Chapter 46 – Little liar
The whole thing about cheating had come to an end here. Wu Xue kept busy with what she had to do, her mood very calm and steady.
Since the scandals Wu Ke had quietened down, all those little moves he made to irritate and agitate Su Yi had suddenly stopped.
…
The make-up room.
Wu Xue hung up the Qipao Su Yi had just changed out of. “He’s afraid at the moment that you’d get involved in that rubbish that’s his life and make it a bigger deal, of course, he won’t continue provoking you.”
“Who wants to get involved, I just want to be a mute spectator.” Su Yi used a paper napkin to remove her lipstick and took a bite of the apple. “But this is good too, the filming process is really speeding up a lot.”
Chu Xi sat on the chair, visibly disgruntled.
The past two days had been especially vexing for her, what with Father Chu rushing her to go back, even booking the ticket so that she shows up for the Yang family’s birthday celebration.
The Yangs might have been a big deal about a decade ago, but they had been falling behind ever since Elder Yang stepped down. The Chu family, on the other hand, had a lot of talents, each generation stronger than the previous. Today, the two families were no longer on the same footing. However, the elders, particularly the grandparents’ generations, were really close, so although today Elder Chu had already passed on, with Elder Yang personally coming forward to enthusiastically invite them, Father Chu naturally agreed at once.
“Tomorrow I have to go back.” Chu Xi ate her bento very half-heartedly as if chewing on wax. “All this time I spent in Shanghai I didn’t do anything, I just spent it on the set with you guys.”
“What’s wrong with the set?” Su Yi said. “You’ve air-conditioning, you’ve all the drinks you’d need or want, all your meals are covered. How did we mistreat you?”
“This time when I go back, they will definitely not let me come again.” A petulant Chu Xi voiced her grievance.
“Then you stay there.” Su Yi got a bowl of soup. “I can’t wait to go back to Beijing.”
Chu Ying had someone send today’s bentos to the set; extras were added to everyone else’s bento, while Su Yi had meat, veggies as well as soup. It was specifically sent to the set to keep them from having to go out and find a place to order take-away from after filming.
Wu Xue was just eating when the phone beside her rang. These days, she got jitters just hearing the phone ring. After a long while, she fished it out of her pocket unwillingly only to see that it was from the office.
She hurriedly dried her hands and picked up.
“Something’s the matter?”
“Yeah, she’s filming in Shanghai.”
“Soon, she’ll be done in a while … Day after tomorrow? She might not have time, what is it?”
“Why didn’t you say this earlier? Now that the scenes have been arranged how do you expect Little Yi to take leave so last minute?”
“All right, I’ll talk to her.”
After seeing she had hung up, Su Yi looked up and asked, “What is it?”
“Said that there’s a last-minute prize-giving ceremony.” Wu Xue was a little angry, and her tone irritated. “Evening, the day after tomorrow, and they only inform you now! How are they doing their work? Do they think that taking leave can be done wily-nily? If you don’t want to go I’ll reject them right now, this is their mistake, they can’t do anything to you even if you don’t go.”
An almost invisible light flashed in the bottom of Su Yi’s eyes. “Where’s it going to be held?”
“Beijing.” Wu Xue opened her phone, reading the text the company sent. “Not some big event, just some minor online platform’s own show. There’s plenty of prizes, almost everyone who goes would get some consolation prize or another, but they’re basically worthless. The online platform’s just trying to get views really, there’s no point, I suggest we not go.”
“Go!” Su Yi decided at once. “Book the tickets.”
Wu Xue said, “… What’s wrong with you, to delay the filming progress for this small prize-giving ceremony?”
“It won’t be delayed.” In the few short minutes, Su Yi had it all planned out. “Isn’t it the day off tomorrow, I’ll go talk to the director and change my filming schedule.”
“What about the person you’re filming with?” Wu Xue asked. “You think Wu Ke would be willing?”
“My scenes with Wu Ke are almost complete, the rest are either with side characters or with Anan, I’ll go discuss with them now.”
