Chapter 90: An Unusual Day

After sorting out Zhu Xueshuang and Liu Yujia, Chu Luoxi felt entirely at ease and could watch the filming in peace. Now and then she even traded a few words with Li Shuangmu, prompting many who knew nothing of the inside story to cast her strange looks.

The one who became fixated on her, however, was Wei Chihao, who had taken a fair share of torment under the camera’s eye. Whenever filming paused, he would crouch beside Chu Luoxi and radiate an almost overpowering charm, endlessly saying things like, “Why, why? Just tell me. Tell me too...” which left Chu Luoxi both amused and helpless.

“I already told you. Xiaoxue did it on her own ability. It has nothing to do with me,” Chu Luoxi said calmly, never once believing she had any credit in the matter. Wei Chihao had come to the wrong person for guidance.

“How is that possible?” Wei Chihao wore a look of wounded grievance, utterly unconvinced. “After Xiao Zhu talked with you, she changed completely. You must have given her some secret weapon. At least give me a few pointers too. We’re all doing this for the drama, aren’t we...”

If not for the more than twenty years she had lived before, Chu Luoxi would surely have found him irritating and detestable. Forget that she had already explained everything clearly; even if she truly did possess some hidden trump card or experience, they were not close enough to warrant her sharing it. And yet he kept pressing and pressing—wasn’t that enough to make people dislike him?

But the Chu Luoxi of now was not easily angered. Besides, she could tell that Wei Chihao was genuinely anxious, and that there was no sign of annoyance on her face, which was why he kept pestering her.

So much of the world now moved at the pace of fast food: when something was hot, it could burn brightly, but in the blink of an eye it could also be forgotten just as fast. For idols and stars, it was even more so, with entertainment companies churning them out in batches and a whole line of trainees waiting in reserve. In truth, it was the same old story: if you did not advance, you retreated.

People like Wei Chihao at least had self-awareness and a sense of crisis, so naturally he wanted to learn as much as he could in order to stay prepared for the long haul. It was just that his attitude was somewhat off. Did he really think Zhu Xueshuang had become a master from beginner to genius in merely two or three sentences? That was pure fantasy.

Chu Luoxi pressed her lips together and glanced at him coolly. “You came through training yourself, didn’t you? Surely you don’t think success comes overnight in this world? Xiaoxue used to be lacking because she simply hadn’t found the right method, but that doesn’t erase her own ability. Her foundation over the years was never poor. What exactly are you expecting? To become a top star in one step?”

Sigh—she had apparently become something of an old soul herself, unable to help sighing and complaining whenever she saw “young people” being so impatient and so lacking in steadiness. She even felt a faint urge to lecture them. How troubling.

“Are you saying that’s true?” Wei Chihao widened his eyes, finally ceasing his unreasonable pestering.

“Of course it’s true. In class, Xiaoxue’s grades were always among the best. This was her first time acting, so she simply hadn’t found the right way to do it. Some things are fake, and fake will always be fake. To expect to leap from nothing to brilliance in acting—do you really think that’s possible?” Chu Luoxi shot him a contemptuous look, finding his idea far too magical. The so-called secret manuals and miraculous scriptures were things that existed only on television. What kind of divine artifact was he imagining? Did he think this was some fantasy game?

Because Zhu Xueshuang and Liu Yujia had both finally grasped the key, the filming workload suddenly grew heavier. Although the two of them were working more efficiently now, they still had to make up for the progress that had been delayed earlier. Seeing that Li Shuangmu was preparing to work through the night, and with nothing else to do, Chu Luoxi simply went home alone.

What made Chu Luoxi feel that day was unusual, however, was that halfway back she actually received a call from Wang Yanan—quite possibly the first time in history.

Since they had been roommates, she did know her number. It was just that Chu Luoxi had never before heard Wang Yanan speak in such a fawning, ingratiating tone, and the result was goose bumps rising all over her body.

In her previous life, the two of them had quarreled all the way to the end; if they were not enemies, they were close enough to be. After graduation they were the type who would never cross paths again for the rest of their lives. Yet now she was being flattered by such a person. Even after being reborn, Chu Luoxi could not quite bear it; she felt uncomfortable all over.

Of course, in such a situation there was nothing much to say. When asked when she would return to the dormitory, Chu Luoxi became highly alert and evaded the question with deliberate vagueness.

What a joke—would Wang Yanan ever be so kind as to ask when she was coming back? There had to be some hidden scheme, some open or covert plan. Besides, with no one else left in the dorm, even without Zhu Xueshuang’s warning, she had no desire to be alone with Wang Yanan.

A person whose thoughts and world were so utterly deranged was not someone a normal human being like her could deal with. Better not go looking for trouble.

Thinking it over, Chu Luoxi became even more certain that she would not return to the dorm. She did not yet know whether Wang Yanan, after everything that had happened, had become even more formidable. She had no intention of testing that herself...

Unable to adapt at all to some woman’s sudden gentleness and delicate, softspoken air, Chu Luoxi quickly shoved the terrifying scene to the back of her mind. After some thought, she decided to ask Ji Yanjin to treat her to a meal as a kind of cure. After all, he still owed her a lavish dinner.

They arranged a place to meet, and Chu Luoxi took a taxi there. The moment she pushed open the private room door, she heard Ji Yanjin’s low grumbling.

“I say, isn’t this meal a little too long overdue? Nearly two months have gone by before you finally remembered eating. Tsk, tsk, what a busy person you are. If I hadn’t had the time, wouldn’t you say I was the one breaking my word...”

And on and on he went, leaving Chu Luoxi instantly black-lined. Why did this man seem to be drifting toward the same direction as Leng Da Ji? Could it be that he had been too idle lately? But as a singer, he ought to have plenty of commercial performances, didn’t he? Where on earth was all this leisure coming from? If everyone in the entertainment industry loafed around like Ji Yanjin, would those entertainment companies still have any reason to stay open?

“If you didn’t have time, I wouldn’t think you were breaking your word,” Chu Luoxi said, seemingly praising him. Before Ji Yanjin’s smile could fully bloom, she went on, “I’d only put into action my original suggestion—to fly to Hainan for seafood and then fly back. Otherwise, how would I do justice to this meal? Even buying stocks can appreciate over time!”

Wearing an expression of utter victimhood, Chu Luoxi looked innocent and half-smiling, as if to say: go ahead, resent it all you like. Keep resenting it, and soon this won’t be something that can be settled with just one meal.

Strangely enough, Ji Yanjin completely understood what she meant. His mouth opened, but in the end he could not bring himself to say, “Then what about stocks that lost money?” He decided it was better to be wise and stop fixating on it. Knowing when to act was what made a true talent.

“Ha ha, here’s the menu. Order whatever you like...” Ji Yanjin immediately smiled brightly, his charm overflowing, and became downright obsequious. He firmly believed that Chu Luoxi was absolutely capable of doing exactly that. For the sake of his wallet, it was best to take the initiative.

Chu Luoxi was not courteous in the slightest. She glanced at the waiter, whose expression was twitching with suppressed laughter, and with a graceful wave of her hand ordered only the expensive dishes, not the merely suitable ones. She chose a few signature specialties first and let it go at that.