The award-winning celebrity Song JinXing barely knew the famous actor Zhong Ruanxing, but his co-star Kou An'an, who had just won the Most Popular Actress award, waved her trophy in Zhong Ruanxing's direction as she walked off the stage.
Song JinXing also gave a polite, congratulatory smile. This moment was captured by the photographers, who zoomed in for a close-up of the two women.
Comments online said:
- Kou An'an and Zhong Ruanxing seem very close! The way Kou An'an looked over, it's like she wanted praise!
- Why do I feel like this pair would make a good couple too?
- Sorry, I'm jumping on this ship too...
- Don't blame us! It's Zhong Ruanxing's powerful aura - she goes well with anyone!
- From today, I'm officially a Zhong Ruanxing fan - I'll ship her with whoever!
...
The livestream ended after 10pm. Since they had all arrived together in a vehicle arranged by the drama crew, protocol dictated they should leave together too. Agent Ran Ting waited backstage for her client, then brought Song JinXing to meet up with Qu Yanshan and the others at the predetermined location.
But when they arrived, the others were not there.
The celebrities gradually left the venue one by one. Song JinXing was looking at financial news on his phone when a WeChat message suddenly popped up:
- Yu Liang: Sister Ruanxing, Mr. Qu had the driver take the car away. My agent got me a new ride, do you want to come with me?
They had exchanged WeChat IDs last year when Zhong Ruanxing was filming "Drunk in Peach Blossoms".
Song JinXing replied it was not necessary. Looking up, he told Ran Ting, "Contact a car to come get us."
Ran Ting had seen the WeChat message too. How could she not understand what was going on? Even if Yu Liang hadn't said anything overt, it was obvious Qu Yanshan was up to some mischief.
Getting played like this two times in one day put Ran Ting in a terrible mood. Ever since becoming an agent, she had lived under her client's protection. Only now did she deeply realize her own inadequacies.
But she had matured somewhat - faced with this situation, she remained calm: "I'll arrange it right away. Just might have to wait a little longer."
Song JinXing said, "Okay."
Ran Ting first had venue staff arrange a waiting room for her client. Only then did she call for a car. On the way there, they ran into Kou An'an, who had just finished an interview.
Seeing them, Kou An'an looked surprised. "You haven't left yet?" Taking in the young agent's expression, she quickly guessed what was happening. "My ride is here. Come with me, I'll take you back."
There were still many fans outside the venue. With traffic control in place, it would be difficult for an unfamiliar car to get in.
This time, Song JinXing did not decline.
Kou An'an's business car was even more spacious and comfortable than the one from the afternoon. Once they got in, she handed Song JinXing a bottle of mineral water and asked, "Who designed your dress? It's gorgeous."
Song JinXing said, "BLOOMING."
Kou An'an looked surprised, but didn't inquire further. Instead she changed the topic: "Do you have some quarrel with Qu Yanshan?"
This time, Ran Ting jumped to answer: "This afternoon, right after we met, she started talking sarcastically for no reason. I don't know what madness got into her. Just now, she even had the car taken away. Thank goodness you were here An'an, otherwise we wouldn't know how long we'd have to wait."
Kou An'an laughed. "I've heard rumors about this Qu Yanshan a few times. Petty and vindictive. You should be careful of her."
Ran Ting nodded. "I understand, I'll be careful."
Kou An'an also lived near the Pearl Tower. As they neared the hotel, she turned to the silent Song JinXing and asked, "Let's go back to the set together tomorrow, okay? Saves you the trouble of arranging transport again."
This was the second time she had invited Song JinXing. He could sense her good intentions. Although he disliked spending time with unfamiliar people, making a friend would be good for Zhong Ruanxing.
So he nodded in agreement.
Kou An'an smiled and waved. "See you tomorrow then."
After the car drove off, Ran Ting sighed, "People really are so different. No wonder Kou An'an is so popular."
The day's tribulations had left Song JinXing exhausted in both body and mind. Ran Ting saw him back to his room before leaving. He had just changed into sleepwear after a shower when he got a voice call from Zhong Ruanxing, cheerfully asking if he wanted to come up for a late night snack.
Song JinXing put on a jacket. "Okay."
Arriving at the penthouse suite, he realized this was no mere snack - there was champagne and cake, clearly meant as a small celebration banquet.
Zhong Ruanxing gleefully raised her glass. "To celebrate our first successful red carpet!"
His soul, her body - so wasn't it "our" success?
Returning to the hotel earlier, he had felt weary in both body and spirit. But seeing her joyful appearance now swept all that fatigue away. He gently clinked glasses with her. "Yes, complete success."
Zhong Ruanxing enthusiastically spooned food onto his plate. "You worked hard today, eat up!"
Song JinXing suddenly asked, "When is your rescheduled flight?"
Zhong Ruanxing evasively said, "Tomorrow."
"What time tomorrow?"
Zhong Ruanxing had to tell the truth. "5am tomorrow morning."
Given the distance between hotel and airport, she would need to leave by 3am.
Song JinXing glanced at the time, nearly midnight already. Expressionlessly taking the glass from her hand, he said, "Go to sleep now."
Zhong Ruanxing had no intention of sleeping at all. She grumbled, "I can only get three hours of sleep, might as well not sleep."
How important sleep was to her, he knew best.
Song JinXing was already pulling her by the wrist. "Three hours is still better than no sleep."
Dragged to the bedside, Zhong Ruanxing gave in with a grumble and lay down. Song JinXing tidied up the dining table quickly, then set an alarm on her phone and placed it on the bedside. "No more looking at your phone."
"I know, I know!" She suddenly had an idea as she pulled up the blanket. "Hey, want to sleep together?"
Song JinXing was taken aback for a moment.
Nothing would happen even if they did sleep together, but hearing her say this still inevitably threw his thoughts into disarray. Before he could respond, Zhong Ruanxing laughed it off. "Kidding, kidding. I have to get up at 3am, you won't rest well here either. Go get some sleep, goodnight!"
Song JinXing also smiled. "Okay, good night."
As he left, he switched off the lights, enveloping the room in darkness.
Lying in the dark, Zhong Ruanxing's eyes were wide open. She pressed a hand to her chest, murmuring softly, "Weird, why is my heart suddenly beating so fast?"
But with his "good night" echoing in her ears, she soon drifted into dreams.
Three hours of sleep was torturous. When the alarm sounded, it took all of Zhong Ruanxing's effort just to sit up. Still groggy, she washed up and packed her luggage before sending Fu Ling a message to meet in the lobby. Only then did she slowly open the door and leave.
The pre-dawn hallway was quiet. Warm lights illuminated the dark carpet. Across the hall hung a Van Gogh sunflower painting. As soon as Zhong Ruanxing stepped out, she saw the figure leaning against the wall by the painting.
He was standing there, head slightly bowed, exuding a sense of aloofness as if even the lights could not touch him. Although it was her own body, she felt as if she could see through to his lonely soul.
Hearing the door, Song JinXing looked up and gave a faint smile. From under the brim of his hat, he held out a bag of food. "Steamed buns and soy milk, is this okay?"