Chapter 53: Eleven

When Lin Zixi arrived at the hotel where Liang Yu was staying, money in hand, Liang Yu had just gotten up and was preparing to head out to the set to begin her walk-on role career. The once-down-and-out young woman leaped for joy upon receiving the kind help, wanting to give Lin Zixi a big hug.

Ye Can had sharp eyes and quick hands. Seeing Liang Yu lunge toward Lin Zixi, she immediately reached out, grabbed her by the collar, yanked her back, and warned, “Talk properly. Don’t go touching people randomly.”

Liang Yu let out an “oh” and, under Ye Can’s domineering gaze, glanced at Lin Zixi, then at the displeased peer her age. She seemed to vaguely understand something.

Not daring to lay a hand on Lin Zixi anymore, she clutched the money Lin Zixi had given her and bowed deeply to Lin Zixi with a beaming smile. “Thank you, Sister Lin.”

With that, Liang Yu looked up, her expression utterly serious as she made a promise. “I’ll save up as quickly as I can and pay you back.”

Lin Zixi smiled faintly. “As long as you’re safe during your time here, that’s enough.”

Liang Yu was a principled person. After taking the money, she even wrote out an IOU note for Lin Zixi, stating she would repay it within half a year.

The young woman’s sincerity was overflowing, and Lin Zixi wouldn’t refuse it. She took the note and simply encouraged her. “Then work hard and try to pay it back soon.”

Liang Yu nodded vigorously. “Mm-hmm!”

There was still time, so Tong Lin drove Liang Yu to the set. Along the way, she even bought Liang Yu a phone worth over a thousand yuan and a new SIM card.

The first thing Liang Yu did upon getting the phone was recover her account and contact her friends, finally making it to the set.

By the time Ye Can arrived at the set, Meng Zhiqiu was already there. Seeing both leads present, Hou Ming had the makeup artists touch them up and quickly filmed Meng Zhiqiu’s wrap scene.

The scene Hou Ming had added focused mainly on the first clash between Ye Can and Meng Zhiqiu.

It was the twelfth lunar month, bitterly cold, with white snow drifting down like willow fluff.

As Luo Ji accompanied the empress to Changqiu Palace to visit the ailing Empress Dowager, she passed by the rear garden and spotted Xiao Can standing beneath a plum tree.

In the depths of winter, pink and white plum blossoms blanketed the branches. The beautiful youth in purple robes, her hair bound with a golden crown, stood under the plum tree.

Luo Ji passed by the covered walkway and happened to see the youth reach out with slender, pale fingers to pluck a plum blossom, leaning in to sniff it gently.

For a moment, it was unclear whether the vivid red plum or the jade-faced youth was more alluring.

Luo Ji’s steps faltered slightly, and at that instant, the youth who had been sniffing the flower lifted her gaze and looked her way from afar.

In that lifted gaze, her eyes flowed like autumn waters, captivating.

Spotting Luo Ji, Xiao Can released the plum blossom, her slender hand gently brushing the branch. A smile played at the corners of the beautiful youth’s lips as she lowered her eyes and cupped her hands in salute to Luo Ji. “Greetings, Consort Liang.”

Luo Ji stood in her red robes at the edge of the covered walkway, palace maids at her side, looking down at her coolly. “Prince Qin… In this freezing twelfth month, Your Highness is dressed so thinly. Are you here admiring the plums?”

Xiao Can raised her gaze and smiled warmly at Luo Ji. “No, I’m waiting for someone.”

Luo Ji frowned in confusion. “Waiting for someone?”

Xiao Can’s smile was gentle. “Yes, waiting for someone.” She finished, then lifted her head toward the distant north, her gaze profound. “Consort Liang, the winter plums are blooming. Do you think my brother, far away at the ends of the earth, will return before the plum blossoms fade?”

Xiao Can turned back, her eyes settling on Luo Ji as if seeking an answer. “Consort Liang, do you think I’ll still be able to wait for my poor brother, who can’t even see his dying mother one last time?”

The Empress Dowager was gravely ill, the imperial physicians declaring she wouldn’t survive the winter. The emperor on the throne feared Prince Cheng amassing power in the Northern Border and planned to use the Empress Dowager’s death as a pretext to summon him to the capital for execution. Prince Cheng, meanwhile, awaited the same chance to return and seize the throne.

Both sons sought to exploit their mother’s death for power. Not one truly cared for their elderly mother’s life.

Luo Ji looked at the frail, beautiful youth before her and seemed to glimpse a trace of genuine care in those ink-black eyes. She sighed softly. “I don’t know.”

She raised her head toward the north and murmured, “It all depends on His Majesty’s will.”

No matter the decision, in this royal palace, only the one above the Imperial Throne could make it.

This was the first meeting between Xiao Can and Luo Ji in the film. From Luo Ji’s perspective, everyone saw a frail, beautiful youth—except Ye Can, who used her acting to reveal the perverse ambition beneath.

Hou Ming watched the take over and over, full of praise. After one perfect take, he announced that Meng Zhiqiu’s scenes were officially wrapped.

The crew presented Meng Zhiqiu with a wrap bouquet, and everyone—cast and crew—posed for a group photo with her.

After exchanging pleasantries with Meng Zhiqiu, Hou Ming hurried off to review the footage. The moment she was free, still in costume, Meng Zhiqiu dragged the still-made-up Ye Can over for a photo.

