Chapter 50: Yeah, she’s really amazing, isn’t she?

In the morning mist, Xu Mi said this with earnest and gentle eyes.

Yi Nandie quickly shook her head. “No, no, it’s my own problem.”

Xu Mi stared into Yi Nandie’s eyes.

She had seen plenty of people in showbiz, but Yi Nandie seemed different.

She was like a piece of porcelain that had been too well-protected, all her thoughts spilling out from her eyes, transparent and clear.

Right now, she looked despondent. “I just can’t get it right. If this keeps up, Director Fan will probably replace me.”

Even Qu An’ge didn’t know that in her last life, Yi Nandie had been replaced. It was because Jiang Yuan simply couldn’t tolerate her temperament.

But that movie never even got released because of Jiang Yuan, and Yi Nandie actually ended up benefiting from it since she didn’t waste any more time on set.

So many things were different in this life.

Some of those differences even Qu An’ge wouldn’t know about.

And they would only keep becoming more and more different.

Xu Mi asked, “Why can’t you get it right? Is it nerves, pressure? Or just not used to the environment here?”

Yi Nandie hesitated. After a long pause, she finally spoke softly. “It really is… because of nerves.”

Once she admitted her jealousy, some things actually became clearer.

In the past, she’d seen people on set who were far better actors than her, but those people were Seniors. She couldn’t help comparing herself to them in her heart. She was only twenty now; in ten years, she was sure she could perform just as well—maybe even better.

Since her family was something of an acting dynasty, everyone around her was kind to her. She’d always been a confident person.

Until she saw Qu An’ge…

She still remembered that scene. She was getting bullied by the school’s Big Sister, locked in a bathroom and splashed with dirty water. Qu An’ge’s lead character came to rescue her, only to get pinned to the ground and beaten too. Afterward, the two of them were locked in the bathroom together, and Qu An’ge… she laughed.

It was a smile with tears in it, a bitter smile, yet a joyful one. That smile, which was almost impossible to describe in words, left Yi Nandie completely stunned.

The Director called cut and asked, “Yi Nandie, are you spacing out?”

She really had been.

When they reshot the scene, she felt incredibly sorry for Qu An’ge, who had performed so brilliantly. Now she had to do it all again because of her. To her, acting was a highly intuitive art; she was almost worried Qu An’ge wouldn’t be able to deliver the same performance a second time, that she herself might have pulled her scene partner out of the moment.

Maybe it also contained a tiny bit of resentment that made her secretly wish Qu An’ge’s second take wouldn’t be as good.

But it was just as good.

Exactly the same, maybe even more nuanced and delicate.

How could someone so young perform like that?

This time, her usual psychological comfort—”When I’m that age, I’ll definitely be just as good”—failed to console her. She felt she couldn’t possibly improve that much in just one more year.

So she cycled between shame and jealousy, always a little off her game, even getting worse every day.

Xu Mi asked her, “Why are you nervous? Ah, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. I just thought it might help to talk about it.”

Yi Nandie looked up at Xu Mi’s face and felt a moment of daze. It was like looking at a 2D character from a video, so she blurted out, “Qu An’ge’s acting is too good. It gives me a lot of pressure.”

Xu Mi was taken aback. “That’s it?”

Yi Nandie just spilled everything at once: “I used to think I was pretty good for my age. Now, watching Qu An’ge, I just feel ashamed of myself, so I’m always out of it.”

She let out a breath. Speaking it aloud felt better, like a big stone had rolled out of her heart, leaving her much more comfortable.

“Don’t overthink it,” Xu Mi said. “Come over to my place for a meal when you’re free. I definitely won’t tell anyone… what you said.”

A smile bloomed on her face. Her usually serious and stern features suddenly relaxed, like a spring breeze rushing straight into the heart.

Yi Nandie was dumbstruck.

Qu An’ge turned her head and saw this scene. She could barely hold onto her luggage. In a wronged, drawn-out whine, she called out, “Mimi, it’s too heavy, I can’t carry it anymore. Come help me~”

Xu Mi chatted with Yi Nandie a bit more and confirmed that there really didn’t seem to be any ambiguous vibe between her and Qu An’ge. So she walked over and gave Qu An’ge a hand.

Qu An’ge was instantly happy.

She secretly held Xu Mi’s hand. Xu Mi glared at her but didn’t pull away.

After putting their things away, the crew urged them to get their makeup done, so they went back.

Although Qu An’ge only managed to exchange a few words with Xu Mi, her mood was already quite pleasant. She even started humming a song during her makeup session. The makeup artist joked, “Stop smiling, your makeup is so tragic, it can’t even hide your happiness.”

Qu An’ge smiled but said nothing, thinking: My wife came, can’t I be a little happy about it?

