In the future, he will obediently keep his appointments.
As Qiu Hengâs trembling voice called âCut,â Jiang Qi instantly detached himself from the character.
The smile on his face disappeared, and the camera captured the first thing the young man did was to quickly run to Zhi Qiâs side and ask in a somewhat flustered voice, âWhy are you crying?â
Jiang Qiâs fingers hanging at his side moved slightly, as if he wanted to wipe away the tears from Zhi Qiâs red eyes, but he hesitated. Zhi Qi sniffed and looked up at him, her eyes carrying a smile. The girlâs voice was muffled as she said, âItâs nothing. Jiang Qi, you acted really well.â
Jiang Qi had heard this kind of praise many times before, and he had even received exaggerated compliments that felt sincere, but this time his ears felt a bit warm. Feeling Zhi Qiâs somewhat âadmiringâ gaze, Jiang Qi shyly pursed his lips, his expression resembling shyness.
â¦
Wow, Shen Lei couldnât help but exclaim, wow.
Is this the same Jiang Qi he knows, so âgentle and warmâ?
Meanwhile, QIu Heng carefully saved the audition footage and then excitedly ran over.
âThis time was great! Really great!â QIu Heng didnât even notice Zhi Qi, focusing entirely on Jiang Qi. The light in his eyes was like a wolf staring at a lamb, or a nouveau riche eyeing a gold brick. His demeanor was completely different from the strict and scholarly attitude he had shown earlier.
QIu Heng couldnât wait to say, âThereâs no need to audition anyone else. No one will be more suitable for the role of Chen Si than you. Letâs sign the contract today.â
Jiang Qi didnât feel the âjoy of hitting the jackpotâ but instead thought for a moment before responsibly and earnestly saying to him, âActually, my laughter just now was a coincidence. Itâs not certain that Iâll be in that state throughout the entire movie.â
He could laugh because Zhi Qi was there.
But Zhi Qi couldnât always be there; it was as simple as that. Shen Lei actually understood this truth as well, couldnât help but sigh with some regret.
But QIu Heng was unusually persistent, âSince you were able to find that state just now, it means you can find it again in the future. Iâm willing to trust you.â
â¦
But he doesnât really trust himself.
Jiang Qi frowned with some difficulty, lips pressed together in silence.
Zhi Qi quietly listened on the side. She had come to know Shen Lei through relentless recommendations from Meng Chunyu, but she couldnât recognize QIu Hengâs faceâafter all, in the entertainment industry, directorsâ faces werenât as ubiquitous as those of popular idols.
However, she could still roughly guess what was happening. The man in front of her was inviting Jiang Qi to play the male lead, and Jiang Qi was hesitating because of his ability to âsmileâ.
It seemed that this movie required Jiang Qi to smile frequently, but he was afraid he couldnât do it. But why? Zhi Qi remembered the trending hashtag #JiangQiNeverSmiles. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly.
Upon closer thought, Jiang Qi indeed rarely smiled before. Even in front of her, his eyes were calm, his indulgence limitless, with just a hint of a smile at the corner of his lips. And when facing others, he didnât even show a trace of a smile. Not liking to smile was far from âunable to smileâ. There was a fundamental difference between the two.
Could it be because of those three years in prison�
At this thought, Zhi Qi couldnât help but feel a pang in her heart. Her small hand, hanging by her side, instinctively grabbed Jiang Qiâs long, cold hand. This was their only âintimateâ gesture in the past few years. The tender touch caught him off guard, and Jiang Qi paused slightly, looking down at the girlâs ivory-white fingertips, unable to help but smile.
This was the second time he had smiled in front of others.
QIu Heng keenly caught this moment. Amidst his surprise, he saw the boy holding the girlâs hand and suddenly understood why this young girl had appeared. This was the first time QIu Heng took a serious look at Zhi Qi.
The girl in the dark green dress tilted her head slightly, her eyes blinking as she looked at Jiang Qi, full of concern and worry almost overflowing⦠So, this guy had a girlfriend?
He had been to prison, was rebellious, didnât act in emotional scenes, and had a girlfriend.
Jiang Qi possessed almost all the âflawsâ that male celebrities could have, and each one was basically a landmine. In reality, such a person wasnât the best choice for a male lead, but⦠Qiu Heng was determined to challenge the âhigh difficultyâ.
In the blink of an eye, an indistinct idea formed in Qiu Hengâs mind.
Yet he felt it was feasible.
âAnyway, on behalf of the entire cast and crew of âJiao Siâ, I earnestly invite you to play the role,â Qiu Heng pondered for a moment before extending his hand to Jiang Qi. âHow about this, will you consider it? Take a week to think it over, and Iâll wait for your answer.â
Huang Haofan, who had followed Qiu Heng for several years, was taken aback seeing his bossâs unprecedented enthusiasm for an actor in the industry, staring at him in astonishment.
Qiu Hengâs sincere words made it impossible for Jiang Qi to continue stubbornly refusing, so he reluctantly reached out and shook hands with him. However, his other hand, which had been holding Zhi Qiâs hand, didnât let go, gripping it with almost greedy enthusiasm.
*
After the two left the set and got into the car, Zhi Qiâs fair hand was noticeably red from being held tightly. The young girl looked a bit embarrassed, her black eyes still moist from crying earlier, with redness around the corners of her eyes, giving her a peach blossom-like appearance. She stared blankly at Jiang Qi.
Jiang Qiâs slender hand rested on the steering wheel in a manner to disguise it, but he didnât start the car. His gaze was evasive, as if he didnât dare to meet the girlâs eyes.
