this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!
In the end, Wen Qiaozhou invited everyone, not because of the still-clueless Huo Wanfeng, but because he noticed the little figure in Xu Qingli’s mind desperately clinging to Shu Ruan and Wen Xiangxiang, unwilling to let go, and guessed she preferred a livelier gathering.
Truthfully, Xu Qingli didn’t enjoy crowded settings, but compared to being alone with Wen Qiaozhou, she’d still much rather have more people around.
Shu Ruan and Wen Xiangxiang were two of the people she had interacted with most in this world, and she had a favorable impression of them. Having them nearby would also make her feel slightly more at ease. So, if this meal was destined to be unavoidable, she hoped Shu Ruan and Wen Xiangxiang would be there too.
However, she definitely wouldn’t voice this directly after what happened because of the female lead selection last time. Unexpectedly, Wen Qiaozhou suddenly changed his mind on his own this time.
Today happened to be the last day of the promotional shoot, which could be considered its wrap-up day. Wen Qiaozhou took the opportunity to invite the entire filming crew to stay at the estate. They could have dinner first, then some fun.
Though the team had been working here for days, knowing it was the Wen family’s private estate, they hadn’t dared to wander around. Today would be their chance to explore.
The estate was often used to host guests, so it was fully equipped with entertainment facilities, no less impressive than professional venues outside.
Still, everyone remained somewhat restrained. After a quick tour, they settled down and eventually decided to go for karaoke.
Xu Qingli excused herself to the restroom. When she returned and pushed open the door to the karaoke room, she found it already packed with people, all greeting her enthusiastically.
Her scalp prickled with discomfort. Forcing a smile in response, she quickly scanned the crowd, searching for a familiar face that could offer some sense of security.
She spotted Shu Ruan first, but Shu Ruan was already deep in conversation with Huo Wanfeng.
Hearing the commotion, the two turned their heads and nodded at her with smiles. Shu Ruan even waved, gesturing for her to join them.
It seemed they were getting along well today, which was quite a rare sight.
Xu Qingli naturally wouldn’t intrude. Just as she was about to look for someone else, an arm suddenly looped through hers.
As someone who disliked physical contact, Xu Qingli stiffened, about to pull away when she noticed from the corner of her eye that it was Wen Xiangxiang and forced herself to stay still.
“Let’s sit over there.” Unaware of Xu Qingli’s subtle sense of discomfort, Wen Xiangxiang tugged her toward the sofa.
Xu Qingli didn’t want her to see Shu Ruan and Huo Wanfeng either, so she hurried along, instinctively blocking her view.
Several people were already seated on the sofa, but they stood up to make room when the two approached. Wen Xiangxiang, however, headed straight for the corner.
This wasn’t like her usual behavior. Xu Qingli felt a flicker of confusion but didn’t dwell on it.
“Xiangxiang, Pear Blossom, what songs do you want to sing?” someone immediately asked enthusiastically. “I’ll queue them up for you.”
“My throat’s a bit sore today, so I won’t sing.” Wen Xiangxiang nudged Xu Qingli. “Pear Blossom, you go ahead.”
Xu Qingli hastily waved her hands. “I won’t either. You all enjoy yourselves, don’t mind us.”
The person hesitated briefly but didn’t press further before walking away.
Xu Qingli glanced sideways at Wen Xiangxiang. She had pulled her over but wasn’t engaging in conversation. Though she appeared to be smiling while watching others sing, her gaze… wasn’t actually on the singers at all. Instead, it subtly drifted through the crowd, lingering covertly on Huo Wanfeng.
It turns out she had already seen it, but was just pretending not to know.
Xu Qingli sighed silently in her heart. The novel described Wen Xiangxiang as arrogant and domineering, caring only about her own preferences and never considering others’ feelings. But now, it seemed that wasn’t entirely true.
In the room, some were singing, some chatting, others playing games… with everyone talking at once, the room was like a pot of boiling congee bubbling noisily. Only their little corner remained quiet, as if in another world altogether.
The shifting lights resembled a shattered jar of colored crystals, casting fragmented, multicolored shapes across people’s faces.
In the distance, Huo Wanfeng must have said something amusing, because Shu Ruan finally smiled, like a blooming rose, breathtakingly beautiful under the lights. Huo Wanfeng was laughing too, though with a hint of foolishness, clearly mesmerized by the sight.
Xu Qingli found herself staring at them as well.
Wen Xiangxiang suddenly turned to her, leaning in to ask, “Pear Blossom, why aren’t you singing? I remember you have a lovely voice.”
