Chapter 7

Yin Miaojing, facing the two of them, hadn’t noticed the tension between Sheng Qingli and Pei Qingci. In fact, when Pei Qingci had called Sheng Qingli over, she had been a bit disoriented.

She had thought that the two were already separated and had never expected… that they were still together. Moreover, they were as affectionate as before, which made her feel envious and as if she wanted to destroy their happiness.

When Pei Qingci said there was nothing Sheng Qingli couldn’t know, Yin Miaojing’s expression stiffened slightly, and she forced a smile, “So, Qingli is having dinner with Mr. Pei here.”

Sheng Qingli looked up, meeting her gaze with a faint smile.

Not speaking, Sheng Qingli tacitly acknowledged Yin Miaojing’s words.

Yin Miaojing observed the intimate scene of Pei Qingci holding Sheng Qingli protectively and felt her eyes grow sore. Her lips slightly parted, “Since that’s the case, I won’t disturb you any further.”

She didn’t want to watch any longer.

With these words, they both nodded in mutual understanding.

Yin Miaojing waited for a moment but didn’t hear Pei Qingci speak again. She lowered her eyes, suppressing the bitterness in her chest, and awkwardly prepared to leave.

Just as she took a few steps forward, she heard Sheng Qingli call out to her, “Ms. Yin.”

Yin Miaojing paused, turning her head to look at her, “Does Qingli have something to say to me?”

Sheng Qingli nodded, speaking sincerely, “I hope you can keep our matter confidential.”

Yin Miaojing was stunned, about to say that was only natural.

Before she could speak, Sheng Qingli, with a feigned gesture of adjusting her hair, smiled and said, “I have a weak tolerance for pressure lately, and I can’t handle online attacks.”

Hearing this, Yin Miaojing’s face turned pale. A scene from the past flashed in her mind.

Only back then, it was her who had said those words.

Seeing Sheng Qingli’s calm and smiling demeanor, Yin Miaojing momentarily wondered if she was deliberately using those words to provoke her.

“Ms. Yin.” Seeing that Yin Miaojing remained silent, Pei Qingci raised his eyebrows and called out to her.

Yin Miaojing shifted her gaze, her eyes flickering slightly, “What?”

Pei Qingci smiled faintly and said, “Please take care of what Qingli just mentioned.”

“…” Yin Miaojing’s breath caught slightly. She hadn’t expected him to call her specifically just to repeat the request for confidentiality.

Struggling to force a smile, she said softly, “Alright… I will. Don’t worry.”

With that, Yin Miaojing didn’t want to stay any longer and hurriedly walked past them.

Watching Yin Miaojing’s retreating figure, Sheng Qingli accidentally looked up and met Pei Qingci’s gaze as he looked down at her.

To avoid him noticing anything, Sheng Qingli didn’t hesitate to push him away and stepped back a couple of paces, increasing the distance between them.

Pei Qingci, though prepared for her to act coldly, hadn’t expected her push to be so strong. He staggered back a few steps before stabilizing himself, “Sheng Qingli!”

He called her through gritted teeth.

Sheng Qingli looked innocent and said with feigned sweetness, “Sorry, Mr. Pei, I didn’t mean it. I just didn’t expect your balance to be so poor.”

Pei Qingci: “…”

He closed his eyes, pretending not to notice the fleeting slyness in her eyes, and said heavily, “Miss Sheng’s strength seems to have increased.”

“That’s true,” Sheng Qingli replied nonchalantly, “I’ve been doing a lot of fight scenes in recent years and learned some martial arts. Would you like to try it, Mr. Pei?”

Pei Qingci choked, “No need.”

Sheng Qingli murmured, “That’s a bit of a pity.”

Pei Qingci ignored this remark and remained silent for a few seconds, “You—”

“What?” Sheng Qingli, not wanting him to ask about Yin Miaojing, quickly changed the subject, “Mr. Pei, what are you doing here?”

This was not the entrance to the dining room where they had been eating.

Pei Qingci paused slightly, lowered her gaze, and said, “I’m going to the restroom.”

Sheng Qingli replied with a simple “Oh” and said, “I’ll head back first.”

After saying that, she didn’t wait for Pei Qingci to respond and quickly walked ahead.

Pei Qingci stood in place, watching her hurried, slender figure, and narrowed her eyes slightly.

–

Back in the private room, Li Yuwei turned to look at her with a direct gaze.

Sheng Qingli avoided her eyes by drinking water, and her phone began vibrating again.

Li Yuwei: “Why did it take you so long in the restroom?”

Before Sheng Qingli could reply, Li Yuwei started a new round of messages: “As soon as you went out, Pei Qingci left too. Are you two secretly up to something behind my back?”

Li Yuwei: “Did he block you in the restroom and kiss you?”

Sheng Qingli glanced at her phone, feeling absurd, and replied, “Can’t you have something healthy in your brain?”

Sheng Qingli: “I got lost.”

Li Yuwei: “Keep making excuses.”

Sheng Qingli: “[Smile]”

Li Yuwei wanted to ask more, but Pei Qingci returned.

