Chapter 29

After Pei Qingci finished speaking, there was a long silence in the car.

Tong Tong, sitting in the passenger seat, wished she could cover her ears and pretend she hadn’t heard anything. Hearing too much could easily lead to “silencing.”

Time ticked by, and just when Tong Tong thought the two in the back seat would remain silent until they reached the restaurant, Pei Qingci spoke first, “Why aren’t you saying anything? Is this date surprising to you?”

Sheng Qingli finally snapped back to reality, looking at him in a daze, her voice very soft. “…Why?”

There was a hint of an answer in her mind, but she couldn’t bring herself to believe it.

“Why?” Pei Qingci chuckled at her question. “What do you think it is?”

Sheng Qingli bit her lip, wanting to say she didn’t know. If she did know, she wouldn’t be asking.

Just as she hesitated, the car stopped at the entrance of the restaurant.

The driver nervously called out, “Ms. Sheng, Mr. Pei, we’ve arrived.”

“…”

The question Sheng Qingli wanted to ask was interrupted. She quickly responded, “Okay.”

After a moment, she turned her head. “Shall we get out first?”

The car wasn’t the best place for a conversation.

Pei Qingci realized this too and nodded, bending down to exit the car.

The two of them, wearing masks, entered the restaurant discreetly.

Yi Yehua and Yin Yanyan didn’t have any scenes today, so they had arrived early. After all the cast and crew were gathered, they started their meal.

To ensure privacy, the main actors and Director Zhong sat in the same private room at the same table.

Originally, Sheng Qingli had wanted to find a corner seat, but she was called over by Director Zhong and ended up sitting next to him, with Pei Qingci on the other side.

They weren’t sitting very close, but she could see him as soon as she looked up.

It was the first day of filming, and most people, feeling little pressure, were chatting and laughing.

The only ones who were quieter than usual were Sheng Qingli and Xu Xingyue.

Xu Xingyue was sulking due to his earlier NG, while Sheng Qingli was preoccupied with… the person sitting next to Director Zhong.

After Pei Qingci’s remark, Sheng Qingli had a fleeting thought—he was here for her.

Director Zhong had previously invited him to be a special guest actor, but he hadn’t agreed. After she signed the contract for the lead role, he changed his mind. The answer seemed clear.

But what was the reason?

What reason did Pei Qingci have to want to be in the same production as her?

They weren’t a romantic couple, nor were they fresh from a breakup. They were exes who hadn’t been in touch for five years.

Could it be that he suddenly wanted to date again, couldn’t find anyone else, and thought of her?

Unlikely.

Not to mention how many people were still thinking about Pei Qingci. When they dated, Sheng Qingli hadn’t been a particularly good or caring girlfriend.

More importantly, he had explicitly told her he wouldn’t look back.

So even if Sheng Qingli felt he might have that intention, the reality seemed improbable.

For a moment, Sheng Qingli felt frustrated.

This person always liked to say ambiguous things that made her guess—was it intentional?

During this meal, the two main actors were very quiet.

Director Zhong’s gathering didn’t have the chaotic dining culture typical of such events; everyone had to film the next day, so no one pushed drinks on each other.

However, Director Zhong enjoyed drinking, and since Pei Qingci had no scenes the next day, he accompanied him for a couple of drinks.

As they finished eating, the group prepared to head home.

As Sheng Qingli stood up to leave the private room, Director Zhong was still chatting with Pei Qingci. Just then, Yin Yanyan called out to her, asking if she could hitch a ride with her to the hotel. Sheng Qingli agreed, saying, “Sure.”

They left the restaurant first.

When Sheng Qingli and Yin Yanyan got into the car, Pei Qingci was just supporting Director Zhong as they exited the building.

They brushed past each other.

Yin Yanyan was a lively and cheerful girl, straightforward and full of energy.

Once in the car, she expressed her feelings to Sheng Qingli, saying she was a bit nervous about starting filming tomorrow.

She had heard about Xu Xingyue’s NG earlier and was worried about her own performance.

Sheng Qingli listened and reassured her, “Just relax. Director Zhong is a great director who knows how to guide actors. Just study the script well, immerse yourself in the character, and adjust based on what Director Zhong says, and you’ll definitely do well.”

Yin Yanyan played the role of Sheng Qingli’s junior sister in the film, but she wasn’t a disciple of Lian Hui; Lian Hui only had one disciple, Xin Xiao.

Hearing what Sheng Qingli said, Yin Yanyan nodded, “That’s true. I’ll just do my best.”

