After Filming A Lesbian Movie With The Straight Girl I Like - Chapter 21

Chapter 21: [Double-Length] The Egg Yolk Pastry Incident

 

Xu Ling watched absentmindedly, and the moment a notification popped up at the top of her phone, she turned her face away again.

 

Even though she saw it was from her manager, she was afraid that the next second it would be from that person.

 

Qin Cong’an glanced at her and asked, “How is it?”

 

“It’s okay,” Xu Ling replied perfunctorily.

 

Qin Cong’an looked at her but said nothing more. She withdrew her hand, put down her phone, leaned over, and gently touched Xu Ling’s stomach, speaking softly, “You’re feeling really uncomfortable, huh? Then I won’t bother you. Go ahead and rest.”

 

“Mm.”

 

“Is my hand cold?”

 

Xu Ling didn’t answer—she simply held on to her hand, not wanting her to pull away.

 

She didn’t know if it was the hormones or because her voice was just too gentle, but even something like this made her want to cry.

 

They arrived at the hotel around 5 AM. After taking a shower, they went to sleep. At most, she’d slept seven hours—but this kind of flipped day-and-night sleep couldn’t compare to her usual rest. To top it off, her period had come. After the painkillers kicked in, she drifted off again.

 

Qin Cong’an felt the steady rise and fall of Xu Ling’s chest, closed her eyes, and tried to nap again—but couldn’t fall asleep.

 

Xu Ling’s grip on her hand gradually loosened. Qin Cong’an quietly slipped her hand out, got out of bed on tiptoe, and left the room.

 

She went to knock on the staff’s door—many who hadn’t gone out were inside with the air conditioning on.

 

“What is it, Teacher Qin?”

 

“I want to go out for a bit. Can I get a car?”

 

Someone brought over a car key. “You going alone? We can go with you.”

 

“No need, I’m just going to buy a few things. I’ll be back soon.”

 

The group exchanged glances, knowing they couldn’t talk her out of it. “Be careful on the road. It’s slippery with the rain. If anything happens, call us immediately.”

 

Qin Cong’an nodded, went downstairs, and sat in the car—but didn’t start it right away. She opened her phone.

 

Her manager hadn’t been on set for a while, having gone back to Beicheng to handle work and talk about endorsement deals.

 

Manager (Sister Quan):
“Spent forever negotiating with CI, and in the end, they still said they wanted someone who’s won an award. I’m so pissed!”

 

Qin Cong’an:
“If I don’t meet their requirements, it’s normal they wouldn’t choose me.”

 

Sister Quan:
“You’re just one award away! She Dao’s subject matter didn’t work, the next role isn’t likeable, this year’s effort is wasted again. /frustrated”

 

Sister Quan:
“Ugh, forget it. How’s filming going? I heard you’re in some remote mountain area now?”

 

Qin Cong’an:
“Not exactly mountains, but yeah, it’s going well.”

 

They chatted a bit more before Qin Cong’an turned on the GPS and started the car.

 

…

 

Xu Ling had a good nap. When she woke, the rain had stopped, but the sky was still oppressively dark. The person beside her was gone, and the small, old room gave her a sudden feeling of being abandoned by the entire world.

 

She quickly got out of bed, changed her pad, and ran out to find Qin Cong’an.

 

The crew who had gone out were all back, but Qin Cong’an wasn’t there.

 

Someone said she’d gone out and hadn’t returned yet.

 

Liang He overheard and immediately asked, “How long has she been gone? She went alone?”

 

“Um… yeah. She said she was just going to buy something.” The person looked a bit guilty. “It’s been over two hours.”

 

In such a remote place, where could someone go alone for two hours? And she even drove?

 

Liang He panicked, worried something had happened, and quickly called her.

 

The call was answered immediately, and the voice on the other end asked, “What’s wrong?”

 

“You scared me to death! Where are you?”

 

“Downstairs, in the car. Didn’t you see me?”

 

Phew—a collective sigh of relief.

 

No one had thought to check the car. Who would’ve guessed she was back but sitting there the whole time?

 

It was almost time to leave. Everyone gathered their things and headed downstairs.