Noticing Sheng Qingli quickly putting down her phone, Li Yuwei chuckled.

Sheng Qingli shot her a warning glance, then looked towards the man sitting diagonally across, “Mr. Ying.”

Ying Zheng responded, “Ms. Sheng.”

He recalled his previous suggestion about having a meal together, “Regarding the endorsement of the sports brand, your team should have informed you. What do you think, Ms. Sheng?”

Sheng Qingli responded lightly, “No other issues, but I heard that Mr. Ying’s side needs to shoot a few sets of couple-themed promotional photos this year?”

“Yes,” Ying Zheng explained, “This year we have a main push for couple items, so we might need male and female endorsers to shoot a few sets of promotional photos. Does Ms. Sheng mind this?”

Sheng Qingli wasn’t particularly concerned; it was just a few photos.

She was curious, “Who is the male endorser chosen by Mr. Ying?”

Ying Zheng shrugged, “Not decided yet.”

He told Sheng Qingli, “The previous male celebrity’s endorsement has expired, and we’re still looking for a suitable candidate.” He paused, “Does Ms. Sheng have any recommendations?”

Sheng Qingli initially thought to say no, but something came to mind, “Yes.”

Ying Zheng glanced sideways, “Who?”

“Xu Xingyue,” Sheng Qingli asked, “I’m not sure if Mr. Ying remembers him.”

Ying Zheng: “……”

Noticing the man beside him giving him a deadly look, Ying Zheng stiffly nodded, “I remember. Does Ms. Sheng think he’s suitable?”

Sheng Qingli answered, rationally analyzing, “He’s quite fond of sports, and his physique and appearance are also quite good.”

Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng’s smile faltered slightly, “Alright, I’ll note down Ms. Sheng’s recommendation and look into it later.”

Sheng Qingli: “I just mentioned it offhand. Use him if you think he’s suitable.”

Ying Zheng: “Naturally.”

After discussing the main business, Sheng Qingli checked the time and mentioned she had other matters to attend to and would leave first.

Ying Zheng: “Let’s go together.”

The four stood up and left. At the entrance to the courtyard, Ying Zheng cleared his throat and asked, “How did you all come here?”

Sheng Qingli: “We drove.”

Ying Zheng had no choice, “Alright, then be safe on your way back.”

Sheng Qingli and Li Yuwei nodded, thanked Ying Zheng, and then turned to leave.

Watching them walk away, Ying Zheng turned to look at the person beside him who had a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes and nervously touched his nose, “…I didn’t expect Sheng Qingli to have a recommendation.”

Pei Qingci calmly looked at him, “Oh?”

Ying Zheng hesitated, “You shouldn’t repay kindness with ingratitude.”

He reminded, “After all, I did manage to get you a dinner opportunity.”

Pei Qingci ignored him and walked towards the parking area.

“Hey,” Ying Zheng followed, unable to resist his curiosity, “What’s going on between you and Sheng Qingli? Be honest with me, do you still have feelings for her?”

Pei Qingci still ignored him.

Ying Zheng, helpless, pulled out his trump card, “If you don’t tell me, I might just choose Xu Xingyue as the male endorser.”

Pei Qingci abruptly stopped, glanced at him under the dim streetlight, “Try choosing him.”

His tone was indifferent, sounding the same as usual.

But Ying Zheng, who had known him since childhood, knew he was being warned. If he really chose Xu Xingyue as the endorser and shot promotional photos with Sheng Qingli, he would be in for trouble.

“…”

Thinking about it, Ying Zheng scoffed, “You only dare to threaten me. Why don’t you threaten your rumored ex-girlfriend?”

He bluntly criticized, “Not to mention, if you like her, just go after her. I don’t understand why you’re being so awkward.”

Hearing this, Pei Qingci raised his eyelids, “Shut up.”

Ying Zheng sneered, “Don’t blame me for not warning you. I saw Xu Xingyue being very attentive to Sheng Qingli at an event recently. He obviously has an interest in her.”

“She doesn’t like Xu Xingyue.”

Ying Zheng was surprised, “How do you know?”

Pei Qingci didn’t want to say more, just slightly lifted his chin, “I’m leaving. I have business to attend to.”

Ying Zheng raised his eyebrows, “What business? Aren’t you on a break?”

“Work,” Pei Qingci said.

Ying Zheng knew he didn’t want to elaborate and sighed, “Fine, I won’t push it. I’ve warned you; if you don’t seize the opportunity, don’t blame me.”

–

While Ying Zheng and Pei Qingci were talking, the content of Sheng Qingli’s conversation was also, unsurprisingly, about Pei Qingci.

Once in the car, Li Yuwei could no longer contain her curiosity and turned to stare directly at Sheng Qingli, “Aren’t you going to tell me something?”

Sheng Qingli played dumb, “Tell you what?”

Li Yuwei asked bluntly, “Didn’t you and Pei Qingci do anything improper when you went out?”

“……”

Sheng Qingli was speechless. “What kind of trouble could the two of us cause?”