After her makeup and styling were done, she went outside to wander around and suddenly saw a crowd gathering at the periphery. She curiously walked over and saw Tan Zhenzhen angrily saying, “I told you! It’s not a sneak shot, I’m not Paparazzi!”

Qu An’ge hurried over. “Don’t argue, don’t argue. This is my friend.”

The one arguing with Tan Zhenzhen was a Stagehand. He turned at the sound of her voice, saw Qu An’ge, and immediately choked on his words.

Tan Zhenzhen looked over at Qu An’ge, ready to complain, but froze when she saw her appearance.

She looked at least twenty years older than usual. Her face was sallow, her lips cracked and dry. She wore a khaki, old-fashioned suit, looking like a completely different person.

A little unsure, Tan Zhenzhen muttered, “Qu An’ge?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Qu An’ge came over and said to the Stagehand with a smile, “Sorry about that, Big Brother. She’s my friend, definitely not here for a sneak shot.”

Seeing the Main Actress come over, the Stagehand softened his tone a little, but since the lead wasn’t a huge star, it wasn’t much better. He just said flatly, “Fine, since you know her. But watch out. If anything gets leaked, you’ll be responsible.”

Qu An’ge nodded repeatedly. “Sure, sure, nothing will get out.”

The Stagehand left, and Qu An’ge grabbed Tan Zhenzhen’s arm. “Just you? Where’s Mimi?”

Tan Zhenzhen looked Qu An’ge up and down. “Makeup really is magical.”

Qu An’ge rolled her eyes. Tan Zhenzhen said, “I was just curious, so I came down first. Didn’t expect your crew to be so strict, can’t even look from the side.”

Qu An’ge replied, “It’s not a big deal, just need to let Director Fan know.”

Qu An’ge took Tan Zhenzhen to see Fan Yu. Director Fan was surprised to learn Xu Mi and the others had come, but a knowing smile quickly crossed her face. She said, “It’s rare you’re here. Feel free to look around, but you’ll need to come shoot soon,” she added, looking at Qu An’ge.

Qu An’ge quickly said, “Don’t worry, it won’t take long.”

But by the time Xu Mi’s group came over, some time had passed. Qu An’ge briefly introduced them to the crew as her friends, then handed them over to her Assistant.

Qiu Shuiyi had signed her, naturally taking care of everything. She’d assigned Qu An’ge an assistant for this project, usually called Xiao Tao.

The set was busy and chaotic, not too interesting to watch. Tan Zhenzhen asked, “Can we go watch them film?”

Xiao Tao smiled. “Of course, just be quiet.”

With that, they were led outside a certain room. The soundstage was built to look like an abandoned factory. Shen Hai, tied to a chair, was getting his makeup touched up. Qu An’ge studied her script, her expression shifting.

Xiao Tao whispered, “Please don’t leak any plot details, even if you see them. Director Fan hates that kind of thing.”

Everyone quickly nodded.

Suddenly, someone in the room loudly shouted, “Starting soon, starting soon, get ready!” A huge light blazed on. Staff around set up reflectors, and cameras aimed at the spot where Qu An’ge and Shen Hai stood from every direction.

Qu An’ge and Shen Hai both looked down. The moment Director Fan called “Action,” Qu An’ge suddenly raised her head, staring intensely at the bound Shen Hai. “Why?! Tell me why?”

This Qu An’ge had a sallow face, cracked lips, and hair as messy as straw, but her eyes were fiery, piercing, and sharp as blades.

Tan Zhenzhen jumped, startled. She instinctively turned to look at Xu Mi but found Xu Mi pressing her lips together tightly, staring just as fixedly at Qu An’ge’s direction.

So focused, she didn’t even notice Tan Zhenzhen looking at her.

Tan Zhenzhen then looked back at Qu An’ge and Shen Hai. Shen Hai lifted his eyes, murky like sludge, as if in great pain. The muscles on his face trembled.

Qu An’ge seemed afraid, unconsciously taking half a step back. But catching herself, she clenched her jaw, stepped forward, and said, “Time’s up.”

Tan Zhenzhen watched, her nerves stretched taut. When the scene ended, she realized she badly needed to use the bathroom. She tugged Xiao Tao. “Where’s the restroom?”

Xu Mi said, “Let’s go. We’ll go back and use the bathroom there.”

Xiao Tao smiled. “Not watching anymore?”

Xu Mi said, “We have other things to do.”

They quietly slipped away. Just before turning to leave, Xu Mi saw Yi Nandie standing in the crowd, hanging her head dejectedly.

She thought: So, her acting is too good… now I get why. No wonder…

Her feelings were a mix of complexity, a little pride, and an odd emptiness.

