Chapter 30

“……”

Realizing that her words could be ambiguous, Sheng Qingli’s expression stiffened slightly, and her ears turned red. “You…”

She shot Pei Qingci an annoyed glare. “I was just asking.”

Pei Qingci dragged out the syllables, looking at her flushed ears, a faint smirk playing at the corners of his lips.

Sheng Qingli: “…”

The conversation was getting a bit awkward, and she wanted to leave immediately.

Just as this thought crossed her mind, Pei Qingci suddenly asked seriously, “Have you finished going over the lines for tomorrow’s shoot?”

Sheng Qingli had a heavy filming schedule for the next day.

“…” Sheng Qingli was taken aback and looked up at him. “Are you going to help me rehearse?”

Pei Qingci’s expression remained calm as he lowered his eyes and replied, “If Ms. Sheng needs it.”

They stared at each other for a few seconds.

Sheng Qingli’s heart raced a little. She feigned calmness and looked away, her gaze unfocused. “It’s so late; I hope I’m not disturbing your rest.”

Pei Qingci didn’t directly answer her question but instead asked, “Are you tired?”

“…… No.” Sheng Qingli was being honest; even if she went back now, she’d probably struggle for an hour or two before falling asleep.

Upon hearing her response, Pei Qingci stood up. “Do you need the script?”

“No need.” Sheng Qingli replied softly, “I remember the lines.”

She had gone over the script many times and could recite her lines by now.

Pei Qingci responded with an “Mm,” not surprised. “Which scene do you want to start with?”

Sheng Qingli lowered her gaze as he picked up his script and flipped it open, her eyes lingering on his long, defined fingers for a few seconds. “Any scene is fine.”

Pei Qingci: “Then shall we go one by one?”

“…… Okay.”

In the quiet room, the warm orange light illuminated the space.

Outside, the wind howled, adding a touch of liveliness to the tranquil night.

Sheng Qingli and Pei Qingci each occupied one side of the sofa, a trophy curled up between them, silently covering its face with its paws as it listened to the two exchanging words it couldn’t understand.

Unfortunately, neither of them noticed its odd behavior; they were still deeply immersed in their rehearsal.

“……”

Actually, Sheng Qingli had a significant amount of dialogue, but not too many lines to go over.

Her main focus was the action scenes; the lines were relatively easy.

Pei Qingci went through the lines for the next day’s shoot with her, chatting a bit, and after more than half an hour had passed.

The clock had moved from eleven-thirty to the early hours of the next day.

After finishing the last scene to be filmed, Sheng Qingli’s phone screen lit up where she had left it on the sofa. She picked it up and opened a message from Li Yuwei: “Sister, are you planning to test the hotel soundproofing tonight?”

Seeing this, Sheng Qingli’s cheeks flushed, and she suddenly stood up from the sofa.

Pei Qingci looked puzzled and asked slowly, “What’s wrong?”

Images that weren’t particularly wholesome flashed through her mind, and Sheng Qingli felt a bit embarrassed, not daring to meet his gaze. “…… It’s late.”

She looked down at the trophy, which also had its eyes open and ears perked up. “I’ll head back now.”

Pei Qingci responded, picking up the trophy from the sofa. “Go ahead.”

Sheng Qingli nodded, pursed her lips, and took a few steps forward. Suddenly, she stopped, slowly turned her head, and called out, “Pei Qingci.”

Pei Qingci looked momentarily surprised, gazing deeply at her. His voice was low as he asked, “What’s wrong?”

“…” Sheng Qingli felt his gaze on her, her breath tightening. “Thank you.”

Pei Qingci didn’t reply.

After a pause, Sheng Qingli added, “If I finish early with the shoot tomorrow, I’d like to bring the trophy over to play for a while.”

Pei Qingci nodded calmly.

Sheng Qingli: “…”

After a few seconds of silence, she lowered her eyelashes, staring at the trophy in his arms, and quietly said, “Get some rest early.”

Upon hearing this, Pei Qingci raised an eyebrow. “You called my name just to say that?”

Sheng Qingli was taken aback, opening her mouth. “Are you saying—”

“Yes.” Before Sheng Qingli could finish her sentence, Pei Qingci met her gaze and confirmed.

