Chapter 8

A bolt from the blue.

Sheng Qingli never thought that one day she would act alongside Pei Qingci again, and the script they would be given would be a master-disciple romance. And what’s more, she would be the one who loves but cannot have.

Although, when she first thought Pei Qingci was going to play the male lead, she had already analyzed that he was actually more suited to the role of the master in the script.

But she never expected him to actually take it.

First of all, this character is a supporting role, with very little screen time in the film.

Secondly, Pei Qingci always retreats for several months after finishing a movie. Why didn’t he this time? And his management team—why would they agree to let him play a supporting role in a film alongside her and another lead actor?!

“Did Xiang Rong and his team not consider how much uproar the fans would cause when the official announcement comes out?!”

For a moment, Sheng Qingli felt like her CPU was about to burn out.

Noticing something was off with her, Li Yuwei walked up to her and waved, “What’s going on?”

Sheng Qingli, dazed, shook her head, “Nothing.”

“Nothing?” Li Yuwei frowned. “You don’t look too good. Weren’t you going to talk to the screenwriter about the script?”

Sheng Qingli, in a daze, nodded and asked, “Do you remember when I told you the general plot of Director Zhong’s new movie?”

“Yeah, I remember,” Li Yuwei responded. “Is there something wrong with the script?”

Sheng Qingli smiled faintly, “Not exactly.”

“Then what is it—” Before Li Yuwei could finish, Sheng Qingli interrupted, “In the script, I have a master I secretly admire. Do you remember that?”

Li Yuwei nodded, “And then?”

Sheng Qingli tilted her head up, looking at her with a defeated expression, “The screenwriter just told me that Pei Qingci accepted the role.”

“?”

Li Yuwei was stunned for a few seconds before exclaiming, “Really?!”

“…”

Seeing the uncontrollable excitement on her face, Sheng Qingli said flatly, “What do you think?”

Li Yuwei blinked, trying her best to suppress her excitement and first asked about her friend’s feelings, “So you don’t want to pair up with Pei Qingci again?”

“Of course I—” Sheng Qingli stopped mid-sentence, the words “don’t want to” suddenly unable to leave her lips.

It wasn’t about whether she wanted to or not. It was that she never thought she’d actually pair up with Pei Qingci again, especially in this way.

“You don’t ‘not want to,’ you just never thought about it?” Li Yuwei said, reading her hesitation.

Sheng Qingli let out a soft hum, “I hadn’t thought about it before.”

But after having dinner with Director Zhong a few days ago, she had considered it.

Li Yuwei nodded knowingly, “So, what’s your conclusion after thinking about it?”

Before Sheng Qingli could answer, Li Yuwei asked another critical question, “Do you have any resistance to acting with him?”

Sheng Qingli remained silent for a moment before slowly shaking her head.

To be honest, even though their current relationship as exes was a bit awkward, Sheng Qingli never had any real objection to acting with Pei Qingci, neither in the past nor now.

In fact, when she watched his performances in theaters, she even felt… the urge to act alongside him.

Pei Qingci was an excellent co-star. His dedication to acting, as well as his skills, spoke for him.

Sheng Qingli vaguely recalled that a veteran actor in the industry once described acting with Pei Qingci using just four words— “utterly satisfying.”

Pei Qingci was the type of actor who got into character quickly, and he had the ability to pull his co-actors into the scene with him.

People often praised Sheng Qingli as a “natural talent,” but in reality, Pei Qingci was the one who truly embodied those words.

After getting Sheng Qingli’s response, Li Yuwei said, “Then that’s fine.”

Sheng Qingli was confused, “Huh?”

Li Yuwei glanced at her, saying softly, “If you don’t mind acting with Pei Qingci, then there’s nothing to worry about.”

She saw things simply.

Sheng Qingli paused, “It’s still a little awkward, though.”

Li Yuwei: “Didn’t you say he doesn’t have many scenes? He’ll probably only stay with the crew for two weeks at most, right?”

Sheng Qingli hesitantly nodded.

Maybe not even two weeks.

Li Yuwei spread her hands and comforted her, “Just bear with it for two weeks.”

Sheng Qingli was speechless.

