Chapter 175: Recording
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Xi Mo had not even stepped inside when Pei Tingquan’s words broke her lie. She froze, and she felt her face fall apart in front of Ruan Yesheng.
Ruan Yesheng glared at her. Her eyes held a hint of reproach, which was enough to melt anyone's heart.
Xi Mo could only glare back at Pei Tingquan. She tried to save her face. “Didn’t you dislike receiving gifts?”
“When did I ever say I don’t like getting gifts?” Pei Tingquan felt like being hit by a big pot that inexplicably fell from the sky*
* getting blamed or dragged into trouble for no reason.
Xi Mo seized on his slip-up: "I remember you saying in an interview that fans didn't need to spend money on gifts for you, I remember that."
"Those are fans," Pei Tingquan said, feeling wronged. "But you heartless thing, are you my fan? Or are you a friend?"
"I got it mixed up, I misunderstood," Xi Mo said sternly. "I can't get you a gift right now, but I'll give you one tomorrow, Christmas Eve, how about that?"
Ruan Yesheng smiled when Xi Mo mentioned giving a gift on Christmas Eve, but could sense that Xi Mo emphasized the words "Christmas Eve" and "gift."
Pei Tingquan was fooled: "That's more like it."
“I don’t have time tomorrow, I still need to attend the script reading. I’ll have someone bring it to you,” Xi Mo said.
“I know you’re busy, just have the gift delivered, no need to come yourself,” Pei Tingquan replied with a smile, then invited everyone inside. “It’s really cold outside, come in quickly. We’ve been talking so much, and kept you waiting.”
The group followed Pei Tingquan into the house, and the door closed behind them. Inside, it was warm and cozy.
The helpers at Pei Tingquan’s house were very attentive. Pei Tingquan reminded Gu Cen to take care of the guests a little, then said the meal would be ready soon. Tying on his apron, he went to the kitchen to finish the last steps, while another helper assisted him.
Xi Mo sat next to Ruan Yesheng, feeling a little uneasy. Hesitating for a moment, she finally couldn’t hold back and took out her phone to send Ruan Yesheng a message to explain—no, to justify: “…I didn’t lie to you. Pei Tingquan just doesn’t like receiving gifts from fans. You’re his fan, that’s why I said that.”
Ruan Yesheng glanced at the message on her phone and smiled at her.
“I know,” Ruan Yesheng replied: “You didn’t ‘lie’ to me.”
She put the word lie in quotation marks.
Xi Mo: “…”
Li Siran felt a little nervous and quietly sent Gu Cen a message: “I didn’t bring a gift for Teacher Pei. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, if I give him a Christmas gift, do you think it might be inappropriate? Maybe it’s not right?”
Li Siran looked strong on the outside, but inside she carried a layer of fragile insecurity. She always compared herself to the top stars in the industry. If she was too enthusiastic with people she wasn’t close to, she worried it would seem flattery; if not polite enough, she feared offending others. In this circle, with little background or experience, she had to live very carefully.
“Why would it be inappropriate?” Gu Cen didn’t understand these thoughts. She thought simply: “Giving gifts to friends at Christmas is normal, isn’t it? You’re visiting my brother’s house, so of course you’re a friend.”
Li Siran felt comforted. She was usually exhausted around others, but with Gu Cen, she could relax.
“You’re his sister, so you’ll give Teacher Pei a gift too, right?” Li Siran asked in a message. “Then can I buy a gift and have you give it to him for me?”
“No problem,” Gu Cen said freely. “But don’t forget my gift.”
“What do you want?”
“If I tell you, there won’t be any surprise when you give it to me,” Gu Cen replied.
“If you don’t say, then I won’t know what you want. What if I buy the wrong thing, something you don’t like or don’t want?”
“I like and want everything you give,” Gu Cen typed seriously.
Li Siran: “…”
“What’s wrong? Did I say something wrong? What's with your expression?” Gu Cen stopped typing this time and asked directly.
Li Siran’s ears warmed. She said softly: “Nothing.”
Pei Tingquan was very good at cooking. When the meal started, everyone sat around the table. Ye Guangchao looked at the abundant dishes and said with a smile: “It’s been quite a while since I ate Tingquan’s cooking. My mouth is watering.”
Ruan Yesheng tried a bite and found it delicious. Looking at Pei Tingquan, her eyes seemed to sparkle more: “It’s very delicious, thank you, Teacher Pei.”
Li Siran quickly said: “Thank you, Teacher Pei.”
“I’m glad you like it,” Pei Tingquan said cheerfully. “I was worried it wouldn’t suit your taste.”
