YJDNY - 47

Xiang Ge didn’t have trouble sleeping in unfamiliar beds. Any bed would do for her to sleep like the dead. She had gone to bed late the night before, and naturally woke up at a little past nine in the morning.

Lying in bed, Xiang Ge stared at the time and realized how important it was to bring an assistant along.

She shouldn’t have turned Gong Mo down.

Rolling out of bed in a flurry, she took a quick shower, applied makeup, changed clothes, and stepped out of her room.

As soon as she opened the door, before she could even turn her head halfway, she saw Su Yining.

Xiang Ge startled visibly.

If she remembered correctly, this big shot wasn’t even staying on the same floor as her.

Xiang Ge’s room was at the end of the corridor, where a massive oil painting hung at the far end. The golden frame was intricately carved, and beneath it stood a large vase under the glow of a crystal chandelier casting light onto the marble floor.

The woman stood in front of the vase, her features exquisite and timeless, wearing a red dress that made her look like a figure stepping out of a painting.

Su Yining held her phone in one hand, smiling elegantly as she greeted Xiang Ge with a gentle tone, “You’re up? Did you sleep well?”

“...”

Xiang Ge rubbed her eye corner and let out a soft “Ah,” thinking to herself, Hmm, even this big-shot actress likes to sleep in.

After a brief pause, she snapped back to reality, exchanged greetings, and hesitated for a moment before attempting to leave.

Su Yining just stood there, smiling warmly and watching her intently. After staring at her for a while, she finally asked in a slow, deliberate voice, “Have you had breakfast?”

“...”

No, I just woke up.

Xiang Ge thought for a second and lied, “Yes, I’ve eaten.”

Su Yining seemed to believe her and continued, “Are you heading to the set?”

Xiang Ge nodded. “I want to take a look around.”

Su Yining glanced at the time and smiled faintly. “Then let’s go together. I was planning to visit the set as well.”

Xiang Ge didn’t respond, instinctively wanting to decline.

But Su Yining seemed to anticipate this and added nonchalantly, “At this time, the crew’s shuttle has already left. You can ride with me.”

“...”

Xiang Ge felt that Su Yining was subtly pointing out that she had woken up too late.

Recalling the intense gaze the actress had given her last night, Xiang Ge felt uneasy but couldn’t exactly refuse after such an offer.

Unlike Xiang Ge, who was still an unknown newcomer, Su Yining traveled with a dedicated car, driver, and assistant. When they arrived at the set, Xiang Ge thanked her.

Su Yining remained seated in the car, showing no intention of getting out. With an elegant nod, she said, “Go ahead.”

“...”

Weren’t you planning to come along too?

Xiang Ge didn’t ask and simply turned to leave.

As Xiang Ge’s figure gradually disappeared into the distance, Su Yining craned her neck to watch her walk away. Then, she slapped her assistant enthusiastically three times. “Did you see that? What a lovely girl!”

The assistant nodded. “She’s quite polite too.”

Su Yining chuckled softly and quickly pulled out her phone from her pocket. After several rings, someone picked up on the other end.

In an excited tone, Su Yining exclaimed, “Son! I caught her waking up today!”

Zhou Xingyan: “...”

Zhou Xingyan had just finished his night shift. The environment around him was quiet, and his voice sounded slightly hoarse. “Why are you waiting for her to wake up?”

Su Yining stretched her neck to look out the window until Xiang Ge’s figure disappeared entirely. Pulling her head back into the car and partially closing the window, she explained, “I’m bored. Why else did I come to the set? I wanted to see her. I thought we could start bonding over breakfast.”

She paused for a moment, then added regretfully, “Too bad she’s already eaten.”

Zhou Xingyan checked the time and didn’t call her out on it. Instead, he massaged his temples in exasperation. “Mom, can you tone down your overflowing enthusiasm? Don’t scare her off.”

“I’m not being overly enthusiastic,” Su Yining quickly denied. “I think I’m doing a great job portraying an elegant, friendly, and approachable senior figure.”

“Oh, is that so? Then maybe you should be a bit more aloof,” Zhou Xingyan dryly remarked.

Su Yining completely ignored what he was saying. She put the phone on speaker and switched to her photo gallery. “I just took a picture of her when she came out. She didn’t even realize it.” Holding her chin, she zoomed in and happily continued, “This girl is so beautiful. She reminds me of myself when I was young.”

“Mom, taking stealth photos is going too far. Tone it down,” Zhou Xingyan said flatly after a brief pause. “Send it to me.”