Sheng Qingli paused, blurting out, “You knew what I wanted to ask?”

Pei Qingci glanced at her, his expression clearly saying—he wasn’t foolish.

Not only was he not foolish, he was once the person who understood Sheng Qingli the best. How could he not notice her hesitation?

Sheng Qingli fell silent.

Pei Qingci stood up, walking toward her with the trophy in his arms. He said softly, “Do you have anything else you want to ask?”

Sheng Qingli looked up at him. “…… I’m not sure yet.”

She was timid; the answer was right in front of her, but she didn’t dare to reach for it.

She feared that the final answer wouldn’t be what she wanted. There were five years of blankness between them, and five years could change a person completely. Moreover, she hadn’t understood Pei Qingci that well to begin with.

Noticing her evasiveness, Pei Qingci softened his gaze. “You should get some rest.”

He paused and tucked her loose hair behind her ear. “Whenever you want to ask, just come over.”

“……”

—

Sheng Qingli couldn’t remember how she got back to her room; she only knew that when she lay down mechanically, it seemed she could still feel the warmth of Pei Qingci’s fingers on her ear.

She raised her hand to touch her ear, only to suddenly meet Li Yuwei’s curious, sparkling eyes.

“……”

Sheng Qingli was momentarily speechless, pulling the blanket over herself. “We didn’t do anything, we just went over some lines.”

Li Yuwei: “I guessed.”

Sheng Qingli looked at her in surprise.

Li Yuwei: “If you really did something, you wouldn’t have come back tonight.”

Sheng Qingli was at a loss for words, giving her a sidelong glance.

Li Yuwei raised an eyebrow, curiously asking, “Did you not talk about anything else besides rehearsing?”

Sheng Qingli: “…… No.”

“Liar.” Li Yuwei lightly huffed. “If you two were really just rehearsing, you wouldn’t look so dazed.”

Sheng Qingli fell silent.

Li Yuwei yawned and mumbled, “But if you don’t want to talk about it now, I won’t push you.”

She still had a bit of restraint.

Sheng Qingli replied with a soft “Mm,” staring at the ceiling. “Weiwei.”

“Speak.”

“He said he took this role because of me.”

Li Yuwei: “…… Isn’t that obvious?”

Sheng Qingli was at a loss for words, her lips moving. “What I mean is…”

“You’re unsure if he wants to pursue you again, or if there’s another reason?” Li Yuwei finished her sentence.

Sheng Qingli: “…… That’s about right.”

Li Yuwei: “If you’re afraid to ask, then just observe more.”

She understood Sheng Qingli well and closed her eyes, saying, “You’ll sense it eventually.”

Sheng Qingli froze.

“And—” Li Yuwei opened her eyes to look at her.

Sheng Qingli: “What?”

“I think, rather than confirming Pei Qingci’s feelings for you, you need to determine your own feelings first.” Li Yuwei was blunt. “Do you still like him? Do you want to be with him again?”

She paused, looking at Sheng Qingli, and continued, “As long as you want it, the rest won’t be a problem.”

Sheng Qingli remained silent.

Li Yuwei was genuinely feeling a bit sleepy now. “Let’s not talk anymore; let’s sleep.”

“Mm.” Sheng Qingli turned over. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

Before long, Li Yuwei fell asleep.

Sheng Qingli listened to her steady breathing and gazed at the tightly drawn curtains.

As long as she wanted, would there be no problems between her and Pei Qingci?

Sheng Qingli recalled Li Yuwei’s words.

Naturally, she thought of when she and Pei Qingci had just started dating.

They had been together for over a year, but the actual time they spent together wasn’t as long as she had imagined.

At that time, both she and Pei Qingci were new to the industry, having just signed their contracts.

Pei Qingci had stumbled into the entertainment industry, and Sheng Qingli was not much different. She had studied fashion design, and having skipped a grade in childhood, she was only twenty when looking for internships.

Internships were hard to come by.

Sheng Qingli had searched for a month in Beicheng without success.

When her mother found out, she called to ask her to come home. Being from Nancheng, Sheng Qingli was alone in Beicheng, and her family was understandably worried.

Sheng Qingli didn’t want to give up so easily.

One day, by chance, Li Yuwei asked her to accompany her to an audition for a new role.

