Su Zhiyi had finished her makeup and styling and was idling in the dressing room, waiting for her scene to start before heading to the set.
She had sent Jiang Yuanheng off to buy her some milk tea.
Of course, it was on Jiang Yuanheng's dime.
But as soon as he came back, he caught her browsing the CP super topic.
Su Zhiyi's cheeks were flushed, as if she were slightly drunk, the wine seeming to slosh in her eyes with a red glimmer.
She instinctively raised a hand to her face and indeed felt the faint warmth in her palm.
"Maybe... it's because this costume is too thick? It's making me hot," she excused herself.
She didn't dare tell Jiang Yuanheng that she had been looking at the CP super topic for her and Pei Yan.
The Grand Princess's costume was very heavy, with many layers, so it was normal to get flushed from the heat.
"Is that so?" Jiang Yuanheng didn't press further. He set the milk tea on the table. "I went to check the set before coming in. They said there are three more scenes before yours. Sister, you can finish your tea before going."
"Thanks for the trouble."
Su Zhiyi picked up the milk tea, tore open the straw wrapper, pierced the paper lid with the sharp end, and took a small sip through the straw.
Jiang Yuanheng sat across from her, watching intently as she drank in small sips.
He stared at her moist, red lips and suddenly said, "Sister, your filming wraps up next month, right?"
"Mm," Su Zhiyi chewed on the straw, crunching the chewy black sugar pearls, and gave him an exact date. "My last scene is on the evening of the 18th next month. I officially wrap up on the 19th."
"Why do you ask?"
"Because there's something I'd like to ask you."
Jiang Yuanheng looked into her eyes, his brows curved and his eyes slightly drooping, giving him a non-threatening expression.
"The month after next, I'm releasing a new song. The song is ready; we just need to film the MV."
"Oh? A new song?" Su Zhiyi's tone was delighted, offering him plenty of emotional support. "You're releasing a new song? Then I have to be your first fan to hear it!"
"Sure," Jiang Yuanheng agreed readily. "I'll not only let you be the first fan to hear my new song, but I'll also give you the first physical album of my new song."
"And you'll be the only one to play the female lead in my MV."
"..." Su Zhiyi was stunned. Her teeth bit down on the plastic straw, flattening it. She blinked blankly at Jiang Yuanheng and let out a confused sound: "Huh?"
"What does that mean?"
"Just what I said."
Jiang Yuanheng's eyes sparkled like a pool of brilliant stars, looking at her expectantly.
"Would you be willing to be my leading lady?"
*
Su Zhiyi couldn't avoid Jiang Yuanheng even if she wanted to. She could refuse him, but she couldn't refuse her unscrupulous company.
The unscrupulous company truly had her roasting over the fire. She had just told Jiang Yuanheng she'd think about it—though in her heart, she had already rejected him—when she received a message from her manager as soon as she left the dressing room.
[Xie Mengran: Zhiyi, I've sent you your schedule for next week.]
[Xie Mengran: Jiang Yuanheng's company contacted ours and asked if you could be the female lead in his new song's MV.]
[Xie Mengran: The company has accepted it for you. As for Jiang Yuanheng, you can talk to him yourself.]
Su Zhiyi looked at these messages and Xie Mengran's packed schedule, then closed her eyes in despair.
How was being a star even more exhausting than being a corporate workhorse?
She let out a long sigh, lifted her eyelids tiredly, and weakly typed a reply to Xie Mengran.
[Su Zhiyi: Okay, Sister Xie.]
She was about to put away her phone and pick up the script to study her lines for the upcoming scene.
Her role in the next scene was just a background prop.
"Miss Su."
"Huh?"
Su Zhiyi had just opened the script when someone called her. She looked in the direction of the voice.
It was Gu Yu.
Gu Yu hadn't been to the set in the past few days. The director was still shaken by the fight between Gu Yu and Pei Yan last time and didn't dare let Gu Yu watch the romantic scenes between Pei Yan and Su Zhiyi anymore.
The day after Pei Yan recovered, the director hurriedly shot all three kiss scenes between Pei Yan and Su Zhiyi in one go.
Gu Yu, whom she hadn't seen for days, stood beside Su Zhiyi in a crisp suit, one hand in his trouser pocket, expressionless, looking aloof—as if he hadn't been the one who, in a rage, grabbed Pei Yan by the collar and punched him.
"I've looked over your script and scene schedule," Gu Yu said. "Do you have time tomorrow?"
Since Gu Yu said he had seen her script and schedule, he naturally knew she had no scenes the entire day tomorrow.
Su Zhiyi said, "I have time tomorrow. What's up, Brother Gu?"
As soon as Gu Yu heard her call him the more intimate "Brother Gu" instead of the distant "President Gu," the coldness on his face softened a little.
"Oh, nothing major. It's about the Greta jewelry endorsement I mentioned before. I wanted to ask if you'd like to go to the Greta offline store nearby tomorrow. Their person in charge just arrived from headquarters yesterday and said they'd like you to get a preview of their upcoming new series. After you finish filming, we can arrange a time to go to their headquarters to shoot the endorsement."
Gu Yu explained briefly.
Su Zhiyi listened attentively, nodded, and smiled brightly. "Sure, thanks for the trouble, Brother Gu."
Gu Yu shook his head. "No trouble at all. It's my job."
Su Zhiyi felt like someone was watching her. She glanced to the side and sure enough, saw Pei Yan standing beside the director.
Pei Yan was looking over from a distance. When his gaze fell on Gu Yu, his sword-like brows furrowed slightly.
Gu Yu also noticed Pei Yan's gaze. He turned to meet it. Their eyes locked for only three seconds before both looked away.
The brief exchange made Su Zhiyi's heart skip a beat.
Pei Yan and Gu Yu were acting like they didn't know each other.
Su Zhiyi breathed a sigh of relief.
Pei Yan had told her that they had resolved their issues privately and it wouldn't affect her.
For now, it seemed the two restless fish in her pond wouldn't capsize her boat.
Good. Just keep being well-behaved like this.
"Cut! That take was good. Moving on to the next shot."
The director nodded in satisfaction, then called for the actors waiting off set.
Su Zhiyi saw that her scene was up and turned to Gu Yu. "It's my scene now. I'm off to film."
"Mm, go for it."
Su Zhiyi threw herself into work, lifting her long skirt as she walked into the filming set.
But she overlooked the fact that behind her, that cold gaze had gradually turned infatuated.
The burning, clinging eyes were glued to her back, unwilling to move away even a little.