After Reuniting with My Aloof Movie Queen Childhood Friend - Chapter 19.1

She paused, observing Ji Youyi’s expression. “Your head has suffered a severe injury before, so you need to be even more careful about resting.”

Ji Youyi suddenly realized: so her lightheadedness before getting in the car was because of a concussion. Thank goodness, she thought she had…

“Also, the doctor said you might experience insomnia recently. They can prescribe some sedatives.”

Meng Xingshu’s tone was as casual as if they were discussing what to have for dinner. She suggested, “Want to talk to them privately?”

Ji Youyi knew immediately that this was about medical history, and maybe some psychological assessment. Meng Xingshu was probably worried about her mental state, which is why she kept helping her.

There was really no need.

“No, my sleep is fine,” Ji Youyi refused directly.

Having said that, she took advantage of her clear conscience and decided to be frank with Meng Xingshu. “And Teacher Meng, I have something to say.”

“First of all, about tonight, I really, really thank you. If it weren’t for you, I’m not sure if I’d even be sitting here.”

“Since we met, you’ve helped me many times. Although I’m dirt poor and can’t repay you right now, I’ll never take your kindness for granted. I’ll keep these favors in my heart. If you ever need anything from me, just say the word, and I, Ji Youyi, will do whatever it takes!”

Her speaking pace slowed slightly. “But, there’s one more point I must clarify.”

“I hope you don’t feel burdened. You actually don’t need to do so much for me. Or rather, even if something needs to be done, it’s not your turn to do it.”

“Not my turn… to do it…?” Meng Xingshu’s long, raven-like lashes fluttered as she repeated the words.

“Exactly!”

Ji Youyi knew Meng Xingshu didn’t have much of a favorable opinion of her. Her kindness was purely out of a sense of compensation. But the thing was, Meng Xingshu herself had never hurt the “Little Ji Youyi,” so she shouldn’t be the one paying the price.

Why should a kind girl be the one working so hard, while that trashy scumbag hid behind women? He even had the gall to pretend to have depression, is he even human?

Ji Youyi said realistically, “If Zhou Wenchen isn’t willing to come himself, then you definitely don’t need to come.”

Actually, the scumbag didn’t need to come either. If she knew how to launch a rocket, that piece of trash would be in deep space by now.

Zhou. Wen. Chen. This was the first time Meng Xingshu had heard Ji Youyi say that name herself.

Meng Xingshu rarely remembered the names of strangers, let alone a celebrity’s name. When Meng Xiao was looking for male stars to create scandals with, she only knew it was happening but didn’t care who it was.

When did she finally see this name?

It was that day in the car, before the secretary sent over the files. She had searched for “Ji Youyi” online and saw a name appearing frequently beside it, so eyesore that she couldn’t help but feel disgust.

The internet was buzzing about this unrequited love. The files said they had known each other for five years. Even Lin Shan had later sighed: “Little Ji is such a good girl, how did she fall in love with Zhou Wenchen?”

“Love”?

It felt as if her chest was being repeatedly pricked by dense needles.

She lowered her eyes, suppressing the turbulent emotions. Her hand in her pocket tightened instinctively, her tone incredibly calm. “Are you still thinking about him?”

Ji Youyi’s internal alarms blared. Here it was, the “death trap” question. She had been avoiding talking about the scumbag with the Film Queen precisely because she feared this situation.

Regarding this question, she couldn’t say “yes,” because that wasn’t true and it would make the Film Queen jealous. But she couldn’t simply say “no” either, that would seem too fake, and the Film Queen wouldn’t believe it.

She chose her words carefully, summoning all her acting skills to portray an attitude of “the past is like smoke, I’ve long let it go,” and handed in what she thought was a perfect answer: “It’s all in the past. I don’t like him anymore.”

“I don’t like him anymore.”

Meng Xingshu chewed on those six words.

That meant she had liked him once. As for whether she still did now… it was unknown.

Was it really unknown?

She had just said she hoped that person would come. She said, “It’s not your turn.”

Not her turn.

