Lady By The Pillow - Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Sting (Part 2)

“How did she know I was there?”

The secret of that night was never brought up again. Wei Jiuyi didn’t run off to call Wei Shu and cry, and Shi Qing didn’t chase after her. The only trace was that Shi Qing, who was dressed too lightly, drank two bowls of ginger soup that night. And, the two assistants who were each on their own side.

“I’m just saying, Teacher Shi is such a bully.” The next day at lunch, Zhang Yulan was the first to attack. “Sister Qi was so sad when she got back yesterday. Her eyes were swollen this morning, and it was hard to put on her makeup.”

Dong Ya pulled the disposable chopsticks from between her teeth. There were two deep teeth marks on them. “You think Sister Qing had it easy? If I hadn’t made her ginger soup and given her medicine, she would have had a fever today. What’s the point of all this if Teacher Wei hadn’t done what she did?”

Zhang Yulan was furious. “How can you say that? Sister Qi was just trying to help because she saw that Teacher Shi was being bullied. If you guys are too scared to fight back, you won’t let others help?”

Dong Ya was also getting annoyed. “What help? Do you know how powerful Sister Yi’s connections are? And with Tang Bin, how could we possibly be their match? You don’t have to worry because Teacher Wei has a big company behind her and a deep network of connections. Of course you’re not afraid of Sister Yi and him. But what about us? Our Sister Qing is a small, unattached actress who has been in the industry for nine years and just got this one big role. How are we supposed to compete with Sister Yi?”

Zhang Yulan retorted, “Then you should have a better relationship with us. With Sister Qi protecting you, they wouldn’t dare do anything.”

Dong Ya’s eyes blurred with anger. “Zhang Yulan, are you an idiot?”

“Why are you swearing?!”

Dong Ya broke down Shi Qing’s thoughts. “You think Sister Qing is angry because she thinks Teacher Wei is meddling? That’s not what she thinks at all. Be honest with yourself. How old is Teacher Wei? In the current film and television industry, how many people win Best Actress with their first project? Thousands of eyes are on her, waiting for her to mess up. And here she goes, leaking someone else’s dirty secrets and making enemies. Isn’t that just digging a hole for herself? In the entertainment industry, it’s better to avoid trouble. The fewer enemies you have, the better. Didn’t you learn that in your assistant training?”

Dong Ya’s words were crystal clear, and Zhang Yulan was speechless. In that moment, everything was so clear. It was like a line connecting two valleys. But when it came to their relationship, that line became a complex spiderweb stretching across the canyon.

Zhang Yulan understood, and Wei Jiuyi, who had been standing at the door for ten minutes, also understood. Shi Qing wasn’t upset that she was meddling. She was worried about her. Shi Qing had tried to explain this to her last night, but she was too emotional to listen. Now, looking back, Shi Qing had been explaining the whole time, from her perspective, without any blame or deception.

But what had Wei Jiuyi said?

She had said, “I’m so pathetic for being so eager to get revenge for you,” and “I’m telling you, I won’t ever get involved in your business again! I won’t help you even if you get on your knees and beg me!”

How could she have said such cruel words?

She left the door without making a sound, just as she had arrived. The only thing she left behind was a shoe print, which made Dong Ya, who came out later, think their conversation had been overheard by someone who shouldn’t have. She quickly made a pact with Zhang Yulan that from now on, they would make sure the door was closed when they talked.

Her feet felt like they were filled with lead, and the short walk from the lounge to the set felt like a pilgrimage. Shi Qing was rehearsing a scene where her character, Jiang Ke, would smash a cup as a signal to assassinate the crown prince. Shi Qing had already changed into her costume. The black robe with gold embroidery gave her a serious aura, and the dark makeup made her look imposing. The single stroke of a hua tian on her forehead added a touch of cruelty to her gentle face. It was a rare look for Shi Qing.

When Wei Jiuyi walked over, she was discussing the scene with the director, Fan Erhua. The person who was usually so quiet had so many ideas and designs when it came to acting. In that moment, Shi Qing was glowing with a warm, golden light from within.

Wei Jiuyi vaguely remembered a time when Shi Qing was going to audition for a supporting female role in a historical drama, who was the main villain. To fit the character, she had bought a black quju dress at her own expense, planning to wear it to the audition to help her get into the role.

That night, Shi Qing repeatedly rehearsed the audition scene. Wei Jiuyi would read the script with her. In one scene, the character had to tear open her collar to reveal a wound on her neck. They had a disagreement about it.

Wei Jiuyi thought that since the character had already turned evil, she should use both hands to tear open her collar and reveal the scar in a powerful way.

Shi Qing, however, thought that since the character was in control of the situation, she didn’t need to make such a big gesture. She just needed to use one hand to push her collar aside slightly and show the scar to intimidate the other person.

Wei Jiuyi had forgotten the name of the character and the lines she said. She only remembered the way Shi Qing looked that night in the black quju, just like she did now, radiating a light that was so captivating.

But even though the person was the same, her heart was not. Back then, she and Shi Qing were inseparable. She remembered every detail of that night, how difficult the sash on the quju was to untie, how the collar hung loosely on Shi Qing’s fragrant shoulder, the porcelain-white, long legs that peeked out from under the black skirt, and how Shi Qing ended up biting her pillow and sobbing uncontrollably.

They would never be able to have a night like that again.

