CHAPTER 40

Assistant Gao sat in the car, waiting for a few minutes.

The two stood by the lake, under the cherry blossom tree, not speaking, just standing there. Both were tall figures. Her boss was half a head taller than the girl next to her, and there didn't seem to be a significant age difference. Their temperaments were also quite different.

Like a forest at the top of a deserted mountain, shrouded in the deep winter's silent cold.

Like a garden in full bloom on a rainy morning, swaying with the enticing vitality of spring.

There was an indescribable sense of harmony and comfort.

"Stand a bit closer," Assistant Gao murmured quietly. "Aren't you going to say anything? Ugh, these two..."

She originally wanted to wait a bit longer to give them more time alone, but her boss had already spotted her.

As the car passed by, Wei Zhuang walked ahead, leaving Xiaoyuan a step behind. Their movements were harmonious, and from Assistant Gao's perspective, Xiaoyuan's skirt fluttered in the breeze, brushing against Wei Zhuang in a way that felt both close and distant.

'Oh, if only these two could hold hands!'

Assistant Gao didn't quite understand why, but just seeing the two of them together felt so interesting to her. Even without talking, someone like her could sense the magnetic attraction between them.

Just like now, they were sharing the same car cabin.

Wei Zhuang sat in the back seat.

Xiaoyuan sat in the long row seat beside, while Assistant Gao sat directly across from her.

Wei Zhuang said, "Let's go to her place."

The car started moving.

A sense of confusion crossed Assistant Gao's mind as she heard Xiaoyuan say, "I have filming tomorrow, and... it's also the fan visit day."

After each had spoken a sentence, there was silence. Assistant Gao glanced at Xiaoyuan and then at her boss, her mind racing with possibilities:

'I thought the boss was going to Xiaoyuan's place, turns out... oh, was the boss turned down?'

Assistant Gao sensed that the atmosphere was a bit awkward. Her eyes kept darting to Wei Zhuang, whose expression was rather cold. With her years of experience, she couldn't quite determine if Wei Zhuang was unhappy or if she even cared...

The way these two interacted was truly interesting. As an assistant, her role was to fuel the fire. That's what she thought, while deep down she thought:

'I'm really too nosy, haha, but I just can't help myself!'

Assistant Gao cleared her throat. "Tomorrow is Saturday, Miss Xiang, are you busy?"

Xiaoyuan replied with a "mm" and looked over. "Yes."

Assistant Gao feigned surprise in her expression. "Don't you have any time to rest?"

"I have one day off per week normally," Xiaoyuan paused, "If there's no filming... I can rest." She had originally planned to take a taxi back, but being unfamiliar with the area, and if she rejected Wei Zhuang again, the consequences were too daunting to imagine.

The contract stipulated "not to force oneself," and she wasn't lying. She did indeed have scenes to shoot the next day. Moreover, moving to a new place would require adjustments, and a lack of sleep would affect her work the following day.

All these were reasons she could confidently stand by. However, for some reason, when she looked at Wei Zhuang's expression, she couldn't help but feel anxious and unsettled.

It must be because Wei Zhuang was much older than her. The mere fact of her age put pressure on her, along with her aloof, indifferent demeanor, which made it hard to discern her true emotions.

It takes more than an hour to get back home. Xiaoyuan didn't expect Wei Zhuang to be in the car as well. It was so awkward to be quiet for such a long time, making it unbearable. Even using the phone seemed inappropriate. How was she supposed to pass the time?

Fortunately, Assistant Gao spoke up, and Xiaoyuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

In her opinion, Assistant Gao was easier to get along with than Wei Zhuang, despite her overly polished and professional smile, which made it hard to gauge her true emotions.

The world of older people was really difficult to understand.

Xiaoyuan blinked. Since Wei Zhuang seemed unwilling to talk, she could pass the time by talking to Assistant Gao. "Assistant Gao, what lipstick are you wearing?"

Assistant Gao suddenly froze.

'Huh?'

"It looks very nice, what brand is it?" Xiaoyuan looked over with a smile in her eyes.

"Uh... it's Givenchy N37, I think." Assistant Gao blinked, feeling a bit confused.

"It looks really good," Xiaoyuan said, getting up and sitting next to her, using her body to shield herself from Wei Zhuang. "It looks like a wine red color."

Assistant Gao glanced towards Wei Zhuang, then turned slightly, "Hmm..."

'What is she doing? She asked the question, then moved over? Is that all she wanted to know?'

'Little one, you should be talking to my boss, are you trying to stir up trouble?'

As it turned out, she was. Xiaoyuan continued, looking at her shoes. "Wow, your shoes are nice too!"

Assistant Gao: "..."

'Alright, confirmed, you really are trying to stir up trouble!'

