Chapter 48

Leng Xiang blushed.

That faint blush dyed her face even redder, and since her skin was snow-white, the red stood out even more prominently on her face.

Leng Xiang: “…”

The familiar feeling returned the instant Jiang Sisi opened her mouth. While blushing, Leng Xiang said coolly, “No.”

As if.

Jiang Sisi looked aggrieved, but her smile grew even wider as she said, “Hey, you’re not giving me any face at all. Saying that hurts my feelings so much.”

Jiang Sisi continued, “You really didn’t miss me? Not even a little?”

Well, it wasn’t like she hadn’t thought of her at all…

Leng Xiang said, “…No.”

They acted as if no one else was around them. The assistant director watched their familiar and intimate flirting and bantering, said nothing, and silently turned his head to stare at the footage coming from the camera.

Good grief, they were still filming.

…

…

The male supporting actor’s scene wrapped up quickly.

For the next scene, Jiang Sisi decided to return to the main storyline and try filming a scene between Su Qing and Jiang Chuan.

Su Qing and Jiang Chuan’s scenes were mainly concentrated in the last half hour of the movie, with the absolute highlight being Jiang Chuan’s wedding.

Jiang Chuan invited Su Qing to be her bridesmaid, and Su Qing attended as promised. Dressed in her bridesmaid gown, she stood beside Jiang Chuan, watching as Jiang Chuan linked arms with a man she didn’t recognize, smiling at each other.

Jiang Chuan had never introduced this man to Su Qing, as if she wanted to avoid something—or perhaps she was just deceiving herself.

Su Qing wondered, When did this happen?

When did someone suddenly appear by Jiang Chuan’s side?

Jiang Chuan had always only had her by her side before.

When had she lost her?

She stood right next to Jiang Chuan—so close, yet so distant.

She gazed at Jiang Chuan’s familiar smile, yet it felt like she’d never seen it before.

Suddenly, an inexplicable, immense pain surged through her. It was as if a monster had awakened inside her body, roaring in her heart. The noise made her ears ring; her heart clenched like it was gripped by a hand. She couldn’t breathe as she watched the monster tear her heart into pieces that could never be put back together.

From then on, a piece of her heart would forever be missing.

Leng Xiang flipped through this part of the script and somewhat understood why Jiang Sisi had given her that copy of Love Injury.

To a certain extent, there were similarities between the protagonist in the book and the dynamic between Su Qing and Jiang Chuan.

Love Injury was about regretting too late, while Su Qing was about realizing too late.

The only difference was that the heroine of Love Injury could still crash the wedding scene—after all, she and her love had shared a past, giving her the right to make a scene.

But what did Su Qing and Jiang Chuan have? They were friends of eight years, besties—no matter how you described it. She didn’t even have the qualification to make a fuss.

The crew found an available church at the filming base. Since it was just a test shoot, Jiang Sisi hadn’t arranged any extras, so the church only had crew members inside.

The cameras and lights were in position. The male actor playing Jiang Chuan’s husband had changed into his outfit, and Pei Shuang linked arms with him, slowly walking in from the church entrance.

They smiled at each other. Jiang Chuan beamed with happiness, not sparing a single glance at Su Qing standing beside her.

Su Qing stared at Jiang Chuan’s exquisitely made-up face and realized for the first time just how beautiful Jiang Chuan was.

Jiang Chuan was gentle and charming, yet heartless—loving completely, abandoning cleanly.

But when had Jiang Chuan decided to give her up? And on what grounds had she been kept completely in the dark?

Su Qing watched as the newlyweds walked to the priest and vowed to be each other’s one and only. There would never be a place for her in that.

Her fingertips dug harshly into her palms.

There were three cameras on set: one capturing Jiang Chuan and her husband’s vows, the other two focused on Su Qing.

Jiang Sisi watched Leng Xiang through the camera lens.

Anger, sorrow, unwillingness, and finally despair. Then her expression went almost blank, before slowly coming back to herself, a crack appearing on her vacant face.

After the wedding vows, Su Qing dragged Jiang Chuan aside, and the two erupted into an argument.

They had lived together for eight years. Gentle as Jiang Chuan was, she had never quarreled with Su Qing.

Never—except on her wedding day.

Before they started arguing, Jiang Sisi called cut, saying they’d stop this scene here and continue next time.

Jiang Sisi turned to the assistant director and asked, “What do you think?”

The assistant director shook his large, fan-like hand and said, “Not quite.”

The assistant director pondered. “Her expressions were on point, but I feel like something’s missing.”

Missing that feeling.

Leng Xiang’s final scenes opposite Jiang Chuan were the highest-demand in the entire script, requiring precision in every micro-expression. Even if it met all of Jiang Sisi’s demands perfectly, if the feeling was off, it was off.

In plain terms, it lacked soul.

After three in the afternoon, there were no scenes for Leng Xiang, and she vanished from the entire set.

Jiang Sisi looked around and muttered to herself, “Where’d she go?”

Normally, even without scenes, Leng Xiang would stay on set to watch other actors film or review the script.

Unless something important came up that she couldn’t get away from.

Li Guchuan, standing beside her, said, “Who are you looking for?”

Jiang Sisi snapped back and waved it off. “No one.”

Was she still writing her homework? No, hadn’t she said that morning that she’d finished both the character analysis for Love Injury and Su Qing’s bio?

At ten that night, Leng Xiang knocked on Jiang Sisi’s door as promised.

Jiang Sisi let her in. Leng Xiang stood there with her hands behind her back. She glanced at Jiang Sisi, then quickly looked away, staring at the ceiling light in the living room with a flickering, evasive gaze.

Jiang Sisi was full of question marks.

Jiang Sisi lifted her chin. “Let’s go to the bedroom.”