“...”

When Xiang Ge arrived at the set, there weren’t many actors around, but most of the crew members were already in place. Bai Yuandao stood in a corner, talking to a man beside him.

As soon as Xiang Ge entered, one of the staff members who had picked her up at the airport spotted her, called out to greet her, and then gave her a quick tour of the set. He explained the upcoming schedule and casually reminded her about the official opening ceremony the day after tomorrow and the banquet that evening.

Xiang Ge tilted her head. “Should I dress up a bit?”

The young man chuckled and scratched his head. “No need to go overboard. Bai doesn’t care about those formalities. Last time, he wore a casual shirt for the opening ceremony.” The staff member glanced around and lowered his voice. “It was hideous—puffed sleeves and all.”

Xiang Ge: “...”

After being shown around briefly, Xiang Ge returned to her hotel room and spent three days immersed in the script. When she got hungry, she ordered room service and rarely ventured outside.

Finally, on the third day, after attending the opening ceremony in the afternoon, there was a sudden knock on her door.

Xiang Ge tilted her head, set the script aside, and shuffled over in her slippers to open the door.

Su Yining stood at the door, smiling warmly. “I just sent you a message on WeChat. You probably haven’t seen it yet.”

The actress had added Xiang Ge on WeChat almost immediately after being pulled into the production group chat the previous night, though she hadn’t said a word until now.

Xiang Ge let out a soft “Ah.” “I was reading the script. Is there something you need, Teacher Su?”

Su Yining didn’t answer directly. Instead, she suddenly said, “Stop calling me Teacher Su.”

Xiang Ge glanced at the virtually wrinkle-free corners of her eyes and wondered if the actress felt that being called “Teacher” made her sound old.

Before Xiang Ge could say anything, Su Yining continued with a smile, “How about you call me ‘Mom’ and see how it feels?”

“...”

Xiang Ge: ???

Xiang Ge froze, blinking slowly, unable to process what she had just heard.

Su Yining waved her hand dismissively. “It’s fine if you’re not used to it. Just consider it a joke. We can ease into it.”

“...”

Ease... into it?

Su Yining handed her a bag, saying it was a gift for their meeting.

Xiang Ge felt overwhelmed and tried to refuse repeatedly, but Su Yining’s insistence was unwavering.

Eventually, Xiang Ge accepted the gift, curiosity getting the better of her. Leaning forward slightly, she asked cautiously, “Teacher Su, do you... really like me?”

Su Yining seemed surprised by the direct question but admitted without hesitation after a brief pause. “Yes, I really like you.”

Xiang Ge let out another soft “Ah,” slightly taken aback.

Su Yining smiled. “You’re quite likable.”

Xiang Ge responded seriously, “People usually say things like this to me only when they’re of the opposite sex. My relationships with women have always been a bit rocky.”

Su Yining raised an eyebrow. “Why’s that? Because you’re so pretty?”

Her tone was sincere, and Xiang Ge, who had long attributed this phenomenon to her looks, nodded. “I think so.”

Su Yining nodded knowingly, wearing an expression that said, “I get it, I get it.”

The two chatted for a while, and when Su Yining mentioned she had something to do, she left, reminding Xiang Ge about the banquet later that evening.

Around the scheduled time, Xiang Ge didn’t have a chance to examine Su Yining’s gift before rushing to take a shower, apply makeup, and change into an outfit.

The morning’s opening ceremony had been rather dull. There were candles, offerings, and a pig’s head on the altar. The producer and director gave speeches, and representatives from each department took turns lighting incense. And just like that, the ceremony was over.

As a result, Xiang Ge didn’t feel particularly enthusiastic about the banquet either. She had never been fond of large gatherings with lots of people. Her only hope was that the food would be good enough to salvage the experience.

The banquet was held in the hotel’s grand ballroom. Xiang Ge chose a simple and comfortable dress that fell just above her knees. Right on time, she headed over.

When she arrived, Su Yining wasn’t there yet. Earlier during the opening ceremony, Xiang Ge had already met the rest of the cast. Now, as she walked in, Ji Ran, the male lead sitting at a nearby table, waved her over.

Ji Ran had been in the industry for a few years and had appeared in several works. Last year, he skyrocketed to fame with a historical drama and was now considered a top contender for the title of “National Boyfriend” within the next three to five years.

Beside him stood Gu Yi, the supporting actress. She had previously starred in a TV series and was currently working her way toward becoming a rising starlet.

