Jiang Liuyue understood.
So Lin Yizhou felt that she would also be taken away by Song Hanzheng.
That was why he was so anxious to express his feelings.
Lin Yizhou raised his eyes and glanced at her.
His voice was very low and soft.
"So, will you leave with him too?"
Jiang Liuyue met those pitch-black eyes.
And answered honestly, "I don't know."
Lin Yizhou let out a soft "Ah," as if he had expected it all along. His tone was so light that it almost sounded like he hadn't made a sound at all.
He stared at Jiang Liuyue for a few seconds.
Then he said slowly,
"I'm sorry."
"Did my actions just now bother you?"
"Maybe... you can just forget about all that."
Looking at his pitiful appearance, Jiang Liuyue felt a bit of heartache. She patted his shoulder and said,
"You don't need to apologize."
"You don't need to apologize for liking someone, it's just... these things need to be taken slowly."
Because of these words, Lin Yizhou's dim eyes regained their brightness.
He seemed to understand.
He nodded slowly, his movements as sluggish and solemn as an otter's.
"I understand."
...
That evening, on the way to the TV station when Sister Li came to pick her up, she delivered some bad news.
"Li Feile is also on this show, right before you."
Hearing this, Jiang Liuyue was a little surprised, but at the same time, it didn't seem too unexpected.
It made sense.
Li Feile's manager was a senior manager in the company, so of course, they could check the schedules of other minor artists.
She and Li Feile had a conflict of interest, so it was perfectly normal that they would inevitably bump into each other.
Jiang Liuyue nodded calmly and asked, "Will it affect my time slot?"
Qian Li sighed softly and said,
"A little bit, but not because of Li Feile. This episode they also invited a member of the boy band TW-Q who just returned from abroad—Lin."
It seemed Lin Yizhou would also be coming tonight.
Jiang Liuyue asked again, "What's the interview order?"
Qian Li: "Li Feile, you, and finally Lin."
Jiang Liuyue: "Okay, I got it."
The dressing room at the TV station wasn't small; rather, it was a large shared makeup room.
Someone like Li Feile naturally had a private room.
But that was fine, they didn't have to run into each other.
By the waiting area sofa, there was a TV displaying a live feed of the studio.
The host, Zhouzhou, was already in position, seemingly adjusting her earpiece. Jiang Liuyue saw a flash of red enter the studio as well.
It was Li Feile.
"Feile, long time no see." Zhouzhou was quite thin, with a capable short haircut, and she spoke very quickly.
Li Feile flashed her a smile.
"When do we start?"
"Anytime. Once you sit down, our show begins." Zhouzhou pointed at the camera in front of them.
"I'm ready." Li Feile nodded.
The recording of the talk show began.
At first, Zhouzhou asked a few questions about the reception of her last broadcasted drama and her thoughts on the acting profession.
The questions were all very ordinary.
Until she suddenly threw out a sharp question.
"There's a rumor saying you got the female lead role in The Legend of Linu because you have a wealthy backer supporting you behind the scenes. Is that true?"
Li Feile's smile froze.
A hint of displeasure appeared on her face.
However, she kept her patience and forced a bright smile toward the camera.
"I got the role in The Legend of Linu because of an excellent audition. You can go ask the director about that."
"And I've been in the industry for so long entirely through my own hard work."
"This wealthy backer thing is purely fabricated."
Zhouzhou clearly came prepared, bringing up a Weibo post that Li Feile had previously posted but deleted seconds later.
It was a very everyday kind of post.
The text read: He said this dress looks beautiful.
The accompanying picture was a mirror selfie of Li Feile in a luxury store. The key detail was that the edge of the photo captured a man's hand, with distinct knuckles, wearing a watch.
"If it's not a backer, then it's a boyfriend?" Zhouzhou tapped the screenshot.
She was relentless.
Li Feile's face turned pale; this was something posted a long time ago.
Right after posting it, she was scolded by Song Hanzheng, deleted it instantly, and underwent emergency PR damage control.
She hadn't expected the show's production team to dig this up.
Li Feile answered, "It's a friend."
Zhouzhou smiled ambiguously and asked, "A male friend?"
Li Feile nodded.
"Yes, a male friend."
Zhouzhou continued to press with a smile, "If he can accompany you shopping, the relationship must be quite intimate, right?"
Li Feile wasn't sure of Song Hanzheng's attitude, so she didn't dare to answer too presumptuously.
She replied cautiously,
"Yes, a friend I've known for many years."
Seeing her nervous demeanor, Zhouzhou finally changed the subject.
"What is Feile's ideal type?"
Li Feile looked a bit more relaxed and said, "Gentle, good-tempered, generous to me, and preferably considerate."
Sitting on the sofa, Jiang Liuyue listened to her words and felt something was off.
Song Hanzheng had a terrible temper.
How could he be gentle and considerate?
This description sounded more like she was talking about Lin Yizhou.
In the studio, Zhouzhou had been waiting for exactly this line, and she smoothly followed up:
"Oh, so is the friend you've known for many years this type?"
Li Feile shook her head,
"No."
Her tone sounded slightly impatient as she said,
"I don't really want to talk about my romantic experiences. I'd rather focus on myself and my work."
"Alright." Zhouzhou nodded and added, "Then let's chat about what happened on set recently."
"I heard that a newcomer under your company, Vientiane Galaxy, named Jiang Liuyue, acted like a diva before even getting famous. She arrived two hours late to the set and made everyone wait for her."
"What are your thoughts on this matter?"
Li Feile smiled upon hearing this.
Her smile carried a hint of disdain.
However, the words she spoke sounded high-sounding and proper.
"I think she lacks professionalism and isn't suited to be an actress. She'd better leave the industry as soon as possible!"
Hearing this, Zhouzhou covered her lips in surprise and said,
"Eh? I didn't expect Feile to be so strict. I heard that in your early years of acting, you used to be late quite often too."
Faced with the sharp questioning, Li Feile didn't flinch at all.
With a straight face, she said,
"Those are all rumors from tabloids."
"I am not that kind of person."
Zhouzhou reacted quickly and immediately changed her tune, saying,
"Alright, then let's talk about the recent situation with The Legend of Linu."
"The original second female lead was replaced, and I heard the new second female lead is that tardy newcomer from Vientiane Galaxy, Jiang Liuyue. What do you think about this?"
Li Feile naturally knew that Jiang Liuyue would be coming on stage later.
She came here deliberately to cause trouble for her.
And also to cut off all her escape routes.
She said in a sharp tone,
"Her acting is terrible."
"It's not just me saying this; all the veteran actors who worked with her feel the same way."
"Of course, I think compared to her acting skills, her character needs a serious upgrade even more."
"When she played a minor role, she was two hours late. Now that she's the second female lead, we'd be thanking our lucky stars if she doesn't arrive late every day and make everyone wait."
Zhouzhou was extremely satisfied with this answer.
She clapped her hands and said, "Thank you for your hard work, Feile. That's all for today's interview."
She then revealed a smile deliberately looking to stir up drama.
"Next, please welcome our following guest, the newcomer from Vientiane Galaxy and the actress playing the second female lead in The Legend of Linu—Jiang Liuyue!"
