After Reuniting with My Aloof Movie Queen Childhood Friend - Chapter 15

Ji Youyi didn’t notice that Lin Shan and Fang Ruohan had left until it was time to eat.

“They had urgent business and left in a hurry, so they didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to you,” Meng Xingshu explained.

“I see.” Ji Youyi sat down at the dining table, her tone a bit regretful. “CEO Lin said she wanted to try the food on set, so I even asked the producer for a few extra lunch boxes.”

“What? What? What?” Li Zhulan walked over carrying three lunch boxes and laid them out in front of the three of them as if she had heard a fairy tale. “How could anyone actually want to eat set meals? Xiao Ji, did you trick some innocent young lady again?”

“I didn’t trick anyone,” Ji Youyi argued. “Our crew’s boxed meals are actually very delicious.”

Today’s two vegetable dishes and one meat dish were white radish, spinach, and scrambled eggs. The sight made Li Zhulan’s eyes go dark, and she contemplated going back to eat snacks instead. “If you don’t believe me, ask Teacher Meng. Who could possibly stomach this!”

Meng Xingshu broke apart her chopsticks, tasted a piece of radish, and gave a faint evaluation: “It is indeed quite good.”

Seeing Ji Youyi’s smug expression, Li Zhulan suddenly realized her mistake, it was her fault, she had asked the wrong person.

Li Zhulan pulled out her trump card. “Do you know why your fever won’t go down and your stomach hurts every day? It’s because you eat this kind of stuff! And you still won’t take your medicine!”

Ji Youyi replied righteously, “I want to take it, but the bottle is so small. I don’t know where it went. I can’t find it anywhere.”

“Then buy a new one!”

“I don’t remember what it’s called, how am I supposed to buy it!”

Ji Youyi and Li Zhulan had become increasingly familiar with each other lately. One was the director and the other the screenwriter, the “brains” of the crew. However, once they stepped away from work, they would bicker like this from time to time.

Meng Xingshu glanced at Ji Youyi and took a bottle of medicine out of her pocket, placing it on the table. “The doctor prescribed an extra bottle last time. I forgot to give it to you. Take it before meals, right now is perfect.”

Li Zhulan froze for a moment, her eyes darting between the medicine bottle, Meng Xingshu, and Ji Youyi. A smile unexpectedly surfaced on her face.

Suppressing a laugh, she chimed in: “Exactly! Hurry up and take it!”

As she spoke, she jogged off to grab a bottle of mineral water.

Meng Xingshu opened the medicine, poured a single pill into the cap, took the water, loosened the cap, and placed it by Ji Youyi’s hand.

One on the left and one on the right, the two of them stared at Ji Youyi like they were monitoring a rebellious young patient. In all her years, Ji Youyi had never been “fed” medicine like this; even with her thick skin, she felt a bit embarrassed.

Without a word, she popped the pill into her mouth and gulped down half the bottle of water to hide her bashfulness.

Li Zhulan was extremely satisfied with the scene.

She looked at Xiao Ji, who was woodenly chugging water, and then at Teacher Meng, who sat beside her quietly watching. She was certain this was the most delicious meal she had ever “eaten.”

Ah, finish filming quickly! I want to write this story!

Li Zhulan made secret plans, observing while laughing as she continued to spill secrets: “Teacher Meng, let me tell you, it’s normal for Xiao Ji’s stomach to hurt. She doesn’t even chew when she eats, she just picks up the plate and drinks it. Watch, she’ll perform it for you in a bit.”

Ji Youyi protested, “Who says I don’t know how to chew?”

“Then show us.” Li Zhulan nodded toward the lunch tray.

“I…”

Ji Youyi wanted to say “fine” or something more assertive. But as her gaze swept over the food on the table, the words felt stuck in her throat, gritty, dirty, like cold, hard stones.

Her gums began to ache and throb, the smell of blood seeped from every crevice, filling her mouth. Several teeth felt so sore they seemed ready to fall out, yet they remained, tethered to the flesh by bleeding gums. Drip, drip… swallowed into her stomach along with the stones.

The trance lasted only a second. Ji Youyi reacted quickly, took another heroic swig of water, and blustered, “Why should I? It’s not an animal performance.”

Meng Xingshu lowered her eyes, hiding her deep thoughts. “Does your tooth hurt?”

