Lady By The Pillow - Chapter 36

Chapter 36: Mommy (Part 2)

“Is it her, then?”

The rest area was full of people. The tall figures were all huddled on small folding stools, looking like a cluster of mushrooms in a forest after the rain. So when a bamboo shoot suddenly appeared, it was so straight and slender that it immediately captured everyone’s attention.

“Mommy?”

Wei Jiuqi got up in disbelief, her sharp features softened instantly by her makeup. Her eyes, filled with sunlight, looked like glistening water droplets dancing on a lotus leaf.

Wei Shu enjoyed the switch in her daughter’s expression, from polite formality with her colleagues to genuine surprise at seeing her. A satisfied smile played on her lips as she said, in Cantonese, “You’re so energetic this early in the morning. What did you do last night?”

Only then did Wei Jiuqi remember that she was an adult. She sniffled, put a hand on her hip, and struck the pose that was considered the most domineering in her official photos.

“I was just sleeping soundly. Didn’t do anything at all.”

The mother and daughter conversed in Cantonese, as if nothing had changed since before Wei Jiuqi went to college.

The parent-child relationship is perhaps the most wonderful thing in the world. Seeing her mother, Wei Jiuqi felt a sense of calm. Even though Wei Shu had only said hello, she felt inexplicably at ease. She had been so determined not to rely on the title of “Director Wei Shu’s daughter” to make a name for herself, and she left for college without a penny from home.

The mother and daughter had little contact for several years. One time, Wei Jiuqi’s shoes were worn out, but Wei Shu let them stay that way and didn’t give her money to buy new ones. The next time they met, Wei Jiuqi had many new luxury items. When Wei Shu asked where the money came from, she just said it was from “side jobs,” never mentioning that she was someone’s kept woman. Wei Shu saw it all but didn’t pry, only reminding her to “be careful when you’re out there.”

No matter what happened, Wei Jiuqi never asked Wei Shu for help, not even when Shi Qing kicked her out and she was left all alone.

It wasn’t until that night, when Wei Jiuqi started a phone call with “Mommy,” that it triggered the maternal love Wei Shu had suppressed for years. She then realized that no matter how old Wei Jiuqi got, she would always be a little leopard cub in her eyes.

And the moment a mother leopard decides to protect her cub, there is only one consequence: scorched earth.

“Director Wei, you, you’re here.”

All the actors in the rest area stood up. Even the newcomers who were unfamiliar with the Hong Kong entertainment industry followed suit, thinking that this woman must be a big boss or a dean of students, so they had to stand up straight and listen.

“Director Wei, what brings you here?”

“Please wait a moment, I’ll go get you a chair.”

Wei Shu looked at the crowd and smiled, switching to Mandarin. “Hello, everyone. My daughter is usually a troublemaker, so I apologize for any trouble she’s caused.”

Guo Xi was the most experienced person there. She had worked with big directors and understood the preferences of the older generation in the entertainment industry. Directors from that era liked professionals who were generous, hardworking, and serious about their craft. No one liked to talk to someone who was timid and submissive.

So she stepped forward and said in an equally confident manner, “Not at all. Wei-laoshi takes care of us more. She often buys us afternoon tea, and I’ve even gained weight.”

Wei Shu nodded to Guo Xi in appreciation. “Is that so? Then I feel relieved. What’s your name?”

Guo Xi introduced herself. “My surname is Guo, and my name is Guo Xi. I’m the head writer for this drama, Empress.”

Wei Shu’s eyebrows moved slightly. “It seems there aren’t many screenwriters who come to the set.”

Guo Xi admitted, “That’s right. The script for this drama is almost complete, so I just come by occasionally. When I have time, I’m working on my novel. So I came here to get some inspiration from them.”

Wei Shu hummed. “Writers need to communicate more with the outside world. That’s how you get stories.”

