Lady By The Pillow - Chapter 51

51 The Old Acquaintance (1)

…

“You were very stubborn back then.”

The production team had secured a luxury suite for Shi Qing, a private room with its own bathroom, balcony, microwave, and mini-fridge.

The large space only amplified the quiet.

Wei Jiuyi sat on the stool with her heavy shoulder bag. She hadn’t removed her makeup yet, only changed out of her heavy costume, ready to touch up her makeup and continue filming in the afternoon.

Shi Qing lay in the hospital bed, her face pale. But her eyes were clear and soft, like diamonds placed on a piece of white gauze.

“Sorry, I just accidentally strained my wound. I might have to lie here for a while.”

Shi Qing gently explained why she couldn’t get up to greet her.

Wei Jiuyi was worried. “Is it bad? Do you want me to call a doctor?”

Shi Qing shook her head. “No, it’s fine. It just hurt for a second. It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“Oh…”

Wei Jiuyi waited a few seconds. When Shi Qing didn’t tell her to leave, she knew she could stay a little longer. She raised her hand to put her shoulder bag on the bedside table and was immediately drawn to the untouched bowl of medicinal porridge.

“Why aren’t you eating?”

Shi Qing lowered her eyes. “It’s a little bitter.”

Wei Jiuyi said, “Good medicine tastes bitter. This is to help you recover after the surgery.”

Shi Qing explained, “I’ll eat it after Xiao Ya comes back with the candy.”

Wei Jiuyi unzipped the side pocket of her shoulder bag and pulled out a handful of colorful candies.

“I brought candy.”

She had cleverly chosen to “forget” the candy when Dong Ya mentioned going to buy it, only to take it out after entering the room.

“How about this? You finish the porridge first, then have a candy. That way, your mouth won’t be bitter anymore.”

Shi Qing was clearly in her 30s, yet she was being coaxed into taking medicine by a girl eight years younger. The scene looked strange no matter how you saw it.

“Then, let me lie down for a bit. I’ll get up to eat later,” Shi Qing said.

“Just lie there. The doctor said you need to lie down more.” Wei Jiuyi had found a purpose. “I’ll feed you.”

“You don’t have to!” Shi Qing was on high alert.

“This porridge won’t stay warm for long. It’ll get cold.”

“There’s a microwave.”

“If you keep reheating it, the medicinal properties will dissipate.”

“But…”

Shi Qing tried every excuse she could think of, her expression a little flustered. But Wei Jiuyi had already picked up the bowl, stirred the porridge twice, and confirmed it was still warm.

“Alright, we’re going to be a business couple anyway. You can just think of this as getting used to it early, okay?”

The word “business” brought Shi Qing back to her senses. This was a decision made by two agencies. It might involve tens of millions of dollars in operating costs. In the face of such a massive project, any personal feelings seemed overly sentimental.

“Okay.”

Wei Jiuyi sat back down. The porridge was indeed a bit bitter; just stirring it a few times had made the bitterness waft into her nostrils. She scooped up half a spoonful, holding the bowl underneath, and brought it to Shi Qing’s mouth. Shi Qing tilted her head slightly, opened her mouth, and took the half-spoonful of porridge.

It was still bitter. Shi Qing couldn’t help but frown, her brow furrowing into a deep crease.

Wei Jiuyi couldn’t stand to see her frown. Shi Qing was such a cheerful person who would smile through anything, but this spoonful of medicine had made a crack in her composure.

She wanted to scoop more, but she was afraid of choking her. She wanted to scoop less, but then how would they ever finish such a big bowl?

“Do you remember that time I was sick, and you fed me medicine?”

Seeing that the bowl of porridge hadn’t changed much after a while, Wei Jiuyi had to say something else to distract her.

Shi Qing swallowed a mouthful. “Are you talking about the time you had a fever?”

Wei Jiuyi smiled. “Yeah. I couldn’t even walk straight. You came to school to pick me up, and I was using a big stick to help me walk.”

As she spoke of the past, Shi Qing’s eyes brightened. She complained, “You were very stubborn back then.”

Wei Jiuyi said, “You were busy back then. I only got to see you twice a week. Of course, I couldn’t bear to miss it.”

Shi Qing exposed her. “You even skipped class.”

“I took a sick leave. The school hospital gave me a note.”

“Is that so?”

