CSGM - Chapter 75
Chapter 75: Ren Zhi's Bed
Compared to the relentless attacks from the career fans, the CP fans were cheerful and didn't care about their comments at all.
The Cheese career fans spent a long time cursing on Weibo, and then everyone's confusion returned to the main topic-
So, what was this place where Ren Zhi and Chu Xi were? Why were they both here at the same time?
If it wasn't explained clearly, even onlookers would easily think the two of them were having an affair.
The bus returned to the training camp, and Chu Xi called out to the person on her shoulder.
"We're here, Ren Zhi. Time to get off."
Her hand moved, and Ren Zhi suddenly woke up.
She had used a pillow on the bus and had actually overslept.
Ren Zhi's eyes instantly cleared, and she realized she was leaning completely against Chu Xi's arm.
"You..."
"Hiss... you made my arm a little numb."
Chu Xi rotated her right hand and squeezed it.
Ren Zhi quickly helped her by squeezing it a couple of times. "Thanks. Is it better?"
"It's fine. It'll recover in a bit." Chu Xi smiled and got off the bus with her.
It was just friends looking out for each other. Ren Zhi quickly dismissed it as a trivial daily matter.
Then, her attention was drawn to the online comments and a message from her assistant.
Another dating scandal, the second time around.
Her assistants all believed it was definitely not true. Sister Zhi had said no, so it was no. She wouldn't lie. They knew that Sister Zhi's mind was truly filled with nothing but her career.
This time, the assistants were asking if she wanted to clarify or make a public statement.
Ren Zhi instructed them not to respond this time.
Responding every time there was an uproar would only make the online public opinion ferment endlessly.
If she responded every time, and then suddenly didn't, people would seize on it, claim she had a guilty conscience, and make a big deal out of it.
It was troublesome for a public figure to clarify rumors. How could one mouth compete with ten thousand?
Since she had already clarified it last time, there was no need to come forward again.
Once things cooled down, the rumors would naturally die out.
The assistants understood and communicated with the team. They would handle this with silence, and they would do the same for similar incidents in the future.
The director of Three Kingdoms had originally planned to work quietly and make a big splash, keeping the faces of the training camp trainees hidden. He didn't want them to be overexposed to the public before the movie's release, in order to preserve its freshness and sense of mystery.
But after today's accident, the crew's existence had already attracted attention. Seeing so many people online eager to get to the bottom of it, he decided to come forward himself and say a little something.
@Director Yang Huiming: 【I see a lot of people guessing, so let me tell you all, don't be surprised. I'm preparing a movie. The people who got lost today are my crew members. Chu Xi is also part of our crew, and Teacher Ren @Ren Zhi is the acting instructor I invited for the crew. That's why you see so many handsome young men and pretty young women, including her, all together. Because! We! Are working! /[facepalm] I won't say what movie it is specifically, to leave a little mystery for everyone. See you next year!】
That settled it.
Someone had explained the truth. All the baseless fabrications, wild fantasies, and ridiculous speculations vanished. The confused discussions and questions everywhere also disappeared.
All everyone wanted was an answer.
So that's how it was.
It was a film crew. That explained all the young, handsome, and beautiful faces.
After seeing this Weibo post, the Milkshakes were overjoyed. Their idol was amazing! First, she landed a makeup endorsement, and now she was heading straight for the big screen!
Xixi is soaring to new heights! Her future is limitless!
Ren Zhi's career fans were also happy. Their sister was indeed focused on her career.
Heh, dating? To hell with that, impossible!
Just as they were about to mock some of the fanciful CP fans and go check out their disappointed reactions-
They clicked into the "ChuChu dong Ren" Super Topic only to find that the CP fans were still celebrating wildly!
【Top Xi is working with her wifey again, that's awesome! /[Licking Screen]/[Licking Screen]】
【Xixi is an actress, Zhizhi is the acting teacher. Xixi, you have to study hard, okay? Ask about anything you don't understand! Go find the teacher often! /[Wow]】
【My CP has a chance to see each other every day again, one step closer to getting their marriage certificate! /[Lecherous]】
The Ren Zhi career fans who had come to watch the show silently exited the Super Topic: "..."