With that, her small talk with Guo Xi was basically over. But Guo Xi seemed to have an idea. Her eyes darted around, and she said, “Director Wei, your visit is so sudden, I wasn’t prepared at all. Look at them, they’re so excited they can’t even speak. Fang Fei, didn’t you say Director Wei was your idol? She’s here now, aren’t you going to say hello?”

Fang Fei was suddenly put on the spot. She nervously took two steps forward to stand next to Guo Xi, her beautiful face, which would normally be considered one of the best in the industry, was now pale with fright. She nervously clutched the hem of her clothes and stuttered, “Director, Director Wei, hello. My name is Fang Fei, I’m, I’m an actress. I, I used to watch your movies all the time when I was a kid. I’ve watched April Flowers no less than ten times. Uh, yes, ten times.”

Wei Shu’s oppressive presence was invisible. It had been there the moment she appeared. Even though she was wearing a calm color like dark blue, her aura was like she was wearing a suit of golden armor weighing dozens of pounds, with a sword at everyone’s throat, causing their words to be cut into pieces.

The more powerful a person’s presence, the more they disliked people being timid and submissive.

Wei Shu sized up Fang Fei. Her expression didn’t change, but the contraction of her eyelid muscles showed she had already made a judgment.

“With that speech, she has a long way to go as an actress.”

A giant bell seemed to have fallen on Fang Fei’s head. To be judged like that by a director on their first meeting was practically a death sentence for her acting career.

Guo Xi’s eyebrows twitched. She had heard about Wei Shu’s no-nonsense style, but experiencing it firsthand still made her heart skip a beat.

“Oh, she’s just too nervous. She’s actually very good at filming normally.”

Wei Jiuqi also spoke up for her. “That’s right. She plays my confidante, and there’s a two-page classical text that she memorized completely without any mistakes.”

Professional ability is one thing, but social skills are another. Fang Fei was naive and couldn’t handle pressure. Even with Guo Xi and Wei Jiuqi speaking up for her, she couldn’t stop herself from feeling wronged. She forced a smile and said something before retreating.

She finally understood what it meant to have a good bloodline. The domineering and imposing aura that Wei Jiuqi had when she raised her arms in her armor was now clear where it came from.

Wei Shu’s visit, just by her standing at the entrance of the set, was enough to command attention. If she were visiting a lover, she would just go. But Wei Jiuqi was her daughter, so she wanted to think more and do things properly. After all, she had been retired for so long.

So she had someone arrange for morning tea to be served, a gesture to show appreciation to the crew who worked with Wei Jiuqi every day and to get them to take better care of her.

Fan Erhua rushed over from the acting area and chatted with Wei Shu for a while before inviting her to visit the set. There was always a lot to talk about between colleagues, especially since Wei Shu had directed several period dramas in the past. Wei Shu was generally satisfied. She didn’t want to overstep and affect the normal filming process, so she left after the visit.

The stagehands were still setting up the scene, so it would probably be another half hour.

“I heard you bought an RV?” Wei Shu asked.

“Huh?” Wei Jiuqi was surprised by the sudden topic. She answered truthfully, “It’s the company’s. I pay rent every month.”

“Why don’t you buy your own?”

“There’s no need. Or do you want to buy me one?”

Wei Shu didn’t say yes or no. She just calmly turned her gaze from the busy crew and looked at Wei Jiuqi. The 27 years of life experience were magnified infinitely in that single glance.

“Let’s go take a look.”

When your mom tells you to “go take a look at your room,” it means she’s not just looking at your room.

Wei Jiuqi felt an inexplicable sense of guilt. She hadn’t been very quiet in the industry lately. Her agency had already given her two ultimatums, threatening to terminate her contract if she posted any more unauthorized statements online.

Wei Shu hadn’t visited the set in eight hundred years and chose to come now. She probably wasn’t here for a friendly visit.

“What’s there to see in an RV? They’re all the same.” Wei Jiuqi tried to change the subject. “Or are you tired and want to rest? I can have Yu Lan take you back to the hotel. You can lie down on my bed for a bit.”

