Lady By The Pillow - Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Sense of Crisis

“If you need to go out at night, you can tell me.”

“I just want to check on her,” Wei Jiuyi said, a perfectly reasonable excuse.

Shi Qing’s hand, still on the doorknob, trembled slightly. The fine bones on her hand were sharp against her pale, sunken skin. It was the only imperfection in an evening of feigned composure.

Wei Jiuyi’s eyes caught this flaw, a flicker of genuine emotion. She was happy for this brief moment of authenticity but pained by the resistance behind it.

“Or, I can just look from the doorway. I won’t go in,” she added.

Shi Qing’s expression shifted—that was even worse. If a top actress were seen being refused entry by a second-tier actress, standing awkwardly in the hallway, it would surely become a public scandal.

“Come in.”

She stepped aside, allowing Wei Jiuyi inside before closing the door. She went to check on Dong Ya, who was lying on the sofa. Her face, which had had a bit of color earlier, was now shockingly pale, with a thin layer of sweat on her forehead, likely from the pain.

“Xiao Ya, how are you?” Shi Qing leaned in, placing a hand on her forehead to check for a fever. Luckily, she was cool.

“Mmm…” Dong Ya opened her eyes, pushing herself up with a cushion. “Jie, you’re back.”

Shi Qing helped her sit up straight and placed a pillow behind her back. Wei Jiuyi also offered a hand, helping to support her.

“Huh?” Dong Ya looked at the familiar stranger, wondering if the pain was making her delirious. Her voice was thick and groggy.

“9…” she started to say, but before she could finish with “7,” Shi Qing interrupted.

“—Teacher Wei heard you weren’t well and came to see you.”

Dong Ya blinked. “Oh… Thank you, Teacher Wei.”

Wei Jiuyi stood by the sofa. Her tall, slender frame and the confident aura she had gained from her physical training gave her an air of reliability.

“Why is your enteritis acting up again? How are you feeling?” Wei Jiuyi asked.

Dong Ya’s mind, still hazy, began to recall the events. Shi Qing had kept her on the phone for safety, so Dong Ya had heard every awkward, half-spoken word of the conversation in the car. The call had only dropped when Shi Qing entered the elevator.

She had so many questions she wanted to ask. Why were you out with another actress in the middle of the night to discuss a script? What kind of script needs two women to be alone in a room? Why did you personally drive her? Why did you act like you’d been caught cheating when you saw Shi Qing? Why did you come back after seeing her? Was it a change of heart, or did you just want to make a good impression on Shi Qing?

A hundred “whys” swam in her head, but she asked none of them. If Shi Qing herself wasn’t worried, what right did she, as an assistant, have to ask?

“It’s an old issue. I’ll be fine after I take the medicine,” she said, simply answering Wei Jiuyi’s question.

Shi Qing went to the kitchen to get a cup, filled it with warm water, and took out the pills. With a glass in one hand and the medicine in the other, she said, “Here, take your medicine.”

Dong Ya took them. “Thanks, Qing-jie.” She swallowed the pills obediently with the warm water. She extended her legs from the sofa to get up and put the glass back in the kitchen, but Shi Qing took it from her.

“You should lie down.”

Dong Ya looked at Shi Qing, then at Wei Jiuyi. Her discomfort grew. She would rather crawl to the kitchen than face a stranger. She wasn’t an actress; why should she have to pretend?

Shi Qing took the glass to the kitchen, leaving Wei Jiuyi and Dong Ya alone in the living room.

“Teacher Wei.” The simple title felt strange and clunky. “Why don’t you… sit down?” Even a simple courtesy felt awkward.

Wei Jiuyi looked at her and sighed deeply. “I won’t sit. If I stay any longer, I’m afraid your enteritis will be cured, but you’ll get a heart attack.”

Dong Ya’s tension immediately deflated. She slumped over and grumbled, “Pretending not to know you is so exhausting! I’m not an actress.”

Wei Jiuyi tried to explain. “You don’t have to act. Just be natural.”

Dong Ya shot her a look. “That’s easy for you to say. I’m not professionally trained.”

Wei Jiuyi nodded. “That’s why I’m leaving. I came because I heard you were sick.”

Just then, Wei Jiuyi’s phone rang, a saving grace for Dong Ya. Wei Jiuyi looked at the caller ID. “I need to take this.” She walked over to the window and answered.

“Hello, Xiao Lan, what’s wrong?”

Zhang Yulan’s voice was low and secretive. “Qi-jie, are you with Fang Fei right now?”

Wei Jiuyi’s throat tightened. She scratched her nose. “Yes.”

Zhang Yulan’s voice grew more urgent. “Get back here right now!”

“Why?” Wei Jiuyi asked.

“The boss just told me to stay away from Four Seasons’ artists. Isn’t Fang Fei with them?”

“What’s wrong with Four Seasons?”

“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you when you get back, but just come back. Don’t stay with her!”

“Okay, I’m already downstairs. I’ll be right back.”

“Good, I’ll be waiting.”

Shi Qing came out of the kitchen with a clean glass as Wei Jiuyi was hanging up.

Shi Qing tossed the towel into the trash can. “What’s wrong?”

Wei Jiuyi held up her phone. “My assistant said there’s something I need to take care of. I should probably head back.”

Shi Qing didn’t try to stop her. “Okay, good.”

Dong Ya, relieved, quickly piped up, “You should go, Teacher Wei! See you another time!”

Wei Jiuyi gave a wry smile. “Okay, take care of yourself, and watch what you eat. I’m heading out.” She then looked at Shi Qing, a hint of concern in her eyes. “If you ever need to go out at night, you can tell me. It’s cold, and getting sick will affect your performance.”

She knew how to get through to Shi Qing. If she’d only said she was worried, Shi Qing wouldn’t have cared. But by mentioning that getting sick would affect her acting, she knew Shi Qing would take it seriously.

And she was right. Shi Qing nodded, and her usual gentle, warm smile returned, a genuine one unlike the formal expressions she’d worn all evening. “Okay, thank you.”

Wei Jiuyi gazed at the curve of Shi Qing’s lips. In that moment, the tightness in her chest dissipated. The entire chaotic evening felt worth it.

“I’ll head back, then,” she said, her voice lighter. The heavy shadow that had been hanging over her seemed to lift.

As she turned to leave and opened the door, the shadow returned. She ran right into Zhang Yulan, who was also opening her door to come find her.

They were literally “door to door.”

Zhang Yulan’s mind raced, already creating a hundred questions. She asked, one word at a time, “You… are… down… stairs?”