Chapter 57

Song Limo drove Leng Xiang back to her apartment and, as expected, remained silent the entire way without saying a word, whether it was something she should say or not.

It was already past two in the morning when Leng Xiang entered the door.

She tossed her small bag casually onto the entryway and walked in barefoot across the carpet.

The living room carpet was still scattered with sheets of manuscript paper, covered in densely packed black handwriting. As she looked at those words, a wave of helplessness washed over her.

The entire day had been exhausting.

First Shen Cheng, then Liu Lingshu, and finally Jiang Sisi.

Jiang Sisi…

She had been straight her whole life, only to accidentally bend herself one day. Fine, that was one thing, but why did she have to fall for Jiang Sisi of all people?

She could have liked Shen Cheng, at least that would have been far more hopeful.

Jiang Sisi, that person was just…

Malicious yet gentle, annoying yet flirtatious.

And she was like that with everyone, seeming to be friends with everyone, able to get along with anyone in perfect harmony.

No one could refuse the care and gentleness hidden beneath Jiang Sisi’s teasing.

And yet, Jiang Sisi was completely oblivious to it.

As for herself? Bad-tempered, stubborn as a mule—no, eight hundred oxen couldn’t pull her back—rigid, inflexible, not smooth-talking, and not pleasant to speak to. She wasn’t good in any way, though she supposed she was somewhat pretty. Beyond that, she couldn’t think of a single thing that made her worthy of Jiang Sisi’s affection.

One person after another, one thing after another.

Leng Xiang lay flat on her back on the carpet. The bright white ceiling light blazed overhead, a bit dazzling.

She grabbed a book at random and covered her face with it.

It had been a long time since she felt this exhausted; she even wanted to just fall asleep like this.

Suddenly, the phone next to her hand vibrated. Leng Xiang opened her eyes, tossed the book aside, and picked up the phone.

She had received a WeChat message.

Leng Xiang unlocked her phone.

Yi Jing had recommended Black Pool Boss’s business card to her, and just a minute ago, Black Pool Boss had approved her friend request.

Black Pool Boss’s WeChat nickname was simply “Black Pool Boss,” with a profile picture of a string of wind chimes. Leng Xiang looked closely and recognized them as the ones hanging on the wooden door of Black Pool Bar.

It was a daytime photo, capturing the wind chimes swaying in the air.

She remembered a few months ago, when she entered Black Pool Bar and nearly got into a fight with Yu Shan inside. Black Pool Boss had stepped in to calm things down between them.

In her impression, Black Pool Boss was a mild-mannered and courteous woman, eloquent and generous in speech, tall in stature, masterful at controlling people, and running a substantial business.

In short, very impressive.

She began typing rapidly on her phone but hadn’t finished when a message came from the other side.

Black Pool Boss: Sorry, I just got home. I heard about you from Yi Jing.

Leng Xiang quickly deleted the self-introduction she had just typed and started over.

Leng Xiang: Hello, I’m Leng Xiang.

Black Pool Boss: …

Black Pool Boss: Young lady, don’t you know the first rule of our Black Pool is no real names?

Leng Xiang felt embarrassed.

She had forgotten and introduced herself instinctively.

“Leng Xiang retracted a message.”

Black Pool Boss: …

Black Pool Boss: Claps for your quick wit.jpg

Leng Xiang hugged her phone and laughed.

This person was pretty interesting.

Leng Xiang: Last time I went to Black Pool Bar, I wanted to thank you, but you weren’t there, and I’ve been busy with work, so I never got the chance to express my gratitude.

Leng Xiang: Thank you so much for your help that day.

Outside the phone screen, Jiang Sisi watched this long message.

It was too formal.

It even left her unsure how to respond.

Was Leng Xiang always this serious with strangers?

Thinking back, their first meeting on Welcome to Star had been unpleasant, and their second on the hotel bed even more so. She had never received a good look from Leng Xiang, nor experienced this seriousness from her.

But if Leng Xiang hadn’t been drugged back then, she might not even know her now, and the Luxury Goods they were filming would be entirely different.

Everything had aligned perfectly, as if it was fate.

Leng Xiang stared at the screen, where no reply came for a while, and considered the late hour.

Maybe the other person had gone to sleep.

She felt a bit disappointed and was about to turn off her phone when a message finally came through.

Black Pool Boss: No problem. You were very cute back then.

Leng Xiang was puzzled.

Leng Xiang: …What?

Black Pool Boss: I mean, the way you obediently curled up in my arms was adorable, and you felt so soft to hold.

Black Pool Boss: Oh, right—when I carried you upstairs, you buried your face in my chest. Can I ask for that back?

Leng Xiang: “…”

What kind of person was this?!

Leng Xiang angrily closed her phone, then immediately opened it again.

Leng Xiang: [Yellow hand waving goodbye.jpg]

The screen showed “typing…”

Leng Xiang waited irritably, eager to see what she would say next.

Black Pool Boss: Oh, and don’t come drinking with Yi Jing. I won’t sell him any alcohol. Have him treat you to drinks? Better yet, let me treat you. [Smile.jpg]

Leng Xiang: [Get away from me.jpg]

Leng Xiang irritably turned off her phone and tossed it aside, her mind full of question marks.

Where was the mild-mannered and courteous person she remembered? Had she changed, or had Black Pool Bar gotten a new boss in the past few months—one who was frivolous and rude?

And how did she know Yi Jing had said he’d treat her to drinks?

Leng Xiang thought calmly—maybe Black Pool Boss really had changed owners. As for Yi Jing, since they were friends now, he might have mentioned it sometime.