“You know very well,” Li Yuwei huffed. “After you came out and went back to the private room, your mood was clearly off.”

Others might not notice, but Li Yuwei, who had known her for years and knew her inside out, would definitely not miss it.

Hearing this, Sheng Qingli was momentarily stunned, then murmured, “I ran into Yin Miaojing when I went to the restroom.”

Li Yuwei: “Ah?”

Her eyes widened, and she quickly asked, “Did she bully you again?”

“Not exactly,” Sheng Qingli said, finding her anxious expression amusing. “I’m not the Sheng Qingli from five years ago. What can she do to bully me now?”

With her current status, fan base, and awards, she was far beyond the reach of Yin Miaojing’s schemes. She was no longer the Sheng Qingli who could be easily manipulated.

Li Yuwei snorted, “Who knows? Her schemes are too deep; you’re not the type to outwit her.”

Sheng Qingli laughed, “It’s not that exaggerated.”

Li Yuwei, impatient, asked, “Tell me what you two talked about when you met?”

“We didn’t say much at first,” Sheng Qingli paused for a moment, then briefly recounted the part she and Pei Qingci had played in front of Yin Miaojing after coming out of the restroom.

Upon hearing this, Li Yuwei laughed loudly in the car. “Yin Miaojing must have been infuriated by you guys, right?”

Sheng Qingli curled her lips. “… Her smile was indeed a bit forced when she left.”

Li Yuwei coldly smiled. “She brought it upon herself.”

Compared to the traps Yin Miaojing had set for Sheng Qingli in the past, the little show Sheng Qingli and Pei Qingci put on in front of her was already quite mild.

Thinking about past events, Li Yuwei became angry. “Does she still like Pei Qingci?”

Sheng Qingli: “I don’t know.”

Li Yuwei clicked her tongue. “She’s quite persistent in that regard.”

Sheng Qingli didn’t comment on that.

Li Yuwei cursed Yin Miaojing a few times and then asked, “What are you thinking about?”

“I’m thinking that we’re a bit like the wicked female villains in novels,” Sheng Qingli said. “We’ve bullied someone and now we’re sitting in the car discussing how we did it.”

Li Yuwei was at a loss for words and said, “We’re not wicked female villains; we’re just repaying evil with evil.” She thought for a moment and added, “Even if we were wicked female villains, we’d be the most beautiful ones.”

Sheng Qingli laughed at her words and tilted her head. “You’re right.”

Li Yuwei proudly lifted her chin. “Of course.”

After a moment of silence, Li Yuwei remembered an important detail she had missed. “How did Pei Qingci know… that you and Yin Miaojing were at odds? Did you tell him?”

Sheng Qingli shook her head.

Li Yuwei was surprised. “Then how did he know exactly how to handle it?”

“He’s so smart,” Sheng Qingli said. “He must have guessed it long ago.”

Li Yuwei thought about it and agreed with that reasoning.

She looked at Sheng Qingli, who was deep in thought, and asked quietly, “Did you have any particular feelings when you two were provoking Yin Miaojing?”

Sheng Qingli recalled and looked at her. “Yes.”

Li Yuwei’s eyes brightened. “What was it?”

“Pei Qingci’s acting has indeed improved a lot,” Sheng Qingli mumbled, almost fooled by his performance herself.

Li Yuwei: “……”

She was speechless and said, “Isn’t there a possibility that he wasn’t acting?”

“What?” Sheng Qingli blinked, incredulous. “You mean, his performance was so convincing that it was indistinguishable from reality?”

If that were the case, she would need to bring her A-game to her new movie; she couldn’t afford to lose.

Hearing this, Li Yuwei slowly shook her head and sighed, “… You can think that way if you want.”

She didn’t want to continue discussing the matter with someone playing dumb. “Where are we going now?”

“Take me home,” Sheng Qingli quickly followed up on the topic. “I have a meeting with the screenwriter at eight to discuss the script.”

Li Yuwei: “Then I’ll stay at your place tonight.”

Sheng Qingli: “Alright. Let’s watch a movie together after I finish.”

---

Back at home, Sheng Qingli first changed into some comfortable home clothes before sending a message to the screenwriter, letting her know that she was ready to start.

A few minutes later, the screenwriter replied: “Okay, please wait a moment.”

Sheng Qingli: “No hurry.”

Screenwriter: “By the way, has Pei Qingci spoken to you about the script?”

Seeing this message, Sheng Qingli suspected her eyes were playing tricks on her.

She rubbed her eyes and, slightly puzzled, asked, “Which Pei Qingci?”

Screenwriter: “Pei Qingci. Didn’t he talk to you about the script?”

Sheng Qingli paused, then realized she had forgotten to ask whether the male lead had been replaced.

After thinking for a moment, she couldn’t help but ask, “Why would Pei Qingci be discussing the script with me? Is he cast as the male lead in our film?”

Screenwriter: “Not as the male lead.”

Sheng Qingli frowned and was about to ask who he was playing instead when the screenwriter sent another message: “He’s playing the role of the master character that you have a secret crush on in the movie.”