When she woke up again, Jia He was sleeping in the massage room, a blanket covering her.
She sat up weakly, looking at the snowy world outside, and desperately tried to recall how she had fallen asleep last night and how she had gone from the massage bed to the big bed. She tried in vain.
In her heart, she vaguely guessed that the three blind masseurs definitely could not have carried her onto the bed. Could it be… She suddenly slapped her forehead, cursing at herself for being delusional.
After spacing out for a while, she got out of bed, put on her slippers, and walked out to the outer area.
The three massage beds were all empty. The masseurs had gone back to sleep. At this time, no one was working yet. She was the only one in the room. It felt empty. She looked at her phone. It was just past 7 am. She was wondering what time Yi Wenze had left when the back door was suddenly opened. She turned around to see Yi Wenze closing the door behind him.
“Morning,” Yi Wenze simply greeted.
“Morning…” Jia He stared at him tongue-tied. “Don’t you have scenes today?”
It was a very ordinary greeting, but at this time and place, it seemed a little too mystical…
Yi Wenze put the key card on the small bar counter. “I got off early, so I’m sneaking in a day off.”
Jia He smiled. She did not know what else she said afterwards, but somehow ended up back in the room changing into warmer clothes and sitting in the crew’s spare car. Yi Wenze’s driving skills were extremely good. He was also very familiar with Hengdian [film studio]. Very soon, he brought her to a Hong Kong-style cha chaan teng [Hong Kong-style café]. The café was next to a road that was under construction. Cars could not drive in, so they could only park at the intersection. Jia He followed him out of the car, stepping on thin snow and carefully avoiding puddles, but her shoes still got dirty.
By the time they reached the entrance, she deliberately rubbed her shoe soles repeatedly on the mat, afraid any mud or snow would dirty the floor.
Only when her shoes were completely clean did she push open the door and walk in. Yi Wenze was speaking Cantonese in low tones to the boss. Seeing Jia He come in, he smiled and nodded to the boss before leading her to sit at the innermost table. Currently, there were a few other occupied tables in the restaurant. Yi Wenze was dressed plainly and had also pulled down the brim of his hat, not attracting much attention from others.
“Instant noodles with luncheon meat?” Yi Wenze asked.
“Sure.” Starving and with snow outside, a bowl of instant noodles with luncheon meat was perfect.
“Barbecued pork noodles,” Yi Wenze ordered first. The boss smiled as he jotted it down while mocking him for being a diehard who never changed his taste.
How… it was the same as her preferences.
Jia He froze up for a moment. Ordering barbecued pork noodles was out of habit, but if she ordered the same thing as him, would it seem too deliberate? She started staring intensely at the menu. For the first time, she realized a downside of getting close with her idol – even having breakfast was so nervewracking.
“The barbecued pork noodles here taste pretty good,” Yi Wenze looked at her and gave a suggestion. “You can try them.”
Jia He hastily nodded, breathing out in relief.
“What do you want to drink?”
“Coffee, espresso,” she blurted out.
” Looks like you really are tired,” Yi Wenze lowered his head to look at his menu. “Drinking that so early isn’t good for your stomach. People drinking espresso are more suited to having a breve or panna.”
Too considerate…
Jia He nearly burst into tears.
Just as their noodles were served, her phone suddenly rang. The name displayed was Qiao Qiao’s which finally struck her mind, reminding her of last night’s instructions to Qiao Qiao. She hurriedly picked up. Qiao Qiao yawned endlessly over there. “I’m asking, where’d you and Yi Wenze run off to?”
“I’m eating breakfast. I’ll go back to the hotel later to talk about secret matters.” Jia He put on an act.
“Damn,” Qiao Qiao cursed out laughingly over there. “Don’t pretend anymore. You guys drove off with the car already.”
Jia He uttered a couple “Mm’s”, using her chopsticks to stir her noodles as she sneakily took a peek at Yi Wenze.
He had just picked up his lemon tea and took a half sip.
