Ah Che and Ah Nan noticed a lot of reporters when they arrived at the airport.
“Hah. This is to announce to the world that the daughter of the Ying family has returned!” Ah Che’s smile was dripping with sarcasm. “You know, before this, I always thought the little miss is just trying to mess around by coming back ahead of schedule. But now, it turns out that her early return is a blessing in disguise.”
Ah Nan noticed a group of reporters swarming towards an area nearby. “You better stick to your role later,” Ah Nan reminded. “The whole plan’s going to tank if she smells something fishy.”
Ah Che chuckled. “I know,” he said. “But you… Let me guess, Monica ran off again?”
Two years ago, Monica was forced to get married by her family. Instead let her be married off to some other man, Xin Qing decided to allow Ah Nan marry her, which he did. But because Ah Nan had never told Monica that he loved her, Monica a.s.sumed that Ah Nan, well, didn’t love her. So, whenever they had a fight or when something happened, Monica would leave home, then let Ah Nan find her and bring her back.
Ah Che, on the other hand, knew very well that Ah Nan loved Monica deeply — he wouldn’t have married her otherwise. However, Ah Che knew that deep down, Ah Nan thought he wasn’t good enough for Monica. Not that one could blame Ah Nan having such a mindset. Ah Che and Ah Nan had been rescued by Ying Qingcang from the hands of human traffickers all those years ago. All his life, Ah Nan saw himself as a mere underling, a servant of a great man. He never thought he would one day fall in love with a powerful woman like Monica.
Although Monica wasn’t the daughter of the Ying family, she was close enough to Ying Qingcang to be considered his younger sister, which made her pretty powerful. Ah Che knew what Ah Nan’s greatest obstacle was — Ah Nan himself. He couldn’t get past his own negative views of himself. Ah Che was pretty sure that Monica was aware of it too, which was why she was kicking up all kinds of fuss to force Ah Nan to actually come clean about his feelings.
Ah Nan cleared his throat all of a sudden, then said, “I’ll bring her back tomorrow.” Monica would always go to the same places during one of her “runaway” stunts, simply because she was worried that Ah Nan would fail to find her…
Before Ah Che could poke fun at his brother, he saw Ying Xin walking out of the departure hall with a trolley. Not a single article of clothing she wore wasn’t of a famous brand. Clearly, she was dressed to impress.
Ah Che curled his lips and made his way towards Ying Xin with Ah Nan. “As if our real little miss would dress like that…” he muttered under his breath.
Pushing the reporters away, Ah Nan nodded at Ying Xin slightly. “Welcome home, little miss!”
Ying Xin removed her sungla.s.ses and studied the two men who had come to pick her up. Then, she gave them a genuine smile. “Ah Che! Ah Nan! Thanks so much for coming to pick me up.”
A reporter shoved his microphone to Ying Xin’s lips. “Miss Ying, are you staying in S City for good this time?”
“Are you aware of the relationship between Mei Jing and Wan Qingsi?” asked another reporter.
The crowd of reporters began to nudge each other, wanting to get closer to Ying Xin. Ying Xin smiled at the reporters politely. “I just got off a plane, so I must ask you guys for your consideration. Let’s leave the Q & As for a later time, okay?”
After that Ying Xin left the airport hurriedly with Ah Nan and Ah Che as her bodyguards, leaving a bunch of disappointed reporters in her wake. “Man, what a b.u.mmer… Guess that’s how it is with the daughter of the frigging Ying family. A mere starlet like Mei Jing wouldn’t stand a chance…”
That night, the reporters began their “brilliant” a.n.a.lysis of this epic love triangle: “Ying Xin, the daughter of the Ying family, returns with a bang! Dressed elegantly from head to toe, she was a sight to behold and was in possession of a poise that is unattainable by a normal woman. No man would be able to abandon a woman like that…” It wouldn’t take an Einstein to figure out whose side these reporters were on.
Ah Sha read the entire article, then turned to Wan Qingsi. “Tell me,” Ah Sha said, narrowing her eyes at Wan Qingsi. “Who do you think is prettier? Me or Ying Xin?”
Wan Qingsi looked at her in amus.e.m.e.nt. “Are you jealous of yourself?” Wan Qingsi pulled her into his arms. They had just stepped out from a bathtub and were not lying naked in bed.
“Hmph! Look at her face!” Ah Sha pointed at a photo showing Ying Xin leaving the airport. “She looks just like me! n.o.body would be able to tell.”
Wan Qingsi’s hand traveled along her spine, then glanced at the screen briefly. “I don’t think she’s wearing a facial mask,” he said. “Most probably, plastic surgery. There is a difference. Near the corner of her eyes.”
“What difference?” Ah Sha twisted her body around to look at him. “I’ve been staring at her for so long, yet I couldn’t detect any difference. But you saw a difference after a brief glance?”
