Lady By The Pillow - Chapter 50

Chapter 50: Business Couple (2)

…

“I came to see you.”

“It’s not a discussion; it’s a notice.”

Dou Qinwen’s words hit Shi Qing like a soot-covered pot, a heavy blow to the head, and the soot came pouring down, choking her.

Shi Qing felt a sense of despair. She couldn’t pinpoint what kind of relationship she should have with Wei Jiuyi, but her rational mind had told her countless times that keeping a distance was the best choice.

But why was it that every time she decided to cut ties, something would happen that forced them back together?

“What if I don’t want to?” For the first time, Shi Qing asked such an audacious question.

Dou Qinwen scrutinized her expression. It was the first honest emotion she had seen from Shi Qing since she walked into the room—avoidance.

“You can refuse, but you need to know the consequences.”

Dou Qinwen had no choice but to lay out the pros and cons.

“Shengqiao is only one-fifth the size of Yihuang, and our connections are nowhere near theirs. If we reject their collaboration this time, when do you think they’ll be willing to offer us an olive branch again?”

Shi Qing slowly closed her lips, remaining silent.

Dou Qinwen continued, “Besides, what reason would I have to refuse?

That it will damage your popularity? Your Weibo fan count is only 3 million, while Wei Jiuyi has 30 million. Your number isn’t even a fraction of hers.

That the CP won’t take off? Yihuang has far more experience than we do. Yesterday, when you fell off the horse, they just tested the waters, and you gained 500,000 fans.

That after the CP ends, Yihuang will slander you when you cut ties? They just gave me a complete plan. If they damage your image later, we can sue them for a breach of contract and demand 50 million in compensation.

Xiao Qing, even I can’t find a single valid reason to refuse.”

Shi Qing didn’t know how to argue back. In terms of popularity, fame, and profit, she was the one who stood to gain more. For Yihuang to choose her to run a CP with Wei Jiuyi, it was less a form of promotion and more like an act of charity.

And how would they even “operate” this CP?

Would they go to and from work together, or film intimate behind-the-scenes clips on set?

What if, while they were filming, it became real?

“But, Sister Wen, you didn’t want this either, did you?” Shi Qing was out of options and decided to appeal to Dou Qinwen’s feelings.

Dou Qinwen looked at her, her gaze serious.

“I didn’t want this because of you.”

“Me?”

“Xiao Qing, don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about.”

“I really don’t.”

“You’re still pretending.”

Dou Qinwen felt a surge of anger and decided to be direct.

“A while ago, you know how much Wen Yi and Tang Bin’s secret relationship cost the company. Tang Bin is basically blacklisted from the ad industry, and Wen Yi won’t be getting any work anytime soon. You are the next A-list actress I’ve chosen for Shengqiao. I will not allow my artists to have a personal life.”

Shi Qing secretly bit the inside of her cheek before speaking. “Sister Wen, I understand.”

“You don’t understand.”

Dou Qinwen’s voice became heavier. “I want you to promise me that you will only operate this CP on the surface and have no private emotional connection with Wei Jiuyi. Do you understand?”

The gray limestone was kicked, rolling out of its hole. The snakes and vermin at the bottom were suddenly exposed to the sunlight and scattered.

A person’s heart is a mountain made of limestone. As soon as you move one rock, you see black bugs scurrying everywhere.

Some things are not meant to be seen in the light.

“I understand, Sister Wen.”

Shi Qing agreed with a faint smile.

A bitter smile.

Dou Qinwen knew she was reluctant, even if Shi Qing herself didn’t realize that her reluctance wasn’t about operating a CP but about Wei Jiuyi herself.

If she truly had no feelings, why hide them?

“I’ve said what I needed to say, and what I shouldn’t have said. Xiao Qing, remember this: I am your agent. I would never harm you.”

With that, she got up and left, leaving behind a plate of carefully sliced apple squares.

The hospital room returned to silence. Sunlight filtered through the leaves of the trees outside, casting a pattern of small light spots on the floor.

Shi Qing lay in bed, her neck twisted as she looked out the window. Her memory was suddenly pulled back to a summer nine years ago, just after graduation. It was another quiet afternoon, and she was lying on a bed, half-paralyzed.

But her mindset was different.

Nine years ago, facing expulsion from the dance troupe, she had to find a way to live in the midst of a dark and uncertain future.

Now, a top agency’s top actress wanted to operate a CP with her. The seemingly long and difficult path of her acting career was about to see the light of stardom.

And yet, her mood was even heavier than it had been nine years ago.

#WeiJiuyiandShiQingCP#

After the marketing contract was signed, both agencies quickly contacted the media and marketing accounts they usually worked with. The video of Shi Qing falling from the horse and Wei Jiuyi rushing to her was edited with close-ups from different angles. The music ranged from Xuan Niao (Mysterious Bird), Bi Shang Guan (Watching from the Sidelines), and Qiannian Lei (Thousand-Year Tears) to Rang Ta Jiang Luo (Let Her Fall), Mei Xiang Ru Gu (Plum Fragrance as Before), and Gui Qu Lai (Return). The themes went from fated encounters to two-way love. The 97Time fan community’s followers instantly exceeded 10,000, and the high-engagement videos received hundreds of millions of likes and shares.

The Chinese people’s inherent conservatism and nostalgia added a filter when they watched historical dramas. In recent years, most dual-female-lead works had been in modern settings, with very few in historical genres. Seeing Shi Qing fall from the air in a red dress, the sorrowful beauty of the scene was so extreme that no one could remain unmoved.

On the other side of the camera, Wei Jiuyi reined in her horse with one hand. The horse’s front hooves reared high, and she leaped to the ground before they could land, scrambling and running toward Shi Qing.