Pei Tingquan was friendly, and the conversation at the table was pleasant. Ye Guangchao asked him about upcoming projects, and if there were suitable roles, whether Ruan Yesheng and Li Siran could have a chance to audition. Ruan Yesheng had sensed Ye Guangchao’s kindness before, but Li Siran hadn’t expected him to mention her too, which made her heart quietly touched.
Pei Tingquan smiled and said, "No problem. If the later roles are suitable, and Miss Ruan and Xiao Li are available, I will let you know."
Ruan Yesheng and Li Siran quickly expressed their gratitude.
Gu Cen is not too ambitious. She thinks acting is too hard. She is too lazy to act and thinks her acting is too terrible, so she won’t harm the audience. She is fine just singing and dancing in the group. But she feels happy inside seeing Ruan Yesheng and Li Siran might get to work with Pei Tingquan.
“Actually I have a movie now, Miss Ruan, your aura fits the role, the role is the girlfriend of my movie character.” Pei Tingquan says to Ruan Yesheng, “But you are in A’Ru’s crew, A’Ru doesn’t like actors doing other shoots, you can only focus on her movie, so I can't introduce you.”
Xi Mo listened with a sour taste in her mouth.
Now many people when acting as couples grow feelings, and after filming, they really get together, even suddenly announce marriage. Ruan Yesheng is Pei Tingquan’s fan, Xi Mo feels under this condition Ruan Yesheng will more easily like Pei Tingquan. She suddenly feels lucky Gu Ru is strict about Ruan Yesheng’s time in the crew, and not giving her this chance.
“Then I can’t leave.” Ruan Yesheng smiles, politely says, “It’s a pity.”
Xi Mo: “…”
…What’s so pitiful about it?
Xi Mo was very unhappy and lowered her head to eat her food.
After dinner, they stayed for a while at Pei Tingquan’s house and chatted. Pei Tingquan also added Ruan Yesheng and Li Siran’s contacts. Ruan Yesheng kept smiling the whole time, and Li Siran felt a bit flattered. She never thought she could become friends with an actor like Pei Tingquan.
When they were about to leave, Pei Tingquan walked them to the garage to get the cars. He said, “Miss Ruan, Xiao Li, you’re welcome to come again when you have free time.”
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Xi Mo said, “We’ll be busy filming later, we won't have time."
Ruan Yesheng thanked Pei Tingquan and glanced at Xi Mo.
After saying goodbye, Ye Guangchao drove to the hotel. Li Siran sent Gu Cen home first and then went back to her own apartment. Ruan Yesheng and Xi Mo also returned to the hotel they booked.
Ruan Yesheng and Xi Mo’s rooms were next to each other.
Ruan Yesheng went to shower after returning to her room. Xi Mo stayed in her own room and felt troubled. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve. Ruan Yesheng and she were in the same crew, so in her eyes, they must spend Christmas Eve together. But she didn’t know what Christmas gift she should give Ruan Yesheng.
Xi Mo opened her phone and went online, wanting to see if anyone had good ideas for this kind of problem. Once she browsed, many questions appeared, like “What gift has meaning for Christmas?” “Which gifts are best for someone special?” “Christmas gift best choice list.” She scanned a few, and the answers were all different.
“Of course handmade ones, that shows your heart,” someone said.
“Sometimes handmade stuff is boring, okay? Many things aren’t useful. It’s better to give something useful. One time I wanted to buy a desk lamp, my friend knew, and gave me one for Christmas. It wasn’t expensive, but it moved me a lot.”
“Giving flowers is always romantic, it can never be wrong.”
“My boyfriend gave me a diamond ring for Christmas, I cried right there and said yes,” someone else showed off in the answers.
“Money, thank you.”
Xi Mo: “…”
She looked carefully, then Lu Qingming called.
“Are you back?”
“Yes,” Xi Mo said calmly, “What’s the matter?”
Lu Qingming said, “Tomorrow night is Christmas Eve, you still need to do some work. You don’t have Weibo, all your posts come from the studio. Fans have been waiting, record a holiday greeting and prepare a Christmas Eve gift event.”
“Okay,” Xi Mo agreed. Christmas Eve should have some activity, fans would be happy. “I’ll record a short video.”
“Good, send it to me after,” Lu Qingming sent a document. “Here’s the script, read it for the video. Feng Tangtang isn’t there, don’t let other assistants help this time, have someone from the crew shoot it.”
“Mm.”
After the call, Xi Mo sat on the bed thinking, then called Ruan Yesheng.
Ruan Yesheng answered a bit late, her voice tinged with amusement, “Xi Mo.”
