Chapter 42: Annoying Xiaoqi

*****

Zhang Zifeng waited outside the film studio, her nerves tingling with anticipation. She had invited Ye Bai out for a casual evening, hoping to break the ice beyond their roles on set. She was also curious about the boy her friend always mentioned.

As Ye Bai approached, he flashed her a friendly smile. He was wearing a brown sweater with a polo inside it. It was autumn, and the winter wind was already making its presence felt.

"Hey, Zifeng!" he greeted her warmly, his demeanor relaxed and friendly.

"Hi, Ye Bai! Thanks for coming," she replied with a genuine smile, relieved by his easygoing nature.

Ye Bai looked at Zhang Zifeng, who wore a pink tight short skirt, revealing a pair of thin white legs, and a wide gray sweater jacket on the outside, which looked very slender, lazy, and casual without losing elegance and purity.

"No problem at all. I could use a break from rehearsing," Ye Bai chuckled, falling into step beside her as they began their stroll through the familiar streets.

As they walked, conversation flowed effortlessly between them. Zhang Zifeng glanced at him. "How did you start in the entertainment industry? I mean, you already know how I started."

"You already know Jinmai is my childhood friend. One day her mother dragged me to one of her shootings. Then I became her assistant for a little while," Ye Bai smiled while explaining. "Then I found it interesting, and now I'm here studying and acting."

"What about you? How is your life outside the spotlight?" Ye Bai now turned to ask a question.

Zhang Zifeng smiled unnaturally. "It's alright, but it's hard to find a real friend here in our industry. When I was a child, it was easy to meet friends in the same age group, but as I grew up, more people wanted to befriend me to use me as leverage to enter the industry."

"What about me, did I also use you to get a role?" Ye Bai joked.

"No, no," Zifeng hurriedly shook her head, trying to clear the misunderstanding. "I mean, Jinmai is my friend, and she was the one I helped."

Ye Bai laughed. "I'm just joking."

Zifeng looked at the laughing guy beside her, and she smiled too. "Jinmai is one of the friends I met when I was starting. She was my best friend in and out of the industry," she said while remembering her childhood.

They reminisced about funny moments from filming and shared anecdotes about their lives outside of work. Ye Bai's casual charm and good-natured humor made it easy for Zhang Zifeng to open up, and soon they were chatting like old friends.

Their destination was a cozy cafe tucked away in a quiet corner of the neighborhood. Inside, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, adding to the inviting atmosphere.

Seated at a table by the window, they continued their conversation over steaming mugs of coffee and slices of cake. Zhang Zifeng continued her story. "My parents are super strict with me," she released her grievances, but then she smiled. "Good thing the 'Back to Field' family helps me chill a little every time we shoot the variety show."

"So you're in a rebellious period," Ye Bai said teasingly.

"I'm not rebellious, maybe I'm in a curious phase," Zifeng explained. "I envy Jinmai because she had a friend like you."

Ye Bai sipped a coffee he ordered, then glanced at her. "What, are we not friends?"

Zhang Zifeng smiled. "Of course, we are friends now. Did you know that I invited you just to be your friend? Jinmai always mentions you, and I feel that we are already friends without seeing you in person."

Ye Bai chuckled. "Same here. She also talked about you too."

There was no pressure, no awkwardness—just two people enjoying each other's company in a relaxed setting.

As the evening wore on, Zhang Zifeng found herself laughing freely, feeling more comfortable in Ye Bai's presence than she had expected. It was refreshing to spend time with someone who didn't take themselves too seriously, someone who made her feel at ease just being herself.

As they said their goodbyes later that night, Zhang Zifeng couldn't help but feel grateful for the chance to get to know Ye Bai outside of work. And as they parted ways with promises to do it again sometime.

*****

Natural Science Classroom

Qian Sanyi coughed, his throat burning from a poorly timed sip of tea from his bottle. Teacher Cui, in the midst of lecturing, couldn't ignore Qian Sanyi's obvious discomfort. "Qian Sanyi, why are you coughing so badly? Have you caught a cold? You can go home if you're not feeling well," he suggested with concern.

Confused by the sudden attention, Qian Sanyi shook his head. "Huh?" he muttered, trying to make sense of the situation. He hadn't expected his minor mishap to draw such attention.

"Yesterday, I heard your voice on the broadcast. It didn't sound okay," Teacher Cui continued, prompting laughter from the students.

Among the laughter, Jiang Tianhao's chuckles rang the loudest as he seized the opportunity to poke fun at the top-ranked student. Sun Chuanchu, known for his playful nature, chimed in, "Teacher, you heard the broadcast, right? So you must know that Qian Sanyi is now a disciple of Lin Miaomiao."

Qian Sanyi's brows furrowed in annoyance. "Hey, what are you saying?" he protested, feeling his pride wounded by the implication.

