Chapter 176: Script
The girl’s retreating figure was a little pathetic, like a small deer that had been caught in a hunter’s trap and was injured. She stumbled a few steps and disappeared at the end of the field of vision.
Xia Qiange stood on the high steps, her eyes slightly closed, as if she were crushing a blade of grass, her expression indifferent. The corners of her eyes were upturned with a hint of contempt, and her light hair was messed up by the cold wind, blurring her features.
She turned and pushed open the door to go in. The warm wind blew in her face, and the howling cold wind was blocked behind the door. She looked at the noisy and messy backstage. Through the chaotic crowd, she could see him at a glance.
Her heart pounded wildly. He was really there, acting in a play. The female lead… had to be her.
The boy was holding a script, his thick, smooth black hair neatly draped over his forehead. He smiled with his gentle eyebrows and eyes, his expression as gentle as jade. He seemed to be communicating with the other actors about something.
“Qian Ge is here? Did you just meet… An Zhi?”
Nie Hong had just received a text message and had rushed to the door. She hadn’t caught up with her, but she had run into Xia Qiange.
“Yeah, what’s wrong with her?” Xia Qiange nodded, her delicate eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Isn’t she here to act in the play? Why did she leave early? She seems… a little sad.”
“Sigh, Xiaozhi just sent me a message saying she’s not suitable for this role. She doesn’t want to act anymore.”
Nie Hong was also a little dejected. She hadn’t expected things to turn out like this. This was the first time she had seen the usually docile girl, who was like a little white rabbit, throw a tantrum. She couldn’t find a reason, but the show had to go on.
“Then why did you ask me to come?”
“Well, the female lead is now vacant, but everything is already in place. We can’t just give up halfway. Tang Xin said you’re very suitable. If you’re willing, can you help out under the name of the Youth Association? I’ll owe you one.”
Nie Hong’s voice was low, and she pleaded sincerely.
“From what Tang Xin said, you guys have been planning this for a long time. If I don’t help… it would be a bit unreasonable of me.”
Xia Qiange still had a charming smile on her face. She lowered her eyes and considered it for a while, then nodded in Nie Hong’s expectant and nervous gaze. “But I’ve never done this kind of thing before. My acting… might not be very good.”
“It’s okay, it’s okay. As long as you can get the lines right, it’s fine. It’s just a performance… the visual effect is more important.” The breath that had been held in Nie Hong’s throat was suddenly released. She quickly took out her phone and called someone over, as if she were afraid Xia Qiange would change her mind. “Well, I’ll call Tang Xin over. You can have a good chat with her about this role.”
“I know.” Xia Qiange obediently agreed. The thin sickness in her eyebrows and eyes made her look naturally frail. Probably no one would have any malicious thoughts about such a delicate gardenia. They would just look at her with pity as she swayed in the wind, pale and beautiful.
Nie Hong’s eyebrows were still furrowed. The little girl was probably throwing a tantrum for some reason, and she hadn’t replied to her message yet. “Tang Xin will be here in a while. You can wait here. I’ll go and find An Zhi. I’m afraid she’s hiding something.”
Xia Qiange nodded and even considerately pushed open the door for Nie Hong, her clean eyes pure and harmless.
“Okay, thank you for your hard work, Senior Nie. Be careful on the way.”
…
“Qian Ge, Qian Ge, the dressing room is this way.”
Tang Xin led the way. She held Qian Ge’s wrist and turned her head to smile smugly. “How about it? I was pretty helpful this time, right? I could have let you come earlier, but Sister Hong wanted Xiaozhi to try this role first. An Zhi’s conditions are also quite good, so I really couldn’t refuse. But…”
She handed the script in her hand to Xia Qiange. “I wrote this script for you two. Of course, you’re the most suitable to play the role.”
“Thank you, Sister Xinxin.” Xia Qiange smiled and said thank you.
“It’s nothing. I just like to meddle in other people’s business, especially when it comes to being a matchmaker for others.”
