Lady By The Pillow - Chapter 60

60 Gifts (3)

“I’m not afraid. I want her.”

Wei Jiuyi came with coffee.

Last night, she took a detour on the way back to the hotel to buy coffee beans. She stayed up until the middle of the night to figure out how the coffee machine worked. This morning, she got up at 5 a.m. to make the coffee and put it in a lidded paper cup in the RV’s fridge to keep it warm. She arrived two hours early under the pretense of studying, just so she could wait for Shi Qing’s scene to finish and get a half-hour break.

“I made some coffee. Would you do me the honor of having a cup?”

With the help of her stylist, Shi Qing took off her heavy outer robe and took the back brace Dong Ya handed her. As she put it on, she spoke to Wei Jiuyi.

“You’re already so good at using it. Is Teacher Wei a genius?”

Dong Ya almost cried when she heard this. This was the first time Shi Qing had casually joked with Wei Jiuyi since they had reconnected.

The tone was relaxed and light, just like it was when they were together.

Wei Jiuyi felt like a little cat being petted. Her eyebrows and eyes relaxed.

“Mhm, I guess so.”

Then she started to praise herself.

“I wanted to make an Americano, but it’s too bitter, so I added some sweet milk. It tastes pretty good.”

Shi Qing took the cup and asked, “Then what is this called? Not an Americano.”

Wei Jiuyi said casually, “It’s called ‘love coffee’.”

Dong Ya almost took her own life. Did she know too much and would be silenced by 97? Do you know what ‘love coffee’ means, little 97?

It was just… just so smooth.

Shi Qing was stunned for a moment. As an adult, she knew what “love coffee” meant in relation to “love breakfast.” But then she remembered the resistant look on Wei Jiuyi’s face last night when she had tentatively said, “What you both want from me is the same.” The seed in her heart was pushed back into the ground.

Wei Jiuyi was better at this “business couple” thing than she was. She said this on purpose, knowing that the crew’s marketing team was filming the behind-the-scenes footage nearby, right?

But…

Shi Qing took another look at Wei Jiuyi. She saw a hint of delight in those grown-up eyes. It was a look that she hid from the camera and would never be filmed.

Was she overthinking, or did Wei Jiuyi really have those kinds of feelings for her?

She couldn’t figure it out.

Sure enough, once a person gets involved in emotions, they become strange and complicated.

“It’s a little cold. Drink it slowly.”

Even the sound of the warning seemed to have a hypnotic effect. Her eardrum trembled, echoing the many times this person had called her “A-Qing” while cuddling with her.

She took a small sip. The milky coffee swirled on her tongue, and as it warmed up, it released a flavor of privet. She couldn’t help but take another sip.

“It’s really good.”

Wei Jiuyi couldn’t help but smile. “Looks like I have a little talent.”

Shi Qing nodded. “Mhm. You could open a stall.”

“Open a stall for what? You’re just being nice to me and trying to coax me.”

“It’s really good.”

“Then I’ll make you one every day. Should I bring you a cup?”

“…Huh?”

“I searched for a lot of tutorials on Xiaohongshu. I plan to make an Orange C Americano tomorrow. Don’t you like orange juice? Do you want to try it?”

Shi Qing hesitated. In the next second, Wei Jiuyi put on her wronged, little-wife expression.

“I knew it. It’s not good after all.”

Shi Qing was afraid she would feel bad. “No, it’s good.”

Wei Jiuyi’s tail perked up. “Then I’ll bring you one tomorrow. Earlier tomorrow, when you’re getting your makeup done, okay?”

At this point, Shi Qing could only say, “Okay. Thank you for your trouble.”

Wei Jiuyi held back her giddy laugh. “It’s no trouble at all. I have to drink it every day anyway, so I’ll just bring you one too.”

While the two were talking, the dozen or so shots in the middle of Scene 366 had been filmed. They were about to film a few more scenes of Shi Qing confronting the prime minister, and the break was almost over.

“Sister, something’s up.”

