Chapter 65

World Two [35]

“Did you forget to close the window again when you went out today?” Jing Ke, with her prior experience, proactively found an excuse for Shao Qing.

But Shao Qing shook her head. After walking in, she closed the room door herself. “I can’t sleep. I wanted to hear you read French poems.”

Having said that, Shao Qing walked straight to Jing Ke’s bed, directly lifted the blanket on the left side, and lay down. She looked at Jing Ke expectantly, like a child waiting for a parent to read a bedtime story.

This overly direct behavior made Jing Ke realize something was off. Subconsciously, she leaned down to smell the scent on Shao Qing.

No smell of alcohol, looked like she had already showered. Was she seemingly drunk but not quite?

“Alright, what do you want to hear? Is the same as yesterday okay?” Jing Ke didn’t refuse. After glancing at the time on her phone, she also lifted the blanket and lay down on the bed.

“Anything is fine, as long as you read it.” Shao Qing said. Once Jing Ke lay down, she shifted her body, turning from lying flat to lying on her side facing her.

Shao Qing: “The light is too glaring. Can you turn it off?”

“Of course.” Jing Ke reached out and turned off the room light. Accompanied by the click of the switch, the guest room instantly fell into darkness.

After the room darkened, Shao Qing seemed to quiet down as well.

Jing Ke didn’t even hear the usual goodnight, only the unsteady breathing and heartbeat of the person beside her.

After clearing her throat, Jing Ke repeated her actions from the night before last, reading French poems in a slow, drawn-out tone, trying to help Shao Qing drift smoothly into dreams.

Ten minutes, twenty minutes, thirty minutes seemed to pass in the blink of an eye.

Shao Qing, who had successfully fallen asleep in twenty minutes the night before last, now seemed to have her breathing and heartbeat slowly calming down after Jing Ke finished reading the last poem.

Had Shao Qing fallen asleep? Or not?

Jing Ke was somewhat uncertain. She could perceive that Shao Qing’s breathing and heartbeat had calmed compared to before, but there was still a slight difference from the frequency during sleep.

Maybe it was because she drank alcohol, so her blood circulation sped up, and her breathing quickened a bit along with it.

Striving to find a scientific explanation, Jing Ke softly said goodnight, pulled the blanket up a bit, then closed her eyes and started to cultivate drowsiness.

Alcohol had a certain sleep-aiding effect on Jing Ke. Coupled with the fact that Shao Qing hadn’t proactively moved close to reduce the distance to zero this time, her ear not covered by warm breath allowed Jing Ke to fall asleep in just five minutes.

And after Jing Ke entered dreamland, Shao Qing, lying on her side, slowly began to move. Inch by inch, she shifted towards Jing Ke, letting emotion dominate her mind. As she pressed closer, she also reached out and grasped the hem of Jing Ke’s clothes.

Really, she truly was a capricious, petty person.

She kept saying with her mouth that Jing Ke should leave her and develop her own social circle. Yet, after seeing her so popular again today, she still couldn’t help but come and assert her presence.

Although New Life Entertainment’s scale wasn’t comparable to Zongheng Entertainment, many of its artists had very outstanding appearances.

If she let Jing Ke leave her side, would those artists try every means to appear around Jing Ke and then get the same treatment she received?

Thinking about someone else receiving the same treatment as her, Shao Qing couldn’t help but frown.

No, that’s not right. She was special. Only she had signed a Contract with Jing Ke.

Jing Ke had said from the very beginning: once the two signed the Contract, it couldn’t be easily dissolved. It required one party’s death for the Contract to be considered default-dissolved.

Under the influence of alcohol, Shao Qing’s thoughts were exceptionally active.

After her shower, although she had regained some rationality, the lingering tipsiness was still enough to drive Shao Qing to act on emotion. At bedtime, she had appeared at Jing Ke’s door and finally slept in the same bed with her.

Forget it. Hypocritical as it was, she didn’t want to let go.

—

The 26th day of the twelfth lunar month. This was already a time with a strong New Year’s atmosphere.

Following her internal biological clock, Jing Ke opened her eyes at eight in the morning and saw a ray of sunlight squeezing through the gap in the curtains.

There was sun! Then the sunbathing activity could be arranged today. Changing into a heat-absorbing black outfit, a short stroll outside should be possible.

After pulling back her thoughts, Jing Ke noticed Shao Qing, who was still in the middle of beautiful dreams and pressed very close to her.

Hmm? Why were Shao Qing’s eyebrows furrowed? Had she had a nightmare?