The ice cap covered all the surging currents beneath the sea. Meng Xingshu maintained her calm and gave Ji Youyi a slight nod. “I have something to do, I’ll head out first.”

Fang Ruohan had been waiting outside. Seeing Meng Xingshu come out, she stepped forward. “Teacher Meng, do you need anything? I’ll take care of it.”

Her eyes were full of playful hints to Meng Xingshu: Go back inside for your “world for two,” I’ll handle the errands!

Meng Xingshu did indeed have more to say.

She stopped, her eyes lowered, not looking at Fang Ruohan. She simply instructed: “Tell her not to go back tonight. Stay at your place for now.”

“My… place?” Fang Ruohan’s brain suffered a bit of an overload.

She didn’t own property in D-City, she had been staying in Meng Xingshu’s house all along. Staying at “her” place meant staying at Meng Xingshu’s home. What was the point of being so roundabout…?

Meng Xingshu hummed in response. “I’ve already had the housekeeper clean the room, you take over from here. Tomorrow I’ll ask the police station to send someone to help her move her luggage, and you go too, help her terminate the lease. It’ll be hard on you to pick her up and drop her off from work for a while. Keep the medical records and send them to the lawyer. Also, get her a jacket and some food. She’s sensitive to the cold, likes to feel the breeze, but gets car sick easily. Remember to keep the air conditioning high on the way back, and leave a crack in the window.”

Seeing Meng Xingshu turn to leave after finishing her instructions, Fang Ruohan quickly called her back.

“Wait, wait, wait! Teacher Meng.” She said subtly, “I think… it’s better if you say these things to her yourself.”

Meng Xingshu’s footsteps paused briefly, but it was only for a moment. “No. You’re her friend, it’s more appropriate for you.”

As for her, she was nothing.

Ji Youyi was indeed worrying about the rental situation. The old neighborhood was unsafe, but the problem was, how could a good location have a room for ten yuan a day?

She planned to take her suitcase and sleep in the office, but Fang Ruohan disagreed. “The office isn’t safe either. Why not stay with me for a few days?”

“Won’t it be inconvenient?” Ji Youyi asked.

“Not at all. My place is huge.” Fang Ruohan teased, “What, you’re looking down on me? You don’t want to live with me?”

“How could I! I’d love to.” Ji Youyi clutched the hot milk Fang Ruohan had just bought for her and rubbed her head against Fang Ruohan’s arm like a small animal. “Uwah, Fangfang you’re so good, I love you.”

Ji Youyi had originally thought that since Fang Ruohan was on a business trip in D-City, she would be staying in a hotel suite. She thought “huge” meant the hotel bed was large enough for two people to squeeze into for a night.

To her surprise, the car eventually drove into a beautiful standalone garden villa.

It turned out she was the only poor person. Ji Youyi was curious: “Is this rented or…?”

“This?” Fang Ruohan had prepared an excuse long ago, taking the chance to advertise. “This is our company dormitory, free for employees. How is it? The benefits are great, right? Interested? Want to sign with us?”

“Impressive, impressive. Wealthy and powerful.” Ji Youyi was full of praise.

She had checked the encyclopedia. Fang Ruohan’s company, Lingxing Film and Television, was a well-known industry giant focusing on investment, production, and distribution. Because the big boss Lin Shan also served as the Senior VP of the video platform Filmily, the company had abundant resources and a solid foundation for its projects. It was a “big factory” that everyone in the circle envied.

Among Lingxing’s signed artists, there were many big names, the most famous undoubtedly being Meng Xingshu. Not only was the Film Queen the company’s “money tree” and “stabilizing anchor,” but she was also a founding veteran. Her influence must be quite high.

So, this time she not only owed Fang Ruohan a favor but also Lin Shan and Meng Xingshu. She sent thank-you texts to both before moving into her room.

The villa’s decor was modern minimalist, equipped with a full set of smart home devices and a climate control system. The natural solid wood floors and furniture clearly cost a fortune. Ji Youyi walked carefully, afraid of bumping into anything, it didn’t matter if she got hurt, but if the furniture got “injured,” that would be a disaster.

