After Reuniting with My Aloof Movie Queen Childhood Friend - Chapter 20.1

Meng Xingshu glanced at the person laughing and playing intimately with Ji Youyi, and felt the chill rise like cold water, slowly submerging her chest.

Her fingertips clenched, then slowly relaxed, eventually digging into her palms unconsciously.

Meng Xingshu checked the time again, opened the car door, and stepped out.

Ji Youyi had successfully escaped the editor’s self-destructive clutches and stuffed the stun baton back into her bag. She was laughing and shouting, “I’m not giving it to you, wait until you finish the edit,” when she sensed someone approaching.

She looked up, her eyes widening slightly in surprise.

A black trench coat was cinched at the waist, its simple lines outlining a tall, elegant figure. The corners of Meng Xingshu’s lips were slightly upturned, appearing to give her a faint smile. “The driver had something to do today, so I came to pick you up and take you home.”

Ji Youyi froze, taking a moment to process Meng Xingshu’s words.

Meng Xingshu is a Lingxing artist and lives in the Lingxing dorms; that’s logical.

Wherever you live is ‘home,’ so her using the word ‘home’ is also logical.

Fang fang said during the day she’d pick me up, but maybe something came up, so Meng Xingshu took her place… that’s also… somewhat logical.

No, none of that was important. What mattered was…

Ji Youyi winked vigorously at Meng Xingshu, mouthing silently: [Sister, why did you go out without a mask again!]

What was wrong with this world? Are stars not afraid of being recognized when they go out?

Ji Youyi turned around and, sure enough, saw the editor and the milk tea shop assistant with their mouths agape, looking as if they were about to scream the next second.

In the distance, several passersby at the park entrance had also stopped in their tracks. Some were stomping their feet excitedly to alert their companions, while others were pointing their phones directly at them.

It was over, over, over.

Ji Youyi rushed forward, attempting to use her shorter height to block Meng Xingshu’s highly recognizable face.

She gently pushed Meng Xingshu, speaking in a low, rapid whisper: “I got it, thank you, Teacher Meng. Go to the car and wait for me first, go, go.”

Meng Xingshu lowered her eyes slightly, seeing Ji Youyi’s fingers resting on her sleeve.

“Waiting for milk tea?” she asked.

Ji Youyi nodded frantically. “It’ll be ready in a second, just wait for me a tiny bit!”

Meng Xingshu replied softly, “Okay. Shall I hold your bag for you?”

Ji Youyi didn’t hesitate to thrust the bag into Meng Xingshu’s arms.

Having safely ushered the “Grand Buddha” away without any public incidents, Ji Youyi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She said to the editor, “My sister is here to pick me up, so I’ll be leaving in a bit.”

The editor’s voice was weak: “Your sister… is Meng Xingshu?”

She clearly remembered reading a headline saying Meng Xingshu’s sister’s surname was also Meng.

Ji Youyi gave a mysterious smile and avoided answering.

She grabbed her milk tea, held it in her hand, said “Thank you” to the clerk, and waved to the editor. “See you tomorrow!”

The crowd at the center and those watching from afar had dispersed, and the editor was still processing the massive shock when she heard the milk tea shop assistant swear.

“Holy! They really are real!”

“What’s real?” the editor asked blankly.

“Haven’t you seen the hot searches? They were caught in a sweet embrace on the street last night! I really want to show those people who believed that ‘Monkey’ what real news looks like! There are photos, there’s a response, and Meng Xingshu personally liked it, it’s all hard evidence! I thought they looked like a couple last night but no one believed me, ugh, I’m so mad.”

The clerk was making milk tea, her excitement refusing to die down. “Did you see Teacher Meng’s eyes just now? And what she said? And how they interacted? Oh my god! They live together, she’s picking her up from work, she’s helping her carry her bag… I ask you, if that’s not ‘real,’ then what is it? Tell me, what is it!!”

She desperately wanted to pull out her phone and post on Douban to slap the faces of those who called her “crazy” yesterday, but thinking of her job requirements, she could only make milk tea at high speed while waiting for her shift to end.

The editor had been sleeping for a day and a night and hadn’t been online at all.

Half of her shock just now was from witnessing the goddess’s divine beauty in person, and the other half was pure shock that [My Great Master colleague is living with my goddess], parenthesis, the pure version.