Jing Ke hesitated. Seeing that Shao Qing showed no signs of waking, she slowly reached out her hand, trying to use the pad of her finger to smooth the wrinkle between her brows.

“No, don’t go!” The sudden physical touch seemed to have some influence on Shao Qing’s dream, making her suddenly reach out and grab Jing Ke’s hand, while also abruptly opening her eyes.

“What’s wrong? Had a nightmare?” Jing Ke blinked, forced to maintain her previous posture.

Her gaze collided with Jing Ke’s amber eyes, causing Shao Qing to freeze for a moment as well. It took a while before she could distinguish the prior dream from reality.

“It was, it was… a not-so-good dream,” Shao Qing said, somewhat embarrassedly releasing Jing Ke’s hand.

“It’s okay, dreams are the opposite of reality. What you encountered in your dream won’t happen in real life,” Jing Ke comforted, gently patting Shao Qing’s shoulder.

Shao Qing gave a soft “Mm,” unable to resist pulling the blanket higher, leaving only half her head exposed.

“What time is it?” Shao Qing asked in a muffled voice.

“Eight-oh-seven. Do you want to sleep a bit longer or have breakfast?” Jing Ke asked.

Shao Qing shifted her gaze to the pillow, somewhat greedily enjoying being in the same bed with Jing Ke. “I don’t seem to be very hungry. Let’s get up a little later.”

“Then sleep a little more.” Jing Ke pulled her hand back under the blanket, mimicking Shao Qing by leaving only half her head exposed.

Finding that Jing Ke was still looking at her, Shao Qing couldn’t help but shift her gaze back, once again looking into her amber pupils.

The room’s curtains hadn’t been opened, making the interior appear slightly dim. But even so, Jing Ke’s eyes still looked clear and transparent.

Meeting such eyes easily gave one an illusion, as if their owner had opened her heart to you, allowing you to freely enter and leave her heart.

“I drank a bit too much yesterday, so I just did whatever came to mind. I’m very sorry for making you read French poems for so long.” After a moment of silence, Shao Qing was the first to break the quiet.

“It’s nothing. Winter is more suitable for huddling together for warmth. Having an extra person in bed feels pretty good,” Jing Ke smiled, as if sharing a bed with Shao Qing was just an insignificant trifle.

“So, so who have you huddled together for warmth with before?” Shao Qing asked instinctively.

Jing Ke nodded, candid as always. “Yes.”

Shao Qing, who had been expecting a vague answer, was stunned. “Didn’t you say you had trouble remembering things that happened before?”

“I hadn’t remembered before, but I’ve recalled a little recently.” Jing Ke’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, a hint of small hesitation appearing in her eyes, but in the end, she didn’t hide it. “That’s a memory from another world.”

“Ah, so that’s how it is.” Shao Qing responded dryly. Her intuition told her that if she continued asking, she might get an answer she didn’t want to hear.

Sticking your head in the ground and pretending to be an ostrich looks very stupid, but sometimes such evasive behavior is really useful.

It seemed as if, as long as certain words weren’t brought to light, she could pretend she didn’t know certain things had happened.

Lazing in bed until nine o’clock, Jing Ke and Shao Qing finally got up. The former went to cook, while the latter started packing things up.

It was already the 26th, and it was time to go home and spend the New Year with Grandma Shao. If they delayed another two days, they might not be able to buy suitable plane tickets.

—

On the afternoon of the 26th day of the twelfth lunar month, Shao Qing and Jing Ke got off the plane together.

Before that, the Little Assistant had successfully dropped them off at home yesterday and then welcomed his own Spring Festival holiday. He had probably already returned to his own hometown before the two of them.

So, only Shao Qing and Jing Ke exited the VIP passage. Each carrying a backpack and pulling a suitcase, they took twenty minutes to leave the airport bustling with surging crowds and smoothly got into the pre-booked ride-hailing car.

The driver was a very talkative local. Upon seeing their destination was the Urban-Rural Fringe Area, he couldn’t resist sharing the news he’d recently heard.

“Your hometown is the urban-rural fringe area? I heard they’re going to demolish and redevelop over there. If you’re lucky, you might get a very large sum of money,” the driver said, his voice thick with obvious envy.

“Going to demolish? The whole urban-rural fringe area?” Shao Qing, wearing a mask, couldn’t help but ask.

“It seems not the whole thing, but a part of it will definitely be demolished and renovated. They seem to want to build some kind of industrial park,” The driver was actually just repeating hearsay, knowing only the gist.

