It was almost one o’clock in the afternoon by the time filming ended. Jiang Qiqi was so hungry her stomach was touching her back. She floated along, leading Qin Jiao home.
Sitting in the car, she stuffed her phone into her pocket, leaned back against the seat, and closed her eyes to rest. She had just started to relax when the phone buzzed again.
The first time, she couldn’t be bothered. She was just too tired. It was true, though—once you get too lazy, it’s hard to get back into the groove.
She clearly remembered the time before she transmigrated into the book. She had been juggling projects, exams, and thesis writing all at once, running around non-stop for weeks on end. Yet, she hadn’t felt as exhausted as she did after just one short morning of filming today.
She really had gotten too lazy lately. Eat, sleep, repeat, with absolutely no desire to work or study. Lying flat really was just too comfortable.
The System sighed in her mind, *But this happy life is over now.*
“AHHHH!” Jiang Qiqi screamed internally.
*Hang in there, dear~ Besides, your phone has been ringing for ages. Are you sure you don’t want to answer it?*
Driven crazy by the noise, she finally pulled out her phone to see who was disturbing her. It was strange—hardly anyone ever called her before, but the moment she finished work today, the calls started coming. The caller ID showed: Cui Bai.
Jiang Qiqi finally understood the despair of an employee receiving a call from their boss right after clocking out. Her heart heavy, she answered, her voice sounding weak and distant. “Hello… what is it?”
“Your voice sounds so hollow? What’s wrong with you?”
“Tired.”
Cui Bai laughed for a long time. “Can’t have that. Filming in the future is going to be way more exhausting than this.”
“Haven’t worked in too long. Not used to it anymore.”
“Well, you better get used to it fast. Once this drama airs, you’re going to be swamped with offers. You won’t have a single moment of free time then.”
Jiang Qiqi tried to imagine that scene, but instead of excitement about becoming famous, she only felt sorrow at the thought of future suffering.
“Stop trying to feed me empty promises. What do you actually want?”
Cui Bai’s tone turned serious. He seemed to turn the words over in his mouth several times before finally asking, “Did you know Song Qinglan before this?”
Jiang Qiqi remained silent. Cui Bai understood and let out a sigh. “The people backing her are not to be messed with. You need to maintain a good relationship with her. Even if you can’t be friends, at least don’t make things ugly. Otherwise…”
“Cui Bai,” Jiang Qiqi cut him off mid-sentence. “Let me put it this way: If it weren’t for Jiang Ruirui and the Song family, I would have already sent her to prison.”
The moment Jiang Ruirui’s name was mentioned, Cui Bai’s breathing hitched. He never expected Jiang Qiqi to know exactly who was behind Song Qinglan, let alone that she would still be on bad terms with her knowing that. After all, she was the girlfriend of the Jiang family’s young master. Everyone who knew that fact was usually falling over themselves to curry favor, just hoping to get in good standing with the Jiang family.
Just today, when Jiang Ruirui showed up, anyone with eyes had immediately started trying to cozy up to Song Qinglan.
Cui Bai suddenly had an epiphany. “So you’re actually some rich lady too!”
Jiang Qiqi was speechless that after all that build-up, this was his conclusion. “No. The only thing backing me up is my own butt.” Though, she did have a system in her head.
Cui Bai was shocked. “You’re fearless!” Then his tone turned awkward. “But… I already agreed to it for you.”
“…Agreed to what?”
“Song Qinglan’s birthday party, this Friday. She said she wants to invite you to come and smooth things over. I took the liberty of saying yes.”
There was no way Jiang Qiqi wanted to see her, especially not on her own turf where she would be at a disadvantage. “I’m not going. Find a way to cancel it.”
Cui Bai was filled with regret, but he didn’t dare go back and tell Song Qinglan that Jiang Qiqi refused. On the other hand, he knew Jiang Qiqi well enough by now—sometimes she was easygoing, but other times she was incredibly stubborn. Once she made up her mind, nothing short of a very convincing reason would change it.
Cui Bai was scratching his head in frustration on the other end, wishing he could go back in time and sew his own mouth shut. He really hadn’t realized the feud between them was this deep. In his eyes, they were from two completely different worlds; how could an ordinary person possibly have history with someone like her?
While Cui Bai was racking his brains trying to come up with an argument, the System simply said one sentence and Jiang Qiqi changed her mind instantly. One second she was refusing to go even if killed, the next she was telling Cui Bai she would make an appearance.
Cui Bai was so moved he was almost ready to认 Jiang Qiqi as his godmother. Jiang Qiqi immediately rejected the title—she didn’t want a godson older than herself—and hung up.
“Jiaojiao?”
Qin Jiao took off his headphones and looked at her with big, sparkling eyes. In an instant, Jiang Qiqi’s maternal instincts surged. She reached out and squished his cheeks between her hands, rubbing them back and forth.
“Finally gained a little meat on you! Congratulations, it wasn’t easy! Comrade Qin, keep up the good work!”
When she finally let go, his fair face was slightly red from the rubbing. Feeling a little guilty, she patted him lightly, pretending she hadn’t just been mauling his face, and quickly changed the subject. “Oh right, I have something to do on Friday night. I’ll be back late, so don’t wait for me, okay?”
She finished speaking but didn’t get a response. Turning to look, Qin Jiao was just staring at her. She couldn’t help but wonder, *Did I not explain it clearly?*
Qin Jiao held that pose for a few seconds. Then, suddenly, he leaned over and gently pinched Jiang Qiqi’s cheek. By the time he sat back down, Jiang Qiqi finally registered what happened. Her eyes went wide.
“Did you just pinch me?”
Qin Jiao nodded seriously. “Now we’re even.”
The driver, who had been quiet for a while, couldn’t help but join in the conversation. He smiled at Jiang Qiqi through the rearview mirror. “You two siblings have such a good relationship.”
“Of course! My brother is handsome, smart, and sensible. I adore him.”
“I can tell! My two boys fight the moment they see each other. Can’t sit together for more than five sentences without arguing.”
…
Listening to Jiang Qiqi praise him so much to the driver, Qin Jiao’s face turned bright red. He quickly pulled down his mask and put his headphones back on, turning to look out the window. His heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of his chest. He had to bite his lip just to stop a huge grin from spreading across his face.
Then, saying something or other, Jiang Qiqi happily wrapped an arm around Qin Jiao’s shoulders. Qin Jiao turned his head in panic, and his lips lightly brushed against her cheek.
*Snap.*
Something inside his mind seemed to break. His face turned beet red, completely flustered. He couldn’t hear what Jiang Qiqi was saying anymore, didn’t know what he was supposed to do. The only thing he could feel was his heart racing violently, pounding against his ribs in a way that made him feel uneasy.
He… thought he might be sick.