“It’s snowing today,” Liang Shi said. “I don’t have any scenes to film anymore; they’ve all been moved to tomorrow. I saw you were sleeping soundly, so I didn’t wake you.”
"Okay," Xu Qingzhu said, "I slept very well today."
I woke up at almost 10:30.
I don't know if I ate breakfast or lunch.
It doesn't matter, she didn't have a meeting today, so she can go to the company late.
"I've already spoken to Lin Luoxi for you. Don't go to the company this morning," Liang Shi said. "Rest well and go in the afternoon."
Xu Qingzhu nodded in agreement.
On the dining table, there was only one bowl of porridge in front of Xu Qingzhu. It was a porridge made with white fungus, goji berries, and lotus seeds, and it smelled sweet.
Xu Qingzhu looked at Liang Shi.
Liang Shi sat down opposite her. "Didn't you have a stomachache? Drink this and then go to bed and rest."
Xu Qingzhu scooped it up with a spoon, blew on it gently, and drank it while Lingdang looked on with a mixture of anticipation and envy.
"Did you put in rock sugar?" Xu Qingzhu asked.
Liang Shi nodded: "□□ sugar".
"We don't have any at home," Xu Qingzhu said. "Did you go to the supermarket?"
"Yes, I've prepared all the food in the fridge," Liang Shi said. "You still need to eat well even when you're alone."
Xu Qingzhu: "I have the will but not the power."
Liang Shi: "..."
“I will keep an eye on you,” Liang Shiyi said sternly.
Xu Qingzhu pouted, scooped up a spoonful, blew on it to cool it down, and fed it to Lingdang.
Bell's eyes lit up. "So sweet!"
"You drink it," Liang Shi said. "I made her some soup separately."
"I don't like seaweed soup," Lingdang said, feeling wronged. "I like it sweet."
Liang Shi flicked her forehead: "Children are not allowed to be picky eaters."
Because Lingdang was an unexpected guest in the house, there was no time to cook her another bowl of porridge, so she could only drink soup with him.
However, the arrival of the unexpected guest added a touch of warmth to this otherwise quiet home.
After finishing her porridge, Xu Qingzhu didn't go to sleep. Instead, she took Lingdang to that room to play the piano.
Bell also has piano lessons, but she doesn't really like them.
After all, practicing the piano is quite hard work, but she liked watching others play, so she sat on the bed and asked Xu Qingzhu to play for her.
Flowing, beautiful music drifted out of the room, and Lingdang, the dutiful audience member, immediately clapped.
The house is much more lively now.
The bell, like a sparrow, chirped and chattered all over the house.
Xu Qingzhu felt a bit stuffy and her back ached after only a short while.
She then went back to her room and lay down.
Strangely, she didn't bleed much during her period this time.
She guessed it might be the premenstrual period.
Zhao Xuning also sent her a message asking when she would come to pick up the medicine, or that he would deliver it to her.
Xu Qingzhu felt embarrassed to have her deliver the medicine, so she told her to leave it there and have her secretary pick it up in the afternoon.
Lingdang left in the evening, and Xu Qingzhu, feeling unwell, indulged herself by staying home for the day. During this time, she also received a video call from Lu Jiayi to discuss details of their collaboration.
We chatted on video for an hour.
At that time, Liang Shi was sitting next to Xu Qingzhu, watching a drama on his iPad, and his voice was very low.
Lingdang then took over their TV and watched "Rabbit Don't Cry".
This dark, fairytale-style animated film is long and extensive, and Bell seems to enjoy it immensely.
After discussing their collaboration, Lu Jiayi inquired about Xu Qingzhu's health.
Upon learning that Xu Qingzhu was not at work, Xu Qingzhu answered politely to each question.
Liang Shi, listening from the side, didn't seem to have much of an impact.
If she felt jealous when she saw Lu Jiayi and Xu Qingzhu walking out of the company together yesterday, looking like a match made in heaven.
When she heard the two of them talking about their collaboration today, their perfect understanding moved her. She no longer felt jealous; instead, she was filled with admiration, realizing how powerful the system's driving force truly was.
Indeed, in the end, Lu Jiayi was the one from the same world as Xu Qingzhu.
Their discussion about collaboration wasn't entirely straightforward; during one particular conversation, the topic veered slightly off-topic.
Xu Qingzhu recommended a book to Lu Jiayi. It was a long string of English words that Liang Shi had never heard of. But Lu Jiayi's eyes lit up and she chimed in, "Yes, that's exactly what I was thinking! I really like the viewpoints in it too."
