Chapter 94

“What about the rest?” Lin Yuewei asked with keen interest, looking at the fox-tail grass rabbit in her hand. It was fluffy, and in terms of looks alone, it was the best fox-tail grass craft by far.

“What rest?”

“The ones that weren’t woven well.”

“I threw them away.”

Lin Yuewei immediately let out a regretful sigh. “You should’ve kept them.”

Gu Yanqiu misunderstood her, thinking she meant the ones that had been thrown out were still worth keeping. She said at once, “If you like them, I can make more for you. You can have as many as you want.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Lin Yuewei laughed. “I meant I wanted to keep the ugly ones as your black history.”

Gu Yanqiu: “……”

Lin Yuewei turned the rabbit over and asked, “Are you mad?”

Gu Yanqiu said, “Not that mad.”

Lin Yuewei pressed two fingers to her brow and smoothed out the crease between them. “If you’re mad, just say so. I won’t get mad.”

Gu Yanqiu thought to herself: You won’t get mad? I’ve lost count of how many times you’ve gotten mad. What exactly gave her the illusion that she had such a good temper?

After a moment’s thought, Gu Yanqiu said, “I am mad.”

She wanted to see what Lin Yuewei would do if she said that.

Lin Yuewei smiled, took one of Gu Yanqiu’s hands, and held it in her palm. “Then I’ll coax you.”

Gu Yanqiu raised her eyebrows and waited.

Lin Yuewei cleared her throat. “Qiuqiu.”

Gu Yanqiu: “!!!”

Not again!

Lin Yuewei caught her hand before she could jerk it back in fright and began a full-throated, melodramatic recitation: “Don’t be angry with me. You have to know, my heart belongs only to you. If I’ve done something wrong, you can hit me or scold me; just please don’t be mad at me.”

Gu Yanqiu: “……”

Lin Yuewei glanced at her and continued, “Remember to drink more hot water, and don’t ruin your own health over me. That would be the greatest punishment for me.”

Gu Yanqiu: “……”

Seeing that she still had no reaction beyond horror, Lin Yuewei thought, She still isn’t laughing? Her taste in humor is way too high.

She decided to bring out her trump card. After all, she was an actress.

Lin Yuewei began summoning tears.

Gu Yanqiu finally couldn’t take it anymore and said, “...Stop.”

Lin Yuewei blinked in delight. “You’re not angry anymore?”

Looks like this trick really did work.

Gu Yanqiu wiped her forearm through the sleepwear and said, “It was too dramatic. I’m getting goosebumps.”

Lin Yuewei giggled.

It didn’t matter how exaggerated the method was; as long as it worked.

“Still angry?” Lin Yuewei asked.

Gu Yanqiu shook her head. “I wasn’t angry to begin with. I just wanted to see how you’d coax me.” She smiled. “If you really coaxed me like that in the future, I’d be too scared to get angry at all.”

“Wouldn’t that be perfect?”

Gu Yanqiu shook her head again and said seriously, “There are some inconclusive scientific studies that suggest moderate anger and arguments are beneficial to a harmonious marriage. When it’s time to be angry, one should still be angry. As for coaxing...”

She looked at Lin Yuewei, pressed her lips together, and said a little fearfully, “Let’s forget about that for now. We can study it later.”

A trace of faint amusement flashed in Lin Yuewei’s eyes. She cupped Gu Yanqiu’s face with both hands and leaned in close. Gu Yanqiu blinked at her in confusion; her features were exquisitely refined, and from so near, her skin looked flawless and pale.

Gu Yanqiu asked, “What is it?”

Lin Yuewei kissed her and said, “If I’m angry, just coax me like this.” Her nose touched Gu Yanqiu’s; their lips brushed as she half-closed her eyes, feeling the other woman’s breath and warmth.

“Okay.” Gu Yanqiu seemed to understand, though not entirely.

What Lin Yuewei said sounded nice, but if she were really angry, she probably wouldn’t let Gu Yanqiu near her. They’d likely have to go cold on each other for a while first; only after they’d both calmed down would they sit down and talk openly. As for all those flashy things like pinning someone against a wall, any kind of wall-pinning would only make things worse. Hearing it was enough.