“No,” Ji Youyi answered quickly, giving them a serious analysis. “I don’t chew just to improve my eating efficiency. Think about it, when you eat, you can’t work or talk, it’s such a waste of time. But if I swallow the food as fast as possible, I save twenty minutes. Three meals a day, 365 days a year. I’ve saved seven thousand hours in twenty years! According to the ten-thousand hours rule, I’ll be a grandmaster in another ten years!”

“That makes sense,” Meng Xingshu said nonchalantly.

Ji Youyi’s lunch box was open but untouched. Meng Xingshu pulled the box closer and broke apart a clean pair of disposable chopsticks.

“If it’s something you don’t like doing, then don’t do it. It’s the same if you mash it up to eat.”

With her well-defined fingers gripping the chopsticks, she began to finely crush the food in the container bit by bit.

Her face remained expressionless and clean, her profile as sharp as the ridgeline of a snowy mountain, carrying the same cold aloofness as always.

But perhaps because the sunlight was so gentle today, Ji Youyi actually felt her expression was exceptionally tender.

Ji Youyi hastily withdrew her gaze, a strange sensation rising in her heart.

The feeling of unease grew stronger. She stood up. “Whatever. Anyway, I can’t eat for the time being. I’m going to go get busy with other things.”

“Have a candy first?” Meng Xingshu took a candy out of a bag and handed it over.

The transparent wrapper shimmered with pale gold in the sunlight, lying quietly in her open palm. Ji Youyi froze, and before she could process it, she had already reached out to take it.

She peeled the wrapper, stuffed the candy in her mouth, and turned to leave.

Seeing her run off to find the coordinator, Li Zhulan burst into laughter and shouted, “Baby Xiao Ji, why are you running? Are you feeling guilty or shy?”

“Don’t tease her,” Meng Xingshu said to Li Zhulan in a neutral tone. “Her digestion isn’t great. Buy her some digestive tablets to take after meals.”

There seemed to be a lingering warmth on her palm from where those soft fingertips had accidentally brushed against her. Meng Xingshu slightly curled her left hand and tapped the medicine bottle on the table with her knuckle.

“This is once a day, one pill at a time. Please keep it for her and supervise her taking it. Also, a persistent low-grade fever for a week after gastric bleeding is normal, but if she is still feverish next week…”

Meng Xingshu originally intended to say that if Ji Youyi remained unwell, she should go back to the hospital for a check-up, but Li Zhulan raised her hand to answer first: “I know! I’ll give you a secret report!”

She paused for a moment, then nodded. “Thank you.”

For Ji Youyi, Meng Xingshu’s visit was a godsend.

Before this, the entire crew had a clear self-perception, small budget, a makeshift team, no future. Even though Ji Youyi had made various efforts since becoming the director, it was hard to boost the sagging morale, after all, what could you expect from a crew full of rookies? A big hit? Be adults and stop dreaming.

It wasn’t until today that everyone discovered their Director Ji was not only an all-rounder who seemed to have a “cheat code” for life, but she actually knew Meng Xingshu!

That was Meng Xingshu, the international superstar who ranked first at the box office and had won countless awards. What ordinary crew could ever get close to her?

Their revenue sharing drama, which had nothing to do with major platforms, could invite Meng Xingshu and even have high-level executives from Filmily visit. What did that mean?

It meant Director Ji had connections! It meant Filmily approved of their crew! It meant their drama was going to be broadcast on a major platform!

Promotion in the film and television industry depends on “fate.” Many film workers remain obscure for their entire lives. No one knew if this drama would be their one and only chance, so naturally, they all put in 120% effort to seize it.

Ji Youyi thought she had already squeezed 90% of their potential, but she didn’t expect Meng Xingshu’s presence to act like a stimulant, pushing them straight to 120%. Even the actors’ performances became more brilliant than before.

At ten o’clock in the evening, the crew finished work early. Ji Youyi had been living on set for seven days and had to return to her rental, she had only rented it for ten days to save money, and now the lease was up, and the landlord was urging her to renew.

Ji Youyi packed up the extra lunch boxes from the daytime and complimented Meng Xingshu: “Thanks to Teacher Meng, our ‘Anchor of the Sea,’ I got off work three hours early.”

“I didn’t really help much,” Meng Xingshu said calmly.

