Chapter 49 p1
“Hahaha, Ms. Xu is really drunk!” Director Gao’s hearty laughter broke the stunned silence that had fallen over the room like a blanket of snow.
Her carefree laughter dispelled the awkward tension caused by Xu Jingyu’s shocking words, bringing the room back to life.
Meng Wanqing, sobered up by the unexpected turn of events, wiped the sweat from her brow, relieved that Director Gao was oblivious.
Long live oblivious directors!
But her own director wasn’t much sharper. She simply nodded, as if suddenly understanding.
“Oh, so that’s why she called her ‘wife.’”
“So Ms. Xu gets all lovey-dovey when she’s drunk. Unexpected. She’s quite the charmer.”
Director Gao nodded in agreement. “She really startled me with that.”
They continued chatting, their laughter echoing through the room.
Meng Wanqing rolled her eyes. With their obliviousness, she wondered how they managed to film any love stories at all.
The assistant director and the cinematographer, however, having overheard the conversation, covered their mouths with their hands, their eyes wide with a mixture of excitement and disbelief.
The assistant director, unable to contain herself, started trembling, her body swaying slightly.
The cinematographer, her hand shaking, pinched her arm, trying to revive her.
“Snap out of it! Pull yourself together!”
After a moment, the assistant director recovered, her eyes shining as she grabbed her phone and started typing furiously, her message appearing in a group chat titled “Candy Squad.”
The group had over 30 members, all crew members, their shared obsession clear.
[OMG, OMG, OMG! (Assistant Director): Guys, I think we’re onto something real!]
[Yaoyao is my baby! (Makeup Artist): ?]
[Yaoyao is my baby! (Makeup Artist): What happened? I’m drunk. Just left.]
[OMG, OMG, OMG! (Assistant Director): You’ll never understand the joy of witnessing this firsthand! You missed out!]
[Just let me die. (Xi Yue): Get to the point.]
[Xin Yao is MY wife, not yours! (Cinematographer): Just now!]
[OMG, OMG, OMG! (Assistant Director): Just now, Ms. Xu, drunk as a skunk, grabbed Xin Yao’s hand and called her ‘wife’! Right in front of us!]
[OMG, OMG, OMG! (Assistant Director): I was standing right there! It was glorious!]
[OMG, OMG, OMG! (Assistant Director): They’re totally together! If they’re not, I’ll eat my hat!]
[OMG, OMG, OMG! (Assistant Director): My ship has sailed! My life is complete!]
[Yaoyao is my baby! (Makeup Artist): Holy shit!]
[Just let me die. (Xi Yue): Holy shit!]
[Just a humble worker. (Qian Yu): Holy shit!]
…
[Xiao Cen is working hard today! (University Student): Holy shit!]
The chat exploded with shocked reactions.
Their little CP fan group, a mere 30 members, had been operating in secrecy, their shared obsession a closely guarded secret.
After all, Xu Jingyu had a massive fanbase, and Xin Yao, her reputation still tarnished, had more haters than fans.
Who would believe them, who would dare to ship them, except for those who worked with them, who witnessed their interactions firsthand?
Even they had been cautious, only sharing small, seemingly insignificant moments, their interpretations often exaggerated and wishful.
For example, when Xin Yao napped on set, Xu Jingyu would always sit beside her, reading a book.
Candy Squad: Totally shielding her from the sun! So protective!
Or how Xin Yao often treated the crew to milk tea, but knowing Xu Jingyu didn’t like it, would always make her a special cup of red date tea.
Candy Squad: Obvious favoritism!
But they had been joking, their interpretations more wishful thinking than reality.
They hadn’t actually believed it.
But it was true!
She had called her “wife”! In public! And Ms. Xu was even being all lovey-dovey!
Ms. Xu, you’re so in love!
[OMG, OMG, OMG! (Assistant Director): I’m so excited I can’t stop smiling!]
[Xin Yao is MY wife, not yours! (Cinematographer): Calm down. I heard the zombie director say you have potential. You look like you’ve been infected. He wants you for a cameo in his movie.]
[OMG, OMG, OMG! (Assistant Director): No way!]
[Just let me die. (Xi Yue): I’m jumping up and down at home! My mom thinks I’m crazy!]
[Just a humble worker. (Qian Yu): Aaaaaaaaaah!]
[Yaoyao is my baby! (Makeup Artist): They’re actually together! When did this happen?!]
The group chat was a flurry of excited messages, their joy almost palpable.
Compared to the chaos online, the atmosphere on set was much calmer.
Most people, slightly drunk and their minds a bit fuzzy, and the two directors being oblivious, hadn’t noticed the significance of Xu Jingyu’s words.
The small incident seemed to have passed unnoticed.
Xin Yao, looking at Xu Jingyu, who was still holding her hand, her gaze softening, a smile playing on her lips.