Whether it was Assistant Gao's misconception or not, she suddenly felt a slight ache in the muscles of her shoulder that was facing away from Wei Zhuang. She didn't want to get involved between these two, Assistant Gao smiled and said, "These shoes look good and are quite comfortable to walk in."

She stood up, pretended to take a couple of steps, and quickly sat down across from Xiaoyuan.

Xiaoyuan: "..."

The atmosphere now truly became awkward— awkward and quiet, to the point where Xiaoyuan could hear her own heartbeat.

'What to do? There's still at least half of the journey left...'

Xiaoyuan's thumbs and index fingers of both hands fidgeted with each other, her eyes staring at the back of her hands, then her knees, then her shoe tips. Her eyes felt sore, time seemed to drag on endlessly. Finally, unable to resist, she looked towards Wei Zhuang.

At that moment, Wei Zhuang happened to pull her gaze back from the window, and their eyes met in mid-air.

Xiaoyuan had always prided herself on being observant and having a keen sense of people, but she just couldn't read Wei Zhuang. Every time she encountered her, her mind would freeze and stop working, leading her to unconsciously make some not-so-smart moves.

In that moment, Xiaoyuan blurted out, "President Wei, what brand is your lipstick?"

.......

Assistant Gao immediately pressed her lips together, exerting great effort to control her facial expression. She had to appear nonchalant as an outsider, even though she was bursting with laughter inside, eagerly awaiting her boss's response.

'Oh my gosh, good thing I'm in the car. Otherwise, I wouldn't get to see this live spectacle!'

'Getting to witness President Wei's gossip is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!'

'So thrilling!'

She waited and waited, but her boss didn't say anything.

Out of the corner of her eye, Assistant Gao couldn't help but glance at the two of them.

Wei Zhuang gazed silently at Xiaoyuan, who in turn looked back at her. Their eyes met, and it felt as though, to the observer, an invisible, firm, pink-bubble-filled line could be drawn between them.

Wei Zhuang didn't respond, while Xiaoyuan turned her face away. Under the warm light, it was hard to see if her face was red, but she appeared somewhat flustered and shy.

In her fluster, she revealed her lipstick brand. "...It's Lancôme's L'Absolu Lacquer in 274. I was just curious... nothing else..."

Her voice grew quieter, eventually barely audible.

The car ride was smooth, with streetlights passing by the window, no one speaking, enveloped in silence.

Assistant Gao was unsure of what was going on in the minds of the two people. Her own thoughts were racing endlessly, unable to stop.

In reality, women's conversations often revolved around makeup, clothes, shoes, and men—mundane topics without much significance. But if there was an ambiguous undertone in asking about lipstick shades between women, the atmosphere would become even more ambiguous, with a hint of suggestive excitement.

This dynamic typically existed only between two women, a gay person wouldn't ask about lipstick colors.

Was Xiaoyuan being intentional or just innocent in her inquiry?

And did President Wei even take it in or not?

Assistant Gao had to forcefully suppress the corners of her mouth from rising to avoid bursting out laughing.

.......

"Oh, Brother Zhishi, it's still early, I'm not asleep yet." Cai Juan spoke over the phone with Zhishi, "How are things going in Pengcheng? How's Auntie's health?"

"She recovered well after the last surgery, but she has her old ailments," Xiang Zhi Shi sighed lightly. "Sometimes she remembers me, sometimes she doesn't."

Cai Juan hesitated, unsure whether to ask what the "old ailment" was or whether her mother's forgetfulness was simply due to age or something else.

It seemed Xiang Zhi Shi mentioned it casually and then asked, "What about Xiaoyuan?"

Cai Juan replied slowly, "She went out, she's made some friends recently."

Zhi Shi's words carried a hint of amusement, "Are they from the same crew?"

Cai Juan vaguely replied, "...Some of them are."

Xiaoyuan had indeed made friends, including some from the crew, which was partly true, but Cai Juan felt a little guilty, his forehead sweating.

"That's good, let her go out and have some fun. I mainly wanted to tell you something," Xiang Zhishi said, shifting to the main topic. "I see the drama 'Zui Xiaoyao' as a great opportunity for Xiaoyuan. We can't miss out on it, so I've already signed her contract. Before the release, the studio will cooperate with the crew for promotion."

Cai Juan clapped her hands in agreement, indicating that their small group couldn't handle the PR and promotion work themselves, they would need to entrust it to a specialized studio.

"Which talent agency is it?" asked Cai Juan.

"It's Feiyi," Zhi Shi replied. "It's just a collaboration for talent management. We have the film and television contracts in our own hands, and I haven't signed all of Xiaoyuan's commercial management over to them. They only provide planning and advice, the decision-making power is in our hands."

