She Said: A Passionate Kiss [Entertainment Industry] - Chapter 2
Gu Pingwan gave an awkward smile and didn’t say anything.
Her mother, spooning wontons into her mouth, stared thoughtfully at the TV screen.
By the time her mother finished eating, it was nearly midnight. Gu Pingwan stepped out to get some hot water. The hospital corridor was eerily quiet, most rooms already dark.
She walked to the restroom area where there was a water heater, but no hot water came out no matter how many times she pressed the button.
A nurse changing a patient’s dressing passed by and said, “The water heater in the inpatient wing is being serviced today. There’s hot water at the emergency department. See that notice?”
Gu Pingwan followed the direction she pointed and saw an A4 paper taped above the water heater: “Water heater under maintenance. Please fetch hot water from the emergency department.”
She let out a soft laugh—she had been so lost in thoughts about Qiang Huai that she hadn’t even noticed. After thanking the nurse, she carried the thermos and headed toward the elevator.
There were many people in line for hot water at the emergency department. After filling her thermos, she was about to head back.
It had started drizzling again outside. Without an umbrella, she had to take a longer indoor route back to the inpatient wing.
Past the emergency department was the pharmacy. The surroundings were dim, lit only by the stark white light inside the glass-walled pharmacy.
The hall was nearly silent, with only a few scattered people. Gu Pingwan’s eyes landed on a woman sitting on a long bench in the center, while someone knelt in front of her helping her change shoes.
Though she was cloaked in darkness, her tall and slender silhouette still suggested a striking beauty.
The woman sitting seemed to sense Gu Pingwan’s gaze and abruptly looked up. Their eyes met in the dim light.
The moment their gazes locked, the smell of disinfectant in the hospital seemed to freeze, the ambient sounds of footsteps disappeared, and the entire white building melted away.
Gu Pingwan’s thoughts surged. She squinted slightly at the woman in the center—she was clutching her abdomen as if in some discomfort. Both of them recognized each other instantly.
It was Qiang Huai.
Images from high school and the bright, dazzling days of their youth flashed through Gu Pingwan’s mind.
How long had it been since they last saw each other? Ten years? Twelve?
It felt like they hadn’t met since graduation. But then again, Gu Pingwan had often caught glimpses of Qiang Huai in various ads over the years.
Qiang Huai froze as well. The pain in her body vanished in an instant. She motioned for Xiaoyu to help her up. Her left foot wore a sneaker she’d just put on, while her right foot was still halfway in a high heel.
“Qiang-jie, your shoes aren’t on yet!” Xiaoyu supported her, confused by Qiang Huai’s urgency. She followed her gaze to the brightly lit pharmacy entrance.
There, silhouetted against the fluorescent glow, was a tall, graceful figure. Even in the entertainment world, she’d easily match the visuals of rising idols. The light coated her in a halo.
Qiang Huai had imagined reuniting with Gu Pingwan on some breezy afternoon in a café filled with subtle tension—or maybe on a bright spring morning, squeezing onto the same crowded bus.
But she never went to cafés. She never took the bus.
They were never going to run into each other.
And yet, in the unlikeliest of moments, in this ordinary night, in this unremarkable hospital—they met again.
Memories of youth surged forward, blossoming from barren years of solitude.
Even though a storm raged in Qiang Huai’s chest and the pain still tugged at her abdomen, she forced herself to smile brightly.
Gu Pingwan walked toward her. Qiang Huai tried to step forward too, but the pain stopped her.
As the distance between them closed, Qiang Huai’s nerves grew taut.
What should she say? How should she start? Was her makeup smudged? Did her outfit look good?
“High school classmate. Long time no see,” Gu Pingwan said gently. Her voice echoed in the quiet hall.
Qiang Huai gave a small cough. “Yeah… long time no see.”
She had no idea what Gu Pingwan was thinking. All she knew was, her face hadn’t changed, and her eyes were just as clear as before.
“You… where does it hurt?” Gu Pingwan asked, her expression unreadable.
“Acute gastroenteritis. It’s an old issue,” Qiang Huai replied softly.
She sat down with Xiaoyu’s help. “This is my assistant, Xiaoyu.”
Gu Pingwan nodded politely and noticed she was only wearing one shoe.
Did everyone in showbiz end up with a sense of superiority after gaining some fame? Was Qiang Huai the same—needing someone to even put her shoes on?
She tried not to let that thought cloud her judgment. After all, Qiang Huai was sick. It was understandable.
Sensing the tension, Xiaoyu quickly said, “Qiang-jie, I’ll get hot water for your meds. Let me help with the shoes later too—don’t be shy! Remember when I had a high fever and you took care of me? Don’t bend down, or you’ll throw up again.”
Qiang Huai nodded, her eyes never leaving Gu Pingwan, who seemed to be dressed too lightly. Was she cold?
Feeling guilty for her earlier thoughts, Gu Pingwan took a seat opposite and placed her thermos down beside her.
“You’ve been in Jincheng this whole time?” Qiang Huai asked, starting the conversation.
“No, just here for a project recently.” Gu Pingwan paused. “You? Filming?”
“Mm. Just wrapped up.”
Silence fell again. Qiang Huai glanced at the thermos by her feet and remembered what Qun Qun had said.
“You’re in the hospital… is someone in your family sick?” she asked.
“My mom. She has Hodgkin’s lymphoma. She’s been hospitalized for treatment.”
