She Said She Has Feelings For Someone - Chapter 51

Chapter 51: Ambiguity — Emotional Sustenance

Early in the morning, Min Wutong personally arrived at the door to deliver the script.

Xia Leshuang, sporting a pair of dark circles under her eyes, accepted it. “Thank you, President Min. I’ll make sure to finish reading this within the next two days and get back to you.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she retreated to her room. Immediately after, another bedroom door creaked open.

It was Lu Shuyu.

Wearing a matching pair of dark circles, she let out a yawn. “You’re here?”

Min Wutong was puzzled. “Did you seriously pull an all-nighter just to wear Teacher Xia down until she agreed?”

“What are you thinking?” Lu Shuyu said helplessly. “With my sleep schedule, do you think I could out-last Teacher Xia?”

Min Wutong nodded. “Fair point.”

To avoid disturbing Xia Leshuang’s work, the two went downstairs to grab breakfast outside the neighborhood.

“I’m genuinely curious—how did you convince Teacher Xia?”

Lu Shuyu had only mentioned it around 9:00 PM the previous night, yet Min Wutong had received a message from Xia Leshuang at 2:00 AM saying she wanted to see the script.

“Do you know how shocked I was when I opened my eyes at 7:00 AM and saw Teacher Xia’s message?”

Scooping a spoonful of wonton soup, Lu Shuyu teased, “President Min is truly disciplined and efficient—message at seven, at the door by eight.”

She blew on the soup to cool it down and took a sip, sighing inwardly: Wontons always taste best at the shop.

Just as she was about to take a second sip, her wrist was caught. She looked up to see Min Wutong’s eyes practically spitting fire.

She laughed weakly. “I know, I know! I’ll tell you!”

“Don’t you dare leave out a single detail,” Min Wutong emphasized.

After following her boss’s wishes and recounting the events of the previous night, Lu Shuyu summarized: “The core focus can be boiled down to two words—”

“Ambition.”

Humans are intelligent creatures born with ambition. Whether large or small, once awakened, it triggers a very special explosion of energy. Furthermore, Xia Leshuang was naturally the type of person who possessed immense internal energy.

“Her desire to win is very strong. Back then, she was isolated and helpless, with no choice. Now that her ambition is reignited, she’s full of drive.”

As she finished, the expression on Min Wutong’s face shifted several times before she finally began to clap meaningfully. “Shuyu, how about this—”

“I’ll find a screenwriter to write a dual-female lead drama for the two of you, okay?”

…

Lu Shuyu pulled back her wonton and shot her a glare. “Are you losing your mind?”

“It’s just… I find it very interesting.” Min Wutong propped her chin on her hand, her gaze tender and distant, as if looking through Lu Shuyu at something else. “Human emotions and fate can actually remain entangled for such a long time.”

Lu Shuyu realized something. “Still haven’t made up with her yet?”

“Tsk,” Min Wutong snapped in embarrassment, “Watch your mouth!”

After finishing breakfast and before saying goodbye, Min Wutong added, “But I think your ‘ambition’ theory is excellent.”

“Women still live too repressively. From birth to death, so much power is tamed and imprisoned. They just endure and endure until life is over.” She nodded, then smiled. “Why don’t you write a book, Director Lu?”

Lu Shuyu laughed and shook her head. “No need for that. Written output requires constant refinement and logic; I don’t think I have the ability. Since I make variety shows, I’ll just show female power directly. Perhaps that’s more intuitive.”

Min Wutong arched an eyebrow and sighed with a smile. “Ms. Lu Shuyu, you are your own pillar of strength.”

“Thank you for the recognition, Ms. Min Wutong,” Lu Shuyu said happily. “I’m honored!”

…

The scripts handed to Xia Leshuang had been carefully screened by Min Wutong and Song Qingqiong. A choice was made quickly, and after the screen test, she was confirmed for the cast.

The night before her departure, Xia Leshuang personally cooked dinner.

Lu Shuyu also went out of her way to get a recipe from Chun Lan. She swapped the tea for alcohol and mixed two glasses of “Green Apple & Iced Orange” sparkling cocktails.