After saying that, Su Yi left her half-finished food and waltzed out of the make-up room with her phone.
No one in the crew filmed more than one show at the time. Except for those who occasionally had another thing cropping up (e.g. filming of some advertisement or, in Su Yi’s case, going out for an awards ceremony), everyone basically only came to set when they have a scene to film and returned to the hotel when they didn’t so it wasn’t too hard to adjust the filming dates. Li Min and the side characters had it dealt with quickly.
Su Yi stopped in front of Cheng Anan’s make-up room and knocked on the door.
In a moment, the door opened. It was Cheng Anan’s assistant; seeing Su Yi, she hurriedly greeted: “Hi Yi-jie, have you eaten?”
“Yeah,” Su Yi said with a smile. “Is Anan in there?”
Cheng Anan’s face was also filled with surprise. “Yi-jie, what’s up?”
“I want to discuss something with you, is it convenient now?”
“Yeah.” Cheng Anan picked up the phone on the sofa to clear a space for her to sit. “Please.”
After sitting down, Su Yi got straight to the point. “It’s like this, tomorrow is a break, but something has cropped up last minute for the day after …”
Cheng Anan interrupted. “You Qi’s prize-giving ceremony?”
Su Yi smiled. “Yeah, so I want to bring forward filming by a day, is that okay?”
“Of course, I’m going to be around these few days anyways.” Cheng Anan agreed at once, saying with a silly smile, “Yi-jie, you’re really amazing, all these prize-giving ceremonies are inviting you over.”
“What’s so amazing about this!” Su Yi couldn’t help laughing. “So we’re okay with it?”
“Yes.” After saying that, Cheng Anan seemed to have remembered something and, after looking around, said with reddened cheeks, “Yi-jie, can I get an autograph?”
Su Yi paused halfway through getting up. “We’ve already exchanged WeChat contacts, you still want an autograph?”
“That’s different.” Cheng Anan looked serious. “Can I?”
After Su Yi agreed, Cheng Anan rummaged around her bag for a long while before coming up with a magazine. Gracing its cover page was none other than Su Yi.
This time she really believed it – Cheng Anan really was her fan. A huge fan, at that. For in that bag were at least three magazines with her on the cover page!
Now that everything was settled, Wu Xue booked tickets for the following night. Chu Xi was happy by the sudden turn of events, she hurriedly called to reschedule her flight taking the same one as them.
Soon after the filming ended and the trio exited the set.
On the way back to the hotel, Su Yi tugged at her mask. “You guys go back first, I’ll make a trip to the grocery’s.”
Wu Xue called her. “Don’t go, tell me what you want, I’ll go get it for you.”
Su Yi didn’t turn back, waving a hand at her.
“I’ve got to pick it myself.”
**
The next afternoon after filming, the girls took a car to the airport. While in the car, Su Yi got a call from Chu Ying.
The other side was very quiet, with only the occasional sound of paper flipping. “What’re you doing?”
Su Yi was grinning wide. “At the set, you?”
She wanted to give him a surprise, so she wasn’t planning on telling him about returning to Beijing.
“At the office, does the bento sent to the crew suit your taste?”
“Yeah, just that the portion’s too big.” She put her hand on the window. “Little Xue Xue finds me too fat.”
Wu Xue, who was riding shotgun, couldn’t help rolling her eyes at her.
“It’s okay.” The guy teased. “It feels good.”
Was she not good enough to touch now?!
Su Yi was about to say that, but one look at the big uncle sitting on the driver’s seat and she swallowed her words.
They reached the airport and got their boarding pass. Since there was still some time before take-off they decided to head to the VIP lounge.
There were a few massage chairs inside. Su Yi picked one and sat down, putting on her sunglasses and preparing to take a nap.
Not long later, there was suddenly a sound of something heavy hitting the ground next to her. Su Yi felt a sudden coldness on her lower leg.
She frowned lightly, plucking her sunglasses off and looking to the side.
A face full of insincerity, Tu Jinglan apologised with feigned remorse and choked voice, “I’m really sorry, I didn’t hold it tightly enough.”
