Chapter 79 I Want to Hear a Bedtime Story Adults need to be coaxed too. ...
【Yunshuiyao】The night before work started, Zhu Qingzhi arrived in Nancheng. She had just finished washing up when Shen Rou knocked on the door with an expression that said, "If you deal with her, you can't deal with me, huh?": "Qingzhi, did I disturb you?"
"What do you think? It's 11:30 at night." Zhu Qingzhi didn't stand on ceremony and even opened the door a crack.
"Um... I'm sorry about what happened before." Shen Rou didn't dare to force the issue, and her whole demeanor was very obsequious. "But considering that I helped you call Liu Xiaoning, could you please not hold me responsible?"
In the past few days, Shen Roukuang has been sending her messages, and on the first day of the Lunar New Year, he sent her almost every blessing he could find.
Zhu Qingzhi knew that Shen Rou was afraid that the Shen family would find out the inside story of the Liu family's stock market crash, and that if the story of her being "used as a tool" by Liu Xiaoning were exposed, the Shen family would also suffer a bad end.
But didn't she already say she wouldn't hold Shen Rou responsible?!
Zhu Qingzhi pinched the bridge of her nose helplessly, somewhat speechless: "Miss Chen, I won't hold you responsible."
"Okay, okay!" Shen Rou shoved the small cake she had been hiding behind her back at her. "I just bought it in Haicheng today! Don't worry, it's non-toxic and harmless!"
For some reason, Shen Rou today was not as arrogant and domineering as before. Instead, she had a kind of clear-eyed stupidity, and judging from Zhu Qingzhi's judgment, it was not an act.
She hesitated for a moment, pursing her lips, but finally accepted the cake: "Thank you."
"You're welcome!" Shen Rou breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that she had accepted the cake, and the weight that had been hanging over her heart finally lifted.
She glanced furtively at the empty corridor and lowered her voice, "Um... Liu Xiaoning said she'd be visiting the set in a couple of days, so you should be prepared?"
The Liu and Shen families cannot afford to completely break ties, so Shen Rou and Liu Xiaoning's relationship must be maintained. Zhu Qingzhi had already guessed this, but she wasn't particularly concerned.
Zhu Qingzhi nodded, indicating that she understood.
"And... she and Zhang Siyue had a relationship." Shen Rou spoke quickly, carefully observing Zhu Qingzhi's expression. "Although it wasn't long, she was quite infatuated at the time. You... had better be prepared."
Zhu Qingzhi raised an eyebrow, suddenly feeling a sense of anticipation for Liu Xiaoning's next move.
"That's all the reminder I'll give you. I won't disturb your rest any longer!" Having completed her task, Shen Rou slipped away faster than a rabbit.
Zhu Qingzhi closed the door, picked up her phone from the entrance hall, went inside, put the cake in the refrigerator, and then lay down on the bed.
"It sounds like he's gained a female fan?"
He had been on the phone with Wen Qi the whole time, so he had heard the whole conversation.
"You talk too much." Zhu Qingzhi closed her eyes, too lazy to pay attention to his teasing, and practically embedded herself in the bed.
I heard a "beep" from the receiver as the card was swiped to open the room, followed by the click of the door lock opening.
"The Liu family didn't handle this sincerely enough; it seems they haven't suffered enough." His voice carried a hint of weariness, slightly hoarse, which was especially noticeable in the quiet night.
Indeed, he set off early this morning to meet the original author in Beitang Town. He took a plane, a high-speed train, and then had to cross a mountain road. It took him a whole day to get to the hotel. No wonder he was exhausted.
"Never mind her. In modern society, the system of collective punishment doesn't exist." Zhu Qingzhi's tone softened a bit: "Why don't you get some rest? You have to get up early tomorrow."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a faint laugh, an indescribable tenderness.
"Yes, ma'am."
After a brief pause, his voice rang out again, deeper and more focused than before, "But I want to see you."
She's really clingy. We just saw each other this morning and video chatted several times this afternoon. She's not Sun Wukong, she can transform into seventy-two different beings.
Zhu Qingzhi suppressed a laugh and adopted a gentle tone to coax a child: "Hmm...Mr. Wen, would you like me to tell you a bedtime story?"
"I have the honor?" Wen Qi played along, seriously taking over her words, "Are you going to tell me the story of the little rabbit that won't go to sleep?"
The Little Rabbit Who Doesn't Sleep was Zhu Qingzhi's favorite story when she was little, because she felt like she was that little rabbit who didn't sleep, but now it's not like she doesn't sleep!
"You!" Zhu Qingzhi protested, yelling into the microphone, "It's clearly you who's not sleeping right now!"
Wen Qi sighed, as if he had suffered a great injustice: "I'm a complete stranger here, my wife isn't with me, and now she won't even let me glance at her. Sigh..."
Zhu Qingzhi clicked her tongue lightly: "You're an adult now. Adults need to learn to sleep on their own!"
"Adults also need to be coaxed."
To act shamelessly with a clear conscience.
Zhu Qingzhi deliberately raised her voice: "You have no experience, so why don't you try to appease me first and set an example for me?"
There was a rustling sound coming from Wen Qi's side, but his voice remained gentle and captivating: "Once upon a time, there was a little fox who lived under the banyan tree in Beitang Town. He could never sleep at night."
His voice was deep and soothing, and it sounded even more tranquil and gentle amidst the soft rustling sounds. "One day, he met a little rabbit who also couldn't sleep."
