Chapter 52

The coldness in her eyes left him shaken. He would have continued to pursue her but he stopped then and there.

It was not like him to stalk in the first place. Only this time, his mind was overcome with curiosity towards this aloof woman, so he took an unexpected turn and agreed to his roommates’ absurd proposal. He even used that as an excuse to approach Shen Qinglan.

Shen Qinglan was tired of Yan Shengyu’s stalkerish behavior. She had come to school on a whim. Now that this happened to her, she might as well return to Jiangxinya Court. There, whenever she had the time, she would read a book, drink some tea, and occasionally willed herself to make some progress in her art. Sometimes, she would return to the main estate to accompany her two elders. Life was good.

She had gone back to the main estate several times, but not once had she came across Chu Yunrong or Shen Xitong. From what she heard, they were busy planning Shen Xitong’s solo concert.

Yan Shengyu managed to get Shen Qinglan’s contact number from someone else. Once his call was connected, Shen Qinglan hung up. He called again, but he could not get through anymore. He knew he had been blocked.

This was all very frustrating for him. Was he really that bothersome?

**

Shen Qinglan was lying on the reclining chair on the balcony with a book in hand when her phone rang. She glanced at the name of the caller, and promptly picked up the call.

“Qinglan, Qinglan, I…” Yu Xiaoxuan’s excitement could be heard from the other end.

“Qinglan, I’m so excited. This is great!”

“I know you are, but let’s calm down for a moment. Tell me, what is it that has made you so excited?” Shen Qinglan said, slowly and clearly, and that instantly calmed her friend down, but she could not hide her smirk.

“Qinglan, I’ve been selected by the film crew!” Yu Xiaoxuan’s excited cheers almost burst through Shen Qinglan’s eardrums. She moved her phone slightly farther away from her ears to prevent further damages.

“Selected by the film crew? What’s going on?”

“I was traveling in Jinning City, you see, and I happen to come across a film crew shooting a movie. My favorite movie star, An Yue, was among them. I wanted to take a picture with her, but she was in the middle of acting, so I could not interrupt. So I waited for her right there and, you know, it’s hot and I was sweating all over and…” Yu Xiaoxuan blabbed on.

“Get to the point,” Shen Qinglan stated grumpily.

“Oh, right. The thing is, one of the actors in the crew suddenly fell sick, so they held an on-site recruitment for a stand-in, and they picked me! Haha! Qinglan, I’m so excited! I can get up close with An Yue!” Yu Xiaoxuan exclaimed. She could not be more excited.

“What’s your role?” Shen Qinglan asked.

“Of course it’s the adorable, lovable, one and only… bystander,” Yu Xiaoxuan’s voice sank really low when she muttered the last word. If it were not for Shen Qinglan’s sharp sense of hearing, she would have missed it.

Thought so. Shen Qinglan knew it.

The actors in the film crew had only been determined beforehand. Even if they were met with an unexpected situation, it was not possible to recruit actors on the spot. Of course, extras were exempted from this rule.

“But, whatever, right? This is my first time on camera, and wearing an ancient costume to boot! I have taken some photos. Show you later,” Yu Xiaoxuan said merrily.

This was her first acting experience. Even though though her role was just a bystander, it was still acting.

Shen Qinglan did not mean to laugh at Yu Xiaoxuan. She liked Yu Xiaoxuan the way she was now. A simple, happy girl.

“Qinglan, I’ll talk to you later. It’s my turn next,” Yu Xiaoxuan hung up the phone in a hurry. After a while, the sound of a WeChat notification on Shen Qinglan’s mobile phone rang.

Shen Qinglan tapped on it. It was a photo of Yu Xiaoxuan in an ancient-styled commoner’s clothing . Her hair was adorned with a hair accessory, and her makeup was done rather sloppily. The makeup artist clearly did not put in the effort. They had tarnished Yu Xiaoxuan’s facial attractiveness.

Shen Qinglan felt disappointed. Was this Yu Xiaoxuan’s definition of an ‘extraordinarily beautiful costume’?

But it was rare to see Yu Xiaoxuan show such enthusiasm for something she had so much passion for. Should she reach out and give her a hand? Shen Qinglan pondered about it while holding her chin in her hand.

About an hour later, she received a phone call from Yu Xiaoxuan. “Qinglan, I’ve finished filming my role.”

Shen Qinglan could not help but smirk. Alright, you’ve finished filming your role as a bystander. Should I congratulate you? Silly girl.

“Xiaoxuan, are you interested in acting?” Shen Qinglan asked.