Bab 18: Gossip
"Are they filming?" Qi Jianyi asked, noticing several large cameras set up downstairs as she watched with interest.
Intrigued by Qi Jianyi's question, Ling Xi quickly rose from her seat to see what was happening. She gasped in excitement, "Whoa, they're actually filming!"
Her enthusiasm was noticeable as she had always dreamed of becoming an actress, but her position as the daughter of the Ling family had made that aspiration impossible.
Qiao Ning observed the activity below and pointed toward a figure behind the camera. "Oh, isn't that the actress Xia Ning?" she said, indicating the person holding a stack of papers that Qi Jianyi assumed were scripts.
Qi Jianyi chuckled, surprised to find herself encountering the female lead. It seemed as if fate had a sense of irony, always reminding her of her own situation as whenever she tried to escape it.
"Xia Ning? Who is she?" Ling Xi asked, puzzled.
Wang Zu Rui rolled her eyes at Ling Xi's confusion and glanced at Qi Jianyi before answering, "Do you remember the woman who had that fight with Xu Mei at Young Master He's birthday party? That's Xia Ning."
Ling Xi's eyes widened in shock as she covered her mouth with her hands. "The woman who had the courage to actually pull Xu Mei's hair is just an actress?"
"Not to mention that she's just a lowly actress," Qiao Ning added with a hint of disdain.
"Do you know what drama they're working on?" Qi Jianyi interrupted, glancing at one of the female staff members.
The staff member stiffened under Qi Jianyi's gaze before responding, "I-I heard it's an adaptation of a popular novel."
Qi Jianyi nodded and said nothing further, her gaze fixed on the female lead. She was curious to see how the legendary actress would perform in real life, especially since the novel depicted her as someone capable of truly embodying the character.
As someone who used to be a well known writer with a very popular novel to her name back in her real world, Qi Jianyi had encountered many actors and actresses who struggled to bring her characters to life.
From her perspective, a beloved novel should remain untouched and never be adapted. This belief had become a principle for her, regardless of how enticing the offers from producers might be.
She had allowed one of her novels to be adapted once, only to see it butchered in the process. The eighteen year old Qi Jianyi was deeply frustrated by the experience and chose to take a break from writing.
Back then, she was young and inexperienced, unable to assert herself effectively. As a result, she was overwhelmed and eventually became the target of public criticism and backlash.
That novel had been her last work under her name. Young and immature at the time, Qi Jianyi was deeply scarred by the experience.
After the adaptation debacle, she withdrew from the industry, choosing to focus on her personal life instead.
Despite the persistent questions and pleas from her loyal readers, Qi Jianyi remained silent and disengaged. She immersed herself in reading countless novels from various authors, seeking to fill the void left in her heart and find solace in the stories of others.
As Qi Jianyi recalled the unwanted memories, her interest in the crew waned. She took a sip of her drink and slouched into her seat, her expression one of disinterest.
"Don't you want to watch them?" Ling Xi asked eagerly. If she could, she would have gone downstairs to observe the filming up close.
"Well, they're still in the preparation stage. It's pretty boring to watch," Qi Jianyi replied, her gaze drifting up to the ceiling in a daze.
After a moment, she turned to Ling Xi and asked, "Don't you have anything interesting to talk about?" She gently pulled Ling Xi's attention away from the filming crew.
Qi Jianyi knew well about Ling Xi's ambitions, but she felt powerless to assist or encourage her.
Ling Xi's family, being prominent and influential, had high expectations. Any misstep could tarnish their reputation, and entering the entertainment industry might only jeopardise it further.
"What do you want to know? I don't really have any interesting gossip lately," Ling Xi replied with a shrug, sitting down beside Qi Jianyi.
Mimicking her friend's posture, Ling Xi gazed up at the ceiling, curious about what Qi Jianyi might want to discuss.
"I don't know. Just tell me anything," Qi Jianyi said, shaking her head and taking another sip of her drink. Her face was flushed, but her eyes remained clear and unaffected.
"You won't get drunk, will you? I'm not sure what excuse I'd come up with to explain to your mother later," Ling Xi said with concern. Mrs. Qi could be quite intimidating, especially when it came to her only daughter.
"I won't, don't worry. Just fill me in on any recent gossip," Qi Jianyi reassured her, brushing off Ling Xi's concern.
Drunk? Qi Jianyi was confident she could handle her alcohol; she was the best drinker in her family—her real family.
"But I really don't have any," Ling Xi sighed, clinging to Qi Jianyi's arm as if she might be the one to get tipsy before they even finished their sixth drink.
Qi Jianyi, irritated by Ling Xi's clinginess, tried to distance herself but couldn't escape. She sighed in frustration.
"Err… Miss Qi, I have a bit of gossip. Would you like to hear it?" Wang Zu Rui's voice cut in, barely above a whisper. Her tone was so hesitant that Qi Jianyi almost didn't catch it.
Both Qi Jianyi and Ling Xi glanced at Wang Zu Rui, "Sure, what is it?" Qi Jianyi said nodding.
Taking this as permission, Wang Zu Rui sat down on the couch facing Qi Jianyi, leaned forward, and said, "I heard that the youngest miss of the Lu family is pregnant."
"And…?" Qi Jianyi asked, her scepticism evident, while Ling Xi gasped loudly in surprise.
"She's not married yet," Wang Zu Rui added.
"Well, getting pregnant before marriage is somewhat common these days," Qi Jianyi replied dismissively.
Ling Xi responded with a light slap to Qi Jianyi's arm. "Ouch, why did you hit me?" Qi Jianyi asked, clearly displeased.
"Fool, the youngest miss is only sixteen years old," Ling Xi explained while looking at her friend with a stupid look.
This time, it was Qi Jianyi's turn to gasp. Sixteen years old? Too young.
"Oh poor her, what happened? How could she be pregnant?" She asked, demanding to hear some sort of a pitiful backstory.
However she was destined to be disappointed, Wang Zu Rui shrugged her shoulders, "Nothing happened, she did it with her boyfriend and got pregnant. That's it."
"..." Qi Jianyi was speechless. She expected more from this teen girl.
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