Compared to the morning’s dullness and professionalism, the afternoon script reading was clearly much more interesting.
Because there was an added Qi Ke.
“Director, I have a question.” Qi ‘Acting Novice’ Ke raised her hand high again, like a top student eagerly speaking up in an elementary school classroom, although the question she asked made people want to kick her away. “Don’t you think it’s strange for the villainess to target the female lead? What’s her motive? Even if she loves the male lead, she wouldn’t do this, right?”
The director: “…Because she’s malicious?”
Qi Ke was clearly dissatisfied with this answer. She hesitantly lowered her hand, and in her peripheral vision, she saw Song Yushi about to fall off her chair. She quickly reached out and pulled her back. “Why aren’t you sitting properly in your chair?”
She completely failed to see that Song Yushi was simply trying to draw a clear line between them.
Song Yushi helplessly sat up straight, picked up the script to cover half her face. Her voice was muffled behind the thick paper, looking like she had something to say to Qi Ke.
Qi Ke happily leaned over.
Song Yushi: “Shut up.”
Qi Ke: “?”
A look of disappointment.
Song Yushi: “…”
She couldn’t be expecting praise, could she?
Qi Ke, not getting any affirmation, frowned and flipped through her script, absentmindedly lost in thought. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck her. She let out an “Ah,” and said, “I know.”
Everyone’s gaze turned to her.
Song Yushi had a bad feeling.
Sure enough, Qi Ke clapped her hands lightly. “I knew this plot seemed familiar. The villainess bullying the female lead, isn’t that just like a little punk in school who deliberately bullies the girl he likes to get her attention? The villainess doesn’t actually like the male lead, she just wants to get the female lead’s attention!”
Everyone: “…”
Are we not reading the same script? Isn’t this supposed to be a fucking romance novel? What’s with this yuri development!!!
Everyone’s gazes swished from Qi Ke to the screenwriter.
Screenwriter: “…………”
I’d fucking like to know what’s going on too!!!
Seeing that no one was speaking, Qi Ke tugged at the corners of her mouth. Then she heard Song Yushi, who was next to her, suddenly ask, “Are you doing this on purpose?”
Qi Ke winked at her. “The male lead is too stupid. I don’t want to like him.”
Song Yushi: “It’s the villainess who likes him, not you.”
Qi Ke: “But it feels disgusting for me to act it out.” A trace of longing flashed in her clear eyes. “Isn’t a yandere villainess good? If I can’t have you, I’ll try to destroy your love, sink into darkness, and never want to see the light again.”
Song Yushi: “…Why?”
Qi Ke said as if it were obvious, “Because you and the male lead are in the light. Out of sight, out of mind.”
Song Yushi: “…”
Qi Ke asked, “What do you think?”
Song Yushi didn’t want to lie. After a moment of silence, she reluctantly said, “It’s indeed a bit better than the original, although it’s still melodramatic.”
“A different kind of melodrama is very exciting,” Qi Ke said smugly.
The others who had been eavesdropping from the side: “………………”
Teacher Qi, it’s truly a great loss to the creative world that you’re not a screenwriter!!!
Qi Ke’s sudden new idea opened a door to a new world for everyone, and in the blink of an eye, the direction of the script reading became strange.
The actor playing the male lead was seen tapping his script, his face animated as he spoke passionately, “For example, here, when the villainess deliberately barges in on the male and female leads’ date, she actually wants to see the female lead. She corners the female lead in the bathroom, not to hit her, but because it’s been too long and she wants to get a good look at her!”
Song Yushi: “?”
Qi Ke also: “…”
I’ve never seen someone so eager to be cuckolded!
A moment later, the male lead walked over and enthusiastically patted Qi Ke’s shoulder. “Teacher Qi, you’re really amazing. The audience will never guess this kind of plot twist.”
Qi Ke chuckled dryly. After all, this was her love rival.
“And your CP fans will be blessed,” the male lead added.
This was a development Qi Ke and Song Yushi hadn’t expected. They exchanged a look. Song Yushi’s surprise was hidden deep in her pupils, but Qi Ke showed hers without reservation. Her voice rose, “Is it really okay for you to ship us right in front of our faces?”