Leng Xiang didn’t move from the living room.

Seeing her frozen, Jiang Sisi said, “Or in the living room?”

Leng Xiang still stood there with her hands behind her back, unmoving. She pursed her lips, her face a mix of awkwardness and embarrassment. “Wait a sec.”

Her face was still red, though.

Jiang Sisi gradually sensed something off about her—especially with her hands always behind her back. It was downright weird. “Wait for what?”

Like she’s hiding something.

Suddenly, she caught a strange scent—like cream or something.

Jiang Sisi joked, “You didn’t prepare something to give me, did you?”

Leng Xiang jerked her head up, her face screaming How did you know?

Oh ho, nailed it?

Jiang Sisi raised a brow. “For real?”

Leng Xiang nodded reluctantly. Finally, she brought her hands forward from behind her back and offered it up like she was going to her death, placing it in front of Jiang Sisi.

Jiang Sisi: “…”

It was a Black Forest Cake.

Dark chocolate completely covered the surface, with rich, smooth chocolate and cream, plus cherry juice melted into the cream. A thick creamy aroma wafted from the cake.

Jiang Sisi took a deep breath and promptly sneezed.

Leng Xiang’s face turned green.

Jiang Sisi rubbed her nose apologetically. “Sorry, I’ve had a bit of a cold lately.”

She looked at the near-perfect cake in disbelief. “This is… night snack you brought me?”

Leng Xiang rolled her eyes at her.

Leng Xiang said, “I made it.”

After saying it, even she felt a bit embarrassed and turned her face away. “I’ve known how to cook since I was little.”

She recalled sneaking into the hotel’s back kitchen whenever she had time for almost a week for this thing, plus an entire afternoon today, and added, “It’s pretty hard to make.”

Jiang Sisi looked at her like she was some kind of deity.

This isn’t something just anyone can make.

Leng Xiang’s face was still red as she said, “About Luo Pi, Tan Ya told me. You helped her a lot. I misunderstood you. Plus, you helped me apply medicine and taught me acting, so… I made this as thanks.”

Jiang Sisi: “…”

They stared at each other. Jiang Sisi said nothing, while Leng Xiang pursed her lips and glared at her, her face growing redder and redder.

Leng Xiang said, “Laugh and you’re dead.”

Jiang Sisi: “…Pfft.”

Leng Xiang: “…”

Jiang Sisi watched as Leng Xiang’s ears turned bright red, along with her neck. Even the delicate collarbone peeking from her collar was flushed.

Her toes were probably red too.

Jiang Sisi collapsed laughing onto the living room sofa. Quick as a flash, she grabbed the embarrassed Leng Xiang who was about to storm off and yanked her back—right onto the sofa.

Leng Xiang was already somewhat self-abandoned. Her earlier confession had pierced through her shame threshold. Now, she just wanted to shove Jiang Sisi’s head into the cake she’d slaved over.

Jiang Sisi looked at Leng Xiang.

This person throws a cold war if she thinks someone wronged her, but a little coaxing fixes it. Then, when she realizes she was wrong, she comes to apologize—and to make sure her sincerity shows, she spends an afternoon hand-making a cake.

Embarrassed and ashamed, but she’ll still do it properly and say what needs to be said.

Proud, yet diligent and earnest, studious.

Awkward yet frank, upright and guiltless.

So good.

Jiang Sisi laughed out loud and reached to pinch her cheek.

Leng Xiang lightly swatted away her impudent hand. “What are you doing?”

Jiang Sisi said, “Nothing. Just think you’re cute.”

Really cute.

Leng Xiang choked, stunned by her shameless directness, her face reddening again.

But Jiang Sisi gazed at her with smiling eyes—not her usual teasing playfulness, but something Leng Xiang had never seen: utterly serious and focused.

Stars shimmered in her smiling eyes, hiding the glow of distant galaxies. Her eyes curved, lashes fluttering like a soft feather kiss.

For a moment, Leng Xiang even thought Jiang Sisi was affectionate.

She shuddered, shaking off goosebumps from her sudden imagination.

Jiang Sisi and ‘affectionate’ in the same sentence?

Yet she couldn’t help her heart speeding up under that gaze. For an instant, she forgot what she should say—shouldn’t she snap back? What cute or not-cute nonsense? Was she even the cute type?

She had a bad temper—cold and hard. Where was the cute?

Leng Xiang moved her lips but said nothing in the end.

She turned her head away, dodging the gaze, a bit flustered.

She pushed the Black Forest Cake toward Jiang Sisi, coughed, and said, “Eat it first. We still need to discuss the script later.”

Jiang Sisi took the cake as instructed, cradling it in her palm and examining it closely. She turned her head and smiled. “But is this edible? What if you poisoned it?”

I made it for you and now you won’t eat?

A few cheerful veins popped on Leng Xiang’s forehead. “Eat it or not. If you don’t, give it back.”

As she spoke, she reached to snatch it back. Jiang Sisi quickly raised the plate high. Leng Xiang lunged and missed, nearly tumbling into Jiang Sisi’s arms.

“Hey, you already gave me the cake, so it’s mine. No take-backs.”

Jiang Sisi held the plate steady and couldn’t resist mouthing off. “So enthusiastic. You giving yourself to me too?”

Leng Xiang scrambled out of her arms in a fluster, hair disheveled, face still red—this time from anger. “Jiang Sisi, can you have some shame?!”

Jiang Sisi burst out laughing.

“Alright, no more teasing.” Jiang Sisi finished laughing, grabbed two small spoons from the coffee table, and handed one to Leng Xiang. They dug into the cake with their spoons as Jiang Sisi said, “Did you bring the Love Injury character analysis and Su Qing’s bio? Let me see.”