Chapter 16

Upon hearing Sheng Qingli’s words, Pei Qingci’s expression turned serious.

Sheng Qingli wasn’t afraid of him at all. She glanced around the room and spoke leisurely, “Xu Ge and I are just colleagues.”

But it was her and him who had once been in a real relationship as a couple. If there were to be any rumors, it would only be about them.

“Is that so?” Pei Qingci pretended not to catch the underlying meaning of her words and focused on the fact that she and Xu were just colleagues. His tone was cold, “You may think that, but others might not.”

Pei Qingci put heavy emphasis on the word “others.”

Sheng Qingli was speechless. This guy was so petty that he wouldn’t even mention the other person’s name.

After not seeing him for so long, he had really become more and more small-minded.

After silently complaining for a few seconds, Sheng Qingli shot him a glance, not wanting to talk about this topic anymore. “The restroom is just ahead. I won’t go.”

Pei Qingci paused but didn’t make things difficult for her. “Thanks.”

Sheng Qingli ignored him and turned to leave.

By the time Pei Qingci came out of the restroom and returned to the training area, Sheng Qingli and Xu Xingyue had already split up to train separately.

Their martial arts instructors were from the same team, and the two were exchanging and learning from each other.

Sheng Qingli had done more action scenes in recent years, so her ability to absorb techniques was stronger than Xu Xingyue’s. Her sword-holding posture was also more natural and steady.

In contrast, Xu Xingyue beside her appeared stiff and unpracticed in various aspects.

Pei Qingci stood watching for a moment before walking toward Xu Xingyue.

When Xu Xingyue saw him approaching, his brows twitched, and he suddenly had a bad feeling. “Teacher Pei.”

“You don’t need to call me ‘teacher,’” Pei Qingci said flatly. “I’m not used to being called that.”

When Xu Xingyue heard the word “also,” he paused and hesitated for a few seconds before asking, “Then, should I call you Brother Pei?”

Pei Qingci was a few years older than them.

Pei Qingci nodded slightly, bent down to pick up the sword that Xu Xingyue had just dropped on the ground, and handed it to him. “As a swordsman, as long as your wrist is fine, your sword should never fall or be carelessly discarded.”

Xu Xingyue froze for a moment and realized that Pei Qingci had come over to teach him, not to cause trouble.

It seemed he had misjudged him.

“Thank you.” Taking the practice wooden sword from Pei Qingci’s hand, Xu Xingyue looked up, “Brother Pei seems to know a lot about swords?”

Pei Qingci’s expression remained calm. “Not really, I’ve just familiarized myself with your characters a bit.”

Xu Xingyue: “…”

Pei Qingci lowered his eyes and casually tapped his wooden sword, lifting his chin slightly as he said, “If you want to handle this sword well, there is no other way but to practice repeatedly.”

He was stricter than the martial arts instructor, telling Xu Xingyue not to rush into using the sword yet. He insisted that Xu Xingyue first master the most basic stances—parallel stance, horse stance, cross stance, and other foundational footwork—before picking up the sword.

Seeing Pei Qingci’s serious expression, Xu Xingyue didn’t dare question him.

Pei Qingci was not only a few years older than him but also far more experienced and skilled in acting. Before meeting him, Xu Xingyue had already seen plenty of rumors about Pei Qingci online.

Over the years in the industry, Xu Xingyue had heard many directors and crew members praise him in other productions.

Pei Qingci, like Sheng Qingli, was a serious and dedicated actor. No matter how big or small the role, they always gave their all to it.

For this reason, even though Xu Xingyue might want to compete with Pei Qingci in other areas, when it came to acting, as long as Pei Qingci was willing to guide him, he was willing to listen and learn.

“Alright.” Xu Xingyue didn’t hesitate much. “I’ll focus on footwork today.”

Pei Qingci nodded slightly and said in a calm voice, “When your footwork is solid enough, the martial arts instructor will teach you wrist movements.”

Xu Xingyue responded affirmatively.

After giving Xu Xingyue some personalized guidance, Pei Qingci walked over to Sheng Qingli.