She immediately took out her phone to search, and it suddenly dawned on her, so that was the kind of “sister” she meant!

She wondered why she always felt Director Ji looked like a celebrity, it turned out her real name was Ji Youyi, and she actually was an artist and one who could direct and edit!

Was she sent from the heavens?!

Also, do the people on Weibo have eyes? Who said Ji Youyi was a “vase” (eye candy)? Who said she wasn’t good enough for Meng Xingshu?

If Ji Youyi was a vase, then what was she? Less than a vase? A rice bucket (useless eater)?!

No wonder she edited so well! She even landed Meng Xingshu, how could she not be amazing!!

Ji Youyi hopped into the passenger seat as soon as she got her milk tea, buckled her seatbelt, and scanned the surroundings. “This park is full of small workshops, they should all be ordinary passersby, no paparazzi. Teacher Meng, let’s go quickly.”

Meng Xingshu glanced at her. “Are you very afraid of us being photographed?”

“Of course,” Ji Youyi answered without thinking.

It didn’t matter if she was photographed, but Meng Xingshu was a big star. Being caught by paparazzi and written about recklessly was never a good thing.

Meng Xingshu drove, tapping a finger on the steering wheel once, but said nothing.

The neon lights outside were receding, and the spring night breeze blew through the gap in the window. Ji Youyi stared at the rearview mirror for a long time, and only after confirming no cars were following did she finally lean back.

Soft music flowed through the car, the faint fragrance mixing with the fresh night breeze. Ji Youyi squinted her eyes and tilted her face up, stretching her body comfortably.

She looked at Meng Xingshu, her voice carrying a smile: “Teacher Meng, you forgot your mask again.”

She didn’t wear one yesterday, and she didn’t wear one today. This big star is practically a “childhood goddess” to people, how could she be so careless?

The streetlights shone through the windshield onto Meng Xingshu’s face, flickering between light and shadow as they drove.

She looked straight ahead, her cold profile seemingly softened by the light and shadow. “My face hasn’t been feeling well lately. I can’t wear one.”

“Is it because spring is here?” Ji Youyi knew a bit about this. When she filmed in the past, actors would always have various skin problems during the change of seasons.

She loosened her seatbelt, rested her left wrist on the center console, and leaned closer to Meng Xingshu. “Seasonal allergies? Or is it too dry?”

The console box between the seats was like an invisible boundary, silently dividing the car’s interior in half. They were on the left and right, originally distinct and undisturbed, until one hand took the lead in crossing the line.

Out of the corner of her eye, Meng Xingshu took in the hand on the console, the back of the hand was soft and white, and the sleeve was sky blue. She was wearing the clothes she had picked out for her, smiling idly at her.

She was the one who crossed the line first.

Meng Xingshu flicked her eyelashes, pulled the car over to the side of the road, unbuckled her seatbelt, and leaned her body to the right, her face resting against that invisible boundary.

Her low, slow words melded with the music: “I’m not quite sure. Can you help me take a look?”

“Sure, let me see.” Ji Youyi agreed generously, pulled out another section of her seatbelt, propped herself up, and looked closely at Meng Xingshu’s face, explaining: “There’s a lot of pollen in spring, so allergies are quite common. In that case, you really should wear a mask. And…”

The soft music sped up at some unknown point, but Ji Youyi’s speech slowed down until her mind went blank.

Warm breath was within reach; at such close proximity, their breaths tangled together, weaving a dense web.

Everything in the distance faded out. Ji Youyi could only see that flawless face.

Moonlight flowed silently, melting on the face and refreezing like the thin frost that falls in the morning, cold, yet making her want to reach out her tongue and take a light lick.

Her fingers curled involuntarily. Ji Youyi saw the person in front of her part her lips slightly, her breath like an orchid: “…And?”

Downcast eyelashes fluttered naturally, casting a shadow of a trembling butterfly on her cold, white cheek.

Ji Youyi hurriedly averted her eyes and shrank back into her seat.

The seatbelt retracted, the sense of pressure returning to her shoulder. The night breeze swept across her face, waking her from a short dream.

Only then did she realize the music had never changed; it was her heartbeat that was incredibly fast.