Dong Ya ran over anxiously. She was talking to Shi Qing, but her eyes were glancing at Wei Jiuyi, which made her even more nervous.

Wei Jiuyi understood the look in her eyes and asked,

“What’s wrong?”

Shi Qing also asked, “What’s wrong, Xiao Ya?”

Dong Ya clutched the hem of her sweatshirt. “Uh… Sister Fei is here. She said she wants to see you.”

Shi Qing was surprised. “Why did she come?”

Wei Jiuyi was angry. “Does she even have the face to come here?”

Dong Ya’s eyebrows were twisted into a knot. “Yes, she… she said she wants to be clear with you. But she doesn’t seem to want to be seen by others. She drove here and said she won’t come in. She’ll wait for you in the car.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Fan Erhua’s voice came from the control area.

“Actors, get ready! ‘Jiang Ke’ is coming over too.”

Between private feelings and work, Shi Qing would always choose the latter.

But this time, her private feelings were too difficult to handle. She couldn’t completely calm down and work.

Wei Jiuyi knew what she was worried about. She lowered her eyes and thought for a moment. She reached out and took the half-empty cup of coffee from Shi Qing’s hand. Her expression was tolerant and calm as she looked at Shi Qing.

“Film first. The show is bigger than anything.”

Shi Qing’s lips were pursed, and her eyes held an anxiety that couldn’t be smoothed out by an adult’s slickness.

She asked Dong Ya,

“How long has she been here?”

Dong Ya answered honestly. “Just now. You left your phone with me. She called, and I answered.”

Wei Jiuyi didn’t care about anything else. Even if Wei Shu had come, she couldn’t interrupt Shi Qing’s filming. So she bent down to help Shi Qing unfasten her back brace. She raised her hand and called the stylist over. Together with the stylist, she helped Shi Qing put on her heavy outer robe.

“Film first. She knows you’re filming right now. If she’s sincere about talking to you, she’ll wait for you to finish work.”

If not, then she can go back where she came from.

The number one priority was that no one could disturb the radiant Shi Qing when she was acting.

Shi Qing told Dong Ya uneasily,

“Xiao Ya, please go and tell her that I’m busy filming now and that she should wait.”

Dong Ya knew what was more important. “I know, Sister. You go film. Don’t let it affect you.”

Wei Jiuyi gave her a reassuring smile. “Mhm, go.”

She watched as Shi Qing stepped into the hall, entered the designated performance area, and began to rehearse with the actor playing the prime minister.

At that moment, the smile on Wei Jiuyi’s face disappeared. Her eyebrows furrowed, her eyes clouded over, and she turned and walked toward the set’s entrance.

She would never forget the license plate of that red car.

Knock, knock.

Her long fingers tapped twice on the passenger side window. The dark glass rolled down, revealing the slender figure of the person in the grand princess’s armor.

Wei Jiuyi leaned in and forced a polite and distant smile at the person in the driver’s seat. She said in a clear voice,

“Teacher Fei, can we talk?”

Fei Ying stubbed out her cigarette in the car ashtray. A wisp of white smoke rose, turning into a shadow under Fei Ying’s eyes.

“I’m here for Xiao Qing.”

Wei Jiuyi maintained her forward-leaning posture.

“She’s filming. She asked me to talk to you. In fact, even if she weren’t filming today, she wouldn’t see you again.”

Fei Ying turned her head to look at her, her eyes filled with the condescension of an elder looking at a younger person.

“You think I’ll leave if you come out and provoke me while she’s busy?”

Wei Jiuyi shrugged nonchalantly.

“If you don’t believe me, you can go in and find her right now.”

Sure enough, a crack appeared in Fei Ying’s arrogance. She turned her head and looked forward, avoiding Wei Jiuyi’s gaze. After a few seconds, she pressed the door lock.

“My time is limited. Say what you have to say.”

Wei Jiuyi smiled, opened the car door, and got in.

The smell of smoke hadn’t completely dissipated from the car. A very light floral scent was diluted by the smell of burning tobacco, making it a bit odd.

