CH 43

This matter must be explained clearly!

"Teacher Lin, do you say this because you saw something?" Zheng Baozhu asked cautiously.

Lin Ziqin nodded slightly, looking like he knew something but wouldn't say it.

Zheng Baozhu slapped the back of her chair, "No, you've misunderstood. Yesterday, my classmate came to see me. He knew I got injured while filming, so he brought me band-aids and medicinal wine..."

Lin Ziqin raised an eyebrow, "Your classmate? I saw him entering your room with a suitcase. I thought he was your boyfriend."

"Huh?" Zheng Baozhu's brain froze for a moment, only to realize that Lin Ziqin wasn't talking about the overnight stay in Qu Zhi's room. "Oh, you saw him this morning?"

"Yeah, he used the room card to enter."

"That's right. I was in a hurry this morning, so I asked him to help me put the things in my room."

Lin Ziqin looked at her with some surprise, "Are all the things in that big suitcase brought by him?"

"Yeah, he even prepared a foot soak bucket for me. Can you expect any less?"

Lin Ziqin chuckled, "He's quite thoughtful."

He glanced at Zheng Baozhu a few times, "Is this classmate of yours pursuing you?"

"Ah?" Zheng Baozhu's brain froze again, Qu Zhi pursuing her? How could that be possible!

"No, he used these things to pay for the room."

"Room fee?" Lin Ziqin had heard from Gao Boyun that Zheng Baozhu had her own businesses, like restaurants and hotels. He nodded slightly, not probing further, but still reminded Zheng Baozhu, "I just wanted to let you know and remind you not to be too conspicuous. You know those paparazzi love to dig up this kind of news."

"Yeah, I know," Zheng Baozhu smiled at him, not taking offense, "But they'll dig up news about you. They probably aren't interested in a small fry like me."

"It's hard to say," Lin Ziqin said, "Your appearance is outstanding, they might take a few pictures if they see you."

"..."

That makes sense; it seems that being pretty has its drawbacks!

As they were chatting, a new supporting actor arrived. The scenes to be filmed in the next few days were all around Ye Ling's small cabin, mainly the scenes when the male lead was first discovered. There was a village near the cabin, and occasionally, villagers came to bring food and drinks for Ye Ling, chat about village gossip, and learn a bit of medical knowledge from her. If anyone in the village had a headache or fever, Ye Ling would try to help, and if she couldn't, they would come to her for assistance.

The supporting actor hired by the crew was playing one of the villagers.

"Baozhu! We're on the same set again!" a familiar voice sounded, and Zheng Baozhu turned to see Wang Jingyi whom she hadn't seen for a long time. She stood up in pleasant surprise, "Wang Jingyi, are you playing a villager?"

"Yeah, I finally passed the audition for the supporting actor! Waaah!" Wang Jingyi happily hugged Zheng Baozhu, "I guess your good luck charm worked!"

"It's because of your own abilities!"

Gao Boyun, seeing the two of them getting along so well, asked Zheng Baozhu, "Do you know each other?"

"Yes, we were in the same acting prospect group before. Now she was extra too!"

Wang Jingyi felt a little embarrassed by Zheng Baozhu's praise, especially when she noticed that Lin Ziqin was also looking at them.

Ah, she's going to act with Lin Ziqin again, and this time there are lines!!

Hard work really pays off! T^T

After catching up briefly, Gao Boyun called for the start of filming. Today, Zheng Baozhu had a scene where she had to carry Lin Ziqin on her back, so she needed to do it properly.

Though Lin Ziqin was slim, he was tall, so it was still a bit challenging to carry him on her back. Zheng Baozhu and Lin Ziqin discussed with Gao Boyun for a while and finally settled on how to carry and walk. When Wang Jingyi saw Zheng Baozhu approaching, she went up to her and said, "If you can't carry him, I can be your substitute. I'm a strongman with a lot of strength!"

"... No thanks," Zheng Baozhu looked at her with suspicion, "You think you can carry him just because you see Lin Ziqin? You have the strength for that?"

Wang Jingyi: "..."

Baozhu, what are you saying?

Once the filming officially started, Zheng Baozhu showed Wang Jingyi what it meant to be a true strongman. She effortlessly carried Lin Ziqin, who was a tall man, performing much better than the several attempts they made during rehearsal.

Although the story required Ye Ling to carry the injured male lead all the way back to the small cabin from a cliff, they didn't have to actually carry him that far during filming. Gao Boyun only chose a few key locations for filming, and Zheng Baozhu carried him a short distance before they could edit the shots together.

Wang Jingyi's character, the little villager, was waiting outside the cabin to bring food for Ye Ling. When she found that Ye Ling wasn't inside, she waited outside and saw her coming back with a seemingly injured man on her back, so she rushed forward to help.

"Cut, let's do it again!" Gao Boyun stopped and asked Zheng Baozhu to do it again.

Zheng Baozhu, who had already carried Lin Ziqin several times: "..."

No strongman could endure such turmoil! Qu Zhi's back massage last night would be in vain. Today, her condition will get even worse!

But on the set, the director's words were supreme. Even though Zheng Baozhu's back was already sore and aching, she obediently went back to carry him again.

