Chapter 6

Entering the courtyard, Sheng Qingli immediately understood why a reservation was required so far in advance.

It wasn’t just the prime location; the courtyard’s garden design was unique and exquisite, with a high degree of privacy. Each dining room was enclosed separately. After passing through the lush Begonia Garden and crossing the central koi pond, Sheng Qingli and the others headed towards the western dining room.

The private room was spacious and bright, with walls adorned with new Chinese-style wall lamps. The lampshades depicted tall bamboo, casting dappled light and creating a tranquil and elegant atmosphere.

“Make yourselves comfortable,” Ying Zheng said, exchanging a glance with Li Yuwei. He instructed the waiter to bring the menu to the two ladies, saying, “Ladies first.”

Sheng Qingli let Li Yuwei choose. She needed to control her diet as she would soon join a new filming project, so she skipped over several of her favorite dishes and restrained herself to ordering a simple dish of blanched vegetables.

In contrast, Li Yuwei, who could eat as much as she wanted without gaining weight, didn’t hold back.

After ordering, Ying Zheng, unable to tolerate the silence, cleared his throat and started chatting with Li Yuwei. They had known each other for a while and even played cards together.

Though it had been some time since they last met, their familiarity made the conversation flow easily.

Sheng Qingli, listening to their chat, was lost in thought. Suddenly, her phone, which was lying on the table, vibrated.

It was a message from the scriptwriter, asking if she was free later that evening to discuss some script changes.

After the dinner party last time, the scriptwriter had made some revisions and wanted to get Sheng Qingli’s opinion on the new storyline and characters.

Seeing the message, Sheng Qingli quickly replied, “I’m at dinner right now. Can we talk after 8?”

The scriptwriter responded, “That’s fine. Take your time; we can discuss it at 9 or 10.”

After agreeing with the scriptwriter, Sheng Qingli put her phone down.

A glass of warm water was placed in front of her. As she picked it up and took a sip, she inadvertently looked up and saw a smooth and refined profile gazing out the window.

The weather in Beicheng was poor; by just after six o’clock, the sun had completely disappeared. The courtyard was illuminated by scattered streetlights, and even the window frames of the dining rooms were adorned with elegant lanterns. The lanterns cast a weak light, which, falling from above, made Pei Qingci’s profile appear even more handsome and deep.

Since the first time Sheng Qingli saw Pei Qingci, she had known how attractive he was.

She was a very typical and serious beauty enthusiast. Whenever they argued, just seeing Pei Qingci’s face and those dreamily captivating peach blossom eyes would make her anger dissipate without reason.

Seeing him, she couldn’t stay mad.

It was also for this reason that she chose to inform him of their breakup via text.

Lost in her thoughts, Sheng Qingli didn’t realize she had been staring at Pei Qingci for too long.

Until Pei Qingci turned his head slowly and looked at her, speaking in a calm and unhurried manner, she suddenly came back to her senses.

“What’s up?”

As soon as he spoke, the two people nearby, who had been making small talk, turned their attention toward them.

Sheng Qingli’s breath caught slightly. She bit her lip and tried to stay composed, asking, “What?”

She didn’t believe Pei Qingci would ask her—right in front of Ying Zheng and Li Yuwei—why she was looking at him.

However, Pei Qingci’s lips curled slightly, his brows furrowed slightly, and his gentle gaze landed on her face. “Does Miss Sheng have something to say to me?”

Sheng Qingli didn’t know how he had figured it out. After a moment, she replied, “No, I don’t.”

“Is that so?” Pei Qingci’s tone was indifferent. He took a sip of tea from the table and continued leisurely, “Miss Sheng was staring at me so intently; I thought you had something to say.”

Sheng Qingli: “…”

Why was he so self-centered? When did she stare at him so intently? She had merely glanced a bit longer.

Feeling a bit choked, Sheng Qingli wanted to retort, but considering Ying Zheng and Li Yuwei were present, she held back.

After a few internal complaints, Sheng Qingli forced a smile and said, “Pei Qingci, you’ve misunderstood. I don’t have anything to say.”

Pei Qingci: “…”

The two bystanders exchanged glances, noting Pei Qingci’s darkening expression, and subtly shrank back.

