Acting Out of Character (GL) - Chapter 18

Holding the roasted squab she had craved yesterday and received today, Chen Ge thanked Luo Jingyi, then fell into deep thought.

How did Sister Luo know I wanted roasted squab?

She even knew I liked it with especially crispy skin?!

Luo Jingyi patted her shoulder and gave her a meaningful smile, making Chen Ge feel even more uneasy.

Luo Jingyi and Feng Yunxin headed upstairs together. Chen Ge’s gaze followed them for a while.

Just as the two were about to reach the second floor, Feng Yunxin’s expression suddenly changed at something Luo Jingyi said, and both of them stopped.

Chen Ge’s heart gave a nervous thump too.

Were they arguing?

Why?

Feng Yunxin said, “What? You’re leaving the day after tomorrow? Why so soon? That isn’t what you said yesterday!”

“I never planned to stay for very long. I have a pile of work waiting in Beijing.”

“What about gathering material in the village?”

“I’ll do that tomorrow. Arrange somewhere for me to stay.”

“…Then what about our filming?”

“What? I’m only a temporary guest who came to save your show. You still can’t finish filming my scenes after another full day?”

“Well…”

Luo Jingyi stood facing her with both arms crossed over her chest, leaning against the wall as she questioned her:

“Feng Yunxin, tell me the truth. You lied about me being a temporary guest too, didn’t you? From the very beginning, you intended for me to remain with the production as a permanent guest.”

Now that the conversation had reached this point, Feng Yunxin could no longer hide it.

“We don’t have any temporary guests. Everyone is already paired up. If you leave, someone will be left without a partner.”

“Then form a group of three. I guarantee it’ll be even more entertaining than a same-sex CP.”

Feng Yunxin: “??”

Luo Jingyi turned to leave, but Feng Yunxin grabbed her.

“Sister, what’s so urgent? Can’t you delay it a little?”

“I genuinely can’t.”

“Is it still because of the female lead for A Minor’s Final Wish?”

“Of course. Director Tao found three more actresses and wants me to return and evaluate them in person. If I don’t settle the female lead soon, someone on the creative team might jump off a building.”

Feng Yunxin was confused. “We’re already in the 5G era. Do you still need to return personally to watch actresses audition? Can’t you hold video auditions? They’re quick and convenient.”

Luo Jingyi retorted, “Even in the 10G era, you’d still need to see someone in person to know whether she’s suitable.”

“Why do you need to see her in person? When the movie is released, audiences will still watch her through a screen. They won’t see her in real life.”

It was rare for Feng Yunxin to strike directly at one of Luo Jingyi’s arguments.

Luo Jingyi paused, then refused to continue debating.

“I’m definitely leaving the day after tomorrow.”

Leaving that sentence behind, Luo Jingyi went upstairs with a cold expression.

Feng Yunxin let out a heavy sigh and followed, continuing to nag her.

To an outsider, the two lovers were undoubtedly having an argument.

Feng Yunxin questioned her first, then Luo Jingyi angrily walked away. Regretting it immediately, Feng Yunxin hurried after her to coax her…

The warmth from the roasted squab faintly reached Chen Ge’s palm through the plastic bag. After thinking for a moment, she placed it inside the refrigerator.

“Sister Yiii—just give me three more days! Only three!”

Feng Yunxin followed Luo Jingyi upstairs into her private lounge. Luo Jingyi began touching up her makeup in front of the mirror, while Feng Yunxin immediately closed the door and threw herself forward, wailing miserably:

“Sister Yi, you came here to gather material. How could one day possibly be enough? How about this? Give me three more days, and I guarantee I’ll collect every piece of information you need! Starting today, I’ll send people door to door to ask around. You want to investigate that murder in Li Village from years ago, don’t you? Your esteemed long legs might be very long, but wouldn’t visiting every household still be exhausting? Isn’t it better to leave that kind of errand to me? Whether it’s the truth or fragmented village rumors, I’ll collect everything! On the day you leave, I’ll present it all to you with both hands. All right?”

Seeing Luo Jingyi remain unmoved, Feng Yunxin simply sat on a cushion and rested her head against Luo Jingyi’s thigh, looking pitiful.

“Sister Yi, this benefits both of us… You’re already the funniest person in the whole production. You’re my pillar of support! If you leave now, this variety show will genuinely collapse!”

Luo Jingyi truly did not want to take responsibility for this mess.

But when she saw the tears in Feng Yunxin’s eyes, she remembered the school rooftop many years ago, when Feng Yunxin had held her in her arms and patiently comforted and stayed beside her…

Luo Jingyi sighed, took out her phone, and began sending a WeChat message.

Feng Yunxin said, “…Are you truly this cold-blooded?!”

Luo Jingyi looked at her over the top of the phone. “I’m telling Director Tao to give me another three days. I’ll return to Beijing after that.”

Feng Yunxin immediately stopped looking pitiful and sat upright.

“Really?!”

“No matter what happens, I’m leaving after three days.”

