I Miss You Even in the Daytime [Rebirth GL] - Chapter 11

“A student at Huachuan too?” Xu Liming was surprised. “The coursework at Huachuan is so heavy; where does she find the time to work?”

“I wonder about that too, but she’s quite efficient and does a clean job. Even though she can only come on weekends now that school has started, I haven’t let her go,” Chen Yan replied. “Her contact info is on the work phone. I don’t have it with me now, but I’ll find her number for you when I get back.”

“No rush,” Xu Liming said.

As they spoke, they had already reached the entrance of the milk tea shop. It was located by the river with nice scenery and decor. The interior was spacious, currently occupied by many students catching up on homework.

“Hello, ordering please.” The counter was empty, so Xu Liming called out toward the back.

No one answered.

Strange, I just saw the clerk handing out flyers at the door. Gone that fast? Xu Liming tucked her hands in her pockets and craned her neck to look behind the counter.

A few more people gathered behind her, all wondering where the staff had gone. As the wait grew longer, they began to grumble and complain.

“Is anyone there? We’re going to be late for class!” someone shouted while tapping the counter. Under the repeated calls, someone finally emerged.

Or at least, something roughly human. Xu Liming’s slender eyebrows arched slightly as she stared at the “bear” walking out from behind the door.

It was likely a bear costume left over from a store anniversary or similar event. The person was tightly bundled in the furry suit, topped with a massive headpiece that made every movement look comical.

Only a pair of hands was visible, tremblingly tapping orders on the screen and turning back to prepare the tea.

“Can she even see?” someone whispered behind them. “Why wear that to make milk tea?”

The “bear” waved a paw in front of Xu Liming without a word, gesturing for her to order. Still in a state of surprise, Xu Liming stammered a few times before remembering what she wanted.

“Two peach oolong teas,” Xu Liming said.

Carrying the drinks, Xu Liming found a window seat facing the river and sat down with Chen Yan.

Chen Yan looked back at the bulky bear silhouette. “Huachuan really lives up to being a top media school; it really is different from other universities.”

“It’s alright,” Xu Liming nodded. “How’s the pub lately?”

“So-so. I want to take on more commercial performances to build a reputation. I’ve been busy contacting singers lately; I’m exhausted.” Chen Yan took a sip of her fruit tea and sighed.

“What about you? How’s school?”

“Not great.” Xu Liming shook her head and told Chen Yan about her recent struggle to find actors, treating it as a vent.

“Xia Qie is at your school too?” Chen Yan’s voice was loud, drawing several stares. “I’m a fan of hers! Look, I was even helping her argue online yesterday!”

“Argue about what?” Xu Liming didn’t follow celebrities and sounded disinterested.

“Arguing with the rival fandom. Look at this new actress—she’s getting extra scenes in Xia Qie’s new drama. A second female lead with as much screen time as the lead. I’ve been scolding her on Weibo for two days.” Chen Yan got more excited about celebrity gossip than making money. “I heard she’s a ‘resource player’—brought her own funding to the production.”

Chen Yan shoved her phone over. The screen showed a promotional still of a woman dressed in Xianxia (fantasy) robes, standing elegantly atop a cliff.

Why does she look so familiar? Xu Liming took the phone to examine the image repeatedly, then clicked on the name.

Qin Zhaohe.

Xu Liming’s grip on the phone turned white. A wave of immense joy almost made her jump up in the milk tea shop.

In this rebirth, how could she have forgotten Qin Zhaohe? In her past life, Qin Zhaohe won a Golden Trophy Award for a period drama; it reversed her reputation, and her acting skills became undeniable. She was one of the most illustrious figures among Huachuan alumni.

However, before winning that award, Qin Zhaohe was a textbook example of a “bad” actress in the industry. She was rumored to have a poor personality, mountains of scandals, and anti-fans who were more active than her supporters.

What if I could get her to star in my play? Xu Liming gripped the phone tight.

Chen Yan took a call and hurried off shortly after. After finishing her tea, Xu Liming stood up, intending to find out which grade Qin Zhaohe was in.

She remembered the woman wasn’t much older than her; she shouldn’t have graduated yet.

However, just as she rose, a group of people entered the shop amidst laughter. The leader was Lin Wan, her gentle smile making the entire shop seem brighter.

Upon seeing Xu Liming, the laughter stopped abruptly. They exchanged glances, walked past her, and took seats by the window.

The one with the braided hair was Xia Qie. Her face was perfectly suited for the big screen—her features were so symmetrical one couldn’t find a flaw. Her face had the perfect amount of “white space,” giving off a gentle yet grand aura. People turned their heads wherever she went.

She gave Xu Liming a polite smile.

“Wanwan, I feel like our rehearsals are almost done. We’re definitely getting first prize this time,” Tang Qian said, seemingly loud enough on purpose for Xu Liming to hear. “As for those irresponsible people who ran away at the last minute, let them regret it!”

Lin Wan didn’t take the bait, but she cast a subtle glance at Xu Liming. Two junior male actors with them laughed out loud.

Xu Liming tilted her head, listening. Suddenly, she turned and walked to their table, leaning over politely. “Excuse me.”