âJiang Qi,â Zhi Qiâs voice was gentle as she tentatively asked him, âWhat role were you playing just now?â
She had been curious about this question since earlier, but she hadnât had the chance to ask. So Jiang Qi briefly explained the synopsis of the script and the role he needed to play to Zhi Qi.
During the process, Jiang Qi actually felt a bit âapprehensiveâ.
Because the âmale leadâ in this script had always fantasized about being a girl, and when he had to play the role, he would definitely have to switch states. He didnât know if Zhi Qi would dislike his feminine side, his effeminacy. But as Zhi Qi listened, her initially pure and confused eyes gradually widened, with a hint of surprise and admiration in them.
âThatâs a very good theme, exploring the gender identity obstacles that are rarely seen in societyâ¦â Zhi Qiâs eyes lit up, looking at Jiang Qi with excitement. âIf the movie becomes popular, this type of community will definitely receive attention!â
Jiang Qi was slightly taken aback.
He realized that he had underestimated Zhi Qiâs perspective.
After listening, what she cared about wasnât the âeffeminateâ or âfeminineâ aspects of his character, but rather the deeper meaning behind the script. Zhi Qiâs mindset was different from the online gossiping masses who only knew how to talk big.
In an instant, Jiang Qi reflected on his previous worries and felt that he had been too narrow-minded. In fact, Zhi Qi had always been such a personâmild-mannered and seemingly insignificant, but always wanting to give something back to society, even if it was just a little bit. Thatâs why she chose to study âWildlife and Nature Reserve Managementâ, a remote and niche major.
After graduating from this major, most people couldnât find a job and ended up struggling for prospect. But there were still some who persisted, and Zhi Qi was one of them.
Jiang Qi knew that her dream had never changed, because when the girl was in high school, her tender voice had once said, âMy dream, hehe, I want to protect wild animals in the future⦠Does it sound like a too naive?â
Zhi Qi had a dream, and she had always been able to persist in it consistently. While Jiang Qi didnât have a dream of his own, he was willing to follow Zhi Qiâs ideals in both body and mind, even if it meant striving to be more like her.
So⦠the young man turned his head and looked at Zhi Qi. âDo you want me to take the role?â
âI do.â Zhi Qi nodded without hesitation, but then she smiled a bit shyly, her long eyelashes drooping slightly. âBecause I think you act really well.â
During Jiang Qiâs audition just now, she had already been completely immersed in his performance. And now, after hearing Jiang Qi outline the storyline, Zhi Qi couldnât help but anticipate how this peculiarly tragic yet beautifully ending story of the protagonist would unfold before the audience.
Jiang Qi would surely perform it exceptionally well.
Having watched his recent performance, Zhi Qi felt confident about thisâalthough she wouldnât say it out loud, as it would only add pressure to the young man.
âAlright.â Jiang Qi nodded and looked at her with a soft voice. âThen Iâll take the role.â
It seemed like all the messy baggage could finally be set aside. Zhi Qi couldnât help but smile. But as she smiled, she noticed Jiang Qiâs translucent eyes, which were blinking at her without pause. Feeling a bit embarrassed, she turned away.
Jiang Qiâs gaze was always like this. When he looked at her, it was as if she were the only one in the world, and everything else gradually faded away, becoming insignificant. So the young girl turned her head away, and even took off her headband, letting her chestnut-colored hair fall down and cover her slightly flushed ears.
In her soft voice, she scolded, âYou, take me back to school.â
So soon she had to go back?
Jiang Qi felt a bit disappointed, but still obediently replied, âOkay,â and started the car to take her back to school.
Fortunately, Lin Lan University was quite far from the set, so Jiang Qi could drive slowly, and he could also have the chance to spend a little more time with Zhi Qi.
But unfortunately, he was not very articulate. Even if he deliberately prolonged the time, he didnât know what to say to make the girl happy. However, just being able to be with Zhi Qi made the surrounding atmosphere seem softer and more comfortable.
It had been a very long time since Jiang Qi had felt this purely relaxed state.
Lin Lan was raining again, the sound of raindrops tapping on the car was crisp and pleasant.
Unfortunately, no matter how slow the car went, it would eventually reach its destination. When they reached the bustling section of the city, surrounded by the vibrant colors of flowers and trees, the familiar sense of restlessness surged in Jiang Qiâs heart once again.
âUntil they stopped at a red light, and Jiang Qi saw a bubble tea shop outside the window.
In an instant, the private message that Zhi Qi had once sent him on Weibo flashed through his mind: [You said you would buy me red bean bubble tea to drink on every rainy day.]
Yes, he had indeed said that, and he had broken that promise for many years. So Jiang Qi pursed his lips, turned the steering wheel, and stopped the car on the side of the road. Then, he opened the car door and ran out in the rain.
âHmm?â Zhi Qi was drowsy from the warmth inside the car, until a cold breeze blew in through the car door, making her shiver. She heard a âbangâ beside her, and then realized that Jiang Qi had stopped the car and ran out.
Where did Jiang Qi go?
Zhi Qi was completely awake now, but through the misty rain, she couldnât see his slender figure anywhere.
It wasnât until almost ten minutes later that the young man returned to the car, drenched in water. Jiang Qiâs amber-like eyes glistened as he smiled gently at the girlâs puzzled expression, and then his slender hand passed her a cup.
âRed bean bubble tea,â Jiang Qiâs voice was soft but determined. âFor you.â
*In the future, he would keep his promises.