The male lead panicked for a second. “Huh? Is that not okay? I didn’t.”
Qi Ke: “?”
Male lead: “You’re the ones shipping yourselves in front of me.”
Qi Ke & Song Yushi: “…”
So it’s their fault now?
Qi Ke glanced at Song Yushi, her eyes conveying a message: “I told you the male lead is stupid.”
Song Yushi shot her a glare. “…He’s not stupid in the script.”
Qi Ke: “…”
The male lead was still chattering happily beside them. “To be honest, since I entered the industry, I’ve shipped countless CPs. They’re all artificial sweeteners. It’s fine to ship them casually, but you can’t get emotionally invested. Only you two are like a piece of glass candy, so sweet it’s sad.”
Qi Ke: “…” Zang’ai family, he must be from the Zang’ai family!
Song Yushi: “…We don’t need you to be too emotionally invested either.”
The words had just left her mouth when her hand, which was under the table, was suddenly grabbed. Song Yushi was about to pull away when she saw Qi Ke turn back, smiling and squeezing out a sentence through her teeth: “We’re a business CP, can you not drive away the fans?”
Not professional when she should be, but more serious than anyone where she shouldn’t be.
Song Yushi didn’t say anything. Afraid the male lead would notice, she didn’t forcefully pull her hand away.
She flipped through the script on the table with one hand, using a blue highlighter to mark her lines. She read the lines over and over, the sound of Qi Ke and the male lead’s conversation fading in and out in her ears.
Just then, the lights in the conference room flickered slightly, and someone gasped.
Taking advantage of this brief moment, Song Yushi lowered her eyes to look at her hand held by Qi Ke’s, and couldn’t help but get lost in thought.
Qi Ke’s hand is quite soft, she thought.
The meeting continued until three in the afternoon, when the director announced a temporary break. Then he excitedly pulled the screenwriting team away for a small meeting.
Both Qi Ke and Song Yushi had rushed over from other schedules. They took this opportunity to rest, both laying their heads on the table to catch up on sleep.
As Song Yushi closed her eyes, she felt there was something she hadn’t done, but for the life of her, she couldn’t remember what it was. In a half-dreaming, half-awake state, she heard someone pass behind her, accompanied by a surprised exclamation—
“Teacher Qi and Teacher Song have such a good relationship, they’re even holding hands while sleeping!”
…She had forgotten about that.
Qi Ke had clearly woken up too. She squeezed Song Yushi’s hand, telling her not to move and to keep pretending to be asleep, otherwise it would be awkward.
Everyone else thought the two of them were asleep, so their whispered discussions became a bit bolder, drifting through the air and straight into their ears, making it impossible not to listen.
“They all say girl groups are full of open and secret struggles, but their relationship is actually very good!”
“Aren’t their fans fighting recently? You tear into me, I tear into you, while our idols sleep together.”
“And holding hands.”
“Tsk tsk tsk. The world is going downhill.”
“I’m dying from shipping this.”
Qi Ke held back her laughter and gently squeezed Song Yushi’s hand.
This production team is so cute.
Song Yushi pulled her hand out and turned to lie down in the other direction.
This production team is so weird.
The break was supposed to be half an hour, but it was forcibly interrupted after only twenty minutes. The assistant director appeared at the door with a long face, announcing that the relevant department was free today and would be coming to go through the script, conduct a review, and give a speech, so they should prepare.
The crew, used to this, quickly tidied up the conference room. When they sat down again, Qi Ke was sitting opposite Song Yushi.
Qi Ke rested her chin on her hand, still showing a bit of grogginess from just waking up. She smiled lazily at Song Yushi from across the table. “It’s snowing so hard. Want to have a snowball fight after this is over?”
Song Yushi shook her head, refusing.
Their group, Sweet Day, had had snowball fights before. On the rooftop of their apartment building, they split into two teams. Song Yushi watched as the referee, witnessing Qi Ke and Chengzhi bury Zhong Yi and Meng Ying in a snowdrift. Their screams shot straight to the heavens, the kind that would get them cursed into their next lives if their fans heard.