“Are you talking about me?”

She was so excessively sincere that the smiles of Tang Qian and the others cracked. They laughed awkwardly a few more times.

“No, just joking around,” Tang Qian said. “I heard from Wanwan that you plan to direct your own play. How is it? What stage are you at?”

Xu Liming was about to speak when she was interrupted by one of the male actors. “Forget it. How can you put together a crew at this point? The leftovers are all people no one wants; you probably won’t even pass the preliminary review.”

“University students from all over the country can participate in this Drama Festival. Unless you have an exceptionally good script, you’ll definitely be cut,” Tang Qian smiled again.

“Exactly. And a good script needs good people to perform it. If you get stuck with people who don’t know anything and just idle through the day, the ‘pearl’ will just be buried in the dust,” the male actor said, leaning back and looking at Xu Liming.

“Senior,” Xia Qie frowned to stop him.

Xu Liming knew she was being blatantly targeted.

A smile remained on her lips, but it was like March sunshine—bright, yet freezing cold.

A bulky figure appeared beside her. The figure suddenly stumbled. The group of people who had been sitting so glamorously a moment ago suddenly turned pale with fright and scrambled up in distress.

Xu Liming, nearly caught in the crossfire, quickly took a step back.

The “bear” from the counter was holding a tray. The cups on the tray were now overturned and empty on the table. Half the liquid was dripping off the table, and the other half had been distributed quite evenly over the group.

“Don’t you have eyes?!” Tang Qian’s white dress was now a sticky, dirty mess. she screamed in rage. “Pay for my clothes! Where is your manager? I want to report you!”

Xia Qie was relatively okay, only her sleeves were wet. The two boys were a total wreck. Lin Wan, despite sitting furthest away, was the most miserable—the drink had been poured over her head. Her beautiful curls were stuck damply to her face, and her makeup was half-ruined.

Her usually gentle face was now dark enough to drip ink.

“Did you do that on purpose?” Lin Wan bit her lip. “Why are you wearing a headpiece to make drinks?”

She reached forward to grab the “bear,” but her hand was blocked. She caught only air. Looking up, Xu Liming was staring down at her.

Those dark eyes were like a plummeting abyss. Lin Wan froze.

Xu Liming pulled the “bear” out the door. By the time the others realized and tried to give chase, the shop door had already been slammed shut. The two boys nearly hit the glass head-on.

“Xu Liming, you—”

“She’s just a worker who slipped up. It’s just a few dresses and suits. You guys are the campus stars; surely you aren’t this petty?” Xu Liming’s narrow eyes crinkled into a smile. Her tall frame stood firmly in front of the door.

“No, on what grounds—” Tang Qian cried out indignantly, but was cut off again by Xu Liming.

“Your entire outfit combined isn’t worth more than a thousand yuan. I’ll pay you back. Why the anger?” Xu Liming played the “arrogant rich kid” persona to the hilt. “As for you, wearing such cheap stuff, what are you so anxious about?”

Xu Liming knew exactly how to provoke people. She tilted her chin toward the junior male actor. A few snickers came from the onlookers.

“Think you’re so great because you have some stinking money!” The guy’s face turned beet red. “Huachuan has no shortage of rich people. Who do you think you are? Why so arrogant!”

“Oh, sorry,” Xu Liming said. She took out her phone and tapped a few numbers. “The clothes are on me. I’ve already transferred the money.”

“Also.” She tucked her hands in her pockets and tilted her head with a smile. “The rehearsal space you’re using was rented with my money. Since I don’t ‘count’ as anything, I’m taking that place back. My own crew needs to use it anyway.”

“Bye. See you at the preliminaries.” She waved at the group of people whose expressions were now incredibly complex. In an excellent mood, she turned, pushed the door open, and strode away.

Xu Liming, having won that round, felt much taller. Humming a little tune, she looked for the “bear” and eventually found “it” in a corner of the athletic field.

Few people came to this corner of the field. A lush magnolia tree stood there; it was the season for magnolias to bloom. There wasn’t a single leaf on the tree, only countless flowers occupying the branches, ambitiously reaching for the sky.

The “bear” sat under the magnolia with its back to her, its large head bowed, looking stout and honest from behind.

The tune Xu Liming was humming stopped. She stood there puzzled for a while, then walked over slowly and picked a fallen magnolia petal off the bear’s head.

Xu Liming crouched down and reached out to remove the headpiece. Suddenly, two hands reached up to hold the head in place, refusing to let go.

“Let go,” Xu Liming said.

The hands exposed to the daylight were covered in scars. It was already spring, but the marks from healed chilblains remained.

The two hands stayed still for a moment, then moved away, very obediently.

Xu Liming lifted the headpiece. The trapped heat inside was dispersed by the wind. A girl drenched in sweat was exposed to the light. Two strands of hair were stuck to the corner of her mouth. Her skin was like the surface of a glacier, flushed with a clear red.

Her lips were tightly pursed, and she was trembling with anger.

“I thought you didn’t fight back?” Xu Liming was genuinely baffled. She took out a tissue and handed it to the girl. “What happened today? Why such a big scene?”

“Hmm? Lu Baitian.”