Wei Jiuyi got straight to the point, revealing why Fei Ying hadn’t gone into the set and was waiting for Shi Qing at the entrance.

“You won’t go in, will you? Because you want to protect your reputation. You want to be a dignified ‘pursued’ person, not the ‘pursuer.’ So, even though you’re in a disadvantageous position and want to win Shi Qing back, you still want her to come to you.”

Fei Ying lit another cigarette and held it between her index and middle fingers.

“Don’t pretend you know me so well.”

Wei Jiuyi nodded cooperatively.

“I don’t know you, but I know her. A-Qing’s biggest weakness is that she’s soft-hearted. So, even though you pushed her against that pillar so hard yesterday, causing her back injury to almost relapse, she couldn’t bring herself to say a harsh word to you.”

Fei Ying said with certainty, “That’s because she still loves me.”

“No.” Wei Jiuyi corrected her. “She just pities you.”

Fei Ying didn’t say anything, and her hand, which had been rubbing the cigarette end, stopped.

Wei Jiuyi took in her reaction and continued,

“Do you know why I can stay by her side and you can’t? The biggest difference between you and me is that I put her first, while you only put yourself first.”

Fei Ying slowly exhaled a puff of smoke.

“Miss Wei, don’t think your love is nobler than mine. For Xiao Qing, I’m willing to give up everything, even help her pay the penalty for the contract you forced her to sign.”

Wei Jiuyi questioned, “Then where were you when she had her accident?”

Fei Ying’s eyelids twitched. “I was busy at the time.”

Wei Jiuyi pressed on, “When the internet said she had AIDS, you were busy. When I had dealt with the person behind it and the company had done their PR, you came out. When she fell from the horse and was in the hospital for two whole weeks, you were still busy. But when she had recovered and was discharged, you came out again. Fei Ying, we’re all adults. Don’t think everyone is as kind as A-Qing, unwilling to expose you.”

These words were harsh. Fei Ying took a deep drag of her cigarette and exhaled through her nose.

“What’s wrong with me? Wei Jiuyi, you were there because you happened to be in the same crew as her. You had a home-field advantage. In your next project, if you’re in a different crew, why don’t you try being busy from morning to night and not even having time to say a word to the person you love?”

Wei Jiuyi pulled off the veil.

“You can’t help her just because you’re not by her side? When she was under fire from public opinion, you not only didn’t show up, but you didn’t even post a single word of support online. What? Did the screenwriter take your phone? Fei Ying, you were doubting her back then, just like those people who were spreading baseless rumors. You thought she really had AIDS and a promiscuous private life. You were hesitant to do anything, unwilling to post a single Weibo, because you not only didn’t believe her but also worried that her reputation would affect your novel sales. You don’t love her at all. You just enjoy the superiority of being liked and pursued by her. Fei Ying, you only love yourself.”

Fei Ying almost ignored all of her accusations. She bit down on the cigarette filter and let out a cold laugh. She turned her head and squinted at Wei Jiuyi.

“So, you’ve been brainwashing her all these days, making her believe I don’t love her, is that right? Wei Jiuyi, you should switch to sales. You’d definitely be a top performer.”

Wei Jiuyi knew she would react this way. From the moment Fei Ying pushed Shi Qing against the pillar, she had completely seen through her.

“You don’t need to worry about me. Your selfishness is deeply ingrained. I’m not obligated to correct you. Your biggest punishment is that A-Qing will never love you again.”

Fei Ying sneered, “But she won’t love you either. You don’t know what a back injury means to her. Every time she sees you, she’ll remember the fall from the horse and the nightmare of falling on stage. Wei Jiuyi, even if I leave, you won’t get anywhere.”

Wei Jiuyi also laughed, a look of pity on her face.

“Fei Ying, I told you, we’re not the same. Whether A-Qing loves me or not won’t affect my love for her. You people in your thirties are always hesitant, afraid of offending people, afraid of suffering a loss, afraid of your careers being affected, and afraid of not having a way out. I’m not afraid. I want her.”