Chapter – 30….
“Then next time, I’ll bring milk tea for you, Sister.” Qin Shiyue beamed brightly, as if she’d gotten an early taste of the joy of being Qin the Merciless.
Watching Qin Shiyue look so smug, Lin Qingyi felt as if a decorative vase had suddenly sprouted a flower. She couldn’t quite figure out what exactly the vase was so pleased about. That little show-off expression made a faint desire rise inside her—to crush that suddenly blooming flower in her palm and grind it into paste.
“President Qin suddenly being so nice to me—do you need something?” Lin Qingyi asked. She wasn’t a very patient person to begin with; the act had gone on long enough.
“Well…”
Just as she was about to get to the point, Qin Shiyue suddenly felt the shame of having to ask someone—especially her romantic rival—for help. An inexplicable embarrassment pressed at her chest. Great, she couldn’t get the words out.
“It’s like this—our Shiyue is also filming, but…” Fang Xinhua seemed to sense Qin Shiyue’s difficulty in asking her rival for help, so she thoughtfully planned to speak on her behalf.
Qin Shiyue knew Sister Fang was being considerate, but suddenly she felt like there were too many people around. She didn’t want to ask Lin Qingyi for help in front of an audience. So she bumped her elbow into Fang Xinhua’s side to stop her from continuing.
Fang Xinhua, who had been mid-sentence, let out a muffled grunt when she was elbowed. She genuinely felt Shiyue might give her internal injuries one day.
“It’s nothing. I just came to visit you on set.” Qin Shiyue blurted out, then immediately regretted it. What was she doing? Wouldn’t it have been fine to let Sister Fang explain? It was only asking for some acting guidance, not… bed skills. What exactly was she embarrassed about?!
Fang Xinhua rubbed the spot Shiyue hit and thought: this child’s skin is too thin.
Of course, Lin Qingyi noticed the interaction between the two. As for what Qin Shiyue was hiding, there was no need to guess—this vase would crack and spill sooner or later.
“Then I won’t bother you while you’re filming. I’ll come see you another day, Sister,” Qin Shiyue said. She felt nothing would be accomplished today, so she’d have to try again tomorrow.
“Mm.” Lin Qingyi replied softly.
“This lemonade—should we keep it?” After Qin Shiyue and Fang Xinhua left, Bai Wenxi picked up the half-finished lemonade. According to Lin Qingyi’s habits, anything she’d consumed that sat out for more than half an hour would be discarded. Normally, Bai Wenxi would throw it away immediately, but something told her she should ask first.
“Throw it out,” Lin Qingyi said, turning to head back to filming. But after taking a few steps, she changed her mind.
“Actually, leave it for now. It’s someone’s sincere gesture.”
She couldn’t help letting out a small laugh after speaking.
Bai Wenxi thought, Since when did other people’s ‘sincere gestures’ matter so much? Or is Qin the Vase’s gesture more important? And what’s with that lovestruck smile?
“Baby, if you didn’t speak up, wouldn’t our trip have been wasted?” Fang Xinhua asked.
“It felt too purposeful. And… there were so many people. I got embarrassed,” Qin Shiyue muttered awkwardly.
“Baby, you really are a baby,” Fang Xinhua laughed. The girl had been protected too well—she’d almost never asked anyone for anything before, so being unable to say it was normal. But time was limited. If she wanted the Best Actress Lin to teach her acting, it needed to be soon.
Being called “baby,” Qin Shiyue felt like she was being treated as a child—looked down on, even.
“Tonight, after she wraps filming, I’ll go find her again. That should be perfect,” Qin Shiyue said.
“That works,” Fang Xinhua nodded.
Author’s Note:
Lin Qingyi: Baby wants to act as Qin the Merciless?
Qin Shiyue: Why not?
Lin Qingyi: What about a finger-flicking, heartless Qin the Merciless?
—
One morning after XX, Qin Shiyue woke up and didn’t see Lin Qingyi.
Qin Shiyue: That finger-flicking, heartless woman!
If the mini-theater is this good and you don’t leave a comment, aren’t you being merciless?
(Thanks to all readers who sent gifts from 2022-01-05 20:47:19 to 2022-01-06 21:11:19…)
Chapter 22
Back at the hotel, Qin Shiyue didn’t idle. She memorized more lines from the earlier scenes and mentally prepared herself for the humiliation of asking her rival for guidance.
After dinner, she checked the time—it was nearly eight. Perfect time to go find Lin Qingyi.
“Which hotel is she staying at?” Qin Shiyue asked Fang Xinhua.
Although Shiyue had said she’d go in the evening, Fang Xinhua wasn’t sure she would actually go, so she hadn’t asked yet. But since the child was truly determined, Fang Xinhua immediately messaged Bai Wenxi.
Three minutes later, she had the answer.
“She’s at the Bowman. It’s about 800 meters from here. Should we drive?” Fang Xinhua asked.
“Only 800 meters? We’ll walk,” Qin Shiyue said. She hadn’t exercised much lately, so she might as well take a stroll. And it was night; few pedestrians would recognize her.
“Should we leave now?” Fang Xinhua asked.
“Wait—I need to put on makeup.”
When she’d returned to the hotel earlier, Qin Shiyue had removed her makeup. Now she was going to see her rival—a rival who had both beauty and skill. She had already lost in acting; she could not lose in beauty. She must present herself perfectly.
