Chapter 22: Keeping Promises From Now On

Chapter 22: Keeping Promises From Now On

In the future, he will obediently keep his appointments.

As Qiu Heng’s trembling voice called “Cut,” Jiang Qi instantly detached himself from the character.

The smile on his face disappeared, and the camera captured the first thing the young man did was to quickly run to Zhi Qi’s side and ask in a somewhat flustered voice, “Why are you crying?”

Jiang Qi’s fingers hanging at his side moved slightly, as if he wanted to wipe away the tears from Zhi Qi’s red eyes, but he hesitated. Zhi Qi sniffed and looked up at him, her eyes carrying a smile. The girl’s voice was muffled as she said, “It’s nothing. Jiang Qi, you acted really well.”

Jiang Qi had heard this kind of praise many times before, and he had even received exaggerated compliments that felt sincere, but this time his ears felt a bit warm. Feeling Zhi Qi’s somewhat ‘admiring’ gaze, Jiang Qi shyly pursed his lips, his expression resembling shyness.

...

Wow, Shen Lei couldn’t help but exclaim, wow.

Is this the same Jiang Qi he knows, so ‘gentle and warm’?

Meanwhile, QIu Heng carefully saved the audition footage and then excitedly ran over.

“This time was great! Really great!” QIu Heng didn’t even notice Zhi Qi, focusing entirely on Jiang Qi. The light in his eyes was like a wolf staring at a lamb, or a nouveau riche eyeing a gold brick. His demeanor was completely different from the strict and scholarly attitude he had shown earlier.

QIu Heng couldn’t wait to say, “There’s no need to audition anyone else. No one will be more suitable for the role of Chen Si than you. Let’s sign the contract today.”

Jiang Qi didn’t feel the ‘joy of hitting the jackpot’ but instead thought for a moment before responsibly and earnestly saying to him, “Actually, my laughter just now was a coincidence. It’s not certain that I’ll be in that state throughout the entire movie.”

He could laugh because Zhi Qi was there.

But Zhi Qi couldn’t always be there; it was as simple as that. Shen Lei actually understood this truth as well, couldn’t help but sigh with some regret.

But QIu Heng was unusually persistent, “Since you were able to find that state just now, it means you can find it again in the future. I’m willing to trust you.”

...

But he doesn’t really trust himself.

Jiang Qi frowned with some difficulty, lips pressed together in silence.

Zhi Qi quietly listened on the side. She had come to know Shen Lei through relentless recommendations from Meng Chunyu, but she couldn’t recognize QIu Heng’s face—after all, in the entertainment industry, directors’ faces weren’t as ubiquitous as those of popular idols.

However, she could still roughly guess what was happening. The man in front of her was inviting Jiang Qi to play the male lead, and Jiang Qi was hesitating because of his ability to ‘smile’.

It seemed that this movie required Jiang Qi to smile frequently, but he was afraid he couldn’t do it. But why? Zhi Qi remembered the trending hashtag #JiangQiNeverSmiles. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly.

Upon closer thought, Jiang Qi indeed rarely smiled before. Even in front of her, his eyes were calm, his indulgence limitless, with just a hint of a smile at the corner of his lips. And when facing others, he didn’t even show a trace of a smile. Not liking to smile was far from ‘unable to smile’. There was a fundamental difference between the two.

Could it be because of those three years in prison...?

At this thought, Zhi Qi couldn’t help but feel a pang in her heart. Her small hand, hanging by her side, instinctively grabbed Jiang Qi’s long, cold hand. This was their only ‘intimate’ gesture in the past few years. The tender touch caught him off guard, and Jiang Qi paused slightly, looking down at the girl’s ivory-white fingertips, unable to help but smile.

This was the second time he had smiled in front of others.

“I do.” Zhi Qi nodded without hesitation, but then she smiled a bit shyly, her long eyelashes drooping slightly. “Because I think you act really well.”

During Jiang Qi’s audition just now, she had already been completely immersed in his performance. And now, after hearing Jiang Qi outline the storyline, Zhi Qi couldn’t help but anticipate how this peculiarly tragic yet beautifully ending story of the protagonist would unfold before the audience.

Jiang Qi would surely perform it exceptionally well.

Having watched his recent performance, Zhi Qi felt confident about this—although she wouldn’t say it out loud, as it would only add pressure to the young man.

“Alright.” Jiang Qi nodded and looked at her with a soft voice. “Then I’ll take the role.”

It seemed like all the messy baggage could finally be set aside. Zhi Qi couldn’t help but smile. But as she smiled, she noticed Jiang Qi’s translucent eyes, which were blinking at her without pause. Feeling a bit embarrassed, she turned away.

Jiang Qi’s gaze was always like this. When he looked at her, it was as if she were the only one in the world, and everything else gradually faded away, becoming insignificant. So the young girl turned her head away, and even took off her headband, letting her chestnut-colored hair fall down and cover her slightly flushed ears.

In her soft voice, she scolded, “You, take me back to school.”

So soon she had to go back?

Jiang Qi felt a bit disappointed, but still obediently replied, “Okay,” and started the car to take her back to school.

Fortunately, Lin Lan University was quite far from the set, so Jiang Qi could drive slowly, and he could also have the chance to spend a little more time with Zhi Qi.

But unfortunately, he was not very articulate. Even if he deliberately prolonged the time, he didn’t know what to say to make the girl happy. However, just being able to be with Zhi Qi made the surrounding atmosphere seem softer and more comfortable.

It had been a very long time since Jiang Qi had felt this purely relaxed state.

Lin Lan was raining again, the sound of raindrops tapping on the car was crisp and pleasant.

Unfortunately, no matter how slow the car went, it would eventually reach its destination. When they reached the bustling section of the city, surrounded by the vibrant colors of flowers and trees, the familiar sense of restlessness surged in Jiang Qi’s heart once again.

—Until they stopped at a red light, and Jiang Qi saw a bubble tea shop outside the window.

In an instant, the private message that Zhi Qi had once sent him on Weibo flashed through his mind: [You said you would buy me red bean bubble tea to drink on every rainy day.]

Yes, he had indeed said that, and he had broken that promise for many years. So Jiang Qi pursed his lips, turned the steering wheel, and stopped the car on the side of the road. Then, he opened the car door and ran out in the rain.

“Hmm?” Zhi Qi was drowsy from the warmth inside the car, until a cold breeze blew in through the car door, making her shiver. She heard a ‘bang’ beside her, and then realized that Jiang Qi had stopped the car and ran out.

Where did Jiang Qi go?

Zhi Qi was completely awake now, but through the misty rain, she couldn’t see his slender figure anywhere.

It wasn’t until almost ten minutes later that the young man returned to the car, drenched in water. Jiang Qi’s amber-like eyes glistened as he smiled gently at the girl’s puzzled expression, and then his slender hand passed her a cup.

“Red bean bubble tea,” Jiang Qi’s voice was soft but determined. “For you.”

*In the future, he would keep his promises.