Of Course
The production team woke everyone up early.
They had prepared a whole lineup of games: Pictionary, musical chairs, blindfolded hitting, of course, Who’s the Undercover, and guess the song title.
Xu Yuzhi sneaked a look at the script and clicked her tongue. “What is this, did the production team lose its mind chasing KPIs?”
After hearing that, Liu Yini looked blank. “What’s this ‘of course’ thing? And what’s an undercover?”
Li Lan, wearing a mask, explained quietly, “It means you ask each other questions. No matter what the other person asks, you have to answer ‘of course’; otherwise, you lose.”
Sun Qi said boldly, “How hard can that be? Sounds easy enough.”
Li Lan coughed lightly. “It’s still a little difficult.”
Zhu Qing said, “Teacher Sun, let’s play one round.”
Sun Qi immediately said, “Sure. Who goes first?”
Zhu Qing raised her hand. She wasn’t really trying to play; mostly, she just wanted to shut Sun Qi up.
“Teacher Sun, your favorite female celebrity isn’t Teacher Xu.”
Sun Qi: ???
Xu Yuzhi turned toward him with a smile, looking curious and waiting for his “of course.”
Sun Qi’s face went red from holding it in. He waved a hand. “That won’t do. You’re trying to stir up trouble between us.”
So Zhu Qing said, “Fine, I’ll change it. Teacher Sun doesn’t wash his hands after using the bathroom.”
Sun Qi: …
After a long struggle, Sun Qi said, “Of cour—”
“—and he eats without washing them.”
“Of course not!” Sun Qi said furiously, then stormed off.
Everyone burst out laughing.
In the middle of the joking, Hu Xu suddenly noticed something odd about Li Lan.
“You didn’t put on makeup? Why are you wearing a mask?”
Li Lan adjusted the mask awkwardly. “Nothing.”
Hu Xu reached out and yanked it off. “Whoa, your mouth’s injured? Burned it?”
There was a small broken patch on the upper right side of Li Lan’s lip. It wasn’t large, but it was red and hard to miss.
Zhu Qing kept her eyes on the floor and stayed perfectly still.
Li Lan glanced at her from the corner of her eye, then smiled. “Yeah. I walked into a doorframe when I went out.”
Hu Xu found that amusing. “You managed to hit it so precisely?”
Li Lan looked serious. “Mm. Very precisely.”
Zhu Qing hurriedly stuffed a piece of fruit into her mouth and nearly choked trying not to laugh.
When everyone looked away, Li Lan leaned close to Zhu Qing and lowered her voice.
“Is it funny?”
Zhu Qing’s voice rose with delight. “It is funny. You torment me, so I bite you back. Besides, I have little tiger teeth and you don’t.”
After saying that, Zhu Qing even bared her teeth at Li Lan.
Her upper teeth had those little curved tiger teeth on the left and right, all milky-white and neat. Coupled with the mischievous look on her smiling face, she looked just like a little fox. Li Lan’s fingers itched.
“Ahem.” Zhu Qing noticed the change in Li Lan’s expression and reminded her, “The director’s here.”
Once the production staff had all arrived, everyone waited a little longer for Yu Ling and Qi Yao.
The two of them had both been lectured by their companies the night before, but the latest episode had aired normally enough; since a large portion of Yu Ling’s and Qi Yao’s footage had been cut, it hadn’t stirred up any new scandals.
Over the past few days, Xu Yuzhi had gradually loosened up. She chatted more with them in private, and while the crew was setting up the location, she quietly gossiped with them.
“I heard Yu Ling lost an endorsement,” Xu Yuzhi said softly. “And two variety shows got dropped too.”
Zhu Qing thought of Yu Ling’s expression that morning. No wonder she looked so gloomy and listless, not even bothering to manage her expression; she was practically wearing her worst face in public.
Endorsements weren’t small money. And the other resources too—wasn’t Yang Huayi supposed to be pushing Yu Ling? Why had she cut so many of them off?
When no one was paying attention, Zhu Qing quietly asked Li Lan.
“If Chairman Yang really wanted to push Yu Ling, this bit of dirt wouldn’t matter at all, right? Is Chairman Yang giving up on Yu Ling?”