“Here, Teacher Xia,” she raised her glass. “Thank you for your hard work!”

“I wish you a smooth shoot!”

“Thank you, Director Lu.”

Xia Leshuang tapped her glass against Shuyu’s. The cocktail glasses clinked, and the green-and-orange gradient liquid shimmered beautifully.

Just as they took a few bites, both of their phones vibrated simultaneously. It was the guest group chat.

Before cooking, Xia Leshuang had asked a question about things to bring and precautions for being on set. After all, she hadn’t been in a production for ten years and felt a bit uncertain.

Lu Shuyu laughed. “Everyone is so enthusiastic.”

The other guests were actors by trade, so they had all been joining sets recently; Xia Leshuang was the last one. Before Silence of Gold, He Wenyin and Zhong Wen had been back for six months playing minor roles, and Tang Jiahe was currently in a modern drama. They had the most experience and shared it freely.

He Wenyin even sent a document over. It listed everything from mosquito repellent and prickly heat powder to portable stools and pillows.

Jiang Fei: Sister Wenyin [Thumbs up], saved! I’ll use this next time! Luo Han: I wish I had asked for this earlier. The weather has been so hot lately, prickly heat powder is a must. Xia Leshuang: Noted everything, thank you! [Hug]

Lu Shuyu replied as well: Teacher He is amazing. Saved for my next long-distance business trip!

Zhong Wen: Wait! At this time… are Director Lu and Shuang-shuang sitting across from each other sending messages?!

…

The two protagonists stared at each other, suddenly feeling a strange, “caught-red-handed” sense of guilt.

Xia Leshuang arched an eyebrow, looking a bit defiant. Her hands moved faster than her brain as she snapped a photo of the food on the table and sent it to the group: We’re eating!

Lu Shuyu’s eyelid twitched.

The cozy cream-white table, tempting home-cooked food, two sets of cutlery, and two beautiful fruit cocktails. The photo was actually well-taken—the composition was perfect, showing everything on the table without showing anyone’s hands.

But with or without hands, there wasn’t much of a difference.

Her phone screen went dark, reflecting her slightly helpless face. Ignoring her burning ears, Lu Shuyu looked across. “Teacher Xia, why are you being so childish?”

The messages in the group chat were non-stop; the phone was vibrating so much her hand felt numb.

The side of Xia Leshuang’s ear was flushed red. She stammered, “I… I don’t know either…”

…

Lu Shuyu found it both funny and annoying.

If looked at with a normal mindset, this was a very ordinary thing—jealousy and possessiveness are common among friends. But there were too many unspoken yet faintly flowing feelings between them, making this ordinary moment feel odd, awkward, and ambiguous.

“Alright, hurry up and eat,” she said. “Pack up after you’re done.”

The group chat was already flooded with “eating popcorn” and “jealous” emojis. Lu Shuyu ignored them.

— The drinks were modified from Chun Lan’s recipe. Next time you guys come over, I’ll make them for you~

With that simple closing sentence, they finished dinner. Lu Shuyu went to wash the dishes, and as usual, Xia Leshuang went to shower first.

By the time she came out of the bathroom, Xia Leshuang had already sealed her suitcase.

“Don’t forget your pillow,” Lu Shuyu reminded her while drying her hair.

“Okay,” Xia Leshuang nodded. “I’ll grab it right before I leave.”

She wasn’t like she used to be; her fame was such that Lu Shuyu couldn’t even go to the airport to see her off.

“Alright, then. Goodnight.”

Just as she was about to enter her bedroom, she heard Xia Leshuang ask, “Are you not going to blow-dry your hair again?”

“Oh,” Lu Shuyu turned back. “I’ll do it in a bit.”

She didn’t like cutting her hair and only did it once a year before summer. As it got longer, she hated drying it even more; it took too long and was a hassle.

The person standing nearby smiled and said softly, “Liar again.”

Those two simple words made Lu Shuyu’s heart itch.