Li Yuwei asked again, “Any other problems?”

“…None that I can think of right now,” Sheng Qingli said sincerely.

Li Yuwei nodded, “Alright, it’s just past eight. You can chat with the screenwriter slowly. I’ll head out first.”

Watching Li Yuwei leave the study, Sheng Qingli slumped onto the desk, confused. Could things really be that simple?

Suddenly, her phone buzzed.

Sheng Qingli picked it up. It was a message from the screenwriter: “I’m ready. Shall we have a video chat?”

Sheng Qingli: “Sure.”

She quickly composed herself, opened her tablet, and connected the video call with the screenwriter.

As soon as the call connected, before Sheng Qingli could speak, the screenwriter said, “Ms. Sheng, today we’re mainly discussing the emotional scenes between you and your master in the film. Would it be okay if I invite Mr. Pei to join us for the discussion?”

During the dinner the other day, Pei Qingci didn’t participate much in the script discussion. He only spoke when Director Zhong asked him directly, but even then, every word he contributed gave the screenwriter a lot of inspiration.

So, the screenwriter wanted to bring him into the conversation.

Hearing this, the calmness Sheng Qingli had just managed to gather almost collapsed. She took a deep breath and pretended to be calm, “That’s fine. But is Mr. Pei available at this time?”

She had arranged this meeting with the screenwriter in advance, rushing home right after dinner.

Pei Qingci might not be so available. He was with Ying Zheng, and it wasn’t likely that he’d head home right after dinner.

Ying Zheng loved to drink and had many other random activities.

Back when Sheng Qingli and Pei Qingci were dating, Ying Zheng often called Pei to ask him out for drinks. Most of the time, Pei would refuse, but he had gone out with him two or three times.

Screenwriter: “I’ll message him and ask?”

Sheng Qingli: “Sure.”

After agreeing, Sheng Qingli silently prayed… for Pei Qingci to not be home.

She had only just accepted that they were going to act as master and disciple. She wasn’t ready to see him yet.

Unfortunately, Sheng Qingli’s hopes were dashed.

Pei Qingci replied to the screenwriter’s message in seconds, saying he was free and could join.

At this point, Sheng Qingli was truly in despair.

—

Three minutes later, the three of them started their first video call together.

As soon as Sheng Qingli looked up, she could see the familiar, cold, and deep face on the right.

She glanced at him and was about to look away when she suddenly noticed Pei Qingci stretching his hand to the right, toward a spot they couldn’t see, making a stroking motion.

Sheng Qingli slowly blinked, still not fully processing what had just happened. The screenwriter, who also saw the same scene, spoke up, “Mr. Pei, is there someone beside you?”

“…”

Did they just stumble upon some insider gossip?!

Hearing this, Pei Qingci smiled slightly, a hint of indulgence and helplessness in his eyes. “It’s not a person.”

He simply picked up the cat that had been lounging by the computer and said to the two of them, “It’s a cat.”

After seeing the cat clearly, Sheng Qingli froze.

At the same time, the overly curious cat stared wide-eyed at the camera, as if it had noticed something, and began meowing.

The screenwriter was delighted, “Oh my god, did it just notice us?”

Most people can’t resist a cute, well-behaved kitten, especially one as beautiful as the ragdoll cat Pei Qingci owned. The screenwriter was no exception. She couldn’t hide her affection for the cat and asked, “When did Teacher Pei get a cat?”

The screenwriter was a half-fan of Pei Qingci. Although she didn’t often follow celebrity gossip online, she did keep up with his Weibo. In her memory, Pei Qingci had never mentioned owning a cat in any public setting.

Pei Qingci glanced at the camera, looking at the people lost in thought, and said in a calm voice, “A few years ago.”

The screenwriter was surprised, “What’s your cat’s name, Teacher Pei?”

Pei Qingci: “Trophy.”

Screenwriter: “What?”

She couldn’t believe that Pei Qingci would give a cat such a slightly “vulgar” name.

“Trophy,” Pei Qingci patiently repeated.

The screenwriter blinked, jokingly asking, “Are you superstitious, Mr. Pei?”

“I didn’t name it,” Pei Qingci stated indifferently.

