Chapter 187 - Picking Someone Up from the Airport

Qingyi placed his hand on Chu Ziyu’s shoulder, his face serious. “But as younger brothers, we shouldn’t interfere in their relationship, right?”

Seeing that Chu Ziyu still seemed frustrated, Qingyi began persuading him earnestly. “I can promise you, my brother has a solid character. Once he’s with Qianqian, he’ll definitely treat her well. None of the things you’re worrying about will happen.”

Watching Qingyi’s expression, full of concern as if he were carrying the weight of the world, Chu Ziyu wanted to laugh but couldn’t. He just replied in a low voice, “How do you even know what I’m worried about?”

“Well… isn’t it always the same in dramas? Worried that your Elder Sister might get mistreated by her boyfriend, or that she won’t care about you as much anymore…”

Chu Ziyu pulled Qingyi’s hand off his shoulder and stood up. Not wanting to continue this conversation, he said, “It doesn’t matter how much we talk; no one will really understand what’s on my mind or the struggles I’m dealing with.”

“Ziyu-”

“I’m a bit tired. I’ll head upstairs to rest. You should get some rest too.”

Watching Chu Ziyu’s retreating figure, Qingyi furrowed his brows, an uneasy feeling surfacing in his heart. “Why does Ziyu always act so strange whenever it comes to Qianqian…?”

In the days that followed, Qingyi tried multiple times to talk things through with Chu Ziyu, but he was met with subtle yet firm rejection each time. What’s more, Chu Ziyu seemed to be actively avoiding him, going out of his way to reduce their face-to-face interactions.

This realization left Qingyi feeling utterly stifled.

The two of them, who had once been inseparable, were suddenly distant. Chu Ziyu was even avoiding Qingyi, a situation that didn’t escape Chu Qianqian’s notice. Worried, she had separate conversations with both of them over the course of two days. Only after that did Chu Ziyu and Qingyi reluctantly reconcile and revert to their usual way of interacting-with one unspoken understanding: neither would bring up the topic of Chu Qianqian and Mu Han.

“Cut!”

As Zhang Dong called for a break, the cameraman promptly turned off the camera.

Accepting the water Chu Qianqian handed him, Qingyi took a sip. Only after tugging at his collar to let some air in did he feel a bit more comfortable.

Taking the water bottle back from Qingyi, Chu Qianqian moved closer to him with the small fan she had prepared earlier. Cranking the fan to its maximum setting, she asked, “Well? Feeling any better?”

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Qingyi took the fan from her hand. Holding it to his face for a few seconds, he sighed in relief. “Yeah, that’s much better. I was seriously about to overheat just now.”

Feeling warm in November weather was, of course, due to the filming being moved to indoor locations.

Perhaps it really was the Feng Shui¹ of the Film Crew that was off. Two days ago, there had been an equipment accident, and one of the machines used for filming broke down. After getting confirmation from the repair team that it would take a week to fix, Zhang Dong had no choice but to shift to filming indoor scenes first.

From that day on, Qingyi had clung to his small electric fan like his life depended on it-and this little “love story” had been ongoing for two days now. During each break, he refused to let go of the fan, and even when it was time for him to get on set, it took several reminders before he reluctantly set it aside.

The “culprit” behind this phenomenon? The palace’s overly efficient heating system.

The indoor scenes were being filmed inside the palace on Changyun Mountain. Ever since the Ling Xiao production team decided to film there, the palace had undergone extensive renovations. Considering the shooting schedule, which included cold-weather months, the renovation team installed heating systems in several major halls frequently used for filming. This ensured that even during the bitter cold of winter, the actors wouldn’t be left shivering.

However, something seemed to have gone slightly awry during the installation of the heating system. Instead of maintaining a comfortable temperature, the heaters ended up running a bit hotter than intended.

As a Xianxia drama, the costumes leaned heavily toward traditional attire. Thanks to the dedication of the talented costume designers, each set of costumes consisted of multiple thick layers for an authentic look.

While this added remarkable visual effects to the scenes, it also left the actors sweating under the heavy costumes. This winter, they experienced the surreal sensation of enduring summer-like heat indoors, even as they shivered outside. Quite the paradoxical situation-freezing outdoors, but drenched in sweat indoors.

“This scene is finally done!” Qingyi sighed with relief before turning to Chu Qianqian. “Qianqian, let’s pack up. My brother’s flight lands tonight. If we leave now, we can make it to the airport on time to pick him up.”

Chu Qianqian, who was in the middle of adjusting Qingyi’s wig, paused momentarily. Then, she nodded softly. “Alright.”

As for the matter of picking up Mu Han at the airport, Chu Ziyu couldn’t have cared less. Especially since he knew Chu Qianqian would be going-there was no way he’d tag along.

Turning down Qingyi’s invitation flat-out, Chu Ziyu glanced at Chu Qianqian and then quietly added, “I’m feeling a bit tired today. I’d better head back first.”

His reasoning was entirely convincing. The afternoon scenes had been particularly rough. Chu Ziyu had delivered several NG takes before finally nailing the scene. By the time filming wrapped up, his entire costume was soaked with sweat. Having lost so much water, his face was still pale even now.

Seeing Chu Ziyu’s pallid expression, Qingyi pouted, realizing his invitation had indeed been too thoughtless. Handing over his small electric fan, Qingyi said, “Here, use this for a bit. Drink plenty of water when you get back and rest well, okay?”

Noticing the reluctance in Qingyi’s eyes, Chu Ziyu declined his offer with an exasperated smile. “Did you forget what the weather is like outside? If I stand in the wind after leaving the set, you’ll be the one buying me cold medicine later.”

“Oh.” Qingyi, realizing his mistake, retracted his fan and thought for a moment. “Well, is there anything you want to eat? I can bring it back for you.”

As he spoke, Qingyi glanced at Chu Qianqian. Seeing no objection from her, the grin on his face grew wider, his excitement practically written in his eyes. “Tell me what you want-I’ll bring anything for you!”

It was obvious that Qingyi’s real intention was to use this as an excuse to buy more food for himself. Chu Ziyu rubbed his forehead, finding Qingyi’s antics both amusing and contagious. Feeling a bit hungry himself after this conversation, a faint smile appeared on his lips. “How about some barbecue?”

“Barbecue is definitely out of the question,” Chu Qianqian replied nonverbally through a sharp glance.

Her reaction was exactly what Chu Ziyu expected, and the little curve on his lips didn’t falter. After thinking it over for a moment, he said, “Then how about steamed buns? One with red bean paste and one with cabbage and pork.”

This suggestion received enthusiastic approval from Qingyi. “I know just the spot! I know City B like the back of my hand, and let me tell you, there’s a steamed bun shop here that’s amazing. Their three-flavor steamed buns are especially delicious!”

“Alright, then add a three-flavor steamed bun to the list. Just don’t take too long on the way, okay? I don’t want to eat buns that have gone cold.”

“Silly Ziyu, do you not know there’s a microwave in the Kitchen? Just heat them up!”

“Shut up. I’m not feeling well and want to eat something warm as soon as possible, is that so hard to understand?”

“Fine, fine…”

Footnote:

1. Feng Shui(风水):Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese practice that involves arranging your living or working environment to harmonize with natural energy forces.