Always Chasing My White Moonlight Omega - Chapter 62.1

An extremely faint “snap” went unheard and unnoticed by anyone.

From Xu Zhiyi’s perspective, she could clearly see Ruan Yang lowering her head to meet Qu Shanshan’s gaze. Those usually icy eyes, once filled with a smile, appeared exceptionally affectionate, making the two of them look incredibly well-matched.

The shattered fragments were tightly clenched in her palm, their sharp edges digging painfully into her soft flesh.

Xu Zhiyi couldn’t quite explain it, but her heart felt as if it were weighed down by a heavy stone.

Ruan Yang said something to Qu Shanshan, but Xu Zhiyi couldn’t make out the words. She averted her gaze.

And at the very moment she looked away, Ruan Yang happened to glance up in her direction. As Ruan Yang approached, intending to say something to Xu Zhiyi, she was caught off guard when Xu Zhiyi spoke first.

“I’m a bit tired, so I’ll head back to my dressing room to review my lines for the next scene. I’ll come over when filming starts,” Xu Zhiyi said, rubbing her forehead as she spoke.

Ruan Yang’s words were already at the tip of her tongue, but seeing the unmistakable exhaustion on Xu Zhiyi’s face and recalling her subdued mood on the way back, she swallowed them back.

She nodded. “Mm.”

Only after receiving Ruan Yang’s acknowledgment did Xu Zhiyi step out of the room.

No sooner had she left than the assistant director rushed in, saying there was an issue with his group and urging Ruan Yang to come take a look immediately.

“Is it urgent?” Ruan Yang’s gaze remained fixed on Xu Zhiyi’s retreating figure.

The assistant director, having run all the way, was nearly out of breath. “Very urgent! Two screenwriters are arguing over a scene and are about to come to blows. Director, you’d better come quickly!”

Hearing this, Qu Shanshan hurried over as well. Blinking her eyes, she looked at Ruan Yang and said, “Go ahead, Senior. Don’t worry about me. I only came to deliver that message earlier, and now that I’ve said it, I can head back on my own later.”

In truth, Ruan Yang hadn’t planned on worrying about Qu Shanshan in the first place. But hearing her say that and noticing how late it had gotten, she turned to Cheng Jamu and said, “Could you do me a favor and see her home later?”

When she had entered earlier, she had seen Cheng Jamu and Qu Shanshan chatting and laughing, so she assumed they were acquainted.

Cheng Jamu straightened his back immediately upon hearing Ruan Yang’s request and replied eagerly, “Of course! Don’t worry, Director. I’ll make sure Shanshan gets home safely.”

Without looking back, Ruan Yang followed the assistant director out the door.

Once she was gone, Cheng Jamu immediately approached Qu Shanshan and asked curiously, “You and our director seem pretty close, huh?”

Cheng Jamu also attended Empire University, though his major wasn’t related to acting. Still, he had a strong interest in performance and had met Qu Shanshan through the university’s drama club.

Qu Shanshan wasn’t sure whether to nod or not. After all, she always felt that Ruan Yang’s attitude toward her wasn’t particularly warm.

But upon second thought, Ruan Yang did treat her slightly better than others.

“Yeah,” Qu Shanshan replied, her face slightly flushed as she nodded. “We collaborated on something before. We’re on good terms.”

There was nothing particularly unusual about her words, but Cheng Jamu studied her still-flushed face for a moment and couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

Recalling the moment she first met Ruan Yang, Qu Shanshan’s eyes had sparkled in a way that definitely went beyond a simple professional collaboration.

As if struck by a sudden realization, Cheng Jamu widened his eyes and ventured, “Don’t tell me you have feelings for Director Ruan?”

The air instantly grew still.

Qu Shanshan didn’t answer, but Cheng Jamu could tell from the blush that spread from the tips of her hair to her fingertips in an instant.

It was true.

Qu Shanshan actually had feelings for Ruan Yang?!

To Cheng Jamu, this was almost unbelievable. He had always assumed that a lively, cheerful girl like Qu Shanshan would prefer someone warm and friendly like him. How could she possibly be interested in someone as perpetually cold-faced as Ruan Yang?

Just as he was puzzling over this, Qu Shanshan glanced toward the door, closed it, and then whispered, “Senior Ruan helped me once. I like her, and I want to pursue her.”

She had only recently come to this realization herself.

In truth, she wasn’t entirely sure whether her feelings for Ruan Yang stemmed from that night when Ruan Yang had saved her. But after just one day of wrestling with her thoughts, she decided it didn’t matter. Instead of dwelling on the origin of her feelings, she would focus on how to express them to the person she wanted to reach.