As they were talking, Sheng Qingli’s phone vibrated. It was a message from Xu Xingyue asking if she was free later.

Sheng Qingli replied: “Need something?”

Xu Xingyue: “Can you help me rehearse?”

He didn’t want to have so many NGs again.

Sheng Qingli: “I’m still on the road; you might have to wait a bit.”

Xu Xingyue: “No problem, just let me know when you’re done.”

After agreeing with Xu Xingyue, Yin Yanyan asked, “Sister Qingli, can I come find you to rehearse?”

Sheng Qingli nodded, “Of course, but not tonight.”

She explained, “Brother Xu asked me to rehearse before you.”

“Okay,” Yin Yanyan said with a feigned sigh, resting her chin in her hand. “Then I’ll have to find someone else.”

“Good luck,” Sheng Qingli encouraged.

---

The hotel wasn’t far from the restaurant.

Twenty minutes later, they got out of the car and returned to their rooms.

Once back, Sheng Qingli first messaged Li Yuwei to ask how long it would take her to arrive, and then sent Xu Xingyue a message to let him know she was back at the hotel.

Xu Xingyue: “Should I come to your room?”

Sheng Qingli thought for a moment and agreed.

A minute later, the doorbell rang.

Sheng Qingli closed the door to her suite and opened the door, saying, “Come in, Brother Xu.”

Xu Xingyue, holding a script, looked at her with a melancholic expression. “Sorry for bothering you.”

“It’s supposed to be a rehearsal,” Sheng Qingli said. “No need to take off your shoes.”

“Got it.”

She opened the door wider, and they both walked to the coffee table in the living room to sit down.

“Do you want some water?” she asked.

“Sure,” he replied.

Noticing the open door, Xu Xingyue raised his eyebrows knowingly.

After bringing two bottles of water over, they opened their scripts and looked at the scenes they would be filming tomorrow.

Xu Xingyue didn’t have many scenes, and because of that, he didn’t want to delay things.

Sheng Qingli first rehearsed his scenes with him before tackling her own.

As they were rehearsing, footsteps could be heard outside.

Then came a knock at the door.

Sheng Qingli looked up and paused slightly when she saw who was at the door. “Mr. Pei.”

Pei Qingci’s gaze swept past her and landed on Xu Xingyue, who was sitting diagonally across from her. He raised an eyebrow, his tone indifferent, making it hard to read his emotions. “Are you rehearsing?”

Xu Xingyue replied, “Yes, Brother Pei. Did you just get back?”

Pei Qingci nodded and turned his attention back to Sheng Qingli, his voice low and calm. “How much longer do you need to rehearse?”

Xu Xingyue was taken aback, and Sheng Qingli was also surprised, hesitating to ask, “Did you need something from me?”

Pei Qingci said nothing.

Knowing Sheng Qingli had forgotten what he had said earlier, his expression turned cold. He slightly curled his lips. “It’s nothing.”

He turned and stepped out of Sheng Qingli’s doorway. “Sorry for interrupting. You can continue.”

Hearing the loud sound from the opposite side, Xu Xingyue snapped back to reality, scratching his head awkwardly. “Did Brother Pei misunderstand something?”

Sheng Qingli remained silent.

Xu Xingyue looked at her. “Should we just continue our rehearsal tomorrow on set?”

“No need,” Sheng Qingli said, regaining her composure. “You still have two scenes to rehearse. Let’s finish those first.”

Xu Xingyue hesitated. “Are you sure?”

Sheng Qingli looked up. “Brother Xu, do I look uncertain to you?”

Xu Xingyue was at a loss for words.

“And,” Sheng Qingli bit her lip and lowered her gaze, “who knows what’s going on with him?”

Setting aside the fact that they weren’t close, even if they were, it was perfectly reasonable for her and Xu Xingyue to rehearse openly. His sudden outburst was really inexplicable.

Xu Xingyue didn’t dare speak further, mumbling an “Mm,” and said, “Let’s continue then.”

They finished rehearsing the last two scenes for Xu Xingyue, and nearly half an hour had passed.

After sending him off, Sheng Qingli closed the door and collapsed onto the sofa, feeling exhausted.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated. It was a message from Li Yuwei: “I’m almost downstairs, come down to get me!”

Sheng Qingli immediately sorted out her messy thoughts and got up from the sofa: “Coming!”

As she reopened the door and went downstairs, the door across the hall remained tightly closed.

She hummed softly, genuinely not understanding what Pei Qingci meant.

After waiting downstairs for a few minutes, Li Yuwei arrived.

