YJDNY - 51

Zhou Xingyan left in a good mood that afternoon after accompanying Xiang Ge to KFC.

A hamburger paired with plain water — a hellish experience, especially when it was from a children’s meal.

When Zhou Xingyan finally pulled out a small toy pendant from the children’s meal and handed it to her, Xiang Ge gritted her teeth so hard they creaked. She even considered flipping the empty Coke cup over his head and heading back to the set.

And yet, she had obediently finished the plain water inside.

Zhou Xingyan didn’t bring any luggage; he came empty-handed, as usual. After dropping her off at the hotel and staying for a while, he left. Xiang Ge saw him off symbolically to the hotel entrance, putting on an exaggerated display of reluctance.

Zhou Xingyan watched her dramatic performance calmly, as if she were about to burst into tears and cling to his arm. He raised his hand, extending his index and middle fingers in the shape of scissors, holding them vertically in front of his eyes.

Xiang Ge blinked, tilting her head slightly, confused by what he was doing.

Slowly, Zhou Xingyan turned his hand so that his fingertips pointed outward, bringing them closer to her face. In a deliberate tone, he said, “Try not to give me too much trouble.”

Xiang Ge: “….”

How exactly am I causing trouble?

It wasn’t until after he left that Xiang Ge emerged from her shower and noticed the gift Su Yining had given her sitting on the couch. She decided to take a look at it now.

Revisiting this gift, it seemed to carry an odd, different significance than before.

What had originally been a senior giving a gift to a junior had now transformed into a mother giving a gift to her son’s girlfriend.

Xiang Ge shook her still-damp hair, hesitated for three seconds, then walked over and sat on the couch, pulling the paper bag closer.

She took the box out of the bag and opened it without much thought.

Considering Su Yining’s intense gaze and attitude, Xiang Ge could almost guess the contents with 90% accuracy.

It was likely some skimpy pajamas, silk with lace, or very sexy lingerie — all things she’d already prepared for. They were still stuffed deep inside Zhou Xingyan’s suitcase, untouched.

With that in mind, she tore open the soft outer wrapping to reveal… a maid outfit.

A meticulously crafted maid outfit made of thin, soft fabric, with a button-up collar that extended all the way up, leaving almost no skin exposed.

Surprisingly, this uniform exuded a strange, forbidden allure amidst its modesty.

Xiang Ge suddenly grew contemplative, realizing she had underestimated Su Yining far too much up until now.

Almost reverently, she rewrapped the paper around the outfit, placed it back in the box, sealed the bag, and tucked it away in the bottom layer of her suitcase.

Her respect for Su Yining rose another notch. Xiang Ge began to reconsider her own seductive approach. Perhaps Zhou Xingyan truly preferred this type of restrained, uniform-inspired aesthetic.

More than a week after the start of filming Cocoon , the official account released the cast’s makeup photos. This marked the first official appearance of the actors after the initial leaks.

Ji Ran was one of the currently promising young stars with a bright future. His latest TV drama had just become a massive hit. With legendary actress Su Yining and national heartthrob Jiang Xu making guest appearances, along with the controversial nature of Cocoon ‘s subject matter, the early buzz was high.

Thus, when the real female lead was officially revealed, Xiang Ge naturally became the biggest topic of discussion.

Fans who had been fervently denying her casting collectively expressed disbelief (WTF), and the previously popular theory that Gu Yi was the female lead became awkwardly invalidated. Fan groups that had been cheering for Gu Yi mourned their loss, while Xiang Ge, a previously unknown newcomer with no fanbase, attracted a wave of admirers purely based on her looks.

The male fanbase was particularly prominent.

Within two days, Xiang Ge’s Weibo followers skyrocketed. Alongside this surge came countless comments under each of her posts, especially her earliest ones. The majority of the top-rated comments were vile, speculating endlessly about the identity of the “sugar daddy” behind this beautiful newcomer.

Unfortunately for the enthusiastic netizens, Xiang Ge’s Weibo was impeccably clean. She rarely used the platform, and her photos were flawless, 360-degree perfection. The most reliable and only suspect they could find was Fu Rongsen, the young heir of the Z family.

This supposed “sugar daddy” was freshly dug up, and to everyone’s shock, Fu Rongsen openly admitted that same afternoon that he had a slight interest in the female lead. However, he lamented that the “iron plate” was too tough to crack and reassured everyone that the Z family remained focused solely on the fashion industry, with no plans to enter the entertainment world.

The public was stunned. Fu Rongsen, who had long been a figure of mystery with countless leaked photos of him intimately spending time with models, had never once clarified anything publicly, always brushing it off with a smile. It seemed that this newcomer might actually be someone special to him.

As for all this, Xiang Ge remained completely detached, with no intention of looking into it.

