She Said She Has Feelings For Someone - Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Beautiful — No One Will Ever Be Alone Again

Hearing this, Lu Shuyu chuckled, assuming Zhong Wen was just being polite. She shook her head. “No need, you all enjoy your gathering.”

“Producer Lu!” To her surprise, Jiang Fei suddenly called out to her with a solemn expression. “Come with us! My treat! Consider it an apology for my rashness during the recording!”

Lu Shuyu: “…”

“I was a bit annoyed at the time, but it wasn’t that serious…”

“Oh, come on, join us~” Seeing her hesitation, Jiang Fei stepped forward and playfully grabbed her sleeve, looking up at her with puppy-dog eyes. “Please? Pretty please—?”

“Pfft…”

Someone let out a laugh. Lu Shuyu felt a rare headache coming on and could only look at the others, who were stifling their laughter. She asked, “If I join, will I be intruding?”

Before she could finish, Zhong Wen had already grabbed Xia Leshuang’s arm. “Not at all, Producer Lu. It’s just a late-night snack, right Leshuang?”

Her sudden call for backup made everyone’s gaze instinctively fall on Xia Leshuang; Lu Shuyu’s did the same.

Xia Leshuang’s eyes widened slightly, then she smiled. “That’s right, Producer Lu. Why don’t you join us?”

Since none of the guests had any objections, Lu Shuyu nodded and accepted the invitation. Conveniently, there were some things she wanted to say regarding the public discourse from that afternoon.

The seven of them were dressed casually—barefaced, hair tied up simply to reveal clean features. Walking arm-in-arm, chatting and laughing, they looked no different from any other group of pedestrians.

Consequently, despite their outstanding auras and looks, passersby only spared them a few extra glances; no one recognized who they were.

They chose a nearby barbecue stall and took turns ordering. They sat at a table outside, where the friendly middle-aged owner helped them push tables together. “Girls, wait just a moment, it’ll be ready soon.”

“Alright,” Luo Han took the last small stool. “Thank you, Auntie.”

The weather had been lovely lately, and the spring night breeze was becoming increasingly gentle. Mixed with the “smoke and fire” atmosphere of the street, it instilled a sense of peace in everyone present.

“This feels so good,” Zhong Wen took a deep breath. “Tense all day, finally I can relax a bit.”

Lu Shuyu smiled. “Today’s shoot was indeed physically demanding. Thank you all for your hard work.”

The sodas arrived. Luo Han grabbed a bottle opener and deftly popped one open, handing it to Zhong Wen. “You, you just don’t exercise enough normally. Even Jiang Fei is stronger than you.”

“Sister Han!” Jiang Fei complained. “Why are you praising her while stepping on me!”

Luo Han quickly corrected herself: “My mistake. In terms of physical strength, you are indeed much stronger.”

Zhong Wen sighed, and even the soda in her hand felt a bit less sweet. “Am I just a part of your ‘play’ now?”

The shop had a full variety of sodas. Lu Shuyu ordered a green apple flavor. While she was waiting for the opener, Xia Leshuang reached out from beside her. “Let me.”

Lu Shuyu instinctively handed over the bottle. Before she could ask how she planned to open it, she saw Xia Leshuang take it and press the rim against her own orange soda bottle. With a “pop,” both bottles were uncapped.

“Whoa—” Tang Jiahe marveled. “Nice, Leshuang! You have this skill too?”

As the green apple soda was placed in front of Lu Shuyu, Xia Leshuang couldn’t help but chuckle. “It’s very simple. I used to open beer bottles like this often; I’ve just gotten practiced at it.”

“Do you drink often?” Lu Shuyu asked out of the blue.

Xia Leshuang froze, her eyes blinking uncontrollably a few times before she said, “No, just occasionally…”

“Pfft—” “Aaah! Zhong Wen!!”

Zhong Wen sprayed a mouthful of soda all over Jiang Fei. The latter was angry enough to want to hit her but was helpless against Zhong Wen, whose face was turning red from coughing.

“Cough, cough… sorry, sorry… cough…” Zhong Wen apologized with difficulty. Tang Jiahe patted her back vigorously while He Wenyin went into the shop to ask for a cup of warm water.

“Choking on soda? Only you could manage that,” Luo Han said helplessly.

Choking is uncomfortable enough, let alone choking on carbonation. Jiang Fei wiped the soda off herself; seeing Zhong Wen’s state, she stopped being annoyed. “Are you okay?”

After some warm water, Zhong Wen finally recovered. She wiped away a tear from the ordeal and shook her head. “I’m fine, I’m fine.”

“I’ll buy you a new outfit later, sorry Fei Fei.”

Having been forgiven, Zhong Wen looked at Xia Leshuang with a bit of resentment. Seeing only worry and confusion in the latter’s eyes, Zhong Wen gave up. “It’s my own fault.”

The others at the table didn’t know what she was talking about. Lu Shuyu looked back and forth between her and Xia Leshuang with confusion, but finding no answers, she let it go.

“Girls,” the owner called out, bringing a dish over. “The hot vegetable platter is here.”

Everyone stood up to help. Luo Han asked, “Is the meat ready too?”

The owner replied, “Half of it. Things like chicken wings and drumsticks will take a bit longer.”

“I’ll go grab the ones that are ready then.” Luo Han stood up and followed the owner inside.

Since Jiang Fei had used up nearly half a pack of tissues, He Wenyin went to the convenience store next door to buy a new pack. Just as the food was all served, they officially began to eat, taking large bites without any regard for their “image.”

