Xi Jia: [I didn't receive it. There's probably a signal problem.] She then asked: [What did you send?]
Nothing was posted.
Mo Yushen made up a story: "[It's nothing, Grandpa asked how you were feeling the other day.]"
Xi Jia: [Haha]
With just two words, Mo Yushen recalled the smugness she had shown when she called him many days ago, saying she would be home a minute later than him.
Xi Jia, worried he might be busy during the day, only told him now: "I'm going back tomorrow. I've completed one course of traditional Chinese medicine, but it hasn't helped at all. My second brother wants me to go back to Beijing for Western medical treatment."
Mo Yushen: [That works too.]
He called Ji Qingshi and immediately asked, "What treatment plan did you arrange for Xi Jia?"
Ji Qingshi gave a brief explanation.
Mo Yushen knew a little about some of the medications, and upon hearing this, he felt a sudden sense of suffocation in his chest. "That medication has side effects."
"I know. What else can we do? Just watch her hearing deteriorate and she end up hearing nothing at all?"
The phone fell silent for a long time.
Mo Yushen said, "The Mo Research and Development Center has already started developing new drugs to minimize side effects."
"She can't wait."
Yes, it will.
——
Xi Jia's flight landed in the evening.
Mo Yushen was busy with a meeting and didn't have time to pick her up, so he instructed the driver to go directly to the Mo's Building after picking her up.
The car was parked in front of the building. Xi Jia didn't go up, but sent him a message: [Ding-dong~]
Mo Yushen: [I'll go down now.] He tidied up the documents on the table and left in a hurry.
In the elevator, Mo Yushen buttoned up the top button of his shirt.
When Xi Jia saw the person come out, she rolled down the car window and waved to him.
After not seeing her for a few days, Mo Yushen felt that Xi Jia had lost a lot of weight.
Xi Jia moved over to a different seat, and Mo Yushen sat down next to her.
Xi Jia raised her hand and unbuttoned the top button of Mo Yushen's shirt. "Isn't it uncomfortable to be so tight?"
Mo Yushen looked at her. Wasn't she the one who asked him to deduct it?
Xi Jia laughed, "Now that I'm back, there's no need to be so particular."
In fact, Western medicine treatment involves taking medication first. You can take the medication to the mountains; recuperating in the mountains is better than here because the air there has more negative ions.
She came back because the man was there.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Beijing had its second snowfall before New Year's Day.
Zhou Mingqian was rushing back to the company from the airport when his phone vibrated again: [Director Zhou, I'm at Xinglan. —Xi Jia.]
Zhou Mingqian rubbed his temples but didn't reply.
This woman is annoying.
A couple of days ago, Xi Jia called him, saying the script was finished and she wanted to show it to him. She didn't know where she got his phone number.
She initially added him on WeChat, but he didn't accept.
A day later, Xi Jia called him.
He couldn't very well refuse her outright, so he asked her to send the electronic version to his email address and gave her his work email address as well.
Xi Jia replied: "I'll show it to you in person. I've already printed it out."
I guess I was afraid that if I sent it to his email, he wouldn't read it and it would just disappear into thin air.
This woman...
Not stupid.
Xi Jia waited at Xinglan for an hour and a half before Zhou Mingqian finally arrived. She was in the reception room, so he went straight there.
Today, Xi Jia wore a dark green long dress, which made her skin look even whiter. However, upon closer inspection, the whiteness on her face didn't seem so healthy.
It has been a month and a half since we last met in the mountains.
She has lost a lot of weight.
It's not the kind of thinness that comes from deliberately dieting.
After exchanging greetings, Xi Jia handed the script to Zhou Mingqian.
Xi Jia coughed dryly and quickly covered her mouth with her hand, "Excuse me."
Zhou Mingqian also has his soft moments. Seeing her sickly appearance, he took the script and sat down opposite her.
When Xi Jia coughed earlier, Zhou Mingqian thought she had choked on her water. Then, after several more bouts of coughing, he looked up and asked, "Have you caught a cold?"
It's been cold lately, so it's normal to get a fever and a cold.
