After Reuniting with My Aloof Movie Queen Childhood Friend - Chapter 30

Rushing through the location scouting, they finally managed to wrap up before nightfall. Ji Youyi returned the tricycle, and the group headed back to the county seat to have dinner first.

The dinner gathering tonight was with local officials.

During their morning meeting, Ji Youyi had already sensed that the local authorities placed immense importance on their production crew, to an almost bizarre extent.

The entertainment industry might look glamorous on the surface, but the actual social status of celebrities isn’t that high. Normally, when a crew comes to shoot a drama, the local leaders wouldn’t pay them any mind at all.

When the Bureau of Culture and Tourism received them, Ji Youyi simply assumed it was because Meng Xingshu had a powerful background.

However, she never expected that for a simple dinner, not only would all the key local officials show up, but several high-ranking officials had even traveled specifically from the provincial department and the city to attend.

It wasn’t until they were seated at the table that Ji Youyi’s doubts were finally resolved.

She only just found out that a certain percentage of the broadcasting revenue from this drama would be donated to the mountainous regions…

Little Ji fell silent.

Finding a brief window, she secretly asked Meng Xingshu, “Teacher Meng, the problem is, our drama might not make much profit. Won’t it be awkward if we calculate it after the broadcast and find we can’t donate any money?”

This was the first time Ji Youyi had filmed such a non-commercial project, and her expectations were highly pessimistic.

Meng Xingshu added some Coca-Cola to Ji Youyi’s nearly empty glass and said softly, “Don’t worry. There is a guaranteed minimum.”

“How much?”

“One hundred million yuan. Followed by ten million yuan annually thereafter, all dedicated to a special fund for girls in the mountainous areas. The first year will focus on solving living and medical issues, and after that, it will mainly be used for education.”

One! Hundred! Million!

Ji Youyi almost fainted.

The budget for their entire drama was only ten million yuan!

So the grand movie queen was truly a philanthropist! A massive philanthropist!

Reflecting on everything that had happened in the past, she couldn’t help but ask, “Do you have enough money to spend?”

Meng Xingshu nodded. “For now, yes. I didn’t have many opportunities to spend it in the early years, so I saved up quite a bit.”

Ji Youyi didn’t believe her.

With the way Meng Xingshu spent money like water, how could she possibly save anything?

Mixed emotions swirled within Ji Youyi, leaving her only able to say solemnly to Meng Xingshu, “Teacher Meng, don’t worry. I will definitely work hard to cut the budget and minimize your losses!”

Meng Xingshu gazed at her, the smile in her eyes deepening. “Actually, there’s no need.”

No need my foot, do you just enjoy losing money?!

The producer was spending money recklessly, mingling in romance and doing charity. The day the money ran out, she’d know how to cry. Without Director Ji holding things together, this household would fall apart sooner or later!

Furious, Ji Youyi scooped a spoonful of egg custard into her mouth as she watched Meng Xingshu stand up again to socialize.

Ji Youyi hated participating in formal dinners. No matter the status of the social occasion, one could never actually enjoy the food, while the alcohol had to flow endlessly.

But tonight, she hadn’t drunk a drop of alcohol.

Almost all the alcohol tonight had been handled by Meng Xingshu, with Han Lei helping out a bit. For some reason, Li Zhulan, who had gone into a state of self-isolation again, stayed downstairs to eat a children’s meal. Although Ji Youyi was at the main table, she spent the whole night drinking cola and stuffing her face with rice.

In fact, when they first entered, a local leader had very politely poured alcohol for Ji Youyi.

Just as she was about to reach for it, Meng Xingshu stepped in ahead of her, took the glass, and explained with a smile, “She has been taking medicine recently, and the doctor strictly forbade her from drinking.”

She then drained the glass in one gulp, completely saving the decorum of the situation.

After that, no one bothered Ji Youyi again.

Ji Youyi had been dragged to drinking tables since she was five years old.

There are always people in this world who find great laughter and joy in getting an oblivious child so drunk that their face flushes bright red and they stumble around.

In all her years growing up and attending countless social functions, this was the very first time someone had blocked drinks for her.

Watching Meng Xingshu hold her glass, chatting and sipping elegantly with the crowd, Ji Youyi couldn’t describe what she was feeling inside.

Her chest vibrated slightly. She frantically stuffed food into her mouth, trying to use continuous swallowing to alleviate this unfamiliar, strange sensation.

Fortunately, this trick actually worked.

In Ji Youyi’s philosophy of life, if “staying alive” was a matter of paramount importance, then “eating” was the number one thing under heaven.

As she kept swallowing, she actually managed to suppress that strange emotion.