“Alright, alright,” Qiao Qiao mocked. “Why are you nervous? Here I was thinking of asking you to bring me a hot drink. Look how flustered you are. Forget it, I’ll just make myself a packet of instant cereal.” After speaking, she very tactfully hung up the call.
Jia He set her phone down on the table and started eating her noodles. Seeing that Yi Wenze did not seem to be in a hurry to leave, his head lowered as he looked at his phone, she also did not dare eat too quickly. By the time there were only two or three customers left in the restaurant, she set her chopsticks down.
There was just half a cup of coffee left. Yi Wenze was still on his phone. From this angle, she could clearly see his eyelashes, the morning light coming in through the window, and at just the right angle, the person before her even had a poster-like quality that sucked her in. Jia He secretly sighed and then realized she was ogling too recklessly. She hurriedly lowered her head to continue stirring her now cold coffee.
“Sorry, waiting on feedback for the new script,” Yi Wenze lifted his head and noticed Jia He was still stirring her coffee. He beckoned to the boss for another cup which he pushed in front of Jia He, signalling for her to switch to drinking that cup.
Every minute and second interacting, more nervewracking than acting, yet she did not dare say anything about leaving first either.
She was silently griping to herself when her phone rang again. Thinking it would be Qiao Qiao, it turned out to be another grim reaper [person who delivers bad news]. As soon as she picked up the call, Xiao Yu’s lazy voice floated over. “No way, I was just randomly trying your number and you actually picked up this early – ”
Jia He sullenly said, “Eating breakfast.”
“Is it snowing in Beijing? Is it snowing in Shanghai too?”
The tightness in Jia He’s chest grew worse. “I’m in Hengdian with a production crew right now.”
“Whose scenes?”
Jia He guiltily took a peek at Yi Wenze, not daring to mention him. She only reported the female lead’s name.
“That beauty hooking up with your ex-man?” Xiao Yu was also eating breakfast. His words were muddled and unclear. “Is she as good looking as the real person?”
Sure enough, the gossip had spread all 1400 kilometers [~870 miles] out.
Jia He sighed. “Very good-looking, extremely good-looking. Get to the main point, why are you calling me?”
“Alright, alright, Madam Screenwriter,” the other end laughed. “I picked up a cosmetics client and want to find an A-list celebrity to be their spokesperson. You’ll never guess what happened? I asked countless talent agencies and couldn’t get an A-lister. I couldn’t even get a C-lister. Any female celebrity, no matter skin care or makeup for the face and neck, has signed on already.”
Jia He held the phone while pouring milk and adding sugar. “So?”
“So I’m asking if you know of any available beauties I could use. Like help check if anyone’s contract is almost up that I can quickly go sign.”
“You should be asking Qiao Qiao for things like this. No use asking me. She’s a producer and knows more celebrities.”
“She told me to ask you!” That side immediately whined aggrievedly. “I just got off the phone with her and she said you recently got to know Yi Wenze. For a request like this, it’s simply child’s play. Oh yeah, I nearly forgot. How did you manage to get to know your idol? It sounds like a fantasy story…”
Over there, he ceaselessly expressed wonder. Jia He’s face had already turned red, purple, and blue. She secretly peeked at Yi Wenze and could not help coughing a couple times. “That’s enough, talk about it back at home.” After speaking, she very dexterously hung up the call and decisively switched off her phone seeking peace and quiet.
While she was still churning inside, Yi Wenze already lifted his eyes to look at her. “What’s the matter?”
The words slipped out of Jia He’s mouth. “A friend of mine wants to find a celebrity spokeswoman for cosmetics but can’t find anyone without an existing endorsement deal.”
She had just randomly spoken. Unexpectedly, the person before her actually picked up his phone and called his talent agency’s number. The gist was to check if any artists at their company had endorsement contracts that were about to expire and provide that info.
He held his black iPhone with his middle finger lightly tapping the phone screen, creating soft and rhythmic sounds.