It was also a coincidence that on that day, Sheng Qingli’s former agent, Teng Wenhua, brought a newcomer to the audition and spotted her.

Knowing that she was accompanying a friend, Teng Wenhua asked her if she had any interest in debuting as a star. Sheng Qingli shook her head without hesitation. After her refusal, Teng Wenhua wasn’t angry; he handed her a business card so she could think it over and call him if she changed her mind.

After Li Yuwei finished her audition, Sheng Qingli told her about this.

Li Yuwei felt that she could give it a try. She had always thought Sheng Qingli’s looks and charisma were suited for the big screen, but personally, she wasn’t very interested in becoming a star.

A week later, Sheng Qingli’s resume seemed to have vanished without a trace.

When Ms. Sheng called again to urge her to come home, she noticed the business card on her desk. In that moment, she wasn’t sure what she was thinking. After brushing off Ms. Sheng’s call once more, she dialed the number on the card.

Afterward, she successfully signed a contract with the agency.

Later on, she was fortunate to be noticed by the director of “Love Vow,” who chose her for the role of Bian Yue.

From then on, Sheng Qingli began her acting career.

Her debut was smooth, including her role as Bian Yue and other roles she received after completing “Love Vow.”

The only thing that didn’t go smoothly was her love life.

When Sheng Qingli was with Pei Qingci, they were somewhat naive, lacking sufficient understanding of society and the entertainment industry.

The biggest setback she faced growing up was probably the resumes she sent out during her internship that went unanswered.

Her relationship with Pei Qingci couldn’t be hidden from her manager and assistant.

They quickly found out.

Teng Wenhua disapproved of Sheng Qingli dating Pei Qingci. Although both were actors, they had just debuted and had no foundation. Even if “Love Vow” made them popular, it didn’t change anything.

There were plenty of fleeting stars in the industry.

However, Sheng Qingli insisted that she didn’t think her relationship with Pei Qingci would affect anything.

When Teng Wenhua heard her say this, he smiled knowingly but didn’t speak.

At that time, Sheng Qingli didn’t notice anything unusual.

In the end, unable to persuade her to break up, Teng Wenhua made an agreement with her that their relationship should remain a secret. Aside from those who already knew, no one else could be told.

If their relationship were to be exposed, he wouldn’t allow Sheng Qingli to continue it.

Sheng Qingli agreed.

In fact, Teng Wenhua did not interfere with Sheng Qingli’s relationship with Pei Qingci.

It was just that they were too young, and their influence was too limited; many things were beyond their control. At that time, they didn’t have the right to choose their work; they had to do whatever their manager arranged.

The time they spent apart was much greater than the time they spent together.

Messages sent out went unanswered for a long time; they could go a month or two without seeing each other.

As time passed, naturally, conflicts arose.

…

Sheng Qingli’s breakup with Pei Qingci seemed to be expected by Teng Wenhua.

When he learned they had broken up, he said nothing but arranged plenty of work for Sheng Qingli.

She was so overwhelmed with work that she hardly had time to sort through her feelings about the breakup.

By the time she came to her senses, she and Pei Qingci had been apart for several months. Her fan base was skyrocketing, and the works she had filmed were achieving great success.

Teng Wenhua was very pleased with the series of effects following her breakup. When she came across news online about Pei Qingci terminating his contract with the company, Teng Wenhua glanced at it and said to her with a smile, “Don’t you think Pei Qingci is quite detrimental to your career? Look how well you’re doing now.”

Gaining fame and fortune.

Sheng Qingli didn’t respond.

Not long after, Pei Qingci sought her out.

This was also why Sheng Qingli would say such a thing.

She didn’t want her work affected by Pei Qingci, nor did she want Pei Qingci’s career impacted because of her.

---

The next morning, Sheng Qingli woke up to find traces of tears on her face.

She must have dreamed of something that made her cry. She took a moment in bed, then got up and changed her clothes.

Li Yuwei was still sleeping. Sheng Qingli quietly finished washing up and left the room.

As she stepped out, she noticed the door across from hers was tightly shut.

After glancing at it, she turned and went downstairs to have breakfast with Tong Tong.

After eating, the two of them headed to the set.

