Chapter 50

“Jiang Sisi told me to tell you that I’ve brought the ticket for you. Go if you want to, or don’t if you don’t. If you don’t go, sell it and make some money. And also—”

“Oh right, don’t make things hard on yourself.”

Leng Xiang repeated Jiang Sisi’s words and handed the concert ticket to Pei Shuang.

The concert was scheduled for three days later, Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

Pei Shuang hadn’t gone to bed yet. She had a glob of green face mask on her face. She had smiled a little when she first saw Leng Xiang return, but that faint smile vanished completely as soon as she finished speaking. She fell silent, took the ticket without even glancing at it, and tossed it straight into the trash bin.

She knew who had sent this ticket.

The only person who would send her concert tickets was that one.

Leng Xiang watched as that little piece of paper, supposedly worth tens of thousands, floated into the trash bin, and her heart ached.

Pei Shuang’s complexion didn’t look good.

Leng Xiang glanced at the ticket in the trash bin, then back at Pei Shuang.

It was the first time she had seen Pei Shuang wear such an expression.

Over the past month-plus of filming, Pei Shuang had always been polite, courteous, and considerate. She never threw tantrums or even showed a bad face. She was cheerful all day on set, helping out with the crew whenever she wasn’t shooting, and she got along quite well in the production.

Leng Xiang glanced once more at the ticket lying at the bottom of the trash bin and asked, “Not going?”

Pei Shuang shook her head. “No, I have filming to do.”

She paused, turned her head away, and strands of hair from her temple covered her profile, making it impossible to see her expression.

Pei Shuang let out two short laughs and added, “I remember there’s a night shoot on Saturday evening. It’s not some important concert anyway—filming is more important. I’ll skip it.”

Her tone was flustered, her words stumbling over themselves.

She didn’t seem all that indifferent.

Moreover, she hadn’t even looked at the ticket—how did she know the concert was on Saturday?

Leng Xiang frowned but didn’t say anything more.

It was Pei Shuang’s own choice.

…

Late at night.

Leng Xiang was already fast asleep in bed. The air was deathly still, filled only with faint, barely audible breathing.

Pei Shuang turned over, opened her eyes, and stared at the ceiling.

She couldn’t sleep.

Her thoughts were a jumble, deprived of rest. A buzzing noise droned in her head, protesting that it was the middle of the night and she still wasn’t asleep.

But she just couldn’t fall asleep.

The more her head hurt, the more awake she became.

She flipped over heavily again, and the bed creaked.

After a long moment, she sat up, got out of bed, slipped on her slippers, and squatted down in front of the trash bin.

She hesitated for a while before reaching in and fishing out the ticket.

In the moonlight, she could make out the woman’s beautiful, flamboyant face on the ticket.

The woman’s entire body was shrouded in a heavy metal-like blood red. Red silk veiled half her face, her eyeliner thick and bold, crimson eyeshadow sweeping into her temples, and blood-red lips curved into a disdainful yet alluring smile.

Arrogant and captivating.

It was a face both familiar and strange to her.

Under the moonlight, she examined the ticket closely, her fingers brushing over Zhong Xin’s face on it.

This was no longer the person she had once loved.

…

Three days later, Saturday night’s night shoot.

Leng Xiang and Pei Shuang had a scene together, but they suddenly received word from Jiang Sisi that Pei Shuang had taken leave to return to the city. The scene was postponed until Pei Shuang came back.

Leng Xiang looked at the spot on set where Pei Shuang usually sat—it was indeed empty, no one there.

Leng Xiang said, “She really went?”

Jiang Sisi replied, “Yeah, Li Guchuan went with her. He’s a fan of Zhong Xin too.”

Jiang Sisi sneered and added, “Getting on in years and still chasing stars—what a joke.”

Leng Xiang ignored Jiang Sisi’s teasing of Li Guchuan.

She thought, that night Pei Shuang had sworn up and down she wasn’t going, but she still went after all.

The next morning, Pei Shuang and Li Guchuan returned together.

Jiang Sisi was shooting a scene. In the frame, Leng Xiang toppled to the ground in a very undignified pose. The male supporting actor opposite her delivered his lines. Leng Xiang stood up, grabbed the male supporting actor by the collar, and slapped him across the face.

Staring at the monitor, Jiang Sisi felt her own face sting a little.

This was the male supporting actor’s final scene. Once it wrapped, he was done with all his shooting—kill order.

The entire crew held their breath, watching Jiang Sisi as she focused on the monitor. She nodded and gave the signal. “Cut.”

Cheers erupted across the set.

The male supporting actor was a newcomer who had only done TV dramas before—this was his first film.

He let out a long sigh of relief, smiled bashfully. His face was classically handsome and crisp, and his smile was quite warm.

He walked out from in front of the camera and hugged Jiang Sisi. She patted his back.

