Chapter 65: Endless
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Xi Mo had known for a few days that Shen Qingbie would be visiting the set, so she must have been mentally prepared. However, she never expected Shen Qingbie to suddenly appear at this late hour, and to meet her face-to-face on this deserted road, with nowhere to hide.
What she didn't expect even more was that she would stumble upon Shen Qingbie and her manager's private conversation.
The sudden exposure of their conversation to an outsider was extremely embarrassing, a fact that all three present were acutely aware of. They knew very well the potential repercussions if this information were to be leaked to the entertainment media, given Shen Qingbie's current status and influence in the industry.
Xi Mo knew that Shen Qingbie must be feeling anxious at the moment, otherwise, she wouldn't have pretended to be so composed, smiling and acting as if she were engrossed in rehearsing lines, pretending not to notice someone approaching.
Since Shen Qingbie was playing this role, Xi Mo naturally couldn't expose her. So, Xi Mo took a few steps forward, tilted her head slightly forward, squinted her eyes into narrow slits, first glanced at Shen Qingbie, then assessed the manager beside her, and nodded towards both of them: "Good evening."
This greeting carried a sense of unfamiliar politeness. It was like when some people are in the same crew but may not be familiar with each other. Out of consideration for professional relationships, it's customary to greet each other when meeting on the street, but without delving into small talk, just acknowledging each other and continuing on one's way.
Shen Qingbie didn't have time to respond, but her manager, Yu An, was particularly quick to react. As expected of a team manager, her crisis management skills were top-notch. She smiled and replied, "Good evening."
Xi Mo had heard of Yu An's high emotional intelligence before. Although she didn't particularly like Shen Qingbie, she had a good impression of Yu An. She nodded again towards Yu An, after exchanging greetings, naturally stepped aside, and was about to continue walking forward.
Just as it seemed that this matter could be smoothly turned over, Xi Mo had barely taken a few steps when Shen Qingbie stopped her: "Please wait, I have something to ask you."
Xi Mo: "..."
I've cooperated with you in acting, are you turning a blind eye to it?
I'm about to leave, are you trying to stir up trouble again?
Xi Mo stopped and turned around, calm and composed: "May I ask what the matter is?"
Shen Qingbie walked towards her, and when Yu An saw this, she knew that trouble was brewing again. She hurriedly went to pull her back, but it was too late. Shen Qingbie had already approached not far away, politely asking her: "Don't you recognize me?"
Yu An's efforts were in vain: "..."
She could only hold her forehead with one hand, feeling a headache, while the other hand covered her left chest, feeling heartache.
Xi Mo: "..."
Xi Mo had no choice but to squint her eyes again, lowering her brows apologetically: "I'm sorry... I don't recognize you. Well, I can't say, it's just that I can't see your face clearly right now."
"Perhaps it's because it's getting dark now, and the streetlights here aren't very good?" Shen Qingbie said, then took out her phone, activated the flashlight function, and shone it on her own face, continuing to smile: "How about now?"
Xi Mo: "..."
...Are you stupid?
No wonder Yu An stood behind, with a polite smile on her face, but actually looking like she wanted to disappear from the world.
Which artist would be so clueless, shining a flashlight on themselves and asking if the other person recognizes them?
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
The manager felt like committing suicide after seeing that.
Xi Mo's heart was in turmoil, but her face remained calm. Since Shen Qingbie had turned on the flashlight, she took the opportunity to squint and examine her. Throughout this series of actions, she kept her eyes narrowed. Finally, she pretended to be puzzled and said, "I'm sorry... I still can't see very clearly. When I look at you now, you appear blurry."
Then, she lowered her head, seeming embarrassed, and continued, "To be honest with you, my eyesight is really bad, especially when I'm not wearing my contact lenses. You know, I have to wear them for filming. Earlier, during a fight scene, my contact lens somehow fell out. Without them, I'm like a blind person, and the scene couldn't continue. So, I came out from the set to get my spare contact lenses."