Xi Jia: "No, it's because of the medication." The medication she's currently taking has quite a few side effects, especially recently, which have become particularly noticeable.
My stomach is upset, and I also have a dry cough.
Zhou Mingqian nodded and didn't ask any further questions.
He had previously filmed a TV series where a supporting actress suffered a miscarriage and, after receiving injections and medication, began to experience a persistent dry cough.
To achieve a better filming effect, the actress who played the supporting role quickly lost weight, and her complexion was not good due to hunger, but it did meet the requirements of the drama.
Looking at Xi Jia now...
Zhou Mingqian couldn't help but imagine that a month and a half ago in the mountains, she and Mo Yushen were together, and now, at this time, it seemed normal for them to have a child.
A man like Mo Yushen, who would have a mistress and children outside of marriage, is unlikely to do so.
Zhou Mingqian rubbed his temples, feeling like he was going a bit crazy. What business was it of his if other people's private lives! He collected his thoughts and started looking at the script.
Throughout this time, Xi Jia kept a silent eye on Zhou Mingqian. For about half a minute, Zhou Mingqian had been staring at the script cover.
What's so appealing about a cover?
This man is clearly just trying to fob her off.
Zhou Mingqian was slightly impressed by the opening scene. He would often think about how to start the drama, and he thought of many ideas, but in the end, he rejected them all.
He hadn't expected Xi Jia to start like this.
Her CEO-themed scripts are unbearable to read, but the adaptations are alright, and her dialogue writing skills are quite good.
It seemed like it wouldn't stop there; when I looked up again, it was already 11 a.m.
He actually watched it for over an hour.
Zhou Mingqian still remembered his earlier vow: if Xi Jia were to be the screenwriter, he would quit filming. He probably, likely, possibly will be proven wrong.
Xi Jia put down her water glass. "How was it?"
Zhou Mingqian: "It's alright." His tone was as indifferent as ever, showing no sincerity.
He closed the script and casually placed it on the coffee table.
He couldn't make a decision right now, so he said, "Let's wait for Mr. Yue to take a look before we talk about it."
Xi Jia: "Then I'll trouble you, Director Zhou." She glanced at her watch; it was almost lunchtime. Regardless of Zhou Mingqian's attitude, she still politely asked, "Director Zhou, are you free at noon?"
Zhou Mingqian raised his eyelids slightly. "If you're inviting me to dinner, trying to get close to me, or have ulterior motives, then forget about it."
Xi Jia smiled and subtly retorted, "Director Zhou, you've misunderstood. I didn't mean to invite you to lunch. If you're free at noon, I'll send you my other scripts to take a look at."
Zhou Mingqian: "..."
Xi Jia waved to him, "Goodbye, I hope we'll have the opportunity to work together sometime."
Stepping out of the meeting room, Xi Jia put on a white coat. She had recently added another goal to her agenda: to make Zhou Mingqian beg her to act in his scripts in the future.
Zhou Mingqian, carrying a script and a water glass, also came out of the room. He turned right, but subconsciously glanced to the left.
That slender, graceful figure had already reached the elevator entrance.
This woman could do anything wrong.
She insisted on becoming someone's mistress.
Back upstairs, Zhou Mingqian saw two people standing at the door of his office, chatting.
One was his assistant, and the other was a girl I didn't recognize.
His office in Xinglan was practically useless. Sometimes he was away filming and wouldn't come in for a whole year, so basically no one came to his office to look for him.
"Director Zhou."
The assistant saw Zhou Mingqian.
Zhou Mingqian glanced at the girl—or woman—who didn't seem very old. He couldn't tell. She looked quite innocent and well-behaved.
He's of average appearance.
Her eyes were clear.
The girl also called out, "Director Zhou."
Zhou Mingqian nodded slightly.
Assistant: "Director Zhou, this is Yu An, who is here to interview for your assistant position. She was recommended by a friend."
Zhou Mingqian remembered that his assistant was getting married. He had worked with him for almost ten years, with almost no days off, so he gave him two months of wedding leave.
But he also can't be without an assistant.
And so, this thoughtful assistant found him a temporary replacement.