After Filming a WLW Movie With My Straight Girl Crush 43

Chapter 43

On the way to the airport, the road was lined with festive red lanterns. The airport was bustling with people.

Xu Ling was finally on her Spring Festival holiday, heading to a southern city where it was spring all year round. Her family had already gathered there. She, the busy one, was late.

Every year for the New Year, Xu Ling’s family would find a warm place to gather and have fun for a few days.

Xu Ling’s family was quite extroverted and loved to socialize. By the time Xu Ling arrived, her family had already befriended everyone, even the dogs of the local villagers.

On New Year’s Eve, Xu Ling was woken up early in the morning by her grandmothers and dragged along to go hiking.

Xu Ling’s stamina was far from that of the two seventy-year-old ladies. She complained all the way up.

Finally, at the top of the mountain, the old ladies looked at her sideways. “Look how high this is. A mountain of a few hundred meters, and you’ve made it feel like Mount Everest.”

“…” Xu Ling was speechless, frantically rehydrating.

“Your stamina is so bad, and you’re so stiff. No wonder people online make fun of you!”

“That was for the show,” Xu Ling denied. “Have a little sense of humor.”

The scenery was indeed beautiful. There were no unsightly tall buildings, and the early spring sun was warm on her skin.

“It would have been better if we had gotten up earlier to see the sunrise. The New Year’s Eve sunrise is so beautiful,” the two elders lamented, then looked at Xu Ling in unison. “This kind of new year, new beginning, should be seen with the person you love.”

“…” Xu Ling was numb. So this was the real reason for the hike? No wonder her several cousins had escaped this fate. She was the youngest and didn’t have a partner.

But she actually agreed. This beautiful scenery would be even more beautiful if she could see it with Qin Cong’an.

Xu Ling recovered and put an arm around each of them. “I was wondering why this scenery is so beautiful. It turns out it’s because I have two people I love by my side.”

“Cut the crap,” her maternal grandmother said, pinching her cheek. “I say, Little Bao, do you have a partner yet? You’ve been in the entertainment industry for a year now. You must have met a lot of handsome guys, right?”

Xu Ling pursed her lips. “Can’t it be a beautiful woman?”

Her paternal grandmother tsked at the side. “Haven’t you met enough beautiful women? I haven’t seen you get together with anyone.”

“I can’t just pounce on any beautiful woman. It depends on whether I like her or not.”

“Oh?” The two old ladies exchanged a look. “You mean you like a beautiful woman?”

She had almost been tricked. Xu Ling started to beat around the bush. “As if I could just date her because I like her. Doesn’t she have a mind of her own?”

“So useless,” the two old ladies said, shaking their heads.

“…” Xu Ling took out her phone. “Let’s not talk about this. Let’s take a photo.”

After all the effort to climb up, not taking a photo at the top was like not having been there at all.

The two old ladies, while saying, “Are you going to post it online?” and “Hehe, we can be stars too,” tidied themselves up and took a photo with the beautiful natural scenery behind them.

Xu Ling reported to Yi Huai and then posted it on Weibo, with a very conventional caption wishing everyone a happy new year and to spend more time with their families.

The various promotions over the past six months had been very helpful in building Xu Ling’s popularity. The number of reposts, comments, and likes quickly went up. There were also many comments praising the two of them, which made the old ladies ecstatic.

Back at their accommodation, the family gathered together for a local-style New Year’s Eve dinner in the evening.

After the Spring Festival Gala started, Xu Ling took another family photo and posted it on Weibo. Everyone in the photo was smiling, and the table was filled with a lavish spread of food. The happiness was almost overflowing.

“Little Bao, will we see you on the Spring Festival Gala next year?” a family member asked her.

“That’s not up to me,” Xu Ling said, feeling it was unlikely. “I’ll try my best. If they don’t invite me next year, I’ll get on my knees and beg them.”

“There’s no need for that. If it comes to that, it’s better not to go! Our Little Bao doesn’t beg anyone.”

Xu Ling was so happy all night. It was only after she had eaten and drunk her fill and was slumped on the sofa that she couldn’t help but wonder, what is Qin Cong’an doing right now… She wasn’t on the Spring Festival Gala this year, or any other TV station’s gala. Could she still be on set? Had she reunited with her family? No matter what, she wanted her to be happy.

On the TV, Xie Jing appeared, singing with a few other male actors.

Xu Ling pouted and silently complained in her heart, can you even sing? Is it fun to lip-sync? Is it interesting to steal the jobs of professional singers?

“Hey, this young man is handsome,” her maternal grandmother said.

Her paternal grandmother said, “As if you’re seeing him for the first time. You’ve seen his drama, the one where he kills people, swish, swish, swish. You were so obsessed.”

“Oh, right, right, it is him. I didn’t recognize him in this outfit. I still think he looks better in historical costumes.”

Handsome my ass, Xu Ling rolled her eyes.

