Chapter 69: I Don't Mind
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Ruan Yesheng originally thought that since she was appearing as Xi Mo and Xi Mo already knew Shen Qingbie and Yu An, pretending not to know them would cause unnecessary trouble.
After all, anything could happen. If her face mask accidentally fell off later, exposing her identity, it would be awkward and irreparable. If such news got to the entertainment reporters, the headlines could become something like, "Xi Mo and Shen Qingbie's Conflict Escalates! Xi Mo Deliberately Pretends Not to Know Shen Qingbie!"
The media could blow a minor incident into a full-blown scandal. She always protected Xi Mo's reputation and would never allow such a situation to occur.
With Ruan Yesheng's meticulous and thorough thinking, she needed to find an ambiguous way to handle this. She didn't need to explicitly state that she knew Shen Qingbie and Yu An, nor did she need to claim not to know them. She could simply pretend that her eyes were currently uncomfortable, making it hard to see the people in front of her. This way, she could handle any situation that arose.
Ruan Yesheng coughed and softly said, "Mm… my eyes aren't very clear right now."
Shen Qingbie was instantly shocked, exclaiming, "What did you say? You said your eyes are bad?"
Ruan Yesheng didn’t know what was wrong with her and didn’t answer directly. She just said, “Maybe my cold has gotten worse, causing dizziness and blurred vision. To be honest, I can’t see you two clearly… I’m really sorry.”
Yu An also looked over in surprise, her expression somewhat subtle.
Standing this close, even with poor vision and dim lighting, it was unlikely not to recognize familiar people. To make it more believable, Ruan Yesheng squinted and said, “It’s funny, you two look somewhat familiar to me. Have we met somewhere before? Unfortunately, my vision is blurry now, so I can't see clearly.”
Shen Qingbie’s voice rose a bit, “You think we look familiar? You think we’ve met?”
Ruan Yesheng nodded.
Shen Qingbie’s expression grew more excited, and she was about to speak again when Yu An, fearing she would say something inappropriate, immediately gave her a warning look to stop her.
Seeing Shen Qingbie and Yu An's strange expressions, Ruan Yesheng, though unsure of the reason, had a gut feeling that she shouldn't stay any longer. So, she gently withdrew from Yu An's support and took a few weak steps forward, saying, “I need to go rest now. Thank you both.”
Yu An, feeling concerned, suggested, “You're in this condition and still can't see clearly. Shall I ask a crew member to take you back?”
Ruan Yesheng smiled and replied, “No need. They've just finished a scene, and it's rare for them to rest. It's better not to bother them. Besides, it's just a cold. Though my vision is blurry, I can still recognize the way. I can manage on my own.”
Quick to seize the opportunity, Shen Qingbie interjected, “What about your assistant? Do you have one? If so, we can call them to pick you up.”
Ruan Yesheng casually responded, “Yes, I have an assistant, but I sent her to run an errand, so she probably won't be back for a while.”
“Well, that complicates things. How about letting us take you home?” Shen Qingbie proposed another idea after some thought.
Ruan Yesheng: “...”
…Well, this is going to be endless again.
Ruan Yesheng wisely avoided wasting time with Shen Qingbie. She just needed to say a few words to the emotionally intelligent Yu An.
She looked at Yu An and delicately said, "Today, there are so many people in the crew, and everyone seems busy. I wouldn't want to disturb you. I'm used to managing on my own; I don't like inconveniencing others. Besides, I'd feel embarrassed if anyone saw me asking for help."
Yu An, being a sharp manager, immediately caught onto the key point—there were a lot of people around.
A large crowd meant more chances of being seen and recognized. From Yu An's perspective, she might not be sure if Ruan Yesheng's words were deliberate or not, but she certainly became more alert after hearing them.
With Shen Qingbie standing beside her, a focal point of countless media, there could be many paparazzi within the crew. If Shen Qingbie were to accompany a masked person all the way back, it would raise suspicions if caught on camera. Paparazzi wouldn't care about the reason behind the mask; they would only care about the juicy gossip it could generate. Yu An could already imagine the chaos of rumors that would ensue.
Yu An smiled and said, "Alright, take care then."
Seeing Shen Qingbie about to speak again, Yu An smiled and discreetly pinched her waist.
Shen Qingbie: "..."
... Alright, if Yu An refuses, then I won't accompany her.
Ruan Yesheng nodded towards Yu An, then slowly walked away, occasionally coughing along the way. Even from afar, just watching her back, it felt pitiable.
Once Ruan Yesheng was far away, Shen Qingbie quickly grabbed Yu An and said, "A'Yu, she's wearing a mask, and she said her eyesight is bad. Isn't that too much of a coincidence?"
Yu An asked, "Do you think she's the masked woman from the street?"
Shen Qingbie excitedly replied, "It's very likely! Too many things match up. It can't just be a coincidence, right?"
Both encounters happened at night, with poor lighting. Even though Xi Mo was slightly taller than Ruan Yesheng, human eyes have visual discrepancies, so their heights actually appear quite similar, especially at night when differences are less noticeable. Moreover, both were wearing masks, muffling their voices, making it difficult to distinguish between them.
Yu An had no choice but to help Shen Qingbie solve the mystery of the masked woman, or else Shen Qingbie wouldn't let it go.
Yu An stood in place and looked around for a moment, then finally approached a staff member familiar with the set and asked, "Excuse me, whose seat is this folding chair?"