Once outside the soundstage, Tan Zhenzhen finally exhaled. “I’ve never seen Qu An’ge like that. So that’s how she acts. She’s amazing…”

Xu Mi didn’t reply, thinking to herself: Yeah, she’s really amazing, isn’t she?

…

When Fan Yu learned Xu Mi was here, she couldn’t help thinking about that dinner from the other night.

She now dreamed of those dishes every night. But she was too embarrassed to outright ask for a meal. Luckily, that evening, Tan Zhenzhen came over and asked, “We made quite a bit of food up at the house. Would you guys like to come eat?”

Fan Yu politely declined a couple times out of formality but eventually brought along Shen Hai and the Deputy Director. Qu An’ge called over Yi Nandie, and the group walked up the flagstone path to the house on the hill, Second Uncle’s house.

That night, everyone drank some of the homemade bayberry wine Second Uncle had brewed. The alcohol opened their hearts. Yi Nandie, crying, kept trying to hug Xu Mi. Qu An’ge physically kept them apart, feeling even more sour in her heart than the aged vinegar they’d dipped the raw marinated crabs in.

Later, Yi Nandie forgot about Xu Mi but then asked Qu An’ge, “The thing with Jiang Yuan… was that some kind of conspiracy by you guys?”

Shen Hai, hearing this, burst into laughter. “I think I’ve heard that rumor too.”

Qu An’ge rolled her eyes. “She dug her own grave. Don’t go slandering us.”

Yi Nandie looked earnestly at Qu An’ge. “If I ever do something wrong, you absolutely must tell me directly. Please don’t plot against me in secret.”

Also slightly tipsy, Qu An’ge slapped the table. “Stop being so Green Tea about it!”

The topic instantly shifted. Yi Nandie asked, “What does ‘Green Tea’ mean?”

Everyone looked over, curious. Qu An’ge remembered this term hadn’t exactly emerged yet and felt using it on Yi Nandie was a bit mean. She fudged, “Green Tea… it means… a girl who’s, like, comparatively prettier and more gentle.”

Shen Hai laughed. “Well, Nandie is definitely that.”

Tan Zhenzhen also nodded. “She really does give a Green Tea vibe. It’s very fresh and clean.”

Qu An’ge coughed twice and quickly pretended to be drunk, laying her head on the table. Not wanting to talk anymore, she just played possum. Seeing her go down, the others ignored her and started their own conversations.

She sighed in relief but also felt a bit worried. If this term became common a few years from now, would someone question her?

But then she thought, probably not. In a few years, everyone would’ve forgotten this. Even if they remembered, they’d definitely think it was just a coincidence.

Who would ever believe she could predict the future?

Thinking this, she turned her head and saw Xu Mi sitting by the courtyard wall, leaning sideways against the bamboo chair’s back, quietly watching her.

When Xu Mi saw Qu An’ge looking over, she quickly averted her eyes. But it was too late, and Qu An’ge knew Xu Mi had been watching her the whole time.

She couldn’t help feeling a secret thrill and started staring at Xu Mi. Xu Mi just stood up and walked out. Qu An’ge immediately followed.

The wind was strong on the hill, and with no lights around, looking into the distance revealed only the pitch-black sea. The beam from the lighthouse swung lonely over the dark waters, dyeing a patch of distant sea into a white, mirage-like mist.

In the silent night, the sound of wind and the chirping of insects intertwined.

It was late and the dew heavy. Qu An’ge sneezed. Feeling cold herself, she assumed Xu Mi must be chilly in her thin clothes. She walked up, glanced around furtively to check if anyone was watching, then casually grabbed Xu Mi’s hand. “Aren’t you cold?”

But the touch was warm; her own hands were apparently colder.

Looking closer, she realized Xu Mi was wearing a sweater cardigan over her hoodie—dressed much warmer than she was.

Xu Mi said, “Are you cold? Go back and put on another layer.”

Qu An’ge didn’t want to go back. She wanted to keep walking with Xu Mi, so she immediately said, “Not cold at all.”

She held tightly onto Xu Mi’s hand, not letting go, and they started swinging their linked arms as they walked downhill.

After walking for a while, she came back to her senses and asked, “Where are we going?”

Xu Mi’s voice was cool. “There are bugs. Going to the little shop to buy some insecticide or mosquito coils.”

“Oh,” Qu An’ge replied, sneaking a glance at Xu Mi from the corner of her eye. She’d thought they wouldn’t see each other for months, yet here she was, appearing before her. It felt just like a dream.

She finally couldn’t resist asking, “Did you… come here specifically for me?”

Her heart pounded frantically, making her brain buzz with static. There was an even more direct way to phrase that question—

Did you miss me?