"The little rabbit isn't having trouble sleeping," Zhu Qingzhi mumbled, but her voice betrayed her exhaustion.
"Okay, the little rabbit is about to fall asleep, but the little fox can't." Wen Qi's voice was gentle, and Zhu Qingzhi seemed to be able to sense his equally gentle eyes through the receiver.
She suddenly called out softly, "Wen Qi."
"Hmm, what's wrong?"
Zhu Qingzhi buried her face in the soft pillow, her voice unconsciously taking on a touch of coquettishness: "I think... I suddenly miss you a little."
There was a sudden silence on the other end of the phone, as if even breathing had stopped for a moment. After a long while, Wen Qi whispered, "I miss you too."
In this gentle silence, it seemed that no more words were needed; simply listening to each other's soft breathing and feeling the telephone connecting the two spaces was enough.
Wen Qi stopped what he was doing and listened quietly until he heard even, long breaths on the other end. He paused and softened his voice even more, "Good night, see you tomorrow."
In her sleep, Zhu Qingzhi mumbled a "Goodnight."
*
The first scene filmed by Group A in "The Knot" was a scene between Zhu Qingzhi and Zhang Siyue. Both of them were in good condition, and after one rehearsal, their emotions and lines were almost perfect.
Director Zheng was very satisfied with this and actively used several different shooting techniques. He even improvised several different emotional scenes for them to perform.
Suppression, relief, resentment, unwillingness... In a very short time, their emotions shifted rapidly, but Zhu Qingzhi and Zhang Siyue both saw a strong competitive spirit in each other's eyes.
The two seemed to be engaged in a silent contest, every glance and every breath a battle of wits.
With the final emotional shift, Director Zheng excitedly stood up from behind the monitor, exclaiming, "Cut! That was brilliant! This feeling of mutual inspiration is exactly what I wanted!"
A round of applause erupted from the crowd, and the crew members praised him wholeheartedly.
"This is too strong! It's like gods fighting..."
"The two of them have such great chemistry in the show."
"My goodness, handsome men and beautiful women, and acting skills too! This is something my eyes deserve!"
Zhu Qingzhi let out a soft breath, only then realizing that her back was soaked with sweat. She looked up at Zhang Siyue, who was taking water from his assistant, his forehead also wet with sweat.
Their eyes met, and both nodded politely. Indeed, acting against an equally matched opponent is like a thrilling game, maximizing one's potential.
Zhu Qingzhi walked to the rest area and took the thermos cup that Xiaozhou handed her.
"Sister, you two are such great actors!" Xiao Zhou gave a thumbs up with a cheerful smile. "I got goosebumps watching that scene just now."
"So-so, third in the world." Zhu Qingzhi was never modest in front of Xiao Zhou and the others. If they weren't on set, she would have praised herself to the skies.
"Teachers, please take a ten-minute break. We'll prepare for the next scene." The stagehand hurried past and disappeared like a gust of wind in the direction of the props department.
Zhu Qingzhi looked down at the script, preparing to memorize her lines for the next scene, when a familiar voice rang out from not far away: "Hello, is this the [Yunshuiyao] film crew?"
She looked up and saw Liu Xiaoning standing at the entrance of the film set, holding an exquisite gift bag, asking questions of the crew members, but her eyes kept glancing at Zhang Siyue.
So impatient? You couldn't wait to come on the first day of work?
Zhu Qingzhi's lips curled up almost imperceptibly, and she glanced at Zhang Siyue without making a sound.
Zhang Siyue's expression changed almost instantly. He grabbed the script, stood up from the stool, and walked deeper into the room, clearly indicating that he didn't want to get involved with Liu Xiaoning.
It seems the breakup wasn't amicable. Zhu Qingzhi took in the whole scene, but didn't dwell on it, continuing to look down at her script.
As Liu Xiaoning watched Zhang Siyue's figure disappear, she shifted her gaze from Zhu Qingzhi's face, but didn't dare to meet her eyes. She still remembered the warning from that day.
“I’m Shen Rou’s friend. I was supposed to visit her on set today.” Her expression remained unchanged as she smiled and handed over the gift. “But is she filming right now? I can’t get in touch with her.”
The crew members didn't dare accept the gift rashly, but asked her to put it on the table first, politely explaining, "Ms. Shen is filming with Group B today and isn't here. Let me try to contact her for you. What is your surname, miss?"
"I see." Liu Xiaoning showed just the right amount of surprise, her gaze sweeping across the set. "Thank you for your help, but could I sit here for a while? It's too cold outside."
She rubbed her hands together; underneath her thin grey cashmere coat, she wore only an even thinner shirt dress, looking quite cold. The staff member seemed a little hesitant but didn't refuse, giving her a few brief instructions before going to find Chen Rou.
Liu Xiaoning sat quietly in the corner, seemingly casually flipping through her phone, but her gaze occasionally swept across every corner of the film set. The direction Zhang Siyue disappeared in, the rest area where Zhu Qingzhi was, and the busy filming preparations underway.
Xiao Zhou leaned close to Zhu Qingzhi's ear and whispered, "Sister, why is she here again?"
Zhu Qingzhi casually turned a page of the script: "So what if she comes? As long as she can resist showing up in front of me, I can pretend I don't see her."
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Author's note: Qingzhi [doge emoji]: Goodnight.
Wen Qi [starry-eyed]: See you tomorrow.
Ah-me [doge emoji]: Jet lag is so hard to adjust to, I'm perfectly awake now... [crying emoji][crying emoji]
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