Overly Intense [Criminal Investigation] 17

Chapter 17: Tastes Haven’t Changed, Not a Picky Eater

The actors next door were still in training, but Qin Luo was absent-minded during the internal creative meeting.

The directors were discussing the visual requirements of the script and their interpretations of the characters, as well as the acting styles to be decided with the actors in the afternoon. Qin Luo only half-listened, and nothing really registered.

At the end of the morning session, the assistant director came over and asked, “Lunch together?”

Qin Luo was looking down, working on the meeting minutes on her tablet, and didn’t even lift her head. “I have plans.”

The assistant director smiled and pulled up a chair next to Qin Luo. “I just asked Lydia. She said she has something to do at noon and is leaving first.”

Hearing Liu Jia’s name, Qin Luo paused, put her stylus down on the table, and slowly turned to look at You Ning. “Liu Jia only told you I was free for lunch. Did she not tell you anything else?”

You Ning’s attempt to secretly inquire about her schedule was exposed on the spot. She said guiltily, “I was originally going to ask you both to lunch, but she said she had something to do and was leaving first. She didn’t say anything else.”

Qin Luo put her equipment in her bag and relented, “She didn’t tell you I have plans with someone from the meeting room next door?”

Next door?

As an assistant director who handled scheduling, paperwork, and post-production, You Ning knew the people in the room next door better than anyone.

They were all actors, and all straight. Not a single one was a contender.

She picked the most likely one. “The props executive from Teng Factory?”

Qin Luo slung her bag over her shoulder. “Gossip costs extra.”

“This isn’t gossip. This is analyzing the enemy.” You Ning was wearing a baseball cap, and she frowned under the brim. “Besides her, I can’t think of anyone else in that room.”

“Then you can take your time thinking.” Qin Luo walked past her with her bag and waved. “I’m leaving. Going on a date.”

Who?

Who could it be?

You Ning felt that besides herself, no one else in this production could have a back-and-forth with Qin Luo. Everyone else was either already secretly involved or in a stable relationship.

She didn’t believe it and took out her phone to message Lydia.

[You lied to me! Sister Qin has a date at noon!]
[Who is it? Who stole my sister?]

Two minutes later, You Ning received Lydia’s reply.

[No one. Just a silent white moonlight.]
[Trust me. As long as you persevere, your sister will give up on that white moonlight herself in two weeks.]

***

At this moment, the silent white moonlight was finishing up the final part of her training—teaching the extras how to act more like criminal technical investigators.

Shen Yiyi had come well-prepared.

She had compiled an outline of everything from Forensic Scene Investigation to Investigative Practical Training Guide and Scene Evidence Guide.

But just before the class, the production assistant told her that the actors’ first day of situational experience class shouldn’t be too serious. They hoped she would just give a basic overview of a forensic pathologist’s duties and scope of work, without getting into the theoretical stuff.

So she tossed her presentation and casually recounted two bizarre murder cases she had encountered, which had the actors listening with bated breath.

When Qin Luo walked in, it was right at the end of this suspenseful case.

“Finally, we found the cellar where the body was hidden, and we also found three sets of white bones in the wall, which is what we call an unidentified body examination. For forensic science, identifying the identity of white bones is also an investigative challenge…”

Shen Yiyi leaned lazily against the lecture table, her every move exuding professional confidence.

Qin Luo clicked her tongue. This person was a vivid storyteller, better at building suspense and resolution than she, a screenwriter, was.

Shen Yiyi’s concentration was broken by Qin Luo, who had just slipped in. She glanced at her watch. It was five minutes past the agreed-upon break time.

So the bizarre case came to an abrupt end. She stood up straight. “I’m very happy to have been able to share stories from the forensic pathology workplace with all the actors today. Time’s up. Everyone should go eat and rest. Let’s continue this afternoon.”

A round of applause erupted, and then the assistants all got up and gathered around their respective artists, throwing the whole conference room into chaos.

Qin Luo hadn’t gotten up yet. She sat in the corner, her legs crossed, observing from a distance.

The conference rooms in the art warehouse all had concrete walls, and with the cold air from the air conditioning, the atmosphere was extremely chilly. But it also had a huge floor-to-ceiling window.

The midday sun was reflected by the glass, and then an illusion followed.

Shen Yiyi bent down to fiddle with her computer. The harsh ultraviolet light shone on her, like she was slowly sinking into a white cloud.

Qin Luo smiled.

Her mind performed a cutout action, changing the background layer of this distance.

