Chapter 3 Part2 (1/2)
Do you agree with Qiao Qiao? Is it special treatment that Jia He is getting? ? And you guys, too, have a guess at what Qiao Qiao saw. ? Lastly, is the end of this chapter considered a cliffhanger? Hehehe.
Chapter 3.2 — Please, as a Friend (2)
This story was translated with the express permission of the author for hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com only. All forms of reproduction, redistribution, or re-posting are not authorized. If you are not reading this from hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com, the copy is unauthorized and has been taken without consent of the translator.
When she awoke again, Jia He found that she had been sleeping inside the ma.s.sage room, a comforter covering her.
Feeling rather awkward and unsure, she sat up and, gazing out onto the snowy-white world outside, began trying with all her might to recollect how she had fallen asleep last night and also how she had gotten from the ma.s.sage table to the large bed. But, it was to no avail.
She had faint inklings of a speculation. Those three ma.s.sage therapists were all blind, so they certainly would not have been able to pick her up and carry her onto the bed. Could it have been… She gave a forceful slap to her head, silently rebuking herself for letting her smitten mind take over her imagination.
And so, she stayed for a while in a daze like this until at last, getting off the bed, she stepped out in her slippers into the outer sitting area of the suite.
The three ma.s.sage tables were vacant. The ma.s.sage therapists had all gone back to their own rooms to sleep, and work had not started yet for them at this hour. She was alone in this room, which felt large and empty. She glanced at her mobile phone. It was not even eight o'clock. While she was wondering what time Yi Wenze had left, the door behind her unexpectedly opened. Turning, she saw Yi Wenze closing the door behind him.
”Good morning.” Yi Wenze gave this simple greeting.
”Good morning…” Jia He gaped at him. ”You don't have any scenes to film today?”
These were rather ordinary words of greeting, but at this time of day, in this particular place, it felt a little bit too much like a fantasy…
Yi Wenze set the room key card on the bar-height counter. ”Because I came back a earlier than originally planned. You can say I managed to s.n.a.t.c.h a day of leisure.”
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Jia He smiled. She did not know what she said afterwards, but somehow, she ended up going back to her room, changing into some warm clothes, and then sitting into the empty vehicle that the production team had left behind. Yi Wenze's driving skills were excellent and he was also very familiar with Hengdian, so soon, he had brought her to a Hong Kong-style cha chaan teng[1] [”tea restaurant”]. The restaurant was on a street that was currently undergoing repairs, and the vehicle was unable to drive in and could only be parked by the nearby intersection. Following him out of the car, Jia He stepped over the light layer of snow, carefully trying to avoid puddles, but, alas, she still ended up dirtying her shoes.
When they arrived at the door, she deliberately rubbed the bottom of her shoes repeatedly on the doormat, very worried that the slushy mud on her feet would make the floors dirty.
Only after her shoes were completely clean did she push open the door and step inside. Yi Wenze was chatting in Cantonese with the restaurant owner. When he, a smile on his face, saw Jia He walk in, he gave a nod to the owner and then led Jia He to the innermost table, where they took a seat. At this time, only a spa.r.s.e few other tables were occupied. Yi Wenze was dressed ordinarily and also wearing a brimmed cap and hence did not attract too much attention.
”Cart noodles[2]?” Yi Wenze asked.
”Sure.” She was starving, and it was also a snowy day; a bowl of cart noodles would be perfect.
”Char siu [Chinese barbecue pork] noodles.” Yi Wenze ordered first. Smiling, the owner took down his order while laughing at him that he sure was loyal in his affections, never changing which noodles he ordered.
Why… was his taste preference the same as hers? Jia He was stuck on what to do. Char siu had always been her taste of choice, but if she were to order the same thing as him, would it seem too deliberate? She began furiously looking over the menu, for the first time discovering that there were disadvantages to getting close to one's idol, that even eating a breakfast could be so much like walking on thin ice.
Char siu, Chinese barbecue pork. (Image credit: ”Char Siu” by Lewi Hirvela, original posted in , image used under )
”The char siu noodles here are pretty good.” Looking at her, Yi Wenze offered a suggestion. ”You can give it a try.”
Jia He hastily nodded her head, relieved.
”What would you like to drink?”
”Coffee. Espresso.” She jumped in to speak first.
”It seems you really are very sleepy.” Yi Wenze looked down at his own menu. ”It's not good on the stomach to drink that so early in the morning. People who drink espresso probably think breves and mochas are too light. Con panna is more fitting.”
That's just too thoughtful…
Tears nearly rained down Jia He's cheeks.
Just as their noodles were being brought out, her mobile phone suddenly began ringing. The caller ID showed that it was Qiao Qiao. Her heart dropped, for she only now remembered her instructions to Qiao Qiao last night. She hurriedly answered the call. On the other end, Qiao Qiao's yawns came ceaselessly. ”I'll say, where have you and Yi Wenze gone off to?”
”I'm having breakfast. I'll talk to you about the character outline and descriptions when I'm back at the hotel.” Jia He put on this little act.
Qiao Qiao laughed. ”Stop pretending. You guys even drove the car away.”
Making a couple sounds of ”mm,” Jia He took her chopsticks and stirred her noodles while stealing a glance at Yi Wenze.
He had just picked up his gla.s.s of lemon tea and was taking a sip.
”All right, all right.” Qiao Qiao jokingly mocked her. ”What are you nervous about? I was going to tell you to bring back a hot drink for me. Just look at how panicked you are. Forget it. I'll just make myself some Nescafé.” With those words, she very shrewdly chose to hang up the phone.
Jia He set her mobile phone on the table and began to eat her noodles. Observing that Yi Wenze, his head slightly lowered to look at his mobile phone, seemed in no rush to go back, she did not dare eat too quickly. When she at last set down her chopsticks, there were only two or three customers left in the restaurant.
Less than half remained of her cup of coffee. Yi Wenze's eyes were still on his mobile phone. From her position, she had a clear view of his eyelashes. The sunlight beyond the window, coupled with this very suitable angle, caused the image of this person before her to actually seem to exude a poster-like texture, and it made her want to abandon herself and sink into it. She sighed feelingly. But then, she realized that she had been too brazen, and hurriedly she bowed her head and stirred her now-cold coffee.
”My apologies. I have a new script that was waiting on feedback.” When Yi Wenze lifted his head, he noticed that Jia He was still stirring her coffee, so he beckoned to the restaurant owner and asked for another cup. Pus.h.i.+ng the fresh cup of coffee in front of her, he motioned to her that she should switch to drink this new one.
Minute by minute, second by second. This way of interaction was more torturous than actual acting. Yet, she did not dare be the first to say that they should go back.
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While she was muttering silently to herself, her mobile phone rang once again. At first she thought it must be Qiao Qiao, but it turned out to be another devil who wanted to s.n.a.t.c.h her life from her early. The instant she answered the call, Xiao Yu's languid voice echoed out from the other end of the line. ”No way. I just thought I'd give it a try and call. You're actually picking up the phone at this time of the day—”
Jia He sullenly stated, ”I'm eating breakfast.”
”It's snowing in Beijing. Is there snow in Shanghai?”
The surliness that was stifled in Jia He's chest grew worse. ”I'm in Hengdian, on filming site for production.”
”For whose drama?”
Jia He glanced with guilty self-consciousness at Yi Wenze. She did not dare give his name and only stated the name of the female lead.