Chapter 48: Reconciliation
After the assistant and Jiang Lingling finished their discussion about braised pig’s feet, the car fell silent.
Jiang Lingling wanted to say something to lighten the mood, but seeing the two in the back, their expressions serious and sitting upright in silence, she swallowed her words. Sigh, she shouldn’t have offered Ji Junxin a ride. She didn’t even have the chance to gossip with Mi Hongdou about the story of Lu Gaoshi and Jiang Dingyi, how boring.
Actors usually had to wake up before dawn to get their makeup and costumes done if they had morning scenes. Lack of sleep made them drowsy when they finally had a chance to relax. No one spoke in the car. Even the assistant was focused on driving, motivated by the promise of braised pig’s feet. Jiang Lingling, looking left and right, quickly became bored and drowsy.
The person in the passenger seat nodded off, her head drooping, and soon fell asleep. Ji Junxin glanced at Mi Hongdou from the corner of her eye, her fingers tracing patterns on her phone. She wanted to ask about her stomach.
At the same time, Mi Hongdou also wanted to talk to Ji Junxin. Of course, not about her stomach, but about road safety. But the words caught in her throat, and she no longer had the courage she had when slapping Zhang Zijing’s hand away. Her earlier words about acting and friendship had upset Ji Junxin, and she didn’t know if she was still angry… Anxious, Mi Hongdou didn’t even dare to glance at Ji Junxin.
Regretting something so much that your guts turned green, that was probably Mi Hongdou’s current state.
There were four people in the car, and she didn’t even have a chance to apologize to Ji Junxin. But even if she had the chance, she probably wouldn’t know what to say. What nonsense had she said earlier! Mi Hongdou sighed silently and strained her ears, listening to the breathing beside her. Was it light or heavy? Was she still angry? They were sitting so close, she could almost smell Ji Junxin’s scent, yet they felt so far apart, as if Ji Junxin had gone to a place she couldn’t reach.
After a while, Ji Junxin couldn’t take it anymore and started typing a message to Mi Hongdou.
Mi Hongdou’s phone was on, and the message notification was a series of chirps. She used to find it cute, but now, the sudden chirping in the quiet car made her jump.
Who is it? … Mi Hongdou was actually a little afraid that this sudden sound would break the delicate balance of awkwardness between them. Although it was awkward, it was better than almost having a falling out… This conflicted and avoidant mentality, along with her inner complaints, vanished when she saw the sender.
[Is your stomach okay?]
Instantly, the knot of anxiety in her heart was gently untied, a bittersweet warmth spreading through her.
Eight characters, including punctuation. Mi Hongdou read the message over and over again, then looked at the sender again. Yes… it was Ji Junxin.
A small flower bloomed in her heart. Mi Hongdou clutched her phone, still not daring to look at Ji Junxin.
[I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said those things earlier, please don’t be angry, okay?] [I didn’t mean it that way…] [I know you’re not that kind of person, it’s my fault, I spoke carelessly… I’m sorry…] Mi Hongdou slowly typed one sentence after another, then slowly deleted them word by word. There were countless ways to apologize, but none of them seemed adequate.
At that moment, because she cared too much, she was too anxious, and she had spoken carelessly. Perhaps, she was just afraid of losing… no, perhaps, she was just afraid of never having had it in the first place. Mi Hongdou couldn’t express these feelings to Ji Junxin, she instinctively felt that Ji Junxin shouldn’t know. And these feelings were indeed not an excuse to hurt someone with her words.
So, any further explanation would just sound like an excuse.
[I’m sorry…]
Ji Junxin’s phone finally received a message, just three words, from Mi Hongdou.
Her heart… ached. Ji Junxin couldn’t quite describe this feeling. Was this the legendary feeling of reconciling with a friend after a misunderstanding? Having only had one friend her whole life, and never having been betrayed, Ji Junxin wasn’t sure.
But in any case, she wanted to reconcile. She had realized this when Mi Hongdou unhesitatingly snatched the can of peaches and ate them all. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have gone out of her way to take Jiang Lingling’s car.
Now, Mi Hongdou’s apology was like a bridge between them. Ji Junxin knew she should cross it, and she wanted to. But there was still a lingering worry in her heart. What if those words were Mi Hongdou’s true feelings? Did she really doubt her? Did she really not trust her? … What kind of person did she think she was? She inexplicably cared very much.
Now, it was Ji Junxin’s turn not knowing how to reply.
[I don’t analyze everyone and then pretend to be someone they like to befriend them…] Not everyone, so it could still be a large portion of people? No… delete.
[I didn’t analyze you and then pretend to be someone you like to befriend you…] Was it too specific? A little embarrassing… delete.
