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Ning Ke shook Qin Pei’s hand briefly, then released it and shook hands with Gao Qi.
She knew clearly how many resources Gao Qi and Qin Pei had access to.
Normally, given their status, they wouldn’t proactively approach younger individuals.
Xu Jian stepped forward: “Teacher Gao, Teacher Qin.”
Gao Qi nodded: “A’Jian, so you’re Miss Ning’s manager.”
Ning Ke naturally took over the conversation: “Just call me Xiao Ning. Have both teachers finished filming their segments?”
Qin Pei: “Finished, that’s why we came looking for you.”
At this point, Qin Pei finally turned back and smiled at Tang Xi: “You go ahead and get busy.”
It seemed only then did she remember this person existed.
Tang Xi almost wanted to scream, but mindful of her innocent little flower persona, she could only lower her head gracefully: “Okay, I’ll treat you and Teacher Gao Qi to dinner another day.”
Her words constantly implied her familiarity with Qin Pei and her husband.
In reality, she had only met Qin Pei for the first time a few days ago and had no real connection.
Ning Ke didn’t pay Tang Xi’s words any mind, maintaining her usual poised and graceful demeanor, neither servile nor overbearing: “Teacher Gao, Teacher Qin, would you two have time for a cup of coffee together?”
Gao Qi glanced at his wife: “No need, let’s just talk directly.”
Qin Pei covered her lips and laughed. She was forty-three this year, but her laughter still held a coy and bright charm: “My A’Qi is a loyal fan of Teacher Yan. So, hearing that Teacher Yan is joining this show… he happened to be free, so he asked me to come along and ask, does your show still need guests?”
Ning Ke pulled Lin Yun forward: “What a coincidence, this is the show’s director, Lin Yun.”
Qin Pei: “That’s perfect. How about it? If you welcome us couple joining, shall we sign a contract today?”
Lin Yun: “!!!”
Was she hearing things?
It took Ning Ke a couple of seconds to react. So these two came here to chase their idol?
Qin Pei smiled: “Actually, there’s a little selfish motive too. A’Qi is learning the violin. If he could get a little guidance from Teacher Yan, that would be best!”
Lin Yun was almost mad with joy.
Ning Ke tugged her arm: “Sister, your grin is almost reaching the sky.”
“Yes, yes,” Lin Yun forced herself to calm down. “Signing the contract isn’t urgent, let’s schedule a time another day!”
Ning Ke also needed to ask Yan Yunzhi’s opinion again.
She smiled at the couple: “Teachers, see you another day.”
Qin Pei linked arms with Gao Qi, smiling brightly: “Then it’s settled.”
After leaving the set and getting into the car, Lin Yun laughed until she doubled over: “Hahaha, you didn’t see Tang Xi’s pale face just now, it felt so good!”
Ning Ke: “Why bother getting serious with her?”
Lin Yun excitedly wanted to hug and kiss her, but was ruthlessly pushed away by Ning Ke: “Go, go, stay away from me.”
Ning Ke didn’t particularly like physical contact with people, hating that clingy feeling the most.
Even though she and Lin Yun had been friends for so many years, she disliked walking arm-in-arm.
Lin Yun was long used to her way of speaking: “Alright, alright. Speaking of which, Keke, did you really seduce Yan Yunzhi? What kind of foxy tricks did you use?”
Ning Ke was drinking water and choked on her words, her face turning red: “Cough, what nonsense are you saying!”
Lin Yun: “Ah, then I get it. It must be that Yan Yunzhi saw our great beauty Keke and became flustered, her heart swayed, her mind wandered!”
Ning Ke: “…”
‘Seduce my foot! She remembered her own ghastly pale face after the mask that day. Yan Yunzhi wasn’t blind yet. Foxy tricks? More like ghostly tricks!’
Xu Jian also teased her: “Yo, and here I was buttering up Teacher Gao trying to get you a script. Turns out you have such strong connections, I wasted my effort.”