In the end, Qi Ke had mischievously chased the referee, cornering Song Yushi and, under the cover of the swirling snow, exchanged a snow-flavored kiss with her.
For Song Yushi, heavy snow was associated with kissing. Oh, and with her teammates’ screams.
Qi Ke was about to try persuading her again when she heard the door being pushed open, and the director brought some people in. There were two visitors; one sat down to read the script, and the other began to give a speech.
It was already a drowsy afternoon, and the sleepiness that even the aroma of coffee filling the room couldn’t dispel grew stronger amidst the monotonous official speech.
Song Yushi was so sleepy she could barely keep her eyes open. Her consciousness gradually blurred as if through a thin film, and the speech in her ears faded away. Just then, her hand on the table was suddenly touched by something. Song Yushi’s eyes snapped open. After staring blankly for a moment, she lowered her gaze—
A paper wad lay quietly beside her hand.
Song Yushi frowned and looked up.
Qi Ke was sitting opposite her, pretending to listen attentively to the speech, nodding from time to time in affirmation.
Pretentious. Song Yushi complained silently in her heart.
She reached out and picked up the paper wad. Holding down a corner with her long fingers, she patiently unfolded the messily crumpled paper.
【Snowball fight!】
Qi Ke’s handwriting was elegant and beautiful.
Song Yushi clicked her ballpoint pen. The tip roamed over the wrinkled paper, finally finding a blank space, and she wrote: Not going.
She crumpled the note into a ball and threw it back.
Two minutes later, Qi Ke threw another crumpled note.
Qi Ke: It’s a real shame not to have a snowball fight in such great snow. Let’s get the male lead, the two of us against him.
Song Yushi: “…” A little tempted.
Song Yushi: Not going.
Qi Ke: Fine then. What’s for dinner tonight?
Song Yushi: …Are we eating together?
Qi Ke: Yup.
Song Yushi: …
Qi Ke: Don’t reply to me with an ellipsis!
Song Yushi: Oh.
Qi Ke: …
Song Yushi: Don’t reply to me with an ellipsis.
Qi Ke: “…”
Using what you just learned, are we!!!
The notes went back and forth right under everyone’s noses. Song Yushi felt the thrill of secretly passing notes in class. Even though they were talking about nothing of substance, she was willing to be a little rebellious with Qi Ke.
Qi Ke always had that kind of magic.
She was flamboyant, unrestrained, and possessed a free spirit that everyone envied.
The two of them were like high school girls in a classroom, enjoying their rebellion, when the official who had finished reading the script looked up and saw their little movements. At that moment, Qi Ke had just finished writing a new note and was about to throw it.
Qi Ke: “…”
Uh, can you not disturb people who are trying to have a romance?
The official was clearly used to being in charge. He quietly told Qi Ke to hand over the note. Qi Ke wasn’t a real high school student, so of course, she refused. In the ensuing tug-of-war, the note was torn in half.
The official froze for a second. He glanced at the note and asked, “…Who is this for?”
Song Yushi, being very loyal, spoke up, “Me. It’s for me.”
The staff member’s eyes widened slightly. He looked at Song Yushi, then at Qi Ke, his expression hard to describe. Qi Ke was puzzled. She looked down at the remaining half of the note in her hand. There was only one character left on it: 的 (de).
But what the official saw was: mua
Qi Ke: “……………”
She could already imagine the trending topics.
#QiKeSongYushiPassNotesAtScriptReading#
#QiKeSongYushi mua#
#mua#
Song Yushi still didn’t know what was written on the note and, like everyone else, looked completely bewildered.
They saw the official’s face turn from ashen to pale, then from pale to red, as if he had reached his limit. He blurted out, “Didn’t you two go from love to hate, turning against each other out of resentment!!”
Why would you still be ‘mua’-ing!!!
Song Yushi: “?”
Others: “Holy shit, is there gossip?”
Qi Ke: “…………”
Don’t just believe any random bullshit gossip you find online!!!
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