Pharmaceutical Negotiator - Chapter 28

The phone kept vibrating; it was Lu Youran sending messages.

The day Qi An confirmed her feelings for Sister Si Tan, she immediately informed Lu Youran.

Lu Youran was even more impulsive than Qi An, excitedly clamoring to come to Beijing to find her. The two planned to go to Tiananmen Square first, then stroll all the way down. They had the itinerary all planned out when Lu Youran suddenly received a mission to go to Yunnan for a business trip.

Xīn Maozhi, a type of Ranunculaceae plant that grows in damp areas and can be used in medicine, only grows in August. It had been rainy in Yunnan those few days, and a lot of Xīn Maozhi were emerging; if they missed this opportunity, they wouldn’t be easy to find again.

Lu Youran’s father stated that to ensure Lu Youran possessed the courage of an excellent successor, she must personally lead the trip to Yunnan to negotiate the batch of medicinal materials.

Lu Youran: … 6

So, the Beijing trip with Qi An had to be postponed.

Currently, she was holding her phone, her rain-booted feet stuck in the mud, covered in a raincoat, taking pictures of a cluster of dark, blurry plants.

Ignoring whether the lighting was bright or the image quality was clear, she sent all the photos to Qi An in a heap, boastfully showing off the Xin Maozhi she had found.

The signal was poor in the mountains, and the signal was also poor in the theater. The photos Lu Youran sent came intermittently one photo would arrive, Qi An would reply with an emoji, they’d chat for a bit, and then another one would suddenly pop up below.

“Did you use the strategy I told you about on Sister Si Tan?” Lu Youran’s question was stuck in the middle of the stream of photos.

Qi An raised her head, just in time to see Zhang Si Tan coming out with Xiao Bao and the others. Even from a distance, she could see the smile on Zhang Si Tan’s face as she looked down, her eyes curved, a slight richness lingering there.

The day before coming to Beijing, Qi Shenli told Qi An that Zhang Si Tan was the kind of person who always smiled, regardless of her mood. She advised Qi An to learn from her but also to guard against her behind her back.

But the more Qi An interacted with Zhang Si Tan, the more she felt Qi Shenli was wrong. Zhang Si Tan’s habitual smile wasn’t to please others or to hide her emotions; it was simply out of laziness.

Too lazy to deal with things, so she chose the safest expression.

Zhang Si Tan would frown when Qi An pressed close to her while sleeping at night; she would show a conflicted expression on her face when she stayed up late watching a drama with Qi An and then overslept the next day; and she would also be eager for gossip, her eyes sparkling as she eagerly questioned Qi An.

Sister Si Tan was not a cold-blooded person who only smiled.

Qi An severely criticized Qi Shenli’s arbitrary judgment.

She quickly replied to Lu Youran: “I have to work now, let’s not chat anymore.”

The network was too slow. By the time Lu Youran replied with a look of disdain, “You run away as soon as I mention Sister Si Tan,” Qi An had already turned off her phone and was taking two or three steps down the steps, rushing towards the front of the stage.

Under the stage, Zhang Si Tan was patiently explaining the script to Xiao Bao, and Zhao Xinrong was fanning Xiao Bao with a small fan nearby.

Earlier in the backstage area, the makeup artist had applied makeup to Xiao Bao. The delicate powder was patted onto his chubby little face. Perhaps because he was a shade lighter, he looked a bit puffy, his eyes narrowed into slits, set between his nose bridge.

The short-sleeved shirt Chen Yongmei put on Xiao Bao was truly a foresight. The shirt was tailored to make him look refreshed and neat. His hair had also been meticulously styled by the hairstylist; instead of its usual soft flop on top of his head, it was now naturally voluminous.

“So handsome, my son.” Chen Yongmei was full of pleasant surprise, taking photos of Xiao Bao from various angles with her phone.

The actress playing Xiao Bao’s mother positioned Xiao Bao at the designated spot, waiting for the director to confirm the shot.

Chen Yongmei and Zhao Xinrong stood by, looking at their son with relief.

Suddenly, Zhao Xinrong’s sharp eyes spotted the tyrannosaurus rex Xiao Bao had brought from the hospital still clutched in his hand. He blamed himself and pointed it out to Chen Yongmei.

