Spring Night of Misty Rain - Chapter 14

When it came time to officially shoot the look-test photos, Tang Qingyue returned the glasses to Qin Zhiyue. Meanwhile, the crew’s property manager was sent to a nearby mall to purchase a similar pair of frames.

Standing together, the mature urban professional Shen Qingchen and the defiant little Jiao dragon created a striking contrast, crackling with tension. Under the lens of Wang Po—who possessed a masterful command over light and shadow—the images felt richly layered with untold stories.

The shoot lasted for a full five hours. Everyone remained immersed in their work, savoring their character roles, and not a single person showed signs of fatigue.

Once the work concluded, Tang Qingyue had to head to Feicheng for a new scheduled appearance. Before leaving, she said to the group with great delight, “I’m really looking forward to the official start of filming for Ye Lan. I hope this will be an interesting journey.”

Everyone was heartened by her words, seeing her off to her car with smiles and well-wishes for her early return to the set.

With the star gone, only the production’s logistics and support staff remained. As the night grew late, Xu Luosu, in her capacity as the boss, naturally wanted to show her appreciation for the hardworking crew.

After seeing Tang Qingyue off, she addressed the crowd. “Thank you for your hard work, everyone! I’ve ordered some seafood and barbecue, and it’s being delivered right now.”

“If you’re hungry, please have some late-night snacks before heading back to the hotel to rest.”

Although she had rented Shen Zeyu’s house, she only allowed those familiar to Shen Zeyu to stay there. The rest of the staff, including Tang Qingyue and Xu Luosu herself, stayed at a nearby hotel they had booked; they did not reside at the Shen residence.

Hearing that there was food, the crowd cheered in unison. “Yes!”

Before long, hotel staff drove to the house, rolling in food carts and setting up folding tables and chairs in the courtyard. They lined up long tables and began a lively party.

The consecutive days of work had left everyone exhausted. Once they relaxed, the atmosphere became jubilant.

Fortunately, the area surrounding Shen Zeyu’s house was filled with “Day Coffee, Night Bar” establishments; otherwise, such a boisterous gathering would surely have drawn the police to the door.

Even so, it was a bit much for Shen Zeyu to handle.

Sitting in a corner, she watched as Qin Zhiyue, clearly emboldened by the alcohol, went around clinking glasses with everyone. It made Shen Zeyu feel a wave of apprehension.

At the rate Qin Zhiyue was drinking, when would this party ever end?

As if reading her mind, Xu Luosu sat down beside her and said softly, “Don’t worry, Senior Sister. I’ll make sure everyone is sent back to the hotel by 12:30.”

Shen Zeyu turned to look at her, finding Xu Luosu holding a glass of white wine and gazing up at the moon, her eyes sparkling. “The moonlight is beautiful tonight.”

She had already changed out of her costume and removed her makeup. Her skin was as fair and delicate as a peeled egg, clean and translucent. Now, she wore a white-and-green qipao that traced the curves of her slender figure with an alluring elegance.

Yet, her straight black hair softened that allure, adding a touch of the sacred to her presence.

In particular, the pair of water-drop ear chains still clipped to her ears looked clean and pure, lending her an almost merciful air.

Shen Zeyu observed her closely for a long while before blurting out, “Junior Sister Xu, have we met somewhere before?”

Xu Luosu turned her head, looking a bit startled. “Eh?”

Realizing she had asked a pointless question, Shen Zeyu turned away and muttered, “Nothing. Just act as if I didn’t say anything.”

Ah, I must be losing it to ask something like that, she thought.

But while she wanted to gloss over it, once words are spoken, they cannot be unsaid. At the very least, it was a question worth pondering for Xu Luosu.

In a rare move, Xu Luosu set aside her usual headstrong nature and stepped into Shen Zeyu’s shoes, thinking from her perspective.

Suddenly, a look of realization dawned on her, and she looked at Shen Zeyu. “Are you feeling uneasy, Senior Sister?”

Shen Zeyu: “…”

Shen Zeyu’s train of thought stalled. She found herself wishing Xu Luosu would return to her usual state of being “socially oblivious.”

But Xu Luosu seemed to have had an epiphany. After a moment of contemplation, she said, “I was thinking… the reason you asked that question is because you feel like if we hadn’t met before, I wouldn’t be doing all of these things now.”

Shen Zeyu remained silent.

Xu Luosu continued on her own. “Actually, we’ve never met before. If there’s any connection between us, it’s that I’ve watched every single one of your films.”

Shen Zeyu’s head snapped toward her, looking at Xu Luosu in shock.

Xu Luosu looked down at her. In the gentle night breeze, her dark eyes were deep and tender. “By that logic, I should be considered your fan. There is no shortage of geniuses in this world, and there are so many top-tier directors. With my resources, I could collaborate with anyone.”

“But I am a very willful person.”

“All of those people are very, very good—but they aren’t Shen Zeyu.”

Shen Zeyu lowered her gaze, her amber eyes shimmering like water. “I might not be able to… live up to your expectations.”

How could a broken, mad person still capture the romantic and beautiful remnants of literature?

Xu Luosu turned her body toward her. Under the hazy moonlight, Shen Zeyu sat with her head bowed, her black curls fanning out like a soft, fluffy black sheep. Xu Luosu’s hands felt an itch; she set down her wine glass and finally couldn’t resist reaching out to stroke Shen Zeyu’s dark hair. “It doesn’t matter… you don’t need to live up to anyone’s expectations.”

“Just let things happen naturally. Stay in the present, and you will surely go further and further.”

Shen Zeyu looked up, meeting Xu Luosu’s gaze. In the misty shadows of the moon, she saw the swaying of the girl’s ear chains. “When the day comes that you suddenly want to write stories again, you will surely be able to pick up your pen.”

“Until then, please entrust your creations to me.”

“Even though I am very inexperienced, I will do my best to make everyone happy during the process of completing it.”

They were beautiful words. Anyone who wasn’t made of stone would have been moved.

But Shen Zeyu was thirty years old this year, many years older than the girl before her. When she was at the height of her fame, she had heard countless words like these.

Shen Zeyu looked at her from the side, noting the girl’s flushed cheeks under the moonlight. Her brows knitted slightly.

She reached up and brushed Xu Luosu’s hand away from her hair, leaning in close to ask, “Have you… had too much to drink?”

The moment she leaned in, Xu Luosu caught the pleasant scent of fresh grass lingering on the woman. Looking into those nearby amber eyes, her cheeks instantly turned a deep crimson. Her ears, already red from the pressure of the clips, grew even hotter.

Shen Zeyu understood immediately. She had indeed had too much to drink.

If she weren’t drunk, she wouldn’t be spouting such boastful, nonsensical talk.