Lady By The Pillow - Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Eyes (1)

“Don’t move.”

It’s strange how people are. A straightforward argument is like a quick bloodletting; it comes fast and goes fast. But when things are left unsaid and suppressed, when people can still smile calmly when they meet, it’s like a growth forming inside the body. It doesn’t hurt or cause any symptoms at first, but it keeps growing and growing, and one day it will become a tumor.

A shadow had settled in Shi Qing’s heart, and her mood was low. But she was so emotionally intelligent and good at dealing with people that outsiders couldn’t detect her inner turmoil, especially since she was intentionally suppressing it.

Later that night, as she showered, she noticed a few light red finger marks on her arm. Wei Jiuyi’s grip had left them there. Shi Qing’s skin was sensitive, and the slightest pressure left a mark. She covered the marks with foamy soap and rinsed them with hot water, but the marks didn’t fade at all. In fact, the hot water made them even redder.

She stared at the red marks that were almost the exact shape of Wei Jiuyi’s fingers and fell into a deep thought. Her relationship with Wei Jiuyi was just like those marks. Even when hidden by a thick layer of foam to deceive others, once the disguise was gone, there was nowhere to hide.

She threw herself onto the bed, covering her eyes with her hand. The light from the ceiling cut her fingers into alternating light and shadow. Her fingers were slender, almost delicate, not as strong as Wei Jiuyi’s. She had explored that hand with the most sensitive parts of her body countless times.

A side effect of an intimate relationship is that the body reacts faster than the brain. For example, when Wei Jiuyi held her arm, her muscle memory made her want to lean into her embrace and draw from her youthful energy. She missed Wei Jiuyi but felt ashamed of this feeling. It was a purely physical yearning, without a single shred of emotion.

Just as she had said, she and Wei Jiuyi should not have too many ties to one another.

Early the next morning, Shi Qing woke up at 6 a.m. for her styling. It was her first day of filming, and she would be playing Jiang Ke, who was performing for the emperor. To capture the beauty of a concubine’s dance, her hair and makeup took two hours. When she walked onto the set, there was a chorus of gasps and sighs.

Her hair was styled in a graceful, lazy updo, with a gold hairpin and a red stone placed at an angle. A long cascade of hair fell to her waist. Her crimson dress was a vibrant shade of red. The water sleeves and skirt were the same fiery color. With a single spin, the skirt would flare out like a roaring flame. When she stopped, the fire would die down.

It was a controlled fire, a perfectly timed seduction.

“Oh my god, Teacher Shi looks so beautiful…”

“I know! I always thought she had a cold, distant vibe, but who knew she could look so enchanting?”

“And it’s not a fake seductiveness; it’s a natural, innate charm.”

“I wouldn’t have believed she had this side to her if I hadn’t seen it myself. Actors’ ability to create a character is truly amazing.”

The scene was a court banquet. Besides the emperor and his favored concubines, the princes and princesses were also present, including Wei Jiuyi’s character, Princess Ji Lan. She wore a beautiful dress and sat in her assigned seat. Fang Fei, playing a handmaiden, sat on the ground behind her.

During Jiang Ke’s dance, there were only a few lines for the emperor, so there were no close-ups on the other characters. Wei Jiuyi sat quietly, blending in with the crowd, watching Shi Qing’s dance with the rest of the strangers.

Shi Qing had been practicing this dance since the start of filming. Her background in classical dance added a lot to her performance. Every move was perfect. Fan Erhua watched from the monitor, replaying each shot several times. Each time, he would let out a long “Mmm” of satisfaction.

“Good, that’s a take!”

The sound came from the speakers, and the entire set erupted in cheers. The scene was supposed to take four hours, but they finished it in two. They would move on to the next scene early and might even finish early.

“Crew, get ready. We’re shooting Scene 72.”

Scene 72 was also shot in the palace. It was a nightmare sequence where Jiang Ke, who had just performed her dance, was now having a nightmare about the loss of her power. In the dream, she was dancing in the middle of the palace hall, but the audience seats were empty. When she suddenly woke up, she ran out, and the grand doors of the hall opened with a crash.

Dark clouds loomed over the city. A dust storm raged, and the bodies of her family members were hanging from the palace’s outer walkways like vines, none of them alive.