“All right, all right! I won’t stop you! Not only will I let you leave, I’ll even organize the entire village to send you off!”

“I’ll make you a list of the information I need. You must conduct proper interviews,” Luo Jingyi said. “Finding the people involved would be best.”

“I’ll do my best!”

“How did it become ‘your best’? You must handle it properly.”

“I’ll definitely do my best to handle it properly!”

Luo Jingyi: “…”

The day’s filming was relatively relaxed.

Perhaps because the guests had been worked nearly to death the previous day, Feng Yunxin humanely adjusted the schedule. Another session of intense physical labor might genuinely have resulted in workplace injuries.

In the morning, while the weather was still tolerable, everyone went to pick fruit together.

Sun Ruibin asked warily, “Is this another competition?”

Feng Yunxin laughed. “It isn’t a competition. Look at how frightened you are. We only need to film some scenes of the partners cooperating.”

Feng Yunxin kept her word. Everyone spent the morning picking cherries, which was not tiring at all.

Luo Jingyi remained fully covered. Although no one could see her face, anyone with not even a tiny patch of facial skin exposed could only be her.

The morning’s footage was visibly dull.

After lunch, the heat swept over everyone, leaving them sleepy and dazed. Soon, they had all fallen asleep.

Chen Ge had woken up late that morning, so she was not particularly tired. There was still half an hour before filming resumed in the afternoon.

Holding her tablet, she went to the quiet end of the corridor and sat on a small swing near the backyard to watch the Indian film Andhadhun.

As she watched, she began feeling nauseated.

Chen Ge had originally been swinging gently, but when the nausea surged upward, she stopped.

At first, she assumed the movement of the swing had made her uncomfortable. But even after sitting still for a long while, the nausea did not fade. Instead, it grew stronger.

Pressing one hand against her chest, Chen Ge placed the tablet on a small cabinet nearby and tried to stand and stretch.

Unexpectedly, the instant she stood, the urge to vomit became even more intense!

She immediately covered her mouth and ran toward the nearest bathroom.

Feng Yunxin had not slept at noon. The rough cut of the first episode had arrived, and she needed to review it.

Afterward, she still had to send revision notes to the editors.

Evening was prime filming time, and once they started, it was easy to lose track of the hours.

Although Feng Yunxin had promised both herself and the crew before filming began that she would never make them stay up late, she had not gone to sleep until three in the morning the previous night.

There was no helping it. The production schedule was too tight. She had to use every available minute.

She had not had a bowel movement yesterday, so she needed to sit for a while today.

Feng Yunxin brought her laptop into the bathroom, planning to review the footage while using the toilet.

She had barely sat down when Luo Jingyi knocked on the door.

“You’re in there?”

Feng Yunxin said, “I just came in!”

“How long?”

“At least half an hour.”

“…Half an hour? What are you doing in there that requires half an hour?”

“I’m cultivating inspiration.”

“I don’t know whether you’ll cultivate inspiration, but if you keep sitting there, you’ll probably cultivate hemorrhoids.”

Feng Yunxin: “…”

The third-floor bathroom was occupied by Feng Yunxin. Luo Jingyi had not wanted to use the bathroom downstairs, but the second-floor toilet was clogged.

Luo Jingyi only glanced inside from the doorway and nearly went blind.

There was no possibility of Luo Jingyi unclogging a toilet blocked by someone else. After telling a staff member about it, she drew a cross in front of herself and headed toward the first floor.

The first-floor bathroom had been renovated. It contained two stalls and a sink, resembling a public restroom.

After entering, Luo Jingyi used her perfume like disinfectant, spraying it repeatedly into the air. Then she looked around carefully, opened a stall, and inspected every corner with vigilance…

Barely acceptable.

Using disinfectant wipes, Luo Jingyi cleaned the toilet seat again and again before covering both the seat and the inside of the bowl with toilet paper.

This ensured that she would not directly touch any surface someone else had used and that the toilet water would not splash onto her backside.

Once she finished, she wiped and disinfected the faucet again, washed her hands slowly, dried them thoroughly, and carefully applied hand cream.

After completing the entire process, Luo Jingyi felt completely refreshed.

Just as she was about to push the door open, it opened by itself, and Chen Ge plunged headfirst into her arms.

Luo Jingyi said, “What…?”

“I’m sorry, Sister Luo, I…”

When Chen Ge looked up, her face was frighteningly pale.

She only managed half a sentence before suddenly needing to vomit.

Chen Ge immediately rushed toward the sink.

Holding onto the sink, she vomited violently enough to lose all sense of heaven and earth. Some of it even splashed onto Luo Jingyi’s arm, though Luo Jingyi did not notice.

With one hand, Luo Jingyi firmly supported Chen Ge’s arm to prevent her from losing her balance and falling.

With the other, she gathered Chen Ge’s long hair, which kept falling forward, to keep it clean.

In the end, Chen Ge had nothing left to vomit and could only retch dryly.

Luo Jingyi noticed that very little had come out despite how violently ill she appeared. Chen Ge was swaying as if she might collapse, which did not seem normal.

