Chapter 112: Bright Future
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
After changing her clothes and coming out, halfway through, Xi Mo saw Cui Jiayu sitting in a corner ahead, talking on the phone.
There were people coming and going in the film crew. Cui Jiayu was dressed in casual clothes, and with her head lowered, her face was not clearly visible. Most people walking by mistook her for a staff member of the same crew.
Xi Mo had a deep impression of Cui Jiayu. There was a sharpness and decisiveness about her that was completely different from the people in the crew—she recognized her at a glance.
But Xi Mo knew that Cui Jiayu was a very meticulous person. She didn't want Cui Jiayu to notice she was watching her, so she naturally pulled out her phone, turned it to silent mode, loosely stuffed her earphones into her ears, and lowered her head to look at her phone as a cover while walking forward.
But from the corner of her eye, she occasionally glanced in Cui Jiayu’s direction, listening closely, trying to catch what Cui Jiayu was saying on the phone.
Her steps shifted subtly.
She was getting closer and closer to Cui Jiayu.
A cold sweat broke out on Xi Mo’s back, and she thought to herself that she must be crazy to dare eavesdrop on Cui Jiayu’s call.
But she really had no choice. She wanted too badly to know the connections and progress of the cases in Cui Jiayu’s hands, and it was absolutely impossible to ask directly—doing so would only raise suspicion.
With Cui Jiayu’s personality and professional ethics, she likely wouldn't talk about case details over the phone in a public place like a film set. Xi Mo was mentally prepared for that. Still, she wanted to take the chance—opportunities like this were rare, and when one came, she had to seize it.
Even if she could not catch anything about the case, getting to know Cui Jiayu a little better was still worthwhile.
Cui Jiayu had her ear to the phone and sounded a bit impatient, though that impatience carried a trace of familiarity: “Alright, alright, I know. You keep bringing this up. My ears are growing calluses.”
“It's not me, it's Dad,” said the person on the other end. The voice was clear and cool, a young man.
Cui Jiayu said, “Alright, I still don’t want to transfer back to Shanghai this year. There’s something here I’m interested in. I know you and Mom and Dad want me to work by your side, but I’m already a grown adult. What’s there to worry about? Besides, if you transfer me back, even if it’s just a word from you, it wouldn’t look good. So many people want to transfer to Shanghai. Others won’t be convinced and will say, ‘Why her?’ and gossip about you.”
“You’ve got enough credentials and plenty of merit under your belt,” the other party said simply and evenly. “If you didn’t, I wouldn’t transfer you. I don’t take in useless people.”
Cui Jiayu almost laughed in anger. “Brother, am I really your biological sister? You always talk like this.”
Her brother paused for a moment, then said, “I heard you’re currently investigating a case at a film crew in Hengdian.”
“You’re so far away and you still know this? Be honest—did you plant a spy around me?” When Cui Jiayu talked to her brother, she sounded completely different from when she was handling a case. It was like she really relied on him—even her questions came out half-joking.
Her brother didn’t answer directly, only said, “There’s an actress in the crew, Miss Ruan. Take care of her.”
Cui Jiayu frowned, thought for a moment, then said in surprise, “You mean that Miss Ruan Yesheng, Miss Ruan?”
Xi Mo’s heart jolted the moment she heard that name.
She didn’t dare get too close. Honestly, there was no way she could hear what the person on the other end of the call was saying.
Cui Jiayu’s voice was low too. Xi Mo only caught bits and pieces and tried to piece the rest together. She guessed the caller was Cui Jiayu’s older brother, likely someone with real authority in Shanghai. Otherwise, he wouldn’t talk about transfers so casually.
Now that Cui Jiayu had said Ruan Yesheng’s name—and as a question—it meant her brother had brought her up first.
Even if he didn’t know who she was exactly, why mention Ruan Yesheng out of the blue?
Xi Mo tensed up. Her heart raced uncontrollably.
“Why should I look after that Miss Ruan?” Cui Jiayu pressed. “You never go out of your way to ask me to look after anyone.”
“It’s a friend’s request. She asked me to.”
Cui Jiayu didn't say anything else. She turned her face casually and happened to catch sight of Xi Mo walking in her direction.
“Brother, I’ve got something to do. Talk later, bye.” Cui Jiayu quickly ended the call.
Xi Mo kept her head down and walked on without any change in expression, looking completely focused on her phone.
“Miss Ruan?” Cui Jiayu called out to her.
Xi Mo pretended not to hear and kept walking. She seemed to be wearing earphones. If she acted like she didn't hear, even someone as sharp as Cui Jiayu would have a hard time suspecting her of eavesdropping.
Cui Jiayu walked up to Xi Mo and called again, “Miss Ruan?”
Only then did Xi Mo react as if startled. She pulled out her earphones, looked at Cui Jiayu, and gave an “apologetic” smile. “Sorry, Officer Cui, I was just looking at my phone.”