They really had to hand it to this group of unidentifiable creatures! Was their brain filled with nothing but fluff?
Brainless vs. Unhappy, round one concluded.
Meanwhile, the higher-ups at Qingyou Agency noticed Chu Xi's schedule, which greatly surprised them as they had assumed she would have finished filming a drama with some crew by now.
They then called Chu Xi's agent, Yu Yixue, to question her, not understanding the situation.
"What's going on? How did she end up on the Three Kingdoms crew? Has she been in a training camp for the past few months?!"
What could Yu Yixue do?
Yu Yixue could only tell the truth: it was Chu Xi's own choice, and she couldn't stop her.
She also relayed what Chu Xi had said-that this crew was dedicated to their craft, and the movie's quality definitely wouldn't be bad.
"Spending six months in a training camp, is she crazy? Fine, fine, even setting that aside, she wants to be a movie star? This movie's casting doesn't even have a female lead. What billing is she going for?" Even the questions from the agency's executives were the same as Yu Yixue's own initial questions.
"Does anyone even watch movies based on the Three Kingdoms IP anymore? Its reputation has been milked dry! Her choice is too irrational, and you didn't even tell us in advance!"
Chu Xi flies free, while her agent takes the blame.
Yu Yixue sighed, nodding repeatedly and agreeing with the leader on the other end of the line like a grandson. Yes, yes, the leader was right about everything. It was all Chu Xi's and her fault.
Chu Xi's decision had been sudden. Yu Yixue did have some selfish motives; she didn't want them both to get chewed out, so she had indeed concealed the information. She figured they would wait until the movie was released to see if the final result was good or bad. What if Chu Xi's choice of movie turned out to be the right one?
Now, Chu Xi had indeed escaped the scolding, and she was the only one left to take the heat.
That evening, Yu Yixue relayed the company's message to Chu Xi-
"Several of the executives are very angry. They said you're responsible for these six months. If the movie doesn't become a hit after its release, the company will downgrade your resources."
They had originally wanted to promote Chu Xi, but she was disobedient and didn't seize the opportunity, insisting on going against the grain.
The entertainment industry iterates too quickly these days. With her level of fame, if she didn't hurry up and film something, she'd be irrelevant again after eight or nine months.
If she became too irrelevant, the company wouldn't be able to promote her even if they wanted to!
Chu Xi said nonchalantly, "Oh."
Yu Yixue: "There's another unfortunate thing. There was supposed to be a video platform's Scream Night at the end of December. Xiang Xian recommended you for it, wanting to give you a chance to meet some big shots. But since you won't have any new work by then, I'm afraid you'll be replaced."
Chu Xi continued calmly, "Okay, no problem."
Yu Yixue said eagerly, "Are things going smoothly there? Why don't you drop out of this camp and come out now? I have scripts on hand. There are still three months left, enough time to film a drama."
After she said this, Chu Xi's voice instantly deepened, and her tone became serious.
"I didn't come here to play around. I will definitely film this movie, and I will stay in the training camp until the end. Don't say things like that anymore."
What if Ren Zhi heard this?
She had promised Ren Zhi that she would stay in the training camp from start to finish and choose her role carefully, and she would definitely keep her word.
Knowing she didn't like to hear such things, Yu Yixue said no more.
Life in the training camp proceeded step by step.
Outside the big house, a summer had almost passed. As time went on, the trainees seemed to gradually get used to life here. The sounds of crying and shouting about how hard it was and wanting to quit the camp also lessened after repeated consolations.
Or perhaps, their strengthened bodies had given their minds a more resilient strength.
Another Saturday assessment ended.
In the evening, everyone came out of the examination room and, as usual, eagerly began to speculate about the results. "Guess who'll be second and third this time? I noticed XX's performance was really explosive today. The teacher seemed quite satisfied with him."
"XX was also very steady when riding the horse! Wasn't he fourth or fifth last time? He might move up this time!"
Having gotten used to being crushed by Chu Xi on a whole other level, the other trainees now automatically ignored the eternally unchanging first place when discussing the assessment rankings. They had re-established a new concept in their minds-
Chu Xi, this descended deity, did not participate in the competitions of mortals. Now, the second and third places in their performance rankings were automatically considered first and second!