“How can you say that!” Ji Youyi’s tone was exaggerated. “You don’t know how worried I was about tonight’s scene before we started. Of course, you think it’s easy, but our crew is full of rookie actors, they couldn’t pull it off. If it weren’t for your guidance, we’d probably be doing NGs until dawn.”

As she spoke, she let out a theatrical long sigh. “Sigh, I really want to hire Teacher Meng as a performance instructor.”

The darkness hid the slight upward curve of Meng Xingshu’s lips. “Do you want to hire me?”

“No, no, no. Great Movie Queen, I can’t afford you, can’t afford you.”

After the joke, Ji Youyi asked, “How is Teacher Meng getting back? I’ll see you off.”

“Ruohan is coming to pick me up. What about you?”

“I live nearby. I’ll walk back.”

“Then I’ll walk you.”

“No way.” Ji Youyi refused flatly. “The environment over there is messy. If you go, you’ll probably be mobbed.”

“It’s late at night, no one will recognize me.”

Meng Xingshu took out a mask and put it on, her fair fingers hooking the black straps behind her ears.

Her fingers were slender, her ears soft and pale, and her long hair fell lazily. The streetlights cast a dim, warm yellow light from above. Even with a mask on, the person in front of her was still as beautiful as a painting.

Ji Youyi’s professional instincts told her that going out with a star could lead to trouble, but looking at Meng Xingshu’s profile, she found herself not saying another word, as if possessed.

Avoiding the crowds, Ji Youyi led Meng Xingshu westward, crossing the main street and turning into a cramped side street.

It could hardly be called a street, it was more like an alley. The buildings were no higher than three stories, and the road was so narrow it could only accommodate a single car one way.

The neon lights were left behind, and the air grew noticeably damp. The stench of the sewers lingered over the street.

The entire road had no streetlights, and almost all the ground floor shops on both sides were closed. Meng Xingshu could only see a single guesthouse in the distance with its lobby light on, a dim yellow light that failed to illuminate the darkness of their path.

Ji Youyi didn’t turn on a flashlight, and since Meng Xingshu’s night vision was decent, she didn’t mention it either.

She surveyed the surroundings and silently extended a hand, protecting Ji Youyi from a few centimeters behind.

Only when they got closer could Meng Xingshu see the sign for the guesthouse.

The “Home Inn” neon sign was mostly burnt out, and below it was a pair of oil-stained glass doors. On the pitted concrete floor, puddles of sewage sat one after another, with cigarette butts, plastic bags, and deformed soda cans scattered about, barely leaving a path to the entrance.

When Ji Youyi pushed the door open, the loud audio from a short video app reached their ears first. The owner peeked out from behind the counter, squinted, and recognized Ji Youyi. “How many more days?”

Meng Xingshu saw Ji Youyi pull a handful of paper bills from her coat pocket, four hundred yuan bills and some smaller change. She hesitated for a few seconds before finally pulling out just one and handing it over with a smile: “Ten more days, I guess!”

“Girl, my place is really affordable and good to live in. You won’t find this price anywhere else,” the owner said with a long face.

Ji Youyi’s voice was sweet: “I know! Thank you, boss. But my salary for this drama hasn’t been paid yet; I have to save some money for food.”

The owner sighed, his gaze drifting to Meng Xingshu for a few seconds. “Eh, are you… oh, no, impossible. You look like…”

Ji Youyi immediately grabbed Meng Xingshu’s arm and interjected with a laugh: “You also think my sister looks like a star, right? Many people say that.”

Meng Xingshu’s body stiffened slightly. She remained motionless, trying her best to appear natural.

But she was soon let go by Ji Youyi, only to have her right hand grabbed the next second.

“Boss, we’re going up now! Bye-bye!”

Ji Youyi pulled her, stomping her feet as they ran upstairs. It wasn’t until they entered the room and locked the door that she couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

“The boss couldn’t believe a Great Movie Queen would visit his humble abode, so he missed the chance to ask for an autograph.”

She finished speaking in a low voice and then proudly tilted her chin at Meng Xingshu, as if seeking credit. “How about that? Am I smart or what?”

Meng Xingshu inconspicuously moved her gaze away from their joined hands, looking into Ji Youyi’s bright eyes, and gave an “Mm.”

From the moment her right hand was held, she hadn’t moved it once, keeping it still like a lifeless object, trying her best to reduce its presence…

Because, according to the requirements of social safety distance, if the contact was noticed, it would have to be released.