She bent over to pick up the glass before meeting Su Yi’s gaze. She opened her mouth a little, sounding surprised when she said, “Yi*?! Yi-jie, how is it you?!”
(* ‘yi’ is a sound someone makes when they’re surprised)
It had only been a few days and her acting skills had gotten so exaggerated. Su Yi ignored her, taking the tissue from Wu Xue and cleaning the water off herself before lying back down.
Tu Jinglan clearly didn’t want to say more either. Due to the scandal surrounding her recently, nevermind advertisements, even the resources she previously had were seriously affected. She couldn’t afford to be careless, she was indeed scared. Besides, as soon as these things happened, Lin Xia was the first to abandon her, leaving without as much as a word to deal with the ruckus. That’s why she gritted her teeth and decided to return to the office and ask them for a way to deal with this. She had indeed not expected to meet a very calm and peaceful Su Yi, here of all places.
Su Yi’s ‘like’ had clearly soared the popularity of the scandal. At the moment, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that she’s seeing a detested rival. No matter which way Tu Jinglan thought about it she couldn’t take this silently, so she’d purposely spilled her water intending to drench her completely. With so many people watching, she was confident, Su Yi couldn’t possibly make a din. However, much to her chagrin, since she wasn’t able to control it properly, she only succeeded in wetting Su Yi’s lower leg.
After the minor incident, they reached the boarding time quite peacefully.
The few of them got up, heading to the business class line together.
Wu Xue tsked as she walked. “What’s this Tu Jinglan even thinking, her scandal’s still trending! To walk out like this without even her assistant, isn’t she afraid that the media would whack her down?”
“Who cares!”
Su Yi and Wu Xue’s seats were together, and Chu Xi’s was in front of them. Not long after they sat down, Tu Jinglan came on board. She raised her eyes to look, then sat next to Chu Xi.
Mid-flight, the stewardess came around with the drinks.
Chu Xi smilingly said, “Warm coffee, thank you.”
The stewardess poured the coffee and passed it forward. “Hello, here is your coffee.”
Chu Xi had the window seat. She reached out for the paper cup and, when passing by the passenger in the aisle seat, let go of the cup. The coffee dropped directly onto Tu Jinglan’s legs, immediately dying her white shorts.
“Ah –” Tu Jinglan hurriedly stood up, desperately wiping at her shorts with paper. It didn’t help. “What are you doing?!” She screamed at the culprit.
Chu Xi looked at her innocently. “I’m really sorry, I didn’t hold it tightly enough.”
It was an absolute replay of what she’d said. Tu Jinglan was really angry, but since she was surrounded by people she couldn’t make a fuss. She glared at the girl looking absolutely horrific.
Su Yi pulled down her sunglasses and raised an eyebrow. “Anything wrong?”
Tu Jinglan tugged on the corner of her lips. “… Nothing.”
Once they dis-embarked, Tu Jinglan left quickly as if running away from the plague.
The sight of the darting figure put Chu Xi in an especially good mood. “How is it, I’ve gotten revenge for you!” She declared excitedly.
The little girl’s revenge was simple and straightforward. Su Yi pinched her face. “I’ve gotten your goodwill, but don’t do this next time, otherwise we’d become like her, won’t we?”
As she lectured, the few of them had reached the airport exit.
Her phone rang. Su Yi looked at the caller ID and picked up smilingly. “Hmm?”
“Where are you at?”
Su Yi put on her sunglasses and said easily, “At the set.”
At those words the Wu Xue at the front suddenly stopped, she held her phone and turned around to say “ You and Tu Jinglan were photographed at the lounge, it’s the hot topic.”
Su Yi hurriedly tried to put a hand on the phone receiver.
Chu Ying said calmly, “I see you.”
Su Yi paused. “Huh?”
“Left.”
She turned her head. In the crowd, the tall and handsome guy was holding his phone, looking at her with an expression that was almost a smile, but not really.
On the other end of the phone, the guy’s tone was unhurried, unharried. “Over here, little liar.”
edited by larkspur!!! ^-^