And Chu Xi herself was well aware of her own abilities, disdaining to participate in such discussions every time.
First place was hers. The rest had nothing to do with her.
Compared to the rankings, she was more concerned about where Ren Zhi had gone.
During tonight's acting exam, Ren Zhi, as the acting instructor, wasn't even in the judges' seats. Where had she taken leave to go?
"Brother Zhao, where's Teacher Ren?" Chu Xi went to ask another acting instructor.
But Teacher Zhao didn't know the specifics either. He could only say, "She probably has some business to attend to. Teacher Ren is quite busy; she took leave and left this afternoon."
"Oh..." Chu Xi thought for a moment.
Then tonight... should I go buy a lollipop?
She really planned to do as she thought. When Ren Zhi was around, she always felt a little guilty, but tonight Ren Zhi was gone, and her mouth was idle.
Night fell.
After the lights in the dormitory building went out, Chu Xi put on her jacket and went out.
Summer was almost over, and there was a chill in the night air-mainly, wearing a jacket made it harder for people to recognize her.
After getting a lollipop and two bags of crispy noodles, Chu Xi passed by the training camp building on her way back and noticed that a light was on inside.
It had been dark when she left.
Outside the fence, someone hailed a taxi and left. Chu Xi's sharp eyes recognized the person as the assistant who had been with Ren Zhi a few times.
So-
She immediately knew who had returned to the building.
She paused on the spot, quickly unwrapped the lollipop, and, relying on her strong teeth, crunched it into pieces in two bites. She let it dissolve in her mouth, then threw away the stick and the other snacks, destroying the evidence.
Only then did she feel at ease enough to go into the building to find Ren Zhi.
"Ren Zhi."
"Hey, hey."
"Where is she?"
She looked outside the door and circled the main hall but didn't see anyone. Chu Xi then went to check the restroom.
The light was indeed on here as well. It seemed she was taking care of some biological needs. Chu Xi decided to wait at the door, taking the opportunity to run her tongue over her teeth and savor the aftertaste of the orange flavoring from just now.
Before Ren Zhi came out, the sound of dry heaving reached her ears.
"Retch-"
Chu Xi froze, then straightened up from her leaning position against the wall with a jolt.
Then the person in the restroom really started to throw up. Listening to the sound, a gushing noise, Chu Xi guessed it was all liquid. The person inside also choked twice in discomfort.
Without thinking, she followed the sound to the stall, pushed the door, and found it locked. She switched to knocking, frowning as she asked from outside:
"Ren Zhi, hey, it's me. Are you okay? Open the door."
The door didn't open, but the sound of vomiting came from inside again, sounding extremely uncomfortable.
Chu Xi's brow furrowed tightly. She continued to knock, her knuckles rapping a bit hastily.
"Open the door."
"There's no one else here but me."
"If you ignore me, I'm breaking the door down. Anyway, I've been training well recently. Believe it or not, I can kick it open."
The sound of paper being pulled came from the stall.
Then the flush button was pressed, and amidst the whooshing sound, the lock inside was finally turned.
Anxious, Chu Xi rushed in, nearly knocking the person inside into the toilet bowl. Fortunately, her reflexes were quick; she grabbed the person and pulled her back.
When Ren Zhi bumped into her, she realized that Ren Zhi didn't even have the strength to stand steady.
The smell of alcohol assaulted her nostrils, but there was no smell of food, just the strong scent of white liquor.
The entire stall now reeked of alcohol, and Chu Xi found the smell a bit sickening.
She drank this much?
What was she so happy about?
She pulled out another wad of paper and wiped it around Ren Zhi's mouth. As she wiped, she said, amused, "If you drink any more, you're going to be marinated. I didn't realize you could drink so much."
Looking at Ren Zhi's flushed face and the vacant look in her eyes, Chu Xi discovered that without her usual aggressiveness, she actually possessed a soft, enchanting charm that inspired pity and affection.
It was as if Chu Xi's heart was suddenly filled with infinite kindness and patience.
Ren Zhi had known enough to send her assistant away just now. At this moment, she was still somewhat lucid and could recognize people.