The intense wave of vomiting finally eased, but Chen Ge remained severely dizzy and miserable.

A staff member happened to enter to use the bathroom. Luo Jingyi told her to bring some bottled water.

The staff member immediately ran out and returned just as quickly. By the time she brought the water, Luo Jingyi had already wiped Chen Ge’s face and mouth clean.

Chen Ge’s entire body was limp as dough, and she could not stand at all. Yet she remained aware that Luo Jingyi was holding her and lifted one hand to push a little space between them.

Luo Jingyi did not understand what she meant. Why was she forcing herself to remain strong? A faint irritation arose within her.

But when she saw Chen Ge’s lashes wet with tears and her brows tightly drawn from obvious discomfort, Luo Jingyi’s heart softened again.

She twisted open the bottle and told Chen Ge to drink some water.

After accepting it, Chen Ge weakly said, “Thank you.”

Seeing her leaning against the wall as though she might slide to the floor at any moment while still refusing assistance, Luo Jingyi asked:

“What’s wrong with you?”

“…I don’t know.” Chen Ge lowered her head and closed her eyes. “Heatstroke?”

“It doesn’t look like it,” Luo Jingyi said.

The staff member who had brought the water said, “Looking at you, could it be food poisoning?”

“Food poisoning?” Luo Jingyi asked. “Didn’t all of you eat the same boxed meals at lunch? If it were food poisoning, everyone should be sick. Do you feel anything unusual?”

The staff member shook her head. “Nothing in particular.”

Luo Jingyi suddenly thought of the roasted squab she had brought from the hotel.

Could Chen Ge have become ill after eating it?

The hotel’s Chinese restaurant truly was unreliable. The Dongshan lamb last time had already been questionable…

Luo Jingyi began regretting it. She already knew the hotel’s food might have problems, so why had she still given it to Chen Ge?

She had only wanted to let Chen Ge enjoy something better instead of eating those dreadful boxed meals every day.

Unexpectedly, her good intentions might have caused harm.

Chen Ge began vomiting again. This time, nothing came out, making it even more painful.

Luo Jingyi could no longer watch. “Whatever the problem is, we need to take her to a hospital immediately.”

“What happened?”

Feng Yunxin came downstairs and happened upon the scene.

Luo Jingyi said, “Lend me your car.”

“Huh? Where are you going? What’s wrong with Chen Ge?”

Breathing heavily, Chen Ge looked at Feng Yunxin through tear-filled eyes.

Feng Yunxin did not seem particularly willing to lend Luo Jingyi the car.

Chen Ge said, “There’s no need. I’ll be fine after resting for a while…”

Growing impatient, Luo Jingyi stepped forward and pulled her upright.

“Stop forcing yourself. Go to the hospital and get examined. If it truly is food poisoning, it could be dangerous.”

Chen Ge was too dizzy and confused to resist. Luo Jingyi practically carried her in her arms as they walked outside.

Feng Yunxin stared in shock.

The Empress Dowager was actually being this considerate. Had the sun risen from the west?

Chen Ge had no idea how she ended up inside the car. She felt like a small boat being tossed helplessly upon enormous waves.

When she regained awareness, she found herself sitting in the passenger seat while Luo Jingyi fastened her seat belt.

Feng Yunxin stood outside the car window with an expression of disbelief. After watching for a while, she left. There was still a mountain of work waiting inside.

Seeing her expression, Chen Ge unfastened the seat belt again.

“I’m not going,” Chen Ge said. “I don’t want to go.”

She genuinely began struggling.

Luo Jingyi did not know what she was thinking, and she had never possessed the patience to wait on others.

She caught Chen Ge’s flailing wrist and forced her still.

“You don’t have a choice.”

Fire burned in Luo Jingyi’s eyes.

Chen Ge’s breathing grew heavier. Because of the nausea and dizziness, tears continued falling uncontrollably.

Looking at Luo Jingyi from close range, she enunciated each word clearly:

“Since you chose Director Feng, you should treat her properly… You should be devoted to her.”

The car was silent. The scent of white musk from Luo Jingyi’s body quickly overwhelmed the car fragrance Feng Yunxin usually used.

Luo Jingyi stared coldly at Chen Ge.

“What did you say?”

Chen Ge took a deep breath. Unafraid of her dangerous gaze, she repeated:

“I don’t need you to take care of me. Please remain faithful.”

“Faithful to whom?”

“Director Feng…”

“Why should I be faithful to her?”

Chen Ge: “??”

Something felt wrong.

“Aren’t you and Director Feng… dating?”

Luo Jingyi said, “Me, dating her? We’re both women. What kind of relationship would we have?”

Chen Ge became so frightened that she seemed to lose weight on the spot.

“What? You aren’t lovers?”

“Who said I was her lover? Have you gone insane, or have I?!”

Chen Ge: “…”

So they were not lovers at all?

Chen Ge: “??”

Remembering every misunderstanding from the past several days made Chen Ge even dizzier.

Who am I? Where am I…?

Was it too late to climb out of the car window and escape?