“Perhaps the government wants to develop the local economy. The urban-rural fringe area is a bit far from the airport, but the distance to the high-speed train station is only ten kilometers. It still has development prospects,” Jing Ke, who had once been a real estate company boss, evaluated.

Mianyang wasn’t yet a first-tier city, so planning and development certainly weren’t random. It had to rely on local transportation hubs for layout.

“That’s right, just like this lady said. It seems it was chosen for development precisely because it’s close to the high-speed train station,” the driver agreed.

Hearing this, Shao Qing’s heart was mostly at ease.

When she had chosen the house back then, to be quieter and have less noise, she deliberately avoided some main roads. If it was only partial development, it probably wouldn’t involve her family’s home.

The driver also seemed to realize the information he provided wasn’t comprehensive enough. He quickly switched topics, inquiring about the two’s work situations.

When out and about, identity is self-made.

With a few words, Shao Qing transformed herself and Jing Ke into young bosses running an accessory shop outside. Because the shop was their own, they could come back early if they missed home.

After over an hour of such casual talk, Shao Qing and Jing Ke got off the car at the roadside, each with a suitcase, walking the last few hundred meters.

The below-zero temperature was already very low, and with the sun covered by clouds, a simple gust of wind could make Shao Qing shiver involuntarily.

“Jing Ke, it’s so cold. Let’s just run back directly. Just get it over with rather than prolong the suffering.” After leaving the warm car cabin, Shao Qing found herself increasingly unable to withstand the cold.

“Alright, let’s run.” Jing Ke sniffled, not refusing this proposal. She proactively reached out and held Shao Qing’s hand.

The moment her hand was held, the corners of Shao Qing’s mouth, hidden by the mask, couldn’t help but turn up slightly. Using her other hand to pull her suitcase, she matched Jing Ke’s pace.

—

The 26th, 27th, 28th… in the blink of an eye, it was the 29th, a day when many people were rushing home.

Director Li and Boss Hao were also among them, but they weren’t heading home; they were heading towards the Self-Built Small Villa where Jiang Qingyi lived.

After coming back laden with bags, large and small, they specifically brought a large New Year’s gift box and formally visited Grandma Shao’s house once.

“Sister Hong has a Spring Festival Gala program, so she can come over at the earliest on the first day of the new year.” After sitting down and taking a sip of hot tea, Director Li couldn’t help but let out a long, relieved sigh. “Little Shao, what kind of tea is this? The flavor is very mellow.”

“Jing Ke, what kind of tea did you bring back?” Shao Qing, not knowing the answer, very naturally looked towards Jing Ke.

“It should be green tea? I’m not sure either. It was a New Year’s gift sent by a business partner.” Jing Ke recalled. Although her memory was good, it wasn’t to the point of remembering such small details.

“Then it must be good tea. A New Year’s gift for Boss Jing, it definitely has to be something impressive,” Director Li said with a smile. After chatting about some everyday matters, the topic turned back to Shao Qing.

“That’s right, there are rumors circulating in the circle that you want to terminate your contract with Zongheng. Are you planning to work with Boss Jing?” Director Li asked.

Shao Qing nodded. “I do have this plan, but I haven’t finished negotiating with Zongheng yet. They still haven’t given a clear stance even now. I estimate we’ll have to wait until after the New Year.”

Director Li nodded. “You’ll enter production for filming in February. If you need any cooperation from my side here, just say so. Boss Jing is also an investor in our drama crew; we are absolutely on your side.”

“If Zongheng refuses to release you and demands you rush around promoting newcomers, we on our side can also push your scenes to the back a bit, allowing you to wrap up after the contract termination.” Boss Hao followed up.

Zongheng Entertainment’s reputation in the industry was indeed good, but they certainly wouldn’t just watch the money tree originally planted in their own home run off to someone else’s.

“Alright, thank you, Boss Hao.” Shao Qing also understood the other party’s meaning.

Boss Hao was telling her that if Zongheng Entertainment scheduled unreasonable announcements for her, she could use the reason of needing to stay on set for filming to block outside criticism.

“Boss Jing, Little Shao’s current reputation and popularity are both quite good. If she joins New Life Entertainment, you should give her good terms, right?” Boss Hao asked with a smile, the scrutiny and wariness in her eyes still not fading, clearly still harboring a trace of distrust towards her.

People who came to the entertainment industry to invest were essentially capitalists. Boss Hao didn’t quite believe Jing Ke would be an exception.