“I’ve already committed every aspect of your appearance to memory,” Wan Qingsi said, kissing her. “My eyes can detect any difference, no matter how small.”
Ah Sha stared at him with bright eyes, then hooked her thighs over his torso. “What about your hands? Your lips? Can they tell the difference too?”
Wan Qingsi relished in Ah Sha’s attempt at seducing him. Over the years, Wan Qingsi discovered something about Ah Sha: if he made her jealous from time to time, or, if she were provoked by something from the outside world, she would become more pa.s.sionate in bed.
Not that he had any complaints since he was the one reaping all the benefits. Wan Qingsi flipped their positions so that he was on top of her. “Hmm… I don’t know,” he said. “I guess I need more practice!”
By the time they were both spent and sated, the sky had already gone dark. “Just go to sleep,” Wan Qingsi said, kissing her. “You still have to be on set tomorrow. Now I have to go to Ying’s residence. I’ll bring home some food later!”
“Okay!” Ah Sha nodded at him lazily with her eyes half-closed. Then, she kissed him and said, “I want soup buns!”
Wan Qingsi sucked her tongue, then kissed her again, pouring every ounce of pa.s.sion he felt into the kiss. “Got it!” he said.
.
Meanwhile, at Ying’s residence, Xin Qing was holding Ying Xin’s hand smilingly. “Oh, so you still remember you have a home here, huh? I thought you’ve already forgotten about daddy and mommy and decided to stay there permanently.”
“Mommy!” Ying Xin dove into Xin Qing’s arms, completely missing Xin Qing’s shudder when she did. “See? I’ve already graduated! I won’t leave ever again! I’ll stay with you guys from now on!”
Something flickered inside Ying Qingcang’s eyes. “Enough, enough,” he said. “Dinner is served. Let’s eat first!” Ying Qingcang moved in and picked up Xin Qing, then paused to look at Ying Xin. “Call Xunxun. See if he’s already leaving the company.”
Ying Xin froze for a moment, then quickly recovered and said, “Oh, okay!” She promptly pulled out her phone, but before she could make the call, the front door opened, and in came Wan Qingsi. Ying Xin studied Wan Qingsi’s tall and broad frame as he approached her. In her appraisal, she realized that Wan Qingsi’s features were even more beautiful than Ying Qingcang’s.
However, because his expression always seemed so caustic and mocking, he looked slightly intimidating. He was like one of those carnivorous plants, which looked pretty in the dark. But when its prey got lured in by its beauty? Let’s say that there would be nothing left of the victim by the time it was done, not even a carca.s.s.
“Finally decided to come home, huh?” Wan Qingsi stopped beside her and gave her a cryptic smile. Ying Xin felt a chine traveling down her spine, and her hands covered her chest subconsciously. She took several breaths to calm herself down, then gave him a bright smile. “Brother Xunxun, I’ve missed you!”
Before Ying Xin could move in to hug him, Wan Qingsi turned around and headed for the dining room. “Let’s eat first!” he said. “I’m starving!”
“Oh, okay!” Ying Xin said with a frown, then followed Wan Qingsi into the dining hall.
For the past few days, the atmosphere in the movie set had been awkward and strange.
Everyone on set knew about the return of Ying Xin. That, plus the fact that it had already been days since Wan Qingsi came to pick Mei Jing up from the movie set. On the surface, everyone seemed pretty tight-lipped about the matter. None of them said anything to each other. In private, most of them had already concluded that Mei Jing had been abandoned.
Today, Zheng Gege came to see Ah Sha at her crew van during their break time. She didn’t come empty-handed as well — she was carrying a tall gla.s.s of some fruit tea. “Ah Sha…” Zheng Gege stammered. “Y-you… you should ignore what they’re saying. I believe… th-that Boss Wan wo-would never…”
Ah Sha was texting Wan Qingsi when Zheng Gege walked in. Amused, Ah Sha interrupted her stammering. “Oh, geez. Why are you so nervous again?”
Seeing Zheng Gege here brought back memories indeed. In fact, it felt kind of like deja vu; Zheng Gege had approached Ah Sha’s crew van with a tall gla.s.s of fruit tea on the first day of filming.
Back then, Zheng Gege had opened their conversation with her cold and aloof voice: “I made this tea. It’s good for your health.” If it weren’t for the anxious look she detected in Zheng Gege’s eyes, Ah Sha would’ve a.s.sumed that Zheng Gege was there to provoke her.
When Ah Sha didn’t reply immediately, Zheng Gege had a feeling that she had left a bad impression, so she quickly tried to explain herself. “I- I- I just… I just… Um… I want…” she stammered.
“Hey…” Mei Jing reached out and patted Zheng Gege’s hand. “It’s okay. Don’t be nervous. Just be yourself and speak like how you usually speak. I know you don’t mean any offense.”
Zheng Gege set the gla.s.s on the table. “Thank you,” she said.