And then there was Su Yining, the legendary actress. The actor playing the heroine’s father was also a seasoned veteran. Looking around the entire production team, it seemed the only true newcomer was Xiang Ge herself.

Xiang Ge thought she should call Song Zhi later to ask how much money he had slipped Bai Yuandao.

After exchanging greetings with Ji Ran, Xiang Ge walked over. Gu Yi greeted her with a sweet smile.

That sweetness was overwhelming, almost cloying, and successfully drew attention to herself, causing Ji Ran to glance at her sideways.

Xiang Ge silently resisted the urge to roll her eyes and kept reminding herself that this banquet required her to maintain her public image.

Thankfully, the hotel’s catering was excellent. As Xiang Ge ate, she listened to Gu Yi and Ji Ran exchange lively conversations. Su Yining arrived shortly before dinner began, and the actors lined up for a while to give speeches. Xiang Ge, as the lead actress, went last.

She thought for a moment and began speaking calmly, “Being given the opportunity to star in The Cocoon is truly unexpected and an honor. Everyone in the team is highly experienced and talented. As a newcomer, I have so much to learn, but I will do my best to portray this role.” — Up to this point, everything was normal and humble, following the script of a newcomer.

“This shouldn’t be too difficult. Although I chose to become a model after graduation, I was formally trained in acting during university. Returning to my roots now...” Xiang Ge paused thoughtfully before continuing, “...I find that it’s still as easy as ever.” — That’s when the flirty remarks began.

After she finished, there was a brief moment of silence.

Then, led by Su Yining, a round of applause erupted from the crowd.

Once the formalities were over and her stomach sufficiently filled, the latter half of the banquet began. Ji Ran was called over to another table by the assistant director and executive director for drinks.

The executive director was an outgoing person with great interpersonal skills. Clearly intrigued by Xiang Ge’s earlier speech, he enthusiastically invited her over for a drink.

Xiang Ge actually enjoyed drinking.

Her alcohol tolerance was exceptional, and sometimes, when in the mood, she couldn’t resist having a few drinks.

She didn’t decline much and joined them openly. After a few drinks, her demeanor remained unchanged, and she conversed cheerfully. Seeing her skill, the executive director’s eyes lit up, clearly eager to challenge her to a drinking contest.

The battle officially began.

During the course of the drinking session, Ji Ran joined in for a chaotic round but eventually conceded defeat. After a trip to the restroom, he returned, leaning on the table with his head propped up, laughing as he watched Xiang Ge and the executive director switch to stronger drinks.

By the time the banquet ended, the executive director’s voice had grown louder. “Little Xiang! Let’s move to another venue!”

Xiang Ge happily poured him another glass, her enthusiasm undiminished. “Barbecue skewers!”

The executive director raised his glass triumphantly. “Skewers! Skewers!”

Bai Yuandao smacked the director’s head down onto the table. “What skewers?! Are we filming tomorrow or not?!”

Though the executive director’s tolerance was solid, he was slightly tipsy. His eyes were still clear as he rubbed his nose and grinned. “Alright, let’s finish this glass. There’ll be more opportunities in the future.”

Xiang Ge was starting to feel a bit dizzy. She’d mixed beer with some liquor, but her eyes grew brighter while her complexion remained unchanged. A faint smile played on her lips. “Let’s end it with this glass.”

Ji Ran sat beside her. The slight drunkenness from earlier had mostly worn off, leaving only a faint blush on his cheeks. He stared at her unblinkingly.

Xiang Ge drained her glass in one gulp, excused herself, and prepared to return to her room. Ji Ran also stood up, walking her to the banquet hall entrance with perfect decorum. “Are you okay?”

Xiang Ge lazily tilted her head. “This is nothing.”

Ji Ran laughed. “See you tomorrow, my leading lady.”

Xiang Ge didn’t find anything odd about the situation and casually smirked, unintentionally captivating. “See you tomorrow.”

He returned to his seat, and Xiang Ge turned to walk out.

The banquet hall doors were wide open. As Xiang Ge walked out with her head slightly bowed, she suddenly noticed a figure next to her that startled her.

Instinctively, she took two steps back. Her alcohol-fogged brain cleared slightly as she blinked and focused.

Zhou Xingyan leaned against the wall in the shadow behind the door. The heavy banquet hall doors blocked most of the light from the crystal chandelier in the corridor, leaving his expression obscured in the dimness.

Only his voice remained, calm and unruffled, softly repeating, “See you tomorrow, my leading lady?”