Ji Youyi decided to feast ravenously, determined to eat back as much value as possible on behalf of the hard-working, philanthropic movie queen.

There was a plate of beef fillet on the table that was cooked incredibly tender, soft, fragrant, filled with wok hei, and swallowing it felt a bit like eating jelly.

Ji Youyi quietly kept her eyes on it. Every single time the lazy Susan spun it in front of her, she would nonchalantly pick up a piece with her chopsticks.

After another agonizing round of waiting, Ji Youyi extended her chopsticks for a precise catch, only to receive a warning.

Meng Xingshu was holding her wine glass in her right hand, a polite, faint smile on her face as she chatted casually with an official from the provincial department. Both were standing, and the atmosphere was highly harmonious.

Yet somehow, she actually noticed Ji Youyi’s movement. At just the right moment, she slightly lifted her left hand and tapped her index finger against the tabletop right next to Ji Youyi’s bowl.

Ji Youyi looked up at Meng Xingshu, struggling a bit. “I’ve already picked it up, it’s a waste not to eat it.”

Meng Xingshu lowered her head with a gentle smile. “Then give it to me.”

That smile was intensely captivating. In a momentary haze, Ji Youyi’s brain short-circuited, and she actually dropped the meat directly into Meng Xingshu’s bowl.

A wave of good natured laughter rippled across the table.

“Oh, look how wonderful their relationship is.”

“It really has to be the young people.”

These words sounded a bit strange. Why did it feel like they were describing a married couple?

Ji Youyi returned a smile and, under the collective kind gazes of the group, picked up her glass and pretended to be busy drinking her cola.

She must have misinterpreted it.

This was a group of older civil servants, their mindsets probably wouldn’t be that open-minded.

In Ji Youyi’s original world, same-sex relationships couldn’t even pass censorship in the mainland. Years earlier, it had even been treated as a mental illness.

Even though it was decriminalized and destigmatized later on, the prejudices of the older generation remained deeply rooted, particularly within the circles of government officials.

This world was so similar to that one, so it should be the same here, right? Uh… wait, should she look it up?

The moment this thought popped up, Ji Youyi wanted to slap herself.

Had she lost her mind? Why on earth would she look that up?

Meng Xingshu already had a partner! They had topped the trending searches eight hundred times, everyone knew it. How could anyone possibly think in that direction?

…Right.

How could she think in that direction?

Looking at the glass in her hand, Ji Youyi recalled the scenes of Meng Xingshu blocking drinks for her and pouring cola for her.

Her throat felt inexplicably dry. She felt an urge to chug the rest of her drink in one go, but she was afraid that once she finished, Meng Xingshu would come over to pour her more.

In the end, she merely put the glass down, straightened her posture in her seat like a standard, well-behaved member of society, and listened with a smile to the people at the table discussing the donation project.

After dinner, the three of them left the table, picked up Li Zhulan, who had set up a separate table downstairs because she was a picky eater and afraid of strangers and drove to the hotel.

Li Zhulan was in the driver’s seat, and Han Lei sat in the passenger seat.

Sitting in the back row, Ji Youyi looked at the person to her left and suddenly realized that this person had driven through the night yesterday, stayed busy all day today, and had barely rested.

It was completely normal for colleagues to care about each other.

Ji Youyi spoke up and asked, “Are you feeling alright physically?”

“Hmm?” Meng Xingshu turned to look at her and replied simply, “I’m fine.”

The alcohol didn’t flush Meng Xingshu’s face, it remained cold, fair, and beautiful. Her gaze was clear, and her aura was as noble and detached as ever.

Aside from the faint scent of alcohol that hadn’t fully dissipated, there wasn’t a single trace on her body indicating she had been drinking.

Ji Youyi gave an “oh,” feeling like she was poking her nose into someone else’s business.

Remembering that Meng Xingshu hadn’t eaten anything during dinner besides that single piece of meat she had given her, Ji Youyi asked again, “Do you want to get some late-night snacks in a bit?”

But this sentence seemed to remind Meng Xingshu of something. She looked at Ji Youyi, her gentle gaze turning slightly stern. “You cannot eat any more tonight. Beef is hard to digest, if you eat too much, you’ll feel uncomfortable again.”

“?” She hadn’t said she wanted to eat! She meant ordering it for Meng Xingshu, okay?!

Granted, in the past, every single time she ordered late-night snacks, it was indeed for herself, but still…!

Ji Youyi deflated.

Fine, she really was sticking her nose where it didn’t belong. The lady felt perfectly comfortable physically and didn’t need her concern at all.

…And even if she did want concern, it wasn’t Ji Youyi’s concern she wanted.

How annoying.