Tang Xin waved her hand casually and happily jumped forward a few steps.
“But… when you told me that you had a crush on Su Yu for so long, I was really shocked. Although Su Yu is not bad-looking, my Qian Ge is a world-class beauty. I didn’t expect that you would also taste the bitterness of unrequited love. What is it called… one thing conquers another!”
“You didn’t tell anyone about this, did you?”
Xia Qiange followed behind, a faint smile on her lips, and asked casually.
“Of course not! I didn’t even tell that guy Lu Siyuan. Let’s wait until you’ve won over these bad men. But… why is it so troublesome? You can just confess directly, Qian Ge. I feel like Su Yu’s eyes are not quite right when he looks at you.”
“I… I’m too embarrassed. That’s why I wanted to create this opportunity. Without you, Xinxin, I don’t know what I would have done. It’s all his fault for being a blockhead.”
Xia Qiange’s cheeks were half-red, and her fair earlobes were faintly visible in her seaweed-like, dark and shiny hair. She was shy, like a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old girl in the bloom of youth. Even just hearing his name would make her blush.
“Alright, alright, I won’t tease you anymore. You’re right. These boys are all dumber than the last. They deserve to be single for the rest of their lives if they can’t guess a girl’s thoughts.”
Tang Xin’s heart immediately softened. She knew that Qian Ge’s family was not well-off, and her personality was soft and weak. Even if she had a beautiful face, if she fell in love with a boy, she would probably fall from the clouds and become a humble dust. After having a crush for so long, how much must she like him, and how much courage did it take for her to ask for help? Just thinking about it made her feel sorry for her.
“By the way, An Zhi seemed a little off today.”
Tang Xin suddenly remembered An Zhi’s absent-minded appearance on stage today, and she had some doubts. She was in a good mood and just blurted it out. “Does Xiaozhi also have a thing for Su Yu?”
“Xiaozhi? How could that be?”
Xia Qiange’s eyes widened in disbelief. Her little bit of happiness was instantly overturned and spilled all over the floor.
“I… I don’t understand these things. I didn’t do it on purpose. You know… this is the first time I’ve liked someone.” Xia Qiange’s grip on Tang Xin’s hand unconsciously tightened, her red lips bitten pale. The light in her eyes seemed to have fallen into a quagmire, and she became hesitant because of self-blame. “Then if I really… will An Zhi be sad?”
She stopped, looking at Tang Xin with hope. “So… is it true?”
Tang Xin’s mouth suddenly felt a little dry. She was softened by the girl’s watery eyes. She patted the girl’s slender shoulder and forced a laugh.
“Haha, I… I was just guessing. But you see, An Zhi and Su Yu are always fooling around. They’re just like buddies. It shouldn’t be… it shouldn’t be. I was just talking nonsense.”
“Oh… that’s good. You really scared me.” Xia Qiange let out a heavy sigh of relief. She pursed her lips and smiled a little embarrassedly. “Really, I’m so embarrassing. I’m just… a little too nervous.”
“Then… the dressing room is just ahead. I’ve already told them. You can just go in and say something.”
Tang Xin pointed to a ajar door in front. “If you have any requests, you can also tell the makeup artist. The one I arranged for you is a senior who is very good friends with me. Her makeup skills are very good.”
“Then… are you leaving?” Xia Qiange held Tang Xin’s hand, her eyes filled with a visible unease.
“It’s very busy inside. I’ll just be in the way if I go in.” Tang Xin held Xia Qiange’s hand and encouraged her. “Go for it. Sooner or later, you’ll win over this blockhead Su Yu.”
“Haha… thank you. Then I’ll go in first.”
Xia Qiange was amused and laughed, a glint in her eyes. The gardenia had completely bloomed its curled, tender white petals, and a few dewdrops rolled down the flower stem. She said goodbye to Tang Xin and turned to enter the dressing room.