Sheng Qingli had thought he might give her some feedback too, but to her surprise, it seemed Pei Qingci had simply changed his vantage point to watch her practice.

“…”

If it were a stranger staring at her so intently, Sheng Qingli might have ignored it.

She was a public figure and long accustomed to being watched.

But Pei Qingci was not a stranger. In fact, he was someone she had once been most familiar with.

Trying to be indifferent to his gaze was really difficult.

After a moment, as her wrist started to ache, Sheng Qingli put away her sword and walked past him, heading toward Tong Tong behind him.

“Sister Lili.” Tong Tong handed her a towel. “Wipe your sweat.”

Sheng Qingli took it, wiped the sweat from her face, and then accepted the water Tong Tong handed her, taking a sip before looking up at the person who had stepped in front of her. “Teacher Pei.”

Pei Qingci lowered his eyes. “You did well.”

“…?”

Sheng Qingli was stunned for three seconds, not expecting him to praise her.

Had he been standing there all this time just to say that?

Suppressing the ripples in her heart, Sheng Qingli pursed her lips slightly. “Teacher Pei, you’ve been watching for so long, just to say this?”

Pei Qingci looked at her and, with a change in tone, said, “But you have a problem.”

Sheng Qingli: “…What?”

Pei Qingci: “Your movements lack fluidity.”

Of course, even during practice, Sheng Qingli was better than most people. But Director Zhong had high standards for actors, and Sheng Qingli didn’t want her final performance to look stiff either. She was a very driven person in this regard.

So, Pei Qingci had to correct her at the start.

Hearing Pei Qingci’s blunt critique, Sheng Qingli didn’t get angry. She knew the importance of it. “…I understand. But fluidity can only come with more practice.”

Once she became more skilled, she’d have the confidence to wield the sword more gracefully.

Pei Qingci made a sound of acknowledgment, paused, and then asked, “How’s your wrist?”

Sheng Qingli: “Huh?”

His shift in topic was so quick that she couldn’t quite keep up.

Pei Qingci glanced down at her slender, fair arm. “Your wrist—does it feel sore?”

“…A little.” Sheng Qingli admitted. “But I can handle it.”

Upon hearing this, Pei Qingci frowned slightly and added, “Practice in moderation. Have your assistant apply a hot compress during breaks.”

Before Sheng Qingli could respond, Tong Tong, who had been quietly standing nearby, quickly agreed, “Yes, Teacher Pei, I’ll prepare it later.”

Pei Qingci wasn’t just supervising the two actors’ practice; since he had taken on the task assigned by Director Zhong, he had to see it through to the end.

After spending one or two hours at the training base with Sheng Qingli and Xu Xingyue in the morning, Pei Qingci left to check on the set construction, ensuring any issues were promptly addressed.

Once Pei Qingci left, Sheng Qingli unexpectedly felt a bit out of sorts.

Realizing this, she silently mocked herself—are you a masochist?

You should be happy that the supervisor left.

–

After practicing all morning, by lunchtime, Sheng Qingli’s hands were so sore that she couldn’t even hold her chopsticks, and Xu Xingyue, having spent the whole morning in a horse stance, had legs so sore and swollen that walking was difficult.

Neither returned to the hotel, opting instead to eat lunch at the training base.

Exchanging glances, they saw sympathy in each other’s eyes.

“…On the first official day, and it’s already this tough,” Xu Xingyue sighed. “Will we still be alive when we start filming?”

Sheng Qingli seriously considered it. “Probably.”

Xu Xingyue was briefly at a loss for words, feeling a bit helpless. “I’m so tired I can’t even eat.”

“You should still eat something,” Sheng Qingli said matter-of-factly. “If you don’t eat at lunch, you won’t have the energy to practice in the afternoon.”

Xu Xingyue: “…”

Sheng Qingli had a rather unique way of “comforting” people.

When Pei Qingci returned from the other side, he happened to see the two of them sitting at the same table, eating and chatting.

He narrowed his eyes slightly and casually walked toward them.

A shadow fell over them, and both Sheng Qingli and Xu Xingyue looked up.