After the discussion, Fan Erhua adopted Shi Qing’s suggestion. The cup-smashing action was executed perfectly, exuding a confident and powerful aura that fully captured the oppressive feel of Jiang Ke’s power.

Next up was Wei Jiuyi’s scene. The two of them were completely immersed in their work. They discussed scenes and rehearsed lines as if nothing had happened.

By the time they finished work, the two of them, who had the most complex makeup and hair, were the last to be cleaned up by the makeup artist. When they came out, the other actors had almost all left in their cars. Dong Ya had gone back to the hotel early to make her dinner. Shi Qing checked the group chat, and the next shuttle bus was ten minutes away. It was windy and bitterly cold outside, so she turned around to wait in the lounge.

When she turned, she bumped into a very preoccupied Wei Jiuyi. Wei Jiuyi was a good actress who could portray different layers of emotion and dramatic tension. But every time she was in front of Shi Qing, her acting fell short. Her flaws were always visible.

“Teacher Shi.” Her raised hand was a little stiff. “How about you take my car back? It’s right there.”

Shi Qing politely refused. “No, thank you, Teacher Wei. The shuttle bus will be here soon.”

Wei Jiuyi stood still, shifting her weight to the balls of her feet before pulling back, not moving. “I’m going back anyway. It’s convenient for me to give you a ride.” After she said that, she forced out two laughs that sounded as if they were full of gravel, blunt and rusty. She didn’t have to look to know that her smile was strange.

If it had been anyone else, Shi Qing would have gotten in the car. But it was Wei Jiuyi. Their fight from last night was still fresh in her mind, and the memory of her sobbing on the stone bridge was still in her ears. Shi Qing didn’t know how she felt, but she knew that she was the source of Wei Jiuyi’s pain.

“No, I’ll just wait for the shuttle bus.” After being rejected again, Wei Jiuyi had no face to ask again. She left with a strained “Then I’ll get going first,” her retreating figure almost running away.

The RV slowly drove out of the set and turned the last corner. From a small crack in the curtains, she could just see Shi Qing pushing open the door to the lounge. She was thin and elegant, like a green bamboo covered in a fine layer of snow, standing tall and proud in the cold and frost, yet so delicate.

The curtains fell, and the gap closed completely. A sharp-edged stone felt stuck in her throat. She should have said something, explained their unpleasant argument from last night, or tried to make up for the awkward and tense atmosphere between them. She had a million words to say, but nothing came out.

Wei Jiuyi hated herself a little. She was young and impulsive, acting without thinking about the consequences. If it had been Fei Ying, she would have handled the situation with more grace and maturity. After all, she was the person Shi Qing used to like. But she wasn’t Fei Ying. She wasn’t that kind of person. Why did Shi Qing only like people who were mature and graceful? Couldn’t she like someone young and passionate who was willing to give her everything she had?

Thinking about how Shi Qing’s heart once belonged to someone else made her feel intensely sour. The fire in her chest was ignited by alcohol, burning her soul until it was distorted. The RV drove slowly on an unremarkable street in the film city, stopping at a red light.

Zhang Yulan gripped the steering wheel, looking at the traffic light and then at the murderous face in the back. Honestly, Wei Jiuyi would be great at playing a murderer. “Uh, Sister Qi, I heard that Teacher Shi caught a cold yesterday. My dad just sent me some herbal medicine to help with the cold. Do you want to give her some?” She felt that if Wei Jiuyi didn’t get to talk to Shi Qing today, she would probably turn into an alien in her room.

“Yes, you give it to her,” Wei Jiuyi said, staring out the window. The streetlights passed evenly over her face, but her eyes remained dark.

Zhang Yulan chuckled. “Hehe, I only know her assistant. I’m not that close with Teacher Shi. It’s better for you to handle social matters between artists.”

Wei Jiuyi wanted to refuse. If she heard the words “no need” from Shi Qing again, all the pride she had built up in her life would collapse. But Zhang Yulan had just said it was herbal medicine. Shi Qing’s health wasn’t great. Letting Dong Ya make some medicinal food would be good for her. “Then you can give it to me when we get back,” she said.

Zhang Yulan rubbed her pants—she had said so much, and Wei Jiuyi still didn’t get it? In that moment, a fire was lit in her heart, like the fire on a superhero’s cape. Even though she was trained on her first day not to interfere in an artist’s personal life and even though her parents always told her to “talk less and do more” when she was working, she couldn’t stand seeing Wei Jiuyi look like a murderer!

“Actually, we should probably go thank her. I couldn’t find you anywhere yesterday, but Teacher Shi sent me her location. She’s so weak and frail, and it was so cold last night. She must have been freezing outside.”

Sure enough, the still water in the back suddenly shook. The broken circuit was reconnected, and the abyss-like eyes were lit up by the streetlights. “How did she know I was there?”

No wonder Dong Ya was making Shi Qing ginger soup. No wonder Shi Qing looked so frail. So… she followed me out last night, didn’t she? She made sure I was okay and waited for me to vent all my emotions before telling Zhang Yulan to pick me up.

If she cared so much, why did she push me away? When we broke up, I waited for you downstairs for a whole day, and you never came out to stop me. Do you know how much I hated you back then? Or were you secretly caring for me in a place I couldn’t see, just like last night?

If you can’t bear to let me go, why did you drive me away?

A-Qing, why?