How long have I been asleep?
After taking the fever reducer, I sweated a lot and felt sticky all over. My throat felt very dry with each breath.
Xin Ying handed her the warm water she had prepared earlier and said, "You only slept for two hours."
"So late?" Lin Leyao glanced at her phone, quite surprised, and tried to get out of bed: "I still have a scene to film today!"
Xin Ying stopped her abruptly: "Your assistant has asked for leave for you, so take a break today!"
Lin Leyao lay back down on the bed, wrapped in the blanket and leaning against the headboard. Xin Ying brushed a strand of hair damp with sweat from her forehead to the side and then asked, "Do you still want to sleep?"
Lin Leyao shook her head, a faint smile appearing on her face: "I've had enough sleep."
Xin Ying said, "It's still early, let's order takeout later. What do you want to eat for lunch?"
Lin Leyao replied, "Anything is fine, whatever you like."
"Okay," Xin Ying replied simply, then asked, "Where's the ring I gave you?"
Xin Ying's question came suddenly, and Lin Leyao was taken aback. After a long pause, she pursed her lips and didn't speak. Instead, she lifted the pillow, revealing a ring box.
Why don't you wear it?
Lin Leyao's expression changed because of Xin Ying's words. She quickly composed herself and said, "It's inconvenient to wear it while filming."
Xin Ying noticed the fleeting change in Lin Leyao's expression. She didn't understand why those words had caused such a strong emotional reaction in Lin Leyao. Xin Ying's doubts deepened, but she remained outwardly calm and simply replied, "Okay."
Seeing that Xin Ying didn't press the matter, Lin Leyao breathed a sigh of relief.
Xin Ying kept her eyes fixed on Lin Leyao. She looked at Lin Leyao and asked, "Since I gave you this gift, are you going to give me one in return?"
Lin Leyao pointed to the slippers on Xin Ying's feet: "Don't these slippers count?"
A hint of resentment flashed in Xin Ying's eyes: "You just gave me a pair of hotel slippers?"
Lin Leyao paused for a moment, then said, "...Okay, let me think about it."
Xin Ying tapped the ring box that she always kept under her pillow with her fingertips and said, "In return, you should give me a ring too."
Lin Leyao's eyelids trembled, and her gaze fell on Xin Ying's slender, white fingers.
Lin Leyao pursed her lips and nodded in agreement, "Okay."
At noon, Lin Leyao felt that she was almost fully recovered, so she got out of bed and had lunch with Xin Ying at the dining table.
Lin Leyao asked her, "Why did you suddenly come over today?"
Xin Ying calmly drank the hot soup in her bowl and explained seriously, "Xu Hong came to visit Sister Bai on set, and I hitched a ride here."
Lin Leyao was very surprised: "Is Teacher Bai also filming here?"
Xin Ying hesitated for a moment, then ruthlessly passed the buck to her childhood friend: "That's what Xu Hong said."
Lin Leyao nodded, then asked, "Did Assistant Kong also come here in a ride-sharing car with you?"
Xin Ying answered decisively, "Yes."
Lin Leyao still had some questions: "Why is Assistant Kong wearing pajamas? Didn't you all leave work together?"
Xin Ying explained, "She went home first. She usually likes to wear pajamas when she's not working because pajamas are very comfortable. Anyway, she's just visiting the set today, not meeting clients, so it's fine for her to wear pajamas. As long as she's happy."
Lin Leyao looked surprised: "I didn't expect working under you to be so free. You're a very good boss to your assistants. Your assistant must be very happy."
Xin Ying accepted Lin Leyao's praise without batting an eye. She nodded slightly and said, "She's always been an excellent worker, so her year-end bonus doubled this year."
Lin Leyao nodded: "She deserves a good job!"
Xin Ying nodded and hummed in agreement.
Xin Ying stayed at the hotel until evening before preparing to leave.
As Xin Ying stepped out of Lin Leyao's room, she stood at the elevator entrance. The elevator doors opened, and she was greeted by Lin Leyao's assistant, Xiao Mi.
Upon seeing Xin Ying, Xiao Mi immediately perked up and blurted out, "Hello, sister-in-law."
After calling her that, Xiaomi looked embarrassed, wondering why the way she called her that sounded so strange.
She quickly changed her address and greeted, "Hello, Miss Xin."
Xin Ying has been very popular lately, frequently trending on social media. Her face is unforgettable, so when this person suddenly knocked on her door last night asking for her room key, she recognized him immediately.
When Xiaomi saw the marriage certificate she showed her, she was even more bewildered.
Noticing that Xiaomi was a little nervous, Xin Ying smiled kindly at her and said, "You stay with Le Yao and remember to keep an eye on her for me. Don't let her drink outside."
Xiaomi immediately nodded and said, "Ms. Xin, don't worry! Sister Leyao never drinks outside. Even if investors ask her to drink, she will firmly say no."
Seeing Xin Ying's surprised expression, Xiao Mi explained, "Don't you believe me? A few weeks ago, our crew's former investor said some rather unpleasant things at the dinner table and insisted that Sister Le Yao drink with him. Sister Le Yao refused and directly splashed wine in that investor's face. I was worried that the investor would trip up Sister Le Yao, but I didn't expect that the crew would get a new investor later."
Xiao Mi blinked frantically at Xin Ying, then asked with a gossipy look, "President Xin, you arranged the new investors, didn't you?"