“Of course. When the time comes, Shao Qing’s remuneration will be split fifty-fifty with the company,” Jing Ke said.

Fifty-fifty? Upon hearing these words, both Director Li and Boss Hao couldn’t help but frown. Their gaze towards Jing Ke was noticeably less friendly than before.

If Shao Qing were still a newcomer needing company resources tilted towards her for cultivation, then fifty-fifty would be normal.

But now Shao Qing had already opened her visibility. Endorsements and scripts would come to her proactively.

Under such circumstances, all the company needed to do was screen resources and then coordinate some publicity work for the artist. How could it be fifty-fifty?

“Ahem, this half-half split is what Jing Ke and I agreed upon. I was the one who proposed it.” Seeing the two Seniors wanting to stick up for her, Shao Qing quickly spoke up to explain.

“In addition, Jing Ke will also give me twenty percent of New Life Entertainment’s shares. I will be the company’s second shareholder and a director. I can freely choose from the company’s internal resources,” Shao Qing added.

Hearing this, the expressions on Director Li and Boss Hao’s faces reverted to their previous state, and they spoke with smiles.

“Boss Jing is generous, giving away twenty percent of the shares just like that.” Director Li said, giving a thumbs up. “Bold and decisive.”

“Shao Qing is worth it.” Jing Ke smiled, accepting Director Li’s praise.

Skipping over this slightly sensitive topic, the four then chatted about the New Year’s Eve dinner the next day.

“Sister Hong isn’t coming back, and the Caregiver is on vacation. We’re each a group of three here. How about we pool together for the meal, and then each go back to our own homes to see the old year out?” Director Li suggested.

Director Li’s intention was easy to guess. By proactively suggesting this, she wanted her good friend to interact with more people. If rashly contacting other strangers was something they weren’t comfortable with, but if it were Jing Ke’s group of three, it would be different. Her good friend clearly liked them quite a lot.

Shao Qing didn’t agree immediately but looked up at Jing Ke first. Seeing no sign of resistance on her face, she then smiled and agreed.

“Alright, a bit more lively would be nice,” Shao Qing said. “After eating, we can stay and watch the Spring Festival Gala together for a while. Isn’t Sister Hong going to appear on the Gala? That practically counts as the seven of us seeing the old year out together.”

Director Li: “Deal. Sister Hong’s program seems to be quite early on. We’ll go back after watching Sister Hong’s performance.”

—

On Chinese New Year’s Eve, having more people was what truly gave the feel of a New Year’s Eve dinner.

Hearing that three neighbors were coming to spend the New Year at their house, the smile on Grandma Shao’s face was even more pronounced than usual. On New Year’s Eve itself, she had gotten up early to start preparing ingredients, dedicated to making a sumptuous feast.

Director Li and Boss Hao also didn’t have the idea of freeloading. After finishing lunch, they brought Jiang Qingyi over, carrying New Year’s goods and good wine to help.

Unfortunately, Director Li and Boss Hao hadn’t specialized in culinary skills. Their cooking was probably only slightly better than Shao Qing’s, far inferior to Yu Hongjun and Jing Ke. The two could only help wash vegetables and do the most basic preparatory work.

“Can I try?” Seeing the lively scene in the kitchen, Jiang Qingyi, who had originally been watching TV with Grandma Shao, couldn’t help but walk over.

“Qingyi, you want to cook?” Director Li asked with some surprise.

“The braised pork I used to make, didn’t you two like eating it very much?” Jiang Qingyi countered with a smile, tilting her head slightly to the right, her eyes pure and innocent like a child’s.

“That’s right, Qingyi’s braised pork is delicious. Even Sister Hong said so.” Director Li quickly reacted, giving up her spot.

“Little Shao, Boss Jing, how about letting Qingyi give it a try?” Director Li asked with a hint of anticipation.

“Sure, then the braised pork is yours, Teacher Jiang,” Jing Ke agreed immediately. “I’ll prepare the other dishes with Shao Qing.”

“I’ll assist Qingyi.” Boss Hao preemptively occupied the position of kitchen helper.

“Ah, what about me then?” Director Li, suddenly with nothing to do, blinked.

“Old Li, you go watch TV with the Auntie. You can also chat with her about past events and gather material for your next script,” Boss Hao said.

Finding the small kitchen already packed with people, Director Li could only rub her nose and retreat from the ‘battlefield,’ dedicating herself to watching TV with Grandma Shao.