“And, and, and…” The usually composed Director Ji stammered for the first time. She struggled to straighten her tongue, blocked out the strange sensation, and forced a calm tone. “You’re a bit dehydrated.”

Yes, exactly, dehydration! Water, water…

Ji Youyi’s gaze darted around, and when it landed on the milk tea in her lap, it was as if she had found a savior.

She lifted the bag and thrust it at Meng Xingshu, looking upright and earnest. “Teacher Meng, you need to drink more water. It just so happens I bought you milk tea. Remember to drink it when we get back!”

“You bought it for me?” Meng Xingshu said thoughtfully.

“Yeah! Look, I fully considered the body management needs of our big star. I ordered zero sugar with pudding, low calorie, light burden. And red beans, high protein, rich in Vitamin E. You know, I can’t order delivery, so I planned to buy a cup to bring back for you.”

Ji Youyi’s sincere face was written with “See how thoughtful I am,” while she silently apologized to Fang Ruohan in her heart.

Meng Xingshu looked into her eyes and nodded, seemingly believing her excuse: “That was thoughtful of you. Thank you.”

Late at night, a Lingxing high-level meeting had just ended.

Lin Shan turned off the camera used for the video conference and told her secretary to organize the meeting minutes. Turning around, she found Meng Xingshu still sitting at the table, flipping through a newly submitted report.

Lin Shan found it very unusual. “You skipped the Golden Xiexie Awards ceremony. I assumed you weren’t feeling well. So why have you worked overtime two days in a row? You’re acting strange.”

It wasn’t just these two days. More importantly, Lin Shan felt Meng Xingshu had recently become proactive, like a different person, running out every few days and caring immensely about every detail.

Meng Xingshu looked at the documents without looking up. “With a loss of two hundred million, it’s impossible for them not to pay.”

“Hey, hey, I’m not talking about the insurance claim rejection.” Lin Shan leaned against the desk, arms crossed, wagging an index finger. “I’m saying you have been very abnormal lately.”

“Then look for yourself.” Meng Xingshu expressionlessly closed the file, pushed it toward Lin Shan, reached for the milk tea nearby, and took a sip.

“No, no, no! I get dizzy looking at words. I was wrong, Boss Meng, I was so wrong! Please look, take your time. I really can’t read this stuff.” Lin Shan’s face changed in a second, hands pressed together in a plea for mercy.

She was about to leave the study to avoid disturbing Boss Meng’s overtime, but as she looked up, she suddenly saw what was in Meng Xingshu’s hand.

“Milk tea?”

Lin Shan remembered, during the meeting just now, Meng Xingshu would take a sip of something every now and then.

Someone who didn’t even need tea during meetings now had a cup by her side. She initially thought it was some medicine that had to be taken at a set time, but it turned out to be… milk tea?!

Lin Shan’s eyes nearly fell out of her head. “Don’t you never drink milk tea?”

People on set often treated the whole crew to milk tea, and they would occasionally buy some during private gatherings. But Meng Xingshu had only tasted it once and never touched it again. She thought it tasted awful and preferred plain water.

Amidst Lin Shan’s exaggerated expression, Meng Xingshu calmly took another sip, the corners of her lips seemingly curling slightly: “I’ve been feeling it’s quite good lately.”

“Really? Is it a new product from some shop? If it’s that good, I’ll order a cup to try tomorrow.”

Lin Shan leaned in brashly to read the words on the cup. “Zero sugar… pudding… red beans… Heh! Isn’t this Fang Ruohan’s usual order? Have you been assimilated by her? Hahahaha!”

Meng Xingshu looked at her coldly.

Lin Shan went silent in a second.

Although she didn’t know what was wrong, something definitely was. Running was the only option.

She quickly retreated from the study. Just as she was about to close the door, she remembered something. “By the way, there’s one more thing. Someone took photos of you and Little Ji again tonight. How do you want to handle it?”

“Send them to me.”

“Okay, Boss Meng,” Lin Shan asked. “Same as yesterday? Just leave them alone?”

The light in the study was dimmer than in the hallway. Meng Xingshu sat alone behind the desk, her gaze drifting for a moment from the documents.

[Are you very afraid of us being photographed?]

[Of course.]

Meng Xingshu spoke softly: “No. Suppress them.”

If she didn’t like it, then suppress it.