"I didn't say it; Lin Miaomiao said it herself. She mentioned that this program was led by Master Lin Miaomiao and her disciple, Qian Sanyi," Sun Chuanchu declared, turning to their classmates for confirmation.

"Yes!" chorused the classmates, further adding to Qian Sanyi's embarrassment.

Defending himself, Qian Sanyi retorted, "Do you all think that's childish?"

"Okay, enough of that. Today, we will focus on our lesson and not discuss unrelated matters," Teacher Cui intervened, putting an end to the playful banter.

As the lesson resumed, Qian Sanyi couldn't shake off the feeling of humiliation. Being labeled a disciple of the former bottom-ranked student in the class had crushed his pride and left him feeling embarrassed.

...

Qian Sanyi approached Lin Miaomiao's classroom with a slight hesitation, his footsteps echoing softly in the corridor. As he reached her, he stood tall, his demeanor earnest as he addressed her. "Lin Miaomiao, you can stop now. This time, I admit I was wrong, okay? Please, don't call me a disciple anymore."

Lin Miaomiao, leaning casually against the doorframe, raised an eyebrow at his plea, a smirk playing at the corner of her lips. "Until now, I haven't called you 'disciple,' I've always called you 'little' disciple. Do you have a hearing problem?" she teased, her eyes dancing with mischief.

"See you later, in the broadcasting room," Lin Miaomiao added, giving him a playful peace sign before turning around and walking down the hallway, her steps light and carefree.

Qian Sanyi watched her retreating figure, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes as he was unable to suppress a smile despite his earlier frustrations because of her silly antics.

...

Ye Bai and Zhang Rongbao finished the math competition's second day. Zhang Rongbao tapped Ye Bai's shoulder. "Let's head back. I'll drive."

Ye Bai nodded and they walked to Zhang's car. Checking his watch, Ye Bai realized he might catch the broadcasting program.

...

Lin Miaomiao was munching on the snack Deng Xiaoqi had given her when she noticed her friend wincing in pain. Concern etched across her face, Lin Miaomiao glanced at her watch and whispered to Deng Xiaoqi, "What? It's not time yet. Don't—"

But Deng Xiaoqi raised her hand, indicating her discomfort. "Teacher, my stomach hurts a little. Can I go to the infirmary?" she asked Tang Yuanming.

"You can go," Tang Yuanming replied.

"Thank you, sir," Deng Xiaoqi said, standing up despite the discomfort.

"Let me go with her, Sir," Lin Miaomiao offered, but Deng Xiaoqi insisted that she didn't need assistance.

Reluctantly, Lin Miaomiao followed Deng Xiaoqi's progress from a distance, her worry evident in her furrowed brow. She approached a nearby student and asked for the time, only to discover that it was indeed too early for Deng Xiaoqi to act discomfort. Confused and concerned, Lin Miaomiao could only wait anxiously for the time when they would meet again.

...

After excusing herself from her duty at the broadcasting station, Lin Miaomiao hurriedly made her way to the designated meeting spot with Deng Xiaoqi.

"Xiaoqi, Xiaoqi!" she called out as she approached.

Suddenly, Deng Xiaoqi emerged from behind a tree, adorned in a stunning sky-blue dress. "Tada!" she exclaimed, striking a pose.

Lin Miaomiao was taken aback and impressed by Deng Xiaoqi's unexpected attire. "Why are you dressed like that?" she asked, bewildered.

"Tell me, am I beautiful?" Deng Xiaoqi inquired with a wink.

Lin Miaomiao, unable to contain her excitement, gave her friend a thumbs-up. "Beautiful, absolutely stunning," she exclaimed, surprised by Deng Xiaoqi's transformation. "Wow, you even put on makeup?" she remarked, noticing Deng Xiaoqi's lip color.

Deng Xiaoqi pouted to showcase her lipstick.

Lin Miaomiao playfully saluted her friend. "I'm taking my hat off to you, my fair lady. You could totally make money with your looks. And you even have acting skills! Okay, let's go quickly," she said, linking arms with Deng Xiaoqi and leading the way to the radio station.

...

Broadcasting Room

"Xiaoqi is here, she wants to know... how we broadcast," Lin Miaomiao said to Qian Sanyi, who was seated in the broadcasting chair.

Deng Xiaoqi smiled nervously, awaiting Qian Sanyi's response. Qian Sanyi just looked at her emotionless, while Lin Miaomiao let out an awkward laugh and settled down beside him.

"Sit over there, don't run around," Lin Miaomiao instructed, pointing to a seat away from the radio equipment.

Qian Sanyi glanced at Deng Xiaoqi and then at Lin Miaomiao, who had taken a seat beside him.

"It's okay, don't mind me. I can look around myself," Deng Xiaoqi replied.