Jia He had her head lowered, consecutively drinking two mouthfuls of coffee. For some reason, her heart was actually slowly starting to beat along to the gentle tapping of his fingertips. She lowered her head to look at the menu on the table. There were faint, fine scratches on the glass plate on top, but it was very clean. She silently mouthed each name while her mind was blank, wanting to speak up that it was fine, no need for anything so serious, but no matter what, she could not make a sound.
After a while, Yi Wenze finally said thanks and hung up the phone. “Tian Chu’s contract is expiring. If your friend is interested, I can have her agent come discuss.”
Jia He nearly dropped her spoon. She had actually forgotten that Yi Wenze and Tian Chu were at the same company.
“But a few other companies are already in talks with her right now. She’s positioned as high-end. For your friend, if they are an international brand, that’d be better. If it’s a domestic brand, they can only use the endorsement fee to compete.” Yi Wenze spoke extremely calmly. From his expression to tone, there was not even a hint of anything unusual.
Jia He uttered a couple “Mm’s.” Her voice had taken on a slight hoarseness. “Alright, I’ll ask what she thinks.”
“Finished eating?” Yi Wenze put away his phone.
Jia He nodded and swiftly set her cup down, showing she was ready to go at any moment.
Yi Wenze’s smile gradually deepened as he got up and walked over to the counter to pay the bill. He happened to be recognized by two young people sitting at the door. After speaking amongst themselves for a few sentences, the woman immediately stood up and eagerly asked for a picture together, but was unexpectedly gently declined with a smile from him. As he took out paper bills from his wallet, he explained he was simply having a meal with a friend and it was not convenient to take pictures. As he spoke, Jia He had just walked over by his side, and that woman’s gaze dashed straight over, fiercely staring at her for a full three seconds.
By the time they returned to the hotel, Qiao Qiao was still bundled up asleep in bed. As soon as Jia He saw her covered face, flames of fury ignited and she lifted up a corner of the blanket, fiercely shaking it. All the warm air immediately scattered and the person in the bed leapt up with a start. “You’re insane! I was actually sleeping in today, ah ah!”
“You wretched pair deliberately tormenting me, yet you’re still sleeping?” The restrain from the morning had thoroughly vanished, leaving only a somewhat crazed Jia He.
“I was creating opportunities for you,” Qiao Qiao grabbed back her quilt and swiftly cocooned herself into a zongzi. “So, did he help you or not?”
“Tian Chu,” Jia He clenched her teeth. “Tian Chu’s endorsement contract is about to expire.”
Qiao Qiao was stunned for a second before mumbling, “Tian Chu? You sure you didn’t get it wrong?”
“You should just listen and not tell Xiao Yu.” Jia He threw her down jacket onto the bed and squeezed beside her into the covers.
“Are you dumb? Of course you need to talk about it and moreover, do your utmost to facilitate things happening,” Qiao Qiao eyed her askance. “A willing buyer and seller, what are you afraid of? Yi Wenze was willing to talk about Tian Chu for your sake. That is absolutely special treatment. If you silently let things fizzle out, then what was the point? He is still your idol, you know.”
Jia He closed her eyes to sleep, too lazy to bother with her.
Only then did Qiao Qiao recover somewhat. She swiftly ripped away the quilt covering Jia He’s head, “Just overnight, and he was willing to find Tian Chu to film an ad for you. Tell me, what all did you guys do?”
“I fell asleep on my own in the massage room.” Jia He’s anger burned on the verge of critical mass.
“Come off it. I woke up in the middle of the night,” Qiao Qiao looked at her very self-importantly. “I saw you still hadn’t come back so I went to find you. Guess what I saw?”
Qiao Qiao’s words inexplicably made Jia He feel guilty. Just as she was organizing her words to resist any rumors and gossip, her phone rang again.
She picked up the call in indignation and answered with a “Hello.” That side seemed very quiet. Only an extremely familiar voice said, “Hello, I’m Tian Chu.”
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