Her maternal grandmother turned her head and happened to see her roll her eyes. “What’s wrong, Little Bao? Sleepy?”

“Huh?” Xu Ling rubbed her eyes. “A little.”

“Then bear with it.”

“…”

“Look at this young man. He looks a little like that girl you filmed with,” her maternal grandmother said to Xu Ling, then turned to her paternal grandmother for her opinion. “What do you think?”

Her paternal grandmother had a look of discovering a new continent. “You know, you’re right. Especially the nose.”

Xu Ling couldn’t listen anymore. She felt that if they kept talking, they would start saying the two of them had a “couple’s look.” She stood up with a yawn. “I’m going to bed.”

Her mother called after her, “We’re going to set off fireworks later!”

New Year’s Eve in North City was very quiet, with no sound of fireworks or firecrackers.

Qin Cong’an’s home was especially quiet. She didn’t even turn on the TV. She had a video call with her mother during dinner, and then lay on the sofa reading a book.

The crew had given them a holiday. Even if Qin Cong’an didn’t go home for the New Year, others had to. So she could only live her unchanging, but peacefully comfortable life like this.

Immersed in the plot of the book, Qin Cong’an felt she had returned to her familiar state. But as soon as she pulled away, she would think of something.

Even though that patch of watery blue had been put away deep in her closet, without the reminder, she would still think of it. It was quite ridiculous.

After finishing a chapter, Qin Cong’an let her mind go blank for a while to digest it. Her hand unconsciously reached for her phone. Muscle memory, automatically clicking on Xu Ling’s account.

Xu Ling had posted two Weibo posts today, one of her hiking with her family, and one of her having New Year’s Eve dinner with her family, all smiles.

She zoomed in to look at Xu Ling’s family. They all looked very kind, just as she had imagined. Xu Ling was a child who had grown up in a very good family atmosphere.

So nice.

Qin Cong’an realized she was caring about Xu Ling’s affairs again. She frowned, stuffed her phone into the crack behind the sofa, and picked up her book again.

After the New Year, Qin Cong’an switched to an old-fashioned phone that could only be used to make and receive calls. She returned to the set, which was in its final stages, preparing to wrap.

Qin Cong’an didn’t really want it to end. After this drama wrapped, it would be the final promotional period for She and Her and the Knife. There would be a relatively intensive schedule, and she would have to see Xu Ling often, which was clearly not a good thing.

Another spring.

The final trailer for She and Her and the Knife was released. The foggy cityscapes, the lively breakfast stalls, the downpour on a spring night, the two of them holding shovels—all were mixed together, piquing people’s curiosity.

There was also an action-movie version of the trailer, with the two of them running and chasing through a quiet alley, efficiently eliminating their target.

It left everyone stunned, especially Xu Ling’s image, which was a huge contrast.

During this period, Xu Ling had frequently appeared in the public eye. Every time, people thought she was beautiful and had a good temperament, but she seemed a little dorky, creating some funny famous scenes. And now they were telling everyone that her fight scenes were so cool?

And even though Qin Cong’an had made very few appearances this year, the discussion about her was still very high.

Just the two minutes of the trailer combined provided a lot of material for those editing UP masters, feeding a large number of CP fans.

Of course, this time, the main target of the food production was the AnLing CP fans.

It accidentally became popular on video websites, accidentally trended on social media, and accidentally gained countless fans in the Super Topic, soaring into the top ten.

It gave Xu Ling a shock.

This was just the beginning. How did it get to this state? Xu Ling was so worried that when the promotion for her and Qin Cong’an started, everyone would discover that this CP was a scam!! A complete scam!

Wouldn’t she be flamed to death then?

Every time Xu Ling scrolled through social media and saw content about AnLing, she was terrified, afraid that everyone would imagine too much and be disappointed in the end.

And her worries did come true.

The promotion for She and Her and the Knife arranged for some appearances on variety shows. Some were game-type shows, which Qin Cong’an didn’t participate in. They required a partner, so Xu Ling went with Gu Qi.

At some point, a rumor started online that the reason AnLing was so popular was all because of Xu Ling’s side marketing, a one-sided attempt to stir up a CP. As a result, Qin Cong’an didn’t even participate in the variety shows, clearly not wanting to stir up a CP with her.

A group of CP fans were not happy. It was clearly their sharp eyes that had discovered the CP sense between the two.

Qin Cong’an’s fans also came out to say: [Stop spreading rumors. An just doesn’t participate in this type of variety show.]

But as for the claims that AnLing would be heavily promoted during the promotional period, Qin Cong’an’s fans also expressed their disbelief: [It won’t be any different from before. They’re just colleagues.]

The claim that Xu Ling was one-sidedly stirring up a CP ended with Qin Cong’an liking a beautiful photo of Xu Ling on Weibo that was unrelated to the movie promotion.

As a result, the number of fans in the CP Super Topic increased again.

