The workload for this business trip wasn’t heavy; “light” might even be an appropriate description. On Wednesday, after returning to the hotel from Song Qin’s studio, Chi Shuo and her team had lunch and then went back to their respective rooms for a nap.
Of course, it was only the Xinyue team who felt the workload was light. It wasn’t until close to evening that Chi Shuo heard the sound of the door code being entered, indicating her temporary roommates had returned.
He Lindi and Cui Mi entered, dragging their weary bodies. The door closed with a “bang.” Chi Shuo blinked and looked away.
Cui Mi placed her equipment on a nearby cabinet. While changing her shoes, she looked at Chi Shuo and asked, “Chi Shuo, how long have you been back?”
Chi Shuo chuckled. “Only… five or six hours?”
He Lindi gently placed her camera aside, not sparing Chi Shuo a glance. She changed out of her high heels and went into the bathroom.
Cui Mi collapsed onto the bed, closing her eyes, exhaustion evident on her face.
Chi Shuo asked curiously, “Are you done filming for today?”
Interviews, if the artist cooperated well, could wrap up quickly, but filming a video was different. There could be multiple unforeseen issues.
“Not yet. Halfway through the work, He…”
Just as Cui Mi was about to continue, He Lindi opened the bathroom door a crack and called out, “Cui Mi, your turn.”
Cui Mi replied, “Coming.” She turned back to Chi Shuo, smiled slightly, and said, “It’s nothing. We’ll probably continue filming tomorrow.”
She entered the bathroom, and He Lindi emerged.
Chi Shuo looked away, returning her attention to her phone. She was currently looking at a Beijing travel guide; after all, she had nothing planned for tomorrow.
A slight noise came from nearby. Chi Shuo glanced over and saw He Lindi collapse onto the bed, her lower legs still dangling over the edge.
Chi Shuo pursed her lips, then said casually, “I received the autograph.”
“Mm.” He Lindi’s voice lacked energy and was a bit hoarse, likely from exhaustion.
Chi Shuo lowered her lashes and stated her purpose. “But…”
She hesitated, considering how to phrase her next words. Her hesitant tone prompted He Lindi to ask, “But what?”
Chi Shuo gritted her teeth and continued, “I’m Shen Qu’s anti-fan.”
The implication was clear: she didn’t want the autograph, but saying it directly wasn’t her style.
After all, it was a “gift,” even if… it was given as compensation for helping He Lindi.
He Lindi was silent for two seconds, then said, “Then give it to someone else.” She burrowed further into the bed, pulling the blanket over herself. “I’m going to sleep for a bit.”
Chi Shuo didn’t reply. For a moment, the only sound in the room was the water hitting the bathroom floor from the shower.
After two minutes, Cui Mi came out of the bathroom. She made quite a bit of noise opening the door, then turned and, seeing He Lindi asleep, immediately put on an apologetic expression.
She tiptoed over to her own bed, glanced at He Lindi again, and asked Chi Shuo softly, “Is she asleep?”
Chi Shuo turned to look in He Lindi’s direction, nodded, and hummed in agreement, lowering her phone’s brightness slightly.
Cui Mi pulled back the covers and lay down. “I’m also going to sleep for a bit.”
“Okay,” Chi Shuo replied softly.
She had napped for two hours in the afternoon and was now fully energized. She sat there for a while longer, then quietly picked up her power bank and charging cable and left the room.
The sky outside had darkened, and it was dinner time. Xiao Cheng had messaged her, telling them to meet in the lobby downstairs for dinner, but since her two temporary roommates were fast asleep with no signs of waking up, Chi Shuo decided to go down alone.
Besides He Lindi and Cui Mi, not everyone else had arrived either. Only one person from Xiyu was there. There were currently only five of them, with Chi Shuo being the sole female.
“Chi Shuo, could you get takeout for them after we eat?” While still on their way to the restaurant, the Xiyu employee asked Chi Shuo.
Before Chi Shuo could reply, Xiao Cheng answered for her, “A Zhi, if Teacher He and Cui Mi wake up later, just let them come down. It’s a rare business trip to Beijing, they should get out and about.”
A Zhi frowned. “What if they don’t wake up?” He continued, “Especially Teacher He. The filming location today was outdoors. We set up a temporary canopy. She was busy with you guys at first, but after arriving there, she wasn’t satisfied with the setup and did a lot of adjustments herself. Then she filmed Song Qin for a long time. By the time we left, she was already feeling unwell.”
Chi Shuo was surprised but didn’t say anything.
A Zhi sighed and continued spilling the tea, “On the way back, Teacher He’s lips were already dry. We bought her some medicine when we passed by a pharmacy.” He then looked at Chi Shuo, his expression earnest. “Chi Shuo, we eat quickly. Could you please help us bring some food back for them? They were really tired today.”
Chi Shuo nodded slightly and entered the restaurant with them.
In a little over half an hour, they were done eating and had ordered three dishes to go. The food was already packed when they left.
Xiao Cheng, A Zhi, and the other guys carried the takeout bags. When they reached the hotel, they handed them over to Chi Shuo and Cui Mi, who had now woken up.
Cui Mi closed the door and whispered, “Teacher He is still asleep.”
Chi Shuo placed the bags on the coffee table, glanced in He Lindi’s direction, and hummed softly. “Then you eat first.”
Cui Mi shook her head. She walked over to He Lindi’s bed, bent down slightly, and patted He Lindi’s shoulder. “Teacher He, wake up for dinner.” She added, “You need to eat before taking your medicine.”
Chi Shuo pulled a chair over to the window and sat down, but her attention remained on what was happening behind her.
After two seconds, she heard the rustling of blankets against the bed and He Lindi’s increasingly hoarse voice: “Is there any water?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll pour you some.”
Even without looking, Chi Shuo could guess that He Lindi wasn’t fully awake because she asked about her, “Where’s Chi Shuo?”
Chi Shuo tugged slightly at the curtain, indicating her presence.
Hearing the sound, He Lindi turned her head. Perhaps due to the heatstroke or cold, she looked somewhat distressed, her eyes immediately welling up.
Her mind still foggy, she looked at Chi Shuo’s back and parted her pale lips, her voice hoarse. “Chi Shuo, who are you giving Shen Qu’s autograph to?” She then lowered her head slightly and mumbled, “If you don’t want it, give it back to me.”
Cui Mi, pouring warm water into a glass nearby, felt a shiver run down her spine upon hearing He Lindi’s words.
What the hell kind of dramatic scene was she witnessing?
