I'm Interested In Your Friend - Chapter 19

19

“Lili.” Olivia knocked on her desk. “Change of plans for the afternoon.”

“We’re going to Hengdian World Studios for an interview. Song Yu’s new drama has wrapped, and Frontier’s public account is preparing a post-wrap interview. You’ll go with Li Mi.” Li Mi was the text editor for Frontier.

That afternoon, the two arrived punctually at the studio gates, only to be stopped by a crew member in front of the Thousand Mountains Snow set.

“Frontier? I don’t have any interview appointments scheduled here.”

Li Mi tried contacting the person in charge on the crew, but the call wouldn’t go through.

Yu Lili showed her press pass and camera bag to the crew member. “These can’t be fake, right?”

The crew member waved his hand. “Hey, don’t even talk about press passes—I’ve seen forged invitations, work IDs, and notices before. And as for your equipment, take a look over there at the mountain. The gear those people are carrying is even more high-end than yours.”

Yu Lili followed his gaze and saw what he meant: paparazzi with long lenses and heavy-duty cameras, far more professional than her setup.

Winter had already set in. Since Yu Lili was usually either in the office or in a car, she had only worn a tweed jacket with thin blue jeans. Now, she was shivering uncontrollably from the cold, rubbing her hands and stomping her feet to keep warm.

The parking lot was far away.

The crew’s phone line was still busy.

The cold wind kept creeping into her sleeves.

Just as Yu Lili was shrinking into herself, a warm, oversized down jacket enveloped her, carrying a faint scent of eucalyptus that instantly blocked out all the cold.

Yu Lili looked up.

The woman in front of her had taken off her coat, leaving only a thin, form-fitting costume underneath.

After not seeing each other for some time, Yu Lili found herself momentarily speechless.

Zhu Jingxiang gazed at her intently in the biting wind, her expression serious and profound.

“I…” Yu Lili tried to take off the jacket, but Zhu Jingxiang held her in place.

“It’s fine. I’m used to the cold on set.”

The previously indifferent crew member immediately changed his tone when he saw Zhu Jingxiang. “Sister Xiang, what brings you here?”

“What’s going on?”

The crew member glanced at Yu Lili but didn’t dare speak.

Yu Lili spoke up directly. “We scheduled an interview, but we can’t reach the person who was supposed to let us in.”

Zhu Jingxiang said, “I’ll take you in.”

The interview took place in Song Yu’s trailer. Though it was supposed to last half an hour, it had to end after about twenty minutes due to scheduling conflicts. Still, they had enough material.

Their encounter on set felt even more rushed than their chance meeting at the restaurant earlier. The two barely exchanged greetings before brushing past each other.

As Song Yu’s assistant escorted them out, she explained, “I’m really sorry. We’ve been filming overnight scenes recently, and the whole crew is swamped. It feels like we’re trying to stretch one day into forty-eight hours.”

“That busy?”

“Yeah. Honestly, if it weren’t for Sister Yu’s good relationship with your editor-in-chief, there’d really be no time for this interview.”

Li Mi nodded thoughtfully. After walking a short distance, she said, “Lili, there’s one more interview.”

Yu Lili raised an eyebrow in confusion. “I ran into Zhu Jingxiang in the restroom earlier. She’s been pretty popular lately, and she’s the female lead in this drama. I casually asked if she had time for an interview, and she agreed immediately, saying anytime would work. Are you two close?”

Yu Lili’s hand clenched slightly. “We know each other.”

Li Mi nodded. “Oh, because when she first brought us in, she didn’t recognize me when we met in the restroom. It wasn’t until I introduced myself as an editor from Frontier and mentioned your name that she seemed to understand.”

“After hearing what Sister Song Yu’s assistant said, I wondered if we were delaying their work and if she only agreed because of you. Maybe you should talk to her?”

Before Yu Lili could figure out how to respond—

“Is it time for the interview?” A clear, melodious voice sounded from ahead as Zhu Jingxiang walked over with a smile. “I’m all ready.”

The interview revolved around fashion, the role, and personal insights.

Though it was impromptu, the questions were similar to those in previous celebrity interviews—except for one thing.

“Teacher, could you look at the interviewer across from you instead of the camera?” Yu Lili interjected during a pause between questions.

Yu Lili was taking photos of the interview process.

But no matter how she framed the shot, Zhu Jingxiang kept looking straight into the camera instead of at the interviewer. Photos like this could easily come across as impolite or staged.

Zhu Jingxiang’s assistant held her breath, thinking this photographer was quite bold.

She had no idea why Zhu Jingxiang had suddenly asked her to rearrange the shooting schedule—originally planned for daytime—to midnight just to accommodate this obscure magazine’s interview.

She hadn’t even consulted her manager.

But… aside from the director, no one on set dared to give Zhu Jingxiang direct suggestions. After all, their Zhu Jingxiang was infamous in the industry for her temper and her reputation as a “diva.”