Ye Can looked thoroughly reluctant, but the beauty in red robes pinched her cheeks, held up her phone, and said, “Come on, Little Prince Cheng. We ended up together in the end, at least. Don’t look so unwilling—like I forced you or something.”

Hugging Ye Can close, Meng Zhiqiu wrinkled her brow at the lens as Ye Can grumbled, “What do you mean ‘you and me’? It’s not me—it’s the extra.”

Meng Zhiqiu brushed her off. “Fine, fine, it’s the extra. Great, one-two-three-four, cheese!”

At the call, Ye Can—who’d been muttering—straightened up, flashed a fake smile at the camera, and threw up a V-sign.

After snapping the shot, Meng Zhiqiu looked at the photo and praised, “See? That’s how you take a happy picture.”

After her superficial chit-chat with Ye Can, Meng Zhiqiu waved at Lin Zixi with a bright, curved smile. “Teacher Lin, come join us for a photo too!”

Lin Zixi, standing off to the side, waved her off with a full-face rejection.

But Meng Zhiqiu’s enthusiasm was unstoppable. She pulled Ye Can over, stood in the middle, threw an arm around Lin Zixi, and the three of them posed for the camera.

Once that was done, Meng Zhiqiu revealed her real intent. “Teacher Lin, let’s do a two-shot.”

They’d already done the group photo—how could Lin Zixi say no to a two-shot? She obliged, posing with Meng Zhiqiu.

This time, Meng Zhiqiu didn’t selfie. Holding her bouquet, she draped an arm over Lin Zixi’s shoulders as her assistant Xiao Cai snapped a photo of them.

Ye Can, watching from the side, saw right through Meng Zhiqiu’s scheme and felt a surge of irrational anger. So that’s why she’s being so friendly—she just wanted a two-shot.

But she couldn’t drag Lin Zixi back, so she could only stand there, arms crossed, glaring.

After Meng Zhiqiu finished, she even opened her arms for a hug from Lin Zixi.

Lin Zixi gave her a light, perfunctory embrace and offered congratulations. Not wanting to be too obvious, Meng Zhiqiu released her reluctantly and said, “I’m heading to the airport soon. I’ll send you the photos later, Teacher Lin.”

Lin Zixi smiled. “Sounds good. Safe travels, Miss Meng.”

After a few more words, Meng Zhiqiu got into the van with assistant Xiao Cai and left. Lin Zixi watched her go, turning back only after the car pulled away—and found Ye Can standing there, arms crossed, pouting furiously.

Lin Zixi blinked in confusion. “What’s wrong? You look so upset. Who got under your skin?”

Ye Can flung her arms wide like a great roc spreading its wings, flapping them at Lin Zixi to signal her over.

Lin Zixi got it instantly and laughed helplessly. “You want a hug?”

Ye Can said nothing, just flapped again, making her intent clear.

Treating her like a child, Lin Zixi walked over and let Ye Can wrap her arms around her.

Ye Can pulled her in tight. Held close, Lin Zixi murmured, “You little kid—you’re so jealous.”

Ye Can frowned. “What’s jealous?”

Lin Zixi patted her back. “Jealous means if I’m a little nicer to someone else, you feel upset inside. Like just now—I hugged Miss Meng once, and now you want one back.”

Ye Can went, “Oh.” Then, “So yeah, that’s jealousy.”

Lin Zixi nodded. “Mm-hmm.” Ye Can thought for a moment. “But this morning, when you went to give Liang Yu the money, I didn’t feel that way.”

“So it’s not that you’re nice to anyone and I get jealous.”

Lin Zixi found her utterly adorable and smiled. “Of course. Jealousy’s reserved for specific people.”

Ye Can nodded in sudden realization. “Got it. I feel bad when you’re nice to Meng Zhiqiu because she likes you. If you’re nice to people who don’t like you, I don’t mind.”

Pausing in thought, Ye Can continued, “No, that won’t do. What if I run into someone who likes you, and you like her back and are super nice to her? If I block that, I’d be stopping your happiness.”

Ye Can released Lin Zixi and looked at her seriously. “Alright, that’s enough. I won’t get jealous anymore.”

She absolutely wouldn’t stand in the way of Lin Zixi’s happiness.

The warmth around her vanished, cold wind rushing in from all sides. Lin Zixi inexplicably felt a chill in her heart. She shoved her hands in her pockets, looked up at Ye Can, and probed, “You really won’t get jealous anymore?”

Ye Can nodded. “Mm, I won’t. As long as you’re happy, anything goes.”

Lin Zixi pressed her lips together and forced out, “Okay then.”

For the first time in her life, Lin Zixi tasted an awkwardness she couldn’t vent. She even started to understand why those TVB dramas loved lines like, “You hungry? If you’re hungry, I’ll cook you some noodles.”

Because right now, she really wanted to say that to Ye Can.

Feeling irritated, she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and looked up at Ye Can. “You hungry? The afternoon shoot hasn’t started yet—it’s break time. If you are, I’ll take you to eat.”

Ye Can keenly sensed Lin Zixi’s mood drop and peered at her curiously. “Are you a little unhappy?”

The indeed somewhat unhappy Lin Zixi looked up on reflex. “No.”

No means yes. Ye Can nodded knowingly. “You’re lying.”