She Said: A Passionate Kiss [Entertainment Industry] - Chapter 18

“Then you should head back and get some rest.” Gu Pingwan’s eyes sparkled under the lights, looking exceptionally bright.

Qiang Huai nodded. She got into the car and rolled down the window to wave at Gu Pingwan.

Only after the car disappeared from sight did Gu Pingwan turn around to head home. She looked down at the beautifully wrapped gift box in her hand, unsure what to give in return.

These past few days, both Gu Pingwan and Qiang Huai had been very busy. After the app was launched, user numbers soared rapidly, and the real-time data requiring updates increased by the day.

Before the launch of Search, SW’s parent company DDK released promotional materials related to the app. Since the announcement of the brand ambassador, the product’s price-to-sales ratio had steadily decreased (a lower price-to-sales ratio indicates stable and high revenue). The traffic brought in by Qiang Huai prompted DDK to invest additional funds for building the database.

Autumn in Jin City passed in the blink of an eye. By mid-December, it was already freezing, cold enough to turn into an icicle without layering thermal clothing.

Qiang Huai was filming a commercial for Search in a photo studio. She was wearing a thin, sleeveless black leather jacket. The temporary studio had no heating, and every breath she exhaled came out in white puffs.

Xiao Yu stood nearby holding a thermos and a coat, waiting. After finishing a round of still shots, Qiang Huai would soon shoot a short video outside. Xiao Yu felt cold just watching her.

“Okay! Qiang Laoshi, great job,” the photographer called out after the final photo.

Qiang Huai immediately responded modestly, “Thank you, thank you. Great job, everyone.”

Seeing this, Xiao Yu rushed up to wrap her in the coat.

As soon as the camera was off, Qiang Huai returned to her usual self, shivering inside the coat. Xiao Yu handed her the thermos, and other assistants turned on several portable heaters.

“Qiang Laoshi, you looked amazing!” Xiao Yu had just seen the raw shots from the photographer and ran over excitedly to show Qiang Huai for confirmation.

“Of—of—of course, who do you think it is?” Qiang Huai took a sip of hot water. Her body was still freezing, and she could barely speak clearly.

Once everything in the studio was packed up, the short video director arrived.

One second, Qiang Huai was still shivering in a coat. The next, she was standing in the -1°C street in that same thin outfit. The area had been cleared, making the cold wind even more ruthless.

People watching couldn’t help but exclaim, “My god, how is Qiang Laoshi controlling her facial expressions in that cold?”

“Truly, actors aren’t human.”

Xiao Yu also filmed behind-the-scenes content with her phone. During the break, the makeup artist had changed Qiang Huai’s look—she was now styled as a white angel, descending on wires from the sky like a divine being.

Qiang Huai moved effortlessly through the action scenes, showing off her core strength by gliding smoothly midair.

She flawlessly performed three backflips midair, using the prop wings as armor to shield a victim from a beating.

The director originally thought it would take a long time, but each shot was done in one take.

He could even hear the surrounding crew whispering in admiration. He’d seen Qiang Huai’s work before, but hadn’t expected someone of her stature to be so down-to-earth and polite. She even had someone send over a whole van of hot milk tea and a dozen hand warmers.

After the final shot, the wires suddenly jolted.

Watching from a distance, Gu Pingwan’s heart tensed, but thankfully Qiang Huai steadied herself and landed safely.

The director and crew immediately rushed over. Seeing Qiang Huai laughing and chatting, Gu Pingwan relaxed—she must be fine.

Qiang Huai waved her hand. “I’m fine, Director. Thank you, everyone.”

“Ah, Qiang Huai Laoshi, you gave me a scare!” The director looked genuinely worried, eyes bloodshot.

“It’s a small issue,” she said, glancing outside the crowd and speaking to her stylist. “I’ll take off the costume later.”

After her wings were removed, Qiang Huai started walking in a specific direction. Xiao Yu followed, struggling to keep up even with a coat on.

Gu Pingwan realized Qiang Huai was heading toward her and took a few steps forward—but hesitated, worried about causing misunderstanding.

But then she thought: Qiang Huai’s also a woman. What was there to be afraid of?

“Qiang Laoshi, wait up! You haven’t put on your coat yet!” Xiao Yu called out, panting, and upon seeing Qiang Huai and Gu Pingwan face to face, she instantly understood the situation.

She shoved the coat into Gu Pingwan’s hands and ran off.

Gu Pingwan shook the coat out. “Put this on—it’s cold.”

She held it out, intending for Qiang Huai to put it on herself.

But Qiang Huai stared into her eyes, half-smiling. “Gu Classmate, I was just startled a bit. My hands are too weak.”

Gu Pingwan froze. “Then… should I help you?”