Mei Jing looked at her in amus.e.m.e.nt. “What on earth are you thank me for?” she asked. “Poor girl…” Mei Jing thought. “She must not have many friends. I bet not many people could tolerate her icy personality…”
“Thank you for giving me a chance,” Zheng Gege said, no longer nervous. She realized that, unlike everyone else, Mei Jing didn’t hate her at all.
Mei Jing asked Xiao Hua to serve the tea. When she finally took a sip, Mei Jing was impressed with how the tea’s fragrance filled up her mouth, relaxing her body all over. “Well, you deserved it with your good performance!” Mei Jing said, then raised the gla.s.s. “This is delicious! How did you make it?”
Zheng Gege quickly launched into an explanation of the nuances of tea-making. Mei Jing listened to every word she said carefully. At the end of Zheng Gege’s statement, Mei Jing sighed and said, “Argh… It sounds so complicated and not like something that I can make… But it’s delicious!”
“Then, I’ll prepare it and bring it to you every day!” Zheng Gege piped up but immediately regretted her words. She was worried that Mei Jing might misunderstand her intentions.
Mei Jing’s reaction, however, took Zheng Gege by surprise. “Really?” Mei Jing said, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Won’t that be too much of a trouble?”
“No! Not at all!” Zheng Gege answered quickly. “I’ll be preparing it every day anyway. I’ll just make a bit extra from now on. So it won’t trouble me at all. Besides, it’s going to be really warm in a few days. It’ll taste even better with ice!”
“Thank you then! I appreciate it!” Mei Jing grinned at Zheng Gege. After that, Mei Jing asked Zheng Gege about her interests, likes, and dislikes. Once she got to know Zheng Gege a bit better, Mei Jing realized that Zheng Gege’s aloof personality was an inborn trait. Her tone would remain icy, regardless of how happy she was.
Well, that was how these tea-bearing visits came about. Since then, Zheng Gege had been coming to Ah Sha’s crew van every day with tea during breaks, and they’d spent they’d chat with each over tea.
“Oh, hey!” Ah Sha abandoned her phone and beckoned Zheng Gege to take a seat. “What kind of rumors have you been hearing?”
Zheng Gege poured out two gla.s.ses of tea. “I don’t believe anything they’re saying,” she said, shaking her head.
“Oh? Is that so?” Ah Sha looked at her curiously. “Why not?”
Zheng Gege gave Ah Sha a severe look. “Because I’ve seen the way the boss looks at you,” she said earnestly. “It’s… It’s the same way my dad looked at my mom.”
Xiao Hua set down a plate of cookies. “Then you must come from a happy family, right? But how come you ended up with this weird personality?” Xiao Hua asked casually.
Zheng Gege’s face fell. “They… They got into an accident… Now I’m all alone,” she said in a small voice.
Xiao Hua cringed and stuck out her tongue. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t know.”
“Oh, it’s okay. It was a long time ago anyway,” Zheng Gege said flatly.
“Here,” Ah Sha said, handing her a piece of cookie. “I made this yesterday. Try it!”
Zheng Gege took the cookie and bit into it. Her face lit up instantly. “It’s delicious,” she said, then took a sip of tea. “And it goes well with the fruit tea.”
“Yup! I think so too, that’s why I brought it for you,” Ah Sha said happily. “Think of this as me repaying you for tea delivery every day!”
Ah Sha’s jovial mood finally convinced Zheng Gege that the things that people were saying were just baseless rumors. Relieved, Zheng Gege indulged her appet.i.te and had a few more cookies, which delighted Ah Sha immensely. Ah Sha picked up her gla.s.s, but before she could take a sip of tea, she saw Zheng Gege holding her stomach.
“What’s wrong?” Ah Sha quickly set down her gla.s.s.
“My stomach… hurts…” Zheng Gege’s face was already white as a sheet. Ah Sha in an instant that something was wrong. “Xiao Hua,” she said. “Quick! Ask them to bring the car here.”
Everyone on set was shocked and confused saw Zheng Gege being helped out of Ah Sha’s crew van by Ah Sha and Xiao Hua. Then, Director Lin Dong ran up to them. “What’s wrong?”
“Her stomach started hurting all of a sudden. I think it looks pretty serious. Let’s take her to the hospital first!” Then, Ah Sha allowed the crew on set to take over. “Oh, thanks so much. Please carry her to the car.”
Everyone moved about hurriedly as they helped Zheng Gege into the car. When Zheng Gege was finally settled in the car, Ah Sha wanted to tag along as well, but Lin Dong stopped her. “You don’t have to go. This isn’t a big deal at all!”
“Of course it is. This happened on my watch. I must go.” Ah Sha climbed into the car. Then, from the corner of her eyes, she saw something. Hao Yuan was standing among the crowd who were watching them.
“What on earth is she doing here?” Ah Sha thought with a frown.