Song Xi thought Lou Yuming would contact her.
But two days passed, and besides that like, there was nothing else.
She really couldn't guess his thoughts, yet she wanted to probe.
Adults often don't act directly; they test.
So, every day after that, Song Xi would take selfies in dresses of different colors.
But she didn't pose, so each time it was the same angle, making it seem like a dress-up game.
Ge Baitao teased her as "Miracle Xi Xi," and Lu Chenyu would like her posts when he wasn't busy.
As for Lou Yuming, strangely, he liked every post but never said a word, which left Song Xi utterly perplexed.
Even Ge Baitao noticed and asked her, "Xi Xi, isn't that black avatar Uncle Lou? When did you two get in touch? Why didn't you tell me?"
"We're not in touch."
The crew called for her.
Song Xi sighed and put her phone in her bag.
They say a woman's mind is as deep as the ocean, but why did she find men more complicated than women when they acted up?
She shook her head, clearing her mind, and focused on the day's scenes.
Today's scenes were complicated: the supporting female character frames the female lead but ends up being slapped and falling into the river.
The weather was getting chilly, dropping to single digits. It would be best to get it right in one take, but ever since her spat with Jin Ying, the latter had been targeting her from time to time. Today, it would likely be no exception.
Song Xi was prepared for multiple dunks.
As expected, after over ten takes, Jin Ying still wasn't letting up.
Song Xi was shakily pulled out of the water by a crew member.
The director looked at Song Xi, but his words were directed at Jin Ying: "That's enough, any more and we'll fall behind schedule!"
Jin Ying snorted and walked away, her skirt trailing.
Song Xi's face was pale, and she sat shivering on a chair, waiting for the stylist to dry her dress.
"Oh… Song Xi, why do you have so many little red spots on your back?"
Song Xi was too embarrassed to admit it was due to the rough costumes, so she said, "Maybe it's because of the season change. It's fine, it'll be better in a few days."
After the director's reprimand, the subsequent filming went much smoother.
There were still two night scenes to shoot today, but during lunch, Song Xi suddenly received a call from Qian Xiaoyu.
Her expression turned cold, and she hung up directly.
A few minutes later, the ringtone sounded again, this time from Song Qiang's number.
Song Xi finished her last bite of rice, thrust her chopsticks into the foam lunchbox with a "chua" sound, then stood up and walked to a corner to answer.
"How dare you hang up on me! You little bastard!"
Song Qiang's vocabulary was limited to a few insults, and Song Xi was tired of hearing them.
"Uncle, just say what you want. If you're calling for money, I don't have any." She still called him uncle out of respect for her parents.
Hearing this, Song Qiang became enraged: "What's your attitude!"
Qian Xiaoyu tried to calm him down. Song Qiang, holding his breath, his temper softened when he thought of money: "Alright, I don't have time to argue with you. Send ten thousand yuan over quickly!"
Song Xi refused outright: "No!"
Qian Xiaoyu snatched the phone: "No what! Don't play dumb. That guy last time looked rich. You've got such a rich boyfriend, can you really not afford ten thousand yuan?"
Song Xi sneered: "You guys came to smash my things, made a big scene, and now you want me to give you money? Do you think that's possible?"
Song Qiang cut in: "Your parents died early, it's my duty to discipline you! If you were obedient and sensible and gave me the money sooner, why would I hit you!"
So, in the end, it was still her fault.
Song Xi had nothing more to say. She simply said, "No money, take my life if you want," and hung up.
She closed her eyes in frustration and turned around, only to see Qin Feng, the male lead, standing behind her. He must have heard everything she said.
Song Xi was startled but not particularly embarrassed. Everyone has their own burdens. They had no connection, so he shouldn't be gossipy.
She offered a brief greeting and was about to leave when Qin Feng suddenly called out to her.
"Wait."
He walked closer, took out his phone, and smiled gently: "We haven't added WeChat yet, have we?"
Song Xi initially wanted to politely refuse, but considering they'd see each other often in the future, she agreed.
The next second, he suddenly transferred fifty thousand yuan.
"I thought I heard you mention money just now. If you're short, tell me. We're in the same crew, we should help each other out."
Song Xi was stunned: "...No need."
"Why are you being so polite?" He took a step forward and subtly slipped a room card into her hand. "As an elder in this circle, it's my duty to take care of you. Let's meet at midnight. Don't be late."
Not far away, Jin Ying's assistant happened to witness this scene and took out her phone, snapping photos of the two.
After returning to her dressing room, Song Xi broke the room card and threw it into the trash. She then posted on her Moments: This circle is really messy.
A few seconds later, she felt it was too direct and deleted it.
Filming ended at eleven-thirty.
Exhausted, Song Xi returned to Haiyue Mountain Villa. As soon as she opened the door, she received a WeChat message.
Qin Feng: Don't forget [Grinning face]
Song Xi clicked her tongue in disdain, her idealized image of him as a literary youth shattering once again.
She fumbled in the dark to turn on the lights when suddenly, her wrist was grabbed.
With a "bang," she was pinned against the wall, her phone falling onto the sofa.
Their bodies pressed tightly together, the man loomed over her, and a breath of air caressed her ear.
"What are you thinking about? Watch where you're going."