Her room was on the second floor. When the door opened, the first thing she saw was a wide floor toi ceiling window. Ji Youyi walked to the window and found a whole sea of irises below.

April was the peak blooming season. From light blue to deep purple, with splashes of yellow, pink, and red, irises of all colors were in full bloom. The garden lights quietly illuminated the flowers. The wide, drooping petals looked like butterflies ready to take flight, perched gracefully on the stems.

She sat cross-legged by the window, admiring the flowers, and opened the storage box Fang Ruohan had handed her before going upstairs.

The box was somewhat heavy. Inside were neatly folded clean clothes. Ji Youyi did a quick count, there were several outfits from the inside out. She picked up the top set and shook it out.

A comfortable casual style, soft cotton fabric, and a refreshing sky-blue color. It was a far cry from Fang Ruohan’s own daily style but suited her perfectly. The clothes looked new. Could it be that Fang Ruohan had bought them for herself but couldn’t wear them for some reason?

Ji Youyi searched the clothes but couldn’t find a logo or a price. She figured she’d wait until she had paid off most of her debt and had some savings, then buy something expensive for Fang Ruohan as a return gift, of course, the price couldn’t be too high, like that coat Meng Xingshu gave her earlier, which clearly wasn’t something she could afford to pay back.

For situations like this, she usually chose “precious emotional value” meaning rainbow farts (flattery) and labor to express her gratitude. Money was just too vulgar.

Ji Youyi took her change of clothes into the bathroom. As soon as she opened the door, she was drawn to the vase on the counter. The vase was exquisite, filled with irises of various colors that seemed to have been freshly cut. The person who arranged them had impeccable taste, the color matching and trimming perfectly suited her preferences.

Ji Youyi admired them for a while, took two photos from different angles, and posted to her Friend Circle: [Image][Image] So pretty!

Right after posting, a new private message from Li Zhulan popped up. She thought it would be a compliment, but instead, she only saw seven words: Are you at Teacher Meng’s house?

Ji Youyi: ? No.

Li Zhulan: TuT Oh.

Li Zhulan was a bit disappointed, but she quickly became excited again. Every old fan knew that the only flower Meng Xingshu liked was the iris; she planted them wherever she went. Teacher Meng likes irises, and Little Ji also likes irises, what does that mean? It means they are a perfect match!

Aaaaah, “Mommy” is back to life again!

The day after the wrap party, Li Zhulan had returned to her hometown in W-City and passionately dove into her CP fanfiction creation. Already in a writing zone, she was now brimming with inspiration, only wishing her typing speed could keep up with her brain.

Ji Youyi knew nothing of Li Zhulan’s top-tier imagination. She was exhausted today and had to continue post-production tomorrow. After a quick wash, she climbed into bed.

In the wooden box on the nightstand, sleep-inducing essential oils were neatly arranged. She caught a glimpse of them, regained a bit of energy, leaned over the bed, and patiently smelled them one by one. Unfortunately, she couldn’t find the scent Meng Xingshu used, so she simply picked lavender and marjoram to make do.

In the quiet room, a warm sweetness with a faint hint of pine slowly diffused, soothing her tired body. Ji Youyi lay on her side, hugging the blanket, and fell into a deep sleep.

A wall away, in the study of the master bedroom, Meng Xingshu sat on the sofa, a Bluetooth earphone in her left ear. She was listening absentmindedly to the voice on the phone, her gaze fixed on the screen.

On the Friend Circle interface, her thumb hesitated as she scrolled up and down for a few seconds. Unable to find a “Save Post” function, she pressed the screenshot buttons. After cropping out the edges, she added it to her favorites in the gallery.

“…Anyway, I’ve suppressed it for you for now.” Lin Shan said, and after receiving no response for a long time, she had to ask, “Hello? Give me some kind of reaction.”

After saving the photo, Meng Xingshu switched back to the Friend Circle interface. Her reaction was indifferent. “What kind of reaction?”

Lin Shan was speechless. “The photos taken of you tonight! Some netizens have guessed it’s you. How do you want to handle it?”

“Whatever.”

“Whatever?”

“Don’t handle it. Let them talk.”