“Scene 72, Shot 12, Take 1, Action!”

A rope pulled the heavy doors open. A crew member used a shovel to throw sand, which was then blown by a wind machine. The view was a hazy yellow.

“Cut,” Fan Erhua said, stopping the take. “Too much sand. The shot is blurry. Reduce it by 50%.”

“Scene 72, Shot 12, Take 2, Action!”

A smaller amount of sand was thrown up again. Amidst the dusty air, Jiang Ke, in her red dress, stepped out of the hall. Her eyes widened as she stared at the row of hanging bodies.

“Mother—”

“Cut.” Fan Erhua stopped again, pointing at the crew member holding the boom microphone. “The boom mic is in the shot. Let’s do it again.”

The crew members moved the doors back into place, and another group used brooms to sweep the sand away from the entrance. Shi Qing walked back into the hall, and Dong Ya hurried to cover her with a down jacket.

The temperature had dropped to a few degrees Celsius. Shi Qing’s dance outfit was thin and offered no warmth. She even had to drink cold water before each take so her breath wouldn’t fog up.

“Qing-jie, how are you? Are you feeling better?” Dong Ya wrapped her in the down jacket, put one hot water bottle on her lap and another in her hands, and rubbed her almost-frozen hands.

Shi Qing was shivering all over but forced a weak smile. “Mmm, I’m fine.”

Dong Ya glanced outside. “How much longer will it take to set up the doors? Should we wait inside the tent? It has air conditioning, and everyone is resting there.”

Shi Qing shook her head. “It’s fine, it’ll only take a few minutes. After this shot, we have a close-up, and then we’re done for the day.”

Dong Ya was upset. “It’s easy for you to say. Look how thin your clothes are. The director should have just turned on the heat.”

This was a sensitive topic. Even in an ordinary workplace, you don’t criticize your boss, let alone the head director.

Shi Qing gave her a warning tap on the forehead. “Less talk, more work.”

Dong Ya rubbed her forehead. “Okay, I get it.”

Just as her hands started to warm up, Fan Erhua’s voice came through the walkie-talkie. “Actors, get in position. Get ready for the third take.”

Shi Qing pressed the talk button on her walkie-talkie. “Got it.” She quickly took off the down jacket and hot water bottles and went to her position. “The actors are ready.”

“Okay, Scene 72, Shot 12, Take 3, Action!”

The doors crashed open again. Shi Qing, holding her skirt, stepped out and looked up at the hanging “bodies.” She stared for three seconds before breaking down and yelling, “Mother—”

“Good, that’s a take. Zoom in for a close-up…”

The shoot went on for half an hour, from Shot 12 to Shot 27. Shi Qing felt like her bones were frozen. As she walked down the steps for the last shot, her feet were numb, and she lost her footing and fell. Luckily, the steps weren’t high, and the fall looked natural for the scene where Jiang Ke was supposed to faint.

But more than the cold, what made her more uncomfortable was the fine sand that was blown into her eyes by the wind machine.

“Jie, sit down. Did you get hurt from the fall?” Dong Ya had only noticed the fall. She helped Shi Qing into the heated tent and lifted her skirt. There was a cut on her knee, with bl00d smeared on the wound, but it wasn’t gushing.

“It’s bleeding. Let me check other places.”

Shi Qing’s eyes were stinging from the sand, and she couldn’t open them. “It’s fine, I can’t feel anything.”

Dong Ya was anxious. “Of course you can’t! You’re frozen! Let’s go back and get you some help.”

Just then, a familiar voice came over. “I have a first-aid kit in my car.” Dong Ya turned and saw Wei Jiuyi.

Shi Qing’s eyes were watering uncontrollably, but she could hear Wei Jiuyi’s voice.

Zhang Yulan, seeing the situation, quickly said, “Right, right, I’ll go get it.”

Wei Jiuyi’s gaze fell on Shi Qing’s tears. “Get some eye drops, too.”

Zhang Yulan was fast and returned in two minutes. The two of them worked together, one treating Shi Qing’s wound and the other helping her warm up.

Shi Qing rubbed her eyes, feeling she could open them a little. She tried to keep rubbing, but a warm hand covered hers.

“Don’t move.”