“Can… I ask you a favor?” Xi Mo said.
“Why are you so polite?” Ruan Yesheng sensed her stiffness and smiled more, “Just say it.”
“Can you… come to my room?”
Ruan Yesheng didn’t hesitate: “Yes.”
Xi Mo hadn’t even sat on the bed for a moment when she heard a knock at the door. She hurried over and opened it, and froze when she saw the woman outside.
The next second, she grabbed Ruan Yesheng and pulled her into the room, slamming the door shut.
Xi Mo held on urgently. Ruan Yesheng’s voice was a little soft: “…Why are you so forceful, it hurts.”
Xi Mo: “…”
“Why did you come straight over wearing a bathrobe?” Xi Mo frowned. She had just been afraid someone in the hotel would see Ruan Yesheng like this, so she pulled her inside immediately.
“I just finished showering, isn’t it normal to wear a bathrobe?”
Ruan Yesheng wrapped in a white bathrobe, her slightly damp hair loose over her shoulders. Her eyes and brows had a coquettish charm, and the bathrobe made her appear as if she had just stepped out of the shower. Her delicate collarbones were fully exposed before Xi Mo.
Under the robe, her legs were long and pale, the lines tempting, and Xi Mo almost dared not look, quickly averting her eyes: “What if someone sees?”
“The hotel security is strict, no reporters can get in.” Ruan Yesheng walked inside: “I looked down the hall, no one was there.”
“Still, you can’t just wear a bathrobe.” Xi Mo followed: “If you walk into the next room in a bathrobe, what if the staff sees and thinks you…”
Ruan Yesheng sat down by Xi Mo’s bed in a very natural way, and when she sat, her legs showed even more. She smiled and said, “What will they think? That I have some secret thing with the person in the next room?”
Xi Mo: “…”
Ruan Yesheng put both hands on the bed, and her body leaned toward Xi Mo. The water in her eyes looked like it was about to spill. “Why did you call me to your room?”
“Lu Qingming told me to record a Christmas Eve video for tomorrow and post it on the studio’s Weibo for the fans.” Xi Mo quickly lowered her head and gave her phone to her. “Help me record it.”
“Glad to help.” Ruan Yesheng stood up. “Sit on the sofa.”
Xi Mo walked to the sofa and sat down.
Ruan Yesheng’s collarbone, long legs, and even the pale skin that showed faintly at the bathrobe collar, and… cleavage, all swayed right in front of her eyes. Xi Mo felt a kind of hard to describe nervous feeling. She grabbed a pillow from the sofa and held it.
“You look quite cute holding it like that.” Ruan Yesheng’s eyes curved as she smiled. She pointed the phone at her and set the frame. “Your fans will like it.”
Xi Mo held the pillow and sat up straight.
Ruan Yesheng said, “Can we start?”
“…Yes.”
“One, two, three.” Ruan Yesheng said, “Look at the camera here, it’s recording.”
Xi Mo looked at the camera, and of course she also looked at Ruan Yesheng.
Ruan Yesheng was still holding the phone. From that angle, Xi Mo’s eyes were led right to the bathrobe collar.
“Hello, everyone.” Xi Mo spoke toward the phone, stiff like a block of wood. Her words sounded like she used some fixed blessing template. “I am Xi Mo. It is Christmas Eve again. First I wish everyone… a happy Christmas Eve, and also… Merry Christmas.”
“Pfft.” Ruan Yesheng lowered the phone because she couldn't hold back her laugh. “Is this how you usually record videos? And this is the script Lu Qingming gave you? Why is it so funny? This doesn’t look like you give blessings to your fans, it looks like you are doing a company video interview.”
Xi Mo: “…”
She did not even follow Lu Qingming’s script. Somehow she's having a hard time concentrating.
“This is too old-fashioned.” Ruan Yesheng said. “Change to another way to give blessings. And just now, you seemed to stutter a bit.”
“…I did not stutter.” Xi Mo spoke in a hurry.
“Okay, okay, didn't stutter.” Ruan Yesheng almost laughed herself to death. How can this block of wood be so cute? She did not even want to go back to her room. “Are you nervous? You record these videos often. I watched many. I have never seen you nervous.”
“I… am not nervous.” Xi Mo cleared her throat and forced herself not to look at the bathrobe collar. “Let’s do it again.”
Author's Note:
This coquettish little flirt is seducing people.
Xi Mo, Ruanruan is only wearing a bathrobe in front of you now and you can't even control yourself, you can't even record a proper video. I'm asking you, what will you do if Ruanruan takes her clothes off in front of you in the future?
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