 

Xu Ling wanted to rush down ahead of the group to be the first to see Qin Cong’an, but then thought it would look too strange. She held back and followed behind.

 

Chang Ning noticed her pale face and asked, “Your period came?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“You should’ve said so! We’re filming a rain scene tonight,” Chang Ning said, visibly troubled.

 

“I didn’t know it would come today…”

 

“You didn’t know?” Chang Ning was instinctively confused, then seemed to understand and sighed, “You’ve got to take care of yourself. You can’t go on like this. Ugh, and the rain equipment’s already set up too.”

 

“We can still shoot as planned, Director Chang. We’ll be wearing raincoats, right?”

 

“Even with raincoats, you’ll still get wet. And your scene has big movements.” Chang Ning rubbed her face in frustration. “Let’s shoot it the day after tomorrow. You’ll feel better by then, right?”

 

“It’s really okay. I can film today.”

 

“You’re sure?”

 

“Sure,” Xu Ling said. She didn’t want to delay filming. For her, the first and third day weren’t that different. She’d slept well—she could handle it.

 

Chang Ning looked at her expression and nodded. “Alright. But speak up if you can’t keep going. If you collapse, it’ll only delay filming more.”

 

“Got it.”

 

Xu Ling saw Qin Cong’an on the first floor, stepping out from behind the front desk curtain, holding a lunchbox. Inside were two golden, plump little pastries, steaming and fragrant with the smell of milk.

 

Chang Ning glanced over, surprised. “Where’d you get egg yolk pastries?”

 

“I made them,” Qin Cong’an said as she handed the box to Xu Ling. “I asked the hotel owner to warm them up. Take them for the road.”

 

Xu Ling was stunned. She loved egg yolk pastries—especially freshly baked ones, warm and fragrant. If they couldn’t be fresh, her favorite brand warmed up was the next best thing.

 

She used to have a roommate who made amazing pastries. Back then, she would skip meals just to eat one of those treats.

 

Chang Ning was still in shock. “Made them? You made them?”

 

Liang He was laughing on the side. “Ning’er, your sense of humor is broken. Where do you think they’d find a kitchen here? What kind of question is that?”

 

“But she said she made them!”

 

“Obviously a joke!”

 

“…” Chang Ning didn’t think she lacked humor—it’s just that Qin Cong’an wasn’t suited for joking. She wasn’t funny at all!

 

Liang He found it hilarious, especially this part: “Xiao Qin, when you said ‘Take it for the road,’ it seriously made me feel like you’re Xu’s mom.”

 

Xu Ling nearly dropped the box. She suddenly remembered the time backstage when Jiang Ruzhi called her girlfriend “Mommy.” She quickly glanced at Qin Cong’an.

 

Her pale face flushed instantly.

 

Liang He looked at Xu Ling and teased, “What? Got a little heart flutter?”

 

Qin Cong’an shot her a glance and walked off first.

 

Liang He caught up and asked, “You went out just to buy egg yolk pastries?”

 

“And a few other things.”

 

“Where’d you go? Was it far?”

 

“Drove over forty minutes—wasn’t too bad.”

 

“Forty minutes! That’s not ‘not too bad’! You should’ve told us, we could’ve picked up snacks on the way back. You took all that trouble just to go out. The roads are bad and it was raining earlier—what if you had an accident?”

 

“I wouldn’t.”

 

Xu Ling heard all of this. She focused her full attention on listening, not wanting to miss a single word.

 

In the van heading to set, Xu Ling ate the reheated egg yolk pastries.

 

They weren’t from a top brand—the ingredients were mediocre, and the yolk was a little dry from reheating—but Xu Ling thought they tasted amazing.

 

Yi Huai leaned against the window and watched Xu Ling eat her pastry carefully. “Sleeping together really changes things, huh.”

 

Xu Ling’s hand trembled. She didn’t dare look at Sister Huai and pretended to play dumb. “What?”

 

“Sharing a bed really brings people closer. Not bad,” Yi Huai said with satisfaction. Her little artist had made a friend in a senior figure.

 

There was still the driver and a crew member in the van, and Yi Huai made no effort to hide her words—it was clearly just about sharing a bed in the literal sense.

