Lady By The Pillow - Chapter 59
59 Gifts (2)
“May you be like the morning mist, kissing the earth a step before the sun.”
It was night, and in the living room, the scent of white tea and lilies filled the air. As Shi Qing looked up, it wove a moist net, capturing Wei Jiuyi’s gaze.
“Thank you for everything these past few days.”
Shi Qing handed over a plain white box. She hadn’t had time to wrap it or add ribbons. She just gave it to her in the seller’s simple packaging. She and Wei Jiuyi didn’t need any extra decorations anyway.
Wei Jiuyi took the box with both hands, unable to hide her excitement. Just an hour ago, she was standing outside the door, feeling wronged and crying. Now, an hour later, she was standing in front of Shi Qing, receiving a gift from her.
“You’re too kind.”
She held the box for a moment, then asked,
“Can I open it?”
Shi Qing glanced at Dong Ya and Zhang Yulan, who were watching nearby. Her face felt hot, and her tone wasn’t as natural as before.
“Open it when you get back.”
Wei Jiuyi’s gaze met her eyes and caught a hint of avoidance. No, to be precise, it was the avoidance of shyness.
A-Qing is shy.
Beep!
The spaceship to a fairytale world had its switch flipped. The ship started and was now on its way to a pink paradise filled with flowers.
“Okay. Let’s eat first. The food is getting cold.”
Wei Jiuyi considerately put her personal desires after Shi Qing’s.
She was always like this.
The six dishes and one soup were reheated in the microwave. The four of them sat down, and the atmosphere was extremely harmonious, as if they were a family that had been together for years.
When they were half-full, Dong Ya took out a takeout box that they had secretly taken when they were reheating the food. She ran out of the small room with the box in her hands.
“Since Sister Qing is treating us to dinner, I’ll do something small in return and treat you all to some cake.”
Shi Qing gently raised her eyebrows. “When did you buy this?”
Dong Ya was smug. “Hehe, you don’t know, do you? I bought it the day before yesterday and had it delivered just now. When you were in the kitchen reheating the food, I grabbed it.”
Zhang Yulan, who loved sweets, clapped lightly.
“Yes, yes! I love cake!”
The two of them worked together to carefully bring the cake to the table. They pulled off the ribbon and removed the top of the box to reveal a green matcha ice cream cake.
Dong Ya explained her choice of cake.
“Doesn’t Sister like matcha and vanilla? But all the vanilla ones are white, so I chose matcha. It’s green and full of life! This hospital stay was a trial. Now that we’ve passed this trial, it’s green lights all the way for us, with no obstacles!”
Zhang Yulan was the first to cheer her on. “Well said! I also wish Teacher Shi a prosperous career from now on!”
Wei Jiuyi watched them from the side and added,
“And safety. I wish you peace, health, happiness, and joy from now on.”
Dong Ya had already lit a single candle. After the lights were turned off, it became the only source of light in the living room.
Shi Qing was briefly in a daze. She stared at the flickering flame. It was a tiny flame, just the size of a bean, but it burned a hole in the pitch-black darkness, and light spread out in all directions.
The three girls’ smiles appeared and disappeared in the dim light, tearing a hole in her world, which was originally shrouded in darkness, letting in a little starlight.
“Make a wish.”
Wei Jiuyi’s eyes were filled with warmth.
Dong Ya agreed. “That’s right, Sister Qing. Make a wish. We’ll sing, and you make a wish.”
Shi Qing laughed. “It’s not my birthday. Why are you singing?”
Dong Ya thought for a moment. “We’ll sing ‘Happy Hospital Discharge.’ Oh, just close your eyes and make a wish. The three of us will sing.”
Facing three girls who were several years younger than her, Shi Qing gently followed their instructions. She closed her eyes, put her hands together in front of her, and lowered her head slightly. She silently made a wish:
May the three people who are with her right now be happy, and may they live a peaceful and safe life.
Led by Dong Ya, the three of them began to sing the “hospital discharge” version of the birthday song in unison.
“Happy hospital discharge to you~ Happy hospital discharge to you~ Happy hospital discharge to you~ Happy hospital discharge to you~”
Puff!
A gentle puff of air extinguished the candle. The chandelier lit up. After this, the mountains and moon were clear, and the sky was cloudless.