“It’s fine. I was the one who called you out of the blue.” Cui Jiayu felt she was being a bit abrupt too.
Xi Mo put away her phone and asked, “Is there something you want to ask me about, Officer Cui? Is it about that thing next door?”
Actually, Cui Jiayu had only spotted Xi Mo and wanted to say hi. But as a police officer, it felt strange to greet someone she barely knew for no reason—it'd only create pressure. So she just went with the flow and casually asked, “Yes, Miss Ruan, have you noticed anyone strange staying next door lately?”
Maybe because of what her brother told her, though Cui Jiayu still found it odd, her attitude toward Xi Mo had changed a lot. She seemed friendlier.
If it were before, she'd have only seen this “Miss Ruan” as an actress she didn't really know.
But now, she might have to look at her from a different angle.
Xi Mo shook her head and said, “I’m sorry, I haven’t noticed anything. I spend most of my time on set, so I hardly get a chance to pay attention to who’s next door. I’m afraid I haven’t been much help to you, Officer Cui.”
Cui Jiayu looked into her eyes carefully. They were clear and bright, and her gaze was sincere. So she said, “It’s alright. I’m the one asking for your help. If you can help, I’ll really appreciate it. But even if you haven’t seen anything, please don’t feel pressured.”
“Thank you, Officer Cui. You’re too polite.” Xi Mo smiled.
Her smile was bright, just like the one Ruan Yesheng used to show. It was flawlessly acted. But deep inside, it felt like she was acting in a full-on spy thriller.
“I won’t bother you any longer, Miss Ruan.” Cui Jiayu knew where to stop and added, “You have my number, right? If you notice anything, please feel free to contact me anytime.”
“I’ve saved it.” Xi Mo knew she was about to leave and quietly let out a breath of relief, though her face remained calm. “Don’t worry, Officer Cui.”
Cui Jiayu nodded, said goodbye, and walked away.
Xi Mo, worried that Cui Jiayu might notice something strange, didn’t stay long either. She didn’t even watch her leave. She turned and walked off right away.
....
By seven o’clock, Ruan Yesheng finally finished work. The winter sky had already gone dark, the outside world blanketed in shadows, lit only by a few dim lights glowing faintly through the rain and mist.
Lin Qitang had reserved a table at the hotel. Only a few people from the crew who knew each other well were invited. It was just like a private gathering among friends—no need for the kind of formalities that came with a launch party. The atmosphere was very relaxed.
During the dinner, Lin Qitang raised his glass. He had drunk quite a bit tonight and spoke from the heart. “I’ve filmed quite a few dramas and worked with a lot of crews, but this one is my favorite. How should I put it? We just get along. Thank you all for your hard work these past few months. Ruan Yesheng wraps up her scenes today. Let’s wish her a bright future. If fate allows, let’s work together again.”
Everyone raised their glasses, toasting Lin Qitang and also giving a toast to Xi Mo.
The private room was warm with the heater running. The hotpot was still steaming. It was the kind of cozy winter moment filled with human warmth.
Xi Mo felt a rare sense of emotion and was even more thankful that Lin Qitang had chosen Ruan Yesheng for the role of Ding'e back then. This was Ruan Yesheng’s first project after her comeback, and being able to join such a good crew was truly a strong start.
She gently swirled the champagne in her glass and turned to look at Ruan Yesheng.
Ruan Yesheng noticed her gaze and turned too. Their eyes met. Both had a smile in their eyes. Ruan Yesheng reached out and clinked her glass lightly against Xi Mo’s.
“A bright future,” Ruan Yesheng said with a smile.
A bright future.
Xi Mo echoed the words silently in her heart.
After dinner, everyone returned to the hotel to rest. Ruan Yesheng followed Xi Mo back to her room. The coordinator had given them a bag of honey tangerines. After entering the room, Ruan Yesheng washed her hands and didn'thing else. She sat there focused, peeling the tangerines.
She peeled one slice and slowly ate one slice.
Mm. Very sweet.
Xi Mo had been ready for her to ask questions. But Ruan Yesheng said nothing. She just ate tangerines with great interest and even invited her to eat together.
“I’m not eating.” Xi Mo looked away and said, “Don’t eat too much. You’ll get heaty*.”
*Traditional Chinese Medicine term- suffer from excessive internal heat (with such symptoms as constipation, conjunctivitis, and inflammation of the nasal and oral cavities)
“I didn’t eat that much.” Ruan Yesheng smiled and leaned closer, stuffing a slice of tangerine into Xi Mo’s mouth.
Xi Mo was caught off guard. With the tangerine slice in her mouth, her eyes widened as she stared at Ruan Yesheng.
“Sweet, right?” Ruan Yesheng asked her.