Her clothes fluttered in the wind against the backdrop of the setting sun. That single cry of “A-Qing” was like the call of a hawk in a barren desert, piercing the sky.

[@97TimeEldestDaughter: Family, who understands? So many people suddenly came to the fan community. Our little couple has finally been discovered!]

[@LeopardCatI’mHere: Newbie here! I’ve always liked Shi Qing, a gentle and low-key big sister. I never expected her to have such great chemistry with Wei Jiuyi.]

[@DidMyCPCissToday: Oh my god, how much pain must the older sister have been in when she fell? The little puppy immediately pounced on her. The girlfriend power is off the charts.]

[@ModernDetective: Did you see that last shot? The older sister was in so much pain, and no one dared to touch her. But the moment she reached out, the little puppy immediately grabbed her hand.]

[@DiggingForWildVeggies: If this isn’t love, what is? Family, I’ve fallen in love. This shot should be saved. One hundred years from now, everyone will still remember the moment the older sister fell from the horse and the little puppy held her.]

With both teams joining in, the discussion volume in the fan community skyrocketed, quickly topping the trending charts. Even Shi Qing, who had been out of the media spotlight for ages, received an interview request, which Dou Qinwen rejected, citing “she needs to rest right now.”

“Sister Wen said your top priority is to recover well and get back to work soon. The company will handle everything online.”

Dong Ya opened the thermos, poured the medicinal broth into a bowl, stirred it several times to make sure it wasn’t too hot, and then handed it to Shi Qing with a spoon.

“Okay.” Shi Qing took the bowl. “You’ve all worked so hard these past few days.”

“It’s nothing!” Dong Ya cheerfully opened her own lunch box. “Taking care of you is my job! I just asked the doctor. She said you can get out of bed and walk around tomorrow. After the stitches are removed, she’ll arrange physical therapy for you.”

“Okay.”

“Sigh, this time we really dodged a bullet. The doctor said your previous fall was very serious. It’s a good thing this time it’s just a bone fissure, not a fracture. Otherwise, you’d be bedridden for a long time.”

“Now… the video has been released. Are a lot of people online paying attention?”

“Of course! This counts as a filming accident. Nowadays, netizens love the ‘beautiful, strong, and tragic’ archetype. They’re so heartbroken that you got hurt! Hehe, let me show you. You gained 800,000 followers in just one day yesterday!”

She said, opening Shi Qing’s Weibo homepage. Her follower count had already reached 3.9 million.

“I feel like it’ll hit 4 million in the next two days. You usually give fan benefits, right? Since you’re injured and can’t dance, I saw in the fan group that they’re saying you recovering and being discharged safely is the biggest benefit of all.”

Shi Qing scooped a spoonful of the broth into her mouth. The minced medicinal herbs gave off a bitter taste that made the back of her tongue tingle. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly.

“It’s a little bitter today.”

Dong Ya explained, “Oh, Yulan added more ginseng. It might be a little bitter.”

Shi Qing sighed, and the movement tugged at her wound, causing her to wince.

“Hiss.”

Dong Ya quickly put down her lunch box and took the bowl from her. “Sister, what’s wrong? Did you pull your wound?”

Shi Qing nodded. “Yeah, I did it by accident.”

She supported her back against the headboard to take the weight off her waist, then slowly lay back down.

Dong Ya went to the foot of the bed and slowly lowered the upper part of the bed, which was folded at an obtuse angle.

“You should lie down for a bit and rest before eating.”

Shi Qing put her full weight on the bed, and her spine was relieved. The color gradually returned to her face.

“Xiao Ya, do you have any candy?”

Dong Ya looked at the yellowish medicinal porridge. “The porridge is too bitter, right? I don’t have any with me. There’s a mall next to the hospital. I’ll go buy some for you, okay?”

Shi Qing rarely troubled anyone, even her assistant. She operated on the principle that if she could do it herself, she wouldn’t ask her assistant to do it. The fact that she was asking Dong Ya to buy her candy meant that she really couldn’t swallow the bitter porridge.

“Okay, thank you.”

Dong Ya waved her hand. “What’s there to be polite about? It’s my job!”

She closed her own lunch box and put on her coat. “I’m going now. If you need to use the restroom or anything, just press the call button for the nurse.”

Shi Qing nodded. “Okay, don’t worry.”

Dong Ya unplugged her charging phone, intending to run quickly and come back. As she opened the door, she almost bumped into Wei Jiuyi, who was about to knock.

“You…”

“Uh…”

The two looked at each other. Dong Ya held the doorknob, and Wei Jiuyi retracted her hand.

“You’re going out?” Wei Jiuyi was the first to break the deadlock.

“Ah, yeah.” Dong Ya pointed inside. “Are you here to see Sister Qing?”

“Mhm.”

“You’re not filming?”

“It’s lunchtime. I came to check on her.”

“Oh… perfect. I was just about to buy some candy for Sister Qing. Could you watch her for me?”

Dong Ya peeked inside and said, “Sister Qing, Teacher Wei is here to see you. Now I don’t have to worry about going out.”

Shi Qing was taken aback. “Huh?”

Wei Jiuyi had already stepped inside. “It’s a lunch break on set. I came to see you.”

As she spoke, her hand was tightly gripping the strap of her shoulder bag, and her body under the oversized jacket was a bit stiff.

Shi Qing had no reason to refuse a “colleague’s” “visit” during their “break time.”

“Go ahead and sit down.”

Given a “royal decree,” Wei Jiuyi strode in and quickly sat down on the chair by the bed as if she were going to be welded to it.

At the door, Dong Ya brazenly said, “Sister Qing, I’m off then,” and after closing the door, she changed her quick jog into a leisurely stroll. If the conditions were right, she would have wanted to take two steps forward and one step back.