Jiang Sisi said, “Congratulations.”

The second male supporting role in Luxury Goods had wrapped.

This also marked that the film was now more than halfway through production.

It was still early; they could shoot another scene.

The last time Jiang Sisi and Leng Xiang ran lines from Love Injury, Leng Xiang’s state had been surprisingly good. Jiang Sisi thought for a moment and decided to move up the church wedding scene, originally scheduled for last.

This time, the wedding protagonists weren’t Jiang Chuan and her husband, but Su Qing.

Not long after Jiang Chuan’s wedding, Su Qing entered the halls of marriage with the man from her fourth relationship, the one she’d met through a blind date.

Leng Xiang changed into a wedding dress. Li Guchuan went to the dressing room and emerged in a groom’s tuxedo.

Li Guchuan adjusted his collar while the makeup artist beside him gazed at him with starry eyes.

He was handsome to begin with, tall and slender, from a prestigious background, exuding a noble yet unrestrained air.

The two linked arms and familiarized themselves with the process.

Jiang Sisi stood far off with a megaphone-like speaker and called out to Li Guchuan from afar. “Comrade over by the hill, are you ready to get married?”

Li Guchuan smiled and cupped his hands like a megaphone. “I’d love to marry him, but that depends on whether my better half agrees.”

The entire crew booed, mocking Movie Emperor Li for showing off his love at a time like this.

Leng Xiang turned toward the voice.

Jiang Sisi, seeing her look over, narrowed her eyes and appraised the elaborate, luxurious wedding dress on her body.

It was a custom-made gown, silver threads mingled with gold embroidered on the skirt, adorned with countless tiny diamonds.

Leng Xiang’s hair had been artfully styled by the makeup artist into an intricate updo. With bridal makeup, her eyes resembled blooming peach blossoms, and her faint smile was enough to captivate anyone.

Jiang Sisi thought she looked stunning in it.

From afar, Jiang Sisi flashed Leng Xiang a rather roguish grin, almost like she was flirting with a proper lady.

And Leng Xiang’s eyesight was excellent—she saw it crystal clear.

Her face flushed again.

What the hell with this person.

Having teased her fill, Jiang Sisi grabbed the megaphone and shouted, “Xiangxiang, he says he won’t marry you. How about marrying me instead?”

The set erupted in boos again, louder than before.

Listen to that—Xiangxiang.

Leng Xiang: “…”

Completely caught off guard.

Wearing her wedding dress, Leng Xiang rolled up her sleeve and flipped her off from afar, bellowing with full force, “Scram!”

Li Guchuan took it all in, looking thoughtful.

…

The crew was preparing for the scene, setting props and positioning extras.

Li Guchuan turned to chat with Leng Xiang. “You know, I’ve proposed to my better half so many times, but he just won’t agree. He thinks two guys getting married is pointless—law doesn’t recognize it anyway, and as public figures, it wouldn’t look good.”

“How is it the same? How wouldn’t it look good? Song Limo can get married—why can’t I? Even if the law doesn’t recognize it, can’t I at least experience a wedding atmosphere?”

Li Guchuan grumbled, “Just can’t get through to him.”

Yet there was a hint of sweetness in his complaint.

The entertainment and fashion circles had the highest number of same-sex couples, so it wasn’t particularly shocking.

Besides, Luxury Goods itself was a subtly queer film.

After saying that, he leaned in mysteriously toward Leng Xiang. “Guess if our Director Jiang is into women?”

Leng Xiang thought, Do I even need to guess? She still remembered the day she’d been drugged.

But who knew—sleeping with a woman didn’t necessarily make someone a lesbian. Maybe bisexual.

She didn’t want to dwell on the topic.

Leng Xiang said, “Maybe.”

Li Guchuan said, “Don’t let her playboy vibe fool you. Back in college, she secretly pined for a woman for four or five years. That person probably still doesn’t know. She’s such a coward.”

Leng Xiang’s breath hitched. She looked up at Li Guchuan.

He looked back at her, as if just gossiping about Jiang Sisi, but his eyes were utterly serious.

Leng Xiang said, “So?”

Li Guchuan said, “That person got together with the one they liked years ago. And her? Still single as ever, who knows if she’s moved on.”

Leng Xiang fell silent for a moment and said, “What does that have to do with me?”

Li Guchuan looked at her and smiled—a smile full of meaning.

For no reason, irritation bubbled up in Leng Xiang’s heart.

Li Guchuan said, “Of course it has nothing to do with you. Just treat it as gossip.”

He laughed. “I’ve known her since we were kids—I know her better than anyone. Don’t mind her tough act; she’s all bark, no bite. Cut her some slack.”

Jiang Sisi’s voice came through the megaphone from afar. “What are you two whispering about over there? Ready or not? If you are, let’s run it once.”