But Xu Ling couldn’t understand it. In the end, she could only attribute it to—Qin Cong’an didn’t want to see a colleague get flamed for no reason. Qin Cong’an was a good person.

The day came when the two of them were to be interviewed by a certain platform together.

Before this day, Xu Ling had been gearing up, working out like crazy, and frantically applying face masks and body lotion. Even if their relationship was over, she didn’t want to leave a bad impression.

Xu Ling had even carefully chosen an off-the-shoulder dress. But when she saw Qin Cong’an backstage, she saw that she was just wearing her usual loose T-shirt and jeans.

The two of them greeted each other and went into their respective backstage rooms.

Xu Ling didn’t bother Qin Cong’an.

Both of them only had light makeup on and changed into the same outfits from the movie as arranged by the promotion. They were in a blue-green color scheme, and for a moment, it was as if they had gone back to this time last year. In the movie, both of them dressed very simply, but because they were specially designed and coordinated, they were simple but not ordinary, and they had corresponding elements on each other’s outfits.

In the studio, the two of them sat on a three-seater off-white sofa, with a bit of a gap between them.

The host was not on camera, behind the camera, and started the procedure. “Could you two introduce yourselves?”

Qin Cong’an looked at the person on the other side of the sofa.

Even though they hadn’t seen each other for a long time and had had no contact, Xu Ling immediately understood what she meant. She was to go first. “Hello everyone, I’m Xu Ling. I play Jian Yu in the movie.”

“Hello everyone, I’m Qin Cong’an. I play Wen Xi.”

The host said, “If you were to add a modifier to your characters’ names, what would you add?”

This time, Qin Cong’an answered first. “I’m Wen Xi, who is always watching Jian Yu.”

“…” This platform’s interviews were always focused on CP interaction. Xu Ling had known this in advance, but her heart still trembled. “I’m Jian Yu, who is not lonely because of Wen Xi.”

The host laughed. “Do you both agree with what the other said?”

Both of them nodded.

The host said, “Then if you were to add a modifier to your own names, what would you add? We’re all very curious about your relationship.”

Xu Ling looked at Qin Cong’an, thinking she would answer first this time, but she also looked over, signaling for her to go first. So Xu Ling said the words she had prepared, her eyes curving into a smile. “I’m Xu Ling, who is very grateful to Teacher Qin for helping me a lot during the filming process.”

Qin Cong’an averted her gaze, her tone flat. “I’m the actress Qin Cong’an.”

“…”

Xu Ling’s expression froze for a moment, then she smiled and said, “I still don’t really dare to label myself as an actress yet.”

“Why? You acted very well,” Qin Cong’an said, looking at her.

Xu Ling shook her head. “No, no.”

The host had interviewed many co-star CPs and was experienced enough to basically tell if they were real or fake outside of the drama after a few questions. But she still couldn’t quite figure out the relationship between these two.

“How would you two summarize the relationship between your characters in the movie?”

Qin Cong’an started to speak. This question was not easy to answer. Their relationship itself couldn’t be summed up in one sentence, and because the movie hadn’t been released yet, they had to avoid spoilers.

Xu Ling listened intently, turning her head to look at her. Her drama had already wrapped, but why was she still so thin? Her jawline was particularly clear, and her collarbones were even more prominent than before. Her long, slender neck was so beautiful…

“What about you, Teacher Xu?”

Xu Ling came back to her senses. “I agree. As for what kind of relationship it is, please go to the cinema to find out.”

Host: “Then how would you two describe your relationship outside of filming? This question might be hard to answer, so let me ask a few questions. First, I’d like to know how you address each other in private.”

Xu Ling looked at Yi Huai behind the camera. No, she had seen the previous question, but she hadn’t heard of the following ones. She wasn’t prepared at all.

What came to Xu Ling’s mind was, of course, not the prepared answer, but the real situation… this couldn’t be broadcast, right?

“She sometimes calls me An An,” Qin Cong’an answered first.

The host behind the camera hissed. What an unexpected answer. She continued to press, “When?”

“Sometimes.”

“…” The host quickly turned to ask Xu Ling, “Then at those ‘sometimes,’ what is Teacher Xu called?”

Good baby.

It would be strange if Xu Ling could say that. She didn’t want her social life to end on this day. Her small movements unconsciously increased. She scratched her face, and her palm rubbed against her pants to wipe away the sweat that was about to seep out.

“Xu Ling. She just calls her Xu Ling,” Qin Cong’an answered for her.

The host dragged out an “oh.” “Teacher Qin is four years older, right? She really calls you An An?”

“Sometimes,” Qin Cong’an repeated.

It was hard for Xu Ling not to think of what those “sometimes” were, especially with Qin Cong’an repeatedly emphasizing it. Every pore on her body started to heat up. The foundation’s concealing effect was very good, and you couldn’t see her blushing, but her neck was a patch of pink.