…
Wei Jiuyi carried her gift back. Zhang Yulan was curious about what it was, but she pretended to be mature and said, “It’s a gift from Teacher Shi, no matter what it is.” As soon as they got into the car, she carefully placed it on the sofa, slowly peeling off the tape on the outside of the box, and opened the top cover.
It was a coffee machine. The exterior was a subtle chocolate color. The matte finish looked just like a letter envelope from an old era. The vermillion red circular knob was the only vibrant color on the machine, but the button-like shape gave it a touch of vintage Republic of China style. Below the control panel was an engraving:
“May you be like the morning mist, kissing the earth a step before the sun.”
Wei Jiuyi stared at the handmade engraving, and her heart felt like it had been scratched by a cat’s paw.
She immediately took out her phone and searched for the brand of the coffee machine. She browsed every promotional poster on the flagship store but didn’t see that phrase. She then found the link for the coffee machine, and the official photos also didn’t have any engravings.
In other words, Shi Qing had contacted the company to get that phrase engraved.
And it was Shi Qing who had said it to her.
The meaning of the gift went beyond the functional value of the coffee machine itself. Wei Jiuyi placed it on the table, took a string of small fairy lights from the cabinet, and found a yellow and white light. After adjusting the lighting, she snapped a picture and sent it to Wei Shu.
[It’s just for me]
Wei Shu was probably busy and didn’t reply immediately. It wasn’t until Wei Jiuyi was back at the hotel and had finished her shower that she finally sent a voice message.
[You haven’t even gotten a date, and you’re already showing off? Don’t be so smug.]
Normally, when she heard this, Wei Jiuyi would have had a Cantonese linguistic art appreciation contest with her.
But not today. All her previous arguments and dissatisfaction were filled by this chocolate-colored coffee machine. Hmph, a case of sour grapes.
The coffee machine wasn’t placed in the living room or the kitchen. It was only placed in her bedroom.
It was even placed on her bedside table so that when she woke up in the middle of the night, it would be the first thing she saw.
“May you be like the morning mist, kissing the earth a step before the sun.”
Only a gentle person like Shi Qing would describe her that way.
Everyone said that young life was like the sun, dispelling darkness and nurturing warmth.
But Shi Qing said she was the morning mist that arrived a step before the sun.
A-Qing, you have me in your heart. I know it.
…
The next day, Shi Qing returned to work. She went to the makeup room early for her styling. The makeup artist and hairstylist were all excited, saying that the makeup room had felt suffocating for the two weeks Shi Qing was gone.
“I’m back, and now you’ll have to work a little harder, making one more look for me every day.”
Shi Qing said with a gentle laugh, sharing the morning tea that was delivered earlier.
The morning tea was ordered yesterday, enough for the entire crew. Her manager, Dou Qinwen, had specifically called her yesterday, worried that Shi Qing hadn’t thought of it, and reminded her that she could treat the crew to milk tea. Shi Qing had already placed the order before taking the call. Dou Qinwen finally nodded in relief.
“Okay, I was overthinking it. Anyway, when you’re out and about, a little kindness goes a long way.”
“Mhm, Sister Wen, I know.”
The morning tea was more expensive than regular milk tea. Besides drinks, there was also breakfast. The company subsidized 3,000 yuan for this and immediately transferred it from Dou Qinwen’s account to Shi Qing’s.
The morning tea on the day of her return wasn’t just a simple treat. From Shi Qing’s perspective, it was an apology for the trouble she had caused the crew and a thank you for their hard work in adjusting the scenes for her.
After all, the last time she was injured, the troupe had directly removed her name, ending her dance career.
The first scene after her return was a dramatic one, describing how after the emperor’s death, the Empress’s family, the Jiangs, were accused of regicide. The prime minister, on the morning court, incited the officials, trying to destroy the Jiang clan and kill “Jiang Ke.”
The crew had already styled and trained the extras in advance. At the appointed time, a hundred actors in court attire stood in the Hall of Heavenly Purity, a grand and majestic sight.
Fan Erhua used the most powerful sound system on set. First, he filmed the scenes of the officials entering the court and bowing. Then, the prime minister rose and began his sharp accusation against “Jiang Ke,” who was listening to the court proceedings from behind a screen.
“To let a mere woman run the court is nothing short of a hen crowing at dawn! Where is our dynasty’s honor? Where is the dignity of the court officials?! This unvirtuous woman must be executed immediately to rid the world of a scourge!”