After today's filming, Zheng Baozhu shared her life insights in the group chat.

Zheng Baozhu: No matter how handsome a guy is, he's just a bunch of weight and bones. 

Meng Yaxin: ? Is this what you were doing today, carrying Lin Ziqin? If you can't do it, let me do it!

Zheng Baozhu: I actually wanted to put him down, but the director wouldn't let me. 

Cen Tongtong: This is not right, you're carrying Lin Ziqin, not a wild boar! Don't you feel your heart pounding and face blushing like a little deer crashing into things?

Zheng Baozhu: After carrying him for so long, whether it's a handsome guy or a wild boar, I can't tell the difference anymore.  My heart only has the instinct for survival, no worldly feelings.

Zheng Baozhu: [holding lotus.jpg]

Meng Yaxin: ...Lin Ziqin is already so skinny! Look at his slim waist, tell me again that you don't have any worldly feelings!

Lin Ziqin mainly acts in period dramas, which require multiple layers of clothing, and he often wears waist belts. So even if he gains a little weight, it looks a bit muscular on the screen. That's why he pays more attention to weight management compared to other male stars.

Zheng Baozhu: Yes, his waist does look slim, but I'm carrying him, so there's more bone to carry =.=

Meng Yaxin: ? So you're complaining that his hands are not good enough!

Meng Yaxin: Try carrying @Qu Zhi, he also has a slim waist.

Cen Tongtong: ? There's no need for that. Let's continue discussing Lin Ziqin happily.

Qu Zhi, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly said in the group: I should be a bit better than him. He looks even skinnier in person than on TV.

Meng Yaxin: ? When did you see him in person?

Qu Zhi hesitated for a moment, then went silent again.

Meng Yaxin: @Qu Zhi, did you go visit the set? @Zheng Baozhu

"..." Zheng Baozhu also went silent.

Meng Yaxin: Wow, everything speaks louder than words. Tongtong, do you prefer a keyboard with 87 keys or 104 keys?

Cen Tongtong: ... Thanks for the invitation, but I prefer not to eat keyboards. 

Zheng Baozhu: "..."

Qu Zhi sent a private message: How's your waist feeling?

Zheng Baozhu hesitated for a moment and replied: It's sore from last night. Maybe you should just send me an ergonomic chair next time.

Qu Zhi: ...

Zheng Baozhu was currently using the footbath tub Qu Zhi sent her to soak her feet. She took a photo of the footbath tub and sent it to him, saying, "The footbath tub works fine. I'll try the ointment you gave me tonight."

"Yeah, it should help a bit," Qu Zhi replied, and then added, "Does your crew really make you carry people without substitutes? They let you carry him for real?"

Zheng Baozhu sent him a question mark, "Is this how you approach scientific research?"

Qu Zhi: ...

She seems to be making progress; it looks like she enjoys carrying Lin Ziqin. :)

Qu Zhi locked his phone screen.

During the shoot on the set, Zheng Baozhu celebrated Lin Ziqin's birthday. Lin Ziqin came to visit today and brought a custom-made huge birthday cake and many snacks to treat the whole crew to a meal.

Zheng Baozhu excitedly live-streamed in the group, "Look, I thought only novels had such big cakes!"

Meng Yaxin: Wow, isn't it about ten meters? That's so extravagant!

Zheng Baozhu: Exaggerated, but it's even bigger than my bed.

Zheng Baozhu: There's so much food on set today! So much! All from Lin Ziqin! Is this the treatment of a top star?

Cen Tongtong: Keep it up, Baozhu. Let Meng Yaxin give you a ten-meter cake in the future. 

Meng Yaxin: Wait until Baozhu becomes famous; then it won't be my turn!

Zheng Baozhu: Thanks, I have material for tonight's dream. I'm going over to take photos; let's chat later!

After saying that, Zheng Baozhu walked away with her phone. The director and producers were taking pictures with Lin Ziqin, and Zheng Baozhu joined them. When people noticed her, they praised her, "Little sister, you're so pretty! Are you playing the role of Ye Ling?"

Zheng Baozhu smiled and nodded, "Yes, yes!"

Lin Ziqin introduced, "Let me introduce you all. This is Ye Ling in our crew. Recently, I've been filming with her. She's a newcomer, so everyone can pay more attention to her."

With Lin Ziqin's introduction, everyone started praising Zheng Baozhu even more. He received top-star treatment in advance.

To avoid delaying the filming schedule, the crew limited their leisure time. After lunch, the crew started cleaning up the set. Today, Zheng Baozhu ate the most and felt really full. Lin Ziqin was truly considerate, ordering a big and delicious cake. Zheng Baozhu ended up eating three pieces.

Back at the hotel, she soaked her feet and browsed through today's Weibo. As expected, Lin Ziqin's birthday was trending on hot searches. On his birthday, Lin Ziqin not only visited the set but also announced several new endorsements, making it lively like a festive day.

Feeling somewhat uneasy, Zheng Baozhu carefully checked the comments on the photos. They were all praising his appearance, which finally put her mind at ease.