Yet, to the assistant’s surprise, Zhu Jingxiang didn’t get angry at the photographer’s remark. Instead, she smiled and obediently turned her face toward the interviewer.

After half the interview, Li Mi—finally receiving the interviewee’s first direct eye contact—smiled and asked, “Teacher Zhu, what similarities do you see between this character and yourself?”

Zhu Jingxiang: “The willingness to disregard everything for one’s beliefs.”

“Beliefs meaning…?”

“In the drama, it’s her devotion to her country and people. But for me, I’m not that noble. The character Ji Xue might seem like she’s always chasing after the male lead, but she’s willing to sacrifice everything for her clan. I’m not that selfless. For me, love is my belief.”

As she spoke the last sentence, Zhu Jingxiang—who had been trying hard to keep her eyes on Li Mi—couldn’t help but glance toward the camera again.

The assistant, who had been warned by the manager never to let the artist speak recklessly about her love life, nearly jumped in panic. She hastily interrupted, “Teacher, let’s keep the questions focused on the role.”

Reading the room, Li Mi prepared to wrap things up with a generic question: “Teacher Zhu, do you have any message for your fans?”

Zhu Jingxiang smiled. “Learn to cherish what you have. Don’t wait until you’ve lost it to start regretting.”

Her tone was so transparent that it was impossible not to hear the heartbreak and lingering pain of a failed relationship.

Assistant: “…”

Li Mi: “Uh…”

By the time the interview ended, it was already dark.

Zhu Jingxiang’s assistant—who had been anxiously pacing during the interview—brought out two thick black crew jackets. “Teachers, please wear these.”

After some polite refusals, the assistant unceremoniously shoved one jacket into each of their arms.

Once they were alone, Li Mi said, “Zhu Jingxiang isn’t what I expected!”

Yu Lili, scrolling through her phone to reply to messages, asked casually, “How so?”

“You must know, right?” Li Mi adopted a mysterious tone. “About Zhu Jingxiang and that big-shot investor.”

Yu Lili made a questioning noise.

“That incident. It’s all over the industry. At some party, this investor—whether he was trying to proposition her or just grope her—got a drink thrown in his face and a slap from Zhu Jingxiang. Everyone thought she’d be blacklisted afterward. The investor’s lackeys started smearing her as a ‘diva.’ But no one knows what connections Zhu Jingxiang has. In the end, it was the investor who ended up apologizing, and several of his major projects fell through.”

“That happened?”

“Aren’t you friends? You must know some inside details. Does Zhu Jingxiang come from a powerful background?”

Yu Lili shook her head, unwilling to elaborate. “We knew each other in school. We’ve drifted apart since then.”

“Right,” Li Mi nodded. “After all, she’s a big star now. So enviable.”

As they neared the parking lot, Li Mi got a call and asked Yu Lili to wait for her.

Bundled in the thick jacket, Yu Lili didn’t feel cold, so the wait felt leisurely.

The wind had reddened her cheeks. The night sky overhead was ink-black, the moon veiled in a soft, misty haze.

Yu Lili pulled out her phone and began angling it, bending and twisting to find the perfect shot—a professional habit.

As she stepped backward, her heel caught on a loose brick, and she stumbled.

An arm steadied her firmly.

For a split second, Yu Lili wondered who it might be.

But the moment the scent of bitter lemon and smoke hit her, she knew she’d guessed wrong.

Her surprise was natural. Running into Tan Suran here felt almost like a fantasy.

She turned halfway, her long lashes fluttering as she met Tan Suran’s gaze behind silver-framed glasses—cool as the night, yet carrying an emotion she couldn’t decipher.

After a brief mental lapse, she remembered her current identity was Yu Lili and reacted accordingly.

“Thank you.” Then, coolly, she walked straight toward the parking lot without further conversation.

Tan Suran watched the girl’s retreating figure with an amused smile.

So cold. It had been a while since someone treated her this way.

The image of that delicate face, pale against the thick jacket, flashed through her mind. She pulled a cigarette from her pocket, lighting a small orange ember in the night.

Smoke curled upward.

Cigarette pinched between her fingers, she walked forward, pausing as she passed a thick holly tree.

Her eyes met another pair of eyes hidden behind the tree. Tan Suran raised her hand slightly in greeting.

Leaning against the tree, Zhu Jingxiang studied Tan Suran. She had been following Yu Lili, so she’d witnessed the moment Tan Suran steadied her.

Had Tan Suran not appeared, she would have been the one rushing forward.

Driven by an emotion she couldn’t quite name, Zhu Jingxiang ventured, “How are things between you and Yu Mu lately?”

Tan Suran smirked, turning her head to meet Zhu Jingxiang’s gaze. Her eyes were cold as she flicked ash from her cigarette. “That’s a question I should be asking you, Miss Zhu.”