“Li Li!” She directly rushed towards her.

Although Sheng Qingli was somewhat prepared, she was still knocked back two steps by Li Yuwei. “Sister.”

She steadied herself and couldn’t help but mumble, “Be gentler. If I get hurt, Director Zhong will come looking for you.”

Li Yuwei exclaimed, blinking her eyes and asking, “Isn’t it Pei Qingci?”

Sheng Qingli shot her a sidelong glance. “You want to sleep on the street tonight?”

Li Yuwei immediately made a gesture to keep quiet.

“Fang Li.” Sheng Qingli exchanged a few pleasantries with Li Yuwei and looked at the person getting things out of the trunk. “Thank you.”

Fang Li smiled, “Ms. Sheng, you’re too polite. It’s just a small effort.”

Sheng Qingli replied, “If there’s nothing else, we’ll head up first.”

Fang Li nodded, “Alright, Ms. Sheng.”

He turned his head, “Goodbye, Mr. Li.”

Li Yuwei didn’t book a hotel; she wanted to stay with Sheng Qingli.

The two took the elevator upstairs.

As they entered the room, Li Yuwei curiously asked, “Does Pei Qingci live across from you?”

Sheng Qingli replied with a sound of acknowledgment.

Li Yuwei glanced at the closed door and whispered, “Is the soundproofing in your hotel good?”

“…”

Understanding her implication, Sheng Qingli said, “I don’t know. You can try.”

Li Yuwei slightly choked, shooting her a glare. “I won’t try. You can try after.”

—

The two entered the room.

Li Yuwei looked around, satisfied as she nodded. “Not bad, the room is spacious, the bathroom is large, and the living room is big too.”

Sheng Qingli made no comments on her assessment, lazily slumping on the sofa. “Water is in the kitchen, and there’s fruit in the fridge. Help yourself.”

Hearing this, Li Yuwei couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time. “Ms. Sheng, aren’t you going to treat me well?”

“Let’s wait until tomorrow.” Sheng Qingli said, “I’m tired today.”

Li Yuwei raised an eyebrow and went to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water before sitting beside her. “Why are you so tired today? Didn’t you have a light shooting schedule?”

Sheng Qingli closed her eyes. “Not really, we had a dinner gathering tonight.”

“Tired from the gathering?” Li Yuwei probed.

Sheng Qingli knew what she wanted to ask and opened her eyes to look at her. “It’s mentally exhausting.”

Li Yuwei chuckled, raising her hand to flick her forehead. “What’s so mentally exhausting? Tell me, and I’ll help you analyze it.”

“I don’t think you can analyze it.” Sheng Qingli replied honestly.

Li Yuwei was speechless. “How can you know I can’t analyze it when you haven’t even told me?”

She shot her another glare. “Hurry up. If you don’t tell me, I’ll go ask the person across.”

“You can go.” Sheng Qingli was rather looking forward to it.

Li Yuwei: “…”

After a few seconds of stalemate, Sheng Qingli slightly deflated and sat up from the sofa. “I heard something from Director Zhong today.”

Li Yuwei: “Don’t keep me in suspense.”

Sheng Qingli responded slowly, “Pei Qingci came to be a special guest actor. He was invited many times before he finally agreed.”

At this point, she paused. “Do you know when he changed his mind?”

Li Yuwei thought for three seconds. “April 20th?”

She knew when Sheng Qingli signed the contract.

Sheng Qingli widened her eyes at her. “Why did you guess that day?”

“You signed the contract that day.” Li Yuwei said suspiciously, “Did I guess wrong?”

Sheng Qingli: “… It was the 21st.”

“Close enough.” Li Yuwei observed her troubled expression. “He agreed on the 21st. It’s obvious he’s doing it for you. Since that’s the case, why are you so worried? Don’t you want him to be doing it for you?”

Sheng Qingli didn’t answer that question; she lowered her eyes. “How can you be so sure he’s doing it for me?”

“It’s obvious.” Li Yuwei said, “He only agreed to participate after you signed the female lead contract.”

With that, Li Yuwei finally understood what was bothering Sheng Qingli. “Do you think he’s not doing it for you?”

Sheng Qingli: “… I’ve thought about it, but I’m not sure.”

“Why aren’t you sure?” Li Yuwei asked.

Sheng Qingli turned to look at her. “We broke up five years ago. Have you forgotten?”

She paused before telling Li Yuwei, “Besides, he said he wouldn’t look back.”

Li Yuwei was surprised. “When did he say that? How come I didn’t know?”