Wei Shu stared at her. Her mother’s oppressive presence magnified at that moment. She raised an eyebrow and asked, “What’s wrong? Did you do something wrong and feel guilty?”

Wei Jiuqi, of course, didn’t admit it. “What did I do wrong? I’ve been so good!”

Wei Shu scrutinized her, her eyes not gentle, but with a hint of an unusual sharpness.

“It’s enough that you know you’re a good girl.”

Wei Jiuqi pouted. “Enough. I’m a grown woman.”

Wei Shu stared at her and said no more. A mother knows her daughter best. The moment Wei Jiuqi showed this impatient yet avoiding-eye-contact attitude, she knew she had gotten into trouble again.

When Wei Jiuqi fought with someone in school, she came back with the same look. Wei Shu asked her a few probing questions, but she wouldn’t say anything. It wasn’t until the other student’s parents showed up with their bruised child that she realized her daughter had the potential to be a martial arts star.

Wei Shu still remembered the scene from that day. Wei Jiuqi clenched her fists, refusing to speak for a long time, just keeping her head down, just like now. The boy she hit also seemed terrified, stammering and asking his mother to go home.

Wei Shu didn’t scold Wei Jiuqi. Instead, she asked her why she had hit him and interrupted the other parent when they started to scold and even curse her, saying, “I’m sorry my daughter hurt your child, but my daughter doesn’t just hit people without a reason. I need to know why.”

After repeated questioning, Wei Jiuqi still wouldn’t talk. She bit her lower lip, and tears streamed down her face. She was crying so hard her body was shaking, but she still refused to say a word.

Finally, the boy she hit spoke up and said that he had called Wei Jiuqi “fatherless” and said “your mom doesn’t have anyone who wants her,” which was why Wei Jiuqi hit him.

The truth of the matter stunned everyone. The other parents were reasonable and apologized profusely. Wei Shu offered to pay for the medical expenses, but they refused and quickly left with their son.

It wasn’t until that family left that Wei Jiuqi finally threw herself into Wei Shu’s arms and sobbed loudly.

Wei Shu held her and comforted her. When she calmed down, Wei Shu asked her why she hadn’t wanted to tell her in the first place. Wei Jiuqi said, in Cantonese:

“I was afraid it would make you sad.”

Wei Shu explained to her, “How could that make me sad? I’m your mommy, and I’m your daddy. That kid didn’t know any better. Why would I hold it against him?”

Then she asked, “What else? Why didn’t you want to tell me?”

Wei Jiuqi then admitted guiltily, “Hitting people is wrong.”

Wei Shu asked her, “So you know what to do next time?”

The answer Wei Jiuqi gave her next, she would remember for the rest of her life.

“Yes. I’ll come back and tell you, and then I’ll go hit him.”

That day was probably the gentlest day of Wei Shu’s life. She still remembered the look of the tears hanging on Wei Jiuqi’s face, clear and translucent like pearls.

The image from her memory overlapped with the person in front of her. Over the years, Wei Jiuqi’s features had become more defined. She was no longer the little dumpling from back then.

Her appearance had changed, and so had her mindset.

Now, when she hit someone, she didn’t even tell her.

Each had their own thoughts and secrets. The conversation between the mother and daughter fell silent until a cry of surprise came from the entrance of the set.

“Wow! Shi-laoshi, your look today is so beautiful!”

Hearing this, everyone looked over. Shi Qing was getting off the shuttle bus in a magnificent gown. Hairpins swayed in her intricate hairstyle. Her dark robe flowed to the ground as she stepped off, and a crimson feathered phoenix embroidered on the skirt appeared to be soaring. Shi Qing had an inherent noble grace, and her classical dance training made her look even more ethereal in the dark robe.

It was a unique aura in the entire entertainment industry.

A lover’s eyes are like gold that pierces a thief’s bag—it can’t be hidden.

In an instant, Wei Shu finally found the source of this whole fiasco. She took her gaze off Wei Jiuqi, lightly looked at the beautiful figure in the distance, and asked with certainty, in Cantonese:

“Is it her, then?”