Chen Yongmei was also a little flustered: “Oh, I was so busy taking pictures just now, I didn’t look at his hand. Will it affect the shot? Will the director want another take?”

As she mumbled, she cast a pleading look at Zhang Si Tan.

“Don’t worry,” Zhang Si Tan gave her a comforting smile, “The director noticed it a long time ago and deliberately didn’t take it away. It’s a wonderful shot.”

A wonderful shot? Chen Yongmei’s anxiety gradually eased. The image of the tyrannosaurus rex did indeed match Xiao Bao, with its equally disproportionate upper and lower limbs.

Xiao Bao was very well-behaved. He remembered exactly where the director told him to look and when to raise his head.

The tyrannosaurus rex lay quietly by his hand, accompanying him as he watched the performance on stage.

The actors returned to the stage and repeated the previous set of movements.

Earlier during their chat, the team learned that Xiao Bao was a genuine patient and that this was his first time at the theater. Although no one said it out loud, they all reached a consensus they would perform this set of movements with even greater seriousness.

The dancers fully extended their bodies, swinging their arms in broad, sweeping movements and lines. Their bodies were flexible yet strong, pulling back the thrown-out arms just in time. The movements flowed smoothly, their eyes holding a power that drew out a long, fine thread, extending towards the audience below the stage.

This was Xiao Bao’s first time watching a dance drama, and it was also Chen Yongmei and Zhao Xinrong’s first time. At first, the couple still kept an eye on Xiao Bao, taking pictures of him with their phones.

Soon, their souls were also captivated by the ‘soul snaring’ actors on stage, drawn away by that fine thread. They looked up at the magnificent scene on the stage, a kaleidoscope of light and color, with the sounds of various instruments blending together in their ears like a holy rain, densely moisturizing their senses.

The shot was enough, but the director didn’t call ‘cut.’ He patiently watched the footage on the monitor, allowing the dancers on stage to complete the entire set of movements. He then instructed another cameraman to change the direction of the camera, focusing it on Xiao Bao’s parents.

Various lights flashed in Xiao Bao’s eyes, and the dancers’ skirts swaying back and forth with their movements were dazzling. His hands unconsciously clutched the tyrannosaurus rex in his lap. The camera zoomed in, giving a close-up shot of the tyrannosaurus rex.

The music swelled to an emotional climax, and the dancers leaped into the air with this surge, executing a split. Skirts flew up and then quickly fell, and the people gracefully landed back on the ground.

Curtain call.

Xiao Bao was still immersed in the scene before him, the curtain slowly closing over the bowing figures of the actors. He gently tilted his head, the look of shock still on his face.

“Fantastic! Very natural!” The director stood up first, his voice coming through the walkie-talkie in his hand.

Chen Yongmei and Zhao Xinrong didn’t know if it was over and didn’t dare to step forward to push Xiao Bao. Zhang Si Tan went to push Xiao Bao closer.

“Thank you, Director, thank you, Director,” Chen Yongmei thanked the director.

Xiao Bao was also very excited, a hearty smile similar to Zhao Xinrong’s hanging on his face. His small eyes sparkled with light as he looked up at the standing adults in front of him.

“Take Xiao Bao to touch up his makeup. Have the makeup artist do your makeup too, we have an interview.” The director instructed nearby.

Zhang Si Tan had already mentioned to Chen Yongmei that there was an interview to be filmed. Now that the director formally brought it up, Chen Yongmei felt a little nervous again. Zhao Xinrong stood beside her, also feeling uneasy, but he tried hard to look composed.

The public dressing room was crowded. The actors who had just performed on stage were all gathered there, changing out of their costumes and removing the complicated headpieces.

Every mirror was occupied, some even having two people crowding a single vanity. The lights in the dressing room were very bright, and various makeup brushes and eyeshadow palettes were spread out on the table, a dazzling array.

The makeup artist took Xiao Bao and his parents to Qi Baihong’s rest room. The paper with her name was still stuck on the door, and one of the two makeup artists used a key to open the door.