Sheng Qingli: “…”

She remained silent for a few seconds and slowly said, “I didn’t mention it before. A few months after we broke up, he came looking for me.”

Li Yuwei: “What?”

She widened her eyes in disbelief. “You didn’t tell me such important news?”

Sheng Qingli: “I didn’t want to bring it up back then.”

Because after that day when she said those words to Pei Qingci, she regretted it.

But by the time Sheng Qingli sorted out her emotions and regretted it, she had already received news that discouraged her from seeking out Pei Qingci.

After that, she and Pei Qingci hardly ran into each other in public again.

“What did he want from you? To get back together?” Li Yuwei pressed.

Sheng Qingli: “He asked me why I wanted to break up—if it was because being with him was too exhausting, or because of all the messy rumors, or if he had heard something.”

Li Yuwei straightened her expression. “What did you say?”

“I just said I didn’t want to be in a relationship anymore and wanted to work hard for a few years.” Sheng Qingli told her.

In fact, part of the reason is that both of them were newcomers at that time and too young and impetuous. Newcomers who have just entered the industry often find themselves unable to control many things; Sheng Qingli had to follow her management company’s arrangements, and Pei Qingci was the same.

Their feelings for each other were not that solid, so even a slight disturbance could shake their emotions.

Sheng Qingli was not a person who felt secure; she was actually a bit anxious about losing what she had.

Li Yuwei choked, “And then?”

“Then he said he would only ask me once. If I regretted it at that moment, breaking up would just be a thing of the past for him.” Sheng Qingli fell into her memories. “He asked me… if I wanted to get back together with him.”

Li Yuwei was silent. “Did you still refuse?”

“Yeah.” Sheng Qingli bit her lip. “I even said something very hurtful.”

Li Yuwei: “What?”

“I said that being in a relationship with him was hindering my development.”

The room fell silent for a long time, and Li Yuwei started to feel a headache. “So he just left after that?”

Sheng Qingli slowly shook her head. “He scoffed and told me that he would only ask me this once, hoping I would think carefully before answering him.”

At that moment, Sheng Qingli didn’t want Pei Qingci’s “charity.” She didn’t take much time to think it over and gave her unchanging answer again.

“………”

After hearing Sheng Qingli, Li Yuwei was left speechless.

Before Sheng Qingli mentioned this, she had always thought they had parted peacefully and was sure that Pei Qingci still liked Sheng Qingli.

But now, she was as confused as Sheng Qingli and unsure of her instincts.

Silence lingered for a while.

Li Yuwei said, “I think—”

Sheng Qingli looked up at her.

Li Yuwei said seriously, “People can change.”

Sheng Qingli remained silent.

Li Yuwei looked at her. “Even though Pei Qingci said five years ago that he wouldn’t look back, five years have passed, and he might suddenly realize he was too young back then. In fact, he might need to trip and fall before wanting to come back to you.”

She analyzed calmly, “Besides that, I really can’t think of any other reason for him to accept Director Zhong’s film and take the AR endorsement with you, constantly showing up in front of you.”

Sheng Qingli fell silent, wanting to say something but unsure what to say.

Seeing her current state, Li Yuwei exclaimed, “Why not just ask him directly?”

Sheng Qingli shot her a resentful glance.

Li Yuwei felt awkward; some questions were hard to ask directly. If the answer wasn’t what they expected, things wouldn’t have a chance to turn around.

In the brief silence, Li Yuwei clicked her tongue. “If you can’t figure it out, don’t think about it. Go wash up and get some rest; you have filming tomorrow.”

She sighed, “I’ll go to the set tomorrow to observe for you.”

Sheng Qingli paused, then softly replied, “Should I go take a shower then?”

“Go ahead.” Li Yuwei waved her hand. “I’ll play on my phone for a bit.”

—

After washing up, Li Yuwei put on headphones and played games with friends while Sheng Qingli looked at the script before lying down.

She closed her eyes, and Pei Qingci’s face and their past kept flashing in her mind.

Just as she was about to drift off to sleep, Sheng Qingli suddenly remembered something. She sat up sharply, startling Li Yuwei next to her. “What are you doing? Did you have a nightmare?”

Sheng Qingli stared at her for a moment. “I forgot something.”

“What?”

Li Yuwei was surprised. “Is it urgent?”

Sheng Qingli nodded, pulling off the covers and getting out of bed. “You keep playing, I… need to step out for a bit.”

Li Yuwei: “Huh?!”

Sheng Qingli grabbed her phone from the bedside table, walked out of the room, and hesitated when she reached the front door.

