Never Forget - Chapter 23

Ye Zhuyi’s heart sank. She was sure Qin Zhizhen had been looking at her, but for some reason, her reaction was completely indifferent. Ye Zhuyi held her bright smile for a moment longer, but Qin Zhizhen didn’t look back. Only Lian Rong gave her a knowing glance.

It was the kind of look you’d give a little fool. And Ye Zhuyi realized she was smiling like one. She slowly let her smile fade, her shoulders slumping as she let out a long sigh. Qin Xiaomiao is so hard to read, she thought.

Qin Zhizhen glanced at Ye Zhuyi from the corner of her eye. Seeing her disappointment made her feel a strange pang of guilt. Maybe she shouldn’t have looked away. It was funny, really. Why was she avoiding her?

“Teacher Qin, have some water before you touch up your lipstick,” the makeup artist said.

Lian Rong quickly handed over the water cup, which now had a straw in it. Qin Zhizhen snapped back to reality and looked down at the panda cup. She noticed a small gap in the panda’s paws, just the right size for a straw. It looked like the panda was hugging it.

Qin Zhizhen took the cup, put the straw in her mouth, and gazed at the panda perched on the rim. She reached out with her free hand and gently poked the bamboo leaf on the panda’s head.

“Teacher Qin, didn’t you say before that it was too much trouble to pass the cup back and forth during breaks?” Lian Rong asked with a mischievous grin.

Usually, Lian Rong would hold the cup for Qin Zhizhen to drink from. Why was she suddenly treating the cup Ye Yaoyao gave her so specially?

“The cup is cute, the design is thoughtful, and I don’t need to hold the straw in place,” Qin Zhizhen replied in a flat tone. She didn’t see anything wrong with holding the cup herself. She glanced at the giggling Lian Rong with a confused expression and added, “The cups you pick are ugly.”

Lian Rong’s smile vanished.

Qin Zhizhen raised an eyebrow in satisfaction. She traced the side of the cup with her fingertip and unconsciously looked over at Ye Zhuyi.

Ye Zhuyi, refusing to give up, looked up at Qin Zhizhen again. Seeing her holding the panda cup she had gifted, a soft tenderness rippled through Ye Zhuyi’s eyes. She lifted her gaze, her eyes moving up from the cup.

Their eyes met across the bustling crowd, separated by a distance that was neither too close nor too far. Qin Zhizhen tilted her head slightly and gave her a faint smile.

Ye Zhuyi felt her blood rush through her body, almost able to hear the joyful thumping of her own heart.

The smile on her face bloomed again like a peach blossom, her pale skin flushing pink, looking delicate and soft.

Qin Zhizhen looked away and quietly drank half a glass of water.

The camera and lighting crews signaled that their equipment was back in place. The floor manager quickly ushered all unauthorized personnel off the set. Lu Buping used a megaphone to tell the actors to get ready. Finally, the clapper loader held the slate in front of the camera and snapped it shut.

“Scene 1, Shot 1, Take 2!”

Ye Zhuyi sat obediently beside Lu Buping, her eyes fixed on the monitor. She noticed that this time, both Qin Zhizhen and Chen Ming had made subtle adjustments to the second half of their performance.

The two brothers walked side by side. The soldiers surrounding them cleared a path through the bustling crowd on the platform. Chen Ming stood as straight as a spear. Though he wore a casual suit, he carried himself with a pine-like steadiness that outshone the uniformed soldiers.

“Tell me about your life abroad,” Chen Ming asked in a gentle tone. “I heard you won quite a few awards?”

In contrast, Qin Zhizhen’s posture was completely relaxed. He waved a hand dismissively. “Those awards are nothing worth mentioning. Compared to your achievements, brother, they’re just child’s play.”

Chen Ming laughed heartily.

Qin Zhizhen shared two amusing stories from his time abroad, his face alight with excitement. But then he mentioned an accident he had encountered. His raised eyebrows lowered, his eyelids drooped, and the excitement slowly drained from his expression. His gaze turned somber, revealing the lingering fear of a survivor.

