Chapter 47

After hastily eating a few bites of the lunch Wang Linlin had brought, Leng Xiang freshened up again and felt completely recovered, so she headed back to the set.

Jiang Sisi was indeed not on set. The afternoon’s scenes did not involve the main leads, and the vice director sat in Jiang Sisi’s usual spot.

Pei Shuang had just finished filming a scene and spotted Leng Xiang sitting in the corner, lost in thought. She went over to say hello.

Leng Xiang sat alone, still thinking about Jiang Sisi.

She had misunderstood Jiang Sisi.

Although they had many misunderstandings before, and Jiang Sisi had been obnoxious enough to anger her time and again, this time it was truly her own misunderstanding.

If she had clearly been helping someone else, only to be suspected of ulterior motives, anyone would probably be upset.

But Jiang Sisi hadn’t shown any sign of displeasure…

Ah… so annoying.

Leng Xiang greeted Pei Shuang, who sat down beside her. She continued to cover her face in thought.

She had rarely encountered such situations before—no, more accurately, her life had never included such a peculiar friend who could unsettle her like this.

Wait… friend?

Since when had she considered Jiang Sisi a friend?

Was that even appropriate?

Leng Xiang wailed inwardly and kept covering her face in thought.

Pei Shuang sat beside her, and her assistant timely handed her a glass of water. She took it and drank it down, her peripheral vision secretly glancing at Leng Xiang.

She looked very troubled.

Out of politeness, Pei Shuang set down the glass and asked, “Do you have something on your mind?”

Leng Xiang sat up straight abruptly, her brows furrowed tightly, her face a riot of expressions.

She was about to say it was nothing, but…

Leng Xiang turned to her, looking serious, and said, “I have a friend.”

Pei Shuang was full of question marks: “…And?”

Leng Xiang said, “I had a fight with her recently.”

Pei Shuang nodded in sudden realization: “Oh.”

What friend? It’s obviously her girlfriend. I’m not clueless.

Pei Shuang smiled faintly. “What caused the fight?”

Leng Xiang’s brows remained furrowed, looking deeply troubled.

She said, “I misunderstood her.”

Pei Shuang kept smiling. “Just explain it clearly. If you think you’re in the wrong, take the initiative to apologize. People in a relationship inevitably have friction, so communicate more, explain more, and be understanding.”

Pei Shuang thought her advice was spot-on and silently gave herself a thumbs-up.

Leng Xiang felt her words were a bit off, but couldn’t pinpoint why.

Leng Xiang: “But…”

But how to explain?

Just tell Jiang Sisi directly, I know about Luo Pi now. It was my misunderstanding. Sorry?

Leng Xiang frowned.

It wasn’t impossible, but…

It felt awkward somehow. And insincere.

Pei Shuang saw through it all from the side and smiled quietly.

Damn it, what does your fight have to do with me?

Pei Shuang advised understandingly, “Or think about what she likes and give her a gift. That shows more sincerity and that you care about her.”

But why should I be so sincere to Jiang Sisi? Why should I care about her? Why do Pei Shuang’s words always feel a bit weird?

Leng Xiang pondered. What could she give Jiang Sisi?

Jiang Sisi was rich and had everything. What could she possibly give her?

Suddenly, Li Guchuan popped up from nearby, holding his script rolled up and tapping it against his palm as he leaned in.

Li Guchuan leaned close to Leng Xiang’s ear and whispered loudly, “When I fight with my dear wife, whenever she thinks she’s wrong but is too embarrassed to apologize, she makes a full table of dishes for me. At night, she obediently waits for me to come home, and I can do whatever I want.”

Leng Xiang: “…”

Pei Shuang: “…”

A crack appeared in Pei Shuang’s perfect smile.

Good grief, whispering so loudly the whole set can hear? And listen to what he’s saying. Our innocent little Xiangxiang— what if she’s corrupted by bad influences?

Leng Xiang finally reacted.

A blush tinted her cheeks, her ears turned red, and her voice carried a hint of annoyance.

“I’m not in that kind of relationship with Jiang Sisi!”

“Director Jiang,” Pei Shuang still smiled. “Got it. You’re not in that kind of relationship.”

Li Guchuan nodded sincerely. “I believe there’s nothing between you.”

Leng Xiang: “…”

.

In the end, Leng Xiang did something.

She had fended for herself since childhood and was skilled at cooking, with maxed-out talent in culinary arts. She could make anything edible handed to her—as long as she had a recipe and steps, she could replicate it decently, and the taste was always good.

During the week Jiang Sisi was away, she sneaked into the hotel’s back kitchen in her spare time between shoots to practice.

Oh right, Jiang Sisi had been gone from the crew for over a week. She was supposed to hand in her “homework” to Jiang Sisi on Wednesday night, but Jiang Sisi still hadn’t returned.

The vice director had been overseeing the progress, and the first male supporting actor who had scenes with Leng Xiang had already wrapped.

