They reached the fifth floor. Su Zhiyi took out her key, inserted it into the lock, turned her wrist, and pushed open the green iron door. The door, old and worn, let out a grating screech.
Once Jiang Yuanheng entered Su Zhiyi's home, he placed the bags he was carrying on the counter in the entryway. He took off his mask and gave a helpless smile. "I always feel that even without a disguise, no one would recognize me when I walk outside."
"The people here are mostly middle-aged or elderly. They don't listen to pop songs," Su Zhiyi said, trying to comfort Jiang Yuanheng when she heard his self-deprecation. "But I really like listening to your songs."
"It's okay. Whether others like them or not doesn't matter. As long as Sis likes them, that's enough."
He lowered his eyes. "If I ever retire from the industry, I think I'll find a place where no one knows me to settle down."
And... with his sister.
*
Jiang Yuanheng stayed at Su Zhiyi's place. The pampered young master, born with a silver spoon, turned out to be surprisingly hardworking. Before Su Zhiyi woke up, he had already prepared breakfast and waited for her. He mopped the floor every day, kept the place spotless, prepared three meals a day, and his cooking was no less than that of restaurants.
Su Zhiyi enjoyed being waited on by Jiang Yuanheng, and she also focused more intently on her upcoming work. During her days of rest at home, she read through the script Pei Yan had sent her from cover to cover, digesting every line and action thoroughly. Jiang Yuanheng noticed she was studying the script and guessed she was about to join another crew.
"Sis, are you going to another set again?"
Jiang Yuanheng washed a plate of strawberries for Su Zhiyi and brought them to her, placing them on the coffee table. Su Zhiyi was reclining on the sofa, deeply absorbed in the script in her hands, her rosy lips moving slightly as she quietly recited lines.
"Yeah. Though it's not as many lines as the dramas I acted in, this is the first movie of my life. I have to take it seriously."
The strawberries in the plate had been washed, with the stems carefully removed. They were bright red, each half the size of a palm, with crystal-clear water droplets glistening on them. She sat up straight, reached out, took a strawberry, and put it in her mouth. The sweet-and-sour juice burst across her taste buds. The flesh was dense, the juice tangy. She finished the whole strawberry in two bites.
Jiang Yuanheng naturally sat down on the sofa next to Su Zhiyi and leaned toward her, closing the distance between them. "Can I take a look? I've never acted before; I'm kind of curious."
Without any wariness, Su Zhiyi tilted her head toward Jiang Yuanheng and handed him the script. "Here."
"Not only is this my first film, but it's also my first time acting in a plot-driven suspense genre. The script is pretty interesting. No wonder it's directed by an internationally renowned director."
Jiang Yuanheng quickly scanned the page Su Zhiyi showed him. But instead of discussing the script with her, he suddenly asked a question completely unrelated to it.
"Why did Sis choose to act in Director Lu's work?"
"Ah..." Su Zhiyi had just picked up another strawberry and was about to bite into it when she heard Jiang Yuanheng's strange question. She took a bite and chewed slowly, answering vaguely, "The company arranged it."
"Sis, was it really the company's arrangement?"
Su Zhiyi guiltily avoided Jiang Yuanheng's gentle gaze and revealed a bit of information, but still in a perfunctory manner. "Fine, you know my company couldn't possibly offer me such good resources... Actually, a friend recommended me. He said my appearance and image fit the role well, so he introduced me to Director Lu. Director Lu happened to be satisfied with my look, so he cast me."
Su Zhiyi stepped back, but instead of retreating, Jiang Yuanheng leaned in closer. "Which friend?"
His well-defined hand spread out on the sofa beside Su Zhiyi, pressing down slightly, causing that part of the sofa to sink. His handsome face drew near, his thin lips parting slightly as he spoke softly, almost hypnotically.
The name "Pei Yan" nearly slipped from her lips. Su Zhiyi almost lost her composure.
"Uh..."
Fortunately, she had strong willpower and bit down on Pei Yan's name, keeping it inside.
"This script looks very familiar."
Seeing Su Zhiyi not answer, Jiang Yuanheng's burning gaze shifted from her evasive eyes to the script in her hands. Emotions roiled in his eyes, unreadable. His voice was gentle enough to drown someone, yet it mercilessly exposed Su Zhiyi's concealment.
"I heard that Pei Yan was invited by Director Lu and will be filming a suspense movie, playing the antagonist."
"Is Sis joining the same set again at Pei Yan's invitation?"