She's Crazy, I Love Her - Chapter 30

During her trainee days, Chi Yue had a class on how to naturally face the camera, preparing her for the rapid cuts on stage, the paparazzi’s long lenses at airports, and the relentless flashes in studios.

But she was never very good at it, always feeling nervous even when facing just a small phone screen.

Qi You kept staring at her.

Chi Yue smoothed the wisps of hair at her forehead with her fingertips and asked, “Where are you right now?”

“At home.”

“Did you just get back today?”

“No, I came back yesterday.”

Chi Yue hummed in acknowledgment, then touched her temple.

On the other end, Qi You remained perfectly still, her gaze fixed on Chi Yue.

The filming set was sweltering, even at night. Crew members hurried back and forth, cameras whirred incessantly, and massive spotlights glared blindingly. Invisible dust motes and lint floated in the air, settling on skin slick with sweat, creating a sticky film.

Yet the person on the screen looked freshly showered, her skin dewy and translucent, her features refined and delicate.

It stirred an inexplicable longing.

After a few silent seconds, Chi Yue wanted to ask why Qi You had video-called, but she hesitated, the question lingering unspoken on her tongue.

Fortunately, Qi You broke the silence. “Will you be filming late tonight?”

Chi Yue nodded. “Several scenes are scheduled back-to-back, so it’s pretty tight. We probably won’t finish until after 1 a.m.”

Qi You glanced at the time. There were still nearly three hours left. Just then, two urgent calls came through in the background.

Chi Yue seemed not to hear them, her eyes fixed on her phone.

“Someone’s calling you,” Qi You reminded her.

A flicker of confusion crossed Chi Yue’s face as she turned her head, then quickly turned back, her voice trailing off. “They’re about to start filming.”

“Okay,” Qi You replied. “You get back to work. Let me know when you’re done.”

“Alright,” Chi Yue agreed.

Chi Yue waited until the screen went completely dark before putting her phone away and slowly turning to walk back into the crowd.

Her previous assistant, Xiao Wu, had been replaced by Zhang Mu. The new girl had a rare surname, Tai, and was named Tai Ying.

Tai Ying was older than Chi Yue and had a naturally outgoing personality. She held a small fan to Chi Yue’s face. “It’s so hot today! Your cheeks are flushed.”

Chi Yue curled her fingers and touched her cheek. “Are they really red? Very red?”

“Your popularity is red-hot, but your cheeks are just rosy,” Tai Ying teased with a laugh.

Tai Ying, having worked with an artist who was superstitious about words like “red” and “fire,” had become sensitive herself, often making inexplicable corrections mid-sentence.

Chi Yue pressed the back of her hand to her cheek again. It felt warm. She wondered if Qi You had noticed earlier. She wanted to check in a mirror, but the assistant director jogged over to call her back to set, so she had to abandon the idea.

The night shoot didn’t go smoothly. Chi Yue repeatedly bit through the bl00d capsules, the sweet-sour, metallic taste burning her throat and nose.

As soon as she returned to the RV, she vomited.

“What is this stuff? Did they let the fake bl00d go bad? What’s the shelf life on this stuff?” Tai Ying grumbled, patting Chi Yue’s back and offering her water.

After rinsing her mouth, Chi Yue curled up in her seat, too exhausted to speak.

“Want more water?”

Chi Yue shook her head listlessly.

Tai Ying sat back down and began furiously tapping on her phone, criticizing the production crew in the group chat. Glancing up, she saw Chi Yue pressed against the RV window, contorted into an awkward position as she stubbornly played on her phone.

Tai Ying couldn’t resist nagging, “Stop playing on your phone. You can do that at the hotel.”

Chi Yue was staring at Qi You’s profile picture, torn by indecision.

It was almost two in the morning. Qi You might already be asleep. She was a light sleeper who didn’t need much rest, and she was notoriously grumpy when woken up. Sending a message now might disturb her.

If she wasn’t asleep and saw the message, she’d video call, and it wouldn’t be convenient to talk in the car.