[Actually, I don’t have many friends, and I don’t act to make friends. With Jiang Lingling, I just wanted to resolve the situation smoothly, it wasn’t about making friends. I… I’m not very good at handling interpersonal relationships, especially those that might involve conflict. Someone taught me that if I encounter a problem I’m not good at handling, but have to deal with, I should pretend to be someone else. Whether it’s a character I’ve played or a persona I’ve seen, there’s always one suitable for solving that problem. If I can act, if I can immerse myself in the role, then I become that person, the person who can solve the problem. Using different masks to deal with different situations can be very effective. I rarely have difficult situations that I have to handle myself. Today was one of them. I haven’t used this method with you…] Ji Junxin looked at the screen full of words she had typed, hesitated for a long time, deleted the last sentence [I haven’t used this method with you…], and pressed send.
Ji Junxin had a feeling that Mi Hongdou’s earlier question, “Before you become friends with someone, do you always analyze their personality and then act out a role that’s more likely to befriend them?” although seemingly a general question about how she treated people, was probably specifically about how she treated her. However, it was just a guess, and Ji Junxin didn’t want to make it explicit. If Mi Hongdou didn’t believe her explanation, then any further words would be superfluous.
Mi Hongdou’s heart pounded as she heard the tapping sounds from the person next to her.
It sounded like a long message. What did she write? Was she rejecting her apology? Was she criticizing her for eating the canned peaches? But if she hadn’t eaten them, Ji Junxin would have! She couldn’t just let her eat expired food! Wait, the tapping stopped, but she didn’t receive a message. Could it be that that long message wasn’t for her! No! This couldn’t be happening! Her heart was pounding. Wasn’t it for her? Wait, the tapping started again. Was this one for her? But… it was just a few taps, such a short message… the content would be hard to guess.
Mi Hongdou’s mood, following the rhythm of Ji Junxin’s typing, was like a rollercoaster, up and down, twisting and turning. In just a few minutes, she was exhausted. Then, her phone finally rang.
She had never found birdsong so pleasant! She would use it as her alarm from now on!
Her excitement upon receiving the reply gradually calmed down as she read the message word by word. Such a sincere and heartfelt explanation filled Mi Hongdou with shame.
Wasn’t she her goddess’s die-hard fan? Hadn’t she been her fan from her previous life to this one? She had come such a long way to get closer to her, and what did she do when she finally arrived?
She was supposed to be a loyal and devoted fan, without regrets…
Mi Hongdou’s eyes stung, but she didn’t dare to cry. It turned out that people were truly greedy. When they couldn’t reach someone, they wanted to get closer. After getting closer, they wanted to become intimate. And after becoming intimate, they started to doubt whether the feelings were genuine. Why did she forget that at the beginning, she just liked her, wanted to make her happy, and that was why she tried to get closer?
After a long while, Mi Hongdou finally calmed down. Her phone was imprinted with her fingerprints.
[Actually, I’ve been your fan for a long time… Having this opportunity to get along with my idol like this is like a dream, so happy that it feels unreal, that’s why I said those careless words earlier. I shouldn’t have misunderstood you, it’s all my fault… I’m sorry…] It really was like a dream, not just getting along with Ji Junxin like this, but also being reborn ten years in the past. It was too good, so good that it was scary. After typing the message, Mi Hongdou blushed slightly, looking at the words “I’ve been your fan for a long time.” The words she hadn’t said in her previous life were now displayed on the screen, it was a little embarrassing.
But… after saying it, she felt relieved. Although she wanted to replace “idol” with “goddess” and add, “It’s because I like you so much that I care too much, so much that I overthink things,” she still didn’t have the courage to be so direct. She was used to being a hidden fan, it was in her nature to be shy. Mi Hongdou pressed send and waited.
Ji Junxin was surprised by Mi Hongdou’s words. She never knew that Mi Hongdou was her fan… and her words were also a bit too sweet.
Uh… Ji Junxin recalled their interactions these past few days. She had eaten so much of Mi Hongdou’s food, often cleaning her plate. She would sleep in when she didn’t have morning scenes and would wander around the room in her pajamas. She had even overeaten once and gotten up in the middle of the night to look for medicine, without even finding it! So, what kind of image did Mi Hongdou have of her as an idol? … Ji Junxin felt the weight of her idol image and straightened up involuntarily.
[It’s okay, let’s make up.] An idol should be magnanimous and take the initiative. Ji Junxin smoothed her hair. Since she had already explained, and she wasn’t so angry anymore, being cared about felt quite nice.
Forgiven! Mi Hongdou’s heart almost leaped out of her chest after reading the message.
Oh, poor little heart.
Mi Hongdou clutched her phone, carefully and slowly turning her head slightly, glancing at Ji Junxin from the corner of her eye. Ji Junxin, noticing her small movement, smiled gently.