At the time, Liang Shi even checked it on his phone and found it to be a very obscure book.
But even though it was such an obscure and unpopular book, both Lu Jiayi and Xu Qingzhu had read it and shared the same opinion.
This is probably not just the power of the original storyline, but more like encountering a soulmate with whom you share a deep connection.
Liang Shi listened to them finish speaking.
After hanging up, Xu Qingzhu turned on her computer and started working again. She was extremely focused when she worked, as if she could shut herself off from the rest of the world.
Liang Shi glanced at him sideways for a while, then got up to cook.
The bell, like a little tail, turned off the TV and followed her into the kitchen, leaving the living room space to Xu Qingzhu.
It's hard to say whether it was difficult or not; it was as if, in that instant, Liang Shi resigned himself to his fate.
She seemed to have struggled very hard, but to no avail.
Lu Jiayi is the one who is more compatible with Xu Qingzhu.
However, Liang Shi did not show it. She still thoughtfully cooked for Xu Qingzhu, and then covered her stomach at night and held her while she slept.
When Xu Qingzhu was awakened by a nightmare, she gently wiped the sweat from Xu Qingzhu's forehead, then kissed her lips, stroked her back, and comforted her that such a thing would not happen.
Xu Qingzhu buried his face in her neck, leaving a deep mark.
After the nightmare, tears of lingering fear fell onto her skin.
Liang Shi accepted everything without hesitation.
//
The sun came out the next day, the snow melted, and the temperature plummeted.
Both of them took out their thickest cotton-padded coats from the closet. Liang Shi was worried that Xu Qingzhu would catch a cold, so he also took out his scarf, which he had kept at the bottom of the trunk.
Liang Shi drove Xu Qingzhu to the company first, and then drove to the film set.
Gu Yixue didn't say anything. Apart from Sun Chengcheng's complaints about her departure, no one else reacted.
Anyway, she didn't delay the film crew's work.
Even if Sun Chengcheng had some complaints about her, she didn't dare to express them.
At most, she would make a few sarcastic and insinuating remarks, but Liang Shi would only glance at her contemptuously, and she would give up.
After Sun Chengcheng gave up, Liang Shi sat there and began to wonder when she had changed.
In the past, when she heard Sun Chengcheng's sarcastic remarks, she would usually feel embarrassed, and shame and self-blame would dominate her emotions.
It wouldn't be like it is now, so confident and flamboyant, almost reckless.
It didn't start after she died once.
When she first came into this world, she lived cautiously and treaded on thin ice, unlike before.
When she wasn't filming, she would sit in the sunlight as the winter snow began to melt and start to carefully recall her experiences.
It seems to have started when Xu Qingzhu said he liked her.
Because she knew that someone would love her unconditionally and would be her support, she gradually gained confidence.
It was Xu Qingzhu's affection that sustained her confidence.
Because Xu Qingzhu said, "Liang Shi, you are the best."
She said, "Liang Shi, I like you so much."
She would also say, "Teacher Liang, you really don't know how good you are."
Liang Shi could feel her affection at all times, so he wore armor.
No longer the same Liang Shi who lived without any edges, his gentleness has also grown into a sharp edge.
Liang Shi smiled at the thought of Xu Qingzhu.
"What are you thinking about? Why are you laughing so happily?" Gu Yixue raised her hand to shield her head, then sat down beside her. She subconsciously took out a cigarette from her pocket to smoke, but then put it back, considering that the person next to her didn't smoke. She was playing with a lighter in her hand.
Liang Shi said frankly, "I miss my wife, what else could I be thinking about?"
Gu Yixue: "..."
Her confident words made Gu Yixue's heart clench.
Liang Shi asked Gu Yixue, "Is filming almost finished?"
"It'll be soon." Gu Yixue's lighter flickered. "I came to talk to you about this. We'll rush it these next few days and finish filming within five days. You have a lot of scenes left, so you'll have to work hard and might have to stay up for several all-nighters. Are you sure you can handle it?"
Liang Shi nodded: "Sure. But... is it really that rushed?"
"Yes, I have something to do after filming," Gu Yixue said.
Liang Shi asked instinctively, "What is it?"
Gu Yixue paused, then smiled lightly, "Guess?"
Her tone was light, but her expression wasn't relaxed; it probably wasn't something that would make anyone feel at ease.
Liang Shi's imagination was also quite sharp. He coughed softly and quietly leaned closer: "You're not planning to steal the bride, are you?"