This was obviously an attempt to divert attention, and proved that her focus hadn’t been on this side at all.
Xu Qingli withdrew her gaze and sighed inwardly again.
But she wasn’t good at comforting others, and Wen Xiangxiang’s attitude made it clear she didn’t want her feelings to be noticed. Xu Qingli genuinely didn’t know what to say. After a moment’s thought, she countered with a question of her own, “Xiangxiang, do you like painting?”
The question seemed completely random, but in that instant, Xu Qingli truly felt the urge to paint a portrait of Wen Xiangxiang.
Wen Xiangxiang blinked in surprise but answered honestly, “I do. I even took lessons for a while when I was younger.”
“Then why didn’t you continue?” Xu Qingli found it odd. Given Wen Xiangxiang’s family background, financial constraints couldn’t have been the issue.
“I have an older brother who also learned painting from a young age. His teachers all said he had remarkable talent for it. My mother always believed he would become an outstanding artist.” Wen Xiangxiang’s expression turned peculiar. “Later, he died in an accident… My mother was devastated. She couldn’t bear to see anyone paint after that, so I naturally gave it up.”
Xu Qingli hadn’t expected such a reason and immediately panicked, apologizing hastily. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know—”
“It’s fine.” Wen Xiangxiang shook her head. “It was many years ago. My mother has moved on now, and we even visit art exhibitions together sometimes… Why? Do you paint too?”
“A little.” Xu Qingli took her wrist and stood up. “Come with me.”
“Where to?” Wen Xiangxiang asked as she followed her out of the private room.
pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:
This was the Wen family’s private estate, so although there wasn’t a front desk selling supplies, there was still a butler that managed everything.
Xu Qingli happened to run into the butler in the lobby and politely asked if they could spare a pen and paper.
“Of course. Ladies, please follow me.” The butler personally led them to the study, explaining that all kinds of paper and pens were available there for them to choose from.
“Here we are.” The butler stopped at the study door, pushing it open. “Make yourselves at home.”
He remained at the doorway, neither entering nor even glancing inside, before turning away to attend to his duties, showing not the slightest suspicion toward them.
Xu Qingli guessed it was because Wen Xiangxiang was with her. The estate didn’t usually see many visitors, and the butler must have been busy today, so she didn’t press further. After thanking him, she stepped into the study.
At that moment, a figure emerged from behind the front row of bookshelves in the study. It was Wen Qiaozhou!
He had changed into some casual loungewear, sporting a light coffee-colored thin pullover sweater with the sleeves slightly rolled up, revealing the prominent bones of his wrists. He held a heavy old book in his hand, and faint blue veins were visible on the back of his hand due to his grip.
Hearing the sound, he lifted his gaze, and the two of them locked eyes.
The little chibi girl on her head stared blankly in his direction, clearly not expecting to run into him.
Wen Qiaozhou found it amusing to see her frozen in place without even blinking, as if someone had cast a paralysis spell on her. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly noticed a speech bubble slowly appearing above the chibi’s head: [Your little cutie has gone offline. Please reconnect.]
Wen Qiaozhou nearly laughed out loud. How could this girl be so adorable?
At a time like this, she still had such vivid inner details—was she really offline or not?
Ever since he first saw the chibi version of Xu Qingli above her head, Wen Qiaozhou had wanted countless times to reach out and touch it.
But he had restrained himself before. This time, however, he couldn’t resist the urge. He extended a finger and lightly tapped the chibi on her head.
Of course, the chibi had no physical form. His finger passed through it and landed directly on Xu Qingli’s head. Her hair was soft and smooth, brushing against his skin with a faint tickle.
Medically speaking, fingertips are rich in capillaries, with thin skin and are highly sensitive to the touch, and it really did seem to be the case.
Medicine also says that the fingers are connected to the heart, so the slight itch he felt in his chest just now must also be perfectly normal.
Caught off guard by his sudden move, Xu Qingli jerked her head up and stared at him with wide eyes.
What are you doing?!
Wen Qiaozhou snapped back to reality, cleared his throat, and withdrew his hand, placing it behind his back. He subtly rubbed his fingertips together, his expression calm as he smiled and asked, “Reconnected yet?”
Xu Qingli looked away in disbelief: !!!
What is he talking about?
Could he really know what she’s thinking just by looking at her?!
Author’s Note:
Wen Qiaozhou: You guessed right, baby. So clever.
The little chibi frantically shakes its head: Definitely impossible. I must be wrong.
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