 

Xu Ling silently continued eating her pastry.

 

“But good enough to go out just to buy you food?” Yi Huai frowned for a moment, then understood. “She probably had something else she wanted to buy too.”

 

Xu Ling was on her first day of her period, but she’d had a good sleep, the painkillers had kicked in, and the egg yolk pastries were soothing—so her condition wasn’t too bad.

 

The rain equipment activated, unleashing a made-to-order downpour on the remote wilderness. Chang Ning adjusted the shots to make sure the rain looked even on camera.

 

The two of them, in transparent plastic raincoats, buried the body of Ai under the heavy rain.

 

They had argued earlier, and after Jian Yu broke a tooth eating duck, the mood between them was tense—but not unbearable. There was a kind of awkward harmony.

 

Filming went smoothly. Chang Ning thought it would drag, but it was done on schedule.

 

“Okay! That’s a wrap for today. Xu Ling, you doing alright? Go get a hot shower right away,” Chang Ning said.

 

“I’m fine.” Xu Ling sounded a bit weak, but she hadn’t really gotten wet—so it was manageable.

 

Back at the hotel, Xu Ling was the first to shower. She set the water quite hot.

 

For the past few days, she’d always dried her hair in the bathroom before coming out. Today, she just towel-dried it halfway and came out.

 

She wanted to be willful for once—she wanted Qin Cong’an to dry her hair for her.

 

Before Xu Ling could deliver the excuse she’d carefully prepared, Qin Cong’an glanced at her, frowned, and said, “Not drying your hair?”

 

As she spoke, she was already up, fetching the hairdryer.

 

Xu Ling sat obediently on the bed, letting her fingers run through her hair.

 

“I have a question,” Xu Ling said, her voice quiet over the low hum of the dryer.

 

“Say it,” Qin Cong’an replied.

 

“What exactly did you go out to buy this afternoon?”

 

“It’s all over there.”

 

Xu Ling looked at the bag on the table—it was filled with snacks, all sweet ones, the kind Qin Cong’an didn’t even eat.

 

“Nothing else?”

 

“What else could I have gotten around here?”

 

So Yi Huai was wrong. Qin Cong’an did go out just to buy those for her. Xu Ling’s face warmed. “You drove all that way just to get these snacks?”

 

“It’s fine. I like driving. Roads are wide and empty around here—feels nice.”

 

“Oh… Then why didn’t you come back up after you got back? What were you doing just sitting in the car?”

 

“Making phone calls. Reading the script. It was noisy—I didn’t want to disturb you.” After saying this, seeing Xu Ling go quiet, Qin Cong’an added, “Any more questions?”

 

This time, her tone wasn’t impatient, and her answers were detailed. She didn’t mind the barrage of questions—it even felt like she was seriously reporting in. But when Xu Ling thought about who she’d been calling, her mood sank a bit.

 

“No more,” she murmured.

 

Xu Ling didn’t have a lot of hair, so it wasn’t hard to dry. Once it was almost done, she took the hairdryer, turned it off, and turned around to hug Qin Cong’an’s waist, nuzzling against her chest. For some reason, she felt like calling her “Mommy.”

 

“What’s wrong?” Qin Cong’an stroked the back of her head.

 

“I want something to eat.”

 

“…” Qin Cong’an’s hand paused, then patted her lightly. “I’m going to shower.”

 

“Okay. I’ll wait for you.”

 

Xu Ling leaned against the headboard, gazing at the snack bag on the table, waiting for her to finish showering.

 

She thought: Qin Cong’an probably does like her. Otherwise, why would she go that far to buy the sweets she likes? Why would she immediately agree when she said she was hungry?

 

And the fact that they kept having their friendly “bed-sharing exchanges”—sure, they both enjoyed it, but that at least meant Qin Cong’an wasn’t completely straight, right?

 

Xu Ling had initially planned to just cherish the time they had before filming wrapped up. But now… she couldn’t help but want more.

 

She wanted to date her, to be loved by her, to love her well in return. She wanted to hold hands and go on dates, get secretly photographed by fans, and have people online speculate if they were dating. They wouldn’t confirm it—but they’d sneak kisses at home.