Chen Yongmei and Zhao Xinrong had only worn makeup for their wedding photos and on their wedding day; normally, they went barefaced. Makeup artists loved such ‘fresh faces,’ as they were easy to work with, and the ‘models’ weren’t as demanding, telling them to stick to their usual habits.

“Please sit on the sofa; there are no other chairs.” One of the makeup artists unrolled her makeup bag and placed it on the armrest of the sofa, starting to trim Chen Yongmei’s eyebrows first.

Neither of them had many skin imperfections, so the makeup artist simply applied a layer of ‘airbrushing’ to their faces to make them look more radiant.

“Should we change clothes?” Chen Yongmei asked.

The makeup artist heard this and looked at their attire simple T-shirts, one with a ponytail and the other with a buzz cut.

“You can change…” The makeup artist hesitated.

“There are clothes in the costume room; we can go and take a look in a moment,” the other makeup artist also said.

On Zhang Si Tan’s side, the director continued to check the footage, and the makeup artist squatted down to touch up the makeup of Xiao Bao, who was sitting in the wheelchair.

“Xiao Bao, you helped your jiejie a lot today. You performed especially well just now.”

Zhao Canbao’s chin was gently held up by the makeup artist’s index finger as the powder puff lightly patted his face.

He didn’t dare to move, only able to look sideways at Zhang Si Tan with his eyes.

Zhang Si Tan was also squatting, still holding the small fan that Zhao Xinrong had left behind. The switch at the base was turned on, and the three fan blades spun rapidly, blowing the air onto Xiao Bao.

Xiao Bao didn’t know how he had helped, but he was very happy: “Thank you, Sister Si Tan.”

He was still clutching his tyrannosaurus rex, his nose slightly sweaty. The makeup artist wiped it away with tissue paper and then pressed on another layer of powder.

Chen Yongmei and Zhao Xinrong came out from backstage one after the other. Having changed clothes and put on makeup, they looked more vibrant.

“Mommy!” Xiao Bao called out when he saw Chen Yongmei.

Although Zhang Si Tan was with him, being in an unfamiliar environment made the child feel a little less secure.

Chen Yongmei smiled shyly and walked over to hold Xiao Bao’s hand.

“You look beautiful,” Zhang Si Tan praised sincerely.

Chen Yongmei had changed into a purple long dress, the V-neck paired with a shimmering silver necklace, her hair down, making her look much younger. Zhao Xinrong wore a simple white shirt, the top two buttons unbuttoned, making his thick neck appear less prominent.

“Let’s take a photo of your family of three.”

“Use the camera, use the camera,” the photographer said, aiming the camera at them.

Zhao Xinrong and Chen Yongmei stood shoulder to shoulder behind Xiao Bao’s wheelchair, smiling at the camera. Xiao Bao also raised the tyrannosaurus rex in his hand, revealing his bright front teeth.

Qi An stood beside Zhang Si Tan, feeling an emotion called “happiness.” She turned her face to look at Zhang Si Tan.

After a busy day, Zhang Si Tan’s makeup had faded a lot, more wisps of hair fell around her ears, and the lipstick on her lips was almost gone, leaving only her natural lip color.

This simple and natural Sister Si Tan was so captivating.

“What are you looking at?” Zhang Si Tan also turned her head, her gaze meeting Qi An’s.

“I feel… so happy,” Qi An murmured.

Zhang Si Tan smiled again. She rarely heard the word “happiness” and felt it was a word so miraculous and magical that it brought the urge to cry when murmured.

“Today, we owe a lot to your suggestion.”

“The idea was excellent, very commendable.”

Zhang Si Tan used two “very,” her tone still habitually gentle. Every word was softly spoken, extending across the green fields.

Qi An watched Zhang Si Tan’s lips move, a ridiculous thought crossing her mind: what if she just kissed her?

In this happy atmosphere, the two looked at each other, surrounded by noise. The loving family of three was still following the photographer’s instructions for the photos. The tyrannosaurus rex in Xiao Bao’s arms was tilted and held upright, its head also facing the camera.

In such a tear-jerking scene, what if she kissed her?

Sister Si Tan would kill her, right? Qi An, with the last shred of her sanity, slammed on the brakes and turned her head away.