One Pet Gets Married

Chapter 70

As the film progressed, Liao Bixin, who played Xiao Yujun's close friend Le Ya, gained more screen time.

Liao Bixin's feelings towards Song Xici and Tang You'an had become rather complex. She loved Qi Sheng, but never imagined he would engage in such reckless behavior behind her back. Should she thank the two for exposing this? Otherwise, she might have remained oblivious.

Yet Liao Bixin also resented them bitterly. After all, they had become "heroes" of sorts, with crew members, fans, and media alike fawning over them.

Meanwhile, wherever she went, she was bombarded with questions like "What are your thoughts on Qi Sheng's arrest?", "Did you know about Qi Sheng's actions?", and "Was your relationship with Qi Sheng just for show?"

Now when people thought of her, they first thought "girlfriend of an unforgivable criminal" or "her boyfriend is scum," before considering her as "actress Liao Bixin."

Moreover, after Qi Sheng's imprisonment, the "Pilgrimage Site" account dedicated to slandering Song Xici ceased updating. This led the public to speculate whether Qi Sheng and Liao Bixin were behind it. Consequently, a flood of netizens began hurling abuse in her Weibo comments, forcing her to disable the comment function.

Liao Bixin, thrust into the eye of the storm, was struggling immensely during this period.

Under these circumstances, having to play best friends with Song Xici felt like a fate worse than death. Watching those who once stood by her side, indignant that she hadn't secured the role of Xiao Yujun, now flocking to Song Xici's camp, her mental state deteriorated further. During her scenes, she frequently required multiple takes.

The constant retakes were bad enough, but worse still, her temper had become uncontrollable. She found herself berating her three assistants in public at the slightest provocation.

Once, when an assistant handed Liao Bixin a cup of hot water, she suddenly flew into a rage, blurting out, "How am I supposed to drink water this scalding? Are you trying to burn me?"

Tang You'an glanced at her without comment, merely raising an eyebrow before turning away and closing her eyes for the makeup artist to touch up her makeup.

Whether due to her high aptitude, dedication, thorough research, or perhaps because the character's temperament aligned closely with her own, Tang You'an portrayed Feng Liuyue effortlessly, rarely requiring retakes.

As for Song Xici, she had initially hit a bottleneck in her acting, struggling to break through. However, taking on this role and abandoning many of her previous techniques proved beneficial. Her performance was now astonishing.

Both actresses were excelling, accelerating the filming process beyond expectations. Before they knew it, half the movie had been shot.

In the film, the female lead Feng Liuyue's personality had transformed. She had locked away her feelings for Xiao Yujun, gradually becoming cold and indifferent. Simultaneously, she finally shouldered the responsibility for her race that she had previously neglected, engaging in a complex dance of love and conflict with Xiao Yujun, each setting traps for the other.

At this point in the plot, Feng Liuyue believed Xiao Yujun no longer harbored any feelings for her. Consequently, her every move was ruthlessly calculated, seemingly intent on driving Xiao Yujun to the brink of despair.

Xiao Yujun, while appearing carefree, had always reserved a place in her heart for Feng Liuyue. Thus, she had never truly done anything cruel to Feng Liuyue.

With Ouyang Du's call of "Cut!", the final shot of the day concluded.

As time passed, both actresses' skills had become increasingly refined. The level of chemistry between them left everyone on set astounded.

Who could have imagined that Tang You'an, rumored to be a terrible actress, could perform so brilliantly? And who would have thought that Song Xici, reportedly only capable of playing innocent or saintly characters, could portray Xiao Yujun's allure so convincingly?

"Impressive. I never expected you to interpret this character so well. It seems love really does make a difference," Chen Shihan teased Song Xici.

Hearing this, Song Xici tilted her head and said, "What are you talking about..."

However, despite her words, a smile lingered on Song Xici's lips as she turned to look at Tang You'an, who stood nearby with folded arms, conversing with Han Yan.

"Tch," Chen Shihan raised an eyebrow at Song Xici, "Unbearable."

After finishing her chat with Han Yan, Tang You'an bid farewell and walked over to Song Xici. "Let's go change. Once we're done, we'll have dinner with Zhou Yi and the others."

"Alright." Song Xici nodded immediately and headed towards the changing room.

However, after a few steps, Song Xici suddenly looked up at the sky and sighed, "Ah."

"What's wrong?" Tang You'an asked, turning her head.

"It's nothing," Song Xici shook her head, "I was just thinking that Xiao Yujun and I are quite similar in some ways. That's not good."