Qiang Huai nodded. “Did you find a good doctor? I know some specialists.”
Truthfully, she had no idea what Hodgkin’s lymphoma even was—she just wanted to keep talking to her. If Gu Pingwan needed help, she’d pull strings if she had to.
“Thanks, but not for now.”
Just then, Xiaoyu returned with the hot water. “Qiang-jie, here, take your medicine.”
Qiang Huai took a chewable tablet earlier, and now she swallowed several pills.
Once she’d taken them, Xiaoyu knelt and slipped her other shoe on. “The driver’s waiting outside. Shall we—”
“I’ll go first then,” Qiang Huai cut in before Xiaoyu could finish.
She turned to Gu Pingwan and said, “When you’re free… want to grab a meal sometime?”
“I’ve been really busy,” Gu Pingwan said softly. “And I have to take care of my mom. Maybe another time.”
Qiang Huai felt her nose sting. What had Gu Pingwan just called her? High school classmate? Had she even forgotten her name?
Maybe in Gu Pingwan’s eyes, she was just a classmate. Nothing more than a fleeting acquaintance.
“Alright then, I’ll get going. I wish your mother a speedy recovery.” Qiang Huai forced a smile.
Xiaoyu handed her a mask and a hat. She stood and left, leaving Gu Pingwan behind.
When Qiang Huai’s figure finally disappeared into the darkness, Gu Pingwan picked up the thermos and turned to go.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a high school-aged girl pointing her phone at her. As soon as she noticed, the girl bolted.
“Stop!” Gu Pingwan called out, her voice slicing through the silence of the corridor.
The girl ran straight into a locked door and had to stop.
Gu Pingwan approached and asked gently, “Hi, would you mind deleting what you just recorded?”
The girl pouted. So this lady had two faces after all, she thought, annoyed. She swiped a few times. “Deleted.”
“Please delete the older ones too,” Gu Pingwan added with a calm smile.
Her eyes rested on the phone, where thumbnail images showed shots of Qiang Huai being helped into shoes.
“I was filming Qiang Huai, not you. Why should I—”
The girl stopped when she met Gu Pingwan’s cold, accusing stare. She silently deleted the rest.
“And clear the recycle bin,” Gu Pingwan said. “Also check your app backup folder.”
The girl didn’t know how to find the source backup, so she handed the phone to Gu Pingwan. She opened the backend and deleted the cached JPGs in the program’s data.
“Thanks.” Gu Pingwan returned the phone.
“You and Qiang Huai were classmates?” the girl asked, crossing her arms.
Gu Pingwan tilted her head. “None of your business.”
“Geez. You know Qiang Huai’s fans are notoriously aggressive. I’m actually a hater. Just saying—if you get caught in the crossfire, it won’t be pretty.” The girl patted her arm like she was giving sage advice.
Gu Pingwan smiled and didn’t respond. She hadn’t called Qiang Huai by name earlier not because she’d forgotten—it was just to avoid drawing attention.
With that, she carried the thermos back to the inpatient wing.
Meanwhile, Qiang Huai climbed into her van shivering. She’d had too much cold champagne and seafood at the wrap party, and now she was paying the price.
Luckily, Qin-jie was handling the media and no photos of Gu Pingwan had surfaced yet.
She let out a long breath. The meds were starting to work.
“Qiang-jie, was that beautiful lady just now the one you’ve never gotten over?” Xiaoyu asked as she buckled her seatbelt.
Qiang Huai half-closed her eyes. “Who said I haven’t gotten over it?”
“She was so pretty, I thought she was some actress trying to suck up to you.”
“She—” Qiang Huai stared out the window at the passing nightscape and murmured, “She’d never suck up to me.”
….
The next day, Qiang Huai got up early to review the interview script.
Most of the questions were standard, but the show was known for throwing in tough ones at the last second. It only stayed popular because of its high ratings—otherwise, no celebrity would want to go on.
This was Qiang Huai’s third time on the show, so she was used to the process.
It was a live broadcast. After everything was ready, the host began his intro.
“Good morning, everyone! Welcome to Entertainment Says It All! So many kinds of entertainment—only I truly understand them! I’m your host, Xiao Ba!”
Xiao Ba wore a denim patchwork suit, had a perm like tinfoil waves, and sported dreadlocks. His voice was piercing, like a parrot with a megaphone.
“Today’s guest is the un-un-unbelievably beautiful—Qiang Huai!!”
“Wooo~ I can already hear your screams through the screen!”
Qiang Huai wore a white dress today, her hair falling naturally over her shoulders, makeup light and fresh. She looked like a girl who had just graduated high school.
She lifted her hand and greeted everyone with a dazzling smile. “Hi everyone, I’m actress Qiang Huai.”
“Qiang-jie’s been filming in Jincheng lately. Got any recommendations for us?” Xiao Ba asked.
Qiang Huai gave a gentle smile. “The barbecue and hotpot here are great, and the night view is beautiful—definitely worth seeing.”
“Ahh~ I almost forgot you’re from Jincheng!”
“There are rumors that our gorgeous Qiang-jie actually chased someone in high school?” Xiao Ba’s tone carried a teasing edge—the question wasn’t in the pre-interview outline.
Viewers watching the live stream immediately perked up. There had long been gossip that Qiang Huai had once pursued someone for years. Maybe today, they’d finally get the truth.