Lin Yuewei put her rabbit, butterfly, and little grasshopper back into the box. The box was placed on the nightstand, and she continued with her own things. Gu Yanqiu, meanwhile, sat nearby and glanced at her from time to time; most of the time she was looking down and tapping on her phone.

Recently, Gu Feiquan had noticeably increased the frequency of his messages. He basically came over every day to “harass” her a little; if he had something to say, he said it, and if he didn’t, he’d find something to say.

He showed up again today.

[Jiabei: What are you doing [cute.jpg]]

[Xi Gu: Sleeping with my wife]

[Jiabei: You went to visit the set? [eating hands.jpg]]

Thanks to Gu Yanqiu interrupting their conversation that night, Gu Feiquan had suddenly remembered that little sister-in-law who had long since vanished from his memory, looked her up online, and learned that she was currently filming on a set.

[Xi Gu: Mm]

[Jiabei: I’ll take my leave now]

Then Gu Feiquan disappeared.

Gu Yanqiu smiled in delight.

Lin Yuewei caught the expression out of the corner of her eye and asked curiously, “Who is it? You’re smiling so happily.”

Gu Yanqiu closed the WeChat screen and answered, “Gu Feiquan.”

“When did you get so close to him?” Lin Yuewei remembered asking this before. Gu Yanqiu had given her a detailed ideological report, but back then their relationship was still only a cooperative one.

“Just these past few days. He’s the one who keeps starting conversations. I can’t exactly ignore him.”

“Have you done a paternity test?”

“……”

“Didn’t you say you were going to do one?”

That line about getting a paternity test had only been something Gu Yanqiu said offhandedly to pacify Lin Yuewei; she had never once doubted her blood relationship with Gu Feiquan. Meeting Lin Yuewei’s gaze, Gu Yanqiu formally added it to her schedule. “I’ll find a chance to do it when I get back. I forgot about it last week.”

“Mm.” Lin Yuewei got her promise. A moment later, she covered for herself and said, “I’m not jealous; I’m just analyzing it logically. There really is that possibility. If the two of you really aren’t related by blood, then the whole thing has to be reexamined.”

Gu Yanqiu held back a laugh and said solemnly, “I know.”

They looked at each other. The more Lin Yuewei looked, the more guilty she felt; she was the first to look away. “I’ll work. You do your thing.”

Gu Yanqiu sent Gu Feiquan a message: [Pick a time next week; we’ll go to the hospital for a paternity test]

[Jiabei: ???]

[Xi Gu: Just to be safe]

[Jiabei: Okay]

Gu Huai’s company had finally stepped onto the so-called “right track,” and internal power struggles were growing fiercer by the day. Gu Huai’s health was worsening; he had already missed two shareholder meetings in a row. The faction Gu Yanqiu was aligned with, the major and minor Wu side, had already been in frequent contact with several securities firms. Things were on the verge of exploding; all of it was within Gu Huai’s plan.

The more this kind of time came, the less they could afford to relax. After Gu Yanqiu returned to Yanning tomorrow, she would probably be too busy to come see Lin Yuewei for quite a long time. Lin Yuewei did not notice that after she fell asleep, Gu Yanqiu had kept her eyes open and looked at her motionlessly the entire night.

On Sunday night, Gu Yanqiu had a social engagement and had to leave in the morning. Lin Yuewei had a scene to shoot that morning, so Gu Yanqiu got up with her bright and early. After breakfast, one went to the airport and the other to the set.

From the longing looks the two of them exchanged, Wang Yuanyuan mentally reconstructed a whole parting scene fit for a tragic opera. In the end, she patted Lin Yuewei on the shoulder and reminded her in a low voice, “Enough already.”

Lin Yuewei got into the nanny van and sat there in silence. Normally she would have used the time to review her lines, but this morning she was like an eggplant beaten by frost; she looked wilted and listless.

Wang Yuanyuan reached out and rubbed her head, saying nothing to comfort her. She was still single herself.

Lin Yuewei stared up at the roof of the car for a while. When she lowered her head again, her eyes were actually a little red.

Wang Yuanyuan was startled and hurriedly soothed her, “You’ll see each other again. It’s not like life and death, okay? Be good.”

Lin Yuewei let out a long yawn and said inexplicably, “I just went to bed too late last night; I’m a little sleepy. What are you talking about?”

