Chapter 87: I Have A Favor To Ask You
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Xi Mo and Ruan Yesheng stood at the doorway, watching the three visitors approach. From afar, Yan Mu greeted them with a wave and a smile.
Having switched identities, they had to immediately get into acting mode in front of others without the slightest hesitation. Xi Mo had just sent Cui Jiayu away and hadn’t even caught her breath before she had to put on a smile again.
In the past, every time she switched personalities, she would grumble unhappily in her heart. Now, she was used to it and could switch freely. Ruan Yesheng was just as experienced, maintaining a composed expression as she stood there, ready to face the trouble heading their way.
After all, Shen Qingbie’s arrival meant trouble was coming.
She had a bit of a headache. Although she had told Shen Qingbie in their messages to temporarily keep their friendship a secret, based on her understanding of Shen Qingbie, keeping a secret in her hands was like giving candy to a child. Even if you warned her to hide the candy and never let anyone know about it, you could not guarantee she would not get too excited, take it out, and secretly lick it, thinking no one would notice.
Shen Qingbie was actually very trustworthy. Since she promised Ruan Yesheng, she would not deliberately break her word. But if she could not hold back and let something slip, she might not even realize it herself.
This was what Ruan Yesheng worried about the most.
Xi Mo’s thoughts had also gone in circles. Seeing Yan Mu did not surprise her, but she had not expected Shen Qingbie and Yu An to show up. She could not figure out what kind of performance this was supposed to be.
"Sister, Sister Ruanruan," Yan Mu greeted them with a smile as he walked up to the two. "Tangtang said you were both here, and I saw you as soon as I came up."
He was younger than Xi Mo and Ruan Yesheng. When he first joined the crew, he had politely addressed Ruan Yesheng as Miss Ruan. Over time, as he grew familiar with Ding Pei and a few others, the way he addressed them had changed.
He was eager to improve the relationship between Xi Mo and Shen Qingbie, so he spoke with great enthusiasm: "Sister Qingqing and Sister Yu An heard I was coming and decided to come see you too."
The moment Shen Qingbie saw the two of them, her eyes lit up, and she felt like a torrent of words had rushed to her throat. However, recalling the promise she made to Yu An before leaving, she could only hold back, swallowing down the flood of words after a long pause.
Yu An, with her exquisite makeup and poised demeanor, presented flowers and gifts to the two. She said, “Qingqing and I happened to be with Xiao Mu. When we heard he was coming to visit you, we decided to come along. How are you feeling? Any better?”
She was an exceptional manager who navigated all sorts of situations in the entertainment industry. Having seen every kind of awkward scenario, she handled this effortlessly, her warmth making it seem as if they met regularly.
Inside, however, she couldn’t help but feel frustrated. Qingqing didn’t know Ruan Yesheng, and there were rumors that she wasn’t on good terms with Xi Mo. Yet, she had to rush here to stir up trouble.
But even though her Qingqing was practically forced into being here, she still had to smooth things over and maintain appearances.
"Thank you." Both of them were seasoned professionals in the entertainment industry, naturally accepting the flowers and gifts. Ruan Yesheng, ever the expert, responded with perfect poise: "Actually, there wasn't much of an issue before. The doctor said it was just a little fatigue, and that I just needed some rest. It's kind of you to worry."
Xi Mo opened the door wider and said, "We've been talking at the door; come on in and sit down."
The group settled into the room, and Xi Mo even took the initiative to make tea. Since joining the crew, she didn’t have an assistant, so she had to handle everything herself. Some of the everyday tasks, like making tea, she now did quite smoothly.
Then came the pleasantries.
Ruan Yesheng and Xi Mo had great chemistry in their scenes, and although Yu An was a manager, she was flawless in such formal settings, effortlessly handling the required politeness.
This was how masters sparred.
Although they hadn’t had much contact before, now it felt as though they were all very "familiar."
All the polite words had already been exchanged by the others, leaving Shen Qingbie standing aside. If she didn’t say something soon, she felt like she would suffocate. However, Yu An had specifically told her to speak less this time to avoid making mistakes.
She pondered for a while and finally said something she thought would be safe, offering her signature smile: "By the way, why were you all standing at the door earlier? Was there something going on? I saw two people walk by; were you talking to them?"
"Yes, they had a few things they wanted to ask," Ruan Yesheng answered, her heart in her throat, fearing that Shen Qingbie might slip up and not be able to hold herself back.
Shen Qingbie continued to smile elegantly and gracefully at Ruan Yesheng, but inside, it felt like fireworks had suddenly exploded in her chest. She wanted nothing more than to run around the building three times.
Xi Mo spoke to her!
And she was sitting so close!
