Bab 27: Xia Ning and He Zeqing
Qi Jianyi's gaze remained fixed on Xia Ning. She was finally able to witness the female lead's true talent. Xia Ning, who was preparing to immerse herself in her character, was momentarily taken aback upon seeing He Zeqing.
She had heard that the sole investor in this drama was the president of Crescent Co., the eldest son of the He family.
Xia Ning had never expected to meet him here. After all, the man had avoided every event related to this new drama and had even left He Zejin's birthday party early.
Noticing Xia Ning's stunned expression, Qi Jianyi smiled and sighed. If fate had orchestrated this meeting, then so be it.
With a playful glance at He Zeqing, she said, "Cousin, you must have received countless confessions back in your school days."
He Zeqing looked at her, puzzled by the abrupt topic. "What are you trying to say?" he asked, seeking clarification.
Qi Jianyi shook her head and leaned against the wall, refusing to divulge more than necessary. He Zeqing watched his cousin for a moment, then casually dragged a chair over to where Qi Jianyi and Ling Xi were standing.
"Sit and watch," he said nonchalantly, settling into another chair nearby.
Qi Jianyi couldn't help but smile at his unexpected thoughtfulness. Who would have guessed that this cold CEO had such a considerate side?
"Ready? 1… 2… and action!" Director Lu's voice rang out, and the set sprang to life.
"I don't want to go!" Xia Ning, fully immersed in her character, began her performance.
"Why should I go there? To humiliate myself?" A touch of anger coloured her tone, revealing the frustration her character was feeling.
Another actress stepped into the spotlight. "Su Ran, you know he would never do that to you!"
Qi Jianyi watched with a bored expression, though she couldn't help but admire Xia Ning's swift transformation into her role. Still, the scene didn't captivate her—after all, Qi Jianyi had long abandoned her own career as a writer in this field.
Ling Xi, on the other hand, was riveted. She felt as though she was learning something new with each passing moment, her eyes glued to the performance.
"She acts well," Ling Xi commented softly, her voice barely more than a whisper as she leaned toward Qi Jianyi.
Nodding slightly, Qi Jianyi replied, "After all, she's a rising star."
A mischievous glint appeared in Qi Jianyi's eyes as she turned toward He Zeqing, eager to catch the male lead's reaction to his future beloved's performance. But before her gaze could find her cousin, it was unexpectedly intercepted by Song Chengfeng.
In that brief moment, Qi Jianyi flinched. She hadn't expected Young Master Song to disregard the play before them and instead fix his eyes on her for no apparent reason.
Puzzled, she wondered if something was amiss with her appearance. Subconsciously, Qi Jianyi touched her face, searching for any signs of error.
Song Chengfeng curled his lips at her reaction. Without uttering a word, he turned his attention back to the performance, leaving Qi Jianyi confused.
Meanwhile, Song Chengfeng found himself entertained by the slight frown that appeared on Qi Jianyi's face whenever her curiosity was piqued.
After a moment of stunned silence, Qi Jianyi regained her composure, though the bewilderment lingered. She narrowed her eyes slightly at Song Chengfeng but chose not to confront him.
For a brief moment, the thought that Song Chengfeng might be a pervert flashed through her mind, but she quickly dismissed it, refusing to entertain the idea any longer.
"He's a soldier, isn't he?" she muttered under her breath. A soldier should be very disciplined. There's no way he could be a pervert, Qi Jianyi reasoned with herself, trying to brush off her suspicions.
The cold and composed Young Master Song Chengfeng would never have expected that someone had quietly labeled him a pervert.
As she calmed herself from those odd thoughts, Qi Jianyi refocused her attention on her cousin. He Zeqing was watching the performance of the two actresses intently, his eyes reflecting a keen evaluation of their talent.
The habit of assessing new talent was ingrained in He Zeqing as he was a president in an entertainment company.
Noticing Qi Jianyi's gaze, He Zeqing turned to her. Raising an eyebrow, he asked, "What's wrong? Is it boring?"
Qi Jianyi shook her head and remained silent. From He Zeqing's indifferent expression, it seemed he wasn't particularly impressed with Xia Ning's performance. Having learned what she wanted to know, Qi Jianyi quickly lost interest.
She continued to watch the acting with a bored look. If not because of Ling Xi, Qi Jianyi would have left the set earlier. But who made her have a friend whose dreams could not be achieved?
As if noticing the piercing gaze from Qi Jianyi, Xia Ning stuttered and caused the producer to stop filming.
"Xia Ning, are you okay?" Director Lu asked with concern as he waved to the others to take a break.
Suddenly becoming the focus of everyone in the set, Xia Ning's face turned red in embarrassment. She'd never thought she would make a stutter mistake.
But, what excuse could she say? Was it because someone's gaze was so sharp that she lost her composure for a moment? Won't it make herself look bad?
No matter what, Xia Ning couldn't reveal the true reason for her mistake. She smiled apologetically at Director Lu and said, "I'm sorry, Director Lu. I momentarily forgot the script." She admitted her lapse with a touch of embarrassment.
Director Lu smiled kindly and waved off her apologies. "Nonsense, there's no need to apologise. It's fine. Let's take a five-minute break." He gestured for the others to assist Xia Ning in resting before turning his attention to He Zeqing.
"Young Master He, we're taking a break for a while. Would you like some coffee?" Director Lu asked, clearly making an effort to please He Zeqing.
He Zeqing shook his head, declining Director Lu's offer. He then turned to Ling Xi and Qi Jianyi. "Shall we go have lunch?"
Finally hearing the words she had been waiting for, Qi Jianyi quickly nodded, cutting off Ling Xi, who was about to decline. "Sure, I'm starving. Let's go, cousin."
Qi Jianyi hooked her arm around Ling Xi's and pulled her away from the set, leaving He Zeqing and Song Chengfeng behind.
Watching his cousin practically flee the scene, He Zeqing was puzzled. He bid farewell to Director Lu and followed after Qi Jianyi, with Song Chengfeng in tow.
He Zeqing's willingness to go along with Qi Jianyi's request led many onset to believe he indulged his cousin, inadvertently painting him as a romantic figure who would cherish his loved ones wholeheartedly. Even Xia Ning was drawn into this speculation.
People's imaginations run wild, and a single brief interaction had led to widespread assumptions about He Zeqing's close relationship with Qi Jianyi. This unintended attention put Qi Jianyi in the spotlight, contrary to her desire for privacy.
In the future, more women would approach Qi Jianyi in hopes of winning the favour of Young Master He.
Unfortunately for them, their efforts would be in vain, as Qi Jianyi would soon complain to her cousin, unwittingly leading him to form a negative impression of those women.
However, those events were still to come, and Qi Jianyi had no inkling of what awaited her in the future.
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