Wang Yuanyuan: “……”

Fine. Let’s just say her sincerity had been fed to the dogs.

Wang Yuanyuan opened a bottle of water for herself. Lin Yuewei turned to look out the window, her gaze deep and dark. This should have been the first time she had missed Gu Yanqiu so much. It was different from the last time, when she had been anxious to confess; this was another kind of longing, more drawn-out and harder to bear, one that seeped into every crack and had to be temporarily driven away by nonstop busy work.

Lin Yuewei touched the place over her heart. There, thudding within her chest, was something that did more than merely sustain her body; it had already taken on another meaning of existence.

Actually... it didn’t feel bad. It was like a kite that had always been flown high into the sky, knowing that there would always be a string below pulling it back. It was a strange sense of reassurance. Lin Yuewei didn’t rely on the security other people gave her, but if she had it, it would make her more motivated to move forward.

She looked at the scenery quickly retreating outside the window and slowly curled her lips. Then she lowered her head and sent Gu Yanqiu a message: [Call me when you get to the airport]

Gu Yanqiu was probably in a taxi; she replied very quickly.

Lin Yuewei glanced at the screen: [Got it]

After replying, she stuffed the phone into Wang Yuanyuan’s hands and, as usual, picked up the few pages of script beside her to read. Her heart had completely settled down.

At the set, she ran into the familiar Qu Xuesong. According to Wang Yuanyuan, Qu Xuesong had only returned very late last night. Lin Yuewei didn’t know how Wang Yuanyuan found that out, but assistants were practically all-powerful; they saw in all directions and heard in all directions.

When Qu Xuesong came over, she was wearing a pair of oversized sunglasses, her head slightly bowed, carrying a chill. No matter who greeted her, she didn’t respond. Two staff members nearby were whispering, “Who pissed Teacher Qu off this time?”

Only Lin Yuewei thought to herself: Qu Xuesong probably just didn’t get enough sleep, which is why she’s so grumpy.

She probably caught up on sleep while doing her makeup, because by the morning shoot, she had recovered and no longer had that gloomy aura. She was smiling at everyone by three parts; she was good-looking and usually had a decent personality, and she often paid out of her own pocket to buy extra food for the crew. On top of that, she was a major star. A major star with a good temper was worth double in the eyes of the staff, and that day the entire crew’s filming atmosphere was lifted by her.

Even Lin Yuewei, who had always suspected Qu Xuesong was targeting her, got a friendly look from her.

At lunchtime, Qu Xuesong added a serving of roast pork chop to everyone’s boxed meal. As the staff ate, they discussed it. “Yesterday at noon we had milk tea sent by Teacher Lin, and today at noon Teacher Qu added extra food. It’s been a long time since I stayed on such a luxurious crew.”

When Qu Xuesong herself heard this, she graciously came over to Lin Yuewei and said, “You bought milk tea for the crew yesterday?”

Perhaps because of the information Lin Yuewei had been exposed to these past few days, plus Qu Xuesong’s apparent help, her subconscious fixed impression of Qu Xuesong had shifted. She no longer felt so guarded around her and answered amicably, “Yes.”

Qu Xuesong sensed the change in her and smiled, then joked on purpose, “You specifically bought it while I was away?”

Lin Yuewei answered calmly and gently, “I only found out afterward that you had taken leave; I didn’t mean it that way.”

Qu Xuesong looked at her for a while, then suddenly said, “Why aren’t you avoiding me today?”

Lin Yuewei showed a somewhat embarrassed smile. “I’m not avoiding you.”

“Do you really think I can’t see through that little bit of acting? Keeping your distance is fine; it saves you from getting into trouble.” Qu Xuesong left that cryptic remark and departed gracefully, leaving a grasshopper on the ground.

Lin Yuewei already had a pile of them from Gu Yanqiu, so she didn’t pick it up.

What she didn’t know was that after she left, one of Qu Xuesong’s assistants came over and searched the ground for a while, then picked up the grasshopper and carried it back.

Qu Xuesong looked at the grasshopper on the dressing table, casually tossed it into the trash, and narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.