When she thought about it, this was the closest Xi Mo had ever spoken to her. Although she and Xi Mo had sometimes attended important events together in the past, they never had much interaction. They hadn't worked together either. She certainly couldn't follow her idol around like other fans did—things were far from ideal for her.
"They had something to ask?" Shen Qingbie pretended to remain calm. With her idol right in front of her, she spoke in a soft, gentle tone. "Who were they? Are they reporters? They didn't seem like it and didn’t bring any equipment."
"They’re police officers," Ruan Yesheng answered.
Shen Qingbie: "..."
After a moment of stunned silence, Shen Qingbie was visibly shocked. In her mind, whenever the police showed up, it was never a good sign. She was so worried about Xi Mo that she grabbed Ruan Yesheng's hand. "Why would the police be here? What big trouble has happened?"
Ruan Yesheng: "..."
...Unfortunately, you thought you finally held your idol’s hand, but you were terribly wrong.
Yu An: "..."
...Qingqing, are you out of your mind or just plain stupid?
Xi Mo: "..."
Let go of me right now! Immediately!
Yan Mu didn’t know anything. He was focused on eating the cheesecake he had brought over.
Shen Qingbie felt three pairs of eyes on her, a cold sweat running down her neck. Slowly, she withdrew her hand and pretended to be innocent. "Sorry, I’ve never dealt with the police in my life. Hearing the word ‘police’ just scared me to death."
Xi Mo: "..."
What nonsense are you talking about?!
And who are you pretending for with that sudden act?
Fortunately, Ruan Yesheng knew Shen Qingbie well. She wasn’t fazed by her behavior and immediately picked up on the situation, continuing smoothly, "Those two police officers even investigated the production crew. Didn’t you know?"
Shen Qingbie continued to shake her head innocently.
She really didn’t know.
Ruan Yesheng thought that Cui Jiayu had likely questioned the crew’s behind-the-scenes staff. Since Shen Qingbie and Yu An were just here to visit and didn’t stay at the hotel, Cui Jiayu hadn’t disturbed them.
"What happened?" Yu An sat next to Shen Qingbie, secretly pinching her waist to make her shut up while continuing the conversation herself.
"A guest in the room next to mine suddenly died, but not in the hotel. She died on the street, and the manner of death is a bit suspicious," Xi Mo said. "The police thought I might have seen her while coming and going, so they came to ask me questions to see if I knew anything about the deceased."
"The police should be investigating privately, not making it public?" Yu An’s alertness as a manager surfaced. "If a deceased person was found in the hotel where the Sui Ting crew is staying, even if they didn’t die in the hotel, once the media catches wind of it, they would blow it out of proportion. Big productions always care about smooth sailing. Otherwise, they wouldn't burn incense before every shoot. Such things are considered bad luck in the industry, and if the news gets out, it will be seen as inauspicious. It’ll hurt the drama’s promotion."
"It’s a private investigation, and they seem very cautious," Xi Mo said. Yu An had a good reputation in the industry, and Xi Mo actually admired her work capabilities. "But there are too many people asking questions, and with so many people at the hotel and crew, it's hard to guarantee it won’t leak."
The entire crew was staying at this hotel, and they would have to continue staying here. Moving would be unrealistic. After filming for so long, a collective move would be a major hassle.
Yu An thought for a moment and said, "If it's a private investigation, there shouldn't be any major issues. It's bound to leak, but the media wouldn’t dare to pursue it aggressively. After all, if it interferes with the police investigation, there will be consequences. Any information released by the media today, even publicized case details, is only what the higher-ups are willing to let us see. If they don’t want it, the media can’t stir anything up. Even if they do, it’ll be quickly suppressed."
Yu An’s experience in this area was vast, and her words acted as a reassuring guarantee.
Gradually, the atmosphere of the conversation became more natural.
In addition to the cake and snacks, Yan Mu had bought some fruit. Since this was Xi Mo’s room, she took on the responsibility of entertaining the guests and took the initiative to wash some fruit in the bathroom.
Shen Qingbie took advantage of Yu An, Ruan Yesheng, and Yan Mu chatting to quietly get up and sneak into the washroom.
Xi Mo looked up and saw the sneaky Shen Qingbie through the mirror: "..."
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
"We're about to eat fruit; let's wash our hands." Shen Qingbie smiled brightly.
She thought, earlier in the room with so many people, she couldn't show that she knew Ruanruan. Now that it was just her and Ruanruan in the washroom, even if she still had to act, she could be a bit more casual. After all, they both knew the truth.
Xi Mo was confused and had no idea what was going on. She moved the fruit aside and made room for Shen Qingbie.
After washing her hands, Shen Qingbie shook them off and flashed a peace sign at Xi Mo, even giving it a little triumphant shake.
Xi Mo: "..."
