Lin Zhi stood up and picked up her phone: "Excuse me, I'm going to the restroom. You guys discuss it first."
The assistant, who had been silently waiting in the corner, looked up, sighed softly, and thought to himself: Some people are doomed.
Lin Zhi had just arrived at the bathroom when Jiang Lai called back. She answered immediately, and sure enough, the other end of the line wasn't as arrogant as before.
Guess where I was just now?
Jiang Lai took a breath: "You wouldn't already be at the company, would you?"
Lin Zhi snorted coldly: "Not only did you arrive at the company, but you also had a meeting that lasted a long time."
Jiang Lai: "What, what, what should we do?!" She could barely speak.
Lin Zhi sighed, helplessly, "What else can we do? Let them guess. By the way, variety show or movie, which do you choose?"
When it comes to work, Jiang Lai is a little apprehensive. She can't be sure if her fans will still be there during the nearly one year she's been gone, and she's even less sure if she can still act, since Lin Zhi once ruined her acting career by losing her faith.
Jiang Lai took a deep breath and exhaled, "I dare not."
She only dared to tell Lin Zhi, because she knew that Lin Zhi would always forgive her no matter what.
Lin Zhi paused for a moment, then said heavily, "What if I said I wanted to see you play a role? I wanted to see the characters you portray appear on screen? Would you give it a try for me?"
For Lin Zhi's sake, of course.
"I choose movies."
Over there, Lin Zhi breathed a sigh of relief. Judging from her voice, she was laughing: "Good luck, get first place in acting class."
During Jiang Lai's phone call, Xu Dongdong and Luo Heng remained silent, listening attentively to Jiang Lai's conversation. Only after Jiang Lai finished her call did Luo Heng ask a question.
What happened to you during the time you disappeared?
The two old friends' eyes were full of concern, without a trace of gossip. Indeed, they were the best of friends in college. It's a pity that You Yi didn't come today, otherwise they would have all been together.
A few months ago, Jiang Lai might not have been willing to talk about Lin Xi. It was a nightmare, a nightmare that she would keep dreaming about even though she forced herself not to remember it.
But now, Jiang Lai has truly moved on. Tomorrow will be better, and there are still people waiting for her.
It took a while, but thankfully she was still waiting.
Jiang Lai told them about Lin Xi, but naturally covered up the fact that Lin Zhi had sent Lin Xi to a mental hospital, saying only that Lin Xi had gone mad and was taken away by Yu Yang for treatment.
Upon hearing this, the two men were so angry that their eyes turned red, and they wished they could rush up to Lin Xi and beat her up to avenge Jiang Lai.
Xu Dongdong: "Sister Jiang Lai, we don't know how to repay you for helping me and Luo Heng so much. I heard that Luo Heng even hit you before, and I felt so guilty that I couldn't sleep at night, just thinking about how to repay your kindness. But you didn't even tell us about this big thing that happened to you. You're too..."
Xu Dongdong was speechless. Why should I tell you about someone else's private affairs?
Jiang Lai smiled and said calmly, "It's all in the past, and I can handle this myself. But when it comes to mental issues, no one can help me. Even if I tell you, you can only watch helplessly. Even You Yi didn't help me much. But I don't need your help. The best help is for everyone to be well."
Luo Heng frowned. The person in front of him was both strange and familiar, completely different from the one from a few years ago.
Luo Heng: "You've matured."
Jiang Lai raised an eyebrow: "What do you mean?"
Luo Heng: "You're saying things like these now, things you would never have said before."
Jiang Lai pursed her lips, looked out the window, and remained silent for a long time.
In the evening, Lin Zhi took the mosquito repellent bracelet she bought from the convenience store home. As soon as she got off the elevator, she smelled the aroma of food coming from inside the house.
As soon as the door opened, Yogurt wagged its tail and ran over, barking but not making a fuss.
Lin Zhi put down what she was holding, picked up the yogurt, changed into slippers, and followed the aroma of food to the kitchen: "What delicious food has Chef Jiang prepared today?"
Jiang Lai heard the voice and turned around: "These are all your favorite foods. Go wash your hands, they'll be ready soon."
"Um."
Lin Zhi put down the yogurt, went to the bathroom to wash her hands, and when she came out, the dining table was already full of dishes, which looked and smelled delicious, making people's mouths water.
Jiang Lai took off her apron and sat down: "Try this braised prawn."
Lin Zhi shook her head: "I don't like it."
"oh..."
Jiang Lai peeled the shrimp, dipped them in the broth, and put them into Lin Zhi's bowl: "Do you like it this time?"
Lin Zhi nodded and took a bite of shrimp: "I like it this time."
Lin Zhi doesn't like to eat shelled food, except for food that has already been peeled.
After chatting for a while, Lin Zhi brought up the topic of work: "Sister Nan has already chosen a script for you. Although you disappeared for a while, you're still popular, so getting you a good script won't be difficult."
"I see."
Lin Zhi looked up and saw that the person was carefully peeling shrimp, and the empty bowl next to him was almost full of shrimp.
She brought the bowl to her own eyes and asked gently, "Are you scared?"
Seeing that she had nothing to do and could no longer hide, Jiang Lai had no choice but to confess: "I'm sorry, I'm afraid you'll be unhappy if I say too much."