What a person thinks is what their eyes will see. After Lin Yuewei changed her fixed impression, everything about Qu Xuesong looked pleasing to her. The occasional low mood was either because she hadn’t slept enough or because that was just her real personality; as for acting, there was no need to mention it. Qu Xuesong had won two of the country’s most authoritative Best Actress awards. She was one of the rare actors who had both acting chops and popularity. At this stage, she was the target Lin Yuewei wanted to reach within the next few years.

Since they were acting on the same set, the two of them could not possibly have no interaction at all. Qu Xuesong did not take the initiative to look for Lin Yuewei very often; instead, Lin Yuewei would go ask her whenever she ran into a problem. Wang Yuanyuan tried to stop her twice, but Lin Yuewei remained stubbornly her own person. And she really did learn a lot from Qu Xuesong, gradually shifting from caution to the early stage of being a fan.

There were a few actors on the crew who knew about Qu Xuesong’s “bad reputation.” When they saw Lin Yuewei getting close to her, and then remembered the day they saw the two of them having breakfast together, they couldn’t help but make up all sorts of unpleasant things, and even their looks toward Lin Yuewei turned strange.

Chen Xuan came to visit the set and saw the harmonious atmosphere between Lin Yuewei and Qu Xuesong. She seriously asked Lin Yuewei about it. Lin Yuewei answered just as seriously, “I have no relationship with Qu Xuesong, and she’s not one of those people who collect people like stamps. I’ve heard the rumors outside; they’re all baseless. Sister Chen, don’t believe them.”

Between her own artist and the gossip, Chen Xuan naturally chose to believe the former; it was just that she still had a thread of doubt. “Qu Xuesong really doesn’t collect people? Don’t tell me you’ve fallen into her trap of pushing and pulling?”

Lin Yuewei shook her head. “Aside from the time she grabbed my collar once, she’s been pretty proper after that. She probably isn’t that kind of person.” She also told Chen Xuan about the matter Qu Xuesong had mentioned regarding Tang Xinyuan’s studio spreading dirt. After thinking it over, she relayed that as well. From her to Chen Xuan, and then slowly upward to Bai Hua, separated by several layers, Chen Xuan wouldn’t go around reporting her “bad talk” about being friends with the big boss. Besides, this wasn’t even bad talk; at most it was a retelling.

“That so?” Chen Xuan thought for a moment, then waved a hand. “Then keep playing around with Qu Xuesong. Having a connection like hers will be very good for your future development. Just be careful in everyday matters; don’t fall into any traps.”

Lin Yuewei nodded solemnly. “I will.”

Chen Xuan looked at her warmly and reminded her, “The company’s resources are the company’s resources; your connections are your own connections. Only what you hold in your own hands is truly reliable.”

Lin Yuewei froze. “Sister Chen...”

Chen Xuan pulled her hand over and patted the back of it. “I’m in my early forties this year, and I’ve been in this industry for twenty years. I’ve brought out no fewer than seventy or eighty artists, and no fewer than forty or fifty. Right now, including you, I only have five artists left. Do you know why?”

Lin Yuewei didn’t speak.

Chen Xuan curved her lips into a smile and answered her own question. “They all left the company. Some opened their own studios, some went to other companies, and some left the entertainment industry altogether. Your road goes far beyond this. I hope you can go farther, until the point where I have to look up to you.”

For some reason, Lin Yuewei actually felt like crying at that moment.

Chen Xuan hurriedly said, “Don’t cry. I say this to every artist. I’ve been saying it for many years already.”

She ruined the atmosphere in a second, and Lin Yuewei immediately laughed.

Only at this point did the two collaborators become truly inseparable. Chen Xuan was different from the agents Lin Yuewei had understood from all kinds of materials before. She was not someone who squeezed artists dry so she could make a name for herself, nor was she cold and distant. She was like an elder who was also a teacher, instructing patiently and earnestly.

Lin Yuewei didn’t know whether it was because she was still inexperienced and too poor at judging people, but she felt that there was actually a lot of warmth in this circle. For example, right now, when Chen Xuan held her in her arms, there was a maternal feeling to it.

Chen Xuan patted her back and suddenly let out a sigh. “Xiao Xiao is going to terminate her contract.”

Lin Yuewei was shocked.

Xiao Xiao was the young singer she had seen once when she went to the company. Back then, she had just taken her first commercial; Chen Xuan had asked her to go sign the contract, and she had waited outside the office for Chen Xuan to come. That was the young singer who had been following behind Chen Xuan at the time.

