Having watched too many romance dramas and acted in a little bit of idol dramas, Liang Shi felt that this was not appropriate.
After hesitating for a while, she got up and went to the bathroom to wash up.
She casually tied her hair into a low ponytail, quickly washed her face in the small sink, and instead of using the hotel towel, she used paper towels to absorb the moisture from her face, as she didn't quite trust the quality of the hotel's hygiene products.
Even the pillow smelled of old wood.
Oh, right.
Liang Shi thought of a way to greet her, so he asked Xu Qingzhu if she could smell the old wood scent on the pillow.
Xu Qingzhu has a keen sense of smell and is a clean freak when it comes to bedding, so asking her this question now is probably the safest bet.
But when Liang Shi picked up her phone, she discovered that she had accidentally sent a period to Xu Qingzhu before turning it off.
Xu Qingzhu has already replied: [?]
—[You only thought of this in five minutes?]
Liang Shi: "..."
My heart was filled with mixed feelings.
Liang Shi tapped the screen: [So you've been staring at the chat window the whole time?]
Xu Qingzhu must have just arrived at the company. She sent a voice message, and the background noise was noisy, with the sound of cars speeding by and people around her greeting each other. Xu Qingzhu's voice stood out in the noise. She said, "I wanted to send you a message to ask if you were awake, but I just saw that the message kept showing that the other party was typing, so I waited and waited."
She pronounced the last three words with exceptional clarity, drawing out the intonation in a slow, gentle tone, making it sound particularly like a sarcastic remark.
Through the receiver, Liang Shi pinched his ear shyly.
Soon after, Xu Qingzhu sent another message: "Just like now."
Liang Shi: "?"
"What's wrong now?" Liang Shiyi realized that his voice hadn't recovered when he spoke; it was still hoarse from just waking up, and a ky.
He wanted to retract his message, but Xu Qingzhu's voice message came through again: "Like now, I've been waiting and waiting, but you still haven't said anything."
Liang Shi: "..."
“I told you,” Liang Shi asserted, “you remember to eat breakfast.”
Xu Qingzhu: [Oh.]
Liang Shi pursed his lips, sat on the edge of the bed and thought for a few seconds before sending a voice message with a hint of eager anticipation: "I'll treat you to an escape room this Saturday. I heard that a new immersive escape room recently opened in the north of the city, and it's really good."
Two seconds later, she added: "Just forget about my embarrassing moment last night."
Xu Qingzhu smiled, deliberately raising her voice, "What embarrassing moment? I had forgotten about it if you hadn't mentioned it."
Liang Shi: [...]
How could I forget?!
I clearly remember it very well.
Liang Shi was about to send something else when Xu Qingzhu sent: "[An immersive escape room? If Teacher Liang wants to escape unscathed from an escape room, how much alcohol would he have to drink?]"
Liang Shi sent six dots to express her speechlessness.
Xu Qingzhu: [I'm afraid we'll have to drink an entire distillery dry.]
Liang Shi: [...]
Liang Shi slammed his finger on the screen. [Just you wait! I'm definitely not afraid.]
In the voice message Xu Qingzhu sent, her tone was provocative: "Really?"
Liang Shi: "Of course it's true, whoever's afraid is a little dog!"
Xu Qingzhu: "Okay~"
If a single character is too short, it's difficult to pronounce, but Xu Qingzhu's "good" is very clever, with a long ending sound and a hint of laughter, as if mocking.
Liang Shi's competitive spirit was aroused.
She thought: I must be able to get out of that secret room without drinking.
It's just a locked room, isn't it?
She doesn't necessarily have to play horror-themed games; she can play puzzle-themed games too.
But the system is really terrible, why did it issue those kinds of tasks?
He stayed by her side 24/7, even taking her to the secret room, and coaxing Xu Qingzhu to sleep...
Well, no one can refuse 200,000.
//
Liang Shi applied a thick layer of foundation to the side of her neck, but the marks were still visible.
In the end, they simply gave up.
During the script discussion in the morning, Yan Xi stared at her neck, making her feel a little awkward.
After the seminar ended, Yan Xi leaned over and asked, "What's that?"
Liang Shi replied expressionlessly, "It was from a mosquito bite."
Yan Xi: "..."
A few seconds later, Yan Xi pressed her finger against Liang Shi's neck, and Liang Shi immediately stepped back. "What are you doing?"
Yan Xi rolled her eyes: "Do you think I've never watched TV before?"
Liang Shi: "...So what?"