Ning Ke couldn’t stand them both joking about Yan Yunzhi.
She wiped the smile off her face: “Don’t talk nonsense. She and I are just plastic wives. She just helped out casually. How would I know Gao Qi and Qin Pei are her avid fans?”
‘She originally wanted to settle the score about her tiny account being blocked… now it seems they could call it even.’
Lin Yun knew she didn’t like others joking about Yan Yunzhi and wisely stopped: “How about I prepare a gift for your Yan Yunzhi, to thank her for being willing to help the poor.”
Ning Ke said it wasn’t necessary: “Even if you send it, she might not accept it.”
Xu Jian was engrossed in the trending topics: “Free advertising slots are just great. Just wait, more people will contact you. Little Yunyun~~”
This morning, Xu Jian and Lin Yun had met with Wei Xuan, another manager from the same company.
He managed two young idols, Jiang Lin and Yu You, who debuted through talent shows.
Their schedules happened to be free, so they joined the show, and were announced together in the program teaser just now.
Lin Yun really couldn’t stand the nickname he gave her and was also thinking about work: “Keke, I won’t have dinner with you first, I’m going back to prepare the contracts.”
Ning Ke cursed her for discarding her helpers after success but didn’t keep her: “Go ahead. I’m going home anyway.”
An Yu’s home was also nearby, so she got off the car too.
The car became quiet.
Xu Jian, usually playful, dropped his smile: “Keke, the role in Gao Qi’s film this time is very important for you. You have to get it.”
Ning Ke lowered her eyes: “Got it.”
Before the New Year, Xu Jian had made a military pledge to Xu Yinlou.
She naturally knew how much effort Xu Jian had spent signing her and relaunching her career after she was blacklisted.
She thought for a moment: “I will mention this to Yan Yunzhi and arrange a meeting with Gao Qi and Qin Pei.”
Xu Jian beamed: “Exactly! You don’t even use your wife’s resources, what a waste!”
Ning Ke hummed in acknowledgment and said no more.
Snowflakes started drifting down from the sky again.
Her manager’s chatter filled her ears.
She leaned back and closed her eyes.
It wasn’t dark yet when she arrived home. Ning Ke gave the tea leaves to Sister Lu.
Yan Yunzhi had a peaceful temperament.
When idle, she enjoyed drinking tea and arranging flowers, both to pass the time and cultivate her disposition.
On the way back, Ning Ke had bought two tins of top-grade pine needle tea.
Sister Lu asked with a beaming smile: “Azhi is in the courtyard, why don’t you go tell her yourself?”
‘This Miss Ning is still too young. What’s there to be embarrassed about giving a little something between a young couple? Why insist on having an old woman like her relay the message!’
Ning Ke subconsciously glanced outside, vaguely seeing Yan Yunzhi in the courtyard.
She quickly averted her gaze: “…Alright then.”
Indeed, it was better to express thanks in person.
There were several garden beds in the courtyard, specifically for Yan Yunzhi to grow some flowers and plants.
Ning Ke pushed open the door and stood still.
Snow was still drifting down. Yan Yunzhi was tidying the flowers and plants in the garden.
She wore a white coat paired with a pine-green shawl, her figure slender and graceful from behind.
She was bending over, her fair, slim fingers touching a flower leaf bent by the snow.
The world was covered in white snow, falling silently.
Time seemed to stagnate around her with a gentle quality.
Ning Ke stood for a while before speaking: “Yan Yunzhi.”
The person focused on tending the plants straightened up, turned around, and smiled upon seeing her, radiating an indescribable warmth: “Just got home?”
“Mm,” Ning Ke replied, noticing Yan Yunzhi was wearing makeup today.
This person had elegant and dignified features, but due to her poor health, her complexion was often pale.
Today, however, was different. Her eyes and brows were meticulously defined, deep and clear, breathtakingly beautiful.
Yan Yunzhi adjusted her clothes, speaking softly: “Just came back from work?”
Ning Ke returned to her senses: “Mm, did you go out today?”