"You mean like saying one thing but meaning another?" Tang You'an asked with a smile.

Song Xici glanced at her, running a hand through her hair without responding.

"That's right. Loving someone but pretending not to. Just like you," Tang You'an leaned close to Song Xici's ear, "Wanting something but saying you don't. That's indeed not good..."

"Stop it!" Song Xici immediately turned around, covering Tang You'an's mouth with her hand. Her face flushed as she glanced around, afraid someone might have overheard. Though Tang You'an hadn't said anything particularly revealing, and even if someone had heard, they probably wouldn't have immediately thought of anything untoward. It was only Song Xici's guilty conscience and impure thoughts that made her react so...

Seeing her flustered expression, Tang You'an couldn't help but laugh. She lowered Song Xici's hand but kept a firm grip on it. Song Xici allowed her to hold her hand, her smile growing sweeter.

After changing into casual clothes, they sat in the back of the car, heading to the restaurant where they had agreed to meet Zhou Yi and Chang Ye.

When they arrived, Zhou Yi and Chang Ye hadn't shown up yet. About ten minutes later, the door creaked open.

Tang You'an turned her head to see Zhou Yi entering through the narrow opening.

She wore a black fitted top with a black lace skirt, topped with a light sapphire blue jacket.

Her attire was cool-toned, as was her makeup, but it was evident that she had put more effort into her appearance than usual.

"Mm." Zhou Yi nodded, entering the room and glancing around.

However, she saw no sign of Chang Ye.

"Please, have a seat," Tang You'an spoke up, gesturing to a nearby chair.

"Alright," Zhou Yi shifted her gaze to her, nodding before placing her bag on the chair back and sitting down. "How has your wound been healing lately, Miss Tang?"

"It's been good. At this rate, I think it should be fully healed before long," Tang You'an replied with a smile.

"That's good, but you should still be careful and not let your guard down," Zhou Yi said, picking up a cup of tea that had already been poured.

As she rotated the cup in her fingers, Zhou Yi's gaze drifted to the place setting beside her.

In her bag, she still had two tickets to a musical.

She wanted to invite Chang Ye, but feared being gently rejected with an excuse like "I'm a bit busy lately, maybe you could find someone else."

"I'll ask Chang Ye where she is," Song Xici said, picking up her phone and opening her WeChat conversation with Chang Ye before sending a voice message.

Hearing this, Zhou Yi couldn't help but turn her head to look.

"Where are you now?" Song Xici asked when the voice call connected.

"Almost here? Good, we'll wait for you to arrive before ordering," Song Xici said with a smile before ending the call.

Zhou Yi exhaled, picking up her teacup and taking a quiet sip. She had thought Chang Ye might cancel at the last minute.

A while later, there was a knock at the door, and Chang Ye appeared in everyone's view.

Wearing a cotton t-shirt with a light jacket and a pair of jeans, she was dressed casually and comfortably when not working.

Upon seeing her, Song Xici put down her phone. "Come, sit down."

"Alright." Chang Ye smiled, walking towards them while holding her purse strap.

After glancing at the place settings and chairs, Chang Ye sat down next to Zhou Yi and set down her bag. "Sorry, there was some traffic."

"It's fine," Tang You'an shook her head with a smile. "We're just glad you made it."

"Mm," Chang Ye nodded, then turned slightly to look at Zhou Yi, who was sitting ramrod straight beside her. After a moment's hesitation, she spoke, "Long time no see."

Zhou Yi was startled by this, then nodded. "Long time no see. Have you been busy lately?"

"Same as usual," Chang Ye said, staring at the cup in front of her.

"Oh." Zhou Yi nodded.

"Now that everyone's here, let's order," Song Xici said, handing a menu towards Zhou Yi and Chang Ye. She then opened another menu and spread it out in front of Tang You'an. "Here, You'an, let's look together."

"Mm," Tang You'an nodded. "This boiled fish looks delicious..."

"You can't eat that, even if they order it!" Song Xici immediately vetoed the idea. "I'll hit you if you dare eat it!"

Tang You'an laughed. "Alright, alright, I won't eat it. I'll listen to whatever my wife says."

Hearing this, Song Xici glanced at her. "What did you say?"

"I said I won't eat it."

"No, I mean... the part after that..." Song Xici scratched her head.

"My wife," Tang You'an said with a smile.

Song Xici broke into a grin, then reached out to link her arm with Tang You'an's, resting her head on her shoulder as they continued perusing the menu.