 

People really are greedy. Just being a third wheel wasn’t enough anymore, even though she knew she shouldn’t want more.

 

The sound of water from the bathroom was like rain—white noise that made her sleepy. Drowsiness slowly crept over her.

 

Qin Cong’an finished her shower, dried her hair, and climbed into bed. Xu Ling immediately nestled into her, pressing into her chest.

 

She was already half-asleep, but was still softly nibbling and chewing on her freshly baked, warm, gooey little pastry—addicted to the milky fragrance it gave off.

 

The little pastry wasn’t cooling—it only grew hotter. So delicious.

 

The girl in her arms stopped moving, only her breath lightly tickled Qin Cong’an’s skin. Qin Cong’an reached for her phone while stroking her hair.

 

This girl was really something.

 

Falling asleep like this… it annoyed Qin Cong’an a bit. She opened Instagram and searched Xu Ling’s account, scrolling straight down to that photo.

 

It was posted in October, five years ago: a baking tray of six golden, plump egg yolk pastries that looked mouthwateringly good.

 

The caption read:
“Ughhh, my period is killing me. Only Yanzi’s homemade egg yolk pastries can save my life. Sooo delicious and fragrant!”

 

Next to it was a photo of the two of them.

 

Though they weren’t touching in the picture, their faces were very close. Eighteen-year-old Xu Ling still had a bit of baby fat. She pulled a delicate expression on purpose, though her lips were genuinely pale.

 

The other woman looked confident and radiant, with a hint of Western features—deep-set eyes and a light eye color. She looked cheerful, eyebrows raised in a peace sign, with long, elegant fingers.

 

Qin Cong’an scrolled through their interactions and learned the girl’s name: Li Yan. She’d done modeling before and had lived with Xu Ling for two years.

 

Probably her ex.

 

There were quite a few pictures of them together. And every time Qin Cong’an looked at one, her eyes couldn’t help drifting to Li Yan’s chest. Tsk… so big.

 

Xu Ling loved to eat—maybe that habit started during those years.

 

Qin Cong’an had already gone through those photos more than once, but she still couldn’t help coming back. Not looking made her itchy; looking made her depressed.

 

The last time Li Yan appeared on Xu Ling’s feed was a hot pot photo—no selfie together, just a well-laid-out meal on a long table at home.

 

After that—nothing. Li Yan’s account was the same. No comments, no interactions. But weirdly enough, they still followed each other.

 

Qin Cong’an guessed they broke up suddenly. That hot pot meal might have been a breakup dinner. Probably had a fight but still had lingering feelings. Otherwise, why did Xu Ling cry when Jiang Ruzhi sang that song about parting?

 

She’d looked stunned the second she saw the egg yolk pastries today. Probably took her less than a second to think of Li Yan, right?

 

What’s it like to date someone who hasn’t gotten over their ex?

 

They weren’t even together yet, and Qin Cong’an was already feeling annoyed. What if they actually got together?

 

But did Xu Ling even want that? Did she really like her? Or did she just enjoy sleeping with her?

 

That night Xu Ling came over—how much of it was for the movie, how much was for stress relief, and how much was actually because of her?

 

If her co-star hadn’t been her, would Xu Ling still have knocked on someone else’s door and asked, “Wanna sleep together?”

 

Like… Gu Qi? They got along well too.

 

The girl in her arms stirred a bit, probably uncomfortable, trying to breathe.

 

Qin Cong’an threw her phone aside and pulled Xu Ling closer, almost like she wanted to suffocate her.

 

Xu Ling fidgeted and finally managed to poke her head out for a breath, sighing in relief before burying her face into Qin Cong’an’s neck again, nuzzling comfortably.

 

Qin Cong’an gently held her waist and bit her cheek.

 

…

 

Xu Ling woke up starving. When she opened her eyes, Qin Cong’an was still asleep.

 

Periods drained your energy. On top of that, last night’s intense filming had worn her out. She quietly got out of bed and rummaged through the snack bag.

 

There were still two boxes of egg yolk pastries. She wanted one.

 

Xu Ling took them downstairs and asked the innkeeper to microwave them for 20 seconds.

