So the two happily switched to another meal, but Liang Shi asked Yan Xi, "Why didn't your agent come along?"
"Who?" Yan Xi asked in surprise, shaking her head. "That's not my manager, that's my nanny."
Liang Shi: "...?"
There are so many positions in wealthy and powerful families; it really has that ancient feel to it.
Yanxi ate without any problems. Although she kept complaining that the boxed lunch looked unappetizing before eating, she ate very politely without making any noise or talking to anyone.
Before eating, Liang Shi took a picture of the boxed lunch and sent it to Xu Qingzhu.
【Teacher Xu, lunch is ready.】
A moment later, Xu Qingzhu replied: [?]
Liang Shi: [What's wrong?]
Xu Qingzhu: [It's different from what you posted on your WeChat Moments.]
Liang Shi: [I swapped with a younger girl from the crew; she doesn't seem to like carrots.]
Xu Qingzhu: [...]
Liang Shi stared at the screen, not understanding what Xu Qingzhu's ellipsis meant. Just as she was about to send a message to ask, a video chat popped up in the chat box.
Liang Shi answered the call under Yan Xi's curious gaze.
In the video, Xu Qingzhu is sitting in a soft chair in her office, still wearing a light-colored suit. The top button of her white shirt is undone, revealing a silver necklace around her neck, resembling a line of stars.
Liang Shi first asked, "Have you eaten?"
Xu Qingzhu nodded: "I've already eaten."
"Why are you only eating now?" Xu Qingzhu asked.
The background on Liang Shi's side was still green pines and cypresses, not shrouded in the gray of late autumn, and without the cold afternoon sun, so it was still quite clear to see. She replied in a gentle voice, "The opening ceremony ended late."
"Wasn't there a launch banquet?" Xu Qingzhu raised an eyebrow, casually flipping through the documents on the table, propping her phone up in front of her, and twirling a pen between her slender fingers. Her expression was indifferent, and her voice remained cool. "Why would we be eating boxed lunches?"
Liang Shi: "The opening banquet is in the evening. We had lunch here at noon, and we will have a script discussion meeting in the afternoon."
Xu Qingzhu nodded slightly. "Oh."
Her tone was indifferent, and she didn't say anything more after she finished speaking. She just kept signing her name, and the sound of the pen tip gliding across the paper was quite obvious.
Liang Shi didn't know what to do next... He felt bad about hanging up the phone, but it was time to eat.
The atmosphere fell silent. Liang Shi couldn't help but ask, "Is there anything else?"
Xu Qingzhu put the signed document aside, rested her chin on her hand, and said in a light tone, "Teacher Liang, won't you let me see where you work?"
Liang Shi: "..."
She turned the camera around, and suddenly a lot of people appeared on the screen. It was an outdoor scene in the suburbs, with people constantly walking around. Even during breaks, people were still setting up the scene. She turned the camera almost 360 degrees before switching back to the front camera. "There's nothing to see, just the wilderness."
"Aren't you filming a modern drama?" Xu Qingzhu said, "Why can't we film in the CBD and shopping malls?"
Liang Shi explained, "There will be more later. In the early stages, we'll just film some places like this because it's easier for the production team to set up the sets."
“Okay.” Xu Qingzhu paused, then said rather stiffly, “Next to.”
Liang Shi was stunned: "Huh? What?"
“You didn’t show me the side next to you just now,” Xu Qingzhu said.
Liang Shi: "..."
She glanced at Yan Xi, who was sitting quietly eating next to her, and suddenly felt inexplicably guilty, but still turned the camera towards her.
Yan Xi was startled, looked up at the camera, then widened her eyes. After swallowing the mouthful of food in her mouth, she immediately blinked and said, "Wow, a beautiful woman!"
Xu Qingzhu & Liang Shi: "..."
"Senior, senior!" Yan Xi immediately exclaimed, "Me! Me! Me!"
Xu Qingzhu & Liang Shi: "..."
They had no idea what Yan Xi was talking about.
Yan Xi was so excited that she stammered, but she still insisted on greeting Xu Qingzhu, "Senior, I'm Yan Xi from the class of 2019, I've seen you before! You're such a beauty!"
Xu Qingzhu was taken aback, then raised an eyebrow and asked, "Economics and Trade 1903?"
Yan Xi nodded frantically, "I've heard you give a speech before, you're such a beautiful woman!"
She always brings along a stunningly beautiful woman with every sentence she says, which makes people feel quite embarrassed.
Xu Qingzhu asked suspiciously, "Then what are you doing on set?"
"I'm here to film a movie," Yan Xi said. "Waaah, I'm so happy that I can actually talk to my goddess."
Liang Shi: "..."
Yan Xi also introduced Liang Shi to Xu Qingzhu, saying, "I play her love interest in the drama, and I especially like her."