"Is this a strawberry my beautiful girl grew?" Yan Xi felt a pang of jealousy, her fingers twisting together, but her face remained calm and composed. "You...you're awful!"
Liang Shi: "..."
She found it amusing to see Yan Xi so angry but not daring to show it, so after a while she leaned closer and whispered like a devil, "It's good that you know."
Yan Xi: "?"
“So it’s not your family’s beauty.” Liang Shi smiled gently, but there was a hint of aggression in that smile. “It is my family’s beauty.”
Yan Xi: "!"
The director was quite pleased to see the two of them whispering to each other. "I thought it would take you two a long time to get to know each other, but you've already gotten to know each other so quickly? That's great. It's easy for young people to communicate. You two have developed a bond, so filming will go more smoothly."
Upon hearing this, Liang Shi looked at the director and nodded to him, "We've gotten a little more familiar with each other."
Yan Xi gritted her teeth secretly, and Liang Shi felt that she was about to spit fire as she stared at the hickey on his neck.
The director laughed and said, "Liang Shi, you have more experience in acting, so please mentor Yan Xi. She's a complete newcomer."
Liang Shi nodded: "Okay."
Yan Xi replied, "I don't need to. I learn things very quickly."
The director shook his head, saying, "Acting is all about talent. No matter how fast you learn, if you don't have talent, it won't work."
“I have that kind of charisma too.” Yan Xi proudly raised her chin. “Anyway, I’m sure I can act well, I don’t need her to teach me.”
Liang Shi smiled but remained silent.
The director just laughed at her youthful spirit, saying he wouldn't say that again when she stumbled.
Anyone could tell that the director and she had a special relationship. Yan Xi's status was extraordinary; even if she didn't bring her own investment to the production, she was practically a little tyrant in the crew.
Yan Xi, however, felt certain that she would not fail. From childhood to adulthood, she had succeeded in everything she wanted to learn.
It's just acting, isn't it?
She can definitely do it.
Anyway, she's better than Zhao Ying.
Zhao Ying, who suddenly found herself with an enemy: ...
Zhao Ying didn't care.
Seeing her like this, Liang Shi didn't want to be disliked and stepped forward to offer to be her teacher. During meetings, he would listen and occasionally chime in with a few words of discussion. After the meetings, he would take a short break.
Initially, Liang Shi didn't have any scenes, so she could leave if she was busy. Two days before her scenes were scheduled, the staff would call her and ask her to come to the set.
After the meeting, Liang Shi said goodbye to the director and Zhao Ying, then drove away from the film crew to go home.
She was able to complete that task just before filming officially began.
I'm with you 24/7... even when you need to use the restroom.
System reply: [Going to the toilet doesn't count. "Staying inseparable" in the task refers to eating together, washing dishes together, and sleeping together, including those two key points.]
Liang Shi understood. Just like the last trip, it was supposed to be three days and two nights, but the most important part was those two nights.
On his way out of the film crew, Liang Shi called Gu Zhaoyuan to ask if he had time to talk to him.
Gu Zhaoyuan told her to go directly to the Ciai Nursing Home, where he had always been.
Liang Shi checked the distance. Although the place where she was filming and the Ciai Nursing Home were both in the suburbs, they were across most of the city and took more than two hours to drive.
It was almost evening, so Liang Shi suggested that he come to the city the next day so that the two of them could meet.
Gu Zhaoyuan immediately became alert. "Is it related to the stars and moon?"
Liang Shi said in a deep voice, "Yes, she wants to meet with you. We'll talk about the details tomorrow. If I have time tonight, I'll ask Gu Xingyue again."
Gu Zhaoyuan took a deep breath. "Okay, is eight o'clock tomorrow morning okay?"
When the topic turned to Gu Xingyue, Gu Zhaoyuan immediately became anxious, wishing he could meet Liang Shi right now.
Liang Shi smiled helplessly, "Brother Gu, don't get agitated. Xingyue's situation might not be good right now, so we need to give her enough time. Since she took the initiative to ask to meet, it means she won't run away. Don't panic."
Her way of addressing them immediately shortened the distance between them.
Gu Zhaoyuan smiled bitterly, "Miss Liang, I... I never thought Xingyue would still be alive."
Liang Shi said firmly, "She is still alive, you will meet again, and she is a gentle yet strong girl."
Gu Zhaoyuan said with deep emotion, "Yes, she always has been."
Liang Shi then arranged a meeting place with Gu Zhaoyuan, setting the time for 9:00 AM, before hanging up the phone.
That evening, Liang Shi sent Gu Xingyue a text message, asking if it was convenient for her to call.