The screenwriter understood and tactfully didn’t ask who had named it.

She thought to herself, there’s no way someone as aloof as Pei Qingci would give a cat such a straightforward name as “Trophy.”

“It’s very beautiful,” the screenwriter complimented the cat and sought Sheng Qingli’s agreement, “Right, Teacher Sheng?”

“…”

Sheng Qingli, who had been called out, snapped out of her daze. She glanced at the cat across the screen, which was staring right back at her, and nervously pressed her lips together, “Yes.”

Pei Qingci lifted his gaze and looked deeply at her, giving her a hard time, “Yes, what?”

Sheng Qingli felt like he was doing this on purpose. She opened her mouth and, looking at the cat staring back at her, said, “It’s very beautiful.”

Ragdoll cats are known for their beauty. Even when Sheng Qingli had first found it, it was small and thin, looking quite pitiful, with its original appearance obscured by dirt.

But after being taken to the vet for a bath and a checkup, Sheng Qingli saw its true appearance.

She vaguely remembered the vet telling her that the kitten she had picked up would grow up to be very beautiful.

At that time, Sheng Qingli had been half skeptical.

But now, she finally believed — the vet hadn’t lied to her.

After hearing Sheng Qingli’s words, Pei Qingci lowered his eyelashes and gently stroked the cat’s head, whispering something in its ear.

A moment later, the cat obediently jumped off the desk and left.

Once the cat had gone, the three of them finally remembered the real reason for the video call that evening.

Director Zhong was preparing a martial arts film that had been in the works for a while. The story mainly revolved around Sheng Qingli’s character, depicting the ups and downs and vengeful journey of her life.

When she was six, her family was annihilated.

Afterward, she was adopted by her master, Pei Qingci’s character, who taught her martial arts and swordsmanship, leading to her eventual revenge.

The plot is simple, but the filming is quite difficult.

In the martial arts film, Sheng Qingli’s character has almost all fight scenes, with emotional scenes making up less than ten percent. Aside from a brief crush on her master during her youth, the rest of her romantic entanglement is with a swordsman she meets while seeking revenge, who falls in love with her at first sight.

Of the two romantic arcs in the script, the one with her master is more complex.

Her feelings for her master evolve from admiration and worship to romantic longing and eventually, the confession of her feelings. The screenwriter wanted to ensure this emotional progression was clear, smooth, and deeply moving.

Similarly, the screenwriter wanted to ask the two actors: after the female lead confesses and is rejected by her master, what would she do in her master’s room before leaving, to officially say goodbye to this chapter of her life?

And how should the master react so that the audience understands that he, too, has feelings for his apprentice?

As they discussed this, the screenwriter asked Sheng Qingli, “Ms. Sheng, from your perspective, what would she do in her master’s room before leaving after her confession is rejected?”

The scene is set late at night. After being rejected during the day, the female lead packs her bags to leave.

She is determined to seek revenge.

But as she prepares to leave, she still feels a deep sense of reluctance.

This reluctance drives her to sneak into her master’s room before departing.

Upon hearing the screenwriter’s question, Sheng Qingli tried to maintain a professional tone, “I think—”

Before she could share her thoughts, the screenwriter had an idea, “Steal a kiss?”

Those two words left everyone on both sides of the camera momentarily stunned.

The screenwriter was enthusiastic, “She’s leaving with the mindset that she’ll never return, so given her bold and passionate nature, there’s no way she’d just sneak a glance and leave. She’d definitely do something.”

The screenwriter rationalized, “So stealing a kiss from her master is something she would dare to do, and might very well do. What do you two think?”

Sheng Qingli remained silent.

From a professional perspective, it was true. After reading the script multiple times, she understood her character’s personality very well.

So the idea of stealing a kiss was entirely plausible.

After all, before confessing her feelings, this character had already faked a twisted ankle to make her master carry her, among other things that hinted at her youthful feelings.

Noticing the silence between the two of them, the screenwriter hesitated, “Do you both think it’s inappropriate?”

Pei Qingci was about to speak when Sheng Qingli interjected, “Will this script… be broadcastable if filmed?”