Xiao Xiao, a once-in-a-generation talent, an all-round singer-songwriter; Chen Xuan had spotted her early, signed her, and sent her onto a variety show, where she exploded in popularity and became the biggest dark horse in the music market that year. Within just three years, she had become famous across the land; her songs were sung in streets and alleys, and every stop on her world tour was packed to the brim. In today’s generally sluggish music market, she was practically a miracle.

The singer had signed a ten-year contract with Chen Xuan. Subtracting the first year and the three years since her meteoric rise, there should still have been six years left.

Chen Xuan said, “She wants to end the contract early and is willing to pay a hefty penalty.”

Back when the contract was signed, the hefty penalty was written in black and white. For today’s Xiao Xiao, whose net worth was already in the hundreds of millions, it was no longer a big deal. No one could stop her from wanting to break away from the company.

“But...” Lin Yuewei still remembered how that day the singer had called Chen Xuan “Auntie Xuan Xuan” over and over in such an affectionate tone, and had said she wanted to treat Chen Xuan to a meal. She had once envied the closeness between the two of them.

Chen Xuan sighed. “I’m tired. It’s always like this. No matter how good the relationship is before or after, once their own interests are involved, they can only think of themselves. I’m not blaming her; I’m just weary of pouring so much effort into someone only to watch them leave without looking back.”

Chen Xuan said, “I won’t take on any new artists anymore. I’ll leave after I’m done with this batch and change careers. You’re the one whose contract expires the latest; I hope you won’t decide to terminate early before then either.” She smiled again. “Actually, ending early wouldn’t be bad. I could relax sooner.”

“You won’t. Dream on,” Lin Yuewei said, glaring at her.

“Work hard and become rich and successful soon.” Chen Xuan smiled. There was a hint of treating Lin Yuewei like her last disciple, which was why she was telling her so many heartfelt things.

Lin Yuewei said, “Even if I do become rich and successful, you’ll still be my first agent. I’ll always remember you.”

“Why so dramatic,” Chen Xuan said, rolling her eyes. “I’ll stay here for a week and supervise whether you’ve done anything inappropriate.”

“Okay.” Lin Yuewei was exceptionally well-behaved.

Chen Xuan rolled her eyes and said, “I also negotiated a few resources for you later on. Keep it secret for now.”

Lin Yuewei tilted her head. “Tell me, Sister Chen.”

Chen Xuan’s hair stood on end from her sudden babying tone and repetitive speech; the dignified agent even stammered. “Y-you... are you poisonous or something, Lin Yuewei?”

Lin Yuewei succeeded in her prank and burst out laughing.

The two of them chatted very happily, but Chen Xuan still refused to reveal the new resources. She only told Lin Yuewei to keep working hard, and for several days afterward, she really did stay on the set with Lin Yuewei, supervising her food, clothing, housing, transportation, and behavior.

For the most part there were no problems. She was also very careful when eating; no matter how hungry she was, she would never gorge herself in a way that might get photographed badly. The longer Chen Xuan stayed with her, the more she could feel the air of luxury radiating from Lin Yuewei’s bones. She didn’t seem like a child raised in an ordinary family.

“Weiwei,” Chen Xuan called her the same way Wang Yuanyuan did. “What do your parents do?”

Without lifting her head, Lin Yuewei said, “Just small roadside vendors who run a fruit shop.”

Lin Yuewei and her family had reached an agreement that she could not tell anyone about her background. Publicly, they’d say she came from a small vendor family. Her father had already prepared the background materials, and as for the specific details, Father Lin naturally had his own methods.

Chen Xuan looked thoughtful. After a while, she asked again, “Aren’t you on good terms with Qu Xuesong? Why don’t I see you going to look for her?”

“You’re here, so I’m embarrassed,” Lin Yuewei almost let the word “mom” slip out, but swallowed it back down. Chen Xuan’s meticulous questioning really did make her a bit like her mother, Ran Qingqing.

Since Lin Yuewei had joined the crew, to be precise, for quite some time now, Ran Qingqing’s frequency of contacting her had dropped dramatically. She was completely unlike her previous style of calling to bother her whenever she felt like it. Could it be that because she thought Lin Yuewei was working now, she was being considerate?

