When Xu Xue woke her up, there were only ten minutes left before she had to go to work in the afternoon. Looking at Jiang Jianhuan's expression, which was full of morning grumpiness, she said cautiously.
"I noticed you didn't eat lunch, so I brought you two steamed buns from the cafeteria to fill your stomach."
Jiang Jianhuan reacted slowly, rubbed his temples, and spoke in a barely audible voice.
"Thanks."
Jiang Jianhuan survived until the end of the workday on just two steamed buns. Remembering what Su Mo had said to her that morning, she felt inexplicably looking forward to the day ahead, and her mood, which had been gloomy all day, gradually began to brighten.
As Jiang Jianhuan was about to shut down his computer, he picked up his phone to ask Su Mo where she was when he saw a new message on his phone.
He sent the message saying that something urgent had come up at work and he couldn't come to pick her up.
The anticipation that had just been there suddenly deflated like a needle prick, leaving only a shriveled shell.
Jiang Jianhuan frowned, looking somewhat listless.
-
On the set of an advertisement shoot.
When Su Mo arrived, he learned that the female lead in this advertisement was actually Chi Lan. He glanced at Li Sa next to him, who looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"Su Mo, long time no see." The person in front of him greeted him with a smile, the smile was just right, and with her careful attire, she was radiant and stunningly beautiful.
"Long time no see," Su Mo replied politely.
The two listened to the director explain the script together. There was still one set of props that wasn't in place because the staff had made a mistake. After instructing the two, the director immediately went to check.
Chi Lan looked up, about to say something to him, when Su Mo excused himself and said goodbye.
The private lounge has excellent soundproofing when the door is closed.
Su Mo frowned, her tone somewhat reproachful.
"When did you give me this ad? I didn't know!" He thought he had no plans for today, but he received a call from Li Sa on his way back after dropping Jiang Jianhuan off.
"Just last month," Li Sa said, feeling wronged.
"Didn't you say that you could accept any kind of advertisement?"
"I only agreed to this after screening the candidates; they were all high-profile and their prices were very high."
"The female lead is still co-starring with Chi Lan, she's really popular right now."
"......"
Su Mo couldn't quite articulate her thoughts. Over the past few years, she'd maintained a moderate level of contact with Chi Lan; Chi Lan was very tactful, subtly initiating contact without crossing any lines, thus preserving a perfectly balanced friendship.
But ever since he reunited with Jiang Jianhuan, their silence towards each other has always felt strange to him, and his intuition tells him that he should stay away from her.
It's quite similar to your girlfriend and best friend seemingly having a falling out. As her boyfriend, the first thing you should do is stay away from her best friend.
“Next time you have to work with her, just avoid her altogether.” After a moment, Su Mo pondered and said, and Li Sa doubted her ears.
"ah?"
"Don't you understand?" Su Mo gave him a meaningful look, and Li Sa immediately shook his head.
"No, no, no, I understand, I understand."
"But...why?" After a long while, Li Sa couldn't help but ask again tentatively. Su Mo closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair without answering, as if she had fallen asleep.
After a short rest, the director sent someone to inform them that they could start filming. Su Mo had already changed his clothes, and the makeup artist had done a quick touch-up for him.
The two were filming a perfume advertisement for a well-known international brand. Su Mo's popularity and status have always given him excellent resources, but he has never bothered to cultivate them. This time, his willingness to participate in a commercial activity has attracted many offers of opportunities.
The advertisement was designed to be simple: just two people looking at each other and smiling, with the rest of the shots being individual shots. However, even this one collaborative shot was cut several times.
"Chi Lan, make your smile even sweeter."
"Su Mo, don't be so cold."
"Hey, you two, be more natural, don't be so stiff."
After much effort, they finally got this part right, and the director gave them a break. Chi Lan, wrapped in a down jacket, looked at him with some concern.
Didn't you get enough rest yesterday?
"What's wrong?" Su Mo turned her head slightly.
"You look terrible."
"Mm." Su Mo nodded, which was taken as agreement.
I barely slept last night. At first, I couldn't sleep well on the sofa. Then, as dawn broke, I was restless and wanted to kiss and touch the person in my arms, but I was afraid of waking her up. In the end, I stiffened up and didn't dare to move. It was a bittersweet experience.
There was a moment of silence. Chi Lan paused for a moment, then spoke again.
"How is Jianhuan doing lately?"
"Hmm?" Su Mo looked at her with some surprise. Chi Lan smiled slightly disappointedly and explained.
“We haven’t been in touch for a long time. There was a misunderstanding before she went abroad. We met once after she came back, but it seems she still hasn’t forgiven me.”
"Oh." Su Mo nodded, not saying anything more. Chi Lan bit her lip, and his voice came to her ear again.
"She's fine." The tone was so natural, as if they had been together all along before they parted.
"Have you... gotten back together?" A hint of struggle flashed in Chi Lan's eyes, but she still asked the question. Su Mo thought for a few seconds and then asked seriously.
"I'm still working on it."