She had planned to use this excuse to cover up, so she had been squinting since she greeted Shen Qingbie and the others, prepared for this moment. And now, dressed in all black with a black scarf covering her face, she looked like she was ready for a fight scene on set. Logically, it made sense, and combined with her acting, it seemed genuine.
Upon hearing this, Shen Qingbie immediately put away her phone and smiled at her again, "Oh, I see. I'm really sorry about that."
If her previous smile was a deliberate embellishment, now her smile had a hint of genuine warmth.
Xi Mo smiled, "By asking me like that, did you expect me to recognize you? Honestly, you look somewhat familiar to me, but right now I really can't see clearly. If it's convenient for you, could you please tell me who you are? Although I'm practically blind at the moment, if you tell me, I'll definitely understand."
Her words were sincere, and Shen Qingbie quickly responded, "No, it's my mistake. I thought you knew me, it was a misunderstanding."
Xi Mo nodded and said, "It's okay. Although it was a misunderstanding earlier, after this encounter, we can consider ourselves acquainted. So, saying that we know each other isn't wrong."
Shen Qingbie's delight increased, "You're really good with words."
Xi Mo: “...”
Yu An: “...”
Previously, Shen Qingbie had been somewhat artificial in her speech, maintaining an elegant demeanor, as if she were presenting herself well in front of entertainment reporters and media. However, after talking with Xi Mo, that artificial facade seemed to gradually crumble. Perhaps it was because she realized that Xi Mo couldn't "see" her clearly, so she let her guard down a bit and started chatting with her.
Once Shen Qingbie started talking, there was no stopping her. She continued, "I just came from outside to visit a friend."
Xi Mo had no choice but to play along and asked, "Is your friend also on the set here?"
"Yes, yes, we're very close friends," Shen Qingbie said. "Why are you still wearing a mask while walking? It's so strange."
Xi Mo, feeling a headache coming on from listening to her endless chatter, didn't know how to escape and made a cold joke, "Don't worry, I'm not here to rob you."
Shen Qingbie laughed, "You're quite funny."
Xi Mo: “...”
Yu An: ”...”
Shen Qingbie continued, "It must be uncomfortable wearing a mask and talking. Why don't you take it off now? Since we're acquainted now, let me see your face."
Xi Mo pretended to be embarrassed, "I'm a bit hesitant to say this, but I actually want to take it off now. Otherwise, it's disrespectful to talk to you like this. But the mask is tied at the back, and I accidentally tied a knot that I can't undo. Plus, it's tied tightly, so I can't just pull it off. If I force it, I'm afraid it will leave red marks on my face, and the director won't be happy if I have to go on set like that later. I was thinking of cutting it off when I get my contact lenses later, and then asking the props department for a new one."
Shen Qingbie understood but was still puzzled, "But why didn't you ask someone to help you cut it off when you weren't on set? And why have you been wearing a mask all this way?"
Xi Mo responded calmly, "Well, that was intentional. You see, there aren't many people on the road, and the crew is filming in the palace over there. With few pedestrians around and no assistant to help, I have to rely on myself for everything. As a woman walking alone on the road, it's natural to feel a bit scared. What if I encounter a bad person? So, I'm wearing my costume and covering my face with a black scarf. If someone who doesn't know me sees me like this, they'll think I'm filming a scene. They might even think there are cameras around, so they definitely won't dare to approach me recklessly. Don't you think so?"
At first listen, her words indeed made sense. Shen Qingbie, her eyes shining, greatly admired her, "You're really clever."
Xi Mo: “...”
Yu An: ”...”
Shen Qingbie said again: “Shall I help you untie the knot at the back of the cloth right now? This way, you can take off the cloth and talk to me, and when you leave later, you can tie it back on, pretending to film, so you won't have to worry about any bad people popping up on the road. It's two birds with one stone.
Xi Mo：“…”
You’re endless!