Lin Yuewei always felt something was off, but she was trapped on set and couldn’t go home to check right now.

Then there was that matter as well: was the person Gu Yanqiu’s mother, Shen Huaiyu, had been involved with back then really her?

After wrapping up work and going back, Lin Yuewei finally couldn’t hold back and took the initiative to call Ran Qingqing.

“Mom.”

“Why are you speaking so loudly? You almost woke my grandson,” Ran Qingqing said. “Keep it down.”

“When did you get a grandson?” Lin Yuewei wondered. She hadn’t given birth to a child, so where would a grandson come from?

“I adopted a dog. What’s wrong with that?”

“Fine.” Lin Yuewei said darkly, “Didn’t you used to say pets were a hassle? Why did you suddenly start raising a dog?” There was definitely a problem.

“Anyway, the servants are the ones taking care of it. I just play with it sometimes.”

“Oh, I guess that’s fine.”

Ran Qingqing changed the subject. “Isn’t it all because of you?”

“How are you going to pin this on me again?”

“If you hadn’t gone off to be that thing called an actor, would you have to come home only once every few months now? Honestly, I should’ve raised a dog instead of you.”

“……”

Ran Qingqing said, “Gu Yanqiu is even better to me than you are. When she had time before, she would even specifically come over to keep me company for meals. Now that she’s so busy, she doesn’t come anymore.”

Lin Yuewei was surprised. “Why didn’t she tell me that?”

Ran Qingqing scolded her, “Oh, do other people have to report everything they do to you? It’s not like she’s putting on a show.”

Lin Yuewei said helplessly, “That’s not what I meant. Gu Yanqiu and I are... never mind.” Talking to her mother wouldn’t clear things up anyway, and if she turned around and said something wrong, she’d probably get another lecture. Better to avoid trouble.

Ran Qingqing hated iron for not becoming steel. “You, honestly. I don’t even know how I gave birth to a daughter like you. Look at the Gu family’s daughter; what a wonderful girl. Not only is she beautiful, she’s also gentle and considerate. If you don’t make a move soon, she’s going to run off with someone else.”

“She won’t run off.” Lin Yuewei said lightly. She and Gu Yanqiu were already officially dating; they were even legally married. Even if you gave her four legs, she still couldn’t run away.

“How can she not run off? Can’t you put in a little effort? You’re killing me!”

Lin Yuewei suddenly drew in a soft breath, remembering something.

There had been too many things lately; she had forgotten this one.

Ran Qingqing was still beating her chest and lamenting on the other end. Lin Yuewei seized the gap and interrupted her: “Mom, Mom, Mom.”

“What?” Ran Qingqing said. “Don’t make noise. If you don’t manage to keep my good son-in-law, I’ll cry to you every single time I call.”

“You should hold off on crying for now. I need to tell you something.”

“What is it?” Ran Qingqing gave two exaggerated sniffles. “If it’s about whether you’ve already managed to get my son-in-law, don’t even say it.”

What a coincidence; that was exactly what it was.

“Gu Yanqiu and I have been together for one or two months now,” Lin Yuewei said, nervously rubbing her hands. She spoke very slowly, and when she finished, she explained, “I didn’t mean to hide it from you. It’s just that... I took several projects one after another, then there was training and filming, and on top of that I haven’t really seen Gu Yanqiu much, so I just forgot.”

There was no sound on the other end.

Lin Yuewei tried cautiously, “Mom?”

“……”

After waiting a full ten-odd seconds, Lin Yuewei grew anxious. “Mom? Say something?”

Ran Qingqing finally opened her mouth. A bone-chilling cold seemed to seep through the receiver. “Why would I say anything? Do you still have me, your mother, in your heart? Let’s sever our mother-daughter relationship.”

Author’s Note:

Little skit, Lin Yuewei: Mom, let me explain.

Ran Qingqing: Sever our mother-daughter relationship :)

Lin Yuewei: Mom—

Ran Qingqing: I’m not listening, I’m not listening, I’m not listening.

Lin Yuewei: Then what do I have to do for you to listen to me?

Ran Qingqing: Unless you and Gu Yanqiu hurry up and make the rice into cooked rice.

Pomegranate: Okay, arranging that now [ok]