Sheng Qingli’s words… were a bit hurtful.

Just then, a knock on the door signaled the arrival of the food.

The waiter came in with the dishes.

Ying Zheng cleared his throat and made an effort to smooth things over, “Let’s eat first. We can discuss anything after the meal.”

Li Yuwei chimed in while furiously texting Sheng Qingli under the table, “What’s going on with you and Pei Qingci? Didn’t you two break up on good terms? Why is there such tension now?”

Li Yuwei: “Is there something I don’t know?”

Li Yuwei: “Tell me quickly!!”

She was eager for gossip.

Sheng Qingli glanced at her vibrating phone, slightly speechless. She put her phone on silent and gave Li Yuwei a look.

Li Yuwei, feeling a bit awkward, leaned in and whispered, “Answer me after dinner.”

Seeing the two people opposite them whispering, Ying Zheng kicked Pei Qingci under the table, silently asking with his eyes—what’s going on?

Pei Qingci glanced at him and didn’t respond.

Without a solution, Ying Zheng could only awkwardly continue chatting with Li Yuwei.

As they ate and talked, Sheng Qingli occasionally chimed in. However, she spent more time struggling with the food on the table.

Sheng Qingli knew she had poor self-control when it came to food, so she had been very restrained while ordering.

What she didn’t expect was that the other three had ordered quite a lot, and among them, there were dishes that she couldn’t take her eyes off and felt unable to resist. Sheng Qingli is a carnivore with a taste for sweet and sour flavors.

The table had dishes she loved, like plum ribs, sweet and sour crystal shrimp balls, and steamed red crab.

When the plum ribs came around for the third time, Sheng Qingli couldn’t hold back and reached for a piece. However, just as she was about to take it, the ribs were taken away.

Sheng Qingli: “…”

She looked up unhappily, only to find that the person moving the ribs was Li Yuwei.

Well then.

It seemed fate didn’t want her to indulge.

Sheng Qingli convinced herself not to eat too much, thinking she’d have to run on the treadmill for half an hour when she got home.

She lowered her head, not noticing that the person diagonally opposite had discreetly moved their hand away from the revolving tray before she lifted her gaze.

–

Sheng Qingli felt a bit frustrated during this meal. She put down her chopsticks after a few bites.

When Li Yuwei had almost finished eating, Sheng Qingli said she was going to the restroom.

Li Yuwei turned, “Shall I accompany you?”

“No need,” Sheng Qingli declined, “I’ll ask the waiter to show me the way.”

After leaving the private room, Sheng Qingli asked the waiter stationed at the door for directions to the restroom.

Following the waiter’s instructions, Sheng Qingli wandered around and found the restroom. Just as she was about to go in, someone standing at the sink called out to her, “Sheng Qingli.”

Sheng Qingli turned and was momentarily taken aback when she saw the person calling her, “What a coincidence.”

“It is somewhat coincidental,” Yin Miaojing said with a smile, “Are you here with friends?”

Sheng Qingli replied vaguely, not wanting to talk much.

Noticing her reluctance, Yin Miaojing smiled and did not press further, “I’ll go ahead.”

Sheng Qingli nodded dismissively.

What Sheng Qingli didn’t expect was that after leaving the restroom, she would still see Yin Miaojing.

This time, she wasn’t alone. Yin Miaojing was accompanied by someone Sheng Qingli knew very well. The two were standing face to face, and from Sheng Qingli’s angle, their figures seemed quite fitting.

Suddenly, Sheng Qingli thought of the media reporters and various netizens’ comments about the two.

Online, besides some fans shipping Pei Qingci and Sheng Qingli as the “eating pear” CP, there was a large fanbase for the “Qingci Miaojing” pairing between Pei Qingci and Yin Miaojing.

They had collaborated after Sheng Qingli and Pei Qingci’s film was released. Initially, Yin Miaojing was not well received by netizens and fans.

When Sheng Qingli and Pei Qingci’s movie became a huge hit, CP fans were hoping for a sequel with the two leads and did not want any other actresses to appear. Many sharp and excessive attacks were directed at Yin Miaojing.