Chi Yue turned off her phone, pressed her stomach, and decided to talk to her later at the hotel.

Tai Ying watched, thinking Chi Yue was such an obedient young girl.

At the hotel entrance, they ran into Huang Chen, who had just returned as well. Huang Chen was a senior in the industry, twelve years older than Chi Yue, with several times more fans. In the drama, he played Hua Fangfei’s senior brother and the male lead.

Chi Yue nodded to him. “Brother Chen.”

Huang Chen strode into the hotel as if he hadn’t heard her.

Tai Ying leaned close to Chi Yue and whispered, “Don’t worry about him. Old men are nothing to fear. Just watch—this drama will be his last peak. After this, it’s all downhill.”

Chi Yue nodded twice.

Tai Ying chuckled softly.

By the time they reached the elevator, she grew even bolder, humming, “Your top billing in the drama is set in stone. He thinks he can use his seniority to steal your spot? Dream on! Didn’t he know the pecking order when he took the role? How laughable.”

Chi Yue hadn’t checked entertainment news all day. “Is he trending again today?”

“Yep,” Tai Ying replied. “He bought the search terms himself. An has-been like him needs to pay to stay relevant.”

Chi Yue was used to Tai Ying’s habit of making light of things, so she didn’t press further. She simply smiled and dropped the subject.

After parting ways with Tai Ying at her room door, Chi Yue didn’t immediately go to wash up. Instead, she leaned against the doorframe and sent Qi You a short message:

Just finished filming and got back to the hotel.

The timestamp above the message read 2:13 AM.

It was indeed very late, but even knowing Qi You was likely asleep and wouldn’t reply, Chi Yue held onto her phone and waited a while.

Qi You’s profile picture was a silhouette of Chi Yue’s side profile. The angle was cleverly chosen, with backlighting obscuring her features, revealing only a hint of her outline. To someone unfamiliar, it might have seemed like just another atmospheric stock photo.

Chi Yue zoomed in on the image with two fingers, carefully examining the bridge of her nose and the curve of her jawline to confirm it was indeed Qi You. She felt little satisfaction, having scrutinized this same picture when she first added Qi You as a contact.

Chi Yue refreshed the chat twice, then scrolled through Qi You’s Moments. As usual, she found nothing new. She exited the messaging app, browsed entertainment news for a while, and then returned to refresh the chat again.

She let her hair down and stepped into the bathroom.

She hadn’t used the suite’s bathtub before, opting instead for a quick rinse under the shower. Slightly warm water cascaded over her body, her long hair spreading across her slender back.

As Chi Yue rinsed off the soap, her phone, lying in the wall niche, vibrated. With a gentle slide, it was stopped by the guardrail from falling.

She glanced at the screen through the hissing water.

Qi You was calling via video.

Chi Yue startled.

She abruptly turned off the shower and reached for her phone, but hesitated, afraid of accidentally answering. She grabbed a towel, hastily drying herself and her hair, ignoring the soapy water stinging her eyes—

A frantic scramble.

Finally, she sat at the foot of the bed and answered the call, appearing on the screen still dripping wet.

Qi You looked at her. “Were you just showering?”

“I’m done,” Chi Yue said, tugging her robe tighter to conceal her delicate, fair collarbones. She forced herself to sound calm. “Just finished.”

In the frame, Qi You seemed to be reclining in a lounge chair, a glass door behind him reflecting the hazy night garden outside. A single lamp illuminated only his immediate surroundings.

Chi Yue said, “I thought you’d be asleep.”

Qi You replied, “No.”

Chi Yue asked, “What are you busy with?”

Qi You grabbed a book from beside her and flashed it briefly in front of the camera. “Reading a novel.”

It was a niche suspense novel with a stark black cover, the title rendered in crimson ink that looked like splattered bl00d.

“Oh,” Chi Yue paused, unsure whether to ask if Qi You was waiting for her. She settled for saying, “The filming wrapped up a bit late today. It’s usually not this late.”