Some folding chairs on set are communal, anyone can sit in them, but some belong to specific actors, sometimes with personal items like a jacket draped over it in summer, a small fan placed on it, or a hand warmer in winter. In such cases, people generally avoid sitting in others' folding chairs.
The staff member replied, "It's Sister Xi's."
Yu An: "..."
Shen Qingbie was shocked: "..."
Suppressing her surprise, Yu An continued, "Then, may I ask, what costume was Xi Mo wearing before she finished filming?"
The staff member was a bit puzzled by the question but answered truthfully, "Sister Xi was wearing a white undergarment when she came down, but later put on a thin coat."
Yu An: "..."
Shen Qingbie was even more shocked: "..."
Many actors wear white undergarments regardless of their outer costumes in historical dramas, so seeing an actor wearing one could mean she had worn a different costume before, but feeling restricted, she took it off and put on her everyday coat. So, when Shen Qingbie heard this, she thought Ruan Yesheng might have been wearing a black outer garment earlier, even though she had an undergarment and a coat on.
Yu An tried to confirm further with the staff member, "Did Xi Mo have a black garment for today's costume?"
The staff member said, "Yes, there's a set of black garments for today."
Yu An: "..."
Shen Qingbie was utterly shocked: "..."
In the later stages of the script, Deng Sui gradually rose from the harem to the pinnacle of power in the court. In her later scenes, she became decisive, strategizing behind the scenes. Her makeup and costumes no longer exuded the girlish charm of before; instead, they leaned towards solemnity and melancholy, emitting a subdued elegance. Ruan Yesheng had changed costumes many times. Besides wearing undergarments for assassination scenes today, she had also worn black palace attire in previous scenes.
Language is always a subtle thing; a slight misstep can lead to misunderstandings. Yu An asked about the assassin's black attire, but the staff member answered about black palace attire.
Yu An and Shen Qingbie were both unfamiliar with the script, naturally unaware of the distinction between the two black attires. After the staff members left, they remained standing in place, staring at each other.
Shen Qingbie's expression was indescribably complex. Slowly, she said, "A’Yu, could that masked woman really be..."
Yu An said, "Let's talk about it later."
Finally free from Shen Qingbie, Ruan Yesheng initially walked slowly. But as soon as she was out of Shen Qingbie's and Yu An's sight, she quickened her pace. Along the way, she sent a message to Xi Mo, asking for her location. Upon receiving Xi Mo's reply, she waited outside the restroom where Xi Mo was.
Xi Mo came out after washing her face, some strands of hair damp with water, glistening.
She walked up to Ruan Yesheng and said, "Why didn't you wait for me by the folding chairs? Why did you suddenly come over here?"
Ruan Yesheng didn't immediately answer her. Instead, she scrutinized her complexion. Seeing that Xi Mo might have sweated a lot during the previous fight scene, she had simply removed all her makeup, leaving her face clean and hydrated.
Xi Mo glanced over and noticed that there was a black mask hanging around her neck. It looked like she had already worn it, which puzzled her. "Why are you wearing my mask?" she couldn't help but wonder.
Ruan Yesheng had casually draped the mask around her neck earlier and had forgotten to take it off. She could only say, "Due to some unavoidable circumstances, I had to wear your mask for a moment."
Xi Mo furrowed her brows. "What happened?"
"Let's talk about it on the way."
Walking side by side in the darkness, Ruan Yesheng recounted the events with Shen Qingbie and Yu An to Xi Mo.
The more Xi Mo listened, the deeper her frown became.
"That's how it is," Ruan Yesheng said helplessly. "I had no choice."
Xi Mo looked at her solemnly and said, "Actually, I encountered Shen Qingbie on the way as well."
Surprised, Ruan Yesheng's eyes showed amazement as Xi Mo recounted her own encounter.
After hearing Xi Mo's story, Ruan Yesheng couldn't help but bend over slightly, arms crossed, and burst into laughter. The bright laughter in her eyes illuminated the night.
"Is it that funny?" Xi Mo asked with a serious face.
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Ruan Yesheng laughed for a while, then straightened up and waved her hand. "Not really."
Xi Mo: "..."
Xi Mo said, "Since everything's resolved, don't hang onto the mask anymore. Take it off."
Ruan Yesheng leaned closer to her, her voice soft. "Could you help me take it off? It's easy to tie, but not so convenient to untie."
Xi Mo glanced at her but didn't say anything more. Silently, she walked behind Ruan Yesheng and reached out to untie the mask for her.
As her fingers moved gently, Xi Mo carefully untied the mask and said, "Don't wear my mask in the future."
Ruan Yesheng noticed her strange tone and wanted to turn around to look, but Xi Mo pressed down on her shoulder. "Don't move."
Ruan Yesheng had no choice but to stay still and chuckled, "It's just a prop mask for filming. Are you so stingy that you can't even bear to let me wear it?"
After a moment of silence, Xi Mo finally said, "...I was filming fight scenes earlier, and I sweated a lot. The mask is dirty with my sweat, so it's better if you don't wear it."
Ruan Yesheng: "..."
Suddenly, both fell silent. Xi Mo's hands stopped untying the mask, and she lifted her eyes slightly. In the faint light of the night, she noticed Ruan Yesheng's ears turning slightly red.
"It's okay," Ruan Yesheng said softly. "...I don't mind."
Xi Mo: "..."
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