Before Sheng Qingli’s rise to fame, she had played a supporting role in the same production as Yin Miaojing, making them acquaintances.

Later, Yin Miaojing proactively asked for Sheng Qingli’s contact information, suggesting they go shopping together sometime.

At that time, Sheng Qingli had few friends and wasn’t very sociable, so she accepted Yin Miaojing’s overture.

Thus, when Yin Miaojing expressed her frustrations about taking that role and how she regretted it, Sheng Qingli supported her publicly, praising and forwarding the official announcement for Yin Miaojing on Weibo.

Later, when Sheng Qingli was interviewed at an event, she sincerely said that Yin Miaojing was more suited for the role and she trusted the director and the production team’s judgment.

In all fairness, Yin Miaojing was indeed more suitable for that role.

Her appearance was gentle and refined, with an innate warmth that made people feel comfortable, whereas Sheng Qingli was more imposing with a strikingly glamorous look.

Thus, the role of a considerate and gentle wife did not suit her.

With Sheng Qingli’s public support, the film’s director, production team, and even Pei Qingci, under Sheng Qingli’s request, all liked and forwarded the official announcement for Yin Miaojing on Weibo.

Naturally, the “eating pear” CP fans were disappointed, feeling betrayed by their idols and declaring they would unfollow.

Sheng Qingli and Pei Qingci couldn’t always be paired together; they were actors and had to work with other artists.

Moreover, at that time, despite their box office success, they were still considered newcomers in the entertainment industry.

Both their companies felt they needed to separate and collaborate with other artists.

What Sheng Qingli didn’t expect was that as Pei Qingci and Yin Miaojing continued working together and their interactions were photographed, their CP fans grew in number.

They even had a pleasant CP name—“Qingci Miaojing.”

It sounded fresh and elegant, fitting their artistic identity.

The media also praised their compatibility, describing them as a perfect match, one cold and one warm, a golden couple.

These were things Sheng Qingli only learned after spending over two months filming in a remote area with poor signal.

When she first learned about it, she felt slightly uncomfortable.

The subsequent events were the key to the falling out between her and Yin Miaojing, leading to no further contact.

Upon realizing this, Sheng Qingli’s expression grew slightly cold. The frustration from not having had a satisfying dinner became even more apparent.

As she considered whether to pretend not to see and walk away or to approach and make some snide remarks, someone not far away noticed her presence. A pair of dark, bright eyes fell on her, and a voice, soft and deep, called her, “Li Li.”

“Come here.”

Sheng Qingli was momentarily stunned. Seeing Yin Miaojing’s expression of shock, disbelief, and disappointment, she faintly lifted her lips and walked over with a vengeful intent. “What do you need me for?”

She asked Pei Qingci with less than polite curiosity.

Pei Qingci lowered his eyes, not missing the fleeting slyness in her gaze. He placed his hand on her shoulder, familiar and natural, “What are you standing there for?”

At the moment Pei Qingci’s warm, strong arm touched her, Sheng Qingli’s mind went blank. What was he doing? Even if he was pretending, did he need to go this far?

The distance between them was so close that she could smell the familiar cool, woody fragrance on him.

Pei Qingci wasn’t fond of using perfume, nor did he need to.

But Sheng Qingli liked it and enjoyed buying it.

When they were in a flirtatious phase, Sheng Qingli had chosen the most suitable fragrance for Pei Qingci—a cool, woody scent, like a desolate forest after rain, cold and refreshing.

“Why are you silent?” Pei Qingci’s voice once again drifted into her ears, floating.

Sheng Qingli snapped back to reality, pinched Pei Qingci in a place where Yin Miaojing couldn’t see, and smiled brightly, “Nothing much.”

Pei Qingci: “Then why aren’t you coming over?”

“I was afraid of interrupting your conversation with Ms. Yin.” Sheng Qingli said with exaggerated understanding, though she was inwardly seething.

Hearing this, Pei Qingci raised his eyebrows slightly and smiled faintly, “No worries. I just happened to run into Ms. Yin and exchanged a few words.”

He paused and deliberately added, “There’s nothing here that you can’t hear.”

Sheng Qingli: “…”

Could it be that he’s really acting?