Chang Ye watched the couple sitting across from her, momentarily lost in thought. Once upon a time, she too had called Zhou Yi "wife" all the time.

The four of them ordered one soup and five dishes, just the right amount. Between chatting and eating, time flew by quickly.

Tang You'an and Song Xici had to leave early since they needed to pack for their departure the next morning, so they couldn't linger long after finishing their meal.

After saying goodbye at the hotel entrance, Zhou Yi turned to look at Chang Ye standing beside her. Just as she was about to ask if Chang Ye had time for a walk, Chang Ye spoke first: "Well, goodbye then."

Zhou Yi was taken aback. "Are you planning to head back now?"

"Mm." Chang Ye nodded.

"Then let me drive you home," Zhou Yi offered.

"It's alright, you must be busy too..."

"I'll drive you," Zhou Yi insisted, her gaze unwavering.

Chang Ye paused, considered for a moment, then finally nodded. "Well... thank you. Sorry for the trouble."

Hearing this, Zhou Yi looked at her, then shook her head and walked towards her car.

After years apart, their relationship had changed, along with the tone of their conversations. They now spoke with such politeness, as if they were newly acquainted friends.

The drive was silent, with no music playing in the car. The quiet was palpable. City lights flickered and neon signs flashed by, unconsciously making their breathing shallow and light.

"This area has really developed nicely in the past few years. It's much more beautiful than when we were in school," Chang Ye said softly, looking out the window as they crossed a bridge, her gaze fixed on the commercial district across the way.

"Yes, when we were students, that area was mostly old houses. We used to frequent that street food alley quite often," Zhou Yi glanced in that direction.

"Ah, yes. Uncle Chen's fried rice cakes were incredibly delicious. Even you, who swore never to eat rice cakes, broke your vow," Chang Ye said, her head swaying slightly with the car's movement as she looked outside. "Then I tried to learn how to make them. It took so many attempts before I finally got the flavor right. After that, you were always pestering me to make them for you. You turned into such a little glutton, completely shattering your image."

Hearing this, Zhou Yi couldn't help but turn to look at her. Chang Ye's eyebrows were slightly raised, a soft smile playing on her lips.

Suddenly feeling strange about reminiscing like this, Chang Ye glanced at Zhou Yi before lowering her head and falling silent, merely adjusting her clothes.

"So..." Zhou Yi stared straight ahead, gripping the steering wheel tightly, "Could I taste them again?"

"Huh?"

"Is that possible?" Zhou Yi asked again.

Chang Ye looked at her for a moment, then squeezed her hands resting on her lap. "It is."

Hearing this affirmative response, Zhou Yi instinctively turned to look at her before facing forward again, checking the navigation and then the road ahead, the corners of her mouth turning up slightly.

After more than half an hour, Zhou Yi finally pulled up in front of Chang Ye's residence.

As Zhou Yi parked the car, Chang Ye unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to her. "I'll head up now..."

"Wait..." Zhou Yi suddenly called out to her.

"Hm?" Chang Ye looked at her, tilting her head slightly.

"I want to eat them now," Zhou Yi said, one hand caressing the steering wheel. "Is that alright?"

"Now?" Chang Ye was momentarily stunned. "We just finished dinner. Can you still eat?"

"I was only about 60% full, and it's been over half an hour now. I can eat," Zhou Yi looked at her.

"Well..." Chang Ye thought for a good while. "Alright."

Hearing this, Zhou Yi nodded, then opened the car door and followed Chang Ye up to her apartment.

The building was old, with narrow hallways and rusty old-fashioned handrails. It didn't look like a place where a celebrity would live.

"My place can't compare to yours. Don't laugh when you see it," Chang Ye said, looking back at Zhou Yi as they climbed the stairs. However, she wasn't paying attention and nearly missed a step, her body swaying slightly.

Seeing this, Zhou Yi quickly leaned forward, pulling Chang Ye into her arms.

As the distance between them closed, their body heat mingled, and for a moment, both Zhou Yi and Chang Ye's hearts skipped a beat.

"Zhou Yi." Chang Ye softly spoke her name, staring at the ground.

"Mm." Zhou Yi's hand rested on her shoulder, feeling her palm grow warm.

"Zhou Yi..." Chang Ye's brows furrowed slightly.

Zhou Yi swallowed. "I'm here."

"Here?" Chang Ye tilted her head slightly, looking at the railing beside them, her voice trembling. "But every time I looked back these past years, I never saw you..."