The crew held a small wrap party to celebrate the actor’s escape from the sea of suffering.

As the male actor left amid laughter, he said to the crowd, “Director Jiang’s NG skills are exactly as legendary.”

The crew burst into laughter.

The actor sighed. “It was grueling, but totally worth it.”

The makeup artist said, “Of course. Our crew is the best.”

The cameraman added, “We’ll gather again once we’re back in the city.”

The makeup artist remembered something. “It’s a shame Director Jiang isn’t here. Otherwise, she could drink with you to send you off.”

The actor waved his hands frantically, looking pained. “No, no, no. Who dares drink with her? I was young and ignorant back then. Let’s not mention it.”

The crew laughed uproariously again.

Back when the crew first formed, during a group meal, this actor had toasted everyone, starting with Jiang Sisi.

Jiang Sisi had been bored, slouched in the corner idly picking at beans. When someone finally offered to drink with her, she perked up like a carp leaping from water, grinning as she started drinking with him.

Then she drank him under the table. The actor collapsed under Jiang Sisi’s onslaught, too drunk to even recognize people.

Truly, ambition thwarted before it began.

The vice director said disdainfully, “That bottomless pit Jiang—the how does she drink like that? How’d she train? Once I saw her down two bottles of Maotai in one go. My god, I nearly called 120. She? Fine as ever.”

The scriptwriter laughed beside him. “Vice director, keep talking and watch out—Sisi-jie might rat you out when she returns.”

The vice director patted his belly, the flesh jiggling. “Let her come. Come on, I’m not scared of her.”

The makeup artist glanced at him. “Really?”

The vice director shrugged and backed down. “Nah, forget it. I’m magnanimous; I won’t hold it against her.”

The crew erupted in laughter once more.

As the actor boarded the shuttle van, he clasped his fists to the group. “Fellow colleagues, we’ll meet again when fate allows!”

“Get going already, or we’ll miss dinner at the hotel.”

“After a month together, dinner matters more than me. Heartbreaking.”

“…”

“…”

Leng Xiang stood at the edge of the crowd and didn’t exchange a word with the male actor she’d acted alongside for half a month.

Wang Linlin emerged from the group, slightly out of breath but beaming.

Wang Linlin: “Sister Leng Xiang, let’s head back.”

Leng Xiang agreed.

She could barely recall the actor’s name.

Two days later, Jiang Sisi finally returned.

She looked no different from when she left, and her return caused no stir. One morning, Leng Xiang arrived early on set and saw that the person behind the camera was no longer the vice director—it was Jiang Sisi again.

The vice director sat beside her, exactly as before she left.

Yet the set’s atmosphere subtly shifted from the previous period. Jiang Sisi’s return felt like rivers flowing back to the sea, bringing an inexplicable sense of stability.

In Luxury Goods, Su Qing went through three men before meeting the one she could marry.

That meant, besides Li Guchuan, three male supporting actors had scenes with Leng Xiang.

The first had wrapped perfectly, and the location had moved outdoors. When Leng Xiang arrived, Jiang Sisi was discussing scene setup with the vice director. The second male supporting actor was in position, ready to film.

Leng Xiang watched Jiang Sisi and suddenly found it hard to look away.

She hadn’t changed at all from before she left—casual clothes, no makeup, bangs clipped back with a wide black hair clip, revealing a smooth, full forehead and deep black eyes.

Jiang Sisi seemed to notice Leng Xiang watching and turned to smile at her.

It was an ordinary smile and gaze, yet Leng Xiang suddenly felt warmth in her chest, a faint flush on her cheeks.

What…

What was this?

This scene wrapped, and after saying a few words to the vice director, Jiang Sisi waved to Leng Xiang. “Come here.”

Leng Xiang cleared the jumble of thoughts from her mind, steadied herself, and walked over.

Standing before her, Leng Xiang inexplicably felt nervous.

Jiang Sisi said, “Next is script volume five, scene fifteen. Check your script and prepare.”

Leng Xiang nodded. “Okay.”

Jiang Sisi asked, “Did you finish those two books and the movie?”

Leng Xiang said, “Yes.”

She paused, then added, “I also finished the character analysis and Su Qing’s bio.”

Not only finished—she’d revised them multiple times, with stacks of drafts totaling tens of thousands of words.

Jiang Sisi looked at Leng Xiang, sensing something odd.

Why’s she so obedient today, like a kid reporting homework…

Jiang Sisi didn’t speak, and Leng Xiang looked at her.

In her eyes, Jiang Sisi caught a fleeting glimpse of caution and uncertainty.

As someone renowned for her sharpness, Jiang Sisi was confident she wasn’t mistaken.

What the heck?

What happened while I was gone?

“Tonight, come find me upstairs.”

Leng Xiang nodded obediently, saying nothing more. Jiang Sisi stared at her for a moment, then inexplicably laughed.

She seemed in a great mood and said, “While I was away, did you miss me?”