Why would I be unhappy?
"It's been almost a year. Even a musical instrument will become rusty if you don't practice for a year, let alone acting. I'm just worried..."
"Worried about not doing a good job?"
Jiang Lai nodded.
Lin Zhi: "What did I do to make me unhappy? That would be too petty of me."
Saying one thing and meaning another.
She was indeed unhappy; she hadn't completely moved on. Even her once-proudest skill was now causing her to worry about not doing well. Before even starting, she would already be imagining what problems might arise and blaming herself for them. The Jiang Lai of the past would never have acted like this.
So what if you're unhappy? There are two people, and if one is down, the other can't be down with her, can they?
Lin Zhi finished eating the shrimp, took out a tissue to wipe her mouth, and said, "Go ahead and do it. I'll take full responsibility for the consequences. Don't forget, I'm not only your boss, but also your sugar daddy. Even if the sky falls, your sugar daddy is here for you!"
Jiang Lai swallowed, feeling that Lin Zhi was surrounded by a radiant light. She pursed her lips, then said firmly, "Okay!"
After dinner, Lin Zhi put on the mosquito repellent bracelet. The smell was a bit pungent, and she was about to throw it away when Jiang Lai saw her.
"What is this?" Jiang Lai asked curiously.
Lin Zhi took off the bracelet and put it on Jiang Lai's wrist. She ran her fingers through Jiang Lai's soft hair and looked at her in a daze, seemingly admiring her.
How come she's...so good-looking?
Jiang Lai felt a little awkward, mainly because the bracelet smelled really pungent. She was about to take it off when Lin Zhi stopped her. Strands of hair brushed against her ears, making her feel itchy and numb.
"Don't pick it, it's for repelling mosquitoes."
What kind of mosquitoes are you trying to repel?
Lin Zhi pulled down her collar, revealing red spots on her chest: "I'll scare you away, you big mosquito!"
Author's Note:
Jiang Lai: Are the red spots on your neck from mosquito bites?
Lin Zhi: The idiot bit me.
This story will be completed within about a week. A few extra chapters will be updated afterwards. My darlings, you can check out the pre-orders in my author page; whichever one gets the most favorites will be the one I start writing next. Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants between 2022-05-27 22:48:55 and 2022-05-28 23:31:17!
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: Yu (3 bottles);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 87
Hengdian, film set.
Investor Xiao You sat comfortably under a parasol, enjoying the iced Americano that the director had brought her. The reason she received this treatment was not because she was an investor, but because she had managed to get actress Xia to make a cameo appearance.
Because of Xia Yinghou's cameo appearance, the drama, which originally had little popularity, suddenly became a trending topic. The director and the screenwriter worked overnight to revise the script, thinking about how to add scenes for Xia Yinghou. However, Xia Yinghou herself stepped in and deleted all the added scenes, leaving behind a concise and hurtful statement.
"Useless scenes will only hurt the audience's eyes."
My God! The audience is only watching because of you, who will watch if you leave!
Despite the director's best efforts, he couldn't keep Xia Ying-ju. Today was her last day of filming, and the director decided to try his luck with Xiao You-zong one last time, racking his brains to figure out how to get her to come. He even turned a few hairs gray from thinking so hard, but in the end, she came on her own the next day.
In the final scene, Xia Fanrou is touching up her makeup when the director seizes the opportunity to approach You Yi and shower him with attention.
You Yi took off his sunglasses and looked at the director: "Stop, don't try anything on me, I don't have that kind of ability."
She requested to invest in this drama herself; it had nothing to do with her father. She wanted to make a name for herself to show her father, which is why she asked Xia Fanrou to take on the role. For these few scenes, her fingers were so sore that she couldn't straighten them for several days. If she were to have any more scenes, Xia Fanrou would definitely squeeze her dry before she would stop.
No, no, if the director wants to add more scenes, wouldn't that be shortening her lifespan?
The director was stumped, his hands practically sparking from rubbing them together: "Why not? You managed to get them to come, adding a few more scenes wouldn't be a problem, would it?"
You Yi sighed and handed the half-finished iced Americano back to the director, who was taken aback and panicked.
"I bought it for you, why are you giving it back to me?"
"I can't drink anymore. If I keep drinking, you'll spend all the money in my pocket."
"How so?"
You Yi glanced at Xia Fanrou, who was getting her makeup touched up in front of her. Her hair was clipped up, and she was raising her pretty face while the makeup artist touched up her makeup. When she felt someone watching her, she turned her head slightly and met You Yi's burning gaze. Then she smiled.
You Yi withdrew his gaze, swallowed repeatedly, feeling thirsty, and took back his iced Americano, taking two big gulps.
"I can't afford the pay anymore, bro!"
The director opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything for a long time.
That's true. This wasn't in the budget to begin with. If we spend too much money on adding scenes, the investors will all run away.
"Oh well."
The director hesitated for a moment, then remembered the message he had seen in the group chat last night, and a thought suddenly struck him: "Young Master You, you know Jiang Lai, right?"
You Yi paused, then forcefully deflated the straw. She turned her head and asked warily, "How did you know?"
She hadn't told anyone about Jiang Lai's depression. They hadn't seen each other for a long time during Jiang Lai's disappearance. The last time they met, Jiang Lai resisted contact with her, which made her very sad.