"That's the best approach. I've heard of Feiyi, they have a good eye and won't make reckless moves."

Typically, promotion focuses more on an artist's positive image and doesn't stray into controversial or negative territory. Of course, it comes at a price.

"Shall we start now, or wait a bit longer?" Cai Juan was eager to begin.

Xiang Zhishi smiled, "No need to rush. We've waited all these years. Xiaoyuan doesn't have many works yet. We'll follow the lead of the other two main actors in terms of promotion. Right now, Xiaoyuan is aiming for popularity among the public."

"Right, right, that sounds good," Cai Juan agreed. "As long as she's given the opportunity, she will produce good work. We're not in a hurry, we can wait."

For Xiaoyuan, taking steady steps was the best choice.

After hanging up, Cai Juan felt a sense of relief but then glanced at her phone and began to worry again. "It's almost ten-thirty. Tonight... she won't be spending the night next to Wei Zhuang, will she?"

10:30 PM

Assistant Gao glanced at her watch.

The driver took a shortcut, winding up a narrow mountain road. His driving skills were excellent, so the ride was only slightly bumpy. Xiaoyuan, however, had fallen asleep against the sofa.

Unless filming night scenes, she usually went to bed early. After a long period of silence, once she relaxed, drowsiness would creep in. The car was very quiet, quiet enough that one could hear her soft breathing. Her head drooped lower and lower, sinking deeper into sleep.

Assistant Gao also found it hard to speak, it was now her turn to feel awkward.

If she weren't here, would Wei Zhuang... hmm, Cough. Her throat inexplicably felt a bit itchy, and she lightly coughed.

The cough made the situation even more awkward.

That single cough reminded her how awkward her presence was.

She quickly stole a glance at Wei Zhuang from the corner of her eye. Wei Zhuang was leaning back in her chair, her expression more languid, the corners of her lips slightly curled, gazing in Xiaoyuan's direction.

Was she looking at her?

Assistant Gao felt as if she had transformed into a bright light bulb, growing increasingly luminous. She decided to remain silent and still, pretending to be invisible.

'Oh no, I shouldn't be in this car!'

Suddenly, the car jolted as if hitting something, causing Xiaoyuan to bump her head. She woke up groggily, whimpering for a moment, then sat up slowly, rubbed her head, rubbed her eyes, tugged her ear, and curled back up to sleep.

Assistant Gao felt like she was witnessing something new.

'Look at how sleepy she is, young people really can sleep...'

'It's actually kind of cute!'

Assistant Gao unconsciously pressed her lips together.

'Maybe I should consider inviting a young girl next time...'

Cough, cough, cough, what a dangerous thought! She suddenly started coughing repeatedly and quickly apologized, "Sorry, President Wei." She turned to take a sip of water. Looking out the window, she realized they had arrived near Xiaoyuan's place. The driver had found a secluded spot to park, and Assistant Gao hurriedly got out of the car.

Without any more eye contact, she feared she might get "fired."

The cool, gentle air conditioning stirred a few strands of Xiaoyuan's hair. She impatiently scratched her face and slowly opened her eyes.

"Awake?"

Still half-asleep, she glanced around, the car had stopped, and there was a strange, serene scent beside her, slowly wafting through the air.

Now fully awake, she straightened up. "Mm."

Wei Zhuang was neither too close nor too far away, her presence was so strong that no one could ignore her.

Xiaoyuan didn't know how long she had been asleep, but it must have been a while. Leaving the boss alone for so long and sleeping soundly herself... she felt a bit guilty.

What should she do now? Should she apologize? Would apologizing allow her to get out of the car and go back to sleep?

With her head down, Xiaoyuan spoke hesitantly, "President Wei, I'll head back now..."

"Okay." Wei Zhuang replied.

Xiaoyuan secretly sighed in relief. She got up and opened the car door. The early summer evening breeze swept in, tousling her hair. She raised her hand to smooth it down, turning back to say goodbye to Wei Zhuang. Her face was illuminated by the light, making her features appear even clearer—defined brows and red lips.

The woman in the car, with her long legs crossed, was looking at her. Backlit, Xiaoyuan couldn't quite make out her expression, but her voice remained as cold and clear as ever, like a fine mist seeping toward her.

She said, "Well then, see you tomorrow night."

As the car's lights faded into the night, Xiaoyuan finally relaxed. She touched her warm face, "We... we have to meet again..."

As night fell, there lingered a faint, unfamiliar aura in the car. Wei Zhuang sat there, her head slightly bowed, seemingly lost in thought.

Something glimmered in the gap of the seat. Wei Zhuang reached over and picked it up—a green glass flower-shaped earring clasped between her slender, pale fingers.

It was the very earring that Xiaoyuan had worn all night.

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