If she didn’t take that step, Ruan Yang would forever remain just her senior, her savior not someone she could hold hands with.

Cheng Jamu’s expression turned complicated. He thought back to the times during filming when Ruan Yang would look up from the screen and fix her gaze on him, and he couldn’t help but shudder. With a tone of concern, he said, “Look at you, how could you.”

“Our director isn’t an easy person to win over,” he sighed, finally voicing the thought after a long pause.

“I know,” Qu Shanshan replied with a smile, covering her cheeks. “It’s okay. I’ve checked your crew will be at the film studio for another month and a half, and I’ll be in the neighboring crew for two months. With that much time, I’m sure I can make her understand my feelings.”

She was confident she could make Ruan Yang like her.

“Since you’ve figured it out, please don’t tell anyone, Senior,” Qu Shanshan added, thinking of her sister. Her sister had repeatedly warned her to stay away from Ruan Yang.

If her sister found out she wanted to pursue Ruan Yang, she would definitely explode.

“I won’t say anything,” Cheng Jamu assured her. Regardless, he admired Qu Shanshan’s courage and nodded. “Don’t worry.”

Then he asked, “So, how do you plan to pursue her? Tell me, and we can brainstorm together.”

“I plan,” Qu Shanshan said, a determined look in her eyes as a certain face came to mind, “to start with Sister Zhiyi.”

Sister Zhiyi would surely know what Ruan Yang liked best.

“Sister Zhiyi?” Cheng Jamu was puzzled. “Why start with Xu Zhiyi?”

He didn’t know about the relationship between Ruan Yang and Xu Zhiyi, and Qu Shanshan naturally wouldn’t reveal it without Ruan Yang’s permission.

So she skipped over the topic, lowered her hands, clenched them into fists at her sides, and gave herself a silent cheer.

Since Sister Zhiyi was Ruan Yang’s older sister, with her help, Qu Shanshan was sure she could win Ruan Yang’s heart even faster.

She was certain she could do it.

After finally wrapping up the night shoot, even though the day had gone smoothly and progress was quick, it was already 11 p.m. by the time they finished.

Ruan Yang turned off the equipment and let out a long sigh, massaging her shoulders wearily.

As she rubbed her shoulders, she glanced toward a corner where Xu Zhiyi was sitting on a rest chair, having her makeup removed on the spot by the makeup artist.

Her eyes were closed, and the makeup artist worked on her face for a long time. Yet, after the makeup was removed, she didn’t seem much different from when she had it on if anything, she looked even more cool and detached.

Ruan Yang couldn’t help but steal a few more glances.

When the makeup was finally removed, Xu Zhiyi opened her eyes and happened to catch Ruan Yang staring off into the distance, lost in thought.

Ruan Yang sensed that Xu Zhiyi was still in a bad mood. She stood up, intending to go over and head back to the hotel with her.

But before she could take more than two steps, her phone buzzed. She glanced at it and saw a message from Ruan Qingyu.

Ruan Qingyu had texted her on WeChat, saying she couldn’t sleep and asking if Ruan Yang was off work yet, wondering if she could come over and keep her company for a while.

So Ruan Yang paused, glancing once more at Xu Zhiyi in the distance. Xu Zhiyi had already turned and was walking off in another direction by herself.

After hesitating for a few seconds, Ruan Yang finally changed direction and headed toward the entrance of the film studio.

“Is she coming?” Xu Zhiyi asked in a low voice, her steps not faltering as she spoke to Jiang Jiang, who was following closely beside her.

To avoid drawing attention, Jiang Jiang lowered her head and pretended to search her pockets, then acted as if she had forgotten something and glanced back toward the spot where Xu Zhiyi had been sitting earlier.

As she turned her gaze back, she casually looked in the opposite direction.

When she turned around again, she wore a slightly troubled expression but didn’t say anything.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?” Xu Zhiyi asked. “Is Ruan Yang coming or not?”

“Zhiyi-jie, Yangyang is already gone,” Jiang Jiang replied, though she had no idea what was going on. Still, she could tell that her boss really wanted Ruan Yang to come over. Her voice dropped even lower. “Yangyang didn’t come this way. It looks like she went toward the entrance of the film studio.”

The entrance of the film studio was in the complete opposite direction of their hotel.

Hearing Jiang Jiang’s words, Xu Zhiyi frowned.

Why didn’t she come over?

Ruan Yang must have noticed her mood, yet she hadn’t followed her. Instead, she had gone somewhere else.

Could she be going to find Qu Shanshan?

Was Qu Shanshan waiting for her somewhere else?

Xu Zhiiyi couldn’t help but recall the scene earlier when the two of them had been whispering to each other.

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