Instantly, it was as if the ice had melted and spring had arrived…
Mi Hongdou took a deep breath and smiled back. It was probably a rather distorted smile… Ji Junxin paused, then continued typing.
Chirp, chirp, chirp~
[Is your stomach okay?]
Mi Hongdou touched her stomach. [It’s fine, didn’t you say the canned peaches were only two days past their expiration date? It’s fine.] Mi Hongdou thought for a moment and continued typing, [The peaches were tender, smooth, and juicy, sweet and sour, refreshing and appetizing. They tasted perfectly fine, don’t worry.] Mi Hongdou, feeling that her description was clear and would reassure Ji Junxin, happily pressed send.
Ji Junxin, after reading the message, looked at Mi Hongdou, then back at the message… and silently gulped. With such a detailed description, could they still be friends!
Putting aside Ji Junxin’s slight resentment, they exchanged messages, no longer mentioning their earlier disagreement, chatting about filming and life, the atmosphere gradually becoming harmonious again. Mi Hongdou even subtly slipped in some road safety tips.
So, when Jiang Lingling woke up from her nap, she saw the two in the back seat, their eyes curved into smiles, engrossed in their phones.
A single dog really couldn’t understand the world of couples… Jiang Lingling rubbed her face and put on a melancholic, 45-degree angle face towards the window.
Then, her vibrating phone pulled her out of her melodramatic world.
Seeing that the sender was Mi Hongdou, Jiang Lingling raised an eyebrow. As expected! She was right, Mi Hongdou also found Ji Junxin bothersome and wanted to gossip with her. How could she be the only one burning with the spirit of gossip!
Jiang Lingling excitedly opened the message.
[Huang Ji’s Braised Pork Ribs, secret recipe pig’s feet, can I also have two pounds?] Hmm, something seemed off. Well, it didn’t matter, if they couldn’t gossip, they could talk about food. It was boring not talking on the road. Jiang Lingling quickly replied, [Sure, after I get it, let’s go eat at the restaurant together.] [Can you… pack it to go?]
Jiang Lingling narrowed her eyes, something felt even more off. [It’s so much better fresh, why pack it?] [Then… can we take Ji Junxin with us? I’ll make your godfather egg fried rice and chicken and sweet corn soup. Or does he prefer silver carp and tofu soup?] After reading the message, Jiang Lingling turned off her phone. She knew it! It had been so difficult to get egg fried rice before, but with Ji Junxin involved, not only did she offer to make it, but she even offered soup, and she could even choose what kind of soup! How could she be friends with someone so disloyal!
Deep breaths, don’t be angry… Jiang Lingling didn’t reply for a while, and another message from Mi Hongdou arrived. [Egg fried rice, chicken and sweet corn soup, stir-fried pomfret, and braised beef brisket with potatoes?] [And a silver carp and tofu soup.] Jiang Lingling replied through gritted teeth.
[Okay, deal~] Mi Hongdou ended the conversation, satisfied.
Jiang Lingling’s phone didn’t ring again. She thought she probably knew why the two in the back were now smiling at their phones.
Who could understand the loneliness of being single…
Outside the pavilion, by the ancient road, loneliness stretches endlessly…
Jiang Lingling wallowed in self-pity for a while, checked the time, and sighed. If everything went smoothly, they would arrive in Jiang City in a little over two hours. She might as well sleep. Just as Jiang Lingling, giving up and feeling sorry for herself, closed her eyes, ready to battle the Sandman, her phone rang again.
Without much expectation, tired and lazy, Jiang Lingling slowly took out her phone, and then her eyes lit up. Hmph, it didn’t matter if no one chatted with her, there would be a good show to watch soon.
The two in the back were engrossed in their phones, oblivious to their surroundings. Jiang Lingling, making arrangements, was beaming. Even the assistant, motivated by the braised pig’s feet, was driving with extra enthusiasm. The atmosphere in the car was unprecedentedly harmonious and remained so all the way to Jiang City.
After entering the city, they had to drop Ji Junxin off. Otherwise, how could they watch the show with Lu Gaoshi? Ji Junxin had her own business in the city, so Jiang Lingling wasn’t worried that she would follow them. She was more concerned that the person who was supposed to watch the show with her would be taken away.
“Ji Junxin, where are you going? We can drop you off.” Jiang Lingling asked as she quickly sent a message to Mi Hongdou, [We agreed to catch them, if you leave with her, no pig’s feet for you!] Hearing Jiang Lingling’s question, Mi Hongdou realized that they had chatted all the way without discussing their destinations…
“I’m going to Nan Tian, are you going that way? If not, just drop me off anywhere, and I’ll take a taxi.”
As soon as Ji Junxin finished speaking, Jiang Lingling’s phone slipped from her hand and fell under the seat.
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