Lu Shuyu felt a bit amused, but also a sense of pity.

Because of the theme of The Gold of Silence, the program selected guests through open auditions, picking these six actresses—all with different backgrounds, personalities, and achievements—from nearly a hundred applicants.

The criteria for selection weren’t just their past brilliant achievements, but also the fact that they had all experienced rich, novel-like ups and downs.

Stories mean topics; to put it more bluntly, they are gimmicks to attract “heat.”

Therefore, the public discourse that afternoon was something both the production team and the guests had anticipated—and perhaps even secretly expected.

Except—

Her gaze swept over everyone before her, finally landing on Xia Leshuang.

No matter how much they had experienced, or how firm and strong they appeared on the outside, they were still human, with soft hearts.

“What is it?” Xia Leshuang noticed her gaze instantly. “Is it not good?”

Being caught so quickly rendered Lu Shuyu speechless for a moment. Then she smiled. “It seems Teacher Xia also thinks it’s not good? You’re paying so much attention to me.”

As soon as she spoke, everyone at the table looked over. Zhong Wen even dropped her skewer.

“Oh no!” She didn’t care about anything else and picked up the skewer, looking at the last piece of pork belly with great regret. “What a waste.”

Lu Shuyu laughed. “Then eat more later.”

Having said that, she fixed the mood she had disrupted. “I was just joking.”

“I went to the editing room this afternoon and saw some rough cuts. It’s very good. In the lens, you all look vibrant and full of life.”

“So, seeing you all eating so happily now, I feel a bit moved.”

“Cough…” He Wenyin almost choked.

Tang Jiahe realized what she meant and couldn’t help but laugh. “Producer Lu, you don’t actually see us as baby birds, do you?”

“The seniority is all messed up now,” He Wenyin added.

Lu Shuyu protested, “Is this a matter of seniority and age? You are my guests, so being my baby birds is correct~”

“Oh my god,” Jiang Fei shivered. “I didn’t expect Producer Lu to be like this.”

At this, she put down her food and her expression turned solemn. “I’m sorry, Producer Lu! Regarding this afternoon, I was too rash! It won’t happen again!”

It was sudden, but very sincere.

Lu Shuyu couldn’t help but smile and nodded seriously in response. “Mama bird has accepted the apology. Baby bird, please be at peace.”

The table erupted in laughter. Luo Han raised her glass. “Then let’s toast to our Mama bird~”

“To Mama bird!”

After drinking their soda, Luo Han finally spoke. “Producer Lu, is it because of the discourse this afternoon?”

Lu Shuyu was startled. Observing their expressions, she asked with surprise, “You all know?”

“Our internet speed is pretty fast,” Zhong Wen said.

Hearing this, Lu Shuyu let out a sigh of realization. They understood that she was indeed worried about the public opinion.

Luo Han spoke first: “Producer Lu, actually, you can rest assured. Since we came here, we were prepared to face the storms.”

“That’s right, Producer Lu,” He Wenyin added. “During the ‘labeling’ segment, we already made our choice. We are adults; we can take responsibility for ourselves.”

The others agreed one after another. Xia Leshuang, who had been silent, also spoke up: “Yes, don’t worry. We are all prepared.”

The lighting around the barbecue stall was bright, and the owner had provided camping lights at the table. Thus, Lu Shuyu could clearly see the expressions of those around her.

Steady, unyielding, and even eager to try.

This was the first time since their reunion that she saw positive growth and change in Xia Leshuang.

As the night breeze blew, Lu Shuyu looked away, and the sting in her eyes dissipated with the wind.

“I know,” she smiled gently. “But I wanted to tell you.”

“The production team will face it with you. We will be your shield and your armor.”

“We are a team, a single entity.”

“No one will ever be alone again.”

She slowed her pace, her usually crisp voice now tinged with the warmth of the street-side atmosphere. The slight chill of the spring night was instantly driven away by her words.

“Producer Lu…” Jiang Fei murmured.

“Thank you, Producer Lu,” Luo Han said, her voice slightly trembling and husky. “I believe you.”

Trusting someone is a difficult thing.

And being trusted by someone, while a burden, is also an honor.

Lu Shuyu curled her lips into a smile, looking confident and unhurried, as if nothing could defeat her.

She raised the soda in her hand. The warmth of her palm melted the condensation on the glass bottle, and water droplets fell—falling into their eyes as well.

“Don’t be afraid, don’t be nervous,” her eyes sparkled with confidence. “We are in this together.”

At that moment, an overwhelming sense of security washed over them. All hidden worries, sensitivities, and anxieties vanished. Their feet felt the solid ground beneath them—stable and firm.

“Heavens…” He Wenyin murmured, laughing as she wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. “I’m crying too easily today…”

“Haha…” Tang Jiahe patted her while laughing. “It’s because our Mama bird gives us too much security!”

Being outdoors with more and more people arriving for late-night snacks, they couldn’t express their feelings too directly. They could only raise their glasses to clink against Lu Shuyu’s. “With Producer Lu!”

Xia Leshuang was a beat behind. She was the last to clink her glass, saying softly, “Thank you, Producer Lu. A toast to you.”

Lu Shuyu couldn’t help but turn to look at her, inadvertently crashing into two pools of shimmering spring water.

She smiled and remarked from the bottom of her heart, “Teacher Xia, these eyes of yours… they really are beautiful.”