It was a good thing no other student came by.
She felt it would be embarrassing if an outsider saw her in this state.
She said softly to Chu Xi, "Don't let... others see."
The moment she spoke, it was like opening a bottle of 60-proof baijiu. Although the smell was pungent to Chu Xi, she couldn't help but want to laugh.
So it turned out that even Ren Zhi smelled bad when she drank too much, a huge departure from her usual fragrant image.
Chu Xi completely understood why she didn't want anyone to see her now. Who asked her to be a stinky one?
"Got it. Are you feeling better? Do you need to throw up again?"
Ren Zhi shook her head. Her stomach was upset, and her brows knitted as she said in a low voice, "No need."
"That assistant of yours, she just left like that? Left you in the restroom? That's too irresponsible."
Ren Zhi didn't make a sound. She didn't fall onto her, but half of her body was propped against the stall partition, looking like she was about to fall asleep.
Chu Xi's hand hovered around her waist, afraid she would fall. She waited quietly for her to recover for a while, then suddenly heard her say:
"Go out."
"...?" Chu Xi was taken aback.
"Sister, are you planning to sleep in the restroom?"
Chu Xi asked, both baffled and unable to resist.
Ren Zhi said uncomfortably, "I'm just resting for a bit."
Rest for a bit to recover, and then she could go back on her own.
"It's midnight now, there's no one outside. Here..." Chu Xi took off her jacket, draped it over her back, and pulled the hood over her head, saying, "Wear this, and no one will see you. I'll walk you back to your room."
"Don't take pictures of me..."
Chu Xi was amused by her. Was she some kind of paparazzi?
"I know. I'll keep a lookout for you everywhere. Let's go. Come on, get on."
She got Ren Zhi securely on her back and headed back towards the crew's dormitory.
As soon as they went outside and the wind blew, she heard the sound of uncomfortable dry heaving from Ren Zhi's throat after just a few steps.
"Don't you dare throw up on me!" she quickly warned.
"Mmm... mmm..." The intermittent reply sounded very unreliable.
Chu Xi walked faster and told Ren Zhi, "We're almost there."
The voice on her back still replied, "Mmm..."
It was very faint, and she seemed to be even less conscious.
Back in the building, Chu Xi felt another wave of relief for Ren Zhi-it was a good thing she was the one who ran into her tonight. If it had been another trainee, Ren Zhi would probably die of social embarrassment on the spot tomorrow.
Ehehe.
As Chu Xi searched for the key in Ren Zhi's bag, she muttered, "It's a good thing I was the one who saw you. It's okay, I won't tell anyone. We're at your room now, you..."
Suddenly, her words came to an abrupt halt.
Chu Xi froze.
-Ren Zhi had thrown up again, a mouthful right onto her shoulder. The alcoholic liquid slid from her clothes onto her skin.
She gritted her teeth, opened the door, and said to the air, "You're repaying kindness with malice... couldn't you have held it in a little longer?"
Ren Zhi only vomited and didn't speak. There were still gurgling sounds stirring in her throat. Chu Xi was scared of her now. She quickly brought her into the room, rushed into the restroom, and pulled her over to the toilet.
"Go on, throw up. You can throw up all you want now."
"Retch... retch..."
Ren Zhi's fingers gripped the edge of the toilet bowl. White liquor dripped from her mouth, and the irritation made liquid come out of her nose. She was a complete mess.
It was painful for Chu Xi to watch. She squatted down, gently patted her on the back, and pulled out tissues to wipe her face.
Although her face was now a mess, a kind-hearted person like Chu Xi wouldn't find her dirty.
Someone's usual pride and coldness seemed to completely crumble in front of another person. In the end, the hard shell peeled away, leaving only gentleness.
Slowly, Chu Xi softened her voice and said with concern, "Don't drink so much next time, okay?"
The only response in the air was the other person's shallow breathing.
Ren Zhi sat on the floor, her back against the wall. Her eyes were closed most of the time, occasionally fluttering open to give her a dazed, emotionless look.
This state was basically dead drunk.
"I owe you one. Wait for me," Chu Xi said before getting up and grabbing a mop from the restroom.