When Li Lan spoke of it, her tone was indifferent. “What does this amount to? Yang Huayi found Yu Ling better film and television resources. Since Yu Ling kept running into walls doing variety shows, she’s being moved over to acting. Who is Yang Huayi? If she wants to push someone, she can make them famous no matter how roundabout the path is. Unless she doesn’t want to push them anymore.”
Zhu Qing let out a quiet sigh in her heart. She really had never seen someone like Yu Ling—so strikingly beautiful, yet with such a heavy mind, her eyes constantly flicking around as she schemed endlessly. Why couldn’t she just honestly film a variety show?
“From what you’re saying, Chairman Yang still wants to push her; she hasn’t given up on Yu Ling yet.”
Li Lan lowered her eyelashes, a flash of thought moving through her eyes. She said in a low voice, “That’s right.”
Yang Huayi had given Yu Ling a Republic-era script and let her take one of the two female leads.
Li Lan didn’t know what Yang Huayi was thinking, but it was definitely a den full of thieves; with two female leads, they’d almost certainly have to form a CP, and Yang Huayi was best at creating CPs. She was very satisfied with Yu Ling’s looks and very much wanted to use that to make her popular.
“But Yu Ling looks like she’s in terrible shape. She probably thinks the company has given up on her, or maybe she feels it’s unfair or something. After all, she seems a little jealous of you.” Zhu Qing pulled Li Lan out of her thoughts.
“Jealous?” Li Lan looked up in confusion. “You mean she’s jealous of me?”
Zhu Qing stood there with a smile, her lips parting and closing lightly. From the outside, it just looked like the two of them were whispering; no one knew they were talking about such sensitive topics.
Zhu Qing said without changing expression, “That’s how it feels to me. The way she looks at you makes me uncomfortable, like she’s sizing you up and spying on you. I only figured it out later; she probably feels wary of you, and jealous too.”
Li Lan lowered her head and thought for quite a while. Suddenly understanding something, she said, “I see…”
Zhu Qing asked, “What did you think of?”
In a split second, countless thoughts ran through Li Lan’s mind. She gave a light smile, was just about to speak, then grew a little cautious and in the end didn’t tell Zhu Qing. “Nothing. What she does has nothing to do with me.”
“Tch. Tch tch tch.”
Zhu Qing really loved Li Lan’s cool, effortless way of saying it had nothing to do with her. Her refined, elegant face paired with that pleasant voice was both sexy and charming.
Li Lan was polite, but at her core she was a cold person; she kept a certain distance in the way she dealt with people, as if there were always some drifting estrangement between her and everything around her.
But she didn’t have that feeling toward Zhu Qing.
At the beginning there might have been distance, estrangement, indifference; but little by little, as they spent time together, all of it disappeared.
Now, when Li Lan stood in front of Zhu Qing, she felt completely open and transparent all at once; just looking at her made one feel close and fond, wanting to reach out and touch her, nuzzle her, hug her.
Though sometimes she made Zhu Qing grit her teeth in frustration.
“Stop daydreaming. I know I’m pretty.” Li Lan snapped her fingers in front of Zhu Qing’s face. “Come on, let’s play.”
Zhu Qing: Hmph.
The other games weren’t worth much mention; each had its own moment of laughter, until they got to the “of course” segment.
The production team was not acting human at all, directly splitting up every couple and having them attack each other.
Hu Xu immediately said, “Teacher Liu, when we get back, give me back my bank card. Then I’ll have endless pocket money every month.”
Liu Yini: …I lost, but I’m still angry.
Xu Yuzhi said with a smile, “You want a bank card too?”
Sun Qi went straight to his knees. “No way. I lose; I have to lose.”
Yu Ling said, “Your acting sucks.”
Qi Yao answered with an “of course” and fired back, “You look average.”
Yu Ling also said “of course,” and the two of them attacked each other but never landed a hit. In the end, Yu Ling said impatiently, “You want to open your own studio and go solo in the future.”
What Qi Yao feared most was Qi Zong. Of course he didn’t dare admit he wanted to leave MeiYu Media and strike out on his own, and he finally lost.
