Zhou Qishen paused, holding the soup spoon, looking at Teacher Zhao's solicitous manner, as if she disliked how bad his health was.
Look how anxious the old man is.
——
Qinghai.
Zhao Xiyin had just finished filming a rain scene, which was truly grueling. Already dressed in thin clothing, she had to dance in the rain, and the wind and sand turned her entire face into mud. Su Ying wasn't faring much better, shivering in her cotton coat on the sidelines.
Zhao Xiyin wasn't a professionally trained actress, and her solo scene, which lasted about ten seconds, required over ten takes. Zhao Xiyin wasn't in good form and lacked experience, becoming increasingly flustered as the scene progressed. Su Ying watched for a long time, and just as she was about to get up, Dai Yunxin stepped forward to reassure and guide her: "Xiao Xi, don't be nervous. Striving for perfection is a normal part of the process."
When Zhao Xiyin saw familiar faces, her emotions calmed down.
Her lips were trembling from the cold, and the makeup artist came to touch up her makeup. Dai Yunxin quickly said, "Look outwards. Don't treat this like a movie shoot. Just like our daily training, it's just basic skills like stretching your legs, spinning, and jumping, right? It's not difficult. Have some confidence!"
Zhao Xiyin nodded, gritted her teeth, and did it again.
This time, we finally got it right.
She was almost exhausted and squatted there for a long time, unable to stand up.
Dai Yunxin draped a coat over her shoulders, offered her hot water, and helped her up, staying on set all morning with great concern. After changing clothes, the electric heater in the rest tent made Zhao Xiyin's face flush.
"Drink some ginger tea, and take a cold medicine later," Dai Yunxin instructed.
Zhao Xiyin smiled without any distraction, "Thank you, Master."
After a two-second pause, Dai Yun thought to herself, "There's no filming this afternoon. I'll have someone take you back to your hotel so you can get some sleep. You're sure to catch a cold if you get caught in this rain. You're not in the best of health, so take good care of yourself."
Zhao Xiyin looked distressed and said something from the bottom of her heart, "Making movies is too difficult. After this one is finished, I will never enter this industry again."
"Cowardly, lacking ambition." Dai Yunxin said with displeasure, "You've forgotten the saying, 'No pain, no gain.' Have you forgotten what I taught you since you were little?"
Zhao Xiyin opened her mouth to argue, but was interrupted, "Don't be childish. Come on, I'll take you home. After you wake up, get ready, and come have dinner with me tonight."
Zhao Xiyin was taken aback, "Eating again?"
Dai Yunxin frowned. "You're not even willing to spend time with me now?"
Zhao Xiyin, being soft-hearted, shook her head and denied it, "No."
Zhao Xiyin had taken a nap in the afternoon, and just as Dai Yunxin had predicted, she woke up with a splitting headache; she had caught a cold. Dai Yunxin arrived at the perfect time to find her, and Zhao Xiyin, her face pale, said with a pained expression, "Master, I'm not feeling well. Can I keep you company another day?"
She wasn't faking it; when she stood up, everything went completely black.
Dai Yun said ruthlessly, "Let's do it today. Anyway, there's a car going there, so we don't have to walk."
Ten minutes later, Zhao Xiyin, sniffling and feeling dizzy, followed her out the door. After getting into the car, she sent Zhou Qishen a WeChat message: "I have a cold, I feel so awful [crying]".
There was no reply. The car started moving, swaying gently, and she quickly fell asleep again. When they arrived at their destination and the car came to a stop, Dai Yunxin remained motionless. The driver turned his head, puzzled, "Teacher Dai? Aren't you getting out?"
Dai Yunxin's gaze lingered on Zhao Xiyin's sleeping face, like a vine entwining around her, for a few seconds with hesitation and inner conflict. She reached out and gently woke Zhao Xiyin, "Xiao west."
Zhao Xiyin then realized that she had arrived in the city of Golmud.
Before getting out of the car, Dai Yun thought to herself, "I'll just leave the bag in the car; it's too much trouble to carry it."
At a local seafood restaurant, on the third floor, Dai Yunxin pushed open the door to the private room. Zhuang Qiu, who had arrived earlier, immediately stood up and smiled at Zhao Xiyin.
——
Zhou Qishen's plane was delayed by twenty minutes, and it was already night when he arrived in Xining.
He turned on his phone as soon as he stepped off the covered bridge. Missed calls and text messages vibrated one after another, until he finally saw the one Zhao Xiyin had sent him half an hour earlier. He called back, but no one answered. Zhou Qishen called three times, still no answer.
A certain intuition made him feel extremely uneasy.
My heart is pounding with anxiety and unease.
Zhou Qishen then called his secretary and asked, "Who's in charge of the film crew's work in Qinghai? Give him a call."
Secretary Xu was efficient and replied in less than three minutes: "President Zhou, I asked and the crew said that Xiao Zhao went back to the hotel in town to rest at noon. She got caught in the rain today and must be tired."
Zhou Qishen snapped, "Who the hell came up with this terrible idea? Making people stand in the rain like this? Which hotel is it?"
Secretary Xu gave the address and said, "I've already called the front desk. They said Xiao Zhao did come back, but went out again around 5 p.m. Mr. Zhou, please don't worry. He probably just went out for lunch and forgot his phone."
Zhou Qishen was straightforward: "She's sick; she wouldn't run away for no reason."
Zhao Xiyin isn't the type of person who likes to go out and have fun. When she's doing well, she doesn't go out to play, let alone in this state.
“There’s a girl in the dance troupe who’s on good terms with her, named Cen Yue,” Zhou Qi said in a deep voice. “Find her.”
He hung up the phone, unable to wait any longer, and immediately dialed Gu Heping's number. Gu Heping was notorious for his womanizing; he must have Cen Yue's contact information since he had mentioned her.
Gu Heping answered quickly, as was his habit, and made a few jokes. Zhou Qishen didn't waste words with him, "I'm in Qinghai now, give me Cen Yue's number."
Sensing something was wrong, Gu Heping immediately straightened his tone, "Something happened?"
Zhou Qi took a deep breath and said in a tense voice, "I can't get in touch with Xiao west."
Gu Heping didn't hang up the phone. He sent Cen Yue's number to him. "Don't scare yourself. There are so many people in the crew. What could possibly happen? Here, give me your location. I'll contact my second uncle. If necessary, it'll be convenient to check the car or the surveillance footage."
To put it in a comforting tone, Gu Heping was genuinely concerned and anxious.
In a split second, a thought flashed through Zhou Qishen's mind. After a moment of silence, he suddenly asked, "What has Zhuang Qiu been doing these past few days?"
Gu Heping immediately asked around and received a quick reply, which felt like a bucket of ice water being poured over him. "I thought the rumors about him investing in movies were just empty talk, but it turns out he really did have contact with Dai Yunxin, and he even went to Qinghai!" Gu Heping was truly panicked and felt like cutting that person into pieces. "Damn it, he's like a persistent ghost! I'm sorry, Brother Zhou, this was my oversight."