“…It’s okay.” Xi Mo ate the tangerine. The juicy sweetness filled her mouth.
She waited a long time. Seeing that Ruan Yesheng still didn't ask anything, she started to lose patience.
She poured herself a glass of water, quietly looked at Ruan Yesheng for a while, and when she saw her looking relaxed, she pulled out her suitcase and opened it—intentionally packing right in front of Ruan Yesheng.
Ruan Yesheng caught a glimpse and was secretly amused. She pretended to be surprised and asked, “Why are you packing your suitcase at night?”
Xi Mo replied coldly, “The filming's done. What else would I stay here for? Of course I’m packing to go back to Shanghai.”
“You’re leaving tomorrow?” Ruan Yesheng squatted by the suitcase, holding half a peeled tangerine, blinking as she asked.
“What else?” Xi Mo’s tone had a hint of annoyance. She shot back, “My schedule’s packed.”
Ruan Yesheng giggled. “What schedule? Aren’t you taking a break after this?”
Xi Mo stood up, took her tablet over, opened it, and showed it to Ruan Yesheng. “These are the advertisers, magazines, and variety shows who’ve contacted me recently. Let’s not look at movies or TV for now. We’ll be joining Gu Ru’s crew soon and won’t have time. But before that, there’s still a gap. Shooting a few ads or guesting on a couple of variety shows is still doable.”
Because her popularity online kept rising, many collaborations were already coming their way. Now that Ruan Yesheng was gaining buzz, looked beautiful, had a clean image, and didn't ask for a high fee, she was favored by cost-conscious partners.
Xi Mo took the calls for her, filtered the offers one by one, wrote them down, and planned to go over them with Ruan Yesheng. If Ruan Yesheng was willing to take them, she would handle it for her.
Ruan Yesheng looked through it carefully and said, “This facial cleanser ad’s okay. I just need to fly over and shoot for a day, and the pay’s pretty good too.”
It was a national brand. Although it didn’t have any bad press and was well-liked by the public, it lacked class. For someone like Xi Mo, who already had many high-end endorsements, she wouldn’t even bother to look at it.
But Ruan Yesheng had only just made a comeback. The fact that an endorsement offer came to her was already pretty good. Even though she’d filmed *Sui Ting*, it wouldn’t air until next year. Before that, she had to take on some work.
Xi Mo understood Ruan Yesheng’s situation and said, “Alright. If you think it’s acceptable, I’ll take it for you.”
Ruan Yesheng kept scrolling and suddenly noticed something. She immediately asked Xi Mo, “Why’s there a lingerie ad offer for me?”
Xi Mo’s eyelid twitched as she glanced at the tablet, spotting one of the brand ad contacts: “…”
Didn’t she delete that already?
Why is it still there?
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
She quickly deleted the record, kept a straight face, and said, “They reached out, but I didn’t think it was suitable, so I deleted it. I probably missed it and left it in the list.”
Ruan Yesheng studied Xi Mo’s face. Seeing how awkward she looked, she couldn’t help teasing her: “I’ve never done one, but why’s a lingerie ad not okay? Zhao Xingyun’s a really popular star. Didn’t she shoot a lingerie ad recently? It was a hit, and she even trended for having a great figure.”
“I don’t have anything against lingerie ads,” Xi Mo said. “It’s just that Zhao Xingyun is Zhao Xingyun. She goes for the s**y and bold image, so that kind of ad suits her.”
She looked straight at Ruan Yesheng and added, “You’re you. It doesn’t suit you.”
Ruan Yesheng looked hurt. Her eyes sparkled like they were about to tear up. She stared at Xi Mo and asked, “Am I not s**y?”
Xi Mo: “…”
“You don't think I’m s**y?”
Xi Mo: “…”
She couldn’t say yes. She didn't know how to answer.
But not answering wasn't good either.
Ruan Yesheng kept asking, “When I take a shower, don't you think I have a good figure?”
Xi Mo: “…”
Are you sick or something?!
What kind of nonsense are you even asking?!
After holding it in for a long time, Xi Mo clenched her jaw and forced out a sentence, trying to make up a reason: “Right now I am you. I have to go stand in for you. I can't shoot this kind of ad. It just won't work.”
Ruan Yesheng held back a laugh and said, “I checked. There is still some time before the ad shoot. Maybe by then we will have switched back. I will shoot it myself, and you don't need to go.”
The moment Xi Mo heard that, she got nervous: “You go yourself? That’s even worse.”
Ruan Yesheng popped another petal of tangerine into her mouth, squinted with a smile, and watched the show: “Why is it even worse if I go?”
Author's Note:
Director Jun: Why not? Is it because you think your wife is too s**y, so you can't let others see? Or is it because you think your wife is too s**y, so only you can look at her? Tell me, between these two reasons, which one do you choose?
Xi Mo: …
[Are you crazy?!]