As Xia Leshuang walked toward her, her heart rate accelerated. A drop of water from her hair hit her bare foot, making her shiver.

“Come here,” her wrist was circled by a warm hand. “I’ll help you.”

“T-Teacher Xia,” Lu Shuyu stammered, “There’s really no need…”

The person in front of her tilted her head slightly, looking innocent and puzzled. “But there’s a scene in my script where I have to blow-dry someone’s hair.”

“Is Director Lu unwilling to help me practice?”

…

A scene involving blow-drying hair?

Lu Shuyu was confused. Wasn’t it a no-romance crime drama? Then she realized—”fanservice” (queerbaiting/selling chemistry), a common industry practice.

She took a deep breath. “Fine, let’s go.”

Her hair was long, so Xia Leshuang brought over a high stool from the bar. “Director Lu, please sit.”

Lu Shuyu laughed and sat down as instructed, watching her untangle the cord and plug it in before walking behind her.

A strange warmth suddenly hit her neck as her damp, long hair was lifted by a gentle force. The hairdryer started whirring, and semi-warm air circulated around her. The dry stray hairs at her temples began to swirl.

Lu Shuyu lowered her eyes, enduring the ticklish sensation. For a while, the only sound in the bathroom was the machine.

After a long time, she pretended to look up casually and saw Xia Leshuang’s focused expression in the mirror. She saw the other woman’s fingers running through her hair and, belatedly, felt the gentle friction of fingertips against her scalp.

She didn’t know how long she stared before those focused, tender eyes in the mirror turned and met hers.

“What is it?”

The hairdryer stopped.

Caught staring, Lu Shuyu reacted quickly with a light laugh. “I feel like Teacher Xia is quite skilled at this.”

Xia Leshuang chuckled and shrugged. “Well, I’m not too lazy to dry my own hair.”

…

Lu Shuyu choked on her words, the tender atmosphere instantly broken. She shot a glare over her shoulder.

She flashed a fake smile. “Then may I ask, does Teacher Xia find this ‘model’ easy to work with?”

“Of course,” Xia Leshuang suppressed a laugh. “Director Lu has such great hair quality~”

“Stop right there,” Lu Shuyu didn’t want to hear salon small talk. “Teacher Xia, please continue.”

Xia Leshuang’s hair-drying skills were indeed good. Her touch was gentle, and she moved from top to bottom without tangling anything. It was clear she was diligent and had her own routine.

So, Lu Shuyu couldn’t help but think: Does she really need me to help her practice this?

The hairdryer stopped again as Xia Leshuang moved to the other side. The cord wasn’t long enough, so she had to replug it.

“Teacher Xia,” she asked curiously, “What’s the context in the script for blow-drying hair?”

Xia Leshuang pulled the plug. “The protagonist’s female partner breaks her hand and is hospitalized. The protagonist helps her wash and dry her hair.”

“So it is a dual-female lead story?” Lu Shuyu realized.

“What?” Xia Leshuang asked. “You don’t like it?”

As she spoke, she was plugging in the cord and didn’t look over.

Lu Shuyu blinked, staring at Xia Leshuang’s profile. “No, I like it. I even like shipping couples (CPs).”

As the words left her mouth, their gazes met and then darted away. Xia Leshuang stood behind her again, and Shuyu heard a gentle laugh from above.

“Okay. Then I’ll film more of those scenes for Director Lu to ship.”

…

Lu Shuyu felt a bit flustered and annoyed.

“Zhong Wen said that shipping couples is a form of emotional sustenance.”

“I would be very happy to become Director Lu’s emotional sustenance.”

The hairdryer whirred again. This time, the temperature seemed a bit high; Lu Shuyu’s ears were bright red.

After tossing and turning in bed for an hour, she finally couldn’t help but send the same message to Min Wutong and Zheng Yu.

— Is there a training class that specifically teaches how to talk back during the ‘ambiguity phase’? I need to sign up! Urgent!

Min Wutong: … Zheng Yu: Get lost, you hacked account bot! [Knife emoji]