Still, the back-and-forth between the two of them made the atmosphere tense.
At last it was Li Lan and Zhu Qing’s turn.
Zhu Qing rubbed her hands together, wanting to beat Li Lan in one shot. “You fell for me at first sight the moment you saw me?”
Li Lan raised a brow. “Of course.”
Zhu Qing thought Li Lan would at least freeze for a second, but instead she answered so smoothly.
Li Lan said, “You fell for me at first sight too.”
Zhu Qing stared blankly. “Ah, of course.”
Hu Xu rolled her eyes. “Are you two showing off your relationship? Hurry up and play; play harder!”
Zhu Qing came back to herself and coughed awkwardly before continuing, “You got fat and ugly after marriage.”
Li Lan didn’t care at all. “Of course.”
Then she added, “Good-looking people don’t care when others call us ugly, because we know we’re good-looking.”
Zhu Qing said, “Then you can’t call me ugly. I do care.”
Li Lan couldn’t help laughing.
Sun Qi slammed the table. “Can these two still function? Why are they always showing off!”
Li Lan held the game controller; now it was her turn to ask. She lowered her head and thought for a long while. Zhu Qing was just about to prompt her when Li Lan looked up and said very seriously, “You want to be with me for a long, long time; for your whole life. You won’t separate, and you won’t leave.”
When Li Lan said it, her expression was serious to the extreme, her gaze fixed on Zhu Qing, giving Zhu Qing the illusion of being wrapped in warmth so intense it burned.
Zhu Qing felt comforted and moved, but her face still reddened awkwardly. In a small voice, she said, “…of course.”
Li Lan’s gaze flickered. A dry, indescribable feeling rose in her throat, like being stirred, and also like wistfulness. If only what Zhu Qing had just said could really come true.
“Director!” Xu Yuzhi raised her hand. “That won’t do; they both have to go down!”
The director also found it a little funny. “Teachers, this is an attack game, not a confession game.”
Li Lan let go. “Oh. Then I lose.”
Zhu Qing, embarrassed, followed suit and let go. “I can lose too.”
Hu Xu said with disgust, “Fine, fine, you both lose. You show-offs, hurry up and get off.”
Li Lan and Zhu Qing walked down hand in hand in perfect harmony, which made everyone else even less able to look.
After the crew finished these games and gathered enough material, they wrapped up filming for the day and announced tomorrow’s schedule.
[Tomorrow we will go on a carnivore safari. Please gather here at 7:00 a.m. Do not be late, do not be late, do not be late. Staff will lead everyone into open-roof off-road vehicles. Along the route there will be African lions, spotted hyenas, cheetahs, black-backed jackals… Absolutely no getting out of the vehicle. No getting out, no getting out, no getting out.]
Zhu Qing had thought they’d be going in the afternoon and said regretfully, “So we have to wait another day.”
Li Lan, however, understood the reason. “Probably for safety. They originally found cage vehicles, but they were worried the local ones weren’t safe, so they looked for new vehicles. And morning is when animals are most active, which makes filming easier for the crew; otherwise the trip would be for nothing.”
Zhu Qing didn’t really mind. She just wanted to finish filming early and go home sooner; waiting one more day wasn’t a big deal.
She said happily, “Then let’s go find some meat for barbecue!”
Li Lan said helplessly, “Fine. Barbecue it is.”
That evening, Hu Xu, Liu Yini, and Sun Qi all came to barbecue. Xu Yuzhi wanted to lose weight, so she dawdled and didn’t dare come out; it was only after Zhu Qing finished grilling a batch of skewers and Sun Qi took them to her room to tempt her that she finally appeared.
The few of them gathered around the grill roasting meat. Now and then a few herbivores wandered past nearby. Under the vast sky and open wilderness, everyone laughed and chatted; this finally felt like a real trip.
The meat Zhu Qing grilled was delicious. Li Lan picked out a plateful, then picked it up and said, “I’m going to bring some to Yu Ling and Qi Yao.”
Zhu Qing blinked. “Okay.”