“Sure,” Qiang Huai replied, extending her arms. Gu Pingwan moved behind her, wrapping the coat around her shoulders, her left hand catching the other sleeve—effectively embracing her.

The two stood close, able to hear each other’s heartbeats.

The set was bustling with voices. Jin City in December was freezing cold, and the nature of their relationship hovered somewhere between open and concealed.

Gu Pingwan quickly dressed Qiang Huai and turned sideways awkwardly. “Qiang Huai Classmate… that was a great shoot.”

Qiang Huai smiled, eyes twinkling. “What? Want me to be your female lead?”

“I—no, I’m not even the director…” Gu Pingwan stammered, her nose and ears flushed red.

“Gu Zonggong, how come you’re not busy today?” Qiang Huai grinned wider. The more she looked, the more adorable she found Gu Pingwan. How could someone that grown up still be so flustered at teasing?

Gu Pingwan rubbed her nose. “The project’s wrapping up. I trained the core work to other team members, so I’m free.”

Qiang Huai nodded. “Wanna grab dinner later?”

Afraid she’d say no, she quickly added, “Qin Jie and Xiao Yu are coming too.”

“Would it be appropriate if I went?” Gu Pingwan asked.

“Of course!” Qiang Huai’s eyes lit up.

Gu Pingwan pulled a pair of soft green knitted gloves from her coat, embroidered with two pink peaches.

“These are for you,” she said, holding them out.

She’d been thinking about what to give Qiang Huai and decided this suited her best.

“Happy Birthday,” Gu Pingwan said softly.

She knew it was Qiang Huai’s birthday today—no need to look it up; the fan posts all over the internet made it obvious.

“These—! These gloves, aren’t they like the ones from high school?” Qiang Huai was shocked and immediately put them on.

Gu Pingwan smiled faintly. “I couldn’t find the exact same pair, so I embroidered these myself. It’s my first try—not great.”

But Qiang Huai was thrilled. The stitching was tidy—she’d thought they were store-bought. Smart people could do anything, it seemed.

“Thank you, Gu Tongxue! I love them!”

Gu Pingwan had been worried Qiang Huai wouldn’t like her gift. Seeing her that happy put her at ease.

The design was just like the pair Qiang Huai had adored in high school. Gu Pingwan used to wear them to class; they were a gift from her father, so she hadn’t wanted to part with them. Over time, they wore out and stayed in a drawer unused.

She followed tutorials for two whole weeks to replicate them.

Once the shoot wrapped, Qiang Huai’s nanny van came to pick her up.

As soon as she appeared on the street, fans holding lightboards started cheering.

“Happy Birthday, Huaihuai!”

“I love you, Qiang Huai!”

“Take care, wife!”

“Happy birthday, hubby!”

…

Qiang Huai asked the driver to stop, got out to greet them, and was met with deafening screams.

The street had been cleared earlier, so fans had lined up outside the barricade, waiting obediently.

“Thank you, everyone,” Qiang Huai said, walking over to sign autographs.

Many fans asked for photos, and she took selfies with them one by one using their phones.

She also had Xiao Yu bring over the leftover hot milk tea. Some fans’ hands were red from the cold.

Seeing her, some fans were moved to tears—it was worth braving the cold.

“Qiang Huai, dress warmly! We care about you!” one girl shouted.

Signing her photo, Qiang Huai replied, “Next time, don’t wait for me in the cold. I care about you too.”

Gu Pingwan sat inside the van, watching the beloved Qiang Huai through the window, her brows curving slightly.

She felt a quiet loneliness—just like that day at the hospital, seeing the vibrant Qiang Huai on TV while she herself…

Sigh.

After handing out milk tea and telling fans to head home, Qiang Huai got back in the van.

The ride was quiet. Gu Pingwan barely spoke.

Qiang Huai tried to strike up a conversation. “Gu Classmate, these gloves you made are really warm.”

From the backseat, Xiao Yu exclaimed, “Wait—Gu Zonggong made those?”

“Yup. Pretty nice, huh?” Qiang Huai said proudly.

Even the driver gave a thumbs-up from the rearview mirror.

“As long as you like them.” Gu Pingwan replied softly.

Qiang Huai quickly noticed something off. She pulled out a box of candies. “Here, have one. Your favorite—peach-flavored.”

Gu Pingwan thanked her and took one, unwrapping it and popping it in her mouth.

Sensing the subtle atmosphere, Xiao Yu quietly played on her phone. She’d already asked Qin Jie to send over ingredients to Qiang Huai’s villa—it would just be the few of them. Qiang Huai didn’t like crowds.

“Gu Classmate, do you know what I liked most about you in high school?” Qiang Huai suddenly asked. Xiao Yu’s alarm bells went off. The driver pretended to be deaf.

Gu Pingwan shook her head.