Yan Yunzhi smiled, “Went to see my teacher.”
Ning Ke had nothing more to say: “I’ll go upstairs first.”
For some reason, she didn’t want to bring up the Gao Qi and Qin Pei matter at this moment.
Before taking two steps, she turned back again, “Right. I brought back two tins of tea leaves, gave them to Sister Lu.”
The implication was, they were for her.
Yan Yunzhi understood: “I’ll ask Sister Lu later.”
Ning Ke: “Then I’m going up.”
Ning Ke went straight up the side staircase. To her right was a large glass window.
As she ascended, she looked down and saw Yan Yunzhi still standing in the courtyard, collecting snowmelt from the leaves amidst the vast falling snow.
Ning Ke stopped, inexplicably wanting to linger a moment longer.
But she still retracted her gaze and continued upstairs.
‘She didn’t hear her coughing last night.’
‘Should be fine now, right?’
…
At 5:30 PM, Sister Lu called Ning Ke down for dinner.
Ning Ke was memorizing lines from a script and didn’t go down to eat, continuing until 7 PM.
She was hungry, finally mumbling her lines as she walked downstairs and pulled out a chair to sit.
Yan Yunzhi was reading a book in the living room and looked up at her.
Ning Ke had removed her makeup, revealing her bare face.
Her long hair was tied in a high, fluffy bun.
Her eyes sparkled, and the soft flesh on her cheeks looked very pinchable.
She smiled softly.
Ning Ke heard the sound and looked at her: “Did I disturb your reading?”
“No,” Yan Yunzhi asked casually, “Eating dinner only now, aren’t you hungry?”
Ning Ke shook her head. Her bowl contained only a pitiful half-bowl of millet porridge, accompanied by green vegetables and boiled chicken breast.
After just two bites, sorrow welled up within her. She muttered under her breath, “Is this something humans eat?”
Yan Yunzhi put down her book and came over: “Can’t eat it?”
Ning Ke: “Just eating casually.”
Yan Yunzhi sat down opposite her: “Qin Pei called me again just now.”
Ning Ke paused her chopsticks: “I wanted to tell you about this later. Did you contact them?”
Yan Yunzhi shook her head: “Gao Qi and Qin Pei came to my concert the year before last. We exchanged contact information then, but we’ve never interacted privately and aren’t close. This time, after I posted on Weibo, Qin Pei asked a friend to inquire. I called her back directly and told her I would participate.”
Ning Ke: “They said they want to join the show too.”
“Qin Pei mentioned it on the phone,” Yan Yunzhi proactively suggested, “Let’s invite them for a meal.”
Ning Ke paused: “Okay.”
She picked up her chopsticks again, poking at the porridge in her bowl.
‘This time she really owed Yan Yunzhi a huge favor. How could she repay it?’
‘Because they were usually so distant, even thanking her now… was so difficult to say.’
Yan Yunzhi noticed she was spacing out, cheeks puffed, brows furrowed, seemingly pondering something very difficult.
The light cascaded down from the top of her head, creating a warm halo.
The person who usually shone brightly under the spotlight looked indescribably pure, gentle, and kind in her bare face and loungewear.
Ning Ke quickly sensed Yan Yunzhi watching her, snapped back to reality, looked up, and also looked at her: “Yan Yunzhi…”
Yan Yunzhi: “Hm?”
Her eyes curved, the corners of her lips lifted, looking at Ning Ke with a smile, asking softly: “Aren’t you going to thank me?”
Ning Ke was touched by her smiling, ethereal voice.
Because she was unaccustomed to owing favors, the tips of her ears hidden by her hair grew faintly hot.
She turned her head away before saying: “Mm… Thank you.”
You think this chapter was thrilling? Wait until you read I Hide Behind Sarcasm, Yet the Heroine Keeps Chasing Me with Love! Click here to discover the next big twist!
Read : I Hide Behind Sarcasm, Yet the Heroine Keeps Chasing Me with Love
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