“Brother Pei,” before Sheng Qingli could say anything, Xu Xingyue enthusiastically greeted Pei Qingci, “Have you eaten yet? If not, join us?”

After Pei Qingci’s guidance earlier in the morning, Xu Xingyue now treated him as another mentor, being polite and respectful.

Pei Qingci glanced at the silent person and hesitated slightly, “Would it be inconvenient?”

“No, not at all,” Xu Xingyue didn’t think much of it, as they were all at the training base, with work taking priority, “Right, Qingli?”

Sheng Qingli: “…”

She raised her eyes to meet the gaze of the two looking at her and felt the urge to ask Xu Xingyue—are you stupid?

After a few seconds of silence, Sheng Qingli could only bite the bullet and say, “It’s fine, we can’t finish it all anyway.”

Neither Sheng Qingli nor Xu Xingyue were picky eaters, and ordering food at the training base was somewhat inconvenient. So, their lunch was the same as the other staff members.

Pei Qingci nodded slightly, “If that’s the case, then I appreciate it.”

After saying this, he sat down next to Sheng Qingli.

Not far away, Tong Tong saw this scene, hesitated for a moment, and then got up to walk over, “Sister Qingli, is there anything I can help with?”

Sheng Qingli pointed to the left, “Could you get a set of utensils for Teacher Pei?”

Shortly after, Tong Tong brought over an unopened meal box and chopsticks.

Pei Qingci took them, “Thank you.”

Tong Tong replied, “No need to be so polite, Teacher Pei.”

Tong Tong returned to her spot and continued eating in a small corner with Xu Xingyue’s assistant, Xue Xue.

As they ate, Xue Xue motioned toward her, “Sister Tong Tong.”

Tong Tong: “What?”

Xue Xue gestured toward Sheng Qingli’s group and whispered, “Don’t you think the atmosphere between those three is a bit… subtle?”

Xue Xue had only been in the industry for a few months and had been Xu Xingyue’s assistant for less than three months. She was still at the stage where she was curious and gossipy about everything.

Hearing this, Tong Tong glanced over at the trio, then blatantly lied, “No, everything seems normal.”

“Really?” Xue Xue frowned, “By the way, I saw online that people are saying Sister Qingli and Teacher Pei used to be a couple. Is that true?”

Tong Tong: “… Xue Xue.”

Xue Xue: “What?”

She looked innocent and confused, “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know.”

Xue Xue was surprised, “But haven’t you worked with Sister Qingli for years—”

She was cut off by Tong Tong before she could finish.

With a sigh, Tong Tong looked at the naive “newcomer” in front of her and said, “In the future, try not to ask that kind of question.”

Xue Xue was puzzled, “… We’re not allowed to ask?”

“It’s better not to. We’re assistants,” Tong Tong explained. “Whether we notice something or if something really happens, we shouldn’t ask too much. The best assistant is someone who sees everything but acts as if they’ve seen nothing. Do you understand?”

Xue Xue finally understood, “… I get it.”

She wasn’t actually dumb; she was just very curious. “Thanks for the reminder, Sister Tong Tong.”

Tong Tong: “Let’s just eat.”

Meanwhile, Sheng Qingli’s group hadn’t noticed the assistants’ exchange, as she was too preoccupied.

In fact, she felt a bit… overwhelmed.

After Pei Qingci sat down to eat, Xu Xingyue had intended to discuss character roles with him, but Pei Qingci cut him off with one sentence: “Let’s eat first.”

Xu Xingyue awkwardly smiled, “Oh right, we can talk after eating.”

Pei Qingci hummed in agreement.

Suddenly, Xu Xingyue moved one of the dishes, which was a bit far from Sheng Qingli, closer to her, “Qingli, you seem to like ribs, right?”

Sheng Qingli: “…”

Looking at the ribs in front of her, her eyebrow twitched slightly, sensing an impending bad omen.

Sure enough, before she could say anything, Pei Qingci spoke first, “She can’t eat that.”

Xu Xingyue: “Huh?”

He was momentarily stunned, meeting Pei Qingci’s calm and cool gaze, “Why… why can’t she eat it? Don’t you like ribs?”

He could’ve sworn she did.