Xu Jingyu, usually so aloof and composed, was acting strangely tonight.
Her expression was calm, but her eyes, slightly unfocused from the alcohol, held a soft, almost vulnerable look, her demeanor unusually clingy and affectionate.
And she had called Xin Yao “wife.”
They weren’t even together.
But the words had slipped out so easily, so naturally, as if she had been saying them in her mind for a long time.
Xin Yao, hiding her amusement, let Xu Jingyu hold her hand, stepping closer, her voice a soft whisper.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“Don’t hold on so tight. People are watching. Let go.”
But Xu Jingyu’s grip only tightened.
“No.”
As they tugged at each other’s hands, Director Gao, having just returned from seeing off the zombie director, saw them and smiled.
“You two are getting along so well now.”
“Since Xin Yao didn’t drink tonight, and you’re staying on the same floor, could you please do me a favor and take Ms. Xu back to her room?”
“I have to arrange for someone to clean up the set.”
Xin Yao, of course, wouldn’t refuse.
“Okay.”
Meng Wanqing, also slightly drunk and exhausted from the afternoon’s snowball fight, also stood up to leave.
“Yaoyao, I’m heading out. I’m exhausted. I need a shower and a good night’s sleep. I’ll leave Xu Jingyu to you.”
Xin Yao smiled and waved.
“Okay, be careful.”
The assistant director and the cinematographer, seeing their cue, also prepared to leave, giving the “couple” some privacy.
Although they really wanted to eavesdrop.
They were the last ones left at their table, the other guests having already left.
As Meng Wanqing and the others left, the room fell silent, only Xin Yao and Xu Jingyu remaining.
The silence after the lively gathering, the dark, starry sky outside, the soft, white snow covering the ground, it all created a strangely intimate atmosphere.
Winter had arrived early this year.
Xin Yao looked at the snow, then at Xu Jingyu, her dark eyes fixed on Xin Yao’s face, and smiled, kneeling down before her.
She looked up at Xu Jingyu’s face, her voice soft.
“Are you really drunk?”
“Do you even know who I am? You didn’t just call me ‘wife’ by accident, did you?”
Xu Jingyu’s eyes, fixed on Xin Yao’s face, her grip tightening on her hand, she nodded.
“You’re my wife.”
“Don’t be silly,” Xin Yao laughed. “I’m not your wife.”
Her denial made Xu Jingyu’s eyes flicker, her long eyelashes fluttering slightly, her expression almost… vulnerable.
She lowered her head, her voice a soft murmur.
“You are my wife.”
“Then,” Xin Yao squeezed her hand, “do you like me now? You can’t call me that if you don’t like me.”
Xu Jingyu looked up, her beautiful eyes, reflecting the moonlight on the snow, shining brightly.
But their dark depths still held a certain intensity, a silent question.
She looked at Xin Yao, her lips pressed together, not speaking.
Xin Yao, waiting for an answer, finally stood up.
“It’s cold. Let’s go back. It’ll be difficult to walk if it starts snowing again.”
Xu Jingyu, so close to Xin Yao, must have heard her, but she didn’t move, remaining silent.
Xin Yao tugged at her arm, trying to pull her up, but she was like a statue, her body unyielding.
What was she doing now?
Drunk Xu Jingyu was surprisingly difficult to handle, her clinginess and her sulking a new and unexpected challenge.
Xin Yao released her hand, turning to leave.
“If you’re not coming, I’m leaving.”
But as she turned, Xu Jingyu grabbed her wrist, her grip even tighter now, almost painful.
Xin Yao looked back at her.
Xu Jingyu’s eyes, dark and intense in the dim light, held a mix of vulnerability and possessiveness.
“Yaoyao, are you leaving me?”
Why did she keep asking that?
Xin Yao didn’t understand, but Xu Jingyu’s expressions were always difficult to read, her emotions hidden behind a mask of indifference.
Xin Yao could only try to reassure her, her hand reaching out to take Xu Jingyu’s.
“Of course not. Why would I leave you?”
“I’ve been waiting for you to understand, to come to me.”
“And even if you don’t, I won’t leave you.”
As she spoke, it started to snow again.
If they didn’t leave now, they would be stranded, and driving in a blizzard was dangerous.
Soothed by Xin Yao’s gentle words, Xu Jingyu finally relented, letting Xin Yao lead her away.
They stepped out of the warm, brightly lit room and into the snowy night, their footsteps leaving a trail in the fresh snow.
The moonlight, reflecting off the snow, elongated their shadows, their figures intertwined.
The set was deserted, only the two of them walking hand in hand through the falling snow.
As they walked, Xin Yao released Xu Jingyu’s hand, adjusting her scarf.
Xu Jingyu, obediently, followed close behind.
Leave a Reply