It was as if she were sitting on the long sofa at home, the living room floor littered with books and magazines. She had bought a huge log table for work, which had taken eight people to carry in. Now she felt that Shen Yiyi and that table were a good match. Whether they were working on it or having sex, it should be very suitable.

Gamesmanship and infatuation use the same trigger mechanism. Qin Luo was caught in the halo of covetousness and was unwilling to get up and move for a moment.

Unfortunately, today’s post-marital story was suddenly interrupted.

A second-tier celebrity squeezed into her field of vision, right in the middle of the two of them, completely blocking the view of the silent bride.

Sun Jingyi placed both hands on the lecture table. “Director Shen, I’m the actress playing the forensic pathologist. This role is quite important to me. Can I have my assistant add you on WeChat so I can ask you for advice if I have any questions?”

Playing the forensic pathologist?

Shen Yiyi looked up. A very aggressive, striking face was staring at her. Oh, it was the mad demon female lead Li Siting had asked her to get an autograph from.

Shen Yiyi nodded, about to take her phone out of her pocket.

Hearing that the forensic pathologist had agreed, Sun Jingyi quickly thanked her. “Thank you so much! I’m very afraid of the professionalism of the police—”

“Let’s go eat when you’re done packing up.”

Qin Luo walked around the young actress and stood beside Shen Yiyi, shoulder to shoulder. She ignored the actress’s unfinished sentence and proactively took the laptop bag Shen Yiyi had just packed.

Looking up again, Qin Luo smiled at Sun Jingyi and asked, “Yiyi, aren’t you going to eat? There’s martial arts training tonight. Remember to eat more at noon.”

Shen Yiyi glanced sideways at the person beside her.

Her gaze traveled down from Qin Luo’s earring, finally landing on the hand holding the laptop bag. She reached out to take it back, but Qin Luo immediately switched it from her right hand to her left.

“Screenwriter Qin, you know Director Shen?”

“Yes.”

Qin Luo gently patted Shen Yiyi’s back and introduced her, “We’re old friends.”

Screenwriters usually have a low status on a regular production set, but it was different on Her Kill.

It had taken three years for this film to get off the ground. All the various channels had been connected by Qin Luo and Liu Jia. The one who had run herself ragged was Logos. So although the primary investor in Her Kill was Gouyan Entertainment, Logos had the absolute say.

Therefore… Screenwriter Qin was a very high-status party B on the set. And during the pre-production period, she could handle all parties with ease.

As a small fry in the film and television industry who had only debuted two years ago, she couldn’t figure out the screenwriter’s personality and couldn’t afford to offend her.

Sun Jingyi quickly stated her purpose. “I was just about to ask Director Shen for help, to be more precise about the professional interpretation of the character.”

Qin Luo nodded. “Alright, then you can contact Director Shen if you have any questions. We have something to do, so we’ll be leaving now.”

The assistant standing next to Sun Jingyi held up her phone and quietly reminded Screenwriter Qin, “We still don’t have Director Shen’s WeChat…”

“I’ll send it to you later.”

“Thank you, Sister Qin.” Sun Jingyi gave Qin Luo a sweet smile.

But Qin Luo didn’t respond. She turned and led Shen Yiyi out. “What do you want to eat for lunch? The production has a cafeteria, there are restaurants in the complex, and hotels outside the complex. Where do you want to go?”

Shen Yiyi looked down at her laptop bag, swinging in Qin Luo’s hand.

Qin Luo had walked several steps ahead before explaining, “When I say hotel, I mean the hotel restaurant.”

Only then did Shen Yiyi look up. “Anything is fine with me.”

Qin Luo chose the place where the most production crew members gathered. “Then let’s go to the cafeteria.”

***

Sixteen years later, Qin Luo was leading the way, and the two walked in silence, as if they had flashed back to their high school days.

In high school, they had also walked one behind the other like this, only there would be an excited or gloomy Liu Jia beside them. Qin Luo felt that taking out her production crew ID from her pocket was like taking out her meal card.

The rotten grapes in the corner had not turned sweet with waiting. The last bite secretly saved would only rot from being missed.

Qin Luo handed the bag back to Shen Yiyi and pointed to an empty area, indicating for her to go save a spot. “Do you have any dietary restrictions?”

Shen Yiyi shook her head. “I’m not as picky as Liu Jia.”

Qin Luo looked at her carefully. “I’m just asking. After all, it’s been so many years. Your tastes might have changed…”

Shen Yiyi held the heavy laptop bag and turned to walk in the direction Qin Luo had indicated.

“They haven’t changed. I’m not a picky eater!”