Zhou Qishen was tied to the bed, his emotions already running high. Now, it was like a bucket of ice water being poured over his head, chilling him to the bone.
He realized—
Damn it! Zhao Xiyin did it on purpose; she's already run away!
Chapter 75 Dreams of a Woman in Her Boudoir (3)
Zhao Xiyin was quite ruthless; she tied the tie tightly, making knots one after another. Zhou Qishen couldn't untie it for a moment. He remained in a very strange posture, like a shrimp moving on the bed. When he touched the edge of the bed, he lost his balance and fell straight to the ground.
Zhou Qishen skipped and hopped to find a pair of scissors. After finally managing to untangle the knot, he picked up his phone and saw that Zhao Xiyin had thoughtfully sent him a text message.
"I'm driving your car home. I'll return it to you tomorrow. Have a good night's sleep, Mr. Zhou."
The young girl acted as if nothing had happened, which amused Zhou Qishen. When he called back, Zhao Xiyin answered quickly.
Zhou Qi said in a deep voice, "Are you playing me?"
Zhao Xiyin calmly replied, "No, your tie looks good and complements your skin tone. Let me try it on for you."
Are you jealous?
"I'm drinking water."
Zhou Qishen sincerely explained, “Min Yunzhi is a friend of mine. She just returned to China today, so I invited her to dinner. I also know Gu Heping. We were supposed to come together, but Heping had something come up at the last minute.”
Zhao Xiyin softened her tone, "You don't need to explain."
Zhou Qishen thought he would hear "an explanation is just a cover-up," but she said nothing more and casually brushed it off, "Brother Zhou, I'm still driving."
Zhou Qishen hummed in agreement, "Then be careful."
After hanging up the phone, Zhao Xiyin touched the steering wheel and took a deep breath.
To say she didn't mind would be a lie. It wasn't that she minded, just a little disappointed. It wasn't that she didn't know Zhou Qishen's rich romantic history; he was a high-quality man in his thirties, at the peak of his wealth and health. And based on her understanding of Mr. Zhou, he wasn't the aloof and dignified type. Considering what Zhuang Qiu had told her, that Min Yunzhi at the hotpot restaurant really fit the image of a wealthy heiress.
Zhao Xiyin sighed, thinking how stupid Zhou Qishen was. He should have married her back then; he might be even more successful now.
When the idea popped into her head, she paused for a moment, then laughed to herself.
Are you jealous?
It doesn't really count.
——
The troupe had a heavy workload these past few days, so as soon as Su Ying's schedule became available, they could rehearse together. Zhao Xiyin and Su Ying rehearsed together two days early in a separate practice room. Neither of them spoke, focusing on memorizing their positions, the music, and the rhythm. After completing the routine, Zhao Xiyin felt that her performance was quite good.
Su Ying's assistant came up to hand over water, and also gave Zhao Xiyin a bottle, saying very kindly, "Thank you for your hard work."
Zhao Xiyin smiled and said, "Of course."
She would occasionally glance at Su Ying. When Su Ying rested, she never sat; she would stand by the window, serene and aloof. Su Ying turned her head, and the two met eyes unexpectedly. Zhao Xiyin pursed her lips, giving a vague smile, but Su Ying didn't appreciate it, nodding slightly before looking away.
For their first joint performance, all dancers were required to be present. Lin Lang had been absent since the last audition, but finally arrived late today. She was as radiant as ever, chatting and laughing with everyone.
Those standing to the side whispered among themselves, "Lin Lang and Zhao Xiyin don't get along, do they? She lost out on the lead dancer position and got slapped in the face. She seems quite at ease about it."
"She's shrewd; she seems to be mingling in the circles of rich and beautiful women. What's this? She just doesn't want to be a laughingstock."
"Who do you think has a better background, her or Zhao Xiyin?"
"Lin Lang, I heard her family is quite powerful. Zhao Xiyin's father is a teacher?"
"Hey, have you guys heard? She talked to President Meng."
"ah?!!!"
There were a lot of staff and company management present today, probably all because of Su Ying's influence. Dai Yunxin was also there; during the rehearsal, she observed, adjusted, and constantly called out reminders. After one rehearsal, everyone spontaneously applauded.
Zhang Yijie stood beside Meng Weixi and said, "Without makeup, hair, or lighting effects, this effect is already very good."
Meng Weixi asked, "When will Director Pang's project finish?"
"Filming for the storyline will begin next week."
Meng Weixi paused, "Then we can't rest during the New Year?"
Zhang Yijie nodded. "Very likely."
This is nothing unusual. Film crews always shoot according to schedule, without considering the days. Whether it's a holiday or a festival, they shoot as scheduled. This is stipulated in the contract.
Meng Weixi thought for a moment and then remained silent.
He was on a business trip in Europe recently, returning to China twice in just over a month, but each time he had to rush off to attend meetings and leave again. The Meng family has also been particularly sensitive lately; Old Master Meng suffered a heart attack and was secretly hospitalized, creating a tense atmosphere.
Meng's father urged him to return to China immediately and hand over his work abroad to someone else. Meng Weixi being in Beijing was a reassuring presence.
After the rehearsal, the teachers asked Su Ying and Zhao Xiyin to come and watch the video recording.
“Xiyin, you’ve deviated a bit from the correct position for this rotation. From the right side, it won’t be a straight line.”
"Teacher Su, you are slightly taller than Xiyin, so when we stand in staggered positions, could you please move forward a little?"
Su Ying was extremely serious about her profession, and she was remarkably fair, judging both the good and the bad. Furthermore, she abandoned her usual aloofness and naturally offered advice to Zhao Xiyin. Zhao Xiyin was flattered and paused for a moment.
Su Ying frowned. "Are you even listening?"
Zhao Xiyin quickly nodded, "Yes, yes."