The meaning behind Shen Qingbie's gesture was simple. It was to reassure Ruanruan that she absolutely wouldn’t say the wrong thing. Despite a slight misstep earlier, she felt she had performed well afterward, confident no one had noticed anything amiss.
The gesture carried a bit of a "look at me, praise me" vibe. If she had a tail, it would already be wagging.
When Shen Qingbie left, she affectionately patted Xi Mo on the shoulder.
In her mind, she thought, Ruanruan, rest assured, mission accomplished perfectly.
Xi Mo: "..."
...Are you sick?
Feeling completely satisfied despite being considered crazy, Shen Qingbie walked out. Meanwhile, Xi Mo stayed in the washroom washing fruit for ages, utterly clueless about what was wrong with Shen Qingbie.
Later, as the group chatted while eating, Yu An eventually remarked that they had already disturbed them for long enough and should give Xi Mo and Ruan Yesheng more time to rest. She then took Yan Mu and Shen Qingbie with her, finally giving the two a moment to breathe.
Ruan Yesheng felt mentally drained because she had no idea when Shen Qingbie might cause trouble. Fortunately, everything went smoothly afterward, and besides staring at her, Shen Qingbie didn't do anything particularly strange.
Xi Mo, on the other hand, felt confused. Back in the washroom, she already thought Shen Qingbie must have taken the wrong medicine. Later, seeing Shen Qingbie staring at Ruan Yesheng with such an obvious gaze made her feel even more uncomfortable.
Ruan Yesheng's face was now hers.
If Shen Qingbie kept staring at Ruan Yesheng, wasn't she actually staring at her?
Xi Mo felt a shiver run down her spine and was baffled.
Ruan Yesheng was tidying up the table when Xi Mo joined in to help. Xi Mo said, "Don’t you think Shen Qingbie is acting a bit weird?"
"Weird?" Ruan Yesheng was startled but quickly feigned ignorance. "What’s strange about her?"
Xi Mo made a scissors gesture, shook her hand slightly, and then leaned closer to demonstrate by tapping Ruan Yesheng on the shoulder. With a sharp gaze, she asked, "She did this in the washroom just now. Are you close with her? But you clearly had no prior interactions before."
Ruan Yesheng: "..."
... Shen Qingbie was really going to be the death of her.
"Maybe it’s because everyone got along well today, and she wants to be friends with us, so she showed her friendliness?" Ruan Yesheng forced herself to remain calm and replied with a smile.
"Is that so?" Xi Mo shot her a sidelong glance.
"Yes. But the media always says you two don’t get along, and your fans fight the hardest. Since you dislike her so much, does that mean you don’t want to be friends with her?" Ruan Yesheng cautiously asked.
"I actually haven’t had much contact with her before," Xi Mo replied, sitting down. "We’ve only attended a few award ceremonies and similar events together, and we barely exchanged a few words. I don’t really know her."
After thinking for a long while, she continued, "It’s just that the media always fabricates things, and over time, the fans started fighting. I don’t like those disputes. Every time, I try to avoid them, but as long as it involves Shen Qingbie, it always ends with fan fights and media smearing. Gradually, my impression of her soured, and I instinctively avoided her. Plus, seeing the pretentious stuff she posts online made me feel even more annoyed. Without any opportunities to interact and change my perspective, I kept forming subjective misjudgments. That’s my fault."
After a brief silence, she added, "But meeting her today and having some interactions that were different from before, I realized she doesn’t seem like the person I thought she was. Although she’s strange, she’s quite interesting and surprisingly genuine."
Ruan Yesheng was both surprised and delighted. "You mean, you don’t actually dislike her? There’s even a chance you might become friends with her?"
"If I became friends with Shen Qingbie, you seem very happy about it," Xi Mo said, fixing her gaze on her.
Ruan Yesheng quickly deflected. "In this industry, having more friends means more opportunities. Of course, I’d be happy."
"No wonder you used to have so many friends," Xi Mo responded with an ambiguous tone.
"Not too many," Ruan Yesheng replied, her eyes shimmering with a soft allure, the innate charm in her gaze stirring waves in the air. "Even if I had many friends before, you were still unwilling to be friends with me."
Xi Mo: "..."
She suddenly felt a bit uneasy and stiffly said, "Let’s not talk about the past."
"True," Ruan Yesheng said with a smile. "What matters is the present. As long as we’re friends now, that’s what’s important."
Xi Mo lowered her head and silently resumed wiping the table.
"I have a favor to ask," Ruan Yesheng said.
"What is it?" Xi Mo glanced up briefly.
"Can I stay over at your place tonight?" Ruan Yesheng leaned closer and asked softly.
Xi Mo: "..."
Author's Note:
The next update will be on Monday, which is New Year's Eve. Continuing the cute preview.
