"Yan Shengyu, I told you, no matter what your intention is, please stop here. I will not agree to any of your requests, and if you continue to pester me , I won’t be very polite to you."
The coldness in Qinglan’s eyes sent a chill through Yan Shengyu, and his steps, which initially wanted to continue bothering her, halted.
Being such a stubborn pest was not something Yan Shengyu was accustomed to doing. Yet, this time, he was suddenly curious about this aloof woman, which is why he agreed to his roommate’s absurd suggestion on a whim and even used it as an excuse to get close to Shen Qinglan.
Shen Qinglan was tired of Yan Shengyu’s relentless pestering. Coming to school was merely a whim, and now, with such an incident, she simply returned to Jiangxin Garden. Whenever she had time, she would read books, drink tea, occasionally indulge in sketching one or two strokes, or visit the courtyard to accompany the two elderly people. Life was quite leisurely.
She returned to the courtyard several times but never encountered Chu Yunrong or Shen Xitong, who were said to be busy organizing Shen Xitong’s personal concert.
Yan Shengyu obtained Shen Qinglan’s phone number from someone else, but as soon as he called, she hung up. When he tried again, he found that he couldn’t get through. He realized that he had been blocked.
Yan Shengyu felt helpless, wondering if he was truly that annoying.
Shen Qinglan lay on a sun lounge chair, slowly nibbling through a book when her phone rang. Seeing the caller’s name, she reached out to answer it.
"Qinglan, Qinglan, I..." As soon as the call connected, Yu Xiaoxuan’s excited voice came through.
"Qinglan, I’m so excited, I’m really thrilled."
"I know you’re excited. Let’s calm down first and tell me what’s gotten you so happy." Shen Qinglan’s voice was leisurely and pleasant, calming Yu Xiaoxuan down instantly, though she couldn’t suppress the smile on her lips.
"Qinglan, I was actually selected by a film crew." Yu Xiaoxuan’s excited voice almost pierced Shen Qinglan’s eardrums, prompting her to hold the phone further away to spare her ear.
"Selected by a film crew? What’s going on?"
"Well, I was in Jinning City for a vacation, and I happened to come across a film crew shooting a movie. Can you believe it, my favorite star, An Yue, was there? I wanted to take a picture with her, but I couldn’t disturb her while she was filming, so I waited nearby. You know how hot it is now, I was sweating all over..." Yu Xiaoxuan babbled on.
"Get to the point." Shen Qinglan’s voice had a hint of patience.
"Oh, oh, the point is, one of the actors in the crew suddenly felt unwell, and they recruited actors on the spot. I got selected. Haha, Qinglan, I’m so excited, I can have close contact with An Yue."
"What role are you playing?" Shen Qinglan asked.
"Of course, the ever-lovable, charm-to-flowers, burst-car-tires role of...passerby A." At the mention of those last words, Yu Xiaoxuan’s voice became low as a mosquito. If not for Shen Qinglan’s exceptional hearing, she might not have caught it.
Shen Qinglan: ...She had anticipated this.
Most of the actors in the film crew were pre-determined. Even when actors had unexpected situations, they wouldn’t recruit on the spot, except for extras.
"But what does it matter? This is my first time in front of the camera, and I even got to wear a costume for a period drama! I took pictures, and I’ll send them to you later." Yu Xiaoxuan was bursting with enthusiasm.
This was her first acting experience. Although it was just as "passerby A," it was still acting.
Shen Qinglan didn’t intend to mock Yu Xiaoxuan. She appreciated this simple and happy side of her.
"Qinglan, I won’t talk anymore, it’s my turn." Yu Xiaoxuan hurriedly hung up. After a while, Shen Qinglan’s phone received a notification from WeChat.
Shen Qinglan opened it and saw a photo of Yu Xiaoxuan wearing an ancient-style coarse cloth robe with an accessory on her head. Her face was casually adorned with two strokes of makeup, showing the obvious half-heartedness of the makeup artist, which made Yu Xiaoxuan’s natural beauty appear diminished.
Shen Qinglan was helpless; was this the super beautiful costume Yu Xiaoxuan mentioned?
But seeing Yu Xiaoxuan showing such passion for something was rare. Should she lend a helping hand? Shen Qinglan propped her chin, pondering.
About an hour later, Yu Xiaoxuan’s call came in, "Qinglan, I have wrapped up the shoot."
Shen Qinglan couldn’t help but pull the corners of her mouth into a slight smile, thinking, well, a scene of ’passerby A’ wrapped up, so should I congratulate you, you silly child.
"Xiaoxuan, are you really interested in acting?" Shen Qinglan asked.