“Of course! I couldn’t even walk straight. Don’t you remember? You even got out of the car to help me.”

Shi Qing, of course, remembered.

At the time, she was in the middle of a public relations crisis and was keeping a low profile. She thought she would go pick up Wei Jiuyi and have a fun time. Who knew that Wei Jiuyi would show up with a stick she had picked up from the garden? Shi Qing was so frightened that she immediately got out of the car to help her, forgetting to even put on her mask.

When she asked what was wrong, Wei Jiuyi wouldn’t say. She just burrowed into her arms, whining about how uncomfortable she felt while taking the opportunity to kiss her.

“But in the end, you still refused to get an IV drip.”

Shi Qing still remembered how badly Wei Jiuyi had cried when she said she needed to get a shot.

Wei Jiuyi mocked herself. “I was young back then and afraid of pain. You had no choice in the end, you still had to coax me and feed me the fever medicine.”

That was the only time the two of them met and didn’t do anything else. It was purer than the fresh lilies after a spring rain.

At the time, Wei Jiuyi wouldn’t get a shot, wouldn’t take medicine, and wouldn’t even eat unless Shi Qing hugged and kissed her for a long time first. She was so annoying.

That’s just how annoying she was, but Shi Qing spoiled her so much.

Memories were like passing clouds, seemingly fleeting, but they left a lasting impression on the heart.

As they talked, the porridge was finished, and the bitterness was gone from her mouth. Wei Jiuyi pulled out a tissue to wipe her mouth, then unwrapped a White Rabbit candy and fed it to her.

Shi Qing was stunned. She followed the hand and looked at Wei Jiuyi. She saw Wei Jiuyi’s eyes, filled with panic, quickly hide their tenderness. Her pupils trembled slightly as she avoided eye contact. Shi Qing opened her mouth and ate the cylindrical candy.

“Done.”

Wei Jiuyi clapped her thighs in relief and joked, “When Xiao Ya comes back, I’ll have finished my task.”

Shi Qing rolled the candy around in her mouth, washing away the lingering taste of the medicine. “Thank you.”

Wei Jiuyi waved her hand generously. “What are you being polite for? You took care of me for a year, and I’ve only taken care of you this one time. But it’s good from now on. Now that the company is going to operate a CP, I’ll have more chances to take care of you.”

At this, Shi Qing’s gaze froze, like a gear that had suddenly jammed, stopping dead in its tracks.

Fortunately, it only lasted for a moment before she covered it with her practiced acting skills. Her smile was gentle, and her voice was soft.

“Yes, with this CP, I’ll definitely be relying on your help.”

Wei Jiuyi should have followed up with some polite words, but she didn’t. She just stared at Shi Qing’s seemingly flawless expression.

After their recent arguments, she was starting to realize that Shi Qing kept a lot of her feelings to herself. Even if she was unhappy, she wouldn’t say anything. She would only endure, internalize, and digest it on her own. Wei Jiuyi didn’t want her to be like this, and she especially didn’t want to be the source of Shi Qing’s inner turmoil.

“Are you… not happy about doing this CP?” Wei Jiuyi asked tentatively.

Shi Qing’s expression didn’t change.

“No. Why would you think that? Sister Wen came to see me yesterday and explained the benefits of doing a CP. I’ve been in the industry for so many years and only gotten an opportunity like this once. It’s very rare.”

Wei Jiuyi pointed out why she had asked.

“But I feel like you’re a little unhappy.”

Shi Qing swallowed the sugary water from the candy. “No.”

The furrow in Wei Jiuyi’s brow deepened. She was certain that Shi Qing was unhappy. Even though she didn’t know why, after their recent disagreements, she was able to sense Shi Qing’s emotions more keenly.

A month ago, she would have been anxious and frustrated and probably would have gotten into a big fight with Shi Qing on impulse. But not now. As she had told Shi Qing before, she knew Shi Qing didn’t like it, so she wouldn’t do it anymore.

She lowered her head and took a deep breath, filling her lungs until there was no room for a single bit of air. She then slowly exhaled. When she looked up again, her gaze on Shi Qing was composed.

“A-Qing, there’s no one else here. If you’re unhappy, you can tell me. Maybe I can help you.”

Shi Qing still avoided the topic. “I said, I’m not unhappy. Teacher Wei, are you unhappy and want to talk to me?”