Xin Ying felt a mix of emotions after hearing Xiao Mi's words.
Because Lin Leyao and this former investor had previously trended on social media, Xin Ying had asked Xin Sinan to help clarify the situation, so she knew about the production team changing investors. However, she didn't know that the investor was changed under these circumstances.
Xin Ying's eyes darkened, and she asked Xiaomi in a low voice, "Do you know which day she splashed that investor's face with wine?"
"I don't remember the exact number, but Sister Leyao rushed to the airport to fly to Australia after throwing the wine. By the way, Miss Xin, I remember you encountered an explosion in Australia a while ago, right?"
It happened on the very day she flew to Australia to visit him.
Xin Ying's face had completely darkened, and her eyes were filled with gloom.
Why did Lin Leyao never tell me about these difficulties she encountered?
Xin Ying couldn't understand why, as her wife and the other half who stood by her side and could protect her from the wind and rain, Lin Leyao had never come to her or even mentioned these things to her when they happened.
Does she still not believe in herself?
Xin Ying's expression was dark and obscure, difficult to discern.
Seeing that she looked a little strange, Xiao Mi asked with concern, "Miss Xin, are you alright?"
Xin Ying shook her head and replied, "It's nothing."
Xiaomi breathed a sigh of relief: "It's good that everything is alright. Mr. Xin, I'm going to find Sister Le Yao now! I've taken a day off to rest during the day, but I have an all-night shoot tonight, so I'm going to help Sister Le Yao prepare some things."
Xin Ying nodded and hummed in agreement.
At the hotel entrance, Kong Anqing had already parked the car. Xin Ying got in, and Kong Anqing, in the driver's seat, turned around and asked, "Ms. Xin, shall we leave now?"
After a long silence in the back seat, Xin Ying suddenly spoke up: "Why don't you go back by yourself?"
Kong Anqing: "...?"
"Mr. Xin, you have an appointment to meet with Mr. Li from Bo'an Technology tomorrow morning."
Xin Ying said calmly, "Then tell him that my fourth brother fell and was hospitalized, and I went to stay with him."
Kong Anqing gave an awkward yet polite smile: "Okay, President Xin."
Kong Anqing took out her phone and contacted the company's secretariat, then quickly hung up.
"Mr. Xin, the people in the secretariat said that Mr. Li just contacted the company and said that his wife suddenly started having labor and will give birth to their third child tomorrow, so he can't come to discuss the cooperation and wants to postpone it to the morning after tomorrow."
Xin Ying slightly raised her head: "Okay."
“Then…” Kong Anqing hesitated for a moment, wanting to ask something, when he heard Xin Ying speak.
"You should go back to S City by yourself tonight."
"……good."
Although they had a day off, they still had to continue filming all night.
Fortunately, Lin Leyao had rested for a long time during the day, so she was full of energy throughout the night.
Xiaomi was very surprised when she received Xin Ying's call. She didn't expect that President Xin, who had supposed to leave, was still here.
She left the film set and brought the person in.
This was Xin Ying's first time visiting a TV set and her first time seeing a TV drama filming location.
Lin Leyao and the other actors were listening attentively to the director's instructions, and Xin Ying did not disturb them, but stood at a distance and watched silently.
Xin Ying was wearing a mask, but her tall figure and designer clothes quickly attracted a lot of attention.
Many people are talking about it and speculating which celebrity came to visit the set today.
"Hey, can you tell which female celebrity this woman is?"
"Wearing a mask and not interacting with anyone, I can't tell who it is?"
"Do you guys think she looks like a new investor for our film crew?"
"They do look somewhat alike, similar height and build, but our film's investor is a short-haired woman!"
"What era are we living in? You can get hair extensions even if you have short hair!"
"No, no, I don't think it's President Liu. This person's style of dress is completely different from President Liu's."
"What's there to guess? Maybe he's just an ordinary staff member!"
"Stop talking nonsense. That coat that woman is wearing is a limited edition. Which ordinary crew member on a film set is that rich?"
"Then she's not a female celebrity, maybe she's just a rich woman who's a fan of celebrities!"
"Maybe!"
The rustling of voices came from behind her, but Xin Ying ignored them, her expression calm, her gaze fixed on Lin Leyao in the distance.
Xin Ying stood at a distance, watching the director explain the scene, just like Lin Leyao. Lin Leyao listened attentively, but Xin Ying's expression quickly changed.
The director is currently giving Lin Leyao acting instructions, so the role he is playing is the same one Lin Leyao plays in the drama.
The director acted alongside another male lead in front of Lin Leyao.
A bald, middle-aged man with a full beard, holding up his pinky finger, twisted his waist and leaned against the male actor. Although everyone was trying to suppress their laughter, the director was still acting seriously.
The male actor sat on a soft couch, and the director sat on the male actor's lap. The director, with his delicate fingers, picked up a bunch of grapes from the table next to him and was about to put them into the male actor's mouth.
The male actor leaned forward, bringing their faces closer and closer until they were about to kiss.
After the director finished explaining the scene, he put the grapes that he hadn't fed to the male actor into his own mouth and ate them.
The director spoke a few words to Lin Leyao, who nodded and then sat on the male actor's lap. The director stood back and observed their posture, then gestured something. Lin Leyao then relaxed her body and completely collapsed into the male actor's arms.
Xin Ying's temple throbbed violently; she already knew what kind of scene they were going to film next.