why she hadn't seen a single flower, and why she felt so sad upon arriving here.
We clearly agreed to say goodbye.
She touched the window, still alone in this small cubicle, and suddenly a tear rolled down her cheek.
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