Chen Ming patted her shoulder and comforted her. “Don’t be afraid. You’re my little brother now. I’ll protect you.”

He emphasized the words “my little brother” and slowly rubbed the jade ring on his thumb. His gaze was heavy with meaning. “As long as you’re a good boy and listen to me.”

Qin Zhizhen glanced at the ring, her eyes darkening. A playful, rogue-like smile touched her lips. “Brother, listen to yourself. When have I ever disobeyed you?”

Chen Ming chuckled softly, his gaze as deep as a pool as he stared straight ahead.

Qin Zhizhen turned her head, glancing around with curiosity. “Shencheng has changed so much,” she said, casually changing the subject.

She tugged at her collar, and the camera zoomed in for a close-up on the monitor. Qin Zhizhen had beautiful hands, with long, straight fingers. She had always maintained her weight for this role, so her fingers were lean and the bones were sharply defined when she bent them.

Someone gasped and whispered, “Those hands are incredible. They’re to die for.”

They really were to die for, but it wasn’t just the hands. Ye Zhuyi swallowed hard, her eyes glued to the monitor.

It was hot. Beads of sweat rolled down Qin Zhizhen’s long neck, and the sight was indescribably sexy.

Ye Zhuyi wasn’t usually someone who suffered in the heat, but watching this close-up made her feel a sudden surge of restlessness. She fanned herself with her hand. She had remembered that recording on set was difficult and post-production was a hassle, so everyone was trying to minimize noise. That was why she hadn’t used her small electric fan.

So someone just spoke, she thought. And given Lu Buping’s temper…

Sure enough, the next second, Lu Buping called “Cut!” But her first target wasn’t the person who had muttered but Xu Qingfeng. “Control your eyes!” she snapped. “You’re supposed to be observing her expression to catch her slip-up, not staring openly at her movements.”

Though she didn’t say it outright, everyone who had seen the monitor could tell Xu Qingfeng was captivated by Qin Zhizhen’s actions.

Ye Zhuyi had been so focused on Qin Zhizhen that she hadn’t noticed Xu Qingfeng’s reaction. Hearing Lu Buping’s words, she shot him a sharp, displeased glare.

The glare was so fierce that Xu Qingfeng noticed it immediately after bowing his head to apologize. Confused, he scratched the back of his head and began to narcissistically wonder if Ye Zhuyi had a crush on him and was jealous that he had looked at Qin Shen.

Qin Zhizhen glanced at Ye Zhuyi, then followed her fierce gaze to Xu Qingfeng. He was grinning ear to ear, his head tilted at an awkward angle. Qin Zhizhen looked away and expressionlessly straightened her collar.

After addressing Xu Qingfeng, Lu Buping turned to the crew watching the scene. “No matter how good or intense this gets, keep it to yourselves. Have you ever seen a silent bullet chat with sound?”

Though her words were meant as a joke, her tone was dead serious.

The staff wanted to laugh but didn’t dare. They repeatedly promised to watch silently, like chickens, and “send bullet chats” only in their minds.

Lu Buping snorted, feeling her anger slowly subside. She walked over to Qin Zhizhen and asked, “Why did you suddenly add that move?”

“Which move?” Qin Zhizhen glanced at the panda cup Lian Rong was offering and said flatly, “I’m not drinking.”

Lian Rong awkwardly withdrew the cup and took out a tissue to wipe Qin Zhizhen’s sweat. Lu Buping tugged at her own collar, mimicking the gesture.

“Oh, it’s hot. I was nervous,” Qin Zhizhen said concisely.

Lu Buping understood. As a fake Yin Xingmang who had just gone through a round of probing with Yin Zhonghe, using that move to relieve tension was normal. However…

“Xu Qingfeng couldn’t keep up with your acting,” Lu Buping said.

“So?” Qin Zhizhen raised an eyebrow. “He can’t handle a simple gesture? Is he just bad at acting, or is he distracted?”