What Sheng Qingli didn’t expect was that when she and Tong Tong arrived at the set, Director Zhong and Pei Qingci were already there.

She instinctively looked at the day’s shooting schedule; Pei Qingci had two scenes, but they were both at night. Why was he here so early?

Noticing her presence, Pei Qingci lifted his eyelids to look over.

Zhong Hongmao also saw her and waved gently, “Qingli.”

Sheng Qingli walked over. “Director Zhong, Mr. Pei.”

Zhong Hongmao nodded, “What brings you here so early?”

Sheng Qingli replied, “I came to familiarize myself with the place.”

She preferred to arrive early on set to get acquainted with the surroundings and prepare herself.

She bit her lip and softly said, “I didn’t expect Director Zhong and Mr. Pei to be here so early.”

Zhong Hongmao chuckled and remarked, “Less sleep as I get older; as for Qingci… he’s here to learn.”

Sheng Qingli was taken aback, looking at Pei Qingci in surprise. “Learn?”

Zhong Hongmao replied, “Yes.”

He smiled brightly and continued, “Qingli probably doesn’t know, but he—”

“Director Zhong.” Pei Qingci interrupted him, “Your breakfast has arrived.”

Zhong Hongmao: “……”

Knowing that Pei Qingci was trying to stop him from continuing, he glanced at him and ignored him. “Alright, it doesn’t matter about you all.”

He stood up. “Have you eaten Qingli? Let’s eat together?”

Sheng Qingli: “You all go ahead; I’ve already eaten.”

Zhong Hongmao replied in acknowledgment.

Watching Zhong Hongmao walk away, Sheng Qingli turned to the person next to her. “You haven’t had breakfast yet?”

Pei Qingci hummed in response. “Let’s go get makeup done first.”

Sheng Qingli hesitated but nodded.

Entering the makeup room, Sheng Qingli recalled the half-finished sentence Zhong Hongmao had said earlier.

As a ridiculous thought flashed through her mind, she quickly opened her phone, found the familiar number, and typed out a message: “Why do you want to learn from Director Zhong? Are you… considering changing careers?”

Pei Qingci: “Sort of.”

Sheng Qingli: “…… You’re not planning to act anymore?”

Pei Qingci: “I’ve been acting for many years.”

Upon seeing this message, Sheng Qingli froze.

He has been acting for so many years, so he doesn’t want to act anymore? What about his fans? What about his film enthusiasts?

Frowning, Sheng Qingli lowered her eyes and asked, “Is this your last work?”

Pei Qingci: “Not necessarily.”

Sheng Qingli sighed in relief.

As long as it’s not the case.

If this movie were Pei Qingci’s last, she couldn’t imagine how devastated his fans would be.

Staring at her phone absentmindedly for a moment, Sheng Qingli thought about it and asked, “Is it just because you’ve acted for so many years that you don’t want to anymore?”

Pei Qingci: “No.”

Sheng Qingli: “Then what is it?”

Is it because there aren’t any good scripts? Or a good crew?

It shouldn’t be.

While she was randomly guessing, Pei Qingci sent a message: “Being a director is more freeing than being an actor.”

Sheng Qingli hesitated. “Really?”

She didn’t believe it. She thought being a director was tiring and even limiting. Besides, she always believed Pei Qingci enjoyed acting.

Pei Qingci truly did enjoy acting.

If he weren’t interested in acting, he wouldn’t have entered the industry, much less stayed in it for so many years.

However, besides acting, he had many other interests.

Life offers many different choices, and decisions made at each stage can vary.

Pei Qingci: “It is.”

Seeing Pei Qingci’s firm reply, Sheng Qingli felt confused.

Noticing the silence on her end, Pei Qingci sent another message: “Why don’t you ask why?”

Instinctively, Sheng Qingli typed out three words: “Why?”

Why does he think being a director is more freeing than being an actor?

Pei Qingci: “Being a director has one advantage over being an actor.”

Sheng Qingli: “What advantage?”

Pei Qingci: “Private life.”

Sheng Qingli’s breath caught.

A ridiculous thought flashed through her mind.

After a moment, she couldn’t help but confirm with him: “The freedom in private life you mentioned refers to… which aspect of freedom?”

Pei Qingci: “Feelings.”