She had once thought modeling was exhausting, watching前辈 runway models during their busy seasons spin like little tops, either on planes or rushing to airports. But now, filming had made her realize how naive she had been.

Bai Yuandao was nothing short of a devil.

Perhaps not all directors were this meticulous and demanding, but Bai Yuandao certainly was.

In less than two weeks, she felt utterly drained, like a dog. A mere ten-second scene was filmed over and over again, night shoots stretching until dawn, while the young crew members cheered and marveled at the sunrise.

Meanwhile, Xiang Ge just wanted to crawl back to the hotel and sleep through the afternoon to recover.

Gong Mo arrived the day after Xiang Ge called her, tasked with dragging her out of bed every morning no matter what.

Take this moment, for instance.

Gong Mo stood emotionlessly by the bed, tugging at the blanket. Xiang Ge clung to it tightly, struggling for five minutes before cocooning herself completely, leaving only her head exposed. Finally, she wriggled her way up, leaned against the headboard, and looked at Gong Mo with melancholy: “Moli, can I call in sick today? Just say I have a fever.”

Gong Mo had already laid out all the clothes from the wardrobe at the foot of the bed. “I think Director Bai, to avoid delaying the shooting schedule, might personally come and drag you to the hospital for an injection to quickly reduce your fever.”

Xiang Ge sighed deeply. “It’s stressful enough playing a repressed character, and now I have to constantly deal with evaluations from my superiors.”

Gong Mo didn’t understand and gave her a puzzled look.

Xiang Ge shook her head, resigned, and slowly unraveled herself from the blanket cocoon, crawling out.

As she headed into the shower, Gong Mo’s phone rang.

Seeing there was still time, Xiang Ge leisurely washed up. Before she could finish, Gong Mo opened the bathroom door and walked in.

Xiang Ge had just stepped out of the shower, naked and drying her hair, when she heard the sound and turned her head blankly to look at Gong Mo.

Gong Mo showed no change in expression, calmly locking eyes with her.

Xiang Ge tilted her head, thought for a moment, and began reciting lines flatly: “Ah, what do you want? Don’t come near me.”

Gong Mo showed no reaction, simply grabbing a towel from the side and handing it to Xiang Ge.

Xiang Ge pouted in boredom, wrapped the towel around herself, and continued drying her hair.

Gong Mo stood by, watching her. After a brief hesitation, she spoke: “You’ve gained a bit of fame now, you know that, right?”

Xiang Ge nonchalantly dried her hair. “Yeah, negative fame. ‘No-name, no-talent model climbs the ranks to play the female lead,’ right?”

Gong Mo seemed to consider this for a moment. “Not entirely. There are some fans who like you; support groups have already formed.”

Xiang Ge let out a surprised “Ah,” seemingly caught off guard. “Mine?” She recovered, raising an eyebrow and throwing a flirtatious glance. “Of course, because I’m so likable. I can already imagine having millions of little fangirls drooling over me once this movie wraps.”

“The premise is that this situation makes sense,” Gong Mo said emotionlessly, nearly sternly, holding up her phone. “Although the company has never asked about your personal background, don’t you think you should explain this? It’ll help the crisis PR team know where to start.”

Xiang Ge glanced at the phone screen, her hand pausing mid-dry.

It was a video shot at a slight angle from behind Xiang Ge.

A woman in designer clothing stood before an elderly janitor. Her expression was unseen, but her voice was calm, almost indifferent.

“You die, I’ll pay for your funeral, but that’s it. I won’t visit you. Today is the last time I see you. I don’t want to encounter you in any form, ever again. Not even once. Please don’t appear in my life anymore.”

The man’s face was nearly pleading, his hands trembling, filled with pain.

But she acted as though she didn’t see it, her tone unyielding.

“Don’t expect redemption or peace of mind from me. No one can absolve you of your sins but yourself.”

Xiang Ge watched the entire clip calmly, then chuckled softly.

She exited the video, licking her lips with a smirk. “From a God’s-eye view, I seem so cold-hearted. Funny, I remember my tone being quite lively and cheerful.”

Gong Mo frowned, displeased with her attitude, but said nothing.

Xiang Ge walked out of the bathroom, wrapped in the towel, and began changing clothes by the bed. Her voice betrayed no change. “So, will I get mobbed with insults at the set today?”

Gong Mo watched her toss the towel onto the bed and pick up her underwear, standing naked with her back to her. She sighed in frustration. “The video was shot from behind you. The corridor camera didn’t capture anyone, but the footage shakes, suggesting someone might have been standing in a blind spot. Did you notice anyone behind you at the time?”

Xiang Ge had already put on her underwear and was buttoning her shirt. Her hands paused momentarily at the question.

After a few seconds, she lowered her head again and continued buttoning the rest. “No,” she said indifferently. “There was no one.”