The hall was empty. The actor playing the prime minister was a veteran stage actor. His words were sonorous, and his voice echoed around the hall’s doors, as if he had truly traveled through time and was witnessing a high-ranking official raising his arms and shouting in front of a hundred officials.
“Good, cut!”
Fan Erhua’s voice came through the sound system.
“Camera up, get a shot of ‘Jiang Ke’.”
Next, it was Shi Qing’s part, a long monologue, combined with a series of actions from behind the screen to the front. It was a three-minute, one-take solo performance. The difficulty was immense.
Before they started, Fan Erhua hesitated and asked,
“Shi Qing, are you ready?”
She had been resting for so many days because of her back injury, and her first scene back was a high-difficulty one. It was a great test for an actress.
Shi Qing, in a dark palace dress and a golden phoenix crown, sat unmoving on the phoenix throne.
“I’m ready.”
Fan Erhua saw her expression through the camera. Shi Qing had already gotten into character. Her usually serene face showed a hint of ambition, a subtle and restrained ambition that was part of the character of “Jiang Ke.”
He picked up the walkie-talkie.
“Scene 336, Take 12, First shot—Action!”
In the camera, Shi Qing sat upright, her eyes looking down. To film the close-up, there were only cameras, lighting boards, and a half-circle of crew members in front of her. But she looked diagonally downward, as if she were looking at the prime minister at the foot of the steps through the screen.
“What is a hen crowing at dawn? What is a monstrous official? Empress Dowager Mi Ba Zi held the Qin imperial seal and secured the Qin dynasty’s lands for decades. Empress Dou, with her Daoist philosophy, helped the Han dynasty govern and prosper, ushering in an era of peace.
And now, with the late emperor’s death, I am heartbroken, yet I dare not be negligent in the slightest, allowing the empire, for which the late emperor poured his heart and soul, to suffer any mishap! Today, I am the caretaker entrusted by the late emperor. How dare you defy his will?”
She stood up, lifted the screen, stepped off the soft couch, and walked to the side of the golden dragon throne. She threw a scroll of the Book of Han to the foot of the steps, in front of the prime minister.
“The Book of Han records that Huo Xian, who poisoned Empress Xu, had his entire family executed within five years. The King of Dongping, Liu Yun, who tried to seize the empress dowager’s imperial seal, died suddenly before he could even act. The historians recorded, ‘A red comet pierced the purple palace.’
The late emperor is gone, but I am not dead! You speak of ritual and law and the ways of the state, yet you ignore the late emperor’s final will and harm his widow. Prime Minister Sun, is this the ritual and law you practice? Is this the way of the state that governs and secures the country?”
She stared at the prime minister at the foot of the steps, her face unwavering, but her eyes were filled with thunderous fury.
“The crown prince is young. As the caretaker entrusted by the late emperor, I must secure the foundation of our state, bring peace to our lands, and establish the court. From now on, anyone who incites the court and attempts to shake the foundation of our state will be executed without mercy!”
She pulled out the long sword from the imperial guard’s waist, sliced her three fingers, and raised her bleeding right hand, saying each word clearly.
“Let this bl00d be my witness.”
The long monologue, the complex choreography, and the precise blocking were brought to a perfect close with the last four words.
Fan Erhua’s voice came through the sound system.
“Good! Very good! That’s a take!”
The hairstylist and makeup artist rushed over to help Shi Qing with the fake bl00d on her hand.
“Teacher Shi, you worked so hard!”
Since it was a one-take shot, she couldn’t wipe off the fake bl00d. Shi Qing had to hide the bl00d pack in her sleeve beforehand. When she turned to draw the sword, she squeezed the bl00d pack, then forcefully scraped the unopened prop sword. Finally, when she raised her hand to show her bloody hand to the “prime minister,” she quietly threw the bl00d pack into her sleeve, all in one smooth motion.
“Teacher Shi is so good! I was worried the bl00d pack would show.”
“And with such a long monologue, you got it in one take. You must have worked hard in the hospital, right?”
“That was so satisfying! Listening to you say those lines was so satisfying. It was like watching a play.”
In her first scene back, Shi Qing successfully reassured everyone with her performance.
Shi Qing was still Shi Qing, the one with first-class acting skills who wouldn’t be affected by the horse-riding accident.
Among the crowd of congratulations, one person, dressed in the Grand Princess’s armor, leaned against the hall’s door. Across the tens of meters and a hundred people, her eyes were filled with tenderness and joy.
“I made some coffee. Would you do me the honor of having a cup?”