Resting her face on her hand, Ji Youyi stared out the window and let out a yawn, wanting to close her eyes and rest her mind.

After closing them for a few seconds, she found that her brain simply couldn’t quiet down. She had no choice but to open them again and continue staring at the passing streetscape outside.

The car pulled up to the hotel entrance, and the group got out.

Han Lei walked ahead with her arm hooked around Li Zhulan’s neck. The two were chatting about something, and as they talked, they started playfully bickering and swatting at each other.

Han Lei chased after Li Zhulan, looking like she wanted to share some juicy gossip. “You missed out big time by not coming. If only you could have seen…”

Li Zhulan tightly covered her ears and screamed, “I’m not listening, I’m not listening! Tell me after the wrap-up!”

After a round of fierce physical resistance, Han Lei opted to give up. “Fine, then I won’t say it.”

Then it flipped, and Li Zhulan chased after her. “Record a voice note first, then play it for me after the wrap-up! I want to hear it, just not right now. Don’t forget by then!”

“Wow, you sure dream big!”

“Waaah, good Lei-lei, please, I beg you.”

“What do you take me for? Go away!”

Walking beside Meng Xingshu, Ji Youyi maintained a distance that was neither too close nor too far, thoroughly enjoying the spectacle.

The two kindergarten children kept fooling around all the way to the front desk without settling down.

Once they finished checking in, they moved aside to let Ji Youyi take her turn, continuing to mutter and giggle on the side.

Ji Youyi pulled out her ID card. It wasn’t until she saw the image pop up on the screen after a successful transaction that she suddenly realized something.

“You two are staying in the same room?” Ji Youyi turned her head to ask Han Lei.

The two bickering girls temporarily called a truce, and Han Lei replied, “Yeah!”

“There are four of us, and the rooms booked are… two double bed rooms?”

“Yeah!”

That meant there were two people left, and exactly one double bed room.

Ji Youyi froze solid.

Previously during location scouting, the number of people was an odd number, so they had always booked multiple twin-bed rooms plus one single king-bed room.

The grand movie queen possessed overwhelming status in the crew, so the king bed room was indisputably meant for her. Ji Youyi and Li Zhulan shared a room, while Han Lei shared with another minor producer.

But now, the head count had become an even number. The most cost effective approach was definitely to select all twin bed rooms, so Han Lei hadn’t done anything wrong either.

However. But, but, but…

Han Lei looked at Ji Youyi’s expression, and only then did a realization hit her.

Oh shoot. She had accidentally packed the little wifey couple into one room.

Teacher Meng and Director Ji had already been living apart for a whole month, oh my god!

Teacher Meng also drank a lot tonight, oh my god!

She couldn’t even begin to imagine how exhausted Director Ji was going to be tonight!

No wonder Director Ji had that face… Even though she really felt for Director Ji, why was she getting more and more excited the more she thought about it??

No, she couldn’t think about it anymore. If she kept thinking, she wouldn’t be able to suppress the corners of her mouth.

“Um, Director Ji, Teacher Li and I are both pretty exhausted. We plan to sleep until tomorrow afternoon before getting up. You guys… feel free to take your time!” In times like this, considerately taking time off was the greatest display of sincerity!

Leaving behind her heavy hint, Han Lei grabbed Li Zhulan and bolted like the wind.

Ji Youyi watched those two vanish like a gust of air, noting from the corner of her eye that Meng Xingshu was stepping closer to her.

To be precise, she wasn’t stepping toward her.

Ji Youyi was still standing right in front of the automated check-in screen. Meng Xingshu came to a stop directly behind her, reaching past her to press her finger on the screen, adding her information as the second occupant for the booked room.

Perhaps due to the alcohol, Meng Xingshu’s body was radiating a subtle warmth.

For the first time, Ji Youyi discovered that her back could be this sensitive.

The warm temperature behind her became vividly tangible. It felt as though she could see it hovering, lingering, and dispersing against her back, acting as if it wanted to wrap her tightly, causing her heart rate to spike abruptly.

Digging her thumb hard into the knuckle of her index finger, she forced her expression into a proper, serious mask. She pulled out her phone, preparing to send a message. “Teacher Meng, please wait a moment. I’m so sorry, Lei-lei was being thoughtless. I’ll have her open a separate single room for you right away.”

“But…” The drawn-out tone caught Ji Youyi’s attention. She halted her hands and turned her head to look at Meng Xingshu.

That countenance, which was usually consistently cold and indifferent, unexpectedly displayed a trace of what looked like innocence.

Meng Xingshu knit her brows slightly, appearing somewhat puzzled. “Didn’t you say we need to cut down on the budget?”