“You always took everything seriously. During evening self-study in senior year, our Chinese teacher asked us to stop writing and look at the pink sunset.”

“Everyone was gasping at how beautiful it was,” Qiang Huai recalled. The chirping cicadas and croaking frogs seemed to return to her ears.

“But only you remained unmoved.”

Gu Pingwan tried to remember but couldn’t.

“It wasn’t the sunset that was beautiful,” Qiang Huai continued. “It was youth we were looking at.”

“So many things can’t be revisited. All we can do is reminisce. But some people—they never waver. They never regret.”

She didn’t know if Gu Pingwan understood.

But her lashes fluttered slightly—she was touched.

She did understand. Qiang Huai was talking about her fears, her hesitation, her struggle.

She feared not earning enough for her family. She hesitated between her dream in aerospace and a stable life. She was scared—of herself, of disappointing Qiang Huai and her own ideals.

“I understand, Qiang Huai Classmate.” Gu Pingwan murmured.

Silence followed.

The villa came into view. Xiao Yu finally exhaled. If they’d stayed in that emotional pressure cooker any longer, the car might’ve exploded.

Qin Jie came out to greet them and sensed something off about the atmosphere.

She exchanged a look with Xiao Yu, who subtly shook her head: No idea either.

“Happy birthday, Qiang Huai Laoshi!” Qin Jie smiled.

Gu Pingwan echoed softly, “Happy birthday.”

“Come on, why are you two just standing there?” Qin Jie nudged them inside.

Qiang Huai fetched slippers for Gu Pingwan. They entered the living room.

The room was beautifully decorated like a garden, with no balloons—Qiang Huai didn’t like them.

The group gathered at the table. Qiang Huai raised a glass. “Thank you all for celebrating my birthday.”

“Happy birthday!” everyone toasted. Gu Pingwan found herself in much better spirits.

She texted her mom she wouldn’t be home for dinner. Her mom asked a few questions, then stopped worrying.

After dinner, everyone lounged on the sofa to digest. Only Qiang Huai walked on the treadmill—she always walked for an hour after eating.

Qin Jie had to leave for something, and Xiao Yu left with her since her place was far.

Only Gu Pingwan and Qiang Huai remained.

“Gu Tongxue, why not stay the night?” Qiang Huai asked while walking.

“I still need to head back to the office to verify some data,” Gu Pingwan replied.

“Alright, I’ll drive you,” Qiang Huai stopped the machine, relieved she hadn’t drunk.

Gu Pingwan nodded and followed her to the garage.

It was filled with luxury cars. The whole garage must’ve been 500 square meters. She estimated the cars were worth at least 100 million yuan.

Seeing her look, Qiang Huai panicked. “I bought those back when I didn’t know any better. I don’t even like them now—I’m super frugal, really.”

Gu Pingwan laughed. “It’s fine. I also like spending on what I love.”

“I’m really frugal!” Qiang Huai insisted, dead serious.

“Then, Qiang Huai Classmate, which one am I lucky enough to ride in today?” Gu Pingwan teased.

Qiang Huai looked bashful. “Pick one.”

Gu Pingwan pointed at the white Porsche—notably the first one Qiang Huai had ever used to drive her home.

“Alright, let’s go.” Qiang Huai grabbed the keys from a wall hook. The wall was full of keys—it looked more like a key-themed art gallery than a garage.

On the drive, they chatted about everything—from gossip to the app’s progress, from astronomy to marine conservation.

Gu Pingwan’s gloom melted away. She looked at Qiang Huai and thought: if only they could be friends like this forever.

“We’re here,” Qiang Huai said as they pulled up to the office. SW’s office lights still blazed, while Huai Sheng Group’s building was pitch-dark except for the ground-floor security.

Gu Pingwan unbuckled her seatbelt, about to open the door, but paused and opened her wallet.

She pulled out a small red triangular cloth packet, seemingly holding something inside.

“My mom got this peace charm from a temple. It’s for you,” she said, handing it over. “You’ve had a lot going on lately—hope it helps.”

Qiang Huai raised her brows as she took it. “Since when do you believe in this stuff, Gu Classmate?”

She remembered how staunchly materialist Gu Pingwan was. Back in school, everyone prayed to gods before exams—but not her.

“Maybe it’s an age thing?” Gu Pingwan chuckled. Since her mother fell ill, she’d found herself making wishes to higher powers.

Qiang Huai accepted it and got out of the car with her.

Standing at the building’s entrance was a woman in a black wool coat. Her hair was tied in a perfectly neat bun, and she held a book in her hands.

Gu Pingwan greeted Qiang Huai and hurried over. “Teacher Ji!”

“What brings you here?”

Ji Zheping heard her voice and put the book into a blue cloth tote bag printed with “Chinese Academy of Sciences.”