Xu Qingfeng, who was standing right there, heard every word. The young man’s face flushed with embarrassment.

“Tsk, someone’s losing their temper,” Lu Buping teased. She could tell by Qin Zhizhen’s flat tone that he was annoyed.

“It’s hot,” Qin Zhizhen said, giving Lu Buping a cold glance.

It was partly because of the heat, but he also didn’t know why seeing Ye Zhuyi’s fiery gaze made him feel so restless.

Lu Buping rubbed her temples and waved Xu Qingfeng over. “Come here, let me go over the scene with you again.”

The panda cup was pushed in front of him again. Qin Zhizhen was starting to get annoyed just looking at it. “I said I’m not drinking it.”

But the cup remained.

“Lian. Rong. Bao.” Qin Zhizhen’s voice was cold and sharp, each syllable emphasized. He was clearly at his breaking point.

Hearing her nickname, Lian Rong knew Qin Zhizhen was about to explode. She abandoned her attempts to secretly ship the couple and quickly denied it. “Teacher Qin, it wasn’t me!”

Qin Zhizhen frowned and turned her head, only to meet Ye Zhuyi’s bright and beautiful face, which wore a faint smile. She paused for a moment before asking, “When did you get here?”

“Just now.” Ye Zhuyi pushed the cup a little closer and said softly, “Teacher Qin, are you sure you won’t drink? It’s iced water.”

Qin Zhizhen looked at her silently. Perhaps because of the heat, Ye Zhuyi had pulled her long hair up into a bun. Her hairline was just right, revealing a clean and pretty forehead that was lightly beaded with sweat.

Seeing that Qin Zhizhen showed no intention of taking the cup, Ye Zhuyi pursed her lips and started to pull it back slightly.

Suddenly, Qin Zhizhen lowered her head. She leaned in, took the straw from Ye Zhuyi’s hand, and drank. The cool water flowing down her throat strangely suppressed the oppressive heat.

Her expression remained cool and detached as her thin lips clamped around the straw, flattening the top of it. The affection and love in Ye Zhuyi’s eyes were almost impossible to hide.

She still bites her straws just like she did when she was little.

So cute.

I love her so much.

Qin Zhizhen suddenly looked up, her deep, dark eyes calm and rippleless.

Ye Zhuyi’s breath hitched, and she almost dropped the cup. As if sensing Ye Zhuyi’s hand tremble, Qin Zhizhen reached out to steady it, her fingertips accidentally brushing against the back of Ye Zhuyi’s hand.

Something warm and overwhelming swelled in Ye Zhuyi’s heart, and her pulse skipped a beat. Qin Zhizhen quickly withdrew her hand, but the cool sensation of her fingertips seemed to linger on Ye Zhuyi’s skin.

Lian Rong suppressed the urge to scream and jump around with excitement. She couldn’t help but complain to herself: Teacher Qin is such a hypocrite! She said the cup was cute and insisted on holding it herself. Why aren’t you holding it now?!

“Thank you,” Qin Zhizhen said after taking two sips. She stopped drinking and looked at Ye Zhuyi. “You look hot too. Won’t you have some?”

“?” Ye Zhuyi’s ears turned red. She stared at the straw Qin Zhizhen had just used and stammered, “I… I… can I drink it?”

Can I really drink from the same straw?

“Of course,” Qin Zhizhen said, reaching out to Lian Rong. “Get another str—”

She stopped mid-sentence.

Lian Rong froze as she was about to pull a new straw from her small waist bag.

Ye Zhuyi’s red lips were already wrapped around the straw Qin Zhizhen had used.

Qin Zhizhen stared at Ye Zhuyi’s delicate red lips. “…”

“…” Ye Zhuyi stared at the straw Lian Rong had finally produced.

Ye Zhuyi slowly let go of the straw. Even though she rarely blushed, she couldn’t help it now. A deep flush spread from her cheeks down to her neck.

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