“Was the shoot going poorly?”

The metallic taste of the fake bl00d still lingered in Chi Yue’s throat. She coughed lightly. “It went fairly smoothly.”

Chi Yue then recounted some happenings on set.

Qi You was the producer of the drama, but she rarely interfered, acting more like a hands-off manager. She hadn’t even visited the set once.

After listening for a while, Qi You said, “If you feel unwell, contact He Wen.”

Hearing this, Chi Yue realized Qi You was only half-listening and wasn’t truly interested in the details of the shoot. She nodded. “Okay, I will.”

Qi You glanced at her again. “Go dry your hair.”

Chi Yue’s hair was still dripping wet.

Qi You didn’t hang up. Worried that the hairdryer would be too noisy, Chi Yue placed her phone on the table and went to the bathroom to dry her hair.

When she returned, she had changed into a cotton nightgown—a melon-green dress with a bow at the collar, its soft fabric draping gracefully over her slender, porcelain-white shoulders.

Soft, fresh, and demure.

She seemed to know how to temper her overly striking beauty.

“Still reading that novel?” Chi Yue asked.

Qi You stood up and walked toward the bedroom. “Not anymore.”

Chi Yue hummed, watching the figure on the screen pass through a doorway, the light softening and brightening. “You’re staying up so late.”

“So are you,” Qi You replied.

“But I can sleep until noon tomorrow,” Chi Yue countered.

“Impressive,” Qi You said.

Chi Yue smiled, pressing her lips together.

As Qi You entered the bedroom, she suddenly announced, “The package arrived.”

“What package?” Chi Yue asked.

Qi You picked up a box from the bedside table.

After a pause, Chi Yue’s face flushed crimson.

On the screen, Qi You held up a small, glossy black package between two fingers. A rose pattern embossed on the packaging added a touch of elegance, accentuating her long, slender fingers with their distinct knuckles.

Qi You tore open the packaging.

Chi Yue’s toes curled, her face flushed crimson as she watched Qi You’s movements.

Qi You held up a finger for Chi Yue to see. “Have you ever seen one like this before?”

Chi Yue shook her head slightly, her mouth opening and closing, warm breath puffing from her nose and lips.

Qi You pinched the smooth, glistening bead at the tip, her brow furrowing briefly. “I wonder if it’ll slip inside?”

“I don’t want to use that kind!” Chi Yue blurted out immediately.

Qi You tugged at it to show her. “It’s inside the condom.”

“I still don’t want it,” Chi Yue insisted.

Qi You remained noncommittal and tore open two more packets.

Chi Yue curled up in the corner of the sofa, her soft nightgown clinging to her legs and feet. She rested her chin on her knees, watching Qi You play with the finger sleeves, her face burning with embarrassment.

Fortunately, Qi You’s playful mood lasted only a few minutes. She removed the textured, ribbed sleeve and went to wash her hands.

When she returned after a long wash, the heat in Chi Yue’s face hadn’t subsided. Sweat glistened on her neck, and her eyes shimmered with a watery sheen, making her look breathtakingly vulnerable. Her cheeks and lips were flushed crimson.

Neither spoke for a moment, their gazes locked through the screen.

“What are you thinking about?” Qi You asked.

“Nothing,” Chi Yue murmured.

Qi You tilted her head, her gaze fixed on Chi Yue.

Chi Yue pressed her lips together, enduring Qi You’s scrutiny. Her fingers, hidden from the camera’s view, clenched the hem of her nightgown so tightly she feared she might tear a hole in the fabric.

After a long pause, Qi You looked away and reached up to switch off the crystal chandelier, leaving only the warm, amber glow of the bedside wall lamp.

Chi Yue buried her face in her knees, only her eyes visible. Her voice muffled, she asked, “Are you going to sleep?”

Qi You hummed in affirmation.

Chi Yue hummed in response. “Good night.”

“Hang up now,” Qi You said.

“Good night,” Qi You replied.