Whatever. No more thinking. Time for bed. She could pretend she hadn’t added anyone on WeChat tonight or chatted with this fake Black Pool Boss.

…

The last three days of the New Year holiday flew by, and on the morning of the seventh day, the crew officially resumed work.

Wang Linlin knocked on Leng Xiang’s door precisely at eight a.m., entering with Tan Ya.

Leng Xiang’s gaze flicked between the two of them.

Tan Ya said, “I heard you’re moving. Director Jiang sent me to help and pick you up for the set.”

Wang Linlin nodded vigorously beside her and asked, “Sister Leng Xiang, why are you moving?”

Leng Xiang brushed it off. “It’s inconvenient living here. Time for a change.”

Leng Xiang had already packed up her things in the apartment—her entire luggage amounted to just three suitcases, easy to move.

Tan Ya single-handedly loaded all the luggage into the car in one trip. Leng Xiang gave an address.

Liu Lingshu had visited a few days ago and temporarily calmed her down, but she really couldn’t stay here anymore.

So she had rented a new apartment in the neighboring complex—similar environment, just a ten-minute walk away.

Better to move next door than far away; the most dangerous place was the safest.

Tan Ya drove to the new place and helped unload the luggage.

Wang Linlin poked her head out. “Sister Leng Xiang, what’s the difference between living here and your old place?”

Leng Xiang brushed her off again. “Just wanted a change of scenery.”

Wang Linlin glanced around, puzzled. Was this really a change?

Leng Xiang was about to head back to the set. She tossed the suitcases into the new rental—no need to clean; she wouldn’t stay long anyway.

They spent less than twenty minutes at the new place before heading out. Leng Xiang carried a small suitcase, and Tan Ya drove them to the set.

Leng Xiang first went to the hotel where the crew was staying, dropped her luggage, and then headed to the filming location.

On the seventh day of the New Year, the first day back at work, the set was already bustling.

Jiang Sisi was discussing the next scene’s props with the props master, and a tall woman stood beside them.

Song Limo stood nearby with her arms crossed. Jiang Sisi occasionally turned her head to say something to Song Limo, pointed at the half-finished prop, and continued consulting the props master.

Had Song Limo joined the set this early?

Leng Xiang remembered her role only had two scenes, which could be shot in one afternoon.

The props master spotted Leng Xiang and waved.

Song Limo and Jiang Sisi, who had their backs to her, turned around.

Song Limo greeted her, and Jiang Sisi smiled at her.

Song Limo noticed her reaction and whispered, “Can you stop being so cowardly?”

Why are you smiling? Say something, greet her properly. Don’t you like her?

Song Limo had never seen Jiang Sisi like this; it was painful to watch.

Jiang Sisi’s facade completely crumbled around Song Limo. She couldn’t pretend to be at ease—the unease flickered in her eyes before she forced another smile.

Last night, chatting as Black Pool Boss, she couldn’t resist teasing Leng Xiang.

Now, face-to-face, her cowardice was real.

It felt like she had a guilty conscience.

Leng Xiang didn’t even glance at her and asked Song Limo instead, “Why are you on set so early?”

They looked quite familiar.

Song Limo was a bit surprised but answered, “I’m heading abroad in a couple days. By the time I get back, you’ll probably be done filming, so I came early.”

Leng Xiang turned to Jiang Sisi. “Do I have any scenes today?”

Jiang Sisi paused, then shook her head. “No.”

Leng Xiang kept a straight face, nodded to show she understood, and turned to leave.

Just like that, she left.

Jiang Sisi: “…”

“This girl you like has some personality. I like her,” Song Limo said coolly, patting her shoulder. “Reflect on yourself some more.”

With that, she turned and left too.

No one noticed that in a filming site dozens of meters away, a telephoto lens protruded from a window, snapping frantic photos of the three of them.

That evening, #JiangSisiLengXiangNotGettingAlong trended to the top of Weibo’s hot topics again.

Pinned to the hot topic was a short video: Leng Xiang talking to Jiang Sisi and Song Limo, then walking away in less than half a minute.

The video cut to a close-up of Leng Xiang’s expression as she left—far from pleasant, her face taut, looking tense and ready for conflict.

It felt just like she’d had a fight with someone.

That left plenty of room for speculation.

Ten minutes after it hit the top, Jiang Sisi got the news and asked Tan Ya, “What’s this about? Star Path Entertainment again?”

Tan Ya replied, “Probably not Star Path Entertainment.”

She paused, then added, “My guess is it’s because of Miss Song Limo. The media just wants to hype it up.”

The unchanging law of the entertainment industry: Song Limo was a topic magnet wherever she went. Anything connected to her, even tangentially, shot straight to Weibo’s hot topics.

Jiang Sisi got it and complained, “She’s such a hassle.”

Tan Ya said, “A while back, when Star Path Entertainment spread rumors about you and Miss Leng Xiang not getting along, netizens dug up your old Welcome to Star episode together, claiming the feud started because of Miss Song Limo.”

Jiang Sisi understood the implication.

Netizens had recently unearthed that episode of Welcome to Star where Leng Xiang nearly stormed off—all because she’d battled Song Limo back then and gotten mocked by Jiang Sisi a couple times.

It wasn’t a big deal, and years had passed.

But the public didn’t see it that way.

Now with Song Limo on set, the three reuniting sparked curiosity: what chemistry would they have after four or five years?

Netizens wanted to know, so paparazzi chased first-hand scoops—it was to be expected.

Tan Ya: “Director Jiang, how should PR handle this?”