Sheng Qingli quickly responded, “It’s not that I don’t like them.”

To prevent Pei Qingci from saying something more ridiculous, Sheng Qingli hurriedly explained, “The movie starts filming in two months, and I need to lose a bit of weight, so I can’t eat too many fatty foods like ribs.”

Hearing this, Xu Xingyue suddenly understood, “Ah, I see.”

Sheng Qingli nodded, and when Xu Xingyue wasn’t looking, she stepped on Pei Qingci’s foot in warning.

If he kept talking nonsense, she would never let it go.

Feeling the pain from the stomp, Pei Qingci glanced down slightly, “Sheng…”

As soon as he started speaking, Sheng Qingli quickly pulled back her foot and, when Xu Xingyue lowered his head to eat, glared fiercely at him.

Noticing her protest, Pei Qingci’s lips curled slightly in amusement, though it was hardly noticeable.

Sheng Qingli didn’t see it, nor did she intend to.

She really couldn’t figure Pei Qingci out anymore—suddenly, what was he playing at?

After a few bites, Sheng Qingli stood up and left, intending to rest in the car for a while.

The training base had limited space and resources, so they weren’t able to provide a proper rest area at the moment.

Back in the car, Sheng Qingli quietly drank water.

The lunch provided by the production team was a bit too greasy and heavy. It might have been just right for the staff, but for an actress like Sheng Qingli, who had to watch her weight, it was torture.

After eating, she felt guilty. But greasy food was undeniably delicious.

After drinking a large bottle of mineral water, feeling a bit full, she planned to take a quick nap before heading back to training when there was a knock on the car window.

She opened her eyes and saw who was standing outside.

The privacy film glass on the car window is meant to prevent people outside from looking in, while those inside can see outside without any obstruction.

Thus, Sheng Qingli could clearly make out the facial features and subtle expressions of the person outside the car.

After sizing him up for a moment without restraint, Sheng Qingli pushed the car door open. “Is there something you need, Teacher Pei?”

Pei Qingci lowered his gaze, not asking her why it took her over half a minute to open the door. “This is for you.”

He handed Sheng Qingli something.

Sheng Qingli took it and saw it was a vegetable salad.

“What is this—” she asked, puzzled.

Pei Qingci glanced at her, his tone indifferent. “Director Zhong sent me to supervise. I don’t want the actors to collapse before filming starts.”

He tapped the lid of the salad, reminding her, “It’s low in calories, you can eat it with peace of mind.”

After saying this, Pei Qingci didn’t wait for Sheng Qingli to respond and turned to leave.

Watching his retreating figure, Sheng Qingli opened her mouth and murmured, “Talking nicely will make you ugly.”

As she said this, she forgot that she often didn’t speak nicely to Pei Qingci either.

They had once been the closest of lovers.

But upon reuniting, they couldn’t help but hurt each other with their words.

Sheng Qingli sighed, lowered her gaze, and began to eat the salad Pei Qingci had brought her.

Sheng Qingli was picky; there were many things she liked to eat and many she didn’t.

This salad was filled with things she would eat.

When Tong Tong ran over to talk to Sheng Qingli after finishing her meal, the first thing she noticed was the salad in Sheng Qingli’s hands. “Oh, Sister Li, where did this come from?”

She was out of breath. “I saw you barely ate anything before returning to the car, so I specifically asked the crew if we could order takeout, but they said we couldn’t.”

Sheng Qingli replied, “Santa Claus sent it.”

Tong Tong exclaimed, “Huh?”

Where did Santa Claus come from in May?!

Sheng Qingli didn’t want to elaborate. She finished most of the salad and told Tong Tong, “You should bring your low-calorie meals from the hotel tomorrow.”

Tong Tong nodded. “I was thinking the same.”

The two rested in the car for over half an hour before Sheng Qingli went back to training.

---

In the following days, Sheng Qingli didn’t have to worry about meals.

The training phase was brief; she would arrive at the training base around eight or nine in the morning and finish by five or six in the afternoon, almost like clocking in at a company.

For a while, Sheng Qingli felt her routine had become regular.