Lin Miaomiao nodded at Qian Sanyi, who was gazing at her. "You're early," she remarked with a smile. But her attention was quickly diverted when she noticed Deng Xiaoqi heading toward the server. "I told you to sit over there. Why are you wandering around?" she scolded.

Deng Xiaoqi glanced at Qian Sanyi. "I'm just looking a little."

"Just look, don't touch," Lin Miaomiao warned, shifting closer to Qian Sanyi. "Actually, an outsider like her can get curious about everything," she explained to Qian Sanyi with a forced laugh. Awkwardly, she added, "Okay, let's prepare."

As Lin Miaomiao began to finalize her script, she noticed Deng Xiaoqi peeking at Qian Sanyi's reading from behind him. "Sanyi, did you write this on your own?" Deng Xiaoqi asked, oblivious to Qian Sanyi's discomfort.

Lin Miaomiao glanced at them and saw Qian Sanyi's unease at Deng Xiaoqi's proximity. "Go sit over there. Don't mess with our work," she admonished.

But Deng Xiaoqi ignored her. "I just passed by and wanted to stand here a little," she replied.

Lin Miaomiao felt a pang of disappointment as Deng Xiaoqi continued to disregard her instructions. She started regretting agreeing to this situation.

Attempting to regain control, Lin Miaomiao focused on finalizing her script. However, her patience wore thin when Deng Xiaoqi asked about a red button on the equipment.

"Don't touch it," Qian Sanyi warned.

Lin Miaomiao hurriedly intervened, grabbing Deng Xiaoqi's hand to prevent her from getting closer. She slapped Deng Xiaoqi's hand lightly.

"I won't," Deng Xiaoqi reassured her.

Lin Miaomiao's patience dwindled further as she struggled to maintain order in the broadcasting room.

"Sanyi, can I pick a song?" Deng Xiaoqi interjected eagerly.

"Here, here's the music list," Lin Miaomiao offered, attempting to pass the paper to Deng Xiaoqi, but she was ignored.

Qian Sanyi took a deep breath and forced himself to pass the paper to Deng Xiaoqi. She happily accepted it, asking, "Can I add more lines in the last part?"

"Just write it out," Qian Sanyi responded.

Deng Xiaoqi then pushed Lin Miaomiao out of her seat.

Lin Miaomiao, left with no choice, stood up. "Here, you can sit here," and gesture her to take this chance to deepen the relationship with Qian Sanyi. Even though he was a little annoyed by her antics, Deng Xiaoqi is her best friend so she supported her.

As Deng Xiaoqi wrote, she loudly expressed her thoughts. "I want the song 'The Encounter.' Someone who understands it will understand," she declared, ensuring Qian Sanyi heard her.

After finishing writing, she pushed the paper forward, accidentally pressing the button for the bell.

Lin Miaomiao and Qian Sanyi were shocked by the sudden sound of the bell.

"What are you pressing?" Lin Miaomiao rushed over anxiously, quickly turning off the bell.

"I'm just writing," Deng Xiaoqi protested, unaware of her mistake.

"It's bad, it's bad. We will broadcast after the alarm. What should I do?" Lin Miaomiao panicked, turning to Qian Sanyi for guidance.

Qian Sanyi, biting his finger in thought, suggested, "If it's wrong, let it be. Let's continue the program," and pressed the alarm again.

The sound of the bell reverberated through the school.

"Our broadcasting will begin shortly," Qian Sanyi announced.

Lin Miaomiao nodded and glanced at Deng Xiaoqi, who was feeling guilty for her accidental blunder. "Go quickly," she urged, pushing Deng Xiaoqi out of the set.

"Miaomiao, I didn't mean it," Deng Xiaoqi protested.

"Go quickly. You made a mess, go quickly," Lin Miaomiao insisted, realizing the gravity of the situation. After Deng Xiaoqi left the room, Lin Miaomiao sighed and rubbed her temples in frustration.

Though Deng Xiaoqi wanted to apologize, she knew she had caused a problem that Lin Miaomiao couldn't easily fix. After she left, Deng Xiaoqi slapped her own hands and walked away, feeling regretful.

Qian Sanyi looked at Lin Miaomiao. "The broadcasting will begin," he said, seeking her approval. Lin Miaomiao nodded, and he pressed the microphone to start the broadcast.

"Hello, our dear friends, good afternoon. Our broadcasting will begin shortly," Qian Sanyi's voice filled the airwaves.

As the music faded out, Lin Miaomiao took a deep breath before starting, "Winds may not understand how snow wanders.

Rain may not understand how lonely Dew feels.

Sand may not comprehend the vastness of the desert.

The sky may not fathom the despondency of the rain.

Tears may not grasp the fragility of the eye.

But, we cannot comprehend the yearning for progress in our minds.

You cannot understand the necessity to decorate our school.

Our parents have given us life.

Our teachers impart knowledge.

Hence, we should respect and understand our teachers..."