Xu Qingzhu: "...What about reality?"
"I already have someone I like in real life," Yanxi said. "Although she's very pretty, I still prefer the stunningly beautiful senior, aww! Can we add each other on WeChat? I'll only look at your Moments, just to be a voyeur and admire your looks!"
Xu Qingzhu: "...Okay."
Afterwards, Liang Shi added Yan Xi on WeChat and then gave Xu Qingzhu's WeChat to Yan Xi.
Liang Shi sat there, his heart filled with mixed feelings.
After dinner, Liang Shi sent Xu Qingzhu a message: "Teacher Xu is quite charming."
Xu Qingzhu: [...Teacher Liang and the CP get along quite well.]
//
The script workshop this afternoon will be to review the script's logic and the characters' logic.
The main focus is on the earlier part of the story. A TV series has dozens of episodes, so it's impossible to tell all of these parts at once.
The director was relatively quick; the meeting went on until after 6 p.m., when it was almost dark.
The opening banquet was held in the city center, and everyone drove there.
The restaurant was not far from Xu Qingzhu's company. Liang Shi thought he could go home later, but during the meal, the director said that he had booked a hotel for all the actors and that they would continue the script discussion the next morning, so it would be best if everyone who could stay could stay.
Liang Shi secretly asked Zhao Ying if she was going home, and Zhao Ying shrugged, "Since the filming started, I've basically been staying in hotels."
"Besides, we'll be drinking later, and it'll be late by the time we finish eating and drinking. It's not safe to go back on the way," Zhao Ying said. "It's more convenient to stay at a hotel."
Meanwhile, Shu Yi, another leading actress in the production, also stayed on set, making Liang Shi's departure seem rather abrupt.
Liang Shi could only send Xu Qingzhu a message saying that he wouldn't be going home that night.
The location chosen by the director was a place where the film crew often gathered for meals, and they were already experienced in hosting such large gatherings.
There were over a hundred people in the crew. After Liang Shi arrived, he had a few drinks, but didn't dare to drink more. Then, finding the place stuffy, he went to the corridor for some fresh air.
As she was heading back, she bumped into a woman who seemed a little drunk. The woman was wearing a black tank top and high-waisted black jeans with a sparkly belt, and her medium-length hair hung down her shoulders.
Liang Shi steadied her and exclaimed, "Be careful!"
The other person looked up, and both of them were startled. "It's you?"
Liang Shi released her hand and smiled, "What a coincidence."
Gu Yixue smiled and said, "It's quite a coincidence."
She was drunk, her face flushed. "What are you doing here? Are you an actress?"
Liang Shi nodded: "Yes, the film crew has started shooting."
"What a coincidence," Gu Yixue said with a smile, "We just finished filming."
The two had only met once and were not familiar with each other, but they would chat casually when they met. Gu Yixue then touched her pocket and took out a metallic lighter. "Here, I promised to give you a lighter next time we meet."
Liang Shi: "..."
She accepted it without hesitation, saying, "Thanks."
The metal lighter's body was cold, with the character "风" (wind) engraved in the lower right corner.
Liang Shi traced the word with her fingers, while Gu Yixue waved her hand dismissively, "Withdraw."
Someone shouted from nearby, "Director, are you drunk?!"
Gu Yixue chuckled, "Get lost."
She exudes charm with every frown and smile.
She walked forward, but lost her footing and almost fell. Liang Shi quickly reached out to help her.
However, Lumi, who happened to be there for a classmate reunion, saw this moment, took out her phone, snapped a picture, and sent it to her boss, Xu Qingzhu, without hesitation: "[Minister Xu, although...but...I think you should still know...]"
Xu Qingzhu, who was bored at home watching TV, opened her phone: [...]
Chapter 90
Lumi, a well-known "gossip queen" in Minghui Jewelry's design department, often goesssips with others.
When Xu Qingzhu saw this message and this photo, her first reaction was: Lumi, shut up!
So she called Lumi, "Hello, Lumi, where are you?"
Lumi darted around the corner, covered her mouth with her hand, and said into the receiver, "Minister, I...I...I didn't see it on purpose."
Xu Qingzhu: "...I know."
"Where are you?" Xu Qingzhu asked.
Lumi replied, "In 'spring, summer, autumn, and winter'."
The name of this store is quite unique.
Xu Qingzhu was silent for only a second before Lu Mi blurted out, "Minister, I was attending a class reunion tonight and just needed to use the restroom. Then I turned the corner and saw...it was them...ugh!"
Lumi didn't know what to say, so she just said with great bravado, "There are millions of women in the world, and if they're not good to us, we can change them every day. Minister, with your excellence, are you worried about not finding another one?"
Xu Qingzhu: "..."