Lin Ziqin's birthday buzz continued until the next day and gradually subsided. Zheng Baozhu continued her regular filming on the set and finished the shooting one day earlier. On the day of the wrap, the crew prepared a bouquet of flowers and a small cake for her, and Gao Boyun even sent her a red envelope separately.

"Since the Chinese New Year is approaching, consider this an early Chinese New Year gift from me. I wish you great success in the coming year and a step forward in your career," Gao Boyun said while handing the red envelope to Zheng Baozhu.

"Thank you, Director Gao!" Zheng Baozhu happily accepted the red envelope.

When it was time to leave the set, Zheng Baozhu felt a bit reluctant. Although she had only been on the set for twenty days, the feeling was somewhat similar to graduating. Ye Ling's role didn't have much screen time, and other than the action scenes, the rest of the acting was within her grasp. However, this was her first significant role with a name and surname, and it was a grand wuxia IP, which made it a memorable experience.

When she returned to the Starlight Farm, it was already late at night. Although she hadn't stayed in the room for a while, it was regularly cleaned, so there was almost no difference from when she left. She placed the two suitcases to the side, planning to tidy up tomorrow. After that, she treated herself to a bath and relaxed.

Sitting on the couch with dry hair, Zheng Baozhu tried sending a message to Qu Zhi: "Qu Zhi, are you still awake?"

Qu Zhi wasn't working at this moment, so he replied almost instantly: "Not yet, what's up?"

Zheng Baozhu: I'm back. Are you free to come over and help me with a back massage? 

Qu Zhi was taken aback; earlier in the morning, Zheng Baozhu had posted a photo in the group, saying that she would be back tomorrow, so Qu Zhi was thinking of going to pick her up.

Qu Zhi: Didn't you say you'll be back tomorrow?

Zheng Baozhu: I thought about it and decided to come back today. It's good to be able to have a good night's sleep tomorrow!

Qu Zhi: Oh… I'll come over now then.

Zheng Baozhu: Great!

Qu Zhi quickly tidied up a bit and went to Zheng Baozhu's room. When he approached, he realized the door was open. He pushed it slightly and looked inside, only to find Zheng Baozhu already lying on the couch.

Qu Zhi: "…"

"Qu Zhi?" Zheng Baozhu heard someone approaching and turned to look, "Just come in, and close the door behind you."

"…" Qu Zhi closed the door and sat down next to Zheng Baozhu. There was already a jar of medicinal wine on the coffee table, and Zheng Baozhu poured herself a glass before lying down on the couch, saying, "I'm ready, you can start."

"…" Qu Zhi hesitated for a moment. Zheng Baozhu seemed so calm that if he thought more of it, it would make him seem quite impure. :）

Qu Zhi rolled up his shirt sleeves and began to massage Zheng Baozhu. This time, Zheng Baozhu didn't fall asleep and started chatting with him, "By the way, it's almost Chinese New Year in a couple of days. My mom wants you to come to our house for dinner."

Qu Zhi paused for a moment and then nodded, "Yes, I heard Aunt Su mentioned it."

"Huh, so she informed you first and then told me?" Zheng Baozhu complained, "Are your parents not coming home for the New Year again this year?"

"En," Qu Zhi said calmly, "As long as they are together, anywhere is home."

"…"

Zheng Baozhu fell silent for a moment, "In that case, you seem a bit redundant?"

"Yes."

"…"

Answering so straightforwardly, what have you been through all these years?

"But for me, whether I spend the Lunar New Year at home or not doesn't make much difference, except that they always trouble Aunt Su."

Zheng Baozhu said, "My mom just likes a lively atmosphere and you know she has liked you since we were kids. It's natural for her to want you to spend the New Year with us."

Qu Zhi continued massaging while saying, "Aunt Su is indeed very warm-hearted."

As he was speaking, someone knocked on the door twice, "Miss Baozhu, I heard from the front desk that you're back?"

Wei Zhen's voice came from outside the door and Zheng Baozhu was taken aback for a moment. Subconsciously, she propped herself up and looked toward the door.

"Never mind, I'll go and open the door," Qu Zhi asked Zheng Baozhu to continue lying down and walked over to open the door for Wei Zhen.

Wei Zhen saw the door open and was about to speak, but then he saw Qu Zhi standing inside the room. He was stunned for a moment and forgot what he was going to say.

Now his mind was full of one thought: did he interrupt something intimate?

Compared to him, Qu Zhi remained composed, "Manager Wei, is there something you need?"

Wei Zhen snapped back to reality and smiled awkwardly, "Nothing, I heard Miss Baozhu is back, and I wanted to discuss some work matters."

With the approaching Chinese New Year, it was a busy time for the hotel, and Zheng Baozhu had been away, so he had been making many decisions by himself.

"It seems I wasn't thoughtful enough. Miss Baozhu must be tired just coming back. I'll come back tomorrow to discuss work," Wei Zhen said, and he politely closed the door behind Qu Zhi.

Inside the room, Zheng Baozhu: "…"

She had a bad feeling that the group chat was going to explode with more than 999+ messages again tonight.

Qu Zhi returned to the couch without changing his expression and sat down next to Zheng Baozhu, saying, "Let's continue."