 

Back upstairs, she stopped by the staff room and grabbed some fried noodles and buns. When she returned, she was startled to see Qin Cong’an sitting up in bed.

 

“You’re up,” she said, placing everything on the table. “I’m back from the hunt—fragrant fried noodles, you’ll love them.”

 

Fragrant, my ass.

 

Qin Cong’an shot a glare at her back, then got out of bed, sat in the chair, and pulled Xu Ling onto her lap.

 

Xu Ling quickly tried to get up.

 

“There’s only one chair.”

 

“I’ll go sit on the bed. How are you supposed to eat like this?”

 

But Qin Cong’an held her tight. “It’s fine.”

 

Still, she didn’t pick up her chopsticks. Just woke up—no appetite. And seeing Xu Ling happily munching on the pastry made her even less hungry.

 

“Is it that good? It’s just some cheap snack.”

 

“You went all the way to buy it for me. Of course it’s good,” Xu Ling beamed. Plus, sitting on her lap while eating made it even better.

 

“Oh.” Qin Cong’an said coolly. “So what, best thing you’ve ever eaten in your life?”

 

“Yep.”

 

Liar.

 

Qin Cong’an didn’t believe a word. No way this could beat the handmade pastries from her ex.

 

Xu Ling picked up the second one and asked, “Want a bite?”

 

“I don’t like sweets.”

 

Xu Ling took a big bite and said through a full mouth, “Not eating sweets… you’re missing out on so much fun…”

 

Before she could finish her sentence, Qin Cong’an leaned over and bit her lips.

 

She could taste the leftover flakiness—definitely low-quality.

 

Xu Ling froze, heart skipping a beat. When she saw Qin Cong’an lick her lips, she quickly looked away. That girlfriend feeling was back again.

 

So annoying. She just wanted to keep her for herself.

 

They had their brunch at 2 p.m. and took turns brushing their teeth.

 

They still had four hours before heading out again.

 

Lying in bed, one on each side, they each did their own thing to pass the time.

 

Back in previous shoots, Xu Ling always had more downtime as a supporting role. She’d usually use that time to watch Qin Cong’an’s movies or shows, skim through clips, or check out CP fan posts about Qin and Xie Jing.

 

Now, though, she just aimlessly scrolled on her phone, occasionally sneaking glances at Qin Cong’an.

 

When Qin Cong’an stepped out to take a call, Xu Ling didn’t even need to guess who it was.

 

She started timing the moment the door closed. Qin Cong’an came back in exactly six minutes.

 

“They’re playing mahjong. Wanna join?” Qin Cong’an asked.

 

Xu Ling shook her head. “I suck at it.”

 

She looked back at her phone. During that six-minute call, she’d found an interesting novel and started reading.

 

Qin Cong’an climbed back into bed, crossed the invisible boundary between them, and snuggled into her. “What are you reading?”

 

“A novel.”

 

Qin Cong’an glanced at the tags on her screen: Second Chance at Love.

 

“…Lame,” she muttered, then got out of bed. “I’m going to play mahjong.”

 

Lin Xinnuo was on a winning streak. When she saw Qin Cong’an approach, she got so startled she played the wrong tile. She tried to take it back but got stopped by the others.

 

Qin Cong’an sat behind her, watching for a round, then took a seat herself.

 

“An-jie, do you know how to play?” Mahjong was the go-to time-killer on set, but Lin Xinnuo had never seen her play before.

 

“Nope.”

 

“…?”

 

“I watched you for two rounds. Got the gist.”

 

She said it so convincingly, even though she’d barely paid attention.

 

Lin Xinnuo fed her tiles while thinking, Geez, you’re putting on a whole act. I hope your skills match the drama.

 

After two rounds, Qin Cong’an actually got the hang of it and even won a few games.

 

It was time to get to work, and everyone got ready to head out.

 

Qin Cong’an returned to the room to find Xu Ling wiping tears from her eyes.

 

“Oh, is it time to go?”

 

“Mm.” The response was as cold as ever.

 

Xu Ling regretfully put down her phone. She was just about to get to the part where the misunderstanding got resolved. She couldn’t read on the ride; she needed to review the script so the novel wouldn’t throw off her mood.