Wei Jiuyi just admitted it. “Yes, you’re right. I was a little unhappy just now. Because you’re always suppressing your emotions. When you’re angry, sad, or upset, you never tell anyone. You always digest it on your own.”

At this, Shi Qing finished the candy. She let out a small sigh and looked up, her clear eyes filled with determination.

“Why should I tell other people? Everyone in this world has it hard. It’s already difficult enough for people to just survive. I don’t want to become a source of negative energy and make people unhappy just because I am.”

The reason was absurd, but it was exactly the kind of thing Shi Qing would say.

Wei Jiuyi had to say, “I’m already unhappy because of you. If you don’t talk about it, I’ll be unhappy.”

Shi Qing was calm. “That’s just you. Most people don’t feel that way.”

The air fell silent again. Wei Jiuyi took a moment to gather her thoughts, then slowly and seriously told her,

“A-Qing, I’m not saying this to fight with you. On the contrary, I want to comfort you. You’re unhappy and you won’t say why, and it’s not because you’re mad at me. It’s because you don’t want to affect other people’s emotions. Why do you live such a difficult life? You only live once, so shouldn’t you try to make yourself happy? Why are you always thinking about others?”

Shi Qing didn’t respond.

She couldn’t explain how she felt.

She knew, of course, that Wei Jiuyi was afraid she was bottling things up and suffering. But this was how she operated. She kept her relationships at a distance, knew when to advance and retreat. She would share good news but rarely bad. No one wants to be friends with someone who is constantly spreading negative energy, and she herself didn’t want to be that person.

But she had never considered that not sharing bad news could also cause trouble for others.

“Little cat.”

After a long, long time, an old endearment nearly turned Wei Jiuyi into a golden tabby. Her eyes lit up, and she met Shi Qing’s thoughtful gaze.

“I will carefully consider what you said today. I will figure out what to do, but I think I should still thank you. No one has ever said that to me before.”

Except for Xiao Jun.

How could Wei Jiuyi hear those words without her heart soaring? The corners of her mouth curled up involuntarily. Even though she tried to push them down, her mouth seemed to have a mind of its own and curved up again a moment later.

“I just… want you to be a little happier.”

Shi Qing looked at her, and her slightly furrowed brows relaxed a bit. She asked, “Did you eat yet?”

Wei Jiuyi then opened the large pocket of her shoulder bag.

“Not yet. I brought my food with me. Do you mind if I eat here?”

Shi Qing, of course, didn’t mind. “Go ahead and eat. You have to go back to film this afternoon.”

Wei Jiuyi deftly opened her lunch box. “Okay.”

It was the same window and the same sun. The noon sun was warmer than the evening sun. The romance that filled the entire room bloomed into fireworks at that moment.

For a brief time, the two of them were transported back to two years ago, to a time when they would huddle together in Shi Qing’s small apartment and eat takeout.

Wei Jiuyi’s appetite was huge. She ate the braised meatballs in two bites each and devoured her rice, her mouth stuffed full, looking like a hamster with no food security.

Shi Qing didn’t move. She just watched her, as if all the commotion in the outside world had gone silent.

However, there is no utopia in this world. After a brief moment of peace, they had to return to reality.

Just as Wei Jiuyi was starting to eat her black pepper steak, a woman in a white suit knocked and entered the room.

“Hmm?” Wei Jiuyi didn’t recognize her and asked, “Who are you looking for?”

The woman nodded at Wei Jiuyi. “Teacher Wei, our boss would like to visit Teacher Shi.”

Wei Jiuyi didn’t move. “Who is your boss?”

As soon as she finished asking, Shi Qing, who was usually gentle, cut in. Her voice was sharper than in any of their past arguments.

“I’m not seeing her. Tell her to go back.”

Wei Jiuyi was completely bewildered. She looked at Shi Qing, who moments ago had a cheerful expression, now had a cold look on her face, even one of bitter hatred.

The woman, seeing her firm stance, tried to persuade her.

“Teacher Shi, our President Yu has good intentions. When she heard you were injured in a fall from a horse, she specifically arranged for the best orthopedic doctor in the country to see you.”

Hearing this, Wei Jiuyi was filled with frustration. First, there was the lingering presence of Fei Ying. Then, there was Xiao Jun, a potential rival. And now, who was this “President Yu”?