After contemplating for three seconds, Sheng Qingli lowered her head and dialed the doorman’s number.

The sound of ringing filled her ears.

Standing behind the door, Sheng Qingli held her breath.

After a few seconds, the call connected. “Hello.”

The familiar male voice reached her ears. Sheng Qingli’s long lashes trembled as she exhaled softly, “…I’m sorry.”

She had forgotten her promise to Pei Qingci to play with the trophy after the dinner was over.

Pei Qingci, not surprised, replied, “Is this why you called?”

“I…” Sheng Qingli lowered her eyes. “Is the trophy asleep?”

Pei Qingci: “It is.”

Sheng Qingli responded with a soft “Oh,” “Well, then I—”

Before she could finish, Pei Qingci suddenly asked, “Do you want to come over?”

“Ah?” Sheng Qingli froze. “To your room?”

Pei Qingci’s voice was deep and calm. “What’s wrong, scared?”

“…Provoking me won’t work.” Sheng Qingli mumbled.

Pei Qingci fell silent.

After a while, Sheng Qingli spoke again, “Are you free?”

“Sheng Li.” Pei Qingci suddenly called her.

Sheng Qingli: “What?”

“What do you think makes me inconvenient?” Pei Qingci asked.

Sheng Qingli didn’t directly answer his question. She gently opened the door. “Then I’ll come over.”

As her door opened, the door across from her also opened.

The two of them, holding their phones, locked eyes across a wide, quiet corridor.

They stared at each other for a few seconds.

Sheng Qingli put down her phone, looked around cautiously, and dashed into Pei Qingci’s room.

Li Yuwei, who had just finished a game and was curious about what Sheng Qingli was doing so late, happened to see this scene. She rolled her eyes to the sky, raised her hand to slap her forehead, and muttered to herself, “You really are worrying for nothing.”

“……”

Actually, at the moment she stepped into Pei Qingci’s room, Sheng Qingli felt a bit of regret; she seemed to have acted impulsively.

Although there was no one else in the hallway, entering her ex-boyfriend’s room in the middle of the night really wasn’t the most appropriate thing to do.

However, Pei Qingci and the cat didn’t give her much time to regret.

As if hearing a sound, the moment Pei Qingci closed the door, the cat rushed out from inside and rubbed against Sheng Qingli’s ankle.

“Meow…”

It was clear that the cat had missed her after not seeing her for a few days.

Looking at the little cat in front of her, Sheng Qingli couldn’t help but bend down to pick it up, unable to resist rubbing its head while murmuring, “You missed me, didn’t you?”

The cat continued to meow.

Pei Qingci watched the scene of one person and one cat standing at the entrance, pinching the bridge of his nose, “Are you sure you want to keep standing there?”

Sheng Qingli turned slightly, meeting Pei Qingci’s deep gaze, and hesitated before saying, “When you asked, I was rehearsing with Xu Xingyue, and I really forgot.”

Pei Qingci replied with a simple “I know.”

“……” Sheng Qingli licked her lips and hesitated, “You could have reminded me back then.”

Pei Qingci shot her a glance, “If I reminded you, would you have stopped rehearsing with him?”

“……Don’t make it sound like rehearsing with him is something inappropriate,” Sheng Qingli said a bit helplessly, “You reminded me, and I would have come to get the cat after finishing.”

Pei Qingci responded with an indifferent “Oh, really?”

Sheng Qingli insisted, “Of course.”

She sat down on a nearby sofa, holding the cat and rubbing its little head, “Did you think I wouldn’t come?”

Pei Qingci paused for a moment, “No.”

“Then what do you mean…” The rest of her words got stuck in her throat as Pei Qingci sat down next to her.

Both of them had just showered, and the scent of body wash and shampoo lingered around them.

It hadn’t felt noticeable before, but now that Pei Qingci was sitting beside her, his cool scent continuously invaded her nostrils, disrupting her thoughts.

“What am I?” Pei Qingci seemed unaware of her unusual demeanor as he reached out to touch the cat in her arms, “Li Yuwei is in your room?”

Sheng Qingli replied, not asking how he knew.

He knew he had a good relationship with Li Yuwei, so he could guess.

However, at that moment, Sheng Qingli was curious about something else, “Did you hear us talking in the hallway?”

Pei Qingci answered, “Mhm.”

Sheng Qingli said “Oh” softly, mumbling, “Looks like the hotel’s soundproofing isn’t that great.”

Pei Qingci replied, “……”

He glanced at her, raising an eyebrow slightly, “Why are you concerned about the hotel’s soundproofing?”