First, she cleaned up the mess of vomit at the doorway to prevent anyone from noticing anything tomorrow.
This one had to drink too much and also had to hide it. So high-maintenance, tsk.
After cleaning the doorway, Chu Xi closed the door, came back, and guided the person to the sink to brush her teeth and wash her face.
"Take a sip, don't swallow... slowly, slowly... spit, spit it out..."
Ren Zhi was like an exquisite doll, letting herself be handled. Although the smell of alcohol was a bit strong, her hair was fragrant, and the lingering scent of her perfume was still romantic. As Chu Xi gradually got used to the smell of baijiu on her, she began to smell her sweet fragrance again.
After brushing her teeth a few more times, the smell of alcohol faded significantly.
Chu Xi looked at Ren Zhi in the mirror. The blush on her face was like the splendid colors of a sunset, prettier than any makeup. The corners of her eyes were moist and red, like a gentle, meandering spring river, brimming with charm.
"Who do you think is prettier when they're quiet, me or you?"
Chu Xi smiled at the reflection in the mirror.
It was unclear if Ren Zhi had heard her, but she also smiled at the mirror, a gentle and charmingly naive smile, completely different from her usual self.
Chu Xi was stunned. For a few seconds, her mind went blank, and she didn't know what she was thinking.
"It couldn't be that some suitor took you to dinner today, you had a happy chat, and got drunk, right...?" she muttered to herself.
Then she realized this topic was a bit unpleasant to think about, so she stopped.
Her ability to think quickly returned, and Chu Xi completely ruled out that unpleasant possibility.
If it were one of Ren Zhi's suitors, would they only serve alcohol and no food?
What Ren Zhi had just thrown up was all alcohol; there wasn't even a bite of food in it. It seemed her stomach had been filled with alcohol all night.
This pattern usually meant a business dinner.
The amount she threw up tonight must have been at least half a catty, right?
"Fine, you're amazing..." Chu Xi helped her get water, wring out a towel to wash her face, and muttered in her ear.
Ren Zhi was just a submissive, dazed, and vacant figure who didn't speak. Occasionally, a pained expression would cross her face, and Chu Xi would quickly massage her temples and head.
After cleaning her up, carrying her back to bed, and tucking her in, Chu Xi lowered her head and sniffed herself-
I stink!
The area below half her shoulder was covered in the mouthful of alcohol Ren Zhi had just thrown up on her, and it was almost dry now.
Tsk!!!!
Chu Xi quickly went into the shower to rinse herself off. When she came out, she realized she had no clothes to wear. She quickly rummaged through Ren Zhi's wardrobe and found a T-shirt to put on.
Once she had basically cleaned herself up, she got into bed-Ren Zhi's bed.
What's there to panic about? It wasn't the first time they had slept together. Chu Xi lay down with a clear conscience, scooting a little closer to Ren Zhi.
Two in the morning.
At home, after listing all the sponsors and their information for Sister Zhi, the assistant Xiao Ju sent the Excel file to Ren Zhi's WeChat.
Sister Zhi was amazing. She had secured several more sponsors tonight. It seemed she had a chance to get her hands on that drama she wanted.
It's just... sigh...
Always seeing their boss work so hard, Xiao Ju, like the other assistants, often felt sorry for her. She hoped the movie she invested in this time would also be a huge hit and make a ton of money!
She had been forcibly sent home by Sister Zhi earlier. She wondered if her sister was back in her room resting now. Drinking so much again, it was hard not to worry.
Xiao Ju thought for a moment. Seeing that there was no reply to her message, she took the liberty of making a phone call.
Fortunately, her boss's phone rang once and was answered. Xiao Ju instantly felt relieved. She just needed to confirm that her boss was back in her room resting safely.
"Sister Zhi, I've finished the spreadsheet and sent it to your WeChat. Are you back in your room?"
Chu Xi's brow furrowed slightly. She was very displeased with this person who called in the middle of the night and almost disturbed Ren Zhi's rest. So, her tone on the phone wasn't very polite. With a hint of weariness, she said coldly, "She's already asleep."
The assistant, Xiao Ju: "?!"
"Who... who are you?"
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