She found it a little strange that Li Lan would take the initiative to bring them food, but she didn’t think much of it and kept throwing herself into the great cause of grilling skewers.
Li Lan carried the plate and knocked on Yu Ling’s door.
Yu Ling took quite a while to open it. When she saw it was Li Lan, her expression darkened, and she said flatly, “What are you doing here?”
Li Lan glanced into the room. “Xiao Qing grilled some meat. Do you want some?”
Yu Ling didn’t step aside. “No need. If there’s nothing else, I’m closing the door.”
Li Lan nodded. “All right. Then get some rest early. There are still two more days of filming tomorrow and the day after.”
After saying that, Li Lan was about to leave, but Yu Ling called out to her. “Are you very pleased with yourself?”
Li Lan didn’t turn back. “What? I was just talking about filming. Why would you think that?”
Yu Ling’s voice was very low. “Don’t get too smug too soon. You’re not an artist under Guangtong and Chen. The resources I’ve lost won’t become yours.”
Li Lan gave a low laugh.
Yu Ling said, “What are you laughing at?”
Li Lan said calmly, “You really don’t need to pay so much attention to me. You’re like a clay Bodhisattva crossing the river; you can’t even save yourself. Chairman Yang isn’t going to hand me resources for free. I’m only cooperating with her; you’re different. You’re one of her pieces on the board. We’re not the same thing.”
Li Lan tilted her head slightly; sarcasm brushed the corners of her eyes and brows, and her voice was barely audible.
“Me and Chairman Yang, at worst, are just a failed cooperation,” Li Lan’s voice sounded like a devil’s whisper. “You, on the other hand, are a piece that can be abandoned.”
“Your endorsement, your variety shows, all your resources; they’re being taken back, aren’t they?” Li Lan said softly. “Has the company bought bots to control the comments for you? Paid to take down your trending searches? None of that, right?”
Yu Ling, hit blow after blow, was on the verge of collapse. Not to mention that Li Lan’s words had struck right at her weak point; her pale face was full of panic and despair.
“Chairman Yang won’t give up on me…”
Li Lan waved a hand, bored. “You think you’re special? You investigated me; you should know my past with Chairman Yang. She gives you sixty points, but for me she has to double it. You’re not her most satisfactory work; you’re only just past the passing line. If you’re not suitable, she can throw you away anytime. Do you think she cares that much about you?”
“Impossible!” Yu Ling rushed out and reached for Li Lan. “Shut up!”
Li Lan sidestepped, gripped her throat with one hand, and shoved her against the wall. Word by word, she said in a deep voice, “Everything of yours will be mine; you abandoned piece.”
A shattered look flashed through Yu Ling’s eyes. Li Lan narrowed her eyes, confirming that Yu Ling had taken in every word, then slowly let go.
“My defeated subordinate, a stray dog,” Li Lan said, not forgetting to pour more fuel on the fire. Her tone was vicious. “In the future, when you see me, stay far away. Don’t let me run into you again. Understand?”
Yu Ling stared at Li Lan with hatred and helplessness, truly backed into a dead end.
After all the soul-crushing threats and warnings, Li Lan finished that whole scene, found a quiet corner, and leaned against the wall to eat the skewers.
Zhu Qing was very thoughtful; the meat had been marinated in advance with passion fruit, so it was smooth and tender, and the grilling heat had been just right. After the seasoning was sprinkled on, the aroma was mouthwatering.
It was just that once it cooled, it became a little greasy.
Li Lan ate without a word, her gaze sunk into the darkness, carrying an unreadable meaning.
She stared at some empty point in the air and, expressionless yet patient and meticulous, finished the entire plate of barbecue.
Night fell. Since they had to set out at seven tomorrow, the off-road vehicles the crew had arranged were driven to the camp early, and the drivers went into the hotel to sleep soundly.
In the darkness, no one noticed a thin shadow slip soundlessly out from the hotel’s side entrance. That shadow headed straight for the off-road vehicles and lingered quietly around them for a long time.
————————
Zhu Qing asked innocently: You went to check on Yu Ling?
Li Lan rubbed Zhu Qing’s head: Eat more meat; maybe it’ll help your brain.
Zhu Qing: …