The screenwriter responded, “There shouldn’t be a major issue. Movies generally have more leeway than TV shows, as long as you’re okay with it.”

At this point, Sheng Qingli couldn’t directly say there was a problem.

She pondered for a moment and then said softly, “Let’s leave this point undecided for now. I’d like to see the revised script first.”

“Sure,” the screenwriter agreed, “If it’s not suitable, we can make small adjustments once filming begins.”

Sheng Qingli wearily nodded.

–

After discussing for nearly two hours and analyzing the key plot points, the video call finally ended.

At the moment she turned off the video, Sheng Qingli felt as if she had lost half her life.

After a moment of recovery, she dragged her tired body out of the study.

Seeing her appear, Li Yuwei, who was playing games with a friend, raised her eyebrows. “Done with the chat?”

Sheng Qingli replied with a sound of agreement and sat down beside her.

Noticing her exhausted appearance, Li Yuwei asked with a smile, “Was the conversation not smooth?”

“Not really,” Sheng Qingli leaned on her shoulder and said, “The screenwriter also called Pei Qingci.”

Li Yuwei’s eyes widened. “And then?”

Sheng Qingli said, “Nothing much. We just discussed the plot normally.”

Li Yuwei responded with an “Oh,” and said, “Not interesting.”

Sheng Qingli, annoyed, gave her a kick and suddenly said, “But I saw the trophy.”

“What?” Li Yuwei was taken aback, then realized, “The one you found and asked Pei Qingci to take care of, the little kitten?”

Sheng Qingli nodded.

When Sheng Qingli found the kitten by the roadside, she knew she wasn’t suitable to keep it as she was allergic to cat hair. She originally intended to take the kitten to a hospital for treatment and then find someone to adopt it once it recovered.

But the kitten was very attached to Sheng Qingli and ignored everyone else, including the doctors.

The doctor suggested that Sheng Qingli should find an owner that the kitten also liked.

At that time, Sheng Qingli had few friends, and after asking around, everyone said they didn’t have time or energy. Everyone was very busy.

With no other choice, Sheng Qingli decided to take the kitten home and see if she could manage by taking allergy medication.

The next day after bringing it home, Pei Qingci returned from filming.

Unexpectedly, the kitten liked Pei Qingci.

Originally, the kitten followed Sheng Qingli wherever she went, and after Pei Qingci returned, it followed him around.

Sheng Qingli discussed with Pei Qingci about him taking care of the kitten.

Pei Qingci pondered for a moment and said, “I can take care of it, but you’re allergic to cat hair.”

During their vacation time, they basically stayed together, so there was little difference whether Pei Qingci or Sheng Qingli took care of the kitten.

At that time, Sheng Qingli didn’t think much and casually said, “You take care of it first. I’m about to start filming. If it really doesn’t work out, I’ll take allergy medication when we’re together.”

Pei Qingci frowned and refused, saying that taking too much medication wasn’t good.

After thinking for a long time, he said, “I’ll take it home. My grandmother should like it.”

Sheng Qingli hesitated and nodded, “Alright, but we need to see if it likes your grandmother.”

When discussing this, Sheng Qingli didn’t expect to break up with Pei Qingci soon after.

She also didn’t expect that Pei Qingci would continue to keep the kitten after they parted ways.

…

“What? Pei Qingci has been keeping the kitten all this time?” Li Yuwei was as surprised as Sheng Qingli.

Sheng Qingli nodded.

“What does it look like now?” Li Yuwei asked curiously, “Is it pretty?”

Sheng Qingli gave her a glance. “Pretty.”

“Do you have any photos?”

“Where would I get photos?” Sheng Qingli was puzzled.

Li Yuwei said, “Didn’t you see it on camera? Didn’t you take a screenshot?”

Sheng Qingli: “…”

She hadn’t thought about taking screenshots at that moment.

After a few seconds of silence, Li Yuwei sighed, “Looks like I’ll have to wait a while to see the trophy.”

“…” Sheng Qingli was speechless, “If you want to see the kitten, I’ll find some cat pictures for you on Weibo.”

As she said this, she opened Weibo to search and saw the trending topic at the top—#Pei Qingci Shows Cat#