Knowing about her two-point lifestyle, Li Yuwei teased her, the gossip in her tone evident. “With so much free time, you should take the chance to date someone.”

Sheng Qingli asked, “Who would I date?”

Li Yuwei replied, “There are two candidates right in front of you.”

“…” Sheng Qingli was speechless. “Am I supposed to date one each day?”

Li Yuwei said, “I think that’s doable; you’re more than capable.”

What’s wrong with a beautiful girl dating one person a day? Isn’t that reasonable, even legal?!

After a moment of silence, Sheng Qingli looked toward the camera, “If you keep talking like this, I’m going to hang up.”

“Don’t,” Li Yuwei quickly backed down. “I was just joking.”

Sheng Qingli snorted lightly.

“Hey, seriously,” Li Yuwei asked curiously, “You’ve spent a week with your ex-boyfriend. Do you feel any differently?”

Sheng Qingli replied, “I do.”

Li Yuwei’s eyes lit up. “Tell me more.”

Sheng Qingli lifted her head and smiled slightly. “He’s become more petty.”

Li Yuwei raised an eyebrow. “How so?”

“It’s hard to explain,” Sheng Qingli said. “I’ll tell you in person.”

Li Yuwei exclaimed, “Aren’t you just trying to tease me?”

“I am,” Sheng Qingli admitted. “Who told you to be so nosy?”

Li Yuwei was speechless, about to say that gossiping is human nature, but just then, the doorbell rang.

The two exchanged glances through the camera. Li Yuwei checked the time. “So late—who could it be? Pei Qingci?”

Sheng Qingli said, “It shouldn’t be.”

Pei Qingci didn’t seem like the type to come looking for her at this hour. Besides, he wasn’t in Taolin County today.

Xiang Rong had noticed that Pei Qingci had been living too easily lately and had offered him two jobs.

One of them was for a magazine cover shoot.

He had gone to the city center for the shoot that morning and was unexpectedly staying in the city that night.

Thinking about this, Sheng Qingli picked up her phone and walked to the door, peeking through the peephole.

To her surprise, the person outside was Pei Qingci.

When did he come back? Why was he looking for her so late?

Sheng Qingli’s mind raced, and she involuntarily raised her hand to open the door.

“You…” Seeing him in a casual suit, Sheng Qingli hesitated and changed her question from “When did you come back?” to “Do you need something?”

Pei Qingci’s gaze dropped to her wrist. “How’s your wrist?”

Sheng Qingli was taken aback, quickly putting her phone in her pocket, and said softly, “…It’s nothing.”

During the afternoon training, she had twisted her wrist.

At first, she didn’t think much of it, but an hour later, it had swollen.

Tong Tong had noticed and made a fuss, and Lin Lin had called.

To avoid any bad situations, Sheng Qingli went to a nearby hospital for an X-ray in the afternoon.

Pei Qingci frowned, his tone slightly heavy. “What did the doctor say?”

“It’s just a simple sprain; I need to avoid moving it for a few days,” Sheng Qingli didn’t expect Pei Qingci to know. “Who told you?”

Hearing her question, Pei Qingci shot her a glance. “Is that the point?”

Sheng Qingli’s long eyelashes fluttered slightly. She wanted to say that if that wasn’t the point, then what was?

The words lingered on her lips, but she hesitated to ask.

After a few seconds of silence, Pei Qingci observed her lack of response and tugged at his lips. “So, what have you been up to these past few days—”

Before he could finish, the sound of the elevator doors opening and unfamiliar voices echoed from nearby. They didn’t seem to be part of the crew; only Sheng Qingli and a few others were staying on this floor.

Her mind went blank for a few seconds. As the people in the elevator began to approach, Sheng Qingli didn’t think twice. She grabbed Pei Qingci by the wrist and pulled him into the room, shutting the door behind them.

“…”

The moment the door clicked shut, Sheng Qingli regretted it.

What was she doing?!

Meeting Pei Qingci’s gaze, she opened her mouth. “If I say this was a spontaneous reaction, would you believe me?”

Pei Qingci paused, about to respond, when a familiar and firm voice came from afar: “I don’t believe you.”